Christ the King Church.
We as a church have an unprecedented opportunity in front of us.
We have been uniquely placed as a church in this city at this time
with all of us to make an impact for Jesus.
We are uniquely positioned to make a compelling case to the people of our city
that God the Father has sent God the Son to die in the place of sinners
and to gather a people, a diverse people unto himself.
The case that we have to make as a church is not a logical argument
for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, though that may come in time.
The case that our Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is calling us to make
is to love one another.
It's what Francis Schaeffer calls the final apologetic.
As we love one another across differences and cultural divides,
as we love one another as Christ has loved us,
we're going to communicate to our city, the world,
that yes, God has sent his Son.
And yes, Jesus does change people
to live in love in ways that don't make any sense to the rest of the world.
At the end of last Sunday's service,
one of our elders, Brian Whittington, closed with this question.
With the revelation that Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
has laid down his life for his sheep,
how does that inform, shape, and change
our understanding of all the people
who gather in this body Sunday after Sunday?
How does that inform our understanding of the church?
We the church.
For the month of February and March,
we are looking at the Bible to understand
what God says about the church,
and our prayer is this,
that we would think about the church
the way that God our Father thinks about the church,
that we would feel about the church
the way that Jesus feels about his church,
and that we would prioritize the church
the way that the Holy Spirit prioritizes his church
in reaching a world for Christ.
So we're looking at different New Testament pictures
of the blood-bought people of God.
The church is the blood-bought people of God
indwelt by the Holy Spirit on mission for Christ.
So all throughout the New Testament,
we see different ways that God describes his people.
The church is the bride of Christ.
The church is the body of Christ.
The church is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The church is a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
The church is a family of God.
The church is a bunch of refugees,
strangers and aliens, living in a foreign land.
The church is salt and light in a dark place,
a city on a hill.
And last week, we started to look at the church
as the flock of God.
We are one united flock
following one exclusive shepherd.
All of these images of the church
communicate the relationship
between God and his people at this time.
And when we turn to John chapter 10,
there's one little phrase that stands out
in verse 16.
We are one flock,
one shepherd.
We are one united flock
following one exclusive shepherd.
And so last week, what I tried to show you
is I tried to make a case
for how our good shepherd
is a one-of-a-kind good shepherd.
One-of-a-kind in his authority over his sheep.
One-of-a-kind in his relationship,
his knowing of his sheep.
One-of-a-kind in his care for the sheep.
Remember, he's the door.
One-of-a-kind in his sacrifice for his sheep.
He laid his life down for his sheep.
One-of-a-kind in his mission of gathering sheep
from different sheepfolds
together into one flock,
one shepherd,
following one voice.
And he's one-of-a-kind
in the promise he makes to his sheep.
Nobody can snatch my sheep
out of my hand or my father's hand.
He is our one exclusive shepherd.
There's nobody like him.
But this morning, in part two,
what does it mean for us
to be one united flock
following him?
How does that inform,
shape,
change
the way that we think about ourselves
in this time and in this place?
So here's what I'd like to do.
Let's look at John 10,
and we're going to see
five unifying truths
about being a flock,
one flock with one shepherd.
And what you're going to see
as I get to point five,
there's a lot riding on this.
So five unifying truths
of being one flock
following one shepherd.
I just want to let you know,
if you want to amen,
amen.
The first unifying truth is this.
We see it in chapter 10,
verse 3,
chapter 10,
verse 4,
chapter 10,
verse 5,
chapter 10,
verse 6.
It shows up in the word
voice.
We are united
as one flock
by one voice.
The voice
of our good shepherd.
Read with me,
John chapter 10,
verse 3.
To him,
the gatekeeper opens,
the sheep hear
his voice.
And he calls his own
sheep by name
and leads them out.
When he's brought out
all his own,
he gets before them
and the sheep follow him
for they know
his voice.
Verse 5,
for they do not know
the voice of strangers.
Verse 16,
I must bring them
these sheep
from different
non-Jewish folds,
the Gentile sheep
from Gentile folds
and subfolds
of Gentiles.
I must bring them
and also
and they will listen
to my voice
so there will be
one sheep,
one flock,
one shepherd.
Here's the claim.
The good shepherd,
Jesus,
the risen Christ,
is speaking today.
He's calling a people
out to himself.
A people out
to himself
and he's gathering
them as one flock.
And his voice
doesn't stop
with you,
your conversion
of getting called
out to him.
We follow his voice
ongoingly.
He is the sheep
who leads in front
of his flock.
Do you remember
in John 6,
Jesus has just
said some really
hard things
to a bunch
of people
who are saying
they want to
follow him.
He says things
like this,
hey,
you've got to
eat my flesh
and you've got
to drink my blood
and people
were just
disgusted.
And so you know
what happens
in John 6?
People stop
following Jesus.
And Jesus
turns to his 12
and he says
to them,
hey,
do you want
to go as well?
Now's the time
to get off
the Jesus train?
And Peter responds,
he says this,
Lord,
to whom
shall we go?
You have
the words
of eternal life,
your voice.
And we have
believed
and have come
to know
that you are
the Holy One
of God,
the Messiah.
Your voice.
We follow
your voice.
all who
the Father
has given
the Son
will come
to recognize,
believe,
obey,
follow the
voice of
their good
shepherd.
And if you
look down
to verse 16,
we read,
and I have
other sheep
that are not
of this fold.
Remember,
Jesus is speaking
John 10
to an audience
of Jews
and he's
saying to them,
I've got sheep
not here
in the Jewish
fold,
I've got
sheep
in the Gentile
fold,
and I must
bring them
in also,
and they
will hear
my voice.
When we think
about the city
of Kenosha,
I don't know
if you've driven
around the city,
y'all,
there's a bunch
of different
neighborhoods,
and these
different neighborhoods
are marked
by a variety
of different things,
different kinds
of homes,
different kinds
of people
living in those
homes,
different crime
rates,
different school
kind of quality.
It varies from
neighborhood to
neighborhood,
and here's what
I want to put
in your minds.
Think about a
neighborhood as
a neighbor fold,
a little fold
of sheep.
And what I
believe God
is calling us
to,
and many in
this room
believe,
is that the
good shepherd
shepherd is
calling to
himself sheep
from a variety
of different
neighbor folds
in our city
to form one
flock with
him as his
one shepherd,
and we all
together follow
his voice.
We obey his
voice.
Have you ever
played the game
Marco Polo?
Summertime?
Oh, I would love
to be in the
summertime right now.
In a pool,
playing with your
kids or your
friends, and if
you're it, you're
Marco, and you've
got to close your
eyes, and you're
like, Marco, and
then the people
you're playing with,
they say, Polo, and
the idea is if you
can locate the
voice and go
after and tag
them, they're it.
We locate and
go after Jesus by
his voice.
And do you
know where to
go to listen
to Jesus?
Do you know
where the primary
place is to hear
the voice of
Jesus?
The definitive
place to go for
the voice of
Jesus?
The final place
to go to hear
the voice of
Jesus?
You go to this
book.
You don't look
inward, you look
to the book.
You go to the
words.
All of these
words in this
book are breathed
out by God and
profitable.
Each one is
authoritative because
they originated in
the mind of God.
And all of these
words, in some
way, some fashion,
point to Jesus.
And the Gospels
in particular, they
record his voice.
And ironically, we're
reading a passage
where Jesus' voice is
recorded talking
about his voice.
And his words are
living and active.
Today, in his
words that call us
to lay down your
lives, come after
me, they are
living.
And when his
sheep hear that,
they respond.
His voice unites
us together to
follow our good
shepherd.
Our ears are
turned to him
and tuned to
him.
I want to just
make one other
point before we
move on.
One of the ways
that you can
discern Jesus'
voice, he's
always calling you
to come to him,
come after him.
It's all about
him.
Come after me.
All you who are
weary and heavy
laden, come to
me.
So the question I
want to ask you
this morning,
Christ the King
Church, is are you
listening to the
voice of Jesus?
Are you seeking
out his voice in
the word?
Go to him.
God.
It's a great
case to be
regularly planting
yourself in one
of the gospels.
We are united
together by his
voice and he's
going to lead us
by his voice.
The second unifying
truth is that we
are united by our
relationship with
him.
In verse 14,
Jesus says this,
I am the good
shepherd.
I know my
own and my
own know me.
And so the
question becomes
what kind of
knowledge?
What kind of
knowing?
Well, if you look
at verse 15, he
explains what kind
of knowing he
means.
He says, just as
the Father knows
me and I know
the Father.
Do you know what
kind of knowing
he's describing
right there?
Being in
personal relationship
with someone.
Just as Jesus is
in personal
relationship with
his Father, we
are to be in
personal relationship
with our good
shepherd.
There's no one
like him.
Here's how that
relationship works.
If you observe
Jesus' life
throughout the
gospels, there's
so much you'll
learn about him.
There's no one
like him.
And you see
Jesus interacting
with his Father
and he's regularly
pouring out his
heart to his
Father.
It's informative
for us because
we are to pour
out our hearts
to our good
shepherd.
Because we know
him.
We're in personal
relationship to him.
And so when we
all are pouring
out our hearts
to the good
shepherd,
it unites us.
We're united not
just on an
individual relationship,
but we relate to
him as a flock
too in our
gathering Sunday
by Sunday.
Have you ever
been to like a
party?
When you're
showing up to
the party and
you're drinking
some punch and
some other person
kind of walks up
and you start
making small talk
and then you're
comparing notes a
little bit and
you're like,
wait, you know
George?
And you're like,
I know George,
do you know
George?
And so all of a
sudden you realize
you have this
common friend.
And then you
start comparing
notes on your
common friend and
you start laughing
a lot because
George is a freak
show and you
both know it.
All of a sudden
those people who
share that friend
are united.
And brothers and
sisters, we all
share a common
friend, a common
Lord and the
good shepherd.
We're united by
our being in
relationship to
him.
I have found
myself for the
last two weeks,
I was telling
Billy and Matt,
I've been doing a
lot of good shepherd
praying because as
I've been seeped in
John 10, I just
can't, I can't get
around how amazing
he is.
And it informs my
praying.
Oh good shepherd,
oh good shepherd,
would you call this
man to yourself?
Oh good shepherd,
would you provide my
brother with the
help he needs?
Oh good shepherd,
I'm scared.
Oh good shepherd,
I'm exhausted.
Oh good shepherd,
I don't know what to
do with my child.
Oh good shepherd,
oh good shepherd,
lead me, help me,
help me to hear your
voice.
Yes.
Do you know and love
your good shepherd
better than he did a
year ago?
We are in a personal
relationship with him.
Each of us, we share
him together.
We're united in our
relating to him.
And he knows us in and
out.
The third unifying truth
is this.
We all, we're united by
his care for us.
In verse 7, Jesus says,
truly, truly, truly, I
say to you, I am the
door of the sheep.
All who come before me
are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not
listen to my, but the
sheep did not listen to
them.
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved and
will go in and out and
find pasture.
The thief comes only to
steal and kill and
destroy.
I came that they might
have life and have it
abundantly.
I tried to explain to
you last week that back
in the first century, in
the Middle East, sheep
folds were not this very
impressive architectural
event.
So you would have like a
wall in a village or a
wall in a house and the
shepherds would build this
kind of twisted kind of
stick, kind of bulky kind
of wall to form a sheep
fold.
And then there would be an
entryway.
And not every entryway had
a door.
So it wasn't unusual for a
shepherd to put himself in
the entryway of a sheep
fold as the door.
And in so doing, that
shepherd would keep out the
bad guys, verse 8, and he
would also love his sheep by
letting them out and in to
out to find the verdant
pastures, the green, rich
pastures, and to come back
in and to find shelter.
It's a picture of provision
and protection.
It's a picture of life.
Abundant life.
The good shepherd is
constantly providing for and
protecting his sheep.
His sheep.
And it raises a question.
Well, how does he do that
today?
It's 2020.
I don't see Jesus outside
in front of this building.
What's up?
Well, the good shepherd,
who is also the chief
shepherd,
he appoints under-shepherds
to shepherd local flocks
to provide and protect
his sheep.
You remember in John 21,
Jesus is reinstating Peter.
I mentioned this last week
three times.
Do you love me, Peter?
Lord, you know I do.
Feed my lambs.
Do you love me?
Lord, you know I do.
Feed my sheep.
Do you love me?
Three times.
Peter denied him.
Three times.
Do you love me?
Lord, you know everything.
Feed my sheep.
My sheep.
If you flip back in your Bibles
to 1 Peter 5,
this same Peter
is writing to a bunch of elders
of some churches
in a particular region
and this same Peter
says,
so I exhort the elders among you
as a fellow elder
and a witness of the sufferings
of Christ
as well as a partaker
in the glory
that is going to be revealed.
Shepherd the flock of God
that is among you.
Exercising oversight,
not under compulsion,
but willingly.
So God,
as God would have you,
not for shameful gain,
but eagerly.
Not domineering over those
in your charge,
but being examples
to the flock.
And when the chief shepherd
appears,
you will receive
the unfading crown
of glory.
If you turn to Acts 20,
verse 28,
the apostle Paul
is heading back
to Jerusalem
from his second missionary journey.
He's trying to make
as much time as possible
and so he's going to land
in a port town
called Miletus
and he sends
for the elder team
of the church of Ephesus
and he says,
guys,
you've got to meet me here
in Miletus.
I've got to tell you
some things
because I'm not going
to see you again.
And so when he lands
and they gather,
one of the things he says
in verse 28,
so this is the apostle Paul
to this Ephesian shepherd team,
elder team.
He says,
pay careful attention
to yourselves
and to all the flock
in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers
to care for the church of God
which he obtained
with his own blood.
Today,
the good shepherd
cares for his sheep
through the humble oversight
of a team of qualified
under shepherds,
a.k.a. elders,
pastors,
overseers.
And the New Testament norm
is that these elders
serve together
on a team
in a plurality
for the health
of the sheep
because elders
need to be shepherded too.
One of the things
I love about my New Testament
are the qualifications
of elders
for elders
in 1 Timothy 3,
1-7,
Titus 1,
5-9,
1 Peter 5,
1-4,
what we just read.
They're pretty rigorous.
Do you know why
those are in there?
Because Jesus,
the good shepherd,
loves his flock.
And he doesn't just
let anybody at him.
He wants men
of proven character
who are humble,
who are trusting in him.
So the authority
an elder team
has to exercise
in a church,
that's not their own authority.
That's a derived authority
from the chief shepherd.
That's why Peter says
when the chief shepherd appears,
you're going to give
an account to him.
Now the result
of having a healthy
and humble team
of elders
is that a local flock
is protected against people
with bad intentions
and it happens.
And that same flock
is faithfully fed
green pasture
and is faithfully led
following after
the voice of Jesus.
We are united
by the care
of the good shepherd
by his under shepherds.
It's not the only way
he cares for his church
but it is a primary way.
The fourth thing
that unites us,
the fourth unifying truth,
we are one flock
following after one shepherd.
we are united
by his blood.
I pointed this out
last week.
Every time Jesus
calls himself
the good shepherd
in John 10,
he explicitly links
him being the good shepherd
with laying down
his life for the sheep.
You see it in verse 11,
I'm the good shepherd.
The good shepherd
lays down his life
for the sheep.
Verse 14,
I'm the good shepherd.
I know my own.
My own know me
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father
and I lay down
my life for the sheep.
Five times
in this passage,
Jesus references
laying down his life.
Two times,
he talks about
taking it up again.
It's a reference
to his death
and his resurrection
for the good
of his sheep.
And when Jesus
lays down his life
at the end of John,
it is a bloody mess
of an event.
He sheds his blood
for his sheep.
That's why Paul
in Acts 20, 28
calls the church
the blood bought.
Those whom he purchased
with his blood.
His blood made it possible
for you and me
to become his.
And it's the greatest
unifier
of them all.
The cross
levels
the playing field.
It is the great
equalizer
of the flock.
Not only does
his death
and resurrection
unite us to him,
it unites us
to one another.
So not only
are we blood
bought,
we are blood
bound.
We were all
straying
sheep
that Jesus,
the good shepherd,
came and found
and laid his life
down for.
We were all
united
in our running
away from God
and there was
no way we could
save ourselves
but because of
the grace of God
and the mercy
of the good shepherd,
he laid his life
down for us.
We all have
that in common.
We are all
united by the fact
that we have
this promise
that no one
can snatch us
out of the good
shepherd's hand
or his father's.
We are united
by his blood
in that unity
that we share.
It rightly
must bubble up
as gratitude.
United
gratitude
over
our good shepherd
who laid his life
down for us.
That's why we love
to sing so much
Sunday after Sunday.
We love to sing
of what he's done.
Do you know what this
means for us
as a church?
Here's what this means
for us as a church.
We must
begin
seeing each other
first and foremost
as the blood
bought sheep
of the good shepherd.
We
must
see
one another
with eyes
of faith
not eyes
of flesh.
Eyes of flesh
they focus
on differences.
Eyes of flesh
they make
judgments
move to judgments
like this is what
they're not.
eyes of faith
they don't
ignore differences.
Eyes of faith
recognize
blood
bought
first and foremost.
And when you
begin to see
other people
in our church
as blood
bought
sheep
of the good shepherd
it makes
you careful.
It slows
you down.
this person
belongs
to the good shepherd
purchased by
his blood.
So if you've
had a disagreement
with someone
who
some other
sheep of the
flock
remember
your blood
bought
their blood
bought
you both
belong to
the good shepherd.
Or maybe
one other
sheep
really rubs
you the wrong
way.
Blood
bought
first and foremost.
Or maybe
there's another
sheep
that just
kind of
took a bite
of you
and took a
chunk out
of you.
Blood
bought.
It's not
okay
but we're
all blood
bought
followers
of the good
shepherd.
His blood
is
greater
than
anything
that could
divide
us.
Greater
than
anything
that
could
divide
us.
We have
been united
by
his
blood.
We are
blood
bought
blood
bound.
He laid
his life
down for
us.
Which brings
me
to the
fifth point
and the
point
that I've
been looking
forward to
most.
The
we are
united
for
his
mission.
In
1016
Jesus
says
and I
have
other
sheep
that
are
not
of
this
fold.
I
must
bring
them
also
and they
will
listen
to
my
voice
so
there
will
be
one
flock
one
shepherd.
We
have
been
united
for
his
mission.
Jesus
is very
clearly
saying
here
that
he
is
calling
to
himself
sheep
from
a
multitude
of
sheep
folds
in
order
to
gather
together
as
one
flock
one
shepherd.
Of
course
he was
talking
about
the
Jewish
sheep
fold
and
going
to
the
Gentile
sheep
fold
but
there
are
sub
folds
of
Gentile
sheep.
Do I
have
an
amen?
What
you
may
not
realize
is
that
we're
part
of
his
plan.
That
must
is
a
missional
must.
I
must
bring
them
also.
And
he
has
us
in
mind
to
fulfill
that
purpose.
I
started
with
Brian
Whittington's
quote.
Here it
is again
with the
revelation
that Jesus
the good
shepherd
has laid
down
his
life
for
the
sheep
from
different
folds.
How
does
that
inform
shape
and
change
our
understanding
of all
who
gather
in
this
body?
We
have
people
gathering
Sunday
after
Sunday
sitting
next to
each
other
in the
same
pew
with
very
significant
differences
between
them.
In
one
pew
you
could
have
someone
who
is
very
wealthy
sitting
someone
who
is
dirt
poor
both
are
blood
bought.
In
the
same
pew
you
could
have
someone
who
just
got
out
of
prison
sitting
next
to
someone
who
has
never
had
a
parking
ticket
and
both
are
blood
bought.
You
can
have
someone
sitting
within
people
within
feet
of
each
other
one
is
an
ethnic
minority
someone
black
Latino
they
have
been
disadvantaged
by
an
imperfect
system
and
they're
sitting
right
next
to
someone
from
an
ethnic
majority
white
middle
class
who
has
been
advantaged
by
an
imperfect
system
both
blood
bought.
And it
goes on.
You can have
someone who's
mentally sharp
sitting next
to
mentally
ill
both
blood
bought.
Someone
highly
educated
sitting
next
to
someone
who
did
fish
middle
school
both
blood
bought.
Homeless
person
sitting
next
to
someone
who
owns
multiple
properties
in the
city
both
blood
bought.
Someone
who's
bathed
this
morning
sitting
next
to
someone
who
hasn't
bathed
in two
weeks
both
blood
bought.
How are
we going
to unite
around
these kinds
of
differences?
How are
we going
to get
through
this?
things
to
us?
Because I
am
convinced
it
is
an
opportunity
that
Jesus
intends
for us
as a
church
to make
a
statement.
Well,
here are a
number of
suggestions.
When we're
faced with
these
differences,
first
remember
this.
You need
to be
convinced
of
something.
Jesus
the good
shepherd
is actually
purposing
to unite
together
in his
flock
sheep
from
various
and different
backgrounds.
It's his
purpose.
He intends
to do it.
It's not
optional.
And we
are uniquely
positioned as
a church,
as a
people in
this location
to be
about that.
So,
the first
thing you
need to be
convinced
of is
this
one
flock,
one
shepherd
means
multicultural
gospelism.
The second
thing that
you need to
keep in
mind is
this.
How are
we,
how does
this inform
us?
How does
this shape
us?
How does
this change
us?
We've
got to reach
back into
the last
point I
just made.
We are
united by
the blood
of our
good shepherd.
It's
got to
be at
the
forefront
of our
minds.
We've
got to
be keeping
that as
kind of
the defining
thing of
who we
are.
For the
sake of
our unity,
we need
to keep
the cross
in front
of us
because it
humbles
us.
The cross
levels the
flock.
It equalizes
us all.
There's no
one in this
room who
deserves what
Jesus has
done.
The cross
keeps us
humble.
So you've
got to
remember the
purpose of
the good
shepherd is
to unite a
diverse people
and the
cross keeps
us humble.
The next
thing is
it's the
point that I
hope gets
traction in
you this
morning.
we need
to start
learning each
other's
stories out
of love for
one another.
Later on in
John, in
John 13,
just a couple
days before
Jesus lays
down his
life, he
says this,
a new
commandment,
this is
1334,
a new
commandment
I give
to you
that you
love one
another.
Just as I
have loved
you, you
also are
to love
one another.
And the
one another,
regardless of
your ethnicity,
regardless of
what fold you're
from, regardless
of your criminal
record, your
neighbor fold,
the last time
you bathed,
regardless of all
these things,
love one another.
And he says,
just as I
have loved
you, you
know what's
on his
mind.
He's about
to lay
down his
life.
In John
15, Jesus
says, greater
love is no
one than
this, that
someone lays
his life
down for
his friends.
The kind
of love that
Jesus has in
mind here for
us is not
theoretical.
It's
experiential.
It's
costly, risky,
inconvenient,
uncomfortable,
sometimes
unsettling, more
often than not,
messy.
It's a
sacrificial love
we're to love
one another
with.
But let me
help you think
something through.
You might be
thinking in your
mind right now,
well, who am I
supposed to love
like that?
When Jesus
laid down his
life, he
laid down his
life for you,
he already
knew you.
He wasn't
giving his
life for a
blurry-faced
mass of
people he
didn't know.
He was
laying down
his life for
specific
individuals given
to him en masse
by the Father.
His
substitutionary
death was
in the place
of each
of us.
He died
for me,
he died
for you,
and he
knew us
before we
were even
born.
So Jesus
didn't give
his life for
people he
didn't know,
but for
those whom
he already
knew, even
those who
are yet to
be born.
He
this may
be a
little bit
of a
stretch, but
I think
it'll make
sense.
So when
he calls
us to
love one
another,
sacrificially,
just as he
has loved
us,
he's calling
us to
lay down
our lives
for people
we know.
let me
ask you
this
question.
Right
now,
who are
you willing
to be
inconvenienced
for?
Who are
you willing
to change
your schedule
for?
Who are
you willing
to take
risks on?
Who are
you willing
to share
your resources
with?
My guess
is the
people you're
willing to
do that
with are
people you
already know,
people you
have a
relationship
with,
people you
care about.
A love
for one
another that
will span
the divides
of race,
of politics,
of neighbor
folds,
of employment
and income,
it starts
with getting
to know
one another.
It's one
thing to
get to
know
someone
of the
same
skin
color,
who's
been
living
the
same
lifestyle,
with a
similar
kind of
history.
It's
another
thing to
get to
know
someone
with a
different
skin
color,
living a
different
lifestyle,
with a
very
different
history.
heart
complications,
not
having
answers
to
things,
but we
move
forward
in
love.
So
loving
one
another
starts
by
seeking
to
understand
one
another,
and I
want
to
free
you
all
up
to
take
a
courageous
step
towards
one
another
in a
specific
way.
it's
this.
Will you
tell me
your
story?
Hey,
Josh,
can we
get together
for coffee?
Man,
I'd really
love to
hear your
story.
You
want to
come over
for dinner?
Because
I know
you've got
a story,
and I
want to
hear it.
We
move
towards
one
another.
It
takes
some
courage
to
invite
someone
who's
unlike
you
to
do
something
like
that,
but
what's
driving
that
is
love.
A
Jesus
kind
of
love.
I
think
the
best
place
to
start
are
informal
relationships
around
tables,
in
homes,
and in
coffee
shops.
Nobody's
asking
you to
welcome
someone
who's
been
homeless
for
three
years
to
come
live
in
your
basement.
What we're
talking about
though,
sorry,
that was
my brain,
what we are
talking about
though,
is moving
towards
people,
blood-bought
people,
and love.
love.
We love
one another,
and it
starts by
getting to
know one
another.
Does that
sound
reasonable?
But there's
even a
bigger why.
In
John 13,
35,
Jesus,
after saying
this new
commandment,
just as I
have loved
you,
you also
are to
love one
another,
says this,
by this
loving one
another,
this sacrificial
love,
all people
will know
that you
are my
disciples,
if you
have love
for one
another.
It's the
distinguishing
mark of
every follower
of Jesus.
And if you
flip over to
chapter John
17,
the high
priestly
prayer,
not only do we
realize that
this is a
command to
love one
another,
it is
strategic.
Jesus is
praying for
us in
verse 20
and 21,
he says
this,
I do not
ask for
these only,
his disciples
that he was
with,
but also for
those who
will believe
in me through
their word,
that they may
all be one
united together,
just as you
father are in
me and I
in you,
that they
also may be
in us,
and here's
the phrase,
so that
the world
may believe
that you
have sent
me.
Do you see
what's riding
on our love
for one
another?
Look at
verse 23,
I in them
and you in
me that they
may become
perfectly one,
unity,
so that the
world may
know that
you sent
me.
Our
loving one
another
sacrificially
is what
Francis Schaeffer
calls the
final apologetic,
the greatest
case we can
make to a
watching world.
And if we
are unwilling
to love
others who
are unlike
us, we
fail the
command,
and we
give reason
for the
watching world
to say,
ah, they're
like everybody
else.
But for
those of us
who are taking
these words to
heart and
stepping outside
of our comfort
zones, what
people start
doing is this,
it's like,
oh, whoa,
he's a
believer in
Jesus, he's
not living for
himself, he's
moving across,
she's moving
across boundaries,
look at who
their friends
are.
That ain't
natural!
That's the
world.
Because when
they see our
love for one
another, that's
resulting in this
new and uncommon
unity, it ends
up making a
convincing case
that God has
actually sent
Jesus to
not only save
people but
radically change
them to be in
new kinds of
relationships.
Let me ask you
this, where in
our city are
people voluntarily
moving towards
other people outside
of their comfort
zone right now?
you see the
opportunity we
got.
We got a
great opportunity,
Christ the King
Church.
I hope you're
feeling the weight
of these words.
I hope you're
feeling not just
the command but
the strategy of
it.
we are a test
case in this
city to
demonstrate that
God has really
sent the Son.
You can't argue
with a supernatural
unity among a
naturally diverse
people and it
just starts by
hearing people's
stories.
Get it?
We are united
for His mission.
Better said, we
must be uniting
for His mission
because it's
essential to
His mission.
We are one
united flock
following our
one exclusive
shepherd and
there's a lot
riding on it.
One flock, one
shepherd, it
informs, shapes,
and changes the
way that we
think about
ourselves and
our reason for
being in our
city.
So brothers and
sisters, fellow
sheep, we have
an unprecedented
opportunity to
make a statement
for Jesus in
our city by our
love for one
another.
Do I have an
amen?
Let's pray.
God, thank you
so much for
Jesus.
Jesus, thank you
so much for
giving us ears to
hear your voice
this morning.
This is not an
easy way, Lord
Jesus.
This is risky, it's
uncomfortable, but
we believe it's
true.
We believe you're
calling us to this.
God, would you
give us the strength
to do it?
Would you give us
the courage and the
boldness, the
confidence in you,
our good shepherd,
that you're with us
all along the way?
God, we ask that you
would do a work in
Christ the King
Church, that through
our love for one
another across various
differences, that you
would draw to yourself
more sheep from more
folds to form for
yourself a whole new
flock of lovers of
one another who are all
attuned to your voice
for the glory of your
name.
In the name of Jesus, we
pray.
Amen.