We use the phrase "upward, inward and outward" to describe our Christian lives.
Upward refers to our relationship with God. Inward refers to our relationship with fellow believers. Outward refers to our relationship with nonbelievers. Let's see how these can be expressed in words and in actions.
I'd like to begin with our inward responsibilities--the relationships Christians have with one another.
We relate to fellow Christians in two major ways--through fellowship and through ministry, or service. In other words, our relationships are expressed in words and in deeds.
As relationships develop, our conversations go beyond small talk, so we can discuss opinions, feelings and matters of the heart.
Christian fellowship includes the practical issues of spiritual life. Small group fellowship brings out discussions on such a level, because sharing such things helps us grow spiritually. That's why I encourage members to find a small group they can link up with or help form a new small group.
"Encourage one another daily," Hebrews 3:13 tells us. This involves giving and receiving encouragement from one another. Sometimes I am up and can encourage others, while other times I am down and need to be encouraged by others.
"Encourage" is a translation of the Greek word parakaleo, which comes from roots meaning to be called alongside, or to stand with. God has called us to stand together to continually give hope, courage and support to one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25 gives that purpose as a major reason that we should meet together: "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."
Our relationships need to involve more than words, of course. It means helping people who need help. Each member is most at home in the body of Christ when he or she is involved in some type of service to others.
Ministry also applies to our outward relationships. We minister to our neighbors, to our relatives and to the people we work with.
On our jobs, we work not just for money, but also to help others.
Because we are God's children in the world, we want every place we live, and every place we go to be better because we have been there. This is not because we are so great, but because God has given us his love and called us to do the kinds of things he would do if he were you or I.
We do this as individuals, and sometimes we do it as whole congregations, too. It is so inspiring to read of the ministries performed by many of our congregations in the WN.
Our outward relationships also include words. Words can give strength, or they can destroy. "The tongue has the power of life and death" (Prov. 18:21).
Our words need to be truthful, filled with good report, avoiding obscenities and coarse jokes (Eph. 5:4). We are to be good stewards of our tongues.
One way to be a good steward of words is through evangelism. The gospel is a powerful message that we have been given and told to share. Paul says we have been "entrusted with the secret things of God" (1 Cor. 4:1), the message of salvation.
If we are living like unbelievers, it is unlikely that the gospel will have any impact on others' lives. If we lie and cheat, gossip and gripe, people won't tend to believe us when we share the gospel, no matter how convincingly we say the words. And if we ignore their practical needs, they will be skeptical that we care about them.
Inward and outward overlap in small groups, which are not only inwardly nourishing, but are excellent entry points for people interested in Christianity. Certain other kinds of inward service can also open doors for evangelism.
For example, I think of children's ministry. The volunteers share the gospel and give parents a practical service so they can take part in the worship service. Several types of ministry are accomplished at once!
Children's ministry provides an avenue for evangelism, too. Children can invite their neighborhood and school friends, which in turn creates a relationship between the church and the friends' parents. Members can also invite friends and neighbors to church, knowing their children will be cared for, given good teaching and have fun during the service.
Now let's talk about our upward relationship. Upward may also be divided into words and actions. Our words with God may be further divided into two kinds: God's words to us, and our words to him.
How does God speak to us? Primarily through Scripture. These writings tell us how God has spoken in the past, and how he has been perfectly revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ.
God speaks to us afresh, helping us apply the words to situations in our lives. Bible study is part of our worship response to God who has revealed himself and his Word to us in the Scriptures.
God speaks to us in sermons, too. Anyone who speaks to the church should seek to speak "the very words of God" (1 Peter 4:11). It is appropriate for us to listen, then, with the expectation that words of God will be spoken. We judge what is said by Scripture, our ultimate authority, but we still listen for what God may be saying through the imperfect speaker. "The others should weigh carefully what is said" (1 Cor. 14:29).
God may also speak through any member of the church. As we are called to exhort one another to good works, we are called to speak God's words of encouragement to one another. We often learn from one another what God wants us to do.
Through fellowship, through small group discussions, we can come to know his will better.
These words from God to us are part of our upward relationship: our worship. When we listen attentively, willing to obey, we are worshiping God.
Our worship includes the words we speak to God, too. In prayer and in song, we speak to God. We are telling him what we think about him, about ourselves and about others.
Last, I want to comment on actions we do in our upward relationship. The Old Testament religion stressed actions of worship: sacrifices, rituals, times and places. The New Testament has little of this.
Our rituals include baptism and the Lord's Supper. Some Christian traditions have more rituals--they may carefully follow a liturgical calendar, recite creeds and prayers in their weekly liturgies and have a more prominent place for communion. These are not wrong, but neither are they commanded.
Christian traditions vary, and each of them can be respected for the particular strength it brings to the fabric of the body of Christ.
What other actions form part of our worship? We offer our "bodies as living sacrifices"--that is a "spiritual act of worship" (Rom. 12:1). Everything we do is part of our worship, our service toward God. We serve him by obeying him and by seeking (as our motto says) to make a difference for his kingdom.
When our actions are done in obedience to God, they are an expression of our worship of him. When we use our time for his glory, to advance his glory instead of ourselves, we have actions of worship, actions that strengthen our upward relationship.
When we use money for his glory instead of for ourselves, we have actions of worship. In our words, in our time, in our finances, in our spiritual gifts, we want to use what God has given us to serve him. Stewardship in all these areas is a life-style of worship.
As a denomination, we want to be good stewards of what God has given. We want to be good stewards of the gospel in our local churches and in our publications and preaching and teaching. We want to encourage and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Another aspect of good stewardship is the sale of the Big Sandy and Pasadena properties. So many things now hinge on the close of escrow for the Pasadena campus. Our employees will move, our Pasadena churches will be restructured, our financial structure will be revised, and many other things will change in a domino fashion.
I hope you do not get tired of the phrase "wait until the campus sells'' --it is truly a monumental moment in our history (or perhaps I should say our rebirth as a denomination).
As we near this milestone, we observe that it has been a tumultuous voyage, and many have not stayed on board this far. Dangers still exist as we sail the uncharted waters toward our harbor. Please pray for safe sailing, and please support us as we work together for the common good.
"So, as the Holy Spirit says: `Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts' " (Heb. 3:7). Let us look to Jesus, our apostle, our high priest, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Let us strengthen our arms and knees, and run with endurance the race set before us. For we have not come to a nation that will fade away, but to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, a kingdom of incomparable glory. Therefore, "let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" (Heb. 12:28).
Friends, I pray for you daily. God is gracious, merciful and kind--there is none like him. We have a wonderful calling, the most significant that could ever be.
Let us serve him faithfully with joy, with love, with trust in his wisdom and care. He will reward his people even more abundantly than we can think to ask. Thanks to him, and to you, for your role in the work set before us.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999