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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Truly Ecclesiastes is very inspiring, it says there is time for every thing, in this passages we like the time to be born we don't like the time of death, we rejoice in the time of birth not at the time of death. Knowing our life we have to accept both we like the time to plant we like the time to heal, to build, to laugh, to dance, to gather, to embrace, to search, mend, to be silent, to be in peace. There is also a time to uproot, to weep, to mourn, to refrain for some thing, give up on searching, to throw away few things, to tear some things, to speak up some times, to hate and even time for war these are very exiting. As a church we go through different face, just like in our life we go through different faces and different times, we have to also accept similar changes in our church.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-- why die before your time?
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.
It says we don't have to be over righteous, we don't have to be over wicked these are all extremes and bible says the man who fears God will avoid all extremes. We can't react and throw away what is good at the same time we can't just keep what's going on and not change.
1. There is a need for greater Humility
1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Its true young men should be submissive to the older but it says all of us should clothe our self with humility towards one another. As a disciple / leader we got to be humble. There are times people can approach us with different issues and different things that we can do better, we can change in our leadership and we can implement this which we need to respond with humility.
May be we listen but we don't act. We have to be much more humble not just listening but also acting on what direction and help that others show in what we can do better. We need to take the responsibility and encourage them, not to shut down, but allow us to make the change so that others can be involved and give their valuable inputs and feedback.
2. Need for Recognizing different gifts
Romans 12:4-10
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
In the body with many members, all the members don't have the same function even though they don't have the same function they all belong to the same body and they all belong to each other. So it talks about different gifts of professing, encouraging, teaching, serving, contributing the needs of others leadership, showing mercy these are different gifts. Some of these gifts we have recognized and appreciated people and certain people have different gift's which may not be super appreciated or recognized as much as they have given whole-heartedly.
3. A need for great shepherding and teaching
One of our great passage in the bible is Mathew: 28:18-20 not only about baptism but also teaching them to obey.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
We have tried to implement this in our church. Definitely we have emphasized evangelism also we said we got to teach people to obey. The more importance is given for evangelism and growth of the church. This has hurt many of the members of the church, we got to keep the evangelism but got to emphasized on shepherding and teaching also. Because we are talking about evangelism, growth and multiplying, the needs of the church in discipling, helping one another, helping marriages, in helping people to understand the scriptures correctly, in maturity, teaching the word accurately we have not really given our heart.
4. Need for healing
Psalm 147:1-3
1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
It talks about God is the one who heals the wound and binds up their wounds. Many of us have different hurts because of other disciples sin and sins of omission and commission. We want the time of encouraging and healing.
Matthew 18:15-17,23-24
15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Here the responsibility falls on both the party, either one of them should initiate. It will help if you are the one who felt something to initiate, other wise Matt. 5 says, if you know that somebody is hurt by you, you also need to initiate and that's how healing can begin. Its not only the responsibility of the person who is hurt to heal his hurt. Also to the person who knows that some body is hurt go, initiate and say Hi! What I need to change what can I do better? I want to encourage different member of the church, If you have things that you want to share and you want to reconcile, you initiate to any brother or sister you trust in the church. And even if you trust anybody in the leadership you need to initiate to be in the process of healing, may be individually.
As a servant in Gods church, all of us can put together and can work together to more unity, or peace and the righteousness and for happiness as a family, as every brother and sister in the church, not just forced to come to church but enjoy coming to church, enjoy worshipping, enjoy hugging each other, enjoy being a disciple, and really enjoy going to heaven one day.
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