Functional Health
A healthy functioning church in an old conventional wineskin is better than a poorly functioning church in a new wineskin – such as a housechurch, organic church or network church. What does a great wineskin help if the wine is off? Is the Lord there? Is the community obedient to the Lord? Model is subservient to Life just as the wineskin is subservient to the wine. Just like big is not always better than small, new is neither always better than old. Let big be big and small be small, let new be new and old be old. Elephants are elephants and fleas are fleas. Is a flea better than an elephant?
Turning Wine into Vinegar
That said; old wineskins, old church models can become so broken, so old, so rancid that they turn otherwise a well aged wine into vinegar. Old, bad and sad, I say are some of those structures of death, in the old wineskin part of the church.New healthy wine, in new wineskins, in a new season with new egofree leadership – now that is what I’m talking about!
Houses or Hearts?
God has ignited revivals in his church in many different models of church. Seymour was in a barn, Murray in a church building, the Brethren were in houses. God is seeking those who will worship him in spirit and truth; in barns, in highways and byways, halls and houses – everywhere and anywhere that has a GPS coordinate.
Hearts are Spiritual Houses
And God seeks to do this in our hearts, this has always been the temple that Jesus desires to live in. Hearts are spiritual houses. The NT temple can never be an earth place, it is the surrendered human heart giving Christ complete access. Why build multi million rand temple structures if God dwells in our heart? Perhaps if it serves a variety of functions, it may make sense. But the place He desires most to be is soft, hospitable heart-building, a spiritual house at a spiritual address.
Model for the Season
There is a time and a season for everything. There is a model for every purpose and season God initiates with his church. There is a time to build and a time to tear down. May God help us know what works best in what season. What model to tear down, what to build up and when. Lord Jesus, give us the wisdom to know when old is good and new is bad! And when old is bad and new is good! God give us Issachar’s!
Originally posted FB on 20 November 2019