Mission Not Methods

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the church is our constant fighting and bickering over methods.  We argue over methods.  We start new churches.  We leave churches we have been at for years.  Our greatest fights are not over doctrine they are over methods.  And it must stop.
God is His incredible wisdom only told us few things about the early church in the pages of Scripture.  We have no idea of their methods but we know their mission.  They gathered together on the first day of the week, because it was the day Christ rose from the dead.  They took and offering.  They sang.  They preached the Word.  They did life together.  But we don't know what instruments they used to sing those songs.  We don't even know the songs other than a couple of lines in Paul's letters.   We don't know much else and I believe that is Divine Design.  Then we can't argue over method but focus on mission.
Methods are divisive.  And if you have been in a church for very long you have seen this.  We fight over instruments and songs for worship.  We argue over what the pastor should wear to church.  We argue over method quite a bit and it is causing us to get off mission.  Could you imagine if our Army in the middle of the war just started arguing over the color of their camo or what type of fuel blend to use in their tanks?  It would be an ineffective army.  We have become and ineffective church.
So let's return to mission and look for methods which will work.  You and I have only experiences a small slice of Church History. Let's not assume it has always been one way or another.  Let's discover what works for 2013 and lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  

Mission not Method.  Let's get back to the church Jesus started.

Pastor Ed