Works

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:27-28.

The biggest problem with the church is Jesus. Or lack of the centrality of the gospel, so lack of Jesus. To many things get in the way and cloud our hearts. I see it all the time right in my own backyard. We determine that someone must be a great person of God because of all the stuff they do in the community or at church. We lift up the person onto a pedestal that works hard at serving others. We honor the person that we see as being obedient to the Lord and his commandments according to our skewed religious perspective. The one that does the most gets the place of honor. 

Get out of debt, stop smoking, serve more in the church, feed the homeless and on and on it goes with the list of things you and I shouldn't be doing if we are to be a good Christian. We even have classes and meetings to make sure you can do it "GODS WAY". The reality is all these things are fine when Jesus is the central reason why! Nothing you do will make a difference in eternity unless it is done in Christ. It saddens me to think that most of the people we think highly of and throw up onto the pedestal of honor really do a great job at the works of the church, life and religion but have no relationship with Jesus, they rarely spend time with Jesus in his word or prayer unless someone goes to the emergency room then all of a sudden they are calling on the name of the lord. 

Do not let the work of the mission get in the way of the relationship with the mission giver.

Pastor Patrick