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we to say a few words

it is so essential-and us to a "Covenant" the first

your memb'ershiu U .... IJ....,lIlU on whether or not you your "John

L.I~~_,,, on the "Covenant" dotted line!

are we this NOW? Haven well up until now without

Sad to say there's a of confusion that can come any church about how God wants its members to

behave-towards towards their towards each and toward the world in And don't

the Word of God has a whole lot of verses that urge us full with each other.

for eX,illlJ:>le, on

look at what we find in Romans 15 :5-6 vatleJ1Ce and

cOlnViete hr"-.,.,..,",,,,,,, , with toward

tn~retllpr with one the Father Lord

minute now--does that mean that has to agree with amWI1'1-lel(V

that every other member believes?

Of course That would create but because each of us has some beliefs that differ in

ways from our brothers and sisters the Lord. Word of God has to be some sort

<.:In .. ·C>''' ....... '''.'''+ and we are to ~~~L"'"'H'-'U tc~gether as Otherwise there will be a

"I never looked like that

Think of it like nr,::·n~rln ... for tn$'lrrl~)"'p.

Pastor Chuck! C'mon now­like

UHmmm ... kinda like what f'f1,,, ... /e<br;· .... 'when the

Now to take their nmte--{1f~T

visit our church v .... ,J V A'" , seek the Lord's

wilL . .in other First When if s time will let you know.

In aa<lltl<On. it's been proven over and over

the God

that the more that a married has in common have to entire lifetime '

UfJ'vo,Yitt~S sometimes but I so much time

brides and grooms before m$'lf'r'Ullnn

them. We go over every area their lives win be like-how wiH handle how will handle their what difficulties have "mtenestiln2: ", ___ .",U70 " etc.

mean that we have a First members to let them know what

One of the reasons Rick Warren's Saddleback Church has been so in out Christ's commands is that make sure that every person who

of the "Saddle back so with Km)wl~Ci!Jr~ of what their church all about-what

what their purpose how carry out that purpose, what their members can from their

in what from their members.

Which way

to succeed in f',n-""",,'''''''''''

the and

Next week we'll look at the first of those geJler,aI statements in our all about ··V'rn'i-t,.,,+i, .... n- the

:sen!ternlber 4,2012

Article #3 in our series ae,SIJ!,'nea to exJua,~n what our

is all about ...

our consideration of the '€F1RST

.""" .• r"'.o at the fIrst of the four

As you may have noticed when you read the whole four commitments C

" .... "',,..,-1-.,, commands from the

This any time he can even the tiniest bit of friction into the life of a local

church. He knows it has for ... "",rrn'''fn-''T

"""c'-""11-h.1"'o- that God has so of believers!

"FVhoa now, Pastor Chuck-aren a to little touch

I hate to tell f"All1nf-n;'-_~lnfi most of them

dlsagl"ee1Uell1t or the

the average in , like me alj,Ufl~llV in his church? "

of our your

memorize Christ's words in Matthew shall be called

not "troublemaker"!!

Please notice how each of the three actions related to the church" counteracts one of

and " .• • have a sincere neJrle1r.Jers. love one another with

heart. "-1 Peter 1:22

Before you say a word to a brother or prayer from Psalm 19:14 the words mouth and the meditation

o rock on the Int~~rnc:t)

another ... your mouth sh ut!!

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f' .. t;flf'/711~J about a person to someone 're not

mouth say sornethmlg

"Would I want

your mouth shut!!

One wonderful is bpne~naIIS "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out

UIU'UHj,.) , but what is others that it may those who listen. "

LJ

2012

our

cc()rdin2: to church ===

successful Southern book entitled "The Church . "As

is one person the world who does not know church lUIS a mandate to Growth is not

oplttmlal. it is commanded church 1Jf!:1'1f!:/j~l. but because God wants

not essential that church is bound the Love but

is no doubt that this love is also to be extended everyone we meet the course of our lives-

V""t;;'ULLUUlt;;, with those closest to us, and out to those we haven't even met

tired

a matter DON'T mind

brother-God doesn't want you to so overextended and worn out your service for Him that you "crash and burn"! Jesus and so should we. The purpose

is NOT to wear us out, but to us see to and to us some structure

Here's the second of CO!Ill:1llitJment--atlOllg with three .. "·<."1-,,,,,<:>1

uD.cbur'ched to ""1I-i:.n."",,rl/

it means to

Pastor Chuck. I'll

If that's the reason our folks have for .. ~ .. ~., .. ~~ then all the wrong

about "rakin' in the "then we're no different or better than any other kind of self-centered and God will not bless us!

aSIOr--VTlJf' us a break here! You've even brother!"

be Just look at "D.3."

but God looks at the motives of our heart when we pray, and He wants us to have a love and in our hearts for every unchurched/unsaved person when we pray for them. That's David Psalm 19: 14 "Let the words meditation my rock and my Redeemer.

to our prayers." In other to church services-that's a task He

ass>lQIled to us! As Jesus told us in a about outreach found in Luke 14:23 "Then the master said to the

and urge and and come in, so that my house may

That's where the title of this article comes ~Xlenam!5'! The Love!!" We have to

the results to God!" before [ became your the First had on your church statlOneI'V this statement: "The Church that Love

" £"1"1''''''''.''''' of our church gat:he]~m~~s

love each other so much that we pay attention to our beloved brothers and/or sisters--and

any who may show

Paul in Romans 15:7 ~",.,,,,_h, welcome each other into the

then God will be alr ... ifiorl

extend that "wann welcome" to the new folks who are our Introduce and then introduce the

to some of our Y our is that will feel very welcomed-as you would like to feel were a "fIrst-timer"!

2012

our

this article with another

from Rick Warren's Church": ... very little actual H1li.",i,,'fIPJJ

Ins'tead, much attemialJrce rather

[!

"Those Pastor Chuck!"

But in most cases, it's much the Pastor's fault.

And the

observe all that I cOlnman£ieti even to the end

One of the

"/ Here's

You're so spectrum of God's teachllng re~~ardUJlg our course, "How to Discover-and f".nUJl.l­

" But let me take a few minutes summary of how the "FIRST

expresses commitment to serve:

And

that we can use in often come into use as we that God wants to empower because we are His children!

Ournextcolmnlttnnerrt,

etc.!

Here's the Not do the leaders need to be reminded of their eeltlip]pmg nmctloll, but the members themselves must be WILLING TO BE

from Rick Warren: atteni:iW'lCe rather

the

does NOT say we are to " or "a PROUD heart" or even "a SUCCESSFUL heart"! Listen to Paul's admonition the Church at "Each should look your own interests, but also to the interests attitude should be the same as that

the very nature

Please don't shine this one on. The '"""" . ..,+"""'+ trouble-makers in churches are men and women who--even

may a "Master

2012

u

e.xplain our

o now we come to the fourth and final

section of om' .. yes, brother--did you have a Clm~stlon·t!

I wrestled a with the of it-in other to sound aU slick and as

"Well

Let's take a look

go ahead and use it?"

very clear that we, His are to be

the and to

mean.

fourth and final set of

"

attemiing as as that interfere with their ,..."' ...... ..,,,,,, t()gE~th(!r very often

with their Brothers and Sisters in Christ

But of the it is very '.,... ..... "'1"1-<"-.1-

that we do our level best to attend church as often as we

as weU as ofa small group, like a Class or Home Bible Hebrews 10:25

tOf.~en'1er and encourage each other. " There's sornethmt2 so and about into the church lot at service time and the vehicles of

whom you know and love and will soon be iOVVSEtiDl!:>ing and with! Your presence

witness to the world how much Lord Jesus with your faithfulness.

And then there's the issue of "the

time with mean, do

"C'mon Pastor

I hate to ten you but the truth lS.--Vf1IH

be amazed at the thousands of church members yes-even Southern all over the who consider their involvement in their church to be on the level

\ttEmdmg services once a month (,,!.It'p('f;~nl of "cruel and unusual

"2()dtme:ss level" of their lives apprclae:nmlg zero--and like the

a lot of nonsense

One ,",UUlUV,U, however: because the minute

Pfl-j'lIl1li'Pfl-j nf;,pr/'iHO "I'm not to say much about this very habit that every hmTH'I,Q'a'ln Christian should because I have written and nrf~~r:l,p.rl a whole lot about the issue

October

our

Mleetlmz:s are very eX~cltlLUg

a

etc.-

o

o

1. First copy the two al'!I'VIt':~ and add others that en4t:otJlra:f!elneBtlt as you. Lord. Put them in your

time you open

2.

3.

some kind of group that is tfill...,. ... :10,."", ..... the for the

am

us IS

even tm.u.d"ler rmlln-- of

o

Here are two M.r.':ltlD .. ·+" I commands from Christ

so in your

1"''''''''1'''''':<1 our

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Seventh a series articles related to God's Word has to say to us about

tno,ugltlt that we had finished

articles #5

more.

read these words from Christ's ":)!~mton on I've used two translations of M:lIITl1eW 5:9 so that we can of what

are and peace with their brothers/sisters. NOT!

is

sm:ml~J:--Je:sus cmnmamlea it-but

Here are a to become a "blessed pe,lcemaKel'O

A. First MAKE SURE THAT "YOUR OWN HOUSE IS IN ORDER"!

make

someone about their rel'(ltlC)flsJtnp pn>ollems, sure that those "broken and/or darna~;ed circuits" in your own connections crop up and <;;:f>'!f>J"j~lv hinder your efforts!

C.

LISTEN MORE THAN

James 1:19-20 commands my beloved brethren. Let every to heal'

I1ITTPtn.I'P and

YOUR FOCUS-in other

AND

remember: The PURPOSE of pe~lcemaknllg is to express the LOVE OF CHRIST!

I

on next .. )

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's I never at it way

The reason I

not sure Pastor Chuck!"

What do you mean?

So where is the '.n"'~H",'U-H

's believe that

it? "

DO~2:ge~a down with "extras" that done!

articles related to

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December 7,2012

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