If you’ve ever had to find a new church home, you might remember how painful the process is. Perhaps you are there right now. You are looking for a place to take your family where you can be fed spiritually, and contribute to the work of the Kingdom going on through that local body. In a small town, your options may be limited. But you still have options. In a large city, you may be overwhelmed with the options, but you still have to make a choice. It is painful to see people who have been looking for a church for months, whether there are only 10 churches in their town, or if they are in a city where there are literally over 700 churches, as there are in Nashville, TN. At a certain point, you aren’t actually looking for a church. You are just wandering. This week, our devotionals are focusing on what it means to be a God-honoring, pastor-supporting, and believer-edifying parishioner. How can I be a better part of my church? Today we look at the wrong way and right way to find a church. While the Church does exist for the edification of believers, it does not exist to reinforce a natural consumer mentality in Christians. God has gifted every local body to care for the spiritual and community needs of those who are members. When you are a part of a church, you should find nutrition and nurturing. You should find a place of acceptance and accountability. You should be able to use your gifting within your church. But that doesn’t mean that you should choose a church based on what makes you feel good, or which one meets your checklist. The Church is not your Santa Claus. When people look for a church to attend, they are often looking for services provided. People with children may look for a solid children’s ministry. Those who enjoy music may look for a vibrant arts ministry. If a person enjoys good old-fashioned preaching, then they may focus in on whether or not the pastor can deliver a great sermon every week. Those who are outreach focused may look to see which church is most actively engaged in mission projects. None of these are bad pursuits or interests. I think churches should offer these things. But when we determine what church we will join based on the size of their playground equipment, perhaps we are a little too focused on ourselves. We like to be plugged-in. But it seems we are hesitant to join something that will draw power from us. What if instead of looking for a church that already has a hot children’s ministry, you help them start one? It is kind of arrogant to think that you shouldn’t have to be involved in the difficult area of building. The old children’s story said, “Everyone wants to eat the bread, but no one wants to make it.” Usually if you find a church that is doing everything you want, you won’t be that involved in ministry. This is why we should be looking for the church that God wants for us, rather than looking for the church that we want. I wish I had a dime for every time someone said, “Well, we would like to come to your church, but we are looking for a church that offers ___________________.” Do not choose or dismiss a church because of the style of the preaching, the style or quality of the music, the size or condition of the building, the lack of a gymnasium, the proximity to your house, the average age of the congregation, the number of golf trips the men’s group takes… or anything that isn’t God telling you, “This is the place for you to serve” or “This is not the place for you to serve.” The values you use in deciding which church you join will determine how well you help advance the cause of Christ in that church. Even Jesus, who is the Master, did not come to the earth as a consumer. He did not take the easiest path to being our Savior. He was counted as nothing and yet continued to serve people well. In fact, towards the end of His ministry He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Church is not the placed for consumerism, but the place for contributing. If you contribute well in the place where God plant you, your needs will be met by Him, through them. This is true even if you join a church that is open to new ideas and workers. You may come from a church that spent $50,000 on playground equipment. As you join a small church with very few amenities in the children’s department, they may ask you to participate in growing that ministry. Let me give you a tip… the pastor does not want to hear you talk about how great the playground was at your former church. When you make suggestions, they should be contextually relevant. A jungle gym is nice. Providing a place for kids to play is great. But your new church doesn’t need to replicate your former church. Be spiritually minded when sharing ideas. If your child grew spiritually at the other church, it was probably because there were people there guiding your child to God. McDonald’s has playgrounds. That makes it a fun place for kids, but it doesn’t make their food healthier. Playgrounds don’t make disciples… Godly people do. Focus on what matters eternally. Paul told the early Christians… “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22) This week, as you think about your church, or you continue to look for a church, do not settle for less than God has for you, but do not place your own felt needs ahead of what God has for you and wants from you. God has a great church for you and your family. Stay focused on Him and He will lead you there. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. There are some things successful Christians do that makes them successful. Of course a Christian is a new creation who was born of God by regeneration through the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross and tomb. There is no work of man that can replace or add to what Jesus did. But the cross of Jesus is only part of what changes us. He told His disciples to take up their own cross and follow Him. This pointed to a life of self-sacrifice and obedience. Just as Christ grew in wisdom and stature as He became the man of God He was to be, the same happens in our lives as we follow Jesus. We shouldn’t be the same person 10 years into our walk that we were 10 minutes after receiving salvation. But this isn’t automatic. The cross is the same. We are still reconciled the same way. But we are being brought back to the place God intended for us to be, not just in our standing with Him, but also in our walk with Him. So how does that change happen? Paul said, “By the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) Transformation is not automatic, but it is natural in the life of a believer who continues walking after their initial encounter with Christ. This week, our devotionals are focusing on what it means to be a God-honoring, pastor-supporting, and believer-edifying parishioner. How can I be a better part of my church? Today we look at six traits of a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian. (They are in no particular order, since all of them are a key to being the Christians we are supposed to be.) PRAYER LIFE – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who does not have a consistent prayer life. The most powerful discipline we have is prayer. Hell knows this. Heaven knows this. In our darkest moments, we know this. Yet it is probably the least used tool we have. Both God and Satan respond to the prayer of faith. God draws near to answer. Satan flees. Prayer is the heavy earth-moving equipment. Many people only pray when the wheels come off in their life. Successful Christians pray before the wheels come off. They pray regularly… not just when they want goodies from God, or need God to get them out of a jam they got themselves into. Prayer in the life of a struggling Christian is a struggle. For the strong Christian, it is a strength. It is a way of life, not a response of panic or greed. Lukewarm Christians use prayer like 9-1-1. Christians who are on-fire use prayer for 4-1-1, which means they usually have less instances to use it for 9-1-1. Paul tells the Christians at Thessalonica, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We can come up with plenty of excuses for not praying, but every successful Christian prays regularly. They don’t want to miss out on a single conversation with God. Show me a successful Christian, and I will show you a person who has a faithful prayer life. BIBLE READING – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who does not have a regular pattern of reading their Bible. You have your choice of version, color, style, and print size. You can listen to the Bible audibly. It is the written word of God. It touches on every area of life. It was written by people like yourself. It is full of wisdom and truth. It tells us about ourselves, and about God. It is 100% true. People run to it for tidbits of truth, but most people don’t read it every day. They use it to find an inspirational quote to put on their dashboard or desk at the office. But they don’t consume it in its entirety. They use it to justify their weak lifestyle, but don’t walk in it to become stronger. Satan knows the word of God, not to his benefit, but to our loss. We will never be able to succeed in battle with the enemy if we don’t spend quality time in the Bible. Jesus used Scripture to engage in combat with the Devil. What makes us think we can fight well without the sword of the Spirit? Internalizing the Bible is one of the things that keeps us out of sin and on the path of sanctification. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Show me a successful Christian, and I will show you a person who consumes the Bible on a regular basis. CORPORATE GATHERINGS – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who only attends church on Sunday mornings. People say that they can worship God on the golf course… but they don’t. We are not lone rangers… and even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. The Christian walk is not taken in a vacuum. Certain transformational things happen when you gather together with other believers to worship, pray, hear the Word, etc. Sunday morning has become the main day of corporate worship. But most churches offer more throughout the week. Wednesday night is the most common time for a mid-week gathering. And some churches have various gatherings at other times. I’m not suggesting that you have to be at every service or small group. But I will say that I don’t know any successful Christians who go from Sunday morning to Sunday morning with no other corporate experience when it is offered. Most pastors will tell you that in many ways, a Christian life can be measured in by how often a believer comes to church. This may sound wrong, but it is what it is. Going to church will not make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonald’s will make you a Big Mac. But Christians who attend multiple gatherings a week are stronger and more mature. As a side note, prayer and Bible reading come easier for them… or at least they are more effective in those areas. One of the Bible writers says, “Let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) Show me a successful Christian, and I will show you someone who attends church gatherings more than once a week. DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIP – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who is not learning from a believer who is older or more established in the faith. Churches often want to welcome new Christians into the family of God by giving them something. Sometimes it is a coffee cup with a Bible verse. Other times it is a devotional book. One of the most popular things to give a new believer is a Bible. That’s not a bad thing. But I think the best thing we can give a new Christian is an old Christian. I’m not talking old by age…but old by experience. Jesus had disciples. These were men and women who spent much time with Him learning about what it meant to be a child of God on mission to save the world. They were held accountable by Him, taught by Him, loved by Him, given opportunities for service. This relationship was interactive. Jesus was transferring to them holy wisdom and experience. Then as they grew, they were expected to turn and pour into the lives of others. Your Christian life was not handed to you by an angel straight from Heaven. It is the result of a chain of Christians going all the way back to Jesus. Discipleship is integral to becoming a transformed person. Decisions are made at the altar, but disciples are made in the trenches. There are no self-made men… and there are no self-made Christians. You need someone in your life who will be personally responsible for your spiritual growth. You also need to have someone in your life for whose spiritual growth you will be responsible. You aren’t just to be a disciple. This is a movement of disciples who make disciples. You will not be a healthy Christian if you aren’t in close community learning from a mentor AND leading a child in the faith. The apostle Paul was discipled by Peter, James, Barnabas, Aquilla and Priscilla, and others. He also discipled people like Timothy, Titus, and others. He once wrote to Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) Going to a church service once a week does not equal discipleship. Hanging out with Christians is not discipleship. Discipleship is an intentional relationship of learning and sharing successful Christian principles and practices. Oh… and you never graduate out of discipleship. Show me a successful Christian and I will show you someone who is being discipled, and is discipling another. GIVING – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who does not give tithe and offering. Everything you have came from God. If you struggle to generously give back to His work, you really don’t understand or appreciate your source. The most successful Christians I know are also the most generous people I know. This includes giving 10% (tithe) of your income to support the work of the local church. People who just want a free ticket to Heaven struggle with this. But transformed people see this as entry level giving. Beyond the 10% there is a whole world of harvest. The Bible teaches that God loves a cheerful giver, and that you will receive according to how well you give. Yes… this is about money. This is the material world. God is willing to financially bless those who are a financial blessing to others. God will give you success in your work and your material life. The Bible is full of these promises. But I have found that the most successful Christians don’t give so they will get a blessing. They give because they want to be a blessing. Where do healthy, growing Christians give besides at church? To foreign and domestic missionaries, homeless ministries, a single mom who needs new tires, to orphanages, to camps that share the Gospel with young people, and many other places. God is a generous giver, so it would make sense that His kids are too. Paul put it this way in a letter, “Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. As it is written: ‘He scattered; He gave to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.’ Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-10) A stingy Christian struggles. A generous Christian prospers. Show me a successful Christian, and I will show you a generous giver. SERVICE MINISTRY – I have never met a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian who is not using their gifts in service to the church and the lost world. Christians are conduits, not containers. We are less a capped bottle, and more a pitcher, designed to give of our time, talents and treasures to help other Christians become all God wants them to be, and pouring ourselves into a world that needs the grace of God. A water hose can be hooked up to a spigot that is on, but until the nozzle is released, the water will not reach its destination and become useful. As long as the nozzle is open and the water is provided, you can use the hose successfully. Each believer has been given a mission that feeds into the larger mission. When you don’t serve in some capacity, the benefits of the Christian life spoil or go stale. Ministry is God’s way of reaching the lost and edifying the church. If you don’t exercise certain muscles, they will become atrophied and useless. Sitting Christians don’t change the world. Serving Christians do. Christianity is a movement because we are people on the move. Peter wrote, “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10) Show me a successful Christian, and I will show you an active worker in the Kingdom. These are not things that make you saved. They are ways that God matures you. You can’t become a Christian by doing any or all of these things, though some of them can lead you to the Lord. But you cannot be a healthy, growing, successfully transformed Christian without these things happening in your life. This list does not reflect a legalistic regiment for the Christian life. It reveals what it takes to become all God wants you to be. You can see it as a prison, or a playground. If you see it as a prison, you likely aren’t wanting to be a Christian. If you see it as a playground, jump in and have some fun in the Lord. The most significant leader in the early church was the apostle Paul. He lived a life that exemplified all of these elements. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9) God will be with those who want to be with Him. Christ uses these spiritual disciplines to grow new creations into co-laborers with Him. Most Christians are not always running at 100% in all six of these areas, but no successful Christian is not engaged in these at some significant level. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. It has been reported that about 10% of the people in a given church are doing 90% of the serving and giving. That number will obviously fluctuate based on different factors. But I think generally you have a smaller percentage of participants compared to the larger number of attendees. There are various reasons that most people are not all in… but there is no good reason. This week, our devotionals are focusing on what it means to be a God-honoring, pastor-supporting, and believer-edifying parishioner. How can I be a better part of my church? Today we look at how to serve better in your church. Christian service is not an optional path for the believer. When we become a disciple we don’t get to check a box that says “No Service for me”. If we are going to follow Jesus, we need to follow Him into work and ministry just as we want to follow Him into Heaven. Ministry is not just something for the pastoral team. It is for the whole body. Most pastors are glad when someone wants to serve. But what they may not tell you is that there are good ways to serve, and bad ways to serve. Here are some things they may not tell you about your involvement in ministry. They are counterintuitive, but if you can get them, they will help you become a better worker in the church. CALLING > COMPETENCY – God has blessed everyone in the church with a gift that they are supposed to use to benefit others. Sometimes that gift lines up with your talents. But sometimes it does not. Talents are not bad. But there is a level that offers greater opportunity than talent. Just because you are good with numbers or money does not mean you will make a great treasurer. There are people who are great accountants or financial managers at their jobs, but would make horrible church treasurers. That’s because when you work at the bank, or for the government, faith isn’t a factor as you carry out your responsibilities. Faith is the key factor when serving in God’s Kingdom. God doesn’t need your ability to keep track of nickels and dimes. What He needs is your willingness to trust Him. After all, it is His money… not yours. So, don’t think that because you are really good at something in the natural realm means you should step into a ministry that matches your abilities. It may line up, but it only works well if you are spiritually minded above all else. Otherwise you just end up trying to make things happen by your own ability. The ministry of God can easily become the business of you. There is an old saying that is good to remember… “God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.” RELATIONSHIP > EDUCATION – (This is where I may lose some of you… but please hang in there with me.) Education is not a bad thing. But it isn’t always helpful in the ministry. Sometimes it just gets in the way. Ever since the beginning of the Church, God used people regardless of their educational status. In fact, many times He used people who were obviously uneducated. One of the first things the world noticed about the early church leaders was, “They are clearly uneducated, but you can tell they have been with Jesus.” That relationship trumps any amount of schooling. Why? Why is relationship greater than education in the work of God? Because God will inevitably ask you to do some things that don’t make sense on paper. And He doesn’t need you straightening Him out because your professor taught you how ministry should really be done. We live in a culture that has made an idol out of degrees and schooling. And trust me… there is nothing wrong with knowledge and wisdom. These come from God. But since we value education so highly, we tend to think ourselves smarter than others because we went to school. Degrees will not prepare you for the spiritual battles that must be waged in wisdom. Many pastors will tell you that they have had to clean up some serious messes made by people who had plenty of degrees, but no degree of relationship with Christ. The Spirit of Wisdom is wiser than the brilliance of man. If you have a great education, surrender it to God so it can be used as a great tool in the work. But don’t come into the church telling the pastor what you learned about ministry. Chances are your professor didn’t spend much if any time doing what your pastor has been doing for many years. SERVICE > SUGGESTIONS – We like to be valuable. We seek significance, and want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. So we like to have good ideas. Good ideas are not bad. Pastors like good ideas. But they would rather have a servant than a suggestion any day of the week. Most pastors get a load of ideas, but they are not usually accompanied by people who want to carry them out. People sometimes bring ideas from previous churches. They may come up to the pastor and say, “Pastor, at our other church we had a coffee ministry. Maybe we should offer coffee between Sunday School and worship service.” The pastor may reply, “That sounds like it may be a great way to encourage fellowship… why don’t you go ahead and start that up? Let us know what you need.” Quite often the person who brought the idea will shrink back. They had a suggestion… but they weren’t offering themselves as a servant/worker to get the ministry done. I have had this exact conversation with people. Many times it is a reflection of our consumer culture. We want another option to enjoy ourselves, but we don’t see it as an opportunity to employ our gifts. Here’s a freebie… pastors generally don’t need more ideas. They need more involvement. Before you suggest a new ministry opportunity for the church, ask yourself if you would volunteer to do it… for longer than a month. If your answer is, “No”, then perhaps you should pray that God will raise up someone else to mention and do it. FAITHFULNESS > FLURRY – Most people do want to serve. I believe that. But frankly most people are better starters than finishers. This is especially frustrating when it comes to ministry. A church may have a ‘ministry fair’ where people sign up to serve in various capacities. Jim wants to get involved. He signs up to be a greeter. The first couple of weeks Jim is 15 minutes earlier than the first car. He has the biggest smile on his face as he shakes hands and gives out bulletins. But by the end of the first month, he is rolling in 10 minutes later, having to park farther away, and when he enters the door, his supervisor is handing him a bulletin. Before you know it, he is coming in after the song service. We have good intentions, but our follow-through is not great. Good intentions are not success. Faithfulness is success. Most people do not run away from their commitments. They usually drift from them. This is not good for you personally, the team with which you are serving, or the church as a whole. Service runs on sacrifice. And pastors have see all too often people who start ministry well, but finish poorly. This doesn’t just happen in their church service, but will usually carry over into their spiritual walk. If you aren’t going to follow through with your commitment, don’t sign up… or better yet, ask God to build you in the area of faithfulness. Then everyone wins. You pastor is probably a capable person. He probably does more than he should, because he can, and because he doesn’t have enough faithful help. Too many pastors, and other volunteers end up having to pick up the dropped ministry of well-meaning, but non-committed people. Then some of those people who slacked off actually have the nerve to complain about how ministry is executed in that church. This ought not to be. God has not equipped any church to do everything, but He has gifted every church to accomplish its specific calling. You are part of that gifting… that equipping. The apostle Paul gave this word to early Christians trying to serve in the Church… “Speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.” (Ephesians 4:15-16) So, use your God-given talents, education, ideas and energy to serve your church and reach the world. But do so with the calling, relationship, sacrifice, and faithfulness God has birthed in you. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Good pastors want the people in their church to be students of the Word. We live in a time when everyone has enormous access to Scripture and solid Bible commentaries as well as other tools to help them understand the Word of God. But few church-goers are Biblically literate. When Biblical illiteracy is coupled with easy access to bad theology and doctrine via the TV and movies, it can have a devastating effect on a Christian and a church. This week, our devotionals are focusing on what it means to be a God-honoring, pastor-supporting, and believer-edifying parishioner. How can I be a better part of my church? Even within the church, people have become more interested in what people say about the Bible than what the Bible actually says. Walk into a Christian book store and see how much of the store is dedicated to book about the Bible and being a Christian, as opposed to how much of the store is dedicated to selling Bibles. So, one way you can be a better church member is by knowing the Bible and being wiser about what other sources you allow to form your spiritual understanding. Here are three . HISTORICAL SHOWS – Many Christians are hungry to know more about the Bible, its time, cultures, customs, etc. There is much surrounding the Bible stories that are not in the Bible… and I mean good solid archeology and history. Many times knowing extra bits of information can enhance the truth we find within God’s written Word. We have more information about history now than ever before… and some of it is even accurate. Just because you see a show about the Bible on the History Channel does not mean it is wrong about the Bible… but it probably is. Or it is at least wrong enough that you should watch it with a grain of salt… or perhaps a whole container. In fact, most television shows about the Bible or Church history are going to be slanted away from a solid view of Scripture or Christians. The Bible is a lot of things, but it is not financially profitable as is, because it is only understood by the power of the Spirit. Much of what the Holy Spirit says does not sell advertising. You will find that many of the ‘academic scholars’ on these shows are professors at schools which are not Bible-based, and many of them are not even true Christians. They often see the Bible simply as a human work written by fallible men who were only looking at the things of God from their limited cultural lens, rather than men of God inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the eternal truth of God beyond their own understanding. Many times people who watch these shows will come away with a more Humanistic view of the Bible, and trust it less. The History Channel will not reveal to you the mysteries of the Bible. But the Holy Spirit will. The Bible is not missing lost books. But we are often missing the Bible. RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING – For the most part, as long as there has been media, there has been a preacher using that media to get the Gospel out. Many preachers on the radio and TV are just good men and women of God sharing truth. But there are some, especially on television who are misleading people through slick delivery of outrageous promises and bad doctrine. Many TV preachers are siphoning off the finances and hope of weak believers who are looking to receive a blessing and support the work of God. Many church members find TV preachers to be better communicators and even more knowledgeable about God’s Word than their own local pastor. And he also never makes them mad or holds them accountable. Sadly, the enemy has successfully infiltrated the ranks of TV preachers to turn the preaching of the Word into a circus through a so-called ‘prosperity gospel’, and ‘faith ministries’. This hurts the individual believer because it keeps them on a shallow material plain, and it hurts the local church because so many end up sending finances that would help reach their community for Jesus to pay for a charlatan’s airtime. MOVIES – Films are a great way to communicate ideas and even bring history to life. When we can visualize things, it can make it easier to understand them. Over the years people have tried to ‘bring the Bible to life’ in movies. Some of these are good efforts that have helped people come to Christ, but many are not helpful, and quite a few are downright horrible, and even damaging. Just because a film has the words ‘Jesus’, or ‘Bible’, or ‘Moses’, or ‘Noah’ in it does not mean it is accurate. Just because a movie has dialogue from the Bible does not make it enriching. Just because a film has wonderful acting and is done with great cinematic effect and flare does not make it wholesome entertainment or a great tool for the Kingdom. Now it is nearly impossible to make a perfect movie about Bible events or characters because there is so much we don’t know about the people. So, artistic license is to be expected. But unfortunately much of what happens in Hollywood versions of the Bible goes beyond artistic license into a twisted picture of Christ or Scripture. Since so much of what we believe is based in what we see visually, many times church people will filter what the preacher says on Sunday through the lens of the movie or TV documentary they saw the night before. And let’s face it, the preacher is usually not as entertaining as a slick Hollywood (or TBN) production. People often forget the points of a good sermon within a few hours, but they remember quotes from a well-done movie or TV show for years. Your pastor likely wants you to know as much as you can about the things of God. But mostly he wants you to know God and His Word really well so that you won’t believe things about God that are not true. Most pastors are not ‘anti-history’, or even against a visually appealing production of Bible events. They just want you to be an informed customer when the world, and even other well-meaning, artistic believers are trying to ‘sell you something’. One of the tricks of the enemy is to convince you of something that is close to the truth, because the easiest lies to spread are the ones that are almost true. These also are often the deadliest because they are so subtle. Competing versions of the events of Christ and the larger Bible story are nothing new. Even in the early church the pastors had to remind the Christians to be careful what story they believed. The apostle Peter, who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and friends wrote this in a letter… “For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!’ And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:16-21) The apostle Paul chimed in on the same idea… “When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.” (2 Corinthians 2:1-5) If I had a dime for every time someone came up to me after a sermon and told me how what they saw on the History Channel or the latest ‘Bible movie’ was different than what I had preached, I could afford to make a really good movie about Jesus. Do your pastor (and yourself) a favor, and don’t judge his sermon in light of the documentary you saw the night before. Enjoy and learn from good films and shows about the Bible. Step back in history through a solid visual presentation and understand what Bible characters dealt with. But filter what you see through what you find in the Bible rather than filtering what you hear from the Bible through what you saw on the tube, or on the big screen for that matter… even if the one speaking is doing so from behind an expensive pulpit. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. I was raised in a pastor’s home. I have pastored at various levels, and some would say I still do. I have also been a parishioner/congregant. In all of these phases of church life I have learned a few things that I think are beneficial to experiencing the best God has to offer in the Church. Some of these lessons are primarily for leadership. I share these with other pastors and leaders in conversations where I am also learning from them. But some of the things I have learned are things that many pastors would like to say to their people, but perhaps don’t because they don’t want to sound self-serving. So, this week, our devotionals will focus on what it means to be a God-honoring, pastor-supporting, and believer-edifying parishioner. How can I be a better part of my church? Today is Sunday… so we will look at what it means to be a better church member on Sunday. It has been joked about that Sunday is the only day a preacher works… and for only an hour at that. We may chuckle, and a few people may even believe that. But anyone who is familiar with pastoral work knows that this is not the case if a pastor is ‘worth his salt.’ While a good pastor is basically on call 24-7 and serving over 60 hours a week, Sunday morning is the most obvious work he will do, and it is at times the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. The preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is literally heart-to-heart combat with the forced of darkness. The enemy doesn’t want the Gospel to be preached because he knows how powerful it is. So he fights all week, and especially on Sunday. Here are some things you can do and avoid to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem on Sundays. DO NOT – (Here are some things to avoid on Sunday mornings at church.) FIND FAULT WITH THE SERMON – A pastor will often say thousands of words in a given sermon. He will probably misspeak from time to time. He may end a sentence in a preposition. He may ask you to turn to the wrong passage (“Turn with me to John 6:13” when he meant John 3:16). Some people hear these mistakes and can’t wait for the sermon to be done in order to correct him. In fact, they won’t hear anything else he says because they are caught up in the mistake. Then they pounce on him before he even makes it off of the platform. This is not good practice. Pointing out inconsequential errors in a sermon shows that you are focused more on mistakes than the message. The fact that you can find fault with someone’s words does not make you awesome, even if you believe fault-finding to be your spiritual gift. FIND FAULT WITH THE CHURCH – This goes beyond the sermon. Do not approach you pastor and tell him how difficult it was finding a parking spot. Don’t tell him that one of the ushers didn’t smile at you. Don’t point out the grammatical mistakes in the bulletin. Don’t tell him that the soap dispenser is empty in the bathroom, or a light bulb is flickering in the closet. These things may need to be addressed… but not on Sunday morning. Again… you don’t get any extra crowns in Heaven for recognizing flaws. If the soap is out… here’s a thought… go get some more soap. If the usher did not meet your expectations, give the pastor a call on Tuesday… or… maybe ask the usher how he is doing and if you can pray with him. SMOTHER THE PASTOR – Usually, in most churches there is a time after the worship service to shake hands with the pastor. Some people hit the door so they can hit the buffet. Others give a wave and smile as they go by him. And then there are those who settle into a conversation with the preacher about everything going on in their life. Sometimes it even turns into a counseling session. This is not good practice. Most preachers are glad to say, “Hello”, thank you for being a part of the service, and wish you God’s blessing. But you may not realize how draining it is to deliver the eternal truth of God. If done right, it is a battle. So when you are done, you aren’t prepared to give someone advice on how to handle a mother-in-law who is overbearing at family events. It’s not to say it isn’t important. But it doesn’t have to be fixed in that moment. Again… set up a time later in the week to talk with him, and let the other 20 brothers and sisters get a chance to thank the pastor for being faithful to the Word. DO (Here are some things you can do on Sunday morning to make Church a better experience.) COMMUNICATE – Let someone know if you won’t be at church. This is sort of expected for leadership, though it doesn’t always happen. But even if you aren’t on the church staff, it is good to advise others when you will be absent. It is part of being a family. If I won’t be eating at home, it is important to let my wife know. It is disrespectful to not do so. The same is true in the church. Communicating when you will be out of town is a way of saying, “This is my home. I value our relationship. I will miss being here, and you deserve to know why I will be gone.” It incorporates both accountability and appreciation. ARRIVE EARLY – It is Sunday. Most people have a very loose schedule on Sunday, so there is rarely a good reason to constantly be 5-10 minutes late. You may say, “I’m not on the worship team. They can start without me. Why should I get to church early?” Well, if you are going to worship, you are on the worship team. They can start without you being there, but you can’t start with them without you being there. Music, prayers, testimonies, etc. are not just preliminaries leading up to the preaching. They are an integral part of the whole worship experience. Here’s something to think about… The amount of worship time you miss leading up to the sermon will determine how much of the sermon you miss. It is also disrespectful to constantly be late. The people who have prayed over and planned the music don’t deserve to have to compete with people climbing over people, settling in, putting their keys and purses away, and greeting others while everyone is trying to focus on God. When you arrive early, you send the message that you are excited about joining with the family, and anticipate great things from God. PARTICIPATE – If you went through a whole church service and didn’t sense the move of God, and this happened time after time, you would probably find somewhere else to attend. I imagine God feels the same way when you don’t move. When it is time to sing, sing. When it is time to pray, pray. When it is time to read the Word, open your Bible. Worship service is not a spectator sport, it is a participatory experience. It isn’t something to consume, it is something to offer. You can sing in your car for an hour on your way home from work. But you can’t sing three songs at church? You can pray like crazy when you want to pass that test or get that promotion. But you can’t close your eyes and agree in prayer with the body of believers at church? You can read your latest favorite author late into the night. But you can’t open the written Word of God to learn more about abundant life? God doesn’t want a family of consumers, but a family of contributors. Church isn’t where we go to be part of a sing-along, but where we sing praises from our hearts using our voices. The pastor isn’t just praying for you, but also with you. Reading the Bible in church can help you read it at home. So there are six simple things you can do (or not do) in order to have a better experience at church. What we are talking about is the difference between ‘going to church’ and ‘being the church’. If you are only going to church, you can leave church. But if you are being the church, you will continue to be that church when you leave the gathering and the building. The apostle Paul put it this way when telling the early Christians how to act and interact… “Be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-21) Today and every Sunday we should seek to be the best part of the body of Christ we can be. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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