Embodied Love: The Church as God's Visible Kingdom
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that the church is a physical expression of a spiritual reality. This reality is rooted in the essence of God, who is love. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody this love, making the invisible kingdom of God visible to the world around us. The church, therefore, is not just a place we attend but a community of disciples who live out the love of Christ in tangible ways. This love is not merely a command but a reflection of God's very nature, as seen in the relationship within the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' command to love one another is the hallmark of true discipleship. It is not our theology, programs, or church size that authenticate our faith, but the love we demonstrate. This love is the fruit of spiritual maturity, akin to a tree that bears fruit when it matures. The Apostle Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Ephesians, where he spoke of the church's role in equipping believers for works of service, leading to unity and maturity in Christ.
The early church grew not through grand evangelistic efforts but through the authentic love and transformed lives of its members. This love was evident even in the face of persecution, drawing others to Christ. Today, our challenge is to live out this love in our relationships, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our character. This transformation is essential for making God's kingdom real in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
As we reflect on our relational connections within the church, we must ask ourselves how we are growing in our capacity to love others. This love requires relationship, and without it, our faith becomes ineffective. The greatest gift we can offer is not perfect answers or flawless lives but a genuine pursuit of Christ-like love. This is the foundation upon which our church is built, and it is through this love that we fulfill our purpose of spiritual transformation.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Church as a Spiritual Reality: The church is a physical manifestation of a spiritual reality, reflecting God's kingdom on earth. Our role is to demonstrate this reality through love, making the invisible kingdom visible to those around us. This requires us to be active participants in our faith, embodying the love of Christ in our daily lives. [27:41]
2. Love as the Mark of Discipleship: Jesus' command to love one another is the defining characteristic of true discipleship. It is not our theological knowledge or church activities that authenticate our faith, but the love we show to others. This love is a reflection of God's nature and is essential for making His kingdom real in our world. [30:30]
3. Spiritual Maturity and Love: Spiritual maturity is marked by the fruit of love, much like a mature tree bears fruit. The Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of growing in love and unity within the church, equipping believers for works of service. This maturity brings stability and authenticity to our faith, allowing us to withstand life's challenges. [34:22]
4. The Early Church's Example: The early church grew through the authentic love and transformed lives of its members, not through grand evangelistic efforts. This love was evident even in the face of persecution, drawing others to Christ. Our challenge today is to live out this love in our relationships, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our character. [45:12]
5. Relational Christianity: Love requires relationship, and without it, our faith becomes ineffective. The greatest gift we can offer is not perfect answers or flawless lives but a genuine pursuit of Christ-like love. This is the foundation upon which our church is built, and it is through this love that we fulfill our purpose of spiritual transformation. [52:06]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Church Activities Recap
- [03:00] - Series Introduction: Real Church
- [05:15] - The Church as a Spiritual Reality
- [08:45] - Baptism and Communion as Expressions
- [12:00] - Demonstrating God's Kingdom
- [15:30] - Jesus' Command to Love
- [18:45] - The Mystery of the Trinity
- [22:00] - Love as the Core of Christianity
- [25:30] - Authentic Christianity and Love
- [28:45] - Spiritual Maturity and Fruit
- [32:00] - The Role of Church Leadership
- [35:30] - The Early Church's Growth
- [40:00] - Relational Christianity
- [45:00] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 13:34-35
- Ephesians 4:11-16
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Observation Questions:
1. In John 13:34-35, what specific command does Jesus give to His disciples, and how does He say others will recognize them as His followers? [27:41]
2. According to the sermon, how is the church described as a physical expression of a spiritual reality? What examples were given to illustrate this concept? [05:15]
3. What role does love play in the maturity of a believer, as discussed in Ephesians 4:11-16? How is this maturity described in the sermon? [34:22]
4. How did the early church grow according to the sermon, and what was the key factor that attracted others to Christianity? [45:12]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does Jesus emphasize love as the defining characteristic of His disciples in John 13:34-35? How does this relate to the essence of God as described in the sermon? [30:30]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual maturity is linked to love? How does this understanding challenge or affirm your current view of spiritual growth? [34:22]
3. The sermon mentions that the early church grew through authentic love and transformed lives. How does this historical perspective challenge modern church growth strategies? [45:12]
4. How does the concept of "Relational Christianity" presented in the sermon redefine the way we view our involvement in the church community? [52:06]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationships within the church. How are you actively demonstrating Christ-like love in these relationships? What steps can you take to deepen these connections? [52:06]
2. Consider a situation in your life where it is difficult to show love. What practical steps can you take to embody the love of Christ in that situation this week? [41:46]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of spiritual transformation. What specific area of your character do you feel needs transformation to better reflect Christ's love? How can you work on this? [55:28]
4. How can you contribute to making the invisible kingdom of God visible in your workplace or community? Identify one action you can take this week to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way. [05:15]
5. Think about a time when you felt disconnected from your church community. What changes can you make to ensure you are relationally connected and actively participating in the life of the church? [52:06]
6. The sermon suggests that love requires relationship. How can you intentionally build relationships with those who are different from you within the church? What challenges might you face, and how can you overcome them? [30:30]
7. Reflect on the role of church leadership as described in Ephesians 4:11-16. How can you support and encourage your church leaders in their mission to equip the congregation for works of service? [34:22]
Devotional
Day 1: The Church as a Visible Reflection of God's Kingdom
The church is not merely a building or a gathering place; it is a tangible expression of a profound spiritual reality. This reality is rooted in the essence of God, who is love. As believers, we are called to embody this love, making the invisible kingdom of God visible to the world around us. This requires active participation in our faith, where we live out the love of Christ in our daily interactions. The church, therefore, becomes a community of disciples who reflect God's kingdom on earth through their actions and relationships. [27:41]
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in making God's kingdom visible in your community today?
Day 2: Love as the Defining Mark of True Discipleship
Jesus' command to love one another is the hallmark of true discipleship. It is not our theological knowledge or church activities that authenticate our faith, but the love we demonstrate to others. This love is a reflection of God's nature and is essential for making His kingdom real in our world. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody this love in all our interactions, allowing it to be the defining characteristic of our lives. [30:30]
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the love of Christ through you today, and how can you show it to them?
Day 3: Spiritual Maturity Evidenced by Love
Spiritual maturity is marked by the fruit of love, much like a mature tree bears fruit. The Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of growing in love and unity within the church, equipping believers for works of service. This maturity brings stability and authenticity to our faith, allowing us to withstand life's challenges. As we grow in our faith, love becomes the natural outflow of our spiritual maturity, impacting those around us. [34:22]
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:14, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate spiritual maturity that results in genuine love for others?
Day 4: The Early Church's Growth Through Authentic Love
The early church grew not through grand evangelistic efforts but through the authentic love and transformed lives of its members. This love was evident even in the face of persecution, drawing others to Christ. Our challenge today is to live out this love in our relationships, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our character. By doing so, we become living testimonies of God's love, attracting others to the faith. [45:12]
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42, ESV)
Reflection: How can you demonstrate authentic love in your relationships, even when faced with challenges or opposition?
Day 5: Relational Christianity as the Foundation of Faith
Love requires relationship, and without it, our faith becomes ineffective. The greatest gift we can offer is not perfect answers or flawless lives but a genuine pursuit of Christ-like love. This is the foundation upon which our church is built, and it is through this love that we fulfill our purpose of spiritual transformation. By investing in relationships, we create a community that reflects the love of Christ to the world. [52:06]
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take to deepen your relationships within your church community, fostering an environment of love and encouragement?
Quotes
Jesus answers the question for us. He says, A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have incredible worship services. Oh, sorry. That was a different version. By this, you will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. [00:27:19] (32 seconds)
The Bible says that God is love. This is one of the mysteries of Christianity. It's one of the mysteries of the Bible. Okay, so if God is love, this is part of who he is. It's his essence. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. So if God is love, first we have to say, well, love requires something. Love requires relationship. [00:28:50] (28 seconds)
So God, how is it that God is love? Well, that's where we get this kind of the mystery of the Trinity. The word Trinity is not in the Bible. It's just a word that kind of helps embody what we see in scripture. God is one, but God is also three. He, there is the God head. So God, the father, God, the son, and God, the Holy spirit. [00:29:36] (21 seconds)
The Apostle Paul understood the priority and the importance of Christ's command to love. That at its very essence, the purpose of the church to reveal the spiritual realm in the physical world would happen how? As the church matures people to look and act like Jesus. And what is the element that marks you as a follower of Jesus? It is your love. [00:39:02] (35 seconds)
The number one priority and the number one thing that we care about at our church is simply this, spiritual transformation. And the reason why spiritual transformation is so important is because the way in which our church and you as a person will make the kingdom of God real in our community, in your home, at your work, it will be through love. Love. Well, here's the thing. Love is simple, but it is not easy. [00:39:55] (36 seconds)
The less relational our Christianity becomes, the less effective we will end up being at discipleship. Think about this. Jesus said, this is the marker of authentic Christianity. You want everybody to know that you're a Christian? You want everybody to know that I'm real? You want everybody to know the spiritual kingdom is real? Then you've got to love one another. But then so often, we keep our distance relationally. [00:43:04] (31 seconds)
The Christians focus was not on saving people or recruiting them it was on living faithfully in the belief that when people's lives are habituated in the way of Jesus others will want to join them this happened gradually one person at a time largely through face-to-face encounters and not least from parents to children everything about the modern day church growth movement in America has been completely debunked by early Christianity. [00:48:26] (41 seconds)
The reason why our church has named and clearly stated that our number one purpose is spiritual transformation is because everything else about the church is built on that foundation. That's not all that God has called us to do. Don't get me wrong. We're going to talk about, okay, what does this look like next week? The purpose, the great commission. But here's the thing. [00:49:28] (26 seconds)
Anything the church does that is not built upon the foundation of the transformation of our character where we become more like Jesus as expressed through love is bound to fail just like a house that is not built on a solid foundation. The walls give in and the roof falls apart no matter how nice they are, no matter how great the decorations in the house are. [00:49:40] (24 seconds)
What your co-workers need is not the perfect Christian that never messes up, never gets mad, never drops one of those naughty words at work when they're angry. That's not what they need. I mean, don't get me wrong. Don't, don't. You get the point. The point is this. What your co-workers need is to see someone whose life has been transformed by the Holy Spirit, who looks and acts differently as defined by Christ-like love. [00:52:12] (28 seconds)
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