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Postcard Lessons
A couple of weekends ago, our doorbell rang. I opened the door to a teenager, who was passing out postcards. In addition to the postcard, she invited me to a new church that was being formed in our community. This particular postcard provided detailed information about times and a location for the church meetings, but its message was also exemplary of a growing trend for churches to provide what pleases people instead of what they need. Please consider the following lessons gained from observing this card’s invitation.
“What’s in a name?”
We typically do not pick our own names, so they rarely have any connection to who we are as a person. However, most organizations take great care when picking a name, trying to find one that encapsulates their very essence. Consequently, the chosen name frequently communicates a lot about what is most important to the organization.
Now a Bible-patterned church does not have to use the exact name, “Church of Christ”. Several designations are used for the Lord’s church throughout the New Testament, such as, “the church of God” (Acts 20:28), “the church of the living God” (I Timothy 3:15), “His body” (referring to Jesus - Ephesians 1:22-23), “the churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16), “the churches of God” (I Corinthians 11:16), and “the general assembly and church of the Firstborn” (Hebrews 12:23; also see Romans 8:29 and Colossians 1:18). However, since Paul made a special point of rebuking the Corinthians for taking designations that did not reflect Jesus, the One Who died for them, and into Whose name they were baptized (I Corinthians 1:10-13), it would seem presumptuous to take another name that does not reflect the Savior, Who has become the center of our life. This group decided to call their church, “City Life Community”.
“Gotta have a slogan”
Along with modern jingles, slogans have become an essential part of modern marketing campaigns. Found on business cards, billboards, and post cards, slogans offer another clue to the fundamental focus of the sponsoring group. This group chose for their slogan, “Come Experience Community – Come As You Are”. From this we learn that the focus is on community and fellowship. No preparation is required.
Now there is nothing wrong with fellowship. In fact, it is a great blessing that God intended for the church (Acts 2:42). However, this fellowship arises out of our fellowship with Christ, and it is contingent upon our relationship with Him (I John 1:3-7). Moreover, the purpose of this fellowship is to help us to grow to maturity, to be like Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). A social fellowship that is not focused on Christ will only provide entertainment at best, and diversion unto eternal destruction at worst.
There is nothing wrong with moving services around on Sunday to make it convenient for people to attend. In Troas, the disciples came together late at night (Acts 20:6-7), probably because most worked during the day and many were slaves without otherwise free time. However, the “come as you are” attitude suggests a convenience that goes far beyond mere scheduling of the meeting time.
Features of Interest
This particular postcard listed several features that might make this new congregation desirable:
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Young new community of faith
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Seeking seekers
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No guilt trips
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Faith as you knew it could be
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Hoped it would be
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Thought it should be
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Come as you are
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Experience community
It is good to “seek seekers”, but what kind of seekers are being sought? Hopefully, it is a people seeking eternal and ultimate truth, such as God and salvation. However, with no reference to God, Jesus, or salvation anywhere on this postcard, one has to wonder if the object ultimately being sought is a relationship with the Creator or a social relationship with a “young new community of faith”. In fact, the primary religion of this new community cannot even be determined from the postcard. Is it Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism?
Admittedly, “faith” is mentioned three times on the postcard, indicating that is not a purely social organization, in spite of the fact that the front is covered by a kid on a skateboard, a child hiding under a multicolored hat, a baby kissing the camera, a man posing for a singles ad, and two families having a pleasant conversation. However, the faith mentioned on the postcard cannot change or redeem the reader. Instead of a faith greater than the reader, the promise is made of “no guilt trips” and a faith that conforms to the reader’s expectations and desires. Is this what the Bible teaches and offers?
Guilt comes from the awareness and consciousness of doing something wrong, such as sin. Although this produces sorrow, God intended for this to drive us toward repentance and Him (II Corinthians 7:8-11). If we feel no guilt, then we either have no sin, are unaware that we have sinned, or do not care that we have sinned. Since we are guilty of sin and in need of redemption (Romans 3:23; 6:23), that only leaves two ways of avoiding guilt – blinding our eyes or killing our conscience (Matthew 13:14-15; John 9:39-41; I Timothy 4:1-2). Either option drives us further from God and closer to eternal destruction. How can a church feature such an activity? Is this a feature or a fault?
Although every man is born with a God-shaped hole in his heart (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11), it is a stretch of logic to say that the unsaved could anticipate the faith that God delivered (Jude 1:3). The unsaved are still carnally minded, driven to find meaning through carnal means (I Corinthians 2:9-3:3). Therefore, they are not the best judge of the nature of true faith. Any faith that seems good to them will likely lead to fulfillment of their carnal desires and ultimate destruction (Jeremiah 10:23). To offer faith that seems good to the believer is to deny God’s rightful place in defining faith and continually refining the initial faith of the believer.
“It’s All about Me!”
Finally, this particular postcard reiterates a “come as you are” welcome and an opportunity to “experience community” as its culminating features. Although memorizing a specific number of Bible verses or wearing a tuxedo should not be required to attend worship services, God nonetheless requires preparation. Sacrifice is required. Change is required. We may “come as we are”, but we should not expect to stay that way! It is not at all about me.
If we prepare nothing, then we offer nothing. We can only take. We should attend worship to honor and praise God, because we are seeking Him. If we repeatedly serve ourselves all week and then offer Him praise on Sunday, our worship will not be accepted (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8). Moreover, we attend worship to exhort and encourage others unto righteousness (Colossians 3:16; Romans 12:3-21). If we make preparations to do these things, then we will find fulfillment, including a sense of spiritual community and a clean conscience. However, if we primarily seek social relationships and silence of the conscience, then we will find what we sought - but nothing more (Matthew 6:1-5).
What are your focus and the focus of the church of which you are a member? -- Trevor Bowen
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