The Christian Messenger Sept 2017 English

Sin In The Camp: How To Handle Indiscipline In Church

7 Ways You Can Help Your Children Grow Spiritually

Preacher, Does Your Sermon Pass The 6-Rule Test?

THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER INDIA’S EVANGELICAL NEWS MAGAZINE Vol. 14, No. 5 | SEPTEMBER, 2017 | Rs.20/-

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ARE YOU KILLING YOUR CHURCH? 10 Deadly Habits You Must Get Rid Of

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LET THERE BE LIGHT! YOU can HELP Our Villagers Who Live In DARKNESS

As of April 1, 2015, according to government numbers, 18,452 Indian villages were still un-electrified. Note that a village is considered electrified if public places in the village and 10 per cent of its households have access to electricity.

(Report in The Hindu, March 26, 2016).

There are scores of houses in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh that are unelectrified. When sun sets, villagers have no choice but to stay indoors because of the fear of poisonous snakes. While our children have the latest apps and gadgets to learn, thousands of underprivileged children in these villages use kerosene lamps to do their homework and study.

While the Government says it is doing its best, we can pitch in and provide some immediate relief. Messenger Missions would like to provide rechargeable solar lanterns to 100 households in each of the 5 states where we have a presence. That’s like a drop in the ocean, but it’s an effort worth taking.

Each solar lantern costs Rs.300/- How many households can you help light up through your contributions?

To contribute your offerings for this project, please use the details below: Messenger Missions A/C No: 913020055473409 Account Type: Current; Bank Name: Axis Bank; Branch: Mogappair, Chennai.

Branch: 345; IFS code: UTIB0000345; Swift code: AXISINBB016 2

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Vol. 14, No. 5

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SEPTEMBER, 2017

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COVER FEATURE

Are You Killing Your Church?

10 Deadly Habits You Must Get Rid Of

excuse after excuse as to why we can't come to church. I wonder what our lives would look like if God only showed up at our house as often as we showed up at His. The Bible is clear about the importance of assembling or coming together (Hebrews 10:25). If we don't go to church, we just might be playing a part in killing the church.

BY TEJADO HANCHELL I have the awesome privilege of serving a church that has been around for over 80 years. In those 80 years, the church has only had four senior pastors.

While our congregation has had its share of struggles over the years, we are pleased that we have survived!

Considering the staggering statistics on church mortality in America, we are grateful to God for still standing strong. Some researchers suggest that between 3,500-4,500 churches close their doors (or die) each year. That means that in the time since our congregation was founded over 80 years ago, over 300,000 churches have died! I suspect that most church “deaths” occur for a few simple (and oftentimes avoidable) reasons.

Recently, one of the senior members of our congregation—who has been there for all 80 plus years—handed me a church newsletter that was written in 1959. As I delicately flipped through the tattered pages of this precious document, one article in the newsletter pricked my attention. The title, which I have borrowed for this blog post, was simply “10 Ways to Kill a Church.” The thing that interested me the most is how this list of “church killers” written in 1959 looks so much like the usual suspects in many church deaths today.

Here is my slightly paraphrased version of the 1959 list of ‘10 Ways to Kill a Church’:

2. If you do come, make sure it's late.

So many of today's worshipers (and apparently those of 1959) have a lackadaisical attitude toward worship. We have an “I’ll get there when I get there” attitude when it comes to church attendance.

I wonder, however, if we showed up to our job the way we show up to our church…how many of us would still be employed? We say that God is an “on time” God, but can He say the same about us? A lack of punctuality when it comes to worship is a microcosm of our overall view of God. It says that whatever else we are doing is more important, and God can just wait until we get there. This type of attitude is a major church killer.

3. Only show up when the weather is good.

Ever been to church in a driving rainstorm?

Neither have most of the other people in your church! Some people only go to church when the sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky.

1. Don’t come.

We have produced a culture of “fair-weather” One of the biggest church killers is waning Christians, who only attend church when everything attendance. Many people simply can't find the time is going right in their lives. The moment a storm hits to spend an hour or two in the Lord's house. We find their life, they get mad at God, the pastor and the THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w SEPTEMBER 2017

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parking lots outlining exactly where the murder took place.

church. There are some people who you can tell exactly what's going on in their lives based upon their church attendance. When things are great and they have a little money in their pockets, they're on the front row singing “Amazing Grace,” but as soon as they get laid off or deal with some sort of difficulty, they're ready to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). The only thing that dies with that kind of attitude is the church.

8. Do nothing more than absolutely necessary.

Show up, go home, but don't be an active, engaged member of the church. It's hard to reach “the least of these” when we're only doing the least we can do.

The sad reality, however, is that most people who only want to do the least, love to criticize those who 4. Find fault with everything are doing the most! They howl about how the church (and/or everyone). is being run by a clique, when they never offered or Most homicide investigations begin by took initiative to get any work done. They just stand researching those who had something negative to on the sideline and watch the church die. At the very say about the victim. Similarly, when a church dies, least, they are an accessory to the murder. you can be sure that the fault finders are prime 9. Hold back on your giving to the suspects. These are the folks who sit “in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1). Fault finders can always Lord.

It takes money to do ministry—especially to do SPOT a problem, but they never SOLVE a problem. mercy ministry for the under-served in our They are definitely church killers. communities. Tim Keller says that “mercy ministry 5. Never accept a leadership role or is expensive.” When we hold back on our giving to responsibility. the Lord and His work, we are limiting the work that Many people have a “renters” mentality when it can be done through the local church. Additionally, since there are operational costs associated with a comes to church; they take no ownership.

When you rent an apartment, if something breaks, church or ministry, a lack of giving can lead to the you call the landlord to fix it. Since you don't own it, church being foreclosed, laying off staff and other you have no obligation to fix it. There are too many adverse results. Some people say, “Well, all the church wants is money.” The same can be said of people renting pews (and some pulpits).

It's far easier to criticize than to mobilize. As Seth Walmart, yet they keep taking their money there!

Godin says, “No one has ever built a statue to a While I do not discount that there have been those critic.” If we want to make a difference, we have to who have abused and misused the church for accept the responsibility to lead—whether formally financial gain, there are thousands of churches or informally. Leadership is not about position; it's serving in their communities who are dying because about productivity. A congregation full of followers of a lack of finances. When we stop giving, we are killing those churches…and the countless lives they is on life support and is getting ready to die. touch each day.

6. Get mad if you’re not appointed

10. Don’t reach out to the unchurched.

to a leadership position.

So many people in church are focused on titles.

They want to be directors, deacons and dignitaries, and when they are not appointed to a position, they begin to stir up trouble. This is a manifestation of deep-seated pride, and pride is one of the most dangerous killers of all.

The primary purpose of the church is to introduce people to Jesus. The people in the pews must take ownership of that responsibility and become “minichurches” that reach out to the unchurched every day of the week and bring them to the house of the Lord to be discipled. Churches need regular and consistent “transfusions.” When new people are brought into the church, they bring new life and vibrancy. They ensure that the church doesn’t get stuck in the old way of doing things. They bring fresh perspective, and they help keep the church alive. Don’t kill your church! Go and bring in some new people today.

(The writer currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Holy Church of Winston-Salem, NC. )

7. Never give your opinion in a meeting…wait until AFTER the meeting.

A surefire sign of a church that is on its deathbed is one that has major “meetings-after-the-meeting.”

You know, where no one voices their honest opinion or offers useful insight during the official meeting, but are quick to huddle in a corner or the church parking lot after the meeting to harp on how “it ought to be done.” There are chalk lines all over church Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

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CHURCH MATTERS

Sin in the Camp: How to Handle Indiscipline in Church there is grace and forgiveness via repentance.

Offer a solution. Saying, ‘I will walk through this with you,’ offers great hope. The man addicted to porn needs to show that he is serious by installing accountability software. The wife who left her husband needs to end the affair immediately, and so on. Accountability often starts the process of lasting change.

Healing requires time. Spiritual restoration takes time as well. If restoration occurs too quickly, more damage can result because of a weakened state that is not yet strong. A person who is eager to jump right back into ministry and avoid the waiting process, is not ready – their motives may be skewed. Granted, God will often renew passion for ministry, but He's planting the seed for future service. The seed needs time to nourish and grow. We must feel the pain that our sin has caused. Time is needed to revisit progress, talk to family members, and reassess the situation – encourage and believe the best in others (1 Corinthians 13) – but don’t rush the process.

Assess the heart of the person. If the person is contentious and angry about accountability, they are not broken. It’s possible to be sorry about the consequences, but not truly repentant.

A penitent person turns from sin. They accept full responsibility for their actions without blame, resentment, or bitterness. When repentance is genuine, we want to be reconciled with those we've injured; we want to do the right thing rather than make excuses.

What if a person doesn’t listen? In Matt. 18:16-17, Jesus says to ‘take with you one or two more … And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.’ How churches handle this varies but, this is not a quick process (there are exceptions). After many weeks of pleading, praying, and waiting on God, the time may come when church discipline needs to occur.

I don’t believe that every situation needs to be brought before the entire congregation, but only before those who are affected (unless he is a leader).

‘Tell it to the church’ no doubt involves telling people who have some form of relationship with the person. Only those who know the person can treat them accordingly.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 sheds additional light, ‘And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.’ Paul continues, ‘Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.’

BBYYSSHANE HANEIIDLEMAN DLEMAN ‘Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother’ (Matthew 18:15).

An unrepentant man attends church while continuing a porn addiction; a wife leaves her husband for a boyfriend; a gossip continues belittling and slandering … the lists goes on and on.

No matter how small, sin, like cancer, can grow and destroy the whole body. James 1:15 tells us that when a sinful desire is born it grows until it consumes and overcomes. God is clear that a church cannot allow unrepentant sin to continue. The Apostle Paul provides an example of a man living with his father’s wife while the church remains silent. He responds, ‘Remove this man from your midst’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 5) with the goal being repentance and restoration.

Sadly, many churches take the easy route by avoiding confrontation. But saying nothing is saying something … we are condoning sin by our silence.

Granted, we should not rush to judgment — grace, mercy, and forgiveness must be underscored. God’s patience with us is a good example to follow. If someone is caught in sin, we should restore that person gently while being careful not to fall into temptation as well (cf. Galatians 6:1). Here are a few ways: Examine your heart first. Jesus encourages us to remove the plank from our eye first because our sinful tendency is to point out the flaws in others.

This doesn't mean that we should look the other way, but that we should refrain from eager judgmentalism.

Research the facts. Proverbs 18:13 says that we should not make a decision before hearing both sides. Be patient and ask God to reveal what's really going on. Don’t be quick to assume.

Don’t move too quickly. Those handling the situation need to pray and wait on God. Often, God is convicting the person who is walking in disobedience. Moving too quickly can hinder this and damage communication. But on the flip side, moving too slowly has pitfalls as well. Sometimes we must intervene immediately as in the case of drug use, abuse, etc. Wisdom is needed here.

Lovingly confront the person. This is often not the time for anger, but tears. Lovingly and graciously challenge them. It may also be appropriate to walk them through relevant Scriptures and remind them that poor choices have consequences, but also that Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

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HEARTH & HOME

7 Ways You Can Help Your Children Grow Spiritually

BY JOSH REICH How do you help your kids grow spiritually?

As our kids have gotten older, this is a question Katie and I get on a regular basis. It is one we’ve gotten right in certain seasons, and in others we’ve wandered around lost. Sometimes things that we do work really well, and other times they fall apart.

Here are seven ideas for you as a parent to help your kids grow spiritually: 1. Model your spiritual life to them. The reality of anything related to parenting is that you pass on what you do. If you want to pass anything on to your kids spiritually, you must model it for them. They will watch you for 18+ years. They will see you read your Bible (or not), how often you pray and what your prayers contain (so much is taught in this), how often you attend church and how important spiritual things are to you.

2. Involve them in a church. Just like the first one, they will often do what you do. So do what you’d like to see them do. What if they don’t like church? Many parents will talk about how their kids don’t like to attend church, attend a worship service or something else. Many times I’ll hear parents say, “I don’t want to force spiritual things onto my kids.”

This is often from a place of fear as a parent because you don’t know what to do, but also the fear that your kids will reject it and want nothing to do with Christianity. The problem with this is that we don't apply this to anything else. We force our kids to do math, learn a language, eat broccoli, turn off their electronics and take a nap, often when they hate every moment of it.

If you don’t involve them in a church, when do you think they will learn that? If they don't understand an aspect of a worship service, explain it to them. If you don’t know what to tell them, do some research together. I think it's important as often as possible for kids and students to be involved in small groups, serving in a church and attending the worship service in a church. Is every kid different?

Yes. Should you force your kids to do something they dislike? Sometimes.

Our kids take out the trash and dislike it, but they still do it. I don't think they’ll be scarred as adults because of that.

3. Read the Bible together. Part of why kids dislike church is they don’t understand the relevance of the Bible and the things that happen at church. It is something their parents do, apart from them. So do it with them.

I know this is difficult, and they don’t always want to sit still, but doing something is better than Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

nothing.

For our family, we’ve tried things like the Jesus Storybook Bible when the kids were younger to using a catechism now, so we have a question each week we are working through as a family. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something.

4. Read books to them. One of the things you can do is read books to your kids and discuss the spiritual themes in them. Whenever we watch a movie, we always talk about how it is like the one true story we see in Scripture. What are the themes and how do those themes influence us?

5. Listen to their questions. This might be one of the most overlooked aspects of your kids’ spiritual life because it is out of your control as a parent and doesn’t come on a schedule. But your kids have questions, and when they ask them, engage them.

Don’t shoo them away or scold them for asking a question. If they are skeptical or have doubts, talk with them. This is an incredibly powerful message you are sending them as their parent. You are telling them it is OK to ask questions, to wonder about something, to be unsure. If you don’t know the answer, tell them and then study it together. Ask them why they are curious about that. This engages their life. Is it in a book, a show, from a friend? This is an important window into their world.

6. Interact with their friends and talk with your kids about how to pick friends. Don’t sit on the sidelines when it comes to their friends. You have an enormous impact on their spiritual lives, but so do their friends. Be involved in that.

7. Pray for them. If you’re a follower of Jesus you know this, but it is easy to overlook the power in it. If you aren’t praying for your kids, who do you think will? Pray for them. Pray with them. Ask them what you can pray for, even if they say nothing.

Parenting is about involvement and trying and faith.

Lots of it.

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GOSPEL MELA 2017 24-Hour Chain Prayer

15 Specific Prayer Points For a 30-Minute Intercession And, I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none (Ezekiel 22:30).

Praying with one accord for 2,234 people groups spread across 1.2 billion people in 29 states and 7 UTs in one nation.

Every nation, every tribe, every people and every tongue shall say: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10).

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Redemption of our souls is possible only through Jesus, there’s no other way. Gospel is nothing but proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sins, to be delivered out of the bondage of our curses and to come out of darkness into His magnificent light.

We are doing this in a concerted manner by targeting one State in the country every month for the next 12 months. We are reaching out to 1,00,000 people in each state with the Gospel message through tracts, other booklets and personal evangelism wherever possible. We are not working on this in isolation but have involved several local churches and missions

1. Let us pray for our new President and Vice President, Shri Ramnath Kovind and Shri Venkaiah Naidu respectively. As a church, we are called to pray for our prime minister, cabinet ministers and opposition leaders also. We need to pray that God will give them wisdom, fear of God and humaneness to bring about good governance and welfare schemes to be implemented. Like Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 2:1 and 2, we need to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and give thanks THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w SEPTEMBER 2017

organizations in each state. We have christened this effort as ‘Gospel Mela’.

We need your prayerful support to make this a success. We lean on to the One who said: ‘…for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). God expects us to intensify our prayers and give freely to the Lord’s work so hundreds of thousands of Indians will come to know that Jesus is the only way to salvation in the next one year.

Besides using these prayer points to pray for 30 minutes during the 24-hour chain prayer time, will you also set apart five minutes a day or an hour on any day of the week to join us in prayer?

If you do, God will do wonders in this nation.

Amen. Glory to God. for kings, and all those in authority.

2. Pray that the spirit of darkness that spreads religious intolerance in the country is bound in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that all the divisive forces that instigate one people group against another and pits one community against another lose their power and their nefarious plans are defeated.

Let us pray that law and order is maintained in all our states so the church and the general public may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

3. Let us pray for Tamil Nadu in a special way. For good governance in the state, the installation of a corruption-free government, the culture of bribes to be wiped out from all government machinery and for governments to drop anti-people projects. Pray for a peaceful end to Neduvasal hydrocarbon project and NEET medical entrance examination.

4. We see the right-wing elements tightening their grip on the nation. Out of the 29 states, the BJP is in power in 18 states. Only Punjab and Himachal

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Pradesh in the north, Mizoram and Meghalaya in the north east, West Bengal and Odisha in the east and Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry in the south have so far successfully warded off the BJP. Pray that no fundamentalist political party gains a foothold in any of the states in the south.

5. Pray that the forces of darkness that work against the Church, missions organizations and NGOs become powerless. Pray that the weapons and counsel that are formed against God's servants do not prosper. May God create an atmosphere where His servants preach the Gospel in a free and fearless manner. Almost 90 percent of the people groups in the nation have not yet been reached by the Gospel.

We, who believe that the Lord's return is imminent, need to take steps to spread the Gospel on a war footing. May God give us the grace!

6. Pray for the Bhatia people group. They are 100 percent Muslim and speak Gujarati. Besides Gujarat, they are also present in Tripura and M a n i p u r. T h e y a r e c a l l e d Ya d u v a n s h i , Chandravanshi and Banian. Pray that this people group is reached with the Gospel.

7. Pray for the Rabari people group. Like the Bhatias, Rabaris speak Gujarati and follow Islamic tenets. But they are found only in Gujarat. Pray for this people group who are also known as Poppa, Moga, Rayga and Visodar. Let us pray that these people accept Jesus Christ and appropriate the fullness of blessings found in His Gospel.

8. Let us pray for the Telugu-speaking Madiga people. They are Muslims and live in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. They also speak Urdu, and Kannada. Pray that the Gospel work gains traction among them. Pray that God raises evangelists and pastors from among the Madiga people. Let us pray that the ones that God raises involve themselves in evangelism efforts with sound wisdom, anointing and a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

9. Among the 573 people groups in Tamil Nadu, 89 percent has not yet been reached by the Gospel.

Pray that people belonging to Ambattan, Agamudyar, Ambalavasi, Arunthathiyar, Bania, Banjara, Devdasi, Devendrakulathor, Vanniar, Vellalar and Yadavas enter God's Kingdom through the grace of Jesus Christ.

10. Of the 504 people groups in Telengana, 489 have not heard the Gospel even once yet. Pray for Balija, Banijaka, Pasor, Brahmins, Chamar, Sakkiliyan, Dhobi, Kapu, Koya, Lohar, Wokkaliga, Lingayat and a few other communities to come into the magnificent light of Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that dedicated, committed and honest God's servants Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). with a real soul burden come forward to do His work among these communities.

11. Messenger Missions supports Bible translation in three languages (Ranglong, Rathwi and Inner Seraji) spoken among the people of the north east. We need Rs.1,20,000 a year for this project. Aside from this, we need a considerable amount of money to print or buy Gospel tracts and purchase Scriptures in various languages. Only if this need is met can our missions work go on unhindered. There are other needs such as the salaries of missionaries and office staff, their children's education aid, medical camps, outreach ministries and so on. Pray that God raises His children who are generous minded to support our missions work.

12. By the abundant grace of God, the Lord's work is progressing in 15 villages in Madhya Pradesh under three Gospel workers. Pray that God gives a big harvest of souls in Kirnapur where we have a church. Pray for the extension of the boundaries of our community development project, 'Asha Kiran'.

Pray for our outreaches in Chhachanmeta and Tekkadi to grow and bear fruit. As many as 9 believers are ready for baptism in MP. Pray that they grow in the Word and in the Lord.

13. Do you know that we earn not only for ourselves and our families? Listen to what Ephesians 4:28 says: 'Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.' Pray that God takes us to that level where we work not only for ourselves but for others as well; that we will have something to give generously to those in need, the church and ministries.

14. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:10 'For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.' Let us be ready. Pray that God gives us a sense of immediacy to do the works of His Kingdom.

Amen.

15. Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you, says Job 22:21. Eliphaz's advice to Job holds good even today - for a man or a nation.

Pray that the people of the nation agree with Jesus, be at peace with Him, and thereby possess the good from Him. Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3). Pray claiming the verse.

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SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY

Help us gift woollen blankets to people in our mission fields GREETINGS to you in the Name of Jesus Christ, the One who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Come November and cold season begins in several places in north India. November, December and January are perhaps the coldest months in many northern states.

Like in the previous years, we would like to give woollen shawls and blankets to the people who are covered by the ministrations of our mission fields.

This year, we would like at least 200 people to be benefitted by this outreach ministry. We need to raise Rs.1,00,000 immediately to be able to meet the need.

Will you come forward to meet this need? You can look at making this gift available to 5 or 10 or 50 people.

If the Lord asks you to stretch out your helping hand to the poor believers and seekers in our mission A few people from one of our mission fields fields, you can get in touch with us. Your generous in MP with the woolen blankets in 2015. offerings and gifts will help us share the love of Jesus Christ with those people. May God bless you and The need in each of the states that we are in is great, your household. Amen. but then the Gospel workers are carrying on bravely I would like you to remember our missionaries in serving the Lord faithfully. your prayers. They are facing unique challenges.

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SEPTEMBER 2017 w THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER

MINISTRY MENTOR

Preacher, Does Your Sermon Pass the 6-Rule Test?

BEFORE YOU preach your next sermon, take the time to answer these six questions. If you do, you'll have greater clarity for the content of the message and the congregation will have greater clarity for the expected action from the message.

So pastor, grab your sermon and ask God for wisdom as you dive into these questions.

1. Are my first five minutes interesting?

If you follow our sticky sermon structure, you’ll know that you’re asking this question of the engage section of your sermon.

We want to evaluate whether or not our first five minutes will cause people to lean in and take interest in what we’re sharing. This could be done with an interesting personal story, a shocking fact or a joke that connects to the message. Whatever your introduction contains, make sure that it’s interesting (and obviously connected to the rest of the message).

Interesting for interesting’s sake is pointless.

2. Do I show the importance of the subject?

Next, move to the tension section of the sermon where we’re moving from interesting to important and setting up our time of digging into the Scriptures.

Here we want to bring up the problem we face when it comes to the point of the text. We’re simply priming the pump for moving into the biblical passage we are going to look at. For example, if you’re preaching on Galatians 6:2 (bear one another's burdens…) you could talk about the tension between knowing that we need to share what we are going through with others, but fearing what they may do with the information we give. It’s a tension that can be resolved once you move into the text; namely, it’s a two-way street, and in doing so, we fulfill the law of Christ.

3. Am I giving a complete picture of the truth?

We call this the truth section of the sermon. This is where we dive into the passage of Scripture we are focusing on, do good biblical exegesis and help the congregation be in the text. Help them see what the original hearers or the people in the narrative saw.

Help them feel what they felt.

When we ask this question, we’re really wanting to evaluate whether or not we are being true to the original intended meaning, putting the passage into the grand narrative of Scripture, and preaching the Gospel from the passage (here’s how to preach the Gospel every time).

4. Where does this intersect with life today?

It's time for application. We want to move from the original intended meaning by using good hermeneutics and move to how this passage THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w SEPTEMBER 2017

intersects with the here and now in a day-to-day kind of way.

Here we want to help people see that Scripture speaks directly to our lives in an intimate way. God’s truth is timely and timeless. Here we begin to move to that timeless truth that should propel us to some sort of response. We show what that response looks like generally and share our big idea/bottom line/main point of the sermon here.

5. What’s a powerful picture?

Specifically, we want to inspire through imagining or showing what life would look like if we allowed God to do this work in us that the passage speaks of (or responded in a certain way to the text or took an action—like bearing one another’s burdens).

Here our goal is to put feet to the future. If God used this sermon to do something in us, what could that look like? Help people see!

6. What should happen now?

When the rubber meets the road, where do we go?

How do we go? What happens now? We want to help people take action. We should always call people to take action in response to our sermons.

Go to God in prayer and ask Him for wisdom in where to go here. If someone were to take action on Monday morning in response to the sermon, what would that action look like? Be specific.

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BIBLE STUDY

4 Guidelines for Interpreting Scripture

BY REBECCA VAN NOORD 1.

Understand genre Begin by understanding the genre of the biblical book you are reading. Is it historical narrative or poetry? A gospel or a letter? Each genre requires a different interpretive approach. For example, narratives tell us about God’s salvation work throughout history, so we shouldn’t read them as prescriptive. They don’t necessarily offer us godly examples to emulate.

Tip: Learn more about how to study and interpret biblical genres with Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart’s How to read the Bible for all its worth.

2.

Consider historical-cultural context We’ve all heard that ‘context is king!’ – but what does that mean? It starts with recognizing that our biases, cultural views and personal experiences aren’t compartmentalized when we read the Bible.

All of us have particular concerns that often shape our interpretation – or even cause us to use the text for our own interests – if we are not aware of them.

Being cognizant of historical-cultural context begins with understanding that the text wasn’t written specifically to us but to ancient communities. If we better understand the intended message for its original audience, we can better apply it to our own lives.

Tip: When considering matters of historicalcultural context, ask questions like ‘When was this book written? Who was the writer addressing? What was their culture like?’ Use Bible background commentaries to help you understand these issues.

3.

Read the text closely It might seem elementary but good biblical exegesis always begins with a close reading of the text. Misuse of many verses can be avoided if they aren’t lifted out of their literary context. By closely reading the text – even entire books in one sitting – we can better discern its message.

Tip: As you read, pinpoint key units of thought and trace the author's argument. Make note of major themes. Ask questions like ‘who, what, where, when and how’ to form a basic understanding of the passage.

4.

Research difficult terms When stumbling over words that seem confusing – who is the fool, really? (Prov. 14:9), and what does it mean for Jesus to be the firstborn of the dead (Rev 1:5) – you may need to dig deeper to discover the meaning of the passage. Read more than one passage of the text to help you see how ideas are translated.

Choose a literal (word-for-word) translation as well as a dynamic translation, and investigate when you Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

Good biblical exegesis always begins with a close reading of the text.

Misuse of many verses can be avoided if they aren’t lifted out of their literary context. find major differences. Use a detailed lexicon to research any puzzling terms, and track their usage with a Bible software or a concordance before you return to interpreting and applying the passage – in its own context.

Tip: Use lexicons like The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon or the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Louw-Nida) that provide additional word usage information, including nuances in meanings when the same word is used in different contexts.

For further reading, see: Richard Schultz, Out of Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible, 2nded.

D A Carson, Exegetical Fallacies Victor Matthews, Manners and Customs of the Bible The writer is the co-author of ‘Connect the Testaments’

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INNER HEALING

What does the Bible say on forgiving yourself?

BY H B CHARLES JR. THE MOST faithful response to this question is to reject it as an illegitimate question.

The biblical teaching about forgiveness can be summarized in two main ideas: God forgives sinners freely, completely and sacrificially. Ultimately, divine forgiveness is paid for by the cross of Christ.

Christians must forgive those who wrong us, as God has forgiven us for the sake of Christ.

That's it. Sermon over. There is no third point.

God has forgiven us and we must forgive others.

Period.

There are more than 125 direct references to forgiveness in the Bible. But the Bible does not teach that we should forgive ourselves. It does not explain how to forgive ourselves. It does not say anything about forgiving ourselves whatsoever.

God is just, holy and righteous. We are not. We are sinners who cannot do anything to win the approval of God. We cannot reach up to God. But God has reached down to us through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our infinitely holy God extends forgiveness to stubbornly rebellious sinners. Yet there are those who claim, “I know God has forgiven me. But I need to learn to forgive myself.”

This is the self-centered psychology of the world, not the teaching of scripture. In fact, it contradicts the message of the Bible. If I need to forgive myself, it suggests that I am the God that I have offended and need to appease. This way of thinking is not just erroneous, it is blasphemous.

To claim that I have been forgiven by God but I cannot forgive myself betrays that I do not THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w SEPTEMBER 2017

understand, believe or appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a sinister attempt of the Enemy to get us to depend upon our own righteousness, rather than the grace of God. Isaiah had a violent encounter with the holiness of God (Isaiah 6), who was seated in sovereign authority. “Woe is me!” Isaiah responded, “For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5).

Confronted by sovereign holiness, Isaiah braced himself to die. But God graciously forgave him instead. As he basked in amazing grace, Isaiah did not say, “I know God has forgiven me. Now, I have to learn to forgive myself for my unclean lips!” Rather, Isaiah volunteered to be God's messenger, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

When a Christian repents of sin and receives forgiveness by the atoning blood of Christ, it is natural to wish you had never sinned against God in the first place. There should be a godly sorrow over sin. There will be regret and remorse as you consider those who are hurt by your sin. You may lament the consequences of your transgressions. But none of these things represent an ongoing guilt for which you need to forgive yourself.

“For freedom Christ has set us free,” declares Paul. “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Jesus guarantees our spiritual liberty by declaring, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

You do not need to supplement divine forgiveness with any self-forgiveness. Your forgiveness in Christ is complete. Receive it. Remember it. And rejoice in it. If your testimony is, “God has forgiven me,” that is enough! You do not need to forgive yourself.

1 John 1:9 is the Christian's blessed assurance…

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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CONTENT WRITERS WANTED Graduates with a flair for writing, researching and editing or Journalism graduates can apply for part-time employment.

Email: editor@christianmessenger.in Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

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