Let me preface this blog post by mentioning one thing. I get my spiritual food and upbringing and knowledge from primarily one source; my home church. Back home in Austin, Texas I attend the Austin Stone. They provide all of their weekly sermons on the internet through iTunes podcasts, as well as in the form of mp3 downloads for non-Apple users. The church is large, and I believe they are making a profound impact on the city of Austin. Scripture is clear in saying that the bodies of believers in any given city should aim to saturate that city with God's love and word. Through the implementation of Missional Communities, the Austin Stone plants little micro-church bodies all over the city, active at all times, providing a means of reaching the community in as many creative ways as can be conjured up. Scripture also stresses the importance of a church home. Austin Stone is my church home. Though I am away in other countries, I have been listening to Sunday sermons via iTunes podcasts. This keeps me plugged in to the church and aware of what my fiancée is learning, but it also keeps me alert to the devil and his schemes around me. You can tell by reading my blogs that my scriptural education is derived from the Austin Stone. Now, let’s continue with an appropriate topic…
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” This is the 17th verse of the 13th chapter of the letter to the Hebrew church. What it addresses is church membership.
It really comes down to personal preference doesn’t it? We go to church when we feel like we need a spiritual pep-rally or on the important holidays, or when we long for the joyous feeling that only church services bring us and we haven’t experienced it in a while. Many of us don’t want to commit to being a church member because there are a few people we don’t like in the congregation or we’re afraid that we’ll be asked to join some committee or teach a class or administer some obscure project. What we’re overlooking is that it’s really a matter of biblical obedience and not just a matter of personal preference. Granted, we don’t see the phrase “church membership” in Scripture, but we do see its principles and foundation. We can review 3 basic points:
1) There is a COMMAND. In the midst of chapter 13 telling us how to act inside the church, we have this command to obey our church leaders. Thank you Austin Stone for pointing out the important fact that this is a present imperative. This means that we’re being told to carry out a necessary task at this very moment and to do so indefinitely. This is not wisdom literature like what we read in the book of Proverbs, and it’s not suggesting a best course of action, but it is making a command. Think about this; if there is no biblical requirement for you to submit to the church, then what group of leaders are you submitting to? Are you putting greater importance on your workplace leaders? Are you more concerned about the leaders of our judiciary system? Are you rendering yourself submissive to the secular leadership of academia? This will reveal the posture of your heart and whether you have any idols in your life, as well as where you seek approval and acceptance from.
2) Scripture tells us WHY we are to submit to the church. We need to understand that this verse is talking about our local church leadership. It’s not commanding us to obey the leaders of the mega-church we hear on the radio every week or the source of our favorite pick-me-up podcasts, but rather the church we attend in person whenever we do attend church. In Paul’s letter to his friend Titus, he writes, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you…” (Titus 1:5). Paul left Titus to administer the church body in a particular geographic region with boundaries. This is because their evangelizing efforts brought about many new believers, and Paul knew that they would need a leader, a shepherd, and sound counsel. In his first letter to Timothy in chapter 3, Paul spells out God’s requirements for church leadership, so there’s no confusion as to who qualifies and who we should listen to.
If we revisit the verse from Hebrews, it tells us something very important that need not be overlooked. These leaders “are keeping watch over your souls”. In the original text, it translates to remaining sleepless. The leaders of the church are spending countless hours in prayer and intercession on your behalf, asking God to protect you, and asking Him how to best lead you in any of your circumstances. Furthermore, they are the ones held accountable for guiding you. Please recognize that this is quite the burden and responsibility. You may ask, “Why do I need someone helping me? Why can’t I just look after myself? I’m pretty self-sufficient.” Well, Scripture points out the danger of us operating individually outside of a body of believers. Revelation 12:9 says, “And the dragon was thrown, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
So, this tells us a couple of facts. One, Satan is for sure a deceiver, and a deceiver of the whole world at that! Have you ever been deceived? It’s not a good feeling to know that you’ve been taken advantage of or outsmarted in a way that negatively impacts you, but he’s been doing it for a long time (see the key word ancient) and he knows how to deceive you without you catching on (sometimes you’ll see it in hindsight). Two, it tells us where he is. Does it say he’s roaming around in some spiritual world, or gallivanting across galaxies looking for things to destroy? Does it say he’s hanging out in hell poking people with a molten pitchfork? Nope. This word of truth says he’s right here on earth, him and all his fallen angels. So, if Satan is the deceiver of the whole world and his band of misfit angels follow his lead, and he’s here on the surface of earth with all of us people, what do you think he’s up to? You think he’s overlooking you? You think he’s not concerned with lil-ol-me? I beg to differ. If you’re righteous, how much more does he want to take you out?! Just look at Job. And if you’re feeling rather unrighteous and pitiful and worthless, don’t you think he wants to keep robbing you of the grace Jesus is trying to offer you so endlessly?
Maybe you think, “I’m a pretty strong person and devout in my faith. I can handle myself without a church watching over me.” Let me illustrate further. During this Race, I had the chance to go on a safari in Tanzania. We were fortunate enough to see lions. They were only a few meters away (10 at most) from the Land Rover, which was not enclosed by the way; it merely had a roll-cage around the sides and top. The real fear that that big golden kitty invoked in me was terrifying. What if one of those irritated cats decided to jump on the car and bite my arm off? Can I stop it? I have no weapons and the brush is too thick for the vehicle to quickly maneuver itself to safety. You can daydream how your macho-ness can fend off a big cat, but when you actually see one up close, and you see his needle-like teeth as long as your fingers, and his paws as big as your face, and the pounds and pounds of single-purpose muscle that's visible underneath his fur, you begin to see how much of an unpromising challenge it would actually prove to be. I heard many stories while in Africa about people being attacked and killed by these creatures. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “…your adversary the devil prowls around like a young lion, seeking someone to devour.” The lion I saw was chilling in the shade with his lady lions. What if I was in the open, alone and unprotected by the group of people who know best how to fend off lions, and a mad-crazy-hungry lion spotted me? Game Over. Our enemy is faster, stronger, smarter, and more cunning than we can imagine, and he’s looking to destroy you. Fortunately, God gave us a place of protection. The church! So to wrap up point 2, let me offer a breakthrough point of realization… some of you are in church on Sunday, taking advantage of that protection and leadership, but you’re living life all alone Monday through Saturday, and the enemy knows it. Take shelter as a member of a church, and be lifted up by the body of believers!
—Let me say here that I appreciate your willingness to read through this blog! The messages I convey are important, and your attention will bring you reward. Thank you.—-
3) Scripture tells us HOW to obey our leaders. The verse in Hebrews tells us to “let them do this with joy and not with groaning…” As you listen to the pastor and talk with the deacons and make suggestions to the music director and the youth leader, you need to be sure your language (verbal and body) communicates a message that allows them to handle you joyously. This by all means does not mean that you can’t communicate any problems you have with the church, but be tactful about it. “There is a fine line between standing up for what you think is right and causing grief” says Matt Carter, lead pastor of the Austin Stone. Pick your battles, think about the good of the body as a whole, and remember to show grace just like it’s been shown to you.
My last point is this. Sometimes, people say things like, “I love Jesus, but I just don’t love the church!” Or, “The church is full of hypocrites, and as a Christian, I can’t be around them, and certainly not be fed by them.” So, let me present this point. Scripture defines Jesus as the groom right? And his bride is the church, right? So, the groom marries the bride, and they become one. That bond cannot be undone by anyone but God Himself because it was forged only by God Himself (every marriage undergoes this bonding by the way, even for nonbelievers.) If the church is ONE with Christ, can you really love one and not the other? Would Jesus advise you to love him and not his wife? Do you think that might bother him, or estrange you from him?
After reading this message, I encourage you to seek out a church family. It’s clearly a plan designed by God to offer you protection from Satan, a place to feel His tangible love, and a place to seek understanding. Thank you for reading, and please check out podcasts by the Austin Stone if you’re interested in more truths from Scripture.
