This applies to church productivity not 'getting to Heaven.'
A man drives his car to the Mechanic to service his car because it wasn't working well. After some time, he is asked to go back to the garage and the Mechanic meets him at the door. "The problem is your spark plugs." He hands the man the brand of spark plugs he used. The man looks down in his hand and says,
"What does this all mean?" the Mechanic replies,
"Er.. these will get you where you want to go" The man looks up slowly, glances back at the spark plugs and shaking his head in awe says "Thank you... thank you so much." The Mechanic goes back to work, slightly bemused, and the man walks away with the spark plugs. Two hours later the Mechanic sees the man's car still in the forecourt of the garage. Confused, he carries on with his work. At the end of the day, he locks up and looks around to see the mans car still in the forecourt. The Mechanic decides that if he sees the car there in the morning, he will phone the man to see if the car was fixed. Off home he went.
In the morning the Mechanic arrived at work bright and early and spotted the car still on the forecourt. Suddenly, around the corner comes the man running with his suit and briefcase, he passed the garage with the spark plugs in his hand. Down the road he runs straight towards the city where he worked. "I have no clue what's going on," muttered the Mechanic. Just as he was closing the garage, he sees the man running past again, suitcase in one hand, spark plugs in the other. "Hey... Hey! Shouts the Mechanic. The man stops and turns, walking towards him. "Hello," says the man. "Nice day isn't it!" The Mechanic looks at him and replies,
"Yes it's a nice day. Why aren't you using your car?"
"Well," replied the man, "You are an expert Mechanic and you told me these spark plugs will get me where I want to go. Ive just been to work, and look, here are the spark plugs!" The Mechanic looked at him, waiting for the punchline. Nothing. "So when I said the spark plugs, that are part of your engine, will 'get you to where you want to go,' you thought I meant the spark plugs themselves?"
"Yes, youre the expert!" replied the man.
"So you ran to work and back with the spark plugs in your hand?"
"Yes. Yes I did." Nodded the man lifting the spark plugs and shaking them.
"But, surely you know that the spark plugs are a part of several other parts that need to be in place to make it work? They should be in your car which will work when all the parts are together." The man looked at the Mechanic then tilted his head as if to remember a distant memory, "But you said the spark plugs will get me where I want to go!" Frustrated, and struggling to keep the absurdity in the realm of professionalism, he replied, "But OBVIOUSLY it is part of the rest of the engine!"
The bread and wine taken without the meal, family sharing and family home is like the man thinking the spark plugs are what 'gets him to where he wants to go.' Church has tried to become the Lord's instrument on Earth by thinking Jesus meant 'just take wine and bread' when he said 'This do in remembrance of me.' Jesus obviously meant the bread and wine are part of a full meal that the family of God share together. The church runs around trying to make things happen when the answer lies in obedience. Get in line with what Jesus commanded - This do...." and wait for the Lord to do what he and he alone can do. And you will have to wait.
But when we do this the rules change. It is about Him, His work, His way, His timing, His vision, His increase, His truth, His mission, His salvation. Can we do this? Can we give Jesus back his Church?
Gary Ward
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