All Bible verses
quoted are from NIV, if not otherwise mentioned
Church as
a Community
What is a
Community?
A “Community” may
be defined provisionally as a social collectivity bound by a common identity,
values, and norms
Kibbutz
The modern Jewish Kibbutz share many similarities
with the first Christian Church.
Knowing the modern Kibbutz will be helpful to
understand the first Church.
A kibbutz (Hebrew: קִבּוּץ / קיבוץ, lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural kibbutzim)
is a collective community in Israel that was
traditionally based on agriculture.
The kibbutz (Hebrew word for “communal settlement”) is a unique rural community
It is a society
dedicated to mutual aid and social justice
It is a
socioeconomic system based on the principle of joint ownership of property,
equality and cooperation of production, consumption and education
It is the
fulfillment of the idea “from each according to his ability, to each according
to his needs”
The
Kibbutz member is part of a unit that is larger than just his own family.
The
first kibbutzim (plural of “kibbutz”) were founded some 40 years before the
establishment of the State of Israel (1948).
Degania Alef
Degania Alef was the first
kvutza (in Modern age) established in1909
by Zionist pioneers in Palestine, then under
Ottoman rule.
It was established in northern Israel.
It was founded by a group of ten men and two
women at a place known in Arabic as Umm Junieh or Umm Juni.
Degania Bet
was established to the south in 1920.
Today some 270
kibbutzim, with memberships ranging from 40 to more than 1,000, are scattered
throughout the country.
Most of them have
between 300 and 400 adult members, and a population of 500-600.
The number of
people living in kibbutzim totals approximately 130,000, about 2.5 percent of
the country's population.
Most kibbutzim
belong to one of three national kibbutz movements, each identified with a
particular ideology.
Organization
Most kibbutzim are
laid out according to a similar plan.
The residential
area encompasses carefully-tended members' homes and gardens, children's houses
and playgrounds for every age group, and communal facilities such as a dining
hall, auditorium, library, swimming pool, tennis court, medical clinic,
laundry, grocery and the like.
Adjacent to the
living quarters are sheds for dairy cattle and modern chicken coops, as well as
one or more industrial plants.
Agricultural
fields, orchards and fish ponds are located around the perimeter, a short
tractor ride from the center.
To get from place
to place within the kibbutz, people either walk or ride bicycles, while
electric carts are provided for the disabled and elderly.
The kibbutz
functions as a direct democracy.
The
Kibbutz is governed by a system of direct participatory democracy, where the
individual can directly influence issues and events in the community.
The general
assembly of all its members formulates policy, elects officers, authorizes the
kibbutz budget and approves new members.
It serves not only
as a decision-making body but also as a forum where members may express their
opinions and views.
Contributing to the State
The kibbutz is not
only a form of settlement and a lifestyle; it is also an integral part of
Israeli society.
Before the
establishment of the State of Israel and in the first years of statehood, the
kibbutz assumed central functions in settlement, immigration, defense and
agricultural development.
When these
functions were transferred to the government, the interaction between the
kibbutz and the society at large decreased, though it never stopped completely.
Besides active
involvement in the country's political life, the kibbutz has also carried out
various national tasks over the years.
Economic policy
The
Kibbutz operates under the premise that all income generated by the Kibbutz and
its members goes into a common pool.
This
income is used to run the Kibbutz, make investments, and guarantee mutual and
reciprocal aid and responsibility between members.
Kibbutz
members receive the same budget (according to family size), regardless of their
job or position.
In
terms of education, all children start equally and are given equal opportunity.
In
this mostly self sufficient community, the collective as well as the work ethic
play a major role.
There
are Kibbutzim where the members receive differential salaries and pay for
services, but in all the Kibbutzim which have chosen the differentiation model,
the members are "insured" regarding the minimum income level.
Kibbutz Today
Today,
the Kibbutz movement is undergoing a process of change.
Some
aspects that in the past were included in the public domain are now under the
care and responsibility of each member and his or her family.
Somewhat
romanticized in the past, the Kibbutz of today has evolved dramatically and the
focus of Kibbutz life on society has substantially diminished.
Aliyah and Kibbutz
The
Kibbutzim have been involved historically with Aliyah and continue to be
interested in this important aspect of building the country.
Aliyah
(Hebrew: עֲלִיָּה aliyah,
"ascent") is the immigration of Jews from the diasporas to the Land
of Israel (Eretz Israel in Hebrew).
Also
defined as "the act of going up"—that is, towards
Jerusalem—"making Aliyah" by moving to the Land of Israel is one of
the most basic tenets of Zionism.
The
opposite action, emigration from the Land of Israel, is referred to in Hebrew
as yerida ("descent").
The
State of Israel's Law of Return gives Jews and their descendants automatic
rights regarding residency and Israeli citizenship.
The First
Christian Church
Acts 2: 44 – 47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They
broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord
added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)
1.
Lived Together
2.
Gathered daily
3.
One accord and singleness of
heart
4.
Worshiped daily
5.
All things common
6.
Sold possessions and parted to
all men as every man had need
7.
Having favour with all the people
What is
the content of the Bible?
The Bible is the story of Man.
Bible is not the story of God.
God does not contain in the Bible.
God has no beginning, no middle, no end and no
story.
God is not time bound, not a created being.
He is the creator of the entire Universe.
Hence the Bible is the story of Man.
Who is
Man?
Man is a creation of God.
God created Man with a purpose to subdue and rule
the earth.
God placed Man in the Garden of Eden and
delegated all authority to him over the earth.
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said
to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living
creature that moves on the ground.”
Man is a Kingdom
One who has authority to subdue and rule is
definitely a King.
It needs no more explanation.
Man is more than a King
He is a Kingdom.
A
kingdom Man is a man who rules according to God's rule.
As a kingdom Man,
we have been commissioned by heaven to rule on earth.
We represent the
King.
As His representative, there is much more to us than you may have even
realized.
God’s Plan for redeeming the Earth
In the Garden of
Eden something tragic happened.
Man fell to the
temptation of Satan.
God pronounced
punishment for all those parties in the disobedience.
After that God
announced His plan to redeem His Kingdom.
Genesis
3:15 And
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and
hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis
3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed;
it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (KJV)
Genesis 3:15 is commonly called the “Protevangelium” — signifies the idea of “first gospel proclamation.”
This is the first prophecy of the coming of Christ.
Not only is this a prophecy of his birth, but it is
a prophecy of his work.
The verse includes
three things concerning Christ:
(1) His incarnation,
that he should be the seed of the woman.
(2) His sufferings
and death, pointed at in Satan's bruising his heel, that is, his human
nature.
(3) His victory
over Satan.
The
verse provides the very first Biblical glimpse of God’s plan of redemption.
It
focuses ultimately upon the final thrusting of Satan into the eternal hell of
fire.
Revelation: 20: 10 And the devil, who deceived
them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Seed
The
seed of the woman is to be understood as either one individual or a group of
people whose appearance would be some time in the future.
It
was a promise of someone or some people to come.
Many
commentators understand it to refer initially to redeemed humanity and then
ultimately to Jesus Christ.
Therefore
the seed of the woman began with Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve.
Cain,
the first son, would not qualify because he was a murderer.
The
comment of Eve, upon the birth of the third son, Seth, seems to show that she
understood Abel as part of the fulfillment of the promised seed.
Genesis 4: 25 Adam
made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,
saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed
him.”
Genesis 4:25
And Adam knew his wife again, and she
bore a son and named him Seth, For God has appointed another
seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. (KJV)
Seed - zera (Hebrew) - zeh'-rah
- seed;
figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity,
carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing- time
So it is right to
assume that God had in mind the descendants of Adam through Abel or Seth (a
group of people) and ultimately Jesus.
From
the declaration of Eve about her third son, Seth, God started to work out His
plan.
His
plan was to create a group of people with God as the King.
God
planned to create a group of people which includes our Lord Jesus.
Why a Group
1.
Seed of woman is her descendants,
ultimately Jesus Christ.
2.
God’s plan to subdue earth is by
multiplying.
Genesis 1: 28 God blessed them and said
to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living
creature that moves on the ground.”
Execution of the Plan
God’s plan is to
restore the lost Kingdom through a community of people with Jesus Christ as
their King.
Execution of the
plan started with Abraham.
It does not mean
that God was silent or absent or inactive in between Adam and Abraham.
He had been
meeting people, talking to them and revealing Him and His plan of restoration
of the Kingdom.
Genesis
5: 24 Enoch
walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Jude
1: 14, 15
14 Enoch,
the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with
thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them
of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all
the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
With Abraham God
started creating a community for restoring the Kingdom.
1.
God called out and separated Abraham from the land of his
forefathers, his relatives and friends, with a divine protection pronounced
upon him by God.
2.
God promised to bless him, multiply him into a new nation
with descendants as much as the stars in the sky.
Later the promise
was confirmed with a covenant between God and Abraham.
Genesis
12: 1 - 3
1 The Lord had said to Abram,
“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I
will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I
will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis
17: 1 - 8
1
When Abram was
ninety-nine years old, the Lord
appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be
blameless.
2 Then I will make my covenant between me and
you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you:
You will be the father of many nations.
5 No longer will you be called Abram; your
name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make
nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7 I will establish my covenant as an
everlasting covenant between me and you and your
descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God
and the God of your descendants after you.
8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now
reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your
descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
The family of
Abraham was the first people group or community God chose to fulfill His own
prophecy about the restoration of the Kingdom.
See how large the
family was -
The following are
the words of the eldest servant of his house (probably Eliezer) to Laban,
Rebekah’s brother:
Genesis
24: 35 The
Lord
has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him
sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and
donkeys.
Abraham’s Community
With the call of Abram, later named Abraham, God
began a people whose descendants are living in ethnic purity to this very day.
God had promised that He would send a Deliverer to
undo the curse of sin that befell the human race when Adam and Eve sinned. (Genesis
3:15)
After Cain killed Abel, God gave them another son
whose name, Seth meant "the appointed one".
God later choose Noah, a descendent of Seth and a
righteous man, to save mankind when God judged the wicked men on the earth in
the Great Flood.
Through Noah's son Shem, in the ninth generation,
God choose another man named Abram (meaning "exalted father") to be
in the lineage of Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
1.
God created the Abrahamic community
2.
The community has God as
its King
Genesis
17: 7 I
will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and
your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
Genesis
17: 7 And I will
establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a
God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (KJV)
3.
Largest community in the world
4.
Accommodates people from
all races, languages, countries and people groups
Genesis
17: 4 “As for me,
this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5.
Open to this day … (may close
doors after the gathering of them by Jesus Christ)
Matthew
25: 10 - 12
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the
oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the
wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they
said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t
know you.’
Matthew
7: 21 - 23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your
name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
6.
Everlasting
Luke
1: 30 - 33
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,
Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and
you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants
forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Matthew
6: 13 And
lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one.
Revelations
22: 5 There
will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of
the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and
ever.
Abraham
is the father of all the Jews
Matthew
3: 9 And
do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell
you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Abraham
is the father of all New Testament believers
Romans
4: 16 Therefore,
the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to
all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those
who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Galatians
3: 29 If
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the
promise.
A separated community
Abraham and his
household lead a separated community life from all other people around.
1.
A different God
from other people around Abraham – Yahveh the Lord
2.
Different way of worship, culture and
lifestyle
3.
Sojourners travelling to
another land
Genesis
12 : 1 - 9
1 The Lord had said to Abram,
“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I
will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation, and
I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord
had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he
set out from Harran.
5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all
the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in
Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the
site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in
the land.
7 The Lord
appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord,
who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east
of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the
Negev.
Ethnically pure
Until this very day the child of Abraham, the Jews
have remained an ethnically pure people.
They, of all the peoples on earth, are the only
people on earth that can make that claim
It seems it would be impossible for a people to
remain ethnically pure for four thousand years.
And in truth it would be, except that God made an
unconditional promise to Abraham.
The continuing fulfillment of that covenant can be
seen today.
The Jews have been scattered all over the earth in
every continent.
Almost every city in the western world has a
population of Jews.
For example, many people from all over the world
have come and settled in the United States.
However, most immigrants in a generation or two
lose their ethnic identity and become simply "Americans".
However, the Jews have remained a pure people and
retained their identity as Jews.
Clearly God has done this and is keeping His
promise made to Abraham.
Instances of living as separate Community
Jacob and his children chose the North East part of Egypt, near to Canaan
to dwell.
They did not live among the Egyptians intermingling
with them.
Genesis 47: 6 and
the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the
best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among
them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
Israelites made an
aliah under the leadership Ezra and Nehemiah
They re-built the
wall of the city
Nehemiah
7: 1 After
the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers,
the musicians and the Levites were appointed.
They also built
the altar for sacrifice.
Ezra
3: 1 - 3
1
When the seventh
month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled
together as one in Jerusalem.
2
Then Joshua son of
Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his
associates began to build the altar of the God
of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings
on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3 Despite their fear of the peoples around
them, they built the altar on its foundation
and sacrificed burnt offerings on it
to the Lord,
both the morning and evening sacrifices.
Then they gathered
together to hear the Laws read aloud by the scribe and priest Ezra.
After hearing the
Law read for seven days and on the eight day, they renewed the covenant with
God.
Nehemiah
10: 29 - 31
29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the
nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God
given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands,
regulations and decrees of the Lord
our Lord.
30 “We promise
not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their
daughters for our sons.
31 “When the neighboring peoples bring
merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we
will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh
year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
Israelites
in the desert
These are the
words of Balaam, the diviner:
Numbers
23: 9 From
the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
Numbers
23: 23, 24
23 There is no divination against Jacob, no evil
omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God
has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness; they rouse
themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks
the blood of its victims.”
Progressive Revelation
A
concordance search will indicate that the name “Abraham” occurs some 230 times
in the Bible. Included in this number is the appearance of his name 67 times in
the New Testament. “Abram” occurs in the Old Testament another 60 times.
The principle of progressive
revelation is very evident in the Book of Genesis, especially regarding the Abrahamic Covenant.
1.
Genesis 12:1-3
Covenant introduced, but only in very
general terms.
Genesis 12: 1 - 3
1 The Lord had said to Abram,
“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I
will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I
will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever
curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
The Covenant was fourfold:
(1) God
would make Abraham's descendants a great nation.
(2) God
would bless Abraham materially and make his name great.
(3) God
would protect Abraham by blessing those that blessed him and cursing those that
opposed Abraham.
(4) God would bless all the families of the
earth through Abraham.
There are personal
promises made to Abram, as there are collective
promises made concerning his offspring.
In general terms, God promises Abram
that He will give him many descendants, and
that He will also give him the land of Canaan.
Abraham will be the touchstone for
the blessing or cursing of all mankind.
Those who bless Abram will be
blessed, and those who curse him (or esteem him lightly) will be cursed.
This is a very skeletal, introductory
promise.
The covenant will not be formally ratified until the sacrifice is offered in chapter
15.
And Abraham does not receive the covenant sign of circumcision until chapter 17.
2.
Genesis 15:2
, Abram assumes that his “seed” will have to
be an adopted servant from his household.
Genesis 15: 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who
will inherit[c]
my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Genesis 15:4,
God assures Abram that the promised “seed”
will come forth from his own body
Genesis 15: 4
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is
your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”
3.
Genesis 15:5,
God reveals to Abram that His plan is not to give one son to him, but
descendents like starts in the sky, countless.
Genesis 15: 5
He
took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed
you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
4.
Genesis 17: 15, 16
- It is not until after the birth of Ishmael that Abram is told he and Sarah
will be the parents of the promised child.
Genesis 17: 15, 16
15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your
wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
16 I will bless her and will surely give you a
son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings
of peoples will come from her.”
God progressively reveals His plans
and purposes to Abram.
Because of this, we should expect the
details of the Abrahamic Covenant to be disclosed progressively, over some
period of time.
This is precisely what happens. And
so it will suffice to say here that Abraham is the one whom God designates as
the patriarch of the family from which the promised “seed”
will come.
As the story of Abraham unfolds, more
and more details concerning the promised blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant
will be disclosed.
Progressive Revelation to Jesus Christ
Bible demonstrates the principle of
progressive revelation.
It is gradually unfolded, through
time.
1.
We expect that “seed” to be – or to come from – the line of Abel.
2.
Still the line of the seed passes
down through Seth to Noah, and then from Noah to Abram.
3.
By the end of Genesis, we will be
told that the “seed” will come through the
line of Judah (Genesis 49:8-12).
Genesis 49: 1 & 8 - 12
1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said:
“Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your
hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to
you.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from
the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who
dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor
the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt
to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the
blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth
whiter than milk.
4.
2 Samuel 7 : 1, 4, 16
1 After the king was settled in his palace
and the Lord
had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
4
But that
night the word of the Lord
came to Nathan, saying:
16 Your house and your kingdom will endure
forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”
5.
The identity of the line of the
promised Savior continues to narrow,
until the introduction of Jesus as the Messiah
in the Gospels.
Adam and Eve – A Seed is promised
Noah
Abraham – Community formed
Judah
David
Jesus
Community of Jesus
The community started
with:
· Adam, Eve and his
children
· Grew to Abraham
and his house hold
· Narrowed to Judah
· Narrowed to David
· Narrowed to Jesus
· Grew to 12
disciples and all who believed in Him
· To 3000 in the
first Church (Acts 2)
· Broadened wide to
accommodate people from all nations, races, languages and social groups.
· Still growing and
narrowing at the same time to those who believes and accepts Jesus as their
savior and Lord.
Jesus
community started with 12 disciples
They lived
together as one with the Lord.
Had everything
common – one person held the purse
No private
property within the community
Jesus addressed
his disciples and the crowd that followed Him as a community.
Luke 12: 32
“Do
not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the
kingdom.
John 10: 16
I
have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.
I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one
shepherd.
John
10: 14 “I
am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
The first Church at Jerusalem
The first Church
at Jerusalem also was a close knit community
Because this is
the plan of God to restore the Kingdom of God
Hebrew
8: 10 This
is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord. I
will put my laws in their minds and write them on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my
people.
Revelation
21: 3 And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now
among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God.
Community
means…..
1. Real time
Community means
availability. It means time spent together.
Time for
conversation, interaction, and a deepening of communion, of intimacy between
two or more people.
Community is never
general or generic.
It is always
specific and definable by people spending time together.
Now, time spent
together does not guarantee community.
There has to be a
certain quality to the time spent together.
Time doesn't
guarantee it but it is a pre-requisite.
2. Shared life
Community means a
shared life.
This ties back in
to availability but goes beyond it.
Our life in one
regard is made up of time.
So if we want a
shared life we must spend time together.
Resources also
need to be shared.
Basically our checkbooks and our schedules
can be a good gauge of community.
3. Stability
Community means
stability.
If we want to
experience community we need to be rooted somewhere among some people.
If we constantly
move on in search of greener pastures we will not be around long enough to grow
the roots necessary for community.
Community cannot
happen on the fly.
True
community is a Biblical ideal
The church is spoken of in “family” terms
frequently.
For any group to achieve community in the truest
sense, it must undertake a journey that involves four
stages:
1.
"Pseudocommunity," where
niceness reigns;
2.
"Chaos," when the emotional
skeletons crawl out of the closet;
3.
"Emptiness," a time of
quiet and transition
4.
True community, marked both by deep
honesty and deep caring.
Community does not meet all our needs,
God does.
Community is meant to grow us up.
It is not the “end all”.
____________________
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