Mark 4, b Dever’s commented this, “A Biblical Understanding of Conversion” “The Spirit's
conviction does not cause us to become spiritually paranoid and or to imagine that we have
committed more sins than we had previously realized (though in a sense we do begin to do
this). Rather, as God's Spirit begins to convict us, he brings a particular sin to our
attention, and that particular sin seems more serious than it did before.”[1] Part of the
problem with conversion is that so many people never experience it. When we ask God
into our lives there is not that conviction from the Holy Spirit that brings about change.
Not saying that happens all the time, but it does. I have been baptized three times; I never
had that conversion experience until the last time I was baptized. The first two times I was
doing what I always did and even got worse. I believe that there are people in the church
that have never had that conversion experience. They received the Holy Spirit and they
have the strength to change some of the habits they had through the sanctification process.
However, there is no change in habits in church, still only go once a week for two hours a
day. That excuse that they were not called to ministry justifies why they do not do more.
Jesus did not save us to go to church four days four hours a month. Certainly, the desire to
do more should be there. It is always the same people doing the same thing during church
activities and no desire to do more. Luke teaches on an empowerment to do the work of
Christ, that boldness to stand-up for Christ and proclaim the gospel without fear.
Conversion and sanctification are not the same. Although conversion is said to be that
coming to Christ, from non-Christian to Christian I believe that there is more to it. If all a
person is doing is changing a few bad habits and no desire to do more, they were
sanctified and being sanctified daily. Conversion is a total 180 from what you use to do
and on fire to do more. A person would be like Jeremiah said, (E.S.V.) “If I say, “I will
not mention him, or speak any more in his name, there is in my heart as it were a burning
fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”[2] My church
preaches about living right and doing the right thing, but most agree that there is a
sanctifying experience that we go through and that change takes place daily. There still
needs to be that conversion experience where you turn around and head the other direction
and are on fire for God. I guess what I am saying is, why are people in church content
with sitting back and letting just the ones called to full time ministry the only ones on fire
for the Lord. If sanctification is about becoming more like Jesus, then the church is in
trouble because the only ones doing the work of the ministry are the ones who do ministry
for a living fulltime. Maybe my conversion experience was different from others. I could
tell the difference between my desires for sin and for the Lord verses on fire for the Lord.
It is never preached that people need to do more than sit in pews a couple times a week.
Evangelism, discipleship, church expansion or planting other churches is not spoken about.
Churches are supposed to be planting other churches. Churches are and organism not an
organization. We miss that concept. b b b
Mark 6, Dever’s said this, “A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership” “According
to the New Testament, the church is primarily a body of people who profess and give
evidence that they have been saved by God's grace alone, for his glory alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone.”[3] Church membership has always been an issue. People want to
be a member of a church so bad because they feel that, that is the only way they can get
the insights as to what the church is doing behind the scene. Thing is though, the church is
the people of God, the building is a place where we can meet to get out of the elements
that take place in nature. It is a good place to go where we can go for worship in terms of
a place to hook-up equipment for music and have it sound decent and hearable. Fellowship
takes place in church; it is where we can rub off on each other in a good way. Proverbs
27:17, (E.S.V.), “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”[4] I realize that some
churches do not allow memberships because that way the pastor can’t be voted out if
something goes wrong. Another is because the Bible states this in 1Cor. 12:27, (E.S.V.),
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”[5] Romans 12:5,
(E.S.V.), remarks, “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
one of another. Each of us has a job to do as a member of the body of Christ. We were
given gifts to use that we could help each other and help build the Kingdom of Heaven.
Even though the Kingdom will grow and advance, God still desires to use us so that we
can take part and be a part of his goal. Ephesians 1:5, (E.S.V.), “He predestined us for
adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”[6]
As adopted children of God, we should desire and be thankful that he allows us to partake
of his will. If we are connected to Jesus, he has a job for us to do. 1Cor. 6:20, (E.S.V.),
“for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”[7] Jesus shed his blood
to purchase us, we owe him. Being connected to him, we should do what he has called us
to do by connecting with others in a building sometimes to sharpen our skills from and
through him through fellowship.
Mark 8, Through discipleship we get growth. We teach other people the basics for
discipleship and then send them out. Jesus spent three years with the disciples teaching
them everything that they should know so that they in turn could go out and make
disciples of all nations, Matthew 28 gives the “Great Commission” he said “GO”, after
Jesus left that is what they did. You can tell who is fulfilling the Great Commission, if a
seasoned church member is lost as far as approaching somebody and leading them to
Christ, that is a sure sign they are not doing it on a regular basis. Dever’s remarked, “A
Concern for Discipleship and Growth” “Paul was a good disciple of Jesus, who himself
had taught that the growth of the kingdom of God comes from God and does not
ultimately depend on us.”[8] Dever is right, God does not depend on us, but he chooses to
use us. We should want to go and do for Jesus, after all he paid the ultimate price for us
and we were the sinners not him. Isaiah said, (E.S.V.), “And I heard the voice of the Lord
saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send
me.”[9] God wants to send us; he is asking if we are willing to go. He doesn’t need us, but
he wants to use us. All he needs is a willing vessel. We do a lot of teaching, but we need
to teach more on the criticalness of discipleship in order for other areas to grow and
multiply.
What steps could you/your church take to implement those areas?
The only steps that need to be taken is to teach on these areas more so that people do not
think that discipleship is an option because it isn’t it is a command from Jesus when he
said “GO”. He did not say if you feel like it, if you want to, or I did not call you, do not
worry about it. He has called everybody. Church expansion is not an option, church is to
be planting churches. God created everything to live forever. Jesus when he started to
build his church was not meant to die either. If a church is dyeing or plateauing, there is
something in that church that is not right and they need to reevaluate their mission
statement, values statement, and its core values to see where they got sidetracked at. If
churches do not have the Holy Spirit or he can’t be felt, then there needs to be a check as
to if sin is being allowed in the church. 1 Cor. 5:5, (E.S.V.), “I have decided to deliver
such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus. (5:5) To put the professed believer out of their fellowship, to
excommunicate him, would be to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his
flesh. Satan is the ruler of this world, and turning a believer over to Satan, therefore,
thrusts the believer back into the world on his own, apart from the care and support of
Christian fellowship. That person has forfeited his right to participation in the church of
Jesus Christ, which he intends to keep pure at all costs. The word deliver (paradidomi) is a
strong term indicating the judicial act of sentencing, of handing over for punishment. The
sentence passed on a sinning believer is to be given to Satan. Paul excommunicated
Hymenaeus and Alexander because of their continued and un-repented blasphemy. They
were pastors with a false gospel; he “delivered them over to Satan that they may be taught
not to blaspheme”[10] (1 Tim. 1:20 Links to an external site.). (MacArthur
Commentary)
Words 1,896
Bibliography
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. 3rd ed. Minneapolis: Crossway/Good
News, 2013.
MacArthur, John. “What Does It Mean to Be Handed Over to Satan?” Grace to you. July
09, 2021. https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0140/what-does-it-mean-to-
be-handed-over-to-satan
Footnotes
[1] Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 3rd ed. (Minneapolis: Crossway/Good
News, 2013), 108.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[3] Ibid., 157.
[4] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[5] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[6] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[7] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[8] Ibid., 213.
[9] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard
Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).
[10] John MacArthur, “What Does It Mean to Be Handed Over to Satan?,” Grace to you,
July 09, 2021, https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0140/what-does-it-
mean-to-be-handed-over-to-satan
