WEBVTT

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 He says, so all this authority has been given to me, so go and make disciples.

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 And defines what that looks like for us.

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 To all peoples, baptizing them in the truth of the Trinity, teaching them to observe all that he's commanded.

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 And then he ties it up again with the promise.

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 And behold, I am with you always.

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 That I will bring to pass all of these things by my work in you and by you.

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 This should be enough.

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 This should be enough.

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 I feel that I should be able to just simply read this to you.

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 And that the people of God should go, amen, and get busy.

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 But I fear there is more necessary.

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 And I know that there are no doctrines that very readily stay alive in our minds unless they're fed.

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 And so we need to be feeding them and we need to be about this work.

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 So what is the God-ordained institution meant to accomplish this?

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 To continue to remind us of the way in which we should be living.

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 It's the church.

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 He has given us this organization by which we are meant to fulfill the Great Commission.

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 Peter writes in 1 Peter 3, 9 and 10,

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 This is the great high calling for us as the church and as a church, as part of that.

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 That we have been given a mission in this world.

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 And there are ways in which we go about fulfilling that mission, which includes our meeting together.

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 But to that great end that we might see the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed amongst the people of the world.

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 I hope that that's something that excites your heart.

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 That you have such a degree of love and adoration for Him.

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 That you want His praises to be sung.

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 That you want more and more people to experience the transforming power of the gospel.

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 That they might forever tell of how great their God is.

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 Is He not great and worthy to be praised?

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 Should we not invite people into that?

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 That He might be praised in higher and higher degree.

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 And so the church is the methodology by which we press at each other.

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 That we move each other into that kind of living.

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 And that we remain in that place together.

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 And I will tell you that the study of the church in the scriptures is one of my favorite studies.

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 As a church leader, likely.

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 It's called ecclesiology, if any of you care at all.

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 The theology, so to speak, of the church.

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 Literally, ecclesiology means church knowledge or church logic, which I particularly prefer.

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 Rather than asking, as we look at the scriptures, what is the church?

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 What we need to be asking is, who is the church?

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 And the place that we need to be going to ask this very question is the scripture themselves.

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 We believe as a church in a doctrine called the sufficiency of scripture.

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 And that is that God has given to us all things necessary for holy living.

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 It is here in the Holy Bible.

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 This is why it's called this.

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 That we don't need anything out and beyond it.

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 Which isn't to say we shouldn't read a good book, but only insofar as the good book points us back to the scriptures.

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 We don't need to add a bunch of methodology to the methodology in the scriptures.

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 God has given us everything that we need.

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 God, when he had the scriptures penned by the Holy Spirit, didn't not know what was going to happen in the 21st century.

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 He didn't go, what? Simulcasts?

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 I had no idea that was a possibility.

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 He knew.

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 God is the church.

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 This is a vastly misunderstood topic in our day and time.

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 Wrongly, many people look at the Greek word ekklesia, which simply means gathering, and understand it to mean a gathering, an event, so to speak.

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 One evangelical writer put it this way.

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 For the modern evangelical, worship is defined exclusively by the individual's experience.

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 Worship, then, is not about adoring God, but by about being nourished with religious feelings.

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 So much so that the worshiper has become the object of worship.

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 Sunday worship is to be centered on my needs and desires.

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 I am at the center.

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 My needs are paramount.

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 Meet them or I will go to church elsewhere.

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 A large local church in our area advertises their multiple services in this way.

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 At 930, you have a traditional blend of praise and worship.

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 At 11, an inspiring and vibrant contemporary worship experience.

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 And at 11, I guess at the same time, on the same campus, contemporary acoustic worship.

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 Right?

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 Meeting all of the needs and all of the desires of the individual coming, who says they're coming to adore God.

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 But it has seemed that the object of worship has been turned around on the individual, the congregant, rather than the God that the congregation comes to worship.

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 What distinguishes the church from any other social club?

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 There are some things.

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 But it would seem in many churches, you simply have to show up and pay your dues and don't do anything that would embarrass the club.

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 Just be sure that you don't get out there and make the club look bad.

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 This is very consumption driven.

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 We live in such a consumer society and that is exactly what happens in most churches and in ours.

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 We don't need consumption.

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 In fact, I would say that if you are a consumer Christian, you have much to consider.

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 Much to consider.

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 What we need, rather, is participation.

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 We so often think of our churches as businesses.

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 This is evidenced in the way we talk.

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 Out of the outflow of our hearts, our mouths speak, beloved.

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 This is a truth that we cannot avoid in the scriptures.

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 We say things like, where do you attend church?

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 We ought to be asking questions like, who do you fellowship with?

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 We think of a church as a name, a building, a pastor, and a collection of programs.

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 A website.

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 Such a wrong way to think about church.

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 Church.

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 Now, I've got the whiteboard back from last week.

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 I'm going to draw you a picture.

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 I think this is the way most people consider what church looks like.

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 This is going to be my very rudimentary Jesus.

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 Church, then, is structured like this.

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 It's a triangle.

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 This is how every business that we're aware of is structured.

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 Someone at the top and a structure that plays out below this.

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 Good for business.

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 I applaud this for business, but this is not meant to be the structure of the church.

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 We, as a more biblical, in many ways, church, we've tried to take the tip of the pyramid off.

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 And biblically, we have a group of elders who give leadership to this.

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 But culturally, many of you put the pyramid back on the top.

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 Right?

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 That this is the structure.

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 Information is disseminated from the top.

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 Right?

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 So, I'm somehow holier than you.

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 I have some special granted access to Jesus.

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 You'll hear us talk a lot in terms of vision, church leaders will talk about.

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 And I think all that a church leader is really trying to say is,

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 there's a place I think we should go.

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 I could say these couple of weeks we're taking off from Mark is about vision casting.

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 Right?

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 But it's not that God has come to me and given me some kind of a dream that we're driving toward.

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 Right?

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 And I think a lot of people think in those terms,

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 this guy gets up and he says he has a vision.

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 He must be hanging out with Jesus.

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 We should do whatever he says.

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 The altar call presses at this type of thing.

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 People to think that they have to get up and go down to the quote unquote altar.

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 Didn't Jesus do away with sacrifice and that type of a system?

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 Somehow we built some stage out of wood and carpet and it's become a holy place.

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 And there's a man who's going to stand between you and God.

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 God, this is not healthy.

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 This is not the way the church should function.

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 But the congregants do this too.

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 Right?

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 Sitting and consuming.

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 Giving, paying, saying, put together programs, put together ministry.

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 Do things where I can plug in.

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 And we will expect you as the trained professional to reach people.

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 This is a shame.

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 And you know why?

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 Because all of you have the Spirit of God.

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 All of you are some expression of God's great work in the world.

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 You are necessary in the kingdom.

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 A man named Mark Dever, some of you may be familiar with.

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 A pastor of First Baptist Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

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 wrote a rather wonderful book called Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.

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 I would commend it to you if you'd like to read it.

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 Let me just read to you the way he begins.

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 Chapter 1.

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 And this, for him, was the beginning of a sermon series which became this book.

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 And this is how he actually started out the sermon.

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 Now, I want you to hear, he's going to say some things that have no application to our building at all.

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 I think their building is much nicer than ours.

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 Probably their program is a little bit nicer than ours.

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 But still get the flavor of what he's saying here.

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 So he gets up on a Sunday morning and he says,

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 So, how's it going?

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 Did you get enough sleep last night?

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 Did you have trouble finding a good parking place this morning?

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 Were the doors clearly marked?

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 Did the people welcome you as you came in?

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 Did the building seem nice and neat?

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 I wonder, did the church's name make it more difficult for you to decide to come in?

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 Or maybe that was part of the reason why you decided to come in.

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 And when you did come in, were the people friendly and welcoming?

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 Any trouble dropping the kids off?

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 Not a problem here, is it?

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 And what do you think about the stained glass?

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 I know I have the best view of it, but it's really pretty, isn't it?

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 Then again, maybe it's a little too traditional for you.

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 Are the pews comfortable?

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 Do you have a good view of all the activities from where you are sitting?

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 Can you see clearly?

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 Can you hear okay?

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 Is it warm enough for you right now?

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 Do you feel pretty comfortable?

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 And how about the bulletin?

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 Nice, clear, simple, pretty straightforward, wouldn't you say?

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 Not too complicated.

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 Maybe a little too staid.

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 Did you notice all the announcements in it?

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 And did you see all the programs listed in the church card?

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 There are a lot of them, aren't there?

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 Probably more than you've ever read.

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 Of course, it's easy to read, but I guess the print is kind of small, isn't it?

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 And there aren't any pictures.

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 I mean, it's so type-heavy.

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 That probably tells you a lot about the church, doesn't it?

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 You think this is probably the kind of church where they'd rather have thousands of words than pictures, right?

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 What about the people sitting around you?

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 Are they the kind you like to go to church with?

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 Yeah, I know you're too nervous to look around you right now, but you know who they are.

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 What do you think?

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 Are they the right age?

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 Are they the right race?

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 Are they the right social class?

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 Are they just like you?

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 And what about the service so far?

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 I mean, was it too difficult switching between the two hymnals?

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 You know, most churches just use one, and here you have to use two.

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 You've got to go to the green one, and then sometimes the beige one.

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 Had the leader seemed informed, yet not know-it-all-ish?

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 Competent, yet not overbearing?

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 There weren't too many announcements in the service were there.

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 I don't think so this morning.

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 Have the prayers been involving?

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 Have they engaged your heart and mind?

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 I'll skip.

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 There's two more pages.

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 The preacher does have a very difficult job, doesn't he?

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 The preacher has to be someone that you feel you can relate to and talk with

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 and let your hair down with or trust in some measure.

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 But he needs to seem holy, too, but not too holy.

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 You know, he needs to be knowledgeable, but not too knowledgeable.

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 He needs to be confident, but not too confident.

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 He needs to be compassionate, but not too compassionate.

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 And his sermon?

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 Well, his sermon needs to be good enough, relevant enough,

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 entertaining and engaging enough.

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 And certainly, short enough.

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 And he goes on for a whole other page beyond that,

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 listing off all of these criteria by which people shop churches.

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 The very fact that we tend to call the buildings that we meet in churches

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 says so much about our misunderstanding about what church is.

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 Out of the outflow of the heart,

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 every time you call this building the church,

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 it says something about what you think about church.

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 It reduces it.

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 It reduces it to a place and programs,

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 rather than being a people.

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 It's confusing to me.

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 When somebody says,

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 I'm going to drop something off at the church,

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 I say, how is that possible?

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 Our people live all over the place.

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 Who specifically are you talking about?

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 But it's become the cultural norm that we speak in this way.

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 In fact, we had called this building,

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 not the church,

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 but the meeting house,

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 is what we were trying to call it,

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 get to stick in those days,

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 for years.

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 And yet I found myself still calling other church buildings churches.

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 Which says something about what I thought about every other church in our region.

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 I had to adjust my heart concerning that,

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 to think of those as people groups gathering in a place under a name,

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 but as people, as eternal beings,

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 things that will last forever,

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 versus all of this which is going to turn to dust.

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 Not a single bit.

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 The name Christ Family Church,

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 our website,

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 our signs are already turning to dust.

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 This building,

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 it's all passing away.

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 But you guys are eternal.

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 You have eternal souls,

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 and we are the church.

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 If you have a bulletin,

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 I hope everybody got one today.

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 You'll notice on the front of it,

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 it says this every single week.

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 We try to do it in our speaking as well,

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 but it says,

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 Welcome to 60 South,

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 the meeting place of Christ Family Church.

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 We've just coined a name for the property,

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 so we could call it something,

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 because meeting house was taking too much time to get out.

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 It's what the Puritans used to call their places of gathering.

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 So we call it 60 South.

00:16:11.479 --> 00:16:12.259
 If you don't like it,

00:16:12.500 --> 00:16:13.239
 take it up with Wes.

00:16:13.319 --> 00:16:14.199
 He came up with the name.

00:16:15.079 --> 00:16:15.979
 I didn't care,

00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:17.099
 so we started calling it that.

00:16:17.319 --> 00:16:19.199
 We're located on the side of 60 South,

00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:21.020
 so there you have it.

00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:23.920
 This is just where we gather.

00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.320
 It's not who we are, praise God.

00:16:27.180 --> 00:16:29.020
 This building doesn't define us.

00:16:29.860 --> 00:16:31.220
 It ought not, anyway.

00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:37.140
 This is an improper way of thinking about church.

00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:39.159
 The better way,

00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:42.120
 the better way to understand that the term ecclesia

00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:45.799
 is the gathered ones.

00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:48.240
 Not that church is an event,

00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:53.019
 but rather a people centered on the event,

00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:55.220
 namely Christ redeeming his people,

00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:57.179
 his life, his death, and his resurrection.

00:16:57.899 --> 00:17:01.460
 That this is what we are gathered around as a people.

00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.139
 Ecclesia, the gathered ones.

00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:09.560
 Now the church is both invisible and visible.

00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:11.140
 We can see,

00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:14.320
 there's some things we can tangibly touch about the church.

00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:17.700
 We see churches in function in our world today,

00:17:17.740 --> 00:17:18.840
 but it's also invisible,

00:17:19.020 --> 00:17:20.620
 which is the way that God sees it,

00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:24.180
 which would be all true believers for all time.

00:17:24.340 --> 00:17:26.500
 The scriptures speak of the church in this manner

00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:28.100
 rather regularly.

00:17:29.040 --> 00:17:33.100
 The church is both universal and it's local.

00:17:33.099 --> 00:17:34.919
 The scriptures once again do this.

00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:35.939
 The church is universal.

00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:38.719
 All believers alive today,

00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:40.819
 right now are the church,

00:17:40.939 --> 00:17:42.779
 capital C.

00:17:43.859 --> 00:17:45.599
 But the more regular expression of church

00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:46.459
 that we see in the scriptures

00:17:46.459 --> 00:17:49.500
 is the local form that's most mentioned.

00:17:49.699 --> 00:17:51.259
 And that's what we would be considered.

00:17:51.379 --> 00:17:53.980
 We're a local church.

00:17:54.199 --> 00:17:55.839
 And just for your sake

00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:57.159
 and for your future study,

00:17:57.219 --> 00:17:59.480
 I've been kind of working on a definition

00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:00.439
 of the local church.

00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:03.059
 Actually, let me say this is a working definition,

00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:05.019
 but I put it in the notes section of your bulletin

00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:06.620
 and it goes like this.

00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:07.460
 The local church

00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:10.880
 is a community of regenerate disciples of Jesus Christ,

00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:11.920
 believers,

00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:14.019
 true believers of Jesus Christ,

00:18:14.580 --> 00:18:16.360
 organized under qualified leadership

00:18:16.360 --> 00:18:18.240
 who gather regularly

00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:19.700
 to grow in the knowledge of God,

00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:22.059
 to be equipped for every good work,

00:18:22.059 --> 00:18:24.440
 and to observe the biblical sacraments

00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.500
 of baptism and the Lord's Supper

00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:27.819
 to the end

00:18:27.819 --> 00:18:30.740
 that the Great Commission is fulfilled.

00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:32.500
 This, I think,

00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:34.559
 is a pretty good biblical definition

00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:36.159
 of what the local church is.

00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:37.240
 It distinguishes it

00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.500
 rather from

00:18:38.500 --> 00:18:41.419
 a Bible study you might participate in.

00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:41.859
 Right?

00:18:41.940 --> 00:18:43.240
 If you can't meet all these criteria,

00:18:43.399 --> 00:18:45.000
 then it's not a church.

00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:46.879
 It's not an expression of that word,

00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:47.839
 ecclesia.

00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:49.599
 It may even distinguish it

00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:50.439
 from some of the things

00:18:50.439 --> 00:18:52.039
 that are called church in our area

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:53.319
 that are really much more like

00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.699
 large weekly conferences.

00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:58.199
 There's a place and a time for that,

00:18:58.299 --> 00:19:00.720
 but I think that we must rightly understand

00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.959
 what church should regularly look like

00:19:03.959 --> 00:19:04.899
 in our lives

00:19:04.899 --> 00:19:06.659
 if we care at all,

00:19:06.699 --> 00:19:07.439
 and we should,

00:19:07.939 --> 00:19:09.439
 about the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

00:19:10.919 --> 00:19:12.919
 All right, let's land on our text for today.

00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.799
 The major part of our text, anyway.

00:19:14.879 --> 00:19:15.699
 Hebrews chapter 10.

00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:37.240
 Hebrews chapter 10.

00:19:37.340 --> 00:19:38.000
 Just as a little

00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.080
 bibliology for you.

00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:42.860
 The way your Bible is organized

00:19:42.860 --> 00:19:44.720
 is not in chronological order.

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:46.559
 But you have

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:48.220
 Paul's epistles

00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:50.360
 with the pastoral epistles

00:19:50.360 --> 00:19:51.140
 being at the end.

00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:52.480
 Then the book of Hebrews.

00:19:52.840 --> 00:19:53.900
 We're not exactly sure

00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:55.559
 who wrote Hebrews,

00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:56.420
 although many people

00:19:56.420 --> 00:19:57.920
 believe it was Paul.

00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:00.319
 Here it's placed at the end

00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.279
 of the Pauline epistles

00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:02.960
 because maybe,

00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:05.279
 but maybe not.

00:20:05.420 --> 00:20:06.259
 But then beyond that,

00:20:06.340 --> 00:20:07.799
 you have the other writers.

00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.660
 So Peter, John, etc.

00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:11.120
 And so you know

00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:12.600
 you can separate it out that way.

00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:13.779
 Help you find

00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:15.200
 the book of Hebrews.

00:20:15.700 --> 00:20:17.880
 Hebrews 10, verses 19-25.

00:20:20.660 --> 00:20:21.600
 Therefore, brothers,

00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:23.559
 since we have confidence

00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:24.960
 to enter the holy places

00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.480
 by the blood of Jesus,

00:20:26.860 --> 00:20:28.299
 by the new and living way

00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:29.420
 that He opened for us

00:20:29.420 --> 00:20:30.039
 through the curtain,

00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:30.720
 that is,

00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.120
 through His flesh,

00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.240
 and since we have a great priest

00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:35.539
 over the house of God,

00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:37.100
 let us draw near

00:20:37.100 --> 00:20:38.059
 with a true heart

00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:39.539
 in full assurance of faith,

00:20:39.940 --> 00:20:40.640
 with our hearts

00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:41.380
 sprinkled clean

00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:42.400
 from an evil conscience,

00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:43.720
 and our bodies washed

00:20:43.720 --> 00:20:44.980
 with pure water.

00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:46.759
 Let us hold fast

00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:47.320
 the confession

00:20:47.320 --> 00:20:47.920
 of our hope

00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:48.660
 without wavering,

00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:50.259
 for He who promised

00:20:50.259 --> 00:20:51.280
 is faithful.

00:20:51.840 --> 00:20:52.700
 And let us consider

00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:53.500
 how to stir up

00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:53.880
 one another

00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:55.480
 to love and good works,

00:20:55.900 --> 00:20:56.660
 not neglecting

00:20:56.660 --> 00:20:57.420
 to meet together

00:20:57.420 --> 00:20:58.620
 as is the habit of some,

00:20:58.960 --> 00:20:59.740
 but encouraging

00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:00.300
 one another

00:21:00.300 --> 00:21:01.700
 and all the more

00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:03.100
 as they see the day

00:21:03.100 --> 00:21:04.200
 drawing near.

00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:05.140
 Now, what I want us

00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:06.060
 to primarily draw

00:21:06.060 --> 00:21:06.800
 out of this text

00:21:06.800 --> 00:21:07.220
 this morning

00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:09.140
 is the corporate nature

00:21:09.140 --> 00:21:11.160
 of God's people.

00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:12.299
 If you look at the very beginning

00:21:12.299 --> 00:21:13.579
 of verse 22,

00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:16.440
 the writer of Hebrews says,

00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:19.220
 let us draw near.

00:21:19.299 --> 00:21:21.299
 And this is a single Greek word,

00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:22.440
 proserkamai.

00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:24.000
 It's plural,

00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:25.740
 present tense,

00:21:25.940 --> 00:21:26.660
 active voice,

00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:28.019
 subjective mood,

00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:29.460
 which means it's contingent

00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:30.120
 on something.

00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:33.039
 And so to draw out that,

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:34.279
 let us draw near

00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:35.519
 at greater length,

00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:36.500
 it could be said,

00:21:36.500 --> 00:21:38.680
 let us continually draw near

00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:42.079
 because we can in Christ.

00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:44.099
 Because of what Christ

00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:44.619
 has accomplished

00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:46.160
 on our behalf,

00:21:46.420 --> 00:21:47.660
 one of the blessings,

00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:49.400
 one of the outworkings

00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:50.220
 of that is that

00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:53.059
 we get to gather together.

00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:55.240
 We get to draw near to God

00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:57.180
 together as a community

00:21:57.180 --> 00:21:57.940
 of faith.

00:21:58.200 --> 00:21:59.700
 As Kyle says so regularly

00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:00.299
 and I love,

00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:02.599
 as a faith family together.

00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:03.500
 Notice that's what

00:22:03.500 --> 00:22:04.299
 those first three verses

00:22:04.299 --> 00:22:04.700
 are about,

00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:05.940
 19, 20, and 21,

00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:07.480
 the accomplished work

00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:08.519
 of Christ.

00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:10.880
 So we get to draw together

00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:12.440
 and look at the rest

00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:13.519
 of the plural pronouns

00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:14.920
 in verse 19,

00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:16.460
 since we have confidence.

00:22:16.580 --> 00:22:17.080
 Verse 20,

00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:19.279
 that he opened for us.

00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:20.120
 Verse 21,

00:22:20.299 --> 00:22:22.720
 since we have a great priest.

00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:23.539
 Verse 22,

00:22:23.779 --> 00:22:24.220
 once again,

00:22:24.320 --> 00:22:24.900
 let us,

00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:26.140
 our hearts,

00:22:26.539 --> 00:22:27.360
 our bodies.

00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:28.740
 Verse 23,

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:30.340
 let us hold fast

00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:31.959
 the confession of our hope.

00:22:31.959 --> 00:22:32.919
 Verse 24,

00:22:32.919 --> 00:22:35.720
 let us consider.

00:22:37.139 --> 00:22:40.919
 So we are to draw close together

00:22:40.919 --> 00:22:44.419
 in celebration and worship of God,

00:22:44.919 --> 00:22:46.659
 holding fast the confession

00:22:46.659 --> 00:22:48.000
 of our hope without wavering.

00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:49.959
 This is the doctrinal part

00:22:49.959 --> 00:22:51.980
 of our learning together,

00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:55.139
 holding true the gospel doctrines,

00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:58.099
 stirring up one another,

00:22:58.099 --> 00:22:59.639
 encouraging one another,

00:22:59.639 --> 00:23:01.099
 pressing at one another

00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:02.879
 to love and good works,

00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:04.439
 and all the more,

00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:06.259
 as we see the day drawing near.

00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:07.719
 This is meant to be the activity

00:23:07.719 --> 00:23:08.939
 of the church,

00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:09.439
 right?

00:23:09.500 --> 00:23:11.179
 That we are firmly planted,

00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:13.099
 our feet are firmly planted

00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:14.159
 in doctrinal truth,

00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:15.699
 and we press at each other

00:23:15.699 --> 00:23:16.659
 for the going,

00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:17.480
 the loving,

00:23:17.719 --> 00:23:19.559
 and the doing of good works.

00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:22.919
 Any expression of Christianity

00:23:22.919 --> 00:23:24.740
 devoid of the church

00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:25.679
 is foreign

00:23:25.679 --> 00:23:27.299
 to the pages of Scripture.

00:23:27.679 --> 00:23:30.500
 It does not exist.

00:23:31.980 --> 00:23:32.779
 Just think about

00:23:32.779 --> 00:23:33.659
 the biblical metaphors

00:23:33.659 --> 00:23:34.379
 for the church.

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.379
 The church is called

00:23:36.379 --> 00:23:38.059
 a body made up of parts,

00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.700
 a household

00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:41.480
 made up of family members,

00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:42.639
 a temple

00:23:42.639 --> 00:23:45.419
 made up of living stones.

00:23:46.859 --> 00:23:48.579
 Apart from them,

00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:49.419
 the individual

00:23:49.419 --> 00:23:52.259
 makes no sense.

00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:54.619
 They were created

00:23:54.619 --> 00:23:56.199
 to exist together.

00:23:56.619 --> 00:23:58.159
 These are all pictures

00:23:58.159 --> 00:24:00.980
 of life together.

00:24:02.159 --> 00:24:04.159
 Now, even biblical analogies

00:24:04.159 --> 00:24:05.819
 tend to fall short, right?

00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:06.740
 Certainly your body

00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:08.240
 can function without part of it.

00:24:08.740 --> 00:24:09.879
 Some parts are more vital

00:24:09.879 --> 00:24:10.720
 than others.

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:12.679
 But you will in some degree

00:24:12.679 --> 00:24:13.960
 be handicapped,

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:14.419
 will you not?

00:24:14.500 --> 00:24:15.439
 My back seems to have

00:24:15.439 --> 00:24:16.399
 given up on me today.

00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.640
 I can still function

00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:19.460
 as a human being,

00:24:19.620 --> 00:24:20.120
 can I not?

00:24:20.340 --> 00:24:21.440
 Sure trying anyway.

00:24:22.860 --> 00:24:24.320
 But I'm handicapped

00:24:24.320 --> 00:24:25.040
 in some regard

00:24:25.040 --> 00:24:25.900
 because I don't have

00:24:25.900 --> 00:24:26.940
 the full function

00:24:26.940 --> 00:24:28.420
 of my back.

00:24:29.540 --> 00:24:30.740
 All the parts

00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:32.540
 are necessary

00:24:32.540 --> 00:24:33.980
 and not

00:24:33.980 --> 00:24:35.100
 for filling seats.

00:24:36.100 --> 00:24:37.040
 It's really not

00:24:37.040 --> 00:24:37.820
 that important,

00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:38.640
 you know,

00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:40.560
 that your participation,

00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:41.940
 this is for you,

00:24:42.060 --> 00:24:42.700
 this is me,

00:24:43.060 --> 00:24:44.320
 bringing a meal to you,

00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:45.579
 feeding you.

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.919
 I'm glad you're here.

00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:48.079
 I want you to be fed.

00:24:48.419 --> 00:24:49.379
 I want to preach

00:24:49.379 --> 00:24:50.200
 the good news

00:24:50.200 --> 00:24:51.480
 of Jesus Christ to you.

00:24:52.919 --> 00:24:53.179
 You know,

00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:53.879
 I do the same amount

00:24:53.879 --> 00:24:54.439
 of preparation

00:24:54.439 --> 00:24:55.579
 whether it's ten of you

00:24:55.579 --> 00:24:56.859
 or however many

00:24:56.859 --> 00:24:57.439
 are here today.

00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:00.480
 It doesn't really matter.

00:25:00.659 --> 00:25:01.519
 You come and you sit.

00:25:01.659 --> 00:25:02.359
 It matters for you

00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:02.839
 but it doesn't matter

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:03.559
 for the church.

00:25:04.039 --> 00:25:04.980
 You've got to get involved.

00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:05.799
 You have to participate.

00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:06.720
 You have to be part

00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:07.700
 of this process together.

00:25:08.399 --> 00:25:08.759
 So you ready?

00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:10.419
 So not this.

00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:10.799
 We're going to draw

00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:11.939
 an X through that version.

00:25:11.940 --> 00:25:15.380
 Let me draw Jesus again.

00:25:17.360 --> 00:25:18.080
 Boy, that crown

00:25:18.080 --> 00:25:18.600
 just got bigger.

00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:22.000
 I'm sure Jesus' crown fits.

00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:25.720
 The church rather

00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:27.779
 should look more like this

00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:29.080
 and hang with me.

00:25:29.120 --> 00:25:29.539
 Let me explain

00:25:29.539 --> 00:25:30.440
 my perspective here.

00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:35.440
 This is a circle

00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:36.120
 on its side.

00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:37.320
 Get that?

00:25:38.420 --> 00:25:39.039
 Rather than trying

00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:39.840
 to draw it from above

00:25:39.840 --> 00:25:40.400
 or make it just

00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.420
 this weird straight line.

00:25:41.420 --> 00:25:44.220
 A group of believers

00:25:44.220 --> 00:25:45.140
 a gathering

00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:45.980
 an ecclesia

00:25:45.980 --> 00:25:48.320
 gathered around

00:25:48.320 --> 00:25:49.460
 the event

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:51.320
 and that is

00:25:51.320 --> 00:25:51.900
 the life, death

00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:52.400
 and resurrection

00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:53.259
 of Jesus Christ

00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:54.660
 linking arms together

00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:55.539
 certainly playing

00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:56.420
 different roles

00:25:56.420 --> 00:25:57.480
 in that process.

00:25:57.940 --> 00:25:58.360
 You look back

00:25:58.360 --> 00:25:59.620
 at my very definition

00:25:59.620 --> 00:26:00.259
 of the local church

00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:01.060
 and it includes

00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:02.620
 gathered under

00:26:02.620 --> 00:26:03.940
 qualified leadership.

00:26:05.360 --> 00:26:06.380
 But nonetheless

00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:08.039
 that we're all

00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:08.740
 part of this.

00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.480
 We're all linking

00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.180
 arms together.

00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:11.140
 we're all looking

00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:11.980
 for direction

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:14.000
 from Christ himself.

00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:15.299
 We do that

00:26:15.299 --> 00:26:16.140
 by his word

00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:18.279
 as revealed to us

00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:18.779
 by the spirit.

00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:20.519
 This is the way

00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:21.440
 that this functions.

00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:21.900
 Right?

00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:22.900
 A priesthood

00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:23.820
 of believers

00:26:23.820 --> 00:26:25.019
 with different roles

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:25.340
 to play

00:26:25.340 --> 00:26:25.920
 but nonetheless

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:27.519
 that we all recognize

00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:28.480
 that we're part

00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:29.460
 of this process.

00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:30.779
 We need

00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:32.480
 one another.

00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.200
 I'm asserting

00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:36.299
 that you cannot

00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:37.700
 be a faithful

00:26:37.700 --> 00:26:38.200
 disciple

00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:39.400
 of Christ

00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:39.940
 apart

00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:41.559
 from the church.

00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:43.160
 Exactly what I'm

00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:43.620
 saying to you.

00:26:43.620 --> 00:26:44.339
 You cannot be

00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:45.200
 a faithful disciple

00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:46.360
 of Christ

00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:47.240
 apart

00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:48.819
 from the church.

00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:50.539
 Many Christians

00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:51.519
 merely attend

00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:52.900
 a worship service

00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:53.779
 of the church.

00:26:54.440 --> 00:26:55.420
 Many of you

00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:57.099
 merely consume

00:26:57.099 --> 00:26:58.539
 and do not

00:26:58.539 --> 00:26:59.039
 participate.

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.519
 Now I know

00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.039
 I know

00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:03.939
 that a lot of you

00:27:03.939 --> 00:27:04.619
 are in a

00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:05.659
 transitionary part

00:27:05.659 --> 00:27:06.279
 of your life

00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:07.339
 college students

00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:08.059
 particularly.

00:27:09.179 --> 00:27:09.359
 Right?

00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:10.799
 You're only up here

00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:11.459
 nine months

00:27:11.459 --> 00:27:12.019
 out of the year

00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:12.579
 but I would just

00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:13.079
 say to you

00:27:13.079 --> 00:27:13.619
 you're up here

00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:14.119
 nine months

00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:14.639
 out of the year.

00:27:15.379 --> 00:27:16.219
 Three quarters

00:27:16.219 --> 00:27:16.879
 of your time

00:27:16.879 --> 00:27:17.699
 has spent living

00:27:17.699 --> 00:27:18.319
 in a place

00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:19.199
 called Dahlonega

00:27:19.199 --> 00:27:20.019
 home

00:27:20.019 --> 00:27:21.420
 and invest

00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:22.519
 and be involved.

00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:23.259
 Many of you

00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:24.000
 do this well

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:24.779
 and I'm thankful

00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:25.240
 for you.

00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:25.859
 Many of you

00:27:25.859 --> 00:27:26.599
 have caught this

00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:27.139
 already

00:27:27.139 --> 00:27:28.160
 and you're coming

00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:29.019
 and doing this.

00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:30.099
 If you're just

00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:30.460
 coming

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:31.139
 and you're just

00:27:31.139 --> 00:27:31.839
 consuming

00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:32.539
 this is what

00:27:32.539 --> 00:27:33.420
 you're up to

00:27:33.420 --> 00:27:33.960
 let me make

00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:34.500
 a suggestion

00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:35.000
 to you.

00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:36.359
 If that's all

00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:36.779
 you're doing

00:27:36.779 --> 00:27:37.220
 and that's all

00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:37.660
 you're ever

00:27:37.660 --> 00:27:38.359
 going to do

00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:39.220
 let me make

00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:39.680
 a suggestion

00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.139
 to you.

00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:41.720
 Sleep in

00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:42.879
 on Sunday mornings.

00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:44.420
 Get up

00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:45.139
 have a nice

00:27:45.139 --> 00:27:45.980
 leisurely

00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:47.099
 eleven o'clock

00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:47.720
 breakfast.

00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:49.059
 Go find

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:49.819
 a beautiful

00:27:49.819 --> 00:27:50.319
 place

00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:50.599
 in these

00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:51.139
 gorgeous

00:27:51.139 --> 00:27:51.539
 mountains

00:27:51.539 --> 00:27:51.899
 to go

00:27:51.899 --> 00:27:52.419
 sit

00:27:52.419 --> 00:27:53.639
 and listen

00:27:53.639 --> 00:27:54.379
 to a better

00:27:54.379 --> 00:27:54.799
 preacher

00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:55.679
 than me

00:27:55.679 --> 00:27:56.519
 on your

00:27:56.519 --> 00:27:56.919
 iPod.

00:27:58.139 --> 00:27:58.740
 There are

00:27:58.740 --> 00:27:58.980
 better

00:27:58.980 --> 00:27:59.379
 preachers

00:27:59.379 --> 00:27:59.779
 than me.

00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:01.159
 John Piper,

00:28:01.299 --> 00:28:01.879
 John MacArthur,

00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:03.099
 Martin Lloyd-Jones,

00:28:03.159 --> 00:28:03.419
 you can get

00:28:03.419 --> 00:28:03.899
 all of his

00:28:03.899 --> 00:28:04.259
 stuff on

00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:04.679
 Ephesians,

00:28:04.759 --> 00:28:05.379
 it's phenomenal,

00:28:05.799 --> 00:28:06.159
 Arturo

00:28:06.159 --> 00:28:06.679
 Azerdia.

00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:08.819
 Just go

00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:09.399
 and consume

00:28:09.399 --> 00:28:09.659
 it.

00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:10.419
 It's out

00:28:10.419 --> 00:28:10.839
 there for

00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:11.059
 you,

00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:11.460
 floating

00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:11.919
 around.

00:28:12.899 --> 00:28:13.579
 Eat away

00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:14.119
 until you're

00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:14.500
 full.

00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:16.639
 Not argue

00:28:16.639 --> 00:28:16.960
 that there's

00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:17.299
 no better

00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:17.700
 music,

00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:18.200
 but do you

00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:18.379
 know that

00:28:18.379 --> 00:28:18.839
 Wes and Liz

00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:19.139
 have an

00:28:19.139 --> 00:28:19.619
 album out

00:28:19.619 --> 00:28:19.919
 and they're

00:28:19.919 --> 00:28:20.279
 working on

00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:20.739
 another one?

00:28:21.199 --> 00:28:21.899
 So listen

00:28:21.899 --> 00:28:22.519
 to the music.

00:28:23.479 --> 00:28:24.059
 Sing along

00:28:24.059 --> 00:28:24.559
 at the top

00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:25.159
 of your lungs

00:28:25.159 --> 00:28:25.819
 in your car

00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:26.639
 by yourself.

00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:28.000
 If that's

00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:28.639
 all you're

00:28:28.639 --> 00:28:29.359
 ever going

00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:29.939
 to do,

00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:30.859
 why?

00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:32.019
 Why come

00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:32.479
 here and

00:28:32.479 --> 00:28:32.859
 why do

00:28:32.859 --> 00:28:33.179
 this?

00:28:33.399 --> 00:28:33.919
 I'm telling you

00:28:33.919 --> 00:28:34.179
 it makes

00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:34.579
 no sense

00:28:34.579 --> 00:28:34.879
 to me.

00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:36.699
 Why do

00:28:36.699 --> 00:28:37.039
 we gather

00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:37.479
 in this

00:28:37.479 --> 00:28:37.859
 way?

00:28:39.059 --> 00:28:39.879
 Because we're

00:28:39.879 --> 00:28:40.619
 a people,

00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:41.439
 a community

00:28:41.439 --> 00:28:42.759
 drawn together.

00:28:43.339 --> 00:28:43.899
 Because we

00:28:43.899 --> 00:28:44.339
 need to be

00:28:44.339 --> 00:28:44.699
 with people

00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:45.200
 who know

00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:45.500
 us,

00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:45.960
 who know

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:46.279
 what we

00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:46.680
 struggle

00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:47.039
 with.

00:28:47.819 --> 00:28:48.279
 We've

00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:48.779
 been finding

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:49.240
 Sam and

00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:49.660
 I as we're

00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:50.259
 continuing to

00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:50.940
 minister how

00:28:50.940 --> 00:28:51.500
 many people

00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:52.019
 in our church

00:28:52.019 --> 00:28:52.580
 struggle with

00:28:52.580 --> 00:28:52.980
 depression.

00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:54.259
 And we've

00:28:54.259 --> 00:28:54.620
 just kind of

00:28:54.620 --> 00:28:55.100
 been wrestling

00:28:55.100 --> 00:28:55.559
 with this,

00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:56.140
 like what is

00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:56.880
 going on

00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:57.700
 in our

00:28:57.700 --> 00:28:58.080
 church?

00:28:58.200 --> 00:28:58.880
 Why are

00:28:58.880 --> 00:28:59.240
 so many

00:28:59.240 --> 00:28:59.860
 people struggling

00:28:59.860 --> 00:29:00.740
 with depression?

00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:01.440
 And it just

00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:01.900
 kind of struck

00:29:01.900 --> 00:29:03.100
 me as I've

00:29:03.100 --> 00:29:03.319
 been doing

00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:03.720
 some reading

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:04.240
 on the matter

00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:05.180
 that it's

00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:05.580
 not just

00:29:05.580 --> 00:29:06.080
 our church,

00:29:06.120 --> 00:29:06.460
 it's our

00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:06.900
 culture.

00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:08.080
 Maybe it's

00:29:08.080 --> 00:29:08.380
 just the

00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:09.019
 human condition

00:29:09.019 --> 00:29:09.600
 in general.

00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:11.240
 People struggle

00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:12.359
 with depression.

00:29:13.640 --> 00:29:13.880
 And so I

00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:14.299
 said to Sam

00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:14.759
 just the other

00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:14.980
 day,

00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:15.700
 it's probably

00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:16.039
 a really

00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:16.839
 wonderful thing

00:29:16.839 --> 00:29:17.059
 that we're

00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:17.480
 coming to

00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:18.059
 this realization

00:29:18.059 --> 00:29:18.700
 because it

00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:19.299
 means that

00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:20.160
 people are

00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:20.539
 letting us

00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:21.019
 know them.

00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:21.920
 That they're

00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:23.599
 actually putting

00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:24.880
 down the mask,

00:29:25.120 --> 00:29:25.460
 they're letting

00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:26.279
 the veneer be

00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:26.920
 stripped away,

00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:27.680
 they're actually

00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:28.319
 coming and being

00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:29.259
 honest about the

00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:29.660
 things that are

00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:30.660
 going on in

00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:31.059
 their life.

00:29:31.120 --> 00:29:31.900
 That's a good

00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:32.579
 thing.

00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:34.279
 We need

00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:35.120
 this.

00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:36.299
 We need to

00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:37.240
 expose ourselves.

00:29:37.380 --> 00:29:38.019
 It's the healthiest

00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:38.440
 thing that can

00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:38.980
 happen for my

00:29:38.980 --> 00:29:39.559
 Christian walk,

00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:40.420
 is that I say

00:29:40.420 --> 00:29:41.079
 to a group of

00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:41.559
 believers,

00:29:42.159 --> 00:29:43.299
 I'm failing.

00:29:43.859 --> 00:29:44.439
 Let me tell you

00:29:44.439 --> 00:29:45.240
 how I'm failing.

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:45.859
 I need your

00:29:45.859 --> 00:29:46.779
 prayers and I

00:29:46.779 --> 00:29:47.099
 need your

00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:47.500
 support.

00:29:48.179 --> 00:29:48.480
 There are

00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:49.039
 burdens in my

00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:49.819
 life I cannot

00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:50.839
 bear on my

00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:51.319
 own.

00:29:51.779 --> 00:29:52.460
 We need

00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:53.299
 one another.

00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:54.359
 You need a

00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:55.639
 pastor who's

00:29:55.639 --> 00:29:56.399
 paying attention

00:29:56.399 --> 00:29:57.740
 to the ebbs and

00:29:57.740 --> 00:29:58.559
 flows to which

00:29:58.559 --> 00:29:59.480
 way the wind is

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.079
 blowing in the

00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:00.899
 congregation so

00:30:00.899 --> 00:30:01.480
 that he can take

00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:02.480
 a text and not

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:02.919
 only tell you

00:30:02.919 --> 00:30:03.419
 what it means

00:30:03.419 --> 00:30:04.419
 generally, but

00:30:04.419 --> 00:30:04.839
 tell you what it

00:30:04.839 --> 00:30:05.960
 means specifically.

00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:07.799
 John Piper and

00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:08.319
 all the other

00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:08.699
 guys that I

00:30:08.699 --> 00:30:09.299
 listed for you

00:30:09.299 --> 00:30:10.139
 can't do that.

00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:10.540
 They don't

00:30:10.540 --> 00:30:11.660
 know you.

00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:12.880
 A great old

00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:14.300
 adage is that a

00:30:14.300 --> 00:30:14.800
 shepherd should

00:30:14.800 --> 00:30:15.420
 smell like a

00:30:15.420 --> 00:30:15.680
 sheep.

00:30:16.300 --> 00:30:16.980
 I agree.

00:30:18.020 --> 00:30:18.759
 We can all be

00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:19.420
 stinky together.

00:30:19.420 --> 00:30:19.840
 Can we?

00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:23.660
 We are meant to

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.940
 be an army,

00:30:25.360 --> 00:30:26.900
 not an audience.

00:30:27.040 --> 00:30:27.560
 There's a time

00:30:27.560 --> 00:30:28.080
 for this.

00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:30.060
 But we're meant

00:30:30.060 --> 00:30:30.920
 to be mobilized

00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:32.160
 as an army on

00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:32.680
 a mission.

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:34.900
 And let me

00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:35.460
 remind you what

00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:35.960
 that means.

00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:37.700
 The kind of

00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:38.660
 nagging,

00:30:38.900 --> 00:30:39.880
 haunting words

00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:40.500
 of Jesus from

00:30:40.500 --> 00:30:41.120
 Mark 8,

00:30:41.180 --> 00:30:41.720
 verse 34.

00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:42.220
 I shared with

00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:42.860
 you last week

00:30:42.860 --> 00:30:43.180
 where Jesus

00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:43.440
 says,

00:30:43.559 --> 00:30:43.819
 if anyone

00:30:43.819 --> 00:30:44.140
 would come

00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:44.600
 after me,

00:30:45.059 --> 00:30:45.779
 let him deny

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:46.940
 himself and

00:30:46.940 --> 00:30:47.440
 take up his

00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:48.420
 cross and

00:30:48.420 --> 00:30:48.900
 follow me.

00:30:49.100 --> 00:30:49.819
 Let him put

00:30:49.819 --> 00:30:50.519
 aside his

00:30:50.519 --> 00:30:51.299
 dreams and his

00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:51.660
 goals.

00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:52.860
 Let him instead

00:30:52.860 --> 00:30:53.720
 take up my

00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:54.720
 dreams and my

00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:55.220
 goals, which is

00:30:55.220 --> 00:30:55.480
 going to be

00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:56.380
 hard and it's

00:30:56.380 --> 00:30:56.720
 going to mean

00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:57.559
 death for them

00:30:57.559 --> 00:30:58.279
 and let him

00:30:58.279 --> 00:30:59.039
 follow me.

00:30:59.980 --> 00:31:00.240
 And at the

00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:00.740
 end of Mark,

00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:01.220
 he says,

00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:02.140
 again, this is a

00:31:02.140 --> 00:31:04.059
 re-declaration of

00:31:04.059 --> 00:31:04.319
 the Great

00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:05.519
 Commission, Mark

00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:06.500
 16, 15, and

00:31:06.500 --> 00:31:06.879
 16.

00:31:07.139 --> 00:31:07.859
 Go into all the

00:31:07.859 --> 00:31:08.339
 world and

00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:08.899
 proclaim the

00:31:08.899 --> 00:31:10.059
 gospel to the

00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:10.859
 whole creation.

00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:12.480
 Whoever believes

00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:13.179
 and is baptized

00:31:13.179 --> 00:31:14.000
 will be saved,

00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:14.460
 but whoever does

00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:15.980
 not believe will

00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:16.579
 be condemned.

00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:18.839
 And again, when

00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:19.500
 he appears to

00:31:19.500 --> 00:31:20.799
 the disciples in

00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:22.659
 Acts 1, 8, he

00:31:22.659 --> 00:31:23.240
 says, you will

00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:24.099
 see power when

00:31:24.099 --> 00:31:24.879
 the Holy Spirit

00:31:24.879 --> 00:31:25.519
 has come upon

00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:26.559
 you and you

00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:26.960
 will be my

00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:27.619
 witnesses in

00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:28.839
 Jerusalem and

00:31:28.839 --> 00:31:29.659
 in all Judea

00:31:29.659 --> 00:31:30.599
 and Samaria

00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:31.440
 and to the

00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:31.899
 ends of the

00:31:31.899 --> 00:31:32.460
 earth in these

00:31:32.460 --> 00:31:33.480
 ever-increasing

00:31:33.480 --> 00:31:34.039
 spheres of

00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:35.180
 influence, these

00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:36.319
 circles radiating

00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:36.859
 out from the

00:31:36.859 --> 00:31:37.399
 place that they

00:31:37.399 --> 00:31:38.099
 were, Jerusalem,

00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:39.779
 Judea, Samaria,

00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:40.879
 and to the end

00:31:40.879 --> 00:31:42.339
 of the earth.

00:31:42.399 --> 00:31:43.039
 And we see this

00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:43.920
 begin happening

00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:45.619
 just a few

00:31:45.619 --> 00:31:46.779
 chapters later

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:47.460
 as we see

00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:48.920
 Peter's great

00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:49.839
 sermon and many

00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:50.819
 thousands come

00:31:50.819 --> 00:31:51.779
 to faith in

00:31:51.779 --> 00:31:52.139
 Christ.

00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:52.539
 And then in

00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:54.379
 Acts 5, 40

00:31:54.379 --> 00:31:55.079
 through 42,

00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:55.680
 after the

00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:56.319
 apostles are

00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:57.259
 taken to

00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:58.680
 trial and

00:31:58.680 --> 00:31:59.059
 they're then

00:31:59.059 --> 00:32:00.000
 let go,

00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:01.139
 they're told

00:32:01.139 --> 00:32:02.099
 not to speak

00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:03.000
 in the name of

00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:03.879
 Jesus anymore,

00:32:03.880 --> 00:32:05.120
 Acts 5,

00:32:05.360 --> 00:32:05.880
 verse 40,

00:32:05.940 --> 00:32:06.220
 and when they

00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:06.660
 had called

00:32:06.660 --> 00:32:06.900
 in the

00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:07.240
 apostles,

00:32:07.360 --> 00:32:07.760
 they beat

00:32:07.760 --> 00:32:08.540
 them and

00:32:08.540 --> 00:32:09.060
 charged them

00:32:09.060 --> 00:32:09.620
 not to speak

00:32:09.620 --> 00:32:09.940
 in the name

00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:10.320
 of Jesus

00:32:10.320 --> 00:32:11.000
 and let

00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:11.520
 them go.

00:32:11.900 --> 00:32:12.180
 Now just

00:32:12.180 --> 00:32:12.800
 pause for a

00:32:12.800 --> 00:32:13.200
 moment and

00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:14.060
 consider yourself

00:32:14.060 --> 00:32:14.500
 in that

00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:15.040
 situation.

00:32:15.320 --> 00:32:16.020
 Somebody beats

00:32:16.020 --> 00:32:17.620
 you, a

00:32:17.620 --> 00:32:18.780
 court beats

00:32:18.780 --> 00:32:19.100
 you and

00:32:19.100 --> 00:32:19.560
 tells you not

00:32:19.560 --> 00:32:19.920
 to speak in

00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:20.680
 the name of

00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:21.300
 Jesus anymore,

00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:21.740
 but they

00:32:21.740 --> 00:32:22.220
 respond in

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:22.440
 such a

00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:23.160
 peculiar way,

00:32:23.360 --> 00:32:23.720
 right, in

00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:24.160
 such a

00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:24.840
 taking up

00:32:24.840 --> 00:32:25.440
 their cross

00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:26.520
 and dying

00:32:26.520 --> 00:32:27.080
 kind of a

00:32:27.080 --> 00:32:27.320
 way.

00:32:27.660 --> 00:32:28.000
 Then they

00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:28.520
 left the

00:32:28.520 --> 00:32:29.000
 presence of

00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:29.520
 the council,

00:32:30.020 --> 00:32:30.800
 rejoicing that

00:32:30.800 --> 00:32:31.020
 they were

00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:31.680
 counterworthy

00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:32.200
 to suffer

00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:33.420
 dishonor for

00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:33.839
 the name.

00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:34.099
 And then

00:32:34.099 --> 00:32:34.539
 listen to what

00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:34.940
 they do,

00:32:34.940 --> 00:32:35.700
 and every

00:32:35.700 --> 00:32:36.759
 day in

00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.259
 the temple

00:32:37.259 --> 00:32:38.000
 and from

00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:38.440
 house to

00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:38.779
 house,

00:32:39.180 --> 00:32:39.420
 they did

00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:39.940
 not cease

00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:41.079
 teaching and

00:32:41.079 --> 00:32:42.279
 preaching that

00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:42.799
 the Christ

00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:43.720
 is Jesus.

00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:44.720
 They did the

00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:45.279
 very opposite

00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:45.940
 thing of what

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:46.160
 they were

00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:46.700
 charged to do

00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:47.079
 because they

00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:47.960
 understood that

00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:48.460
 they were an

00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:50.059
 army with a

00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:50.319
 mission.

00:32:50.740 --> 00:32:50.960
 And they

00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:51.759
 worked both

00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:53.259
 overtly and

00:32:53.259 --> 00:32:53.839
 covertly.

00:32:53.940 --> 00:32:54.180
 They went

00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:54.559
 into the

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:55.460
 temple itself.

00:32:55.940 --> 00:32:56.359
 This was a

00:32:56.359 --> 00:32:57.319
 public place of

00:32:57.319 --> 00:32:58.339
 gathering and

00:32:58.339 --> 00:32:58.639
 teaching,

00:32:58.640 --> 00:32:58.980
 and they

00:32:58.980 --> 00:32:59.600
 were heard

00:32:59.600 --> 00:33:00.520
 proclaiming that

00:33:00.520 --> 00:33:01.560
 Jesus is the

00:33:01.560 --> 00:33:02.060
 Christ, and

00:33:02.060 --> 00:33:02.580
 they did it as

00:33:02.580 --> 00:33:03.300
 well from

00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:04.220
 house to

00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:05.140
 house to

00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:05.580
 house.

00:33:05.780 --> 00:33:06.460
 This is our

00:33:06.460 --> 00:33:07.740
 calling, beloved,

00:33:08.600 --> 00:33:09.180
 in Christ.

00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:10.880
 It's up on the

00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:11.540
 screen all the

00:33:11.540 --> 00:33:11.900
 time.

00:33:12.040 --> 00:33:12.420
 I think it's up

00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:12.780
 there now.

00:33:12.860 --> 00:33:13.220
 It is.

00:33:13.600 --> 00:33:14.220
 It's in your

00:33:14.220 --> 00:33:14.780
 bulletin.

00:33:16.020 --> 00:33:16.980
 I want you to

00:33:16.980 --> 00:33:18.220
 know the

00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:19.180
 vision statement

00:33:19.180 --> 00:33:20.040
 of our church.

00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:20.720
 It's important

00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:22.300
 that you know

00:33:22.300 --> 00:33:22.480
 it.

00:33:22.560 --> 00:33:24.100
 I was about a

00:33:24.100 --> 00:33:24.440
 year ago,

00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:24.640
 we were about

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:25.500
 to have our

00:33:25.500 --> 00:33:26.360
 men's retreat

00:33:26.360 --> 00:33:26.720
 here at the

00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:27.180
 end of February.

00:33:27.259 --> 00:33:27.680
 About a year

00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:27.980
 ago,

00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:29.299
 we were

00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:29.880
 gone on our

00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:30.380
 men's retreat,

00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:31.279
 and a speaker,

00:33:31.380 --> 00:33:31.599
 which was a

00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:32.059
 good friend of

00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:32.799
 Darrell Allison's,

00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:33.160
 was there,

00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:33.539
 and we were

00:33:33.539 --> 00:33:33.900
 just talking

00:33:33.900 --> 00:33:34.599
 about vision,

00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:35.319
 and he's a

00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:35.700
 pastor of a

00:33:35.700 --> 00:33:35.920
 church,

00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:36.339
 and I was

00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:36.880
 talking about

00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:37.299
 the vision

00:33:37.299 --> 00:33:37.740
 statement of

00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:38.120
 our church,

00:33:38.120 --> 00:33:38.620
 and I told

00:33:38.620 --> 00:33:38.920
 him what it

00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:39.240
 was, and

00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:39.380
 he goes,

00:33:39.420 --> 00:33:39.960
 I really like

00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:40.099
 that.

00:33:40.120 --> 00:33:40.319
 I'm like,

00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:40.579
 yeah, we

00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:40.920
 try to put

00:33:40.920 --> 00:33:41.299
 it on stuff

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:41.519
 a lot.

00:33:41.579 --> 00:33:41.839
 We really

00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:42.559
 try to press

00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:43.000
 that vision

00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:43.360
 at people,

00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:44.240
 and then I

00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:44.559
 won't name

00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:44.960
 the person,

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:46.380
 not here at

00:33:46.380 --> 00:33:46.880
 all today,

00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:47.980
 or would be,

00:33:48.140 --> 00:33:48.480
 but he goes

00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:48.980
 walking by,

00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:49.440
 and I said,

00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:50.640
 hey, tell

00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:50.860
 him what our

00:33:50.860 --> 00:33:51.200
 vision statement

00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:51.800
 is, and he

00:33:51.800 --> 00:33:52.020
 went,

00:33:54.860 --> 00:33:55.900
 it starts

00:33:55.900 --> 00:33:56.220
 Christ's

00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:56.720
 family church,

00:33:56.780 --> 00:33:57.280
 exists,

00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:58.120
 and I'm

00:33:58.120 --> 00:33:59.759
 like, okay,

00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:00.280
 I guess I

00:34:00.280 --> 00:34:00.480
 have some

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:00.940
 work to do

00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:02.780
 concerning this.

00:34:03.600 --> 00:34:04.140
 It's wordy,

00:34:04.180 --> 00:34:04.540
 I know,

00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:05.180
 it's wordy,

00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:05.580
 I know,

00:34:06.100 --> 00:34:06.300
 Christ's

00:34:06.300 --> 00:34:06.540
 family church

00:34:06.540 --> 00:34:07.000
 exists to

00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:07.560
 glorify God,

00:34:07.600 --> 00:34:07.820
 the great

00:34:07.820 --> 00:34:08.280
 high calling

00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:08.680
 of all

00:34:08.680 --> 00:34:09.920
 creation is

00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:10.280
 to glorify

00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:10.720
 God,

00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:11.700
 in what way?

00:34:12.180 --> 00:34:12.460
 By

00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:13.119
 experience and

00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:13.539
 proclaiming and

00:34:13.539 --> 00:34:14.019
 displaying the

00:34:14.019 --> 00:34:14.660
 supremacy of

00:34:14.660 --> 00:34:15.260
 Jesus Christ

00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:16.240
 in all things

00:34:16.240 --> 00:34:17.220
 to all peoples,

00:34:17.539 --> 00:34:18.280
 actually knowing

00:34:18.280 --> 00:34:18.640
 that it's true

00:34:18.640 --> 00:34:19.180
 that Jesus Christ

00:34:19.180 --> 00:34:19.599
 is supreme,

00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:19.960
 that he has

00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:20.460
 subjected all

00:34:20.460 --> 00:34:20.799
 things to

00:34:20.799 --> 00:34:21.239
 himself,

00:34:21.500 --> 00:34:22.139
 that in his

00:34:22.139 --> 00:34:23.259
 life, death,

00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:24.279
 and resurrection,

00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:26.099
 he has become

00:34:26.099 --> 00:34:26.920
 better than

00:34:26.920 --> 00:34:27.860
 everything else

00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:28.619
 in this world,

00:34:28.679 --> 00:34:28.940
 and that we

00:34:28.940 --> 00:34:29.480
 know that to

00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:29.980
 be true in

00:34:29.980 --> 00:34:30.360
 our own

00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:30.900
 experience,

00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:31.659
 the reality

00:34:31.659 --> 00:34:32.699
 in our lives,

00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:32.920
 and we

00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:33.619
 display that

00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:34.000
 in the way

00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:34.239
 that we

00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:34.519
 live,

00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:34.940
 and we

00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:35.259
 certainly

00:34:35.259 --> 00:34:35.920
 tell people

00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:36.920
 about it.

00:34:38.259 --> 00:34:38.839
 Sometimes I

00:34:38.839 --> 00:34:39.179
 wish I was

00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:39.639
 experiencing,

00:34:39.819 --> 00:34:40.079
 displaying,

00:34:40.199 --> 00:34:40.719
 and proclaiming,

00:34:40.799 --> 00:34:41.099
 because it

00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:42.199
 makes more

00:34:42.199 --> 00:34:42.460
 sense,

00:34:42.500 --> 00:34:42.679
 but it

00:34:42.679 --> 00:34:43.179
 sounds better,

00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:43.579
 experiencing,

00:34:43.759 --> 00:34:44.079
 proclaiming,

00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:44.519
 and displaying

00:34:44.519 --> 00:34:45.719
 the supremacy

00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:46.360
 of Jesus Christ

00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:47.239
 in all things

00:34:47.239 --> 00:34:49.019
 and to all

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:49.940
 people.

00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:50.360
 So in all

00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:50.639
 things,

00:34:50.699 --> 00:34:51.000
 in the midst

00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:51.599
 of suffering,

00:34:52.380 --> 00:34:52.940
 both the good

00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:53.579
 times and the

00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:54.400
 bad in our

00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:54.860
 lives,

00:34:55.759 --> 00:34:56.480
 and to everyone,

00:34:56.579 --> 00:34:57.360
 every possible

00:34:57.360 --> 00:34:58.119
 place,

00:34:58.340 --> 00:34:58.820
 we can preach

00:34:58.820 --> 00:34:59.259
 the good news

00:34:59.259 --> 00:34:59.559
 of Jesus

00:34:59.559 --> 00:35:00.019
 Christ.

00:35:00.259 --> 00:35:01.300
 This is why

00:35:01.300 --> 00:35:02.059
 Christ Family

00:35:02.059 --> 00:35:03.599
 Church exists.

00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:06.219
 I think we

00:35:06.219 --> 00:35:06.980
 are a far cry

00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:07.739
 from accomplishing

00:35:07.739 --> 00:35:09.259
 this thing.

00:35:10.579 --> 00:35:11.400
 Who is our

00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:11.900
 Jerusalem,

00:35:12.099 --> 00:35:12.839
 our Judea,

00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:13.380
 and our

00:35:13.380 --> 00:35:13.779
 Samaria?

00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:14.339
 Certainly we

00:35:14.339 --> 00:35:15.179
 know what the

00:35:15.179 --> 00:35:15.420
 end of the

00:35:15.420 --> 00:35:16.199
 earth means.

00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:17.219
 We get all

00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:17.719
 peoples.

00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:19.940
 I think you

00:35:19.940 --> 00:35:20.299
 could argue

00:35:20.299 --> 00:35:21.179
 much about the

00:35:21.179 --> 00:35:22.339
 regional nature

00:35:22.339 --> 00:35:23.019
 of this type

00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:23.500
 of thing.

00:35:24.319 --> 00:35:24.779
 Jerusalem

00:35:24.779 --> 00:35:25.619
 could be our

00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:26.779
 Dahlonega,

00:35:27.019 --> 00:35:27.900
 and Judea

00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:28.799
 could be the

00:35:28.799 --> 00:35:29.699
 county surrounding

00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:30.599
 us, and Samaria

00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:31.159
 could be all of

00:35:31.159 --> 00:35:31.319
 Georgia.

00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:31.839
 It doesn't really

00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:32.559
 matter, though.

00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.700
 We're meant to

00:35:33.700 --> 00:35:34.480
 be going, is the

00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:34.800
 point.

00:35:35.100 --> 00:35:35.460
 We're meant to

00:35:35.460 --> 00:35:36.120
 start where we

00:35:36.120 --> 00:35:37.280
 are and continue

00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:38.140
 to go.

00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:38.860
 Let's just start

00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:39.280
 with this.

00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:39.820
 Last week I

00:35:39.820 --> 00:35:40.380
 shared with you

00:35:40.380 --> 00:35:41.180
 the three counties

00:35:41.180 --> 00:35:41.660
 in which we

00:35:41.660 --> 00:35:42.820
 live, and again

00:35:42.820 --> 00:35:43.420
 I know that not

00:35:43.420 --> 00:35:43.840
 all of you can

00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:45.559
 see this, Hall,

00:35:45.800 --> 00:35:46.780
 Lumpkin, Dawson

00:35:46.780 --> 00:35:47.260
 counties.

00:35:47.720 --> 00:35:48.440
 The dots here

00:35:48.440 --> 00:35:49.340
 are Gainesville,

00:35:49.420 --> 00:35:49.980
 Dahlonega,

00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:52.559
 Dawsonville.

00:35:53.220 --> 00:35:53.840
 My mind went

00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:54.400
 totally blank.

00:35:55.340 --> 00:35:56.280
 And the star,

00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:56.720
 which probably

00:35:56.720 --> 00:35:57.079
 looks like an

00:35:57.079 --> 00:35:57.660
 amoeba to you,

00:35:57.800 --> 00:35:58.780
 is where our

00:35:58.780 --> 00:36:00.000
 church building is

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:00.860
 located, kind of

00:36:00.860 --> 00:36:01.820
 central in these

00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:02.980
 areas.

00:36:03.200 --> 00:36:04.000
 In this area

00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:05.559
 there's 232,000

00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:06.000
 people.

00:36:06.620 --> 00:36:07.960
 This is recent

00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:08.660
 census data.

00:36:08.760 --> 00:36:09.120
 It's probably

00:36:09.120 --> 00:36:10.220
 gone up since

00:36:10.220 --> 00:36:10.519
 then.

00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:11.400
 The Chattahoochee

00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:12.160
 Baptist Association,

00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:12.700
 which we're a

00:36:12.700 --> 00:36:13.059
 part of,

00:36:13.200 --> 00:36:15.300
 estimates that

00:36:15.300 --> 00:36:16.840
 80% of this

00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:18.160
 232,000 people

00:36:18.160 --> 00:36:19.680
 are unchurched.

00:36:20.300 --> 00:36:20.720
 So this is

00:36:20.720 --> 00:36:21.340
 self-reported

00:36:21.340 --> 00:36:21.820
 people who

00:36:21.820 --> 00:36:23.140
 attend church.

00:36:23.500 --> 00:36:23.980
 It doesn't

00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:24.660
 really specify

00:36:24.660 --> 00:36:25.340
 denomination.

00:36:26.120 --> 00:36:26.760
 I think that

00:36:26.760 --> 00:36:27.280
 this is a very

00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:28.440
 optimistic number

00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:29.300
 as a result of

00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:29.559
 that.

00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:30.780
 Unchurched.

00:36:30.780 --> 00:36:31.200
 But let's

00:36:31.200 --> 00:36:32.019
 use it as a

00:36:32.019 --> 00:36:32.540
 starting point,

00:36:32.600 --> 00:36:33.000
 just as a

00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:33.720
 number to

00:36:33.720 --> 00:36:34.100
 roll around

00:36:34.100 --> 00:36:34.600
 in your head,

00:36:34.660 --> 00:36:34.860
 that there

00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:36.420
 are 185,600

00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:37.280
 people in

00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:37.720
 these counties

00:36:37.720 --> 00:36:38.519
 around us

00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:39.940
 that in many

00:36:39.940 --> 00:36:40.600
 ways we

00:36:40.600 --> 00:36:41.380
 touch.

00:36:41.900 --> 00:36:42.220
 That there

00:36:42.220 --> 00:36:43.080
 are our

00:36:43.080 --> 00:36:43.620
 spheres, the

00:36:43.620 --> 00:36:44.180
 little places

00:36:44.180 --> 00:36:45.120
 that we run,

00:36:45.180 --> 00:36:45.760
 the circles that

00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:46.680
 we work and

00:36:46.680 --> 00:36:47.740
 play and sleep

00:36:47.740 --> 00:36:48.160
 in, those of

00:36:48.160 --> 00:36:48.740
 you who live

00:36:48.740 --> 00:36:49.640
 on campus.

00:36:50.140 --> 00:36:50.700
 And there are

00:36:50.700 --> 00:36:51.540
 people in that

00:36:51.540 --> 00:36:53.160
 category that are

00:36:53.160 --> 00:36:53.800
 dying and going

00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:54.580
 to hell, eternal

00:36:54.580 --> 00:36:56.000
 beings that matter

00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:56.840
 immensely.

00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:58.200
 And it's our

00:36:58.200 --> 00:36:59.160
 job to share

00:36:59.160 --> 00:36:59.800
 the gospel with

00:36:59.800 --> 00:36:59.980
 them.

00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:01.640
 God is at

00:37:01.640 --> 00:37:02.039
 work.

00:37:02.200 --> 00:37:03.039
 He wants to

00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:03.600
 save people.

00:37:03.720 --> 00:37:04.120
 And I think

00:37:04.120 --> 00:37:04.700
 that often he

00:37:04.700 --> 00:37:06.539
 delays blessing

00:37:06.539 --> 00:37:07.320
 because he wants

00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:08.000
 to bless us.

00:37:08.280 --> 00:37:09.100
 He wants us to

00:37:09.100 --> 00:37:10.019
 participate in the

00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:11.059
 blessing of the

00:37:11.059 --> 00:37:11.380
 gospel.

00:37:11.820 --> 00:37:12.420
 He wants us to

00:37:12.420 --> 00:37:13.280
 be obedient to

00:37:13.280 --> 00:37:13.660
 his call.

00:37:13.740 --> 00:37:14.079
 He wants to

00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:14.880
 see us grow up

00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:15.900
 in our faith and

00:37:15.900 --> 00:37:16.760
 actually do the

00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:17.640
 things that he's

00:37:17.640 --> 00:37:18.519
 asked us to do

00:37:18.519 --> 00:37:19.120
 that he might

00:37:19.120 --> 00:37:19.900
 pour out blessing

00:37:19.900 --> 00:37:21.120
 on us in

00:37:21.120 --> 00:37:21.820
 immense ways.

00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:26.660
 Now, what is

00:37:26.660 --> 00:37:27.720
 the primary mode

00:37:27.720 --> 00:37:28.200
 our church is

00:37:28.200 --> 00:37:29.140
 going to work

00:37:29.140 --> 00:37:30.460
 to this end?

00:37:31.120 --> 00:37:31.960
 To being a

00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:32.500
 people who are

00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:33.120
 changed, to

00:37:33.120 --> 00:37:33.680
 shift the

00:37:33.680 --> 00:37:34.700
 culture, that

00:37:34.700 --> 00:37:35.940
 our church is

00:37:35.940 --> 00:37:36.440
 different, that

00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:36.960
 we are all

00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:38.360
 actively sharing

00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:38.900
 our faith.

00:37:39.220 --> 00:37:39.860
 Certainly we

00:37:39.860 --> 00:37:40.380
 want to do that

00:37:40.380 --> 00:37:40.740
 on Sunday

00:37:40.740 --> 00:37:41.080
 mornings.

00:37:41.260 --> 00:37:41.760
 Anytime we

00:37:41.760 --> 00:37:42.360
 gather together

00:37:42.360 --> 00:37:42.740
 as a church,

00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:43.120
 we should be

00:37:43.120 --> 00:37:43.640
 doing this.

00:37:43.720 --> 00:37:44.120
 We should be

00:37:44.120 --> 00:37:44.820
 lifting high

00:37:44.820 --> 00:37:45.539
 Jesus Christ.

00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:46.180
 In my

00:37:46.180 --> 00:37:47.440
 preaching, every

00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:48.240
 sermon should

00:37:48.240 --> 00:37:48.760
 be a gospel

00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:49.160
 sermon.

00:37:49.940 --> 00:37:51.100
 Every text of

00:37:51.100 --> 00:37:51.460
 scriptures,

00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:52.559
 scriptures, just

00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:55.240
 cries out the

00:37:55.240 --> 00:37:55.639
 gospel.

00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:56.980
 A rapper once

00:37:56.980 --> 00:37:58.159
 said that all

00:37:58.159 --> 00:37:58.820
 roads in the

00:37:58.820 --> 00:37:59.300
 Bible lead to

00:37:59.300 --> 00:37:59.820
 Galgotha.

00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:01.699
 It's very true

00:38:01.699 --> 00:38:02.280
 of the scriptures.

00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:02.740
 This should be

00:38:02.740 --> 00:38:04.079
 the case for

00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:04.300
 us.

00:38:04.360 --> 00:38:04.880
 You should hear

00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:05.539
 it in everything

00:38:05.539 --> 00:38:06.260
 that I'm saying.

00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:07.740
 Certainly it should

00:38:07.740 --> 00:38:08.300
 be true in the

00:38:08.300 --> 00:38:09.220
 way in which we

00:38:09.220 --> 00:38:10.240
 sing, in the way

00:38:10.240 --> 00:38:11.599
 in which we pray

00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:12.019
 together.

00:38:12.420 --> 00:38:13.159
 Our heart should

00:38:13.159 --> 00:38:13.800
 be turned towards

00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:14.519
 Christ as we meet

00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:15.460
 together in this

00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:16.380
 setting because this

00:38:16.380 --> 00:38:18.119
 is in some degree

00:38:18.119 --> 00:38:18.900
 consumeristic.

00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:19.619
 There's only so

00:38:19.619 --> 00:38:21.019
 much interrelating

00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:21.480
 and connecting

00:38:21.480 --> 00:38:22.000
 with people you

00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:22.519
 can do before

00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:22.940
 and after the

00:38:22.940 --> 00:38:23.139
 service.

00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:23.820
 It is the

00:38:23.820 --> 00:38:25.000
 nature of what

00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:25.360
 we have.

00:38:25.699 --> 00:38:26.420
 We don't have a

00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:26.920
 big grand

00:38:26.920 --> 00:38:27.599
 foyer where you

00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:28.599
 can stand around

00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:29.300
 and drink coffee

00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:29.639
 in.

00:38:29.759 --> 00:38:30.539
 We clog up the

00:38:30.539 --> 00:38:31.079
 hall very

00:38:31.079 --> 00:38:31.880
 effectively every

00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:32.519
 Sunday morning

00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:33.239
 trying to do

00:38:33.239 --> 00:38:33.519
 that.

00:38:34.019 --> 00:38:34.420
 Don't we?

00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:35.059
 Go across the

00:38:35.059 --> 00:38:35.179
 hall.

00:38:35.259 --> 00:38:35.820
 It's better over

00:38:35.820 --> 00:38:36.039
 there.

00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:38.980
 But it's the

00:38:38.980 --> 00:38:39.519
 nature of it.

00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:40.259
 It's going to be

00:38:40.259 --> 00:38:41.420
 true of it.

00:38:41.579 --> 00:38:42.239
 So what's the

00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:43.420
 primary way we're

00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:43.699
 going to do

00:38:43.699 --> 00:38:43.940
 this?

00:38:43.980 --> 00:38:44.219
 And that's

00:38:44.219 --> 00:38:44.519
 going to be

00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:45.940
 through community

00:38:45.940 --> 00:38:46.360
 groups.

00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:47.360
 Through community

00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:47.699
 groups.

00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:48.539
 It has always

00:38:48.539 --> 00:38:49.139
 been the intention

00:38:49.139 --> 00:38:49.719
 of our community

00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:50.460
 groups to both

00:38:50.460 --> 00:38:51.379
 build community

00:38:51.379 --> 00:38:52.639
 with each other

00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:54.719
 to reach community

00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:55.659
 for that great

00:38:55.659 --> 00:38:55.960
 end.

00:38:56.039 --> 00:38:56.460
 In fact, I'll

00:38:56.460 --> 00:38:57.139
 suggest a name

00:38:57.139 --> 00:38:57.879
 change this

00:38:57.879 --> 00:38:58.139
 morning.

00:38:58.239 --> 00:38:58.759
 I may try to

00:38:58.759 --> 00:38:59.920
 work this into

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:00.379
 more that we're

00:39:00.379 --> 00:39:00.639
 doing.

00:39:00.699 --> 00:39:01.139
 Instead of calling

00:39:01.139 --> 00:39:01.539
 them community

00:39:01.539 --> 00:39:01.940
 groups, calling

00:39:01.940 --> 00:39:02.500
 them community

00:39:02.500 --> 00:39:03.579
 outreach groups.

00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:04.059
 Because I think

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:04.980
 that we've lost

00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:05.900
 in some sense that

00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:06.920
 vision of what

00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:07.480
 we're meant to be

00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:08.139
 doing together.

00:39:09.420 --> 00:39:10.199
 Gathering together

00:39:10.199 --> 00:39:12.659
 as a small unit of

00:39:12.659 --> 00:39:13.659
 the greater army in

00:39:13.659 --> 00:39:14.599
 order to accomplish

00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:16.480
 the great gospel end

00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:17.159
 of reaching our

00:39:17.159 --> 00:39:18.539
 communities around

00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:18.980
 us.

00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:20.199
 Community outreach

00:39:20.199 --> 00:39:21.019
 groups, this is the

00:39:21.019 --> 00:39:22.199
 activity we're meant

00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.800
 to be about together.

00:39:24.280 --> 00:39:25.380
 Now, we handed out,

00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:26.019
 and I don't think we

00:39:26.019 --> 00:39:26.780
 quite had enough for

00:39:26.780 --> 00:39:27.380
 everybody, which I

00:39:27.380 --> 00:39:29.119
 apologize for, but we

00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:29.960
 handed out a sheet

00:39:29.960 --> 00:39:30.579
 that has one another

00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:31.179
 verses on it.

00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:31.740
 I want you to grab

00:39:31.740 --> 00:39:32.420
 that out if you have

00:39:32.420 --> 00:39:32.619
 one.

00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:33.579
 If you don't have

00:39:33.579 --> 00:39:34.480
 one, if someone's

00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:35.599
 near you, share with

00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:36.119
 somebody who doesn't

00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:36.599
 have one.

00:39:36.860 --> 00:39:37.440
 If you don't have

00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:37.960
 one at all, it's

00:39:37.960 --> 00:39:38.280
 okay.

00:39:38.360 --> 00:39:38.719
 You're going to be

00:39:38.719 --> 00:39:39.139
 all right.

00:39:39.500 --> 00:39:40.179
 You're not going to

00:39:40.179 --> 00:39:41.159
 miss out on everything

00:39:41.159 --> 00:39:43.079
 not having this.

00:39:44.019 --> 00:39:44.980
 But we would say in

00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:45.920
 church that it's very

00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:46.820
 important that we do

00:39:46.820 --> 00:39:48.159
 the one another's of

00:39:48.159 --> 00:39:49.559
 scripture, right?

00:39:50.200 --> 00:39:50.980
 If you've been around

00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:51.539
 here for very long

00:39:51.539 --> 00:39:52.079
 at all, you've heard

00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:52.780
 me say that.

00:39:52.880 --> 00:39:53.659
 I say it in passing

00:39:53.659 --> 00:39:54.400
 quite often.

00:39:54.659 --> 00:39:55.460
 What am I talking

00:39:55.460 --> 00:39:55.800
 about?

00:39:55.880 --> 00:39:56.960
 The one another's?

00:39:57.320 --> 00:39:58.420
 It's these, all these

00:39:58.420 --> 00:39:59.380
 things, all the places

00:39:59.380 --> 00:40:00.700
 in which we're told

00:40:00.700 --> 00:40:01.579
 how to interact with

00:40:01.579 --> 00:40:01.900
 each other.

00:40:02.220 --> 00:40:02.980
 And these aren't the

00:40:02.980 --> 00:40:03.559
 only places.

00:40:03.700 --> 00:40:04.220
 Certainly there are

00:40:04.220 --> 00:40:05.860
 other instructions

00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:06.880
 given to us.

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:08.139
 Typically it's a

00:40:08.139 --> 00:40:09.059
 repetition of many of

00:40:09.059 --> 00:40:09.559
 the things that you

00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:10.539
 read here that just

00:40:10.539 --> 00:40:11.200
 don't have the phrase

00:40:11.200 --> 00:40:12.019
 one another in it,

00:40:12.180 --> 00:40:12.380
 right?

00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:13.240
 And those are good

00:40:13.240 --> 00:40:14.099
 and valuable too.

00:40:14.139 --> 00:40:14.659
 I'm not trying to

00:40:14.659 --> 00:40:15.900
 elevate these in

00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:16.720
 any way, but a

00:40:16.720 --> 00:40:18.639
 pretty quick way we

00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:19.539
 can identify the way

00:40:19.539 --> 00:40:20.300
 we're meant to live

00:40:20.300 --> 00:40:21.700
 together is to look

00:40:21.700 --> 00:40:23.240
 at these one another

00:40:23.240 --> 00:40:24.099
 verses.

00:40:24.420 --> 00:40:25.559
 The one another

00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:26.619
 that's always being

00:40:26.619 --> 00:40:27.380
 referred to as the

00:40:27.380 --> 00:40:28.500
 people of God with

00:40:28.500 --> 00:40:29.800
 each other, right?

00:40:30.099 --> 00:40:31.160
 One person of God to

00:40:31.160 --> 00:40:32.440
 another person of God.

00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:33.200
 The way in which we're

00:40:33.200 --> 00:40:34.800
 meant to relate

00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:35.539
 together.

00:40:35.920 --> 00:40:36.740
 I've highlighted some

00:40:36.740 --> 00:40:37.700
 of them for you.

00:40:37.960 --> 00:40:39.360
 Bold faced them for

00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:39.480
 you.

00:40:39.539 --> 00:40:40.380
 John 13, 14.

00:40:40.380 --> 00:40:41.940
 If I then, your Lord

00:40:41.940 --> 00:40:42.760
 and teachers, as Jesus

00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:43.619
 talking, have washed

00:40:43.619 --> 00:40:44.860
 your feet, you also

00:40:44.860 --> 00:40:46.720
 ought to wash one

00:40:46.720 --> 00:40:47.780
 another's feet.

00:40:47.860 --> 00:40:48.880
 Not literally,

00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:51.180
 figuratively serving

00:40:51.180 --> 00:40:51.980
 in this way.

00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:52.900
 We're meant to serve

00:40:52.900 --> 00:40:53.400
 one another.

00:40:53.840 --> 00:40:55.019
 Do lowly jobs for

00:40:55.019 --> 00:40:55.420
 one another.

00:40:55.980 --> 00:40:56.740
 John 15, 12.

00:40:56.800 --> 00:40:57.700
 This is my commandment,

00:40:58.119 --> 00:40:59.320
 that you love one

00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:01.160
 another as I have

00:41:01.160 --> 00:41:01.720
 loved you.

00:41:02.340 --> 00:41:03.539
 Jesus loved us to the

00:41:03.539 --> 00:41:04.760
 point of death on the

00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:05.119
 cross.

00:41:06.119 --> 00:41:07.360
 Romans 12, 16.

00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:09.559
 Live in harmony with

00:41:09.559 --> 00:41:10.019
 one another.

00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:11.680
 Do not be haughty, but

00:41:11.680 --> 00:41:12.519
 associate with the

00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:12.820
 lowly.

00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:14.820
 Never be wise in your

00:41:14.820 --> 00:41:15.500
 own sight.

00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:17.740
 Romans 16, 16.

00:41:18.460 --> 00:41:19.400
 Greet one another with

00:41:19.400 --> 00:41:20.099
 a holy kiss.

00:41:20.180 --> 00:41:22.760
 This was a family

00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:24.340
 affection to kiss a

00:41:24.340 --> 00:41:24.900
 family member.

00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:26.280
 And the church had

00:41:26.280 --> 00:41:27.400
 begun doing this as

00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:28.079
 people were being

00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:28.700
 kicked out of their

00:41:28.700 --> 00:41:29.099
 families.

00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:30.220
 They would greet each

00:41:30.220 --> 00:41:31.140
 other as a faith

00:41:31.140 --> 00:41:32.620
 family, as Kyle always

00:41:32.620 --> 00:41:33.640
 says, and it became

00:41:33.640 --> 00:41:34.559
 known as a holy kiss.

00:41:35.059 --> 00:41:35.780
 I'm not suggesting that

00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:36.500
 we kiss one another,

00:41:36.500 --> 00:41:37.380
 but we ought to greet

00:41:37.380 --> 00:41:38.699
 each other as family.

00:41:38.980 --> 00:41:39.579
 Like, we ought to be

00:41:39.579 --> 00:41:41.019
 pulling people in the

00:41:41.019 --> 00:41:42.119
 way you should with a

00:41:42.119 --> 00:41:42.599
 family member.

00:41:43.059 --> 00:41:44.159
 All the churches of

00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:44.780
 Christ greet you.

00:41:45.179 --> 00:41:46.360
 1 Corinthians 11, 33.

00:41:46.760 --> 00:41:47.639
 So then, my brothers,

00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:49.039
 when you come together

00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:51.179
 to eat, wait for one

00:41:51.179 --> 00:41:51.500
 another.

00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:53.619
 Galatians 6, 2.

00:41:54.019 --> 00:41:54.960
 Bear one another's

00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:56.099
 burdens, and so

00:41:56.099 --> 00:41:57.920
 fulfill the law of

00:41:57.920 --> 00:41:58.360
 Christ.

00:41:59.739 --> 00:42:01.960
 1 Thessalonians 5, 11.

00:42:02.699 --> 00:42:04.219
 Therefore, encourage one

00:42:04.219 --> 00:42:05.619
 another and build one

00:42:05.619 --> 00:42:07.719
 another up, just as you

00:42:07.719 --> 00:42:08.259
 are doing.

00:42:08.940 --> 00:42:10.179
 Hebrews 3, 13.

00:42:11.279 --> 00:42:12.199
 But exhort one another

00:42:12.199 --> 00:42:13.599
 every day, as long as

00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:15.599
 it is called today, that

00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:16.380
 none of you may be

00:42:16.380 --> 00:42:17.599
 hardened by the

00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:18.859
 deceitfulness of sin.

00:42:19.779 --> 00:42:20.659
 Skip down, I'll come

00:42:20.659 --> 00:42:21.500
 back to Hebrews 10.

00:42:21.779 --> 00:42:22.799
 James 5, 16.

00:42:23.799 --> 00:42:24.920
 Therefore, confess your

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:26.299
 sins to one another, and

00:42:26.299 --> 00:42:27.359
 pray for one another that

00:42:27.359 --> 00:42:28.079
 you may be healed.

00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:29.859
 The prayer of a

00:42:29.859 --> 00:42:30.759
 righteous person has

00:42:30.759 --> 00:42:32.940
 great power as it is

00:42:32.940 --> 00:42:33.740
 working.

00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:36.320
 This is the way we're

00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:36.820
 meant to function

00:42:36.820 --> 00:42:37.980
 together, beloved, and

00:42:37.980 --> 00:42:40.260
 you can't do it simply

00:42:40.260 --> 00:42:42.260
 showing up on a Sunday

00:42:42.260 --> 00:42:43.820
 morning, finding your

00:42:43.820 --> 00:42:45.280
 seat, getting up, and

00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:46.200
 walking back out.

00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:48.039
 For those of you who are

00:42:48.039 --> 00:42:49.260
 highly involved here, does

00:42:49.260 --> 00:42:51.200
 it bother you that you

00:42:51.200 --> 00:42:52.280
 don't know everyone's

00:42:52.280 --> 00:42:52.920
 name this morning?

00:42:53.840 --> 00:42:55.780
 It bothers me to no end.

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:58.000
 It drives me crazy that I

00:42:58.000 --> 00:42:59.059
 don't even recognize some

00:42:59.059 --> 00:42:59.599
 of your faces.

00:42:59.860 --> 00:43:01.360
 That might be because it's

00:43:01.360 --> 00:43:02.440
 your first time here this

00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:02.700
 morning.

00:43:03.780 --> 00:43:06.579
 It may not be because you

00:43:06.579 --> 00:43:08.360
 slip in, and you hang out

00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:09.000
 in the hall for a little

00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:09.960
 while, and you sit down,

00:43:10.019 --> 00:43:10.960
 you get up, and you go,

00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:12.539
 and I never have a chance

00:43:12.539 --> 00:43:14.640
 to shake your hand and to

00:43:14.640 --> 00:43:15.480
 learn your name.

00:43:16.300 --> 00:43:16.860
 And for those of you who

00:43:16.860 --> 00:43:17.559
 know me, you know that it

00:43:17.559 --> 00:43:18.519
 takes me a couple times of

00:43:18.519 --> 00:43:19.900
 doing that to remember who

00:43:19.900 --> 00:43:20.360
 you are.

00:43:21.720 --> 00:43:23.200
 It drives me crazy.

00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:24.599
 Are you a person who

00:43:24.599 --> 00:43:25.740
 doesn't feel known?

00:43:26.079 --> 00:43:26.660
 You feel like you're

00:43:26.660 --> 00:43:28.180
 falling through the cracks?

00:43:28.340 --> 00:43:29.800
 This is not the setting to

00:43:29.800 --> 00:43:30.539
 be known in.

00:43:31.180 --> 00:43:32.840
 It's difficult to do that.

00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:34.980
 This is not too many people

00:43:34.980 --> 00:43:36.380
 to know, but we just have

00:43:36.380 --> 00:43:36.980
 to be able to take the

00:43:36.980 --> 00:43:37.960
 time to get to know you.

00:43:37.980 --> 00:43:38.740
 How do you do that?

00:43:39.100 --> 00:43:39.880
 You've got to do it in a

00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:40.420
 different setting.

00:43:41.019 --> 00:43:41.860
 You've got to do it in a

00:43:41.860 --> 00:43:42.700
 different setting.

00:43:43.860 --> 00:43:44.760
 And so all these functions,

00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:45.880
 these one another's, are

00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:47.519
 the way in which the church

00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:49.360
 lives together.

00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:52.100
 So the question for you is,

00:43:52.180 --> 00:43:53.200
 do you really love the

00:43:53.200 --> 00:43:53.539
 church?

00:43:54.260 --> 00:43:56.019
 Do you love the people of

00:43:56.019 --> 00:43:57.100
 the church, or do you love

00:43:57.099 --> 00:43:59.159
 programs and buildings and

00:43:59.159 --> 00:44:01.659
 maybe a pastor, or do you

00:44:01.659 --> 00:44:02.980
 love people?

00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:05.519
 If we love Christ, we will

00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:07.559
 love what he loves.

00:44:07.659 --> 00:44:10.699
 And Jesus loves the church.

00:44:11.460 --> 00:44:12.559
 Ephesians 5.25 says,

00:44:12.940 --> 00:44:14.759
 Christ loved the church and

00:44:14.759 --> 00:44:15.940
 he gave himself up for her.

00:44:17.239 --> 00:44:18.239
 Jesus loved the church

00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:20.460
 because Jesus purchased the

00:44:20.460 --> 00:44:20.799
 church.

00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:23.579
 Acts 20.28 says,

00:44:23.579 --> 00:44:24.679
 pay careful attention to

00:44:24.679 --> 00:44:25.960
 yourselves and to all the

00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:27.059
 flock in which the Holy

00:44:27.059 --> 00:44:27.920
 Spirit has made you

00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:29.980
 overseers, to care for the

00:44:29.980 --> 00:44:31.740
 church of God, which he,

00:44:31.900 --> 00:44:33.760
 being Christ, obtained with

00:44:33.760 --> 00:44:35.260
 his own blood.

00:44:36.460 --> 00:44:37.840
 He loves the church because

00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:39.159
 he purchased the church, and

00:44:39.159 --> 00:44:42.240
 Jesus himself identifies with

00:44:42.240 --> 00:44:43.159
 the church.

00:44:43.900 --> 00:44:46.320
 In Acts 9.4, remember Saul,

00:44:46.500 --> 00:44:48.440
 soon to be Paul's blinding

00:44:48.440 --> 00:44:49.699
 experience on the road.

00:44:51.019 --> 00:44:52.099
 Acts 9.4 says,

00:44:52.699 --> 00:44:54.300
 and Saul, falling to the

00:44:54.300 --> 00:44:55.300
 ground, he heard a voice

00:44:55.300 --> 00:44:57.400
 saying to him, Saul, Saul,

00:44:57.680 --> 00:45:00.780
 why are you persecuting me?

00:45:01.920 --> 00:45:03.140
 If we love Christ, we're

00:45:03.140 --> 00:45:03.960
 going to love what he loves.

00:45:04.019 --> 00:45:06.380
 And this is the church.

00:45:07.640 --> 00:45:09.660
 We love the church because

00:45:09.660 --> 00:45:11.740
 it's the gospel means, it's a

00:45:11.740 --> 00:45:13.500
 picture of the gospel, it's

00:45:13.500 --> 00:45:15.220
 this expression of God's

00:45:15.220 --> 00:45:15.700
 grace.

00:45:16.220 --> 00:45:17.100
 Every one of you who is

00:45:17.100 --> 00:45:18.260
 found in Christ is so

00:45:18.260 --> 00:45:19.380
 precious because you're a

00:45:19.380 --> 00:45:20.760
 picture of the gospel at

00:45:20.760 --> 00:45:21.019
 work.

00:45:21.519 --> 00:45:22.480
 You're a picture of the

00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:23.960
 transforming power of the

00:45:23.960 --> 00:45:24.260
 gospel.

00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:25.619
 I love it.

00:45:25.639 --> 00:45:26.679
 One of my favorite things

00:45:26.679 --> 00:45:27.679
 that we do as a church is we

00:45:27.679 --> 00:45:28.760
 get testimonies for new

00:45:28.760 --> 00:45:29.880
 members, and I get to read

00:45:29.880 --> 00:45:31.000
 them, and I get to read

00:45:31.000 --> 00:45:32.440
 these wonderful stories of

00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:33.820
 God's redemptive work in the

00:45:33.820 --> 00:45:34.679
 lives of individuals.

00:45:35.240 --> 00:45:38.300
 It is a pleasure to me.

00:45:39.880 --> 00:45:41.320
 And the drive of all of this

00:45:41.320 --> 00:45:42.340
 is we're loving one another,

00:45:42.559 --> 00:45:43.559
 as we're pressing at one

00:45:43.559 --> 00:45:44.860
 another, as we're bearing one

00:45:44.860 --> 00:45:46.539
 another's burdens, is so

00:45:46.539 --> 00:45:49.400
 that, so that we will be

00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:49.740
 going.

00:45:50.739 --> 00:45:52.259
 That's not the end itself,

00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:54.399
 that all of your emotional

00:45:54.399 --> 00:45:56.500
 issues get healed, but so

00:45:56.500 --> 00:45:57.919
 that they do, so that you

00:45:57.919 --> 00:45:59.319
 can go and share the good

00:45:59.319 --> 00:46:00.339
 news of Jesus Christ, so

00:46:00.339 --> 00:46:02.019
 that the transforming power

00:46:02.019 --> 00:46:03.299
 of the work is alive in your

00:46:03.299 --> 00:46:05.119
 life, and that you can go

00:46:05.119 --> 00:46:06.199
 and bring it about in the

00:46:06.199 --> 00:46:07.579
 lives of others.

00:46:07.659 --> 00:46:08.479
 Let me read to you again

00:46:08.479 --> 00:46:10.439
 Hebrews 10, 24 and 25.

00:46:10.659 --> 00:46:12.179
 That is back on your sheet,

00:46:12.259 --> 00:46:12.819
 if you care to look.

00:46:12.899 --> 00:46:14.699
 And let us consider how to

00:46:14.699 --> 00:46:16.359
 stir up one another to love

00:46:16.359 --> 00:46:17.759
 and good works.

00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:19.140
 not neglecting to meet

00:46:19.140 --> 00:46:20.180
 together as is the habit of

00:46:20.180 --> 00:46:22.280
 some, but encouraging one

00:46:22.280 --> 00:46:23.940
 another, and all the more

00:46:23.940 --> 00:46:26.020
 as you see the day drawing

00:46:26.020 --> 00:46:26.280
 near.

00:46:26.380 --> 00:46:28.100
 So this is the drive of that

00:46:28.100 --> 00:46:29.080
 together.

00:46:30.500 --> 00:46:31.980
 You need to be involved,

00:46:32.060 --> 00:46:33.400
 involved, participating,

00:46:34.040 --> 00:46:35.740
 marching with a local

00:46:35.740 --> 00:46:36.300
 congregation.

00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:39.580
 We love to have you here, so

00:46:39.580 --> 00:46:40.220
 hear me clearly.

00:46:40.420 --> 00:46:41.720
 We are so thankful that you're

00:46:41.720 --> 00:46:43.160
 here, but it doesn't have to

00:46:43.160 --> 00:46:44.360
 be here.

00:46:44.360 --> 00:46:46.980
 We care first and foremost

00:46:46.980 --> 00:46:48.099
 about the kingdom of God.

00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:51.180
 We care so deeply about the

00:46:51.180 --> 00:46:53.000
 gospel and about our Jesus.

00:46:53.539 --> 00:46:54.380
 It's good news.

00:46:54.460 --> 00:46:55.320
 It's about Him.

00:46:56.160 --> 00:46:57.180
 And if you want to go march

00:46:57.180 --> 00:46:58.180
 with another congregation,

00:46:58.420 --> 00:46:59.500
 just go do it.

00:46:59.579 --> 00:47:00.400
 Just be marching.

00:47:00.700 --> 00:47:01.660
 Just be involved.

00:47:01.860 --> 00:47:04.039
 Engage yourself in the life of

00:47:04.039 --> 00:47:04.579
 a church.

00:47:05.539 --> 00:47:08.460
 If you're here, I hope it's

00:47:08.460 --> 00:47:10.059
 because you enjoy being here,

00:47:10.099 --> 00:47:10.920
 and I hope it's because you

00:47:10.920 --> 00:47:11.920
 want to be here for the right

00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:12.920
 reasons, and if you're not

00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:15.159
 already involved to the degree

00:47:15.159 --> 00:47:16.559
 that you should be, I would

00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:18.340
 invite you to do that very

00:47:18.340 --> 00:47:18.700
 thing.

00:47:19.059 --> 00:47:20.519
 Get more involved in the

00:47:20.519 --> 00:47:21.400
 activity of our church.

00:47:22.139 --> 00:47:23.860
 If you are not involved in a

00:47:23.860 --> 00:47:25.059
 community group, and you say

00:47:25.059 --> 00:47:25.920
 that you're part of the life of

00:47:25.920 --> 00:47:27.700
 this church, you need to be

00:47:27.700 --> 00:47:28.639
 involved in a community group.

00:47:28.720 --> 00:47:30.460
 You need to engage in that

00:47:30.460 --> 00:47:30.900
 way.

00:47:31.960 --> 00:47:34.700
 Members, let me remind you of

00:47:34.700 --> 00:47:36.000
 the covenant you signed when

00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:37.559
 you became a member of this

00:47:37.559 --> 00:47:37.920
 church.

00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:39.639
 There are seven commitments

00:47:39.639 --> 00:47:40.840
 that you made in that

00:47:40.840 --> 00:47:42.480
 covenant to this congregation.

00:47:43.700 --> 00:47:46.260
 Four of those seven have to do

00:47:46.260 --> 00:47:47.800
 with the way in which we live

00:47:47.800 --> 00:47:49.579
 with one another.

00:47:50.079 --> 00:47:52.380
 The second one, to love my

00:47:52.380 --> 00:47:55.360
 family, the church, and the

00:47:55.360 --> 00:47:57.360
 world with the gospel of Jesus

00:47:57.360 --> 00:47:57.880
 Christ.

00:47:58.500 --> 00:47:59.300
 Are you giving yourself

00:47:59.300 --> 00:48:00.400
 opportunity to preach the

00:48:00.400 --> 00:48:01.559
 gospel to the church?

00:48:01.800 --> 00:48:03.019
 Because we need to hear it.

00:48:04.100 --> 00:48:05.280
 These ideas aren't staying

00:48:05.280 --> 00:48:06.280
 alive in our minds by

00:48:06.280 --> 00:48:06.760
 themselves.

00:48:06.900 --> 00:48:07.640
 We need you.

00:48:07.780 --> 00:48:08.420
 You're important.

00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:10.059
 You have an expression.

00:48:10.059 --> 00:48:11.619
 You have the spirit of God.

00:48:11.900 --> 00:48:14.500
 You have a perspective that we

00:48:14.500 --> 00:48:14.980
 need to hear.

00:48:15.059 --> 00:48:16.599
 We need to hear the gospel come

00:48:16.599 --> 00:48:18.019
 out of your mouth for the sake of

00:48:18.019 --> 00:48:18.500
 our hearts.

00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:21.400
 The third one, to promote the

00:48:21.400 --> 00:48:24.039
 edification and sanctification of

00:48:24.039 --> 00:48:25.679
 the church, the building up and the

00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:28.199
 purifying of the church, by sharing

00:48:28.199 --> 00:48:31.420
 God's work in my life and praying

00:48:31.420 --> 00:48:32.420
 for the church.

00:48:33.059 --> 00:48:34.420
 If you're only coming here on

00:48:34.420 --> 00:48:35.980
 Sunday morning, you cannot do that.

00:48:36.320 --> 00:48:38.519
 There is no way to do that

00:48:38.519 --> 00:48:38.940
 activity.

00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:42.239
 Number five, to hold myself and the

00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:43.759
 brethren to the standard of

00:48:43.759 --> 00:48:46.000
 scripture, submitting myself freely to

00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:47.219
 the discipline of the church for my

00:48:47.219 --> 00:48:49.320
 restoration and spiritual gain.

00:48:49.380 --> 00:48:50.480
 Do people know the struggles that are

00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:51.199
 going on in your life?

00:48:51.259 --> 00:48:52.940
 Are people bringing correction to you

00:48:52.940 --> 00:48:53.960
 because you're sharing with them

00:48:53.960 --> 00:48:54.800
 what's happening?

00:48:54.900 --> 00:48:55.800
 Are you hiding away?

00:48:56.019 --> 00:48:57.199
 Are you closeted off?

00:48:57.320 --> 00:48:58.179
 It's not healthy.

00:48:58.179 --> 00:49:02.000
 And then sixthly, to contribute to the

00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:04.460
 work of the church with my talents, my

00:49:04.460 --> 00:49:07.339
 time, and my finances.

00:49:09.539 --> 00:49:12.679
 There is time in your week to do this.

00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:14.699
 We're only asking two things of you.

00:49:14.739 --> 00:49:16.699
 We do many activities as a church, but

00:49:16.699 --> 00:49:17.819
 the two things we want to see you

00:49:17.819 --> 00:49:20.599
 involved with are Sunday mornings and

00:49:20.599 --> 00:49:21.480
 with a community group.

00:49:21.639 --> 00:49:23.259
 And it pains me a little bit to say

00:49:23.259 --> 00:49:24.759
 this, but I will say it because I

00:49:24.760 --> 00:49:25.360
 believe it.

00:49:26.140 --> 00:49:28.220
 If you can have to choose between one

00:49:28.220 --> 00:49:29.500
 or the other, get involved with a

00:49:29.500 --> 00:49:30.020
 community group.

00:49:31.220 --> 00:49:32.320
 Get involved with a community group.

00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:33.780
 You've got that week, students, that

00:49:33.780 --> 00:49:35.100
 there's just no way you're getting it

00:49:35.100 --> 00:49:35.320
 done.

00:49:36.000 --> 00:49:38.180
 If you do not lose something in the

00:49:38.180 --> 00:49:40.140
 week, spend some time and study.

00:49:40.400 --> 00:49:41.500
 Don't show up on Sunday morning.

00:49:42.080 --> 00:49:43.480
 I think the community groups rightly

00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:45.720
 done are going to be infinitely more

00:49:45.720 --> 00:49:46.800
 valuable for you.

00:49:47.020 --> 00:49:48.920
 There's so much more to be gained

00:49:48.920 --> 00:49:51.060
 sitting down with people, studying the

00:49:51.060 --> 00:49:52.980
 scriptures, opening up your life, being

00:49:52.980 --> 00:49:53.539
 honest.

00:49:55.079 --> 00:49:56.300
 Love to see you at both.

00:49:56.519 --> 00:49:58.380
 I think both have important places in

00:49:58.380 --> 00:49:59.719
 your life, but if you've got to choose,

00:50:01.340 --> 00:50:02.760
 I'd ask you to choose community groups.

00:50:03.039 --> 00:50:03.880
 They're that important.

00:50:04.500 --> 00:50:05.579
 We must do this.

00:50:06.820 --> 00:50:08.599
 If you're a member of this church and

00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:09.920
 you're not actively involved in a

00:50:09.920 --> 00:50:10.980
 community group, you need to be.

00:50:11.519 --> 00:50:13.800
 If you are unwilling to be, then things

00:50:13.800 --> 00:50:14.840
 are going to get uncomfortable for you

00:50:14.840 --> 00:50:15.300
 around here.

00:50:16.240 --> 00:50:18.059
 Because I'm going to bother you and

00:50:18.059 --> 00:50:20.039
 bother you and bother you until you

00:50:20.039 --> 00:50:21.699
 decide to get involved in a group.

00:50:21.699 --> 00:50:24.839
 Or you decide that you'd rather just go

00:50:24.839 --> 00:50:26.719
 someplace where consumption is okay.

00:50:27.399 --> 00:50:28.379
 You just want to go sit.

00:50:28.919 --> 00:50:29.460
 That's fine.

00:50:29.799 --> 00:50:32.559
 If you have committed to us, to this

00:50:32.559 --> 00:50:34.659
 covenant, I have a responsibility to you.

00:50:35.239 --> 00:50:38.779
 And I love you much too much to not

00:50:38.779 --> 00:50:39.739
 serve you in this way.

00:50:41.299 --> 00:50:42.799
 Wednesday night is when all of our

00:50:42.799 --> 00:50:43.960
 community groups meet right now.

00:50:44.119 --> 00:50:45.460
 Wednesday is not a holy day.

00:50:46.099 --> 00:50:47.919
 It just happens to be kind of the

00:50:47.919 --> 00:50:48.539
 middle of the week.

00:50:48.539 --> 00:50:51.199
 Sunday is not a holy day for that

00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:51.460
 matter.

00:50:53.500 --> 00:50:54.880
 It's the middle of the week, which for

00:50:54.880 --> 00:50:56.099
 most people works out really good.

00:50:56.179 --> 00:50:57.179
 We get to meet with people of God on

00:50:57.179 --> 00:50:57.460
 Sunday.

00:50:57.539 --> 00:50:58.719
 We meet with people of God again on

00:50:58.719 --> 00:50:59.059
 Wednesday.

00:50:59.219 --> 00:51:00.920
 It helps push us through.

00:51:01.800 --> 00:51:03.360
 If you're not available on a Wednesday

00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:05.320
 evening, come let me know that.

00:51:05.739 --> 00:51:06.980
 Man, we want you to be involved.

00:51:07.099 --> 00:51:08.559
 So much so that we'll try to start a

00:51:08.559 --> 00:51:10.219
 group just to meet your schedule.

00:51:11.639 --> 00:51:13.239
 You don't want to meet in the evening.

00:51:13.539 --> 00:51:15.159
 Evening times are not good for you.

00:51:15.159 --> 00:51:16.279
 I understand, man.

00:51:16.299 --> 00:51:19.399
 After dinner, my graph goes like this,

00:51:19.460 --> 00:51:20.739
 my energy level through the day.

00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:22.239
 But then when dinner hits, it goes like

00:51:22.239 --> 00:51:22.480
 this.

00:51:23.500 --> 00:51:26.399
 Once I get food in me after dinner, I'm

00:51:26.399 --> 00:51:28.000
 really wrapping it up pretty quickly.

00:51:29.119 --> 00:51:31.539
 If that's rough for you, I'm sure we

00:51:31.539 --> 00:51:33.779
 could get a group going that meets at

00:51:33.779 --> 00:51:34.379
 6 a.m.

00:51:35.719 --> 00:51:36.299
 I don't know.

00:51:37.659 --> 00:51:38.339
 There you go.

00:51:38.340 --> 00:51:44.860
 It's vital and it's important.

00:51:45.079 --> 00:51:45.960
 And here's the thing.

00:51:46.800 --> 00:51:47.980
 It's your joy.

00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:50.220
 It's your growth that's at stake here.

00:51:50.380 --> 00:51:52.400
 But the thing that bothers me, the

00:51:52.400 --> 00:51:54.300
 thing that presses at me about this, the

00:51:54.300 --> 00:51:57.220
 thing that frustrates me about this is

00:51:57.220 --> 00:51:58.260
 not so much you.

00:51:58.440 --> 00:51:59.579
 And I hope that doesn't come off as

00:51:59.579 --> 00:52:01.240
 super unloving, but it's this.

00:52:02.920 --> 00:52:05.660
 It's that I want to see this change.

00:52:06.140 --> 00:52:07.120
 And I need your help.

00:52:07.119 --> 00:52:10.319
 I can't accomplish sharing the gospel

00:52:10.319 --> 00:52:12.859
 with all 185,600 of these people, but I

00:52:12.859 --> 00:52:15.079
 think that we, through a movement of the

00:52:15.079 --> 00:52:15.679
 spirit, can.

00:52:16.920 --> 00:52:20.319
 So we have to get active and involved.

00:52:20.559 --> 00:52:23.039
 The responsibility level is much higher

00:52:23.039 --> 00:52:26.339
 with the proper diagram view of what the

00:52:26.339 --> 00:52:27.019
 church looks like.

00:52:27.119 --> 00:52:28.940
 You have a part to play.

00:52:29.279 --> 00:52:31.440
 You have a responsibility to your

00:52:31.440 --> 00:52:33.739
 spirit, those people that you work with

00:52:33.739 --> 00:52:34.859
 and are involved with.

00:52:34.860 --> 00:52:37.500
 And I think that the best way, as a

00:52:37.500 --> 00:52:40.099
 church, we can encourage that and support

00:52:40.099 --> 00:52:43.079
 and equip you for that is through

00:52:43.079 --> 00:52:43.980
 community groups.

00:52:44.500 --> 00:52:45.380
 And that's why we do them.

00:52:45.519 --> 00:52:47.420
 That's the very reason that we gather.

00:52:47.640 --> 00:52:49.660
 Not because we've invented some extra

00:52:49.660 --> 00:52:50.160
 thing.

00:52:50.400 --> 00:52:52.180
 There's a lot of trendy stuff that's going

00:52:52.180 --> 00:52:55.599
 on right now about small groups and the

00:52:55.599 --> 00:52:57.000
 debate over Sunday school.

00:52:57.000 --> 00:52:59.400
 people and they call all kinds of things

00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:00.639
 is ridiculous.

00:53:01.599 --> 00:53:03.199
 The point being that we're gathering

00:53:03.199 --> 00:53:05.019
 together in smaller groups of people who

00:53:05.019 --> 00:53:06.760
 can do so many things that we can't do in

00:53:06.760 --> 00:53:07.179
 this setting.

00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:09.099
 Those one another's of scripture.

00:53:09.500 --> 00:53:11.139
 We need to be working those things out

00:53:11.139 --> 00:53:14.659
 together for the great sake of the gospel

00:53:14.659 --> 00:53:16.659
 and our joy in it.

00:53:16.659 --> 00:53:18.399
 Let's pray together.

00:53:18.399 --> 00:53:18.420
 Let's pray together.