"But when Jesus turned around and saw them following, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
Jesus says this to us constantly. The answer to this question really only has two categories. It is either 'Him' we are looking for or something else... the 'it.' It is impossible to detect in a home or hall full of believers what their core motivation is. Also, if we start casting aspersions without data, we a perilously close to judging. Also it is crucial to recognise people can, and do, change. Over a long time though we will see what the person has been pursuing within the parenthesis of 'christianity.' This observation is referring to people who are true believers, it is happenning to God's children.
For some time I ran with the idea that big is beautiful regarding church. I wanted to push back from the staid, boring church meeting that seemed to smell like mould. I opted to be one of the pioneers that made church relevant, contemporary and cutting edge. In doing so we lost the meaning of 'family' and crushed the authentic in the rush to help God fix the problem. when I began recognising the plastic revival I felt led out from this. Others still pursue the high octane meetings because it attracts people who are looking for 'it.' I have no comment on the degree 'Him' comes into it but as 'it' becomes louder, media savvy and seemingly successful, the crowd flocks. People call 'it' success and pledge allegence to the leader who made 'it' happen. "They must have 'something' genuine from God" is the conclusion. Their profile gets raised in the hearts of the people and 'it' towers over the 'Him' that saved their souls.
Now there is a problem with moving from 'It' to 'Him.' It will cost you everything. We don't really like that much at all. Pain is to be AVOIDED. I mean who wants to go thru a process where 'It' bleeds from our lives as God tries to have us free? Yet this is the call. Every 'it,' including your church, your leaders, your vision statement, your national profile, your cd sales, your gifted evangelist are all idols before God. " But Gary, God has blessed our church!" Really? Isn't regular giving into a church account actually people giving money? Isn't the presentation of cutting edge technology and media simply marketing? Is God blessing your church or is it just another way to attract people to your project? You don't say God is transporting you to a destination when you drive a car do you? The car is taking you there. In the same way, when we design and practice church our way, it is in and of itself a system. Church 'engines' differ, but they are, in the final summation... engines!
When Jesus asked the disciples 'what are you looking for?' they answered 'where are you staying?' Jesus said 'come and you will see.' The disciples answer was crucial. They wanted to know about Messiah. This would be tested along their own journey and Mark 10 shows a couple of disciples pursuing 'it.' It sounds very legitimate... a question about their placing in the coming kingdom, but it could become an 'it' ... a pursuit of placing over 'Him.'
If we don't become free of pursuing 'it' we will see 'it' come to fruition. If we pursue 'Him' we will see His will come to fruition. Its that simple. I see much fruit from the pursuit of 'it' everywhere. There's little fruit from 'Him' sadly. So if you can identify that you have made the things of Him central to your life instead of Him, you can do something about it. Many will throw away this observation because 'It' fells better to the senses than 'Him.'
Can you choose to give all for Him? Can you willingly forsake the rewards of this life to willfully do God's purposes? Essentially it is a decision to place God over our own aims and objectives in Christianity. This is precisely what Jesus did in his death on the cross. He places our welfare over his own with staggerring consequences. Did he do that so we could morph ekklesia into a well managed organisation? I think not.
Gary Ward
Brother
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