I Used To Want To Change The World In Brotherhood, Us Two... But Now, My Friend, I Only Want To Save It From You...These are lyrics from a Project 86 song... They went with a secular label - Atlantic I believe - hoping to be able to have more influence on the world... What they came to find out was that after not getting a hit single, they were dropped like last weeks garbage...
This also reminds me of Constantine's rule in Rome... Before Constantine, Christians led hard lives in Rome... While they were not slaughtered everyday as it may seem, Rome was an unfriendly place to live for Christians... Constantine came into rule believing that his victory was given by the God of the Christians, so he converted to Christianity as well as the entire empire... So, in this new Christianized Rome, Christians had a newfound freedom and a wonderful outlook as they now had the backing and favor of the emperor... New highs would be reached for the Gospel with the support of the empire... But, as would be expected when the church turns their faith and provision expectations from God to the world, the situation soured quickly... Instead of Christians being unaccepted and persecuted, you were now persecuted and outcast if you were not a Christian... Needless to say also, the church was no longer filled with believers to worship God and spread the Gospel, it was now filled with politicians seeking status and recognition...
The world can never support the church... Neither government or orginization... The seperation there is between chuch and state, while many Christians are irritated with the way it is used in America today, is much better than the alternative... Which is exactly why it was initiated in the first place... The world's government has no place in church affairs... In the same way, the church has no business "Christianizing" the government...
Expecting the government to force or "allow" prayer in public schools should not be a concern... Christian parents teaching their children at home how to pray should... Making kids say "grace" before their school lunch will not save our children or make them more moral... They are public schools... They are not Christian schools... We have no business trying to force Christian teachings onto unbelievers... (Redemption is what the lost need, not Christian morals)... Just like the Jews had no business forcing Gentile Christians to be circumcised...
Expecting the government to leglislate Christian morality is not going to get someone saved... Banning homosexual marriage is not going to get homosexuals to stop being homosexual... What the church
needs to do - yes, I am about to state what the church needs to do - is put down their petitions for prayer in school, heterosexual marriage, and the ten commandments and spend time with a lost person...
Hug a homosexual...
Invite a sinner to dine with you...
Stop toying with the government and tell someone about Jesus...
After all, Jesus never commanded us to change the government... He told us to make disciples... And I assure you, that no disciples will be made with petitions... I promise you, spending time telling people the Gospel will accomplish wonders for the kingdom of God and the world while forcing the government to leglislate Christian morality and practice will create hidden sinners...
Let go of the government and grab hold of Jesus... I mean, does it not disturb anyone else that 98% of church growth seems to come from someone getting mad at one church and moving to another?... This should be evidence enough that the church's time and effort are being sadly wasted in politics...
