Consistent Community

November 13th 2022

Series:Organic Disciples

Sermon Title: Consistent Community…

Topic: Why do we need consistent community?

Key Passages: Genesis 1:26-27; Matt 28:16-20; Rom 12:3-5; Mark 12:29-31; John 13:34-35

Sermon Blurb: God exists in a perfect, eternal, trinitarian community. Jesus made relationships a priority when He walked on this earth, and He called His disciples to live in a consistent loving community. When we walk in loving fellowship with God and each other, the world will see that we have what their hearts long for. This draws people toward the only one who can heal their hearts, bind their wounds, and satisfy their hunger to belong.

Sermon:

Erik/ Keith- Teacher A

Welcome back to week 7 of our series called Organic Disciples.

Every year around this time, we spend a few weeks celebrating what God is doing globally and locally through Missions here at Family Church.

And this year, we’ve decided to tie our missions-focus to a series called Organic Disciples.

PAUSE

We’re focusing on how ALL followers of Jesus should be Growing in love for God AND should be sharing our faith with others!

In Matthew 28 Jesus gives a snapshot of how to be an Organic Disciple……how to be mission-focused every day!

PAUSE

And we’re writing the same couple of points down every week because they serve as a foundation for this series.

So, write this down (again)

Organic Disciples are committed to grow in Jesus and go with Jesus.

Repeat

Write this down as well…

Discipleship is about the adventure of becoming more like Jesus which leads to evangelism; the adventure of bringing Jesus to people.

An Organic Disciple of Jesus will naturally do both.

In this series, we’re highlighting 7 markers of spiritual maturity.

They are on the screen…

7 Indicators of an Organic Disciple of Jesus

1. Bible Engagement

2. Passionate Prayer

3. Wholehearted Worship

4. Humble Service

5. Joyful Generosity

6. Consistent Community

7. Organic Outreach

So far, we’ve looked at the first 5.

Today, we’re going to look at the sixth marker of spiritual maturity… and that is Consistent Community.

PAUSE

You might remember our pattern for this series…

First, we’ll see how Jesus modeled community.

Then, we’ll learn how we can be more like Jesus in that area.

And then, we’ll connect the dots between discipleship and evangelism.

We will see how our commitment to community, not only helps us grow, but also helps us to reach people for Jesus!

LONG PAUSE

So, let’s dive in today!

Let’s look at movement 1 and how we can learn from Jesus.

Write this down… God loves community.

Movement 1 – Learning from Jesus. God loves community

Repeat

To highlight this point, let’s go all the way back to the beginning of time as the Bible shows us.

The original intention of our Creator is expressed in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let US make mankind in OUR image, in OUR likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in HIS OWN image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Now, this passage indicates something about God but also, something about us.

Let me explain… you see, this passage paints a picture of God in perfect community with Himself.

Look at the words…

It says, Let “US” make man in “OUR” image.

It does NOT say ME or MY!!!

PAUSE

The God of the Bible is unique.

He is different from any other god or religion.

The God of the Bible is beyond full comprehension but has revealed Himself clearly.

One distinct feature about God is 1 God BUT consisting of 3 unique expressions of Himself.

This is what Christians refer to as the Trinity.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Not 3 Gods, but 1 God consisting of 3 expressions of Himself and each equally God.

Side note: we did an entire message on the Trinity of God back in May during our Book of Acts series. If you missed that, go to familychurch.app or go to our family church app and listen to that message and I think it will really help you understand this because it is confusing…..

PAUSE

But the God of the Bible, is uniquely 3 in 1.

1 God with 3 expressions of Himself.

And in Genesis 1, we see God in community with Himself.

And this community was perfect, and this community is eternal.

God has always been in community and will always be in community.

PAUSE

BUT… Genesis 1 also indicates something about us.

You see, men and women are unlike any other created thing.

We are created IN the image of God…

AND one feature of being made in God’s image, is that we were created to live in and thrive in community.

PAUSE

And not just community with one another, but more important, we were created for perfect community with GOD!

God’s original intent was to create us so we could enjoy community with Him!

PAUSE

Now…….that was God’s original intent…

But how many of you have noticed that we do NOT have perfect community with God…..let only other people!

So, what happened?

Well, man chose to sin; to disobey God… thus causing a spiraling digression away from our community with God.

Sin separated us from perfect relationship with God AND sin caused a discord between mankind.

PAUSE

Again, God’s original intent for us was to live in and enjoy perfect community with God and one another.

SO, insert Jesus… fast-forward in history and time, Jesus came from heaven to earth with one goal in mind.

He came to restore that which was broken by our sin.

Jesus came to restore our relationship with God…and thus, He came to restore our community with God AND one another.

Bob / Steve- Teacher B

And when Jesus arrives to Earth, He doubles down on this value of community.

You see, Jesus was fully God AND fully man.

Jesus understood the value of community.

Jesus upheld the value of community.

Jesus promoted community in every way.

In fact, Jesus helps us understand a central purpose of our community with Him and one another

So, write this down:

Jesus was committed to community and discipleship.

Repeat

PAUSE

In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, He says, “Follow Me.”

Now remember, Jesus is God in human flesh.

He did not need people to complete Him or to remove any sense of loneliness.

Yet, Jesus called people to follow Him and be with Him.

Jesus loved community with His disciples when He walked on this earth, and He still loves community.

PAUSE

Not only did Jesus commit to community but, write this down,

Jesus accomplished His mission through community.

repeat

Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.

Jesus was super clear that He held all power and authority over the whole universe……

Yet, as He goes on mission and reaches lost and broken people, Jesus invites us on the journey with Him.

He calls us to go and make disciples AND Jesus is crystal clear that He will go with us.

So, the very mission of God is bound together in the community He has with us.

PAUSE

And the heartbeat of His community, is Love!

Jesus was a perfect model of love.

Jesus loved Every kind of person

Jesus loved... the forgotten,

Jesus loved... the excluded and abandoned,

Jesus loved… the marginalized,

Jesus loved... the immoral and wicked,

Jesus loved… the unprotected,

the poor,

the widow,

the orphan,

and others who had no social safety net of provision.

Jesus loved… the rich,

the poor,

the blind,

the lame,

the paralyzed,

the outcasts,

the in crowd

Jesus even loved bald people!

There isn’t a person in the world who is unloved because Jesus loves everyone.

Regardless of your past, your failures, your situations, your addictions, your hurts…

Jesus loves you.

And Jesus invites you to join community with Him.

PAUSE

And one more note is that

Jesus understood the cost of community!

repeat

Let me ask…

Have you ever been hurt by someone you trusted?

Have you ever been betrayed by a relative or close friend?

There is a cost associated to being in close community with other people… and Jesus is no stranger to this.

Jesus was forgotten, betrayed, abandoned, and abused!

When Jesus entered relationships, loved people, and opened His heart to sinful people, He felt the pain of being treated with cruelty and malice.

Jesus knew this was going to happen, but He was so committed to community that He opened His heart to the possibility of pain.

PAUSE

Remember Peter?

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends.

Peter denied Jesus three times...publicly, vocally, fiercely!

Peter abandoned and betrayed Jesus.

BUT after Jesus rose from the dead, He made a point of restoring community.

Though Jesus was rejected, He still forgave, loved, and sought healing in this relationship with Peter.

PAUSE

Jesus brought the community culture of heaven to earth.

He had perfect community with God in heaven and implemented community on earth with mankind.

Community was a huge value to Jesus when He was on earth.

PAUSE

So, what can we learn from Jesus?

How can we engage community the way God intended?

Erik/ Keith- Teacher A

Let’s turn to Romans 12 in our Bibles, and look at how God created you and me for community.

Movement 2- The Journey of Organic Discipleship. God Created you and me for Community

Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

PAUSE

Can I give you a very simple equation?

You ready for this?

WE > ME

We is greater than me!

Repeat

Seriously… we are NOT made to live on an island.

We were not created to be isolated, loners, who never experience community.

And…. let’s just be honest… ladies are typically better at making friends than men.

Extroverts are better than introverts…

BUT… here’s the deal, every one of us were created in the image of God and THERFORE we NEED community!

We need to learn how to value Godly community and how we can practically embrace our community with the Body of Christ – with fellow Christians!

PAUSE

This was one of my biggest problems with the whole Covid crisis… it pushed Christians away from the fellowship of community.

Online Church can NOT replace face-to-face, heart-to-heart, and hand-to-hand community!

It can’t.

Hence why our church opened up so soon after the pandemic started!!!!!

And I’m not trying to discard the value of online church OR the personal choice of some to stay home…

BUT I am confident that God NEVER intended for Christians to be isolated from interacting with one another in meaningful, consistent community.

It just goes against the very nature of God and how He made us.

PAUSE

Romans 12 says, we are members of the same body.

We can’t make it without one another.

We can’t thrive without one another.

We rely on one another to be effective and mobilized.

When one part of the body is missing, or lacking, or hurting… the whole body suffers.

PAUSE

Jesus valued community

He ate meals with others.

He went on walks with others.

He traveled with others.

He did ministry with others.

He spoke blessings and encouragements to others.

He challenged and strengthened others.

He prayed with others.

He worshiped with others.

He read Scripture with others…

We need community.

We must commit to consistently being with one another as the Body of Jesus.

PAUSE

So, you might wonder….how does community impact the world?

You know, during the pandemic everyone began to isolate, and we saw the importance of our need of community.

As a staff here at Family Church we began to realize that we needed to live into the words of

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 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.

We knew we needed each other.

We knew the Bible said that we’re better together than we are alone.

So, we chose to meet together.

And you are witnessing the results of that decision today.

You are witness to the blessing from God on that decision…

Since that decision was made, we grew from around 500 people weekly to almost 2,000 on a weekly basis.

We’ve grown from 2 services to 5 in person services and we still have an online service as well.

We’ve grown from 1 Campus to 2 Campuses with a 3rd Campus starting in January down in El Salvador and a 4th Campus over on Adams Street starting sometime in 2023.

We’ve experienced people hanging out before church, after church, participating in small groups, coming out to weekly Bible studies, and who can forget the over 3,000 people at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds in June of this year?

Talk about joy in being together!

So, we get it… being personally engaged in community adds great value to our lives, but…..

Does it actually reach the spiritually lost in our world?

Bob / Steve- Teacher B

Movement 3- How Consistent Community Shows the Presence of Jesus. God Uses Community to Reveal His Presence and Power.

Jesus said in

John 13 34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Remember what I said earlier, how the heartbeat of godly community is love?

Well, this is how we impact spiritually lost people.

Write this down

Consistent, Christ-honoring, community reveals the heart of God and invites a response.

Repeat

The world will know we are the followers of Jesus IF we love each other well.

This is the heart of consistent community.

Our community is a picture of heavenly community, and the world is looking for this in our fragmented and broken world.

PAUSE

Community is the longing of every human heart.

Every person lives with a deep longing to belong, to be loved, to be accepted among others.

And when we model community, spiritually lost people will be drawn to the Church, drawn to Christian homes, drawn to clusters of believers who love each other.

And as they draw near us, we can point them to Jesus, the One who makes our community possible.

You know what else community allows us to do?

An Auctionless Auction!

Over the past six weeks we’ve shared with you the great things we can joyfully participate in all around the world. So that we can share Jesus with as many people as possible.

Your Auctionless Auction Books includes information on all that we’d like to accomplish around the world before the end of this year. If you need a new Book there are still some out in the lobby by the Big Lighthouse.

These books explain …

How we’d like to provide 2,000 Bibles to people around the world.

How we’d like to fill the medical clinic buildings in two rural Kenyan villages with all the equipment needed to do proper diagnostic work.

How we’d like to purchase a well rig which will help open doors into the Amazon Jungle that have been closed for decades.

How we’d like to teach our middle school and high school students how to develop a Christian worldview by providing scholarships to be a part of short-term mission and learning opportunities.

That’s it (Smile Big)!!!!

You’ll find all the information you need in the booklet and just like every week before – we’d like to ask you to prayerfully consider being joyfully generous with one, two, or all four of these requests.

In your Auctionless Auction Book you will see an Envelope. If you’ve used your envelope already, there are more envelopes out by the lighthouse.

These envelopes all accept cash, checks, and even allow you to enter your debit or credit card information, fill it as full as you can, check the box that God lays on your heart and place the envelope in the Large Lighthouse in the Lobby.

Pray

Offering