Wanted - General Manager

That day is not far away when churches will be advertising for the above post, rather than a minister of the Word and Gospel.  Churches today have become primarily business enterprises organised and run along the lines of a supermarket, where clients (members) can get everything they need 'under one roof.'  There is something for women and something else for men.  There are numerous activities for children of both genders and all ages, both uniformed and non-uniformed, each having to be appropriately manned.  There is timetabling and scheduling to be done to ensure not only that each organisation has use of church facilities, but that the facilities are fully and properly used.

That is the mark of a true and good church, so it goes.  Plenty of activity and plenty going on, especially for the younger members of the congregation.  That none of it has nothing much to do with the primary work of the church does not seem to occur to ministers and elders.  They want an organisation that is full of activity, regardless of it usefulness to the promotion of the Gospel.

Then there is the whole matter of public relations and keeping the public informed about what the congregation is doing.  This is also the role of the 'manager.'  Attending endless meetings that have no consequence for Gospel work is a time-consuming and wearying exercise, and all it succeeds in doing is pumping up the notions of self-importance that many ministers have. 

Indeed, young Christian parents decide which church to go to depending on what is on offer for the children.  Not whether or not the Gospel is preached clearly and passionately. 

Now the question is, what need is there for a minister of the Gospel when what is needed in fact is a general manager!  I was once considered and interviewed for a large and growing church in one of our provincial towns, and coming away it struck me that that congregation was not looking for a minister but for a manager, and didn't know it.  A friend of mine was called there. 

But while congregations want to have their own minister, what they expect him to be is a general manager who runs the organisation, while the elders are the directors who have power to sack the manager if his performance is not what they expect it to be.  He needs to show profit at the end of the year, demonstrate increased giving and attendances at church services, prove that he is preaching what the people want to hear and who does for them whatever it is the people want him to do (the sacraments come to mind here).  And if he cannot thus prove his worth to the congregation, sorry, organisation, at the end of the year, then he has to go.  Some ministers have become so expert at pleasing the people that they can get off with murder in their congregations.  They run a good enterprise and promote a good public image that the primary task of the church goes by the by.

This is a short-term expedient.  The day will come when the church's true books will be opened and an account will have to be given by all concerned, especially the minister.  That day will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Then, rewards will be given and many faces will be buried in profound shame.

Minister or manager?  What have you become?  What are you?  What were you called by God to be?  Then be it, and forget the worldliness that has invaded many churches today, and not least those that call themselves evangelical.

You Shall Die In Your Sins

The Puritan commentator, Matthew Henry, wrote:

"Many that have long lived in sin are through grace, saved by a timely repentance from dying in sin; but those who go out of this world of reprobation into that of retribution under the guilt of sin unpardoned and the power of sin unbroken, there remains no relief...

"If we have not this faith [in Christ alone for salvation], we shall die in our sins.  Without faith, we cannot be saved from the punishment of sin when we die, for the wrath of God remains upon them that believe not, Mk.16:16.  Unbelief is a damning sin; it is a sin against the remedy."

These words are so serious and solemn that it is the height of folly to ignore their import.  Yet many do just that!  The remedy for sin - the only effective remedy for sin and sin's dire conseqiences - is present freely in the everlasting Gospel, yet men in their blindness and hardnes of heart reject it.  They are rejecting the only One Who can do their souls eternal good. Jesus Christ.  Only deep-seated unbelief will cause a sinner to reject Christ.  "Unbelief in a damning sin," says Henry.  Your unbelief will damn you forever.  "Begone, unbelief; my Saviour has come."

1. Begone, unbelief; My Saviour is near,
And for my relief Will surely appear;
Tho’ dark be my way, since he is my guide,
‘Tis mine to obey, ‘tis his to provide.

2. His love in time past forbids me to think
He’ll leave me at last in trouble to sink;
Oh, can he have taught me to trust in his name
And thus far have brought me, to put me to shame?

3. Why should I complain of want or distress,
Temptation or pain? He told me no less;
The heirs of salvation, I know from his word
Thro’ much tribulation, must follow their Lord.

4. How bitter his cup no heart can conceive
That the wretched might hope, and the dying might live;
his way was much rougher and darker than mine,
Did Jesus thus suffer and shall I repine?

5. Welcome all that I meet, I am saved by his blood,
And trial is sweet, since it works for my good;
Tho' painful at present, ‘twill cease before long, 
And then, Oh how pleasant the conqueror’ song! 

What sweet words of encouragement are these to the believer's heart!  Here is the remedy for every unconverted sinner in the world.  Christ died for you to provide you with a fail-proof remedy for your sin and sins.  If you do not immediately avail of this divinely provided remedy, "you shall die in your sins," and that without remedy.  And you are depriving yourself of the comforts of salvation.  The moment you obey the Gospel call to repent of your sins and trust Christ alone for salvation, you will be saved, because God through Christ has provided for the salvation of the world.  Your are "of the world" therefore He died for you.  He died for sinners, therefore He died for you.  Trust Christ now for your eternal well-being, or you will die alone with none to confort and guide and bless.  You will go out into a lost eternity, and have all the problems and pains and sufferings of this life intensified beyond description.  "You will dies in your sins."

My dear friend, this need not happen to you.  There is a way of escapre that God Himslef has provided and its in Christ alone.  Forget about church and religion and  priests and ministers and sacraments and good deeds and all that.  Ther are fine in their own place, but they will not save a single soul from hell.  Come to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, NOW, and get spiritual matters sorted out NOW.  I beg you in Christ's name, "Be reconciled to God."

Some Hindrances to True Worship

Worshipping the Lord is the highest activity that anyone can engage in on this earth.  Praising His holy Name is the most exalted thing we can do.  To meet God in living encounter is what makes worship worship.  And when we come to church, we are coming to give to God the honour that is due to His Name.  In heart we are taken up with His glory and majesty.  Indeed our very hearts and souls are moved deeply by the presence of God by His Spirit.  When we are worshipping the living God, we find ourselves "lost in wonder, love and praise" (Isaac Watts).  Nay, we find that we have nothing to say in the presence of the Almighty.  Every mouth stopped. Struck by the awesome holiness of God.  Silent.

But that doesn't happen much in many of today's churches.  Rather, when you enter the church for the public worship of God, it is like being at the local horse fair.  Then before the service starts, you cannot even get a time of quiet to prepare your heart to worship this awesome God - and in the church is where you'd expect a quiet and solemn atmosphere where Christians can focus their hearts on what they are about to do.  When the service actually starts, whether or not the singing pleases me is not the issue; the point is that the very singing and choice of 'worship songs' are contra-indications of what it is to worship God in spirit and in truth.  The unsingable songs are a hindrance to worship which some can overcome but others find utterly distracting.  Musicians roving about the church hardly able to out one foot past the other and dressed to look more like clowns that worshippers of God.

So when I go to church, I do not go primarily to get something from the service - though hungry sheep do need to be fed - I am there to give my heart up to God in the worship of His holy Name.  I am not there to support the church; I am there to be supported by the church.  What use is a church to anybody if that church has to be supported by those who need its help, the weak, the suffering, the depressed, the anxious, and so on!

I think that while the emphasis is right that we go to church to give worship to God, and not primarily to get for ourselves, it is also true that the sheep need to be fed and the goats need to be turned into sheep.  Yet the more we give in worship the more we get from it.

A Mature Faith - Dr James Dobson

A Mature Faith

We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
Judy did everything she could to ensure the spiritual well-being of her son Kevin. She taught him the Word, took him to church, and prayed for him regularly. But when Kevin reached his teens, Judy despaired as she realized that he was turning away from God. Then, two months before his high school graduation, she learned he was hooked on drugs. Kevin soon moved to another state. It was a desperate period for Judy. She was forced to let go of her son at a time when every fiber of her being demanded that she step in and “fix” his faltering faith. Instead, she resolved to love and pray for her son from a distance.
Though you must do everything possible to encourage a living faith in the Lord during your children’s youth, it is important not to push your children too hard spiritually once they reach the latter years of adolescence. They must develop their own personal belief in God to achieve the mature faith described by the apostle Paul: “We will no longer be infants.… We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:14–15).
Judy’s prayers for her son were answered after two years. Kevin entered a Christian drug rehab program and recommitted his life to the Lord. Our hope is that when you let go of your sons and daughters, your prayers for faithful children will be answered, too.
Before you say good night…

• Are you placing enough emphasis on spiritual matters at home? Are you pushing too hard?
• Are you willing to put the faith of your older children in God’s hands?

Father, thank You that You love my children even more than I do. Because of Your trustworthiness, I know You will be faithful to work in their lives. Help me to depend on You to establish my children in their faith. Amen.

Building Bridges to the Kingdom - Dr Charles Stanley

Building Bridges to the Kingdom Matthew 25:31-34  Scripture refers to "the kingdom of God" frequently, but many people are unclear as to its  meaning. Let's look at the past, present, and future reality of this concept. The first thing we must realize is that the heavenly kingdom refers to everything under Christ's  control. At the moment of salvation, we are transferred from the reign of darkness to the bright  authority of Jesus. And we are eternally secure in Him. As today's verses explain, Jesus' kingdom and reign have been planned since the foundation of the  world. From the beginning, God has been preparing mankind for what is to come. One way was by  using prophets to foretell how He would redeem humanity and sovereignly rule over heaven and earth. Once Jesus came and gave His life, He established the "present" kingdom. This isn't a geographical  locale; it's a term describing the heart, where God's Holy Spirit indwells believers to guide, counsel,  and empower. But there is also a future aspect of the kingdom, which we can anticipate with excitement. You are  probably familiar with the words "Thy kingdom come" from the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2, KJV). This  speaks of the new heaven and new earth, where we will enjoy freedom from pain and sin. There, we  will worship Jesus with gladness and joy for all eternity. As God's kingdom ambassadors, we who are His children have the responsibility and privilege of  sharing the good news: Through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, all who trust in Him are forgiven  of sin and assured of eternal life with God. Whom can you tell about this amazing gift?

Christ Removed From Contemporary Christianity

Is it possible that the evangelical church today has left Christ out of Christianity altogether? Is it true to say that the faith and practice of British Christians today is more American than Christian? These are provocative questions that need to be asked and answered.  While we invoke the name of Christ (sometimes), too often Christ and His Gospel are pushed aside. The result is a message and a faith that are"trivial, sentimental, affirming, and irrelevant" (Dr Michael Horton). This is an alternative "gospel" to the biblical one that generations of believers cherished but which today's modern 'Christians' have subjected to a reductionist process, and have rendered it a message of moralism, personal comfort, self-help, self-improvement, and individualistic religion.  Such a message as is practiced in today's church trivialises God, and makes Him a means to our selfish ends. This is the problem facing the contemporary church and there is only one solution: a return to the unadulterated gospel of salvation as revealed in the pages of Scripture.

Preaching

"Preaching is not so much about getting something out of your head as it is about getting something into your hearer's heads."

If this truth were taken seriously by preachers there would be fewer theological lectures and Bible studies presented on Sundays to hungry Christians who want only to meet with God and to hear a message from Him.  Such an attitude and practice betrays the preacher's self-interest and displays an absence of interest in the eternal well-being of those who listen to them.

Preaching is surely the highest form of communication known to mankind.  And the communicator par excellence is God Himself, and His Son Jesus Christ.  When Father and Son communicated with us, Their concern was not just to get something out of their heads, but a soul-saving message into ours.  And He did what was needed in order to do that very thing.  He humbled Himself and became man in order to redeem man, and also so that the message He would bring would be relevant to man's spiritual needs.

What point would there have been in Jesus Christ speaking in high sounding language to ordinary people who had not been to the schools, and expect them to understand what He was saying to them.  Spiritually they had enough problems in grasping what the Son of Man was saying, but their problems were spiritual and moral not intellectual. 

Preaching must be plain and simple enough to be able to lodge in the mind of every listener, and at the same time stretching enough to encourage spiritual growth. 

Let all who preach study to be clearly understood and labour to get the message home to every heart and mind.