If you’ve been following along with my series on Community, you might be thinking, “Okay, now I’ve heard you talk about this community thing and what the Bible says about it, but how do I know how to find a truly Christ-centered community?” Good news! The Bible tells us what it should look like when Christians gather together. This means that when you become part of a Christian Community, you know the important things to look for.
Christian Community can look different on the outside. Maybe it’s a weekly hiking group with some friends from church, a monthly breakfast meetup and prayer time with a few good buddies, or perhaps a meal shared at someone’s house. It doesn’t always have to be a formal, structured setting. The Bible does tell us some aspects of HOW Christians should interact with one another though. So, wherever you’re meeting, the heart of the conversation is important.
1. Christian Community Teaches and Admonishes
In Colossians, the Bible talks about Christ’s church being one body, each individual with their own strengths, united in Him for one common purpose.
Colossians 3:16:“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
This passage is talking about Christian living in relationship to other believers. It mentions this key benefit:
“Teaching and Admonishing” one another in all wisdom
When we have God’s word within our hearts, we’re able to openly discuss Biblical passages with other believers and learn from one another. Even in our teaching, we need to approach the Gospel with humility. We need to be careful not to pretend we have all the answers or hold ourselves higher than anyone else. The teaching concept of this verse is preceded by the word of God dwelling in us richly and followed by “in all wisdom”. As we teach and learn from others, we need to seek God’s wisdom and be careful that what’s being discussed is Biblically sound.
The term “teaching” is pretty easily understood…but I think, sometimes, the “admonishing” part of this verse gets overlooked.
What does admonishing even mean? It can mean, “warn, reprimand, advice, or counsel”. The Greek term used in this verse is “noutheteō” meaning “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct”. In other words, it could be a trusted friend saying, “Hey man, what you’re doing isn’t Christ-like.”
Sounds harsh, I know! But, here’s the key: the relationship is important. If you heard that from someone you only see briefly on Sunday mornings, you might be like, “Okay, Judgy-Mc-Judgerson… you don’t even know me!”
However, when a strong spiritual peer, someone who you trust, approaches you in love and concern, you consider their words more carefully. No one likes being called out or told what to do, but when wise Biblical counsel is given, we should listen.
Now, a community member won’t just leave you there, and say “good luck!” They will advise how you can get back on track and walk the road with you, which brings us to our next point.
2. Christian Community Carries Burdens
An interesting thing to note about Galations, is that in this book, Paul does exactly what he talks about in Colossians. He teaches and admonishes the churches in Galatia. There was some division between the Jews and Gentiles, and believers were falling for teachings that were contrary to the gospel. In Galations, Paul sets them straight about the truth that lies in the words of Jesus. He tells them how they should live united in their faith in Christ and teaches them the way they should interact with one another.
Galations 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The first section of Galations 6 talks about bearing one another’s burdens. This means that we’re not only concerned about what’s going on in our own lives, but looking at the needs of others: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now again, if you’re only meeting on Sundays in a large group, chances are you won’t see many of the burdens people are carrying. These troubles often come to light in smaller more intimate settings, like community groups. When shared, it gives us a chance to walk alongside one another and encourage each other. It’s one thing for someone to say, “I’ll pray for you”, and it’s another for someone to sit with you, praying over you and crying with you as you share your heart with them. When you find a true community, you have people who don’t just say they’ll be there for you. They show up to support you however they can.
3. Christian Community Confesses Sins
James 5:16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
I think this is one of the more difficult ones for Christians. We, in our human nature, tend to care what others think of us and want to impress them. This desire might cause us to try to convey a perfect image. However, it’s important that we’re honest with one another, and bring our sins to light.
What this doesn’t say is “confess your sins to one another and then go tell all your friends about the shocking sins you heard about” or “confess your sins to one another, so you can see how minor your sin is compared to everyone else’s.” Have you ever heard gossip under the cover of a ‘prayer request’? “Oh, So-and-so needs our prayer badly! Here’s what’s going on…” NO. Community groups should be safe spaces, where you trust one another. Someone else’s sins are not yours to share.
The verse says, “confess your sins to one another…and pray for one another.” Right then and there. Throughout the week as you think of them. Out loud. In your head. Pray with them and for them, because there is power in prayer!
If you’re in a community where Christians come across as perfect and pretend they have it all together, it could be that people aren’t being honest with themselves, or with you. It’s an incredible thing to be vulnerable with one another. It takes strength to share openly, but I think it’s one of the best ways to build trust and relationship.
4. Christian Community Builds One Another Up
Okay, does this remind anyone of a song from their childhood? “Building, building, building others up, with a kind word, and a compliment and a friendly, ‘howdy-do!’… ” No? Just me? Okay.
1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
The term “build up” in these verses is used to mean, “to strengthen, establish, or cause to prosper”
A Christian community should not be tearing each other down, but looking for ways to strengthen and encourage one another. We have to be careful we steer clear from gossip and judgement in our interactions with others. Instead, we should be focused on how to spur each other on in our faith.
5. Christian Community is United
1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
Now, you might be thinking this one sounds impossible! I get it. We’re all human, and when you get even a couple of us together, there’s little chance that we agree on everything! There are so many factors that can divide people (friends, family members, spouses, congregations) against one another. What does it look like to be united in Christ? Is it even possible?
In Corinth, there was division amongst the Christians based on what leaders they were following. Paul reminds them that they were baptized in the name of Christ (not Paul). For this reason, they should be united in their faith in Christ and belief in the Gospel. This is what unites us as believers. If we believe by faith in Jesus, we need to remember that we aren’t separated by who our Pastor is, the podcasts we listen to, the Christian leaders we follow on Instagram, etc. We are one body in Christ.
Relational Community
Sounds pretty simple, right? Hah. Maybe not, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated either – You’re looking for gospel truth and sincere hearts.
We see the importance of relationships throughout the Bible:
If we look back at creation, God didn’t think Adam should be alone, so he created a companion for him, in Eve.
Even Jesus, when he walked the earth, didn’t minister alone. He had a core group of people alongside him in his day to day life, in his disciples. He had friends he visited with, in Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Paul, too, had a community around him. He had close friends in Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy. He considered Priscilla, Aquila, and Titus his “co-workers”. Paul also partnered with local churches, to minister, share the Gospel, and plant new churches.
We are relational beings, meant for relationship with God and with others. Having a group of people to share life with, learn from, grow with, and serve alongside is something that can greatly impact our faith.
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