In the secular realm, a "steward" is a person who is hired or appointed, and is financially compensated for managing the business affairs of someone else. Most of us are familiar with the crooked steward in the parable of (Luke 16).
In the spiritual realm, EACH and EVERY born again believer has been appointed a steward over all that God has given him/her. Whereas the secular steward manages what he has been given charge over in behalf of the best interests of his employer, the spiritual steward manages what he has been charge over here on Earth to bring the maximum glory to God. Whereas the secular steward is financially compensated, the spiritual steward is rewarded at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation of believers. This 1Cor. 3: 12-15 event has got NOTHING to do with who lives in Heaven, but has got much to do with HOW any one given believer will experience eternity.
The employer owes his steward financial compensation for services rendered, but God "owes" His stewards NOTHING. God chooses to REWARD His stewards. God makes available everything, including TIME and all the logistical needs, for each soul to complete the work that He has assigned to each and every individual believer. Each believer will give an accounting (Romans 14:12) to God of what he did (or didn't do) as a steward with ALL that God has gave him for HIS glory.
Unbelievers (of the Gospel) are not present at this evaluation. Judgment day for the unbeliever is a separate event that ends with ALL of them being tossed forever in what the Bible calls the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
The TRUE post salvation spiritual life is NOT for the purpose of retaining salvation. Salvation is an unmerited gift given by God to all who choose to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message. The gifts and calling of God are "irrevocable-Romans 11: 29 NASB). It can not be earned and is NEVER deserved.
The purpose of the post salvation spiritual life is to glorify God. The post salvation spiritual life does NOT begin until one is already born again (John 3: 3, 7), at which time he/she receives a regenerated human spirit (Titus 3: 5) and is forever changed from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive. This transformation is the work of God the Holy Spirit and requires NO input from Man or clergy.
The post salvation spiritual life begins at the moment of salvation and comes to its end when the soul and regenerated spirit of the believer departs the body here on Earth and goes home to be with the Lord. In the meantime, the purpose of the post salvation spiritual life is to bring further glory to God. The stewardship of time here on Earth sets the stage and plays a major role in the identification and execution of the TRUE post salvation spiritual life.
The first time that any one born into the dispensation of the Church Age glorifies God is IF and when one chooses to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel. From that point on, the born again believer continues to glorify God by learning and applying the principles of the Word of God to the moment to moment events and circumstances of his life here on Earth, no matter where he is or what he is otherwise doing. Post salvation discipleship is a 24-7 lifestyle.
The issue with most believers is that we are more concerned about what we will gain (or lose) now and/or in Heaven, than we are with the glorification of God. "What's in it for me?", is an age-old question. Peter had the intestinal fortitude to ask, but have no doubt the others were equally interested in what the Lord had to say.
"The Peter said to Him, "Behold we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us (Matt. 19: 27 NASB)."
At least in the case of these disciples, they DID give up and risk much (humanly speaking) to follow the Lord. With the exception of John, all of the apostles were eventually martyred for their lives of faith. John was exiled to the island of Patmos where he later received the information that became what we now know as the New Testament Book of Revelation.
Many of us ponder the same question while finding it burdensome to set aside as little as 1 out of 168 (less than 1%) hours a week to corporately worship Him, or to devote 10 minutes out of 1440 (0.006%) minutes a day to study His Word and/or communicate with Him in prayer. For many of those who do, it is not for the glory of God, but for the primary purpose of getting something out of it for ourselves.
As far as our money is concerned, if that is truly a reflection of where our hearts are, as Luke 12: 34 says it is, then many of us have need a spiritual heart transplant (Psalms 51: 10). Most of us have a fairly accurate knowledge of what the balances are in our financial accounts at any given time, but how much thought is given to the balance of our bank account in Heaven? Some of us aren't even aware that such an account exists or what it takes to make a deposit in it.
Virtually EVERYTHING can come under the umbrella of stewardship, but for the purpose of this study, we will focus on the function of stewardship itself, concentrating on the managing of one's time, money, body, soul structure, and spiritual gift. I have chosen these issues as these apply to all of us, regardless of one's socioeconomic status, occupation, or geographical location here on Earth.
* * *
The Stewardship of Time
We are not all given the same amount of days here on Earth, but we are given all the time that one needs to fulfill God's purposes. Adam was given 930 years (Gen. 5: 5). This was 30-31 times longer than the Earthly life span of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. David's son died in infancy or early childhood (2Sam.12:14). What all of them had in common is that each one, knowingly or unwittingly accomplished the part that God had in mind for each one of them when He authored the Divine Decree.
Keep in mind that the body dies, but the soul of both the spiritually alive and spiritually dead individuals live on forever. Life after (physical) death is not a matter of if, but of where and how it will continue to be experienced by each and every soul that God (John 3:6b) creates.
Regardless of how relatively brief or long one's life span here on Earth may be, everyone is given exactly the same amount of time during each day.
Time should not be confused with opportunity. We may (or may not) be given multiple opportunities to accomplish the same goal, but we are NEVER given back any time that has already passed. Time can not be recycled. Once time is spent, invested, or wasted, it is gone forever. We might spend more time trying to undo the results of the time we spent unwisely, but that might also prove to be a further waste of even more time.
There are many ways of measuring time, but for the purpose of this study we will take a look at it in terms of solar measurement, as this is the common standard to which we can all relate . In a solar day, there are 24 hours; or 1440 minutes; or 86,400 seconds. No one is given any more or any less in a single day. What makes us different, is HOW each (second) tick of the 86, 400 ticks of the clock is spent, invested, or wasted on any given day. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished more during the six hours on the cross than any other person in a human body ever has or ever could.
God, government, marriage, children, extended family, friends, careers, training, education, occupations, labor, health, exercise, socialization, recreation, entertainment and hobbies ALL require an amount of time be invested if one is to make the best out of any one of them. Some of these activities can be accomplished while multitasking (doing more than one thing simultaneously), whereas others, such as the edification of one's soul structure, require one's exclusive focus of attention for best results.
What an advancing disciple needs to learn from the get go is that discipleship is a 24-7 lifestyle and there is NO time off. We, as disciples, are to be ambassadors of Christ (2Cor. 5: 9), no matter where we are or what we are otherwise doing! Yes, we set aside time to worship and be trained for spiritual combat in the local assemblies or ministries that God has in mind for each one of us, but it is out in the devil's world in the midst of our daily activities that we should be executing 99% of the post salvation spiritual life!
Every dispensation (specific periods of time) has a primary agenda that is to be the focus of attention of believers. Here in the dispensation of the Church Age, the primary agenda is the fulfillment of the Great Commission, The Great Commission involves preserving and proclaiming the TRUE Gospel to unbelievers, and to make disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) out of those who, as a result of becoming believers, are born again.
The devil, as prophesied in such passages as 1Timinothy 4: 1, has a done a good job of steering the Church away from its commissioned work with all that he has established within the so-called "Christian" Community-at-large, inside and outside of the places of "worship".
Effective time management BEGINS with the setting of one's own priorities and placing the corresponding activities of one's day at the top of his/her tings to do list. Keeping in mind that discipleship is a 24 hour, seven day a week lifestyle there is the daily need to set aside time to FOCUS on the STUDY (not merely the reading) of the Word of God. If a believer is going to be the best that he/she can be, the believers has to learn to do things God's way. Here in the Church Age, God's way is to place oneself under the teaching authority of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher that God the Holy Spirit has gifted to edify Church Age believers.
Personal time of study and prayer IS an essential and daily part of the post salvation spiritual life, but this should be supplemental and not the primary means for edifying one's soul structure. If one wants God's best, he/she must learn to do it God's way. The function of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher is a gift from God. A robot could be programed to go through or perform the motions of "religious" rituals, but IF you are among those have been given the gift and responsibility of a pastor teacher, you are called to develop and apply it for the edification of OTHER believers in the manner and means that God has planned for you. Don't put God or yourself in a box.
Places and/or means to practice "religion" ( Christian or otherwise) are plentiful, but locating the ones that offer the means to worship as God desires to be worshiped (John 4: 23,24) will become a harder and harder find as we come to the end of the Church Age. God is worshiped by celebrating the Lord's Supper (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) and via the accurate teaching and application of the Word of God. With different variations, some being Biblical while others have been tampered with though religion, most places or means of "worship" offer some form and means of celebrating the Lord' Supper, but locating one that is making disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) is becoming more difficult in these apostate times.
Not all, but many of the larger and more elegant places of worship are no more than monuments to the evil activity that takes within them, with "evil" being defined as anything that runs contrary to the Word of God. Its hard to think of a place of worship as being evil, and the devil is banking on it. If all the Man-made pageantry, practices, and objects of religion were to be removed or discontinued, many of those attending would not recognize what they had come to accept as "Church". How well one's investment of time in any given denomination, local assembly, or ministry, can only be measured by the degree of spiritual growth in the knowledge and application of the Word of God.
Daily, personal "reading" and meditation time of the Word of God should be a supplemental practice of studying the Word of God under the teaching ministry of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher. If a Biblically qualified pastor teacher is not immediately available within one's geographical area, many provide remote means to contact them, without COST or OBLIGATION.
Pastors would be well-advised NOT to engage in counseling, as he is seldom told the whole story, nor is he given the opportunity to hear BOTH sides of any given conflict. The pastor's function is to make known what the Bible has to say about any given subject, and preferably from a public pupit, letting the chips fall where they may. The choice (and accompnaying blessings/consequences) of what is done (or not done) withe information that a pastor provides is between the individual and God, and not between the pastor and the inquirer.
As one progresses in post salvation discipleship, the answering of one question will usually open the door to many more.When I studied to be be ordained, I was known as the man with many questions.
Note that in the day and age in which we live, one can "gather together-Hebrews 10: 25" and "worship" as God desires (John 4: 23,24) via remote means of communication and participation.
It is NOT the means of communication that matters most, but the accuracy of the information that is presented for the edification of souls present, and the consistency of all the activity that takes place with what is revealed in Scripture.
"Holy" buildings, "officiating" priests, and physical altars WERE (past tense) a part of the plan of God during the Old Testament dispensation, but NO SUCH things were EVER authorized or ordained (by God) to be a part of worship activity during the dispensation of the Church Age in which we live. Such things are among the products of religion that are held in high esteem by Man but are detestable in eyes of God (Luke 16: 14, 15/Isa. 64: 6) when they are elevated to equality with God in the name of religion or produced via human effort.
"Now the Pharisees (the religious police of that era) who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were
scoffing at Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that
which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." Luke 16: 14, 15 NASB/parenthesis mine.
"For all of us have become like one unclean, And all our (self) righteous deeds are like a filthy garment....(Isa. 64: 6 NASB/parenthesis mine.
"...for man looks at the outward appearance (of people and things), but the Lord looks at the heart 1Sam. 16:7 NASB/parenthesis mine.
God evaluates a tree (denomination/local assembly/ministry/believer) by the fruit it produces (or fails to produce). The fruit of a local assembly or ministry that God desires is saved souls of unbelievers, and edified souls of the believers. Whatever else goes on may be of interest to Man, but is NOT the type of fruit that God is seeking.
Discipleship takes daily time devoted the study of the Word of God, and a 24-7 readiness to apply it. This is what contributes to the life long development of spiritual maturity. There will NEVER come a time, this side of Heaven, when anyone reaches the stage that he/she had learned and mastered all that the post salvation spiritual life has to offer. When we go through the "dry spells", feeling we don't need to take our discipleship any further, and /or aren't "getting anything out of "going to Church", keep in mind two principles.
First, know that NO ONE, (pastor teacher, parent, friend, etc.) can be used of God to lead ANYONE any further along the road to spiritual maturity that he has not first arrived at for himself. If you have arrived at the same level of spiritual maturity as the pastor teacher behind the pulpit of your choice, he can be used of God to bring you no further along. Since most individual members of the congregation don't come to that point, they never face the challenge of the need to change pulpits. For the individual members that do sense the need, the devil will counterattack by putting the pressure of family, friends, and social interaction (Luke 14:26) in favor of going any further in one's spiritual development.
For those who practice some of the "religions" out there, there is usually no need to go anywhere else, as the same activity is going on no matter which geographical place of worship one chooses. Some may offer a other a less stringent enforcement of the rules in order to qualify for the services (water baptisms/marriage/funerals), and the individual pastor may have a more pleasant personality, but such things have got NOTHNG to do with being spiritually edified in the Word of God.
Secondly, if ANYONE of us is NOT progressing along the road to spiritual maturity, then he/she is regressing. Religious people can influence or pressure others to become religious, but there is a world and an eternity of a difference between religiosity and spirituality. Hell (or what the Bible calls the lake of fire-Rev. 20: 15) is going to be filled with "religious", but spiritually dead souls.
The primary reason one should go to, stay at , or move on to another pulpit is the need for the means to "c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e (John 8 : 31, 32)" to "...g-r-o-w in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2Pet. 3:18)." THIS was and remains to be the primary internal mission that was given to Church that God designed for the Church Age (Matt. 28: 19,20)
.Places of worship are only ONE of many locations where a spiritually dead unbeliever MIGHT be presented with the TRUE Gospel Message and be given the opportunity to respond and be "born again (John 3: 3, 7)." I say "might" because this possibility is conditional on the fact that it is the TRUE Gospel Message that is being preached and/or promoted. Until one is born again, ANY attempt to make or keep oneself "right" with God is a waste of time and effort, evidenced by the lack of spiritual growth in the grace and knowledge of God (2Pet. 3: 18) by those who practice such things.
Just as a physically dead person can do NOTHING in the natural realm, so it is with a spiritually dead man in the spiritual realm.
Anyone can go or be dragged through the motions of religion, but the worship of God as He desires to be worshiped (John 4: 23, 24), is a post (after) salvation activity. Post salvation worship neither increases nor does the lack of it diminish the integrity of the salvation that one has already received. Worshiping God as He desires to be worshiped involves celebrating Communion (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) on a regular basis and teaching the Word of God). While having nothing to do with retaining salvation, it has everything to do with identifying and executing the TRUE post salvation spiritual life that glorifies God. Celebrating Communion is for the stated purpose (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) of bringing into remembrance (not to reproduce) all that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us, and for the stated purpose (Matt. 28: 19, 20 of making disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God).
These two elements of worship, celebrating communion and the teaching of the Word of God, go hand in hand. One without the other falls short of the type of worship and worshipers that God desires here in the Church Age (John 4: 23, 24).
Time spent in the type of worship that God desires is time well invested as stewards.
In the spiritual realm, EACH and EVERY born again believer has been appointed a steward over all that God has given him/her. Whereas the secular steward manages what he has been given charge over in behalf of the best interests of his employer, the spiritual steward manages what he has been charge over here on Earth to bring the maximum glory to God. Whereas the secular steward is financially compensated, the spiritual steward is rewarded at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation of believers. This 1Cor. 3: 12-15 event has got NOTHING to do with who lives in Heaven, but has got much to do with HOW any one given believer will experience eternity.
The employer owes his steward financial compensation for services rendered, but God "owes" His stewards NOTHING. God chooses to REWARD His stewards. God makes available everything, including TIME and all the logistical needs, for each soul to complete the work that He has assigned to each and every individual believer. Each believer will give an accounting (Romans 14:12) to God of what he did (or didn't do) as a steward with ALL that God has gave him for HIS glory.
Unbelievers (of the Gospel) are not present at this evaluation. Judgment day for the unbeliever is a separate event that ends with ALL of them being tossed forever in what the Bible calls the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 13, 15).
The TRUE post salvation spiritual life is NOT for the purpose of retaining salvation. Salvation is an unmerited gift given by God to all who choose to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel Message. The gifts and calling of God are "irrevocable-Romans 11: 29 NASB). It can not be earned and is NEVER deserved.
The purpose of the post salvation spiritual life is to glorify God. The post salvation spiritual life does NOT begin until one is already born again (John 3: 3, 7), at which time he/she receives a regenerated human spirit (Titus 3: 5) and is forever changed from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive. This transformation is the work of God the Holy Spirit and requires NO input from Man or clergy.
The post salvation spiritual life begins at the moment of salvation and comes to its end when the soul and regenerated spirit of the believer departs the body here on Earth and goes home to be with the Lord. In the meantime, the purpose of the post salvation spiritual life is to bring further glory to God. The stewardship of time here on Earth sets the stage and plays a major role in the identification and execution of the TRUE post salvation spiritual life.
The first time that any one born into the dispensation of the Church Age glorifies God is IF and when one chooses to believe in a presentation of the TRUE Gospel. From that point on, the born again believer continues to glorify God by learning and applying the principles of the Word of God to the moment to moment events and circumstances of his life here on Earth, no matter where he is or what he is otherwise doing. Post salvation discipleship is a 24-7 lifestyle.
The issue with most believers is that we are more concerned about what we will gain (or lose) now and/or in Heaven, than we are with the glorification of God. "What's in it for me?", is an age-old question. Peter had the intestinal fortitude to ask, but have no doubt the others were equally interested in what the Lord had to say.
"The Peter said to Him, "Behold we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us (Matt. 19: 27 NASB)."
At least in the case of these disciples, they DID give up and risk much (humanly speaking) to follow the Lord. With the exception of John, all of the apostles were eventually martyred for their lives of faith. John was exiled to the island of Patmos where he later received the information that became what we now know as the New Testament Book of Revelation.
Many of us ponder the same question while finding it burdensome to set aside as little as 1 out of 168 (less than 1%) hours a week to corporately worship Him, or to devote 10 minutes out of 1440 (0.006%) minutes a day to study His Word and/or communicate with Him in prayer. For many of those who do, it is not for the glory of God, but for the primary purpose of getting something out of it for ourselves.
As far as our money is concerned, if that is truly a reflection of where our hearts are, as Luke 12: 34 says it is, then many of us have need a spiritual heart transplant (Psalms 51: 10). Most of us have a fairly accurate knowledge of what the balances are in our financial accounts at any given time, but how much thought is given to the balance of our bank account in Heaven? Some of us aren't even aware that such an account exists or what it takes to make a deposit in it.
Virtually EVERYTHING can come under the umbrella of stewardship, but for the purpose of this study, we will focus on the function of stewardship itself, concentrating on the managing of one's time, money, body, soul structure, and spiritual gift. I have chosen these issues as these apply to all of us, regardless of one's socioeconomic status, occupation, or geographical location here on Earth.
* * *
The Stewardship of Time
We are not all given the same amount of days here on Earth, but we are given all the time that one needs to fulfill God's purposes. Adam was given 930 years (Gen. 5: 5). This was 30-31 times longer than the Earthly life span of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. David's son died in infancy or early childhood (2Sam.12:14). What all of them had in common is that each one, knowingly or unwittingly accomplished the part that God had in mind for each one of them when He authored the Divine Decree.
Keep in mind that the body dies, but the soul of both the spiritually alive and spiritually dead individuals live on forever. Life after (physical) death is not a matter of if, but of where and how it will continue to be experienced by each and every soul that God (John 3:6b) creates.
Regardless of how relatively brief or long one's life span here on Earth may be, everyone is given exactly the same amount of time during each day.
Time should not be confused with opportunity. We may (or may not) be given multiple opportunities to accomplish the same goal, but we are NEVER given back any time that has already passed. Time can not be recycled. Once time is spent, invested, or wasted, it is gone forever. We might spend more time trying to undo the results of the time we spent unwisely, but that might also prove to be a further waste of even more time.
There are many ways of measuring time, but for the purpose of this study we will take a look at it in terms of solar measurement, as this is the common standard to which we can all relate . In a solar day, there are 24 hours; or 1440 minutes; or 86,400 seconds. No one is given any more or any less in a single day. What makes us different, is HOW each (second) tick of the 86, 400 ticks of the clock is spent, invested, or wasted on any given day. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished more during the six hours on the cross than any other person in a human body ever has or ever could.
God, government, marriage, children, extended family, friends, careers, training, education, occupations, labor, health, exercise, socialization, recreation, entertainment and hobbies ALL require an amount of time be invested if one is to make the best out of any one of them. Some of these activities can be accomplished while multitasking (doing more than one thing simultaneously), whereas others, such as the edification of one's soul structure, require one's exclusive focus of attention for best results.
What an advancing disciple needs to learn from the get go is that discipleship is a 24-7 lifestyle and there is NO time off. We, as disciples, are to be ambassadors of Christ (2Cor. 5: 9), no matter where we are or what we are otherwise doing! Yes, we set aside time to worship and be trained for spiritual combat in the local assemblies or ministries that God has in mind for each one of us, but it is out in the devil's world in the midst of our daily activities that we should be executing 99% of the post salvation spiritual life!
Every dispensation (specific periods of time) has a primary agenda that is to be the focus of attention of believers. Here in the dispensation of the Church Age, the primary agenda is the fulfillment of the Great Commission, The Great Commission involves preserving and proclaiming the TRUE Gospel to unbelievers, and to make disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) out of those who, as a result of becoming believers, are born again.
The devil, as prophesied in such passages as 1Timinothy 4: 1, has a done a good job of steering the Church away from its commissioned work with all that he has established within the so-called "Christian" Community-at-large, inside and outside of the places of "worship".
Effective time management BEGINS with the setting of one's own priorities and placing the corresponding activities of one's day at the top of his/her tings to do list. Keeping in mind that discipleship is a 24 hour, seven day a week lifestyle there is the daily need to set aside time to FOCUS on the STUDY (not merely the reading) of the Word of God. If a believer is going to be the best that he/she can be, the believers has to learn to do things God's way. Here in the Church Age, God's way is to place oneself under the teaching authority of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher that God the Holy Spirit has gifted to edify Church Age believers.
Personal time of study and prayer IS an essential and daily part of the post salvation spiritual life, but this should be supplemental and not the primary means for edifying one's soul structure. If one wants God's best, he/she must learn to do it God's way. The function of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher is a gift from God. A robot could be programed to go through or perform the motions of "religious" rituals, but IF you are among those have been given the gift and responsibility of a pastor teacher, you are called to develop and apply it for the edification of OTHER believers in the manner and means that God has planned for you. Don't put God or yourself in a box.
Places and/or means to practice "religion" ( Christian or otherwise) are plentiful, but locating the ones that offer the means to worship as God desires to be worshiped (John 4: 23,24) will become a harder and harder find as we come to the end of the Church Age. God is worshiped by celebrating the Lord's Supper (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) and via the accurate teaching and application of the Word of God. With different variations, some being Biblical while others have been tampered with though religion, most places or means of "worship" offer some form and means of celebrating the Lord' Supper, but locating one that is making disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God) is becoming more difficult in these apostate times.
Not all, but many of the larger and more elegant places of worship are no more than monuments to the evil activity that takes within them, with "evil" being defined as anything that runs contrary to the Word of God. Its hard to think of a place of worship as being evil, and the devil is banking on it. If all the Man-made pageantry, practices, and objects of religion were to be removed or discontinued, many of those attending would not recognize what they had come to accept as "Church". How well one's investment of time in any given denomination, local assembly, or ministry, can only be measured by the degree of spiritual growth in the knowledge and application of the Word of God.
Daily, personal "reading" and meditation time of the Word of God should be a supplemental practice of studying the Word of God under the teaching ministry of a Biblically qualified pastor teacher. If a Biblically qualified pastor teacher is not immediately available within one's geographical area, many provide remote means to contact them, without COST or OBLIGATION.
Pastors would be well-advised NOT to engage in counseling, as he is seldom told the whole story, nor is he given the opportunity to hear BOTH sides of any given conflict. The pastor's function is to make known what the Bible has to say about any given subject, and preferably from a public pupit, letting the chips fall where they may. The choice (and accompnaying blessings/consequences) of what is done (or not done) withe information that a pastor provides is between the individual and God, and not between the pastor and the inquirer.
As one progresses in post salvation discipleship, the answering of one question will usually open the door to many more.When I studied to be be ordained, I was known as the man with many questions.
Note that in the day and age in which we live, one can "gather together-Hebrews 10: 25" and "worship" as God desires (John 4: 23,24) via remote means of communication and participation.
It is NOT the means of communication that matters most, but the accuracy of the information that is presented for the edification of souls present, and the consistency of all the activity that takes place with what is revealed in Scripture.
"Holy" buildings, "officiating" priests, and physical altars WERE (past tense) a part of the plan of God during the Old Testament dispensation, but NO SUCH things were EVER authorized or ordained (by God) to be a part of worship activity during the dispensation of the Church Age in which we live. Such things are among the products of religion that are held in high esteem by Man but are detestable in eyes of God (Luke 16: 14, 15/Isa. 64: 6) when they are elevated to equality with God in the name of religion or produced via human effort.
"Now the Pharisees (the religious police of that era) who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were
scoffing at Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that
which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." Luke 16: 14, 15 NASB/parenthesis mine.
"For all of us have become like one unclean, And all our (self) righteous deeds are like a filthy garment....(Isa. 64: 6 NASB/parenthesis mine.
"...for man looks at the outward appearance (of people and things), but the Lord looks at the heart 1Sam. 16:7 NASB/parenthesis mine.
God evaluates a tree (denomination/local assembly/ministry/believer) by the fruit it produces (or fails to produce). The fruit of a local assembly or ministry that God desires is saved souls of unbelievers, and edified souls of the believers. Whatever else goes on may be of interest to Man, but is NOT the type of fruit that God is seeking.
Discipleship takes daily time devoted the study of the Word of God, and a 24-7 readiness to apply it. This is what contributes to the life long development of spiritual maturity. There will NEVER come a time, this side of Heaven, when anyone reaches the stage that he/she had learned and mastered all that the post salvation spiritual life has to offer. When we go through the "dry spells", feeling we don't need to take our discipleship any further, and /or aren't "getting anything out of "going to Church", keep in mind two principles.
First, know that NO ONE, (pastor teacher, parent, friend, etc.) can be used of God to lead ANYONE any further along the road to spiritual maturity that he has not first arrived at for himself. If you have arrived at the same level of spiritual maturity as the pastor teacher behind the pulpit of your choice, he can be used of God to bring you no further along. Since most individual members of the congregation don't come to that point, they never face the challenge of the need to change pulpits. For the individual members that do sense the need, the devil will counterattack by putting the pressure of family, friends, and social interaction (Luke 14:26) in favor of going any further in one's spiritual development.
For those who practice some of the "religions" out there, there is usually no need to go anywhere else, as the same activity is going on no matter which geographical place of worship one chooses. Some may offer a other a less stringent enforcement of the rules in order to qualify for the services (water baptisms/marriage/funerals), and the individual pastor may have a more pleasant personality, but such things have got NOTHNG to do with being spiritually edified in the Word of God.
Secondly, if ANYONE of us is NOT progressing along the road to spiritual maturity, then he/she is regressing. Religious people can influence or pressure others to become religious, but there is a world and an eternity of a difference between religiosity and spirituality. Hell (or what the Bible calls the lake of fire-Rev. 20: 15) is going to be filled with "religious", but spiritually dead souls.
The primary reason one should go to, stay at , or move on to another pulpit is the need for the means to "c-o-n-t-i-n-u-e (John 8 : 31, 32)" to "...g-r-o-w in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2Pet. 3:18)." THIS was and remains to be the primary internal mission that was given to Church that God designed for the Church Age (Matt. 28: 19,20)
.Places of worship are only ONE of many locations where a spiritually dead unbeliever MIGHT be presented with the TRUE Gospel Message and be given the opportunity to respond and be "born again (John 3: 3, 7)." I say "might" because this possibility is conditional on the fact that it is the TRUE Gospel Message that is being preached and/or promoted. Until one is born again, ANY attempt to make or keep oneself "right" with God is a waste of time and effort, evidenced by the lack of spiritual growth in the grace and knowledge of God (2Pet. 3: 18) by those who practice such things.
Just as a physically dead person can do NOTHING in the natural realm, so it is with a spiritually dead man in the spiritual realm.
Anyone can go or be dragged through the motions of religion, but the worship of God as He desires to be worshiped (John 4: 23, 24), is a post (after) salvation activity. Post salvation worship neither increases nor does the lack of it diminish the integrity of the salvation that one has already received. Worshiping God as He desires to be worshiped involves celebrating Communion (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) on a regular basis and teaching the Word of God). While having nothing to do with retaining salvation, it has everything to do with identifying and executing the TRUE post salvation spiritual life that glorifies God. Celebrating Communion is for the stated purpose (1Cor. 11: 24, 25) of bringing into remembrance (not to reproduce) all that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us, and for the stated purpose (Matt. 28: 19, 20 of making disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God).
These two elements of worship, celebrating communion and the teaching of the Word of God, go hand in hand. One without the other falls short of the type of worship and worshipers that God desires here in the Church Age (John 4: 23, 24).
Time spent in the type of worship that God desires is time well invested as stewards.
Spending daily time exclusively focused on God and/or the things of God is a fundamental part of the life of discipleship, but as noted earlier, most of the TIME that average believer has been given here on Earth to GLORIFY God will be consumed by the daily activities of our lives that we share with believers and unbelievers alike. This is by divine design, as it is then and there that we are to ambassadors for Christ. Making divinely wise use of this time and activity is the objective of good stewardship of our time. In such scenarios is where and when the individual believer will be given the opportunities to share the Gospel with unbelievers and post salvation doctrine with fellow believers.
As one advances in his/her own discipleship, many of the former things that we used to do will lose their appeal, as we choose to make room on our things to do list that God has in mind for us.
This concludes Part One of the Doctrine of Stewardship. In Part Two, we continue with this study, beginning with the steward's focus on money.
* The link for Part is being constructed and will be available here in the near future.
Click HERE to go to the More doctrines/presentations Page.
As one advances in his/her own discipleship, many of the former things that we used to do will lose their appeal, as we choose to make room on our things to do list that God has in mind for us.
This concludes Part One of the Doctrine of Stewardship. In Part Two, we continue with this study, beginning with the steward's focus on money.
* The link for Part is being constructed and will be available here in the near future.
Click HERE to go to the More doctrines/presentations Page.