Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
"Why Church?": Week 2--The More You Give
Why Church?by Courtney Brewer
I left off last week in my endeavor to make sense of church by answering the question “Why Church?” with the answer:
“We are designed as social creatures that need fellowship. We need to be known. Also, living in a harsh world that does not know the Lord, it is our responsibility to live like Christ and welcome all who feel like outsiders intoHow often do you hear people say, “I just didn’t get anything out of it,” when they’re asked why they stopped attending church services? I hear this ALL THE TIME. WHAT’S THE DEAL? Are our services getting bland? Are our speakers running out of things to say? Has God run out of new things to teach us?
our loving community of believers.”
While the first one could be true, I think there is more. So the question arose again in my mind. Why church? What is our motivation for going to church? Is it to “get something out of it”? To look good? What is the point?? In my study this week, I set out to answer just that.
If we’re looking to “get,” what are we trying to get and where does it come from? (Bear with me on this.) Perhaps it comes from God. Why, then, would I need to go to church for that? I mean it’s HIS house and everything, but He’s everywhere, right? Anything I could receive from Him, I’m sure he could send straight to my Lay-Z-Boy. So maybe we just go to church to be social. We’re supposed to fellowship right? Yes, but we can do that anywhere too. Let’s think about what we do at church. Listen to a sermon and discuss it in Small Groups, right? But why do we do it in that setting with those people? Think about the people you know at church. You have your singers, your speakers, your pray-ers, your tech guys and many more. They’re important to running church, but what about everyone else? Are they just there to experience the show?? Aren’t they the ones “getting”? Does that make them less significant?
1 Corintians 12:12;26-27
The body is a unit, through it is made up of many
parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body so it is with
Christ … If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is
honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and each
one of you is a part of it.
Yes, this applies to the church (Christ’s bride), but it also applies to each individual church. This letter was written specifically to the church in Corinth. The section about the body follows the section about spiritual gifts for a reason. God has made every person different! Each unique with their own gifts ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSE! Perhaps in larger churches, it is easy to feel
insignificant. Do we always notice the absence of those who have given up? I can tell you I’ve definitely felt like the appendix in the body of Christ, insignificant and waiting to burst. (Sorry, that’s kinda icky.) But when I found my gifts, and I was valued, it changed everything. As I began to explain last week, my unexpected move to Egypt stretched me beyond my comprehension and lavished me with blessings. After I dove into the idea of accountability, I began to see the workings of the body of Christ. Each person in the body is necessary and irreplaceable. While I had often studied that in Sunday School growing up, I never fully grasped the concept until I lived it. My sophomore year, my two friends, Lily and Abby, and I wanted to start a prayer group every Tuesday before school to intercede for our school, our church and our resident country of Egypt. While the goal of this group was not to receive anything but to see things around us change, we were all filled more than we ever knew possible. Each different gift was needed and valued, and we knew God was doing great things.
Did I leave my church to go and find some place I was needed? No, that would have been like my nose jumping off my face and finding someone else’s face to live on. So often I look around the church I grew up in. There are holes, gaps where my old friends should be. Now I know sometimes the Lord calls us elsewhere, perhaps to a new church, state or even country. But sometimes I know it’s because people have given up. Why wouldn’t they? Who wants to be where they don’t feel valued? If that’s you, if you feel like the church doesn’t need you and you don’t need church, I am so sorry. I hope you won't give up! I want to challenge you to find the gap that the Lord has for you to fill. The church desperately misses you! That gap cannot be filled by anyone else but you. So why church?? Because you and everyone else around you will be filled with what you pour out. You were created in the image of The One and no one can take your place.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
"Why Church?": Week 1--Community and Fellowship
“Why Church?”: Week 1—Community and Fellowship
By: Courtney Brewer
Hello Ridgecrest! My name is Courtney Brewer, and I am one of the interns working with rbcstudents this semester. In this blog, my goal for the next five weeks is to answer the commonly asked question, “Why is it important to attend church regularly?” To the outside world, it seems ridiculous to believe that going to church regularly is beneficial. To some, it appears that Christians are trying to earn their way into good standing with God. But what if there’s more? What if the real reason the Lord designed the church was to meet our needs, deepen our faith, and to surpass our expectations? I believe that there’s more to church than just showing up in nice clothes, singin’ a song, shaking some hands and racing out of the parking lot to beat everyone to Applebees. In the next few weeks, I hope you will come to hunger for more than that as well. Here’s a little of my story and why I chose church.
I think one of the factors that hinders many Christians’ desire to attend church regularly is that it has become the thing that eats our Sunday morning. I remember sitting in church when I was very young, squirming in my dress, pulling the bow off my head, and just waiting until I could get home and run. When God took my family out of Springfield in ’08 to Cairo, Egypt, I thought my world had crashed. Why in the world would I choose church when I was struggling with anger toward God? I attended with my family because, what else did I have to do in a new country? Out of that youth group, my entire view of Christianity changed. A small group at my church was doing a study on community. This was a foreign concept to me. I mean, I know believers are supposed to be united in Christ and we’re supposed to love our neighbors, but what if the church was really supposed to be more?
Acts 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
God created his people to have a need for fellowship and the ability to take care of one another in Community. If we had a community resembling that of the early believers, I don’t think we would have near as many people asking “why church?” This idea of community is a foreign and beautiful concept. “The Lord added to their number day by day” because who wouldn’t want to be a part of that kind of loving and accepting community? This is what we were created for. To be “little Christs." To give our shirt off our backs if our brother needs it. What would it look like at Ridgecrest Baptist Church if we tried to live out the community of the early believers? Who wouldn’t want to fellowship with the people who desire to take care of them? I challenge you all to step up and live in community with one another and to try and rediscover what made you go to church in the first place.
Q. “Why Church?”
A. We are designed as social creatures who need fellowship. We need to be known. Also, living in a harsh world that does not know the Lord, it is our responsibility to live like Christ and welcome all who feel like outsiders into our loving community of believers.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Abby Tracy Follow-Up
Hello, hello!
I hope you're enjoying your snow day...again! Can you believe all this snow?! Goodness.
During 651 a couple of weeks ago, we had the privilege of interviewing missionary to Uganda, Abby Tracy. She was such an inspiration to hear from and several of you have expressed interest in keeping up to date on her ministry.
So, here is her blog address for your blog-stalking pleasure:
Check it out and be blessed by her story! Also, if you're interested in getting involved, let us know and we'll help you get connected!
Here's to an oh-so-cozy evening, complete with hot cocoa! :)
Be blessed,
Jessie
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)