WEBVTT

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 This morning I want to talk to you about fellowship in the light.

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 Fellowship in the light.

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 Okay.

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 As I talk about this, for some of you, this is going to be very familiar to you.

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 If you've heard me speak on this before, some of you it might not be.

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 Either way, I'm asking that you listen with fresh ears in one sense.

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 And just ask, okay, where am I at with this?

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 Let this land in my heart.

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 Let this stir my heart.

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 What is necessary?

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 Because I really believe that this topic, fellowship in the light, is extremely necessary

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 for the church to be established and founded on the right foundation.

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 And we'll look at that here in a second.

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 So really, you know, how do very different people feel and act like family together?

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 Okay.

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 How do you get a group of people called the church who can feel and act like family together?

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 How do you get different people to do that?

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 People who aren't all alike, who don't have all these major similarities.

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 How do we do that?

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 And I want us to remember that we're not after attendance.

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 We're after assembly.

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 Okay.

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 What do I mean by that?

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 Well, a lot of people say, well, you know, the word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia,

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 and that means assembly.

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 So as long as the church assembles, then that's a church.

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 And we often just think that assembly is just getting people in a room together.

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 Okay.

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 But, and some of you have heard me use this example many times, but if you have a plane

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 hanger and you have all the parts for a plane sitting in a pile, is that a plane?

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 No.

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 Even though they are all in the same room together, they are not assembled together.

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 Together.

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 In the same way, you can have the parts of a church in a room together, and they not

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 be assembled.

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 They not be fitted together.

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 And we're not after just attendance.

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 We're not after just filling a room with people.

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 Okay.

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 Lame Church 101 is just going after attendance without assembly.

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 Right.

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 Just trying to fill rooms with people who are not joined together, who are not knitted together,

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 who are not fitted together.

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 Okay.

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 That is a great way.

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 You want to know how to make lame church?

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 Do that.

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 Just try and get people in a room.

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 We're not interested in that.

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 Because God's not interested in that.

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 God doesn't want just, you don't, you think Jesus, that God became a man, suffered and

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 died on a cross and rose again so that we could just get a bunch of people in a room?

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 I think he was after more than that.

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 We know he was after more than that.

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 Okay.

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 And so we're after assembling.

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 We're after togetherness.

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 So how do we move from attendance to building an actual assembly of the parts together?

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 And I believe that's what true fellowship is.

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 Okay.

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 So I'm going to look at five different things here in regards to fellowship in the light,

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 in regards to how we can get people to be fitted together.

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 Right.

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 Okay.

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 Number one, fellowship in the light.

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 Okay.

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 Or fellowship with God and one another.

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 We're going to start with 1 John chapter 1 verses 5 through 10.

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 Okay.

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 It says, this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light

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 and in him is no darkness at all.

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 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice

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 the truth.

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 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another

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 and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin.

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 We say we have no sin.

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 We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

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 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us

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 from all unrighteousness.

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 We say we have not sinned.

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 We make him a liar and his word is not in us.

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 Okay.

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 So he's talking here about walking in the light.

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 He's talking here about having fellowship with one another.

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 He makes some really strong statements here.

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 Okay.

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 As John does in 1 John, a lot of kind of binary statements, black and white statements here

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 in 1 John, right?

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 Here's one of them.

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 It says, if we say we have fellowship, okay.

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 And that's what the church does, right?

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 The church would say, well, hey, we have fellowship, right?

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 That's a common thing.

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 Yeah.

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 I'm a part of this church.

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 We have fellowship.

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 Okay.

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 But he says, if we say we have fellowship while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not

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 practice the truth.

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 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another

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 and the blood of Jesus, his son cleanses us from all sin.

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 Okay.

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 So he's saying, if you say you have fellowship, but you're walking in darkness, you don't have

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 fellowship with God.

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 And if you don't have fellowship with God, you most certainly don't have fellowship with

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 one another.

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 But the key to having fellowship with one another is walking in the light.

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 And the way that he is displaying what that looks like to walk in the light together is

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 verse 9.

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 He says, if we confess our sins.

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 You can't have a church that's walking in the light that doesn't confess sins.

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 And you'll never have a church that confesses sins that isn't deeply founded on the gospel.

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 Because otherwise you can't confess your sins.

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 Because you'll be found out.

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 You'll have nothing to stand on.

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 You have to cling to your self-righteousness.

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 But a church that is founded on the gospel, believes the gospel, boasts in the gospel, is

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 free to confess their sins.

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 And so that's absolutely necessary.

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 You might say, well, yeah, of course it's necessary.

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 Well, yeah, of course it's necessary.

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 But so often this is not the experience in church.

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 I was just talking to someone the other day who just moved to Kansas City and was a part

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 of a church in another state and fell into some sin that was really destructive to their

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 marriage.

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 And he went and confessed his sin to the church.

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 And they were like froze.

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 They didn't know what to do.

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 And immediately he realized, oh, wow, I'm at a church that doesn't know what to do with

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 confession of sin.

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 And they didn't know what to do.

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 And he found out that as he was with this church, he never heard anybody confess sin.

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 Again, you might say, well, that's ridiculous.

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 In one sense, yes, it is when you read verses like this.

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 But in another sense, this is all too common sometimes in church.

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 And a part of it is if we don't cling deeply to the gospel, we are always in danger of

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 drifting into a self-righteousness that has to put on religious cosmetics.

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 It has to dress things up and say, I'm good enough in and of myself.

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 And therefore, if my hope is in my own righteousness, if my hope and identity is in being right, then

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 I'm not free to be wrong.

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 If my hope and identity is in being a good person, I can't ever admit where I wasn't

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 good, where I fell short.

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 And so this is a big deal.

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 There is no walking in the light without confession of sin.

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 And there is no fellowship without confession of sin.

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 And so if we're saying, oh, I want to be close to people.

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 I want to have fellowship with them.

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 We have to be open and vulnerable to be able to let people in to see not just the good stuff

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 in our life, but the bad stuff as well.

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 Otherwise, there is no fellowship.

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 And the last thing we want to do is build a church that at the ground level is not free

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 to be able to share these things.

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 It's not free to confess sin.

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 Whatever you have in Christ, you're free to lose everywhere else.

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 Okay?

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 And when you know that you're right in Christ, when you trust in the righteousness of Jesus,

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 when you believe in the doctrine of justification, that is just as if you had not sinned, it gives

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 you a freedom to confess your sins because it's not this devastating thing that if I confess

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 my sins, I lose all identity if my identity is not in me being righteous in and of myself.

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 My identity is in the righteousness of another.

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 I'm free to confess the unrighteousness of myself.

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 And I no longer have the need to put on these religious cosmetics to always make myself look

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 better than I am.

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 It's a church that can be rather than appear to be.

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 It's a church that's free to be.

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 And when you're free to be, now we got real fellowship.

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 Now we have fellowship in the light.

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 This is what the church is supposed to be, where we can really fellowship in reality with

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 each other.

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 Okay?

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 2 Corinthians 6 verse 14 says, what fellowship is light with darkness?

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 You see, when we keep things in darkness, when we're gathering in the same room, we're

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 not hiding in the sense that we're physically not there, but we're hiding in the sense that

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 we're not honestly there.

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 You can be physically present in a room and be dishonest with the people that you're there

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 with.

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 We can be in the room, but not in the light.

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 And if you're in the room and not in the light, then there's no fellowship.

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 Then we're just playing church.

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 We're just filling rooms in attendance.

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 And it might look good on the outside, but if it's not real fellowship, what is it?

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 It's not what Jesus died for.

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 What fellowship is light and darkness?

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 It's a rhetorical question.

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 None.

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 John 3, 19 to 21 says, this is the judgment.

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 The light has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because

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 their works were evil.

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 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest

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 his works should be exposed.

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 But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that

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 his works have been carried out in God.

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 Okay?

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 Whoever does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his work

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 should be exposed.

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 Unless, of course, you realize that there is redemption in the light.

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 There is a covering of your sin with the blood of Jesus in the light.

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 He's saying about it this morning, right?

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 When you know that, you go to the light, you run to the light.

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 You don't run away from the light.

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 But so often, it can easily build church culture where we run from the light and we have to

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 hold up a certain level of sobriety and image, you know, a certain image to be accepted.

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 And when we fight for this and when we wrestle with this to say, I have to be this in order

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 to be accepted, I have to be this in order to be a person that is in right standing in

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 the church.

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 And if that thing that I have to be is something different than the imputed righteousness of

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 Jesus, we're in a bad spot.

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 We're in a bad spot.

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 It's not good.

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 It's not.

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 It is not a place where we are going to walk in true fellowship.

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 And not to mention, the church should be what Larry Crabb called the safest place on earth,

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 a place where you can be free to open up your heart, let people into your skeleton closets,

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 because, again, our fellowship isn't around having it all together.

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 If that was the case, then yeah, why would you ever let anyone know that you don't have

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 it all together?

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 If our fellowship isn't the fact that none of us have it together and that apart from

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 Christ, we are all a mess.

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 Apart from Christ, we are all lost.

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 Apart from Christ, we all have no hope.

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 If we all believe that, then our fellowship is around the same thing.

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 Our fellowship is around the saving grace of God.

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 Our fellowship is around the freedom that we have to admit our weaknesses and even boast

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 in our weaknesses because in our weakness, he is strong.

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 We end up relating to each other based on the reality of Jesus rather than some phony religious

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 facade, which everybody hates anyways.

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 We know we hate it.

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 And yet the very thing we hate, we so often do because that's what human nature does.

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 So this is not something you just hope you drift into.

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 You know what?

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 I'll probably just drift into being really open and honest and free to just confess my

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 sins.

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 No, you won't.

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 That's not how it works.

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 We have to be intentional in this.

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 We have to be really focused on it.

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 Ephesians 5, 8 to 14 says,

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 At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

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 Walk as children of light.

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 For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.

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 And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

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 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

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 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

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 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.

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 For anything that becomes visible is light.

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 Therefore, it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine in you.

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 If you hear that verse, anything that becomes visible is light.

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 So what does it mean to walk in the light?

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 It means that you bring into visibility the things that are hidden.

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 You bring into visibility the things that are hidden.

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 And the only way you're free to do that is to know what you have in Christ.

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 Everything you have in Christ, you're free to lose everywhere else.

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 If you have being right in Christ, you're free to be wrong everywhere else.

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 If you have acceptance in Christ, you're free to be rejected everywhere else.

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 But if you don't have acceptance in Christ and in the work of Christ,

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 then you have this fear of rejection that causes you to appear to be rather than to be.

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 And that's not true fellowship.

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 Anything that becomes visible is light.

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 And I want to look for a second at the difference between transparency and vulnerability,

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 because sometimes we can think that walking the light,

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 especially because of verses like this, anything that becomes visible is light,

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 that walking the light is just transparency.

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 Just transparency.

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 In other words, someone might say, well, hey, I'm an open book, man.

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 Like, if you ask me a question, I'm going to answer honestly.

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 And that's half, you're halfway there.

00:13:43.319 --> 00:13:43.419
 Okay.

00:13:43.539 --> 00:13:46.860
 Transparency is like having your windows open and people can see in.

00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:52.980
 But without vulnerability, transparency is just like a house that you can look in the windows,

00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:54.679
 but the door is bolted locked.

00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:55.559
 Okay.

00:13:56.299 --> 00:14:00.419
 Vulnerability doesn't just let people see in, it lets people come in.

00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.179
 Transparency without vulnerability is still a facade.

00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:10.719
 It gives you this sense of satisfaction to say, hey, I'm an open book, man.

00:14:11.139 --> 00:14:12.159
 I'm transparent.

00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:13.739
 I let my windows.

00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:15.899
 I never put up the blinds.

00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:16.859
 The blinds are always open.

00:14:16.899 --> 00:14:17.959
 The shades are always up.

00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:18.559
 Right.

00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.399
 But I got six bolts on the door.

00:14:21.779 --> 00:14:23.059
 You try to go in there and correct.

00:14:23.179 --> 00:14:24.699
 It's like ghosted.

00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:25.559
 Right.

00:14:26.119 --> 00:14:26.459
 Yeah.

00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:31.519
 It's like he's the guy who's always confessing sins on the thread or whatever.

00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:37.019
 And then when you try to jump in and try to bring love and bring correction, crickets.

00:14:38.099 --> 00:14:40.359
 He's transparent, but he's not vulnerable.

00:14:41.199 --> 00:14:42.599
 Transparency opens the window.

00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:44.299
 Vulnerability opens the door.

00:14:44.939 --> 00:14:46.079
 It says, come into my life.

00:14:46.199 --> 00:14:47.159
 Speak into my life.

00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:49.000
 Challenge, encourage, exhort.

00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:50.259
 Question.

00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:51.579
 Okay.

00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:53.079
 Are we doing that?

00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:54.980
 Transparency is not enough.

00:14:55.819 --> 00:14:57.799
 Transparency isn't true walking the light.

00:14:58.079 --> 00:15:01.959
 It's kind of a, it gives you a little bit of satisfaction because it's better than having

00:15:01.959 --> 00:15:03.059
 the windows closed, right?

00:15:03.339 --> 00:15:05.679
 Where you don't let anybody in and you're just walking in darkness.

00:15:06.339 --> 00:15:08.779
 It feels good because there's a little bit of light.

00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:17.559
 But when we don't open up to, when you don't open yourself up to be hurt, then you never

00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:18.899
 open yourself up to be helped.

00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:20.039
 Okay.

00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:21.939
 And that's a lot of reason why we don't do it.

00:15:21.939 --> 00:15:25.720
 Because we're afraid if I open up my heart, someone's going to stomp on it.

00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:27.259
 Someone's going to crush it.

00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:28.879
 Someone's going to reject me.

00:15:28.939 --> 00:15:30.559
 Someone's going to hurt me.

00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:36.739
 But the only way you can be helped is the vulnerability that opens yourself up where you could possibly

00:15:36.739 --> 00:15:37.279
 be hurt.

00:15:38.599 --> 00:15:43.579
 And what gives you the boldness and the braveness, the courage to be able to open your heart up

00:15:43.579 --> 00:15:48.000
 to the point that you risk it being stomped on, the only thing that can do that is a ruthless

00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.719
 trust in the person and the work of Jesus.

00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:53.519
 It's a ruthless trust in the gospel itself.

00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:59.159
 When you trust in that, it gives you the courage to be yourself because you know you are loved

00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.279
 perfectly by your God.

00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:03.100
 That's huge.

00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:03.620
 Okay.

00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:09.000
 Ephesians 4, 24 to 25 says, put on the new self created after the likeness of God and

00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:10.319
 true righteousness and holiness.

00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:15.720
 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,

00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:17.879
 for we are members of one another.

00:16:18.259 --> 00:16:18.519
 Okay.

00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:20.860
 We have to be free to put off falsehood.

00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:23.039
 He says, having put away falsehood.

00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:23.980
 Okay.

00:16:24.180 --> 00:16:29.200
 This means you don't say God is good when you don't believe as God is good, just because

00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:33.100
 you know that that's what you're supposed to say to people when you go to a meeting together.

00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:34.820
 You understand what I'm saying?

00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:36.800
 Like that sounds good.

00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.240
 Hey man, God is good all the time.

00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:39.600
 Yeah.

00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:40.620
 Right.

00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:45.920
 But you haven't believed in God's goodness for weeks ever since you got sick or ever since

00:16:45.920 --> 00:16:49.740
 you had this trouble in your marriage or ever since your friend's child died.

00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:52.700
 It's like, you're actually having a hard time trusting in the goodness of God.

00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:56.100
 So don't say God is good when your heart doesn't believe it.

00:16:56.740 --> 00:17:00.159
 You can say, Hey, someone says God is good.

00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:01.680
 You say, you know what?

00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:07.380
 I know in my head that that's true, but gosh, in my heart, I'm having a hard time right now.

00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:09.480
 I'm having a hard time believing that.

00:17:09.940 --> 00:17:10.980
 I could say it.

00:17:11.140 --> 00:17:15.519
 It rolls right off the tongue, but man, it is not coming out of my heart.

00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:17.480
 And I don't want to play games.

00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:18.339
 I need help.

00:17:19.019 --> 00:17:20.980
 I'm having a hard time believing right now.

00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:23.639
 I'm having a hard time believing that God is good right now.

00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:24.859
 I'm struggling with it.

00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:29.579
 You know, a friend of mine used to say, Christians don't say lies.

00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:30.220
 They sing them.

00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:33.660
 It's easy sometimes to sing these things.

00:17:33.879 --> 00:17:37.240
 And I know sometimes you got to just kind of tell your soul, soul, praise the Lord.

00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:38.660
 You know, you got to do that.

00:17:38.660 --> 00:17:49.019
 But, you know, we have to be honest, too, because there's no fellowship in some religious facade where we're saying things we don't mean to fit a certain caricature of what a good church member is supposed to be.

00:17:49.540 --> 00:17:50.680
 We want true fellowship.

00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:52.420
 We need true fellowship.

00:17:53.060 --> 00:17:59.600
 And God died and made a way for us through his resurrection that we could be free to have true fellowship.

00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:03.120
 And this is the relationship that everybody's longing for.

00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:07.400
 This is the relationship that's distinctly Christian that the world can't compete with.

00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:10.880
 This is what makes church the most unique entity on the planet.

00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:14.759
 It's the company of the redeemed, the company of the non-fakers.

00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:17.759
 It's not a company of posers, fakers, and wannabes.

00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:20.240
 It's a company of people who are real.

00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:22.420
 We're free to be real.

00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:29.700
 When all the world can't be free to be real, because they have to put on some kind of facade, some kind of identity to hope in,

00:18:30.120 --> 00:18:37.100
 we are free to be who we are with all the warts and all the things, foibles and failures, because we've been redeemed.

00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:42.080
 We've been loved as we are, not as we should be, because nobody is as they should be.

00:18:42.780 --> 00:18:44.600
 And that's a revolutionary thought.

00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:45.280
 Okay?

00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:53.319
 This is why in the early days when we planted bellicose, we used to, one of the things we would do here and there is we would,

00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:58.879
 especially when I would hear, you know, in one of our missional communities, I'd hear that a bunch of people were having a hard time.

00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:04.379
 I remember doing this a couple times where I'd say, all right, tonight when we gather, this is what we're going to do.

00:19:04.380 --> 00:19:10.560
 I'd go to the store, I'd grab a couple bottles of wine, grab a couple bottles of grape juice, I'd grab a couple loaves of bread.

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:12.180
 I'd sit down in the middle of the table.

00:19:12.260 --> 00:19:17.040
 We had a big table in our old house back then that could seat like 12 to 14 people because we had some benches.

00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:19.400
 And we'd all sit down around the table.

00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:27.040
 I'm like, all right, tonight we are going to take the Lord's table together multiple times and preach the gospel through it in our weakness.

00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:27.559
 Okay?

00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:33.139
 So what I want people to do is open up about sins or struggles in belief here around the table.

00:19:33.420 --> 00:19:40.379
 And then someone's going to grab some bread, grab some wine, or grab some grape juice, and we're going to preach the gospel to one another through the Lord's table.

00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:48.639
 And so someone would share, hey, I'm having a really hard time not believing that I'm under condemnation.

00:19:48.879 --> 00:19:52.799
 I'm having a really hard time not identifying myself with my sin.

00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:53.599
 Okay?

00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:58.460
 And then someone would take the bread and the cup and they'd say, all right, we're going to remember the Lord.

00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:01.440
 And we're going to remember that he didn't die for good people.

00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:04.399
 He died while we were yet sinners.

00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.000
 And so we'd take this bread and cup to remember his death.

00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:08.000
 And what was his death for?

00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:09.180
 His death was for sinners.

00:20:09.579 --> 00:20:15.500
 Not for people who have it all together, but for, as Brennan Manning says, for the people whose cheese is falling off their cracker.

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:18.879
 You know, he died for the people who are having a hard time.

00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.759
 He died for the people that don't have it all together.

00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:22.200
 Okay?

00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:25.220
 And so while we were yet sinners, Christ died.

00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:28.160
 And let's take the Lord's table together and remember.

00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:33.700
 And then you might have someone who's saying, hey, I'm just having a hard time believing.

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.779
 I'm having a hard time.

00:20:36.779 --> 00:20:40.940
 I just have this trouble believing that God is for me.

00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:46.579
 I feel like these bad things are happening to me because of this, that, and the other.

00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:51.179
 And we'd take the Lord and say, all right, someone to grab the bread, take the cup.

00:20:51.439 --> 00:20:52.919
 And they'd do what Chris did this morning.

00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:58.659
 And they'd say, hey, listen, you know that because of our sin, the world is subjected to futility.

00:20:59.099 --> 00:21:01.419
 You know that we broke the world with our sin.

00:21:01.819 --> 00:21:02.859
 And so people die.

00:21:02.980 --> 00:21:03.960
 People get sick.

00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:06.839
 Bad things happen to bad people.

00:21:08.159 --> 00:21:08.839
 Catch that?

00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:11.459
 Bad things don't happen to good people because there are no good people.

00:21:11.539 --> 00:21:12.199
 Not even one.

00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:12.539
 Right?

00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:13.639
 And we'll say that.

00:21:13.740 --> 00:21:15.919
 But Jesus died for those bad people.

00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.439
 And then what we do is we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:21.819
 And we say, one day all the wrong things will be right.

00:21:22.439 --> 00:21:23.839
 And I know it's hard right now.

00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:27.439
 Broken things happen to broken people in a broken world.

00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:33.200
 But we have the hope of gospel future that one day he's going to return and death will be swallowed up in victory.

00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:36.160
 And we proclaim his death until he comes.

00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:37.480
 And then you preach the gospel through that.

00:21:37.580 --> 00:21:39.279
 And, you know, we could just keep going.

00:21:39.360 --> 00:21:40.059
 But that's what we would do.

00:21:40.100 --> 00:21:41.700
 We would do that together around a table.

00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:44.400
 And by the end of it, everybody would be encouraged.

00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:45.320
 Why?

00:21:45.779 --> 00:21:50.380
 Not because we did an accountability group where everybody leaves thinking that we made much of the sin

00:21:50.380 --> 00:21:52.960
 and is not motivated to do it again next week.

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:58.200
 But because we've left making much of the Savior and making much of the power of his salvation,

00:21:58.440 --> 00:21:59.840
 which is what the gospel is.

00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:02.720
 It's the power of God for the salvation of those who believe.

00:22:03.380 --> 00:22:08.180
 The problem with a lot of modern day accountability is everybody hates it and no one wants to go back

00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:11.279
 because basically it is, hey man, I'm having a hard time.

00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:12.539
 Oh, I'll pray for you.

00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:14.100
 Hey, I looked at porn.

00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:15.360
 I'll pray for you.

00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:18.559
 Hey, I haven't been reading my Bible.

00:22:18.860 --> 00:22:19.940
 Hey man, I'll pray for you.

00:22:20.299 --> 00:22:20.539
 Cool.

00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:21.740
 You want to do this next week?

00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:23.279
 Not really.

00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:27.319
 You know, instead of getting around together and saying,

00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.200
 all right, we're not going to make much of our sin.

00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:32.140
 Let's talk about our sin.

00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:35.980
 But the way we talk about our sin, let's make sure we make much of the Savior.

00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:42.160
 Okay, so let's talk about, you know, the Bible talks about salvation in three tenses.

00:22:42.620 --> 00:22:44.180
 It says that you've been saved.

00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:46.140
 It says that you're being saved.

00:22:46.420 --> 00:22:48.059
 And it says that you will be saved.

00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:50.660
 You've been saved from the penalty of sin.

00:22:50.660 --> 00:22:54.060
 You're being saved from the power of sin.

00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:57.400
 And you will be saved from the presence of sin.

00:22:57.400 --> 00:22:58.860
 Justification.

00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:00.440
 Sanctification.

00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:01.680
 Glorification.

00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:02.920
 You've been saved.

00:23:03.040 --> 00:23:03.880
 You're being saved.

00:23:04.120 --> 00:23:04.880
 You will be saved.

00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:08.080
 Oftentimes the church likes to talk about, I've been saved.

00:23:08.320 --> 00:23:09.660
 Went to that camp when I was a kid.

00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:10.560
 When I was a kid.

00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:12.560
 And brother, I've been saved.

00:23:12.900 --> 00:23:13.060
 Right?

00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:17.580
 And then one day, you know, when the Lord returns, I'll be fully saved.

00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:19.800
 I'll no longer have this body of death.

00:23:20.360 --> 00:23:21.360
 What about in between?

00:23:22.360 --> 00:23:23.420
 What about in between?

00:23:23.740 --> 00:23:25.080
 What are you going to do in between?

00:23:25.580 --> 00:23:28.380
 Well, man, I just grit my teeth and can't wait till Jesus returns.

00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:30.360
 You think that's what it's all about?

00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:31.480
 You think that's good news?

00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:33.360
 Doesn't sound like good news to me.

00:23:33.820 --> 00:23:35.200
 Sounds like horrible news.

00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:38.160
 Thankfully, it is horrible news because it's not true.

00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:40.740
 The truth is you have been saved.

00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:42.660
 And you're being saved.

00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:44.660
 What is this being saved thing?

00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:45.580
 What's that all about?

00:23:45.579 --> 00:23:53.159
 The same salvation that you received to save you from the wrath of God and the way you received

00:23:53.159 --> 00:23:58.299
 it through faith is the same way you received the saving power of God so that sin no longer

00:23:58.299 --> 00:23:59.919
 reigns in your mortal flesh.

00:24:00.679 --> 00:24:05.439
 You believe in Jesus that he also can save you from the power of sin.

00:24:05.639 --> 00:24:10.059
 You receive it the same way you received salvation by faith in the beginning when you received

00:24:10.059 --> 00:24:12.859
 it from the wrath of God and being saved from the penalty of your sin.

00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:19.359
 And so when you talk about that, now we confess our sins, but we share, this is what God is

00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:20.199
 saving me from.

00:24:20.639 --> 00:24:22.479
 And this is how God is saving me.

00:24:22.899 --> 00:24:28.219
 So it's much easier to even confess your sin when you can confess it in a way that is a

00:24:28.219 --> 00:24:29.119
 present tense.

00:24:29.659 --> 00:24:32.019
 This is what God is saving me from.

00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:34.759
 This is how God is saving me.

00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:36.899
 And sometimes you don't know how God is saving you.

00:24:36.939 --> 00:24:38.479
 Sometimes you have a hard time believing it.

00:24:38.779 --> 00:24:42.839
 You need someone else to say, hey, I want you to know that God can save you.

00:24:42.859 --> 00:24:45.299
 You from the power of this sin.

00:24:45.939 --> 00:24:48.240
 And the gospel is the power for salvation.

00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:52.479
 Even in the now moments with the power of, he can save you from this power.

00:24:53.159 --> 00:24:55.559
 Sin shall no longer reign over you, it says in Romans.

00:24:56.459 --> 00:25:00.339
 Okay, so let's testify of what Christ is saving you from.

00:25:00.639 --> 00:25:01.719
 And so we get around a table.

00:25:01.819 --> 00:25:07.459
 We take the Lord's table together and everyone's confessing and professing about God's saving

00:25:07.459 --> 00:25:09.359
 power and what God is saving them from.

00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:15.079
 And currently, we all leave believing more in God's saving power and going into our everyday

00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:20.159
 lives with temptation and saying, I'm not going to give into that temptation because

00:25:20.159 --> 00:25:29.500
 I heard the testimony of the church saying to me what it is, how it is that God saves

00:25:29.500 --> 00:25:30.740
 people from the power of sin.

00:25:30.899 --> 00:25:32.759
 And I know that God has given me a way out.

00:25:32.879 --> 00:25:34.899
 I know that there is power to be saved from the sin.

00:25:34.900 --> 00:25:36.340
 I'm not going to give into this sin.

00:25:37.340 --> 00:25:39.200
 And that's a beautiful thing.

00:25:39.560 --> 00:25:41.300
 That's what the church is supposed to be.

00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:44.300
 It's a freedom literally from lame accountability.

00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:45.320
 Okay?

00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:46.519
 Nobody likes that.

00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:47.440
 Nobody wants it.

00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:49.880
 People just do it just because that's all they know.

00:25:50.120 --> 00:25:51.880
 I'm saying we got to go for something higher.

00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:53.759
 We got to believe for something higher.

00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.900
 But the only way you're going to get there is if you start in a light.

00:25:58.379 --> 00:26:05.200
 If we're posers, for fakers, for wannabes, if we're just religious experts and religious

00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:09.400
 professionals, really good at putting that religious makeup on and dressing it up so it

00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:13.599
 looks just right so that I do whatever it is that the group of people I'm with wants to

00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:14.319
 see and hear.

00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:17.099
 There's no fellowship.

00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:19.079
 There's no fellowship.

00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:21.819
 There's no real true fellowship.

00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:24.000
 Okay?

00:26:24.139 --> 00:26:25.099
 That's the first one.

00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:26.039
 Second thing.

00:26:26.619 --> 00:26:27.759
 Fellowship in the Holy Spirit.

00:26:27.919 --> 00:26:33.019
 2 Corinthians 13, 14 says, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and

00:26:33.019 --> 00:26:35.980
 the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:37.639
 The church is many things.

00:26:37.740 --> 00:26:39.259
 One of the things it is, is a fellowship.

00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:40.139
 Okay?

00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:41.539
 But it's not any fellowship.

00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:44.079
 It's a fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:48.159
 Which means it's not a fellowship of the NFL.

00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:53.200
 It's not a fellowship of your favorite movie or song.

00:26:53.300 --> 00:26:55.940
 It's not a fellowship of being the same age.

00:26:56.220 --> 00:27:00.259
 It's not a fellowship of having the same background or the same socioeconomic background.

00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.759
 It's not a fellowship of going through the same experiences.

00:27:03.100 --> 00:27:06.180
 It is a fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:08.500
 Now, all those other things I listed are cool.

00:27:08.580 --> 00:27:08.980
 They're great.

00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:11.720
 But they're not distinctly Christian.

00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:14.080
 There's a lot of people I could talk to about.

00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:15.040
 I love football.

00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:17.019
 I'm going to have a great time watching the Super Bowl today.

00:27:17.019 --> 00:27:17.379
 Okay?

00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:18.879
 I enjoy watching football.

00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:23.960
 But listen, there's nothing distinctly Christian about relating to someone about a stupid football

00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:24.279
 game.

00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:28.339
 There is something distinctly Christian about the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:32.319
 There's something you could, even someone who doesn't even speak the same language as

00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:32.519
 you.

00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:35.579
 Sometimes you can sense this like fellowship with them.

00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:37.619
 You're just like, there's something there.

00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.099
 What is it?

00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:39.839
 It's the Spirit.

00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:40.720
 Amen.

00:27:41.099 --> 00:27:43.419
 Now, when I speak the same language, that's a big deal, right?

00:27:43.459 --> 00:27:46.379
 That's why God confused the languages back to Tower of Babel.

00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:47.279
 We're not going to go there.

00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:54.059
 But the whole point is there's a fellowship of the Spirit that we need to aim for, that

00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:54.980
 we need to work towards.

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:55.220
 Okay?

00:27:55.379 --> 00:27:59.799
 We need to be able to say, all right, I look at you and think, man, I don't have a lot

00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:01.919
 to relate with you outside of the Holy Spirit.

00:28:02.740 --> 00:28:03.319
 It's okay.

00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:07.700
 Because there's a lot of people, they say, I don't have anything to relate to you, and

00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:08.559
 then they just don't relate.

00:28:08.980 --> 00:28:10.659
 The church should never be that.

00:28:11.259 --> 00:28:17.139
 Because the church always has this trump card of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:28:17.480 --> 00:28:23.519
 I can always have this relationship with you based on relating around who God is, relating

00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:29.619
 around what God has done, relating around who I am in Christ, relating around what I've

00:28:29.619 --> 00:28:33.179
 read in the Word, relating around what God is doing in answered prayer.

00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:35.060
 What God is speaking to us.

00:28:35.100 --> 00:28:38.680
 What kind of cool stories that we can share about how God is working in our lives.

00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:39.960
 There's always that.

00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:42.200
 But that means we've got to ask people that.

00:28:42.580 --> 00:28:45.420
 And that means we also have to be honest when none of that's going on.

00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:49.700
 You say, oh, Josh said we've got a fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

00:28:50.080 --> 00:28:53.960
 So if someone asks me, I better be able to come up with some way that the Holy Spirit's

00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:54.680
 working in my life.

00:28:55.620 --> 00:28:57.640
 Or you can just say, you know what?

00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:00.019
 I'm having a hard time connecting with the Holy Spirit later.

00:29:00.019 --> 00:29:04.940
 And again, now we can, all right, let's talk.

00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:06.500
 Let's have real fellowship in the life.

00:29:06.879 --> 00:29:09.539
 But then that person can remind you about the Spirit's work.

00:29:09.639 --> 00:29:12.980
 That person can remind you about who God is, what he's done, what he's doing.

00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.639
 Maybe he or she shares some stories about what God's doing in their life.

00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:22.220
 And it ignites a passion or desire or curiosity in you to go seek it out.

00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:26.640
 To go get into the Word, to go get into prayer, to go ask God for abundantly more than all

00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:31.200
 you can ask or imagine and see him do miracles, see him do big things, see him do exciting things.

00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:34.900
 When you get with people and you get excited about who God is and what he's doing,

00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:40.380
 it creates this depth of unity and fellowship that is like nothing else.

00:29:40.600 --> 00:29:44.660
 But if you're not excited about what the Holy Spirit's doing, yeah, you're not going

00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:45.400
 to feel a lot of fellowship.

00:29:45.600 --> 00:29:49.240
 If you're not in touch with who God is and what he's doing, yeah, you're going to have

00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:50.019
 lack of fellowship.

00:29:50.019 --> 00:29:52.779
 That's why we need to relate around that.

00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:59.039
 And if we're going to be a church, we have to aim to say, hey, these other lesser things

00:29:59.039 --> 00:29:59.400
 are good.

00:29:59.500 --> 00:29:59.960
 They're okay.

00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:01.039
 They're permissible.

00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:02.539
 They're sometimes helpful.

00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:06.700
 But they are never a replacement for the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:08.400
 They're never a replacement.

00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:13.139
 It is an absolute necessity that I relate to people based on the Holy Spirit, especially

00:30:13.139 --> 00:30:17.599
 those people that I find it hard to, especially those people that I find it hard to relate on

00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:18.339
 anything else.

00:30:18.599 --> 00:30:19.940
 Well, I always have the Holy Spirit.

00:30:20.019 --> 00:30:25.940
 I've found over the years in church, in ministry, I've found so often that some of the people

00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:30.240
 I have the least in common with have become some of my best friends based on nothing other

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.680
 than the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:35.119
 And it's something, again, that trumps all other relationships.

00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:37.019
 What's deeper than the fellowship of the Spirit?

00:30:37.379 --> 00:30:37.660
 Nothing.

00:30:38.339 --> 00:30:40.539
 There's no greater depth of relationship than that.

00:30:40.539 --> 00:30:44.879
 Which brings us to number three, that being devoted to the fellowship.

00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:50.659
 In Acts chapter 2, verse 42, it says they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to prayer,

00:30:51.379 --> 00:30:53.720
 to the fellowship and the breaking of the bread.

00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:56.220
 A lot of times we don't talk about this one.

00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:58.880
 That verse 42, it says they devoted themselves to the fellowship.

00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:01.360
 There was a devotion to the fellowship.

00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:05.319
 You know, oftentimes fellowship is not something we devote ourselves to.

00:31:05.559 --> 00:31:07.360
 It's just something that kind of happens, right?

00:31:07.779 --> 00:31:12.559
 Oh, we have, at 10 o'clock before, we have a little time of fellowship.

00:31:13.079 --> 00:31:14.559
 You know, a little half hour of fellowship.

00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.500
 And it's just like, yeah, maybe I'll get there, but maybe I'll get there late or whatever.

00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:19.579
 It's like not a big deal.

00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:22.940
 And, you know, if people come over, we'll have fellowship.

00:31:23.159 --> 00:31:26.539
 And it's always, fellowship oftentimes becomes an afterthought to us.

00:31:26.579 --> 00:31:29.299
 It becomes just kind of a, if it happens, it happens.

00:31:29.379 --> 00:31:30.579
 If it doesn't, it doesn't.

00:31:30.679 --> 00:31:32.159
 You know, if I make it, I make it.

00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:33.139
 If I don't, I don't.

00:31:33.139 --> 00:31:38.579
 If I make the most of that time together, you know, and, but you can be with people and

00:31:38.579 --> 00:31:39.279
 have no fellowship.

00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:42.619
 We can, we can not be deliberate and be devoted to it.

00:31:42.619 --> 00:31:44.519
 And, um, it can be lame.

00:31:44.619 --> 00:31:48.859
 I just had a time with some guys recently, uh, that was really lame.

00:31:49.619 --> 00:31:53.479
 Uh, just, there was not, uh, there wasn't fellowship.

00:31:53.679 --> 00:31:59.199
 We hung out, you know, we did some fun things, but there was no fellowship of the spirit.

00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:04.279
 And I left thinking we laughed, we played some fun games, but like there was lacking

00:32:04.279 --> 00:32:06.039
 some fellowship of the spirit there.

00:32:06.059 --> 00:32:08.679
 And I felt this emptiness when I left.

00:32:09.219 --> 00:32:11.000
 I felt some emptiness when I left.

00:32:11.279 --> 00:32:12.159
 Again, it wasn't horrible.

00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:15.220
 It wasn't, you know, it's not like, oh, I can't stand these guys.

00:32:15.300 --> 00:32:16.500
 It's like, I love these guys.

00:32:16.560 --> 00:32:17.160
 I like them.

00:32:17.300 --> 00:32:20.660
 But what we just had with, there's nothing distinctly Christian about it.

00:32:21.180 --> 00:32:24.740
 I can have that with anybody, but that's not what I'm after.

00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:27.200
 The church is a uniquely Christian experience.

00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:28.880
 I want to have true fellowship.

00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:32.800
 I want to, I want to relate on something more than, than just fun.

00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:33.980
 And I love having fun.

00:32:34.120 --> 00:32:38.440
 And I love enjoying the things that God's created that are fun to do, fun to watch, fun to consume,

00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:39.300
 all these kinds of things.

00:32:39.299 --> 00:32:42.399
 But I want to, I want to, I want to experience God together.

00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:44.519
 I want to experience something transcendent.

00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:46.339
 And that's the fellowship of the spirit.

00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:47.919
 So I have to be devoted to it.

00:32:47.940 --> 00:32:49.139
 Otherwise it's not going to happen.

00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:54.940
 First Thessalonians two verse eight says, I just love this language.

00:32:55.259 --> 00:33:01.419
 Paul, the apostle saying, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with

00:33:01.420 --> 00:33:08.180
 you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you became very dear to

00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:08.620
 us.

00:33:09.320 --> 00:33:10.320
 Do you hear that language?

00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:17.120
 That's not the language of someone kind of sliding into fellowship or is an app as fellowship

00:33:17.120 --> 00:33:19.360
 was an afterthought for the apostle.

00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:21.259
 It was not an afterthought.

00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:25.100
 Paul's heart was not a afterthought fellowship.

00:33:25.099 --> 00:33:25.539
 Okay.

00:33:26.659 --> 00:33:28.019
 Great name of a church, right?

00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:29.039
 Afterthought fellowship.

00:33:29.980 --> 00:33:34.439
 Now he says, being affectionately desirous of you.

00:33:35.259 --> 00:33:37.719
 I want you to think, I'm not asking you to raise hands.

00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:39.679
 I'm just asking you to just think this through a little bit.

00:33:39.859 --> 00:33:45.500
 Just ask the question, have I, and am I ever been affectionately desirous of the people in

00:33:45.500 --> 00:33:46.019
 my church?

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:51.439
 Like affectionately desirous where I want to be with them.

00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:53.079
 I want to be affectionate with them.

00:33:53.079 --> 00:33:53.759
 I want to hug them.

00:33:53.799 --> 00:33:55.000
 I want to love on them.

00:33:55.079 --> 00:33:57.119
 I want to, and I desire to be with them.

00:33:57.179 --> 00:34:00.699
 I'm affectionately desirous of them so much.

00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:03.699
 So, and the proof of that is that I don't just share the gospel.

00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:06.699
 I don't just share Christian pleasantries.

00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:12.860
 I don't just share your, your stereotypical, you know, expectations of a Christian gathering.

00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:17.259
 I, I share with them, not only the gospel of God, but our very lives.

00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:19.039
 I'm getting in homes with them.

00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:20.440
 I'm around the table with them.

00:34:20.500 --> 00:34:22.679
 I'm, I'm, I'm in a living room with them.

00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:24.319
 I'm, I'm not just sharing the gospel.

00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:27.339
 Paul's like, this isn't just a message for me.

00:34:27.619 --> 00:34:28.440
 This is my life.

00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:30.119
 I want to get in your world.

00:34:30.179 --> 00:34:31.219
 I want to get in your home.

00:34:31.319 --> 00:34:32.480
 I want to get into your heart.

00:34:33.079 --> 00:34:35.059
 That's the language that Paul uses.

00:34:35.159 --> 00:34:37.980
 And it comes out in an affectionate desire for them.

00:34:38.299 --> 00:34:39.039
 Do you have that?

00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.779
 Do you have that?

00:34:41.239 --> 00:34:44.460
 If not, we need to cry out to the Lord because this is what the basis.

00:34:44.779 --> 00:34:47.359
 Again, this is the apostle planting churches.

00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:52.340
 The apostolic foundations must be there of affectionate desire for one another.

00:34:52.860 --> 00:34:57.720
 The apostolic foundation of sharing not just the gospel, but our very lives with one another.

00:34:58.019 --> 00:34:59.780
 And not just with the people we are.

00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:04.680
 It's easy to do it, but with everybody in the church where we can share our lives with one another.

00:35:04.679 --> 00:35:06.639
 That is apostolic foundations.

00:35:07.019 --> 00:35:11.319
 We've aborted enough apostolic foundations in the church in the West for long enough.

00:35:11.399 --> 00:35:16.519
 It's time for us to get back to these apostolic foundations and say, this is not, this is not optional.

00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:20.239
 And this is certainly not something we can just abort and say that that was for a different time.

00:35:20.399 --> 00:35:27.279
 We need these apostolic foundations of affectionate desire where we share not just the gospel, but our very lives.

00:35:27.399 --> 00:35:29.519
 Because people have become so dear to us.

00:35:29.519 --> 00:35:32.400
 That's the kind of church that somebody wants to be a part of.

00:35:32.860 --> 00:35:34.739
 That's the kind of church where someone walks in.

00:35:35.219 --> 00:35:37.579
 And when I say walk in, I'm not even just talking about a Sunday morning.

00:35:37.659 --> 00:35:40.039
 I'm talking about walks into the life of the church.

00:35:40.840 --> 00:35:42.320
 In the everyday stuff of life.

00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:46.219
 When they walk into that and they say, what is this?

00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:48.519
 What is the reason for the hope that you have?

00:35:48.759 --> 00:35:51.719
 What is this that I'm experiencing that I've never experienced before?

00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:52.579
 I want it.

00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:54.519
 Tell me about it.

00:35:55.619 --> 00:35:57.159
 You've showed me something.

00:35:57.259 --> 00:35:58.480
 Now I'm asking something.

00:35:59.159 --> 00:35:59.400
 Okay.

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:02.900
 And really what this comes down to is time equals relationship.

00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:04.719
 We're willing to put in the time.

00:36:05.300 --> 00:36:06.500
 We're willing to put in the time.

00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:09.159
 Everyone, everybody wants deep church.

00:36:09.659 --> 00:36:10.880
 Everybody wants real church.

00:36:11.019 --> 00:36:17.019
 I mean, in the last 15 years of doing church planning, so often people come to the door and say,

00:36:17.420 --> 00:36:18.759
 man, they're just talking about church.

00:36:18.820 --> 00:36:19.460
 And they say, what do you want?

00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:20.380
 I want community.

00:36:21.139 --> 00:36:22.679
 Like, yeah, you and everybody else.

00:36:23.340 --> 00:36:24.440
 Let me ask you a question.

00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:25.619
 Do you want sacrifice?

00:36:26.380 --> 00:36:27.500
 Do you want to give up your time?

00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:28.519
 No, man.

00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:29.280
 I want time.

00:36:29.420 --> 00:36:32.119
 I want community without giving up my time.

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:34.440
 Good luck with that.

00:36:35.400 --> 00:36:36.519
 You're not going to find it.

00:36:36.659 --> 00:36:37.739
 There is no such thing.

00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:41.219
 There is no such thing as community without responsibility.

00:36:42.099 --> 00:36:44.159
 There is no such thing as community without sacrifice.

00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:46.679
 There is no such thing as community without time.

00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:51.500
 Well, you know, don't you know my kids go to bed at a certain hour?

00:36:52.019 --> 00:36:58.339
 Well, don't you know that if your kids go to bed at a certain hour and you're never willing to budge on that, that you're never going to have the community you want so bad?

00:36:58.340 --> 00:37:01.680
 It's going to have to be through sacrifice.

00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:03.879
 It's going to have to be through you opening up.

00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:07.259
 And, you know, the other night I went to bed way later than I wanted to.

00:37:07.379 --> 00:37:09.839
 And then I forgot I had an early appointment the next morning.

00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:14.200
 That kind of stuff happens to me all the time where I'm just like, man, I would have loved to get more sleep.

00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:15.559
 Enjoy sleep.

00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:18.460
 I happen to think that sleep is a really healthy thing for people.

00:37:18.640 --> 00:37:20.579
 You know, you don't need a bunch of ice baths.

00:37:20.600 --> 00:37:22.980
 You could just get eight hours of sleep and that could help you, you know.

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:27.579
 But a lot of times I have to give up sleep in order to get time with people.

00:37:28.219 --> 00:37:29.400
 And that's worth it to me.

00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:31.019
 I still don't like it.

00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:35.699
 I still don't like getting up and not being really tired.

00:37:35.860 --> 00:37:36.659
 I don't like that.

00:37:37.139 --> 00:37:41.559
 But I hope that I have some affectionate desire for people that I'm saying it's worth it.

00:37:41.659 --> 00:37:42.219
 I'm doing it.

00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:43.079
 I'm counting the costs.

00:37:43.159 --> 00:37:43.900
 I'm taking the time.

00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:46.699
 There's no way I'm going to have community if I don't put in the time.

00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:48.559
 It doesn't work that way.

00:37:48.940 --> 00:37:49.840
 Time equals relationship.

00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:51.679
 Number four.

00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:55.299
 Number four, which you guys are all familiar with because we say this all the time.

00:37:55.500 --> 00:37:57.719
 But that's what I'm telling you not to tune me out.

00:37:57.779 --> 00:37:59.059
 I'm asking you to just think this through.

00:37:59.179 --> 00:38:02.480
 Okay, number four, open hearts, open homes, and open schedules.

00:38:03.059 --> 00:38:05.419
 Open hearts, open homes, open schedules.

00:38:05.839 --> 00:38:10.460
 It's easy for you to hear that because you've heard me say it so many times and not think about what that actually is.

00:38:10.500 --> 00:38:14.759
 But I'm telling you, the reason I say this so often is because it's absolutely necessary.

00:38:15.399 --> 00:38:17.419
 Okay, let's remember where some of this comes from.

00:38:17.419 --> 00:38:20.619
 2 Corinthians 6, my favorite scripture on this.

00:38:20.619 --> 00:38:22.039
 1 Corinthians 11 to 14.

00:38:22.759 --> 00:38:27.719
 Paul, again, the apostle modeling exact language that should be used for this kind of stuff.

00:38:27.759 --> 00:38:30.380
 He says, we have spoken freely to you, Corinthians.

00:38:30.619 --> 00:38:32.159
 Our heart is wide open.

00:38:32.900 --> 00:38:34.039
 Our heart is wide open.

00:38:34.920 --> 00:38:40.639
 And then he says, you are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.

00:38:40.639 --> 00:38:46.839
 In return, I speak as the children, familial language, widen your hearts also.

00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:49.319
 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:51.400
 What partnership is righteousness with lawlessness?

00:38:51.619 --> 00:38:53.739
 Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:55.299
 Same theme, right?

00:38:55.900 --> 00:38:57.940
 He's saying, this is the language.

00:38:58.039 --> 00:38:58.679
 This is what we use.

00:38:58.759 --> 00:38:59.420
 This is reality.

00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:01.000
 This is so practical.

00:39:01.559 --> 00:39:05.819
 There are times in church life when one of us has our heart wide open.

00:39:05.820 --> 00:39:08.620
 And then someone else has their heart closed.

00:39:09.100 --> 00:39:10.680
 One of us has our heart wide open.

00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:13.220
 One of the other ones, restricted, it says.

00:39:13.600 --> 00:39:15.460
 He says, I'm not restricted.

00:39:16.100 --> 00:39:18.320
 This isn't restricted because my heart is closed.

00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:20.420
 It's restricted because your heart is closed.

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:22.840
 And he says, I speak as to my children.

00:39:23.340 --> 00:39:24.700
 He uses the familial language.

00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:27.000
 He's saying, widen your hearts also.

00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:32.680
 In order for us to exchange the love, wisdom, and power of God, it comes through hearts.

00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:34.319
 It comes through hearts.

00:39:34.739 --> 00:39:35.440
 Open hearts.

00:39:36.259 --> 00:39:36.960
 Open hearts.

00:39:37.779 --> 00:39:41.799
 And if your heart isn't open, meaning you're not walking the light.

00:39:41.899 --> 00:39:43.139
 You're not confessing your sin.

00:39:43.239 --> 00:39:45.639
 You're not letting people into your brokenness.

00:39:46.019 --> 00:39:47.839
 And you're not letting people see the real you.

00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:50.899
 You're not letting people see, hey, I'm actually having a hard time.

00:39:51.159 --> 00:39:55.299
 I know that there's something in me from my religious background that says,

00:39:55.419 --> 00:39:57.879
 I have to tell people that I'm not having a hard time,

00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:00.899
 even though everything within me is saying, I'm having a hard time.

00:40:00.900 --> 00:40:05.220
 And yet, I'm going to resist that.

00:40:05.300 --> 00:40:06.480
 I'm going to open my heart to you.

00:40:06.740 --> 00:40:09.200
 Because I know that fellowship is at the heart level.

00:40:09.519 --> 00:40:13.680
 When two hearts are open, and then the love of God, the wisdom of God,

00:40:13.780 --> 00:40:17.220
 the power of God is exchanged in between two open hearts.

00:40:17.639 --> 00:40:18.579
 This is fellowship.

00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:20.039
 This is church.

00:40:20.680 --> 00:40:21.840
 This is real life.

00:40:21.960 --> 00:40:23.240
 This is distinctly Christian.

00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:25.300
 And Paul's using this language.

00:40:25.940 --> 00:40:27.820
 He's saying, my heart's wide open.

00:40:28.260 --> 00:40:29.860
 Open your hearts wide also.

00:40:29.860 --> 00:40:31.539
 And we should say the same.

00:40:32.019 --> 00:40:35.599
 Some of you have people in this church that you have an easier,

00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:37.079
 who open up to you well.

00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:40.059
 And then there's some of you who have people in this church who don't open up to you well.

00:40:40.780 --> 00:40:44.800
 And you know it, but are you talking to them like Paul's talking to them?

00:40:46.019 --> 00:40:49.260
 Are you saying, hey, I feel like I want to go deeper in our relationship together.

00:40:49.640 --> 00:40:50.539
 I really do.

00:40:50.740 --> 00:40:51.360
 I love you.

00:40:51.820 --> 00:40:53.099
 We're in the church together.

00:40:53.200 --> 00:40:54.720
 It's a small church, right?

00:40:55.160 --> 00:40:56.960
 We got to get this thing.

00:40:56.960 --> 00:40:58.800
 We got to get open with each other.

00:40:59.420 --> 00:40:59.599
 Okay?

00:41:00.059 --> 00:41:01.099
 No one else is coming.

00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:01.820
 Just look around.

00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:02.679
 It's us.

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:04.579
 We got to do this, right?

00:41:05.139 --> 00:41:10.199
 And you say, I feel like my heart's open to you, but I feel like you're restricted.

00:41:10.199 --> 00:41:13.379
 And if it's something I did, please tell me.

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:23.259
 Like if I make it hard for you, if I'm a little much, if I'm a little, if I'm scary to you,

00:41:23.719 --> 00:41:26.279
 like please forgive me and tell me where I'm scary to you.

00:41:26.359 --> 00:41:29.839
 I really, truly want to get this open-hearted thing right.

00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:30.379
 Okay?

00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:34.000
 I feel like my heart's open to you, but yours is restricted.

00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:34.720
 Yours isn't open.

00:41:34.820 --> 00:41:36.960
 And I'm saying, will you open your heart wide to me?

00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:38.400
 I want to have this relationship to you.

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:39.660
 I feel like I don't know you.

00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:41.140
 I feel like you don't let me in.

00:41:41.200 --> 00:41:42.960
 I feel like everything is always great.

00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:43.860
 I know that's not true.

00:41:45.220 --> 00:41:47.920
 Or I feel like everything is just shallow.

00:41:48.680 --> 00:41:49.760
 And I don't want that.

00:41:49.780 --> 00:41:50.280
 I want deep.

00:41:50.280 --> 00:41:51.400
 Everything is just surface.

00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:52.740
 I want below the surface.

00:41:53.360 --> 00:41:56.640
 I feel like sometimes you let me look in the window, but I'm asking you to open the door.

00:41:57.500 --> 00:41:58.659
 Can we do this?

00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:02.359
 And then he used the language of 2 Corinthians 7, 2 to 3.

00:42:02.440 --> 00:42:05.219
 Right after that, he says, make room in your hearts for us.

00:42:05.299 --> 00:42:07.039
 Will you make room in your heart for us?

00:42:07.819 --> 00:42:08.900
 We have wronged no one.

00:42:08.980 --> 00:42:09.819
 We have corrupted no one.

00:42:09.859 --> 00:42:10.960
 We have taken advantage of no one.

00:42:11.039 --> 00:42:12.900
 I do not say this to condemn you.

00:42:13.400 --> 00:42:18.199
 For I said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

00:42:18.739 --> 00:42:19.519
 Listen to that language.

00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:23.199
 You're in our hearts to die together and to live together.

00:42:23.359 --> 00:42:24.319
 This is what we're after.

00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:27.480
 Being in one another's hearts.

00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:29.480
 We have open hearts to one another.

00:42:29.600 --> 00:42:34.240
 And then when the heart is open, we go into each other's hearts where we're fellowshipping.

00:42:34.420 --> 00:42:35.160
 That's fellowship.

00:42:35.340 --> 00:42:38.160
 When we go into each other's hearts and we live in one another's hearts.

00:42:38.980 --> 00:42:40.720
 It says, make room in your hearts for us.

00:42:41.940 --> 00:42:45.400
 Sometimes you're thinking, man, you freak me out, man.

00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:49.260
 You're just like that other guy or that other woman that I had back in the past.

00:42:49.300 --> 00:42:50.720
 And you remind me so much of them.

00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:53.079
 Oh, I don't want to open up to you.

00:42:54.359 --> 00:42:55.819
 Sometimes you got to just say that.

00:42:56.819 --> 00:42:58.299
 You just got to say, it's nothing.

00:42:58.419 --> 00:42:59.199
 It's not even you.

00:42:59.539 --> 00:43:01.500
 It's that you remind me of this person.

00:43:02.039 --> 00:43:05.259
 Or I know it's wrong, but I have a hard time.

00:43:05.359 --> 00:43:05.819
 I'm afraid.

00:43:06.539 --> 00:43:07.399
 And then we have a talk.

00:43:07.480 --> 00:43:08.359
 We have real talk.

00:43:08.919 --> 00:43:09.759
 We have real talk.

00:43:09.760 --> 00:43:13.060
 And that's what real church is based on.

00:43:13.520 --> 00:43:14.280
 Open hearts.

00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:17.040
 It can't just be selective openness.

00:43:17.400 --> 00:43:19.400
 And it can't just be an open heart.

00:43:19.560 --> 00:43:21.560
 It has to also be an open home.

00:43:21.700 --> 00:43:24.820
 Because what is the most natural place for people to open their hearts?

00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:27.880
 Around kitchen tables and living rooms, right?

00:43:28.560 --> 00:43:30.040
 Back decks and front porches.

00:43:30.320 --> 00:43:32.300
 You know, like that's where people open up.

00:43:33.160 --> 00:43:33.380
 Okay?

00:43:33.560 --> 00:43:34.920
 It's got to be open schedules.

00:43:34.920 --> 00:43:35.360
 Okay?

00:43:36.079 --> 00:43:40.780
 If I have an open home and an open schedule, but my heart is closed, what good is that?

00:43:42.019 --> 00:43:42.260
 Right?

00:43:42.519 --> 00:43:45.000
 You're basically making room for shallow relationships.

00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:48.400
 If you have an open home and an open schedule, but not an open heart.

00:43:48.940 --> 00:43:54.079
 It's like, hey, heart's closed, but man, my schedule's wide open to relate to you in a shallow way.

00:43:54.559 --> 00:43:57.240
 You know, like nobody wants that, right?

00:43:57.239 --> 00:44:07.000
 Or if you have an open heart and an open schedule, but your home isn't open, you're not providing space and comfort for people to practically open up.

00:44:07.579 --> 00:44:07.919
 Okay?

00:44:08.339 --> 00:44:10.459
 You feel like my heart's open, my schedule's open.

00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:12.519
 Why isn't your home open?

00:44:12.659 --> 00:44:13.639
 I feel like I don't get to know.

00:44:13.699 --> 00:44:15.159
 I want to see how you relate with your kids.

00:44:15.259 --> 00:44:17.159
 I want to see what your house looks like.

00:44:17.199 --> 00:44:20.079
 I want to see how the order or lack of order in your home.

00:44:20.139 --> 00:44:21.139
 I want to see it all.

00:44:21.779 --> 00:44:22.759
 I want to see it.

00:44:23.339 --> 00:44:24.859
 Like I want to share life with you.

00:44:24.860 --> 00:44:35.920
 I want to, you know, mess up the kitchen, you know, together and just enjoy real life, you know, and help clean up afterwards after the kids destroy the playroom or whatever.

00:44:36.059 --> 00:44:37.820
 Like I want to do this with you.

00:44:38.120 --> 00:44:39.180
 Can we do this together?

00:44:40.220 --> 00:44:48.320
 And if you have an open heart and an open home, but you don't make time for people, you don't have an open schedule for people to access your heart and home, what good is that?

00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:51.599
 It's like my home's open, my heart's open, my schedule's not.

00:44:51.720 --> 00:44:53.820
 So just wasted open heart and open home.

00:44:53.820 --> 00:45:00.559
 No one ever gets there because you're too busy with stuff or you've made commitments that are working against true fellowship.

00:45:01.559 --> 00:45:03.840
 Sometimes other commitments we've made need to go.

00:45:04.340 --> 00:45:06.500
 You might say, hey, the heart's open, my home's open.

00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:08.000
 Yeah, but your schedule's not open.

00:45:08.080 --> 00:45:12.800
 So no one's in your heart, no one's in your home because you have other things that you're not willing to give up.

00:45:13.420 --> 00:45:14.600
 All three are necessary.

00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:17.519
 Open hearts, open homes, and open schedules.

00:45:17.920 --> 00:45:18.400
 It's key.

00:45:18.780 --> 00:45:19.160
 It's key.

00:45:20.460 --> 00:45:21.840
 Last one, number five.

00:45:22.420 --> 00:45:23.380
 As you wish.

00:45:23.380 --> 00:45:23.780
 As you wish.

00:45:23.820 --> 00:45:24.519
 As you wish.

00:45:24.559 --> 00:45:25.160
 What's this from?

00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:29.640
 You might say, that all sounds great, Josh, but people aren't doing this to me.

00:45:30.500 --> 00:45:31.860
 People aren't open with me.

00:45:32.640 --> 00:45:34.059
 I'm not being reached out to.

00:45:34.120 --> 00:45:35.180
 I'm not being invited over.

00:45:35.360 --> 00:45:37.820
 I wish I was.

00:45:38.660 --> 00:45:39.700
 Luke 6 31.

00:45:40.360 --> 00:45:44.519
 As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

00:45:44.519 --> 00:45:49.219
 As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

00:45:49.759 --> 00:45:52.280
 I remember, you know, most of you know we have eight kids.

00:45:52.500 --> 00:45:54.619
 I remember, you know, especially when our kids are younger.

00:45:55.099 --> 00:45:55.639
 It's weird.

00:45:56.039 --> 00:45:56.980
 Barely any invites.

00:45:56.980 --> 00:45:59.260
 No one wants to invite the family with eight kids over.

00:45:59.260 --> 00:46:03.280
 You know, it's like, just not coming, you know?

00:46:03.619 --> 00:46:06.500
 And we could have just said, man, no one invites us over.

00:46:06.719 --> 00:46:07.400
 This sucks.

00:46:07.579 --> 00:46:09.159
 And kind of wallow in that.

00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:13.460
 But we wish that other people would do that every once in a while.

00:46:13.539 --> 00:46:14.039
 And they didn't.

00:46:14.480 --> 00:46:17.339
 Happens a lot more now that our kids are older and we don't bring barely any over.

00:46:17.899 --> 00:46:18.639
 I don't know why.

00:46:20.879 --> 00:46:21.239
 Okay?

00:46:21.579 --> 00:46:24.079
 But back then it was like, man, I really wish people would have us over.

00:46:24.179 --> 00:46:24.859
 Then they didn't.

00:46:25.279 --> 00:46:26.099
 So what did we do?

00:46:26.860 --> 00:46:29.039
 As we wished that others would do to us, we did.

00:46:29.339 --> 00:46:30.219
 We had people over.

00:46:30.539 --> 00:46:31.559
 We had big families over.

00:46:31.639 --> 00:46:33.900
 We had eight kids and we'd have another big family with a bunch of kids.

00:46:33.980 --> 00:46:35.739
 And sometimes it was chaotic and it was crazy.

00:46:36.380 --> 00:46:37.639
 But it's like, that's what the Bible says.

00:46:37.699 --> 00:46:40.559
 As you'd wish others would do to you, do so to them.

00:46:40.980 --> 00:46:45.420
 I got to say, we've never had a shortage of relationships because of that.

00:46:45.940 --> 00:46:47.139
 We had people live with us.

00:46:47.539 --> 00:46:49.039
 We had people over all the time.

00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:50.480
 We had parties in our house.

00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:53.440
 We celebrated other people's wins and said, use our house for the party.

00:46:54.340 --> 00:46:58.980
 And our house became, to my wife's chagrin sometimes, became the party house.

00:46:59.139 --> 00:47:02.300
 She couldn't wait until one of her brothers could have the new party house.

00:47:02.380 --> 00:47:03.820
 So our house wasn't the party house.

00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:07.320
 Because Noah always wants to have our house as the party house.

00:47:07.420 --> 00:47:10.679
 And it's funny now when he has a house, he complains when his house is the party house.

00:47:13.220 --> 00:47:14.059
 No, it's great.

00:47:14.700 --> 00:47:17.720
 But it's like those things, I can think of so many great experiences.

00:47:17.720 --> 00:47:19.940
 You know, Mariana cried when we sold our house.

00:47:20.200 --> 00:47:23.340
 We didn't cry when we sold our house, but Mariana cried when we sold our house.

00:47:23.880 --> 00:47:24.220
 Why?

00:47:24.659 --> 00:47:26.240
 Because of all the memories we made there.

00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:29.800
 Because of all the good times we had there with so many people.

00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:31.820
 Because we opened up our home to people.

00:47:32.599 --> 00:47:33.940
 And it created memories.

00:47:34.079 --> 00:47:35.460
 And that's what true fellowship does.

00:47:35.559 --> 00:47:36.960
 It creates meaningful memories.

00:47:38.099 --> 00:47:40.440
 Those meaningful memories compound over time.

00:47:40.920 --> 00:47:45.900
 And the equation is meaningful memories plus meaningful memories equals true fellowship.

00:47:47.220 --> 00:47:50.119
 Equals distinctly Christian fellowship that the world can't touch.

00:47:51.159 --> 00:47:52.280
 And this is what we're after.

00:47:52.280 --> 00:47:55.320
 So let me ask you these questions in closing.

00:47:55.880 --> 00:47:57.700
 Are you helping or hindering fellowship?

00:47:58.640 --> 00:48:00.600
 Are you helping or hindering fellowship?

00:48:01.200 --> 00:48:02.960
 Are you voluntarily open?

00:48:03.560 --> 00:48:05.380
 Not are you open when people ask you.

00:48:05.460 --> 00:48:06.680
 Are you voluntarily open?

00:48:07.680 --> 00:48:09.740
 That you bring stuff up even before they ask.

00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:11.120
 And it helps pave the way.

00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:13.719
 Are you free to be wrong?

00:48:14.219 --> 00:48:16.319
 Are you free to confess your sins?

00:48:16.539 --> 00:48:19.239
 When you do confess your sins, do you let people in?

00:48:20.500 --> 00:48:22.179
 Are you selectively open?

00:48:22.339 --> 00:48:24.559
 Only open with certain people, not with others?

00:48:24.799 --> 00:48:27.159
 Only open about certain things, not other things?

00:48:27.299 --> 00:48:28.400
 Or are you wide open?

00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:30.920
 Are you devoted to the fellowship?

00:48:31.960 --> 00:48:33.340
 Are you committed to it?

00:48:34.340 --> 00:48:36.860
 Are your heart, home, and schedules open?

00:48:38.200 --> 00:48:41.519
 And as you wish that others would do to you, are you doing it to them?

00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:45.559
 The answer to these questions is going to make a big difference with what our experience

00:48:45.559 --> 00:48:47.320
 of true fellowship is or isn't.

00:48:47.900 --> 00:48:51.059
 I have every reason to believe that we as a church are going to experience this.

00:48:51.179 --> 00:48:52.920
 And I'm telling you, it's not optional.

00:48:54.079 --> 00:48:56.759
 Again, we're not just getting a bunch of people in a room.

00:48:57.639 --> 00:49:00.360
 Good things can happen when you get people in a room and you're focused on Jesus.

00:49:00.360 --> 00:49:03.140
 And it does in many churches all over the place.

00:49:03.800 --> 00:49:05.860
 But that's not alone what God wants to do.

00:49:05.960 --> 00:49:08.980
 He just doesn't want to do good things with a group of people who are focused on Jesus

00:49:08.980 --> 00:49:09.500
 in a room.

00:49:09.860 --> 00:49:11.059
 He wants to assemble us.

00:49:11.240 --> 00:49:12.680
 He wants us to be fit together.

00:49:12.920 --> 00:49:18.920
 He wants us to be working together like a family together, fathers and mothers, brothers

00:49:18.920 --> 00:49:19.519
 and sisters.

00:49:20.099 --> 00:49:21.559
 That only happens with open hearts.

00:49:21.660 --> 00:49:22.900
 That only happens with true fellowship.

00:49:23.440 --> 00:49:23.620
 Amen?

00:49:24.400 --> 00:49:24.800
 Amen.

00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:25.240
 Stand.