Saturday September 1, 2012

Make a list of 50 things that you enjoy or can praise God for within your church.

 

Read Ephesians 3:1-12

 

I’ve really heard it all before. “I don’t do church lunches!”, or “I don’t do church programs!”, or “Church functions aren't for me”, or “I evangelise outside the church”, or “I do my thing for God on my own time. I simply don’t need the church!”

 

What these people have done, either consciously or unwittingly, is simply  formed a type of syncretism with the standards of the world. They have taken the anti-authoritarian, anti-establishmentarian stance of the world and turned it against the church.  Many people in society have turned against institutions, governments and centres of authority. Some people in the church are, unfortunately, following suite.

 

These people have set themselves up as judges over and against the church, which is the body of Christ.  To sit in judgment of the church is to sit in judgement of its head, Christ Jesus. That is not a safe place to be.

 

Our Lord and Saviour has chosen the church to be the vehicle through which the manifest wisdom of God is displayed in the heavenlies and in this world. The church is the vehicle that God has chosen to use to show off His love, His grace, His mercy, His salvation. Rather than stepping back and going the solo train we need to step up and get actively involved. There are no lone ranger Christians in the Bible!

 

Tomorrow is “Church”. You need to make up your mind that it’s going to be fantastic. You need to commit the whole day to the Lord and be available for Him to use you where and when He wants.  I remember a minister said to me in the early days of faith, ‘If you don’t like church then heaven is going to be a boring place.’ How true. Church is God’s vehicle. Get on board and have the ride of your life.

 

Prayer:

Spend time adoring God for his creation of the ‘church’ and if need be, confess any sinful attitudes and words you’ve had about the church. Give thanks to God for the things you like about your church.

 

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¨ Pray that your church would have a bright light shining in the local community. Pray that there will be more and more opportunities to shine the light of Jesus by helping others, by getting involved in people’s lives and by giving sacrificially. Pray that each and every person in your congregation would be on board.

¨ Pray that your congregation would grow as people reach out and share their faith with family, friends and those around them. Ask God to give each person in your congregation a heart that yearns to see the lost saved and the courage to reach out to them.