The Service that Members Want Isn’t What Unchurched People Need
Over the years I’ve wanted to invite friends to church. Too often I don’t. This isn’t due to a lack of courage on my part but a fear that the church service would drive them from Jesus instead of drawing them closer.
And for those times I took the risk and invited friends to church, I can’t ever remember once when the outcome was positive. They came once and never returned. When I asked why, they often cited an aspect of the service that confused them, turned them off, or offended them.
I may have been more successful at pointing them to Jesus if I hadn’t invited them to go to church with me.
Dogmatic Preaching
At one fundamental church I attended, the teaching pastor delighted in decrying sinful behavior. He was legalistic to the extreme. He had a lengthy list of things we should not do as followers of Jesus. And the list of things we could do was short and dreary.
He had the zeal of a Pharisee. And he seldom mentioned God’s grace or mercy. Given this, why would anyone want to follow Jesus?
When we invite friends to church, they need to hear a compelling message, not a repelling one.
Miserable Music
The worship music at many churches struggles to speak to unchurched people. Sometimes it’s a dated style that’s irrelevant in today’s world. It’s out of touch and inaccessible, sending the wrong signal about Jesus and his church.
Other times it’s a quality issue. True, from a worship standpoint, it’s what’s in the musicians’ hearts that matters to God, not the sound of their voice or the skill of their playing. Yet to someone on the outside, unprofessional music is a huge turnoff.
When we invite friends to church, they deserve, and expect, to experience professional music that connects with them and draws them to God—not makes them cringe.
Unfriendly People
What happens before and after the service, of course, is critical too. Some churches are friendly toward visitors and welcome them well. But most people at most churches don’t talk with those they don’t know. This means they ignore visitors.
When we invite friends to church, we shouldn’t be the only ones to talk to them. But too often we are.
A Seeker Sensitive Solution
This problem of inviting people to church is not a new issue, but one that’s been around for a while. It’s just that it’s become more pronounced in recent years. There is now a bigger comprehension and expectation gap between people who go to church and people who don’t.
If you decades ago, the pronounced solution was to have a seeker sensitive service. The goal was to recast what happened on Sunday morning to appeal to the unchurched who showed up.
The vision was that members would invite friends to church, and the church would give them a service that connected with them and drew them in.
Though this was an insightful vision, it neglected to address the spiritual growth of members, directing everything that happened on Sunday morning to those on the outside. A seeker sensitive service addressed one problem and created another one.
The Purpose of Church
As we grapple with this problem, we should consider the purpose of church. Let’s look at the early church as recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. The churches were a gathering of believers.
Their goal wasn’t to invite friends to church to encounter Jesus. Instead, they first invited their friends to follow Jesus. Then they would go to church to receive encouragement from other believers and grow in their faith.
The purpose of church wasn’t to bring about their salvation but to help them grow in it.
Therefore, our goal shouldn’t be to invite friends to church, but to invite them to follow Jesus first. Church comes later.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Today, in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving! But wherever you live, take time to give thanks for all we have.
In the US, however, Thanksgiving Day has morphed into a day of eating too much, watching football on television, and starting Christmas shopping in earnest.
No matter where you live or what you’re doing today, take a moment to thank God for what he’s done in your life over the past year and how he’s cared for you.
As we do this, we might want to consider what the Bible says about thanksgiving.
The word “thanksgiving” occurs twenty-two times in the Bible (thirty, if you include the headings that were added later).
Leviticus mentions offerings of thanksgiving.
In Ezra and Nehemiah, there is much thanksgiving as the people return to their homeland and rebuild the city.
Of course, Psalms uses the word, too.
Even the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, which have little to celebrate, both mention thanksgiving, albeit as a future event.
Lastly, many of Paul’s letters include thanksgiving in them.
That’s a lot of thanksgiving to consider!
Wherever you live in the world, may you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving!
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Most Christians and their churches celebrate Christmas to commemorate Jesus coming to earth as a baby. And many build up to Christmas by observing Advent—the time that precedes our Savior’s birth.
This book, The Advent of Jesus, is designed to guide us in this important season as we celebrate Jesus.
In doing so, we’ll take a holistic approach so we can better appreciate the coming of our Savior to earth. We’ll center on the gospel accounts in the Bible, giving primary attention to the beloved passage from the beginning of the book of Luke.
Then we’ll incorporate Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah to deepen our understanding. Along the way we’ll tap into our imagination to better see things from the perspective of Mary and Joseph.
The goal is to consider Jesus’s arrival from several different vantages to offer a comprehensive Advent devotional. And for maximum flexibility, there are options to fit your preferences and schedule. Here’s why:
Traditionally, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
As a result, Advent can start as early as November 27 or as late as December 3. This means that the length of Advent varies from 22 to 28 days.
It ends with the celebration of Jesus’s birth on December 25, even though this date is one of convenience and probably does not mark Jesus’s actual birth.
In this devotional we’ll celebrate the arrival of Jesus for all twenty-eight days of Advent. You can start on November 27, regardless of the year’s calendar. Or begin on whatever date marks the beginning of Advent for the current year.
We’ll build up to the grand culmination of Jesus’s birth.
Then, if you want more, continue the celebration past Christmas to Epiphany on January 6, which traditionally marks the coming of the Magi to celebrate Jesus. This event serves as a fitting conclusion to the Christmas story.
To cover all the essential parts of the story, we’ll compress some parts of our timeline and expand others. For example, we’ll look at Jesus’s birth for five days, not just on Christmas. And we’ll do the same for Epiphany.
The result is a comprehensive devotional that celebrates Jesus coming to earth as an infant who grows up to save humanity. May God speak to you through this book during the Advent season and beyond.
[This devotional is taken from the November 22 reading from The Advent of Jesus.]
Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Someone once surprised me, catching me off guard by calling me a “man of integrity.” Though honored by their perception, I shook my head. Yes, I aspire to be a person of integrity, but I’m not there. I have a long way to go and will never fully arrive. Still it’s a worthy pursuit.
Do You Cheat at Solitaire?
I recall someone saying that integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. I suspect most of you have never played solitaire old school, using a deck of cards, but it’s an easy way to understand this idea of integrity in private.
As someone who has played solitaire with cards, I understand this too well. Holding cards in our hands makes it all too easy to peek at what lies ahead.
Yes, there have been times of integrity when I refused to cheat. And there have been other times when I gave in because I felt that peeking was my only chance to win.
That’s a lack of integrity.
How we play solitaire seems like a small thing with little consequence. But it’s indicative of the whole person. If we maintain our integrity in small things that no one sees, we’re much more likely to do so with the important things that people do see.
It takes conducting both our private and public life well to be a person of integrity.
Are You Honest and Moral?
Two key components of integrity are honesty and morality. Honesty speaks truth even when it’s difficult to do so.
Dishonesty can occur by saying what is untruthful. But it can also occur by not saying what needs saying. Withholding needed information is just as dishonest as speaking lies.
Morality is doing the right thing. It means living the right way. The Bible calls this righteousness, which is not a very popular topic in today’s culture. In fact, morality is not very popular either.
Both honesty and morality are integral requirements for a person of integrity.
Do You Wrap-up Things Well?
I’ve often said that a person reveals their true character by how they leave a job.
Do they quit without notice, leaving their employer in a difficult situation? Or do they give their two-week’s notice and then work hard until the last hour, striving to wrap up their projects and leave on the best possible terms?
That’s integrity.
But this goes beyond ending well each time we leave a job. It’s finishing everything with excellence. It’s completing what we start. When you launch into a project do people suspect you’ll never finish? Or do they know they can depend on you to complete what you said you would do?
That’s a person of integrity.
Will You Finish Strong?
The final wrap-up occurs at the end of our lives. Will we finish the race strong? That was Paul’s goal (Acts 20:24 and 2 Timothy 4:7). Too many people coast toward the finish line of life, and some even give up or make a U-turn to head in the wrong direction.
As for me, I don’t want to lose sight of the goal. I want to run hard to get there. I want to finish strong. I want to be a person of integrity when my life here on earth winds down.
Be a Person of Integrity
Becoming a person of integrity is not a grand, one-time decision. It’s a series of little decisions, moment by moment, day by day. Each one of these helps us establish a habit of integrity. Each one helps us move toward the goal of being a person of integrity.
The opposite is also true. Each time we fail to do what is right, each time we take a shortcut because it’s expedient, and each time we spew a white lie because it’s easier than speaking truth, we move away from integrity.
These also combine over time to lessen our integrity. We then risk becoming dishonest, immoral, and corrupt.
When I think of integrity, I think of righteousness. The opposite of righteousness is unrighteousness. The Bible talks a lot about that—and warns against it.
Each day I strive toward the goal of righteousness, with the intent of becoming a person of integrity. This is not only to serve as an example to others, but also as an act of worship to God. I long to one day hear him say, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Focus verse:God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
As John continues in his letter, he moves from fellowship and joy, to talking about the light. God is light. That is, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give us light.
In their light there is no darkness. The good light of Jesus overcomes the darkness of the enemy where sin and evil abound.
John discusses this light—the light that shines in the darkness—in depth in his biography of Jesus (John 1:4–9). It’s a great parallel passage to today’s reading, with the two smartly complementing each other. But there’s more.
Let’s go back to the beginning, back to creation. Jesus is at creation, and all created things come through him (John 1:2–3).
When creating our reality, God first makes light. He declares that this light is good. He separates light from darkness. This marks the first day of creation (Genesis 1:3–5).
Not only is Jesus—who gives light and is light—present at creation, he’ll also be present at the end of the age. This is when God ushers in a new heaven and a new earth.
This new heaven and new earth will contain a new Jerusalem. This city will not need sun or moon to illuminate it, for God will light it through the lamp of the Lamb, the light of Jesus.
All nations and their rulers will walk by this light and give their glory to it—that is, to Jesus, the light (Revelation 21:23–24).
From their thrones in the great city, God the Father and Jesus the Lamb will rule. They’ll give light to all, without the need for sun or lamps. In the light of our Lord there will be no more night, with God’s light forever chasing away darkness (Revelation 22:5).
Throughout this we see Jesus as light: at creation, during his time on earth, and for all eternity. And, as followers of him, he is our light today.
The light of Jesus pushes away all darkness.
Now John ties this back to fellowship. If we claim to have fellowship with our Lord yet continue to walk in darkness—that is, in sin—we delude ourselves. But if we walk in his light, we’ll enjoy fellowship with other believers because Jesus has purified us from all sin.
We may worry that our sinful actions remove us from fellowship and make us liars. But we must remember that as followers of Jesus he has forgiven our sins (Hebrews 8:12 and 1 John 1:9; see Day 5).
This includes both in the past and for the future. As a result, we’re qualified to experience fellowship with one another and with God.
Thank you, Jesus!
Questions:
Have we received the light of Jesus?
What can we do to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of our world?
How can we fully embrace the truth that when Jesus died for our sins, he has forgiven them and remembers them no more?
Why do we remember our sins when Jesus doesn’t?
What do you think about Jesus being the light at creation, for us now, and later in heaven?
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
People sometimes ask me how I hear from God, and I share with them about when I learned to do this. Yet there were some basic steps I already had in place before I started down this path. I don’t do these perfectly, but I do lean into them and pursue them.
Here are the four steps of how to hear from God, with each one building on the prior one.
1. Read the Bible
Anyone—everyone—can find the written word of God in Scripture. It’s waiting for us, and all we need to do is read it.
Though you could open the Bible only when you have a question you want answered, the better approach is that it should be regular, whether you have a question or not. I recommend daily.
Pick a time each day and commit to reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible. The amount of time isn’t as important as it is to be intentional and regular. Make it a habit.
Reading the Bible is the simplest way to hear from God. Anyone who can read can do it. For those who can’t read, there are many options to have the Bible read to you, such as on Bible Gateway. And if you don’t have a Bible, you can read that online too.
2. Do What the Bible Says
Reading Scripture, however, isn’t enough. It’s also critical to put into practice what we read. If we don’t do what the Bible says, what’s the point of reading it in the first place?
Reading the Bible puts information into our head. Obeying the Bible puts that information into action.
As we do what the Bible says, we grow closer to God, and we serve as an effective witness for Jesus to a world who needs him.
Doing steps one and two prepares us to move to step three. Though not everyone is able to excel at the next step, everyone can and should try. And they should keep trying until it works.
3. Listen for the Holy Spirit
Once we’re reading the Bible and obeying what God’s word tells us to do, we’re ready to move to the next step. Now we need to open ourselves up to hear from God. We need to listen.
Before you dismiss the idea of listening for the Holy Spirit, remember that if you follow Jesus, you already have the Holy Spirit within you. He’s not distant. He’s present and ready.
Most people want to start with this step. But if they’re hearing from God as they read his word and aren’t putting it into practice, why do they think he’d be interested in talking to them through the Holy Spirit?
In this way, reading and obeying God’s written word stands as a prerequisite for hearing God’s spoken word.
To hear from the Holy Spirit, we must first put ourselves in a posture of listening. This means removing the noise from our lives, the things that distract us. When we’re in the posture of listening and ready to receive, that’s when God is most likely to speak.
People who hear from God experience his voice in diverse ways.
After years of practice, I hear from God throughout the day. This usually happens with ease and quite quickly. But it wasn’t always that way. I had to work up to it.
Read my experience when I first learned to hear from God. Perhaps it will work for you too. But this isn’t the only way. So if this doesn’t produce results, explore other options to hear from God.
I often initiate the times when I hear from God, yet this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the Holy Spirit talks to me when I’m not seeking his input. He’ll tell me to do something or to say something.
4. Do What the Holy Spirit Says
When we hear from God, it’s critical to obey. We must do what he tells us to do. If we don’t—or won’t—what reason does he have to keep speaking?
Though some of the times when I ask the Holy Spirit for insight, it’s to help me understand a portion of Scripture or to direct my words as I struggle to write a challenging passage.
Sometimes I ask the divine to help me remember something I forgot or find something I’ve lost. He guides me in those situations too.
Yet other times I’ll ask what to do in a situation. Sometimes I don’t like the answer. It seems embarrassing or doesn’t make sense. Though I wish I could say I obey right away regardless of what I think about it, the truth is that I sometimes delay.
Though in most cases, my delay is temporary and becomes obedience, but other times I talk myself out of doing what God tells me to do. My logic results in disobedience. This dismays me, and with his help I’ll do better in the future.
I’m also painfully aware that if I disregard what the Holy Spirit tells me, he may stop talking to me. May this never be.
Summary
Follow these four steps to hear from God: read the Bible, obey the Bible, listen for the Holy Spirit, and obey the Holy Spirit.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
As Sunday approaches, I want to return to last week’s church. Instead, I refer to our list. The second closest church to our house is another from traditional denominational church, a short 1.4 miles away.
I attended a church in this denomination for the first decade of my life. Later, early in our marriage, Candy and I were members of one for three years.
Based on my experiences, too many churches in this denomination are dying because of aging congregations and few young attendees. The Outlier Congregation was a notable exception.
Perhaps this traditional denominational church will also be different. To my shock, Candy doesn’t balk when I suggest this church. I voice hope. “Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
We don’t leave as soon as we should. As a result, we’re both frustrated when we get into our car.
Praying for Church
Only a few seconds into the drive our simmering emotions erupt with raised voices and unkind words. Having mutually expressed our respective angst over some trivial slight, we drive in silence.
In another minute we’ll be at this traditional denominational church, but we haven’t yet prayed for the experience. The sad thing is, right now I don’t care.
“Do you want to pray for the service?” Candy asks.
No, I don’t; I’m mad. I hope she will. After all, she suggested it. “Will you pray?”
“No, I want you to.”
I just yelled at my wife. I don’t want to talk to anyone, especially not God. Letting out a deep breath, I sigh.
“Lord, calm our emotions and prepare us to experience church today. May we receive what you would have us to receive and give what you would have us to give. Open our minds to see what you want to show us. May you be honored by our actions today.”
During my short prayer, God soothes my raw emotions and transforms my attitude. I feel better. I’m ready for church. That’s good because we’re here.
First Impressions
I count six cars in the parking lot. We’re number seven. Great! I tense a bit, braced for another too-small gathering.
Only after we get out of our car do I see many vehicles parked on the side, too many to count. That’s better. I relax a little.
Though I suspect we should walk around the building to where most of the cars are and seek an entrance there, the biting wind of the winter cold assaults me.
It’s not as unseasonably cold as last Sunday, but today the wind pushes the feeling of cold much lower. I want to get inside as fast as I can. I follow a few footprints in the snow to the closest door.
It’s at a lower level than the main entrance in the front, and I wonder where it might lead.
It’s not a welcoming approach. I brace myself to tug on a locked door. To my relief the door yields to my gentle pull, depositing us on a landing midpoint on a stairway. We walk up several steps and find ourselves in the narthex, a pleasant and warm space.
A lady heading to the stairs welcomes us with a smile. But she has no time to talk, she explains, because she’s headed to work in the nursery. I’m encouraged. Despite seeing only senior citizens milling about, the need for a nursery suggests younger families attend too.
We saunter in. Already I know I won’t like this church or our experience here. This isn’t a snap determination made with premature rashness but a reasoned judgment resulting from the scores of churches we’ve visited over the past few years.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, I can predict with high accuracy what the people and service will be like.
Why are we here? Why did we bother?
I want to leave.
Pressing Forward
Meandering toward the sanctuary, we look for someone to talk to or someone looking to talk to us. No one notices. We’re invisible—again. I look for coatracks but don’t see any.
Although slightly irked, I’m okay keeping my coat on. Despite only a brief exposure to the winter chill, it will take time for my body to warm.
While I’m looking for a coatrack, Candy seeks a bulletin. This is definitely a bulletin-type church, but she can’t find one. Now she’s irked too. The pews have padded seats but aren’t nearly as nice as last week’s. I squirm, trying to get comfortable.
The character of the building reminds me of 1960-style construction, but it’s nicely maintained and doesn’t feel that old. Though there are few windows, the space is well lit, giving an open, inviting ambiance.
The stage, however, has the strangest array of decorations, giving off an almost spooky vibe. It’s surreal, and I try to ignore it. I know someone put a lot of effort into this, but the results are bizarre.
Candy still looks for bulletins, finally spotting a rack of them by one of the side aisles. After she leaves to retrieve one, an older lady approaches me from the other side. With a smile, she hands me a bulletin. “Here, you might want one of these.”
I thank her, and she nods. That’s the end of our exchange, but I’m pleased she made the effort.
Candy returns, with bulletin in hand, and a man—the first person we’ve seen younger than ourselves—walks up to us. He introduces himself and we have an extended conversation.
Our exchange, however, is uncomfortable because he’s standing and we’re sitting. Why didn’t I stand too? Nevertheless, his outreach honors me.
We’ve now had three interactions with people at this traditional denominational church. Each one felt awkward, yet I prefer uneasy conversation to no conversation. No one wants to be ignored.
(I must admit I could have contributed to the discomfort of each situation.)
I estimate the church seats about 350 and is less than half full. Though all age groups are present, the crowd skews toward the senior citizen demographic.
The front five rows are completely empty in each of the four sections, with most people packed into the back of the sanctuary. Though we’re only a fourth of the way in, as many people sit behind us as in front.
We keep our coats on. I squirm trying to find a comfortable position in the uncomfortable pew.
Out of Place Drums
“Look, there’s a drum set.” Candy points with a subtle tip of her head. “It’s hidden behind the piano.” Drums seem so out of place in this traditional setting. I wonder if they will be part of today’s service. I don’t need to wonder long.
With a pleasant smile, a man approaches the piano. An accomplished pianist, he plays the prelude and then invites the worship team forward. Four vocalists pick up mics as they fan out along the front of the stage.
A woman sits at a keyboard behind the piano, and a twenty-something guy goes to the sequestered drum kit, housed in a Plexiglas enclosure.
They open with a contemporary song, followed by an obligatory greeting time. Though we shake hands or wave at everyone around us, the most anyone says is “Hi” or “Welcome.”
The intention is good, but the results are superficial. I feel like a poser, a fraud. I smile and pretend to be happy, just like everyone else, but we’re acting as if we’re all friends, when in reality we’re strangers—except for the one man we talked to when we first sat.
We sing two more songs, one contemporary and the other a hymn. The congregational prayer follows. As a kid I learned to ignore these lengthy recitations of congregational needs, and I never broke that habit. The prayer drones on.
Afterward he dismisses the kids. It’s too late. They should have been released before the boring prayer, lest they, too, learn to ignore it as I did.
Then the ushers take two offerings in rapid succession. Though many people sit in front of us, the first bucket goes by with only a few bills in the bottom. The second one is empty.
Either this is a stingy church, or they give their offerings in other ways. Singing during the collections, we stand for the final verse once the ushers have completed their task. At last, I’m warm enough to take off my coat.
The Book of James
The sermon is part of a series from the book of James. The pastor is a contract minister; they just extended his agreement six months while they seek a permanent replacement. He reads James 5:7–20.
He’s a polished presenter who communicates with ease. The title of his message is “The Quest for Christian Maturity: In Patience and Prayer.”
We are impatient, he says. Consider Moses, Abraham and Sarah, and Peter. “Patience produces fruit, gives testimony, and reveals God’s care.”
With three points for part one, I wonder if this was once a sermon by itself. “Without trials,” he concludes, “there would be no perseverance; without battle, no victory.”
For the second half on prayer, there are likewise three points. We pray “in difficult circumstances, in sickness, and in spiritual struggle.”
What about prayers of confession, thanksgiving, and praise? We need those types of prayers too. Surely God must tire of us only asking for things.
“Prayer is getting God’s will done on earth,” he says in conclusion. This sounds nice, but I wonder if it has biblical support.
He says a closing prayer and dismisses us.
We move slowly and are the last to leave the sanctuary. Some people give us a passing nod, others thank us for visiting, and a few invite us back. But no one shares their names or asks ours. No one attempts conversation. I wonder if they expect their paid clergy to do that.
The Exit
The minister stands dutifully at the sanctuary’s main exit. With no one behind us, we tarry. I tell him we are new to the area and visiting local churches, but I think he assumes we’ve already selected this one.
He tells us about their evening service and where the church is in their process of finding a new minister. He’s a nice man, and I like him, but we don’t plan to come back, so I doubt we’ll ever see him again.
Candy asks if I want to hang out in the narthex to see if there’s anyone we can talk to. I see no point in trying and am okay to leave. I think she’s relieved. As we head toward the door, though, we have one final interaction. It’s the best of the whole morning.
Two ladies take time to learn about us and share about themselves. One woman is the mother of the man we talked to before the service, and the other is the fill-in pastor’s wife. Both are nice ladies, and I appreciate them reaching out to us.
As we say our goodbyes, they both invite us back.
Candy and I don’t talk about the experience on our short drive home. Later I ask what she thought, but she has little to share. I already know and didn’t need to ask.
She didn’t like it and doesn’t want to return to this traditional denominational church. I agree.
Last week’s sermon elevated the Holy Spirit to an equal level with the other parts of the Trinity; this week’s message ignored him.
Last week I enjoyed our church experience; this week, I didn’t. I wonder if there’s a connection.
Takeaway
Look for ways to welcome visitors and give them a reason to come back.
This book picks up the mantle from 52 Churches, their year-long sabbatical of visiting churches.
Here’s what happens:
My wife and I move. Now we need to find a new church. It’s not as easy as it sounds. She wants two things; I seek three others.
But this time the stakes are higher. I’ll write about the churches we visit, and my wife will pick which one we’ll call home. It sounds simple. What could possibly go wrong?
What Jesus says is important to us as his followers. The passages in the Bible that we need to pay the most attention to are the words of Jesus. Some Bibles even highlight Jesus’s words by putting them in red.
We call these red-letter editions. People often focus on the final words of Jesus. But what about Jesus’s first words?
Let’s look at what the Bible records as Jesus’s first words. This doesn’t occur when he first learns to talk, and it’s not the first words he speaks when he begins his ministry. Jesus’s first words recorded in the Bible happen between these two times.
Twelve-Year-Old Jesus
Jesus’s first recorded words occur when he’s twelve, and it’s the only story the Bible gives us about Jesus’s youth. In this account we see the balance between his divine side and his human side.
Jesus goes with his parents to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. When the festival ends, his parents head home, traveling with a group of others headed in that direction. They assume Jesus is with the caravan. He isn’t. He stays behind without their knowledge.
After traveling all day, Mary and Joseph discover that Jesus is missing. They’ve lost their son, one of a parent’s most dreaded nightmares. Yet for them it’s even worse. They also lost the Son of God.
Panicked they head back to Jerusalem. They search. And they search. After three days they finally find him.
He’s in the temple having a deep spiritual conversation with the religious teachers. He listens to what they say and asks insightful questions. The twelve-year-old amazes everyone with his depth of understanding.
His parents are astonished too. Yet they’re also irritated with him for causing them needless worry.
Jesus’s First Words
Young Jesus responds incredulously. “Why were you searching for me?” he asks. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49, NIV).
These are the first recorded words of Jesus.
From the perspective of tween Jesus, his parents shouldn’t have spent three days looking for him. The temple should have been their first stop. In his mind, it was a given. In their mind, it was the last place they expected to find their twelve-year-old son.
Jesus doesn’t address the fact that he didn’t head home with them and caused them untold worry for three days. Like many who aren’t yet fully mature, he knew he was safe, so there was nothing for anyone to worry about.
The human side of Jesus missed spending time with his Father, Father God. The temple may have been where he best felt he could make a spiritual connection with Papa.
It was also an ideal place to find other like-minded Jews who could teach him about Scripture and guide him forward on his spiritual journey.
But Jesus’s parents don’t understand what he means. Regardless Jesus obediently returns home with them. He grows in wisdom and stature, enjoying the favor of both God and men. This prepares him for ministry, which he’ll start in eighteen years, when he’s thirty years old.
Where do we go to best connect with God and spend time with other like-minded believers? When our friends look for us, where will they find us?
Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Understand How to Respond to This Perplexing Practice
A perplexing verse in Paul’s letter to his friends in Corinth mentions being baptized for dead people. What in the world does this mean? It sounds heretical.
Can we be baptized for dead people? Well, I suppose so, but we shouldn’t expect it to accomplish anything. Should we be baptized for dead people? No.
Though the meaning of this verse is unclear—and I won’t attempt to clarify it—we should keep two things in mind:
First, it is likely a reference to an issue confronting only the church in Corinth since it is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.
Though we don’t know the background for this particular issue, we do know the Corinthian church had many issues, with this being one of them.
Let’s not make this our issue by adopting their misguided practice. After all, they had many unwise practices.
Second, and most importantly, is that Paul shares this procedure in a descriptive manner. He is simply describing something other people are doing. Paul does not command we do this, he does not recommend we do this, and he does not model this.
If we did everything the Bible described, we’d be a sorry lot.
Instead let’s look at what the Bible commands. That will keep us busy for a long time.
Read more in Peter’s book, Love is Patient(book 7 in the Dear Theophilus series).
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Focus verse:We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:4)
John uses the pronoun we a lot in this letter, over forty times in its short five chapters. Later we’ll see him use we as inclusive language to embrace all those who follow Jesus.
Yet other times, especially in the opening, we refers to himself and a group of unidentified others who join him in penning this epistle.
John now says that their purpose in writing is to make their joy complete. On the surface it strikes me as a self-centered reason. It’s as if he’s not writing for our benefit, but for his, quite simply to experience complete joy.
Yet when we’re doing what God calls us to do, joy should be the outcome. As we obey him fully, it’s reasonable to expect that we’ll have complete joy.
The word joy appears in over half of the books of the Bible. John uses it in all three of his letters, as well as in his biography of Jesus.
Joy is more than happiness. Some people are often happy, but they’re not as often joyful. We can think of joy as an immense satisfaction or an intense, ecstatic happiness. We can experience joy in an accomplishment or in a situation.
For example, I feel joy each time I complete a book to share with others. It’s an outcome of being obedient and answering God’s call to do my part to advance his kingdom.
Whether it’s few people or many—I pray that it’s many—I know that my words will affect others on their journey with Jesus. This fills me with joy.
Even more so, joy fills me knowing that my books are a legacy. They can continue to encourage others in the future, even after I move from this earth to live with Jesus eternally. This gives me even more joy. I might say it makes my joy complete.
In addition to accomplishments, situations can also fill me with joy.
These seldom occur when I’m alone. They happen when I’m with others, enjoying community with them. It’s times of Christian fellowship—the kind John writes about—that fill me with joy.
In this way, fellowship and joy connect, with God-honoring fellowship producing God-given joy.
Another situation that fills me with joy doesn’t occur when I’m savoring a spiritual connection with people. Instead, it’s when I’m connecting with God.
Though I need to be in the company of others to interact with them, I can interact with the Almighty at any time.
Sitting with him and basking in his presence in the spiritual realm fills me with joy, an indescribable joy. In fact, I had a time of fellowship with him as I sought his direction on what to write for this chapter.
And the results fill me with joy.
Questions:
If our fellowship doesn’t produce joy, what needs to change?
How can we make our joy complete?
How can we help others experience joy?
How do you define joy?
In what ways can we experience joy when we fellowship with God?
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Discover practical, insightful, and encouraging truths in Love One Another, a devotional Bible study to foster a deeper appreciation for the two greatest commandments: To love God and to love others.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
