Finding Organic Church Life

12/23/2003

Many people are asking questions and want answers for what to “do” to have this organic vs organizational church life in their city. Well, for starters, we have to embrace Jesus’ Teachings, (as unpopular and “optional” and maligned or ignored as many of Jesus’ Teachings continue to be, unfortunately). There is NO chance you will ever have Real Organic Church Life where you are without Love of and Obedience to Jesus. A Foundation from the Christ of God will only be a Foundation of “obedience of the Faith.”

As much as you want the Real thing, and even with Jesus wanting it more than we do, it never has and never will “just happen” out of good intentions or doing a “chinese fire drill” of running from religious gimmick to religious gimmick, personality to personality.

Radical problems cannot be solved with cute sayings, web sites, and book sales. The tragedy of leaven-filled lukewarmness (even in an “intimate” or an “organic” environment where everyone gets to “talk”) will just go on, and on, and on, and on........ as it has. Year after year, until “ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” A few months of “excitement” is all that dulls the pain - just like the “excitement” someone in the world has when they get a new house, or new computer, or new clothing. But, in time, as thousands have told us worldwide who have attempted to build “churches” and “home churches” and “organic churches” based on cute ideas and personalities... it will come back to nothing. Just more torn lives and marriages and teens, for resisting JESUS’ Ways, and the Cross, while embracing another gimmick. No one can have Holy Ground, unless they take their shoes off and deal with the Real Issues of their lives (Heb.3:12-14; 1Cor.12; Gal.6:1-2; Acts 2:42-47/Lk.9:57-62). Our hope and prayer is that this is what you ultimately want out of Life.

There can be NO Organic Church Life, PERIOD in a place that is borrowing words and platitudes, importing figure heads for the franchise, or searching for “ideas and concepts and methods” - rather than seeing and being willing to experience the rejection and pain and humiliation of a Corporate Cross. Men can “plant” a little happy club about anywhere. But, my assumption is that you want a Real Church, not a happy club of independent and leavened folks, mind-blocking all of the uncomfortable compromising in order to hope against hope that what they are doing is better than sitting in an edifice and listening to a sermon.

If you want the Real thing, then know that Truth is non-negotiable. The fruit of destroyed or wasted lives is all that comes from the $24.95 solutions from the “authors” who are “practicing medicine without a license” - not living in anything more than what anyone came out of in the first place. They are playing pretty violin songs - on a re-painted Hindenburg - while they fleece the sheep for $24.95 a pop, peddling for profit books on “body life” and “organic church” and “relationships” and the like. Angling to collect their “love offerings” just as they did in Martin Luther’s day.

I’m sure you can see that we don’t NEED more “pretty words” or even “radical WORDS” - unless you want more of the same man-made confusing shallow things and religious pertinacious odiosity that you have seen your entire life, and most consider “acceptable” since it allows them to continue to live for themselves and still feel “radical” in their “religious expression.” I think you want MORE than that. Perhaps even something that “the gates of Hell cannot prevail against” and that is “the Pillar and Foundation of Truth: the Ekklesia.”

“GOD’S Intent, is NOW, through the EKKLESIA, to make known His many-faceted Wisdom, even to the Principalities and Powers!” That’s the REAL thing, and that will get you killed. The stuff you can “buy” will not even cause any perspiration, let alone blood.

Of course, Jesus said that “few” will pay that price. It’s too offensive. Most want a “politically correct” solution that offends (and changes) no one. Jesus was not and is not like that. The REAL thing, that everyone SAYS they want, is RADICALLY different than that which they have always done. Not a “fix ‘er up” - a good book and a visit by a “speaker/author” who “has planted 318,412 “churches” in the last 72 hours. And NOW... he can ‘do’ you too, while he’s in the area. Hang the posters and plan the potlucks! Yay!

The Kingdom of God does not consist of clever “types and shadows” extracted from obscure scriptures to entertain and impress us until the next “meeting,” as everyone “goes back to their real lives.” The REAL thing is born in the AMAZING and PERILOUS “Skandalon” of the daily Together-Life CROSS.

Few want THAT. Someone’s feelings might get hurt.

But, He is Oh, So WORTH IT! There is AWESOME Stuff available for those who are willing to “search for Him with all their hearts!” And, I really believe you want that, though you will be hated for it. “No man is greater than His Teacher. If they hated Me, they WILL hate you.” Hallelujah. Maranatha!