Philippians 3:20 – But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 1:12-13 – 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
On a sunny morning, William’s mother came into her son’s room and said, “William, it’s Sunday. Time to get up! Time to get up and go to church! Get up!”
From under the covers came mumbles, “I don’t want to go!”
“What do you mean?” she said. “That’s silly! Now get up and get dressed and go to church!”
“No!” he shot back. “I’ll give you two reasons. I don’t like them and they don’t like me!”
“Nonsense,” she told him. “I’ll give you two reasons to go. First, you are 42 years old, and second, you are the pastor!”
We should not act like William. The Lord has called us to be a loving community of saints. We are all members of the church, the body of Christ.
To avoid bewilderment among these many perspectives on the church, we need to focus on the apostolic gospel by which the church was founded. The saving truth of the gospel is to be believed, and proclaimed to the nations. The gospel is also to be lived, for holiness, no less than truth, marks the Spirit’s work. Further, this believing, proclaiming, and living take place within a community. Those who are in Christ are joined to one another in an organism. There is a holy, spiritual order to God’s community. It is not formed like other organizations, but it is a colony of heaven, a pilgrim people, traveling toward the day of Christ’s return. – Edmund Clowney
1 Thessalonians 5:14 – And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
When you tell others what you appreciate about them or that you saw the good that they did, you build joy into their hearts and your own.
How can we experience community with others? Below are some suggestions, but I also realize that the Lord gives each of us different gifts and personalities. We are all called to love God and to love others.
- Call someone who is not feeling well and talk until you make them laugh. Email or contact someone on Facebook. This also helps people feel less lonely.
- Visit with someone who lives alone or is in a nursing home or hospital.
- Pick flowers from your garden and give them away.
- Donate to and volunteer at The Mission. Every month the church gives money to the mission, and church members donate and volunteer there. The Lampasas Mission also partners with The Salvation Army, Helping Hands of Lampasas, the Ministerial Alliance, and other ministries.
- Volunteer at an elementary school and teach a child to read.
- Pray for your neighborhood, government officials, local schools, and needy people.
- Participate in Operation Christmas Child. We can bring joy to needy children around the world.
- Attending the Bible studies and services at church brings people including me joy. Fellowship and worship are two joyful responsibilities that we have as Christians. We can also serve at church in many ways. If you have a talent, there is a good chance that you can express it in the local church.
- Support missionaries financially and through prayer.
- Volunteer as a greeter at Rollins-Brook hospital. The greeters are an encouragement to patients and visitors.
If you do not live in Lampasas, there are many ways that you can serve your community too. We are led by the Holy Spirit to serve others.
Prayer:
Father, May Your Spirit rule over our actions, attitudes, and thoughts. May we realize that we are citizens of Heaven sent to share Your love. May we imitate Jesus in how we treat people and may we have opportunities each week to share the gospel with those who do not know You. May Your will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven. In the glorious name of Jesus we pray, amen.