[291 words]
At the beginning, the church’s foremost focus was upon God, not man (Acts 5:29; Galatians 1:10); upon heaven, not earth (Colossians 3:1,2); upon the spirit, not the flesh. (Romans 8:6; 1 Timothy 4:8.) And in spite of severe persecution and constant privations, the church thrived, turning the ancient world “upside down” with the powerful message of the cross. (Acts 14:6.)
But times are changing. Many congregations today have more in common with AT&T than with the church of the New Testament. The church in many places seems more concerned with money than with morals, with elders serving more as “board members” than as shepherds of the flock, and with figures, graphs, and demographics taking the place of real, flesh and blood people. And the divinely marked line of demarcation separating the church from the world is being gradually removed by professional, pragmatic, business-minded zealots in the name of growth, Growth, and more GROWTH. But what is being grown? When all is said and done and the dust finally settles, will what is left be the pure, unblemished bride of Christ? or some kind of mutated, religious conglomerate? Are we willing to compromise truth in our maddened quest for numerical growth and public acceptance?
Forgetting that the early disciples were considered by the world as “the offscouring of all things,” many more modern-minded enthusiasts appear to be going out of their way to please everyone by trying anything and standing for absolutely nothing.
We had best spend more time with the Bible and less time poring over the latest fads in denominational and business-related growth. Let’s remember who we are. We are the church – not a denomination, and certainly not big business.
Dalton Key
Church of Christ
Tulsa, OK