I know this will hit some nerves, it has to. I mean blood is thicker than water, right? Not in the Kingdom it isn’t. Some will say the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:9), and it does, but one must be born again in order for the blood to do its job!
We must not put the cart before the horse. First things are first. So now it seems like I am breaking from the continual flow of the apostolic and Kingdom dimension, so it seems. But look closer, the apostolic builds family for the Kingdom. This leads me to this thought, true discipleship is family. Family is community, community is Kingdom.
Let’s look at it from Jesus. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew 12:46-50
I must be mean. I must be hateful. I must be lonely. I just might be! But what I am not is a fool. I know blood family and Church family alike, and like the Apostle Pauls says: What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:9-12
So then, what’s the use? Why live? Why hope? What’s the solution? It’s like this, God gave the law, some 613 of them to a people who couldn’t even keep their word, much less God’s word to point to God’s ability rather their own. Think about that! So now, what’s the use? Plenty! Jesus was shifting the paradigm of people’s mentality from a natural, to a spiritual one. However, we still love our family, yes we do!
Family is the first step to understanding how God does community. Family is a smaller scale collection of people under a name, place, etc for which they are known. I.E. Jesus of Nazareth, John Mark… Look at the New Testament approach to community.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 — Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having — land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:32-37
Obviously, this is going to be a two-part teaching, but we will close with this thought from this passage of scripture, the apostle Peter at Pentecost spoke up and proclaimed the word of the Lord from the Prophet Joel thus fulfilling that passage at that time. This resulted in a multitude accepting Jesus as Lord. This multitude stayed under the discipleship teaching of the Apostles resulting in this grace manifested insomuch that it cultivated into a community of believers.
Let’s define community in the Webster’s dictionary.
a unified body of individuals: such as
: the people with common interests living in a particular area
broadly : the area itself
the problems of a large community
: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
a community of retired persons
a monastic community
: a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society
the academic community
That’s it for now, stay tuned for part 2 next week. May God bless you greatly as you study God’s Word.
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