Will you RISK for Real Community? When God calls us to himself, he calls us to community. It’s a community that is encouraging, refreshing, comforting, attracts Holy Spirit and makes love easy. We can’t ignore it during a difficult season and we can let this time purify it even more for us. Learn how in Will you RISK for Real Community?
Trevor H Lund is the founder of Live LIGHT Academy at https://livelight.ca and the Chief Storyteller at https://revtrev.com Subscribe and set notifications on https://revtrev.com/tv for past videos and live casts and https://revtrev.com/radio to subscribe to his podcast wherever you listen.
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TL/TL/DW Read Will you RISK for Real Community?
Ephesians 4:14-32 NLT 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. 17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[b] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Back in 2021, When we first went into lock down I really felt I had to watch myself. I knew there would be decisions made out of fear and that I needed to make my own decisions based out of faith. I felt it was right for me not to die for the right to gather together to look at the back of each others heads. I knew we would be tested to have real community.
It can’t be about the show. It’s all about the go.
The Problem with RISK
The problem is that we have settled for superficial relationships. Most of us don’t know what real community is or why it’s so important for us. Most of us have been hurt in the past when we’ve risked ourselves. Most of us have little interest in putting ourselves out there to get hurt again.
Does it really matter?
Yes, it matters. It’s in real community we have wisdom (Ephesians 3:10 ) It’s in real community we get encouragement (Philemon 1:7) It’s in real community we have comfort (2 Corithians 1:4), it’s in real community we are challenge (Romans 14:19).
If we don’t choose to fight for real community we’ll lose the value of meeting together at all.
Our fight isn’s against decisions by politicians. It’s not against civil servants who implement those decisions. It’s not even against a virus or an authority that works from a stronghold of fear.
Our fight is against our ignorance, our experience and our compliancy.
We don’t know how good community can be.
We have all been hurt in community.
We’re not interested in putting the effort to build real community.
It can’t be about the show. It’s all about the go.
My Story about RISK
I was challenged before the pandemic to look at myself. I joined a coaching challenge put on by the guy who trained me to be a coach. He talked about being in a mastermind group to help develop his own business and meet his own goals.
I was intrigued by the idea …but had reservations. My health wasn’t doing that well and I didn’t know if I could follow through on commitments. I didn’t know who I could mesh with. I didn’t like the idea of accountability without pre-existing relationship.
But I did some investigation and I prayed about it and I asked some people about it. And I settled on the idea of meeting with one person - primarily because I had trouble meeting with more than one person at other times in my life. I was wanting to avoid conflicts in schedules and triangulation and thought one person would be a better experiment to try.
But who would I ask?
I’m a pastor or a coach to just about everyone I know. It is really hard for me to think about relationships I have had where I wasn’t the pastor or the coach. Even if that’s not how other people know me, it’s what my relationships become at some point.
For a time I was really at a loss.
I prayed about it and no one really jumped into my mind.
But I kept praying about it and one day I remembered someone from my past. As I thought about him, it became more and more obvious. I talked to Karen about approaching him and she thought it was a good idea. So just before we went to New Zealand I emailed him and we met on WhatsApp.
We had a great conversation before it got awkward. I basically asked him, “Will you be my friend.”
But wouldn’t you know it, God was making some huge changes in his life and he thought is would be great to meet together regularly and talk about all that he was doing as well.
What if?
It’s going to get awkward. It may be embarrassing. It often is uncomfortable.
It can’t be about the show. It’s all about the go.
But what if God is teaching His church the value of “when two or three are gathered in His name”?
What if it’s not about getting people into the doors of the church but it’s more about helping us all transform more and more into the image of Christ?
What if It’s not about the show, but it’s all about the go.
What if we marry the ideas
“When Christ calls us to Himself He calls us to community”
And
“When Christ calls us to Himself He bids us come and die”?
You see if community is saying “hi” and “how was your week” and then sharing the experience of looking at the back of someone else’s head - there is no reason for us to die to ourselves. There is no reason for us to become more and more like Jesus.
But when community is real community and you weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice and you get refreshed as you refresh others and you get blessed as you are blessing then transformation becomes inevitable.
You don’t need a large group to do that. In fact a large group hinders that type of spiritual growth. The way we do “church” has been the best way to transfer knowledge for almost 2000 years. One speaker and bunch of listeners - it hasn’t changed since the Greeks.
Today, podcasting has become an even more efficient way to transfer knowledge as it is assessable whenever there is a demand. You don’t have to show up Sunday morning. You no longer need to gather to acquire knowledge.
But community cannot not be simply about transferring knowledge. Christian community must be about transformation and that gets us back to the “where two or three are gathered.”
Jesus said,
Matthew 18:19-20 (HCSB) Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”
When two or three of us meet together, we bring the authority of heaven to earth.
I’m going to let Bill Johnson’s thoughts come in here - Play video - Salt of the Earth
Imagine the RISK
Do you have have someone who you can agree with in prayer? Do you know they have your back to see God’s plans for you take place?
What would it feel like to have a relationship like that?
What would you risk to have a relationship like that?
How to have REAL Relationships Tool
RISK
R - Remember to Honour
I - Invite Wisdom. Ignore criticism.
S - Spirit led and Spirit empowered
K - Know when you refresh others you will yourself be refreshed.
Let’s unpack this...
R - Remember to Honour
In any real community honour is required. It’s looking out for someone’s needs ahead of your own. It’s calling out the gold you see in their lives. It is listening before speaking. It’s speaking the very words of God. It is choosing to be unoffendable AND authentic.
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 (NLT)
I - Invite Wisdom. Ignore criticism.
Wisdom is applied knowledge. Together we have the mind of Christ. What is wisdom?
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18 (NLT)
When it comes to criticism I’ve learned If I’m not looking for advice from someone I won’t let any criticism from them live rent-free in my head.
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:2
S - Spirit led and Spirit empowered
When 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, it’s not just about accountability or commissary. It needs to be spirit led and empowered.
If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 HCSB
K - Know when you refresh others you will yourself be refreshed.
Pray to both be a blessing and to be blessed. Look to be a blessing AND to be blessed.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)
The Challenge
Are you wanting a real community where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name?
Start asking God who you should approach.
Obey what you feel Him leading you to do.
You’re going to have to risk being awkward. But it is entirely worth it.
Going forward
Going forward as a church we need to recognize and celebrate and facilitate the two or three gathering in His name. It is the strength of the church. The power of agreement is real. We need to work with Holy Spirit to help transform the world around us.
Will you RISK for Real Community?
It can’t be about the show. It’s all about the go.
Father, I thank you that you give us wisdom when we ask for it. I thank you that you empower us to accomplish every good work prompted by faith. I pray Lord you’ll strengthen the encouragement in the relationships that are already gathering. I pray you’ll eliminate obstacles for those that want to meet but haven’t been able to regularly. I ask you’ll bring people to mind for those of us who have no idea who to partner with. I pray you’ll put people in our path if we really have no one of wisdom we can meet with. Thank you Father you will finish the good work started in us. Help us in Jesus name. Amen.
Carpe Vitae!