Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Community Growth
Mark Roberts:
Even in small group settings there are all these efforts to "listen, not fix." There is indeed a time to just listen, but if we are to truly play the role of the body of Christ, there is a time to challenge, correct, cajole, as well as encourage and support. It seems to be forgotten that it is loving to correct someone engaged in harmful behavior.
The body of Christ is a varied and complex thing. When we emphasize some of its functions at the expense of others, we compromise much more than we realize. IN this case we are babies raising babies. If this continues will we even know what maturity looks like?
church maturity
But, practically speaking, what does Christ actually supply so that we might grow up in him?This is, I believe, a challenge for the modern church. Because we are so interested in being attractive, we often fail to help others grow because it would present them with challenges that they might find off-putting.
[...]
that Ephesians 4 does not advocate a private "just Jesus and me" Christianity. We don't figure out the truth of Jesus on our own. Rather, the teaching and learning of truth happens in the context of the body of Christ. Thus, the church is one of the major resources Christ gives to foster our growth. You and I cannot become what God intends us to be without deep connection to the church, a connection that involves both receiving and giving. And, as we'll see tomorrow, the church will never be what God intends it to be apart from you and me.
Even in small group settings there are all these efforts to "listen, not fix." There is indeed a time to just listen, but if we are to truly play the role of the body of Christ, there is a time to challenge, correct, cajole, as well as encourage and support. It seems to be forgotten that it is loving to correct someone engaged in harmful behavior.
The body of Christ is a varied and complex thing. When we emphasize some of its functions at the expense of others, we compromise much more than we realize. IN this case we are babies raising babies. If this continues will we even know what maturity looks like?
church maturity
