Why We Gather: Faithful Presence
Speaker: Pastor Pierre du Plessis
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. Pastor used the phrase, “routine kills wonder.” What does this mean to you? Share an example of how you have seen routine kill wonder? How is this phrase relevant to what we see in the church today?
3. It was said that being a Christian has moved from something we do and practice to something we believe. What does this mean to you?
4. Why do you think many no longer go to church?
5. Pastor said some people have a mind of consumerism when it comes to church. What does this mean to you?
6. Why do you think Constantine’s legislation of Christianity for all caused the church and Christianity to change?
7. How can having God’s presence in the church and in our lives heal and/or make a difference in the world today?
Read: Isaiah 43:19; Acts: 42-47; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:22-23. 3:10
Some think of the church as the building where people gather. But the church is actually Christ’s body in which He speaks and acts, and by which He fills everything with His presence. His presence is what defines and makes Christians distinctive, and through which He heals the world. He chooses to work through us and requires that we be active in His mission. But the church is an ever-changing world. The context of the church born in Acts 2 was into pre- Christendom. In the early church, believers became grounded in a set of communal practices. They centered their lives around Jesus, were taught and practiced their beliefs together and expressed love and generosity towards one another such that they became a powerful visible witness to the world.
Historically, when Constantine became the Roman emperor, he converted to Christianity and then legislated Christianity for all. This shift caused Christianity to move from being something one does and practices to something one believes. Many Christians are still of the opinion that one only has to believe and that faith practices are optional. Today we are in a post- Christendom world where the church has lost its influence. As we gather, we have lost the sense of Jesus’ presence among us and the value of His presence in our lives. Statistics bear out that churches are shrinking and that many no longer go to church. We need to return to the practices that are the evidence and markings of being a true Christian community. As we next are re-introduced to those, we trust that God will do a new thing in us and in the world.
