What is the Obstacle?
George Barna tracks the religious beliefs and practices of Americans. He said,
The relationship between people’s perception of their religious commitment and their reticence to make faith their top priority points to a significant disconnect.I have been wondering if the same disconnect exists in New Zealand. Yesterday I was talking to Dennis Smith about the slow progress of the house church movement in this country, and wondering about the reason.
It seems as if God is in, but living for God is not. Many Americans are living a dual life – one filled with good feelings about God and faith, corroborated by some simple religious practices, and another in which they believe they are in control of their own destiny and operate apart from Him.
In the 1980s, I published a little booklet called The Bride of Christ. It described an organic/simple model of church based in houses. I sold thousands of copies and had to do a reprint. Hundreds of people wrote an said that the book had spoken to them. They didn't just speak of theological agreement, but said that the book descibed what the Holy Spirit had been saying to them. Many spoke of God doing a new thing in our time.
The standard PR principle is that one letter represents a hundred people with similar opinions. On that basis, I can only assume that the Holy Spirit was speaking to thousands of Christians about doing a new thing here in New Zealand. I assume that he was speaking to thousands of people about house churches and relationship-based churches.
In other countries, the numbers of house churches runs to thousands. Here in New Zealand, there must be less than a hundred house churches. I cannot help wondering about what has happened to all those people who believed that the Holy Spirit was speaking to them about House Churches. What are they doing now? Is starting a house church too hard. Was there some other obstacle? If you know the answer please let me know.
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4 comments:
Hi Ron
The Bible tells us that there is a gap between those who 'hear' and those who 'do', those who are 'called' and those who are 'chosen'.
It takes more than 'mental ascent' to follow Christ, it takes more than 'agreement in principle' to start a house church.
To go against the 'main stream' and to pioneer a new way of 'being church' requires either a clear call from God, or an over powering dissatisfaction with the status quo, or both.
When you apply these tests, the thousands who 'agree' get reduced to the tens who 'do' very quickly.
As always the blessing is not in measuring the numbers, but in obedience to the call of God.
Numbers are good, but obedience is best.
Blessings
Brendan
Thanks Brendan.
I understand the difference, but this seemed to be more than mental ascent. People said the Holy Spirit had spoken. If it was, I don't understand why he was just ignored.
And why is it different in other countries.
I realise that numbers are not important, but something will need to happen in this nation soon, because we are going down the gurgler.
Please don't tell me that that will speed the second coming.
Blessings
Ron
Ron, Yes. Quite a disconnect for sure. The dynamic of house church must occur, it seems to me, in a true measure, in any church if that church is to be really church.
Relationships and living out our faith in such relationships and from that living out our faith in the various callings and places we are, are all so important, surely, in this.
Thanks again for stimulating our thinking.
Hi Ron
"that will speed the second coming"
Sorry, I'm still struggling with rebellion. :-)
I think there is a large section of the Christian community (any community) that likes to tell leaders, authors, [others] what they think you want to hear.
If they think you want to hear that God has spoken to them through your book, then that's what they will tell you.
It's a misguided kind of 'giving'.
Maybe they think they are being encouraging by affirming the message in this way?
What other explanation exists?
Perhaps they were being deliberately deceitful? :-)
Or maybe they have been honest but not really known how or where to start.
I have been dragged to the conclusion recently that in everything leadership is vitally important. It's true in families, business, the sporting arena, and also the Church.
Let's agree that the house church needs a different kind of leadership than what we have seen modeled in the institutional church, but without pro-active leadership nothing happens.
Perhaps kiwi's are better followers than we are leaders? Perhaps it’s your tall poppy syndrome being worked out in the church?
I agree that something needs to happen though – and soon.
Blessings
Brendan
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