Wednesday May 6, 2015

Read Jeremiah 8:4-22

Some people have the unfortunate privilege of visiting many churches in a short period of time. I say unfortunate because church hopping is an ungodly practice that needs to be repented of. But some people do have a ministry that legitimately takes them from church to church. It’s a privilege to see many different churches but it’s unfortunate that they are absent from their own home church so often.

One such fellow visited a congregation I was in and after our Bible reading (one whole chapter) he commented that it was interesting that we had such a long reading. He told me that of the many many many churches he visits annually very few had a Bible reading at all. Apparently the Bible reading (and the accompanying sermon that goes with it) had become an optional extra for many of these churches! He told of occasion after occasion where the Word of God and its exposition had been dismissed for something far more important - an item, more singing, a promotional spot, a kids’ presentation and so on.

In the not too distant past we could have found many churches boasting and having false confidence in the Law of God. Churches may have found confidence in being the best church in their denomination, or in keeping the Law of God to the best of their ability, or for making so many law abiding believers. Perhaps we can still find people sitting in our pews who think that they are fine with God because they have done nothing really wrong, or because they have been a good person, or because they rarely sin.

Nowadays it appears that the Word of God has given way to idols when we consider the church on a wider scale. Churches are putting their trust, their hope and their confidence in such things as the music, the performance, the hype, the number of people attending, the building, the money collected and so on. 

God’s declaration to the people of Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s day is equally  relevant to churches today

Jeremiah 8:8–9 (NIV84)

8 ‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the Word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?

When we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him for our salvation, our church services and styles and all of our assets are put into their proper perspective. When we believe in Jesus and have confidence in Him we can have traditional services or contemporary and still be pleasing to God. We can have sermons that go for 20 minutes or 60 minutes and still be pleasing to God. We can have 1 musician or 15 and still be putting a smile of God’s face. We can have a dynamic and charismatic personality leading the charge or a calm, serious minded person and God can still be glorified.

When we place our confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on our behalf the Law, the Word of God and all our assets and all our workings are put into their correct place and perspective.

  

Prayer Points:

Using today’s Bible passage and reading notes spend time in adoration, confession, thanks and supplication.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that your church would have a godly and biblical view of the law and the Word of God. Pray that the Word would be faithfully preached each week and that the congregation would sit under the authority of the Word and submit willingly and joyfully to it.

· Pray that the leaders of your church across the board would be men and women of the Word, submitting to it in their personal lives and living out and then applying and teaching it to others.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. In what kinds of things have you seen churches boast?

2. If a church is boasting in the wrong thing or person, how can we help that church move in the right direction?

3. What is it that makes a church service honouring to God?