Verse of the Day 9/1

Through the Bible - Psalm 149-Proverbs 1, 1 Corinthians 13

 

Good morning,

A friend recently forwarded an article that he had read regarding the desire of so many churches to "be relevant".  Churches fall between rigid orthodoxy and unrestrained liberalism.  The desire of some is to be more relevant to the culture in order to attract more people into the church from the surrounding culture.  Many churches will find themselves somewhere in the middle.

 

The struggle within the church and individuals come down to "the God we want and the God who is".  Read the words to the Casting Crown song, "Somewhere in the Middle".

 

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
 

Churches and individuals through the ages have struggled to find their identity.  Paul was familiar with this.  For today's verses we'll go to 1 Corinthians where Paul reminds his readers:

1 Corinthians 3:23-4:1 (Amplified Bible) And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. 

4:1 SO THEN, let us [apostles] be looked upon as ministering servants of Christ and stewards (trustees) of the mysteries (the secret purposes) of God.

All to often, in the desire to be relevant, the message, the gospel may be watered down.  These verses are a reminder that we are Christ's and we are to be ministering servants of Him, "trustees" of the mysteries and purposes of God.  Our goal should not be to promote the God that people want, but to show them, to teach them about the God who is.

 

A.W. Tozer, one of my favorite authors and theologians of the past century gives us, as individuals and as a church,v something to think about on the subject.

 

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. . . . Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is.  Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God."

A. W. Tozer - "The Knowledge of the Holy"

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

   
¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; ²⁰ and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." ²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³ And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. 

4:¹ Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.