19 Cultivating Community

 

 

 

PURPOSE # 2

 

 

You Were Formed For God's Family

 

 

 I am the vine, and you are the branches.

John 15:5

 

Christ makes us one body...

Connected to each other.

Romans 12:5

 

 

19 Cultivating Community

 

 

You can develop a healthy, robust community

that lives right with God and enjoy its

results only if you do the hard work

of getting along with each other, treating

each other with dignity and honor.

James 3:18

 

They committed themselves to the teaching

of the apostles, the life together,

the common meal, and the prayers.

Acts 2:42

 

Community requires commitment.

Only the Holy Spirit can create real fellowship between believers,

but he cultivates it with the choices and commitments we make.

Paul points out this dual responsibility when he says,

"You are joined together with peace through the Spirit,

so make every effort to continue together in this way."

Ephesians 4:3

 

Paul wrote, "I am writing these things to you...

[so] you will know how to live in the family of God.

That family is the church."

1 Timothy 3:14-15

 

Cultivating community takes honest.

The Bible tells us to "speak the truth in love"

Ephesians 4:15

because we can't have community without candor.

Solomon said,

"An honest answer is

a sign of true friendship."

Proverbs 24:26

Paul says,

"Brothers and sisters,

if somone in your group does something wrong,

you who are spiritual should go to that person

and gently help make him right again."

Galatians 6:1-2

 

Many church fellowships and small groups remain superficial

because they are afraid of conflict.

Paul's solution was straightforward:

"No more lies, no more pretense.

Tell your neighbor the truth.

In Christ's body

we're all connected to each other, after all.

When you lie to others,

you end up lying to yourself."

Ephesians 4:25

 

When conflict is handled correctly,

we grow closer to each other

by facing and resolving our difference.

"In the end,

people appreciate frankness

more than flattery."

Proverbs 28:23

The Bible tells us there is a right time

and a right way to do everything.

Ecclesiastes 8:6

 

Thoughtless words leave lasting wounds.

"Never use harsh words

when you correct an older man,

but talk to him as if he were your father.

Talk to younger men

as if they were your brothers,

older women

as if they were your mothers,

and younger women

as if they were your sisters."

1 Timothy 5:1-2

 

Paul had to rebuke the Corinthian church

for their passive code of silence

in allowing immorality in their fellowship.

Since no one had the courage to confront it, he said,

"You must not simply look the other way

and hope it goes away on its own.

Bring it out in the open and deal with it....

Better devastation and embarrassment than damnation....

You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that....

you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine.

when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked,

is flip with God or rude to friends,

gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory.

You can't just go along with this,

treating it as acceptable behavior.

I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do,

but don't we have some responsibility

for those within our community of believers?"

1 Corinthians 5:3-12

 

Cultivating community takes humility.

Self-importance, smugness, and stubborn pride

destroy fellowship faster than anything else.

"Clothe yourselves with humility

toward one another."

1 Peter 5:5b

"... because, God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5c

 

"Live in harmony with each other.

Don't try to act important,

but enjoy the company of ordinary people.

And don't think you know it all!"

Romans 12:16
"Give more honor to others than to yourselves.

Do not be interested only in your own life,

but be interested in the lives of others."

Philippians 2:3-4

Humility is not thinking less of yourself;

it is thinking of yourself less.

 

Cultivating community takes courtesy.

"We must bear the 'burden' of being

considerate of the doubts

and fears of others."

Romans 12:16

"God's people

should be bighearted and courteous."

Titus 3:2

"Be devoted to each other like a loving family.

Excel in showing respect for each other."

Romans 12:10

The basis for our fellowship is our relationship to God:

We're family.

 

Cultivating community takes confidentiality.

"Gossip is spread by wicked people;

they stir up trouble

and break up friendships."

Proverbs 16:28

Gossip always causes hurt and divisions,

and it destroys fellowship,

and God is very clear that we are to confront those

who cause division among Christians.

Titus 3:10

The fellowship of the church is

more important than any individual.

 

Cultivating community takes frequency.

"Let us not give up

the habit of meeting together,

as some are doing.

Instead, let us encourage one another."

Hebrews 10:25

Community is built not on convenience

("we'll get together when I feel like it")

but on the conviction that I need it for spiritual health.

 

"They worshiped together regularly

at the Temple each day,

met in small groups in homes for Communion,

and shared their meals

with great joy and thankfulness."

Acts 2:46

Fellowship requires an investment of time.

 

If you are a member of a small group or class,

I urge you to make a group covenant

that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship:

We will share our true feelings (authenticity),

encourage each other (mutuality),

support each other (sympathy),

forgive each other (mercy),

speak the truth in love (honesty),

admit our weaknesses (humility),

respect our differences (courtesy),

not gossip (confidentiality),

and make group a priority (frequency).

 

When you look at the list of characteristics,

it is obvious why genuine fellowship is so rare.

It means giving up our self-centeredness and independence

in order to become interdependent.

But the benefits of sharing life together

far outweigh the costs, and it prepares us for heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

DAY NINETEEN

Thinking About My Purpose

 

 Point to Ponder: Community requires commitment.

 

Verse to Remember: "We understand what love is

when we realize that Christ gave his life for us.

That means we must give our lives

for other believers ."

1 John 3:16

 

Question to Consider: How can I help cultivate today

the characteristics of real community

in my small group and my church?

 

 

p 145~151

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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