Community of Faith (2)

2 Timothy 3:1 NLT

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.

Once again this week we have seen great peril in our world. Hurricane Ida left a path of destruction from Louisiana through Pennsylvania, NYC and the New England states.

First time ever massive flash flooding killed people in NYC as subways and basement apartments and businesses flooded. Tornadoes took lives, devastation in the south from the Hurricanes greatest force. The reality is these strange weather patterns have been occurring around the world!

Climate change may be more real than we realize - and may be a part of the disasters that will befall the world during the tribulation as we begin to see just a foretaste now.

There is talk of a new disease coming out of India killing children that is not Covid, as the fears of Covid variants are placing fears in millions worldwide

In addition, Afghanistan has completely fallen into the hands of terrorists and China and Russia are engaging now with this new regime --- potentially fulfilling prophetic words of the armies of the East and North coming into the middle east for the war that will happen in the end times.

Vaccine passports are making the way for controlled movement - the eventual control of the Antichrist that will dominate the world following the rapture of the church.

Last week we spoke of earnestly desiring the rapture of the church and return of Christ.

This week, as I want to ask how are we preparing for that???

Six years ago we identified a desire for what we wanted our church to be: A vision of what we looked like.

A Hope Giving,

Christ Honoring,

Community of Faith!

This morning, I want to focus on the last part of that statement.

COMMUNITY OF FAITH!!!

1. Community Keeps Unity

I want to say today that one of the greatest forces coming against the BODY OF CHRIST in general today is UNITY!!!

In all of this craziness the greatest disaster is the manner in which the church is being pulled apart. Something we must ALL make an intentional effort to not allow to happen.

I believe the enemy is out to divide the body of Christ - I believe it is a major contributing factor to the great falling away as the love of many wax cold as Jesus taught us would occur.

Remember however, that Christ told us to ENDURE TO THE END!!! In other words - don’t let it happen to you!!!

Matthew 12:25 NLT

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

Christ recognized the power of division when He taught his disciples, and the enemy is in over time attempting to bring this into the body of Christ.

Across the world the devil is using RACE, POLITICS (conservative to progressive - Captialism v Socialism) COVID issues, Human rights issues, and SEXUAL FREEDOM AGENDAS as means to divide the church, divide families and friendships, and divide nations so that their structures for freedom will fail.

All of this is making way for the tyrannical government that will take place in the reign of ANTICHRIST --

1 John 2:18 NLT

18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

2 Timothy 3:2–5 NLT

2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

I am greatly concerned over the willingness of people to betray one another, be divided, slander, etc because of racism, covid, the homosexual agenda.... and POLITICS. and much of it comes down to love of money, pride, disobedience and being ungrateful --- even in the body of Christ.

The church has lost the power of the Holy Spirit because Christians are in such hot pursuit of things in this world rather than in hot pursuit of JESUS.

IN CONTRAST TO THIS DIVISION AND SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST is UNITY!

Philippians 2:1–18 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Here we see the necessity of the church, its leadership gifts and its unity so we can endure until we have reached our full potential in eternity and that we would mature in the process. It also talks of protection from the lies of the last days.

Ephesians 4:11–16 NLT

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Jesus prayed for this unity in

John 17:20–25 NLT

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.

The devil is aware if he can divide the body, he can divide our testimony and influence in this world. This is why church we need to agree on what is important ---

- Politics is not important

- Covid mandates are not important (realize our freedoms will be stripped before the Antichrist - someone argued about all these things because it makes a way for the Mark of the BEAST --- YES --- it DOES!!!)

- Race - we are all human race and Christians we are of the redeemed race and our culture or color should not matter

Psalm 133:1 NLT

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

THAT IS IMPORTANT!

FOCUS ON THE MAJORS --- THE WORD OF GOD and OBEDIENCE TO THAT WORD, RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, LOVING GOD AND LOVING PEOPLE

A COMMUNITY OF FAITH needs to seek out UNITY with each other.

2. Community Comes Together

That is right - Community Comes Together!

Hebrews 10:23–25 NLT

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 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.

If we look at the pattern of the early church, they gathered together regularly in both the Temple and each others homes. They knew that under persecution and hardship, they needed to bind together and lift one another up more than anything else.

God ordained the church to be a place of COMMUNITY ---

Acts 2:46–47 NLT

46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

In fact, COMMUNION - the breaking of bread and the cup - remembering the Lord’s death - was not done alone, but in community - generally not in a pew, but around a meal table where believers were fellowshipping with one another - COMMUNITY/COMMUNION - they are connected.

Even in the picture of when Christ instituted COMMUNION it is a picture of sharing a meal together, reclining together and sharing life.

CHURCH - I UNDERSTAND THE COVID FEAR - but have you not thought that the DEVIL is using COVID FEAR to bring destruction to the body of Christ? TO pull us apart from each other, to leave people reliant on isolated online receiving of the Word, without the benefit of the community Christ ordained.

Let me ask you a question - why do you think the encouragement to NOT FORSAKE THE GATHERING OF YOURSELVES TOGETHER was given in light of seeing HIS RETURN COMING CLOSER???

Do you not think that God was aware of these things that would pull us apart, and He commanded for us to come together in spite of these things that would divide us.

You can get spiritually fed the word online, but you cannot do COMMUNITY online.

Even more as we see the day of Jesus approach, I am committed as Pastor to initiating gatherings more - our Wed night D Groups and Life Groups in addition to Sunday AM.

Now hear me clearly --- we will keep the hybrid component of online available - so when someone is sick and cannot attend, or has a weakened immune system and cannot attend - can still be as much a part as possible until they can attend again --- but please church, realize, that the online service is not meant for convenience, or to stay in your pajamas on Sunday AM, or because the mountains are calling you to play!!!

To neglect our gathering is to neglect our community! We need to PRIORITIZE being in COMMUNITY or we are blatantly ignoring God’s instruction. We are collectively weakening our witness and testimony as the body of Christ when we fail to come into community together.

3. Community is Covenant

Community is a part of covenant relationship!

Communion itself is part of the covenant relationship God designed between the Church and Christ. Every time we gather together and partake of communion, we are remembering the death of Christ, His resurrection and His promise to return for the church!

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NLT

23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Just as covenant in the OT was completed over a meal - contracts were sealed with dining together. SO, the NEW COVENANT is sealed each time we remember his sacrifice together.

Just as the sacrifice in the OT was eaten by both those offering it and the Priest - so is Communion celebrated in our COMMUNITY OF FAITH. We come together to partake of the body and blood of Christ and celebrate the covenant together in relationship.

In this passage of Scripture, Paul was bringing correction to the church because as they were gathering for fellowship and communion there was excessive drinking, the food was not being shared equally and some left hungry, and there was some issues within the Corinthian community that needed to be addressed, thus why he encouraged them to examine their hearts not only for sin, but in not considering each other fairly ---

This speaks to us of the importance of gathering together as the body of Christ in community and not just sharing the cup and bread, but also fellowshipping with one another.

COMMUNION was meant to be done in COMMUNITY. The body of Christ was intended to be in COVENANT RELATIONSHIP not just with Christ - but with one another!!! We are the family of God!!!

We were never intended to be ISOLATED but to be part of community in Christ - a COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS - indicates one of FAITH!!! Our faith in CHRIST unites us as one.

Our celebrating COMMUNION together unites as in covenant!!!!

Conclusion

So, today, I want to conclude our service by action - so I am inviting those present to come forward and gather around the altar as partake of communion together today...