Title: Community-Distinctive Church
Place: BLCC
Date: 2/12/17
Text: John 13.34-35; Colossians 3.12-14
CT: The church is to be distinct in how it loves.
[Screen 1]
FAS: In Hot Springs, Arkansas, you'll find the Morris Antique Mall. Nothing on the inside distinguishes this antique store from dozens like it in town. There's a musty smell and dusty relics from the past. A kind of place you might find Mike and Frank from “Pickers” in.
But if you look closely at the outside of the Morris Antique Mall, you'll see something that makes it distinct: before it was an antique store, it was a church building.
The problem was this church had lost its distinctiveness. It may have looked like a church on the outside, but on the inside it had lost its distinctiveness that made it a house that held the church. There are many reasons a church can die, but when we become so much like the world around us, we lose our distinctiveness and we will die.
LS: How can we as the church maintain our distinctiveness and remain a vibrant distinctive church?
I am in the third week of the sermon series “Community”. The purpose I have for this series is to look at what God would think of the church today and what it is doing? What would Jesus want us to do as a church?
What would Jesus think of our service? What would he notice? Would he see a church that is self-absorbed with their music and performance and preferences? Would he see a church that is inwardly focused and concerned only about itself? I pray He would not.
I pray He would see a church that is doing its best to follow his lead and reach out to others and encourage and build up each other in unity in Him and Him alone. I pray he would see a church that serves its community as it serves its Lord. This week we look at the Distinctive Church.
God has called His people to be distinctive since the beginning. Some churches attempt to do this by always trying to fight against what they are against. One such church that has appeared in the news over the last few years has done this by picketing military funerals by saying the deaths represent God’s punishment on our country for its acceptance of immorality. They carry signs that say things like God hates gays and you’re going to hell and worse.
Churches like this attack and force themselves on people in aggressive and forceful ways. While this certainly makes them distinctive, it goes against what the apostle Paul says we should be like in [screen 2] Colossians 4.5-6. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. [Screen 3] Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
There are things as a church we should oppose and speak out against. But the manner in which we take a stand and our choices in what to take a stand against should be decided with great wisdom and guidance from God and the Holy Spirit.
God does call us to be distinct from the culture of the world but when we seek distinctiveness we often do so with a triumphal sneer that turns people away who are the very ones God has called us to reach. Maybe our distinctiveness should be found not so much in what we oppose, but more about what we promote. What we are for. What could be better than promoting the gospel, the good news to those who are lost to the slavery of their sin?
God has called His people from the start. [Screen 4] Exodus 19. 6, Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
Out of all the nations God set apart His people as a holy community. They were not set apart by race, ethnicity or territory. They were set apart due to their allegiance to the one and only God. God sought believers who were devoted only to Him.
God still desires for the church today to be set apart by their identity in Jesus Christ. Our distinctiveness is to be based only on our allegiance with God’s Son Jesus Christ.
Does this mean we should be separate and never be near those who are not of the church?
Absolutely not. We serve God’s mission not by being distinct as far as location but by our ethics and morality. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 9.11-12 how he felt about this. [Screen 5]
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [Screen 6]
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” [Screen 7]
He also said in Matthew 5.13, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” [Screen 8]
The way I tell people is this, “Be the influencer not the “influenc-ee”. We are to go into the world and reflect Jesus in all we do. We are to be the salt but not the “influenc-ee”. If we just hide behind the walls of the church, the church will never reveal the distinctiveness it needs to show to influence the world, to be the salt.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time tried to be distinctive by setting boundaries with superficial rules and traditions that set them apart. They made rules that made themselves distinct for their own glory not God’s. If you didn’t measure up to their standards you were not welcomed in.
Many churches today do the same thing. They may distinguish themselves by how they dress, what music they play and listen to, or what petitions they sign. They may pride themselves in what they oppose and separate themselves from anyone who won’t sign on. They feel pretty good about what they do and take pride in what they stand for and are really not too concerned about others needs and struggles.
But is this what Jesus would do?
I believe Jesus would want our distinctiveness to come as a result of living and acting as a Christ-like holy community. Who we are hinges on Christ. We should be able to say, “We are the church who seeks to reflect Christ in all we say and do.”
[Screen 9]
We are a church who doesn’t try to make a point; we strive to make a difference.
Our distinctiveness is based only on our allegiance to God and following His Son.
Peter makes this clear in his book where he quotes from the OT. (Remember Lev.19.1 from last week).
1 Peter 1.15-16, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” From OT to NT.
1 Peter 2.9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
WE ARE TO BE THE LIGHT! Can’t be the light if you are hiding it from others behind walls.
Followers of Jesus who form the church, who find their true identity in Jesus, exhibit real life distinctions from the world around them. [Screen 10]
What I mean by this can be found in Colossians 3.12-14, Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
To be distinct as a follower of Jesus has nothing to do with what I wear on the outside. I can follow Jesus in a coat and tie or I can follow Jesus in jeans and a tee shirt. I am comfortable either way as a follower. It is not our outer clothing that sets us apart. It is what we are clothed with on the inside.
The church, made of followers of Christ must be clothed with compassion. The churches heart must break for what breaks God’s. The church must care and pray for all who are in need. We must be a hope to the hopeless.
The church must be clothed in kindness. All must feel welcome to come into the midst of the church. Jesus stands with open arms to all and so should the church.
The church must be clothed in humility. Our strength should come only from Jesus. There must be no boasting or taking claim of any glory for the church. All glory and praise must be given to our Lord. All we do is for God’s glory is to reveal it and only it to others who need to see and know it is there to give them hope.
The church must be clothed with gentleness. The church must use its strength to lift others and strengthen them. People who pass through the church should exit encouraged and a stronger person after meeting the risen Savior through the church.
The church must be clothed with patience. Jesus took the time to know and deal with people. Remember his talk with the Samaritan woman. Even though she was a sinner. He asked them to follow Him and then with time they would come to know the true meaning of his gift to us all. The church should also have this patience and acceptance of all we meet.
The church must also be clothed with forgiveness. The church has no choice but to forgive as God has forgiven us.
But the greatest and most important garment the church must be clothed with is love. LOVE!
To understand this we have to turn to Jesus. Anytime we need to understand the will of God we look to Jesus.
The last thing Jesus talked about to his disciples was this.
The most important command that Jesus gave the disciples who became the fathers of the church was not to force their will on others.
It was not to go around pointing fingers at those who were falling short of God’ s ideal.
It wasn’t to go around getting petitions signed to get the Pharisees to stop persecuting fellow believers.
He sure didn’t tell them to go out and start picketing those who didn’t believe as they did in Him.
No, what he did was to remind them of how he had loved them.
He first looked at Matthew and said, “Remember what you were when we met. You were a tax collector.
A traitor to your people.
The worst of the worst. No one wanted to be around you.
What did I do? I invited you to follow me. I took you in. You were welcomed to become one of us. Even though Peter was slow to accept you. He didn’t like it much when we went to your house and started associating with a bunch of people like you. But I loved you.”
“As for you Peter. There is a time soon coming when you will turn your back on me, not just once but three times before the rooster crows”.
Then he looked at Peter in the eye and said,”Yet I still love you”.
Then he looked at Nathanael and said, “Remember what you said about me when you first knew of me. Your brother Andrew, he was there so you can’t deny it, he came and said to come see me. Yea you remember what you said about me?”
“What good could ever come from Nazareth.”
“Man you just dished my whole family by saying that”.
“Yet I loved you. I loved you all unconditionally”.
“So listen up guys. Here is what I leave you with. And I hope you remember these words. Who knows maybe one day they will be written in red somewhere”
And they were: [Screen 11]
John 13.34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another (but he didn’t stop there). [Screen 12] He added, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [Screen 13] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
People will know we are a true church by our love for one another.
Our distinctiveness as a church must be based on how we love.
Others should look at us and say, “Look how they love!”
Others look in from the edge and are drawn to that love.
They want to follow because of that love.
They may even say I don’t know for sure if I want to be one of them but I wouldn’t mind my daughter marrying one. They treat each other with a ridiculous kind of love.
Might not mind working for someone like that or having one of them working for me.
They are odd. They claim to not even fear death because of this love.
They do the right thing even when it costs them because of this love.
They care about others…
Hey,… they care about me?
My good friend Will was riding home with Kathy last week and he said, “ I have never been at a church that cares so much. So many have called and brought food and been there for me. I know I am loved.”
Patty put on our sign a couple of weeks ago, “A world of love makes a world of difference.”
If we, the church-followers of Jesus-act no differently than the world acts, how can we possibly claim to be God’s people. If we conform to the ways of the world rather than God’s holiness, we lose the distinction God has called us to… our salt loses its value.
This idea makes what Jesus says in Matthew 5.20 much clearer to me. I always struggled with this scripture till I got this. [Screen 14] “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
We are not to be distinctive by our man made rules and traditions. We as the church are to be distinctive, to even surpass the Pharisees, by [Screen 15] the way we love.
CT: The church is to be a distinctive church by how it loves.
God calls us, His church, to remain distinct from our culture. Sadly many churches who seek distinctiveness do so in a manner that hinders rather than helps our mission to the world. When we follow Jesus and see him as both grace and truth and see him as the example to follow as purity alongside love, the world will take notice.
Our distinctiveness as a church becomes what God needs to fulfill His mission to bring all people into a community that serves and honors Him.
Won’t you come today and be part of this community that strives to follow Jesus in all ways. Come make the change. Make Jesus the Lord of your life and be baptized and be part of the love that Jesus brings.
Bibliography
Overdorf, Daniel. Rediscovering community: what the Bible says about the church. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2012. Print. Chapter TWO
Stanley, Andy Christian DVD, Brand Recognition session. (idea for loving as He loved)
FAS idea from: Michael A. Howe in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.
