8 Ways to Submit to a Local Church

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dana Dill

congregationChristian, are you submitting to a local church?

Scripture is clear that we’re saved into his body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) and responsible to submit to the authority of a local church (Matthew 18:1-20; Ephesians 5:21) and her leaders (Hebrews 13:17). Merely visiting, attending, or associating with a local church is not what God instructs his children to do. We’re called to submit for joy’s sake.

The Submission of the Philippian Christians

Think about what Paul says to the church in Philippi:

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4

Jonathan Leeman highlights a crucial take away from this passage that many believers miss:

Paul looked right into the eyes of the Philippian church and told them to submit to one another’s good, just as Christ had submitted Himself for their good.

The same is true for us and our local churches. Just as Christ submitted His whole life for our good, so we should submit our whole lives for one another’s good. It’s not as if there is some area of our life that is exempt from considering the interests of others better than our own.

The church is not like a Costco where you become a member only to receive benefits, but a family you submit to with benefits to receive, to be sure, and also responsibilities to fulfill.

How Do I Submit to My Local Church?

But, what does that look like? How do I look to the interests of other members of my local church or count them more significant than myself? How do I submit to my church? In his book, “Church Membership,” Jonathan Leeman offers eight answer.

(1) We should submit publicly

We should submit ourselves to our local church publicly, by which I mean officially. They should join a church by committing to the local body of believers where they will regularly receive the Lord’s Supper. Jesus publicly identified Himself with His church. We should publicly identify with Him and His people as well-by joining a church.

(2) We should submit physically/geographically

We submit physically by gathering regularly with the church (Hebrews 10:25). Now, let me raise the stakes a little. If you can, “consider others better than yourselves” and “look to the interests of others” by living geographically close to the church. When a person lives within walking distance of a church or clumps of members, it’s easier to invite people to one’s house for dinner, to watch one another’s children while running errands, to pick up bread or milk at the store for one another. In other words, it’s just plain easier to integrate daily life when there is relative – even walkable – geographic proximity.

(3) We should submit socially

Churches should be more than social clubs, but they shouldn’t be less. Our friends are the ones we imitate and follow. The local church should be a place where Christians form and shape one another for good through all the dynamics of friendship.

(4) We should submit affectionately

We should share our affections with one another. Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians, “Have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:25-26). He commands us to rejoice with the bother who gets a big job promotion and all the money and prestige that come with it. Can we? He commands the 31 year old single woman who longs for marriage to rejoice with the 22 year old woman when she marries. Can we?

(5) We should submit financially

Christians should look for ways to fulfill biblical commandments like these, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (also see Galatians 2:10; 1 John 3:17; 1 Cor. 616:1-2; Romans 15:26).

(6) We should submit vocationally

Christians should submit their vocations to their churches. For every Christian this means recognizing that the lives of our fellow members will stretch on for eternity, while our jobs will not…Some of the best non-staff elders in a church are not the men who move up the professional ladder but the men who are willing to move down it for the sake of the church.

(7) We should submit ethically

This does not mean making the church an absolute authority any more than a child should regard his or her parents this way. Rather, Christians should look to the church for ethical instruction, counsel, accountability, and discipline in matters that are addressed by God’s Word.

(8) We should submit spiritually

I mean three specific things. First, we should seek to exercise our spiritual gifts for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7). Second, we should build up one another in the faith through God’s Word (Jude 20-21). Third, it’s the people for whom we should intercede regularly in our prayers.

What does this look like in your life? In what ways are you neglecting this joyful gift? In what ways are you submitting to your local church? What does following Christ here look like for you?

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Caring About People

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Dana Dill

633.rogerskiss.jpgDanny Akin recently has offered his reflections on the life and ministry of Adrian Rogers. In sharing various lessons he learned from Dr. Rogers, Akin gave a wonderful picture of Rogers’ care and compassion for those he ministered to.

Dr. Rogers taught me how to treat others. Dr. Rogers always made time for others. It did not matter who they were. The last time he was at SEBTS impressed this truth on me in a manner that has left an imprint on my life.

Following his message in chapel, people lined up by the dozens to speak to him. I knew this would happen. This started at about 11:00am. At 11:45am the line was still long. I went to Joyce to gain her assistance in graciously pulling him away. I should have listened more carefully when she said, “If you want to get him then go ahead. I am staying here!” Not listening, I walked up and touch his arm and attempted to begin nudging him away. I will never forget what he said. Gently but firmly, he quietly said, “Little Danny, when I am ready to leave I will let you know.” In the voice of a squeaky mouse I responded and said, “OK,” then scurried back to a pew and sat there like a little boy who had just got his knuckles rapped with a ruler!

At 12:15pm I walked back up as the last person in line approached. It was a small grey-headed lady probably somewhere in her 80’s. She approached Dr. Rogers and said, “I have heard you preach for years but I never thought I would get to meet you. I just want to touch your cheek.” She, with a shaking elderly hand reached up and placed that wrinkled hand on the cheek of this great servant of Christ. He gently placed his hand over hers, bent over, and gave her a kiss on her cheek. With sweet tears running down her face she turned and walked away. As she did, Adrain looked at me and said, “Now we can go.” Words are not adequate to express the lesson he taught me that day.

I hope to always be a pastor ready and willing to wait for the very last saint in line. I praise God that, not only has He given His church men and women with this kind of compassion, but more, He Himself has that kind of compassion for all His people. To be sure, Jesus joyfully waits to serve even the very last person in line.

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Until, Unless

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Dana Dill

u-turn-symbolAlthough the Bible is filled with precious promises of comfort, it is also filled with terrifying pictures of sobering realities. Some of the sobering realities the Bible offers is truth about those who live outside of faith in Jesus Christ; the truth about the state of non-believers.

For example, the Bible says that, outside of Jesus Christ, all people are…

Condemned. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already.” John 3:18.

Without Excuse for Rejecting of God. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 2:20.

Defiled. ““What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit,sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23.

Thoroughly Evil. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5 (also Romans 3:10-18).

Following Satan. You were, “following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2.

Enslaved by Their Sinful Desires. “You were slaves of sin…” Romans 6:20.

Enemies of God.“You were alienated…were enemies in your minds…” Colossians 1:21.

Objects of God’s Wrath. “We were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind…” Ephesians 2:3 (also John 3:36).

There is more to be said here, but the point is clear enough: it is terrifying to be outside of Christ. I would like to pose one question to ask in light of these stark statements.

Are these what used to be true of you or are they true of you now?

The truth is, until and unless you repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, these statements are true of you. But if you have repented of sin and trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins then these were once true of you. The truth is, the above statements either were true of you or are true of you now and the difference is found in whether or not you have repented and trusted in Christ.

If these are true of you today, hear God’s call to be saved. See the offer He lays at your feet.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

God holds His offer of salvation to all who will come. Have you come? Are you in Christ? Or are you outside of Him? Were these true of you? Then rejoice! Are these true of you? Then repent and believe!

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

A Prayer for Those Who Often Fail in Praying. This is a great prayer, “about praying—seeking God’s forgiveness for praying poorly, and seeking God’s help to pray more powerfully and skillfully.”

When Christians Know They Can Join With Roman Catholicism. “Several changes must occur before Roman Catholicism, by the book, can be considered biblical Christianity. And the men and women of the Reformation understood this, hence their necessary break with Rome. In their case…joining Christ necessitates breaking with Rome and coming under Christ means coming out from under Rome. Christians will know that it is time to join hands with Rome when it does the following…”

Why Won’t Gay Theologians Debate? A good post where one Christian apologist explores the question, “Why are gay theologians and their allies so unwilling to debate the relevant issues, especially when they are so aggressive in arguing against our position?”

Preparing for Sunday. “We believe our engagement in corporate worship is essential, so we should also expect to prepare even as we expect the pastor and musicians to prepare for their participation in the Sunday morning service. How can you prepare for worship? Here are a few ideas…”

The Most Neglected Part of Most Pastors’ Job Descriptions. Here is the answer: “I’ve come to believe that the most neglected aspect of a pastor’s job description is the command for pastors to disciple older women in their congregations.” Read the rest for his insight and explanation.

22 Examples of Uselessness. This is guaranteed laughs.

3 Ways to Honor the Reformers. Reformation Day was yesterday. In honor, here are three ways we can continue to honor the bold and brave reformers.

The Hardest Text to Preach. John MacArthur, HB Charles, and Al Mohler were asked what the hardest passage of scripture is that they have ever preached. Here is what they said…

Prepare Him Room. Family devotions designed for the Christmas season.

The Gospel for Little Ones. A great little video designed to help the little ones understand the bigness of the gospel. parents, check it out and maybe consider watching/discussing it with your little ones.

The Bump Front Flip. Wow.

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Christ is Our Passover Lamb

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Dana Dill

Last night I preached on the Passover from Exodus 11-12:32 to our middle schoolers. I was immensely blessed to see the kids come to understand that the Exodus from Egypt by the hand of Moses is God’s amazing way of preparing us to understand the Great Exodus from sin by the work of Jesus. I will write a little more about this in the very near future, but for now, allow this very beautiful song (written by Caroline Cobb and Sean Carter) to let you in on the glorious truth of Christ as our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The lyrics are below the video.

There’s a promise in our veins
But it’s faded by all these years in chains
Send a prophet, send the plagues
That by sunrise we will no more be slaves

Take the lamb, take the blood
And paint it on our doorways
At night death will come but pass us by

This is all our hope and peace

In the morning we will rise
Taste the freedom we thought we’d never find
We will dance now in the streets
Once held captive now we shall live as kings

Lift your head, your voice
And sing of your salvation
Of the blood of the lamb that gave us life

Now by this we’ll overcome
Now by this we’ll reach our home

There’s a poison in our veins
And it leads to death we cannot escape
Send a ransom a perfect Son
Remedy the curse with His precious blood

And the Lamb that will come
His cross will be our doorway
And the red of His blood ill make us white
And daughters and sons
Rejoice in resurrection
And death swallowed up in endless life

Glory, glory this I sing
All my praise for this I bring
Naught of good that I have done
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

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More Important Than Breakfast

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Dana Dill

break_oneThere is something more important than breakfast.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

The morning prayer determines the day.

Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weaknesses and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our conversation with other men, all have their origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer.

Order and distribution of your time becomes more firm where they originate in prayer.

Temptations which accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of the morning breakthrough to God.

Decision demanded by work become easier and simpler where they are made not in fear of men but only in the sigh of God.

“Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men” (Colossians 3:23). Even mechanical work is done in a more patient way if it arises from the recognition of God and his command.

The powers to work take hold, therefore, at the place where we have prayed to God. He wants to give us today the power which we need for our work. (Taken from Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, p.64-65).

Take this not as an occasion for guilt, but an invitation to joy. The Lord desires your prayers (1 Peter 5:7) and considers them sweet smelling as incense (Psalm 141:2).

If you’d like some help in prayer, start with this sermon by J.C. Ryle and be strengthened by his counsel.

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you. Just as a mother understands the first coos of her infant, so does the blessed Savior understand sinners. He can read a sigh, and see a meaning in a groan.

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

To Parents Who Have Lost a Child. “Losing a child is the most difficult and painful experience I can personally imagine. What do you say to someone who has lost a child? What can you say? And, perhaps more importantly, what does God say?”

10 Steps to Find a Godly Woman. Good advice for those interested. Their is some overlap wisdom for ladies too.

The Ways of God Are to Be Admired. Once again, God’s wisdom proves to be better.

What is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. A few apologists and theologians talk about a teaching from Jesus that has many confused.

When Jesus Says “Stay.” A short piece with this takeaway: “Christian, God has appointed you to be his missionary right where you are. There is no one better suited to the task. “Go home to your friends, your family, your neighbors, your colleagues, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Moms Make Their Own Captions to Stockphotos. This is hilarious.

In Secret. “Godliness must be found in the heart if it is to be genuine. The one who prays more in public than in private, or only gives at special events when likely to be thanked for it, or practices spiritual disciplines and lets everyone know just how difficult a spiritual routine he keeps, is more concerned about the outward appearance than a heart-relationship with Jesus.”

Morning to Evening. Some good, new contemporized hymns.

Uncomfortable Questions. The take home truth. “Have mercy on stupid and sinful people. You and I will be one of them soon enough.”

What Brian Regan’s ‘Me-Monster’ Taught Me About Grace. A very good thought from a very funny comedian’s extremely funny joke.

When Dad Doesn’t Discipline. A helpful post written, “For the wife of the believing father guilty of spiritual absenteeism…She lives in the tension between wanting to honor her spouse and wanting to spiritually equip her children…in this post I want to focus specifically on (that) mom, a woman trapped in a dilemma.”

Sin is Worse Than Hell. “Sin is worse than hell. We should not marvel that God burns with wrath against his enemies. Let us marvel, instead, that while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.”

Gentlemen’s Guide to Fistbumping. Very important stuff.

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Your Words Reveal Who You Are

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Dana Dill

063449-green-grunge-clipart-icon-people-things-speechJesus once taught:

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

For Jesus, the words of our mouth reveal the truth of our heart. Or  to put it another way, who we are is revealed by what we say. One of the surest ways to really find out who someone is is by listening to what they say. Charles Spurgeon hits the nail on the head when he says:

More of a man is seen in his words than in anything else belonging to him; you may look into his face and be mistaken, you may visit his house and not discover him, you may scan his business and misunderstand him; but if you hear his daily conversation you shall soon know him. The heart babbles out its secret when the tongue is in motion.

The concept is simple enough, but the application is where things get real serious really quickly. For instance, if I were given a written transcript of everything you said in the span of one week, what would I learn about who you are? What would your week’s worth of words reveal about who you are? Would it frighten you if someone had a word for word account of everything you said in private and public this past week? Think about it.

In helping us go one step further, allow two questions to help apply Jesus’ words.

How do I speak to people? My family, friends, teachers, colleagues? The strangers I meet, waiters who serve me, baristas who make my drink?

How do I speak about people? How do I talk about my wife, my siblings, my co-workers, my church, my neighbors, my friends?

Often times we try to separate what we do or say from who we are. We say things like, “I am a good person, I just have a foul mouth” or “I am really a good guy, I just do bad stuff.” But Jesus categorically denies silliness like that. He cuts straight to the issue: what you do and what you say prove who you are. If we are honest, often, our sanitized self-images often come crashing down by a sober examination of what comes out of our mouths. It is only then, when we realize the depth of our evil, will we come to Christ for what we need; not new words, but a new heart.

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3 Things Complaining Reveals

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Dana Dill
dare_to_complain

In light of the sermon, this will be installed at our church next week.

Last night I did my best to serve my church in preaching Philippians 2:12-30. While my sermon may not have been great, no one can say the same about the text.

Within Philippians 2:12-30, Paul commands the Philippians that, as they work out the salvation that has been giving to them fully through Jesus, they are to, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14). In studying this text, I thought, “Of all the things Paul could have told them to stay away from, why did he choose to mention grumbling or disputing?” In thinking that through, I believe the answer is somewhere within this idea: grumbling and disputing reveal serious sicknesses within our hearts. Our complaining is merely a symptom of a much greater disease. After all, Jesus said that what comes out of our mouths simply reveals what is already in our hearts. So what does grumbling, complaining, or disputing reveal?

Three Things Our Grumbling May Reveal

There are at least three things that our grumblings may reveal about us.

We Have Low Thoughts of God. The grumbler is someone who essentially thinks God is messing up somewhere. Their complaints are all indirect ways of saying…

You are failing God!

You don’t care God!

You made a mistake here God!

You don’t know what you are doing God!

How can you say you love me if you’re doing this?

All of our complaints are essentially us blaming God for not working in our life as we think He should. We complain about our lives because we think that we shouldn’t be experiencing what we are experiencing. We complain because we think God is screwing up. Our high amount of complaints reveal a low view of God.

We Are Being Blind to the Gospel. One reason we complain and grumble in life is because we are more focused on the things that bother us rather than on the cross. We grumble when we are more focused on the wrong things that have been done to us rather than on what Jesus has done for us. To be blunt, Christians complain when they have lost sight of the cross. They forget that they deserve only hell and they lose sight of what Christ has accomplished for them. Those who have the cross tattooed on their eyeballs will find it difficult to complain about much of anything.

We Are Focused on Self. Grumbling and complaining are a result of  us being fixated on ourselves. We see life only through the lens of self. Everything is always about how others are wrongly treating us, speaking to us, thinking of us, or neglecting us. Life is framed by what we unfairly have to endure, put up with, go through, or suffer. In focusing on ourselves we take copious notes of how we are wronged and express those wrongs through complaints. In this way it is helpful to note that the fastest way to be miserable is to make life all about you.

In telling us to do all things without grumbling, I believe the Good Apostle is helping us keep an eye on the deeper things our grumblings reveal. As we seek to work out the perfect salvation Christ has gifted us with, we must take extra care not to nurture any of these heart-sicknesses and live with our eyes on Christ and the welfare of His people. With our eyes fixed on Christ (therefore avoiding low thoughts of God or forgetting His gospel) and others (therefore having our eyes off ourselves, we won’t grumble about much at all.

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The Saturday Post(s)

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Dana Dill

Saturday Post

3 Principles for Asking for Forgiveness. Why we should never say, “I am sorry that I have upset you. Will you please forgive me?” with 3 things with must make sure to keep in mind when asking for forgiveness.

Parents, Should You Mandate Bible Reading for Your Kids? “Every Christian parent deals with this at some point. They struggle with what they should mandate vs just encourage their kids to do. And with this, how much? At what point will we defeat our purpose and discourage them?”

Screen Preachers? Here is one professor/pastors thoughts about the validity of screen preachers and multi-site churches. I feel he plagiarized the thoughts from my mind.

Organic Catechizing. A key takeaway. “Parents don’t have to be master theologians. They don’t need to be able to expound full length sermons on each questions of a renowned catechism. But they are called to organically teach their children the precepts of God. Diligently.”

7 Things Your Church Needs from You. #2 has a lot for many of us to consider. “Your church needs you to…”

5 Ways to Lead Your Wife. “In day-to-day living there has to be a leader, a captain of a team, a manager of a business, and a head of a home. And for that day-to-day family life, God has appointed the husband to be the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23). What does that mean?”

20 Ways to Be Refreshing to Your Local Church. Paul told Philemon that the heart of the saints have been refreshed through you (Philemon 7). “Here are twenty practical ways that you can seek to nurture this refreshing gift in the midst of your own local church…”

10 Facts We Learned in School That Are Wrong. Sigh. Sometimes I my educational track is simply unlearning my previous education.

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