29/9/2021
A Caring Church Building One Another Up In The Lord
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
As God’s people live in a world that can be tough and unfriendly towards the things of God, it is easy to be hurt or become dispirited by events around us. But God desires His church to be a community of mutual support. Satan would be happy if we were all islands, doing our own thing without reference to others.
God’s word calls us to be a community who are marked as people who lovingly care, strengthen, encourage and comfort one another. These are ministries that belong to all believers in every church. The church is Christ’s body, and when one part of the body suffers, the remainder is affected.
“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.” I Thessalonians 4:9-10
How can we do this building up?
By praying for one another, which takes thought and genuine interest. It means listening to each other. It means sharing with one another the things on our hearts and minds, speaking the truth in love.
By our constant love and concern. People need to see that we care and know that we care and so we think hard and ask God to show us ways to express that love. God calls us to be devoted to building up and helping each other in our faith, in order to see our church and all gospel churches flourish, so that great glory would be given to God and His Son, our Saviour.
Over this school holiday break we are pleased to have two FCC Pastors to do this very work of building us up in God’s word. Last Sunday we had Pastor Alan Best, preaching from the book of Hebrews on Running The Race of faith. This week Pastor Lee Murray from Establish Church will be preaching from Romans on The Foundation of Our Assurance.
May the Lord give us all the desire to be builders and servants of one another.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
Matt
On behalf of the Elders
P.S. For the last few weeks, the elders have been talking about how we can recommence church, so that we will be meeting together again in one place. That possibility seems to be getting close now. We will join with the deacons next week to finalise plans for that, and will let you know more detail as soon as we can.