Community Part III: To One Another

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us (1 John 3.23). Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thes 5.11). But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Heb 3.13). Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Eph 4.2, 32).

The New Testament continues throughout to give a picture of what it means to live in community “together” with one another to accomplish mission. These verses are representative of all that Christ-followers are instructed to be and do with one another. This kind of expression toward one another never just happens, but requires intentionality and faithfulness.

Love for one another is the identifying trait of a Christ-follower, but it can be difficult. We do not often think of love as difficult, but the extent to which we love is never truly known until it is tested. In order for a real love for one another to develop, it must be nurtured and grown. It is easy to say we love one another, especially when we first meet or in the early days of building a relationship when our “best face” is put forward. But life has a way of bringing challenges and struggles. How well we stand with one another and how much we are willing to endure alongside one another in the struggles and challenges of life will be determined by the depth of our love. After all, if we do not love one another in those times when we become “unlovable,” did we really love one another before?

When you look at marriage, it is interesting to look at a couple that has recently been married and one that has faithfully been married 50+ or 60+ years. In both there is a true love for one another. The difference though is that one is tested and has stood through time and the other is developing to stand through time. The definitions of love in each case are very different. The young couple understands love as a healthy infatuation with one another. The older couple understands love as a strong commitment to one another. Neither is wrong. When I first got married I was wholly infatuated with my wife. Fourteen and a half years later I remain infatuated, but our marriage is no longer primarily defined in this way. We have learned what it means to live to love one another, to love through commitment.

Loving one another in the church is best understood through the relationship of marriage. Learning to live to love one another…living to love and learn one another…loving to learn and live with one another, Jesus has called us to a great expression of his goodness and grace among us. May the gospel build a strong community that loves one another at LifePoint.

Encouragement is no secondary matter. In the book of Acts when a report would return to the Apostles of the gospel reaching a new people, immediately they would send one of their own to confirm that it was the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Once this was confirmed, the Bible says that they would encourage (Acts 11.23) one another to remain true. Encouragement is essential to remaining true to the gospel in our lives. We have assurance from God in his Word and by Holy Spirit. We need also to have encouragement from his people. God has put other Christ-followers in our life for a purpose and one of those purposes is encouragement. People who know you best are able to encourage you most.

Community is vital, to build unity, accomplish mission and love one another. Community Group is vital to the health and strength of LifePoint. This is a great time to get connected with a group. I encourage every adult to connect with a group. Look at the community group list and consider your schedule. Which group would be best for you? Several new groups will form in October, be ready to connect with one of them. Contact Micah Osborne, Director of Connections, and let him help you connect today. For the love of the gospel and the encouragement it brings…

—Pastor Lane

Community Part II: To Accomplish Mission

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 the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. --Acts 2.42–47

When I read and study the book of Acts, I’m blown away to think of all that was taking place. I know how exciting the last three years of church planting have been for me, my family and all those that are now called LifePoint. Planting a church is a rush…or at least it has been in my experience. What must it have been like in the days, weeks and months following Pentecost. We are given an incredible insight into the pattern of the Apostles and the new disciples. I like to think of this pattern as a rhythm…an ethos of how followers of Jesus lived after Pentecost. One danger inherent in reading this passage is to idealize it and make it a ‘pipe-dream reality’ for today. The simplicity of it is amazing and the focus of it empowering. In order for LifePoint to accomplish her mission, we must understand the role of community. Follow me here through these verses…

They devoted themselves…Now this IS worth getting excited about. I love it when people devote themselves to the Gospel through LifePoint. Devoting oneself to anything shows a great commitment, a discipline to it. The disciples devoted themselves to these things not because it was part of a routine, but rather because it was the essentials of their faith. Life is full of that which we are ‘devoted to’. When we devote ourselves to a matter/cause, we give our affections & desires (heart), thoughts (mind), time, energy, money, every part of our life to it. Our problem today is not a lack of devotion. Our great fault is that we have elevated too many ‘causes’ to a level worthy of our devotion. Our grand problem is that we devote ourselves to everything and nothing is left to be hallowed. Devotion to Jesus reflects a change of heart and life. Devotion sets a high standard for how we should participate in the life of a community of Christ-followers and creates a high desire to be faithful. I don’t desire to fill a person’s schedule with more church. I do want to help people fill their lives with that which matters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a great challenge to teach and encourage devotion. I’m encouraged when I think of all the people at LifePoint who have devoted themselves. You’re invited to join us…

They focused on essentials; the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. This is very refreshing. We live in “Churchville,” as some would call it, in southwest Missouri. Don’t get me wrong, I love this part of the country and thank God every day for calling me here. However, I’m not naïve to my culture. When “church” is mentioned most people think of a location, building or a ‘style.’ Church represents so much more than the description given in Acts 2.42. I wish this were a good thing, but sadly it’s because so many secondary matters have become essential to defining “church” while the essentials of the Gospel have become burdensome to doing church. I believe following Christ, while not easy, is much simpler than most people in “Churchville” have made it and often looks very little alike. This is a typical tendency for people. We love to create standards that make us feel better about our spirituality but have no real power to impact us for the Gospel. How powerful the rhythm of a community of Christ-followers when they celebrate the essentials of the Gospel in all they do. Let’s not be naïve about another aspect of our culture in southwest Missouri, locals are more and more the minority. We live in a fast-changing culture of people from all over the country and world. We don’t have time to champion all the secondary matters of Churchville. We must remain radically focused on the essentials of the Gospel. Community Group is a great environment to do this and a great opportunity for adults to experience what this looks like among a group of Christ-followers.

Committed to one another…All the believers were together. Participation is key to commitment. Together has such powerful implications for the church. If every person is to do their part in together, participation must happen. Church “disconnected from people” is not a Biblical teaching or example. At LifePoint we are taking an aggressive strategy this year to connect adults in Community Group. Why? Together matters and Community Group is the best environment to grow together among our people. Community Group is the primary point of connection for adults. People need to connect with LifePoint in gathered worship experiences on Sunday and in community together during the week. There is far too little room in this blog to fully explain the benefits, but the fullest implication and application of the word ‘fellowship’ will only occur in Community Group. Let us help you connect with a group this week and discover all that together means.

I hope you are thinking through a greater understanding of community and its purpose for LifePoint. Next week I will finish working through this passage and consider some of the more practical details of Community Group in my blog. And by the way…if you have a great testimony to share from your Community Group, please send it to us at info@lifepointozark.com. We would love to hear it and share it!

--Pastor Lane

Community ... Together

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. 45 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 the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. —Acts 2.42–47

This is the kick-off week for a new season of Community Group ministry at LifePoint. Significant changes have been implemented to expand the ministry: new leaders, new groups, new locations, and a new strategy for connecting people more quickly and effectively. Strong community is vital for LifePoint to accomplish mission. Community Group is the key to this strength.

First, be clear of the relationship between community and mission. To use a phrase from a good friend, LifePoint is not a mission of community, but a community of mission. “Community” is not the mission of LifePoint, but it is the pathway to accomplishing our mission: leading people to be real Christ-followers in life…together. We must remain absolutely clear of this in order to understand the value of making community a high priority for every member and regular-attender at LifePoint. The value of active participation in a Community Group is great! Community Group…engages people through study of the Bible and the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ...encourages people by connecting them with others whose lives are being impacted by the Gospel…equips people to participate in sharing the Gospel through missional living.

When a person actively participates in Community Group, the Gospel works in their life and grows them in authenticity (a buzzword heard so often that it may become worthless in meaning). Two concepts help to define real authenticity; transparency and vulnerability. Transparency is the willingness to open up your life to others and speak with an honest recognition of life, including joys and celebrations, weaknesses, brokenness or struggles. Vulnerability includes the willingness to trust others, open your life up and allow others to ‘speak into it’. It is encouraging to experience a group that is led by a spirit of authenticity, spreading from those who will lead in it to those who are more hesitant initially. Sin fights against us and condemns us in our weaknesses and brokenness, building pretense to put forth our best façade and so deflect the ‘magnetic attraction’ of authenticity. Thankfully, the grace of God is greater and the light of God’s truth is brighter, to overcome sin’s darkness and condemnation.

The cumulative impact of the Gospel through community is immeasurable and unimaginable. God uses the power of Holy Spirit and his Word along with encouragement from his people to nurture his work of grace in a disciple’s life. Over the next couple of weeks I want to consider more deeply the impact of the Gospel through community by taking a look at it in its infancy in Acts 2.42-47. Community does not begin with this passage in Acts, but we do begin to see the power of grace and redemption among God’s people that forms Biblical community.

I encourage you…connect with a Community Group this week. Check out the complete listing on our website or e-mail the office at info@lifepointozark.com and let us help you. Be an active participant in a strong community of transformation and help LifePoint move forward in mission. Because He Lives…

--Pastor Lane

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Photo by Chris Austin at LifePoint's 2006 Thanksgiving Celebrate LifePoint