Why Revisit This Message?

Today I’d like to reshare a post from over a year ago. A very dear friend and sister in Christ brought up a question from this post. She didn’t disagree at all, but thought it could use some clarification. Since I’ve started recording as a podcast, I have thought about recording older posts as well, and after talking to her I thought I’d start with this one.

I’ll link the original post, but don’t expect it to be a word for word rehash. I feel like God has expanded my audience as well as my voice; He has given me more boldness to speak the truth. I expect that it will be expanded upon. Join me as we see where God leads!

Make Up

This particular post was a sharing of my notes from the Discipleship class I was teaching at the time. We were using Brother Charlie Halliburton’s book Five Things You Ought to Know. Though I don’t agree with everything in the book, I do believe it is a great resource for a new Christian to get some foundational study. We actually stopped with the book before we got into eschatology, and I don’t think that was an accident. This is one of those things that he and I have a difference of opinion.

That being said, we were talking about the Church - specifically the MAKE UP of a church. Before you head off to Ulta or Merle Norman, hear me out. This is talking about what makes up the INSIDE of the local church.

The Church as a Spiritual Hospital

Charlie calls it a spiritual hospital - and I agree with that analogy. The doctors and nurses are the sanctified and the saints; the patients are the lost and dying. Now imagine a hospital that doesn’t just heal people and send them away. Instead, imagine that those that are healed become doctors and nurses themselves. And if they move out of the area they join the staff of another hospital. Or they might even establish a new hospital. The cycle can go on and on, because those healed become doctors and nurses themselves.

Or at least it should go on and on. When we lose a generation we lose a lot of ground; we fall behind and the world; Well. The world begins to look like it does now! I recently saw a meme on Facebook that said something to the effect of, “when prayer and the 10 Commandments were taken out of schools, we wondered what would happen. Now we know.”

LGBTQ is now considered normal; transgender rights including those of people to mutilate minors is on the rise; witchcraft and the occult are mainstream; pornography is considered entertainment; sex workers are just in another profession; trafficking is at epidemic levels. It’s actually a heartbreaking report, and we should be reminded that we sometimes live in an ivory tower.

Now I’m not saying the Church has perpetuated these crimes. Yes, there are terrible examples of church leaders that fall to pornography, adultery, embezzlement, but overall that’s what happens. Those are individuals that fail in their own lives. The church as a whole doesn’t perpetuate these things. But look at that list again and recognize that we the Church have not prevented them!

The Great Commission Is for All of Us

This next part is the part that needs more clarification. I had said before that to continue the analogy of the hospital, we are to bring the spiritually sick to Jesus. We are to bring them to His Church - but not the building. We are, according to the Great Commission in Matthew, to disciple them.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIRV - Then Jesus came to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”

This means we are to teach them; we are to help them learn. The contentious part of what I said was that “it is NOT the job of the pastor to tell people about Jesus!” “It’s NOT your job to go and get them in the door then turn it over to the pastor.” Just so there is no mistake here, what I meant by that is so many people in churches think their job is to invite people to church and that’s all. I want to reiterate and clarify that this is ONE thing we can do, but that’s not the ONLY thing we should be doing!

Yes, the pastor is going to share the Gospel from the pulpit. Yes, the pastor is going to teach Biblical truth from the pulpit. Yes, the Sunday School teachers are going help expand the knowledge. But it is NOT their job and theirs alone. We should be DAILY in the Word of God; we should be DAILY seeking to do His will; we should be DAILY actively looking for opportunities to be a witness.

What If Invitation is Not Enough?

Yes, by all means invite them to the church. Invite them to the hospital. But don’t be afraid to do a little first aide before you do. Take this terrible example. You work with someone that you’re not sure if they are saved or not. Rather than talk to them about Jesus, you invite them to church. They say, “sure,” but months go by and they still don’t come, even though you continue to remind them. Eventually you give up. Please pretend this is you and tell me exactly where in there you shared the Gospel?

What if they finally come to church one Sunday morning, but they are killed in an auto accident on the way. Boy it’s a good thing you stayed on them about church isn’t it! Now they go into eternity knowing you loved them enough to mention this building where MAYBE someone will say the right thing and they will be convicted of their sin.

Now ponder that for a moment… If you are reading this or hearing my voice and you are saved, praise God that whatever happened in your life resulted in you hearing the Word and responding to it. But imagine all that ever happened was someone inviting you to church. Would you be a Christian today if that’s all that happened? I hope so!

What It Means to Be Born Again

Now if you’re reading this or hearing my voice and you are NOT saved, you may have a false belief that church attendance or membership is what’s important. Please hear me now and know it is NOT! Yes, we are supposed to be in attendance and be part of the local body of believers. We can’t work the ER at this spiritual hospital if we never clock in. But the MOST important thing is to TURN TO JESUS!

John 3 is the account of Jesus and Nicodemus talking in private. Nicodemus tells Jesus he knows that Jesus is from God, because of the ‘signs’ (miracles) that He performs. Jesus doesn’t say ‘shucks’ or anything of the kind; He gets right to the issue!

I want you to read the entire chapter, but for purposes of this post and recording, I’m going to concentrate on the first eight verses.

John 3:1-8 NIRV - There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the signs you are doing.” Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “They can’t go back inside their mother! They can’t be born a second time!” Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit. People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’ The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.”

Listen to this part again - “no one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.” Jesus didn’t say sit at my feet, give me your tithes, join my disciples. He mentioned getting to Heaven, which happens after we die.

Jesus continues, “born with water and the Holy Spirit.” Everyone living is born with water. When a woman gets ready to have a baby, the water breaks. The baby is delivered via the birth canal and the baby is wet. But the Spirit is invisible, like the wind! The Holy Spirit actually comes into a person when they are born again.

Now listen very carefully! People are not born again when they come to church. People are born again when they accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers. Jesus died to pay the price - the penalty - of my sins and your sins. You accept that payment when you repent - that is turn away from, not just say you’re sorry - and turn to Jesus as your One and Only way to the Kingdom of God!

Coming to church doesn’t get you a seat on the bus, to use an example. Joining a church doesn’t either. Yes, we should be a part of a church, but being a part of church without the Holy Spirit inside? It means nothing - NOTHING - after you die…

An Invitation to Heaven

Okay, like I said, it wasn’t just a rehash… There is more in that post that I hope is edifying, and I will share the rest over the next few posts. Until then, i...