Adapted and inspired by Milt Rodriguez's blog
We have been blinded by another gospel. It is the gospel, mindset and culture of western consumerism. Human need is god and everything revolves around getting our needs and desires fulfilled. This, my friends, is our top priority. It's all about what God and the Church can do for us.
Case in point, observe how people choose their place of attendance in the Christian religious system. Most respond with something to the effect of "I like the pastor. I feel like I really get fed. I like the worship music. It's my style, etc. etc." Even now, we hear it in movements like the current "missional" or "emergent" movements. "I want to reach these people and this is what this church is doing," or "I hate the religious system and all of these people do too." They are missing the point of God's eternal purpose.
Organized Christianity even aligns itself into similar social classes and races in order to be comfortable, even in the midst of denying the vision of the New Testament of One New Humanity that eliminates class, race, gender and the like (Ephesians 2:14-18, Galatians 3:26-29). Just look around you the next time you gather with Christians.
These organizations have fallen into the trap of becoming a glorified marketing department selling religious goods and services that are in high demand by consumerist Christians.
As Milt Rodriguez says, "The only reason that any group calling itself a “church” should exist is to fulfill the eternal purpose of God in Christ, which is (Jesus Christ) as the sum, the center, the head, the fulfillment, the expression, and the source of all things (Eph. 1); that he would fill all things with himself (Eph. 4:10); that this glorious Christ would have an (earthly) expression that would freely express him in all his fullness (Eph. 1:22, 23); and that this expression (the body of believers) would put all of his enemies to shame (Eph. 3:8-12)." Everything else will flow out from that foundation.
Your needs, which by the way, God knows better than you do, will be taken care of as a by-product to fulfilling the eternal purpose of God in Christ. Ask God for a revelation of what that is, namely Christ.
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