Last Sunday, Pastor Herk continued in his sermon series in the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, stating that when we become Christians, God transforms and converts us, making us part of something which is much larger than ourselves. It has been asked if it is possible to raise a child as a Christian without going to church? Research shows that 10 million self-professing, Christ-committing (confessed their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior), born-again Christians have not been to church in the last six months. Of those ten million surveyed, Spiritual life was important to them, but their spiritual life had nothing to do with church, though a “Spiritual Awakening” is the drawing of individuals into the house of worship where they know that they are going to meet and experience God personally.
A Lifeway survey found that the top four reason people stop going to church today are (1) changes in a life situation, (2) become disenchanted with the church or Pastor, (3) the church was no fulfilling the needs and criteria of the individual, (4) change in beliefs, interests, or attitudes towards church; that there was too much change from what the secular world requires from what the Christian church requires. As the Apostle Paul points out in our Ephesians passage above, all their excuses are the consequences of one underlying attitude that has gripped our culture. There is a strong tendency to view our relationship with God as something that just impacts ourselves. There is an individual aspect to our faith, as God enters into the lives of individuals in order to draw them into a personal relationship with Him, but Christianity is not just for us.
Our faith is intended to be experienced within a body of Believers, within Christ’s church. The Lord Jesus broke down the barriers to instituted and established the church, where all of His Followers are joined together, regardless of their backgrounds. The Apostle Paul uses three different pictures to emphasize the fact that personal Christianity is a matter of (A) living beyond oneself. God has made us a part of His Kingdom; a citizen of Heaven among many. “You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” By definition, a Believer is a citizen of God’s household where they are a native of the kingdom of Heaven, in which they reside, as distinguished from a unbelieving foreigner; Believers are an inhabitant who enjoys the salvation freedom, plus full Rights and privileges of Heaven afforded God’s people, while willfully subject to the King who governs His domain.
John 18:37 Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose, I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
When we repented of sin, accepted the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross in our place for the forgiveness of Sin, received the risen Lord into of heart as "Lord of our life", and chose to follow, learn and obey Him with a born-again heart and spirit as disciples the rest of our lives, then automatically we became converted citizens of His Kingdom. We get the privilege of being a part of a body of Believers where we can be encouraged and grow in our faith, while having the protection of our King, Lord Jesus. As citizens of Heaven, we also have the responsibility to participate in the life of the body of Believers with Christ as the Head; to submit to His leadership and financially support the church to support, grow and maintain the kingdom. The tithes and offerings by the brethren are essential or else the church cannot do the work of the Lord. Ambassadors of Christ have their citizenship in Heaven doing kingdom work on earth, but God has no foreigners or aliens in His Kingdom. We are the church and part of something bigger.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's "bigger than life" message on the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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