We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. Colossians1:28-29
Recently we went to listen to Bill Hybels and Andy Stanley at a conference. Bill Hybels gave me goosebumps when he warned about "Pastoral Malpractice": a disturbing trend he was seeing among young pastors who were working hard to create multi-site and mega-churches with no real interest in whether this was what was best for the congregation or not.
Paul is clear about the WHY: We don't "do church" to write great CVs or demonstrate our leadership prowess... We "do church" to see believers transformed in the image of Christ.
- We want to see people become more like Jesus.
It is _not_ about buildings, numbers or statistics.
- It is about life-transformation.
Paul is clear about the WHAT:
- Proclamation: Making clear the message of the gospel
- Admonishing: Being bold enough to confront bad thinking and values
- Teaching with wisdom: Wisdom is found in the will of God, so this kind of teaching is more than knowledge - it equips people to live for God.
And finally, Paul is clear about the HOW:
Through labour that springs from the energy of God - the power of His Spirit - that works in us.
This is the WHY, WHAT and HOW of "doing church."
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
