Committed to Community

A disciple is becoming more like Jesus

Knowing; Doing; Growing; Going

last week - Disciples - Worship the Father & not their own agenda

this week - Disciples - Committed to Christian Community

Specifically this morning, I want to answer the question “Why?” Why should disciples be committed to community? Why should disciples be committed to Christian community.

First and foremost… God exists in community

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

“We believe in the one living and true God, both holy and loving, eternal, unlimited in power, wisdom and goodness, the Creator and Preserver of all things. Within this unity there are three persons of one essential nature, power and eternity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” ~ Articles of Religion of The Wesleyan Church

Second… We are created in the image of God

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone (Right there…We are made for community). I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed.

23 “At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,

At the very beginning we learn that we have been created in the image of God. God said it’s not good for man to be alone. - no wonder people have a natural tendency toward gathering/community

“This one is bone from my bone,

and flesh from my flesh!

She will be called ‘woman,’

because she was taken from ‘man.’ ”

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

At the very beginning it is clear to see that we are created in the image of God, And God said it’s not good for man to be alone, so no wonder people have a natural tendency toward gathering/community

Third… We are designed for Christian community

We are designed to belong in relationship with the Triune God. We are designed to belong to the community of faith - I believe that means a local church (which is part of The Church - the body of Christ - other Christian churches in our community, other Christian communities in our country, other Christian communities around the world).

We are called not to just come & listen to a sermon or teaching; We are called not to just come and sing some songs; We are called not to just come and serve one another in different types of areas; We are designed to belong to one another in Christian community. You might be asking yourself, How is that possible?

Community works because of unity in Christ

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Christian community is simply sharing a common life in Christ. It moves us beyond the self-interested isolation of private lives and beyond the superficial social contacts that pass for "Christian fellowship." The biblical ideal of community challenges us instead to commit ourselves to life together as the people of God. ~ Howard Macy, author & professor from George Fox University

We are called not to come & listen to a sermon; but belong in relationship with God & belong to the community of faith, or christian community.

Rick Warren is famous for saying it & writing a book about it - but he’s right - We are better together! It’s not that you automatically like it more, or it doesn’t have to be the way you would have designed it - because we probably wouldn’t have put it all together like this. But it’s God’s plan & God’s design. It’s not perfect because we’re not perfect. It’s messy because we’re messy. But it’s beautiful because God is beautiful and it’s His plan! And we’re to say Yes!

Christian community is simply sharing a common life in Christ. It moves us beyond the self-interested isolation of private lives and beyond the superficial social contacts that pass for "Christian fellowship." The biblical ideal of community challenges us instead to commit ourselves to life together as the people of God. ~ Howard Macy, author & professor from George Fox University

Lastly, Without Christian community there is no discipleship

The New International Version Chapter 4

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Jesus told his disciples, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

We can read, we can study, we can pray, we can memorize scripture, we can enjoy nature & creation, but we ain’t disciples without Christian community. Discipleship happens in relationship with one another.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

I don’t know that there’s a more fitting morning for us to receive communion. What a beautiful picture of Christian community coming together in the unity of Christ - participating with one another as we receive the bread and the cup.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

apostles

prophets

evangelists

pastors

teachers

Responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work & build up the church. This work isn’t finished until we are unified in Christ and become complete, whole, mature followers of Jesus.

When this happens we will grow in every way more and more like Christ (sounds like our definition of a disciple) Becoming more like Jesus.

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 full of love.

Easy to come in and out; keep things on the surface; not be known in a larger setting

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

New Living Translation Chapter 11

But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

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.

17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

We are created in the image of God

20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

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.

We are designed for Christian community

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Community works because of unity in Christ

submit to one another out of reverence for Christ

Without Christian community there is no discipleship

Ryan & Lindsey Smith - Reece & Ella

the world will know you are my disciples how you love one another

Ryan & Lindsey Smith - Reece & Ella

How long have you been in a Life Group?

What were your initial thoughts about being in one?

What has your experience been like?

How has being in a LG helped you grow spiritually?

Committed to Community

Intro