Becoming Like Jesus: CommunitySample

Community: Why Does It Matter?

Pray …

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Teach me more about who You are as we spend time together today and help me grow to look and love more like You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Consider …

So, if community is what we were designed for, why isn’t it easier? Why don’t we just get along with people naturally instead of ending up hurt and lonely? Those are great questions.

Yesterday, we read Genesis. Today, we are going to read Exodus, because community is a theme that shows up all throughout the biblical story.

In Genesis, God started with image-bearers—human beings in perfect relationship with Him and each other. Then a snake enters the story and, through deception, sows seeds of mistrust in these perfect relationships. That mistrust buds into a sinful decision Adam and Eve make that wrecks their relationship with each other and with God. Because of this, God removes them from the garden, and they have to find their own way in the world. Tragically, sin, a disease of selfishness that causes us to disobey God and hurt others, continues to wreak havoc on humanity and ravage God’s once-good world.

This is where we meet God's people in Exodus—people who were once living in community with God and others but have now forgotten God’s name and are enslaved by another group of people, the Egyptians.

So God, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, frees them from the Egyptians and leads them into the desert, away from the distractions of the world and the deception of the enemy to remind them of their purpose.

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” Exodus 19:3-6 NIV

There are two big things we can learn from what God says here:

1. God loves us. He wants to be in a relationship with us. So much so that He rescued the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt so He could be with them. He desires to bring us to Himself, because we are His treasured possession.

2. We have a purpose. That is to be, for Him, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What does that mean? It means a community of people chosen by God to represent Him to the whole world. That was His plan then, and it’s still His plan now.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

This is Peter, a follower of Jesus, writing to members of the early Church. And it’s the exact same words from Exodus. Old Testament to New Testament. The same purpose God gave His people from the beginning has been given to us now.

God hasn’t changed His strategy. He still wants to change the world through His people. Unfortunately, the devil, the snake that showed up in Genesis, hasn’t changed his strategy either. He is still hellbent on doing whatever he can to destroy our relationships with God and with other people.

But, he rarely makes it obvious. He’s sneaky. He doesn’t want you to know he’s trying to ruin your life by wrecking your relationships. So, just like he did in the garden, he uses deception to plant seeds of mistrust. He wants you to doubt God’s goodness and question His love for you. He wants you to stop seeing others as people to be loved and instead as threats to be eliminated or objects to be used. Because if the enemy can distort your view of God and others and trick you into building walls between you and them—you end up exactly where he wants, trapped in a prison of your own making. Isolated. Easy prey.

Community matters so much because it’s God’s Plan A for changing the world. Community is so hard because the enemy hates it and wants to destroy it. Where does that leave us? Stuck? Unable to accomplish our purpose? By no means. Because the serpent from Genesis has been crushed by our Savior, Jesus.

More on that tomorrow.

Practice …

In a journal, your notes app, or the discussion portion of this Bible Plan, write down your answers to these questions:

What’s a relationship you have written off or given up on? If none come to mind, what’s an aspect of community you feel you have lost hope for? When did you lose hope? What lie might you be believing that makes that relationship or aspect of relationships feel hopeless? What walls have you built that you might need to tear down?

Listen …

Find a quiet place where you can continue to spend time with God. Maybe you have a favorite chair, a certain spot in your backyard, or a particularly cozy closet. Wherever you need to go to limit distractions, do it.

Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.

Ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted in your mind, and you will, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, use it as a chance to practice coming back to Jesus by praying this prayer:

Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. Heavenly Father, speak to me. Holy Spirit, breathe on me.

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you spent together and go into your day looking for opportunities to love Him and love others.