One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Saturate.
Ephesians 2:18-22 ESV – For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit
Yesterday, we learned about how we can see greater impact when linking up multiple LIFE Groups. We also talked about the beauty of cross-context relationships and being in One Spirit when multiple communities join together as a local church. This sounds great, but is that all that church is about? Oftentimes, people come to church on Sundays and return to their everyday lives exactly the same way. In our case, do we just go to Sunday Celebration and go back to our own LIFE Groups as usual for the rest of the week? Is this the extent for what Jesus intended?
Who is the local church for? Why is it needed and What is it after all? Church is not a building, a program or assembly of people just networking across different walks of life on a Sunday. The faulty assumption is that the church is called to serve you and is only beneficial if we can gain something out of it. But the church is not an organization to meet specific needs; it’s the people.
According to Ephesians 2, God has adopted us into His family and God has appointed the local church to be the home for His family. If the church is about the people, the local church is the context where we are discipled, given opportunities to serve and experience what it means to be members of the household of God. We are known – no longer strangers, and built on the same foundation. As members of God’s family, it is as if we have the same DNA, by the blood of Jesus on the Cross. Through Christ, we can have a sense of belonging and unity.
We only get to experience these when we stay rooted in the local church. Oftentimes, people stay rooted when they can see themselves being part of something bigger, believing in the same vision and mission. Understanding the culture of the church, meeting and partnering with people with the same vision – all of these take time and investment. All these require steps of faith and obedience outside of ourselves. It could be simply being present and attending corporate gatherings. For example, joining Baptism Celebrations or Missions Send-off, even when no one from your campus or life stage is getting baptized or going on missions. It could also be taking next steps by becoming a covenant-signing member or getting involved and serving in a ministry team.
Linking up through the corporate church helps people to catch the same vision and build relationships across LIFE Groups and life stages. For the same reason we are doing One Desire Fast as a church. We want to seek God together as we launch this Saturate vision for the next 6 years, and invite everyone in our church to see the same vision and journey together with us. How have the 9 days of devotionals been for you to understand more about our Saturate vision? How do you see yourself getting involved and taking next steps to live out this vision with our church? Let’s continue to be prayerful, depending on Jesus as our cornerstone to guide us into the next 6 years!
Reflection and Application
- How would you describe your relationship with the church? What are your current involvement and level of engagement within the church community?
- Are there any areas where you feel disconnected or lacking a sense of belonging within the church? How can you take proactive steps to build deeper relationships and find meaningful involvement within the church?
Praises and Prayers Topics – HKU
Praises:
- We praise God that people are experiencing love and support in a Biblical community. It’s been such a joy to see people getting inspired to take steps of faith by their decision to commit themselves to become members of the church family and to serve in ministry teams.
Prayer Topics:
- Pray for growth in evangelism and for members to gain a heart for the lost to reach our campus.
- Pray for people to let go of our desires and go all in for God, rather than having a lukewarm faith.
Click here for full devotional link and for PDF version