Recently, I completed training as a volunteer with Promise Keepers. Although I have worked with them before, I had to go through new training and be introduced to new leadership. Ever since the first P.K. conference, I attended with my father and my mentor I have enjoyed connecting with and learning from older Christian men who help me fix my eyes on God. After months of training and interviewing, the process was complete. Throughout the training, leadership would pray for me. It can be humbling to have older men pray for me.
Over a decade ago while I was with other P.K. volunteers in my area, an older brother in the faith encouraged me to dig deeper into the Old Testament. Spiritual growth is the purpose of a faith community and your love for it.
Over the millennia the community model has lost its purpose. This is where my view as a Christian single comes into play. God’s plan has always been for a community because God is a community! Timothy Keller notes,
The prophet Moses tells us, in the beginning, it was God and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2.) Later John tells us that in the beginning was also the Word and the Word became flesh and we know Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:1-14.)
This is the triune God, a self-contained community. However, this community isn’t about having fun, this community is working together to create God’s Kingdom and to love people. Do you see how much it has grown since from nothing?
Community is another way God grows us. When Jesus set up His church, He called men from different regions, we are known by our love for each other. This is important to note because it shows that a community isn’t necessarily made up of the same people from one place. It is a perfect body of imperfect people working together.
This is the beauty of the church, we are each different, with different passions and gifts; but we are all working together as one faith community (1 Corinthians 12:1– 31.) The community only grows as we learn from one another.
As this blog posts, I am at a writer’s conference learning from others within the writing community. Sure, I’ll have fun, but the purpose is to learn and grow as a writer. Not to feel good, not even to sing emotional songs like we will do throughout this week. Community is more about enlightenment than entertainment.
And here is where many churches today get it wrong, church isn’t about having a good time and feel-good songs; which are part of church, but our ultimate goal is to grow in our faith and change this fallen world. Hence a lot of churches fail to do the work of God when they don’t help others become one of us.
The function of community is further witnessed in the” mystery “ of marriage (Ephesians 5:30-32.) God takes two different and broken people puts them together, and makes one amazing community.
I have lived alone for over 16 years and I’m not looking for another Martin to marry and spend the rest of my life with. As a Christian man, I yearn for someone different than me which explains this mystery. God made one of me, again this is the foundation of a community—different people serving one purpose.
Again, the prophet Moses tells us God made another community; and they were different, man and female (Genesis 1:26-28.) Our differences aren’t meant to separate us but make us stronger like pieces of a puzzle, this is why the apostle Paul tells us all Scripture is useful for correcting and encouraging (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) Recently I heard a pastor share,
I don’t trust people who always believe like I believe or tell me what I want to hear. This is the problem with cliques within a church, instead of using individual uniqueness, believers seek out only friends who believe like them—what a travesty!
What if the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and only talked to one nationality? Different peoples and nations wouldn’t have heard the gospel message in their own language. The church would have never expanded beyond that small room. Community is bigger than small thinking and selfish teaching, it is a family of broken people.
If we look at our Lord’s last command (discipline, teaching) The Great Commission, we are told to teach everything He taught to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20.) Therefore, teaching all Scripture, not just the ones that give us joy is imperative to the Christian community model (2 Timothy 3:16-17!)
