I only wish I could write as clearly about the local Church as Mr. Dan Phillips! The blog is a quick/easy read despite its length, but if I could ask every reader of this blog to read only one post it would be this one (sad seeing I didn’t eve write it, huh?). I hope you enjoy it, or are convicted by it as we at Trinity continue to study “The Church”... if you want to read comments or more from this post it is found at:
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-you-need-to-be-in-church-this.html
07 NOVEMBER 2008
Why you need to be in a church this Sunday
by Dan Phillips
"Everything old is new again," and the saying certainly holds true when it comes to heresy, false doctrine and plain old unbiblical nuttiness.
For instance, back in the anti-establishment 60s and 70s, Christianoid kids would verbally trash the "organized church." Didn't need to go to a building, they'd say; they were the church. The real Bible scholars among them (relatively speaking) might yank 1 Corinthians 6:19 out of context and waterboard it a bit, until it said what they wanted to hear.
But no, Trevor, you're not the church. You're part of the church. The word ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) means "assembly," and no, you're really not an assembly. Doesn't matter how many chins you have, you still aren't an assembly.
What you are (you tell me) is a Christian. If you're a Christian, you claim Jesus as your Lord.
Where's your Lord today? He depicts Himself as walking among local assemblies (Revelation 1:12-13, 20), holding their pastors in His right hand (vv. 16, 20). What do you think the message is, there? Why is He not watching a lovely sunset, or fishing, or walking the dog, or riding a comet? Why among churches, among assemblies, cherishing their pastors?
Because that's where Jesus is. That's where His great heart is. Do you know better than He? Which one of you is "Lord," again?
That's the church, that local assembly of believers where pastors lead, the Word is preached, the ordinances are observed, and discipline is carried out. Christ loved it and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). He died for it.
But you won't walk into one of them, and stay there? Which one of you is "Lord," again?
Before He died, Jesus prayed for the church, all of it (John 17). Even (especially!) with what He was facing, the church was on His heart.
But you won't attach yourself to one, to join it and work in it and pray for it? Which one of you is "Lord," again?
Who is your pastor? Are you fool enough to say "Jesus is my pastor"? Nonsense. When He ascended, He gave pastors to the church (Ephesians 4:11). If He gave them, then He isn't them. Which one is your pastor, your toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball pastor?
Your "Lord" charged pastors with the care of souls. That means Jesus — your Lord, so you say — thinks your soul needs watching over (Hebrews 13:7, 17). Which individual flesh and bones living pastor is watching over your soul, in person, individually?
If "none," how is it that you decided you are smarter than Jesus? You know, Jesus. Your "Lord." Which one of you is "Lord," again?
Jesus, your Lord, also called you to know, show respect for, esteem highly in love, and submit to the leadership of your flesh-and-blood in-person pastor (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17). Which pastor is it that sees you come regularly to be discipled and led, and sees you loving and trusting God enough to yield him the love and submission to which God calls you?
If you bristle at the thought of embracing what Jesus calls you to — which one of you is "Lord," again?
And if you fall into unrepentant sin, which assembly will even know of it, let alone discipline you? Jesus says you need that, too (Matthew 18:13-20). I don't care what complex, high-sounding Dagwood sandwich of excuses you can slap together. If you say you don't need to be in a local assembly, you say you're smarter than Jesus, and are sufficient.
Fool!
And remember, that Jesus you say is your "Lord" said that the second most important thing in the world is to love your neighbor (Matthew 22:39). He moved Paul to tell you your fellow-church-member is your premier neighbor (Galatians 6:10). That's where you take all that rich doctrine (Ephesians 1—3), and live it out in community (Ephesians 4—6). That's where you do all those dozens of "one anothers."
And if you tell yourself that your spouse or children are all the "one anothers" you need, God already said "No." If you insist, you put your judgment over God's.
Meaning that, whatever your mouth professes, your choices say you find God's judgment deficient, and yours superior.
Meaning you're a fool and a de facto blasphemer — whether you intend to be or not.
And you thereby bring harm on your spouse and children, by preaching and living a lie to them.
That's for starters.
So, Jesus — your "Lord" — says you need to be in a local church. You say you don't?
Which one to believe? You? Or Jesus? You? Or Jesus? Hmm.
Here's the problem, I think. I've said a word thirteen times: Lord. The confession of Jesus as Lord is fundamental to Christian faith (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11). In repentant faith, we bow the knee to Christ's Lordship.
I think the problem with a lot of these late-blooming hippies is, at root, authority. They don't like to have to sit still and listen while someone else talks. They don't like someone else being in charge. They don't like being encouraged to join, commit, join in, be with, commit themselves, be accountable, be answerable.
Our race was bitten with an anti-authority bug when great-grandma bought the "You shall be as gods" line, and great-granddad followed her lead. But conversion — real conversion — deals with that bug.
It all really comes back to Jesus, the Lord. You may not like the idea of being accountable to a man, or a group of men. You'd rather sit home, watching TV or listening to tapes. Whenever you want, wherever you want. No yucky people to be patient with; don't have to listen to all their whiny problems and needs. No need to adjust to different accents, different ways of thinking, different cultures. Just you, you, you.
But Jesus — the Lord — commands you to go to church, join in church, participate in church, and submit to the God-ordained human leadership of the church.
That's your issue. Is Jesus your Lord in reality, or in theory alone? When convenient, or no? Are your ego and control-issues the boundary of His Lordship?
See you in church.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
As I Preach on "The Church"...
“remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father….”1st Thess. 1:3
I can’t help to think about the impact the local church has had on my life as I preach through our series on “The Church” during our Sunday morning worship. I think about my very early grade school years at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Ga. where the Lord did a work in my heart and brought me to salvation - a place where my Grandmother and Aunt still attend over 30 years later…Wow, what that church has held to under the leading of Dr. Wayne Robertson. Through the years I have called Bro. Wayne for counsel and he has always shown grace and wisdom. I think of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Ga. where my Dad served as Youth Pastor and then later as Co-Pastor. I think of the men and women there that to this day, mean so much to my life. I was ordained out of Second Baptist, I was married at Second Baptist, but most importantly, I learned the Word of God at Second Baptist. I think of men and women who loved me enough to teach me the Word of God…
I think of the Kingdom impact these two churches have had - the stands they have taken through the years, the eternal investments made through student ministries and children’s ministries, the help that was given to me during Seminary, the men of God that filled these pulpits week in and week out, and then the countless men that are preaching the Gospel and ladies who are on the mission field today out of these churches. As I reminisce, I think about the way the Lord used His people to impact my life and my love for Him. I think about the times I was corrected by people who were not my parents, but loved me enough to get involved and correct, or get my parents involved to correct. All of this reminds me how blessed I was to basically spend the first part of my life (early grade school) at Morningside and was taught the Word of God, then only to go to Second Baptist where from about 9 years old until I was married, I was a part of that body. Each of these churches have men and women, whom I grew up under, that are still apart of those bodies and serving as deacon’s, teachers and in many other areas. I say, that should be what every church strives to attain; generations of families that have served together, cried together, laughed together during the great times and difficult times. Sure, these churches, just as in every church, you have had some move, leave or those who have walked away from the faith (proving it false in their life to begin with). But those are not the one’s I remember - I remember those who I see when we visit family in Warner Robins even today…those that used to have a lot of hair - but now have no hair (or much more gray in their hair)! I think of those who have remained faithful through the years… those who have been dedicated to truth and to a local body – they invested their life in a body of believers for His glory. This is what I have been blessed enough to see from a young child, all the way up to adulthood… a church, a body of Christ with different gifts, personalities, issues, and quirks - but desiring to bring glory to God over all. As a boy I didn’t realize what was taking place - I didn’t realize what was happening, but as the song “I Want To Go” by Larnelle Harris says:
But all through the years
Your eyes and ears
Saw just enough of Christ among the people here
To know that you could trust
To know that you were loved
Until there came the day
Your heart could finally say (pray)
I want to go where You are going, Lord
I want to be among Your people where You are
I cannot live my life alone
I don't know how
But You would not bring me this far to leave me now
This is what happened to me. Because I had parents that didn’t ask me if I wanted to go to Church, but made me go – I was forced, at a young age to watch these people gather and worship and serve and glorify God. Thank the Lord for the many people who have made such an impact on my life, and thank God for His Body!
I can’t help to think about the impact the local church has had on my life as I preach through our series on “The Church” during our Sunday morning worship. I think about my very early grade school years at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Ga. where the Lord did a work in my heart and brought me to salvation - a place where my Grandmother and Aunt still attend over 30 years later…Wow, what that church has held to under the leading of Dr. Wayne Robertson. Through the years I have called Bro. Wayne for counsel and he has always shown grace and wisdom. I think of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Ga. where my Dad served as Youth Pastor and then later as Co-Pastor. I think of the men and women there that to this day, mean so much to my life. I was ordained out of Second Baptist, I was married at Second Baptist, but most importantly, I learned the Word of God at Second Baptist. I think of men and women who loved me enough to teach me the Word of God…
I think of the Kingdom impact these two churches have had - the stands they have taken through the years, the eternal investments made through student ministries and children’s ministries, the help that was given to me during Seminary, the men of God that filled these pulpits week in and week out, and then the countless men that are preaching the Gospel and ladies who are on the mission field today out of these churches. As I reminisce, I think about the way the Lord used His people to impact my life and my love for Him. I think about the times I was corrected by people who were not my parents, but loved me enough to get involved and correct, or get my parents involved to correct. All of this reminds me how blessed I was to basically spend the first part of my life (early grade school) at Morningside and was taught the Word of God, then only to go to Second Baptist where from about 9 years old until I was married, I was a part of that body. Each of these churches have men and women, whom I grew up under, that are still apart of those bodies and serving as deacon’s, teachers and in many other areas. I say, that should be what every church strives to attain; generations of families that have served together, cried together, laughed together during the great times and difficult times. Sure, these churches, just as in every church, you have had some move, leave or those who have walked away from the faith (proving it false in their life to begin with). But those are not the one’s I remember - I remember those who I see when we visit family in Warner Robins even today…those that used to have a lot of hair - but now have no hair (or much more gray in their hair)! I think of those who have remained faithful through the years… those who have been dedicated to truth and to a local body – they invested their life in a body of believers for His glory. This is what I have been blessed enough to see from a young child, all the way up to adulthood… a church, a body of Christ with different gifts, personalities, issues, and quirks - but desiring to bring glory to God over all. As a boy I didn’t realize what was taking place - I didn’t realize what was happening, but as the song “I Want To Go” by Larnelle Harris says:
But all through the years
Your eyes and ears
Saw just enough of Christ among the people here
To know that you could trust
To know that you were loved
Until there came the day
Your heart could finally say (pray)
I want to go where You are going, Lord
I want to be among Your people where You are
I cannot live my life alone
I don't know how
But You would not bring me this far to leave me now
This is what happened to me. Because I had parents that didn’t ask me if I wanted to go to Church, but made me go – I was forced, at a young age to watch these people gather and worship and serve and glorify God. Thank the Lord for the many people who have made such an impact on my life, and thank God for His Body!
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