The church..
You can go to church everyday... you can even go twice a day as most people do on Sundays. My thought on Sunday services is fairly simple. I think that if you didn't get what you were supposed to get out of the morning service, you're not going to get it out of the evening. One service should have been enough to get yourself good with God and if it wasn't, you need to go home and get on your knees by yourself. Not that I don't enjoy evening service... usually I prefer them over morning ones, and I find myself more often attending evening services except with the church I belong to here in Reno. I love this church. Its a very different church. Its a Holy Spirit church... They move with the Holy flow. They have a rough outline that they follow, but over all, if the Spirit tells them to do something different, they are faithful and do what God tells them... it's a "Blessed Church" as my Oakhrst friends would say. Very cool things happen... and yes, it's out of my comfort zone having grown up in a very orthodox, organ-playing, white-haired people Presbyterian church.
Anyway, I sat thinking about "church" today. Its so often confused with being a building and not a body of people. The other day the girls in Crusade gather together to just hang out at the leaders house. I was prepared for food and fellowship, talking, ect... but instead we worshiped. Weplayed instruments and sang for hours... That's what a church is. People who gatehr togetehr to worship God. The church is too much about "doing," where as doing should be the biproduct of a relationship with Christ. And in a relationship with Jesus the outcome is fruit. You "do," not because your told to, but because the love from a relationship with Christ over flows from you. Back in the day the church got into too many "do"s and "don't"s and people have forgotten that it's not about us, but about Christ.
For anyone who knows me and has the wrong impression, the church is not what I'm about. Jesus is what I am about.
Someone once said to defend me that I am "not that religious." At the time I didn't know if I should be offended or greatful. Because, it's not about being "religious" its about Jesus. That's all it is about. Jesus is the answer to everything, the beginning and end of everything, and most certainly at the middle of my everything. It does not matter hwo mnay church services you sit in. You can sit in the front row or the back, that's not what its about. It's about loving Jesus, trusting Jesus with your life, and believing that He will rescue you. It's about the relationship. No one can teach you or show you, its something you must personally experience and ask for. Salvation is free, but a relationship is not free. Like a relationship with anyone, it will be hard, the Bible never promises us ease and comfort, but it does promise the opposite... it's not safe, but it's good.
We can sit through church service after church service and we will never get it. I love going to church. I love everything about it.. but if I sit there quietly every Sunday and never react to or apply anything I heard I may as well have slept in and not attended at all. I'm not saying don't go to church. I'm not saying we don't need the church. I'm saying that if you're not getting anything out of church its because you're not doing anything and you may not have a personal relationship with the living God.
I am the King of excuses... it's true. I make up every lame excuse out there and then some for reasons why I just "can't" right now. Jesus says the take up my corss, deny myself and follow Him. It is my responsibility to make sure I have a relationship with Christ and that I am bearing fruitn through Him. Last time, I got too caught up in myself... I wnated people to see what a "good little Christian" I was. But if I'm doing the will of He who sends me I will be noticed and they will see me. We must be willing to give everything to God. It really is time to put Jesus in control -- No more excuses.
We cannot, but Jesus can. With Jesus' help we can do all things. God says, "if you give it to me, I will do it, I will help you." Trust God. Champions take it and rise to the next level... With God all things are possible and he has done away withand buried the "can not"s that we seem to depend on.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Not to us, not to us Oh Lord, but to Your name... It's all about You, Jesus, all this is for You.
2 Comments:
stephanie....you bring up a lot of things i've been wrestling with in my head and struggling with w/ my roomate. while i do agree with you on the fact that if you are not getting anything out of church it likely is because of you...but...it could be the church as well. if the church is not doing an adequate job and teaching/reaching its people then you should find another church. we need to recognize when it is us and when it is the church... so often though we blame the church when in fact it's us who are not right with God. thank you for vocalizing some of the thoughts of my heart right now :) blessings on you friend!
My Dearest Sister,
You are so awesome. What you wrote is so true!! That is one of the reasons why I said the words Pew Sitters on January 9th. We can't just be Pew Sitters, we have to go out and spread the word. We have to apply it to our daily lives. That is where Application comes into play. We have to apply what is being taught, to our lives. We have to embrace it and hold on for all to see. There is a Change, a Change inside all of us. Sorry if I sound like I am rambling on about nothing, or just multiple things at once. If you don't mind I would like to send this post to Jim. While we were sitting down at dinner with Shaun, I felt that there was a lot that was said in that room that holds true. This post actually fits in to that conversation. Christian Musician aren't talking about the Scripture as much anymore. Also, Jim has been bringing up a valid point to us as Elders, that the majority of those that show up on Sundays only see and experiance what goes on in the Sanctuary. They aren't involved in anything else within the church. This is where Application can come into play. Now that I have continued to ramble on, I am no going to close this and say take care and talk to you soon.
Love In Him,
Your Brother
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