Summary: There is such falseness in American churches today. Most relationships are merely a façade. In this “throw-away society” the Church lacks transparency, “realness”. As a result we have become oblivious to the needs of others.

Beyond the Sunday Face

· Some will not like this sermon today.

· Some will you be mad at me for preaching this.

· The Holy Spirit is going to challenge everyone of us.

· There is such falseness in American churches today.

· Most relationships are merely a façade.

· In this “throw-away society” the Church lacks transparency, “realness”.

· As a result we have become oblivious to the needs of others.

Heb 13:1-3

1. Let brotherly love continue.

2. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

3. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

· Godly love requires sacrifice

· It takes time to get to know someone

· Since we are in the Body of Christ, we need to identify with the whole Body.

· Not just the parts that look good or are convenient.

· Jesus said what we do to the least of these we do unto Him.

1 Cor 9:19-23

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;

20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;

21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;

22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

· What have we done lately to understand what others are going through?

· Love requires empathy

· We are called to humility in the true love of Christ.

· Putting others before ourselves.

· Coming out of our comfort zones to understand what someone else it going through.

Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

· Love requires compassion.

· The Church is not a whiners club.

· However, it is a place to receive love, understanding and healing.

· Don’t throw a pity-party, throw a praise party!

· How well do you know your brothers and sisters?

· Do you really know what is beneath the Sunday face?

Ps 41:1 Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

· When is the last time you sat down with someone to find out more than “how are you this morning?”

· Love requires time to consider.

· We need to get beyond the Sunday Face!

· We don’t know where our brothers and sisters have been.

· We haven’t walked through what they walked.

· We haven’t been in their shoes.

Gal 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

· When is the last time you spent enough time to find out if someone actually had a burden?

· Love requires commitment.

· The Church has a fear of commitment.

· They don’t want to see reality in peoples’ lives.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

· Where is the transparency in the Church?

· Love requires trust and respect.

· This doesn’t mean blabbing our sins to everyone.

· But we need accountability restored to the church.

I Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

· When is the last time you have put good thoughts to good actions?

· Love requires action.

· It is one thing to say, “I love you…”

Why are we so afraid to see more than the surface appearances?

We need to go beyond the Sunday face.

The world system today is to live selfishly.

We are not to be conformed to the world but to the image of Christ.