Jerusalem to us as Christians, is in our own home. God wants the love and life that we show in church, to be in our homes and everywhere.
If we cannot be Christlike in our own homes, then we cannot be in leadership in Church. This does not just apply to leadership such as Pastors and Worship leaders etc. This applies to everyone. If we cannot live Christ-like lives in our home, how can we show people Christ's love elsewhere?

If you cannot get your own home in order, how can you be an example to other people.
Non-Christians expect so much from us, and rightly so, Sometimes it seems that they know more about how we should live than we do. The problem is, people try to live a Christian life in their own strength, IT CANNOT BE DONE! We must rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit to strengthen us.

If you do not teach your Children the ways of Chirst... who will?

Much of the responsibility lies on the fathers as the head of the household. The problem with our society is that many children do not have an earthly father to look up to, and therefore they find other people to whom they can look up to, this can cause problems, if they choose the wrong people.

The cycles need to be broken. The endless cycles of anger, frustration, self-centeredness, self-pitty and destruction in homes today are caused because children look to their parents for guidance. If a child has been brough up in a particular way, they don't know any better, and so will bring up their children in a similar way.

If we can break the cycles, and learn to love each other - starting in the home, then we can begin to show people outside our homes, what it truly means to be Christian. If we can, not through our own strength, but by the Holy Spirit at work in us, show Christs love, people will see a difference, and only then will they want what we have.  

There is a saying "Hurting people, hurt people" So many churches get hurt and offended when new Christians come in. They don't consider that everyone has problems. God is still working in people's lives, and will continue to do so until the day of his second comming. There will be times when people say or do things that are going to offend us. What we need to do as Christians, is to ask God for the grace to continue to love that person. DO NOT TAKE OFFENCE! Realise that we need to take the log out of our own eye, before we can see to remove the speck from another person's eye. If someone offends you, do something about it - PRAY for them, take the matter to God. Continue to love them as God loves them. Do as God does, and look at the heart. 

We need to be concerned about what is going on outside our own church. This is the 'Samaria' of Acts1:8. Pray for other churches and communities. It's God's job to judge the communities and people. The best thing we can do for them is to pray for them. Bless the churches, do not condemn them because they are weak in their fath, or because you do not agree with a particular doctrine that they may be teaching. Pray that God will show himself to them, that He will correct and direct them to they way he would have them go. We need to continually pray for the churches in our area.

How can we go out into all the world and preach the gospel, if we cannot live it in our own homes and communities?? It is good to send out missionaries to other countries, yes! That is the last part of Acts 1:8 First we need to show that we can 'live the life' in our own homes.

Put legs on your faith, because faith without works is dead!

Show God's love to people through your actions. Good works on their own mean nothing, and they certainly won't get anyone to heaven. But in order for other people to see Christ at work in our lives, we must show them that our faith is not dead and meaningless. Simple acts of love and kindness, showing Christs love to people by using the gifts God has given you, whatever it may be... through giving food or clothing to someone in need, inviting a neighbour over for morning tea, helping someone with housework, just a kind word and a smile... all these things can be a great encouragement to people. If you continually show God's love to people, they will see a difference in you, and begin to want what you have. It may take a little time, but once you have shown them you are sincere, you can begin to share the gospel with them much more easily, it will be so much more natural and they will most probably be alot more open than if you were to spring it upon them suddenly on your first meeting!

Think about it.

Grace and Peace to you all in the Precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ

adapted from a sermon by Pastor Dennis Ward OCRF 1999