BEING the church - Week 2
Pastor Annette Rees
Part of BEING the church
February 8, 2023

Take risks on new people. It’s not easy, it’s not simple, it’s tricky and hard and sometimes terrifying. It is also the way by which people will know the love of God inside and outside of the Church. —Pastor Chris

God built us for deep connection to be part of our daily lives, not just once in a while.

I. WHAT IS COMMUNITY AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

  1. God has existed in
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    - as Father, Spirit and Son.

Colossians 1:15-17 NIV (father/Son relationship)
15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

John 16:13-15 (Spirit relationship with father/son)
he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you”.

2. Which means they

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each other and
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each other and
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each other, It means that God has been relational forever.

3. He created us
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of relationship,
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relationship. It’s who we are because it’s who God is.

II. GOD DESIRES COMMUNITY FOR US.

1. God exists in
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.
2. We were created to
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in that relationship. We weren’t just created for community, we were created
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of it.

Genesis 1:27-28
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be
fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in
the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the
Ground.”

3. God’s first community on earth is a
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.

Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a help suitable
for him.

Here is how we make each other better:

  • We

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    each other better.
    Proverbs 27:17 NIV “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

  • We

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    each other of God and His plans for us.
    Romans 1:12 NIV “That you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

  • We

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    for each other to not be distracted by sin.
    Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

  • We

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    each other.
    1 Corinthians 12:20 NIV As it is, there are many parts, but one body

  • We

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    each other to live out the purposes of God.
    Romans 12:5-6 NIV Each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts.

III. Our

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matters to God.

1. We are meant to live in community,
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by moment,
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by breath.
2. Small groups are
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.
3. Small groups provide opportunities for relationships to take
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and
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.
4. Small Groups are communities
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and
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of the church.