I like food. I like eating. Food is good. Well... good food is good. I like asian food... My house is asian, therefore we get to eat asian (specifically Indonesian) food. It's good stuff. My favorite food is steak. I like it cooked medium. Yummmm. Food.
I wonder if I was always a hungry little boy always wanting food. Pounding on the table screaming, "more mommy, more!"
But now I'm a big boy. No more yellin, "more, more, more!" I gotta get my own food. Oh! And I can't be picky anymore. With food, you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit! Hmmmm. Oh yeah, more rules. Except I don't like to think of them as rules. Just the way things are. Like when girls, go before guys. It's just how it is. And when someone asks you to pass the butter, you better darn be a blessing and pass that butter.
What is a "good church?" Is it the one that has the coolest music and light show? The one where thousands of people attend? The one that has the biggest building. False. Nay. No. I believe that a "good" church is a "healthy" church. From what them Jesus preachers have all taught me, there are three important things that contribute to a "healthy church." Service, community, and fellowship. (These words are probably wrong)
Let me explain.
Community - A good church community is one that is welcoming to new visitors. One that believes that newcomers are important and that making them feel as welcome as possible is important. First impressions are key and if you turn away a possible future follower because someone forgot to say hi, then church fail!
Fellowship - Once the newcomers get settled, they would start to get connected. Bible studies, accountability groups, sunday school classes... All that good stuff... Then the Sunday morning big church sermons. Boom. Done.
Service - Pretty much anything that a person gives of themselves as a sacrifice covers the whole service thing. (Not not "kill the goat and burn the sacrifice") By that I mean, giving up your time or physical activity for others. Or even on a larger scale you would get A call from the big man upstairs to go off into the world and serve, through whatever skills you got or any other form of contributions. Some may be called to places around the world, others might just get the call to go next door to their neighbor. Anyways. Service. Good thing.
A sermon I recently attended pointed out something to me that I very much agree with to the point where I was about to stand up and say "Amen!" haha...
I don't know why it JUST clicked (because I'm pretty sure I've heard it multiple times) but today it was a certain affirmation kinda thing. Pretty much what he said was that too many of the Christians in churches today are still young and have yet to grow and mature spiritually. Too many people are always wanting, never giving. Sure when they give. Let's face it. Plain and simple. Most Christians are just wanting their "Jesus fix" for the week on Sunday morning. They come, sing some happy songs, (maaaybe have an intense Jesus moment within the song) sit through a long speech, give their tithe and go back into the world. That's all. Jesus day and time is only on Sunday morning. He gets 2 hrs ish on Sunday morning and the rest of the week, 6 days and 22hrs, is set aside for "me-time." It's funny when those "I'm cool because I go to church" people go and sometimes, when they don't like the music or they think the sermon is boring or whatever, they complain and such. But yet why do they come back? Heck some of them just leave completely.
Those who have not spiritually matured are just like the little kids who want "more more more." They only come on Sundays to have their Jesus fix for the week. They get their good word in for the week and then let it run out throughout the week and do it all over Sunday morning.
No. That's not how the world works. Yeah, when you're a baby you get to be spoon fed and stuff and of course you don't know what's going on and how gross the baby food tastes. It's what's given to you and you eat it. Simple. Before the whole Christian walk begins people get all this information and all these stories shoved down their throats about the creator of the universe and such. And once the Holy Spirit comes and all the stories make sense and a person accepts Jesus into their life, then what? Should they just keep coming back to church Sunday morning and hear the pastor preach the same thing about how important God is and how they should accept Him? What if you've already accepted Him? Ahhhh please no more green beans!
I came to a point during Sunday mornings when I realized that it got boring as the same thing was said over and over again. I learned that once you accept Christ as your Savior and committing in the Christian walk (and by that I mean COMMIT. LIFE PACT. Pact breaking is a no no.) there is more to it! (What a weird concept!) People think that once you have the intense moment where you accept Christ into your life, all is good and you're going to Heaven. FALSE. You're just getting started.
Once Jesus is accepted into a person's life, I hope they know that this party bus is not fun, not easy, not going to be a fast ride, but definitely worthwhile. I learned that once I accepted Him into my life, there was more to it... and boy, was I hungry for more. Since I was not a little boy anymore and that "feed me!" was boring, I had to step up and grow up. When you are 2, you get fed. Then eventually you become 20 and you're an adult and now you've got more things to do. You used to be fed, but now, since you are capable, you must get up and serve others. Which is what I believe is key. I don't believe that it's stops when people accept Christ into their lives... Because that is just the beginning.
I am not saying I am all cool and that I am spiritually mature. Because I am not. I've got a lot of things to learn.
God has given me a heart of a servant. God has told me to go finish what he started. End of Matthew 26. God said to GO. The story doesn't end there. He told me to go out into the world and teach them what He has taught me all those years I was spoon fed in the cool church building. God has been telling myself the same thing He has said to others to GO out into this world. No I didn't get a call to Africa or Asian. I got a call to right here in the mile high city. And He promises me that He will be with me right up to the end so why should I worry?
I have always been a big fan of God's plan. Sure, it may not seem like the plan is "good" or "fun" at all, but that just means it's not done yet. Everyday I am always excited to be able to play a part in the Creator of the Universe's plan. Holding a door... Buying someone lunch... Playing Jesus music... Whatever it may be.
I'm ready to go.
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