The 3 C’s of a Healthy Church - The Love Connection
Galatians 5:6 (p. 812) January 22, 2017
Introduction:
So your boss walks into your office and you say, “Hi Boss.” And He says, “Hey.” But then he says, “Listen I stopped in this morning because I want you to focus on one thing today…seriously, one focus on one thing today…seriously, one thing…I need that Simon’s plan completed…I need all the numbers…I need the strategy worked out…It’s the only thing that really counts today…got it.”
And you understand just how important it is to him and you respond…“Got it!”
After he walks out you grab the Simon’s file, but the phone rings, so you answer it…after you get off the phone you decide you’ve got time to answer some emails and go talk with some members of your team….that lasts a while so you head to lunch with them…after you get back you look at the file, but get distracted by a game of solitaire…and then organize your desk.
When your Boss stops back in at 3:00 he wants what he asked for, but it’s not done…not even close…How happy is He going to be…you’re probably going to hear…“Man…it’s the one thing I needed from you…didn’t you understand it’s the only thing that counts today.” He might not fire you but he’s not going to trust you with a big project again anytime soon….and he might fire you!
When the Apostle Paul writes: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” to the Galatians and to us He wants us to understand what’s most important…He wants us to understand that this is the first priority of our faith.
Because it’s really easy:
I. TO START DOING STUFF AND FORGET ABOUT LOVING PEOPLE
The book of Galatians has been called the “mini book of Romans” because both deal with the issues of faith, grace and the Law.
Paul visited the Galatians on all three of his missionary journeys…and initially the Galatians received him warmly…they were very open to the gospel message…but then later some individuals began to question his leadership as well as prevent the gospel by saying, “You must obey all the traditions of the Jewish Law as well as accept Jesus by faith.” They especially required that “circumcision” was essential. Paul’s answer “neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything: what counts is the new creation.” (Gal. 6:15)
Let me share passionately that God’s church needs servants…The harvest is plentiful but the workers…are few.”
Without you fulfilling your calling and gift there will always be gaps…usually those gaps have to be, filled by people who are already serving in many areas, but don’t want the church to suffer…They end up doing too much and burn out…they also deal with the frustration of seeing people constantly sitting on the sidelines.
For 36 years I’ve witnessed the 20 percent doing 80 percent of the work…it’s been true at a church of 100 and a church of 1000. Older folks feel like they’ve done enough and it’s time for younger folks to step in…Younger folks feel unready or too busy with their lives…so a small core of the committed and the leadership scurry to cover all the basis…it’s not healthy but sad to say…it’s the norm.
I share this because the Galatians were being told…unless you do the right stuff, including “working out all the Law” you cannot be saved.
Paul says, “This theology makes you feel like a slave:
GALATIANS 5:1-5 (p. 812)
It’s a catch 22 “We were saved to serve” not to “serve so we can be saved.”
You see what connects us to Christ is our faith…and an absolute thankfulness for God’s grace.
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
He continues:
EPHESIANS 2:8-13 (p. 815)
Paul’s reminder is…no human work saves us…whether Jew or Gentile…God’s grace saved us whether you were a Jew who had the law and the covenant of circumcision…or a Gentile who had no such former relationship with God…In Christ Jesus, even though we were far away from God…His blood bridged the gap…He made a way.
[There’s a big difference between trying to be good enough, or work hard enough to be saved and serving someone who loved you so much they saved your life…
In Max Lucado’s book the “Applause of Heaven” reads, Even though by the “book” I’m guilty, by God’s love I get another chance. Even though by the law I’m indicted, by mercy I’m given a fresh start.
“For it is by grace you have been saved…not by works, so that no one can boast.”
No other world religion offers such a message. All others demand the right performance, the right sacrifice, the right chant, the right ritual, the right séance or experience. Theirs is a kingdom of trade-offs and barterdom. You do this, and God will give you that.
The result? Either arrogance or fear. Arrogance if you think you’ve achieved it, fear if you think you haven’t.
Christ’s kingdom is just the opposite. It is a kingdom for the poor. A kingdom where membership is granted, not purchased. You are placed into God’s kingdom. You are “adopted.” And this occurs not when you do enough, but when you admit you can’t do enough. You don’t earn it; you simply accept it. As a result, you serve, not out of arrogance or fear, but out of gratitude.
I recently read a story of a woman who for years was married to a harsh husband. Each day he would leave her a list of chores to complete before he returned at the end of the day. “Clean the yard. Stack the firewood. Wash the windows ….”
If she didn’t complete the tasks, she would be greeted with his explosive anger. But even if she did complete the list, he was never satisfied; he would always find inadequacies in her work.
After several years, the husband passed away. Some time later she remarried, this time to a man who lavished her with tenderness and adoration.
One day, while going through a box of old papers, the wife discovered one of her first husband’s lists. And as she read the sheet, a realization caused a tear of joy to splash on the paper.
“I’m still doing all these things, and no one has to tell me. I do it because I love him.”
That is the unique characteristic of the new kingdom. Its subjects don’t work in order to go to heaven; they work because they are going to heaven. Arrogance and fear are replaced with gratitude and joy.
The God who loves us…is the God who saved us…not because we deserve it…not because we do the right stuff or enough stuff…but simply because He chose to…His mercy drove Him to the cross…and it is that love that compels us to love and serve others.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
James tells us that faith without works is a dead faith…but works without love is drudgery and a chore.
God has not called us to a dead faith or a life of slavery…”It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
Connecting with God in real faith always…ALWAYS!!! leads us to love and serve others. It’s why we are created in Him to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.
So I would end with this question:
II. HOW CAN WE LOVE PEOPLE LIKE GOD DOES?
A few weeks ago I sat in the sound booth listening to our elders share their favorite scripture and what it means in their lives. It was my vacation, but I really wanted to hear them share their hearts…and I loved hearing from each of them.
One of our ladies walked out after it was over and said, “That was so special…I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced hearing from a church’s leadership like that…They were so open…so transparent…loved it!”
You see when you hear Eric Padgett share that it’s the anniversary of his sister’s death…and that even though he still doesn’t understand completely God’s purpose and plan from this, but He trusts God…and he loves God…you certainly don’t love Eric less…you love Eric more because you connect with his pain and his faith…some of this happened with each of our elders as they made themselves vulnerable.
You love people better when you open your heart to them…So they can open their hearts to you. Will there be people who won’t? Sure! Will there be mean people that use you? Yep! Will there be mean people and people who hurt you? Absolutely.
So, here’s the choice we as God’s people have when it comes to expressing our love and our faith…Love them anyway!
Love the least of these in the world because when we do it’s doing it to Jesus himself. Open your heart to the broken…to the homeless…to the outcast…to the unlovely…because that’s exactly what God did when He expressed His love towards us.
Too many believers build a protective wall around their hearts because they’ve been hurt…(by the way I’d say by other believers more than outcast)…and instead of expressing our faith through love we circle the wagons…and play prevent defense…the only thing prevent defense does is prevent you from winning.
Faith involves taking a risk or it’s not faith…It takes no faith to sit with your buddies at lunch…it takes faith to read with a little boy at JLA and get to know him and his family…It’s worth the risk. It takes faith to share some time with homeless men…and to hear Mark’s story…or Richard’s story…and to feel love for someone who has sooo much less than you, but is kind and good…and hurting…It takes faith to give an hour of your time on Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings so that Peyton, Cassie, Landon, Eli, Caleb, Connor, Elsie, Gavin and Paisley can hear God’s Word and fall in love with Jesus…it’s risky, sometimes it’s hard…it takes faith.
[So, Jesus comes back…and you know His Word says, “The only thing that counts if faith expressing itself in love…you know He’s given you at least 1 talent to be used to express that love and faith but you were afraid…you were busy…you were cautious.
And as you experience the Eastern Sky open and the boss of bosses…The King of all Kings returns…and His expectation is that you and I have done the only thing that counts…the only real priority.
What do you hand Him? Or better put…who do you hand Him?]
Let’s pray.
