Scriptural Foundation:
Matthew 7:21-23 – New King James Version (NKJV)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
James 1:5-8 – New King James Version (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Reflection:
Church gatherings have evolved into a spectator sport. Another place to be entertained or distracted. Originally the Sabbath was purposed for us to rest from all our work.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11 (NASB)
The Sabbath was designed for us to stop and just be with the Lord. Instead, it has become an option for most and an obligation for many. Like a loyalty rewards card, many think that their attendance at church is counted and tracked in heaven. These people, their bodies are present, but their minds are on other things
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. – James 1:5-8 (AMPC)
In the same vein, there are others that have made serving in the House of God an idol. They enjoy serving an individual(s)… the pastor or a member of the church leadership. They do whatever they are told and don’t have any thoughts to share or add as to what they may be hearing from the Lord. In both these examples there is no growth or depth in that individual’s relationship with the Lord. All their attention is placed externally rather than internally.
We must all work on our individual/vertical relationship with the Lord. Life is a group activity but not a group project. During group projects, most times one or two people do all the work, and everyone gets the same grade. That is not the case in the spiritual realm, we all will not be getting the same “grade”. We all understand substance recovery accountability programs. These are vital and important outlets for keeping people accountable in the flesh. Going to church should not be a part of a multi-stepped program with the intent of keeping your flesh under control indefinitely. Going to church is the first step to living out what the Lord has revealed to you in your prayer time
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)
It is in our personal devotional time that the Lord’s power is given to us. Once this power has been aligned (like a ground for an electrical current) then we are called to go out and light up the world for Jesus. Jesus as our example, He moved in all the giftings for the Spirit. We are to move and have our being in Him meaning our gatherings shouldn’t be gimmicks or clone factories only recognizing certain giftings. Instead, they should be more like community gardens.
18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a [a]large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” – Luke 13:18-19 (NKJV)
In a community garden, plots are not ranked. Each person has access to the same resources and conditions. The people that learn and share with each other have a season with a great harvest year after year. While others that isolate themselves even if it is with a friend, their plots tend not to yield as much due to their limited prospective. Free will is from our Master. It is given to see what we will produce.
For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. – Matthew 25:14-15(AMPC)
If the people in your life have produced good fruit year after year, decade after decade it may be its time to branch out and help the people you perceive are struggling. As the Lord leads, come alongside them and get your hands dirty. Don’t be surprised if it will ignite in you a new fire.
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. – Revelation 2:3-5 (NIV)
Gathering with others should be a time of cross pollination we should become better versions of ourselves. There are no rankings in the Body of Christ, we all have the same access and provision from above. What may be lacking spiritually in our lives, a sister or brother in Christ could provide a helping hand and we can do the same for them. That requires that we break out of our well-worn thought patterns and behaviors and allow Holy Spirit to use us as a true instrument of His glory.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Would you describe your time spent at church or Bible study a placeholder or idol worship?
- In the last six months how many people have you led to the Lord?
- In the last six months who have you come along side in one-on-one fellowship that is different from your current inner circle?
If there has been no growth or change in the landscape of your life there is a good chance you fall into one of the two categories. Grab a knee and ask Holy Spirit for revelation as to what needs to change in you personally.