(read BE part 1 here)
Following Jesus is not meant to be done alone. No one is saved in isolation. In fact we’re instantly called into community. When Mathew, one of the first disciples, started following Jesus, he through a party. All his disciple friends, Jesus, and this tax-collector buddies hung out. He figured they’d fish for people together. And there the 1st glimpse of a Christ-following community started.
I remember the 1st choir I led several years ago. It was a fun experience. Multiple levels of talent… one big desire to sing. But, there was a gap. What we sounded like on the 1st practice was not what we hoped to sound like at the final rehearsal. A gap. A tension. From the choir we were, to the choir we were meant to be.
BIG Question for me on week 2 of this series: Are we the church God intends us to be?
The Tension, the gap: the church we are vs. the church God intends for us to be.
Here’s a glimpse of what God intends us to be.
The church in Acts 2:42-47 reflects 4 characteristics:
A learning church
A caring church
A worshiping church
An evangelizing church
Although each characteristic is important, I want to focus on the one that affects community.
What does is mean to be a CARING CHURCH COMMUNITY?
Acts 2:42 tells us the 1st church was devoted to fellowship. Most people think that means coffee and donuts in a church basement. The actual word in Greek means sharing . Their devotion to fellowship meant selling their possessions and helping others in need, opening up their homes for meals and small group gatherings, giving regularly, and giving sacrificially for urgent needs. The first church was a caring church, a sharing church, a community that did life together.
I believe that was what kept the other characteristics of the church alive and growing.
I ask again: Are we the church God intends us to be?
I believe that if we want to close the gap between who we are and who God intends us to be, we need to consider closing some of the gaps we have between each other.
Let’s face it. People are prone to complain, gossip, lean towards selfishness, and passively let someone else respond to a problem. Gaps are created. So gaps need to be closed.
How do we close the gap?
The following words might help you consider how:
Stretch
If we want to be more caring, we need to be stretched.
Stretch yourselves with who you interact with. Walk across the room and interact with people you don’t normally do so. Invite someone over who you don’t know so well but just needs an invite. The next time a need arises, don’t think, “someone else will meet it.” Ask yourself, “what can I do to meet it.” Are you giving the way you’d like to? How can you stretch your giving to a greater increase?
Stretching takes intentionality. You can’t wait for others to stretch you. You must often make the first move. Once you’ve been stretched it’s hard to shrink back, your heart just might have grown a little, and you might notice yourself caring a little more.
A caring person stretches.
Support
The New Testament is filled with a little phrase: one another. Love, serve, care for, be at peace with. Whatever verb you put in front of that phrase, early Christ-followers we’re invited to support one another. I love this one: bear with one another. When you bear with one you’ve had the opportunity to understand them and so you’ve responded with support.
A caring church is a supportive church.
Start getting to know people a little better. You will likely learn how they need support and they might learn how they can support you.
You can say hi to a single mom at the coffee hub on a Sunday, but a little more conversation, a desert and coffee at your home, and you might notice their struggle to work, keep the house, and raise the kids. Your awareness might turn into more support.
It’s easy to envy the guy with a wife, kids, and a home, but when you learn that he struggles to keep a job or maybe is trying to deal with an anger problem, you might learn how you can support him.
A caring person supports.
Serve
Jesus said: I have not come to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45).
If the one we follow had serving as his main purpose, it’s a sure thing that we need to grow that characteristic in our lives and our church.
A caring person serves.
My wife recently met a woman who happened to change churches. It’s the first time she’s done this since she became a Christian almost 30 years ago, so she’s not a church hopper or shopper.
This woman said that the most difficult part about this new church was…
…what? What was the problem? The toys in the nursery we’re dirty. The preacher had bad hair. The music was so 80’s. NO. None of the above.
I loved what she hated. Ready? She said… the most difficult thing was waiting to get involved! The church she now belongs (notice I didn't say attends) to have this thing about waiting about 6 months for people to get involved, and this was the hardest thing for her. I love it. She was being the church. She wanted to be stretched, supportive, and start serving.
This is the true heart of a Christ-follower: roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and start contributing.
Let’s stop for a second. It CAN be true that you see things in the church that can be better, that can improve. Maybe the people can make a better effort to connect, or open up their calendars to make space for relationships and serving. Maybe the heart for evangelism could beat stronger, or the heart for worship can grow bigger. This is possible. So here’s my advice. Here’s where closing the gap comes down to.
BE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
BE WHAT YOU WANT THE CHURCH TO BECOME.
Instead of just wanting to have people connect with you, become a connector
Instead of just waiting to be served, become a servant
Instead of expecting others to stretch for you, stretch for them
Instead of wanting the church to feed you, feed others
Instead of waiting for a home to open up for a community dinner, host one
Instead of viewing yourself as a guest in this community, start being a host.
One of the beautiful things about feeling at home isn’t just coffee on the couch; sometimes it means doing the dishes or moving the furniture.
What will it take for you to stretched, support, serve? What will it take for you to help close the gap between the church we are (you included) and the church God intends us to be?
CARING MOVES TO CONNECTION
I sometime get frustrated with the communication between my 7 year old son and me.
“How was school?”
“Good”
“What did you learn?”
“Stuff”
“Who’d you play with?”
“Kids”
“Anything else”
“No”
Frustrating!!!!!! So I tried to figure out how we can connect a little more. One night it hit me. About the exact time that I pull the covers to his neck and tuck him in, he starts talking. If I pause enough he answers all my questions without me even asking them. So, I started sitting on the side of his bed after I’ve tucked him in.
This last Friday, it was late, way past his bed time, so I thought it was better to tuck and leave. Then my son said this as I was leaving the room, “Dad, aren’t you going to sit by my bed for a while, I like it when you do that.”
It happened. We connected. He discovered I cared after I stretched my time a little and learned how I could support and serve him.
What’s my point?
When you care, you connect. When you care, you make an effort.
When you care, you stretch yourself, you learn how to support, and you make room to serve.
Let’s become a caring church community and close the gap between the church we are and the church God intends for us to be.
(check back daily for some suggestions on living this out in community)
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