A God Centered Church, 2

Tonight I came across some powerful and extremely relevant quotes in the book, A God-Centered Church, by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. Here are two. Be challenged. ~Jon


"I mentioned earlier in this chapter how we would enter into a covenant with each person whom God led to join fellowship with our church. We recognized that God had taken the initiative to move within a person's heart to obey Him in all things. We, therefore, made a pledge before God to be a good steward of every life God added to the body. We were to help each person to become God's best, whatever that might require. Knowing that God had added him to the body and knowing that He saw what lay before him in the days ahead, we were committed to helping him through life's journey. If he started to wander and fall away, we pledged to remain faithful to him and not let him go. This covenant we had with God and with one another allowed us to keep those who came to the church; we were determined not to let them slip through the cracks. If a person's attendance began to slip, we knew something was wrong. To us nonattendance was a symptom of a deeper problem, and we were committed to care for one another's needs.

I see a trend happening in churches today that is alarming. That is, when a person is not walking in line with the vision of the church, the church cuts him off and sends him elsewhere. Or, if a person has fallen away from God and is living in sin, she is quickly criticized and put outside of the church body. We have become so driven by evangelism that we have forgotten to take care of the people of God. One of the scriptures that is constantly used for evangelism is where Jesus said, '[I have] come to seek and to save the lost' (Luke 19:10). That was a direct quote from Ezekiel 34, referring to the people of God. And it is a condemnation of the shepherds who have let the flock be scattered into the mountains, being exposed to the elements and in danger from wild beasts. The Lord chastised those who would not go after the sheep, bring them back, feed them, and care for them. And in that chapter God said that He would raise up a shepherd that would seek and save that which was lost. That shepherd is Jesus. The sheep are the people of God. We are in trouble if we have more concern for the unbeliever than we do the believer. God's heart always looks to His own first, for as go the people of God, so goes His purpose to redeem the rest of the world." --pg. 73-74, A God-Centered Church, by Henry & Melvin Blackaby

"...according to Scripture, a true church has some identifiable marks. It has the capacity to assemble. It has leadership to teach its members the Word of God. It has authority to discipline and correct its members when they are in error. It has an organization to minister effectively to the needs of its members as well as those in the world. Its visible structure produces an influential presence in the community. It observes the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper as given by Christ. It has unity in doctrine. It has koinonia, or fellowship, among the members. As an autonomous body, it has direct and immediate access to God through His Word and prayer. It has the capacity to respond quickly to the will of Christ, the Head of the church. It has the power of the Holy Spirit resident in its midst. It has the tools to fulfill the Great Commission: to make disciples; to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and to teach new Christians to practice all that Christ has commanded. In summary, the local congregation embodies all the marks of the New Testament church. There we discover the Lord's strategy to touch the world." --pg 80, A God-Centered Church, Henry & Melvin Blackaby