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Play to Win: Community Hebrews 10:19-25

Join the Journey

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  1. DL Moody, a prominent evangelist, one cold winter day went to visit a Chicago citizen who expressed that he could be a good Christian without being involved church. Moody, instead of arguing, just looked at the fire that was burning. He took a burning coal from the blazing fireplace and placed it on the hearth, allowing it to die out.

  2. After it had died out Moody simply put the coal back into the fire and soon it was lite and burning bright.

  3. The man then understood the meaning immediately and said: "I see," as the coal needed the fire to stay burning so we need a community of believers.

  4. The truth is that developing the spiritual discipline of community is important not only as individuals but as the church. Because when we develop the discipline of community, we are able to stay focused on the mission that God has given us as His Church. To help everyone discover their relationship with Jesus. But when we break harmony, it hurts community and keeps us from burning bright. Reaching the lost!

  5. But Paul reminds us: the Christian life is not aimless. It's not a spiritual walk in the park—it’s a race. A fight. A pursuit. And to run well, to fight faithfully, we need more than inspiration—we need discipline. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24.

    1 Corinthians 9:24

  6. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

  7. We live in a culture that loves the idea of success but resists the discipline it takes to achieve it. Spiritually, we often fall into the same trap—desiring the results of a close walk with God, power in prayer, and clarity in our calling—without committing to the training required to get there. And thinking we can do it all alone. But we can’t we aren’t meant to live this life alone.

  8. We’re in the last week of our series, Play to Win. We started by looking at the foundation of these spiritual disciplines, Prayer, then worship, study and service. Last week we looked the spiritual discipline giving. We said we need to be responsible with the resources God has entrusted us with. Our time, our talents, and our money, we need to learn to be content, and then we can start to learn to be generous. We should decide in our hearts how much and where we should give to support the kingdom of God, and then give cheerfully. We need to make sure that where we are giving is aligned with God’s word, is being responsible with what God has entrusted them with and is a place that we can also give our time and talents as well as our money.

  9. This morning, we are going to look at the spiritual discipline of community.

  10. Remember that developing these spiritual disciplines is not a way to earn or pay back God grace. But that these spiritual disciplines are a response to the grace that God has given to us. Through Jesus Christ, when we put our faith in Him, repented of our sins and meet Him in baptism.

  11. Community is our response to Grace

  12. If you have your bibles turn with me over to the book of Hebrews. Comes right after Philemon and before James

  13. Hebrews 10:19-22

    Hebrews 10:19–22

  14. The writer of Hebrews has for the 9 chapters before this laid out in great detail what God has done for man kind through Jesus. Jesus is our mediator, our high priest, Jesus is also our sacrifice, and the one that allows us that were once separated from God to now be able to enter into His presences in confidence, not because of ourselves but because of what Jesus as done on our behalf. And now the writer of Hebrews is going to lay out for us how we are to respond to what God has done us through Jesus.

  15. Hebrews 10:23-25

    Hebrews 10:23–25

  16. Because Jesus has done for us what we couldn’t, let us hold fast to the hope that we claim. Hold firmly to the hope that we profess. How can we do that? The only way we can hold firm is by not being alone. We often say we need each other because we are better together. When we are together in community, we can spur one another to love and good deeds. If we are going to hold fast to the hope we claim, we need one another. To encourage one another. To push one another.

  17. How do we do that? Well first by being together! It says do not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. Friends if we are going to encourage one another to love and good deeds, we have to be together. And I know that sounds simple. But it’s often the simple things that have the biggest impacts. But if we are going to hold firm to the hope we have in Jesus. We must keep meeting together.

  18. Have you ever felt like I’m all alone, where is everyone at when I need them? If so a good question to ask yourself is, have you given up meeting together. Do you only show up once a month for worship on Sunday mornings? Do you only go to our Life Group once in while if at all? We need each other because we are better together. When we give up meeting together for worship or for Life Group we can’t hold firmly the hope we profess.

  19. NT. Wright puts it well in his book Simply Christian “We are made for each other. Yet making relationships work, let alone making them flourish is often remarkably difficult. We all know that we belong in communities, that we were made to be social creatures. Yet there are many times when we are tempted to slam the door and stomp off into the night by ourselves.”

  20. We are made for one another, we need one another. We are better together. We can only respond properly to the Grace that God has given us through Jesus, in community. But this is not easy, in fact it’s hard. We may want to stomp off in the night by ourselves. But we can’t. We need each other everyday.

  21. Everyday? Yes. How can we be in community everyday? Well we live in a day and time when we can connect to people in the matter of seconds with a text, call, email, social media. It is so easy for us to connect. And yet there are many studies that have been done that say this next generation is the loneliest generation. Why? Because texts, calls, social media can’t replace face to face community. But it can help us to connect everyday. But we still don’t need to give up meeting together face to face.

  22. Everyday community

  23. Today is Pentecost Sunday a day that we celebrate when God started the church in Acts 2. So Let’s look and see how early church responded to the Grace of God through Jesus with the Spiritual discipline of Community

  24. Acts 2:42-47

    Acts 2:42–47

  25. Notice a word that is repeated. Together! Together they devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching, God’s Word, the bible, Fellowship, encouragement what we looked at in Hebrews 10, breaking of bread, the Lord’s Super, remembering every time they were together what brought them together, the sacrifice of Jesus’ Body and blood on the cross, and to prayer. They were together. If we are in Community with other followers of Jesus this is what it should look like.

  26. Here at Journey we live out our walk together, that means we connected with each other and grow in scripture together. This is how we live out the spiritual discipline of community. We walk side by side through the messiness of life with prayer, accountability and encouragement. This is what it means to build strong relationships.

  27. This is what it looks like when we develop the spiritual discipline of Community in responses to what God has done for us through Jesus. When I look at Journey Church and our Life groups. I see people growing in scripture. Every week I see you guys digging deeper, teaching each other. You are being devoted the God’s word. I see people walking side by side through the messiness of life together. I see people being encouraged, prayed for and held accountable.

  28. One of our goals as a church is the other 6. That each of us would be connected with other Christians outside of Sunday mornings, the other 6 days. The early church met in the temple courts. The temple courts were the center of their religious and social life. This is where they shopped, and bought food, and connected with others. Then it says in their home they were taking their meals together.

  29. Weather it’s one of our life groups or at work, at school, at the store, at the ball field, in your homes, in the other places you are in. Find other followers of Jesus and get into Community the other 6.

  30. Why Community?

  31. Frist and foremost because God commands us to. Don’t give up meeting together! Because we can only hold firmly to the hope we have when we do it together.

  32. Second, responding to the Grace of God with community is more fun then doing it alone.

  33. Acts 2:46-47

    Acts 2:46–47

  34. Glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying favor with all people.

  35. We are made for one another, we need one another, we are better together and its way more fun to do it together! Is it easy? No, we are all broken and that brokenness gets in the way of community. But it’s worth it!

  36. Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

    Proverbs 27:17

  37. Ecclesiastes 4:9-129 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

  38. Friends when we are living in Community, we are better then we are alone. We have a better return on our work when we do it together, we are able to care and watch out for one another, we are able to sharpen one another. We are made for each other, we need community.

  39. When we are in Community not only is it more fun. We are better able to care for each other’s needs, their physical and spiritual needs. The early church sold their possessions to care for each other. Let me tell you when I look at Journey Church I see us living this out. I see you guys stepping up and caring for each other’s physical needs! Keep it up! Not only are we able to care for each others physical needs but in community we are able to care for each others spiritual needs with accountability.

  40. We need to confess our sins to God as we saw in the spiritual discipline of prayer, but we also need to confess them to one another, not to gossip, but to hold one another accountable. In community we can confess our sins to each other.

  41. James 5:16, 19-20

    James 5:16

  42. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

  43. 19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

  44. Dietrich Bonhoeffer “our brother.. has been given to us to help us….A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself.”

  45. So what does it look like for us to confess our sins to one another? What’s the difference between confession and gossip? Between accountability and judgment?

  46. When we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and forgives them. When we confess our sins to one another they help us, they join in our struggles, they help carry our burden, hold us accountable to the life that we have committed to. This is how we live out the spiritual discipline of Community.

  47. But Thomas, where does this happen?

  48. During our Sunday Morning gathering there are parts of Community that happen. But for us, really it is the Other 6. We walk side by side through the messiness of life in Life Groups.

  49. We have 8 Life Groups that are a part of Journey Church.

  50. • Student Life Group is meeting right now and meet on 2nd & 4th Sundays

  51. • The Hodges Life Group will start back in the fall and they meet 1st and 3rd Sundays at 3:45pm at their home on Hwy 17. Talk to Jimmy or Laney.

  52. • When the next season of the Chosen comes out our group will be starting back on Sunday afternoons. You can see Junius or Ernie.

  53. • The Bolen LG- Meets at 6pm at the Lilley’s House on the VOA Rd. Talk with Ed.

  54. • Our Life Group Meets here at the theater tonight at 4:30pm. And then the 2nd and 4th Sundays

  55. • Our Men’s Group Meets on Tuesday night at 7pm. Talk with Jeff or Kevin.

  56. • Our Women’s Group meets on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm

  57. • Both our Men’s and Women’s Group are meeting at Freddy’s Cheery office on 3rd st.

  58. We would love for you to get connected with one of these Life Groups. You can visit https://jointhejourney.church/life-groups or there is a handout for more info.

  59. If you are one of our life group leaders would you please stand up. Ok if you are a part of a life group would you please stand up. If you are interested in a Life Group, we would love to talk with you. Talk with one of these leaders or people you see standing or talk to me. We would love to help you get connected.

  60. But maybe you need to start a Life Group. Maybe you need to grab some people at school or work, or in your community and start meeting together. Maybe you need to start leading a life group. Or open your home to host a group.

  61. Friends community is our response to the Grace that God has given us through Jesus. Don’t give up meeting together every day. In what ever way you can. We need each other because we are better together and it’s way more fun together then it is alone!

  62. This is the spiritual discipline of Community. When we are in community we are able to stay focused on the mission that God has given us as Journey Church. To help everyone discover their relationship with Jesus

  63. If you are here this morning, I want you to know that you aren’t alone. No matter what you’ve been through or going through you don’t have to do it alone. We want to walk through the messiness of your life with you. You aren’t too far lost, too far gone that Jesus can’t change your life. It starts with you putting your trust in Jesus, repent of your sins and meet Jesus in baptism! Come and join the journey with us. Come live out your walk with us! If your ready come today, I’ll be in the lobby.

  64. Pray

  65. Communion reminds us what binds us together as a community. Jesus!