8-26-18 Painting the rainbow brown!

Scripture  Romans 16:21-27, 1-16

Greenless Child

I watched her go uncelebrated into the second grade,

A greenless child,

Gray among the orange and yellow,

Attached too much to corners, and to other people’s sunshine.

She colors the rainbow brown

And leaves balloons unopened in their packages.

Oh, who will touch this greenless child?

Who will plant alleluias in her heart,

And send her dancing into all the colors of God?

Or will she be left like an unwrapped package on the kitchen table –

Too dull for anyone to take the trouble?

Does God think we’re her keeper?

Do you know people like that? People who are not the life of a party but they aren’t a down and outer either? The person who could be described as a wall flower because most people just don’t notice?

Mike Murphy - At Greenlake one year…“Nobody likes me!”

Donovan Norton - A former youth pastor grew up in a Christian home but became rebellious until one day he literally found himself lying on the street in a gutter…and someone crossed the street and said, “God loves you!”

Jesus shows us how much he loves the individual as well as the church as a whole Zacheaus, Woman at the well, Widow of Nain, and on and on…ALSO, when the Holy Spirit had Paul write a letter to the church at Rome. Romans is Paul’s systematic theology and covers sin, salvation, grace, faith, righteousness, justification, sanctification, redemption, death, and resurrection. It is also his least personal letter, yet it ends very personal. Let’s look at the last full page of that 16 page (chapter) letter.

Romans 16:21-27

(Paul) Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. 25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Rom 16:1-16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. (Maung Nau) 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

The letter is from individuals who make up some of the leadership at the church in Corinth or Chencrea

The letter is to individual members of the church in Rome.

Show the list of names of the members of Ashland Church.

Illustration:

A Group Of Believers

                  A group of believers gathered in a church.

                  They believed in one God, God Almighty, who made the world and everything in it.

                  They believed in God the Creator.

                  And they believed that God the Creator sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to save the world.

                  They believed these things and they said them every Sunday at ten o’clock.

                  They were very busy and did the things most churches do.  They had church dinners and they inquired about each other’s families.

                  And they read the Bible and they sent a check to missions every year, And at Thanksgiving they

                  collected canned goods for the poor.

                  And on Sunday mornings things were done decently and in order.

                  They were good church people.

                  But one Sunday morning during the service of worship, a little boy came running in the church door, ran right down the center aisle, and stood under the cross screaming, “Help me!”

                  He was a thin child with dark, sunken eyes. The clothes he wore were no more than rags.

                  His feet were bare and he shivered and then, with a cry, fell – under the cross.

                  Everything was quiet – and then a voice yelled: Get him out of here! And another said: We don’t want to get involved with his kind. And a third said: He’s interrupting our worship.

                  But the rest of the congregation arose quietly, in unison, and walked as if they were in step until they, too, stood under the cross. They bent and lifted the child gently and ministered to him.

                  And then, as if for the first time, they noticed each other.

                  They smiled and their hands reached out to one another and they began to dance.

                  Some people laughed, and said: They’re drunk! But others asked: What does this mean?

                  And the people answered: The Lord’s Spirit has been poured out upon us. The Lord has anointed us to care for God’s children everywhere who are crying, “Help me!”

                  And now this church is decorated in the bright colors of joy. The people wear robs of caring and commitment. The call to worship is: “Help them!” Then entire congregation dances together.

Jonathan coming to Christ

Reaching for Rainbows

I keep reaching for rainbows ….

Thinking one God’s morning I will wake up with rainbow ribbons in my hair,

With hurts painted over in hues that only angel wings could brush,

Black obliterated, chaos hurled beyond the rainbow and my vision,

The world created in a myriad of colors:

The hungry fed, The dying held, The maimed walking, The angry stroked, The violent calmed,

The oppressed freed, The oppressors changed,

And every tear wiped away.

I keep reaching for rainbows,

But instead of colors in our storm, Gray and black infiltrate, dirtying the sky,

And I hear human voices wailing in the darkness, The never-ending darkness …

Just the same…I know the promise of the rainbow.

I keep thinking I’ll turn a corner one day And find a litany of rainbows Flung across the sky,

Hosannaing back and forth Through all the ages and Out into eternity forever amen!

Every tear wiped away –

It’s a promise – When we become rainbows to each other.

8-19-18 Is Church Membership Biblical?

Scripture    Acts 2:37-47

Video - Is the Church relevant? https://youtu.be/yXVGvP6xpeg

RIDDLE ME THIS:

Hillcrest / (College explored) / Owl Creek / FBC Urbana / Living Water-Merge / FBC Twin Falls / Ashland

CHRISTIAN WRITERS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

In the book “The Body” by Charles W. Colson, 1992 he writes, “Membership in a confessing body is fundamental to the faithful Christian life. Failure to do so defies the explicit warning not to forsake "our assembling together."

Martin Luther said, "Apart from the church, salvation is impossible." Not that the church provides salvation; God does. But because the "saved" one can't fulfill what it means to be a Christian apart from the church, membership becomes the indispensable mark of salvation.

"So highly does the Lord esteem the communion of His church," Calvin wrote," that He considers everyone a traitor and apostate from religion who perversely withdraws himself from any Christian society which preserves the true ministry of the word and sacraments."

“The spouse of Christ cannot be adulterous; she is uncorrupted and pure. She knows one home; she guards with chaste modesty the sanctity of one couch. She keeps us for God. She appoints the sons whom she has born for the kingdom. Whoever is separated from the Church and is joined to an adulteress, is separated from the promises of the Church; nor can he who forsakes the Church of Christ attain to the rewards of Christ. He is a stranger; he is profane; he is an enemy. He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother.”

— Cyprian, Treatise on the Unity of the Church

That is what others say about church membership. The only direction that matters is what the Bible says about church membership.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Greg Gilbert addressed church membership in Christianity Today:

“If you’re like most people, the word “membership” probably doesn’t cause you to well up with any deep spiritual emotion. For most of us, membership is something most associated with junk mail from credit card companies or a high-pressure sales pitch at a gym. When it comes to the church, perhaps it’s viewed as a bureaucratic tool for keeping track of people. Some consider it irretrievably Western—a faintly imperialist concept that really ought to be abandoned when we begin to plant churches in other cultures.

I understand that impression, especially given how many churches treat the concept and reality of membership. But what’s needed is to return to the Bible itself and see whether it talks about church membership, and if so, what the nature and meaning and purpose of that concept is in the first place.”

JESUS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

The idea of church membership began to take shape in Matthew 16 when Jesus established his church. There he gave the church the keys of the kingdom, which means that he gave it authority to speak in his name both to what the gospel is and who is rightly confessing the gospel.

Matt 16:13-19  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

The ability to affirm who is confessing the gospel correctly and who is not is the what we mean by the term “church membership.” (eg. Presby pastor many ways of salvation)

If someone understands and confesses the gospel correctly, the church is given authority by King Jesus to say, “Yes, you’re a genuine believer in Christ,” and is, therefore, to be baptized and join in the life of the church. If not, the church also has the authority, granted by the King, to say, “No, you don’t understand the gospel, you’re not confessing it and living according to it, and therefore we will not continue to affirm that you’re a Christian.”

THE BOOK OF ACTS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

We see this principal of the church at work in the story written in the Book of Acts from the beginning of the church. On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel and told people to be baptized. Then, in Acts 2:41, “three thousand souls were added to their number.” Even at the beginning, then, the first Christians knew who they were. The life of the church wasn’t just a matter of “come when you can.” There was a defined, recognized group of people who believed, were baptized, and were part of the number.

Acts 2:37-47

 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 (Description of the church body) All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It’s not just that they knew each other, though. Those early Christians lived life together. They attended the temple together (2:46) as more and more were “added to their number” (2:47) until in Acts 4:4 the number had risen to five thousand (and that’s just counting the men)! To be a part of “the number” wasn’t just a lifeless bureaucratic reality, either. Acts 4:32 reports that they were “of one heart and soul.”

In the very first church in Jerusalem, even as large as it was, the first Christians knew who they were.

Even with 5000+ people in “the number,” that earliest church in Jerusalem continued to meet together. Acts 5:12 says that they were “all together” in a large place called Solomon’s Portico; 6:2 even says the “full number” of them came together in a business meeting to discuss how to care better for widows. And through all of this, those early Christians called themselves a church— that is an assembly, a gathering.

Why did Peter and the disciples choose this ‘porch’ in close proximity to the temple to hold church meetings? John 10:22-29  Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Here in Solomon’s Portico Jesus is confirming that these are not his followers but that others are his followers - setting up the primary function of the church where the first church members will later first meet in its large gatherings.

So, in the very first church in Jerusalem, even as large as it was, the first Christians knew who they were. There were those who were part of the number, and there were those who were not, and the dividing line between the two was baptism. A person would become a believer, the church would exercise the keys and say, “Yes, you seem to be a genuine believer,” then he or she would be baptized and thereby join the life of the church—its joys and pains and problems and solutions. That’s membership.

THE NEW TESTAMENT ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Matthew 18, shows the authority of the church to remove one of its number if they will not recognize their sin and turn from it.   1st Corinthians 5:2 gives us a look at another similar situation in which Paul tells the church to “remove this man from among you.” Obviously, that doesn’t mean they are supposed to physically toss him out of the room or bar the doors against him. No, they wanted the man to attend the gatherings of the church, to hear the word, and repent. What it means to “remove” him is that they are to make it clear that they are withdrawing their affirmation of his claim to be a Christian in hopes that he/she will repent.

In 2 Corinthians 2:6 Paul returned to the situation he faced in 1 Corinthians 5 and told the church to bring the man back into the number of disciples. The man repented and, therefore, should be restored. The man’s faith was reaffirmed and he was restored. This was done by majority vote of the church members. Church membership is biblical and vitally important. It affirms or denies that a person is part of the body of Christ.

Membership Means Relationship

But still, the question remains: does the Bible ever explicitly talk about church membership? Yes, it does. It even uses the word. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul addresses a particular local church in the city of Corinth, explaining to them that instead of being divided and jealous of each other, they should be united. In the course of that argument he says in 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

There it is. All those shadows in the New Testament—of making someone part of the number, of putting someone out of the number, of life lived together in mutual commitment—those shadows point to this biblical image of the local church being the Body of Christ. meln = member [Christians are called meln of Christ because the body is the living place of the spirit of Christ and there are dedicated to Christ’s service.]

Membership Means Commitment

What that means is that membership is not a cold, lifeless word having to do with names on a list. It’s a flesh-and-blood, lively word that describes the parts of a body.

Membership is not a modern, Western concept, but a biblical reality born of the spiritual union between Christ and his church.

For one thing, it simply underlines the truth—which we see again and again in the Bible—that a local church has a boundary. Think about it. It’s actually very clear what is a part of your body and what is not. Maybe you wear a wedding ring. I do, and it almost never comes off my finger. It’s about as close to my body as anything can possibly be. You might even call it a regular, committed attender and participant in the life of my body. But I also know that it’s not a part of my body. What’s more, as close as that ring may be to my body, it doesn’t really share in my body’s life, its pleasure, or its pain. If I stub my toe, my ring doesn’t react. My finger does though.

Membership Is Not a Modern, Western Concept

The point and heart of church membership is a mutually recognized relationship between a Christian and church in which both of them say— “I am committed to you.” I will share your joy and your pain. I will take responsibility for you. I will love and care for you. That’s the meaning of membership. It’s not a modern, Western concept, but rather a deeply biblical reality born of the spiritual union between Christ and his church—the reality that each local church is the body of Christ, and we as individual Christians are members of it.

BEING FAITHFUL

Bottom line - we believe God works through the members of the church to bring salvation, confirm it, and cause it to spread across time and space. Here is an example of how that works:

In the book Second Calling, Dale Bourke writes that years ago, she attended a conference. When it was over, her friend Bruce offered her a ride to the airport. As they were about to leave, another man asked if he could join them. As they drove away from the hotel, she and Bruce asked the man where he worked, and he mentioned a Christian organization. Bruce said, “I have fond memories of that group, because I attended a retreat of theirs one time, and that’s where I became a Christian. It was in 1972 in New Hampshire.” Bruce went on to explain that eventually his whole family became Christians and went into Christian work. His sister was a Wycliffe missionary and Bruce himself became publisher of a major Christian publishing house, which brought many significant Christian books to the public. Bruce finished the story with a flourish saying that the retreat had had worldwide impact when you think about it.

The man was silent. Dale and Bruce thought that maybe they were boring him. Then the stranger quietly said, “I led that retreat. It was my first time as a conference leader, and I felt like a total failure. Until this moment, I have always believed it was one of the biggest failures of my life.” Dale Bourke wrote, “What had seemed like the simple act of offering a ride to a stranger had turned into a powerful reminder that God uses our efforts whether we realize it or not. I may spend the rest of my life doing things that don’t seem at all successful. Yet only God knows the purpose. I am called simply to be faithful.”

8-12-18 Join a church! Who? Me?

The next 3 Sundays I will be tripping over myself - saying the same things in different ways while saying things new in each message as well.

What does the bible say about joining a church?

Should I encourage others to join Ashland Church?

Join a Church! Who? Me? First, I would have to find that ‘perfect’ church!

VIDEO: Top Church

A church with NO members is NO church!

Scripture                                            1 Corinthians 1:1-10

          This text is rich with layers at first unseen like a double lava chocolate cake. Every bite reveals new hidden delights. It is not normally served up as a text about the church or church membership but let’s get our forks out, dig in and see what delicious truths God has for us today from His word.

[Map of Achaia] 

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, (Acts 18:4-18 Paul traveled to Corinth [1] (Pracilla & Aquila were there from Rome) where 4 every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of [2] Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 [3] Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

12 While Gallio [4] (Prominent Roman; brother Seneca, nephew Lucan) was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law — settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on [5] Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time.)

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

The song LAY ME DOWN says: With this heart open wide, From the depths from the heights, I will bring a sacrifice.
With these hands lifted high, Hear my song here my cry, I will bring a sacrifice
Hand on my heart, This much is true, There's no life apart from you
It will be my joy to say, Your will, your way, WE will bring a sacrifice

OPTIONAL - * VIDEO Sacrifice of Praise

As those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours, we bring a sacrifice of praise. We - the church. Those who have committed themselves to church membership.

“In the New Testament,” John Piper observes, “to be excluded from the local church was to be excluded from Christ.”

Can I still be a part of the church without church membership? Yes! But you can also be a guy who flirts with 1000 girls and never commits to one. The result is that you are still alone in the world. Commit to that one you will marry. Likewise, commit to that church where you will be a member because the kingdom of God was never designed for you to live alone in your faith. God created us to live out our faith in community. Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Join the church! Who? Me?

A little boy said, “Dad, did Grandpa make you go to Sunday school when you were my age?”

His father said, “He sure did. We went every Sunday.”

The boy said sadly, “Well, I bet it won’t do me any good either.”

STAINED GLASS

A fourteenth-century Italian stained-glass artist was summoned to design and create a huge portrait for the window of a cathedral in Chartres, France, a place well known for its stained-glass work. He laid all of the pieces he was going to use out on the floor of the cathedral. They were beautiful to behold; most of them were large and colorful. Among these awesome pieces of glass was a small, clear piece about as big as your fingernail. As the stained-glass portrait was assembled, that little piece remained on the floor. Only the big colorful pieces of glass were used.

On the day of the window’s completion, the tiny piece of clear glass was still lying on the ground. The entire city gathered to witness the unveiling of the brilliant and beautiful stained-glass portrait. The artist stood in front of the crowd, made his speech, and dramatically pulled down the cloth cover. The crowd gasped at the beauty of the colorful window glowing in the sunlight.

After a few seconds, however, the crowd grew silent. They sensed that something was missing, that the portrait was unfinished. The great artist then walked over to where the little clear piece of glass lay, picked it up, and placed it in the portrait, right in the center of Jesus’ eye. As the sun hit that little piece, it gave off a dazzling sparkle.

The magnificent stained glass window still draws visitors. The first thing they see is that sparkle in Jesus’ eye.

As small as that piece of glass was, it was very important to the portrait. And, no matter how insignificant a Christian may seem, he is important to the body of Christ

I call that stained class the church - each piece of glass is a member of that church - it is not complete until even the smallest, seemingly most insignificant part is put in place - I call that piece Sosthenes. As you consider church membership, recognize that to Christ, you are the apple, or the sparkle, of His eye!

Response Song: Lay me Down