Is the Worship Service for Christians or Unbelievers?

Hi, this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. Here's the number, 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook or Instagram account, and you can email us with your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. Well, Joe Biden has been sworn in as our nation's new president, and we know that over the past few months there's been a lot of conflict and tension about the results of the election. But we also know the Bible tells us to pray for those in authority. Absolutely, Bill. I mean, that's something that we're called to in 1 Timothy 2, and so it's something we should be committed to as believers.

Amen. Well, yesterday on the program, Adriel, we had a question come in. We really didn't have time to answer it fully, and it was a question about miscarriage. And I know all of us have known someone, or maybe in our own family, have experienced that tragedy. And there's some biblical, I guess, approaches that we could take to when we're talking to somebody who's experienced that. Yeah, it was a question we received yesterday toward the end of the program, so we really didn't get to spend a lot of time responding to this question in particular.

I wanted to open up today just bringing it up again. Yesterday we talked about how, you know, David said in 2 Samuel chapter 12, we talked about how he would go back to his son, and the question in particular had to do with the hope that we have as Christians that our children who have died in miscarriage, that they're with the Lord. And so I went to that passage. But I just know that this is such a heavy, difficult topic, and that a lot of people, those who have experienced miscarriage, sometimes they suffer from guilt and this burden of, you know, is this because of something that I've done?

And that is just such a heavy burden to carry. And I want to speak to you. If you've had a miscarriage and you're wrestling with that, or you've wrestled with that, there are some passages of scripture that I think are important for us to highlight here that emphasize God's sovereignty and His providence in caring for His people. Psalm 139 verses 13 through 16 say this, You formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are Your works! My soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You. When I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed substance. In Your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. And just that thought right there, Bill, that our days are numbered by the Lord.

We might not know, and we don't know, but God knows even for our children and the children in the womb. And so knowing that God is in control, we cast ourselves upon the mercy of God, and we rest in the fact that He cares for us. We don't understand why things happen the way that they do all the time, but we know that God is good. I think also of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10, where you know, our not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will.

Take heart, you're of more value than many sparrows. We're valued by the Lord. He knows the very hairs on our head, and so we trust in Him. We rest in His sovereign providence. And I think for those who are wrestling with guilt and the burden of, you know, could I have done something differently? It's passages like that that we need to go to and look to the Lord and say, God, I'm casting myself upon you. And so I just wanted to touch on that, you know, in light of the question we received yesterday.

For those people who might have a friend or relative that has gone through a miscarriage, there are some things you probably don't want to say, and some things that you do want to say. Yeah, absolutely. Oftentimes I think we can approach the situation in a way that we assume to know too much. You know, this happened for this reason or that reason. A lot of times, especially in situations of suffering, we don't have those kinds of answers. We know what God has said about Himself, and we know that in His word. We know that He's sovereign, we know that He's good, but God doesn't always tell us why this happened. That's why you have, I think, the psalms of lament. There are these psalms where the psalmist is crying out to the Lord, asking the why question, and oftentimes you don't get an answer.

You think about the book of Job. It's God saying, trust in me. Trust in me. I'm in control, and I'm good.

I'm still good. I'm able to make all things work together for the good too, like Paul says in Romans chapter 8. And so again, we cast ourselves upon the mercy of God and upon the fact that He's all-powerful. You know, we have this calling, every one of us in the body of Christ, to encourage one another, to bear one another's burdens. But sometimes when people are going through intense grief, they don't need answers. They don't need us to quote the Bible back to them. They just need us to sit with them and care about them and love them.

Yeah, certainly. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you have a question for us, here's the phone number to call. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Carrie's calling us from Santa Monica, California. Hi, Carrie, how are you? Hi, Adriel. Hi, Bill. Thanks for taking my call. Hi, Carrie. Thanks for calling. What's your question for us?

Sure. My question comes from James chapter 1, verse 2, where it says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds. Can you help me understand how being joyful translates into the ability to endure all the trials of life? And what can we do to help make joy our knee-jerk reaction to those trials?

Yeah, and I think the words there are really important, right? Verse 2, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. And James is not calling us here to rejoice or be joyful about the trial, right?

Specifically, like, you know, this is something that I should just have joy in per se. It's what the trial does, what it produces. And that's what James goes on to say. For you know, verse 3, that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Now, this is wild, but what James is telling us is that there's something that God does in the midst of the trial. God is able to use the trial in some capacity to strengthen our faith.

And isn't that the case? I mean, you think about your own life and the things that you've experienced, the difficult things that we oftentimes experience, and in the middle of it, it's like, man, I do not want to be here right now. Like, Lord, why do you have me here? And yet, so often, you know, as we continue to set our eyes on the Lord, and sometimes we can't even do that, you know, our heads are just sort of drooping down. But as we come through that, seeing how the Lord worked in us, to continue to strengthen our faith, to build our faith even, to cause us to trust in Him, and as I was saying earlier, in His sovereign power, His providence, you know, that's what James is saying we can rejoice in, is the fact that even through our trials, God is able to work something mighty. And we do see this all over the place in the pages of the Bible. I've just been, you know, in my own personal devotions, reading the story of Joseph there in the book of Genesis, and talk about a guy who experienced immense trials.

I mean, just absolutely, you read that narrative, and you just want to cry, because your heart breaks for the man, and yet you can see how, like he says in Genesis 50 verse 20, how God was able to take everything that was meant for evil and use it for good. And in the moment, we can't see how the Lord is doing that, but we trust Him, and that's why we can have joy. And that's why in other places, like Paul can tell the Thessalonians, you know, rejoice always, you know, in the context even of suffering.

Why? Because God is bigger than our suffering. He's not saying, you know, rejoice in your suffering, and that you should just enjoy it, or that kind of a thing.

No, we lament, we cry out to the Lord, but we rejoice in knowing that God is bigger than our suffering, whatever that suffering may be. Carrie, thank you so much for your call. Thanks so much for being a regular Core Christianity listener. We appreciate you. Thanks, Adriel, Bill, my pleasure. Let's go to Anne from Glendora, California. Hi Anne, how are you?

Hi, I'm doing well, thank you. And I've had a question on my mind for some time. It's a specific one from the Bible, it's from Esther, and it just seems so appropriate, like for today, for such a time as this. What should that mean to me, like to my life? And if I can ask a little bit more, is that a daily admonition, or is that about my life, a lifetime thing?

Yeah, yeah, that's a great question. I love these questions that we get from all over the pages of Scripture, here in particular with Esther, and wanting really to apply this to yourself. And I think that that's a good way to approach the Scriptures, where we're looking at the Word of God and saying, what does this mean for me?

And obviously this was coming in a particular context, you know, the history of what was taking place there, and the idea of being born for such a time as this, you know, like rising to the occasion, if you will. I don't know that I would say that particular verse is something you need to wake up in the morning and say, okay, for such a time as this, I'm going to get up today again. Really, I think one way in which we can apply these ideas is looking at what the Apostle Paul said, for example, in the book of Ephesians, where he calls us to redeem the time. One thing for us as believers that's really important is to think about how it is that we're living our lives and using the time that God has given to us.

And as you said, you know, the world around us, there are all sorts of things going on right now. And a big question that we need to ask ourselves is, what does it look like for me today to live faithfully to the Lord, to walk with the Lord? One passage of Scripture that I like to go to, you mentioned how we're in these difficult times today, and I think, you know, throughout the history of the church, Christians have felt the same way. That's why I like to go to what Peter said in 1 Peter 4, beginning in verse 7, because he talks about, you know, how the end of all things is at hand. I mean, talk about such a time as this, our need to really think through what does it look like for me to be faithful to the Lord and to honor the Lord in my Christian life.

Listen to what Peter said, 1 Peter 4, verse 7, the end of all things is at hand. And talk about such a time as this, therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling, as each has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

Whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God, whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. And that's what we're called to for such a time as this. The end of all things is at hand, Peter says, therefore let's be hospitable and let's love one another.

And that's how I think we ought to be living in such a time as this, sister. Anne, thanks so much for your call. We appreciate you. Thank you very much.

Very helpful. Love that other verse, too. Thank you, Pastor. God bless you, Anne.

This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Casey's calling in from Maynard, Arkansas, with a question. Hi, Casey. Hi, how are you guys? Great. Doing well, Casey.

What's your question? Okay, my question in general is, as far as approaching non-believers, how can we go about it to help them believe? My situation is, I have two children, and their father and I are not married. He does not believe in God, and I do. So for the past two years, we've kind of been going at this together, working on it, and he's tried talking to God, and he's tried opening up. And about a month ago, he came to me and said, I tried, I just, I don't believe, and I can't do it.

And I'm really, really scared, not only because of the times that are going on, but even if I feel comfortable with my relationship with God and my loved ones, I want to make sure that they're right as well, and I don't know how to approach it with him any further. Hey, Casey. What's his name, if you don't mind me asking? Douglas. Douglas. Can I pray for Douglas right now?

I think, I mean, really, when you ask this question, thinking about what's the best way to help people believe, I mean, ultimately, faith is a gift that comes from the Lord, and so we go to the Lord first and foremost and say, God, have mercy. So let's pray for Douglas right now. Gracious Father, Lord, we want to see the people who we love come to know you and to walk with your son, Jesus. And I want to lift Douglas up to you right now and pray for him, Lord, that you would be at work in his life.

Thank you for Casey. Thank you for the desire that she has to see him know and love you. And Lord, we know that there is nothing more important in this world than knowing Christ and experiencing his grace in our lives. And so I pray for Douglas that he would experience that, and I pray for Casey that you would give her wisdom, Lord, as she approaches this question, as she seeks to be a good witness to Douglas and to share the faith with him.

Would you be with her in Jesus' name? Amen. Amen. As I said, Casey, you know, faith is something that the Lord works in our hearts. It's the work of the Holy Spirit. So first and foremost, I would say you want to continue to pray and cry out to the Lord.

That's what we have to be doing. Really, it's not, you know, you can't sort of twist someone's arm or even convince them, I would say, to be regenerated. This is the work of God's Spirit, and so you go to the Lord. And yet what God uses to accomplish this is the word of the Gospel. And so I think, let me bring in the truth of God's word to bear, talking about really what the Christian faith is all about. What we like to talk about on this program, core Christianity, and that's what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

That's the good news of the Gospel, and what I find, Casey, is that a lot of people don't understand that message. They think Christianity is all about what I do. Look, I don't really want to follow Jesus.

It's all about just these these rules and regulations and trying to be a better person. I don't need religion for that. That's not what Christianity is about. Christianity is about what God has done in Christ to bring sinners to himself who don't deserve the Gospel, and yet he gives it to us freely. And so I think focusing on that good news, the message of the Christian faith, and making sure first and foremost that he understands what Christianity is about, I mean, it really is just such a wonderful message. And as there are questions, and there always are questions, you know, like, did this really happen?

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Well then, responding to those questions and really working through those things with the Scriptures, I mean, there are a few resources that I think we could encourage you to consider. One is a book called The Story of Reality. That's a great sort of defense of the Christian faith book written by our friend Greg Kochel, Story of Reality. That might be a resource that he might be open to checking out and thinking through, you know, some of the evidences we might say for the truth of the Christian faith. But I would say you pray, and you rely on God's Word, and make sure that that Word, the Word of the Gospel, is being clearly communicated. And I don't know, maybe one thing that the two of you can begin doing together is finding a good church that faithfully preaches the Word of God, or you can go and sit under the ministry of the Word, because it's the Word of God that does the work of God.

That's where the power's at. And so you pray, and you trust in the Lord, and you go to his Word, Casey. Casey, thanks so much for your question. We appreciate you. Thank you guys so much.

You're welcome, Ben. You know, Adriel, one of the things that Casey said regarding the father of her children is she said he wants to believe in God but doesn't feel it. And I'm wondering if you can address that, because that's a stumbling block for so many people. Well, I don't feel God's presence, or I don't feel that this is real. Our faith is based not on feeling, it's based on the facts of the gospel. Now, that is such an important point, Bill, because a lot of times people confuse feelings with faith. I mean, the apostles, when they went around in the book of Acts and they were preaching the gospel, they didn't preach the gospel and say, so how do you feel now? You know, does that make you feel better?

Are you getting the warm tinglies? That kind of a thing. No, they preached the gospel, and they said Jesus rose from the dead, and he commands all people everywhere to repent. This is something that happened in history. It's objectively true, and it demands something of each and every one of us. And so whether you feel it or not, that doesn't change the fact that Christianity is true, that Jesus really rose from the dead, that he conquered sin.

And so we trust in him because it's fact, because the gospel is real. And that's where a lot of times people get hung up, the feeling question. And so I think we have to point them to something deeper, more stable than their feelings.

We point them to what God has accomplished in his Son. And frankly, even for people who have been walking with the Lord for a really long time, we continually need to go back to that, because it's easy for us as well to focus on our feelings primarily. I don't really feel the Lord right now. I don't feel forgiven.

I don't feel good. Well, brothers and sisters, we cling to God's word. We cling to the promise that we have in the gospel. That's where we place our faith. And so regardless of how we feel, it's true. And because it's true, we rejoice.

Amen. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and today we want to tell you about something that we know you will love here from Core Christianity. It's called our Core Kit.

Yeah, that's right. I am excited to share about this. The Core Kit is our offer to listeners who are wondering what Core Christianity is all about. It's a free resource, jam-packed with items like our Gospel of John Bible study, answers to our top five questions, the questions that we get asked most frequently on the show, our DVD, Finding Yourself in God's Story, our Bible reading plan, and a lot more. And so get a hold of the Core Kit. It's a kit that introduces you to the best content and items we have at Core Christianity. We've really heard just a ton of testimonials about how these resources have helped and encouraged people in their faith. And so we wanted to collect all of them into one place and give it to you for free.

Here's what you do. Go to our website corechristianity.com forward slash kit to sign up. That's corechristianity.com forward slash kit. You can also call us at 833-843-2673 for help getting that or any one of our offers.

Again, that number is 833-THE-CORE. Just a reminder, Core Christianity is listener supported, so we count on people just like you to make gifts to keep us on the air. We would always appreciate that if you would prayerfully consider making a gift. Let's get back to a voicemail. This is a voicemail that came in from Gloria through our website. You can go to corechristianity.com, click on the little microphone icon, and leave your message. And here's what Gloria had to say.

Hi guys, this is Gloria. I was calling about something I had recently seen on Instagram saying that church is not for the unbelievers, but for the body of Christ. Now, I was raised with a different theology, meaning that church was for the unbelievers, and church was the only way unbelievers usually came to Christ.

Can you dissect this for me and give me a little bit more information? Because I really want to follow the truth in this and make sure that I'm right in thinking that that could be potentially wrong. Thank you. Yeah, Gloria, I love this question, and I've heard the same thing, you know, is church, and this question, is church primarily for Christians, or is it primarily to get people through the door, you know, people who don't know Jesus and to help introduce them to the Christian faith? Well, we really have to take a step back and say, well, what is supposed to be happening in church to begin with, right? And I think about that wonderful passage in Acts chapter 2 that really describes the early fellowship of the Christian community.

Listen to what Luke wrote about there. He says that the early Christian church, verse 42 of Acts 2, devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles, and all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need, and day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Now the reason I wanted to read that whole passage, especially that last part right there, is because it shows us that as the church was gathering together, doing what it should be doing, you know, attending to the teaching of the apostles, the breaking of bread.

And actually, in the Greek New Testament, there's a definite article there in front of bread. It's the breaking of the bread, probably a reference to communion, coming together as believers to hear the apostles' teaching, to have communion, to pray together for the church and for the world. And as that was happening, as believers were being trained up in the truth, discipled under the word of God, God was adding to the church daily those who were being saved.

You know, they didn't have a, you know, a great big, you know, program, show going on, that kind of a thing. No, they were sitting at the feet of Jesus, as it were, listening to his words. And so I think that first and foremost, when we gather together for worship, Gloria, we're gathering together to be built up as the church, to be edified, to receive the message of Jesus, the good news of the gospel, and to feed on him by faith. It's where we go to be nourished so that we can go out into the world to encourage people around us to bring the truth of God's word to bear upon our neighbors and upon our friends. And so it's not that it's just for Christians as if, you know, we kind of have this closed-off club. No, we're gathering together to hear the word to be nourished so that we can go out and serve our community and serve our neighbors.

And so it doesn't have to be an either-or. And actually, Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, he rebuked the Corinthians because he said when they gathered together for worship, they were all speaking in tongues, and nobody understood what was going on. And, you know, unbelievers were walking in and saying, you guys are crazy. And so Paul says, you know, when we have a worship service, it should be understandable. The word should be preached clearly so that everyone can benefit, Christians and non-Christians, but it's primarily about the building up of the body of Christ.

And I've seen this so often today. Too often people and churches are focused on making converts, not making disciples. Brothers and sisters, we need to go deeper in the word of God to be discipled by the truth of Jesus Christ. And as that happens, boy, we're equipped to share our faith, to share the love of Jesus Christ so that we can go out into the world and share that love with people who desperately need to hear it. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.