As part of my regular teaching schedule for The Awakening, I end up going over my manuscript or notes for the next Tuesday night's message on Monday mornings. As somewhat of a sneak peak and to provide space for feedback from the community, I am going to start posting snippets of my manuscript on Monday's so that I can hear from you. Who knows, your comment may end up making into the manuscript!
Many of you have been living in a “flat” community. ... there’s no air, no breath of God in your community life.
Some of you have been coming Sunday morning but nothing else. You have bought the lie that Sunday morning is Christianity and if I do that than I am free to go on the rest of my week and do as I wish. It’s something you do because “you’re supposed to.” If that is your Christian Community experience, it is severely lacking, it is flat.
Some of you have rejected Sunday, and are doing Christianity Solo. If you are here at The Awakening, you are here because you’ve told yourself, "well, this isn't really church." You've probably heard foolish people who say, "a Christian doesn’t have to go to church, I’m against the institution! I’m against the Organization!" Yeah? Well, you’re also against the teaching (Hebrews 10:23-25) of the Word of God then apparently, let alone reading it for yourself. Not only is this attitude SIN and in need of repentance, it is also clearly a spiritually flat community if not the absence of it.
Some of you are participating in just one aspect of this Christian community. This might hit a little more close to home for many of us. You see, if we are not careful, we will turn our Christian community into something that looks only like us. We don’t get outside of our own socio- economic genre, our own ethnicity, our own language or even our own age. If that person doesn’t shop the same place you do, buy the same clothes you do or even eat the same food, they don’t really end up being a part of your community. This is flat community. ... it is not the fullest community God has intended for us to have.
Then there’s this interesting group of us in here tonight that have fallen in love with community. In fact, you are going to at least 2 community groups a week. You have an accountability partner. You heard me speak last week on our community cravings and you were like, “Preach it Phil!” You totally believe in community. But here’s the problem, you have focused so much on your personal community, you have neglected the fuller community of Christ. You have been going to Church on Sunday’s only once a month, but your good right? You have small group on Wednesday, and the Awakening on Tuesday. You are missing an important part of the community of Christ!
See you on Tuesday night, 7pm at Fellowship Dallas.In all four circumstances you are missing out on the fullest community of Christ and your community is flat. Let me be clear: You have a flat community when its based on your terms, not God's. A flat community is one that is based on your comforts, your schedule, your lifestyle and your reputation. It’s all about YOU. But a FULL community is focused on God. It is a community based on HIS glory, his reputation and the lifestyle he has in mind for us.
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