More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Mark Dever
Read between
January 10 - February 12, 2018
In this book, I’ll define local church community as a togetherness and commitment we experience that transcends all natural bonds—because of our commonality in Jesus Christ.
Our new society of the church is not a mutual admiration society, but a shared admiration society.
Supernatural forgiveness drives supernatural love.
The model in view is commitment as a process. I’m going to call it “Comfort-Based Commitment.”
Which church leaders does Hebrews say that Christians should obey? Any that come along? No, they should obey the leaders of the church to which they belong.
And if you want a culture of commitment, you must consider carefully what biblical commitments people must make in order to fully participate in your church community.
Diversity is the effect, not the substance. The thermometer, so to speak, not the thermostat.
Because of the extremity of their prior separation, God gets glory in their unity.
Our strength—our ability to showcase supernatural gospel power—is our diversity. And yet without unity that diversity is merely context for discord that defames the name of Christ.
The diversity I’m writing about is any multiplicity of backgrounds where unity is possible only through the gospel.
What must we do to create unity and diversity in our own churches? Nothing. God has already done it.
As in so many of Paul’s letters, the first half of Ephesians says, in effect, “This is who you are in Christ. You’re not only sinners made alive, you’re strangers made one.” Then the second half of the book essentially says, “Therefore, live as who you are in Christ.”
Ministry by similarity is a common tool for fostering community in churches. And too often, it stems from a lack of belief.
The fact that sanctification grows naturally from belief in the gospel in no way precludes a daily fight for holiness.
A church composed of natural friends says little about the power of the gospel. Yet the gospel-revealing community of natural enemies will require sacrifices in every aspect of our life together.
Rather than address the case itself, we prayed about its impact—which is unmistakable, significant, and largely hidden to many in our congregation.
preaching should create a congregation of minipreachers.
But they all focus on manufacturing right decisions right now. They don’t necessarily change your underlying church culture, which involves people’s assumptions about what it means to be a Christian. You
This ties in directly to Tripp's book on the difference between root and fruit change. We can't just equip people to change behaviors. This speaks more of changing the whole church culture, which is root change that creates the fruit of deeper discipleship.
As much as you want obedient, well-behaved kids, you know that heart change is much more important.
The amazing thing about God’s Word is that it doesn’t merely tell us what to do; it can create what it commands.
We taught them God’s Word, and God’s Spirit prompted them to continue repeating that Word to one another in ways we never would have thought of.
The Sunday morning sermon isn’t the finish line for Word ministry, it’s the starting line. It is the beginning of the real work, as your congregation takes God’s Word and puts it to work through the week.
But when one in authority shows he understands and has considered our situation and needs, trust becomes attractive.
In a Word-saturated congregation, a sermon doesn’t stop when it reaches the ears of your people. Instead, it continues its ministry through them day after day, all through the week.
Paul admonishes the congregation for the preaching they listen to rather than simply addressing their teachers.
God’s Word is living and active, even when you are not. Be patient and watch it take root and flourish.
the supernatural community of the local church is the focal point of God’s redemptive plan to make the nations his inheritance. And that supernatural work is entirely outside of our control. Sounds like the perfect recipe for fervent prayer, doesn’t it?
Public prayer results in public praise when God answers. And God’s overriding concern through all of history is that his glory be known publicly.
God loves to defend his reputation. When we pray together, our needs become public. When he answers, his glory becomes public.
By praying corporately, we emphasize spiritual priorities over physical circumstances. And we emphasize our life together corporately over our needs as individuals.
Despite the best of motives, some church activity will be judged as worthless.
The infrastructure and inner workings of your church offer more than sufficient cover for the works-focused person to take shelter from the gospel.
First, they describe mentoring relationships,
Second, they address hospitality.
Instead of pointing first to volunteer opportunities or small groups, you might point to discipling and hospitality.
This is brilliant. Use discipling and hospitality FIRST as suggestions for involvement, rather than programs.
It follows, then, that if you want to cultivate a culture of intentional relationships, you will need to make a big deal of membership.
But if church policy is your main tool for promoting a culture of intentional relationships, I fear that whatever changes you see will be short-lived.
As we preach faithfully, pray, and model godly relationships, change will often happen. But as Christ’s servants, our job is not to “effect change.” It is to be faithful.
But we often discover resistance that’s designed deep into the fabric of our churches—from our philosophy of small groups, to staff job descriptions, to the composition of ministry programs.
The goal of community (unity and maturity) comes as the congregation does ministry—equipped by their leaders.
And when an activity’s opportunity cost is the chance to form spiritually deliberate relationships, it’s rarely worth the trade-off.
You’re teaching people that church isn’t fundamentally about meeting their needs, but about how they can serve those with whom they may not share much in common other than Christ.
If, however, we view the task of fostering community as an exercise in shaping church culture, we will take advantage of every opportunity to encourage people toward spiritually significant relationships—from the preaching ministry to staff job descriptions to the church calendar to our philosophy of small groups.
we should have a realistic understanding of what church leaders can do, but unbridled optimism for what God’s Spirit can do. And we should praise him when we see the truth of his gospel vindicated in our continued unity.
The local church is not evangelism. But the local church should be the power of evangelism.
Church is for explaining the gospel to Christians, to fuel the supernatural witness of their community together.
