1 Peter 4:8-11 (Playdough Version)
OK, sorry for playing too much with our scripture. But here is my questions:
What is the main mark of a Christian? That they go faithfully to church every Sunday? Or that they love and serve each other? I suspect everyone would agree on the correct answer... but if someone never went 'to church' yet faithfully served and loved others and offered hospitality to others would they get judged for it?
When we serve, are we serving each other, or are we serving the church service? What would it look like if we used our gifts to serve each other outside the church programs?
What do we do with a verse like this: "If anyone speaks they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God" ??? Is it possible that all Christians could share this role in some way?
7 comments:
Jon,
You said, "Sorry for playing too much with our scripture..."
I wish that all of Jesus' disciples felt that way.
Great job on the playdough version. That's certainly how I've seen people "live" that Scripture.
-Alan
Thanks Alan,
You likely had a similar "Scripture as we live it" post. I didn't copy it thought... honest. :)
Thanks for the comment.
Jon
"If anyone speaks they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God" ???
Man... Doesn't that verse just pack all kinds of power in it? What a huge statement, what massive ramifications are contained in just a relatively small sentence like that...
A verse like that is like dynamite to the obelisk of institutionalism...
-Daniel
"...but if someone never went 'to church' yet faithfully served and loved others and offered hospitality to others would they get judged for it?"
answer: maybe... but my question would be, why wouldn't someone who loves JESUS want to go and pursue HIM in worship with others who also love HIM? Why not do both - love and serve each other and those around us AND worship JESUS together as a group in communal gathering?
Should we be picking one or the other when perhaps the absence of EITHER of them is sad for any follower of JESUS!
Just what's on my mind..
Thanks Steve for the comment.
The reason I put quotes around going 'to church' is because I'm no longer seeing 'church' as a location or event to go to.
I believe whenever I gather with others of Christ's body, there is an assembling of the church. And whenever that occurs we need to be building each other up to be more like Christ. That would include worshiping our Lord together in words and deeds, as well as serving, loving, teaching, hospitality, etc.
I'm far from living in this reality. It's mostly just theoretical for me at this point. And as long as most of my brothers and sisters view church as a Sunday morning thing, I will join with them where they are. I do value fellowship, even though nobody agrees with me on everything. :)
I think it's a shame for followers of Jesus to view "church" as Sunday morning only.
Here's a quote from my last sermon in the series "What's The Big Deal":
SATAN WILL DERAIL US… his desire is to derail anything God wants… and so our care for each other AS a display of God’s relationship with us (acting towards each other as God would act towards us) is something Satan wants to dissolve! And if he can get people think that the Christian life is only about "going to church" on Sunday mornings, he’s accomplished an amazing feet… with that basic mentality (which has permeated Chrisondem over the centuries) has waylaid and struck a fatal blow to your faith and journey with Jesus – because we need each other!! As important as our communal gatherings of worship are, if we embrace them as the primary activity or duty in our Christian life, we’ll miss out on a major part of the Christian life - namely the relational element that needs to be part of our everyday life…
Having said that, I absolutely believe that our communal gatherings (which have been part of the general culture and tradition of the church of Jesus for 2000 years), as a visible picture of the bigger/universal church and family of God, are important, valuable for our spiritual growth and pursuit of Jesus and an awesome experience that we can engage in regularly, in the context of our culture.
Balance and Spirit-diriven-equilibrium are critical as we consider our Sunday Worship gatherings as a church!
Thanks Steve for that quote from that sermon. Amen there. :)
And I agree 100% that it is essential to gather together with other believers.
Amen brother. We'll leave it there for now. :)
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