May 24, 2010 – I Love My Church, Part 1

A church to me is a place where we come together and be a part of community – a community in which they celebrate what God did through them throughout the week as they went about living their lives as the church.  It is a celebration.

A church to me is a place where you can come together and connect with people who are like you and who aren’t exactly like you but all are on the same journey of discovering what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  It is a place to be inspired.

Its a place to be equipped on how to live as a disciple and on how to be the church.  It is a place to get tools for living a victorious, abundant, life in Christ.

And finally, a church is a place where you can find your place in God’s House in service.  Service is a huge part of living this Christian life and the church is at its best when it gives itself away.  That means serving your church community inside His House and serving outside your community by being His hands and feet is a part of church life.

At Elevate we strive to rethink church into a place that is all of these ideas combine.  A place where church is different – church life is exciting and life giving.  That is what this series of messages and blogs are about.  Rethink church, fall in love with the church, fall in love with the local church, fall in love with your church, fall in love with Elevate Church.

In John 1:45 Phillip said to Nathaniel about Jesus, “You just have to come and see Him.”  In other words come and have a visit to see for yourself.   For a good, life giving church that is what it is all about.  You just have to come and give it chance and check it out for yourself.

The church is the body of Christ and it is the closest anyone is ever going to come in contact with Jesus himself in 2010.  Honestly, that puts a little pressure on the local church.  That is why the church should be functioning the way it should be – attractive, and infectious, and life giving, and fun and exciting, and contagious because that is the kind of person Jesus was when he was on this earth.  People were drawn to him, they met him and they wanted to be around him.  That is how church should be.

What made Phillip leave his life for a season like Jesus asked and follow him.  There was something about Jesus that was attractive.  The church community, the church you love should have that attraction.  When u fall in love with your church inviting someone, bringing them along with you should be normal – it should be like Phillip, “You got to just come and see I cant convince you, I cant argue my case for you – you just have to come and see for yourself.  I love my church.”

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

March 22, 2010 – Favor, Part 6

It has been great these last few weeks to be talking about favor at Elevate and in my blog.  Growing in favor both with God and with man but today we wrap up the topic talking about the why.  Why favor – what is the purpose in God’s favor.  In everything that He give us there is purpose, His purpose.  The talents and giftings He has given us – they are His.  The resources, the time, our life, each breath He has given – they are His.  The favor that He shows us or is shown to us by others – is from Him and it is His for his purpose.  There is purpose in the favor we receive – God’s purpose.  As we pursue God’s favor on our lives and learn how to grow in favor we have to realize that God’s favor and blessing is not just for you it is for His purpose and others as well.

God is not only looking to bless you but what he can get through you.  The quickest way to stop up blessing and favor coming into your life is missing the opportunity to use it to bless others.  Everything God brings into your life including Him showing us favor we need to be quick to ask, “God what is your purpose behind this?”  What are you wanting to do through me now that this door has opened in front of me – now that this promotion, this platform has been given to me – now that this influential relationship has been made – now that this provision has come into my life?  What are you up to because I know that it is a blessing to me but help me get my eyes off of me and onto those around me?

Last week we talked about God’s favor often times coming through the relationships we have or are yet to have – people we don’t even know yet but flip it around for a second and ask what if I am supposed to be someone’s answer to a prayer?  What if you hold the keys to someone getting the break through they’ve been looking for and praying about in their life?

When we focus on growing in God’s favor like we have been it can very quickly and easily become about us but turn it around and realize that when it comes make the first thing we wonder about – what is God’s purpose in this – what does He want to do through me – how can I be an answer to someone’s prayer – how can I be used by God through this blessing He has brought into my life.  How wonderful if God’s Kingdom acted more like that – if we were attentive to other people’s needs the moment blessing comes into our lives.

Remember we are blessed to be a blessing,

Jonathan

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October 11, 2009 – Organic Church 6

In this final discussion on what it means to be an Organic Church let me ask you a question. Can you love God without loving people? The obvious answer is NO! If you want to know what being a Christian is really about it is about love and you cannot love without serving – giving yourself away.

Jesus when asked to sum up the entire law in Matt. 22:36 said “Love God and love others…On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Every law given in the Bible hangs on these 2 statements made by Jesus. So let me ask you again – is it possible to love God & not love people?

When God loved us he sent his Son to die for us. When Jesus loved God his Father he gave his life. There is an inseparable action here that by Jesus loving his father he laid down his life. Loving God is a vertical expression and for many followers of Jesus this is the extent of their Christian experience but this verse says loving God is first but the 2nd is just like it you cant separate the two. When you love God he puts his love on the inside of you and God so loved that he gave to others making it a horizontal expression as well.

It starts by loving those in your home, goes to those on the job/classrooms, those you come in contact with throughout the day – even acquaintances, strangers. Jesus set the example of living his life serving others (you can read about this in Matt. 20:20-28). Jesus said if you want to be great in my kingdom – live like me – I came not to be served but to serve. Live not for yourself but for others.

If I love God I will love people? – NO – Jesus is saying if you love people you are loving me (Matt. 25). They are inseparable – if you are serving others you are doing it unto God – He takes it personally. It takes our vertical relationship with God & makes it horizontal. Organic churches live their relationship w/ God horizontally. (Phil. 2:5-9)

What if everyone in church tried to out serve each other what kind of place would that be – what kind of environment would that be. What if the organic church went out and was the church by doing things to the least of these. That is what going and being the church is all about. Serving others in love – showing God’s love to a hurting and dying world by being servants. If you love God you will serve others – more importantly you love God by serving others

Lets love God vertically and horizontally this week,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

October 4, 2009 – Organic Church 5

Unity is a beautiful thing Ps. 133:1 talks about that. It is a powerful force Gen. 11:4-6 is a example in the negative to how strong a force unity can be. Unity is a characteristic found in organic churches and a church acting in unity as a body is the picture Paul gave in I Cor. 12:12. How does unity come about in an organic church? The answer is found in that next verse, 13, it is by having one spirit – God’s spirit and the fruit that should be produced when God’s spirit is on display. The church should bear that same fruit.

The power unity brings to an organic church is one reason to pursue it but I think the Bible clearly states something even more important. In Jn. 17 Jesus is praying for us and praying for unity among us – just as He and the Father were in unity. The reason for the unity though is what struck me so powerfully, listen to it in verse 21, “that they all may be one (be unified), as You, Father, and I are one; that they also may be one in Us, (why?) that the world may believe that You sent Me…” And then He repeats it all again in verse 23, “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, (why again?) that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Unity in an organic church is a powerful force to be reckoned with, yes – but unity in the church is even more important than that, as it brings validity to the message that the world would know of God’s love for them and believe. What a powerful revelation that we gain through Jesus’ prayer.

Be in unity this week so the world will know the message of Jesus,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

September 28, 2009 – Organic Church 4

This week we again look internally at the organic church – church the way God intended it to be. Last week we talked about the House of God and how God’s eyes are on His House and His heart is in His House but what is a house without a family? God relates to us in family terms – we are His children, He is our Father, etc. We are to view our church family in the House of God as our spiritual family and Gal. 6:10 talks specifically about that relationship.

Whether or not you have a positive view of family from your upbringing being a part of a healthy spiritual family is an important piece to your spiritual walk with God. Your church family is something to be valued and an organic churches understand this. So, here are 7 things that you gain personally/spiritually by being planted in the house of God and connected to your spiritual family (Ps. 92:13).

1. Families support each other – in good times and bad, victories and in valleys you want family around. It makes the good times that much sweeter but you know sometimes only family can comfort the best in the hard times.
2. Families grow up together – When you grow up with family it shapes and molds you into who you are going to become. It is so wonderful to be in the family of God where those relationships can do just that in Christ.
3. Families have fun together – church should be fun and we should have a great time with our family in the House of God. There is a lot to celebrate!
4. Families eat together – this is straight out of what the early church did but everyone knows something very special (sacred even) is exchanged when people “break bread” together.
5. Families don’t leave each other – when you have bought into this idea that those you go to church with are your spiritual family this truth is so powerful. You know that when things got stressful in you home growing up it didn’t work for you to go next door and have them adopt you. You had to stick it out and work it out. When things get tough family doesn’t cut and run.
6. Families work together – you know the most powerful businessman, the most educated woman, when they come home and are with family – they wash dishes, scrub toilets, change diapers. Everyone knows in order for there to be order in the home everybody has got to chip in and do their part. Being a part of a family forces you to think outside of yourself and contribute to something greater than yourself. The same is true in you spiritual family.
7. Together families reach farther – this point really dove tails with number six. Your reach is so much farther and your impact is so much greater when you are a part of a family then if you are by yourself.

So much blessing comes into your life being connected to, by being a part of, by being planted in, the house of God – being a part of the family of God. That kind of blessing an organic church knows and understands.

Have a great week family,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

September 21, 2009 – Organic Church 3

We have already talked in this series that an organic church is not a building, a place or an event, its us – we are the church. But when you talk about keeping The Church organic you should throw into the conversation the church as it pertains to the House of God.

The House of God is a movement, a household, a family, a body, a gathering, a community of believers lifting up the name of Jesus. But just like how The Church has been messed with to make it non organic so has the House of God.

You’ve had prosperity teachers take it and twist it and turn it into a greed seeking enterprise. You’ve had authority mongers smack church goers over the head beating them down into mindless submission. You’ve had gloom and doom teachers where all that’s talked about is where we have failed and how God is mad at us. You’ve had emotional cheerleaders where all the emphasis is placed on that next emotional, hyped up, encounter but non of it is real or authentic and there is no life or lasting fruit.

Have you been in some of those types of churches – I know I have. It has left the American church in ruin and there are some who say its not necessary to be “in” the House of God when we are the church and all of that is going on. I know, I have felt that way and I have read all of the books that argue that but I always felt in my own heart that there had to be something more to being “in” church. As I got over myself and grew in my love for God I realized that my love for His House grew. If you have a heart for God you will realize that He has a heart for His House (Eph. 1:22-23, I Kings 8:17, I Kings 9:3). God’s heart is in it and His eyes are on it – period.

Being planted in the House of God has produced so much in my life – friends/being a part of God’s family, the word that has been deposited inside of me, being changed by being in His presence in a community setting – it will change your life. That is why I am like David when it was told to him to go to the House of God he was glad. David had a heart for God’s house because he knew it was in God’s heart.

Get a heart for His House,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

September 14, 2009 – Organic Church 2

The Bible says so clearly that God loves His church (Eph. 5:25) I mean LOVES. Why is this so important to being the organic church – the one that God intended us to be, free from additive? Understanding this love is the fuel to go and be the church (what we talked about last week).

My Pastor, Rob Koke, says it this way, “Those that are loved the best, love the best.” Those who are loved the best, who have just the slightest glimpse of the love God has for them are able to love the way God loves, the best. In order for the organic church to love the hurting and dying world they are called to go to she must understand how much God loves the church. Its the fuel that makes the church GO (II Cor. 5:14)!

If the church even sprinkles on a little bit of religion it leads to judging. Judging is thinking you have got it figured out just a little bit more than the other person forgetting that while you were still a sinner Christ died for you. It is not what you do that gets you in good with God it is what has been done for you. Mother Teresa said if you judge it leaves no room to love.

Look up this story as it totally is the organic church on display in showing God’s love to the world…

http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Bible/Agnes.htm

Look it up,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

September 7, 2009 – Organic Church 1

When something is organic it means that man has not messed with it…it is the way God intended it to be. So that got me thinking about what does an organic church look like. Church in its purest form. That is the series we started this week at Elevate.

The first thing that came to mind for me was that we are the church (I Cor. 3:16). So, that means that a 4 walled building, a congregation, a service, a ministry really isn’t organic church – you and I are.

Second, Jesus didn’t instruct his disciples to do any of those things that we do to have “church.” He did tell them to build a building, sing some songs, have a message, take an offering and give an altar call – He told them to GO (Matt. 28:19)!!!!! We as the organic church are to GO into all the word making disciples, being salt (that keeps out rot) and being light (that pushes back the darkness).

Now before you think going to church is not needed in your Christian journey you are wrong – they did that too – but what was the point. They met together to get equipped, to encourage each other in fellowship, to get filled up, why – so they could spill themselves out, to make an impact on the world, to bring His kingdom to earth.  That is what being a Christian, a disciple – that is what being The Church is all about.  The Church is God’s answer for a hurting and a dying world.

God is still interested in this place, His creation. He loves the church as His bride. The church is at the center of His attention (Eph. 1:20-23).

Go and be The Church – the Organic Church,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler