I am writing to those who are tired and exhausted in serving the church. I am writing this to encourage you to continue to serve God at church, and to do so by the grace of God.
Sometimes serving in the church it can feel that the gates of hell is pressing unto the church. And sometimes that is true.
Certainly Jesus recognized this reality. As He described it in His own words:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
Yet did you catch what Jesus said? “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” That’s right, in regards to Christ’s church He will not allow Hell to prevail against it.
Of course sometimes Christ moves the church elsewhere outside an apostatizing body of people. Yet for those involved with teaching and preaching, discipling, ministering and serving with sound doctrines the church is always under the pressure of Satan from outside worldly influences upon the members, false teachings, or members’ love for God growing cold, worldliness, sins, etc.
It can be easy to be discouraged.
Sometimes it feels everything depends upon us. Or at least humanly speaking.
Yet Matthew 16:18 gives us hope.
Again “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
But did you catch what Jesus said before that? Jesus said “I will build my church.”
He will build His church.
Christ will build His church.
Part of that involves Christ giving spiritual gifts to the members of His church to build His church.
Yet when God uses members of the church to build the Church it is Christ who builds His church.
What an incredible truth.
What an incredible truth to meditate upon.
What an incredible truth that should move you to serve all out in the church.
What an incredible truth that should also make you not trust in yourself or your strength or your self-confidence; rather it should move you to trust in Christ for strength!
Have you gone to Him to pray for that strength?
Then go all out knowing Christ is working in His church! And count it a joy to thank God that He is using you!
If Christ is building His church through you that means we should also serve faithfully according to His blueprint in the Scriptures but also through sound doctrines from the teaching of Scripture.
Finally after all that you have done, at the end of Sunday you can go to God to pray for His grace with your shortcoming and also knowing that ultimately it is Christ who will build His church and not ultimately you. How liberating! How liberating it is this truth that frees us to go all-out serving God, liberating us from fear that immobilizes us when we think we are doing everything all alone.
The Domain for Truth 
This was a great encouragement thanks for it.
Thanks! Hope you have a blessed Lord’s Day, have been praying for you for everything you have shared!
Thanks much. My church day is about to begin in fact. It is time to go down and check the heat and turn on some lights
Thanks for the exhortation, brother! I hope you have a blessed Lord’s Day!
I hope you have a blessed Day in the Lord as well! Is any of your kids still at your place for the holidays and is going to church with you? Whether the answer is yes or no, I just prayed for your two son’s salvation.
Thanks, Jimmy! Our oldest son lives just 5 miles away and he and his family came over for dessert for Thanksgiving. Our youngest son is stationed down in Texas. He’s talking about coming up again for Christmas, which would be very nice. He usually comes up only once per year and he was here just a month a go for our NYC trip. Thank you for your prayers! We have asked them to go to church with us at Christmas.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for the reblog! Have a blessed Lord’s Day today! Will be checking your blog pretty late today because of ministry
Yankee Whiskey Bravo and likewise my friend 😎
Amen!
Love it: “How liberating it is this truth that frees us to go all-out serving God, liberating us from fear that immobilizes us when we think we are doing everything all alone.”
Thanks! Any more details about the book you can share with us thus far?
Thanks for asking. I have finished all the core content. It will be a mix topical studies and devotional material. I plan the editing to proceed in December and hope to launch in January.
It is a stunning day in paradise. Blessings from King Jesus.
Jim, thank you. We all need this encouragement. If we forsake His church, we have no hope, for it is in the church He has planned to gather His people to bring to Himself. When it seems He has forsaken His church, we must pray and continue to serve in His name. Blessings as you continue to serve Him. 🙂
I say a big amen to your quote: “When it seems He has forsaken His church, we must pray and continue to serve in His name.” I felt this way for a long time with our church and I believe God answered! How far we have come since the days when I first was with the church and saw so much worldliness when we had no pastor for nearly a year and where we are at now! It is the work of God but I also believe He works through our love, prayers and faithful ministry, Amen? Blessings to you too Frances
Sadly, I’ve been involved with a number of Churches that failed financially. And yet, they seemed on fire for The Gospel. Perhaps ‘seemed’ is the operative word here. Do you think the leaders of these Churches were trying too hard to build the Church themselves, when they should have let Christ do the building?
Good point. I don’t know fully why some churches close down and some keeps going. I know sometimes Gospel centered local churches do close down though true saints go elsewhere for their local church. I can imagine sometimes it might be that leaders are trying to build the churches themselves rather than lean on Christ but I also think sometimes it is God’s will simply for the local churches to manifest in different areas and sometimes some local churches close down so that other churches gets planted elsewhere and perhaps the Lord will use that to reach others in ways that wouldn’t have been possible had those churches not been planted. What do you think brother?
Yours is the best hypothesis I’ve heard, Jim. One was a small non denominational which for a time was growing really fast. It seems to me however, that the pastor wanted a mega church really bad. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, but he moved to what he thought was a better location, and slowly lost his congregation. Another was a local Church which was already established, but had built beyond their means. The congregation didn’t seem to be able to support it financially and (from what I saw) couldn’t pay the loans. I loved the people of both these Churches, but their folding didn’t hurt my faith. It did perplex me though.
Good point sometimes cool and hip but unbiblical churches grow because they tickle ears.
I can see that happening.
Amen! Without Jesus we can do nothing. We can’t rely on ourselves to serve God. Great post.!
If He builds it, will we come? J.
Wow that’s a good one!
As you can tell, I’m way behind in my reading. However, I believe this message was for this appointed time in my life. While I have not grown weary, as such, I do sometimes want to get lazy.
[…] to encourage people to invest in the church not with just money but time and love. See “Serve All Out in Church, Knowing Christ is Building His Church.” I also want to ensure people in church don’t burn out. See “Help! I feel I […]