For the last few weeks we’ve been looking at reasons to go to church and be taught. This week I want to encourage you to go to church to become holy.
Once you become a Christian through repentance and faith, you then are supposed to be holy by doing good works. Otherwise your faith is shown to not be true faith at all. James tells you: ‘faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’ (James 2:17). How do you do good works? By obeying God’s commands to love him and love your neighbours.
But doing good works is not easy. Once you are a Christian, being good is not plain sailing. You will find that again and again you do not show love to God and you do not show love to your neighbour. So how can you become holy more easily? Go to your local church to find the teaching and support that you need.
Again and again the secular world encourages support groups for overcoming difficult tasks. Programs like Weight Watchers are designed to give proper teaching on weight loss as well as provide support networks between fellow weight losers.
And there is definitely a sense in which going to church is like attending a weight watchers program. You meet up with people who all have the same goal of losing spiritual fat and gaining spiritual muscle. You then all listen to someone explain the best ways to gain spiritual muscle and lose fat. The fact that everyone else sits there and listens to the teaching encourages you to take it seriously and gives you an opportunity to discuss what was taught afterwards.
And it works. Paul describes the change that came from being taught the word: ‘But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted’ (Romans 6:17). The Romans heard someone teaching and obeyed it.
You may be able to read your Bible at home and try to grow in holiness on your own. But as with most self-directed programs, you will not grow as strongly as when you receive teaching on how to be holy.
Do you attend church to grow in holiness?
Joel Radford.
Showing posts with label preaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preaching. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Go to church to be driven to Christ
For the last three weeks we’ve been looking at reasons to go to church and be taught. This week I want to encourage you to go to church to find Christ.
Although we can read about Christ in the Bible, it is often by hearing preaching about Christ that we are stimulated to flee to him. We see numerous examples of this in the New Testament beginning with John the Baptist: ‘The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)’. John is preaching the same message about Jesus the following day and this time his words are not without effect: ‘The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus’ (John 1:35-37). The preaching of John the Baptist results in people following Jesus.
Another example is found in Paul: ‘Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me’ (2 Corinthians 2:12). Paul preached the gospel of Christ and finds people responding as God brings them to Christ through his preaching.
Numerous examples can also be found in church history of how preaching has led people to Christ. One extraordinary example is told of the Puritan preacher John Flavel: ‘Luke Short was a farmer in New England who attained his hundredth year in exceptional vigour though without having sought peace with God. One day as he sat in his fields reflecting upon his long life, he recalled a sermon he had heard in Dartmouth as a boy before he sailed to America. The horror of dying under the curse of God was impressed upon him as he meditated on the words he had heard so long ago and he was converted to Christ – eighty-five years after hearing John Flavel preach.’ Going to church and hearing a preacher can benefit you even eight decades later by driving you to Jesus.
Now I’m not suggesting that God doesn’t use any other means of bringing about the conversions of the lost. People are driven to Jesus in all kinds of ways. But God reveals to us again and again that he has a particular love for using preaching to win souls and we should be eager to benefit from this powerful instrument of God by attending our local church.
Do you go to church to be driven to Jesus?
Joel Radford
Although we can read about Christ in the Bible, it is often by hearing preaching about Christ that we are stimulated to flee to him. We see numerous examples of this in the New Testament beginning with John the Baptist: ‘The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)’. John is preaching the same message about Jesus the following day and this time his words are not without effect: ‘The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus’ (John 1:35-37). The preaching of John the Baptist results in people following Jesus.
Another example is found in Paul: ‘Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me’ (2 Corinthians 2:12). Paul preached the gospel of Christ and finds people responding as God brings them to Christ through his preaching.
Numerous examples can also be found in church history of how preaching has led people to Christ. One extraordinary example is told of the Puritan preacher John Flavel: ‘Luke Short was a farmer in New England who attained his hundredth year in exceptional vigour though without having sought peace with God. One day as he sat in his fields reflecting upon his long life, he recalled a sermon he had heard in Dartmouth as a boy before he sailed to America. The horror of dying under the curse of God was impressed upon him as he meditated on the words he had heard so long ago and he was converted to Christ – eighty-five years after hearing John Flavel preach.’ Going to church and hearing a preacher can benefit you even eight decades later by driving you to Jesus.
Now I’m not suggesting that God doesn’t use any other means of bringing about the conversions of the lost. People are driven to Jesus in all kinds of ways. But God reveals to us again and again that he has a particular love for using preaching to win souls and we should be eager to benefit from this powerful instrument of God by attending our local church.
Do you go to church to be driven to Jesus?
Joel Radford
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Go to church to be humbled
We have begun looking at why you should attend your church to be taught the Bible. This week I want to show you that you should go to church to be humbled.
Humility is something we all should seek. Peter reminds us that ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5). So if you want to be on the side of God you need to be humble.
And it is through the public reading of the Bible that people are often brought to realise their position before God. In the Old Testament you see this during the reign of King Josiah. When the priests are cleaning up the temple they find the Book of the Law of the LORD. ‘Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes’ (2 Chronicles 34:18-19). King Josiah is then commended by God for his humility ‘Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.’ (2 Chronicles 34:26-28).
The same thing happens in the New Testament when Peter is preaching to the Jews. Peter finishes with ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ (Acts 2:36). Then we see the response of the people: ‘When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?”’ (Acts 2:37). Peter’s instructions to them are: ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). With humility comes repentance, forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore it is clear that God often uses the public reading and preaching of his word to bring humility to sinners. And it is by going to church on Sunday that you can hear the Bible read and preached and so can be humbled and experience the blessings that come with humility.
Do you attend church so that you will be humbled?
Joel Radford
Humility is something we all should seek. Peter reminds us that ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5). So if you want to be on the side of God you need to be humble.
And it is through the public reading of the Bible that people are often brought to realise their position before God. In the Old Testament you see this during the reign of King Josiah. When the priests are cleaning up the temple they find the Book of the Law of the LORD. ‘Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes’ (2 Chronicles 34:18-19). King Josiah is then commended by God for his humility ‘Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.’ (2 Chronicles 34:26-28).
The same thing happens in the New Testament when Peter is preaching to the Jews. Peter finishes with ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ (Acts 2:36). Then we see the response of the people: ‘When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?”’ (Acts 2:37). Peter’s instructions to them are: ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). With humility comes repentance, forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore it is clear that God often uses the public reading and preaching of his word to bring humility to sinners. And it is by going to church on Sunday that you can hear the Bible read and preached and so can be humbled and experience the blessings that come with humility.
Do you attend church so that you will be humbled?
Joel Radford
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Go to church to understand the Bible better
Attending church on Sundays is not always the easiest thing to do. Our lives are busy and complicated. Making one hour a week available to hear from the Bible often seems too hard – particularly when you can pick up the Bible and read it at home by yourself. So today I’m beginning a series of articles on why you should attend your church to be taught the Bible. This week I want to begin by looking at how being taught at church helps you understand the Bible better.
The problem with humans is sin and this problem affects even our minds so that you are unable to think clearly. Although you can read the Bible by yourself (and you should!) it doesn’t always make much sense to you. Sin gets in the way. What you need is someone to help explain it to you so that your mind is enlightened.
Thankfully God has been providing teachers to explain his word for years. An Old Testament example would include the a passage in Nehemiah: ‘The Levites…instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read’ (Nehemiah 8:7-8).
A New Testament example would include Philip helping the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. The eunuch is reading Isaiah and Philip goes and asks him "Do you understand what you are reading?" Then the eunuch answers "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" (Acts 8:30-31).
This eunuch’s experience is often our experience when we read the Bible. You realise that you need someone to explain it to you. And God graciously still provides teachers of the Bible for his people today so that they can understand what is written. Where do you find these teachers? Usually they’re at your local church. So when you go to church you are recognising your inability to be a constant self-feeder. You need help and you recognise that the help you need can be found at your church. So you get up Sunday mornings and go despite the difficulties you may experience in getting there.
Do you attend church so that you can understand the Bible?
Joel Radford
The problem with humans is sin and this problem affects even our minds so that you are unable to think clearly. Although you can read the Bible by yourself (and you should!) it doesn’t always make much sense to you. Sin gets in the way. What you need is someone to help explain it to you so that your mind is enlightened.
Thankfully God has been providing teachers to explain his word for years. An Old Testament example would include the a passage in Nehemiah: ‘The Levites…instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read’ (Nehemiah 8:7-8).
A New Testament example would include Philip helping the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. The eunuch is reading Isaiah and Philip goes and asks him "Do you understand what you are reading?" Then the eunuch answers "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" (Acts 8:30-31).
This eunuch’s experience is often our experience when we read the Bible. You realise that you need someone to explain it to you. And God graciously still provides teachers of the Bible for his people today so that they can understand what is written. Where do you find these teachers? Usually they’re at your local church. So when you go to church you are recognising your inability to be a constant self-feeder. You need help and you recognise that the help you need can be found at your church. So you get up Sunday mornings and go despite the difficulties you may experience in getting there.
Do you attend church so that you can understand the Bible?
Joel Radford
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