Feeling The Love

English Standard Version Chapter 2

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house

What a week, like every week here in the city! So many things to celebrate: From impeachment trials and vaccine availability to a perfect snowy weekend and Dine Out Vancouver, there have been joys AND sorrows!

Today we are FEELING the love of being living stones, in relationship with Jesus and each other.

Read above verse...

Past fall - updated our logo to reflect this idea of living stones.

Studying the book of Ephesians...

English Standard Version Chapter 2

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Paul reiterates this idea from his letter to Timothy here in Ephesians - our relationship with each other is a “spiritual house” or a “dwelling place” for God.

Consider that for a moment:

IF “being built together” is what creates a space for God’s presence to dwell among us and in the world

THEN we better make sure we’re prioritizing not just our personal friendship with Jesus, but our relationships with our community of faith.

The personalization/individualization of our faith is often overemphasized. We have often taken our cue from culture and personalized this to an unhealthy extreme.

John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How we treat each other SHOULD reveal Jesus to those around us.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

During my preparation for Zoom Church this past week, I was convicted.

Maybe you are too. If so, that’s good! I think today is a moment for all of us to acknowledge that this season has been an easy one to drift, to disconnect, to defer to ourselves.

The scripture goes on to celebrate love originates from God’s generosity of Jesus and we receive his love and experience his love! These past weeks we’ve really dove into this - KNOW JESUS BETTER...

English Standard Version Chapter 4

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Today is all about FEELING THE LOVE!

So today, we want to ignite, inspire and grow our love for each other as a result of experiencing Jesus’ love for us! We’re going to take the rest of our time together to help you practice showing love for each other by giving space and place for different groups and individuals to share some screen time with you!

I want to give you an assignment this week: get out of your head and out of your self and express love in some way to someone in the community. During the morning, invite the Holy Spirit to direct your heart toward a person’s face or name and decide you’ll do something loving toward them.

Over to Stephanie...

CONLCUSION

As we conclude today, I want to ask you an honest question: If your love for Jesus was to be measured by your love, care, thoughts and actions toward your church family this week, would there be adequate evidence for others to see?

Church: COVID is an obstacle, but also an opportunity. We are without excuse today in our challenges, just as the early church was without excuse with their challenges.

We need to take a step forward today. A step toward acknowleding the living stones around us that make up the “spiritual house” the “dwelling place”.

I’m calling us out today - through conviction to action.

COMMUNION...

Pray - repent - invite new love and compassion...

Your assignment this week is ONE PERSON, ONE PRACTICAL ACT: an act of kindness, time, a gift, a card - ask the Holy Spirit to put it in your heart. Don’t withhold the gift within you; we need each other.