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“BECOMING A CARING CHURCH”
Mark 12:30-31—1 John 4:7-21—Preacher: Ps Paw Liang
The hurricane in Texas reveal to us some darkside of the church. Many churches immediately responded to the need yet still some others are more obssesed to know how Lakewoord Church or Joel Osteen would respon to the calamities.  The uncaring people have some of these symptoms:

1.     Uncaring people are self-centred. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite were busy and considered themselves as important. Perhaps their minds were absorbed with their jobs in the Temple. They didn’t want anyone to interrupt their plans. Thus fail to care for those who are hurting.

2.     Uncaring people are too hurried. How often we failed to listen to the concerns of others because we are simply too busy.

3.    Uncaring people are too isolated.  We may make small talk and speak superficially because we are afraid of getting involved with others.

4.       Uncaring people think someone else will do, not me.

5.       Uncaring people think problems will solved themselves.

The Spirit-filled church in Acts 2 shows us ‘the koinonia/the fellowship” of the early believers. They loved meeting together for worship, learning and caring for each other. They even sold their possessions in order to help the poor.

The mark of the church (believers) are loving God and loving people (Mark 12:30-31). This start when we are in love with God. V16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 19 We love because he first loved us. Therefore Christianity is not just about having a religion, but it’s about experiencing God’s love and sharing His love with others, starting from the community of believers.

Church is family, God’s household where we learn to love and accept one another. Like a tapestry we hope to join ourselves with one another by weaving Christ into the fabric of our lives. One single strand is weak and ordinary, but when woven with others in Christ, it becomes strong, beautiful, and catches the attention of others.(Quoted from the Tapestry Church)

The challenge is how can we become a loving and caring family? Some of us are naturally more people oriented and some are more task oriented. Which one works stronger in you? We need to be responsible, to do our tasks well. Yet we need also to learn how pay attention and care for other people. For these we may need to check our life: should we take (do) less so we can have time for people especially for our loved ones? Should we slow down a bit so we won’t just walk ‘pass-by people’, and intentionally making time for people.

May God’s love that lives in us compels us to love each other. May God grant us a willing heart to make room for the Holy Spirit to help us to care for each other. Care sincerely and care deeply! Starting with one or two! Ask God to put their names in your heart!

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