Coming Up Sonday September 6, 2015
Philippians 1:4-8. A Transforming Fellowship
Read Mark 12:28-34
Isn’t it true that some Christian fellowships and individuals are just simply magnetic while others are just plain pathetic, no matter how hard they try? What is it that makes a fellowship magnetic and transforming? What is it about a congregation that either draws people in or pushes them away? This week we’ll study together the various aspects that make a congregation either magnetically transforming or just plain pathetic.
Jesus is the epitome of a magnetic personality, in the good and wholesome sense. People were drawn to Jesus, even those who sought to trap Him or remove Him from the scene. One such incident reveals this clearly. Jesus has been teaching in Jerusalem and a teacher of the law, that is an expert in the Torah or Law of God, sought to trap Him in His words and teachings.
This man asked Jesus what He believed was the greatest commandment. The answer that Jesus gave would reveal to all His alliances and His theology. All the accepted schools of the day differed in their particular nuance with this answer.
But Jesus was undeterred by the question. He reiterated the Word of God, the Torah and quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NIV84)
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Even before the Teacher could respond Jesus added Leviticus 19:18.
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.”
Herein lies the secret of magnetic fellowship and personality. It’s not about faked charm or enigma. It’s not about a put-on personality or dress sense. It’s not about programs or activities that a fellowship might run. The key element to being attractive and transformational is to love God with our entire being. People who genuinely and deeply love God (more than money, sexuality, popularity and so on) have an attraction that nothing in this world can imitate or duplicate. People and congregations that genuinely love God radiate a special yet intangible ‘something’ that draws people in. The fundamental question that we have to ask of ourselves and of our congregations is, do we genuinely love God with our entire being?
If the answer is yes we will experience a natural flow into the second command that Jesus raised from Leviticus 19:18. You simply cannot love God without loving others. You cannot love God and have a cynical or negative view of others. God’s love, by its very nature, flows outwards towards others. God’s love flowed outwards to us and our love flows naturally outwards to others.
If you and your congregation want to be transformational rather than tragic it begins not with programs or self help lists but with growing in love for the Lord.
Prayer:
Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for
Adoration:
Confession
Thanks
Supplication:
· Pray that each person in your congregation would be growing in love for God. Ask the Lord to so magnify this love that people outside the church see you all as Jesus’ disciples.
· Pray that the students at the Reformed College in Myanmar would be growing in love for the Lord and through that be filled with the Spirit so that they can learn to grow and teach others about Jesus.
1. When we talk about an attractive or magnetic fellowship what dangers do we have to be aware of?
2. Even though we can not manufacture or imitate love for God, why do we need to talk about this issue of loving God wholeheartedly?
3. How can we grow in love for God?
One on One
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups."
"Now consider this," he continued... "Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups... Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly... and leave the rest to God.
Far too many believers think that to have an attractive personality that draws others to Christ they have to be out there, charismatic type people who loudly rejoice and praise God in every and any crowd. This is not reality, nor is it truth.
To be a person who draws others to Christ we need to cultivate a love of God into our hearts and lives. As we grow in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (look it up! I am not doing all the work for you!!!) we will naturally grow in love for others. As we grow in love for others we will exhibit that natural attractiveness that draws others to Christ. The old saying is true. What’s in your heart really does show on your face.
So the billion dollar question is, How do I grow in love for God? Here are some things you can be doing to be growing in love for God.
Spend quality time with God regularly. Block it out in your diary and make it non-negotiable. Make sure that the time is not a time when you are tired and worn out.
Read the Word and meditate deeply upon it. To meditate deeply means simply to think deeply about it. Ask the hard questions and search for answers. God will provide.
Serve God in areas where you don’t normally serve. This will challenge you and force you to rely on God. As God comes through you’ll be praising God and growing in love for Him.
Seek to make a new disciple regularly. Again the passion of new believers will rub off onto you.
Spend quality time with passionate and zealous Christians. The passion and zeal will rub off onto you.
Pray. Ask God to transform your heart and to renew your mind in Christ Jesus.
As you interact with people, they will quickly read you and decide whether you are genuinely loving or not. If God’s love is filling your heart, they will see that love and be attracted to the God you worship.
Copied from http://www.inspire21.com/stories/christianstories/GodsCoffee
Personal Questions
1. How’s your prayer life?
2. Describe your current thought life?
3. How’s your relationship with your spouse or your parents?
4. Discuss how and if you’ve struggled with sin/temptation this week.
5. How are you worshipping God through work, family and social networks?
• for unity to encompass your church and your city/region.
• for the love of Jesus to be the central motivating factor in your church and your own heart
• for reconciliation to occur where it’s needed in your life and the lives of others in your church/city.
Reflection:
1. Why does loving God and each other make for a transformational church?
2. Why can’t this be ‘put on’ or faked?
3. List 5 things you can do this week to grow in love for God and love for others.
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