God...Yes. Church....No. By Milton Hardin (Stacey) HigherGr@ix.netcom.com God yes, Church no. What do I mean by that? There are many people who say yes to God but no to the church. They commit to God but are unwilling to commit to a local church. I picture the guy at they Lake who says," I don't have to attend church to be a Christian". "The Church doesn't need to control my life". "I don't get anything out of Church anyway". "I am closer to God right here on the lake". Is that wrong? Yes! This guy wants to be closer to the fish! I picture other people who say things like: "I don't like being obligated". "There is no one church for me that I call home". "I don't need to have a church home to be faithful". Is that wrong? Well, it's not really sin like murder. It's just not wise. Let's face it. Some Christians jump around like frogs on a hot sidewalk! God yes. Church no. - A common attitude today. Statistics show that church loyalty is down and church hopping is up. Today you should know the value of saying God yes. Church yes. I commit to God and His church. Now, don't hear something I'm not saying. I am not saying you can never enter into another church. I am not saying you have to be at the church every time the door is open, although we have no rules against that either! What I am saying is this - There is value in saying God yes, church yes. There is value in it for you. #1 A good name gives me opportunities. Prov 22:1 TLB "If you must choose, take a good name rather than great riches; for to be held in loving esteem is better than silver and gold." Many times in scripture favoritism is to be shown to those who's life and works are known to the church. They are to blessed, promoted, esteemed. Whereas, those who life and works are not verifiable, tested, confirmed are asked to wait. Every employer knows that a good name is not built in a couple of weeks. Every probation officer knows it too. The guy on the lake says God yes. Church no. I say Christian maybe, fruitful Christian no. Maybe being a productive Christian is not that important to some people. However, Jesus said unproductive branches will be cut off and cast into the fire. That sounds very important to me! We need to be productive but that's somewhere between unlikely and impossible if we are not devoted people. Fruitfulness and faithfulness go hand in hand. If you are not being fruitful you are not being faithful. If you are not faithful you are not fruitful. Anonymous commitment: "I know how much you can depend on me and that's who needs to know. God knows how much I'm committed and that enough". Privatized Christianity: "I'm a Christian but I don't want to talk about it. It's a private matter. Don't ask, Don't tell". Nothing could be more in opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity is - "ASK", "TELL", "SHOW". When we believe in anonymous, privatized Christianity we turn into fruitless fakers. You need a name. You need to gain a good reputation within the church. You can't do that with anonymous flip flop devotion. Here is the truth: The *more* committed I am, the *less* restricted I am. (parents say amen!) The *more* committed I am, the *more* productive I am. (employers say amen!) The only anonymous uncommitted place you can go to is hell. They don't take names there. There is nothing to sign. There is no such thing as the book of death. Commit to a good name. God yes. Church Yes. !!!! #2 When I am available, I am able. Being available means that I can be interrupted, asked. You can count on me. We all have gifts, abilities. Abilities need to be available and committed. Without commitment there would be no church government and administrations. There would be no pastor or leadership. If you don't know whether a teacher is going to be in church - effectively you have no teacher at all. (Eph 4:14-16 NRSV) "We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ~15~ But ...we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ~16~ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love." Joined and Knit. That sounds like commitment! Commitment is like the ligament that connects bones and muscles. It holds organs in place. Things don't work without commitment. The body won't grow with commitment. Commitment is a sign of spiritual maturity. Church is a place where availability meets opportunity. God yes, Church no = Bones yes, ligaments no. When we make ourselves available then we are able to grow. #3 When I am accountable I am able. William Holden's obituary read something like this: William Holden , a private man, died alone in his apartment. He bled to death from a gash in his forehead caused by a drunken fall. It was 4-5 days later his body was found. He was 63. Holden guarded his privacy with increasing vigilance. Incredible! You know, that's what happens to many Christians who say "God yes, church no." They are out of touch, unaccountable..... They back slide into spiritual death every day and nobody even misses them! Counselors say that when a person is willing to be accountable (especially to a group) they are most able to make positive changes. Don't believe me? What does weight watchers do? They watch your weight with you! People do more work and better work when they are being accountable. The truth is, (Taken from Charles Swindoll) When only God is watching I know he won't tell, so I tend to make excuses. But, if I report to a group, I begin to monitor my own behavior. (This is the kind of truth only a true disciple of Jesus can swallow!) #4 Being accountable gives me another set of eyes. (Prov 21:2 KJV) "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Without accountability to leadership people do what's right in their own eyes. (Judg 17:6 NRSV) "In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes." Would you like to live in the period of the judges? No way. When accountability goes down, judgment goes up. Why do you think the book is titled "Judges"? When we borrow money we pay it back. When we take a job, we punch the clock. When we attend school we takes exams and answer roll call. [accountability] God has built accountability into the US gov't. He has built it into the family. He has built it into the church! Sheep go in herds. It's the banana that's pulled away from the bunch that gets peeled. Here are some famous people who didn't believe in accountability. Famous person Famous last words ------------------------------ ---------------------------- Cain Am I my brother's keeper? SXXXXXXT I don't need anymore help. Nixon I am not a crook J. BXXXR I was wrong. Do you want to count? Do you want to be able? Then you must be accountable. Accountability happens when a local body can count on us. The bible speaks a lot about being accountable to others. Submitting to leadership.... Being devoted to one another... Confessing our faults to one another.... That's accountability !! Accountability makes me able. (Heb 10:25 NCV) "You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming." Even (Gen 2:18 LB) "It isn't good for man to be alone.." #5 I belong to a brotherhood We don't just believe together, we belong together. We don't just live in a neighborhood of believers. We live in a brotherhood of believers. (1 John 3:14 TLB) "If we love other Christians, it proves that we have been delivered from hell and given eternal life. But a person who doesn't have love for others is headed for eternal death." Saying Jesus yes but church no is like saying to a husband: We like you, but,..... could you keep your nagging bride and bratty kids at home? Jesus said, (John 13:35 NIV) "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."" You are not just joined to Christ but you are joined to each other as well. We are partakers together being built together. The church is not just a human organization but it is a supernatural entity with visible shape and form. Some people say, ""But, just because you go to church doesn't mean you're a Christian". It's true. Not everything in the lake is a fish. But, can a fish live apart from water? no. Only a frog can jump back and forth! We need to commit to church! God yes. Church yes.!!! (Rom 12:10-16 NIV) "Be devoted to one another .. live in harmony with one another.." Harmony is different notes sounding together beautifully. That doesn't happen if a person is devoted to themselves. Trumpets don't play harmony. God yes, church no - is anything but devotion and harmony. Being devoted means saying - You can count on me. I'm not just a neighbor. I'm your brother or sister." It proves I am a mature Christian that loves God. A lot of Christians don't stay in one place long enough to build meaningful relationships. Acquaintances maybe, but not real relationships. They think relationships can be done as quickly as a movie introduces a character. - 2 or 3 four minute takes. No Way! It takes time and patience. When you need someone you don't want a cassette tape. You don't want a 4 minute Hollywood character. A book is nice but it doesn't interact. Look at this piano today. Can you imagine if I came in early Sunday mornings and randomly removed some but not all of the keys? How would the piano player play? It wouldn't sound good. What if I only randomly monkeyed around with the white keys but left the black ones alone? The piano player would learn not to count on the white keys and only use the black keys. So, it is in church with undevoted Christians. They scratch their heads and wonder why they are so unfulfilled. Church leadership learns to no count on them and only use the committed ones. Harmony comes from devotion. Why should I commit to church? # 6 Because, I am called to be devoted and live in harmony with other believers. This is God's will for our lives. There is safety in numbers. 2 cords bound together are stronger than one lone strand of fiber. God yes, Church no.: It's like saying : Baseball yes, Team no. Diploma yes, Examines no. Muscles yes, weights no. Kids yes, Marriage no. Husband welcome Wife not welcome. It is illogical. It is contradictive. It is impossible. It doesn't work. There is no vertical relationship to Christ without the horizontal relationship with other Christians. This is why many Christians are unfulfilled. They need to commit to a local church. God yes, Church yes!