We Are Stronger Together

Introduction

Sebastian Junger’s book Tribe.

Wisdom Lit about togetherness.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 27:17 ESV

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Psalm 133:1 ESV

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

What does this idea of being a tribe mean to the church? We must remember that we are stronger together! As difficult as that can be sometimes, Scripture gives us some guides on how to live in a strong community, being strengthened ourselves and finding meaning in strengthening others.

Remember Your Journey

Joshua is at the end of his life.

Benefit of maturity and experience.

He’d walked with God for many years. He had experienced God’s faithfulness and leadership. Built a strong relationship with Him. He knew by experience he could trust God.

“All have come to pass; not one of them has failed.”

Not everyone is there yet. Because it does take time.

Maybe you are not yet there. You don’t yet know what that complete trust looks like. Yes, salvation. But, what about all the nitty-gritty of life? Can I trust God’s guidance for my finances? For my career? Marriage / relationship? For overcoming temptation?

And then sometime we look at our spiritual maturity and compare it to someone else and we get frustrated. We begin to listen to the lies of Satan. “You’ll never know the Bible like that person. You’ll never have a prayer life like them. You’ll never be able to share your faith with confidence. Why do you even try?” And we go from listening to believing those lies.

“Don’t compare your beginning with someone else’s middle.” - Jon Acuff

Persist in your spiritual growth.

It’s easy to give up in anything that pushes you. From academics to physical fitness to spiritual growth.

Discouragement or just lack of structure, we are consistent in our inconsistency.

This is why we must press forward in the basics of our spiritual life. Stop letting the lies of the enemy discourage you. When you miss a day of praying or of reading Scripture and we just give up!

Let those who are further along in their spiritual journey encourage you. Build those relationships. Joshua’s speaking to the other Israelites.

Look for opportunities to disciple and to be discipled.

Be both humble enough to learn and confident enough to lead. In this way you can both be encouraged and also be encouraging other believers who aren’t as far along in their faith journey as you are.

Remember Your Identity

The Israelites would face decisions. There would be times where they would have to choose to worship God or choose to worship the false idols around them.

Peer pressure. Convenience. Personal blessing. Pleasure.

In spite of them knowing what was right and what was wrong, they would still have to constantly make the decision.

The temptation would be to see what they could get away with. How close could they get to disobedience before they crossed the line. How close to sin can I get without getting burned.

Right, you’ve been there if you’ve ever been camping in the cold. You make a fire and then you have to play a very delicate balancing game. Get close enough to the fire to be warm but not so close that my clothes catch on fire.

We think our spiritual lives are to be played in the same way. Can I get close enough to sin that I can experience whatever it is that it gives me, but not so close that there are actual consequences? We want to know how far is too far? When does it technically become a sin?

Rather than asking how close can I get to sin, we should ask how close can I get to Jesus?

Let’s ask how close to holiness and righteousness we can be. Let’s ask how much all aspects of our lives can glorify God. This removes the previous question.

This is only possible when my identity is grounded in my relationship with Jesus.

The world wants you to find your identity in all sorts of things! And all of them seek to take the place of Jesus.

Jeremiah 15:16 ESV

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

Jeremiah found joy in God’s Words because of his identity. It strengthened him! When his life was hard, and there was a time he was literally thrown into a pit to die because of his faith, he was able to come back to his identity and the word that had strengthened him.

Whatever your circumstance in life, find your identity in Jesus.

Remember Your Community

All these instances of “you” in this passage are plural. In English, we have a hard time with this because our plural and our singular are the same. Makes it where we have the tendency to individualize some passages when they are meant to be taken as written to the community of believers. Now, here in God’s country, we know that we have you as a singular and y’all as the plural. Reread properly.

There is a connection between the entire nation. The obedience of many will bring a blessing to all. The disobedience of many will bring a cursing to all.

How you live your faith does not only affect you.

First, it has an effect on non-believers.

The fruit your produce either convinces people that the Gospel is real or tricks them into thinking that it is fake.

Second, your faith has an effect on those within the church.

If you are living out your faith, your calling, your gifting, it will build up those believers around you. But, if you neglect those things that God created and called you to do, it will be work to hold back those believers you are around. Even confusing younger believers.

Blind man’s bluff with Jennifer.

As a church, we walk together in our faith and in the consequences.

Be careful of how you walk, it doesn’t just affect you!

Conclusion

Growing up in a small town, few eating options. For the most part, we had two options. If we wanted to eat we would go to one or to the other or have to drive half an hour to another town. Not a lot of options if you didn’t like their food! You got over it!

But, now in Midwest City, a quick google search revealed around 200 restaurants in Midwest City alone. If I don’t like one, I don’t ever need to eat there! If I don’t like how I’m served or what the food tastes like, I can go down the road and find another fifteen places. Consumerism. It’s all about my personal preferences.

We have to guard against this in the church. It isn’t all about you. Scripture consistently refers to the community of faith. From the nation of Israel in the OT to the church in the NT.

Take ownership for your own faith.

Take ownership for your influence of others.