DO YOU REALIZE that the Church and the community are connected?
The Church is here for the benefit of the community.
The community is where the raw material of the church
comes from. The community is where the Bride of Christ comes from.
Let me ask those of you in the church a question . . .

1. How is the community different or better because of your
church?

2. If your church was to die, would the community miss you?
These questions are crucial if we ever are to experience community
impact and transformation. Years ago God gave the inhabitants of
Jerusalem a strategy on how to transform the city of Babylon. They
were to serve God by serving the community. If we had an email
address for this strategy, I would call it Church@Community.

THE CHURCH-COMMUNITY CONNECTION
In Jeremiah 29:4–7, God describes what I call the church-community
connection. At this time, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had been taken
captive by Babylon. The natural reaction would have been for these
inhabitants to withdraw. After all, Babylon would be an uncomfortable
place for an Israelite to be. Babylon would have been considered
very unholy, very sinful, and very anti-God. This describes what many
Christians would feel like today in most large cities of the world. The
tendency would be to disengage from the city. However, let’s look at
what God says in Jeremiah:

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles
whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, “Build
houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce.
Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and
take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands,
that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and
do not decrease. And seek the welfare of the city where I have
sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its
welfare you will have welfare.”
—JEREMIAH 29:4–7

God’s intention here was for Jerusalem to be greatly involved in the
community life of Babylon. His exhortation through the prophet was
“build houses, live in them, plant gardens, eat their produce, take wives,
have families, have grandchildren . . . multiply there . . . do not decrease!” In
other words, God was saying “get involved in commerce and the city.”
God wanted them to start housing companies. God wanted them to
be entrepreneurial and start agricultural companies. His desire was for
them to multiply in the city. They were to become responsible citizens
in the community. While they were in Babylon they might as well be a
blessing to Babylon. God gave them the green light to become mayors,
magistrates, teachers, provosts, businessmen, educators, involved in the
PTA, and to have families and extended families. After all, they were
going to be in Babylon for the next seventy years. They might as well
be salt and light in the community. God wanted them to engage the
community, not ‘enrage’ the community or ‘disengage’ from the community.
God’s strategy then is applicable today. God wants His people
to be involved in all five spheres of influence in the community. He
needs ‘Christians’ to be part of and involved in the community’s business,
government, education, and media/entertainment sectors. His
people bring Christian core values into all sectors of the community
that enhance the community. In reality, church is wherever they are.
Just like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the present day church needs
to be for the community, not against the community. The perspective the
inhabitants of Jerusalem needed to take was one of contribution, not
conquest. It is possible and even normal for today’s church to be for
the city and for God at the same time. How will the other four community
spheres of influence know what God is like without people
from the church involved in commerce? The Babylonians certainly
were not going to synagogues! Therefore, the synagogue had to go to
them through those involved in commerce. In the time of Jeremiah,
Daniel gave God a face in Babylon. Daniel was a person of influence in
a position of influence. He redefined God and the people of God to the
Babylonians. He showed the Babylonians by his life and wisdom how
to transform a community. His influence was real. His life was exemplary.
He changed Babylon’s perception of God. He created a positive
public relations image of God. He was part of God’s plan to put the
church of that time into circulation in Babylon. How? Through the
business, government, education, and media/entertainment sectors of
the community. The ‘church at that time’ was there for the community,
not the community for the church. The church at that time was to be
salt and light in the context of the community. The church at that time
was to increase and multiply its positive influence. They were to bless
the context they live in. The same is true today.

SEEKING THE WELFARE OF THE CITY

The last part of this scripture catches us by surprise! Most of the inhabitants
of Jerusalem had been taught that Babylon was evil. Now Jeremiah
is saying . . . seek the welfare of Babylon! From a church perspective
it would be the same as saying to us . . . seek the welfare of Los Angeles,
Auckland, Delhi, Singapore, London, Paris, or wherever. Look again
at God’s strategy for influencing Babylon. His people were to seek the
welfare of Babylon. They were to pray to the Lord on Babylon’s behalf.
Why? The Bible says “in Babylon’s welfare, the inhabitants of Jerusalem
will have welfare!” In other words, the welfare, peace, or prosperity (shalom)
of Babylon directly affects the people of God. The inhabitants of
Jerusalem were to act as intercessors for Babylon, not against Babylon.
They were to overcome evil with good. They were to be good citizens in
Babylon, not judges of Babylon. They were to be fruit-bearers, not fruit
inspectors. They were to see the glass as half full rather than half empty.
They were there for the city, the city was not there for them. In other
words, the answer to their prayer was . . . themselves!
The application of this truth should be apparent to all of us reading
this book. We, as the people of God, are to be for our cities and communities.
We are to act as priests or intercessors praying on our cities’
behalf. As a church person, if you live in Singapore, the economy of Singapore
directly affects you. In Singapore’s welfare, you will have welfare.
In Singapore’s peace, you will have peace. In Singapore’s prosperity, you
will have prosperity. Your chances for a profitable and effective business
are enhanced as you learn to love Singapore. Your chances for a raise are
enhanced as you learn to love Singapore, not hate Singapore. Remember,
where there is no love, there is no influence in the city. If you want to
be blessed, you bless the context in which you live. God says pray for the
welfare of Singapore. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. When
Singapore prospers, your family will benefit from the prosperity. It creates
better jobs, a higher standard of living, more tithes to the church,
taxes to the government, and more money to help the needy. I could go
on and on! This is God’s strategy for many communities and cities. This
is what I call the church/community connection. Please do not react to
this strategy, act on this strategy. Learn to separate the behaviors you
may not necessarily agree with in the community from the community.
God loves our communities and you can, too! The answer to your communities’
behavior is you! God required the inhabitants of Jerusalem to
be involved in all five spheres of influence in the community, not just the
‘church’ realm! Realize the answer to the problem of government is not
the ‘entity’ of government. The real problem is we do not have enough
Christians involved in and influencing government for the betterment
of the community. In other words, seeking the welfare of your community
starts in prayer but ends in community involvement. After all, if
they can’t see us, they won’t be us. The answer to your prayer is you!
The following is a poem I wrote that illustrates the Church-Community
Connection.