Church is...3 - loving

If the Church is to love God and love others then the core purpose of Church is to love! Yet, many experience that the Church is not unconditionally loving. Many have experiencved conditional love and exceptance in their experience of Church - this is a diminished view of the love God has called us to live and show. I've heard it said that True love waits, but in this context love does not wait - it just gets on with loving, in thought, word, and ultimately, in deeds.

It needs to be said that there are many floowers of Jesus and Churches that show amazing lives and communities of unconditional love. Yet as people look at the Church in the West this is not the most prominent image of Church seen. We need to be transformed from the heart out into the community.

Look at Jesus lifestyle: He loved the crowds by feeding them with words and with food; he loved the leper by approaching them, talking with them and healing them; he loved women through respecting them; he loved kids by giving them his time; he loved his disciples by disciplining, teaching and releasing them; he loved the world by serving, saving and sacrificing himself; he loved God through obeying him; he loved.

As God's Church we have much repenting to do for our lack of love. We have lacked:

Love for the lost - if we really cared about the lost our perspective would not be so individualistic or insular.
Love for God - we live our faith in our way (it's my life!) rather than in Jesus' way (He is THE Way!)
Love for each other - many churches are filled with people who love others when "they play ball" and fit unspoken rules and expectations.Love for God's word - our words have somehow become more vocal than God's inspired, Spirit-breathed word.

We need to repent. we really need to turn back to God and BE the Church that Jesus died to send into the world. We need to get on our knees and pray that god's mercy touches our hearts afresh. We need to let go of all the 'church' baggage that's got us bound up and be freed to follow Jesus as unconditional lovers of God who unconditionally love ALL people, even when they are different, wrong, right, or down-right strange.

Follow Jesus - Love God - Love others - with no conditions

Do it

Just preparing for a talk from Matthew 25 where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. His system of separation was simple:

Those who receive an eternal inheritance from God are those that lived lives of "Just Love" (they lived as Jesus lived - they followed Jesus' way of life).

All others were cast out eternally from God's presence.

The message is simple - if we say we are followers of Jesus we need our lived to follow him too. Saying it is not enough.


We need to Do following Jesus.

"Whatever you did for the least (the marginalised; the poor; the lowly; the loveless; etc) of these you did for me"

Faith without works is dead

I will build my Church

Jesus said,

I will build my Church

As I thought about that today I thought that it's amazing how the Church in the UK is in some areas growing, while in other areas groaning. I'm sure the above phrase has thoughts to offer.

The Church that grows is Jesus' Church - not ours. Are we at the helm, or is Jesus?

The Church that grows is in the 'will' of God. Stagnation cannot be the will of God for His Church. Why not?

Because the Church of Jesus is being 'built', not broken down. Growing, not slowing. worshipping, not wilting.

If we're in any doubt as to who should 'own' the Church we are reminded that Jesus said it is 'my' Church.

The Church that grows is not a club, a cosy huddle or a commitee - it is a biblical, relevant, spirit-filled revolutionary body of people that are following Jesus by loving God and loving others.

I wonder if we're spending too much time 'doing' Church instead of 'being' Church. Are we letting Christ build himself into our lives? Are we growing from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory?

Jesus will build his Church - are we willing to surrender and BE HIS CHURCH?

Following Jesus into rejection?

In our youth group last night we explored reasons why we find it hard to share our faith story with others. The number one reason was REJECTION.

We all want to be liked. We all want to be loved. We all want to be accepted. None of us really wants to be rejected.

As I've thought about this today it struck me the Jesus' most glorified momnet was also his moment of deepest rejection:

At the garden of Gethsemene his closest followers ran off - peer rejection!
His best mate (who promised to be there for him!) denies knowing him three times - friendship rejection!
The crowds that hailed him a king now hates him and calls for his death - community rejection!
God the Father turns his face away - ultimate rejection!

We will never be rejected as badly as Jesus - God will never turn his face from us as long as we live. But we need to know that if we are to follow Jesus we will most likely find ourselves being rejected by others. Jesus tells us to take up our cross.

Are we willing to follow Jesus even if we are rejected by family, friends or community? We at least know that when we are rejected by others becuase of faith - God stands with us.

right or wrong place?

I was just thinking that I often think "where will I be in ten years time?", but I've never thought "Am I where I though I'd be ten years ago?"

It's funny how the future impacts us here and now, isn't it? As I look at where I wanted to be ten years ago, I'm amazed at how life's journey has taken a different twist.

I'm happily married. I have two brilliant, smart and funny kids that make me happy even when I'm tired and grumpy, and i'm being used by god in life. It's not how I imagined life yet I can see God's faithfulness as I've journeyed with Jesus.

Don't get me wrong - I've not got it right - I've made massive mistakes and I've hurt people close to me on the way. I'm trying my best to follow Jesus and to trust him.

My point is this - despite our mistakes and the fact that most of us are not in the place we expected to be...

...GOD IS FAITHFUL TO LEAD US AND STICK TO WITH US. Following on from this: We see part of the picture God has already painted for our lives (1 Cor 13 - verse near end of chapter!) but He sees it all - we don't try to work it all out. As we follow Jesus in simple faith he will lead us into places we don't expect. Some of them will be amazing and some of them will be difficult, but all of them will make us more like Jesus if we're simply looking to him. After all, He's the author and the finisher of our faith (Heb 12:1-3)

So wherever you are keep looking to Him. Don't live life with regret. Live life with gusto and simple faith in Christ. He does have a plan - even if we can't see how it will all work out.

Be blessed. Be faithful and be encouraged. God really is in control!

Blessings to you today!

Stuart

adventure

Following Jesus is an adventure!! Oh yes, and adventures are fabulous...

...to watch!

But participating in an adventure is a whole different ball-game. you see, to be in an adventure is to experience the exhileration of the highs and to know implicitly to lows as well.

Too many of us Christians have preached and been told that following Jesus is the adventure of a lifetime that will transforn our lkives so that we will ne 'set free' from anything that's negative. This message sounds great - it's good news - but it's not the message Jesus taught. One only has to look at the gospels to see that Jesus taught a hard gospel.

"Take up your cross and follow me"
"In this life you will face hardships"
"Count the cost"

These are just a few examples of Jesus' claim that following him would not be easy. Read Paul's account of his life. for the sake of the Gospel he was beaten, shipwrecked, attacked by bandits, forsaken by other believers, imprisoned, martyred! The bible does not teach that a life of faith in Jesus Christ will be easy, but it does say that it is possible. Following jesus takes guts, perseverance and character - a character that he builds within us on the way.

Are you experiencing the rugged side of following Jesus? Fix your eyes on him. Are you tired and burdened? Throw your burdens on him. He's with you now. He see your struggles and he's cheering you on. Run the race with perseverance and see the prise of knowing him more now and being with him in eternity. So, fix your eyres on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of your faith. He's with you leading, guiding and working to see you finish following well.

Blessings in Christ to you all.

simple and hard

I was reminded today that following Jesus is not always an easy thing to do. As you read through the gospels and take in the things Jesus said you see that they are very simple requests:

Love your neighbour
love your enemy
follow me
bless those who persecute you
Go...
preach the good news

These are not hard to understand, but they can be hard to live out - How do you follow someone you can't even see? How can you love when you are emotionally ship-wrecked? How can you love when you feel like hating? How do you bless when you don't feel blessed?

Following Jesus sounds simple, but can be very hard. we're asked even by Christ to 'count the cost' and to 'take up our cross'. There are amazing times when it's all sunshine and smiles and times when we feel like we're trudging for miles in the slough of despondancy. It takes faith to take this jouney of following Jesus. Faith hopes for what it does not see and helps us carry what we cannot bear. Faith unites us with Christ who says 'come to me all of you who are tired and heavy-laden'.

Does following Jesus seem hard? simply put, have faith and keep on. It's simple, it's hard and it takes faith. He never said it would be easy, but we'll get there with his help. We might be following him, but in a mystical way...
...he's also walking with us.