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!!
[J
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
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!
articles related to
"
=== ere are some """" ..... HV1'>o.''''
retc~rre:d to 28 and 29
'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!