TWO OR THREE

You’ve heard of or read the verse that reads: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). I have heard this verse of Scripture miss-quoted and miss translated my whole life. The typical translation sounds like this; “I know there is only a couple of us here, but the Bible says where two or three are gathered together, God is here.” For years many has justified their not attending church by trying to site this passage as their excuse. Truth is the verse has nothing to do with “attending church.” The focus is on a fellow Christian sinning against another Christian and refusing to repent. The instructions are given in Matthew 18:15-20 to address the sins of a fellow believer. The final step is to take the offending believer before the whole church to repent and if he will not, then the leadership is to separate the offending believer from the church. Like a disease, you must cut the disease out of the body in order to save the body. You do not save the disease and lose the body. And when the action is taken by the church leadership and the church body to separate the offending believer, Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered (pass judgment) in my name (representing me) there will I be in the midst of them (I will stand behind their judgment against the defiant offending member.” The passage is about authority, not church attendance.

Jesus Sat Down

“Jesus, after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb 10:12-13).

I have for near 50 years have heard Christians pray, worship, sing and even preach suggestive words of such requests, demands or even declaratives that Jesus is to go out and move on someone’s heart, save the lost or go and heal the sick. In other words, our theology sounds like we Christians are telling Jesus to go out into the field and do what Jesus told us to do.
Yes, I am saying that it is NOT truth that we Christians have any position to TELL Jesus to go out and do what he told us to go out and do. We have no more power, right or position to tell Jesus either in prayer, worship or sermon to go out into the highways and byways and save the lost, heal the sick or deliver the oppressed.
Ridiculous! It was Jesus who told we Christians to “go out into the highways and byways and … heal the sick, raise the dead, freely you have received, freely give” (Matt 10:1-5). The Bible fact is, Jesus came and DID his purpose on earth (written in the gospels) and died, buried and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and SAT DOWN. No, Jesus is NOT going to get up and do OUR work for us. It was Jesus who SENT US OUT into all the world to win the lost, heal the sick and raise the dead.
I hope and pray that our misunderstanding or ignorant theology is the fault of our wrong belief and not our ineptness. I pray that our false allusion of Jesus being responsible of doing the work of the church is based on our miss guided teaching through the centuries and not our choice apathy. Yes, this is hard language, but after near 40 years of ministry worldwide, my words are mild to what I’m sure heaven is saying about the church’s lack of ministerial fulfillment. Let us all rise up from our couch of comfort and get to work for the Gospel of the Kingdom. “Jesus said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Promiseland Newsletter 2-10

IN THE MARKETPLACE
It is quite clear that Jesus was in the temple every week on the Sabbath day (Luke 2:27). In fact, Jesus started His ministry in the synagogue (Luke 4:16). We find Jesus in the temple teaching the doctors at a very young age (Luke 2:46). The scriptures record very accurately that Jesus was faithful to the Temple of worship (John 18:20). However, when it came to Jesus seeking and saving the lost, He took his mission to the Marketplace. Jesus taught a parable about the Lord sending His servants out into the highways and hedges compelling anyone to come that His house might be filled (Luke 14:26).
The market place was where the people were. It was like our shopping centers and malls today. The marketplace was the place where people did business. The highways were where the commerce and trade took place. Jesus was teaching His disciples to get out from behind Church walls and to where the people lived on a daily bases. Where the people worked and did business was where Jesus had in mind for His disciples to reach the unsaved.
If any serious businessman today starting up a small business wishes to succeed, he knows he must go out to where the people are. Sad, but more than 80% of all small businesses that start up close down within 3-5 years. Why? They commit the ultimate sin: thinking that all one needs is get a shop, put a sign up and wait till customers come. Wrong! The same sin is for any church to believe that all is needed is to get a building, put a sign out and wait till people come. Worse, we Christians get a building, put up a sign and the tell God to go get the sinners and bring them to church. We religiously call this praying for a revival.
Marketplace evangelism was what Jesus originally used and is the only guaranteed method of the Bible. The perfect business success model is to find a need and meet it. The same is for the church. If we are going to succeed in growing the church (salvations) we must discover the needs, hurts, and desires of our local community and create a way to meet that need.
How is it that the early Church did their ministry of saving souls, healing hurts and meeting needs in the “streets” and we twenty first century Christians don’t? True, our culture provides great opportunities via civic buildings, such as performing arts, parks, theatres, malls, convention centers, etc. However, about 95% of all “Marketing” is done OUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE. We must get church out of church if we are going to make a dent in our mission.
Join me this year in becoming “Engaged” in Marketplace evangelism. Come go with me out into the streets where people are. Take a good hard look into the mirror of your soul and find the gifts and compassion to help others. I know inside everyone of you reading, there is a longing to reach out and offer to others what you wished someone had done for you. Some of us are where we are because there was someone who loved us to Christ and now we want to do the same for others.
2010 is the year of Opportunity. It is the year of multiplication. This is our year to do and become what our soul is crying to do. This is our year to leap from our coach and step out into the Marketplace and make our life count. Listen, do you hear that? It’s the hustle and bustle of hundreds and thousands of people reaching, looking and asking for someone to show them the way, answer their questions and offer them a way out from where they are to where they want to go. And you, yes I do mean you have exactly what they need. Come on, let’s go.
By Dr. Tim McClure

Ya Wanna Find Jesus?
A country drunk man stumbled into a church where there were baptisms being performed. The preacher noticed him and asked him if he wanted to find Jesus. "Sure," said the drunk man. "I'll find Jesus." So the preacher took the drunk man and dunked it into the baptismal waters. The drunk man jerk and swiveled and waved around till the preacher almost lost him. When he came up for air, he was sputtering and coughing. “Dag Gum It”, said the country drunk man. "Are you sure he fell in there?"

Hidden behind closed doors, by Tim McClure
Shall we keep truth hidden behind closed doors, While evil walks the streets for souls to lure? Shall we merely let the world see truth through stained glass, While sin freely lies in the streets for children to grasp? Let us rise and walk out into the streets, And share the love of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet.

COMING EVENTS
Feb 2010 – Relationships – Theme for February, 10:30 AM Sunday’s
Feb 7 – Super Bowl Sunday – Promiseland – 10:30 AM
Feb 14 – Couple’s Social – Mark Gungor @ Promiseland Café – 6 PM
Feb 19-21 – Fellowship groups – @ a place near you – call 321-216-8030
Feb 28 – SS Teacher’s Luncheon – Promiseland Café – 12:30-2:00 PM

Promiseland Church
1855 Lansing St. Melbourne, FL 32935
www.promiseland.org
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