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Five Intentional Ways to Promote Unity and Community at Grace Life Church

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Membership, The Church. No Comments on Five Intentional Ways to Promote Unity and Community at Grace Life Church

***This blog post is part two of our current focus on church health. Listen to the sermons here and read part one of the blog here.

 

As we continue looking at the Biblical description of a healthy church, there’s no better example to turn to than the early church. The premier passage to life in the early church is seen in Acts 2:42-47, the text of Scripture we looked at this last Sunday. 

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 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 2:42–47)

How the early church lived in Christian unity within Christian community should be important to us. While the modern culture we live in is vastly different than the ancient culture they lived in, the importance of Christian unity within Christian community remains the same. 

I want to give you five intentional ways you can promote unity and Christian community within our church. (Note: there are obviously more than five ways, these five are more applicable to our context.)

 

Agree to disagree on matters of second and third-order theological differences.

The early church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ Teaching or the teaching of the character and work of a Triune God. 

We all have differing opinions and beliefs and those differing opinions and beliefs are often the source of conflict in our relationships. Within a church family, it is important to understand what is my opinion or personal belief and what is a matter of Theological importance. There are theological matters that we believe must be held for someone to be a Christian. As Dr. Al Mohler states,

“First-level theological issues would include those doctrines most central and essential to the Christian faith. Included among these most crucial doctrines would be doctrines such as the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, justification by faith alone, and the authority of Scripture. These first-order doctrines represent the most fundamental truths of the Christian faith, and a denial of these doctrines represents nothing less than an eventual denial of Christianity itself. First-order issues determine Christian identity and integrity. Second-order issues determine ecclesiology. Third-order issues are doctrines over which Christians may disagree and remain in close fellowship, even within local congregations.”

We agree that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (first-order example) and we believe that baptism is the immersion of a new believer (second-order example), but the enemy will use the difference in those third-order matters (end times timeline, what day Jesus died, etc) to divide even the most doctrinally sound of churches. In those times of good nature discussion on third-order matters where a conclusion is not reached, agree to disagree with your brother or sister. 

It should also be stated that beliefs on matters outside of the teachings of the Bible should not be the cause of disunity within the church. 

 

Join a LifeGroup

We see the early church gathering together in homes to enjoy one another’s company and to grow in their faith. This is the goal of our LifeGroups. We want to gather throughout the week in homes (and the church building) for mutual encouragement and to study Scripture together. 

Our Sunday morning gatherings serve an important purpose in our lives, but there is not enough time to build meaningful relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. LifeGroups provide this opportunity. 

This semester of LifeGroups begins the week of September 11th. To join a group, click here.

 

Invite someone to do something with you.

As you go about life throughout the week, ask yourself this question: “Is what I plan to do something I can do with someone in the church”?

Are you planning on going to the beach? Invite someone from church. Going to a movie? Invite someone from church. Taking your kids – or dog –  to the park? You got it. Invite someone from church to go with you.

 

Get together for a meal.

The early church appeared to enjoy food in the presence of good company. Despite the change in cultures, we still do the same. We have to eat, so be intentional about inviting someone over for dinner or going out for a meal. You don’t have to pay for their meal, though you could. Just a simple invite to go eat some Chick-fil-a or enjoy a cup of coffee fosters Christian community.

 

Watch out for brothers and sisters by themselves.

I want to encourage us as we approach our Sunday morning gatherings. I want us to look for other people. Look for someone you don’t know and sit with them. Look for someone by themselves and sit with them.

Let’s be more about the people of the church than the preferences we love. This is what fosters unity in the local church and by God’s grace, we will continue to gather and connect with one another, knowing it is Jesus alone who brings us together.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Community Matters: The Importance of LifeGroups

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in LifeGroups. No Comments on Community Matters: The Importance of LifeGroups

One of my favorite questions that I’ve heard over the past few weeks has been “When do LifeGroups start back up?” I love this because it shows the love that the people of Grace Life have for one another, the desire to step into deep community and to both encourage and be encouraged by the family into which God has brought us. This week resumes that practice of gathering together outside of Sunday morning, perhaps sharing a meal, and definitely sharing what Christ is doing in our lives and the struggles that come in facing this fallen world. So, as we get back into the weekly routine of LifeGroups, I want to remind you of why community matters and encourage those of you who maybe have not been a part of a LifeGroup lately (or ever!) to join in.

Gospel community matters because we are designed to do life together.

Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

From creation, man was never meant to be alone. Adam had all of creation to name, and communion with God, and yet God says that it is not good for him to be by himself. The directives that come to Adam and Eve as well as Noah after the flood are to populate the earth with more human beings. Humans need other humans! And Christians need other Christians, which why the writer of Hebrews says this:

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

To neglect to be with God’s people is a loss not only of how you might be encouraged and stirred up to love and good works, but also that you miss the opportunity to do that for others. This is one of the basic functions of the church.

Gospel community matters because we need to be reminded of the Gospel.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.

The family of God we enter is connected solely through the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Who else can you talk to about such spiritual things if not spiritual people? The world seeks to confuse us, to ridicule us, or perhaps to leave us to our own “foolish” devices. But the community of fellow believers shares the perspective of seeing the truth about our world and how it works. God’s people are not exempt from struggles, and in those difficult times, the church reminds us of God’s ever-present help in those times. We get to share the reminder of God’s promise of new mercies every morning, of no condemnation for we who are in Christ, that God is working everything out for our good and His glory.

Gospel community matters because we need a place to confess and repent of our sins.

Galatians 6:1-4 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.

We are not perfect people. We mess up. We do harm to others, whether intentionally or unintentionally. And we need to have a place where we can seek forgiveness without judgment. The beauty of being saved by Christ means that another who is also saved has seen their own deep faults and can offer forgiveness in light of that.

But the other side of the coin is that we have to be willing to forgive others in our faith tribe as well. We have to take stock in the great sin that seeks to destroy us and realize just how good Jesus is in forgiving all of those thoughts and actions known only to God. And from that realization, there is no offense to great that man can put on us that we cannot forgive, and to do so in a spirit of gentleness.

Gospel community matters because God calls us to be there for each other.

Colossians 3:12-15 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

This is not a suggestion, or just a good idea. We as the church are called locally to a people gathered together because of what Christ has done in our lives, and the picture of how we treat one another is found in the way in which we strive to love each other as Christ has loved us. This doesn’t mean that we will connect deeply with every single person, but it does remind us that whether we know a fellow believer a little or a lot, our posture should always be one of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

If you feel alone, if this type of community is tugging at your heart, if the Spirit is calling out your fear of being known which is causing you to miss out on the joy of being loved, join a LifeGroup. The imperfect people of God come together in a way that no other community can. You can find more information about LifeGroups by clicking here.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Ben