My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written,
Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.
Romans 15:14-21
– They are full of goodness
– They are filled with all knowledge
– They are able to instruct one another
– Goodness – attitude towards the other
– Knowledge – information and facts about Christ likeness
– Instruction – accountability among peers
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:5-7
– A mark of a healthy church: the pursuit towards cognizant and intentional unity among its people.
– A mark of a healthy church: rejecting the lie that a fellow believer is unfit for the family of God because of their stance on an open-handed issue.
– A mark of a healthy church: when people across divided lines can see that they share in the same Spirit with one another.
– A mark of a healthy church: when its people are a part of diverse communities and share the Gospel to a diverse group of people.
– A mark of a healthy church: varying levels of intentional diversity existing within, as it is held in unified tension by the Gospel.
Before jumping into the rest of the questions, what do you think are some characteristics, attributes, and marks of a healthy church?
What are some “identity markers” (political affiliation, LGBTQ+, etc.) that is perceived to make someone “unfit” for being part of the Church? Why or why not is that true?
Why is it so hard for Christ followers nowadays to see that they share in the same Spirit with someone they may disagree with on these different “identity markers” or open-handed issues? Do you wrestle with seeing others as sharing in the same Spirit as well?
What are some obstacles obstructing your way to be a part of a community of people that look different than you? How can you overcome those obstacles in order to be a part of that community?
Do you think Riverview is a diverse church? If so, in what ways? If not, what can you do to help make it a more diverse church?
