Romans 12 & Hebrews 4 gives us a great sense of responsibility as we deal with "the church."
How can we be a better church?
1. By giving all we got to serve Christ. Romans 12:1-8
2. By treating each other with Christ-likeness. Ephesians 4:1-13
The "How to" of giving all we got to serve God and treating each other with Christ-likeness
a. Be Humble. Ephesians 4:2 & Romans 12:3
b. Be Gentle. Ephesians 4:2
c. Be patient. Ephesians 4:2
d. Be truthful. Ephesians 4:25-32
e. don't Be angry. Ephesians 4:26
f. don't steal. Ephesians 4:28
g. Be nice. Ephesians 4:29
h. don't Grieve the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30
i. don't Be bitter towards others. Ephesians 4:31
j. don't act with malice. Ephesians 4:31
k. Be kind, loving and forgiving. Ephesians 4:32
Do you want a better church? Ask yourself these questions.....
1. Am I giving my ALL, am I committed fully to serving Christ?
2. Am I treating others with Christ-likeness?
1. I am a servant of Christ - I am not ashamed of what I do or who I am in Christ!
2. I love my family more than words can express - Susan is a true blessing and the children we have make me so proud to have the title DADDY!
3. I love cheese! on just about everything... My doctor is not happy about this one!
4. I love to read maps
5. I love dark chocolate and hate milk chocolate!
6. I love Coffee!!! need I say more? Bring it on.... Venti Americano.... that's good livin'
7. I love to read a good book!
8. I love the outdoors, I wish I could go "out there" more.
9. I enjoy being around people who make me laugh! I need more of that...
10. I am not as good on the computer as I wish to be...
11. I love to lead worship.
12. I love to channel surf... This drives Susan crazy!
13. I love to eat things that are not healthy for me... God placed me in the cheese, brat and frozen custard state... No wonder I live at the YMCA
14. I love to watch football.... I have moved so much I am trying to find my loyalties again... KC and GB...
15. I am not much of a movie watcher... prefer channel surfing
16. I love going to good conference.. the travel, hearing good teaching, and of course, the free stuff... I like that!
17. I love to play basketball with my two older boys; Joshua and Timothy... they are wild and they love the game.
18. I love to just hang-out with my son Tyler, that boy makes me laugh harder than any other human I know....
19. I love to go on dates with my daughter... she likes Red Lobster.. and shopping...
20. I love to snuggle with Caleb... what a little peanut!
21. I wish I had more time to just be one on one with Susan... but we both understand that we have young kids and we are really enjoying this season of our life...
22. I love pizza... too much!
23. I am a horrible golfer.... I love to play golf with horrible golfers... no really horrible golfers.. the kind that does not keep score and you get to tee off as many times as you want... We write the rules...
24. I love warm weather more than cold weather.
25. I love the fact that I can write, read, walk, talk and reason things out! I love the fact that I am fearlessly and wonderfully made. I love the fact that my DNA is the same DNA that is in the blood of Christ. I love my life and all that is in it... I love the fact that I am blessed!!!
Unity is one of those words many of us have heard preached in churches for years. A word that we always seem to say "amen" too, but Unity is more than a word, it is a life-style that is not bearing a harvest full of fruit in our churches today.
With so much at stake, like lives being born again, receiving Christ as their savior, churches continue on with their petty differences and are more concerned about getting their way on the color of the walls, types of seating, location, carpet, and a say so in how to spend the "church" money - than we are concerned about those that Jesus came and died for.
Terms like worship wars, pastor vs. board, church fights and so on ... I was once told this "our church is known to chew up and spit out pastors!" Wow! I thought - Was that Jesus' intent for the purpose of the church? NO WAY!!!
A matter of fact if you look at John 17, Jesus prays his longest prayer, he prays for believers of his present day and for future believers. He prays a prayer, if you listen, you can hear the agony, the pain and the passion! He prays that we become one as He and his father are one. He mentions this about 4 times.. His passion for the church was that we would become ONE and do great things as the spirit came upon us.
All of us have are differences! We are not called to be the same, we are called to be ONE!!! Pastors need freedom to simply pastor, boards need to understand the passion and vision of the great commission and the great commandment and simply serve, teachers need to disciple, worship leaders need to get "self" out of the way and simply worship and congregations should desire that their church is a church that is ONE with the Christ and our Holy Father!
Unity is diversity with cooperation...
If you are part of a church body, you should:
1. Grow daily
2. Become a unifier
3. Forgive someone today
4. Work hard at becoming ONE
Have a great day, call someone and tell them how much you appreciate them!!!
Christmas Day 2008 started out as ordinary as any other day. My family woke up, showered, ate breakfast, the kids opened their Christmas stockings, we packed the van with our duffel bags and off to Grandma and Grandpa's we go!!!
About an hour into the trip I had a decision to make.... (a chunk of ice had fallen off a semi) I could hit the ice, swerve right and possibly hit a patch of ice and roll my van, or swerve left and hit a semi. Hitting the ice chunk seemed to be my safest choice. The sun was shining and the temperature was a balmy 6 degrees. So, I straddled the ice chunk.... It made the types of noise you are imagining.... Everything seemed fine and we kept driving for more than one hour.
After two hours of being on the road, 5 kids, and a pot of coffee gone... Well it was time to stop.. Our normal, usual stopping place on the road to the Grandparents....
Exit 99... The moment I exited.... My power steering was gone.... I had no idea how I was going to get my van into a parking lot.... I worked hard to turn the van... I did it... and yes, safely..... A hose was hanging and hitting the pavement.... I had no power steering... So, "this must be a power steering hose," I thought.... Stranded... on Christmas Day... 5 kids, my wife, and 7 degrees. What should I do? Have you ever been there? Stranded.... No where to go, no funds...
STRANDED!!!
I am reminded of another man named John... He was stranded... He was exiled... He was banished from all other culture... John was banished to a barren, rocky island set up by the Roman government and was left there to die! The Isle of Patmos. A couple of Scriptures I would like for you to read... Revelation 1:9-10 and Revelation 4 John was stranded on an island...
But even in his situation the Bible says in verse 10 "On the Lord's Day, I was in the Spirit." He was banished, exiled, and stranded... But He chose to be in the presence of the Lord. His choice... John doesn't seem to have any self pity, panic, anger, regrets, or hesitation... While on the Isle of Patmos, he carried on with his normal daily habits. I do not want to make light of your current situation.. I know it is tough.. It is hard... You wonder, can I even make it today?
In my situation... as bad as it was, or it could have been... My safety was at exit 99... It was warm, plenty to eat, I could have shopped if I wanted too.... Look around.... What if I would have went one mile further... I would have been stranded in a van on the side of highway with 5 kids, a wife, and miles to walk to get to safety. As uncomfortable as your Isle of Patmos experience is today..
Ask yourself.. "Could it be worse?" If you are honest... It probably could.. So, now flip over to Revelation 4.... While you are on your Island of Patmos... Maye Jesus himself is trying to get your attention.... Maybe he is saying... "I have your attention, now listen." He told John... "Come up Higher" He wanted to show John things that would blow his mind....Instead of praying for God to release us from the Island of Patmos... Ask him to take you higher... Being stranded is no fun and it is hard.... But maybe, just maybe God is just trying to say... "Come up Higher."
Have a Blessed day!!!
And yes, my van was repaired the next day and it was just a hose!
