We are all followers. We are influenced by our leaders and our environment. If you have grown up in the Church like I have there has been a lot of good influence, but also some baggage. It is good when the Church helps us grow in intimacy with Christ and fellowship with the Body. It is baggage when the Church ingrains man’s traditions as dogma. We need to regularly examine ourselves and our leadership to make sure we are importing and exporting a “Jesus-identity” and not a “denominational-identity”. I am not anti-denominational. I have been a part of many different Christian denominations and have served on the staff of denominational churches. A non-denominational church can just as easily import and export a “non-denominational identity” instead of a “Jesus-identity”. As we look back in Church history, the different Christian denominations all started for the most part with simple and pure desires to carry on Jesus’ mission. However, over the years as the church structure grew and hierarchies were developed leadership systemized doctrine, formed specific processes and created liturgies. These are not bad things in and of themselves, but over time they have a way of overshadowing the simple and pure gospel of growing in intimacy with Christ where commitment to certain denominational distinctives become more important than personal growth with Christ.
In reality it is easier to develop systemized doctrine, discipleship processes and liturgies than it is to continually pursue the voice of God and the move of the Holy Spirit. Man naturally falls back to structure and systems, things we can touch and see, rather than dependence on God. We are more comfortable with the natural than with the supernatural. Anything other than a “Jesus-identity” will lead us ultimately to dead religion where there is a profession of faith but no power and experience of God. So, how do we know if we are importing and exporting a “Jesus-identity”? Here are a few questions that I hope will be helpful.
We are growing in “Jesus-identity” if:
· We have greater commitment to Jesus than to any denominationalism
· We have greater commitment to the unity of the Church than personal or denominational commitments
· We are not content with just a profession of faith without experiencing the love and power of God
· We are not making statements of faith without taking steps of faith
· We are growing in our experience and expression of His love
· We are seeing the supernatural life as natural life
As we grow in “Jesus-identity” the gospel should be getting bigger, not in a pluralistic way but in a supernatural-all things are possible with God way.
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