Waiting for Christ

In his book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, CS Lewis' characters step through a magical wardrobe that takes to a world where it is always winter, but never Christmas.  Through a series of adventures, Christmas comes to Narnia.  But Lewis hits on an important topic about Christmas.  The wait is worth it only because of the payoff at the end.  Nobody likes to wait, especially at Christmas time.

But the bible shows us that since the beginning of time, the whole world has been waiting for it's rescue, has been waiting for it's redeemer.

Genesis 3:15 gives us the first promise of one who is to come, and the whole Old Testament speaks of his coming.  Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and more are all pictures and promises of the one who is to come. The prophets speak of him, the patriarchs are shadows of the one who is to come. The drum is beat consistently throughout the Old Testament.  He's coming, He's coming, He's coming.

And in the beginning pages of the New Testament, finally the good news comes!  He's Here!

Behold I bring good tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

We now wait for Christ's return.  This holiday season, don't waste the wait!  Let it bring you towards Christ as we celebrate His birth and wait for His return!   

In a few days we will all gather around the table with family.  You'll have thanksgiving meal and maybe go around the table and list the things that you're thankful for.  But thankfulness is not just about remembering good things.

Being thankful is a state of mind, and a way of life, that reflects the life of Jesus on Earth.  

Psalms 126 gives us a glimpse into the life of a truly thankful person.  

 A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad.  Restore our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South.  Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.  He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psa 126:1-6

For a Christian, thankfulness and captivity are linked.  Because we know what true freedom is, we know what it's like to live in bondage to sin, we know what ture thankfulness is as well.  It's good to be thankful for family, freedom, health.  But in the life of a Christian these are all superficial things.  A life of thankfulness starts with knowing what we have been set free from in Christ.

The life of true thankfulness then spreads to those around us. They notice that we live differently, aren't bound in the same way the rest of the world is, and they make notice of what God has done for us.

But thankfulness also makes us realize that others are still bound by sin.  Thankfulness can bring sorrow when we see our family, friends, and community not living in freedom.  Thankfulness leads to work in that we have to spend time in prayer and petition for those who need Christ.

To live a life of thankfulness is more than a momentary prayer.  Thankfulness is not just words, but a life.  

Paul spends a long time telling us in 1 Cor 12 how the body of Christ is to be unified, have diversity, and recognize that it needs all it parts.  Paul lets us know that there is not one part of the body better than the other, even though some get more visibility.  Then he drops in this part in the closing verses  of the chapter.

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. [1Cr 13:1-13 NASB]



Paul says all are equal servants to God, although we serve in different ways.  But there is something better than all those gifts.  Love.  Love is better than all those gifts he says.  He goes on to describe love in a few different ways.

Paul says love is pre-eminet above the other gifts. Even if you can move mountains or speak in tongues, without love it is useless.

Paul says love is fuller than anything we can get from the world.  It is not empty, full of useless talk and chatter, but full of compassion, strength, and forgiveness.

Paul says love is permanent.   You might have other gifts, says Paul, but they are only partial.  We don't know the whole story.  But there will come a day when we know in full.

These three remain, faith, hope, and love.  but the greatest of these is love.

Using Gifts for Each other

Over the past couple of weeks we've looked at marks of a healthy church member:
1. Unity in Diversity
2. Dependent on God and on each other

This week we look at the next mark:  Using our Spiritual Gifts to build others up.

Spiritual Gifts are those things given to us by God that are to be used for pointing others to Christ and expanding the Kingdom of God.  They could be skills, aptitudes, attitudes, or anything else that it seems comes natural to us, or something we have become good at with a lot of hard work.

The word gift implies something that is for us!  Something that we could give to someone else for their benefit and enjoyment.  But a spiritual gift is not to be for us, but is to be for others!

The 3rd mark of a healthy church member is that they use their spiritual gifts to build others up!  To lift up and encourage other people in the body of Christ.  This means we must have an outward focus that reaches others, and pulls people toward Christ.  This was modeled for us by Christ.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.
And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?  All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?  But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.  1 Cor 12:27-31

What makes a person part of the family?  What are the marks of a healthy church member?  In I Corinthians 12-13 Paul lays out the marks for a healthy member, and we will be camped out there until the holidays.


The great comparison that Paul gives for a church is the body of Christ.  You don't have to be some great intellectual or wise man to understand his analogy.  A body must work together, many parts coming together for one purpose, even for a single small thing like lifting an arm in the air.
So too must be the Church of Christ, the body, be dependent on one another to accomplish the task that God has given us. To make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A healthy church member is one who is dependent on others around them in the church.  
There is no one person who is more important than another for a church to fulfill it's mission.  And to do so means that:
1. You must be in the body to be in the body.  There are no lone ranger church members




2.  You must do your own job, the one that God has uniquely gifted you for.
3.  You must trust others to do their own job, as God has gifted them.

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.  If they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now there are many members, but one body.  And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."  On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;  and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,

whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,  so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.  Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.  1 Cor 12:12-27

Marks of the Family

Bill and Gloria Gaither have wrote many great songs, but one that sticks in your head and you sing forever is "The Family of God" It was written during a time of suffering for a family in their church, and they were glad to know there was someone around to take care of them.

But what makes a person part of the family?  What are the marks of a healthy church member?  In I Corinthians 12-13 Paul lays out the marks for a healthy member, and we will be camped out there until the holidays.

A church member has unity in diversity
There is a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit
There is a variety of ministries, but the same Lord
There is a variety of effects, but the same God

Churches tend to fall in two camps
Diversity at all costs
Unity at all costs

Neither is a biblical picture of what God intended for the church to be.  Unity in diversity is a picture of the triune God-head, and can be accomplished by keeping the little things little and the big things big.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

1 Cor 12:3-11

What is our Mission?

Being a parent of a first grader comes with all sorts of challenges.  Namely, math homework!  It is certainly one thing to know what to do.  It is another thing entirely to know how to do it.  How much more so when the task is given to us by God?  We saw last week that we are ambassadors for Christ, begging others to come to Christ. But how are we to accomplish this mission? This mission was given to us by God, but how are we to do it.

Isaiah points the way for us.

Isaiah 55:8-13

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.  "For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off."

First off, we must know it is not our plan.  God has already laid out a way for us.

God's Word is what must shape and form how we accomplish our mission, because it never returns void.  Like water on the earth, it always accomplishes that which GOD set it out for.

In our church, this is done in serveral different ways.

1.  Preaching - God's word is proclaimed , not man's thoughts or opinions, but God's Holy Word.  And so we can rest in knowing that it always does it task.

2. Worship  - Gospel centered worship brings us to the throne of God.  Songs and hymns that get the word of God in our hearts makes all the difference.

3.  Scripture Memory - A simple, honest way to get God's word in your heart.  Remembering a mantra or slogan will do you no good, but the Word of God will change your heart.

4. Sunday School - Every week men and women spend hours in preparation to get God's word into our hearts in a small group setting, so it can do what God's word does.

When proclaimed, preached, sung, taught, memorized, the Word of God will always:

Produce Change

Bring Life

Cause Growth  

What Is Our Mission?

My father was a principal, his father a mechanic.  And his father (my great-grandfather) raised crops.  (if moonshine is a crop).  And I am a pastor.  That doesn't sound unusual to us, but in human history it's abnormal.  Because for most of time son's followed their fathers in their footsteps.

Your profession chose you!  And there are vestiges of this leftover in last names that describe occupations:  Baker, Carpenter, Smith, Brewer, Cook, Gardner, Miller, Parker, Skinner, Tanner, Tillman, Warden.


As we have explored the church, what it is, and what church members are, we now come to a place where we wonder:  What is our mission?  And simply put, our mission is our Father's mission.  Just like son's followed in the occupation of their fathers, so are we to follow in the mission of our Heavenly Father.  Jesus told his parents when they found him in the temple as a child.  "I must be about my Father's business"

So the starting place for us is clear.  2 Cor 5:17-21 lays out God's plan, and in turn our plan as well.

 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

-Our mission is to offer the conditional transformation available within Christ to all who will listen.

-Our mission is to offer the reconciliation to God available within Christ.

-Our mission is to be a picture within the church of the reconciling power of God, bringing all tribes, ages, political parties, and tongues together.



In a divided world, the message of reconciliation stands out loud and clear. The mission of the church is to be a living picture of the Gospel that all may see God and worship Him.  

What is a church member?

What if I told you there was a machine that could do 100,000 cycles a day.  About 3.5 billion in it's working lifetime.  A small machine, it takes wear and tear put on it, filters junk, and is about the size of two human fists.

It is an impressive resume, is it not?  And it should be, as that machine is our human heart!

But as amazing a piece of engineering by God the heart is, it's still useless outside of the body.

If you take it out of it's support, it's connective tissue, it would cease to function as it was designed to.

So is it to with a church member.  A christian cannot fulfill all of their functions in scripture if they are not part of a local church body.

Much like an embassy in a foreign land is a representative of another country, so to is the church.  Of another kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

Hebrews 13:15-19 admonishes us to submit ourselves to the leaders in authority over us.  Meaning, those leaders of the local church that you are a part of, as they will give an account of you.

A church member has a few characteristics.

A church member is one who submits.
A church member is one who is in relationship with "one-anothers" in the church.
A church member is one who serves those in the body of Christ with them.

The Acid Test of A Christian

Can you tell me who your parents are?  How do you know you are their child?  Many of us might point to our physical characteristics.  Having a nose like our dad, or eyes like our mom.  Or maybe our attitudes and habits.  You might jingle your keys in your pocket like your dad, or love baking like your mother.

But how about your heavenly Father?  How do you know you are His?  It can't be through our looks, so maybe it is through other ways.  People try a few common ways.

1.  Orthodoxy.  It's what you know and don't know that makes you a christian.
2. Actions.  Still others might say it's not what you know, its how you act that proves your faith.
3.  Experience.  Others say a christian needs to be able to point to a defining experience in their life.

But all of these tests fail to meet the standard for who is a christian and who is not.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 points us to the true acid test of a Christian.   A standard that holds up in all storms, all stages of life, all places in the world.

For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  

A Christian is someone who knows whose they are. Who they belong to, who fights for them, and where they fit in all of time.  A Christian can stand up and say with Paul, that the glory of God is beyond all comparison.

What is a Covenant

Last week we explored the topic of the church.  This week we get into exactly how God works with us, and how we as a church are to interact with each other.

We can look to scripture to see God's relationship with the church, what characterizes it, what defines it.  And in turn we get a picture of what should define our relationship with each other in a church.

God's relationship with the church is defined by a covenant.  This is different from a contract. Contracts involve reciprocation.  Exchange of money or goods for services.  But a covenant says "I will be this for you, no matter what"

Romans 8 gives a beautiful description of this.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Romans 8:28-31

A great way to see practically the way we are to act towards each other in covenant is the one-another's found in scripture.  There are over 50 in the New Testament.  (love one another, serve one another, etc)

What is a Church

If someone asked you to show them God, what would you do?  What would you say?  What would you show them?

The Bible says Jesus is "the image of the invisible God."  Through the records of the life of Jesus we can see God. But for us today, we can no longer see Jesus physically.  But one of the most common images for the NT church is the "Body of Christ."  This means that when people see the church, they are to see Christ.

Ephesians 2:17-22 gives a clear picture of what the church is to be:

1.  Those far away, and those near
2.  Children of God, fellow citizens, no longer strangers and aliens
3.  Built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets
4.  Fitted together by God, the master builder
5.  Growing into maturity

We think of the church as a building, or a place.  But Scripture is clear that God is building a people, not a place.