GOOD WORKS DO NOT SAVE US. RATHER, GOOD WORKS COME AS A RESULT OF BEING SAVED. GOOD WORKS ARE THE FRUIT BORN OUT OF A LIFE THAT IS PLANTED FIRMLY IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT WE DO IN THE NAME OF CHRIST MUST BE DONE ALONG WITH CHRIST. WITHOUT CHRIST WE ARE ONLY DOING RELIGIOUS THINGS FOR OUR OWN BENEFIT. BUT WITH CHRIST PRESENT IN US, WE ARE BEING CHRIST-LIKE PEOPLE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LET THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER BECOME INTERPRETED TO MEAN THAT WE SERVE ONLY THOSE ALREADY IN OUR CHURCH. THE ISSUE WAS NEVER ABOUT "MAINTAINING" BUT ONE OF "GROWING" AS WE FIND OTHERS TO JOIN US IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
IF CHURCH EVER BECOMES NOTHING MORE THAN WORK THEN WE ARE NO LONGER A CHURCH AT WORK. WE MUST NEVER BECOME CONTENT WITH STATUS QUO OR BECOME SLAVES TO INTERNAL MAINTENANCE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE HAVE BECOME COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH JUST A SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE OR HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE SPENDING ALL OUR TIME AND ENERGY IN MEETING THE BARE-ESSENTIAL BUDGET THEN WE HAVE CEASED TO BE A CHURCH.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR US AS INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS. AS AN INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN WE MUST KEEP OURSELVES FROM BECOMING ONE! WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE DON’T DRIFT AWAY AND BECOME A SPIRITUAL LONE-RANGER.
TOO MANY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH DRIFTING AWAY! IN OTHER WORDS, WE’RE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF KEEPING EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE!
THE CHURCH HAS GONE SOFT AND HAS ALLOWED HER PEOPLE TO BECOME SOFT ON PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. FOR EXAMPLE: COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE CONTINUALLY ABSENT FROM MEETINGS, TEACHERS NOT SHOWING UP FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, PROGRAMS THAT FALL APART DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT, AND PEOPLE CONSISTENTLY LATE FOR CHURCH.
YES, WE ARE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE ARE NOT SOLITARY INDIVIDUALS. WE ARE NOT FREE DO TO WHATEVER WE WANT BUT FREE TO DO ONLY THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN GOD’S SIGHT.
WE ARE CALLED TO BE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE IN NEED OF OTHERS AND IN NEED OF FELLOWSHIP. TO BE HUMAN IS TO RELATE TO GOD AND TO OTHERS. WE ARE PERSONALLY ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD, TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE CHURCH.
DECIDING WHETHER TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL OR TO UNITE AND BECOME A COMMUNITY IS UP TO US. REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DECIDE WE MUST BEWARE BECAUSE, AS PAUL STATES, "GOD IS NOT MOCKED."
WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IF WE CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS UNACCOUNTABLE INDIVIDUALS WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TRICK OR FOOL GOD INTO THINKING OR BELIEVING THAT WHAT WE’RE DOING IS FOR HIM.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IS THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY REAP WHAT WE SOW. IF WE SOW FOR OURSELVES THEN WE BECOME A CHURCH FOR "MEMBERS ONLY" RUN BY THE SELECT FEW.
THIS IS A CHURCH THAT ADOPTS THE "WE’RE BIG ENOUGH" AND THE "WE’RE DOING ENOUGH" THEORY OF SELECTIVE MINISTRY. THESE ARE CHURCHES THAT NO LONGER MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY CATERING TO THEIR OWN.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THE BUDGET GETS CUT, PROGRAMS ARE DISCONTINUED OR NEVER STARTED, WORSHIP IS FORCED INTO A ONE-HOUR TIME SCHEDULE AND A RETIRED MINISTER BECOMES THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BE ASSIGNED BECAUSE THE LOW SALARY THE CHURCH SAYS IS STILL TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A FULL-TIME PASTOR.
SOUNDS FAR-FETCHED, BUT WELCOME TO REALITY! THIS REALITY IS WHY PEOPLE EITHER GET TIRED OF, OR OFFENDED AT, NOT BEING ABLE TO BREAK THIS DEADLY CYCLE OF APATHY.
AFTER TOO MANY FUTILE ATTEMPTS TO BREATHE LIFE BACK INTO THE CHURCH THEY USUALLY LEAVE TO FIND ANOTHER CHURCH. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IS INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS WHO COME TOGETHER AS ONE BODY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
A VIBRANT COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND WHO SHARE THE JOY OF THAT LIFE LIBERALLY WITH OTHERS. THIS IS OUR GOAL!
JOHN 10:10, "JESUS SAID…’I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND THAT THEY MAY HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY."
JESUS WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE A HIGHER QUALITY OF WORSHIP, LIFE, AND MINISTRY. HE WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE, HIS HEALING, AND HIS SALVATION.
WITH THE EXCITEMENT AND JOY THAT THIS LIFE BRINGS HOW CAN WE KEEP IT ALL TO OURSELVES? HOW CAN WE NOT GO AND TELL OTHERS HOW THEY CAN EXPERIENCE IT TOO?
REMEMBER: THE GOSPEL IS NOT TO BE HOARDED, BUT HERALDED! WE ADOPT THE PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST JESUS IN LUKE 4:18, "…HE HAS APPOINTED [US] TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT [US] TO PROCLAIM THAT CAPTIVES WILL BE RELEASED, THAT THE BLIND WILL SEE, THAT THE DOWNTRODDEN WILL BE FREED FROM THEIR OPPRESSORS, AND THAT THE TIME OF THE LORD’S FAVOR HAS COME."
THIS IS A LIFE-TIME COMMITMENT! THERE IS NO STOPPING UNTIL THE LORD CALLS US HOME. THERE IS NO RETIREMENT AGE IN MINISTRY. DEATH IS THE ONLY THING THAT GIVES US PERMISSION TO QUIT!
THIS IS WHY PAUL ENCOURAGES US NOT TO GROW WEARY OR LOSE HEART AT TRYING TO REACH THE ETERNAL GOAL THAT, FOR NOW, IS BEYOND THE HORIZON OF OUR HUMAN COMPREHENSION.
THAT MEANS WE KEEP ON KEEPING ON WITH DOING GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE AS LONG AS GOD CONTINUES TO PRESENT US WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO SPREAD HIS MESSAGE OF SALVATION AND RECONCILIATION THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
THAT MEANS WE ESPECIALLY KEEP ON KEEPING ON WITH DOING GOOD TO OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE FAITH REGARDLESS OF RACE, ECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER, OR STATE OF SIN THEY MAY BE STRUGGLING IN.
LET US MAINTAIN THIS UNIVERSAL ACCOUNTABILITY TOWARDS OUR COMMAND TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE. MAY WE CONTINUE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE GREAT COMMISSION TO "GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES" OF ALL THE NATIONS AND TO TEACH THEM EVERYTHING THAT CHRIST HAS TAUGHT US.
THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD MAY IT BE OUR WILL TODAY AS IT WAS WITH JOHN WESLEY THAT "THE WORLD IS MY PARISH." WILL YOU BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE SPIRIT? WHATEVER YOUR DECISION, MAY YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!
