Category Archives: Our place within the local church

An obedient servant of Christ

Posted on December 8, 2014 by | Comments Off on An obedient servant of Christ

study-better-800x800All it takes is a quick trip to the local Christian book store to see the number of publications that claim you can become an obedient servant and experience God’s blessings on your life. At one point in my own Christian walk and while going through my own personal struggles and crises of faith, I admit that I did buy one of those books. Although the author meant well when writing the book, within its pages were the claims that if we say a certain prayer, do certain deeds, and attended church regularly, then I would be an obedient servant of Christ. While I will not say that the entire book was wrong, a one-size-fits all approach does not work because we are all not called into the same area of Christian service.

One of the saddest yet most interesting things that I study as a part of my job is the role of religion within the ancient societies and within the United States. It fascinates both myself and college students to learn how far many people will go to prove their love and adoration of certain deities, or even within certain Christian denominations. To show their obedience, some faiths require that some great feat be performed or that the believer must give a great sacrifice, sometimes of wealth, sometimes of self-denial, and sometimes even a human sacrifice is required. It is only within Judaism and true biblical Christianity where we see God tell us: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8). Jesus even simplified this during His earthly ministry as he told the disciples and all who were around that day, If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

The apostle Paul understood the simplicity and the beauty of what our relationship of Christ is to be like. Paul referred to himself as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ; he chose to use the relationship of being a servant of Christ because during the lifetime of Jesus and the apostles, servitude for debt was a common practice and one of the main ways that Jews fell into the role of being a servant. Paul considered himself owing a debt to Christ for which he could never repay, as all Christians do.

Becoming a servant of Christ

There are many things that we can learn about this relationship we have with the Lord. Our status as a servant of Christ must be a status that we choose for ourselves. God desires that we serve Him as an exercise of our own free will. Throughout the times of the Old Testament and throughout the New Testament, God has clearly taught that all people have to make a choice – to both serve and love God with all our heart or to reject Him. Jesus told Nicodemus, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18).  Jesus is reiterating what He had already told the Hebrew people during the Exodus from Egypt: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deuteronomy 30:19). The beginning of being an obedient servant of Christ starts here with this decision. You either choose to follow Him or you reject Him. Joshua, the man who would take on the leadership of Israel after the death of Moses, put it best: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).

As a Christian, we willingly put ourselves into the position as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ when we accept Him as our Savior. The very nature of the personal relationship that we share with the Lord should cause a desire within us to be an obedient servant of Christ. Within the Old Testament, there was a provision made for servants that wished to stay with their master even after their indebtedness had been repaid: And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; 17Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest (Deuteronomy 15:16-18). Our obedience to God must come from our own love for the Lord and not because we feel that we have to. Just as the passage in Micah teaches, when we are obedient to God out of our love for him our obedience makes us valuable to God. Although God does not use an awl to punch our ear, he does bless us and set us apart for Himself. We become a servant that is close to God’s own heart.

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Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Our place within the local church, Our relationship with God

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Hints on finding a good church

Posted on August 20, 2014 by | Comments Off on Hints on finding a good church

churchLittle did I know when I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in 1988 that I would spend the next twenty years moving around the country. From 1989 to 1996, most of my moves were related military service and from 1999 through 2011, the moves have been job related. During that time, I have moved nearly twelve times.  One of the first things I would do after a move was to try to find a good church home. At first, I had a very simple way of choosing churches that didn’t always work, but over time I discovered that there were things that I could look for in the churches I visited to help me find a good church home. While these may not work for everyone, these things have helped me find good church homes where I had opportunities to serve, to spiritually grow, and make some life-long friendships with other believers.

Church attendance is really that important. The apostle Paul wrote, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25) as guidance to the importance of church attendance and fellowship. He also strongly suggested the importance of church membership in describing how the local New Testament church is similar to a body: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body (I Corinthians 12:12-20). Just as we do not see tribes of fingers or toes living separate lives apart from the body, God never intended Christians to exist in isolation from other Christians.  Church membership provides the believer a place to belong, a function and duties to do, and a body to give the spiritual support and encouragement to face the trials, temptations, and hardships of the world.

Never join a church on the first visit. This sounds almost too simple to be true, but yes, I had to learn this lesson the hard way.  Being a young Christian, I believed that the first church I visited was the one that I was being led to by the Holy Spirit rather than simply coming across their name first. While it is right and in my opinion necessary and proper for a Christian to be a member of a local church, it does not mean that you must join the first church you visit.  Not all churches are the same, even if they are in the same denomination.  What I learned and works for me is to make at least six visits to the church before I make the decision to join.  I attend as many of the prospective church’s services as they have and my schedule allows me to attend – this includes Sunday morning and evening services, Sunday School, Wednesday night service, and any special event that occurs during the time I am visiting.  The reason for this is because you can really get a sense about the spiritual growth and standing of a church on what the church is doing.  

As a Christian, I want to attend a church that is not only doctrinally sound, but is also going to be able to help me grow as a man and as a Christian.  I do not want to be a member of a “show church” where the spirituality and fellowship is fake. Unfortunately, any church can put on a good show for Sunday morning service. During the evening and Wednesday night services, when the core membership attends, is where you are going to discover the nature of the church.  You’ll quickly learn if the hospitality was genuine, if their warmth was real, and if they truly strive to serve the Lord.  

Set out to visit churches with the expressed purpose to learn about their faith. Being a Baptist, when I was a much younger and naïve Christian, I assumed that any church that had “Baptist” in the title would be a good choice. What I found out is that there are as many different Baptist churches as Baskin-Robbins has ice cream flavors. I quickly learned the importance of having a relatively open mind about the non-doctrinal differences of the various churches.  So what if they have their AM worship service before the Sunday School classes?  Who cares that they do not have a regular choir or use a certain hymnal, or even have Sunday School classes the way the last church did?  These are minor things, and while may seem strange to a visitor, actually serve the needs of that particular congregation. What is important are the bigger issues – does the pastor or preacher teach sound doctrine? Does the congregation’s attitudes towards visitors show the love of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are a majority of the members sincere in their devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and their Christian faith? When choosing a church to join it is more important to join a local church that will encourage spiritual growth more so than one that simply makes you feel good to attend.   

For me, I need hard Bible preaching and teaching. I need to hear about the importance of continuing the fight against the flesh and resisting the temptations of the devil. I’ve attended churches that made me feel good, only to discover that there was little to no spiritual growth in my life and I know that there are many that read this blog that also have had similar experiences.  It is not from the comfort of a church pew and soft feel-good sermons that brings about spiritual maturity.  It is the Holy Spirit, through personal Bible study, prayer, Christian fellowship, and strong preaching of the Word of God that prepares us for spiritual growth.

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Posted in Christian Living, My Walk, Our place within the local church

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What do you bring to your church family?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on What do you bring to your church family?

DSCF1062Everyone of us possesses some sort of talent or gift.  If you stop and think for a moment, I am sure you can think of someone who seems gifted with the ability to organize anything.  There are some who have the ability to repair anything. There are others who are gifted with compassion while yet others have the talents to sing, play the piano, or maybe even write songs.  Some even possess talents and traits that makes them well-suited for certain tasks, like entertaining children, decorating the church, or even visiting sick or elderly church members.  The apostle Paul compared the local assembly of believers to a body as he wrote, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many (II Corinthians 12:12-14).

As a Christian and the member of a local assembly of believers, each of us brings something to the body and just as each part of the body has a function and purpose, each believer has a role that only they are able to fulfill.  Continuing with the example of the body, the apostle Paul wrote, If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (II Corinthians 12:15-27).

This passage by the apostle Paul is profound in its description on how the local New Testament church is to work. As a local body of believers, each member has a specific function they are supposed to do; unfortunately too many people are not aware that they should use their talents and gifts to support the local ministry.  Now some will undoubtedly say that there is no direct commandment to use our talents within the local church and will also say that anyone that tells a Christian that they must do so is a legalist – someone who believes that it is other than free will that compels us to serve in the local body. No man who is married would tell you that they do not have to do anything to stay married; however, if he is wise and wants to keep his wife happy, he will willingly choose to do things that he knows makes her happy.  The same should be said about Christians – we should do the things that we know that makes God happy not because we have to, but because we want to as a way to keep our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in its proper perspective.

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Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Christian Responsibility, Our place within the local church

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