{"id":32088,"date":"2022-09-10T15:55:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/3-essentials-for-cultivating-a-healthy-church-through-community\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:55:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:55:53","slug":"3-essentials-for-cultivating-a-healthy-church-through-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/3-essentials-for-cultivating-a-healthy-church-through-community\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Essentials for Cultivating a Healthy Church Through Community"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Phil Coffman photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Lynn H. Pryor<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor’s note:<\/strong> What does a mature disciple of Christ look like? Over the past decade Lifeway Research has delved into this with thousands of pastors and church leaders. Culling through the data, we discovered that strong discipleship ministries and practices could be put in eight categories. <\/em><\/p>\n

We call these eight categories the signposts along the discipleship pathway. One sign of growing disciples is that they build relationships with others.<\/em><\/p>\n

The latest findings show fewer than half of churchgoers (48%) agree with the statement, \u201cI intentionally spend time with other believers to help them grow in their faith.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

We were built for relationships. I know that doesn\u2019t sound as poetic as John Donne\u2019s \u201cNo man is an island entire of itself,\u201d but it captures the same truth. God wired us to live in community with others.<\/p>\n

In the opening chapters of Genesis, an incredible picture of God\u2019s creative power is revealed. Each day of creation closes with \u201cGod saw that it was good.\u201d In fact, at the end of it all, \u201cGod saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed\u201d (Genesis 1:31, CSB).<\/p>\n

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The only thing God observed that was not good was the man living alone. \u201cThen the Lord God said, \u2018It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him\u2019\u201d (2:18). The context was the creation of the woman and the introduction of the God-ordained marriage relationship, but it points to an overarching principle: We were created to live in relationships.<\/p>\n

The ultimate relationship we\u2019re called to is a personal relationship with Christ. But when we come to Christ, we also come to His body: the Church. As we walk with Christ, we don\u2019t walk alone. We walk alongside others. Community\u2014living and interacting with other believers\u2014is a central part of a believer\u2019s discipleship and growth.<\/p>\n

From the earliest days of the church, this idea of community was central. \u201cThey devoted themselves to the apostles\u2019 teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer\u201d (Acts 2:42, CSB). Do you hear the \u201ctogetherness\u201d in that passage?<\/p>\n

The New Testament has close to sixty passages with the phrase \u201cone another.\u201d<\/p>\n