Title: BE THE CHURCH!

Text: Romans 16:1-2

According to Pastor Larry Osborne,that church is what we are, not just

something we go to… What we tell people is—this week, we’re going to
be the church instead of just going to church.”

Now, there is a congregation that understands what church is all about.

There are simply far too many Christians out there who have this mistaken
belief that church is just something that you go to for sixty minutes on
Sunday morning (assuming the preacher doesn’t go over-time). The truth is
—you don’t go to church; you are the church! The church isn’t a
place; it’s people! Jesus said…

“You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13)

“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

“You are…a city set on a hill.” (Matthew 5:14)

You are the church! It’s up to us (you and me) to be the mouth, the hands,
and the feet of Jesus—to be the church!

There is someone in all of Scripture that exemplifies what it means to be the

church more clearly or concisely than an often-over-looked woman named
Phoebe. While there are no examples in the Bible of the perfect Christian—
because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)—
there is this one woman, mentioned briefly in Romans 16:1-2, that I believe
gives us some insight into what God wants from us and what it means to be
the church. Let’s read these two short verses together:

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I

ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give
her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many
people, including me.”
- Romans 16:1-2 NIV

• SISTER:

Paul began by saying, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe.” First and
foremost, being the church means being a part of God’s family. We may not
all be sisters, but we are all spiritual siblings. The Bible says, “Jesus, who
makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family.
So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters” (Hebrews
2:11 NCV – New Century Version).
Take a moment to let the amazing truth sink in. You are part of God’s
family. When you place your faith in Jesus, God becomes our Father, you
become his child, other believers become your brothers and sisters, and the
church becomes your spiritual family.

Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and
mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50 GWT – God’s Word Translation)

I’ve said it so many times before—church is about family. It’s about

having brothers and sisters who love you, who can come along next to you
and see you through life’s trying times. Being included in God’s family is the
highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. Whenever you
feel unimportant, unloved, or insecure, remember to whom you belong.
Again, our small group will help us understand that we are belong.

That’s what family is, dba?—a place to belong? Even in the perfect
paradise of Eden, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis
2:18). Lagi ko po itong sinasabi sa among simbahan. We are not meant to
live lone-ranger lives; rather, we are created for communion and community.

God’s family is all about—laughing together, crying together, and dreaming

together. In fact, the Bible says that Christians are put together, joined
together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together,
held together, and will be caught up together. There’s a lot of togetherness
in God’s family! Being the church means experiencing life together. And
what do we do together? Well, there’s another Bible phrase that answers
that question—one anothering:

“Love one another” (John 13:34).

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10).

“Honor one another” (Romans 12:10).

“Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16).

“Let us not judge one another” (Romans 14:13).

“Accept one another” (Romans 15:7).

“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16).

“Teach one another” (Romans 15:14).

“Serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).

“Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25).

“Offer hospitality to one another” (2 Peter 4:9).

“Love one another” (1 John 3:23, 4:7, 4:11 and so many more).

It takes both God’s power and our effort to produce a loving Christian
community. Being the church meaning being a family and living out these
“one anothering” verses on a daily basis. Let’s make that our goal as
God’s family.

Additionally, Paul goes on to describe Phoebe in yet another way. Paul calls
Phoebe a saint.

• SAINT:

Paul told the Roman Christians to “receive her in the Lord in a manner
worthy of the saints.” In other words, roll out the red carpet, bring on the
confetti, throw your arms wide open and bigyan mo sila ng mainit na yakap!
Why? A saint is coming to town.

Despite popular opinion, you don’t have to perform any miracles or be

canonized in order to become a saint. Every one of us are saints from the
time we are born again. At that moment God sanctifies us; he makes us holy.
A saint is any person who has been sanctified by God. In fact, Paul
addressed this letter “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be
saints” (Romans 1:7).

If you are in God’s family, then you are a saint. Of course, hindi po ibig
sabihin nun na you will always act like a saint. Sainthood, or being sanctified,
is an ongoing lifelong process. Put very simply, sanctification is the
process of becoming like Christ.

The Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more
and more like him and reflect his glory even more” (2 Corinthians 3:18 TLB
– The Living Bible).

Both being the church and being a saint mean becoming like Jesus. God’s
ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. You were created to become like Christ. But the thing is—you
cannot reproduce the character of Jesus on your own strength. New Year’s
resolutions, willpower, and best intentions are not enough. Only the Holy
Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our
lives.
Do you sometimes wonder why you aren’t more like Jesus? Let me answer
that with another question. Have you ever noticed how couples who’ve been
married for a long time start to look alike? After so many years or decades of
togetherness, they start to have the same mannerisms, the same modulation
in their voice, even the same facial expressions. The more time you spend
with someone the more you become like that person.

So, how much time do you spend with Jesus? How much time to you spend
praying and talking with God about life’s failures and successes? How often
do you open your Bible and just listen to what he has to say? More than
anything else, I think the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make
you more like the Son of God.

But we have to open to it, we have to want it, and cooperate with the Holy
Spirit. How does that happen in real life? Through spending time in prayer,
through reading our Bibles, through personal and public worship, but also
through the choices and decisions we make. I know it sounds cliché, but ask
yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

What if, for one day, Jesus lived your life for you?

What if, for 24 hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives
in your house, and assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss,
your kids become his kids, and your headaches become his headaches. Your
health doesn’t change. Your circumstances don’t change. Your schedule isn’t
altered. Your problems aren’t solved. Only one thing changes.

What if, for one day and night, Jesus lives your life with his heart? Your heart
gets the day off and your life is led by the heart of Christ. What would you be
like? Would people notice a difference? Your family—would they see
something new? Your co-workers—would they sense a change? And how
about you? What alterations would this heart transplant have on your stress
levels? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you
see sunsets differently?

Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus
leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the picture. What you see
is what God wants. The Bible says, “In your lives you must think and act like
Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 NCV).

The heart of Christ-likeness is having a heart like Christ. God’s plan for you is
nothing short of a new heart. Long before Jesus walked the streets of Galilee,
God promised, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I
will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive
heart. And I will put my Spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26 NLT).
God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He
wants you to be just like Jesus. He wants you to have a heart like his. That’s
what it means to be the church. But we’re not quite done. Paul had one last
adjective for Phoebe. He calls her a servant.

• SERVANT:

Once again, Paul says, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a
servant of the church.” The word used here for “servant” is the Greek word
diakonos, which is usually translated “deacon” or “minister.” The point,
however, is not that she held a special position or title, but that she served
her local church in a variety of ways. In the next verse, Paul says, “Help her
in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me”
(vs. 2 TLB). Being the church means helping out; it means being a
servant. - Magtinabangay

North Coast Church is a wonderful example of a service orientated church,

but they aren’t the only ones. This October, churches everywhere will be
canceling their regularly scheduled meetings, in order to “be the church,” to
participate in local community service projects all across the country. But
you don’t have to engage in a major community project in order to be a
servant. You don’t even have to leave the building. There are ample
opportunities for you to be a “servant of the church” right here.

[take a few moments to describe ministry/service opportunities available in

our own church at isipin mo rin kung papaano ka makakatulong. Also,
remember to commend or appreciate those who already serve. Being a
servant is hard. It takes many sacrifices. Let us not to judge them on what is
the best result (in your opinion lamang). Judge them on how they serve God.
Kasi in the first place, nagbigay na siya ng time at effort nila to serve God
and the church. Since October daw is Pastor’s Appreciation Month. I
appreciate you all! Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

But listen, the point is—being the church requires us to help out in whatever
way we’re needed. Maybe for some na nakikinig ngayon haven’t been a part
of a church family for very long, others may feel like they aren’t qualified to
teach or to lead, or your afraid to speak in public, or your life is already so
busy, but it all goes back to that same question: “What would Jesus do?” Or
rather, “What would Jesus have me do?” Choose to do what God wants you
to do and then trust his Spirit to give you the power, love, courage or wisdom
you need to do it.

Nakarinig po ako ng isang story of a preacher who was approached by a man

na gusto magpamember sa church. Sabi niya “But,” “I have a very busy
schedule. I can’t be called on for any service, like committee work, teaching,
or other such things. I just won’t be available for special projects or to help
with setting up chairs or things like that. I just want to sit through Sunday
worship and then go on about my business.”

The minister thought for a moment, and then replied, “I believe you’re at the
wrong church. The church you’re looking for is three blocks down the street,
on the right.” The man followed the preacher’s directions and soon came to
an abandoned, boarded up closed down church building. It was a dead
church—gone out of business.

That’s what happens to churches that don’t have servants. Being the church
means being a servant. Phoebe was a servant of the church, she had a
servant heart. We would all do well to live by her example.

Conclusion:

Church isn’t something that opens or closes with a prayer. Church isn’t just
something you attend; it’s something you are. Church isn’t a place; it’s
people. What does it mean to “be the church”? Well, if Phoebe give us
anything to go by, it means being a sister—a vital part of God’s household,
fashioned for God’s family, a saint—created to become like Christ and
learning to have a heart like his, and a servant—made for ministry and
willing to help out. So whatever you do, wherever you go, whether it’s
Sunday, Saturday or any day in-between—remember to be the church.

Invitation:

For those listening ngayon na feeling nila na hindi pa sila part of the family. If
you want to be a part of our church family or if you aren’t sure whether or
not you are a part of it yet and you you’d like to know, then this invitation is
for you. If you need some help developing a Christ-like heart, then this
invitation is for you. Or if you are willing to be a servant rather than a
spectator—meaning if you want to volunteer to help out in any capacity
(giving communion talks, leading songs at a song service, you want to learn
how to prepare a sermon, you want to help with the children’s program,
fixing pipes, cleaning floors, laying tile, or any other kind service what-so-
ever)—I want to invite you to take a step of faith, come to the front, and
after our closing hymn, we’ll get you pointed in the right direction.