Churches Need Chemistry

It takes chemistry to make a relationship work. Apart from a family, there is no where that strong relationships are more necessary than a church. And for a church to grow and thrive it needs leaders who know how to build strong relationships. This ability to get along with others is what we mean by 'chemistry'.

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Philippians 2:2-3

In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul calls for believers to get along in the attitude of Christ's humility. And it takes humility to get along with others. There are times when people may just be irritating. Our most natural response to people who irritate us is an automatic reflex of pride. But this is bad relationship chemistry. Producing good relational chemistry at a time like this - by responding in humility- does not come naturally. It requires practicing the grace of God.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9

...IT TAKES COMPETENCE, CHARACTER, & CHEMISTRY TO BE SUCCESSFUL

For a church to be successful (Church-Success=winning souls to Christ, growing fully-devoted passionate followers of Christ, equipping believers to ~ fulfil their God-given ministries ~ pray ~ read and heed their Bibles, building a legacy of faith for generations to come, and to develop a vigorous community of faith) it requires organisation. Under the Old Covenant when God organised the Community of Law, He ordered that the clans of the Levites be assigned very specific responsibilities which included who was to carry the tent, who was to carry the fence, who was to carry the furniture, when they moved their camp. Under the New Covenant, God has organised the Community of Faith according to His giftings. Competence matters when it comes to church leaders. But competence alone can only take a church so far.

If a competent leader has an undisciplined character, no matter how gifted they may be, it will all come to nothing once their character is exposed. In Australia we have just witnessed a media circus regarding the Civil Law case of a young woman who was sexually harassed by the CEO of the corporation she worked for. What made this $32M Law Suit all the more intriguing was that the CEO had done a stellar job at turning the fortunes of this company around. Under his management, the share price of his company had almost doubled. Sales were up. Profits were soaring. But this extremely talented, high-performing, CEO had a character deficiency. Another recent case of character not matching competency is occurring now in America. A charismatic pastor of an Atlanta church had seen his small church of a couple of hundred people grow to over 30,000. He had built one of the largest churches in the USA. But he is now facing four charges of sexual molestation. Competency comes to less than nothing when character can not sustain the charisma of the leader. But on a much more frequently occurring scale, in churches all around the world, there are people who all too readily uproot themselves from churches where a pastor or leader attempts to disciple their character deficiency. Instead of responding in humility (Phil. 2:3), they react in pride.

Great churches are churches of great leaders. Great leaders within a church are people who have accepted and developed their God-given gifts (competency) as well as having their character discipled through learning to respond to correction with humility and to shun private temptation. This is why family health (where relationships within the family are good) and church health (where relationships within a church are good) are intrinsically linked. It's why Paul wrote to Timothy that a leader within a church must-

...manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? First Timothy 3:4-5

Effective leaders have developed their abilities and their character. But a leader can only achieve so much, and can only grow so far, without the third component necessary for fulfilling potential: chemistry.

...RELATIONAL CHEMISTRY

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1Th. 5:11)

The thing that separates good church from great churches - and, good leaders from great leaders - is chemistry. Chemistry is the ability to adjust to different people so that you can get along with them. People who have learned to do relational chemistry know that you have to make allowances for certain people. They've learned how to start a conversation with the shy. They've learned how to read the non-verbal cues that people send out. They've learned the importance of turning up for birthdays. weddings, funerals, parent-teacher interviews, staff get-togethers, club AGMs, their children's school sports carnivals, Neighborhood Watch meetings, Rotary meetings, and public forums. They've learned that chemistry is built by firstly showing hospitality before receiving it.

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor...
Live in harmony with one another... 
Romans 12:10, 16

Developing relational chemistry takes practice. It involves listening, observing, apologising, spending time, prayer, sacrifice, and patience. Even though the price is high, the dividends are enormous.

By learning how to develop our abilities (competency) with our character and our relational chemistry we are setting ourselves up to fulfil our potential as the person God has created us to be.

In a family, especially a large family, relationship chemistry is employed intuitively. There are times when another family member is going through a tough time and the other family members have to compensate. Many husbands have learned that the relationship chemistry needed with their wife involves: not taking offence when their wife becomes routinely negative (due to her body chemistry changing); spending time alone together talking; buying her flowers; writing her a love-note; giving her chocolate. And what family gathering over a Christmas lunch doesn't have an embarrassing aunt or uncle which requires other family members to use relationship chemistry order to compensate for them?

The same kind of relational chemistry is needed in a church. There will be times when someone in your church will upset you, ignore you, disappoint you, or fail to thank you. At these times, you need relational chemistry to forgive and to forbear. If you are struggling to be able to do this, you need to know that it is not difficult - it is impossible! You need God's grace. God's grace enables us to do what we can not do by ourselves! There will also be times when you will upset someone, disappoint someone, or fail to thank someone. It's times like these that you need relational chemistry to rebuild strained relationships.

Ultimately we need to develop the right relationship chemistry with God. If our relationship with God is not what it should be, it will show in how we relate to others. A vibrant relationship with God leads to a vibrant relationship with others. We forgive to the degree we have been forgiven and love to the degree we are loved (Luke 7:47). When we are open to God's correction, quick to confess our sin, walking humbly before Him transparently, we will feel His Holy Spirit leading us to develop stronger relationship chemistry.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:4-7

Over the next few months as the Lord brings in hurting and broken people, we will need to show them chemical relational grace. Rather than jumping on them for using the wrong language, or for not abstaining from unwholesome things, or for being involved in inappropriate relationships, we compensate with relational chemistry. We may need to exercise relationship chemistry when one of our brothers or sisters is battling with their own relationship strain or perhaps battling an unannounced terminal illness. But a word of warning: Paul the Apostle in writing to the Corinthians about showing relational grace to a repentant member warned them that Satan's main weapon against the Church was bitterness and unforgiveness (2Cor. 2:10-11). Satan promotes relationship strain. God has given His life for relationship renewal. This is why a Church with a heart after God is a church that promotes competency, character, and chemistry.

Lord Jesus, You have called us to be salt and light to this world that more often than not rejects You, Your Word, Your will and Your ways. Help us to fear You and to not be intimidated by the opinions of men. May we be shaped by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Help us to develop the qualities found in Romans 12:9-21 which demands that we humble ourselves, love Your church, care for the world, and serve each other. Increase our saltiness. When we fail, bring us nearer to You than where we have to be in order to fail You. Forgive us for sins. Cleanse our hearts and fill us afresh with Your Spirit to Your Salt and Light to the World.
Eph. 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.

Ps. Andrew

7 PURPOSES OF THE CHURCH

Why does our church exist? Before we can answer this we need to answer the bigger question: Why does the Church exist? Time and time again we hear some preachers say that the only reason the Church exists is to evangelise the lost. While this is necessary and perhaps paramount, it is not the only reason the Church exists.

Any local church must have a heart for people and especially the people beyond it's own. We must care deeply with Christ's love for all people to come to know God and His salvation. We should pray for those who have not yet received the grace of God's salvation to do so. We should be ready to share with people the Good News of God's loving rescue mission on their behalf. When we meet together, particularly on Sundays, we should be prayerfully seeking to welcome in any who do not yet know Christ - whether they be completely unaware of Christ and the Gospel, or whether they are a backslidden prodigal wondering if they can come home. But this is not the start and the end of a church's purpose. In some smaller communities it is literally possible to have presented the Gospel to the same people many times without them receiving it. If we reason that the church only exists to evangelise, then a church in a situation like this might wonder what their ongoing purpose would be. But I would like to suggest 7 good reasons why the Church (universal=Church) exists and then briefly explore how this is manifested in a local church (local=church).

1. To be a community of worshipers declaring God's praises.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:4-6)

We are created to worship and easiest way we worship is focus on God by singing. Singing and music is far more powerful than most realise. It has the power to transform lives. It has spiritual power that can result in salvation, healing, blessing, deliverance, and revelation. It is all the more powerful when we sing in the midst of the congregation with the congregation.

saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” (Heb. 2:12)

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2. To bring reconciliation to a wounded society.

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2Cor. 5:19)

The Church models reconciliation. We are comprised of people who were formally hostile to each other. But Christ ha broken down the dividing walls between us and reconciled us to be one new people. We bring healing to wounded souls by firstly reconciling them to God and then to each other. "Love your neighbour as yourself" demands that we care enough for our community that we get involved in bring help and healing to our society. This is why we encourage everyone in our church to get involved in the marketplace, our parliament, their school, hospitals, nursing homes, sporting clubs, Neighbourhood Watch, and any other groups that provides a practical opportunity to love thy neighbour.

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3. To express the manifold grace of God through spiritual gifts to one another.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:(1Peter 4:10)

God has ordained that the usual way His grace (provision for our need) is ministered to us is for it to come through His Body, the members of His Church. We all have needs. Some of these needs can be met by the immediate grace of God on our lives, but more often than not, God ministers His grace through others to us. This is a major purpose for the Church. We ache with those who ache and rejoice with those who rejoice (Rom. 12), but we also minister to each other the grace God has given each us. John Piper suggests that since God graces some with certain gift-ministries, such as healing, we should look to those who have this grace on their lives to particularly lay hands on and pray for the ill.

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4. To teach a generation the ways, will and Word of God.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2Tim. 2:2)

The Old Testament is replete with stories of how one faithful generation failed to teach and train the next generation and society was made the worse for it! Someone has said that takes about 3 generations to implement a positive social change among a society but only 1 generation to implement a negative change. The local church exists to teach the ways, will and Word of God in conjunction with its other 6 purposes.

5. To nurture the faith of believers to Christlikeness in a community of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1Th. 5:11)

The local church is the means of God to develop a community of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Whenever you have anything to do with people you are going to have to learn to get along! The local church is called by God to be the community where this modelled.

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor...
Live in harmony with one another... (Romans 12:10, 16)

6. To announce God's Word prophetically to the world.

The local church is called to be in the world but not of the world. This will sometimes mean that we take a stand against positions put forward by our rulers when these decisions are against the express will of God for a society.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Eph. 5:11)

Matt. 5:13 ¶ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.Matt. 5:14 ¶ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

7. To preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world.

Rom. 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Rom. 10:14 ¶ But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

It is my hope that we can be even more fruitful in our witnessing and evangelism. But it is not the only reason that you and I comprise a local church. There are at least 7 good reasons to be a part of a local church that are instrinsic to God's plan for the world. At Legana we sum all of these purposes into four statements: To Enthrone - To Encourage - To Empower - To Engage.These are 7 good purposes for us to be focussed on for the glory of God. And this brings us to the ultimate purpose for any local church: the glory of God (Eph. 3:21).

Lord Jesus, You have called us to be salt and light to this world that more often than not rejects You, Your Word, Your will and Your ways. Help us to fear You and to not be intimidated by the opinions of men. May we be shaped by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Help us to develop the qualities found in Romans 12:9-21 which demands that we humble ourselves, love Your church, care for the world, and serve each other. Increase our saltiness. When we fail, bring us nearer to You than where we have to be in order to fail You. Forgive us for sins. Cleanse our hearts and fill us afresh with Your Spirit to Your Salt and Light to the World.
Eph. 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.

Ps. Andrew

Salt And Light

What would the world look like without the Church? For all its faults, failings and abuses, the Church is still the best hope the world has. It gives birth to emissaries of tenacious practical vision who possess the rare quality of turning impossible dreams into reality. The results have looked like: civil governments, international peace-treaties, the abolition of the British slave-trade, schools for the poor, universities, hospitals, and a free press. Added to this have come some of the greatest contributions in the Arts, Academia, Literature, Leadership, Commerce and Communication. The Church is at its best when it not only cares deeply for the world but rolls up its sleeves and shows that care by being the "salt" and the "light" to the world that Christ called us to be.

In our day, salt adds flavour to food. But in the Disciples' day, salt preserved food. Christ calls us, His followers, the Church, to salt our society. We are charged by Christ to do all we can to make decency, kindness, fairness, justice, compassion, and morality the standards for our society. But we demonstrate and model these standards for society as well. Thus, we not only hold society accountable we are also held to account by society regarding these standards. Understanding this tension helps us to appreciate that what some people mean by "the separation of Church and State". While this expression was originally intended to refer to the non-interference of the Church in the running of the State and vice versa, some in the State would rather redefine it to mean: We, the State, will hold you, the Church, accountable, but you shall not dare to hold us accountable.

Matt. 5:13 ¶ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 

Matt. 5:14 ¶ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

The charge by Christ to His Church to be "salt" - a preservative of God's standards in society - is why we want to have a conversation with our society and especially with those in our society who determine Public Policy. It's why I wrote to each Tasmanian politician who was victorious at the last Federal Election to both congratulate them and let them know that we are praying for them. This gesture is a sincere attempt on my part to let our re-elected (or newly elected) politicians know that we care- about them, and our society at large.

First Timothy 3:15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.

The Apostle Paul reminds believers that their conduct within the church must model the truth for society (1Tim 3:15). We are salt to each other before we are salt to society. It is our collective aim to work together to ensure that our local church is strong, vibrant, and a source of inspiration to a generation of "salties" who will enact God-given dreams for a better society. We can do this by having hearts yielded to God and His Word, having souls saturated in His grace, and demeanors that are refined through the fires of trials/resolved-misunderstandings/offences-overlooked. These qualities of a strong, vibrant community of believers are found in Romans 12:9-21 (our Biblical Constitution).

As we inspire a generation of salty saints we can expect to see some of them take up positions of influence and others to get alongside those in positions of influence. Both types of salties will benefit from the wisdom of other seasoned salty saints, such as Kevin Andrews' list of 10 things every Christian wishing to influence politicians should know. Still others may end up being a salty witness for Christ to the world in their workplace, school, or kitchen.

Eph. 5:11 (NLT) Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.

You don't have to be a perfect example of salt or light in order to be salt or light to the world. None of us are. But we can model to the world what it looks like for fallen, failed, people to be redeemed and walking in God's grace. The fact that we can demonstrate to the world what genuine grief and contrition for our sin looks like actually makes our witness even more "salty". This is why we need each other. It's why meeting together Sunday by Sunday is critically important. It's why God especially graces His people when they meet together and surrender their lives and God-given gifts to God for the benefit of each other. This is how we ensure our saltiness.

Lord Jesus, You have called us to be salt and light to this world that more often than not rejects You, Your Word, Your will and Your ways. Help us to fear You and to not be intimidated by the opinions of men. May we be shaped by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Help us to develop the qualities found in Romans 12:9-21 which demands that we humble ourselves, love Your church, care for the world, and serve each other. Increase our saltiness. When we fail, bring us nearer to You than where we have to be in order to fail You. Forgive us for sins. Cleanse our hearts and fill us afresh with Your Spirit to Your Salt and Light to the World.
Eph. 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Amen.

Ps. Andrew

The Morality of Hell

 
By Dr Andrew Corbett

Heaven and Hell are commonly presented as either the benefit or the consequence of how a person responds to God. It's as if people think that the whole point of religion is to get people into Heaven and to keep them out of Hell. From this "religious" perspective, Heaven is Ultimate Bliss, Paradise, Perfect Beauty - while Hell is Fire, Eternal Punishment, Anguish, Torment, and The Devil's Domain.

In recent times there has come a lot of push-back regarding the very notion of Hell as it perceived by many. Among Christians who have rejected the classical view of Hell are several well-respected writers including John R.W. Stott, and George MacDonald. Responding to the resurgence of this idea, Dr Tony Campolo, in his last Evangelical work, "Speaking My Mind", argued that he was very emotionally drawn to accept the non-existence of Hell if it wasn't for the Scriptures!

In a recent YouTube exchange of viewer comments about one of my videos (not about this topic) the viewer was rather hostile to the notion of a God who would send anyone to Hell. But his comments went far beyond what is normally discussed around this issue. Most of the discussion about Hell has been about whether it exists and therefore whether Scripture actually teaches it. Those who propose that Hell does not exist fall into two general categories: (i) Annihilationists - those who do not go to Heaven simply cease to exist; and (ii) Universalists - everyone goes to Heaven. But this viewer was neither of these. He had read parts of the Bible and seen that it discusses Hell, eternal Judgment, and everlasting damnation for some. His objection then was not over Hell's existence but over the morality of a God who would sendanyone there. He argued that this made God worse than Stalin, Hitler and Pot combined. After all, he stated, how could a God who send someone to Hell to burn, be tormented, and be punished for eternity for a sin that took no time at all, be considered a loving, kind, worship-worthy God? Like a lot of 'debates' which are highly emotive, this YouTube exchange didn't produce an acceptable outcome for my viewer, but now that the digital dust has settled a little, I might be about to present a balanced case for the Biblical teaching on Hell which is hopefully less emotive...[read the full article]