What Does God Want? – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Psalms 96 – 100; 19 Proverbs 21)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
morning. In Mark chapter 12, we find the Pharisees and Herodians tempting Jesus again: trying to get the Living Word of God to slip up with His words. The Bible says, “And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.” (Mark 12:13-17)
Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. Render unto God the things which are God’s. What does ‘Caesar’ want. ‘Caesar’ wants your money so he can make his big government even bigger. ‘Caesar’ wants you to buy something you can’t afford. If you do not, he will tax you. A good example of this is what Samuel, the high priest, told the people when they wanted a king. “And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” (1Sam. 8:11-18).
A sad parallel to what is happening in our country. So, basically, ‘Caesar’ wants everything. What does God want? He wants YOU! God doesn’t need or want your money, but He does want you to be obedient to tithe so He can bless you. If you ask anyone who gives their tithe (or more) faithfully, they will tell you that God allows them to do more with 90% than they could ever do with 100%.
Another item to render unto God is your love. When asked what the greatest of all laws was, Jesus replied, “…The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31).
If you render these two possessions unto God, it’s a good start. Everything else will fall into place.
Peace. (Luke 1:76-79)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
How Good Is It!
Listen to Wednesday Night’s Message from the series – “Turning the World Upside Down”
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 20)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
“A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23)
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)
“Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.”(Proverbs 17:7)
“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”(Proverbs 17:9)
“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:28)
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” – (Proverbs 25:11 KJV)
Isn’t it amazing how much the Bible has to say regarding our tongues. The verses listed above are just a few of the references from today’s passage that deal with the words that we say. God is very concerned about the things that we allow to escape our lips. A good passage to read that also teaches along this line is found in James 3. In it, God gives a scathing rebuke to the tongue that is used to destroy. As God’s people we must strive to allow the Holy Spirit of God to control our words. As God’s ambassadors we have no right saying the things that we want to say, but rather we must speak the things that will glorify God and edify others. One of the reasons that I sometimes prefer to write (text, e-mail) to people rather than talk to them is because I can carefully choose the words that I use. I find myself re-writing, looking for just the right thing to say. Often when conversing with someone face to face I find myself being quick to speak, when God wants me to be slow to speak.
I think that I could be much more affective as a minister of God if I would employ the following principles in my life regarding my speech:
1 I should pray before I speak. David prayed:
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
2 I should pause before I speak. The Bible says a lot about refraining from speaking. Will what I am going to say edify the listener? Will it glorify God? Will it tear down somebody else? These are all thing to consider.
3 I should pastor (minister, edify, teach) with my speech.
It would certainly be a quieter world, if we would all put these principles into practice; but it would also be a lot more peaceful.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Clean the Crib But Keep The Ox
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 9 – 10; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 19)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read – “What Vacation Time Means To A Pastor” – by Pastor Chappell
“Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” – (Proverbs 14:4)
Every Sunday afternoon, immediately following the morning service, we clean the auditorium and bathrooms of our church to make it ready for the evening service. I am often amazed at how dirty our building can get, especially considering that it was only in use for a few hours. There are lying bulletins everywhere, and the hymnbooks are everywhere except where they should be. We find candy wrappers and water bottles in various places. Sometimes, I even find chewed gum stuck to a chair or on the floor. Yuk! The place is a mess. But I thank God for the mess, because the mess indicates that people were using the building. There are times when I get a little tired of cleaning it, but if I didn’t have to clean it, it could only be because nobody was coming to our services.
I have determined that I will never get the mindset that the building that God has given us is to be some sort of museum for the Saints of God to observe and admire. I want our building to be functional, and practical; and I want it to be used by our people as much as possible, and as often as possible. And if it is being used, it is going to get dirty, and at times things are going to need to be repaired. I have been spending a great deal of time this summer painting and upgrading parts of our building. The rooms that were finished last month already have some marks on the walls. Praise God! That means that people: men, women, children, souls are coming to the House of God, and are getting the help that they need. I will keep cleaning the crib, but I think I am also going to keep the oxen as well.
Brother Hyles tells a story about a man that was complaining about the oily messes made in the parking lot by all the busses that were used to bring boys and girls to church. He reminded the man that D.L. Moody brought in a lot of children too, and the horses used to pull the wagons in those days were a whole lot messier.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
My Biggest Problem
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 18)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)
“In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.” (Proverbs 14:3)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Proverbs 29:23)
“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.” (Proverbs 28:25)
There are six more verses in Proverbs using the word proud. It is used a total of 47 times in the Bible. The word “pride” is used a total of 46 times in the Bible. The word “haughty” is used 10 times. That makes a total of 103 verses in the Bible (at least) that deal with one of man’s biggest problems – pride. As I was reading this morning, the Holy Spirit of God drew my attention to three of the verses. I thought at first that they caught my attention because of the frequency of their use, but after reflecting a little bit, I realized that God was trying to show me that pride is not just an issue for everyone else, but for me as well. How does pride affect me? Let me be a little transparent and publicly reveal some of the things that the Spirit of God brought to my attention:
1 I want to be successful. Now don’t misunderstand, success in the ministry is a good thing. It is wonderful when people are reached with the gospel, and trained to serve God. It is great when lots of people come to hear the Word of God being preached. But it’s my motivation that is the concern. In my heart I want to think that it is all for God’s glory; but I know that sometimes I want to steal a little bit of that glory for me. Now, I am going to keep trying to be successful, but I am also going to ask God to throughly examine my heart and my motives; and when I sense the root of pride growing within, I will try to bring it to Him for removal.
2 I want to be right all of the time. I have noticed that some of the folks around me have this problem as well. I like to win arguments. I even get angry easily, when someone is in disagreement with me.
3 I don’t like to be criticized. This goes along with the point 2. I find myself desiring to defend myself, justify myself and I really don’t need to.
4 I find that I am concerned more with the opinion and approval of men, more that the approval of God.
These are just a few of my sins. I feel better: confession is very therapeutic. I probably could have gone on and made the list larger; but I think you get the idea. Now, how about you? How is pride affecting your life? Maybe you ought to come up with your own list. Ask God to point out some ways that pride is affecting your relationship with Him and with others. You might have too much pride to even consider the thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just For Ladies by Camille Stahl
Listen to Sunday Evening’s Message from Psalm 6
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 17)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Study of Women in the Bible
Miriam, A Strong Leader Who Over-stepped Her Boundaries.
“For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:19-21)
Miriam’s work for the Lord started at an early age. Her mother depended and trusted her to watch over the basket prepared for baby Moses that was put on the water. It took courage to approach the Princess and ask if she could find someone to nurse the baby. It was because of her wisdom from Almighty God, that she brought the Princess together with the baby’s mother. Miriam was brought up as a slave who served the Living God.
As an adult, Miriam continued with her godly responsibilities. She was in leadership, under Moses, with her brother Aaron. She was unmarried, the first spokeswoman for God, and very dedicated to her work. Her responsibilities must have been unbelievable when the children of Israel left Egypt. It’s hard enough when your moving your own family, but what a task trying to assist in the moving of millions! Miriam must of encouraged the people as they walked between the walls of water. She lead the women in song and dance when they reached the other side. She was a born leader, BUT…
“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” (Numbers 12:1-2)
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:9-10)
“And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.” (Numbers 12:15)
…Miriam over-stepped her boundaries. She put herself on the same level as Moses. Aaron and Miriam tried to usurp Moses’ authority. She was given great authority by God, but pride and jealousy stepped in. Through God’s anger, Miriam became a leper. God took her from a leader of women singing and praising God, to crying out “Unclean, unclean. The entire nation stopped their journey as Miriam was put out of the camp for 7 days. The Bible does not say if Miriam repented or if she was returned to her leadership position, however the Bible does say in Numbers 20:1 that she died before the children of Israel entered into the promise land.
Miriam stepped out of her God given boundaries, and it’s very easy to step out of ours. God has given us all positions. It would do us well to remember to stay within our positions. A good leader is a better follower. In the work of God, there will always be someone in authority over you, just as there will always be some under you. If we all stay within our God given positions, we can accomplish God’s work more efficiently. Remember, the most important job God has given all of us is to win souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
“Do you see all the people sinking down. Don’t you care are you going to let them drown? How can you be so num, not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. Bless me Lord, you know it’s all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear, but He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs, and you just lay back and keep soaking it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? Cause He brings people to your door, and you turn them away as you smile and say, God bless you, be in peace, and all Heaven just weeps….. Cause Jesus came to your door…. you’ve left Him out in the streets………….. Open up and give yourself away. You see the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay? God’s calling, and your the one… but like Jonah you run. He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight ’cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so DEAD, when you’ve been so well fed? Jesus rose from the dead, and you can’t even get out of bed…”
Song: Asleep in the Light
by Keith Green
Thank You
1 John 5:13 – 14
Posted in Guest Posts, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Have You Consider the Ant?
Listen to Sunday Morning’s message – “Where is the Lord God of _______?”
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 16)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read – “Massacred for the Faith” by Pastor Chappell
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 6:6-11)
I remember a few years back, our assistant pastor, Ted Stahl, was sitting on the curb in back of our church and he was staring down at the ground. I was curious as to what he was doing, so I asked him. He answer was even more curious: he said that he was obeying the Bible. By this point, he had my full attention, so I probed even deeper, and asked him what he meant by that. He told me that the Bible commanded him to consider the ants, and as I looked closer I could see that Pastor Stahl was actually observing some ants as they were going about their business. I will have to agree that the ants are fascinating creatures. They seem to be always busy, working together to accomplish their goal.
Christians ought to have some of the qualities of ants. Our society is filled with lazy people who seem to have little purpose in life, but that shouldn’t be said of us. we should be busy, diligent people who are able to work well with other people to accomplish God’s will for our lives.
As I have read through the Book of Proverbs, I have noticed that there are certain themes that reappear again and again. One of these is the subject of laziness (the Bible uses the terms slothful; and will also call a lazy person a sluggard).
“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 24:30-34 )
The above passage speaks of a man who, because of his laziness, has neglected his field to the point where it was overgrown with with weeds. I feel that way in my life sometimes. I notice that there are times when I lose focus, and allow things to fall into neglect. It happens in all areas of my life as well. Sometimes, I may neglect the spiritual priorities, and at other times I may become lazy in one of my responsibilities as a father or husband. I get lazy. Laziness seems to be a bigger problem for me in the summertime.
God expects us to be fruitful. God expects us to be busy and productive. Here are some things that will help me stay on track to fulfill the things that God expects from my life:
1 Have a schedule – determine what time you need to get up, and how much time is needed to do what you have to do. Go to bed early, and get up early. Avoid the time wasters like the internet and television.
2 Set Goals – what do you want to accomplish this year; this summer; this week; tomorrow? Attempt to get a lot of things done. You may not get to them all; but you will accomplish a lot more than if you don’t set goals. “he who aims at nothing hits it every time”. Set spiritual goals; goals for tasks around the house; etc.
3 Be accountable to someone. This is the problem that many preachers have. They have no earthly boss standing over them with expectations. If I am not careful, I will let this lack of accountability cause me to get lazy; get up later; leave earlier, etc.
4 Stay motivated. I listen to preaching and leadership lessons from Godly pastors around the country to stay challenged. What motivates you?
We will have to give an account of our lives to God someday. What did we do with our time? Were we productive? Did we fulfill God’s will for our lives? Or did we sleep in? Don’t be lazy. Get up and do what God has called you to do. Be like the ant.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
“Daddy” by Melissa Dilley
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalms 19
“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33)
I want to share something with you that has revolutionized my relationship with my Heavenly Father. My God is an awesome, powerful, all-knowing, mighty and righteous God. He spoke the world into existence and holds creation in the palm of His hand. He raised others and even Himself from the dead and healed scores of people from all manner of diseases. He caused the earth to swallow legions of people, and the waters to destroy others. He is magnificent, all-seeing, and unfathomable.
But He is also my Heavenly Daddy. Sometimes when I hurt, all I can manage to pray is “Dear Heavenly Father,“ and then I cry for a time. Jesus told the disciples that they must become like children (completely trusting), and to suffer the children to come (don’t hinder that complete trust). The Bible tells us that if our earthly daddies can take care of us, how much better can our Heavenly Daddy take care of us. Let me challenge you, when you have the “fear of evil”, go to God. Ask Him to put you on His lap, pet you, kiss your forehead, rock you, and tell you everything is going to be ok. I believe that is the key to ‘the peace that passes all understanding’.
Melissa Dilley went home to be with the Lord earlier this year. She wrote many guest posts for this blog, and from time to time we will reproduce them.
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Psalms 146 – 150 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Did you ever have one of those days where _______? Fill in the blank with whatever you like, because all of us have had “one of those days.” These are days where all the things happening to us are almost to much for us to bear. Like Peter, when the wind becomes boisterous, we begin to sink. David may have been sinking lower and lower, nut God was right there controlling everything. And David poured out his heart to the Lord in Psalm 69, saying. “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (Psalm 69:1-2).
Are you drowning in the circumstances you find yourself in? Here is what to do.
First, cry out to God for help (verse 1). He knows every circumstance we will go through. He is the only one who can help.
Second, if you think that you caused your own problem here, then you probably did: confess it to God (verse 5).
Third, pray that you are not a stumbling block for others. Verse 6 says: “Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.”
If you find yourself in the mire, in deep water, call upon the Lord to save you. And He will.
Peace. (Psalm 34:14).
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Draw Me Nearer
Today’s Passage – Psalms 140 – 145 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” – (Psalm 145:18)
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – (John 8:31-32)
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” – (James 4:8)
Recently, we had a man visit our church who did not come from any type of a Christian background. He currently knows very little about the Lord, but he does has a desire to learn. He is searching for the truth. I spoke to him after the service, and I concluded that this man was not going to be convinced about the truths of Christianity, and particularly salvation, in just a few minutes. I gave him some things to think about, and I gave him some literature to take with him, and I promised to pray for him. We later visited the man in his home, and talked to him a little more, and gave him some more material to read. He is coming closer to salvation. His heart is open to the truth, but he is just not sure yet what the truth is. He reminds me a little of myself as I was searching for the truth many years ago. I shared with this man, that if he genuinely wanted to know the truth about Jesus Christ, God would reveal it to him. I am convinced that this man will come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ shortly. Pray for him.
God is as close to us as we want Him to be. That statement is true for the lost man searching for Christ, but it also applies to the Christian as well. I find that many Christians aren’t too comfotable with God, and His will getting to close to some areas of their lives. They want to have God as a part of their life, but their are also many parts of their life that they don’t want God to interfere in; some rooms in their home that they don’t want God to go in. As a result, their relationship with God is not as close as it could be. As we grow in our faith, we should constantly be drawing nearer to the Lord, and as we draw near to Him, He will come close to us.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Unity
Today’s Passage – Psalms 133 – 139
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” – (Psalm 133:1-3)
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; … And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” – (Acts 2:44, 46)
“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” – (Philippians 1:27)
The local church cannot function as it should without unity. We have been studying the Book of Acts on Wednesday evenings, and once again, last night, we saw the phrase “one accord”, which is repeated over and over again throughout the book. One of the great characteristics of the Church at Jerusalem was the fact that they were of one heart, one mind, and one purpose. They all had a burning desire to see the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ communicated throughout the world. They wanted to tell everybody about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to have that kind of unity of purpose today in our local churches. It seems that Christians today are divided as to what the church is supposed to be all about; but our purpose today is the same as in the early churches: the communication of the gospel, and the fulfilling of the Great Commission. It’s all about getting people saved. That was Jesus’ purpose – seeking and saving the lost; and it should be ours as well.
I believe the lack of unity in many of our churches is due to the fact that the preachers are not clearly communicating to the congregation the purpose of the church. We are sending mixed messages, and we have failed to “keep the main thing, the main thing”. If preachers were to clearly instruct about what the church is supposed to be doing, and then keep that purpose before the people regularly, the individuals within the congregation would be forced to make a decision to either get on board, or leave. I don’t want to see anyone leave our church, but it is better for them to leave than to be working against the direction of the church. I praise God for the unity that we have at Jersey Shore, but I want to see us even more vehement in our desire to strive together for the faith of the gospel.
By the way, unity does not mean that we will all be cookie cutter copies of each other. We are all uniquely gifted by God, and we have different personalities, backgrounds, etc.; but we should all have the same goal. Find out what you can do individually within the body of your local church that will help complement what the other members are doing to advance the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is pleased with unity, and He can accomplish much with a church that is unified in the purpose of winning people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.