Is Your Church Inwardly Focused?

Dr. Thom Rainer wrote an excellent book on what it means to be a church member from a biblical perspective. In chapter three Dr. Rainer gives a list of ten dominant behaviors that are consistently seen in churches who are inwardly focused. As I read through this list I was reminded of how easy it is to allow tradition and preferences to keep us from making an impact on the culture in which we live. I would like to share this list and I hope you will prayerfully consider if these attitudes are prevalent in your life.

1. Worship wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required and others are prohibited.
2. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely topics of discussion. 
3. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church buildings and grounds.
4. Program driven. Every church has programs even if they don't admit it. When we start to doing a ministry a certain way, it takes on programmatic status, The problem becomes an end instead of a means to greater ministry.
5. Inward focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church.
6. Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Some members expect the pastoral staff to visit them regularly because they have membership status.
7. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch-all for many of the points named here. The overarching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment.
8. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives.
9. Anger and hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members.
10. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and comment in which they live.

Let us use this checklist to constantly evaluate our motives and actions to make sure that we stay focused on the task on expanding the Kingdom of God.

I am so thankful to Dr. Rainer of Lifeway for writing this simple but powerful book that reminds us of what it really means to be a member of the Lord's church. I also want to thank Micah Fries for his blog post that reminded me of this list.

The Family of God! (Part 2)

As I think about the church being the family of God, I wonder how this truth should impact how I relate to my brothers and sisters in Christ? As I pondered this question, I thought of two biblical answers.

1. We are to LOVE and ACCEPT one another

Romans 15:7 (ESV) - "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." It's a sad commentary on the church today, that to often we look down on those who aren't like us, or who struggle with sin. The command in Romans 15:7 is that we are to accept one another with love and without reservation or judgment. If the perfect, sinless Son of God would accept us into God's family, how much more should we be willing to accept one another.

If Jesus is the standard by which we relate to one another, let us remember that it was Jesus who was criticized for loving and accepting the sinners and tax-collectors. Let us not allow self-righteousness to keep us from loving and caring for those whom Christ died!

2. We are to LOOK OUT for one another

Galatians 6:10 (ESV) -- "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." As brothers and sisters in Christ, when opportunities arise we are to perform acts of kindness to everyone, especially those in the Family. There must be not even a hint of favoritism.

What do this acts of kindness look like? We get a pretty good idea when we examine the one another passages of the New Testament.

We LOOK OUT for one another by:

• LOVING one another

John 13:34-35 -- "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Let it be said of us that we love each other in the same way that we have experienced the love of Jesus! Jesus' love is a love that puts the other persons needs above His own.

• SERVING one another

Galatians 5:13 - "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." The word translated "serve" is literally slave. The idea that is expressed here is that we aren't to use our freedom as an excuse to make life about us, but we are to use our freedom in Christ to become a servant to one another. 

• ACCEPTING one another

Romans 14:1 (ESV) - "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions." In the early church there was a real struggle over how our freedom in Christ impacted what was acceptable to eat and how stringent they were to celebrate the special days and feasts of Judaism. Paul tells us that as followers of Jesus Christ that we are not to allow the petty things to divide us. Instead we are to accept and love one another.
I read a poem recently that I am not sure who wrote it, but it goes like this:

Believe as I believe,

No more, no less;

That I am right,

And no one else, confess;

Feel as I feel,

Think as I think;

Eat what I eat,

And drink what I drink; 

Look as I look,

Do always as I do;

Then, and only then,

Will I fellowship with you.

Let this not be our attitude!

• HONORING one another

Romans 12:10 (ESV) - "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." To honor is to show genuine appreciation and admiration for someone. At Calvary Baptist Church we want to be known as a family that seeks to "outdo one another" in showing appreciation toward one another. 

• ENCOURAGING one another

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) - "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." We live in world that is constantly seeking to tear people down, but let Calvary be a family where people are encouraged and built up in their walk with Christ.

• INSTRUCTING one another

Romans 15:14 - "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another." As followers of Jesus Christ we are to come along aside one another to encourage, warn and advise one another in the Christian faith.

• SUBMITTING TO one another 

Ephesians 5:21 (ESV) — "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." The act of submission is an act of humility that is empowered by the Holy Spirit as we willing give ourselves to one another. Let Calvary Baptist Church be a family that continually seeks to consider the other person of greater importance than they view themselves.

• BEING DEVOTED to one another

Romans 12:10 (ESV) — "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." The word "love" can also be translated to "devoted" and it carries the idea of genuine love. When others look at Calvary Baptist Church may they see a family that is committed to one another with genuine love and acceptance.

• BEARING one another's burdens

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) - "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." When the burdens of life become unbearable, let us come aside one another and help lift the load so that our brother or sister in Christ can stand strong in the faith.

I am so thankful to be a part of a family that is seeking to walk together in Christian love and devotion!