"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

Driving home from a family outing one afternoon I asked one of my son’s friends if he knew his home phone number. Without hesitation he replied, “It’s number two on mom’s speed dial.”

We live in a time that puts a high value on activity and motion, multitasking and busyness. We have come to believe that the more active we are, the more important, the more acceptable we are in other’s eyes. There is a tremendous availability of good things to choose from and be involved in from church-related activities to after-school programs – anything and everything from soccer and ballet to karate and youth programs (family velocity is proportional and exponential to the number and ages of children). As well, global business competition, mergers, acquisitions, and downsizing have all played a role in businesses demanding more from their employees. We live in an unprecedented time where believers are squeezed for every second of their time, energy, and resource. Yet, in the stillness, beyond the maddening white noise, Jesus calls us to a quiet and simple life.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus commented on the busyness of Martha versus the waiting and listening of Mary: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Martha wished to please, to serve, to do the right thing for Jesus. Instead, she succeeded in making everyone around her uncomfortable. Perhaps she feared being embarrassed if her home was not perfectly in order. Maybe she found it difficult to relax and enjoy being with her guests. One thing is for certain - she found it hard to accept Mary's apparent laziness. Frustrated, she asked Jesus – Lord Jesus – to settle her case. Obviously, she believed that He would see her point, agree with her, and reprimand Mary. Not a chance. Instead, He gently corrected her and showed her that her attitude, priorities, and choices, though good, were not the best. It was a defining moment where Jesus draws a line between working for Him and working with Him. Martha was busy for the wrong things and wrong reasons.

Just as Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about household chores, He does not blame us for our chosen activities. He does, however, ask us about our priorities. It is possible for us to allow the many good things available to us, even service and ministry in the church, to degenerate into mere busywork that is of little or no value for the Kingdom of God. Sometimes our desire to serve obscures our ability to see the bigger picture.

Perhaps this lifestyle choice stems from the belief that we have the right to do whatever we want with our lives. Some think this is the freedom Christ provides, but what we may fail to recognize is that this is not freedom, but enslavement to our own selfish desires, perpetuated by this world’s way of thinking. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we also accepted Him as our Lord. His Holy Spirit took up residence and lives in us. Therefore, we no longer own our lives – all souls belong to God - especially those who were bought at a price (1 Cor. 16:9; Ezek. 18:4). Being bought at a price refers to slaves purchased at auction. Christ's death freed us from sin, but also obligates us to his way of life, thinking, and service.

The basis of our salvation is our belief in Jesus (Acts 16:31), but the basis for judgment is how we have lived. The Day of Judgment is when God will bring all men before His throne to give an account of their lives as lived here on earth: “But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Pet. 4:5; see also Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 2 Pet. 3:7; Ps. 96:13). Immediately some will say, “I am saved by grace through faith not by works lest any man should boast.” The Bible replies: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (James 2:14). Continuing, James says, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:18). At first glance, these two things appear to be a contradiction. We read in Romans 3:28, "man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." However, the teachings of James and Paul are not at odds. While it is true that our good deeds can never earn salvation, true faith always results in a changed life and good deeds. Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by deeds instead of true faith; James speaks against those who confuse mere intellectual assent with true faith. After all, even demons know who Jesus is, but they don't obey him (James 2:19). True faith involves a commitment of your whole self to God. True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts. If our lives remain unchanged, we don't truly believe the truths we claim to believe.

Each of us is given 168-hours each week. We will give an accounting to God for how we invested His time.

There will be an appointed day of judgment for the believer and the unbeliever (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10; Acts 24:25; Rev. 20:11-15). Jesus will be the appointed Judge (John 5:22-27; Mth. 25:31,32; 2 Tim. 4:1; Acts 10:42). There will be an appointed purpose in this judgment: 1) True character will be revealed (Mth. 10:26; 1 Cor. 4:5); 2) The true value of all the works of man will be determined (1 Cor. 3:13); 3) There will be a public acknowledgement of reward or punishment (Mth. 16:27; Rom. 2:6-9; Rev. 22:12); and 4) God will vindicate the righteous (Rev. 19:1,2).

Believers will be judged for their works (1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10,11). Again, this is not a judgment concerning a believer’s salvation – this was settled by Christ Jesus at Calvary; this will be a judgment of each person’s works and service here on earth for the Lord (Mth. 10:41,42; 25:21-23; Luke 6:23; 19:12-19; James 1:12; Rev. 2:10; 3:11; 4:4; 11:18; 22:12; 1 Pet. 5:2-4; Heb. 2:9; 1 Thess. 2:19,20; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Cor. 9:25-27; 1 John 2:28).

In truth, the degree of our love of God can be measured by the degree we love and serve others. God knows and there will be an accounting. The question is are we building according to code, in line with the Master’s blueprint, redeeming the time, making the most of every opportunity, or are we living our lives apart from God’s plan of redemption and restoration? Activity in and of itself does not necessarily equal success. For instance, though the Israelites wandered around in the desert for 40-years, there was a whole lot of activity, but very little accomplished. We must understand that practice does not make perfect; we can practice the wrong things and be perfectly wrong – we must purposely practice the right stuff to bring forth Kingdom of God glory.

Many times, the church imitates the world. Instead of setting the standard, we draw inference from the world around us and in an attempt to be culturally sensitive, we end up looking more like the world than the church Jesus gave His life for. As best I understand, the church is to be a redeemed and consecrated community - a light in a dark world - built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:4-6) and not some virtual reality fashioned and formed from what flows daily out of the spinning mills of Harvard, Wall Street and Hollywood.

Many times we get so wrapped up in the busyness of the church we forget about the true business of the church - what God has placed us here for.

When we think of church, most people think in terms of a building, programs and activities. People are recruited to serve in these activities and that becomes their ministry. But the Bible defines ministry in terms of people responding to the needs of other people through the gifts God has given them (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Eph. 4:11). It appears that today’s church has become a program-based institution rather than the spontaneously ministering body of people described in God’s Word. Yes, obviously there must be an orchestrated approach in church operations just as the human body is orchestrated, but when was the last time you had to pause and tell your heart to beat? It does because it is. What I am saying is that today’s church looks more like a perpetual rollercoaster theme park, appealing to the senses with all the sights, sounds, and thrills, than a house of prayer and sacrificial altar for the redeemed. This kind of soulful attraction may be inviting, but long-term will prove counterproductive.

The pace of this present darkness has infiltrated our church; we are running a marathon at an unsustainable 100-meter pace - a pace that does not afford opportunity to be still and know that God is God (Ps. 46:10). We are so busy that we cannot worship God. We do not know how to get quiet and be quiet. What we call our devotional time or study is the spiritual equivalent of devouring a PopTart for breakfast. We are overworked and overwhelmed. We are fragmented, frenetic, and disenfranchised - ever scurrying about, but achieving little to nothing of eternal value. And instead of modeling a lifestyle of quiet contemplation, the church has joined the marketplace roar. We are in desperate need of men and women who will champion the simple life and live a life of simple devotion and abandonment – a people whose entire ambition, goal, and purpose is to lead a quiet life (1 Thess. 4:11).

In an article entitled “Clergy Are Workaholics”, David Briggs, an AP religion writer, wrote: “On any given Sunday, a pastor starts at work at 7:30 in the morning and calls it a day after 6:30 PM. And that is not even the busiest day of the week, according to a new national study of clergy work habits published in Leadership Journal. Wednesday is the longest day in an average 55-hour work week for evangelical clergy. During that week, the pastor on average will work four evenings and take four phone calls at home at night. Sometime during the month, the typical pastor will feel both physical and emotional stress. Forty-two percent of spouses will complain about the schedule at least once a month. So who is putting all this pressure on the pastors to work long hours? According to the survey, it is not the members or the church board. It is the pastors themselves who are often their own worst enemies when it comes to setting limits on their workloads. More than two-thirds said they expect too much of themselves. And, in a comforting thought for church members, just over half said they love what they do so much they don't always know when to stop.”

A recent study of 580 clergy responded that they spend about 14 hours planning and attending meetings and services, 13 hours teaching and preparing sermons, nine hours in pastoral care and counseling, six hours in prayer and personal devotions and 13 hours in other tasks, including long-range planning and evangelism. 66 percent said they feel emotional stress at least monthly because of the nature of their work. The most stressed-out pastors are those who work the longest hours, a median of 62 hours a week. They are more likely to work on their day off and are more likely to feel resentful about working too much.

Interestingly, the most satisfied group of pastors, according to the survey, limit their work week to 45 to 50 hours, use all of their vacation and consistently take at least one day off a week.

Correspondingly, in an article entitled “Strike the Shepherd, Scatter the Flock”, Ken Sande wrote: “When an army loses its officers, disaster is just around the corner ... we too are engaged in a terrible war. We struggle "against the powers of this dark world and ... spiritual forces of evil" (Eph. 6:12). How much more do we need our leaders, and how much more devastating is it when we lose them on the eve of battle? Yet this is happening at an alarming rate. Consider these sobering statistics:

• 23 percent of all current pastors in the United States have been fired or forced to resign in the past. (1)
• In one denomination 45 percent of the pastors who were fired left the ministry altogether. (2)
• 34 percent of all pastors presently serve congregations that forced their previous pastor to resign. (3)
• The average pastoral career lasts only fourteen years - less than half of what it was not long ago. (4)
• 25 percent of the churches in one survey reported conflict in the previous five years that was serious enough to have a lasting impact on congregational life. (5)
• 1,500 pastors leave their assignments every month in the United States because of conflict, burnout, or moral failure. (6)

Perhaps it is time to get back to the blueprint, think about what we are building, asking ourselves such questions as: What is God’s vision for our church? What are God’s goals for our church? What is the central thing in God’s mind for our church? Have we built our church according to God’s pattern? Are our processes following God’s command to make disciples? Are we truly equipping the saints for the work of ministry? Questions we will examine more in future studies.

I would contend that if we are building a church of people who know about God, but do not know Him, then we are not building the Church at all. The message we are sending to our staffs, congregations, and to the communities in which we are planted is that Christianity is all about programs, choirs, activities, and attendance. All good things as Jesus pointed out to Martha, but there is something better. Perhaps we have become too busy for God.

“But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them as the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:13-18).

To summarize, noted author and disciple-maker Bill Hull says, “I think the problem at its root is that we have accepted a non-discipleship Christianity that leads to plenty of motion, activity, and conferences, but without lasting transformation. By transformation I mean consistent long-range change into the likeness of Jesus ... in the last twenty years I have written nine other books, pastored two churches and created an international training network. I can confidently report to you that there is a desperate search among church leaders for something more meaningful. We have found that church growth does not satisfy the soul, neither do accolades about sermons or completed projects. There is a movement in our land that is driven by hunger for intimacy with God. There is a growing consensus that the Great Commission has as much to do with depth as strategy.”

Perhaps in our desire to be successful we have taken short cuts that have provided short-term growth, but in the long run, could it be that we have built a house of cards on a foundation of sand?

Grow in grace and truth,

Doug Morrell

Notes
1 John C. LaRue, "Forced Exits: A Too-Common Ministry Hazard," Your Church, Mar/Apr 1996, p. 72, www.christianitytoday.com/cbg/features/report/6y2072.html .
2 Charles Willis, "Forced Terminations of Pastors, Staff Leveling Off," www.lifeway.com/about_pr0801l.asp .
3 John C. LaRue, Id.
4 George Barna, 1996 Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators.
5 Carl S. Dudley, "Conflict: Synonym for Congregation." www.fact.hartsem.edu/topfindings/topicalfindings_article3.htm
6 Focus on the Family, 1998.

CORE Notes From Doug