TRIBE (Acts 4:32-35)

What happens when one CrossWalker joins other CrossWalkers? The world changes…

While we strive to be fully devoted Jesus followers – CrossWalkers – we also need to learn, remember, and rekindle what “together” looks like.

Recap: CrossWalker 101. If we hope to experience the best life possible – the abundant life Jesus promised to bring (John 10:10) – there are some basic principles that we need to put into practice. First, we need to daily adopt God’s way of seeing life and the world – what I call the Cross Operating System (Cross OS). The Cross OS reminds us to live life giving full leadership to God, trusting God’s wisdom and Way more than our own. The Cross OS calls us to grow in our intellect regarding the things and ways of God – renewing our minds. The Cross OS calls us to a renewed heart – one that beats in rhythm with God’s, valuing the same things, breaking for the same concerns. The Cross OS calls us to move – constantly – in God’s direction. The Cross OS calls us to serve this hurting world – to acquire unclean hands as we serve the needs of humanity. And, the Cross OS calls us to do it all together.

TRIBE: Here are some key things CrossWalkers do together:

Team together. The earliest CrossWalkers understood the power of being a team. They were united in heart and mind. They realized they could do much more as a group than as individuals. This is a difficult principle for us in the West, where radical individualism reigns supreme. Are you part of a team? Or are you trying to go it alone – an exercise in futility? We have many TRIBES here – get in one today!Raze Hell together. Hell is what we experience when we live apart from God and God’s ways. One obvious indicator that God’s ways are absent is the presence of poverty. Among the earliest community of CrossWalkers, there were no needy people, because CrossWalkers shared their resources to meet their needs. That’s razing hell. What is your team doing to raze hell here in Napa, in NorCal, and in the world?

Invite together. You do not have the option of not inviting other people to consider the message of Christ. Statistically, we know that the vast majority of people are not experiencing the life God has for them. How could they, apart from Christ? From research, we also know that a large number of people would check out Jesus and his teaching if they were invited to do so. The smartest way to present Christ is in community: let people see Christ in us as we BBQ, bowl, bicycle, bake, brew, boat, and bead (among other things that don’t fit with my alliteration!). For some, Sunday worship will be the first step. For most, getting to know you as a TRIBE will come before a service.

Break Bread together. What differentiates a group of CrossWalkers from other cause-driven clubs? We come together centered on the Bread and Cup – the symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection that reminds us of what CrossWalking is all about. This anchor changes the tone and tactics of our gathering together – we are a Jesus-following group, and it shows in our TRIBE.

Encourage one another, together. We are in this CrossWalking thing together. As a community, our celebrations peak higher, and the valleys of our sorrows do not overwhelm us. There are people who need to hear God speaking through you, and you need them, too.

May you not be a fool and go it alone. May you live wise in a TRIBE.