Sunday Morning Missionary Part 5

Serve One Another

¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

The night that Jesus was arrested didn’t begin in a garden, but the upper room of a house. That dinner was no ordinary one, it was full of surprises. Jesus, revealed that one of his closest followers was a traitor, and when He passed the bread and wine He compared it to the sacrifice He was about to make on our behalf.   Maybe one of the most shocking and memorable moments was when He knelt in front of His disciples and washed their feet. The job of the lowliest servant, and Jesus took it upon Himself to serve these men in this way. Then, he encouraged them to serve each other in the same way. It was this expectation of the Christian’s life that Peter now passes on in his letter. In light of what Jesus had said to him years earlier on that night that was forever seared into his memory, Peter commands Christian’s to not just be vessels of grace, but conduits through which God’s grace flows.

There are three key factors here that should be highlighted. The first is from the opening phrase of the verse, “As each has received a gift.” It establishes a condition for us, that can’t be ignored. Peter doesn’t want his readers to serve out of their own power, but rather in the way they have been gifted. The word gift is translated from the Greek word charisma. It is related to the Greek word that is translated grace. So, Peter is literally writing, “As each has received a gift of grace.” This is more specific than the grace God extends to save us. It is rather a supernatural grace that each member of His body is given in order to edify other members of the body.  In the verses that follow, Peter specifically calls out teaching (meeting a spiritual need) and serving (meeting physical needs). Each of at different points have been blessed spiritually and physically by God, and now are able to share those blessings with His people, for His purpose.

 The second key point comes at the end of the verse, “As good stewards of God’s varied grace.” God’s grace is not limited to one form. His grace meets us at every point of need and is able to provide satisfaction.  As recipients of God’s grace, we are now stewards of it. He empowers us with it, and meets our needs. When we find victory over certain struggles it is not because we figured something out, But because we have received God’s grace. When we gain insight into God’s word it isn’t because we are smarter than someone else, but rather because God bestowed His grace on us. Every good gift comes from above, and while God does want you to enjoy these gifts, they are not intended for you alone. Maybe the reason we find so many people struggling even within the church is not because God has not provided for that need, but because God's people are not managing the provision of His grace well.

The third key point comes from the center of the verse, “Use it to serve one another.” This gives us instruction on how to manage what God has given us. The fruit of God’s grace in our lives was never meant for us alone, but rather intended to bless and edify His church. The reality is His intended target for giving you grace, may not have ever been you. But, just as you have been served by Jesus, you are called to serve others. He humbled himself into the form of a servant so that we might now be served. As each has received God’s gift of grace, use it to serve one another, as good managers of God’s many forms of grace.

I often wonder how different the church in America would look if we each took our role in it seriously. I think we face our current struggles, not because we need more of something, but because we aren’t stewarding all of God’s gracious gifts well. I am convinced that the trouble in the church of America is not that we need more programs or better marketing. But rather, that we need more Christians willing to let God’s grace flow through them as freely as it came to them.

Would those of you that are reading this, and feeling burned out or as if you have no energy, be feeling that way now? If you were experiencing God’s grace through the conduits of all of His people that He has placed around you, I am confident that we would be much better off. Not only would we be receiving the blessing of serving others, but we would be being served as well. In addition, the church that gets this right would shine like a light in a dark room, and it would draw everyone’s attention, and our God who bestowed this grace on us would be greatly glorified.

The call to be a Christian is not a call only to be saved, but also to be an agent of God’s mission of redemption and restoration. What better place to begin your work than when His people are gathered. Sunday Morning Missionaries aren’t attending church to check it off a list, or to get what they can and leave the rest. They are not attending church like they are shopping at Wal-Mart. Instead, they show up to bestow God’s grace on others in the same way that they have received it. They join teams to serve, not because they are asked, but rather because they want others to enjoy God’s goodness in it’s various forms. Sunday Morning Missionaries are not seeking to horde the wealth of God’s goodness, but rather to spend it well so that it encourages, strengthens, grows, and advances His Kingdom.

How have you experienced God’s grace? How are you using to bless others?

Sunday Morning Missionary Part 4

Show Hospitality Without Grumbling

⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)

Hospitality, at least in this instance, is how we act towards strangers. It is often misunderstood to be applied to those we know. However, this is something intentionally focused on those we don’t know. The original word translated as hospitality is literally translated “love strangers” or “be generous to guests.”

This is not a new concept for the church. God has expected His people to "love strangers" or "be generous to guests" ever since He declared a people to be His own. The Israelites were commanded to treat strangers as if they were native born Israelites. (Lev 19:33-34). In the New Testament the writer of Hebrews says not to neglect hospitality for some have entertained angels unaware (Heb 13:2). Paul demonstrates hospitality to be a mark of maturity as he included it in both of his lists of qualifications for Elders (1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8). But, he also commands it as a result of the work of grace in each of us (Rom 12:13).

Not only should our meetings be markedly different because of the genuine love we are showing one another, but because we are going the extra mile to treat strangers as if they are family.

I can tell you this makes a difference, especially in a church like The Way. When we don't act hospitably, it is very noticeable. There are plenty of success stories, but there are plenty of missed opportunities as well. I will always be deeply moved by the story of a young lady that visited on a Sunday Morning after visiting a community group and yet no one, no one from the community group and no one else in the church, said one word to her when she came that Sunday morning.

We are a collection of close nit groups. As a result of our Community Group model, there are automatically little cliques that develop. We shouldn't need to apologize for this, it is a biblical model. Of course, we are more comfortable talking to the people we are close with. However, the call to hospitality demands that these cliques don't become unhealthy, but always allow others to belong just as deeply as you do.

The most telling part of Peter's command may be that we are to do this without grumbling. We are expected to do this not just because we have been coerced or commanded, but because we want to treat others as our God in heaven has treated us. It certainly says something about us if we are unable or unwilling to extend ourselves so that others can experience God's goodness through our church. But, let me assure  you, it isn't revealing anything good.

In the interest of organization and intentionality, like many other churches, we have developed a ministry team whose purpose is specifically intended to get the "hospitality ball" rolling. They greet people at the door, and give direction and set expectations for the day. They show up early brew coffee, set out refreshments, and make sure the building is ready to host guests. But, once a person is past the doors and sipping coffee the responsibility to engage and ensure each person feels welcome and important falls to every member and regular attender. Peter doesn't relegate hospitality to those gifted by the Spirit to do it, but rather presents it as the responsibility of every member of the church.

In a context like ours, where the Sunday morning gathering, is almost always the first live contact we have with prospective members, Sunday Morning Missionaries are able to find great influence as they recognize that hospitality may start with a smile and handshake at the door, but is really woven into the whole scene. And, they are an integral part of tearing down the barriers built by the language we use, the closeness of existing relationships, the style of worship, and the awkwardness because of the insecurities we all struggle with. They recognize that as a church family, we don't have to use Sunday mornings primarily for ourselves, but that especially during the portion of our gathering before and after the music, they have great opportunity to sacrifice of themselves to make strangers feel as if they have always been a part of our church. We may not actually succeed in making every person feel welcome, but Sunday Morning Missionaries strive to do their part.

Think back to the first time you walked into one of our gatherings, or another church for that matter. It is intimidating and for some it is downright scary. How about the second and third time you came in, was it any less important that you feel like you belong? Of course not.

Imagine a church family that doesn't allow itself to be so introverted on Sunday morning that guests come and go without being engaged by someone. Imagine a church whose love for Jesus and one another has resulted in so much good in their own lives that they want everyone that visits to experience it. Imagine a church that desires to worship God by making room for others to see His glory and worship as if they were part of the family. Imagine a church full of Sunday Morning Missionaries loving guests just as much as they love one another, showing hospitality without grumbling.

What would it take for The Way to be that church? Do you need to do something differently to help us become that church?

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 3

Love, Show Hospitality, Serve

In the passage from 1 Peter 4, Peter gives us 3 things to do as the church to complete our vital role. Because this role is so important, we need to understand exactly what he is telling to do. 

Love

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

In the Greek language, there is more than one word that translates to love. In this instance, Peter used the word agape. Unfortunately, since our culture views love as an emotion, it loses some of its weight. But, agape is so much more than an emotion. This is the love that was defined by God the Father sending Jesus the Son (John 3:16). It is the love Jesus loved us with when He purposefully and sacrificially gave His life so that we could gain our life (1 John 3:16). This kind of love moves beyond emotion to action. It is a choice to act sacrificially in another’s best interest.

Peter is telling us to love one another, like Jesus has loved us. In spite of sins towards one another and in general, he is calling us to act for the good of each other even if it costs us something to do it. Paul captured this idea in Philippians 2 when he encouraged the church to consider others more significant than themselves and to not just think of their own interests but other’s as well.  John wrote that we shouldn’t just love one another in word but also in deed (1 John 3:18)

As we put these together, it is undeniable that Wal-Mart-like attendance is not acceptable under Biblical perspectives. This begs the question, are we making room in our lives to love others as Jesus has loved us? Is this active sacrificial love evident every time we get together, even on Sunday mornings?

If we are going to adopt the attitude of missionaries, it begins not by looking outward at the world but together loving each other. Peter’s first point of reference is not outside the church but to those in the church. He doesn’t say to love everybody else first, and then love one another. But rather, makes our love for one another the responsibility of each individual member. Because, we have been loved like this, we can love like this; we just have to make up our minds to do it.

Did you know that there are 5 teams functioning to make our Sunday morning gathering happen? These all function with the good of others in mind. They all come at a cost to those working in them. Some of them require extra nights a week; some require that people show up early. But isn’t that exactly what love is all about. There is no real reward, no one is getting paid, and they likely aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. But these team members continue to show up and give of themselves for the good of others, loving others just like Jesus loved.

But, Sunday Morning Missionaries don’t just serve in these teams. They say show appreciation for what they have received. They listen closely to their friends, offer words of encouragement, and even stop to pray for them in the moment, rather than putting it off until later. Sunday Morning Missionaries know that the most important moments of this intentional gathering will likely happen between the first and last note of music. So, rather than thinking of themselves, they love others by doing their part to remove barriers to and distractions from taking part in corporate worship and hearing the preaching of God’s Word.

Their efforts may not earn them a pat on the back, but they never go unnoticed by the One, whose opinion matters most, and whose glory motivates their actions.

Imagine the environment created, when not just a dozen people are doing this, but when virtually everyone who gathers loves like this. Imagine the insecurities and fears that most of us struggle with being swallowed up by this active sacrificial powerful love for and from others. Imagine the tangible offering of God’s grace we would have to offer every person that walked through the door if this word agape (love) encapsulated all of our actions and interactions. Imagine the effect this would have beyond the scope of that hour to two hours on Sunday morning as we each leave having experienced Jesus’ love tangibly.

This only becomes a reality when each of us take on the role as missionaries to love one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 2

Before the Singing Starts

In our hearts we know it, worship is more than singing together. But our language and actions often betray the fact that we categorize worship to those moments between the first and last note of music of the “worship set.” But, if the entire Sunday morning gathering is to be worship, we must reinforce how we act with what we know. Before the singing starts, Sunday mornings provide ample opportunity for the whole body of Christ, to honor Him. 

1 Peter 4:7-10 (ESV)
⁷ The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and
sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.
⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Peter begins this instruction with a sense of urgency. The end of all things is near (1 Pet 4:7), this needs to be done now, pay attention, listen up, let’s get busy doing this stuff, it is of vital importance. Above all, do these things. These are of primary concern for God’s people to be about doing. This urgency gives way to a list of instructions that move quickly from focusing on ourselves, to looking outward at how we interact with each other.

These actions and the attitudes that direct them shouldn’t be limited to Sunday morning, but since Sunday morning is an intentional time for Jesus’ people to gather, they definitely shouldn’t be absent either. But this doesn’t happen by accident. Not only do we need to hear the teaching, we need to understand and intentionally apply it. We must determine to attend church not like we shop at Wal-Mart, but as agents of God’s mission. We must adopt a missional attitude even in this. So, as the Gospel is proclaimed through the songs, sermon, and observance of the sacraments, it is further exemplified through each of us.  This demands that attendance and participation are made a priority, not just for what we can get out of it, but to love one another, offer hospitality, and serve one another as God has supernaturally enabled.  

In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter calls believers to do these things “as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” We have received God’s grace in Jesus, and now we are also conduits of that grace. You and I, believer, wield God’s grace in tangible ways. When we are together and we take time to serve and love one another, we are bestowing God’s unmerited goodness (grace) on those we love and serve. When we smile and welcome someone we don’t know, or take time to have a conversation with a stranger, we are allowing that person to experience God’s grace not just in theory but literally.

Sunday Morning Missionaries show up early, look for ways to serve others, pray for others, welcome others, and encourage others to see the beauty of our Creator and Savior for that one singular purpose, to worship and lead others to worship our one true living God.  It’s here that worshipping God through our actions and interactions becomes exponential. As we worship, by loving, serving, and acting hospitably, we are not only enabling people to experience God’s grace. We are also leading them to respond in worship. As we worship by leading others to worship, God’s glory is magnified. It’s like compounding interest, and He deserves every ounce of adoration and awe. 

The Sunday Morning Missionary Part 1

The Sunday Morning Missionary

When I go to Wal-Mart I have a purpose in mind. I know what I want and I want nothing more than to get in and get out. When my wife goes to Wal-Mart, she has a purpose in mind also. Her purpose usually includes checking out different outfits, or household items, or anything else between the front door and the original reason she went in the store. In both cases, our purpose for going to Wal-Mart is almost always self-centered.  For a large percentage of the people in our context, attending church gatherings is no different than going to Wal-Mart. They go in with one underlying self-centered motive.

Living in a culture and context in which attending church is often approached in the same way we shop at a store, we have to be more intentional about our own motives to attend church. And, we have to be prepared to equip other Christians to check their own motives.

Is there value in attending church? Yes. Is it important for Christians to attend? Yes. Can you ask the question, “What’s in it for me and my family?” Yes, you should be able to see personal value in your participation. The church should strive to serve you and your family, equipping you for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12) But, being a part of the church’s worship gathering is much different than going to Wal-Mart taking what you want, leaving what you don’t, all the while doing what you can to not interfere with the other shoppers.

Why do you go to church on Sunday morning? Have you ever really stopped and thought about that? For some that attend, they are living up to social stigmas. Places like this are fewer and farther between, but they do exist.  For some, it’s just what we have always done. For others, it is about relationships, learning the Bible, or worship. No matter who you are, if you attend church, something motivates you to set aside the time, to take the trouble to go. But do you ever, have you ever, stopped to ask yourself that one simple question; Why?

There is only one person that can discern your motives. But, over the next few weeks, through this series of short posts, I hope to help you do that. In addition, I hope to help you understand the purpose of the worship gathering so that as you come, you can come prepared to leave behind the Wal-Mart way, and participate as Sunday Morning Missionaries alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ as we worship Jesus, minister to one another for His glory and strive to lead others to worship Him along with us.

One Singular Focus, One Singular Purpose

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

Paul wrote this, originally addressing questions the Corinthian church had about eating food sacrificed to idols. But, don’t miss the key phrase that applies this to every action of the Christian life. Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. We can work, rest, eat, celebrate, love spouses, and raise children, dance, and sing all to glorify God.  Every act of our Christian lives can be an act of worship, if done with the intent of attributing glory and gratitude to God. But there is something special about God’s people gathering to do this together.

Christ motivated, Spirit-influenced, God-centered worship is the one singular reason behind our Sunday morning gathering. We provide drinks and refreshments to extend hospitality in Jesus’ name. We think through the songs that will be sung, the theological perspectives they present, and even the style in which they are played in order to serve the church to God’s glory. Sermons are prepared with the intention of equipping believers for life and to draw attention to the majesty and beauty of our Creator and Savior. We participate in Communion every week, because we desire to make much of Jesus and the work He did to save us. Even the order of events is considered as we strive to facilitate the church body to participate in this time, in which, all other things are set aside that together we can praise our God and we can live in awe of Him.

No matter how good our intentions are, we can’t change the motives of those participating. Worship extends from the heart of each individual. Therefore, we can facilitate, but cannot force worship. That becomes the responsibility of each believer, and the very reason we should check our own hearts and examine our motives. Are we going to church to satisfy some idol, or to worship the one true and living God?