Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Pastor Herk continues: One of the biggest threats to the unity and harmony of the Christian church today is the whole concept of the “Consumer Church”. Many of the Christian churches today in the world are being less sacred (separated from common secular uses and consecrated to God and his service), less holy (pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God. Proceeding from pious principles, or directed to pious purposes of the holy law of God), and becoming more secularized by humanism, materialism, hedonism and naturalism (pertaining to the present worldview, or to things not spiritual or holy; relating to things not immediately or primarily respecting the soul, but the body; worldly. The secular concerns of life respect making provision for the support of life, the preservation of health, the temporal prosperity of men, superintending and governing the temporal affairs of men, and is contradistinguished from spiritual, ecclesiastical or apostolic power). Their focus is on the existential and temporal rather than the glory of God, being set apart by God for God’s purposes, living godly lives obedient to the Word and with eternity in mind.
The Consumer Church is individuals in the body of Christ who come to church looking for what is in it for them, instead of going to church to worship, serve God and edify or help others around them. Those dedicated and devoted to self and what the church can do for themselves. When you have a church where the majority are there what they they can get out of it rather than how they can contribute to the ministry, then there is conflict, discord and division, where the Holy Spirit is grieved. We cannot disrupt the unity of Christian church. – the body of Christ If you consider yourself a Follower of Christ, you need to know that the church is not here primarily for you. Though you are blessed by all aspects of the church, you are primarily there for the Lord and His church. The church is here for the community and the world for Christ’s sake. Jesus did not go to the Cross and die to make you into a satisfied customer. Our Savior died to make those who were spiritually dead in their sins alive, forgiven and reconciled to Creator God. With saving faith comes hope and blessed assurance.
The most successful churches are those that have a singular focus on Christ’s Great Commission of making disciples (a student and follower of Jesus Christ - one who receives or professes to receive instruction from the Word of God and an adherent to the doctrines of Christian faith with a biblical worldview. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts), and not those that have numerous programs and trendy attention-getters designed to make people interested in coming to church on Sunday. We come to the House of God to connect with God, to humbly worship and praise our Maker, Savior and Lord in grateful and rejoiceful adoration in the unity of the body of Believers, to know God and make Him known as together we continue to grow, know and go. We care for our church community and the community in which we reside (our ministry of light). If we lose this godly focus and fall into that “What in it for me?” attitude, we will be distracted and pulled in directions that will disrupt the unity and grieve the Holy Spirit. The body works in harmony and Christ is the head.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Another thing that grieves the Holy Spirit is that we fail to “pull our weight” and do our part within the body of Christ. The Christian learns what their spiritual gifts are so that they know what they are, where they fit and how to serve God, the church and the community in good works that advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Every Christian is given a gift for ministry and a means of service that God has designed them for.
We come in our unity, in our faith and in our knowledge of Jesus Christ to serve the Lord and serve others for the kingdom of God. Romans 12:4-5 “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” When we fail to carry out our God-given function within the body of Christ, we using our talents to help others in ministry, and not do the things that God has designed and purposed for us to do, then we fail to glorify God, damage the unity of the body of Christ and grieve the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Another thing that grieves the Holy Spirit is when we revert back to our old ways. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” When we work only for our own selfish desires and not for the Lord and His purposes, we grieve the Holy Spirit. We are far from perfect and grieve the Holy Spirit when we stumble and fail. But, let’s make sure that we do everything that we can to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
In Christ, Brian
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