We’ve all seen nature documentaries, and one of the inevitable scenes in these shows is the lion attacking the most vulnerable in a pack of animals. Generally, that animal that becomes vulnerable to attack is the one that has distanced itself from the rest of the pack.
Our enemy is like that lion. The Apostle Peter reminded his readers (and us today), “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). Most often, the Christians whom the devil is likely to devour are the “lone wolves” who aren’t tied in with a church family or other Christian community.
These days, too many people try to live their Christian lives as “lone wolves.” People have withdrawn from church and Christian community — even faithful believers — in a trend that has accelerated since COVID-19. There are families I know from church who have never come back to church after the pandemic, and they’re not going anywhere else.
I can’t recall who said it, but I remember hearing somebody not too long ago say that Christianity is a team sport. It makes sense, not just from personal experience, but also because God’s Word tells us so.
The idea of community goes all the way back to the beginning of time. In Genesis 2, after God created Adam, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” We use that verse to talk about marriage, but it also highlights that we shouldn’t live this life by ourselves.
The wise King Solomon discussed how important it is for people to live together in community:
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
When you become a believer in Jesus, you become part of the body of Christ, which means that you’re connected to other Christians all over the world. The Bible uses that metaphor to describe how we fit in as members of a faithful community. Individual parts of our bodies can’t live on their own; every part of our body must maintain connection with the whole.
Related: Sunday Thoughts: How to ‘Fight for Your Relationship With Your Pastor’
Of course, this means being part of a local church family. Rev. Fred Greco reminds us:
…the reality is that the organization of the church is a means that King Jesus uses to disciple His people and to bring the gospel to a lost and needy world. When Christ ascended into heaven, He did not leave His children as orphans (John 14:18); rather, He established a structure by which the Holy Spirit would work through men to build up the church.
Peter compared our place in Christian community to stones in a wall with Jesus as our foundation:
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV) is the author of Hebrews’ charge to us to remain part of a community of fellow believers.
In the context of Christian church community, we have opportunities to worship, serve, and give. We receive the challenge and exhortation of God’s Word from pastors and teachers, and we have opportunities to encourage each other.
Got Questions reminds us that “Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), ‘spur’ one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), honor one another (Romans 12:10), and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32).”
And it’s about more than just attendance at a Sunday worship service. We benefit from Christian community — and bring glory to God — in the context of small groups or Sunday school classes, accountability partnerships, ministry teams, and missions. Godly community is vibrant and exciting and always worth taking part in.
If you’ve gotten out of the habit of engaging in community with other Christian believers, let me encourage you by reminding you that there are no lone wolves in the body of Christ!
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