Get With the KINGdom

I heard something this morning on the radio about how churches have to change with the times. You often hear people talk about their interpretations of scripture or how the lessons of the Bible were for another time. In recent years, we have seen more and more churches change their “rules” to permit things that are clearly listed in the Bible as a NO. Most people jump to same sex couples when that statement is made, but it applies to couples living as man and wife outside of marriage, it applies to honoring parents, honoring God, and loving one another. We break plenty of rules without going into what most of us consider “big sins”. Sin is sin and God’s rules are not negotiable. We did not receive a second interpretation of the Gospel that “suits” the modern world more comfortably. God is the same yesterday, today and forever…we have not run out of forever.

 

That being established, I do believe there has to be a change in tactics. Yes, I said tactics. Our pastors often refer to being shrewd in drawing people into the church. They do not shy away from special giveaways or events to attract people to come to church. This is not a bait and switch. People who have not experienced a relationship with God do not understand when we talk of freedom and grace. They do understand expressions of love and support. If we can get them to an event or in the door, we can then introduce them to everything God has to offer. Then and only then can they taste and see that the Lord is good.

Why, in general, has the church started down a slippery slope of conforming to the world? (Romans 12:2) I am not talking about introducing new music. I am not talking about utilizing the tools of social media to reach larger audiences. I am talking about complete departures from what the Bible clearly states as right and wrong? I think Pastor Will identified this perfectly during his message on Father’s Day.

God’s Kingdom Is Not a Democracy

Pastor Will brilliantly explained one of the issues we have. We treat the kingdom of God as a democracy. It IS NOT a democracy. We have no legislative power to change the rules. The rules are the rules. There is a chain of command to be respected. Another pastor that I listen too often is, Steven Furtick. In a message of his, he talked about how all these parameters are what give us freedom. I love his example. Why do you put up a fence when you have a dog? To protect the dog from running into danger and to give him the freedom to run…within those parameters.

All of this talk of boundaries and rules brings us back to the concept of kingdom. A kingdom is defined as “a realm associated with or regarded as being under the control of a particular person or thing”. To be part of the Kingdom of God is to be submissive to his will…not the popular vote. I get it, this is a difficult thing to accept for those of us who have held democracy in such high regard. We do not need counter-measures to keep God in check, he cannot be impeached, and we do not have the power to adjust the rules. More importantly, God is perfect and good…the protections we cling to in democracy are not necessary.

Honor

Pastor Will discussed honor at length during his Father’s Day message. Not just children honoring parents. The church honoring not only God, but those God has put in place to lead us. It is not our place to correct our leaders. To ask questions…sure. To obtain clarity…absolutely. However, it is God’s place to deal with them when they are out of bounds, should that happen. We live in a culture where we think we are entitled to call the shots. That is a huge barrier in our walk with God individually. We have a misplaced concept of respect and honor.

Moses broke the rules. Like most siblings, Miriam and Aaron thought they would call him out on it. Miriam walked away with leprosy. (Numbers 12:1-10) Maybe, instead of calling out the faults of leadership when we see them, we trust their hearts toward us. We should be praying for them, not critiquing them. After all, these are our spiritual fathers and mothers, Ephesians reminds us to honor our parents in the Lord, that our days may be long.

Self-Assessment

I often find myself trying to hear God more clearly. I still question the still small voice and wonder if I am just expounding on my internal monologue. I sat in the seat nodding in agreement with Pastor Will on Sunday. It was not until later in the day that the message started penetrating my mind. I have participated and engaged in commentary on leadership, not so much my Pastors now, but in the past. After all, we all have opinions on everything. In my life, I have missed many opportunities to show proper honor to my earthly parents. As a wife, I could certainly show more honor to my husband. These roles are their God given appointments and I rebelled, more than once, against that.

So before you jump on the soap box to address the things I have said, look in the mirror. I am not trying to call you out. This was my revelation. I have plenty of work to do without pointing anything out you are doing. Just take a moment, pray and let God reveal to you where you need to up your honor game. How can we be submissive to God’s will and love others if we are missing the fundamentals? If we fail to understand honor and submission, how do we hear and complete the mission God has for us?

Let’s shake off the weight and get back in the race…together.