The church is the great passion of Jesus himself, something he said he would build and that not even the gates of hell would be able to close over it.
But great Christian community doesn’t just happen. It takes great commitment on the part of its members to make it happen. Great Christian community isn’t something someone does for you, it’s something you commit yourself to being a part of.
Let’s do a little exercise!
Suppose an alien lands in Cotton End and you have to describe to them what the church is without using the word church. What words or images might you choose to describe the church?
The Church as family
I know we all agree that when it comes to defining the church, the first thing we want to say is that the church is not the building, it’s the people. But it’s simply not enough to say that the church is the people.
We have to go a step further and say that the church is the people in relationship. Relationship with God and relationship with each other. We bear one another burdens (Gal.), we look out for each other, we don’t do stuff that would cause a weaker brother to fall. (1Cor.) We are more than just a collection of individuals who meet together on a weekly basis to share a common interest.
We are family, the household of God.
Amongst the many words that describe the many dimensions of being the church, family is one of those words that is sometimes overlooked. And yet it might just be the most important metaphor for the church that is used in the New Testament. Of all the images that Paul uses, family and family related terms are clearly quite frequent. In fact, Robert Banks in his book Paul’s idea of community goes so far as to say:
So numerous are these, and so frequently do they appear, that the comparison of the Christian community with a ‘family’ must be regarded as the most significant…
When we think of family related terms in the NT we think about words like:
Rick Warren in PDL: “We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfil God’s purposes by ourselves.”
But here’s the big question:
What turns a group of individuals into a family?
Let’s get into some small groups (like we did last week) and spend a little time thinking about that question.
Being family
Being a family is built on relationships. Relationships that are often costly requiring deep commitment, sacrificial support, challenging accountability and shared goals, hopes and dreams.
The key characteristic of God’s family is love.
Jesus said: “love one another…
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (Jn.13:34-35)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (15:12)
This is my command: Love each other. (15:17)
“Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about” [PDL 124-125]
The 10 commandments: 6 deal with our relationship with other people, 4 with our relationship with God.
“Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things, are what matters most in life.” [125]
Conclusion
Being family is costly. It demands commitment. It’s a commitment to:
#1 Fellowship and discipleship
Sharing life together, growing in faith together.
A great Christian community needs great Christians, and great Christians don’t grow on trees, they grow in nurturing hands of God and the fellowship of his people.
Great Christians are committed to each other (our core value: Genuine commitment to each other). They are committed to seeing through the great commandment: to love God and to love others as they would like to be loved.
#2 Mission
Mission will always feature. Although it’s one of our big themes that we will be looking at, it permeates everything other theme too. Great Christian community is shaped by its mission. A mission born in God’s heart and worked out through his church.
A great Christian community lives out a great purpose.
#3 Inclusion
Inclusion means:
That we believe that the community of Christian faith is the only place where a person can experience the life transforming power of God through Jesus Christ. It means we believe that the only hope this world has is in Jesus and that the church is the right place to find it.
And it means therefore, that everyone is welcome to come and discover this transforming love for themselves amongst a people who won’t condemn them or reject them, but who will love them, respect them, challenge them and walk with them through life’s challenges.
But the big question that remains is a deeply personal one.
What are you going to do about being a part of the family of God?
There is nothing like the local church when it is working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addiction, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness… No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close”
Bill Hybels Courageous Leadership p23
Welcome to the family.
