A successful shopping trip ** First place in everything

Colossians 1: 17 - 18

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Have you noticed that when we don’t feel well, or some part of our body hurts… how we can’t think about anything else?  

Yet, when we’re feeling well, we take for granted our health.

As we learned yesterday… we are the church… and every born-again believer is the church.

Christ is the architect of the church.

And Jesus must be the One that is guiding us.  

Without Him the church cannot think… act… or be directed.

So, it is vital that we build and maintain a "healthy church."

The church’s [basic purpose] is not to be a group of self-organized people to perpetuate the teaching and practice of Jesus… but it’s a living organism of which He is the life and spirit.

The church is not a body of Christians… but the body of Christ!

Without Christ as our Rock-Solid Foundation, the building will not stand.

Christ must be the foundation…  

Jesus is Christianity… Christianity is Jesus!

Here’s five important details that as a church we need…

1. Leaders who Lead, and we need to supports its Leaders.

2. We need to recognize the unique gifts each part of the body has because every member is a minister.

3.We need to be mission minded. Healthy churches support missions and are to be focused on the main mission given by Christ – to go and make disciples of all nations.

4. We need to be a united church… Because Christ-centered churches are focused and devoted to their mission and unity is a by-product of that mindset.

5. We must accept discipline. Church discipline is not about being mean, harsh, or judgmental. Church discipline is about love… the whole motive is love.

I personally have seen many local body of believers allowed to run unchecked… [from] hurt feelings, to gossip… to out and out lies, that destroy the soul of the local church… all because the leadership refused to practice church discipline.

You see, only Christ has the wisdom the church needs…

And He has a custom-crafted destiny for every faith community.

He [Christ] is the source… the object… the identity… the mission… and fellowship that mark each local church.

We must resist our own self-interests that so easily usurp the place of Christ in the church.

And Affirm gifted and humble leaders who let Jesus do His job.

And we must set a personal example of God’s design in our own life. 

I encourage you to pray for your church [your local body of believers] and its leaders. And to join in and participate…

Find ways to use your unique skills and be engaged in your local church…

God bless!