On “Guardians Of The Tent”

    This originally was a comment on T.M.’s  blog post, “Guardians of the Tent” but it turned into it’s own blog post.  When we were building our new sanctuary a man from another congregation asked me how it was our church was growing ( I understand that buildings and numerical growth don’t always define true growth and the pleasure of God) and had finances to build when they were just struggling along and declining.  In his case the major denominational tradition he belongs to is declining nationwide though they have opened the door ever wider and become ever more inclusive culturally and morally.   I’ve had conversations with pastors in our city who thought we as a congregation were restrictive and judgmental.  Without exception those pastors represented declining churches.  This paradox illustrates a scriptural principle: biblical church growth doesn’t come by opening the door ever wider, it comes by actually agreeing with Jesus that the “way is narrow that leads to life.”  God’s path gives people a way to live.  By sharing with us His great salvation and His commands that guide us in how to live He shares His philosophy of life with us, a philosophy He has built the whole universe on.  To “guard the tent” is to guard real hope.  To “guard the tent” is to preserve the power of the gospel that defeats Satan and does not accommodate his destruction.  To “guard the tent” is to preserve the church so that when people look for life and hope and home there is a home to come home to.