The ABC's of Church Membership: The F Word

A pastor went into the 3rd grade Sunday school class room one day to see how the group was doing. After spending some time with them the pastor asked “who knocked over the walls of Jericho? Immediately one little boy yelled out, “well I didn’t do it.” Another child spoke up and said it wasn’t them. Finally the Sunday school teacher said “don’t worry pastor, we will get to the bottom of this and I will let you know who is responsible for knocking the wall over.”

Scratching his head and laughing the pastor left the room. That week at the Leadership Team meeting he had to share this hilarious story with the team. He told the team how he asked who knocked over the walls of Jericho, and how the little boy said he hadn’t done it. Then another child, and how even the teacher didn’t understand the question.

To which point the moderator of the group proclaimed, “Don’t you worry, pastor, we will get down to the bottom of this and will make sure the person responsible for knocking over the wall either fixes it or pays for it.

This is one prime example of why Bible studies for all ages are good. I heard this story along time ago, and as soon as the pastor’s question of who knocked the walls down, I wondered how many Christians in America would know that this is , when the Israelites, led by Joshua, are heading through the promised land?

I’ve told you this all before, but we can read Scripture, or we can really read it. What I mean is take the time to study it. It is called faith building, and it is an intentional task that takes other people.

Just me, when ever you gather with people you faith is going to be strengthened. (hehe) But in reality you are challenged to look at a passage in a new way that we can’t get to on our own. Hear how someone else is challenge by the same passage, or encouraged, can and should open our eyes up to more ways that God might be speaking to us through a text, but again it takes intentionally meeting with one another.

For this reason, part of membership in God’s church means we take time to build faith. The F word.

Have you ever notice how narcissistic the human race is? How many think they are typically right, in general you know what’s right and you live that out? Now look to see how many others think the same thing and I know some of you are thinking they the other is not always right, especially if you are married to them.

Have you heard of Socrates? He died in 399 B.C, and was Plato’s teacher among many achievements is philosophy and moral philosophy.

His reputation as a philosopher, literally meaning 'a lover of wisdom', soon spread all over Athens and beyond. When told that the Oracle of Delphi had revealed to one of his friends that Socrates was the wisest man in Athens, he responded not by boasting or celebrating, but by trying to prove the Oracle wrong.

So Socrates decided he would try and find out if anyone knew what was truly worthwhile in life, because anyone who knew that would surely be wiser than him. He set about questioning everyone he could find, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Instead they all pretended to know something they clearly did not.

Finally he realized the Oracle might be right after all. He was the wisest man in Athens because he alone was prepared to admit his own ignorance rather than pretend to know something he did not.

When it comes to faith there are two types of people, those who admit that they don’t know, and those who think they know everything.

A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his use of the car.

His father said he'd make a deal with his son, "You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut. Then we'll talk about the car."

The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer, and they agreed on it. After about six weeks his father said, "Son, you've brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm disappointed you haven't had your hair cut."

The boy said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, and there's even strong evidence that Jesus had long hair."

(You're going to love the Dad's reply!)

"Did you also notice that they walked everywhere they went?"

much more out of it if we are meeting with people

Although funny, the dad opened the son’s eyes to a new way of looking at Scripture, and those figures.

We need people to help us intentionally grow in our faith, because left to ourselves we will be taking in by either or own thoughts, or worse, the worlds thoughts.

What does worldly theology tell us about God?

-If I disagree with Scripture I don’t have to follow it, or regardless to what Scripture says you can do whatever you want, and you feel is right.

Where does it say do what your feel is right? I read put to death the desires of the flesh in , and instead live for the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul tells us

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Romans 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This means everything of who you are is a living sacrifice to God.

Romans 12

σῶμα - body but it means more than just your physical body, it means also the immaterial, your soul, your thoughts, it goes back to Jesus quoting the Shama, the prayer that the Israelites would pray three times a day found in

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 NIV

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

This means everything you are. This is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, every year of your life until you see God face to face.

This means we take every opportunity to grow in our faith! And that means it’s a mental game!

What is the difference between yoga meditation and prayer? Both look the same. Both have you just sitting there fighting to stay awake at times, so what’s the difference?

In prayer, if it is listening to God or speaking, our thoughts are taken captive and put on God.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is why prayer is different and so much more powerful! But in order to do this we have to both take captive every thought, and as an act of worship, renew our minds!

Raising children is always an adventure. Leah had read some wonderful books to help us raise the kids, one of which was a Love and Logic book. It talked about giving children options so they are in-powered to make a decisions. Know you don’t say do you want to listen or get in trouble, that isn’t a real choice free of consequences, but instead you would say ok it’s lunch time, do you want a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich or do you want a grilled cheese sandwich. You see, they are making the choice but the point is, guess what, it’s lunch time.

One night, Isaac must have been maybe two years old, maybe less, and it was time to clean up and go to bed. Giving him choices I said Isaac, do you want to play for two more minutes and then clean up, or five more minutes and then clean up?

Isaac responded, no no no, I will tell you my choices, do I want to play for ten more minutes or fifteen, hmm, I think I will play for fifteen more minutes.

The child had out smarted me.

This was no mere child I was dealing with, this was someone who was growing up fast!

Think about this for a moment, how would you define a child?

You cannot look at how tall they are, because I would argue that my child is taller than some adults.

You cannot look at their abilities, because there are some adults with less abilities than my child, and frankly there are some children that are just remarkable and their abilities surpass that of adults.

We can argue their age but again there are some who are older that still have not reached adulthood.

Therefore it must have something to do with their minds! How do they think, how do they process, how do they conclude…it is a mind game.

To which, Peter tells us to grow up.

1 Peter 2:2 NIV

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Paul tells the church in Corinth that they were not ready for spiritual meat, they were stuck on just the milk.

It means we take captive our thoughts, or as Paul puts it

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is that intentional gathering with other Christians focused on Scripture, for your sake as one learning and growing, but also for their sake needing others to gather with to learn from and grow with.

How else do we look to other patterns than what this world is giving? It isn’t in isolation, but by gathering to gether! You may have all the answers and not need to go to Bible study, to which case you should probably be up here because I am still gathering answers, and attending three Bible studies a week to help me do so. But let’s pretend you do have all the answers, than your role as a Christ follower is to help others follow Christ!

Let me say that again, you might not think you need Bible studies, but the people there need You!

It’s a Pyramid scheme, just how Jesus use to do it!

Jesus worked closely with three disciples, Peter, James and John. Took them up the mountain with him, and is always talking to them.

Well that leaves 9 other disciples, three a piece for Peter, James and John to work with.

No just for fun. lets say Jesus sends out the 12 to each find more people to pass the faith onto, to help they grow in their faith.

If they each went out and brought back 6, why that’s 72, to which is the same number Jesus sends out to gather more people to grow in their faith found in

You see how that’s a pyramid scheme - but the point was that the disciples needed to grow in their faith, and when they did they continue to meet with the people, gather more, so that they could be there to help the others grow in their faith. It’s the transforming their minds and helping others to do so as well, not to be of the world, but simply to be living in it.

The term world here, αἰών is not the same word for the planet world, which is κὀσμοσ, where we get the term cosmetic, it means orderly and put together…not sure why we have used this for makeup…but there you have it. We say that the kosmos is huge, where it is all based in this greek term, but here in Romans the word for world is the κὀσμοσ, it is

αἰών is age has has the notion of things in this world that people consume, material, not spiritual nor emotional.

αἰών, which means age has has the notion of things in this world that people consume, material, not spiritual nor emotional. Jesus says this present age will pass away…Paul is saying don’t conform to the pattern of this world, meaning live in the world but don’t be of the world.

Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; but if the world gets into them, they sink. --Dwight L. Moody

Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; but if the world gets into them, they sink. --Dwight L. Moody

1 John 2:15 NIV

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

The only way I know to not be swallowed up in this world is to continuously meet with other Christians and be centered on God’s word. It takes all of you.

Another way to put it is to

Let the mind of the master be the master of your mind.

it takes others because God works through others, and He will work through you! Amen?

A great way to look at intentionally growing your faith together in small groups, or Bible studies, can be found in the rest of our passage for today

Romans 12:9–18 NIV

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Fervor means spiritual excitement.

This is a recipe to be intentional, meet with people and focus on the Lord.

What is the difference between a book club and a Bible study?

Have any of you ever been to a women’s book club, or a men’s poker night, face it, men don’t have book clubs...

If you are meeting with other Christians, how is that different that a bible study, or church? It goes to where our attention is and if we are giving our full self, body, mind and strength to the Lord. It means opening up the Spirit instead of worldly desires.

The worldly desires will say buy buy buy, consume consume consume, and will question your soundness of mind when you reject the world to live for Christ. It looks crazy to a world that doesn’t know the Lord.

To which we

Paul warns timothy

2 Timothy 4:2–4 NIV

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 tim 4:2-

We have seen this as people try to reason away God. I rather leave the possibility that God can and did to whatever God wanted, as oppose to trying to argue away things. I have given my mind to the Spirit, and interestingly as I am transformed not by this world, but rather the Spirit I can see much more clearly how God may have done things. Yet to an unbelieving world, they don’t like miracles or the devine interaction.

Have you heard of the Jefferson Bible? He had a strange view of God, more of a deist instead of a Christian, so he went through the NT and removed any place there was a miracle. He went from the wonderful 27 books of the NT down to 17 pages.

Now I wonder if Jefferson was involved in an authentic Bible study? It reminds me of a story:

A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.

Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy.

"Hey" asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, "Don't you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."

The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across."

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open in his lap.The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go. Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.

"Wow!" exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10-inches of water!"

Our God is good! He was willing to come down to this earth to show us how good He truly was, to explain to us what He was up to, and even willing to die for us so we wouldn’t be held to the destruction of sin and death. He was raised up three days later and confirmed both that he was God, and that he wanted us, his people to start pyramid schemes, that is tell people about Him, meet with them, and make other Christians, then restart the whole system again, now with more people.

As one book called the simple church put it, and everything can be summed up with this, love God, love others, serve the world.

Let us continue to meet with one another as we intentionally grow our faith, and help others to grow theirs.

Let us start now, by confirming our faith by taking communion together.