This is part 3 of a 9-part series. View the entire series here.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT
Introduction
Sitting at the dining room table, you look around the house at dozens of family members gathered together. Out back you can hear laughter rising through the air, intertwining with the rising smoke of the grill. Kids are hunched in a circle on the floor, eyes glued to a board game.
You’ve dreamed of this moment since you were young––to raise a family and see them enjoying one another’s presence under the same roof. Now in your old age, you think back on the perseverance and faithfulness that culminated in this moment of unity, love, and joy.
Suddenly, you wake up. You’re still young––not yet established in this world. You think back to your dream, determining in your heart to use this day to move one step closer to seeing it become a reality.
Practice for Eternity
Christian community is merely an echo of eternity. A faint shadow of what is to come in the fully established Kingdom of God. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of what it will be like when Jesus makes the new heaven and earth––perfect peace, harmony, and worship to God.
But for now, we must choose to practice for this divine gathering––the culmination of our perseverance and faithfulness here on earth. As we pursue God and inspire one another to love and serve Him through good works, we reflect a fragment of the majesty that will encompass the people of God in heaven.
Community as a Discipline
Church isn’t a club or a social gathering. It’s not a time to maintain mediocre friendships or gossip with our neighbors. It is a glimpse into the eternal Kingdom. This discipline is not to be confused for a casual get-together. It’s a supernatural, world-changing, Gospel-spreading force that God is using to draw the lost home.
But the discipline of community doesn’t just benefit you. Making a commitment to Christian community cascades into the next generations. Through you and fellow believers, God wants to carry out His mission of redemption. By investing in community now, you can take one step closer to filling God’s table in heaven. This is more than a dream. It’s a reality that is ever-unfolding.
