We are fiercely independent people, but if we want to grow in Christ, we can’t do it alone. We must depend on others to help us, which means transformation is based on interdependent relationships.

We need to get to a place where we believe we need each other in order to grow in Christ. A place where we see that we need more than just Jesus, a Bible, and a quiet place. Don’t get me wrong, we need Jesus, a Bible, and a quiet place. We need our time in the Word and in prayer, but we also need one another. We not only need another, they need us.

How do we develop interdependent community? 

We can start by looking at what took place in the early church. When we look at what the early church did, we learn that they:

• Immersed their lives in God’s Word together.
• Prayed together
• Shared each other’s burdens — They laughed, they cried, they parented, they ate together. 
• They celebrated the Lord’s Supper together, proclaiming in a visible way to the world that Jesus is their Savior.
• They served each other and the community. 
• They sacrificed for one another. 
• They made sure each other’s needs were met.
• They extended hospitality to those around them. 
• They were on mission together, seeking to win others to Christ and helping each other grow in their Christian walk. 

These are the things the early church did. But why did they do those things? What was behind those activities? Why didn’t they just stay home? Why did they press into community and these activities?

I believe it is because:

They saw themselves as a necessary part of the body of Christ. 

They knew that they were missed if they weren’t there. More importantly, they knew that they were hindering the church’s growth and mission when they failed to participate in the life of the church in a real and meaningful way. 

Knowing they were a necessary part of the body of Christ led them to share their lives with each other. 

There understanding of church as a body that depends on one another for growth and godliness, led them to be open and transparent. It is what led them to share more than their physical needs with one another but also to share their spiritual needs.

We must not only participate in the same activities as the first church, but we must see ourselves as a necessary part of the body, and we must be willing to share our lives with one another. 

Those you attend church with should know how to pray for you, not just physically but spiritually. They should know your fears, your struggles, and your joys. 

I know hearing that probably sounds a bit invasive. But that’s what it takes to live in interdependent community with one another that is transformative. If we always keep one another at arms length, if we never let anyone in, we aren’t really depending on them, instead we are depending on ourselves. When we depend on our self alone, we are not going to see the transformation we might desire and certainly the transformation we need. Transformation takes place in community.

Transformation takes place in community

Think about your body for a moment. Your arm doesn’t depend on itself. It depends on the rest of the body to work. We must do the same. We must depend on one another. We must live in interdependent community. When we do, we will see our lives being transformed to be more like Christ as we learn Christ together.

That is how you develop authentic and interdependent community that results in true transformation. You must see yourself as a necessary part of the body of Christ.

Do you see yourself as a necessary part of the body of Christ?

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Transformation is what we are after as Christians. At least it should be our goal. As Christians, we should want to grow not just in knowledge but in Christlikeness. Transformation doesn’t happen without teaching, it doesn’t happen without counsel, it doesn’t happen without prayer. As we learned last time, transformation doesn’t happen if we aren’t willing to be authentic with one another. Part of being authentic is depending on another person.

We are fiercely independent people, but if we want to grow in Christ, we can’t do it alone. We must depend on others to help us, which means transformation is based on interdependent relationships.

The first church lived in interdependent relationships with one another. 

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

(Acts 2:44-47)

What I want to draw your attention to in these verses is the word “together”.  It appears in verses 44 and 46.  While this word is translated as the same word in English, it’s actually two different words in the Greek. As you can guess, these two words mean two different things. 

In verse 44, the Greek is epi and it has to do with physical location. What that tells us is that these early Christians lived in the same place. In other words, they lived in close proximity to one another.

We are to live in close proximity to one another.

This wasn’t a small community. In verse 41, we learn that 3,000 people were initially saved at Peter’s preaching during Pentecost. Some, I presume, went back to their towns, but others stayed there in Jerusalem. Along with those who initially believed, we also learn in verse 47 that others were being added to the church each and everyday. So this was quite a large community of Christians living together with one another. I’m not exactly sure what that first community’s living quarters looked like. But what I do know is that they sold their possessions and moved so that they could live in close proximity to one another. 

Now, I don’t think this means that we all have to sell our houses, secure a plot of land somewhere, and build our own community. 

What I believe that we, as 21st century Christians, are to take from this is that: 

The church we are members of should be one that is local to us. 

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In other words, it should be in the same community in which we live. We should be able to “run into” other church members while we are out and about. 

That means we shouldn’t be members of a church that is located outside of our community just because it is the popular church in the area or we like the speaker. We must live in proximity to those with whom we attend church. That makes sense if we are going to genuinely devote our lives to one another. That’s hard to do if we don’t ever see one another. Or if it is a burden or hassle to get together with one another. We must live in close proximity to one another, just as those in the early church did. In other words, the church we attend must be local. 

That idea that we must be a part of a local church gains even more traction when we consider the second “together” used in these verses.

It is found in verse 46. It is the Greek word homothumadon. Literally this word means to have the same fiery passion. It’s to be intensely unified with another like fans who cheer on their home team.

I know most of you like football. Even if you don’t, being from Dallas, you probably still cheer on the Cowboys. If you were to buy an overpriced ticket and watch the cowboys in person, you don’t watch half asleep. No, you engage, you cheer, you root for the Cowboys. If you were to take a step back and get a birds eye view of the stands, especially if the Cowboys are driving down the field for the winning touch down, you would see a fiery passion, a sense of unity among the fans. That fiery passion, that unity that draws you together is the idea that this word is trying to convey. This is why some translations translate it as “one accord.” 

But this word doesn’t just carry the idea of being in one accord with other spectators at a sporting event. It goes much deeper than that. It carries the idea that we are to be together, in one accord with one another, on a deep spiritual and emotional level. What this word tells us then is that 

We are to live interdependently. 

Living interdependently means that we are together in both proximity and in dependent community. 

Think about the example of the Redwoods a couple of posts ago. They exist in proximity to one another, as well as they depend on one another. They live in interdependent community.

That’s how the first church lived. That’s how we are to live as well. We are to live in interdependent community. 

Living in interdependent community not only means we live in proximity to one another. But interdependent community takes us much deeper than proximity. To a certain extent living in proximity is easy to attain. All it takes is for us to live in the same community and attend the same local church on a regular basis. Proximity is really nothing more than seeing one another, saying hey, shaking hands, sitting in the same Sunday School class and sanctuary together. Achieving proximity is not all that difficult. But it is the first and a necessary step to living in interdependent community. 

We can’t just stop at proximity, we have to keep going until we also are living lives that are depending on one another for growth and godliness. 

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We need to get to a place where we believe we need each other in order to grow in Christ. That we need more than just Jesus, a Bible, and a quiet place. Don’t get me wrong, we need that.  We need our time in the Word and in prayer, but we also need one another. We have to recognize that or we will never live in interdependent community with one another. We will never see the value of asking someone else to pray for us. We will never see the value of asking another to hold us accountable. We will never see the value of getting together with one another in Bible Study. We will never see the value of serving one another by using our spiritual gifts. 

We must get to a place where we believe we need one another in order to grow in Christ and accomplish our mission as the Church. 

The first church saw that need, and that’s what drove them to sell everything, to move in with one another, and to gather together on a daily basis so that they might be transformed as they learn Christ together.

They saw their need for one another. Do we see that need? Are we willing to be open and transparent so that others can fulfill that need? If we want to be a growing vibrant church that is making disciples, we must see that need and we must allow others to meet that need.

Next Time

Developing interdependent relationships can be difficult. It cuts across the grain of who we have been shaped to be by our culture. Next time we are going to explore a few ways we can develop interdependent relationships next time.

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Authentic is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days.  You have authentic clothes, shoes, bags, drinks, coffee, stores, etc. It seems everything and everyone wants to be authentic.

But have you ever thought about what it actually means to be authentic and why it matters that we are authentic disciples?

When you look authentic up in the dictionary, you’ll find that one of the definitions is genuine. Genuine is how I’m using authentic in this post. As Jesus’ disciples, we are to be genuine.

Disciples gather together in authentic community

How we know we are a part of an authentic community?

Acts 2:42 helps us understand what it means to be disciples who live in a genuine community.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(Acts 2:42)

Authentic disciples don’t have ulterior motives. 

As we look at this verse, we learn authentic community occurs when we are genuinely sharing our lives with one another, so that we are all growing in Christ. Authentic people genuinely care about the lives of those around them. They genuinely want to see others built up in the faith. They genuinely want to use their God-given gifts to minister to one another.

Authentic disciples gather together in a transformative learning community because it is the best place for them and others to grow to be more like Christ.

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Authentic disciples care about transformation, not comfort

Those who are authentic don’t hold back with one another. They press into difficult situations and conversations because they actually care about transformation, not just what another can do for them.

If you catch yourself saying or thinking, “I know I should talk with that person about what’s going on in their life, but I am not going to do it because it might hinder our relationship or they might react in a negative way.” If that is your mentality, your relationship is not authentic. You are in it for what you can get out of it. 

Authentic disciples share their lives with others

Authentic disciples are not only willing to speak the truth in love, but they are also willing to share their life with those in whom they are in community. When someone asks how they are doing, authentic disciples share how they are really doing. When someone asks how they can pray for them, authentic disciples share how others can really pray for them. 

Why are we afraid to share our struggles with others and ask for prayer?

It is because we value their opinion over our spiritual growth. But here is the thing, we ought to be able to share our struggles with one another because their acceptance of us shouldn’t ultimately matter.

Authentic disciples are gospel-centered

As Christians, we have the greatest acceptance we could ever want — that is the acceptance of Jesus. His acceptance is not conditional. It is not based on our appearance of having everything put together. Jesus knows we don’t have everything put together. Jesus knows our social media profile is not representative of actual life. 

Let’s just be real for a minute. We are all messed up, jacked up people. None of us really have it all together. To think you are the only one who is struggling with something is a lie from Satan. We are all struggling with something, which means we all need prayer. If that is true, we can and should ask others to pray for us in our time of need. 

Transformation doesn’t happen without teaching, it doesn’t happen without counsel, it doesn’t happen without prayer. Transformation doesn’t happen if we aren’t authentic with one another.

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Next Time

Being authentic leads to interdependent relationships. We will talk about interdependent relationships next time. If you haven’t already, subscribe so you don’t miss the next element of a Christian community that contributes to growth in Christlikeness.

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As Christians, we best grow in community. But we don’t need just any kind of community. We need a certain type of community. The community we need doesn’t mirror a country club. It doesn’t cater to our preferences. It is not one that won’t be real with us or confront us regarding sin. We need a community that is different than the world. One that will help us grow in Christlikeness.

A community I like to refer to as an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

Admittedly, that is a mouth full and can be a bit vague, so let’s break it down.

Disciples must be a part of a transformative learning community

Acts 2 is an amazing story of the power of the gospel and the work of the Spirit. Not only does the Spirit empower the disciples to witness to the people (vs 1-13). But their unique witness in the language of the people gave Peter a platform to speak the gospel to a large crowd (vs 14-36). The Spirit moved that day and about 3,000 were added to the church (vs 37-41).

That is simple amazing. Imagine your church growing by 3,000 people in one afternoon! That would be fantastic.

Notice what takes place after these folks are saved.

The church gathered together in community with one another to learn Christ.

Look at verse 42,

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(Ac 2:42)

Notice what they did — they devoted themselves. When you devote yourself to something, you are giving yourself to an activity with an intense effort over a sustained period of time. One of the activities to which the first church devoted themselves was the apostles’ teaching about Jesus. These people went from being pagans and those wrapped up in Judaism to those who were devoted to learning a whole new way of life in Christ. As the apostles taught, they learned Christ. They learned how to think and act like Jesus.

These weren’t people who were out to get their fire insurance so that they could go to heaven one day. No, they saw the importance of stepping into a new way of life that Jesus opened up for them. The apostles’ teaching wasn’t forced on them. They didn’t go to church begrudgingly. They wanted it, so they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

The apostles’ teaching took place in several different settings.

Look at verse 46,

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,”

(Ac 2:46)

The apostles taught in a large gathered assemble, as well as in small groups. I don’t believe that one of these settings is better than the other. Instead, I believe we need both. We need to gather together in a large group where we hear the word preached. As well as we need to gather together in small groups where we are taught and able to discuss the Word.

Both of these settings are important as we seek transformation.

The church was transformed as they learned Jesus together in community.

That is the best place for transformation to take place — in community with one another. We can’t just get alone with Jesus and our Bible and expect to be transformed in the same way that we will be as we gather together with one another under and around God’s Word to learn Jesus.

We are transformed as we gather together in a learning community with other disciples who are passionately pursuing Christlikeness.

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Can I just say — watching church online is not the same as being physically present with other brothers and sisters in Christ. A virtual service should not take the place of a physical service. It is helpful. It allows us to hear the Word when we otherwise would not be able to. I am thankful churches are able to offer it, especially during the unprecedented times in which we live. But it is not a substitute for gathering together in community with one another. Transformation occurs as we gather together in an authentic and interdependent learning community.

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In Armstrong Redwood National State Reserve just outside of San Francisco there are giant redwoods that extend skyward over a football field in length. They have stood for centuries despite the heavy storms that come through the region.

How can the giant redwoods remain upright against the fierce winds that batter them? They are able to face storm after storm after storm without toppling over because of their unique root system. Their roots are only 12 feet under the surface. While 12 foot is not shallow, it doesn’t seem deep enough to hold a tree that large in the ground. On its own those roots would probably be inadequate.But the giant Redwoods aren’t standing on their own. If you were to scrape back the earth, you would see an intertwined network of roots.

The Redwoods are able to stand because they live in community with one another, which allows them to depend on one another for strength. What they can’t do on their own, they are able to do in community. That’s how they have been able to stand for 100’s of years despite the storms that batter them.

Likewise, the only way we can endure the storms of life and learn Jesus as God has intended is by living in community with one another. Our spiritual roots must not just extend deep but wide. We must be connected to and depend on own another. We must see one another as a means to learn Christ and remain steadfast against the storms of life.

Our culture pulls us away from community

I believe this is one of the more difficult concepts for American Christians to get and to put into practice. The United States is the greatest country in the world. I love our country and thank God regularly that I am an American citizen. But here is the thing, we have to be aware that culture influences. Not only do we need to know that culture is a powerful influencer, but we need to know the ways the culture in which we live influences us. As citizens of the United States, we are influenced to be fiercely independent. We are taught to rely on ourselves and no one else. We are told time and time again all we need to be successful is self-effort, ingenuity with a bit of luck sprinkled on top.

While it is true no one is going to do it for you. You can’t expect others to make things happen on your behalf. There is no substitute for hard work. While all that is true, we can’t fall into the trap of believing we don’t need one another, we can do it on our own, and we don’t need Christian community. We need one another!

But we need to press into community

Over a decade of ministry, I have seen this hold true. I have seen both men and women come to the church. I have seen them grow in the faith and in their understanding of God’s Word. I have seen them begin to live like Jesus. But then something happens. Their work schedule changes. They have a family issue they are embarrassed about. The church burns them out. There is conflict that is not dealt with biblically. For one of those reasons or another, they begin to pull away from the church. Attend a little less often. Soon, a little less turns into a lot less. They quit answering your phone call. They turn down invitations to coffee, lunch or dinner. They begin to isolate themselves from Christian community.

The next thing you know they are having marital problems, they are abusing a substance, they are compromising in their business, they aren’t standing firm in their faith and living on mission for Jesus. They aren’t accomplishing their purpose in life — to bring glory to God. Instead, they are seeking self-glory!

If we are going to remain steadfast, we need Christian community. It is the only way we are going to grow. It’s the only way we are going to see transformation and stand against the myriad of storms that come at us in life. We need community.

Not just any type of community

But we don’t just need any kind of community. We need a certain type of community. We don’t need a community that mirrors a country club. We don’t need a community that caters to our preferences. We don’t need a community that won’t be real with us when we are in sin. We don’t need a community like that. We can get that type of community in the world. The church is supposed to be different than the world. It is supposed to offer a different type of community.

We need a specific type of community to grow in Christlikeness

The type of community the church should offer and the type of community we need to be a part of is an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

What does that type of community look like?

Over the next several posts, we are going to explore the characteristics of an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

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