The church is the family of Jesus.  As his family we should be united amidst our differences and amidst offenses.  But we should not only have unity, we must also be a community.

Community Together

Healthy families spend time together.  They do things together.  They build relationships with each other together.  They simply are together.

When Jesus chose the 12 disciples, he brought them into a community together.  For three years they ate together, traveled together, simply were together.  As the foundation of the church, so the early church was a community together.  They devoted themselves to the apostles preaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer – in the context all things they did together (Acts 2:42).  They “were together” and were “attending the temple together” (v44, 46).  They were a community together.

The church today needs to be a community together.  We need to spend time together, do things together, build relationships together.  Indeed the one another commands require us first to know one another.  The more we know one another, the more we can love one another, care for one another, serve one another, encourage one another, and pray for one another.  The more we know each other, the more we will share our real needs with one another, and the more we will know how to meet the needs of one another.

We must know each other.  We need to be a community together.  Many church activities are designed to help people get to know each other at some level or another.  And the church needs to continue to find ways to encourage people to grow in relationships.  But real relationships can’t be forced or programmed.

Nor can they be rushed.  Real relationships require time.  Our world has become so busy that deep relationships are hard to find – and the hustle and bustle has come into the church.  We must rethink our priorities, re-adjust our lives, and simply slow down.

We must make it a point to build relationships in our churches.  Get together with another family.  Meet at the park, invite them over for a cookout, have a game night, do something together.  Real relationships are built informally as we simply take the time to be with each other on a regular basis.  Don’t wait for a church program or someone else to act.  Just start.  I know some are shy, and I’m not the most outgoing person either.  Perhaps get a couple families together – that takes the pressure off any one individual to carry the conversation.  Doing something together can help too.

Finally, don’t just consider people that are just like you.  Remember that the family of Jesus includes unity amidst differences.  Include “different” people.  Look for people in your church that look lost, who need a friend.  When I speak of families, I mean not only married couples with or without kids, but also singles.

We are the family of Jesus.  We must be a community together.  May God help us to build relationships with each other for his glory.

(The conclusion tomorrow)

The church is the family of Jesus.  He calls us to unity amidst our differences.  He also calls us to unity amidst our offenses.

Unity amidst Offenses

Put the same people together long enough and people will be offended.  This is true in families and churches.  Something will be said or done that will offend someone.  In some cases the words or actions were meant to offend, in other cases the offending person had no intention of offending, but someone is offended anyway.

In Matthew 20:20-28.  James and John have their mom (their mom!) ask Jesus if they can sit on his right and left in glory.  The other disciples are indignant.  Angry.  Upset.  Ticked.  Offended.  Yet a few weeks later after the ascension we find the disciples all gathered together with “one accord” (Acts 1:14).  There is no division.  No lingering animosity.  There was an offense, but it was dealt with.  They moved on as one family.

How we in the church today need to learn from those early disciples!  We will be offended.  We will offend.  But that is not reason to leave or divide or to become bitter.  It is an opportunity to recommit to the unity God has called is to.  We must strive to hold on to our oneness in Christ.  How?

Again, we return to Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:2 – with humility.  Pride refuses to let go of an offense, but humility will exhibit gentleness to the offender.  It will show patience towards each offense.  It will bear with the offenses of others in love.  In love.  As we have compassion for each other, we will be willing to let offenses go, to forgive as needed.  Humility and love will lead the offender to apologize to the offended.  Humility and love will work towards reconciliation, toward unity.

May God help us to grow in this humility and love that we might strive to maintain our unity even amidst offenses.

In Luke 8:19-21, Jesus’ mother and brothers are trying to reach him.  When someone tells him, Jesus responds that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.  Those who hear and do.  Those who follow.  They are the family of Jesus.  So Paul calls other Christians his brothers and sisters.  They are family.  The church is a family.  Not all who simply go to church, but those who truly believe and follow Jesus.  We are his family.  What should his family look like?  Two things.  There should be unity and community.  Let’s start with unity.

Unity amidst Differences

The 12 disciples Jesus chose in Luke 6:13-16 is interesting.  You have Matthew the tax collector.  He was working for the Roman government, a Roman collaborator.  Then you have Simon the Zealot.  He was working to overthrow the Romans, kick them out of Israel.  One struggles to see these two getting along.  But Jesus brings them together, and over time they become one in Christ.

The early church was made up of very different people.  Galatians 3:28 speaks of Jews and Greeks, slaves and free, male and female.  Very different people.  Yet they are one in Christ.

The church today is made up of very different people – differences in economic/social status, younger and older generations, hymns vs. choruses, different Bible translations, differences in minor doctrines, differences in personal convictions, home school vs. Christian school vs. public school, differences in personalities, and the list can go on.  But Jesus brings us together as a family.  In Christ we find unity in our differences.

And in our differences, we find strength.  Younger generations have energy; older generations have wisdom.  Different translations can help us understand the meaning of a verse better.  Differences in minor doctrines can help us think through them more carefully.  We need each other.

Yet what Jesus brings together, we too often tear apart.  Too often we approach church as consumers.  We want everything to be tailored for us.  We go to church like we go to McDonalds, each wanting our own thing.  But church is not a fast food restaurant, it is is a family.  And our times together are not like gathering at McDonalds, but gathering for a family dinner.  My wife doesn’t make separate meals for each of us.  She makes one meal.  Sometimes it is my favorite, sometimes it may be my kids’ favorite.  This is a picture of the church.  Sometimes we may sing my favorite song, sometimes we may sing songs that others like.  I won’t like everything our church does.  But that is okay – we are family.

Paul reminds us that we are one in Christ in Ephesians 4:4-6.  This is an objective reality.  We are one.  But in v3 he tells us to maintain that unity.  Live out the reality of our oneness.  How do we do that?  Verse 2 gives the answer – humility.  Humility that looks to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4).  Humility that is gentle towards different people.  Humility that is patient with one another’s difference.  Humility that bears with one another’s differences in love.  In love.  Compassion for each other.  Loving as Jesus loved us.  Despite our differences.

How we need this humility and love in our churches!  Pride calls us to divide over the smallest stupidest things.  Pride calls us to hop from church to church trying to find a church that believes and acts exactly as I do in every way.  But humility and love calls us to live out unity amidst differences.  To agree to disagree on numerous things that in light of eternity really don’t matter.

We are one in Christ.  Jesus died for our sins.  We have been saved by grace.  Let us rally around these glorious truths.

(Further thoughts on unity in the next post)