2015.6.14 礼拝

Message: Colossians 3:12-17 – Be involved in building the family of God.
Why do people marry? – To love each other. Why do people want to have children? –To love them.
Why do you believe in Jesus Christ? To love Christ and to love each other. (John 13:34, 14:15)
To believe Christ is to love Christ and obey his commands. Therefore, when we received the love of Christ, we are called to love God and love one another. Then, where are we to practice his commands? That would be the church since it is the gathering of people who love and forgive each other with the love of Christ.
What is it to love one another?
1) We have been called to build up the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:1-3 – As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:12 – to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
It is sad that there are Christians who do not understand what “calling” means and keep on seeking their own benefits.
2) Should understand that living a faithful life only to satisfy yourself will end up in vain
James 3:1-3 – What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill.
You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
It is important to understand the call from Christ and to learn its meaning from the Bible. What could be Paul’s vision about our implementing these Words?
1. Bear with each other. (Colossians 3:13)
2. Forgive each other. (Colossians 3:13)
3. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16)
4. Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)
5. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. (Colossians 3:16)
The place to practice these would be the small groups in church.
3) Church small groups are the best places to implement the call of Christ
Point 4 says, “Teach and admonish one another”, but this would be impossible to practice in a small group of a hundred people and could even be difficult in a group of twenty.
What Paul visualizes in a church is not necessarily a large group. Many people may have the wrong idea that a large church is good. However, if the church does not carry out the above Words, it would not be good. Likewise, if people in a small church do not practice teaching each other nor admonish one another, then such church is not being faithful to the Bible.
Life Church will seek to be faithful to the Words of Christ, which is the blessing and peace.
Colossians 3:15 – Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.