Category Archives: Obedience

The Fruit God Produces In You

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The Evidence Is The Fruit

Everyone who is “in Christ” will evidence the fruit of that relationship. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches! So, if you don’t bear fruit, it’s because you’re “not abiding in the vine,” He said. Let’s take some time to consider what kind of fruit is expected to be growing in our lives if we belong to Him. Besides Galatians 5, which speaks to the fruit the indwelling Holy Spirit produces in us, there is also an expectation that our lives will produce the fruit of winning others to Jesus.

The Fruit of Disciple-Making

In John 4, Jesus said, “Do not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest.’ I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” Does your life reveal the fruit of disciple-making? Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). So, we would expect to see the fruit of obedience in the life of someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

The Fruit of Obedience

If our faith is genuine, the indwelling Holy Spirit will be at work in us—pointing out all the areas of our lives that we still need to bring into obedience to the Word of God. In John 15, Jesus refers to the Father as the vinedresser (v.1), and He adds that God will remove you from the vine if there’s no life in you. In v.6 He says you will be thrown into the fire! Jesus taught the same truth in His parable about the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13. The “tares” looked like wheat, but they were frauds. They were weeds, and at the harvest they will be separated from the genuine wheat and burned up. That pictures judgment for everyone who claims to be Jesus’ disciple but has no fruit to evidence that claim. Just as the owner of a vineyard expects fruit, so God expects every one of us who genuinely abides in Christ to produce fruit! He saved us on account of His great name and for His great purpose—that He might gather a people to Himself for all eternity who belong to Him. Jesus Christ “invested” His life in you, and He expects a “return” on that investment.

Jesus Chose You

Consider what Jesus said: “You did not choose me,” Jesus said, “but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (John 15:16). It’s fruitfulness, He says, that evidences real faith! If your life is absent from fruit, you would do well to examine yourself against the Scriptures to see if your faith is the real thing. Please consider Jesus’ words carefully and with all sobriety. This is “life or death” because fruitfulness is always the result of abiding in Christ. If there is no fruit of the Spirit, if there is no fruit or passion to make disciples, if there is no fruit of obedience—it may be because you do not abide in Jesus, nor does He abide in you. The church here in the West has made a distinction between a “believer” and a “disciple,” a distinction that is not endorsed by Scripture. We’ll get into that in next week’s post!

God Makes Us Fruitful

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Through An Encounter With Jesus

No one has a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ and walks away unchanged! The deaf were made to hear. The blind were made to see. The lame could walk again. The hungry were filled. The ignorant were instructed. The guilty were forgiven. And sinners were set free from their sin!  There is nothing in Scripture to support the “cheap grace” religion so prevalent in the Western church—that someone can be saved without becoming Jesus’ disciple. Repeating words in some kind of “sinner’s prayer” is not a “get out of hell free” card!

Saved From A Self-Absorbed Life

Jesus didn’t save us to live a self-centered, self-absorbed life. He didn’t just die on the cross so we could listen to a good sermon and some worship music every Sunday morning. This post is about fruitfulness! God makes us fruitful when we enter into a genuine salvation relationship with Him. Just as you anticipate that an apple seed planted in the ground will grow into an apple tree that produces more apples, so God will produce the fruit of the Spirit in us when the seed of the Gospel is planted and His Spirit begins to indwell us. Always. Every time. Let me tell you why that’s important. It’s important because if you don’t get this right, it could lead to eternal judgment and condemnation.

Gotta Get This Right

If you’re holding on to some prayer you repeated in third-grade Children’s Church as proof you’re going to heaven, you may have been misled. The Scriptures never encourage us to hold onto something we did or said—or something our parents or pastor did or said—as proof of our salvation. God’s Word focuses on a changed life and a progressively changing life now. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “If you love Me,” Jesus said, “you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Our life will be marked by a love for obedience to God’s Word and a hatred and abhorrence for all sin we stumble into. The Apostle John wrote: “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13) The written Word, inspired by God’s Spirit, was given to act like a mirror to reflect back to us our spiritual condition.

Test Yourselves

Seek proof of your conversion from the Scriptures! “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves,” the Apostle Paul wrote, “Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless you fail the test.” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Test your life according to God’s Word. Examine yourselves. Is there any evidence of a changed life? Is there fruit in your life that can only be produced by a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ? Listen to Jesus’ words: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1–2) Evidence of genuine faith is produced by life in Jesus!
 

Children That Please God

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Scripture Speaks To Children

I find it interesting that in his letter to the Colossian church, Paul speaks directly to children: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” — Colossians 3:20. In a section of Scripture devoted to family issues, Paul expects children to read and adhere to his admonition. And if obedience to parents pleases the Lord, we can infer from that that God is not pleased with children who disobey their parents. Yes, He still loves them—but He’s not pleased with them!

Disobedience Produces A Hard Life

I used to tell our kids, “Hey, I’ve figured out how to never get in trouble with your parents! If you never disobey them, you’ll never get in trouble with them!” I would often remind them, “The way of the transgressor is hard!” If Paul were writing a letter to your kids today, I think he’d say something like this: “Your life is going to be hard if you insist on disobeying your parents. Why put yourself through that? Disobedience produces a hard life because your parents are always on you—and God is not pleased with you! So, OBEY! Your life will be much easier!” Jesus set the example of obedience—both to His Heavenly Father and to His earthly father.

Attitude Originates In The Heart

Obedience is a matter of the heart. It’s not just about obeying outwardly—your body language can show disrespect even if you did what you were told! Grumbling, rolling your eyes, shrugging your shoulders, stomping off, banging doors, sassing, arguing, justifying your behavior by making excuses, rationalizing with a “Jimmy’s mom doesn’t make him do that…”—all point to a disobedient attitude of the heart. And to delay is the same as disobedience! When Paul wrote on the same topic to the Ephesian church, he told them that honoring your parents will earn a reward of long life. Put the two together—HONOR your parents by OBEYING them!

Fathers Are Significant

Back to his letter to the Colossians—Paul also pointed out that fathers play a significant part in raising children who please God: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.” — Colossians 3:21. I don’t believe that Paul is suggesting Mom has no responsibility in raising children; rather, he’s calling out Dad for his headship in the home. He’s to be the family shepherd and leader.

Don’t Crush Your Child’s Spirit

Dad needs to be the leader when it comes to voluntarily loving his wife sacrificially (as we noted in our previous post). And he needs to step up his leadership when it comes to training the children. Don’t exasperate your children, Dad—or you’ll discourage them. You’ll crush their spirit. That’s what it means to discourage them. Don’t make promises you don’t keep. Don’t change your mind without a very good reason. Don’t withhold compliments. Give them credit for the good things they do—for the times they’re obedient. They’ll remember it forever. But they’ll also remember when you fail to compliment them for a job well done. Love them unconditionally, Mom and Dad—and give them room to grow.

Complementary Love & Submission

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Taking A Vacation: Next Post August 20

It’s Not About Equality

In our culture, we tend to equate any kind of “submission” to another person as a sign of “inequality.” That’s unfortunate because it simply isn’t true! All of us submit to our boss at work—not because of inequality, but because of order! God designed order into every area of His world, including the home. Jesus Himself submitted to that order in the home: “And He (Jesus) went down with them (His parents) and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them” (Luke 2:51). I certainly hope that doesn’t mean Jesus, the second member of the Triune Godhead, was somehow beneath His human parents!

Jesus Submitted To The Father

And what of Jesus’ submission to the Father within the Triune Godhead? He is just as much “God” as the Father and the Spirit. But He voluntarily gave in to the Father’s lead: “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead, He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8). Did you see that? He was equal with God the Father, but He didn’t use that to His own advantage! Rather, He humbled Himself and voluntarily became obedient to the Father.

Wives Looking Like Jesus

Wives—nothing you do within the structure of your home makes you look more like Jesus than when you voluntarily give up control to your husband—not because you’re incapable! In fact, I’ve counseled many marriages in which the wife was clearly the more capable leader. But when she gave that up voluntarily, it changed the entire dynamics of their home. By doing so, she empowered her husband to lead and love, and she “imaged” Jesus for her children. Ladies, that’s how you complement your husband according to God’s design for the home. And men, you complement your wife’s voluntary submission by your love for her: “Husbands, love your wives…” (Colossians 3:19).

A Voluntary, Sacrificial Love

The context of this Colossians 3 passage shows that the wife’s submission is prompted by a husband who shows her unselfish love. In no way does the Scripture imply that the husband is to demand submission from his wife! It’s impossible to draw that meaning from this text. The relationships are understood to be reciprocal. He gains the voluntary submission of his wife as he loves her, and she enjoys more of his love as she voluntarily submits to him. That word translated “love” is agape in the original language, and it’s interesting that agape love is a voluntary, sacrificial kind of love. Her submission is to be voluntary, and his love is to be given voluntarily. It’s not governed by feelings—it’s a love that looks out for her best interests, regardless! A love that refuses to turn “bitter,” as Paul points out in the rest of verse 19.
 

Honoring Jesus With Our Gender

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The Culture Doesn’t Get It

We honor Jesus in our hearts when we obey Him with our lifestyles. And by our obedient lifestyle, we create curiosity. The answer the culture is giving about our sexual identity isn’t working—and it never will. But when we live sexually in obedience to God’s Word, we earn the right to share it when the world gets curious—to share with them the Gospel and God’s purpose for gender. This is difficult subject matter! It’s layered with lots of abuse and painful injuries dating all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and it’s just not easy to jump into without laying a foundation of understanding, empathy, and love.

Say It With Empathy & Love

And that is what the world needs from us: understanding, empathy, and love. It’s simply not helpful when, instead, we offer them self-righteous judgment and vindictiveness. So, let me try to unpack some of the main points from the first two chapters of Genesis—especially as it relates to gender and sexual identity. We need to take note of some of the implications it has for our homes, our families, and how it plays into our child-rearing. Keep in mind, from an interpretive standpoint of the text, that Genesis chapter 1 presents the “big picture” of God’s creative act, and chapter 2 fills in the details. Chapter 1 is like the Super Bowl headlines the day after—“Patriots Win the Most Boring Super Bowl Ever”—and chapter 2 is like the story that fills in the details of how the Patriots pummeled the Rams into submission.

What Shapes Our Opinions?

Let’s also remember the most important detail as followers of Jesus Christ: when determining our roles as men and women, God’s Word must shape our opinions—not the culture! And perhaps the most significant point of the text is that God created humanity to reflect His image: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth’” (Genesis 1:26). God created humanity to function as His living image over the creation. And I believe it’s correct to interpret “man” here as “mankind,” including both man and woman. I believe the next verse bears that out—God created humanity to bear His image as male and female.

God Created Maleness & Femaleness

The text says:  “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27).  Our “maleness” and our “femaleness” are essential parts of being God’s image-bearers. Somehow—and I don’t want to get weird here—but somehow it seems that God is saying it was in the complementing or the completing of the man with the creation of woman that humanity was created in the image of God. That image wasn’t clear or evident until woman complemented God’s creation of man. So here’s my plea: Men and women—we need each other to correctly image God in His creation! When we grasp the significance of that, we’ll begin to glory in both manhood and womanhood. Together, we are God’s intentional design of human diversity!
 

What Sexual Health Looks Like

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It’s Not What You Think

Unfortunately, marriage and parenting are the butt of many jokes in our society. We sing countless sad songs about lost love, and it seems that’s one way we manage the pain. Take, for example, the story of a woman whose husband lay dying in bed, drifting in and out of a coma. One day, he briefly awoke and reached out to his wife, drawing her close. As she sat beside him, he began whispering his memories to her: “Honey, you’ve been right there beside me through all the rough times. You were there when I got fired. You were there when my business failed. You were there when we lost the house. And you’ve been right here— by my side the whole time— even as my health declined and I lay dying.” He paused briefly and asked, “You know what?” “What, dearest?” she asked, wiping a tear from her eye. “I think you’re bad luck,” he said—and then slipped back into a coma!

Flawless Marriage Counseling

I’m confident that everyone enters into marriage longing for a partnership that remains strong and healthy! I hope it doesn’t surprise you when I say that God’s Word provides the only flawless counsel for building healthy marriages and raising godly children. If you’re a relatively new follower of Jesus, you may be surprised to discover how much the Bible says about marriage, sex, and family! But think about it—God created marriage! He created sex! He created the family, too! So it only makes sense that we would go to the ultimate source for wisdom and counsel in these areas.

A Foundational Bible Text

A foundational text on the subject of marriage, sex, and family is 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. It’s incredibly practical, and if you commit to obeying the words of Scripture— rather than listening to the foolish, so-called “wisdom” of the world— you will have the strong and happy marriage that everyone longs for. It’s an intriguing passage! What the Apostle Paul says to the church in Corinth— words inspired by God’s Holy Spirit— are completely out of step with the world’s wisdom and societal norms regarding family and human sexuality. So, choose whom you’re going to listen to!

Where Healthy Sex Happens

If you search “A Healthy Sex Life” on Google, you’ll find results like “10 Signs You Have a Healthy Sex Life”— but not one of them is connected to marriage between a man and a woman! Your search results will also include articles on sexual dysfunction and how to maintain an active sex life, yet again, with no reference to marriage. However, according to God, “healthy sex” only happens within a marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Over and over, the Word of God warns us about the consequences of sexual activity outside of marriage. All other sexual practices are spiritually unhealthy, as they reflect disobedience to God’s Word. But they can also prove to be physically and emotionally harmful—creating a ripple effect that negatively impacts others down the line. Next week:  We’ll explore 1 Corinthians 7.

Your Giving Reveals Your Heart

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Money Is An Exact Index

Richard Halverson served as the Chaplain of the United States Senate from 1981-1994. Some considered this statement he made, about money, to be controversial:  “Jesus Christ said more about money than any other single thing because, when it comes to a man’s real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man’s true character.  All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles his money.” Money is an “exact index” to a man’s true character, he says! In other words, you can get a good feel for a person’s level of spiritual commitment by checking out their spending habits!

Where Your Treasure Is

Jesus said it like this, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will follow” Matthew 6:21. What your money goes after is a pretty clear indication of what your heart goes after! What your hands buy is a reflection of what your heart is doing with God! I saw this 1st hand because I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. I was 13 when my parents came to faith in Christ; and, I saw how it impacted all their decisions about finances. So, the “quality” of your faith will reflect in all your financial decisions, as well as the level of your generosity. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”; and, He had a lot to say about money! Nearly half of his parables were about finances— He talked about money & possessions more than all His talks on heaven & hell combined! REALLY!

Money Can’t Be A Taboo Subject

All of this means that it’s impossible to separate your financial life from your spiritual life. We can’t make money a taboo subject in the Church & the pulpit when 1 out of every 7 verses, in the New Testament, deals with money. Think about this: There are 500 Bible verses on prayer; LESS than 500 verses on faith; and, more than 2,350 verses on money! If the Church is to be faithful to the Word of God, we can’t NOT preach and teach about money! There is a fundamental connection between your spiritual life, and, the way you think about & handle money! Your financial decisions ultimately reveal what you think about God! And, it’s vital to your walk with Christ— to your SANCTIFICATION & your spiritual growth— that you listen and obey what the Scriptures say about this. You’ve got to get this right, Church!  

We’re Managing God’s Stuff

Let the Holy Spirit, who indwells you as a believer, convict you with God’s Word if you’re not doing this right! And, REPENT! Make the right decision for God! As we conclude, let the words of the Apostle Paul to the Church of Corinth speak to your heart:  “Remember this, the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver…You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.” 2 Corinthians 9:1-12 . In other words, how you spend your money is an “exact index” to your spiritual character. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with God about this. He already knows your heart!
 

Do I Really Own My Stuff?

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Are You An Owner Or A Steward?

You don’t want to be on the wrong side of that question! If you don’t listen to the Word of God—when it comes to your finances & your stuff—you’ll forfeit something. God will oppose you as long as you live like an “owner” of YOUR stuff rather than a “steward” or a “manager” of HIS. The prophet, Malachi, was inspired by God’s Spirit to write: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed ME! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse” Malachi 3:8,9.   Clearly, God means for us to understand that our resources are not ours to use however we may wish!

God Owns It All

In my last post, I challenged you with Scripture that makes it clear that God owns ALL of it! He doesn’t just get our tithe & offerings; and, the rest is ours to spend on ourselves! He owns it ALL—Deuteronomy 10:14; Haggai 2:8; 1 Corinthians 10:26. As stewards, we are responsible for managing the portion of HIS “estate”—that He has entrusted to us—the way that HE wants it to be managed! We don’t have the freedom to do what we want with it! Our responsibility is to spend it the way He directs us! We have to get this right, Church! You’re the STEWARD of your stuff, not the OWNER! Repeat that out loud! You need to convince yourself of that! Here’s what you need to do—you need to do an AUDIT of your finances! And, if God’s Spirit shows you that you’ve been living like an owner instead of a steward, you need to “repent.”

Change Your Mind

To “repent” literally means to “change your mind” about something. If you’ve not been obedient, in this area, you need to repent & change your mind about the way you’ve been living! And, I would challenge you to make it a matter of prayer, every day, to release your stuff back to God! Talk to Him every day, about it, and, give it all back to Him. And, how will you know if you’re making progress? Well, you’ll begin to experience freedom from greed, first of all! When it’s part of your mindset that none of your stuff is really yours, you’ll also begin to experience a freedom from the anxiety that a love of money can bring. It all belongs to God anyway; and, He’s promised to take care of you! So, your dependence transfers from your IRA to God, right? 

Don’t Wander From The Faith

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy, his son in the faith, with these words: “But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains” 1 Timothy 6:6-10. Catch the gravity of Paul’s warning to young Timothy? He tells him that the way he looks at his money & his stuff has a direct correlation to his relationship with God! And, if he gets it wrong he’s in danger of “financial apostasy”; or, wandering from the faith! Don’t do that!

Christianity’s Image Problem

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The Tradeoff Seemed Worth It

It seemed to me that Christianity had an image problem back in the 1970s when I came to faith as a Junior High Boy. Here’s what I mean— if you decided to trust Jesus, as your Savior, you’d get heaven when your life ended HERE; but, the rest of your life HERE would be boring and blasé. But, for me, the “tradeoff” certainly seemed worth it; so, I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I’ll take the 80 years of blasé; but, eternity in heaven vs. 80 years of fun & happiness; but, eternity in hell at the end! But, that didn’t “sell” real well with my friends! I had a difficult time convincing them that the tradeoff was worth it.

Misconceptions About The Christian Life

I think many believers still suffer from some severe misconceptions about the “Christian life”, don’t you? It’s been my observation that many believers just ENDURE the Christian life! Secretly, they still pine for the pleasures & happiness they think the world enjoys. In their hearts, they’re earthly hedonists! Like the children of Israel, during the Exodus, still looking back with longing for the old life they left behind in Egypt. Somehow, we’ve come to this erroneous conclusion that life’s just not going to be fun or happy as a Christian; but, we put up with it because…. well, we get heaven at the END!

The Most Possible Happiness

But, there’s a great text of Scripture that debunks the notion that the life that follows Christ & adheres to the Scriptures is boring. What this Psalm says is quite the opposite. The writer sets the record straight— we don’t just ENDURE the Christian life; putting in our time here until we get to heaven & hang out with Jesus forever and ever! No! This Psalm tells us that it’s the life that submits to God & His Word that provides us with the greatest fulfillment & the most happiness possible! This is a message that the Church desperately needs!

The God-Centered Life

You need this message! I need this message! Happiness & prosperity, in this life & the next, only follows the God-centered life. Here’s how I’d summarize the Psalmist’s big idea: we overcome the pleasures of the world by taking greater pleasure in the Word of God! A significant part of your spiritual growth involves the things in which you find pleasure & happiness! Don’t be surprised that God is concerned with your happiness!  This is anything but a “health, wealth & prosperity” gospel; which is no gospel at all!  What the Psalmist is saying is it is the life of Christ; or walking obediently with Christ by faith that offers the greatest happiness we could ever enjoy! That’s what we were designed for!

Here’s A Happy Man

Listen to what He says:  “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.  He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.  The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.” (Psalm 1) For some believers, it’s a debate over “JOY” & “HAPPINESS”! JOY is a fruit of the Spirit, they say; and, that’s what we should concern ourselves with! Not HAPPINESS! But, read that text again— it makes me HAPPY! We don’t have to choose one over the other! Walking with God makes one JOYFUL and HAPPY!

Sustaining Spiritual Momentum Part III

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Church Attendance Behavior

“The number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that members attend with less frequency than they did just a few years ago”— quote from author & church consultant Thom S. Rainer on his website http://www.thomrainer.com. So, it would seem— if that statement is true— that much of the blame for declining attendance, in 9 out of 10 churches in America, must be laid at the feet of the Church itself! Mr. Rainer explained it like this:  “If the frequency of attendance changes, then attendance will respond accordingly. For example, if 200 members attend every week the average attendance is, obviously, 200. But if 1/2 of those members miss only 1 out of 4 weeks, the attendance drops to 175. ..attendance declined over 12% because half the members changed their attendance behavior slightly.”

Missing The Sunday Gatherings

Believers are finding reasons to “miss” the Sunday gatherings! And, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time in the history of the Church that this has happened! The last couple posts we’ve looked at Hebrews 10:24-25, which reads:  “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our gatherings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Previously, we considered what the author said about “love” and “good works.” And, in context, it seems quite clear that the writer is calling out some “absent” believers; and, challenging them to be concerned about one another by being present whenever the Church gathers!

Whenever The Church Gathers

That word translated “gatherings” is a specific word— in the original language— that’s used only here & 2 Thessalonians 2:1 which refers to “…the GATHERING together of the elect to Christ at His coming…” Nothing too subtle about that! The writer likens our “gatherings” as a local Church body with the “gathering” of ALL the saints in Christ! None of us want to miss that! So, the message seems quite clear— “don’t just ‘blow off’ your regular Church meetings either.” Let me also suggest that the text doesn’t limit the meaning to Sunday services! A specific day of the week is not even mentioned! Rather, it carries the idea that “whenever” your church gathers, be there! If your church has a Small Group ministry, are you part of a Small Group? And do you attend regularly? Are there regular “men’s meetings”; or “women’s meetings” in your church? Are there retreats? It would seem that Scripture is calling out believers to be faithful attenders for all church “gatherings.”  

The Early Church Met Daily

In the context of the early Church in Acts, they met DAILY! The writer says that some were staying away from the gatherings; and, he REBUKES them for it! That rebuke falls on the Church today; and, confession & repentance must follow if we hope to sustain any kind of spiritual momentum! How will new believers learn to obey God’s Word, about “gatherings”, if the believers discipling them are disobedient? The writer says to do this all the more, “…as you see THE DAY approaching.” “THE DAY” is a Biblical term that refers to Jesus’ 2nd Coming & the Judgment Seat of Christ.  He’s saying that he wants us all to stand approved before Jesus! This is REAL! He wants his readers to hear Jesus say: “WELL done, GOOD & FAITHFUL servant.” So, Church— let us “make disciples” who “make disciples” who come to the “gatherings”!