Christ is Lord! That goes without saying, whether His Lordship is accepted or not. However, the Scriptures tell us that "no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Cor. 12:3).  A man must be saved in order to really own Jesus as Lord and to have the Holy Ghost dwelling within him. However, in order for a Christian or a church to own Jesus as Lord, they must display His Lordship.  Christ is to be the Lord of our ACTIONS, our TIME, our HOME, and the Lord of our CHURCH.

 

 

The unsaved world even recognizes,  "Actions speak louder than words." They require folks to "Put up, or shut up!" Although we can hardly endorse their language, we can, however, be sympathetic to their just demands. For the Lord Jesus Christ to be owned as the Lord of our ACTIONS, we must be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. If we profess to have faith, let us demonstrate that faith with works. If we call Christ, Lord, let us do the things that He says. If we say that we love Christ, our brethren, and the souls of men,  let us love in deed and in truth (Let our love be without dissimulation, based on God's Word--not the sentimental slop that the modernist calls love). And let us not do anything that will hurt or jeopardize them spiritually. We are our brothers' KEEPERS.

Christians are to be a blessing rather than a problem.  Many popular organizations and institutions are the results of certain Christians and their love and compassion and desire to be a blessing to others.  We disdain the social gospel and its intentions to substitute social service for the gospel, however, we cannot minimize the true acts of compassion by God's people to the brethren  and to this world's unfortunates (accompanied by a gospel witness).  Many churches have such ministries - orphanages, homes for children, homes for the aged, retarded, and deaf ministries,  and even hospitals. Many of God's people have entered into these ministries. God has called each one of us to be a blessing to someone.

The very least that a professing Christian can do is to live a decent life. There are too many Christians who detract from the gospel rather than adorn it. The world knows how a Christian should live, often times, better than the Christian. If we do not look right, smell right,  and act right, the world knows about it. More important, our Lord knows about it. We are supposed to be "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Cor. 5:20). We are to be holy or sanctified representatives of our heavenly country and our King, Jesus. Whatever we do either glorifies  or brings reproach upon our King and our country, heaven.

You don't have to run out and buy a book on, "How to Win Souls" in order to get in on the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ said that if you would but follow Him, He would make you fishers of men. It's just as natural for a born again Christian to reproduce as it is for the human race to reproduce. The Scripture calls a person, who will avail himself of this worthy endeavor,  "wise." He is also guaranteed a very "bright" future.  Neither Paul nor Jesus seemed to have a blanket soul winning plans for everyone.  They sought to win folks by whatever means was necessary short of breaking the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21).

God promised us that He would bless His Word and that it would not return void. Even a Hyper-Calvinist like Jonah had God's word blessed through him. When a person sows the word in love and compassion, there is even more reason for God to bless His word.  Let us be tellers and not hearers only. Christ is the Lord of our actions.

Someone has asked, "If the government arrested you for being a Christian (a situation that is becoming more and more within the realm of possibility), would there be enough evidence to convict you?"  Let us rephrase that. Would there be enough evidence to convict the officers and members of your church?

What do you suppose, if this happened, they would look for in the way of evidence? Well, the prosecuting attorney might offer the fact that you  were seen attending  _____ Baptist _____  on such and such a date. Of course, the defense attorney probably could easily offset such a charge with the fact that you Only visit occasionally.  The prosecutor would then examine the roll to see if you were a  member. If you were a member, defense might point out that you joined years ago and that although you are on the roll, you have not been very active. The next step for the prosecutor would be to examine the church's financial records (incorporated church) to see how much you had given during the past year. The defense attorney might, at this point, show you had only given a meager amount and only because you were embarrassed into it, when the plate was passed in front of you, and everyone else was putting something into it.

Next, the prosecutor would probably call, as witnesses, your friends, neighbors,  and coworkers. He would question them about whether you drink, smoke, curse, fool around, lie, run around half nude, tell off-color jokes, etc. He would want to know whether you ever mentioned Christ or the Bible. The defense would probably be able to appeal for a dismissal of the charges.  We are afraid that many professing Christians would easily be acquitted. Christ is LORD of our ACTIONS.

 

 

 

The Lord considers our time to be important. He expects a portion of that time to be given to Him as He expects us to give Him a portion of our money. It would seem that an appropriate minimum goal to set for the time that we use for the Lord would be a tithe or 1/10 multiplied times a 168-hour week or 17 hours (16.8).

Of the 168 hours, we use about 56 hours a week for sleep; 40 hours for work or school; 14 hours for eating; 8 hours for travel (work, groceries, etc.); and 6 hours for personal hygiene and preparation; a total of 124 hours. (Of course, these figures vary from person to person to person.) This leaves about 44 hours to be used for the Lord, yourself, and whatever. A Christian might use 17 hours for the Lord and still have 27 hours a week (almost 4 hours per day) for family time, dates, sports, special events, and special offerings of his time for certain church projects, etc. He might use the 17 hours in the following way:

            Sunday Services                    6 hours (includes travel and preparation)

            Wednesday Service               2 1/2 hours

            Visitation                             2 1/2 hours

            Prayer & Bible Study              6 hours

            Total                                   17 hours

God, through HIS WORD, is able to make us wise. The Psalmist spent his time meditating in the Word of God. By meditating in God’s Word, he gained wisdom and understanding. It would seem that we need to spend some of our time on something that can make us wise. Young Timothy was told that the Scriptures were able to make him not only WISE UNTO salvation but also other things that would throughly FURNISH a man of God unto all good works.

It is true that all the wisdom we need to win the lost to Jesus Christ, is John 3:16, and some have done just that. However, it may take John 3:5 to win someone else. It is our obligation to equip ourselves with as much scripture as possible in order to win as many different kinds of people as possible. We are to STUDY to show ourselves approved unto God. (2 Tim. 2:15). Of course, that takes TIME.

In order to redeem the time by WALKING in scriptural wisdom toward them that are without, as our Text admonishes, and to not walk as FOOLS. Besides the need to have wisdom, we need to walk circumspectly before the lost. We must be careful of our every move and must judge, whether our moves will make either us, our Saviour, or our brethren ashamed of us or cause the lost to despise us. We, like a feline, need to know where to step; to know what is right and what is wrong, BOTH in principle and by commandment. The Word of God can give us this circumspect walk. We are told that we must study the Word of God so that we will not be ashamed (2 Tim. 2:15). The Word of God will keep us from taking many a foolish step.

The Word of God is a cleansing agent that will clean up a person's life and walk. Not only will it cleanse a person, but it will act as a sin preventive. Moreover, it will give a person solid convictions and even cause him to hate sin. Cleansing, prevention, and conviction are the basic ingredients to a circumspect walk.

The word of God and its benefits to us and this evil world is symbolized in many places. If our wills need to be broken, the word of God is the "HAMMER" that will do it (Jer. 23:29); if our hearts need to be melted, the word of God is the “FIRE” that will melt it (Jer. 5:14); If we need to be cleansed, the word of God is the “LAVER” that will cleanse us (Eph. 5:26); if we need guidance, the word of God is the “LAMP” that will guide us (Ps. 119:105). If we need to harvest some souls for Christ, the word of God is the incorruptible "SEED" that will give birth to them ( 1 Pet. 1:23).  If we need spiritual sustenance, the word of God is the "BREAD" that will feed us (Matt. 4:4). If we need our motives discerned, the word of God is the "SWORD" that separates the soul, spirit, body and discerns the heart (Heb 4:12).

We must use a portion of our time to study this invaluable source of wisdom and strength. Our God is eternal, without beginning and without end. He has all the time in the world, for with Him, a thousand years is as but a day. However, with mankind, it is a different story. The lost are warned that they may be suddenly cut off from the land of the living to enter a Christless Hell and eternity. The saved are constantly admonished that the time is short and that we are in the last time and even the last days. Whatever we are going to do, we must do it now. Let us resolve to make Christ the Lord of our time and to spend more time in prayer and Bible study.  Let us redeem the time, for the days are evil! Christ is LORD of our TIME.

 

 

 

 

The above title is a simple one and yet so many professing Christians do not understand either the concept of the church or Christ’s Lordship/Headship of that church.  Perhaps, the confusion concerning the New Testament local church is due to some of their former religious backgrounds of the confused brethren.

Some of us were taught that the church was a super hierarchy with worldwide control over its members. Others were taught that the church was an invisible, nebulous, mystical entity composed of  all believers all over the earth. Some might even believe that the church is always the sanctuary or church building. However the church of the New Testament is a congregation or an assembly of scripturally baptized believers, covenanted together to  accomplish the threefold commission of Christ that is to get people saved, to baptize them, and to teach them whatever our Lord and Saviour commanded (Matt. 28:19,20). The New Testament church has definite location, therefore, consequently it called the "local  church." The local New Testament church is presented, in the Scriptures in the figure of a FLOCK, a HOUSE, a TEMPLE, and a BODY. Consider each of them as follows:

Elder/Bishop/Pastors are told to feed and to protect the FLOCK that God has entrusted to them. The New Testament local church is a flock of God's sheep that needs to be fed, encouraged, and protected from apostate wolves. Jesus was the church’s first Pastor.

Church tramps and "Creek Bank" Christians, who have strayed from the flock or who have never belonged to the flock, do not have the protection of a pastor and seldom eat balanced spiritual meals and are fair game for wolves. They are WILD ANIMALS themselves as opposed to this symbolic representation of the local church as a passive, domesticated FLOCK of animals, having a Shepherd.

The New Testament, local, Ephesian church, much like the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, was to be builded together and fitly framed together to be a habitation of God. However, this collective CHURCH / TEMPLE was to be composed of humans for a habitation of God. Still, it was a TOGETHER CHURCH / TEMPLE. (See 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16 for “YE” plural) The apostles and prophets became the foundation in the Gospels and not at Pentecost. Jesus Christ became the cornerstone and stumbling stone in this neuter symbolic representation of the local church in the Gospelsญnot at Pentecost nor in Paul’s revelation.

Pastor Timothy was told how to behave in his local church, which was called both the "church of the living God" and the "pillar and ground of the truth." This house, is said to be a spiritual house (but not a mystical or invisible house) with Jesus Christ over this house. While folks may not lose their salvation, they can lose their "candlestick" (Rev 1:20, 2:5) (church legitimacy, IF they do not maintain their steadfastness as Christ’s CHURCH/HOUSE.)  It is this earthly, visible HOUSE of God IN which Timothy was instructed how to BEHAVE. You do not have to behave in an invisible house in Heaven. It is the house, which existed when He was on the earth, which Jesus left authority in the parable. He also provided for the Holy Spirit to watch after He was gone (John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7). Something that cannot be said about a mystical, invisible house that was to be revealed by the apostle Paul but can be said of a neuter, symbolic, house representation of the local church with neuter, symbolic stones (church members).

The most graphic symbolic representation of the church, in the Scriptures, is that of the MALE representative body of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to 1 Cor. 12 and other Scriptures, it is not a mystical, invisible, nor nebulous body with all of its disorganized members scattered all over the earth and heaven. Instead, it is a body that has definite location, whose members have been fitly arranged in their proper places. These members are said to be "Fitly joined together" (Eph. 4:16); "knit together (Col. 2:19); "tempered together" (1 Cor. 12:24); and "fitly framed together" (Eph. 2:21). The WHOLE body (Eph. 4:16) comes together (something an invisible body cannot do).  For as ONE bread and ONE body, they can have communion together (1 Cor. 10:6).  To this body, pastors and teachers were given (Eph. 4:11-12; Rom. 12).

Jesus Christ is the Lord of the flock, but the CHURCH FLOCK must prove His Lordship by not straying. Christ is Master of the house, but the neuter CHURCH HOUSE must demonstrate His Lordship by not being self willed (wanting their own way) and by obeying Him as servants. Christ is Lord of the neuter CHURCH TEMPLE, but the temple must show His Lordship by making Christ the only object of its worship, having no gods nor idols before Him. Christ Lord of the male CHURCH BODY and the neuter ONE BREAD BODY, but the body must display His Lordship by functioning and working together according to the instructions given to it by its HEAD.

For Christ to be owned as the Lord of the church, the church's members must be willing to follow the Scriptures and also the leadership of the pastor, whom God has appointed to watch over them. Christ is not owned as Lord of a church by those, who ignore the Scriptures and seek to have their own way. Christ is LORD and HEAD of the LOCAL, New Testament CHURCH, for there exists no other.