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Someone once
asked me how I could continue to endorse, by silence, religious meetings
that go on in the name of the Lord. He mentioned the fact that in the
Gospel of John, Jesus virtually began His ministry by cleansing the
temple, not ending with it.
Well, I don’t
know the exact number of those who have already dropped out of religion
(with a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ), but my impression is
it’s enormous. Perhaps even greater than those who continue to go
to meetings! Add to this number those turned off by what we, as
believers, have done with Jesus. Then try to add those still going to
meetings, but who haven’t yet come into their inheritance because the
“gate keepers” want to keep them in religion, rather than life.
What does this
number total up to? It seems to me there’s not many left for me to
offend—if I was even called to offend!
That’s my brief
summary of the multitudes. And it’s pretty hard to get very passionate
about the multitude. Jesus did at times, but for me, I have to have a
very uncommon anointing, or someone to share with in this connection, to
be in a place by the Spirit where I am moved by a multitude.
But what I am
moved by, much more often, is by individuals who I love, being hurt,
trivialized, trashed, shelved, or deceived by the religious system. It is
very common for the Spirit to bring me to a very emotional, and very
passionate place about this.
I recently went
to a conference for believers who meet in house groups. It was a
wonderful time, but robbed somewhat by religious factions. That served to
make it even more clear to me: the issue is not where we are meeting in a
physical sense, but where we are meeting in a Spiritual sense. “…Not
in that mountain, house, or church building, but in Spirit and in
Truth.”
From my
paraphrase of what Jesus said to the woman at the well, it is past time
that we go up to God’s place, not the place our flesh finds
comfortable or familiar.
With some people
I can speak candidly about this; others I cannot. But I will say it
nonetheless. Big meetings and pixie dust is not what we need. God’s
“Church” is relational, not institutional. It should be
passionate, like Christ was/is passionate, about a spiritual
reproduction that raises and nurtures babies in a spiritual family.
It should not be passionate, as the devil was/is passionate, about a
carnal reproduction that raises and nurtures multitudes who support the
religious institution!
The saints are
being worn out with meetings, conferences, training programs, schools of
ministries, seminaries, seminars, crusades, camp meetings, prayer
meetings, ministries, and all such other spin-offs. Where is the
impassioned, fruitful, reproductive life that Jesus came to bring?
I’ll tell you where it is: it lies in ruins, both in, and outside the
gate. Why? Because life empowered by Jesus has always been bad for the
business of religion.
On a positive
note. Relationships in the Lord are awesome and fruitful! They
cost a lot, but Jesus warned us about the cost going in. And they are
really all that is worth being passionate about.
“You will not have to be in Jerusalem or
on this mountain to worship the Father… God is a Spirit (a spiritual
Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in
truth (reality)” (John 4:21,24).
Written in August 2000 by Jay Ferris.
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