We Are The Church: Part 1
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Introduction
Introduction
Welcome to our new series we are beginning today called “We Are The Church”!
Our goal for this series is to help us understand why the church is to be such a vital part of our lives as followers of Jesus. There are a lot of minsunderstandings when it comes to the role of church, the definition of the church, and necessity of the church.
How do you view the church? How do you define the church. What is the importance of the church to you?
What we hope to accomplish over these next four weeks is to provide you with a clear biblical description of what actually constitutes a CHURCH and then help you understand the Threefold Ministry of the Church and the vital role these ministries play in the development of your relationship with God.
All that we are going to do over these next 4 Weeks is designed to help you understand how God wants to use the CHURCH to be an essential part of God's discipleship growth plan for your life. Hear me, you can not fulfill God’s call on your life in isolation.
I hope that by the time we are done you will have a newfound appreciation for the Church and that we all will change our mindset from thinking about the church as a place we GO to understanding that the CHURCH is who we are supposed to BE. A church is not a place but a people.
Before we begin let’s pray and ask God to capture our hearts with what He desires the church to be in our lives. (PRAY)
Today, I want us to begin our series by first taking a look at how God sees His CHURCH and how it is He defines her. We need a good biblical foundation as to what makes a church a church and we need to understand how God sees the church.
First of all, the word translated “church” in our English translations of the Bible is actually in the original Greek the word “ekklesia” which means “a called out assembly or gathering of believers”. The word “church” is from Old English and it is derived from the German word (“Kirche” - pronounced kirk). The word church was used to convey the idea of a place of worship or as many would refer to it as “the house of the Lord.” It was first used in the 13th century and it was used to describe a group of Christian believers or to describe the place where Chrisitians would meet together for worship. If we are honest, most of us when we hear the word church we think of a building or a gathering place.
Moving forward I want us to change our thinking. From now on when we use the word “CHURCH” I don’t want you to think about a place where we come together to worship. I want you to think of an “ekklesia” - a community of people who have been called to follow Jesus.
It is important for us to understand that when God thinks about the church He is not concerned with a building nor a place of worship. He is thinking of a specific group of people whom He has called unto Himself. We need to understand that biblically speaking WE ARE THE CHURCH! Jesus didn’t die for a building nor a Sunday service. He died for you and for me! Listen to how Paul describes the love Jesus has for us when addressing the Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
The blood of Jesus doesn’t power wash our church buildings. He doesn’t disinfect our church meeting spaces making them bacteria or virus free. if He had, we wouldn’t have had to shut down during COVID. His blood washed my sin and your sin away. Those of us who have placed our faith in Him, He refers to us as the CHURCH. We are the ones who are cleansed, made holy and are without blemish. WE ARE THE CHURCH!
Notice I said WE! Often we think of our salvation as a journey by ourself. We may even belive that being saved is about my relationship with Jesus, and I can be a Christian without other people. But hear me today, God’s primary method for bringing the world to Him is through the church, and your ability to fulfll your calling is directly tied to your connection to His people! Notice Paul uses the relationship of marriage to describe the way by which the church is made holy! I have been married for 2.5 years, and I can tell you that there has been growth in me, and changes in me..things I have been able to do, which could only happen as me and Elayna have learned to love eachother and serve eachother, and work together through the power of Christ. The Church, the people, need eachother…and will fulfill thier ministry to God when they fulfill thier commitment to the body! You can love the Lord, but if you can’t love and sacrifice and commit to a body of believers…you can not know God as you should, can not accomplish what you should, and will miss the blessing that comes through loving your brothers and sisters.
You see the church is a body..and that body is connected. There are two aspects of this body of believers called the church. First, there is a local body. The local body is a group of believers that assemble together in specific locations all around the world. For example, VC is a local body of believers that meet together here in (Lumberton, Pembroke, Bladen) for the purpose of being a witness in our communities. We see example after example of local assemblies all throughout the NT located in specific cities and regions of the world that helped to facilitate the spread of the Gospel in those areas and in other regions of the world. For example, the Apostle Paul ministered in Ephesus, Philippi, a region called Galatia, in Thessaloniki and in Rome just to name a few.
Here is an example of how Paul addressed a few of His letters to different local churches:
Ephesians 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:1-5
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Romans 1:1-7
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Each of these churches were considered as a local body of believers.
But there is also a We, as a local body of believers, are also part of a larger network of believers throughout the world, along with all of the believers who have since passed from this life and are now with Jesus. This is what we would refer to as the Church universal. We have one thing in common. We are all a part of the body of Christ through faith in Jesus and one day we will all be gathered together (we the church) referred to as the bride to (Jesus) who is referred to as the bridegroom.
But we need to understand that the magnitude of the church doesn’t just end with us in our local context.
Revelation 19:6-9
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
For clarity's sake and for the sake of our discussion in this series as we talk about CHURCH, we are going to be referring to the Local Assembly as we discuss the role of the church in your life as a believer. But we do want you to be aware that we are all part of a much bigger family as believers. We also want to highlight the importance of the Local Body as an instrumental part of God’s growth plan for you as a believer.
When we say Local Body to refer to church, it is not my body or your body…but each of us within a local church are described as members of Christ’s body!
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
And we work together, Christ as the head..to accomplish his purpose and mission in us together! No what this means! We must be connected to eachother, and in doing so we connect to Christ! There are things God is asking each of us to do that benefit each other, and bring glory to God, but it is not measured by how many people are in this building on Sunday. But by how well we connect to Jesus and serve and love eachother every day.
If you notice, we have a different chair set up today, and have some fall decorations that were done. Alicia and Jason Hunt came Friday and Saturday to serve, and love in the ways that they could and feel led to. They didn’t do it for the buildings sake, so that it looked nicer. They did it, and she said, “To make people feel more welcome”. So God is pleased, because her service even if decorating the building, was not ultimately for the building..because thats not actually the church. But thier service was for the peoples sake. For the church.
What they did was a small sacrifice just two days ago, but it blessed the church. You see, our ministry and purpose is not tied to a building but a people, and what God wants to accomplish in us, can only be done when its people work together for Christ’s purpose. In the ministries that He has called us to.
So today, lets look at some of the basic foundation of what constitutes a church and what makes it different from any other assembly of people.
In order to do this I want us to spend the remainder of our time this morning looking at the birth of the church as we have it recorded for us in Acts 2 and I want us to take note of the THREE Identifying MARKS of a CHURCH.
Up until the time of Jesus and His departure back to the Father there were only special times when God poured out His Holy Spirit on mankind. It was usually on a prophet God would anoint for a special task such as we see with the prophets of the OT. There were also special moments where God poured out His Spirit on individuals to accomplish certain tasks such as He did with Moses, David, Samson, and the disciples. But then there is what takes place here in Acts which is unlike anything God had done up to this point. It was through this event that God would signal to His people the start of something new. This something new was The birth of the CHURCH where God would pour out His Holy Spirit on all those who would call on Jesus for salvation.
Acts 2:1-21
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Acts 2:36-40
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
When we come to the close of Acts 2 we see the first assembly of the church and I want you to pay close attention to the identifying marks of what made them different from any other assembly or gathering of people.
When we come to the close of Acts 2 we see the first assembly of the church and I want you to pay close attention to the identifying marks of what made them different from any other assembly or gathering of people.
Acts 2:41
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
This walking with Jesus begins with repentance, recognizing that your sin has seperated you from God
This walking with Jesus begins with repentance, recognizing that your sin has seperated you from God
The true church is one that is made up of people who have come to realize their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus has paid the penalty for their sin making it possible for them to be restored into right fellowship with God and that by trusting in Jesus they now have forgiveness and cleansing from their sin.
The true church is one that is made up of people who have come to realize their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus has paid the penalty for their sin making it possible for them to be restored into right fellowship with God and that by trusting in Jesus they now have forgiveness and cleansing from their sin.
God has called us to walk with Him and because we now have a desire to accept His invitation we desire to repent (turn) from our sin, accept Christ’s atonement for our sin and are now willing to follow Him.
We also see Baptism:
We also see Baptism:
BAPTISM becomes an opportunity to make two public statements.
BAPTISM becomes an opportunity to make two public statements.
1) I no longer identify with my sin and living life my way but I now want to be identified with Jesus. Baptism is a symbolic picture of dying to myself and coming alive in Christ.
1) I no longer identify with my sin and living life my way but I now want to be identified with Jesus. Baptism is a symbolic picture of dying to myself and coming alive in Christ.
2) I am making a statement that I want to be identified with God’s people (the church). Baptism doesn’t save you! Faith in Jesus saves you! Baptism simply becomes an outward declaration of what has happened in your heart. You must accept Jesus to be part of the Church.
2) I am making a statement that I want to be identified with God’s people (the church). Baptism doesn’t save you! Faith in Jesus saves you! Baptism simply becomes an outward declaration of what has happened in your heart. You must accept Jesus to be part of the Church.
This is what it means to be connected to Christ and to how church. But what does that look like after we are saved and baptized?
WALK WITH JESUS
WALK WITH JESUS
Now when we say walk with Jesus, what do we mean.
Jesus often had a crowd of people that followed him, but not everyone who was walking beside Jesus, was walking with Jesus.
They were close, but not close. When I say walk with Jesus, I am not talking about how often you walk through the church doors.
Kyle Idleman has a book and devotion entitled fan vs follower of Jesus. Jesus had alot of fans. But not many followers.
A church is not made up of fans who are in building, but those who walk with Jesus and are near to the the heart of Jesus.
A fan of Jesus comes to Jesus because they want something from him, but they don’t really want Jesus Himself. They look more at Jesus’ hands than Jesus face. They want his presents (and what he gives) more than his presence.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
Jesus doesn’t need fans, he needs followers. Not people who like Jesus when its good but stick with Jesus when its hard!
The church is a body of belivers commited to Jesus and eachother. Fans stay when its easy. Follwers stick with him when its hard.
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Walking with Jesus means a willingness to be led into uncomfortable places that you wouldn’t go alone, or into things you would never do..but you do it to stay close to Jesus.
Walking with Jesus means we want to be with Jesus more than we want to go somewhere or get something from Jesus.
When we see the church as a place, we will measure the health of a church by its attendance rather than obedience.
At Vertical, my heart is not about our number on Sunday, its not about the budget or building…it is about our faithfulness. It is about each of us commiting to Jesus and eachother as we step into new places with Him.
Give me 10 faithful followers commited to God and eachother and we could change Pembroke!
I often have though how a community with so many churches can have so many people hungry, struggling with addiction, so much lostness. Divided hearts make divided churches. And divided churches are divided bodies…like crippled limbs, no power.
At this church, we will walk with Jesus! Followers, and we must walk together, so we need eachother. Your gift you call is vital to what God wants to do in this body and in this community.
Theres a saying that if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far, go together. Vertical Pembroke will only go as far as God has called us together. Period. Are you willing to walk with Jesus, by committing to Him and His church?
Look to your left and to your right…where God wants you to go, to do…youre going to need them to do it. And they’re going to need you!
Where do you stand? Do you desire to walk with Jesus or just be close enough to Jesus to get something from Jesus? Have you turned from your sin and accepted Jesus? Have you made that public through Baptism? Will you trust Him and commit to Jesus and to his body?
Where do you stand? Do you desire to walk with Jesus or just be close enough to Jesus to get something from Jesus? Have you turned from your sin and accepted Jesus? Have you made that public through Baptism? Will you trust Him and commit to Jesus and to his body?
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Acts 2:42
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
To grow in likeness to Jesus we must devote ourselves to some vital disciplines to help us grow to do just that.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
We are called to abide in Christ, and only by abiding in Him can we grow. Life again is tied to our connection to Christ and His body.
Notice the spiritual disciplines that are mentioned that help them to abide, are not only personal but corporate. The abiding in Christ and growth happens individually and together!
When we talk about spiritual disciplines, these are ways that God has given us to connect to Him, and be with Him.
You see, all of our doing as a church must flow out of our being! We must give out of a full cup, of lives resting in the presence of Jesus! These disciplines are gifts help us to recieve grace and power to walk in God’s Spirit.
As your pastor, my desire is that you would abide, bear fruit and live in the overflow of God’s love.
Lets look together at what the church does as they abide.
These vital disciples are listed here in verse 42.
1. “Devoted to the apostle’s teachings” is basically a commitment to learning God’s word and what it teaches me about myself, about God and my relationship to Him. Not just on my own but in “fellowship” with other believers for personal accountability and for growth in understanding of God’s word where I have others to help me understand how to apply it to my life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Proverbs 27:17
17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
To grow together, we must all commit to God’s word, and allow others to hold me accountable as we all grow to the likeness of Christ.
If you have not been growing, it is likely that you either are not spending time in God’s word, or you are not opening up your life to allow others to speak into your life..so that you can sharpen eachother.
You want to keep your cup full stay in God’s connect, and stay connected to God’s people so that you can sharpen and encourage one another.
2. “Breaking of bread” is a reference to taking communion together as Jesus did with His disciples in Luke 22. This is a time for us to remember what Jesus has done for us and another point of accountability where we can examine our hearts together in worship.
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
So we break bread together, not only as act of obedience in communion, but also just in fellowship together. You see as they reflected on the brokenness of Christ’s body on the cross, they sought the unity of Christ’s body the church through fellowship.
Christ’s body was broken so that his church body doesn’t have to be.
The more we reflect on Christ and what he did on the cross..the more we will be drawn to love and care for one another as His people.
You want to keep your cup full, obey in communion, reflect on the brokenness of Christ’s body, and pursue the unity of Christ’s body through the church!
3. “Prayer” is all about cultivating a relationship with God. It is a vehicle for worship, confession, as well as intercession on behalf of others.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Jesus prayed! And it was the thing Jesus taught his disciples to do. He didn’t teach them to preach, he taught them to pray!
Jesus prayed! And it was the thing Jesus taught his disciples to do. He didn’t teach them to preach, he taught them to pray!
Prayer was actually what the church was doing when the Holy Spirit came at Pentacost! They were in a prayer meeting and God’s Spirit came to save, heal and restore!
Church life is connected to prayer life. Our church will be no greather than our prayer life.
There is the story of many a blind man, sick man or woman, healed by crying out to Jesus. Thier legs may not have worked, but thier mouth did. Thier eyes may not work, but thier mouth did.
In the same way that a lame man cried out to Jesus and is healed because of his faith…so a lame church (whose hands and feet are paralyzed) can only be brought back to life through the fervent prayer of its people. If your feet and hands don’t work, as long as your mouth does..you can find life. If you will not pray there is no life.
What am a I saying, for us to walk with Jesus, we must abide with Jesus. And maybe the reason why you have not walked into the ministry that God has called you too, is because you haven’t stopped to commit to God’s word, God’s people, or to pray?
You see each of these disciplines help us to abide and grow in likeness to Christ.
You see each of these disciplines help us to abide and grow in likeness to Christ.
The world does not need baby Christians. We need mature and faithful belivers. And at Vertical, my prayer is that all of our doing would flow out ofur being! And we would pray, study, and fellowship together!
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together! Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together! Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 3 - A Church is a group of people who actually LOVE like Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 3 - A Church is a group of people who actually LOVE like Jesus together!
Acts 2:43-47
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
To love like Jesus we need opportunities that will help us cultivate relationships where we get to practice loving others and where we allow God to use others to love us. We learn love as love Christ as love His church!
Jesus loved the church! Do you? Even with all of its imperfections and imperfect people He still loves the church. Remember how God defines love -
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Love is radical! Love flows from a sincere heart. The church demonstrates this love as we demonstrate unity with God and eachother.
Heres the pattern, Upward, Inward, and Outward
We look Upward to Christ, to walk with Him. To seek His face and not His hand.
And then as we abide in Christ, He changes us inwardly.
So that then, out of our hearts..love flows outward
Thats what a church is! It is the body of Christ.
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 1 - A Church is a group of people who desire to WALK with Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 2 - A Church is a group of people who desire to GROW in likeness to Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 3 - A Church is a group of people who actually LOVE like Jesus together!
Identifying Mark # 3 - A Church is a group of people who actually LOVE like Jesus together!
But it happens together! With Christ and with eachtother!
This is what makes a church distinct from all other groups or gatherings! This is what God wants His church to look like! We may worship differently when it comes to music and styles of worship. We may be a part of different networks and denominations, but in the end, this is what God’s church should look like. This is what God had in mind when He instituted an assembly of called out believers. You see, we are not called as believers to GO to church (to a place or a building) but we are called to BE the church.
Invitation:
Invitation:
What is your relationship to the church? Do you just GO to church or are you BEING the church?
Have you repented of your sin and TRUSTED in JESUS? Do you DESIRE to walk with Him?
Are you growing in Christlikeness through the WORD/FELLOWSHIP/PRAYER?
Are you allowing His LOVE to flow in your life?
If you are afraid of walking with Jesus..I want you to pause and remember how far Jesus walked for you? He crossed heaven to get to earth, walked a long, lonely road to the cross…walked through death..so that you could walk with Him into life.
If you are unwilling to commit to these disciplines to grow with Christ…remember that Christ right now, is actively engaged in praying pleading with the Father for you.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Christ is right now, praying to you, talking to God for you? Will you not take time to pray and talk to Him?
Or if you are unwilling or afraid to love Jesus or His people..remember how much Jesus has loved you.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Christ is not asking us to something He hasn’t already done for us.
Please, come to Christ, be apart of His church, so that you may experience the life, love, and goodness of Jesus.
Next week we will start looking at the threefold ministry of the church and how each of these ministries help us grow in our faith.