We know the church should be a place where believers worship the Lord in unity, become equipped for ministry, and use their gifts for ministry and missions for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom. This is a serious business and requires the full dedication of all involved if we are to be good stewards of this God assigned task. Enthusiastically following the leadership God has in place (unless asked to sin), giving sacrificially of time/talents/money and working to achieve true unity as taught in scripture are all absolutely essential to this call. Hard work, but that is what Jesus calls us to do!
There is another way –
We can come to church for our own self-serving reasons. We can fight to get things done in a way that makes us as comfortable as possible (our kind of music, teaching, people, etc.). We can follow church leadership when they do things our way and ignore or fight against the things we aren’t comfortable with. We can serve and give according to how much we like the way things are being done and know we would do/give more “if only they would do it the right way”. What about submission to authority, unity, ministry and missions?
There is an easy solution (not a good solution, but a common one)–
Take some of the money not spent within the "church" and support missions and ministries in the community and around the world. This way we can keep things just as they are and still have a portion of what is collected by our club go to support ministries and missions!
A club is what happens naturally if we don’t work hard to be the church! Praise the Lord for those who want more than a club!
Well said, brother. It often seems as if the churches I've been to, and at times the one I attend now, is more akin to a social club than what God's Word says it ought be. When Christ is being glorified and made much of, the response is a nod and a smile, sometimes accompanied with an almost whispered "amen" or "that's right". Let the conversation switch to politics, sports , economy, or even gossip, and the dialog becomes fluent, passionate, just more dynamic.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Keith, as a body of redeemed people of God, it's supposed to be different than times of togetherness with the world. Not because we are one shread better than they are, but because a people who have been truly saved by Christ's marvelous work and indwelled by God's Holy Spirit should be pretty much preoccupied with one topic- and that would be Jesus. Now, in talking about Jesus a WIDE array of doctrinal subjects could be discussed, but it all deals with the Savior's Glory. Quick thought though.
How many people in our churches are truly saved? I don't pretend to know anyone's heart but my own,and I cringe at mine. But our Lord says narrow is the path. And if not many who gather are truly saved, what do we really have a right to expect? Should an unregenerate man be all about the Father's business just because he is in God's house or around His people? So I guess if Christ be in us, let's just keep exhorting, teaching, pleading, admonishing, and above all praising the works that His mighty Hands have done. God will give the increase. Let's don't be discouraged, because by the faith God has so graciously and unfairly given us we know Jesus is LORD-even if when you proclaim it you get not a single Amen in response-tj davidson