Being the Church: Love, Unity, and Discipleship

Devotional

Day 1: The Church as a Living Mission

The church is not confined to a building; it is the people who embody God's mission wherever they are. This mission, as outlined in Matthew 28:18-19, calls for making disciples of all nations, transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries. The essence of being the church is to teach others to obey God's teachings and to pass on the faith to new believers. This requires a commitment to living out the teachings of Jesus in everyday life, demonstrating His love and truth in all interactions. The church's mission is a dynamic and ongoing process that involves every believer actively participating in God's work in the world. [02:42]

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" (Mark 16:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively participate in God's mission today, even in small ways, to make disciples in your immediate environment?

Day 2: Unity in Christ Over Earthly Divisions

Our focus as the church should be on Jesus, not on earthly divisions such as politics or race. The church is called to be a place where people can see Jesus without impediments, ensuring that personal biases do not distract from the message of Christ. In a world filled with division and outrage, the church must rise above these issues and focus on its mission to connect people to Jesus. This requires a conscious effort to look beyond differences and to welcome everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs, into the community of faith. [06:19]

"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13, ESV)

Reflection: What personal biases or divisions do you need to set aside to better focus on Jesus and His mission in your interactions with others today?

Day 3: Love as the Foundation of Witness

Love is the key to attracting others to Jesus. It is not about how much we know or how many Bible verses we can quote, but about loving others as God loves them. This love should be evident in our actions, as faith without deeds is dead. The church's witness is most powerful when it is rooted in genuine love and compassion for others. By demonstrating God's love through our actions, we open the door for others to experience His grace and truth. [14:29]

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you show God's love in a practical way to someone in your life today, demonstrating that love is the foundation of your faith?

Day 4: Connecting Through Prayer and Presence

To show Jesus to others, we must give them our time and ask how we can pray for them. This opens the door for them to experience God's love and faithfulness. By being present and attentive to the needs of others, we create opportunities for meaningful connections that point to Jesus. Prayer is a powerful tool for building relationships and demonstrating God's care and concern for each individual. [26:10]

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to today to offer your time and prayer, creating a space for them to experience God's love and faithfulness?

Day 5: Lifting Up Jesus in Our Lives

By lifting up Jesus in our lives, we allow others to see Him in us. When we do this, people will be drawn to the Savior, who is the true answer to life's difficulties. Our role is to connect people to Jesus, just as Philip did in John 12:21. This involves living authentically as followers of Christ, allowing His presence to shine through our words and actions. As we lift up Jesus, we become beacons of hope and truth in a world searching for meaning and purpose. [32:47]

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32, ESV)

Reflection: In what specific ways can you lift up Jesus in your daily life, allowing others to see His presence and be drawn to Him through your example?

Sermon Summary

In our ongoing series, "We Are the Church," we explore the essence of what it means to be the church, emphasizing that it is not about a building but about us as people. The church is wherever we are, fulfilling God's mission to save the lost and disciple the saved. Our foundational scripture, Matthew 28:18-19, reminds us of Jesus' mandate to go and make disciples of all nations, transcending ethnic and cultural boundaries. This mission requires us to teach others to obey what we have learned from God, passing on our faith to new believers.

The church should be a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of their background or beliefs. We must look beyond political affiliations, race, and other divisive issues to reach people for Christ. Our focus should be on Jesus, not on earthly divisions. We are called to be a place where people can see Jesus without impediments. When people come seeking Jesus, they should not be distracted by our personal biases or affiliations. Our role is to connect people to Jesus, just as Philip did in John 12:21 when Greeks approached him wanting to see Jesus.

We live in a time of division and outrage, but as the church, we must rise above this and focus on our mission. We must be approachable and welcoming, showing love to all, just as God loves us. Love is the key to attracting others to Jesus. It is not about how much we know or how many Bible verses we can quote, but about loving others as God loves them. Our love should be evident in our actions, as faith without deeds is dead.

To show Jesus to others, we must give them our time and ask how we can pray for them. This opens the door for them to experience God's love and faithfulness. We must lift up Jesus in our lives, allowing others to see Him in us. When we do this, people will be drawn to the Savior, who is the true answer to life's difficulties.

Key Takeaways

1. The church is not a building but the people who carry out God's mission wherever they are. We are called to make disciples of all nations, transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries, and teaching others to obey God's teachings. [02:42]
2. Our focus should be on Jesus, not on earthly divisions such as politics or race. We must be a place where people can see Jesus without impediments, ensuring that our personal biases do not distract from the message of Christ. [06:19]
3. Love is the key to attracting others to Jesus. It is not about how much we know but about loving others as God loves them. Our love should be evident in our actions, as faith without deeds is dead. [14:29]
4. We must give people our time and ask how we can pray for them, opening the door for them to experience God's love and faithfulness. This helps connect them to Jesus, who is the true answer to life's difficulties. [26:10]
5. By lifting up Jesus in our lives, we allow others to see Him in us. When we do this, people will be drawn to the Savior, who is the true answer to life's difficulties. Our role is to connect people to Jesus, just as Philip did in John 12:21. [32:47]
** [32:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:42] - The Church's Mission
[04:47] - A Place to Belong
[06:19] - Seeing Jesus Without Impediments
[08:01] - Rising Above Division
[11:02] - Philip's Example
[12:56] - Beyond Politics
[14:29] - Love as a Testimony
[15:40] - Reaching the Next Generation
[17:22] - Love and Conviction
[19:11] - The Power of Love
[20:18] - Authentic Christian Living
[21:22] - Building Unlikely Relationships
[23:09] - The Importance of Time
[26:10] - Connecting Through Prayer
[28:55] - Faith in Action
[32:47] - Lifting Up Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to Matthew 28:18-19, what specific instructions did Jesus give to His disciples regarding their mission? How does this relate to the idea that the church is not a building but the people? [02:42]
In John 12:21, what was the request made to Philip by the Greeks, and why is this significant in the context of the sermon? [11:02]
How does the sermon describe the role of love in attracting others to Jesus, as mentioned in John 13:35? [14:29]
What examples were given in the sermon about how personal biases can become impediments to others seeing Jesus? [06:19]

Interpretation Questions

How does the mandate in Matthew 28:18-19 challenge the traditional view of church as a physical location? What implications does this have for how believers live out their faith daily? [02:42]
Why is it important for believers to be approachable, as illustrated by Philip's interaction with the Greeks in John 12:21? How can this approachability impact one's ability to share the gospel? [11:02]
The sermon emphasizes love as a testimony. How does John 13:35 illustrate the connection between love and discipleship? What might this look like in practical terms within a church community? [14:29]
The sermon discusses rising above earthly divisions. How can focusing on Jesus help believers navigate and transcend these divisions? [08:01]

Application Questions

Reflect on your daily environments—work, home, social settings. How can you actively live out the mission of making disciples as described in Matthew 28:18-19? What specific steps can you take this week? [02:42]
Consider a time when personal biases may have hindered your ability to share Jesus with someone. How can you work to remove these impediments in future interactions? [06:19]
Identify a person in your life who may not feel welcomed by the church. How can you show them the love of Jesus in a tangible way this week, as encouraged by John 13:35? [14:29]
Think about a recent situation where you felt divided from others due to political or social issues. How can you shift your focus to Jesus in these moments to foster unity and understanding? [08:01]
How can you make yourself more approachable to those seeking Jesus, similar to Philip's example in John 12:21? What practical changes can you implement in your demeanor or interactions? [11:02]
The sermon suggests giving people your time and asking how you can pray for them. Who in your life could benefit from this approach, and how will you reach out to them this week? [26:10]
Reflect on your current commitments and schedule. How can you prioritize time for meaningful interactions that allow others to see Jesus in you? What adjustments might be necessary? [23:09]

Sermon Clips

1. "The church is not this building. We are the church as we follow God's mission wherever we are. So the church goes to your job, the church is in your home, the church is in your social organization, the church is wherever you are if you are fulfilling the church's mission, which is to see the lost saved and the saved discipled. That's the process." [00:20] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We can't set up guideposts and entrance clauses for people to come into God's house. In fact, Jesus opens the door and says, whosoever will, let them come. If you're broken, come. If you're high, come. If you're confused, come. If you are down in the dumps, come. If you're high on the mountain, come. No matter where you are or what you're doing, Jesus has open arms and says, come." [04:47] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "People are tired of division. We have been in a manufactured state of outrage against each other for some reason. Enough is enough. It's time for us to turn off some of this new so-called news because the news is making us get mad at everything. We're mad at cops. We're mad at somebody who's a different race. We're mad at this gender. We're mad at the rich. We're mad at the poor. We're mad at the criminals. We're mad at the immigrant. We're just mad at everybody. And God's not in any of that." [08:01] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus is seen through our love. What is attractive to those who don't know Jesus is not how much we know. It's not how smart we are, how many Bible verses we can quote. It's loving them the way God loves them. We like to quote this scripture, but we really don't like to live it. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, to ethnos, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have heaven." [14:29] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "People are coming because they need what Jesus has to offer. So why would God get them here? And then because of our behavior, we turned them off to him. We've got to complete the process and get them from here and get them to him. That we want them here. We want them in our presence with us, but we don't want them to stay there. We want them to get all the way in to the person that can bring about the real change in their lives. And his name is? There you go." [19:11] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "People need our time, which then demands us to recalibrate how we live our lives. We're always so busy. We're just waiting for the time we can retire. So we're running ourselves ragged just to get to retirement. And then when we get to retirement, we've worn ourselves out. We can't even enjoy retirement because then our body starts falling apart. And then everything we said we were working for, we die early and don't even get a chance to enjoy it. If you are in the rat race, you are missing the true life that Jesus died to give you." [23:09] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "In addition to giving people time, making time for people, we have to also intentionally ask them a very serious question. And it's this question here. How can I pray for you? Remember, it's not about you. You're trying to get them connected with Jesus. And one of the best ways to get them connected with Jesus is not to make you the center of discussion. The way you get people to Jesus is by you pointing them and offering them an opportunity to connect with him." [26:10] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Faith is not just some internal disposition. I have faith in my heart. No. Faith that's real ought to be seen. James chapter 2 verse 18 says, but someone will say, you have faith, I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deed. Faith needs to be put in action in front of people. When a person's new to Jesus, they need to understand what it's like to believe in him and to put your faith in him." [31:34] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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