Falling Through the Cracks

By Jeff Curtis

Many times, we pray, and hear others pray, that the local church grow both spiritually and numerically. The church in Jerusalem was doing both. Had it reached a state of perfection been reached? Not at all: “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, (Acts 6:1). Success brings problems just as failure does.

Imagine that a program of a congregation is a tabletop. We wish it were a smooth, completely polished tabletop. But in reality, it is rough and uneven, too high in some places, too low in other places. More importantly, it is full of cracks. Some cracks are big, some are small, some long, some short… but there are a lot of cracks…and things seem to fall through these cracks. We often think that a certain has been taken care of, only to find out later, to our embarrassment, that it was not.

Of our greatest concern is when people fall through the cracks. Members of the church often have needs we don’t know about or don’t take care of immediately. AS a result, feelings get hurt. People sometimes leave the church; they fall through the cracks. Maybe members begin to forsake the assembly (Hebrews 10:25), and we don’t notice it, we don’t immediately try to see if there is a problem. Often by the time we check on them, their spirituality has dwindled to the point that these members cannot be restored. These precious souls have fallen through the cracks.

Even with the best leadership in the world, oversights can happen. No congregation will have better leaders that the Spirit-inspired apostles; yet, even under the leadership of these men, people were neglected. When people fall through the cracks, it isn’t necessarily a reflection on the leadership of the church. How the leaders handle these situations may reflect their leadership ability, but the fact that the situations arise is in itself no reflection of weak leadership.

We learn the follow lessons about leadership from the apostles who settled the dispute over the widows being neglected in Acts 6. (1) Handle problems at once (vv.1,2). (2) Handle problems in a sensitive manner (v.2). (3) Involve the congregation (vv.3,5). (4) Delegate responsibility (vv.4,6).

Meditate on these things:

Proverbs 3:1-2

Pray for our meeting / VBS.

We had a good meeting with Brother Jim Mickells. Let’s not just let the week go without our following up on our visitors and making application in our lives of the lessons presented this week.

SOME DANGEROUS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CHURCH "ATTENDANCE"

By Donald Townsley

We live in a day when brethren are filled with all kinds of wrong attitudes toward the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One is horrified and appalled at what he reads and hears coming from the mouths of some brethren about the church. One is made to believe that only a small remnant of God's people will remain in America in the next generation if these attitudes are not corrected.

Some have the attitude that "attending all the services of the church is not important". The Hebrew writer said attendance is important: " Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Heb. 10: 23 - 25).

Christians have responsibilities to perform with other children of God. To carry out their duty to God and other Christians they must assemble with other Christians often. Every first day of the week we are to assemble together to:

· Partake of the Lord's Supper

· Give of our means

· Sing

· Pray

· Be taught the Word of God

(Acts 2:42; 20:7; I Cor. 16: 1 - 2; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

We are to come together at other times to worship, be edified and preach the gospel to the lost (Matt. 28:20; Acts 5:42; Acts 2:46; I Tim. 3:15). Here are some reasons why attendance is important:

· To obey God (Heb. 10;25; Matt. 7: 21).

· God seeks my worship (John 4: 23 - 24).

· Jesus' presence is in the assembly (Matt. 18:20).

· I am made stronger (Acts 20:32).

· To set a good example (I Tim. 4:12; Matt. 5:16).

· To prove my love and gratitude to God (John 14:15).

· To put the Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).

Meditate on this:

James 1:19 (New King James Version)

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath