Time To Get It Together

In the early 70's the Imperials sang a song entitled, "Time To Get It Together." What a powerful song back then and it's message rings truthfully today in the church and our nation. While one presidential candidate's theme is "Let make America great again", our goal as Christians should be "Let's make the church great again!" Church used to be the most important thing to participate in weekly. Some of the greatest relationships we have were built in churches as we grew up. But just like our nation, many of our churches today have become fragmented and torn by the same tactics the devil has used to divide our world.

Failures of ministry leaders has brought division and mistrust into the body of Christ. Great denominations have compromised their doctrines to accommodate the world rather than stand on the Word. We all say we believe in the same God and the same Word, but many of our churches are facing extinction if something supernatural doesn't happen. I remember David Wilkerson preached a message years ago that prophesied the church would face a crossroads that would decide the future of it's existence. He preached that if we strayed from the Biblical path of The Great Commission to acclimate ourselves to the world we would suffer the consequences of our actions. I believe we are at the critical stage in the history of the church.

Many of the things we do in church are done out of tradition. We don't want to acknowledge that because we say that the Spirit has control of our services. Although when you think about it we almost always do the same thing every week in our services, unless the Holy Spirit does take control. There's nothing wrong with organization, preparation, and practice and we need all of these to put forth our best in our church services. We need it with our worship teams and with our music especially. Still too many have programmed the Spirit out of their services because they keep doing the same things they have done for years that just don't work anymore. In these critical hours of pastoring things are so different and people are so indifferent with each other it is very hard even to keep a spirit of unity in the congregation. Most of that indifference has to do with making changes. Resistance to change of methods or locale has been the downfall of many businesses and may become the downfall of the church as we know it if we are not careful.

Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost. That means the lowly, the down-trodden, the dirty, the ones nobody wants, and people that just don't fit in. It's the ones that a normal church in America doesn't really want to attend their services. They don't look like us, smell like us, or even talk like us. Their scent is of smoke and alcohol, they have piercings and tattoos in places that you know hurt when they got them, and they use a colorful language that's not Christian. That Biblical path of righteousness Brother Wilkerson preached about that night was not an excuse to exclude people that we say are not typical church people. It was rather that if we didn't fulfill the Great Commission we would lose the anointing that God has placed upon us as a church. If anybody reached out to the unreachable it was David Wilkerson. His ministry was all about reaching people that felt nobody cared about them. His methods for the day were unconventional, but his message was always the same-Jesus loves YOU!

So at this crossroads we must make a decision. So what if the preacher doesn't wear a suit or tie and the music is too loud? If he's preaching Jesus and people's lives are being transformed, he must be doing something right. Who cares if he's traditional or non-traditional? If he's obeying God, living right, and winning souls then God is pleased. If only the yuppies or traditional minded church people are what you want in your church you are missing the mark. The horrible truth is our churches could grow beyond measure if we went after the ones who need Jesus the most, not the one's who make everybody comfortable.

I know of more than one minister who was asked to leave a church or position in a church because they ministered to people who needed the gospel. This is a different America than it was when I was a young preacher. If we don't take the time to get it together we are going to miss out on the greatest harvest field God has ever set before us.