Man to Man

The Culture of Church:

Part One- The Unhealthy Body

There is always something pristine or finely polished about churchgoers each Sunday that almost doesn’t ring true. "Lord bless you." "So nice to see you." "Let me hug you hello."

Sometimes we can be accused of being too cynical or skeptical. But the original church culture started in the early church is sorely missing in the modern church.

Politics, theatrics, and plain old phoniness are all too well in the modern church. It is painful to admit when you are simply being a phony or playing church and when you are genuinely interested and participating. Unfortunately, the phonies are the ones who hurt the worship and spiritual health of the church.

The church, we can consider, is the body of Christ. In fact, Paul uses this term- body- many times in his letters as he describes how we are to work together so that the church can function and stay healthy.

church. In fact, the time we spend gathered together has now become more of a social situation then a time of worship and mutual edification.

Paul wrote that spiritual gifts are to be used to edify the body of Christ. Hence, we all exist in the church to edify one another as the body of Christ.

So the question, which begs answering, is: What is meant by the word body? For example, we are all parts of the same body [of Christ].

The church was established so that believers could come together to learn from the Word, from each other, from teachers and preachers, and most importantly to WORSHIP Jesus Christ in everything we say and do. Hence we become an extension of His body so that we may minister to others.

Criticizing someone’s outfit at church is not worship. Complaining about the way someone prays is not worship. Disrupting the service is not worship. Exhibiting anger, hate or

bigotry is not worship. This lack of worship makes the body of Christ "ill." And all of this non-worship denigrates and destroys the body. It assuredly makes Jesus weep to see this going on in our churches.

Yet, that is exactly what many churches are doing.

Who is responsible for all of this non-worship occurring in churches?

First, pastors are responsible. Pastors as the leaders of each congregation must provide an example of correct worship and must admonish and instruct churchgoers when they are not worshiping in spirit and in truth. If a church is unhealthy, the first place to look is at the pastor.

Second, deacons and other church leaders share the responsibility of keeping order in the church and nurturing others so that they may grow into healthy Christians. Many deacons see their position as prestige and power and miss the importance of their leadership.

Teachers are the third in the line of suspects. Teachers must challenge students- both adult and children- to cut away the dead growth and make way for new growth in Christ. Jesus used the example of grapevines. Well grapes must be pruned back and must remain firmly grafted into the main branch so that each season would bear sweeter and juicier fruit. Teaches must act as pruners of the faithful.

Finally, each individual family carries some blame. Men, the leaders of their home, must bring the Word of God alive in the home. Its precepts must be constantly first on his mind and he must teach, instruct and chastise his family.

When all of these areas are working poorly, a sick church, unhealthy body is inevitable.

In part two of this article, we’ll look at the process of renewing the church. God bless.

Where in the world is men’s ministry? It’s at CallingAllMen.org.

After nearly five years of ministering to men, Calling All Men, Inc. has finally made it onto the World Wide Web. So why all the excitement?

If you think about what this mean’s for CAM, for men, and for the spreading of the Gospel you could understand why I am psyched.

First, CAM has always wanted to expand beyond New England. Now, we can do just that.

People in New York, Los Angeles, and even China can benefit from the CAM ministry.

Secondly, Jesus said to his disciples in John 14 that "greater works than these will you do." A lot of people believe this means that we will be having gold teeth, fillings, and other manifestations. But actually, our ability to reach the world because of technology is a greater work than Jesus could have ever done. We are doing greater works for His Glory.

Finally, men will benefit from the experience of CAM and through the Web site, CAM will be able to reach more churches with the need for men’s small groups.

The mission of CAM will be better met through the Web site. We at CAM believe that God has ordained this ministry, and we are trusting in Him to spread the message throughout the world.

Visit us on the web and be a part of the CAM world-wide mission.

Men, how would you like to receive something good for a change? Let's consider for a few moments just how we ourselves may actually bring blessings and goodness upon ourselves, or on the other hand, we may bring unhappiness and sorrow upon ourselves. Have you ever wondered why some people's prayers get answered, while others do not?

The Bible says God loves all people, and that He is no respecter of persons. We need to realize that God answers our prayers not on the basis of who we are, or how smart we are, or how good we look or how nice we act, nor how much we are struggling, nor how helpful we have been to someone, but on the basis of His Divine Law.

Psalm 119:1,2 says "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."

Notice that God answers our prayers on the basis of "His Divine Law", and not on the basis of how good we think we are, or how much we are struggling, or how much we think we deserve.

What then is His Divine Law ? It is none other than the Mosaic Law given to Moses directly by God while on Mount Sinai for Moses' people. We know this law as the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20:3-17 .

Here they are for you to see:

1, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children until the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

3, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.---.

4, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work ---.

5, Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

6, Thou shalt not kill.

7, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8, Thou shalt not steal.

9, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10, Thou shalt not covet --- anything that is thy neighbor's.

Our physical body's very survival requires us to breath air in so we can breath out, likewise our spiritual survival requires that we receive God's unconditional love and then that we give back of our unconditional love first to God, then to those persons around us, on an ongoing basis. That is what pleases God and in turn brings the blessings.

Jesus summed it up by saying in John 13: 34, 35 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Be a part of the Calling All Men team as we serve the Lord and fight the good fight!

Contact us at:

Calling All Men * P.O. Box 80530

Stoneham, MA 02180 * 781-279-7070

Contact Man to Man at the above address

Editor: Michael A. DeAngelis

http://www.callingallmen.org