The DANCE July 23, 2006
Church – Boogie Wonderland
Funny: This prim and proper lady was planning to go on a vacation to a nice campground in Florida. As she made her plans she began to worry about the restroom facilities, so she decided to write a letter to the campground to inquire if the campground was fully equipped. Problem was that she didn’t know quite how to ask about the “toilet” facilities. Being so proper, she just couldn’t bring herself to write the word “toilet” in her letter. After much deliberation, she came up w/ the old fashioned term “Bathroom Commode,” but when she wrote it down she still thought it was too forward. So she started over again; rewrote the entire letter and referred to the “Bathroom Commode” as the “B.C.” Well, the campground owner wasn’t old fashioned at all, and when he got the letter, he couldn’t figure out what the lady was talking about. That “B.C.” really stumped him. After worrying about it for several days, he showed the letter to other campers, and they all came to the conclusion that the lady wanted to know about the location of the local Baptist Church. So the owner sat down and wrote the following reply: “Dear Madam: I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take pleasure of informing in that the “B.C.” is located nine miles north of the camp site and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches along, and make a day of it… They usually arrive early and stay late. The last time my wife and I went was 6 years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know that right now, there is a supper planned to raise money to buy more seats. They plan to hold the supper in the middle of the B.C., so everyone can watch and talk about this great event. I’d like to say it pains me very much not to be able to go more regularly, but it is surely not for lack of desire on my part. As we grow older, it seems to be more and more of an effort, particularly in cold weather. If you decide to come down to the campground, perhaps I could go w/ you the first time you go ... sit w/ you ... and introduce you to all the other folks. This is really a very friendly community.
Trans: I can only imagine what the woman thought when she received the letter, but can you imagine the crisis of identity? Truth is, many churches are in the midst of an identity crisis – they neither know who they are, what they are doing, or where they are going. The is experiencing a crisis of identity.
• Scooby Do Church – the church that seems to always have a mysterious problem that needs to be solved.
• Tasmanian Devil – the church that is so busy that it spins out-of-control churning up everything in its path.
• Charlie Brown - this is the church w/ low self-esteem that always scared that they’re going to fail. They can’t seem to get it right.
• Peter Pan Church – the church that lives in a fantasy world of Never, Neverland. It refuses to grow up, take responsibility, and face reality.
• Wylie Coyote Church – the church that is fixated on chasing after the unobtainable. They always seemed to get stuck on a single task.
• Foghorn Leghorn Church – the self-righteous, smug church where the people think their way is always the right way and the better way.
• Fred Flintstone Church – the church that is stuck in the stone age that is unwilling to change to make way for the future.
• The Smurf Church – the church that refuses accept outsiders b/c they are different. They’re almost cultic they are so closed to outsiders.
• The Tom and Jerry Church – the fickle church where the people can’t decide whether they like each other or not. One moment their friends working together and the next moment they are trying to kill each other.
• The Chicken Little Church – the sky is falling church where people are consumed w/ the threat of the unknown.
Note: The question is of which church are you a member? Let me assure you, when Jesus gave His H.S. to start the church, He never planned for it to be a joke! In fact, He had a specific picture in mind of a group of believers sharing their lives to know God together, to encourage one another, and to share Jesus w/ others.
Insert: The problem is too many churches have become the love boat centered on keeping members happy and entertained. The pastor serves as cruise director. His job is to keep the people happy by responding to the every want and whim making the trip fun. At sea, the pastor makes sure the desires of the people are met and when they arrive at the next port of call, he makes sure all excursions are enjoyable. And if the staff does not produce such an experience, then the members have every right to rock the boat. This unfortunately describes the perception of to many churchgoers. Only the church isn’t a cruise ship taking people on spiritual vacation, it is a battleship on a divine mission.
Note: In Mt. 28:19-20, Jesus states that the mission of the church is to make disciples by telling people about the love and mercy of God, by helping people to mature in their faith, and by releasing people to go and share the hope of Jesus to the world.
Note: To accomplish this mandate, the church must be fixated on teaching people how to follow Christ and serve His kingdom through genuine love for God, love for each other, and love for people yet to discover Jesus Christ.
Note: This means the church is more than a house of worship – it is a family of faith and a mission outpost to the world. But for a church to be a church there must be a love for God and a love for one another. We have to desire to care and minister to one another for the purpose of encouraging and enabling each other to be all God wants us to be as we seek to share His love w/ all people.
Define: A community and family of faith where believers serve cooperatively to encourage and enable one another, together to fulfill the commission of Jesus Christ of knowing and loving God, loving each other, and sharing hope with the world.
Note: It is to be: Kingdom-focused – intent on honoring God’s will; People-centric – centered leading people to know God ; Purpose-driven – driven by God’s Great Commission; Community-Based – believers who share a common unity
Note: This means that the church isn’t a place for believers to sit, soak, sour, and stink – it’s a place to belong, share, serve, and love
Note: Church isn’t a spectator sport – it requires participation. It’s a place where you come to give, not take. If you only come to take, then you’ll get what‘s coming to you, but if you come to give, you’ll find you can’t out-give God.
Note: As believers, together we are to be an EXTENSION of His love, an EXHIBITION of His grace, and an EXPRESSION of His life.
I The EXPECTATION
Verse: Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward…
Word: Consider – To think about how we can care for another spiritually
Spur – Provoke; incite; stimulate; stir up toward love and good deeds.
A BELONGING
Funny: (3) pastors got together for coffee and discovered that their churches had a bat-infestation problem. "I got so mad," said one, "I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but I missed the bats." The 2nd pastor said, “I trapped them alive and drove them 50 miles away before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church." The 3rd pastor said, “I haven’t had any more problems. The first two asked, "What did you do?" He said, "I baptized and made them church members and I haven’t seen them since."
Note: Belonging is the most basic level of fellowship – the entry level. It’s identifying and aligning w/ a family of believers. Every Christian needs a local body of believers where they can grow and serve the Kingdom of God.
Note: You are members of God’s very own family and you belong in God’s household w/ every other Christian. Eph.2:19 Circle: you belong
Note: The Christian life isn’t just a matter of BELIEVING, it’s also a matter of BELONGING, - and we must CHOOSE to belong.
Listen: A Christian w/out a church family is an orphan. God meant for us to be a part of His family – a family going in the same direction He is moving.
Verse; In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to one another." Rm. 12:5 Circle – belongs to one another
Note: In becoming a member of a local church, we belong to every Christian in that church family. We’re members together. We experience life together. This means we have a responsibility to one another.
B SHARING
Note: A very simple principle – Life is not a solo act! God created for interaction.
Verse: All the believers met together constantly and shared everything w/ one another. Acts 2:44 Circle – met together and shared.
Note: We need one another to become everything God desires for us to become. I need you to pour your life into me, and you need me to pour myself into you. When we fellowship w/ one another we sharpen each other – we make each other better. Here’s the catch – fellowship requires time and sharing.
Truth: The more frequently we meet together, the closer we’re going to get; and the closer we become w/ one another, the more we’re willing to share.
Trans: But what are we supposed to share? The Bible is full of instructions.
• We share our EXPERIENCES.
• We share our FAMILIES. 1 Peter 4:9
• We share our PROBLEMS. Gal. 6:2
Quote: The average church is too much like a bag of marbles—we scratch against one another and make a little noise, but we really don’t affect each other much. The church should be more like a bag of grapes that mesh together, producing a sweet tasting juice because of the interaction.
C SERVING
Note: We don’t just belong – we contribute.
Insert: God didn’t bring you to FBC to be a wallflower. That’s not why you’re here. He brought you here to serve. He wants to make a difference through you. And just as there responsibilities in every family, so are there in God’s family. He expects us to divide the chores and do our part. Our church has a covenant of faith and practice and we all must do our part.
Point: If one of us isn’t fulfilling their responsibility then we all suffer. (Akin)
Verse: We are partners working together for God. 1 Cr. 3:9 Circle - partners.
D LOVING
Verse: Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Rm. 12:10 Circle – devoted
Word: koinonia – literally means being as committed to each other as to Jesus. This is the deepest level of fellowship – loving one another as we love Jesus.
Note: We know Jn; 3:16, "God so loved the world," but you don’t know 1 Jn. 3:16.
Verse: We know what real love is b/c Christ gave up His life for us. And we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. 1 Jn 3:16
Note: This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other. It’s the kind of love Christ had for us when He died for us. It is when you surrender yourself to the well-being of others being willing to risk everything to spur them on.
Verse: Your strong love for each other proves to the world you’re my disciples.
Note: We want to be known for our love – not our size, sermons, songs, or our buildings. We want people to say, “That’s the place where they love each other,” b/c that’s what Christianity’s all about – loving God and loving people. As Christians our love is the best witness to the reality of our faith.
Verse: Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen. 1 Jn 4:20
Truth: The greatest privilege you’ll ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God’s family. God’s family is a laboratory for learning to love.
II The ENCOURAGEMENT
Verse: Let us not give up the habit of meeting together…
Note: This verse raises the question of why I need to be faithful to my church. It’s simple – for spiritual help and survival. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that Satan is a roaring lion roaming around seeking who he might devour. We need the body of Christ to survive in this world.
Story: In Africa, when a lion sneaks up on a herd, he’s looking for a single animal that has wandered from the protection of the group. His plan is to isolate the animal from the herd. Once he’s done that, he has a better chance of killing it. But if an animal sticks w/ the herd, he has a higher chance of survival.
Note: Lest you think lions are expert hunters, they fail more than they succeed. Studies of lion behavior offer interesting lion kill statistics. When you examine these numbers, a definite pattern can be seen. When lions attack a herd of warthogs, they get a meal 55% of the time. Warthogs travel in groups, but when under attack they split up – every warthog for himself! When lions attack a herd of zebra, they get a meal only 35%, b/c zebra herds tend to stick together even defending one another. But when a lions attacks a herd of gazelles, they only have an 11% kill rate. Part of the reason is the speed of the gazelles, but more importantly it is b/c they have an early warning system. Gazelles are famous for posting lookouts to watch in four directions to warn the herd of impending danger. What can we learn from this? There’s safety in numbers.
Note: Just as lions attack stragglers, so too does the old roaring lion, Satan try to isolate Christians from the body. Satan doesn’t want you to come to church, he wants you to get mad and stay away. He’ll tell you a lie that you don’t need to go to church where there’s a bunch of hypocrites. He’ll lie to you that you can get just as much sitting at home watching on TV, or that you can worship on your own at the lake. But the Bible says there is strength and safety in the herd. And the herd is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Word: Koininia – to share in union w/ another; to be closely bound; mutually open and vulnerable; accountable relationship.
Idea: Symphony refers to the beautiful music that comes from players who are reading the same score, playing properly tuned instruments, and following w/ precision the conductor leading the music.
Note: Remember – Fellowship is loving God’s family – it’s more than just choosing to believe – it’s also choosing to belong. And in order for the church to be what God has called it to be, and function according to His plan, you must have a healthy understanding of God, the church, and your role in the family.
Note: I want to close by sharing w/ you Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Church
1 God-Exalting Worship – they gather regularly as the local expression of the Body of Christ to worship God in ways that engage the heart, mind, soul.
2 God’s Empowering Presence – they actively seek the Holy Spirit’s direction and empowerment for its daily life and ministry.
3 An Outward Focus – they place a high priority on communicating the truth of Jesus and demonstrating the love of Jesus to those outside the faith.
4 Servant Leadership Development – they identify and develop individuals God has called and gifted to become servant-leaders.
5 A Commitment to Loving, Caring Relationships – they are intentional in their efforts to build loving, caring relationships w/in families, b/w members and w/in the community they serve.
6 Learning/Growing in Community – they encourage believers to grow in their walks w/ God and others in the context of a safe, affirming environment.
7 Personal Disciplines - they provide training, models, and resources for members of all ages to develop their daily spiritual disciplines.
8 Stewardship and Generosity – they teach members that they’re stewards of their God-given resources and challenge them to give sacrificial to God’s mission.
9 Wise Administration and Accountability – they utilize appropriate facilities, equipment, and systems to provide maximum support for the growth and development of its ministries.
10 Networking w/ other Churches – they reach out to others in the Body of Christ for collaboration, resource sharing, learning opportunities and united celebrations of worship.
Trans: When you unite w/ a local church you choose to align yourself w/ a God, a church, and a mission greater than yourself – and it will always be greater than you.
Video: I Belong – www.sermonspice.com
