Many people shared about topics as far ranging as 'money and how not to love it', 'bringing up children in Christian community', 'building sharpening relationships' and so on.
I was given the task of answering the question 'Why should Christians live in community?' (in four minutes!)
I came up with 33 reasons. Some of them could well be qualified - but having been given only four minutes I decided not to bother. So here they are... unqualified!
Why should Christians live in community?
1. Because Jesus had a common purse and if it’s good enough for Him, it’s good enough for us
2. Because Jesus taught us to pray to ‘our Father’ for ‘our daily bread’ not to ‘my Father’ for ‘my daily bread’
3. Because in the same prayer, Jesus taught us to pray ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. Does anyone have personal possessions in heaven? Does anyone clear off or move away in heaven?
4. Because in the same prayer, Jesus taught us to pray ‘Deliver us from evil’ which includes evil like selfishness, covetousness, pride in possessions, and wealth for self
5. Because how else can you ‘lay down your life for your brother’
6. Because when the first church received the Spirit they were ‘all together and had all things in common’
7. Because one washing machine between just 2 or 3 people is a waste compared with one between 7 or 8
8. Ditto cooker
9. Ditto fridge
10. Ditto car
11. Ditto house
12. Because if we are devoted to God, we will hate money (or so Jesus said)
13. Because community is economical and frees funds for the kingdom
14. Because community is practical and frees time for the kingdom
15. Because Jesus said more about money than He did about heaven
16. Because if your were to sum up what Jesus said about money when He was mentioning it more than heaven, you’d get something like ‘get rid of it, don’t have any for yourself, bind it and force it to serve God, be wise with it’. Try doing that without sharing it!
17. Because community is fertile ground for training disciples
18. Because community shows you who you really are and means you get beyond romantic fantasy into reality
19. Because your whole life should be church
20. Because it’s impossible to live in community – so it has to be a miracle and God’s good at miracles
21. Because community brings us into true brotherhood
22. Because no-one’s going to persecute you for living in a three bedroom semi and Jesus said ‘blessed are the persecuted’
23. Because community creates opportunities for industry and service
24. Because community makes church family rather than institution
25. Because community means that we ‘live in the church and go to the world rather than living in the world and going to church’
26. Because what else does ‘love not the world’ mean?
27. Because salvation is not just spiritual or even moral and spiritual – but spiritual, moral, social, political and economic!
28. Because God is a community of 3 in 1
29. Because we will live in community forever after Jesus returns
30. Because ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing – and wealth!’
31. Because it is the lifestyle of true love
32. Because people are looking for love
33. Because all arguments against living in community are ultimately selfish
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