People Matter Most
If you read my piece on language from a couple of weeks ago, then you were briefly introduced to some of the idiosyncrasies of language. Words have meaning but their meanings may change over time. When I was a kid, for example, "a man of discriminating taste" would carry along with it the connotation of someone that had mastered the art of differentiation. Today, however, racial overtones associated with "discrimination" may inject a connotation with the word that you may not want to relay - if you were simply trying to say, for example, that someone was familiarized with the finer things in life.
When I went to church back when I was a kid (circa 5 yrs old), I had not developed an elaborate theological portfolio yet but there was one thing that I did know; Church is all about God. Unlike language, theological concepts should not change irrespective of the Church's goal of meeting ever changing needs in the community. Jesus is the same today as He was yesterday. God doesn't change and His word doesn't change. God's word is not like shifting shadows that are here today and gone tomorrow. Given my presupposition (Church is about God) that I've had since I was a child, can you imagine to my surprise when I noticed a church window that read, "People Matter Most"?
To be honest, I actually took a double look when I saw the church window. I thought to myself, "People Matter Most?", I thought the church was about God? If the Church is about God then doesn't it stand to reason that we should instead say "God matters most"? For the purpose of presenting a visual for this piece, I took a picture of the "slogan" and continued to contemplate the purpose of the church.
Let's not, however, assume that the biblical acumen of a five year old child can be relied upon.
What does the Bible say about the church?
When Paul addressed the Corinthian Church in the 1 Corinthian epistle, he introduces an analogy where he compares the body of the church (body of congregants) to the body of Christ. Paul tells the Corinthian Church that they are all members of one body. Each body member (congregant) has specific jobs/roles in the kingdom of God the same as members of the body, i.e. ears, hands, elbows, etc. have specific jobs to perform in the body of Christ.
Paul never says that all jobs have equal worth but stresses that all job functions are important. All have not been appointed to being an apostle, prophet or teacher, nevertheless, having a lower tiered job function does not alienate anyone from being a member of the body just the same. The ear, for example, isn't any less a part of the body because it's not an eye; if the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
To further place the roles and purposes of the congregants and the church into context, Paul goes on to say that you can give away all of your possessions, feed the poor and sacrifice your body but all of it is meaningless if it is without love. Paul ends his letter by telling us that the resources or gifts of the Church will fade. Gifts of prophecy and knowledge will be done away with and tongues will cease, for example, but love never fails. Out of faith, hope and love, in the economy of God, the greatest of these is love.
The church, in other words, is the collection of believers acting as members of the body of Christ. God has appointed some for some jobs and others for other jobs. Notice how Paul, however, said that you can feed the poor but if you don't have love, it is meaningless. Paul's not saying that people do not matter but at the same time, he's also not saying that people matter most. In God's economy, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and mind but the second one is like it;
‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
To keep matters in perspect, consider that James says that pure or undefiled religion is to take care of widows and orphans in their afflictions and that faith without deeds is dead. Jesus also tells us in the parable of the Good Samaritan, in the book of Luke, for us to do the same as the man that shows mercy toward his neighbor in need. As instructed from scripture, we care for people by and through taking care of widows and orphans in need, showing mercy towards our neighbor (in need) as well as loving our neighbor as we do our-self. Our faith, in other words, should act in accordance with our deeds. In our faith, we become imitators of Christ. People matter, not because of any intrinsic value that they have but because they matter to Christ. We love people because Christ loves people. It is His Gospel that saves! It is In the life that He gives us that we should die to ourselves;
"and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."
If we only exude love for others in accordance to others' intrinsic value, then surely we would would fall short of loving everyone. Surely, just as well, would we fall short of loving everyone if we were to love others in our own strength. Out of the love that Peter had for Christ, he promised to die for him prior to Jesus' capture. In that same love/zeal, however, he feared the consequences of knowing him and denied Him three times. When Christ perfects us in love, however, He removes fear and frees us from bondage. When Christ perfects us, we receive a new nature and we have a heart to be pleasing to Him. People do not matter most, having a heart after God matters most. God is spirit and He must be worshiped in spirit. What better can there be for the interest of man than to be in God? Is it not God that gives life? If you being as evil and wicked as you are know how to give good gifts, then how much more does our Heavenly Father know to give to us? Let us rejoice and be glad that people do not matter most. If people were to matter most then what is pleasing to them would matter most. And what is pleasing to them? A recent Barna poll inquiring about New Years Resolutions describes what is at the top of priorities that people have for themselves;
"When it comes to the types of resolutions people make, Americans not surprisingly focus on self-oriented changes. Among those planning to make resolutions, the top pledges for 2011 relate to weight, diet and health (30%); money, debt and finances (15%); personal improvement (13%); addiction (12%); job and career (5%); spiritual or church-related (5%); and educational (4%). Personal improvement responses included being a better person; giving more; having more personal or leisure time; organizing their life or home; and having a better life in general."
God is spirit and He must be worshiped in spirit. The priorities that we have in our carnal nature denies the Kingdom of God glory and raises up carnal sinful man in place of what God desires. I am so glad that people do not matter most. I am so glad, instead, that God in His glory has decided to saved a stubborn stiff neck people that would reject Him as the corner stone if it were in their sovereignty to do as much. Praise Him who died on a cross so that we may live in Him. Praise Him that gave us grace and mercy as opposed to what we earned for the wages of sin is death.
Before I conclude, please allow me to appeal to pastors of flocks. Please rest in Him. Rest in His word and do not be ashamed of it. Do not be ashamed of the word that gives life. Do not be ashamed of the author of our salvation. I watched an interview on Penn Jillette yesterday that was very disturbing. Penn Jillette is a part of Penn & Teller, the magicians/comedy team the performs all sorts of weird tricks.
Jillette is an atheist. Jillette is extremely vocal about his beliefs and his disapproval of God and the Bible. Jillette claims that it was reading the Bible that made him an atheist. In the interview that I watched, however, I noticed that he also said that he had parents that made him go to church. He had a youth pastor that was very hip and relevant. He dressed in cool clothes and "he would play Jim Morrison songs and the Beattles". When Jillette asked questions about the Bible, his youth minister could not answer his questions. It escalated to the point to where the youth minister called Jillette's mom and dad and politely asked them to stop sending Jillette to Sunday school. According to Jillette's account, he was converting the class to atheism, etc.
Although Jillette's atheism cannot be entirely blamed on his inept youth minister, it does say something about our modern churches. Appealing to the youth via tactics that are designed to entice and allure is not only void in scripture but serves as an insufficient testimony in the hope that we have in Him. Pastors, clergy, and ministers are not asked to be infallible theologians but at least provide some sort of guidance that has root in a credible apologetic. At least provide a witness for the hope that you have in Him. At least seek guidance in a weak area that you cannot deliver therein. Pastors, do your flock right by being a worthy shepherd.
In closing, the word of God instructs his flock to care for people the same that He cared for us. Resting in God's word is the most loving thing you could possibly do for another human being. By resting in God's word, you will care for the orphan, widow and neighbor that is in need. God is spirit and He must be worshiped in spirit. Take on the spirit of God and love your neighbor. Let us all be a testimony and give a reason for the hope that we have in Him. Relevancy does not save men. Let us be grounded in the word, the good news that brings with it salvation to all who believes. Let us praise God for loving us first as well as pray for those that are determined to earn death if they are not found in Him.
God bless you all. People do matter for we are the gift that the Son is going to give to the Father but it is Him whom is the Alpha and Omega - for whom all things were made by and for Him.
May it all be for His glory,
W.
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