This morning, typically on a Sunday morning, I'm preaching through a passage of scripture.
! This morning is more of a topical sermon because of Membership Sunday.
! I get to remind you of something.
!
Together, following Jesus.
In all three words, matter.
And so, the most important word is Jesus.
And the way that we talk about Jesus is that He is the controlling center of our life.
He's our one-consuming passion, our all-governing reality.
He is the treasure center of our lives.
And so, we individually and corporately live for Him.
And so, we follow Jesus.
And that word for following, what's that to trigger in your mind is this idea of discipleship.
That we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, follow Him every day.
And not just individually, we as a church are following Jesus because He is so worth it.
And it's that first word, together, that this Membership Sunday is so poignant about.
We're mutually committed to one another as we're together following Jesus.
And so, think about our church as a pack of disciples who are looking to live for Jesus together.
Here's the thing.
We suffer from what Paul Tripp calls theological amnesia.
We forget who we are.
We forget that Jesus is who He is.
And so, this morning, I want to remind you of who you are as a blood-bought follower of Jesus.
And that we follow Him together.
When someone becomes a Christian, they're converted.
And typically, when you may hear the word conversion, you may think about a decision made for Christ.
And conversion does involve a decision made for Christ.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Did you know that conversion is actually this radical reorientation of who you are?
It is a fundamental changing of a person.
The Bible talks about it as someone who is going from darkness into light.
It talks about someone who is dead in their sin being made alive in Christ.
It talks about someone who is converted in Christ being a new creation.
It uses some really strong, important language.
And so, it's more than a decision.
It's a radical change of who you are.
Many of you have heard this illustration before.
It's one of my favorites.
Back in the 16th, 17th century, there's a guy named Copernicus.
He was a Renaissance man.
He was a Christian.
And pre-Copernicus, most of the world thought that the sun orbited the earth.
It's called a geocentric solar system.
But what Copernicus did, he made this discovery.
He realized this just by observation that we live in a heliocentric solar system.
That the earth orbits the sun.
Now, here's why that matters.
We've always lived in a heliocentric solar system.
What Copernicus did was he just brought people into the reality of that.
It's always been that way.
And so it is with becoming a Christian.
It's a Copernican realization.
It's when we're born, we're born in sin.
And we're born under this false pretense that it's all about us.
That we are the hero of our own stories.
That's what sin does.
It just kind of reduces your world to you at the center of it.
And everything orbits you, including God.
But when someone believes in Jesus, and someone believes what we talked about last weekend,
that Christ died for their sins and was raised from the dead.
He went into the tomb dead and came out of the tomb alive.
When someone realizes that, sees that, the Lord Jesus brings them into reality.
And that the reality is that he is the controlling center of all things.
He's always been.
And so conversion is being brought into reality.
Through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You're delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the beloved son.
You've made a new creation.
The old is gone.
The new has come.
You've been justified.
You've been adopted.
You've been redeemed.
You've been set apart as holy.
And that's something that only the gospel can do.
Only the gospel can change your heart like that.
That's why it's called God's power unto salvation.
So this morning, I want to be clear with everybody of just what a disciple of Jesus Christ is.
And so we use the acrostic tomb.
T-O-M-B.
And so if you're taking notes, you can write on the left side of your bulletin or whatever you're taking notes on.
T-O-M-B.
Jesus went into the tomb dead.
and he came out of the tomb alive
so that we would treasure him above all else.
T, O, obey him in all that he commands.
M, magnify him among all people.
B, belong to him with all of his blood bought.
So I'm gonna walk you through each of these letters.
Many of you have heard it before.
Many of you haven't,
but it's always good to be reminded of it.
And so Jesus died and was raised.
So that we could treasure, obey, magnify,
and belong to him together.
So let's talk about this idea of
treasuring Jesus above all else.
What is a disciple?
A disciple is someone who treasures Jesus above all else.
When we talk about together following Jesus,
we could say together treasuring Jesus.
So when we were dead to God in our sin
prior to our conversions,
we were living for ourselves.
That's what sin does.
It's me first living.
That's what our culture teaches.
Live for yourself.
But the thing is that God has created every human being in his image.
So there's over 8 billion people on the planet right now.
They all bear his image,
and they're all worshipers.
Because they're image bearers,
they are worshipers.
They're hardwired to worship God.
But if you're born into sin,
you're going to worship something other than God.
But you're going to worship something nonetheless.
Well, that all changed when he became a Christian.
God radically,
powerfully,
graciously,
dramatically changed you.
He gave you a new heart.
One of my favorite verses of the Bible
is in 2 Corinthians 5,
515.
And it gets at this idea of conversion.
It says this,
And he, Christ,
died for all,
that those who live,
those who believe in him,
might no longer live for themselves,
but for him
who for their sake
died and was raised.
And so what conversion is,
is this radical shift
from living for yourself
to living for Christ.
The one who died for you,
you now live for him.
It's a radical,
radical shift.
And it will result in you worshiping him.
Because you're going to start seeing him
for who he really is.
I find it helpful in my own thinking
just to help me to remember
how wonderful Jesus is
to do a little side-by-side comparison.
Do you remember
greater than,
less than,
or equal to?
Okay, you tell me.
Jesus,
the second person of the Trinity,
according to Hebrews 1,
according to John 1,
Colossians 1,
he's the creator of all.
So he's the creator.
I'm created.
You're created.
Greater than,
less than,
or equal to.
Is Jesus greater than,
lesser than,
or equal to you?
Greater than,
because he's the creator
and you're the created.
We also learn from Hebrews 1
that Jesus is the sustainer
of all things,
but we need sustaining.
Our next breath comes from him.
He set our days.
So you tell me,
greater than,
less than,
or equal to.
Jesus is the sustainer.
Is he greater than,
less than,
or equal to us
who need to be sustained?
He's greater.
We can go all the way down.
He's the savior.
We need saving.
He's the Lord.
We need to serve him.
He's the king.
We need to obey him.
He's the judge.
We will be judged by him.
Every time you go down,
every time you recognize
that he's greater,
it has an effect.
He's the giver of our salvation.
And we could only receive this
as a gift.
There's this,
there are these beautiful passages
in the New Testament.
I'm going to show you one right now.
It's Matthew chapter 13.
And why I love it,
it's because
it's a one verse parable.
In Matthew 13, 44,
Jesus starts using
treasure language.
Listen to this.
The kingdom of heaven
is like treasure
hidden in a field,
which man found
and covered up.
Then in his joy,
he goes and sells
all that he has
and buys the field.
So he's comparing
his kingdom
to treasure,
hidden treasure.
And someone who discovers it,
he covers it up
to sell all that he has
in joy.
It's a picture of repentance.
I'm turning away
from my old way of things.
I'm cashing out
so that I can obtain
this treasure beyond treasures.
And what Jesus is describing
in that is his kingdom,
his saving reign,
the saving reign of God.
He talks about it
as treasure
and in joy,
giving up everything to have.
If you flip in your Bibles
to Philippians chapter 3,
verse 8,
this is the Apostle Paul speaking.
It's page 1166
of your pew Bible.
He says,
Paul says,
indeed I count everything
as loss
because of the surpassing worth
of knowing
Christ Jesus,
my Lord.
It's treasure language.
It's value language.
Paul valued
Jesus so much,
he would then say things like,
for me to live
is Christ
and to die is gain.
He treasured Jesus
more than his own life.
in Mark 8,
Peter has just confessed
that Jesus
is the Christ
and Jesus
corrects that
to make sure
that they understand
that the Christ
will suffer,
die,
and be raised
on the third day.
And then Jesus
says this.
He says this
in verse 34,
if anyone would
come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross
and follow me.
For whoever
would save his life
will lose it,
but whoever
loses his life
for my sake
in the gospels
will save it.
For what does it
profit
a man
to gain the whole world
and forfeit his soul?
For what can a man
give in return
for his soul?
He's doing a
cost-benefit analysis.
And here's what it is.
Jesus is saying,
I'm worth it.
Deny yourself,
to gain me,
you save your soul.
But if you deny me
to gain the world,
you lose your soul.
What Jesus is doing here
is saying,
I am the treasure.
I am your salvation.
At the core of being
a disciple of Jesus
is a changed heart
that is treasuring
Jesus
more and more
and more
above all else,
including
yourself.
The reason why
we
start by talking
about Jesus
as the treasure
when it comes to
talking about a disciple
is that
this is the great
headwaters
of discipleship.
becoming a follower
of Jesus
starts and continues
by treasuring Jesus.
It's where it all starts.
It's where it all
happens every day.
It's that initial
step of conversion
and then every day
after that,
you deny yourself,
take up your cross
and follow him
because he is worth it.
He's the treasure.
what we're talking
about here
is worship.
Worship-driven
discipleship.
It's seeing
and savoring
the glory
of Jesus
and following
him
in light of it.
He is
so worth it.
So we can say
things like this.
We don't follow
Jesus because
we have to.
We follow Jesus
because we want to.
He's changed
our hearts.
We value him now.
We love him.
So let me ask you
a question.
When was the last
time
you
privately
adored
Jesus?
Worshipped him?
You
spoke
his worth
to him?
You told him
how wonderful
he is?
When was the
last time
you did that?
A disciple
is someone
who has been
radically changed
by the gospel
and treasures
Jesus
above all
else.
So let me
issue a challenge
this week.
There is a way
to treasure
Jesus
daily.
You take
things from
what the Bible
says about Jesus,
you read it,
you take it to heart,
and then you speak
it back to him.
Let me give you
an example.
Last week I made
reference to Isaiah
9-6,
which is that
great Christmas
prophecy.
You know,
this son is going
to be given,
a child given
to us.
His name
shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
These are four titles
of the Christ,
and here's what you
can do.
You can say,
oh Lord Jesus,
you are my
Wonderful Counselor,
and today I'm
going to need
your wisdom.
Would you help
me?
Lord Jesus,
you are my
mighty God.
You are totally
God, totally
man.
You are risen
and reigning.
All things are
in your hands.
You are
Everlasting Father,
which is a way
of talking about
kingship.
You're my king.
I will obey you.
You're the Prince
of Peace.
Oh Lord Jesus,
will you bring
shalom to my life
today?
Would you help
me to walk in
peace and be a
peacemaker?
Do you see how
that works?
And so you take
these truths about
Jesus, you digest
them, and you speak
them back to him.
Nobody drifts
into treasuring
Jesus.
You cultivate it.
It's like opening
up a treasure chest
and letting your
fingers work
through the gold
coins and lift
up rubies and
look at them in
the light.
That's what we're
doing with
different aspects
of who Jesus
is.
And it affects
our souls.
What is a
disciple?
Someone who's
been radically
changed by the
gospel, and now
they treasure Jesus
above all else,
even more than
themselves.
Jesus went into
the tomb, dead,
came out alive,
so that you would
treasure him as
well as obey him
in all that he
commands.
At the end of
Matthew 28, Jesus
has been raised
from the dead, he
appears to his
disciples, and he
speaks to them what's
called the Great
Commission.
And this is what he
says.
He says, all
authority in heaven
and on earth has
been given to me.
It is a massive
statement.
What Jesus is
saying here is
that I have the
right to require
obedience of all
people because I'm
the king of kings
and lord of lords.
He's been risen
from the dead.
And he's just not
an all-authoritative
king.
He is our all-authoritative
treasured king.
He's got all this
authority and he's
got all this worth
and it is our joy
to obey him in all
that he commands.
As you read through
the Great
Commission, you read
this.
Go, therefore, make
disciples of all
nations, baptizing
them in the name of
the Father and the
Son and the Holy
Spirit.
In other words, as
people are converted,
they are to publicly
identify with me.
And then he says,
verse 20,
teaching them to
observe all that I
have commanded you.
Teaching them to
observe all that I
have commanded you.
Now, the observation
that Jesus is
requiring right here
is not just
looking.
He's talking about
obeying.
He's requiring
obedience of us
who are present
followers of Jesus
and then anyone
who becomes a
follower of Jesus,
we teach them to
obey all that Jesus
has commanded.
Disciples are
those who have
been radically
changed by the
grace of God and
now they treasure
Jesus and obey
him in all that he
has commanded.
He went into the
tomb dead and he
came out of the
tomb alive so that
we would so that
we could obey
him even with
joy.
Because we know
his commandments
are not burdensome.
Therefore,
are good.
So,
what commands are
we talking about?
One could say,
well, all of the
commands of the
Bible we are to
obey.
It's as if the
triune God is
calling us to
obey from all of
the scriptures,
right?
But more
specifically, we
can point to a
specific place in
the Gospels where
Jesus lays out a
series of his
commands.
And that is in
Matthew chapter 5,
6, and 7.
Would you turn with
me there?
Matthew 5, 6, and
7.
This is the
Sermon on the
Mount.
This is Jesus, his
kingdom manifesto.
This is him
declaring in the
Beatitudes, this is
what my followers, my
citizens are like, and
then he goes on to
say, this is how
they live.
And he unpacks a
series of commands.
What I want to do
right now is I want
to help you to see
the commands.
I want you to see
what Jesus is calling
you to.
So that's not just
vague, but specific.
So in Matthew
chapter 5, if you
look at verse 21,
there's a heading.
It says, anger.
Anger.
Jesus calls his
citizens, his
followers, to live a
certain way when it
comes to our anger.
He requires something
of us.
Not to be ruled by
anger.
Not to sin in our
anger.
And then in verse 27,
he talks about lust.
He requires something
of us when it comes to
the stewardship of our
bodies sexually.
Both physically and
mentally.
He says things about
divorce.
He requires things of
us in verse 31 and
32.
He talks about oaths.
What he's getting at
there is being a man
and woman of your
word.
He requires something.
Retaliation.
When you get slapped,
he wants us, requires
us to respond a certain
way because we're his
disciples.
love your enemies.
This is a requirement, a
calling of us.
It's not optional.
We are to love our
enemies.
So what I'm helping you
to see here is there is
commands that Jesus has
made known clearly for us
to trust him and obey him
in.
Chapter 6, verse 19,
addressing materialism.
Chapter 6, verse 25,
being anxious over what
you have or don't have.
Chapter 7, verse 1 through
5, talking about judging
other people.
Not to be hypocritical in
that.
But I wanted to point you
to something at the end
of chapter 7.
People don't realize that
this parable of building
your house on the rock,
they don't realize this is
the conclusion to the
Sermon on the Mount.
This is Jesus kind of
summing up the sermon.
Look what he says.
Everyone then who hears
these words of mine and
does them.
will be like a wise man
who built his house on
the rock and the rain
fell and the floods
came and the winds
blew and beat on the
house but it did not
fall because it had been
founded on the rock.
It perseveres all the way
to the end.
Remains faithful.
But then, verse 26,
everyone who hears the
words of mine and does
not do them will be like
a foolish man who built
his house on the sand
and the rain fell and the
floods came and the winds
blew and beat against the
house and it fell and
great was the fall of it.
And so we have two sets of
builders.
Both hear what Jesus says
but only one of those
groups does it.
Be a hearer of the word
and a doer of the word.
James 1.22.
What Jesus is calling us to
is obedience.
Now I know that it's not
popular to talk about
obedience in our culture.
But this is exactly what
Jesus is calling us to.
It's normal for Christians
to obey our king because
he's our treasure.
He's got all authority and
his commandments are not
burdensome.
They're always meant for our
good.
I think it was Gary Smalley
that wrote a book years ago
The Five Love Languages.
Anybody hear that book?
Do you know what Jesus'
love language is?
Turn with me to John
chapter 14.
What communicates love to
Jesus?
John chapter 14 verse 15.
Jesus says,
If you love me,
you will keep my commandments.
Verse 21.
Whoever has my commandments
and keeps them,
he it is who loves me.
Verse 23.
If anyone loves me,
he will keep my word
and my father will love him
and we will come to him
and make our home with him.
What communicates
devotion
and love to Jesus?
It's not
ecstatic experience.
It's obedience.
Obeying him.
Trusting him.
Obeying him.
So here's a question for you.
When was the last time
you consciously
obeyed
a command
of Jesus?
You came across
a command of his
in the word
and you're like,
I've got to obey him
here.
I've got to change
the way I'm living
and I'm going to
obey him here
out of
trust
and love
for him.
When was the last time?
So here's the challenge.
This week,
make your way
through the Sermon on the Mount.
Walk your way
through
all of this
glorious sermon
in which
Jesus is laying
out his kingdom manifesto.
This is what is to be true
of my citizens.
And as you're reading
through it,
ask the Lord Jesus
to
pierce your heart
with his word.
Show me areas,
Lord,
where I am disobeying you
and show me
where you want me
to obey you.
And because
you are my treasure
and I love you,
I will obey you.
Could you imagine
a church
postured
towards the Lord Jesus
and his word
like that?
What is a disciple?
A disciple
is someone
who's been radically
changed by God's grace,
the gospel.
And now they treasure
Jesus above all else
and they are seeking
to obey Jesus
in all that he commands.
Not perfectly,
but they're seeking
to obey him.
Which brings me
to the M
of tomb.
Treasure,
obey,
magnify.
Magnify Jesus
among all people.
When you treasure
Jesus above all else
and you're seeking
to obey him
in all that he commands,
do you know
what happens?
you shine.
You stand out
from the rest.
It's what Jesus
talks about
in Matthew 5, 16.
He uses
light language.
You're the light
of the world.
In verse 16,
let your light
shine before others
so that they may
see your good works
and give glory
to your Father
who is in heaven.
Do you know
what a marquee is?
A marquee
is this lit up sign
on the side
of a theater
and it's like
an arrow
pointing to
what's inside.
And so when a Christian
is treasuring Jesus
above all else
and seeking to obey him
in all that he commands,
he gets lit up
like a marquee
but he's not drawing
attention to himself
or herself.
He's drawing attention
to Christ.
You see,
what happens
is that when we
are seeking to treasure
and obey Jesus
is that God
brings our
changed life.
What he does
is he brings
the kingdom,
his kingdom
into the public eye.
That word magnify,
there's two ways
to think about it.
Either microscopic
magnification,
it's when you're
looking through
a microscope
at a mitochondria
and you're looking
to kind of bring it up
so you can see
it's a small thing
made big.
That's not the kind
of magnifying
we're talking about.
We're talking about,
as John Piper says,
telescopic magnification
and that is where
you are kind of
being used by God
to show other people
this heavenly glory
brought near.
The kingdom
is brought near
through your changed life.
by obeying him
because you treasure him.
When you're seeking
to build your house
upon the rock
of Jesus' commands,
it brings something
of Christ's kingdom
into the public eye.
You start to stand out.
People will experience
the difference Christ
makes in your life
and some people
will mock you for that.
Other people
will be curious
about that.
I believe
one of the most
compelling
witnesses to Christ
is a changed life.
It's a life
that contrasts
from everyone else
around you.
People see something
that has changed
in you.
You're starting
to go to church
on a Sunday morning,
Sunday after Sunday.
It wasn't that way
and now people are like,
why are you going
to church on Sunday morning?
And you're like,
I can't get enough
of Jesus.
There's been a change.
People start seeing
that you are living
by the words
of Jesus
and they take notice.
It could look like this.
A friend comes up to you.
I notice you don't sleep around
like you used to.
And you get to say,
well, I don't sleep around anymore
because I follow Jesus now.
And I'm just obeying
what he's commanded.
I'm trusting that
his good and right ways
are one man,
one woman,
for life,
in marriage,
and that this good gift
of sex,
it is to be enjoyed
in the context of marriage
between one man
and one woman.
That's how you answer it.
I'm just following Jesus.
I'm just building my house
on that rock.
You have co-workers
come up to you at work
and they're like,
hey, why don't you
trash talk everybody else
like we do?
What are you,
better than us?
And you get to say something
like,
I actually used to
trash talk you, buddy.
Just kidding.
I used to trash talk,
but as a follower
of Jesus now,
I'm just taking
what he said seriously.
He says in the sermon,
he said,
hey,
treat other people
like you would be treated.
It's the golden rule.
And so,
I realized,
man,
I don't want people
trash talking me,
so I'm not going to
trash talk other people.
That's it.
You want to know
why I don't do it?
It's because of Jesus.
This is how we magnify Jesus.
Jesus.
We name drop him.
We give him the reason
for the change in us.
We're just given credit
to where credit's due.
The way to magnify Jesus
among all people
is by treasuring him
above all else
and obeying him
in all that he commands.
Now, you may be
asking a question like this.
Hey,
I'm not magnifying Jesus.
Well,
then the question becomes,
well,
are you obeying Jesus?
No,
I'm not obeying Jesus.
Why aren't you obeying Jesus?
Well,
I'm not treasuring Jesus.
Well,
that's where we go.
That's where the heart change starts.
Treasure Jesus.
And then will come
the obedience.
And then will come
the magnifying.
And when people come
into contact
with a genuine Christian
whose life is actually
being changed
by God's grace,
it's a game changer.
On Christmas Eve,
we do this thing here
where we darken the sanctuary.
It's the last move
of the service
and we light candles
at the front
and those candles
get lit all the way
to the back
and then all of a sudden
this dark room
is lit up
with light shining.
That's who we are,
church.
We're God's light
shining in a dark place.
This dark city.
Your neighborhood,
your family,
your workplace.
So here's the question.
When was the last time
you actually
named dropped Jesus
with a non-Christian?
That you gave him
the credit
for the change
that was being seen
in you?
The contrast.
When was the last time
you did that?
So here's the challenge.
Would you pray?
Lord Jesus,
this week,
would you give me
an opportunity
to witness to you
and the change
you've wrought
in my life?
Would you help me
to see it when it comes
and would you make me brave,
unashamed of you?
I love talking
about my wife.
Do you know why?
Because I treasure her.
Out of the overflow
of your treasuring,
the mouth speaks.
So if you're having
a hard time
talking about Jesus,
maybe you need
to treasure him more.
This brings us
to the belonging.
Jesus went into
this tomb dead
and came out
of the tomb alive
so that we would
treasure him
and obey him
and magnify him
among all people.
And the B
is the B
of belonging.
Belonging to Jesus
with all of his
blood bought.
What we're talking
about here
in this belonging
piece
is being a meaningful
relationship
with one another
because of Christ.
Here's the reality.
If it weren't
for Christ,
we wouldn't
know each other.
We wouldn't.
Christ has brought
us together.
He is
the unifying
agent
of our relationships.
He's the hub
of our fellowship.
We are in relationship
with one another
because he
died
and was raised
for us.
And Jesus
calls us
to live out
our relationships
with one another
in a particular
way.
In John
13,
34 and 35,
he says,
A new commandment
I give to you
that you love
one another.
Just as I have
loved you,
you also are
to love one another.
By this,
all people will
know that you
are my disciples
if you have
love for one
another.
And so,
this love
ethic is to
be the thing
governing our
relationships
with one another.
But let me
just be clear
on that.
It's just not
like rubbing
our backs.
How did Jesus
love us?
He laid down
his life
for us
so that we
would live
for him.
And so,
the best way
that I can
love you
is by giving
myself so
that you
would treasure
Jesus above
all else.
How about
that?
How about
we give
each other
ourselves to
one another
to that end
that we
would love
Jesus more,
treasure him
and obey
him and
magnify him
together.
This kind
of loving
one another
is not
conditioned
on someone
else's
ethnicity
or someone
else's
biological
sex
or someone
else's
neighborhood
that they
live in
or someone
else's
experience,
time in
jail,
success in
life.
We are to
love one
another as
Christ has
loved us
sacrificially
and unto
Jesus.
This
is,
I wanted to
quote a
Boston song,
more than a
feeling.
this is a
commitment
that we
make to
one another.
Our
salvation
is bound
up together,
our salvation
in Christ.
So here's a
specific way I
want to apply
that this
morning, on
this membership
Sunday.
I'm not sure
if you have
thought about
why you come
to church on
a Sunday.
Maybe you come
to church on a
Sunday because,
hey, I just
want to get
built up, I
love to sing, I
want to hear
God's word, it's
good, I want to
pray, that's good,
or I come on
Sunday because I
need to serve and
that's good, but
have you ever
thought that you
come and gather
on a Sunday
morning out of
love for other
Christians?
I am showing
up to build
up.
I am showing
up, not so much
for myself, but
for others.
I am gathering
in order to
experience this
belonging because
I love these
people, I'm
committed to
them.
Think about
belonging as
uniquely taking
place when we
gather on a
Sunday morning.
This 75
minutes on a
Sunday morning
is the most
important 75
minutes in our
life as a
church week by
week, bar none.
This is the most
important time we
have together, and
here's why.
It's the only
time during the
week when the
whole church
gathers in
person.
The only time.
When we gather
together, we see
each other, we're
in each other's
presence, one
place, one
time, and
one focus, one
people.
We're the
church.
Did you know
that the word for
the church in
Greek is
ekklesia?
And that means,
it means called
out ones, it
means you're set
apart, but what it
also means is
simply the gathering
of God's people,
the assembly of
God's people, the
congregating of
God's people.
When the people
gather together,
that's the church,
we're the church.
the visible
representation of
the blood
blood of God.
That's what
happens when we
come together.
It's the only
time during the
week that we
sing glorious
truths about the
treasures of
Jesus.
So grateful for
Zach, for his
team who lead us.
They work hard,
they're skilled,
so that we sing
these wonderful
truths about Jesus
together.
Together!
One of my
favorite things to
do, you might do
it too from time
to time, I'll
stop singing so
that I can listen
to everybody else
sing.
And I am so
encouraged by that.
God gets
something,
Colossians 3,
done in us.
When we together
are singing to
God one time,
one place,
one focus,
one people,
it's the only
time when we
get to pray
together in
person.
One place,
one time,
one focus,
one people,
confessing our
sin together,
thanking God
for things that
he has done in
our life together,
praying for our
mission partners
together,
praying for
brothers and
sisters who are
in need together.
It is so
unique.
It happens
just once a
week, 75
minutes.
And of course
there's the
preaching of his
word.
Whoever's
preaching from
this pulpit
has put a
lot of time
in preparing
a message to
preach.
But it's
more than
that.
When God's
word is
faithfully
preached,
God himself
is forming
his people
with his
word.
One place,
one time,
one focus,
one people.
It's
unprecedented.
It's
unprecedented.
contested.
We love
one another
this way.
We love
one another
by coming
on a Sunday
morning and
gathering
together.
It's
contested.
Sometimes
you don't
want to
come.
Do I
have an
amen?
Sometimes
you don't
feel like
it.
Sometimes
you don't
want to
wrestle the
kids into
the car.
Sometimes
you'd
just rather
stay at
home.
But can
I just
ask you,
do you
think those
are love
motives?
We love
one another
by gathering
together on
a Sunday
morning.
So let me
ask you a
question.
Are you
working it
in?
Is one of
your motives
for coming
on a Sunday
morning at
10 a.m.,
the 75
minutes of
unprecedented
time together
because you
love God's
people?
Let that
soak in.
Let that
motivate you.
you.
And the
challenge,
the challenge
would be
this.
If you
don't like
coming to
church,
if you're
not wanting
to obey
Jesus,
not wanting
to magnify
him,
could it be
a treasure
issue?
A
treasuring
Jesus
issue?
I would
challenge you
to treasure
Jesus more
and you
will find
his love
for his
people in
your
heart.
On this
membership
Sunday,
I've been
asking and
answering the
question,
what is a
disciple of
Jesus Christ
and a
disciple of
someone who's
been radically
changed by
God's grace?
So much so
that they
treasure Jesus
above all
else,
obey him in
all that he
commands,
magnifies him
among all
people,
and belongs
to Jesus
by gathering
frequently out
of love for
one another.
Jesus went
to the tomb
dead and
he came up
alive so
that we
could live
this way,
together,
following
Jesus.
Let's pray
together.
Lord God,
Lord Jesus,
there is no
one like you.
would you
stir our
hearts,
would you
call us
to treasure
you all
in new
and fresh
and profound
ways,
and that we
would treasure
you together
and obey you
together and
magnify you
together and
of course,
belong to you
together.
You are so
worthy.
God, thank you
for adding to
our numbers.
Would you add
more for the
glory of your
name?
Amen.