Intro: being a military brat growing up was a life on the move. For many the thought of re-location can be a scary proposition. Being in a Christian family made these transitions easier, because when you moved to a new base, there was always a church family waiting for you to arrive. Knowing that you would become part of a new community of believers was always something that lessened the anxiety about a move.
The Joy Of Community
Phil 1:1-11
Background: Paul writes this prison epistle from Rome and this is a very sentimental letter. Paul expresses a great attachment to these believers. Tonight we will look at three key verses that give us the reason to have joy in belonging to community.
I. Being in each other’s thoughts—v.3
Ill) A diary was found in a home of an elderly lady who had passed away. The odd thing about this diary, the same line was found for every day for the last years of her life. Each day she had written down, no one visited, no one called, no one cared.
· The joy of community is that people care about each other. Paul said, I have you in my thoughts. One of the great joys of belonging is to know that others have you on their minds. For us to be the church that really cares, a true community, everyone must become important to everyone.
· When someone misses a church service, the church organization can send them cards or give them calls. But for us to be true community, we must get to the place where people have each other on their minds, and make that connection real.
Ill) country music legend Willie Nelson sang a song that probably is one of his most famous ever. It simply says, you were always on my mind, you were always on my mind.
II. Being in each other’s hearts—v.7 the first level of community is the thinking of you stage. The next level is the, I have you in my heart stage. Paul says, not only do I think about you, but I have you in my heart.
· When there is brotherly love, people carry each other in their thoughts, when there is agape love, they will carry each other in their hearts. People will actually move to the place of loving each other, caring about each other.
· Now abides faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. James gives us the thought that faith without action, faith without demonstration, faith without love is dead being alone. Community is a place where love is grown. Years ago I wrote a poem, and one line was my mom’s all time favorite line. It said, love is like a tender plant, that grows with loving care, if handled wrong, neglected long, it ceases to be there.
What is community, it is a place where people are not just concerned about their way, but the way of others.
Here’s a great way to illustrate community:
A story comes to us out of the long ago of a king who organized a great race within his kingdom. All the young men of the kingdom participated. A bag of gold was to be given to the winner, and the finish line was within the courtyard of the king’s palace. The race was run, and the runners were surprised to find in the middle of the road leading to the king’s palace a great pile of rocks and stones. But they managed to scramble over it or to run around it and eventually to come to the courtyard. Finally, all the runners had crossed the finish line except one. But still the king did not call the race off. After a while one lone runner came through the gate. He lifted a bleeding hand and said, "O King, I am sorry that I am so late. But you see, I found in the road a pile of rocks and stones, and it took me a while, and I wounded myself in removing them." Then he lifted the other hand, and in it was a bag. He said, "But, Great King, I found beneath the pile of rocks this bag of gold." The king said, "My son, you have won the race, for that one runs best who makes the way safer for those who follow."
III. Being in each others prayers—v.4,9 there a lot of communities in this world, Political communities, athletic, social, and corporate. But what makes this community so special it is a spiritual community.
· One of the great things about being part of this spiritual community you know people are praying for you. You can sense the prayers of others. You know that you aren’t on your own.
· One of the great things about being part of this spiritual community, you can join with others in prayer and worship to God.
· Being connected at the spiritual level is the highest level of connection. When all the other organizations have ceased to exist, when the last member of the last club has deceased, when the last roll call is made, it will not be on earth, for when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.
Close: there is joy in community, there is joy in helping each other, there is joy in going in the same direction. This can be illustrated by the V formation of the Canadian geese.
Lessons From GeeseFact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson 1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front of it. Lesson 2: If we have as much common sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others. Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. Lesson 3: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others’ skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, or resources. Fact 4: Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson 4: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek. Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. Lesson 5: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.There is joy in being a part of community, there is strength in being part of community, there is hope in being part of community, and there is life in being part of community.
