Hi all,
On
Christmas night after a full day of everything that is Christmas day, I
was rolling Chris to the bathroom and getting him set, and as I headed
for the door so he could have some privacy he asked, "Dad: Know why
reindeer fly?"
I
turned back to look at him through the partially closed door and
responded, "No, why?" to which he quickly answered: "Because they can't
swim."
I
studied his face for a smile and twinkle in his eye, but he was quite
serious, not trying to make a joke but rather answer that age old
question - Why do (Santa's) reindeer fly? I told him, "That's good
thinking Chris! They have to go all those places and some of it is over
water, so it makes sense they can't swim, so they fly. Good thinking
son!"
Outside the box of religious culture
While
the rest of us think Santa's reindeer fly for speed, Chris was thinking
outside the box to the core issue and decided it is because they can't
swim.
(For
all concerned: Yes, though a mental 4 year old (but just turned 36 on
12/23) Chris knows Santa isn't real and knows we give gifts to one
another because the Father gave us His greatest gift, and he loves Jesus
and knows Him well. But he also knows the culture of commercial
Christmas like the rest of us.)
Last
week I shared how we have Christ in us which means we have the maximum
we could have from the Father - "He spared not His only Son, but gave
Him for us all, how shall He not along with His Son also give us freely
all things?" (Romans 8:32)
Thinking outside the 4 walls of the church box: Christ in us versus religion
Having
Christ in us means we have a personal responsibility and accountability
to Him within, and because other disciples have Christ in them as well,
we are accountable to those brothers and sisters with whom we
fellowship. They too are living, breathing temples of God
Additionally,
the result of each believer having Christ inside assumes one is moving
into maturity in Christ, and that means trusting Christ in one another.
Trusting
Christ in others means as we are in relationships with other
believers we get to know what is going on in each other's lives. There
are many times when I hear something going on in someone's life and
think "I'd do that differently", but I trust Christ in them and know
that He will walk them through it. What they do is unto the Lord, not
unto me, so my responsibility is to love and pray not try to butt in
where I'm not wanted.
If
someone takes issue with something us we try to make peace as much as
we can, but in the end if they continue to take issue, we step back and
realize their issue is with Christ in them, no longer us, and trust
Christ to deal with them. Though we are concerned for one another and
pray for one another, there is no sense of worry or fear or carrying
someone else's burden to the point of laying awake at night worried for
them, because Christ is in them and He is fully capable of sustaining
them. We pray, and rest in Him.
Paul
taught this in I Corinthians 8 and 10:24-33 and Romans 14 when he talks
of each person having to choose as unto the Lord whether they eat meat
in a restaurant that had earlier been sacrificed to idols, or eat only
vegetables, or choose one day over another to worship on, or drink wine
or not. He said what each does is unto the Lord, and he says, "God
receives him."
I
always keep that in the back of my mind when dealing with another
person no matter how direct I must be; they are the highest from
of human a person can be, Christ is in them. They are my brother or
sister no matter how obnoxious. That helps me walk in love and honor
them properly, and keep my attitude straight, knowing they give account
now and later as will I, to Jesus one day.
Religion says
But
religion doesn't trust Christ in a person because the design of the
system is for a person to know the structure rather than the Person of
Christ. As a result people know a church experience (We sure had church
today! is often the remark) without knowing or experiencing Him in that
church experience.
Accountability
is therefore not to one another as Jesus taught, but is to attendance,
giving, and volunteering. The auditorium must control from the outside,
external means ranging from the pastor manipulating the congregation by
guilt and condemnation from the pulpit to a creating a church culture of
fear of doing something wrong lest the devil get you. It's all a form
of external manipulation designed by the system centuries ago to keep
the 'sheep' in line that many pastors today gladly go along with because
they know nothing else.
What form of 'church' builds you up?
The
auditorium church affirms a person from the outside, while relationship
based faith affirms a person from within. Therefore relationship based,
Christ in each person faith doesn't appeal to the flesh, doesn't stir a
person up emotionally. Meetings in homes are to the flesh rather
boring, for people there are used to being serious about growing in
Christ and dealing with the heart, knowledge in Christ, and getting to
know one another, often over a meal.
Healthy family based church that meets in homes
requires the investment of all in a commitment of time and risk of
getting to know one another and being known by others. Not everyone
wants to make that investment, but are rather content to sit back and be
entertained in the auditorium where nothing is required of them.
But
having nothing required of us is not Biblical Christianity and leaves
one feeling full yet dissatisfied, knowing there is more but not knowing
what or where to find it. Is it possible those boring old home meetings
might actually be the key to person growth and attaining those friends
in the faith we've so desperately looked for but not found in the
auditorium?
To
those outwardly focused on being entertained as in the auditorium,
house church meetings can be boring, but to those who make the
investment to return each time and get to know one another, it is rich
and strengthening as a network of close friends in the faith is
developed, a 'safety net' of those you know you can trust to be there
and pray for you should you need anything.
Consider
that if Christ is in every believer, and that believer is also a
disciple - a learner - of Christ, then we must put a certain amount of
faith in Christ in them as they walk out their own salvation.
In
New Testament reality of Christ in each person, accountability is to
one another for Christ is also in those with whom we fellowship. It is
as easy (and difficult) as Jesus said - if your brother has something
against you, go to him and be reconciled. And, we forgive those who
trespass against us, for as we stand praying, we forgive.
We
aren't accountable to a system, but a Person, Christ Jesus who lives
within, and to one another. Thus we love God with all our heart and our
neighbor as ourselves.
Christ in us
"From
henceforth I know no man according to the flesh (according to earthly
standards)...for if any man is in Christ he is a new creation..." II
Corinthians 5:16-17
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor freeman, male nor female: For you are all one in Christ Jesus."
"For in Christ Jesus being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing, but only a new creature, and as many as live by this rule, peace is upon them..." Galatians 3:28, 6:15-16
"...Christ in you, which we preach..." Colossians 1:27-28
If
you read through the New Testament you'll find everything, no matter
the writer, is based on the amazing fact that Christ lives in us and
that fact rearranged their thoughts. Can we start thinking like they
thought?
What
you're going to see in the coming months is the body of Christ coming
more and more out of the externally focused auditorium and into the
living rooms, but to do the body must become focused on Christ in us,
the hope of glory. More next week...until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
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