Community: Godly CommunitySample

In Mark 2, we see the story of four friends and a paralyzed man. We see the friends desperate to get the man to Jesus so that he could experience Christ’s healing power. It was difficult as they carried him on a mat to Jesus. This wasn’t a less than a mile walk. We don’t know how far this was, but his friends were committed to getting him to Jesus. The streets were crowded with people, and the house where Christ was preaching was packed. One friend had a crazy idea to lower the man down through the roof. They dug a hole into the mud-covered roof and lowered him down. They were committed, no matter the hardship. This is what happens in community. Life can be hard, overwhelming, and complicated. But, doing life together means living in a community, committed to carrying each other’s mats, just like the friends did for the man.

In a community, we do the hard work. We hold each other accountable. We ask the tough questions. We pray together. We worship together. Scripture teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 that we should, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another…” Our end goal is to become more Christ-like.

Throughout life, our personal “mats” are filled with heavy things, like anxiety, depression, addiction to pornography, alcohol, etc. We are all carrying something, but we shouldn’t have to do it alone. Being alone leads to a heavier load and darkness. In a community, we are committed to carrying each other’s mats. The beauty of doing it in a community is that when we confess our burdens to each other, we will feel a weight lifted from our shoulders. We feel peace. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” We carry each other’s mat to experience freedom through Christ.

Our end goal in living in community is that we will become more like Christ.

Questions:

1. What was or is the hardest part of being in community?
2. Does your community carry each other’s “mats” and do the hard work? Write down an example.