Community is not the problem; biblical community is. Let me explain. Let’s take college football, for example. I love college football. I wake up on Saturday mornings and watch commentators and analysts discuss the day’s games, predicting wins, losses, and upsets. I have my favorite college football team’s schedule on my calendar. I talk with other fans about my team, what is going well, and how we are blowing it. I buy apparel to wear to outwardly support my team. I invite others to know more about my team and connect with like-minded people. When I can, I go to games to support my team. I am a passionate fan and a part of my favorite team’s community.

 It is not just me. This happens all over the nation. Passionate fans gather with others to cheer on, support, and encourage the hometown team. And for the most part, this is a good and exciting thing as long as it does not cross into becoming an idol. The main takeaway is that people aren’t scared of the community. Why may Christ followers not be as excited about biblical community? Why can’t we gather together to cheer on, support, and encourage to make disciples of Jesus Christ?

 What is biblical community, and how does it differ from any other community effort?

 Biblical community is when you leverage your influence to lovingly invite others to lean into the instruction that transforms our lives. (Acts 2:42-47)

Leverage your influence. Who is in your circle of influence? These are the people you spend the most time with. How do you identify who they are? You go to sporting events, concerts, and school functions with these people. You invite these people to your house in the summer for a grill out. These are the people you celebrate life’s victories and struggles with.

Simply put, the people you are in close relationship with. There is friendship, trust, and accountability when there is a relationship. When these things are evident, you influence their lives, and they affect your life. The question becomes, what do you do with this influence? Christ followers, do you leverage it for the Kingdom of God or waste it? Do you speak eternal Truth into the lives of people you know, or do you talk about last Saturday’s game?

Acts 2:44 (ESV), “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

Lovingly Invite. When there is an atmosphere of friendship, trust, and accountability, this creates the window to invitation. What is the invitation? The invitation is to be a part of and invite others to something bigger than oneself, the mission of God. We need to connect not only with each other but also with each other in the biblical community to discover who God is and how He continually changes lives.

Acts 2:46 (ESV), “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,”

Lean into Instruction. The Bible is the main difference between social groups/clubs and biblical communities. Without the Bible, small groups don’t exist. This is why it is called biblical community. The Bible is the story of God: what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. It, very simply put, is a life-changer. Our mission as Christ followers should be to leverage our influence to invite others to discover the most remarkable story ever told—to sit with each other on a couch in a living room with open Bibles and hearts and the willingness to do whatever to make the name of Jesus famous.

Acts 2:42 (ESV), “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

What is the bottom line, the result? Souls are saved, and sanctification is strong. Acts 2:47 (ESV), “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”