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The gospels tell us that the kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure which is worth everything we have. Many people think of this on an individual level, but it's actually more of a communal concept. While Christianity is deeply personal, it is not a private faith. This week, Jordan Thomas joins the Gary Wilkerson Podcast again to discuss how community is a key component in encouraging believers to continue seeking God. We are invited into a kingdom of people where we worship and pursue Christ together.
Key Points from the Podcast
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There is a dominant biblical theme that we are individually saved but immediately brought into a body of fellow believers and called to live in an adopted family.
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The three persons of God live in perfect harmony and love, and they call the body of Christ to be filled with the Spirit and live toward one another in a similar spirit of unity and love.
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Division in the church can be caused by methods of preaching, styles of music, community conventions like crying ‘amen’ during a sermon or staying silent. All of these expressions of Christianity have a valid place as long as they are focused on extolling Christ; the moment they become about anything else, they become divisive and problematic.
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Christianity is not a private faith, so how do we see ourselves as belonging to the body of Christ? How do we practically live that out in self-sacrifice for others and accountability to others?
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The greatest testimony to God’s greatness and goodness is often not an individual witness but a community living in unity, grace and love.
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Christians in the New Testament identified with a church as a whole rather than being primarily connected to a side ministry or small group. We need to be integrally connected to the larger body of the church in order to truly grow into maturity in Christ.
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If you want to grow in your faith, give yourself away. Seek to make other believers happy in Jesus. We cannot outgive God, and he will bless us abundantly as we pour into others.
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
Matthew 13:44-46, Philippians 2:10-11, Acts 17:1-9, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10, Acts 20:35, Hebrews 12:1-3, Revelation 22:3-5
References in the Podcast
- “Christ is the sum total of saving knowledge.” — David Dickson
- John Piper on Christian Hedonism
Additional podcast episodes with Pastor Jordan Thomas
About Pastor Jordan Thomas
God opened Jordan’s heart to believe the gospel during his freshman year of college. He has been preaching the gospel since 1997, is husband to Tracy, and has six children—four daughters and two sons. While serving with the other elders to provide soul-care to the flock at Grace Church Memphis, Jordan is a pastor-teacher overseeing vision and spiritual leadership. He also serves on the Lead Team of the Treasuring Christ Together Church Planting Network.
