30. Juli 2005 0
Encouragement for community builders 
I am just working at a sermon that contains some verses from the book revelation. Especially capture 1,16 caught my interest:
In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Today´s New International version)
There is no doubt that the seven stars are the seven communities in Asia to which the seven epistles are adressed to. In another verse (1,12-13) they are described to be seven lampstands among which Jesus is walking. These both pictures (stars and lampstands) tell something about community:
1. Jesus holds seven stars in his right hand. He closely holds the communities. Perhaps sometimes we feel like god forgot our community but he has not. He holds us in his hand out of which no-one can snatch us. (John 10,28+30) We can distance from the hand of god but if we follow Jesus and are focused on him seeking his kingdom and his righteuosness (Matthew 6,33) nobody can snatch us out of his hand. Nobody!
2. Out of the mouth of Jesus comes a double-edged sword. Who at this point does not think of Hebrew 4,12 immediately and that the word of god is sharper than any double-edged sword? As long as we stand faithfully to the church of Christ the word of God will be operative in our life and alter us. By saying this I do not mean a local church or even a certain one. As long as we belong to the Body of Christ his word alters us. However, it gets much easier when we are in a local church. To grow spiritually will be very difficult out of a local church.
3. Jesus is walking among the lampstands. Not only he holds the several communities in his hand but also he stands amongst them. Often we have problems in recognising that Jesus is not our center alone but the center of the whole body of Christ. But he is. Already at the end of the first century the several communities were very different. Already the seven communities from the epitles stood on different places and had different problems. Today it is even more extreme, for instance, anyone knows the differences between national and Free churches. They are very obvious. Nonetheless, Jesus is walking in the midst of them all. It is good that we are different. However, let us not forget that we serve the same God!
translation: Sandra. I am always looking for people who are willing to translate posts into english – thanks for any help!