Superficial Church?

 

Churches like this one in the picture are so sad to me. Why and how churches die is always on my heart? 

Gathering together as believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, is so important. But that relationship between one another needs to be seasoned with TRUTH and HONESTY. I fear that many of our relationships at church are superficial. We don't have DEEP, ABIDING FRIENDSHIPS within our fellowship. I pray I am wrong about that. 

Do you know what the members of your church are struggling with? Do you know sins and/or temptations they are confronting? Are you aware of tense relationships they face at home, work, or at school. Are you aware of doubts they have about scripture, God, and their faith? Do you have any DEEP FRIENDSHIPS in your fellowship of believers or are all of your relationships SUPERFICIAL? I do not want my church to be a SUPERFICIAL CHURCH?

It takes quite a bit of time and effort to get to the point to know someone well enough to ask those questions. So, we I was reading Pauls instructions to the churches of Galatia, I thought about what it would take to be able to do what he asks.

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the laws of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." (Galatians 6:1-3, NLT)

If we do not have healthy, deep relationships with those we fellowship with, how are we going to help them overcome the sin in their lives. How are we going to help them back onto the path. Are we sharing THOSE BURDENS. I think most of the time when we think of burdens we think of the weight of illness, cancer, grief, sadness, and those types of burdens. But, the content of this scripture hints at sharing the burden of SIN and TEMPTATION. How can we do that if we do not share those sins and temptations. Yet, I have to admit, there are some people I worship with that I wouldn't trust with those intimate details. 

Are YOU someone people can share their struggles in confidence? Are you someone who can correct with gentleness and humility? Is there anyone, besides the pastor, that you could go to? Are YOU SOMEONE OTHERS COULD GO TO?

Heavenly Father, Please Lord, help us build the kind of relationships that are needed to sincerely help our brothers and sisters in Christ. Help us to be that person for someone and to find someone to be that person for us. We all need to share the load, share our burdens, burdens of all types. This life is not meant ot live alone and I praise you for helping guide us to the right people to share life with. Amen!

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If you haven't repented of your sin, accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross, dying for your sins, or if you have not committed your life to Jesus, TODAY could be that day. give your life to the Lord. 

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10, ESV)

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