Community

THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IN CHURCH

SERMON 3

THE DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION:

CROSSFIT AND SOUL CYCLE – COMMUNITY

WHAT MAKES THE CHURCH THE CHURCH IS A TRUTH CLAIM.

THIS TRUTH CLAIM IS THAT THE ONLY WAS A PERSON CAN INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE IS TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST BY FAITH.

1. COMMUNITY IS BIBLICAL.

a. – AND ALL WHO BELIEVED WERE TOGETHER AND HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON.

b. IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF SCRIPTURE, THE WORD TRANSLATED “TOGETHER” IS ACTUALLY THREE WORDS THAT FORM THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE OR SOMETHING BEING IN THE SAME LOCATION AS OTHER THINGS.

c. IN THIS CONTEXT, IT SPEAKS OF THE BELIEVERS WHO HAD BEEN SAVED DURING PENTECOST LEARNING HOW TO LIVE AND LOVE EACH OTHER IN COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER.

i. IT DOESN’T MEAN THEY WERE LIVING IN A COMMUNE, BUT IT MEANS THAT THEY REGULARLY SPEND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF TIME TOGETHER.

ii. THEY WERE LIVING IN COMMUNITY.

d. THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY IS ALSO FOUND ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE.

Matthew 18:20 ESV

20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

i. JESUS CALLED A GROUP OF MEN TO FUNCTION IN COMMUNITY WITH EACH OTHER, FOR THE PURPOSE OF LEARNING FROM HIM AND THEN DEPLOYING WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED.

1. WE CALL THESE MEN HIS APOSTLES.

2. COMMUNITY IS RELEVANT.

a. COMMUNITY IS WHAT PEOPLE LONG FOR…

b. AND THERE ARE SOME NOT-SO-GOD-HONORING EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY ALL AROUND US.

i. THINK ABOUT THE GANG CULTURE, ESPECIALLY IN LARGER CITIES.

1. OFTEN, YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN GANGS BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ACCEPTANCE.

a. A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN EXIST IN COMMUNITY.

2. ACCORDING TO THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE FIVE RPIMARY REASONS YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN GANGS.

a. FOR IDENTITY OR RECOGNITION.

b. FOR PROTECTION.

c. FOR FELLOWSHIP AND BROTHERHOOD - TO THE MAJORITY OF GANG MEMBERS, THE GANG FUNCTIONS AS AN EXTENSION OF THE FAMILY AND MAY PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP LACKING IN THE GANG MEMBER’S HOME ENVIRONMENT. MANY OLDER BROTHERS AND RELATIVES BELONG, OR HAVE BELONGED TO THE GANG.

d. BY INTIMDATION OR FOR INTIMIDATION.

e. TO ENGAGE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

ii. SOME PEOPLE JOIN GANGS FOR THE SAME REASON SOME PEOPLE JOIN CIVIC CLUBS.

1. PEOPLE WANT TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY.

c. COMMUNITY IS RELEVANT TO OUR CULTURE.

3. THEREFORE, COMMUNITY IS STRATEGIC.

a. IT MAKES SENSE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO FUNCTION AS A COMMUNITY.

i. AND OFFERING WORSHIP SERVICES IS NOT ENOUGH.

ii. BECAUSE THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY I’M REFERRING TO DOESN’T HAPPEN IN WORSHIP SERVICES.

1. IT’S NOT INTENDED TO HAPPEN IN WORSHIP SERVICES.

a. WORSHIP IS INTENDED TO HAPPEN IN WORSHIP SERVICES.

b. WORSHIP IS WHEN YOU ENTER INTO COMMUNION WITH GOD.

b. BUT CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY HAPPENS WHEN WE LIVE AND LOVE TOGETHER, OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF JUST GATHERING FOR A WORSHIP SERVICE.

c. THIS IS WHY BETHEL GROUPS ARE NOT JUST A COOL THING TO DO.

i. THEY ARE PART OF THE LARGER STRATEGY GOD HAS GIVEN US.

ii. THIS STRATEGY INCLUDES A SMALL GROUP ELEMENT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT:

1. IT IS BIBLICAL.

2. IT IS RELEVANT.

3. IT IS STRATEGIC.

d. AND FINALLY, WE BELIEVE THAT:

4. COMMUNITY IS EFFECTIVE.

a. VERSES 46 AND 47 - … (ESV) - 46 AND DAY BY DAY, ATTENDING THE TEMPLE TOGETHER AND BREAKING BREAD IN THEIR HOMES, THEY RECEIVED THEIR FOOD WITH GLAD AND GENEROUS HEARTS, 47 PRAISING GOD AND HAVING FAVOR WITH ALL THE PEOPLE. AND THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAY BY DAY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED.

b. AS THESE BELIEVERS WERE FUNCTIONING IN COMMUNITY, GOD WAS ADDING TO THEIR NUMBERS PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING TO FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

c. BUT I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO EIGHT IMPORTANT TRUTHS IN THIS PART OF THE PASSAGE.

i. THEY WORSHIPPED TOGETHER – “DAY BY DAY, ATTENDING THE TEMPLE TOGETHER…”

ii. THEY SPENT TIME IN COMMUNITY – “BREAKING BREAD IN THEIR HOMES…”

iii. THEY WERE HAPPY – “THEY RECEIVED THEIR FOOD WITH GLAD…HEARTS…”

iv. THEY PRACTICED GENEROSITY – THEY RECEIVED THEIR FOOD WITH…GENEROUS HEARTS…”

v. THEY GAVE GOD GLORY – “PRAISING GOD…”

vi. PEOPLE TOOK NOTICE – “HAVING FAVOR WITH ALL THE PEOPLE…”

vii. THEY GREW – “THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAY BY DAY…”

viii. THEY WERE EVANGELISTIC – “THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED.”

CONCLUSION:

THE REASONS WE HAVE AN INTENTIONAL SMALL GROUP STRATEGY, FOCUSED ON PROVIDING RELEVANT OPPORTUNIES FOR BELIEVERS TO FUNCTION IN COMMUNITY AND OPPORTUNITIES TO INVITE OTHERS INTO THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS, IS THAT WE BELIEVE:

- IT IS BIBLICAL

- IT IS RELEVANT

- IT IS STRATEGIC

- AND IT IS EFFECTIVE

WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TRULY BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF CHRIST-FOLLOWERS IS TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY.

YOU NEED TO ASK CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU FOR THE SINS YOU HAVE COMMITTED.

YOU NEED TO REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN.

AND YOU NEED TO ASK CHRIST TO SAVE YOU AND RECOGNIZE HIM AS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.

SO I NEED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF A COUPLE THINGS…

- FIRST, YOU CANNOT OVERCOME YOUR SIN PROBLEM ON YOUR OWN.

o THE BIBLE SAYS IN THAT EVERYONE HAS SINNED, AND EVERYONE FALLS SHORT OF GOD’S STANDARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

- BUT SECOND, CHRIST DID ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO BE SAVED WHEN HE WILLINGLY DIED TO PAY FOR YOUR SINS.

o THE BIBLE CONTINUES IN BY INFORMING US THAT YOU CAN BE JUSTIFIED IN THE EYES OF GOD BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE CROSS…

o WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY GOD’S GRACE AS A GIFT, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

- SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM GOD.

- GOD LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM.

- AND IF YOU WILL AGREE WITH GOD THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, AND ASK JESUS CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU AND SAVE YOU, HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERLASTING LIFE…

- MAYBE YOU ARE READY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS…

- I’D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.