Tag Archives: Teachings of Paul

It’s just a building and NOT the church

Posted on July 13, 2015 by | Comments Off on It’s just a building and NOT the church
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Sanctuary of Gospel Light Baptist Church 06/17/2015

At some time in the life of any congregation there will be something happen to the church building. My current home church, Gospel Light Baptist Church, is no exception to this statement. June 17th started out like any other day. Being a Wednesday, I had already made plans to be at the church a little before the evening midweek service so I could print out the weekly prayer lists. Around ten o’clock that morning, one of our church couples that cleans the church called me and told me that the ceiling had collapsed in our sanctuary. A few minutes later, the pastor’s wife sent out a call to all our members cancelling Wednesday night service. Not only had the ceiling collapsed in the sanctuary, but throughout the church building there was a heavy layer of dust, insulation, and debris coating nearly every surface. The first thing that came to my mind is that while it is sad that our sanctuary was destroyed, it is just a building. No member was there when it fell – a miracle within itself.

Soon after, a local television began running a story about the damage to our sanctuary. While the report really didn’t mention a lot of details, it did pique the interests of many within our community. Nearly every member has been asked a variety of questions about what has happened and our congregation’s plans to rebuild. Just as other members have been asked, I have been asked how other members handling the collapse of our “church” ceiling. At first, I responded as anyone would – sharing that how I believe that the Lord had his hand on the entire situation. Then it dawned on me that many of the people who were asking me were equating what happened with the church building as actually happening to the “church.” There is a scriptural distinction between the two. What happened to our sanctuary happened to just a building. The church – the local assembly of born-again believers that meet in that building are what is important.

In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he writes, And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house (Philemon 1:2), he is clearly making a distinction between the church and the building where it meets. This is not the only time the distinction is made within scripture. Paul’s letter to the Christians in Colossus has a similar salutation, Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house (Colossians 4:15). In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house (1 Corinthians 16:19), again highlighting the relationship to the body of believers and the place where they meet. Even in Rome, there was a church meeting in the house of a believer: Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ (Romans 16:5). Each of these verses clearly show the church as not being a certain building or place but a group of local believers meeting together to worship the Lord, exhorting one another, and praising God.

Just a building 2The ceiling that once was in our sanctuary had been there for fifty years. It held its place over many weddings, baptisms, and other events that were special to nearly three generations of members. As you can see in the photograph to the left, it was made of beautifully crafted tongue in groove planking – and we took great pride in how beautiful our sanctuary was. But as much as it meant to so many people, it was not the church but just a building where we met. If you go to any church meeting across our country, you’ll discover that among the faithful, the church isn’t a building but a family. A family of born again believers who come together to do those very things Christians have done since the days of the apostles: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25), Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19); and to Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

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What moorings keep you tied to Jesus?

Posted on June 15, 2015 by | Comments Off on What moorings keep you tied to Jesus?

mooringsThis past Sunday evening, our pastor was preaching about winning souls to Christ and how it is the responsibility of every Christian to share the gospel. As he continued, my mind began to wander. For some reason, the Lord kept bringing my mind to this verse: The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel (Joel 3:16). This morning I decided to see what a couple of my Bible commentaries said about this verse, and each one highlighted the phrase, “the Lord will be the hope of his people…” One of the commentaries defined hope as being a place of repair or a safe harbour. 

I do not know when my fascination with ships started, but I have always loved seeing them. While stationed in Germany I took several river cruises in a half-dozen European nations and was always amazed at how efficient the crews were in securing the boat to the dock. Each mooring rope had its specific place where it had to be secured to hold the boat in the desired location. If only one of the moorings were out-of-place, then the ship wasn’t secure and could come lose from the other moorings. I began thinking about how this relates to our faith in Jesus – what are the moorings that keep us tied to Him?

Christians have His promise

The first mooring we have is the promise from Jesus: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand (John 10:27-29) and All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 7:37). There is nothing like knowing that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the apostle Paul rejoiced and encouraged other Christians by reminding all, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39) and For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 Timothy 1:12).

Because of the nature of our understanding and of what we see in society, we have a hard time understanding, and at times, accepting the Biblical teaching that if we are a child of God then nothing can separate us from His love. But that is exactly what the Bible teaches. We only see the things around us through a limited view. It is hard for us to comprehend such a love for us when many of us have experienced abandonment by parents, siblings, friends, and spouses that we thought would always love us. Whereas our understanding of love often comes with a conditional tag, God’s love toward us is unconditional. Jesus even shared the extent of His Father’s unconditional love for humanity: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The apostle Paul explains this unconditional love in perhaps the clearest way it could ever be expressed: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

With God loving mankind enough to send His Son to die for our sins, how could He ever allow those who accept His Son, Jesus, and their Lord and Savior, to become separated from Him? Jesus taught: Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:6-7). One of our moorings that secures us to the Lord Jesus Christ is His promise to us.

The moorings of fellowship

If having the promise of the Lord is not enough of a mooring that fastens us securely to Him, there are other moorings the Lord has created. One of the greatest joys of our salvation is the fellowship it brings with the Lord and with others who have also accepted Jesus as their savior. The book of Acts contains the first mention of this: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). This fellowship that is being described is what we have come to think of as Christian fellowship – a time of prayer, rejoicing, singing, breaking bread, and all done with a singleness of heart and of thanksgiving towards God (for a complete scriptural defining of fellowship, please see Acts 1:14 & 2:46, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, and Hebrews 10:25).

By our nature, humankind are social creatures. For the lack of a better description, we are hard-wired to seek out those who have a like mind to ours and to spend time with them. Each year, many in our nation will travel across the country to spend the holidays with loved ones. Some of us will even make plans to meet with family and friends throughout the year just to spend time with one another. As Christians, we still have the need for fellowship with those of like mind and heart – the need to fellowship with other Christians and with the Lord Himself. This is important in securing us to Christ and I believe this is one of the reasons the apostle Paul wrote, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25). No, I am not saying that we need fellowship with other Christians to save us or to maintain our salvation. We need the fellowship because it strengthens our faith, it encourages us to be more Christ-centered, and it can bring focus into our life. 

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Sunrise – each day is a new beginning

Posted on March 18, 2015 by | Comments Off on Sunrise – each day is a new beginning

sunriseSunrises are something that many of us simply take for granted as we go about our daily tasks. This morning, as a part of my morning routine, I happened to look out the front door about the time the sun was rising above the rooftops in my neighborhood. Within that moment, I was taken in by the deep hues of color, the splashes of golden sunlight, and the contrast of the dark and empty tree trunks stretching to catch the sun’s light and warmth. I pulled out my phone and took the picture to the left to capture the beauty and majesty of the moment.  It began to remind me of God’s mercy and grace and how the Bible tells us, This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Sunrise – Each new day is a gift

One of the repeated teachings of both the Old and New Testaments is that there is no promise for tomorrow. Even Jesus used a parable to teach this very thing: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:15-20). This man thought he had tomorrow and even made great plans for his future. This man didn’t know that he only had today and that today was his last day. Even the apostle James wrote on this very concept: Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:13-14).

It is not that these verses are discouraging us from planning for our future; the apostle Paul wrote, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8) and the Old Testament teaches A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just (Proverbs 13:22). However, what the Lord is discouraging us from doing is investing so much of our time planning for tomorrow that we forget about what we have today. We all know people who were in pursuit of their future that they really missed out on the blessings that God had given them; this is not just something that the lost deals with, but something that affects Christians as well. In fact, this very topic is exposed even in both Christian and secular music; Casting Crowns, a popular contemporary Christian group sings about this in their song, American Dream. A secular and very popular song in the mid 1970s, Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin, focuses how our children will adopt our attitudes towards family, work, and their future. Both songs focus on the reality that there have been scores of people who have lost the most precious gift – today – trying to live for tomorrow.

Each sunrise is a new beginning

I know I already shared this verse above, but I believe it is worth repeating:  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23). It doesn’t matter how bad yesterday was; today is a new day. Yesterday can’t be helped or changed. Each morning we are given a new opportunity and God gives us new mercies and blessings. If you’re lost, never trusted the Lord as your personal savior, He has given you this day to come to Him and to accept the gift of eternal life He offers. If you’re one of His, today is another opportunity to serve Him in love. It is also another opportunity to focus on the things that matters, such as our family and friends. No matter what happened yesterday, today does not have to follow in the footsteps of yesterday’s sins, heartaches, disappointments, and hurts. Even the scriptures about the return, Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:40-44) teach that His coming could happen at any moment. This is another clear sign that we are to live each day – each moment – as it could be our last.

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