Why Christians Need to be Part of a Church

In an culture that reeks of individualism, we, as Christians, must often remind ourselves that God has placed us into a family and body with other Christians. By definition we are not to be "lone rangers."

In an article entitled, "Yes Christian, You Need the Church," Josh Buice gives some ammunition for us to combat the pull towards personal preference and individualism. Below are the main headings, but the whole thing is a helpful read (the article is short, so give it a read).

We Need the Church for:

1. Worship – Not Entertainment or Performance
2. Spiritual Development
3. Christ-Centered Friendship
4. Biblical Leadership
5. Missions

If you are wondering what a healthy church looks like, check our 9marks.org for some biblical thinking. 

A Testimony on Dealing with Depression

Crossway has a video (4 minutes) from Phil Ryken (president of Wheaton Bible College) about God's grace as he faced a time of depression.

When Trouble Comes: Phil Ryken's Personal Testimony from Crossway on Vimeo.

I hope you find it encouraging and helpful. Another resource you might find helpful is a sermon I preached on Psalm 88 several years ago (click here and look for the sermon from 7/15/12).

"If I'm Dead to Sin, Why Must I Kill It Every Day?"

Here is a good podcast episode from the Ask Pastor John podcast answering the question, "If I'm dead to sin, why must I kill it every day?".

Is it OK to Spend Money on Leisure?

Randy Alcorn supplies a helpful answer over at his blog. I thought it fit well with what we talked about at Bible study last night. Below is an excerpt: 

I believe that as believers, we should be wrestling with our own wealth in this materialistic, wealth-centered culture and seeking to give more. We shouldn’t assume that just because God has entrusted all this to us He intends for us to keep it. By embracing lifestyles that free up money, we can invest in helping others and furthering the progress of the gospel.  

And yet, the answer isn’t asceticism, believing that money and things are evil. The biblical view is that God has provided for us in His creation a wealth of pleasures and comforts He desires us to enjoy, to His glory: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

...

So how do we find the right balance between how much we give, and how much we keep to use for our family’s needs, as well as for God-honoring recreation and enjoyment? I believe the tension reflected in that question is healthy. As we continue to grow in Christ, we prayerfully evaluate and seek God’s guidance. 

 

Receiving and Giving Criticism as a Christian

It is not usually fun to receive criticism. Even when it is constructive, we often don't like hearing there is a potential problem with us or what we've done. The reality is that all of us will face criticism. Some of it is right and some of it is off. All of it should be filtered through who we are in light of the cross of Jesus.

I recently saw an article by Justin Taylor that reminded me about a GREAT article I read while in seminary by Alfred Poirier entitled "The Cross and Criticism." I hope you will make time to read it. We will all face criticism, and it is good to have a biblical perspective on how to handle it.

Here is are two excerpts:

If I know myself as crucified with Christ, I can now receive another's criticism with this attitude: "You have not discovered a fraction of my guilt. Christ has said more about my sin, my failings, my rebellion and my foolishness than any man can lay against me. I thank you for your corrections. They are a blessing and a kindness to me. For even when they are wrong or misplaced, they remind me of my true faults and sins for which my Lord and Savior paid dearly when He went to the cross for me. I want to hear where your criticisms are valid." 

...

I do not fear man's criticism for I have already agreed with God's criticism. And I do not look ultimately for man's approval for I have gained by grace God's approval

A Thought Experiment to Encourage Us in Making Disciples

This is from Mark Dever's book Discipling (pg. 69-70)

Suppose that tomorrow a non-Christian friend of yours in another city for whom you've been praying for years becomes a Christian and starts attending an evangelical church in his city. How would you want that church to receive your friend, whom you love? Presumably, you'd want the congregation as a whole to take responsibility for him. You'd want the elders to teach him. And you'd want a number of individuals in particular to reach out to him, to take him under their wing, to disciple him. You'd want them to teach and model what it means to study the Bible, to walk in righteousness, to evangelize, to be a Christian spouse and parent, to stand up to the world, and to disciple others in turn. And how you would rejoice if that church took responsibility for your friend like this, no? 

Now do you receive and disciple the members of your church like this? Have you been helping others follow Jesus? Are you the answer to prayer of Christians in other cities?
If not, don't panic. I'm not going to ask you to start discipling dozens. Instead, I want you to think about one person in your church - just one. Think of one person whom you would love to see following Jesus more. Now, pray for that person.... 

...how do you think you might go about helping that person follow Jesus? Or, how can you do deliberate spiritual good in his or her life? What are one or two small steps you can take?

The Problem with Flirting

What comes to mind when you think of flirting? I think we could all give some description to it, but if you are like me it seems a hard to give definition to it. And that matters, because when we can't clearly describe or define it, then it becomes harder to evaluate biblically.

I was helped in the area as I was reading Marshall Segal's chapter "Good News for the Not-Yet-Married" in the book Designed for Joy: How the gospel impacts men and women, identity and practice. After reading his chapter and thinking a bit, I think a good definition of flirting might be, trying to garner the special attention of a person by using your words, actions, and attention to generate a higher than normal sense of curiosity in their mind about yourself. It generally involves ambiguous words, actions, and forms of attention. 

With that in mind, is this OK for Christians to engage in? Obviously this is not a good thing for Christians who are married to attempt. But what about the unmarried? My opinion is that this is not an activity that fits with Christian love. Paul said in Galatians 3:3-4, 

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. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

It seems to me that flirtation is more "me" focused than "other" focused. It is a self-promoting and other-person-confusing activity. In other-words, it doesn't seem to aim at "serving one another." Marshall Segal seems to agree when he writes,

In our oversexualized culture, flirtation has become a native tongue, especially in our high schools and colleges. Fight the temptation to try and win affection or admiration through cavalier, empty, and suggestive lines and attention. Instead of always trying to create curiosity, be known for pure motives and unmistakable clarity (pg. 104). 

Christian love is marked by pure motives and, so, it involves communicating clearly. Love compels us to be clear about our intentions and clear about our feelings. Flirtation seems to lend itself to neither.

I'd be interested to hear from you. Send me an email or add a comment.