As we continue to try and define and foster community on a larger scale as a church and on a smaller scale in our groups, I thought it was fitting to look at the teaching we get from Ecclesiastes 4:4-16 on the subject of community. The text breaks it down for us pointing out what things cause a breakdown in community and then finishes with showing us the benefits or need for community. I have broken down the verses for you. Share them with your groups or use them to hopefully generate some discussion on the topic. Hopefully we all see the need and the power of biblical community in our groups and in the church. I think it is our job as leaders to model and teach it. When it comes down to it, true community is the practical expression of the gospel. Just think what light and power true community could have in our people's and communities lives.
What gets in the way of community?
Verse 4 – Envy and Jealousy
How does envy and jealousy get in the way of community? If we are constantly jealous of those who have we can fill our time working to get the money to keep up or even worse we can choose to not want to be in community with people because we are jealous of them.
Verse 5 – Laziness
How does laziness hamper community? Community takes work and being with people. You have to get off the couch, make an effort, invite people over, etc.
Verse 6 – Discontentment
The text is telling us to have balance in our work. To make sure we balance work with Sabbath. How many of us on the weekends take time to sit and rest or hang out with others to rest, encourage, and talk about what God is doing in our lives?
Verse 7-8 – Greed and Over-work
We all want more money, but you have to work more to get more, but why? To buy more things? To impress people we don’t like. True community is based on being in relationship with people who know your story. Then grace happens and we can experience love for who we are not for our stuff. If friendships take time and to you time is money you are in for a long road of loneliness.
Verse 13 – 16 – Blaming others for our isolation and sin
What happens is people become unhappy with their predicament in life and instead of owning up to it themselves, they seek to blame others.
We also go looking for that new person, with new ideas, who will help us get out of the predicament. But what happens eventually? Eventually we will be confronted again with our stuff and then what? We will start blaming the new guy for our issues. We still find out that problems that are internal can not be taken care of by someone else. We need to understand that the problem is sin and the problem lies in our heart not in the faults of others.
What are the benefits of community?
Verse 9 – Effectiveness
Two are better than one. Community and relationships brings out the best in us. We were created to be in relationship.
Verse 10 – Help
Self-explanatory but do we think about our community as being our help? Do we make every opportunity within our means to meet a need if we see it?
Verse 11 – Companionship
We are to keep each other “warm”. We all have a deep-longing for companionship and to be known.
Verse 12 – Protection
We are to watch out for each other, to look out for each other. Do we see this as our responsibility for the members in our group?
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3 comments:
E,
Thanks for breaking that down. It is very helpful and relavent to our groups and community. I will look for your next post so I can share some of those ideas with or group, that meets earlier in the week...
I feel it is a good thing to find some positive text to speak to chapter 4 and the earlier chapters. We went to Romans 8:35-39, Prov 30:7-9, and Phil 4:11-13.
I got nothing else. But yes, sorry it didn't come out for use on Tuesday. We talked about it on thursday and I thought it went well. It required a me to kind of "preach it" but it did bring up some great conversation. Simply put, I think we talk about being community but when asked what that means we draw a blank. Is being the community the same as being in the community? No, they are different. Like one is a noun and the other is a verb. Just good things to work out.
Well I don't know if there is an update or not but, it always comes after Tuesday, our MCG day. That's okay we're going strong.
The past two weeks we have really uncovered some layers in our discussions. I believe we are developing deeper, more meaningful relationships. I think our people feel safe opening up in our group. We have pretty much just let the "Spirit" move us.
Peace
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