What Does Real Community Look Like?
Pastor Jake continued our recent sermon series, “Belong,” with a message that centered on the deep longing for true community—a longing that is not just a human desire, but something God has hardwired into each of us. Throughout history, people have tried to create utopian communities, only to find that without the right foundation, these efforts quickly unravel. The early church, as described in Acts 2, offers a compelling vision of what real Christian community looks like: a people devoted to sharing life, studying the Word, and living on mission together.
Key Takeaways
-Vulnerability is the Gateway to True Community
Real Christian community is built on openness and authenticity, not on hiding behind charm, knowledge, or spiritual language. When we bring our struggles and sins into the light with trusted brothers and sisters, we experience both healing and deeper relationships. God’s design is that we would be known and loved as we truly are, not as we pretend to be, and this requires courage to step out of hiding. Only in this space can the power of sin be broken and genuine fellowship—koinonia—be born.
-The Word of God Must Move from Information to Transformation
Studying Scripture together is essential, but the goal is not just to accumulate knowledge. In community, we help each other see where our lives don’t align with God’s truth, gently admonishing and encouraging one another toward obedience. The difference between a Pharisee and a disciple is not what they know, but how they live. True spiritual maturity is measured by a life increasingly shaped by the Word, not just a mind filled with it.
-Mission Flows Out of Authentic Community
When believers love one another sacrificially and live in unity, the world takes notice. Our relationships become the most compelling evidence of the gospel’s power, drawing in those who are hungry for real connection. Inviting non-believers into our gatherings—simply to experience the love and fellowship of God’s people—can be the doorway to faith for many. Mission is not an add-on to community; it is the natural overflow of it.
-Cultivating Community Requires Persistent Commitment
Acts 2 describes a people who “devoted themselves” to community, refusing to quit even when it was hard or imperfect. In our culture of quick exits and consumer preferences, we are called to be cultivators—those who stay, invest, and labor to bring God’s vision of community to life. The fruit of deep relationships, spiritual growth, and mission only comes to those who persistently press in, even when it costs us comfort or convenience.
-The Holy Spirit is the Source and Sustainer of True Community
No amount of human effort can manufacture the kind of fellowship described in Acts 2. It is the Spirit who unites us, fills us with love, and empowers us to live vulnerably, obediently, and missionally. Our role is to surrender, to open our hearts and hands, and to ask God to do in us what we cannot do ourselves. As we yield to the Spirit, He forms us into the kind of community that reveals Jesus to the world.
Community Groups
Interested in joining a Community Group? These groups are designed to help us see what real community looks like as we share life, dig into Scripture, and live out God’s truths alongside one another. Click the orange button below to fill out the form.
Reflection Questions
- Pastor Jake said, “People can’t love who you pretend to be; they can only love who you really are.” Is there an area of your life you tend to hide from others in Christian community? What would it look like to take a step toward vulnerability this week?
- When you read or study the Bible, do you tend to focus more on gaining knowledge or on living it out? What is one way you can help others and/or others can help you move from information to transformation?
- Jake shared a story about a friend gently correcting the speaker using Scripture. Have you ever received or given gentle correction in Christian community? How did it go, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Jake challenged us to be “cultivators, not consumers” of community. What is one area where you tend to give up or check out when community gets hard? How can you press in and persist this season?
- Jake ended his sermon by reminding us that only the Holy Spirit can create this kind of community. What is one way you can surrender to the Spirit’s work in your relationships this week?
Watch the Message
Worship Songs from Sept 7
- “On Earth As In Heaven”
- “Spirit Of The Living God”
- “Made For More”
Listen to the songs we play on Sundays by clicking the image below to access our Spotify playlist!
