by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Our focus on Summit’s core values continued yesterday. Below are snippets from Kyle’s compelling sermon on the value of biblical community. I encourage you to visit Summit’s site to hear the sermon in its entirety.
Matthew 22:34-40
His religious audience knew from Deuteronomy 6:4 that they were to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind—but others? Jesus ushers in a radical change when He commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
- We have little to do with who moves in next door, works in the cubicle close by, or beats us to the Target cash register after a long day at work — but that’s Jesus’ point. We’re not only to love those who look like us, smell like us, or talk like us — but everyone. God has placed us where we are for divine possibilities.
- “Jesus makes it very clear that spiritual formation is about relationships. Relationships with God and with others.” – Scott McKnight, The Jesus Creed
- Jesus would pay the price on our behalf so that selfishness could be put to death. We are empowered by God’s Spirit to live a new life with wholehearted devotion, freeing us to follow hard after God. By God’s grace, we can know Him, love Him, and love others in a way that He desires. Awaken these desires within us!
In response:
1. We need to actually live connected.
“We
think we’ve chosen our friends, and in reality, a few years of
difference and dates of our birth, a few more miles, the choice of one
school rather than another, any of these chances might have kept friends
apart. But for Christians, there’s strictly no speaking of chances. A
secret master of ceremonies has been at work in your life. Christ who
said to his disciples, “You have not chosen me but I have chosen you,”
can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “You have not chosen
one another, but I have chosen you for one another.” At this feast, it
is he who has spread the board, and it is he who has chosen the guest
list. It is he who sometimes does and always should preside. Let us not
forget our host as we eat.”
-C.S. Lewis
2. Resist isolation. Does our commitment to biblical community reflect God’s commitment to community? We’re not talking about church attendance but living connected to those who God will use to shape us into being more like Christ.
3. Live for one another.
“In many cases, we may, by the rules of the gospel, be
obliged to give to others when we cannot do it without suffering
ourselves…If our neighbor’s difficulties and necessities be much greater
than our own, and we see that he is not like to be otherwise relieved,
we should be willing to suffer with him, and to take part of his burden
on ourselves; else how is that rule of bearing one another’s burdens
fulfilled? If we are never obliged to relieve others’ burdens, but when we can
do it without burdening ourselves, then how do we bear our neighbor’s
burdens, when we bear no burden at all?” [Jonathan Edwards, Christian Charity, The Works of Jonathan Edwards]
Because people matter to God, they matter to us.
What “neighbor” will God place on our paths this week to love as Christ loves us? Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear so that we might put the Gospel on display.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Some observations from yesterday’s service, preached by Jason Malone, no doubt led by God’s Spirit:
- When we steward with open hands, we are putting the gospel on display.
- We believe that doing life with other people that love Jesus Christ — for the sake of those that don’t know Jesus — is essential in our own transformation and living on mission with our God.
- Having access to people isn’t the problem, connecting is.
- It’s not bad to want to go to church to worship, to learn, or to connect, but if our ultimate reason for going to church is about “me” — it’s insufficient. When we treat church like a vendor of services, it is such a limited picture of what God has for His Bride.
- God is asking us to connect with others for the sake of other people. The Church has neglected “for the sake of other people”. Why? It’s messy. It will cost us something. It’s a lot of work. But when we cut this off we are usurping God and becoming a spectator, a consumer.
- Casual connections are good, but they are not life-giving—and we, as the body of Christ cannot settle for less. Why? Because the gospel is at stake.
When we live in isolation:
- We lose perspective. We need other wise voices to help bring life into balance.
- We fear intimacy. If someone knew the “real” us, they would reject us.
- We become selfish. If our life is defined by or priorities and desires, we become self-centered.
- We have poor health. 7,000 people over a period of 9 years were observed. Those who were isolated were 3 times more likely to die. Even those who drank and smoke outlasted those who were isolated!
“Our relationship with others is the criterion the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful—Christian community is the final apologetic.” – Francis Schaeffer
To listen to the sermon in its entirety, visit Summit’s site here. It should be posted by Wednesday.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
The Gospel changes all our relationships.
- Relationships are hard—they’re a mess, exhausting, and draining—but they’re also life-giving. So we don’t walk away.
- The way we do life testifies that Jesus is Who He says He is. This is why we cannot say, “I’m done.”
- One mark of a Gospel-centered friendship is that we’re willing to give our life away. We’re able to do this once we’re fully convinced of God’s love and acceptance for us. This kind of confidence frees us to love others unconditionally.
Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Galatians 6:1
- Who are the spiritual? We are. Every person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells—Christ followers. A Gospel-centered friend neither enjoys confrontation or avoids it.
- The legalist says to one in sin: “I will never understand how you…” The Gospel-centered friend realizes the same potential for sin exists within him/her and says “I’ll get involved.”
- We can be available to bear burdens of our friends because we know there is a true and better Friend who bore the ultimate burden of sin and death for us.
Two questions:
Do we have these types of friends?
Am I being that kind of friend?
– Notes taken from today’s sermon at Summit Church Upstate, given by Jason Malone. To listen to the sermon in its entirety, please click here.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Welcome to Sunday Snippets!
Kyle Estepp led today’s topic in Galatians 5 on the Fruit of the Spirit. He brought a fresh perspective to one of the most studied passages of Scripture. To enjoy the sermon in its entirety, please visit Summit Church’s sermon archive.
A few favorite quotes from today:
- It is fruit of the Spirit, not fruits. We can’t have one without the other. Unless we’re growing in all of them (to differing degrees) we are not growing in any of them.
- We’re only as mature as our weakest character trait.
- Practically speaking, spiritual fruit is grown only through intentional biblical community.
Kyle also listed specific definitions, but my fingers couldn’t keep up. Below is a similar list from Timothy Keller, along with opposite and counterfeit traits.
Agape – love
Definition – To serve a person for their good and intrinsic value, not for what the person brings you.
Opposite – Fear: self-protection and abusing people.
Counterfeit – Selfish affection.
Rescuing someone but really rescuing self. Attracted not to a person,
but to how this person’s love makes you feel about yourself.
Chara – joy
Definition – Delight in God and his salvation for sheer beauty and worth of who he is.
Opposite – Hopelessness, despair.
Counterfeit – Elation that comes with blessings not the Blesser! Mood swings based on circumstances.
Irene – peace
Definition – Confidence and rest in the wisdom and sovereignty of God more than your own.
Opposite – Anxiety and worry
Counterfeit – Indifference, apathy, not caring about something. “I don’t care.”
Makrothumia – patience
Definition – Ability to take trouble (from others or life) without blowing. To suffer joyfully.
Opposite – Resentment toward God and others.
Counterfeit – Cynicism. Self-righteousness. “This is too small to be bothered about.”
Chrestotes – kindness
Definition – Practical kindness with vulnerability out of deep inner security.
Opposite – Envy. Unable to rejoice other’s joy.
Counterfeit – Manipulative good deeds. “Right hand knowing what left hand is doing.” Self-congratulation and self-righteousness.
Agathosune – goodness. (integrity)
Definition – Honesty, transparency. Being the same in one situation as another.
Opposite – Phoniness; hypocrisy.
Counterfeit – Truth without love. “Getting it off the chest” for your sake.
Pistis – faithfulness.
Definition – Loyalty. Courage. To be principle-driven, committed, utterly reliable. True to one’s word.
Opposite – Opportunist. Fair-weather friend.
Counterfeit – Love without truth. Being loyal when you should be willing to confront or challenge.
Prautas – gentleness. (humility)
Definition – Self-forgetfulness.
Opposite – Superiority: self-absorbed self-aggrandizement.
Counterfeit – Inferiority: self-absorbed, self-consciousness.
Egkrateia – self-control
Definition – Ability to choose the important thing over the urgent.
Opposite – A driven, impulsive, uncontrolled person.
Counterfeit – Willpower through pride or through more “functional” idols.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Welcome to Sunday Snippets!
Campus Pastor Brook Taylor delivered a timely message from Acts 2:42-45 this morning. As with all the Snippets, I try to jot down everything verbatim, but it’s not always possible.To listen to the sermon in its
entirety, I invite you to visit Summit’s site.
Here goes…
- Listening to or viewing a sermon online/TV isn’t a bad thing — but using this as our only means of doing church is not how the Church was designed to work with the Word of God. [Watch for an upcoming blog post as I explore this subject in more detail. -CB]
- Sometimes, in searching for the “right” small group we think that being around others who are like us in life stage, affinities, backgrounds, etc. will naturally make us more apt to draw closer to the Lord — but the truth of the matter is that biblical community thrives through our common identity in Christ. He is the only commonality we need to enjoy true fellowship. Rubbing elbows with those who have different strengths, weaknesses, and struggles helps us to grow as Christ followers. [Watch for an upcoming blog post on this subject as well – a personal testimony, if you will. -CB]
- True community doesn’t just happen. We must be intentional.
- The more we pursue Jesus Christ, the more we’ll have a growing love for His people.
- Intimacy with God is the pursuit of God amidst the people of God.
I’ll close with the final question that was posed to us: Are you engaged in true biblical community?
If not, what’s holding you back? Stay tuned this week as I share some of my own personal journey with life/small groups. You may be surprised.
