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Intro: The Surprising Selection
Thundering 2000 years ago from the barren Judaean desert was a voice rich with both righteousness and rebuke. This call for repentance was as surprising in its location as it was distressing to authorities in its content. People flocked and pharisees fled. A fringe dweller was speaking correctly into established corporate religion.
Born about 7BC to elderly parents, this wild looking man, a desert dweller would herald both the entry of The King and The Kingdom. He would initiate a multi-generational change to religion across the world that would last infinitely. He was heralding a contemporary denominational change.
In the wilderness God prepares and purifies His servants. He renovates and rebuilds. He does surgery on the soul and likewise supplies the soul. The old-person leaves the wilderness a new-person. The unskilled find equipping and the lonely find relationship. The desert is a significantly fertile place for those fully given over to God. In solitude God is heard.
Blasting across ancient middle-eastern sands enters God's most unlikely but highly empowered change agent. (Lk 1:15, 3:2) The religiosity of Judaism is to be assaulted, and the temple system of sacrifice to be abandoned.
In God's kingdom there is always a 'fit' for the misfit, there is always a 'place' for the the 'displaced'.
John the Baptist is across millenia a lighthouse to God's intentions and ability to deliver righteousness through those 'unfit' for religious institutions. No religious committee, no creedal checklist or survey of academic success is consulted by The Divine for this appointment. The unlikely extend God's kingdom. God brings favour to fringe dwellers.
While we wait for God to move through established religion, God is moving around religion. God does not 'blow-up' religious obstacles to achieve His goals (yet), He simply moves around them.
My plan to deliver inter-generational church change would be based on a successful candidate such as this:
God's plan is a bit different to mine:
He was significant only because of his anonymity coming from a rejected place that God would still use to set religion alight. (Luke 3:9). This ministry that had such a brief, even inefficient span was singular in its direction and infinite in its reach. This misfit ministry fitted exactly God's good intentions for His church 2000 years ago and still into today.
John the Baptist expresses timelessly God's total independence of human achievement and religious structures. John the Baptist 'invented' Post Denominationalism. The next stage after corporate christianity is now available to those who would wish to see God's other actions in this world.
As independent churches multiply and para-church organisations exponentially explode in number, (all equal parts of the body of Christ - His bride,) Jesus still employs the misfits and engages the unwanted. (Jn 4). These ministries are 'fringe' to denominations but are still vital to His body, the church.
Such Post Denominationalism is God's ongoing grace to His entire church. God will continue His misfit mission, unabated even multiplied through the lost, the least, the last and the lonely. Denominationalism now must look to fringe dwellers, listen to their pleas and examine their righteousness, because today Jesus continues to raise up fringe dwellers.
If you are in one of those categories John the Baptist is your model and Jesus your mentor. Out of your darkest hours shines your brightest lights. God has His work for you even if others may not expect it or see it.(Jn 15:16)
In God's kingdom there is always a 'fit' for the misfit, there is always a 'place' for the the 'displaced'.
NEXT Part B ... Moving forward in a POST- Denominational Christianity/The Desert Church
Making Sense of today's Church ... Part A
Post-Denominationalism
Intro: The Surprising Selection
Thundering 2000 years ago from the barren Judaean desert was a voice rich with both righteousness and rebuke. This call for repentance was as surprising in its location as it was distressing to authorities in its content. People flocked and pharisees fled. A fringe dweller was speaking correctly into established corporate religion.
Born about 7BC to elderly parents, this wild looking man, a desert dweller would herald both the entry of The King and The Kingdom. He would initiate a multi-generational change to religion across the world that would last infinitely. He was heralding a contemporary denominational change.
In the wilderness God prepares and purifies His servants. He renovates and rebuilds. He does surgery on the soul and likewise supplies the soul. The old-person leaves the wilderness a new-person. The unskilled find equipping and the lonely find relationship. The desert is a significantly fertile place for those fully given over to God. In solitude God is heard.
Blasting across ancient middle-eastern sands enters God's most unlikely but highly empowered change agent. (Lk 1:15, 3:2) The religiosity of Judaism is to be assaulted, and the temple system of sacrifice to be abandoned.
In God's kingdom there is always a 'fit' for the misfit, there is always a 'place' for the the 'displaced'.
John the Baptist is across millenia a lighthouse to God's intentions and ability to deliver righteousness through those 'unfit' for religious institutions. No religious committee, no creedal checklist or survey of academic success is consulted by The Divine for this appointment. The unlikely extend God's kingdom. God brings favour to fringe dwellers.
Religion and change God's way
While we wait for God to move through established religion, God is moving around religion. God does not 'blow-up' religious obstacles to achieve His goals (yet), He simply moves around them.
My plan to deliver inter-generational church change would be based on a successful candidate such as this:
- a young and healthy gene pool, no elderly genes for me,
- great education and academic success, because I want him to have credibility,
- great oratorial ability, delivered from venues that are attractive, popular, easy to find and with great acoustics,
- the speaker would HAVE to be both a charismatic and a handsome figure, that he would attract people.
God's plan is a bit different to mine:
- this man would come from an elderly and maybe flawed gene pool,
- he would have no evidence of academic acumen or pedigree of the best schooling,
- he would have no proven record of speaking skills and would speak into a weather beaten desert, where actually nobody was or would be reasonably expected to go... and finally,
- he would live like a wildman, eat like a hermit and resemble an Ancient Near Eastern yeti.
He was significant only because of his anonymity coming from a rejected place that God would still use to set religion alight. (Luke 3:9). This ministry that had such a brief, even inefficient span was singular in its direction and infinite in its reach. This misfit ministry fitted exactly God's good intentions for His church 2000 years ago and still into today.
John the Baptist expresses timelessly God's total independence of human achievement and religious structures. John the Baptist 'invented' Post Denominationalism. The next stage after corporate christianity is now available to those who would wish to see God's other actions in this world.
Concl
Jesus does not change, nor does His love, values and or His desires.As independent churches multiply and para-church organisations exponentially explode in number, (all equal parts of the body of Christ - His bride,) Jesus still employs the misfits and engages the unwanted. (Jn 4). These ministries are 'fringe' to denominations but are still vital to His body, the church.
Such Post Denominationalism is God's ongoing grace to His entire church. God will continue His misfit mission, unabated even multiplied through the lost, the least, the last and the lonely. Denominationalism now must look to fringe dwellers, listen to their pleas and examine their righteousness, because today Jesus continues to raise up fringe dwellers.
If you are in one of those categories John the Baptist is your model and Jesus your mentor. Out of your darkest hours shines your brightest lights. God has His work for you even if others may not expect it or see it.(Jn 15:16)
In God's kingdom there is always a 'fit' for the misfit, there is always a 'place' for the the 'displaced'.
NEXT Part B ... Moving forward in a POST- Denominational Christianity/The Desert Church
