Is It Sunday Yet?

Is it Sunday yet?  The Lord's Day should be the best day of the week.  By the grace of God, for my family it certainly is.

This coming Sunday we prayerfully anticipate another morning of vibrant Christian fellowship.  Spirit-filled praise.  Edifying, and sometimes humorous and/or tearful, conversations.  And focused expository listening.

The believers that make up Lake Country Bible Church are full of Christian joy and hope.  Our founding pastor worked hard to ensure that this fellowship was Word-centered; without losing our identity of also being a loving family of believers.  Pastor Sal believed that the Lord's Church is to be known for its commitment to Christ-like love (John 13), absolute truth/sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Eph. 4:11-16), and "good deeds" (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 2:10).  It's both/and rather than either/or.

During the 9 AM Sunday School hour our children/teens will be in stage of life focused classes.  Our wonderful teachers will highlight biblical truth using Answers in Genesis material.  One of our elders (Dave) will lead the adults in prayer and then continue his excellent series through Galatians.

At 10:15 AM the entire congregation will come together for our corporate worship service:

1) We will sing a number of praise songs and hymns (Col. 3:16; "Jesus Shall Reign;" "10,000 Reasons;" "His Mercy is More;" "Before the Throne of God Above;" and "By Faith.")

Christian Fellowship in the Local Church is NOT Optional

One of the foundational truths of the church is the understanding that the church isn’t the campus, brick and mortar, stained glass and steeple. The church is the body of people who meet together on a specific campus/location, united together through Jesus Christ, and meet together for the right worship of the true God.  God gives spiritual gifts to each believer to use within the context of the local church (1 Cor. 12-14; 1 Peter 4:10-11).  One of the necessities of an authentic church is true fellowship. Genuine fellowship is not an optional thing for the church. There are many reasons why true Christian fellowship is necessary in the life of the local church, but I want to focus on the following three reasons.

The Priority of Fellowship in the Early Church

In Acts 2:42, we see the early church described as a devoted church. In one verse, four key elements are mentioned regarding the church’s worship. They were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship – κοινωνία, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. It’s vitally important that we see the level of priority placed upon fellowship by the early church.

The first time we see the Greek term κοινωνία (translated fellowship in Acts 2:42) used in the New Testament is in Acts 2 as Luke describes the early church immediately after the 3,000 people were born again and baptized as followers of Christ. This word means, “close association involving mutual interests and sharing, association, communion, fellowship, close relationship, marked by intimacy.” True Christian fellowship transcends “hello” in the hallway or a slap on the back on Sunday.

The early church spent time together in worship, in the temple meeting people, over meals in their homes, and out in the community through evangelistic efforts. They prioritized Christian fellowship highly. They were living in hostile times where threats were common and death was promised for the sake of the gospel. They valued the close fellowship of their Christian community in ways that we often don’t see in the church today. They didn’t avoid one another. They didn’t minimize true fellowship. They exemplified Christian care and their intimate community was possible through their bond in Jesus Christ.

The Need for Vibrant Relationships

If you read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, you see that Christian is constantly in need of a true friend to journey with him. When he was in the dungeon of Doubting Castle, Hopeful was there by his side. If you read Tolkien, you will see him reference the Fellowship all through his writings. C.S. Lewis also put a spotlight on the importance of fellowship all throughout The Chronicles of Narnia. Most importantly, if you read the Bible, you will see from beginning to end, the people of God are pictured as a togetherpeople.

God has designed us with the need for intimate relationships. It’s a very common thing to see people referencing their “work family” or their “ball team family” on social media. The point they’re driving home is that they’ve worked diligently to build an intimate group of people who are committed to one another and have a common bond that unites them. Sadly, it’s becoming a normal thing to see many Christians speak that way about their circle of friends outside of the church while their understanding of church has been reduced to a building and a seat to occupy on Sunday. Why are so many people willing to forsake the fellowship of the church?

Baptism Service 2018

Baptism Service

Unlike the Lord's Supper, believers' baptism is a one time event where disciples identify with Jesus and the body of Christ.  Because baptism is only done on a "as needed" basis it is always a highlight in the life of any Christian fellowship.

This year we heard six stellar testimonies.  Everyone who was baptized was under thirty yet each one is pursuing the Lord with singular passion and focus.  God is doing something special at LCBC.  "For from Him and to Him and through Him be all thanks to Him be the glory forever!"

It was a tremendous blessing for Pastors Josh, Kent, and I to have front row seats for this most sacred service.  Please join us in encouraging these faithful Christians to "excel still more."  Truly His grace is amazing!

9 Practical and Spiritual Benefits of Home CARE Groups

Do non-megachurches really need home CARE groups?  What are the practical spiritual benefits of starting up such a ministry?  The following thoughts will help each of us in our understanding of what the purpose of a care group (small group) is and why it is important for the growth of the church, families and individuals. When properly done CARE groups can help a local church achieve it's biblical philosophy of ministry- which is to "present every believer mature in Christ" (Colossians 1:28-29).

Care groups are about fellowship – the Greek term (Koinonia) the root word is koinos, koinos, translation is common. So we have things in common and can even be translated as communion. Here with believers it has to do with a sense of community in which Christians share the work and pray together comforting and encouraging one another. Fellowship according to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: fellowship means companionship, a relation in which parties hold something in common, familiar interaction. (See Acts 2:42)

Consequently, as we can see from these brief interactions with the term and its meaning we can say the underlined words, communion – community – one another – companionship – familiar interaction is needed in every believer’s life. A smaller, more informal context can be a helpful place to practice the New Testament one anothers and to deepen and sweeten the fellowship of the local church.

With that brief understanding let me list for you some ways care groups help with shepherding and caring for the flock:

1. Care groups foster close relationships and integral community. The small group atmosphere is ready-made for building and deepening gospel friendships. People often share more in small groups and are quick to recognize needs, and willing help to meet them. The relationships formed within small groups form a strong fabric within a church. Many times it is these kinds of relationships that are formed outside of the formal setting of a church service, will endure and strengthen over time. We can say this is a natural place for even discipleship relationships to happen.

2. Care groups provide an ideal way to care for the needs of people within the church. When one believer in a small group is struggling financially, emotionally, spiritually, socially, etc., it is much easier for the members of the small group to notice and provide help. The structure of a small group is essentially a community of believing friends. Friends should help one another, especially Christian friends. (Gal. 6:2, Bear one another’s burdens…)

6 De-churching Trends: When the Local Church Is No Longer Central in the Christian Walk

One of the least obvious—and yet most tragic—changes Christianity has experienced in the past fifty years is the diminishing of the centrality of the local church in the life of many Christians. The Lord’s Day, once considered a special day dedicated to the worship and service of God, is now treated like any other day by many professing believers. And local church life, once considered the center of indispensable relationships within our spiritual family whom we love, encourage, and to whom we remain accountable, is now treated like an extra-curricular activity rather than an essential ingredient of the Christian life. 

The signs of the diminishing priority of the local church are many. However, I will only mention the six trends that Kent Hughes highlights in his book, Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life.

1. Hitchhiker Christians: “The hitchhiker’s thumb says, ‘You buy the car, pay for repairs and upkeep and insurance, fill the car with gas—and I’ll ride with you. But if you have an accident, you are on your own! And I’ll probably sue.’ So it is with the credo of many of today’s church attenders: ‘You go to the meetings and serve on the boards and committees, you grapple with the issues and do the work of the church and pay the bills—and I’ll come along for the ride. But if things do not suit me, I’ll criticize and complain and probably bail out. My thumb is always out for a better ride.’”

2. The consumer mentality: Many of today’s Christians shop for a church like they build their supper at a cruise ship buffet. “Ecclesiastical shoppers attend one church for the preaching, send their children to a second church for its youth program, and go to a third church’s small group. Their motto is to ask, ‘What’s in it for me?’” This has often been rightly called, Cafeteria Christianity.

3. Spectator Christianity: “Spectator Christianity feeds on the delusion that virtue can come through viewing, much like the football fan who imagines that he ingests strength and daring while watching his favorite pro team. Spectator sports and spectator Christianity produce the same thing—fans who cheer the players on while they themselves are in desperate need of engagement and meaning.”

4. Drive-through Christians: “The nice thing about drive-through restaurants is that you can get what you want in a minimum of time with no more effort than a turn of your power steering.