We Need Preachers, Teachers, and the Local Church

“The Bible says I don’t need anyone man to teach me. I can learn the Bible on my own. I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” I hear those words in various forms frequently from people, mostly those who are not willing to listen to the counsel or advice from someone else, those who have been hurt by someone in church and therefore refuse to go again, or from those who just simply are not up on the idea of committing themselves to the local church on a consistent basis. Usually, they will make reference to 1 John 2:27, “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” The problem is they usually do not quote all of the verse as it is written nor do they use it in the context in which John wrote it.

False teachers were a problem in John’s day as they elevated their teachings above those of Christ and Scripture. They arrogantly thought they alone possessed a special and secret anointing – a divine knowledge that no one else was privy to. John’s response to the church and rebuttal to these false teachers comes in 1 John 2 declaring that all believers in Christ had an anointing from the Lord. Believers could have personal understanding from the Lord because they are in Him (2 Corinthians 4:6). Colossians 2:3 says this about Jesus, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Believers do have the Holy Spirit living inside them, giving them insight, wisdom, revelation, and truth through Scripture (John 14:26, 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10). While this is true, it does not mean that people do not need teachers and preachers or that they can live the Christian life apart from the local church.

John was reminding these believers to recognize erroneous teachings and to grow in their personal relationship with the Lord (1 John 2:20-21; Corinthians 2:10-16). After all, Jesus was the truth and believers should recognize when people are teaching them wrongly (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 1:9-11). John was not saying that believers did not have to attend church or learn from pastors and teachers. Yes, God’s truth is all-sufficient (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) and free from error. As the end of 1 John 2:27 says, His anointing “teaches about all things, and is true and is not a lie.”

John was not saying that believers did not need teachers or the church. They did not need false teachers so they should discern the truth already given to them. The Lord has given the church pastors, elders, and teachers, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 12:28). For John to write that believers did not need the church or teachers would be contradictory to all of Scripture (Hebrews 10:24-25, 2 Timothy 2:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Acts 2:41-47; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:21-24; Romans 10:14-17). Study the Word for yourself while you grow in a local church that preaches and teaches Scripture. Then you’ll be on your way to growing in Christ in a Biblical manner.

Managing Chaos

"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2).  If this were not Scripture, I don't think I'd believe it.  I mean who, in their right mind, considers the endurance of trials pure joy?  Well, that's the catch - it is not our mindset we should have (one of self, flesh, pleasure, etc.) but His (Philippians 2:5).

There is a raging river of chaos all around us.  We are surrounded in our raft of ministry and life by rapids, rocks, and dangers that want to "flip our boat and drown us."  What do we do?

1.  You can turn in your raft and paddles and call it quits.
2.  You can learn to guide yourself through the rapids and attempt to avoid the obstacles as best as you can.
3.  You can build a dam.

Since quitting for most of us is not an option because we know to Whom and what we are called, we attempt number two.  While option two works, it leaves us constantly fighting the rapids.  We must learn to build dams to set boundaries on the chaos.

Here is a "dam":  Ministry is joy-filled but has some trouble spots.  Count on it.  Someone who says they don't have any trouble in ministry are not in the ministry.  Jesus said, "in this world you will have trouble."  But He didn't leave it there - "Take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  Instead of expecting zero trouble in this life why not know that there will be some trouble but majority peace.  After all, Jesus said he wanted to offer us peace in the previous verse.  He works all thing together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).  So those few issues you are facing shouldn't surprise you when they happen.  What you should be looking to is the Father, not the problem.  Fix your eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:2).

Another dam is leaning and trusting in God's Word.  Don't let troubles talk you out of God's Word!  Another dam you must build to battle the raging rapids is know God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31).  Other dams you must build to settle the rapids and bring peace is knowing who you are in Christ, walking in the Spirit, walking worthy of your calling, and being prayed up.  It may be tough now but hold on, don't give up.  Don't quit because 5% or 25% of your ministry is trying.  Think about all the good, all the blessings, all the riches you have.  Don't let a temporary problem cause you to make a wrong long-term decision.

I want to encourage you - do not quit when things get tough.  Stick in there.  Believe in God.  "Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest - IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP" (Galatians 6:9).  Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and a crown of righteousness will be in store for you and to all who do the same (2 Timothy 4:8).  Ron Kenoly sang a song that told us to go ahead and don't stop.  The lyrics said, "If you catch hell don't hold it.  If you're going through hell don't stop.  Remember no weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you, you shall condemn.  Lean on this because greater is He that is in you than he that it is in the world."

Being Verses Doing

Any dead fish can float downstream, but if we are going to swim against the current present in our culture, we must be alive spiritually. The New Testament is clear that life in Christ is countercultural. The world’s system says to get even if someone wrongs you. Christ says we should love and pray for our enemies and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:38). The world’s system says get what you can now because stuff is what gives us our identity. Christ says to store up treasures in heaven, not earthly ones that rust, break, and are stolen (Matthew 6:19-20).


The world also defines who we are by what we do. If someone says, “who are you?” we tend to respond by telling them what we have done. The Bible centers in on who we are in Christ. We are to express our identity in Christ by what we do but what we do does not make up our identity. We are not human doings, we are human beings. While being and doing are interrelated the order of them is very important. Our worth and identity cannot be determined by our achievements and accomplishments. Why? When we stop performing and producing then we would be worthless.

Here is a bold statement: you are not what you do. If that were true, then when you cease doing, you cease to be significant or important. You may work as a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or accountant but these are not who you are. After all, who were you before you did these things? Wearing many “hats” (doctor, coach, father, husband, friend, etc.) can leave you feeling schizophrenic. You may have many titles and responsibilities in this life (many hats) but you only have one being (one head). What you do must flow out of who you are.

Having your identity in Christ brings security and stability (Galatians 2:20). This brings true worth and meaning because who we are is founded on what God has done for and through us. Our external actions should stem from our internal being. To accomplish this, we must spend intimate time with Christ, allowing Him to restore, shape, fill, teach, and correct our old way of doing things (Acts 17:28). We need the inner power given only through the Holy Spirit to respond and deal with the outer world and pressures around us. When we spend time with Jesus and become more like Him, we gain power and right perspective to live and respond to the world around us.

How is your “being” when it comes to the Christian life? Is your “doing” shaped by your “being”? Your Christian life is not made up of your deeds for Christ but your relationship with Him. Deeds must flow out of relationship or you will be left empty. Your relationship with Christ precedes the works done for Him. Read and Romans 12:1-2 and allow Christ to shape your being. Your meaning and purpose is not found in the quest of self but in a relationship with God.

10 Random Things I Thought About While Playing In The Sand

What a vacation at the beach!  I couldn't help but see God in everything while I was there.  Here are 10 random things about God that I thought about while playing in the sand (and no I'm not going to talk about any footprints).

1.  Building your life on material things is like building with sand - when the tide rolls in (and it always does) it will wipe you out.  Build on the Rock! Matthew 7:24-27
2.  God made me out of this stuff.  Wow!  What a Creator!  Genesis 2:7
3.  I made an octopus out of sand.  I worked hard on it.  Here is what I learned (besides that I can count to 8):  I worry too much about the end result sometimes.  I am way too focused on the product and not the process.  I was working so hard on making a octopus that I didn't take time to enjoy the process of doing it. 
4.  Dry sand won't stick.  It needs to be wet so it can be shaped.  I must be washed by the water of the Word or I'll be dry and unshapeable by the Lord.
5.  Everyone on the beach had a bucket and a shovel.  They all made the same things - castles.  I made an octopus.  I must not follow the crowd and do the norm.  I have to branch out, be creative, and use my giftings for Him.  Who likes mundane and uniformity anyway?
6.  The sand and buckets were only means to an end - time well spent with my kids!
7.  I buried Kylee in the sand.  When she got out, she was filthy with sand.  She was trying so hard to brush the sand off with her hands.  I said, "just get in the water and you'll come out clean."  Wow - when we try to get rid of the dirt and sin by ourselves, it is as useless as trying to get every grain of sand off our bodies.  When we immerse ourselves in God's forgiveness, He washes us clean!!!
8.  The Lord promised Abraham that He would make his descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.  God will bless us beyond our ability to count, interpret, or fathom.
9.  God's thoughts toward me outnumber the grains of sand in the world.  How could I ever count them?  O how He loves me.  Psalm 139:17-18
10.  Digging into the wet sand with my hands was an awesome sensation.  The more I dug, the more I found and created.  I also had more and more fun.  Soon I got tired, but the benefits (fun, experience, time with family, etc.) outweighed the work and I was right back at it.  Digging into God's Word is a lot like this:  rich and rewarding.