What We’re All About (part 3)
I ran across this during my research this week:
You know it’s been too long since you’ve been to church when…
* They've undergone a building
program, and you aren't able to find the sanctuary.
* The greeters force you to
sign the guest register.
* That bratty kid who used to bug you is now head usher.
* You head for your favorite pew, but can't remember where it's located.
* You have to fake the Lord's Prayer.
* You're shocked to learn that King James is no longer the only Bible translation.
* That guy who shows up just for Easter shoots you a sanctimonious look.
* The last time you put a quarter in the offering plate, it really was a tenth of your income!
Now obviously many of those don’t apply to us here at Gateway, we don’t have offering plates, we haven’t built anything yet, and we don’t recite the Lord’s Prayer. But, the point is made nonetheless – being part of a church is an important part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Over the past three weeks we have been reviewing “What We’re All About,” those core values that drive Gateway Community Church. I believe it is important for those who are relative newcomers to be informed of just what we believe and hold dear. I believe it is equally important for regular, sometimes long-term members to review what it is that draws us together and moves us forward.
Our purpose as a church comes from Jesus Himself, in Matthew 28:19 and following where he commands us to
“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.”
Two weeks ago we discussed that our primary focus as a church is to Present the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world in a practical way, with the goal of making disciples. We saw that a disciple is not just a follower of Jesus – there were plenty of followers of Jesus when He walked and talked among the people of Israel. There were sometimes thousands who followed Him. But they were not disciples. Disciples are the ones who had counted the cost. Who realized that if they wanted to really follow Jesus as a Disciple, then they had to make their commitment to Him entirely. Anything and everything else comes second to following Christ. Jesus said, “No man, putting his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom.” (Luke 9:57-62) He said that “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31) And that is what this church exists to do – to help people in this area who are seeking for God come to the place where they not only find Him, but become totally devoted followers of Jesus Christ – disciples.
Last week we talked about the fact that Disciples will follow up that commitment of their lives to Jesus with a public act of obedience – baptism. The water of baptism is the place where we proclaim to all the new life we have in Christ. We have died to that old life, with its slavery to sin, we have been buried with Jesus in the water of baptism, and we have been raised up by the same power that raised Him from the dead to live a new and full and abundant life. (Romans 6)
Today we look at the third element of our call to action from Jesus in Matthew 28. “Go and make disciples,” He said, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”
This third core value we hold as a church is to teach obedience to the Word of God. This is a primary reason why we gather here together on Sunday mornings. We gather to worship our Great God and Savior. We gather to pray. We gather to be taught. The church was founded on those principles and for those goals. As you look through the New Testament at the passages that talk about the early church, you will notice the common thread.
In the book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 42-47, we have one of the most elegant descriptions of how the very first Christian church functioned. Turn there with me. Acts 2:43-47 (734)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people, and the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.
Wouldn’t you love to be a part of a church like that? Where the fellowship was sweet and the needs of every person was attended to? Just look at some of the descriptive words and phrases that are used in that paragraph “devoted, filled with awe, together, common, ate together, filled with joy, sincere hearts, enjoying the favor of all people.” No wonder they were adding to their number those who were being saved! But fellowship was not all that the early church was about. Look at the order- the first thing they were devoted to was “the apostles teaching,” THEN fellowship. I doubt very much that a church that has that order reversed will be adding to its number those who are saved. A church can grow and add to its number those who are having a good time, and those who are having their physical needs met, but the real growth of a church is when it is adding to its number those who are being saved!
So how can we be a church where the fellowship and care for each other is only eclipsed by the fellowship and love for the Lord? What can we do to become the type of Church Jesus had in mind when he established it?
Turn to Romans chapter 12. (page 764)
I know that I don’t usually read passages of Scripture that are this long, but you know what? No words I have to say can replace the Word of God. So, let me read for you this entire chapter. Please follow along as I read it, and allow the Spirit of God to open your mind and your heart to understand and conform to the Word He has for you.
Romans 12:1-21
I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. [2] And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
[3] For I
say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has
dealt to each one a measure of faith.
[4] For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not
have the same function, [5] so we,
being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one
another. [6] Having then gifts
differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; [7] or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who
teaches, in teaching; [8] he who
exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9] Let
love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. [10] Be kindly affectionate to one another
with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; [11] not lagging in diligence, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord; [12]
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in
prayer; [13] distributing to the needs
of the saints, given to hospitality.
[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, and
weep with those who weep. [16] Be of
the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but
associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. [17] Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard
for good things in the sight of all men.
[18] If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with
all men. [19] Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance
is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
[20] Therefore
"If
your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is
thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so
doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
[21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
I believe that in this passage, along with several others just like it throughout the New Testament, we are given by God the secret to a vital church. The key to being the kind of church that will draw unbelievers, and build believers; that will minister to the poor, and give purpose to the wealthy; a church that will be a shining part of the community, and still be spectacular in its holiness. Where sinners are loved, and sin is hated. Where “Community” is not just the church’s middle name, it is the church’s reality.
It’s not hard to see. It’s not hard to remember – it’s just two concepts. Two vital ingredients that make a church what it ought to be. Here they are:
In verses
1&2, Paul tells the church at Rome, and every church since then, that the
first key to being the church He intends us to be is to Submit to God. Look at the verses again,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We can never be the church God intends us to be until we are the people God calls us to be! A “church” never gets right with God – the people in the church get right with God! We are called, each of us individually, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Now, doesn’t that seem a little, I don’t know, physical? Shouldn’t Paul say, “offer your heart to God,” or “offer your spirit to God”? Wouldn’t something like that sound more spiritual? Well it would, but Paul knew something that I think all of us knows deep in side – talk is cheap.
Did you get a chance to see the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life over the holidays? In that movie, there is one scene where George is walking with his girlfriend, and he says, “Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you. You want the moon? Why, you just say the word and I’ll throw a big lasso around it and pull it right down for you!”
Of course the rest of the movie is about the fact that the goals and dreams George set for himself proved to be just as impossible to reach as that moon.
But talk is cheap! It’s easy to say, “I love you, I always will. I’ll do anything for you dear!” But then when the babies crying, and the phone is ringing, and dinner’s on the stove, we don’t want to be bothered because the playoffs are on television! No, Paul knew that if he would have written “I beseech you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to submit your heart to the Lord…” we’d say, “Yeah, I do that, I submit my heart to the Lord!” But the reality would be something totally different.
So Paul says that we are to submit our bodies to the Lord, because he knew that the only way to submit our bodies to the Lord was to have first submitted our hearts, and our wills and our minds. It’s easy to say we love the Lord with all our hearts, but do our bodies show that we’ve submitted ourselves to Him? Does our physical appearance reflect His holiness? Does our clothing, hair, expression, even our physical condition reflect his presence? OUCH! Do the places we physically go, the stuff we physically watch and enjoy reflect the sacrifice of our bodies to Him? Now you know me, I’m not calling us to Puritanical lifestyles – I’m not here to set up rules of dress and conduct – I’m simply posing the question, to you and to myself – Have I really offered my body as a living sacrifice?
Am I refusing to allow the world to squeeze me into its mold? Or, as verse 2 says, am I “no longer conforming to the pattern of this world?” Rather than being pressed into the world’s mold, we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which happens when we fill our minds with the Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to make it alive and powerful, quick and effective, capable of tearing down the strongholds of the world and the devil in our lives.
As much as we may want to be a church after God’s calling, it can’t happen until we, as the individuals who make up this church, place ourselves on the alter and offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual act of worship.
Secondly, we must submit to each other. The rest of this chapter is a beautiful picture of mutual submission and service, love and care.
Verse 3 tells us that we must be humble. Perhaps nothing will kill a relationship, and thus a church, quicker than pride. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” I remember a poster that a professor of mine had on the door of his office. It read, “Those of you who think you know everything are really bothering those of us who do!” Each of us must realize that we all have a different level of maturity, physically, emotionally and spiritually, and we must be keenly aware of our own shortcomings, and patient with the immaturity of others. Encouraging those whom we can help along to greater maturity; while at the same time being encouraged and mentored by those we respect.
Verses 4-8 show us the vital importance of every person using their gifts to serve each other. Listen to the practical nature of these words:
Romans 12:4-8
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, [5] so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. [6] Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; [7] or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; [8] he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Stated plainly, the church will never be all that God desires it to be until each member of the body of Christ is doing their part – using the gifts that God has distributed to each one as He has determined is best. I know that this is a challenge, and once again it is difficult because this is a call that goes beyond rhetoric. Quite frankly the church needs less people who will talk about their support and appreciation for the church, and more people who will demonstrate their appreciation and support of the church by putting to practice the gifts that God has given them! I know that sometimes gifts are a controversy in the church – I believe that is because so many ignore the tenor of this and other passages. God has given the spiritual gifts to the church so that it can be built up (or edified) and effective. It is when we forget to be humble, and submissive to God and each other, that we get into trouble. But we also suffer as a church when we fail to use the gifts we have been given.
There are people here whom God has called and equipped to minister in a variety of ways, and yet there are needs within the church that are not being met. So what has happened? Has God somehow miscalculated in his equipping of the church? Or is it possible that some of us have been called and gifted, but haven’t been willing to fill the role God has given us? To me there is no question – God has perfectly equipped us to accomplish the ministry he has called us to – we must simply be obedient and willing to do that which He has called us to do.
Because I believe so strongly that God has called me to be a bi-vocational pastor, I also believe that he has equipped this church with the people to support the ministry here in a way to allow that to happen. People who can lead Bible Studies, teach Sunday school, work with the youth, help with cleaning, decorating and caring for our building. I have no doubt that there are people here whom God has called to be part of the worship team, part of a prayer team, or help with special events. I call on you to respond to that call – put to use the gift that God has given you. It will go a long way toward making this the church God intends us to be.
“The church God intends us to be.” Sounds good doesn’t it? Should we have any other goal? Of course not. We want to be all that He has in mind for us, and it happens when we submit to him totally, and submit to each other in love.
Prayer. “Lord, may the words we have read today be powerful and effective. May they convict us, challenge us and motivate us to be the church you desire to have her in Mayville. Have your own way here in my heart, and in our church. We pray it for Jesus’ sake, Amen.