If you read my facebook status recently you may have read something that challenged today’s way of thinking when it comes to Sunday church.
I’ve been attending a new church (Revolution Church: http://www.iamrevolution.org/) since being back from Ireland, The Awakening conference. I decided to start looking for a new church as I was thinking more about the purpose of the church. Here’s a short list I wrote up (not extensive):
- To learn more about the Bible, so that we can learn more of how to be Christ (which means to LOVE)
- To give worship to Christ for how He has taught us (in LOVE), provided for us (because He LOVES), and continues to bless (LOVE) us; through worship in music, tithing, serving and more…
- To build one another up into being like Christ (to LOVE)
- To use our spiritual gifts and talents to edify the body of Christ (to inspire-encourage and empower each other to LOVE)
- To love others as Christ loves us right now (His love can’t be any more or any less because His very nature is LOVE!)
Have you seen a theme?
…LOVE!
So what does this mean? I think this means that God wants us to learn to LOVE, learn how much HE loves us, and to learn how to LOVE others by going out and LOVING!
So Sunday instead of doing the typical Sunday worship service (which this church does do but we changed it up so we’re not caught up in a routine) we decided to worship Him through serving at local nursing homes, a battered woman’s house, and a soup kitchen! We learned to LOVE and were LOVED as we not only met felt needs through providing Thanksgiving Dinner but as we were among those that are in need. They are always in need of someone to listen, someone to care, someone to pray with, and someone to step out in faith and share their story of how Christ has changed their life because of His LOVE! Seems to me… with the list above (unless I’m completely off base) that this is the church!
This was sooooo exciting to do and witness and I encourage you if you’ve ever thought about doing something like this to do it- Go and get uncomfortable so that you have to trust in Him and His love! I urge you to do it with others… bring your family, friends, or small group to go and be Jesus… go and LOVE as He has LOVED YOU and has commanded you to do!
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Scriptures to check out (all are from the NASB):
John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall by My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
