Gathering Communities

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Gathering Communities

Welcome! Today we continue our series on “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” Today’s message is entitled “Gathering Communities.” I want to start with a pretty provocative quote by Richard Halverson, a former chaplain to the US senate:

“In the beginning the Church was a fellowship of men and women who centered their lives on the living Christ. They had a personal and vital relationship to the Lord. It transformed them and the world around them. Then the Church moved to Greece, and it became a philosophy. Later it moved to Rome, and it became an institution. Next it moved to Europe and it became a culture. Finally, it moved to America, and it became an enterprise. We’ve got far too many churches and so few fellowships.”

I think there is unfortunately a lot of truth to this quote. There have always been exceptions, but the church in Greece, and then in Rome, and then in Europe, and then in America, has had its struggles. In each of these setting, the trouble begins because people try to “do” church without first and foremost submitting their lives to Christ, living in submission to Him day by day, depending on the Holy Spirit to convict, teach, and guide them. Apart from Christ, the church starts to look like the institutions of the world. Although I think the illustrations of Jesus’ first disciples and the early church in Scripture are more descriptive than proscriptive in terms of the organizational details, from looking at the letters to the churches in Revelations, as well as Paul’s letters, it is clear that individual relationships with Christ must always be the foundational bedrock of “church.”

 

One of the widespread, even systematic weaknesses of the expression of Christianity in America is the infusion of the cultural ideal of “rugged individualism,” which refers to the ideal that an individual should be totally self-reliant, dependent on no person or group or institution. Although working hard, providing for yourself and your family, being reliable, and so on, is found in Scripture, and these good things feed into rugged individualism, the modern expression of rugged individualism discounts the value of community. This bias is so strong in our culture that it can profoundly affect the way we read Scripture. Like our general ignorance of honor and shame, our pro-individualistic biases blind us to things in Scripture that are assumed or even stated outright.

I love what Tim Gombis writes so succinctly on this topic:

[https://timgombis.com/2014/04/23/corporate-vs-individual-christian-identity/]

The documents of the New Testament, with a few exceptions, are addressed to communities and not to individuals.  Many of us know this and it may not be too shocking, but the significances of this reality must continue to transform how we envision Christian identity. Nobody in the first century had a Bible.  Most people in the first few Christian generations were illiterate and couldn’t have read their Bibles even if they had them.  When Scripture was read, it was read to communities who listened to it.  When New Testament letters were circulated and read, they were read aloud by individuals to communities.

Consider just one significant aspect of this.  When communities heard, “Jesus said, ‘I say this to you…’,” groups of Jesus-followers gathered together looked around at each other and thought, “he’s saying that to us. We need to…”  After hearing the Scriptures, they would begin to ask each other, “how are we going to follow these words of Jesus?  What do you think we ought to do in light of what Jesus said?” They did not conceive of being Christian as something that they did on their own when they left the church gathering.  They did not consider their Christian discipleship as something separable from the community.

If a group heard someone read, “a new command I give to you, that you love one another,” two or three people who were involved in conflict would glance at each other, knowing that Jesus was commanding them to reconcile.  Two more people would look on, knowing the situation, committing to be part of a reconciling effort.

American evangelical Christian identity is completely shaped by individualism for a variety of really fascinating historical and cultural reasons.  […] It’s almost impossible to pull people out of the mindset that considers the Bible as “God’s love letter to me.”

My desire is to do the “almost impossible” today. Let’s look at some familiar verses from Acts Chapter 2:

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:41-42

“His message” refers to the message given by Peter, who on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and people from all over were amazed to hear them speaking in their own languages, Peter explained the gospel to them, telling them of who Jesus was and what He had done, dying for them and then, rising from the dead. The passage says that the people, upon hearing this, were “cut to the heart” and asked the disciples what they must do to be saved. Peter went on to tell them of their need to repent, and it says that with many other words he warned and pleaded with them.

The church exploded that day, from consisting of the disciples and a small number of others to over 3000 people. The passage says that they devoted themselves, that is, they continued steadfastly, making it a priority, to listen to the apostles’ teaching about Jesus, and they continued steadfastly to fellowship, koinonia. The root word in koinonia is koinon which means common, everyday. The idea is not just that they were meeting together regularly, even daily, although that is a part of it. It also conveys the idea that they were in harmonious fellowship with one another, united with one another, considering one another as equals, laying aside social conventions. They broke bread together – and this included having the bread and cup in remembrance of Jesus but it also likely also included fellowship meals. They devoted themselves also to prayer, not specifically prayer alone, but prayer together.

The passage continues with the following:

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – Acts 2:43-47

So they had large group meetings, where the likely apostles spoke to them, and they had smaller group meetings in homes. This was not just a once a week meeting where they listened to teaching, sang a few songs, and went home. This was a fellowship of believers who were “all in.” Money was no object, if there was a need. Time was no object. Their fellowships were characterized by love and joy. Tax collectors and former prostitutes, the uneducated and some of those with the greatest learning, men and women, all together, serving one another, ignoring (maybe even making fun of) social conventions.

How did this happen? Some of it was certainly the joy and leading of the Holy Spirit. But some of it was also undoubtedly encouraged by the Apostles, who had been with Jesus. Did Jesus prepare them for this time? Without a doubt. We don’t know all that Jesus told them after the resurrection and before He went up into the air to go to the Father, but we know there were many things that Jesus taught and showed them earlier. I want to highlight one such event, from John Chapter 13.

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. – John 13:1

I’m not going to keep stopping during this passage, but I love how John describes Jesus here – He loved His disciples to the end. He never got tired of them or gave up on them. Based on the account in Luke, we know that only a short time before this, the disciples were arguing (for what appears to be the third time!) about who was the greatest. In other accounts we know that this created massive disharmony between the disciples. In one case, even one of their mothers got involved! This is such a contrast from what we have read about in Acts 2! It is hard to imagine that these are the same people. But Jesus kept helping them, instructing them, and, especially, loving them.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. – John 13:2-5

He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” – John 13:6-8

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not every one was clean. – John 13:9-11

When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. – John 13:12-17

Why did Jesus wash His disciples’ feet? Because they were smelly! Well, that was part of it. Spending all day on a hot, dusty road with, well, droppings, and then reclining at a very low table so that your nose is close to your neighbor’s feet – that is a pretty good reason to do it all by itself. I had my running shoes in my office once after a run, and apparently stepped in some “droppings” along the way. Those shoes stunk up my whole office! It was overwhelming. I had to wash my shoes in soap and water over and over to get rid of the smell.

But there are multiple deeper meanings. One is that Jesus washes our sin; we must come to Him, as only He can do this. Related is the idea that what Jesus did on the cross was an incredibly demeaning, “lowly-servant” type of thing, totally not in keeping of what one would expect a king to be like, yet that is who Jesus is. Another is that, once we become believers, we still need to come to Jesus for forgiveness of sin, but it is not the same as that initial experience (“having a bath”). This communicates the idea that salvation is a one-time thing that occurs at the first instance of genuine repentance and faith.

But another extremely important meaning of Jesus’ washing the feet of His disciples is explained by what Jesus Himself said after He did it.  Washing someone’s feet was supreme act of debasing oneself. Normally the lowest servant would do this. Yet, Jesus chose to do this for His disciples and told His disciples to do likewise. True leadership involves service, taking the role of a lowly slave rather than the position of honor. Jesus taught this idea over and over, and in fact, taught it each time the disciples argued over who was the greatest. But this time was the only one in which He demonstrated what He was saying by doing a lowly action Himself.

What does this have to do with gathering communities? It shows that the communities that Jesus desired to create were nothing like the secular or even religious gatherings of the day, in which the people of honor were served by those who were lower. In these communities, everything was upside-down. The leaders were the lowliest servants. The lowliest guests were treated to the positions of highest honor. And love was apparent to all.

These gatherings were also to be ones in which everyone participated, not just the “professionals.” From Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. – I Corinthians 14:26

This verse is a part of a longer passage that talks about how everything they do when they come together should be done in such a way that it is orderly and understandable. The Corinthians had had a lot of problems with their gatherings, including gluttony (starving oneself and then pigging out at their meals), divisiveness (where some people said they followed one person, another following another), and lack of order and propriety during their meetings. It might have been tempting for Paul to say, given these problems, that only the elders should speak or contribute in any way to the services, but no – Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, says the opposite – that everyone should be prepared to encourage one another, build one another up with something from the Lord, whether a song, a discussion of a passage, or something perhaps more supernaturally “direct” from the Lord. 

What else do we know about how the early churches met together? Steve Addison in his book “What Jesus Started” mentions six common, if not essential, practices:

1. Hearing and obeying God’s Word. As the churches spread far beyond Jerusalem, the churches read and taught on the Old Testament, accounts of Jesus’ life and teaching, and, later, letters written by Paul and others to the churches. This was primarily an oral culture, so the accounts were given in manageable sections and then recounted orally beyond where they were read. They also worshiped God via hymns likely based on Scripture. We see this in verses like these:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. – Colossians 3:16

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 3:18-20

2. Life in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit didn’t just work in them individually, but specifically when they were gathered together. Especially at the beginning, miracles were frequent, as well as prophesy and other charismatic gives. The Spirit also equipped them in differing ways so that when they were together, they were equipped for ministry together that they could not do apart.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13

3. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptisms were typically done almost immediately after people came to believe. Baptism was performed by not just the Apostles, but by any believer. In I Corinthians 1, Paul actually says he was glad he did not baptize more than a few in Corinth due to the problems they were having with divisiveness and factions. In contrast to the requirements on elders, there appear to be no restrictions at all on who can baptize.

With the Lord’s Supper, the bread and the cup taken in remembrance of Jesus, again, there appear to be no restrictions on who could lead a group. Paul did warn them that this was to be done with seriousness appropriate to the fact that they were remembering Jesus’ very giving of His life for His followers; it should not be viewed as “party time.”

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. – I Corinthians 11:27-29

4. Love for one another. Despite their vast differences in background, Jew, Greek, slave, free, and despite their differences in their pasts, they were to love another as brothers and sisters, and even called themselves by these names. Love was not just in word, but in action, helping one another out, praying for one another, and using their spiritual gifts to encourage and equip one another. 

A summary of the “one another” verses:

Love one another (John 13:34 - This command occurs at least 16 times)

Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)

Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10)

Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)

Build up one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Be likeminded towards one another (Romans 15:5)

Accept one another (Romans 15:7)

Admonish one another (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16)
Greet one another (Romans 16:16)

Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)

Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)

Bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2)

Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:13)

Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25)

Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19)

Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5)

Consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)

Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4)

Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)

Teach one another (Colossians 3:16)

Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)

Stir up [provoke, stimulate] one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)

Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)

Employ the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of one another (1 Peter 4:10)

Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5)

Pray for one another (James 5:16)

Confess your faults to one another (James 5:16) 

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Colossians 3:14

Do everything in love. – I Corinthians 16:14

5. Local leadership. We talked about leadership last week as we looked at the book of Titus. Titus was sent by Paul to Crete to identify qualified people in the churches throughout the island and appoint them as elders. Timothy was given a similar role.

I want to give you two examples from Paul’s letters of what a godly local leader looks like:

You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. – I Corinthians 16:15-18

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. – Phil. 2:25-30

Am I convicted by these passages? Absolutely!

6. Partners in the gospel. As believers share their faith, new people become believers and join in the existing churches. The churches likewise continued to train people to be able to explain their faith. As churches grew and no longer fit in the homes in which they met, they would divide and begin meeting in two locations. Churches also sent out people to support others and help start new churches in other areas. In addition, churches supported missionaries financially and with prayer. Churches were also partners in the gospel in the sense that they lived by faith and were the result of evangelistic efforts.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:4-6

What about us here at Clemson Community Church? How are we doing as a gathering community? I feel like we are doing well, but we can excel still more. I especially encourage you to reach out, if you are not already doing so regularly, to members of the church body during the week and not just on Sunday morning. Pray that the Lord would help you discern needs in the church among its members and step up as you can to help with these needs. Just give little “touches” to people via text or email, encouraging people in the Lord.

Again, with our western worldview, we see such activities as nice little extras, but apart from the western world, and even as Scripture itself pronounces, this is an essential part of what it means to be part of Christ’s body. I was struck by a comment in another of Tim Gombis’ posts by Stephen Wu, who writes elsewhere about honor-shame themes in the Bible. Here is what he wrote:

Growing up in a non-Western culture I tended to read the Bible in terms of my behavior within a community. It’s a more shame-based culture than a guilt-based one. I have to admit that the discovery that God did relate to individuals in the Scripture was liberating for me. That is, I as an individual could have an intimate relationship with God. I have come to love God through a personal relationship with him. But that never meant that I approached the Scripture from an individualistic mindset. It seems to me that everything in the New Testament is about embodying the crucified Christ and risen Lord in our relationships with the people around me. Now I have spent over two decades in the West, I find myself greatly puzzled by the individualistic approach to the Bible. I have come to realize that individualism may well be fundamentally “Idolatry” (“I” in capital). That is, we fashion God after our own image. I hope I am not offending anyone here. But individualism does appear to be a very horrible thing to me, for it seems to be the direct opposite of [the] Christ self-giving way of life. - S Wu [https://timgombis.com/2014/04/24/corporate-individual-christian-identity-pt-2/]

Breaking out of our western way of individualistic thinking is difficult. But it is Biblical. I want to end with two final passages that make this clear. Allow them to shock you, and pray that they would change you!

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10:23-25

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. – Romans 12:3-5