I Dream of a Church (27)

Living Stones

In masonry, a living stone is one that is easily workable, to chip into shape and fit a particular wall space.

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2: 4-5 NKJV)

I dream of a church where each member is workable, fitting in well with the team.

Personal Growth

A growing Christian is a blessing to all.

“Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.” (2 Peter 1:5b-7 NLT)

I dream of a church where individual growth in every member is visible.

False Teachers

False teachers denigrate the Bible as merely the will of men filled with private interpretations. Peter contradicts that kind of blubber.

“knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 WEB)

We should not be shocked. Such things were foretold.

“But false prophets also arose among the people. In the same way, false teachers will come among you. They will introduce destructive opinions and deny the master who bought them, bringing quick destruction on themselves. Many will follow them in their unrestrained immorality, and because of these false teachers the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will take advantage of you with lies. The judgment pronounced against them long ago hasn’t fallen idle, nor is their destruction sleeping.” (2 Peter 2:1-3 CEB)

I dream of a church that believes that the Bible is God-breathed, not mere human opinions and is therefore not deceived by false teachers.

Xenophobia

Prelude

An angry hatred of immigrants is popular, sadly even in the church, and gets in the way of the Gospel to all nations. Purpose: Jesus’ neighbors had forgotten God’s promise to Abraham that in him all nations would be blessed. Plan: Let’s see how Jesus challenged xenophobia in Luke 4:21-30.

No Acceptance

And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. (Luke 4:21-24 NKJV)

Familiarity breeds contempt in countries and families (Matthew 13:57). The words “physician heal yourself’ is similar to our saying that charity begins at home, or people who only give to local charities, but God loves other nations too. Even Christians can be offended at God’s word in regard to treating foreigners well.

Foreigners Favored

But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” (Luke 4:25-27 NKJV)

Jesus reminded them of Elijah and Elisha, where God provided for a foreign widow and a diseased foreigner before their own people. Do we too want God’s favor just for us? Jesus’ words sounded like national betrayal, contradicting their understanding of Isaiah. Does it offend us that God’s plan includes foreigners? Foreigners can even have more faith than us. Yet, we see xenophobia, a fear and hatred of foreigners among Christians too.

Angry Xenophobia

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. (Luke 4:28-30 NKJV)

Love Foreigners

What does God’s word say about how we treat a foreigner? The Bible says “love him as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34), include foreigners in community life (Deuteronomy 16:14; 26:11), provide for them from both national poor funds and individually (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; Leviticus 23:22; 25:35), show them hospitality (Hebrews 13:1-2; 3 John 1:5-8), true sheep care for foreigners, but goats bound for hell do not (Matthew 25:31-46).

What about obeying national immigration laws? Christians ought to obey the law and pay taxes (Romans 13:1-7). However, if any national laws contradict God’s word, then “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

Why were Jesus’ neighbors so angry? Why are even Christians so angry about immigration instead of loving foreigners as God does? There is no place in Christianity for ignorant prejudice and fear. Cowardly bigotry and hatred hinders the message of the Gospel which must go to all people.

Does Jesus cater to our prejudices? Are we also angry that God’s word is different from our opinions? What is our mission? Jesus commissioned the apostles to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The church is not an inward-looking nationalistic social club but looks outward to the whole world. Does that offend us too?

Postlude

Are we willing to follow Jesus and tell the truth, even if it makes people angry? Hatred of foreigners is as popular now as it has ever been, even in the church. Let’s set aside all xenophobia. Let’s courageously embrace foreigners and boldly accept the Church’s mission which has never been just local or even national but has always been worldwide.

I Dream of a Church (26)

 Religion

The word religion is misused in popular Christianity. People forget that James encourages religion.

“Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.” (James 1:27 CEV)

I dream of a church that does not avoid religion, but practices pure religion.

The Poor

Dishonoring the poor is still common practice in our world. Yet, we Christians are to be different.

“God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. He has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him.” (James 2:5b CEV)

I dream of a church that honors the poor as equals.

Living Faith

Many Christians seem to have a dead faith and some evangelists encourage an “easy believism” without repentance. Yet, faith that saves has fruits.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:14-18 ESV)

I dream of a church with a living faith, seen in its good works.

The Flapping Tongue

Many churches have been ruined by gossip.

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (James 3:5-6a KJV)

I dream of a church where people can hold their tongues and keep gossip under control.

Overcoming Evil

People often wonder about how to overcome the devil. It’s not complicated.

“Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 NASB)

I dream of a church that submits to God and resists the devil.

Anointing

How often do modern Christians practice anointing the sick? In some churches it’s just not known.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14 NIV)

I dream of a church where there is faith to anoint the sick.

I Dream of a Church (25)

 Tithing

There is no direct command to tithe given to the church. Jesus did tell the scribes and Pharisees who were still under the law, that they should tithe (Matthew 23:23). However, the priesthood changed from Melchizedek to the Levites and is now given to Jesus.

“The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.” (Hebrews 7:8 NLT)

I dream of a church that does not need a command, but is of a willing heart that generously tithes to bless Jesus’ ministry on earth, because we recognize His priesthood.

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (vs 17b)

Faith

When we speak of a community of faith, we look at those who have gone on before us (Hebrews 11). We acknowledge them.

“... we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1 WEB).

I dream of a church that believes and trusts God as they did.

Support Your Leaders

Oh how joyful it is to be in a church where the leaders are loved and encouraged, and how stressful and sorrowful it is when self-willed rebels ruin a church.

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” (Hebrews 13:17 NLT)

I dream of a church where the whole congregation supports a unified vision given by God to its leaders.

Temptation

We are all tempted, but we don’t all give in to it.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 ESV)

So, the process is simple: lust allowed to fester brings sin and sin allowed to fester brings death. I dream of a church that is learning to stop temptation in its tracks before sin is conceived.

Doers

The Bible is practical, not just theory.

“You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves.” (James 1:22 CEB)

I dream of a church that puts the Bible into practice.

I Dream of a Church (24)

 Liturgy

What should be some main points in a church’s outline of service?

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13 ESV)

I dream of a church that includes these simple points in its liturgy or service outline.

Scripture

While many churches use the Bible like a menu, picking and choosing what they can agree with, Paul had a different view.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

I dream of a church that actually believes the Bible is God’s Word, all of it, that understands different genres, but does not use that as an excuse to dilute it.

Elders

In the early church overseer and elder were synonymous. Again Paul reiterates God’s instruction that the elder must be “the husband of one wife” (Titus 1:6 NASB)

I dream of a church that takes God’s Word at face value.

Dissenters

Every church has probably experienced divisive and disruptive people.

“Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11 NKJV)

I dream of a church that is not afraid to curtail such people.

Rest

Though a day off is good for body and soul, our Sabbath rest is no longer in a day but in Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). Under Moses, a generation of Sabbath-keeping Israelites did not enter the land of rest, because they rebelled. Under Joshua, the following generation of Sabbath keepers entered the land of rest, but he spoke of another day of rest (Hebrews 3-4).

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9 NLT)

I dream of a church that focuses more on our eternal Sabbath rest, than a letter-of-the-law day.

A Knowledgeable Church

Too many Christians today are ignorant of their Bibles. The anonymous writer of Hebrews was also disappointed with early Christians.

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (Hebrews 5:12 NIV)

In a world where many churches only preach short sermons filled with empty platitudes a proper foundation was never laid.

“... the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:1b-2 NKJV)

I dream of a church that reads and discusses the Bible and where Bible classes are packed with eager students.

Bible E-Course 1a

God Introduces Himself

Who is God? In the very first verse of the Bible, God is introduced as Elohim (Genesis 1:1), an intensive plural, meaning mighty, or very great. Later, God introduces Himself to Abram with the words, “I am the Lord [Yahweh].” (Genesis 15:7) With the same words He introduces Himself to Moses (Exodus 6), and Israel (Leviticus 18) and reminds them of His law (Leviticus 19).

Later, through Isaiah (42:8), God introduces Himself with the same words again, literally “I am Yahweh” and adds “that is my name” (CEB, ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, WEB). What does Yahweh mean? It is the proper name of the God of Israel, meaning “the one who is,” “I am who I am,” or “the self-existent one.” God introduces Himself in this manner over 160 times throughout the Old Testament.

Assignment: Take a Bible search program like biblegateway.com or biblehub.com and search the words “I am the Lord.” See how different translations handle the passage. Examine the context of each passage and make some personal notes.

The Bible is filled with descriptions of a self-existent God who has no beginning nor ending, knows everything, has power over everything, and is filled with love. Let’s look at a few of those passages.

“God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” (1 John 1:5 CEB)

In a world of dark politics, dark business practices, dark troubles and death, we are introduced to God in whom there is no darkness. Do we hear what He has to say?

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Whether God speaks through an inspired message or the pages of the Bible, His words penetrate deeply, if we will listen. Do we prefer the empty words of politicians and unjust human legal systems?

“It is He who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.” (Isaiah 40:23 NASB)

Who is this God who, compared to Him, all human ideologies and worldly power is revealed as empty and useless?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 KJV)

Politics changes. Scientific understanding changes. Society’s values change. The circumstances in which we live change. But God never changes. Absolute truth never changes. God’s love is constant.

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19 NIV)

The world is run by highly educated, very intelligent people who have failed us. They have proven themselves incapable of preventing wars, starvation, famines, injustice and creating a safe world with peace and prosperity for all. Yet, here is one who calls Himself God, who makes promises and claims that He will fulfill every one of them. How do we know that He loves us?

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

As “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), Jesus voluntarily gave His body as a sacrifice to save the whole world, and God the Father willingly allowed His Son to do this for us. God chose to demonstrate His love, in the greatest way that humans could understand.

“The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.” (John 15:13 CEV)

God’s love continues in His daily provision, even providing for those who hate Him.

“Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?” (Matthew 6:26 CEV)

It is great meditation to watch birds and marvel at God’s provision. He takes care of them, and He values you and me far more than they.

“Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” (Psalm 147:5 ESV)

The words “beyond measure” can also be translated as “infinite.” The Hebrew wording is literally “without number.” This presents a God to us whose understanding is so far beyond anything that the most intelligent and highly educated among us can possibly fathom. Can there be such a God?

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6 KJV)

This describes a being so all powerful, and intelligent, and all knowing that just His word created all that exists.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV)

Is God perfect, just, faithful and upright? That is good news. Will you have a change of heart and believe the good news? You decide!

I Dream of a Church (23)

Citizenship

In highly nationalistic countries, citizenship and Christianity are often confused.

“But our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20a NIV)

I dream of a church where the love of neighbors goes beyond national borders.

Positive Thinking

Happy pills can overcome depression for a short time, but according to medical science, in the long term we need to change to positive thinking. It may not be such new science, but very ancient.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

I dream of a church that is not afraid of painful truths, but also faces them with a positive attitude.

Forbearing

One of the great keys to church success is forbearance.

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13 NLT)

I dream of a church where each member bears with the other and forgiveness reigns.

Prophetic Speculation

Some churches get caught up in fantastic theories about prophecy and the return of Jesus Christ.

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 WEB)

I dream of a church that is balanced and understands that the biggest key is not setting dates, figuring out who the beast or the false prophet is, or what 666 means, but being ready always.

“So then, let’s not sleep like the others, but let’s stay awake and stay sober.” (vs 6 CEB)

Overseers

Many churches today completely ignore the biblical qualifications for ordination, because they are offended by them. Why?

“... the husband of one wife… He must manage his own household well” (1 Timothy 3:2-7 ESV)

It refers to males. Male leadership has been God’s pattern from ancient Israel to Jesus' choice of apostles to most of Christian history with very few exceptions. Many Protestant churches have long forgotten the Reformation, becoming part of more of a Deformation. They are put to shame by the ancient churches, which have not yet compromised on this point.

I dream of a church where men and women trust God to have given us church leadership which is best for all.

I Dream of a Church (22)

Another Jesus

Some use Jesus’ name, but present a false Christ.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14 KJV)

I dream of a church that knows its Bible so well that false prophets make no headway.

Galatianism

Paul went to Jerusalem to consult with the other Apostles about Galatian legalism.

“We went there because of those who pretended to be followers and had sneaked in among us as spies. They had come to take away the freedom that Christ Jesus had given us, and they were trying to make us their slaves.” (Galatians 2:4 CEV)

I dream of a church that follows the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles and not the letter of the law or religious rules made up by men.

Foundation

Upon what is the church built?

“... built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20 ESV).

It is for that reason that Protestants use the term sola scriptura, the scriptures alone. I dream of a church that has as its sole foundation the New and Old Testaments, and the four Gospels as the cornerstone.

Unity

Church unity is not found in uniform doctrines or practices, although there is remarkable unity in what is really essential. The Holy Spirit has made sure of that.

“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:3-6 KJV)

How is unity even possible considering disagreements over doctrine. It is found in the bond of peace not twigs of doctrine. I dream of a church at peace with all Christians who believe the essentials taught by Jesus and the Apostles. I dream of a church that is gracious about non-essentials that neither Jesus nor the Apostles commanded.

Husbands and Wives

There is a very misunderstood point in today’s culture, but it is taught in the Bible several times (Ephesians 5:22, 24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1-6). Wives submit does not mean becoming doormats or allowing a man to abuse you. Absolutely not! What it means is to be a team player, supportive, encouraging, not someone who constantly undermines her man. Men, this is addressed to women, not you. It is and must be her choice, not coerced by a domineering husband.

“A husband is the head of his wife like Christ is head of the church, that is, the savior of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23 CEB)

Who is the head? How is this headship expressed? Proper headship is exemplified by “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:21 NKJV) Does Jesus submit to the needs of His Bride, the church?

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (vs 25 NASB). “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7 NKJV)

I dream of a church where husbands and wives have abandoned the deceptive marital advice of a world where half of marriages fail, and devoted themselves to trusting that God knows best.

I Dream of a Church (21)

Women

There is a lot of anger in feminism. We show our sisters in the faith brotherly love, but it’s not hate speech to lovingly disagree. Do we trust God enough to disregard the propaganda of the world around us? Do we believe that God inspired Paul?

“Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” (1 Corinthians 14:34-35 NKJV)

Do we trust that God inspired this in love for women and not to “oppress” them as modern propaganda might say? Are any men who do not preach somehow “oppressed”? Do we trust that obedience to God produces happiness for all?

So, what about women prophets, of which there are several in the New Testament? Harmonizing these seemingly contradictory facts is really quite simple. A prophetess does not have to speak publicly to share her prophecy or give inspired advice.

I dream of a church with simple trust that God will bless us wonderfully when we stand behind our men as congregational leaders.

Gospel

The Gospel can be summarized simply as follows.

“Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” (1 Corinthians 15:3b-4 NLT)

I dream of a church that can explain the Gospel to others in such simple terms.

Resurrection

Progressives who deny the resurrection have not introduced anything new but have regressed to old sins.

“Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-14 WEB)

I dream of a church that believes in Jesus’ resurrection and awaits the resurrection at His return.

“Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won’t die or decay.” (vs 53 CEV)

Financial Matters

Elders of the church must keep their hands off when it comes to church finances. Choosing who will be in charge of finances is an area for a congregational decision, so that not even a suspicion of impropriety can be accused of the elders.

“I’ll send whomever you approve to Jerusalem with letters of recommendation to bring your gift.” (1 Corinthians 16:3b CEB)

I dream of a church where finances are handled by those the congregation approves.

Salvation

Many Christians have read “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV) and haven’t read the rest of the Bible on the topic. In Greek it’s actually “a day of salvation.” Naïve people ask, “Have you been saved?” The wise Bible student answers, “I am saved, am being saved and will be saved.” The guy who knows his Bible is correct. We are saved (Luke 19:9; Romans 8:24; 10:10; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Ephesians 2:5, 8; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21), are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18; 15:2; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Philippians 2:12), and will be saved (Matthew 1:21; 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; 16:16; John 10:9; Acts 2:21; 11:14; 15:11; 16:31; Romans 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

I dream of a church that knows its Bible well.

Healing and Freedom

What did Jesus bring? What about the poor, the brokenhearted, the blind, and the oppressed? Is there a year of release for those who suffer? Let’s examine Jesus' words in Luke 4:14-21.

Power of the Spirit

“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.” (Luke 4:14 NKJV)

What is this power? Other passages speak of power to declare (Micah 3:8), to heal (Matthew 10:1), power over unclean spirits (Mark 6:7), authority (Luke 4:36), mighty signs and wonders (Romans 15:19), demonstrated in speech and preaching (1 Corinthians 2:4).

Public Reading of Scripture

“And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” (Luke 4:15-16 NKJV)

The public reading of scripture is still a practice in many churches today.

Anointed

“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ ” (Luke 4:17-21 NKJV)

Jesus’ anointing was to do something worthwhile as follows.

To preach the gospel to the poor

The Greek word is literally “to evangelize the poor” or announce good news to the destitute. The poor are those who find no comfort in this world. Poverty can be material (one who crouches and cowers, deeply destitute, completely lacking material needs) or spiritual (one who recognizes their abject spiritual poverty, humble). (Matthew 5:3; 11:28)

To heal the brokenhearted

This means to cure or make whole those whose hearts are crushed or broken into pieces, who suffer from extreme sorrow.

To proclaim liberty to the captives

Just the announcement of freedom for captives would bring joy to our hearts. It would be like a pardon from a long prison sentence or from the death penalty, or deliverance from bondage for a slave. Literally, this is those taken captive at the point of a spear, a prisoner of war. It would remind Israel of past national captivity in Egypt and Babylon, symbolic of all humanity's captivity to self-destructive sin and corruption.

Recovery of sight to the blind

Physical blindness is one thing, but there are those blinded by bribery (Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19), by disobedience (Isaiah 29:9-10), there is blind leadership (Isaiah 56:10; Matthew 15:14; 23:17-19, 24-26), spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 3:14; 4:4; Ephesians 4:18; Revelation 3:17), and the blindness of hatred (1 John 2:11). Jesus healed both physical and spiritual blindness.

To set at liberty those who are oppressed

Not just an announcement of freedom for captives but actual deliverance from all that oppresses or breaks in pieces (Isaiah 58:6), whether it is our own sins or the sins of others.

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord

This is a reference to the year of jubilee, an economic system unheard of in a self-centered world. Unlike socialism, it was designed to redistribute wealth into private hands, and give true equality of opportunity. Unlike capitalism, it was designed to prevent the monopoly of resources and give release from debt.

Postlude

God sent His Son to bring good news for the poor, healing for broken hearts, sight to the blind, freedom and a Jubilee celebration where all debts are canceled.

I Dream of a Church (20)

 Hair Length

The topic of hair length may seem to be legalism, but remember this is the New Testament. Legalism has to do with the letter of Old Testament law. Paul recommends that under normal circumstances men have shorter hair and women longer hair. Some may claim this was just constrained by culture, contradicting Paul.

“This is how things are done in all of God’s churches, and that’s why none of you should argue about what I have said.” (1 Corinthians 11:16 CEV)

I dream of a church that believes every word of God and simply obeys without arguing.

Communion

Communion is not a private meal, but a community meal. It is a mystery, called a sacrament in the west, because Jesus said, “This is my body… This is my blood”

It is an ordinance, because Jesus said, “Eat this… Drink this…”

It is a memorial, because Jesus said, “remember me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 CEV)

It is a time for self-examination, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV)

It is a time to “wait for one another.” (1 Corinthians 11:33 NASB)

I dream of a church that discerns the body of Christ in each other and humbly waits for each other.

Gifts

God’s gifts are too many to count, but some are mentioned by Paul. Some seem to think that all should be able to speak with tongues, but we are not all a foot, a hand, an ear or an eye.

“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:29-30 KJV)

I dream of a gifted church without jealousy or competition, but respect for each other’s abilities as unique and given by God.

Love

I dream of a church where love prevails.

“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NASB)

Prophecy

Powerful preaching is a gift to the church.

“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV)

I dream of a church that preaches the Word of God in both private and public prophesying.

I Dream of a Church (19)

 Old Leaven

During the spring Passover festival, people purged their homes of leavening or yeast for making bread. In a similar manner, Paul encourages us.

“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8 KJV)

I dream of a church that highly values sincerity and truth.

A Holy Church

Contrary to some churches, Paul instructs us.

“Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9b-10 NASB)

I dream of a church that values holy living.

Marriage and Celibacy

Some have a gift of celibacy allowing them to devote their entire existence to God. Others may later discover a need to be married, and because of this nobody should ever be encouraged to make an irreversible vow of celibacy, but given freedom to change their minds if they later so choose.

“But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:9 NIV)

This is not possible for those who have made an unwise oath. I dream of a church where celibates and married are honored, and that people are not coerced into making foolish vows, but are always free to change their minds if they later want to become married.

Pay

Some churches can afford to pay well, but value pastoral work so little that they pay only a pittance.

“For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?” (1 Corinthians 9:9-12 NKJV)

I dream of a church that values its pastors so highly, that they don’t have to waste precious time making tents as Paul did.

Baptism

Although baptize literally means immerse, it is not always used literally.

“In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.” (1 Corinthians 10:2 NLT)

Adults and children were baptized, having gone through the red sea dry shod. How was Jesus baptized?

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water” (Matthew 3:16a ESV)

The Greek literally says, He went up “away from” the water. It could have been ankle deep. Without details, we simply don’t know anything except that water was used. I dream of a church that does not impose a particular age or mode of baptism that the Bible does not, but leaves it up to the faith of individual members.

I Dream of a Church (18)

 Sectarianism

Why do we say we are Calvinists, Lutherans, Mennonites, or Wesleyans? It has always been a puzzle that we who are called Christians also want to name ourselves after a man, which at least in principle, the Bible specifically forbids.

“Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions?” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13a NLT)

I dream of a church that is not divided by the theology of any man.

A Humble Church

Who are we?

“For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong.” (1Corinthians 1:26-27 WEB)

I dream of a church that is not filled with ignorant know-it-alls, but is humble, realizing that we are the foolish and weak of the world.

Christ’s Mind

On the other hand, let’s not discredit the gift that God has given us.

“But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16 CEB)

I dream of a church that is not ashamed of that which has been given them from heaven, but in all humility judges things with the wisdom of heaven, the mind of Christ.

The Foundation

Whether we build with early church fathers, later ecumenical councils, a Reformation or something totally new, there is no other foundation upon which to build.

“... because Christ is the only foundation.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 CEV)

I dream of a church that is continually in repentant revision regarding its theology, not by going to the world as modernists do, but by continually returning to what Jesus and the Apostles taught, the essentials of our common faith.

Excommunication

Though a rare step, expelling someone from the church is sometimes a wise course of action. Paul had to do it to a man who was sleeping with his mother-in-law.

“Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:2 ESV)

Many modern churches are afraid to remove those who commit gross public sexual sins, and sometimes even promote them to high office. I dream of a church that shows love to sexual sinners, by addressing their self-destructive behavior rather than ignoring it or pretending that it is okay.

I Dream of a Church (17)

 The Word

Bad preaching may be a motivational speech, a series of stories, jokes or something else just pulled out of thin air and blamed on the Holy Spirit. Yet, there is good preaching.

“How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news.” (Romans 10:14-15 CEV)

I dream of a church where the Bible is preached and expounded, as in Nehemiah’s simple outline of preaching.

“They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8 WEB)

I also dream of a receptive church, very much unlike ancient Israel.

“I have spread out My hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people.” (Romans 10:21 NASB)

Sacrifice

The spirit of the law, the whole law, includes the sacrificial system. Our ultimate sacrifice is Jesus, but we too are encouraged to be self-sacrificial.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1 KJV)

I dream of a church where everybody willingly serves, so that the burden is shared.

Civil Law

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1 ESV)

I dream of a church where everyone obeys the speed limit, vaccination mandates, pays taxes and willingly upholds any other civil law that does not violate the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles.

Non-Essentials

I dream of a church where politics and personal preferences are not foisted upon anyone.

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” (Romans 14:1 NIV)

In the early church clean and unclean meats, Saturday or Sunday worship, Passover/Easter on Nisan 14 or a floating date, were matters of personal conscience, not bossy church law.

“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” (Romans 14:10 NIV)

I dream of a church that returns to grace on non-essentials, matters that neither Jesus nor the Apostles commanded for the church.

I Dream of a Church (16)

 Sin

Many modern churches don’t want to hear about sin.

“They tell the seers, ‘Stop seeing visions!’ They tell the prophets, ‘Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.’” (Isaiah 30:10 NLT)

Paul preached against sin unapologetically.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” (Romans 6:12 ESV)

I dream of a church that eagerly hears the hard sayings of the Bible as much as the easy ones.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)

Mercy

Granted some pastors have committed adultery and worse, but most are sincerely trying to follow God. Paul, a minister of high rank, freely admitted his fallibility.

“For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” (Romans 7:18-19 NASB)

I dream of a church that will not tolerate gross sin in its leadership but is merciful towards the common human foibles that affect us all.

The Law

Some Christians believe the law is bad.

“... the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12 NIV)

What then is the problem? We are the problem.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4 NKJV)

I dream of a church that walks according to the Spirit.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38 NLT)

Simplicity

We have so complicated Christianity, when it is so simple that a child could understand.

“Because if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 CEB)

I dream of a church that makes the simple message of the Bible plain for the simplest, and challenging enough for the most intelligent.

I Dream of a Church (15)

 A Humble Church

I dream of a humble church that does not seek to justify its own sins by claiming infallibility for its official decisions.

“No one is righteous—not even one.” (Romans 3:10b NLT)

No Special Churches

The “one true church syndrome” is ubiquitous. Some make this claim because of the “right” mode or age of baptism, the “right” worship day, the “right” doctrines, descent from the apostles, or some other form of human vanity. However, Paul has a different opinion.

“God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:22 CEV)

I dream of a church that humbly recognizes Christians across a spectrum of faulty doctrines, because no church has perfect theology or a spotless history.

“What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith.” (Romans 3:27 CEV)

I dream of a church that does not brag about some church rules, or succession, but only in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:31).

Access Through Jesus

I dream of a church that teaches access to Jesus, not some authoritarianism of men.

“Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory.” (Romans 5:1-2 CEB)

I dream of a church that humbly teaches that an organization of mere mortals does not give that access to God, but that we stand through Jesus Christ.

Resurrection

Some modern churches no longer believe in the resurrection of Jesus, or mean by it some watered down version of what Christians have always believed. Don’t be fooled by deceptive preaching! Resurrection is a core doctrine of the Christian faith.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10 NASB)

What is the faith of those who deny the resurrection?

“... if Christ wasn’t raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14 CEV)

Why did most of the Apostles willingly die for something they knew was a lie? They didn’t! They were witnesses. I dream of a church that truly believes in the resurrection of the dead, not counterfeits masquerading as Christianity.

I Dream of a Church (14)

 Unusual Miracles

I dream of a church where God works miracles even using small, anointed prayer cloths, as is the custom in some churches, following Paul’s example.

“Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:11-12 NKJV)

Paul’s Testimony

Paul taught both publicly and from house to house, “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21 WEB)

I dream of a church that does not water the Gospel down by preaching faith without repentance.

Giving

In one of the few places outside the Gospels where Jesus is quoted, Paul said, “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35 NLT)

I dream of a generous church that truly believes this.

Prophecy

In Tyre, Paul stayed with believers for a week and “Compelled by the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4 CEB)

I dream of a church where members are open to speak at the urging of the Holy Spirit.

Conspiracies

Faithful church leaders will at times run across people who conspire against them with slander and lies. Paul was no exception.

“When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.” (Acts 23:12-13 ESV)

Jews from Jerusalem “laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.” (Acts 25:7b KJV)

I dream of a church that remains faithful to God despite such unethical conduct from within. May God forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.

Saints

Saints are not just the heroes of the faith, but every single Christian.

“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints” (Romans 1:7 NKJV)

Notice that the words “to be” are in italics in most Bibles. They are called saints. I dream of a church where there is no more reluctance to call God’s holy people saints, for that is what we are, the moment our sins are forgiven.

Suppression

Wherever we are in the world, there is some measure of suppression of the truth. It exists in science, politics, and even in the church. Why do men cover up this most precious commodity?

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:25 NIV)

If you think that intelligent, highly educated people are always logical, think again. The forensic evidence for God is everywhere. Design doesn’t happen without a designer. DNA code doesn’t happen without a code maker. Under divine inspiration, Paul calls out atheists by revealing their true motives for denying the obvious, an emotional desire to sin, in dozens of ways, rather than honest and logical conclusions about the available evidence (Romans 1:18-32). I dream of a church that is not ashamed while being assailed on all fronts by a world that mocks, represses, bans and in some countries, imprisons and murders Christians.

I Dream of a Church (13)

 Disputes

All churches will from time to time experience some kind of dispute.

Whether it is a rule of Old Testament law, a more recent church rule, or a matter of custom, there will be different opinions. In such cases, we need to remember that there is something far more important than our opinions on lesser matters.

"We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 15:11 NLT)

Sometimes disputes arise over personnel. Paul and Barnabas had such a dispute.

"Their argument became so intense that they went their separate ways." (Acts 15:39a CEB)

I dream of a church that is not shocked by occasional disputes because church life is not, and never has been perfect.

Paul Evangelizing

There are many opportunities to spread the Gospel. At the time, the synagogue was open to public discussion.

“So as usual, Paul went there to worship, and on three Sabbaths he spoke to the people. He used the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2 CEV).

In Athens Paul also reasoned in the marketplace (vs 17). I really doubt that such openness would exist today in most places of worship of any religion. Yet, there are other opportunities available. Some have put up a table in a public place offering prayer or stand in a public place with a Bible in hand shouting to passers by. Others use the internet, door knocking, advertising, tracts and personal contact. Be prepared to be humiliated, as Paul experienced!

“some mocked. But others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’” (vs 32b ESV)

I dream of a church where members are unafraid to evangelize by any and every opportunity.

Missionaries

Elders called to pastoral care of a local congregation may stay a long time, but that was not the calling of a missionary apostle like Paul. In Corinth for example, “he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Acts 18:11 KJV) “Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria” (vs 18 NASB).

I dream of a church where some are called to the apostolic ministry of missionary or church pioneer, so that the church of God will multiply exceedingly.

Time to Leave

In some places there may come a time to move on. For instance, “Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.” (Acts 19:8-9 NIV)

I dream of a church where, if people refuse to believe the word of God, those who do simply move out and meet elsewhere, valuing the Word of God above any habitual meeting place.

I Dream of a Church (12)

 Expect Miracles

Too many modern people no longer expect miracles. Yet, God still provides for His own. An example of God’s provision in the early church was Peter’s angelic release from Herod’s prison and what happened to Herod sometime later?

“At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23 CEV)

I dream of a church that trusts God to free us from the grip of those who wish to undermine our ministry, and dispatch them in His own ways.

Simple Organization

What were the leaders of the church at Antioch called?

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” (Acts 13:1 ESV)

The two offices of prophet and teacher, or singular office of prophet-teacher in this context refers to spiritual leadership of proclaiming and teaching God’s word. We may be beginning to notice a difference between how deacons were chosen and elders. Two of them were ordained for missionary service not by a congregational decision, nor by their own individual decision, but directly by the Holy Spirit and confirmed with laying on of hands by the local church.

“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3 KJV)

I dream of a church that is not at a loss as to how to share the Gospel. The rest of Acts 13 reveals one way, by summarizing the story of God from Israel to Jesus.

Fleeing

When preaching the Gospel, sometimes it is necessary to leave town.

“And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to treat them abusively and to stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; and there they continued to preach the gospel.” (Acts 14:5-7 NASB)

Paul and Barnabas encourage us with the following words.

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God …” (Acts 14:22b NIV).

I dream of a church that is willing to endure hardship because the Gospel is so precious.

Remember Your Baptism

Intro

Is it important to remember your baptism? Purpose: Let us examine history’s most important baptism and see some relevant lessons for our own baptism. Plan: We will look at the baptism of Jesus in Luke 3:15-22.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

“Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” (Luke 3:15-16 NKJV)

John the Baptizer explained three distinctions. 1) The Messiah would be mightier, 2) that John was not worthy, and 3) The Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Fire?

“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.” (Luke 3:17-20 NKJV)

The Bible speaks of a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8). The chaff will be tossed into the fire. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended like flames of fire (Acts 2:3). Either way there is fire, Holy Spirit fire or hell fire. Judgment begins with our response to Jesus’ first coming, but will not take place until after His second coming.

Jesus’ Baptism

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NKJV)

The Bible does not tell us the mode of Jesus’ baptism. He could have come up out of ankle deep water. But 1) Heaven was opened, 2) the Holy Spirit descended and 3) a voice came. God is well-pleased with his Son, Jesus.

Outro

Let’s remember that we were baptized “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), “to wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16), baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8), “baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13), and that “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I Dream of a Church (11)

Deacon Authority

How much authority does a deacon have? Here we see a deacon, Philip baptize an Ethiopian and afterwards preach the Gospel.

“Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:39-40 NKJV)

I dream of a church where leaders are not stifled by silly lines of competition.

A Damascus Road Experience

As Jesus builds His Church, Christ’s workers will experience much opposition even from religious leaders of other churches. God does not ask His Church to fight, but rely upon Jesus taking care of His flock. One such example is Jesus’ confrontation with Saul the persecutor.

“As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’” (Acts 9:3-4 NLT)

A sad legacy of church history is Christian persecuting Christian. It has not stopped and still takes place in various countries today. Opposition from non-Christians also continues worldwide, but according to Open Doors World Watch List, it has been the worst of all in places like North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, India, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and so on. What happened as a result of Jesus confronting Saul?

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” (Acts 9:31 NIV)

This is not guaranteed to always be so, as our greatest hope is not in this life. The Church experienced ten major periods of persecution before the Emperor Constantine gave Christianity official state recognition. I dream of a church where those who are in opposition will have a similar Damascus road experience so that they too can be used mightily by God.

Willing to Listen

To whom should Christians preach the Gospel when Jesus is building a church through them? We often think of a certain target demographic, but the crowd that Jesus chooses will often be quite different from those we would normally associate with. What is a main ingredient among those who God is calling to His Church?

“Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.” (Acts 10:33b WEB)

A readiness to listen is a key ingredient for many things in the church. Who should be in leadership, those who are not ready to listen, but have their own agendas? No! Who will make good candidates for members of the local church, those who want to turn the church around with worldly agendas? No! I dream of a church where everyone is eager to listen to Jesus and the Apostles.

A Benefit of Persecution

We may think that persecution has no positive benefits, but there is one, people who would have otherwise stayed home, scattered and carried the Gospel with them.

“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. (Acts 11:19 ESV)

Did the word remain only among Jews?

“Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. The Lord’s power was with them, and a large number came to believe and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:20-21 CEB)

Like these ancient Christians, we too may have a preferred demographic to reach, but let’s be ready to accept all who are willing to listen into our fellowship, no matter their background. I dream of a church that is willing to leave the comforts of home to spread the most important message on the planet.

I Dream of a Church (10)

Work

One thing that many don’t want to do is work. I admit, the following description seems like too much work for me.

“Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:42 CEV)

I dream of a church with enough enthusiastic and loyal preachers and teachers to fill all the needs throughout the week, leaving enough time to fast, pray and rest for all in leadership.

Proto-Deacons

One mistake that many church leaders make is mixing spiritual duties with physical. In modern countries there is a lot of red-tape involved in ministry. Health regulations, child-safety laws, wedding regulations, and many denominations seem to impose more and more loads of internal red tape. The paperwork alone can kill the spiritual side of ministry and so it is important that faithful and skilled deacon managers are found to free the elders from these duties.

A case in point is found in an early church management problem. How were needy people to be served equitably with daily food needs?

“And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.’” (Acts 6:2-3 ESV)

Notice several things about this decision. This was a congregational decision, not an apostolic decision (vs 3a). Those chosen needed to have good reputations, be filled with the Holy Spirit and be wise (vs 3b). The reason for this division of labor is clear (vs 4). They chose all men (vs 5). Once the congregation had chosen them, the apostles would appoint or ordain them to this duty with the laying on of hands (vs 6). Though this is a description of what they did and not a commanded prescription for all future similar decisions, it does have the potential to be a precedent, if we notice similar reasoning afterwards.

“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4 KJV)

Those of us who may be more oriented towards physical tasks can think that “prayer and teaching the word” (NLT) are not real work. Some people even make a joke that pastors only work one day a week. However, no church will do very well when “prayer and the service of proclaiming the word” (CEB) are neglected. An effective sermon requires at least 20 hours of preparation. The so-called Saturday night special, the bad habit of leaving the sermon until the night before, is guaranteed to be a weak failure, not blessed by God, except in rare emergencies.

The best sermon preparation is to begin long before the next sermon. A whole week for prayer, research and meditation is better than any last minute scramble. Prayer and ministry of the word are foundational to the spiritual health of a local church and must be seen as the most important work of those assigned to spiritual oversight. Churches that burden their elders with a litany of physical duties will be spiritually malnourished and weak. I dream of a church that completely understands the division of labor, and is blessed with skilled, willing deacons who take care of the physical management, so that the elders are free to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word of God.

Opposition

See a church in town that does not have opposition and perhaps it is more worldly than Christian. Church planters should expect opposition from other religious leaders. They may have what I call exclusive franchise mentality, in that they act like a religious mafia that wants to be the only business in town. In some countries it is far worse than others, but be prepared. This was Stephen’s experience.

“Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.” (Acts 7:54 NASB)

I dream of a church that God has so blessed with spiritual fruit, that all opposition is overcome.

Power Seekers

Do churches ever experience someone trying to buy influence like Simon the Sorcerer? Over the years I’ve noticed an arrogance among some, often wealthier church members who believe that their worldly wisdom is wiser than that of poorer church members. They often assume that they are entitled to church leadership and though they may not attempt it as blatantly as Simon did, nevertheless they can often assume that their great contributions to church coffers has granted them the office. What did Simon do?

“And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 8:18-19 NKJV)

From this story we get the word simony meaning buying or selling a church office. In Simon’s case, he seemed more interested in “this power” than receiving the Holy Spirit himself. This seems applicable to power plays within the Church throughout history. We see similar ambitious people, those who have bought an office, or seem otherwise more interested in lording it over others than letting the Holy Spirit lead. If we want our churches to be successful the shepherds of the flock must guard against anyone seeking power for selfish reasons.

May our leaders have the courage of Peter, who plainly answered Simon.

“May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:20-23 NIV)

I dream of a church where carnal ambition has not bought anyone an office, but that all those who serve make a valuable contribution to church health.