Reggie McNeal, author of The Present Future, writes in that book:
“Church culture in North America is a [mere] vestige of the original Christian movement, an institutional expression of religion that is in part a civil religion and in part a club where religious people can hang out with other people whose politics, world-view, and lifestyle match theirs.”
Jesus did not intend for his church to be a clubhouse where similar people to hang and fellowship. We (the church – the ekklesia) are called to connect with the broken, the hurting, the lame, the blind, the poor – not just in charitable giving, but in relationship and intimacy.
This sermon is based on Luke 14:1, 7-14 in which Jesus says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors . . .when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”
Click the link below to watch the sermon: “Soup that Tastes Like Bread and Wine” preached at 9/1/2013 at the Patterson Avenue Baptist Church
Oh, if you have never read Reggie’s book, it is an eye-opener. You’ll find a review right below the video link.
The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)
by: Reggie McNeal
publisher: Jossey-Bass, published: 2009-03-23
ASIN: 047045315X
EAN: 9780470453155
sales rank: 73659
price: $9.12 (new), $5.42 (used)
In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing “church growth” with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.
Also available: The Present Future DVD Collection (978-0-7879-8673-5), Reggie McNeal’s DVD presentation of the ideas and insights featured in his best-selling book.
