Hell's Kitchen

Eddie Gibbs, in his book, "ChurchNext," stated this...

“During the past four decades, churches have found themselves increasingly marginalized and their influence on society considerably weakened.  The church’s loss of social strength has revealed its spiritual impoverishment so that there is a numerical decline to the point that the continuing viability of increasing numbers of churches, especially in rural and inner-city areas, is a matter of growing concern.”

 The promise of Christ to the church, that was yet to materialize, was that our foundation was Him, the resurrected Lord.  The promise guaranteed our strength and power as a church in a world that has become increasingly antagonistic towards that very thing, the power and strength of the church.  

So, share with me, what do you think Gibbs means when he states that the influence of the church has been "incredibly weakened" and that our "social strength has revealed its spiritual impoverishment."  Where do you see the church today lacking specifically, and what do you see as ways in which we can fix it.  

While you are thinking about what to write, please feel free to share this blog with any friends that could chime in on this subject as well.

Randy

Hell's Kitchen

In the next week a new Series will begin here at SUB entitled "Hell's Kitchen."  If you are a follower of the "Tellie" you would know of the television show that center's around Chef Ramsay.  "Hell's Kitchen" is a reality show for some of the great chef's of our country that are put head-to-head in competition, the winner taking over as Ramsay's chef at one of his restaurants. 

This series does not really center on Chef Ramsay, but more on the power of the church in our day and age.  An interesting thought came to me one day concerning this topic.  I asked myself a question, "Why do we let the devil play in our kitchen, when we should be cooking in his?"  The devil, scripturally, is still the "prince of the power of the air" over this creation, and yet, the church has been given the power to be the aggressor when it comes to being an ambassador of Christ in this world.  I'm concerned for the church of North America because I'm not sure we truly understand what it means to be the conduit of Christ in a fallen world today.  Thus, the reason I ask, shouldn't we be cooking in the devil's kitchen instead of him in ours?

I would appreciate your thoughts on what you believe to be the churches purpose in this world.  Are we to be more engaging?  Are we to retreat and "hunker" down?  What do you believe to be the churches purpose in this world?  Tell me your thoughts and stories.

Pastor Randy