Recently I was in a church that intrigued me when they gave their weekly announcements at the end of the service.  The staff member talked about all the opportunities to get involved in ministry.  As I listened I realized every opportunity was about coming to an event to hear a person teach, not about what I considered “getting involved in ministry.”  Shortly thereafter, I was in a mall where a church was advertising, “How May We Help You? – Now Offering 162 Ministries for You and Your Family!”  Now let me state up front I am not against a church teaching its members truths from Scripture or offering ministries to help believers grow in their relationship with God and build strong families.  Paul teaches Timothy in II Timothy 3:16-17 that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (NIV).  Paul is saying to Timothy teach in order that believers can serve.

The Swinging Pendulum

I’m afraid that often churches swing from one pendulum to another is not just hearing vs. doing.  So many churches will highlight one teaching in the Bible to the exclusion of another.  They will often do this with the one verse that is balanced in its command.  For example, in the Scripture above Paul writes about the importance of teaching so that a believer can be “equipped for every good work.”  Often those who believe in doing over teaching quote a verse like James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  However, when you look at God’s Word as a whole it is not either/or, but both/and when it comes to hearing and doing.

The reason I thought about writing today on this subject is yesterday when I was at church I read the church bulletin.  To my surprise the bulletin was about 50 percent opportunities to come and hear and 50 percent opportunities to go and serve.  Often during the Christmas season that is quickly approaching churches work extremely hard (which I am grateful) to provide opportunities for their members to help those less fortunate.  Let me give a quick challenge to you in evaluating your church’s advertisements this past year.  Did your church balance hearing and doing?  Was the hearing people received so that they could “…be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:17) or some type of self-help?  In closing to those of you reading that help shape the direction for your church calendar will you seek next year to balance hearing and doing?

Tags: ministry

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