New Testament Church

In the past five years I have been privileged to travel around the state of Missouri, and beyond, to countless different churches. I have participated in dozens of Disciple Now weekends at various locations, filled the pulpit in numerous houses of worship, visited churches in the city of Cleveland ranging from traditional to contemporary to hip-hop, taken on interim roles in three churches, and am currently employed at a church as a youth pastor. I have seen countless church services from the pew and from the pulpit. And even with the church-hopping mentality of today’s church-goers, I have been a part of more churches than most people ever will. Yeah, I get around.

And with all these places I have gone, there was one thing I had to learn very quickly: no one does it the same. If you visit many churches you will realize this too; despite the similarities we find, no two churches are the same. And, as I visited all these churches, I began to be amazed at how rigid some people have become in their way of “doing church.” With so many Christians these days it’s “My way or the highway. And highways are unbiblical. Remember, Jesus said the way is wide that leads to destruction.”

I blame much of this mentality on the New Testament Church. Well, that may be a bit unfair. I blame it on the idea of the New Testament Church. This is a concept I have heard talked about in many different places; it is an ill-defined idea of some sort of perfect, coherent, super-church where Peter is the pastor, Paul is the Sunday school director, and John is the minister of music. And we glorify this “Church” to the point of thinking, “Oh, if I could only have been a Christian back when Paul was around! Not when he started passing the torch to Timothy, that kid had no moxie. Give me Paul any day.” And we look around at our churches and we judge them, saying, “My church is a ‘New Testament Church.’ Sure, you may attend a church, but mine is holier.” or “This church has some problems. They would never have made it if Peter was still around. Most likely, they’d all be lion food; except God would probably strike them dead like Ananias and Sapphira before the lions got to them.”

What we sometimes forget, I think, is that this “New Testament Church” was actually why we have the largest portion of the New Testament. Think about it; how much of the second half of the Bible would we have if Paul had not been reprimanding the church for something stupid they were doing? A good chunk of the New Testament is devoted to telling off the New Testament Church. Far from perfect, it was a group of people still trying to figure out how to love God, and they messed up plenty along the way.

Don’t get me wrong, I think they had a lot of stuff right; and we have a lot to learn from the way they did things. But the New Testament Church, the REAL New Testament Church, was not successful because they had the order of service down pat. They didn’t grow because they had great facilities or programs. In many cases, it wasn’t even because of strong leadership. The New Testament Church was successful because it was filled with people who wanted to learn about God and show Him to others. It wasn’t the way they “did church;” it was the way they left church. It wasn’t their order of service; it was their obedience in service.

So, the next time you look around at your church and think, “I don’t like the way they do that. I bet there’s a better church out there; a more ‘New Testament’ kind of church.” maybe the problem isn’t with your church but you. There is no perfect church, not even in the New Testament; stop looking for it. Instead, work where God has put you so that your church will begin winning territory for the Kingdom of God.

What about you? Are you at a "New Testament Church"? Are you looking for one? Are you helping create one?

A Dead Dog and the Kindness of a King

In 2 Samuel 9, David is the newly crowned king of Israel, the nation’s enemies have all been put down, and God has promised to bless David and his house forever. Things could not be going better for David.

The story is quite different, however, for the household of Saul, Israel’s former royal line. All the closest relatives of Saul have been killed either by Israel’s enemies or by treacherous men with whom they had surrounded themselves. In all the family of Saul, one lone man is left: Saul’s grandson, the son of Jonathon, named Mephibosheth. But it is even worse than that; Mephibosheth was lame. Not that he wasn’t hip; no, he actually was the victim of a childhood accident that left him without the use of either of his feet.

One could wonder, then, considering the contrast between these two families, what it would take to bring them together. This question will only be heightened by an understanding of the culture of the day. In times when monarchy is the prevailing form of government, the role of king is understandably very desirable to people. This position, however, is generally established by heritage: namely, by relation to the previous ruler. But, on the few occasions that a king is overthrown by someone outside his family, it was common political practice to eliminate the competition, so to speak, by executing the entire royal family.

One can imagine, knowing this, the amazement David’s counselors must have felt when they heard him ask one day, “Is there not still someone of house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” (2 Samuel 9:3)

I think the key to this question is in the way David describes this kindness. It is “the kindness of God.” David recognizes that the kindness that has been shown him is from God; and he desires to show that kindness to the son of his friend Jonathon, even though the world would tell him to do the opposite. David’s actions are not based on the culture around him but on the way he has seen God act. And David tries to mirror those actions.

This is important to remember. It is, in fact, the core of following Christ: to be like Him, to display Him, to show His kindness.

But I feel David is not the only character in this story from whom we may learn something. When Mephibosheth is finally tracked down and brought before the king, David reveals to him that he is to be an honored and permanent guest at his table. Mephibosheth responds, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” (2 Samuel 9:8)

Here was a man who knew that he was pitiful. He knew what most people would do to him in that situation, and he knew that nothing he could say would alter his fate. That is the way we must all accept the kindness of God. There is nothing we could do to deserve it. There is nothing we could do to get it on our own. We are as disgraceful as dead dogs, but He gives us grace anyway.

That is the Kindness we must show. For, that is the Kindness we have been shown.