Loving God’s Church – 4

                                                             Loving God’s Church – 4

Subject – Jesus and His Love for Community

By Rick Welborne

John 17:20-26 (NLT2)
²⁰  “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
²¹  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²²  “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
²³  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
²⁴  Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
²⁵  “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.
²⁶  I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” 

--Today we are continuing the series Loving God’s Church. I do love Life Church and the people who have dedicated themselves to this community. 

--This subject has surely stirred my heart and I believe this idea of community is so important especially in these last days. That is actually what the writer of Hebrews was saying.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV)
²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.

--These verses go to the very heart of community…we love each other so much that we want to help each other when it comes to living for Jesus. Encourage one another to be faithful. 

--Also, community is only lived out when we meet together. Don’t stay away from church when you can be here and when you are here, figure out how to encourage your brothers and sisters.

--Do this even more as you see the Day approaching. What Day? The return of Christ! If we believe He is coming soon, we should be getting our hearts ready and helping others do the same.

--Last week we shared about the community of the mat and how those guys were intentional about being friends and caring for each other. Without friends this man never makes it to Jesus…forgiven and healed.

--Today, I want us again to look at Jesus and His love and dedication to this whole idea of community. Please follow me today and see how this idea of community flows through all of scripture.

1. Jesus was in community with the Trinity from the beginning of time. 

John 17:21 & 24 (NLT2) ²¹  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²⁴  Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 

--The Father, the Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit have been enjoying beautiful community since before the world began…they are One in everything…love, purpose, unity, mission. They glorify each other.

Bruner - One of the most surprising discoveries in my own study of the doctrine and experience of the Spirit in the New Testament is what I call the shyness of the Spirit.

–It is not a shyness of timidity but it is a shyness of love...Because they are One and because of their constant love for each other, they are always drawing attention toward each other, not themselves. 

2. Jesus was in community with His family.

--We all know Jesus was born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Imagine having a son or a brother who is the Son of God. He thinks he is so perfect! Well, yes He does because yes He is!

--Please do not think there were not issues with Jesus in this family community. Remember when He was twelve they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. His parents head home. Not Jesus!

--They went a day’s journey before they realized He was not with them. How do you lose the Son of God? Imagine, it took them three days to find Him…my parents would have laid hands on me. He was in the temple.

Luke 2:48-52 (NKJV)
⁴⁸  So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."
⁴⁹  And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"
⁵⁰  But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
⁵¹  Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
⁵²  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. 

--Let me show you how subject He was to His mother…let’s look at His first miracle at the wedding in Canaan. His mother had influence and knowledge about when He should begin His ministry. Community.

John 2:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
²  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
³  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
⁴  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
⁵  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 

--When we submit to one another in this community called family, blessings and miracles can follow. His mother had the power to bless Him because of His submission (subjection) to her…community works.

3. Jesus started building community with His disciples. 

Matthew 4:17-22 (NKJV)
¹⁷  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
¹⁸  And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
¹⁹  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
²⁰  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
²¹  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
²²  and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 

--Jesus had wonderful community with Father and with Holy Spirit but the Trinity wanted more…they wanted their community to expand…to grow and to be built one disciple at a time. 

--I have said over and over that this community (when you start adding people) is not perfect. Thomas doubted, Peter had a big mouth and was unstable, Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Nevertheless:

Matthew 16:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
¹⁶  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
¹⁷  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
¹⁸  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

--God’s community is built like God’s Kingdom, one soul at a time. Jesus is building the church and He is building a community that can withstand whatever Satan throws at us. Greater is He!

--Jesus wanted so much to build this community that He gave everything so that it would be born. He laid down His life. He was the seed that was planted to grow the church…the community of God.

John 12:23-27 (NKJV)
²³  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
²⁴  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
²⁵  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
²⁶  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
²⁷  "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 

--Jesus wanted so much for this community of believers to grow (to actually multiply) that He was willing to die, to be buried, and to be resurrected by the Spirit of God.

--Listen to the wording in verse 24, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. Only when it dies does it multiply. Stay with me…

John 12:24 (NLT2) ²⁴  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

--The reason churches struggle to grow and multiply is because we have independent kernels who are unwilling to die. Jesus, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

--The kernel of grain must be willing to be placed where it will not be visible, where it will have to be willing to get dirty, and has to be willing to die…if it doesn’t die…it doesn’t multiply. 

--If God’s community will grow, it will be because we deny ourselves (serve others), take up our cross (whatever lot God gives us), and follow Him (not our own ways and desires). 

--If we eat the seeds (Jamestown) or the grain instead of planting them…we will see no multiplication. I read of cannibalism during Jamestown’s starving time. When we do not plant we devour one another.

--Community requires a higher standard:

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV)
²⁴  Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
²⁵  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.