Week of February 7, 2010
Varios Scriptures
The Privileges of Church Membership
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 <Read Ephesians 2:19-22>
“You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” Ephesians 2:19b (LB)
We are called to belong, not just believe! Our relationship to Christ is personal, but God never intends it to be private. Through Christ, we are connected to every other believer, and we will belong to each other for eternity. The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together and will be together forever. What does this mean? First, we should remember the Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ, it includes a commitment to other Christians. The first decision brings salvation, the second brings fellowship and service. When we find salvation, God makes us a part of His family and gives us the privilege of not only being a part of His family, but serving that family. Second, we must remember that none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves. Left to ourselves and our own devices, we will always drift away. Our faith can only grow in the context of God’s community, and we stay strong only as we live and love and work together.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the privilege of being part of your family, the church. Help me to learn to love your people and to serve them and so find my purpose and place among your people. Amen.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 <Read Romans 8:1-8>
Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. (The Message) Romans 8:7
A pastor friend approached a member of his church who rarely attended services. After talking for a few minutes, he said, “John, I am curious. Can you tell me what the purpose of worship is?” The man answered quickly, “The purpose of worship is to praise God.” My pastor friend then asked, “Why do you rarely attend worship?” The man answered, “I mean no offense, but your sermons do not reach me and I do not enjoy the music.” The church member knew the “right” answer when asked the purpose of worship, but his actions showed that in his heart he considered worship service about him. He did not go because HE did not get anything out of the sermon or the music. The first privilege we have as church members is worship and worship is first and foremost about God. It is called a Worship Service because in it we render service to God as we thank Him for who He is, and what He has done for us and give Him honor and love. That means, that how blessed we feel, is a secondary consideration. The question is how blessed does God feel. Second, Worship is not an option for a Christian. It is one of the initial ways we fulfill the first commandment (“Love the Lord your God….”). When we treat worship as being about us or treat it as an option, we fail to honor God as the Lord of our lives and rob ourselves of the true blessings that worship brings.
Prayer: “You alone are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory, honor, and power, because you created all things, and they came into existence and were created because of your will.” Revelation 4:11
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 <Read Ephesians 4: 10-16>
God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. (The Message) Ephesians 4:15
Our Father’s goal for us is not success or comfort, but to maturity, to develop in us the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Sad to say, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. They are stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy. The reason is that they never intended to grow. They appreciate the blessings of being a Christian, but fail to see the intent is for them to grow as disciples of our Lord. The second privilege of being a church member is growing as disciples of our Lord. A disciple is a follower and to grow we must follow Christ. We grow by learning about Him and His will through the Bible. When the first disciples chose to follow Jesus, they did not understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That is all we need to get started: decide to be a follower of Christ no matter what. Then, as we continue to get serious about becoming like Christ, the Lord helps us begin to act in new ways, helps us let go of some old routines, to develop new habits, and change the way we think. Our Christian life is far more than creeds and convictions; it includes conduct and character. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds, and our beliefs must be backed up with our behavior.
Prayer: Lord, Help me walk as Jesus walked, with Him my only Savior and perfect model, His mind my inward guest, His meekness my clothing, and His love my light. Amen.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 <Read Mark 10:35-45>
“It is God himself who made us what we are and gave us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago, He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” Ephesians 2:10 (LB)
Have you ever wondered why God does not just immediately take us to heaven the moment we accept his grace? The answer is that God has saved us to serve. The third privilege of being a church member is service. God has a ministry for us in His church and a mission for you in the world. Sadly, many Christians miss this. They appreciate knowing God through Christ and the blessings that come from His grace, but miss the call to serve and so miss the very purpose for which God not only saved us, but created us in the first place. Serving is an essential part of the fabric of the Christian life and are the actions of both worship and discipleship. Service is the natural response of worship, as we seek to thank God by fulfilling the missions to which He calls us. And as we grow in maturity, we stop asking, “Who is going to meet my needs?” and we start asking more and more, “How can I meet the needs of others?”
Prayer: Lord, fill me with an over-flowing sense of love and compassion for those around me, the reign of love my motive, and the law of love my rule. Help me ask first: “What can I do for others?” before I ask what others can do for me. Amen.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 <Read John 17:13-23>
“In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” (The Message) John 17:18
God is at work in the world, and He wants us to join Him. This assignment is called our mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Our life mission is both personal to us and shared with fellow Christians. It is not only our obligation as part of our obedience to God, but also our privilege to be part of what God is doing in the world. Our Lord clearly understood His life as a mission. At the age of twelve he said, “I must be about my Father’s business,” and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, he said, “It is finished.” Like bookends, these two statements frame a well-lived, purposeful life. If we will commit to fulfilling our mission in life no matter what it costs, we will experience the blessing of God in ways that few people ever experience. There is almost nothing God will not do for the man or woman who is committed to serving the kingdom of God. If we want to be used by God, we must be willing to be used by Him, and if we are, then we can stand before God one day and say, “Mission Accomplished!”
Prayer: Lord, help me to want the things you want and to learn to do the things you do. Fill me with a desire to serve; that will overcome my focus on myself, my desire, and my own comfort, and seek to fulfill the mission to which You have called me. Amen.