A Faith Revolution Is Redefining “Church,” According to New Study
I read this article today. It is interesting to think about. What can we do today to make “c”hurch more experiencial for those who want more? Is it more programs? More Bible studies? More ministries? I don’t have all of the answers. I am glad that I saw this article though. It is stimulating a lot of thoughts on how to make “c”hurch more interesting and meaningful for the “C”hurch. First big idea - its all about relationships.
Well, I’m back from IHOP(link: www.ihop.org). There were about 7 of us that drove down. It’s hard to describe IHOP. It looks like they took over a complete strip mall. The main prayer hall is on the left and they have a coffee shop, lecture hall, book store, thrift store and reality office in different “store-fronts”.
I walked into the main prayer hall. The worship band was playing and people were walking around, sitting, kneeling, praying, singing, worshiping. There were people with laptops working or maybe just writing what was coming to them. At first it was a lot to absorb. I just sat there - taking it all in - eyes open, observing. It was a little much. Eventually, I was able to quiet my spirit and just listen. I found myself inside my vision for a community center. A place where a safe place to meet God is always available.
Once we left, I had a lot to process. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I feel. It was interesting. I want to go back. I want to spend more time there. I want to talk to people on staff there to pick their brain.
But, the best part of the trip was the almost 8 hours of fellowship I had with Bart and Troy. I miss being able to talk “church” with others. It was nice to be able to bounce ideas and opinions off someone else. It was interesting to hear what is going on in their lives. Thanks Bart and Troy.
So, it’s back to work…. which is what our lesson is about. Talk to you tomorrow!
Today I’m headed to IHOP to be fed. No, not the restaraunt. It is the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. It is a place that has a 24 hour 7 day a week prayer ministry. I’m calling this trip, Mt. Sinai II. I’m going to have a conversation with God, much like last February when I spent a week in prayer and study. I like what Pastor Bart told me recently, “God is omnipresent but we’re not omni-available”. We sometimes have to intentionally make a time and a space, away from our regular routine to seek God. That is what this trip today is for me.
This week’s lesson is on work. God values work. He created the Garden of Eden and then put Adam and Eve in charge of it. They were to take care of it and all that was in it. I will expand on this more this week.
This weeks memory verse is: Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
Here’s a quiz for you:
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Be one that cares…
I have heard it so many times, it has become almost cliche.
It is better to give than to receive.
Where did this come from? I usually hear that when everyone else gets gifts and I don’t!
That phrase is actually attributed to Jesus by Paul in Acts 20:35. (Side note: One of the unique facts about this saying, is that it is one of the few quotes attributed to Jesus that doesn’t appear in the Gospels. The closest verse that I found where Jesus said something like this is in Matthew 10:8 where Jesus says, “Give as freely as you have received!”) Paul used this “Jesus theme” in reference to helping the weak and the poor. Here’s the same verse, found in the DIPShtick translation:
Paul said - “I never wanted anything from anyone else. You know that I supported myself and my followers by working hard. I supported myself to show you that those of us that can work hard should, and support those who can’t. Because, a person who is able to work hard, and give of himself, will gain blessing if they give freely. If you were laid up, and could not work, wouldn’t you be blessed if someone who could give, provided for you?”
Paul knew that in giving without expectation of a return, we take on the qualities of Jesus. Jesus taught personal, sometimes sacrificial service to others. In his life and his death, Jesus showed us how to give without expecting anything in return. That is the attitude we should take on. We should give personally and sacrificially to others without expecting anything in return.
With that, I’ll end this like Paul ended his talk in Ephesus. I’ll take my leave.
Goodbye is not an easy word to say.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
I will always remember you.
How many times have you flipped through the TV channels and come accross some TV evangelist, preaching at the top of his lungs. Running commercials of some poor kids in Africa. Pleading with you to send them money. They say that your gift to God will help these poor people on the other side of the world.
Then, you see news stories of this same preacher driving luxury vehicles, living in multi-million dollar homes, flying in private jets. If you were able to look at their books, I would seriously doubt that not much, if any, money actually reaches the poor. Yet, they raise millions. People often get their image of Christianity from what they see on TV. I was reminded of this as I listened to Emcee One, a Christian rapper. In Lukewarm II Hot, he says it like this:
I flip through channels and stop at TBN
Now, at least TBN will talk about the Savior,
but sometimes I wonder,
watchin’ some of those mens behavior.
(Emcee One - Lukewarm II Hot)
Jesus had the same problem. The Pharisees were the most numerous and influencial of the religious sects of Jesus’ day. They were strict legalists. There were some good men among them but mostly, they were known for their covetousness, self-righteousness and hypocrisy. In Matthew 23, Jesus lays into the Pharisees. They are hypocrites and Jesus let them, and everyone listening, know it. Not only were they hypocrites, people formed their opinions of religion and God based on what they saw of these men. It wasn’t positive.
Around verse 23, Jesus berates them for making a show of tithing, by even tithing their spices but yet disregarded more important matters of the law like justice, mercy and faithfulness. In this statement, Jesus told them that they shouldn’t disregard the tithe, but emphasized that they should focus on the more important matters of the law.
It is equally important that we have our priorities straight when it comes to giving. We shouldn’t give just to be following the law or because we would feel guilty by not giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul tells us that we should give cheerfully and not because we feel that we have to.
So…..go and give cheerfully! 
Back in the day, Paul was a very important man. He traveled all around teaching new Christians how to conduct themselves. The church in Corinth was one of the churches that depended on his sound advice. About three years after Paul had first visited Corinth, a delegation of leaders from Corinth came to visit him in Ephesus where he was staying.
In Corinth, as everywhere, except Jerusalem, Christians had no one great central meeting place. They met in homes, halls or wherever else they could. There were many Christians in Corinth but not one great congregation. There were several small groups that developed into rival, competing units and they couldn’t agree on anything. Some of the main issues that concerned these Christians were factions, immorality, lawsuites, meat offered to idols, abuses of the Lord’s Supper, false apostles, problems about marriage and many others. Paul wrote a letter to the church to address these issues. The letter is what we now call 1 Corinthians.
Toward the end of the letter, Paul addresses a promised collection that they were going to send to Jerusalem to meet the needs of the persecuted belivers. Our book calls them:
Pauls P’s - A Pattern of Giving(1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
In our study of giving as it relates to Gods Way of Handling Money, we can learn from Pauls instructions to the Corinthian Christians. We should approach our giving with thought, planning and prayer and our giving needs to be deliberate. We don’t want our giving to become like another bill to pay monthly.
About 5 years ago, someone gave me a cookie jar filled with cookies. On the lid was written the following:
You have been given a very special cookie jar. This jar is filled with the most wonderful cookies ever made. You can eat these cookies until they are gone or you can choose to share them with others. If you eat what you need and share the rest, it will never run out. If you save the cookies, they will spoil.
I couldn’t believe it. Who had ever heard of a cookie jar that replenishes itself if you share the contents? Well, I’m a curious type so I thought, I’ll try it. I ate one cookie. It was amazing. The cookie was the best I had ever tasted. For a moment, I was tempted to just keep them for myself, but I decided I see what would happen. I took the cookies and started handing them out until they were all gone. I replaced the lid and waited. Five minutes later I looked, there were no cookies. Ten minutes later - nothing. One hour later - nothing. I started to regret giving all those cookies away! What kind of sick joke was this? I went to bed depressed. Those were the best cookies I had tasted and I just gave them all away! Well, I hoped all those who ate them enjoyed them!
The next morning I woke up. The empty cookie jar was sitting on the counter. I was still disappointed. I didn’t want to see that cookie jar again. I went to throw it away. As I picked it up, it was heavier than I remembered. I opened the lid. It was completely full again! Amazing! The lid was right! I picked up one cookie and took a bite. It was the same wonderful flavor. Wow. Should I save the rest? I thought about it for about a second. If it happened one time, would it happen another time? I finished my cookie and decided to hand out the rest. I walked down the street, handing out cookies. When they were all gone I rushed home. Right before I got home, I noticed an empty cookie jar in the trash. It looked like the one I had. It was obvious that the person who had owned that jar, didn’t share the cookies. I picked it up and brought it home. The next morning, when I woke up, both of the jars were full of the same wonderful cookies. I couldn’t believe it! I had more cookies than I knew what to do with. I started walking around town passing out the cookies. Every once in a while, I came accross an empty cookie jar. I would collect these empties and bring them home. As usual, the next morning, all of the jars were full. There were more cookies there than I could pass out in a day. I decided that I would give full jars to other people so they would pass out the cookies. As long as they took only what they needed and shared the rest, the cookie jar would never be empty.
As I watched others passing out the cookies day after day, I realized that it wasn’t the cookies that were special. It was the joy that we received by giving. The more we gave, the more we wanted to give. I started noticing others giving cookie jars to their friends. It seemed that everyone wanted others to experience the joy of giving.
That was the true magic of the cookie jar.
In the Bible, Paul also had his own cookie jar. Paul said, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Want to read more? Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
