Embracing Community: The True Meaning of Church

Devotional

Day 1: Called to Assemble as God's People

The term "church" originates from Greek words meaning "to call out," highlighting that we are called out to assemble as God's people. This assembly is not just a gathering but a sacred act where we come together to hear from God and act on His behalf. The concept of being "called out" signifies a divine purpose and mission that transcends individual salvation. It is a collective calling to be a part of something greater than ourselves, a community that embodies the presence and purpose of God in the world. This sacred assembly is where we receive divine instructions and are equipped to fulfill our role as God's representatives on earth. [00:00]

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church community this week to fulfill your role as part of God's called-out assembly?

Day 2: The Essential Gathering for Spiritual Growth

In both the Old and New Testaments, God's people are called to assemble together. This gathering is essential for receiving divine instructions and for spiritual growth. It is in the assembly that we are stirred up in love and good works. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to forsake assembling together, as it is crucial for encouragement and spiritual stimulation. In a world that often promotes individualism, the church stands as a counter-cultural community where we find strength, encouragement, and accountability. The assembly is not just a routine gathering but a vital part of our spiritual journey, where we are nurtured and challenged to grow in our faith. [17:44]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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."

Reflection: What steps can you take to prioritize gathering with your church community, even when life gets busy or challenging?

Day 3: Counter-Cultural Community in a World of Individualism

The church stands as a counter-cultural community in a world that often promotes individualism. We are reminded that our faith journey is not meant to be walked alone, and that we find strength and encouragement in the community of believers. The church is a place where we are interconnected and interdependent, reflecting the communal nature of our faith. In a society that values independence, the church calls us back to the biblical model of community, where we are challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live out our faith. This counter-cultural stance is a powerful testimony to the world of the transformative power of the gospel. [27:40]

Acts 2:44-47 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: In what ways can you contribute to building a stronger sense of community within your church?

Day 4: The Church as a Family

Our faith is not just an individual experience but a communal one. The church is a family where we are interconnected and interdependent. The blood of Jesus covers not just individuals but entire households, emphasizing the communal nature of our faith. As we gather, we are reminded that we are part of a larger family, the body of Christ, and that our faith journey is not meant to be walked alone. This family aspect is deeply rooted in the Jewish understanding of faith, where salvation is not just an individual experience but a household one. The church as a family provides a support system where we can grow, learn, and serve together. [32:12]

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

Reflection: How can you strengthen your relationships within your church family and support others in their faith journey?

Day 5: The Sanctifying Work of Community

The church is where we experience the sanctifying work of God through community. It is where we are challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live out our faith. In the assembly, we are shaped and molded into the image of Christ. The communal aspect of our faith is essential for our spiritual growth and transformation. As we engage with one another, we are refined and sanctified, becoming more like Christ in our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. The church provides a unique environment where we can grow in holiness and maturity, supported by the love and accountability of fellow believers. [44:38]

Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take to allow the community of believers to play a more active role in your spiritual growth and sanctification?

Sermon Summary

The essence of our gathering as a church is rooted in the profound understanding of what it means to be the "ekklesia," the called-out assembly of God. The term "church" is derived from Greek words that mean "to call out," signifying that we are not just individuals who have been saved, but a collective body called to assemble together. This assembly is not merely a routine gathering; it is a sacred act where we come together to hear from God and act on His behalf. The Old Testament provides a vivid illustration of this through the Israelites, who were called God's assembly in the wilderness. They gathered to receive divine instructions for deliverance and guidance, emphasizing the importance of community in spiritual growth and action.

In the New Testament, the concept of the church as an assembly is further reinforced. We are not just called out to be separate from the world but to come together as a community of believers. This gathering is essential for stirring up love and good works among us. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to forsake assembling together, as it is crucial for encouragement and spiritual stimulation. In a world that often promotes individualism, the church stands as a counter-cultural community where we find strength, encouragement, and accountability.

The church is a family, a community where we are interconnected and interdependent. This family aspect is deeply rooted in the Jewish understanding of faith, where salvation is not just an individual experience but a household one. The blood of Jesus covers not just individuals but entire households, emphasizing the communal nature of our faith. As we gather, we are reminded that we are part of a larger family, the body of Christ, and that our faith journey is not meant to be walked alone.

In a society that often values independence, the church calls us back to the biblical model of community. We are reminded that we cannot thrive spiritually in isolation. The church is where we are challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live out our faith. It is where we experience the sanctifying work of God through community, as we are shaped and molded into the image of Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. cultural community in a world that often promotes individualism. We are reminded that our faith journey is not meant to be walked alone, and that we find strength and encouragement in the community of believers. [27:40]
4. The Church as a Family: Our faith is not just an individual experience but a communal one. The church is a family where we are interconnected and interdependent. The blood of Jesus covers not just individuals but entire households, emphasizing the communal nature of our faith.

5. The Sanctifying Work of Community: The church is where we experience the sanctifying work of God through community. It is where we are challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live out our faith. In the assembly, we are shaped and molded into the image of Christ.

** [27:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:02] - Introduction to the Church
[00:45] - Meaning of Ekklesia
[02:30] - Old Testament Assembly
[04:15] - New Testament Gathering
[06:00] - Importance of Assembling
[08:20] - Community and Action
[10:05] - Hearing and Acting for God
[12:00] - The Church as a Family
[14:30] - Encouragement in Community
[17:44] - The Day Approaching
[20:00] - First Century Church Unity
[22:30] - Individualism vs. Community
[25:00] - Sanctifying Work of Community
[27:40] - The Role of the Church Today
[29:38] - Conclusion and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does the term "ekklesia" mean, and how does it relate to the concept of the church as described in the sermon? [00:45]
How did the Israelites in the Old Testament serve as an example of God's assembly, and what was the significance of their gatherings? [10:05]
According to Hebrews 10:24-25, what are the reasons given for not forsaking the assembly of believers? [17:44]
How does the sermon describe the communal nature of faith in contrast to individualism? [27:40]

Interpretation Questions

In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church acts as a counter-cultural community in today's individualistic society? [27:40]
How does the concept of the church as a family, as mentioned in Acts 16:31, challenge the idea of faith being solely an individual experience? [32:12]
What role does the assembly of believers play in the sanctifying work of God, according to the sermon? [44:38]
How does the sermon interpret the significance of the blood of Jesus covering entire households, and what implications does this have for our understanding of community? [32:12]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own participation in the church community. Are there ways you can become more actively involved in the assembly of believers? What steps can you take this week to engage more deeply? [17:44]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of being part of a church family. How can you foster a sense of family within your small group or church community? [32:12]
In what ways can you contribute to stirring up love and good works within your church, as encouraged in Hebrews 10:24-25? Identify one specific action you can take this week. [17:44]
Consider the idea of the church as a counter-cultural community. How can you personally resist the pull of individualism and embrace the communal aspects of your faith? [27:40]
The sermon discusses the sanctifying work of community. How have you experienced spiritual growth through your interactions with other believers? Share a specific example. [44:38]
How can you apply the concept of the blood of Jesus covering entire households to your own family or household? What prayers or actions can you take to invite God's presence into your home? [32:12]
Reflect on a time when you felt discouraged. How did the church community help lift you up, and how can you offer similar support to others in your community? [17:44]

Sermon Clips

"The importance of assembling together. In verse 24, it says, and let us, and this is very important here, it says, and let us hold fast the confession of our hope, I'm in verse 3, without wavering, because he who promises faithful. Verse 24, and let us consider one another. Let us consider one another. And when we consider one another in order to stir up, how many of us that we need to come to church to be stirred up?" [00:12:00] (32 seconds)

"You need an assembly to stir up love. You need a gathering together to stir up love, and this is what the Bible says. Let us consider one another so we can come to church, so we can assemble together. This is God's assemble. What are we doing here? We got to stir up love. We got to stir, we got to let people know that, that, that we exercise our love because of community." [00:13:44] (22 seconds)

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up, to stir up love and to stir up good works, not forsaken, not forsaken, there that word again, not forsaken the ecclesia, not forsaken the assembly of God's people. Don't forsake the assembly of God's people. Whenever Moses called God's people out, he called them out of what? out of the tent." [00:14:55] (26 seconds)

"Whenever you're forsaken fellowship, it's a sure way that you're giving place to discouragement. You're giving place to discouragement. He says first, he said, do not forsake the assembling of yourself together because if you forsake the assembling of yourself together, then you are giving place to discouragement. And discouragement festers where God's people are not exhorting one another." [00:15:56] (25 seconds)

"And now it's just a modern culture that that church now is really just a a loose coalition of people that we sit in our own rooms and we and we do whatever we we want and we believe whatever we believe and and and just as soon as our our ways become sinful or our ways become nasty and just as soon as we tried to help somebody what they're going through is we get mad and and and we we kick an attitude and and and because you're confronting us and we bail and we leave that church we go to another church." [00:21:33] (37 seconds)

"See, there's something about coming to this place today. We're in here today. You know what? There's, sure, I'm the pastor and God has anointed me. That means He has called me. He has set me apart. I'm a man from men for men to speak the Word of God. But let me tell you the most important thing. There is an anointing on me for this office that I have. But there's a corporate anointing in here." [00:27:40] (24 seconds)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You and your house because the blood is not just upon mom and daddy. No, it, oh they, they can't come in by proxy because of you but let me tell you something, the same blood that's dripping on mom and daddy that they made a confession of faith is going to get, God's not going to leave them alone. He's going to run them, he's going to run them down until that same blood gets on them and they call out on the Lord." [00:37:17] (30 seconds)

"We're going to make each other mad. We're going to get each other the last nerve. We're going to be too loud and too boastful and just get off. But let me tell you something. We're still together and we're going to, we can't even imagine what it's like having life without each other. And I'm going to help you and you're going to help me. But as for me and my house, as for me and this house, as for me and our house, we're going to serve the Lord. We're going to serve Him together. And God's going to rain down His blessings because we serve a family, God." [00:44:04] (30 seconds)

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