Since we are hosting 5th Sunday tonight, I’ve been thinking about Community in the last 10 days or so.
So, this week I’d like to examine:
• The Purpose of community
• The Importance of community
• The Responsibility of community
• And wrap it up tonight with:
o The Inspiration of community
Beginning with:
The Purpose of Community
1st John 1:7
• But if you walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
o John spoke many times about Jesus being the light.
? Undoubtably John was touched when Jesus said “you are the light of the world”.
? I believe John understood that we become the light of the world when we walk in Jesus’ light.
• One purpose of community is that we walk in the light as a community. A city on a hill cannot be hidden!
• Another purpose of Community is accountability.
o Many of you here today, know this or are learning it.
o 2nd Samuel 12
? Nathan tells David the story of two men in a city. One was rich, the other poor. The rich man had a huge flock of sheep. The poor man had one lamb that he bought and raised.
? A wayfaring stranger came into town and the rich man gave the stranger the ONE lamb the poor man had, instead of one from his vast herd.
? David became enraged about the rich man’s greed and lack of gratitude.
? Nathan said “hold your horses there David. God gave you everything, in fact He would have given you much more.”
? Need I remind you that you had Uriah killed, so you could have Bathsheba?”
?
Another purpose of community is found in:
1st Corinthians 12:12
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His Word.
Read v12-30
Just a few examples of The Purpose of Community are:
• Using our gifts for God’s glory as found in:
o 1 Corinthians Chapter 12
• Holding one another accountable as found in:
o 2nd Samuel Chapter 12
• And being a light for the world as explained in:
o 1 John 1:7
Another example of purpose of Community:
• To be a blessing to others.
o My heart surgery
o This week alone:
? Food
? $
As many of you know, I’ll close out on any given Sunday by saying “Go be a blessing to someone this week. It isn’t that hard to do.”
Have you ever felt that God’s love is distant or non-existent?
• Sometimes the purpose of community is to:
o First; recognize when someone is in that spot of doubting God’s love or even His existence, and second:
o Stand in the gap- in Ezekiel 22:30 we see that God was looking for ONE person to stand in the gap for Israel- Is that you? Will you stand in the gap for that person who needs to feel God’s love?
Let’s consider:
The Importance of Community
Redwood trees grow as tall as 300 feet, and many are hundreds of years old.
• You’d think that trees that tall would have an incredibly deep root system.
• In fact, the root system is relatively shallow, but all the trees in the forest are intertwined by their root system. The strength is they are tied to one another.
• It’s the same way in the Christian Community.
Acts 11:25-26
• v.25 Then Barnabus departed for Taurus to seek Saul.
• v.26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So, it was for a whole year they assembled with the church, and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
o Points to consider:
? Barnabus went to seek Saul. He knew he couldn’t do this alone.
? For a whole year, they assembled with the church.
• Both of these are illustrations of the importance of church.
o We can’t do it alone.
o It takes time to build community.
Hebrews 3:13 advises us and warns us about the importance of community.
“but exhort one another daily, while it is called “today”, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”.
Hebrews 10:25
• Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
o Let us be cautious here and understand that church is not built from one event to another, but rather it is built in a daily walk!
• Psalm 133:1
o Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
o The last 5 letters of the word community is UNITY.
o Here’s one definition of community:
? A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interest and goals.
? So, community is a result of unity in common attitudes, common interest, and common goals.
Some aspects of the importance of community are:
• We can’t do it alone.
• It is a daily effort.
• It takes time.
We’ve looked at:
The Purpose of Community and
The Importance of Community
Let’s look at our final point for this morning’s message:
• The Responsibility of Community
It’s kind of funny but when you look at the book of Ecclesiastes, it’s full of wisdom, but not necessarily chocked full of positive vibes!
But I love Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
• The heading in NKJV is “the value of a friend”
o Two are better than one, because they can help each other succeed.
o If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble!
o Then it goes on to say in the second half of v.12
Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.
It is our responsibility to be like those redwood trees and intertwine with one another, so we can withstand anything thrown at us.
• BTW it is my belief that that 3rd strand that Solomon speaks of in verse 12 is God Himself!
Another responsibility of community is found in counsel.
Proverbs 11:14 says “Where there is no counsel, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
When my kids ask me questions, they know not to expect and immediate answer. I believe mistakes are made when there is haste.
I pray and seek counsel. How many times my children have heard “ask your father, or ask your mother”. This is our way of saying, we are going to counsel with one another before we give an answer.
Galatians 6:2 tells us:
• Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Paul is referring to what Jesus said as recorded in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another”.
o We show love for one another, when we bear each other’s burdens.
? We must be ready to follow the Holy Spirit as He reveals to us, what we are to do to help restore that person.
? Now THAT is Responsibility of Community!
So some of the Responsibilities of Community are:
• Bearing one another’s burdens
• Giving wise counsel
• Lock arms and be like redwood trees, as we intertwine with one another, so give each other strength!
So let’s wrap this up this morning:
The Purpose of Community among other things is:
• Using our gifts for God’s glory as found in:
o 1 Corinthians Chapter 12
• Holding one another accountable as found in:
o 2nd Samuel Chapter 12
• And being a light for the world as explained in:
o 1 John 1:7
When considering:
The Importance of Community we must realize:
o We can’t do it alone.
o It is a daily effort.
o It takes time.
The Responsibility of Community:
It seems that more and more our society is discouraging any form of responsibility, but throughout scripture we see that is not God’s desire. We are called to:
o Bear one another’s burdens
o Give wise counsel
o Lock arms and be like redwood trees, as we intertwine with one another, and give each other strength!
God designed us to be a community.
Let’s find ways we can continue to do that here at CPC.
