Channel Of Blessing To Your Church Series

Introduction

If you were here last week, you know that the role of a priest is to be a channel of blessings to others. But there are somethings that can prevent us from being that Channel of Blessing. We saw those unconfessed sins, not asking to be a blessing, and not having the faith to believe that you can be a blessing are three obstacles that hinder our role as priests from blessing others.

Today, we will tackle the second area of our life where we are to be a blessing. And that is at the church house. Go back to ancient times and the Jewish priest of that day. They saw their work as offering sacrifices and issuing blessing as their most crucial functions. It was their continued service in those two areas that ensured God’s presence in the temple and God’s blessing on His people.

Now today in our role as priest as defined in Peter's First Epistle our function has changed but it is equally important to the blessing of the church and the people. The role of sacrificing is no longer needed because Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, but our role of issuing blessings is still needed in the church. Think if no one would instruct your children. Think if you have a biblical question, and no one could give you an answer. Think if no one stood up and preached the Gospel, how many do you think would come to know Christ as their Savior? A church that is properly functioning, it is because the people of that church are serving their role as priest and blessing one another.

But unfortunately, just like there are hindrances that prevent you from being a blessing to others; there are hinderances that prevent you from being a blessing to your church. We want to explore those hinderances today. And I would like to mention three of them.

My First Point

Some people are content just dating the church rather than being committed to the church like Jesus is committed to the church. And the church misses the blessing.

Ephesians 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Christ has such a tremendous investment in His church that He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice of His life for His church. And I want to make the argument that if the church means this much to Jesus, it ought to mean that much to you and me as Christians. After all, we love Jesus, and He loves His church.

As Paul comes to Ephesians, he is talking about relationships between husband and wives. And in the middle of that conversation, Paul brings up the relationship between Jesus and His church. And he says that Jesus is really married to His church, He is totally committed to His church, and that is how you husbands need to be toward your wife.

So here is the reality, although you have a certificate saying you are married many people in marriage live like they are dating their spouse instead of totally committed to him or her. Now the difference between dating and marriage is obvious to me. Dating is a kind of trial period in a relationship where your commitments are minimal, relationships are tentative, and you keep your options open. In dating, you always know where the door is. Marriage is a relationship where you close the door and you bolt it shut, and you only have eyes for the one you are married to and there is no exit plan that you got worked out. In marriage, you've burned the bridges, sink the ship because there's no turning back, and you are in for the long haul.

Well, some Christians spend a lot of their Christian lifetime dating the church they attend rather than being committed to getting in there and working in it so that the church can be a blessing to those who need to be blessed. You are not willing to move your church relationship from a dating relationship to a committed relationship and that goes contrary to Jesus' relationship to His church.

Let me tell you, if you are dating the church, you are not performing your role as a priest and the church is missing the blessing. Dating the church is a lose, lose- you lose, and the church loses; and being committed to the church you attend is a win, win- you win and the church wins.

So, let me ask you and I hope you will allow the Holy Spirit to talk to your heart. Are you just dating the church: nominally involved, partially invested, maintaining enough detachment so that if it doesn't work out the way you want, you can escape with no lingering obligations?