In the first segment of this article last week five biblical reasons for personal involvement in the work of the church were considered. They were… Because we love the Lord. Because it pleases God. Because of the importance of the Lord’s work. Because it is good. Because of our influence.
Please consider four additional reasons for the importance of personal involvement.
Because it helps the church. Every member is important in the work of the church. Scripture empha-sizes this fact in numerous passages. (cf. I Cor. 12:14-27; Eph. 4:16) Involvement is necessary if we expect the church to grow. To the extent that each and every member is involved, the church grows and is stronger. Likewise, to the extent that individual members are not involved, the church is weaker and does not grow. Growth comes from activity. Is the church at Tara stronger because of your in-volvement, or are you contributing to its weakness? Are you a help or a hindrance? These are pointed questions, but they are worthy of our consideration.
Because it helps me. Are you spiritually stronger when you are active in the work of the church, or when you are inactive? The answer is obvious. None of us will grow as we should without active ser-vice. This certainly is true in the physical realm. Allow your body to become inactive and it grows weak-er. The individual members of the human body must be exercised, or else they lose their strength. The Lord’s spiritual body, the church, is no different. When a member sits down and does very little or noth-ing in exercising his spirituality, he becomes weaker, while others, who are working, become strong-er. We must exercise ourselves to godliness. (I Tim. 4:7,8) And the work of the church is certainly god-ly exercise.
Because it is a guard against apostasy. Those who are busy serving the Lord, “being fruitful in eve-ry good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col.1:10) do not leave the church and become unfaithful. It’s the lukewarm, indifferent, careless soul whose focus is elsewhere that leaves, simply be-cause of a lack of interest. That is why we are exhorted, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Eccles. 9:10) “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Col. 3:23) Faith without works is a dead faith. (James 2:17ff) A dead faith does not last very long.
Because of the consequences of not being involved. Some of the lost will not be reached with the Gospel if some of the saved do nothing to reach them. Some of the unfaithful will not be restored if some of the faithful do nothing to win them back. The church will not grow and prosper like it would if all were involved. I will lose my soul if I have no interest, and put forth no effort, in furthering the cause of the Lord. Personal involvement in the Lord’s work is most important!
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