What does it look like to have real community? And how is it formed? Is it just something that happens when we meet together regularly with other Christians? Or is there something more to it than just meeting and gathering?
In this 2 minute video, Francis Chan begins to answer the question that so many of us are asking – how can we have real community? The answer that Francis gives, though, might surprise you.
Think back to a time when you experienced deep and meaningful community. What were things that brought you together? Maybe it was a task, an ordeal or a cause that brought you together. Maybe it was an emergency, an unplanned event or a great vision.
In this video, Francis shows us that the Bible is clear about community. He says that a simple reading of the Bible would not lead to focusing first on gathering. Instead, the Bible makes it clear that what is most important is the mission to make disciples.
We are to go out on a mission to reach people. We are to teach them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded. And as we are on that mission to reach and disciple people, we would naturally find other people that are on that same mission.
We would stick out because we would be some of the weirdest people on earth. We would stick out because we would be living lives that are radically different than most other Christians.
We would need each other. We would actually need brothers and sisters to come alongside us. We would need brothers and sisters in Christ to help us. We would need a community of people in order to accomplish the mission. We would need to work together and encourage each other to stay on mission. And we would even suffer together as a community.