Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Inspired by Inspiration
When I say we should be inspired by inspiration, I mean that we should be inspired by the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Faith comes by the hearing of the Word of Christ, and since we know that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14), the inspiration comes from the hearing of the Bible. When the Bible takes second or third place at services, you can almost guarantee that no one’s going to be inspired at church. If you’re not hearing the inspired Word of God at church, you’re probably not going to be inspired. And if you’re not being inspired by the Word of God at church, it’s likely not going to change the way you live.
Is Church Changing You?
If church is not changing you, then maybe you should be changing your church (but don’t do it yet–read the last paragraph to see why I say that). I understand that true, lasting change comes by the Spirit of God, but a church that is not centrally focused on the true passion of Christ (Isaiah 53:5) is not really focused on Christ. The reason Jesus came to earth was to redeem sinners who are unworthy and to purchase for Himself, by His own blood, a people of God to be called the children of God. At a recent Resurrection Sunday service, we had a segment of the song “Blessed Redeemer” interwoven with parts of the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” and people wept. They left church much differently than when they came in. That’s what church should do. When the Word of God gets into the people of God, the change by God makes the children of God live differently.
You as the Agent of Change
A lot of people might not like their church and things about it. So how about this: Change it yourself! You can be an agent of change in your church by giving people encouragement, thanking them for what they do, inviting them out for lunch after church, joining an evangelism team, starting a ministry, or whatever else you can think of. We need one another, and no part of the body of Christ is dishonorable. We need one another. If you are not inspired by your church, be part of the solution instead of doing nothing about it. Your being there might be why God has placed you there. God has “arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1 Corinthians 12:18); that includes you, of course. If you can inspire others, you can make the church more inspiring, and if the church is more inspiring, it can change the way people live.
A Closing Prayer
God, my Father, please help me to be an agent of positive change and inspiration for others. Use me by Your Spirit to elevate others and glorify God. Thank You for Your church and for Your Son, in whose awesome name I pray.
Amen
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