The Church Is A Life Boat, Not A Showboat

He was saving even up to the last hour of his life. As he hung upon the cross, he hears what must have sounded like music to his ears. One of the criminals, who was nailed with Him, says, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.? Jesus reply is found in Luke 23:43. Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.?

What did the criminal do to merit salvation? Absolutely nothing! That is the beautiful thing about the salvation that Jesus Christ offers us. It’s not about what we’ve done. It’s all about what He’s done. That’s why salvation is called a gift. It wouldn’t be called a gift if you had to do something to earn it.

Up to the last hour of His life, Christ was busy saving the lost.

What was it that Ellen White said in the book Desire of Ages?

“It is in doing Christ’s work that the church has the promise of His presence.?

I ask you, “Does this church want the promise of His presence??

The church exists for evangelism. Sadly, many Christian are confused.

Win Arn, a leading church consultant conducted a survey:

He surveyed members of nearly a thousand churches asking the question, “Why does the church exit?? The results? Of the church members surveyed, 89 percent said, “The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s and my needs.? For many, the role of the pastor is simply to keep the sheep who are already in the “pen?happy and not lose too many of them. Only 11 percent said, “The purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ.

Then the pastors of the same churches were asked why the church exists. Amazingly, the results were exactly the opposite. Of the pastors surveyed, ninety percent said the purpose of the church was to win the world, and ten percent said it was to care for the needs of the members. Is it any wonder we have conflict, confusion, and stagnation in many churches today?

When the mission of the church gets reduced to keeping the sheep in the pen happy, the mission is falling woefully short. I’m sure the ninety-nine sheep in Jesus?parable believed they deserved the undivided attention and full protection of their shepherd. I can even imagine several of them complaining, “What’s the big deal about finding one little lost sheep when there are so many of us right here who need a good meal and a warm place to sleep??

Clearly in Jesus?mind it was—and still is—a big deal. Therefore, we have to try to overcome this tendency toward self-absorption.

Most people come to church, and they say, give me a good program, give me a comfortable church building where I can worship, give me good potlucks. Give me, give me, give me!

Friends, in the spiritual life, things operate differently. God says to get, you must give. So God says you come to my church to give. Give your money to missions. Give your service to the church. And give your time to searching for lost people. And when you give, you will get. You will receive exceedingly abundantly. My bible says, “Give , and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.? I know that God is even able to enlarge my bosoms so I can receive more of His blessings! Amen!