Session 2 - Love Connects us to One Another
There is an old saying that no man is an island. We live our lives surrounded by other people, and interact with those around us everyday. Our lives are continually influenced by other lives. How has your life been affected by other people? The Bible points out that as believers in Christ; we are connected with each other and with God. Ephesians 4: 15-16 states, “We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body (the Church), joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds up in love.” The Church is the accumulation of all believers who have ever lived, and the human body is given as an example of how we are connected to one another and to God. In the Gospel of John, the grape vine is used to demonstrate that we are all connected together by the power and presence of God, like sap, it runs through us giving us a community life and fellowship with one another. This connectiveness supplies us with life in the Holy Spirit, and is defined by the phrase, “Abide in my love” (John 15:9). Love is the glue that binds us all together. How connected do you feel to other believers? The love that emanates from the Father reveals the character and power of God. Love is the glory of God that allows us to know and understand who God is and what he is doing. As Jesus said in his High Priestly prayer, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one . . . that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:22—26). The manifestation of God's glory unities us into one family of faith. We become one with God, and God becomes one with us. We live together in the midst of God’s glory and power. We have a spiritual bond with each other – the presence of God. As we walk in the fellowship of his presence, we are transformed into godly people, who are connected by a common life in the Spirit of God (1 John 1:2-3, 7). The very essence of eternal life is dwelling in the presence of God and abiding in his love.
As we walk in God’s presence, we are to testify to this life we have in the Spirit of God. The study guide mentions that “one way to strengthen your connection with each other is to tell stories about your connection with God” (page 23). As the Apostle Paul stated, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14). The power of our fellowship together is our confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit, and the saving power of God the Father’s love. We need to talk about our life in Christ, and the common life we have together as the children of God. Our confession brings the power of eternal life to ourselves and to others. How often does your conversation with others mention your life and faith in God? Faith is communicated by the words we speak to each other, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The confession of the gospel brings us into one faith and one fellowship; it is not just for unbelievers, but for believers in Christ. The gospel is our way to faith, and it gives us the desire to practice loving kindness to others, for a true faith manifests the loving works of the Spirit of God. Faith without love is useless (Galatians 5:5-6). Faith leads us to dwell in the community of God’s love.
1 Comments:
Turning attenders into family members
by Rick Warren
"Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God's very own family ... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian." (Ephesians 2:19, LB)
Becoming a church member used to be an act of conformity: you joined a church because everybody else did.
But the rules have changed and conformity is no longer a motivating factor. In fact, George Gallup's research reveals a majority of U.S. citizens believe it's possible to be a "good Christian" without joining -- or even attending -- a local church. Ironically, the word membership is of Christian origin, but as C.S. Lewis once wrote in an essay, the word has been emptied of all its original meaning.
The meaning of membership - Paul said being a “member” of the church meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). In other words, it's an act of commitment, and so to motivate people to join your church, show them the benefits of their commitment to your congregation. At Saddleback, we’ve found that when people understand the meaning and value of membership, they get excited about committing to the church.
There are numerous benefits to church membership, but here are just a few:
It identifies you as a genuine believer (Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:5).
It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage you in your walk with Christ (Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25).
It gives you a place to discover and use your gifts in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-27).
It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Hebrews 13:17, Acts 20:28-29).
It gives you the accountability you need to grow (Ephesians 5:21).
Nothing helps this picture come into focus better than personalizing the purposes of the church. This is especially important when convincing attenders to join your congregation. You need to emphasize the fact that the church provides them with benefits they cannot find anywhere else in the world:
Worship helps you focus on God. It prepares you spiritually and emotionally for the week ahead.
Fellowship helps you face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.
Discipleship helps you fortify your faith by learning the truth of God’s Word and applying biblical principles to your lifestyle.
Ministry helps you find and develop your talents and use them in serving others.
Evangelism helps you fulfill your mission of reaching your friends and family for Christ.
The church is a family
There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church: a football player without a team, a soldier without a platoon, a tuba player without an orchestra and a sheep without a flock. But the most understandable (and biblical) picture is that of a child without a family.
God does not want his children growing up in isolation from each other so he created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:19 (LB): “... you are members of God's very own family ... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian." A Christian without a church family is an orphan.
I believe it is important today to position the church as a family, rather than as an institution. People often say they don't believe in "organized religion," but on the other hand, people are longing for a sense of family and community.
Today there are a number of factors that have fragmented the nuclear family: the high divorce rate, delayed marriages, the emphasis on individuality, alternative lifestyles, women working outside the home and the high rate of mobility. Often, people are no longer surrounded by the extended family of aunts and uncles, grandparents and brothers and sisters that provided a safety net for previous generations.
As another example, today there are a record number of single adults in the U.S., and we’re experiencing an epidemic of loneliness in society. One Gallup poll reported that four in ten U.S. citizens admit to frequent feelings of “intense loneliness.”
Everywhere you look there are signs that people have a deep hunger for fellowship, community and a sense of family. For instance, beer commercials don’t sell beer; they sell fellowship. They never portray anyone drinking alone. It’s always in the context of people enjoying each other’s company with phrases like, “It doesn’t get any better than this!”
This longing for belonging provides the church with a timely opportunity. Positioning the church as an extended family -- and as “a place where you are cared for” -- will strike a sensitive cord in many lonely hearts.
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