From the beginning, the Lord’s people talk a better game than we live.
So many biblical truths look good on paper and sound great when we’re spouting them. And yet, judging by the way we live, the Lord’s people probably do not believe the following…
One. God sends the pastor to the church.
Churches survey their congregation to find the kind of pastor everyone wants in the next guy. People lobby for a candidate they like and rally against one they don’t. And they vote on the recommendation of their committee. And after he arrives, when some turn against him, they send him on his way.
Do we really believe God sends pastors to churches? They are God’s undershepherds (see I Peter 5:1-4) and appointed by the Holy Spirit as overseers of the church (Acts 20:28).
Two. God hears our prayers, cares for our needs, and answers our prayers.
In the typical congregation, what percentage of the people are serious about their prayer life?
If we believed that God hears, cares, and answers, we would be praying over every detail of our lives. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) would define our very existence.
Three. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
God wants His people to be givers, generous in every area of life. As a member of the church, He wants us to be sacrificial givers. (See I Corinthians 8:1ff).
Think how hard it is to get God’s people to turn loose of the almighty dollar. I know pastors who no longer preach on giving because they cannot take the criticism. (Acts 20:35, Luke 6:38, and Matthew 6:19-20)
Four. We will stand before the Lord and give account of all we have done.
If we believed that, imagine how differently we would live. A lot of church leaders would deal with their pastors a lot more carefully than they do now. The tyrants who rule their churches clearly do not know, believe, or care that they will be brought into judgement for their actions. (See Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12 and I Peter 4:5.)
Five. God’s people are to obey their leaders.
The very idea, I can hear some saying. Even if they know Hebrews 13:17, they conveniently ignore it. They do so to their own detriment.
The fact is our members obey their leaders so long as they agree with them. But let the leader ask of them something they don’t want to do, and they bail out.