Biblical Community

Why? When I add my thanks to Catherines.

25 years, guess you saw that. She had glasses on and I'm getting ready to put mine on when we first met each other. Those were not part of our repertoire

Some of the things I'm going to share in sermon, you want to see. That you guys have done that for us. One of the things both of our daughters have graduated from college now.

They're doing great. Love, Jesus serving, Jesus. And I do believe, I'll get emotional about this because we love to see how they're doing. But one of the things that I think it's key is that we have people praying for them. You guys pray for a daughter's since before they were born. So, thank you.

That's part of community. Caring for each other. And you know, we're not here much. It's been several years since I preached hearing

but we enjoying, Getting hurt getting that time with you, but I just want to say thank you for praying for a dollars.

You know, it's always interesting.

coming into a context where We? We're coming to to preach at a church where I don't know what day to day. Life is like for almost two years. Now I've been an elder at church in Greensboro has been in you new experience. I haven't been in a litter before. I was asked to be winning Argentina, but did not didn't feel like that was her role in that contact. And I preach, it's been actually several years since I appreciate any church other than our home church. So, coming into that contacts. Knowing what people, what's going on in people's lives is what I know. You know, would be good. This is a message on this. I'm so coming in today. You're like, what do you have? And it's going to be on community units. It's going to be the last couple of verses that we were at and I'll just let you know that the reason is because of that is what first of all that I preached on that passage at our church back in June or July. But the reason I did it then was because it was something that was weighing on me. That's something. It was something. I was convicted me of any continue to do that over the last four months. And so what I want to do today is as we look at those versus I'm going to teach on this versus but really it's a call to reflection for you as I share some of my experiences and what God has been teaching me out of it. Send.

Looking at any passage, I think it is in the gym mentioned. How got it? It's interesting themes, even today different people doing different things. There seems like there's already a theme communion We had communion today, if we look at this. Message that I think the first thing that we need to, we're going to focus on verses 24 through 25, but we need to see what the cultural not the culture of the the context, the textual contact of these verses. And it's interesting if you look at the first part of the first 17, verses of Hebrews 10, the authors talking about all that Jesus has done this.

That he spends a lot of time, talking about that.

Then after that, it gets in the verse. 19, and it's interesting, I'm a linguist and I analyze text, but I love since then relationship. And sometimes sometimes those are cause and effect, but sometimes there because of this do this, sometimes are because of this, this happened, but if we look starting a verse 8 verse 19, Therefore, since got a dime. What?

the authors doing here is giving a

Sort of a overview. And what did you say? Since we have confidence in her, the presence of God.

by the blood of Jesus, since we have a great priest,

since that has happened, since that is the reality that we live in, when he gets some commands, let us draw near with a True Heart in full Assurance of faith. Let us hold fast. The confession of Our Hope without wavering.

Jesus did this?

This is who we are in Christ. This is our relationship with God. And then at the end of verse 25, talk about until Matt says as you see the day Drawing Near so it's referencing the second coming of Christ. So price did this and this is where we are right now until the second coming of Christ, and in the midst of that,

He says, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Not neglecting to meet together as isn't as is the habit of some but encouraging one, another and all the more. So you see the day Drawing Near Something to this point has really been talkin about our relationship with God.

And then after that, he's starting to talk about our relationship with each other.

We Face a problem. We Face a lot of problems, but we Face a general problem in our Western world today, we're trying to live our lives on her own

We're lonely. Maybe not all of us but there's a general sense of loneliness. Retired.

I'm not a sociologist that can understand all of the things connected, the reasons behind that, but I think that's a pretty General generally. True statement

Progressive Christians, the solitary life. Means that we miss out on the blessings of fellowship and community.

It also means that we struggle spiritually.

This passages about Community as a call to live life, a particular way and to do it together. Now you probably, I'm sure. not sure, but I'm I'm sure that most of you have heard of.

A sermon on this passage. And I know that often we like to focus on. Don't not neglecting coming together. And I've heard sermons on using this passage. As you need to come to church.

And I think that's part of it. But I think it's only part of it.

Meeting together. Doesn't just have to be in this building.

Meeting together does not equal the church service.

I'm convinced that we lose sight of what's going on in this passage. If we reduce it to that,

And by the way, it seems to the structure of it talkin about meeting together. Doesn't seem to focus. Because the direct command is let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works. Not neglecting meeting together. It's the meeting together that allows us to stir one another up. A lot of good works. The meeting together. Will we get to encourage one another? Do we have a problem?

And we have a call. Deliver a particular way, what keeps us from experiencing this community?

Busyness. and if you busy,

no. Okay.

I have found myself recently. When someone has a Alex, how you doing busy? And I realize I was saying that all the time. I wasn't even thinking about really, how am I doing? Because my busyness is what just grab me. So we're busy And if you're sitting around, sometimes during the week going, got free time. What what should I do with it?

Maybe, but I don't think many of us do.

Something else that keeps us from experience and communities that we don't understand that, they understand the value of it. And Argentina, we had some great. Can you? Not Christian Community, but we had a great Community with our neighbors, we knew our neighbors, we depended on our neighbors. You know why? Because there's a dangerous place. We got together we would talk about how you know something happened. How do we take care of each other? What do we do? How do we protect? It was a need. We understood our need Spiritually, we need community.

One of the things that keeps us from doing is we don't know how to do it.

Something else that keeps us from experience and communities passivity. We just passed. We let out alive control us instead of really grabbing our lives and focusing in and thinking about what is important.

Something else that keeps us from experiencing real Community. Is that we wait on a church program.

Something else I think for us as westerners is a rugged American individualism. A John Wayne view or image of our life in Christ is not biblical. We can do it on our own.

I was reading recently missionaries Reflections on spending time with some Asian American women, Believers. And she said, while Western culture often celebrates autonomy and self-expression, they can unintentionally reduce Faith to a solitary experience.

I want to focus on a couple of words. There's a there's an expression in here. A lot. One another.

Have any of you ever done a bible study on that phrase?

It's amazing how much those two words are used in the New Testament. One another is. Something that goes back and forth. The passage here, does not say spur on others to love and good works. It doesn't say, encourage others. It says one another. That means yes for me to do that with others, but it also means let others do it to me, and that's because we need it. we need to be encouraged as I need, you know, when I was working full time with The Navigators missionary Alex missionary, while spiritual I needed. Encouragement guys. I need to believe it or not as a missionary, I needed to be spurred on to love and good works. That is just part of how we were made.

So one, another, so all throughout the New Testament, let me reference up to you. Cuz I would encourage you look up one. Another unit Bible, Gateway, whatever. And look at it, love one, another John 13. Honor one another. Romans 12 live in harmony with one another Romans 12 stop passing judgment on one another.

Romans 14 almost 15 except one another and instruct one another Galatians 5 serve one. Another

Ephesians 4 bear with one another also decisions for be kind and compassionate with one another. Ephesians 5 submit to one another. To get that idea. It's a lot of things that were called two together to do for each other.

So thinking about community, there are two things to their principles. Maybe principles that I think are King.

One is to take intentional steps to create time together.

Intentional steps. So that you spend time together. The second one is intentionality in that time together. That's what I think of it. In similar to my relationship with Christ. I take steps intentionally to spend time with God, spending time in scripture, practicing silence, and Solitude time and prayer. Those are intentional steps to spend time with God. but I also want him to have intentionality with my time with him, bring him into those areas of my life that aren't the sacred X bringing God into thinking of God, when I'm at work, And my marriage when I'm driving.

4. And my current job. I've been at for about five years. First, four and a half years. I was working remotely, but the last 6 months, Having to go to the office. Don't really like honestly, but it has my driving time has become a time of prayer.

Intentionality in that time. It also helps me practically speaking to not get so mad at other drivers. But it is. Intentionality in that time. In the same way, I need to attend, take the steps to spend time with others but also in that time together, have some intentionality of what we do. What we talked about, and if I get together with Jim, A good chance. We're going to talk about Josh garrels music. We love Josh garrels, we love, we love is music and it's great. And I'm sure they'll be part of our conversation but I don't want that to be all of our conversation.

I want to hear what God's doing in his life. I want to encourage him. I want him to encourage me.

Last Sunday, I ran a race at Eno River State Park. Sorry guys. I didn't go to church last Sunday. I ran a race with Brenna my daughter.

And it was longer if it's a longer distance than either of us have run in a long time. I know we did it.

And we actually did it faster than we thought we were able to doesn't mean we did it fast, but we did it faster.

If I had not done that, right, she would have done it. If she hadn't done it, I would have done it.

I find out that when I run with others, I don't get tired.

Can I use a run farther? I think that happens in our spiritual life as well.

So, I mention that priest on this back in June during it was actually during our pastor sabbatical and three Sundays, the three Sundays before I spoke, we had other guest speakers come in and the topics. The first was on repentance. The second one was talking about missionary from India's talking about the storms that we face. And the third one was on prayer.

Everything was perfect timing to speak after those sermons about Community because all of those things and I was thinking about it. Our topics are areas that we can do together in a repentance, is not something that is very common in our culture today.

We like, we really like focusing on everyone else's mistakes.

James 5:16 calls us to confess our sins to one another. One another and there's those words, again. How many of you in capacitance? I send to someone in the past week.

For the past year. John calls to.

Now, that's not to say, you know, the beat up on yourself and all that B. It's coming together to admit that sometimes we fail. And together. Grab on to the vision of living out the gospel.

Facing storms, the the fella who spoke was talking about the disciples as they were rolling. And Jesus came to them at night and they were all afraid and stuff. They were in the middle of a storm and they were in it together. I don't know how much encouragement they did. They're probably all scared, but they were in the middle of that storm together.

And it was Hispanic Pastor, who is from Hispanic Church, who was sharing about prayer. Do we know that Jesus gave the command to go into a room and Pray by yourself at that was in the context of speaking to fairs who would go out? Make these big prayers just so they'd be seen James 5 along with calling us to confess our sins. To one another, cause us to pray for each other. Pray with each other. so, those things All part of community.

Another thing I think we can do a community's Outreach. sometimes I find myself thinking how can I share Christ with someone

but my pictures often thinking of doing that by myself, Why can't we do it together?

Jesus sent out the disciples two by two.

Matthew 9 Jesus. I was hanging out with tax collectors and sinners.

Listen to what it says. Matthew 9 10 watches us was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners can't even eat with him.

And his disciples.

So Jesus just wasn't there by himself, he was sharing a meal with Sinners and tax collectors. But doing with his disciples even Jesus had others with him. We always see Paul traveling with others as we share our lives with non-christians. Maybe we need to think less than b Christians into that, maybe a meal, or invite this couple that I'm reaching out to along with another couple some other Christians.

so, Jim referenced Story in our newsletter. And this was about a young lady and Argentina.

Back in 2001 or 2001 that Catherine is a couple of the girls on the team met at a class at the University when they were taking classes down there, in La Plata Argentina, became friends. Seeing her boyfriend started coming around whenever we'd have social things but would never come around. Do Bible study or anything like that. Never, I don't think she came once. But you came around a lot. Spend a lot of time, not only with us, but other people on the team. We pray, we pray for her. And we stayed friends, but as over the years, just mean, our lives went different ways, but we still stayed in contact. Last year last year, early this year. Earlier this year. And I don't remember all the details, but her daughter

Kids. I didn't have at that point. Who did not think she's a teenager accepted Christ. And started. Talking to her mom about Jesus. And in the middle of this is this lady.

Had I think a spiritual attack. We're at me, she saw things darkness in her home. I'm scared half to death.

cuz she called one of the other ladies who works with The Navigators and in the city there and said, can we talk It's going to church. And now sharing Christ with one of the other ladies that was involved but that was a student's back. Then another lady that was involved in the ministry and I think That part of that history is because of community. Of her having that experience with, not just one of us.

But more of us and seeing these folks live with hope.

Outreach and community.

Now. This is not easy. What I'm talkin about. I mention some of the things that keep us from having community that list isn't complete. I don't know what may be keeping you from having experiencing deeper Community with each other. Member the things I listed busyness and passivity. Gosh that's me letting you know that's me for feeling James 5:16. That's me confessing my sins. Those are the things in my life that keep me from pursuing communicating with others.

I've been thinking my need for a commute deeper Community for quite a while, but I just been too passive and it took someone else at church saying, hey Alex, are you and Katherine meeting with anybody? Is a younger guy, that's two married and has two young kids and like no together.

We've been I don't have six months now. Meeting weekly with him as a couple. It's been amazing.

Chaotic. But that's okay. It one year old and a three-year-old, I think one of three, right? One and three but we have a good time encouraging one another and Spurring one another on. And it's amazing to me that they come to our house, or we go to their house, like every week and, you know, it's not easy after. These are both people full-time jobs after that and getting your kids ready to come over, to replace the place. That doesn't have a lot of toys, you know, it's a sacrifice. They love it. We got it.

Becoming an elder at a church in Greensboro has been a time commitment. Every Tuesday night 2 hours.

What does that mean? It's meant. There's other things I can't do. But it is a time where I meet with some other man, where we share what we're learning from Jesus.

It's where I get to speak to God with other men who love them. It's not easy.

But it's worth it. Can honestly I couldn't be doing anything else.

Better for those two hours.

Now, I'll be honest, sometimes I like to cancel today. I think that's normal.

But these are sacrifices that are worth it. Send.

That's what are all over the place. It's not a specific thing. But what is God calling you to? What?

How might he wants you to be?

Entering stepping into other people's lives more.

I don't want my voice, my dearest override, what? Maybe the spirit, and the Holy Spirit is telling you right now. I'm definitely not an expert on community. I'm still looking for concrete ways that I can do that. I'm constantly trying to evaluate my schedule to see. If I don't pay it, what I found is Catherine and we try to plan out our week on Sunday. This is just us, but we try to include time with other people intentionally cut if we don't want to get to the next Sunday and it's like we've gone the whole week and haven't spent time with folks.

so,

Like I said, is it's not an expert on it, but let me give you a couple of ideas. Invite someone over for dinner. That simple.

You know, something. That Jesus really. You can see, look at the gospels. One thing that Jesus really apparently enjoy doing was eating, Look at how many passages have to do with him being somewhere and eating with others.

Do that without there's inviting somebody over and it doesn't have to be on there. Sometimes us we in the South and I have to have everything. Perfect everything on the table before somebody comes you like while it's so much work, what are pizza

Alright, sing. somebody, there's an invitation that for you to invite

The importance is getting together, some by someone over for dinner.

Something very simple meet together to walk. Do some of you need exercise or like to exercise go for a walk. I do. Do what someone else.

Captain, I need to walk with, there's a college about a mile from our house. We have started going over there to walk together. And talkin about what we're learning from God. And spending time, praying for the students there, we don't have any students. It's a small Guilford College, small college that we just go. I pray for, I got to knock out, getting some exercise and praying at the same time.

There's some other activity with someone else. One of the family.

And for some of us, it's hard to get there in the conversation. How do we encourage one? Another could be something as simple as asking. What has God been teaching you? Give them opportunity to verbalize what they're learning from God.

That someone how can I pray for you?

And then do the weird thing and say, can I pray for you right now?

Open yourself up to share with someone else what you're going through. Maybe you're in the process of making the decision. Sure, that was someone else and ask them to pray for you.

Maybe the takeaway from this sermon is just a determined a way. You can see somebody this week, I don't know.

I'll say this, I'm not necessarily telling you to add something else to your life.

They may involve adding something else you like that. I'm not necessarily saying that may just be changing. Something went to the gym the other night to to run some on the treadmill. and the guy right beside me is the guy from the Congo, I guess, our church, And we talk some are running. And we start talking about hate when you come, I'll come at this time, so maybe we can go and do that together again. I hate the treadmill but, you know, if I'm there, talking with someone being able to courage each other, I probably like it more.

Haven't recently. I've been looking at some areas of my life where I need where I want to grow and this is involved adding some of the spiritual disciplines to my life. And went to community as a spiritual discipline. And I have, I've been reading some books on the on it and one also said something that made a lot of sense. He said

Are we can't add more time today.

Every single one of us in this room is stuck for 24 hours. And if you are going to add something to your schedule, you want to take something else out.

And that really caused me to think, okay?

What can I get rid of in my life that takes my time. So maybe Pursuing Community with each other.

Adding something to like maybe it's just changing something, start doing it together.

Part of this is going to be hard. Because especially for us who were middle-aged in the above? We're dealing with life habits. This is what we do. We go to work, we come home, whatever our evening schedule is we have life habits that we've been doing for years and we're going to need to do some breaking those habits and it's hard.

but, you know, it's interesting, I do find it interesting that if we look at this verse,

424 does it say to stir one another up to love and good deeds.

It actually says, let us consider. How to? I think that sort of interesting. Consider. So think about in this, what I summary of the sermon today is let us consider. How we can stir up one another to love and good works or Good. Deeds depending on the translation, not neglecting to meet together as in the habit as is a habit of some but encouraging one. Another So considerate.