Sunday Relevant and Healthy

When God made the church on the day of Pentecost he didn’t create a government though the church has governance. He didn’t create a school though the church has disciples.

He didn’t create a club though the church has fellowship.

He created a “body”. He made an organism with millions of “cells” each one having a special function which could only be carried out in the context of the greater whole.

I have been thinking about the church as I have moved through the paces of benevolence projects and fellowship luncheons these last weeks. The questions often asked me  are, “Is the church relevant today? Is it even healthy to be part of the corporate church?”

As to church relevance here’s what I know. The church will always be relevant in the world, not because we keep up with the times and the culture (though we should try to do that I think), but because it is THE created device in which people of God can express their power. God didn’t make any thing else for Christians to plug into. And we were born with a NEED to plug-in.

As to church health here’s what I know. Some things that call themselves “church” are not really “church”. If the organism doesn’t preach Christ crucified for the salvation of man, if it doesn’t teach the Bible as the authoritative word of God, if it doesn’t lead people into godly relationship with each other and ministry work, if it doesn’t point people towards a personal lifestyle of worshipping Jesus, it ain’t “church” no matter what sign hangs over the door. the perfect church doesn’t exist but health doesn’t require perfect. It just requires a commitment to live biblically before God in community.

As you gather this Sunday in your house of worship know that the songs, the ceremonies, the traditions are not as important as the purpose behind it all. Church is the most relevant thing a Christian can do! It is necessary! It is healthy!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the church! 

Raising the Temperature Pt. 3

      So the question has been raised, “How do I raise my spiritual temperature?”

     The answer is, “By relating to God.” 

    Now that seems relatively easy but God is not some slob off the street I can just walk up to. Relationship with Him is based on the fact that He is God and I am not His equal. Relationship with Him is based on the premise that I love Him by giving Him everything: heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). That means I turn over all my decisions to him. All my emotions are put under His control. All my understanding is sold out to Him. If He thinks a certain way about a certain thing then I do too even if I disagree. It doesn’t matter what I think; it’s what He thinks that counts. Finally all my life force is turned over to Him. I will do what He says. That’s called obedience and it is the primary way I relate to God. Lots of obedience equals temperatures rising through the roof. Little obedience equals temperatures like Alaska in January. Half and Half obedience means I am  about the temperature of potato salad that’s been left out for eight hours in the hot sun. 

      I hear a lot of people say things like “Well I asked Jesus to forgive my sins. But I don’t go to church because I have a very busy life.” 

      I hear people say “I asked Jesus to come into my heart, but I just don’t like worship, reading the Bible or praying I guess that’s for other people.” 

      I have heard “ Jesus is my Lord but we’re in the New Testament God doesn’t require me to tithe anymore.” or “I will give to missions when we stop giving to all those people over seas. My money is staying in America.” 

     Some say “I ask Jesus to forgive me everyday. I know my lifestyle is wrong, but God just has to accept me the way I am because I can’t change.”  

     These statements all stem from a heart of disobedience. The Bible commands us to join ourselves with the body of Christ. We are commanded to study, pray and worship. We are ordered to give even sacrificially. Finally we are told we have no choice but to declare war on sin in our own lives even if we think we were born that way.

      Now I just lost some of you because you have now said “That’s impossible and I guess I will never raise my spiritual temperature.”

      Please give me another moment or two and let me win you back. Yes obedience is a requirement to raising the spiritual temperature and having relationship with God. But God also knew it would not be possible for us to do it ourselves. THAT IS WHY HE SENT JESUS TO DIE AND RISE FROM THE DEAD FOR US. 

      Jesus did not just die to forgive your sins. He rose from the dead so that you could be free of them; So that you could obey and have a relationship with God that would raise your spiritual temperature. But you have to decide to let Him do it. You have to give him control and let Him begin to help you defeat sin. And this is how He does it.

“The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you.” Deut. 7:22 NLT

     Jesus is not asking you to win the battle today. He’s asking you to start it. You start. He’ll finish!

Raising the Temperature Pt. 2

     As you go through this study you might want to open your Bible to Deuteronomy 6 and 7 and give it a quick read through as well. We’re going to be talking about obedience for the next couple of blogs; It’s pretty important to the life of faith.

    Moses uses the word “obey”10 times in Deuteronomy 6 and 7 and several of those uses link obedience with loving God and Him loving us in return. So what’s that’s got to do with raising the spiritual temperature of the church? Let’s find out:

    excerpted from sermon notes 8-1-11

     We are talking about raising the temperature of the church today. I have to tell you, that is a thing sorely needed. A spirit of lukewarmness is descending, trying to put out the church’s fire. We must not let it! Further we do not have to let it! We do have a choice because the Bible declares, “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.”  I John 4:4

      Satan doesn’t have any more power to make us lukewarm than he has power to knock God off the throne of Heaven. The difference between us and God is that when Satan came and tried to kick God off the throne, God fought and won. He used His power.

     Too many times when Satan comes and tries to cool down the fires of the Holy Spirit in us, we sit down and say “Cool down? No problem. Just don’t hurt me.” We don’t rise up with the power of God inside us and fight. 

     It’s time to raise the temperature of the church and we have a say in that brothers and sisters! 

     I want to tell you how to raise the temperature. But first I think it’s important that we look at some things that will not raise the temperature:

 More People in attendance at church will not raise the temperature. How do I know that? Well because a lot of people attend Lady Gaga concerts. She’s attracting more and more people every week but it doesn’t matter how many people go to her concerts even as repeats the spiritual climate of those concerts is still going to be ice. Because Holy Spirit is not invited there!

More money will not raise the temperature of the church. Money is not bad. It’s a tool. As such it has no more spiritual temperature than a hammer and we would never think of saying “More hammers will make the church more on fire for Jesus.” That would be ridiculous. 

Greater fame or approval in the world system will not raise the spiritual temperature of the church. In fact raising the temperature of the church usually makes approval of the world system go away. You don’t believe me? Let’s talk to the fastest growing church in the world in China. Declaring yourself a Christian doesn’t gain you approval there…. It could get you sent to jail though.

  Benchmark success will not raise the spiritual temperature of the church. This is a big trap for us. This is the mind-set that says “Set your goals for attendance and reach for them. Raise up excellent programs and the spiritual temperature will rise”. 

      I can tell you right now that won’t work. Setting and meeting goals will make us successful and if we get good enough at it we might become as successful a church as McDonald’s is a restraunt. Maybe we’ll even be able to hang out a sign that says  “1.000.000.000 served communion” but bench mark success will not raise the temperature of the church.   

     Don’t get me wrong more people, more money, fame and approval, success all nice things but they don’t raise spiritual temperature. They are by products of a rising spiritual temperature! They are like the carbon emissions from the tail pipe of your car. When the engine is hot the fumes pour out. But too often the church has been guilty of confusing spiritual temperature with the fumes. 

     What raises the spiritual temperature of the church then? It’s the RELATIONSHIP THE PEOPLE OF THE CHURCH HAVE WITH THEIR GOD!

     The problem today is not with our programs, our money, our popularity, or our cultural relevance. What kills the temperature of the church is our individual intimacy with God. The church goes into revival when its people live in revival by getting into relationship with God! Until that happens the church can get grants, build buildings, and offer programs and services but the temperature will only be lukewarm. It will remain so until the people stop going to church and start going to Jesus!

Now you tell me what do you think we need to do to grow in intimacy with our God?

Pastor Wrinkle’s Corner: Which Church Are You?

Let’s Review:

1. What does it mean to be born again?

 

2. What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit

 

Tonight we are going to begin with the last book of the Bible _________________.

What is a revelation?

 

This is the Revelation of _____________      ____________.

In this book John reveals who Jesus is and _____________ in the future.

The Book of Revelation was written on the Island of _____________, where John was imprisoned for the faith. On ____________ John was praying when he saw a vision of Jesus.

Listen to this description:

“which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”  I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,”  dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ” Rev. 1:11-19 (NIV)

      So Revelation is a book about what John has seen what is __________ and what will take place later. Everyone thinks the book is only about the end but tonight we are going to talk about the part of the book that is happening now.

In Your Groups:

Read Rev. 2 and 3:

1. Write here the names of the seven churches and as you go along list their problems and what will happen if they overcome.

Church Name           Problem               If Overcome

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

 

Now back together.

If the church of America was any of these seven churches which would it be? Why?

 

 

If you were one of these churches which would you be? Why?

My Sarcasm Bone

     Have you heard that country song “Jealous Bone”? I don’t have one of those….Well at any rate, if I have one it’s hidden well beneath my over-sized sarcasm bone. Yep, I was born with a gargantuan sarcasm bone (which by the way causes me no end of conviction when I read Psalm chapter 1). It’s genetic I think. My grandfather, my father, my sister, my cousins on my father’s side they all have huge sarcasm bones. When we get together as a family we all think each other hilariously funny.When we get around other people…not so much.

     In case you’re wondering my sarcasm bone is located in my foot, my left foot to be exact. Go ahead ask me how I know this—-I dare you.

     O.K. since you asked, I know this because I play piano at church.

     Over the years I have become pretty good at curtailing the involuntary reflex actions of my sarcasm bone (even before I understood where it was located). In fact I have used my advanced skill in biofeedback to shut down this part of my anatomy so well that most people think I am incredibly sweet and that my sister is “the bad seed”.

        For years I played the piano with no ill effects. In those years the church had this giant white baby grand I called “Moby”. Anyway when I became worship Pastor I traded our altar-whale for  a new Yamaha Motif xs8. It’s awesome! I love playing it!

      However when we owned “Moby” I had to sit to play. Now that I have “Yamymoto” I stand to play. It helps me to facilitate interactivity with the congregation in worship. You wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference but it does!

     Here’s the issue; We are not a three hymn congregation. Sometimes we start at 10 in the morning and I don’t sit down again until after 11. In itself that’s not so bad. I’m young (sort of). I can stand for a couple of hours easy. But when I play  our little dream machine I stand on one foot, my left, while my right works the sustain pedal.

    That’s how I know my sarcasm bone is in my left foot.  My senior Pastor came and took over service at 11 A.M. last week. He wanted to sing another song to launch the service into prayer. It was very successful. People prayed with incredible enthusiasm. My left foot felt like it was on fire.

    At the luncheon we hosted after, Pastor mentioned how awesome the worship service had been. My sarcasm bone reflexed.

     “It must have been the 75 verses of ‘Our God Reigns’ that did it.” I said.

     I practically clapped my hands over my mouth. But it was too late. The next day I was repenting for it before God and Pastor.

     I thought sure I had it licked. Then again last night I played for worship. We had an awesome service. God moved. People were healed. I was rejoicing and my sarcasm bone was throbbing.

     On the way out the door Pastor caught me.

     “What and amazing night, huh, Pastor J? Did you feel the Spirit move?” He asked.

     “I am not sure. I will let you know when my lower extremities stop tingling.” I said.

     I had to rectify that one before I left for the night. Pastor was very gracious.He struggles a bit with the sarcasm bone himself. Still this is not good. I need a deliverance!

     I am praying today for the Holy Spirit’s sanctification and healing of my sarcasm bone. It’s either that or I am going to have to buy Moby back.

     What sets your sarcasm bone off?