{6-13-2010}

How many of you have ever been on a cruise?

How many of you have ever been to an island?

Why would anyone from Iowa want to go to an island?

What can you do on an island that you can’t do in Iowa?

Give me some ideas of what I could do on an island.

Enjoy the beach.

Get away from a winter in Iowa.

Let me tell you what one guy did on an island:

Acts 13:2-7) While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them.”

3) They fasted and prayed, placed their hands on them, and sent them off.

4) Having been sent by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia and sailed from there to the island of Cyprus.

5) When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues. They had John Mark with them to help in the work.

6) They went all the way across the island to Paphos, where they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, a Jew who claimed to be a prophet.

7) He was a friend of the governor of the island, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor called Barnabas and Saul before him because he wanted to hear the word of God.

What did the governor of the island want to do on his island?

Have you ever had a strong desire to hear/read the word of God?

What are some reasons we sometimes might have that cause us to want to

     hear/read God’s Word?

We need direction from God in our lives.

We’re confused and need to make some sense of life.

His Word strengthens us and gives us courage to face our circumstances.

Acts 13:8-12) But they were opposed by the magician Elymas (that is his name in Greek), who tried to turn the governor away from the faith.

9) Then Saul—also known as Paul—was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician

10) and said, “You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord’s truths into lies!

11) The Lord’s hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and will not see the light of day for a time.” At once Elymas felt a dark mist cover his eyes, and he walked around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.

12) When the governor saw what had happened, he believed; for he was greatly amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

What was the governor’s response to what he saw and heard?

What amazed the governor?

Have we lost our “amazement at the teaching about the Lord”?

What’s so amazing about the things that Paul taught?

1) We’ve all fallen short of God’s righteous requirements.

Rom. 3:23) For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard [NLT].

2) We were facing the wrath of God.

John 3:36) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him [NIV].

3) Our sentence was eternal death/separation from God.

Rom. 6:23) The payment for sin is death [GW].

4) We couldn’t help ourselves.

Rom. 5:6) When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners [NLT].

5) Jesus offers us the only solution available that can save us.

Rev. 3:20) Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in [NLT].

6) When we accept Him into our lives we become His children.

John 1:12) But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God [NLT].

7) Absolutely amazing things are in store for us.

1 John 3:1-3) See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children.

2) Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

3) And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure [NLT].

[6-20-2010]

Ephesians 6:1-3) [NIV] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2) “Honor your father and mother”-which is the first commandment with a promise-

3) “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Why should children “honor” their father?

What makes a father honorable?

John V. Elmore:

By day, John V. Elmore is a successful criminal defense attorney battling injustices in the legal system. By night, he’s a devoted family man. The author of Fighting for Your Life: The African-American Survival Guide, which addresses the issues of Blacks (particularly Black youth) and the American judicial system, experienced a time when he was in need of assistance with his own children. Widowed in 1998, Elmore faced raising three children alone. “When my wife died, I suddenly found myself in a position of needing help. And with God’s blessings, I had family and friends who helped us,” he recalls. “I found out that it’s really hard work to raise a family alone.” Now remarried to third-grade teacher Redahila, Elmore is now the head of a blended family that includes Twilla, 23, Justin, 18, Kristen, 13, and Sonya, 24 (not in photo). A graduate of Mansfield University and Syracuse University College of Law, Elmore has been a defense attorney since 1989 and has law offices in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. His book, meant to deter Black youth from prison, has caused him to be in demand for speaking engagements and radio show appearances. “During the course of my career, African-American people, particularly young people, are ruining their lives because of bad choices, or because of being wrongly accused and not understanding the system,” points out Elmore, who mentors young people and is a recipient of the NAACP Medgar Evers Civil Rights Award. Even though his schedule is hectic, he still makes it a point to be involved in his children’s lives by helping them with their homework, taking family weekend trips and coaching their sports teams. The one thing he stresses is that fathers should allow their children to choose what interests them. Elmore, who ran track in college, found that out when he tried to push youngest daughter Kristen into sports. “Kristen was almost 10 when she told me, “Dad, I’m not into sports. Help me to explore my artistic side.’”

Proverbs 22:6) [GNB] Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.

Or, according to the tenor of his way, i. e., the path especially belonging to, especially fitted for, the individual’s character. The proverb enjoins the closest possible study of each child’s temperament and the adaptation of “his way of life” to that [Barnes].

The proverb can also be understood as encouraging parents to train their children along the lines of their natural talents, rather than forcing them into professions or trades for which they have no native inclination. Thus Kidner says that the verse teaches respect for the child’s individuality and vocation, though not for his self-will [BBC].

[AMP] Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Laura Trahan:

Laura Trahan made a list of what makes a good father:

1. A good father plays with his kids.
2. A good father helps with chores.
3. A good father disciplines.
4. A good father gets involved in his kids’ lives.
5. A good father protects his kids.
6. A good father talks with his kids.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7) [GW] Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6) Take to heart these words that I give you today.

7) Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up.

Ephesians 6:4) [NIV] Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

2 Timothy 3:16-17) [GNB] All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living,

17) so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

In regards to fatherhood, what should we teach our children?

How do we keep from exasperating our children?

What material is there available to us to help us teach our children?

What other fathers should each of us honor?

John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, to name a few.

<verses 9-18>

[5-30-2010]

2 Peter 3:9-18) [GNB] The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

QUESTION: Why hasn’t the Lord Jesus returned yet?

ANSWER: He wants many more people to be saved because He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed.

10) But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.

QUESTION: In what way will His return [rapture] come “like a thief”?

ANSWER: The unbeliever certainly won’t be looking for him, and even we Christians have heard, and said, for so long that’s He’s coming any time now, that we are somewhat dull to the idea.

QUESTION: In what way will His return [second coming] come “like a thief”?

ANSWER: The Anti-Christ is in control, most, if not all, believers are in Heaven, and no one is looking for His return.

QUESTION: The heavens disappear? The heavenly bodies burn up? The earth vanishes? What?

Concerning, “On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise,

“This certainly means the atmospheric heavens, and may mean the stellar heavens, but it cannot mean the third heaven—the dwelling place of God” [BBC].

“That is, what seems to us to be the heavens. It cannot mean that the holy home where God dwells will pass away; nor do we need to suppose that this declaration extends to the starry worlds and systems as disclosed by modern astronomy. The word is doubtless used in a popular sense – that is, as things appear to us; and the fair interpretation of the passage would demand only such a change as would occur by the destruction of this world by fire” [Barnes].

Regarding, “the heavenly bodies will burn up,”

[GW] Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed.

[KJB] and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,

“Among the ancient Greek philosophers, it designated the four basic and essential elements of which the universe consisted, namely, earth, water, air, and fire” {elements} [Word Study].

“The word denotes the “rudiments” of anything; the minute parts or portions of which anything is composed, or which constitutes the simple portions out of which anything grows, or of which it is compounded.

Here it would properly denote the component parts of the material world; or those which enter into its composition, and of which it is made up” [Barnes].

In regards to “the earth with everything in it will vanish,”

[GW] The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed.

Revelation 20:11-15) [GNB] Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more.

12) And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

13) Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done.

14) Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.)

15) Those who did not have their name written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.

NOTE: Notice how “earth and heaven” flee on this day of the Great White Throne Judgment.

11) Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God,

QUESTION: How should these facts affect us?

ANSWER: We should live holy, dedicated lives to God.

1John 3:1-3) See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God’s children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God.

2) My dear friends, we are now God’s children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.

3) Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

NOTE: The thought of how sin affects the world’s future, along with the thought of how salvation affects the believer’s future ought to incite us to better living.

12) as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.

QUESTION: How can we make this day come quicker?

ANSWER: God is being patient, wanting more people to be saved, so if we become more evangelical in our passion and approach we could “make it come soon.” However, I’m not suggesting that God would change His plans because of our zeal, because when God set “the day and the hour” He already saw the future.

13) But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.

14) And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God’s sight and to be at peace with him.

NOTE: Here’s why we “wait” for that Day with eagerness; we understand that the destroying of the status quo is the first step to the creation of the “new heavens and a new earth.”

Again, the challenge is to do our best to live better as we are inspired by the truth of the Scripture.

15) Look on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.

16) This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.

NOTE: The “Lord’s patience” gives unbelievers “the opportunity” to be saved.

ANOTHER NOTE: Peter refers to Paul’s writings as Scripture.

17) But you, my friends, already know this. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not be led away by the errors of lawless people and fall from your safe position.

18) But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever! Amen.

QUESTION: Is Peter suggesting that we can be in a “safe position” concerning our relationship with God, and the fall out of that safe position?

<verses 1-9>

[5-23-2010]

2 Peter 3:1-9) [GNB] My dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written you. In both letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things.

2) I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles.

3) First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you

4) and will ask, “He promised to come, didn’t he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!”

QUESTION: What does Peter tell us concerning the motives of skeptics?

ANSWER: These are people with an agenda. Scientists, in general, have sold out. There are many reasons to question Darwin’s theory, but it remains untouchable to all who wish to be accepted in the scientific community. Why? There’s an agenda behind it. That agenda is the desire of the powerful to mold a society where “their own lusts” can be freely, and openly, played out. They want a society without the restraints that Christianity brings to bear. Consequently, they claim the debate is over. If anyone in the scientific community dares to disagree then they face persecution from the overall scientific community.

QUESTION: What new agenda has forced many in the scientific community to sell out?

ANSWER: Climate change. Once again they claim the debate is over in spite of whatever new evidence might arise to the contrary. Why? Their agenda is the leveling of the playing field for all. They believe the world will be a far better place if everyone has the same advantages. The problem with redistribution of wealth is that if you take away the incentive to excel from those gifted to excel, jobs will be lost, taxes will go up, and chaos will be the result.

5) They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

6) and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed.

5) [NLT] They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water.

6) Then he used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood.

 QUESTION: What are these individuals purposely/deliberately ignorant of?

ANSWER: They’re ignorant of the fact that God has already judged the earth once.

7) But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

Colossians 1:17) [GW] He existed before everything and holds everything together.

Hebrews 1:3) [CEV] God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together.

Revelation 20:11-15) [GNB] Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more.

12) And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

13) Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done.

14) Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.)

15) Those who did not have their name written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.

NOTE: God is holding the entire universe, along with all creation, together simply by His powerful Word. That same Word will one day bring destruction to the world as we now know it. It appears as though this will happen at the same time as the Great White Throne Judgment takes place, meaning that no human will be on earth at that time.

But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord’s sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.

1 John 1:5) [GNB] Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him.

QUESTIONS: Lynn is riding on a train going 90 mph. That train is about to pass Jack. It’s a passenger train with huge windows so Jack will be able to see inside the train when it passes him. In the aisle of that train 2 men are playing catch with a football. Mary is watching them play catch, so she is not looking out of the windows. The men are throwing the football back and forth at 10 mph. When the train passes him, to Jack, how fast will the football seem to be moving from the one man to the other? How fast will the football seem to be moving to Mary? Who is right?

ANSWER: Both! The speed you’re traveling affects how you see time.

NOTE: God is Light! He sees time differently than you and I see time.

MORE QUESTIONS: If Lynn rides on a space ship traveling at 99% the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second, and the trip lasts him 1 year, and Jack stays here on the good old earth for the full time of Lynn’s trip, when Lynn returns 1 year later how much older will Lynn be? How much older will Jack be?

ANSWER: Lynn will be 1 year older. Jack will be over 130,000 years older.

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING EVEN FREAKYER? In that 1 year Lynn would have traveled 5,869,602,600,000 miles if that ship had been able to travel at the speed of light, but the space trip could only travel at 99% the speed of light, so Lynn only traveled 5,282,642,340,000 miles on his 1 year trip.

QUESTION: What would have happened if that ship had been able to travel at the speed of light?

ANSWER: Time would have stood still for Lynn. He wouldn’t have aged a single second.

NOTE: GOD IS LIGHT!! In God’s reality, scientifically speaking, time has no relevance. He’s standing outside of time. He is Light, and therefore He exists in a realm where time, as we understand it, is standing still. God has never aged a single fraction of a second in human terms.

FINAL NOTE ON THIS VERSE: THIS IS THE AWESOME GOD WHO WE SERVE!! He will do what He will do at the appropriate time in earth years. “THE LORD IS NOT SLOW TO DO WHAT HE HAS PROMISED” [next verse].

9) The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

QUESTION: Why hasn’t the Lord Jesus returned yet?

ANSWER: He wants many more people to be saved because He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed.

[5-16-2010]

Galatians 5:1-6) [NIV] It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

[NLT] So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

[MSG]  Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.  

NOTE: We discover by the following verses that the freedom Paul is speaking of is freedom from the Law of Moses. Today, we could add the thought of freedom from any religious ideology that ties our justification to our good works.

Galatians 5:2) [NIV] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

[NLT] Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you.

[MSG]  I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered.

NOTE: There is a freedom that Christ Jesus won for us that we render useless when we determine that the way to an ongoing relationship with God is found on the street of “Good Works.”

QUESTION: Exactly what freedom is that?

ANSWER: We’ll get to that as we continue through these six verses.

Galatians 5:3) [NIV] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

[NLT] I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses.

[MSG] I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law.

NOTE: In today’s reality, if you decide to stay in a right relationship with God by your efforts to do enough good things to outweigh the bad things you do, then you must keep every rule in the ideology that you’re involved in.

James 2:10-11) [NIV] For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

11) For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

NOTE: The trouble with adopting an ideology of justification by works is that the moment you fail to keep one of the rules you’re a lawbreaker. At that moment you’re no longer justified.

Galatians 5:4) [NIV] You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

[NLT] For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

[MSG] I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace.

QUESTION: Is this verse telling us that if one of us who has trusted Christ for salvation turns to a “justification by works” ideology that we then lose the salvation we trusted Christ for?

1 Corinthians 15:10) [NIV] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Galatians 2:9) [NIV] James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

ANSWER: No! I believe Paul is speaking about grace in the sense of Divine enablement in this passage, not Divine favor. When we begin to trust ourselves, which is exactly what turning to a system of works is, then we fall out of grace in the sense that we cut ourselves off from the Divine enablement that Christ desires to give us in our walking out our salvation. In that sense, we have been cut off from Christ.

Galatians 5:5) [NIV] But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

[NLT] But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith.

[MSG] Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit.

NOTE: This verse reveals what motivates many Christians to turn to some kind of “legal” system to find peace with God. They aren’t satisfied with their walk of righteousness, they’re frustrated with their failures to do the right thing in certain situations, and they think if they place themselves under a law/a set of rules, then they will overcome their weaknesses.

We all grow tired of struggling with the flesh, but we must join Paul and “by faith” we must “eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.”

Galatians 5:6) [NIV] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

[NLT] For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

[MSG] For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

[5-9-2010]

Matthew 5:17-20) [GNB] “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true.

18) Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with—not until the end of all things.

19) So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven.

20) I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.

Matthew 5:17) [GNB] “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true.

[CEV] Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.

NOTE: The Law is part of the eternal Word of God. There is that sense in which the Law will never pass away. The intent of Jesus was never to “destroy” [KJV] the Law, but rather, to fulfill it.

ANOTHER NOTE: Jesus mentions both the “Law of Moses” and “the teachings of the prophets.” One could argue He referred to the entire Old Testament here. In the way that the Apostles wrote the New Testament, the Prophets wrote the Old Testament. However, He might have pointed out the “teachings of the prophets” because of the fact that the prophets predicted His coming.

QUESTION: What does “to make their teachings come true,” or, “to fulfill,” [KJV] mean?

ANSWER: Jesus kept every command of the Law to the letter, and obeyed the very intent of the Law as well. In that sense He fulfilled the Law for all who are born into Him. He also fulfilled all those O.T. prophesies about Him.

Matthew 5:18) [GNB] Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with—not until the end of all things.

[CEV] Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen.

QUESTION: Jesus says that even if “Heaven and earth” disappear, what “must happen”?

ANSWER: Everything written in the Law and the Prophets must happen! The commands of the Law were totally obeyed by Jesus, and the predictions of the Prophets about Him came absolutely to pass.

Matthew 5:19) [GNB] So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven.

[CEV] If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom.

QUESTIONS: What does “will be least in the Kingdom of heaven” mean? Will there be different classes of citizenship in Heaven? If you disobeyed “even the least important of the commandments,” will you be a second-class citizen in Heaven?

Barnes suggests that “the Kingdom of heaven” referred to here is the church, and that “least important” refers to the fact that the one who teaches this error will not be regarded as a legitimate teacher.

The Believer’s Bible Commentary suggests that this is a teaching about Heaven, and that the reason those who teach this error are not excluded from Heaven is because we are saved by faith, not by sound doctrine.

MY ANSWERS: I agree with the BBC. Jesus is referring to Heaven. So, if you and I haven’t obeyed all of the commandments, where does that put us? It puts us in Heaven as a result of the fact that Jesus kept ALL of the commandments, and gave us the credit for it.

Matthew 5:20) [GNB] I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.

[CEV] You must obey God’s commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don’t, I promise you that you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Albert Barnes says,

“He mentions the Scribes, because they were the more learned part of the people, who were employed in writing out, and expounding the law; and the Pharisees, because they were the strictest sect among the Jews for outward religion and righteousness; and yet, it seems, their righteousness was very defective; it lay only in an external observance of the law; did not arise from a purified heart, or the principles of grace; nor was it performed sincerely, and with a view to the glory of God; but for their own applause, and in order to obtain eternal life.”

The BBC says,

“To gain entrance into the kingdom, our righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (who were content with religious ceremonies which gave them an outward, ritual cleansing, but which never changed their hearts). Jesus uses hyperbole (exaggeration) to drive home the truth that external righteousness without internal reality will not gain entrance into the kingdom. The only righteousness that God will accept is the perfection that He imputes to those who accept His Son as Savior (2Co_5:21). Of course, where there is true faith in Christ, there will also be the practical righteousness that Jesus describes in the remainder of the Sermon.”

NOTE: The command of God that we must obey in order to gain entrance into Heaven in the command to be born again.

ANOTHER NOTE: Jesus will be called the greatest in Heaven!

The most recent sermons will be linked to in the menu that is on the right hand side of the screen.  To find older sermons you can use the “Sermon Archives” menu in the upper right hand menu.

Speaker: Pastor Dave Hannah

Will there be different classes of Christians in heaven?

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[4-18-10]

Ephesians 4:12) [LB] Why is it that he gives us these special abilities to do certain things best? It is that God’s people will be equipped to do better work for him, building up the Church, the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity;

2 Corinthians 13:9) [LB] We are glad to be weak and despised if you are really strong. Our greatest wish and prayer is that you will become mature Christians.

Ephesians 4:12) [Phillips] We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head.

The New Testament teaches clearly that God wants us all to grow up into spiritual maturity. God’s ultimate goal for us is to become like Jesus. That’s been His plan since the beginning.

Romans 8:29) [NIV] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

God wants every believer to develop the character of Christ. How does that happen?

Myths About Spiritual Maturity:

Maturity Myth # 1: Spiritual growth is automatic once you are born again.  Many churches have no organized plan for following up on new believers and no comprehensive strategy for developing members to maturity. They leave it all to chance, assuming that Christians will automatically grow to maturity if they attend church services. They think if they encourage people to show up for church the job will get done. This is obviously not true. There are many Christians who have attended church for years and are still spiritual babies.

At Saddleback, on their Life Development Process diagram, the task of equipping people with the habits necessary for spiritual maturity is called “getting people to second base.”

Hebrews 5:12) [GW] By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food.

Millions of Christians have grown older without growing up.

The truth is this: Spiritual growth is intentional.  It requires commitment and effort to grow spiritually. A person must want to grow, decide to grow, and make an effort to grow. Discipleship begins with a decision – it doesn’t have to be a complex decision, but it does have to be sincere. The disciples certainly didn’t understand all of the implications of their decision when they decided to follow Christ; they simple expressed a desire to follow him. Jesus took the simple, but sincere, decision and built on it.

Philippians 2:12b-13) [GW] In the same way continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

13) It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.

Paul tells us to “work out,” not “work on,” our salvation. We can’t add anything to what God has done to save us. We can, however, with the help of God, work out our salvation, carrying it to its logical conclusion. Spiritual maturity is the result of decisions and commitments that we make.

Romans 6:13) [GNB] Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.

[MSG] Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time–remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!–into God’s way of doing things.

Maturity Myth # 2: Spiritual growth is mystical, and maturity is attainable by only a select few.  Mention the term “spirituality” today and many people conjure up an image of someone in a white robe, sitting in a yoga position, burning incense, and chanting, “ommmmm” with his/her eyes closed. Many Christians feel that spiritual maturity is so far out of their reach, they don’t even try to attain it. They believe spiritual maturity is only for super saints.

The truth is this: Spiritual growth is very practical.  Any believer can grow to maturity if he/she will develop the habits necessary for spiritual growth. Paul often compared training for the Christian life to the way athletes stay in shape.

1 Timothy 4:7b) [NLT] Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.

The path to spiritual fitness is as practical as the path to physical fitness. Spiritual fitness is simply a matter of learning certain spiritual exercises and being disciplined to do them until they become habits. Character is shaped by the habits we develop.

Maturity Myth # 3: Spiritual maturity can occur instantly if you find the right “key.”  Books that promise “four easy steps to maturity,” or “the key to instant sainthood” reinforce the myth that Christian character can be acquired overnight. Though we have instant coffee and instant potatoes there is no such thing as instant spiritual maturity.

The truth is this: Spiritual growth is a process that takes time.  Spiritual growth is a journey that will last a lifetime. Pastor Warren has spent a great deal of time trying to understand the components of this process and finding a way to communicate them in a simple way that his members can grasp and remember. It’s his conviction that believers grow faster when we provide a track to grow on. The result is Saddleback’s philosophy of edification, which they call the Life Development Process.

The Life Development Process uses the baseball diamond as an analogy for growth because it’s universally understood in America. It’s easy for people to understand how they want them to mature when they see a milestone of spiritual growth assigned to each base. They explain to their members that their goal is to help them move around the bases of life. They want Saddleback Sam to score!

Saddleback assigns a staff pastor to each base: membership, ministry, and missions. Each pastor serves as a “base coach,” – someone who helps the runners make it safely to the next base.

If we convince people of the importance of scoring and give them a coach at each base, it’s much easier to get people to home plate. Likewise, if we lead people to commit to growing spiritually, teach them some basic habits, and give them guidance as they progress around the bases, we can expect to see them grow.

Maturity Myth # 4: Spiritual maturity is measured by what you know.  Many churches evaluate spiritual maturity solely on the basis of how well someone can identify Bible characters, interpret Bible passages, quote Bible verses, and explain Biblical theology. The ability to debate doctrine is considered by some as the ultimate proof of spirituality. However, while knowledge of the Bible is foundational to spiritual maturity, it isn’t the total measurement of it.

The truth is this: Spiritual maturity is demonstrated more by behavior than by beliefs.  The Christian life isn’t just a matter of creeds and convictions; it includes conduct and character. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds.

James 2:18b) [GW] Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do.

James 3:13) [GNB] Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.

Paul connected belief and behavior.

Ephesians 5:8) [NLT] For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it!

Jesus said it best.

Matthew 7:16a) [NIV] By their fruit you will recognize them.

It is fruit, not knowledge, which demonstrates a person’s maturity.

Matthew 7:24-25) [GNB] “So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.

25) The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

It’s only beneficial to know the Word if we practice the Word.

At Saddleback Rick teaches “Five Levels of Learning.”

1.      Biblical knowledge.

2.      Perspective.

3.      Conviction.

4.      Skills.

5.      Character.

Rick will teach more on that in the next section of this chapter.

The real danger of having knowledge without the other components is that it produces pride.

1 Corinthians 8:1b) [GW] We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds them up.

Knowledge needs to be tempered by character. Some of the most carnal Christians Rick has know are veritable storehouses of Biblical knowledge. They could explain and defend any doctrine, yet were unloving, self-righteous, and judgmental. It’s impossible to have spiritual maturity and pride at the same time.

Another danger of having knowledge is that it increases responsibility.

James 4:17) [NLT] Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Maturity Myth # 5: Spiritual growth is a personal and private matter. The idolatry of individualism in American culture has influenced even the way we think about spiritual growth. Most spiritual formation teaching tends to be self-centered and self-focused without any reference to our relationship to other Christians. This is completely unbiblical and ignores much of the New Testament.

The truth is this: Christians need relationships to grow. We don’t grow in isolation from others; we develop in the context of fellowship. We find this throughout the New Testament.

Hebrews 10:24-25) [GW] We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things.

25) We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.

God has purposed that spiritual growth occurs in the context of family. Relationships play an important role in moving people to maturity; they are absolutely essential for spiritual growth. Fellowship is not optional for a believer; it’s mandatory. When a Christian is not connected in loving relationships with other believers that Christian is disobeying all of the “one another” commands given in the N.T.

1 John 1:7) [GW] But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.

John claims that the proof that we are walking in the light is that we have a relationship with other believers.

1 John 3:14) [GW] We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn’t grow in love remains in death.

John also wants us to examine our claim to be a Christian based on whether, or not, we love other believers. If we love other believers shouldn’t we desire to be around them? Do those who have no desire to go where Christians hang out [church] truly love those Christians?

1 John 4:20) [GW] Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen.

John points out that the quality of our love for God is seen in the quality of our love for His children.

Matthew 5:23-24) [MSG] “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you,

24) abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

Jesus teaches us in this passage that we cannot be in fellowship with God and out of fellowship with believers at the same time.

Maturity Myth # 6: All you need is Bible study to grow. Many evangelical churches have been built on this myth. Rick calls them “classroom churches.” They stress the teaching of Bible content and doctrine, but give little, if any, emphasis to believers’ emotional, experiential, and relational development.

The truth is this: It takes a variety of spiritual experiences with God to produce spiritual maturity. Genuine spiritual maturity includes having a heart that worships God, building and enjoying relationships, using your gifts and talents in service to others, and sharing your faith with lost people.

Any church strategy to bring people to maturity must include all of these experiences:

• Worship.
• Fellowship.
• Bible study.
• Evangelism.
• Ministry.

In other words, spiritual growth occurs by participating in all five purposes of the church. Mature Christians do more than study the Christian life – they experience it.

Because some churches overemphasize experiences, other churches have reacted to that by removing all emphasis on experience, and viewing every experience with suspicion, especially if it moves the emotions.

Rick once heard Gene Getz say, “Bible study by itself will not produce spirituality. In fact, it will produce carnality if it isn’t applied and practiced.” Rick agrees, and so do I. Study without service produces Christians with judgmental attitudes and spiritual pride.

James had to warn the first Christians.

James 1:22) [TEV] Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.

When any Christian’s schedule consists completely of receiving Biblical input with no outflow of ministry or evangelism, his/her spiritual growth will stagnate. Impression without expression leads to depression.

Pastor Warren isn’t de-emphasizing the importance of Bible study. He’s simply stating that Bible study isn’t effective if we aren’t practicing what the Bible teaches.

Designing Our Strategy:

Saddleback’s strategy for developing disciples is based on the six truths Rick identified in contrast to each of the six myths.

They believe that spiritual growth:

1. Begins with commitment,
2. Is a gradual process,
3. Involves developing habits,
4. Is measured by five factors,
5. Is stimulated by relationships,
6. And requires participation in all five purposes of the church.

Raise the level of commitment. Rick has always loved Elton Trueblood’s name for the church, “The Company of the Committed.” It would be wonderful if churches were known for the commitment of their members. Sadly, churches are often held together by committees rather than commitment.

Each time we raise the standards for leadership we’ll bring everyone else in the church along a little bit. “A rising tide raises all the boats in the harbor.”

How do you get people to commit to a process of spiritual growth?

You must ask people for commitment. If you don’t ask, you won’t get it. If we don’t ask members for commitment, you can be certain that other groups will: civic groups, service clubs, political parties, or para-church ministries. The question isn’t whether or not people are going to be committed, but rather who is going to get their commitment.

Little League parents are required to provide refreshments, transportation, trophies, and victory parties. There’s nothing voluntary about that commitment. Little League is important. Is it more important than church?

Ask confidently for a big commitment. Jesus never hesitated to ask people to drop everything and follow Him. Rick tells us that an interesting phenomenon is that the greater commitment you request, the greater response you will get. People want to be committed to something that gives significance to their lives.

Luke 14:33) In the same way, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything.

Pastors are sometimes worried that if they ask for a big commitment they’ll drive people away, but people don’t resent being asked for a big commitment if there’s a big purpose behind it.

Be specific in asking for commitment. Tell people exactly what’s expected of them. At Saddleback they explain specifically what they’re after.

They ask people to:

• Commit to Christ,
• Commit to baptism,
• Commit to membership,
• Commit to the habits for maturity,
• Commit to ministry,
• And commit to fulfilling their life mission.

Build on commitment rather than toward commitment. They challenge people to make a commitment and then grow into it. It’s like choosing to become a parent. Very few couples feel competent to parent before they have their first child. However, after the child is born the couple grows into their parenting role.

It’s important to celebrate each time someone commits to moving forward to the next base. The ability to make and keep commitments is a sign of maturity that people deserve to be recognized and rewarded for.

Help people develop spiritual growth habits. Though Saddleback teaches that being a disciple requires discipline, they believe these habits are to be enjoyed rather than endured. They don’t want people to be afraid of spiritual exercises that will strengthen and develop them.

Human beings are creatures of habit. If we don’t develop good habits, we will develop bad ones.

Build A Balanced Christian Education Program. Rick teaches that there are five measurements of spiritual growth: knowledge, perspective, conviction, skills, and character. They build their Christian education program around those levels of learning.

Concerning knowledge, at Saddleback they want their members to study five “core” books before they branch out into other studies. These books are Genesis, John, Romans, Ephesians, and James.

Concerning perspective, they teach that perspective is seeing things from God’s point of view.

Concerning conviction, they teach that your convictions include your values, commitments, and motivations. Rick likes what Howard Hendricks said, “A belief is something you will argue about; a conviction is something you will die for.”

Concerning skills, they teach that a skill is the ability to do something with ease and accuracy. You develop a skill, not by listening to a lecture, but by practice and experience. Knowledge and perspective are concerned with knowing. Conviction and character are concerned with being. Skills are related to doing.

Sow a thought and you reap an act.

Sow an act and you reap a habit.

Sow a habit and you reap a character.

Sow a character and you reap a destiny.

[4-11-10]

Ephesians 2:19) [LB] Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

Romans 12:5) [NIV] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Once we’ve gathered a crowd of attenders we must begin the important task of forming them into a congregation of members. The crowd must become the church. On the Life Development Process diagram this is called “getting people to first base.” It’s done through a process of incorporation, or assimilation.

Assimilation is the task of moving people from an awareness of our church, to attendance at our church, to active membership in our church.

• The community talks about “that church.”
• The crowd talks about “this church.”
• The congregation talks about “our church.”

Members have a sense of ownership; they are contributors, not just consumers.

A NOTE FROM RICK: Many American Christians are what I call “floating believers.” Anywhere else in the world, being a believer is synonymous with being connected to a local body of believers – you rarely find a lone-ranger Christian in other countries. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. This is a direct expression of rampant individualism. They have not been taught that the Christian life involves more than just believing – it also includes belonging. We grow in Christ by being in relationship to other Christians. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”

C.S. Lewis wrote an essay on church membership, and reminded us that the word membership is of Christian origin. Today it’s associated with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll.

The Apostle Paul had a very different image of membership.

Romans 12:4-5) [GNB] We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions.

5) In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body.

I Corinthians 12:12-27) [GNB] Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts.

13) In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

14) For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts.

15) If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body.

16) And if the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body.

17) If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell?

18) As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be.

19) There would not be a body if it were all only one part!

20) As it is, there are many parts but one body.

21) So then, the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Nor can the head say to the feet, “Well, I don’t need you!”

22) On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker;

23) and those parts that we think aren’t worth very much are the ones which we treat with greater care; while the parts of the body which don’t look very nice are treated with special modesty,

24) which the more beautiful parts do not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to give greater honor to those parts that need it.

25) And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another.

26) If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.

27) All of you are Christ’s body, and each one is a part of it.

To Paul membership meant much more than some cold induction into an institution, it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body. WE NEED TO RECLAIM THIS IMAGE! Any organ detached from its body will shrivel up and die. Here’s a message for the “you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian” crowd: Try telling a finger it doesn’t have to hang with the body to be a living finger.

The incorporation of new members into our church fellowship doesn’t happen automatically. If we don’t have a system and a structure to assimilate and keep the people we reach, they won’t stay long. We’ll have as many people going out the back door as there are coming in the front door.

Develop A Plan To Assimilate New Members:

Consider this verse:

Proverbs 20:18) [GNB] Get good advice and you will succeed; don’t go charging into battle without a plan.

Saddleback asked these 12 questions when forming a plan of assimilation:

1. What does God expect from members of His church?
2. What do we expect from our members right now?
3. What kinds of people already make up our congregation?
4. How will that change in the next 5 to 10 years?
5. What do our members value?
6. What are new members greatest needs?
7. What are our long-term members’ greatest needs?
8. How can we make membership more meaningful?
9. How can we insure that members feel loved and cared for?
10. What do we owe our members?
11. What resources or services could we offer our members?
12. How could we add value to what we already offer?

Our prospective members will also have questions. Those questions should influence our assimilation plan. Before people commit they want to know the answers to 5 questions:

1. Do I fit here? This is the question of acceptance. It is best answered by establishing affinity groups within our church so that people with similar ages, interests, problems, or backgrounds can find and relate to each other. We must show people we have a place for them.

2. Does anyone want to know me? This is the question of friendship. We can answer that question by creating opportunities for people to develop relationships within our congregation. People are not looking for a friendly church as much as they are looking for friends.

3. Am I needed? This is the question of value. People want to make contributions with their lives. They want to feel that they matter. When we can show people they can make a difference with their gifts and talents by joining our church, they will want to get involved. We need to position our church as a creative place that needs the expression of all sorts of talents and abilities, not just singers, ushers, and Sunday School teachers.

4. What is the advantage of joining? This is the question of benefit. We must be able to clearly and concisely explain the reasons and benefits of membership in our church. We should explain the Biblical, practical, and personal reasons for membership.

5. What is required of members? This is the question of expectations. We must be able to explain the responsibilities of membership as clearly as we state the benefits of it. People have a right to know what is expected of them before they join.

Communicate the Value of Membership:

Many people today believe it’s possible to be a good Christian without joining, or even attending, a local church. Membership these days is an act of commitment. We must show them the value-for-value benefits they will receive in return for their commitment.

There are numerous benefits to membership:

1. It identifies a person as a genuine believer (Eph. 2:19; Rom. 12:5).
2. It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage them in their walk with Christ (Gal. 6:1-2; Heb. 10:24-25).
3. It gives them a place to discover and use their gifts in ministry (1 Cor. 12:4-27).
4. It places them under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Heb. 13:17; Acts 20:28-29).
5. It gives them the accountability they need to grow (Eph. 5:21).

In chapter 6 Rick suggested that we personalize the purposes of the church. This is especially important when convincing attenders in the crowd to join our congregation. We need to emphasize that the church provides them with benefits they can’t find anywhere else in the world:

• Worship helps them focus on God. It prepares you spiritually and emotionally for the week ahead.
• Fellowship helps them face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.
• Discipleship helps them fortify their faith by learning the truth of God’s Word and applying Biblical principles to their lifestyle.
• Ministry helps them find and develop their talents and use them in serving others.
• Evangelism helps them fulfill their mission of reaching their friends and family for Christ.

There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church:

1.      A football player without a team;

2.      A soldier without a platoon;

3.      A tuba player without an orchestra;

4.      A sheep without a flock;

5.      A child without a family (this is the best, most understandable and Biblical).

I Timothy 3:15) [GW] I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Ephesians 2:19) [LB] Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

We must help people see church as a family, rather than an institution. Since the 1960’s Americans have become increasingly anti-institutional. The phrase “organized religion” is used contemptuously. Yet, people are also longing for a sense of family and community.

So many factors have eroded the nuclear family, things like divorce, the emphasis on individuality, “alternative” lifestyles, women working outside the home, and the high rate of mobility. People are no longer surrounded by the extended family of aunts and uncles, grandparents, and brothers and sisters that provided a safety net for previous generations.

When Rick wrote this book [1995], one Gallup Poll reported that 4 in 10 Americans admit to frequent feelings of “intense loneliness.” Americans, are in fact, the loneliness people in the world.

People are hungering for fellowship, community, and a sense of family. Beer commercials don’t sell beer; they sell fellowship. No one ever drinks alone; it’s always done in the context of enjoying each other’s company.

This “longing for belonging” provides the church with a timely opportunity. Positioning the church as an extended family, as “a place where you are cared for,” will strike a sensitive chord in many lonely hearts.

Establish A Required Membership Class:

A number of studies have shown that the way people join an organization greatly influences how they function in that organization. This is true of joining a church as well. The manner in which people join our church will determine their effectiveness as members.

Rick believes that the most important class is the membership class because it sets the tone and expectation level foe everything else that follows. The best time to elicit a strong commitment from our members is at the moment they join. IF LITTLE IS REQUIRED TO JOIN, VERY LITTLE CAN BE EXPECTED FROM OUR MEMBERS LATER ON. A strong membership class will build a strong congregation. A strong class doesn’t mean a long one. Saddleback’s membership class (Class 101) is only 4 hours long, and it’s taught in one day. It teaches those membership prospects exactly what will be expected of them as members.

Rick believes the Senior Pastor should teach this class. The opportunity to see the pastor’s vision for the church, feel his love for the members, and hear his personal commitment to care for, feed, and lead them is very important to new members.

Membership classes should answer the following questions:

• What is a church?
• What are the purposes of the church?
• What are the benefits of being a member?
• What are the requirements for membership?
• What are the responsibilities of membership?
• What is the vision and strategy of this church?
• How is the church organized?
• How can I get involved in ministry?
• What do I do now that I am a member?

Also, if we’re going to be a church that targets the unchurched then we need to include a clear explanation of salvation in this class because there will be those who want to become members who are not yet believers. We should always express that placing their faith in Christ is the first requirement for membership.

Completion of this class should be a requirement for new membership.

Develop A Membership Covenant:

Why do so many churches have so many people on their membership rolls who give little, or no evidence of Christian commitment? Why is it so difficult for those churches to motivate members to give, serve, pray, and share their faith? It’s because they were allowed to join with no expectations placed on them. You get what you ask for.

2 Corinthians 5:8) [GNB] First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will they gave themselves to us as well.

Paul mentions 2 different types of commitment in the above verse. At Saddleback they call these the first-base commitments. You commit yourself to Christ for salvation, then you commit yourself to other Christians for membership.

John 13:34-35) [GNB] And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

35) If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

1 John 3:16) [GNB] This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others!

The most important part of a marriage ceremony is the covenant that each person takes. The same is true of church membership.

Make Your Members Feel Special:

We will need to create a way to make new members feel special, and to truly feel a part of the church. [The book gives several examples.]

Create Opportunities to Build Relationships:

It’s so important for new members to develop friendships in the church. A friend of Rick’s took a survey in his church.

“Why did you join the church?” 93% of the members said it was because of the pastor.

“If the pastor leaves, will you leave the church?” 93% said “No!”

“Why?” The response was that they had friends there.

Notice the shift in allegiance from pastor to other members. This is normal and healthy.

Encourage Every Member to Join A Small Group:

The biggest fear some have of church growth is how to maintain that “small church” feeling of fellowship. The antidote would be for us to develop small groups.

As we grow we should develop a network of small groups built around different purposes, interests, age groups, geography, or anything else.

Rick tells his staff repeatedly, “Our church must always be growing larger and smaller at the same time.” He wants a balance between the large group celebrations and the small group cells.

4 reasons to use homes for small groups:

• They are infinitely expandable (homes are everywhere).
• They are unlimited geographically (you can minister to a wider area).
• They are demonstrations of good stewardship (you use buildings that other people pay for).
• They facilitate closer relationships (people are more relaxed in home settings).

Keep Communication Lines Open:

People tend to be down on what they are not up on. Informed members are effective members. The book offers many ways to accomplish this.

We’re In This Together:

It’s important to continually emphasize the corporate nature of the Christian life. Preach it, teach it, and talk about it with individuals. We belong together. We need each other. We are connected, joined together as parts of one body. We are family.