A Community of Holy Friends

Acts 20:32

October 29, 2006 AM

Pastor Brad Dyrness

Sparks Nazarene Church

 

"Create Community, make a difference in someone's day." 

 

Acts 20:32  “Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends."

 

Matthew 10:40 Jesus says we're to be intimately linked in the work…

 

John 15:5 Jesus says we’re connected like a vine and its branches. 

 

Jesus speaks of a loving intimate relationship that we can have with Him.  Not by our efforts or our sacrifices, but by His sacrifice. 

 

It is strengthened and made complete buy our relationship to a…

 

…Community of Holy Friends.

 

Genesis 1 & 2, "It's all good…"

 

… Then when God looked at man he said…

"Not so good."

 

Genesis 2:18 … it is not good for man to be alone! 

 

It is before the Fall.  Adam was still in perfect union with God - there had been no SIN and yet God said Adam needed someone else!

 

God says: "Here are my blessings and expectations - here is the call to live in obedience…"

 

Adam stood alone with the call to obey God and the Father looks down and says that this is not so good!

 

God made us with a God shaped hole in our hearts that only He can fill ~  He also made a human shaped hole that God doesn't fill - he made us to be in this -

 

Community of Holy Friends

 

Ecclesiastes 4:12 ~ Mark 6:7  ~ Matthew 18:19-20

 

"Creating Community" by Andy Stanley

 

"When we aren't in meaningful relationships we suffer natural consequences.

 

Alone we:

1.      Lose Perspective  Acts 20:31 Be On Guard

Ephesians 6:12

 

We need others to help point us back to true north.

 

Isolation also promotes:

 

2.      Fear of Intimacy -  Love is risky but pays big rewards.

 

3.      Selfishness - Isolation breeds selfishness - my, my, my…

 

4.      Poor Health

 

God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) to have relationship with us… God models community in the trinity.  He invites us to that same community with other believers. 

 

SO… Benefits of being in close relationship with others…

 

Acts 20:32  32

 

1.      We are shaped by both God’s hand and the hands of those we are in community with

2.      We better understand what God is trying to do in our lives

3.      He gives us what we need

4.      We are becoming Holy! (set apart) not perfect.

 

Look to someone close to you and say… I really do need you!