Be Deliberate: Community (Hebrews 10:19-25)
• Community: a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
• In the NIV the word Community is used 83 times. All but one of them are in the OT
• The whole Jewish nation was known as and functioned as a community.
Now Let’s ask the questions why is community needed and where does community originate?
• Community is a reflection of God: God is always in community within Himself
• God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
o So community originates with God Himself because He is always in Community within Himself.
Community is the fullness of God in expression
• When we are in Community we are closer to reflecting the nature of God.
Community is for encouragement in the context of worship: we have Christ in Common
• Hebrews 10:19 He starts with what is worship, praise, and thanksgiving.
Verse 21 The Great Priest is no longer the high Priest but Jesus.
Verse 22 The writer is encouraging us to draw near to God because we have assurance of our salvation in Christ.
• Community starts with the work of Jesus on the cross and then owning that and walking in that.
o If we don’t get this right, then community is hard because our sins and our guilt get in the way.
Verse 23 Community is hard when we have no hope.
• But that’s the point of community, when one is low on hope, they can take from another.
Verse 24 Now the writer moves into the tangible and practical ways of community.
• This is the essence of community, to spur one another on.
Verse 25 You can see that already in this early stage of the church people were already struggling with meeting together. He is calling his audience to be in community to encourage one another and spur each other on.
o All in the context of worship, discipleship and having Jesus in common.
Community is for strengthening and learning, discipleship (Jesus modeled this)
• Proverbs 27:17 In order for iron to sharpen iron they have to rub against each other.
• Discipleship happens in community, not in isolation.
Community for meeting needs and serving Acts 2:44; Acts 4:34
• Being in community is also to meet the emotional needs of each other.
• Community also provides us the opportunity to serve. In order for needs to be met, someone has to serve.
Community is for Fellowship
• Fellowship, definition: friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests.
• Community can be the larger collection of people of the church.
• Then, fellowship is what happens in the smaller deliberate gatherings of the church.
• Acts 2:42 Devoted, that speaks of being really deliberate.
• Acts2:46 Then here we see them deliberately gathering at both the Temple and in homes.
Community Across the ages In the Jewish culture of Israel community was always across the ages.
• The Book of Titus also talks about the older teaching the younger.
Our Mantra for Community: Phil 2:3-6
