Sticking Together

Reference

2 Timothy 2-3

MESSAGE SUMMARY

Introduction

The year 2020 has been a year full of metrics and statistics for COVID-19.
How do Christians measure spiritual health in a pandemic when churches don’t have in-person worship every week?
Church attendance in the form of the number of viewings on Youtube has become the new metrics or measure of Christian spiritual health.
Barna Research conducted a study earlier this year and they found that Almost 1 in 3 practicing Christians had stopped attending church altogether.
Among the Millennials, that number of Christians who didn’t bother to attend online church, went up from 33% to 50%.
Are you vulnerable to become one of these statistics of Christians who have left the church or are thinking about leaving the church?

What can Christians do about it?

Paul told Timothy about the state of the fallen world: "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:2-5a)
This is exactly what is happening in this world right now every single day
Paul’s next advice is just as wise and useful as in the past
"Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Timothy 3:5b
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22
It is not enough just to flee. What we need to do is to pursue which requires you to actively participate
The pursuit of the core values of a Christian, righteousness, faith, love and peace is not to be done alone but along with other believers.
An isolated Christian is just like a lump of burning charcoal that is removed from the fire. It will cool down very quickly and lost its use.
One soldier is not going to win the battle. When soldiers join forces, they become an army.
If you have never considered joining a small group, this is the perfect time to do it!
Be part of a group with a specific purpose: To continue to grow and to be more like Christ in a Christ-centered community.

The Challenge

Not alone, but to go Along with other believers to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace
Would you join this fight?
Would you persevere?
Would you continue to fight on the battlefield that is happening all around us?
To bring righteousness, faith, love and peace back to this world?