As we continue our “This is The Way” series, why a “Dance Party”??  Well, it’s because it turns out we were made to dance! Not the “1-2-3, step” kind of dancing, necessarily – but since we were made in the image of God, we were made for community – to “dance” with others as we pursue The Way of Jesus!

1.  Made to Dance (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

• As the opening words of Genesis tell us, we were made (created) in the image of God. That truth, that simple phrase, is where we find our inherent value as humans, and why we’re called to value all human life from conception to grave. It’s also where we get our human nature and our deepest longings. God’s nature – his “image” – is stamped deep inside of us.
• The God of the Bible exists in three distinct persons – what we call the “Trinity”: God the Father, God the Son, and God the (Holy) Spirit. There are over 30 passages in Scripture that refer to the three parts/persons of the triune Godhead.  Author C.S. Lewis may have captured the relationship among the Trinity best when he wrote that “the Trinity is like a dance; the Godhead in harmony; self-sacrificial, others-centered love.”
• This is the essence of what it means to bear the image of God. The “self-sacrificial, others-centered love” of the Trinity is wired deep within us – the idea that we were made for each other, to thrive in community. We actually crave it; at our core, we long to live in harmony in a “dance” with others.

2.  This is How We Dance (2 Corinthians 13:11-14)

• God gave us the Church as the community that was meant to satisfy that craving – the craving to connect and “dance” with others. At CCC, we celebrate that as a church and have built our staff, programs and events around the idea that we were meant to connect with one another.
• Small groups are where (adult) community happens best, because “circles are better than rows.” The Apostle Paul spoke of this idea beautifully in 2 Corinthians 13, connecting (in reverse) the others-centered nature of the Trinity to the idea that groups of believers (house churches, in his case) are meant to live in harmony and peace with one another.

3.  Rare Gifts of Groups (2 Corinthians 13:11)

• Even more specifically, in verse 11, Paul directs those in the early “small groups” of the church to seek three outcomes in their “self-sacrificial, others-centered” communities:

1. Be Joyful – We’re called to enjoy being together and to connect closely with each other, because one of the distinguishing characteristics of Jesus’ followers is that they love people – ALL people.
2. Grow to Maturity – One of the most powerful things about discussing Scripture in groups is that we quickly go from believing the truth to talking about how to live that truth out – that’s what “Christian maturity” is all about.
3. Encourage Each Other – The third purpose/outcome of groups is to lift each other up – to have a community of others we can rely on when things are going well, and (especially) when they aren’t.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 3:16-17; Romans 15:13-14; Philippians 2:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; Hebrews 10:24-25

Video of the Week: God by the Bible Project

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. Prior to hearing this message, what did the phrase “made in the image of God” mean to you?

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2. How hard is it for you to view others – especially those you disagree with or dislike – as also bearing “the image of God”?  Explain your answer.

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3. Read 2 Corinthians 13:14 again. What are some of the implications for our lives as followers of Jesus that “the Father” is God, “the Son” is God, and “the Holy Spirit” is also God?  Why does that matter?

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4. The message stated that all humans, because we bear the image of God, have a deep longing (craving!) to be in others-centered, harmonious relationship with other humans. How should that understanding change the way we view other people – especially difficult people we’d just as soon NOT relate to?

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5. We can all read and study the Bible as individuals. Why does studying it and discussing it with others help us grow and mature more fully than only studying it on our own?

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6. In what ways do small groups help their members live out the idea of “the Church” in ways that Sunday morning services (alone) can’t?

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