Credits: Life in community by Dustin Willis

Authentic, true, consistent relationships should be expected in the church with members of both sexes. How much interaction is for another day- People fall into different camps when it comes to male-female interaction from total avoidance, too familial, and everything in between. However, my goal today is to express how we are created for community, designed for community, and grafted into the family of God as adopted children. We are a Gospel community that loves one another sacrificially (Agape love) as a witness to a watching world of the transformed heart within us. Romans 1:11 says “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you-that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” This is part of the reason why we gather together. We encourage one another and provide reciprocal fruit imparted by the Holy Spirit to each other. We stabilize people in their commitment to Christ and we stabilize our faith through the testimony of others. In Romans:15, Paul says “so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.” We can find rest in the friendships of God’s people.

1John 4:7- Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

If you’ve been around church ministries enough, you know that people desire authentic community and relationships and communicate that to their leaders. When some people communicate their desire for community, they can get negative responses ranging from this is not a social club to assumed motivations about why that person is there. Frankly, those responses are immature responses. True, church is not a social club but it is a family of believers on mission for the Gospel. We need to affirm good desires for community because ultimately, it’s part of our identity and is part of our sanctification.

The Goal of Pastoral Ministry is conformity to Christ- Community is Part of That

Not only is the goal of Pastoral ministry conformity to Christ, the individual’s goal should be conformity to Christ in light of the great day that is ahead- the Bema seat where all believers will be judged based on their works and receive awards- (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Based on this verse, community is not optional. We need to be meeting with one another. In addition, how can we practice the one another’s in scripture or use our spiritual gifts in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 12, and Ephesians:4? The church community helps us affirm the gifts we have so we can use them for the benefit of the body. Is the church just a building?

The church is not just a building but a community of “repenting sinners bonded together in a blood covenant in Jesus Christ”

Community and the Gospel go hand in hand. The church is a Gospel community that is on mission for God. The mission of the church is done in community. Dustin Willis says we “live alongside each other for the sake of one another” The best thing for a believer is to live in authentic community because it helps sanctify us.

Why do you come to church?

Do you come to church for everything you can get? For your friends, the food, the coffee, the music? While these things are bad in themselves, we ultimately come to church for worship and because we believe in the death and resurrection of Christ as a new family of believers. The world lives for everything they can get and pursue worthless passions. Believers live for Christ, denying themselves for His purposes, His glory, and His namesake. What are you living for? Test yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthains 13:5)

Truly, we are one Spiritual Family that exists as God’s adpoted Sons-

Ephesians 2:11-22

¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,^[d] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by^[e] the Spirit.

The scripture couldn’t be more clear. We are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God because we have been reconciled through the death of Christ. What a blessing! Remember, community is made possible by God’s mercy and what He did for us.

One of my favorite quotes from the book I read is this one-

“Distance from Christian community is a sign of distance from Jesus himself.”

Wow. This is simple but profound. As we stop living out God’s design in Christian community, we begin to drift ever so slightly. Our direction changes bit by bit. This might sound extreme but I’ve seen professing believers go from saying things like- “I don’t need to go to church” and “I can read the Bible by myself. Why do I need people in my life?” Well this is truly a slippery slope. This individual started a series of questions that progressed into leaving faith starting with “Why do I need to go to church?” “Why do I need Christian Community?” “Why do I need the Bible?” “Does God really exist” to “What God?” You may think you are above that but no one is. Once we start distancing ourselves from the church and the Word, we are left vulnerable to Satan and anything is possible. I’ve seen seemingly faithful people leave the faith to live and indulge in a life of sin. They have left their families, their wives, and their children to pursue a life of sin. We need to be fighting with every weapon possible which includes the Sword of the Spirit and the community of fellow believers which help us stabilize our faith and encourages us till He returns again or we are brought home.

Romans 12:4-5

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Clearly, in the church, we function as members of the same body with different roles and responsibilities.

Practical applications for living in the context of a genuine Gospel Community on mission for God:

Medal of honor; Army, Airforce, Navy. Honor one another sacrificially (Applicaiton below)

1. Romans:12- Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in Honor. We think through what’s best for this person and do what we can to meet needs and respect them. Honor means-We willingly suffer for someone else’s gain.
2. Use your spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Body (Ephesians:4, 1 Corinthians:12, Romans:12)
3. Encourage one another in the faith (Hebrews 3:13)-Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today
4. John 13:35- By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have Love for one another.
5. We fulfill the law of Christ as we bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
6. Psalm 130:3- If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?-We don’t keep a record of wrongs just as the Lord doesn’t keep a record of wrongs
7.  Romans 12:11- Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
8. 1Timothy:5 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

In Conclusion, we are a Gospel Community of saints that are members of one another. A desire for community is good, promotes sanctification, and is part of God’s good design. As we live as members of the church, we need to be encouraging one another in community and helping others get involved for this is the whole goal of Pastoral ministry and should be one of the main targets of a believer in Christ-Sanctification. In addition, community enables us to practice the one another’s of scripture and fulfill the commands in scripture to truly love one another in authentic community. True Christian community is Gospel centered and provides a catalyst for missions and spreading the Gospel together as one of our chief aims. Although every situation is different, generally speaking, true love invites, gives out the number, includes, edifies, denies self, is sacrificial and gives honor. When we go to church, the primary question we should be asking is how can I love/help/serve/edify others? Many people in the church don’t have relationships. They are looking for authentic community with girls and guys that they can relate to. Lets create a healthy and appropriate context for the church community to live out it’s identity- To help others conform to Christ and be a living Gospel message by showing our love to the World. Make unbelievers ask questions about our community and how loving we are to one another. Our love for Christ should be so pervasive that others will want what we have. Be in community. Encourage others in our Gospel community as adopted Sons. Be the church.