Tag: church

Ephesians 4:7-16

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
 
 
            The Body of Christ without love as its skeletal structure would be as ridiculous and silly as a boneless chicken ranch.  “We must stop acting like children… Love should always make us tell the truth.  Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body.  Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love” (CEV).
 
            When Jesus ascended to heaven, ten days later the day of Pentecost occurred.  The Holy Spirit came upon the small band of believers and the church became a full-fledged phenomenon, growing and expanding.  The gracious gifts of the Spirit are given to each and every Christian in order to grow and strengthen the Body of Christ in love.  Each gifting might be different from person to person, but every one of them is meant to be used in love for the benefit of the entire church.
 
            The church will be weak and ineffective without any bones or skeleton.  It might look like a church, but will not be able to do anything in the world.  It is quite necessary that every single Christian in the church learn his/her spiritual gift and use it in love to build up the Body.  This is the only means of realizing a mature and functional church. 
 
What is your passion and desire for Christ’s church?  What issues stir you emotionally?  What group of people do you feel most attracted to reach?  What area of your church’s ministry would you most like to influence?  Are there people whom you notice that others seem to ignore?  Will you step out in faith and learn how God has wired you for ministry?  Will you speak and serve in Jesus’ name?
 

 

            Loving God, you have graced me with spiritual gifts for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Use me for the loving strengthening of the church, and for positive influence in the world.  Amen.

Revelation 3:14-22

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            I am a pastor in the Reformed tradition.  That means I have a high view of God’s rule and reign over the world, his ability to deliver people from disobedience and hell, and his divine prerogative in judging the living and the dead.  In short, it’s all about God’s ability because apart from him I can do nothing.  Yet, having said that, this does not mean we lack responsibility before God, as if whatever is going to happen is going to happen and I’m just a passive player.
 
            Today’s New Testament lesson is Christ’s words to the ancient church in the city of Laodicea.  It seems the church folks in that city were less than zealous about their faith.  Maybe they thought God was going to do whatever God was going to do and felt no compunction to act.  Their attitude seemed like a “Meh, whatever” kind of response to the Christian life.  It was as though they wondered if what they did or didn’t do was really noticed, or really accomplished anything substantial.
 
            The Laodicean believers got noticed enough to warrant a letter to them from Jesus; I’d say someone was watching!  Please notice this interesting response of Jesus to them:  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”  Jesus does not break down any doors to accomplish his will; Christ does not impose himself.  Instead, our Lord is persistently knocking, waiting for us to respond and answer.  If there is anyone not noticing, it would be us, not Jesus.  He desires fellowship and interaction with us.  Jesus longs for us to respond to his overtures to meet with us.  Will you let him in today?
 

 

            Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times in which I thought you weren’t paying attention.  I hear you knocking, and I am answering the door.  Let us meet together and enjoy one another’s company.  Amen.

Acts 2:42-47

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”  Peter had preached a powerful sermon to his fellow Jews with the result that thousands converted to Christ.  But it did not end there.  These new Christ followers experienced new life in Jesus.  The description of this newness is clearly corporate and communal; not only personal and private.
 
            It is more than a growing trend today for many individuals to forsake meeting corporately together as a church.  They do not desire the politics and pettiness of church life.  I get it.  Church is often messy and sometimes a poor representation of Christ.  However, just as with love, if we cut ourselves off from relationships in order to avoid hurt and a broken heart, we, at the very same time, sever any chance at the joy and necessity of giving and receiving love.
 
            The early believers in Jesus devoted themselves to life together – a life with Jesus as his Body, the Church.  Worship at the Temple together, and gathering together in homes were the spiritual environment in which they thrived.  We would do well to emulate their example of reciprocal Christian living.
            Gracious God, thank you for sending your Son who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.  As I let others into my life, may our reciprocal relationships form us into your faithful followers through the organizing and energizing power of your Spirit.  Amen.

Why Does the Church Exist?

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment

 

          Well, it ought to be obvious, right?  The church exists to meet my needs and expectations, and not to bore me to death.  Or maybe it exists to be the guardian of truth, and to never change anything, especially the worship style!  Rarely do we say this out loud, but often this is the bottom line of why we think the church exists.  Too often it comes down to personal preferences and homogeneous thinking, sort of like joining a good book club or a zumba class.
 
         

          Rather than being locked into such pragmatic concerns, a classic definition of the church that has existed for most of its history is that the church is the continuing presence of Jesus in the world, called and blessed by God to be a blessing to one another and to the world. The church is not a voluntary society of like-minded individuals that have come together for their own interests and happiness. Instead, the church is a group of people who have been called by God and joined to Christ with the Spirit’s direction and enabling.

Here are some important implications of this definition –

1. It is God who makes a person a member of the church, and not my individual choice.
2. People often leave a particular church because they see it as a voluntary society which is not meeting their interests and making them happy.
3. The church exists to further God’s glory and interests, not mine.
4. Jesus wants his church to continue his ministry and presence outside the church walls and programs.
5. The gospel is the good news of God’s hospitality (literally “love of strangers”) toward us.
6. The church is made up of called and redeemed people who are to be a community of hospitality, extending grace because we have first received it from Jesus.

The list could go on, but the point is that the church exists not for me, nor to promote itself. The church is to have an outward focus of extending forgiveness and reconciliation in the world. The questions to ask, then, are “how can we be a blessing to others?” and, “what does it mean to be the presence of Jesus?” Not, “what’s in it for me?” or “how can we get more people to give more money?” as if church were some sort of Scrabble game of personal point grabbing and no holds bar winning.

No, I’m not some crotchety spiritual curmudgeon who bemoans the lack of genuine involvement in church while totally oblivious to the needs of church members around me.  It’s just that the whole focus of church is not that I or any individual joins a church; rather, God joins me to his church.  The action is God’s.  And because it is all about God, it ceases to be about us.  When it is about Jesus, then the amazing grace of God surprisingly forgives and meets the deepest needs of our lives.  Church then becomes a place of incredible blessing as God himself shows up to offer authentic unity, real reconciliation, and spiritual cleansing.  And those are things that transcend time and immediate needs for entertainment.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable work!