Is your Church driven by religion or by Kingdom building?

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.

Matt 23:13

You shut the kingdom of heaven against men...

This is a troubling statement!

Does my church shut the riches of God and the blessings of Christ against those outside?

If I consider holiness a set of rules and regulations to follow,

if I do not allow those of different worldviews into my fellowship,

if I do not allow those who are dissatisfied with their lifestyle but are still trapped in it’s addictive web…

..into the fellowship I have in Christ,

then my church makes children of hell, not disciples.

If I leave the church because they do not believe like I believe in the stand against

vaccinations,

or form of worship

or acceptance of those troubled by

• abortion,

• sexuality,

• drugs,

etc.

then am I saying that I believe rules and regulations are more important than the Spirit of God?

But if I leave the church because they do not show the Spirit of God,

lead me toward the wonders of the cross,

lead me toward prayer and fellowship with God on a personal level,

then I am demonstrating that I consider rules and regulations as guidepost toward God, not an end in themselves and..

..I seek Him, not a concept.

..I seek a person, not an idea.

..I seek that which is living, not just an abstract worldview.

That is where the riches of the Kingdom of God are found!!

The Pharisees were not wrong in teaching the standards of God, but they used these standards as something they could control..

..whereas, God wants us to release our control to Him and we teach those standards as a means to live more fully in Him, not for Him to control us.

Therein lie the wonders and riches of God. May it be so for you, your family, your friends, and your church.