I know many people would prefer to say, “We are the church and we go to the building”, but the term, “go to church” can mean when one attends or goes to the assembly.
The question this week is, “Why do you go to church?”
In a recent article found in the Spring 2020 issue of Preaching magazine, J. D. Greear cites some research from Great Britain regarding religious practices. The research referenced that “70% of British people never anticipate going into a church in their lifetime.” These results shown the British may be more secularized than anyone may think.
Dr. Greear also stated that these results did not indicate they were mad at the church or trying to avoid it. The research shows those surveyed could not see a reason to go to church.
Can you imagine 70% of a nation (if the survey is consistent) would see no reason to attend services of the church? What if those results were the same in our country? What about in our state? What about in the Gadsden area?
Acts, the book of history in the New Testament, reveals that the early church met together every day and found encouragement. Not only did they continue to teach one another (Acts 5.42) but they also shared what they had with each other (Acts 2.44).
Not only did the early church meet to worship (Acts 2.42) but they continued to meet because of their relationship. It was necessary for them to meet to “stir up one another.” (Hebrews 10.24)
So, back to the question, “Why do you go to church?”
Several years ago, an article crossed my desk titled, “Most Costly Celebrity Divorces.” Normally, I would ignore an article like that, but curiosity got the best of me. The article was nothing more than an article about the divorce settlement in terms of money. The article never discussed the “cost of divorce” without terms of money. Divorce costs lives, relationships and more.
Marriage is more costly than money. A great marriage is an investment, not only in your future, but for future generations. A bad marriage is a costly expense, not only in your life, but in the lives of future generations.
Your marriage not only affects you, but it influences your children on the type of marriage they will have. As the Bible says, our lights will shine for others to see. (Matthew 5.14-16) We provide an example to others regarding marriage. If we speak harsh about marriage, others will see it as harsh. If we speak well of marriage, others will see it differently than before.
How to Improve the Value of Marriage:
Value Marriage – To improve the value of marriage, you must value marriage. The Bible places a high value on marriage as it uses it as an illustration of Christ and the church. (See Ephesians 5.22-33)
Work on Your Marriage – Marriage takes work. Some people believe that once the wedding is over it is all happily ever after. Instead, marriage takes work. Submission takes work. Responsibility takes work. (See Ephesians 5.22-33)
Believe the 100/100 truth – The typical saying is that marriage is 50/50, but the truth is that marriage is 100/100. When two people enter a relationship and only give 50%, there will be problems. When two people enter marriage giving 100%, they will become one flesh and grow their marriage.
A few days ago, the church phone rang. A local funeral home was calling for a family requesting a church of Christ minister to perform a funeral, and the funeral would be the next day.
Over my brief years in ministry, this situation has happened various times. A loved one dies and it leaves the family with hard decisions, but many of those are quick decisions. Typically, without knowledge of an area, the family reaches out to a funeral home and asks them if they can find a minister. A few days ago, the call came to me.
Typically, these calls are unique. The one who passed may not have family in the immediate area, and the family needs some help. Other times, the family is unfamiliar with churches in the area, so they ask the funeral home to pick one. Still other times, like this one, the family is specific with their requests.
After clearing some time and moving some things around, I spoke with a member of the family regarding the loved one. He spoke of the quick decisions they needed to make in such a short period. Family would come in from another state, local friends may show up, but they were not sure. It was a confusing time for them.
Funerals are one of the difficult things to process in a time of a loved one’s death. There are decisions needing to be made, but the overwhelming thought of making those decisions, the cost and the time arrangements can be difficult.
Emotions run high at times like this. Families might see each other for the first time in many months or even years. Travel plans have been made as quickly as possible and the hope is everyone makes it and keeps it together.
When I arrived at the funeral home, the mood was quiet. Various family members scattered throughout the viewing room were talking and catching up on old times. Some sat quiet; possibly in thought of the man lying in the casket. Still others were just there. Their facial expressions held no emotion. It was almost like it was a formality.
There are situations you talk about when getting an education to prepare you for those future moments, but there was never a course on how to handle situations like this. What is a preacher to say? How does a minister conduct a funeral of someone he does not know?
To add to the confusion for a moment, there was no obituary. The family had decided against one.
Typically, a preacher can gain some insights from an obituary. It lists the occupation, the family, hobbies, church affiliation or even a passing thought; but without an obituary, there is not much there.
So, what do you say in a time like this?
With no insights from the family, all I had to go on was a name, a birth date, and ending date and a church affiliation.
The morning before the funeral I poured over thoughts, articles and information about the eyes of this man’s life. The information was massive. The advancements in technology during his lifetime were staggering. The world events were historic.
The man was born 24 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He grew up in the shadow of World War II. When he was 10 years old, the first coast-to-coast phone call was made in our country. He experienced the excitement as man Alan Shepard soared into space to become the first man in orbit. He would watch with others and man set foot on the moon. He would see prosperity and recession. His life would see many things.
Religiously, I know he attended church around here. His son, in a brief conversation, told me of growing up at a congregation near me. He spoke of his father’s attendance.
As the service began, I spoke of the times of the man’s upbringing and how things were different throughout his life. How many of the things he probably experienced seem odd to us today, yet he continued through those times.
Psalm 28 became my text. While some focus on Psalm 23, the end of Psalm 28 speaks volumes to someone who follows God.
Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
(Psalm 28.6-9; ESV)
What encouraging words of David as he speaks of the exceptional power and saving grace of God toward His people. David knew first-hand the protection and the mercy God has upon those who are His children.
While you are speaking, looking out over an audience wearing masks has been odd. It is difficult to read facial expressions because over half of a person’s face is covered. Preaching has been unique in this regard, but this funeral was a little more unique.
As I spoke of the protection of God, I noticed no tears. No one seemed to be emotional about the passing of this man. Instead, it was a little eerie.
Typically, you can still see people’s eyes and you can see them tear up or wipe their eyes, but not that day. No one made a sound. There was not even an allergy sniffle. You can blame it on Covid-19 the Coronavirus or whatever you want, but it was unique.
After the service was over, no one spoke. I spoke with the son one more time. He thanked me for my time and I told him it was my honor. Everyone went to their cars.
Driving home, my mind raced of the oddity that I had just experienced. What if that was my family?
Was there some big event that happened among the family and I did not know about?
Maybe everyone had already grieved and the funeral was a time of closure for them?
Maybe everyone was just in shock of the passing?
What if the family had no relationship with each other and they did not know how to act?
Maybe this man and said his goodbyes and gave the family a word of peace before he departed this life?
What if the family genes had no tear glands?
I was grasping at anything to make the situation better. Even today, several days removed from the event, it still crosses my mind.
I wonder what it will be like when one of my family members passes? Will the family show up? Will we stare at each other? Will we tear up knowing that someone has left the Earth?
What will it be like at my funeral? Will my children show up and talk? Will they give an emotional tear to me leaving this life? Will anyone even notice?
These questions are what some struggle with their entire life. I have seen it first hand in the lives of Christians and non-Christians. I have watched people hold on until the last moment because they did not know what would happen after they passed.
I have heard people tell their families to get along after they are gone. I have been asked to help families stay together after someone leaves the Earth.
Death is a mysterious event. For some, it is a blessing. For others, it is scary. Some cry on their way to the other side and others scream until they cannot scream anymore. It is just a mysterious event that each one of us will go through at some point.
How do you handle death?
The recent events of a man I did not know made my mind spin. I wonder about his family, his life, his last moments.
Being in ministry for 23 years now, I have learned a few things. One of those things being, you can learn much about a person or a group of people at a major life event; birth, death, baptism, etc. You can see how a family reacts and responds and see the relationship they have or have had.
My thought today is this, how is your family?
Some families will only be together at a funeral home. It might be a tragic event that brings them close.
My appeal to you is not to let that be the only time your family gathers.
Don’t let your next gathering be an oddity at the passing of a family member.
From coffee cups, water bottles, and even snack containers; these are the items that litter many church auditoriums following brief periods of worship. Stuffed in the pockets of the seats are handwritten notes regarding the afternoon activities and future events of the day. In fact, the newest church seats resemble theatre seats equipped with cup holders more than the pews of piety from years past. The flashes of light against a screen, called PowerPoint, are the highlight of the service instead of humbly bowing before the Almighty.
Each Sunday for one hour members fill an auditorium for “worship.” For many, this may be the only time each week they worship God. For others, this will begin their week of worship. While each person may be drastically different, we all understand that worship is a part of our lives. The question may be, “How well do we respect our worship?”
My friends, I submit to you today, that we clearly see our respect for God in our worship of Him.
Let me pose a few questions for you to consider:
If our minds are not focused on the Father during the week, how can one hour on Sunday morning suffice?
If our worship is filled with what we want, when do we live in what God wants?
Do our children see us worshipping God, or respecting the world?
Hard questions deserve hard answers!
Take a moment and consider the words of A. W. Tozer this day:
“Christian churches have come to the dangerous time predicted long ago. It is a time when we can pat one another on the back, congratulate ourselves and join in the glad refrain, ‘We are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing!’
“It certainly is true that hardly anything is missing from our churches these days—except the most important thing. We are missing the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.…
“My own loyalties and responsibilities are and always will be with the strongly evangelical, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring churches. We have been surging forward. We are building great churches and large congregations. We are boasting about high standards and we are talking a lot about revival.
“But I have a question and it is not just rhetoric: What has happened to our worship?"
A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1985), 9–10.
Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed.) (810). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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Several times a month, I will surf through the library of YouTube videos and watch a select few from my favorite speakers. Many of the videos I have seen countless times and some I almost know every word, but each time I hear them, the message is still powerful. The words still influence my heart and my actions. They will motivate me and inspire me for greater service. But where does the power live? Is it in the speaker or the message? Take a moment and look at the six items below and see “Six Powers Behind a Powerful Message.”
The speaker believed the message—In each of my favorite speeches throughout the years, each speaker believed (believes) the message they were presenting. Their belief came through in their actions, words, emotions and gestures. The belief of the speaker was so strong, some of it, if not all of it, was transferred to the listeners on every occasion. Without believing the words you are saying, your message will not fall on the listeners with power - it will just fall.
The speaker gave the audience time to think—Each famous speaker delivered the message in a way to give people time to think. The speaker presented words and offered solutions and even got personal, all the while allowing the listeners to hear and digest the words.
The speaker used breaks and pauses in the message—While this point relies heavily on point #2 (and vice versa), the power in a pause or a break in the speech will help the listeners digest and concentrate on the message. Pauses and breaks in a message not only give the listeners time to think, they convey the serious matters of the message. Try pausing for a small amount of time and see how many people look at you, waiting for the next words.
The message challenged the listeners—Ever wonder why some people can fall asleep in a sermon or at a conference? There are many reasons, but I am convinced there is another—we do not challenge them! You can attend seminar after seminar and never be challenged, and you will have just been to “another seminar.” But challenge the people with a message that makes them move their feet, and those people will tell everyone about the “event” they attended!
The message showed the listeners the future; whether good or bad—Remember the challenge of point #4—point #5 is the thought process. Showing your audience the future, no matter good or bad, makes them act! If you are selling them a product, then show them the efficiency they will have and the great sales they can make or the grand lifestyle they will live. If you want them to take action on something that has been wrong, show them where the dangerous road will lead and challenge them to change the course because of the consequences to come. Take your audience into the future and begin changing tomorrow today!
The message was the motivation for the people—Close your message by motivating the people to take action today, not tomorrow! The great messages of the past motivated the people to change at that very moment! Even in today’s society we are feeling the effects from people who took action hundreds of years ago because of their motivation to live better. Motivate your audience to achieve the next level- Leave them motivated!
These are just six points to get your mind racing toward becoming a greater speaker. Spend time this week and listen to those famous speeches of the past and see how these six points made a difference! Remember, to achieve greatness, you must put them into practice each day. In your next meeting or sales opportunity, try two these steps and see how they work for you. It will take some practice, but practice is necessary for achievement!
Enjoy your day!
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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This is Lesson #4 in the "You Can Do It" Video Series. This lesson is about "Setting Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements."
You may watch below.
Set Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements
Effective goals to not “just happen.”
When you write your goals, they do not magically become effective or useful. It will take a few extra steps to make sure your goals are effective.
What if I told you that you can set up your goals in such a way that they can be self-sustaining? In other words, they train you to become more disciplined.
The more you achieve these goals, the more disciplined you become, and you can take on more and more goals. Sounds awesome, right? Well, this is not theory. It can happen and people do make it happen. Here's how you do it.
Prioritize Your Sub-goals
The first thing you need to do is to prioritize the sub-goals or sub-elements of your big goals. Sort them based on their likelihood to lead to big objectives. In other words, if you knock out these sub-goals, they directly take you closer to your big objectives.
Of course, not all sub-goals are the same. Sometimes, sub-goals are necessary, but they lead to an indirect path. If you're reasonably certain that if you take that indirect path it eventually leads you to your big goals, then that sub-goal is good enough. You want your goals and sub-goals to lead you in the same direction.
Write down all these sub-goals and make it your highest priority to focus on sub-goals most directly connected to your big objectives. In other words, when you act on these sub-goals, it's like going from Point A to Point B. The shorter and the straighter the line, the better.
Be as Clear About Your Sub-goals as Possible
While prioritizing sub-goals is important, you also need to make sure you conceptualize them correctly. Look at the sub-goals' parts and make sure you're clear as to what you need to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it. The most important ingredient, of course, is to be clear as to why you're doing this sub-goal.
You will find clarity to be an important part of goal and sub-goal creation.
What is its impact on your big objectives?
How does it get you there?
What kind of role does it play in helping you achieve the big things that you're shooting for in your life?
Build Discipline by Making Your Highest Priority Sub-Goal Your Primary Focus
In every given day, make sure that you are focusing on sub-goals that lead you closer to your big objectives. Make these sub-goals and their activities your primary focus. Everything must lead to it. Keep this top of mind.
Also, make it a point to do the hardest part of these sub-goals first.
Make no mistake about it, regardless of sub-goal or set of activities, there's always something that you're going to struggle with. There's always going to be a part of a project that you have a tough time starting. Maybe it's technically easy, but you're just emotionally intimidated by it.
On the other hand, it may be emotionally easy and very straightforward as far as your understanding of its necessity is concerned, but it's technically challenging for you. Regardless, focus on these hardest parts and choose to do them first.
It won't be easy. At first, it's probably going to feel like you're pulling teeth. It's not going to happen overnight. However, the more you keep at it, the greater your self-discipline becomes because you're tackling the hardest thing first. You're not running away from it, you're not procrastinating, you're not trying to work around it, but you're tackling it head on.
The first battle is probably going to be very brutal, but the more you keep attacking, the more confident you become. At the very least, you're not intimidated.
Keep this up and this can lead to you taking consistent action that ensures your sub-goals are achieved. The more sub-goals you knock out, of course, the closer you get to your big objectives. This is not exactly rocket science or brain surgery.
You can do this!
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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