The Church Today, followers or foreigners?

Would you say the church today is following closely in the footsteps of Christ? If your answer is 'yes', how would you back that up? Could you go to the Gospels and read what Christ said followers are supposed to look like and then say, 'That is exactly what our church is all about! Serving, loving, giving all for others, praying, sacrificing.'

Or would you say that in your experience the church is not so much about these sorts of things, but more focused in other areas? Years ago when the Willow Creek movement came about many jumped on board, and others cringed. Honestly, I cringed. I couldn't envision that what was being taught in Chicago was what was taught by Jesus in the Word. It just didn't match up.

So, does the experience you are having in the church you are involved in match up to what the Bible calls us to live?

If you read Matthew 25 there are some very poignant words that Jesus tells his would be followers to grab hold of, better known as 'the least of these'. What is so strange is that if we lay these and many other passages from the Gospels beside the church today in much of the United States we would have to say, it doesn't even come close. Why not?

Then we can hop over to the book of Acts and see more inconsistencies with the first century church and the church of today. Who's getting it right and who is not? Dare we venture to James 1 where the writer tells us what pure religion is, to care for orphans and widows, and not to act like those of the world?

I am not writing to vent, I am writing to challenge each Christian to seriously look into how their local church is operating and compare it to the New Testament. Then to pray and put into action what they see the New Testament church really is. If it is the same, then so be it. So live it. If it calls you to a radical life of faith and action, then so be it. So live it.

Tough times call for men, women and youth to act and not sit back. People all around the world, not just the United States are in a season where they are looking for someone to step forward in courage and lead, full of conviction and passion. We are looking for change, for a better way. If you don't believe this, look how President Obama won. He campaigned on one simple issue, change.

Change we can believe in. I don't believe one president can change the state of this country. Call me pessimestic or realistic. And I am not an anti Obama guy. I just have heard enough politicians promise the moon and give us a mud puddle instead.

Change we can believe in comes in the form of Christ being lived out as humble servants who care more about their neighbors and family than about their own selves. Crazy, right, just like Philippians 2. Christ was really crazy then.

Change in our churches can only come as one Christian at a time searches God's word empowered by the Holy Spirit and with much prayer. And then lives it out daily.