Can’t we all just get along!

Galatians 5:  ¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 

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Saturday night had come around again and this time I decided to go to church on Sunday. No clubbing for me. “Which church will I go to” I thought to myself.  That church screams and yells too much while this church is too boring. Hmm, I wonder about this church, my friends say they have some nice women and good music. When I returned home I said “church is useless!”

• “Church” is misunderstood by many.
• “Church” is any person who believes they deserve to go to Hell, but will not because of JESUS.
• “Church” is GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT.

 

My attitude towards “church” was quite wrong back then. I went thinking it was a place where I would “get” something from people when in reality it is a place of “giving.” Church is like a marketplace where the broken get together and serve one another.

 

• When I get caught up in my sinful freedom, I need to gather with people and talk about CHRIST.
• When I feel strong and full of the SPIRIT, I need to gather with people and talk about CHRIST.
• When I feel like arguing, or down or kicked around, I need to gather with people and talk about CHRIST.
• When I am happy and life is good, I need to gather with people and talk about CHRIST.

 

Serving one another in love is the single most important act I can do as a person who follows CHRIST. I certainly can’t die to redeem the sins of mankind, that act was already done by JESUS. But I can serve the people HE loves especially in a place where broken people gather.

 

• My ideal church is very different now that I have matured.
• My ideal church contains people who are open and honest with their sins like me.
• My ideal church contains hypocrites like me.
• My ideal church contains people who are scared, confused, argumentative and dishonest like me.
• My ideal church contains people who look at CHRIST as the only savior from sin like me.

 

GOD never wants me to categorize the way someone worships HIM as “wrong” just because I don’t understand it, that’s HIS job. BUT HE does call me to believe in HIS SON and serve people in love. That’s just what I am going to do.

 

• Is JESUS your church or is it the place you go?
• Can you go to “church” looking for opportunities to serve in the way GOD tells you to serve?
• Can you determine if you are in “give” or “receive” mode when going to church?
• If you have been in “receive” mode for years, isn’t it time to ‘give?”