The Cure<\/b><\/p>\n
William Barclay gives us an excellent insight into the nature of the true church. He writes:<\/p>\n
\u201cSuppose a great doctor discovers a cure for cancer. Once that cure is found, it is there. But before it can become available for everyone, it must be taken out to the world. Doctors and surgeons must know about it and be trained to use it. The cure is there, but one person cannot take it out to all the world; a corps of doctors must be the agents whereby it arrives at all the world\u2019s sufferers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat precisely is what the church is to Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that all people and all nations can be reconciled to God. But before that can happen, they must know about Jesus Christ, and it is the task of the church to bring that about. Christ is the head; the church is the body. The head must have a body through which it can work. The church is quite literally hands to do Christ\u2019s work, feet to run upon His errands, and a voice to speak His words.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morning Glory, Sept.-Oct. 1997, p. 19<\/p>\n
New <\/p>\n
A small town had experienced rapid growth, and the local church congregation had outgrown their building. The members formed a committee to plan and build a new church. The committee told the minister to take care of the flock and they would handle the details of church construction. The minister complied with the request and kept his distance.<\/p>\n
As the new building was nearing completion, the committee chairman invited the minister to view their new house of worship. Entering through the main doors, the minister noted only the last row of pews had been installed. <\/p>\n
\u201cSince people always fill the last row of pews first, we had a special feature installed,\u201d the chairman said. He pressed a button on the wall and the pew moved forward and another popped up. The minister was impressed.<\/p>\n
The big day finally arrived for the first service in the new church. The minister peeked out as the pews filled from the back and then moved forward. He was ecstatic.<\/p>\n
When the time came for the sermon, the mister was so filled with joy and goodwill, he delivered his prepared message and then some.<\/p>\n
At 12 o\u2019clock, he was still sharing the good word when the church bells began to ring…and the pulpit and the minister slowly descended from view.<\/p>\n
Bill Benton, Taken from the Mobile Home News<\/p>\n
The Tates<\/b><\/p>\n
Some families make church their home. Others find other uses for the church. Take the notorious Tate family, for example. Perhaps you\u2019ve met some of them. The chief of the clan is old Dic Tate, who insists on running everything in church. His brother Ro Tate wants to change everything. Aunt Agi Tate has a knack for stirring up trouble; and her husband, Irri Tate, always lends a hand.<\/p>\n
The next generation of Tates has its own characteristics. Hesi Tate and his wife, Vege Tate, would just as soon wait until next year whenever a new project is suggested. Aunt Imi Tate would love to create the first generic church. Devas Tate announces constantly that the church is doomed, while her husband Poten Tate promises he can lead the church out of trouble.<\/p>\n
Today in the Word, May, 1996, p. 8<\/p>\n
Significance<\/b><\/p>\n
A significant church is involved in bringing people into right relationship with God and one another and with helping believers develop godly character and ministry skills. A church focused on significance will be fulfilling its primary purpose: equipping believers for service. The components to becoming a significant church are <\/p>\n
1. Vision\u2014understanding where a church is and where it is going. <\/p>\n
2. Spiritual Maturity\u2014the development of Christian character in the personal lives of individual church members. <\/p>\n
3. Outreach\u2014how the church can fulfill its m;ission of reconciliation by serving, showing and telling. <\/p>\n
4. Ministry Leadership\u2014How you equip individuals to help others follow Christ by acting as mentors, guides, teachers and parents. <\/p>\n
5. Small Groups\u2014offer community and meeting needs, allowing more people to become actively involved in the life of the church. <\/p>\n
6. Life-on-Life Mentoring\u2014encouraging persoanl change and application of scriptural truth through one-on-one ministry. from Church Disciple, Spring, 1997, Vol 11, No 1, The Navigators<\/p>\n
Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine, H. Wayne House, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publ. House, 1992), p. 117<\/p>\n
Bat Infestation<\/b><\/p>\n
Three pastors got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. <\/p>\n
\u201cI got so mad,\u201d said one, \u201cI took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI tried trapping them alive,\u201d said the second. \u201cThen I drove 50 miles before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t had any more problems,\u201d said the third. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d asked the others, amazed. <\/p>\n
\u201cI simply baptized and confirmed them,\u201d he replied. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen them since.\u201d <\/p>\n
Reader\u2019s Digest, July, 1994, p. 64<\/p>\n
Measurable Quality Factors<\/b><\/p>\n
A survey of hundreds of pastors has allowed us to compile a preliminary list of measurable quality factors in the life of a congregation in ranking order. The twelve factors are:<\/p>\n
1. Bible knowledge. Church members are increasing in their grasp of the teachings of the Bible. They can integrate this with a theological system that enables them to apply the Bible\u2019s teachings to their life situation.<\/p>\n
2. Personal devotions. Members spend time daily in prayer, Bible reading, meditation, and other personal spiritual exercises.<\/p>\n
3. Worship. Members regularly participate in the worship services scheduled by the church.<\/p>\n
4. Witnessing. Members regularly attempt to share their faith in Jesus Christ with unbelievers.<\/p>\n
5. Lay ministry. The lay people of the church are engaged in such ministries as teaching and discipling. In some cases this happens through consciously discovering, developing, and using their spiritual gifts.<\/p>\n
6. Missions. The church actively supports missions, organizing and sustaining a strong program for recruiting, sending, and financing home and foreign missionaries.<\/p>\n
7. Giving. Members give an appropriate portion of their income to the local church and\/or to other Christian causes.<\/p>\n
8. Fellowship. Members are growing in their personal relationships with each other through regular participation in church fellowship groups of one kind or another.<\/p>\n
9. Distinctive life-style. Members generally manifest their faith in Christ by living a life-style clearly and noticeable distinct from that of non-Christians in the same community.<\/p>\n
10. Attitude toward religion. Church members regard their involvement in the church primarily as a service to God rather than a means to fulfill personal needs.<\/p>\n
11. Social service. Members are serving others outside the congregation. This includes direct personal involvement with the poor and needy, or in programs designed to help the needy.<\/p>\n
12. Social justice. Either through the congregation as a whole or through specialized Christian agencies, members are striving to make changes in sociopolitical structures that will contribute to a more moral and just society.<\/p>\n
Leading Your Church to Growth by C. Peter Wagner, Regal Books, 1984, pp. 25-27<\/p>\n
Church Membership<\/b><\/p>\n
Yet membership in a confessing body is fundamental to the faithful Christian life. Failure to do so defies the explicit warning not to forsake \u201cour assembling together.\u201d His understanding of this prompted Martin Luther to say, \u201cApart from the church, salvation is impossible.\u201d Not that the church provides salvation; God does. But because the \u201csaved\u201d one can\u2019t fulfill what it means to be a Christian apart from the church, membership becomes the indispensable mark of salvation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo highly does the Lord esteem the communion of His church,\u201d Calvin wrote,\u201d that He considers everyone a traitor and apostate from religion who perversely withdraws himself from any Christian society which preserves the true ministry of the word and sacraments.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Body, Charles W. Colson, 1992, Word Publishing, Page 70<\/p>\n
Football Scenario<\/b><\/p>\n
Imagine that we are TV sportscasters standing on the sidelines of a football game to give the play-by-play.<\/p>\n
Scene #1: The team nearest us is standing together, heads bowed in prayer, with the coach in the center. Suddenly they give a great cheer, and the coach trots out onto the field by himself. The players go sit on the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d we ask as we stick a microphone in front of a 250 pound guard. \u201cWhat\u2019s the coach doing out there?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cOh, he\u2019s going to play today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll by himself?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, why not? He\u2019s had a lot more experience and training than the rest of us. We\u2019ve got a lot of rookies on this team, and we might make mistakes. Anyway, they pay the coach well. We\u2019re all here to cheer and support him\u2014and look at the huge crowd that\u2019s come to watch him play!\u201d<\/p>\n
Bewildered, we watch as the opposing team kicks off. The coach catches the ball. He valiantly charges upfield, but is buried under eleven opposing tacklers. He\u2019s carried off half-conscious…<\/p>\n
You think that\u2019s ridiculous? But isn\u2019t it the picture many of us have of the church? The members expect the minister to do the preaching, praying, witnessing, and visiting because he\u2019s paid to do the Lord\u2019s work and he\u2019s better trained. But listen to God\u2019s Game Plan. According to Ephesians 4:11, 12, Christ has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers \u201cto prepare God\u2019s people for works of service.\u201d God gives leaders to the church, not to do all the work, but to help all of God\u2019s people to do it! Lay people are not there simply to pay pastors and evangelists to do the Lord\u2019s work. Rather, pastors, evangelists, and teachers are to equip the so-called lay people to be ministers!<\/p>\n
Your pastor is meant to be a kind of playing coach. His main function is to help you as a Christian discover your spiritual gifts, develop them, and use them to build up the Body of Christ.<\/p>\n
Now look at Scene #2: The team realizes they\u2019ve all got to play, so they\u2019re on the field in a huddle. They huddle…and huddle…and huddle. The referee calls a penalty for delaying the game and moves the ball back five yards. Still the team huddles, huddles, and huddles. The referee calls penalty after penalty, until finally the ball is moved all the way back to their own goal line.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey coach!\u201d shouts the quarterback to the sidelines. \u201cThis is the greatest huddle I\u2019ve ever been in. What a group of guys! We have the best fellowship…and some of these guys are amazing students of the play book. Some have memorized over a hundred plays and can analyze them precisely. We learn so much in this huddle!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why don\u2019t you get up on the line and play?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy should we? What we want are bigger and better huddles! Besides, we might get hurt. No one ever got hurt in a huddle!\u201d<\/p>\n
Your church and mine are in big trouble if they become a \u201choly huddle\u201d a band of saints gathered Sunday after Sunday, singing, praising, enjoying each other\u2014but never setting out on the line to apply what they learn. The church is supposed to be Christ\u2019s body\u2014his hands, his feet, his voice\u2014by which he carries out his plans in the world. God intends that \u201cthrough the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known\u201d (Eph 3:10).<\/p>\n
The church is to be God\u2019s light in a dark, corrupt society. The Christian life was never meant to be lived only in church for a couple of hours on Sunday. It\u2019s meant to be lived in the public arena\u2014on the firing line at school, the office, and in the neighborhood, seven days a week. Of course, we need worship and training and fellowship with other Christians\u2014a football team needs the huddle. But it\u2019s what happens after the huddle that the game is all about. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s scene #3: the team breaks out of the huddle. But instead of lining up against the opposing squad, they break into groups of two or three, arguing with each other. Soon they start shoving, and two of them actually get into a fight. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong now?\u201d we ask as one of them walks off the field in disgust.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat bunch of malcontents can\u2019t agree on anything,\u201d he says. \u201cThose two over there are arguing over the color of the uniforms. A couple of others are quarreling over the right way to kneel in the huddle. Those two guys are arguing because one believes in what he calls \u2018personal\u2019 football, and the other believes in \u2018social\u2019 football. They can\u2019t agree whether the individual or the team is more important. Some of the white players say the blacks should go play on their own field, and some of the black guys don\u2019t like the band music. A couple are fighting over whether women should be allowed to play. And I\u2019m quitting because I can pass a lot better than that other guy, and they won\u2019t let me be the quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Game Plan says that Christ \u201cis our peace…His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two [Jew and Gentile], thus making peace…to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility\u201d (Eph 2:14\u201316). Christians talk a lot about the peace of Christ. Can the world see that peace in our church relationships?<\/p>\n
Within the Body of Christ there is plenty of room for diversity of gifts, but underlying that diversity is unity. \u201cBe completely humble and gentle,\u201d writes Paul, \u201cBe patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all…\u201d (Eph 4:2\u20136). Isn\u2019t it time to show our oneness in truth and love to a watching world?<\/p>\n
So the first half ends. The team drags off to the locker room defeated, demoralized, beaten. But when the second half begins, we see a different team. Suddenly they\u2019re playing together with a new spirit. They huddle, slap each other on the back, and take the line. They\u2019re off the ball with split-second timing, there is no hesitation, they know where they\u2019re going. Each player carries out his assignment, and soon they score a touchdown, then another, and another. When the game ends, they\u2019ve won!<\/p>\n
Afterwards in the locker room the players are exhausted, cut and bruised, but happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened at halftime to change this team?\u201d we ask, the coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were sitting here beaten,\u201d he says, \u201cand suddenly a kind of presence seemed to come over us. I started talking to the players, pointing out my mistakes, and theirs, and they started talking. Everyone was honest. Nobody blamed the others. We took a good look at ourselves. Then someone recalled that the Great Coach, the one who invented the game, also wrote the Master Game Plan. Wouldn\u2019t it make sense to see what he said? <\/p>\n
\u201cWe remembered how he literally gave himself to get the game started and to teach that first team everything he knew. So we got out the original Game Plan and read about basics such as each player knowing his place and dedicating himself to it, about pulling together, being willing to sacrifice, knowing the aim of the game, and using the proper equipment he designed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we were quiet. It felt as if the Great Coach was with us, as if somehow his Spirit got inside us. Suddenly, we were up! Motivated! Ready to go! We can\u2019t take the credit. It goes to Him!\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
True or False Quiz<\/b><\/p>\n
The following New Testament facts remind us of our continuing responsibility to the local church. Circle \u201cT\u201d for True or \u201cF\u201d for False in front of each question, the check your answers. O 3 <\/p>\n
T F 1. Worshiping God in nature is a good substitute for going to church. <\/p>\n
T F 2. In the first century, believers met on Sunday.<\/p>\n
T F 3. Although the Bible teaches giving, it does not specifically refer to the taking of a collection.<\/p>\n
T F 4. Loving discipline of its members is the responsibility of every local church.<\/p>\n
T F 5. Pentecost marks the birthday of the church.<\/p>\n
T F 6. The only reason for going to church is to hear the preaching of the Word.<\/p>\n
T F 7. Problems arose in the Corinthian church because of too much emphasis on the personality of its leaders.<\/p>\n
T F 8. Elder and deacon were offices in New Testament churches.<\/p>\n
T F 9. The chief cornerstone of the church is Christ.<\/p>\n
T F 10. The first century church had a commissioning service for missionaries.<\/p>\n
Answers: <\/p>\n
1. False (Hebrews 10:25) <\/p>\n
2. True (Acts 20:7) <\/p>\n
3. False (1 Cor. 16:1, 2) <\/p>\n
4. True (1 Cor. 5:1\u201313) <\/p>\n
5. True (Acts 2:1\u20134) <\/p>\n
6. False (Acts 2:42) <\/p>\n
7. True (1 Cor. 3:3, 4) <\/p>\n
8. True (Titus 1:5; 1 Tim. 3:8\u201312) <\/p>\n
9. True (Eph. 2:20) <\/p>\n
10. True (Acts 13:1\u20133)<\/p>\n
Scoring: Ten points per question; 80 to 100 – Excellent; 60 to 70 – Good; 40 to 50 – Average; 20 or 30 – <\/p>\n
Better ask your pastor some questions! 0 or 10 – Been sleeping in church?<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Four Bones<\/b><\/p>\n
There are four main bones in every organization. <\/b><\/p>\n
The wish-bones: Wishing somebody would do something about the problem.<\/p>\n
The jaw-bones: Doing all the talking but very little else.<\/p>\n
The knuckle-bones: Those who knock everything.<\/p>\n
The back-bones: Those who carry the brunt of the load and do most of the work. <\/p>\n
Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, pp. 16-17<\/p>\n
Backward Christian Soldiers<\/b><\/p>\n
1. Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight, With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.<\/p>\n
Christ our rightful master Stands against the foe Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.<\/p>\n
Chorus: Backward Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight, With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.<\/p>\n
2. Like a might tortoise Moves the church of God. Brothers we are treading, Where we\u2019ve often trod.<\/p>\n
We are much divided, Many bodies we, Having different doctrines, but Not much charity.<\/p>\n
3. Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the cross of Jesus Hidden does remain.<\/p>\n
Gates of hell should never \u2019gainst the Church prevail, We have Christ\u2019s own promise, but we think it might fail.<\/p>\n
4. Sit here then ye people, Join our sleeping throng. Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song.<\/p>\n
Blessings, ease and comfort Ask from Christ the King, But with our modern thinking, We won\u2019t do a thing.<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Department of Commerce Statistics<\/b><\/p>\n
U.S. Department of Commerce has recently released statistics on American churches, clergy and church schools. Church Law & Tax Report give some interesting figures:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Number of U.S. congregations: 294,271<\/p>\n
\u2022 Churches with fewer than 100 members: 60,300<\/p>\n
\u2022 Churches with fewer than 500 members: 205,556<\/p>\n
\u2022 Churches with 1,000-1,999 members: 21,691<\/p>\n
\u2022 Churches with 2,000 or more members: 13,958<\/p>\n
\u2022 Last year churches received $49 billion in revenues, of which $40 billion came from contributions, $1.4 billion from wills and estates, and $2.5 billion from fees or charges for services.<\/p>\n
\u2022 There are a total of 348,000 clergy employed in the United States, and they have served an average of 15.8 years in each position.<\/p>\n
Of special interest are the statistics on who is supporting these churches. <\/p>\n
Persons 65-74 years of age donated the largest percentage of their income (3.1 percent) and those 18\u201324 the least (0.6 percent). Increasingly, those with lower incomes gave a higher proportion of their income to charity than higher income individuals. Persons with household incomes of under $10,000 gave 2.8 percent of their total incomes, while those with incomes over $100,000 gave only 2.1 percent. The average annual contribution to the church was $715 per household. <\/p>\n
Pulpit Helps, August, 1992, p. 8<\/p>\n
Cooperative Society<\/b><\/p>\n
The church is the only cooperative society in the world that exists for the benefit of its non-members. – William Temple<\/p>\n
Tales of the Neverending, Mark Littleton, Moody, 1990, p. 42ff<\/p>\n
Resources<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Tales of the Neverending, Mark Littleton, Moody, 1990, p. 42ff.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Studies in Theology, James Denney, Hodder & Stoughton, 1895, p. 173, "The Church and the Kingdom of God."<\/p>\n
Sand Castles<\/b><\/p>\n
Growing up on the Atlantic Coast, I spent long hours working on intricate sand castles; whole cities would appear beneath my hands. One year, for several days in a row, I was accosted by bullies who smashed my creations. Finally I tried an experiment: I placed cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete in the base of my castles. Then I built the sand kingdoms on top of the rocks. When the local toughs appeared (and I disappeared), their bare feet suddenly met their match. <\/p>\n
Many people see the church in grave peril from a variety of dangers: secularism, politics, heresies, or plain old sin. They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Mt. 16:16), over which the gates of hell itself shall not prevail. – Gregory P. Elder<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Definition of a Local <\/p>\n
Definition of a local church: <\/p>\n
(1) purpose is the public worship of God, edification of the saints, and spread of the gospel. <\/p>\n
(2) organization: planned meetings (Acts 20:7), corporate discipline (I Cor. 5), money raising projects (II Cor. 8\u20139), recognized leaders such as pastor, elders, deacons (Heb. 13:7, 17). <\/p>\n
(3) ordinances practiced. <\/p>\n
R. Lightner in \u201cTruth for the Good Life, p. 115-6.<\/p>\n
Steam Locomotive<\/b><\/p>\n
In a museum at Greenfield Village, Detroit, Michigan, there is a huge steam locomotive. Beside this complicated piece of machinery is a sign showing boiler pressure, size and number of wheels, horsepower, lengths, weight and more. The bottom line indicates that 96% of the power generated was used to move the locomotive and only 4% was left to pull the load. <\/p>\n
Some churches are like that.<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Eiffel Tower<\/b><\/p>\n
When it was built for an international exposition in the last century, the structure was called monstrous by the citizens of the city, who demanded it be torn down as soon as the exposition was over. Yet from the moment its architect first conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural wonders of the modern world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris, France. The architect, of course, was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His famous tower was built in 1889. <\/p>\n
In the same way we are struck by Jesus\u2019 loyalty to another structure\u2014the church\u2014which he entrusted to an unlikely band of disciples, whom he defended, prayed for, and prepared to spread the gospel. To outsiders they (and we) must seem like incapable blunderers. But Jesus, the architect of the church, knows this structure is destined for greatness when he returns. – John Berstecher <\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
The Olive Tree<\/b><\/p>\n
In the Greek Islands, one can seek out the home of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. In the area, one can also find an olive tree, supposedly dating from his time. If this is so, this tree would then be some 2400 years old. The trunk of this tree is very large but completely hollow. The tree is little more than thick bark. There are a few long, straggling branches, but they are supported by sturdy wooden poles every few feet. It has an occasional leaf here and there and might produce a few olives each year. <\/p>\n
In the fields around, however, are olive groves in many directions. The strong, healthy, young trees with narrow trunks are covered with a thick canopy of leaves, under which masses of olives can be found each year. The tree of Hippocrates can still be called an olive by nature, in that it still shows the essential unique characteristics, but it has long since ceased to fulfill an olive\u2019s function. Tourists file up to inspect this ancient relic, having some link to a dim history, but the job of the olive tree passed long ago to many successions of replanted trees. Do you know any churches (or even people) like the tree of Hippocrates? The form is there, but the function is not. They have stopped reproducing and are satisfied just being big, or having a noble history. – Keith Copley<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Red Brick<\/b><\/p>\n
A man was answering questions for a national poll. When asked for his church preference, he responded, \u201cRed brick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Headless Frame<\/b><\/p>\n
Remember putting your face above a headless frame painted to represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty? Many of us have had our pictures taken this way, and the photos are humorous because the head doesn\u2019t fit the body. If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers, would the world laugh at the misfit? Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head?<\/p>\n
Dan Bernard<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Church Behavior<\/b><\/p>\n
A young child in church was standing up on the pew, looking around and smiling. His mother grabbed him, shoved him back down into the pew, and walloped him on the legs. His mouth dropped open and he started to cry. She said, \u201cThat\u2019s better; remember that you\u2019re in church.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
Why Not Come on Your Own?<\/b><\/p>\n
When you were born, your mother brought you to church.<\/p>\n
When you were married, your wife brought you to church.<\/p>\n
When you die, your friends will bring you to church.<\/p>\n
Why not try coming to church on your own sometime?<\/p>\n
Studies in Theology, James Denney, Hodder & Stoughton, 1895, p. 173, \u201cThe Church and the Kingdom of God\u201d<\/p>\n
Sign on Van<\/b><\/p>\n
On the side of an evangelist\u2019s van in Durban, South Africa: \u201cWhere will you spend eternity? Most people don\u2019t decide till the 11th hour. Our service begins at 10:30.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n
The Plaque<\/b><\/p>\n
After a morning service, a father observed his young son in the back of the sanctuary looking at a plaque on the wall. When the father joined him, the youngster asked what the plaque was for. <\/p>\n
The father replied, \u201cSon, that was put up in the memory of all those who have died in the service.\u201d <\/p>\n
Turning to his father, he asked, \u201cMorning or evening?\u201d<\/p>\n
Source unknown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Cure William Barclay gives us an excellent insight into the nature of the true church. He writes: \u201cSuppose a great doctor discovers a cure for cancer. Once that cure is found, it is there. But before it can become available for everyone, it must be taken out to the world. Doctors and surgeons must … Continue reading “Church”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}