Community


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  When we celebrated our 30th Anniversary, we celebrated what God has built – a community. “Community” – etymology – “with” “gift” – a community is a gift • “cum” – with/together • “munus” – a gift Community simply requires us to be together. • A corporate revelation is reflecting who God is. There is a dynamic of being together – greater than the sum of the parts è Social Capital Community – Defined, Pt 2 • A social unit   • A group of organisms sharing an environment helping one another – simply by being together.   • What are the distinctions that sets apart the church as a community distinct from every other community? What are some distinctives?   • GEN 28:3 – May God make you fruitful until you become a community of peoples   1. THE CHURCH SHOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY FRUITFULNESS   a. As such, we are BLESSED – that we are in the Lamb’s book of life is wonderful   b. God’s intent: that we be fruitful & multiplication – regardless of our circumstances   c. Like Israel in Babylon, exiled, yet JER 29:4 commanded them to “build houses, settle down, & multiply…”   d. Wasn’t a question of moving back, but of being established by increasing in number   e. Seek the prosperity of the place I’ve carried you – praying blessing upon it brings blessing to you   f. Increase in the place where you find yourself – be fruitful and multiply in the midst of all circumstances; what marks the church and our lives is that we are an agent for change and growth   g. In the Kingdom, things are moving continually; its not what we can be “in season”, its what God can do with us “out of season”   h. What can you do “out of season” – Jesus and the fig tree that was fruitless. Though it was not the season, God’s presence should have brought forth a proper recognition and brought forth fruit.  

2. Church community should be marked by GOVERNMENT – God establishes government to lead the community   a. I TIM 5:17, Acts 17   b. If this is a community of God, He will establish community   c. ZACH 1:2 – where there is no govt, there is scattering   d. EZK 43:12 – God will rescue the scattered sheep   e. MATT 9 – the people were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd   f. Govt as relates to a community of faith is God’s design, not man’s idea   i. There are numerous ways govt can/should work   ii. Deacons, elders, apostles – all agents of govt   iii. Govt demonstrates God’s favork   3. Govt requires that STANDARDS will be implemented   a. NUM 19:20-21 – Community without govt and standards devolves into chaos   b. Holy standards characterizes a properly governed church   c. People who don’t want want govt will resist & deny holy standards   d. NUM 19:20-21 – were to end of maintaining a sense of order & cleansing   e. EPH 5 – not even a hint of sexual immorality   f. 1COR 5:9 – not to associate with those who call themselves a “brother” but is living outside the standard of proper order   i. We are to judge what goes on inside the church to maintain the standard of righteous community   ii. God will judge those OUTSIDE the church, but WE ARE TO JUDGE one another   iii. To keep the standards is how we are formed together.   iv. 1PET 4:22 – “now that you have purified yourself by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brother.” You can’t love your brother until something has been conformed in our lives to the standard of holiness   4. Unity – the result of a common purpose, vision all bound by shared standards & government   5. Identity – 1PET 2 – God intends to bind us together   a. “Once your were not a people, but now your are the people…” What makes us unique is that God has made us the PEOPLE of God, not the PERSONS of God.   b. We celebrate the goodness of God in establishing this local body of people as “the people” of God  

c. We are chosen…belonging to God – our identity is the relegation of our individual identity to the amalgamation of many independent parts. AS the parts are formed together, they are made into a contiguous whole   d. When a building is built, we don’t focus on the individual parts. To form a “spiritual house” we lose some of our individuality to form and become the whole greater than myself   e. When the distincitives are gone, there is a wholeness of unity.   f. Healthy life means becoming part of something bigger – even losing some of our individuality for the sake of gaining that.   All of the elements working together make us distinct. Government, standards, unity, identity – all these elements working together bring fruitfulness & increase in all seasons. The dominion mandate requires that we exercise ourselves in such so that God can form what He wants.