This past
week we started our "Created for
Community" series. This is a five-part series that discusses the
corporate nature of our Christian life. We are saved individually, but we are
set into a
corporate body- the Body of Christ, also called
the Church. Thiscorporate man has its own culture that is much
different than theculture of the world in which we live. Carl Hatch
did a great job kicking off the series discussing "The
Culture of Community."Through receiving a revelation of the Unshakable Kingdom of God and the Unchanging Person Jesus Christ, we can establish a Church Culture of Community that has a personal and corporate world-view. This worldview can manifest eternal and lasting changes as we live a life of total surrender and commitment to the Kingdom of God through His Son Jesus Christ. This Kingdom Culture is an all-consuming realm of total reality: past, present and future.
When we seek
first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness asking to do the will of the
Father as Jesus did, we will understand the eternal principles of God’s
Kingdom. We will be able to walk them out wherever we are placed by God as
living examples of the Kingdom culture within our society.
The Kingdom
of God is God’s total order, expressed as realm and reign in the individual and
in the community. If this is true, then the Kingdom of God is comprehensive and
it governs all our thoughts and all our actions. The Kingdom of God in its
totality is complete health care for the soul and the culture of the community.
Nothing lies outside of its jurisdiction, it covers all, governs all.
The Book of
Matthew, specifically chapters five, six and seven, is a presentation and
explanation of what a Kingdom Culture of personal and community lifestyle looks
like and how one can live it out.
Take time this week to read
through Matthew chapters five, six and seven. You will be blessed if you do,
and you will be better equipped to walk in the Culture of the Kingdom of God.
Very relevant to the freedom and victory that Christ calls us to enter into and live in! The very health and vitality of the Body of Christ depends on how we as His people learn to cultivate community!! Very powerful Pastor Gary!!
ReplyDeleteJeremy
I believe we have over personalized the message of the Gospel to the neglect of the corporate nature of the church. Much of the New Testament is written to the church community and not just to individuals. Our relationship with and involvement in the local church is a very important part of our walk of faith.
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