Easter 5 : Building Community
by Reverend Murray Spackman, Vicar.
Sunday 25 May, 2003
John 15:8-17. Hebrews. 10:19-25


One of the very early and still most  popular computer games, which has now been around for some time, is called “Sim City.”   It’s a computer simulation game in which you have the challenge of creating and maintaining a city.  Every component you add to the city, every change you make to its infrastructure, interacts with every other element of city life – just like in real life.    You – as the creator of that city – have the challenge to see how long you can maintain and even improve the life and quality and growth of the city in the face of these continually changing scenarios. If you make the right decisions at the right time – the city will grow and prosper; but if you make the wrong choices and decision – this simulated city will struggle and eventually die.

            In building this city, this community, - it is clear that it all hinges around the question of what you Do!  What you DO determines the outcome , for good or bad, of the life of the city.

                The same is true also, for the life of the church, as a Community.  The church is not just a collection of individuals -  but a community of people.

And in the first of the two Bible readings for this morning we have four  “let us’s”   which spell out what we are to do in order to grow and develop our life as a community together.

The first “let us” is in vs.22.    “Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water.”

            We build the church , as a community of faith, when we come together to mean business with God. “– come near to God –“      When we confess our sin, when we affirm one another in the faith we hold together, when we seek to know God better in our lives, and do it sincerely – when we mean business with God – then we are doing those things which build positively  the church community. 

But how do we “draw near to God” ?  Well I think we move in that direction when we do just the ordinary simple daily things that help us grow, spiritually.;- like when  we have our daily Bible reading and reflection; when we pray about the little things and the big things , - when we worship together –  these are all the simple but important ways by which we are building the community of the church.

We build a community, not by sitting around talking about it – but  by  DOING things.

And the first thing we do is by attending to our spiritual growth health and growth.

The second “let us” is about perseverance.   Verse 23. “Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep His promise.”   This is very practical, isn’t it!   It’s about hanging in there! Its about not giving up on God, or the church, when something goes wrong in your life, or someone annoys you, or your nose gets put out of joint. We can never build a community of love and care if, at the slightest hint of some disagreement  we turn our backs and walk out.!  That’s more the action of spoilt children than spiritually mature adults. Yet it happens!  I am often reminded, by lapsed parishioners, that the reason they no longer come to church is because of what a certain minister supposedly said to them many years ago. – and they have never come back ! – except when they want a funeral!

We build a community of faith when we persevere in our relationships. That’s what builds friendships, its what builds effective business teams, its what builds marriages that last the long haul.   Persevering!   As a church we don’t just grit our teeth and bear the problems. No – we hold on firmly to God, because we know we can trust Him to be with us in and through that situation.  Let us not give up, or give in on God.

The third “let us” for building the church as a Community is in verse 24, where the writer says  “Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.”

Building community is about doing positive stuff!  It’s about considering one another, helping one another to do good.  We are not in the church as isolated individuals , concerned only about ourselves, and our own spiritual life – No! -  we are concerned about the Church – the whole community together, and how we operate and function together.  And that means we think of others, - we DO things for others.

One church had as its Mission statement  - “Find a need and meet it; find a hurt and heal it.”

I think that’s a pretty worthwhile and God-honouring statement!.  It’s about DOING stuff for others!

It’s the opposite of criticising others, criticising the church for its weaknesses, for where it falls short, for its failings, for what it DOESN’T do!  Anyone in a leadership position will tell you that the most wearing, fatiguing, draining ,depressing aspect of leadership is where people feel especially called by God to let you know what is wrong with what you are doing!  And I will be honest with you and say that it happens here too!  Now I agree that there is always room for improvement  - and there is a right time and a right attitude which needs to be adopted in pointing out such faults , but if I am concerned for others, then what I will do first – before I complain - is to see what I can do to fix the problem, or make things better. If I see some obvious need – some gap – where things need to be done - then if I am concerned to build up this church community then I will offer to do what I can, to remedy the situation.  I will use all of my God-given gifts to build up the church. I will give my time, my talents, my treasure, my abilities, my energy.  – WHY? – because I want this Church Community to grow, to function as it should, to be strong, and to be God-honouring!  I praise God that we have so many people who are part of this parish – this community of faith, who do just that. They give sacrificially of their money, their time, their abilities – without counting the cost.    And they give as they would to God – for the simple reason that they ARE giving to God.  

The fourth “let us” moves us on another step and builds on this concern for one another.

Vs 25. says  “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.”

            God’s plan for the Church is that it be a community which reflects the values and the love of God. And in that community – in our church together – we will want to know God more, we will persevere through the up’s and down’s of life, we will be concerned for one another in practical ways…. And, fourthly, we will also encourage one-another to keep on with our worship together.

I am encouraged when I see you again here today, and next Sunday, and the Sunday after.