The Wedding
by John Garfield
Saturday
Sue and I had the privilege of doing a family wedding. Although my pastoral days
are over, I still get asked by the unchurched part of our relatives and friends
to help out once in a while. This one was a collection of rural folks with
farming and ranch backgrounds an outdoor wedding at a fairgounds in some of the
most productive wheat country in the US. You could tell many of the parents had
gone or were still going to church. Those in the wedding party were all in
their 20's and virtually none of them were involved in church. The presence of
God was at that wedding and I could feel God's favor on those young people; all
were working, some single and some married with young families. They are the
best and brightest of God's next generation. I could only feel His delight in
them. They are hard-working, fun-loving and responsible. I honest think they
carry less baggage than my generation.
20-Something's
It
seemed obvious that our church message was missing them, and it made me wonder
what the puzzle peace was. I do sense the presence of God in churches, so I'm
not down on church at all. I do think our message is missing the next
generation. The message they hear is that if I go to church, it will cost me my
weekends and fun with my friends in exchange for something that is fairly
boring and irrelevant. Now I don't think
the presence of God is boring or irrelevant, so I pressed on for the missing
ingredient.
The
message of the church (my message too) has been that we should repent and turn
toward God and forsake our own ways in exchange for his will. I'm admitting to
myself that this version of the gospel is theologically unproductive and only
partially correct. There is a shift from church to Kingdom going on right now
that represents a breath of fresh air for all of us, 20-something's included.
The Message of the Kingdom
God
is inviting us to see the connection between the desires of our heart and his
will. We're no longer just abandoning everything in our own hearts to be “good
Christians.” Our church theology has just produced a tiring form
of religion that part of my generation will endure. However, it's unanimously
rejected by 20-something's. This generation won't abandon their dreams to sit
in a pew for a lifetime. We can call it selfish and materialistic if we want
to, but I think that it's probably God leading them!
The
gospel of the Kingdom sees the church as a means to an end not the ultimate
goal. Our objective is to release people into their own entrepreneurial
creativity and release them as Kings to minister in our cities and cultures,
setting the captives free instead of imprisoning them within the four walls.
The institutional church can be a place where we learn how to make our dreams
come true. The Kingdom is being built by people excited about what they are
doing in every mountain. Making church growth the goal has been a huge mistake.
We're really building the Kingdom, one entrepreneurial dream at a time.
The First Priority
Religion
is defining our spirituality with a list of what we refrain from, we don't do
drugs and alcohol; we don't watch bad movies; and we go to church on Sunday.
Jesus'
disciples asked Him what they should really focus on. His response was "believe
in me."
Jesus
answered them and said, "Truly, truly,
I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the
loaves and were filled. "Do not
work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has
set His seal." Therefore they said
to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus
answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in
Him whom He has sent." John 6:26-30 NASU
What's
the top priority? It's not about the do's and don'ts of religion; it's not even
about the miracles of those claiming to be free of religion. People who really
believe in Jesus simply talk to Him… About what? Well, about those
dreams, of course. The Father is inviting you and me to dream and to implement
those dreams by the power that works within us. He's inviting us to paint a
picture of what we would really want our future to look like, and then he's
pulling the curtain back on His will so we can see that it's the same thing. It
includes wealth creation, ministry beyond our expectations, blessing on our
families and jobs and new opportunities. When the curtain is pulled back on the
will of God, it's even better than we dreamed or imagined.
God can do anything, you know far more than you could ever imagine
or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around
but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Eph 3:20
THE MESSAGE
Have the Conversation
Sit
down with a pen and paper and write down what you would really like your future
to be like. Then simply start the conversation with Father God and begin
exchanging ideas. You'll be amazed! He will make it better. He wants your cup
to overflow in every area. We always minister to others out of the abundance in
our own hearts, our wisdom, and our prosperity. I can only describe this
lifestyle as fun. You're invited to a wedding party.
John Garfield
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