Church: A Life-Giving Community

 

God’s Word can help us build community, in addition to prayer, as we studied it in our last article. 

The following lines will help you first understand why we all need God’s Word and how powerful God’s Word is. Then, we’ll see how the Word of God can build community. 

Take a look at this Scripture as the foundation of our reflection in this article: 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4: 12. ESV. 

Have you ever come across anything like the Word of God, anything that can separate the soul and the spirit, as well as discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart? 

There is no such thing in the entire world that can do the above. 

So, what makes God’s Word to do all that?

 

God’s Word is Living 

 

[bctt tweet=”God’s Word is full of God’s energy and adequate power that never run out!” username=””]

The Word of God is not lifeless. It’s full of life. It is not dead, but ever-living and powerful. 

God’s Word is always present among the living, among us, people. 

Take a look at these verses from John: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1: 1-4. ESV. 

What makes God’s Word full of God’s energy, and having so much power, is because the Word was with God and is God! 

Not only was the Word (Logos) with God in the beginning, but the Word is God too. 

[bctt tweet=”So, if the Word is God, then everything about the Word is timeless and never runs out.” username=””]

The Word, not only is God, but also is the logic, the reason, and the means through which everything came into existence.  

That is what makes the Word living! 

 

The Word of God Is Active

 

God’s Word is both living and active. 

The Word is active because God’s Word continues to give life and light to people. You find life and light nowhere else but in the Word of God. See John 1: 3,4. 

God’s Word is virtually the only reality that can change our realities!

And, that’s because of what the Word can do. The Word is God who can give life and light to people. 

The Word, full of energy and power, always achieves results or what God intends of the Word to do. 

When the Word is living and active in each of the members, everyone becomes life-giving, energy-giving, and present on the others’ faith journey. 

That’s the only catalyst, which makes guests want to come back next Sunday after they’ve visited. 

 

How Does The Word Create Community? 

God’s Word brings us together when it is active and alive first in each one of us! 

Creating a community requires the above, and it should be an intentional choice each member makes. 

So, let’s say that we are all life-giving, energy-giving, and willing to be present in each other’s life. 

What’s left for our community to be appealing to all our guests is what we read in Hebrews 4: 12. But, let’s focus on the third characteristic of God’s Word. 

Scripture says that the Word is 

sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4: 12. ESV. 

[bctt tweet=”Being a community grounded into the Word of God doesn’t just mean quoting Scripture. It has to do more with the life and energy we display as a result of God’s Word dwelling in our lives. ” username=””]

And, guests can tell us about our level of life and energy we exhibit as soon as they walk into the Church building. 

Don’t get me wrong here. It’s not how noisy your narthex may be. There’s more to that. 

Have you ever heard that “it takes about five minutes for a guest to decide whether he/she will come back?” 

You see that it’s not just about the songs you sing in worship or the beautiful messages your Pastor delivers. 

It comes down to you, or each one of us, who are already a member of the Church. 

Ask yourself: “Am I life and energy-giving?” “Am I present as I bump into people, including our guests?” 

People choose to visit your Church. That’s a mental activity, which takes place in the mind (and spirit). 

The choice translates into action as they come to Church. Once at your Church, they only decide to come back depending on the energy and life they feel.

The energy and life they feel are what connects them with you and the other people in your Church. 

This feeling occurs in the soul (and heart). The idea of coming back to your Church comes out of the energy and life they experience as they walk into your Church building. 

 

Your Turn Now

 

Making someone want to join your Church is the responsibility for you and everyone else in your Church. What you should pray about is, therefore, to ask God to make you life-giving, energy-giving, always there for everyone who walks into your Church building during the week or on Sundays. God’s Word dwelling in you will make you and all the others establish a community everyone would want to belong.