What is it serving?

A week ago I got a surprising call (if not disturbing) from someone in the church I used to pastor in Empangeni. The essence of the call was that more than seven months ago I was paid out for too many days by the church because my letter of appointment had stated that I was only allowed to carry over 5 days. This call that stimulated my thinking relating to issues that dominate our thinking. These are actually questions that everyone needs to ask.  It’s a question that churches need to ask.

• Do you serve the church constitution or does the constitution serve the mission of God for the church.  My experience is that people are so concerned about dotting the i’s or crossing the t’s that God is actually forgotten.  Sometimes the constitution is the things that stops us doing God’s will because the constitution is worshipped and not God.
• Does a  church serve a church budget or does the budget serve God’s mission.  If God calls us to do something that is not in the budget, can it be done?  At the end of the year comes and the church has spent more than budgeted, does this bother you?
• Does it matter what God says or does the constitution or budget limit what God can do?
• Do I think that God will love me for protecting the constitution of the church or can I rest in God’s love for me simply because – He chose to?
• Do I find it no surprise that God would love me – if so, you need grace because no one deserves God’s favour!
• Do you desire God’s glory above keeping the constitution?

Sometimes we can be like the Pharisees who were so concerned about the law that they missed their own hearts?

This is actually a  Theological question because God doesn’t base His judgement on us on the basis of our works or how well we have made the church work, but on His Son Jesus who and His righteousness. The call to us is that we respond to Him in worship and that the works that we do are not to gain acceptance but a display that we have been accepted. People who love constitutions before Jesus need to know Jesus and understand grace because that would change their perspective.

“God wants love that produces obedience, not obedience that PROVES love!” – PJ Smyth