The Church Wagon

We often refer to local congregations as “works.” For example, I’m involved with the work at South Boone, but we don’t always consider all that the label implies – that serving God in a congregation indeed takes work and effort. There are so many responsibilities involved with spreading the word, with lifting one another up as we should, and with just keeping the congregation running smoothly both as a facility and in the process of worship. On top of the visible roles of worship, there is so much that has to be going on behind the scenes to make a congregation work and to keep our church family knit closely together. We are like a team moving a large wagon up a bumpy hill, but not all of us always put equal effort into that journey.

Pullers and Pushers

We are pulling together in an uphill effort, and there will be bumps and obstacles on that path. We know the road of being a successful congregation can be a challenging one. We have members who look for opportunities to pull us forward, those who take initiative and who never get wrapped up in other dramas and distractions because they are caught up in living Acts 2:42. They are spiritually-minded people like those in Galatians 2:9. They are pillars who support us and prevent us from sliding backwards. Without the pullers, we have no forward momentum.

Alongside the pullers, we have those who push. They are like the Scribes and Pharisees of Matthew 23 who can tell everyone else what needs to be done, but they don’t follow through. They seldom speak of the congregation in terms of “we,” and the pushers distance themselves from close identification with the group. This is one who complains about the buildings cleanliness, but won’t clean up themselves. Instead of saying, “Here am I; send me,” the pusher says, “They ought to get to work.”

Hindering Progress

Neither pushers nor puller, there are those who are simply along for the ride. Revelation 3:16-17 speaks to those lukewarm individuals who take no active role in the spiritual matters or the physical needs of their congregation. The rider adds weight to the journey and does little to help accommodate for that added weight. The rider is good with the status quo and resists change that might upset their comfortable procession. They rely on the efforts of others and are largely unaware of the effort it takes to help a congregation’s journey, but they don’t realize the discouragement they offer to those trying to pull the congregation forward.

Then we have those in the church who are asleep, those who are about to fall off the cart. They are seldom concerned with the health of the congregation or their own spiritual health. They are hindering the journey by being in the way, uncommitted, and unconcerned, but they are still not actively fighting growth. Instead, that falls upon those who would hinder – those who criticize, who fight progress, who demonstrate an attitude of defeat to all around them. Hebrews 5:11-12 speaks of those who know little of the scriptures but who drag a congregation down. The hinderer demands a great deal of attention while doing little to help congregational progress.

Putting Forth an Effort

We should all have a goal of being the pullers, being the ones willing to do the work, to jump on what needs to be done, to help one another bear the weight of pulling a congregation forward on our spiritual road. What do our fellow Christians see in us? Do I have a reputation as a puller or as a pusher? Am I seen as one who doesn’t really care – sleeping on the job, just along for the ride, or actively hindering progress? What roles do we take in bearing one another’s burdens, in teaching, in taking care of the building, in preparing the Lord’s Supper, in attendance, in hospitality, in participating in worship?

If we compare our current level of motivation and effort to our enthusiasm when our congregation was new, how would we compare? Can we say we are as on fire right now as we were when we were just getting started, never knowing where we would meet week to week, always uncertain about the future, but fighting as hard as we could to survive as a group? Every stage of our existence provides new challenges and new opportunities, and every one of us needs to jump off the wagon, get out in front, and pull together. We need to keep each other excited about the work. We need to hold each other accountable, and we need to help each other keep pulling toward our ultimate goal. We can do great things in serving God, but it takes all of us to go as far as we can in His service.

lesson by Mark Ritter

Being the Church: Teaching

We’re continuing our thoughts surrounding the church in Jerusalem in our efforts to reignite our zeal and passion for being the Lord’s church. We know that all we say and do is in God’s service, and we also should recognize that we are always His church. In Acts 2:42-47, we read:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Today, we’re going to look at that first verse, devoting ourselves to teaching. Teaching takes work. I’ve never heard someone say teaching is easy, that they have too much time to prepare, that they have too much help, that they receive too much praise, or that keeping students focused is too easy. Teaching methods change. Learning styles change, and anyone who has had experience teaching can attest to these challenges.

Growth Through Teaching

A part of being God’s church is caring about the spiritual growth of every member of our church family, and we have to care about those outside the church to want to bring them to Christ. In Acts 5:42, we the earliest of churches teaching day after day. Each day was seen as an opportunity, and Acts 28:23 shows them not only working daily but teaching all day as well. We are to never give up in our efforts to spread God’s word and encourage one another.

Ephesians 4:11 talks about our responsibility to work together to attain unity and spiritual maturity, and that teaching makes us spiritually stronger, less likely to be swayed by others. Then, Hebrews 5:11-14 reminds us that there are times when we should focus on teaching and times when we should focus on learning more. We attain knowledge, and we share that knowledge, always searching for more to know and share.

Taking Teaching Seriously

There is serious responsibility involved with teaching as we should. James 3 speaks to the strictness by which teachers will be judged. We have to take it seriously. Matthew 5:19 warns us against teaching from His word incorrectly. Also, I Timothy 4:11 tells us we should be an example when we teach. The things we teach should be seen in our lives, regardless of our age. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, there is always someone you can help.

We will sometimes err when we teach, but we all need to be willing to help each others when we fall short of the mark. We need to be more like Aquila and Priscilla, helping each other spread the word more perfectly.

Being Responsible for Teaching

Ephesians 6:4 and II Timothy 3:15 speak to the responsibility of parents (and grandparents) to teach. We may look to others to teach our children, but ultimately, the spiritual health of my children come back to me. Still, we see that we all have responsibility for one another and each other’s children in Titus 2, training one another up to be better Christians. We teach each other God’s will, soundness of speech, self control, humility, and much more. Every one of us are teachers in some capacity, even when we don’t realize it.

People of that first church looked for every opportunity to build up and teach. Everywhere is the right place, and every time is the right time. We should always be helping each other and edifying one another however we can, however small or simple those moments are. Our actions speak more loudly than we realize, and our examples can spread a message you may not even know how to put into words. We want to help each other grow spiritually, and, even though we know its a difficult task, helping each other get to Heaven is worth it.

lesson by Ben Lanius

Being the Church

Many of the people in the crowds surrounding Jesus may have been many of the individuals who were to comprise the birth of the church in Acts 2. We see people who praise Jesus as He enters Jerusalem while the Pharisees are stirring unrest. Later in the week, those same people who cried, “Hosanna in the highest!” would cry out, “Crucify Him!” Then they would see and hear of the strange events surrounding Jesus death and resurrection, but the religious leaders who set themselves against Christ were probably feeling good about themselves. About fifty days later, however, something unusual happens at Pentecost, and these leaders and those people again hear Jesus preached about.

They hear Peter speak of prophecies in Joel and other prophets. They hear him and his companions speak languages they could not know. They hear him convict the crowd for the death of Jesus, even after they had seen the wonders and signs surrounding the Messiah. They hear Peter proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. They hear him preach forgiveness and salvation, and many in the crowd respond positively to that gospel message, that lesson of repentance and baptism. Some three thousand people are baptized into Christ that day, and more are added daily. This begins the story of the church.

Looking at the Jerusalem church, we want to learn what we should be as God’s the church. We want to do more than go to church. We want to be the church.

Remembering the First

In Revelation 2, one of the congregations Jesus addresses is that at Ephesus. It’s one of those congregations that looks outwardly strong. In verse 2, Jesus even acknowledges their strong stand for the truth, but He goes on to warn them against forsaking their first love. They are doing many of the right things, but they are not doing it for the right reasons. Jesus calls on them to remember where they came from and the love they once had. He asks them to repent and to remember how they first were. What we want is to look back at how the church looked when it was first established. We also want to remember what we were like as a new congregation ourselves.

Acts 2:42 talks about the things the first church did. It speaks of generosity toward each other. It speaks of a strong community who shared time, meals, prayers, and praise. They were together often, and they were spending a great deal of time together, doing things for God. They were visiting each other’s homes. They were sharing meals. The enthusiasm was infectious. Acts 5:42, Acts 12:5, Acts 12:17 – these and more demonstrate the enthusiasm in the first church and the love they show each other. They get together for prayer. They congregate to work out spiritual issues. They get together to teach and to edify. They come together to build each other up and keep each other on the road to Heaven.

The Hardships

We know from books like Hebrews that there were struggles involving sliding back to old traditions and old ways. We know those same religious leaders who tried to bring down Christ were also trying to bring down these new Christians. This is why Hebrews 10:25 and the surrounding verses are so important. They needed to come together again and again to encourage each other, to remind each other of their goal, to comfort each other, to study together and to pray with and for each other. They needed this in the face of overwhelming pressure and terrible persecution.

Hebrews 10:25 was not written to beat people up over attendance at worship, but why do we feel we have to use it that way? If you Google “not forsaking the assembly,” the majority of  top results link to Church of Christ websites addressing the issue of attendance, butt that will come naturally if our focus is God and if we are being the church of the First Century. Hebrews 2:1, 3:1-2, 4:1, 4:14, 6:4-6, 9:15 – these and more compel those early Christians to watch out for each other and to continue focusing on God. We may feel like we are not getting encouraged at worship, but that’s not the point. The point is that we should be working to encourage each other. Our focus should not be on ourselves, but on God and on our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It’s exciting to look back on the early days of the church and see the energy and the passion that they had. It’s also exciting to look back at the early days of our own congregation and see the same thing. Let’s rekindle those feelings and throw ourselves into lives where we no longer merely “go to church.” Let’s get busy being church.

lesson by Ben Lanius

The Seven Churches and Us

The challenge in examining ourselves is to examine ourselves, not as we see ourselves, but as God sees us. We often hold ourselves to one standard while God may hold us to another. This is true both individually as well as a congregation. As a congregation, we have successes; we have failures; we have challenges; and we have times of growth. In these times, we have to remind our selves this: that God knows our work and our hearts, that He cares about our work, and that He has standards against which our congregation is measured.

In Revelation 1:13, Jesus is pictured as being present among seven churches of Asia Minor. He walks in their midst. Throughout the next couple chapters, Jesus speaks to the strengths and challenges faced by these congregations. Often, we wish to be like the church of Philadelphia, but, had Jesus addressed us in this book, what might He have said to us?

Jesus’ Address to His Churches
Repeatedly, Jesus begins by affirming He knows these congregations. He knows their works, their deeds, their challenges, their tribulations. This paints a picture of a Savior, not one who is disinterested and uninvolved. Instead, through this, Jesus reassures them and us that He takes an active interest in our lives. He cares about us. He knows what trials we face.

Jesus also speaks to “him that overcomes,” in the letters, reminding us of the reward that lies ahead. Likewise, Jesus repeats, “he that has an ear, let him hear.” These days, we might say, “I know you can hear me, but are you listening?” He is making it clear that the words He shares are important to their spiritual survival. What, then, can we learn from those words, and how can we apply these letters to our own efforts as a congregation?

The Message to the Seven Churches

• To Ephesus, Jesus commends their efforts in keeping purity among their congregation. He knows they have endured in their work and have resisted evil. However, He chastises them for losing love in their service.
• With Smyrna, he contrasts their physical poverty with their spiritual wealth. He warns them of impending persecution and promises them reward should they endure.
• To Pergamum, Jesus praises them for holding to His word even in a place where Satan has a symbolic throne. He warns them, however, that there are those among them holding to false doctrines.
• With Thyatira, He speaks of their love and their ministry as well as their growth. He holds against them their tolerating a Jezebel among them, leading members of their congregation astray, and he calls for those that have succumbed to her influence to repent.
• To Sardis, Jesus says they have a good reputation, but He knows they are spiritually dead. He acknowledges, however, that even they have some among them whose robes remain white and pure.
• To Philadelphia, Jesus promises protection in times of tribulation to come. He knows they have remained faithful, and He encourages them to endure in the times to come.
• With Laodicea, Jesus criticizes the congregation for being lukewarm, uncommitted, and He warns He will dispense of them if they refuse to repent from their indifference. He admonishes them to see themselves as Christ sees them.

The Message to Us
We are probably most familiar with the letters to Ephesus and to Laodicea, but we can learn from the themes that run through all of these letters. We see Jesus commend, time and again, congregations’ endurance, their intolerance of false doctrine, their love. In contrast, a vein of indifference seems to affect many of these congregations’ efforts. They may have become unloving. They may have tolerated unscriptural teachings in some aspects. They may have been simply going through the motions.

We can relate to letter to Ephesus when Jesus calls on them to return to their first works. When we first obey the gospel, we may be full of energy and enthusiasm, but the cares of this world can wear us down. We can become comfortable with routine and forget the reasons behind those actions. Thyatira stands in contrast to Ephesus, whose later works are greater than their first. One congregation is praised for growing in their efforts while the other was dwindling. Which are we?

To Laodicea, Jesus encourages them to find their strengths. He asks them to find how they can be beneficial. He asks them to either be cold or hot, just as we all need cold refreshment at times and hot at others. We can be soothing or refreshing in different ways – a cold glass of water to some and a warm cocoa to others. Laodicea, however, is neither. They are uncommitted, but Jesus encourages them to simply get to work.

In these chapters, Jesus reminds us that He knows where we are and what we are going through, but the message is the same: “Get to work.” We can fall back on many excuses for lack of ministry, lack of growth, or lack of love, but Jesus calls on us to overcome those excuses. He reminds us to give ear to His word and endure with His promises set firmly before us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

A Congregational Team

Everyone on a team is important. It’s the time of year when college basketball fans are watching their favorite teams. In I Corinthians 16:9 demonstrates the relationship between great adversities and great opportunities, and, in a great basketball program, a coach has to mold a group of diverse individuals into a cohesive team. Things may be difficult, but the end result is stronger for the trials. In our congregations, it all boils down to our people and our service to God. There are four action steps we can take to be a better team of Christians.

Four Qualities of a Good Team Member

• We must have a team concept. We cannot think as individuals. We cannot all want the same role. We have different abilities and talents, and we all have something to contribute. Ephesians 4:11 speaks of different gifts and abilities that serve to build up Christ’s body and bring unity. Our working together in love edifies our body. I Corinthians 12:12 demonstrates the importance of each individual in the group through the importance of our diverse bodily organs. Even those parts that seem weak are important, and the whole body comes together in sympathy or joy with those members who are hurting or rejoicing. Matthew 25:14 records that parable of the servants who each have resources to invest. A difference in resources is no excuse for a lack of participation. We all have work to do.
• We must work all season and for the entire game. In I Corinthians 9:24, Paul encourages us to run our race with the prize in our minds. It takes self-control, dedication, and commitment to see our work through to the end. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to have endurance to reach the conclusion Christ has authored for us. In Luke 9:62, Jesus says we cannot look back after putting our mind to His work. We have to focus ahead on our next opportunity to complete God’s mission.
• We must compete legally. We have to follow God’s rules for the game. In II Timothy 2:5, Paul reinforces this point. Perhaps in secular sports, we can get away with breaking the rules, but this is impossible with God. II John 9 warns us against going beyond the teachings of God’s word. The gray areas that can exist in sports rule-books, but no shades of gray exist in God’s law. Revelation 22:18-19 warns against adding or subtracting from His prophecies. God’s word is final, and we have to abide in it.
• We have to take responsibilities. We can’t make excuses for our lack of resources or for other circumstances stacked against us. Peter and Judas both betray Christ, but their reactions to their own errors are vastly different. Paul, in II Corinthians, praises the congregations in Macedonia, for overcoming financial odds in contributing to the Lord’s work. They did not let circumstances dictate their efforts.

Trying Versus Doing
We understand that simply trying is not enough to succeed. We have to hold ourselves accountable. We have to put our best efforts forward. II Timothy 6:12 describes our work as a fight. It is not something into which we can enter casually. It may require sacrifice. It may be difficult and trying. Our relationship with the Lord is not a trial run. It is a commitment. We are told to strive, to endeavor, to run, to press on. How might David’s encounter with Goliath had turned out differently had David been less sure of God’s protection.

Our results as a congregation are directly correlated with the commitment of our members. We must believe in what we’re doing. We cannot make excuses. We must work by God’s standards, and we cannot give up before our task is completed. In II Peter 2:21 calls turning back worse that never trying. We give up, and we lose all we have worked for. We have a goal before us. Let us press forward to our goal, working together as a team of Christians, sharing a hope in the prize we have set before us.

lesson by Mike Mahoney

Making a Divine Investment

Leviticus 19:23-25 is one of those Old Testament passages that seems to have little application to New Testament Christians. As the children of Israel enter the land of Canaan, God tells them that their crops for three years. Then, on the fourth year, all fruit of the land is to be given unto Jehovah. The fifth year marks the first time the Israelites would be able to eat of these crops.

Being a farmer takes a certain amount of vision, knowing where to plant. Labor is involved, and this profession takes serious commitment. It is not an easy profession in modern times, and it was that much more difficult in ancient times. It was not something easily entered into, but it was not something from which to just walk away. Being a Christian is very similar.

Investing in the Church
As Christians, we must have vision and a focus. In Proverbs 29:18, Solomon says that where there is no vision, there is no sense of direction. Proverbs 17:24 speaks of the wise having focus, but the eyes of a fool are unfocused. Jesus, in Matthew 9:36-38, looks at the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd. These people don’t know where they were going or how to get there. They have no vision or focus. Proverbs 23:7 tells us that our hearts reflect our true selves. What vision for our congregation do we have? What do we focus on? We can dwell on negativity and failure, or we can focus on a successful vision for the Lord’s church.

Labor is necessary in making a congregation work. John 4:35-38 records Jesus speaking to His disciples, telling them to look up and see the work that needs to be done. He says the one that works receives wages and life. It is a work that others have begun that will be picked up by those who come after. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus speaks of too few laborers to do the work and that His followers should pray for more workers. I Corinthians 3:6 has Paul describing the work he and Apollos have done with the Corinth church, and verses 11-15 describe a testing of our efforts, revealing how hard we have labored for the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58 reminds us that our steadfast labor for the Lord is not in vain.

Finally, making a church grow takes commitment. Proverbs 20:4 tells of one who will not plow in the proper season, leading to his begging when harvest comes. In Luke 9:62, Jesus warns us not to commit to the Lord while looking back at what we leave behind, and returning to I Corinthians 3, Paul and Apollos demonstrate a great commitment in their work with the Corinth church. In this commitment, consider our obligation to each other. In 1519, Hernando Cortez sank his ships when they arrived in the New World. He motivated his 500-600 men to press forward because there was no going back. We should approach our service to God with a similar attitude.

Conclusion
What is our vision and focus as a congregation? What kind of work are we willing to do, and what kind of commitment will we exhibit? Will we be farmers that walk away because progress is too hard? Will we try to stay as uninvolved as possible, waiting for and expecting failure? If God asked for a five year commitment from those working in his physical kingdom, how much more does He expect from those of us working in His spiritual kingdom?

sermon by Tim Smelser

Finding a Church to Fit Your Needs

“We had people like you in mind when we designed this church,” reads a brochure our preacher has for a certain church. It speaks of a church that is built around the idea of appealing to a given market. You can even go to various websites to get feedback on what religion fits you best. The idea here is that what counts for a church is the programs. “What’s in it for me? What do I get out of this place?”

In the name of religion, many find clubs instead of spiritual food. The aim becomes about social support rather than salvation. Churches become inspected like restaurants. Whose menu do we like best? Instead of me fitting into religion, I try to make religion fit me. More than searching for the church of my choice, I should be interested in finding the church of God’s choice.

The Church God Designed
The New Testament church is not an afterthought. It is part of God’s eternal plan. It has purpose and design. Paul, in Ephesians 3:8 speaks of his mission to preach to the Gentiles and how, through the church, God’s wisdom is made known to all. In Matthew 16:18 and Acts 20:28, ownership is ascribed to Jesus. He died to purchase it for Himself. Ephesians 1:22-23 cites Christ’s authority over the church. It’s not a case of the church’s position on various topics. It’s Christ’s position that the church reflects.

I Corinthians 3:11 calls Christ the foundation, and I Timothy 3:15 described His church as the pillar of truth. Ours is not to see where the wind is blowing. Ours is not to market to public opinion. Paul described the church as something solid, standing firm in the tenets of its King.

Searching for Meaning
Everyone is in need of salvation (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23), and no one deserves to be belittled in their search for meaning or spiritual unification with God. Newsweek once wrote of those who are reexamining their lives and coming to the conclusion that they want their family to have some connection with God. One interviewee in the article simply says, “There’s gotta be something more. What is it?”

When searching for a church that will fit us as individuals, we find groups in which experts do the work, and the members are allowed to become uninvolved. The concepts of sin and responsibility gives way to self-help and motivational lectures. Spiritual development and growth opportunities become limited in congregations that emphasize instant gratification. Finally, Heaven and God’s will becomes an afterthought.

What does it meant to you to be a Christian? Is it to be a good person? Is it to be religious? Is it simply to love others? Is it to accept Christ as your personal savior? Scripturally speaking, not a lot of people know. Think about the importance of the church in the scriptures. In Acts 2:41-47, believers come together for the first time, building one another up, and the scriptures describe these people as those who are being saved. These individuals define the church. Ephesians 2:12-18 describes Christ’s church as the path of peace and reconciliation between ourselves and God. Ephesians 1:3-15 describes spiritual blessings found in Him, in His body. Galatians 3:27 describes baptism into Christ enters one into Christ, and (connecting back to Acts 2) to His church.

Conclusion
We live in a consumerist society, but the Bible emphasizes that the church is not ours to design as we see fit. We do not have the authority to restructure the church to cater to a specific group. Our responsibility is to mold ourselves into God’s pattern. True Christianity takes time and discipline. It takes effort. To reject His plan is to reject God, but that is what we do when we substitute our wisdom for His. He has given us a church through which we can sustain a relationship with Him. Our church should fit the desires of God if it is going to fit our true and eternal needs.

sermon by Tim Smelser