Every person must answer this question. The crowd cannot answer it for you. You cannot abstain or opt out from answering ... you can delay, but eventually every person on planet earth will have to answer this question.  

There’s really only 4 answers that you can give:

Answer 1: “Jesus was a legend. It’s all made up. He never really was.”  

A very small minority today believe this one. Intellectually you cannot hold this position. Why? Because there’s more historical proof of the existence of Jesus Christ than of any other person in human history.

Answer 2: “Jesus was a liar. He deceived people into thinking He was someone He was not. He was a good teacher, a good person who did good things, but He was not God in the flesh.”

This position is not even an option. Why? Because He claimed to be God, and if He wasn’t then He was a liar, and good people don’t go around living a lie. It wasn’t a little white lie if He was lying, He would have had to be a pathological, habitual deceiver. And people can see right through that kind of liar.

Answer 3: “Jesus was a lunatic. He was off in the head. Maybe sincere, but crazy...mentally deranged.”

But again, read the words of Jesus, and see how the people marvelled. They said, where does He get His wisdom. The most brilliant minds have studied His words for centuries and have only scratched the surface at the depth of His wisdom!

And so, if he was not a legend, liar, or lunatic, then there’s only 1 other conclusion you can make ...

Answer 4: “Jesus is LORD.”

Peter got it right! Jesus was the long awaited, predicted Messiah.

In Matthew chapter 16 versus 13 to 18 it says, when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

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Relationships in the church should be House to House.

Friendships within the church should not be “Sunday only.” We should interact with one another throughout the week.

Acts 2:42, 46 says, they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

The New Testament church was connected to each other. The fellowship of the early church was more than joining together for a worship service. Their partnership brought them together in one another’s homes.

Through successfully forming friendships with peers we as a church learn and develop key social skills of cooperation, sharing and confrontation management.

A person’s successful interaction with peers influences both immediate and long-term social and spiritual growth.

The church should run counter to our culture. Australians are increasingly more and more isolated from each other – circles of friendship grow smaller and smaller.

But within the church our friendships should be increasing.

Hebrews 10:25 tells the lone ranger to get reconnected with other believers; we are to join together regularly to encourage each other from House to House.

Matthew 9:10 says, Jesus had dinner at Matthew’s house.

Luke 19:5-6 says, Jesus stayed at Zacchaeus’ house.

Luke 24:36-46 says, Jesus spent time with the disciples after His resurrection.

Hebrews 10:25 says, let us not neglect our meeting together, but encourage one another.

In reality - love is spelled T-I-M-E in today's world. This can hold its challenges in today’s busy society.

We are not to live in our own little world ignoring those around us; because we are of one body – united in Christ – we are to identify with and respond to the needs of others.

1 Corinthians 12:26 says, If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

Galatians 6:2 says, carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

But compassionate relationships are not just about feeling one another’s pain or sorrow.

Compassion moves us to action.

Be blessed!

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LOVE ONE ANOTHER ...

“Jesus said, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39).

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

In the Churh, because we are individually connected to Christ, our relationships with one another should be LOVING.

1 John 1:6-7 says, if we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

How important are our relationships to the body of Christ? If we disconnect ourselves from one another, then we deform the body of Christ. A deformed body is unattractive and even repulsive, but a body that is whole is attractive – when the church is united as one, it will draw others to Christ.

The relationships believers share within the church is one of the ways God uses to draw the lost to Christ. The unity of believers one with another is a magnet pulling people to Jesus.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

CREATED for COMMUNITY …

 
The huge redwood trees in California are amazing. They are the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are 300 feet high and more than 2,500 years old.



You would think that trees that large would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth. But that is not the case. Redwoods have a very shallow root system.

The roots of these trees are, however, are intertwined. They are tied in with each other; interlocked. Thus, when the storms come and the winds blow the redwoods still stand.

With an interlocking root system they support and sustain each other. They need one another to survive. So do we!

Where there is UNITY there is FAVOUR!!!

Hence, God has given us His Church which is the body of Christ on earth. When one is baptized into Christ, one is baptized into the body of Christ.

Through Christ we are bound together in a community of faith. Belonging to Christ we belong to each other. Fellowship with Christ means fellowship with each other.

Through Christ God has made us a family, a community of faith. This is our God-given support system. As such, it is intended to meet some crucial needs in our lives.

Be blessed!

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We live in a society that has mixed views on work. Australia is a nation with many workaholics. People working 60, 70, 80 hours a week out of a driving compulsion to “get ahead.”  Being over worked can be unhealthy. 

On the other hand, we also live in a nation where people sometimes get obsessed with distracting pleasures and entertainment. Some people work their jobs only to get a paycheck. They completely distract themselves from the time they punch out till the time they punch back in again. There is no real plan behind their work – no plan for progress.

Let’s have a look at what God’s word has to say about work and the importance of dealing with wrong attitudes towards work.

1. LAZINESS

This is one of the most prevalent attitudes in our society. Laziness brings poverty & scarcity. Proverbs 6: 6-11 says Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

Laziness brings disgrace. Proverbs 10: 4-5 says Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Lazy men irritate those whom they work for. Proverbs 10: 26 says: As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

Laziness builds poor habits. Proverbs 12: 27 says the lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions.

Laziness ends up in unfulfilled desires. Proverbs 13: 4 says the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Those who are lazy normally get nothing they really want. They tell themselves they are happy, but they will not work, so they do not get what they really want.

Laziness leads to ruin. Proverbs 24: 30-34 says I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

2. DESIRE TO GET RICH QUICK

Another wrong attitude towards work is that you can strike it rich, win big, you don’t need to work, you just need a little luck.

Proverbs 12: 11 says He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Proverbs 13: 11 says Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Remember the prodigal son - he didn’t want to wait until his father died for his inheritance, he wanted it then and there. And what happened? He wasted it all in escape filled living.

3. BIG TALK

Do you know anybody who is a self-proclaimed expert? Whatever needs to be done, they always know the best way. No matter what profession you do, they used to do that to. It seems they have worked just about every type of job imaginable. They talk a lot about work, but they never seem to get a lot of it done.

Proverbs 14: 23 says all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

God's Plan for our Attitudes about Work 

When we work with a Godly attitude, God can use that work to be the channel of His blessing to us.

1. PROVISION

When we work as we ought, God supplies our needs.

2. PROSPERITY

Those willing to work God’s way will increase their holdings. God’s plan is not necessarily for us all to amass great fortunes, but God desires to meet our needs, and he desires for us to have something to give to those who have need.

3. HONOR

Those who work diligently bring honour to themselves

Proverbs 22:29 says do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

4. SATISFACTION

When we work God’s way, we are content with what we have.

Proverbs 11:18 says the wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

A strong yet balanced WORK ETHIC is essential to building a Generational Blessing in our lives.

Be blessed!

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