Introduction

If you have been around RLCC for quite some time, you may have encountered the word “communityship”. We coined this term many years ago. Nowadays, others are also using this term. For us, it is the art and method of building communities of faith in various places and among different people groups where the presence, power, and purpose of Christ are being fulfilled in and through each one. It is a challenging journey. We go up and down, forward and backward, in this journey of faith through the years. But we are committed to pursuing this journey of faith no matter what. Why?

Five Reasons

1. We are created for relationships. (Genesis 1:26-28) – God did not create human beings to be alone or to feel lonely. He created us to be part of a community. This is who we are as human beings created in the image of God. If we refuse this calling, we are going against the very nature of our being.
2. We are attracted to relationships. (Acts 2:46-47) – By instinct, we are attracted to relationships. We long for it and we look for it all our lives. Once we think we have found it, we stick with it, whether for good or for bad. Sometimes, we don’t even care if it’s for bad, for as long as we can have it in our lives.
3. We are affected by relationships. (Philippians 3:17-21; 1 Corinthians 15:33) – Our relationships, both good and bad, affect us more than we can ever recognize. They shape us into the kind of person that we are right now. Some of us are good people because of the good people who surrounded us. Unfortunately, some of us were affected by bad relationships in the past and this has damaged our personalities in the present.
4. We are commanded to grow in relationships. (Ephesians 4:14-16) – Discipleship or the Christian life is all about having a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and also the right relationships with the people of God, i.e., the church. Both are equally important. We are commanded to nurture both our relationship with God as well as our relationships with others in the body of Christ.
5. We are transformed through relationships. (Ephesians 3:14-19) – Our growth and maturity in Christ depend upon our relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ in the church. We can only be transformed into Christlikeness while we are journeying with others in the faith. We cannot cut off ourselves from others and still expect that we can grow as followers of Christ. Disconnected believers tend to become immature over time.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “Communityship is challenging but always God-pleasing and God-honoring.”
2. It will never be easy to pursue and practice “communityship”. There will always be challenges.
3. But we can overcome these challenges by grace through faith if we don’t give up on God and each other.

Discussion

1. How do you now understand “communityship” after listening to this sermon?
2. Which of the five reasons motivate you the most in pursuing “communityship”?
3. Why do some people give up on this journey and how will you motivate them to join again?