Principles of the Gathering of Believers Under the Lordship of Jesus Christ
Principle 1: Solely Looking to the Person of Jesus Christ
My Thoughts on Principle 1
I have decided to invite you on a journey of discovery, freedom, and fulfillment. Many people, both Christian and non-Christian, see very little relevance in the Church today. Many church leaders believe relevance to be “high-tech” or one that mirrors a “culture.” Yet, despite large mega-churches that offer such styles and programs, people still leave those places empty, in bondage, and unfulfilled. Lets look at some facts.
It is estimated that only 3-5% of Christians witness in North America.
With over 30,000 registered denominations world-wide, the true members of the body of Christ
are scattered abroad and divided into many different groups, in many cases over nonessential doctrines.
Many movements with apostate believers, desire unity apart from truth. These movements declare we should not judge or preach truths that might be offensive to some. They say that we are one with all believers in Christ—even cults, sects and other religions.
Let’s face it. Often, Christians are found living so much like the fallen world around them that there is no reason for them to change. Ultimately, whether it is spoken or not, the blame for hardship and struggles is placed upon God and leaders in the Church. The salt has lost its flavor.
Enter Chapter 1, Solely looking to the Person of Jesus Christ. “We should be drawn by His presence, not by a man.” Simple statement with profound truth. Sure, many Christian would say this and even claim to believe it. Yet, if you watch. If you examine the actions of people. If you take time to observe. You will discover that people choose men over Christ. They choose “high-tech,” “feel-good messages,” or “emotional spiritual antics” over truth and God’s presence every time.
“A gathering where Christians gather to Christ has strength, stability, and solidarity… When we come together for fellowship we are prone to bring many preconceived notions of how a meeting should operate. We tend to rate our experience based on how good the worship made us feel, or how affected we were by a particular sermon —all too easily forgetting that it isn’t about us at all. It is about Him. If we come to meet with the living God and to experience Him rather than looking to men, we would be much more edified and that would result in our glorifying Him even more.”
What a statement! It is hard to comment on something that just plainly states a truth. In all my years of ministry, I cannot even begin to count the number of people that chose a church based on the worship team or the style of preaching. The biggest one, however, is the “what have they for me” type of questioning. If the church cannot meet their “felt needs” then they just shop for another.TRUTH: Church isn’t a building, a social club, a supermarket or fast spiritual food place. The Church IS people who believe and follow Christ. Our gatherings are about Him, not us. Yes, Jesus meets needs. Yes, Jesus does miracles in lives. However, we gather to be with Him. We gather for Him, not for ourselves. In Him we find peace. In Him we find freedom and fulfilment.
Search your heart. Be honest. You want freshness in your spiritual life? Want some fulfillment in life? Are you ready to change your reason for gathering with believers?
Download the book, Principles of Gathering Believers, here:
Principles for the Gathering of Believers
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Listen to Principle 1 from the audio book here:
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