How do We do Church?

Last night at Vesper Service we studied Luke 13:1-9, which ends with the parable of the fig tree.  Some scholars believe that Jesus relates this story to the history and judgment of Israel.  The fig tree itself represents God's chosen nation, the owner of the fig tree represents God, and the caretaker represents Jesus.  The fig tree does not produce fruit after its three year gestational period, the proportion of time for fig trees to bear figs.  The owner of the tree instructs the caretaker to cut it down; but the caretaker pleas for the tree's life for one more year.

The moral of the analogy is that much of Israel's approach to religion became mostly self-centred in terms of how it was practiced.  They put their stock in their beliefs and traditions, and rules and regulations. It seems for some their practice of religion became a way to control and protect their invested interests.  They were more prone to stay away from that which they considered sinful for fear that being in the presence of evil would somehow infect them.

Could this be a lesson for today's institutional church as well.  I am proud to say that we at New Life Baptist seem to have a heart for a missional type of evangelism.  We care for each other and love each other well.  I also know of individuals within our fellowship who care for the needs of others outside the dimensions of our institutional clan, and even among the unsaved.  These are good core values to have and most certainly derive from the command of the Great Commission.

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus day had a Jewish centric focus in their religious values.  Their belief seemed to be that the standard of who they were was the ladder for everyone else to climb.

They were quick to condemn Jesus' way: His intentional association with the under-belly of society, eating and drinking with sinners, and allowing unclean people such as prostitutes and tax collectors to join His movement.  Jesus was a threat for which they would go to great lengths to stamp out, including trumping up false accusations to put Him on trial and see a death penalty served.

What are we willing to do for the sake of the gospel.  We usually do not stray much from our comfortable formats of evangelism.  It is safe there and we don't have to get our hands dirty or endanger our reputations.  One person in my church shared the story of her experience in the Salvation Army church in Ontario.  One of the ministries of that church was called a Pub Ministry.  She said they went to the pubs on the weekends for the sole purpose of association with people who may need Christ in some way and opportunities to minister to them.  She told of one hardened drunkard who actually came to the Lord through this ministry and now is a pastor himself.

The question is: how far are we willing to go for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  One conclusion we have come to here at New Life Baptist is that these type of ministries do not generally come knocking on the doors of our church.  Maybe that is why Jesus used the word "go" in the Great Commission?

As far as the care takers plea for the fig tree, Jesus pleas for the world which stays off God's final judgment of the evil world we live in.  He has this crazy idea that through the birth the church and over time that the world can be saved.  Go figure???

Blessings,

-Leo