Every Sunday I stand before some courageous Christians who get what the Bible says about our desperate need for one another. They understand our inability to live the Christian life alone. Struggling forward locking arms, they grasp the universal teaching of Christ and the Apostles that we must learn not only to trust God with the truth about our lives, but we must also trust one another with the truth about our lives. These are friends who are living as if what the Bible says about community is true.

Sadly, tragically, there are believers choosing not to worship with us who are proving that they do not believe what the Bible says about community is true. Maybe someone hurt their feelings. Maybe they didn’t get their way. Maybe they’re waiting until they “get their Christian life together.” Maybe they have a secret.

I would be the last pastor to tell them they need to come to church to keep our numbers up.

But I do beg them to come to church because they need us and we need them.

Especially during times of suffering.

The Apostle Peter connects the suffering of our lives to our need for community in 1 Peter 4:7-11 by exposing the mistaken assumption those who decide to “go it alone” are making when they run from church: Time is short!

“The end of all things is at hand—gather in groups, pray hard, and love well!”

Christians who say they don’t need one another are acting as if they have forever to sort out their little feelings or hide their big secrets.

We don’t!

Even if you don’t agree with me that Jesus could show up any day for His church to take them to heaven, you have to admit that your days are numbered. And speaking for all of us who have heard the doctor say, “It’s cancer,” I promise you that you don’t have as many days as you think.

Stop wasting your time hiding and pouting. Find a healthy church and throw in, for better or worse. Give and receive love by praying hard for one another and loving well.

You’re going to suffer. There’s no way around it.

You can either suffer alone or with friends in the messy glory of community.

I don’t know what you think about church, but if you’re like a lot of believers I meet today, you’re not too impressed.

You know you should go to church, but sometimes you wonder why? Sometimes it seems like church just gets in the way of your walk with the Lord Jesus.

There’s a paragraph in First Peter, 1 Peter 2:1-10, that might change your mind about church. It describes the type of church every believer should want to go to.

Not because you have to, but because you want to.

Not because you’re driven by guilt and shame, but because you’re pulled by mercy and grace.

Not out of duty, but desperation—because you know you can’t live without it.

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Here’s your invitation to find out why going to church is about grace and growth rather than shame and guilt:

A New Community! 1 Peter 2:1-10 from Ed Underwood on Vimeo.

Two guys in a remote corner of the world nobody notices take a walk with a man whom their friend had barely introduced to them the day before. One of them hurries on ahead to tell his brother about this man. On their way to an even more obscure place with this man, two more join their group—that makes five followers and one leader.

You can read the story in John 1:29-51. If you’re careful to read it with honest eyes and discipline to stop your mind from running ahead of the familiar story, it’s pretty incredible. A small group of unimpressive men who had been following a weirdo named John, are now walking the trail north to Galilee with a young upstart from Nazareth.

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Enough is Enough

Franchise Player is a term used in sports, especially the NFL, to describe an athlete who is more than a player the team needs, he’s the athlete the team cannot survive without. He’s more than just “the best player.” He’s the guy the entire franchise depends on.

If you’ve been listening to any news the last few weeks, you’re probably as sick as I am of hearing about Brett Favre. I’ve always liked Brett Favre, but enough is enough. One of our missionaries grew up rooting for Brett’s team. He’s such a fan that he even named his son, Brett! But even he is fed up with all the drama surrounding their franchise player.

Not in the Church??!!

I’m fed up with another category of “franchise player.” I’m a fan of the church of the Lord Jesus. So much so, I’ve dedicated my life to serving in His church. And I have to say that the Christian community’s franchise-player-mentality is wearing me out.

I actually heard a church staff speaking of their pastor as their franchise player, the one they couldn’t do without! Are you kidding me?!

Gag, gag, gag, gag, gag.

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