Committed To Community

Bottomline: We get out of community what we put into community.

Psalms

New Living Translation (Psalm 37)

5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

We live in a time of high expectation and low commitment.

Excuses For Why We Don’t Commit To Community

-I don’t have time

-I don’t want to put in effort

-I want community with people who are just like me

-We want it with people will give but we dont have to give

-We have been hurt in the past

research says that more than three in five Americans report being chronically lonely, and that number is "on the rise?" These stats are indicators of a grave and costly crisis. Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts are all on the rise. Scientists now warn that loneliness is worse for our health than obesity, smoking; lack of access to healthcare, and physical inactivity.'

Psalm

The New International Version (Psalm 133)

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

We have a longing for belonging.

The problem often is, we have a longing for what WE believe is the right type of community.

“Every human wish and dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.”

*bonhoeffer quote on community

Sometimes God doesn’t give us the community we want, He gives us the community we need.

Fellowship is shared participation within a community. The word in the Greek is koinonia, and it's most often translated into English as sharing, fellowship, or communion.

God exists in community.

God enjoys perfect fellowship within himself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in eternal relationship and always participate in acts of self-giving love toward one another (John 17:5) This fellowship is the essence of Heaven—full of joy, generosity, and peace.

God made us for community.

“He created us out of relationship for relationship.”

-Jennie Allen

Genesis

The New International Version (Chapter 2)

18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

I want to tell you a favorite story in the gospels

The New International Version (Chapter 5)

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

Love always finds a way.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Our friends faith can be key to our healing.

Faith is a team sport.

Sometimes we need others to carry us to the feet of Jesus.

Community often is place that helps us most heal and be refined.

We are wounded in community and we are healed in community. No way around it. Healing might not come from the community where the wounding took place, but community is needed for healing nonetheless.

-Rich Villodas

The reward came from the righteousness of others. The

Reminder that God does go on to heal this mans physical needs too.

Acts

New Living Translation (Chapter 2)

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Romans

The New International Version (Chapter 12)

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

We get out of community what we put into community.

We cannot be in real communion with Christ, without being in real community with others.

Practical Ways To Commit To Community

-be part of a life group or bible study

-make church a priority

-look for ways to love your friends

-risk making new friends