By Pastor Chad
Given that I have attended church since I was in the womb, I have no idea what it’s like to be disconnected from a local body. In fact, I was 29 years old the first time I even walked into a church in which I didn’t know anyone. We have a special gift in Cedar Heights Baptist Church: the people, the memories, the mission, the community. Of course, the church isn’t a building, but the place in which we gather is also special. It signifies a vision and cohesion among the people that makes it also…sacred.
The most treasured part of the church is the love we have for one another. We have a community of brothers and sisters with which to walk this journey of faith. We need one another. God did not create us to be lone ranger Christians. We need other brothers and sisters to survive this call of Christ. We need one another to help when we fall. We need one another to encourage us on the hard days. We need one another to rejoice in the good days. That’s why church is so important.
Yet, it cannot be overlooked that the connection we have with one another comes due to the connection we have with Christ. Without Him, our community would be hollow and directionless. Without Christ, the church is pointless.
In John 15:12, Jesus repeats His command to love one another. He continues on by providing some qualifications for this community of love. In verse 17, Jesus says, “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” What does the “so that” refer to? It refers to the commands Jesus gave earlier in chapter 15. He tells His disciples to “abide in” and “obey” Him. Jesus has given us these commands so that we will love one another. That means, our love for one another is predicated on the fact that we obey Jesus. Our love for one another depends on us abiding in Jesus. Apart from Christ, we can never love one another as commanded. Apart from Christ, our love would be heartless.
Do you see what this means? In order to have a vibrant, authentic community that Jesus commands, one must first seek after Christ. To have a real community that loves one another sacrificially, one must obey Christ. To have a faithful community that cares for one another, one must first abide in Christ. Our community is founded upon and survives because of Christ. If we divorce ourselves from the priority of obeying and abiding in Christ, our community will dissolve away.