This past week I have had the responsibility of painting our carport. If you have ever painted anything like this, you know that first you have to scrape off the old paint, then you add the primer, and then you are able to paint. Well with the size of our carport, this is a pretty big job and each of those tasks take at least a full day.
Day one for me consisted of scraping off the old paint. Nearly 8 hours were spent scraping, and scraping, and scraping, with the sun getting hotter, and hotter, and hotter. By the end of the day, I was dripping with sweat and my arms were exhausted. I went inside to shower and cool off and then I waited for my father to come home to ask him if my work was sufficient enough. Much to my surprise, he told me that it wasn't. It wasn't that my work didn't live up to his standards, but rather I had used the wrong scraper. There was a another scraper in the toolbox that was actually a lot more efficient in taking off the paint. When I had to repeat my task of scraping the next day, I understood this to be true.
So day two of the job was almost like deja vu. I continued over the same spots, scraping away for hours. Much more paint came off with this scraper, and the carport did look a lot better. While I didn't mind doing the labor, I was somewhat frustrated with myself that I had pretty much wasted the day before, performing a task that turned out to be useless.
Do you ever wonder if our tasks in life are this way? People are so busy these days, involved in so many activities that we barely have time to sit down. I am not saying that being busy is a bad thing, but what is it that is keeping you busy? One day we will have to stand before our heavenly Father and give an accounting of the work that we have done. 1 Corinthians 3 talks of how the reward will only be given to him who has done good work, not to him who has wasted his time on a meaningless task.
Now obviously, this reward is not the reward of salvation. Salvation is not something that is earned through works, but rather it is something acquired through a relationship with Christ. But I love this idea of seeing my Father look at my work and saying, "Well done, Todd! The work that you have done is sufficient. It is exactly what I wanted you to do."
The positive to my mistake on painting was that I was given another day. But in life, we get only one chance. We have only one life to live. And as Moses states in Psalm 90, the time of that life quickly passes so we need to learn to number our days. What sort of things are you going to be remembered for? When you stand before God and he asks you what you did with the majority of your time, what are you going to say? Will the things that you have done actually matter? Will they have made an impact on the world? Or will all of your time been spent in vein?
This theme of not wasting my life has become a motto for me this past year. I have tried to apply it to my day, to my hour, and to my minute (ex. "Don't waste your minute"). This conscious effort to live every breath to the glory of God is one that is hard to attain, but I feel is necessary in checking our works. One of my biggest fears in life is to have spent all my time doing something that doesn't really matter. So this thought helps me in deciding whether or not something is worth pursuing.
What is it that you are wasting your time on? Are you seeking treasures that will never last? What could you be doing with that time that helps in furthering God's Kingdom? You have but one life to live. Don't waste it. Don't waste your life.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Whatever happened to the Church?
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."
- Acts 2:42-47
Whatever happened to the church? Whatever happened to the fellowship, and the continuous prayers, and the selfless giving? Whatever happened to the commitment to the Word of God? Whatever happened to the church having favor with all people and the LORD adding to their number daily?
Today the church is described as a building, not as a people. It is seen to be a Sunday tradition, not a continuous fellowship. It is split into nearly 38,000 denominations, definitely not "continuing with one mind". And why don't you just ask people in the community whether or not the church is finding favor with men?
When I see the church today, people are more concerned about getting home in time to watch football than they are in discovering the application of God's Word. They are more concerned about music conforming to their interests than they are about the words that are being sung. They are more concerned about getting the same seat every Sunday than they are about seeing new people reached. And then we wonder why the LORD isn't adding to our number daily!?
I have met some incredible men and women of God in the church, but I find it sad when they are labeled as "radical" or "super Christians". When you compare these people to Scripture, they aren't radical at all; they are simply just following in the footsteps of their Savior and following the model of this first church.
The members of the Church were first called Christian in Acts 11:26. When studying the commentary of this passage, it explains that "Christian" literally means "partisans of Christ." The commentary goes on to explain that the Christian label was given to individuals who evangelized and taught the Gospel and who "demonstrated orthopraxy (meaning: correct action) by meeting physical needs."
Is this the church today? Are we committed to evangelism like the early church was? Are we committed to meeting physical needs like the early church was? One has to only open their eyes to find people who are in need of physical help and who are in need of hearing the Gospel. Many would claim that they don't feel called to do this, but let me correct you: you just haven't heard your call to do it. Just put your ear to the Bible and you will hear over and over again, God calling you to "preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61). To be honest, you could probably turn to just about any page in Scripture and find a call similar to this. When we don't answer these calls, it is no wonder why we are called hypocrites.
As a Church, it is about time that we wake up! The world is in desperate need of a Savior and if we don't help them, who will? Just turn on the news and you can see that the world, and our country, are in a downward spiral. But while this is going on, we are keeping our mouths closed because we don't want to suffer any persecution or be labeled as "politically incorrect". We complain so much about the government and other organizations taking too much control, but that is only because the Church is not stepping in and helping. Imagine what the world would be like today if we would continue to spread the love of God as fervently as that first church.
Why is it that a commission by a king is considered an honor, but a commission by God is considered a sacrifice? It is time to step up, Church. It is time to put on the full armor of God and to advance His Kingdom like we have been given such an honor of doing. It is time to get back to the basics of Christianity and to become one again. We often sing, "They'll know we are Christians by our love", but I will be the first to confess that's not true. The only difference today between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians go to church occasionally.
As Francis Chan often asks, "If you were to read Scripture, is this what you would picture the Church to look like?" I want to encourage you to re-read the book of Acts. As I have been studying it over the past month, I have been amazed at some of the truths that God has shown me. But simple head knowledge isn't enough. It is time to put these truths to action. Men and women, let's start being the Church.
I feel that there is no better way than to close with a segment of the Jesus's prayer for us in John 17:
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Amen.
- Acts 2:42-47
Whatever happened to the church? Whatever happened to the fellowship, and the continuous prayers, and the selfless giving? Whatever happened to the commitment to the Word of God? Whatever happened to the church having favor with all people and the LORD adding to their number daily?
Today the church is described as a building, not as a people. It is seen to be a Sunday tradition, not a continuous fellowship. It is split into nearly 38,000 denominations, definitely not "continuing with one mind". And why don't you just ask people in the community whether or not the church is finding favor with men?
When I see the church today, people are more concerned about getting home in time to watch football than they are in discovering the application of God's Word. They are more concerned about music conforming to their interests than they are about the words that are being sung. They are more concerned about getting the same seat every Sunday than they are about seeing new people reached. And then we wonder why the LORD isn't adding to our number daily!?
I have met some incredible men and women of God in the church, but I find it sad when they are labeled as "radical" or "super Christians". When you compare these people to Scripture, they aren't radical at all; they are simply just following in the footsteps of their Savior and following the model of this first church.
The members of the Church were first called Christian in Acts 11:26. When studying the commentary of this passage, it explains that "Christian" literally means "partisans of Christ." The commentary goes on to explain that the Christian label was given to individuals who evangelized and taught the Gospel and who "demonstrated orthopraxy (meaning: correct action) by meeting physical needs."
Is this the church today? Are we committed to evangelism like the early church was? Are we committed to meeting physical needs like the early church was? One has to only open their eyes to find people who are in need of physical help and who are in need of hearing the Gospel. Many would claim that they don't feel called to do this, but let me correct you: you just haven't heard your call to do it. Just put your ear to the Bible and you will hear over and over again, God calling you to "preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61). To be honest, you could probably turn to just about any page in Scripture and find a call similar to this. When we don't answer these calls, it is no wonder why we are called hypocrites.
As a Church, it is about time that we wake up! The world is in desperate need of a Savior and if we don't help them, who will? Just turn on the news and you can see that the world, and our country, are in a downward spiral. But while this is going on, we are keeping our mouths closed because we don't want to suffer any persecution or be labeled as "politically incorrect". We complain so much about the government and other organizations taking too much control, but that is only because the Church is not stepping in and helping. Imagine what the world would be like today if we would continue to spread the love of God as fervently as that first church.
Why is it that a commission by a king is considered an honor, but a commission by God is considered a sacrifice? It is time to step up, Church. It is time to put on the full armor of God and to advance His Kingdom like we have been given such an honor of doing. It is time to get back to the basics of Christianity and to become one again. We often sing, "They'll know we are Christians by our love", but I will be the first to confess that's not true. The only difference today between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians go to church occasionally.
As Francis Chan often asks, "If you were to read Scripture, is this what you would picture the Church to look like?" I want to encourage you to re-read the book of Acts. As I have been studying it over the past month, I have been amazed at some of the truths that God has shown me. But simple head knowledge isn't enough. It is time to put these truths to action. Men and women, let's start being the Church.
I feel that there is no better way than to close with a segment of the Jesus's prayer for us in John 17:
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Amen.
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