Is God Loving?

I was considering some of the questions that many of us have heard:

“If God is loving, how could He send anyone to hell?”
“If God is good, how can He let children suffer from abuse, disease and starvation?”
“If God is righteous, how can He allow so many bad things to happen?”

On the surface, all of these questions sound reasonable to us. We may struggle to answer them, as believers. They may even be our questions.

Well, here is a mind-bender for us all. We are asking the wrong questions.

The Bible says in 1 John 4:8: “God is love.”

And in the 100th Psalm, David says:

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

In Psalm 119:75, the writer has an interesting frame of reference for his afflictions:

I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Here it is, then: The Bible says God is love, God is good and God is righteous, therefore He is. This means that instead of comparing God to our ideas of what is good and righteous and loving, we should study the actions of God to learn what is truly good and righteous and loving.

Let me illustrate it this way:

If you say that something is “gaudy”, because you think “gaudy” means “big and attractive,” then you may not understand why someone else becomes offended by you calling their wedding ring, “gaudy”. They think “gaudy” means “unnecessarily big and overdone – too showy.” You have two different ideas of what a word means, so where do you go to solve the issue? How do you come to an agreement as to what is “gaudy”?

You would go to the dictionary and find out how the word “gaudy” is defined.

We think we know what “love” means, but God defines “love” for us. If He does it or says it, that is the definition of “love”.

So we can’t say, “If God is loving, how can He do this or that?” We have to say, “Since God has done this, it was the loving thing to do, because God is love.”

Miss California is...

Something has to be said about Carrie Prejean, the runner up to Miss America in this year's amazingly brutal competition.

Perez Hilton in an interview with Matt Lauer on MSNBC made some of the most illogical statements I have ever heard...see the interview here:

http://poponthepop.com/2009/04/miss-california-carrie-prejean-today-show-video-interview-with-m/

Perez specifically said that he wished she would have kept her political and religious views out of the competition. WHAT?! Who asked the political question? Who set the agenda here? Hilton asked the question! Carrie did not walk out on the stage with a sandwich board on that said, "I hate gay marriage!" She did not actively oppose or organize any kind of protest against gay marriage.

Hilton also said he wouldn't want her taking about Jesus in the pageant as an example of why he thought her answer was poor. But what if she was asked, "What is you relationship with Jesus like?" How does she then not talk about Jesus?

She was Miss California, by the way, Perez. She speaks for California, who just voted for the ban on gay marriage. She spoke for the people of her state as much as she did her own "religious" or "political" views. She agrees with the majority of Californians - she represented California exactly as they voted.

Even if you support gay marriage, the tolerance mantra of the day should say that Carrie won this competition in every category. The political input came from judges with an agenda, not from Carrie Prejean! She lost because Perez Hilton came face to face with a person of integrity and he didn't like an opposing view to his own.

Jesus said to his own brothers in John 7:7:

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil."

and in John 15:18, Jesus tells us:

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

What we see in Perez Hilton is this hatred the world has for Jesus on display in a major way in the most unexpected place - A Miss America competition. Carrie, you have become the whipping girl for the gay rights movement - A movement that just showed its absolute hatred of Christians in the public arena; a movement that is blogging its hatred for Christians and Christianity all over the internet, led by Perez Hilton; a movement that calls Christians hypocrites and haters.

Miley Cyrus proposed to speak for Jesus in her blog, speaking of His love for everyone and His desire that everyone be happy. I know she means well, but read the whole Bible. God didn't write a bumper sticker, He wrote a thick, revealing book to show Himself and His holiness to the world. He gave us His Holy Spirit to defeat sin in our lives. Yes, He loves the whole world, so much that He died for us all, but He rose from the dead, defeating the power of sin and death that the devil held over us all.

Perez - and all who think like Perez - let me say that Jesus loves you, too. So much that He would die to set you free from sin. But He says that what you are doing is evil. He is God, the Creator of everything, and He has the right to make that call.

Watch the interview again. Never once does Carrie call Perez any bad names. She doesn't attack his character. She stands up for her right to say what she believes, she admits that she knew it probably cost her the pageant to say these things, but she is finding God's hand at work in it all, and moving forward to impact the world with the love of Jesus that has set her free. She is completely classy, and is not responding in anger.

Perez is spewing hatred for her and all Christians. He is calling her stupid, and a b***ch. He is blasting her for being unprepared and trying to portray her as completely incompetent and inept.

Tell me...which one has the "phobia"?

Four-Wheeling Theology

Have you ever been off-road in a Four-wheel-drive? "Mudding" in a Jeep can make a mess of your vehicle. The spray of mud thrown up from your tires, splashing through holes filled with filthy water - and all through this you run your windshield wipers non-stop, trying to at least get a glimpse every once in a while of where you are going and what you might run into along the way.

Life is like this in some ways. You are trying to do what is right, perhaps trying to follow the Lord as He leads you, but the world around you is filthy, and the junk in life is splashing all over you, making it hard to see what is right. Much like your windshield, you need something to wash the mud away so you can see where you are going and be aware of any obstacles in your way.

The Bible is the tool we were given by God to clear the windshield of our lives. As the philosophies and lies of the world muddy up your views of God and of life, you need to go back to His word often and allow Him to wash the mud away from your view so that you can see things the way God does. God's vision is always clear, because sin cannot blind Him. We, on the other hand, can be, and often are, blinded by the sin around us, until we don't know what is right or wrong, anymore. Our windshield is covered with the dirt thrown at us by the world, and sometimes by our own choices splashing the mud up and getting it all over us.

How long has it been since you ran the windshield wipers to clear your windshield? You wouldn't go "mudding" without cleaning your windshield consistently, or you would crash. How long until you do this in life? Read the Bible at least once every day! You'll be amazed how much easier it is to see.

Worthy of the Gospel?

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." - Philippians 1:27-30

Standing firm in one spirit
Contending for the faith
Unafraid of opposition

These things are given as the result of conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. As we look at our church(es), we can use these as a method of self-evaluation. Are we existing, keeping the "company" afloat, or are we worthy of the gospel of Christ - Unified, Contending, Unafraid?

Too often, we let the opposition get the upper hand by bowing to their philosophies. "Science has shown...", "New historical evidence indicates...", "Most scholars agree..."; these are the opening lines of sentences that we are less and less willing to go against in contending for the faith. We are afraid of looking irrational or unintelligent.

In science, often all evidence is viewed through a scope of atheistic presuppositions. Is this any less a "faith-based theory" than our faith in God? When these scientists are starting from the premise that there is no God, aren't they starting with a "faith statement"? So, when they think they have "proved scripture wrong", their proof is faulty because they are starting from a faulty foundation. Much of what is actually proven true in science points to the truth that there is a God who created all things rather than proving there is no God, but many "scientists" choose not to see it.

What do you read that helps you "contend for the faith" alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ? Let me take this moment to recommend that you visit the "Answers in Genesis" website and give them some thought. These, too, are scientists, but they start from the premise that scripture is true, and show how science can be used to prove it. They have some thought-provoking and even faith-strengthening materials available. I am not in any way sponsored by them or even connected to them. I just appreciate them. You may want to visit their "Creation Museum" in the Cincinnati, OH, area.

Let's not give in to fear of confidently preaching the word; standing up for God in the power of His Spirit without apology. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Sticks and Stones...

You know that "sticks and stones may break your bones" thing? Is it true that "words will never hurt me"?

The Bible talks a lot about our words. Sin has many languages: Gossip, slander, lying, unwholesome talk, cursing, coarse joking, divisiveness - even the truth, when not spoken in love, seems to be a powerful weapon we use against each other.

James speaks much about how bad the tongue (what we say) can be, in James chapter 3. Verse 6 is especially blunt:

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James also says in James 3:2 -

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

It almost seems that one of the final tests of our spiritual maturity is the ability to control the things you say.

Jesus also made a pretty bold statement about what we say:

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
- Matthew 12:36-37

If your words can acquit you or condemn you, what will be the result of the conversations you have had just today? Can we become mature enough to hold ourselves accountable for what we say today so God doesn't have to later? What's the standard by which my words can be judged?

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (emphasis mine)

Rank yourself on how you talk about the following things; A (Always good); B (Sometimes good); M (Mostly bad); C (Completely bad):

1. ____ God
2. ____ The church
3. ____ My church
4. ____ My spouse
5. ____ My children
6. ____ My extended family (including in-laws!)
7. ____ My boss
8. ____ My workmates
9. ____ My President (evangelicals?)
10. ____ Everything else

Wisdom In 2009

"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" - 1 Cor. 1:20

Imagine that all of your credit cards are carrying debt up to your total credit limit, your house payments are beyond your ability to make and you could lose your car because your payments are too high. You get called into court to explain what you plan to do to get our of this extreme debt you owe, and you answer with something like this:

"This terrible financial crisis I find myself in has only one possible solution: I am going to start spending like never before. It really is the only wise thing to do. Previously, I spent money on frivolous things, and that has to stop. I can't keep the failed practices of my past going any longer. Now, I am going to spend on important things. And I'm not just talking thousands, either. I am going to spend a cool million dollars. That is the only way I can see to get through this trying time. I know that this means that I will never pay off this debt in my lifetime, but my kids will just have to understand that I only did what I had to do to get through this moment."

Welcome to the wisdom of man. Our government is taking this exact approach to "stimulate" our economy. Finding no projects to cut in the national budget, we are adding new projects that will put us trillions of dollars in debt.

Remember when we found out the military was paying $400 for a hammer; all of those crazy amounts that were being paid for toilets and common items you and I could get for a few dollars? Well, US residents, you are now paying $2 trillion (that is $2,000,000,000,000!) for a band-aid!

I pose this question from scripture, again:

"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" - 1 Cor. 1:20

And you thought the Bible was irrelevant...

Thankful for the Church

In almost every Epistle of the Apostle Paul, he starts with words of thanksgiving for the church:

1CO 1:4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

EPH 1:15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

PHP 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you.

PHM 1:4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

COL 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--

1TH 1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

2TI 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Why, then, is there such a major shift in the body of Christ to be harsh with, disgusted with and disappointed with the church? What has happened to the "love for all the saints" mentioned in Ephesians and Colossians (Above)?

Love for all the saints...does this even register with the American Church?

Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). Paul told the church in Corinth that even if they possess spiritual gifts in powerful measure, without love, they are nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3). The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The new trend is for "believers" to attempt to love the needy people in the world while harboring contempt for the church.

You cannot love God while hating your brother:

1JN 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

To the "Revolutionaries" out there: Get back to church!

Rick Warren on Gay Marriage

This is so well-said, I will just add that this is our belief on the issue. I agree 100%!



I would love to hear your response to this video! Just add a comment at the link below.

A Christmas Reminder

There is no question that Scripture teaches us to “receive Jesus”; to “believe in His Name”, to become children of God (John 1:12).

There are many who hear the gospel and will not receive the truth and hope being offered to them in the precious blood of Jesus. Whether you credit stubborn, hardened hearts (Rom. 1:18-22); the deceit of the enemy, Satan (Matt. 13:18-19); or the lack of the Holy Spirit making the message clear (1 Cor. 2:14); this will always be true of evangelism. Not everyone who hears the gospel is going to receive it.

To receive Jesus, we must also believe in His Name (John 1:12; 20:31; Acts 10:43). What about the Name of Jesus? What must we believe in when it comes to His Name?

Going back to Isaiah the prophet’s writings, His Name is “Immanuel” – God with Us (Isa. 7:14). Isaiah also gives a list of what His Name will be called in Isaiah 9:6: “Wonderful Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is God with us; carrying all of the identity of the trinity with Him:

Wonderful Counselor – The Holy Spirit is our Counselor (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26)

The Mighty God – What Prophet would ever call a mere mortal, “The Mighty God”? Isaiah said that would be Jesus’ Name! Jesus is God, even according to the OT.

The Everlasting Father – Jesus said he was in the Father and the Father in Him. Isaiah said that Jesus’ Name would reflect His oneness with the Father.

The Prince of Peace – Jesus was the bearer of peace between God and man. This is also what His Name reflects. Without Jesus, there is no peace with God.

You cannot truly claim to believe in the Name of Jesus if you do not believe these truths about Him. His deity is articulated and proclaimed in His Name.

Book Meme - Thanks to Mark Schnell

I'm game. I have been tagged by Pastor Mark Schnell, Seminary student and good friend of mine, to do a "Book Meme". This is apparently like a blogger's chain letter, except no superstitions to it. The task I have been given is to pick any book, go to page 123 and write out the three sentences following the fifth sentence.

Currently, I am reading The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity by Alex McFarland (I was blessed to hear him speak at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism). Great Book - here are the assigned three sentences:

"You could argue, for example, that the 9/11 terrorists were liars, or at least seriously mistaken. We might say, and even be able to demonstrate, that what they believed was false, even though they believed it was true.

Of Course, you could also say that the first-century martyrs were mistaken and deluded as well."

The next task is to tag five other friends with blogs and have them do the same thing. I will have to get back to you on this one after I find those five people, and learn how to tag them.

Thank you, Mark for this wonderful opportunity.

"Christians" Defined By Their Sins

Drunkard. Swindler. Liar. Adulterer. These are titles given to people because they define the lifestyles of the people. Believers in Christ are not defined by these terms. True children of God do not continue in their sinful lifestyles.

1JN 3:6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Jesus said, in John 12:46 - I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

We do not have to sin, or stay in darkness. We can't. So why are "believers" living in sin? Prominent leaders are having affairs, misappropriating funds, getting divorced.

Give me your insight. What is happening to the church? Is God powerless over your sin? He can't stop us from sinning? Your thoughts.

Study...Learn...Grow.

God told us in Hosea 4:6:

HOS 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

He may have been speaking to other people at the time, but I believe the same could be said of our day. People in the church do not know what the Bible says. They often don’t even really care. They may say they care, but they don’t act on it. If we carried that inaction over to other areas of life, we could see how true this statement is:

“Caring about something demands action.”

Ladies, if your husband says he cares about what you have to say, but doesn’t show any signs of listening, do you believe him? Men, if your child tells you that she has heard what you have told her, and that she loves you very much, but she disobeys you and does something completely different than you had instructed her to do, how real would those claims of love for you feel? Would you be pleased with her?

If you care about something, you must act on it. God’s word says that His people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Let’s break that down:

“My people” - He doesn’t say “people”, He doesn’t say “lost people”, He says, “My people”. People who have believed in Him for salvation, He is talking about you! He is talking about me! A lack of knowledge will destroy you in your relationship with Him. Christians need to keep learning to build a relationship with God that survives.

“Destroyed” – It isn’t just a shame people don’t know the Lord better. It’s not just a sad statement on the church and our failures that people don’t know the Lord or His word. It is a matter of life or death; overcoming or being destroyed! That means that ignorance about God is a terminal situation. Does that matter to you?

“Lack of Knowledge” – We aren’t talking two-plus-two kind of knowledge, we are talking about knowledge of the scriptures. Knowing the word of God helps us know the person of God. We can know how to please Him, what makes Him happy or unhappy, and we can hear the Spirit remind us of all God has said. But we must make the effort to learn. (Read 2 Peter 1:5-8)

I would like to recommend that you get involved in Sunday School. This is not supposed to be just a “program” we offer. It is the tool by which we strive to gain knowledge and understanding from the word of God, and I believe it is very important for all believers; those whom God called “My people.” Hosea 4:14 says:

“…a people without understanding will come to ruin!”

Do you care? Then do something about it. God Bless.

The Economy and the Church

We decided we didn't want to be a free market society. We decided we didn't want to answer for the money that we spend. We decided that the government is supposed to take care of us. We are going to the government for help, for hope. We've made mistakes and we are asking the government to pay the price for us - to bail us out.

We "disposed" of God, and put government in His place. In the words of the vernacular: "How's that working out for you, America?"

A request to His church: Would you please set the example to the world and pray without ceasing? Would you please live by faith in God, and faithfully trust Him with your future instead of depending on your 401K? We are citizens of heaven, and the world is trying to mock us for our faith as they drown in debt, fear and hopelessness. The only way this mockery works is if we continue to live no differently than the rest of the world - full of fear and hopelessness.

Continue to pay your tithe, now, more than ever, because God's blessing on His people is needed! He has always been our supply, but we forgot. Now we are being reminded in a spectacular way. Will we learn, again, to live by faith in God, and nothing else? No candidate for president can fix this if God decides not to allow it to be fixed. We need Him!

"Without faith, it is impossible to please God." - Hebrews 11:6

Jesus and Me (and Prayer)

Too many leaders in the church are trying to do what Jesus didn't do - what Jesus wouldn't do.

What an incredible thing to try to be stronger than Jesus! As His disciple that is really quite disrespectful. Jesus said in His own teachings:

A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
- Luke 6:40

Some of us would think no one who follows Jesus would have to be told they are not greater than Him, yet Jesus had to say it to drive the point home to His disciples. More than surprising, this astounding statement has to be reiterated yet today to the leaders of the church. Not just the Pastors, but everyone who does the teaching, training, working and ministering among and on behalf of the body of Christ.

You may be wondering in what way today's leaders are acting like they are greater than Jesus. What are we doing that Jesus wouldn't do?

The answer lies back in Luke:

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
- Luke 5:15-16

Way too many leaders in the church are trying to minister the word of God, serve in the love of Christ, avoid temptation and evil desires, without getting away from everything and praying...OFTEN.

Too busy, too tired, too hurried...I know all the excuses. I battle with them myself. But here is the issue we have to wrap our minds around: If Jesus needed that time in prayer, and Jesus is God; then we must need it, even more so! We are not greater than Him; if we are fully trained, we might get to be like Him, but never greater.

Whether you are a Sunday School teacher, a Youth Sponsor or a Pastor, you need that time of prayer, often. If the church is going to see God's power displayed among us, her leaders need to be praying.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (emphasis mine)

Billy Graham School of Evangelism

Just a personal review of the event I was blessed to be a part of at the end of August...

1. A great reminder of the priority evangelism should play in the life and intent of the church. It is easy to get comfortable dealing with the "stuff" the church deals with every day, and just be glad to get everything done. Evangelism is never done, nor should it be put on the back-burner for any extended amount of time.
2. A lot of people would disagree what the "gospel" is, even in the church. We need a steady input of the message that saves people for eternity...how would you explain it to someone who is lost?
What does it say to our world, today?
Why does it matter of we tell people or not?
Is it okay to be "exclusive" in our theology - Only Jesus can save?
Can you "know" you are going to heaven?
Why do people fight our message so adamantly?
3. I've said it myself before, but it was confirmed for me again at the SOE: Kids must be told the gospel message often, and commit themselves to the Lord. Statistically, most believers choose to do so by age 15! Kids and Middle School ministries are vital to evangelizing the world!
I want to use the questions raised in point two to direct the conversation of this post for the next few weeks.

A Positive Reputation among the Community

Does this mean the community has to like or appreciate everything we do? Absolutely not. It is impossible for the world to like and appreciate everything God does. Many things that happen in the church are not understood by the community, and that causes many false conceptions of what we are and who God is.

We do, however, have the ability to create a positive reputation in the community, and as it is possible, we should make every effort to accomplish this.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. – Romans 12:18

Acts 2:42-47 shows us an example of the early church’s routine. Verse 47 describes the believers as, “Enjoying the favor of all the people.” This is a good thing.

The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of those who believe. If the community sees that gospel as hope for them, and they see Jesus loving them through us before they accept Him, we have shown them the true gospel. Christ loved us before we came to Him. He became our salvation after we came to Him. A healthy church knows that is still His way, and will work to love the community.

A Heart of Compassion for the Community

Our “Neighbor” is not the same as our “Brother”. Our “neighbor”, as you will read later in this post, is anyone in need. Our “brother” is a person who is part of the body of believers.

I point out the difference because churches tend to focus on one or the other of these two groups, but not both. They may have a soup kitchen for their “neighbor”, yet make all of their “brothers” feel guilty for not giving to this need. Often, their “brother” is not better off than the “neighbors” to whom they are trying to force their “brother” to give. They may have a great program for helping their “brothers” in times of need, but nothing for the “neighbors” in the community around them.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10

We are supposed to “especially” meet the needs of our “brothers in Christ”.

But the Greatest Commandments are: 1) to love God with all you have, and 2) love your neighbor as yourself. When asked who his neighbor was, Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The message was that the Samaritan, helping an absolute stranger who was in need, fulfilled this commandment. We are to love all people, even enemies.

The people in our community are by far not our enemies. They are our family and friends. They are our mailmen, our grocers, and our repairmen.

If our church is to be spiritually healthy, we must have hearts of compassion for our community. Shoving the Bible down their throats all the time is not an effective way to show our love and concern for the people outside of the church. We need to use our resources to help meet their needs, just as the Samaritan gave his money to aid the injured man in the parable.

How do we develop an effective ministry to the community?

1. Be willing to help with no strings attached.
2. Pray consistently for our community and for opportunities to help.
3. Set aside resources for the basic needs we might encounter.
4. Make this a priority and prove it is a priority by our action.
5. Set up a system of communication to stay aware of community needs.

Scripturally Solid Teachers With God’s Agenda At Heart

This may sound a little redundant, but it is really necessary to understand the difference.

There are people who teach scripture, but push a personal agenda on the hearers. These people may think the church needs to be more traditional, so they find reasons to push traditionalism whenever they can – whether it is truly the message in that passage or not. They may believe the church is too stodgy, and find reasons in scripture to go crazy in the aisles that have no inherent message of the kind.

When we study scriptures to prove a point rather than studying to find the truth, we are limiting – even thwarting - God’s attempts to communicate Himself to us. His Spirit is supposed to be the filter by which scripture is sifted for truth, not my opinion or yours. A spiritually healthy church seeks only what God desires for us, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else.

This goes for those who teach anywhere in the church, from the children’s ministry to the small group leaders to Sunday School Teachers and the Senior Pastor. It is not healthy for the church to give a platform to someone who cannot be trusted to help build up the body with an ear toward the Spirit and a heart of unity. Dividing the body with your own agenda is an errand you carry out for the enemy; possibly without knowing it; definitely without thinking.

How do we kindly make sure our teachers are well grounded in scripture and carry no divisive agendas into the classroom?

1. Have prospective teachers fill out a questionnaire.

2. Interview prospective teachers.

3. Train new prospects how to teach scripture.

4. Pair up prospects with experienced teachers as mentors.

Many churches have to beg people just to get teachers for their programs. What good is that? If the teacher doesn’t have the heart, knowledge and desire to teach, he has the potential to become an angry, bitter member, who tries to enforce an agenda because the church somehow “owes him” for agreeing to teach.

Jesus knows His body, well. He has a person to fit every need. Do we trust Him, or do we try to force a “hand” to do the “foot’s” job? That is the problem of forcing someone to teach who is wrong for the job.

A hand can’t be a foot. If we need a foot, Jesus will provide that need for His body. If we need a teacher, God has prepared someone for the job, and they will consider it an honor to serve in such a wonderful capacity!

A Willingness and Passion to Study and Know the Scriptures

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” – Psalm 119:11

The heart’s cry of a healthy church should be that we might not sin against God. According to this passage in Psalms, the way to accomplish that goal is to have God’s word protecting our hearts and minds. The church must be passionate about learning and knowing God’s word.

This falls under the mantle of “Discipleship”, but it also requires more than talk. The word of God is living and active, according to Hebrews 4, and therefore must not be reacted to as a lifeless work of literature. The leaders of a healthy church must set the pace of passion for His word by drenching ourselves in His Word’s sanctifying power.

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” – John 17:17

The word “Sanctify” means to “Set apart for holy use by God.” God’s own words are what set us aside for His use. Jesus prayed this prayer for us in John 17, not just those disciples who were there.

When items were sanctified in the Old Testament, they went through a special cleansing ceremony by the priest. Since Jesus said that the word of God “sanctifies” us, He was saying that it “makes us clean for God’s use.” His word has a cleansing effect on us to wash away the dirt of the daily grind in the world. The leaders of the church should be firmly grounded in scripture themselves to lead the laity into a passionate love for the word of God.

How do leaders motivate the body to be passionate about knowing the scriptures?

1. Teach the Truth – Scripturally sound messages

2. Set the Example – Daily personal study by all leaders in the church

3. Be Accountable – Leaders asking each other about personal studies

4. Provide Study Helps – Both at church and for home study

5. Be Genuine In Lifestyle – Live out what we preach and teach

6. Live Out the Victory – Do not complain or argue among the body

7. Let God Prove Himself – Watch and Pray according to His will

When the church passionately pursues the truth in Scripture, God will reveal Himself as He is. Otherwise, we have false expectations and our foundation in like quicksand. In the story of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7, Jesus says the fool heard the word, but never acted on it. The wise builder heard the word and put it into practice. That foundation is indestructible! It is true for individual lives and for the church family.

A Definite Scriptural Context of Purpose

Every decision we make must be sound with scripture. The leadership of the church is responsible to set the standard in this area. We cannot depend on the majority all the time, nor can we choose to ignore the majority all the time. We must, however, carry out our God-given responsibilities as “men who must give an account to God for our actions and decisions.”

Therefore, we must be personally grounded in scripture as the leaders of the church. We do not need the best business minds of our church involved in the decision-making; we need the most scripturally sound minds of our church filling the gap. We are not to become a really effective business, as many churches have become, but we are supposed to accomplish the purposes laid out for us in the Bible as God empowers us to do so.

Each leader must keep the purposes of the church in mind when discussing ideas with the laity. Remember that these are God-designed purposes for His invention of the church. When we start trying to make something else out of this invention, we abuse God’s gift to us.

A layperson may say, “Why do we always have to sing standing up?”

A leader should respond something like this: “I don’t believe you have to stand at all. It is a suggestion, because worship is, ‘Sacrificing ourselves for the Glory of God.’ When you honor someone, you either stand or bow, so we stand, because it’s hard to sing when you are bowing.” This would show a scriptural understanding of why we do things the way we do, and hopefully put an end to any divisiveness that may have occurred otherwise.

You might also turn the layperson’s attention to John 4, when Jesus said true worshippers of God worship Him in spirit and in truth. This use of scripture to support our actions lovingly educates an obedient follower of Christ and returns an attitude of unity and peace to his heart. Additionally, scripture will foil the desires of a divisive person who thought he could disrupt the unity of the leadership.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why does the church _________________ (You fill in the blank)?” Think about the activities of an average worship service…singing, offering, prayer, communion, sermons, etc. Do you know why we do these things in the context of a Worship Service? Do you think these things are a part of genuine worship? Do you see things in scripture that the church should be doing, but most don’t?