Together in Groups

Let’s open our bibles to Matthew chapter 4. We’re actually going to be moving around in the Bible as we look at a what together in groups means to us at momentum church. We’re called to be together. Do you remember what unity means? Unity is when we as a group make a conscience decision and a covenant to love and to live for one another in Jesus Christ. So what does it look like to be together in groups?

Let’s start with our Scripture. You should have your bibles open to Matthew 4. Here’s some context. Jesus was isolated in the wilderness for 40 days. If you remember last week I said there is good isolation. But we’re never meant to be complete isolated off from others. And if there’s one thing we learn from isolation and being alone, is that it can cause moments where we have our greatest spiritual battles against the enemy of our souls.

But after this isolation in the wilderness, what does Jesus do? He begins to build his community and he does that by calling the disciples. Let’s look at it in Matthew, 4 verse 18. 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Jesus, the teacher, the rabbi just gave them an offer of the lifetime. He’s saying, come follow me. That was every jewish boys dream. It was such a great honor to have a rabbi say, follow me. At 12 or 13, the boys transitioned into a new way of life. Either a rabbi would say, follow me, or they would be sent back home to learn the family trade. And I dunno about you, but if I put myself in the shoes of these young kids, I would feel discouraged.

What if I really wanted to be my rabbi’s disciple but I didn’t get picked so I had to mend fishing nets, and fish for stinky fish, and be smelly, cold, and wet all the time to make a living. Fishing is great when it’s leisure, but so much when it becomes your bread and butter. But here’s the encouragement that I get from this moment… when Jesus tells Peter and Andrew, and James and John, to, follow me.

Jesus is saying to them.. I have a new way of life for you. Drop everything you’re doing and follow me. I think about that.. and I go… wow.. isn’t that my life? I’ve given a lot up to follow Jesus and to pursue the calling he has on my life. And did you notice this.. he didn’t call the most choice of people. I would even go as far as to say they were ordinary men.

It’s almost like entrepreneurs hearing this call, start this new thing with me. We’re gonna change the world. And that’s what he’s telling these disciples. That’s what I wanna do with my life, whatever this is, I have Jesus and others and I want to do whatever it is you’re calling me into. Like, Jesus….. You’re calling me to be your disciple. I’m in.. I’ll do it. That’s what’s also pretty incredible about this passage, Jesus is picking his disciples.

And he picks the most random ordinary people. People just like you and me. Hoagie slingers. Cleaning people. Factory workers. High schoolers. House wife's. Retirees. Ordinary people.. Jesus is saying, come, follow me, be my disciple. If you’re a christian that’s why your here today. And of course, they do what? They followed him. They dropped everything and followed him. And I pray that we we would do the same. Become a disciple.

So what’s the first step in this process… well it’s proximity. These disciples got close. They gathered. They surrounded Jesus. And for me, just know, he didn’t pick the best crew. He didn’t pick all these people that fits his personality. He picked a bunch of rag tag group of disciples, and that’s what where we are as a church. Ordinary people hearing Jesus saying, come follow me. We’re all living different stages of life, but we just need to be in proximity with each other.

Let me prove this to you. All throughout the gospel of Matthew Peter would continually have rage issues. If you have watched the Chosen it’s very evident in season 1 and 2 that there is abrasion between Matthew and Peter. John poke fun at Peter as well… remember, John puts in his gospel that he beats Peter in a. Foot race, and not only that but emphasis that he is the disciples that Jesus loves.

Peter is over here mouthing off, chopping of other peoples ears. He’s worried about what other people think of him… he sounds like me. Andrew, is doubting. James and John are called the sons of thunder not because of farting… but Jesus is saying, guys.. you got rage issues. You should be like me, humble in heart, and gentle, but you’re thundering all the time. And so, they have problems. They fear.

They question. They fail. And so hear me… when it comes to community life.. Jesus isn’t looking for maturity. He was looking for availability. Do you want Jesus to use you in your life? Then get in proximity of Jesus and others and make yourself available. So many people say, man, I don’t have any friends. Do you even show up? I’ve heard it so many times.. I wish I had friends…

where were you when others gathered? I’m struggling with my faith. Where are you when the church gathers? Get in the proximity of others. I’m an introvert. I get it. It’s harder for you. But find a way. Find a way… I know it’s hard.. but trust me it’s important so that your faith can grow…. How do I know that.. Well that leads me to the next part of community.

Look with me in chapter 8 and find verse 23.. 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” The disciples get in proximity of one another and Jesus and follow Jesus into a boat. What happens? A storm comes. Right? Think about it. As soon as they get together, and you find in chapter 8, a man is cleansed, they witness the faith of a Centurion, there’s healings at Capernaum, Jesus talks about the cost of following him, and then leads his disciples into a storm.

Can I Just ask… when we gather at church do you think we’ll never experience storms together? You and I know that’s not true. We have storms of misunderstanding. We will experience storms of being let down by someone. We will face the storm of hardships with money, and things breaking, and people leaving. And how many times, does it feel like we follow Jesus in a calling, or in anything…

and all of a sudden we get into a storm and we run to Jesus, just to feel like Jesus is just sleeping? Like, where are you Jesus in this storm? Are you not seeing this Jesus? How many times does it seem like when we go through storms, God is asleep? Where are you God? I’m here. You told me to be here. God, I’m here only because I followed you, I was led but he Spirit to be here.

And now I feel like you’re nowhere at all. This is what I’ve leaned about faith. There’s going to be many times, God doesn’t fix the problem I am in until I have deeply felt the depth of the problem and until I’ve really come know how much I need Jesus in the situation. God brings us into the storm to help us realize how much we need Jesus. And so here is what I believe God is doing among our storms and within a community of followers.

I believe the next step after proximity, is that he is calling his community to vulnerability. The issue we have many times is that.. we tend to privatize vulnerability in our lives. We’re afraid to cry in front of others. We’re afraid to show emotion, and we’re afraid to make mistakes or ask questions. And many times, we’re afraid because we’re worried about what others would say, or think about us being vulnerable.

When a community sweats together, and is scared together, and gets hurt together, that vulnerability creates a deeper intimacy of friendship. You find this true many times in war. Men who fight for thier life together, in the trenches together, trying to stay alive together,… it creates this bond between them. A flowing and growing Jesus community requires vulnerability… and that’s why I said earlier… if you’re an introvert. Make a way to be vulnerable, not distant and unapproachable.

Really it’s trusting Jesus, and for you introverts, what a beautiful opportunity to trust Jesus to guide you, while strengthening you. That’s two parts of community, the third part comes from Matthew chapter chapter nine, so turn with me there. So look at this progression in Matthew. Jesus calls some of the disciples, and they are following him, the get in proximity to Jesus. Jesus then takes his disciples onto a boat and they just go through a major hardship.

They face vulnerability together. But now, Jesus is about to rock the boat some more. What does Jesus do in Matthew chapter 9… he calls Matthew the tax collector. This is insane. A tax collector? Now to be disciple of Jesus? I can only imagine Peter… Jesus. Are you sure? That guy! Know one likes tax collectors. They not only betray thier own people, but also GOd. But yet Jesus still calls Matthew to follow him.

Let’s watch it together. What we learn about community through the calling of Matthew is this… A community of disciples learn to practice together. After Jesus’s isolation in the wilderness. What does Jesus do? He preaches the best sermon ever… the Beatitudes. Fast forward and what do we see, Jesus has assembled this pool of messy, messed up and broken disciples, and he brings them within proximity of one another, to where you can only imagine this is going to not only cause internal abrasion, but also external with the pharisees, and he begins to teach them to practice what he preaches.

Think about it. The beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And now, around a table. Where the jewish people believe is one of the most intimate things you can do, which is bring people around a table where forginvess is offered, and friendship and community. He says, not with words, but by his actions, you, as my disciples must live this way.

Like me. What he is teaching his disciples is this… They were learning to practice hospitality. They were learning to forgive, to listen, to serve. They were leaning to love on the least of these. The outcast, the forgotten, the invisible people. Even in front of of critics who say… I can’t believe you’re mingling with “Those” people. And I promise you, don’t think for a moment that these fishermen were not extremely stressed out that they were eating with and sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners, and pharisees saw it.

I can promise you this.. it was uncomfortable for them. Although these were ordinary rough men.. they followed the torah. They loved God. They grew up memorizing the Torah and now they’re over here eating grapes, laughing and carrying on with sinners and a tax collector. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have been to be there. Have you ever been in a moment where you were embarrassed by who your around?

If someone sees me, what would they think. This person is known as this, or that. I hear this all the time… well the Bible says to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” What was Jesus teaching them? Jesus is teaching them rethink your way of community. You see, here’s a truth for you…I believe people can be vulnerable, and even in proximity, close to one another and not loving towards one another.

We can gather every Sunday, and every Wednesday and still not love one another around these tables. Because practicing is not so much as doing as much as it’s being loving towards others. I’m going to let you in on a secrete.. maybe you know, maybe you don’t. Have you noticed how we start off our time together on Wednesday nights. I ask questions like, what’s one prayer you hope GOD WILL ANSWER?

What is something you’re praying, that GOd will come through for you this week? Those are vulnerability questions. They are questions that do two things. One, they show me how vulnerable you’re becoming within the group. Im gauging our walk together. But just as important, I’m seeing how as a loving community respond to someones vulnerability. And I’ve got to say.. last week, no names, but one of us opened up and did you see how the group responded.

We got in closer proximity to that person, laid hands on them, and prayed. Now, that person could have left here still burdened, but they didnt leave here believing they were alone in this walk of faith. :ast Wednesday, we got in proximity, all of us God vulnerable and then we practiced the power of prayer. A healthy community practices together. Finally, the fourth characteristic to begin together Which comes from Matthew chapter 10, let's read it together…

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

And now, lets read verse 8.. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. So, lets see… 12 disciples. This was Jesus’s together group. This was Jesus’s Sunday morning, Wednesday night together group that’s been in proximity of each other, vulnerable in ministry and have watched Jesus practice, and now they are given direction and an opportunity to practice all of these things, to heal, raise the dead, cleanse the church and drive out demons.

Fishermen.Tax collectors. Doubters. Betrayers. Zealots. And more All in one group. And I know, this is not the best together group, but yet they’re all together. We’ve got to understand something… Communities are messy, and when God brings others here, it just keeps getting messier. Jesus in verse 8 gathers his group and begins saying, ok, you’ve lived together, been vulnerable together, practiced together. But now Jesus says, okay, I brought you in, to send you out into this community.

What we have here, within our group… go do it out there. Listen, what you do in here and why we do it isn’t to get people in the seats. What we’re doing is to restore relationships. It’s to pray to God, to heal people of their sicknesses. It’s to renew people’s minds from depression and anxiety. It’s to adopt all kinds of messy people into our family and we expand the kingdom of God together, as we grow together.

And I honesty need to walk us through this because I believe that none of us will be formed like Jesus, if we refuse to be together. You see, Jesus sends out the 12 and the last part is this… a community that is living for Jesus will be a community on mission for Jesus. A disciple of Jesus who’s walking by the Spirit, led by the Spirit and living by the Spirit would be a disciple who’s on mission.

Are you living on mission? Are you living on mission with this community? What does mission look like. We serve together. Everyone is making a great effort to be at our service projects. It’s helping each other and encouraging each other as you’re witnessing to your coworkers, coming up with strategies to invite people to church, whatever it is, can you imagine. If we began to create this kind of community at Momentum church, and I believe we can do it, but if we lived on mission together, this church will grow.

But we have to do it together. There is no other way… than to be together. Thats the beauty of communion. Jesus takes the cup and the bread when he gets his disciples in proximity of one another. And then he gets vulnerable. He washed their feet. He gives them a practice… we call it the holy supper and then what did Jesus do? Does anyone know… he went out into the garden to pray but why?m What was about to happen.

(That’s right. He was to be crucified for our sins.) What was Jesus showing his disciples and to us???? Do ever think about it? He was showing us, how to live, and how to be on mission… for God’s will, and for God’s glory. And now, he places his Holy Spirit in us, so that’s proximity. He leads us into vulnerable moments together…. And he forms us into the image of Jesus though circumstances and practices.

And then leads us to be on mission. *