We are the Church

Today at church, our pastor gave a great lesson.  He talked about the church, and what a church is.


Basically, a church isn't a building or a place or an event; the church is the people gathered to fellowship.  That kind of tied in to the lesson we had at Sunday School this morning.

Why don't I just start at the beginning of the service?

At Sunday School (which the Youth Group has before the service), we read Acts 2:42-47.

^"42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

42: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer

•  The believers would meet and devote themselves to learning the teachings of the apostles, very much like a church service today.
• They would also devote themselves to fellowship.  The definition of fellowship that was given by my Youth minister was when people gather together for one common purpose.  In this case, the common purpose was love for Jesus Christ and a desire to learn His ways. Everyone would gather and come together in love for one another and for Jesus.
• They would gather for the breaking of bread, which could mean communion, or it could simply mean having a meal together.  The believers would use the time for fellowship and just making friends. (This would be the part after church, when you and other members of your church have decided to go out to Pei Wei or CiCi's for lunch.)
• And, of course, they could gather for prayer.  I don't know about you, but I feel amazing when I am sincerely praying to my Lord.  Sometimes I feel the need to meet with my God in private, and just pour out my heart to Him.  Other times, when I am in a group of believers, and we pray, I feel... liberated, some how.  I feel more free to express myself in groups of believers.  (Don't get me wrong, I know that when I am conversing with the Lord, that I am free to say anything that I feel)

 44: the believers were together and had everything in common

•  The apostles and believers were a community - they lived together, in - here comes that magic word - fellowship.  
• Now when it says that they had everything in common, it doesn't mean that they agreed on every single subject.  Rather, they shared everything.  They knew that material wealth was God's anyway, and so they shared it with anyone with the need.

46:  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 

• They did this every day. Every day of the week, they met and worshiped and gave and learned.  So, they had Sunday every day.

47: praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
I just think that that is SO neat, that they gathered everyday for praise, fellowship, and worship.  In the early church, people would meet the needs of everyone in the community, even if it meant selling off all of their own things to meet the needs of a brother.  They would pray and worship and learn together.  And people saw the way that the church lived and they wanted that, so "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." 

That was what I learned in Sunday School.  This is what I learned during the service:

We as believers are the Church.  The Church isn't the building that we meet in, nor is church an event.  The Church is the body of believers, who happen to meet in a building on Sunday.  "The Bible never defines the Church as a place; it always defines Church as people." - John Horne

We read 1 Corinthians 12:1-25

14-17: (14)For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not that hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  (17) If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing?  If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?

• We are "different yet essential in the Body of Christ."
• It's almost like the different members of the Body are jealous of each other.  The eye is discontented because it is not an ear; teh foot is discontented because it is not a hand... But you need your feet just as much as you need your hands, and you need your eyes just as much as you need your ears, if your body is to function properly.

18-20:  (18)But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.  (19) And if they were all one member, where [were] the body?  (20) But now [are they] many members, yet but one body.

• God has a master plan for you.  He has given certain people certain gifts, and He expects us to use those gifts for His glory. 

21-24:  (21) And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; not again the head to the feet, I have no need of  you. (22) Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be feeble, are necessary: (23) And those [members] of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness.  (24) For our comely [parts] have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that [part] which lacked.

•   We are dependent on one another in the Body of Christ.
• This part reminds me of the song "Lean on Me" - the concept is similar.

So, as a member of the Body of Christ, we now know that each of us has been given a gift; regardless if we know what that gift is - we should find out what it is, and immerse ourselves in some kind of ministry.  For me, I know that I love children - so I have gotten into the Children's Ministry at my church.  I go to Jericho Junction (which is like a fun skit and then some games that deal with the lesson), and I help out in the children's classes during church.

As followers of God, our task, the Great Commission, is to "know Christ and to make Him known."  You can do that by becoming an active member in the church.  As Christians, we need the fellowship and spiritual cleansing/feeding that comes from surrounding ourselves with fellow believers.  This helps us to become closer to Christ.  When people see us living the way the early church that Peter was talking about in Acts 2, they want to have something like that.  That will help to make Christ known (that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out into the world and spread the Gospel; you most definitely should, but we will get into that later.)

Hero

Hero - Superchic[k]

Hero 

by Superchic[k]

No one sits with him, he doesn't fit in.

But we feel like we do when we make fun of him.

'Cuz you want to belong, do you go along?

'Cuz his pain is the price paid for you to belong?

It's not like you hate him or want him to die.

But maybe, he goes home and thinks suicide.

Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side,

And a kindness from you might have saved his life.

Heroes are made when we make a choice.

You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.

You could be a hero, you might save a life.

You could be a hero, we must join the fight 

For what's right, 

For what's right.

For what's right.

No one talks to her, she feels so alone. 

She's in too much pain to survive on her own.

The pain that she feels overflows to a knife.

She writes on her arm,wants to give up her life.

Every day she goes on is a day that she's brave.

Fighting the lie that giving up is the way

Each moment of courage, her own life she saves.

When she throws the pills out, a hero is made.

Heroes are made when we make a choice.

You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.

You could be a hero, you might save a life.

You could be a hero, we must join the fight 

For what's right, 

For what's right.

For what's right.

No one talks to him about how he lives.

He thinks that the choices he makes are just his.

Doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves,

And others will follow he choices he's made

He lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide.

His brother who wants to be him is just nine.

He can do what he wants, because its his right,

But the choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life.

Heroes are made when we make a choice.

You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.

You could be a hero, you might save a life.

You could be a hero, we must join the fight 

For what's right, 

For what's right.

For what's right.

Little Mikey D. was the one in class

Who every day got brutally harrassed.

This went on for years,

 'Till he decided that never again would he shed another tear.

So he walked through the door, grabbed a four-four

Out of his father's dresser drawer, and said,

 "I can't take life no more," and like that,

Life can be lost.

But this ain't even about that.  All of us

Just sat back and watched it happen

We think it's not out responsibility to solve 

A problem that isn't about me

This is our problem.  This is one of the 

Daily scenarios in which we choose

To close our eyes instead of doing the 

Right thing.

If we make the choice to be the voice 

For those who won't stand up for themsleves,

How many lives could be saved, changed, and 

re-arranged?

Now it is our time to pick a side.  

Don't keep walking by not wanting to 

Intervene 'cuz you just want to exist

And never be seen.

So let's wake up.  Change the world.

Our time is now.

You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.

You could be a hero, you might save a life.

You could be a hero, we must join the fight 

For what's right, 

For what's right.

For what's right.

Unfortunately, this song mirrors things that happen every day.  People get made fun of.  People think that they are worthless.  People think that they don't mean anything to anybody.   And these people are everywhere around us.  Sometimes they are disguised, or hidden behind masks.  Other times, they are openly in pain.  We tend to close out eyes to things like that.  We tend to just look the other way and "not even notice."

Why do we do that?  Why do we naturally turn away from people in need?  Is it because we don't want to make a scene?  Are we scared of something?  People all around us are hurting, and we just turn a blind eye to it all.  There really is no reason for that.  Especially for Christians.

It's out job to make sure that people know about the Good News.  That means that we have to let them know that they are important to their Father.  We as Christians should be sensitive to the pain around us.  We should be aware of it.  

You don't know what is going on in the lives of others.  Maybe that kid sitting alone over there just doesn't like company.  He probably chooses to sit alone.  At least, that's what we want to think.  But you don't know if that is the case.  What if that guy is going through really hard times at home, and he just needs someone to talk to.  Maybe he doesn't really want to sit alone, but he doesn't have the courage to find someone to sit with.  Who knows?  Maybe that girl who doesn't talk to people is just antisocial.  Maybe she doesn't want to talk to people.  Or maybe she is hurting inside and is thinking of cutting herself to feel something real.  Maybe her circumstances have made her come to think that she is worthless.  It is our duty as witnesses of God to let her know that she is loved and wanted by her Father.

The third part really got to me.  So many of us have little brothers and/or sisters, or some kind of figure that uses us as guides for their lives.  Our choices influence everyone around us.  I know that I set an example for my brothers and sister, even though my brothers are in their early teens.  I am a role model, even though I don't always know it.  People are watching me, and counting on me to show them how to live.  That verse made me think: Am I setting an example that I would want my siblings to follow?  Do I live the way I would want them to live?  Do you live the way you want your watchers to live?

My prayer for you is that you will remember that the choices you make will change the lives of those around you, and that you will make the choices that will turn the tables toward life.

My prayer for you is that you will open your eyes to the world around you, and become more sensitive to the pain.  

My prayer for you is that God will use you as His vessel, and use you to save a life. 

My prayer for you is that you will allow God to use you as His vessel.

My prayer for you is that you will grow in Him and will listen to His Voice.

Your sister forever in Christ, 

Tyler Henke

A Friend is... a whole bunch of cheesy truths =)

Friends are amazing.

A Friend is someone with whom you can be yourself with no reserves.
A Friend is someone that knows your habits and flaws, and accepts them as parts of you.
A Friend is someone who won't try to change you no matter how flawed you are.
A Friend is someone with whom you can laugh all night about absolutely nothing and remember it forever.
A Friend is someone you can't live without.
A Friend is someone that you see when you picture your life.
A Friend is the first person you think of when you need a hug. 
A Friend is the person who knows you are hurt even from miles apart, and will call you up in the middle of the night and listen.
A Friend is someone who answers the phone when you call at midnight, even if she isn't fully aware that she is doing so.
A Friend is someone with whom you share so many stupid inside jokes that you could have your own language based upon them.
A Friend is someone who loves you through thick and thin, through the miles and hours, and through the tears and laughter.
A Friend is someone who knows your secrets and wishes well enough that they could be her own.
A Friend is someone with whom you will fight for the last bag of chips, win, and then end up sharing them with you... or not =)
A Friend is someone who has plenty of chances to stab you in the back, but chooses not to.
A Friend is someone who, instead of taking that opportunity, uses it to tickle you.
A Friend is someone that enters your life, and never leaves it.