ODDS and ENDS
Hebrews 6:1-3
#OddsEnds
INTRODUCTION
Our church in January, embarked on a five year journey. We are in year one where our church is following a pattern set for us in Acts 2:42 which describes the early church as “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” This year we are focusing on the Apostle’s teaching. We have been through 1 Peter thoroughly. We have looked at 2 Peter. Next week, we will begin to look at 1, 2, and 3 John which will take us all the way through the summer. Starting in September after the summer, we will begin looking at the writings of the Apostle Paul in the books of 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, and Philemon.
It is my hope that as we are journeying together in the Scriptures, that our faith would begin to grow. Our church exists for every member to be in an active authentic relationship with God reaching out to bring others to Him.
That implies growth in faith growing deep in knowledge and understanding.
That implies growth in faith growing wide in practice and reaching out.
In the book of Hebrews, also among the teachings of the Apostles, we find verses that challenge us in much the same way. Hebrews 6:1-3 says, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.” That same chapter encourages, commands, and challenges us to:
“show diligence” (verse 11)
“imitate faith and patience” (verse 12)
“have hope as the anchor of our soul” (verse 19)
We are about to embark as a church in thinking about 1, 2, and 3 John. I do not think that 1, 2, and 3 John are full of what the book of Hebrews would say is “elementary teachings.” The Apostle John does not play around with his words and calls us to faith in action much in his letters.
I thought today I would cover a few “odds and ends” topics as we head into the summer. These are basic things that as believers we should keep in mind as we move forward. My inspiration for this message came from Hebrews 6, but also from a book called “The Christian Handbook” which has important things in it as well as tongue-in-cheek items, and some that are just humorous.
So without further ado, some odds and ends.
I. WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN YOUR PEW (HOSPITALITY AT CHURCH)
All of us are creatures of habit. We all also have comfort zones where we feel comfortable and situations where we are extremely uncomfortable. Whenever we gather together, we should make hospitality and friendliness a priority. This is a super basic teaching of Christianity that we should all know and we should all already practice. To sum it up: Just be nice.
* Romans 12:13 commands, “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
* 1 Peter 4:9 commands, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
What should we do when we come upon a situation in church when someone is sitting in our pew or someone new is sitting in seats near us?
THE CHRISTIAN HANDBOOK, Kristofer Skrade, Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005, page 21
#1 Smile and Greet the Intruders: The person sitting in the seats you occupy might be a member who has been ill and this is their first Sunday back in church. The person sitting could be a first time visitor who is checking out this whole “God thing.” It is good and godly to greet them with solid eye contact, a genuine smile, and leave them with no impression they have done anything wrong. They haven’t.
#2 View this as an opportunity: View this as an opportunity to sit near them and strike up a conversation. Get to know them. Make them feel welcome. If they are first time visitors, encourage them to fill out the communication card so we can offer them more information. If they are visitors, flag me down and let me meet them as well. Explain to them two or three things you like about NBCC that they might find interesting.
CHALLENGE
May I suggest that we be the church we want to attend. May we follow the most basic commands of Scripture to be full of hospitality and friendliness.
II. HOW TO USE THE WORSHIP BULLETIN (BE ACTIVE AT CHURCH)
Every single week you receive a bulletin. A bulletin is your most up-to-date source of information about the events and groups going on at NBCC. This bulletin is expertly provided to you by Sara Sharp to takes great pride and effort to make sure each bulletin has the information you need to be involved. Since you are here on a regular basis, you are part of our church family.
* Romans 12:4-11 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
It is a basic Christian teaching that we are to be a part of the church body we attend. You and I are here for a God-given purpose to further God’s kingdom. Sometimes that is in the church. Sometimes outside the church. Romans 12 and other passages describe for those of us who are believers that we all have gifts according to God’s grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit inside us. A church family is described as a body of believers that works together in the Lord for God’s glory and for the benefit of the members.
The church bulletin can be your first step in making sure you are fulfilling your part here at church. How can we use the bulletin best here at church?
THE CHRISTIAN HANDBOOK, Kristofer Skrade, Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005, page 22-24
#1 Receive a bulletin from the greeter: Upon entering, make sure you grab the bulletin from them. They will be glad to give you one as that is one of their primary responsibilities.
#2 Fill out the Communication Card: a communication card is in the bulletin every week. Why? We want to know your name and address. It helps us have updated emails for you. We want to know that you were here. The communication card is the way we keep track of who is here and who is not here. To be honest, the lack of church attendance often indicates a spiritual problem, a physical problem, or an attitude problem. Listen, there is no reason whatsoever NOT to fill out the communication card unless you are unable to write or you absolutely refuse to be part of NBCC. You can fill out the communication card as soon as you get here. You can also put prayer requests you have on the back.
#3 Reflect on the bulletin artwork. I can guarantee you the artwork on the front of the bulletin is meant to direct your mind and heart towards what we are learning from the Bible in the sermon. I can guarantee it because 98% of the time I have picked out the picture or art. The pictures and artwork are not just decorations, but are there for a point.
#4 Review the announcements. All of our activities for kids are in the bulletin. If you have children, plan to bring them to those events. Why not? All of our activities for teens are in the bulletin. If you have teenagers, plan to bring them to those events. Why not? All of our activities for adults are in the bulletin. If you are an adult, plan to come to those events. Why not? All of our activities for singles or widows are in the bulletin. If you are a single or widow, plan on coming to those events. Why not? There should never be a reason you don’t know what is going on at our church. If you come here on a weekly basis, you should be involved in other places than just occupying a seat on Sundays.
CHALLENGE
May I suggest that we be the church we want to attend. Be an active part of our gathering of believers by making the church and our church family a normal consistent part of your life on a weekly basis.
III. WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO DURING COMMUNION (FOCUS ON GOD)
You are sitting in a non-liturgical church. That doesn’t mean much for most of us. What it does mean is that there is not a prescribed way for us to worship. There are not certain prayers at certain times to pray. There are not phrases that I say that you then repeat or respond to as a worshipful gesture. We do not do that here. We do, however, have at the center of our worship service the prescribed way that Jesus commanded us to remember Him.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 reminds us, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” This same passage goes on to warn us not to partake of the Lord ’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
What are we supposed to do during communion?
What are we supposed to think about during communion?
DIDACHE SUGGESTIONS
There is a basic suggestion given in an old church document called the Didache. Now the Didache is not the Bible, but is kind of an early summary of some suggestions the Apostles made about Christian living. Chapter 9 and 10 of this very short document has suggestions about what we should do or think about during communion.
“Chapter 9. The Eucharist. Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks this way. First, concerning the cup: We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory forever. And concerning the broken bread…” It goes on to describe a sample prayer when pondering the bread and taking it. Chapter 10. Prayer after Communion. But after you are filled, give thanks this way: We thank Thee, holy Father, for Thy holy name which You didst cause to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You modest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory forever.” The passage goes on to describe a prayer example.
I learn several things as I read these two short chapters about what do to or to think about when participating in communion:
#1 Prayer is what we are to be doing while taking the bread and drinking the cup.
#2 Our overall attitude should be one of thankfulness.
#3 Our overall attitude should be one of repentance of our sins and asking God for forgiveness.
#4 Our prayers should focus on: Jesus and His sacrifice, our gift of eternal life in Jesus, spiritual directions God gives us, God’s characteristics of almighty power, grace, and mercy, requests for the church and the effectiveness of the church body.
CHALLENGE
May I suggest that we be the church we want to attend. May we people full of prayer, thankfulness, and reverent respect during our time around the Lord’s Table each week.
IV. HOW TO SURVIVE AN OLD TESTAMENT PLAGUE (REPENTANCE)
I have to tell you, this item might be one that you think is a joke. I initially thought it was when I began to plan out this sermon, but as I thought more about it and more about our nation, I realized that this is basic information you need to know about. You see, in the Bible, God sent plagues as a form of judgment. Plagues took different forms such as disease, natural disasters, and even military actions. The most famous series of plagues occurs in Exodus 7-12 as God was freeing His people from Egypt: blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock sickness, boils, Justin Bieber concerts, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first born.
We might think to ourselves… that would never happen to us.
Really? Take a look at the headlines:
* Our country has no moral compass whatsoever as evidenced by the fact we will by law allow men in women’s bathrooms and women in men’s bathrooms because they are confused about their sexuality. This rule is coming to Hillsborough County schools very soon per the email I received from the school board last week. We are so lost.
* We have a government funded organization killing the unborn babies of our nation, proud of it, and selling the body parts of those murdered babies for profit. We are so lost.
* Perverse sexuality is being portrayed as normal. Hilton’s advertising campaign in travel magazines for summer 2016 has two men in bed together in an embrace as their commercial. There is a movement afoot to introduce gay characters into Disney’s Frozen as well as give Captain America a boyfriend. We are so lost.
* According to the statistics that I have read, marriage and just living together unmarried occur about at the same rate. Sex which is becoming one physically and spiritually, sharing of children, and even the blending of finances happen AFTER marriage and not before. In our nation, we can take or leave marriage. We are so lost.
* Speaking about marriage, we seem to have lost the idea what marriage is in our country. Marriage is a covenant relationship designed by God between a man and a woman for their mutual suffering. Wait, Freudian slip. For their mutual enjoyment. Our country seems to think men and marry men and women can marry men and there will be no repercussions. We are so lost.
You know what happens to sinful lost people who turn their back on God? That’s right, they get judged. It has happened all throughout history. So because our nation seems to be in a tailspin of crashing immorality, I offer you suggestions on how to survive an Old Testament type plague.
THE CHRISTIAN HANDBOOK, Kristofer Skrade, Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005, page 161-162
#1 Avoid Pharaoh and other similar global tyrants. Because Pharaoh and other kings tended to do greater evil than others, they enjoyed the distinction of receiving more plagues than normal people. Avoid keeping close company with such great evil doers and you will avoid the plagues and even the collateral damage.
#2 Identify the sin. God sent plagues of judgment because of specific sins. If you are caught in a plague, it will be important for you to identify the root cause of the plague. As a Christian, it might be during a plague that sin-loving pagans will ask your opinion about what is going on. That is why you might be there… as a witness for God… have a ready answer.
#3 Repent. To repent means to turn away from an evil thought, attitude, or action and move towards God. Repenting involves praying to God, giving up specific evil actions or attitudes, and long term changing our behavior to reflect the God that we worship. The only way to survive an Old Testament plague is through God’s grace and the help that God offers.
CHALLENGE
May I suggest that we be the church we want to attend. May we be people who are light and goodness in a dark world full of confused morals and evil efforts.
V. MOVE FROM ELEMENTARY TEACHINGS TO MATURITY OF FAITH
Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…” I want you to know that it is my heart’s desire that each of us who is a member of NBCC is in a constant state of maturing in faith where we are deep in our faith and wide in our actions which prove our faith. I want each of us who attend this church on a regular basis to be spurred on towards an active relationship with God which is marked by Bible study, consistent Worship, serving in our giftnedness, and continually sharing the Gospel message with people who don’t know.
CHALLENGE
May I suggest that we be the church we want to attend. May we be the church that exists for every member to be in an active authentic relationship with God reaching out to bring others to Him.
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
* Hospitality
* Active in Faith
* Focus on God
* Repentance
* Growing in Maturity of Faith
