“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

As of today, there are around 8.2 billion people in this world. Have you ever wondered why God created us in such large numbers? One obvious reason is that God doesn’t want us to live alone.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word ‘community’ means people living in one particular area or people who are considered a unit because of their common interests, social group, or nationality.

Therefore, we all live in a community. Nobody lives alone in a literal sense. Today we’re going to talk about Christian communities. This term includes all Christians in general which means Christians who fellowship together and have a relationship with one another.

The original Greek word for church is ekklesia. It means assembly or gathering. When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we become part of the universal body of Christ.

So we come together in small groups within our local churches to worship God, to grow in our understanding of God’s word, and to live out our lives in Christ in the community.

The topic for today is how a Christian community should exude warmth.

Foster Authentic Relationship

When we have an authentic relationship with each other, it is more than just a social gathering. This involves deep, meaningful relationships where everyone uplifts and supports each other. We practise this by loving one another, forgiving one another and praying for each other.

Whenever our brother or sister in Christ is in need, we ought to help out willingly.

It’s because acts of kindness and compassion create a warm atmosphere within our church.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 NIV

Furthermore, a simple gesture like greeting each other after our Sunday service is one of the low-hanging fruits that we can foster in BIC.

Commit to Spiritual Growth

Can you tell what is the difference between a social club and Christian community? 

If we only eat and have fun together, then we will be no different than a social club. Christian community should be united on one purpose which is to grow spiritually to become more like Christ. 

When we make crude jokes, talk about money all the time, and boast about our possessions, then these habits hinder our character transformation into Christlikeness.

I would say that if the trajectory of our character is not becoming more like Christ, we all should be concerned. Once we’re saved (one-time event), our characters will be sanctified (life-long process). 

Sanctification is not an option. God will use numerous methods to accomplish this. One of them is when we’re being planted in a church.

So let us encourage each other to grow in faith and stand firm against deception so that we can embody the fullness of Christ.

“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13 NIV

Reach Out to Your Neighbours

Last, just like the early disciples, we can start within our local neighbourhood. We can reach out to our next-door neighbours, serve, and build relationships. We should extend this warmth beyond our church.

So next time you see a neighbour in need, you shall offer to help without hesitation. It’s because this is what our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 25.

They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:44-46 NIV

Conclusion

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:11-12 NIV

Since God loved us first by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, therefore we must love one another. Let this be the motivation for us to love one another.

Remember, warmth is about more than just friendliness, it’s about living out Christ’s love together.

Simply put, a Christian community is full of believers who love Jesus and fellowship with each other. The warmth of our church grounded in authentic fellowship is a beautiful reflection of God’s love.

Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding us to be a loving community that exudes warmth. May we live in unity, support each other and forgive one another so that we may become witnesses to the world. Grant us the ability to build such a community in BIC by the power of your Holy Spirit, where Your love is evident in every interaction that we encounter in our daily lives. So that when others meet us, they may also see the true love of You, our Lord, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.