I have been struggling a bit lately when thinking about church – both local ones and the Church.
I wrote a few weeks ago about how impacted I was on a mission trip to the Beautiful Feet ministry in Ft. Worth, TX when I saw the way that being born again had impacted people in that ministry. There were people who were formerly homeless who exhibited more appreciation – more worship – in response to the gospel than they did getting off of the streets. It meant more to them to be “made alive” by Jesus Christ who had “forgiven all [their] trespasses” by “nailing it to the cross” than it did for them to find basic necessities for everyday life like food, shelter, and clothing (Colossians 2:13-14). For them, finding Christ and being saved by Him was not some figurative future eternal life; it was their life. It is the difference between being “born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3) and grieving or mourning “as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
The struggle for me has largely been about myself and how difficult it is to be Christ-minded and gospel-focused in every day life. And I wonder what it would take for our churches to be focused on Christ and His mission more than maintaining some sense of status quo.
I think Paul’s words to the church in Rome in Romans 12:3-5 are key in understanding the change that needs to happen – the change that those believers whose eternal life in Christ Jesus meant more than the new lives they found off the streets:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Here are a few takeaways from those verses that are on my heart going into our gathering Sunday at Christ Community:
- We need to have an appropriate view of ourselves. In order “not to think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought to think”, we need to have a realistic view of the fact that the only difference between believers and other sinners is the fact that Jesus has saved us and made us born again.
- We need to be accountable for “the measure of faith that God has assigned”, realizing that He has something for each of us (and that thing is not to be a spectator in a pew or chair while “church” happens – not to be a consumer seeking a product or an audience seeking entertainment).
- We need to remember that a church member is not like being a member of an organization. It is being part of “one body” (i.e., a body part). And we need to work out and get some of our members moving.
Why do I say all this?
Well, this Sunday, we are bringing the mission home. We will have some people giving testimonies, others praying, and some leading us in Scripture reading. We are going to shake it up a bit. And, whether it goes well, seems overly awkward, or flops by worldly standards, so long as we worship the Lord and pray to Him, praise Him, and preach about Him all according to His Word He will be pleased with our efforts. And, who knows? Maybe we will grow a little bit in the effort.
Here is our order of worship:
- Romans 3:10 —
…as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one….
- Romans 3:23 —
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….
- Romans 5:8 —
…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 6:23 —
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 10:9-10 —
…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
- Romans 10:13 —
For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”.
- Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One) —
- Testimonies —
{A few our our members will share what Christ did for them in saving them.}
- Hebrews 4:14-16 —
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- Way Maker/Cornerstone (medley) —
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 —
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Living Hope —
- (invitation) Almost Home —
We invite you to join us this Sunday at Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS!
We have two services Sunday morning!
- 8:00a for those who prefer greater social distancing and masks worn by all
- 11:00a for everyone else
Just Keith Harris 