Community (Part 4 – The power of community)

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Community – Part 4

(The Power of Community)

Welcome to Jesus Church here and online

We are one month into our series on community

• We believe that healthy, engaged community is God’s intention
  • That God himself from beginning shows that He is a community
  • Jesus built a community around him – through relationship
  • And the early church was a healthy/relational community
• Last week we talked about the glue that holds community together
  • Which is HONOR… we must be a culture that honors each other
  • And that’s difficult because we live in a culture of contempt
• Honor is recognizing and acknowledging the value of others
  • Also talked on glory… which is our intrinsic value as Gods image
  • Regardless of if others recognize it or not
  • So Honor is just acknowledging the glory of those around us

Jn 17:22 (Jesus said it this way)

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.

So glory… or value that the Father gave the son has been give to us

• In that he says “that they may be ONE as we are ONE”
  • That’s community… and it happens through honoring 1 another
  • It is truly the glue that holds together a healthy community
  • And it should be protected & valued at all costs
• But we live in a culture of contempt
  • Contempt is where you look down on others as less than
  • And create culture counter to God’s will through that contempt
• But when we honor one another… we see that we open ourselves up
  • To the blessings of everything God has put into that person
  • To be shared as a gift to everyone else
  • But to receive that… we must honor them
    • And that’s where we see a community thrive
    • And ministry take place… out of an honoring community

And like any community… unity is found based on a common connection

• We use cult of cross-fit as a good example because it’s a community
  • But what we gather around isn’t a idea… concept… event
  • We gather around a person who we believe is alive & real
  • And he is at the center of everything we do
• We gather around our living Lord and Savior in the center
  • And we are all looking towards him in the center
  • And believe that he is looking back – Guiding us
• Which makes the church a literal a living thing… 100’s of connections
  • All of us connected through Jesus and many to each other as well

Tag: Open to Act 2 – Luke’s narrative of community

Acts 2:42-45 (This is in response to sermon Peter gives)

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

[Pray]

Many know I use to work in sales

But while I was still in school – I also sold diamonds

• We would buy diamonds from New York
  • And sell them here on the west coast
• When you sell diamonds… you get to know the inside of a diamond
  • And the beauty is how many ways the light is refracted thru it
  • Same light – but endless ways it is reflected

When it comes to scripture

The scriptures are like a diamond. As you turn the diamond you see an endless number facets that reveal the same truth. The light that’s reflected in the diamond is the same, but how you see it will change with every turn. The scriptures are the same way. You can read something 10 times and each time reveal something different depending on where you are at in life at that moment.

So Acts 2: Luke gives us 4 habits adopted by the church

Devoted to teaching / Breaking of bread / Worship / Fellowship

• Through those habits… We are told the followers of Jesus produce…
  • Signs & wonders – Evidence of the Spirit
  • Unity (In common goal and desire)
  • And the local community grew more healthy
• This is what happens when you devote yourself to Jesus
  • You see the church becoming everything Jesus calls it to be
  • From salvations… to freedom… to power… advancement…
  • And we as today’s church must grow in that same way

Today we’ll focus on 1 habit that stands out to me… All are life changing

• One: Devoted to teachings… The habit of learning and thinking
  • How do you learn to live a day to day life as a disciple of Jesus
• Breaking of bread… gathering to eat/eating in homes/communion
  • As a part of fellowship and dinner – Remembrance of Jesus
  • Committed to (big or small groups) being together – Intentional
• Prayer (worship) – Our response to God’s revelation to us in Jesus
  • This we talked about last week a bit
  • Our worship gives honor to God for His glory
• Fellowship… which is one of those Christian Code words
  • Only time we use the word fellowship is in church circles
  • When was last time you called someone a “Fellow”

Want to really focus on that word Fellowship

B/C fellowship means to a lot more than just hanging out together

• And hanging out is GREAT… but that’s not the concept of fellowship
  • Fellowship in Greek is – Koinonia

Acts 2:44

All the believers were together and had everything in common (Koinonia).

• Koinonia as Acts describes is a bunch of things (verse 44)
  • Its giving time to one another (followship is gathering together)
  • Its standing together w/ those around u (Everything in common)
  • Gave their possession to one another (They were generous)
  • Gave they broke bread together
• So Luke is saying this was a priority & commitment – Regular practice
  • And Luke points out that everything is about: Sharing life
  • The Christian live was never meant to be individualistic
  • But shared within the local church community

Again a few stories later… Luke gives another description of church life

Act 4:32 (ESV)

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul…

• This is over 3000 people… that’s pretty amazing to be able to say
  • Because this is 3000+ people from all over Mediterranean
  • In town for a festival: Different cultures… languages… classes
  • And a ton of these people encounter Jesus – Never leave
• Couple months go by and they are forming this unified community
  • And this is a KEY PART of what Koinonia is
  • Its realizing we are all connected in a unique & important way

… and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

• There’s that word again… guess what it is in Greek: Koinonia
  • Everything was subject to this deep unifying value of community
  • That they were in “ONE PLACE” and connected “IN JESUS”
  • And it changes everything about how they think/see the world

Acts 4:33 (Because of that look how effective they were)

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

And some would use this to promote socialism…

• That’s not what this is talking about at all
  • If you look how this played out – People who decided to sell stuff
  • They would bring it to the church… disciples would distribute
  • Don’t worry about someone asking for ur car keys after service
• There was an awareness of needs in family – Something I don’t need
  • So they would sell that and the church would help those people
  • And the community would grow in faith because of it
• Its not sharing like my house… everything subject to Koinonia
  • My son has always loved to take what’s mine (even as a baby)
    • I had dummy phones for him to play with… nope
    • Dummy remotes to play with… nope
  • Even now he loves to take things from me
    • Spot on couch/fav food/last drink
    • I literally have to hide things from him so he doesn’t eat it
  • That’s not what this is talking about… People just show up
    • I’m gonna crash on your couch because whats yours is mine
    • Or someone is gonna take your car and leave you stuck

And Luke is sharing this with us… so he thinks its important – WHY

Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you

Because there’s power in this mindset of community…

• • That was inspiring them to do things people don’t normally do
  • It wasn’t so much about the stuff being given out
  • It was the transformation in the mindset of those following Jesus
• And then look what happens… everything changes

Acts 4:33

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and GREAT GRACE was upon them.

This is important pairing of ideas… Koinonia and Grace

• Grace in the Greek is Karis
  • Karis – Defined around this idea of a “GIFT”
  • And Karis is at the core of the GOSPEL
• What is God’s response to us who’ve been given this beautiful world
  • Even though we ruined it and ruined each other…
  • What is God’s response to us who continually reject him
• His response (key word in new testament) is grace
  • He doesn’t give us what we deserve… but what we don’t deserve
  • Which is the concept of a gift
  • And that’s the foundational understanding of grace in the NT

And when Luke uses the term GRACE > it goes into even more detail

• It says: There was great grace upon them… not only forgiven by Jesus
  • The way he says this – “Only way I can describe this generosity”
  • The only thing that could describe why… is Karis (grace)
• Luke uses grace not just something happening for us (Saved from sin)
  • But what happens to us when we accept that gift…
  • It creates all these habits of the early church
• So grace WASN’T just something done 4 us… but a power given to us
  • Which is meant to change our lives
  • Motivate us to live like Jesus

TAG: So GRACE is given to us… it motivates us to build healthy community

And as the community of Jesus – this is who we are

2 Cor 8:9

For you know the grace (Charis) of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

We are called to be generous in the grace Jesus has given us

• And if we ignore that… we ignore the Spirit of God living in us
  • So here’s my questions to leave you with this morning
  • As we sit in the same type of community Paul/Luke talk to

1 – Are u engaged in this community – Do you give to where God put you

• And if you need to heal from a past experience at a church
  • Maybe just became a Christian
  • That is awesome – Just come and be a part
  • We are totally ok with that
• But what isn’t healthy… is for that to be the rest of your life
  • Not for us… but its not good for you
  • But community is giving of your
    • Time
    • Effort
    • Finances
• All to grow the community we are called to
  • Because when you do that… Great grace will be upon you
  • You find supernatural unity (wonder why people disconnected)
  • And the Spirit of God will move in powerful ways

And this isn’t some unique thing that happened to SUPER CHRISTIANS

• Remember this was a bunch of people who came for a pagan festival
  • God moved in their lives and they followed Jesus
  • And then great grace fell upon them
• When grace happens: Ordinary people capable of extraordinary stuff
  • Because its not what you are capable of anymore
  • It’s the grace gifted to you that is empowered to do that
  • To help there… invest in that relationship… engage that group
• So ask God to give you a grace for something specific
  • Kids ministry (give me a grace) Life group (I need to invest)
  • Foster care (giving of yourself) Any one of our ministries (Its time)

And watch the way God radically changes you and this community

[PRAY]