As part of the Sermon On The Mount Jesus shared these words that give us an important insight into pursuing the mission Christ has given us. He said,
"You are the light of world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
It's not hard to understand the point that Jesus is making from this imagery. The primary purpose of light is to illuminate an area and thereby dispel the darkness so that people are able to clearly see. At the very heart of our mission is for us to be those luminaries by which people can see clearly. Our lives are to be such a powerful force of light that people are able to clearly see Jesus and understand the gospel of Christ. It is God's responsibility, through the Holy Spirit, to convict people of their sin and draw people to Christ but it is the job of Christ's followers to the light that illuminates in the spiritual darkness.
But if the pollsters are correct the Christian luminaries of North America are doing a pretty horrible job. All reports indicate that the Christian faith is in decline and that the fastest growing religious group is those people who claim "NO RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION" at all. That group has more than doubled between surveys and is the third largest group overall. If present trends continue this group could easily become the largest Religious Identification Group of all throughout North America. Why? What has happened to the North American Church that has caused its light to not shine as brightly as it once did? These are the questions that haunt my mind and soul and for which I deliberately seek the scripture for answers.
I think the Apostle Peter might have an answer for us to this question. As I was reading 1 Peter 2:11,12 it became obviously clear to me that he was thinking of Jesus' words during the Sermon on the Mount about us being the light of the world. At one point Peter almost quotes Jesus. Read what it says,
"Dear Friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
There it is, "see our good deeds and glorify God..." That's almost exactly what Jesus said about being the light of the world! Our desire and ambition should be to live good lives and perform good deeds so that we bring honor and glory to God. But it's the first part of the verse that I feel is the key to making sure our light doesn't dim or flicker out! Peter pleads with and urges Christ's followers to abstain from the sinful desires of the world. Peter is warning Christians that failure to stay pure and live holy lives will result in lost people not seeing our good deeds (our light) and,thereby, not be able to glorify God. I truly believe that there is a direct correlation between Christians not living holy lives and lost people not seeing the light that can lead them to Jesus. Therefore, it doesn't surprise me when I hear that studies reveal that the morality of Christian's of North America is statistically no different from those in North America who don't claim to be Christians. We have done exactly what Peter begs Christians not to do. As followers of Christ we have failed to abstain and in some cases wholeheartedly embraced the sinful desires of the world.
If we are going to be serious about pursuing the mission that Christ has called us to, we have to be serious about living holy lives. While we are actively pursuing lost people, while we are hanging out with them, while we are going where they are, we must always remain pure and holy. Otherwise all will be for naught. What do we need to do in order to become effective and obedient in pursuing Christ's mission? We need to start with REPENTANCE! Listen to the words of God to his people:
"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek after my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chron. 7:14
DON'T GET TIRED IN DOING GOOD! YOU WILL REAP A HARVEST, IF YOU DON'T GROW TIRED AND IF YOU DON'T GIVE UP. LET'S BE FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. LET'S LIVE THE HOLY LIFE WE WERE CALLED TO!
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You are right on with this post. The North American church has become so luke warm and corrupted by the world at such breakneck speed it makes my head spin. I think that you can attribute much of this to the philosophy of the father of the church growth movement Donald McGavern and those who were inspired by his teaching. He Thought people joined the church for sociological reasons rather than theological ones. The modern church growth, seeker sensitive, market driven, and purpose driven movements are fruit of that teaching. The Apostle Paul wrote “The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: For they are foolish unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” If you survey the world to see what would attract them to a church building and then for fear of offending the unregenerate, not preach the Gospel or only a watered down version, what would you expect? A bunch of congregations that resemble self help centers filled with worldly people that are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Or “they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” While wanting to fill the congregation with large numbers of people may be a noble desire, trusting in the schemes of man to achieve that goal displays a lack of faith. Carnal men would rather present works rather that trust in the finished work of the Father.
ReplyDeleteJesus commanded, “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” The early church (fellowship of regenerate believers) faithfully and un-apologetically preached this message to a world that found it to be an offence or foolishness, and “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Men can’t make believers only God can. “It’s a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.
A carnal man would call a numerically large congregation a successful church regardless of it’s spiritual state. A spiritual man would consider any healthy congregation where the Word of God was faithfully taught a success regardless of whether it is large or small.
The Church in North America just needs to be for real, totally devoted and faithful to Christ, and then who knows maybe we can partake in what God has already done.
You are right on with this post. I must confess I backslid for a number of years, from the end of “99” and didn’t recommit my life to Christ until the spring of “06”. What I found shocking as I tried to find a home church home was how worldly the church had become in those years. Maybe it was happening all along but stepping away and then returning made very apparent. For several years I visited many congregations mostly S.B.C., Conservative Baptist, and Community Churches. What I observed was that most of these congregations had bought into were the modern man made methods of church growth.
ReplyDeleteIt was understandable, many had dwindling memberships. For some of the congregations it seemed to be working and others it did not. One thing they had in common was that they forsook the TRUTH to implement the method. It took years but we located a S.B. church with an expository pastor and contrary to belief a growing congregation.
In the book of Ephesians the apostle Paul uses a Roman soldier’s armor as a metaphor for Christian strength. If you notice the first piece mentioned is the belt of TRUTH. In the real Lord’s Prayer Jn. 17, Jesus petitioned the Father “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” It is interesting that the TRUTH is the foundation and must first be established before you can support the breastplate of righteousness. No truth, no righteousness. In the modern North American Church where there seems to be a drought of faithful Biblical teaching, but no shortage of congregations that seek to entertain the un-regenerate, is it surprising that there is a drought of Biblical righteousness?
The North American Church needs to be un-apologetically totally devoted to Christ.
In an age of universal deceit TRUTH is revolutionary.
How can a young man keep his way pure?
ReplyDeleteBy living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication(sex outside of marrage), uncleanness(morally or spiritually impure), lasciviousness(lustfull),
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance(state of being disagreeable), emulations(envious rivalry), wrath, strife, seditions(incitement of resistance to lawful authority), heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings(wild partinging), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5
Here is a small excerpt from a sermon preached by Spurgeon in 1858 called GOD the all seeing one. The premise put forth caused me to search my heart and to repent of the sin that so easily besets me.
ReplyDeleteSuppose for one minute, that Jehovah, who is nominally adored in this land, could be (though it is almost blasphemy to suppose it) smitten with such a blindness, that he could not see the works and know the thoughts of man: would you then become more careless concerning him than you are now? I think not. In nine cases out of ten, and perhaps in a far larger and sadder proportion, the doctrine of Divine Omniscience, although it is received and believed, has no practical effect upon our lives at all. The mass of mankind forget God: whole nations who know his existence and believe that he beholds them, live as if they had no God at all. Merchants, farmers, men in their shops, and in their fields, husbands in their families, and wives in the midst of their households, live as if there were no God; no eye inspecting them; no ear listening to the voice of their lips, and no eternal mind always treasuring up the recollection of their acts. Ah! we are practical Atheists, the mass of us; yea, all but those that have been born again, and have passed from death unto life, be their creeds what they may, are Atheists, after all, in life; for if there were no God, and no hereafter, multitudes of men would never be affected by the change; they would live the same as they do now—their lives being so full of disregard of God and his ways, that the absence of a God could not affect them in any great degree. Permit me, then, this morning, as God shall help me, to stir up your hearts; and may God grant that something I may say, may drive some of your practical Atheism out of you. I would endeavor to set before you, God, the all-seeing one, and press upon your solemn consideration the tremendous fact, that in all our acts, in all our ways, and in all our thoughts, we are continually under his observing eye.
Borrowed,
ReplyDeleteEveryday ways to show His love
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
This God-given love is not our own; it's His life shining through us. So before we start the day, let's pray that God will fill us with His love and lead us in ways that will honor Him and bless His people. Remember, it's His perfect love, nor our finite love, that opens hearts and changes lives.
Here are just a few of the opportunities He gives me during the week (and they always make me happy):
Greet familiar grocery store checkers and post office staff by name. Seek opportunities to make simple statements such as "I thank God for the rain today."
If you are waiting at the end of a check-out line and you see a mom with little children (or an elderly person who might need help), invite them to move ahead of you in line. It's amazing how much some people appreciate that tiny favor! It often leads to conversations that allow us to mention our Lord and His care for us.
Open doors for anyone who might need help.
Let the joy and thankfulness in your heart be visible to all. God will use these opportunities in His own wonderful ways.
Remember,
"... the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8