s20060115ill_Getting Church

Discipleship is Communal

Very few people are expert in anything all by themselves. They need a supporting community. Do you know a good musician who was not trained, nurtured and sustained by the music community? Show me an athlete who achieves excellence all alone, apart from the athletic community. Very few wise men become so without the accumulated wisdom of the centuries as expressed in colleges and universities and libraries. Medical people are more like ensembles and symphonies than soloists. What business tycoon does it all on his own without dedicated experts in finance, engineering, personnel, and marketing? Excellence requires participation in, and support of, a community of like-minded people.

Likewise in the church -- a forerunner of the new kingdom. Very few achieve Christian maturity all by themselves. Seldom is the Bible studied diligently without the aid of scholars and teachers. Rarely are people led to generosity by their own impulses. Adapted from The Divine Advocacy by Maurice A. Fetty.

What kind of experience is church?

1.     Is it an educational experience-delivering information

2.     Is it a place to attend-do my duty

3.     is it a spectator’s experience-I come to watch other perform

4.     Is it a strong person’s experience-no weaknesses allowed

5.     Is it an accommodating experience-we become like a social club affected by what’s around us.

6.     Is it a mono ethnic experience-white and black?

I get church when I make it a togetherness experience.

A What Do You Remember Test

1.     Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2.     Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3.     Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4.     Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5.     Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6.     Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

¨      List a few or your Bible school teachers who aided your journey with God.

¨      Name three Christians who have helped you through a difficult time.

¨      Name five Disciples who have taught you something worthwhile.

¨      Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

¨      Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.