Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarah
Brother Mike, the "book of Acts" church didn't emerge from the trinity church. It's the original.
I'm just not familiar with the term "emerging church". But the book of Revelation does say to "come out of her my people.......". Maybe we're still in the process of coming out.....
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Good points, Sarah.
However, the church of 2008 is so far removed from the Book of Acts church, in my opinion, that we need to "emerge" from the secular view of what church should be, back "into" the book of Acts model.
The early church reached the entire continent of Asia with the gospel in the space of 2 1/2 years, without the aid of telephones, cars, internet, DVDs, etc.
How are we coming along with that in 2008? Not so good, I think.
We've become more enamored with buildings, and programs that feed the ego of our own members than we are with reaching souls.
As Vesta Mangun says, we continue to preach to the same few people week after week, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to even keep THEM happy.
Our songs are tailored to keep our members happy, the temprerature in the sanctuary is set to keep people happy, and the list goes on.
Show me anywhere in the Book of Acts where people came to the same building week after week and waited for the sinners to come to them? I'm not against church, but I AM against the same people just coming back to the same building three times a week, and waiting for the sinner to stroll in, when the Bible clearly says they "WENT INTO ALL THE WORLD".
I love the UPC, but I daresay our commitment to going into the world and reaching the lost has become somewhat overshadowed by "being separate" from the world. We may be separate in our dress, but not necessarily in the way we have church.
That's my two cents!
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