by: Steve Wood, President of the Alumni Council
The last few days I have been in four different gatherings of Christian leaders, and I have never been more encouraged about the future of the Church. However, in two of those gatherings the overwhelming focus was acknowledging that there is a hole in the bottom of the boats, and at least some of the fleet will sink for a variety of reasons.
Isn’t that amazing that there is such a polarity of views among Christian leaders from a variety of backgrounds and faith traditions? There is no evidence that the views are in any way related to the ethnicity, gender, or age of people. It is simply a matter of who is hopeful in their journey with Jesus, how they are surrendering themselves to God’s great work, and the fruit that they witness being born through commitment to making disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Church was never intended to be all things to all people. The offer of God’s grace and salvation is available to all. It is certainly God’s intent (John 3:16) that all will receive the glorious salvation freely offered. Yet, we learn in John 6:66 that many who were following Jesus turned around and followed Jesus no more. Why? Because the cost of following Jesus is our very life. Thus, being the Church involves a very specific commission and commitment. God understands that not everyone will just tag along in this journey with Jesus. Sad but true.
Let the Church rise and continue to grow and prosper in our glory of God despite the ambivalence of a culture that teems with selfishness. May the love of Christ be shared far and wide to invite people out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. Amen!
This article was first published on September 19, 2015 at http://www.pastorsteveblog.com/the-future-of-the-church/