“Because I Love the Church…”
Introduction:
I think that I shall never see
A church that’s all it ought to be:
A church whose members never stray
Beyond the strait and narrow way;
A church that has no empty pews,
Whose preacher never has the blues,
A church whose deacons always deak,
And none is proud, and all are meek;
Where gossips never peddle lies,
Or make complaints or criticize;
Where all are always sweet and kind,
And all to others’ faults are blind.
Such perfect churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me.
But still, we’ll work, and pray, and plan
To make our own the best we can.
The Church may have faults, but today I want you to fall in love with the bride of Christ.
At some point in time in your life maybe you came forward and made a public commitment to this church body. Perhaps at some point in your life you made a public profession of your faith declaring your love for God, but what exactly does all that mean? How does that verbal acknowledgment on your behalf transcend into your lives. The most important questions that we can answer in our own minds are, “do I love God?” and “How am I showing that love in the way I act?” I can give you numerous reasons why you should love God. You should love God because he first loved you, because he created you, because he provides for you and sustains you, because of the things you have, because he provided a way out for our sins, because He is good, and because we can spend eternity with Him.
Just saying that you love God, however, does not equate to truly loving him and just saying that we love the church does not equate to really loving the church. Do you remember after Peter had betrayed Jesus, and Jesus had resurrected from the dead he appeared to Peter. Jesus asked him, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, I love you.” He then asked Peter again, “Peter do you love me?” He again responded by saying yes. Finally, Jesus asked him a third time and Peter again told him he did love him. I believe Jesus was trying to make a point. He was trying to say, that if you say you really love me, then show it through the things that you do.
Therefore, I want to ask you today, do you love the church? Last week, we talked about several reasons why we should love the church and this week I want to talk about our response. Because we love the church how should we respond, how should we act, what things need to change, and how do we demonstrate that love that we have in our hearts.
Text: Ephesians 5:25-32
I. Because I Love the Church I Will Submit to The Leaders of the Church
In all things God is a God of order. He has set order and structure in how our homes should operate, and he has set order and structure in how the church is to operate. That is why he has set some apart for certain roles within the church, and I believe God expects His people to follow the leaders that he stand behind. This does not mean that we become “yes mans”, but it does mean that we are willing to stand behind and follow godly leaders. Notice, I said godly leaders. I believe God opposes ungodly leaders who fail to do the job they have been set apart to do. If you do not believe that look at how God’s attitude towards king Saul changed. I believe we as Christians have been called to submit ourselves to the order that God has set aside.
Hebrews 13:17
God has called us to submit to an elder’s authority, that means that with everything that we do we stand behind the decisions made by the elders because God has granted them authority in the church and members have been called to submit to them. Did you notice why it says to submit to them? It says so that their work might be a joy. There is nothing better for a leader than to know they have the support of the flock. There is nothing better than to know that the members are on board and on the same team.
There may come a time when you have a problem with a decision of the eldership, and if that is the case I want to give you a few principles that I think are Biblical principles of how to handle disagreements.
1. Put Things Into Perspective
We as people have very strong opinions and beliefs. Sometimes though we can get easily upset and mad over something and make a bigger deal than it should be. When you have a disagreement it is important to look and see if it is really something worth throwing a fuss about. There are some things that may be done that you may not like, but you probably should tolerate, but there is also a line somewhere. Before you confront a disagreement or react to a disagreement out things into perspective and see if it is as big a deal as you originally thought.
2. Consider the Purpose in the Decision
Ask yourself why was that decision made. Was the decision made to attempt to reach more people for Christ? Was it made to be more effective in teaching God’s Word? Or was it made with selfish motives and hidden agendas?
3. Consider what the outcome could be
Perhaps what you at first disagreed with wholeheartedly you learn later could have a very effective outcome on people’s lives and it is important to weigh that into the equation. If you fear the outcome could cause division and hurt within the body of Christ a disagreement may need to be addressed, but if you feel that in the end the results are going to be good then you may need to leave it alone. We need to be kingdom focused and not self focused; we need to see the big picture sometimes. Perhaps a change or decision that you do not like and agree with because of your preferences may be beneficial to the kingdom. In that case it is not worth being upset because the kingdom is far more valuable than any opinions and preferences that we may have.
4. Consider the Scriptures
If something that is done violates a Biblical command or principle than you have the right and the authority to stand up to that decision that was made. One thing that needs to be made clear though, that I want you to hear and think all the way through. Just because something is Unscriptural does not mean it is wrong. There are a lot of things that are unscriptural that we do and no one would view as wrong. Sunday school is unscriptural, pianos are unscriptural, and church buildings are unscriptural. Does that make them wrong? No! It is only wrong if it blatantly violates a Biblical command or principle and if it does I am sure that the eldership would welcome your comments and concern. Sometimes we can get upset over things we first think are wrong, but before we react we need to study and be sure that we are in line with the Word of God and aren’t just trying to go to battle over non-essentials or personal preferences.
5. Pray! Pray! Pray!
Before we ever respond or react to something we need to be sure we have prayed about it. You have no right to confront an elder who has been set apart by God and is lead by God without first praying about it. Pray for God to give you wisdom and discernment, pray for God to change your heart, pray that God will open up doors for you to discuss the issue, pray that God may soften hearts if there is a problem, pray that you may be able to see the motives behind the decision. The last thing you should want to do as a member of the church is cause division or controversy where it wasn’t needed, so pray diligently before you react.
6. Handle Disagreements with Respect
Any time there is a disagreement the Biblical way to handle that is with respect. It is not by slandering that person, it is not by spreading rumors about that person, it is not by going to them in anger, but rather is approaching them with love, grace, concern, and respect.
Because we love the church we should be willing to follow the leaders of the church. A member of the church is not honoring Christ by threatening to leave a church over a petty disagreement. That is not showing maturity and humility, but rather exemplifies and attitude that someone thinks the church revolves around them and their preferences. The church is not just a club you quit. You don’t quit loving your wife or husband because you have a disagreement, because you made a promise to them for life. Likewise, you made a commitment to the church for life.
II. Because I Love the Church I Will Work to Advance the Church
A young man, walking along the beach at dawn, noticed an old man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the man, the youth asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.
"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish," countered the young man. "How can your effort make any difference?"
The old man looked at the starfish in his hand, and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a big difference to this one," he said.
The attitude of many, in today’s churches, is, "since we cannot completely deal with the problem, we will not do anything." But the church can make a difference if one by one people would help.
Today, I hope you stand behind the church and that you love the church that Christ bought with his own blood. I hope that you are excited about what the church can become and what the church do, but the thing is the church needs all the help she can get. The Church needs people committed to working to advance the church.
Matthew 16:18
The Church is advancing into the world and striving to make a positive impact on society.
Many think that since there are so many belonging to the Church, "Why not let some one do it?" I heard a story that tells of four brothers who decided to have a feast. As wine was rather expensive, they agreed that each one should bring an equal quantity and add it to the common stock. One of the brothers thought he might escape making his contribution by bringing water instead of wine. "It won’t be noticed in the common wine jar," he reasoned. But when, at the feast, the wine was poured out, it turned out not to be wine at all but plain water. All four brothers had thought alike. Each one had said, "Let the other do it."
If everyone decided not to work to advance the church, the church would be in trouble, but if everyone would do his part the church could do amazing things.
We are in a battle the Bible tells us against the forces of darkness in the world, and the church needs every member and every person that makes her up to put forth a little effort. Well, what exactly does this mean for you? I am the type of person that likes things clear-cut, I like to know what is expected of me. I believe that as Christians working to advance the church you have several responsibilities. You have responsibilities within the church. Those responsibilities include the development of you own spiritual life. This means that you create purposeful opportunities for you to hear and learn the Word of God. Also, it means that you find opportunities to serve. One of the purposes of the church is to ensure that the people who make up the church are being fed spiritually, but we cannot do that with just the preacher working for that goal. We cannot accomplish that with just a few people willing so step up and teach. The Bible makes it clear that as you grow spiritually so does your participation in the church.
Hebrews 5:12-14
So we need each of your help within the church. God has gifted each person with certain talents and abilities necessary for the upbuilding of the church. The Church won’t be able to focus on her mission of reaching the lost if every person is bogged down doing the things within the church, but with everyone pulling together we can do much more. There are needs all over the place, for teachers, for servers, for people to do maintenance work, for people to start different ministries to people, for many other jobs within the church that cannot be done by just a few people.
We also have responsibilities outside of the church. The single most important task of the church is reaching the lost and this is an area where everyone should participate.
I don’t envy doctors in many ways. I could not imagine how difficult it would be for a doctor to have to come and tell a patient the bad news that they have some disease. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to look someone in the eyes and tell them that their life is limited, but I am thankful that they have the concern to be honest about it. They wouldn’t be doing anyone any favors by not telling them what test results show.
In the same way we are not doing anyone in the world any favors by not telling them about Jesus, because people need to know and understand that there is no hope beyond this life apart from Jesus Christ. The people you come in contact with need to hear that message because they may be dying spiritually and dying spiritually is far worse than dying physically.
I really have high expectations of the church and what she can do. I believe the church can do great things and reach people. I hope the thought of reaching people excites you. I hope the thought of people growing in their relationship with Christ excites you, but today, do not just give a verbal acknowledgment of your love for the church, but show your love by putting forth the time and effort to advance the cause of the church.
This Is My Church
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service.
If I who make it what it is, am filled with these,
Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being
All these things I want my Church to be.
III. Because I Love the Church I Will Support the Church
a. I Will Support the Church Prayerfully
What the church needs most is not new technology, it is not new programs or methods, but rather is people committed to prayer.
Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private prayer time. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn so As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others.
Wouldn’t it be great if each person in the church had places that were well worn because of people’s dedication to prayer? What a privilege we have to communicate with our creator and savior, what a privilege it is that we do not have to go through any man to get to God, we don’t have to be any particular place, but God wants us to communicate our desires and burdens with him.
Nothing can be more valuable than your prayerful support to the church. We show our love and devotion to the church by our commitment and support to the church. I want to ask you as people who make up the body of Christ here to commit to praying for the church on a regular basis. You can pray for the church leaders for God to give them wisdom to make good and godly decisions. You can pray for growth in the church both numerical growth and spiritual growth from within. You can pray for those that are sick among us. You can pray for the classes that we have regularly that God will work through those classes to equip people to live better lives and serve Him diligently. You can pray for the church finances that we will be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with. You can pray for each other, as we have needs develop there is nothing more reassuring than the fact that you have people within the church praying for you. If you love the church then you need to support the church prayerfully. We as people tend to be diligent in pray for the things that concern us most. Often times when illness or hard times befall someone they are driven to their knees. The reasons why is because they care about their life. I want to encourage you to pray for the church and see what amazing things God will do as His people seek His face through prayer.
b. I Will Support the Church Verbally
There was once a legend that said the devil once put his tools up for auction. There was one oddly shaped tool that was labeled "not for sale" Someone asked for a explanation, and the devil said " I can spare my other tools but I can’t spare this one, it is the most useful implement that I have. It is called discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts that are otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a heart the way is open to plant anything there I want.
There is nothing more discouraging than hearing people from within the church will not verbally support what is going on in the church. Sadly, you do not have to go far in the world to hear people critical of the church. The world jumps at opportunities to find fault or problem with a church. Therefore, we do not need to beat each other up and tear each other down with our pessimism and criticism of the church, but rather need to support the church in what we say. How would your spouse feel if you went around telling everyone how awful they are, telling others about all you spouse’s faults and problems? Well…I would be willing to be it wouldn’t be a pretty situation because it will really hurt their feelings. They may think, well, sure I have faults, but why do the refuse to focus on what faults I have and not the good traits I have. It is the same with the church. If you want to find fault in the church you will be able to find it because the church is made up of people full of faults, but I suggest letting our words reflect our verbal support of the church and the mission of the church. So, you disagree with a decision every now and then, you don’t like the way something was done, or where that money was spent. Those times will come, but be sure that you do not fail to see the good that the church is doing.
Last year we passed out a survey to the congregation, asking for your opinion on various issues, so we could better decide what we needed to do and how to lead more effectively. One of the questions that was asked was: “what do you feel is the most exciting thing taking place at Oak Grove currently?” Some of the answers were numerical growth, more people involved, and the youth that have come. However, here were two other responses to that same question: “We have some new members, but nothing exciting is taking place.” Another responded to that question with a simple “nothing”. Well, I have no idea whose response that was, but I do believe they failed to see some things.
It is so easy to find and see the bad, but it is a dangerous thing to a church when people verbally assault what is taking place or fails to see the good through the bad because a negative attitude is contagious. Because you love the church you should verbally support the church is what she seeks to do and accomplish because you stand behind the mission of the church.
c. I Will Support the Church Financially
Have you ever wondered why people give their money to the places that they do? Why do people send money into televangelists? Why do people support certain charities? The reason why people financially support something is because they believe in that group or person and they believe in what they are trying to do and they want to be a part of it. People are going to invest in those things, which they really believe in. I know that a lot of people in this world and the church included have a hard time with the concept of giving, but I do think that God calls us to give a portion of our incomes to the local church.
I Corinthians 16:1-2
Please, keep in mind that giving to the local charities and giving to other groups does not remove you responsibility to tithing to the local church.
A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did."
Perhaps that is the case with some people, but as we love the church it should be a joy to give what is expected of us. The Bible does teach from very early on that God’s people are to give 10% of their income to Him.
C.S. Lewis once said, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”
Many people have a hard time with that because they fail to realize that it is the Lord’s money that we are dealing with not our own. The look at in black and white and see what they are loosing, but the y fail to realize that God blesses those that give. Notice, that not everyone has to bring the same amount of money, but everyone has to make the same sacrifice. Today, if you love the church you will support her financially. I am convinced that if every Christian tithed the church would be able to do far more than it is doing now.
J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
What a joy and privilege it is to be able to invest our earthly money on something eternal. I am here today to tell you that we need to stand behind and support the church is all she strives to do.
Will you show your love for the church by supporting her is every area of your life, even your wallet?
