14/08/2022  |  MOVING TOWARD MATURITY  |  BUILDING OUR PLACE

Fellowship (10 min)

Begin with general conversation and sharing about how the past week has gone. Try not to go over time.

Worship and Prayer (15 min)

Click on the link below on your smartphone, Smart TV, or computer, to select songs to sing; and then spend a few minutes in song and prayer.

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL SONG’S PLAYLIST:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsAkwbV_S1vXdZVPkZ0_tQW5n9RqeZX0

And if you need to check on the Message for the week again, then click on:

PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL (MESSAGE): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU1X4YYw1KLpda1yGnqKgfw/videos

This time of worship and prayer will encourage you to move your thoughts from daily worries and pressures to our time of Bible study and prayer.

READINGS:  1 Corinthians 12:27;  Romans 12:3-5;  Jeremiah 29: 4-7

QUESTIONS:

1. Before this sermon, what did you think about the ‘Church’? How has this idea changed? (if it has).
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2. “You can tell a lot about a person’s spiritual maturity based on how they view and relate to the Church”. What do you think your views, beliefs, feelings towards the church reveal about your spiritual maturity?
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3. Read 1 Corinthians 12:27 and Romans 12:3-5. What do these scriptures mean to you? What do you think it means to say the church is the body of Christ?
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4. How do you think someone who is spiritually mature should view the ‘Church’?
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5. Read Jeremiah 29: 4-7. God uses the images of: houses, gardens, marriage, increasing in number, peace and prosperity, as a model for how the Israelites should live in a foreign land. In the same way we can use this as a model for how spiritually mature Christians should relate to the church. Thinking of the following images, how can you apply them to your own situation in your church?

  • House (how can you ‘settle’ down and build something in your own imperfect church?):
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  • Garden (using your gifts and talents, what can you plant in that church which will grow and benefit yourself and others? This could be starting a new ministry or using your gifts/talents to serve in a ministry):
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  • Marriage (God wants people to integrate themselves into the church (his body) and not to sit on the ‘sidelines’. Are you integrating yourself into a church? If so, how, if not why not?):
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  • Increase in number (Even though they were living in a forgein land as exiles God wanted the Isrealites to succeed right where they were, and not to wait for the ‘perfect’ time to succeed. Are you willing to work on succeeding in your calling right where you are, or are you waiting for the ‘perfect’ church?):

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  • Peace (as exiles and slaves living in a forgein land the Israelites had a lot of opportunity to complain and ‘judge’ their oppressors. Yet God told them to seek peace and help the Babalyonians prosper instead. How can you help create peace and prosperity in your church?):
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6. Are there any lasting thoughts or comments about the Church as the body of Christ that will stay with you?
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Nicky Gumble:
Stop looking for the perfect church. It does not exist. Even if it did exist, the moment we joined it, it would no longer be perfect!

Andrew Greeley
Search for the perfect church if you will; when you find it, join it, and realize that on that day it becomes something less than perfect.

Charles Spurgeon
If you wait for a perfect church, you must wait until you get to heaven; and even if you could find a perfect assembly on earth, I am sure they would not admit you to their fellowship, for you are not perfect yourself.

Billy Graham
If you find a perfect church don’t join it: You’d spoil it.