I want people to be a really big deal at Trinity Life. Of course that is easy to say and anyone worth their salt would say the same thing. The question becomes, "So....what does that actually look like in real practice?" Let me list six values (3 now, 3 later) that I think capture the essence of how people are a big deal to Jesus and will be to Trinity Life Church.
1) Substance over Surface = Luke 18:9-14 "Two men went to pray...one an evangelical, the other a bar tender. The evangelical prayed, 'God thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterous, or even like this bar tender. I go to church every week and even follow Dave Ramsey's financial strategies.' But the bar tender would not even go into the church building, but buried his head in his hands saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" I tell you, this man went away justified rather than the other.... [modern equivalent version].
People are a big deal in that what is going on beneath the surface is more important than what is going on at the surface. At Trinity Life, how one dresses and whether they smoke is not going to be on the list for discipleship 101. There are bigger things to worry about like bitterness, rage, and pride. Even then, people need help and not someone telling them that they are on a quick road to hell (at least not so unsympathetically). Take time to know their story. Knowing their story I bet that we would love them. Loving them I suspect we would serve them (like helping them know more about Jesus' love for them).
2) Relationships over Ideals = Mark 14:27-28 = "And Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away ... But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.'" Fascinating! Jesus knows they will fall away and deny him but looks ahead to their ministry anyway! When we choose ideals over relationships people get smashed. In choosing relationship over ideals we find that things get messy, and that lots of mercy and stamina are required. People are a big deal in that messiness is okay. We will mess up. Discipleship will look ugly sometimes. It will be slow and stubborn but we look ahead to the progress of God's Spirit in us that awaits as we stay faithful to one another. At Trinity Life, victory over some list of sins is not the litmus test for joining. Sanctification looks like struggling against the flesh. Do we want failure? No. Do we want broken, single parent families? No. But IT IS OKAY! Do we want people to be alcoholics, addicts, or homosexuals? No. But we want to come beside them and help them through it with the transforming work of the Gospel, recognizing that these battles or circumstances are sometimes life long war zones b/t the flesh and Spirit.
3) Essentials over Non-Essentials = Romans 14:5ff = "One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind." People are a big deal in that we recognize their freedom of interpretation within the body when it is not related to what we believe essentially (such as the Trinity, or resurrection, or incarnation, or eternity, etc.). Non-essential things are of little concern, such as how you understand the book of Revelation (pre, mid, post, or whatever). Or what version of the Bible you read. Or whether you think homeschooling is the biblical mandate. What we are concerned with is essential Christian faith as historically maintained. It is not that I do not have a detailed theology (I do in fact) but that being a part of Trinity Life is more about the vision of the Gospel and Mission than it is about whether you're pato-baptists or credo. Sorry, I'm just not going to die on that cross! "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls" (14:4).
We want Trinity Life to be a place where it is okay to mess up and be messy and come from messy situations but where apathy is fought hard against through the Gospel of Jesus. We want victory over sin, but we want to be patient. Don't be afraid of your sins, confront them in the name of Jesus. We will listen, pray, and walk with you through the mess.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Furthermore
Title: Trinity Life Church
Tag Line: "Living the Life of God for the Life of the World
Vision: Know God, Love God, Serve God
Strategy: Gospel, Community, Mission
What this means is that we want to be a church that reflects the life of the Triune God by living life together as a community of truth, love, and mission as it is taught and reflected in the Gospel about Jesus.
Where our vision and strategy are in place, we should expect to see people growing in their knowledge of God in the Gospel, their love of God in Community, and their service to God in the Mission. We hope, then, to see the following signs of success:
Knowing God in the Gospel being demonstrated by:
Tag Line: "Living the Life of God for the Life of the World
Vision: Know God, Love God, Serve God
Strategy: Gospel, Community, Mission
What this means is that we want to be a church that reflects the life of the Triune God by living life together as a community of truth, love, and mission as it is taught and reflected in the Gospel about Jesus.
Where our vision and strategy are in place, we should expect to see people growing in their knowledge of God in the Gospel, their love of God in Community, and their service to God in the Mission. We hope, then, to see the following signs of success:
Knowing God in the Gospel being demonstrated by:
- Ability to apply the Gospel to ourselves and our culture
- Testimonies of ever-maturing faith in Jesus
Loving God in Community being demonstrated by:
- Environment of Mercy & Grace through Jesus
- Environment of Hope & Power through the Spirit
Serving God in the Mission being demonstrated by:
- Empowered witness for Jesus in everyday living
- Deliberate engagement in the culture of our city through the eyes of the Gospel
Monday, July 11, 2011
How do we help people Know God, Love God, Serve God?
Do you want to know what I really want of Trinity Life Church (what I think God wants)? I want to see people who do not really really love Jesus get an optimal opportunity to really really know about Him.
In my last post I said that if we do not serve God it is because we do not love God, and if we do not love God it is because we do not know God. We love God when we truly know who He is and what He has done for us. When we love God we cannot help but to serve Him. That is the Logic of Salvation. God moves toward us in love and reveals Himself to us. Only then can we begin to be what He has called us to be.
There is a catch, however. We cannot know, love, and serve God in just whatever way we want. This is God's thing. So how we know, love, and serve Him is up to Him. Makes sense, I think. I am fascinated at how often I hear people say something to the effect of: "I think of God as my friend because that is how I best connect with God." Once when I was with a friend snow shoeing in the mountains he said to me, "Here is where I know God" [paraphrase]. This type of thinking is a TRAGEDY OF AMERICAN RELIGION. So we want people to know, love, and serve God but in God's way, according to God's strategy. We do not know God in just whatever way we want; we do not love God in just any way that we please; and we certainly do not serve God according to personal opinion or cultural norms. So how then?
Gospel, Community, Mission. These are three of the most important concepts in the New Testament. These three, like KnowLoveServe are a logical sequence and so reveal the strategy of Trinity Life Church's vision to Know God, Love God, and Serve God. In the books of Acts we see that the rythm of apostolic ministry is 1) the preaching of the Gospel; out of the preaching of the Gospel a 2) Community of faith is created; out of the community of faith believers are 3) sent out on Mission to repeat the cycle of preaching the Gospel.
So you can see that in preaching the Gospel, people came to Know God; in Knowing God in the Gospel the people gathered together in Community to Love God; in Loving God in Community believers went out and fulfilled the Mission of God by proclaiming the Gospel; in Serving God in the Mission believers repeated the cycle begun with the Gospel in their own lives by now being the ones proclaiming it! See how discipleship works now?
We want people to Know God in the Gospel because that is how God has revealed Himself; it is how He has chosen to be known; it is in perfect harmony with who God is. So we do not want people to know God as if it didn't include a bloody cross; a crazy pentecost; or a bodily resurrection. How has He revealed Himself? That is how we want to know Him. See John 1:9-14; Romans 3:21-26, 5:6-21; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 John 1:1-4
We want people to Love God in Community because that is how God Himself wants to be loved; because that is how God expresses love (Trinity - see post on Living the Life of God for the Life of the World); because that is where our love for God matures and expresses itself. See John 17:20-21; Acts 2:44-47; Ephesians 4:1-16; *Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 John 1:3; 3:16-19
We want people to Serve God in the Mission because that is what God has called us to do. We have been set apart as a people bent on God's mission to the world. So we do not serve God by whatever fancy we choose but by planting signposts of God's coming kingdom through Gospel witness and living. See Matthew 28:18-20; Corinthians 5:13-21; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10
Our vision is that people Know God in the Gospel, Love God in Community, and Serve God in the Mission. The first leads to the second and the second to the third. Getting to the third means that more people get to Know God in the Gospel and so on. So it is our vision, our process, and our strategy.
Everything we do will revolve around these three components. Even our services will move accordingly: Sunday service will be a proclamation & celebration of the Gospel where people increase in their knowledge of God. Community groups will be where authentic relationships are formed and the life of faith and struggle is shared; where the gifts of the believers are employed to build up the church. Outside of normal living relationships the mission of God will be fullfilled in some arrangement of participating in spreading the Gospel accross the city of Macon. Community Groups and Service are not required of anyone. The idea is that as people come to know God in the Gospel we will urge them to grow in their love by joing a community group; the third step of their maturity is to engage in intentional outreach to the unbelieving world.
In my last post I said that if we do not serve God it is because we do not love God, and if we do not love God it is because we do not know God. We love God when we truly know who He is and what He has done for us. When we love God we cannot help but to serve Him. That is the Logic of Salvation. God moves toward us in love and reveals Himself to us. Only then can we begin to be what He has called us to be.
There is a catch, however. We cannot know, love, and serve God in just whatever way we want. This is God's thing. So how we know, love, and serve Him is up to Him. Makes sense, I think. I am fascinated at how often I hear people say something to the effect of: "I think of God as my friend because that is how I best connect with God." Once when I was with a friend snow shoeing in the mountains he said to me, "Here is where I know God" [paraphrase]. This type of thinking is a TRAGEDY OF AMERICAN RELIGION. So we want people to know, love, and serve God but in God's way, according to God's strategy. We do not know God in just whatever way we want; we do not love God in just any way that we please; and we certainly do not serve God according to personal opinion or cultural norms. So how then?
Gospel, Community, Mission. These are three of the most important concepts in the New Testament. These three, like KnowLoveServe are a logical sequence and so reveal the strategy of Trinity Life Church's vision to Know God, Love God, and Serve God. In the books of Acts we see that the rythm of apostolic ministry is 1) the preaching of the Gospel; out of the preaching of the Gospel a 2) Community of faith is created; out of the community of faith believers are 3) sent out on Mission to repeat the cycle of preaching the Gospel.
So you can see that in preaching the Gospel, people came to Know God; in Knowing God in the Gospel the people gathered together in Community to Love God; in Loving God in Community believers went out and fulfilled the Mission of God by proclaiming the Gospel; in Serving God in the Mission believers repeated the cycle begun with the Gospel in their own lives by now being the ones proclaiming it! See how discipleship works now?
We want people to Know God in the Gospel because that is how God has revealed Himself; it is how He has chosen to be known; it is in perfect harmony with who God is. So we do not want people to know God as if it didn't include a bloody cross; a crazy pentecost; or a bodily resurrection. How has He revealed Himself? That is how we want to know Him. See John 1:9-14; Romans 3:21-26, 5:6-21; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 John 1:1-4
We want people to Love God in Community because that is how God Himself wants to be loved; because that is how God expresses love (Trinity - see post on Living the Life of God for the Life of the World); because that is where our love for God matures and expresses itself. See John 17:20-21; Acts 2:44-47; Ephesians 4:1-16; *Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 John 1:3; 3:16-19
We want people to Serve God in the Mission because that is what God has called us to do. We have been set apart as a people bent on God's mission to the world. So we do not serve God by whatever fancy we choose but by planting signposts of God's coming kingdom through Gospel witness and living. See Matthew 28:18-20; Corinthians 5:13-21; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10
Our vision is that people Know God in the Gospel, Love God in Community, and Serve God in the Mission. The first leads to the second and the second to the third. Getting to the third means that more people get to Know God in the Gospel and so on. So it is our vision, our process, and our strategy.
Everything we do will revolve around these three components. Even our services will move accordingly: Sunday service will be a proclamation & celebration of the Gospel where people increase in their knowledge of God. Community groups will be where authentic relationships are formed and the life of faith and struggle is shared; where the gifts of the believers are employed to build up the church. Outside of normal living relationships the mission of God will be fullfilled in some arrangement of participating in spreading the Gospel accross the city of Macon. Community Groups and Service are not required of anyone. The idea is that as people come to know God in the Gospel we will urge them to grow in their love by joing a community group; the third step of their maturity is to engage in intentional outreach to the unbelieving world.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
How will we move people into a closer relationship with God?
Trinity Life Church - Living the Life of God for the Life of the World
But how?
The process of helping people grow into a more mature relationship with Jesus is what disicipleship is all about. How will we do it?
Answer: Know God, Love God, Serve God
Sound too simple? It is. These three steps must go in the same order they are stated. If you are going to serve God, then you will have to love Him. No one can serve God rightly if they do not do it out of love for Him. Do you know what friends you enjoy serving the most? It is the ones whom you love the most.
Think of the weight that is lifted off of your back when you think about serving out pure love rather than out of pure duty or fear. 1 John 4:18 states, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love." This is how God wants you to serve Him.
Some of you may be thinking, "Crap! I don't love God! Now I'm really in for it!" or "If I don't love God, then what? Can I make myself love God?"
Answer: If you are going to love God, then you must know God. No one just loves God. We love Him instead because of who He is and what He has done. 1 John 4:19 states, "We love, because God first loved us." It is only when really come to know God's love for us that we in return love Him and hence serve Him out of love. "So we know and believe the love which God has for us" (1 John 4:16).
Trinity Life Church will disciple people by helping them to Know God out of which they come to Love God out of which they are able to joyfully Serve God. We do not serve God because we do not love God. We do not love God because we do not know God.
But how?
The process of helping people grow into a more mature relationship with Jesus is what disicipleship is all about. How will we do it?
Answer: Know God, Love God, Serve God
Sound too simple? It is. These three steps must go in the same order they are stated. If you are going to serve God, then you will have to love Him. No one can serve God rightly if they do not do it out of love for Him. Do you know what friends you enjoy serving the most? It is the ones whom you love the most.
Think of the weight that is lifted off of your back when you think about serving out pure love rather than out of pure duty or fear. 1 John 4:18 states, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love." This is how God wants you to serve Him.
Some of you may be thinking, "Crap! I don't love God! Now I'm really in for it!" or "If I don't love God, then what? Can I make myself love God?"
Answer: If you are going to love God, then you must know God. No one just loves God. We love Him instead because of who He is and what He has done. 1 John 4:19 states, "We love, because God first loved us." It is only when really come to know God's love for us that we in return love Him and hence serve Him out of love. "So we know and believe the love which God has for us" (1 John 4:16).
Trinity Life Church will disciple people by helping them to Know God out of which they come to Love God out of which they are able to joyfully Serve God. We do not serve God because we do not love God. We do not love God because we do not know God.
"Living the Life of God for the Life of the World" - What does THAT mean?
1) Tag line: Living the Life of God for the Life of the World - Uh, do what?
I grew up in the holiness tradition where being holy was preached and valued. I still preach it and value it but it has its dangers if it is not grounded in the mission of God.
In the last post I mentioned that we are "Trinity Life Church" because we want to live a life together that models the life of God, and the life of God is the eternal love of the persons of the Trinity. But what does it mean to life like this for the life of the world?
Answer: it means that instead of sharing life together as an end in itself, we share life together so that we might go back into a dead world to breathe into it new life.
The life of God is perfect love and holiness, but the life of the world is pale, deteriorated, and deflated. In other words, the world is not alive at all, but dead. Out of God's eternal triune love comes life. He opens up his creativity and wills to create. He loves creating! He loves creation! He loves the potential! God's love is not a selfish love!
The danger is to live in community together, sharing the life of faith together without ever reaching out to the lost and dying and broken world in own back yards. Like God, we live in constant communion with each other but like God we also find delight in bringing life to the dead world around us by sharing the love of Jesus with others.
At the heart of Trinity Life Church will be missions, both local and international.
I grew up in the holiness tradition where being holy was preached and valued. I still preach it and value it but it has its dangers if it is not grounded in the mission of God.
In the last post I mentioned that we are "Trinity Life Church" because we want to live a life together that models the life of God, and the life of God is the eternal love of the persons of the Trinity. But what does it mean to life like this for the life of the world?
Answer: it means that instead of sharing life together as an end in itself, we share life together so that we might go back into a dead world to breathe into it new life.
The life of God is perfect love and holiness, but the life of the world is pale, deteriorated, and deflated. In other words, the world is not alive at all, but dead. Out of God's eternal triune love comes life. He opens up his creativity and wills to create. He loves creating! He loves creation! He loves the potential! God's love is not a selfish love!
The danger is to live in community together, sharing the life of faith together without ever reaching out to the lost and dying and broken world in own back yards. Like God, we live in constant communion with each other but like God we also find delight in bringing life to the dead world around us by sharing the love of Jesus with others.
At the heart of Trinity Life Church will be missions, both local and international.
Trinity Life Church ... What's the big idea behind the title?
I thought it would be helpful to lay out for some of you what Trinity Life Church will be about. I'll do this in several different posts starting with this one.
1) Why the name "Trinity Life Church"?
First, In 1 John 4:16 we read that "God is love". But how is it that God is love? Love is a relational term and if God is the only one who existed before the world was created then how could he be love since there was nothing else to love?
Answer: God is love because God is the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who love and honor each other from all eternity. Hence, Trinity Life Church.
Second, In 1 John 4:9 we read that "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."
Answer: It is out of God's eternal love that life comes to be and that life is reclaimed. Hence, Trinity Life Church. Because God is love (b/c he is trinity) the world has life.
Third, In 1 John 4:7-8 we read that "Beloved, let us love one antoher; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love." So not only is God love but we are to model that love. How are we to model it?
Answer: We model God's love by loving the way God does - in community. When we love each other in community we are living like God does in the three persons of the Trinity. That is why we cannot help but love others in community if it is true that we abide in God. When we love in this way, it brings new life. Hence, Trinity Life Church.
We want to be a Church that models the life of the Trinity by being a community of love that results in giving life. So not only do we love the truth that from the Trinity comes life but we also want to live as a model of that eternal love that brings life.
1) Why the name "Trinity Life Church"?
First, In 1 John 4:16 we read that "God is love". But how is it that God is love? Love is a relational term and if God is the only one who existed before the world was created then how could he be love since there was nothing else to love?
Answer: God is love because God is the three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who love and honor each other from all eternity. Hence, Trinity Life Church.
Second, In 1 John 4:9 we read that "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."
Answer: It is out of God's eternal love that life comes to be and that life is reclaimed. Hence, Trinity Life Church. Because God is love (b/c he is trinity) the world has life.
Third, In 1 John 4:7-8 we read that "Beloved, let us love one antoher; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love." So not only is God love but we are to model that love. How are we to model it?
Answer: We model God's love by loving the way God does - in community. When we love each other in community we are living like God does in the three persons of the Trinity. That is why we cannot help but love others in community if it is true that we abide in God. When we love in this way, it brings new life. Hence, Trinity Life Church.
We want to be a Church that models the life of the Trinity by being a community of love that results in giving life. So not only do we love the truth that from the Trinity comes life but we also want to live as a model of that eternal love that brings life.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Who is God? What is Church?
We beleive in one God the Father, Almighty Maker of heaven and of earth We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things were made...
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of Life...
It has been my experience that the typical evangelical complaints of church members typically revolve around one of these three weakness. "My church doesn't teach [lacking in the component of truth] enough?" "My church is cold and legalistic [lacking in the Spirit component]." "My church is inward and doesn't do any missional work [lacking in the Deed or Missional component]."
I want to make clear that this does not mean that the complaints are justified. Sometimes a church is following these three principles faithfully and Scripturally regardless of their disgruntled members. However, where there is a genuine weakness, it usually revolves around one of these three. It is not always intentional but to be aware of these three components is to be on a right track towards wholeness. I challenge you to number in order which of these is strongest in your local church and which is weakest. What has been the effect? What are you missing because of this weakness? Which of these are you most comfortable with and which are you least comfortable with?
For any die hards out there, here is another chart that helps reveal what happens to our local churches when we get out of balance with regard to Spirit, Truth, and Deed.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of Life...
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church...
Nicene Creed AD 325
Who is God? God is Triune. Simply put (as if that were possible with the case in point), there is one God that is three Persons. The Persons are not merely different manifestations of God, but the makeup of God. And yet, the Persons are not three individual beings that inhabit the same space as if there were three Gods. Rather, the three Persons in and through each other (historically called "perichoresis") constitute God, but not in such a way that the distinctions of the Persons are lost. If you are not used to this language, it can be a bit confusing. One illustration of this is found in the Trinity Shield.
Each Person of the Trinity has some primary function in Creation. The Father makes the heavens and the earth but it is through the Son that all things are made (cf. John 1:1-5) and it is the Spirit who is the Lord and giver of life. The early church understood this as meaning that things are created by the Will of the Father, the Wisdom of the Son, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Look at this way:
Each Person of the Trinity has some primary function in Creation. The Father makes the heavens and the earth but it is through the Son that all things are made (cf. John 1:1-5) and it is the Spirit who is the Lord and giver of life. The early church understood this as meaning that things are created by the Will of the Father, the Wisdom of the Son, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Look at this way:Without each of these three being present, creation is hardly possible. Imagine that there is something that you are going to do with your life. Let's just say that you are going to "create" your life. In this case, you have the vision of what it looks like (wisdom), the freedom of choice and resources to make it happen (power), and you want to do it (will). Power and will without wisdom will result in chaos; power and wisdom without will means that I don't care to do it; will and wisdom without power means that I cannot do what I want. All three are necessary.
What has this to do with the Church? There is only "one" church (see Ephesians 4:4) made up of three components (holy, catholic, apostolic) just as there is only "one" God constituted by three persons.
1. To be holy means to be "set apart" but in the context of Scripture it means to be set a part for the mission of God. Are you a part of the Church? Then you and I have been set apart for God's mission in the world.
2. To be catholic is to be universal as opposed to local, meaning that the Church is not a small assembly in Macon, GA but all believers everywhere at all times created by the Spirit (see Ephesians 2:18-22 where it is by the Spirit that local churches are plugged into God's universal church). It is the Spirit that makes us Catholic. Are you a believer? Then you and I are a part of the same Catholic Church by the power of the Spirit.
3. To be apostolic means that the Church is based on the teaching and authority of the Apostles as recorded in the Scriptures. Are you in the Church? Then you and I base our practices and beliefs on the authority of the apostolic Scriptures.
Will, Power, Wisdom. The One Church is created y the will, power, and wisdom of God and it in returnreflects these attributes in the marks of the Chruch as holy, catholic, and apostolic. Notice that the apostolicity of the church looks a lot like the wisdom of the Son (truth being the common ground). Notice that the Catholicity of the church is a direct product of the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the holiness of the church is the Father's will being carried out in the mission of the church. The One Church is created by the will, power, and wisdom of God and it in return reflects these attributes in the marks of the church as holy (will of the Father in the purposes of the church), catholic (power of the Spirit in the creation of the Church), and apostolic (wisdom of God in the teaching of the apostles). So we are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth (Jn 3:23) and we are to love in Deed and in Truth (1 Jn 3:18). Do you see the overlap in terminology? Apostolic/Truth/Wisdom/Teaching - Catholic/Spirit/Power - Holy [set apart]/Will/Mission/Deed
Will, Power, Wisdom. The One Church is created y the will, power, and wisdom of God and it in returnreflects these attributes in the marks of the Chruch as holy, catholic, and apostolic. Notice that the apostolicity of the church looks a lot like the wisdom of the Son (truth being the common ground). Notice that the Catholicity of the church is a direct product of the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the holiness of the church is the Father's will being carried out in the mission of the church. The One Church is created by the will, power, and wisdom of God and it in return reflects these attributes in the marks of the church as holy (will of the Father in the purposes of the church), catholic (power of the Spirit in the creation of the Church), and apostolic (wisdom of God in the teaching of the apostles). So we are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth (Jn 3:23) and we are to love in Deed and in Truth (1 Jn 3:18). Do you see the overlap in terminology? Apostolic/Truth/Wisdom/Teaching - Catholic/Spirit/Power - Holy [set apart]/Will/Mission/Deed
Suppose we do an experiment now. Does your local assembly as a part of the Universal Church have these three marks?
It has been my experience that the typical evangelical complaints of church members typically revolve around one of these three weakness. "My church doesn't teach [lacking in the component of truth] enough?" "My church is cold and legalistic [lacking in the Spirit component]." "My church is inward and doesn't do any missional work [lacking in the Deed or Missional component]."I want to make clear that this does not mean that the complaints are justified. Sometimes a church is following these three principles faithfully and Scripturally regardless of their disgruntled members. However, where there is a genuine weakness, it usually revolves around one of these three. It is not always intentional but to be aware of these three components is to be on a right track towards wholeness. I challenge you to number in order which of these is strongest in your local church and which is weakest. What has been the effect? What are you missing because of this weakness? Which of these are you most comfortable with and which are you least comfortable with?
For any die hards out there, here is another chart that helps reveal what happens to our local churches when we get out of balance with regard to Spirit, Truth, and Deed.
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