Title Purpose-Driven Life (21) Church
Contents
Purpose-Driven Living (21) Protecting the Church
Text: Ephesians 4:3 / Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The church is centered around faith in Jesus Christ. And it was maintained and grown under the guidance and protection of the one Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter who works for the saints, directing and monitoring all the work of the church community. However, the work of the Holy Spirit for the church is the unity of the church community and guidance to a higher and better place.
The Holy Spirit guides the church to accomplish its work in one love, hope, and faith in the face of various ministries. Therefore, all the saints gathered in the church must become a grain of wheat that they serve and strive to achieve unity according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The church is the body of Jesus Christ. It must act and move according to the will of Jesus Christ. Even after Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, to this world to establish the church for the kingdom of God. And he sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to provide strength and power to this church and to guide all ministries. Therefore, the church must be united in the will of Jesus Christ and the protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
When the church cannot be united as one, the church must be united as one in the work of the Holy Spirit because it will not be able to perform the work entrusted to it by the Holy Spirit. All the ministry of the church's growth and expansion is under the direct control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only strengthens the existing church in hope of salvation and a blessed life in the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, but also calls the saints to expand further. The kingdom of God is the ultimate hope that every believer has. In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must pray with each other and become one to reveal the glory of God.
The unity of the church is so important that the New Testament mentions it more than anything about heaven or hell. The destruction of unity is like a heart being torn from the body of Christ. As God's family, we must fulfill the following responsibilities to keep the unity of the church. God wants us to experience oneness and harmony with one another. There is nothing in the world more precious to God than the church. If we are God's family, it is our responsibility to preserve the unity of our fellowship, the church we belong to.
We need to cherish and enjoy our differences, not just tolerating them. For the sake of unity, we must not let small differences separate us. God wants unity, not uniformity. If we love each other and focus on fulfilling God's purpose, then harmony is inevitable. There is no perfect church from which we can escape.
It is not the wolf that sometimes hurts the most in God's sheepfold, but other sheep. There is God's way of resolving conflicts (Matthew 18:15-17). We must also support pastors and leaders. There are no perfect leaders, but they are tasked with the impossible task of pleasing everyone that even Jesus could not do.
1. Focus on sharing rather than differences.
Divide always occurs when we focus on individual preferred interpretations, styles, methods, etc. But if you love each other and focus on fulfilling God's purpose, you will surely be in harmony. (Ephesians 4:3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are brothers who share one Father, one Spirit, one faith, and the same salvation, the same life, and the same future.
2. Have realistic expectations.
Pursuing ideals while criticizing is immature. On the other hand, to settle for reality without striving for the ideal is only self-satisfaction. Because the church is made up of sinners including myself, we can hurt each other. However, even if they leave the church for good reasons such as hurt or conflict, they will soon be disappointed again. This is because every church has its own weaknesses and problems, so no perfect church can be found. Von Hooper - ?쏦e who loves his dream of a community more than the community itself is a destroyer of that body.??
3. Encourage rather than criticize.
If we criticize other members for what they have done in true faith, we are hindering the work of God. Because it is Satan's job to criticize God's family. Now all the time spent comparing and blaming should be spent in fellowship, unity, and encouragement of our brothers.
4. Don't listen to gossip.
Gossip should not only be spread, but should not be listened to. Listening to gossip is as sinful as receiving stolen goods. (Proverbs 29:19) Do not associate with anyone with open lips, for he who goes about talking about reveals secrets
If anyone is spreading gossip, they should face it in love and demand that they stop. He is someone who can gossip about us too.
5. Learn God's way of resolving conflict.
It is human nature to complain to third parties when conflict arises, but this only makes the situation worse. Therefore, the first step is to face the person involved personally, and if you cannot solve the problem alone, you can ask for the help of a few people, and then the biblical method is to inform the church and find a solution.
6. Support pastors and leaders.
Conclusion: In a community, we should think about ?쁶e??and ?쁮urs??rather than ?쁬e??or ?쁬ine??God blesses a unified church. We each have to do our part to make our church a warmer and more loving place. There are too many people around us longing for love and looking for a place to belong. If we build a church where all the saints truly love and care for each other, we may no longer be able to accommodate the influx of people and have to lock the doors of the church.
Day 21 / About the purpose of my life
Points to Ponder: It is My Responsibility to Protect the Unity of the Church
Memorable Words: ?쏷herefore, we are devoted to the work of peace and the edification of one another??(Romans 14:19).
Questions that leave life:
1. Talk about ways you can get away with gossiping.
2. Have you ever felt disappointed in the church? How did you solve it?
3. What am I doing now to protect the unity of my church?
"He who loves his dream of a community more than the community of believers is the destroyer of that community."
- Dietrich Bonhoffer-