The Culture of Community 12-17-06
Series: Creating a New Culture…in the church. John 17:20-21
I am indebted to John Burke’s book, “No Perfect People Allowed” for many of the basic ideas expressed in this series. It’s a great read!
Intro. Have you ever wondered why Sitcoms seem to have such a powerful impact on our culture? Why do we love them so much? Why do we continuing watching the reruns even when we can quote our favorite characters line by line? It’s because every great sitcom has one thing in common…they have a strong sense of community. It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about Friends, Seinfeld, Home Improvement, That 70’s show or The King of Queens. In every show these imaginary characters have a place where they belong, a community that loves and accepts them, no matter how wacky their lifestyles may have been. It is that same innate desire for love and acceptance in each of our lives that drives us to find a place of community. Think about it – we search for community in all kinds of places. Service clubs, chat rooms, sports teams, community centers, book clubs and support groups of every kind and description. Now there’s nothing wrong with any of these things…except the fact that they’ll never be able to satisfy what we truly long for…and that is unconditional love and acceptance. You see that kind of community is found in only one place on earth – in a fully functioning church. And therein lies our dilemma. While the world is searching for something that only the church can provide, the church seems clueless about the power and the life-changing potential of biblical community. We’ve somehow forgotten that community is what makes the church healthy, growing and distinctive from every other organization. We must remember that we have what the world needs. But if we’re not completely convinced of that, then our church will never be able to offer “real” community to the community we’re trying to reach. That’s why I want us to concentrate this morning and do one simple thing. Let’s see if we can figure out, Why community is so important?
It’s important because,
I. We all have a need for it.
There’s a practical necessity in every life to have a sense of belonging to a group that’s bigger and more important than self. Someone once said, “There’s no better way to dismantle a personality than to isolate it.” (Princess of Wales) In other words, being alone causes all kinds of personal problems. Have you ever noticed how the bible begins with this often-repeated phrase, “And God saw that it was good”? When God created light, he said it was good. When he created the heavens and the earth – all’s good! When God created the fish, the birds, and every kind of animal, guess what he said? It’s all good! Then God created man after his own image and He stood back and said, “It’s all good…except for one thing. It is not good for man to be alone! So he created woman.” Now here’s the essence of what God said – you and I were created for community, we need each other. We don’t life very well when we’re alone.
It seems like every prison authority understands the power of isolation. That’s why solitary confinement is so despised by prisoners. Recent studies show the effects of isolation to be horrendous. Extended periods of solitary caused depression, despair, anxiety, rage, claustrophobia, hallucinations, impaired vision, lose of hearing, ringing in the ears, and weakening of the immune system. Prisoners of war know that “solitary confinement” can even cause a strong man to break under the pressure, to lose all hope and perhaps even die. Now why is that? Because God has created us for community, which means we need each other, physically, spiritually, socially and emotionally.
In his book, “A Generation Alone” William Mehedy writes about his experiences with the college students he studied. He says, “The percentages of young people who have endured traumas of abandonment and isolation due to divorce, psychological or sexual abuse as children, rape, overexposure to media violence and sexual exploitation has caused them to exhibit the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” His conclusion is, “I can find no other explanation for the widespread problems with stability, self-image, feelings of emptiness, depression, suicidal thinking, fear of the future, and lack of hope among the young.”
The community found in the church is the only hope for generations who feel abandoned. Some of you here today feel abandoned by your parents because they suffered a divorce or they worked 80 hrs a week trying to give you every bell and whistle our culture demands. Some feel abandoned by their teachers because they no longer have the authority to discipline when necessary or teach the values you missed at home. And others of you think the church has abandoned you because you feel either judged or ignored every time you walk through those doors. The natural outcome of this sense of abandonment is loneliness; it’s a feeling of disconnection. That’s why so many people in our world today feel like they just don’t belong…anywhere to anybody.
One of the most popular sitcoms of all time was a show called Cheers. It was about the relationships between the people who came in and out of a bar. But the real genius of this show was the truth found in its theme song. Do you remember the tag line? “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.” This bar was a community, it was a group of friends who accepted you for who you were, regardless of how wacky or peculiar you might be. It’s the kind of place we all want for ourselves. Now here’s the unbelievable truth that most of us have forgotten…that PLACE already exists and it’s called the church.
Why do you think most of us hunger for this kind of community? I believe it’s because God created us with “relational DNA”. Bill Donahue calls it a “community gene”. In other words, there’s something deep down inside all of us that makes us hunger for community. What could that be? I think it has something to do with the fact that God created us in his own image. Being in God’s image doesn’t mean that we physically look like God, but rather that we’ve been stamped with his likeness…his eternal nature and his desire for community. We don’t have the time to go into the nature of the Trinity, but all orthodox Christians believe that God exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is 3-persons in one; which means he has always existed in community. And since we have been created in His likeness, then He has passed that desire on to His children, to you and me. You can say it all day long with your lips – “I don’t need anybody”. But the truth is – God created you for community, therefore you need me and I need you!
Community is important because,
2. It’s God’s will for your life.
Some of you might be wondering, “How do you know it’s God’s will for my life”? I know it because that’s what Jesus prayed for the last night he spent with his disciples. In John 17 we’re given a glimpse into the heart of the Son of God. Jesus knew he was about to be arrested, betrayed and crucified. There must have been many things on his mind that night and yet when he prayed it was COMMUNITY that dominated his prayer. Listen to how He prayed, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.” John 17:20-21 (NLT)
Jesus knew that his crucifixion would have the potential to scatter his disciples. So he prayed that they would find strength to carry on his mission, not using ordinary means, but a strength that would come from a supernatural ONENESS, a divine sense of community. Now notice the kicker in v.21. The community Jesus prays for isn’t like any other community found on earth. It is a Trinitarian level of community. In other words, Jesus prays that his disciples down through the ages will know and experience a kind of community that goes way beyond service clubs, sports teams and community centers. The kind of community Jesus prays for can only be explained a divine intervention in your life. That’s why the church is the only place that can offer this KIND of community.
Did you catch the 1st phrase of Jesus’ prayer? Look who he’s praying for – not only his disciples that were by his side that night, but for all of those who would believe in him throughout the ages…that means he was praying for you and me! Now this prayer was not only for us to enjoy this unique community ourselves, but that we would pass it on to others as well. When I was in HS Young Life introduced a whole generation to the song, “Pass it on”. I know it sounds corny now, but as a young believer it helped me understand my responsibility to pass on what God was teaching me. And that’s exactly what the apostle Paul means in 2 Cor. 5:20 when he calls us “Christ’s ambassadors”. We’ve been given the duty to show and tell the world what real community looks like.
Here at The Mount we do that through our Life Group ministry. I love what happens here on Sunday morning, but you need to realize that this ISN’T community. You can’t have real community with 200-300 people – it’s impossible. That’s why we have small groups meeting all week long, so that you might experience and enjoy real, life-changing community. I’ve said it often, but I want you to hear it once more. If you are not connected in a LG then you are missing an indispensable part of your xian experience. Let me take it one step further – if you’re not part of a LG then you’re missing a significant part of God’s will for your life. And here’s the practical application of that truth – if you’re not part of a LG while you attend this church, if you’re not experiencing real community, then the chances are great that you’ll move on to another church or out of church altogether within a couple of years. You may be thinking to yourself – well I just don’t have the time to join a LG. If that’s true then your priorities are out of whack. The last thing Jesus thought about before he went to the cross was your ability to experience community. We’ve given you the mechanism through our LG ministry, now it’s your decision whether you’ll obey God’s will or not.
Community is important because of,
3. The benefits it offers.
So far we’ve looked at community from two different perspectives…what the world needs from us and what God desires for us. As we close this morning I want to show you why it’s in your best interest to join a small group community. There are many benefits to community but since we’re limited in time let me just point of 4 of them.
1). Strength for those times when life gets messy. Now maybe you’re sailing along right now and you don’t have a worry in the world. Your finances are strong, your family’s healthy, job is secure, marriage is rocking and you just love life. BUT I’ve got news for you – there will come a time when your life gets really messy. Jesus promised it – he said here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. (Jn.16:33) Not you might have a few trials or if you’re not careful life may get tough. NO – you will have trials and sorrows.
It’s during those times when you need community the most. Eccl. 4:9-10 says “Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.” Now let me give you a little insight into community. It’s important for you to invest in community today so that you’ll be about to reap the benefits when you’re going through a season of sorrow and pain in the future.
2). Wisdom for the big decisions. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. Listen to what he said, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.” Prov. 15:22 (NLT) Let me break that down for you heard heads, people just like me – its not a sign of weakness to ask for advice – it’s a sign of wisdom! When the big decisions loom over your life, who are you going to turn to? Those who have made unwise, crazy and sometimes ungodly decisions? Or will you have advisors in your life who live godly and successful lives that you can turn to?
3). Encouragement to grow spiritually mature. Community is what gives you a sense of accountability. When you give yourself to others in community then they can hold you accountable to do what you said you’ll do. I don’t know about you, but if I didn’t anyone holding me accountable, my life would be a mess.
4). Acceptance in spite of my failures. A real biblical community values you for who you are, not for what you do. Look around the world and tell me where people are truly accepted? You would think your family would be such a place. But sadly in many cases the family is the last place where acceptance is offered. What about in your workplace? No way! What normally bring acceptance in your job? Performance! How about in your neighborhood? Do your neighbors accept you? Or maybe a better question would be do your neighbors even know you? Most people have resigned themselves to living a life of quite isolation, never expecting to experience real community. And since many churches never grasp the importance of community this vicious cycle continues in a culture that’s starved for something that only the church can offer.
I’m convinced that if our church would create a culture of community then the very people we want to reach would be willing to listen to our message. Who wouldn’t want to belong to a place where you’re loved and accepted, forgiven and encouraged and where everybody knows your name? That ought to be our church!
