Christian Community Occurs In and Through Jesus

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Practical5 Comments

Jesus Cross

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together, a book exploring Christian community, says,

“Christianity means community through Jesus and in Jesus.” 1

Bonhoeffer blends two concepts into one succinct sentence.

Bonhoeffer’s Two Concepts

(1) Only those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior experience Christian community. 

You can’t pay your way into Christian community. Only through Jesus’ payment on the cross and our subsequent salvation are we granted entrance.

In other words, only through a relationship with Jesus Christ are we able to experience Christian community.  That’s because Christian community isn’t a club or organization. It is a gathering of believers whose hearts have been changed by the gospel.

(2) Only those who are empowered by Jesus can live in Christian community.

We not only must experience the grace, love, mercy, peace and forgiveness of God before we can express it in community, but we must also be empowered by Jesus to live in Christian community in a way that honors Him.

Christian community is comprised of people from every walk of life, nationality, race, socioeconomic class, etc. It is a melting pot that is ignited and sustained by Jesus. Only through His empowering are we able to live together in a way that honors Him.

Conclusion

Bonhoeffer is right. Without Jesus there is no Christian community. We need Him to create it through His death on the cross. As well as we need Him to sustain it through His empowerment.

Christian community then, in Bonhoeffer’s words, does in fact occur “through Jesus and in Jesus.”

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do believe Christian community occurs in and through Jesus?
  2. How have you experienced Jesus bridging the gaps between you and others who are not like you?
  3. How have you experienced Jesus empowering you to live in Christian community?

Resources

Want to learn more? You should check out:

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  1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 21. ↩

Why Don’t People Participate in Christian Community?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Practical7 Comments

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Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone says,

“Over the last three to four decades Americans have become about 10 percent less likely to claim church membership, while our actual attendance and involvement in religious activities has fallen by roughly 25 to 50 percent. Virtually all the postwar boom in religious participation – and perhaps more – has been erased.”

Why is involvement in Christian community decreasing? There are several reasons.

Reasons People Don’t Participate in the Church’s Community

(1) Individualism – A lot of church members are individualistic believing they can change by themselves.

(2) Compartmentalism – Most people tend to compartmentalize their lives. There is church life, work life, and family life.

(3) Busyness – Almost all Americans are busy. But we all know we make time for what is important. So when we say, “I am too busy”, what we really mean is that living in community with other Christians is not important to us.

(4) Consumerism – Most Americans are consumerists. They come to church in order to get, but are not willing to give. They are content sitting in the pew week after week because they have been conditioned by society to consume and shop around instead of plugging in and getting involved.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you resonate with any of these points?
  2. Are there others reason you would offer for why people don’t participate in the Christian community?

Resources

Want to learn more? You should check out:

On Idolatry

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Quotes1 Comment

John Calvin comments,

“God renders his glory conspicuous everywhere, so that it ought to engage and occupy the thoughts of all men; and it would do so were they not led away by their own vanity.”

Idolatry does not exist because the Lord is unclear about His existence but because of our own vain imaginations. Sin makes us prone to trust gods other than the one true Lord of all, but when we do that we become captive to fear and the destructive results of putting our final hope in any but God.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Calvin argues idolatry exists because of our own vanity (our futile thoughts due to sin), what do you think?

Resources

Table Talk Magazine, Devotional from July 10th

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Scriptural Metaphors for Community

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Practical8 Comments

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I have been preaching on community lately. In my studies, I ran across several metaphors in Scripture characterizing the Christian life as a community. Here is what I found:

The Church is the Body of Christ

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Ro 12:4–5)

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Co 10:17)

The Church is the Household or Family of God

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mt 12:50)

“So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.” (Ga 4:31)

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Eph 2:19–22)

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,” (1 Pe 1:14–15)

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (1 Pe 4:17–18)

The Church is pictured as a flock

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Lk 12:32)

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (Jn 10:16)

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Ac 20:28–30)

Question for Reflection

  1. What are other biblical metaphors for community?

Resources

Want to learn more about community? Check out:

Christians are Born Again Into Community

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Practical9 Comments

Gathered Community

Christians sometimes treat the church as if it were optional. They believe they don’t need the church, that they are fine on their own. But that simple isn’t true. Christians are designed for community.

When we believe in Jesus, we are born again. We are made anew. We become a new creation. Along with those things, I would argue we are born again into community.

Christians Are Born Again Into Community

Our God is a communal God. The Trinity has existed in community from eternities past. As God’s creation, we have been created in His image, an image we are supposed to reflect. Part of reflecting His image includes living in community. Community we are born again into.

Christians being born into community is exemplified in Acts 2. During Peter’s Pentecost sermon many were cut to the heart, so much so that they turned from their sins to follow Jesus.

Exemplified In Acts 2

After they turned to Jesus we read starting in Acts 2:42:

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

What did they do after they were saved?

They didn’t branch off on their own. They didn’t say thank you but no thank you to fellowship in the church. Instead, they immediately gathered together in community with one another.

As a gathered community, they learned together, supported one another, and did life together.

Not Just At Pentecost

Christians gathering into community at Pentecost is not an anomaly. It is a reoccurring theme. As you read through Acts, as well as Peter, Paul, and John’s letters you see Christians gathering in community.

Whenever a missionary shows up and people are saved, a community of believers form, who learn together, who support one another, who do life together. All because Christians are born again into community.

Conclusion

By nature Christians are a communal people. God set it up that way. As His people, we should honor God’s design. We should be apart of a community of believers.

We need others with whom we can learn. We need others to support us, to encourage us, to care for us. We need others with whom we can do life together. It’s imperative we are apart of and invested in a community of believers.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe Christians are born again into community?
  2. Are you apart of a Christian community?
  3. Do you see the benefits of being apart of a Christian community?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Living in Community – Part 1

How Do You Know If You Rely On God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical4 Comments

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Self reliance is and has always been the beat of our heart. We don’t believe we need others, or God for that matter. Take these quotes for instance:

“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.”

― Epicurus

“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”

― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.”

― David Gemmell, Fall of Kings

“Remember, this is important: Never trust that you will be saved by anyone.”

― Amanda Boyden, Pretty Little Dirty

But is this true? Should we rely on ourselves alone? Can we save ourselves, care for ourselves, and do all by ourselves without anyone else’s help?

I don’t think so. We were created to be dependent creatures. That doesn’t mean we are to depend on others for handouts, or to do all for us. Rather it means we were primarily created to be cared for and sustained by our Creator. By design, we are to rely on God.

How do you know you rely on God? There are several questions you can ask yourself. Let me offer three.

(1) Do you pray and read God’s Word?

Our God is not silent. His will is found in His word and through prayer. He doesn’t leave us to wonder. We know exactly what is good for us. What is right for us. What God expects of us. How we should live and act.

So do you search God’s Word for answers? Do you bow before the Lord in prayer? If you do these things on a regular basis, you know you rely on God.

(2) Do you hope in God?

There are several things we could hope in, one of which is ourselves. Those who do push everyone away, thinking they can do it all on their own; that they are their own savior.

A classic example of this are those who are too proud to ask for help when they are in financial trouble. It doesn’t matter what happens or how bad it gets, they aren’t willing to go to their family, friends, or church for help. They would rather loose everything and go without.

People can also hope in others. It’s not wrong to ask others, or the church for help. We should in times of need. The problem arises when we think others are our hope, our salvation. Israel had that problem. Instead of hoping in the Lord, they hoped in other nations. Time and time again you read of prophets calling them back to the Lord, but they didn’t listen.

Israel’s problem is still our problem. We hope in others to save us, but men can’t save us. The only person who can save us is God. We should put our hope in Him. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He will always deliver on His promises.

So who do you hope in? Yourself? Others? God? Your answer will determine who you rely on.

(3) Do you live according to God’s Will?

If you rely on the Lord, you won’t live according to your will, or societies will, but according to God’s Will. You will do this because you recognize God’s will isn’t a hindrance, but a grace. It’s a trustworthy gift given that causes us to flourish.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Who do you rely on?
  2. Do you see God, others, or yourself as your functional Savior?
  3. Do you live according to God’s will?
  4. Do you pray and read God’s Word often?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon Rely on God

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