Welcome Home
THE NEED FOR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: October 27, 2019
WELCOME HOME SUNDAY!
Not everyone is in the habit of going to church regularly. Some are not in the habit of going to church at all. Sometimes that's because they're not religious, and other times it's because people think they can be religious or go to heaven without going to church. "I love Jesus, not the church," as the saying goes.
Loving Jesus also means loving his Church, mainly because God instituted it for our good! That's where we are fed and nourished with the Bible. That's where we are served by shepherds and are supported by a diverse Christian community through the ups and downs of life. People need God and his Word. People also need each other. The Church is God's way of serving all those needs within a Christian community.
This Sunday's lessons from the Bible underscore the value of Christian community. Solomon writes that two are better than one, and that when God is woven into our relationships it proves to be an unbreakable braid. Jesus encourages to him for rest, and Hebrews tells us why. Jesus shared our humanity, took our place under God's law, and freed us from sin and death!
Today Redeemer welcomes friends old and new with the prayer that God's friendship - and ours - will provide you with the fulfilling Christian community we all crave. Welcome home!
► Readings:
• Ecclesiastes 4:7-12: Every Christian needs help from God and each other.
• Hebrews 2:9-18: Sermon text
• Matthew 11:25-30: Come to Jesus for rest.
• Psalm: 133
► Sermon theme: "Welcome Home"