24X7 CHURCH: NON-STOP WORSHIP

For the last three days we were blessed mingling with church planters and pastors from around the world at the Southern University, Collegedale, TN.  As I listen to testimonies from all kinds of communities, one message is very clear – the Church is not what’s happening in the church building on Sabbath from 10 to noon.

Today you’ve picked up this bulletin brochure with announcements, order of worship, and this challenge from your pastor, and you may think that you have done your worship duty for the week.  Of course, you will come back to worship again next Sabbath, but as you are reading this, and I pray that you perspective on what the true real worship is will change.  Before you put this down, please, read this quote from the pen of inspiration: “True worship consists in working together with Christ. Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently tied on; but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits, and grow naturally upon a good tree.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Aug. 16, 1881)

Read the quote again and think about it.......We worship more when we serve one another, than when we get to church Sabbath morning.

God does not stop working!  Ever!   Our Sabbath 11 am is about prayer, exhortation and talk.  Our pioneer Ellen White says these are not real fruits, tied up, not natural.  The REAL worship consists of caring work for needy, fatherless, widows.  When do you do it?  Throughout the week!  The real worship does not stop when people walk out from church.  It goes on 24x7, every day, every moment as we interact with community around us.  So, have you worshipped this week?  Really?

My friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to live lives of worship, presenting ourselves as living offering every moment of our life to people in need, no strings attached!  Visualize this: the worship is happening in hundreds of places all around the city as Christian believers minister to people in work places, at the market, at school, in homes!  The whole city is engulfed in real worship, extending the Presence of God from our lives into lives of others. When we worship 24x7 then our prayers, talk and exhortation in a weekly celebration will not be “tied up” but will be real, natural, and reflect the non-stop worship!

FATHER’S INFLUENCE

It’s a Father’s Day weekend, it is also the World Cup of real football (soccer we call it here), it is also a month in which my oldest son got his G1 licence and is driving with instructors, with myself watching, and a couple of times with the whole family.  As my wife puts her head in her hands, it is my responsibility to show him trust, encouragement, and right things to do.  To say that a father’s influence in lives of little kids is huge, would be understatement – it is contagious and transforming.  They do everything they watch the father do. 

I shared with members attending the business meeting last Sunday a short letter written by a father to his five years old as a last will and testament.  And my question to you today would be along same lines: “if you were to write a letter to your child as your direction for future, what would you say?  Would you mention the Church?”

Here I will quote only a few short lines from the abovementioned letter “to my son regarding my hopes and dreams for him as they pertain to the church...By the time you read this it might be hip to like church again.  Right now it isn’t, but you are only five and for you it is just another place with good toys, friends and lots of space to run...you love church now for many same reasons we love it – friendship and relationships – you’re getting to know people whom you’ll hopefully know for a long time sharing common bond in Christ..as you grow up you may wonder why we are making you go to church. We are doing it because we love church ourselves and we want to honor God by worshiping with other believers, and we care for your spiritual growth, and when you get to be our age – you’ll understand.  There may be a long period in your life when you will have an indifferent or maybe even hostile relationship with church.  During your grade school you may be sitting in church drawing cars and football players, but you will still hear Scripture read, songs sung, sermons preached – and you will remember them, singing in your head, reciting in your head in most unusual and difficult situations in life...”

You get the drift – the letter is lengthy.  I would like all fathers ask themselves today – have we shown to our children our love for the Bride of Christ, the Church?  Have we treated our wives with affection and self-sacrificing love, as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25)?  Kids are watching, learning from us our attitudes, which will impact their character and life.  In those situations where fathers themselves need to learn we turn to Our Heavenly Father.

As we look into the future, it is our family life, and our stance to the church, that will shape it. Set your priorities and make sure that our next generation knows what is important in our lives.

WHOSE CHURCH IS IT?

Last week Adventist Review published an interesting editorial under title “This is Not "My" Church” causing a lot of responses and opinions from members round the world. Mark Kellner, the author, identifies the popular trend today for the laity to have “ownership” of the church. As a pastor, I reflect desire of all leaders – we want people to have “ownership” of church ministries, of church life and activities.  So, what does it mean?  Do church members, as “stakeholders,” have the “right” to expect, even demand, the church bend its teaching to fit our whims, or the mores of the moment? The contemporary “emergent conversation” postmodern Christian movement suggests that the church is yet to “emerge” and to be shaped by the people.  Traditionalists feel that people who sat in pews the longest have the right to say what goes.

The author of the article grieves that “our longtime embrace of religious freedom is seemingly morphing into solipsistic license.”  He expressed the alarm as people, ones who claim affiliation with and fidelity to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, turn around and proclaim this church “must” embrace teachings and practices that fit constituent’s feelings and opinions.  He goes on to remind that no one “owns” the church – Jesus does.  Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18), which makes Him the one in charge.  Hence, the true church is built on the Bible.

As I am reflecting on the article I am wondering how do you feel about this church of ours, the London Seventh-day Adventist church?  Is there a difference to say “it is my church, yet, it is not mine?”  I belong to it, and not the other way around.  It is my family, my community, but I do not have dominion over it.  As a part of it I belong to the Lord Jesus, the Groom of this Bride.  I think we all need to get this perspective right.  We belong to Jesus. 

Then what role does the Denominational, Cultural, and Local historical flavour should play?  I think that the essence of the church is the truth, which is Biblical. Each individual, as a part of the Bride of Christ, owns personal responsibility for responding the call to ministry, in different capacity.  And no individual is to take personal role as a substitute for the much Bigger Vision, the Great Mission that defines what Church is to be.

I liked one blogger’s metaphor.  Think of a sport game you really like.  You may say “that’s MY game.”  But is it really “yours”?  As you watch each player plays from their heart and with the best of ability – you may enjoy watching, and then even play yourself in the backyard, with friends.  The Game, though, never becomes “yours” alone – it is much bigger than an individual, or even a group of individuals.

I pray that as you consider the Biblical teaching about the Priesthood of ALL believers, you will recognize that you must claim the “ownership” for your part of contributing to the church life.  Yet, never claim “ownership” of the church itself - it belongs to God alone.