Individuality Vs. Community ( Can we have Individualism in the Church)

Hebrews 10:19-26 Numbers 15:22-31

Our rugged, American, pioneer roots have often led us to have a very individualistic attitude. Sometimes this leads us to disregard the needs of others. Other times, it leads us to think that the gathered church is not important (I can worship God alone in nature just as well, Or we elevate the idea of a “personal relationship with Jesus” to an unhealthy place. When you speak about an “unhealthy relationship”, it's us having control over our life. It’s putting ourselves on God's throne. I’m not here today because of my strength, I’m here today because God is with me every moment, of every day, and He will be with me Every step of the way. We have to be careful to ensure that our individualistic attitude speaks to power of God and not man. We teach our children to be independent, we strive to make we do this so that people cannot see our weaknesses. Growing up as our parents dressed us for church or school the disclaimer was not to go up there telling our family business.

We are continuing our series on the true story and shaping our minds through scripture. Scripture presents a story where people are interdependent, all equally essential parts of each other’s Christian faith. In the context of a church, both individualism and community are important, but their significance may vary depending on the perspective and emphasis of the church's mission and values.

In Hebrews 10, The writer speaks about the subject of Individuality vs. Community. It shares with us questions on how individuality and community work together. It also shares with us how negatively our individualistic attitude can hurt the community Hebrews 10:19-25 emphasizes the significance of Jesus Christ's sacrifice and encourages believers to persevere in faith and mutual encouragement. This passage describes is the importance of a community. A Community is a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, common interests, and common goals. In a church context, community refers to a group of believers who come together to worship, fellowship, support, and encourage one another in their faith journey. so this morning if you thought you where not of value this morning your wrong. Turn to your neighbor and say neighbor I’m glad you are here it means allot to me.

Also the Hebrew writer shows us the good and the bad of individuality in the community.Individuality is recognized by the differences between particular people, and their special gifts, needs, and character. Now In a negative sense, the term can mean placing the needs of individuals above those of the church as a whole, which is contrary to the biblical emphasis on all believers sharing in the common ministry of the body of Christ. While community is vital, individualism plays a role in the church. Each believer has unique gifts, talents, and callings given by God. Romans 12:4-5 says, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." This verse emphasizes the diversity of gifts within the body of Christ, acknowledging the importance of each individual's contribution to the community.

Verse 4: uses the analogy of the human body to illustrate the diversity of roles and functions within the Christian community. Just as the body has many parts, each with its own function, so too does the body of believers (the church) consist of many individuals, each with unique gifts and roles to contribute. Then we see in verse 5, the writer emphasizes the unity of believers in Christ. Despite their diversity in gifts and functions, all believers are united as one body in Christ. Each member is interconnected and dependent on one another, forming a cohesive and interdependent community. This unity in diversity reflects the beauty of God's design for the church, where each member contributes to the health and functioning of the whole body.

The scriptural doctrine of God and scriptural doctrine of salvation are inseparable and interdependent.

Rienk Bouke Kuiper

Ultimately, while both individualism and community are important, the emphasis should be on how they complement and support each other within the context of the church. Individualism should not lead to isolation or self-centeredness but should be directed towards serving and building up the community of believers. Likewise, the community should not overshadow the individual's unique identity and call but should provide a supportive environment for growth and mutual edification.

so let’s look at our text today

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19–25 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Verse 19-21: The original audience of this letter was persecuted Jewish Christians of the early church. They were persecuted by Jewish leaders and religious authorities often viewed Jewish Christians as apostates or heretics for deviating from mainstream Jewish beliefs about the Messiah and the interpretation of Jewish law. This led to social ostracism, expulsion from synagogues, and sometimes physical violence.

2. While initially, the Roman Empire did not distinguish between Jewish Christians and other Jews, tensions arose as Christianity grew and became perceived as a separate religious movement. Jewish Christians, like other Christians, faced persecution from Roman authorities for their refusal to worship the emperor and participate in pagan rituals.

3. In addition to persecution from Jewish and Roman authorities, Jewish Christians faced the same persecution as their Gentile counterparts within the broader Christian community. This included persecution under Roman emperors such as Nero and Domitian.

Despite persecution, Jewish Christians played a significant role in the early spread of Christianity, particularly in Jerusalem and Judea. The Book of Acts and the letters of Paul in the New Testament provide insights into the challenges faced by Jewish Christians and their contributions to the early Christian movement. Over time, as Christianity became increasingly Gentile-dominated and institutionalized, the distinct identity of Jewish Christianity gradually faded. This entire writing is meant to motivate these believers. The writer wants them to be more diligent, more confident, and more proactive in their faith. The reference here to "brothers" emphasizes the fact that all of these words are written to save Christians. Those who are saved have every reason to be confident in approaching God with their prayers (Hebrews 6:19–20), The overall theme of the book of Hebrews is that God's new covenant is superior to the old covenant. This does not make the old covenant wrong, or meaningless. Rather, God has always intended the Old Testament's system of priests and animal sacrifices to point towards the eventual Messiah. Given all of the Scripture and evidence supporting Jesus' role as the Promised One, the writer argues, Christians should be extremely confident in their faith.

Verse 22-23; This passage is a point of encouragement, following a long explanation. The writer of Hebrews has completed his description of how the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. This was supported using many Old Testament Scriptures, as well as other convincing arguments. Given all of this support, Christians have every reason to be confident and courageous in living out their faith. Jesus shows us how Individualism is important because He showed us how we should do it.

1 Peter 2:5

You also, as living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple Much of the letter, to this point, has been explaining reasons to be confident that Jesus Christ, not the old covenant priesthood, is God's ultimate plan for mankind's salvation. Part of the encouragement to "hold fast" given here comes from that perspective Hebrews 3:14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Christ is the fulfillment of God's will for mankind, so we should resist the pressures of anything which tries to take us away from Him. At the same time, this statement comes in the context of several warnings. Here we see the dangers of our individualism. The writer of Hebrews has cautioned the reader about the dangers of being careless, shallow, or dismissive of their Christian faith (Hebrews 2:1–4; 6:1–8). A prominent example is given in chapter 3, regarding Israel's failure in the desert, at the borders of the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:12–19). There, Israel succumbed to fear and doubt, and did not "hold fast" to their trusting faith in God. Christians are called not to make this mistake. Instead, we should embrace the confidence we have in Christ, and His salvation, and act accordingly. how does this happens how do we hold fast, be encourage verse 24-25 the bible says 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Verse 24-25: Christianity is not a faith which God intended to be lived out alone. Encouraging others and being encouraged by others are both central to the life of an obedient believer. This follows a core theme of this entire book, which is "holding fast" (Hebrews 3:14). People are here because they are hurting, persecuted, abused and overwhelmed, oppressed, downtrodden struggling with illnesses, death and depression. The entire book of Hebrews is meant to encourage Christians not to give up on their faith. When persecution and fear put pressure on believers, our response should be to "hold fast" to the truth. Turn to your neighbor and say neighbor hold fast to the truth. This is not blind faith—on the contrary, most of the content of this letter is evidence supporting the fact that Jesus Christ is, in fact, God's ultimate plan for our salvation. Our own personal faith is crucial to that endurance, which is why the writer has so often warned readers not to be lazy or careless about their spiritual growth (Hebrews 2:1–4; 6:1–8). At the same time, the influence of others is extremely important to our spiritual maturity (Hebrews 3:13). Instead of reacting to difficult times with fear or doubt, we should embrace a confident faith and encourage fellow believers to do the same. This means calling other Christians to not just "believe," but to act out in love and good deeds. Personal contact with other Christians is not merely suggested by the Bible: it is commanded. A practical reason for this was given in the prior verse. Relationships with other believers are one way to be encouraged to live out the faith we proclaim. We are called on to "hold fast," through our own spiritual maturity. Growth in faith, however, is greatly influenced by having Christian examples around us. This is why the Great Commission was for the church to "make disciples," not merely to talk about Jesus (Matthew 28:18–20). Verse 24 commanded Christians to look for opportunities to inspire others to love and to do good works. Grace never looks for a reason; it only looks for an opportunity.

Warren W. Wiersbe I like this part where the writer specifically disapproves of failure, another word for failure are excuses on the part of Christians, to meet with other Christians. The Greek term used here is enkataleipontes, referring to "an abandonment or forsaking." The ESV translates this term as "neglect," since it implies a failure to do something one ought to be doing. In clear terms, Christians have an obligation to fellowship with other Christians. This is not only necessary for discipleship, but so that we can meet each other's needs, and encourage and inspire other Christians in their faith Hebrews 3:13 (Hebrews 3:13; Colossians 3:16).

Hebrews 3:13 (NKJV)

13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

In Closing look at verse 26 and the continual danger of Individualism that is self absorbed

Hebrews 10:26 NLT

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.

Let's look at a text in the Old Testament that gives us a snapshot of today's lesson. Number 15:22-31

15:22–29. The third category concerns sin offerings. These were made in atonement for the failure to keep any of the Lord’s commandments unwittingly; that is, by unintentional neglect or omission. When the whole community was collectively guilty, they were to offer a young bull as a burnt offering … along with the prescribed accompanying offerings of grain and drink, and a goat as the sin offering. The difference between the regulations here and those pertaining to the sin offerings in Leviticus 4:13–21 is that here the sins were of omission while those in Leviticus were of commission. Moreover, this passage in Numbers requires the offering of both a bull as a burnt offering and a male goat as a sin offering while Leviticus mentions only the bull as a sin offering. The reconciliation perhaps lies in the fact that in Numbers the bull as a sin offering was presupposed and was augmented by another bull offered as a burnt offering. The goat is mentioned with the bull but only in anticipation of the sin offering to be made for the individual ruler (not specifically mentioned here) who sins unwittingly. Leviticus also prescribes a male goat for the sin of the ruler (Lev. 4:22–26) so there is really no conflict. As for an ordinary individual citizen, his sin of omission required the offering of a female goat (Num. 15:27–29) precisely as stipulated in Leviticus 4:27–31. 15:30–31. The last regulation deals with a case of defiant sin, committed knowingly and deliberately. Such sin is described as blasphemous because it was an arrogant act of insubordination, a challenge to the lordship of Yahweh and His covenant demands. Anyone guilty of this kind of sin must be cut off from his people. As elsewhere, this means both excommunication and death (cf. Gen. 17:14; also see comments on Lev. 7:20; 17:4).

15:30 Describes a deliberate and brazen sin. ( brazen means bold without shame) The sin is all the more serious because of the defiant attitude of the sinner, which reveals the sinful behavior resulted from willful opposition to God’s commands (Num 15:31). This attitude of rebellion against God was a threat to the entire community (see Number 16:19–23) 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. 20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

Ways to Keep us holding fast to the truth of the community

1. **Authentic Relationships:** Foster authentic relationships based on trust, transparency, and vulnerability. Encourage open communication and create opportunities for members to connect on a personal level.

2. **Inclusive Atmosphere:** Create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and accepted regardless of background, culture, or personality. Emphasize hospitality and seek to build bridges across differences.

3. **Regular Gatherings:** Facilitate regular gatherings and activities that bring members together for worship, fellowship, study, and service. This could include weekly worship services, small group meetings, social events, and outreach opportunities.

4. **Meaningful Engagement:** Provide opportunities for members to actively engage and contribute to the community. Encourage participation in leadership, ministry teams, service projects, and outreach efforts that align with individual interests and talents.

5. **Support and Care:** Cultivate a culture of support and care where members come alongside one another in times of joy and sorrow. Offer practical assistance, prayer support, and emotional encouragement to those in need.

6. **Celebration and Reflection:** Celebrate milestones, achievements, and God's faithfulness together as a community. Take time to reflect on shared experiences, learnings, and opportunities for growth.

7. **Adaptability and Flexibility:** Be adaptable and flexible in response to changing needs, challenges, and opportunities. Embrace innovation and creativity in finding new ways to strengthen and grow the community.