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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