day thirty-five
You Are
For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
1 Corinthians 1:19
Tonight as Halim preached, he asked the question, "What makes our church look different? If our church disappeared from Austin, would anyone notice?"
I know what my answer would be. If we loved all the other churches of Christ Jesus in our city unconditionally. If we prayed for them instead of talking about them. If we were burdened for them, served them.
There are a lot of complacent Christians in Austin. It may not be so black and white in the Kingdom battle as a city like Boston - no, it's subtle, it's the sleeping church. It's not easy to love the complacent. There are moments of hope and glory, but there are just as many moments of apathy, spiritual abortion. The blood of Jesus runs through our city, His army is strong here. And Austin has more unity among Christian leaders than most cities. God is doing it.
But what church in Austin is loving so extremely, so completely, so marvellously that the complacent, the lost, the God haters are noticing? I think there are few.
We are called to love ALL the other Christians, not just the ones who have theology that lines up with ours. God doesn't need defending. Loving means living together as one, serving together as one in this city. Out of our comfort zone. God isn't interested in churches that are Christian clubs of likeminded people. Unity in the body means unity in the body. He is not just against gossip within the Austin Stone. He is against gossip in the body of Christ in Austin. Whatever we say about another church or their leaders that is demeaning is gossip in the body. He's not into building himself up by tearing down his own body.
I want to see a church in Austin love really, really well like Jesus did. I'm not saying anything that He hasn't convicted me personally of. That we can live above reproach. I pray it's the Austin Stone. I pray it's more than the Austin Stone in Austin.
For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
1 Corinthians 1:19
Tonight as Halim preached, he asked the question, "What makes our church look different? If our church disappeared from Austin, would anyone notice?"
I know what my answer would be. If we loved all the other churches of Christ Jesus in our city unconditionally. If we prayed for them instead of talking about them. If we were burdened for them, served them.
There are a lot of complacent Christians in Austin. It may not be so black and white in the Kingdom battle as a city like Boston - no, it's subtle, it's the sleeping church. It's not easy to love the complacent. There are moments of hope and glory, but there are just as many moments of apathy, spiritual abortion. The blood of Jesus runs through our city, His army is strong here. And Austin has more unity among Christian leaders than most cities. God is doing it.
But what church in Austin is loving so extremely, so completely, so marvellously that the complacent, the lost, the God haters are noticing? I think there are few.
We are called to love ALL the other Christians, not just the ones who have theology that lines up with ours. God doesn't need defending. Loving means living together as one, serving together as one in this city. Out of our comfort zone. God isn't interested in churches that are Christian clubs of likeminded people. Unity in the body means unity in the body. He is not just against gossip within the Austin Stone. He is against gossip in the body of Christ in Austin. Whatever we say about another church or their leaders that is demeaning is gossip in the body. He's not into building himself up by tearing down his own body.
I want to see a church in Austin love really, really well like Jesus did. I'm not saying anything that He hasn't convicted me personally of. That we can live above reproach. I pray it's the Austin Stone. I pray it's more than the Austin Stone in Austin.