No Excuses For Missing Church

In order to make it possible for everyone to attend church next week, we are planning a special no-excuse Sunday.

1. Cots will be placed in the vestibule for those who say, “Sunday is my only day for sleeping in.”
2. Eye drops will be available for those whose eyes are tired from watching TV too late on Saturday night.
3. We will have steel helmets for those who believe the roof will cave in if they show up for church.
4. Blankets will be furnished for those who complain that the church is too cold. Fans will be on hand for those who say the church is too hot.
5. We will have hearing aids for the parishioners who say, “The pastor doesn’t talk loud enough.” Ear plugs for those who complain he speaks too loud.
6. Score cards will be available for those who wish to count the hypocrites.
7. We guarantee that relatives will be present for those who like to go visiting.
8. There will be TV dinners available for those who claim they can’t go to church and cook dinner, too.
9. One section of the church will have some trees and grass for those who see God in nature, especially on the gold course.
10. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies to create an environment for those who have never seen the church without them.

ALSO, HOW ABOUT…..
–Enclosed booths for those who cannot stand to be in a crowd.
–Oxygen for those who get to feeling “stuffy”.
–Robes for those who don’t have clothes to wear.
–Spotlights for those who like to be the center of attention.
–Pillows for those who like to sleep in church.
–Joke books for those who say the pastor is too serious.
–Thinking caps for those who can’t make up their mind.
–Pictures of Satan and hell for those who love their sin.

OR HOW ABOUT…..
–Preaching, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish?”

SHARING

Too Much Is Too Much

“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.” Proverbs 25:27

Too much of any one thing is not good. Even visiting one’s neighbor too often becomes too much–“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.” Proverbs 25:17

Evidence that one is indulging too much in one thing is that it begins to crowd out and take the place of other things that are a part of a wholesome life. Eating too much junk food diminishes one’s appetite for necessary nourishing food, which affects one’s health in a negative way. There are many other examples.

Some of the most vibrant and productive Christians lived before the age of the movie. Thus the argument can rightly be made that Christians do not have to have movies. Our forefathers founded our nation without movies. So movies are not the source of individual motivation to work hard, be smart and productive. Friendship, fellowship, fun and good times all existed before the movie.

I know we won’t be able to turn the clock back to the time before the movie, but as Christians, we need to prove all things. We need to be good stewards of our time and opportunity. We must not foolishly let our liberties become our snare. If you think a movie is a good thing, then make sure you use it for the better, not worse.

There is a down side to the movie, however. Setting aside the fact of the billions of dollars people pour into Hollywood, that enables them to wallow in squalor and sin, as well as this money being the working capital to produce other movies that blaspheme Christ and celebrate wickedness, the point I wish to make is this: even if you judge the movie to be good, how much is good for you?

With these things having been said, let’s do some considering. When a person stays up late to watch the movie, thus making them feel too tired to get up on time to attend the Bible teaching in Sunday School, is the movie “good”? When a person takes hours to watch movies, but they have no time to get their good works done, is the movie good? When a person is bored with real life and only satisfied in the fantasy world of the movie, is the movie good? When the movie replaces creative thinking, project undertaking, skills development, rewarding and productive undertakings, the ability to have fellowship and friendship with real people, on a real life basis, is the movie good?

When the movie keeps one’s heart and mind so preoccupied, that there is no time or interest in real communion in God’s Word and prayer, is the movie good?

When one is at a loss unless they have a movie, this sounds more like an addiction rather than an addition. What’s framing your life?

SHARING

The Marital Dilemma

Recent survey statistics tell a heartbreaking (home breaking, child distressing) story. Of those married persons interviewed, 1 out of 2 said they had cheated on their spouse. Over 30% said if they had to do over, they would not marry their spouse again. Another 20% were unsure as to whether they would marry their present spouse again. This means that over 50% of those who are married, are dissatisfied with their spouse.

Add to that the fact that almost 1 out of 2 marriages end up in divorce, and that 2 out of 3 remarriages also end with divorce, plus the great host of people living together who aren’t married, with approximately 40% of babies being born out of wedlock, the words of Isaiah 1:5 pale in comparison, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.”

Marriage is the foundation of homes. Homes are the foundation for society. And building without a proper foundation, leads to crashing disaster.

Marriage was, and still is, ordained by God. Without God, marriage would never have existed. This is the key point, that without God being the Lord of those marrying, marriages are lacking the right stuff to even survive. By faith, marriage can still be blessed of God. Regardless, all marriages need to look to God for their savor and enduring success.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Psalm 127:1. Just being saved doesn’t automatically mean that God is building the house. Saved people can be hard hearted and self willed.

It takes quality “material” and integrity to properly build a house. Godliness, virtue, moral integrity, and upright conduct are necessary ingredients to build the trust and respect essential to marital success. Should a Christian abandon these to walk on the wild side, taking liberties, stirring the fires of infatuation with immodesty and suggestive activities, leaving the door open to temptation and sin? Through allowing themselves to be put in unguarded situations, the lusts and desires of the flesh will ignite and devour all virtue and godliness, leaving only the mess of sin and spiritual defeat.

Do not err! A Christian must watch and pray to not enter into temptation. The flesh must be denied to avoid sin. We must walk in the Spirit, to avoid sowing to the flesh. Human experience testifies to the fact that when you play with fire, you will be burned!

SHARING

A Declaration Of Purpose

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20

A New Testament Church is to proclaim God’s Word, will, and way, teaching people to observe all things that God has commanded, according to all scripture.

The fact is, no one measures up to God, God’s Word, or will. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. That is the reason for salvation by grace. But when God addresses the difference between a sinner’s own state, way and thoughts, versus God’s righteousness, He does so by commanding the sinner to repent, to forsake his own way and his own thoughts, and return unto the Lord. God does not take the position that He must alter or change His position to accommodate man, but that man needs to forsake his way unto seeking God’s way.

The church ministry is to be Christ’s ambassador. Thus the church holds before people God’s standard, God’s will and way. No one measures up perfectly. So the church continues to call upon people to turn from their will and way and return to God’s will and way. When people get away from God’s way, they are challenged to come back to it. When addressing the differences between people’s circumstances and God’s Word, the church is not to try and make compromises to accommodate people, but rather continue to call people back to God’s Word and way.

When good people’s circumstances differ from God’s Word, the church is to continue to declare God’s Word to be righteous, while at the same time committing these differences into the hands of God to judge. The church must also call for all people to acknowledge that God’s Word is righteous and that His judgment will be just in upholding His Word.

Whenever people choose a course that differs from the way God’s Word sets forth, there must be an understanding in the minds of all, that the individual who makes this choice must bear the burden of that choice rather than the church. The church’s integrity to teach people to observe all that God has commanded must be guarded and supported by all.

SHARING

A Local Church Ordinance

With the establishing of the New Testament Church on earth by Jesus Christ before His ascension, the Lord’s local church was made the exclusive and inclusive administrator of the Lord’s work. He placed just two ordinances in His church, i.e., water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The New Testament Church is a local congregation of baptized believers, joined together by God as the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head. The church is responsible for the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20. Its mission is to preach the gospel, baptize the believer, and teach them to observe all things commanded by Christ.

Christ set forth the observance of the Lord’s Supper with His apostles, who were the first set in the church. It was not set forth as an open communion for public participation, but was delivered to the local membership only. The Bible gives no record of the observance of the Lord’s Supper in any other capacity other than local church observance.

Since Christ made the local church the agent and administrator of His work, and the Lord’s Supper was delivered to those in local church capacity, the local church is then the agent and administrator of the Lord’s Supper, as well as the ordinance of water baptism. 1 Corinthians 11:2 declares that the ordinances are to be kept as they were originally delivered. They are not to be expanded by man’s innovations and aspirations. They are not to be reduced to the level of accommodating the desires of men. But their value is seen in being administered according the Heaven’s authority unto having Heaven’s sanction.

The scripture requires the local church to have jurisdiction over the ordinances it administers. The Lord’s Supper is not an individual ordinance, but a local church ordinance.
1 Corinthians 11:18,20,33 – “…when ye come together in the church”, “…when ye come together into one place”, “…when ye come together to eat”, etc.

And in coming together, the members are to examine themselves in view of
their standing with Christ, as a member of His body, and observe the ordinance with respect to Christ, who purchased for them their position and privilege, by His own shed blood.

A church has no authority to serve the Lord’s Supper to non-members. Non-members cannot examine themselves with respect to their standing in the church as a member. The church has no jurisdiction over non-members. Until one becomes a member of the local church, they are not included in what that particular Body is doing in observing the ordinance. It is not a matter of excluding non-members from the ordinance observance, but a non-member is not in the position to partake as a member of the Body in the observance.

SHARING