How Does a Broken Church Reach a Lost World?

You are correct in a lot of what you post. However, remember this, with Jesus and His Church all things are possible. Think back to the early Church when Jesus sent out a handful of Apostles/Disciples to Baptize and Evangelize the world. He sent these few souls out into a world of wolves. And this handful of disciples were successful in spreading the Good News, despite not having the internet, modern forms of transportation, nor telephones. Maybe we ought to look at what the early Christian Church did and copy their actions.

It's an honest question. If we can't even tolerate each other, if we tear each other down INSIDE the camp, how do we ever reach a lost world?!

Several years ago I started a thread against OSAS. I simply disagree with it and there was one lady here that was so dogmatic that I started a thread. In the end I believe I offended someone who I thought a lot of who is since gone. He was always so patient in his response to me and I felt bad that I had started that thread. I haven't done so since. It didn't do anything but stir up hurt and anger, it certainly did nothing for the kingdom.

I am Pentecostal, AOG, not a fly by night cult. That being said I fellowship with all denominations, have friends from all of them. I traveled in hundreds of churches over the years, even Catholics, and each place we went they were so gracious to us. I don't hold with Catholic beliefs, or many of them, but they still allowed us to preach the Gospel in some of their churches.

We preached and sang one night in a Pentecostal church. At the end of the service two nuns came up to my sister and I and we had a wonderful talk about missions and serving the Lord. Another time a friend of the family was visiting us but she had brought friends. We were wanting to attend a service since it was Sunday. One of the ladies was Catholic, the rest of us evangelical. But there is a huge cathedral just outside Cinci so we all went there. It was a 911 memorial service, in fact it may have been the first just after it happened. The people at the door didn't ask if we were all Catholic, they were friendly and gracious. It was a beautiful service with the pipe organ and it houses the largest stained glass window in America. Another time we sang at a Methodist church that was spirit filled and they spoke in tongues!! Had a wonderful service.

I saw all that to say this. I come here to CC and I see nothing but bashing each others beliefs. Not discussion. I find it so disheartening. If we cannot even tolerate each other, how do we reach a sinner? I find so many rigid, dogmatic, hateful threads here lately and I wonder what good it does? Honestly. I don't see that in my every day experience, do you?! We use to have those churches that had so many man made rules and sometimes they open their door a crack and let us in to minister. We use to call them the "Us Four and No More" churches. Usually very few people attending because no one could live up to their dogmatic beliefs and false standards. I worry that some of the people at CC go out and try to reach the world with this attitude. I'm not gunning at any one person, I'm talking about an attitude I see here, and it's really strong. I wonder if these people are just home bound and just isolate themselves more and more. I don't get it. I don't see how a broken, bickering, backstabbing church can reach anyone. Why would anyone want to be part of that? It's just a question. Maybe someone can clear it up for me.

After all, there are millions of serious Christians in the world today and with all the latest technology. But we have to take the initiative instead of sitting on our rumps.

Look to what we can do, as individual Christians both within our Church and outside our Church. What can we do to evangelize, like Peter, Paul, the Apostles/Disciples of the early Church? Do we minister to others, as the early Church did: poor/prisoners/aged/hungry/sick etc.................. These are methods/means in which the early Disciples helped to spread the Good News of the Gospel.

Sadly, It is the mindset of many churches. They feel like they are right and everyone else is wrong. and they feel they have to correct everyone else.. And doing so is their duty.

To me it is satan getting his way.

Not sure why someone starts a thread AGAINST something but bear in mind people have different views, there were four gospels and they all had different experiences of the same Jesus.

I dont come on Bible discussion Forum that often but when I do its always to discuss, never to argue. Not really sure why ppl want to be argumentative. Try and respect other peoples views that may differ from yours, we are not clones of each other.

Shalom

The internet’s cloak of anonymity empowers some people who are otherwise much more amicable in person. With that power they cause division within the Body of Christ rather than living and let live.

On another note, folks on this site focus on negativity rather than God’s grace. Constantly focusing on negativity has adverse reactions.

The internet’s cloak of anonymity empowers some people who are otherwise much more amicable in person. With that power they cause division within the Body of Christ rather than living and let live.

On another note, folks on this site focus on negativity rather than God’s grace. Constantly focusing on negativity has adverse reactions.

You are correct in a lot of what you post. However, remember this, with Jesus and His Church all things are possible. Think back to the early Church when Jesus sent out a handful of Apostles/Disciples to Baptize and Evangelize the world. He sent these few souls out into a world of wolves. And this handful of disciples were successful in spreading the Good News, despite not having the internet, modern forms of transportation, nor telephones. Maybe we ought to look at what the early Christian Church did and copy their actions.

I think also it can be hard to gauge a person's response because we can't see their emotions behind the words

Well, seeing how you just mentioned this, and seeing how I was actually talking to another forum member here on the phone last night for 3 hours about some of these things, I'll ask the following question:

How many of the forum members here actually evangelize people outside of online forums like this while seeking to make disciples for the Lord?

I'd guess that it's not a very high percentage.

Whatever the case may be, this thread reminds me of this:

Ephesians chapter 4

[7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[8] Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
[9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
[10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
[11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
[12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
[14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
[15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
[16] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Any gifts that we truly have are to be used for the following purposes:

1. The perfecting of the saints (vs. 12).
2. The work of the ministry (vs. 12).
3. The edifying or building up of the body of Christ (vs. 12).
4. To bring us into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.

On this point of "unity", there are definitely going to be times when we need to address the things which divide us, but we need to be able to address them civilly.

5. To bring others (and ourselves, of course) unto a perfect man, or unto maturity in Christ, or unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (vs. 13).
6. To keep others (and, again, ourselves) from being children who are tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (vs. 14).

Let's be real, folks.

We're engaged in a spiritual war for our souls, and our adversary, the devil, has planted many tares among the wheat, and those tares include false teachers, false apostles, wolves in sheep's clothing, false brethren, etc., etc., etc, even as the Bible warns us.

With such being the case, there are definitely also going to be times when we need to call out certain people and their doctrines, even as Christ and the apostles did themselves, in order to protect the flock.

7. To speak the truth IN LOVE (vs. 15).

On this point, love is NOT always some ooey-gooey thing.

No, God is love, and Jesus is "Emmanuel" or "God with us", and he pretty regularly laid the axe at the root or went directly at the sinful things within peoples' hearts IN ORDER THAT THEY MIGHT REPENT AND BE SAVED.

In other words, he wasn't just looking to put others down or to make himself look better than them in other peoples eyes.

Here is a very real part of "love":

"Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." (Proverbs 27:5-6)

If we truly love others, then it's not always going to be some "secret" thing. No, instead, it's sometimes going to need to be manifested in the form of "open rebuke". Again, if we're truly someone's "friend", then there are inevitably going to be times when we need to "faithfully wound" them for their own potential benefit. Of course, someone with the wrong heartset or mindset could easily grab hold of something like this while using it as a sort of Carte Blanche to just tell off others, but, that possibility aside, "open rebuke" and "faithfully wounding" are still parts of true "love" and genuine "friendship".

8. That we may truly be one body, whose head is Christ, and that every joint in this body might contribute something vital to the body's growth or vital to the body's edifying or building up of itself in love (vss. 15-16).

I would heartily suggest that we all examine ourselves and our motives in light of such things as these and make any necessary adjustments in our own hearts/minds/lives before attempting to correct anybody else.