Scripture:

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Big Idea: Community is Built, Not Found.

Not long ago, I was talking with a couple from church who were frustrated that they had not been able to find a good community to belong to. They saw the depth of relationship that we had in our Small Group (we call it our Gospel Community) and wanted to join. Of course, I invited them and welcomed them in, but I already knew they would not find what they were looking for.

Why? Because community is built, not found.

Every time I encounter someone on a quest to find community, either in a church body or in a small group, I know they will be disappointed. Community, that sense of belonging and being known and loved, requires time and investment to develop. It requires inviting people into your life, accepting invitations into the lives of others, and being intentional and consistent in showing up again and again.

Just like a retirement account grows with regular deposits and compounding interest, a community only grows with regular deposits of time, trust, and transparency. This is why the writer of Hebrews tells Christians to keep meeting together - to not give up! It is easy to give up when our schedules get busy instead of adjusting our priorities. It is easy to give up when we’re asked to trust others with our true story instead of presenting our carefully crafted image. It is easy to give safe, nondescript answers when we’re asked deeper questions about our heart than we are comfortable answering. But as long as we hold back our time, hide behind an image of ourselves, and only give safe answers we’ll never be truly known or truly loved. The “imposter” that we’ve created, the image we’re trying to maintain, is the only thing that actually receives any love. And we’ll continue to feel alone... because our true self isn’t being allowed to belong to the community.

The God of the universe knows everything (Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”) That means God is not fooled by the “imposter” we’ve crafted as our image. He knows us fully, completely, and knows the truth about our hearts. And He loves us right there. Not as we “should” be - He loves us as we are. But He doesn’t leave us there. He sent Jesus to redeem our brokenness and pay the ransom to buy us back from sin. And He sent His Spirit to live in us and the Spirit teaches us to live authentic lives that grow to match His design for us. The transformation doesn’t happen immediately, but it does happen more and more as we live moment-by-moment trusting Him to lead us (Titus 2:11-14).

All of this has me thinking, if the God of the universe can handle knowing the whole truth about you and still love you deeply enough that He sacrificed His son, is it possible that you could allow others in His family to get to know you too? Are you willing to do the work - to invest the time, trust, and transparency it will take - to build a community with other people in the family of God? It will take regular deposits, and grow slower than you’d like at first. But as those deposits compound you will suddenly look up and realize the community you were searching for has been built through those faithful deposits and you’ll find yourself enjoying the wealth of the meaningful relationships which have been built.

Discussion: Who is one of the most authentic people you know? What makes them seem so authentic? Who is someone in your life who seems trapped behind the image of an “imposter” (maybe even you)? What can you do to invite them to trust God and trust others with who they really are?

Prayer Focus: Pray that God would help you to see yourself the way He sees you; that you would better understand and accept the gift of the new identity He has decided belongs to you. Pray that God would give you the courage to invest regular deposits to build a community that is fully known and fully loved.

Watch/Listen to this Sunday's message on Community, from the series: The Greatest Story Ever Re-Told.