Living Peacefully in a Bickering Culture

“Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, 

but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you.”  Jim Rohn 

 

  It was a case of corporate bullying. Conde Nast, the publisher of Vogue magazine, recently sent a “cease and desist” letter to a family-run pub in Cornwall, England. The Star Inn at Vogue is a small tavern whose owners quietly meet the needs of locals and tourists in search of a glass of beer or a moderately priced meal. All of that changed when global publishing giant Condé Nast swept down on them with a cease and desist letter, slapping them with threats of a lawsuit unless they stop using the name Vogue.
  At first, the pub owners thought that it was a prank from some local. It wasn’t. It seems Vogue was “concerned that the name which [the pub is] using is going to cause problems because as far as the general public is concerned a connection between your business and ours is likely to be inferred.” But the pub is only located in a place called “Vogue.”
  A tongue-in-cheek response from the owners set the publication straight. The owners wrote, “If a member of your staff had taken the time to investigate they would have discovered that our company, the Star Inn is in the small village of Vogue…in Cornwall. Yes, that's right Vogue is the name of our own village, which has been in existence for hundreds of years…I note in your letter that you have only been in existence since 1916 and I presume at that time when you chose the name Vogue (in the capitalized version) you did not seek permission from the villagers of the real Vogue for their permission...In answer to your question of whether we would change the name of our company, it is a categoric NO.”
  Condé Nast, the owner of Vogue, has since sent another letter apologizing for ever hassling the pub.
  Fighting, arguing, bickering, threatening lawsuits…they’re so common in our world. A lost world that doesn’t know the Prince of Peace continuously fights and bickers, but for those who serve “the God of love” (1 John 4:8), bickering is wrong and sin. The Lord Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments with: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength [and] you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). God hates bickering among His children (2 Cor. 12:20 & Gal. 5:15).
  Philippians 2:3-4 commands us: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Most of our disagreements would be solved by that simple prescription of selflessness. Arguing would virtually disappear. As parents frown at bickering amongst their offspring, our Heavenly Father frowns at it among us, His children.
  Freedom comes from knowing who you are in Christ and being able to let things go. It’s trusting God to take care of matters and defend you. It’s a refusal to stay offended and being quick to forgive. It means being slow to speak and even slower to anger. Freedom comes from not holding a grudge from wrongdoing in the past that contaminates your life in the present.
  It’s so freeing to know that you don’t need to always to be right. Peace-loving Christians know God’s peace and that peace with others comes from surrendering your right to always be right. While we can’t surrender God’s truth and what Scripture clearly teaches, nor is it peace at any cost, yet let’s be honest, that’s not what most disagreements between Christians are about. Most of that which causes our temperature to rise are very inconsequential and sometimes even laughable. Yet many believers are known more for what they argue about and the disputes they engage in than they are for the love of Christ that they’ve received and that must unite us.
  There’s a cure for avoiding arguments, yet it’s one that’s very difficult – HUMILITY. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Pride is the mother of all sins. It’s a sin which causes so many other sins. Pride caused Satan to lead a celestial rebellion against God. Pride led to the fall of humanity in the Garden. Pride inflamed Cain to murder Abel. Millions have died because of the pride of power-hungry leaders and millions more have suffered terrible peril. Pride destroys more marriages, families, churches and relationships than any other sin. We want our way and our rights, and we’ll nearly fight to the death for them.
  Humility commits to letting God be in control of every sphere of my life. It means that I yield myself completely to Him. It’s the starting point of having peace and being a peacemaker, not a peacebreaker. 
  Contention begins because from conflict on the inside. Peace with God is the first step to having internal peace so that you can have external peace. As Colossians 3:15 says, “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” We will be unable to get along with others if we don’t first have peace in our hearts through Christ’s rule.  
  Then, it means that you stop praying, “Lord, change them” and begin to pray, “Lord, change me.” You honestly pray “Thy will be done” instead of “my will be done.”  When you can say “Lord, whatever You want that’s what I want,” the peace process begins.
  When there is a conflict, humility begins by suspecting the sinner I know the best – ME. It’s being honest with myself and coming before the Lord, asking Him to point out my own sins and how I am contributing to a relational breakdown. It’s surrendering and confessing any sin of my own.
  When there is a conflict, humility forgives quickly and completely. Most offenses never need to be brought to light. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “love covers a multitude of sins.” As our Heavenly Father overlooks so much in our lives like a parent overlooks the blunders of a toddler, so we must do that with others. We continually rub each other the wrong way because of our inherent sin nature. Most of it should be overlooked. Yet, if there is an offense, after it’s brought out and there’s an admission of wrong – forgive quickly. It’s what God does for us. He doesn’t carry grudges. He forgives quickly and completely. Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every man should keep a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends.”
  When we serve the Prince of Peace, a contentious Christian is an anomaly. Romans 12:18 commands us: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Those are very wise words to live by! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

 

How to Stop Sportin' a 'Tude!

 “When I watch the news, my heart gets all spun out of control. It’s hard work guarding your heart with all diligence. How do you do this?” Sarah Deen 

  Sportin’ a ‘Tude. That’s the name of a book by Christian author, Patsy Clairmont. While I’ve never read the book, I’ve always loved the title – because that’s often me. More than I want to admit it, I’m Sportin’ a ‘Tude, and it’s usually not a good one. It’s certainly not a Christ-honoring one.
  Our attitudes direct our actions. If I don’t get my attitude under the Spirit’s control, it’s going to be a bad day. It might not really be a bad day but because my outlook stinks, even if it is a fantastic day, it’s still going to be a bad day…from my perspective. Before I know it I’m a victim of what Zig Ziglar used to call “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.”
  There’s only one cure for Stinkin’ Thinkin.’ I have to tell it to Jesus. I must spend time with my Heavenly Father. I wonder if the psalmist was struggling with “Stinkin’ Thinkin’” when he wrote: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2).
  There are those unique individuals who wake up in the morning with a smile on their face, ready to greet the world. I’m not one of them. I need a heavenly perspective. Maybe like you my heart is contaminated by…
  The bad news in the world. Before it went under, every morning I’d listen to a Chicago news radio station, WMAQ. Their slogan was “Give us 60 seconds and we’ll give you the world.” Most days that’s just about all of the world I want. Filling my mind with murders, crime, political gamesmanship, etc. can affect my outlook. I begin focusing on what the world is coming to. Spending time in the Word with my Father changes my outlook to an up look and I can focus on Who is coming to the world.
  The hurts of my past. For over forty years Mother’s Day has been a hard holiday for me. It’s hard to believe that my Mom was killed in a car wreck in 1970. If I let it, it can weigh on me that Mom never met my wife or my children. But to add to that, God left me to be raised by a wealthy prescription drug addict. And I hated him! As a kid, I was so angry with God. How could He give me such a rotten deal? It was God’s Word that freed me and continues to free me. Specifically, it was Ephesians 4:32 that unlocked the dungeon of my own bitterness: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
  When I realized how much God had already forgiven me, it was easy to have a spirit of forgiveness toward my Dad, even though he’d abused my Mom and treated me so horribly. Joseph’s words have been the theme of my life, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Being in God’s Word changed my perspective to see His loving hand directing even through dark paths.
  The turmoil of my own heart. God gave me a melancholic bent. A melancholic bent can deep dive into depression. There have been periods of my life when facing another day seemed impossible. I can relate to Spurgeon who said, “I find myself frequently depressed – perhaps more so than any other person here. And I find no better cure for that depression than to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and seek to realize afresh the power of the peace-speaking blood of Jesus, and His infinite love in dying upon the cross to put away all my transgressions.” Amen, Charles! Amen!
  Before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I open an app on my phone that has psalms matching the day of the month. My first thoughts begin in God’s Word and I begin to pray about my day. It’s a game-changer!
  The frustrations of my job. I know. I’m a pastor and only work half a day a week. I love Steve Brown who pastored Key Biscayne Presbyterian. He’s so candid. He shared that one time he was praying and sharing his heart, “Lord, the ministry would be great, if it weren’t for people.” And Steve said, “It was as if the Lord said, ‘Steve, the ministry is people.”
  If I let it, it can weigh on my heart when I see people who refuse to surrender to the Lord, who are determined to live in sin even though their lives are trainwrecks or continue in soul-killing habits. Couples who if they would only surrender their self-wills could have a phenomenal marriage.
  Every pastor struggles with apathy within their congregation. Pastors continually wrestle with matters of the eternal. We know that this life is temporary, yet so many that we love, pray for and preach to are focused and putting their roots down deep into a dying world. It can drain us.
  Add to that, the last few years have been a perfect storm for those in ministry. According to Barna 38% are considering quitting the ministry with only 35% fall into a “healthy category.” Between Covid, social injustice division, a belligerent election, shut-downs, mask and vaccine mandates – and having folk in their congregations on extreme and polar opposite positions with no seeming middle ground, it was exhausting. I’m so thankful our church has been spared most of that, but there have been some very taxing times.
  Add to that, pastors frequently interact with folk at the darkest periods of their lives. While there are the weddings and births that we celebrate, there are also the deaths, accident scenes, bad medical prognoses, troubled children, marriages and job losses. No one has ever called me in the middle of the night to let me know they won the lottery (please be the first, lol).  
  Every job has its stress, pain, hassles and burdens. My point is that the ministry though is not some safe spiritual cocoon. Pastoral ministry apart from the Lord is a temptation to sport’ a ‘tude. Sadly, I know many pastors and pastors’ wives who do. But what gets me through, what gives me joy, peace and fulfillment is the same thing that can give every believer joy, peace, and fulfillment – time in the Word, time with my Father.
  If you’re a believer and fail to consistently spend time with the Lord, you’ll be miserable and miserable to be around. Joy and peace aren’t environmental. They’re gifts from a loving Father that come from spending time with Him. So, what must change is not around you, it’s in you.
  God wants you to have the abundant life now, from the inside out (Rom. 12:1-2). He wants to spend time with you.  So start the habit. Don’t make it a spiritual marathon. Just commit to spending time daily with your Father. Maybe download a Bible app on your phone or listen to the Word on your commute. Just do it! Start today!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Christ-followers are Pro-life!

 

“The clear commands in the Bible trump the prerogatives of 

society, the power of feelings, the precedence of experience 

and the persuasiveness of others.”   Randy Smith

 

  I feel very privileged to have friends from various walks of life. Many of my friends have worldviews very different from mine. With the recent leak of the potential Supreme Court ruling on abortion, it’s been a main topic in the national conversation. 

  Some of my friends are atheists or agnostics. Because they hold that worldview, the Bible has no basis for their values and they do not believe in transcendent moral absolutes. Personally, I respect them because they are consistent with their worldview, though obviously, I disagree.

  I also have friends who are Democrats and Republicans (I told someone recently I’m in the “Kingdom Party.”) Abortion though is not a political issue, it’s a moral one. Because I take a pro-life position, I’ve been accused of being a “Republican.” Though the media typically fails to acknowledge it, there are pro-life Democrats. It’s estimated that 30% of Democrats are pro-life. On the other side, according to a Gallup poll, 42% of Republicans are pro-choice for at least the first trimester. It’s a slur and not an argument to accuse someone that if they are pro-life, they’re a Republican.

  Thinking individuals are cognizant of the fact that politicians are pragmatists. Pragmatism is one of their highest values in that they’re frequently more motivated by the latest poll than worldview and values. Winning the next election often becomes their modus operandi.

  Some of the recent Republican presidents only became pro-life when it became politically expedient, i.e., George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump. Incidentally, both Bush wives, Barbara and Laura, were pro-choice. Please don’t swallow the opposition’s strawman argument that if you’re pro-life, you’re part of a certain political party. Incidentally, Joe Biden’s position on abortion has evolved from being pro-life in 1973 to abortion in any circumstances once he ran for President. Politicians are pragmatists.

  My concern though are the views of Christians. Personally, I don’t like the terms “Christian” or “Evangelical.” They’ve devolved to mean basically anyone who attends a church. It’s as foolish as suggesting you’re a mechanic because you work in a garage. You might be the bookkeeper.

  “Christians” don’t shoot at others because they’re Muslim or some other religious group, as they have in the Baltics. “Evangelical” has been distorted to mean you attend church periodically and are probably white. Both are media caricatures. By those definitions, I play for the “Brewers” because I attend a game as often as some “evangelicals” attend church.

  The best term today for a true Christian is probably “Christ-follower.” Following means that someone else is leading. For the Christ-follower, it’s the Lord Jesus Christ. If you read the four gospels, you must conclude that Jesus believed 100% of the Bible. A true Christ-follower must then believe 100% of the Bible. For a Christ-follower, God’s Word is not a religious smorgasbord where one can pick and choose what you want to believe.

  “Taking up your cross” (Mt. 16:24; Luke 9:23) as Jesus commanded His followers to do demands absolute commitment. Like Jesus, Christ-followers believe and seek to obey all of the Bible, even the parts that they may not understand. For a Christ-follower, it is the Ten Commandments not the “Ten Suggestions.”

  What does the Bible say about the beginning of human life?

  “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps. 139:13-14).

  “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb…For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:41-42, 44).

  The biblical case for life beginning at conception is so strong that God’s Word never attempts to prove it, it assumes it. It’s not a “fetus.” What is conceived in the human womb is Imago Dei, “made in the image of God.”

  Who gives life? The Creator God. Who takes the little hands and feet and eyes and nose and lips and assembles them in the womb? The Creator God.

  If we believe the Bible, then we must believe in the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn. From the moment of conception, a distinct individual has come into being—an individual made in the image of God; an individual with a human soul; an individual for whom Jesus Christ died.

  Thus, when a baby is aborted, it’s not simply the termination of a pregnancy; it’s the killing of a human being made in God’s image. Scripture puts a very high value on human life that stands in stark contrast to the moral schizophrenia of our day. Unborn children are as valuable in the sight of God as those who make it out of the womb. The most dangerous place in America today is often inside a woman’s womb.

  Christ-followers can’t rationalize or succumb to sentimentality or political expediency. Being pro-life demands that we care not just for the child in the womb, but for that child outside the womb whether they are rich or poor, regardless of their ethnic group or national origin. It means that we must show God’s love and compassion to all from the cradle to the grave.

  Being pro-life means that we must demonstrate God’s love to those who have had abortions and those who perform them. Sin is sin, evil is evil. Every sin, even those we rationalize as “small,” still sent the Lord Jesus to the cross. It means that we share His grace and forgiveness with all, just as it was shared with us. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

  The hope of our world though isn’t the outlawing of abortion. It’s the sharing of the gospel. Our mission is not just saving human life, it’s to share how one can have eternal life. It’s why the Lord Jesus came! In two millennia the mission hasn’t changed!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

 

Bad Moms of the Bible

“But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.” Mitch Albom

  There are no perfect mothers. You didn’t have one. If you’re a mom, you won’t be one. Since Eve first handed the forbidden fruit to Adam, we’ve all been contaminated by sin. Our family tree is a big mess, but so was Jesus’. 

  Most of us when we read the Bible tend to skip through the genealogies. The Jews of the first century would be quite surprised by our attitude. For them, the genealogy was an absolutely essential setting for the story of Jesus’ birth. They paid very close attention to questions of genealogy. For instance, whenever land was bought or sold, the genealogical records were consulted to insure that land belonging to one tribe was not sold to members of another tribe, thus destroying the integrity of the ancient tribal boundaries. You couldn’t just put the money down and take the deed. You also had to prove that your ancestors came from the same tribe.

  The most wonderful genealogy in the Bible is found in Matthew 1. The genealogy in Matthew 1 establishes Jesus as part of the royal family of David. It’s the same principle we see in the British royal family. The rulers of England must come from the house of Windsor and those rulers are determined strictly by genealogy. The same is true for Jesus Christ. His right to the throne is determined by His genealogy, which establishes beyond question that Jesus is indeed a literal descendant of King David.

  What anyone who has studied the Matthew 1 genealogy loves are the mothers listed out. It’s a chronicle of the grace of God. If you study these names in detail, it’s almost as if God pulled together a list of the worst Moms of the year. It’s not a list of plaster saints.

  It was unusual for a Jewish genealogy to include women. Family trees traced from father to son, but Jesus came to save men and women. And these were not nice women. At least three of them were exceptionally bad. These women wonderfully download for us the gospel.

  Tamar. You’ll find her sordid story in Genesis 38. She was the daughter-in-law of Judah who was the son of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. Tamar found herself husbandless and childless. She was impatient and unwilling to wait for God to take care of things so she hatched a scheme to trick her father-in-law Judah into sleeping with her. Her plan was simple – dressing up as a shrine prostitute, she seduced Judah into sleeping with her, whereupon she became pregnant and gave birth to twin boys—Perez and Zerah. What she did was evil and immoral. But Jesus didn’t come to save good people. He came for people like Tamar and Judah, and people like you and me.

  Rahab. Most of us know more about her. Whenever her name is mentioned in the Bible it has a phrase attached to it, Rahab the harlot. She was also a Canaanite, the hated enemies of Israel. Her most exemplary act was the telling of a lie. But her story is tied in with the larger story of Joshua’s conquest of the walled city of Jericho. When Joshua sent spies into the city, Rahab hid them in her house. In exchange for safe passage out of the city, they promised to spare her and her family when the invasion took place. All she had to do was to hang a scarlet cord from her window so the Israelites could identify her house. The spies hid in her house because people were accustomed to seeing strangers come and go at all hours of the night. But Rahab was a woman of faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith Rahab …” She was a believer! You can’t be saved without faith.   

  Ruth. She was from the country of Moab. a cursed people who were birthed from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19). Jews hated Moabites. But the book which bears her name tells of the romance that blossomed between Ruth the Moabitess and Boaz the Israelite. They were a very unlikely couple but in God’s providence, they were brought together in marriage. Boaz “redeemed” Ruth. Like everyone who comes to Christ for salvation, it’s the “romance of redemption.” They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David, making Ruth King David’s great-grandmother. It’s how a woman from a despised nation entered the line of the Messiah.

  Bathsheba. The last mother is not mentioned by name. She’s identified as the woman “who had been Uriah’s wife.” The account of Bathsheba’s adultery with King David is well-known. But adultery was only the beginning. Before the scandal was over it included lying, a royal cover-up, and ultimately murder. As a result, the child conceived that night died soon after birth and David’s family and empire began to crumble. Eventually, David married Bathsheba and they had another son—Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Quite a result for a union that began in adultery. There’s dirt all over this episode. But the main point is that Bathsheba made the list. Her name isn’t there but she’s still mentioned. Personally, I believe that she reminds us that even those who of us are the people of God and know what is right, like King David, are capable of the most horrible evil, like adultery and murder.

  Why these Moms? God did it so that His grace might be richly displayed. Can a prostitute go to heaven? What about an adulterer, a murderer or a liar? Absolutely! The stories of these four mothers and all of the men on the list remind us not to focus on the sin, but on God’s grace. The hero of the genealogy story is God. His grace shines through the darkest pit of human sin as He chooses flawed men and women and places them in Jesus’ family tree. This genealogy is in the Bible to let us know that Jesus had a background a lot like ours. He called Himself “the friend of sinners” and said that He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

  Do you want to be a great Mom (or Dad)? You have to know Jesus. We’re all one big mess. But no matter what you’ve done, Jesus can save you. The Moms in Jesus’ family tree remind us that no matter what your past looks like, or what your present feels like, no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God’s grace is enough. He can forgive you and give you a fresh start. He wants to make you a trophy of His grace!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church: Physical Presence in a Digital Age

 

“On the most elementary level, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. 

You do not have to go home to be married either. But in both cases, if you do not, 

you will have a very poor relationship.” Kent Hughes 

  Jane and I will have been married thirty-nine years this coming July. In nearly forty years, I’ve never once forgotten our anniversary (I came close one year but fortunately my grey matter kicked in the day before). And since we began dating back in 1981, I’ve never forgotten Jane’s birthday. Since we’ve been married Jane and I have been together for every one of our birthdays and all of our anniversaries. It would take a lot for either of us to miss those important days. The list could go on and on. 

  When something is important, we remember. When something is important to us, we’re there. Let me get ahead of what some are probably thinking. “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” While that’s true, if you study the New Testament I believe that you will have to conclude that you can’t be a growing or an obedient Christian without making church attendance a high priority.

  Groups of people are powerful, not just for what happens when they gather, but what that group becomes by gathering. The individuals in that group can become a movement. A force. The beginning of a change in the world. The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

  What makes gatherings so powerful? The fact that you are physically there. Since this is Packerland, which is more powerful, watching the game at home on your big screen or joining thousands of other fans even if it’s subzero at Lambeau Field? 

  Gathering identifies your priorities to others. When your neighbors and family members know you’re attending church, it identifies what “team” you’re on. If you stay home and watch online, for all they know you’re still in bed or you’re watching reruns of NCIS. If you’re gone every weekend camping or at the cabin, it sends a message of what’s important to you.

  Gathering together helps identify your priorities. For example, when you see a news notification that hundreds gathered at City Hall for a rally, you think, “Wow! That must be a big deal.” Gathering together tells the world that we are Christ-followers and citizens of heaven.

  Gathering shapes us. Like a political protest, the church gathered shapes a people. It moves us from individuality and shapes us together into a culture, a force, and a movement. A gathering of a church is profoundly spiritual. Yet, gatherings are spiritual, they’re also physical.

  When we are in heaven we will have bodies like Jesus had after His resurrection. God created Adam and Eve with physical bodies and walked with them in the Garden. At His incarnation, the Lord Jesus took on a physical body. The One who was God and was with God, put on human flesh so that He could walk with us. But it doesn’t stop there. Our Lord promised to build His church, a word that translated literally means “assembly” (Matthew 16:18). Personal connection is powerful!

  I love talking to my son Aaron via Facebook live in Taiwan, but I miss him terribly. Technology can’t begin to match the powerful impact of sitting across from Aaron and Jiayu, face-to-face, and talking with them as we look into their eyes and see the facial expressions that you can’t see via the Internet. In the same way, there’s a powerful connection made between brothers and sisters sitting near each other, singing, praying, and listening to God’s Word together. 

  There’s a powerful personal connection between a shepherd and his flock when he preaches God’s Word to those he loves and has been thinking about and praying for as he prepared the message. The Holy Spirit uniquely uses eye contact, facial expressions, and body language in both the preacher and his hearers to create a powerful connection during a sermon. A pastor feeds off the visible reaction of his hearers. A congregation is moved by the pastor’s burden over their souls conveyed in the sermon.

  I know that I speak for pastors across the globe when I say that I hated preaching to a camera during the Covid shutdowns. I missed you because I love you. Seeing the Lord work in your hearts as shown on your faces moves me to be more faithful in sharing His Word.

  The church is not a building, it’s a family of believers. While the Bible is clear that the church is not a building, neither is it nothing. It’s not just a building, but neither is it an individual believer. If the gathering of believers—committed to one another, accountable to one another, equipped by elders and pastors, following Jesus together, translated as “church” in the English Bible—wasn’t a vital part of God’s cosmic plan then…Ephesians 1 wouldn’t say that it’s the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 2 wouldn’t say that it’s the temple of God. Ephesians 3 wouldn’t say that through it the manifold wisdom of God would be made known to the world. Ephesians 5 wouldn’t call it the bride of Christ. And Hebrews 10 wouldn’t command us not to neglect gathering with other believers.

  One of my favorite stories is of a little girl whose family was temporarily living in a hotel because her Dad had been transferred to a job in a new city. The little girl often played in the hotel lobby and endeared herself to the hotel staff. One day a staff member said to this little girl, “Honey, it’s too bad that your family doesn’t have a home to live in.” And the little girl replied, “Oh, we have a home. We just need a house to put it in.” You and I are the church. We just need a building to put Grace Church in. 

  A shepherd misses missing sheep. There are many titles for the office of a pastor in the New Testament; elder, preacher, evangelist, etc. My favorite is pastor (not that anyone needs to call me “Pastor Carson”). The term “pastor” is literally “shepherd.” A shepherd is one who cares for the flock. He knows when one is missing. It’s his responsibility to care for, guard, protect, lead and feed the sheep. One of my great privileges at Grace is praying for you and when you miss, I notice because I miss you.

  If you’ve been at Grace very long, you know that if you miss a few weeks, we look for you. We want to make sure that you’re okay. It’s what the Great Shepherd has called us to and modeled for us (Luke 15:3-7). Another reason not to miss gathering together is that you’re greatly missed!

  The better we understand the significance of the church’s gathering, the sweeter and deeper our corporate worship will be. God delights to pour out His presence among His people. The Father blesses His gathered people!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.