Aletheia Church Boston

Church is… Functional Community

// February 5th, 2010 // Boston, Vision

As Christians, we know that we have been reconciled to God and we are able to enjoy a relationship with Him. Sometimes we forget that God also reconciles us to each other.  God’s design for the church is that all prejudices and external barriers would be removed from His people in order for Him to move through them.

The Bible teaches that Christians are to come together in a community that resembles a functional family.  Here are a couple passages to ponder:

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

God is concerned about our relationships with others.  As God changes our lives, He also joins us together relationally with other believers that He might dwell among us and allow us to not only grow in our knowledge of Him (the apostles teaching), but live life and make an impact in our city together.

God historically works primarily through communities of people.  Yes, today as in New Testament times, there are leaders who serve and guide the church. But it is through the lives and efforts of the collective church that God’s truth and love are shown, catalyzing change within a culture.

Lets pray for Aletheia to be a community of Christ-followers who genuinely love God, love each other, and love our city.  Lets pray that our church would not only bless those who do not know God, but would enjoy the favor of Boston to the level that God would add to our number daily those were being saved.