Let's be the church!

This week we have been learning a ton about church history! It has been so interesting learning about the movements of the church and its impact (or lack thereof) of the culture. Here's some important things to note about church history!

     Why is Church History important?

a.     If we want to stay faithful to the truth, we must understand the attacks truth has suffered in the past. We can learn so much from the history and heritage of our faith that past generations have experienced. We must be aware of the pitfalls they fell into as well as the successes they had in the advancement of God’s kingdom.

                                         i.     2 Timothy 1:13 “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

                                       ii.     1 Timothy 4:16- “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

b.     It’s impossible to understand where we are now without knowing how we got here.  Being a part of a 2,000-year history inspires me to take part of fulfilling the great commission that the apostles go Jesus started. It encourages me to spread my faith to the next generation with a profound sense of humility and honor.

c.      It’s important to create balance. It is easy to see in Christian history that we are quick to over-correct. The pendulum is always swinging from one extreme to the other. It is no different from Christianity today!

d.     Without historical perspective, it’s easy to think that we have the study of God all figured out. Seeing the extensiveness of past mistakes made by brilliant people who passionately loved Jesus makes me realize that I’m probably missing something too. We are imperfect people and we are certain to have errors somewhere in our theology (study of God). Studying Church history is important because it helps me to guard against pride in my own theology. Studying Church history has forced me to acknowledge that I too have my own blind spots.

                                   

1)            How do we see God’s sovereignty throughout Church history?

a.      The perpetual will of God can be seen throughout Church history all the way to today. God is sovereign, or the ultimate source of all power, authority and everything that exists, and we know that he reveals himself in his word and he never changes.

                                         i.     Revelation 21:6 “God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him.”

                                       ii.     Colossians 1:16 “God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible.”

                                      iii.     Romans 11:33 “God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens.”

b.     Knowing Church history also opens our eyes to past generation’s sins and failures and gives us hope that we are not alone in our mistakes and that the church still pressed on through the power of the Holy Spirit through imperfect people! The Church still has a mission, and we are still called to preach the Gospel to all nations.

c.      When looking at church history it is evident that when persecution exists, the number of believers (the church) grows like crazy! Persecution of the church can be a good thing, because during times of persecution the church is purified and it grows numerically.  It’s amazing to see the true believers stand for truth and are willing to put everything on the line to see God exalted. We pray and work for peace and tranquility as it is beneficial for the flourishing of Christianity that believers have some elbowroom for the work of the kingdom. But if oppression or persecution comes, we still need to rejoice in it (Matthew 5:11-12) and look for ways to bear witness for Jesus in such an authentic manner that it makes our Lord evident to our persecutors.

 What is our responsibility as believers in God to handle the truth?

a.      We are to listen with great eagerness and examine the scriptures everyday like the Bereans. We are to read, study & apply its truth.

                                         i.     Acts 17:11 “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”

                                       ii.     2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

b.     We are to be faithful to preserve correct doctrine.

Throughout studying church history, its gives us hope that God’s people, enlightened and emboldened by the Holy Spirit, will confront heresy and false teaching whenever it seeks to infiltrate the Church. 

                                         i.     Galatians 1:6-9 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

                                       ii.     Colossians 2:8- “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

c.      We can guard against false teachings. There will always be old heresies that show up in the church and appear as new & progressive teachings.  The bible also warns us against false teachers who infiltrate the church. We must always be on guard against such things.

                                         i.     Scripture warns us, and the history bears it out, that there will be false prophets and teachers in the Church, who will bring in destructive heresies, and many will follow their destructive ways (2 Peter 2:1-2).

1.     Examples of this are found in the many churches and entire denominations that are now ordaining gay and lesbian ministers, and in places where homosexual marriage is not only being promoted, but performed and given the blessing of individuals, churches, and denominations.  It is the influx of a liberal, man-centered theology that is at the heart of this decay.

                                       ii.     2 Timothy 4:3- “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.”

                                    

 What is our responsibility as members of the church body?

a.     Be part of a faithful local church that esteems the word of God and follows it closely.

b.     Attend the meetings of the local church

c.      Be an active participant in the church’s work

d.     Find your spiritual gifting and serve in a ministry

e.     Have a teachable spirit, submit to local church leadership

f.      Examine the scriptures for yourself

g.     Stand firm against false teaching and destructive heresies

h.     Teach others outside of the church and share the gospel

i.       BE THE CHURCH!

Paul was writing to strengthen the church in Thesalonica and this is what he said, let us gain encouragement from his words! 

“with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” 1 Thes. 2:3-6

This scripture can apply to us today as an encouragement to share not only the gospel, but our very lives! Even in the face of strong opposition and false teachings of today, we are to speak His truth in love and share not only the gospel that can save us but also our very lives! For we are not working to please man, but God! We are to stand up for our Christian faith.

Discussion Questions:

What are some false doctrines or teachings that are creeping into our modern day church in America?
How can we stay teachable, yet guard against those false teachings?

Is it important to stay close to traditions of the heritage of our faith forefathers?

Why do you think God chooses to use the local church as his tool to reach the world?

How can you be a part of that plan to reach reach others for God?

Are you a member of a church that teaches sound doctrine and seeks to live by it?

If not, why? What is holding you back from being a part of something bigger than yourself?

If you are a member of a church, how can you plug in and serve there? Is there a small group ministry, bible studies, prayer teams, greeting teams you can be a part of?

What are your gifts a talents God has given you? How can you use them at your local church?

How can we share not only the gospel of God, but also our very lives with others?

Join me in preserving sound teachings of the bible in a time where our culture is constantly changing and sometimes veering or twisting the teachings of Jesus to make it more palatable for themselves. Let us guard against false teaching and stand firm to the truth of God's word! 

Keep running after Jesus,

D. Pro

Woe to the Complacent

      The book of Amos is one prophetical book in the Bible that most modern readers (including myself) sometimes just skim over. Some call the prophetical books the "sticky pages" in the bible that we never turn to because we think they are just referring to the nation of Israel in history and do not still have applicable points to teach us today. Unless you know the context of the book and what was going on historically during that period, it can certainly be confusing. So as I have been learning the history and the context, the book has come alive to me and it is so easy to see that there are major lessons we can learn from the prophets, specifically Amos.The purpose of the book of Amos was to announce God’s holy judgment on the Kingdom of Israel (the Northern Kingdom), call them to repentance, and to turn from their self-righteous sins and idolatry. God raised up the prophet Amos, as an act of His great mercy to a people who repeatedly shunned and disobeyed Him.

Who was Amos?

Amos was a small business man selling sycamore figs and shepherd boy. He made clear in his writings that he did not come from a family of prophets and didn't even consider himself to be one. Amos would travel to the villages of Israel to sell and trade and it was there that he saw the hardships imposed on the working class of people by the wealthy landowners who lived in towns and cities in the midst of comparative luxury. He was deeply troubled not only by the contrast of the rich and poor but also by the way the political and religious leaders would downplay or justify this disparity. 

What were the people doing during this time?

We see the people of Israel are living in peace in prosperity.  We get glimpses of the people’s enthusiastic self-confidence (Amos 6:1; 8:3).  Their popular religiosity saw the nation’s prosperity as the inevitable result of its faithfulness to God. Yet, Amos knows that loyalty to God involves fair dealings among people and justice for all rather than only observing religious ceremonies. So Amos gets fed up and delivers a message from God directed against these privileged people of Israel, a people who had no love for their neighbor, who took advantage of others, and who only looked out for their own concerns. The people were very "religious" and "ritualistic" yet did not have a heart to help others. 

Amos repeatedly points out the failure of the people to fully embrace God’s idea of justice. The people looked good on the outside but were internally wicked. They "worshipped" God in the temples, they made music and sacrifices to God and yet, their hearts were far from Him. They drank wine by the bowlful, lived in big houses, lounged on their couches, laid their heads upon beds adorned with ivory, used the finest lotions, ate luxury foods. BUT they did not grieve over the unmet needs and justice of the people.  This is what God had to say about it: 

 (Amos 6:1) “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion”

I hate, I despise your feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them . . . . Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? 

From an outside view, they looked like good people- yet in reality, their hearts were sinful and they were internally corrupted to the core. They were selling off needy people for goods, taking advantage of the helpless, oppressing the poor, and the men were using women immorally (Amos 2:6–8; 3:10; 4:1; 5:11–12; 8:4–6). Drunk on their own economic success and intent on strengthening their financial position, the people had lost the concept of caring for one another. Amos was sent to rebuke them because he saw in that lifestyle evidence that Israel had forgotten God. They had ultimately forgotten Him.

 They had so much material success that they lost sight of their need for God. 

Amos compares the Israel people to a basket of ripe summer fruit, whose material prosperity is like the fully ripe fruit. But ripe fruit only lasts a little while and then it rots and decays. Amos was comparing the Israelites to this basket of fruit and warned them that if they don't turn from their sin and return to the real God- the peaceful years of the nation would surely come to an end.  The people didn't like this inconvenient message and told him take his message elsewhere. They said never to speak to them again. They didn't listen to him or turn back to God... And what do you think happened? The word of the Lord came to pass and the nation of Israel was captured and exiled. The luxurious home were brought to ruin, the men and women who spent their time in idleness and pleasure were dragged into exile and the entire country was laid waste. Later Amos gives hope that God will rebuild and restore the hope of the people.“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old” (9:11).

What can we learn? 

•     When I read about the message that God gives to the people through Amos, I can't help but draw comparisons to our American culture today. The mental pictures that Amos gives us with the "beds of ivory," luxurious houses, abundance of material possessions, definitely sounds like modern day America. We have so many material possessions, that I think sometimes we can forget our need for God. Affluence (wealth & prosperity) often leads to apathy and arrogance (5:1-6:14). 

•       We too can be guilty of complacency. Some of it is due to affluence. Some of it is a result of going-through-the-motions of church or devotions without seeking God. And we mistakenly think that are empty efforts please God. Amos has a lot to teach us about complacency in our relationship with God. 

•       God never leaves us or forsakes us, even in discipline. He’s always waiting for us to return to Him. Amos called God’s people to return to God, as did many of the prophets and writers of Scripture. “Return to Me and I will return to you” says the Lord Almighty (Zech 1:3, Mal. 3:7). James would call us to ‘Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8)

The book of Amos also teaches us about the nature of God. Some people think that God's anger is the opposite of God's love, but God's anger is an integral part of God's love. Because God loves people, God is angry when they suffer. God's commitment is to all people, including the poor and oppressed, which fuels God's anger at oppressors. Without the concept of God's anger, God's love is an empty concept. This message of God's anger and judgment remains relevant for us today.

 How about us? Do we need to return to God? Have we become complacent in our relationship with God and need to repent and get back on track? Have we gotten too comfortable in our jobs and communities that we’ve forgotten that God has called us to be His voice in our jobs, at school, and in our communities? That he calls us to take care of others and take responsibility to bring justice? Have we taken His blessings for granted? Have we become discouraged in our trials and forgotten God’s messages of hope? 

I ask that God would reveal to us where we need to return to Him so we can enjoy Him more and be available to serve Him whenever He calls!


-Keep running after Jesus,


Dorothy Pro