Playing Church or Having Church? Mat 11:16-19
1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Children have always played church It is cute
(PP Luke 7:35) Wisdom is vindicated by those who "Play by the Rules" = Governing Principles or rules- GODS GOVERNMENT- What God feels is important
What is a Game? Artificially created – Roles Rules Goals and huddles- (IE your wisdom)
Score is always kept- Someone wins someone loses
Teams can be switched for a new game- Positions came be altered
They Can pick their own captain- and their own game- (war-Home-Doc)
When the Game is over there is no real value achieved or lost
Jesus says they were like children. Fickled and immature (1 Cor 14:20) "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men."
Children imitate their parents and others, and act in play what they see done by others. Some leaders complain " We have taken all pains to please you. We have played lively tunes (a revival service) you would not join , we have played a different game, (imitated the mourning at funerals,) and you are equally sullen. Nothing pleases you."
"And wisdom is judged to be right by her "CHILDREN". (tik-TO- by what it produces). Does it [produce righteousness or sin- peace or confusion – joy or despair- love or lust- selfishness or benevolence?
Life is Not a Game-
God alone can set the rules-
God Chooses the roles the rules the hurdles the goals I don’t chose the captain of my choice My "TEAM " is mine for Keeps!I look deeper then Win & Loses - I look to eternal values instead of whether I personally won
The devil is playing for Keeps- Souls hanging in the balance - children’s games have no real significance attached to them our lives do
Where did they play?
Market place-The children along with the real life adults all played out their roles on the street corner, not in the church.
What were they playing ? – Church-
We are acting out our faith in the market place not at the alter- It is not what you do at the altar that matters only what you do in the market place-
Who won the Game? – (19)The game is not called in this generation
but the next generation (Vers 16- Jesus talked about this generation in verse 19 he talked about that generation We are building for our future- we are building for our kids and grand kids-
The Church is only 1 generation from extinction –
Acts 13:36 " For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep,…" (2 Tim 2:2) "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."
My First Church- a Hay barn – In Western Kansas There is a church steeple buried in a grave yard.