responsibility of the church
empowering faith and embracing growth
The Week Nine Thursday lesson is called The Responsibility of the Church. I like to use images to convey the title. When I searched for an appropriate one, I found several representing various topics…
What does this tell us? That you can’t sum up the responsibility that the church has with a simple meme or picture… Let's delve into these responsibilities.
Charlie says The responsibilities of the church are many, but first and foremost, the church of Jesus Christ is to bring glory and give glory to God! I would go so far as to say that if we are not doing this already, then it really doesn’t matter what else we do! We heard there might be 800 kids come to trunk or treat. That’s great! But not if all we want to do is hand out candy. If we want to REACH THESE KIDS and their parents then the glory has to go to God and we have to be in His will! (note: this was shared at church back in October)
Charlie says the purpose of all creation is to give glory to God. Now this pic includes our personal growth as well, but remember what I said before? The church IS the people - so if we are not growing then we can’t fulfill the roles of the church. But that’s not what this lesson is about.
Charlie says praise and worship is the purpose of gathering as Christians. This is not what is referred to as ‘praise and worship’ in a band. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and some people enjoy being led in that, and some people enjoy being a part of it! I think it has its place.
I think the fact that ‘praise and worship’ has turned into a music thing is actually potentially a drawback. We don’t have to sing a song to give Him praise. What are some ways we can praise Him? Let’s look at the definition first…
How do we express our favor in church? What about in everyday life? How does this differ, and more importantly SHOULD it be different?
I personally love to laugh! I think it’s a great feeling to smile and even laugh out loud when I’m feeling good! There are times when I’m enjoying something like a musical performance that I am completely quiet because I’m taking it all in, but at the same time there is a HUGE smile on my face!
I love the way Charlie puts this! I’ve never thought of it as a party, but in a sense that’s true! Especially when it’s people like we have at Beech Grove - not ‘strangers’ or ‘visitors’ but US - the FAMILY that we have become! When you attend a parting or gathering of friends or family, what does it look and sound like? Are people laughing and having a good time? Or are they somber and stoic? Do they cheer on someone doing something they approve of? Or do sit and nod with a serious demeanor?
And I’m very glad our church family is growing! It is getting bigger and stronger and we would LOVE to have you be a part of this growing family!
There is another side to it though… Yes, we come together and worship, but unsaved people that visit don’t have salvation to celebrate, so our job is also to witness to them. But keep in mind we are also witnessing to others when we attend church instead of doing other things. We all go on vacation or other travel from time to time, and those are days that are not the norm. That’s what vacation means - to get away and recharge. But even in those cases we are not getting away from God. If we are ‘home’ though - we should be at our CHURCH home.
I do acknowledge that circumstances vary, and this is not a judgement on anyone that has a commitment that prevents them from coming to each service, or a physical condition that hinders movement or getting out in the extreme cold or heat. My point is, though, that if you are able to be there then that’s where your commitment should be.
Here’s a funny little pic - do you remember Whose Line is it Anyway?
I’m going to make some enemies here, but I believe ‘travel ball’ is one of the WORST things you can do TO your kids. You’re not doing it FOR them. You’re pulling them out of church to do something else. Is this something else more important that their spiritual growth?
Of course I’m sure you are spending serious time with their spiritual growth in addition to travel ball, right? That’s great! You’re missing five or so hours at church each week, and you’re adding that time to your personal family study, right? Right?
It’s all about…
It’s no wonder that the graphic is a puzzle. I’m not saying it’s easy at all. Life is stressful and full of things that tug on our attention. If we don’t actively fit the pieces in that need to be there, they will not magically fall into place. It takes effort, but doesn’t anything that is worthwhile?
Where does prayer fit into your personal puzzle? A strong and consistent prayer life will keep you grounded. When you are turning to Jesus constantly, you learn to recognize the importance of His presence, and you feel the guidance even stronger! It’s like having a constant priority adjustment!
And so you know I’m not picking on sports, think about your puzzle pieces that are maybe too big. Is it a television show? Fishing? Walking the dog?
My struggle is games - board games, role playing games, etc. I enjoy playing them with my friends, but I have to juggle that with Bible study and witnessing. I made a personal observation a few months ago in that I still play games, but I use that as social time to share my faith. I used to have a weekend gaming event that started on Friday after work, went late, all day Saturday, then Sunday into the afternoon. I just took that weekend off from church.
Now when I have it, we end it late Saturday night - maybe even 2 or 3 am, but the people are invited to church the next morning, and they KNOW that I am going to be there. I don’t share that to say that I’m doing it right or being better than anyone else - just that if you set your priorities based on Jesus then the rest will fall into place!
Before I close, I wanted to share this. My last slide that night had this pic and this note…
How many of you have a devotional book or maybe several that you use? Do you know why it’s called a devotional? Because you are DEVOTED to something - or in this case some ONE - Jesus!
Now, dear reader, what are you devoted to? If you have a devotional, when you pick it up the next time, think about how it’s to be used to grow closer to God through Jesus Christ! It’s because of your DEVOTION! You can be saved and not have true devotion, which will hurt your spiritual growth. I urge you to get closer!
Thanks, as always, for reading. I would be grateful if you would share this! I write what I feel led to write, and I never know who it will reach. I pray that it reaches the right person!
What tips do you have for leading a more responsible church life? What about your personal routine and how it has helped you grow closer to His will? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I’m sure others would benefit as well!
I wish we could not have scheduled activities on Wednesday's and Sunday's 'when we need to be worshiping.