Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Circle Up 2 – Better Together
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Circle Up 2 – Better Together
https://youtu.be/aNKic3X4viE
Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Texas. Hello to all our Live
Streamers, our Podcasters, Youtubers, and however you are receiving this… We
greet you in the name of Jesus! My name is Chris Fluitt.
Circle up
Last week we started a brand new sermon series called circle up. And since then the world here in the
metroplex has gone crazy. The COVID-19 Corona Virus has caused a lot of panic.
People have made runs on the stores.. and there have been actual fights over
toilet paper & bottled water.
Our Government is recommending isolation. I really understand that. We do
want to slow the rate at which the virus is spreading… BUT I need to tell you
today that isolation is not good for us.
Times like these… with all the fear and uncertainty have reminded us that
we do need community.. we do need connection. We need to find a way to have
this connection without spreading the sickness.
In times like these I am so glad that I have a church family around me. I
have people praying, encouraging, helping…
If anyone hearing me right now needs help.. let’s connect.
If anyone is afraid and uncertain… let’s connect.
If anyone needs help… needs prayer… let’s connect.
Plano, Richardson, Allen, Dallas, Garland, Mesquite… Wherever you are… LET’S
CONNECT… Let’s circle up.
We are Better together
Better Together
Some things just naturally go better together. If you are out there on live stream or are
watching somewhere else leave us a comment of 2 things you think go better
together.
Beatles
Dallas Cowboy fans… Troy, Emmitt, & Irvin…
Jimmy Johnson & Jerry Jones…
Captain America & Ironman… The
Avengers…
Jim & Pam from The Office
are better together…
Some things are better together.
In Mark 12 one of the teachers of the law, a religious Pharisee, brought
Jesus a question. It is a complex question that likely was designed to try and
trip up Jesus… But Jesus don’t trip.
The question was… “Of all the commandments, which is most important?”
Think about how complex that is…What would you do if I put you in the spot and
asked you “of all the words of God, which words of God are the most important?”
Here is Jesus’ answer in Mark 12:29.
Mark
12:29 (NIV2011) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Mark 12:30 (NIV2011) Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind and with all your strength.’
Jesus lets us know what is most important is a relationship with God. You
and God… are better together.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there.
Mark 12:31 (NIV2011) The
second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment
greater than these.”
Jesus tells us that you and I are better together.
Better Together
There is nothing more important than circling up with God and each other.
Through community we are BETTER TOGETHER.
The culture of the world is all about me.
things
God’s Kingdom is all about US. His Kingdom is all about circles.
There are 59 verses in the New Testament that use the phrase “one
another.”
Hebrews 10:22 (NIV2011) let
us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith
brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV2011) Let
us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV2011) And
let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV2011) not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging
one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
V22 says – “Let US draw near to God”
Drawing near to God is better together
Through busy-ness, disappointment, through mourning, through rejoicing
V23 says “Let US hold unswervingly to
the hope we profess”
Holding on to hope is better together
Life can be a mess.. We need circle up and hold on to hope together. Sometimes we need someone’s help to hold on
to hope.
V24 says “Let US consider how we may spur one another on toward love
& good deeds.”
Discipleship is better together
Discipleship… leading one another, teaching one another, serving one
another.
There are Negative relationships, and positive relationships. You can be discipled by negative
relationships, or you can be discipled by positive relationships.
Circle up with positive people who know something. They have knowledge to teach you… lead you, a
heart to serve you… Someone who knows
how to pray, how to share their faith, knows their Bible…
V25 says “not giving up meeting together.”
Church is better together
Our worship is better when we are together. Our faith grows when we are
together.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV2011) Be
alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
You have seen those national geographic animal videos where the lion is
sneaking up on a herd of antelope. The Lion doesn’t try to catch one of the
antelopes in the center of the herd. The Lion always sets his sights on a lone
straggling antelope on the outside fringe of the herd.
Your adversary the Devil is prowls around like a lion. He isn’t jumping into the middle of the
church, he is sneaking around to find someone isolated and unaware. BE
ALERT! BE SOBER MINDED!
Don’t be just near the church… be in the church! Be in the heart of the Church! Be in the center!
It is better for you and safer for us to be together!
Vs 25 says “encouraging one another.”
Encouragement is better together
It is so good when people encourage, strengthen, comfort. It is better!
There are times you circle up to receive encouragement, but there are
also times where you are the one to give the encouragement.
One of my frustrations as a pastor is pastoring 2 kinds of people…
are bad…
are good…
Better Together
We live in a sad, sarcastic, separated world. Our churches can also be sad, sarcastic, and
separated.
Last week I told you that Circles are greater than rows. The world does
not need another church building with people sitting in rows. This hurting
world needs the people of God spreading love & good deeds, circling our
neighborhoods and schools… circling the lost and confused… circling the sick and
depressed…
In fact Jesus lets us know that sitting on a Church row will never inform
the world that You are a follower of Jesus.
John 13:34-35 (NIV2011) “A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Circles are greater than rows!
Is anyone here today because of a church building brought you to faith?
Is anyone here today because of a church program disciple them?
Is anyone here today because the trappings of religion brought them hope
and encouragement?
But is anyone here because some circled up with them and shared hope?
Is anyone here today because a faithful; blood bought Christian revealed
to them that Jesus loved them?
Is anyone here today because a Sunday school teacher disciple them?
I’M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF A CIRCLE!
Redemption Church we need to circle up.
We need to turn our rows into circles.
Turn your row into a circle
Create a circle. Invite people
into your circle.
There is a world that is panicked and afraid, they need the Church of
Jesus to circle up around them and draw them near to God, help them hold on to
hope, disciple them, and encourage them.
If you are going to turn your row into a circle, you must be willing to…
share the Gospel
If only the church would stop being a location with a brick and mortar
building… and start being the people of God.
Today all most people can think about in the Corona virus…
We are about to have a time of prayer and talking to God… but first I
want you to think about this virus.
We are told the virus started in Wuhan, China in January of this year. It
started with a single individual who spread it to another and another, and then
those who caught it spread it to another and another…
And what started with one person, has in around 2 months time, has spread
7,600 miles to our front door in DFW. It has covered so great a distance.
And what started with a single person has spread to no 167,700 people.
Church I don’t mean to take lightly of this pandemic, but isn’t it time
for the Gospel of Jesus to spread like this?
Go Viral
Are you telling me that a micro virus is more transmittable than the
power of God’s Spirit?
Are you telling me that a cellular disease is spreading faster than the
love of Jesus Christ?
Are you telling me that the news of Coronavirus is causing runs on grocery stores, but not running us toward prayer?
This virus is not greater than God.
It is time for the Church to go viral.
It is time for us to infect our neighborhoods with peace.
It needs to spread to the homeless man who lives by a dumpster and the C.E.O. who lives on the hill.
Do you have it?
…not the virus but the Holy Ghost!
…not the virus but the fire shut up in your bones!
…not the virus but everlasting life!
Acts 1:8 (NIV2011) But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.”
View all episodes
By Redemption Church Plano Texas
5
11 ratings
https://youtu.be/aNKic3X4viE
Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Texas. Hello to all our Live
Streamers, our Podcasters, Youtubers, and however you are receiving this… We
greet you in the name of Jesus! My name is Chris Fluitt.
Circle up
Last week we started a brand new sermon series called circle up. And since then the world here in the
metroplex has gone crazy. The COVID-19 Corona Virus has caused a lot of panic.
People have made runs on the stores.. and there have been actual fights over
toilet paper & bottled water.
Our Government is recommending isolation. I really understand that. We do
want to slow the rate at which the virus is spreading… BUT I need to tell you
today that isolation is not good for us.
Times like these… with all the fear and uncertainty have reminded us that
we do need community.. we do need connection. We need to find a way to have
this connection without spreading the sickness.
In times like these I am so glad that I have a church family around me. I
have people praying, encouraging, helping…
If anyone hearing me right now needs help.. let’s connect.
If anyone is afraid and uncertain… let’s connect.
If anyone needs help… needs prayer… let’s connect.
Plano, Richardson, Allen, Dallas, Garland, Mesquite… Wherever you are… LET’S
CONNECT… Let’s circle up.
We are Better together
Better Together
Some things just naturally go better together. If you are out there on live stream or are
watching somewhere else leave us a comment of 2 things you think go better
together.
Beatles
Dallas Cowboy fans… Troy, Emmitt, & Irvin…
Jimmy Johnson & Jerry Jones…
Captain America & Ironman… The
Avengers…
Jim & Pam from The Office
are better together…
Some things are better together.
In Mark 12 one of the teachers of the law, a religious Pharisee, brought
Jesus a question. It is a complex question that likely was designed to try and
trip up Jesus… But Jesus don’t trip.
The question was… “Of all the commandments, which is most important?”
Think about how complex that is…What would you do if I put you in the spot and
asked you “of all the words of God, which words of God are the most important?”
Here is Jesus’ answer in Mark 12:29.
Mark
12:29 (NIV2011) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Mark 12:30 (NIV2011) Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind and with all your strength.’
Jesus lets us know what is most important is a relationship with God. You
and God… are better together.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there.
Mark 12:31 (NIV2011) The
second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment
greater than these.”
Jesus tells us that you and I are better together.
Better Together
There is nothing more important than circling up with God and each other.
Through community we are BETTER TOGETHER.
The culture of the world is all about me.
things
God’s Kingdom is all about US. His Kingdom is all about circles.
There are 59 verses in the New Testament that use the phrase “one
another.”
Hebrews 10:22 (NIV2011) let
us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith
brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV2011) Let
us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV2011) And
let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV2011) not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging
one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
V22 says – “Let US draw near to God”
Drawing near to God is better together
Through busy-ness, disappointment, through mourning, through rejoicing
V23 says “Let US hold unswervingly to
the hope we profess”
Holding on to hope is better together
Life can be a mess.. We need circle up and hold on to hope together. Sometimes we need someone’s help to hold on
to hope.
V24 says “Let US consider how we may spur one another on toward love
& good deeds.”
Discipleship is better together
Discipleship… leading one another, teaching one another, serving one
another.
There are Negative relationships, and positive relationships. You can be discipled by negative
relationships, or you can be discipled by positive relationships.
Circle up with positive people who know something. They have knowledge to teach you… lead you, a
heart to serve you… Someone who knows
how to pray, how to share their faith, knows their Bible…
V25 says “not giving up meeting together.”
Church is better together
Our worship is better when we are together. Our faith grows when we are
together.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV2011) Be
alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
You have seen those national geographic animal videos where the lion is
sneaking up on a herd of antelope. The Lion doesn’t try to catch one of the
antelopes in the center of the herd. The Lion always sets his sights on a lone
straggling antelope on the outside fringe of the herd.
Your adversary the Devil is prowls around like a lion. He isn’t jumping into the middle of the
church, he is sneaking around to find someone isolated and unaware. BE
ALERT! BE SOBER MINDED!
Don’t be just near the church… be in the church! Be in the heart of the Church! Be in the center!
It is better for you and safer for us to be together!
Vs 25 says “encouraging one another.”
Encouragement is better together
It is so good when people encourage, strengthen, comfort. It is better!
There are times you circle up to receive encouragement, but there are
also times where you are the one to give the encouragement.
One of my frustrations as a pastor is pastoring 2 kinds of people…
are bad…
are good…
Better Together
We live in a sad, sarcastic, separated world. Our churches can also be sad, sarcastic, and
separated.
Last week I told you that Circles are greater than rows. The world does
not need another church building with people sitting in rows. This hurting
world needs the people of God spreading love & good deeds, circling our
neighborhoods and schools… circling the lost and confused… circling the sick and
depressed…
In fact Jesus lets us know that sitting on a Church row will never inform
the world that You are a follower of Jesus.
John 13:34-35 (NIV2011) “A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Circles are greater than rows!
Is anyone here today because of a church building brought you to faith?
Is anyone here today because of a church program disciple them?
Is anyone here today because the trappings of religion brought them hope
and encouragement?
But is anyone here because some circled up with them and shared hope?
Is anyone here today because a faithful; blood bought Christian revealed
to them that Jesus loved them?
Is anyone here today because a Sunday school teacher disciple them?
I’M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF A CIRCLE!
Redemption Church we need to circle up.
We need to turn our rows into circles.
Turn your row into a circle
Create a circle. Invite people
into your circle.
There is a world that is panicked and afraid, they need the Church of
Jesus to circle up around them and draw them near to God, help them hold on to
hope, disciple them, and encourage them.
If you are going to turn your row into a circle, you must be willing to…
share the Gospel
If only the church would stop being a location with a brick and mortar
building… and start being the people of God.
Today all most people can think about in the Corona virus…
We are about to have a time of prayer and talking to God… but first I
want you to think about this virus.
We are told the virus started in Wuhan, China in January of this year. It
started with a single individual who spread it to another and another, and then
those who caught it spread it to another and another…
And what started with one person, has in around 2 months time, has spread
7,600 miles to our front door in DFW. It has covered so great a distance.
And what started with a single person has spread to no 167,700 people.
Church I don’t mean to take lightly of this pandemic, but isn’t it time
for the Gospel of Jesus to spread like this?
Go Viral
Are you telling me that a micro virus is more transmittable than the
power of God’s Spirit?
Are you telling me that a cellular disease is spreading faster than the
love of Jesus Christ?
Are you telling me that the news of Coronavirus is causing runs on grocery stores, but not running us toward prayer?
This virus is not greater than God.
It is time for the Church to go viral.
It is time for us to infect our neighborhoods with peace.
It needs to spread to the homeless man who lives by a dumpster and the C.E.O. who lives on the hill.
Do you have it?
…not the virus but the Holy Ghost!
…not the virus but the fire shut up in your bones!
…not the virus but everlasting life!
Acts 1:8 (NIV2011) But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.”