The Habit of Transformational Community

January 29th 2023

Series: Habits of A Healthy Christian

Sermon Title: The Habit of Transformational Community

Topic: HABITS are actions that are engrained, that have become natural because of continued repetition. They are the things we do without thinking but accomplish with skill and precision. This is a message on prioritizing the habit of surrounding ourselves with Godly community. And, how that will lead to spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us.

Key Passages: Proverbs 12:26, Proverbs 13:20, Genesis 1:1-2, 26, John 1:1, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Sermon Blurb: If the statement, “You are whom you surround yourself with” is true, then our community is one of the most important things about us. In this message, we will learn what the Bible has to say about the power of Godly community to not only transform our own lives but also the world around us!

Sermon:

Family Moment

Can you believe that we are already almost done with January?

Time sure does fly!

How many of you are holding strong to your New Year’s resolutions still?

Anyone?

PAUSE

For those of you who are new, or newer, to Family Church.

We are in a series talking about the things HEALTHY followers of Jesus do.

We are a church do this at the start of every year.

Because it is our goal for everyone at Family Church to be healthy followers of Jesus.

Our hope is that you will walk away from church every week this month with some additional things you can put into practice in 2023 to become a healthier follower of Jesus.

And we chose to call them HABITS, not disciplines, for a couple of reasons;

First, we often think of discipline as a bad thing, so we wanted to rid our thoughts of any negative reactions…

But more importantly, we’re calling it HABITS because habits, by definition, are a better way to think about these spiritual tools that we are discussing.

PAUSE

SO... What is a habit?

Write this down:

HABITS are actions that are ingrained, that have become natural because of continued repetition. They are the things we do without thinking but accomplish with skill and precision.

So, here is our Acronym for the series.

It’s an acronym for the word HABITS FC…and it shows us, in order, the topics we’re going to be discussing over these weeks.

On the screen AND in notes

H – Holy Fasting A – Abundant Prayer

B – Bible Learning I – Intentional Generosity T – Transformative Community

S – Sacrificial Serving

F – Fruitful Multiplying

C – Continual Coaching

Hopefully, this will help us to remember more easily what we’re going to be learning in this series.

PAUSE

Now, the message today is on developing the habit of Transformative Community.

American businessman and motivational speaker,

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

Someone else once said,

“Show me your friends and I will tell you your future.”

And it’s true, whom we spend time with...

Whom we do life with…..

Those people will make a huge impact on our lives...

And they can impact our life for GOOD or BAD!

ADD A EXAMPLE HERE IN YOUR LIFE OF A FRIEND OR PERSON THAT INFLUENCED YOU FOR GOOD…..

PAUSE

But don’t take my (or their) word for it…listen to what the Word of God says about this important topic...

Proverbs 12:26, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm!”

That’s powerful stuff!!

The Bible agrees, who we spend time with (our community) will transform us!!!!

God says….. your closest friends will either help us grow and mature as disciples of Jesus

OR

Your closest friends will lead you down the wrong path away from Jesus!

PAUSE

Now I know I just shared a good example of people leading to good places…..

Let me be transparent…..

That has not always been the case in my life….

ADD A EXAMPLE HERE IN YOUR LIFE OF A FRIEND OR PERSON THAT INFLUENCED YOU FOR BAD…..

Here is the point church….

Jot down our first point today…

1. You will be transformed by those you spend time with. Repeat

Proverbs 13:20…. Look at it in your notes…. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion (or friend) of a fool suffers harm.”

In other words, if we spend time with wise, Godly people we will grow in wisdom and Godliness.

But, if we spend time with foolish, worldly folks, we will become more like them.

We all know people who are in “toxic” relationships…..or have been….

And EVERYONE outside the relationship is like….

Don’t do it.

Leave him or her!

Get out!

Don’t spend time in godless community!

It’ll only bring you harm!

God loves you so much He warns you to stay away from toxic or Godless people.

This REALLY makes who you choose to marry of SUPER import, right?

Anybody marry a fool? Don’t raise your hand….

LAUGH!!!!

Teens….Young Adults…..

This makes your choice of friends of utmost importance.

That is why your parents try to guide you to GOOD friends.

Teens….Young Adults…..Adults…..Listen to me…..

It also means that what music you choose to listen to...

What TV shows do you choose to watch...

What podcasts do you listen to,

What books do you choose to read,

Even what church you attend REALLY matters!

ALL those things will influence and shape whom you become.

PAUSE

We see this play out so powerfully in the Bible.

First, did you know that God lives in transformative community?

While the concept of the Trinity is difficult for us to comprehend…….

The reality is that God has always existed as Three Persons The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Community has existed from before the beginning of time!

There has LITTERALLY NEVER been a time there was not community.

Let me show you…

From the very beginning of time, we see the Godhead engaged in Creation together.

Genesis 1:1-2, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Right there…. We see two of the Trinity God the Father and God the Spirit…..

What about Jesus you might ask?

John addresses that at the start of his book….

John 1:1-5, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

PAUSE

You see transformative community….quite literally…

This Godly community TRANSFORMED nothing into our world and all in it!

God, Father, Son and Spirit, created the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it… together!

PAUSE

But do you want to see something equally amazing!!!!

Did you know God wanted US to be a part of HIS transformative community!!!!!

Look with me at

Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in ourlikeness...”

Do you see it church????

God created mankind, Adam and Eve, in His image!

In His likeness!!!!

Not because God was lonely and needed creatures to relate to!

No, He doesn’t need us!

He created mankind to share in loving fellowship with Himself.

That was the original intent in the Garden.

God wanted from the very start to be IN community with us!

Listen to

Genesis 3:8, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the Garden in the cool of the day…”.

The picture here is of God meeting with Adam and Eve, walking and talking (communing) with them in the Garden of Eden.

Truly, Adam and Eve walked in community with God.

Can you just imagine how amazing that kind of community would be!

Can you imagine walking with God personally.

Talking with God like a friend that closely.

Can you imagine being able to walk a trail with God and just talk….

PAUSE

And church…..

Who knows how that amazing community was broken?

Yes…..in the SAME Garden, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world and that perfect community was broken….

Adam & Eve covered up and hid from God.

And when God questioned them about eating the fruit, the “blame game” ensued.

Adam blamed Eve…..

Eve blamed the Serpent…..

Can we all agree that we’re sinners in here? Does anyone think they’re perfect?

If so, you are guilty of lying (smile)

PAUSE

But…… the story doesn’t end there, does it church?

God did something to restore it!

God sent Jesus to restore our community!

2 Corinthians 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”

Which means this….write this down…

2. Spiritual transformation starts when we are reconciled to God.

Repeat

And you might wonder….

How does that happen?

How can I be reconciled with God?

I mean I have done a LOT of bad things….

How can I be…..

Listen to how Paul describes it just one verse earlier in

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come!

Does anyone here want to raise their hand if coming into a relationship with God has changed them?

Think about the transformation that’s happened in your life!

Your sins are forgiven…..

Your guilt and shame totally gone….

You have a new identity in Jesus….

The old you is gone and the new you has come!

You are a child of God!

Everything changes!!!!

And it does NOT end there!!!!!

Transformation will continue until the day we see Jesus face to face!!!!!

2 Corinthians 3:18, And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.

PAUSE

But, not only can we enjoy transformative community with God, but also with one another in the family of God!.

So…. Write this down…

3. Spiritual transformation continues as we connect with God’s people.

Repeat

Listen to the way the first church related to one another and the powerful affect that had on their spiritual growth…

Acts 2: 42-47, They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Look at this new life these new believers shared together…

Devoted to the Bible,

Devoted to prayer,

Eating together,

Praising God together,

Sharing their stuff,

Meeting needs,

The Holy Spirit moving among them,

And DAILY new friends coming into their midst!!

PAUSE

Now, I know that there are people here today who have been positively affected by the church….

And I know there are some of you who have been negatively affected by the church.

Some of you have been hurt by other Christians and that led you away from God and spiritual growth.

And if that’s you here today, I’m sorry. God’s heart breaks over that and we are here to help you heal.

PAUSE

But others of you have been blessed to be a part of a healthy and thriving church where your life has been transformed by brothers and sisters in the body of Christ!

People who genuinely love you and want the best for your life.

I’ve been a part of both, but let me highlight the latter to give you hope for what’s possible…

ADD A STORY LIKE THIS……

My story: I remember as a brand new believer in my 20’s as a part of a healthy church a lot like FC. As I connected into the community I found so much encouragement. People would often speaking life and blessing into my life. People were servant hearted and others centered. I was often edified, encouraged and built up by those around me. My gifts were called out and I was called up to grow. God used that group of people to help transform me into a man of God that I am today!

Have you been a part of this kind of transformational community?

It is what we hope you will ALL find here at Family Church!

PAUSE

And as much as we hope you are transformed in your personal life….

We hope it does not end there….

Transformational community is also for the world!

As we are changed, we become change agents to bring the life transforming message of the Gospel to those around us!

Let’s look back at

2 Corinthians 5:18-20, All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making an appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

You can jot this down:

1. Transformational community is the gift we need to share with the world!

Church, do you see it?

Through faith in Jesus, we have been reconciled to God and to one another…and now God has given us the ministry of reconciliation…to help encourage other lost people to be reconciled to God through who?

Jesus!

This is what our community needs to hear from us, church.

Not that people would hear what we are against, but rather what we are FOR!

That we are FOR them being reconciled to God.

We are FOR their sins being forgiven and their lives being transformed by Jesus.

We are FOR them entering into our community of faith and becoming part of the family of God.

Can I get an Amen?!?

PAUSE

So, in closing…I want you to consider the points we made in this message.

1. We will be transformed by those we spend time with…so, choose your friends wisely.

2. Spiritual transformation starts when we are reconciled to God…so, if you haven’t yet, receive Christ as Savior and Lord today!

3. Spiritual transformation continues as we connect with God’s people…so, how might you need to better connect today

4. Transformational community is the gift we need to share with the world!

So…..here is where we hope you all go from here today….

Here is your life application….from everything we have talked about today….

LIFE APPLICATION: Consider how you can better surround yourself with Godly community, and then move in that direction.

PRAYER

GIVING