Living Theology #39 – Glorification

by Garrett Glende

Last week we looked at the doctrine of death and what it means for our lives today. The next chapter in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is closely related, as it deals with our lives eternally. The subject of glorification is one that all Christians should be well versed in so that we know exactly what we can look forward to in eternity. If we are unaware of how our lives will be lived in heaven, then how will we be able to prepare for it?

Grudem defines glorification as “the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own.” As we can gather from this definition, the doctrine of glorification is centered around the idea of the resurrection. Our hope as Christians is found in the fact that our bodies will be raised one day. If people cannot be raised from the dead, then we are of all men to be most pitied, as Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. In fact, this section in Paul’s letter opens a critical passage in terms of the doctrine of glorification.

One of the key issues that Paul deals with here is the nature of our bodies after we have been glorified. Some clear contrasts are made in verses 42-44 as he writes, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” The first thing to notice is that our raised bodies will be imperishable. Clearly, our bodies now are perishing daily. We see the results of injury and disease, but when we enter the glorified state all of this will be gone. There will be no more sickness and our bodies will not grow old with age. Moreover, he describes our bodies as being raised in glory and power. The idea of glory probably relates to a physical radiance that surrounds our body. Grudem argues that the fact that we will be like Christ in our resurrection bodies, coupled with the transfiguration scene support the assertion that there will be some sort of visible radiance around us. Being raised in power stands in contrast to the weakness that we experience now, as our bodies will be given the strength that we were intended to have when we were created. Possibly the most exciting element of our new bodies will be that they are spiritual rather than natural. We will no longer be controlled by the desires of our flesh, but our lives will be fully submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit. No longer will we struggle with the sin that entangles us and we will worship the Creator perfectly.

There are many implications of this doctrine, but the one that sticks out most to me is that I should desire to be in heaven more than I do now. I think it’s common for many believers to hold onto the things of this world, and not desire to be with Christ. We want to get married first or have children first, but none of these things will ever compare to the enjoyment we will find in heaven. Every time we get sick or get hurt, we should be reminded that our bodies are not as they we meant to be, making us long for the day when there will be no more sickness and no more death. So the challenge to me (and to all of us) is whether or not I truly desire heaven over this world. We should all be able to echo what Paul says in Philippians 1:23 and “desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” I think we can easily pay lip service to this truth, but do our lives display that it has truly affected our hearts? This is certainly a challenge that I must consider, and I hope the rest of you will as well.

What to Look for in a Church

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Throughout life, you’re going to be making lots of significant decisions. A couple years ago, Christine and I decided to buy a car. We needed to carefully evaluate not only our ability to afford the car, but also the cost of maintaining it, the cost of insurance, the condition of the car, etc. A lot of thought went into making that purchase because we didn’t want to end up with a lemon or with a car we couldn’t afford. As important as that decision was for us, it pales in comparison to the decision we all have to make in what church we want to attend. Unfortunately for many, though, much less thought and consideration is put into that decision.

It’s the beginning of another school year, and as expected, we have had an influx of collegians and new visitors. ‘Tis the season for “church hopping” and “church shopping” when people who are new to the area decide where they will commit themselves. Since this is the case, I thought it would be helpful to offer some general principles to help make this very important decision.

I suppose it would be good to start with how NOT to choose your church. I’m only listing these because they are actual reasons that actual people I know have made in the past. Some of them sound obvious, but as I said, these are reasons people have told me.

Food. Please do not choose to attend a church simply because they serve good food. This is a sad reason for committing to a church, but I suppose a popular enough one that a local magazine critiques the food that churches serve.
Girls. Of course this one works the other way around, too, but I haven’t heard it from gals. But I have heard of guys who have committed to a church because there were pretty girls there. Don’t let this be the reason you choose a church. I suppose it goes without saying that this could be a heart desire that you never admit, but dude, God is not fooled.
Welcoming. A lot of churches go out of their way to welcome new collegians and visitors. They will plan all sorts of different events to woo the masses. There is nothing wrong with doing this, but it should not be the sole reason why a person commits to a church.
Entertainment. Many choose to commit to a church because the pastor is entertaining or the music is really good. The church’s job is not to entertain you. Its job is to help you know the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in Him.
Friends. Some people will only commit to a church because their friends go there. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having friends at church. In fact, I’ve never understood the reason some have given me that they would not attend a particular church because all their friends are there. Still, just because your friends are there doesn’t mean they carefully considered why they are attending that church.
Convenience. Church is not about you. Often, however, the attitude expressed in picking a church is, “What’s in it for me?” or “Will it make things easier for me?” Finding the closest church should not be your greatest priority. Finding the one with the best service time also should not weigh much into the decision. I remember back in the early days of Lighthouse and we were meeting in the afternoons on Sunday. Many students came because of the late start time so they could sleep in. Honestly, this was and is a lousy excuse for choosing a church. It’s not about the church that has the best children’s program, or the church that doesn’t require you to do too much. You need to attend a church that will challenge you and help you understand that ministry is often inconvenient and requires a bit of self-sacrifice.

I’m sure there are plenty of other bad reasons for choosing a church, but let’s focus a bit on the good reasons. The following ARE some things that you should consider carefully before committing to a particular church.

Biblical, Expository Preaching. The preaching of God’s Word is the central part of the worship service. As a result of listening to a sermon, you should walk away understanding a passage more than before you listened to it. The pastor should help bring out the meaning of the text instead of going on and on about his own opinions and anecdotes. Not only that, but you should be challenged to change – to repent of sins, to think more biblically, to walk more excellently, etc.
Sound Theology. Sometimes people will tell me they are deciding between Lighthouse and some other church in the area. This is fine except that many times that other church adheres to a completely different theological system. It’s like choosing between apples and oranges. A church should be committed to sound biblical theology. Find out where they stand on important biblical issues like creation, the gospel, baptism, etc. If you don’t necessarily know what theology you adhere to, you should study the Bible more, but in the meantime, you can lean more on the quality of the preaching to decide.
Opportunities for Fellowship and Service. A church is a family, and good families get together and serve each other in order to stay healthy (Heb. 10:23-25). There should be ample opportunities to minister to others in a church because the church is the primary place where the “one another” commands of Scripture should be exercised.
Commitment to the Gospel. God sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for sin by dying on the cross and rising again on the third day. This is the hope of all sinners and is what defines Christians and sets them apart from the world. A church should be committed to teaching the whole gospel. This shows itself in application as a church remains gospel-centered in ministry, evangelism, and missions. Every church should have as its goal to glorify God and to make disciples to the ends of the earth (1 Cor. 10:31; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
Church Membership and Discipline. Most people tell me that they want to commit to Lighthouse because of the accountability they receive here. Biblically, the accountability a church provides comes mostly through the practice of church membership and discipline (Matt. 15:18-20). By having membership and discipline in place, a church can clearly define who is in and who is out, who they are committed to and who is committed to them.
Biblical Leadership. The Bible calls the church to be led by godly men and women (1 Tim. 3:1-13). The emphasis is on spiritual character and not on giftedness or ability. A church should have leaders who are exemplary in life. It is as if you could drop yourself next to them at any point of the day, and in whatever they are doing, they are an example worth following. Since the Bible calls believers to submit to their church leaders, you should consider carefully who is leading the church (Heb. 13:17).

Yes, the reasons given probably deserve several books written about each of them, but this was only meant to provide a short overview. When it comes to choosing the church to attend, we need to consider biblical criteria and prayerfully think through the decision. Keep in mind that even the best churches may have an off week, so try not to come to a decision based on only one visit. Also, some helpful books you might want to read are: Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Mark Dever; and The Master’s Plan for the Church, by John MacArthur.

Baptism in the Ministry of Paul (part 4)

by Richard Shin

Last week, we learned the importance of baptism and how it marked a response of genuine repentance and faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Specifically, we did this through looking at the beginning of the Church in the life of the apostles. This week, we’re going to look at one apostle in particular, and how his life and ministry gives us further understanding of the nature and practice of baptism.

Paul’s conversion to faith in Christ is a remarkable miracle that resulted in a command from Christ Himself to be baptized (Acts 22:1-16). Specifically, it is recorded in verse 16 that Paul was to “rise and be baptized and wash away [his] sins, calling on [the Lord’s] name.” At first glance, this verse seems to tell us that baptism actively washes away sins, if called on God’s name. However, the washing away of sins is connected with calling on Jesus’ name. It’s more appropriate to understand this phrase as used in other passages. In Acts 2:21, we see Peter commanding others to be baptized “by calling on the Lord’s name.” This verse was an echo of Joel 2:32 where it’s stated that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It’s also cited in Romans 10:13, where Paul is instructing the Roman church that we are equal in light of our sinfulness and Christ’s righteousness.

The “calling” on the Lord’s name is the mouth’s expression of the heart’s conviction of total dependence. Paul knew that Christ’s resurrection represented the culmination of Christ’s atoning work. In his heart, he knew that Christ’s death was necessary for salvation. His baptism was a public witness to his cordial union with Christ.

Because of this strong image of death and resurrection in the act of baptism, Paul used it as a teaching tool in his ministry to the churches. When some were abusing grace because of God’s infinite nature to forgive based on Christ’s perfect nature, Paul rebuked the Roman church by reminding them that those who were “baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (Rom. 6:3-4). Our confession of baptism contradicts the false logic of continuing in sin.

Paul also taught that when we are baptized into Christ Jesus, we undergo a vivid reenactment of our participation with Christ in His historical death on the cross. In Galatians 3:27, Paul teaches us this idea when he speaks of baptism actively “clothing” us with Christ. Earlier, Paul had written to the Galatian church that we became sons of God not through our perfect observance of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 2:16; 3:26). Paul had repeated in the same epistle that it was heretical to add a religious ceremony (circumcision) to the completed work of Christ (Gal. 3:1-5; 5:1-6). He insisted that from the cross of Christ flow all the blessings of eternal life and life in the Spirit (Gal. 3:13-14; 5:11; 6:14-15).

How odd, then, would it have been that Paul would emphasize Christian baptism as a requirement for salvation? After Paul’s insistence that faith comes through hearing and believing the message of the cross, it wouldn’t make sense that he would add baptism as a necessary component to that same goal. Instead, their baptism gave a physical presentation of the spiritual certainties involved in faith. Baptism illustrates the transaction that actually has already taken place. And when Paul speaks of “clothing” ourselves with Christ, he encourages us to remember that faith in Christ’s death alone is the means to salvation.

The interaction between faith and baptism is explained further in Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian church. He wrote to the Corinthians saying, “Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Cor. 1:17).

Ye Are Christ’s

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 1 Corinthians 3:23

Ye are Christ’s.’ You are His by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; His by His bloody purchase, for He counted down the price for your redemption; His by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to Him; His by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of His brethren and joint-heirs.

Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, ‘I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ’s.’ Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ’s, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ’s. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, ‘No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ’s. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am Christ’s, and cannot loiter.’ When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, ‘Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ’s.’ When the cause of God invites thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ’s.

Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour’s, recognizing in you His features of love and His countenance of holiness. ‘I am a Roman!’ was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be your argument for holiness, ‘I am Christ’s!’

1.12a

Weekly Links (9/24/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Well hello again. It’s Friday, and that means that we’re back with another collection of links for you this week. I think that we’ve got some really great stuff this time, so please read carefully.

Remember a couple weeks back when I gleefully announced that Al Mohler was back with podcasts? Well, I’ve enjoyed The Briefing so much that I’m hyping it again. The idea is simple: every morning, Al Mohler selects 5-6 headlines or issues from leading news publications, tells you what’s happening, and then offers insight as to the Biblical understanding of the issues. They’re only 15 minutes long, and he posts them around 4am, so I’ve got no excuse not to listen while eating breakfast. I’d encourage you to do the same. (AUDIO)
RC Sproul concludes his series on “If God is Sovereign, Why Pray?” with part 5 in the series. (WEB)
Here’s one for all the sports fans out there. Over at the Irish Calvinist blog, Erik discusses Husker coach Ron Brown, and how he’s drawing fire and ire for living his faith. (WEB)
And here’s one for the PIT crew (and I guess this is where we find out if our future pastors read the church newsletter…hmmmm): Kevin DeYoung offers advice for theological students and young pastors. Be sure to check out both part 1 and part 2. (WEB)
Over at the 9Marks blog, they have a post entitled “Recession and Ministry.” Personally, I like the Piper-esque title of “Don’t Waste Your Recession” better, but that’s just me. (WEB)
And last but not least, Tim Challies takes on the topic of digital piracy and the Christian. Believe me when I say that this is prime real estate for our collegians (and singles, and youth, and marrieds, etc.) to honestly embrace their identity in Christ and live differently from the world. (WEB)

See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Lighthouse Kid’s Club (LKC)

by Josh Liu

Lighthouse Kids Club (LKC) is a midweek ministry of Lighthouse Bible Church that serves preschool and elementary school aged children of families both within and outside of LBC. The goal of LKC is to provide a fun, safe environment in which children are taught the truth of God’s Word, and to direct their need for the gospel.

LKC meets almost every Wednesday (exceptions include Flocks weeks, Thanksgiving week, two weeks during the Christmas holiday, and other special occasions) from 6:30pm-8:00pm at the church. Children enjoy a time of worship, Scripture-based & God-centered lesson, snacks, small groups, and games. Depending on the number of children, preschool and elementary school aged children are divided to better minister to and meet the needs of the different age groups. There is a nominal registration fee per child that covers T-shirt, snacks, and teaching/activity supplies costs.

For the 2010-2011 academic school year:

Our theme is “The Greatness of God” – Join us as we walk through the attributes of God. The ’10/’11 term runs from October 6th to May 25th, meeting at church from 6:30pm-8:00pm. The cost is $30 per child, and $20 per subsequent child of the same family.
For more information, or to register, contact Josh Liu (liu.joshuac@gmail.com)

LBC Ministry Overview

by Stephen Rodgers

If you’re looking for a current list of ministry opportunities, please use the PDF linked here.

Editor’s Note: One balancing act with a resource like the Beacon is trying to preserve content historically while keeping it current and relevant at the same time. Sometimes this is fairly straightforward; sometimes it is not.

It’s now been more than 5 years since we originally did our series on ministries here at LBC. Ministries have come and gone; people have come and gone.

Some folks might be interested in what the ministries looked like back in 2010 and 2011. If that’s you, you can find them here.

LBC Weekly SPARK – September 22, 2010

Dear LBC family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. I’m so excited as this is the first week for our regional flocks to meet! I know many of you are just as excited because of how encouraging flock groups have been in the past. I really think these will be great times of fellowship to sit together and talk about God’s Word. Let’s really make the most of these times and look to bless one another as we meet.

The regional flocks meet this week at various homes around San Diego and at various times. Here is a breakdown of the different flocks meeting this week:

Alpha Flock (Leader: Eugene Park; Friday at 6:30 PM; at Hansol and Angella An’s)
Beta Flock (Leader: Kent Hong; Friday at 6:30 PM; at Kent and Romi Hong’s)
Gamma Flock (Leader: Randy Sarmiento; Wednesday at 7:00 PM; at Randy and Elaine Sarmiento’s)
Delta Flock (Leader: John Lim; Friday at 7:00 PM; at John and Grace Lim’s)
Theta Flock (Leader: Min Kim; Friday at 6:30 PM; at Min and Jane Kim’s)
Iota Flock (Leader: Mike Chon; Friday at 6:30 PM; at Mike and Caroline Chon’s)
Kappa Flock (Leader: Kevin O’Neil; Saturday at 6:00 PM; at Steve and Carol Lim’s)
Lambda Flock (Leader: Hwa Park; Saturday at 6:00 PM; at Hwa and Suzie Park’s)
Pi Flock (Leader: Patrick Cho; Friday at 6:30 PM; at Patrick and Christine Cho’s)
Sigma Flock (Leader: Dennis Su; Thursday at 6:30 PM; at Dennis and Laurie Su’s)
Chi Flock (Leader: Peter Lim; Friday at 6:00 PM; at Peter and Jinny Lim’s)
Psi Flock (Leader: Kevin Tse; Thursday at 7:00 PM; at Mike and Jennifer Hasegawa’s)
Omega Flock (Leader: Tim Yu; Wednesday at 6:30 PM; at Joshua Lee’s)

You can download the sermon response worksheet at the church website. If you need an address or contact information, please contact me.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

Midweek Fellowship Groups. Because of our flock meetings, all Children’s, Youth, College, and Singles Wednesday and Friday evening Bible studies and meetings will be taking a break this week. Small groups may decide to meet anyway depending on the group. Contact your small group leader to find out.
Sunday School. This Sunday, during the regular service, we will be introducing our new Sunday School classes for the fall term. Sunday School classes are intended to help you grow in your knowledge and application of God’s Word and can really be a great catalyst for your spiritual health. Be sure to attend one of our Sunday School classes!
Fall Festival. The Fall Festival is coming up on October 31, but we need some help with the organization and planning of the event. If you are interested, there is a special planning meeting this Sunday, September 26 at 7:00pm at the church.
Members Meeting. We will be having a members meeting on Sunday, October 10 at 4:45pm. All members are asked to attend. As usual, dinner will be served. =)
Baptism. Our next baptism class will be offered on Tuesday, October 19, at 8:00pm at the church. The baptism service will be on Sunday, October 24, at 6:00pm. If you have not yet been baptized as a believer in obedience to Christ’s command, please make plans to come out and be baptized. =)
All-Church Retreat. All-Church Retreat sign ups are currently being taken by Ryan Short and Jonathan Yang on Sundays in the foyer. Be sure to sign up for retreat as space is limited! The theme for the retreat is “True Love,” and our speaker is Jonathan Leeman. The cost is $150/adult; $140/college and youth; $75/child (3-12) ($500 max/family).

Living Theology #38 – Death

by Garrett Glende

Death is not a subject that we like to talk much about in our culture, yet it remains as a constant occurrence in all life on Earth. In his ninth resolution, Jonathon Edwards resolved “to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” Especially considering that Edwards was only 19 when he penned those words, such morbid thoughts are indeed surprising. To the Atheist or non-Christian, of course this type of thinking seems unnecessary or even harmful, as they acknowledge nothing past this material world. But the Christian does well to consider the realities of death, for it will undoubtedly come upon all of us and we must think of it in a biblical manner. What happens when we die? Why do we die? How should the immanency of death change our lives today? These are all questions that are important for us to be able to answer, not only so that we can live God-honoring lives, but also help others to do the same.

The creation account of Genesis is where we must begin in order to gather a clear understanding of death as the Bible explains it. When God created the world and everything in it, He declared that “it was good.” Moreover, when God made man He saw that “it was very good” (Gen 1:31). Things changed dramatically just two chapters later when Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, breaking the commandment that God have given to them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). Disobedience to this law came with a punishment that was promised by God: “for in that day you eat of it you shall surely die.” It was this single act of rebellion against God that brought the whole earth under the curse of death, as Paul writes, “just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). Paul later reinforces this thought, stating that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). The reason for all the death that we see around us can be traced back to the sinful actions of one man in the garden. Indeed, all creation has been subject to this curse, as it groans in the pains of childbirth together with us (Rom 8:22).

When our last day on earth arrives, what can we expect afterwards? For the Christian, great hope can be found in the fact that they will be immediately brought into the presence of God. Their bodies will remain here on earth, but their souls will see the Lord. Paul’s sentiments in Philippians 1:23 express that he desires to “depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” He expects that there will be immediate satisfaction found upon death, as he awaits union with his Creator. Echoing these thoughts, he writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” From these verses, we can gather that Paul eagerly desired to leave this world in order to be with Christ.

However, this same anticipation does not fill the person who has not placed their faith in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly states that these people will only meet punishment and destruction. They will not receive a second chance, for “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). They will be judged fairly by God and receive their due wages. More will come in a later article on this topic.

Knowing that death is coming to each one of us, how then should we live? We would do well to follow in the steps of Edwards, never losing sight of the fact that our days here are numbered. What does this mean for our daily endeavors such as work and school? For one thing, all worldly attitudes towards these things must be mortified in our hearts. If all we desire from work is to move up the corporate ladder in order to live a comfortable life, then we have completely missed the point. We must live our lives with one eye on heaven, knowing that the material things we gain here are of no value once we die. As the saying goes, “no one ever sees a hearse pulling a u-haul.” Not to say that a well paying job is bad, but is that all we’re living for? If it is, then it shows that our affections are set on something other than the person of Christ. The reason Paul and Edwards were so preoccupied with heaven is because that’s where Christ is! But since we aren’t there yet, the only way we can truly know Christ more is to read about Him in our Bibles. As we do so, a fresh affection for our Lord will rise above all the competing idols in our hearts and we will desire more and more to be with Him in heaven. The things of this world will no longer rival the Lord, and we will live more generously, more thankfully, and more joyfully. Christ, our hope and joy awaits us in heaven, so why would we seek to find it here on earth?

A Church of 200 Pastors

by Elder Peter Lim

I have a vision for LBC that we would be full of people who are ready, willing, and able to carry out the work of a pastor. That when a visitor enters through our doors, it would be difficult to distinguish who belongs on the welcome team, new visitor team, same affinity group, and even who the pastors are because it seems everyone is concerned with showering them with the love of Christ and are genuinely happy to welcome them. Many of our people already come on Sunday mornings with this mindset and it’s awesome to see how they go out of their way to reach out to people. Unfortunately, some of us find it daunting to break out of our comfort zone to initiate conversations that are centered on Christ. We may find it easier to excuse ourselves because we are in a particular phase of life that makes it difficult to talk to new people. Middle School and High School students may consider themselves to be too young to talk to older people…such as Collegians. College students may feel a pressure to hurry up and leave so that they can study or to meet other collegians or they may be intimidated by older people and hang out with their own college crowd. Singles may feel a hesitation to talk to other people, especially of the opposite gender because they don’t want to be perceived as “scamming” every new visitor or giving off the wrong signals. Dating couples oftentimes disappear from the public eye and spend way too much time with only each other instead of ministering to other people together. Married people probably have important things to do on the weekends such as furniture shopping, home improvement, visiting in-laws, pulling weeds, and just spending time with their spouse. Those with young children often have the best excuses of all since it’s obvious that they need to take care of their little ones or leave at odd times for naps…for the kids of course. Older people may feel out of place at a younger church like ours. Some may wish to reach out to younger people but don’t want to appear like a creepy older person making younger people feel uncomfortable.

Whatever the excuses are, I just want to say stop! Let’s consider what a church is supposed to be. It is a place where older men and women are to train the younger men and women (Titus 2:1-8), the pastors are to train the people to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12), and all the people are a part of the body of Christ who speak the truth in love and work together for the building up of itself in love (Eph. 4:15-16). Since we know that self-deceived people and the curious public also attend our services, we also make it a point to present the gospel every week in fulfillment of Matt. 28:18-20. Are those other activities that we do on Sundays so important that we fail to adequately do what we are supposed to do? I don’t want to separate Sundays as if that’s the only day we need to “do” church but it seems that even setting aside that one day for corporate ministry is so difficult for many people. Christians, let us inconvenience ourselves for the sake of ministry to others. How else can we do the “one anothers?” No one ever says on their death bed that they wish they would’ve spent more time shopping for nicer furniture or study more to get better grades. Life is about people, either to share the gospel with them or to encourage them to walk closer with Christ. Let’s never have the mindset that all the spiritual leadership is a job of the pastor or the other leadership types.

LBC Beacon

A Ministry of Lighthouse Bible Church