The Way of Community - Authentic Community

Welcome

New to LP

Lifegroups

Lifegroup Leader Commissioning

Introduction

SUMMARY: (NEED TO EXAND)

So if you have a bible with you, open up to the Old Testament book of Exodus.

Let me read the passage, pray and we’ll get started.

Exodus 2:1–10 ESV

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

PRAY

The Book of Names and the Unseen Hand Of God

Alright, let’s get started.

The book of Exodus tells a very compelling story of God’s activity with his people - to deliver them from slavery in Egypt, to bring them to the Promise Land, and we have some of the most recognizable events in the Old Testament all collected here: the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, the 10 Commandments!

More than that, you will find echoes of the Exodus story all through the Bible! The very idea of God as a deliverer is one of the most powerful ideas in human history - fueling hoping in people for thousands of years, as they have endured through some of the most painful experiences imaginable. Some of you know what it feels like to have one thing to hold on to, and it’s that you know God to be the great deliverer; this is rooted in the story of Exodus, where God see, hears, and knows the cries of His people!

But one challenge we have with this book, in fact, we have this challenge with much of the Old Testament, is that we come to these stories asking a specific set of questions that the author may or may not be actually interested in answering!

For example, we look at this story and almost immediately think in terms of a biography of Moses.

And it makes sense why we would do that.

It’s talking about his birth. It’s talking about his family. He is the main human character of the story going forward through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

But with Biography, we tend to get the details and move on to the next part. Like, “Okay, that’s where Moses came from, now let’s get on with what he did next.”

But there are some intriguing features of this story that let us know there are few things going on beneath the surface to direct our attention away from Moses and on to something else.

The Book of Names

And the first thing we see is something that doesn’t even show up in our English Bibles.

Let’s step into the classroom for a moment.

Have you ever wondered about where the names of the books of the bible come from? Like is that an agreed upon thing? Is it actually part of the Bible?

Well, in our English Bible’s today, we follow the practice of early Catholic Church, like 4th century early, of naming the books based off the primary even that took place in that book. Makes sense for Exodus, right?

Israel’s exit or exodus from Egypt is kind of a big thing that happens.

But the Hebrew Bible takes a different approach. They give titles based on the words that show up in the first line of book.

Look at Exodus 1:1

Exodus 1:1 ESV

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:

In Hebrew, this is not the book of Exodus, it’s the book of Names.

Why does that matter?

Well, if this is the book of names, you would expect the book of names to include names, right?

And yes, we find that. You might remember the Burning Bush seen. God reveals his NAME to Moses. That’s a pretty big deal in the story.

But it also matters for this little section on Moses’ birth.

Remember, we talking about how this is not simply Moses’ biography.

First of all, when you look at chapter 2, in the book of names, isn’t it odd that Moses’ own parents aren’t named? Jump back a litter farther in chapter 1 and you’ll find that two Egyptian midwives who help the Hebrew women deliver their babies are given names: Shiphrah and Puah. Why them and not the parents?

Maybe most interesting is that the one person who you think would be named in the book of names, is NOT named! Pharoah! At this point in history, probably the most powerful person on earth—not given a name!

You see, I tell you all of this to show you that this book of Names is toying with us! To show us that this is not just about Moses. In fact, this is a story that hinges on seeing what is behind the scenes.

God Behind the Scenes

You’ll also notice than in chapter one and chapter two, God is surprisingly absent from center stage. Now, we know that he wasn’t uninvolved. In fact, you cannot read the story of Moses’ survival hear apart from the hand of God’s activity. Otherwise, you’re left with this very strange and impossible-to-believe set of ironic circumstances that some how result in his protection.

God absolutely involved on every level of this story! He’s just out of sight…and in the book of Names, using un-named, people to accomplish His purposes, not for THIER fame, but for His.

This whole story begs us to look behind the curtain to see the God who is ultimately using His means to accomplish His ends, for His fame in lives of His people for their good and their joy!

The point I’m trying to make here is that this story is not a biography about Moses. It’s more than biography, it’s beautiful picture of God’s activity that beacons us to reflect on and savour every detail.

And while doing that can bring us down many different, legitimate paths, the one I want to go down today looks at the community around Moses that God used in his life; a community that he was unaware of, but that his life quite literally depended on!

We’re going to spend the rest of our time talking about what this story of Moses shows us community actually accomplishes in our lives. Along the way we’ll talk about why community is one of our core values at Lifepoint.

Authentic Community is where we experience God’s Provision

Here’s the first thing Moses’ story shows us: community is where we experience God’s provision.

Now let explain what I mean by that for a second because there are a few challenges with a statement like that.

The first, and most obvious, is what do I mean by community?

Well, in more abstract terms: I would lean towards defining it as: a social network of embodied relationships. But that sounds out of touch because community is experienced, not intellectually assented to.

We experience community as family.

It’s the group of meaningful relationship with those around you where you both know and are known by those in the group.

More importantly, though, community is something we all want.

And I can say that as a pretty extreme introvert. It doesn’t matter how much I prefer to be by myself, community is something I crave, it’s something we all crave.

In part, it’s because we are made for community. Even in the beginning, God recognized this saying:

Genesis 2:18 ESV

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

The point is, by virtue of our creation, we are dependent.

More than that, ‘community’ is the very center of our arts and entertainment industry. Shows like ‘Friends, the Office, Park’s and Rec., The Andy Griffith Show, Love Boat, and the list goes on, are all built along the lines of a community, right? If fact, I think the explosion of the Small Group model for churches can largely by traced back to the popularity of the show “Friends.” And in some ways, we want have the kinds of uninhibited relationships with people where we are welcomed and cared for and can pop onto their couch as if it were our own!

We are dependent on others.

What does this have to do with Moses’ story?

Well, just look at his very existence.

It was because he had people in his life that were looking out for him — before he was even capable of recognizing it! It was his unnamed parents who put him in a little basket, and set him loose on the Nile river (side note, the Hebrew word for basket is the same Hebrew word for ‘Ark’ in the story of Noah…) seeking to protect him from certain murder by drowning through an edict of Pharoah.

It he unnamed daughter of an unnamed Pharoah who found him in the river and choose to adopt him, bringing him into a life of influence and prominence. It was his unnamed sister was tasked with finding an unnamed midwife who happened to by Moses unnamed mother to wean him. I mean the whole story is begging us to see both community around Moses, but more significantly the God behind that community that was used to provide for Moses.

This is what I mean when I say: community is where we experience the God’s provision. And the same is true for us today.

God intends to provide for us through the community around us. And just like Moses was dependent upon his community, you are too.

I am too.

I can tell you, there have been so many times when Courtney and I have been on the receiving end of this so many times. When our kids were born, we have recieved meals. When we’ve hit really financially challenging seasons, we’ve been sent checks. When I hit burnout three years ago, I had friends who dropped everything to sit with me, pray with me, and show their deep affection for me. And in SO many ways, this was more than just people meeting my needs, this was the unseen hand of God’s provision at work! It is the unseen hand that we have experienced time and time again in countless undeserved ways that Jesus has shown up in our lives through the hands and feet of his church to meet the most challenging and acutely felt needs in my life.

Friends, this fundamental belief is what’s behind our deep desire to see everyone at Lifepoint be apart of a Lifegroup. It is not because we want good numbers. It has nothing to do with attendance. It’s because deep down, we want be a church were no one walks alone…where that kind of community is not just aspirational, but the lived experience that each us know here; where in this kind of community, we experience God’s provision!

Authentic Community is where we exercise God’s Care

And here’s the second thing we find in Moses’ story: community is where we exercise God’s care.

What do I mean by that and how does Moses’ story show us this?

Well, for a minute, step back and think about how the rest of his story plays out.

Jump ahead for a moment to Exodus chapter 3.

Moses is much older now, planing to live out his life as shepherd. And while he’s out in the fields, God speaks to him.

Look at v. 7.

Exodus 3:7–8 (ESV)

7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…

Those are some pretty powerful words, aren’t they? I mean in context, the Israelites have been in slavery, oppressed by the Egyptians for 400 years at this point. They have suffered, they have cried out, they have prayed, they have wondered if God has heard or even cares—which I think is a kind of question some of us are very familiar with.

And He approaches Moses and says, “I have seen their affliction…I have heard their cries…and I KNOW their suffering.

He’s talking about Moses’ family. His people. He’s talking about the very people who preserved his life! He says, “I have seen it all and NOW I am here to do something about it!”

V. 10

Exodus 3:10 ESV

10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

God sends Moses back to his community that once provided for him to now show them God sees, hears, and knows them! It is in this community where Moses will exercise God’s care for His people!

And, friends, we can’t miss this. Community is one of the primary ways that God uses to care for His people…by sending US to be agents of His care for one another!

This is the flip side of what we just talked about. That we do not simply benefit from community and experience God’s provision for us in our community, but it is the space and place where God also uses us to show His care for our community!

One of the biggest myths in the church today is that we can follow Jesus without one another. That it’s just personal thing. Me, my faith, and Jesus, and I’m all good!

No!

Somewhere around 50 times in the New Testament, we are called to be engaged in one another’s lives. We are called to encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, to challenge one another, to love one another, to correct one another, to pray for one another!

Now, to be clear, it’s not easy. It’s not always comfortable.

And these, I think, represent two of our biggest barriers to community today. You may even be thinking right now about how Lifegroup sounds like a good option if…fill in the blank…

-If Kids were a bit old… -If your work schedule was a bit different… -If you there weren’t as much on your plate right now with the rest of life…

You see, today, we tend to want community but on our own terms. We want a specific kind of group that meets the specific set of needs we have, or a specific set of interests we share.

And I’m not dogmatic enough to say those are all bogus desires! No. I get it.

Here’s what we need to watch out for, though. You see, there is something beautiful about the kind of diverse community God brings together in the church; with people who have different backgrounds, different experiences, coming from different places, from different eras, with different ways of thinking and processing the world around them. And God then uses these different kinds of people to live out the one another’s in OUR lives.

Let me get real specific here.

Sometimes I need Jerry Olds to come alongside me and share an insight and bring some wise counsel based on how the Lord has shaped and prepared him over the last 9 decades! I have on several occasions sat down with him to hear an insight about our church that I never would have thought about and it is for my good…it’s for OUR good!

And far too often, we wall ourselves off from people who just aren’t in the right season of life for us…or who just aren’t quite enough like ‘me,’ (though we’d probably never say it that way) because at the end of the day, it is precisely those kinds of people who will challenge us the most! This what we don’t want in community…we don’t want people who will step on our toes…and I think the cultural moment we live in right now makes makes real community very hard to experience. You see, most people are looking for less of a community and something more like a ‘tribe’.

They are looking for the group they already agree with…and who already agree with them…that’s why we have about 2 billion people in millions of “facebook Groups” all with more and more specificity so that you can find the other people who are less and less different from you.

And yet, here comes the church that say we actually want different kinds of people in our lives because we need different kinds of people in our lives to help us follow Jesus better and experience God’s provision and care in our lives!

Friends this, again, is what Lifegroup is all about. That we are waging war against our commitment to convenience and saying each time we gather, “I believe God will use me to show his care and concern for others in my community.” In that way, we are putting the Gospel on display in our Lifegroups as we commit to living out the one another’s of Christian faith together.

And it’s in community that we exercise God’s care FOR one another.

Authentic Community is where we know and are known.

And finally, let me close with this…

At Lifepoint, our value is not just “Community,” it’s authentic Community.

Why does that matter?

It’s because we’re trying to bring some important nuance to the idea of community— we’re talking about something that is more than just being around other people.

In fact, we’re talking about something that, for many of us, is quite scary.

To say that a community is authentic is to say that it is a community that knows you; truly knows you. Where you are actually able to let your guard down and share what is truly going in our life; in your heart and mind. And that is not something that happens over night.

Authentic community really only comes from the place of recognizing that you are actually able to open your life and share your life with others, because you believe it something other than opinion of others defines you. You may have picked up on this, but our core values are all interconnected. In week one we talked about Gospel Identity, and I would argue that the only thing that makes authentic community attainable is first by knowing and living in your Gospel Identity.

It’s when you’re recognize that, first and foremost, before you are invited to experience Authentic Community with others, you are invited to experience it God.

Here’s what’s scary about that: God knows you; perfectly. All of you; completely. He knows all of your flaws. All of your brokenness. He know what how you think, what you think, he knows where your mind goes when know one else can follow it. He knows your truest intentions. There is not one part of our lives that we can keep hidden from him.

I love how pastor Tim Keller puts it: that our greatest fear in life is to being BOTH fully known AND rejected. This is ultimately what keeps us from authentic community in our lives. There is always this terrifying thought, “but what if they really knew…”

But the story of the Gospel shows us both that God fully knows AND STILL loves. He knows us perfectly and still desires relationship with us! And instead of being repulsed by us, God leans in to show his love!

This is what the Apostle Paul means when he said in Romans 5:

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

SUMMARY: We are still spiritually needy people.

We authentic community needs to be seen as spiritually needy people who gather together to experience God’s provision and exercise God’s care.

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

POST MESSAGE - CLOSING

I will hit Lifegroup Registration.