Notes
Think of how many seats are in your home. How many people have sat in each seat? And how many will sit there in the future? Now, think of the seats in your church. It’s more than a comfortable place to sit while listening to a message. A seat represents multiple people who have had or will have an experience in a given place. And in a church, that can mean life change. What do we, as a local church, desire for people to experience when they walk through our doors?
1) To have a personal relationship with God
So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.
Luke 14:23
All of us are invited to sit in God’s presence. He welcomes anyone of any age, gender, race, background, or class. Our job as the Church - the people of God - is to exhibit the characteristics of Jesus and invite others to begin their personal relationship with their Creator. We are here not to judge the condition of someone’s life, but to accompany them as Jesus transforms their life.
2) To be encouraged on the journey
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-12
To encourage someone means to infuse courage into their life. We are to help each other persevere by faith to continue using our gifts in doing work for the Kingdom until Jesus returns. That means not only doing your part but helping equip others to do their part in the body of Christ.
3) To be engaged with the Kingdom of God
During the forty days after [Jesus] suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:3
Jesus’ primary focus in His teachings was the Kingdom of God. Everything He said and did pointed back to the Kingdom. And it isn’t like earthly governments that waver and fall. As Christ’s followers, we belong to an unshakeable Kingdom. Don’t miss what God wants to do through you; take an active part in what He is doing in the world.
With these three points in mind, think again about the seats in your church, and the diversity of who might sit in a given seat on a given day. Each seat is a piece of the puzzle. Our responsibility as people of the Church is to help make sure that those we meet have the opportunity to connect with the hope of Jesus.
Group Questions
- What is the significance of a seat?
- What is a personal relationship with God, and how do we have one?
- How can you infuse courage into others this week?
- What does it mean to be engaged with God’s Kingdom?
Prayer
Thank you for offering us a seat in your presence. We pray for those who have yet to meet you; give us opportunities to introduce them to you and bring them with us on the journey.