Features of Institutional Christianity: Ascribes Greatness to Fathers

The Institution vs. The Apostolic Today’s Focus: Features of Institutional Christianity: Ascribes Greatness to Fathers, Not Sons. Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:55 Greetings Sons of God: 1 Samuel 17:55: And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. One of the features of institutional Christianity is the fact that the institutional church ascribes greatness to fathers, not sons. David was employed by Saul and Abner and after the victory over Goliath, Saul asked the question “Whose son is this youth?” So what is Saul’s question? Who is your father? The institutional church looks for the father, not the son. In other words, the institution looks for the institution of the student and not the student of the institution. You are good because of the institution you come from. You are validated by the institution. This acceptance of validation from the institution is mostly due to low self-esteem. What happens to most people, not all, the institution caters to some desire of the people. When the institution offers that thing that appeases the people then they ascribe to making the person and the person feels some debt of gratitude or service to the institution and as the institution continues to make the person like them eventually he institution can then say: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”. We are called to be sons of God and not the slaves to an institution. You are called to serve your Father as a child of His Household and bring the rule (Kingdom) of God to the earth. The spirit of Saul, institutional Christianity seeks to know who you come from and not who you are. In the next message we will look at another feature of institutional Christianity. Peace, Love and Grace from the Father, Calvin Calhoun, Jr.