Have you ever noticed that the Bible often refers to Christians as an entire community rather than individuals when it speaks about believers?
- We must be linked to the genuine Vine (John 15:1-8)
- As one body, we (Rom 12:4-5, 1 Cor 1:12-27, Eph 5:23)
- We are God’s special possession, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people who have been chosen (1 Pet 2:9-10)
- We are a household and a family (1 Tim 3:5, 15)
This reveals to us something crucial: Christians are not meant to live as solitary individuals but as members of a community of believers. So what does it actually mean to be a member of a Christian community in a Naperville church, and why is it significant?
We come together to reaffirm our shared identity – When we come together, we remind one another that Jesus is Lord—yesterday, today, and always. It serves as a reminder of Who we live for and the purpose of our lives.
We get together to support one another in our everyday walk as disciples. It is simpler for us to continue living out our discipleship and to persevere on our journey towards Christlikeness when we get together, discuss our challenges, support each other, hold one another accountable and pray for each other We encourage one another, support one another in overcoming obstacles (both practical and spiritual), and reprimand one another when our actions indicate a departure from God.
Brothers and sisters, if someone commits a transgression, you who are Spirit-filled should gently correct them. But keep an eye on yourselves should you succumb to temptation. 2 By helping one another, you will fulfil the commandment of Christ. 3 Any person who believes they are something they are not is deluding themselves. (GAL 6:1-3)
We both disciple others and be disciplined in the community. We assist one another in moving farther to the right, toward Christlikeness, while keeping in mind Jesus’ Second Coming.
23 – Let us steadfastly cling to the hope we profess because God keeps his promises. 24 And let’s think about how we might motivate one another to act lovingly and charitably, 25 not giving up on getting together as some people have a habit of doing, but motivating one another—and much more as you see the Day drawing near. (HEB 10:23-25)
We get together to help one another and to help one another. Living in a community allows us to serve one another through various activities like hospitality, affirmation, reprimand, teaching, worship, and prayer. We are given opportunities to serve each other with every issue and need as we get to know each other deeply and understand how we each struggle and our needs.
We get together to worship and to make God known. – Matthew 28:18–20 states that we are to go and create disciples of all countries. This requires us to understand Christ deeply and, from this place, to live out our understanding of Christ. It also means that we must make disciples of Christ while we continue to follow Christ. Here again, the role of the Christian community is crucial. We need one another to live lives that mirror Christ and bear witness to Him before we even see a word. And the Christian community is the gallery where Christ’s instruction to love one another is shown (John 13:34-35, 15:12). According to philosopher Francis Schaeffer, “Christian community is the final apologetic—our relationship with one other is the standard the world uses to assess if our message is true.”
Well, the diversity and unity within the church strengthen the Naperville church body, empowering members to live righteously to the glory of Christ and to share the excellent news of His unending love and salvation with others.
We get together to help one another and to help one another. Living in a community allows us to serve one another through various activities like hospitality, affirmation, reprimand, teaching, worship, and prayer. We are given opportunities to serve each other with every issue and need as we get to know each other deeply and understand how we each struggle and our needs.
