THE FOUR GREATEST TESTS: Part one of four

Test of Self
With the beginning of the Fall semester, it seems appropriate to talk about testing। Okay, so no one likes the tests. But what if our discussion caused you to be better prepared for the tests that every person will face during the course of his life? Yet probably the most challenging test on which to get accurate results is the test of SELF. Human nature seems to endow us with the ability to size up everybody in the world except ourselves.

The first step is to understand the directive to do a thorough self-examination। God’s Word tells us to test ourselves to be prepared for the final test of standing before the Throne of God. Think of these as random pop-quizzes. The Bible tells us to be involved in this kind of exams for many reasons. Psalm 11:5 assures us “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,” The Ancient Greek aphorism “Know yourself”, Greek: γνῶθι σεαυτόν, was inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi। When Socrates was on trial for heresy he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We should take that into the Christian life and state that “The unexamined Spiritual life is not worth living” either. May I further suggest that our own self examination should be up to the standard of God’s powerful and Holy Word – the Bible? According to the Lord, the Scriptures hold the standards for His test. When He spoke to Moses regarding the choice of following His Word he said “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.” (Exodus 3:4). Notice that they would only enjoy provision for their needs as long as they were faithful to God’s Word? They only received the manna in the wilderness as long as they obeyed God. His Word is tried and tested. 2 Samuel 22:31 says “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him।”

Of course knowledge is useless unless it results in action। The ultimate test of your faithfulness will be the way you live out your faith side-by-side with your brothers and sisters in Christ। Too many people walk into a weekly religious service and leave the service with no determination to put their faith into action. James 1:22-24 warns against being believers who are all talk and no action. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”
You will be tested in many ways. If you are a believer and you are ready to stand firm in your faith, eventually the rulers of this world will put you to a test। It may be something as simple as Daniel & Sharon Dixon of Jacksonville, FL. They had worked for years at the Thornwood Apartments where they lived. For at least eight years they had the same floral artwork (which they owned) hanging on the wall in the office. It was beautiful picture of some stained glass that looked like roses and the words, “Consider the Lilies… Matt. 6:28” The management company decided this couple was too religious and fired them and evicted them from their home. Their faith is being tested. Will they stand firm?

It was self-examination that led Luther to write is 95 theses and caused Billy Sunday to go from filling baseball stadiums to packing out huge tents of revival meetings। What will a reflective assessment do for you?

You will also face times of trials from this world, but these trials are not the big test which should concern you. The final exam comes as each one of us stands before God’s throne. Are you adequately prepared for that test? The best way to prepare for this test is to use God’s powerful and perfect word and perform your own self-examination. Hopefully this helps you prepare for the biggest test of your entire life…one that will impact your eternity. Next week: the test of priorities.

What the World is starving to see in the Church

It’s a funny thing how God can use Vacation Bible School and personal visits to bring people to Salvation . . . even in the 21st century. Maybe we’re spending so much time studying what “what we’re currently not doing” and “what is not working” that we’re forgetting to simply go out there and do the work of an evangelist.

What the World is hungry to see in the Church and what the Church was designed to possess in the way of displaying a decisive and persuasive presentation of God’s divine love and truth is being lost in the pursuit of being relevant to and imitating a world. The world isn’t looking for an imitation of itself – it is looking for something that is firmly different. Firmly working out the pattern God has given his Church:

*There should be plenty of power in the Church (Eph. 1:16-23; 2:6; 3:20-21). There is a huge, untapped reservoir of power in the church. Christ himself is orchestrating all things for the benefit of his church. Most of the time that power is diffused in unprofitable ways. We need to covenant to be good stewards of the sufficient power of our Savior.

* They should experience God's presence in the Church (Eph. 2:11-22). If you think that the church is just a human institution, you are wrong. Yes, it involves humans, but it is much more than that. Too often worship today looks like an episode of American Idol. The church should be a place where every talent is laid at the altar to worship the King of Kings making Him the centerpiece. This powerful presence doesn’t have to be manufactured with darkened rooms, bright lights and smoke. More important than the quality of the sound system or the caliber of musicians is the heart fully surrendered to be transparent in Worship.

* There has to be unity in the Church (Eph. 4:1-6). The hypocrisy of bickering and strife have been the reasons many churches have surrendered their ability to have a substantial witness in their communities. It is the excuse that many lost people use to exchange the truth of God for a lie.

* There must be well-equipped ministry of the entire Church (Eph. 4:7-16). They should be love in action to each other and toward the unchurched. Somehow we have turned our pastors into be hired guns to do the ministry of the church or into chaplains to comfort the members. Christ's plan for his church is to mobilize a great army of trained and gifted ministers who will push back the spiritual barriers of mediocrity, ignorance, pain, and ingnorance.

* We need a return to holiness by the Church (Eph. 5:21-32). Many churches today look more like the hooker form downtown rather than the Bride of Christ. I’m not referring to worship style or whether the members are dressed casual or in suits. This is about the heart. You get the heart right, and everything else will follow. Christ's desire is for a church that is like a dear wife to him -- cleansed, comforted, cherished, and brilliant in her reflection of the glory of God. My prayer is that my church and your church will begin to reflect the power and glory intended by our Lord।

In Him (Eph. 1),
Pastor Marty