Struggling with the Church | Theocast
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- Many people struggle with the church. We go and it feels plastic. Inauthentic. Or it seems like the church is full of people who understand themselves to be crushing it. And so, it doesn't seem there is a place for the weak or miserable sinner. As a result, many people are disenchanted with the church. Where did all this come from? Is there something better?
Semper Reformanda Podcast: Jon and Justin talk about the corporate nature of everything in the life of the church. We survey Ephesians 4 and consider the language of the Scripture and the ordinary means of grace.
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I believe a powerful antidote for church is to preach the sufferings of the saints. Specifically, the sufferings of Paul. These sufferings don't get us saved. They don't maintain salvation. They don't make us better than anyone else. They DO put us in a position for Christ to be pre-eminent and magnified in us. They DO demonstrate to both us and a watching world that the propitiation written about in the Scriptures, ACTUALLY PROPITIATE and that the mediation of Christ ACTUALLY MEDIATES SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND SWEET. This is one of the reasons, I believe, God brought the Gospel into a world under Roman rule and domination. God was going to demonstrate fully the propitiation and mediation of Christ in a people who were operating, from the human perspective, from every disadvantage one could possibly imagine. Then the excellency of the power and the glory belong to God and God alone.
Right now, in America, it is my observation that material wealth is wrecking the church. Many churches have a big-money mentality. "You can't have church without BIG money." I guess the poor don't count then. Dispensable. Disposable. Throw-away trash, essentially. And what do we read in 1 Cor? God has chosen the weak, the poor, the things despised to bring to nothing the things that "are" (highly regarded, respected). Church in America today revolves mainly around a Sunday service that looks good, rather than a people who bear the afflictions of Christ.
How is Jimmy doing? Haven't seen him in a long time.
Good! Hoping to have him this summer
Thanks for asking! Hoping to be back in the summer.
I have been wondering about Jimmy too!
What I wouldn't give to go to either of your churches. We live near Orlando, FL and haven't found a decent one yet. Our current pastor believes that Jesus lusted sexually after other men he just didn't follow thru on the lust. He bases it on Hebrews where Jesus went thru all the same temptations we do. My husband and I just stay home and listen to theocast on Sunday mornings. Tired of looking for a decent fellowship.
Do you guys answer Facebook Messages? It shows that you've seen it, can you answer as soon as you are able to? Thank you.
Sorry brother, things have been a little crazy with the new membership. We just replied
@@THEOCAST hey no worries. I understand how busy y'all are thank you so much for that!
As late as Acts 23, Paul confirms "I am a Pharisee." Not "I am a Christian. Not "I used to be a Pharisee." Not "I was a Pharisee." He confirms that he kept the Torah. He was happy when James decided that newbies be told to ATTEND THE SYNAGOGUE on the SABBATH to learn the Torah (Acts 15:21 - one of those verses that magically is cut out of Christian bibles, I guess.) Paul NEVER addresses one letter "To the Christians at...." When Agrippa says "You almost convince me to be a Christian" why didn't Paul say "Okay, cool. Let me lead you in this sinner's prayer here." No, he says "I wish you would be like me" which he had just said 3 chapters earlier that he's a PHARISEE. It's things like this that MAKES for that struggle, that plasticity, that church full of people who evidently don't use any reading comprehension so they seem to be on top of things there.
Charles Finney -only calvinist talk about him👊😂
You are describing the human condition in microcosm. Evidently the “average Christian” is still a human being. Is that what being fallen is? Sadly and truly so. Why should anyone trust “group members” to keep one’s deepest secrets? Humility , grace and patience. Oh how rare these really are, brothers. Most humans are deeply fear based and it take glorification alone to rid us of this. How would you propose to get group members to function in such spiritual and truly Christian ways?