In August, 2000, Reed Markham wrote an excellent column in the San Bernardino Sun on the topic, "How you can tell if your child’s school is a good one" – an idea gleaned from author Gene Bedley. I was quite pleasantly surprised to read his article and to see just how applicable the points were to the local church. I hope you will find them as interesting and applicable as I found them to be, with comments by me that are appropriate to our circumstances. Brethren, this is some good information that we all need to hear and heed:
No faithful Christian will dispute that serving the Lord is a lifestyle choice. It is not just something that is done today and abandoned tomorrow. Lord knows, we’ve got enough characters who have done that, but serving God really IS a lifelong process. Furthermore, it is a lifelong choice that has positive, eternal rewards!
I am tempted to take a swipe at preachers (including myself) for their sometimes-woeful use of time spent in the pulpit, but I will forego that inclination. The reality is, the truth is attainable by every one of reasonable intelligence and attitude. The only people who cannot understand it are,
One wonders why we always think that just a little information is sufficient to get a person into the water. I’ve baptized a lot of people over the years and I am convinced that there is not single prescribed presentation of Truth that is capable of converting all men. It is the Truth that saves, not my presentation of it.
So what, if it takes 30 studies to bring a person to obedience. Is that not better than 1 or 2 studies that result in a baptism, but without any grounding taking place. Some get it early; others accept it late; that’s the point of the Lord’s parable in Matthew 20:1-16.
One of the greatest challenges to the fellowship of the saints is how they view one another. If we see one another as enemies or interpret the interest shown in us by another saint as meddling, we are bound to develop irrational fears and become judges of motives.
Rather, we must be those who are willing to "do unto others" instead of waiting for them to do us in. You may think I am kidding in that last sentence, but that is exactly what some people think. I recall a time when we were planning for a group of Christians to come to our home, and we invited an older couple who had never been visited. When I invited them, I was asked, "Why do you want to know so much about us." I must confess that I bit my tongue and did not say what I wanted to say. What a shameful attitude to have toward those who are trying to be hospitable.
Sometimes we think that only preachers teach, or that only elders are required to feed the flock. But, the truth is, every one of us is teaching someone every day of our lives. We teach by word and example, and need to be sensitive to the fact that little ears and eyes are hearing and watching us.
We, too, are always learning. Every now and then I’ll hear about some preacher or old-timer in the church who brags, "Why, I’ve never changed on a Bible subject in 40 years." Personally, I’d be ashamed to admit that! If I have not learned anything in 40 years, I am certainly one dumb person—or an arrogant one. The church that is always learning and growing is the church that is always faithful and serving the Lord. If that’s not what we are, then we should set ourselves to the task of becoming that way.
It should go without saying that the people of God should be repositories of wisdom and discernment. James encouraged the man who is wise and understanding to exhibit "his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom" (James 3:13). Rather than letting one’s longtime standing in the faith be the occasion of boasting, it should be the opportunity for humility and gentleness.
Let it never be said that we allowed wisdom to be quenched or discernment to be swept away. Rather, let our moderate spirits abound toward one another in spiritual wisdom and understanding, as we work to equip everyone to be the highest level of service!
Somewhere along the way somebody came up with the old saying, "the teacher learns more than the pupils." I’ve heard it all my life, and you know, I think it is correct. What a great privilege it is to be responsible to dig into the Word of God for the priceless gleanings that will be brought to the table for the saints to feast upon! If only more people would grasp the honor of that dream!
Shamefully, some of us, like those in Hebrews 5, ought to be teachers but are really just spiritual babies. We’ve learned a lot, but still know very little. We’ve heard it all, but are incapable of telling others. We’ve studied under the best teachers, preacher, and elders, but cannot remember a thing they "taught" us. Maybe it is just that we did not learn…and we learn best that which we teach.
More next week…
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