Community in Christ

Reuben Joseph Prevost

Monday Night Study • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Transcript

Introduction

In the early history of our country, the idea of self-made men exploded. Many people were talking about it.

In his 1916 autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Frank Pine tells us that Franklin is “the greatest of our self-made men.”

In the 1850s, Frederick Douglass wrote a speech called Self-Made Men; a speech that he presented on a number of occasions and in many different places. He defines the self-made man as “men who owe little or nothing to birth, relationship, friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of education; who are what they are, without the aid of any of the favoring conditions by which other men usually rise in the world and achieve great results.”

During that time, people looked up and idolized the self-made man. In his speech, Frederick Douglass metaphorically spoke of the self-made man as Caesar – the emperor of Rome.

This idea of the self-made man has blossomed in our culture since the times of Franklin and Douglass. We still idolize the person who builds their own success and does everything on their own.

This is why politicians like to brag about how they came from humble means.

This is why we love the Cinderella stories. (Avengers Endgame)

Because this type of thinking is such a deep part of our culture, we start to think that we can do everything on our own. This is not how it was in the past.

If we look at the people who live in Bible times, we will see a people focused on the community. They understood that they needed one another to survive.

We, in contrast, are not like the ancient world; we aren’t really big on community. We are an individualistic society.

Have you ever thought about how we really don’t like for others to help us?

Individualism tells us that we can fix all of our problems on our own; that we don’t need help.

This mentality is dangerous for the people of God because the fact of the matter is: we need one another. God understood this from the beginning. Genesis 2:18.

Genesis 2:18 ESV

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.”

So this is what we are going to talk about in this lesson: When do we need one another?

We need one another at worship.

This was something that was understood by the people in Bible times.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11.

2 Corinthians 1:8–11 ESV

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul teaches us a critical lesson in these verses. He teaches us that the ‘group’ is important, and he does this by highlighted two aspects of our worship.

Praise

This is the idea behind “giving thanks.” They are praising God for the gift or favor that He showed to Paul.

Paul tells us that there is something special to many people praising God.

Prayer

In this context, Paul tells us that he almost died, but he was delivered by God. Paul says that he was delivered through the prayers of many.

Again, we see that there is something important about the group gathering together to praying to God.

Paul obviously believes that the gathering of the saints to praise and pray are a necessary part of the Christian’s life.

Hebrews 10:23-25.

Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 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.

In one sense our worship and praise is about God, but the New Testament Christians also understood that worship was us and encouraging one another. I’m not saying that worship is about me and what I want, but its about us as a community and encouraging that community.

This is not how many in our world think. These days, worship is all about me and less about the community.

This is why I pick a new church if I’m not happy.

This is why it’s OK if I decide to stop going to services. Because it’s all about the “I.” This is evident from a Pew Research poll.

Do we even have to wonder why church attendance is declining (70% of Americans are Christians while 30% go to worship services once a week.)? If it’s all about me, then I don’t need to go to services.

As Christians, we have got to change our thinking on this.

If Paul and the inspired writer of Hebrews needed the community in their worship, praise, and prayers, then certainly we do too.

We must understand that worship is not about me; it’s about us.

We need one another in our worship.

Let me just say, there are people who miss worship because they are seriously concerned about COVID… I believe that’s OK.

But there are some who are going everywhere else, but they aren’t meeting with the assembly…

Worship is important because we are a family.

But let me point out that we also need one another away from worship.

In some places, the Christians only see one another on Sundays and Wednesdays. I’m glad it’s not that way here because that is not the way that Christ expects His community to live.

We need one another away from worship, so let’s spend the rest of the lesson talking about when we are going to need one another away from worship.

How do we do this?

Those who are comfortable: Meet

Those who are not: Meet over zoom.

We need one another in our grief.

Some of us tend to be very private when we are upset, but it’s interesting that the people who lived in Bible times were very public when they were upset.

Genesis 37:31-35.

Genesis 37:31–35 ESV

31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

We see from this verse that mourning is a very public thing. Even though Jacob didn’t want to be comforted, he wasn’t hiding the fact that he was mourning. That was the point of the torn clothes and sackcloth.

Esther 4:1-3.

Esther 4:1–3 ESV

1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Mourning was supposed to be a public thing. Mordecai is in the middle of the city with torn clothes, sackcloth, and ashes. Everyone knows why he is mourning. Even Esther hears about his mourning in the palace. Esther 4:4.

Esther 4:4 ESV

4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

Job 2:8-13.

Job 2:8–13 ESV

8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job is sitting on the ashes and his friends see him from a distance. How? It’s because he’s mourning in public. People in the ancient world mourned and mourned out in the open. They understood that it was important for others to know their tribulations so that they can help when it was time.

Our society is not like this. Many people believe that they can fix all of their emotional problems on their own.

When we ask someone how they are doing, they usually respond with, “I’m fine.” It’s the expected answer. We don’t really try and talk with others about our problems because that’s the easy way.

This is evident in the increasing suicide rates of today. If you look on the Facebook page of someone who committed suicide, you might notice some people saying, “I just saw him/her the other day.”

Some people don’t really talk about our problems. They think that we can fix all of their emotional issues on their own and that is dangerous.

As Christians, we need to be different.

I’m not saying that we need to go back to Bible times and start wearing sackcloth and ashes, but we can’t lie to ourselves and say that we don’t need help when we are going through emotional problems.

Romans 12:15.

Romans 12:15 ESV

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

As Christians, we are family. If I’m going through some emotional distress, I don’t need to walk that path alone; I have a family who can help me.

We need one another for correction.

I’m amazed at the number of times in scripture that good, righteous people needed spiritual guidance from a friend.

David. 2 Samuel 12:1-13. It’s amazing to me that David didn’t fully recognize his sin until Nathan brings it up to him. David, as righteous as he was, needed Nathan.

2 Samuel 12:1–13 ESV

1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Peter. Galatians 2:11-14. Peter, one of Jesus’ chosen apostles, needed guidance. He needed Paul to show him the right way.

Galatians 2:11–14 ESV

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

The world has changed since David and Paul.

People don’t want help today. If we try to counsel people like this, we will be accused of judging. Most people to day want to live their own lives without others, and God, telling them what to do.

What if David and Peter responded like this?

We don’t always like to hear this, but we are not always right. There are going to be times where someone else has a clearer picture than we do of what’s going on.

When we get caught up in sin, we can’t always see the reality of our sin.

Psalm 115:1–8 ESV

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

Idolatry blinds us.... We need to be careful. It’s possible that we could have sinful thoughts or beliefs and not even know it.

Habakkuk 2:18-19.

Habakkuk 2:18–19 ESV

18 “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! 19 Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.

Do you see what was wrong with what they (the Babylonians) were doing? They couldn’t see it!

So, if someone comes up to us and tells us that we are wrong about something, then we need to take it seriously. If the preacher offends me, then we need to take it seriously because maybe they can see something that we can’t see.

1 Kings 22:1-9, 13-23

1 Kings 22:1–9 ESV

1 For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 9 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

1 Kings 22:13–23 ESV

13 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.” 15 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’ ” 18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”

Ahab only wanted to hear the good… He didn’t want to hear the criticisms…

We need the criticism because maybe there is something that we can’t see.

This is why God would send prophets to His people in the OT. God recognizes that someone else can see what we don’t see.

If David and Peter needed help spiritually, then there will be times where we need help spiritually.

Our culture tells us that we can figure out life on our own; that we don’t need help spiritually. God doesn’t expect us to live that way.

We need one another for forgiveness.

If there is one thing that the Bible teaches us, it’s that humanity is flawed. Throughout the Bible, we see humanity fall into the same mistakes over and over again.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve see and take what they should not have taken.

In Joshua 7, Achan sees and takes what he should not have taken.

In 2 Samuel 11, David sees Bathsheba and takes what he should not have taken.

Notice that the language in all three of these examples is similar… Why? It’s because humanity is fallen. Humans (even great, godly humans like David) make mistakes. We will make mistakes as well.

Parents aren’t perfect. They are going to make mistakes.

Friends aren’t perfect. They are going to make mistakes.

Husbands and wives aren’t perfect. They are going to make mistakes.

Elders aren’t perfect…

Preachers aren’t perfect…

Humans aren’t perfect. We are going to disappoint one another… We are going to hurt one another. The question is what do we do when that happens?

Do we hold grudges? Do we gossip behind someone’s back? Or do we go to the person so we can resolve and forgive? Matthew 5:21-26.

Matthew 5:21–26 ESV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

If someone else hurts or disappoints us, then we need to go to that person to resolve and forgive.

We are a sinful people who continually cheat on (abandon) God for earthly things… But what did God do? God forgave us, and we need to forgive one another. Matthew 18:21-35.

Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Conclusion

So, what does all of this mean for us? Here are a couple of things

It means that we need people.

It means that we need godly people.

We need spiritually minded people in our lives to help us find godly solutions to our emotional, financial, and spiritual problems.

God created woman for man. He never intended us to do life alone.

Even Frederick Douglass, the author of Self-Made Men, understood this. He says in his speech, “Our best and most valued acquisitions have been obtained either from our contemporaries or from those who have preceded us in the field of thought and discovery. We have all either begged, borrowed or stolen. We have reaped where others have sown, and that which others have strown, we have gathered.”

Douglass gets it. He understands that we all rely on others… But God was way ahead of him. Ephesians 2:19-22.

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.