The Backwards Church

What if we were to decide to do church backward? What if we were to do first the things we now do last? How would that look?

In the last 3 years as I spent most of my days in deep study of Gods word, He began to take me on a journey with Him. As my Lord wooed me each day, I fell deeper and deeper in love with Him. As I came to Him each day I only hungered for more. For more of His word and more of His touch. I would pray each day for a deeper knowledge of and wisdom from Him. In turn, He gave me a desire to work for Him and a deeper love for His children.

As my wisdom grew, so also did my dismay. For now I began to see how we served Him not through my eyes but through His. My heart became saddened as I can only assume His was. What I saw was a church that had gotten things all turned around and was doing things backwards. They would take there blessings upfront and build themselves a beautiful temple to house their God. Then move in and begin to play church.

It seems like today what traditionally happens when a group of believers get together to start a church the first order of business is Sunday worship service. Then we begin to build off that; discipleship programs, bible studies, Sunday school, programs for the children, etc. We collect enough money for a down payment and build ourselves a beautiful building to house us all. Then at the end we throw in a few service oriented things to give those that want a place to serve the needy and hurting something small to do. We have a few evangelism events; maybe adopt some families at Christmas and do an annual mission trip. Just enough to make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Enough to satisfy the requirements the bible gives us. Or is it really enough?

I began to think..... What if we were to do things differently..... What if we did church backwards......

What if we began to build the church in the reverse? What if we were to gather a body of believers to get together and start a church and the first order of business was prayer. Then to share the good news of the gospel, feed those who were hungry and to meet the needs of those around us in our communities. What if every step was bathed in prayer and our main encounters were to give not get? What if the church was really a hospital for the hurting world around us? What if bible study, discipleship and worship were just an outcome of the services the church was built on. What if we did church as missionaries right where we are.

We could be the house that God built personally and as a church. We would be changed as we served and the importance of a building and our surroundings would become inconsequential. We would begin to focus our energies on what we can do for those in need, for reaching the lost and leave our physical needs for ourselves and our ministry in the capable hands of God. We would begin to just walk in faith in His provision and not our own.

What would our communities look like if we did church backwards? Who might we reach for Jesus? Can you see the picture in your mind that I see?

I believe this kind of church could be what people need. A place for an unsaved world to find mercy in the arms of a Savior.

It starts with us, living our own lives backwards. It starts with a life of prayer, love and sacrifice. It starts with a change in us, a change of the heart.