WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:07.339 This morning, this morning we're going to talk about a beautiful community, kids. 00:00:07.860 --> 00:00:10.759 I know that you probably come from a family that you love. 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:19.039 We're going to talk about the greatest family, the greatest family that has ever been, as 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:20.480 we talk about a beautiful community. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:26.980 The United States, many of you know this, the United States is increasingly becoming 00:00:26.980 --> 00:00:33.520 what we refer to as a majority-minority country, meaning that minorities make up more than 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:35.179 50% of the population. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.259 We continue moving further and further in that direction. 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:45.659 And it raises lots of questions and lots of challenges for how a country with such diversity 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:47.539 can hold together. 00:00:48.120 --> 00:00:56.040 And the fact is that there may have never been a society in history that is more culturally, 00:00:56.039 --> 00:01:00.399 religiously, and politically diverse as the United States is today. 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:05.700 What we need to understand is that our degree of diversity is historically very rare. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:09.719 And we are struggling to hold things together in our society. 00:01:09.859 --> 00:01:17.140 We're deeply divided along the lines of politics and race and class and wealth and religion. 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:23.200 Our society is increasingly fragmenting into smaller and smaller factions. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:30.060 And there are very few models out there for how such a diverse community can sustain itself. 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:32.560 But here's what's humbling. 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:37.960 History is filled with examples of failure of countries that weren't able to do that. 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:45.000 The only other society in history that comes close to the U.S. in terms of diversity is probably 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:45.879 the Roman Empire. 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:55.420 And even as the Roman Empire crumbled, what we see in history is that there was a community 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:59.459 that emerged from this crumbling empire. 00:01:59.979 --> 00:02:06.560 And this community was diverse beyond anything that had been seen before in the world. 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:12.659 And of course, this new community that emerged from the ashes of Rome was the Christian church. 00:02:12.659 --> 00:02:23.479 And in Acts chapter 2, verses 42 to 47, we catch our first glimpse of this newly formed community, 00:02:23.620 --> 00:02:24.900 the newly formed church. 00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:31.039 And this is a place where Luke sort of pauses in his telling of history. 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:36.139 He zooms out and he just gives us a summary of life in the early church. 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:39.199 And it's a very famous passage for that reason. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:48.139 And so as we look at this very famous passage, we're wanting to know how to be the same kind 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:51.919 of church in a highly diverse city like Washington, D.C. 00:02:51.959 --> 00:02:57.560 If they could do this in Rome, what would it look like for us to be a similar kind of community 00:02:57.560 --> 00:02:59.659 in Washington, D.C.? 00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:02.899 And this will break out into two parts. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:05.919 First, we're going to look at this beautiful community briefly. 00:03:06.079 --> 00:03:07.339 What made it so beautiful? 00:03:07.340 --> 00:03:14.319 And then two, we're going to look at two ways that we can go about building a beautiful community 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:15.580 like we see in Acts. 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:20.719 Two opposite ways that we might go about trying to build such a community here and now. 00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:23.420 So let's pray and then we'll dive into God's Word. 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:30.599 Lord, we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for the fact that it has a power all its own. 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:38.840 That You say in Your Word that when You send Your Word out, it never returns to You empty and void and 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:44.199 unable to accomplish what You intend, but rather it always accomplishes what You intend. 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:49.759 And so, Lord, we know as we open Your Word that there is a divine intentionality behind this time, 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:56.000 that there are things that You want to do in us and through us, and You're going to do that through Your Word. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.560 And so, we pray that You would do Your work through Your Word for Your glory, Lord. 00:03:59.659 --> 00:04:00.879 In Your Son's name, amen. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.240 So, first of all, the beautiful community. 00:04:05.819 --> 00:04:09.039 This is a very famous passage and for very good reason. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:15.900 At Pentecost, for those who were here last week, we saw that the apostles received the Holy Spirit. 00:04:15.979 --> 00:04:20.279 The Holy Spirit is poured out in fulfillment of all of these Old Testament promises. 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:27.399 And part of what happens as a result of that is the apostles begin to preach the gospel in many different languages. 00:04:28.179 --> 00:04:34.759 And all of these people are gathered together in Jerusalem, all of these Jews from different cultures 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:38.359 and who speak different languages, different ways of life. 00:04:39.139 --> 00:04:44.239 And they all miraculously begin to hear the gospel being preached in their own language. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:51.439 And Scripture tells us, this is where we left off last week, that there were about 3,000 people who heard this message. 00:04:51.579 --> 00:04:52.400 They were cut to the heart. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:53.540 They said, what should we do? 00:04:53.780 --> 00:05:00.199 And the apostles said, you need to repent and be baptized and become part of this new community of Jesus followers. 00:05:00.780 --> 00:05:01.660 And that's what happened. 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:06.079 And so, we have the establishment of the very first ever Christian church. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:15.099 And over the next couple of hundred years, the church experienced extraordinary exponential growth. 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:22.579 Kenneth Scott LaDourette, the Yale historian, he's a great church historian, writes, here's what he says. 00:05:23.599 --> 00:05:28.199 This is kind of his historic, one of the big quandaries in history. 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:37.779 Why among all the many cults and philosophies which competed in the Greco-Roman world, and in spite of more severe opposition, 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:44.740 in other words, all these religions and philosophies, probably the worst persecution at that period of time came upon the Christians. 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:50.819 And he says, why in spite of all of this, did Christianity outstrip them all? 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:53.759 Why did Christianity grow more quickly? 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:59.699 And he says, in significant part, Christianity's success is to be found in its inclusiveness. 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:02.800 That's a really big word by today's standards. 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:04.980 We're all talking about inclusiveness. 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:08.699 But he says, Christianity's success is to be found in its inclusiveness. 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:14.480 More than any of its competitors, it attracted all races and classes. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:21.199 Christianity gloried in its appeal to Jew and Gentile, to Greek and barbarian. 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:28.740 Christianity drew the lowly and unlettered multitude, yet Christianity also developed its own philosophy, 00:06:29.180 --> 00:06:31.399 which commanded the respect of many of the learned. 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:37.779 Christianity, too, was for both sexes, whereas at least two of its main rivals were primarily for men. 00:06:38.500 --> 00:06:40.839 The church welcomed both rich and poor. 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:48.419 No other religious community, therefore, took in so many groups and strata of society. 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:56.340 I mean, you read that description and you think, this is the kind of community that diversity and inclusion officers dream about when they go to sleep at night. 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:01.420 This is the kind of community that everybody wants in modern times. 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:09.199 And when we call this a beautiful community, to come back to what I said to you at the beginning, kids, as great as your family is, 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:14.660 imagine a kind of family where you can enter into this family even if you weren't born, 00:07:15.540 --> 00:07:20.120 or even if you weren't in any way biologically related to anybody in this family. 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:27.340 You could enter into this family, and you could come in speaking any language from any walk of life, 00:07:27.339 --> 00:07:29.379 with any cultural or religious background. 00:07:29.539 --> 00:07:32.159 You could be rich or poor, educated or uneducated. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.379 You could be from any ethnic background, and you could come in, 00:07:37.119 --> 00:07:39.039 and this family would become your family. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.319 And you would be received as a family member. 00:07:42.979 --> 00:07:48.959 And all of a sudden, you would have thousands of brothers and sisters who would receive you in. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:53.799 And that's what made this community a beautiful community. 00:07:53.919 --> 00:07:58.539 It was the kind of community, particularly, that people in society who didn't have families, 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:05.319 who didn't fit into the normal family structure, for the first time ever they could have a family. 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:07.560 That's what made this community beautiful. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:15.819 And so it raises the question, how do we go about building a beautiful community like this in our day and age? 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:20.060 And what we're going to see are two basic approaches that people take. 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:27.699 The first approach is what you might think of as the outside-in approach to building the beautiful community. 00:08:29.500 --> 00:08:36.240 These days, nearly everyone believes in ideas like universal human rights and justice and equality. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:39.580 Most everybody you talk to believes that racism is wrong. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.379 Most everybody we talk to believes that it's wrong for the strong to trample the weak. 00:08:45.820 --> 00:08:49.440 You meet very few people who will openly admit that they disagree with that. 00:08:49.920 --> 00:08:53.580 Most everybody believes that we should care for the poor and the marginalized. 00:08:54.500 --> 00:08:57.580 So we live in a society filled with people who believe these things. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:05.879 And the story that is being told in popular culture is that all of those values came from the Enlightenment. 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:13.519 And the idea that a lot of people have is that before the Enlightenment, there was a lot of ignorance and darkness and oppression. 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:19.559 And the Enlightenment came and human beings began to wake up. 00:09:20.299 --> 00:09:25.039 And all of these values sprang out of that kind of awakening. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:34.459 And as a result, in kind of popular culture, the Enlightenment is seen as the kind of beacon for these values. 00:09:35.719 --> 00:09:39.779 And the Christian church is seen as one of the great enemies of these things. 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:46.019 Most people out on the street who believe in these values would point to the Enlightenment as their source. 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:49.740 And they would say, you know, the Christian church is a source of oppression. 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:58.620 The Christian church is a source of racism and bigotry and patriarchy and all other forms of oppression. 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:12.039 And so in many ways, the modern secular progressive project is an attempt to liberate our society from the oppressive stranglehold of the Judeo-Christian tradition. 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:21.720 And any of you who are in university, undergrad, grad school, this is a common narrative that you'll encounter, especially in places like that. 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:33.740 And so the mission is, in order to build a more just, equitable, and inclusive world, we have to liberate society from the stranglehold of old, dead religions like Christianity. 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:47.320 And this is an approach that relies heavily not on religion, but it relies heavily on government involvement, on education, on legislation and policy, 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:51.900 and on social pressure to accomplish its goals. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:57.940 You know, if we're going to build this kind of beautiful community and transform our cities into these kind of beautiful communities, 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:02.560 it's going to take the government and education and policy and social pressure, all of these things, 00:11:02.800 --> 00:11:06.820 to liberate our society to become more just, equitable, and inclusive. 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:15.560 And the reason that I would call this the outside-in approach is because it focuses entirely on external factors. 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:21.279 It's an approach that says, with enough government oversight and education and legislation, 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:27.179 we can accomplish these goals, and then sooner or later, people's hearts will follow. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:34.519 But we establish it externally, we get it into the policy, we get it into the warp and the woof of daily life, 00:11:34.839 --> 00:11:36.739 and then people's hearts will follow. 00:11:38.139 --> 00:11:42.299 And certainly, let me say this, you can do a lot through legislation. 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:45.620 Some of you work on policy, very important. 00:11:46.339 --> 00:11:48.839 You can do a lot if you get the right leaders in government. 00:11:49.059 --> 00:11:50.659 You can do a lot through education. 00:11:51.339 --> 00:11:53.179 All of these things are extremely important. 00:11:54.719 --> 00:11:56.219 But here's the point we want to make. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:02.059 At the end of the day, this approach, no matter how well intended it might be, 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:08.219 is never going to produce the kind of beautiful community that we read about in Acts chapter 2. 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:10.779 And you ask, well, why not? 00:12:12.100 --> 00:12:13.300 And the answer is this. 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:15.779 And this is what we're going to spend the rest of our time on. 00:12:16.300 --> 00:12:22.000 Because you cannot have the fruit of a tree without the roots of that tree. 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:27.399 You cannot have the fruit of a tree without the roots of that tree. 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:30.240 There's an overwhelming amount of scholarship. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.399 Scholars like Brian Tierney at Cornell or Kyle Harper, I think he's at Oklahoma, 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:42.879 who clearly show how all of our modern values around universal human rights and justice and equality, 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:46.179 those did not come from the Enlightenment. 00:12:47.019 --> 00:12:52.720 They came straight out of Christianity and its influence up through the Middle Ages. 00:12:53.939 --> 00:12:56.379 So, Jürgen Habermas writes this. 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:03.899 He says, universalistic egalitarianism, from which sprang the ideals of freedom, 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:10.559 a collective life in solidarity, the autonomous conduct of life and emancipation, 00:13:11.220 --> 00:13:15.860 the individual morality of conscience, human rights, democracy. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:21.500 He says all of that is the direct legacy of the Judaic ethic of justice 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:24.460 and the Christian ethic of love. 00:13:24.460 --> 00:13:30.120 That's where we gained these ideas. 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:34.240 And the thing that we need to understand about the early church is, 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:39.180 the early church was wildly diverse before diversity was a thing. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:43.840 And that's what's so impressive about this community. 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:49.900 These days, organizations all around the country are scrambling for more diversity. 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:53.879 For those of you who work, I guarantee you, 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:58.799 your organization's leadership is scrambling to build diversity, 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:02.819 because diversity is a very high value in today's world. 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:06.439 What we need to understand is we've got to get in the minds of the Greco-Roman world. 00:14:06.659 --> 00:14:09.100 This was not a value in ancient Rome. 00:14:09.199 --> 00:14:10.740 It wasn't a value at all. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:11.939 Right? 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:16.780 Nobody cared about diversity and inclusion and equity. 00:14:17.660 --> 00:14:19.760 One of the ways we know that is because in Rome, 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:22.240 one in three people would have been a slave. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:23.660 Right? 00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:27.580 Nobody cared about these values in the ancient world. 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:33.720 This was a culture that was absolutely obsessed with strength and honor. 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:37.820 That's what it's like to be a Roman in ancient times. 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:41.340 It was all about your personal strength, and it was all about your honor. 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:46.139 And this was more of an honor-shame culture than we realize. 00:14:46.300 --> 00:14:50.540 And their entire morality, like why do you do the right thing in ancient Rome? 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:55.800 Their entire morality was driven by what philosophers call a self-regarding ethic. 00:14:57.540 --> 00:15:02.460 I do the right thing because that's what a strong person would do. 00:15:02.460 --> 00:15:06.139 I do the right thing because that's the honorable thing to do. 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:13.560 I gain honor and I gain glory for myself and my family by doing the right thing in society. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:15.379 It's a self-regarding ethic. 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:21.320 So, of course, in a society that values strength and honor and glory, 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.360 of course the strong are going to trample the weak. 00:15:25.300 --> 00:15:31.180 If you are strong enough to trample other people, that brings you honor and glory. 00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:33.620 And that's the way the world should be. 00:15:33.719 --> 00:15:36.599 You say, well, how could a third of the community have been slaves? 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:37.859 Right? 00:15:37.979 --> 00:15:41.939 That's exactly what many people thought should happen in society. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.459 You have the strong trampling and ruling over the weak. 00:15:44.699 --> 00:15:45.859 That's what we should have. 00:15:46.939 --> 00:15:49.279 And all of a sudden, in a community like this, 00:15:49.459 --> 00:15:54.959 here comes another community that embodies a completely different ethic. 00:15:55.319 --> 00:15:58.259 What you might call an other-regarding ethic. 00:15:58.259 --> 00:16:01.100 This is something the world hadn't seen before. 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:02.819 Because we're not just talking about Rome. 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:05.439 All of the ancient societies operated this way. 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:06.840 It's about strength and glory and honor. 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:12.319 But you have an ethic in this Christian community 00:16:12.319 --> 00:16:17.860 that's defined not by glory, but by humility. 00:16:19.019 --> 00:16:19.120 Right? 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.740 Not by strength, but by love. 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:28.159 Not by power, but by self-sacrifice. 00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:30.419 It's a radically different ethic. 00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:31.820 An other-regarding ethic. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:38.080 And that is why historians say the church in the early days was so diverse. 00:16:38.659 --> 00:16:41.480 Roman society was a place where the strong trampled the weak. 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:45.639 But in the church, people found a community 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:47.480 where they were treated with dignity. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:50.159 Where they were treated as equals. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:55.939 Where they received the same rights and the same privileges as everyone else. 00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:57.519 You could be out in Roman society, 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:00.379 and there were very few people of privilege, 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:02.779 and there were a whole lot of people that got trampled on. 00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:04.920 But you could come into the church, 00:17:05.379 --> 00:17:07.019 and everybody had the same rights. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:08.500 Everybody had the same privileges. 00:17:09.180 --> 00:17:10.500 And this is why it grew. 00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:14.779 And this other-regarding ethic, you need to understand, 00:17:14.859 --> 00:17:16.619 began to work its way up through history. 00:17:17.460 --> 00:17:17.880 Right? 00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:19.559 So we move from the Middle Ages, right? 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:21.660 And then as history progresses, 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:26.740 we have Christian monks interacting with pagan Anglo-Saxons. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:27.819 Right? 00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:31.079 And the pagan Anglo-Saxons had this self-regarding ethic 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:32.900 of strength and honor and power. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.180 And the Christian monks had this other-regarding ethic 00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:38.799 of humility and love and self-sacrifice. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.220 And they began to interact, and guess what happened? 00:17:41.339 --> 00:17:47.299 Over time, the Christian monks influenced the pagan Anglo-Saxons 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:49.859 more and more and more until this other-regarding ethic 00:17:49.859 --> 00:17:52.200 took hold firmly in the West. 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:54.759 And then as history began to progress even more, 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:57.240 this other-regarding ethic began to shape 00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.119 the Western imagination as a whole. 00:18:00.220 --> 00:18:02.159 And so you fast-forward to today, 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:04.480 we could pause the service right now, 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:05.839 I could say, go out on the street, 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:09.359 the first person you find, I want you to ask them, 00:18:09.939 --> 00:18:12.419 chances are the first person you find, 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:13.839 no matter which direction you go, 00:18:14.679 --> 00:18:16.779 is going to believe in universal human rights, 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:20.599 justice, diversity, equality, freedom. 00:18:21.439 --> 00:18:24.639 Nobody really in ancient Rome would have affirmed these 00:18:24.639 --> 00:18:26.639 as high-priority values. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:28.579 Everybody on the street would today. 00:18:28.959 --> 00:18:29.240 Why? 00:18:29.459 --> 00:18:31.179 It's because of the influence of the church 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:33.799 and the Christian tradition on Western imagination. 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:39.779 The Enlightenment did not produce these values. 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.320 It cherry-picked these values 00:18:43.320 --> 00:18:46.039 off of the Christian tradition, 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:49.259 off of the tree of Christianity. 00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:51.560 And now we live in a society 00:18:51.560 --> 00:18:53.700 that unabashedly wants the fruit, 00:18:54.340 --> 00:18:55.560 but without the roots. 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.779 Now somebody might be hearing this and say, 00:18:59.899 --> 00:19:00.720 okay, well, great. 00:19:01.879 --> 00:19:03.019 Let's assume that's true. 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.079 Who cares? 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:06.000 Who cares? 00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:07.539 Now we have the values. 00:19:07.659 --> 00:19:09.220 Now everybody understands these things matter. 00:19:09.299 --> 00:19:09.859 We all agree. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:11.899 We'll give you the credit. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.819 But why do we still need the church? 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:15.859 Right? 00:19:16.159 --> 00:19:17.359 Can't we take it from here? 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:19.039 Can't we do this through government 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.359 and legislation and policy and education? 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:23.579 Can't we take it from here and make it happen? 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:27.000 The answer is no. 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:27.559 Why? 00:19:29.579 --> 00:19:31.199 Because all of these values 00:19:31.199 --> 00:19:34.740 in our secular progressive society 00:19:34.740 --> 00:19:36.720 are like cut flowers. 00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:39.699 Right? 00:19:39.879 --> 00:19:40.899 You clip some flowers 00:19:40.899 --> 00:19:43.159 and you put them in a vase 00:19:43.159 --> 00:19:44.879 on the dining room table 00:19:44.879 --> 00:19:47.059 of the secular humanist progressive house. 00:19:48.159 --> 00:19:50.179 And they look really great for a while. 00:19:50.259 --> 00:19:51.319 They brighten up the room. 00:19:51.919 --> 00:19:53.119 Everybody who comes in the door says, 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:54.000 man, I really love that. 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:54.859 I want to be a part of it. 00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:56.719 But over time, 00:19:56.779 --> 00:19:57.659 they're going to wither and die. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:57.919 Why? 00:19:58.019 --> 00:19:59.039 Because they're cut flowers. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:01.899 They're not rooted in any source of life. 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:03.519 And so eventually, 00:20:03.679 --> 00:20:05.219 they're going to fade and die. 00:20:07.699 --> 00:20:09.939 We all remember back in 2006, 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:13.719 the story of the Amish community 00:20:13.719 --> 00:20:14.539 at Nickel Mines 00:20:14.539 --> 00:20:17.639 when a man came into a schoolhouse, 00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:18.459 opened fire, 00:20:19.179 --> 00:20:21.119 took the lives of five young girls, 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:22.239 and then took his own life. 00:20:24.159 --> 00:20:27.139 And what most people remember about that 00:20:27.139 --> 00:20:29.939 is the fact that within hours, 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:33.639 within hours of that terrible tragedy, 00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:37.179 the Amish community was pouring out support 00:20:37.179 --> 00:20:39.359 for the family of the shooter. 00:20:40.239 --> 00:20:40.739 Right? 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:42.039 For his parents, 00:20:42.899 --> 00:20:46.159 for his immediate family, 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:49.440 outpouring of support for the shooter's family. 00:20:50.580 --> 00:20:52.420 More than half the people who showed up 00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:53.320 at that guy's funeral 00:20:53.320 --> 00:20:55.140 were from the Amish community. 00:20:56.180 --> 00:20:58.600 An Amish spokesperson announced, 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:00.879 on behalf of all of the families 00:21:00.879 --> 00:21:02.099 of the victims who were shot, 00:21:02.980 --> 00:21:05.980 we forgive this shooter. 00:21:07.339 --> 00:21:09.539 And people were all abuzz 00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:11.819 about this extraordinary act 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:12.819 of forgiveness and grace. 00:21:13.959 --> 00:21:14.319 And then, 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:15.799 and I remember hearing Tim Keller 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:16.459 talk about this 00:21:16.459 --> 00:21:17.399 and making this point, 00:21:17.419 --> 00:21:18.939 and I thought it was so fascinating. 00:21:19.159 --> 00:21:20.399 Within, you know, 00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:21.899 days of this happening, 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:23.819 you have all the press 00:21:23.819 --> 00:21:25.279 starting to generate all these articles. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.160 And they all said the same thing. 00:21:28.399 --> 00:21:30.639 This is what America is capable of. 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:33.940 This is how great we as a nation can be. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:35.559 Look, when something like this happens, 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:37.279 these are Americans at their best. 00:21:37.379 --> 00:21:38.980 Look, look how we just stepped up 00:21:38.980 --> 00:21:41.700 and rose above this and go us. 00:21:41.879 --> 00:21:42.879 And there was a lot of kind of 00:21:42.879 --> 00:21:44.480 patting on the back of 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:46.019 this is the best of what we have 00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:48.319 as Americans to offer the world. 00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:48.579 Right? 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:51.200 A few years after this, 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:51.980 a book comes out 00:21:51.980 --> 00:21:53.119 called Amish Grace. 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:55.639 It's written by three sociologists. 00:21:56.419 --> 00:21:57.219 One of the main points 00:21:57.219 --> 00:21:58.199 they make in that book 00:21:58.199 --> 00:21:59.000 is this. 00:21:59.699 --> 00:22:00.639 Not so fast. 00:22:01.959 --> 00:22:02.899 Not so fast. 00:22:03.979 --> 00:22:06.179 They say an act of forgiveness like this, 00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:07.939 what we see in the Amish community, 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.299 this is an extraordinary example 00:22:11.299 --> 00:22:13.019 of an other-regarding ethic. 00:22:13.879 --> 00:22:15.299 Of people who prioritize 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:16.399 the good of the community 00:22:16.399 --> 00:22:17.239 over themselves. 00:22:18.699 --> 00:22:20.419 Of people who are steeped 00:22:20.419 --> 00:22:22.000 in a culture of forgiveness 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.660 and self-sacrifice 00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:24.839 and self-denial. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.019 Right? 00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:30.079 And what the authors of the book 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:31.160 essentially say is this. 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:33.039 Something like this 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:33.859 is only possible 00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:35.180 if you are completely immersed 00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:35.859 in a tradition 00:22:35.859 --> 00:22:36.500 and a community 00:22:36.500 --> 00:22:37.740 that embodies these values 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:38.720 of self-denial 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:41.779 and sacrifice. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:42.599 Right? 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:44.160 And they say, 00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:45.700 we should not expect 00:22:45.700 --> 00:22:48.819 to see our country, 00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:49.440 our society, 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:50.920 continue to form people 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:52.259 in future generations 00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:53.820 that do this kind of thing. 00:22:54.100 --> 00:22:54.640 In fact, 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:55.279 it's going to become 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:56.700 more and more and more rare 00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:57.920 to see this 00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:59.600 as a fruit of the American culture. 00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:00.400 Why, they say? 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:02.160 Well, because the American culture 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:03.940 doesn't embody values 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:04.840 of self-sacrifice 00:23:04.840 --> 00:23:05.600 and self-denial 00:23:05.600 --> 00:23:07.360 and other-regarding ethic. 00:23:07.840 --> 00:23:08.519 They say increasingly 00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:09.759 what you see in our society 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:11.759 is self-aggrandizement, 00:23:12.320 --> 00:23:13.160 self-promotion, 00:23:13.860 --> 00:23:14.039 right? 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:16.000 Self-actualization. 00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:16.640 You know, 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:17.900 the most important thing 00:23:17.900 --> 00:23:19.280 is me and my discovery 00:23:19.280 --> 00:23:20.540 and expression of myself 00:23:20.540 --> 00:23:21.780 in an unfettered way. 00:23:21.840 --> 00:23:22.120 And they say, 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:23.640 that kind of culture 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:25.200 that is rife 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:27.360 with a kind of hyper-consumerism, 00:23:27.540 --> 00:23:29.560 a hyper-individualism, 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:31.660 that's not going to produce people 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:32.860 who do this. 00:23:33.300 --> 00:23:34.380 It's going to produce people 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:35.620 who are filled with outrage 00:23:35.620 --> 00:23:37.519 and who cancel one another. 00:23:38.080 --> 00:23:38.360 Right? 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:39.220 And that's exactly 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:39.900 what we're seeing. 00:23:41.280 --> 00:23:42.140 And culture, 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:43.220 since that book came out, 00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:44.920 has only proven their point 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:47.000 more and more and more. 00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:48.700 So what we see 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:49.800 in the Amish community, 00:23:49.980 --> 00:23:50.420 what we see 00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:51.600 in the early Christian church, 00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:53.340 what you're looking at there 00:23:53.340 --> 00:23:54.820 is the same fruit 00:23:54.820 --> 00:23:56.539 precisely because 00:23:56.539 --> 00:23:57.660 both of those communities 00:23:57.660 --> 00:23:59.720 have the same roots. 00:24:00.580 --> 00:24:01.620 It's the same fruit 00:24:01.620 --> 00:24:02.480 because they have 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:03.920 the same roots. 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:05.880 And that leads us, 00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:06.779 finally, 00:24:07.100 --> 00:24:07.680 we're not going to spend 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:08.519 as much time on this 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:09.400 because it's a lot clearer, 00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:11.420 the only other option 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:12.480 we have for building 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:13.519 a beautiful community 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:15.420 in Washington, D.C., 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:16.019 in the world, 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:18.619 is the inside-out approach. 00:24:18.700 --> 00:24:19.819 Not the outside-in approach, 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:21.379 but the inside-out approach, 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.420 meaning you start 00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:23.240 with the roots. 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:25.079 Right? 00:24:25.139 --> 00:24:25.759 The community, 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.139 and here's really the point, 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:30.259 the community everybody wants, 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:31.940 this beautiful community, 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:32.639 the community everybody 00:24:32.639 --> 00:24:33.359 out there wants 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:35.240 is only possible 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:36.579 because of the man 00:24:36.579 --> 00:24:37.359 that no one wanted. 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:39.900 Because of the one 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:40.619 that no one wanted. 00:24:40.619 --> 00:24:43.519 All right, 00:24:43.579 --> 00:24:44.639 Kenneth Scott Ladurett, 00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:46.500 in that same piece, 00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:47.439 he goes on to say, 00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:49.619 no other religious community 00:24:49.619 --> 00:24:51.000 took in so many groups 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:52.500 and strata of society. 00:24:53.379 --> 00:24:53.759 Here, 00:24:53.899 --> 00:24:55.199 the query must be raised, 00:24:55.639 --> 00:24:57.039 why did it appear 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:58.299 in Christianity? 00:24:58.519 --> 00:24:59.519 Why the diversity? 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:00.959 Why the inclusion? 00:25:02.719 --> 00:25:04.719 It is the uniqueness of Jesus 00:25:04.719 --> 00:25:06.259 which seems the only 00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:07.359 tenable explanation. 00:25:08.039 --> 00:25:08.759 Without Jesus, 00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:09.879 Christianity would not 00:25:09.879 --> 00:25:11.259 have sprung into existence 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:12.539 and from him 00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:14.059 and beliefs about him 00:25:14.059 --> 00:25:16.779 came its main dynamic. 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:18.339 That's the only reason 00:25:18.339 --> 00:25:18.920 they were able 00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:19.839 to do what they did. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:21.599 Because they had Jesus 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:23.279 who had all the power. 00:25:23.539 --> 00:25:24.859 He had all the strength. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:26.379 He had all the glory. 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:27.879 He had all the honor, 00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:28.839 more than any Roman 00:25:28.839 --> 00:25:29.660 could ever possibly 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:30.980 imagine having. 00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:32.220 It was all his. 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:34.720 But because of his profound love 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:35.700 for human beings, 00:25:35.700 --> 00:25:37.480 even though we rejected him 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:39.120 and despised him, 00:25:39.380 --> 00:25:40.940 he gave away his glory. 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:43.140 He gave away his honor. 00:25:43.360 --> 00:25:44.759 He gave away his power. 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:46.059 He humbled himself, 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:47.100 as Philippians says, 00:25:47.259 --> 00:25:48.700 and became in every way 00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:50.559 like a servant and slave 00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:52.920 for humanity. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.539 And then he sacrificed himself 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:56.299 on the cross, 00:25:56.600 --> 00:25:57.720 taking the full weight 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:58.940 of sin on himself. 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:00.259 And what you see in that 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:01.480 is the ultimate act 00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:02.940 of self-love, 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:05.640 of an other-centered ethic, 00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:07.599 an other-regarding ethic. 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:08.680 And this was, I believe, 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:11.279 the birth of this ethic 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:12.279 in the world. 00:26:13.379 --> 00:26:15.180 And when Christians realized 00:26:15.180 --> 00:26:16.059 that the God, 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.400 that the central defining reality 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:19.059 of existence, 00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:20.900 the God who made all of this, 00:26:22.259 --> 00:26:23.519 has this kind of heart, 00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:28.220 that radically transformed 00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:28.900 their hearts. 00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:31.180 these are all people 00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:31.840 who grew up 00:26:31.840 --> 00:26:33.060 with this self-regarding 00:26:33.060 --> 00:26:35.080 glory, power, honor, ethic. 00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:37.440 What changed them so radically? 00:26:37.560 --> 00:26:38.640 It was not a class. 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:41.440 It was not a class 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.519 where somebody was telling them 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:43.740 how they should think about people 00:26:43.740 --> 00:26:44.500 who were different from them. 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.640 It was the God of the universe 00:26:47.640 --> 00:26:48.780 dying for them 00:26:48.780 --> 00:26:51.300 that radically reoriented 00:26:51.300 --> 00:26:52.240 their entire way 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.100 of seeing themselves 00:26:53.100 --> 00:26:54.720 and everybody else around them. 00:26:54.860 --> 00:26:56.800 This is a spiritual transformation. 00:26:57.320 --> 00:26:58.220 It's nothing less. 00:26:58.900 --> 00:27:01.180 You can't have the fruit 00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:01.840 without the roots. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:04.860 And Acts chapter 2, 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:06.300 verses 42 through 47, 00:27:06.780 --> 00:27:07.820 shows us 00:27:07.820 --> 00:27:09.800 what a church looks like 00:27:09.800 --> 00:27:11.140 when it is deeply rooted 00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:12.200 in Jesus Christ 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:13.880 and bearing this kind of fruit 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:15.040 in the world. 00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:17.740 And I want you to imagine 00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:20.120 Church of the Advent 00:27:20.120 --> 00:27:21.340 one year from now. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:23.820 Five years from now. 00:27:23.819 --> 00:27:26.200 Ten years from now. 00:27:26.879 --> 00:27:28.460 And as we look at this 00:27:28.460 --> 00:27:31.019 list of characteristics 00:27:31.019 --> 00:27:32.700 of the early church, 00:27:32.759 --> 00:27:33.720 we recognize that 00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:35.119 there's no church 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:35.740 out there today 00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:37.119 that's going to fully live out 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:38.259 all of these things. 00:27:38.399 --> 00:27:40.279 This is sort of the archetype 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:41.159 of what all churches 00:27:41.159 --> 00:27:42.279 want to be when they grow up. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.720 But what it does do for us 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:45.939 is it sets us a kind of 00:27:45.939 --> 00:27:48.200 north star vision, 00:27:48.399 --> 00:27:49.740 ideal of what we hope 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:50.759 to see our church become. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:52.299 And it helps us understand 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:53.079 the ways that we are 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:54.720 maybe further along 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.619 and the ways that we need 00:27:55.619 --> 00:27:56.359 to really grow. 00:27:57.160 --> 00:27:58.379 And it gives us a direction 00:27:58.379 --> 00:27:59.099 as a community. 00:28:00.339 --> 00:28:01.119 And so as we look 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:01.940 at these characteristics, 00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:02.980 and I think that you can see 00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:03.799 them up on the screen, 00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:06.259 if we look at these characteristics, 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:08.859 this would be my hope 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:09.819 for Church of the Advent 00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:11.140 as we move forward 00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:14.940 into the sort of coming season 00:28:14.940 --> 00:28:16.019 of our life together. 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:18.079 And we're drawing these 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.099 all out of this passage 00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:19.579 in Acts, 00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:20.599 and I'm only going to 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:21.700 just briefly hit 00:28:21.700 --> 00:28:22.539 on each one of them. 00:28:23.139 --> 00:28:24.079 This is what we see, 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:24.799 and this is what a church 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.519 like this looks like. 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:27.240 First, I pray that we would 00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:28.019 be known as a place 00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:29.099 where there is always 00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:30.420 a constant emphasis 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:32.279 on biblical teaching. 00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:34.240 That there would be a sense 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.180 in our church 00:28:35.180 --> 00:28:35.720 like there was 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:36.279 in the early days 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:36.839 that we are people 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:37.500 who are devoted 00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.180 to the teachings 00:28:38.180 --> 00:28:38.819 of the apostles. 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:41.079 And that's more important 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:42.299 now than ever before 00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:44.900 because as N.T. Wright 00:28:44.900 --> 00:28:45.480 once said, 00:28:45.580 --> 00:28:46.620 without constant, 00:28:47.040 --> 00:28:48.560 lifelong Christian learning, 00:28:49.060 --> 00:28:50.300 people quickly revert 00:28:50.300 --> 00:28:51.340 to the worldview 00:28:51.340 --> 00:28:52.080 or mindset 00:28:52.080 --> 00:28:53.440 of the surrounding culture 00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:54.759 with their minds 00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:55.780 shaped by whichever 00:28:55.780 --> 00:28:56.640 social pressures 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:57.900 are most persuasive. 00:28:58.560 --> 00:28:59.820 So if you're not anchored 00:28:59.820 --> 00:29:00.600 in the teachings 00:29:00.600 --> 00:29:01.320 of the apostles, 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:03.040 you will very quickly 00:29:03.040 --> 00:29:04.820 revert to the exact 00:29:04.820 --> 00:29:05.800 same way of thinking 00:29:05.800 --> 00:29:06.780 that everybody 00:29:06.780 --> 00:29:07.680 around you shares. 00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:08.920 That's the first thing. 00:29:10.280 --> 00:29:11.140 The next thing 00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:11.860 that I hope and pray 00:29:11.860 --> 00:29:12.360 for our church 00:29:12.360 --> 00:29:13.200 is that we're a place 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.279 that is known 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:15.019 as having 00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:15.960 what you might think 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:17.500 of as thick community. 00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:19.519 Thick community. 00:29:20.220 --> 00:29:20.880 Thin community 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:21.559 as I see you 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:22.539 once or twice a month, 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:23.299 hey, how you doing? 00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:24.140 We're not really involved. 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:25.160 Thick community 00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:26.580 is a high degree 00:29:26.580 --> 00:29:28.019 of overlap, right? 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:29.980 Between your church relationships 00:29:29.980 --> 00:29:31.279 and your neighborhood relationships 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:32.440 and your work relationships 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:33.660 and your Saturday 00:29:33.660 --> 00:29:35.600 recreational relationships 00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:36.980 and all of your kids 00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:37.700 know each other 00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:38.980 and the kids have 00:29:38.980 --> 00:29:40.059 a sense that they have 00:29:40.059 --> 00:29:41.759 maybe 10, 15 sets 00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:42.900 of spiritual parents 00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:43.859 in addition 00:29:43.859 --> 00:29:46.039 to their immediate parents, 00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:46.299 right? 00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:47.039 And that's what 00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:48.019 a thick community is. 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:49.279 Right? 00:29:49.319 --> 00:29:50.039 And a thick community 00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:51.180 is absolutely vital 00:29:51.180 --> 00:29:53.319 because we live 00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:54.519 in a society right now, 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:56.160 if you're a biblically 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:56.980 faithful Christian 00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:57.720 and you're living 00:29:57.720 --> 00:29:58.240 in a place 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.160 like Washington, D.C., 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:00.920 then you're living 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:02.400 in a cross-cultural environment. 00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:03.980 And I actually think 00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:05.960 that we in some ways 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:07.059 would have more in common 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:07.720 with our neighbors 00:30:07.720 --> 00:30:08.940 if we lived 00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:10.079 in a Muslim country 00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:12.140 than we do living 00:30:12.140 --> 00:30:13.319 in Washington, D.C. 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:15.640 And so we need 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:17.120 thick, interdependent, 00:30:17.360 --> 00:30:18.259 formative community 00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:18.779 where we have 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:20.460 a high relational overlap 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:22.140 across multiple spheres 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:22.680 of life 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:25.640 to be forming one another 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:27.319 in line with Scripture. 00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:29.640 The next mark would be 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:30.460 that we are a church 00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:32.900 known for Eucharistic celebration, 00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:35.620 that that's the absolute center 00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:37.299 of our spiritual life 00:30:37.299 --> 00:30:38.399 because it's the meal 00:30:38.399 --> 00:30:39.819 that unites us to God, 00:30:40.459 --> 00:30:41.939 it unites us to one another, 00:30:42.259 --> 00:30:43.339 and it unites us 00:30:43.339 --> 00:30:44.959 to God's unfolding story 00:30:44.959 --> 00:30:46.000 of salvation history 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.139 in the world. 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:48.559 And that that is the thing 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:49.479 that we come back to 00:30:49.479 --> 00:30:51.159 again and again and again. 00:30:51.439 --> 00:30:52.519 That church is serious 00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:53.219 about the Eucharist. 00:30:54.399 --> 00:30:55.739 I pray that, number four, 00:30:55.819 --> 00:30:56.479 we are a church 00:30:56.479 --> 00:30:57.299 that is known 00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:58.839 as a praying church. 00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:01.619 It has been famously said 00:31:01.619 --> 00:31:04.019 that prayer is the engine room 00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:04.659 of the church. 00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:06.840 And if you really want to know 00:31:06.840 --> 00:31:07.860 the health of a church, 00:31:07.980 --> 00:31:09.460 do not look at its Sunday attendance, 00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:11.140 but look at how many people 00:31:11.140 --> 00:31:12.820 come to the midweek prayer meeting. 00:31:13.860 --> 00:31:15.360 I'm not even sure we have 00:31:15.360 --> 00:31:17.000 a formal midweek prayer meeting. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.860 What I'm thankful for 00:31:18.860 --> 00:31:19.920 is that I know many of you 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.019 are people of deep prayer. 00:31:21.740 --> 00:31:23.180 And I want to see that grow 00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:24.880 and grow and grow 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:26.180 in our community. 00:31:27.340 --> 00:31:28.560 Fifthly, that we would be known 00:31:28.560 --> 00:31:29.480 as a community 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:32.160 of joyful praise and worship. 00:31:33.120 --> 00:31:33.420 Right? 00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:35.279 That we are filled with joy. 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:36.840 That we are excited 00:31:36.840 --> 00:31:38.259 and eager to worship the Lord 00:31:38.259 --> 00:31:39.779 in our homes 00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:41.080 and together 00:31:41.080 --> 00:31:42.220 when we gather. 00:31:43.580 --> 00:31:45.120 That we are known, number six, 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:46.580 as a church 00:31:46.580 --> 00:31:47.640 that takes the ministry 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:48.560 of the Holy Spirit 00:31:48.560 --> 00:31:49.640 very seriously. 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:51.500 Right? 00:31:51.539 --> 00:31:52.480 That the Holy Spirit, 00:31:53.420 --> 00:31:55.120 that we are constantly seeking 00:31:55.120 --> 00:31:57.920 to see more and more 00:31:57.920 --> 00:31:58.779 and more of the work 00:31:58.779 --> 00:31:59.860 of the Spirit in our midst. 00:31:59.859 --> 00:32:01.519 that we come 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:02.899 and we gather together 00:32:02.899 --> 00:32:04.359 with a sense of awe. 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:06.559 We recognize that we're 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:07.679 in the presence of God 00:32:07.679 --> 00:32:08.740 and we have a sense 00:32:08.740 --> 00:32:10.519 of excited anticipation 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:12.119 at what the Holy Spirit 00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:12.699 might do. 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:15.259 That we are known 00:32:15.259 --> 00:32:16.559 as a community, number seven, 00:32:16.699 --> 00:32:17.299 that is marked 00:32:17.299 --> 00:32:18.459 by generous justice. 00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:20.519 You know, you see this, 00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:22.199 you see this ethic 00:32:22.199 --> 00:32:24.519 in the Acts 2.42 church 00:32:24.519 --> 00:32:25.839 that they're selling 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:27.279 whatever they have to sell. 00:32:27.500 --> 00:32:28.799 We know in later chapters 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:29.799 that they're not all 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:30.519 selling everything. 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:31.059 There are people 00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:32.079 who have nice houses 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:33.680 that the church can meet in 00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:34.539 and things like that. 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:36.119 But the point is 00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:37.059 is that when they see 00:32:37.059 --> 00:32:37.980 somebody in need, 00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:40.220 they enter into that need 00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:41.960 and if it requires 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:43.099 selling something 00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:43.799 in order to help 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:44.779 that person meet that need, 00:32:44.839 --> 00:32:45.539 then so be it. 00:32:46.759 --> 00:32:48.039 This is a radical, 00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:49.460 generous justice 00:32:49.460 --> 00:32:51.839 that has been inspired 00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:52.879 by the generosity 00:32:52.879 --> 00:32:53.980 of Christ on the cross. 00:32:55.460 --> 00:32:55.639 Right? 00:32:55.640 --> 00:32:57.700 And so that we would be 00:32:57.700 --> 00:32:58.759 a church that is known 00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.660 for caring for those 00:32:59.660 --> 00:33:00.180 in our midst, 00:33:00.660 --> 00:33:01.960 for standing in solidarity 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:02.880 with the suffering 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:03.660 or the oppressed, 00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:05.560 to confronting injustice 00:33:05.560 --> 00:33:06.460 in our community. 00:33:08.520 --> 00:33:09.900 That we would be known 00:33:09.900 --> 00:33:10.800 next as a church 00:33:10.800 --> 00:33:11.400 that is known 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:12.300 for hospitality. 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:14.300 That we're open, 00:33:14.520 --> 00:33:15.320 that we're welcoming, 00:33:16.120 --> 00:33:17.460 including to those people 00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:18.560 who come from different 00:33:18.560 --> 00:33:20.080 cultural or ethnic backgrounds. 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:22.819 that we are known 00:33:22.819 --> 00:33:24.279 next as a church 00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:24.599 of, 00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:27.179 who has a public faith. 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:28.539 Right? 00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:29.240 These Christians 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.000 were not in hiding. 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:31.679 Even though persecution 00:33:31.679 --> 00:33:33.139 comes almost immediately. 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:34.919 They were out in public. 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:35.799 They were meeting together 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:36.599 in the temple courts. 00:33:36.859 --> 00:33:37.759 People knew who they were. 00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:38.480 They saw them. 00:33:38.699 --> 00:33:39.699 They knew who was associated 00:33:39.699 --> 00:33:41.059 with this ragtag group. 00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:42.899 Right? 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:43.500 And a lot of people 00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:44.579 suffered as a result of it. 00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:47.299 That we would be openly 00:33:47.299 --> 00:33:49.279 and unapologetically Christian 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:51.119 in this culture. 00:33:51.299 --> 00:33:51.720 That we would have 00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:52.460 a public faith 00:33:52.460 --> 00:33:53.440 and that we would know 00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:54.159 how to engage 00:33:54.159 --> 00:33:55.399 the issues of the day 00:33:55.399 --> 00:33:56.099 as Christians. 00:33:56.359 --> 00:33:57.079 And that we'd be willing 00:33:57.079 --> 00:33:57.819 to have a voice 00:33:57.819 --> 00:34:00.299 in public discourse. 00:34:02.500 --> 00:34:03.480 And then lastly, 00:34:03.619 --> 00:34:04.399 that we would be church, 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:05.779 that we would be a church 00:34:05.779 --> 00:34:06.460 that is known 00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:07.339 for our commitment 00:34:07.339 --> 00:34:08.539 to evangelism. 00:34:09.759 --> 00:34:11.000 That we would pray 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:11.639 for people 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:12.639 to come to know Jesus. 00:34:12.900 --> 00:34:13.480 That we would be 00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:14.599 courageously committed 00:34:14.599 --> 00:34:15.559 to sharing the gospel. 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:16.539 That we would be 00:34:16.539 --> 00:34:17.659 courageously praying 00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:19.820 that God might add daily 00:34:19.820 --> 00:34:21.179 to our numbers 00:34:21.179 --> 00:34:22.719 those who are being saved. 00:34:23.800 --> 00:34:24.980 Now you look at this list 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:26.079 and if you're like me, 00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:26.940 you sort of look at this list 00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:27.320 and you're like, 00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:28.320 well it kind of sounds 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:29.059 like you want us 00:34:29.059 --> 00:34:30.159 to be Presbyterian 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:30.920 and Baptist 00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:31.840 and Anglican 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:32.880 and Pentecostal 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:33.559 and maybe a little 00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:34.500 mainline progressive 00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:35.739 kind of all at the same time. 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:35.980 Right? 00:34:36.099 --> 00:34:37.559 This isn't a very clear vision. 00:34:38.219 --> 00:34:38.599 And I would say, 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:38.739 you know, 00:34:38.779 --> 00:34:39.360 maybe you're right. 00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:41.559 You have a point. 00:34:43.059 --> 00:34:44.400 But maybe the church 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:45.139 of the future 00:34:45.139 --> 00:34:46.579 needs to look less 00:34:46.579 --> 00:34:48.259 like the denominations 00:34:48.259 --> 00:34:48.940 of today 00:34:48.940 --> 00:34:51.359 and more like the church 00:34:51.359 --> 00:34:51.859 that we see 00:34:51.859 --> 00:34:52.699 in Acts chapter 2. 00:34:53.879 --> 00:34:55.139 Maybe that's the church 00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:55.759 of the future. 00:34:56.799 --> 00:34:57.579 And maybe 00:34:57.579 --> 00:34:58.839 when you give yourself 00:34:58.839 --> 00:34:59.440 to the leading 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:00.460 of the Holy Spirit, 00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:01.699 maybe you fit 00:35:01.699 --> 00:35:02.599 less and less 00:35:02.599 --> 00:35:04.119 into existing categories. 00:35:04.879 --> 00:35:05.639 Maybe you start 00:35:05.639 --> 00:35:07.059 to create new categories 00:35:07.059 --> 00:35:08.259 of what ministry 00:35:08.259 --> 00:35:08.879 looks like 00:35:08.879 --> 00:35:10.299 in the coming century. 00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:13.120 But in all honesty, 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:14.100 I care less 00:35:14.100 --> 00:35:15.660 about what we look like 00:35:15.660 --> 00:35:17.500 and more about 00:35:17.500 --> 00:35:19.680 that no matter what, 00:35:20.180 --> 00:35:20.940 we are rooted 00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:21.860 in Jesus Christ, 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.220 we are filled 00:35:23.220 --> 00:35:23.780 with the power 00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:24.620 of the Holy Spirit, 00:35:25.080 --> 00:35:26.200 and we are bearing fruit 00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:27.000 for God's glory. 00:35:28.220 --> 00:35:28.860 Let's pray. 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:31.920 Lord, we thank you 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:32.519 for your word 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:33.180 and we thank you 00:35:33.180 --> 00:35:33.860 for your spirit. 00:35:33.860 --> 00:35:36.920 we have our visions 00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:37.320 and hopes 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:37.920 and ideals, 00:35:38.440 --> 00:35:39.860 but we can do nothing 00:35:39.860 --> 00:35:40.460 without the root 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:42.800 and we need Jesus Christ, 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:43.559 the foundation 00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:44.200 of the church, 00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:45.960 to give us the life 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:47.019 and vitality we need. 00:35:48.260 --> 00:35:49.120 We read 00:35:49.120 --> 00:35:50.039 in your gospel lesson 00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:50.840 of your promise 00:35:50.840 --> 00:35:51.720 to send the helper, 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:52.500 the Holy Spirit, 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:54.539 and you've done that. 00:35:55.120 --> 00:35:55.800 And now I pray 00:35:55.800 --> 00:35:58.660 that in our rootedness 00:35:58.660 --> 00:35:59.140 in you 00:35:59.140 --> 00:36:00.440 and in the power 00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:01.059 of the Holy Spirit, 00:36:01.160 --> 00:36:01.740 we might become 00:36:01.740 --> 00:36:02.360 not the kind of church 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:03.039 we want to be, 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:04.239 but the kind of church 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:05.279 that you would have us be 00:36:05.279 --> 00:36:07.079 in this particular time 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:07.559 and place 00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:09.199 that we would bring you glory. 00:36:09.579 --> 00:36:10.460 In your son's name, 00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:10.960 amen.