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CHALLENGES IN THE CHURCHES TODAY
The church is an important body or assembly of people who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. This group of believers make up the BODY OF CHRIST. As understood, our physical body is of different parts and of different shapes and sizes and of different function. But inspite of all these differences, each serve the main body and is equally important to the body and to the other parts. Hence no one part should claim, it is the most important of all. What use is a body that cannot move, if the legs is taken away?What use is a body without hands? Surely, it would not be complete.
The body of Christ, the Christians are of different gifts, of different races, of different cultures, of different origin and denomination, BUT each must believe in Jesus Christ and serve Him, just as our body parts serve the whole body. No one should consider himself or herself more important than ther other.
Our differences should not make us different than the others.
SO brothers and sisters, as we enter the church building every sunday services, we will bring all kinds of challenges or difficulties. But these challenges or difficulties are there for everyone to address. This is where we are trained to take care, to love and to minister for Christ. This is where we are taught to be patience, to be knowledgeable and to be more spiritual. This is where we will learn to walk in UNITY and in LOVE.
SO dear church, if you think your church members are a difficult group to handle, God is giving you the challenge to make you a greater leader or leaders! Never mind the gossipers, the accusers and the critics etc.. They should be there to make us more wise, and to depend upon God.
SOME INTERESTING CHALLENGES
(1) Gossipers
Since different person has different experiences and therefore different stories, this challenge is considered a strength. Using this behaviour for God, i.e to gossip for God. To tell others about the miracles that other people had experienced, so that people will be motivated. Since they like to talk, they can be guided to talk for God. They can be given some responsibilities so that they can experience the difficulties other people went through. We all know that gossipers fail to see and understand themselves. To understand ourselves means to understand our likes and dislikes and manage it, and to know that, everyone else has similar likes and dislikes. They did not go through certain experience perhaps. Obviously, they are often very idle ( has nothing much to do). Giving them something to do will help them project and train themselves. At least, when others give feed back or comments, they will learn from it and adjust themselves. It is good for us to receive comments or critic because this is how we will learn to manage our characters and improve our behaviour. It makes us understand other people better. Bible teaching on humility is important.
(2)Unity Vs Uniformity
When we talk about unity, we are bringing together people of different races, cultures or background to work together. Black are able to accomodate the white etc. They don't see their physical or socio-economic differences etc. They only see and understand that they all love the Lord and is coming together because of their love for God. When you have unity, the whole body of Christ is in good form and shape. Their coming and joining together is because of their faith and love in one God. They want to serve God. When their focus in coming to church is because they want to worship God, you have a wonderful body of worshippers.
Uniformity is difficult in a diverse situation. We cannot be uniformed in many things because God planned that we be of different races, cultures and background. We can wear similar type of clothings, i.e uniform, so we appear as one. This is appropriate for Laws, rules or guidelines.
But you will have people in the church who will fight it out and make their focus clear.
It is important for the Church to be more focus, that is to have a vision for every member to achieve. The focus should be Christ. Leading by example is a important step to gain the trust of the congregation.
We will never be united unless the Holy Spirit is in us. Hence, the Church must be Christ- focused. All efforts must be to have the Church member be Spirit-filled. When the Spirit is in us, then we will be in unity.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH
Most church organization are very creative and active. They introduce all kinds of activities to make sure that people are happy. The more activities they have, the better the leaders feel.
Sometimes, such activities are actvities that will make some people tired or burn out. The leaders will also be tired and if things does not happen as planned, they become disappointed. Some of the activities does not lead us towards God, that is, leading us closer to God.
Some activites must meet the spiritual needs of the individual such as:-
(a) Prayer meeting
(b) Worship in songs
(c) Bible study
(d) Counseling
(e) Camp
(f) Home fellowship/cell group
The greatest spiritual needs of the individual is to discover God and to have an encounter with the Living God.
The Church leaders must ensure that the activities carried out will help the individual to have a special encounter with God. Persons who have met God in a special way, that is had an encounter with God in thier own lives will not need much motivation to remain close to God. They will seek God all the time, even if we do not tell them to.
For anyone who had an encounter with God, nothing can prevent them from coming to God.They are already God motivated.
Misuse of Church Funds
We must remind ourselves that church funds have specific purpose. Tithes is actually for the full time worker/pastor and certain help ministries, such as the widows and orphans. Another fund might be for church other expenses. This two should not be mixed. Some people use the tithes to organize dinner or other functions for the benefits of the church members- which is side tracking from the orginal purpose. That is why some churches cannot pay for their pastors because they are using the titles to extend the church permises, dinners etc.
TO BEAR MUCH FRUITS
Going for the good things should help us to be more balance and more projected towards achieving something. Our challenge today should be TO BEAR MUCH FRUITS. How to bear much fruits? We must abide in vine. We must ensure that we are fully attached to the vine, or else we will drop of and die. Our roots must be good roots so that the roots will be able to go deep and bring stability to the whole. If the roots are bad, nutrients will not reach the branches and hence, the fruits will be bad fruits! The church must be rooted in the word of God. In other words, the church must be taught the word of God. The members must take the Word of God in their hearts. Going deep into the Word of God give stability and endurance. It enables us to produce good fruits. Its the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit that make us bear fruits. Another challenge is to remain in the vine. To remain attached. In other words, to be faithful and obedient to God. There are all kinds of teaching nowadays, but most are not from the Word of God. Many people look at people and follow them blindly. We must bring people up to be committed to God and God alone. We must bring people who stay rooted in the Bible, people who are able to descern. People must grow in grace and holiness. The members must be able to know what is right and what is wrong. There must not be conformity to the world. So dwell in the word of God and conform not to the world. This is our challenges today.
Social responsibility
When God says that the tithes be given to the levites, the fatherless, the widows and the aliens.. it means, the social responsibilities of the church is quite clear. We do not only preach but we must also do what we preach. Do we have any church members who are in those category? Do we go to visit the places where the unfortunate people are housed? What do we do when we visit these places? The heart of love and mercy will be drawn to these places.
SPEAKING THE TRUTH
In some churches, many people want to look good, holy and friendly. They do not want their weakness to be seen. Therefore, the greatest obstacles to true church growth is speaking the truth in the church.The Christian character is shaped by the truthfulness or his word and life. No lie or deceit should contaminate a heart already cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?
One of the greatest challenges that the church face is..WHOSE VOICE ARE WE LISTENING TO?. Sometimes, we will listen to the most infuential person in the committee. Sometimes we will listen to the majority. Sometimes, we will listen to the important minority. But whose voice are we listening to? This is where most problem begin, because some people are not happy.
How then do we know its God's voice that we are suppose to listen to?Then answer these question.
1. Is it Biblical?
2. Is it in conflict with the truth in the Bible?
3. Is the life of the person who said it godly and God
fearing?
4. Did you pray about it before making a decision?
Remember the voice of a majority can be wrong. If a group planned something which is not in the truth.. they are conspiring to use their position.
If one person decides, its not a big problem if his life is committed to God because God speaks through His appointed vessels, and they must be right with Him.
When our own lives is not in order, the members of the congregation will know it.Our decision ,might meet opposition from the committed Christians because they will know what's in the truth. The Spirit of truth will tell them. Any form of falsehood or lies, they will know.
How can a person who is still in darkness be given the mandate to decide for those in the light?
CONFORMITY WITH THE WORLD
Many Christians are still in the dark with regards to where they stand when they become Christians.Non- Christians are still in Darkness while Christian are supposed to be born again and in the Light. Therefore they are not the same.Christain are supposed to be a new creation and therefore they are no longer the old self.
Can they mixed?The Bible says "no!"
Therefore, choosing people who are still steep in sins are putting the Church in conformity to the world. We are allowing people who are yet to be born again decide for the born again. How can this be?
This is a great challenge to the churches nowadays. Some churches are allowing the world to enter just because the people they listen to hold high positions in the world. Just because a person holds a high post in the secular world doesn't mean, he is spiritually able.
When Jesus chose His 12 Disciples, He did not go to the offices, or where the teachers of the law were. He went to the sea side. He chose people who were simple and with little education. People who were no body. He was looking at the heart because its the condition of the heart that will determine whether we will follow Jesus or not. Whether our heart is teachable or not. Its in the heart.
The church activities must relate to the heart. We must touch the heart and the spirit. The church work on this, the church will be fruitful.
The main challenges that the church face is actually the human nature vs the desire of the Spirit.
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