Bad church?

Churches can do more harm than good. What about yours. Are the conflicts louder than the message of Christ's kingdom?

Serious business

Hebrews 10:26-39 NLT

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

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Sometimes people think of Jesus as a placebo for the conscience. Many view the church as having some social benefits for society now but they don't really believe that God will judge the world. Everyone wants a heaven in the future for their dead loved ones and themselves eventually but nobody seems to want to believe in hell.

But Jesus is real.
God's judgement is sure.
And nothing is worth facing the wrath of God for.

I can honestly say that no other passage in the Bible is more disturbing to me than this one.

When I was young I used to hear a lot about the debate surrounding assurance of salvation. It's one of the oldest concerns in the church.
It really is no more complicated than, 'what must I do to be saved.' And actually Jesus didn't make it easy.

I should rephrase that. Salvation is through grace alone! There are no works that buy your way into the Kingdom. You can't purchase it, or walk on your bloody knees praying to prove your devotion. For by grace are you saved through faith and faith is a gift from God, there are no works of man involved so that man can't boast that he saved himself. Jesus is the only way. 

Acts 4:12 NLT

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

I've always said that when you are born again and are a child of God then nothing can change that fact. I was born a Bode. No matter what happens in my life the fact that Don and Bunny are my parents will not change. So as  salvation is a gift from God based on God's grace, secured by the work done by Jesus on the cross, nothing I can do will change what God has done freely for me. 

I'm not a universalist. 

But I've also known that to enjoy any real benefits of knowing I'm a Bode, I need to be on speaking terms with mum and dad. To really bask in the joy of their love and acceptance, I need to seek them out, invite them around and ask for all their wisdom and knowledge on so many of the areas of life they know so much more than me.

To feel the assurance of the salvation given freely by God I need to be in relationship with him. Hugs are best in close proximity. Laughs are best shared spontaneously in normal living.

God isn't about you just gold digging without the love relationship. Heaven isn't heaven at all without God. Jesus isn't the genie of the lamp. And you aren't going to pull a fast one over on God.

He isn't going to allow the very very serious death of Jesus on the cross be mocked by those saying they are family when in fact they are not.

You either love the Father and therefore his Son and all they stand for or you are not actually part of the family.

Don't  think you can say you know and love your Father because of what Jesus did for you and then completely ignore what Jesus did for you.

Too much?

I try and write this blog about the Bible every day.

Every day I try to read the Bible and am changed by it.

I write for my own soul. 

I write to work out my own love of God.

I write for my wife so she is fed and nurtured every day by God's word. I write because even Jesus depended on the Word of God.

I write for my children. I want each of my children to know I'm searching the word of God for instructions on how to live.

I write because as I grew up I knew my own father was reading the Bible every day.

I write for my church and my Christian friends around the world because I want them to search God's word and find life as I have.

I write because I want to be corrected in my understanding of the Bible before I go off the rails.

I write in hopes that my friends that do not know Jesus will come to know him.

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Deuteronomy 11:18-22 NLT

“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.

Acts 2:42-47 NLT

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Acts 17:11-12 NLT

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

D.L. Moody wrote on the fly-leaf of his Bible these words: "This book will keep me from sin, and sin will keep me from this Book." That is a true statement. The habit of reading God's Word daily will do more for the stability, purity, peace, joy and fruitfulness of the life of a Christian than any other one thing.

Seek and you will find.

Acts 8:26-36, 38-40 NLT

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?”  He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

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One of the questions I've encountered over the years is, "What about the people who've never heard about Jesus?".

Jesus wants the good news to be proclaimed and explained everywhere to everyone.

This story demonstrates God's commitment to seek and to save those who are lost.

Here in chapter 8 of Acts it seems like a lot has happened. But we need to think back over the beginnings of the church.
In chapter 1 the expectation is set that the good news would travel to the very end of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NLT

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In chapter 2 it seems that the whole world is hearing and responding to the good news when the Holy Spirit comes on the disciples.

Acts 2:9-11 NLT

"Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

So the seeds of the good news have been planted.

So it is no wonder that after the first persecution of the church scatters the believers some back presumably to their home lands that Luke the author of Acts shows us how God is sending his great news about Jesus to the ends of the earth, or at least to Africa.

See since the beginning God has been stirring the hearts of far flung folk to seek him and rewarding their seeking with finding.

God is more concerned about the world than you are. It had been good plan all along to get his message out. No one will be able to say to God that they wanted to know but God failed to get the message or to them.

Are you as concerned about getting the message out as God is?
Will you obey as Philip did? Will you leave an active growing needy work in "Samaria" to walk in a desert? Will you be led to tell those seeking Jesus?

So what about those who haven't heard the good news? Will God send you? Has he already sent them to you?

Experience much sharing, joy and generosity?

Acts 2:44-47 NLT

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
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Do you long for God to do this in your church?
Would your family and community benefit from this kind of environment?

God has kept his promise and his kingdom is coming. And Luke is writing a description of what that kingdom looks like.
It looks the way Jesus said it would.

There is unity, generosity, hospitality, sacrificial giving, inclusiveness, sensitivity and a party all the time. Whether in small groups or homes it seems being together was the order of the day. There were still needy people. But needs were met.

They remembered Jesus death and resurrection as a regular celebration.

This "ritual practice" bonded them and reminded these early church family members they needed Jesus. They were sinners who had repented and were being generously forgiven. No wonder there was so much joy and happiness. It is obvious that such freedom would make you a little bit happy and able to be generous.

God was taking care of them.

Are you excited to be part of God's family?  Have you celebrated the forgiveness for sins and the provision of new life with others as needy as you recently?  Are you happy to have your church in your home?  Are you experiencing joy as you regularly get together with the church?

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I'm starting last night on two chapters of Acts at night and two in the morning and in doing so I'll finish Acts in seven days. How about joining me? This morning (Friday) I'll be reading Acts 3&4 and tonight 5&6.