Building blocks for community Nov. 12 2006

Building Real Community:
3 Building Blocks for Real Community:
November 12, 2006

Again - a rough draft, although not as rough as previous ones. Do you have a story in your own life where these things helped you? Can you think of a poem or a song that is on this topic that you'd like to share? Drop a comment at the end.

Intro:
The bible says that we were made for relationships. It’s not good for man (mankind) to be alone.
God has developed a place for you to meet your relational needs – the church.

Central to Christianity is ‘belonging’. Once we become a believer we become a belonger.

If you’ll put into practice these 10 building blocks to community then you’ll find a more fulfilled life, more meaning.

1. Frequency.
Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead, let us encourage one another.”
(circle ‘habit’) – habits – something we do frequently.
Real community only happens if we meet together often… over and over.

Maybe it seems obvious, but you can’t build real, meaningful relationships without spending TIME with people.

“They worshipped together regularly at the temple each day, (daily) met in small groups in homes for communion, and shared their meals with great joy.

Circle “shared their meals”… didn’t just meet on Sundays (gathered) and they didn’t just do communion (a spiritual discipline) – they ATE FOOD together with great joy! Too often we think it’s more spiritual to go to church than it is to hang out around fun people and good food. The bible doesn’t make the distinction as one being more spiritual than another… in fact it lumps the 2 in the same positive light!

The Bible says, “Enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord.” – 2 tim. 2:22

Ask a personal question “What’s keeping me from meeting more consistently?”
Convenience says “I go when I have time for it”.
Conviction Says “I go because I MAKE the time for it”

Pointer: if you don’t control what’s on your calendar, your calendar will control you. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Why should we make time for gathering together frequently? Because it’s one of the reasons God has put us on earth! You can study the bible all you want, but if you don’t get the need for deep fellowship, you can’t achieve what God has designed you for on this earth!

Rate your frequency: (Weak) 1-2-3-4-5 (Strong)
How can you increase your frequency? What changes need to be made in your heart or your schedule? If frequency is strong for you, then how can you encourage or practically help another person in this area?

2. AUTHENTICITY
I summarize authenticity as “loosing the need to pretend”

In the real world, I think few people are comfortable enough with them selves not to pretend. The fear of rejection or disapproval is strong, even in 'spiritual' leaders.

I think there is a message that God has for us; it goes something like this
Get rid of hypocrisy, stop hiding behind masks. Lose the religious pretense; it's destructive to authentic faith. I want honest, authentic people.

Authenticity: Loosing the need to pretend.

As a human being, I don't want to be a place where you put on your churchy-face and pretend. I want to allow you to be a work in progress. I want you to do the same for me.

When we pretend, we're stuck. We absolutely cannot become better people until we admit the areas that need work. We can't find our security in God if we never feel insecure. We can't overcome our anger problems if we continue to act like we're fine.

You can't fix that relationship with your boyfriend if you never tell him the things that make you uncomfortable. You can't find eternity in Heaven until you admit your inability to get there on your own. You can't until you admit, come clean, and be honest.

Good relationships require honesty, including the relationship you have with yourself.

Part of orienting our ENTIRE lives around the ways of Jesus – we must learn to be authentic. Or simply put, we are continually guilty of lying and dishonesty.

Rate your authenticity: (Weak) 1-2-3-4-5 (Strong)
Can you create a plan to become more authentic? One more authentic act this week than last? If you’re strong in this area, then how can you teach others to be authentic? Make a plan.

Community is built on MUTUALITY/ACCOUNTABILITY
We are better together. Together we are stronger. Participate the “togetherness” of Axis.

ILLUSTRATION: Read the story of Josh from “no perfect people” pgs 106 – 109

Mutuality is 3 things:
1. Mutual accountability‘Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” – heb. 10:14

“Keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes.” Heb. 3:13 (Mes)

2. Mutual encouragement“Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone.” 1 Th. 5:14b (CEV)

Growing up (well, healthy) without encouragement is nearly impossible

3. Mutual honoring“Take delight in honoring each other. – rom. 12:10

No amount of darkness can erase God’s divine imprint on humanity. When we take to celebrate/honor the ‘God’ things in others, that’s worshiping God. Any time we say “YES! That’s from God”, then we are honoring God and that person.

UNPACK MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Destructive way of accountability partner (an old model)
• Ask each other if they are living up to the ‘standard’
• Offer forgiveness if they screw up (‘fall short’)
• Encourage to try harder.

Why the above is destructive:
This is a picture of ‘The Law’ – this style exposes a problem, but doesn’t offer solution.

New model emphasizes GRACE and TRUTH.
It points out that we can never become what God wants by just trying harder – NEVER!!!! Our model must always point to complete dependence on God for change.

INTRODUCE RUNNING PARTNERS (ACCOUNTABILITY)
Rules for running together:

1. Accept and encourage as often as possible

2. Ask a lot of questions. Only give advice with permission

3. Correct people only when absolutely necessary (prov. 27:5-6)
• Nothing kills accountabily relationships than mr. or mrs. Fix it. – the person that always has an answer to everyone’s issues.
• At axis we will stop trying to fix people and ask God to fix people

4. Never condemn, always protect. (Romans 2:1)
• Confidentiality is mandatory.

Personal: “Where can I use the most support in my spiritual growth?”, “Who around me could use support in their spiritual journey?”

Rate your accountability: (Weak) 1-2-3-4-5 (Strong)
Do you have a running partner? Would you consider finding one? What action do you need to take to find one? If you are strong in this area, then can you invite someone to be your running partner even if you already have one?

ourspace3: "Community" for October 29

Ourspace3: community

Inside look to early Christian community•

Lived in a world of oppression – the inhabitants weren’t all “Roman” – they were from MANY different nationalities. Forced to serve and worship Caesar.

• MOST didn’t enjoy citizenship or security – they were strangers in their own countries. Aliens in their own homes.
• These Christian communities soon formed all over the know Roman world – a world where the Caesar claimed to be divine and carried the title “Lord”
o Note the subversive nature of the Christian writers who call Jesus – LORD. (King of Kings and Lord of Lords)
• In a letter to Diognetus at the end of 2nd century, it was noted that "Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect . . . They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign . . . They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven . . .
• Ephesians 2:19 – Paul says – “no longer foreigner and aliens” – but members of God’s household
o Oikos – Household - place of belonging (had leader(s), extends to aunts, uncles, cousins, grandkids and slaves – a household could even extend to different buildings.
• Minucius Felix - "[Christians] recognize each other by secret marks and signs; hardly have they met when they love each other; they indiscriminately call each other brother and sister . . ."
• Rumors of it being sexual in nature
• The community was so meaningful… The devotion to God became so important… Marcellus
• Tell the Marcellus story 298 AD – martyred because he couldn’t worship Caesar and worship God.- he denied his allegiance to the ‘divine’ Caesar.
o - Marcellus appeared before the governor Anastasius Fortunatus who demanded, "What was your intention in violating military discipline in this way?" Marcellus responded: "I declared clearly and publicly before the standards of this legion that I was a Christian, and said that I could not serve under this military oath, but only for Christ Jesus, the son of God the Father almighty."

It’s because of these radical communities of faith that the Christian “church” grew 40% per decade in the first 300 hundred years.


COMMUNITY is like…

1. A FAMILY: Matthew 12:49-50 , Ephesians 1:5 – God’s unchanging plan (predestined) has always been to ADOPT us.
• Truly known, protected, needs supplied, everyone contributes.

2. A BUILDING: Ephesians 2:20-22
• You can be in the building and not be part of the building.
• You can be in the community and not a part of the community.
• There IS a place for you to contribute.

3. A BODY
Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:25
• Connected, count on each other, all parts and functions are needed and important.

3. things to remember about being in community.
1. You are unique. You will not lose your uniqueness, your personality, style, etc. by being in this community.
2. Nobody gets a free ride – everyone contributes.
a. Contribute means more than attendance. It's Time, abilities and Money.
3. Community means that these people mean more to you than the random person you pass in the grocery store.

A NEW HUMANITY
Ephesians 2 – Talking to 2 distinct groups
• Jews and gentiles – different customs, clothes, background, types of food and skin color. Yet, in the same community of faith.
• Paul makes amazing claims… about joining the 2 groups and the eternal significance.

Ephesians 2:14
• Jesus is our peace
o It’s HIM that made the 2 groups into one,
o He destroyed the barrier… by abolishing the law. – no longer about rules and regulations (remember the Greatest rule? Love God, Others, and Self)
• 1 group (Jews) – They know all the right bible verses to tell you when you’re sick or lonely – they know the words to all the songs, etc.
• 1 group (Gentiles) – EVERYTHING about this new faith is new to them. They are learning ‘christianeese’, where to meet? What to do when you get there.
• Both groups are trying to orient their lives around following the ways of Jesus.

Verse 15: now there is ONE man (mankind)… through cross. Creating a “new humanity” out of the 2 groups.

POINT:
• 1 body. No division.
• Connected intimately not because of ourselves, but Jesus.

Notice who is listening to this – reading this letter.
• Ephesians 6:5 slaves
• Verse. 9: Masters.

Galatians 3:26
• No jew, greek, slave, free, male, or female
• All ONE in Christ
• The first writer in the history of humanity that argues that all people are equal.

NO rich, poor, Nerd, smart, corporate, etc. No color, race, long hair, short, etc.

Ourspace, our community actually becomes a new humanity. A new way of living. Ourspace becomes THE main way to re-paint a picture of God to a world that desperately needs to see Him for what He is.

We believe that we were created to live deeply with one another, to carry each other’s burdens and share our possessions, to pray for and confess our sins to each other, to suffer and celebrate together. It’s in these sacred relationships and honest, loving communities that God transforms us. The way of Jesus cannot be lived alone.


The challenge for us - can we take this as seriously as the bible makes it? What actions should we do individually to participate in building a community? What actions should we do corporately to build a real community?

Can we go beyond mental ascent? - knowing in our head that this is a good thing, and make the neccessary adjustments in our lives needed to build this community.

Would you consider:
1. Giving your time.
- There is a place for you to work here... we are currently organizing ourselves.
- Attendance at ALL of our meetings are vital - in the beginning especially.
- The Scattered events ARE church... don't think of them as less important or less spiritual
2. Giving your money.
- There is no money tree.
- Simply put, it takes money to do ministry.
- Our heart is where our money is... is this (or can it be) YOUR community?
3. Inviting people.
- a characteristic of a healthy church community is one that is growing.
- we desire to make an environment/experience that won't embarass you or any guest you may invite.

October 15. ourspace.comeasyouare

Ourspace: come as you are October 15, 2006

Text: Romans 15:7, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 8:1, john 8:2-11, romans 2:4 (i put all the scriptures at the bottom of the blog)

Point: Creating a Come as you are culture.

Series: ourspace, expanding our network.

Big questions: From what posture do we invite people; increase our community? Who do we invite?

NOTE: This is a very rough draft. Pardon the spelling mistakes. You should get a very basic idea of where I'm going with this message. Please take the time to open a google account before you respond (my wife wrote her comment then tried to post it. It then told her she needed a google account. She signed up for the account - it's easy - but lost what she typed). Need help knowing how to respond? What do/should these verses mean to a non-believer? A 'sold-out' believer? Do you agree with the difference between grace and tolerance? would you say it different? Do you have a story of non-grace in your life? been hurt by judgmental christians? Dissagree with me completely? Moved to tears? Do you have a piece of art or music or story that speaks to this topic? I have other illustrations to use and I'll probably sing a song called "as i am" as my own artistic connection to the topic. (not an original song - although some of you know of an original of the same title)

MESSAGE:

GRACE, beyond tolerance:
Ephesians 2:8 – saved by Grace

Grace says “God accepts you and loves you unconditionally”. – AS IS.
We know that God loves every human being on the planet.
We can’t do anything to make God love us less or more.
Then why does the church get the label of not being TOLERANT?

“The world can do almost anything as well or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace” – Gordon MacDonald.

The Buddhist eight-fold path
The Hindu doctrine of Karma
The Jewish covenant
The Muslim code of law

All these show ways to EARN approval.

Grace says that God accepts you JUST AS YOU ARE. Right now.

TOLERANCE: a cheap substitute for Grace.

Tolerance: “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own.”

The idea of tolerance implies putting up with something that you don’t like or don’t value. Tolerance is such a buzz word today.

Why is tolerance a cheap substitute? Tolerance doesn’t value people only puts up with behavior or beliefs. Tolerance deals with differences, but doesn’t embrace people for their good and bad parts. Because tolerance can’t label something as “bad” or “wrong” or “sinful”. Tolerance doesn’t embrace both Justice and Mercy; grace does.

God is the most tolerant being in the universe.
Romans 2:4 – contempt for Gods ‘tolerance’? it’s his kindness that leads to repentance.

God does tolerance and more. We should do the same.

GRACE MEANS THAT WE DON’T FIX PEOPLE
I’m trying to teach our new leaders and you to give up trying to fix people – it’s not our job. -- - it’s God’s job.

If you saw the mona lisa covered in mud, you wouldn’t focus on how bad the mud is but rather how valuable the painting is. On the flip-side, if you saw one of my paintings covered in mud, there would be no value in spending anytime trying to clean it – a waste of time.

Back to the mona lisa – you’d be excited and nervous to have something so valuable in your care. You shouldn’t try to clean it up yourself, but you should take the art to a master who could guide the restoration process. That’s a picture of Grace.

People are to be introduced to God who is the master of restoration.

ACCEPTANCE
Romans 15:7 – acceptance
Acceptance is the most tangible way to show grace
How accepted to you think people feel when they come to church?
How can we accept people who come to our church?

THE RISKS
People will use ‘grace’ as a license to sin more and more – I’ll take that risk.
People will confuse acceptance as agreement. Acceptance isn’t an agreement of people’s choices, beliefs or behaviors.
If God is willing to take these risks, shouldn’t we?

NO CONDEMNATION:
Romans 8:1, John 3:17

God’s plan isn’t to condemn people. God’s plan is to show Grace that will FREE us.

How do we put skin on this kind of Grace?

John 8:2-11
Beyond tolerance, a story of Grace.
She was brought into the temple courts, made to stand before the crowds. The ‘church’ people exposed her shameful faults for the world to see.
3 things Jesus did
1. He drew attention to himself by drawing in the ground
2. He leveled the playing field “he who is without sin”
3. Without condemning, he told her to leave her life of sin.

The Grace that jesus showed her, by leveling the playing field and drawing the attention away from her… allowed him to acknowledge the wrong (sinful) in her life, while still accepting her.

everyone finds beauty in this story, yet jesus called sin sin. Grace is that powerful. I think it's hard to condemn when I remember my own sins, faults, hang-ups, and insecurities.... maybe my problem is when i think i'm 'without sin'?

Romans 15 Read This Chapter
15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Ephesians 2 Read This Chapter
2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Romans 8 Read This Chapter
8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,


Romans 2 Read This Chapter
2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?


John 8 Read This Chapter
8:2
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
8:3
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
8:4
and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
8:5
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
8:6
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
8:7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8:8
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
8:9
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
8:10
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
8:11
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

ourspace Part One: Good Relationships are Necessary

Ok, let's start the experiment.

On Sunday we are having our first PREVIEW SERVICE. For all intents and purposes, this is a REAL church service. Not fake. Not a practice.

All the messages that I am preparing are all titled "OURSPACE" - a play on the myspace.com thing...the online community. Basically all that we will talk about in the next weeks or months is COMMUNITY (i.e. ourspace). This is ourspace - expand your network.

The first message is about RELATIONSHIPS. Specifically, that good relationships are necessary to build Community. That may seem basic and elementary, but you and I both know that it's not as easy as it sounds.

Here's the journey through the text... see if you can follow my line of thinking (I'm not yet fully prepared for the message)... when you're done reading, please leave a comment, a question, a suggestion, a frustration... a response. What does this mean to you?

Mark 12:28-29 Says:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is
the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Jesus quoted the "Shema" (a jewish prayer). The Shema is found in Duet. 6:4-7 (part of the Torah). In Jesus day (and for centuries before and after) the jewish people quoted the Shema regularly, maybe even several times per day.

Here's some notes about the Shema:

• Meant a renewal of your relationship with God
• A celebration of Gods promise of Grace
• Acknowledgment of allegiance to God alone
• A whole-hearted acceptance of life IN God… Again, and again and again... quoted regularly

When Jesus was asked the question (in the above verse) by another teacher of the law - he was asking Jesus what his interpretation of the Torah (the first five books of the bible) was. He was asking Jesus to give the bottom line about living the faith.

His answer (found in the scripture above) puts emphasis on 3 relationships... I highlighted it in RED

1. A relationship with US and God (love the Lord...)
2. A relationship with US and others (Love your neighbor...)
3. A relationship with US and US (...as yourself)

Jesus is telling us that the GREATEST thing we can do in life is to LOVE in those relationships listed above.

Let me summarize love: "Doing the best thing possible for that person". Love is an action.

• Us and God - doing the best thing possible in our relationship with God
• Us and Others - doing the best thing possible in our relationship with others
• Us and Us - doing the best thing possible in our relationship with ourselves.

In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus expounds on "who is our neighbor"... I will re-tell this story in a modern setting so that we "get" the shock of the story like the original listeners where jolted when Jesus originally told the story.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE THE CHURCH? HERE? NOW? TODAY? How does this scripture speak to these questions?

• What is the bible all about?
• Who is a Christian? What’s a Christian supposed to DO?
• How do you summarize Axis?
• What’s the big picture for our lives?
• What's ourspace (our community) supposed to be about?

The answer is found in the scripture I quoted above. The answer is to do the best thing possible for God, for Others, and for ourselves... the answer is LOVE.

I suggest that all the problems in the whole world are relationship problems. Everything can be traced back to a problem in one of those 3 relationships (God, others, self).

The answer to the problems is Love.

We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Axis will be part of the solution.

That's the basic idea... there are details and examples that I want to throw in, but that's it.

Please give your thoughts, opinions, illustrations, share your story.

Need help responding?

How about this... WHAT SHOULD LOOKING AT A SCRIPTURE LIKE THIS MEAN TO A NON-CHRISTIAN? WHAT WOULD YOU PULL OUT OF A VERSE LIKE THIS (the Mark 12 verse quoted at the beginning) AND TELL AN UN-CHURCHED PERSON?

WHAT SHOULD IT MEAN TO A NOMINAL CHRISTIAN?

WHAT SHOULD A SOLD-OUT BELIEVER DO WITH A VERSE LIKE THAT?

AN EXPERIMENT IN CONTRIBUTION

This is an experiment... first let me set the premise for the experiment, then I'll explain what I want to try.

THE PREMISE:
For Centuries reading the bible alone was practically unheard of. Ancient peoples only heard the scriptures read aloud in groups of people. Sometimes there was only one copy of the bible (or portion of the bible) in an entire village/town. It was unheard of to study the scriptures in isolation.

Because of the oral nature of the scriptures, the ancient/near east mindset saw themselves as part of a discussion that has gone on for thousands of years. Community, community, community. TOGETHER wrestling and searching and engaging the scriptures as a people hungry to know God in order to follow God.

The printing press changed everything.

Now, pastors study the bible alone, stand on stage and deliver the message alone, then they received e-mails and phone calls from individuals who agree or don't agree.

THE EXPERIMENT:
I want to provide places (this is just one place) that people can contribute to the conversation about the scriptures. Someone once said. "God has spoken, the rest is conversation".

1. Right here on this site I will post general thoughts and ideas about messages that I'd like to present during our sunday gatherings. I will include the scriptures. Ideally, I'll tell you what each Sunday's topic is 6 weeks in advance.

2. YOU will come here and read my posts... then you will comment on them.

2a. YOU have many, many options. you may give your opinion about the topic or scripture. You may make a suggestion to me. You may tell me that you don't agree. You may tell me that something I said frustrates you. You may tell me that you've been convicted and moved to change something in your life. You may tell me about a past experience with the topic... (i.e. ANGER - you can tell us how God has helped you deal with your anger).

3. I will read all the comments and choose a comment or two to present at the gathering where WE will present the topic you've commented on.

3a. I will ASK YOU for permission first. So, be sure to leave your name (and contact info if I don't already have it)

3b. I prefer to have YOU present your story, point of view, disagrement, or inspiration at the Gathering... I will probably have you WRITE DOWN exactly what you want to say and READ it at the Gathering... or maybe we'll video tape you and SHOW you at the Gathering.

4. Poems, artwork, sculptures... what creative ways can you come up with to help us connect with the text? These things can enhance our gatherings.

Is it clear as mud?

Even if you're not part of Axis - would you just let me know what you think of the basic idea?

question? e-mail me at info@axiscommunitychurch.com

---Joe Green