Belonging

“Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you’ve got
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
… Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name” – Cheers Theme Song

Belonging matters to us…

Outside of the basic desires of our sinful nature… one of the greatest temptations and appeals to teens and adults is the very real human desire of belonging… we deeply yearn for belonging… we will find our belonging in the world or in Jesus…
• Our homes need to be safe places were our children want to be… were they know they are loved and respected…
• Our churches need to be safe places were kids know they are loved and respected… if they’re not many will look for belonging somewhere else…
• Within our homes, and within our church, we must strive to create a community of belonging for our young people…

Jesus invites His disciples to come and be a part of His life… to find belonging in Him… to find truth in Him…

Part of our finding ourselves in Christ is leaving those things that hinder and break that communion “deny (ourselves)… take up (our) cross daily…” we need to find our belonging in Jesus, not in the short pleasures of this life…

And so Jesus calls us to follow this example of belonging corporately within the church… Jesus calls the church to true and genuine brotherhood and sisterhood…

People coming out of sin have to develop a whole new set of friends many times… (most friendships are built on similar interests…) … Many times the thought of having to step out of those relationships, and “being alone,” is enough to keep them from turning to God…

John 12:42-43 NKJV Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

We must have a culture within the Church of belonging if we want to make a meaningful impact in this world… God is calling us to a greater sense of community, a greater sense of belonging…

• God is calling us to be pursuers in belonging… please don’t be afraid to make the first move…

• But God is also calling us to be receivers… sometimes we isolate ourselves and it not only hurts us, but those that are reaching out, isolating ourselves steals God’s blessing in the lives of the ‘blesser’… And after a while people will get the message and stop pursuing… that can be a pretty lonely place…

If we want to reach our culture for Christ God is calling us to be a community of belonging… are we inviting people into our lives that do not know Christ, to know they are loved…

* Not mentioned within the sermon:
Hard Question:
• Think of someone who you prayed for to receive Christ… If they were to come to Jesus today, Would you be willing to allow them to become a part of your life… to find a sense of belonging…

• (honestly) Do we care enough about those that don’t know Jesus to truly invite them in to our lives, to truly invite them into belonging… or do we just care about them enough, that we hope they know Jesus, but we don’t want to compromise our comfort for their belonging…

• This especially goes for our brothers and sisters in Christ, Do we truly want belonging… or do we care about them just enough, that we want them to continue to come to church with us, but we don’t want to compromise our comfort for their belonging…

• I know these are hard questions… but core to ministering to the culture around us… if we want to do more than just complain… we must, through the help of the Holy Spirit, create a culture of belonging…”

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