Yesterday, we explored how a church community is meant to be a gathering, sometimes even just for fun and fellowship.

You might think church has always meant a religious gathering of Christians on Sunday morning.  But in the Bible’s Greek language, church had another meaning before that.  The Greek word for church is ekklesia which literally means “an assembly” or “gathering of people”.  But not just for its own good.  It’s called out to be and do something specific.  This week’s passage says gathering together is not just for encouragement to love, but for encouragement to good works.

We are meant to be a preview of the world as God wants it to be.  We are meant to make people say wow.  Unlike the church I described yesterday, people are supposed to look at our community (even at its business meetings) and say, “Wow!  That’s how we are supposed to relate with each other, and our world, and God.  I can see it now!”  They are meant to see the Kingdom of God in us.

Aristides was a philosopher in Athens in the second century and he observed the first Christians, the early church, and this is what he recorded about them in 125 AD.

“They walk in humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them.  They love one another.  He that has distributes liberally to him that does not have. If they see a stranger they bring him under their own roof and rejoice over him as if he were their own brother.”

Aristides looked at that first church, that earliest gathering of Christians and he said WOW.

Have you ever looked at a team, group or organization and said, wow?  Why?  Think of the Snowbirds, or a great dance troupe.

Our church today meant to make people say wow…because of our generosity and love of one another, that spills over to the lives of others near us.

We’re intending to becoming this kind of church through our discussion groups first, and also when our discussion groups come together as one community for celebration.

Challenge: If you’re not already meeting with a group, please do.  What act of generosity and service can you do with your discussion group, or family, that will make others in your life say wow?  Think of one thing internal to your group that you do for each other, and one thing your group does for others.

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 - May 22, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Priorities

Jesus’ second illustration about priorities in life. Said it with a confusing saying that needs to be explained for people in our day: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23 ESV) When we ask what’s in someone’s heart, is the answer blood? No, the heart stands for something else – the core of their being. In Jesus’ culture, the eye was often used in the same way. Someone with a good eye was someone generous. Someone with a bad eye = miserly. Jesus is saying those who are generous are like those who can see where they are going, and those who are selfish are like the blind. That’s why he says the eye is a lamp, or window, into the body. It’s a small thing, but its functionality changes everything. For sighted people, eyes are the guide for just about every task. We don't do much by touch unless we have to. But blind people learn to do everything differently. I’m always fascinated by how blind people get around – it takes an entirely different skillset from the way I move. And the difference all comes down to that little eye. In this illustration, our “eye” or “heart” represents our priorities, ambitions, hopes and dreams. And like an eye, they affect everything. If our priorities are right, they affect how we handle everything else. If our priorities are wrong, then everything is in disarray, with competing priorities constantly battling each other. Sailing - aim the bow where you want to go. Aim it at Christ’s character – the one who was generous, sacrificial because he was resolute in his priorities, God’s kingdom breaking into our world. He was heavenly minded – but did a tremendous amount of worldly good. Investing in developing a Christlike character as our priority is the one safe investment, because is something we can take with us. As we accept him as saviour and submit to him as Lord, he transforms us through his Holy Spirit, into his likeness. Makes us acceptable to the Father. So we can join him, in his presence, heaven. Question: When you see someone who has what you desire how to do feel personally? What do you think of them? How does greed blind us to our true state? How does generosity free us from the grip of materialism and self-centeredness?

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