Okay, after some hesitation I finally decided to join the masses and create an Internet presence. Most everybody I know has joined the "social networking scene". Not me... I just don't get it. That's probably because I'm just not all that social when it comes down to it. So I decided to create a blog instead. I have no idea of what a blog actually is but I'm tired of being humiliated every time someone ask me if I'm on Facebook., They look at me like my zipper is down. Now I can at least say "no, but I have a blog!". I have zero expectations of the blogging experience but I run little risk of anyone actually reading it, and I don't think anyone can "defriend" me from my own blog so I'm pretty comfortable with giving this a try for a while.
I am a part time staff member of a struggling church. We are presently without a pastor. We are experiencing a sharp decline in attendance and membership. In recent days there have been few baptisms and people coming for church membership. Visitors come and go. We have a shortage of people willing to teach or work in our nursery. We cannot deny the absence of growth nor can we deny that we have some serious financial and leadership issues. We currently do little as a church to impact our community or the rest of the world.
Does any of this really matter?
Since I'm the one who asked the question and so far I am the only subscriber to my blog it's only fair that I chime in and attempt to answer the question.
Yes it matters because the success of the local church is essential to the cause of Christ.
Bear with me while I make a case for this.
If Jesus has saved you then you and I share some things in common. For one, we know that we share the same Father. We know that our Father created the world and we know that our Father created us. We also know that our Father is the only one who can offer redemption from sin and eternal life through the blood sacrifice of His own son, Jesus Christ. Therefore we can conclude that our Father loves us very much. Because our Father demonstrated his love for us in this way, you and I also share the hope that is found through Jesus Christ.
Life is hard and it’s even harder when you have no hope.
Life is hard for Christians too. We still lose things and people we love. Some of us will be betrayed, some of us will fail in relationships and jobs. We will face disappointments. We will make mistakes and there will be consequences for our actions. Our hearts are going to be broken. Some times we even do this to each other.
The first time I ever experienced a broken heart it was delivered through a girl in my church youth group. Her name was ******. She invited me to a Church youth group social and shortly after that I became her “pookie man”. ****** had long dirty blond hair and a snout on her like an ant eater. When ****** spoke her nostrils flared out like she was running the Kentucky Derby but to me she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes own. Our relationship lasted two weeks before she suddenly broke up with me. I literally thought I was going to die. I've always been known for the analytical way in which I approach problems. First, I give my self time to calm down. Then I collect all available data before I begin to analyze the problem. In this situation I waited a few days and then I scheduled what I will call an exit interview with ******. In this exit interview I learned that the mistake I made was my failure to kiss her during those 2 weeks. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to kiss her. I just couldn’t quite figure out how to maneuver around that snout. I learned what I needed to learn from this romance, moved on, and you can bet I never made that mistake again. In fact, we had a fairly large youth group and there were 15 or 16 other girls just like her and in the months to follow I reckon I kissed every single one of them. To this day, I kiss first and ask questions later.
When bad things happen to the Christian the hope that you and I have through Jesus Christ comforts us and guides and heals our wounds no matter how bad it hurts. He puts people in our path to love and care for us until we are strong again. We don’t have to rely on our own strength because God is our strength. If it ours to struggle every day of our life on earth we still have the assurance that when we draw our last breath that the party is just getting started!
The lost have no hope. For the lost, things end badly and then they get worse.
In John 14:6 Jesus says that he is the truth that leads to the father. Truth is a step beyond belief. Belief alone does not connect one directly to the truth. We don’t just believe in Jesus. We know the truth because Jesus is the truth and we have seen Jesus.
The lost are blind to the truth. Many lost people believe that there is something greater than themselves. In fact, millions of lost people believe in our God but they don’t know the truth. They don’t know the truth because they have not seen Jesus.
Jesus is in heaven at the moment so for now the only way the lost can see the truth is when Jesus becomes visible to them through you and me. As Christians, our time has come. It's a time for us to let Jesus walk and talk and live His life through us. It's time for us, through the Holy Spirit, to do the works that Jesus did so that the world can see Jesus through us. This is our lap of the relay race.
We don’t look much like Jesus when we are first saved so we must receive a spiritual makeover to make us look more like Jesus.
This is a key purpose of a church. We learn to look like Jesus by practicing on each other. Our church is our boot camp where God uses each one of us in the spiritual makeover of the other members, just as he uses the other members in our own spiritual makeover. During our makeover we begin to display joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is when we bear these and other spiritual fruits that we begin to look like Jesus. It is when the lost look at us and see Jesus through us that they encounter truth for the very first time.
Sometimes when we go out for the cause of Christ we come back all dinged up and discouraged. The church is the garage where we take ourselves for repairs and a tune up. Other members assist in our maintenance and restoration, providing wisdom and encouragement and a Christ like concern and love for us. We are strengthened and our spiritual appearance is touched up so that when we go back into the world we are bearing more of the fruits that make us look like Jesus. And the blind see the truth.
The local church is our opportunity to serve one another. Our service to one another is another important part of our makeover.
Let me try to say this in a different way. Let’s suppose you are the person who taught me to read. Because you taught me to read I can read my bible and grow in knowledge. Later on you lose your sight and can no longer read your bible. Further suppose that while I’m reading the word of God the Holy Spirit leads me to read the bible to you now that you can no longer read it for yourself.
I have the ability to serve you in this manner because you served me.
The life and actions of Jesus set the example for us. When we follow His example we become an example of Jesus.
When I am taught by example I learn to teach by example.
When I am served by others I learn how to serve others.
When I am loved by others I learn how to love others.
This makeover I’ve been talking about is also called discipleship.
A church whose members are discipling others while becoming disciples themselves is essential to the cause of Christ.
