I am still in Uganda but I’ll be back with you this Sunday!  We can’t wait!  This week, when I heard the news of the destructive fire that tore through 20 homes of Hamilton residents in the Bromley community, it broke my heart.  These are the people we have been called to serve.  When people are hurting is when the church is at it’s best.  As a church there are a few clear things we MUST do.  There is no doubt, these are the NON-NEGOTIABLES of the Christian walk. If you want to be the church, do these 3 things to hit the bullseye:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Matthew 22:37-39

3 Things Our Church Must Do:

#1 Serve The World Relentlessly – This happens both across the street and around the world.  Every time we bring a meal to the hungry, take care of the widow, give someone a grocery card who just lost their job, clean up a neighborhood after a devastating storm, provide clothes, toiletries and blankets after a fire, take in a foster child who is abandoned, adopt a child who has no home, or provide clean water to villages in the Dominican Republic, JESUS IS PLEASED.  We are reflecting His love. The Good News: You are already doing ALL these things.  More Good News: We get to keep doing these things!

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  James 1:27

#2 Care For One Another Deeply – As a church we are to take care of each other as brothers and sisters.  You have forgiven one another.  You have paid each others’ rent, prayed for and taken care of the sick, visited each other in the hospital, fixed cars, rebuilt houses, eaten thousands of meals together, shared in the joys of baptisms, weddings and milestones in each others’ lives, and done simple things like babysitting children so a marriage can be strengthened through a date night.  The best part, you asked for NOTHING in return from your church family.  You desired to LOVE.

 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12

#3 Pursue God Passionately – Our Role is to MAKE Disciples. The standards MUST BE raised as Christ followers to be HIS DISCIPLES.  Do you aspire and discipline yourself to pray and know JESUS, HIS GOSPEL, and word daily and follow it?  I’m talking about feeding yourself spiritually daily. Do you submit yourself to someone for accountability and growth regarding how you handle your purity, your possessions and your pride?  Do you love repentance and often admit you are wrong?  Are you ascribing to please God with EVERY area of your life?  Are you pursuing God with your marriage, time, parenting, leisure and habits?  There is no room for mediocrity and following Jesus half-heartedly. Our church must raise the standard.

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33

Sound like a lot of work? Think it will take a lot of time? Think it might cost a lot of money?  Exactly.  Maybe this is why Jesus went to the cross. His ultimate sacrifice involved death, blood, an act of pure love. He is the example and we do these things by HIS strength and leadership not our plans and power.

When we “love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves,” we become the church at it’s best.  This is the vision unleashed, because this is who we are.  Our preferences will fall away and our focus will be sharp and clear. This is what we MUST do, it’s time.
 

Josh

Join us this Sunday for our VISION WEEKEND followed by baptism and BBQ. Link to our facebook event here

Join us at 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00.  Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday.  If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, we would love to have you join us.  Don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here