Your relationship with your congregation

This sermon is part of this series of sermons that I have been preaching, trying to clarify and clarify what are the fundamentals of our church, what we are, what we believe, why we are the way we are and clarify the ambiguities and things that a Sometimes they are not defined because pastors rarely have the opportunity to develop this type of meditation. It is not a meditation like a sermon that gives glory to God, Hallelujah! But I do believe that they invite us to think, biblically, theologically, and to know aspects of our life as a church and as individuals as well.

I believe that among the issues we have discussed, this issue of how I think the relationship between you and your church should be, the León de Judá congregation in this case, but how any believer's relationship with their church should be. And what should be the relationship of the church with the believer, what are the duties, responsibilities, what are the privileges, what are the expectations. There are many unreasonable and sometimes unfair and exaggerated expectations of the role of the church. Sometimes perhaps we have a very low expectation, even of the role of the church, of our relationship with our church.

And I want to clarify a little about that, so that you understand what I think the relationship of a parishioner with his church should be, in a time where there is so much difference of opinion and so much frenzy, people coming and going, leaving and coming in from the churches.

Again, I always stay healthy and say that any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental, I'm not taking hints at anyone, I'm not taking revenge on anyone or anything, please relax and listen to this because it's developing In a spirit of pastoral prayer, I desire to build up and bless my congregation and with no one in mind. I say that simply so that we are calm because this applies to all of us.

There is a passage that I chose almost at random from Scripture because the Bible, to the extent that in the New Testament the church was still developing its identity, as an institution, we barely see a few brushstrokes of what the church would become after two thousand years of development up to our times. But there are moments that teach us that the first believers began to gather in groups, synagogue type, local church type where the believers met to do the things that were done in a Jewish synagogue, preach, have fellowship, have practical teaching about life, worship the Lord, pray together, practice the rituals of faith, all these things. And Christians transferred those customs and rituals into their own lives now as Jewish Christians, and that's what I see many times in the pages of Scripture.

Over the centuries, the church has been acquiring a much larger apparatus than that, officials, bishops, and we see there deacons and pastors and teachers, and prophets, and all this type of thing, it was adding different components to what today is understood by the church.

But, for example, look at what were the qualities of the life of the believers in the book of Acts, in Chapter 2, verse 44, it says:

“…All those who had believed were together – one of the things that a church provides is community, fellowship, fellowship - …were together and had all things in common… - there was a sharing of goods and blessings together – …and they sold their properties and their goods and they distributed them to all according to the needs of each one… – this is not necessarily prescriptive or normative, but in that moment of outpouring, of a powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the believers were moved to deliver their goods, selling, many of them, not all, was somewhat exceptional and we are not told here that this is what one always has to do. Now, if you want to do it and donate it to the temple, glory to God, house keys are received, car titles. They did this.

“… according to the needs of each one… – but here is the important thing, he says in verse 46, – … and persevering with one accord every day in the temple – because it was the meeting place. A church has a place of congregation. There are Christians out there who are lone rangers and their temple is sometimes television, the last evangelist on the air, the last popular, the latest trend, that is their pastor and that is their church and they believe in Jesus Christ but they don't believe in the church. Unfortunately, the Lord left his church and his church as an invisible and eternal body of men and women, but also a community. The Christian life is shared in community and there is no such thing as a single island Christian. The Christian develops his identity in the light of his life in community and all that that life allows and evokes.

“…persevering with one accord every day in the temple and breaking bread in the houses, they ate together with joy and sincerity of heart, praising God, adoration, having favor with all the people, testimony, and the Lord added to the church every day the that they were to be saved…”

Evangelism, conquest, sowing the word of the Gospel in the society that is moved by seeing the experience. One of the things that I do not point out here in the presentation, one of the attributes of the church is that it is supposed to be for me, but I left that out, because it is profound but not necessarily relevant. We are supposed to live exemplifying what a just society is, a society like Christ designed it in the Garden of Eden. That is our aspiration. We have to manifest that and we are a living testimony to the world that by seeing our excellent life, and seeing the values of the Kingdom of God, they are moved and are convinced that Christ is who he says he is.

So one of the things that a good congregation does is exemplify the values of the Kingdom of God as God intended them before the fall. But that's a personal thing and we could develop it a lot more but there's a lot of meat there.

I want to talk specifically, what is your relationship with your church, with your congregation. More specifically, what should be our relationship with our congregation and its authorities, the pastors, the deacons, the leaders of the various ministries, how should you relate to them, what should that relationship be between us.

Look, I like it a lot, I find a lot of benefit in comparing our relationship with our church with the marriage relationship. Glory to God, there's a sister who knows what I'm talking about. It did help me a lot as I worked on this sermon and meditated on it here and there, it occurs to me that, again, using the marriage metaphor seems fancier than a hen or a chicken coop, but you can get a lot out of it. use the metaphor, the image of a marriage. How should our relationship with our congregation be? Let's see what benefit we get from that idea of our relationship with our church as a married couple.

Number 1, do you remember, brother, sister, when one day full of illusions, many of which were destroyed immediately when you began married life, you told him, until death do us part, and they said it well, until death do us part. separate. One of the things about marriage that is for life. Amen. And we marry with the idea that in prosperity and in sadness, for all the things that you know, in sickness and in health, in all that life and in all that it takes you will be faithful to each other, husband and wife, I've said it so many times that I almost know it by heart.

But one of the serious things about marriage is that it is for life. It is a terribly serious and solemn commitment. And that is why it is done in community and it is done in front of the people and in front of family members and friends, and sometimes it is published in the newspapers and a contract is signed, in a sense, a pact, and it is sealed so that it is in force and has legal weight included. Because you have to tie yourself up with all the chains you can so you don't get out of it sometimes.

But it is in the long term, and we have to remember that, brothers. If people understood that the question of marriage is not a matter of passion or emotion, but that it is an act of the will, it is a word that you give them, it is a vow, it is a pact that you make with a man or a woman. , to share life together. And you invest yourself in him or she in you, and it is a total compenetration of being, it is a mystery, says the Apostle Paul, like Christ with his church.

Marriage is something very deep. But I like the idea that in the same way the commitment to a church should be long-term, at least, not necessarily I'm not going to say, until death do you part, because there are many things for which I believe that one is legitimate... sometimes the Lord's time has come to not be in a place. Sometimes God actually moved you from one place to another. There are times when you were in an abusive relationship with a church, a congregation and you have to run for your life. There are times when there is heresy being taught in a church and you have to flee for your spiritual health.

There are many legitimate reasons to break the link with a congregation, but I believe that when we establish a membership relationship with a church, a commitment to a church, if we have examined it well, we have been in it for a long time, we have found legitimate reasons to brotherhood with a community, we have to say, you know what? This is my church and I am going to do everything I can to stay in close relationship with her and I am going to get through the bad times and the good times with her.

There are people who are just waiting for a bad wind to come to set foot and go to another church. And whatever happens at once... not a sense... one of my complaints about the world we live in as an ecclesiastical person, is that people, as in marriage too, have lost that sense of commitment and loyalty to their congregation. There was a time when a person lived, as I was saying last Sunday, in a church and died in that church.

Nowadays, the whole world is moving, it's like a game of chairs. Everyone is walking around and when the music ends everyone is looking for a chair to sit down. And so we do, everyone is running around looking for and we change churches as we move. There were people who in their past lives in their countries were born in a house and died in the same house. Today, how many of us can say that? We've moved like 800,000 times, different cities, different countries, different neighborhoods.

Modern life is a life of great frenzy. That has been translated to the church, to belonging to a church. I believe there is health and blessing in a long-term commitment to a church. Amen. So remember that. Commitment to a congregation should be as much as possible, with a level of permanence, a look toward permanence, and long-term commitment. In that there is health and there is blessing.

Secondly, I believe that the church relationship is like a marriage. A marriage was designed to reflect the unity of God within its diversity. This is deep theologically, but God is a Trinity, three persons in one God, a mystery. God is a complex God that the masculine and the feminine are united in his person. God is tremendously masculine when he conquers, when he creates, when he legislates, but he is also feminine when he loves, when he forgives, when he nourishes, when he welcomes and embraces.

God unites what we call masculine and feminine. God doesn't understand those things, not that he doesn't understand, but he is more than that, and he is all of that. But God is infinitely complex and his Trinity in unity is something of a mystery.

I believe the man and the woman in their difference and by uniting in one flesh and by exemplifying through a life together, companionship, complementarity, collaboration and being different but also one, exemplify the unity of the Trinity. How many can say amen to what I'm saying? Or they've already blown their brains out and say, no, the pastor is too poetic.

I believe that marriage is supposed to exemplify that unity of God within its complexity and its diversity. And so it happens in a church too, where we are different temperaments, cultures, nations, colors, different socioeconomic levels, but we exemplify the unity of the body of Christ. Amen. We are one in Christ Jesus, one body, one spirit, one baptism, one God and Lord, one word that unites us, one doctrine.

And a church is like that. A church is a very diverse thing but it is supposed to be unity and exemplify that unity in complexity and diversity. And remember that, not everyone is going to think like you. The leaders are not going to think like you, perhaps you are going to be listening to the pastor saying, we are like a chicken, and he says, no, but I am an eagle. But give him a little humor and let him think so. In diversity there is enrichment. Think about it, see it that way, and then go back to your way of thinking, maybe a little more stretched. But there is diversity in a discipleship class, there is diversity in a cell. But in that we are enriched and learn to see the world through the eyes of another person for a moment and then return to their perspective because that will help you too. Tolerate diversity.

Sometimes there will be times when the church is going in a different direction than what you believe or a cell, or a group. Go and examine it, keep it in your heart, pray, and let the Lord clear things up. But marriage, like the church, reflects unity within diversity.

Another thing too, I believe that marriage was designed by God, I am giving you two for one, by the way, one about marriage and about the church. Glory to God. I'm not going to charge you for the first part. Two sermons in one.

To reflect true love, marriage is designed to reflect what love is. As I said, love is not fleeting, love does not look for its own, it is not boastful, it does not take a step when things get ugly, it tolerates, forgives, loves, accepts, trusts in the future, hopes that things will be better even if they don't look so good. See the good in the other even though the other still does not show it.

True love goes beyond emotions. The real one goes beyond biology. True love remains, see First Corinthians, Chapter 13. Marriage is supposed to reflect God's true love and in church it is the same.

If you are in the church because of what the church gives you, that is not love for your church. You have to say, ok, what can I give, as John F. Kennedy said, don't think about what your church can do for you, think about what you can do for your church.

Many people come to church with a give me attitude, they are consumers. Today more than ever people come to church with a consumer mindset. What are they going to give me? If you don't have a good program, the best childcare program in town, I'm so sorry, where is it? Oh well shop around. If they don't have this, if they don't have the other… what do they give me? That they gave me? What did they supply me?

They are wine tasters. And what did you think of the pastor's sermon? Ouch, I didn't like it, it was too salty, too strong. Oh, yes, it's true, the poor thing, you have to pray for him. We are consumers many times. We are always thinking about what the church can give me. No, I think that when you come up with that idea of giving to others, oh, they didn't call me, I was at the hospital and they didn't call me. I was away for three weeks and no one called me. Hey, when did you call someone? Call someone, tell him, I'm sick, pray for me. Bribe them, I'm going to make them a meal so they come and visit me. But take initiative.

There are many people who are thinking about what they are going to give me, what they have to give me. Know what? The most powerful and most blessed person is the person who gives before receiving. Don't be a consumer, be a giver and you will see how you will receive more and more. The key to blessing and provision is when you give, forget yourself and God will remember you. Write that down so you don't forget.

Be a giver, be generous. It reflects the true love that gives and expects nothing. Marriage was designed to help us grow and improve ourselves. That creature that God put there next to you, in the morning, at 5 in the morning, – is not my wife, by the way. She is beautiful from the time she gets up to the time she goes to bed and while she sleeps too. I'm talking about you, not us. I cover myself in health because otherwise you know. – But the idea is that in this hand-to-hand fight, sometimes well closed, there is blessing, there is growth.

I believe that God designed marriage, among other things, as an exercise in becoming more like Christ. Yes or no? Say glory even if it's to make me believe I said something good. There is a blessing, because if everything was a bed of roses and there was nothing to forgive, tolerate, not have to be patient, long-term vision, joy in the difference, you would not grow in marriage.

I say that marriage is like a riddle that God has given us so that in the process of solving it, we develop knowledge and understanding. So, the church is very similar because that is why I say that you cannot grow spiritually if it is not in community. The church is a mechanism that God designed so that through struggle among others, and the tolerance of the one who goes out of tune when you are singing to the Lord, and is taking you out of the tune that you want to have, and the little brother who stood up at the time you were trying to see the singer, and this and that. All of this is part of the process that God uses to develop the virtues of the Gospel in us.

It is not only when everything goes well, but the wonderful thing about the Christian life is that in the struggles, in the difficulties, the conflicts, the disappointments, the disappointments, the betrayals, in all those things, if you hold on to the Lord, and you see it through the lens of the word, you will grow and you will be blessed. So don't step foot when things get difficult, tell him, Lord, thank you because through this I am going to be more like Christ and see God's secret purpose in the struggles and difficulties of Christian living.

I tell you, brothers, you don't grow if it isn't through despair. People believe that when trouble comes, oh no, God is not here, I'm going to step foot. No, perhaps it is when God is working and it is an opportunity for you to develop Christian character. The people who are stepping from one place to another when things get tough in a church, never grow, as in marriage too.

If you step foot after things got a little ant color, you will never develop character. And forget that you are going to find an even bigger anthill when you go to another place. That's how it is. One has to work things out in a legitimate way to enter the next stage of faith.

Looks like someone recognized themselves in something I said. That's why I say that in marriage we stay through thick and thin. Make a commitment to your congregation, make a vow of permanence. Rain, shine or shine, maintain your relationship with your church.

Now I'm going to talk later about there being situations where maybe it's legitimate, I say, but as far as possible keep your commitment to your church in all circumstances.

Another thing about marriage, in marriage there are moments of passion but also of normality and monotony. Do not say amen so that it does not reveal anything. But the one who gets married believing that the marriage is going to be a perpetual honeymoon, look, the one who lives like this burns his nervous system fast. Thank God it isn't. What's more, I believe that the beauty of marriage is manifested 'more in the normality of life.

And let me tell you something, I believe that this is the secret of success as well, in any area of life. Because for me, the biggest challenge for an individual is to live in the monotony and normality of life. It is not so much the moments when the adrenaline is through the sky and you lift a car with one hand because you are full of adrenaline, but it is when you have to live your life there. You get up in the morning, you doubt your salvation and everything is bad, it's raining outside, but you go to work, put on your clothes, get in your car, turn on the heating and put Marcos [inaudible] or whoever it is to warm you up a bit and you go to work, put in 8 hours, return home, eat the rice with beans that your wife made for you and watch a television program or better yet, pray or go to church, and you go to sleep and tomorrow you do the same again.

In that context, and that's why there are many people who fail in life, and have problems because they don't know how to deal with normality. I would tell you that human life is 90% tedium and 10% excitement and joy. Some would say, wow, what a pessimistic view the pastor has. But frankly I find beauty in the normality of life.

And marriage is like that, there will be moments when the moon will be full and there will be violins behind you, and passion will flood you, glory to God. Hallelujah! But there are also moments of just living life with your wife, and thanking the Lord that you have a partner, a partner. The two of them are growing old together, developing wrinkles together and are learning and hand in hand they walk the path of life. Amen.

And you have given each other a word to be faithful. And in that there is a great blessing. There are storms, there are lightning and sparks, glory to God, blessing and excitement, but also normality in life. And a lot of people step in because when normality comes they get scared and say, oh, something's up. That's not what I see on TV series or whatever. And so they compare, they see, and they say, something is wrong, and they are looking for that perfectly made-up woman who never loses a single hair and everything is fine. And they won't find her because she spent 8 hours with professional makeup artists to make her look so good on TV.

By the way, how many times have we seen these movie stars when they're doing their shopping on Saturday morning, they're grabbed there, and you say, Angelina Jolie, oh my God, no, it can't be. And it's just life is normal too. And we have to prepare for that in any area, work, friendship, and the church too. The church has its moments.

There are many people who like novelty and from the moment they enter a church the clock is ticking. When they stop greeting them every Sunday they come, and the pastor doesn't run after them, and they're not a big deal when they get to the cell, now, forget it, at 6 months they're restless, looking for the next adrenaline rush, the next place , the next shepherd to tongonee them and visit them. It's normal.

A church has its moment of great blessing, tremendous joy, a concert, an excellent meal, but most of the time, it is normal. Live the life of your congregation, enjoy it. Don't think like there's something wrong going on. What I'm saying, people who are always looking for novelty, can't deal with normality.

Another thing, I have already said it and I am not going to dwell too long on that, that in a marriage one grows through the imperfections, the conflicts, the discipline of marriage, by having one there, for a word, a commitment, a decision one made, and thus one learns to restrain emotions. Emotions don't control you, you control them. You live by principles not by emotions. A man, a woman never reaches the necessary height unless they learn to live by principle. If emotions, appetites rule your life, you will not succeed in anything.

The man, the woman of God is a person who lives according to the principles, the discipline of life and when imperfections and conflicts come, he subjects them to the word of God and works on them. In this process the character of Jesus Christ grows and develops.

All those imperfections of the Christian life and of the Christian coexistence as well as of the marriage are designed by God to create character in us. The one who steps in when things get difficult, never creates character, never grows because it's as if they put you to do an exercise, and after 2 minutes you're already a little tired, that's why people stop do exercises, they buy the machines and after three days they are not using it because they have to stay until things change, until development occurs.

All these things are designed so that we create character, training and stay there until the last moment.

The last thing I say about marriage and the church. Beware of comparisons. What do I want to say with that? Nowadays, marriage counselors endorse what I am going to say, when you lived in your little village in Guatemala, in El Salvador, in the Dominican Republic, you only had a very limited group of people with whom to compare. The men always saw the same little girl, the small group in the village, the same person and everyone went to the land to work, but when television came on and we moved to the cities, you are always comparing. In your work you are comparing the man who lifts weights with his husband who has skinny legs or whatever. And he compares the well-made-up, well-prepared secretary and all this, with his wife who he left at home with the rolls and everything. We're always comparing and thinking, wow, if only I had known, if only I had the chance sooner.

We are always comparing. Be careful with comparisons. Because I assure you, it says in English that the grass always looks greener on the other side. You have seen, there is grass that looks beautiful, bushy and you go and get closer and it has holes like yours too. And so it happens, people make comparisons and we are always comparing because the modern world offers many more opportunities to compare than in our times.

Look, suppress that temptation to compare. Always say everyone has problems, everyone has imperfections and if you go after that one or that one because it seems that it offers you a better opportunity, look when you go there you will discover that you are in the same mess. After the adrenaline wears off, it's the same. Stop comparing. Don't entertain that tendency of ours to compare.

And so it is with congregations and preachers. Oh, if only my pastor would wear a tie like that over there. Look at those $800 shoes. Give him the $800 to buy it for him. Look how well he preaches practical things and how he affirms me through television. Ah, and then we begin to compare and when we go here to church on Sunday, we see the little pastor, he seems like a tadpole.

Or we go to a church and see so and so, I like that pastor. These people do have this, they have the other. There the spirit moves. And the root of betrayal is already beginning to get into our hearts.

And that is why there are so many unhappy people, because we are always comparing. I love that people go to other churches, you know very well that I have never hindered that, but go with the right attitude and don't compare. If there is a comparison, look at it objectively and let it go, even in your marriage.

Other elements that do not necessarily have to do with marriage are important. Important elements in the relationship with a congregation. We have already pointed out most of these: fidelity and loyalty. We have to be faithful to our congregation, we have to be loyal to our church.

People always think, well, the pastor has to be loyal to me. Deacons, leaders have to be loyal to me, but are you faithful and loyal to your congregation? Have you made a vow of permanence with your congregation? How do you talk about your congregation? How do you talk about your husband or your wife in front of your friends? And even before your mother and your relatives? There are things that the husband, the wife should never owe their wife to anyone, only to God, because they are intimate things, with personal things that concern their identity and their honor.

And so it happens that people very easily talk about their pastors, their churches and do not take care of the fidelity and loyalty that is owed to them, and also that it is harmful to us spiritually. So it's very important.

I tell people, look, if there is resentment in your life towards your pastor or your church, or there is a sense of bitterness, run for your life, don't stay, because you are hurting yourself. That grudge, that bitterness, that resentment, that bad word towards your church is a nail that grows inward and digs into your flesh spiritually. Get rid of it. Cleanse yourself of any kind of resentment like the ministry in which we work, with the people with whom we work. That is harmful in the spirit. We have to cleanse ourselves of that, be faithful.

How many can say amen? It is very important. Subjection to authority is very important. In marriage there are elements of authority and there should also be in the church. Submit to your authorities. If they are legitimate authorities, respect them, love them, obey them in everything that is biblical and of the Lord.

The church has to function according to authoritative principles. The church is not a democracy. I'm sorry to tell you, it has congregational elements, it's not an autocracy either, but it's a much more complex relationship than a democracy. And there are moments that will be decisions with which you do not agree and you have to lower your head, if they are within a biblical parameter and find peace in it and go ahead and support the decisions of your congregation and your authorities.

Coexistence with the church requires heart integration into the mission, principles and practices of our congregation. If there is a divergence between what the church preaches and believes, if there is an emotional, theological, mental separation between what your church believes and practices and what you believe and feel in your heart, there is something wrong there. How can two walk together if they do not agree?

You have to join the teaching, the doctrine, the ethics, the vision of the world and of God of your church. A unity of spirit is required. Where there is a division, a separation, an essential disagreement, there can be no coexistence. And that's important.

A right relationship with your church requires a financial commitment. Just as the church has a commitment to you, there is a spiritual commitment of integrity, of consistency. If you receive support for your life from your church, principles that allow prosperity in your work, in your human relationships, your marriage, your children are blessed, your life is enriched in so many ways, you must support and carry your share of the load. of your church Because a church has many commitments and many needs and each believer, if he is united with his congregation, must commit financially to it and in a stable and reliable way so that his church can prosper and do all the things that God has called it to do. .

Say amen loudly. Glory to God. Voluntary service. It is necessary to serve in your congregation. If you don't work, you don't work. Think that. You have to serve voluntarily. There are churches that have professionalized to the point that everything that moves has to be paid for. I believe that the servants are worthy of their salary, that is true, but there are many people who do nothing if you don't pay them. So, the churches have to have very high budgets and I tell them, I will resist that mentality to the death.

I believe that a church needs a solid platform of people who dedicate their lives to it and there are things that a church, when it reaches a certain size, needs support. But never miss the fact that you have to give to the Lord willingly and that God blesses you through it. Amen.

You are a servant of your church. How are you serving in your congregation? What are you giving to your church? You have to serve to be blessed and the more you give, brothers, I tell you, sincerely before God, if I could work in my profession and serve the church the rest of my time, that would be my preference. But I serve the Lord, because the Lord assigned me to be a pastor and I have to do it because the demands of my ministry demand it. But I would like to have a financial platform secularly and give the rest of my time to my church. But that is impossible given the responsibilities.

When I left my profession it was reluctantly, but I believe that the ideal is that one develops his way of living like Paul, and then one gives to the Lord. What are you doing? How are you serving your church? generously. In what way are you breaking out of the mold? Very important. Voluntary service.

Support and participation in their activities and projects. That's in a volunteer service. You must attend the vigils, the meals, within reason, because there are many things that happen. You have to be active, you have to participate in the life of the church. You can't just come, give money and go home, even that is not enough. You have to integrate into the life of your church.

What should be expected from a congregation? A space to worship, share the Christian life and grow spiritually. Very deep things, I will not have time to develop it. When I say space, I don't mean the physical, although that is, a virtual space, an opportunity, an environment, a dimension, an area where the person can grow. A good church is supposed to provide people with an environment where they can live.

What I wanted to say with this final part is that if a church is providing you with this, that's fine, they deserve your support. A space to worship, share the Christian life and grow spiritually.

Number two, a church must provide integrity in leadership. If a church does not provide this, you have every right to leave it. And when I say integrity in leadership, beginning with me, going down, moral behavior, there must be moral, character, behavioral integrity in the Christian life.

God's servants must reflect the best values of the Kingdom of God. That is the great burden of the ministry, brothers, the great weight that a man carries, a woman who serves God. You have to be equal to or better than your parishioners and exemplify the best values of the Kingdom of God in all areas.

There must be good treatment of the parishioners, not abuse, not exploitation, not manipulation, but a careful treatment of souls. And there must be justice and equity not preferential treatment. The rich and the poor are equal before God. The highly educated and the poorly educated are equal before God. One of the things that bothers me the most is when people accuse me from time to time, they do, of being an elitist ministry. Oh, that only the professionals in León de Judá… that is a lie from the devil. If you look at our church, our life as a church, we appreciate the poor and the wealthy alike, the educated and the uneducated.

I have always said that I have had to get rid of 80% of my education to see the face of the Lord. I do not adore education nor do I enthrone it. Education is good but it is the anointing of God and the values of the Kingdom of God that give success. So feel affirmed.

Our church will never give preference to anyone. I love, love, love humble people and the rich need humble people. I love, love, love uneducated people because highly educated people are needed by down to earth people. Education often perverts and distorts human sensitivity. And sometimes you have to return to earth, you have to have a cup of coffee with the toothless old lady who has served the Lord for 80 years and sit at her feet and learn from her. I value that tremendously.

There is justice and equity. A church needs biblical and orthodox teaching. If your church strayed from the faith once given to the saints, run for your life. If there's good teaching, a solid biblical platform, that's fine, that's what the church exists for. That is the expectation, there has to be.

Fellowship and community, there have to be opportunities to live the Christian life together, to share the faith, to love one another. Seek community, don't come and go. No, come on Wednesdays, come to small group meetings, make friends, and a church should provide people with those opportunities.

We try, we do everything possible to provide people with opportunities to break away from size and find a place, a group of brothers with whom you identify in your spiritual life.

And finally, it must provide opportunities for growth and service. A good church provides opportunities for people where they can find their calling, be it serving in a cell, in the hujier ministry, deacon ministry, teaching children, teaching a discipleship class, cleaning the church, as a deacon, as a Master, there must be opportunities. There are.

Serving does not mean that the pastor allows you to come up here and pray in front of the congregation. Many people believe that this is a service opportunity. No, it's serving when no one sees you. Give bread to the poor. There are people here in the church who go on Saturdays and give food to homeless people in the street. That is serving the Lord. Nobody sees them but they are doing the work of the kingdom.

Finally, a good church provides training to grow and serve. It prepares you in your calling so that you serve the Lord. Those discipleship classes are designed to prepare servants and many other ways to grow and serve.

So, brothers, if these things are present, there is no seeking a divorce. If your marriage is giving you what it was designed to give, don't go around looking for a new skirt or new pants. That is the Christian life.

We have made congregational life something spectacular and we are looking for unreasonable things and that is why people live in this frenzy of looking for a church and they live from one place to another looking for the ideal church. There's no such thing. What is needed are bread, milk, solid food, love, fellowship, opportunity for service.

If your church gives you that, rest, serve it and God will bless you and you will grow and be a man, a healthy woman in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Stand up. Receive this word from the Lord, receive it in your spirit and we are going to promise ourselves to be faithful people in the Lord. I know that it is a strong word perhaps, I don't know, but I think it is a biblical word, amen, I have to apply it to myself as my responsibility as your pastor, the leaders of the church as well. But God wants healthy churches, simple churches, healthy churches, solid churches, faithful people. If that is there it is the glory of God on earth.

Father, help us to be suitable, faithful men and women, that we honor you in everything we do. May this church, Father, exemplify what we have declared. This is a prophetic word, Lord, that I declare on the very roots of this congregation. And may these values prevail in this church until Christ comes.

We want to be an example of integrity and fidelity. We deliver this word to you, we receive it in our hearts, we make it ours. Have mercy on us and help us to live it every day of our lives. I bless your people and declare on your sons and your daughters the blessing of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen and amen. God bless you, my brothers, the grace of the Lord be with you.

Hallelujah! We are the people of the Lord. We are here to take his word to all nations. Hallelujah!