Foreword
The church that changes the world. . . will not look impressive. It will not possess great buildings, nor its leaders hold high social standing. It will shun wealth and political acceptance, and run shy from the world of brands, image and sound bite.
The world-changing church, will be powerful in the things that matter, a simple dependence on the power of the gospel, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the authority of God’s Word; a people who love their God, love each other, and live salty lives as Christ’s disciples thus provoking both conversion and persecution.
The Grassroots Understanding
A minister was asked to look after another church for a few weeks at very short notice. He began his first talk “As I have had no opportunity to prepare for today, I shall have to speak only the words which God puts in my mouth”; before adding “Next week I shall prepare something much better!”
Oh Man!
It was Groucho Marx who claimed to have sent a telegram to his club: “please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member.”
It puts me in mind of my Dad’s wise (if slightly mischievous) advice to restless people who rarely settled in a church for very long before moving. “There's no such thing as the perfect church” he would say. Then, after a pause and a smile to soften the impact, he'd add, “but if you do happen to find one, don’t spoil it by joining!”
The fact is that this amazing body of people we call “the church” is a blend of all God’s wonderful, powerful perfections, alongside every manner of human failing and folly.
At the heart of this book is the conviction that the church—in Scripture, in History and today is at its best when human intellect and organization defers to God's unfathomable wisdom, and when our confidence is placed fully in his strength and leading, not man’s.
The Two Thousand Year War
For two millennia a battle has raged for the soul of the church. And still the conflict rages. It is the contest between:
The life of God, as he moves unpredictably and powerfully saving and transforming lives and creating Spirit-filled communities, and...
The desire of man, to own, control and contain the work of God through traditions, programs and human authority structures.
Inspiration versus Institution
The church was born, and has flourished, in adversity. The fledgling community received rejection from the Jews then repudiation by the Romans. They had no buildings, no social standing, no trained leaders, little education and no clever game plan or “vision” (the sacred cow of the modern church). No plan, that is, apart from the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19—21).
But they had the life of God! The Gospel—which they preached in all its offensive, glorious power provoking either conversion or persecution. The Spirit—who caused them to love as they had never loved before, and perform miracles and signs that gave credibility to their revolutionary message; and the Word of God—their mandate and guide and the authority they depended upon.
Far from protecting this vulnerable newborn, the Lord permitted it to be scattered in a wave of opposition that took the lives of beloved leaders like Stephen and James. Sounds like a God through traditions, programs and human authority structures.
Inspiration versus Institution
The church was born, and has flourished, in adversity. The fledgling community received rejection from the Jews then repudiation by the Romans. They had no buildings, no social standing, no trained leaders, little education and no clever game plan or “vision” (the sacred cow of the modern church). No plan, that is, apart from the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19—21).
But they had the life of God! The Gospel—which they preached in all its offensive, glorious power provoking either conversion or persecution. The Spirit—who caused them to love as they had never loved before, and perform miracles and signs that gave credibility to their revolutionary message; and the Word of God—their mandate and guide and the authority they depended upon.
Far from protecting this vulnerable newborn, the Lord permitted it to be scattered in a wave of opposition that took the lives of beloved leaders like Stephen and James. Sounds like a death-blow? Yes, but “those who were scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch telling the message. . .to Jews.” Others then, (horror of horrors!), preached to the Greeks. And we read on “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (Act 11:21)
God was not prepared for his precious bride to become acceptable and institutionalized (or mono-ethnic) in a world system that—at its root is in enmity to the kingdom of God. Yet in being rejected, it thrived as believers bereft of human influence depended fully on God’s power both to deliver them and make their message fruitful.
As long as the church functioned in this way, stewards rather than owners of the Gospel and deposit of truth, then it flourished. The moment forces of religiousness, tradition and human control were insinuated, life began to be quenched.
...
from Duncan Kellard's book:
"Grassroots Christianity"
Another sample is HERE
Purchasing the Book at Amazon.com
