Finding God in Today While Building Tomorrow Together

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He left His followers with the Great Commission: to go into all the world and make disciples. This spiritual journey isn't a luxury or optional path—it's what every human being was designed for by the Creator who knows the number of hairs on your head. At Presence Church, we believe Jesus is the hope of the world, and our mission is to make disciples who make disciples.

What Does a Healthy Spiritual Community Look Like?

In Acts 2:42-47, we find a beautiful picture of the early church after thousands had come to faith in Jesus. These new believers made four basic commitments to one another that formed the foundation of their community:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching (Scripture)

They committed to fellowship (building deep, meaningful friendships)

They shared meals together, including the Lord's Supper

They committed to prayer

This wasn't a perfect community—they were human just like us—but they created a space where authentic relationships could flourish. They built a community where people could be vulnerable, share their struggles, and point one another toward Jesus.

Why Do We Need Another Church?

It's a fair question. You might drive through neighborhoods and see churches everywhere. But consider this: with approximately one million people in San Jose alone, and the average church in America having less than 100 members, we would need 10,000 churches just in San Jose for everyone to experience the type of healthy, life-giving spiritual community Jesus wants them to have.

The last count showed about 5,000 churches in the entire Bay Area. We need more churches—more healthy spiritual communities that point people to Jesus.

Is Christianity Just About Following Rules?

Many of us have encountered the "naughty lists" in the Bible—the "don't do this, don't do that" commandments. These spiritual principles are meant to guide our lives for our good, but they often make us feel like we'll never be good enough to earn God's love.

That's actually the point. These lists aren't there to show us we're not worthy of God's love; they're there to show us we desperately need God's love.

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He summed up all ten commandments with just two: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Nowhere in His answer do we find judgment or condemnation.

Why? Because Jesus Doesn't Want Fearful Robots

Jesus wants friends. He wants people who love Him in return. That's why sin exists, why free will exists. God could have made us mindless automatons that worship Him all day long, but that wouldn't be real love.

Real love comes from getting to know one another, investing time in relationships, becoming friends, and saying, "You matter to me, so I'm going to carve out time in my life to be present with you."

What About Our Struggles with Sin?

Even the Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, struggled with sin. In Romans 7, he lays his soul bare, admitting that he constantly finds himself doing the things he knows he shouldn't do and failing to do the things he knows he should.

But then comes the beautiful truth in Romans 8:1: "There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." Because we belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death.

We can't earn God's love. We can't earn our salvation. We can't earn a place in Jesus' kingdom. It happens by the grace of God, not because of some checklist we keep.

The Creator God Loves You

If you take away anything from this message, take this: The Creator God of all you know and see loves you. And He cares much less about your performance than He does your heart.

You don't have to clean anything up in your life to have a relationship with Jesus, to say yes to Him, to invite Him to lead your life. It's simple, though not easy, because we have to release our self-sufficiency and pride that stands in the way of saying, "Jesus, I can't do this on my own. I need help."

That same Jesus who is pursuing us has His arms outstretched to you even now. He's a loving Father who simply says, "Come, I'm here for you. I love you. Come home."

Life Application

This week, I challenge you to take a step toward authentic community. Whether you're a long-time follower of Jesus or just exploring faith, consider these questions:

Where in my life am I trying to earn God's love through performance rather than receiving it as a gift?

What would it look like to build deeper, more authentic relationships in my spiritual community?

Is there someone in my life who needs to hear that Jesus loves them just as they are?

How can I create space in my busy schedule to be present with God and with others?

Remember, Jesus doesn't want fearful robots—He wants friends. And friendship is built through presence, vulnerability, and love. This week, take one step toward being more present with God and with the people He's placed in your life.