Should we serve you better?

It's kind of interesting to look at the "takes" that some people have regarding the work of the church. Some see that the church fundamentally takes care of the "outer man" much like a Lion's Club or a Kiwanis Club. In a sense, the church does serve people ("through love serve one another," Galatians 5:13), but that is not its ultimate aim.

The church's ultimate aim is to save and feed the "inner man." The "outer man" perishes but the "inner man" is "renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). The church is a "spiritual house" which offers up "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Peter 2:5). The process through which Christians are built up is called edification (Romans 15:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Good intentions cannot overcome the absence of Bible authority. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him." I wish the religious world would realize that they will be held responsible for changing the church into what they want. God's pattern for the church cannot be altered (Hebrews 8:5), so you'd better be sure you're ready for the consequences from God!

Kyle Campbell