I Love My Church - 1 - A Sense of Community

I Love My Church - 1 - A Sense of Community

Subject – Finding the Value of the Local Church

by Rick Welborne

Galatians 6:1‑10 (NIV) 

1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 

2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 

3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 

4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 

5 for each one should carry his own load. 

6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 

8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 

–The last few weeks we spoke about missions and we have placed such great preeminence on Holy Spirit. This is truly what Life Church is about or should be about.

–We also spoke of how that we are to ‘Make Disciples’. All of us should be growing and maturing in our faith every day. We learn to serve, not just be served. 

--We have started promoting March 24 as ‘I Love My Church” Sunday and today is the beginning of that series. Please be here that Sunday and invite everyone here who calls Life Church their church.

--Years ago I was witnessing to someone and they told me they already had a church. They said, I go to that church on Picciola Road but I can’t remember the name of it. Really?

--I said, what’s the pastor’s name? They said, I can’t remember his name either but I would know him if I saw him. Let me go out on a limb and say he was not very connected to his church.

--Today let’s talk about ‘I love My Church’ and talk about the great need we have to be a community of strong believers loving and supporting one another.

John 13:35 (NKJV) 

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

–Let’s face we have all sinned (we’ve all been caught by God) and fallen short of the glory of God. The caught!

1. We are all broken people.

–I sold a vehicle to someone (that my son drove) and I made sure the people knew that when they purchased it that it came with the understanding “as is”.

–What that means is this...it may last 10 more years or possibly it may last 10 days but it comes the way it is...You better check it out...Show me the Car Facts.

–Even when you buy clothes some of them will have a sign somewhere on them or close by that says. Slightly irregular, missing button, a stain, broken zipper, one sleeve shorter.

–When you buy it...it is yours...no refunds...no returns...the item is not normal. Most of the places will not tell you where the flaws are...you’ll have to find that.

–The community of God is the “as is” section of society...everyone around you should have a tag on them somewhere that says “slightly irregular”. Look at your neighbor!

Romans 3:23 (NKJV) 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

–Have you ever thought that you were the only normal person left on the planet and that some alien had landed and sucked the ever loving brains out of everyone else?

2. There is an illusion of a place out there where people are normal...like us.

–Many times when I speak with pastor friends of mine who are serving in the ministry and they tell me, I was dealing with someone in my church the other day. They are weird...That person is very strange.

–I have had those weeks where I thought everyone who had called or who came to my office was crazy...we are all tempted to think others are crazy. I have even thought I had been set up by mischievous staff pastors. 

–I have met Christians who, if weirdness was measured in square miles, they would be Texas. We enter into churches believing...Finally I have found friends who are normal (like me). They will meet my every need. 

Bill Gothard: People live in a state of constant frustration because they have unrealistic expectations of others.

Galatians 6:3-4 (NIV) 

3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 

4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 

Matthew 7:1‑2 (NKJV) 

1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 

2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 

–We must resist the temptation to believe people or churches will be normal when the truth is that they are not.

All have sinned, will sin, will make mistakes, will forget, will neglect, will overlook, will miss things.

--All of us come with the sticker “as is” or slightly irregular.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: People enter relationships with their own particular ideals and dreams of what community should look like.

–Aren’t we guilty...I have just got to find the right church that will meet all of my needs and my expectations. A man just told me he left us over our music. Later he told where he is now, is ten times worse!

–The preacher has to preach it the way I believe; the way I like to hear it (quiet or loud) (teaching or preaching) (long or short) (topical or exegetical) (funny or serious). No pressure there. The worship leader!

Bonhoeffer - in speaking of dreams says: Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial.

Rick’s interpretation: If we are so stubborn to hang on to what we believe the church should be rather than loving the church “as is” we will become those who hurt the church with our complaining and criticism. They become a part of the problem instead a part of the solution.

–A man who wrote a 15-page criticism of myself and former pastor, left our church and wrote a 25-page criticism blasting of the next pastor...told someone he was coming back here. I said no thanks!

–We must all realize...I must realize that I am in the “as is” category...I am flawed and I will make mistakes...I will sin. We are all damaged goods.

Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV) 

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

–All means all...everyone, everybody, all of us have strayed from God...none of us are normal.

–One of the most comforting things after I came to Christ was that the people in the Bible were normal like me...they all messed up...look at the first book in the Bible - Genesis.

–Can is jealous of Abel and kills him.

–Lamech introduces polygamy to the world. Noah, most righteous man of his day gets drunk and curses his own grandson, Lot when surrounded by the men of the city and wanting to violate his visitors offers his daughters instead, later his daughters get him drunk and get pregnant by him, and Lot is the most righteous man in Sodom.

–Isaac plays favorites with his two sons Jacob and Esau, they become bitter enemies for 20 years. Isaac and Rebekah fight over which son gets the blessing. Jacob marries two wives and ends up with both of their maids being his concubines. 

–Abraham (the father of faith) has sex with his wife’s servant at her request and then at his wife’s request sends her and her child away into the wilderness. Jacob’s first born Reuben sleeps with His father’s concubine.

–Judah sleeps with his daughter-in-law who disguises herself as a prostitute and then he reneged on his obligations to her., these people were messed up and all of them need a couch somewhere...Psychiatrist. 

–This is definitely not the Waltons...they need Dr. Phil, Dr. Laura, Dr. Ruth, Dr. Spock, Dr. Seuss, and Dr. Duke...they need somebody...feel better about your family.

–Why does the writer of Genesis tell us all this stuff. We all like sheep have gone astray...We are all predisposed to do wrong when the conditions are right...Theologians call this “depravity”.  As is!

3. As broken as we are God has chosen this Christian Community to be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19‑22 (NKJV) 

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 

21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 

22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 

–We were once alienated from God but now we have become members of the household (community) of God by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts.

Key - Jesus is the cornerstone of this community of broken, strange, weird bunch of misfits and to criticize the community is too insult the Christ Who built it.

John Ortberg: In the center of the entire community would be its magnificent architect and most glorious resident: The God whose presence fills each person with unceasing and ever increasing light. 

–Is the church perfect...no... any perfect members...no...is it God’s choice...absolutely. Some fear getting hurt.

Boenhoeffer: Whoever cannot stand being in community should beware of being alone.

Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV) 

1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

–So how can we make community work?  North American Common Porcupine. It is in the rodent family and has over 30,000 quills attached to its body. Latin name means “Irritable back” they really have their back up.

–Not too many portrayals of porcupines as loveable animals...Open Season - Buddy! They have two methods with dealing with relationships: withdrawal and attack. They usually travel alone...obvious reasons.

--A message for us when our quills are out. Porcupines do not always want to be alone...Autumn...when a male is turned down he better listen...She can make her point.

–The dilemma: How can they get close without getting hurt...our dilemma too. How many of you know that you are someone’s porcupine?  Me too! We handle things usually two ways...attack or withdraw.

–A miracle happens with the porcupines...called the dance of the porcupines. They stand on their hind legs and dance paw to paw with a mate.  They learn to keep their barbs to themselves.

–The age old question: How to porcupines make love...they pull in their barbs and they learn to dance. So what is our task as it has to do with the Christian community? We learn that people come “as is” and we do our best to pull in our barbs and dance.  I Love My Church!