Support Community for Surprise Calls
Luke 1:39-45
Digging Deeper
KEY QUOTES
"Surprise callings require a support community."
"While we long for community, at the same time, our culture, in particular, struggles with it, finding it and being in it."
"There's something about the holidays that tends to reveal either the abundance or the absence of community."
"When we find community, our lives are enhanced, but not only that, something beautiful, something glorious, something praiseworthy flows from our lives."
Mary received unexpected news from the angel Gabriel, who told her she would become the mother of the Son of God. Gabriel also shared exciting family news with Mary. Her relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant and expecting a baby in her old age. God knew Mary needed support and community, which Elizabeth could provide. Mary had to work through what God had called her to do as a young girl. Who better to help her than Elizabeth?
Scripture shared that Mary went to see Elizabeth with haste. Mary had to travel over 100 miles uphill, and Mary was pregnant. When Mary arrived, she was blessed and encouraged as Elizabeth prophesied through the power of the Holy Spirit in Luke 1:42-45, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
God provided Mary with community through her relative Elizabeth, which was a safe and an encouraging place where Mary could process her call from God. Today, as we are a part of a believing church community, let us love one another and bless each other, urging each other forward to follow God's calling in faith. As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 states, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up."
WHAT NOT TO MISS
The main point is that surprise callings require a support community.
Suppose we have had a surprise from God that especially contains a paradox. In that case, we will need to find a support community just like Mary had a support community with Elizabeth.
While we long for community, at the same time, our culture, in particular, struggles with it, finding it and being in it.
Five reasons why we struggle with community today in our culture:
1) False belief that we don't need it
2) Don't know what it is
3) Busyness
4) Fear of being known
5) Egotistical, narcissistic and self-centered people (ruggedly individualistic)
Four facets/aspects of community from the passage where Mary visits Elizabeth
I. Why do you need community?
-Mary goes straight to someone going through something similar in her life.
-Based on what we see at the very beginning, community is:
Theological/Ontological (Community is part of our nature)
Missional/Functional (Community is where we live out our purpose)
Practical/Beneficial (Community benefits us personally)
II. Where do you find community?
-Between Mary and Elizabeth, we see three building blocks that form or give birth to community.
Shared faith (belief)
Shared experiences (events, situations, interests, circumstances, seasons, background, culture)
Shared hope (expectations, goals, anticipation)
-Community is found and forged with people who share a mutual belief, experiences and hope.
-Community is formed between Mary and Elizabeth. It's forged between people of different ages, backgrounds and socio-economic statuses.
-The shared beliefs, experiences and hope create community that has the power to unite people of diversity.
-Community can be found in various places and with various kinds of people.
-Community can happen in various environments, and within various kinds of groups.
-The church should model an authentic, true and life-giving community.
III. What does community look like (in practice)?
-Five principles regarding what community looks like in practice:
Biblical community receives you as you are and invites you into their life.
Biblical community is where the Spirit is present.
Biblical community is where elevation happens.
Biblical community celebrates and affirms the demonstrated faith.
Biblical community is where shared life happens.
IV. What happens when you find community?
-Three things happen when one finds biblical community:
Peace
Persistence
Praise
-Community does the following in our lives:
Strengthens us
Forms us and shapes us
Brings great joy to our lives
Mary remembered not only the surprise call but also Elizabeth as her support community. When you have a surprise call, you'll need a support community!
LIFE APPLICATION
During this season of Advent, think about your relationship with different communities of which you are a part. Classify them as relational communities (i.e., family, friends, support groups), social communities (i.e., neighbors, clubs, affinity groups) and spiritual communities (i.e., church, Life2Groups, prayer groups). Where might you have gaps in your community relationships? How could you make the community relationships in your life even stronger?
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Who do you turn to when you have great news or troubling news?
What did Gabriel share with Mary about her relative Elizabeth?
Why do you think Mary went to visit Elizabeth?
What did Elizabeth prophesy about Mary?
How is having a supportive community important for every believer?
DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE PASSAGES
Day 1: Community Cares - Matthew 25:40; 1 Peter 5:7; Galatians 6:2
Day 2: Community Supports - Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 3:17-18; Exodus 17:12
Day 3: Community Shares - James 2:14-17; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9
Day 4: Community Understands - 1 Corinthians 1:10; John 8:32; Matthew 7:12
Day 5: Community Loves - John 3:16; John 15:13; Galatians 5:14
PRAYER
Lord, I am thankful for the community that surrounds and encourages me. Help me to value community and see ways that I can be a vital part of supporting the communities of which I am a part with my time, talents and treasures. Help me to be an encouragement to others, like Elizabeth was to Mary. Give me insight, compassion and wisdom to love and care for others. During this Advent season, let me be a witness of Your love, sharing the good news that Jesus is the Savior of the world with neighbors and nations.
