BROKENNESS IS REALIZATION THAT LIFE IS TOO MUCH FOR US, NOT JUST BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH PAIN BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE’RE TOO SELFISH!
BROKENNESS IS REALIZING ALMIGHTY GOD IS ALL WE HAVE! HOPE IS REALIZING GOD IS ALL WE NEED! JOY IS REALIZING GOD IS ALL WE WANT.
IMAGINE IF WE WOULD ALL TAKE THIS TO HEART IN OUR LIVES TODAY. SEEKING AFTER HOPE AND JOY WITHIN THE CHURCH WE CALL OUR "COMMUNITY."
A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE SEEKS THE BEST FOR THE OTHER BEFORE SEEKING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ONES OWN SELF. BEING HUMBLE, LOVING ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST LOVES US? IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE?
THEN WHY, WHEN WE GATHER TO WORSHIP, DO WE SOMEHOW MANAGE TO KEEP OUR SOULS TO OURSELVES? YES, WE MEET EACH OTHER PHYSICALLY BY SHAKING HANDS AND SAYING "GOOD MORNING," BUT WE CAN SOMETIMES DO THIS SO MECHANCIALLY THAT WE DO IT WITHOUT GIVING OR RECEIVING ANYTHING TRULY SPIRITUAL WHICH IS WHAT WE REALLY NEEDED AND WANTED MOST OF ALL.
WHEN WE MEET AND GREET EACH OTHER SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY AND SERVICE AFTER SERVICE, WE MUST REALIZE THAT IT IS MORE THAN JUST MAKING CONVERSATION, BUT IT IS OUR WAY OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
IT IS OUR WAY OF GETTING CAUGHT UP IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE. IT IS GETTING SWEPT UP INTO THE WORLD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHERE FIRST THINGS ARE FIRST AND SECOND THINGS ARE SECOND.
A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS WHERE WE EXPERIENCE A KIND OF ONENESS THAT MAKES US AWARE OF WHAT’S BEST INSIDE US AND OF ALL THE BAD STUFF THAT BLOCKS THOSE THINGS THAT ARE “BEST” FROM BEING RELEASE.
HEBREWS 10:25, "LET US NOT GIVE UP MEETING TOGETHER, AS SOME ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING, BUT LET US ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER - AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING."
WE CANNOT FORSAKE THE INVITATION TO GET TOGETHER AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED EACH OTHER AND TO BE WITH EACH OTHER SO WE CAN SAY AND DO THINGS THAT WILL STIR A FLAME INTO A FIRE, TO AROUSE THE LIFE GOD’S SPIRIT HAS PLACED WITHIN EACH OF US.
THROUGH COMMUNITY AND MEETING TOGETHER WE CAN GO ON THROUGH DARK NIGHTS AND EVEN PLEASANT AND JOYFUL MORNINGS WITH OUR EYES FIXED ON UNSEEN REALITY. WE NEED EACH OTHER THAT MUCH!
WE NEED EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE ARE A BROKEN PEOPLE. BROKENNESS IS A CONDITION THAT IS ALWAYS THERE BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A BROKEN WORLD. BROKENNESS IS INSIDE US, BENEATH THE SURFACE, CAREFULLY HIDDEN FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN KEEP A FAÇADE IN PLACE!
BROKENNESS IS ONE OF THE KEY REASONS WHY WE NEED ONENESS AND COMMUNITY. THE CENTRAL TASK FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR THE WALLS OF OUR LIFE TO BE TORN DOWN.
A PLACE SAFE ENOUGH FOR EACH OF US TO OWN AND REVEAL OUR BROKENNESS. ONLY THEN CAN THE POWER OF CONNECTING TO EACH OTHER REALLY DO ITS JOB. ONLY THEN CAN OUR COMMUNITY BE USED OF GOD TO RESTORE OUR SOULS THAT SO DESPERATELY NEED RESTORATION.
WE HAVE GOT TO STOP SEARCHING THE SHELVES FOR SELF-HELP BOOKS AND LOOKING FOR A BROCHURE THAT WILL GIVE US THE RIGHT SEMINAR TO ATTEND TO SORT EVERYTHING OUT AND MAKE EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR.
WE HAVE GOT TO START WHERE THE STARTING LINE IS MARKED. TOO MANY WANT TO SKIP A FEW STEPS OR READ A FEW CHAPTERS AHEAD OR DARINGLY START AT THE TOP. BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT. STARTING STARTS AT THE START!
WHERE IS THE STARTING LINE? WE START BY BECOMING A TRUE CHURCH! ALL ALONG WE HAVE BEEN AIMING FOR AN EARTHBOUND, THIS-WORLD VERSION OF THE BLESSED LIFE.
WE’VE BEEN COUNSELED, MEDICATED, RELIGIOUSLY ENTERTAINED AND INSPIRED, EXHORTED, DESTRACTED, AND FORMULA-DIRECTED LONG ENOUGH! WE’VE LOST OUR WHOLE FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL LIVING!
A TRUE CHURCH IS WHERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS PARTICIPATE WITH EACH OTHER SPIRITUALLY, ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL CONVERSTATIONS OF WORSHIP WITH GOD.
A TRUE CHURCH WHERE WE SHARE EACH OTHERS HUNGER BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO SENSE THE SPIRIT MOVING WITHIN US AS WE SPEAK.
A TRUE CHURCH WHERE OUR INTENTIONS ARE NOT ON FIGURING OUT HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE, BUT ON BEING WITH YOU WHEVER YOUR JOURNEY IN LIFE LEADS YOU.
A TRUE CHURCH WHERE YOU WANT TO KNOW AND BE KNOWN IN CONVERSATIONS THAT AREN’T REALLY ABOUT YOU OR ANYONE ESLSE BUT CHRIST! WE NEED A TRUE CHURCH THAT IS A SAFE PLACE FOR WEARY PILGRIMS.
WE NEED TO DIVE HEAD FIRST INTO THE UNMANAGEABLE, MESSY WORLD OF RELATIONSHIPS! RELATIONSHIPS THAT ADMIT FAILURES, IDENTIFIES THE TENSIONS, AND EXPLORES ALL THE SHORTCOMINGS.
WE NEED TO BECOME THE ANSWER TO OUR LORD’S PRAYER, THAT WE BECOME ONE THE WAY HE AND THE FATHER ARE ONE. IT’S TIME WE PAID WHATEVER PRICE MUST BE PAID TO BECOME PART OF THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST A MUSTY OLD ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION!
IT IS TIME TO BUILD THE CHURCH! I’M NOT SAYING BUILD A CHURCH BUILDING, BUT BUILD THE CHURCH! THE CHURCH THAT IS A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN GOD AND ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO NEVER FLEE TO ANY OTHER SOURCE OF HELP.
A COMMUNITY OF GOD-FEARING, LOVING, SERVING AND GIVING PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD IS TO FOCUS ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE WHICH IS OUR LIFE WITH GOD AND OUR LIFE WITH OTHERS.
A TRUE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY CONSISTS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE INTEGRITY TO COME CLEAN. IT IS A PEOPLE COMPRISED OF THOSE WHO OWN UP TO THEIR SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILURES BECAUSE THEY HATE THEM MORE THAN THEY HATE THE SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILURES OF OTHERS.
ONLY WHEN THE PERFUME JAR IS BROKEN IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACCEPTING COMMUNITY FILLED WITH UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IS THE FRAGRANCE RELEASED.
IT WON’T BE EASY, BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT! THE REASON IT WON’T BE EASY IS BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE WORLD’S WAY OF DOING THINGS.
IN A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IT IS OUR WEAKNESS, NOT OUR COMPETENCE, THAT MOVES OTHERS. IT IS OUR SORROWS NOT OUR BLESSINGS, THAT BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS OF FEAR AND SHAME THAT KEEP US APART. IT IS OUR ADMITTED FAILURES NOT OUR BOASTED SUCCESSES THAT BIND US TOGETHER IN HOPE!
OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY IS FROM THE PSALMIST. HE DECLARES THAT THE WICKED ARE FULLY INTENT ON MAKING ANARCHY THEIR WAY OF LIFE. THIS IS THE VERY ENEMY THAT IS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT’S WHY I TOLD YOU THAT IT WON’T BE EASY! THOSE WHO ARE "ANTI-COMMUNITY" LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO HAUNT THOSE WHO ARE "UPRIGHT IN HEART." TORMENTING AND TAUNTING THOSE WHO KNOW AND LOVE THE LORD AND SEEK AFTER HIS WILL.
THESE PEOPLE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THEY CAN RID THEMSELVES OF THOSE WHO DO GOD’S WILL IN THE WORLD AND GOD’S WORK WITHIN THE CHURCH.
THEIR TONGUES, AS THE PSALMIST SAYS, ARE BENT LIKE BOWS AND THEIR WORDS ARE LIKE ARROWS. THEY LIE IN AMBUSH LIKE A PREDATOR LURKING IN THE DARK WITH DECEPTION AND TREACHERY.
THEY ONLY SEEK TO DESTROY THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF ALL THAT IS SACRED AND HOLY. THEIR ONE AND ONLY GOAL: ANARCHY! ANARCHY IS LAWLESS CONFUSION, CHAOS, MOB RULE, DISORDER AND TURMOIL.
IS THIS WHAT WE WANT IN OUR COMMUNITY? THE PSALMIST GOES ON TO ASK, "WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?" THE PSALMIST ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTION BY SAYING, "IN THE LORD I TAKE REFUGE."
IT’S TIME TO TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD. IT’S TIME TO PUT OUR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD. IT’S TIME WE PAID WHATEVER PRICE MUST BE PAID TO BECOME PART OF THE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST A MUSTY OLD ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION!
CAN WE TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD TODAY AND BECOME THE ANSWER TO OUR LORD’S PRAYER, THAT WE BECOME ONE THE WAY HE AND THE FATHER ARE ONE.
WILL WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BECOME BROKEN AND RESTORED SO THAT ALMIGHTY GOD IS ALL WE HAVE? SO THAT WE CAN FIND HOPE BY REALIZING GOD IS ALL WE NEED?
SO THAT WE CAN DISCOVER THE JOY OF REALIZING THAT GOD IS ALL WE WANT? THEN LET US BE BROKEN TODAY! LET US BECOME VULNERABLE WITH WHO WE ARE AND BE RESTORED BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
