This is something I came across in my songbook today as we were singing. I think I wrote about 4 years ago, it's sort of like my version of "Rocky", meaning it's motivating, you know, makes you want to run a marathon!
Nov. 14th, 2006
A dangerous church can only come as a byproduct of Godly families. Dangerous families! Families willing to answer the call to live a radically different life than the world around them. We are admonished to be in the world and not of the world. The big question is “What does that mean?”. I propose that it means several things. If you are alive and live on earth, I would have to say that you are “in the world”. If then, you: buy the same things, watch the same movies/TV, celebrate the same holidays, read the same magazines, listen to the same music, suffer from the same; fear, guilt, worry, discontentment, practice or fall into the same sins ( III John 1:11, Romans 5-8), then I would have to believe, according to God’s word, that you are “of the world”. (Read I Corinthians 5:9-13, I John 2:15-17, I John 5:4-5). I Cor. 6:12 says “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” With our desire to be a dangerous church, let’s avoid common mistakes among Christians, ( I Cor. 10:1-13). Not only does God not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle, but he also provides a way of escape! WOW! Romans 12, and I Cor 13-14 are wonderful chapters on instructing how Christians, being followers and heirs of the kingdom of Jesus, should think and act.
In regards to my mention of celebrating the same holidays, read Romans 14:1-12, verse 5 speaks of regarding one day above another or every day alike. It also reminds us not to judge, but let each man be fully convinced in his own mind, and that each one shall give account of himself before God. Don’t just do this or that because you always have, or other “christians” are doing it. Pray and seek the Lord in ALL things, ( Phil. 4:4-7). We need to know why we do things and make sure it brings Him glory. He desires obedience, not sacrifice, ( I Sam. 13:8-14). Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel to come and offer burnt offerings, and peace offerings to the Lord, but Samuel did not come when Saul thought he should have, so Saul “forced” himself to make the offerings. King Saul was trying to do what God wanted; sacrifice. But he was not obedient in his sacrifice, so God took the kingdom from him and gave it to another.
Back to being dangerous! So how do you get a dangerous family? It starts with a dangerous Dad. One that is willing to give his life to his kids, one willing to set aside his own interests and time to discipline, train, encourage, listen to, prune, and challenge them in there own maturity, holiness and obedience to our Father.( Eph 6:4) Modeling for them Jesus.( Prov. 22:6) Jesus tells us not to hinder them from coming to Him. If we are not teaching them daily we are hindering them, and according to Jesus it would be better for us to be thrown in the water with a stone around our neck! (Mark 9:42) Not me! This process takes lots of “TIME”, time the world is not willing to spend. How can they?, sadly, with all of the school functions, sports activities, church functions, movies to watch, ministry to do, cd’s to listen to, e-mail to answer and things to look up, who has time? Our answer, according to the world, and most churches ( need I even separate them?) is to remember “they are only kids and won’t veggie tales teach them bible stories and Godly character?”
Is the church keeping the next generation? Sadly, I believe the answer is no. Why not? There are many reasons, but it all boils down to this: The hearts of fathers and mothers have been turned away from their children, and the children have been left to be raised by schools and TV/movies. No wonder the thoughts and morals of our country are the way they are today.
So how do we bring back the church of Jesus Christ? How do we recover and keep for Jesus, the things that have been lost in our daily quest for the American Dream?
It was done 2000 years ago. Jesus has already made the way. When we get saved, the fruit of our lives should show a radical difference than that of the world. A difference in motivation, a difference in reason, and a difference in our purpose. We once lived to gratify the lust of the flesh but now we have died and are raised to a new life in Christ! ( Gal 2:20-21) We are no longer our own, we have been bought with a price.( Eph 2:8-10) We are to mortify the deeds of the flesh,(Col. 3-5) and obey Jesus. If there is not a change/difference, and if we are not set free, we should question our salvation.
So what else does a dangerous family have? A mom, a mom whose heart is for God. A mom planted in the center of her home. A fruitful vine. Tending and caring for her husband and all of her fruit. (Prov. 31:10-31) Teaching them when they rise up, when they walk by the way, and when they sit down. (Deut. 6:6-9). All day, everyday training, encouraging, loving, and disciplining. She is a good manager of her home, she does not eat the bread of idleness. She extends her hand to the poor, cares for the homeless and needy. Her children are with her when she does these things. She teaches her children to pray for others and to have self control. Sadly these things are not possible when she has other things to do which take her away from her kids, or sends them away to watch a movie (good or bad) in the other room so she can clean up or “get things done”.
She should be teaching them to work with her. All children, 1yr old and up, should have jobs around the house, no matter how small the job may seem to us. They want it and need it, try it and see! Give them a sense of worth. Children who are pushed aside daily when they are young, will push you aside when they are older! A child left to himself, will bring shame to his family. Proverbs 22:6 says that if we train a child in the way he should go, he will not depart from it, even when he is old! We either believe God’s word or we don‘t! Proverbs also tells us that the wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. (Prov. 14:1)
So a dangerous church is made up of dangerous families, families with disciplined, obedient, full of life children excited about worshipping God and learning the word. So should they, once again, be pushed aside to be baby sat while the adults worship and hear the word? All of the time means ALL of the time. Training starts at home. Are we raising them to be children or arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior!
Psalms 127:3-5
“ Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”
Dangerous is the church that is filled with dangerous people, including children.
