Should Church Members Be Concerned?

 SOURCE OF JOY OR GRIEF?

According to Romans 14:12, we will all one day give an account of our lives to God. This is a serious motivation for living life carefully. While the believer is not under condemnation because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, there is  indication in Scripture that our life choices will still have some impact upon us on judgment day.

The word account in Romans 14:12, is also used in Hebrews 13:17. God is exhorting saints toward obedience and submission in relation to those whom He has appointed to watch over their souls. Considering other Scripture that uses similar language, it is almost certain that He is specifically referring here to the relationship of saints and elders in the church. Have you placed yourself under the leadership of elders in a church who are committed to watch for your souls? Saints will give account to God for their attitudes and responses to those whom God has placed over their care in the church.

Yet, in Hebrews 13:17, elders are specifically singled out as the ones who must give account. This knowledge governs the nature of their care. This accounting is presumably before the Lord. It may be in prayer, implied in the word watch, used with prayer by Jesus in Mark 13:33. Or, it may be a final day accounting. In either case, there are two possible emotions the elders might have as they give account of the believers under their care: joy or grief.

Your attitude and relationship toward your elders in your church affect your elders in one way or another. One is good and the other is unprofitable for you. When your elders experience joy in their care for you because you are responding with obedience and submission, God is pleased. When your elders experience grief because you are resistant to their leadership or are making choices that ignore their spiritual oversight, God is not pleased. You are responsible to manifest your submission to God by bringing joy, not grief, to your elders. Obeying and submitting to the ones you see are tangible expressions of your surrendered attitude to the One you cannot see.

It is true, elders may sin in lording over church members. Such attitudes and actions of elders will be dealt with by the chief Shepherd. Trust that matter to Him, and if necessary humbly address this sin with your elders.

If you have a heart to please the Lord you must be concerned about the affect of your attitude and actions upon your elders. When you obey and submit there is joy, both in the elders and you. However you flesh out the meaning of unprofitable, it is obviously not desirable for you, and is dishonoring to Christ. Avoiding this conclusion is simple, though it may not be easy: obey and submit to those who have the rule over you. This is Christ’s order for His churches.

Humble yourself before the Lord and purpose to bring joy and not grief to your elders. If you must err, err on the side of obedience and submission, trusting the Lord as you pray for those appointed to lead.

PRAYER SHOULD BE JOY

PRAYER SHOULD BE JOY, NOT DRUDGERY

My Thoughts Provoked by Mike Reeves

(http://www.theologynetwork.org/christian-beliefs/the-holy-spirit-and-christian-living/getting-stuck-in/how-to-enjoy-your-prayer-life.htm)

What is prayer to you? Is it merely something you do, along with many other “Christian” things? Is it part of the Christian check list, something you do to get it done? Or, is it truly an expression of your relationship to God…do you pray as dependent ones who are actually relating to God?

Prayer requires and assumes a relationship: Luke 11:2, Our Father… We know there is no access to God without a qualified High Priest: Hebrews 4:14-16. Approaching God apart from Jesus (in Jesus’ name) is to approach Him only as Almighty Judge. Approaching God through Jesus is to know and approach Him as our Father.*

Our access to God is not merely to give a list of petitions. We are approaching our Father. We are part of His family: adopted by His grace, He chose to include us.

God has manifested Himself to be relational through the dependence the Son expressed upon His Father while He was on earth. John especially emphasizes this point throughout his gospel account: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: (John 5:19; see also 8:19,29). The relationship that we observe between Jesus and His Father while He was on earth is the nature of our relationship to God through the Son: John 17:20-23. Prayer is engaging in this most intimate relationship. Prayer is enjoying what the Son has always enjoyed: communion with the Father! (Note: this is not to say we cannot speak to the Son and the Spirit who are equally God, but that our primary attention in prayer is to the Father.)

Prayer requires faith (John Calvin said it is the “chief exercise of faith.”): not simply believing that what we ask will be given, but that as we speak we believe we are heard by God as our Father. We have nothing to prove to Him. The Son has satisfied all that is needed to engage in this relationship. We have the right to be called the sons of God because of Jesus Christ. When we pray there is no need to convince God that He should hear us. We’ve been adopted. We are going to our Father.

Jesus wants us to think this way as we pray. Listen Jesus’ words recorded by Luke (11:5-13): And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The Father will not refuse good things/needs to his children who cry out to Him: ask, seek, and knock. In the context of teaching the disciples how to pray, Jesus speaks about an earthly father’s kindness to his child. Our Father in heaven is incomparably kind! What greater gift can He give than Himself? Luke 11:13, tells us that He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. If He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask, what lesser good gift will He withhold? You can go to Him at any time, for every need, and for any reason, as a child would go to a father. Jesus wants us to think of prayer this way! Our Father…

Apply the command to pray without ceasing to this relationship aspect of prayer. Why would we not frequently go to our Father in prayer if we really believe He has brought us into such a familial relationship? Why would it be a drudgery to pray? Could it be that we think our relationship to God, and His response to us, depends upon us? Or, perhaps we think that praying is a futile attempt to get God’s attention? But, if we think of prayer as we should (Our Father), we can go into His presence in prayer with thanksgiving and joy! We can and should view prayer as a joyful privilege, not a dutiful drudgery.

________

*The distinction between God as our Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ must always be understood. Our relationship to Him as Father depends upon the eternal relationship of the Son to the Father. So, if we say “my Father” in the personal and intimate communion with God we have in common with all saints, we must not forget the unique relationship that is eternal between the Father and the Son, Who is only begotten.

Will You Murmur?

NO REASON FOR CHRISTIANS TO MURMUR

There is no greater joy in this life than to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. What joy there ought to be in every person who knows his sins against a holy God who made him are all forgiven because of the sacrifice of His Son upon the cross. Yet, often times Christians murmur and complain as much as anyone else.

Thomas Brooks, a well-known preacher in his day (17^th century ) in England, wrote a book to instruct Christians on how to properly face sufferings and trials of life. The following is an excerpt from that book. Christians reading this will understand what Mr. Brooks is saying and will hopefully be positively impacted. To non-Christians, I offer an apology that we Christians have been all too guilty of murmuring!

And will you murmur?
Is not Christ your treasure?

Is not heaven your inheritance—

and will you murmur?

Have you not much in hand, and more in hope? 

Have you not much in possession, but much more reserved in heaven—

and will you murmur?

Has not God given you. . .

     a changed heart, 

     a renewed nature, and

     a sanctified soul—

and will you murmur?

            Has He not given you. . .

     Himself to satisfy you,

     His Son to save you,

     His Spirit to lead you,

     His grace to adorn you,

     His covenant to assure you,

     His mercy to pardon you,

     His righteousness to clothe you—

and will you murmur?

Has He not made you. . .

     a friend,

     a son,

     a brother,

     a bride,

     an heir—

and will you murmur?

Has not God often turned. . .

     your water into wine,

     your brass into silver, and

     your silver into gold—

and will you murmur?

When you were dead, did not He quicken you?

When you were lost, did not He seek you?

When you were wounded, did not He heal you?

When you were falling, did not He support you?

When you were down, did not He raise you?

When you were staggering, did not He establish you?

When you were erring, did not He correct you?

When you were tempted, did not He support you? and

When you went in dangers, did not He deliver you?—

and will you murmur?

What! You who are so highly advanced and exalted above many thousands in the world? Murmuring suits none so badly as saints.