Influencers Weekly Devotional

Go With ME

Embracing our Sacred Responsibility with Christ

Built on Nothing Less

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Psalms 31:24 (NIV)

Edward Mote was a pastor and hymn writer. He was born in London on January 21, 1797. He was trained as a cabinet maker and worked in London for many years. Later, he entered the ministry and was pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex for 26 years. He was well-liked by the congregation in Horsham, and they offered him the church building as a gift. Mote replied "I do not want the chapel, I only want the pulpit; and when I cease to preach Christ, then turn me out of that." (From Wikipedia) If you don't recognize the name, maybe you will recognize his famous hymn. Look at the words closely: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. "THE SOLID ROCK" was a hymn I grew up singing in a little Baptist church outside Laurel, Mississippi. I methodically mouthed the words, and wiggled uncomfortably in the wooden pews. Little did I know that this song would serve as a reminder to me that Christ would be my solid Rock when storms would prevail against me in later years. Little did I know that this little church, and the incredibly boring songs and sermons this man had to endure in his childhood, would also be a bedrock of songs and scriptures that would teach me even today and cause me to hold on to my Solid Rock. The form of worship this church offered would not even be considered today because of the boredom factor I mentioned. The pastor didn't tell stories. There were few or no dramas. The music was led by a housewife, accompanied by Miss Minnie Lee Stone on the organ, with another lady on the piano. I remember Mrs. Stone's name because who could forget the name Minnie Lee? Every time this church tried to do something special, such as a Christmas drama with a manger scene, the backdrop would fall, the child playing Mary would drop the doll depicting baby Jesus, and a wise man would forget his lines. This church's attempts with drama were strictly "bush league," but for some reason, I remember them and, more importantly, the story that they told. Why do I take you back to my childhood and share part of my life story? Well, I have a point to make about the subject I've been on lately, which is the condition of many churches across America. I would like to make my point using a quote a friend sent me by Billy Graham that he wrote over 45 years ago: Multitudes of Christians within the church are moving toward the point where they may reject the institution that we call the church. They are beginning to turn to more simplified forms of worship. They are hungry for a personal and vital experience with Jesus Christ. They want a heartwarming personal faith. Unless the church quickly recovers its authoritative Biblical message, we may witness the spectacle of millions of Christians going outside the institutional church to find spiritual food.” Written by Billy Graham in “World Aflame”, pp. 79-80 in 1965. Along with being an Evangelist, it appears that Dr. Graham is also a prophet, as we see his fears and consequences taking place in many churches across our nation this very day. As one who believes that the church is God's holy instrument in both evangelizing and discipling a lost and dying world, I am greatly grieved by what I see. I am not down on the church, for I am totally committed to God's church. However, I am not in favor of what I see depicted in many churches today. I am not in favor of what is being declared as a "successful church model for our day and time," when this model is about entertainment, glamor, shallow believe-ism, and neglect of discipleship. I am not for a model that runs a church like a business, with a message of stewardship dedicated to raising donations to support the buildings and programs, rather than raising disciples for Christ. When a church is committed to the discipleship of its congregation, they will find that these people will support the church. Integrated within discipleship is stewardship, and a disciple of Christ will support the ministry that feeds him or her. But when discipleship is forgotten, aggressive fundraising by the church is then required, and that is one of the first indications that an institutionalized church is beginning to be formed. Fear-based decisions replace faith-based, and the trap carefully laid by the true enemy of the church is sprung. When Edward Mote was offered the church building as a gift, I can imagine he was tempted greatly to accept it. Think of it! Even if the congregation failed, and walked out the doors never to return, he would still have the building as an asset? What a safety net this would be for a poor preacher with no other assets. He could turn it into apartments, a business, or even a pub if he so desired, for he would be accountable to no one. How many people would refuse such a gift? Instead, Edward held to the solid Rock of his faith. Instead, Edward declared the purpose of the church, and his purpose as its pastor. In Edward's thinking, the joint purpose of the church, and himself as its pastor, was to preach Jesus Christ, not to build assets or create a safety net for himself or the future of the church. Listen carefully. Their purpose was to preach Jesus Christ and to help the congregation learn to walk with Him. The mission is the same in all God's churches, and if a pastor and church forgets this, they are no longer functioning as God's church. They are holding on to a form of godliness, but denying God's power. Why do my thoughts return to my childhood, and to a church, a pastor, and a form worship that isn't appealing to me even today? I think it is because God is showing me that the form of worship a church takes is overrated. He is showing me, in spite of the amateur form my church had, and the lack of professionalism the pastor used, Jesus was declared, Jesus was sung, and Jesus was worshipped. These things built a Solid Rock foundation in my life on which I stand today, even though I didn't know it at the time. Today it is commonly concluded that a church cannot be successful unless its form is appealing. I'm here to argue that point in the best way, by placing my experience from God's truths taught in that old country church against any theory the experts tell us. Form is overrated, and content is becoming greatly underrated and neglected ... and people are leaving the churches in masses, like Dr. Graham foresaw. May it be that our churches never forget their true purpose in serving our King. May it be that those churches that are moving toward institutionalism will stop in their tracks and return to their faith, rather than implement their tactics. May it be those churches that are neck deep in their debt, and are fearful that the doors will one day be shut, turn back to prayer and turn back to their true purpose in feeding the congregation and making disciples May it be that God raises up healthy churches that will fulfill their purpose, for this nation desperately needs them. We all need them. To the glory of Jesus, Rocky CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL