Healthy community is a goal for every church, but cultivating it is challenging. Even the first century church that the Apostle Peter wrote to in 1 Peter had to be encouraged to work towards a healthy community.
Watch and Pray
In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter writes, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”
The state of the world today indicates that we are rapidly getting closer to the day of Christ’s return. As we see “the day” approaching, we need to be mindful of how we live. Preparing for Christ’s return does not mean hiding in a cave and isolating from the world while stockpiling food. Rather, it means focusing on living as the salt and light of the world, being self-controlled and sober minded. To be sober minded is to use right judgment, to have steady and clear thinking. If you are sober minded in this world, you will not be drawn to false teaching regarding the return of Christ. Instead, you will be focused on preparing for his return.
If our minds are confused, we will have an unfocused prayer life. It is crucial that we are people of prayer, watchful, alert, and sober minded as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Peter wrote these words with his own painful memory in mind. Jesus asked him to watch and pray, but Peter fell asleep and couldn’t pray with Jesus as he fought the greatest battle in human history before going to the Cross (see Mark 14).
There is no place for listless prayers in the Church; we need to be alert and energized in our prayer warfare.
Love One Another
Peter continued in verse 8, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins”.
Within the body of Christ, we must prioritize loving one another earnestly and with intentionality. We can only love with the love that comes from God; it is a supernatural love by the Spirit of God. It is not an optional extra (see John 13:34).
It is always humbling to realize how little grace we have for someone we don’t know and love, yet for someone we love, we are quick to overlook an offense. Out of relationship comes grace.
If someone is bothering you, take the time to learn about them. Get to know them and see how God has uniquely designed them to be a blessing to the church—including to you.
Show Hospitality to One Another
In verse 9, Peter exhorts the church to be hospitable, which is a spiritual gift and essential for a healthy church community. This is not the sole function of a small team in the church; it is everyone’s responsibility. We cannot outsource this command.
Serve One Another
In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul teaches about the spiritual gifts given to the church for the health of the church. Peter underlines the fact that these gifts are for us to steward within the church family (see 1 Peter 4:10).
If you are not serving one another, you are missing out by not exercising the gift God has given you. Everyone is gifted differently, and we all have differing roles to play.
Two Spiritual Gifts
In verse 11 Peter highlights two gifts, “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies…”
- Teaching: This is more than simply information transfer; this is declaration of the truths of God’s word. This is the crucial declaration of the Bible in the church.
- Serving: Serving one another in the Body of Christ.
Why are these two so important?
In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul wrote, “…But earnestly desire the higher gifts.”
What are the higher gifts?
I would like to propose that the higher gifts are the servant gifts. The gifts done in secret, the “non-platform” gifts (see what Jesus said in Matthew 20:26).
Prescription for a Healthy Church
In the context of the church, we value worship, prayer, missions, compassion and various forms of ministry, but what did the early church value?
In Acts 2 we see that the early church devoted themselves to a few things.
Preaching of the Word
Acts 2:42, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Recently, an increasingly loud group of voices say that we don’t need preaching in the church. They suggest that we simply gather, worship, and discuss the Bible together.
But the Bible constantly shows us that preaching or declaring God’s Word has always been God’s method for equipping His people, even in the Old Testament.
As the Apostle Paul trained and encouraged Timothy, his young church planter, he never focused on the worship band, the building aesthetics, the welcome team and the free coffee… no, he instructed Timothy to, “preach the word” (see 2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Eric Spady preached on this text at my ordination in 2014, and it has always been my primary goal, to faithfully declare the truths of God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A church without declaration of the Word of God will starve to death.
Sacrificial Community
Acts 2:44-45, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need”
This is not communism, rather it is how they voluntarily showed each other that they valued one another above earthly things.
One of the most valued commodities in our culture is our time. We value “me time”; we want flexibility to do our own thing when we want to. But when we value community, we give of our time and serve one another.
When you are serving the Lord, you have the promise of the Lord’s supply. You are tapping into a supernatural resource, and it brings glory to God (see 1 Peter 4:11).
All for His Glory
This is what we were created for. This is our God ordained purpose, to declare the Gospel and to serve one another.
And it is all for His glory.