Isn't that a great expression of faith and confidence?
This is my Father's world. Would you open your
Bible with me please to 1 Corinthians chapter
3 as we think again today regarding this matter
of our church in the 90s. Verse 10 says, According
to the grace of God which was given to me, As
a wise master builder, I laid a foundation and
another is building upon it. But let each man
be careful how he builds upon it. I recently
read of plans to construct a building in Japan
that would reach nearly a mile high, 5 ,000 feet
into the air. Apparently, technology exists now
to do that. The problem is with the cost. They're
not sure how to finance such a structure. I will
only say that I hope the architect is a college
graduate to try something like that. Christians
are participating, however, in a construction
project that is far more important than that.
We are building the church. of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is the eternal habitation of God
that we are constructing. Its importance, its
scope, its cost, the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ is far beyond anything that a mortal could
imagine. That which we are building comes out
of the very heart and the mind of God Himself.
We are doing our part in the project. Our contribution
to it is the work that we are doing in our local
church. The building that we're talking about
is not made with steel and glass, with cement.
But our building is made of human beings, the
lives of people, you and me and others. God in
His grace has chosen that kind of construction
material. It's material that is flawed and ruined
and corrupted, broken, until He reaches down
by grace and makes it whole. and in his salvation
makes us material that's worth building with
as far as he is concerned. And he begins putting
us into place as living stones in this holy temple
of God. What we are doing in our local church
is a part of this construction project that has
been going on for 2 ,000 years. and will continue
until the Lord comes. It is exciting to be a
part of something like that. And so we come to
the question, what kind of a church are we putting
together at Grace Church Roseville? How effectively
are we doing our work in this part of the age,
in our part of this living temple? Are we doing
work that is one day going to pass God's final
examination when the building is done? For these
Sundays of January and maybe a Sunday or two
into February, I want to speak to you from my
heart about the kind of church I believe God
wants us to be in the decade of the 90s. Last
Sunday we talked about two points that are foundational.
They're just basic. They're points you have a
hard time disagreeing with. We may get to some
other kinds of points later. But I remind you
that last week we talked about our church in
the 90s as being the kind of a church where the
Word of God is faithfully taught with relevance
to real life and where it is obeyed. by the people,
by all of us. The Apostle Paul laid that kind
of a foundation in the Church in Corinth in the
second chapter of this book. He says, When I
came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority
of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony
of God. So Paul says, I proclaim God's Word to
you, and that is the basis for your church. And
now he is writing this letter to exhort them
to go on to obey it. You see, it's not just enough
for it to be taught. And then we want our church
in the 90s to be the kind of a church noted for
loving acceptance of hurting and needy people.
while at the same time practicing and pursuing
holiness. We want our hearts to be wide open
to receive those who are in need of the Savior
and wherever they may be in their walk in this
world. Whatever the condition of their mind or
body or soul in their sin. We want our hearts
to be open to them, to receive them, to embrace
them with the love of Jesus Christ while at the
same time ourselves pursuing holiness, not compromising
God's standards of righteousness. Corinthians
had a little problem there as we saw last week.
And that's one reason Paul wrote this letter
to them. Now today as we continue this theme,
I hope that God will allow us in the 90s to be
the kind of a church where members allow for
differences of opinion and conviction on disputed
issues. Let me repeat that. I want us to be the
kind of a church where members allow for differences
of opinion and conviction on disputed issues.
Pardon me. Now, of course, right is right and
wrong is wrong. There's no question about that.
And the Word of God is very clear on issues about
what is right and wrong, but not every issue.
There are some matters where the Word does not
clearly speak. Leaving room for legitimate difference
of conviction within the conscience of individual
believers. There are some churches that prefer
to establish rules and laws in these areas that
are, shall we say, gray, and I mean legitimately
gray, where the word is not clear or it's silent.
I suppose in one sense it's easier to do that,
because then you can demand clear adherence,
everybody looks the same, there's conformity
in the church. The problem with that is that
it easily becomes legalistic, and it never produces
maturity in God's people. It arrests the maturing
process. So if we're going to build something,
For God's eternal habitation, let's let it grow
like it needs to and not arrest the growth. And
I think if we follow what I'm talking about,
we'll see growth. Growth in us individually,
in our relationship to Jesus Christ. There are
several important principles that Paul lays out
right here in 1 Corinthians that apply in determining
these issues that are disputed among Christians
as to what is proper or what is improper. Some
may feel they have liberty to do certain things,
while others feel in their conscience that those
things are wrong. How do we know what we ought
to do, personally? Well, let's just look quickly
at these principles. I do not want to dwell on
them. I can't afford that this morning, lest
this series go into summer. So let's just name
them. 1 Corinthians 6, 12. is the first place
we ought to look. Paul is saying to this group
of believers, now Corinthians grow up. Don't
be carnal anymore. And to help them grow up,
he says this, all things are lawful for me, 1
Corinthians 6 -12, but not all things are profitable.
There were some Corinthians who were boasting
in their newfound liberty in Jesus Christ. And
they said, because of grace, all things are lawful
to me. They felt that way about it. I can do
whatever I want to do. Paul says, now wait a
minute. It's true that grace liberates you, but
there's something else to consider. It's the
principle of expediency. He says here, is it
profitable? Is it helpful? Is there an advantage
in doing it? Will it accomplish a good end? So
you have freedom to participate or to do that.
But is there really profit in it? Is there advantage
in it for you, for others? The principle of expediency.
The last part of the verse, again he quotes some
of them apparently who were saying, all things
are lawful for me. But Paul says, I will not
be mastered by anything. And so the second principle
that needs to be considered is the principle
of enslavement. So I may do this or I may participate
in it, but is it something that will in some
way addict me? Will I become enslaved by this?
Obviously if I would then I need to say no to
that even though I may feel liberty in Jesus
Christ for it. 1 Corinthians 10. Paul comes back
to the same theme. Verse 23. All things are lawful,
he says, but not all things are profitable, he
repeats the first principle. Then he says all
things are lawful, but not all things edify.
And so we find a third principle that is the
principle of edification. So I have liberty in
my conscience to do this. How will it affect
others? Will it build them up? Or will it cause
them to stumble? If a person has a different
conviction and they're weaker than I in the faith,
will I by using my liberty cause them to stumble
in their faith? If so, then I need to decline
my liberty. to put limits on it. 1 Corinthians
chapter 8 is written about that whole theme.
The whole chapter deals with it. Paul says, so
you have liberty, that's good, but let your liberty
be tempered by love for others, that you don't
hurt them along the way of the pilgrimage. And
then in verse 31 he gives to us another principle.
He says, whether then you eat or drink or whatever
you do, do all to the glory of God. The fourth
principle is the principle of exaltation. Will
God be exalted in what I am doing? Will it glorify
Him? Can I glorify God in this activity? How
might it affect my body, which is the temple
of the Holy Spirit? So you see, these are the
principles that need to be brought to mind as
we think of disputed issues, where there are
legitimate differences of opinion among believers.
Now we need to allow for those differences, I
believe. But these principles must be used by
each of us in coming to the place of our own
understanding about them. Now there are certain
social issues that always come to mind. when
these kinds of things are talked about. Things
like dancing, smoking, social drinking, theater
attendance. But I think we need to go beyond
those things that we always think of and consider
some other issues that might be in some ways
even more relevant to our day. Because frankly
some of those former issues I think have become
more clearly black and white in recent days.
and years because of the work of science and
uncovering the effects of alcohol and tobacco,
for example, in our bodies. But let's think of
other kinds of issues. For example, what kind
of a car should I buy? Well, I hear some Christians
say you should never buy any car new. And if
you're a Christian, you ought to have a simple
lifestyle. The car should be an old car. Now
with most of us, that's no problem. But then
there are others who say, hey, you know, God
has blessed me. I can buy a Mercedes. And the
value of that car will be retained for years.
It is a wiser investment for me to make. I can
lay down the money up front and the car won't
decline in value. And so you see there's the
possibility of judging one another about those
sorts of things. I don't see anywhere in the
Bible where it says buy a secondhand chariot.
Nor does it talk about luxury editions of them.
I mean the Bible doesn't speak about that but
it seems to me these principles might have some
effect in helping us come to a personal decision
about it. What about issues like, should I hunt
and kill animals just for the sport of it? Talk
about something like this in Minnesota? Well,
there are Christians who have very strong opinions
about that on both sides. I think that's an issue
we need to struggle with. But we need to allow
for a room of difference on that and not judge
one another. Or let's go to a different realm.
How far do I go in protesting social or moral
policies in this country? I have some friends
who have said to me that if I don't lay my body
down in front of an abortion clinic and get arrested,
I don't have convictions about abortion. And
I mean they feel that way. I don't feel that
way. That's no place to put a temple of the Holy
Spirit, in my opinion, in jail. I mean, there
may be an occasion for it, but in my conviction,
I've reasoned that out a different way. I have
different convictions about that. I don't support
that kind of protest on that particular issue
at this particular time. But I want to leave
room for my brothers who feel differently about
it, or my sisters who feel differently about
it. My point is this, that I want us to be the
kind of a church where on these sorts of issues
where the Bible may not be clear, where it's
not black and white, that we allow for differences
of opinion and conviction. I believe that the
more mature a fellowship becomes, the more that
it will be characterized by the kind of loving
accommodation to the opinion of others that I'm
talking about. And I'm talking about doubtful
matters now. I think Augustine was correct when
he said, in essentials, unity. In non -essentials,
liberty. But in all things, charity. That's a
good principle to live by. I believe that largely
we are this kind of a church now, but I want
to say this just to underscore it. because it's
very easy in the day in which we are living to
slide one way or the other. It's hard to be balanced.
Have you ever noticed that? It's easy to slide
into compromise and accommodation on everything,
so there are no standards. On the other hand,
it's easy to fall prey to legalism because there
are frankly some very simple answers there. Just
to put down rules for everything, right or wrong,
and then nobody has to struggle with it. Nobody
has to make up their own mind. And I think both
are wrong on disputed issues. In the 90s, I want
to see our church be the kind of a church that
works to keep its basic ministry simple and uncomplicated
while meeting the essential needs of its members.
Now why do I make a statement like this? Because
there's a tendency for the opposite to happen.
Churches get to be like bureaucracies of the
government. We start something here and then
that's perpetuated forever and we start something
there and the same thing happens. After a while
we begin to fill up the week with so many expectations.
of everybody that there's no time and no energy
left to do anything else. It's very easy for
us in our church to say and to think in this
way, well if you're going to be a faithful member
of Grace Church Roseville then of course you'll
want to be in worship every Sunday morning. You'll
want to be in small church every Sunday morning.
And by the way, you would also consider teaching
in Sunday school or helping in the nursery on
Sunday morning in a third hour. Then, of course,
you need to be back at 6 o 'clock in the evening
for an evening service. And you may even want
to consider coming a little early and taking
a build class. Oh, by the way, we have a wonderful
men's Bible study on Monday night. Men all over
St. Paul come. Men's Bible study fellowship.
Super! And for you ladies, Thursday morning we've
got this thing going. It's just tremendous, meeting
a lot of women's needs. Hey, Wednesday night
is an important night at Grace Church. That's
when we do our children's and family thing. We
have a wand of that night in our youth ministry.
Oh, we need lots of help for that. Could you
come and help us with it? Oh, by the way, choir
meets that night too, and we need tenors. Right?
Especially this morning. with some of them sick.
And oh, yes, I forgot one other thing. Maybe
a couple. We really think that you ought to be
involved in your neighborhood. I mean, everybody
ought to be reaching out to their neighbors in
some way, you know, Bible study or evangelistic.
And then your family, you've got to spend quality
time with your family. And after a while, what
happens? You begin to get like John Benham. You
just pull your hair out. You don't know which
way to turn. And so I ask myself as the pastor
of this fine church, what in the world are we
asking people to do? Life hasn't gotten any simpler
in the 90's. I believe that we need to work to
simplify our ministry and to keep it as uncomplicated
as we possibly can and yet focus on the essential
needs that everybody, every one of us has so
that those are met. I think those needs can be
boiled down to just three. That simple. I believe
that the need of every Christian is number one,
to worship God. Now, we do that individually,
but I'm talking now publicly. Being together
in a body, in a congregation, a corporate group,
worshiping God, that is essential. We must never
allow worship to become less than a priority
in our lives. Number two, relationship. I'm not
thinking here just about friendships with anybody,
but I'm thinking about significant meaningful
relationships with other believers. The kinds
of relationships that will be mutually stimulating
so that we can encourage and admonish, perhaps
rebuke, one another. It takes relationship to
do that. All of us need relationship. It is not
enough to come to worship and just walk out as
quickly as possible, get in the car and go home
and think we've done our Christian thing. All
of us need to be involved in relationship. Now
that is really the one that we have to think
hard about in our church because we have umpteen
opportunities for relationship and I don't know
if one of them is bad. If it were, we wouldn't
be doing it. But somehow we've got to think through
all of the things we're doing to build relationship,
simplify that if possible, and then expect people
to say, I'll take that one. Or if they have time,
maybe there'll be another one or another one.
But not to expect everybody to be doing umpteen
different things. I can elaborate on that in
May next week, but let me go on. The third essential
need is ministry. None of us will mature, we
will never grow up unless we have some kind of
an outflow in our lives, giving to others. It
may be inside the walls of the church, within
the program of the church, or it may be outside
the walls of the church. It may be both in some
cases. But the fact is that God has gifted every
one of us to serve Jesus Christ in the church
and or in the world with spiritual gifts. We
are to employ those gifts in the power of the
Holy Spirit and thus serve our Lord and serve
others. Ministry is essential. If a Christian
is going to be a maturing Christian, he must
look after those three essentials in his life.
They are not three good things, they are three
absolute essentials for every one of us. You
check them off in your own life. How are you
doing? Is worship what it ought to be? Do you
have meaningful relationship with other believers?
Ministry? How are you serving Jesus Christ? It's
important to ask that question. My point is this
that I want us to be the kind of a church that
works to keep our ministry simple and uncomplicated
while at the same time seeking to meet these
essential needs. that all of us have. Finally,
as we think of our church in the 90s, I'd like
us to be the kind of a church where everyone
joyfully participates in the financial support
of the total ministry of the church. That has
always been God's plan for His people in Old
Testament times and in New Testament times. Whether
you go to the Old Testament or to the New, you
find Biblical support, number one, for the financial
support of those called of God to give full time
to ministry. In the Old Testament, it was true
of the Levites, the priestly class of Israel,
that family. In the New Testament, it's true
of those that the Holy Spirit calls to be full
time in their use of their gifts in serving the
church. You find support in both the Old and
the New Testament for benevolent ministry, giving
to those who are poor, to those who have needs.
There is support, by the way, for each of these
right in 1 Corinthians. The first one is 1 Corinthians
9. Maybe it would be good to look at that since
it's just a page or two away. We'll just look
at verse 14. It says, so also the Lord directed
those who proclaim the gospel to get their living
from the gospel. Now that verse comes out of
a context that deals with this whole thing of
supporting the Lord's workers. Benevolent ministry,
that's what 1st Corinthians 16, verses 1 and
2 is all about. Concerning the collection for
the saints. Paul writes, as I directed the churches
of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day
of every week, let each one of you put aside
and save, as he may prosper, that no collections
be made when I come. The concern in this particular
text, the point of it was a benevolent offering
being taken for the poor believers in persecution,
under persecution in Jerusalem. And then we see
it in several places of the New Testament, as
well as the Old, the support for outreach. But
this is especially true in the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians to
thank them for their generous expression once
and then again of support for his apostolic ministry,
support financially. He writes to the Romans
and says to them in the fourteenth chapter, I
believe it is, that he was going to go to Spain
and, excuse me, I think it's the 15th chapter,
he was going to go to Spain and he said, I'm
going to go there by way of you so that you can
help me on my way. What do you think he had in
mind, a pat on the back? No, he was thinking
undoubtedly of an offering, financial support
from them so that as he went on this journey
preaching the gospel in outreach, missionary
work, that the church would support him as it
ought to do. Then there's another aspect of this
whole thing when we talk about the total ministry
of the church and it was true in the Old Testament
as well and that is the cost of just doing ministry
in our culture. Now in the Old Testament involved
the upkeep of the tabernacle and the temple and
all that was involved there. Specific regulations
laid down for that. In the New Testament we don't
see a lot about that because that whole thing
hadn't developed yet in the first century when
the New Testament was written. But I think it
is a clear principle of the word that there is
cost in doing ministry in any culture. And that
is the responsibility of God's people to pay
that cost together for all of us to share in
it. The cost of administration in a church in
our culture. When you have several pastors on
the staff, or for that matter even one pastor,
a secretary is extremely helpful if not essential.
Else the pastor is going to be involved in doing
all kinds of things that are not the best use
of his time and his gifts. I can just say as
one pastor that if it weren't for a secretary
you would probably find me in a corner somewhere
in a fetal position. I mean, secretaries are
essential. What would we do without janitors,
custodians who clean our buildings for us? They
do a fabulous job here. Oh, the movement of chairs.
You just can't believe how many chairs have to
be set up and taken down and moved every week.
Look at the carpet that has to be cleaned in
a place like this. Not to speak of just the upkeep
and the maintenance, the grounds in the summertime.
I mean, that's a part of doing ministry if we're
going to live. in Roseville, Minnesota, and use
this as a base of operations. God expects us,
all of us, to have a part in that. That's why
I'm glad that we have what we call a unified
budget, where my gift, whatever it is in the
month, if it's $500 a month, it all goes to the
total ministry of the church. Now there are some
people that like to be able to designate, and
that's kind of a human thing, I suppose. I remember
one pastor saying to a group of us pastors at
a conference, and this was 15 years ago in their
church, they took in weekly offerings of somewhere
between $50 ,000 and $80 ,000 every week. But
he said he was the only pastor of a church that
he knew of that took in offerings like that that
couldn't pay its light bill because everybody
was designating their money to this or that or
the other thing. If it comes down to it, if I
have $100 to give and I want to designate it,
am I going to designate it to a ministry where
I can see the results or where I know the person?
Or am I going to designate it to pay the light
bill for the church? Well, I can tell you what
the answer to that is. I'm going to give it where
I can see the result. And where I know that person,
let somebody else pay the light bill. Now, let's
suppose we all took that attitude. Well, we turn
the lights off next Sunday, I guess. But you
see the point, don't you? The problem that we
run up against really is twofold, I think. It
arises out of human nature. It is, number one,
the desire to keep rather than to give. That's
true of all of us. We would rather keep than
to give. And the second problem is that we would
rather control than to trust. I would rather
control where my money goes. So I know where
that $250 is going and where that $500 is going
than to trust that in the wisdom of the body
and voting on the budget that it's already been
decided and designated the best place is for
it to go. or to trust somebody else to divvy
it out for me. It is human nature to say I would
rather control that than to trust it to somebody
else. But the fact is that if we're going to
do ministry effectively in the 90s, we need to
be the kind of a church where everybody joyfully
participates in the financial support of the
total ministry. I have a friend that I went to
school with who now works for one of the fine
Jewish missions in our country. He wrote an article
regarding the text of Malachi 3 that warns the
Old Testament people of God not to rob God. And
they said, well how have we robbed thee, Lord?
And God said, in your tithes and your offerings.
As he was writing about that and bringing some
application into the New Testament, he said,
Christians present many reasons and excuses for
not giving to the Lord. Some have been taught
improperly or not at all concerning what God
requires in the area of giving. Some do not give
out of greed and a desire to spend all their
money on self -gratification. Some believe that
they cannot afford to give. They have a young
family to support, they're in debt, saving for
retirement, on a pension or just too poor. Still
others believe that by giving their lives to
full -time ministry they're not required to give
financially. But it goes on to say the scripture
teaches that everyone, this text in 1st Corinthians
16 is his proof text, everyone is required to
give to the Lord's work. Those holding any of
the above positions must restructure their giving.
according to biblical principles. And he rightly
goes on to say, the Christian cannot afford not
to give. By robbing God of what is due him, the
individual is actually robbing himself and his
family of many personal blessings. For giving
pays earthly and heavenly dividends. How the
Christian handles money is the true barometer
writes David Levy of his spiritual life Those
words I think are right on target Words that
all of us need to hear and I just need to hear
we need to heed and obey We've seen some real
improvement in our church in this area in the
last couple of years Our administrator did a
computer analysis of our giving patterns, of
those who give by envelope. That's the only way
that we can trace any patterns. And we found
that percentage -wise, many more people now are
participating in giving than have in past years.
That's a very healthy thing. We need to see that
continue and be obedient to give all of what
God tells us to give. Another pastor friend of
mine who pastors a large Lutheran church in southern
Florida sends me his bulletin every week. And
on the front page of it he had a little story
that I thought was kind of interesting and fits
right in with this theme. He says, years ago
a man knelt with his pastor as he committed himself
to God to tithe. As you know that means 10 %
of the income. His first week's pay was $10 and
the tithe was $1. As he grew older, he became
more prosperous. His tithe became $7 .50 a week
and then $10 .00. He moved to another city and
his tithe was $100 a week and then $200 and later
$500. He sent his pastor a wire, Come to see
me. The pastor arrived at the man's beautiful
home. They had a good time talking over old times.
Finally the man came to the point. You remember
that promise I made years ago to tithe? Yes.
How can I get released from it? When I made that
promise, I had to give only a dollar, but now
it's $500. I cannot afford to give away that
kind of money. Well, the old pastor looked at
his friend and said, I'm afraid we cannot get
a release from the promise. But there is one
thing we can do. we can kneel and ask God to
shrink your income so that you can afford to
give a dollar once again. You know Jesus had
a lot to say about money and it's a subject that
we ought not to be embarrassed to talk about
despite some of the scandals and extremes that
we hear in the media regarding money. The Bible
has a lot to say about it. One of the key texts
is Luke chapter 16. We don't have time this morning
to look at the whole context, but I want to pick
out the key, pinnacle verse of it all in Luke
16 and verse 9. Jesus says this, and what strange
words these seem like from Jesus. Make friends
for yourselves, he says, by means of the mammon
of unrighteousness. What's he talking about?
Money? that when it fails, they may receive you
into the eternal dwellings." If you look at that
in the context and understand what Jesus is saying,
what he's really saying is, you be shrewd in
the stewardship of your money. Like this man
I just told you about, he was saying in the parable.
It says, be shrewd in the use of your money so
that by means of it, though it is the mammon
of unrighteousness, you make friends. So that
when it, your money, fails, when is that? The
end of life? That's when it's all over. It doesn't
make any difference how much we've amassed or
how poor we are. It's done at that point. That
when it fails, they, who are they? The friends?
that you've made may receive you into eternal
dwellings. Who are these friends? I'll tell you
who they are. Our Lord was talking about people
who are one to Jesus Christ, who are built up
in the faith as a result in part of our faithful
financial stewardship. Because we support the
total ministry of our church, People are one
to Christ in the area. People are built up in
the ministry of our church. We send missionaries
overseas. We have this project. We do that. And
people are one to Christ. Listen. Someday there
is going to be, when you arrive in heaven, those
of you who have been faithful and giving, there
are going to be some dear people from Tali Abu,
Indonesia, who are going to stand there at the
golden staircase. If you come up the stairways,
you may take the elevator. They're going to be
standing there and they're going to say, welcome
to heaven and thank you for giving to God. Because
of that I'm here. You sent a missionary. And
therefore I didn't die and go to hell. But I
heard about Jesus. Thank you for giving to God.
I don't know about you. But I think that's exciting.
And that's why all of us can be joyfully participants
in giving to God. Not just tipping God, not just
trying to buy God off, but giving to God. Father,
I pray that you will apply what we've talked
about this morning to our lives and may each
one of us grow as a result of it.