Do you like sports?  Many people do.… and pay a heavy price for some top events:

• 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony – top ticket price was $4,000
• 2017 Boxing Match – ringside seat: $145,200.  Then there’s basketball, hockey, soccer and baseball.
• 2016 Baseball championship… average price was $2,249… but the top price was $1.17 million.

 
I could go on.  But here’s the point… every one of these events were available to watch, at no cost at all, on television.  Nothing.  Zero.  And in almost every case, you get a much better view on television… plus you don’t have to pay outrageous prices for snacks at home.   So why do people even bother? 
 
Earlier this year my wife and I were spending a weekend in Tagish. We had a wonderful time and we were able to take in the worship service, online.  I have to admit that it was rather nice!  There we were, out in the comfort of our wilderness home, sitting on our love seat, coffee in hand, feet propped up, lyrics were on the screen (thank you Joel)… it was really comfortable.  And quite honestly, I think for one week here or one week there, it probably would be all right.  It was a way to stay connected when we couldn't be there in-person … but there was also something very significant missing.  

Yes, God was still able to speak to me through His servant, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music, but as comfortable as that was it just wasn’t the same. There is something very meaningful about being at an event live and in-person.  No matter how exciting an event is on television, it doesn’t carry the same “feel” as being there. If that is true for sports… how much more is it true when it comes to our time to worship the Lord.  

Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I wonder if it was complacency and comfort that was keeping people away, or if it was the threat of persecution.  We don’t know exactly when this letter to the Hebrews was written, but it is likely before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (AD 70). It is likely that there was a fair bit of persecution happening to the Christians.  It was not an easy time. Meeting together could have been a life or death situation.

Whatever the reason, the writer of Hebrews recognizes that some people have stopped participating in worship and he urges the remaining followers of Christ to not only continue coming themselves, but also to encourage one another to keep coming (or to come back). He’s basically sending out the message… “we need you”!
 
And today… especially after we’ve become comfortable watching worship services electronically, I believe the message for us is that we need to get back into the practice of meeting together in person.

Watching online is fine… as a last resort… and hopefully only very temporarily.  

So what’s the big deal?  Why do we need to be AT the church?  Why do we need to come together in-person as the Church? There are many reasons, but I’m going to summarize it into just three.  

Accountability (spiritually there are extremely few “lone rangers”).
We are all accountable to God, first and foremost (Romans 14:12 – “Each of us will give an account of himself to God”).  But we also have a responsibility (and accountability) for one another.

Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

The idea here is not that we are trying to pry into each other’s lives and trying to find fault with each other or feel morally superior to anyone else…. but simply that fact that every one of us is prone to failure and one of the best ways to avoid that or to recover from that is by others who are close to us.

1 Thess. 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” What beautiful words: “encourage” “build one another up”… we can’t do that on our own. That’s what accountability does.  It isn’t a negative; it’s a positive!  It’s a safeguard. It’s a building tool.

Quite honestly, this is something we resist because we find it offensive to have to answer to anybody!

But here’s the thing… notice that we need to submit to accountability.  It’s not something that can be forced on us.

The church should be a safe place where we hold one another accountable for the purpose of building one another up.

Spiritual Growth (closely related to accountability is maturity – growing spiritually).
Whereas “accountability” generally refers to correction of some sort, “spiritual growth” speaks of discipleship.

There’s a reason why the disciples spent so much time with Jesus. There’s a reason why the disciples spent so much time together as the church. It is not that someone can’t grow (spiritually) on their own; (they can), but it isn’t nearly as likely.  

Acts 2:42-47 speaks about God’s people coming together very regularly; even daily. The worshipped together, they fellowshipped together.  They broke bread together.  And through it all, they grew together.  As a result, every day, the Lord was adding to their number. This didn’t happen because they each went off on their own spiritual pilgrimage.  

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  That’s the beauty of the church. Together, we sharpen one another; or as Hebrews puts it, we spur one another on towards maturity.  

Ministry (we have a job to do and we do it better together).
In most situations in life, we are more productive when we are part of a team. It might not be always the case, but in most cases, we accomplish more when we work together than we could as individuals.
 
I believe this is the point of Paul’s teaching about the body having many parts. (1 Cor. 12).  Each part has a function on it’s own; but when it all comes together, that is when it is really productive. For example, the eye can see a lot of wonderful things… “oh… isn’t that a lovely dinner on the plate” Yes, the eye can see the dinner, but seeing it is not going to nourish the body.  At some point, the hand has to get involved and pick up the food.  Then there’s the mouth and the stomach… It’s only when all the parts work together that the body is able to accomplish more than what the sum of the individual parts could do on their own.  

And as Christians, we have a calling as well.  We are here for a purpose.  We have a function.

At the start of his ministry Jesus told his first disciples, “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:13, 14).  And at the end of his ministry he told his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).  There is always a task before us. The same is true with the church.  We come together, in part, to be able to serve; and with very few exceptions, we are able to function more successfully when we are together.

Accountability, discipleship, and ministry... these are just some of the reasons why, I believe, Hebrews 10:25 urges God’s people to not give up meeting together.  Bottom line is that it is essential.

Coming to church, live and in-person, is a privilege that we must not take that for granted.

​One of the "traditions" for Nazarenes around the world is to give to a special offering. These offerings can be a real source of blessing.

​One question that often comes up is how is an "offering" different than the "tithe"?

Good question!

Biblically, the tithe is a tenth portion of one's increase that is given to the Lord. In the Old Testament, this was a requirement. In the New Testament, it is not a "requirement of the law" (at least, not the written law), but a response of love.

Does that mean I don't need to give a tithe?

This might sound self-serving, but I truly believe it (and practice it myself); that the law of love doesn't even consider that question. Seeing how Jesus compares the law of love to the written law (the law of love always goes beyond the requirements of the written law); it would seem that the old written law is a starting point for even greater response (not less).The question that love asks is not how little I can give, but how much I can give. (I’ve sometimes said that giving 10% is for beginners - because that is the starting point).

That's where the "offering" comes in. The offering is a contribution, over and above the "tithe" that is usually given for a special purpose. While the "tithe" is for the general ministries of the church; the "offering" can be for anything one desires to give toward.

It could be the Alabaster Offering (used to help fund the purchase of land or building materials for missions projects); it could be some other ministry or missionary that I support. It could be the Thanksgiving Offering (for World Evangelism). It could be to a building fund or a benevolence fund or any number of things.

For us in the Church of the Nazarene, we usually collect an Easter Offering (in the spring) and a Thanksgiving Offering (in the fall) both for world evangelism. These offerings will go 100% over and above what our church is already committed to giving to world missions. The World Evangelism Fund is the "bread and butter" of our missionary work.

What happens to the "tithe"?

The tithe is used for the ongoing ministry of the local church and our portion of the ongoing ministry of the district and the global church. We believe that when God's people are faithful in giving their tithes, then the needs of the church will be met. That is why we don't actually collect special offerings for our own needs; nor do we engage in fundraising for our ongoing ministry. This is also why we don't charge a fee for anything that we provide, whether it is books or meals or whatever else. In fact, in my 33+years that God has given me in Whitehorse, I know of only one occasion when we charged a fee to participate in something (and that was done, not for the money, but to reserve seats for those who really wanted to come). We are able to provide what we do without added cost because we believe the source of income for the church is the tithe; and people have been very faithful in giving their tithes.

Are there more offerings coming up?

There are always special offerings coming up. We don't apologize for that because we don't "push" them either. We simply let people know that there are these needs, beyond our own local church needs, and we give you an opportunity to give an "offering" towards it. If you can, great. If you can't, that's fine. No shame in that. Give as the Lord enables you.
What are some of those offerings?

Let's see.... without thinking too hard... (and I'm sure I'll miss some) we usually receive these offerings throughout the year:

• Thanskgiving Offering (for World Evangelism)
• Compassionate Ministries Offering (usually in December - but also any time there is a global need).
• Alabaster Offering (in February and September)
• Easter Offering (also for World Evangelism)
• Deputation Offering (when we have a visiting missionary - for a project they want to undertake)

So there you have it... a summary of what our "tithes" and "offerings" are all about.
​
Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness. If you have any questions, we are always delighted to provide information.

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Our first thought is to connect this with marital relationships; as we do with so much of 1 Corinthians 13.  After all, 1 Corinthians 13 is all about "love" and what better place to show love than in a marriage!
 
However, 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t written to a couple that has fallen in love… it is written to a church that has fallen out of love.

​Paul is writing to a church that has been bogged down in gossip, slander, sexual immorality, drunkenness; and so much more; to a church that has was not reflecting the holiness of God; and what he is essentially saying in chapter 13 is “hey church, this is what you are supposed to look like." And there in verse 7; Paul describes some key characteristics of the church; which truthfully does apply in all our relationships: “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
 
Therefore, in the context of the church, what does it mean to “protect” one another?
 
For starters, we can protect a reputation. It happens far too often: someone comes to you with a juicy tidbit of information.  It often begins with the words, “Did you know…” or  “Have you heard..."  Or maybe “don't tell anyone I told you this but..."  Almost inevitably, whatever it is that is being said; it is harmful to the person being spoken about. Love does not allow harm to someone’s reputation to go unchecked like a roaring fire.  James 3:6 reminds us “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” Love does not spread the fire…. even if it's true. 
 
A good example of a love that protects is the love that Joseph had towards Mary. You remember the story.  Joseph didn’t understand Mary’s sudden pregnancy.  How could he? He was prepared to divorce Mary “quietly” in order to save her from disgrace (as much as possible). That's what love does. That's what it means to protect.  Love wants to see as little harm done to someone else as possible. That is certainly one way in which love protects.
 
Another way that love can protect is when someone is about to harm themselves; spiritually or otherwise. This is a little more difficult because everyone has the right to make his or her own decisions. And yet, when you love someone you will do what you reasonably can in order to prevent them from harming themselves. It’s called looking out for one another. Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted."  Love does not sweep sin under the rug pretending it’s not there.  Love seeks to restore someone gently.
 
What Paul seems to be telling the church is that “love" will cause us to look out for someone else’s welfare; even at the cost of our own.  That, after all, is the example that Jesus gave us.
 
Out in the world, the attitude of many is “I'm going to look out for myself".  “Mind your own business.” However in the church, there is definitely a place for us to do as Philippians 2:4 says; “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB). It seems to me that this is definitely one very important expression of love.  Love always protects.
 
When someone does something wrong; we have two options.  We can either broadcast it, to the detriment of the person and to our own testimony… or we can seek the welfare of that person and at the same time promote the gospel of Christ… not by hiding the wrongs... but by dealing with things in an appropriate and godly manner.
 
That’s what love will do.  And one of the reasons why love will do this is because love sees what God can be doing in a person down the road. 
 
Rather than jump and shout and claim my rights… rather than telling everyone how much someone has hurt me or wronged me… what Paul is saying is that love holds off on that sort of reaction.
 
Peter had the same idea in mind when he wrote in 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
 
It’s not that sin is swept under the rug – not at all. It’s that love does not allow sin to have the final word in a relationship.  Love sees that there is more; that there is potential; and so it doesn’t do anything to hinder the continued work of God in that person’s life.
 
As God's people, we are called to love one another in this manner.  Likewise, if relationships in the home are going to work the way God intended them to work, we are going to have to love one another in this manner – a love that bears all things and a love that endures all things – a love that hopes.  A love that will not give up.
 
So today, Valentine’s Day, besides focusing on romantic love; perhaps there is someone in your life that needs the kind of love that Paul wrote to the Corinthians about.  Someone who needs you to stand up for them; someone who needs to know they are not beyond hope; someone who knows you can trust them; someone who will realize that you will not give up on them.  And who knows… that someone might very well be your spouse.

Let us truly love one another as Christ loved us.