RiverLife 2034: Experience God TOGETHER
What will RiverLife look like in ten years? When today’s third graders will be graduating high school? Join us as we share our vision for our church's future in serving next-gen Hmong and beyond.
Series Overview
American Christianity is very individualistic. It emphasizes your personal relationship with Jesus, your individual reading of Scripture, and your private spiritual growth.
But there’s a problem with all that. Biblical Christianity is not. In fact, the Bible is ridculously communal.
That’s why we’ve added it to our new mission statement. Last month, we introduced a new mission statement to carry us into the future: We are a next-gen Hmong church experiencing God TOGETHER. These three words represent a holistic faith that’s experiential, theological, and communal.
Experience is important because when you experience God first-hand, it changes you.
Theology is important because your beliefs about God drive your behaviors.
Today, we learn my community is important.
This week’s topic: Community
This isn’t a new idea for RiverLife. One of the most popular t-shirts has been our “Life is Better Together” shirt from the 2022 Staycation Retreat.
Deep down, we all know this is true—life is better together in relationships full of joy, care, and trust.
But we also know building those friendships is hard, especially as adults. We have all kinds of obstacles and excuses: it’s inconvenient, we’re too busy with kids, we’re tired, we fear vulnerability, or it’s just not a priority. As a result, many of us feel lonely or isolated.
Bible
I’ve got good news. The Bible has an incredible solution to your loneliness and a way to overcome your obstacles. And it’s something you’re already doing right now. It’s church. But to do church how God prescribed it requires you to reject the American model of individual Christianity and adopt the Bible’s model of together Christianity.
This model of together Christianity is described in detail through all the “one-anothers” of Scripture. Scholars say there are anywhere from 50 to 100 direct commands in the New Testament for God’s people to do something together with one another: love one another, forgive one another, bear one another’s burdens—things like that. That’s together Christianity.
I want to credit Scott Hubbard, the Managing Editor at DesiringGod.com, for many of the ideas in this sermon. I wish they were my own.
These one-anothers are really just living out Jesus Christianity. Here’s how that author describes it.
“The one-anothers… offer a brilliant picture of life together under the lordship of Christ — and not only under the lordship of Christ, but also in the pattern of Christ. For, rightly grasped, the one-anothers are nothing less than the life of Christ at work in the people of Christ to glory of Christ.”
We can see this in Colossians 3:12–17, a passage with three “one anothers.”
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Our new character of compassion, kindness, humility reflects the image of Jesus (v10).
We forgive as Jesus has forgiven us (v13).
Our peace is the peace of Jesus (v15).
Our words come from the message of Jesus (v16).
Whatever we do, we do “in the name of Jesus” (v17).
Living out the one anothers is really living out Jesus. This is what together Christianity looks like. It is living out Jesus. In fact, the one-anothers.
You can think of the one-anothers in four Jesus-categories: We have his mind, offer his welcome, speak his words, and show his love.
1. Have His Mind
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value [one another] above yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. (1 Peter 5:5)
Before you can ever DO like Jesus, you have to THINK like Jesus, and that begins with humility.
Here’s how author Scott Hubbard says it,
“It is possible — frighteningly possible, I’ve discovered — to externally “obey” the one-anothers with a mind utterly at odds with Christ. It’s possible to greet one another with a smile that hides bitterness; and encourage one another with a grasping, flattering heart; and bear one another’s burdens with a messiah complex. In other words, it is possible to turn the one-anothers into subtle servants of Master Self.”
But when you are driven by humility, you are clothed in the others-oriented mind of Christ. You will routinely consider others better than yourself and seek out their well-being over yours. Having the mind of Christ is together Christianity.
2. Offer His Welcome
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. (Romans 12:16)
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you. (Romans 15:7)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9)
These sound nice in theory, but the real-life application is a bit harder. When you’re at church, how much time do you spend talking with your friends vs. people you don’t know? Are you actively welcoming all the “others”—into your life, your conversations, your space, or is it just your friends?
Who is Jesus calling you to welcome into your home?
The family member you have a beef with? Yep.
That person who’s awkward or difficult? Yep.
That stranger you don’t know? Yep.
If Jesus left heaven to welcome sinners like us, can you cross the lobby to welcome someone in friendship? If Jesus greeted us in our lostness, surely you can greet others in their loneliness. Offering Jesus’ welcome is together Christianity.
3. Speak His Words
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)
Encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Exhort one another every day. (Hebrews 3:13)
Here is how author Scott Hubbard describes this,
“Christians are a word people, a speaking people. Brought to life ourselves by “the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23), we now seek to bring that life to others through our Word-shaped words… we all are stewards of God’s life-giving word.”
Do your words bring life to others? Or do you use your words to defend, control, or hurt?
“But I was really angry. I didn’t mean it.” Doesn’t matter.
“But I was drunk.” Stil doesn’t matter.
“But they were saying bad things about me.” Doesn’t matter.
Speak the words of Jesus all the time, every time, especially together in the family of God. That’s together Christianity.
4. Show His Love
Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34)
Always seek to do good to one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. (1 Peter 4:10)
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)
This is probably the most obvious one. Even non-Christians know that Christians should be loving. And yet, Christians in churches can say and do some of the most unloving things.
This community will live or die based on how well you love the people sitting around you.
It’s easy to encourage someone carrying a heavy burden. It’s a lot harder and costlier and inconvenient to carry some of their load yourself.
Summary
There you have it—an incredible picture of together Christianity—the humble mind of Christ, the warm welcome of Christ, the stirring words of Christ, and the helpful hand of Christ. When we say, “We are a next-gen Hmong church experiencing God together,” that is what we mean.
Application
Yes, life together is critical for a church’s health. But why is it important for you? Because you’re not to grow in your faith by yourself. Or at least it’s very unlikely you will. If you could’ve conquered that sin by yourself, you would have done it by now. Yes, you can learn new info and take baby steps, but real spiritual transformation requires other people.
In fact, here are five things in the Christian faith that you can’t do by yourself, living individual Christianity.
You can’t see your blind spots. Trust me, your friends and family can see them.
You can’t affirm your strengths. You’ll likely dismiss them or exaggerate them.
You can’t learn what you don’t know. I’ve never known someone whose life was transformed by YouTube, at least for the better.
You can’t get free from your sins. Sure, you can confess to God, and you should. But if you want real freedom, confess to another person.
You can’t receive love to heal hurts. God heals. But 99% of the time, that happens in community not in isolation.
Self-Assessment
I’d like to close with a short self-assessment that will measure your individual Christianity vs together Christianity in this church.
1. How often do you attend services? You can’t experience God together if you’re not here.
Less than monthly
Multiple times a month
2. What do you do when you come to church?
Come in, sit down, leave. Don’t really talk with other people.
Linger after service to talk with people.
3. How would you describe your friends at church?
I mostly talk to my friends at church.
I regularly meet new people and talk with them.
Do you see your faith and church community more individual or together?
Conclusion
In an American culture that champions independence, the Bible invites you into interdependence—a life deeply woven with one another. Together Christianity is more than a nice idea; it’s God’s design for His church. Through the one-anothers, you aren’t just coming to church; we’re experiencing Jesus himself—his humility, his welcome, his words, and his love.
Remember, we’re not just individuals on our own faith journeys—we’re a next-gen Hmong church experiencing God together. May our church be a place where life is truly better together, and where we aren’t just here to fill seats but to fill each other’s lives with the presence of Christ.
