by Elder Johnny Kim

In the course of our daily lives, many of us engage in numerous social interactions with a myriad of people. If we were to consider that some, if not most, of those people might be unbelievers, then we ought to come to the realization that we are always surrounded by opportunities to engage in evangelism. Between family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, classmates, roommates, acquaintances, and strangers, there is no shortage of opportunities for the faithful Christian to share the Gospel with those who desperately need it. In fact, one thing that I’m always grateful for and encouraged by are the members in our church who take on this view and take seriously the Mission of Lighthouse: to make disciples of Christ in accordance with Matthew 28:18-20. Still, for many of us, evangelism itself can be challenging and difficult and at times even discouraging when we perceive there to be a lack of any apparent fruit resulting from our efforts. Sometimes it seems as though it just doesn’t matter how many opportunities we have to share the Gospel when no one is accepting it.

Perhaps we are prone to succumb to that kind of discouragement because of the influence of the world we live in. It is tempting for us to measure success and effectiveness in terms how the world around us measures them. When it comes to such things, we often find that this business driven world is all about numbers, statistics, quantity, and maximum impact. We can easily be influenced by the standard that more is better and bigger is better and that anything less is failure. Whether you’re a business, political party, social organization, or an academic institution, no one aims to make the least impact, to reach the least amount of people, or to be the least popular choice. So left with nothing else to consider, we Christians certainly would find it hard to help but feel like we are failing or doing something wrong in our efforts to evangelize the lost.

Thankfully, we are not left with nothing more to consider on the matter, but rather we have the most important thing we can possibly consider: the Word of God.

While we might question our effectiveness and usefulness as Gospel witnesses, Jesus speaks to the truth about how the Gospel, the good news about Himself, will truly be received and accepted. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus provides a comparison between salvation and wide and narrow gates. He describes the entrance to the kingdom of God as a narrow gate as opposed to a wide gate which leads to hell. The wide gate is easy to find, easy to travel through, and looks as if it leads to the kingdom of God. Furthermore, the one who travels through the wide gate might also be comforted by the fact that they are accompanied by many other people headed in the same direction. But the truth that Christ reveals through His comparison is that salvation is instead like a narrow gate. It is not easy to find, it is not easy to travel through, and it is definitely not as popular as the wide gate is. Christ helps us to understand that the way to true salvation is narrow and specific. One cannot enter into the kingdom of God in any manner one chooses. One cannot enter in to the kingdom of God via any number of different paths or ways akin to passing through a large and wide gate. On the contrary, as we read in Acts 4:12, there is only one way to enter and only one means by which we can enter.

In light of these truths, we are reminded in a sober way that only a relative few will enter into the kingdom of God. No matter the way that the Gospel is preached or presented, the truth will be rejected in the hearts of those who hear it and traded for a lie that is more convenient and less intrusive and demanding. The truth is our efforts to share the Gospel and evangelize will more often than not be met with denial and rejection. If we are faithful to preach the one true Gospel in its entirety, then we are promised in the Bible that this may likely be the end result. Though Christ’s words in Matthew 7:13-14 are a sober reality, I believe that it can also serve to embolden us as we persevere in being witnesses of Christ. Rather than being discouraged, we can be affirmed that we are preaching Christ’s Gospel with all its truths, consequences, demands, and rewards rather than a lesser, crowd-pleasing message that requires no commitment, submission, or sacrifice.

Relating this idea to the context of our church, from the perspective of an elder, I have to admit that I don’t find myself so concerned when there is a dip in the number of new members who profess to be believers and join our church. Truthfully, I’m not so worried when there are periods where we don’t have as many people accepting Christ and being baptized. However, an explosion of people who accept Christ in response to the Gospel we preach on Sunday might causes me to turn a critical eye and ear toward the message that is coming from the pulpit. After all, Christ made clear what the consequential response will be to the Gospel He has commanded us to preach. It is my hope that with a similar understanding, we can all be faithful to preach at every opportunity, the one true Gospel that promises salvation for the few that will receive it. But in doing so, let us remember that we are directing people to a narrow gate that’s hard to find, isolated from the crowds, and difficult to walk through. Finally, let us persevere through rejection knowing that it’s the only gate in this world that leads to everlasting life.

by Stephen Rodgers

There isn’t a new article from Peter today, but in case you hadn’t noticed, he’s been working on the same series since 2012. We’re now 15 articles into it, and this is a great chance for you to catch up on the one’s you’ve missed.

If you’re all caught up on that series, then now’s a great chance to check and see if there’s any other series that you’ve missed.

There are more articles in this series than there are Star Trek sequels because of Peter.
There is better punctuation in this series than there is on Star Trek posters because of Stephen.

By Elder Johnny Kim

This past Christmas break, my family and I had a chance to visit Joshua Tree National Park. It was a neat experience and the whole time we were there, we couldn’t help but feel as if we were on a different planet. With the landscape dotted with the namesake Joshua trees which look like they are straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, it is definitely a testament to God’s creativity. We spent the day driving around the park and stopping every now and then to take in the views and each time we got out of the car, we were always careful to abide by one of the main rules of the park: “Leave No Trace”. As with other National Parks, the rule exists to ensure that not even a hint of evidence of your visit is left behind, whether in the form of litter, disturbed plant life, or even footprints outside of marked trails. So while over a million people might visit Joshua Tree each year, each one taking in the sights, smells, and sounds, inevitably it always looks as if there’s never been any human activity ever to have taken place within its borders.

For some of us, our attitudes towards church can sometimes resemble our attitudes when visiting a National Park. In the same way we aim to appreciate from a distance the natural surroundings and take in the beauty and wonders of the park, we might be prone to limiting our church experience to just appreciating church merely from a distance as well. While we might be encouraged at seeing evidence of God working in people’s lives and challenged by hearing the preaching of His Word, we can easily relegate ourselves to being just mere observers and spectators, simply there to only take in the sights, smells, and sounds. We might find ourselves to be content to receive the limited benefits associated with just showing up to church and just being present, not having any desire to actually become involved in the church in a real and tangible way. Ways that might require significantly more of our time, effort, resources, and heart. Weirdly, it is almost as if we treat church itself as a place where we should “Leave No Trace”.

Yet when it comes to church, the rule to “Leave No Trace” does not apply. Not even close! In fact, it’s the complete opposite that should be happening if our hearts are of the right mindset regarding church and how God truly desires for it to function. Church requires of us active participation, not passive observation, and that means getting our hands dirty and making a sort of “mess” in the course of building ministries, building relationships, and building opportunities for people to know and grow closer to Jesus Christ. In Colossians 1:28-29, we read the Apostle Paul making this case for the church at Colossae with principles that apply for church today.

Though it should never be a goal or a source of motivation for why we would want to be involved in the life of the church, perhaps it’s a helpful evaluation for us to consider what evidence there might be within the church and in the lives of people that would testify to our being active and involved. Like the evidence of spiritual fruit, do we leave behind any trace of how much we love the church and how much we love Christ? Do the lives of people bear traces of the giving of ourselves to counsel, disciple, and teach them? Do ministries bear traces of our sacrifice, commitment, and humility as we faithfully serve in them week after week? Do even the church facilities and various tools and equipment for ministry bear traces of the joyful giving of our financial resources?

Let us spur one another toward striving to be actively involved in the life of the church. Passive observation is fine for protected National Parks, but Christ’s church requires active participation; the kind that’s bound to leave behind a “mess” and traces of our faithfulness.

by Elder Peter Lim

When I was a boy, I remember first wanting to be a professional baseball player playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. My heroes included Steve Garvey and Bill Buckner. When it became apparent that I didn’t have the skills for it, I wanted to be a fighter pilot for either the Navy or the Air Force. The recruiter told me that because of my poor eyesight and tall height, I wouldn’t be allowed to fly a fighter plane but I may be eligible to fly cargo planes or helicopters. I wasn’t interested in those things so I decided to pursue computer science instead since I loved to play video games.

When we are young, we are told that we can be anything, that if we pursue our dreams, there’s nothing out of reach. As we grow older, we realize that’s less and less true. First of all, we are limited by our talents and opportunities that may or may not come our way. But in addition to that, we are limited by the values that we form. As Christians we understand rather early on in our spiritual journey that our lives are now about serving Christ and living in accordance with Biblical values. Of course we do this voluntarily and with gladness because we understand that our joy is found in serving the One who died for our sins. We’d like to think that we can be satisfied with that but truth be told, we may find ourselves being dissatisfied with our lot in life. We begin to wonder whether there is something more that we can be or do. We may see our friends, whether Christian or not, become more “successful” and seemingly enjoy lives that are better than our own. We may experience discontentment.

I’ve noticed in older, more mature Christians that they have a quality of contentment in whatever circumstances they are in. They understand that God has sovereignly directed their lives and that each situation is an opportunity to glorify God. Sometimes this happens during difficult circumstances and sometimes it’s during easier times. Their satisfaction is found in Christ alone. This is different than being satisfied by the status quo which implies that they are lazy and/or uncaring about what happens. The mature believer appreciates the mundane things of life and embraces every opportunity. The immature tend to become discontent with different aspects of life.

Discontentment with Your Church

After attending the same church for a while, even those who were once excited to grow can become so used to it that they start taking it for granted that their church actually preaches the gospel. The immature also take it for granted that fellow brothers and sisters actually care for each other. This is a dangerous time as they can turn into a bible “junkie” meaning that their intake of biblical facts only serve to fill their ammunition belts so that they can win arguments or only apply the message to others. The mature believer can take the same message and understand that they must first apply it to themselves and be convicted all over again over their sinfulness and the glory of the gospel before even considering how they can use that knowledge to help or correct others.

Discontentment with Your Pastor

Like church, an immature person can become so familiar with their pastor that they may start taking him for granted. Especially in today’s connected world, good teaching is available on various media including our phone. It’s easy to compare their local pastor with John MacArthur, Albert Mohler or John Piper. We are spoiled in this day and age. But they won’t do your wedding. They won’t do your funeral. They don’t even know your name. The mature believer can appreciate good teaching from world-class preachers but they realize that God has placed their local pastor to care for and pray for and shepherd them. The mature believer takes special care to show their appreciation for their pastor who may often feel inadequate. After all, we don’t get to see the details of the more famous pastors’ personal lives like we do our own pastor’s life.

Discontentment with Your Job

The immature is often led astray as they pursue exciting careers that pay as much as they can get. Little thought is given to how this job is just a means to funding God’s will of spreading the gospel. They live as if they need to enjoy life to the fullest and that they are entitled to every luxury as a blessing from God. The mature understand that their life in this world is temporary and that an inflated concern over building bigger barns (Luke 12:18) is not only foolish but can lead to all sorts of sins (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

Discontentment with Your Life

With the rise of social media, many share the best of their lives with the rest of the world by posting pictures and fun activities, great food, beautiful circumstances, and so on. They often don’t mean to boast about such things but some see those kind of postings and start wishing that their lives were as wonderful as other people’s lives. This can lead to discontentment. The mature believer is satisfied because their happiness is found in Christ alone and understand that living a Godly life will often include the mundane things in life, such as making trips to Costco and Target. It may include raising kids and dealing with bad attitudes and fixing toilets and weeding the garden. It may require serving in-laws who bad-mouth you behind your back, being patient when wronged, financially helping out extended family members who are unreasonable, or trying to make peace with someone who is slandering you. The mature believer sees the big picture and a Godly perspective which shows that seemingly bad situations are not as bad as we thought and those things that bring us happiness (such as getting into the college of our choice, landing our dream job, or buying the latest new iGadget) pale in comparison to the joy of serving Christ.

It is my sincere hope that you can reflect on every aspect of your life and be able to give thanks to God for your current situation (or predicament). Remember that God is good, sovereign, and loves you. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also that we may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13) Note that He doesn’t promise to remove the temptation, but rather promises that we would be able to endure through it. I want to leave you with some verses that help us to remember to be content no matter what.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:10-13)

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. (1 Tim. 6:6-8)

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)

by Elder Johnny Kim

Like any other guy, I like a good war movie, but I particularly appreciate those war movies that are based on actual events. “We Were Soldiers” is one such movie and one of my favorite scenes is at the end when Mel Gibson’s character comes back home after fighting in Vietnam and is reunited with his wife. In one of the final scenes, she waits at home and her doorbell rings, gripping her with fear as she expects to receive news that her husband has been killed in action. However, when she opens the door, she sees her husband standing there having returned safely from the war. In that moment, her feelings of fear and the expectation of receiving tragic news instantly turn to joy.

The display of extreme emotions, from complete fear to ecstatic joy, is something we can also find in the Bible. In the account of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:8, we read about an angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds tending to their flock. Upon seeing the angel, the shepherds were “filled with great fear” and rightly so, for past visits from such angels and heavenly beings sometimes resulted in death and destruction. The shepherds, perhaps fearing the same for their own lives, were deathly afraid, but then the angel spoke to reveal his true intentions. He delivers the good news of the birth of the One who had come to save them. The angel’s news wasn’t about death and destruction, but rather about life and salvation. In that moment, their fear turns to joy and they excitedly hurry to travel to witness their newly born Savior.

What a roller coaster of emotions it must have been for the shepherds! I can only imagine that the swing of extreme emotions then made the eventual good news that much sweeter. The expectation that something bad was going to happen had to have then made receiving the good news in the end that much more appreciated, meaningful, and precious!

For Christians today who understand the truth of the Gospel, we should recognize that we ourselves were in a similar situation. Because of our sin and rebellion against God, we fully deserved to receive the worst news of all, that we would be damned to hell and separated from God forever and that that would be it. And yet, for those who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, the news of Christ being born into this world means that we can have salvation and eternal life instead. It’s a complete reversal of what we should have deserved and because of that, the news of Christ’s birth should be that much more sweeter to those who hear it and understand it.

Should we find it difficult to be joyful during the Christmas season, a time when we celebrate Christ coming into this world to save us, we need to remind ourselves that this good news is hardly the type of news we deserved at all. As we look forward to cultivating a true joy in our lives this season for the world around us to see, let us consider just how precious the good news of Christ’s birth ought to be in light of the news we truly deserved and should have expected.

by Stephen Rodgers

Periodically a writer takes the opportunity to highlight some of their older material. Back in 2010 Peter Lim did a pair of posts entitled “Star Trek and the Local Church.” Now would be a great time to check them out.

by Elder Johnny Kim

There are times when in the course of my job, I have to travel to various regions in the Middle East. Most of the time, they are fairly routine business trips, but there have been times when I’ve found myself in areas known to be hostile toward U.S. citizens. Prior to traveling to such places, I have to attend mandatory briefings in which one of the reminders I’m always given is to avoid wearing any clothing or accessories which may give away that I’m a U.S. citizen. It’s always a sobering thought to consider that there are people in certain regions of the world whose hatred of the U.S. runs so deep that it would drive them to kidnap and or kill anyone who might be from the U.S. Though these people might not know me or have any idea what kind of person I really am, the fact that I am merely associated with the U.S. is reason enough to fuel their hatred.

Jesus’ disciples were given a similar warning about associating with Him and being His disciples. In John 15:18-20, Jesus warns His disciples that they should expect to be persecuted on account of following Him. Jesus makes it clear that the disciples would not escape the persecution that Jesus faced because in being His disciples, they were advertising to the world around them that they stood for everything Jesus stood for. As followers of Jesus, they were engaged intimately in His work. In the eyes of Jesus’ enemies, the disciples were just as guilty as Jesus Himself.

In thinking about the implications of this idea for Christians today, one thing that might stand in the way of a clear understanding is our definition of being a disciple. Jesus’ disciples were a real threat to His enemies simply because they rightly viewed His disciples to be so intimately associated with Jesus. Jesus’ disciples subscribed to Jesus’ teachings, beliefs, and commands in an intimate way. Their thoughts, actions, and words were closely aligned with Jesus’ thoughts, actions, and words. For them, the disciple-Master relationship was such that they sought to mirror their Master in every way and to submit their lives to Him in complete submission and obedience.

Unfortunately, some Christians today who would consider themselves disciples of Christ are anything but when measured against the standard of Christ’s disciples during His day. Christ’s disciples were a threat to the religious establishment, not because they called themselves disciples of Christ, but because they acted like disciples of Christ. We might call ourselves disciples of Christ today, but for some of us, our true thoughts, actions, and words would betray that title. Even if we go to church every Sunday, read the bible, and agree with the things that we learn, if we are not conforming our lives to Christ’s and surrendering ourselves as slaves to Him and His every command, then we fall short of being His true disciples. And if we are not willing to proclaim every truth that Jesus proclaimed and not willing to live as He lived, then we fall short of being His true disciples.

We don’t need to look any further than our circle of influence of unbelieving family, friends, co-workers, classmates, and acquaintances to measure our effectiveness as true disciples and followers of Christ. If Christ promised that the world would hate us and persecute us just as they did Him, then we can either believe that to be true or dismiss it as an empty threat. But the truth is the lack of hatred and persecution on account of Christ in our lives may very well be an indication that we aren’t the disciples that we thought we were. After all, what threat would the world feel from a Christian who walks like the world, talks like the world, seeks the same things as world, and affirms the pursuits of the world?

Are our lives filled only with people that love us and like us? Is there no one in our lives that would not even say anything negative about us? Do we live lives that are conflict-free and in peace and harmony with the world around us? If so, then we might be further from being true disciples of Christ than we think. If we believe the words of Christ, Son of God, to be true, then we have to believe that the promised outcome for His followers will be true as well.

by Elder Peter Lim

One of the most obvious signs of a maturing Christian is graciousness. At the root is the word “grace” which refers to the giving of something that is not necessarily deserved. In our context we are talking about someone who returns kindness when it may be justifiable to retaliate for an unkind deed. All Christians will show grace at least from time to time because we mimic the character of God and it’s at the core of how He treats us, by giving us the gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ even though we don’t deserve it. A maturing Christian is consistently characterized by graciousness and shows a pattern of it despite varying degrees of difficult circumstances encountered over time. So what are some of these difficult circumstances? Examples will help.

Gracious in Conflict Situations

Let’s face it. Living in peace with other people, even Christians, is not always easy. Although there are basic processes of peacemaking in the Bible and discussed in many books, the actual making of peace is often complicated by personal pain and perceived wrongs. The key to resolving difficult circumstances is clarity in understanding the issues at hand. But achieving clarity requires many meetings and discussions to clearly understand each party’s perceptions and misperceptions. This is usually a lengthy and time-consuming process and requires a willingness of all parties involved to see it through and see peace as a worthwhile goal. This also means that there will be many opportunities to escalate the situation instead of defusing it. The difference between escalating and defusing is grace. Until the ownership of responsibility is sorted out, each party will feel like it’s the other party’s fault. Therefore an extra measure of grace is necessary to show the other kindness, which you believe the other party doesn’t deserve. The greatest killer of grace is an unwillingness to discuss the issue because then there is no possible way to reach clarity. Someone who uses the excuse that it’s too painful to discuss is obviously not a mature believer. It’s almost like saying that the pain that he’s going through is greater than the pain and humility that Jesus endured in being born as a man and being crucified on the cross.

Gracious Leaders

Being gracious is especially important for leaders. One big way to sow seeds of division within the church is to complain to your spouse and/or other people about dumb decisions that the other leaders make. There is a right way and a wrong way to discuss serious issues that are facing the leaders of the church. Again, grace is the difference.

The gracious way:

• Consider whether it’s even a good idea to share a particular issue with a spouse since it may cast a fellow leader in a negative light
• Consider whether it’s an issue of biblical conviction or personal preference
• Consider whether it’s more of an area of expertise of a fellow leader than oneself
• Ask your spouse to help you understand the alternatives and consider which biblical principles might apply

The ungracious way:

• Use your spouse to vent your frustrations
• Casting a negative light on other leaders, belittling their abilities and decision making

There are no excuses why a leader would be ungracious to a fellow leader. The lack of grace is an obvious disqualification from leadership and evidence of a lack of understanding of one’s own standing before God.

Gracious to other Christians

Sometimes well-meaning Christians make (or support) statements such as, “Christians are hypocrites” or “Christians are so judgmental” trying to identify with those who criticize Christians so that they can see that we acknowledge our faults too. After all, there is truth in those statements. However, these statements are sometimes misunderstood as if it’s better not to be a Christian than to be one. It can also communicate a lack of graciousness toward other believers, and the unbeliever is left thinking that this person just threw his fellow believers under the bus. Instead, we should acknowledge our faults but also share how Christ has changed us to be more gracious and less hypocritical and judgmental. I’ve known a lot of genuine Christians and the more mature Christians are the most unjudgmental and unhypocritical people I know. They aren’t perfect people (no one is!) but the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives is obvious. I strive to be like them.

Summary

No Christian has an excuse not to show grace. God’s grace can raise the deadest sinner from the dead. This includes you, me, Hitler, and [insert here the most-deserving-of-death person you can think of]. Is there anyone that you can think of that you haven’t been showing grace to? Consider this your opportunity to have a “growth moment” and show grace to them even if they don’t deserve it… especially if they don’t deserve it. Be gracious no matter what.

by Elder Johnny Kim

Lately, I’ve noticed that the older I get, the more I’m growing in my distaste for shopping malls. Between the packed parking lots, bustling crowds, and walking, for me, whatever I might need to buy hardly ever seems worth all the trouble. Rather, when it comes to shopping I have adopted the personal motto of, “If I can’t get it at Costco, then it either doesn’t exist or I don’t need it.” Of course I would have to assume that the majority of the general population doesn’t hold to my views, or else malls would quickly be going out of business. In fact, quite the opposite is true as it seems like the malls around town are always flourishing and are constantly being remodeled and expanded with increased offerings for shoppers. One thing I’ve noticed though is that whatever size a given mall might be, a quick look at the mall directory reveals what is typically true for all malls: the majority of the stores in a mall are related to the sale of clothing. And also typically true is that in second place are all the various eateries and restaurants to feed the hungry masses who are shopping for said clothing.

Interestingly, and perhaps not so coincidentally, it just so happens that in the Bible we can find that Jesus addressed these two very things: clothing and food. In Matthew 6:19-34 (and mirrored in Luke 12:13-34), Jesus uses the items of clothing and food to address the issue of worrying about earthly and material goods in light of God’s kingdom. Jesus teaches that rather than worrying about such things, Christians should be primarily concerned with seeking God and doing His kingdom work. Even the things that are arguably necessities for life here on Earth are not to be what occupies our thoughts and minds. Biologically speaking, we certainly need food and water to live, and even clothing to protect our bodies from the elements. However, God makes it clear that He desires for us, who He has created to be spiritual beings, to be occupied with Him and His spiritual concerns. Furthermore, God promises to provide for our earthly needs should we be completely engrossed in serving Him and His purposes.

The truth of these passages can certainly serve to bring the Christian some comfort and peace during times of physical need and uncertainty. However, the Christian must ultimately recognize that these passages represent clear commands from God, commands to abstain from such worry and anxiety. In other words, to worry about the physical needs of our life is to be in direct disobedience to God and therefore is sin. It might not seem fair to be caught in sin for “merely” worrying about things that we literally need in order to stay alive. However, the standard has been established by God in His word and a closer look at His word, specifically in Matthew 6:19-34, helps us to understand how the sin of worry can indeed turn us away from seeking after God.

God’s promise to provide for our earthly needs is clear. If we “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness”, God promises to care for our needs. And yet many Christians still live their lives as if God never has and never will come through on His promises. When we worry about the very things God promised He would provide, worrying in our heart is as if we are speaking with our lips, “God, I don’t believe You and I think You are a liar who can’t be trusted”. The sin of worry serves to reveal just how little regard we have for God’s word and His faithfulness. In Matthew 6:32, Jesus offers the reminder that God, the one who created us, certainly knows that we need things such as food and clothing in order to live. Those requirements are not lost on the God who is not only all-knowing, but specifically created us to need those things. So it is God’s role to provide us with those things according to His timing and in the manner in which He ordains. Yet when we worry, we in essence “take things into our own hands” and seek to obtain for ourselves, by our own efforts, those things that God has authority over. We are no less foolish than a naive child rebelling against his parents when through our worrying heart, we tell God, “I know exactly what I need and when I need it and You don’t”.

Worrying is not just a harmless emotion and a natural instinct. Christians who know the truth are to understand that worrying is a sin and an offense to God. God has provided for us through His truth and in the evidence of His faithfulness all that we need to know in order to rely on Him wholeheartedly. Worrying steals away from God’s faithfulness, His authority, and His goodness so that ultimately, God and worry cannot coexist in the Christian life. What worries do you have in your life? Are you more concerned about your earthly needs or your heavenly Father’s desires? In the end, without God, there’s no mall that will be big enough to satisfy the worries of this life.

by Elder Johnny Kim

Lately, there have been a number of reality shows on cable television that deal with restoration in one form or another. From houses to hand-me-downs, cars to curios, the premise of these shows is generally the same. They involve taking something that is broken, worn, useless, and of little value, and restoring it to brand-new condition to then become something useful, valuable, and highly desirable.

While these types of shows have gained in popularity with their respective fan bases, there ought to be something about the restoration theme of these shows that rings familiar with Christians most of all. After all, restoration is a major theme in the Christian life considering that once saved in Christ, our lives are to be marked by the process of sanctification. In other words, we are to continually progress towards holiness, from rebelliousness to obedience, from sinners to saints who look more like Christ each day. As Christians, we are to undergo the ultimate restoration of our hearts, minds, and entire beings.

We can find that the idea of restoration shows up all throughout the bible as well. In 2 Corinthians 13:9-11, the apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth about how he prays for their restoration. Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, Paul is writing this time to the church at Thessalonica, letting them know that he is praying for their restoration and exhorts them to “aim for it”. In 1 Peter 5:10, the apostle Peter writes of suffering as a part of the restoration process for those who believe. These passages and others show that restoration is indeed very much a part of the Christian life.

Another passage in which we see the idea of restoration is in Ephesians 4:11-12, but the context of this passage sheds light on an interesting idea of restoration. The apostle Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about various spiritual gifts to be used for the purpose of “restoring the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ”. With this passage, something interesting is revealed. Paul makes a connection between the process of Christians being restored and the role that the Bible plays in that process. Specifically, we are being restored when we receive the teaching of the truths of Scripture as taught to us by pastors and teachers within the church. Hearing and understanding biblical truths are vital for our restoration. Increasing in the knowledge of Scripture is essential for us to be made complete and to be perfected in Christ.

With the various restoration reality shows in mind, one can’t help but make the comparison that before being made alive in Christ and without biblical truth in our lives, we are much like the pieces of junk at the beginning of these shows that are rusted, broken, missing parts, and unable to function in any useful way. But throughout these shows, these pieces of junk are inevitably transformed by expert craftsmen who repair, rebuild, and repaint the pieces until they can be presented as brand-new and fully functional. Likewise, as we are taught the Word and as we receive it, our lives are to be transformed and restored as well. The Word reveals the sin in our lives to be removed and replaced by obedience. Where we are lacking in grace, mercy, or forgiveness, the Word shows us how we can truly exhibit complete Christian love. As we receive the preaching and teaching of the Word, we are being equipped and restored to completeness so that we might find ourselves to be functional and useful for the building up of Christ’s church.

If we proclaim that we have a high view of God’s Word, then it’s only natural that we should have a high view of the teaching of God’s Word as well. The time that we have to come together as a church body on Sunday to worship and hear God’s Word preached should be precious to us if we truly understand what we have to gain from it. No one would be satisfied to own a rusted out car that doesn’t run or to live in a dilapidated house with holes in the roof and walls. Yet our complacent attitudes at times toward Sunday worship and the preaching of God’s Word speak of nothing else but the fact that we are foolishly content to be incomplete, unfinished, and ill-equipped before the church that Christ died for. If we truly believe that our restoration as believers depends on the preaching of God’s Word, should we not find ourselves to be on time (or early), attentive, engaged, and grateful at each and every opportunity we have to receive it?

How do you see yourself in the context of your sanctification? Where are you in the process of being restored? Through faithfully hearing God’s Word preached, are you slowly being repaired and completed, looking more and more like the Christian that God desires you to be? If so, praise God and continue to faithfully serve the church as you have been equipped. On the other hand, are you maybe still a rust bucket on wheels, sitting in the driveway year after year, desperately in need of work? If so, then know that God, the ultimate “expert craftsman”, with the tools of His Word and His faithful pastors and teachers in hand, is ready to transform and restore you this Sunday. No appointment needed.