Doxa Deo Wilgeheuwel

I heard this story about a lady that was very lonely so she went to the pet shop to get a parrot, you know so that she could have someone to talk to. She took the parrot home put him in a gage but the parrot didn’t say a word. The next day she went back and said: the parrot doesn’t talk. The owner said well maybe you should get him a ladder, they enjoy going up and down the ladder. She got the ladder put it in the gage, watched the parrot, didn’t talk. So the next day she went back and said I got the ladder but the parrot didn’t talk. He said try a swing, they love swings it puts them in a good mood. So she got the swing put it in the gage, parrot still didn’t talk. The next day she went back, said I got the ladder I got the swing, still the parrot doesn’t want to talk. He said you need a mirror, a parrot likes to look at himself, So she got the mirror put it in the gage, the parrot looked in the mirror, swinged climb. She came back the next day, said the parrot died. He said: The parrot died, how terrible, he said did the parrot say anything before he died? She said yes; he said don’t they sell any food down there?

There’s a couple of things we all need to survive, one of them of course is food. But we also need people in our lives.
A scientific study was done that showed that people without social and emotional support are more than twice as likely to die of a heart attack as people with caring friends.
That’s why we’re doing 40DOC because we understand that God created us to live in community and to really love one another.
There can be many things in church life that are great, that we enjoy, that might even be the reason why you came today. But if don’t get the core of what it’s all about, then there is no real church LIFE, then its dead. One of the core things in church life is the one another concept. The bible is full of it, here’s a few:

· Forgive one another Ephesians 4:32
· Accept one another. Romans 15:7
· Care for one another. Galatians 6:2
· Encourage one another. Hebrews 3:13
· Submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21

Church is not about the music, it’s not about comfortable chairs and nice presentations, it’s not even about good coffee. Although all of these are great, nothing wrong with them. But church is about the people, church is not a building. Look at what that spells, it’s about the faces you see around you. Of course we get together to glorify God as our number one priority but we do that, first and foremost by loving one another, and all the other one another’s the bible talks about.
This is what made the church attractive to non-believers in the New Testament.
So if we’re going to attract people into the community of church life, we’re going to need three ships: Friendship; Fellowship & Follow-ship

I. FRIENDSHIP
Why did Jesus attract so many people? It’s because he loved them and he called them his friends.
In fact he was accused of being a friend of sinners in Matthew 11:19. In John 8 when the woman was caught in the act of adultery, Jesus was a true friend to her. Instead of casting stones at her like everyone did or wanted to, Jesus demonstrated loving forgiveness.
Prov. 17:17 “A friend loves at all times...” A true friend loves whether you succeed or fail.
Someone said, “You can always tell a real friend: when you’ve made a fool of yourself he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job.”
That’s the kind of friendship we need in church, the kind of friendship that will help people to discover what Jesus really think about them. Too many times we’re overly concerned with things that Jesus won’t approve of. We all have things that Jesus don’t approve of but his not casting stone at us to drive us away. He is calling us to Him, to become a part of His body.

II. FELLOWSHIP
They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer. (Act 2:42)
Fellowship is more than just the cup of coffee we share together after service. It’s about really doing life together. That’s why we’re doing the spring festival on Saturday. We want to eat together, laugh together, have fun together. As South Africans we’re known for creating humor in difficult times. The reason why we do that is because it helps us to cope.
The same way, when we enjoy life together, we see life for what it really is: a gift from God.
On Thursday I attended a funeral of a baby of friends of ours. It was an amazing experience, and I know it doesn’t sound right saying that, but it’s true. Listen there was ice-cream and balloons and lots of laughter going on. Including the parents who lost their baby and I can tell you it wasn’t fake. Why? Because they had so many people surrounding them that really loved them. People that deeply cared and understood what they were going through. People that had prayed for that baby so many times. People that were there every single time they needed a shoulder to cry on. People that showed up to celebrate the life of a 8 month old baby who is so much more alive now in the presence of Jesus.
But I can tell you this, if I was a non-believer, I would have though these people are crazy. And yet, something about the peace that surpasses all understanding that was present there, would have captured my heart and I know that I would have said to myself, I want what they have.
The fellowship that I experienced there, was a witness to the goodness of God right in the middle of a terrible terrible storm.

III. FOLLOW-SHIP
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1
Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (King James 2000 Bible)

Pastor Steve Shepherd tells the story of a little boy who was selling postcards. A man asked him, “Son, what are you going to do with the money?” The boy replied, “I’m raising a million dollars so I can feed all the starving people in the world.” The man, “Do you expect to raise all that money by yourself?” The boy said, “Nope, there’s another little boy helping me.”
That little boy had a vision to feed starving people. He also had
“follows-hip.” He had a friend who was willing to follow him in his heartfelt ambition.
Cambridge dictionary says that Fellowship means: a group of people or an organization with the same purpose.
The purpose of our friendships and our fellowship together, is to follow each other in following Jesus. It’s to inspire one another, to do what Jesus called us to do.
So many times have I found myself in that place where I ask myself: Why am I doing this, is this really worth it? Times when I don’t see the fruit of what I’m busy with. Then God would send someone to tell me about what God is doing in their church or through their lives and that would give me hope that God is still working, He’s still busy, and what He’s doing for others He will do for me also.
A pastor friend of mine, Jaco Schutte, said the following. He said you can’t braai with a single Briquette. If you have many briquettes together they will fire up one another and keep the heat going. But if you pull one to the side, that one will lose its heat and die.

How fire-up are you still for God’s calling on your life. How passionate are you about your relationship with Jesus and with His bride the church?
How many people do you know of, that are out there. They have ladders and swings and mirrors and allot of stuff in their lives, but you know what they really need is Jesus.
They will come to Jesus, they will become part of His bride when they see the love and the passion and the commitment that we have for one another.

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (Joh 13:35)
When asked how did you become part of the church, over 90% of people answered I was invited.

I want to say it again: The reason why we are having a Spring festival on Saturday. Eating together, laughing together, having fun together, doing life together. Is because we want to show case to our community that it really is Better together. We want to proudly display: Friendship and fellowship so that they also may come to the point of follow-ship.