We value the gathering of believers

Our Preaching theme for 2022 is “Begin Again”

We begin this year by taking a look at the values that guide our vision.

Last week I mentioned that I inadvertently created a chiasm in our values statement.

It begins with worship (the overflow of our hearts toward God) and ends with generosity (the overflow of our lives toward others.

At the center we have the Kingdom of God, which belongs at the center because it is our focal point at the people of God who are tasked with establishing His rule in the world.

And on either side of that we have the Holy Spirit who is the means by which we accomplish this task.

The second point is the Word of God which is our objective source of revelation and opposite that we have fellowship which is the context for working out and living out that revelation.

It is the value of fellowship, gathering as believers and cultivating relationships through which the Word of God is lived out that is our focus for today.

We value the gathering of believers for worship and for mutual encouragement. We seek to create time for caring, for mutual sharing and for informal fellowship. We value relationships, truly knowing one another, and sharing life together.

This is from “The Fishwrapper”

This is my Church

It is composed of people just like me.

It will be friendly if I am.

It will do great work if I work.

It will make generous gifts to many if I am generous.

It will bring others into fellowship if I bring them.

Its seats will be filled if I fill them.

It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service.

If I who make it what it is, am filled with these.

Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being

All these things I want my church to be.

You are not in church - you are the church.

The church will be what we are.

In the New Testament, the church made a priority of fellowship, they used conflict as a context for working out Christian character and they used encouragement to created a synergy which resulted in the world-wide spread of the gospel.

The priority of fellowship

Acts 2:41–47 ESV

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 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.

This is the story of the early church.

Notice that fellowship, relationship and being together are featured in almost every verse.

I’m glad that we are called “Spring City Fellowship” because fellowship is something the church should be known for.

Lets see what we can learn from the early church?

Fellowship is the context for learning.

So the first thing we learn is that three thousand people are added to the church and are being taught by the Apostles.

But notice also that the word “fellowship” is sued in the same sentence with the Apostle’s teaching.

They were not just listening to sermons, they were participating in a gathering with food and prayer.

Sure, there were probably some large gatherings in the temple complex, but these were probably mostly smaller gatherings in people’s homes.

Do the math - if you have 12 Apostles each holding a dozen gatherings a week with 20-30 people - that’s 3-4,000 people meeting weekly.

What’s the benefit of a small group?

First, that people actually get to meet the people who are the witnesses of Christ and all that He did and said.

They are able to ask questions and see if each of the Apostles that visit them are telling the same story.

But there is also time for sharing their own stories, their own encounters with Jesus and their own personal struggles.

They would pray for each other and the Holy Spirit would minister, not only through the Apostles both through the people who would also receive the Holy Spirit along with the teaching.

Today we have preachers on the radio, television and internet, but the challenge is always finding ways to connect people in Christian communities where learning is not only through hearing but experienced as well.

Larger churches offer small groups and programs where people can experience authentic relationships and a sense of community within the church community.

Even here at SCF, I am aware that we have a second congregation of people who are watching online.

That is why Karie is on YouTube chat during the service; to engage people who are watching and learn to know them.

And you might be surprised to learn that I get emails form people in other countries who watch these messages and ask questions.

I wish I could visit each one of them, but I trust that they have communities where they can learn and grow together.

Relationship is the environment for growth.

This passage tells us that not only were the people together but that they shared their possessions and their resources.

I don’t know about you, but this is where things start to get a little bit uncomfortable for me.

Let me just say that I am not suggesting that we should adopt a communal lifestyle - I believe in individual ownership.

But I also believe that real relationship causes those boundaries to be less important than what we share in common.

If you have a family member who experiences a tragic loss, you are right there to help, offering whatever you have that might meet their need.

Now think of these Jewish believers in Jesus who, though they had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire,

come together on Pentecost and are filled with the Holy Spirit,

the same power that was on the mountain at Sinai was now in all the people.

The people of God were brought together as family, united under one Lord Jesus and filled with His Spirit.

In the context of this powerful bond of relationship in Christ, there is exponential growth, not just spiritual growth, but tangible life improvement.

The poor are being cared for.

Widows, the outcast of society have a family and a community.

Miracles are happening and the sick are being healed.

Is it just the Apostles who are doing all of this, or is it the power of multiplication happening through real and genuine relationships?

Of course you know my answer … growth and discipleship happens through relationship - one on one - life on life.

That has always been the model and every successful movement has utilized it.

So why gather?

Gathering creates an atmosphere for revival .

We are a Charismatic church; we pray for revival, but I don’t think we always know what that means.

We want so see the world changed, but if we are honest, we like our church to stay the way that it is.

Yes, it is nice to see new faces on a Sunday morning, but what happens when these new people want to try new things?

Are we ready to release our ministry roles, create new ministries or even build new ministry spaces?

OK, that’s where people wake up and say, “what do you mean?”

You want details as to who or what is actually going to change.

When we worship Jesus in the power of the Spirit and then begin to teach and disciple people in the Word of God, it picks up momentum an leads to revival.

But when revival happens, it reveals our hearts and our true purpose for gathering.

I have seen it go one of two ways, it can explode into something only God could have done.

or it can run up against against a wall of questions, concerns and objections.

“We liked it better the way things were!”

Why do we gather? Because we like gatherings?

Or because we are in relationship with Jesus and each other.

When Jesus is at the center and we are relationally connected to Him and to each other then the net stretches to hold the catch.

The new wineskins expand to contain the new wine.

The wind of the Holy Spirit fills our lifted sail and propels us forward.

Momentum and growth is not a problem to be solved but a challenge to be accepted.

I am not looking to turn SCF into a mega-church, but I want us to be a healthy church and a healthy church is a growing church.

Growth doesn’t have to be measured in numbers.

I think it is is best measured in lives impacted by the Gospel.

And Kingdom multiplication; people sent out and release in ministry.

But experience tells me that when you do that, there will also be numerical growth and we have to be ready for that too.

But with people come problems, and that too, is part of the process.

The context for working out character

The early church had some issues to work through, but Jesus had already given his disciples a strategy for resolving conflict in the context of community.

We are wounded in relationships, but we are also healed in relationships.

When I ask people why they don’t attend church, the most common reason I hear is that they had a bad experience.

Sometimes is was the Pastor who confronted them in a way that was not loving or without understanding the situation.

Sometimes it was another church member who made a comment that left them feeling hurt or rejected.

Sometimes it was simply that peoples words did not line up with their actions, and they were tired of pretending.

Relationships with imperfect people results in wounding.

I don’t think you can have a real relationship without getting hurt somehow at some point.

The same is true in the church, if we are real in our relationships there is bound to be conflict.

Someone once said, “If you find the perfect church, don’t go there. You will ruin it!”

We are hurt in the context of relationship, but we are also healed in relationship.

When people love you and accept you even thought they would have reason not to.

When people give you honest feedback without judgement.

They hold you accountable to what you say you believe, but they also realize that you are a person in process.

Healing relationships practice the godly characteristics of grace and forgiveness.

God is redemptive and His goal is a restored humanity.

With that in mind, our relationships become the means of God’s restoration and redemption.

Matthew 18:15–17 ESV

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

If you have a problem with someone, go to them.

I’m not suggesting that every time you see a fault in someone, that you should say something.

Matthew 18 doesn’t include this step, but it’s good to check your own heart and motives before you say anything.

Maybe this is really more about you than it is about them?

But if you think you really should say something because you were hurt by someone’s words or behavior, then go directly to them.

Don’t go to everyone else. That’s gossip!

Don’t go to the Pastor, because he will ask you if you have completed step #1.

Why do we do these things? Because we want to make sure we are right - its about power.

We care more about being right than we do about the relationship.

This is not about controlling people - that’s how we get hurt.

it’s about being able to express what we think, feel and believe - it’s about being heard and then hearing the other.

Here is a procedure for healthy confrontation.

This is what I perceive happened (I’m not telling you what you think, feel or believe - I’m only saying what I saw, heard or felt.)

This is how it impacted me. (I’m not saying you meant to do this or that you made me feel this way. I just want you to know how I interpreted the situation.)

This is how I responded. (This is what I believed about what happened and I reacted in the following way. followed by, perhaps an apology?)

Keep in mind that the other person has their own perspective and if they can also express that in a healthy way, then you will have a better understanding of how your words and actions impacted them.

In an ideal world, this is how all conflicts would be resolved.

But this is not an ideal world - far from it! SO scripture gives us some additional steps.

Stages of conflict resolution according to Matthew 18.

Discretion - go to the person alone

This is to protect their honor and work things out as one beloved child of God to another.

The goal is not to win an argument, but to arrive at mutual understanding.

Mediation - take someone with you.

This is not to “gang up” on the person; it is to have an objective perspective and an impartial witness to the dialogue.

If there is a history of abuse, I would recommend that a person start with this step because step 1 has not gone well in the past.

A mediator can help to create safety, but they should not be the one doing most of the talking.

A good mediator ensures that both sides are brought out.

Community collaboration - is there a pattern?

Bringing a matter before the church used to mean “public shaming” - we don’t do that!

If a person is not responding well to mediation, chances are that there are other people who are being hurt by this person because they are not resolving conflict well, even with help.

What the leadership of the church needs to consider is whether or not there is a pattern of wounded or broken relationships.

Is this an isolated incident or is there a larger dynamic at work?

Someone might dismiss an individual complaint, especially if they somehow contributed to the problem.

But the leadership of the church is in a position bring a broader perspective to issues that span multiple individuals and/or multiple events.

At this level, it is usually not just about a person, but a spiritual force that needs to be prayerfully discerned and corporately repented of, perhaps by the leaders themselves.

Remediation - limit the damage

If a person will not listen to the church, then they are no different than an outsider, because neither respect the authority of the community.

What the church needs to do in this situation is not for punishment or rejection.

This is not about retaliation but simply to limit the influence that this person has on the rest of the community.

Remediation means to try to limit the damage that a person can do.

A leader may need to step down from their position.

They may be asked to stop gossiping, slandering or misrepresenting the views of the church.

They should have had their opportunity to express their viewpoint and be heard, that much anyone deserves.

But they may not be allowed to take control by drowning out the voices of others.

If a person will not abide by the limitations, the church may need to issue public statement about the situation, especially where there is misinformation.

If the earlier steps are done well, it should rarely come to this.

Believe me when I say that as a leader, having to exercise discipline drives me to my own knees in repentance before I deal with anyone else .

Don’t hide your faults, bring them into the light.

Here’s the thing. The church is not about controlling people.

It’s about voluntary submission to God and to each other.

Relationship brings out our flaws, but it also heals them.

Instead of resisting this process we need to embrace it.

Here’s a great vision for what the church should be.

1 John 1:3–9 ESV

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The church should be a safe place where we can be vulnerable whit each other.

We are not hiding our faults but we are intentionally transparent - bringing things out into the light.

We are imperfect people who live in a community of imperfect people.

We are not trying to hide our imperfection, but we are letting the light shine in all the dark places.

Whatever comes to the light is an opportunity to be healed, cleansed and forgiven.

We are becoming more like Jesus by submitting to death so that we can experience resurrection!

What could be better that a family that loves and excepts you just the way you are.

But that loves you too much to let you stay as you are.

The synergy of encouragement

The real purpose of the church is to encourage each other.

It synergy! - the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately.

Lets look at how this works.

Gratitude is contagious.

Philippians 1:3–6 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Paul thanks God for the Philippian church.

This is the same place where he was beaten and put in jail.

But God did a miracle and the jailer and his family got saved.

Do you think the Philippian church had it all together?

No, they had complainers, ambitious manipulators and false teachers like most of the other churches.

But Paul thanked God for them.

Paul’s attitude is contagious.

He want’s them to catch it.

He wants them to look to God with gratitude and be transformed by it.

Paul has God’s vision for this church.

God will surely complete what He has started in you!

Loving well leads to maturity.

Paul demonstrates what it means to love well.

Can you look at someone and see past where they are now to what they are becoming.

If God’s plan is to restore people in His image then you can assume that whatever God is doing in your life and in the lives of those around you is part of that process.

How can you help the process?

By getting God’s perspective and encouraging others with what you see in them.

Look at the person to your right and to your left.

This is a beloved child of God!

Jesus paid the price for their forgiveness and loves them just as he loved you.

I wonder if they know that? You should tell them!

Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

That’s what we are doing - we are stirring up what God has put inside of each one of us.

We are stirring up love and good works.

We are stirring up faith in each other and in God.

We are reminding, even convincing each other that God is faithful.

Faithfulness increases faith.

We know that God is faithful.

That is his character - He is faithful to His people.

Why do we struggle with that?

Because we think God is like us, and people are often unfaithful.

People let us down, they hurt us, disappoint us, even betray us.

Our wounded ability to trust people gets projected onto God.

How does that get turned around? By faithful people.

They are the people who are there for us when we think they should leave.

They are the people who stick with us when we have given up on ourselves.

They are the people who show up day after day and hour after hour to do life with us, so that we don’t have to do it alone.

They are the people who are committed to relationship whether or not we share their level of commitment.

Faithful people are not there to fix you, unless you want to be fixed.

They just show up and are there for you in your brokenness until you figure out that they’re not leaving.

And they are there to help you when you are ready for help.

Faithfulness is the character of God, but we don’t see that about God until we first see it in another person.

When you have a person like that in you life it teaches you how to have faith.

Faith is when you realize that the love that they have shown to you is just a reflection of the love that God has for you.

You begin to believe it and to reflect that love of God to others.

That is why we gather together, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Because when each of you shows up, God shows up in the midst of us and we see God in and through each other.