{"id":45,"date":"2012-05-03T21:55:33","date_gmt":"2012-05-03T21:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/thoughts\/?p=45"},"modified":"2012-05-03T21:55:33","modified_gmt":"2012-05-03T21:55:33","slug":"where-does-god-fit-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/thoughts\/?p=45","title":{"rendered":"Where does God fit in?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A.W.Tozer wrote: \u201cIf God had taken His Holy Spirit out of
\nthe Early Church, 95% of the activity would have stopped and everybody would
\nhave noticed the difference. If God were to take His Holy Spirit out of the
\nchurch today, 95% of the activity would go on as before and nobody would notice
\nthe difference?\u201d <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Perhaps God already HAS<\/st1:stockticker>
\ntaken His Spirit out of the church \u2013 but we just haven\u2019t noticed yet! In the
\nactivities of our churches, and in our own lives as ministers, we see lots of enthusiasm
\nand hard work. But looking more closely it can be humbling to ask, \u201cWhere does
\nGod fit in?\u201d  <\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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I want to stress that these questions come from 25 years in
\nministry and experiences in Mission Consultancy, Mentoring and discussions at
\nMinisters\u2019 Fellowships in various places. I am delighted to say that these are
\nNOT issues which challenge the church at North Springfield \u2013 which makes a
\nrefreshing change from other places.<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Worship is supposed to be a dynamic encounter with the
\nLiving God. We could be very depressed if we reflected honestly on how rarely
\nour people meet with God in our services. How rarely they are overwhelmed by
\nHis love and joy and peace. How rarely they learn something from our preaching
\n(or indeed in Home Groups, or personal devotions, if they still do these) which
\ntransforms their lives or brings them even a little bit closer to Jesus. On an
\naverage week, where does God fit in to our worship? <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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The Early Church didn\u2019t have a \u201cstrategy\u201d for outreach or
\nevangelism. In the words of Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, the primary witness of the
\nEarly Church was the work of the Holy Spirit, in signs and wonders, miracles of
\nhealing and deliverance, in prophetic messages and dreams and visions, in
\ntransformed lives and sacrificial love. God the Holy Spirit moved, everybody
\nwanted to know, \u201cHow did that happen?\u201d 
\n<\/span>And the Christians\u2019 response was, \u201cGod did that!\u201d Today we have so many
\nprogrammes for outreach (I have used some and I have written my own too) but,
\nreally, where does God fit in to our outreach?<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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In the process of recognition of a call to ministry, in
\ntraining for ministry, in the process of Mentoring for Newly Accredited
\nMinisters, in patterns of appraisal and \u201cContinuing Professional Development\u201d,
\nthe emphasis is almost entirely on knowledge and understanding and skills
\nuseful in ministry. Qualities of holiness, spirituality, prayerfulness and
\npassion for God are undervalued and in some situations even regarded as
\nsuspicious! From day to day, where does God fit in to our calling and practice of
\nministry?<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Deacons (and Elders if appointed) are supposed to be the
\nspiritual core of the church. But in these days Deacons must bear
\nresponsibilities as Managing Trustees under Charity Law and as Employers under
\nemployment and pension law. They must navigate Health and Safety, Child
\nProtection and countless other legal minefields. In many churches some of the
\nmore prayerful and holy people refuse to stand as Deacons, so the church ends
\nup being led by managers. In some churches such \u201cleaders\u201d are conspicuously
\nabsent on the days of prayer and nights of prayer. They never lead worship or
\npreach \u2013 they just make the legal and financial decisions which define and
\nconstrain the activities and the direction of the church. Somebody said that \u201ca
\nchurch will never rise above the spirituality of its leadership.\u201d In some
\nchurches the Spirit is being strangled by regulation and red tape.  <\/span>Where does God fit in to our leadership
\nmeetings? <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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God should be at the centre of everything we are and
\neverything we do as believers and as churches. Nowhere should this be more
\napparent than in our prayer lives, individually and corporately. In fact in
\nmany churches, prayer is less important than it has ever been. Former BMS
\nMissionary  <\/span>Eric Westwood said this in
\nhis address as the President of the Baptist Union: \u201cWe must write prayer again
\ninto the lifestyle of our churches; meaningful prayer, urgent prayer, repentant
\nprayer, constant prayer, Spirit-led prayer, even sacrificial prayer!\u201d When he
\nwas General Secretary of the Baptist Union, David Coffey said this. \u201cMany
\nchurches need to recover this lost principle. Not prayer as a token gesture,
\nsome spiritual national anthem where we profess loyalty to the King and then
\nproceed to the real purpose of our gathering. But urgent and dynamic prayer
\nthat seeks God in such a manner that everyone becomes aware that, unless God
\nintervenes, we are doomed!<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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In worship, outreach, ministry, leadership and our prayer
\nlives \u2013 where does God fit in? <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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<\/a>A.W.Tozer also wrote, “The presence is more important than
\nthe programme!!! Whether it was worship or evangelism or fellowship the Early
\nChurch never relied on any programme but always gathered together in the
\ngreater glory of the Presence of God.” Writing 50 years ago, prophetic
\nwords fulfilled in so many of the so-called \u201csuccessful\u201d churches today, Tozer
\nwarns that, “In these days all too often the programme has been
\nsubstituted for the presence.  <\/span>The
\nprogramme rather than the Lord of glory is the centre of attraction.”
\nTozer goes on, “If we make Christ the supreme and constant object of
\ndevotion the programme will take its place as a gentle aid!”<\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Here are some of the questions:
\nWe must make sure that prayer is indeed at the heart of everything we do.
\nWe must not let charity law and health and safety stand in the way of being the
\nchurch and taking risks for the gospel.
\nWe must be prepared to go out on a limb for God, \u201cAttempting great things for
\nGod and expecting great things from God\u201d (William Carey)
\nWe must put the spiritual growth of our congregations at the top of our tasks
\nof ministry \u2013 one way being \u201cMaking Disciples One-to-One.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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A.W.Tozer wrote: \u201cIf God had taken His Holy Spirit out of the Early Church, 95% of the activity would have stopped and everybody would have…<\/span><\/p>\n

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