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Encounter Messages  /  The Church Did NOT Fall Apart After the Apostles  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
David Bercot says that if you feel good after banging people over the head with the Bible or the early church, your heart is in the wrong place. What motives and habits would help you build bridges with other Christians, and what can we learn from the Church of Christ elder who simply read the Scriptures on communion?
Another way to ask: David Bercot says that if you feel good after beating people down with the Bible, your heart is in the wrong place. What motives and habits help you build bridges with other Christians?

Direct Answer

The right motive is to reach the other person's heart, and the right habit is to begin from what you share. The elder shows that we can believe the words of Jesus without having to win a debate over them.

Support from the Message

- David Bercot says, "We want to win people's hearts," and he says a break in fellowship means he has not reached someone. - He likes to find points in common with other Christians and work from there, such as the Nicene Creed. - Among the Anabaptists, he will not fight over baptism and communion, since they do baptize and do have communion. - The elder read John, Matthew and 1 Corinthians 11, then said that was what his church believes, with no explanation. - He calls that profound and says it fits the spirit of the early church.

Discussion Follow-up

With whom do you tend to argue? What belief do you share with that person that could become your starting point?

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