Community in Communion With Christ and One Another

I grew up in a small town community and most all our neighbors went to the same local church.  We did many things as a community so I remember a time when we shared life together as a community. 

But in our society today, we are drawn in many different directions, that even in our families so often we don’t have a sense of community. Our neighbors went to school together, and then to church together, and we played on the ball field together at the Little League.  We even did neighborhood small groups together.  As families we would read scriptures together with the other families on our street.  One of my favorite things we did was on the first snowfall of the year, we gathered our grills and lawn chairs and the community would arrive in our side yard with hotdogs, chips, soda, side dishes and we would have an outdoor celebration in the snow.  Anyone crazy enough to come was invited- and no phone calls had to be made.  Everyone knew that was what we did on the first snowfall of the year.  We would toss the football around, play snow games while the adults sat in lawn chairs wrapped in blankets trying to keep warm.   Then there was the neighbor 2 doors down who always hosted the neighborhood pig roast.  There was more people than backyard!. We knew the local police officers, the mailmen, the principal of our elementary school.  And our parents would send us to the local market to pick up groceries and if we didn’t have enough money, the store owner would say, “bring it next time”.  Boy those days are certainly gone. 

As I grew older and left my hometown, I have always hoped to find a church that reminded me of the church I grew up in.  A community church, where a community lived, worked and worshipped together.   What a concept!!  I think as good of a model that was at that time, I believe God really has more for His Ekklesia and is taking us to a place where worship is vital and the cross and Christ crucified is the centrality of the gospel.  Centered around that we need to embrace our community and draw them into the love of the Father poured out on the cross.  We may need to ask ourselves a few questions.

With all the things going on in our lives, we have to stop and consider, are we trying to manage everything on our own, or are we doing it with others? Are we doing it empowered by the Holy Spirit living within us?

If we look at what the early church looked like in Acts 2:42-47 it gives us insight into what God desires for His people.  It reads:  “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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 people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

The early church members worked together for the good of the community, exactly as the Lord intended.  So we need to ask ourselves, how are we contributing to the needs of our community?  Are we breaking bread and fellowshipping with them? Are we helping them when family crisis arises?  Are we helping them we they have pressing needs?  Are we living out our faith in our community or do we save that just for the church?  Do our neighbors know we love the Lord? Have we shared our testimony with them?   You see, when we live out our faith in our community, this scripture in Acts tells us, God will add to the church those who are being saved.  Maybe that’s why our friends and family aren’t getting saved, because we don’t think they want to hear about God’s love for people or maybe we are spending too much time with church activities with no time left for doing life together with those individuals who desperately need the Lord..  

Here’s another question we are asked: Are relationships developing as we serve?

Are we working with others at our church in such a way that we are growing together as we serve?  It always amazes me how a community comes together in a natural disaster.  In order for people to survive, they pull together their resources and lend each other a hand.   They end up getting to know their neighbor even though they have lived next door for years.  Our life was designed purposely by God to need others involved in our life.  God doesn’t want us to do it alone. 

Now here is the big question:  Are we deeply sharing life together?  Do we have surface relationships that help us feel connected, but they are not deep, nor lasting at all? God wants us to feel we can share the good things in life as well as the struggles and know people care about us. We can only do this when Christ lives in us and we allow the Holy Spirit  to guide us.  

And that is the whole point, God says we were once not a people but now we are a people.  We are called to be a family, God’s special people working together for one purpose, with one heart and one mind.  How is that accomplished?  By spending time together and getting to really know one another, and to pray for one another’s needs.  As we spend time with each other, we also spend time connected to God corporately, through prayer, studying the Word, and worshipping the Lord. The Holy Spirit brings us into the place of God's heart where we become One Body.

Last thing to consider: Are you using your God given gifts?  God has designed each of us with specific gifts to bless others, and then He places us where we can walk in our gifts.  The problem is, if we are not in a place where we can walk in our gifts, then we will become disappointed and discouraged because we won’t feel useful.  God has a plan for your life, and when we are in the right place we will flourish in our gifts and we will have a wonderful sense of being helpful in the kingdom of God!  Ask Holy Spirit to lead you where Jesus can use you to bring glory and honor tho the Father.

So my question for you is this: Are you devoting your time to the teaching of God’s Word, corporate Spirit led worship, the fellowship with others, the breaking bread together and praying with one another?  Because if you aren’t, then I’m afraid you are not in the very plan God has for your life.  God doesn’t give us gifts so we can sit on the sidelines in church and not use those gifts to serve others.  Seek the Lord and ask Him where your gifts will be appreciated for His purposes. 

You will feel energized and blessed to be in a community of believers working together to expand the kingdom of God, not merely fill a building.  You will find it exciting to be in a church that feels alive with the power of the Presence of the Holy Spirit.  You will witness a steady growing in numbers as the Holy Spirit draws people into your fellowship.   Is Christ the main focus of your church family? Are you experiencing authentic heart felt worship to King Jesus who is worthy of extravagant praise? Are you blessed as you serve your community with others?  Are you blessed as you fellowship with another and establishing real meaningful relationships?  Are you reaching your community to serve those un-churched around you by announcing the gospel of Jesus in word and deed?  And is God faithfully adding to your numbers daily?

If not, then ask God to lead you where He will use you.   Ask the Lord to direct your path to a community in communion with Christ and one another.  This is a season to partner with heaven in reaching the lost in record numbers. Where evil abounds, grace abounds more.  God has given His Body the grace to take back what satan has stolen from Jesus.  The souls of men!! We need to be a passionate people pursuing our God, connecting with other likeminded people pursuing God so we can passionately advance the kingdom of God for His glory!