Tuesday, September 17, 2013

National Back to Church Sanday - Part Two

 Hebrews 10:23-25Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.“unchurched”. 
Pastor JJ ran down the ten most common objections to church, which are just excuses for not going to church. I'll continue now with objection #4:

(4)            “My life situation changed, and I just never went back.” – Life is busy and we can get out of the habit of coming to church, if we do not guard our hearts. The choice to make church a priority is a personal one. It is a matter of dedication to serve the Lord.
(5)            “I don’t have to go to church to be a good person.” Good is not defined as “what profits people’. Church is about being transformed and set apart in holiness for God’s purposes. Being “plugged in” with God. Why is church important? We need to realize how empty  and dry the world really is without the Lord, and then we will have a thirst for Christ.
(6)            I’m too busy, and Sundays are my only time to rest.” We all need rest and church is a great place to start. True rest is spiritual rest and Sabbath rest rejuvenates. Church  is a place to focus our life on Him.
(7)            “Church is boring.” – Church is not about a Pastor rambling. If church is boring then we need to look at ourself for the reason why. This is where we are starting a revolution against the gates of hell, fighting for the kingdom of heaven, healing the broken, and filling the empty.
(8)            “The people tend to have their own cliques, so I never fit in.” Church is an inclusive community that love each other in Christ, bowing together before the Lord, committed to follow Jesus with their life. Romans 12:9Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Join that clique.
(9)            “Christians are judgmental and hypocritical” People accuse the church without knowledge. Their definition is off. They do not allow others to love them in Christ. Christ’s love is bigger that that. The church is people on an incredible mission.
(10)       “I don’t think that I’d be welcome anymore, because I’ve done bad things.” – Church is a place full of sinners. No one is “good enough” for heaven. None deserve salvation from God through Christ. We are all people needing forgiveness and a Savior, who came to save the lost in sin. Knowing Jesus and making Him known. The hospital of the church is put together by the love and sacrifice of Jesus for us. Welcome.

Matthew 16:16-18 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Pastor Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida gave a challenge: “If the churches are feeding people who are hungry, if they are clothing poor people, if they’re reaching the world for Christ, if the pastor is living in a reasonable home and drives a reasonable car, stop your criticizing, because sometimes it’s just an excuse to keep you away form God. Join the team that is changing the world in Jesus’ name.”

Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Take the message to your community of relationship with the Lord through his body – the church. What would happen if every church member invited just one person to church?



In Christ, Brian

2 comments:

T-Childs said...

Brian, this is very timely for me. I am a Christian but have never been to a church for a number of reasons. Christianity in America from here in England; it seems it's more common for Americans to go to church than British people in general, and there are many reasons for this, some social and some historical too. Church here can be rather elitist and sometimes nothing more than respectable people being part of a club that confirms their superior status. It seems to have little to do with Jesus and little to do with the Gospel. I could go on here but you get my drift. I am a square peg all my life trying to fit into a round hole and have spent much of my life being misunderstood or being shunned one way or the other. I feel that I would get the same going to some of the churches too. When the church, and Christians in them are meant to be about love and compassion and welcoming as Jesus was, but then they are even more judgemental, backbiting and unpleasant than Atheists and general unbelievers, isn't this why people don't go to church? Sorry for being honest, but sooner or later this whole church question is going to have to be debated in an honest and searching way. For some, church is the place where believers fellowship with other believers, for many others church is just a social club for those who think they are better than other people.

Brian Ray Todd said...

Tim, you bring up excellent points and one's that the Christian church must communicate honesty. The truth is that the church, as Jesus intends it, is right and good and serving the purposes of God in this world, this side of heave. The problem arises when we (humanity) perverts that original intent and purpose. then you see the results that you mention, in England, America and everywhere. The gospel message is about forgiveness of sin and salvation. The church is about equipping people and serving the Lord. Now that's general terms for many facets of what that entails. Worship and praise, study and prayer, fellowship and service, ministry and charity, love and care, et cetera. Now these more specific terms are broken down into specific ways in which they are to happen, but under the commandment in the heart of the Believer to Love God & Love others with God's love and centered on the holy Word of God. Sure, people try to make church about people, but that's not what's God's purposes for us is about. Restoration of the world. Like you, I didn't go to church growing up, but the Lord came and got me at church and now I grow and mature spiritually and relationally to align my will with God's will and purposes to bring the light of truth to a world in the dark, like I was. We never stop learning either, as the Lord reveals more every day in the lives of others that we puts in front of us. Like you, I don't have time for elitist, clubs and the such, but Christ's church when functioning as designed to impacting society and the culture for God's good purposes is exactly where we should be. Jesus said that there would be tares mixed in with the wheat, but he will sort that out. We need to align our own mind, will and emotions we the Lord, then work together as the body of Christ to do the "good' works that God prepared in advance for us to do. I hope that you find a "Bible Believing" church that you can check out there and get involved with. Blessings brother in Christ.