Real People

Today we had a chance to talk through our church "one liner" - "Real people, real church, real life".

The one thing that hit me when I became involved in Vineyard 8 years ago was the value that was placed on being real. I encountered a level of honesty which I hadn't seen before. If someone was strugling then they talked about it they didn't plaster on a smile and say its all good.


"Real People":
- Honest, Fallible, Willing to admit weaknesses, No masks, No pretence
- To quote todays generation they were "keepin it real".

Some people we new wanted some rules, some patterns that they could follow that would make them a good christian. Just being themselves was to unnerving. For me this environment challenged my assumptions regarding what made a good follower of christ looked like. It highlighted that without God we are weak, we needed help, what is the matter with being vulnerable to the people around us?


"Real Church":
- Real harmony and unity
1 Cor 1 vs 10
"Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose."
We are called to be of One mind, United in thought and purpose.

- Walk in love
Practice Acceptance - tolerance
The challenge is how we can avoid the militant mindset against other believers, and embrace others with differing views?
"Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you.." (Romans 15:7). The church is called to a loving and accepting attitude.
Jesus died while we were still sinners. We need to accept each other warts and all, differing views, argumentative attitudes.

- Unconditional
Not about eligibility, Jesus accepted you at a time when you weren’t ready to be accepted
1 John 3 vs 16:
We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.
It's about Community. It is not about a programme, a time and a building. Its about the people, the relationships and the pursuit of real relationship with Jesus.


"Real Life":
- Eyes on the kingdom. When we start following Jesus we are part of a new kingdom, but we still live in this kingdom.
Colossians 3:
"1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. 3 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory."

We can see every day life can drown out our new life.

"Real life"
- More than food and things
Luke 12
15 Then he said, "Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own."
Deut 8
2 Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD.

"Real Life":
- Dry Bones, Without the word of the Lord we become dry and dead

Ezekiel 37
3 Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign LORD," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." 4 Then he said to me, "Speak to these bones and say, `Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!

"Real Life":
- What is the Word of the Lord?
* Spending time with him
* Knowing and seeking his voice
* Obeying his word
* Building relationship
* Reading his word
Luke 12
21"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

It boils down to having a rich relationship with God.