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And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Acts 2:44-45
“Where do you go to church?” Unfortunately the answer to this question immediately labels you in some people’s minds. We judge a person’s character, religious beliefs and morals on the name in front of a building!
The greatest period of ‘church growth’ was when it first began. Read about it in the second chapter of Acts. Literally thousands of people were added to the church daily. People who were tired of religion the way it was, people who were struggling in relationships, people who had heard of God but had no idea that He loved them and forgave them of the bad choices in their lives.
The real church isn’t a building, it’s people. If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, you don’t go to church, you ARE the church! A defining characteristic of the church (the body of Jesus followers) is that they were of one mind. There was only one goal in the early church and that was to tell others of Jesus forgiveness and love. There were no denominations. There was no discussion of the theology behind baptism or scriptural interpretation or worship styles. There was only Jesus.
The method of church growth was simple as well. No fancy programs. No seminars on how to reach other people. No discussion on how to be a seeker church. There was only generosity in the name of Jesus. The motto of the early church could very well have been “All that I have is God’s therefore I will share it with you!”
People didn’t join the church because they were able to jump through a bunch of denominational or doctrinal hoops. They didn’t join because they realized they were hopeless sinners. They joined the church because it was the one group that gave them the love, compassion and physical, emotional and spiritual help they needed. And they found all they needed in Jesus.
If you love Jesus, if you have experienced the healing, comfort and forgiveness only found in relationship with Him, you are a member of the body of Christ, or what we call the church. Don’t go to church; take the church with you into every situation you find yourself in. People may go to a building because you invite them, but they will join the church because you love them and show them Jesus.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I pray that you would forgive those of us who claim to follow you for seeing church as a building or an activity. Instill in me, and my fellow disciples, the realization that church is an organism and not an organization. Help us to show Your great, undying love to those around us so that they can become one with us. In your name I pray, Amen.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
I love big, juicy, red raspberries. One day I decided I would plant my very own raspberry patch. I took some apple seeds from an apple I’d just eaten and went into my yard. I found a place in my yard that would be nice and convenient for me, right under a large oak tree and close to the house. I threw the seeds down on the ground and went into the house. I made sure there was just enough rain and sunshine for my plants. A few days latter the seeds had begun to grow several nice raspberry plants and in a few weeks I went out to pick my own bucket of fresh, juicy red raspberries.
If you know anything about gardening you know that the story above is pure foolishness. You can’t grow raspberries from apple seeds; you can’t just throw seeds on hard, uncultivated ground and expect them to grow; and most importantly of all, you can’t control the rain or the sunshine.
In order to have a healthy crop of whatever I want to plant there are some basic rules that need to be followed. Rule number one: plant the right kind of seed. If I want raspberries, plant raspberry seeds! Rule number two: plant my seeds in ground that is prepared for them. Rule number three: wait patiently. Plants don’t mature overnight and fruit can take years to develop. Rule number four: All my preparing, planting and patience will do no good without divine help. God is the one that controls the rain and the sunshine.
The same four rules apply to life. If we want to see positive things in our lives we need to plant positive seeds. Planting seeds of understanding and compassion will eventually produce love. Planting seeds of forgiveness and acceptance will eventually produce trust. Planting seeds of humility will eventually produce respect. Planting seeds of discipline and accountability will eventually produce self-confidence.
Planting positive seeds not only produces good fruit, it keeps disease from attacking us. When we plant positive seeds anger, bitterness, loneliness and hate will have less of an impact on us.
Producing fruit isn’t painless. Imagine the pain the soil must feel when we churn it up and rip out all the dead roots and rocks to make it healthy. Imagine the loneliness of the seed as it lays in the darkness of the ground waiting for growth to begin. Imagine the frustration of the young plant as it anxiously awaits the first buds the signal the beginning of fruitful growth.
None of this will happen of course without rule number four. Healthy fruit in our lives begins with God and ends with God. He is the one that needs to be involved in showing us all the ugly stuff that needs to be removed from our lives for fruit to flourish. He is the one that gives us wisdom and patience in knowing where to plant, when to plant and how to plant positive seeds in the ones around us. He alone can bring fruit in the lives of others and us.
PRAYER: Father God. I want to make a difference in my world. I want to be fruitful in my own life as well as producing fruit in the lives of others. I ask that you would show me the things in my own life that need to be removed in order to produce fruit. Give me patience with others when they don’t ‘grow’ at the rate I was hoping for. Protect as I patiently cultivate the relationships in my life so that they may produce healthy fruit as well. In Jesus name, Amen.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18
“I love you.” These three words can bring a whole variety of emotions to us. It can bring all-out fear is the person saying that is someone we don’t know! It can bring reassurance, peace, comfort and excitement when those words are uttered by someone who we love as well.
Psychologists say that we need to hear those words several times a day for secure emotional and even physical health. We need to hear, to be assured that we are loved because love is what keeps us sane in an insane world. The Bible says the three greatest things in our lives are faith, hope and love. People can take your wealth. Relationships fail. Finances and health vanish. But no one can take your faith. No one can destroy a hope that is fixed solidly on Jesus Christ. No one can take away Godly, Christ-like love.
The sad thing is, these three words can also be the emptiest words around. Being told we are loved by someone who hurts us makes love an empty, meaningless feeling. Being told we are loved by someone who only says that when they want something from us makes love demanding and controlling.
The best love is the love that shows itself in the daily grind. The best love is the soft touch, the gentle answer, the unexpected gift of help with no strings attached. The reason many of us are afraid to love is because we don’t want to be taken advantage of.
Christ’s love looks for nothing in return. Christ’s love seeks the good of the other person. Christ’s love gives everything it can possibly give to meet the needs of those who are troubled physically, spiritually or emotionally.
What would it be like if we as a body of believers looked at our community, sought out those who were in need, and gave without restriction? How would our community be different? How would we look to those who were the recipients of our generosity? If you want the answer to that look at Acts 2:42-47. The early church sold possessions, gave generously without concern of being taken advantage of, and grew by the thousands every day.
Jesus taught us to honor our government leaders regardless of how evil they were, but He always taught us that it was the responsibility of His followers to meet the needs of the widows, orphans and those who had fallen on hard times.
Seek God’s wisdom on how you can reach out in a material way to someone in your world, on your street, in your town, that needs to see (not hear) the love of Jesus.
PRAYER: Father God. Even though I wish I had more, I confess that you have blessed me beyond measure. I ask that you would show me how I can show Christ’s love in a tangible way to someone today. Remove the fear I have of being taken advantage of. Keep me from thinking my gift is too small or insignificant. May others be able to see by my actions that you are a God of love. I love you. Amen
And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13
In Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he reminds his readers that they should never tire of doing good. His words are a good message for each of us in ministry. WAIT! Before you stop reading let me remind you that each of us is a minister. Over the years we’ve somehow gotten the idea that ‘ministry’ means you are a pastor or some other leader of an organization that proselytizes and/or makes disciples for Jesus.
That simply is NOT true. Because of Jesus we are all believer-priests. In God’s eyes it doesn’t matter if we are a sandwich artist at a local sub shop, a tool and dye maker or the greeter at the local discount center. If you have a pulse and are directly or indirectly involved with other living beings you are a minister!
Since you are now convinced of your status as a minister, let me give you the other news. Ministry is tough business. People can expect more of you that you feel you are able to give. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things you want to do. You can feel unappreciated, unqualified, unenenergetic and unable to go on.
But Paul tells us we are never, ever to grow tired of ministry (doing good for others). So, how can you stay fresh for ministry to those in your family, community, workplace or church? Here are five ideas that may help transform you into a ministry giant..
F – Focus on who you are and what you are doing. Do the things you do for God, not people. People take advantage of you. People drain you. People critique all you do in order to determine your worth. When you focus your activities as being for God, not people you can rise above the feelings of being taken advantage of or unappreciated. God’s approval is really all we should strive for.
R – Rest. Read through the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Notice the number of times he ‘went away’ to the mountains to pray. Jesus knew the value of taking time for himself. Too often, those of us in ministry feel that the success of our ministry rests on our own hard work. Fact of the matter is, God doesn’t need us. He can take care of the world just fine. We are the tools, not the operator. Take time to re-energize your spiritual, emotional and physical batteries.
E – Educate. Times change. Attitudes Change. Methods change, Technology changes. Even though Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, that doesn’t mean we are to keep doing things the way we have always done them. Branch out. Try new stuff. Challenge yourself. The mental exercise will do you good and you’ll be more effective in meeting the needs of other people.
S – STOP! It’s okay to say ‘NO’. The famous 80/20 rule says that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Usually those people are the ones burning out, and getting extremely tired. It’s easy to get into the mindset of, “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” For your spiritual and physical health, and the physical and spiritual health of those around you, it may be best to leave things undone. If God needs a job done He’ll raise up those to do it. Don’t let yourself get ‘guilted’ into burnout!
H – Help. Don’t be afraid to ask for it. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It’s a sign of strength. Strong people are not the ones who do it themselves. Strong people are the ones who gather others around them to help with the ministry.
If you want to avoid being too tired to serve, try these five steps to insure your spiritual and physical health. Tired trees with weak limbs may bear fruit, but their branches break in the process.
PRAYER: Father God. I thank you today for the gifts you have given me. I praise you for the opportunities I have to use those gifts to lift others up and show them your love. I pray that you would give me the strength to take care of myself so I can take care of those you have given me. Empower me with your spirit to be FRESH for ministry. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 