Chaos of Imprecision

Ref: Hebrews 12:23; 1 Timothy 3:15
In North America, and probably in most parts of the world, we humans are wallowing in a chaos of imprecision, and our day-to-day verbiage proves my point. And behind all our fuzzy rhetoric is a chaos of imprecise thinking.
Professional communicators of all stripes seem to be vying for the point of the spear of imprecision, as they specialize in using terms and phraseologies that seem to mean something, but in fact, convey no substance. Instead, the terms and phrases used, communicate emotives, and beg for emotional responses in the listeners, rather than substantive responses. In short, we are being dumbed down, facilitated by those who should know better.
A principle is at work here: it’s easier to control the masses through the manipulation of their emotions than through the use of facts, and it now seems to be true, ‘we can’t handle the truth.’ Conceived by God to represent the Light of the world, the modern church seems to be caught in this morass of imprecision, and it’s killing the very roots of the organizations.
When I read the New Testament, I see numerous references to the “church”, but what I don’t see are references to the plethora of institutions, in fact businesses, that carry that title today. I realize it would be unrealistic to pull all the titles down at this juncture, but we very much need to know in our hearts that Jesus Christ only created and commissioned ONE church. This one church is mentioned in Hebrews 12:23, and fleshed out in 1st Timothy 3:15, and regardless of where we attend church or even if we attend, we are either in His Church by birthright, or we are not in His Church at all.
Within The Church, we are all called to fulfill our God-given niches, as ordained and authorized by the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Within this context, and only within this context, we are given His delegated authority to accurately and effectively represent Jesus to the world at large.
Without this context, we are at best, ‘sons of Sceva’, and a loose-knit, pitiful bunch of religious, well-meaning people, hoping somehow by our own efforts to make a difference to the world. And the world keeps turning whether we acknowledge this truth or find a way to dodge it.
Foundational to the ‘Church of the firstborn’ is the concept of dependency. We are to be totally (that’s: TOTALLY), dependent on the God of the Bible – all the time, everyday, and interdependent upon each other in the Church, for the Church is nothing less than the blood-bought Family of God. If you are not blood-bought, you are not in the Family, and are illegitimate, regardless of your institutional attendance. The Bible calls you “tares” = weeds, and ultimately you will be uprooted and burned. Is that what you want for yourself?
In a general sense I will say this: if we supplant His one Church with our individual denominations, we will never fulfill His will for His Church. If we confuse the definitions of “church” and “Church”, through fuzzy, imprecise thinking, we gamble with His will and our eternal destinies, and no post-graduate seminary degrees will make any difference.
The Church of God was created to depend on Him and on each other as Family. As Noah and only his closest family were saved in the ark, so too will God’s Family be saved. But to be saved from what is coming, God’s Family will have to be inside His Ark. There is protection nowhere else. And if we continue to contrive the current denominational plethora, we will stand an increasing chance of being swept away.
Leaders, take note: you will be judged by the God of the Bible on how, and where you led your entrusted flock. If you led them into “Presbyterianism” or some other titled religion, instead of into the heart of God, the Church of the (F)irstborn, you will need advanced swimming lessons and summer clothing – it will be deep and hot where you are headed.
John
Take heed while you still can.

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