Christ. Community. Culture. - "Christ's Community"
[powerpress] In our three week series defining the vision of Second City Church, we began by focusing on the preeminence of Jesus Christ. We now turn to the importance of community which can not be overstated. The Jewish context from which Jesus taught understood that life in God is to be carried out in community, not individually. Historically, the inheritance that God gave to His people was for whole tribes and not for singular Israelites. Our Western mentality has reduced Christianity to individualized perspectives and goals, whereas the gospel that Jesus preached was not one solely of personal salvation, but the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:10-14). No one man or woman makes a kingdom, just as no one is truly a leader unless they have followers (otherwise they are just taking a walk). It is deception to believe that you can live the fully obedient Christian life outside of Christ's family, the church. To recapture God's design for His church, we are committed to God's community that shapes us and empowers us.
Community that Shapes You
“God hath thus ordered it, that we may learn to bear one another’s burdens; for no man is without fault, no man without his burden, no man sufficient of himself, no man wise enough of himself; but we ought to bear with one another, comfort one another, help, instruct, and admonish one another.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
The church is a family that helps to shape your identity in Christ.
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 NIV)
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:28-30 NIV)
The thoughts found in these and other Scriptures have governed the historic church which has been steered by such summarized doctrine as The Apostle's Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell;
the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Intrinsic to what it meant to be a follower of Christ in the orthodox context, was to have a devotion to His catholic (which literally means "universal") church. This devotion is then played out in local communities that both shape you and send you with the purposes of Jesus into the world.
“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” ― St. Thomas Aquinas
The church is to be a community where the family provides stability, security, and companionship as it helps to form your character.
Ultimately, the family that you belong to shapes who you are as an individual. We belong to the family of God. Healthy families have regular, consistent moments where they gather together to share life. God's design for this begins with the Sabbath.
The importance of the Sabbath:
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV)
God's commands given to the Jewish community were setting a principle precedent for how He intended the church to function in Jesus-centered community living.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord ’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 58:11-14 NIV)
The Sabbath was and is without fail not a "personal day," as some suppose, where you do whatever you want in isolation. How often have you been in front of the television on a day off, swept away in an 8+ hour Netflix marathon, only to realize that you are more fatigued, mentally drained, and have no more spiritual vitality than when you began your "down" time? The Sabbath is meant to be a time of worship, instruction, and recalibration for the week ahead. Through it, you are once again able to move forward God-centered and full of His grace. This is made possible as the community of believers come into fellowship with one another, providing and receiving encouragement.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24, 25 NIV)
This encouragement, as modeled on that Sabbath day, is to continue on a daily basis, in the midst of the daily challenges of work, parenting, marriage, and aspiration to personal holiness.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. (Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV)
When you are not in Christian community, your world becomes very small, and all of your concerns become simply about myopic issues, ambitions, and problems that seem to have no end, refreshing themselves without your help. The Sabbath lifts your eyes to Christ and His victorious kingdom. You're once again given a much grander perspective. The result is that you have the vision, focus, and strength to impact the world.
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. (Psalm 52:8 NIV)
You must make sure that your priorities align with God's design for your flourishing.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vYsVmSh4648
God said that it is not good for people to be alone (Genesis 2). If that is the case by His design, He also provides the solution. This city is big and can be isolating. However, your need for both platonic and romantic relationships are meant to flourish within the church, through all the seasons of life.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15 NIV)
Every time that we come together as a family of believers is important. In the church, there is a two-way revolving door which will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus and others. The first is our celebration services Sunday mornings where we worship the Lord together, observe the sacraments, like communion, give our hearts to the Lord through our tithes and offerings, and unify around a vision to serve the city with the gospel. This is where our Christ-centered relationships are formed, reaffirmed, and many people can meet Jesus for the first time. From this place, we encourage people to enter into community groups where relationships can be deepened and strengthened. It is here that we continue to open our lives to one another, committing to the process of mutual accountability as we strive to become more like Jesus. We have a growing number of stories about people who said that they are not yet ready for church, but are coming into relationship with Christians that will hopefully help lead them into relationship with Jesus. These are our on-ramps where you can meet Jesus and His people. Come to church and get involved in a community group. Come through the door of the community group and get involved in the church. By doing so, you become a part of a community that empowers you.
Community that Empowers You
“. . . the Twelve Apostles are the most evident sign of Jesus' will regarding the existence and mission of his Church, the guarantee that between Christ and the Church there is no opposition: despite the sins of the people who make up the Church, they are inseparable. Therefore, a slogan that was popular some years back, 'Jesus yes, Church no,' is totally inconceivable with the intention of Christ. This individualistically chosen Jesus is an imaginary Jesus.” ― Benedict XVI, The Apostles: The Origin of the Church and Their Co-Workers
The church is the community with whom you are empowered to serve the city with the gospel.
We are committed to gathering together in community, because it is a command. No individual outside of Jesus has all of the gifts of God operating in them without need of others. We are able to do more in the mission of Jesus as a church, than any one person can do on their own.
Central to our doctrine and the gospel of the kingdom is the primacy of Christ lived out through church community. Where there is no church involvement, there is no ability to say you are fully following Christ.
You are loved and cared about here. Your presence and contribution are invaluable.
In Christ-centered community there are: 1) Fathers and Mothers Many of you are struggling and wander much of your lives, because you never identify and submit yourself to godly counsel in your life. If Jesus and the apostles did so, how much more do you and I need it, despite what "calling" that we feel like we have? If you feel called to be a pastor, future church planter, missionary, or to make marketplace impact for the kingdom, you need authority in your life. B and I have served in ministry under authority for over a decade and been trained under seasoned pastors. We have older men and women who have done exactly what we're doing who we call and look to for advice, prayer support, and accountability. Those who teach the Word should have a mechanism for vetting.
2) Brothers and sisters
You mutually strengthen one another in the Word and grace of God.
I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:14-16 NIV)
Community groups are a great place to engage in this. We are all equals at the foot of the cross and are to submit to one another, under the Word of God unto the honor of Jesus.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)
As we commit to one another in this manner, we sharpen one another in Jesus and life. Iron rubbing against against iron can at times cause friction and irritation. However, the purpose is that it would be part of the process of your sanctification, so that you might become more like Jesus, knowing Him more fully.
3) Spiritual Children
Biblical discipleship and disciple making take place in community.
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:1, 2 NIV)
The Roots class will equip you for this. If you have not been through the Purple Book, have only partially completed it, or have not done it in a while, we invite you to go through it with us Sundays at 2:30 pm - 4 pm at the Church of the Ascension.
These eternally purposed relationships are where the joy that you know should come from Jesus is stirred. You find that joy chiefly in God's presence and additionally when you find yourself involved fully in the community of Jesus through which we experience His love.
Second City Church- Christ. Community. Culture. Sermon Series 2014