Simon Lennox joins Gary Wilkerson to discuss the parallels between physical and spiritual training, how fitness has been a natural bridge to discussing deeper spiritual matters, and the impact this life has on our eternity.
Some Christians don’t want to be connected to other members of the body of Christ. They commune with Jesus, but they deliberately isolate themselves from other believers. They want nothing to do with the body, other than the head.
A body can’t be comprised of just a single member, though. Can you picture a head with only an arm growing out of it? Christ’s body can’t be made up of a head alone, with no limbs or organs. His body consists of many members. We are knit together not only by our need for Jesus but also by our need for each other.
Never once in the Bible do you see Peter, James and John have a problem with the beatings or the commands from authorities not to preach the gospel. That’s not going to slow the church down. It’s not external pressures or external persecutions that will put off God’s work among his people. It will be chaos and conflict that comes from within the church.
The gospel of Matthew details an odd story about a failed healing being brought to Jesus. A man pulls out of the crowd and says to Christ, “‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.’” (Matthew 17:15-16, ESV).
“Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
There is a supernatural element to times of corporate worship and fellowship. When we join a local body of believers and fellowship with them, we are not only obeying Scripture but we are allowing God to work in us through the encouragement and admonition of other Christians.
Pastor Rusty George joins Gary Wilkerson to discuss ways to develop strong Christian community.
“Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6).
Paul took a ministry trip to Troas where he was to be joined by his spiritual son Titus. He longed to see his godly son in Christ and knew his spirits would be lifted by his presence. Yet after Paul arrived in Troas, Titus didn’t show up.
Today, Rusty George, pastor of Real Life Church, joins Gary Wilkerson to discuss how people desperately need one another to have healthy lives and how we can overcome past pains and truly join into Christian community.
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life … I am the living bread which came down from heaven … he who feeds on Me will live because of Me" (John 6:35, 51, 57). The image of bread here is important. Our Lord is telling us, “If you come to me, you’ll be nourished. You’ll be attached to me, as a member of my body. Therefore, you’ll receive strength from the life-force that is in me.” Indeed, every member of his body draws strength from a single source: Christ, the head. Everything we need to lead an overcoming life flows to us from him.
