The Church Meeting in Jesus’ Name
602 Oak Knoll Dr., San Antonio, TX78228
Epistle
January 2013
Event Calendar
January 13 -20 Revival Meeting
with Bro. David Spurgeon
Sundays at 10 am, every night at 7 pm, ending Sunday 20th with the evening service. Sign-up sheets for meals and nursery will be posted in the foyer. Plan to attend every meeting and bring someone along.
April 20 Women’s Meeting
June 17 – 21 Vacation Bible School
July 14 – 21 World Evangelism Conference
Sundays at 10 am, every night at 7 pm, and daily open meetings at 10:30 am, ending Sunday 24th with the morning meeting.
October 18,19 Men’s meeting
December 1 Thanksgiving meeting
Open meeting both morning hours, and dinner on the grounds
Profitableness
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17
This parable understandably raises some eyebrows because a completely obedient servant is called unprofitable. It is hard for us modern Americans to grasp the true nature of servitude, but the case as Christ framed it is such that even an obedient servant is not so much as thanked for performing his chores. We should remember that Jesus treats his own servants better than that. Many believers over the ages have labored tirelessly for that greatest blessing of all, to hear him say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” But in this example servants are expected not to expect gratitude from their masters when they do a good job. Yet the pride of our generation has created the attitude that God owes us, and the imagination that God’s main aim is to make us happy, and a gospel in which God exists to help us achieve our goals in life, no matter how pathetic our goals are. Christ has much reason to remind us that God is a master, not a kindergarten teacher.
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? Malachi 1
Now Jesus cannot mean to say there is no economic profit in service, for it seems evident that a servant is economically profitable if he produces more than he eats. An employee is only unprofitable if he fails to increase his employer’s wealth by more than he takes from him in pay, which, sadly, is often the case, especially where labor laws and union contracts obstruct an employer’s freedom to fire poor employees. Apparently the profit Jesus is referring to here is an increase beyond that which was contemplated by acquiring the servant in the first place. The strict definition of profit in this parable leaves many commentators supposing as Jesus’ point that profiting God is impossible for humanity, since everything we have, we received from God. And no doubt one of Jesus’ points is that servants should be humble even when they do their job. But it is possible that this is not all this parable intends to convey. Especially in light of what Paul wrote to Philemon about his servant, who at one time had been unprofitable but had now become profitable to him, it intrigues me to think that Jesus may be encouraging us to wonder what profit actually means in God’s mind, and how we might achieve it.
Basic Duty
But this is not to diminish duty. Duty is universal. Contrary to popular opinion in our generation every human being breathing God’s air and occupying space on the surface of God’s earth has duties to fulfill. When God sees a fruitless tree he says, “why cumbereth it the ground?” As sure as God made Heaven and Earth if you are taking up space you have obligations. And they aren’t confusing. They are actually quite simple to understand and arrange according to perfectly logical priorities.
Obligations to God
Of course, everyone owes God everything, but that also means that everyone owes God something. Our 24 hour days should include something done for God alone. It is amazing how confused people are about the concept of a Sabbath. People seldom stop to think what portion of their schedule they ought to set aside for God. Most act like they can just ignore God completely until they need something from him. And it isn’t about giving something to God, as if he were a beggar. It is about duty. It is about recognizing that God deserves to be served, or maybe at least noticed.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46
Obligations to Self
Every man has the bounden duty to provide for himself. He must feed himself, clothe himself and shelter himself. No one else, neither God, nor society is obligated to feed you. Do not become confused by God’s provision. He did feed Elijah by ravens, but he is not obligated to feed anyone at all. We pray God give us our daily bread, but what we mean by that is that God provide us the opportunity to earn it. The command is to “work and eat our own bread” (2 Thes. 3:12) and if we don’t earn it, it isn’t ours.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 2 Thessalonians 3
Furthermore, all have the duty to maintain their own health, to keep from being a burden, which means avoiding self-destructive behaviors. This is a no-brainer that dead-beats can’t seem to grasp. Trusting God does not absolve us of our duty to care for ourselves.
Obligations to Family
Of course some are physically unable to care for themselves. Newborn babes cannot provide for themselves, nor can the old and infirm. Someone is obviously obligated to care for them. Yet it may surprise you that the Bible declares in no uncertain terms that the church is not responsible.
8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. 1 Timothy 5
This clearly distinguishes the church’s duty from what the first church did in the beginning – selling possessions and distributing to each according to need by a “daily ministration.” The first church was an exceptional circumstance, whereas duty transcends special times. Notice both men and women of the family are responsible for their own widows and babies, not the church and not society. It also should be clarified that even babies and the infirm are responsible to do what they can whenever they can. Toddlers should be taught as soon and as much as possible to care for themselves, and the disabled and aged must also make themselves as useful as possible to those who provide for them. Where the most helpless do what they can they do as much or more as the most capable.
Obligations to the Needy
Then there is the principle found repeatedly in the law by which God provides for the poor, through the tithe, the gleanings and the fallow years (Exo. 23:11, Lev. 19:10, Deu. 26:12). This principle holds even when the poor are poor because of their own faults. However even in the law our responsibility is primarily to provide opportunity to the needy, not gifts. Gleanings and corners of the field were left un-harvested so that the poor could gather for themselves. The idea of cutting them a check in exchange for nothing on their part is not countenanced in the Bible. Furthermore, since all have the duty to provide for themselves and their own families, and even to prepare for unexpected eventualities, it follows that even in disasters the duty of others to help is strictly limited. The helping hand in such circumstances is compassion. But God does teach us that we have responsibility for our poor, not to make them comfortable, of course, nor to do things for them, but to provide opportunity for them so they don’t starve, and to see to it that they are not abused because of their disadvantage.
Weakness of Law-keeping
Of course there are many other duties in life, from so basic as truth in speech to so complicated as mutual defense and even self-defense. But Christ in this parable is not exalting duty, but pointing out its inherent weakness. There is a significant defect in law itself, something law-keepers often overlook – obedience to commands is not ultimately profitable to God. Of course, obedience is often profitable to servants. Our lives are greatly enriched by God’s commands, warnings, and counsels. But the point is that God is not enriched by them. God does not gain anything by our obedience. This is another nail in the coffin of religion because we can never obey so well as to make God a debtor to us. If we obey the law we have only done what we should have done had there been no law at all, and if we break the law we are condemned by all the righteous angels and even decent people, wagging their heads at us as they walk by. Remember, the essence of law is servitude, which in itself is not an ideal relationship, but the point here is it is not considered profitable by God.
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. Hebrews 7
Profitableness to God
Now consider the possibility of profiting God. Profit in Christ’s definition is something beyond duty, giving God something he considers valuable and which we don’t actually owe him as servants. If our duty is obedience to God’s commands profit is going beyond commands, which for people who despair of obeying even morally compelling laws, like “thou shalt not covet,” seems unimaginable. But profit in this sense is not impossible. Many Christians experience it when newly converted, when their attitude changes. Even if only for a brief moment they are not serving God as an obligation. They are seeking God’s will with a ready mind and enthusiastic abandon. Consider the fresh believer’s attitude of agreeing with God after the mind is enlightened, and that impetuous readiness to promote and achieve God’s goals, not on the basis of debt to God, but of gratitude toward him. True, this is not possible for the natural man, but true profitableness in God’s definition can actually happen through the change in our status in the new birth, and what is more, the change in our attitude by spiritual understanding. By grace a believer is received “forever, not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved” (Phm. 11,16) and made profitable to his former master.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4
So profit to God may be achieved through faith, by understanding God’s word, loving God’s will, and getting excited about God’s purposes, not as servants, but as “laborers together with God.” This is impossible for the law-keeper whose life is lived according to a checklist of commands. Focus on the law is a dead end with the best possible outcome being a thankless satisfaction of having accomplished nothing special, and the more likely outcome being a whopping failure. But when you agree with God, and you fellowship with God, and love God’s ways, you not only accomplish your duties without even noticing, you actually become profitable in God’s mind.