Reverse engineering- The process of analysing an existing system to identify its components and their interrelationships and create representations of the system in another form or at a higher level of abstraction. Reverse engineering is usually undertaken in order to redesign the system for better maintainability or to produce a copy of a system without access to the design from which it was originally produced.
Reverse engineering is what other companies did when Apple first came out with the iPhone. They took it apart and tried to figure out how it worked. For anyone who actual bought an iPhone knock off, disappointment would be an understatement. All of that would of been different had the Apple competitors had the designers, the blue prints, and the design techniques of Apple.
This is what is happening today with many churches. Leaders study other churches and reverse engineer their programs and ways of doing church, and seek to replicate it. Thousands of books have been written about church planting, yet still there is a sence that disappointment is the result of the product.
In the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church”.
It is much easier for us to exclude the Master Builder in our religious ventures, but of coarse we will only be able to create a knock-off. When we involve Jesus in the mix it costs us our lives and requires our complete submission to Him. This way of Jesus’ participation is a necessity if what we are desiring to establish will have eternal significance.
With the Master Building and all the important blueprints from the scriptures, what more do we need to see His churches established? For this is surely His way, and it’s His Church that He is building.
Collision of Kingdoms 