Consider This...

How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! (Proverbs 16:16 NLT)

It’s right to commend people for earning undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. But, intellectual knowledge alone doesn’t make a person “wise” or mean they possess “good judgment.” More valuable than “gold,” “silver,” or that expensively framed diploma hanging on your office wall is the ability to make right decisions based on biblical truth. We should spend more time and energy seeking to understand life from God’s point of view than we do any other learning pursuit.

Consider This...

A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. (Proverbs 12:16 NLT)

You are not defined by what someone else says or does to you. You are defined by how you respond to those unpleasant and unsettling things. Once you "lose your cool" you may win the battle, but you might also lose the war. Being "quick-tempered" isn't a virtue, it's a vice that has to be mastered. It's the "wise" that stay "calm" when the insults are flying!

Consider This...

Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. (Proverbs 14:4 NLT)

Is your church building spotlessly clean? Well, that might not be as good a thing as some people seem to think. If it's clean because there is very little use of the facilities, then your cleanliness is not really next to godliness. On the other hand, if it's somewhat disheveled from its constant use by the busy flow of people, then God is actually blessed by the mess. Wherever there's a "large harvest," it's inevitable that the "stable" is going to be a little less tidy. Don't complain about it, thank God for the people He's giving you and then go help clean up the mess.

Consider This...

I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. (1 Corinthians 5:11 NLT)

It may sound harsh, but we are commanded to withdraw fellowship from "anyone who claims to be a believer" when they continue to live in open rebellion to the Lord. Obviously, our first commitment should be to restore sinning Christians to a right fellowship with their Lord. But, when they will not repent of their flagrant evils then we must not give tacit approval to their conduct by treating it as if it's no big deal. Sin is to be taken seriously by all of God's people! Until we do this within the body of Christ sin will never be taken seriously by those outside the body of Christ!

Consider This...

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18 NLT)

When's the last time you heard someone in modern America call "sexual immorality" a sin? It's even taboo for some churches to speak about the subject for fear of offending the offenders. Sadly, unholy conduct has become common fare with too many believers whether it's pornography, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, or any other perversion of God's divine design. It's not harsh to call sin what God calls sin. Actually, it's the only way people are going to take seriously what God takes seriously!

The Wisdom of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:20-24

The first two chapters of 1 Corinthians draw a clear distinction between the “wisdom of God” and the “wisdom of this world.”

Sometimes these distinctly different approaches to life are called “worldviews,” which is defined as, “The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.” Our ideals, motivations, ambitions, morals, responses, character, commitments, etc., are all affected by the “wisdom” (worldview) we choose to follow.

“The wisdom of God” is also called “the mind of the Lord” and “the mind of Christ.” (2:16)

“The wisdom of this world” is called “human wisdom” (2:4), “the wisdom of men” (2:5), “the wisdom of this age” (2:6), and “man’s wisdom” (2:13).

The contrast of these two kinds of wisdom concerns the perspective and approach one takes to life. For instance:

• “The wisdom of God” acknowledges that He is the creator of all things, while “the wisdom of this world” says we evolved over millions/billions of years.
• “The wisdom of God” values life from the moment of conception, while “the wisdom of this world” says life is expendable in a mother’s womb.
• “The wisdom of God” teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman, while “the wisdom of this world” defines marriage as any loving, committed relationship, regardless of gender.
• “The wisdom of God” says we are to deny ourselves, “the wisdom of this world” says we can indulge ourselves.

And, there are hundreds of additional ways where these two approaches to life conflict with one another.

One area where this contrast is clearly seen is in the realm of how people are made right with God.

• “The wisdom of God” says it’s only through a personal relationship with a specific person (Jesus) that we can experience the favor of God.
• ”The wisdom of this world” says it is through our own good works that we can earn God’s favor.

Ask the average person on the street how they think someone can get into Heaven and they will usually explain a works based system of entrance (religious and/or moral works).

A lot of people think of this process of gaining entrance as tipping the “scales of justice” in your favor by doing good works. Consequently, God gives you entrance into Heaven on the basis that you have done more good deeds than bad ones.

On the other hand, “the wisdom of God” teaches that a person only goes to Heaven by trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ. (cf. John 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 6:40, etc.)

Consider carefully “the wisdom of God” in Christ and “the wisdom of this world” in self-righteousness...then make your decision as to which one really makes sense.

We’ll do this by showing what the work of Jesus on the cross accomplished that your works can never accomplish.

Christ’s work on...
1. The cross erases sin forever (1:21)

Forgiveness is something self-effort and self-righteousness can never accomplish. No matter how hard you try to outwork your bad deeds, the fact still remains that they will always be in your rearview mirror. They are like a dark cloud hovering over you everywhere you go. In “the wisdom of the world” you can never escape your evil deeds/thoughts because they are always present with you.

“The wisdom of God”, however, erases sin forever through Christ’s cross and gives a person a new life to live for Him. Once you’ve trusted Christ your sins are never remembered against you again.

“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“...when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:23-24)

Illustration:

You can do one of three things with a dirty spot on your hand. 1. You can ignore it and pretend it isn’t there. 2. You can hide it so that no one else knows it’s there, though you can’t forget it yourself. 3. You can take some soap/water and wash away the dirt.

Which of these three choices makes the most sense? Obviously, it makes sense to wash your hand so the dirt is gone.

How foolish is it to ignore our sin or try to hide it when God stands ready to wash it all away forever!

An old hymn that the church sings goes: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow...No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

In light of the fact that God removes our sin from us, it is no wonder that the Apostle Paul would say, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) This is Good News for everybody and everybody needs to know!

Christ’s work on...
2. The cross eliminates rigorous performance. (1:21)

If it is true that you can work your way to Heaven, then you have some important questions that must be answered.

• What kinds of things do I have to do to earn my forgiveness?
• How long do I have to do these things before I’m forgiven?
• When will I know if I’ve done enough of these things to be forgiven?
• What if the things I’ve done still aren’t enough to gain my forgiveness?

In other words, you can never have peace with God because you never know when enough is enough. Your life is one rigorous performance after another without ever having the assurance that everything is OK with your soul and God.

Think about how hard it is to keep New Year’s resolutions and how many people start out well, but fail in the long run. They begin with the best of intentions only to become overcome with the rigors of keeping their promises.

Illustration:

The people at TD Ameritrade have confirmed something we have known for years: People give up on New Year's resolutions with alarming ease.

The TD Ameritrade study, conducted for the firm by Harris Interactive, said that among adults making resolutions, nearly 60% of those pledges are related to finances. More than half of those resolutions, according to the study, will be abandoned within a month, while roughly 80% of respondents failed to keep their resolve for a year. (December 25, 2007)

One person told the St. Louis Dispatch, "Resolutions are like rules. They're just made to be broken."

Now, consider that you can never stop working to resolve your sin problem as long as you live because you are always adding bad deeds and failures to the scales. That means you live your whole life never knowing whether you’ve done enough good or even if you are doing all the right kinds of good you need to do. It’s a system of rigorous performance that no one ever completes and only leaves you exhausted and defeated. Most just abandon it along the way and give up trying to be good.

And, none of this takes into consideration what the scripture says about getting to Heaven by your good works.

“...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The reality is that no one can outwork their evil deeds, nor can they work their way into God’s good favor. Even if you could, Paul says God won’t give you entrance on the basis of your good works. So, all of your rigorous performance has been for naught!

The “wisdom of God” doesn’t say, “Do this and you will earn the favor of God.” It says, “Trust what Jesus has already done for you!” He was made sin for us so that we could be made right with God and set free from the rigorous performance of “the wisdom of this world.”

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ’s work on...
3. The cross encompasses every person. (1:23-29)

What about the man/woman who has done the most despicable kinds of evil or the person about to die and can’t do any good works to help themselves at all? In “the wisdom of this world” all those people are excluded from experiencing God’s favor.

When Jesus was crucified it was between two despicable criminals. Initially, they both reviled Christ, but eventually one of them recognized Him as “Lord.” There was nothing this criminal could do to reverse the course of his life. No amount of good works could tip the proverbial “scales of justice” in his favor. Besides, he was only a few minutes away from his own death. What could he really do in so short a time. Knowing his only hope was in the One being crucified next to Him, he called out to Christ for help.

“Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:42-43)

In “the wisdom of this world” there are always people left out, but not in “the wisdom of the God.” He makes a way for everyone, even those who can’t overcome their evil deeds by doing good or don’t have enough time left to tip the scales in their favor.

Illustration:

I was privileged to lead a 90+ year old man to Christ a few years ago. His family had been praying for him and had been talking with him about Jesus. I was invited to their home to meet him while he was visiting family in our area. During the course of our time together I learned about his life and work. After a few minutes, I moved our discussion to spiritual matters and watched as the Lord opened this man’s heart to the Gospel. Needless to say, his family was overjoyed that he had settled his relationship with Christ. He didn’t live many years after that meeting and wouldn’t have had enough time to overcome a lifetime full of bad choices and failures. But, God leaves no one out of His offer of love found in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Christ’s work on...
4. The cross empowers Christian living. (2:4-5)

With “the wisdom of this world” you are on your own to do all the good you can, for as long as you can, as quickly as you can. There isn’t anyone that can help you, nor is it possible for someone else to do it for you. It rests totally on your own shoulders to know what is right to do, as well as to do the right thing.

Illustration:

I liken this scenario to an unplugged computer. No matter how much potential your computer has to accomplish good things, it is useless when it isn’t hooked to a power source. You can sit at the keyboard pecking away at letters and crafting designs, but it is all to no avail when it isn’t plugged into an outlet. “The wisdom of this world” offers you no assistance and no power to do the good you are supposed to do in order to hopefully earn your right standing with God.

Sometime back the Associated Press carried this news item: "Glasgow, Ky.--Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor."

The truth is, “the wisdom of this world” is not only lacking fuel, but the engine to move you where you need to go.

On the other hand, “the wisdom of God” is the power source (engine & fuel) for right living. God enables His children to do what He commands as they learn to depend on Him. Living the Christian life isn’t about how much I can do, but about how much I will allow Him to do through me. People who can’t break addictions and bad habits find that in Jesus Christ all the power needed to live a different kind of life is provided for them.

Christ’s work on...
5. The cross enlightens darkened minds. (2:9-10, 16)

Illustration:

One of the coolest inventions for our cars is the turn-by-turn directions provided by satellites high above the earth.

We were travelling some time ago along a path I was sure was the way to our destination. When we had been on the road long enough to have arrived at the destination, I finally acknowledged to my wife that I had missed or made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Instead of panicking, we pulled over to the side of the road and entered the street address for the place we were headed. In just a few moments the in-car navigation system began giving us turn-by-turn directions about how to get back on track. The satellite knew our location, as well as the place we were going. We only had a horizontal perspective, but the satellite had a vertical perspective and was able to guide us where we needed to go.

When our children were young we went to a beach amusement one afternoon to have some summer fun. It was a maze laid out in an open field made with 4’ X 8’ sheets of plywood. My two children and I paid to enter the maze while my wife went to the observation deck to watch us make our way through all the twists and turns. It didn’t take my kids too long to find their way out the other side, but I was stuck and unable to make the right turn at one particular spot. My wife seeing my dilemma and knowing the children were safe decided to have some fun at my expense. Instead of telling me which turn to make next she just laughed and taunted me. What I couldn’t see, she could clearly see because she had a different perspective.

“The wisdom of this world” only provides you with a horizontal perspective and sometimes leaves you feeling lost in a maze. But, God’s wisdom provides you a vertical view of things (God’s view) that enables you to find your way along the winding path of life to the place where God intends you to be. He helps you see things you could never know without His perspective.

When you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you are reading the words of a man that is struggling to understand life. Repeatedly, he uses the phrase, “under the sun” to describe his (horizontal) perspective on this life. It was depressing to him that he didn’t have a different perspective. And, “the wisdom of this world” will leave you feeling that way, too.

Paul says in this passage that God shows us things that others cannot see. He enlightens our minds to see and understand even the “deep things of God” (2:9-12).

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you...However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...” (John 16:7, 13)

Christ’s work on...
6. The cross encourages Heavenward praise. (1:29, 31)

What would Heaven be like if we were able to make it to that city on the basis of the works we have done? Can you imagine the selfish/self-centered bragging that would exist in that place? Some people would be talking about how much they had overcome to get into Heaven and others would be talking about how little they needed to do because they had been so good. All the attention would be centered on the individuals in the city, rather than on the One who is deserving of our praise. As a matter of fact, there wouldn’t be much difference in the way the world is right now and each person would be proclaiming his/her “own goodness” (Proverbs 20:6). Can you imagine that being Heaven?

Heaven isn’t a place where our “goodness” will be on view, but where the grace of God will be magnified.

“...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace...” (Ephesians 1:5-7)

Christ will be the center of attention for all eternity and He alone will receive our praise! (1:29, 31)

Closing:
Now, think again about the two kinds of wisdom mentioned by Paul. Which makes more sense to you when you consider the implications of how they affect our eternity?

I choose the grace of God as my only hope of eternity with God and I totally reject any thought of self-effort gaining me a right standing with God or entrance into His presence.

That’s why Paul says in the passage: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Illustration:
In Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, George and Vera Bajenski’s lives were changed forever on what was an otherwise normal Thursday morning. At about 9:15 a.m. their phone rang and the caller said, "There’s been an accident..." that involved their son Ben.

They hurriedly made their way to the intersection of Adelaide and Simcoe Streets near the high school where they could see the flashing lights of the police cars and ambulance units. Vera noticed a photographer and followed the direction of his camera lens to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen.

All she could say was, "George, Ben went home--home to be with his Heavenly Father!" Her first reaction was to jump out of the car and somehow collect all that blood and put it back into her son. She said, "That blood, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world because it was life. It was life-giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much."

The road was dirty and it was obvious that the blood just didn’t belong there. George noticed that cars were driving right through the intersection--right through some of the blood. With a broken heart he wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry, "You will not drive over the blood of my son!"

Through this experience Vera said she came to understand for the first time in her life one of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths. “Why was it necessary for Christ to die and shed HIs blood?” Because it was the strongest language God could use. It was the most precious thing He could give--the highest price He could pay.

It’s no wonder Charles Wesley wrote these words to one of our familiar hymns, "Amazing love! How can it be? That thou, My God, shouldst die for me!.”

May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of God’s Son (cf. Hebrews 10:29).

Consider This...

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:12 NLT)

WE ARE SO BLESSED AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD! Most of the time we don't even realized how much we are blessed. That's one of the reasons God has given us the Holy Spirit so that He can reveal to us the "wonderful things" our Father has done for us. You didn't do anything worthy of these incredible benefits, either. God just gave them to you because He loves you. Go ahead, ask the Lord to make known to you these special gifts. Then you'll understand why we call it, "Amazing Grace!"

Consider This...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT)

If you genuinely desire to do the will of God He will show you "the path to take." But, don't make the process harder than it has to be and become paralyzed into doing nothing. Get started in a direction and if you're about to make a "wrong turn," He will redirect you where you need to go. Just as you cannot steer a stationary car, God will not give you His "turn by turn" directions until you get rolling. Your responsibility is to stay flexible to change...while "trusting" Him to give you His leadership along the way.

Consider This...

No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2 NLT)

If you've ever been in an earthquake you know how unsettling it is to feel the ground moving beneath your feet. It's one of the most frightening things you'll ever experience and all you want to do is find some solid ground to stand on. That's how life feels sometimes when your circumstances keep shifting in uncontrollable ways. Thank God "there is no rock like our God" that brings stability to us in our unstable world!

Consider This...

“Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:15 NLT)

All of God's children get discouraged at times! Hannah was at one of the lowest points in her life, but she knew where to find help for her soul. As she poured out her heart to God she found the strength and answers she needed. If you're discouraged today, take it to the Lord in prayer. Complaining about your circumstances won't help, but communing with the Lord will!

Consider This...

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. (Philemon 1:7 NLT)

Why not aspire to being a person that "{refreshes} the hearts of God's people?" Surely you know someone that could use a "good word" to lift their troubled spirit! If not, just be sensitive and God will bring that person across your path before the day is ended. There is great joy for the believer that makes it his mission to bring joy to others.

Break The Mold

Ephesians 4:11-16

In metallurgy, a mold is injected with molten metal, the metal cooled and then removed from the mold. Then they rinse the mould and repeat the process. It is a form of mass production. When you "break the mold," you are preventing something from being made the same way again. In other words, it means that you are going to do things differently than you have been doing them.

In our churches today it’s very difficult to “break the mold” without upsetting people and creating conflict. People get use to church being done a certain way and settle into a comfort zone. When someone tries to make changes (“break the mold”), you inevitably hear a stir beneath the surface as the grumbling begins.

But, if we’re going to make our churches effective in reaching new people we must be willing to “break the mold.” Never is that more true than when a church is trying to move closer to the New Testament model for doing church.

One of the fallacies that has become prevalent in modern American Christian thinking has to do with the extreme distinction too often made between the clergy and laity. Too many people believe that the church hires clergy to do the work of the ministry and the laity’s role is primarily to “consume” that ministry. The average church member thinks this is the New Testament model established by Christ, but it isn’t. Actually its an unbiblical model precisely because it creates this extreme distinction between clergy and laity.

If we’re going to get/keep God’s church moving we have to “break the mould” in at least four specific areas.

We have to move from...
1. Independence To Dependence

• We place a high value on independence in American Culture.
• You might think we would want to create independent Christians, not dependent ones.
• And, we do want Christians to be able to function within the body of Christ without having to always hold their hand, but not until they’ve learned dependence on God!
• This text tells us that God is the One that gives spiritual gifts (4:7).
• There’s more gifts than just the five mentioned here.
• He is sovereign in the giving of your gift.
• Spiritual gifts are similar and unique at the same time. Christians all receive the same basic gifts, but they function uniquely to each person.
• With your gift comes the promise of His enabling power to function in a place of service...”grace” (4:7).
• Service to God is not first and foremost about natural talents, learned abilities, personal strength, or imitating others.
• It’s about the “grace” (4:7) that God gives to serve Him with effectiveness and fulfillment.
• It’s about learning to depend on Him rather than on yourself or anyone else.
• We must become a people that recognize our spiritual dependence on God!
• People become too dependent on leadership when they should be dependent on the Lord.
• David “...strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” ( 1 Samuel 30:6)
• Do you have to be strengthened by someone else or can you strengthen yourself in the Lord?
• Some people are needy and clingy because they’ve never learned to be strong in the Lord for themselves.

We have to move from...
2. Performance To Preparation

• Discuss the question of punctuation in Ephesians 4:12 and how it affects the understanding of the passage.
• God has given to the church gifted leaders not to perform the work of the ministry, but to prepare OTHERS TO DO the work of ministry.
• One of the great mistakes in our churches is in believing that God has created a hard distinction between the laity and the clergy.
• The truth is that all of us are to be ministers of Christ and not just a select, professional few.
• For too long we have evaluated pastors by how they “perform” rather than by how they “prepare” us to minister.
• The average pastor feels as if he’s giving a trial sermon every Sunday and his future depends on how well he performs.
• Pastors are being evaluated by the wrong standard and according to the wrong measure.
• When I came to the church I was involved in many different tasks just to keep things moving forward. But, God didn’t intend for me to continue doing all those tasks myself. He expected me to train others to do some of those tasks and then to hand off that ministry to them.
• Actually, the job of the pastors is to prepare you to do the work of the ministry so that you can succeed at God’s calling on your life.

• Rick Warren made famous the saying, “Every member a minister.”

We have to move from...
3. Consuming To Contributing

• There are too many spectators and not enough participants in our churches.
• Too many are asking what’s in it for me? We shop for churches like we do the latest product on the store shelves. It’s all about consuming not contributing.
• “...by what EVERY joint supplies” and “by which EVERY part does its share” (4:16).
• “What did I get out of church?” ...is the wrong question to be asking when you leave on Sunday. The real question is, “What did I contribute to church?”

Illustration:

A pastor by the name of Tom Nelson has identified four distorted images of the church.

First, some people see the church as a gas station. He says, “the church is a place where you fill up your spiritual gas tank when you’re running low. Get a good sermon, and it will keep you going for the week.”

Second, some people see the church as a movie theater. He says that, “for many people, the church is a place that offers entertainment. Go for an hour of escape, hopefully in comfortable seats. Leave your problems at the door and come out smiling and feeling better than when you entered.”

Third, some people see the church as a drug store. He says that, “for other people, church is the place where you can fill the prescription that will deal with your pain. For many the church is therapeutic.”

Fourth, some people see the church as a big box retailer. He says that, “people see the church as the place that offers the best products in a clean and safe environment for you and your family. The church offers great service at a low price—an all in one stop. For many people, the church is a producer of programs for children and young people.”

The one thing that all of these have in common is that none of them are found in scripture. Pastor Nelson says, “all of them are distortions of the way we’re supposed to be doing church and they all have one thing in common—they’re all about ‘me.’”

He goes on...”Fill me up! Entertain me! Take away my pain! Give me the programs my family and I are looking for! It’s pure consumerism. This isn’t surprising. This mindset is pervasive in our culture.”

Illustration:

An illustration of how one man learned teamwork came from his military career in the Army. He tells how they would line up 20 soldiers laid on their backs on the ground and then place a heavy log on the outstretched arms of the men. If even one man failed to carry his weight of the log, the other nineteen would feel the pain of his failure.

There is a lot of pain in some churches because everyone isn’t carrying their weight in the ministry.

• You don’t become like Christ by sitting and singing in the pew. You become like Christ when you begin serving.
• John Maxwell said, “When we receive without giving, we become fat. When we give without receiving, we become faint. When we receive and give, we become faithful.”

We have to move from...
4. Immaturity To Influence

• One of the main problems with the extreme distinction of a professional clergy and a non-professional laity is that it perpetuates spiritual immaturity in the individual, as well as in the church body.
• The goal is that we should “no longer be children” (4:14) and “grow up in all things into Him” (4:15).
• When the body functions properly it causes maturity and builds up the church. It says, “for the edifying of the body of Christ” (4:12) and “the edifying of itself in love” (4:16).
• God wants us to grow up so we can INFLUENCE others by “speaking the truth in love” (4:15).
• At best, when the pastors are not “preparing” as Christ commands, he may be maturing in his own faith, but the church remains in spiritual infancy. At worse, the pastors burn themselves out and the church remains in spiritual infancy.
• Either way, the only way for the church to mature is for them to “break the mold” and do church God’s way.

Application:

1. Learn to embrace change, not criticize it when it’s for the cause of advancing the Gospel.
2. Grow up into being a low maintenance, not high maintenance member of His church. (cf. 1 Samuel 30:6)
3. Develop a teachable spirit, not a resistent spirit so you can learn the work of the ministry.
4. Christ’s work can be done out there, not just in here when the church meets together. (This is primary reason we've named this series of messages, "Every Member A Missionary." The work of the ministry can be done outside the church, as well as inside the church.)