Sorry for the extended layoff from bloggerdom. Many legitimate reasons, none of which you care to hear.
I cannot possibly type in 4 weeks worth of sermons, so I will providing a general overview of the sermons on the nature and function of the church.
Week 1 was an emphasis on worship. This is the primary function of the church. Many seem to place the focus on evangelism, but in my opinion the most important function of the body of Christ is to be a community centered on worshipping God and living a life of enjoying that relationship that we have been graciously given. All other functions of the church flow from our life of worship. Missing worship(the primary) chokes life for the other functions(the secondary). Those functions are fellowship, evangelism, discipleship and ministry.
What do we think of when we hear the word, worship? So many facets play into the makings of a "service of worship."
What kind of music is a question that people ask? Some churches sing Psalms only, some love the old hymns, some like contemporary music, some chant, some like praise and worship. Some churches have full choirs, some use praise teams, some have bands, some have piano only, some have only an organ, some have both. Some churches play hand bells, some play harmonicas and banjos. We use a karaoke machine. Some churches play no music--only using their voices to worship God.
What about the setting in which the service is held? Some churches use colors to signify the "season" of the church year, while some worship areas never change. Some burn incense, while some do not. Some allow children into the assembly during the sermon, while others banish them to another area of the building.
What about the sermon? Some are full of hell fire and damnation, while others are full of warm fuzzies. Some sermons are expository, while some are topical. Some sermons are narrative in nature and some are not.
So--what is worship anyway. What is the church?
The church is those whom Christ has redeemed from their sins. We are the ones who have been called by the spirit from a life of darkness into a marvelous light.
The church is NOT a building--but are simply--broken people in the process of being molded into the image of Jesus.
Worship is the act of gathering together and focusing our attention on God. We focus on the blessings of salvation and life eternal. We focus on the needs that God meets each moment. We focus on our sin and need of confession and forgiveness. We sing praises to God. We look into the scripture for a word from him. We partake in the sacraments and experience the mysteries of God. God is worthy of worship even if He has done nothing at all for us. But, oh...he has done so much!
Only by being a people of worship, can we become a people of fellowship, evangelism, discipleship and ministry.
The second sermon dealt with discipleship. We are to make disciples. How is this done? I used event from school the previous week. There is one child where positive affirmation is what makes her behave correctly. When she is doing the right thing, I give her a Skittle. It is amazing what someone can be taught when they want something. I have taught her to say, "Go Tigers" when she gets and orange one and "Boo Gamecocks" when she gets a red one. But the best part is that by using these skittles I have taught her table manners and proper classroom procedures too.
Many Christians need affirmation and encouragement too. We must find ways to find people doing good things and give them praise. It is an amazing tool.
The other side of teaching/discipleship was also proven this week. There was a little guy who would not let me hold his hand when we entered the hall. He would yell and scream and cry every time I grabbed it. But, if I did not have his hand, he would run down the hall at breakneck speed. So what did I do?
I tried to be gentle and kind and rational and lavish him with love and praise. None of this helped. So, he flopped in the floor and I accidentally stepped on his hand. (I PROMISE IT WAS NOT ON PURPOSE.) The tears flowed and after wiping them off, I was able to explain to him that that would not happen if he would just walk down the hall in an orderly manner. I was not there to hurt him, I only wanted to help him. Guess what? No other issues this week after that "stepping" experience.
Some people need a step experience in the disciple making process. We know who we are to be, we know when we are flat out disobeying God, and sometimes an attitude adjustment is necessary. But before that is delivered, we better have the proper relationship with that person.
What is the proper approach? Well, some ministers and church folks spend too much time stepping on people. Some give out skittles all the time and never say anything negative. I think the proper approach is an attempt to do both.
In my ministry, I am a skittle person, but there is time that if I have the relationship with the individual, I will be able to do a little stepping. However--I must be willing to have a little stepping applied to my life too. That is the hard part.
We, as the church, should be in the process of helping someone grow as a follower of Christ and also be in the process of being discipled ourselves.
Another function of the church is fellowship. It is interesting that many churches place a premium on fellowship. Every night of the week is another opportunity for a meal, or a small group gathering, or a softball game. These are great things, but great care must be placed that fellowship is not a "primary" instead of a secondary. One of my favorite pastors, Rev. Henry Stanford, once said in a sermon, "It is a shame when we can pack out a gym for an ice cream social and only have 5 people here to visit the lost and sick." The title of his sermon was "Keep the Main thing the Main thing." I understand the point--he is saying that evangelism should take a more important place than fellowship. I think it should be worship as primary, and all of the remaining 4 as equal parts-if we are taking the mathematical pie chart approach.
Fellowship is a funny thing. You cannot force it, it is impossible to make it happen. When we first were married, I would join Sarah's family at a Holiday function. It was always nice, but afterwards her aunt would ask everyone to gather in the formal dining room to talk. We were all in a large circle looking at each other and it was a most awkward experience. Fellowship was wanted, but it often is a natural outpouring of relationship--not something that can be forced and manipulated.
What is the key to fellowship? I think it rests solely on the fact that we are family. Not in the everyone is related (Old West Va. Joke) kind of way. But we are all a part of the body of Christ. We are all great sinners in the process of becoming saints, and we need to have joy in the fact that we are not alone in the journey. Money is of no consequence, looks do not matter, size of house, educational status, talents or lack thereof is inconsequential. We are equal recipients of His grace. Oh, if we ever forget that---we almost deserve to be kicked out of the family.
Evangelism is something that scares folks to death. Evangelism is not just about going door to door, or yelling on the street corner. It is not about leaving tracts in the bathroom stalls. Who would want to pick them up there anyway. It is not about leaving a "tip" tract on a table with a measly dollar in it. What is evangelism about? SIMPLY THIS...tell the story of Jesus to people that you have a relationship. Just tell them what Your relationship with Christ is like. Be honest, talk about the confusion, talk about the frustration, talk about your times of doubts and questioning. I think they will be surprised by your honesty. But remember, to talk about the miracles that He has worked in your life. Remember to give hope, and tell of the joy and peace that He also gives.
I had a 2 hour phone conversation with a great friend the other night. We talked about this and that for about 15 minutes and then He asked a question about doubting. I shared openly about times of struggle in my own life--and how Christ always met me at that point. I told the story of Grace--and the Spirit used the conversation to do mighty things. Don't peddle Jesus like you are selling a used car. Be honest and listen more than you talk.
Ministry is the last function of the church and thinking about it always brings a chuckle. Coming from a Baptist background, I always heard the word pronounced in a holy and overly revered and exaggerated way, "Menustreee." As in, you are such a fine young man, have you ever considered going into the "menustreee." But I have come to realize that ministry does not depend upon a seminary degree or an abbreviation in front of the name, such as Rev. or Dr.
Ministry is reaching out with love and compassion. The key aspect is that we, as the church, seek to do this in the name of Jesus. We are not to be involved in helping others so that they will think well of us, or speak good things about us. Nor should ministry be an "outreach" opportunity to build or pad our church roles. Ministry is walking beside someone in faith and reaching out to them with the compassion and love of Christ.
What are some examples of ministry that have impressed me lately? Well, I am so glad that you asked!
1- A local church has an outreach to single mothers each year. This church gets cosmetologists and hairdressers to come in and give a day of pampering for these "forgotten" ones in our society. They gets a new hair style, pedicures, manicures, and massages. But most importantly, they realize that God cares for them and the church does too. I like this...a LOT!
2- One of our youth groups that came to do a day camp here a few years ago impressed me, as well. On a rainy day, they went to the Laundromat and gave out rolls of quarters. The message--"God loves you."
3- Some churches tutor in the inner cities, and have instituted a mentoring program. Some churches help with rebuilding projects, some actually visit and care about their elderly.
4- This week, people stuffed eggs for our Easter egg hunt. They could have "ranted" against the non-Christian pagan traditions of egg hunting, but instead they were available and made a difference with their smiling faces and warm hugs.
5- After a cookout this week on the pier, we were cleaning up and had discarded all the remaining food. As soon as it had hit the trash can, one of our maintenance guys walked up, hungry and ready for his lunch. Uh--Oh!
A lady here this morning, pulled out the 2 hot dogs that she was going to take home, and gave them to him. AWESOME STUFF!
The key to ministry is to look for your gifts and then try to pair them up with needs around you.
I ask that you join me in prayer about "true ministry"--we may be surprised where God leads us.
~~~What can we do to minister to the Hispanic community? We must remember that Jesus often put great attention and love on those that were considered to be "outsiders" by the establishment.
~~~Should the church leave social issues to the Government, our should we be impacting these situations with the "hands and feet of Jesus?"
~~~What are your ideas? I would love to hear from you!!
richsarah99@sc.rr.com
