What Kind of Church Did Jesus Purchase? (Part 2)

April 28, 2009

Yesterday we began to examine the characteristics Jesus wants to see produced in the church.  These are the qualities He purchased with His own blood.  Jesus died on the cross to produce a church that serves.

Today, we see that He purchased with His blood a united church.

In Ephesians 4:12-13, we see that as the fivefold ministry prepares “God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God...”

Both the leaders and those within the body of the church are responsible to protect and nurture the unity of the body.  This involves all parts working together, both being served by and serving the other parts of the body, much as each cell of a human body both receives and gives.

When a part of the human body stops cooperating with the rest of the body, cancer is the result.  Cancer consumes and destroys.

When a part of the body of Christ stops working with the rest of the body of Christ, spiritual cancer is the result.  Division.  Discord.  Destructive behavior.

The whole body suffers.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NIV). 1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

When division creeps into a church or a movement, it is evidence that many involved are not aligned with God’s purposes and plan.  It is evidence that we are not allowing God’s Spirit to lead us.  Quarreling and jealousy drive us to one inescapable truth:

We are carnal.

Jealousy.  Quarreling. Bickering. Notice this verse isn’t describing theological issues. It’s about personalities. Most division in churches comes not from issues of eternal significance, but rather because this one hurt that one’s feelings, or this one does like that one being on stage, or this one wants that one to behave differently, or this one thinks that one should not be in that position.

Oh, boo hoo.  Selfishness.  Childishness.  Do you need your paci?

Jesus died for more than this.

Here is the heart of the issue. James 4:1-3 tells us that quarrels come from selfish desires.  Two or more people each trying to get his or her own way.

James also implores us to control our tongue. Isn’t that where we get into trouble? Proverbs 15:28 (NLT) “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”

We must stop reacting and start proacting. We must guard the unity of the church, because unity provides the atmosphere in which God can do miracles!

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Posted by Chad Payne

Excellent Post on Teachability

April 27, 2009

The folks at Lifechurch.tv have done it again.  Guest blogger Scott Rogers offers a short and excellent post on being teachable.

We will never experience the fullness of what God has for us unless we remain teachable.

Go check out what Scott has to say about it.  Go on.  GO!

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Posted by Chad Payne

What Kind of Church Did Jesus Purchase? (Part 1)

April 27, 2009

Have you ever heard someone complain that Jesus’ statement, “no one comes to the Father except through Me,” narrow-minded and offensive?

How terribly insulting that is to Jesus Christ!  He does not make that statement flippantly.  He paid the ULTIMATE price for us to have eternal life.  He gave His life to give us life!  Our salvation was purchased with His own blood!  His own life!  If it didn’t matter, why did He endure it?  It matters!

As a pastor, Actos 20:28 resonates with me: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

This thought occurred to me… He bought and paid for the church with His own blood. What kind of church did Jesus die to purchase?  As a pastor, what kind of church has God called me to develop?  As a part of the Assemblies of God fellowship (or whatever organization of which you may be a part), what kind of churches are we called by God to produce?

Ephesians 4:11-16.  11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  (NIV)

Notice the first characteristic that is to be developed among church members (v.12):  Servanthood.  Jesus purchased a SERVING CHURCH.

The New King James renders this verse: “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Did you know that the word ministry is the same word as serving in the original languages? It’s diakonos, which means to wait on tables, etc.

Ministry is serving.

Each of us is called to minister or to serve. We are called to serve one another. We are called to serve those who don’t know Jesus. And in serving one another, we are serving Jesus Himself.

If you come to church expecting to be served, you come for the wrong reason. If you leave a church because people didn’t cater to your desires enough, you left for the wrong reason.

Jesus died for more than this.

We become a part of the local church in order to serve.  Jesus Himself said that He came into the world not to be served, but to serve.  And when we follow His example by serving others, God honors it.

True servanthood is an act of love.  Giving to get is an act of manipulation.

When was the last time you truly served another person without an ulterior motive or expecting something in return?  When was the last time you did something simply to enrich another’s life?  Do you realize that when we do this, we are worshipping Jesus?

God, give us a church that puts the needs of others above our own desire and comfort.  Give us a church that truly serves.

More tomorrow.

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Posted by Chad Payne

Forgiving Your Husband’s Killer

April 6, 2009

Wow.  What an amazing example.

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Posted by Chad Payne

God Delights in our Prayers

April 5, 2009

Reading God’s Word today, I came across Proverbs 15:8.  ”The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright” (NLT).

That last line just struck me.  If I am one of His, He DELIGHTS in my prayers!  Think about that!  The Lord loves it when we pray!

I guess it is sort of like when one of my daughters talks to me.  They tell me they love me, they tell me about their day, their hopes, their dreams, their desires, all on their own level.  I love for my girls to talk with me.

It’s good to know that when the Lord sees us coming, it makes Him smile.

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Posted by Chad Payne

My Buddy Cliff

April 3, 2009

img_0896_2My good friend, Cliff Morrison, ministered at New Life last Sunday.  It was the first time we have seen each other in probably 17 years!

Cliff is the fellow that I credit with leading me to follow Jesus.  He didn’t pray “the prayer” or “close the deal” with me, but it was through watching his life in early high school that I realized it was possible to live differently.

For the past month, I have been preaching a series entitled, “Witnesses.”  So I thought it would be a neat illustration of how important it is to share our faith to have the one who led the pastor to the Lord talk about it.  Cool, huh?

Anyway, thanks, Cliff, for your influence on my life.  And thanks for sharing with us at New Life last week.  And now, I want to go get some chocolate milk (That’s an inside joke from Cliff’s message).

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Posted by Chad Payne