I was talking with a coworker yesterday, recalling an illustration by Joseph Aldrich, author of Lifestyle Evangelism. He said that many in the church are like caged hunting dogs. With no birds to hunt, they turn on one another, biting and fighting. When set loose to do that for which they were trained, they work together to accomplish their goal.
When the church turns inward, we can fight over whether that was a gnat or a mosquito that we strained out of our water. When we turn our focus outward, we can find the unity described in the Word.
I’ve found that illustration to be very helpful to me over the years.
Max Lucado’s book “In The Eye Of The Storm” has a chapter (Ch. 4, I believe) titled “When fishermen don’t fish.” It’s a great description of what happens when we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing out there. “When energy intended to be used outside is used inside, the result is explosive. Instead of casting nests, we cast stones. Instead of extending helping hands, we point accusing fingers. Instead of being fishers or the lost, we become critics of the saved. Rather than helping the hurting, we hurt the helpers.” I was coincidentally reading this last night.
Carolyn…that is a great quote from Lucado.
I have found that sometimes (perhaps many times) that the hunting-dogs and fishermen have forgotten completely what their occupation is about. I have some church members who actually believe that our mission is to put on events that will reach members of other surrounding Churches of Christ and they are dumbfounded about doing something that would reach into the local community. They would not say they have forgotten their occupation but their actions say they have.
Grace and Peace,
K. Rex Butts
Its interesting to see how churches at this time of year emphasize on something that should be emphasized year round and that is helping others in the local community.
I was in my office finishing up and going home around 5:30. A gentleman popped in my office door asking if I knew any churches that might give him a voucher for gas. I didn’t know of any. It was Tuesday and in our community bible study is on Wednesday. I gave him the cash I had that was in my pocket. I then went to the bank and the cashier said he had come in and asked the same question. At the end of the street a methodist church was having a meal for the homeless. I hope he popped in and got some help.
We as Christians spend way to much on foreign missions(in my opinion) when the mission field is right outside our door. The point so often missed isn’t telling people about what Christ did on the cross for us but what should be expressed is the love shown by the act. Showing love toward our fellow man is the first step in reaching out to people who so desparately need our help. Planting seeds of love is much more important than planting seed faith money to a church organization or TV preacher.
Wow, H.B., I only wish Americans spent on foreign missions. That hasn’t been true in a LONG time. Unless it’s about feeding people overseas or building houses, there isn’t much interest. While those are good things, they need to be part of a holistic outreach.
Sadly, many have assumed they had to exchange helping others for evangelism, that it was some sort of either/or situation. That was one thing I appreciated about the Lyons book, the understanding that neither replaces the other. Helping people without telling them what Jesus did on the cross does them little good. People need the help and they need the message.
Tim: you are correct. In an analysis of church giving in 2003 the national churches gave on average 2 cents out of dollar that went to overseas missions. Could it be that the major
part of a budget goes to building funds, preacher and support staff salaries, camp meetings, support of state and national church associations and of course church affiliated colleges, seminaries, and universities.(denominational). In my opinion too much is spent on the machinery of the system and not the needs of the local community. Yes you can point to food banks, soup kitchens and some churches are part of a local charity. United Way, Salvation Army, UNICEF and many others allow people to become charitable with out hooking up with a local church. Have you ever heard a preacher, say “give till it hurts, and give some more.” “Or you can out give God.” The book of Malachi is the part of the bible that preachers use to hit their parishoners over the head with. This is pretty pathetic using the old testament and the law system to place guilt on them to the point that they do.
Get ready for the January onslaught of Sunday tithing sermons. In the meantime enjoy the holidays and especially Christmas.
correction, YOU Can’t out give God!
H.B., in the churches of Christ it’s 1 Corinthians 16 that gets misused. We don’t tithe, but we do take the example of a special collection (which was supposed to finish before Paul arrived) and try to make it a law for all Christians that they have to drop money in the collection every Sunday.
I guess this does follow in what Lyons is trying to get back to. But in 1Cor. 16 the collection was for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Seeing that they were selling everthing and living in accordance to the return of the Messiah. When the 2nd coming had not been ushered in they fell into a poverty and Paul was taking a collection of liberality for the poor saints in Jerusalem.
Now for someone to use this as a way to get the collection plate full, well, I can think of another verse that speaks more to giving by someone in this age of grace. “God loveth a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7
This theory about why the church in Jerusalem needed outside help is interesting, though it’s certainly not the only possibility. Jews around the world historically sent funds to help their brothers in Jerusalem, so the need for outside help was hardly unique to Christians.
The poverty of the Jerusalem church could have been due to a number of factors: the quantity of people that stayed after the first Pentecost, famines that had affected the area, persecution, etc.
I’ve heard the theory about Christians in Thessalonica becoming poor because of their belief in an early return of the Messiah, though I’m not sure if there is any ancient evidence to support this. The Bible certainly doesn’t say that.
Either way, I’ve written several times about the misuse of 1 Corinthians 16. Only by twisting the passage can we make it teach an obligation for weekly giving today.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer