Community groups have become a growing idea within the church the past several years. There have been many books (including very good Gospel-centered books) written on the subject to help pastors and lay persons to implement this ministry into our congregations. However, as I examine my own life and ministry before the authority of Jesus and His word, I find that much of what we call “community groups” are not Jesus centered. It is community driven by many other things except Jesus.
In John 17, Jesus is having community with the Father. This is a conversation that I am thankful the Holy Spirit has given us as it has been encouraging in my own journey with God. Jesus is about to go to a cross to receive the just and righteous wrath of God in order that the sins of His people would be paid for. In turn God’s Kingdom people would be declared righteous and thus reconciled to God based upon the finished work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection. In verse 1 the Son communicates to the Father His desire that He would be glorified in order that the Father would be glorified. Read verses 2-5. You get the picture that the community of the Father and the Son are about exalting one another as God. Further, it is interesting that Jesus also prays for the church to have community centered around the glory of the Father and Son as well. He prays that the believers will be one as He and the Father are one (see verses 11-12, 20-23). The reason that Jesus asked for this was that “the world may believe that you sent me.” In other words, the church is to be a community redeemed by Jesus in order that the Father, Son and Spirit would alone be glorified in all things (including community groups) as God’s Name is being made known through word and deed by the power of the Spirit. As this happens in the life of the church, the world recognizes we are His by His grace (v.23).
In summary, the ultimate purpose of Jesus’ prayer as you read the entire chapter is that He and the Father be made “manifest” or “known.” The Father sent the Son for this purpose. The Son sent the Spirit to empower the Church to be a witness to His Name. The Spirit is continuing this work in the lives of those who are truly sons and daughters of the Kingdom (v.20).
In light of this we could say Jesus and His Gospel is not the foundation of community when:
1) Community groups are used as a method for the sole purpose of growing the church because small community is what everyone is into now.
2) Community groups are used for “bible studies” so that everyone can impress each other with their bible knowledge.
3) Community groups are built around trendy cultural fads (building, music, preaching style, clothes etc…) that will be tomorrow’s tradition and split another church leaving a poor witness in the world.
4) Community groups are a group of accountability partners who beat each other over the head with their legalism and do not act accountable by exposing people to the righteousness of Jesus and His grace as the motivating factor for obedience.
5) Community groups are together because they hate the traditional church.
6) Community groups are cool because people have sports, fashion, music or other things in common other than Jesus (though there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves).
7) Community groups are formed to keep you out of the world because you are good and everyone outside your community is bad (self-righteousness).
These are just a few examples of what we (church community) put in place of Jesus and call it the work of God in our community. In fact the examples listed above can often serve as barriers for people seeing the Gospel. I am learning that a Gospel community, being shaped by the work of the Spirit and the Word, is a group of redeemed sinners who recognize their idolatry. In turn they celebrate the righteousness of Jesus as He and the Father is enjoyed and glorified in their gathering. When this happened in the book of Acts, God also added to their number “day by day those who were being saved.” See Acts 2:42-47.
Jesus, I thank you for community. This was your idea. Only you do it perfectly. Thank you that through the cross you have brought me and the church into your community. I confess that I abuse a good thing like community when you are not the center of gatherings. I confess in my weakness that it is too easy to build community on anything else other than you. Even good things like family, friends, hobbies, music etc…It is impossible in my power to have community centered on You, the Father and Spirit. Therefore I ask that you would powerfully work in my heart and the heart of your people to shape a community of followers who live and gather for your namesake and not ours. Amen.
One Response to “Community without Jesus”
Great post. I’m digging it.