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Berni - ceo, Christianityworks

Series: The Problem with Church Is …

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“Church” – now there’s a loaded word if ever there was one. So many people carry around so much baggage about this thing we call “church”. And to be sure, you look down through history, even more recently, and “church” hasn’t always been such a stunning ambassador of Christ. A lot of people have a lot of problems with “church”. So what is it? What does God mean for it to be? And can it have a positive role to play not just in society, but in our lives. So come and join Berni Dymet – as He opens God’s Word to discover His mighty plan for your life.

Episode 1. Why "Church" Is a Four Letter Word

A lot of people like their church and that’s great. But many, many people struggle with the whole concept of church. So much so, that many who passionately believe in Jesus, have opted out of …

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Episode 2. Church - What Are You Looking For?

So have you ever been crying out to God during a difficult time in your life and you pray and pray and pray and … nothing. Dead silence from above. So you think to yourself – Flourishing in the …

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Episode 3. Flourishing in the House of the Lord

Church has its ups and downs. Sure it does. Anybody who’s ever been part of a church will know that. And so many people are just hanging in there. At best. But would it surprise you to know that …

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Episode 4. Getting in the Game

Despite what some people think, church is NOT a spectator sport.  If you belong to a church, you’re meant to be one of the players. And what I’ve observed over the years, is that there are too …

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Comments



Ken Cross

HI Berni. Wow what a challenging message and lesson. But I totally agree with you. Unless we focus on Jesus, the Bible and what God is doing, then and now we can find ourselves moving away from the One we are claiming to serve. Bless you and your ministry.



Cora G.

I agree that God does want us to flourish in our churches. He realizes that we each have unique talents and abilities. I have been attending a church in my town for about two years. I am introverted and at first knew almost no one. Now I feel at home, and I’ve participated in various events as well as making many new acquaintances and friends. No church will ever be perfect; I believe that this is the church where God has sent me to worship and belong.



Martha

My comment about “Why is the church a Four Letter Word” The church was established by the ” Word” (4 Letters” Jesus said upon this ” Rock” ( 4 Letters) I will build my church; which is the “Body” ( 4 Letters) expected to “Pray” (4 Letters) and in the “Body” (4 Letters) is the in dwelling of our “Mark” (4 Letters) the Spirit of adoption that says “Abba” Father.

These are the Four Letter Word(s) that build the church for the and to pray “hold” this unity together in “Love”(4 Letters) which is the basis of the start John 3:16 of all things and will be the one that remains 1 Corinthians 13:13

“Hope”(4 Letters) is what keeps us looking up; the second coming of Christ. Christ in me the hope of “Glory”(4 letters) Colossians 1:27 As we “wait” for his coming we gain strength, knowledge from his book as we “work” our salvation with fear and trembling

Jesus said I leave you a new commandment “love one another that people may see you are my disciples. John 13:34 In the “Book” of Revelations Jesus expressed his dissatisfaction where the was no “love” in the church. In fact the church must be build on LOVE as set out in his “Book” as in Joshua 1:8

I would like to hear your feelings about this



Martha

I find the church of late moving more to conquer the world than to start at home. More work and support is done outside than to first start with the needs of the brethren amongst you. Taking care of their needs rather than to turn a blind eye to their suffering and dire needs. We can rather go to far off countries take care of their orphans, widows and the needy whist our own can hardly manage to come to church for lack of resources(e.g. Transport or money or too hungry and weak, discouraged etc)
Is the church looking for recognition for personal gain and fame or build good relations within their own communities. In the more disadvantaged areas churches are few and only casual visits are done casually.
Corporate prayers are focused more on opening doors for new comers and avoiding praying for those in authority 1 Timothy 2:1-2



steve

I think the whole church issue is based on the wrong foundations to begin with. It seems that when you look at churches from a biblical frame, its very far removed from what God ordained it to be, such as having a “pastor or leader” run a local church, and having “sermons”.

The church seems to have done away with the 5 fold ministry where the Apostle and prophet were the leading/guiding/correcting ones and pastors were to feed the sheep. Its now turned to a format where the pastor runs everything and kicked out the apostle and prophet and we have 45 minute or so “sermons” which leave no room to exercise the gifts God has given the church.

The Holy Spirit has been replaced by “programs” and business models. The church is not where God originally intended it to be. We listen to a sermon, have a cuppa and quick catchup and go home. No place any more for the spirit to move and give prophetic utterances or words of wisdom, knowledge, no discernment if a witch or occultic person comes in to disrupt.

There is no more “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Its all now a business model. Then you have the “Word of faith” movement entering in and get “kingdom now” doctrine. Tithes are being preached before the main sermon and being wrongly interpreted as a New Testament doctrine to bring in the money to keep the building going.

Tithes were never about money. We need the Spirit back in the local church…which was, in the New Testament, peoples homes. More intimate.



Ken Cross

It helps me to differentiate between “the Church” ie Christ’s Bride and the religious institutions known by the world at large as the church.Some of these don’t even believe the Bible and seriously question the present day reality of a loving God who is as active today as when Jesus walked the earth.It is generally run by man’s rules. When Jesus moved amongst the people of Israel he rebuked the religious leaders of his day. The true church however is a community of Faith and noted by, as Jesus commanded, love for each other.As Bernie said, Not perfect but desiring to be what The Father declared His church would be, a living breathing body;Christ’s body.



Berni Dymet

Carmen, I suggest that you request your free booklet “Flourishing in the House of The Lord” whole it’s still available. :-))



Berni Dymet

Mary Ann, you said that “It’s those who enter in with their sin and corruption that unless corrected and if not then removed is what will defile.” That’d be all of us, wouldn’t it???



Mary Ann Johnson

The sin brought into the various places of assembly of those worshiping God in the world today, along with the history of old revealing more and more sin and the cover up thereof, has indeed
brought shame and doubt in the minds of some on the very thing Jesus Christ built and died for. But the Church itself, that same Church that Jesus built and died for is pure and clean. It’s those who enter in with their sin and corruption that unless corrected and if not then removed is what will defile. As we’ve seen on the news cover up and denial seems to be more important that keeping what Christ died for pure. Those who are party too and part of such corruption will answer to Christ one day, but until then no such unclean person will keep me from worshiping my Lord, in Spirit and Truth. I heard once from a lady on the comment that they didn’t attend because of the hypocrites, but I’d rather set beside them in worship than be with them in Hell. If where I attend would continue to leave unchecked those types of things, I would attend another congregation, not leave and never return.



Carmen Burns

I really needed to hear this message. I have for the first time in my life been feeling a disconnection from the church, not God, but church.