Trinity Bible Church Ottawa

My Dear Friends,

Would you say that the church is open to “anyone”?  Do we always buy into the notion that the church should be for just “anyone”?   If it was required, would we be open to making some necessary changes so that others could experience the church as being open to “anyone”?
Here’s the struggle: Kyle Idleman in "Not A Fan states, "though we’d never say it, we don’t always buy into the idea that church should be for just “Anyone.” We kind of like church the way it is, don’t we? We usually prefer things to stay the same.   We don't really want change, even if there is evidence that it would help us connect with the group I am calling the "anyones".    It isn't long before the routine becomes the standard, and pretty soon a standard becomes a qualification.  I think Jesus knew that’s how things would go, and maybe that is why Luke 9:23 is so important.  “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 Luke 9:23 is here to remind us that there shouldn’t be any qualifications regarding who can follow.   It says "anyone".   

Jesus does away with the qualifications to follow. He got rid of the long list of prerequisites; he did away with the standard application process. (We will talk a lot more about this on Sunday.)  I think the Church should do away with some of our qualifications.

We usually don’t talk about it, but we’ve got our own unwritten code, don’t we, our own qualifications.  For instance, there’s kind of an unwritten dress code, right? Over the past few decades, there’s been a little bit of an unwritten political code, too. And in most churches, there have been all kinds of things added to their unwritten code. Whether or not you should ever consume alcohol. Whether or not you should listen to this or that style of music. What your income is. What your social agenda is. What your church denomination is. The list stacks up pretty quickly. Sure, the church keeps saying, “Anyone is welcome.” But when you look at how the members dress, or what their political leanings they prefer, or what style of music they accept, it becomes clear that there are some qualifications.

Jesus said, “anyone" "anyone" means everyone.

See ya Sunday

shawn