The Church has spent far too much time teaching people what to believe.   Correct doctrine; right theology;  acceptable behaviours;  this is the way to expresses our faith; this is what decently and in order looks like…  All of these things have a degree of importance but, somehow, they have become the focus.  Too many church communities have spent so much energy on these and we’ve not equipped people for the most important thing.

Our focus should not be on WHAT we believe; our focus should be on WHO we believe.

The Church has, since the 1940’s, taken an apologetic approach to teaching.   With a motivation to protect people from the rising tide of secularism and rationalism, the Church began to teach people how to defend themselves against the challenges of those who did not believe.

While that may have been necessary given the cultural influences at the time the Church has, to this day, continued to teach people what to believe at the expense of helping them discover who to believe.  In our attempts to counter-act a rationalistic, materialistic, humanistic and pluralistic worldview we have tried to teach people a list of doctrines rather than helping people discover who God truly is.

Admittedly, our intentions have been for the good of people, but the questions need to be asked.  After generations of telling people what they should believe, is the average church-goer becoming more like Jesus?  Are we increasingly displaying the heart and character of God?  Do we, those set apart as God’s holy people, have reputations among society as being ones who exemplify the fruit of the Spirit?

We have put so much effort into methods and practices that we have, effectively, taught people a list of rules and behaviours.  In doing so, we have firmly established Christianity as a religion.  But what we need is to remember WHO it is we’re in relationship with.

• Love isn’t something we should ‘do’ because we’ve been taught how to behave; Love is part of our nature as we become more like our Father.
• Prayer isn’t a technique or a chore; prayer is communication with our loving Father
• Sharing God’s grace and mercy with others isn’t a programme or a method; mercy is a natural expression of our love of God and our compassion for people.
• Learning to hear God’s voice and know his presence is not something we strive for and then give up if we “don’t feel like it”.  Developing our relationship with him is the one thing we pursue because he is good and being with him is important to us.

I believe the Church needs to reconsider our approach to preaching, teaching and mission in order to model for people a life of personal encounters with God through which they will learn to develop and deepen their relationship with Him.  I humbly acknowledge the challenge of this view but am increasingly convinced of its necessity.

Focusing on WHAT we believe leads us to behaviours but focusing on WHO we believe leads us to becoming like him.

I know him who I have believed and he is able to guard that which I have entrusted to him (2 Tim 1.12)