Luke 13:18 Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."
John 12: 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
A seed must fall into the ground and die before it is reborn into the plant it will become.
So is the history of the Church.
The founder and foundation, Jesus Christ, died and rose again, and sent His Holy Spirit to begin the transformation. He was the seed that died.
The Early Church was focused in the Middle East and later found her locus in Europe as well. In terms of the metaphor of a tree, the Early Church was the trunk and root system, a singular organism with no other identity at that time than just being "the church."
In 1054 AD that trunk split into two major branches: the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox.
In the 1500's the Protestant Reformation began the sprouting of multiple branches and twigs that became the modern church. The church was also transplanted to America where it flourished and helped to seed the whole world with the gospel.
The modern church has been like the sprouting of leaves under which many birds could perch or nest. Ultimately, it is still ONE tree. And I think we are in a time that we are beginning to realize that. It will ultimately be the full picture of what began in its roots, and even in that initial seed, Jesus Christ himself. At that point, all the birds in the world will want to come and nest in its branches.
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2 comments:
Brother Al,
The only problem with the birds of the air they represent evil spirits. Every foul and unclean spirit. I think a homogenized church is the harlot, the Jezebel Church. Looks like Church but has no substance. As long as there is no humbling under His mighty hand there will be no great and glorious church. Come out from among them and be not partakers of her sins. Call may be calling a people out of the church system. The church system will join forces with the world system that includes all the other false religions of the world. I like your optimism in thinks that God is in all the denominations and maybe he is but they aren’t what they used to be. Maybe that is good in some case but for the most part it all looks like dead forms to me. I could be wrong.
Of course, I am familiar with what you're saying. When I studied church history, though, I came to appreciate a broader picture. If you were a Christian in 1054 AD, where were you going to go to be with other Christians but to the church. And the only existing church of the day was either the Eastern or Roman churches. That was all there was.
We also get the Bible through them. We wouldn't have it as it is today except they compiled it. Are we not grateful for that?
I don't think we can homogenize the church, actually. But one way we can humble ourselves is to love the church that Jesus died for. I used to be very critical, thinking I was better than most Christians. I thought it was my way or the highway.
I don't think God is seeking to blend us all together or just cull out a select group. But the post-modern world and other dynamics of our times will return the church to her foundation of grace and mercy. There will also be a healthy dialog going that will cause the church to focus on the essentials, which is revealing Jesus to the world.
It is possible that I am actually talking about your "calling out." The "church system" is going to pass away. It will be no more. That doesn't make the different expressions of worship evil in themselves. They all arose out of attempts to glorify God. But they will vanish. The calling out may be a more subtle recognition of our equality in Christ. Grace cannot make us proud; it tends to humble us. I can't get high-minded about something that was given to me, that I didn't earn. And that also makes me so I don't feel I am better than anybody else, including other people who are trusting the same savior I am.
The "Jezebel church" idea is just one possibility of who Babylon the Great is, and it was invented by Protestants. Protestantism was both positive and negative in its impact on the world. It revealed the concept of "the just shall live by faith" (not works). But it also descended into extremes of endless divisions. And Christ is not divided.
The baby, then, is justification by grace through faith. The bathwater is the innumerable doctrines, that are subtly infused with pride, over which we needlessly divide. God isn't judging us by our correct doctrine or method of worship, but through Jesus Christ who gives us entry into His kingdom by faith. The most despicable sinner has the same opportunity as the holiest man walking.
At least that's my message. God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't play favorites.
Like you, I could be wrong. But when I run this through the scriptures it always comes back the same. I think I'm on the right track. Of course, you could say the same. So I appreciate our dialog on this. It causes us to keep digging.
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