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Community Outside the Camp

August 04, 2013

Passage: Hebrews 13:10-14 Speaker: Pastor Jon Kopp Series: Community

Length: 49 mins 14 secs Plays: 4274

Speaker: Jon Kopp - When you think of community, what comes to mind? Is community life at Gospel Grace like Rudyard Kipling said, “all the people like us are we, and everyone else is they”? Is community one big, happy family time? In a way, we all want it to be, don’t we? We like that feeling of “just us.” We like to be in our comfort zones and at ease. The horrible phrase, “out of our comfort zones” gives us chills. Through our series on community, we have seen the aspects of community that allow us to be ourselves. We don’t have to hide here. We can be genuine here. Not because we only surround ourselves with people who like us and are like us, but because Jesus breaks down all the things that make us different so we are free to love one another and be loved by one another. Yes, community is life together in loving fellowship with other Christians, but that is not all that community is. Hebrews 13:12-14 shows us another aspect of community. Community does not spend all of its time building a city for itself where those inside stay inside. Community isn’t just cozy “family time.” Community actually goes somewhere. As God makes a community around His grace, what does it do? Where does it go? As we are seeking to become the community that is Gospel Grace, are we going inward or outward? Our text is going to give us some answers. And from Hebrews 13:12-13, we will learn the answer to this question: Where does healthy community go? Healthy community goes with Jesus toward need, not comfort. That is the resounding command of our text, and our text is going to tell us why and how. May God give us grace to go outside the gate to bear the reproach of His name.