Saturday, September 19, 2015

Compelling

What Made the First Church So Compelling?

1. They committed to authentic community. – We are designed to be in relationship.
The church is where you can experience relationships the way they were meant to be. They “devoted” themselves.. The church is where you can be loved & accepted.

2. They gave God wholehearted worship. – Do we show our appreciation for athletes more than we do God?
Romans 12:1-2 (proper worship is being a living sacrifice) Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The church is where God gets the glory He deserves.

 3. They took their spiritual growth seriously. –This is the most important purpose, because the others hinge on this one.
The church is where you can become the best you - you can be.
Can you get better? Where do you start?

You must Show Up in order to Grow Up in the Lord.

4. They invested in positive priorities. –What do you do with your time, talent, treasure?
Some sing, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!” -What do you owe God?
The church is where our time, talents, and treasure get invested for eternity. Where are you storing up your treasure?

5. They invited others to join them. – If you loved church you’d invite others!
The church is where people get adopted into God’s family.
We are all called to be in the ministry of reconciliation.  

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 – All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Are you ready to “Be the Church”?