As Iron Sharpens Iron

If you attend The Village Church, you know that we've been studying the Apostle's Creed, focusing this past weekend on "The Holy Catholic (universal) Church, the Communion of Saints".  What does that mean?  The ideal would be to listen to Pastor Matt's sermon:  Click here for the Sermon >>

In essence, it spoke to why we've started TVCdads:  To sharpen one another, as iron sharpens iron.  To encourage, to rebuke, to teach, to walk along side as we all walk through the many stages of fatherhood.  We can't do this alone ... we weren't designed to.

Here are my sermon notes:

• There is a longing for community.  To be in relationship with one another.
• We are all creations of God, but only some of us are Children if God.
• We are part of a global family. No set language but the Gospel.  No Socioeconomic status, or race, or opinions.  Revelation 7:9-10 ... every tribe, tongue and nation.
• The "Communion of Saints"
  • Belong to a church is not the same of going to a church
  • You won't find a perfect church.  If there was, YOU shouldn't go there!  You'll mess it up!
  • Jonathon Leeman, definition of a local church:  "A local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances. That’s a bit clunky, I know, but notice the five parts of this definition:
    • a group of Christians;
    • a regular gathering;
    • a congregation-wide exercise of affirmation and oversight;
    • the purpose of officially representing Christ and his rule on earth—they gather in his name;
    • the use of preaching and ordinances for these purposes."  http://9marks.org/article/what-is-a-local-church/
  • Our default is to serve ourselves, not others.  It's poisonous to be that way though.
  • We must be part of the church universal AND a local church
  • If you know EVERYONE, you don't know ANYONE.  Choose a few and get DEEP.
    • The biblical model is "fewer but deeper" when it comes to your immediate circle
    • Getting to know people DEEPLY is what God wants, and that can't happen with too many involved
  • Who points out your flaws?  Is it not other people?  "Put up with one another". This assumes we know one another and spend enough time with one another top annoy one another periodically.
• We have to prioritize our time and focus on what's MOST important
  • We CAN'T say yes to everything
  • Choose and dig in.  Go deep.
  • Allow your life to get smaller and deeper.
• Counsel.  Proverbs 11:14  Proverbs 24:6  we NEED good godly advice.  Wise counsel.
• Max Lucado:  "Questions can make hermits out of us, driving us into hiding. Yet the cave has no answers. Christ distributes courage through community; he dissipates doubts through fellowship. He never deposits all knowledge in one person but distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When you interlock your understanding with mine, and we share our discoveries, when we mix, mingle, confess and pray, Christ speaks."