Why do YOU go to church?

Christians go to church for many different reasons.  As I was going through my week, I was thinking about how many people don't truly understand what church really is.  We live in a "ME" centered culture where we only do things that benefit us.  If we don't see what is in it for us, we probably will give it our very minimum or none at all.

As we consider this, there seems to be a direct correlation between how we feel about church and our attitude and involvement in it…

I need you to think outside the box for just a moment.  Let’s look at some possibilities of what church might be like to you…

1 – Gas Station – a little pick me up to get you going – your once a week fill up of Jesus so that you feel good about your week – stop when you are on empty and good to go after that.  The problem with this is that you might only find yourself on "empty" once a month AND you are only there to see what you can receive - not what you give.

2 – Job – It is more like an obligation – punch your card to show you were there so you feel better about things and you can at least say you have been.  You might feel this way if you get up on Sunday morning and say something like – oh, it’s Sunday – I have to go to church again…what’s for lunch?

3 – Show or Concert – go to see if you can receive some entertainment – hey, you give your money, you expect to be entertained.  Come with the attitude of what you can get out of the service – if you don’t get anything, why come and why give?

4 – Gym – you made a resolution that you are going to go to church and become involved.  You feel good, so you give it everything you have and then some.  You burn out, life gets in the way, it becomes less of a priority...Eventually you fill that time with other things.  It wasn't about giving or a relationship with Jesus - it was about giving it your all to simply complete a task.

5 – Pharmacy – you are sick and you come because you are hoping to feel better.  You want a quick fix and you are hoping it will be all better.  We are all sick in sin and Jesus does rescue us from that – problem is that while it is an instant change, it is a lifelong relationship with HIM.

None of these examples give us a true picture of church.  We miss what church really is…A place where we come to offer ourselves to the Lord (NOT to receive)…We may receive, but that isn’t our purpose in being here.

We do get encouraged, but that is because we are offering…What do we bring?

Ephesians 4:1-16 –

Christ is the HEAD of the church – we bring ourselves to HIM as an offering…He has equipped each of us with gifts to make the Body of Christ work effectively and efficiently

We offer ourselves in worship – we truly come here to worship Him and to praise Him only, not because it makes us feel good, but because He deserves our praise

We offer ourselves in service – we take part and offer the gifts that He has given us to His work – we are involved in the work of the Lord and we offer what we have to that service - we do it because we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We bring our offerings – bring our offerings because it helps to keep the church operating and doing as the Lord instructs

We bring our full attention to HIM – it is NOT about us, but ALL about HIM – a different perspective for us all

What do you go to church for?  Hopefully, you go to make yourself a holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).  Sacrifices don't ask what they get out of the deal - they give of themselves wholly and completely.  Next time we are in church, maybe we should evaluate what we bring to the church rather than what we are receiving.  Something to think about...

If Only I Had...

As Christians, we all struggle with something...whether it is a sin that we are having a difficult time with or a relationship or lack of joy or loneliness...we all struggle at some point.  One thing that is almost universal that Christians struggle with is possessions (i.e. - money).  If we have an abundance - we struggle with what to do with it (more you make, more you spend)...If we have very little - we struggle with the fact that there is more month than money.
We live in a world of "if I only had a little bit more"...BUT when is a little bit more enough.  The more we have, the more we spend, the more we want...When is enough actually enough?
Luke 12:15-21 contains a parable that is helpful to us all.  The man built bigger barns...what is the problem with that?  The man saved up for retirement...what is wrong with that?
Here are some lessons that I learned through this Scripture:
1) Enough will never be enough when we are looking for earthly treasures. Max Lucado references a survey in his "Experiencing the Heart of God Study Bible".  It basically asked Americans what they would do for $10 million...  Here are some jaw dropping responses:
25% would abandon their family
25% would abandon their church
23% would become a prostitute for a week
16% would give up their American Citizenship
16% would leave their spouse
13% would put their children up for adoption
2/3 of the respondents would do one or more of the options. (paraphrased from the Money devotion of the Study Bible)
WHAT???  Enough will never be enough when we are looking at earthly treasures
2) We are taught to give and to be good stewards of what we have
God blessed this man with an abundance.  Instead of him trying to find out how he could use the blessings to help others, he thought only of himself.  The point wasn't that he built the barns or had retirement.  The point was that he did these things selfishly without using what God had given him the way God would have wanted.
We are to give out of the whatever we have been given...whether very little or a lot...simply honor God with what you have been given
3) The man had the wrong mindset
He forgot where his blessings came from.  He forgot that God was the One who blessed Him with it all and that it ALL belongs to God!
What we have is on loan to us...we should remember that ALL we have is given to us by God to use for His glory.  We should raise our children and grandchildren for the Lord...work at our jobs as unto the Lord...take care of our bodies for the Lord...and we should take care of the funds He has blessed us with remembering that it all belongs to HIM.

It comes down to perspective.  We must remember that what we have been given is on loan to us to use for HIM - not us.  If we think about all we have as a possession of the Lord's, we might spend our money differently and treat our children differently and treat our spouse differently and treat our job differently...and so on.  If you don't think it is all on loan to you for a short time, visit the cemetary and see what they were able to take with them...
What are YOU going to do with what you have been given?

What do you have to give?

Mark 6:30-44 is a familiar passage about Jesus feeding the 5,000 + people.  Sometimes, because the passage is so familiar, we miss elements that could give us insight into how we live our Christian lives.  There were a few things that really stood out to me as I read and studied the passage and then some lessons that I learned as I studied.
Notice in verse 34 that Jesus sees the people as sheep without a shepherd.
In verse 37, He tells the disciples, "YOU give them something to eat..."  I am reminded that one of the instructions of Jesus is to "Feed My Sheep".  Think about it.  Jesus is already telling the disciples to feed His sheep...the same thing He would tell Peter after His resurrection (John 21).  They realize that they can't do it alone.
In verse 38, Jesus basically asks them, "What do YOU have?"  He asks them to check and see.  He asked them to look at their resources and to find out what they had to give.  They came up with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  Not much for 5,000 + people.  The young person who had these could have been too embarrased to share.  The disciples could have thought that this was such a waste of time for them to bring such a small amount to feed such an overwhelming crowd.  They told Him what they had - what appears to not be much.
In verse 41, Jesus took what was offered to Him and He made so much more of it.  What is ordinary in our hands is extraordinary in the hands of God.

Jesus gives us BIG commands, OVERWHELMING tasks, seemingly IMPOSSIBLE teachings...
We could look at what we have to offer and think that it isn't even worth it.  Think of ALL that needs to be done.  Think of what little we have to give.  We could easily just not share what we have and move on.
OR......
We could offer to Him what we have - no matter how big or how small!
When we give from our heart to the Lord (NOT reluctantly or with an attitude), God honors that!
He can use what we have (our TIME, our TALENTS, our GIFTS, our SERVICE) when offered to Him from the heart - for HIS glory!
We ALL have something to offer - regardless of our age or anything else...
In His hands, what we have can become extraordinary.  What are you willing to give HIM?  What are you holding back?

So many lessons...

This week, Acts 16 really spoke to me.  Paul and Silas are being obedient to the Lord.  They are doing what is right, yet, they are facing adversity.  When things start going right, they get push back.  Yet, they do not give up.  They keep going because they know they are doing the work that the Lord has called them to do.  In Acts 16, there is so much that we can learn.  I picked out 4 lessons to me that were important as I face my week...
Lesson 1:  They did what was right even when it wasn't what everyone else wanted them to do (vs 16, 28).  They healed a little girl.  Yet, they took away several people's source of income.  They were using this little girl to make a living.  When she was healed, her masters were very upset - they might actually have to make an honest living...what a shame.  So, they have Paul and Silas thrown into prison.
Paul and Silas also stayed in the prison even after they were free because they knew the Lord was calling them to help the guard.
Lesson 2:  They were rejoicing and praising God despite their worldly circumstances (vs 25).  It can be difficult to offer praise or prayer when things are not going well.  We look at our circumstances and find ourselves depressed and upset and offer anything but praise.  They didn't let their worldly circumstances interfere with the praise the God is due.
Many wonderful songs have been written in praise when people were in the deepest, darkest times of their lives.
Lesson 3:  They were willing and ready to spread the Word despite their circumstances and beatings (vs 32).  God had given them an opportunity (an open door) to tell the message - the Good News and they took it!  The obvious "open door" was the one on the prison that led them to freedom.  They were listening to the Lord and found that the door the Lord wanted them to walk through was the one to offer up the Good News to the Guard and his family.
Lesson 4:  Paul and Silas encouraged others even in the face of their own adversity (vs 40).  You would think that they would have been looking for encouragement from others.  They have been thrown into prison and beaten for doing good.  Yet, they were encouraging others.  We have to be encouragers as well to help people continue to follow the Lord and do the right thing, no matter what.
Are you willing to be used by God in a mighty way today?