Where We Belong

DNA Series - Community

Where We Belong

Today we are continuing our DNA series.

This morning we are going to talk about community.

Why community is important?

When I say community I want you to think of small groups.

We’re launching Life Groups this week so I want to focus on the importance of that kind of community

The title of my message is, “Where We Belong”.

My goal is that you leave here understanding that you belong in community with one another.

Because the bottom line is that God did not create us to be alone.

This stems all the way back to Adam.

NLT “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

This principle can be used for every area of our life.

God knew it was not healthy for us to be alone.

So I’m going to talk about 4 reasons why small groups are important.

Important not only to you but also to the church.

Small Groups are the Biblical Model for a Healthy Church

If we take a look at Moses in Exodus we can get a good look at the model for a healthy church.

What’s happening is Moses is the leader of the Israelite people.

So it says that Moses would hear peoples problems from morning till evening.

“When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out.”

He’s saying you can’t continue like this because you are going to burn out.

Your one man and you can’t handle all of this.

“Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Jethro tells Moses to basically start the first small groups.

Because as one man there is no way he could meet the needs of all the people.

But if you appoint leaders over all these different groups they can help those people in need.

And then the really important things will still get brought to you.

And as a church this is the healthy way to do it.

I know a lot of people think that the Sr. Pastor should meet with everyone and be at every event and meeting and that’s just not healthy.

That’s the fastest way to burn a Pastor out.

That’s why churches have Youth Pastors, Men’s Pastors, Women’s Pastors, Children, etc.

And then from there you have small group leaders.

It’s like our philosophy with our youth group.

My role has changed where I’m not quite as hands on as I used to be.

But now I’m focusing more on my leaders and training them who are then training our students.

Because if my goal is for every student who walks in our doors to be discipled, I can’t do that by myself.

But if I can train our leaders who then connect with the students that come in their group each week, all of a sudden every kid has someone they can go to.

Being a part of a small group community is going to help us better serve you.

Because you will have someone that you can share what your struggling with and can help you and pray with you.

It’s how you make a big church feel small.

So many people slip through the cracks and then get mad at the church for not noticing them but they did NOTHING to try to connect.

Community Helps Us Grow

NIV “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…”

How many of you know that we should be constantly growing in our walk with the Lord?

That you should be able to look back at the day you first gave your life to Christ to now and see that you aren’t the same person.

You’ve learned more about God and how to live the way He’s called us to live.

The community you’re in is going to determine how much you grow.

If your main community is a bunch of people who aren’t followers of Christ and aren’t living for Him, it’s going to affect you.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

If your core community isn’t living for God then the chances of you growing and living for Him are not nearly as good as if you were surrounded by a Godly community.

It’s like a plant.

Certain plants take certain soil and a certain amount of sunlight.

If a plant isn’t in the proper soil and proper environment it’s NOT going to grow.

But if it’s in the right soil and sunlight and is healthy, it’s WILL GROW.

Put yourself in a healthy environment and watch yourself grow.

Robert Morris in his book, “The Blessed Church” said, “You never have to worry about growth in any area of your life. The only factor you need to worry about is in the area of health. Because healthy things grow.”

You don’t have to force a baby to grow.

Just keep them healthy.

When you are in a Godly community that is healthy YOU WILL GROW!

Because you’re going to be able to learn more about the Word together.

You’re going to have people who can help answer any questions you have.

Who can keep you accountable in areas that you’re struggling with.

Put all these things together and you’re just naturally going to grow in your relationship with God.

Community Makes Us Stronger

There’s a saying that we all know which is, “There’s strength in numbers.”

That’s a popular saying and a very true saying.

It’s a saying that God clearly agrees with.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

In these verses it gives us examples of how two are better than one.

I love the example of “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.”

Because we are in a spiritual battle

And the devil is coming at us from all sides

So we need people who can watch our backs.

It’s like the movie 300

But it shows how these Spartan soldiers would fight.

And they were trained to stand back to back in battle.

That’s what you have when you have a community around you.

They can sometimes see the attacks of the enemy that you don’t even see.

You can link your faiths together and pray and rebuke the attacks of the enemy.

Your community is there to encourage you to keep fighting in those seasons when you feel like giving up.

So many people give up on God because they isolate themselves from others and then they listen to the lies of the enemy.

We were at a conference a few weeks ago and the speaker said something that stood out to me.

He talked about how his dad was a prison warden in Baltimore.

And how the greatest form of punishment in prison is solitary confinement.

In other words, isolation is a form of punishment. It’s crazy how we punish ourselves with isolation.

When we’re in isolation the devil takes advantage and punishes us as well.

It’s like this video I saw of Hyenas hunting buffalo.

In the pack the buffalo were fine

But then the hyenas isolated the buffalo and her calf and ultimately the calf from the mother and then they were able to kill the calf.

WE ARE ALWAYS STRONGER WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER

Because you weren’t created to be in isolation

You were created to be in community.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Your community WILL make you stronger

Community is God’s Plan For Your Life

People always ask what God’s plan for their life is.

I know for sure what one of those plans is.

Because the early church modeled it.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

We see now the Old Testament and the New Testament example of community.

The church would meet in the Temple courts

That was their form of church.

Then they would break bread in each others homes.

That’s called small groups.

Notice how it says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”?

Why were people getting saved?

Because they saw the church functioning the way God intended it to.

A community of people loving and caring for one another.

That’s God’s plan for the church and that’s his plan for you.

Because we have to understand that GOD’S GOING TO USE PEOPLE TO HELP YOU GET WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO GO!

How many people have stepped into the career God called them to because of the people God put in their life?

God uses people to help steer you in the right direction.

I’ll close with this.

I’m a firm believer that if you want EVERYTHING that God has for you, then you will make sure you have a community of believers that you can go to in your life.

And not only will people steer you in the right direction but God will use YOU to impact the lives of others.

Bottom line is that a Godly community is WHERE WE BELONG!

Altar Call