B. It sounds like a tall order, but it is not.<\/p>\n 1. Each one here can greatly improve this congregation with just a small\namount of effort.\n 2. I’m going to give you ten, simple things that you can do, which will\nimprove this congregation and any other one you attend in this life.\n
II. The Ten Simple Rules<\/p>\n A. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect, you would not fit into a\nperfect congregation, if one existed.\n 1. Too many people are looking for the perfect congregation. One that has\nno flaws, no problems, no irritations.\n a. The members in that congregation are too old. The members of\nthis congregation are too young. There are too many hypocrites. \nThe people are too apathetic. The preacher is not dynamic enough.\nThe preacher shouts too much.\n 2. Consider the seven churches of Asia. They represent all of the Lord’s\nchurches.\n
a. Ephesus was a diligent worker, but they lacked love.<\/p>\n b. Symra was poor and suffered heavy persecutions; some were told\nthey would soon be facing prison.\n c. Pergamos was located in a bad section of town. In fact, Jesus\ndescribes it as the location of Satan’s throne. Some have been\nkilled for their faith, but others are compromising the truth — falling\ninto sins, such as fornication, idolatry, and false teachings.\n d. Thyatira was known for its many good works, but it allowed a false\nwoman teacher to serve in their midst. She has even lead some of\nthe members into committing fornication.\n e. Sardis looks active on the surface, but it is basically dead. They\nwere once a strong congregation, but no more. However, there are\na few strong members still in Sardis.\n f. Philadelphia is spiritually weak, but has a number of opportunities\nand remains faithful to God.\n g. Laodicia is a wealthy congregation, but it is spiritually so-so. The\nmembers are so full of their own greatness that they cannot see the\nthings they are lacking.\n 3. Which church would you and your family join? You see there is no perfect\nchurch. Every one has problems. The problems differ, but none will allow\na person to just drift into heaven.\n 4. Church hopping doesn’t solve a single problem. You just exchange one set\nfor another.\n B. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point at, pick out the sincere,\ndedicated, spiritual members and thank God for them. You will find what you\nseek.\n
1. People will find what they are looking for – Tit. 1:15-16<\/p>\n 2. I Thess. 5:21-22 – Test things. Hold to the good and reject the evil. Too\noften we reject the good if we find evil anywhere near by.\n
3. I Cor. 4:16-17 – Follow Paul who is following Christ<\/p>\n
4. Phil 3:17 – Faithful men for examples<\/p>\n
a. Ps. 37:37 – Mark the blameless man<\/p>\n
b. Heb 13:7 – Follow after the elders<\/p>\n C. If you are old, treat the young with the consideration you desired as a young\nperson. If you are young, treat the elderly with the respect you will want when\nyou are old.\n
1. This is basically, “Do unto others” – Matt. 22:39<\/p>\n
2. I Tim 4:12 – Don’t despise the young<\/p>\n
a. I Cor. 16:10-11 – Don’t despise Timothy<\/p>\n
b. Matt 18:10 – Don’t despise the little ones (young in faith)<\/p>\n
3. I Peter 5:5 – Submit to the elder<\/p>\n a. Prov 16:31 – Gray hair is a crown of glory if gained through\nrighteousness\n
b. Lev. 19:32 – Give respect to the elderly<\/p>\n
c. Job 12:12 – Age brings wisdom and understanding<\/p>\n D. When you are tempted to criticize others, be sure to pray earnestly for them first. \nThis may not change them, but it will do wonders for your attitude.\n
1. Matt. 7:1-5 – Correct yourself before correcting others<\/p>\n
2. Ps. 51:9-13 – Forgive my sins, then I can teach others<\/p>\n
3. Matt. 5:44 – Pray for those who abuse you<\/p>\n
a. Ps. 35:11-13 – David’s example<\/p>\n
b. Acts 7:60 – Stephen’s example<\/p>\n
4. I Pet 3:9 – We were called to return blessings for cursing and railings.<\/p>\n
E. When you see a work being neglected, instead of being critical, offer to help.<\/p>\n 1. Neh. 2:12-20 – Nehemiah saw the devastation of Jerusalem and\ndetermined the work to be done. Sanballat and his friends instead were\ncritical and tried to stop the work. \n a. When there is work to be done in the church, which are you? A\nNehemiah or a Sanballat?\n b. Starting in Neh. 3:1ff is a list of who repaired what portion of\nJerusalem’s walls and gates. No one person did all the work, yet\neach person’s work was important and critical to the final success\nof the project.\n c. What would happen if just one person was neglectful? What if just\none person did poor work?\n
2. Eccl. 9:10 – Whatever you find to do, do it with all your might.<\/p>\n
3. II Chron 31:20-21 – The example of Hezekiah – full dedication to God<\/p>\n
4. What do we do for the church?<\/p>\n
a. Do you see something that needs to be done?<\/p>\n
b. Do you complain or do you do something about it?<\/p>\n c. Do you give it the minimum time that you can get away with or do\nyou do it as if you are working for God?\n F. Never, never blame others for your own failures. Every individual can be fruitful\nin spite of the bad examples and discouraging attitudes of others, if he is\ndetermined to be.\n
1. Numerous examples<\/p>\n a. Gen 3:12-13 – Adam and Eve did not accept responsibility of their\nown actions, they blamed others for their own wrong doing.\n b. Gen 16:5 – Sari blamed her disagreements with Haggai on Abram. \nAfter all, he is the father of the child, even though it was by Sari’s\nsuggestion.\n c. Gen 25:29-34, 27:36 – Esau freely gave up his birthright, but soon\nhe blamed his lose on his brother Jacob.\n
d. Ex 32:22-24 – Aaron blamed the people for making the golden calf.<\/p>\n
e. I Sam 15:20-21 – Saul blamed the people for not obeying God.<\/p>\n
f. Matt. 27:24 – Pilate tried to excuse himself from the death of Jesus.<\/p>\n 2. God has consistently stated that we are responsible for our own actions. \nYou can’t blame anyone else. It is not in your genes – so you can’t blame\nyour parents. You can’t blame your children. You can blame your friends.\n(See Ezek. 18)\n
3. Ezek. 33:8 – Even if a wicked man is not warned, he still dies for his sins.<\/p>\n
4. Gal. 6:4-5 – Every person bears his own burdens.<\/p>\n 5. I Pet. 2:12 – Others may disparage us, but our good works will glorify\nGod.\n G. Remind yourself every day that the best way you can improve the world or the\nchurch is to begin with yourself.\n
1. Mt 7:1-5 – First remove the beam from your own eye.<\/p>\n
2. Ps. 51:9-13 – Cleanse me and then I will teach<\/p>\n 3. Acts 19:13-16 – Some Jews tried to heal without becoming Christians\nthemselves. They tried to improve the fate of another without improving\nthemselves.\n 4. Rom 2:1,21-24 – The Jews condemn the world while violating that same\nlaw.\n
5. Ps 19:7-13 – God’s law instructs us, improves us<\/p>\n H. Consciously look for the good qualities in every brother or sister in Christ. When\nyou think of a brother or sister, make a mental note of the good points each\npossesses.\n
1. Ps. 106:4-5 – David’s prayer to see the good of God’s people<\/p>\n
2. Prov. 12:25 – A good word brightens a person’s day<\/p>\n
3. Prov. 15:23 – A joy giving a fitting reply<\/p>\n
4. Prov. 16:24 – Pleasant words are healthful<\/p>\n
5. Isa 50:4 – God teaches us how to teach others and improve their life<\/p>\n
6. Ps. 34:12-14 – Man desires to see good, so avoid speaking evil<\/p>\n I. Constantly strive to increase you circle of friends in the church. Try to do\nsomething good for each.\n
1. Pr 18:24 – To have friends, you must be friendly.<\/p>\n
2. Rom 12:13 – Help fellow Christians and being hospitable.<\/p>\n 3. I Jn 3:17 – If you have the ability to help, and do not, how can you love\nGod?\n
4. I Pet. 4:8-9 – Show love and hospitality among one another<\/p>\n
5. Heb. 6:10-11 – Work at love and serving each other<\/p>\n
6. Heb 13:16 – With such sacrifices, God is pleased<\/p>\n J. Every church has problems. Constantly ask yourself, “Am I a part of the problem\nor a part of the solution?”\n
1. James 4:17 – Sin if you know to do good and then do nothing<\/p>\n
2. James 1:25 – Not a forgetful hearer, but a doer.<\/p>\n
III. You see, each item is not difficult.<\/p>\n
A. Let us resolve to improve the church by changing ourselves.<\/p>\n
B. Every improvement in ourselves improves the church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I. The bookstore shelves groan under the weight of “self-help” books. The kind that tell you how to improve various aspects of your life. A. I would like to offer a different type of self-help: a way you can improve the church — all by yourself! B. It sounds like a tall order, but it is not. 1. Each…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[448,1039,794],"class_list":["post-15206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-church","tag-complaints","tag-criticism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58316,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/new-and-improved-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":15206,"position":0},"title":"New and Improved Religion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Carey Scott It is amazing that just about every product that has ever been sold has evolved into a more new and improved product. The marketing firms have convinced the manufacturers that unless they have new and improved printed on their products; they will not sell as many. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5922,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-bagels-and-coffee-improve-our-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":15206,"position":1},"title":"Will Bagels and Coffee Improve Our Worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ken Weliever \u201cDuring our years of church planting, we tried to change people\u2019s perceptions about what the Sunday worship would look like,\u201d wrote Michelle Lazurek, in a recent Crosswalk.com article. \u201cWe took out pews and replaced them with pub tables and chairs, added lights and a stage and most\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Coffee-and-Bagel-300x210.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":86460,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":15206,"position":2},"title":"The Difference","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton The difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that Christians are perfect. Sometimes, you find a Cornelius (Acts 10) who is morally just as upright as Christians. The difference is that one person has forgiveness through Jesus' blood, and the other does not. Forgiveness is available\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14434,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-work-of-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":15206,"position":3},"title":"The Work of the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 29, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Psalm 104 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The world is evidence of the ability of God to design perfect systems - Psalms 19:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Everywhere we turn the wisdom of God is manifested - Psalm 104:24 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This same masterful designer displayed His great wisdom in the design of the church - Ephesians 3:8-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45796,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-came-to-your-site-looking-for-information-to-learn-to-be-more-self-controlled\/","url_meta":{"origin":15206,"position":4},"title":"I came to your site looking for information to learn to be more self-controlled","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm a member of the church of Christ, and I was doing some research to further my knowledge in Christ and to also help me be self-controlled with my fiancee, being that we are not yet married. 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