In Community

Hey I want to welcome you to the house of God with the people of God as we teach the word of God a local expression of the Kingdom of God that we get to call Journey Church. I am Cam, I am your friend and pastor, and if we have not met yet, I would love to meet you after service at the guest services table to connect and get to know you more. Also in case I forget, if any part of this service today God speaks with you, or you are in need of prayer at the end of service we will have people in the back at our prayer tables who are willing, wanting and desiring to partner their faith with your faith and going before the father with whatever prayer or petition you have. We belive that asking for prayer is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength and dependence on God and we want to help you in any way we can.

Last week Pastor Carlyle kicked off our new year series we are calling “Rooted” we want to grow deeper as a church body so that we can reach wider into our community, especially North Peoria. We belive that God has placed us on this corner, for this moment to reach this part of the valley with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When I say we I don’t just mean the pastors, staff or elders. When I say we I am calling every single Jesus follower who calls Journey their home church to rise up, to accept the challenge, to get uncomfortable, to become a contributor to what God is doing in this region. You are called to reach this community and these people for Jesus, my question is and will be today, are you willing to accept the calling? Today we are going to be discussing being rooted in the community. I’m fired up, i'm ready and I hope that you are too. Let me pray for our time together.

Prayer -

I have a friend named Chris, and Chris is one of the most genuine, boisterous, sincere life of the party people you would have ever met. He is what I have deemed a “Community Creator” wherever he goes the party goes with him. So a few years ago he told me a story about a Christmas party he and his wife were invited to by somebody from their church. He was coming from work and he knew that his wife was going to be late and he decided instead of hiding in his car, he was going to go into the party and talk with people and hang out until she got there. So Chris arrives at the party, parks the car, walks into the house and begins to socialize.

You know, at Christmas parties, many of us are shedding the pounds we gained from them still. At Christmas parties you know two things, there will be people you know and people you don't know, and there will be a lot of food. So Chris gets himself a plate and he just begins to talk with people. Introducing himself, talking with people, swapping stories, laughing, all of it like I said he is a community creator so he isn't afraid of jumping in. He gets a second plate of food and as he gets lost in conversation he realizes his wife has not yet arrived at the party. So the story goes that he either calls or texts her “Hey where are you at?” And she says she’s at the party, so he starts to look around for her and doesn't see her…but as he is looking he begins to realize something else, he doesn't recognize anyone at the party outside of the strangers he had made conversation with.

So he keep looking and it dawns on him, he is at the wrong HOUSE! He has been eating strangers food, creating community with people who are probably thinking “Who in the world is this guy” only to come to the realization he wasn’t invited to this party, he was invited to the party next door! As I heard this story for the first time I was laughing until my stomach hurt, because that is totally Chris, no matter where he was at, no matter who he was with, he would always try to connect with people. He would always be looking out for people, I remember on time I was starting a residency with a church and the day before he asked if I had a collared shirt, I said no, he bought me a shirt. A year later he knew that my Karlee was pregnant with Lilly and he gave me a call and said he had a crib for us, we didn't ask, he just was looking for a way to serve and care for us, he heard I needed a car he gave me call that he had found me a 1994 Buick skylark, and we bought that car and called it Butch. Chris was a community creator.

And so a little over a year ago at his funeral that was on full display. Shockingly Chris died of a heart attack in November 2021, and when I went to his funeral with my parents, and just over 1,000 other people were there. People who if you saw the different groups you would think they didn't have anything in common. Church people, and non church people, Jesus followers and atheist, little old ladies and people tattooed up to the foreheads, people who never smoked and people smoking on the patio. Bikers, pastors, marines, you name it they were there. And you can hear story after story on stage and walking by people about how Chris was the connecting factor, and the same thing Was always said, he was the life of the party, he loved people, he always try to connect people to one another, he served everyone, never asked for anything in return, it was sad, but it was perfect. In fact the very last thing we did as his celebration of life, created a group full of strangers into being connected with one another in community we were asked to stand, so I am going to ask you all to stand... I didn't know this, but often at parties, or dinners he would lean over to his kids or friends and say watch this…and he would begin to sing this song…(Sweet Caroline…I go to a front row, throw my arm around someone, and begin to sway, start to sing and talk)

You know it….everyone knows this song, through tears loved ones wrapped their arms around each other, and then around strangers and we started singing…

What does this have to do with Rooted, the thing is Chris wasn’t a community creator simply because he had the personality for it. Rather, Chris was a community creator because he modeled his life after the one he gave his life and soul to. Jesus. If you read the gospels you see that Jesus, everywhere he went created community, he was always with people. We see in Luke 5 that he created community with what the religious leaders called, the sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes. In Luke 19 he tells Zacchaeus that he’s going to his house to eat, he calls his disciples away form their profession and into community with him to serve others. In John 3 a religious leaders in the middle of the night sneaks to him to ask questions about who he is and how to receive eternal life. In John 4 we see Jesus talking with the woman at the well and after she left she told everyone about quote “come and see the man who told me everything I ever did, come and see the messiah.” Everywhere Jesus went, the community followed him. He fed the 5K and 4k, multiple times it says all the sick and hurting came to him to find restorations and healing.

And after Jesus died on the cross, rose again and accended into heaven this first thing that happened were the Jesus followers gathered together in the upper room. Where the Holy Spirit came like wind and fire and in Acts 2 it says they begin to speak in tongues where it says “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭The first act of the Holy Spirit was the open up the mouths of the Jesus followers and ears of different tribes so that they may hear the good news of Jesus Chrsit and enter into salvation and that only Jesus can bring, and into community with other Jesus followers, and you know what, 3,000 people were saved that day.

And this is what that community did “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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,” - ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭42‬-‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That's how the Jesus movement grew, everywhere it went around the Roman empire and the Mediterranean Sea and into India with the Apostle Thomas, whoever were saved, were in community with one another. Pockets of Jesus followers, loving, serving, caring for, growing in their faith, taking care of eachother and strangers, ministering and serving to their neighbors, giving to the church and to one another, telling others about Jesus and for 2000 years that is how people were saved and served, nations changed, communities altered for the sake of the Kingdom. And somewhere along the way, due in large part to our desire to be comfortable, and the self-serving culture we have created, the church community stopped being the exception and started becoming an option. To the first Jesus followers church wasn’t something you went to, it was a community you lived in.

Unfortunately in my experience in the church world is that there are 3 types of people in the church when it comes to community and it follows the 20/80 rule. 20% of the people do about 80% of the work. And here is the thing, this isn't to shame anyone, or to beat anyone up, rather, leaders define reality because we cannot take our next step if we don’t know where we are at.

1: Community Creators - 20% - We will discuss this at length in a moment. -

2: Community Consumers - 60% - These are people who will only be a part of a community if it is convenient for them and if they are the main benefactors of the community itself. They consume, and never give back.  If they do give back, it fits their schedule, their needs, their wants, they will do it. I will serve if it benefits me, I will give to get a tax break or goes to something I want, and I’ll go to church as long as the topic is relative to me or my favorite pastor is teaching, or if there is not a better option for my Sunday morning, like soccer tournaments or lake outings or sunday morning coffee in bed. I am all for making memories with the family, but not at the expense of my wife’s soul or my kids' eternities.  It’s consumer based. You are needed in this community, because the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 talks about all of us who are in Christ are of one body, we all have a function, and we are all needed to work and grow together, God does not call us to be a consumer, he calls us to be creators and contributors to the community around us. And without you, we are missing pieces to our spiritual body, and you are missing out on true community.

3: Community Avoiders - 20% - These are people who view community like covid, avoid it at all costs! They are the last ones in church, and first one out. They don’t feel like they need community in their life to grow; they are perfect by themselves. And if this is you I want to say two things, 1: You might say you don’t need a community to grow or to rely on, but you also don’t have to live with your spouse to stay in a loving relationship, but it helps if you do. I would say you are missing out on 80% of the full Christian life God is calling you to by not being in community with other people. The second thing is, if you avoid community, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of being honest with yourself and others, are you afraid of people knowing you, are you afraid of feeling weak, or humble, are you afraid people will not accept you. Listen, if we follow Jesus we follow his model, if Jesus dined with tax collectors, sinners and prostitutes we have no right to turn anyone away. We will turn you to Christ, but we will not turn you away, as I always say, everyone has a seat at my table. So take a bold step into community. When it comes to community, where are you at?  Which category do you find yourself in?

So where does that leave us? At Journey Church, I believe God is calling us to be rooted and mature in community in 2023. I believe that God is positioning us to expand our territory in North Peoria, meaning more and more people will call Jesus their Lord and Savior and more and more people will call Journey their Church home. But listen, that does not happen by accident, it happens by all of us deciding we are going to be community creators. So what does that look like?

How to Become Community Creators:

1: Join a Journey Group: Sounds simple but this is the very first step. Listen in Acts 2:42 it says “They (the followers of Jesus) devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” That's a Journey group, you devote yourselves to the word and the teaching of the word, you discuss it, you eat good food and you pray together. That's a biblical church community. There is a word we don’t often use but we should use ``Edification” . Edification is the instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually. Groups are meant to edify each other so that we can be instructed in Gods word and will and follow the ways of Jesus better. Groups start soon and I would say if you are a consumer or avoid get into a group! Take a step, be rooted in community and devoted to one another. Here at Journey we belive you should be in a group, that should be non-negotiable. And if you don’t have a free night to be in one, looks like you need to cut something out to be apart of what God is calling you into.  You Should be in a Journey group. Get signed up today, on your chair are cards with a QR code, open your photos app, scan the code and you will see the groups we have. And listen, if you don’t see a group for you, then start one!

2: Look for Ways to Care: The hardest parts of my life have had their punches softened because I had a community of people uplifting me, caring for me and petitioning through prayer to God on my and my family's behalf. A Community creator looks for ways to care for those in their community. Like Chris, we are aware of what is happening and we find a way to care for people, because listen to church. Jesus modeled it the early church did and the world was never the same. There have been may times in my life that the community of the church helped me in ways I couldn’t imagine. When Karlee had mold poisoning in North Carolina my community in AZ and a few friends in NC helped support us. Same thing happened when I was in a car accident last year, people cared for us, or when our daughter was born we had food upon food to take away a small burden. But when life hits you, tragedy strikes, uncertainty looms, sickness, cancer, loss of a job, loved one, what happens you when are hiding sin and need to confess it but don't have anyone to confess it to? The church your community can come alongside of you can care for you and I have to say that I’ve seen a lot of churches, Journey is one of the most caring churches when it comes to caring for eachother. I believe we model what the Capital “C” church should be doing.

3: Pray and Seek: Community creators pray and seek for others they can invite into a relationship with Jesus. Let me ask you a question: When is the last time you prayed for your neighbors or friend/family who don’t know Jesus? When is the last time you prayed for God to give you an opportunity to invite them to church? When have you prayed for their kids, marriages, or the hidden things? When you being to pray for people you start being invested in people and I believe God gives you opportunities to tell them about Jesus. Jesus said those who have ears let them hear and those who have eyes let them see, and I just pray that we begin to have eyes and ears are are in tune with what the Holy Spirit is doing and we may enter into relationship and community with people we never thought we would.

Listen, I know some of you have family members who may never accept your invitation to church because there are not enough degrees of separation. I get that, I have that in my family. So you know what I do? I pray that God would place neighbors next to them that love them enough to invite them to their church, to invite them into their community. Community creators are always praying and seeking for ways to invite others into their community.

4: Focus on Jesus: As God blesses us and community is beginning to spread, we cannot forget about that Person this is all about. It’s for Jesus, it will always be about Jesus and his forgiveness of sins, to turn to unrighteous righteous. So when God uses you in a mighty way, it’s not because you are good, its because he is Good. As we grow and people come to faith it’s not because Journey is good, its because God is good. If we loose focus on that, we loose it all. The author of Hebrews reminds us of this when he says, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.- Hebrews 12:2 Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Earlier we sang Sweet Caroline together, all of us standing, and knowing the lyrics, it brought us close. It brought for a moment community with everyone in the room. I think, if Neil Diamond can do that with everyone in the room, what would it look like if the church stood arm and arm with one another, and we didn't sing Neil Diamond, rather we sang the praises of our God. In the community we worship God for who he is, we worship him not just for what he has done in the past, but what he is going to do here and now in your life, in the life of the person next to you, in the life of your neighbor and in North Peoria. What if we as a community of believers took the decree of Jesus personally and brought heaven to earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. That we as a group of people were committed to Christ, to one another and to the Kingdom.

I believe we would see revival in our time, I believe we would see people far from Jesus enter into salvation and into the waters of baptism. I believe that we would see marriages restored, families united, addictions confessed, abuse stop, spiritual warfare defeated, darkness into light and Jesus proclaimed over every house, in North Peoria. And it starts here, it starts now, with this body being rooted in community and deciding to be community creators with each other standing arm and arm professing Jesus and glorifying our God. So as we sing this last song together I want you to sing loud, sing with passion and honor and as I close I want to remind you of what the Apostle Peter says about you:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. - 1 Peter 2:9-10

Enter into last song -