Posted on 02/21/2006 2:17:28 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
Every time I think of these mega-churches I am reminded of the following........just my opinion of course.
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One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out old bible. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. It had high cathedral ceilings, ornate statues, beautiful murals and stained glass windows, plush carpet, and velvet like cushioned pews. The building must have cost many millions of dollars to build and maintain. The men, women and children of the congregation were all dressed in the finest and most expensive suits, dresses, shoes, and jewelry the old cowboy had ever witnessed.
As the poorly dressed cowboy took a seat the others moved away from him. No one greeted him. No one welcomed him. No one offered a handshake. No one spoke to him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide the fact. There were many glances in his direction as the others frowned and commented among themselves about his shabby attire. A few chuckles and giggles came from some of the younger members.
The preacher gave a long sermon about Hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God's work. When the offering plate was passed thousands of dollars came pouring forth.
As soon as the service was over the congregation hurried out. Once again no one spoke or even nodded to the stranger in the ragged clothes and boots. As the old cowboy was leaving the church the preacher approached him. Instead of welcoming him, the preacher asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worshiping in this church," the preacher said. The old cowboy assured the preacher he would do that and left.
The very next Sunday morning the old cowboy showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again the congregation was appalled at his appearance. He was completely shunned and ignored again. The preacher noticed the man still wearing his ragged clothes and boots, and instead of beginning his sermon, stepped down from the pulpit and walked over to where the man sat alone. "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church," the preacher said.
"I did," replied the old cowboy.
"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.
"Well sir", said the old cowboy, "God told me that He wouldn't have the slightest idea what was appropriate attire for worshiping in your church. He says He's never even been in here before."
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Stay safe !
Whatever number irritates the person doing the criticizing. :-)
From your home page:
"True followers of Christ; Be prepared to have a world make jokes at your expense." Bishop Fulton Sheen.
Guess no one is above being the butt of jokes. Or the maker of such jokes.
LOL! Not bad.
I believe it was SLB that shared that with me the first time......
My but you are so naive. Ever hear of selective inforcement? By the way, when Carter was Pres - during the energy crunch- my church had a local fire official break into the Sun service to tell the deacons they had to turn down the thermostat. I've not forgotten.
Too many people want the perks without the cost of Christianity. The call is to surrender all. That is faith's evidence. And it's all or nothing. Sanctification is a process and justification is an event, but just as surely as we can believe God for justification, we can believe and expect His sactification. If we do not see the fruits then we had better check and be sure we are not believing in a false gospel and a deceptive image of Christ. Otherwise it may be us who one day hear, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
No, not naive. Been advising churches for 40 years on their building and expansion programs. By the way in your tag line you mention Shelton. Are you referring to Carl McIntire's Shelton college?
---Too many people want the perks without the cost of Christianity---
excellently said.
Of course Christians fail, miserably sometimes. But the sign of a true Christian is his discomfort with his sin. He has the Holy Spirit who convicts him when he sins. Sanctification is a process. But is not a dealer installed option that you can take or leave when you pick up your free gift of justification. Those God justifies He also sanctifies. Perfection won't come until heaven, but if you are not being sanctified -- that means corrected like a son when you sin -- then you had better re-examine your definition of faith. Faith is invisible but like the wind, we can see its evidence.
And sancification is not works. It is God at work in you to will and work for His good pleasure. You are no longer your own when you are a Christian. You've been bought with a price and He WILL make you into a new creature. Old things pass away. All things beocme new. You will fail. You will be convicted, disciplined, and you will grow and learn. Not until heaven will we be truly made over into His image, for only then will we be able to see Him as He is -- fully. But the process begins here as evidence of our faith and as a witness to the lost.
On Freerepublic it appears that discomfort with the sins of others is the rule for most who post here....
For later reading
I am a Catholic and not familiar with what goes on in any of these other churches.
That sounds like what the schools started doing many years ago, making children feel 'entitled'! That certainly isn't the purpose of a church.
That's not to say that your first priority isn't your own sin. It is. Nor is it to say that you ever leave the sinner without direction and hope. But true godly love will speak the truth about sin.
It is a modern farce of pop psychology that says guilt is a bad and evil thing. (Notice that the no-guilt theory is judgmental too, it just transfers the guilt to others.) Truth helps a person face their sin and deal with it. Guilt (deserved guilt for wrong thoughts, words, and deeds) is the sign of a healthy conscience. To understand the gospel of grace you must understand the truth about sin -- your own sin. Otherwise you are hopelessly lost and eternally doomed. The truth about sin is a vital part of the gospel message we are commanded to share with others.
More directly to your statement, "On Freerepublic it appears that discomfort with the sins of others is the rule for most who post here...." Isn't that what you are doing, wagging your finger at fellow freepers? I don't see you confessing any sins. Just like you, other freepers are simply stating what they think the right standards should be. They aren't saying they should live by different standards than everyone else.
Mega-Churches Seem to Teach Many of the New Fads that are Generated Periodically Within Professing Christian Circles. Whether it's "Felt-Needs," "Prosperity," the (Blasphemous) "god-Hood of man," or a Dozen Other Errors, One must Beware of a Lack of Discernment that is Often Evident in these Churches. (Of Course, in these Days of Doctrinal Apostacy, One can Find Grievous Errors in Many Places; we're Truly Living Out 2Tim.4:3,4, Unfortunately!)
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