Residential Steeples: We were made for each other.

If someone asked you to explain the concept of church, what would you say? A Christians response and a non-Christian response would vary. If you could define the church in one sentence, how would you word that statement?

My description has changed over the years for various reasons. Less people go to church now in our country than we’ve ever seen before.

• The Bible belt is fraying.

“The question used to be, “why don’t you go to church?” Now the question is, “why would you go to church?” - Shane Pruitt

We are facing a crises. A home crises.

“The home is the most important evangelistic instrument in the believers’ tool kit, especially if our goal is to reach people far from God. The home is where unbelievers can feel the warmth of God’s acceptance. The home is where they can see our way of life up close enough to ask a reason for the hope that enlivens us. The home is where we turn ‘strangers into neighbors and neighbors into family.’” - Rosario Butterfield

When we see steeples, we think of churches. When we think of homes, what do we see?

For the next four weeks, we are going to talk about God’s desire for our households.

Example, Testimony, and rest.

Today, our focus is on relationship.

John 15:9-17

9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.

13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master, is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.

WE WERE MADE FOR JESUS TO BE MADE FOR ONE ANOTHER!

Jesus is not talking to the non-Christians of the world in this passage. He was speaking to His disciples. There is nowhere in scripture that tells other Christians to neglect friendship relationships with one another.

If I’m friends with Jesus Christ and you are as well, we were made for one another. This is the church. A group of like-minded friends following Jesus. We are family and when we don’t operate as friends, we are missing the point of who God has made us to be. We are to be united in our love for Christ Jesus that our attitudes towards Him spill toward one another.

We were made to be in relationship. It’s in our DNA. Everyone needs a friend. It doesn’t matter who you are.

Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.

44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.

45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need.

46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.

34 For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,

35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.

1. Resources

People in the early church who had property sold it to help other Christians who were in need. Unmovable possession and movable.

They took their possessions and laid them at the feet of the apostles. Literally.

“There will be no poor among you, however, because the Lord is certain to bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance.” (Dt 15:4) There was no one around them in need.

Spurgeon’s New Park Street Chapel. 38 years. People in the community would have felt their absence.

The most countercultural way that we can live is give everything we have to other people.

I’m not telling you never save or care for you own family. I’m telling that you that there is nothing you have that God didn’t design to be His. When the people of God love Him with reckless abandon, their love for the needy will be authentic.

If the church was doing it’s job, the government would not have to be involved in our affairs so often.

The world will know who we are when we love one another.

2. Experiences

The church was together often!!! The scriptures say that there was a common link between believers. They ate meals together. In the ancient times, meals were significant and often ended or solidified agreements between people.

Fellowship - From κοινός, common. A relation between individuals which involves a common interest and a mutual, active participation in that interest and in each other.

You and I live in a day when Better Homes & Garden and Fixxer Upper has everyone freaked out about what their house looks like. We are expected to “stage” our homes..

Family shouldn’t care what our houses look like or how food tastes. We need the fellowship of one another more than we need to be entertained.

Something has to change. We shouldn’t have be so formal all of the time. We just need each other.

The fear of letting people inside your life will always hinder your ability to maintain friendships.

What if we never had leftovers in our fridge anymore? What if we didn’t have to hold on to our problems alone because we shared them with our friend? What if the church loved each other so much that others had to join?

There is great power when we experience Christ together in common fellowship. We have to foster situations that encourage others to join us in life.

3. Observances

The gathered community of believers listened to and followed the teaching of the apostles and devoted themselves to the scriptures.. Breaking of bread also involved the Lords Supper. People gathered for prayer out of reverence for Jesus.

God’s favor was on the believers. The Holy Spirit was in them in a specially powerful way. All selfishness and individuality was melted away. There was true Christian unity.

Common mind and purpose to everything that was happening. The two characteristics corresponded with the two great commandments to love God and others.

The People were dedicated to Christ. They were expectant to see the Holy Spirit reach others. They loved one another with purpose. God saw this attitude and blessed it by adding people to their number.

Churches aren’t country clubs or cruise ships.

We have a responsibility to place our focus on Christ solely. When we do, the way we see other believers will be impacted. People want to be a part of what’s real.

People will question the church less when our actions are authentic.

We have every resource that we need to be together in Christ! He’s our resource.

"Christ is like a river.… A river is continually flowing, there are fresh supplies of water coming from the fountain-head continually, so that a man may live by it, and be supplied with water all his life. So Christ is an ever-flowing fountain; he is continually supplying his people, and the fountain is not spent. They who live upon Christ, may have fresh supplies from him to all eternity; they may have an increase of blessedness that is new, and new still, and which never will come to an end." - Jonathan Edwards