Do you ever feel a longing for home, but a home not of this world? If so, there is a very good reason, and First Peter just might be what you need to see you through this day. Written originally to Christians in five Roman provinces, it is clearly a legacy for the church at large, consisting of individuals Peter describes as God's chosen ones but strangers in this world. That double (and paradoxical) identity will follow us through the whole epistle. This world is not our home, as anyone who takes seriously God's calling and assignment quickly learns. What is this mission to which we are … [Read more...]
what our people must learn
"You will know them by their fruits," Jesus said when warning his disciples about false teachers (Matt. 7:15-20). Teaching and living go together. Say something often enough, or just hear it said, and you will soon be living as if the thing being said is true. Which brings us to Titus. Paul stationed Titus in Crete to amend what he found defective and to ordain elders in every town. The Cretan churches faced two primary issues: the presence of some subversive teaching (Titus 1:9-16), and ongoing problems involving Christian morality. "The grace of God, the goodness and loving kindness of … [Read more...]
COMMUNITY OF THE RESCUED
The following is an edited excerpt from Edward's latest book, The Divine Rescue: The Gripping Drama of a Lost World and of the Creator Who Will Not Let It Go, scheduled for pre-release at Pepperdine University Bible Lectures on May 4-7, 2010. For more details, click here. Jesus himself envisioned a community of faith, a fellowship of the Rescued, created by his intervention on their behalf. As we read Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew, a picture of that community emerges, and this is what we see. These people are famished for the Creator’s approval, and they will be satisfied with … [Read more...]
CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY
The modern generation, we are told, looks at church through consumer eyes. They are spiritual shoppers, going from one congregation to another, inspecting the "merchandise" for quality, comparing elements of convenience, service and cost. Churches that wish to grow (or even to survive) are expected to be customer-oriented, ever-happy providers dispensing whatever satisfies the public and makes the shoppers content. It is certainly biblical and desirable to care about people and to serve others joyfully in the name of Christ. It is also wise to try to learn the language of those with whom we … [Read more...]
GROWING A CHURCH
A gracEmail reader in central Texas writes: "Our congregation is not growing. Some believe it is because we do not know how to grow a church. We need help. Can you suggest some guidelines that might help us get started?" * * * It is good for us to think about the growth of God's kingdom and of his church, and to pray and work accordingly. We must fill our minds with Scripture principles, however, lest we be distracted by worldly models of success (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:1-3). The Bible emphasizes the spiritual growth of God's men and women, individually and collectively, not the numerical … [Read more...]
SECULAR USE OF CHURCH BUILDING
A brother in Kansas asks, "Do you think that Christians should always do spiritual things when they gather together? In other words, should we avoid doing secular activities in the church building with our fellow church members?" * * * One difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that the former divided everything into distinct categories of "holy" and "common" (or secular). That was true of people and places, of clothing and utensils, and also of all the assorted furniture, fixtures, appliances, equipment and supplies used in sacred rituals. However, since God came … [Read more...]
THE EKKLESIA IS PEOPLE
A gracEmail subscriber asks whether the New Testament restricts the the use of church funds to particular specified activities, making it sinful for a local church to support good works other than those specified. * * * No it does not. The Greek word ekklesia, represented by the word "church" in standard English Bibles, appears 115 times in the New Testament, and it literally means a group or assembly of people (though not always physically gathered in one place). Most New Testament references to an ekklesia designate a group with spiritual purposes, but three times the word refers to a … [Read more...]
CHURCH BYLAWS
A gracEmail subscriber writes: "In a recent Family Notes you gave the website address of a particular church. The first thing that met my eye on the website was the set of organizational bylaws. Since you are knowledgeable in the Scriptures and in the law, I would be interested in what you think about these church bylaws." * * * Bylaws in general are merely part of the legal technicalities of a corporation, including 501(c)(3), charitable, nonprofit corporations. Unless churches in the U.S. are incorporated with 501(c)(3) status, contributions to them are not officially tax-deductible. Some … [Read more...]
WOMEN ON CHURCH BOARD?
A gracEmail subscriber asks whether I think church "boards" should include only elders and deacons, or also chairpersons and ministry leaders. Elders and deacons only, in his church, would mean an all-male board. He prefers that because he believes it "God's will that men should run the church," and because he thinks "men are more capable of making the decisions without getting too cluttered with our emotions." * * * I suspect that Jesus and his apostles would be far more concerned about our notions of "running" things than with the gender of those who do it (Mk. 10:42-45; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The … [Read more...]
FEEDBACK: ‘KNOWING ONE ANOTHER’ – 3
Judging from your feedback, the gracEmail for May 18, 2008 titled "Knowing One Another" touched a live nerve. Following are a few responses (some edited for space or form). Thanks to all who wrote! * * * "Can you imagine ACTUALLY 'confessing our sins to one another'??? Yikes!" -- Mike (msecuro777@yahoo.com). * * * "Rarely, I'm convinced, do individuals share themselves on a deeply personal level. A larger part of social relationships are presenting oneself as consistently as possible to what we want people to think of us. . . That does not mean that there is no true and relevant … [Read more...]