At the time of this writing, the world is in a great state of flux morally, politically, socially, and technologically. Never before have we seen such great changes in such little time. The moral compass of the past has been replaced with the pursuit of one’s own ideologies, both relativistic and self-seeking. Politically, the world has awoken to the concept of freedom from oppressive governments, except in a few cases, in favor of greater self-government. Although this appears to be better on the surface, it allows for every sort of conflict, as each ideology fights to be heard or recognized, or to dominate the culture. Socially, we are more in touch with the one another than ever before due to social media. Again, on the surface this seems to be better, and it can be when driven by respect and virtue, but as we have seen it too often results in radical factions perpetrating their own philosophies and recruiting converts, who are frequently themselves malcontents in an already unjust and corrupt world, resentful over whatever aspect of life they feel they are excluded from, and that are willing to sacrifice their very life as a statement of revenge and hatred for anyone who disagrees with them. All this is driven by an increase in communication technology that would never have been imagined just fifty or a hundred years ago. The internet, powered by fast computers, satellites, and the ever-increasing fiber optics network, makes information, commerce, and culture transferable across the globe as though it is across the street. Outside of some cataclysmic catastrophe or ultra revolutionary reform, we are not going to go back to where we came from anytime soon.
Caught in the crossfire of all this is the Church, who seems to be struggling desperately to keep her balance, as some members just try to keep up with the ever-increasing changes, and others simply try to maintain the status quo. Meanwhile, she is becoming an ever-increasing target morally, socially, politically, and from other religions who want to not only dethrone her, but permanently crush, annihilate , and obliterate her from the planet, and even from history, if possible. The exponential attacks on Christianity in recent years at all levels shows a stark boldness in challenging her authority or role as a spiritual guide to everyone from the poorest of poor who seek her as a haven of rest and hope, to the top government official who may desire to bring its principles of equality and freedom to the masses. One only has to study history to see the foundational effect that the Church has had on Western civilization’s development that has led to many of the values we have today as a society, especially around human rights. However, the Church is rarely seen from an indifferent standpoint anymore, but is either loved or hated, depending on which side of the fence one is on. Many debate in the sociological and historical think tanks today on whether Western society, or society in general, can even continue without the Church’s moral compass and guidance. But, whichever side of that argument you find yourself on, it can’t be denied that the Church has, indeed, had a large impact on our development as a civilization.
In defining the Church, I refer primarily to all people worldwide who have chosen to follow Jesus in word and deed. Who, regardless of how or where they meet, are wholly dedicated to learn and obey His teachings and carry on His mission. This last point is so critical to our discussion, because it holds the keys to understanding the situation of the contemporary Church. Baptism, alone, cannot define a person as a member of the Church, though it has been used as such throughout history. Infant and child baptism has been a heated debate at the time of the Reformation, and many died in martyrdom because they differed from the teaching of the Roman Church of their day. From the Roman emperor Constantine (Fourth Century A.D.) until the Reformation (A.D. 1517), and in some countries even longer, the Church and State (government) were intertwined, often operating as one, often with the powers of the church leaders controlling entire governments. At that time, being a member of the Church was not a choice one made based upon free will and a belief in Christ as the one true Messiah, but one was a member of the church because the King of their country was.
The Reformation changed all that, as the Word of God became available to the masses due to the invention of the printing press, and the translation of scripture into the everyday language of the people. Prior to that, only the clergy could read the Latin or Greek Bibles, and the masses were at the mercy of the clergy, who too often used their power to extract money from the people. (I’m so glad nothing like that ever happens today.) But once people began to read the Word of God for themselves and believe it and obey it, things began to change at an exponential rate
Today, there are tens of thousands of denominations within the Church, and the Church has become worldwide. Styles of worship vary from place to place and culture to culture, and variations of interpretations of certain scriptures abound, but the bottom line question is what is the purpose of the Church?
The question that began this discussion was, “Has the Church lost its way?” In light of all the worldwide changes in recent years, is the Church able to be effective in carrying out its mission? Can we collectively learn to think on our feet, or more properly, respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, in order to respond appropriately to the many issues that are arising in the world to challenge the authority of God? I want to suggest to you that all this is possible if we understand where we are headed and what we are to do. This means we must understand the vision and purpose of the Church in the world, as Jesus taught it, which originates from the overall purpose of God. The Church is great at doing religious activities and meetings. Each church community seems to have their own pet activities or emphasis. Individuals often seek certain religious activities that they deem to be most necessary to fulfill their duties. All of these are not bad within themselves, but too often are done without any true understanding of the bigger picture, of why we do what we do.
In today’s world, the church has, in many places, forgotten why it is here. It is not to provide a religious experience, or just do good stuff. It’s purpose is not to build it’s own empire, or to create charismatic leaders, or to bring the latest blessing to its people. It’s message is not about just how to get people into heaven when they die. God is doing much more than that. The Church is to proclaim the message that Jesus proclaimed, that the Kingdom of God has arrived, and that this Kingdom is not run by any earthly government, but by the Messiah, Jesus, who will return to rule and to reign, “that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This Kingdom consists of all who have been reconciled to God. From the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God has been unfolding His plan to reconcile the world to Himself.
It appears to me that the Church has lost its way, forgotten it’s purpose, and too often, forgotten it’s Messiah. I propose that if the Church has its purpose vision restored, it will be prepared for anything, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, will not falter or waver, but will prevail victoriously to the glory of God, no matter what state the world is in and regardless of what it hurls at us. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). In that passage, Peter had just proclaimed Jesus as “the Christ.” The word “Christ” comes from the Greek “Christos,” meaning “anointed one.” The Greeks did not have a word for Messiah, so christos was used as a substitute in the New Testament. But it was that truth that Peter grasped, revealed by God, as Jesus had stated, that Jesus is the Son of the living God AND the Messiah (christos) that the Jews had long expected, that had been prophesied in the scriptures for thousands of years. That truth was foundational to the Church, and what it was built on, and from that flows the mission as well. If the earth has been visited by it’s Creator, the world needs to know! And, if that Creator is returning again, and calling a people out of this worldly system unto Himself, the world needs to know! This is what we proclaim!
The modern day world is filled with philosophies, immoralities, religions, powers, governments, and more, that oppose everything about the message the Church has been given to proclaim, and the task it has been given to do. So it was in the days of the early church, who fought persecution and heresies continuously. Too often, however, we remain content with activities that certainly appear religious, but often remain disconnected from the end vision. The vision hasn’t changed in two thousand years. Methods have changed, but the mission has not!
Categories: Ekklesia Community, Kingdom of God, Messiah
Beyond Traditon 
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