2A WHAT CHANGES LIVES

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN GOD’S CHURCH?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEEL THIS NUMBER ONE THING REALLY HAPPENS?

“You must be born again.” “Be transformed!” “We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye.” The New Testament sparkles with phrases like these. And they define why we are here. We are here for changed lives. We are here to experience changed lives, and to propagate changed lives. We are here to commune with the God who changes lives.

But the reality is; lives aren’t change in every church. Why not? What is it that makes some churches fertile ground for transformation, while others are little more than, as Ezekiel saw, a ‘valley of dried bones?’ Those who have begun their reading journey in ‘The Purpose Driven Church’ might remember coming across this insight from Pastor Warren:

I believe the key issue for churches in the twenty-first century will be church health, not church growth. …growth alone misses the point. P 17

So the next logical question is- What makes a church healthy? The answer is BALANCE. As a group and as individuals- balance allows survivability. It means we’re in it for the long haul… we will be around long enough experience positive change.

Well, for one thing, balance is not a one time event. In fact, we never really do achieve perfect balance. If you watch the steering wheel as person drives- it is never perfectly still. It is constantly moving, constantly making little course corrections. And if they’re not making those little corrections, chances are they’ll need to make a terrifying big correction before too long. The same is true of balance in the healthy church, or the healthy spiritual life, for that matter. It is staying on course by making proper adjustments so we don’t need big painful ones later. And it is a never-ending process.

This morning we don’t have time to go into all the important elements we need to balance. But we do have time to examine three key balances that will turn this place into a place of changed lives.

1. FELLOWSHIP versus DISCIPLESHIP –or another way to put it- Warmth versus Depth.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Fellowship has been a focus for Canaan over the past few years. On a number of occasions people have said we need more fellowship. And there’d be talk of dinners and breakfasts and such. But what exactly is fellowship? In the Biblical Greek there are five different words used for fellowship. And they are all based on a theme of communion, communication, and partnership.

It’s very important we get this: Fellowship is a means to unity. I don’t mean, just a group of people who can get along. That may be good enough for the world’s purpose, but not God’s. To be God’s fellowship, that unity must be so deep and pure, it is a ‘communion.’ It is a fellowship that communicates only in a mentality of ‘partnership.’ It defines the Biblical mark of the church… what is God’s seal on His church?

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

The singular mark of the church is love. And this mark of a love-fellowship is so important that Scripture takes time to clearly describe what it looks like- when it is missing, and when it is unmistakably present.

20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be… I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.

We are human- we will see things differently from time to time. The difference between deadly fellowship and life-giving fellowship lays in our mentality… the real heart is exposed in our responses. According to Scripture- If we differ with others, especially church leaders- we may respond in one of two ways- We can become negative and spread dissention- or we can approach the person directly, in an entirely different spirit.

God’s approach to fellowship is unlike anything in our natural tendencies. Even when a person is approached for the most legitimate grievance- the first concern is not for the person seeking correction, it is for the person who is in the wrong- the first concern is for that person going astray. The main reason for approaching them isn’t confrontation but to rescue them back to spiritual safety. What a far cry from our natural way of doing things!

And be advised, God takes this very seriously- in His Fellowship, where His Spirit really lives- there can be no grumbling behind people’s backs. There can be no hidden grudges against others. Folks, God-empowered unity is like the skin of a bubble. It exists in completeness, or it doesn’t exist at all. A fellowship either loves, or it doesn’t. It will move to a negative response or a positive one. God’s Spirit will dwell there, or it will not. (There’s no little bit.)

So when the Bible speaks of fellowship, it is talking about a unity, a communion, a spirit of partnership that is only possible through Christ, Himself. It is true enjoyment of each other.

Discipleship on the other hand, isn’t about the enjoyment of each other, but a concerted effort toward spiritual maturity. Discipleship is a head-long endeavor to “…become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Discipleship is more than desiring, or even learning about this fullness. It is the practice of reaching ‘the fullness of Christ.’ It is the discipline of putting that fullness into effect in our lives. Discipleship is the power of maturity.

It is not to say we can’t enjoy coming together, even having fun. But here’s the reality folks- For all of us, it is a long road to the ‘fullness of Christ.’ And besides ourselves, there is a community around us with failed marriages, at-risk kids, and lost people. The reality is there are millions dying for lack of the Gospel that we are supposed to be sharing. We don’t have time to fritter away!

Now- We are not called to be frantic, but we are called to be urgent- in learning, and teaching what Christ would have us know… what Christ would have us do. The bottom line is this: If we gather for any reason as a church that doesn’t have discipleship at the core, that event or program is not contributing to real health, which means lives won’t be changed. The first filter for any event should be- “Is it taking anyone closer to Christ?” The practice of coming together must be balanced with God’s purpose in coming together.

CAN YOU MENTION ANY EXAMPLES OF WHEN A CHURCH OR DENOMINATION GOT OUT OF BALANCE… WHAT HAPPENED?

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP TO YOU?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “FELLOWSHIP” AND “DISCIPLESHIP”?

SUGGEST A PRACTICAL WAY TO BALANCE THE TWO?

2. ACCEPTANCE verses COMMITMENT We might call this the ‘whosoever’ principle.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

In the most memorized passage of all time, we are told God came to save who? -THE WORLD! He came to save ‘whosoever.’ In explaining God’s invitation, Jesus sets up a powerful word picture. He tells the story of a wedding banquet. The original guests were cut off because they violently refused the invitation. The parable climaxes with a new invitation:

10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

The theme is very clear. God has an open door policy. A church fellowship should be the most approachable group in the world. Good, or bad, there should be a sense of acceptance to anyone seeking. But after this picture of acceptance, Jesus adds the strangest twist. It seems almost out of place:

11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.

12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

He invites everyone He can find, and then the story ends with throwing out some poor guy for busting the dress code- why?

In a royal wedding of that day, it was tradition for the king to actually supply the garments worn to the celebration. Wearing the king’s garment was proof of your invitation. But to put on the king’s garment you had to do something… you had to place your own aside. We can feast on the spiritual food of a heavenly banquet- but we cannot do it wearing our own ‘rags of righteousness’, and God’s garment at the same time.

The royal garment is a symbol of Christ’s righteousness that raises us to spiritual life. Fellowship in God is the spiritual banquet. Heaven starts on earth in His fellowship. Trying to partake in this spiritual banquet without being spiritually alive is like a ghost roaming a reception hall. An apparition might see the delicious food he might even watch the enjoyment on the living faces- but he cannot taste for himself…because he is lifeless, disembodied, without the means. Folks- In the spiritual scheme; being accepted doesn’t mean you can taste- that’s only for the living.

Now, God’s Word is very specific in defining who is alive. Those who accept Christ as Lord are spiritually alive, and they have been born into ‘Christ’s body’. In Scripture, His ‘body’ on earth, is given one name- the church. And as members, as organs of that body, we have a commitment as real as your heart or liver has to your physical body.

Warren’s church balances ‘acceptance’ and ‘commitment’ by seeing attenders and members this way:

These are two very different groups. … we expect very little from the seeker who is investigating the claims of Christ. …On the other hand, we require a major commitment from those who want to join the church. …members agree to give financially, serve in a ministry, share their faith, follow the leadership, avoid gossip, and maintain a godly lifestyle.

The balance between acceptance and commitment is essentially a balance between love and life.

IN WHAT PRACTICAL WAYS CAN WE ACCEPT THOSE WHO COME INTO OUR CHURCH?

HOW DO WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN “ATTENDERS” AND “MEMBERS”? (IS IT JUST A CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE?)

HOW CAN WE BALANCE “ACCEPTANCE” AND “COMMITMENT”?

17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Vision is an outpouring of God’s Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit which gives the direction of where we need to go and the empowerment to get there. But this journey takes place in our physical world. There are practical details to any journey. There are ‘how to’s’ to the vision. In the Old Testament, God gave Solomon a vision- it was to build the place where God would dwell among humanity. The vision was so grand, that even 3000 years later, we still call it ‘THE Temple’. So how did God have this vision carried out?

21 … for all the work on the temple of God… every willing man skilled in any craft will help you …"

How about in our time? What’s the big vision for our day? Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed. We are still called to build a temple. -Only now it’s a temple built of ‘living stones’, spiritually living people. So has the building principle changed? Not at all!

28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers…

From the beginning, God has called people uniquely fitted to their tasks. But here’s the bottom line: Talent is not enough. The best intentions are not enough. Even a calling is not enough. These things are essential, but they are not enough. Folks- there are churches failing all over this country with faithful pastors and members at this very moment. God has called ‘skilled workers’ to build His temple in every age.

skill is proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience.

Skill is more than raw talent. It is a trained talent. It is talent honed in expertise. From skills in teaching to church administration… we are obligated to be ‘skilled.’ So how do we do that? It starts with honest communication with God, but it doesn’t stop there. We can learn under others. Now, these people may not be more gifted, but have more training, and experience than we do. God has been working with them longer. And ‘skill’ never stops learning. No matter how long we’ve practiced our skill, there is always something to learn, things that might even revolutionize the way we do things.

Throughout Scripture, spiritual vision is always balanced by practical skill.

There is an absolute necessity for balance. …Now, that sets up another question…

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL VISION?

HOW DO WE GET IT?

HOW CAN WE BE SURE IT’S GOD’S VISION?

WHEN IS –LOOKING AT THE DETAILS- A POSITIVE THING? -A NEGATIVE THING?

To know that- let’s rethink the concept of balance from a biblical angle. We naturally think of balance as two opposing forces that counter each other- like two kids on a teeter-totter. Up or down, it’s one or the other. But Biblical balance is not one or the other; it is one through the other. It is one reinforcing the other. And that opens a profound implication: On a teeter-totter, if everything’s in perfect balance, there is no movement- everything is static. In spiritual balance, things aren’t static, in fact, they move faster and further. As one element strengthens the other it is an upward spiral.

Discipleship leads to maturity. Spiritual maturity means we have become stable. Children are inconsistent- one day they are absorbed in something, the next day it doesn’t matter. One time they’ll surprise you with their insight, the next, you’re sure someone’s dropped them on their head as a baby. They are not constant in how they respond, or even how they relate to each other.

Why don’t we permit children to marry? They aren’t ready for that level of unity. In the same way, a church cannot have the level of unity God promises until they grow out of spiritual childhood. Discipleship is the maturing process. As we grow up, we grow together. Discipleship isn’t an opposing element to fellowship, it is a reinforcing one. Sunday School and Wednesday groups aren’t in competition with things like –say- fellowship dinners. As we grow up through discipleship, the fellowship of the dinners becomes sweeter and deeper.

In the same way, commitment isn’t a hurdle for acceptance. Trying to please people with half-truths in entertainment or watered-down messages is not real acceptance. It’s fooling people. Real acceptance is exposing them to the full truth so that lives can be changed.

We are in the process of building something magnificent. We are in the process of building a place designed to change lives for all eternity:

5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house … through Jesus Christ.

In this building project, there is a Master architect. And His blueprint is perfect.

… ``See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in him.'' (1 Peter 2:6, Living Bible)

Our construction experts tell me there are two main supporting posts in the old sanctuary. They are in effect, the cornerstones. Essentially, the whole building balances on these two posts. Should they fail for some reason, balance would be lost and the result would be the collapse of the whole structure.

We have the blueprints for a spiritual sanctuary. A place we can enjoy spiritual health and transformed lives. But folks, it will never happen unless we are willing to build… only if we are willing to build in balance, on His supporting posts. And the time to build is now.

WHAT IS GOD’S IDEA OF A BALANCED CHURCH… A BALANCED CHRISTIAN?

WHAT OTHER QUALITIES NEED BALANCE IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE?

HOW DO YOU FEEL BALANCE IS CONNECTED TO GROWTH?

IN WHAT WAYS COULD WE AS A CHURCH, AND AS INDIVIDUALS IMPROVE OUR BALANCE IN THE FUTURE?