Comments on: So, you don’t like church? http://dwhitsett.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/so-you-don%e2%80%99t-like-church/ Scratchings from the pen of Dwight Whitsett Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:10:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Bob Chapman http://dwhitsett.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/so-you-don%e2%80%99t-like-church/#comment-1022 Bob Chapman Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:32:22 +0000 http://dwhitsett.wordpress.com/?p=222#comment-1022 Dwight, It is interesting that Jesus preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand". The apostles and disciples preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of God has come". This should be the preaching today? A return to preaching the kingdom of God and living like we reign in it is the only way the kingdom of Satan will be defeated. Three songs, a Bible reading, two songs, a prayer, a message, communion, a closing song and prayer and a rush to beat the Baptists to the steak house wont defeat the kingdom of Satan. Today's "church worship" is a far cry from what the disciples engaged in at night after preaching the kingdom of God in the streets all day where they were healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, casting out demons and snatching soul after soul from the fires of hell. When did "true worship" become God's focus for disciples? The only mandate Jesus had from the Father and passed on to us was, to seek and save the lost and make disciples of them, sending them out to make other disciples, (Luke 19:10, Matt. 28:18-20). Worship is not God's current mandate -- saving souls is! True, sincere, worship results from fulfilling this mandate. Yet most denominations, including the Church of Christ, focus on getting Sunday morning repetitively correct in order to compliment their acceptability before God on the final day -- a far cry from Matthew 25:34-46 and James 1:27. Good article Dwight, but few are listening I'm afraid! As I have said to you before, Sunday worship is most places is "Groundhog Day!" Bob Dwight,
It is interesting that Jesus preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”. The apostles and disciples preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of God has come”.
This should be the preaching today? A return to preaching the kingdom of God and living like we reign in it is the only way the kingdom of Satan will be defeated.
Three songs, a Bible reading, two songs, a prayer, a message, communion, a closing song and prayer and a rush to beat the Baptists to the steak house wont defeat the kingdom of Satan.
Today’s “church worship” is a far cry from what the disciples engaged in at night after preaching the kingdom of God in the streets all day where they were healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, casting out demons and snatching soul after soul from the fires of hell.
When did “true worship” become God’s focus for disciples? The only mandate Jesus had from the Father and passed on to us was, to seek and save the lost and make disciples of them, sending them out to make other disciples, (Luke 19:10, Matt. 28:18-20). Worship is not God’s current mandate — saving souls is! True, sincere, worship results from fulfilling this mandate.
Yet most denominations, including the Church of Christ, focus on getting Sunday morning repetitively correct in order to compliment their acceptability before God on the final day — a far cry from Matthew 25:34-46 and James 1:27.

Good article Dwight, but few are listening I’m afraid! As I have said to you before, Sunday worship is most places is “Groundhog Day!”
Bob

]]> By: Jack http://dwhitsett.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/so-you-don%e2%80%99t-like-church/#comment-1021 Jack Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:48:35 +0000 http://dwhitsett.wordpress.com/?p=222#comment-1021 I began saying nearly 30 years ago that what we see as "church" today in America is not representative of anything God had in mind when He chose to become flesh and live among us. Fortunately, I am seeing more congregations striving to be organisms rather than institutions. I began saying nearly 30 years ago that what we see as “church” today in America is not representative of anything God had in mind when He chose to become flesh and live among us. Fortunately, I am seeing more congregations striving to be organisms rather than institutions.

]]>