Community
Download SermonThe one true God exists in the perfect community of Father, Son, and Spirit. God created men and women to also live in community. For this reason, Harambee seeks to model deep and personal faith by serving others in a loving and authentic church community.
The word community means “Common Unity.” Whereas Harambee reflects a diversity of opinions, politically and socially, we come together as a community of followers of Jesus Christ. The common word for fellowship in God’s word is “Koinonia,” which means community, joint participation or fellowship. Paul emphasizes the aspect of participation in Philippians 1:5, where he commends the people for their “participation in the gospel.”
True biblical community is centered on just that, our participation in the gospel. It isn’t centered on our need for fellowship, but on God’s purpose through His story, and our service in that mission. Without the gospel as our mission, church is just an irrelevant social club. From the beginning, when Genesis reminded us that it was “not good for man to be alone,” we are aware of our need for one another. In spite of the radical individualism our culture strives for, we remain lonely in a crowded world and alienated from God and one another, desiring fellowship, but failing to harness its elusive nature.
We are not called as individuals to God, but as the body of Christ. We are His bride (Ephesians 5:22ff), and very much part of His movement (Romans 12:4ff; 1 Corinthians 12). We are nowhere commanded in scripture to become part of the community, because it is something that is assumed in the word of God. In the Old Testament, the first five books of the bible are written to remind the Jews of their story, the historical books remind them of their history, while the prophets speak to the assembly of God’s people. In the New Testament, the gospels remind the church of their story, while Acts presents the churches history, and the letters describe the church’s ethos. The bible assumes the corporate gathering of God’s people. We can’t love one another without the other.
Therefore, it is important that Harambee seeks to incorporate people’s gifts into the life of the church, as well as develop opportunities for authentic biblical fellowship within the scope of the church’s mission.