IF PAUL WROTE A LETTER TO THE CHURCH TODAY…

If the apostle Paul wrote a letter to the modern church, I wonder if it might sound something like this:

“Grace and peace to you. I thank God for the ways the gospel is spread among you. Your generosity has reached far and wide; your worship is passionate; your ministries are impressive; and your influence is real. In many ways, your faith has been made visible to the world.

Brothers and sisters, I must speak plainly. You have learned how to gather crowds but you're forgetting how to carry crosses. You've become skilled at branding the gospel but less patient in baring one another in love. You speak often of freedom, yet many of you remain enslaved to comfort and endless distraction. You quarrel about leaders, ideologies, and tribes as though Christ were divided. Did Christ die for a party? Is anyone baptized into the name of a camp? Some of you are exhausted because you have mistaken activity for faithfulness. Others are confident because you have confused proximity to Christian things with obedience to Jesus.

Do you not remember that the Kingdom of God does not advance through spectacle but through surrender; not through dominance but through cruciform love; through repentance, confession, and obedience to the way of Jesus. You have many teachers but fewer are mothers and fathers in the faith. You consume teaching yet neglect the slow work of becoming like Christ.

Return again to the simple things: break bread together, carry one another's burdens, pray without ceasing, speak the truth in love, care for the vulnerable, welcome the outcast, love your neighbors and your enemies. Remember that the wisdom of the cross will always look like foolishness to the world but it is the power of God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” 

-- Ian Simkins

#6485

THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NIV)

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost instilled in the church its mission and ministry. Our purpose is to be Christ’s witnesses -- beginning in our community and extending throughout all the world.

The continued growth of the church and proclamation of the gospel is dependent upon us. The gospel is no longer dependent upon Peter, James, John, Paul, and Silas, and all the early Christians. It is dependent upon each one of us in our life and witness. It is an awesome task and incredible responsibility, but remember we are not alone in this. The Spirit is always with us, and that’s what keeps us going.

Pentecost is about power, the coming of the Spirit to empower the church to fulfill its purpose and calling. 

-- Adapted  from James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!”  

#6374

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” (Isaiah 52:7 ESV)

Why all of this emphasis upon evangelism?  Because evangelism is "Job One" for the church.  Do you remember those old Ford commercials which claimed "Quality is Job One"?  I believe we can modify that motto to say "Evangelism is Job One" for the church.  The church exists for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ... The church is one of the few institutions which exists not for itself, but for the world.  Yes, of course, we must share the Good News with those inside the church who need to hear the Gospel, respond, and grow in faith.  But too often we have stopped there.  We have focused only upon ourselves, our comfort, and our institution, rather than focusing upon reaching the world for Christ.

Evangelism is not about saving the church.  Evangelism is not about institutional survival.  Evangelism is about being faithful to the call of Christ.  We are called to change lives and to transform the world, and in the process we will discover the church itself becoming more vital and alive.

Yes, indeed, I am ready to say "Evangelism is Job One."  How about you? 

-- Bishop Michael J. Coyner, (1949-2020)

#6230

 

 

THE PRIMARY MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  (Mark 8:36 NKJV)

At the height of the Civil War the need for hospital facilities became so great that many schools and other public buildings in Washington, D.C., were made into temporary medical centers. Dr. Phineas Gurley, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, determined that the sanctuary of his church should be turned over to such needs, by placing a "floor" over the pews upon which hospital beds could be placed.

When Dr. Gurley announced to his congregation that there would be no more church services in New York Avenue until further notice, President Lincoln was present. Though not a member, Lincoln worshiped at that church most Sundays. The announcement was hardly complete before Lincoln stood to his feet. "Dr. Gurley," he said, "this action was taken without my consent and I hereby countermand the order. The churches are needed as never before for divine services." Needless to say, the President's order was obeyed. 

Mr. Lincoln realized that when mankind's needs are greatest, no need is greater than one’s spiritual sustenance. The most pressing problems of a critical time do not take precedence over the primary ministry of the church; they only accentuate its importance. For what is our profit if we have gained the world -- or saved our lives, economy, and health -- and have lost our souls? 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in the newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Madison, Wisconsin on May 4, 1972, www.ellsworthkalas.com

#6038

SPIRITUALLY RENEWED CHURCHES

“Christ is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.”  (Colossians 1:18-20 NKJV)

God has always desired to work through His people, but they have not always recognized His initiative in their lives or His activity around them. But for those churches who repent -- those who take time to hear the Spirit; to believe what He tells them; to adjust their plans, structures, and programs to Him, and then to follow the Lord regardless of how impossible it may seem -- these are the churches that will be spiritually renewed and that will experience God's mighty deeds through them to bring a lost world to Himself in a great spiritual awakening. 

-- Dr. Henry Blackaby in “What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches”

#5992

THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”  (Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV)

[God] works on us in all sorts of ways.  But above all, He works on us through each other.  [We] are mirrors, or "carriers" of Christ to others…  Usually it is those who know Him that bring Him to others.  That is why the Church, the whole body of Christians showing Him to one another, is so important.  It is so easy to think that the Church has a lot of different objectives -- education, building, missions, holding services…The Church exists for no other purpose than to draw [people] into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.  God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other reason. It says in the Bible that the whole universe was made for Christ and that everything is to be gathered together in Him.  

-- C.S. Lewis in “Mere Christianity”

#5892

SEEKING TO FOLLOW CHRIST

“The gifts Christ gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The church is the worshipping community. We are that body of people who are learning together to repent, pray, and serve in the light of our history and an imagination that is teaching us to do so. The focus of our history and imagination is Jesus Christ, in Whom we see what it means to live in repentance, prayer, and service. We seek to follow Him, to be His disciples, and to undertake the disciplines that such a life requires. 

-- Craig R. Dykstra in “Vision and Character”

#5793

THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV)

Some people feel the church is dying. Throughout the entire world, though, Christ’s church is alive and well, praise God! The church may be trampled, threatened, burned, blown up, misunderstood, mistreated, splintered, and ignored, yet her heartbeat grows stronger. The saints march forward and speak out for Christ more and more every day.

Although they are important, the church is not just things like choirs, organs, praise bands, sermons, and social activities. She is made up of servants of God, with Jesus Christ as her cornerstone. Every believer is part of the Body of Christ.

The church will never die. It is eternal. We, as part of the church, must step forth and share the good news of what God has done for us with everyone and anyone who will listen. There is an urgency in this, for life here on earth is short. This is our commandment: to tell the world about the love of Jesus…

Christ paid our debt of sin and gave all who accept Him the most valuable gift of all: an abundant, joyful life on earth and eternal life with God in heaven… Most incredible is that we can share this wonderful gift with those around us, so they may also receive Him. 

-- Adapted from “When I’m Praising God” by Anita Corrine Donihue

#5726

THE REALITY OF THE NEW CREATION

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NRSV)

If the gospel is to challenge the public life of our society it will not be by forming a Christian political party, or by aggressive propaganda campaigns… It will only be by movements that begin with the local congregation in which the reality of the new creation is present, known, and experienced, and from which men and women will go into every sector of public life to claim it for Christ. 

-- Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998) in “The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society” (1989)

#5693

ON CHURCHES BEING OPEN TO GOD’S PRESENCE

Jesus said to His disciples, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  (Matthew 18:20 NIV)

What I have consistently noticed in almost all thriving congregations is that what makes the difference is the extent to which the community is open to God at its core. Many churches aren’t simply open to God. They let the will, ego, and purpose of the dominant voices in the congregation, whether the pastor’s or that of a few strong members, drive the agenda. Instead of seeking God’s call and purpose, they argue over who is right and wrong. Declining churches tend not to be open to God’s presence. They worship, meet, and engage in ministry and mission, but their sense is that God is in heaven, we are on earth, and all that matters is doing good deeds so that we can get into heaven. The congregants have no sense that Christ is in their midst, and that this presence of Christ can bless them and make them a church of love. So they continue to engage in the practices of the church, but they don’t expect an encounter with Christ. Finally, these churches have no awareness that God’s grace and power can work in their midst. They have no awareness of the Holy Spirit. They are unaware that when we become open to God, God’s Spirit flows through the church to make miracles happen. 

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence and Power”

#5683

THE CHURCH GATHERED AND SCATTERED – Part 2

The Puritans had the right idea. They did not apply the word “service” to the gathering of worship. For them the service began at the church door when the church meeting was over. There they crossed the threshold of life to go back into the world, and there the service began as an outgrowth of the renewal that had come as they worshipped together. Worship loses its essential Christian nature when it becomes an end in itself and does not send its worshipers out into the world to engage in Christian service -- to deal with the problems of the poor and the oppressed -- and Christian witness -- to make disciples of all nations.

The Jesus who invites us to worship is the same Jesus who proclaimed in His first sermon, as recorded in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

-- Adapted from “Encountering Jesus” by Zan W. Holmes, Jr.

#5680

THE CHURCH GATHERED AND SCATTERED – Part 1

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”  (Matthew 28:16-20 NKJV)

In worship Jesus extends invitation for us to come to Him, He wants us to rest. He wants us to learn of Him and lean on Him. But He also wants us to go for Him. He not only wants us to be the gathered church, He also wants us to be the church scattered.

There is a classic occasion in the Gospels that illustrates the challenge of this truth. It is usually called “The Transfiguration” (see Matthew 17). Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and went to the top of the mountain, where Jesus was transformed before them. Jesus talked with Moses and Elijah. Peter became so captivated by it all that He said, “Lord, we are having such a good time, let’s stay here! Let’s build three booths and stay here forever! Let’s freeze time. Let’s eternalize this moment.” But Jesus said to Peter: “No, Peter, we didn’t come up here to stay. This is a come and go affair. We have come up, but we must go down. There is a distraught father in the valley who needs help. A sick boy needs healing. There is a woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years and needs healing. There is an unbelieving, stumbling, and fumbling church that needs better organization. Let’s go down.” 

-- Adapted from “Encountering Jesus” by Zan W. Holmes, Jr.

#5679

ONE DAY AT ABOUT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked.” (Acts 10:1-4 NIV)

Here's the context.  There was a Roman captain named Cornelius who gave generously to the poor and "prayed to God regularly."  That prayer habit kept him dialed into God's frequency and set the stage for this vision.  At this point, Christianity was a sect of Judaism, but this vision changes the course of Christianity because the gospel is opened up to the Gentiles.  Christianity crosses the Rubicon, and whosoever will may come!

The timing of the vision almost seems coincidental, doesn't it?  "One day at about three in the afternoon."  But that's what I love about it.  When you pray regularly, you never know when God will show up or speak up.  Today could be the day.  When you live in prayer mode, you live with holy anticipation.  You know what coincidences are providences.  Any moment can turn into a holy moment.  God can invade the reality of your life at three o'clock one afternoon and change everything. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Circle Maker”

#5659

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:20 NKJV)

The Church is in the world to save the world. It is a tool of God for that purpose; not a comfortable religious club established in fine historical premises. Every one of its members is required, in one way or another, to co-operate with the Spirit in working for that great end; and much of this work will be done in secret and invisible ways. We are transmitters as well as receivers. Our contemplation and our action, our humble self-opening to God, keeping ourselves sensitive to His music and light, and our generous self-opening to our fellow creatures, keeping ourselves sensitive to their needs, ought to form one life: mediating between God and His world, and bringing the saving power of the Eternal into time. We are far from realizing all that the human spirits can do for one another on spiritual levels if they pay the price; how truly and really our souls interpenetrate, and how impossible and un-Christian it is to “keep ourselves to ourselves.”

-- Evelyn Underwood in “The Spiritual Life”

#5451

EQUIPPING THE LAITY

“Christ Himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:11-13 NRSV)

The Church, rightly conceived, is the whole covenant people called to serve in the world.  The clergy are also part of the laity, and their true function is to help equip the laity to be the Servant People.  If they turn aside to rule and to secure their own status, they have betrayed the calling of the special ministry.

-- Franklin H. Littell

#5431 

SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR MISSION

When we expect spiritually immature people suddenly to become committed to outreach, we end up asking people to serve a compulsion, not God. Look at the example of Jesus and His disciples. He did not call them and immediately ask them to care for the poor, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, heal the sick, and make disciples of all nations. Instead, He spent the early part of His ministry preparing them. He focused on forming their faith. Eventually He gave them small missions of teaching and healing. When they failed and became discouraged, He encouraged them and taught them how to succeed. It was only toward the end of His life that He gave them the authority to fully serve Him in mission, and it was only after His death and resurrection that He commanded them to go out and share the gospel. Mission and ministry were the result of spiritual preparation and maturation.

In far too many… churches there has not been enough focus on preparing people spiritually for mission. We prepare people for mission by creating an environment of trust, encouragement, compassion, vision, selflessness, and sacrifice. Spiritual leaders recognize the importance of first forming people spiritually for their mission. 

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence, and Power”

#5347

THE BODY OF CHRIST

“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV)

The Church… is the body of Christ. Every Christian is a member or organ of the body, while Christ Himself is the Head, controlling the body’s activities. Not every organ has the same function, but each is necessary for the maximum health and usefulness of the body. Moreover, the whole body is animated by a common life. This is the Holy Spirit. It is His presence which makes the body one. 

-- John R. W. Stott, as quoted in “Growing Strong in God’s Family: A Course in Personal Discipleship to Strengthen Your Walk with God” 

#5211

THE MAIN THING

Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (Matthew 28:19-20  NIV)

In his book “First Things First,” Steven Covey writes, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!" As faithful members and leaders of the... church, our challenge is to make sure that we are clear that the MAIN THING is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is to remind us over and over again that the primary mission of the church is that of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

...We are sent out to tell the world one thing. One thing! One simple, holy thing. We are to tell the world what God has done for us and what mercy God has shown us. Nothing else can give life to the world that needs Christ. Nothing else can heal our world but the mercy of God! Only the Savior...

-- U.M. Bishop Robert C. Morgan, in a letter to United Methodist congregations around the world, Nov. 9, 1999

#4957

GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN

God has no orphans -- only family. He has provided for every child of His through the unlimited resources of heaven. No matter what mistakes we have made, God cares for those who have chosen to enter a love relationship with Him. Our world is full of hurting people who have no hope, but God made provision for their every need through Jesus Christ. He then made Christ the head of the churches He has established, in order that He might bring healing through His people who have come to know His saving grace. That is the strategy of God’s redemptive plan to touch the world. 

Local churches, the gathered people of God, are crucial to God’s eternal purpose in salvation and world redemption. If you are a member of a local church, by the direction and will of God, you are most fortunate. You are exactly where God wants you and where God will unfold to you the fullness of salvation. And it is here where God will cause you to reach out to a lost world for His glory.  

-- Henry Blackaby and Melvin D. Blackaby in “Experiencing God Together: God's Plan to Touch Your World”

#4904

FACING THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE

“Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart… But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;… So we do no lose heart.”  (2 Corinthians 4:1, 2-9,16a NRSV)

As I thought of Paul’s statement, I remembered a story that was told at a California graduation. The speaker told about a young man who had received his diploma… and ten years later the graduate sent his diploma back to the university saying that the degree had not helped him obtain employment in his chosen field of work. The speaker, who was the former chancellor of the university, said that he sent the diploma back to the young man and told him to keep it, that he earned it. He went on to explain that the purpose of the university was to develop students who will be self-sufficient and involved with society, but what stuck with me was his statement to the young man: “It is not the purpose of a university to guarantee victory in life, but to equip one for the struggles of life.”

That is the purpose of the church as well. It is not the purpose of the faith to guarantee us victory, success, or immunity from trouble. The purpose of the church is to equip us with the power to face the struggles of life. 

-- James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!”

#4900