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Serving People... Sharing Christ... Changing Lives
Brian Mashburn
October 15, 2006
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Do You Have "Church"?
Jesus said to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." He went on to say that the proof of your discipleship is authentic and real if your life is defined by your loving relationships. He said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
(John 13:34-35).
Read the following text for yourself from Romans, Ephesians, and Hebrews that get a little bit more specific about how to express "loving relationships" and see if you have a real church home.
Rom 12:10. If you have this then you have church.
Rom 12:10. If you have this, then you have church.
Rom 12:14. If you have this, then you have church.
Rom 12:15. If you have this, then you have church.
Rom 14:13. If you have this, then you have church.
Rom 15:7. If you have this, then you have church.
Rom 15:14. If you have this, then you have church.
Eph 4:2. If you have this, then you have church.
Eph 4:32. If you have this, then you have church.
Heb 3:13. If you have this, then you have church.
Heb 10:24-25. If you have this, then you have church.
If you don't have these things present in your relationships "at church", then you don't have a church.
Have you noticed that the world around us is longing for exactly what Scripture says that disciples are supposed to have and offer? Relationship. Community. Authenticity. Inclusion.
If we have these things present in our own lives, then we can offer these things to the world around us. And if we offer these things to the world around us, then we will get the unchanging gospel message to them. And if we are getting the unchanging gospel message to the world around us, then we are a church that is actually 'of Christ'.