Confess Your Sins?

Which of the following is found in the Bible?

A)     Therefore confess your sins to the priest and have him pray for you so that you may be healed. 

B)      Therefore confess your sins to the pastor and have him pray for you so that you may be healed. 

C)      Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 

(See James 5:16 for the answer)

“Is it true that God can forgive me? I’ve done so many things wrong. Some really BIG things! I don’t think he can forgive the kinds of things I have done.”

The young woman who asked me that gasped for air between sobs as she faced up to the sad reality her life had become. She wanted out, and had even thought of taking her own life, but she still had a glimmer of hope that God could forgive her and she could get her life turned around.

It turns out that she was right. There was still hope for her. Like so many other people around the world and throughout history, she discovered that the Bible is true and that the way to find health and wholeness is to admit her shortcomings and ask for God’s forgiveness and help. As I told her, Jesus died for that very reason – so that we can be forgiven – so we ought to take him up on it by confessing our sins and asking for His forgiveness and help.

She did just that – she prayed and confessed her need for God’s forgiveness – and by the change in her countenance it was obvious that she had found forgiveness and was on the path to health and wholeness. She was no longer sad and regretful, without much hope, but was instead full of hope as she thanked God for His forgiveness and asked Him to help her get her life turned around.

God changed her life, and He is changing lives all around the world as people confess their shortcomings and call out to Him for forgiveness and help. All it takes is for a person to recognize that he/she has sinned and can be forgiven if they put their faith in Jesus. It’s that simple. Not hard to understand at all and yet we sometimes have a hard time doing it.

So then, as hard as it is to swallow our pride and admit that we have made mistakes, that is where the power is. For by owning our actions and being realistic about who we are as people, we own up to our need for a Savior. We realize that we need God’s forgiveness and help on an ongoing basis, not just once in awhile but all the time. Confessing our need for Him and for His forgiveness just becomes a part of who we are – people who depend upon God and rely on Him to not only forgive us but also to lead us into an abundant and joyful life where we become increasingly healthy and whole in every way just like He is.

Confessing our sins, then, is not the pathway to shame and ridicule. It is exactly the opposite – it is the pathway to forgiveness, health, and wholeness in every way – spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically. Psychiatrists, therapists, doctors, medical studies, and most importantly, the Bible, all agree that being able to receive forgiveness and extend it to others is one of the keys to good mental health, physical well-being, and spiritual wholeness.

So then, even though it is not popular in many churches today, find a good friend who loves God and confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. And if that friend happens to be a priest or pastor, that’s okay, but keep in mind that the Bible clearly commands us to confess our sins to each other so anyone who is a friend of yours and a friend of God will do just fine.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, I confess that I often fall short of who you want me to be and don’t do the things you want me to do. I need your forgiveness and your help; I need you to be my Savior not just once or even once in awhile, but every day, every hour, every minute. Help me to regularly confess my sins to you, and lead me to the trustworthy person or people with whom I can confess my shortcomings and pray with so that I might find health and wholeness. I pray this also for the following people as you bring them to my mind… (Continue praying as you feel led)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Pray for One Another?

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Which of the following describes your church?

A)     We regularly pray for one another in small groups each week.

B)      We rarely pray for one another as we don’t know each other and there isn’t any time for it on Sunday mornings.

C)      We don’t all pray for one another but we are covered by the prayers of the pastor, priest, or prayer team.

D)     We don’t all pray for one another but we pray together as a part of our liturgy each week.

Pray for each other? Right here at church in front of God and everybody? What will I say? What should I pray about? What will people think of my prayer?

Those were my thoughts the first time I heard a pastor tell us to break up into small groups and pray for each other. I was always shy as a child and at the time the pastor told us to pray for each other I was a high schooler with all the insecurities and false bravado that comes with youth. So there I was, trying to make friends in a new neighborhood at a new church and the pastor tells me to turn to people I had never met and share my prayer requests and pray out loud for the people around me. It was more than intimidating; my knees were shaking and I was downright scared!

You see, even though I grew up in a Christian home and had placed my faith in Jesus, prayer was something that we did privately in our own hearts or at church when we stood up and read the liturgical prayer. Sure, one of the pastors or church leaders would lead in prayer for the people, but the idea of me actually praying for someone sitting next to me or in the pew behind me was foreign to me. It just wasn’t something that people did.

Now, looking back, I wonder, “Why not?” The Bible is full of examples of prayer and we are clearly commanded to pray for one another; why is it that in many churches we seldom take the time to pray for one another? We tell each other that we will pray for them, and sometimes we do, but often it is just our way of wishing them the best with whatever they are facing. It is a good thing to do but it lacks the power that comes from taking someone’s hand and saying, “Let’s pray about that. Let’s ask God to intervene and help you in that situation. Father, I pray for my sister that you would…”

Taking the time to pray, to invite God into a situation and into a person’s life, is time well spent. And yet, the lack of time is one of the main reasons church leaders give for not leading people into praying for one another. They feel the pressure to have the meeting end at the appointed time. Prayer groups, altar ministry, or whatever method they use to get the people praying for one another takes time and things can easily spiral out of control as the Holy Spirit leads people to minister to each other and share one another’s burdens.

Some people may even have emotional responses to what God is doing, and that makes it even harder on those leading the service. How do you continue on with the service when one group is crying and hugging while another group is shouting and praising the Lord? What do you do when one group is still praying but everyone else is done and looking bored? And what about the poor worship leader who let it all happen? He will get an earful from the senior pastor because the worship time went too long and used up some of the time set aside for his sermon.

So it is a complicated issue, and when a leader allows people to pray for one another he needs to do it with skill and with an ear to what the Holy Spirit is saying, but it is worth it! Talking to God and inviting Him into our lives is what church is all about!

And sure, some people may be too intimidated to pray and some might even go to another church, but many other people will be genuinely touched by God and connected to other brothers and sisters in Christ during that prayer time. They will be strengthened in their faith and develop ministry skills that will make them comfortable praying not only in church but also in their workplace, school, and neighborhood.

Think about it this way: if people don’t learn how to pray in church, where will they learn how to pray? If they are uncomfortable praying for people in the church, how will they gather up the courage or develop the ministry skills to pray for a sick neighbor or a troubled co-worker?

  We must get over our reluctance to release people to pray for one another in our weekly gatherings and we have to help people get over the discomfort of praying for others. If we don’t, if people aren’t comfortable praying for others, they will not be the ambassadors of Christ they are called to be nor will they be functioning as vital members of His body.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, help me to trust you when it comes time to reach out and pray for someone. Help me to get over the discomfort of praying for others and help me to lead people into being comfortable and confident in their ability to pray and minister. I pray for our church leaders and the whole congregation that we would be able to make time to pray for one another during our weekly meetings. I pray for the following people as you bring them to my mind… (Continue praying as you feel led…)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Peter: Senior Pastor, Priest, or Elder?

The Apostle Peter wrote which of the following?

A)     To the senior pastors among you, I appeal as a fellow senior pastor and a witness that Christ’s church will go only as far as you senior pastors will take it by your good leadership: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care...

B)      To the priests among you, I appeal as a fellow priest and a witness that Christ’s church will be built upon people coming to priests for access to God and the sacraments: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care...

C)      To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care…

(See 1 Peter 5:1-4 for more)

“Brother, you have gone too far this time!” my friend exclaimed. “Everyone knows that it is “C” but you are going to make all your clergy friends mad! Plus, you replaced ‘Christ’s sufferings’ with that stuff about leadership and the priesthood! What would Jesus say about that?”

“I know. I probably won’t publish this one. I don’t want to offend anyone needlessly.” I replied while shaking my head and thinking about my distorted paraphrases of 1 Peter 5:1. “But you have to admit, that is exactly what’s wrong in many churches today. We seldom speak of Christ’s sufferings but instead teach leadership principles and the wisdom of men! But I hear you; I will think it over and pray about it before I publish it.”

But you know, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what I am saying is very much needed and I believe that God is leading me to say it: The New Testament, especially verses like 1 Peter 5:1-4, teach us that the church of Christ is supposed to be led by a group of godly Spirit-led elders rather than one senior pastor or priest, even if that pastor or priest is the most eloquent communicator or the most religious person in the community. Instead, elders who are gifted as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to watch over and shepherd the flock of God until the Chief Shepherd – Jesus – appears and gives us our reward.

It couldn’t be more simple, clear, and easy to understand. And yet over the years many church leaders, including me, have discarded or glossed over the plain teachings of the New Testament and bought into the worldly thinking that the church is just another non-profit organization that is dependent upon human leadership, personal charisma, and management skills. Or, perhaps just as bad, we go the opposite way and make our faith into a religion where people have access to God through being in good relationship with their priest, obeying the dictates of the church, and honoring the sacraments.

All of this crap, pardon the language, keeps people from the central truth of Christianity: Christ in us is the hope of glory! Christ living and working in you and in me is the hope of the world, the light that dispels the darkness, the bright morning star that beckons a new day dawning. Unless we stay focused on the message of Christ – that God took the form of a man, lived among us, gave His life for ours on the cross, and rose from the dead and is even now interceding for us and living inside of us who believe – unless we stay focused on this Message and being new creations in Him, we become just another non-profit organization or man-made religion.

Take the Apostle Peter as an example of someone who stayed true to the Message of Christ. In 1 Peter 5 he could have easily declared that Jesus told him that he was the rock of the church and that everyone should be a strong leader like him (just think of the leadership books he could have written!). Not only that, Peter could also have instituted a priesthood by appointing priests, mandating tithes and offerings, instituting sacraments, and commanding obedience to the priests.

But Peter didn’t do any of that. Instead he modeled the humility of Jesus and he followed the teachings of Jesus. He didn’t lord it over the flock nor insist on high titles for himself. In fact, when decisions needed to be made for the church, he didn’t hand down dictates but gathered the group of elders together and as a group they prayed about it, debated the pros and cons, and came to a consensus that they could all agree upon (see Acts 15). Peter provided Spirit-led leadership but he didn’t lord it over the others.

This is a great example for those of us in church leadership. Contrary to popular opinion, the church of Christ is not dependent upon the communication skills and management abilities of the senior pastor and staff. Nor is the church dependent upon a priesthood and religious traditions. The church of Christ will do just fine without all the man-made enhancements, thank you very much. In fact the church of Christ will not only survive without the man-made distractions, it will thrive as people get back to the basics of New Testament Christianity – it is Christ in us, the Spirit of God in each and every believer that is the hope of glory and the hope of mankind.

May the Lord help us to remember that – that it is up to Him, not us – and may we make Him the foundation of our churches and ministries.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord Jesus, You gave your life for the church, and You loved me and the people in my congregation while we were yet sinners and hadn’t even thought of turning towards You. Help me to remember that as I lead, teach, pray, or serve in whatever position or situation You place me. Make my ministry be all about You and not about church stuff. May You be the center of everything I do, whether it be in the church, the community, or my family. It is Christ in me, You living in me and flowing through me to others, that is the hope of glory and true success in my life. Be with me in these situations that I bring before you now… (Continue praying as you feel led…)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Are You a Priest?

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

In the quote above, to whom is Peter speaking:

1)      Ordained priests who have completed seminary and been set apart by the church to be the anointed ones who administer sacraments such as baptisms, communion, weddings, private confessions, and public prayers.

2)      Ordained priests, pastors, and church leaders of every Christian denomination who are set apart to be the holy ones who lead the church, administer sacraments, and teach God’s word.

3)      All who come to Christ for salvation and follow Him, offering spiritual sacrifices, telling people about God and interceding for the world around them.

“Hold on! Tread lightly! You are on holy ground here!” exclaimed my newfound friend as I talked to him about how he could be a priest in what I would consider a “high church” denomination and still believe in the New Testament Scriptures such as those above that clearly teach that all who have faith in Christ have equal access to the Father and that everyone who believes is included in the priesthood of believers.

“All believers in Christ have the responsibility to represent God to those around them and to intercede for their friends and loved ones!” I declared. “You and your clergy friends are not the only ones who have been chosen by God and set apart to serve Him – all who come to Christ become a part of the Body of Christ, a member of a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a subject in the kingdom of God, ministers of reconciliation, the light of the world and the salt of the earth! We all become children of God who have direct access to the Father!”

My friend, who was my host at a monastery I was staying at in an attempt to draw near to the Lord and learn more about other church traditions, was patient with me as he replied, “I understand that. I believe those Scriptures the same way you do. I used to be a Methodist. But I have found that church traditions and rituals are beautiful and meaningful; they provide the structure that I needed in my relationship with God and portray Christ in ways I didn’t understand before.”

We parted ways amicably after spending several hours talking about our different viewpoints and gaining understanding regarding our diverse ways of “doing church.” He defended his point of view using Old Testament examples, New Testament verses on church leadership, and church tradition. He was obviously more well-educated than I was and, this is what hit me the hardest, more honest with himself.

For when it got right down to it, even though I argued passionately for the priesthood of all believers and declared that every member ought to be a minister, the way I “did church” wasn’t that much different than what my friend did. True, we didn’t have the rituals and stained glass, but when it got right down to it I was the one who spoke at every Sunday service, led every Bible study, and prayed for those who came forward for prayer. Somehow I got it in my head that I had to do everything and the church couldn’t survive without me. I worked hard, loved God and loved people, would not have intentionally hurt anyone or disobeyed the Lord, but by doing everything myself I was sending a not-so-subtle message that it was my church and that God had called me but not you and that I had a connection to God that others just didn’t have.

So I preached, I taught, I prayed, I served, I agonized over why my church was so small and why I was so tired and why God seemed so far away. I was discouraged and a friend recommended a retreat, some time alone with God, and he told me about a monastery where a person could go and rent a room for a dollar or two while seeking God in the natural beauty of the area. So I went, met with God and found the new friend I wrote about above, and came to terms with the error of my ways. I gave the church back to God, began to release others to minister, and started changing the culture of the church by not only teaching the priesthood of all believers but also living it out. And, would you believe it, miracle of miracles, the church actually started to grow and even to thrive.

As we go to prayer today, think about your church. Are the meetings led by one person or does the Holy Spirit move through a variety of people? Does one person do all the teaching or is there a team of teachers? Do people pray for one another or does one person do all the praying? Do people think the pastor’s prayers will be heard by God more than a layperson’s prayers? When someone is sick or in need is there a team of shepherds to call upon or is it up to the pastor or a staff member? Is the whole Body active and involved in ministering to one another and to the community or is it up to a handful of people to do the work that was designed for the whole Body of Christ to do?

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, you are Lord of the Church. I give you my church and pray that your will would be done in our local congregation. Help our whole congregation, every member of your Body, to be actively involved in ministering to others. Help us all to see that we are all called to be priests who offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices and tell people about God and intercede for them. I pray for the following people to be released into everything that You have for them… (Continue praying as you feel led…)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Worship Pastor

Kerplunk, Kerplunk, Twang! Kerplunk, Kerplunk, Twang!

Kerplunk, kerplunk, twang, twang, kerplunk…the so-called music just kept going from bad to worse and back again. The wannabe worship leader kept trying his best but he just didn’t have the finger coordination or practice or maybe both to make it come out right. Even those who weren’t musically inclined could tell that he was missing chords and singing off key; it was obvious that he just didn't have much musical ability.

Some people gamely sang along the best they could, they were a gracious bunch after all, but others were noticeably not following their leader nor entering into worship – some had their arms crossed, others were playing with their phone or simply sitting there with a blank expression on their face as their mind wandered away on some adventure known only to themselves.

Pastor Jimmy, meanwhile, was devastated. A pioneer pastor just out of Bible college, he sat in the front row with his hands in his face, thinking about how hard he had worked the last three years and how little he had to show for it. He had such big dreams and set such high goals in the beginning – by now the home groups were supposed to have multiplied and the Sunday morning services were supposed to be over 200 or even split into two Sunday services. Instead, he had a group of 30 in the school auditorium that seated 250 – the chairs were empty; the leadership team was burned out and ready to quit; his dreams were shattered. And what made it all worse was that he was broken. The vision, the fire, and the passion were gone.

Kerplunk, kerplunk, the so-called music went on. Pastor Jimmy took his face out of his hands and looked up at the worship leader. Their eyes met, and Jimmy saw not only a look of desperation in the worship leader’s eyes, there was also a tear starting to form in the corner of one eye. Jimmy looked around and saw what the worship leader saw – very few entering into worship, many with crossed arms or a distant look in their eyes. It was obvious from their body language that most of the people were wishing that they were somewhere else. And then it happened.

God spoke. Not in audible voice that everyone could hear, but in Jimmy’s own heart he heard the whisper of God. The same voice that called him to salvation, the same voice that called him into the ministry, the same voice that gave him peace about marrying his wife, that same voice told him to not worry and that everything was going to be okay. As joy and peace began to flood his heart, Jimmy looked at the worship leader with compassion and realized that in his own zealous pursuit of church growth he had hurt lots of people – many had already left the church, including the former worship leader – and that even now he was hurting the only worship leader he had left.

With a contrite heart, Jimmy got up in front of the fledgling group and began to confess his sins of being overly zealous and hurting people who were only trying to serve as best they could. He admitted that he had been arrogant, self-centered and driven rather than being humble, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led. His goals and aspirations had come from his own desires rather than God’s desires. Nearly everyone in the room had tears in their eyes as Jimmy asked their forgiveness.    

The presence of God was palpable; everyone could feel that it was a special moment and that there was a special connection with the Almighty at that place and time. One man in particular, who had been a part of many churches and ministries over the years, stood up and said, “I believe I have a word from the Lord for us today. He says that He is well-pleased. Well-pleased by our pastor whose passion can now be bridled and used for God’s glory. But that’s not all God is pleased with. He is especially pleased by our worship leader, Hank, who courageously stepped in to fill a need. He’s not as skilled or practiced as some of our former worship leaders but Hank has a heart for God and God is well-pleased.”  

From that point on the church began to grow but it wasn’t through the extraordinary efforts of Jimmy or Hank or anyone else. In fact, Jimmy was spending less time on church stuff and more time with God and his family. He began to relax and let God be the Lord of the Church, trusting Him to bring in the right people, raise up the right leaders, and grow the church according to His timetable. And as a result God did grow that church.  

Now, many years later, Jimmy and Hank look back with fond memories of that Sunday when God visited them. From that day forward God taught them about true worship, worship that is in Spirit and in truth and has nothing to do with skilled musicians and harmonious voices. Instead, it is about an act of the will, a prostrating of oneself before the Almighty, a submitting of one’s own will to the will of the One who created him, a conscious effort to praise God not only with one’s lips but also with one’s entire life.

Today Jimmy pastors that same congregation and both have grown old together. Jimmy is a grandpa and so is the congregation – that little fledgling congregation grew and gave birth to several other congregations that in turn birthed even more congregations. No one gives Jimmy the accolades that he would have had if he had met his goals and become a megachurch pastor but Jimmy is quite content as he knows that he did what God wanted him to do and that his city has been changed because of it.

As for Hank the worship leader, he never did get that great on the guitar. But he still has a heart for God and loves to sing and play for the Lord in his own private times. He worships in the Spirit and in truth and God is well-pleased.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, I want to be one of those who worships You in Spirit and in truth. Teach me how to do that. Give me an ear to hear what you are saying and lead me into worshiping you with my lips, my hands, my life, everything that I have. Let me not be two-faced or false in any way but be wholly devoted and true to You. Help me to overcome hardships and the circumstances of life and worship you whole-heartedly regardless of life circumstances or what is going on in the church…(Continue praying as you feel led…)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Worship in the Spirit and in Truth

Which of the following did Jesus say?

A) “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father with majestic organs and choirs, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

B) “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father with guitars and drums, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

C)“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father with skill and harmony, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

D)“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

(For help, see John 4:23)

            The Father is seeking people to worship Him! Did you catch that? Or did that message get lost in the debate between organs and choirs versus guitars and drums? Or maybe your thoughts were distracted by the skill and harmony part? If you did, you are not alone! It’s happening over and over again in churches across America.

            We divide ourselves over silly things like whether we like organs or guitars, totally forgetting that the Father is looking for people who want to worship Him!  We get distracted away from true heartfelt worship by comparing one musician against another, preferring one person’s playing or another’s voice without giving any thought that true worship is not about what tickles our ears the best but is about what pleases God.

            For true worship is not about instruments and voices or even who has the most skill and harmony. It is about people coming before God to worship in the Spirit and in truth. Instruments can be played well, played poorly, or not played at all, and people can still worship in Spirit and in truth. People can sing beautifully in harmony or they can be terribly off-key; either way they sound wonderful to the Father if their hearts are right before Him.

            The Father is seeking people to worship Him! It is worth repeating. He loves to hear you sing to Him whether you have a good voice or not. He loves to hear you play an instrument in worship even if it’s not studio quality. He loves to receive that sacrifice of praise whether it is coming from lips that are singing and proclaiming His greatness, hands that are serving someone or painting a picture, or minds that are unleashing creativity and wonder. The Father loves it when we worship with whatever we have to offer as long as we offer it in Spirit and in truth.

             What the Father doesn’t like, however, is fake worship. Worship that is not done in truth but out of obligation or because everyone else is doing it is not worship at all. The most skilled musician can lead us in song but if his heart is not in it he is just singing a song. We can put on our Sunday best, go to church, give our 10%, and sing our hearts out but if we fail to humble ourselves before God and exalt Him over our lives and our own selfish desires then we haven’t really worshiped. The Father is seeking people who will worship Him in truth and He knows when we are just flapping our lips or going through the motions.

            If you are one of the many among us who have been distracted by the circumstances of life or the debates over the style of music and have not been giving your heart to God in worship on a regular ongoing basis, know that God does not hold that against you but instead is just waiting for you to turn to Him and begin to worship Him in whatever way seems best to you.

You can sing His praises in the car or in the shower as well as in church, and in fact I think He likes it best when we spontaneously praise Him and thank Him for all that He has done and is doing in our lives. You can simply talk to Him, praying out loud or in your own heart, or have a song of praise on your lips or in your heart as you go throughout your day. You can do your daily work as onto the Lord, making it an act of praise onto Him, whether it is doing the dishes at home or serving a customer in your workplace.

Do all these things and much more as sincere acts of worship as the Spirit leads you and the Father will be well-pleased to find you worshiping in Spirit and in truth.

Let’s Pray Together: Father, I confess that I don’t always worship you the way that I should. Sometimes I forget to worship or pray and simply go my own way without thought of You. Other times I do take the form of worship but I just do it out of routine or obligation and my heart isn’t really in it. Forgive me. And thank you that because of the cross of Jesus I am forgiven and I have a fresh start in my relationship with You. Help me to worship You in Spirit and in truth, with my spiritual ears in tune to your leading and my heart open and right before You. Keep me from any duplicity or falsehood in my relationship with You and with others. Lead me as I pray and show me how you want me to worship You… (Continue praying as you feel led)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

Two-Headed Cows?

            The dear old saint that first told me that “God never made no two-headed cows” loved the Lord dearly and is undoubtedly in His presence now. She loved the Lord, and just wanted me to get in line with the pastor's vision rather than hearing from God on my own. I must confess, though, that at first I just didn't get it. "What do two-headed cows have to do with anything?" I asked myself.

            Being a new believer, I searched my concordance looking for Scriptures referencing two-headed cows! I thought she was quoting Scripture, after all I had only recently discovered that Jesus is the Lamb of God and what that meant. (Just kidding, I was pretty sure she wasn't quoting Scripture but I did look it up just to double-check.)

            I eventually realized that she was saying that the pastor was the head of the church and that God only gave the church one head -- the senior pastor. The problem was that I couldn't find that in Scripture. I did find that Jesus is the head of the church and that each church was to be led by a group of elders made up of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, but I couldn't find one reference to a senior pastor or priest being the head of the church. And, even though there are no references to two-headed cows in the Bible, I still heard that saying repeated several more times by well-meaning saints.

            Well-meaning or not, these sincere saints, who sincerely believe that only the senior pastor can receive the vision for the church, are sincerely wrong. The clear message of the New Testament is that Christ is the head of the church and each believer is a member of His Body. Each believer can receive vision, direction, and instruction from the Head of the church – Jesus!

            In fact, contrary to those who tell us that only the senior pastor can receive vision and direction for the church, we are warned in Colossians 2:19 to not follow domineering puffed-up church leaders who have lost connection to the Head. Instead, all believers (not just pastors) are to stay connected to the Head (Jesus!) for it is when the members of the Body are not connected to the Head that the problems start. Think about that for a minute. If your legs were not properly connected to the head, if they couldn’t receive the proper messages from the brain, what would we call that? Paralysis! They wouldn’t move. Or, if they got the wrong messages and began moving on their own, what would we call that? A seizure!

            Let’s take that a step further and ask ourselves a question: Is the Body of Christ in America today healthy or is it somewhat paralyzed and dysfunctional? An honest analysis would affirm that many members of the Body of Christ today are inert and motionless, relying on other parts of the Body to do the things they should be doing themselves.

Dysfunction in the Body of Christ is not something new, however. The Apostle Paul addressed some dysfunctions in the Body in the church at Colossae, Corinth, and other places, which makes one think a bit. What would Paul write about the church in America today? Would he address the 80% or more of the Body of Christ who don't really do anything much except come to a Sunday morning meeting once in a while? Would he call them paralyzed and tell them they have lost connection with the Head?

            I think he probably would! Many members of the Body of Christ in American churches today have become spiritually weak and ineffective if not completely paralyzed. Could it be that this is why so many churches are so weak today? Could it be that we have slipped into a paradigm where we don't expect God to speak to every believer nor use every believer to minister to others? Could it be that we have bought into a system that exalts only a few to minister status and declares that only a select few can hear from God and give direction to others?

            Many have bought into this kind of thinking hook, line, and sinker without even realizing it. Sure, intellectually we know that the church is the Body of Christ and we are well-versed in the New Testament. But when it comes to living it out, some of us leaders insist on preaching every Sunday, leading every meeting, praying every public prayer, and even cleaning up and locking up after every potluck. We don't see the church as a body that is better off when it is being exercised. Instead, we see it as “our church” and when someone else serves they are doing it to do us a favor. And if someone else ministers effectively or perhaps even better than we might, then we become insecure and worry that we might lose our position or the favor of the people.

            God help us to see the Body of Christ as He sees it – full of potential and full of healthy members who are just waiting to serve, pray, teach, and minister in all sorts of ways. May He give us the courage to allow others to teach, lead, and minister. May He give us wisdom as to how to structure our weekly meetings so that everyone has a chance to pray for others, encourage the saints, share a testimony, lead in worship, and bring teaching and instruction to the Body. May He teach us how to lead the Body into doing everything we need to do to become strong and stay strong in accordance with 1 Corinthians 12-14 and the rest of the New Testament.

Let's Pray Together: Lord, I'm familiar with what the New Testament says about the church being Your Body, but I confess that at times I have not played my part or I have gone the other way and done not only my part but the parts of many others who have remained on the sidelines while I do everything. Help me to stay connected to You and to do just what you want me to, no more and no less. Help me to encourage others to step up and do their part. Give me wisdom in how to talk to everyone, whether they might be doing too much or not enough. Help me in this, and lead me as I pray for those you put on my heart... (Continue praying as you feel led)

Scriptures to Study: Ephesians 1, Ephesians 4, Colossians 2, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com. 

My Church

“Sometimes I wish my church looked like a traditional church.

I love the artistry and tradition!”

           

Seemingly innocent and well-meaning words, but the young pastor’s statement hit the gray-haired former church planter like a fist to his gut. There are so many things wrong with that statement, he thought, that I don’t even know where to begin. And should I even begin to address it in the first place? Maybe I should simply leave it up to the Lord of the church, and let him deal with it. So he turned it over to the Lord, and from that day forward he prayed for that pastor every time the Lord brought him to his mind.

Many might ask, “Why? What was so wrong that he was so grieved by what he said?” The reason is that he was the original church planter who had labored for years to plant the church that the young pastor now led, and he was careful to lay a good foundation of Christ-centered theology and New Testament teaching. And a part of that was a clear understanding that the church is the people of God, not a building.

The congregation had met in a school, a park, a hotel, and a commercial office building before they finally settled into the permanent facility they now owned. Through it all he never let anyone call the building “the church.” Instead he consistently called wherever they were meeting the facility or the meeting place. And when people asked why he insisted on that, he always said, “Because the church is the people!”

So when the young pastor called a building the church, it struck him the wrong way. But what upset him even more was that he called it “my” church. For the church is the people who make up the Body of Christ and the church – even a local congregation – belongs to no man or woman but belongs only to God.

Sure, pastors call it “my church” all the time. And many treat the church as if it was his or her own business and he or she is the sole proprietor. All the meeting agendas and most decisions are made by the owner/pastor; direction and vision come from only the owner/pastor; money is spent as seems best by the owner/pastor. It happens all the time that a pastor acts like the owner of the church.

But does that make it right? Does church tradition overrule what the New Testament says about plural leadership by a group of elders? Do our church traditions of treating the pastor as if he were the head of the church bring glory to Jesus or do those traditions usurp Jesus as the head of the church? Whose church is it, anyway? Does it belong to the pastor or to the Lord?

As the church planter thought about these things, his anger turned to deep sorrow and he began to pray for the church worldwide and especially for the young pastor and the congregation he had planted so many years ago. “If only they could see you high and lifted up, Lord, the awesome and powerful Lord of the church. Our Creator, our Sustainer, our Provider, you did it all…”

As the church planter went on praying, the Lord interrupted him, “So why do you tell people that you planted the church? If it was all Me, why do you care so much? Is it because that congregation is still your baby, still belonging to you in some way?”

The church planter was cut to his core as he realized that what the Lord was saying was true. Yes, he cared about the theology and people’s view of the church, but what really hurt him was that the young pastor was so quick to dismiss his years of hard labor and the gifts of many individuals that made the existing church building possible and the church he pastored a living reality.

Sure, the church building wasn’t as grand as the one he was gazing upon and the traditions of his congregation were only measured in years rather than decades but is that any reason to not be thankful for them? Didn’t he understand how hard it was for the church planter to keep pastoring and evangelizing all those years while he worked a variety of jobs to put food on the table when the church was too small to support his family? Didn’t he understand the synergy and pooling of resources that had to happen to make the building he took for granted possible?

Once again the Lord interrupted the church planter’s rant, “Well done.” That was it. That was all. But it was all the church planter needed. Tears came to his eyes and he realized that he didn’t need the approval or thanks of the young pastor or anyone else.

God was pleased, and that was enough.

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, more than anything I want to please you. Thank you that whatever mistakes I have made are covered by the cross of Jesus and that when you look upon me I am holy and blameless in your sight. Give me new revelation and understanding as to what You want the church to look like and how I fit into Your plan. Give correction to me and church leaders around the world; give affirmation for what we are doing right; breathe new life into people and churches everywhere. I lift before you now these people and churches that need your touch…(continue praying as you feel led)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see http://www.blesseddisciples.com, http://www.dwellinchrist.com, and http://www.discoverbiblicalchurch.com. 

The Lord's Temple

Which one of the following is in the Bible?

A) For your church sanctuary is the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in the sanctuary and walk among them. Keep the carpets and the furniture clean, for the sanctuary is holy ground.”

B) For your church meetings make up the temple of the living God. As God has said: “If your people wear their Sunday best, dressed and adorned appropriately, then I will dwell in them and walk among them.”

C) For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

(For help, see 2 Corinthians 6:16)

           

            Which one of the above is important to the church you attend? Do church members put a high value on the building and especially the sanctuary, calling it the house of God and the place where He dwells? Or is there an emphasis on dressing up and looking nice to go meet with God?

            In either case, I’ve got a reminder for you: God doesn’t dwell in temples or sanctuaries made by human hands. And you don’t have to dress up for Him; He is with you when you are naked in the shower or hanging out in your underwear or doing yard work in your grubbies. He is with you all the time, not restricted to buildings or dress codes, because He lives in you.

            Grab a hold of that and think about it for a minute. Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Sustainer of all that is, lives inside of you. Not in a church sanctuary. Not in a holy temple on some remote mountain. Not even in a worship service, although we may sense His presence more strongly as we open ourselves up to Him.

            No, the Living God doesn’t live in any of those things. He lives in you. So all that effort that we put into keeping the sanctuary clean? It would be better to put that kind of effort into keeping our lives and thoughts clean. And all that money and attention to detail that we spend on our Sunday morning clothing? We would be better off giving the money to the needy and paying attention to the details of our relationship with God – talking to Him regularly, studying His Word, and investing time building encouraging and edifying relationships with other believers.

            Don’t misunderstand me – our buildings and our personal appearances are important in that we need to be good stewards and be thought well of by others so that they too might come to the Lord – but God doesn’t dwell in those things. He dwells in you. He dwells in me. Christ in you and Christ in me is the hope of glory and the light of the world.

It doesn’t matter how glorious a temple is adorned or how high the steeples reach toward heaven or how magnificent the music sounds as it echoes through the chambers. God doesn’t dwell there. All of that is just a picture of how God lives inside each of us who gives our lives to Him and invites Him to come and live inside us.

Give your life to Him now and invite Him to become a living reality in your life. If you have done that before, do it again with a fuller understanding that you are the temple of the Living God and that He is worthy of you adorning your life with good works, kind words, and godly attitudes. You are His temple; let his temple resound with His praises echoing around the chambers of your innermost being. You are His sanctuary; keep yourself clean from worldly influences and the lusts of the flesh. Be set apart for Him just as the temple of God in the Old Testament was set apart for Him.

And finally, rejoice that God no longer dwells in a temple like in the Old Testament or in sanctuaries made by men. For that means that His presence is no longer restricted to a certain geographical location but is available to all who call upon His name regardless of where they live or where they happen to be at the time. You can meet with God in your bedroom or prayer closet just as surely as you can meet with him in a church building.

So take advantage, meet with Him right now. Wherever you happen to be, begin calling upon Him and talking to Him and thanking Him that He is so readily available. Invite Him to be a living reality in your life and carry yourself as a living temple of God in a way you never have before. Carry Him with you into every conversation, every relationship, and every difficulty that you face. He will calm the storms of your life and give you a peace and a power in prayer that you never had before.

Let’s Pray Together: Father in heaven, thank you that you live inside of me, not in buildings or man-made sanctuaries. Teach me how to honor you in my body, in my conversations, in my thoughts, and in everything I do. Help me to carry your presence into every aspect of my life. Let other believers sense your presence in me and come to me for encouragement and prayer. Let those who don’t know you yet sense that there is something different about me and inquire about You. Give me boldness to represent you and carry your presence into my workplace, school, or other everyday situations. I love you, Lord, and long to see you move in the people and situations I bring before you now…(continue praying as you feel led)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoverbiblicalchurch.com.