Motivated by What?
Recently, I was preaching in another community. During my time there I saw something that I thought was worthy of some consideration.
What I saw was a church sign. That’s not really all that remarkable. I have seen more church signs than I can remember. We even have one where I preach!
Most church signs inform those who pass by about the identity of the group that meets inside that particular building. Other information that is deemed pertinent is usually included on those signs (schedule and times of classes and services, phone number for the office, etc.).
Sometimes some of those signs have other messages. The message may change from time to time. One of my tasks at a congregation where I used to preach was to regularly put something on our sign that was scriptural, informative, helpful, thought-provoking, and/or challenging.
Sometimes those signs have a permanent message. Often that message seems to be intended to serve as a “slogan” for that particular group. At other times, the permanent message is something that the people hope will further identify them and/or provide helpful information.
If the message on the sign I saw recently is intended as their “slogan,” they may want to do some rethinking. Here is that message:
MOTIVATED BY PRIDE
I wondered what these people are proud of? Is it their history? Is it the service they offer to the community? Is it their “standing” in the community? Is it their name (which is not found in the Bible)? Is it their doctrine (some of which also lacks a biblical foundation)?
I do not know what they are proud of, but I am afraid that I know one thing. I’m afraid they’ve missed a very important emphasis in the New Testament.
The highest (and really only) motivation for a Christian or a group of Christians is not pride. It is not even what might be considered the opposite of pride; humility.
What Paul wrote may never appear on anybody’s church sign. It does appear in God’s Word, however.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3, ESV, emphasis added).
Whether the discussion is about my (our) service to God, our relationship with one another, or our attempts to “…seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), it is absolutely imperative that we must be…
MOTIVATED BY LOVE
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