Becoming A Community Church—value One Another Series

Becoming a Community Church—Value One Another

February 6, 2011

Ephesians 4:16

16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

We live in a society today that increasingly puts a lessor value on everything, including humanity. Everything is disposable these days. We have disposable cameras, disposable cups, disposable plates, and disposable silverware. We have obsolescence built into our cars, appliances, and electronics. Nothing is intended to last today, and that causes us to devalue everything around us.

Because of this devaluing of our community it is imperative that the church become a refuge. We must be more than just a meeting place. To become a true community church we must become a place for the community to gather in love and with mutual respect. We must be a place where everyone is important, a place where everyone is love, a place where people enjoy coming.

If we believe that Jesus came that all who sin can be forgiven, then we must show the community that we believe it. Our actions must equal our words. We must value every member of our community no matter what their situation. We must see one another as God sees us, be thankful for one another, and appreciate each other.

Our Value is calculated in What God Gave For Us

24 year old Danny Simpson was sentenced to 6 years in jail for robbing a bank. Danny got 6 years in the clink for stealing $6,000. But the gun he used in the robbery ended up in a museum.

The .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic turned out to be an antique made in 1918 by the Ross Rifle Company. His pistol was worth up to $100,000 on the collectors market. If Danny Simpson had known what he had in his hands, he would not have ended up in jail.

Many Christians live like this. They spend their lives searching for God’s power and presence, not realizing it’s already in their hands.

Worth is a nebulous concept, one which we may never fully understand. What is one worth? What am I worth? Who is even qualified to answer such a question? I cannot imagine paying $100,000 for a used pistol, but apparently it was worth that to someone. Imagine what might have happened to young Danny Simpson if he had taken a moment to consider the worth of what was right in front of him.

If value is determined by what someone will give for an object, then our value must be in the stratosphere because Jesus gave His life for us. For ALL of us, even before we knew that we needed Him, He sacrificed all that He was so that we might live.

“I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

We tend to class people according to our own preconceptions and prejudices. You might be saying “but preacher, I’m not prejudiced”. My answer to you would be, YES YOU ARE! You may not hold a racial prejudice, and I hope that is the case, but you still hold preconceived ideas about people and their standing in your life. We take a person, and decide what category to pigeon hole them in, and there they stay until *THEY* take the initiative to change our minds.

This mindset is exactly opposite of what scripture teaches us. Galatians 3:28 states “28-29In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.”

We must begin to see the value of those around us according to the value that God has given them, and as we can see, that value is the same value that God gave to us.

We Have Value Because of God’s Call

When we assign value to a person, or even an object, it is often assigned by how well it does its job. A perfectly running 1968 Corvette is worth more than one that the engine is missing. Without the engine, the car cannot do its job.

God has called each of us to do a job in His kingdom. The rub is that we don’t know what God has in store for those around us. Let’s look at our text again from the NLT: “16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”