On our way to camp, Greg and I listened to a great series on church history from the time of Christ to the present. Amazing. In the process of listening, I learned a lot, was overwhelmed, ashamed, thankful, frustrated, and wanted to worship the Almighty God.
What I learned or was reminded of:
God is Sovereign and I am amazed that I even know His name.
Everybody gets it wrong on some count…and those who cling to the truth as the gospel as the center seem to be most “preserved,” but we still cling to God’s preservation of the saints. (Because, as humans, we have grand ways of screwing things up)
When church and state “work together” it is a horrible idea.
When there is a lack of persecution of the saints, that causes laziness and lack of pursuing the truth strongly–in other words, we get off of the path of the gospel. We become about ourselves and not Christ.
Bold, truthful proclamation of the gospel–God’s holiness, our sin, his wrath, his great mercy through the atoning work of Christ, etc is what changes lives–not the manipulation of points by humans.
That the atrocities brought on by the “church” (and atrocities is a mild word) were usually not about the gospel but about power and human control.
I am reminded of the crazy ways that I have been “off” in my history–just like the church, and I cling mightily to the all sufficient mercy and grace of Christ. I stand right now on his word, in humility, knowing there are ways that I am walking in sin that I am not even aware of–and some that I am.
If you have a chance (say a long car trip, plane ride, etc), take a listen to this series–Tommy Nelson, Denton Bible Church. They have it on their website. There is a cost. ($13 for the whole series) It is worth it just to know for your personal walk and to converse with others who do not know Christ.
The Art of Coming Alive 