This week we’re exploring the importance of meeting regularly with other Christians, as part of a church community.

The Bible passage we’re exploring this week suggests two purposes to gathering:  Encouragement and Worship.  We’ll focus on worship next week, and for this week we’ll focus on the encouragement part.

Encouragement to what?  Hebrews says community can encourage us to love and good works.   First, what would it mean to be encouraged to love in a community?  Think of the relationships that form through fun and fellowship.  Our Movie Night is one example – we had a great time, and some online members met one another, and a neighbourhood.  Our Wings & Trivia was the same, and our Christmas Event will be, too.

Honestly, are churches are meant to get along.  I know someone who went to a church and attended a few worship services, and decided to join.  But first, they wanted to attend a business meeting of a church – and he walked away saying, “these people don’t believe what they say.”  They were not charitable, loving, kind or generous at all, even though they claimed to believe in a God who is.

The Church is meant to be a preview of the kingdom of God.  It’s described in the Bible as a party – like we are already in heaven.

The Church is meant to love one another as themselves…even though the rest of the world may not love them the same way.

The Church is meant to care for one another with generosity of Christ, who died for his friends.

We could go on, but it all starts with spending time together, knowing each other’s needs, hopes, dreams, routine and more.  Some people like to call this, “doing life together” even though it’s a bit clichéd.

Question: Go out for lunch, drinks or coffee with someone.  When can you get together with your discussion group simply for fun?  Or if you don’t have one yet, think of who you could share our challenges and discussion with, and start by simply inviting them to something fun.

Reminder: Last week we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - June 26, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Influences

Sermon on the Mount

We're looking at identifying good or bad spiritual influences in our lives. We looked at two tests or "fruit" yesterday, today we see two more. They are Short-Lived 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Jesus is saying that false teaching is like a tree with bad fruit…it’s best use is as firewood… It has no lasting value…no help for the future. Just a little warm glow while it lasts, then it’s gone forever. This is why we so often go from false teaching to teaching…so many spiritual books at the bookstore - they never truly satisfy, or last. We are sometimes tempted to say…it’s okay. I know it’s not true, but it’s fun, or it makes me feel good and inspired to read it. But they are not harmless. This is like saying you’ll keep a dead tree standing, just in case you need it for firewood some day. False teachings are dangerous, because they get inside our heads and hearts. They can suck up our time, energy, devotion, everything. They can consume us. Better to cut the tree down and have a big bonfire today. Motives This is the difference between a wolf and a lost sheep who’s wandered away…Jesus points us to the inner motivation, as he did over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount. He says a wolf is ravenous…so hungry, he/she will do anything to get their desire, whether they are hungry for control, power, money, fame, etc. Wolves exist, since the first church was established, there have been those who’ve sought personal gain from Jesus & church, and they still exist today… But if you are truly seeking to follow Jesus, you can probably identify some times you’ve strayed towards a false prophet too. We’ve all been there. I know I’ve read, and really liked, things in the past. But later, as I grew as a follower of Jesus, realized they were not helpful at all. Wish someone had told me: you deserve better….the real thing earlier. It's good to recognize you’re not always right, gone astray, and decided to pursue the truth. You should be much more concerned if you were completely certain of your own righteousness and thought you had nothing to learn. Question: Who has been a negative spiritual influence in your life? Did they seem more like a sinister wolf, or a misguided, lost sheep?

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