WEBVTT

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 I'm a pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,

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 and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.

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 A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us.

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 We're glad that you're here.

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 And we're glad that you're here,

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 not because we're trying to fill seats,

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 but because we're following Jesus together as one community.

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 And as we follow Jesus together,

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 we become convinced that there's no one so good,

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 they don't need God's grace,

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 and no one so bad that they can't have it,

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 which is why we come back week after week

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 to hear what God has to say to us in his word.

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 We're continuing to take a break from our series in the book of Judges.

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 We're doing a five-week series on our Grit and Grace Generosity Initiative.

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 And as you hear that word generosity,

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 of course you know we're talking about raising money as a church,

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 but in our sermons we are not going to talk a lot about giving

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 because our church is not about money.

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 It's about a mission.

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 We just happen to need money to pursue that mission.

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 And so we're going to be talking about the mission of this church

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 and our vision together.

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 A couple weeks ago we talked about,

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 from Matthew chapter 5,

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 about the church being the city set upon a hill.

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 The church is the light of the world.

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 And then last week we talked from 1 Corinthians chapter 3

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 about the fact that we're a gospel hub.

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 We're a church that's constantly sending and receiving.

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 And this week we're going to be jumping forward in 1 Corinthians

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 all the way from chapter 3 to chapter 12.

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 And we're going to be talking about the piece of our vision

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 that is our thick community,

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 that is we're deeply connected to one another.

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 Now I'm going to read a long section.

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 I'm going to read verses 12 through 27 just for context,

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 but our focus this morning is going to be mainly on verses 25 through 27.

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 So we're going to read a large section so we know what we're talking about.

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 And then we're going to zone in on three verses specifically.

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 And our question this morning is simple.

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 What is unique about the Christian community?

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 What is unique about the Christian community?

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 Why is the Christian community the thickest of all communities?

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 Now it's with that, I invite you to turn with me to God's Word.

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 You can turn in your Bible, you can turn on your phone,

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 you can turn in your worship guide.

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 No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word.

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 And God tells us that His Word is more precious than gold,

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 even the finest gold.

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 And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.

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 And so that's why we read now 1 Corinthians chapter 12,

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 starting with verse 12.

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 For just as the body is one and has many members,

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 and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,

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 so it is with Christ.

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 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,

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 Jews or Greeks, slaves or free,

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 and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

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 For the body does not consist of one member, but of many.

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 If the foot should say,

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 Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,

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 that would not make it any less a part of the body.

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 And if the ear should say,

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 Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,

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 that would not make it any less a part of the body.

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 If the whole body were an eye,

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 where would be the sense of hearing?

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 If the whole body were an ear,

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 where would be the sense of smell?

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 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

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 If all were a single member, where would the body be?

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 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

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 The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you,

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 nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

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 Verse 22.

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 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

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 And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable, we bestow the greater honor.

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 And our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

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 which our more presentable parts do not require.

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 But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,

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 that there may be no division in the body,

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 but that the members may have the same care for one another.

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 Verse 26.

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 If one member suffers, all suffer together.

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 If one member is honored, all rejoice together.

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 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.

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 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and we thank you for your gift of the church to us.

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 We thank you for this community, not simply a community that gathers on Sunday morning,

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 but a community that scatters throughout the week together.

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 We ask that you would continue to build this community, this outpost at Cheyenne Mountain.

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 We ask that you would do it by your word.

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 And so we ask that you help us this morning as we look at Paul's letter to the Corinthians first,

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 and then also for us that you would use it to teach us and grow us.

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 Most of all, we ask that you would use it to change us,

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 that we would look more like Jesus because of our time together this morning.

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 And we ask these things in his mighty name.

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 Amen.

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 I don't think I say this very often, but every once in a while,

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 I will say that 2018 was most likely the most challenging year for me of my adult life.

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 Some of you who were here back then know many pieces of that.

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 I won't go into all of it, but I will share with you one story from the April of 2018.

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 It was early in the month, and I woke up.

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 Actually, I wasn't able to go to sleep at night because I had this chest pain that wouldn't go away.

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 And so it was severe enough that I decided I needed to go to the emergency room.

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 So I woke up, one of my housemates that I was living with at the time,

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 and he took me to Penrose downtown, and I wasn't doing great.

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 I came into the hospital.

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 I got dizzy.

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 I ended up collapsing on the floor.

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 Now, there was another thing that was happening in April of 2018,

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 which is that I was trying to get ordained as a minister.

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 And this ER incident actually happened several weeks

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 before I was supposed to go and do my final series of oral tests before our regional church.

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 And so during that time, I was working and studying a lot.

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 I was working on these exams to become ordained as a pastor,

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 and there was one particular coffee shop where I would spend an enormous amount of time.

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 I spent so much time that basically everyone at this coffee shop, they knew who I was,

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 they knew my name, and I was there so much that five-plus years later,

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 sometimes I'll still run into someone from that time who remembers who I am,

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 they know my name.

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 The question is this.

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 When I was in the emergency room, did anyone from the coffee shop visit me?

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 No.

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 Now, it's not their fault.

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 I'm not throwing them under the bus.

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 I didn't tell anyone at the coffee shop that I was in the emergency room.

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 Not only did I not tell them, I wasn't able to tell them.

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 I had never exchanged phone numbers with them.

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 So I knew these people.

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 They recognized me.

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 We had some sort of community together.

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 And yet when things went sideways for me, who was it that showed up?

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 Well, it was actually someone from this church.

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 Mark and Marie's fair brother came in the middle of the night to Penrose downtown,

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 probably like 1 or 2 a.m.,

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 and they stayed with me while they did all these tests,

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 and then I think Mark and Marie ended up driving me back home to my house,

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 and Mark then took me the next morning to get the antibiotics they'd given me.

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 By the way, I was not having a heart attack at age, what had that been, 29?

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 They told me I had bronchitis.

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 Chest pain is one of the things that you can have with that.

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 I was able to recover, and by God's grace, I got ordained.

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 But I tell you all that story to highlight this,

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 the difference between a thick community and a thin community.

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 Thick and thin community is a term that's used by sociologists to describe

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 different groups of people and the level of care and investment and commitment

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 that exists in those types of groups.

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 If you are in a thin community, you will have people who know your name.

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 You may have drive-by interactions with those people.

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 You may have a shared activity.

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 For me, I knew these people because we had the shared activity

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 of being in the same coffee shop together.

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 I had the shared activity of ordering coffee.

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 They had the shared activity of providing me with coffee.

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 But will people in a thin community call you when you stop showing up?

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 Eventually, I kind of broke up with that coffee shop,

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 and I moved on to another one.

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 Did they call me to find out what had happened?

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 No.

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 They sent me an email saying,

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 we haven't seen you in a while.

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 Here's $3 off.

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 If you are in a thin community,

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 will they sit with you and cry when you lose a loved one?

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 No.

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 Will they give you money for groceries when you're out of work?

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 Maybe.

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 Probably not.

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 Those are not things that thin communities do.

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 Now, you might find some exceptions here and there,

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 and if you do, they are exceptions that prove the rule.

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 No, that list that I just read to you,

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 those are things that thick communities do.

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 Thick communities have more than drive-by interactions.

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 People in thick communities know more than just your name.

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 People in thick communities show up when you end up in the emergency room.

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 People in thick communities sit with you and cry with you when you lose a loved one.

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 People in thick communities bring you gift cards to King Soopers when you lose your job.

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 In fact, that's what we find throughout the entire testimony of Scripture.

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 Thick community members are intimately connected to one another.

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 When I was in the ER, the thin community was not there.

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 The thick community was.

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 That's because the thick community does things like this.

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 Romans 12, verse 15.

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 Rejoice with those who rejoice.

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 Weep with those who weep.

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 Galatians chapter 5.

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 Through love, serve one another.

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 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word.

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 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

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 1 Peter 4.

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 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

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 John chapter 13.

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 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another.

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 Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

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 By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

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 Now, we could have looked at any one of those passages this morning.

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 We happen to be looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 12, which captures these concepts.

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 It shows how intimately connected the members of the church are supposed to be.

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 Now, we're told in verse 26 what it's supposed to look like.

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 If one member suffers, all suffer together.

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 If one member is honored, all rejoice together.

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 That's a thick community kind of thing to do.

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 That we are celebrating each other's successes and we're grieving each other's losses.

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 That we are deeply and intimately connected.

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 And the reason for that, we're given in verse 12 at the very beginning.

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 Paul sets up this comparison between the church body and the human body.

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 The human body is one entity with many members.

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 And the church body, one entity with many members.

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 So we need different parts to make the body work.

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 This is what Paul is teaching this church.

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 And yet, it's different parts that make the body work.

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 All pointing towards the same mission.

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 All working towards the same end and goal together.

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 All connected and participating in successes and failures.

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 He emphasizes this, not just in verse 12, but also in verse 20.

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 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

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 And there's all sorts of implications that we could talk about as we think through what this passage means for us as a church.

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 We could talk about the fact that there's great unity, right?

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 The body only has one purpose and one goal.

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 The toes and the eyes are not in competition with each other.

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 And we could talk about the fact that there's different tasks.

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 Each person has a special place to fulfill.

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 Part of what we saw in 1 Corinthians 3 last week is that there are some who plant and some who water, right?

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 Everyone has a job within God's people.

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 This passage ultimately shows our deep need for one another.

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 And it also shows our deep care for each other.

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 It shows our deep need for one another and our deep care for each other.

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 And it's the deep care that I want to focus us on this morning.

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 This deep care, by the way, is necessarily how a body works.

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 Paul actually doesn't say, hey, this is what you should do.

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 He says, this is unavoidable.

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 This is what a body does.

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 Notice his language here, verse 26.

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 He doesn't say if one member suffers, all should suffer together.

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 And he doesn't say if all rejoice together, everyone should.

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 If one rejoices, everyone should rejoice together.

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 No, he states it as the way things just automatically work.

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 Why?

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 Because that's how a body works.

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 You don't have to think, if you stub your toe,

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 about whether the rest of your body is going to be upset, right?

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 That's not a decision that your body makes.

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 No, it's a body.

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 One piece is suffering.

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 The entire body is going to suffer, right?

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 Paul is saying, this is how intimately connected you are to each other.

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 This is not my vision for the church.

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 This is what the church is.

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 If it's a body, then necessarily it will function in this way.

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 If it's a body, already we will see this working out

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 in the functions of the community.

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 You'll note on page seven, this quote from Charles Hodge.

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 He says, this is the law of our physical nature.

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 Notice that word, the law.

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 This is how it works.

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 You can't get around it.

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 The body is really one.

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 It has a common life and consciousness.

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 The pain or pleasure of one part is common to the whole.

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 So Paul is not saying that this should happen.

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 He is saying, this is the only way.

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 If you are a body, then this is reality.

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:57.519
 If you are a church connected to Christ the head, this is reality.

00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:01.639
 One member suffers, all suffer together.

00:16:02.179 --> 00:16:06.439
 One member rejoices, all rejoice together.

00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:09.819
 He tells us this, verse 25,

00:16:10.699 --> 00:16:12.439
 that there may be no division in the body,

00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:16.319
 but that the members may have the same care for one another.

00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:18.759
 What does he mean here by the same care?

00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:21.019
 What kind of care do the members have for each other?

00:16:21.939 --> 00:16:23.899
 Well, that phrase, same care,

00:16:23.939 --> 00:16:26.340
 is getting at what Jesus says in Mark chapter 12.

00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:29.920
 The members give the same care to each other

00:16:29.920 --> 00:16:31.660
 that they would give to themselves.

00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:34.540
 And so this is what Jesus told us.

00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:36.320
 Remember, when we were in the gospel of Mark,

00:16:36.500 --> 00:16:37.860
 what's the summary of the law?

00:16:38.540 --> 00:16:41.820
 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength

00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:46.100
 and love your neighbor as yourself.

00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:50.379
 That's how a body works.

00:16:51.780 --> 00:16:55.379
 The eye cares for the toe as itself.

00:16:56.340 --> 00:16:58.920
 Toe cares for the eye.

00:16:59.920 --> 00:17:02.820
 The heart cares for the liver.

00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:05.660
 The lungs care for the blood.

00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.920
 There is no other way for a body to work.

00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.100
 Brothers and sisters,

00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:20.620
 there is no other way for the church to work.

00:17:20.619 --> 00:17:26.799
 If one member suffers,

00:17:26.939 --> 00:17:28.000
 all suffer together.

00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.919
 If one member is honored,

00:17:30.299 --> 00:17:31.459
 all rejoice together.

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:33.939
 Now you are the body of Christ

00:17:33.939 --> 00:17:36.939
 and individually members of it.

00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:43.579
 Verse 27 there is telling us why it works this way.

00:17:43.579 --> 00:17:48.559
 It works this way because that is how bodies work.

00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:55.079
 And so that's our vision for this church.

00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:57.799
 Our vision for Cheyenne Mountain

00:17:57.799 --> 00:18:01.319
 is that we would be a place of thick community.

00:18:02.700 --> 00:18:05.399
 Our vision is that when someone new

00:18:05.399 --> 00:18:07.039
 walks into the doors here,

00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:09.700
 that they would be warmly welcomed

00:18:09.700 --> 00:18:11.440
 and brought into our fellowship.

00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:16.759
 Our vision is that as the heartbeat of our community,

00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:20.840
 our worship service would overflow into the week.

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:24.100
 That we would not simply or merely

00:18:24.100 --> 00:18:28.019
 be people who happen to occupy the same room

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:29.019
 on Sunday morning,

00:18:29.120 --> 00:18:31.039
 but that as we're sent out from this room

00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:31.799
 at the benediction,

00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:34.700
 we would be connected to each other

00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:36.160
 Monday through Saturday.

00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:40.800
 Our vision is that as one member suffers,

00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:42.080
 all suffer together.

00:18:42.860 --> 00:18:45.160
 Our vision is that as one member rejoices,

00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:47.700
 all rejoice together.

00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:51.700
 Our vision is that this would be a place

00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:55.320
 where people know each other intimately.

00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.500
 That we pray with those who are suffering.

00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:05.019
 That we rejoice with those who are celebrating.

00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.500
 That we work with those who are struggling.

00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:13.480
 That we encourage those who are sad.

00:19:14.620 --> 00:19:17.160
 And we help those who are grieving.

00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:21.300
 That we would be one community

00:19:21.300 --> 00:19:24.640
 following Jesus together.

00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:28.360
 If one member suffers,

00:19:28.540 --> 00:19:29.800
 all suffer together.

00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:32.460
 If one member rejoices,

00:19:32.840 --> 00:19:35.140
 all rejoice together.

00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.759
 Our vision is not

00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.340
 that we would be the church

00:19:41.340 --> 00:19:43.080
 of the beautiful people

00:19:43.080 --> 00:19:45.120
 who have it all together

00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:47.759
 and all look the same.

00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.519
 Our vision is not

00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:51.840
 that we would have cliques

00:19:51.840 --> 00:19:54.279
 that are hard to break into

00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:56.779
 and insiders and outsiders.

00:19:58.200 --> 00:19:59.779
 No, our vision is that

00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:00.560
 we would have

00:20:00.560 --> 00:20:02.460
 all sorts of people

00:20:02.460 --> 00:20:05.299
 in all sorts of life stages,

00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:07.740
 from all sorts of backgrounds,

00:20:08.120 --> 00:20:09.819
 and all sorts of ages

00:20:09.819 --> 00:20:12.120
 connecting deeply

00:20:12.120 --> 00:20:13.380
 with one another.

00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:17.700
 Our vision is that

00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:18.940
 we would be

00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:20.039
 the body.

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:24.120
 Now, this is already happening

00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:24.840
 in our church.

00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:26.720
 When I say this is our vision,

00:20:26.860 --> 00:20:28.039
 what I don't mean is,

00:20:28.579 --> 00:20:30.240
 wow, this is such a cold place.

00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.420
 I hope we can be warm, right?

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:33.519
 No, I mean,

00:20:33.620 --> 00:20:34.720
 we want to grow.

00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:35.759
 We want this to become

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:37.380
 more and more true

00:20:37.380 --> 00:20:38.160
 of this community.

00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:39.559
 This is already happening

00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:40.359
 in our church.

00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:41.299
 It's happening

00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:42.620
 in women's Bible studies

00:20:42.620 --> 00:20:43.620
 and men's Bible studies.

00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:44.220
 It's happening

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:45.120
 in small groups.

00:20:45.339 --> 00:20:45.839
 It's happening

00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:46.960
 at the ladies' come and go

00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:47.640
 on Fridays.

00:20:47.720 --> 00:20:48.120
 It's happening

00:20:48.120 --> 00:20:49.480
 in our outreach Bible study

00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:50.380
 on Tuesday mornings.

00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:52.700
 We are seeing God at work

00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:53.780
 in this body

00:20:53.780 --> 00:20:56.720
 and we're not satisfied.

00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:59.160
 We want to see

00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:00.780
 even more.

00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.580
 We want to grow

00:21:03.580 --> 00:21:05.260
 even more.

00:21:06.100 --> 00:21:07.680
 We want Romans 15,

00:21:07.940 --> 00:21:08.380
 verse 7,

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:09.180
 to be true of us.

00:21:09.300 --> 00:21:09.500
 Therefore,

00:21:09.760 --> 00:21:10.700
 welcome one another

00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:12.280
 as Christ has welcomed you

00:21:12.280 --> 00:21:14.560
 for the glory of God.

00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:17.079
 A few weeks ago

00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:18.419
 when we launched

00:21:18.419 --> 00:21:18.960
 Grid and Grace

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:20.460
 on September 24th,

00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:21.559
 a man named Joe

00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:22.819
 was here in our worship services

00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:23.519
 and he was here

00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:25.200
 because Joe is helping us

00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:26.440
 with the generosity initiative.

00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:28.339
 And so I met with Joe afterwards

00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:28.960
 and I asked him

00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:29.579
 for some feedback.

00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:30.000
 I said,

00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:30.839
 hey, I don't want you

00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:31.440
 to flatter me.

00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:32.819
 We want to grow and improve.

00:21:32.919 --> 00:21:33.980
 Tell me what your experience

00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:35.139
 was like on Sunday morning

00:21:35.139 --> 00:21:35.819
 at Cheyenne Mountain.

00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:37.539
 And he said,

00:21:37.579 --> 00:21:38.359
 well, you guys have

00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:39.200
 that greeting time

00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:42.319
 and it is very long.

00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.039
 He said,

00:21:45.099 --> 00:21:46.139
 I've been to churches before

00:21:46.139 --> 00:21:47.339
 and maybe they have

00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:48.960
 a three minute greeting time.

00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:50.500
 Maybe they'd have

00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:51.200
 less than that.

00:21:51.659 --> 00:21:52.819
 Your greeting time

00:21:52.819 --> 00:21:55.579
 goes for five minutes.

00:21:57.980 --> 00:21:58.960
 And then he said,

00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:00.240
 and as I was there,

00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:01.099
 I talked to this person

00:22:01.099 --> 00:22:01.659
 and this person

00:22:01.659 --> 00:22:02.220
 and this person

00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:03.980
 and suddenly I realized,

00:22:04.139 --> 00:22:04.939
 oh, there's a reason

00:22:04.939 --> 00:22:05.639
 their greeting time

00:22:05.639 --> 00:22:06.359
 goes so long.

00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:08.619
 These people actually

00:22:08.619 --> 00:22:09.480
 like each other.

00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.519
 I was like,

00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:13.919
 yeah, Joe,

00:22:13.960 --> 00:22:14.980
 that's part of our church.

00:22:15.899 --> 00:22:16.639
 These people

00:22:16.639 --> 00:22:17.879
 actually like each other.

00:22:18.439 --> 00:22:19.799
 They actually want

00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:20.939
 to connect with each other

00:22:20.939 --> 00:22:22.119
 and hear how each other's doing.

00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.419
 That is part of what it means

00:22:25.419 --> 00:22:27.579
 to be Cheyenne Mountain.

00:22:30.059 --> 00:22:30.899
 I've told this story

00:22:30.899 --> 00:22:31.720
 only a few times,

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:32.759
 but when I first came

00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:34.220
 to interview

00:22:34.220 --> 00:22:35.879
 in the April of 2017

00:22:35.879 --> 00:22:36.659
 at this church,

00:22:36.659 --> 00:22:37.700
 I met Paul Bishop,

00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:39.519
 not Paul Bishop II.

00:22:39.679 --> 00:22:40.399
 We have a Paul Bishop

00:22:40.399 --> 00:22:41.679
 in our congregation right now,

00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:42.920
 but we had a previous

00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:43.440
 Paul Bishop

00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.259
 in our congregation

00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:45.420
 who's now moved on,

00:22:45.860 --> 00:22:46.799
 the first Paul Bishop.

00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:48.360
 And I met Paul

00:22:48.360 --> 00:22:48.980
 this weekend,

00:22:49.080 --> 00:22:49.600
 that weekend,

00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:50.160
 and I told him,

00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:50.360
 you know,

00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:51.560
 tell me about Cheyenne Mountain.

00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:51.880
 He said,

00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:52.580
 well, one of the things

00:22:52.580 --> 00:22:53.900
 that's always been true

00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:54.980
 about Cheyenne Mountain

00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:56.299
 is its welcome.

00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:59.279
 People have always

00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:00.720
 commented on

00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.360
 how welcome they feel

00:23:02.360 --> 00:23:03.220
 as part of our church.

00:23:03.560 --> 00:23:04.660
 And I continue to hear that

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.180
 from visitors.

00:23:05.320 --> 00:23:05.820
 People come,

00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:06.120
 they say,

00:23:06.120 --> 00:23:07.019
 man, I'm surprised

00:23:07.019 --> 00:23:08.279
 by how open

00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:08.759
 and welcoming

00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:10.100
 this congregation is.

00:23:10.099 --> 00:23:11.439
 I share all that

00:23:11.439 --> 00:23:11.879
 to say,

00:23:12.139 --> 00:23:13.240
 when we talk about

00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:13.619
 our vision,

00:23:13.719 --> 00:23:14.459
 we're not saying

00:23:14.459 --> 00:23:15.519
 these are things

00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:16.159
 that are not true,

00:23:16.219 --> 00:23:17.059
 but we hope they're true.

00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:18.119
 No, we're saying

00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:19.379
 this is part of our culture

00:23:19.379 --> 00:23:20.259
 at Cheyenne Mountain.

00:23:20.699 --> 00:23:22.539
 Let it be even more.

00:23:24.019 --> 00:23:25.639
 This is part of our culture

00:23:25.639 --> 00:23:26.519
 at Cheyenne Mountain.

00:23:26.899 --> 00:23:29.219
 Let it continue to grow.

00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:33.459
 Now, at the beginning,

00:23:33.459 --> 00:23:34.740
 I asked this question.

00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:35.000
 I said,

00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:36.139
 what's unique

00:23:36.139 --> 00:23:38.639
 about the Christian community?

00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:41.540
 Why is it the thickest community?

00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:43.280
 You know,

00:23:43.340 --> 00:23:44.040
 when we talk about

00:23:44.040 --> 00:23:45.340
 thick and thin communities,

00:23:45.820 --> 00:23:46.980
 the church is not

00:23:46.980 --> 00:23:48.580
 the only thick community.

00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:49.000
 Okay?

00:23:49.180 --> 00:23:50.320
 There are other places

00:23:50.320 --> 00:23:50.960
 you can go

00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:51.540
 and you can find

00:23:51.540 --> 00:23:52.240
 that kind of care.

00:23:52.860 --> 00:23:53.900
 Now, I will say

00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:54.880
 thick communities

00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:55.800
 are disappearing

00:23:55.800 --> 00:23:56.600
 in our culture.

00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.500
 The church

00:23:58.500 --> 00:24:01.460
 is one of the last ones left.

00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:02.900
 Why?

00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:05.940
 Well, one of the reasons

00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:07.000
 Britt already highlighted

00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:07.500
 this morning,

00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:08.359
 it's on page three

00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:09.319
 of your worship guide.

00:24:10.019 --> 00:24:11.099
 Britt read the first part,

00:24:11.339 --> 00:24:12.380
 community among persons

00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:13.039
 is forged

00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:13.900
 only when there is

00:24:13.900 --> 00:24:15.140
 something more important

00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:16.920
 than one's own interests

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:18.519
 to which all share

00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:19.640
 a higher allegiance.

00:24:20.539 --> 00:24:21.640
 But here's the second part.

00:24:22.059 --> 00:24:23.940
 When I am the final authority

00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:24.660
 for determining

00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:25.660
 right and wrong

00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:26.839
 and when nothing

00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:27.819
 is more important

00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:29.059
 than my right

00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:30.480
 to live as I see fit,

00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:32.500
 tight, supportive community

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:33.279
 is eroded,

00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.180
 perhaps even impossible.

00:24:36.180 --> 00:24:39.279
 In other words,

00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.240
 thick community

00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:42.480
 and individualism

00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.279
 don't go together.

00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:46.340
 Thick community

00:24:46.340 --> 00:24:47.700
 and secularism

00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:49.820
 do not go together.

00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:51.000
 Thick community

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:51.980
 requires,

00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:53.360
 it demands

00:24:53.360 --> 00:24:54.980
 that you be committed

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:55.740
 to something

00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:56.980
 greater than yourself.

00:24:58.140 --> 00:24:58.900
 Thick community

00:24:58.900 --> 00:25:00.480
 requires and demands

00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:01.279
 that you adhere

00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:02.799
 to a way of life

00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:03.660
 that you share

00:25:03.660 --> 00:25:04.580
 with other people.

00:25:04.579 --> 00:25:05.740
 what's happening

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:06.299
 in our culture

00:25:06.299 --> 00:25:06.899
 right now.

00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:08.740
 We're rejecting

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:09.839
 that entirely, right?

00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:11.659
 I am the ultimate

00:25:11.659 --> 00:25:12.879
 standard of authority.

00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:14.299
 If you are the ultimate

00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:15.460
 standard of authority,

00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:18.179
 community will always

00:25:18.179 --> 00:25:19.259
 have its limits.

00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:21.099
 Because as soon

00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:21.579
 as something

00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:22.679
 is not serving you

00:25:22.679 --> 00:25:24.059
 in exactly the right way,

00:25:24.139 --> 00:25:24.839
 where are you going to go?

00:25:26.619 --> 00:25:27.980
 Somewhere else.

00:25:29.240 --> 00:25:30.619
 No, there's a higher

00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:31.199
 commitment

00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:32.080
 that community

00:25:32.080 --> 00:25:33.160
 requires.

00:25:34.620 --> 00:25:35.400
 And so that's part

00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:36.360
 of why the church

00:25:36.360 --> 00:25:37.080
 is one of the last

00:25:37.080 --> 00:25:37.700
 thick communities

00:25:37.700 --> 00:25:38.180
 remaining.

00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:39.920
 There's another reason.

00:25:40.059 --> 00:25:40.600
 Let's get to this

00:25:40.600 --> 00:25:41.080
 on the back

00:25:41.080 --> 00:25:42.000
 of your worship guide.

00:25:42.340 --> 00:25:43.340
 A quote by a man

00:25:43.340 --> 00:25:44.200
 named David Brooks

00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:45.620
 talks about the difference

00:25:45.620 --> 00:25:46.880
 between thin institutions

00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:48.519
 and thick institutions.

00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:50.519
 Thin institutions

00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:51.559
 tend to see themselves

00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:52.240
 horizontally.

00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:53.660
 People are members

00:25:53.660 --> 00:25:54.940
 for mutual benefit.

00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:56.200
 Thick organizations

00:25:56.819 --> 00:25:58.160
 often see themselves

00:25:58.160 --> 00:25:59.540
 on a vertical axis.

00:26:00.340 --> 00:26:01.100
 People are members

00:26:01.100 --> 00:26:02.180
 so they can collectively

00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:03.360
 serve the same

00:26:03.360 --> 00:26:04.880
 higher good.

00:26:05.820 --> 00:26:06.700
 In the former,

00:26:06.860 --> 00:26:07.759
 there's an ever-present

00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:09.120
 utilitarian calculus.

00:26:09.820 --> 00:26:11.540
 Is this working for me?

00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:13.220
 Am I getting more out

00:26:13.220 --> 00:26:14.040
 that I'm putting in?

00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:16.120
 That creates a distance

00:26:16.120 --> 00:26:16.960
 between people

00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:18.140
 and the organization.

00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:19.779
 But in the latter,

00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:20.700
 there's an intimacy

00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:21.620
 and an identity

00:26:21.620 --> 00:26:23.980
 born out of common love.

00:26:25.040 --> 00:26:26.259
 Why is the church

00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:28.119
 one of the last thick

00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:28.980
 communities left

00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:29.619
 in our culture?

00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:32.980
 Because there's an intimacy

00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:33.900
 and an identity

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:36.339
 born out of common love.

00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:38.619
 There is something

00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:40.220
 that is more important

00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:41.460
 than our self-expression.

00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:43.279
 There's something

00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:44.500
 that's more important

00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:47.240
 than our self-identity.

00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:49.000
 There's something

00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:50.519
 that's more important

00:26:50.519 --> 00:26:52.799
 than our self-interest.

00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:57.079
 And so that's one piece

00:26:57.079 --> 00:26:57.619
 of the story.

00:26:57.720 --> 00:26:58.559
 That's one reason

00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:00.879
 that the church

00:27:00.879 --> 00:27:02.159
 is one of the last

00:27:02.159 --> 00:27:03.279
 thick communities left.

00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:05.419
 Now, I haven't answered

00:27:05.419 --> 00:27:06.059
 the whole question.

00:27:07.059 --> 00:27:08.399
 The next question is,

00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:10.139
 and why is the church

00:27:10.139 --> 00:27:10.940
 the thickest

00:27:10.940 --> 00:27:11.960
 of all the ones

00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:12.500
 that are left?

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.879
 Before I answer that,

00:27:14.919 --> 00:27:15.639
 I want to say this.

00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:17.200
 Right now in the church,

00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:18.119
 there's this phenomenon

00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:19.339
 of people coming

00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:20.639
 and they're coming

00:27:20.639 --> 00:27:21.139
 to the church

00:27:21.139 --> 00:27:22.480
 looking for community.

00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:22.599
 community,

00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:24.360
 but they're consumers

00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:25.319
 of community,

00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:26.200
 not creators

00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:26.860
 of community.

00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:27.900
 In other words,

00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:28.720
 they come to the church

00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:29.279
 and they say,

00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:30.240
 you're a church

00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:31.059
 and churches are

00:27:31.059 --> 00:27:32.099
 dispensers of community.

00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:33.059
 So where's my community?

00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:36.700
 Where is the group

00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:37.480
 of people

00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:38.140
 that I'm going

00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:39.099
 to get along with

00:27:39.099 --> 00:27:40.099
 the best

00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:41.000
 already established

00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:41.519
 for me?

00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.059
 Where are the events

00:27:45.059 --> 00:27:47.039
 that meet my exact needs

00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:48.500
 at the exact right time?

00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:49.500
 Oh, and by the way,

00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:50.579
 if this doesn't happen

00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:52.140
 on my timetable,

00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:54.059
 well then I'm just

00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:54.640
 going to go find

00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:56.960
 another community vendor.

00:27:57.079 --> 00:27:58.000
 I'll find another church

00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:58.940
 that's maybe meeting

00:27:58.940 --> 00:27:59.940
 my community need.

00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:02.019
 And so what happens

00:28:02.019 --> 00:28:02.720
 is folks just jump

00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:03.539
 from church to church

00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:05.180
 searching for something

00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:06.339
 that doesn't really exist.

00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:08.380
 And so when I say

00:28:08.380 --> 00:28:09.079
 that we're a church

00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:09.819
 of thick community,

00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:10.880
 that's what we long for,

00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:11.579
 that's our vision,

00:28:11.860 --> 00:28:13.299
 I am not saying

00:28:13.299 --> 00:28:14.620
 we're going to serve it

00:28:14.620 --> 00:28:15.640
 to you on a silver platter.

00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:18.920
 Because we are not

00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:20.420
 community consumers,

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:22.700
 we're community builders.

00:28:24.020 --> 00:28:25.560
 You want thick community?

00:28:26.820 --> 00:28:28.280
 Join us in building it.

00:28:29.380 --> 00:28:30.680
 You want to be connected

00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:31.400
 with other people

00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:32.020
 in the church?

00:28:33.080 --> 00:28:34.060
 Show up

00:28:34.060 --> 00:28:35.440
 when those people show up.

00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:37.500
 Meet with those people

00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.160
 when they meet.

00:28:39.020 --> 00:28:40.800
 Be a part of building

00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.379
 this community

00:28:42.379 --> 00:28:43.319
 together.

00:28:45.319 --> 00:28:46.079
 By the way,

00:28:46.639 --> 00:28:48.019
 that's why Cheyenne Mountain

00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:48.619
 is still here

00:28:48.619 --> 00:28:50.220
 27 years after its founding.

00:28:50.599 --> 00:28:51.700
 It's because the people

00:28:51.700 --> 00:28:52.639
 who have come here

00:28:52.639 --> 00:28:53.819
 have not been consumers

00:28:53.819 --> 00:28:54.519
 of community,

00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:55.619
 they've been builders

00:28:55.619 --> 00:28:56.180
 of community.

00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:58.659
 They have not asked

00:28:58.659 --> 00:29:00.180
 how they can be served,

00:29:00.379 --> 00:29:01.460
 but they have asked

00:29:01.460 --> 00:29:03.279
 how they serve.

00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:06.359
 In other words,

00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:09.099
 if you don't show up

00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:09.779
 to anything

00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:12.259
 and you leave

00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:13.399
 during the last song,

00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:16.759
 as thick as this community is,

00:29:17.099 --> 00:29:18.899
 don't expect to find it

00:29:18.899 --> 00:29:19.859
 for yourself here.

00:29:20.099 --> 00:29:20.680
 Does that make sense?

00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:22.940
 We need to be builders

00:29:22.940 --> 00:29:23.539
 of community,

00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:24.579
 not consumers

00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:25.839
 of community.

00:29:27.339 --> 00:29:27.599
 Okay,

00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:28.460
 I have explained

00:29:28.460 --> 00:29:29.019
 the disappearance

00:29:29.019 --> 00:29:30.779
 of thick communities

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.759
 in one sense,

00:29:32.359 --> 00:29:32.899
 the sense that

00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:33.800
 our society

00:29:33.800 --> 00:29:34.360
 is more and more

00:29:34.360 --> 00:29:35.180
 individualistic.

00:29:35.940 --> 00:29:36.960
 That doesn't answer

00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:37.660
 the question, though,

00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:38.500
 of why Christianity

00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:40.460
 is the thickest community.

00:29:43.940 --> 00:29:44.920
 You could find

00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:45.560
 thick community

00:29:45.560 --> 00:29:46.140
 in a mosque.

00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:48.460
 Maybe you could find

00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:49.259
 it in a Mormon temple.

00:29:50.820 --> 00:29:52.120
 Why do you come here

00:29:52.120 --> 00:29:52.940
 to find it

00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:54.460
 in a Christian church?

00:29:55.940 --> 00:29:56.180
 Well,

00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:56.500
 there's probably

00:29:56.500 --> 00:29:57.160
 many reasons.

00:29:57.300 --> 00:29:57.820
 One of them

00:29:57.820 --> 00:29:58.500
 is this.

00:29:58.880 --> 00:29:59.700
 This is once again

00:29:59.700 --> 00:30:00.500
 on page seven

00:30:00.500 --> 00:30:01.420
 of your worship guide.

00:30:01.420 --> 00:30:03.000
 Pastor Tim Keller

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:03.560
 is speaking about

00:30:03.560 --> 00:30:04.420
 truth claims here,

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.320
 but we could apply this

00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:06.420
 to communities as well.

00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:08.440
 All claims are exclusive.

00:30:09.220 --> 00:30:11.300
 The gospel is an exclusive truth,

00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:13.279
 but it's the most inclusive,

00:30:13.600 --> 00:30:14.620
 exclusive truth

00:30:14.620 --> 00:30:15.519
 in the world.

00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:18.019
 You might say it

00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:18.560
 a different way.

00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:19.720
 All communities

00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:20.740
 are exclusive.

00:30:21.779 --> 00:30:23.000
 The Christian community

00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:25.160
 is the most inclusive,

00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:26.640
 exclusive community

00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:27.740
 in the world.

00:30:27.740 --> 00:30:30.680
 Why is it the most inclusive

00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:32.680
 of all the exclusive communities?

00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:34.779
 It's the most inclusive

00:30:34.779 --> 00:30:35.720
 because there's only

00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:36.720
 one requirement

00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:37.700
 to be a member.

00:30:38.859 --> 00:30:39.920
 And the requirement

00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:41.799
 is that you recognize

00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:43.400
 that you have no hope

00:30:43.400 --> 00:30:44.539
 outside of Jesus Christ.

00:30:46.579 --> 00:30:48.079
 And in recognizing that,

00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:48.819
 you realize

00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:50.000
 that you must follow

00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:50.799
 after Him

00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:51.359
 in His faith

00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:52.240
 and obedience.

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:55.559
 which means

00:30:55.559 --> 00:30:57.759
 it is more inclusive

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:58.920
 than every other community.

00:30:59.500 --> 00:31:00.579
 It's not limited

00:31:00.579 --> 00:31:01.519
 by age.

00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:03.819
 It's not limited

00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:04.500
 by ability.

00:31:05.700 --> 00:31:06.599
 It's not limited

00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:07.339
 by generation.

00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:08.000
 It's not limited

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:08.620
 by culture.

00:31:09.620 --> 00:31:10.859
 It's not limited

00:31:10.859 --> 00:31:12.140
 by how much

00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:12.920
 you can do

00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:13.960
 or perform.

00:31:14.940 --> 00:31:16.599
 It's only limited

00:31:16.599 --> 00:31:17.819
 by one thing,

00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:20.700
 and so it's the most open

00:31:20.700 --> 00:31:22.160
 of all the communities.

00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:24.600
 There are many places

00:31:24.600 --> 00:31:25.980
 that will claim

00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:27.299
 to be a family for you.

00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:29.100
 The army

00:31:29.100 --> 00:31:30.640
 will claim

00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:31.539
 to be your family.

00:31:32.900 --> 00:31:33.720
 And the army

00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:35.500
 will be a phenomenal family

00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:36.120
 for you

00:31:36.120 --> 00:31:36.720
 and to you

00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:39.039
 until the day

00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:40.059
 you get a DUI.

00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:43.080
 And at that point,

00:31:43.360 --> 00:31:43.840
 the army,

00:31:44.019 --> 00:31:44.980
 I have bad news for you,

00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:45.759
 is no longer

00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:46.299
 your family.

00:31:47.980 --> 00:31:48.160
 Okay?

00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:51.279
 There might be

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.060
 a running club

00:31:52.060 --> 00:31:53.680
 in which you have

00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:54.700
 deep connection

00:31:54.700 --> 00:31:55.340
 and community,

00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:56.160
 and you've actually found

00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:57.320
 a level of thickness there.

00:31:59.340 --> 00:32:00.460
 But what happens

00:32:00.460 --> 00:32:01.360
 if you lose your legs?

00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:05.740
 There might be

00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:06.460
 another religion

00:32:06.460 --> 00:32:07.600
 that welcomes you in

00:32:07.600 --> 00:32:08.540
 for a time,

00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:11.300
 and if you're not able

00:32:11.300 --> 00:32:12.040
 to perform

00:32:12.040 --> 00:32:13.500
 at the right level,

00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:16.440
 because all religions

00:32:16.440 --> 00:32:17.480
 outside of Christianity

00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.339
 are works-based,

00:32:18.920 --> 00:32:20.500
 you will find

00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:21.039
 that it's not

00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:21.980
 the place for you.

00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.839
 Christianity

00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:26.539
 is the thickest

00:32:26.539 --> 00:32:28.539
 of all communities.

00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:30.880
 The church

00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:32.339
 is the thickest

00:32:32.339 --> 00:32:33.440
 that you can find,

00:32:34.380 --> 00:32:35.720
 because there is

00:32:35.720 --> 00:32:37.400
 only one requirement

00:32:37.400 --> 00:32:38.680
 for admission.

00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:42.360
 Of course,

00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:43.420
 there's only one requirement

00:32:43.420 --> 00:32:44.019
 for admission

00:32:44.019 --> 00:32:45.240
 because of our Lord

00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:45.620
 and Savior,

00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:46.400
 Jesus Christ.

00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:49.079
 when we talk

00:32:49.079 --> 00:32:49.720
 about being

00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:50.740
 the body of Christ

00:32:50.740 --> 00:32:52.059
 in 1 Corinthians 12,

00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:53.660
 we cannot forget

00:32:53.660 --> 00:32:54.660
 that every body

00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:55.480
 has a head.

00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:58.160
 Paul tells us

00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:58.759
 in another letter

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.539
 in Colossians,

00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:00.839
 the church is the body,

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:03.420
 Christ is the head.

00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:05.440
 So why is the church

00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:06.700
 the thickest community?

00:33:06.819 --> 00:33:08.200
 Verse 27 tells us,

00:33:08.819 --> 00:33:09.519
 now you are the body

00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:10.019
 of Christ

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:10.720
 and individually

00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:12.339
 members of it.

00:33:12.339 --> 00:33:16.439
 the church is the

00:33:16.439 --> 00:33:17.579
 greatest body,

00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:19.099
 it's the greatest

00:33:19.099 --> 00:33:19.659
 community,

00:33:20.099 --> 00:33:21.639
 because we have

00:33:21.639 --> 00:33:22.619
 the greatest

00:33:22.619 --> 00:33:23.319
 head.

00:33:25.679 --> 00:33:26.199
 Now,

00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:27.779
 as we think about

00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:28.379
 being a thick

00:33:28.379 --> 00:33:28.859
 community,

00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:31.059
 we have to talk about

00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:31.639
 what it means

00:33:31.639 --> 00:33:32.579
 to be a community

00:33:32.579 --> 00:33:33.279
 that is getting

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:34.740
 larger and larger.

00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:36.819
 As I've told you

00:33:36.819 --> 00:33:37.439
 all before,

00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:38.839
 there are many things

00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:39.459
 that we disagree

00:33:39.459 --> 00:33:40.319
 about at this church.

00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:42.519
 no one disagrees

00:33:42.519 --> 00:33:43.700
 with the fact

00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:44.359
 that we're growing.

00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:46.319
 No one disagrees

00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:46.779
 with the fact

00:33:46.779 --> 00:33:47.339
 that this church

00:33:47.339 --> 00:33:48.159
 is getting larger

00:33:48.159 --> 00:33:48.679
 and larger

00:33:48.679 --> 00:33:49.419
 in terms of the people

00:33:49.419 --> 00:33:50.019
 that are connected

00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:50.919
 to it and are coming

00:33:50.919 --> 00:33:52.179
 on Sunday morning.

00:33:52.299 --> 00:33:53.039
 And the challenge

00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:54.200
 of greater growth

00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:54.980
 is that it becomes

00:33:54.980 --> 00:33:55.980
 harder and harder

00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:56.759
 as you have more

00:33:56.759 --> 00:33:57.419
 and more people

00:33:57.419 --> 00:33:59.159
 to build and maintain

00:33:59.159 --> 00:33:59.960
 a thick community.

00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:01.000
 Now,

00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:01.859
 notice what I didn't say.

00:34:01.899 --> 00:34:02.179
 I didn't say

00:34:02.179 --> 00:34:02.960
 it becomes impossible.

00:34:03.899 --> 00:34:05.179
 I said it becomes harder.

00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:07.139
 It is more challenging

00:34:07.139 --> 00:34:07.960
 the more people

00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:08.840
 you have in a community

00:34:08.840 --> 00:34:09.880
 to stay tight

00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:10.740
 and connected

00:34:10.740 --> 00:34:11.400
 to one another.

00:34:11.500 --> 00:34:12.340
 And one of the ways

00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:13.380
 that you do that

00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:14.480
 is by having

00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:16.180
 even more smaller groups

00:34:16.180 --> 00:34:17.480
 for folks to plug into.

00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:19.099
 The large group

00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:20.599
 can be a challenging place.

00:34:20.720 --> 00:34:20.780
 You know,

00:34:20.820 --> 00:34:21.360
 sometimes you show up

00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:21.940
 to a restaurant

00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:22.420
 and you have like

00:34:22.420 --> 00:34:23.420
 a party of 15

00:34:23.420 --> 00:34:25.340
 and everyone insists

00:34:25.340 --> 00:34:26.039
 that you have to sit

00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:26.860
 at one table.

00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:29.240
 Everyone knows

00:34:29.240 --> 00:34:30.119
 that 15 people

00:34:30.119 --> 00:34:31.340
 can't have one conversation,

00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:31.640
 right?

00:34:32.860 --> 00:34:33.960
 But everyone wants

00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:34.920
 that feeling of,

00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:35.320
 oh, we're all

00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:36.180
 at the same table.

00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:37.760
 Same thing happens

00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:38.220
 in the church.

00:34:38.219 --> 00:34:38.919
 As we grow,

00:34:39.639 --> 00:34:41.019
 there comes this reality

00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:42.039
 where we need

00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:42.939
 more and more

00:34:42.939 --> 00:34:43.879
 smaller places

00:34:43.879 --> 00:34:45.959
 for folks to connect.

00:34:47.980 --> 00:34:48.459
 Especially

00:34:48.459 --> 00:34:50.439
 intentional small groups

00:34:50.439 --> 00:34:51.359
 for people to connect.

00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:52.599
 And so that's why

00:34:52.599 --> 00:34:53.319
 the elders have set

00:34:53.319 --> 00:34:54.759
 the goal of by 2026,

00:34:54.980 --> 00:34:55.519
 we want to have

00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:56.739
 five to seven

00:34:56.739 --> 00:34:57.919
 new small groups.

00:34:58.500 --> 00:34:59.379
 Not because we're

00:34:59.379 --> 00:35:00.319
 obsessed with small groups,

00:35:00.359 --> 00:35:01.219
 that's just a strategy,

00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:02.719
 but because we're

00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:03.399
 passionate about

00:35:03.399 --> 00:35:04.119
 thick community.

00:35:04.679 --> 00:35:05.559
 We're passionate

00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:06.139
 about places

00:35:06.139 --> 00:35:06.539
 where people

00:35:06.539 --> 00:35:07.179
 can come,

00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:08.039
 plug in,

00:35:08.359 --> 00:35:08.819
 connect,

00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:09.519
 and walk side

00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:09.940
 by side

00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:10.539
 with one another.

00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:12.219
 The challenge

00:35:12.219 --> 00:35:12.819
 is this.

00:35:13.819 --> 00:35:14.980
 To get there,

00:35:15.179 --> 00:35:16.059
 we need

00:35:16.059 --> 00:35:16.980
 a second pastor.

00:35:18.259 --> 00:35:18.960
 And to get

00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:19.779
 a second pastor,

00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:21.139
 we need

00:35:21.139 --> 00:35:22.019
 to eliminate

00:35:22.019 --> 00:35:23.339
 our building debt

00:35:23.339 --> 00:35:24.279
 of $800,000.

00:35:25.279 --> 00:35:26.420
 And to eliminate

00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:27.039
 that debt,

00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:27.639
 that's why we have

00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:28.259
 the Grid and Grace

00:35:28.259 --> 00:35:28.679
 initiative.

00:35:28.879 --> 00:35:29.480
 We are trying

00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:30.719
 to raise that money

00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:31.679
 to pay off

00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:32.460
 our mortgage

00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:33.059
 so we can

00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:34.019
 free up

00:35:34.019 --> 00:35:35.720
 $8,000 a month

00:35:35.720 --> 00:35:36.240
 in our budget.

00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:37.900
 We want to release

00:35:37.900 --> 00:35:38.679
 that $8,000

00:35:38.679 --> 00:35:39.519
 and we want to

00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:39.980
 release it

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:40.820
 into thick community.

00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:42.280
 We want to release

00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:43.539
 it into a second pastor

00:35:43.539 --> 00:35:44.740
 who will help us

00:35:44.740 --> 00:35:45.800
 do this well.

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:47.099
 A pastor will be

00:35:47.099 --> 00:35:47.860
 raising up

00:35:47.860 --> 00:35:48.519
 and developing

00:35:48.519 --> 00:35:49.880
 leaders who can

00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:50.960
 run those groups.

00:35:51.380 --> 00:35:52.039
 A pastor will be

00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:53.019
 overseeing them.

00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:54.300
 A pastor will help

00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:55.360
 us to be faithful

00:35:55.360 --> 00:35:56.220
 in maintaining

00:35:56.220 --> 00:35:56.920
 our vision

00:35:56.920 --> 00:35:58.059
 moving forward.

00:36:00.240 --> 00:36:00.720
 And so that's

00:36:00.720 --> 00:36:01.460
 why we're inviting

00:36:01.460 --> 00:36:02.400
 and challenging you

00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:02.980
 as the congregation

00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:03.920
 to join us in that.

00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:05.720
 That you would get

00:36:05.720 --> 00:36:06.539
 the same vision

00:36:06.539 --> 00:36:07.240
 that we have

00:36:07.240 --> 00:36:08.519
 of a community

00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:09.360
 that's intimately

00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:10.679
 connected to one another

00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:12.159
 where as we grow

00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:13.000
 there would continue

00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:13.800
 to be places

00:36:13.800 --> 00:36:15.460
 where people can know

00:36:15.460 --> 00:36:16.800
 and be known.

00:36:18.460 --> 00:36:19.159
 That's our vision.

00:36:19.240 --> 00:36:19.599
 That's why we're

00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:20.320
 talking about this.

00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:20.820
 That's why we're

00:36:20.820 --> 00:36:21.500
 trying to raise money.

00:36:21.860 --> 00:36:22.679
 Not because we're

00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:23.220
 about money

00:36:23.220 --> 00:36:24.039
 but because we're

00:36:24.039 --> 00:36:24.639
 about a mission.

00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:26.400
 And that mission

00:36:26.400 --> 00:36:28.079
 involves moving forward

00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:29.400
 the next level

00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:29.940
 of growth

00:36:29.940 --> 00:36:31.119
 as a church.

00:36:31.460 --> 00:36:36.240
 Now I mentioned

00:36:36.240 --> 00:36:37.440
 earlier verse 27

00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:38.980
 helps us understand

00:36:38.980 --> 00:36:39.619
 why the church

00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:40.519
 is the thickest

00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:41.079
 community.

00:36:42.420 --> 00:36:43.220
 It's because of

00:36:43.220 --> 00:36:43.720
 our head

00:36:43.720 --> 00:36:44.880
 our Lord Jesus.

00:36:45.740 --> 00:36:46.860
 Colossians chapter 1

00:36:46.860 --> 00:36:47.500
 says this

00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:48.519
 and he is the head

00:36:48.519 --> 00:36:49.199
 of the church

00:36:49.199 --> 00:36:49.820
 of the body

00:36:49.820 --> 00:36:50.539
 the church.

00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:52.019
 He is the beginning

00:36:52.019 --> 00:36:52.760
 the firstborn

00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:53.380
 from the dead

00:36:53.380 --> 00:36:54.240
 that in everything

00:36:54.240 --> 00:36:56.019
 he might be preeminent.

00:36:57.519 --> 00:36:58.599
 What does a body

00:36:58.599 --> 00:36:59.079
 need

00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:00.860
 to make everything

00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:01.440
 else work?

00:37:03.099 --> 00:37:03.980
 It has to have

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.239
 a head.

00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:06.699
 If you lose

00:37:06.699 --> 00:37:07.199
 your arm

00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:08.960
 you can still

00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:09.679
 make it in life.

00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:11.299
 If you lose

00:37:11.299 --> 00:37:11.719
 a toe

00:37:11.719 --> 00:37:13.179
 things will be

00:37:13.179 --> 00:37:13.679
 challenging

00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:14.960
 you're still here.

00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:16.679
 If you lose

00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:17.219
 your head

00:37:17.219 --> 00:37:19.380
 game over.

00:37:19.380 --> 00:37:20.860
 right?

00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:25.579
 And it's our head

00:37:25.579 --> 00:37:26.700
 that leads us

00:37:26.700 --> 00:37:27.539
 and guides us.

00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:28.920
 You may have

00:37:28.920 --> 00:37:29.300
 noticed

00:37:29.300 --> 00:37:29.960
 in the back

00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:30.460
 of your worship

00:37:30.460 --> 00:37:30.720
 guide

00:37:30.720 --> 00:37:31.220
 in our vision

00:37:31.220 --> 00:37:31.640
 section

00:37:31.640 --> 00:37:32.200
 we have our

00:37:32.200 --> 00:37:32.500
 symbol

00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:32.940
 for thick

00:37:32.940 --> 00:37:33.380
 community

00:37:33.380 --> 00:37:34.640
 and the symbol

00:37:34.640 --> 00:37:35.240
 is a towel

00:37:35.240 --> 00:37:35.800
 and a basin

00:37:35.800 --> 00:37:36.240
 and the towel

00:37:36.240 --> 00:37:36.660
 and the basin

00:37:36.660 --> 00:37:37.019
 are meant

00:37:37.019 --> 00:37:37.960
 to remind us

00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:38.900
 the story

00:37:38.900 --> 00:37:39.300
 of Jesus

00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:39.880
 from John

00:37:39.880 --> 00:37:40.760
 chapter 13.

00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:42.039
 Remember Jesus

00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:42.599
 is with his

00:37:42.599 --> 00:37:43.039
 disciples

00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:43.720
 it's the last

00:37:43.720 --> 00:37:44.200
 week of his

00:37:44.200 --> 00:37:44.539
 life.

00:37:44.539 --> 00:37:45.719
 They come

00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:46.059
 in

00:37:46.059 --> 00:37:47.139
 and Jesus

00:37:47.139 --> 00:37:47.920
 acts not

00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:48.679
 as the host

00:37:48.679 --> 00:37:49.480
 but as the servant

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:51.259
 and he does

00:37:51.259 --> 00:37:52.039
 this by washing

00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:52.639
 their feet

00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:53.779
 and he says

00:37:53.779 --> 00:37:54.340
 this in John

00:37:54.340 --> 00:37:54.880
 13

00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.079
 If I then

00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:56.699
 your Lord

00:37:56.699 --> 00:37:57.179
 and teacher

00:37:57.179 --> 00:37:57.759
 have washed

00:37:57.759 --> 00:37:58.300
 your feet

00:37:58.300 --> 00:37:59.460
 you also

00:37:59.460 --> 00:38:00.300
 ought to wash

00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:00.960
 one another's

00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:01.179
 feet

00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:02.460
 for I have

00:38:02.460 --> 00:38:02.880
 given you

00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:03.460
 an example

00:38:03.460 --> 00:38:04.759
 that you also

00:38:04.759 --> 00:38:05.320
 should do

00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:06.880
 just as I

00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:07.820
 have done

00:38:07.820 --> 00:38:08.820
 to you.

00:38:11.739 --> 00:38:12.659
 Why is

00:38:12.659 --> 00:38:13.199
 Christianity

00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:14.099
 the thickest

00:38:14.099 --> 00:38:14.880
 community?

00:38:16.900 --> 00:38:17.739
 It's the

00:38:17.739 --> 00:38:18.179
 thickest

00:38:18.179 --> 00:38:18.619
 community

00:38:18.619 --> 00:38:19.779
 because we

00:38:19.779 --> 00:38:20.579
 are a body

00:38:20.579 --> 00:38:21.779
 that's connected

00:38:21.779 --> 00:38:22.759
 to Christ

00:38:22.759 --> 00:38:23.519
 our head

00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.500
 and it's

00:38:25.500 --> 00:38:26.019
 the thickest

00:38:26.019 --> 00:38:26.400
 community

00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:27.299
 because Christ

00:38:27.299 --> 00:38:28.079
 our head

00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:29.119
 has set

00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:29.779
 for us

00:38:29.779 --> 00:38:30.420
 an example.

00:38:31.799 --> 00:38:32.579
 He has

00:38:32.579 --> 00:38:33.299
 set for us

00:38:33.299 --> 00:38:34.000
 the example

00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:35.400
 of washing

00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:36.099
 one another's

00:38:36.099 --> 00:38:36.299
 feet.

00:38:37.819 --> 00:38:38.659
 He has

00:38:38.659 --> 00:38:39.319
 given us

00:38:39.319 --> 00:38:40.639
 the grace

00:38:40.639 --> 00:38:42.099
 to not

00:38:42.099 --> 00:38:43.139
 be focused

00:38:43.139 --> 00:38:43.599
 on our

00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:44.039
 own rights

00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:44.559
 and privileges.

00:38:45.779 --> 00:38:46.500
 He's

00:38:46.500 --> 00:38:47.139
 given us

00:38:47.139 --> 00:38:48.119
 the power

00:38:48.119 --> 00:38:50.559
 to embrace

00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.539
 him and

00:38:51.539 --> 00:38:51.940
 others

00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:52.619
 above

00:38:52.619 --> 00:38:53.159
 ourselves.

00:38:54.500 --> 00:38:55.139
 That's the

00:38:55.139 --> 00:38:55.840
 logic by the

00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:56.440
 way in our

00:38:56.440 --> 00:38:57.699
 final song.

00:38:58.300 --> 00:38:59.279
 A song that

00:38:59.279 --> 00:38:59.659
 can really

00:38:59.659 --> 00:39:00.300
 only be sung

00:39:00.300 --> 00:39:00.940
 by Christians.

00:39:02.380 --> 00:39:03.199
 Tells us

00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:03.699
 three times

00:39:03.699 --> 00:39:04.139
 in the first

00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:04.480
 verse

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:05.519
 teach us

00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:07.099
 your ways.

00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:09.320
 As we learn

00:39:09.320 --> 00:39:09.739
 from one

00:39:09.739 --> 00:39:10.079
 another

00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:11.619
 learn to

00:39:11.619 --> 00:39:12.079
 love

00:39:12.079 --> 00:39:13.019
 each other.

00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:15.839
 And that

00:39:15.839 --> 00:39:16.219
 does two

00:39:16.219 --> 00:39:16.559
 things.

00:39:16.639 --> 00:39:17.239
 It recognizes

00:39:17.239 --> 00:39:17.880
 our need.

00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:18.859
 We need

00:39:18.859 --> 00:39:19.079
 to be

00:39:19.079 --> 00:39:19.339
 taught.

00:39:19.579 --> 00:39:19.940
 We can't

00:39:19.940 --> 00:39:20.219
 do this

00:39:20.219 --> 00:39:20.880
 by ourselves.

00:39:21.940 --> 00:39:22.480
 And it

00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:23.099
 also shows

00:39:23.099 --> 00:39:23.739
 us the

00:39:23.739 --> 00:39:24.199
 one from

00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:24.480
 whom we

00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:24.819
 learn it,

00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:25.400
 our Lord

00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:25.799
 and Savior

00:39:25.799 --> 00:39:26.519
 Jesus Christ.

00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:28.359
 He is

00:39:28.359 --> 00:39:28.859
 the one

00:39:28.859 --> 00:39:29.599
 who has

00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:30.199
 the ways

00:39:30.199 --> 00:39:30.839
 of love.

00:39:31.299 --> 00:39:31.980
 We ask

00:39:31.980 --> 00:39:32.819
 him to

00:39:32.819 --> 00:39:33.420
 teach us.

00:39:34.139 --> 00:39:34.739
 We do

00:39:34.739 --> 00:39:35.079
 that

00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:36.400
 following

00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:36.819
 him

00:39:36.820 --> 00:39:37.559
 together

00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:38.640
 as one

00:39:38.640 --> 00:39:39.500
 community.

00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:41.160
 Let's

00:39:41.160 --> 00:39:41.340
 pray.

00:39:41.340 --> 00:39:41.900
 Let's

00:39:41.900 --> 00:39:42.400
 pray.