I am taking a little break from my meditations on the book of Romans inorder to write up some of my most recent thoughts. The following passage came to me at the weekend, it is the account where Mary and Joseph lose sight of Jesus. I shared this passage and the thoughts that follow on church on Sunday having returned from an ‘emmerging leaders’ training day. The event was hosted by the AoG and the content delivered by a ‘church growth specialist’. My conclusion of the event is that the pentecostal and evangelical movements have largely ‘lost sight of Jesus’. My statement is not based on that one event, it comes from rubbing shoulders with churches, Christians and leaders across the denominations. It comes from having studied theology in both an interdenominational theological college as well as a denominational one. It comes from conversations with Christians and leaders about the gospel and it comes from observing the works of various contemporary speakers and authors.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

Luke 2

41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49″Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
We can lose sight of Jesus and be unaware of it
“…the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.”
Mary and Joseph assumed that Jesus was still with them while the reality was that they had left him behind! Churches and individual Christians can make the same mistake! We can be carrying on with ‘business as usuall’ while blissfully unaware that the Lord is no longer in our midst! If you think I am wrong all you a have to do is read revelation. There is a church whom Jesus says ‘I’m outside knocking the door, will someone let me in’ (my para phrase) Jesus was locked out of his own church! Now you would think that a church which has locked Jesus out would be a struggling church wouldnt you? You would think that they knew something was amiss? Nope! Like Mary and Joseph. they were unaware, infact they thought that they were fine and in need of nothing. Self sufficiency keeps Jesus on outside of our lives, collective self sufficiency will keep him outside of his church!
Return to Worship and the Word
Where was Jesus? Jesus was at the temple, the place of worship. He was also discussing with the teachers of the Law, Jesus was ‘in the Word’ If we have lost sight of Jesus, we have lost sight of true worship. Neglecting the truth of God’s word while continuing a religious life will lead to idolatry. It will lead to false ideas about God and church. God looks for those who will worship in both ‘Spirit and Truth’ (John 4), An up to date relationship Jesus requires up to date worship which requires up to date intimacy. Intimacy requires knowledge which we need to recieve from the word of God. Truth transforms and error corrupts, the devil hates worship and sows error in order to prevent the church worshiping God. When the chruch worships in truth it enters into freedom satan hates the church being free so he sows error to bring bondage. When the church is free, it becomes obedient and leads other prisoners (the lost) into further freedom, satan hates that! A church that gets free, gets worshiping and gets obedient will get persecuted! Christians dont like that! Many Christians are ’selling out’ inorder that they will avoid the coming persecution.
God is calling us (his people) to ‘open up the door’ and ‘let him in’. This is metaphorical language that says we need to give the Lord his rightful place. It is his house! He is the head of the church, we bow before him he does not submit to our agenda. When we pursue our own agenda we ‘lock him out’ of our lives and our churches. His agenda is obedience and this requires doing yet in order to do we must first know. This requires us getting into the word of God and doing the word of God. James tells us that hearing is not enough but we must act on what we hear. The good news is that God empowers us to obey!
Its time to get back to basics.
J
http://revivalfire-johnsblog.blogspot.com/