We Are God's Redemptive Community

N. T. Wright, the famous New Testament scholar talks about the task of Christians in the world. He says, "Many say, 'Oh yes, the Holy Spirit came in his place to live in us.' Yes, but for what purpose? The Holy Spirit came to empower us to be God's life in the world. We are to do the work of God in the world.

We are to be God to the world. And we cannot do that alone. The church is God's redemptive community in the world. Without you, and without you joined with God's other children, God's work will not be done. He will not do it without us. He will not do it for us."   (From a sermon by Rodney Buchanan, The Message of Jesus, 11/16/2009)

“Community.” A sense of belonging, of being connected with people. Knowing that if you don’t show up, someone will notice, knowing that people care if you show up or not. Having things in common – common values, priorities, beliefs. Having people to share things with – joys and sorrows, work and play, pizza and coke, stories, burdens, victories and defeats.

“A community is a group of people who matter to you, and to whom you matter.” And a church should be a community, a group of people united to one another by their union to Christ and their love for one another.

We build community by carrying each other’s burdens “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.”  -Romans 15:1

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"  -Galatians 5:13-14

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  -Galatians 6:2

What should we do? Should we each take care of our own problems and expect others to do the same? Should we make sympathetic comments to our friends about the difficulties other people seem to be having? Should we just tell people who are in need to “hold on,” and trust in the Lord to help them? No.

We are to bear one another’s weaknesses – not just put up with or tolerate each other’s weaknesses, but actively use our strengths to help them. We are to “serve one another in love.” We are to “carry each other’s burdens.” We are to live as those who are responsible to help one another.

Who are the weak? We all are, in different areas. As Will Rogers once said, “everyone is ignorant, just on different subjects”

What kind of burdens is Paul talking about? Let's take a look...

-Physical burdens.

-Literally carrying burdens – helping people move.

-Other kinds of physical help – Raking leaves. Cooking meals. Cleaning. Working on cars. Wiring. Plumbing. Stacking wood.

-Financial burdens. This one is tricky, because people don’t like to talk about their finances, and we don’t want to be taken advantage of. However, there are people in our communities who do have financial needs. Most churches have a benevolence fund for that purpose. But you don’t have to depend on that. If you are aware of someone in need of money or goods, and you are able to do so, why not just take care of it yourself?

- This can also be allowing someone to have the use of something – car, lawnmower, etc.

- Burden of caring for someone. Children, elderly parents, disabled family members. Sometimes even our children are a bit of a burden.

- Emotional and spiritual burdens. People who are grieving, people who have suffered loss, people who are depressed, or sad, or anxious, or worried; people experiencing difficult family situations. We can help one another bear these kinds of burdens by just being there, by expressing care and concern, by listening, by praying with them (and for them), by acknowledging their hurt instead of ignoring them (because we don’t want to make them uncomfortable, or don’t know what to say). 

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. These are just some examples. The key is to be aware, to be looking for opportunities to serve one another, to have our eyes and ears open for signs of a need that we can help meet.

And finally, I would like to end today's message by including some questions regarding building community; specifically "Building Trust," which you might choose to share in a bible study group. Before attempting to answer the following questions, ask yourself, "How can I help build a trusting community?" (I recommend that you read the shown bible passages as you work through the study).

Be Trustworthy  (read Psalm 15)

1. Psalm 15 describes a person of integrity. Discuss the “marks of a trustworthy person” listed . . . why and how they factor into trustworthiness.
2. If you trust God, is it easier to trust other people? Why or why not?
3. If there was one area you could use some help, what would it be? Which “Fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23) might be an answer for that need?

Be Willing To Trust Others – Build Teamwork  (read Exodus 18:13-23)

1. What was the problem? What was the plan? Benefits? What were the main qualities Moses was to look for in his helpers?
2. Finish this sentence: “Trusting others is hard because . . .?”
3. Share about a time when circumstances forced you to depend on others. How did you feel? How did it change you?
4. Discuss how we might find the right balance between our leadership responsibilities and delegating some responsibilities to others?
5. How do you see these principles applied in LIFE Groups?

Wrap up: 

Choosing one or the other, would you be more inclined to ask God to be more “trustworthy” or more “trusting”?

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25; Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Matthew 18:20; Proverbs 17:17; John 15:12-13

Prayer: Lord God, in a universe that seems so immense it is easy to feel insignificant as we stand here today. Yet we know that we are precious in your sight - unique individuals loved and blessed in so many ways. We stand in awe of the one who has created all things and dedicate today and all our days to your service. Amen

God bless you!

Sharon