What do we want to be known for - committed in community Pt. 4

Acts 2:42 says, "And they DEVOTED themselves to the apostles' teaching and THE FELLOWSHIP, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." This word devoted means, "to do something with intense effort" regardless of the difficulty it poses.  

So to fully understand this passage, it is exemplifying for us, as the church, to live committed in community with an intense effort regardless of the difficulty community poses. This is why living in community is no small task in our busy, fast-paced, and hectic culture. So why is this asked of us?

At creation in the garden of Eden, God looked at man and said that it wasn't good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). The truth is we are formed with the need to live committed in community with God and others. It is apart of our makeup, our design and when accomplished, contributes to our best life.  

One of the tragedies of the fall is that it complicates our ability to live committed in community. Because of sin, we fell out of rhythm with God. When we fell out of rhythm with God, we fell out of rhythm with ourselves. Insecurities crept in, hiding our true selves (Genesis 3:8) and identity became a wrestling match creating competition and comparison, causing us to fall out of rhythm with each other (Genesis 3:16).  But just because it is hard doesn't mean it isn't life-giving.  So how do we live committed in community?

I think it is best to look at the Trinity (the idea that "God eternally exists as three persons…and each person is fully God, and there is one God.") for wisdom on how to live within community.  There are three steps we can take.  Each step honoring one of the members of the Trinity:

1. In honor of the Father, we seek to live as a family.  Because we are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:15, Ephesians 2:19), through the blood of Jesus Christ, we recognize our need to prioritize family and family time.  We eat together, we play together, we laugh together, we cry together, we serve together, we share, we apologize, and we stay committed no matter how hard the circumstance.  

2. In honor of Jesus, we seek to serve each other and our community as he has served us.  Jesus served us sacrificially, dying to himself (Philippians 2:1-11).  So, living committed in community means we live life, dying to self to help others, who in turn, will die to themselves and serve us.  This natural flow of love and care is something that will catch the attention of the outside world, validating the message of Jesus as genuine and true, propelling others toward adoption into the family of God (John 17:23).  

3. In honor of the Holy Spirit, we live the mission of God (Acts 1:8) together, united within community, providing accountability, encouragement, and greater effectiveness in our calling!

So what do we want to be known for?  We want to be known for how we love each other as family and how we open our family to serve and accept all who wish to place their trust in Jesus Christ!  For it is when we truly live as a family that we will experience our highest effectiveness in living out the purpose that God has gifted the church!

So, let me ask you a question, How is God asking you to live committed in community? If you are interested you can join one of our community groups by reaching out:

• True Hope Dowtown - Jim at Jim@Jesusistruehope.com or call (208) 344-7809

• True Hope Collister - Tori at Tori@Jesusistruehope.com or calling (208) 269-1779