WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.520 But we're going to open God's Word this morning to Acts chapter 6. 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:11.900 One of the greatest things about the early church as we look at the early church in the book of Acts, 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:16.080 one of the greatest things about the early church is that it was really and truly a family. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:18.820 It was really and truly a family. 00:00:19.420 --> 00:00:23.019 A lot of people, when they became Christians and they were baptized as Christians, 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:27.320 that baptism meant cutting ties with their family of origin. 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:32.259 It meant breaking off those relationships. 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:35.039 They were disowned in some cases. 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:39.960 And so for many of these early Christians, the church became their new and only family. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:44.539 And so what you see in the early church is this wonderful growing family 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:50.799 where people from all walks of life were able to find, and some of them for the first time, 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:57.240 a place where they could belong and be cared for by a community of believers. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:01.740 And that's a vision that has long captivated our hearts. 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:08.140 That's something that we strongly desire to be in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas. 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:11.239 We desire for Church of the Advent to be a place of belonging, 00:01:11.900 --> 00:01:19.400 where people from all walks of life can come together and be known and loved and cared for like a family. 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:25.540 You know, whenever people say, you know, I moved here from somewhere else and my family is far away, 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:28.980 but this church is like my family now, that just delights me. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:32.960 I feel like that means we are fulfilling what God has called us to be in this city. 00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:36.540 But being a family is not without its challenges. 00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:43.960 And being this kind of community requires that we overcome some major obstacles. 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:48.319 The good news or the bad news, depending on your perspective, 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:52.159 is that these challenges have been with the church since the very beginning. 00:01:52.699 --> 00:01:56.379 It's very tempting to idealize the early church. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:58.739 But it was far from perfect. 00:01:59.539 --> 00:02:03.859 And thankfully for us, Luke the historian, as he's recording these accounts, 00:02:04.179 --> 00:02:06.399 doesn't shy away from the challenges. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:11.120 And that's good news because it shows us how they were able to meet and overcome 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:15.379 the same obstacles that we face today in the early days of the church. 00:02:15.640 --> 00:02:19.000 And so we're going to be focusing on Acts chapter 6, verses 1 through 7. 00:02:19.640 --> 00:02:23.520 Some of the biggest threats to the health and the vitality of our church 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:26.060 are represented in these verses. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:29.020 So we're going to see first the problem that they were facing, 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:31.300 then we'll see the solution, 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:34.540 and then we'll see the result of that solution. 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:36.799 And then we'll apply that to our context. 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:37.859 So let's pray. 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:48.899 Lord, we ring bells at the mention of your resurrection. 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:54.139 But we know that this is more than just ceremony or liturgy. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:59.359 The truth of your resurrection means that these aren't dead words. 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:01.780 It means that they're living words. 00:03:01.780 --> 00:03:07.340 It means that these words have a life and a mind and an intention and a power all their own. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:15.379 All we need to do is sit under them and allow you to do your work in our hearts. 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:17.340 And so that's what we pray for this morning, Lord, 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:22.780 that you would do your work through your word in and through us for your glory. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:24.300 We pray this in your son's name. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:24.800 Amen. 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:24.920 Amen. 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:29.300 So first of all, let's look at the problem. 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:32.100 I'll give you a little context so you understand what's happening here. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:34.939 It says in verse 1, 00:03:35.100 --> 00:03:40.020 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:43.900 they were very much increasing in number. 00:03:44.040 --> 00:03:46.420 The Jerusalem church was growing exponentially. 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:49.979 At this point, we know there were at least 5,000 households. 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:55.119 When it says 5,000 people or 5,000 men, those are heads of households. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.519 So it's maybe three to four times that many people in the church. 00:03:59.239 --> 00:04:05.459 And it says that there were a growing number of widows in this community who needed care and support. 00:04:05.939 --> 00:04:08.659 Widows in this community were particularly vulnerable. 00:04:08.659 --> 00:04:17.199 If you outlived your husband, you didn't have many options to get your needs met other than your immediate family. 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:21.060 And for a lot of people, they didn't have an immediate family or extended family relationship, 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:22.699 and they had to rely on the church. 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:25.279 There's a growing number of widows who need material support. 00:04:25.779 --> 00:04:28.040 So here's the problem given that context. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.379 There are two subgroups of people in the church. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:33.800 Two subcultures. 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:38.079 There are the Hebrews, and there are the Hellenists. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.839 And it says that a dispute breaks out between the Hebrews and the Hellenists. 00:04:43.039 --> 00:04:51.039 So the Hebrews were native-born Palestinian Jews who were culturally Jewish, and they spoke Aramaic. 00:04:51.620 --> 00:04:54.180 So that's one culture language group. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.919 And then you have the Hellenists who were Jews living in the Diaspora. 00:04:59.139 --> 00:05:03.860 They had been scattered throughout the known world outside of Jerusalem. 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:08.379 Many of them spoke Greek as their first language. 00:05:08.900 --> 00:05:12.780 Some had Greek names, and they were culturally Greek. 00:05:13.660 --> 00:05:21.900 So they're all Jews, but some are Palestinian, Hebrew culture, Aramaic-speaking Jews, 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:25.259 and some are Greek-speaking Jews. 00:05:25.400 --> 00:05:26.580 Some are from Jerusalem. 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:28.720 Some are from the outer reaches. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:35.400 And you can easily see how tension would already exist between these two subcultures. 00:05:36.400 --> 00:05:41.680 And the Hellenists are complaining, and they're grumbling, that their widows are being neglected 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:43.900 in the daily distribution. 00:05:44.520 --> 00:05:44.660 Right? 00:05:44.820 --> 00:05:48.860 And it's very easy to see how this kind of thing would be interpreted. 00:05:49.260 --> 00:05:52.560 Native-born Aramaic-speaking Jews are being prioritized. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:53.439 Right? 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:59.459 The real Jews, the culturally Jewish Jews, they're getting preferential treatment. 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:06.000 And these Greek-speaking, culturally Greek Jews from other parts of the world who had come 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:08.899 into Jerusalem, they were being neglected. 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:09.939 Right? 00:06:10.019 --> 00:06:12.920 And this is a group that probably already felt like outsiders. 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:14.019 Right? 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:15.660 They already felt like they didn't fit in. 00:06:15.660 --> 00:06:20.660 And now all of a sudden they're just seeing clear as day, this is evidence that we don't 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:21.600 really belong here. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:23.320 You're neglecting our widows. 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:25.100 And you can see how this would have been. 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:30.040 It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it would have been a kind of powder keg of tension beginning 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:30.720 to grow. 00:06:30.960 --> 00:06:31.200 Right? 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:38.020 And what we see here, there's at least three threats to the vitality of this church that 00:06:38.020 --> 00:06:42.140 emerge that we see here in this text. 00:06:42.140 --> 00:06:45.140 The first threat is the threat that the church is going to divide. 00:06:46.260 --> 00:06:49.980 This is the kind of thing that divides churches. 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:56.600 And history shows us many, many churches have divided over far less than this. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:02.080 But you have a kind of ethnic, cultural tension between two groups. 00:07:02.700 --> 00:07:07.700 And what you see throughout history is the larger a church grows and the more diverse 00:07:07.700 --> 00:07:15.259 a church becomes, the more likely it will be that some people feel marginalized and some 00:07:15.259 --> 00:07:18.620 people seem as though they're receiving preferential treatment. 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:22.159 And that's a very common reason why churches divide. 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:25.039 And it's a very common reason why people leave churches. 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:29.500 And these kind of dynamics are inevitable even in the best of churches. 00:07:29.599 --> 00:07:33.939 I mean, if this is the Holy Spirit-filled early church of Acts and it's happening there, 00:07:34.980 --> 00:07:37.019 chances are it's happening everywhere. 00:07:37.019 --> 00:07:43.240 You know, 10 years ago, some of you were here, 10, 11 years ago, Church of the Advent was 00:07:43.240 --> 00:07:47.240 primarily made up of unmarried people in their 20s and their 30s. 00:07:47.659 --> 00:07:54.959 And there were a few families who had kids, but they were very much the minority. 00:07:55.180 --> 00:07:59.459 You know, we had our oldest son 10 years ago, and we were one of the only families in the 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:01.959 church at that time who had a young baby. 00:08:03.239 --> 00:08:08.279 And so we have mostly unmarried people, mostly people without kids. 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:13.259 And as a result, there were a few families who I think, for understandable reasons, felt 00:08:13.259 --> 00:08:14.259 neglected. 00:08:14.479 --> 00:08:19.659 They felt like the church was mainly a church for single people and that their needs as parents 00:08:19.659 --> 00:08:21.620 with young children weren't really being attended to. 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:24.479 And there was probably some truth to that, to be totally honest. 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:28.419 Now, I don't have to tell you, it's completely flip-flopped, right? 00:08:28.420 --> 00:08:33.320 10 years later, we have 75% people who are married with young children. 00:08:33.899 --> 00:08:38.580 We have about 150 kids alone who are elementary age or younger in our church. 00:08:39.300 --> 00:08:40.420 It's a very different church. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:45.000 And so if you don't fit that demographic, if there's somebody who's here and you don't 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:49.600 have kids or you're older or you're divorced or you're unmarried or any of the reasons that 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:53.539 you might not fit that demographic, you're probably much more likely to feel like you're 00:08:53.539 --> 00:08:57.320 being neglected, that your needs aren't being prioritized, that this church only cares 00:08:57.320 --> 00:08:58.279 about families with kids. 00:08:58.419 --> 00:08:58.819 Right? 00:08:59.059 --> 00:09:00.979 So that's a very understandable thing. 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:04.120 And it shifts with time and with changing demographics. 00:09:05.779 --> 00:09:09.559 I think it's fair to say that in our church, we have a majority probably of politically 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:10.639 left-leaning people. 00:09:11.339 --> 00:09:14.479 And so from time to time, I have people coming to me saying, you know, I'm on the political 00:09:14.479 --> 00:09:14.819 right. 00:09:15.099 --> 00:09:16.240 You know, I vote Republican. 00:09:16.459 --> 00:09:17.279 Am I welcome here? 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:18.120 Can I belong here? 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:19.279 Because I really don't feel like it. 00:09:19.419 --> 00:09:22.539 When we have discussions in small group, I don't ever feel like I can speak up. 00:09:22.599 --> 00:09:25.879 I don't feel like it's a safe place for me to share a conservative viewpoint because 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:26.840 I don't think it's welcome here. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:27.939 Right? 00:09:28.019 --> 00:09:31.000 Is this church giving preferential treatment to people on the political left? 00:09:32.439 --> 00:09:33.820 We're a majority white church. 00:09:33.820 --> 00:09:38.860 And so I know from conversations that there are times when people of color come to me 00:09:38.860 --> 00:09:41.400 and they say, I'm just not sure if I feel like I belong in this church. 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:42.720 Right? 00:09:43.020 --> 00:09:45.180 We still skew younger. 00:09:45.660 --> 00:09:45.960 Right? 00:09:46.020 --> 00:09:47.340 Now, not as young as we used to. 00:09:47.780 --> 00:09:48.140 Right? 00:09:48.139 --> 00:09:51.759 But we still skew younger compared to a lot of churches. 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:56.360 So people who aren't in their 20s, 30s, 40s, sometimes are like, I don't know if I fit 00:09:56.360 --> 00:09:56.699 in here. 00:09:57.580 --> 00:09:57.779 Right? 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.819 And that's one of the first questions that people ask when they walk into a church within 00:10:00.819 --> 00:10:05.139 five minutes before they've even listened to the music or the sermon or noted the decor 00:10:05.139 --> 00:10:06.360 or any of the other things. 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:10.439 The most important thing that most people ask when they walk in the door is, is this a 00:10:10.439 --> 00:10:11.299 place I can belong? 00:10:11.299 --> 00:10:17.579 And most people answer that question within the first few seconds of walking in the door 00:10:17.579 --> 00:10:18.059 of a church. 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:21.719 So these kinds of dynamics are inevitable. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:27.279 And, you know, understandably, if you're one of the people who looks around and says, 00:10:27.419 --> 00:10:33.500 I'm not sure if I belong here, it's very easy to think, man, it would be so much easier 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:40.539 for me to go to a church full of people who are in my stage of life or full of people who 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:49.139 politically align with me or full of people who look like me, full of people who see the 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:50.360 world the way I see the world. 00:10:51.199 --> 00:10:51.599 Right? 00:10:51.719 --> 00:10:53.059 Because that would be a lot easier. 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:54.079 It would be a lot less tension. 00:10:54.259 --> 00:10:55.879 You'd immediately fit right in. 00:10:57.799 --> 00:10:59.899 But that's not what happens in the early church. 00:11:01.099 --> 00:11:05.939 What we see from the earliest days of the church is it's a multicultural, multilingual 00:11:05.939 --> 00:11:07.839 community of people worshiping together. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:13.800 And if our desire is to reflect that in D.C., if our desire is to reflect more the demographics 00:11:13.800 --> 00:11:19.200 of the neighborhoods where we live, and I believe that it is, right? 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:26.620 If our desire is to become more multi-generational, more politically diverse, more ethnically and 00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:30.940 culturally diverse, more socioeconomically diverse, if that's where we feel like we're being called 00:11:30.940 --> 00:11:34.700 to go, we need to be vigilant. 00:11:36.020 --> 00:11:42.540 And we need to be very proactive in making sure that nobody's sitting here thinking, nobody 00:11:42.540 --> 00:11:46.720 knows me, nobody cares about me, I'll never fit in here. 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:49.260 Right? 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:50.140 We have to be proactive. 00:11:50.820 --> 00:11:52.380 So this is the first problem, the problem of division. 00:11:52.760 --> 00:11:54.280 People saying, this isn't my community. 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:57.299 The second problem is equally, equally pernicious. 00:11:58.059 --> 00:11:59.279 The problem of grumbling. 00:12:00.659 --> 00:12:01.980 And I say, well, where do you get that? 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:03.120 This is a legitimate issue. 00:12:03.220 --> 00:12:03.740 And it is. 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:06.980 The issue in Acts chapter 6 is a very legitimate problem. 00:12:07.319 --> 00:12:08.860 And it's a problem that needs to be solved. 00:12:09.019 --> 00:12:12.159 The widows, we need to make sure that we're caring for all the widows in the community. 00:12:13.019 --> 00:12:16.639 And when legitimate problems arise in the church, they need to be addressed. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:19.100 The longer they fester, the worse it gets. 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:25.440 But one of the things that you notice in the Greek is that Luke uses the same word in the 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:30.879 Greek version, in the Greek, that you see in the Greek version of the Old Testament, which 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:36.120 is called the Septuagint, that is used to describe the grumbling of the Israelites under Moses. 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:43.120 So Luke uses the same word to describe this grumbling that Moses uses to describe the grumbling 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:48.680 in amongst the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness after being set free. 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:52.079 And I think that there's an intentionality behind this. 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:57.139 In other words, a newly formed Israelite community wandering the wilderness, the first thing they 00:12:57.139 --> 00:12:58.099 do is they begin to grumble. 00:12:59.079 --> 00:13:04.819 Luke says, you're looking at a new Israel, the new Israel, the new church, they're now 00:13:04.819 --> 00:13:08.139 in the wilderness of the Greco-Roman world, and one of the first things that they begin 00:13:08.139 --> 00:13:09.719 to do is to grumble. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:16.120 And what we need to understand is in the Bible, grumbling is very dangerous. 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:21.980 Grumbling, because grumbling can start out as a legitimate concern, right? 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:26.419 Somebody has a legitimate concern or issue or grievance, and it can be absolutely a problem 00:13:26.419 --> 00:13:27.100 that needs to be solved. 00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:33.580 But if you're not very careful, grumbling can start to get out of control, and it can start 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:37.659 to become harmful and start to become toxic and start to become corrosive. 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:40.139 And so we need to ask, how can we tell the difference? 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:44.460 There are always going to be legitimate concerns in the church. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.899 Leaders are always going to make mistakes. 00:13:47.319 --> 00:13:49.259 The church is never going to be perfect. 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:53.980 And so from time to time for people to say, hey, here's a way that I think that we can 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:57.340 improve this ministry, and here's a way that I think I can help with that. 00:13:57.699 --> 00:14:01.340 Or for people to say, in light of what we just said, hey, I'm not sure if you're aware 00:14:01.340 --> 00:14:05.200 of the needs over here, but I just want to make sure that you're aware of what's happening 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:05.600 over here. 00:14:05.800 --> 00:14:09.440 Like, those kinds of things are immensely valuable. 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.800 Harmful grumbling is different. 00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:21.020 Jude, in verse 16, refers to people who are grumblers and fault finders who follow their 00:14:21.020 --> 00:14:22.879 own evil desires. 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:26.800 This is grumbling that is not motivated by a love for God or His people. 00:14:26.800 --> 00:14:31.480 It's grumbling motivated by evil desires, right, with an ulterior motive. 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:31.600 Grumbling. 00:14:32.800 --> 00:14:36.980 So Jude is describing someone who perpetually complains. 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:40.019 It's not just kind of every now and then they say, hey, you should be aware of this. 00:14:40.180 --> 00:14:45.620 It's somebody who just always seems to be complaining, who's always seemed to be focusing on the negative. 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:50.980 Someone who sort of finds reasons to be critical wherever they look, right? 00:14:51.060 --> 00:14:52.379 So it's just in their wiring. 00:14:53.180 --> 00:14:58.560 And so I want to just give you three common examples of harmful grumbling. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:06.179 One very common example is the example of people who complain from a position of superiority. 00:15:07.979 --> 00:15:10.719 Complaining from a position of superiority. 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.939 People who say, you know, I've gone to like three small groups and a Bible study and just, 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.079 I don't know, I just, I'm looking for people who just take God's word more seriously. 00:15:21.099 --> 00:15:24.079 You know, as seriously as I do, right? 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:31.480 Or people who say, you know, this church just doesn't really care about this particular issue as much as I do. 00:15:31.540 --> 00:15:32.600 I'm more passionate about it. 00:15:32.600 --> 00:15:35.220 I want to find people who are just as passionate as I am about this issue. 00:15:36.020 --> 00:15:36.160 Right? 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:38.139 So complaining from a position of superiority. 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:38.800 That's one. 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:45.000 Another type of harmful grumbling is people who complain based on unrealistic expectations. 00:15:46.560 --> 00:15:47.740 Unrealistic expectations. 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:54.480 Expecting people to read your mind and anticipate your needs even if you've never voiced them. 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:56.139 Right? 00:15:56.620 --> 00:16:02.779 Expecting people to know you and care about you if you've never made any effort to get involved or gone to any events. 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:10.399 Expecting the church to produce timely, thorough, biblical responses to every major news event. 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:20.259 Expecting people to control or change situations that human beings have no control over. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:20.939 Right? 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:23.120 Those are examples of unrealistic expectations. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:28.139 And I got to tell you, with that last example, complaining about things that human beings can't control, 00:16:28.620 --> 00:16:32.759 there are times when I get angry emails and they're legitimate. 00:16:33.419 --> 00:16:38.079 And there are times when I get angry emails and I kind of look at the email and I look at the craftsmanship that went into it. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:46.680 And I think, man, all the time that went into writing this email would have probably been better spent praying. 00:16:48.460 --> 00:16:48.980 Right? 00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:51.320 Talk to the one who can actually make a difference here. 00:16:53.160 --> 00:17:01.259 And then the third category of harmful grumbling is people who complain without a willingness to help solve the problem. 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:03.280 Right? 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:05.759 People who say, hey, you should really do something about this. 00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:06.480 I don't have time. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:06.920 I'm busy. 00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:07.559 I got kids. 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:08.019 I'm working. 00:17:08.139 --> 00:17:09.419 But you should really get on this. 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:09.919 Right? 00:17:10.919 --> 00:17:12.000 That kind of complaining. 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:13.940 And I want to be clear about this. 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:15.799 I'm not exempting myself from this. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:17.319 I mean, you may know this already. 00:17:17.679 --> 00:17:21.519 But pastors are just as bad, if not worse, as anyone else at complaining. 00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:25.460 And I've heard a lot of pastors who grumble all the time about their congregations. 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:26.639 Right? 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:29.019 And so that can be a major challenge for pastors. 00:17:29.099 --> 00:17:29.220 Right? 00:17:29.259 --> 00:17:31.339 So this is something that we all struggle with. 00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:34.019 Here's what I want you to understand. 00:17:34.019 --> 00:17:36.559 That kind of grumbling is very easy to do. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:38.319 It's very easy to fall into that pattern. 00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:39.940 But it's incredibly toxic. 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:43.779 It sucks the life out of ministry leaders. 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:46.119 It sucks the life out of small group leaders. 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:47.720 It burns people out. 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:50.379 It sucks the life out of clergy and staff. 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:51.559 And it's contagious. 00:17:52.919 --> 00:17:58.079 You know, the more airtime you give somebody who's a grumbler, it's like feeding a fire with oxygen. 00:17:58.200 --> 00:17:59.240 It just gets worse. 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:02.779 The more of a platform you give somebody like that, the worse it gets. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:05.519 And the problem with that is it's contagious. 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:08.519 It starts to spread to other people. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:09.299 Right? 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:13.000 So a kind of culture of grumbling, I've seen it take over small groups. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:14.980 It can take over entire churches. 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:18.140 It's incredibly toxic. 00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:19.720 And it destroys momentum. 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:24.299 And it breeds a sense of hopelessness and discouragement. 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:28.339 It may not seem like a big deal, but grumbling is like acid. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.180 And if left unchecked, it can rot the church from the inside out. 00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:40.880 So this is a major danger confronting the early church and confronting all churches. 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:48.100 And then the third danger is, as bad as grumbling is, the third danger is actually the biggest danger facing any church. 00:18:48.100 --> 00:18:55.580 The biggest danger in Acts chapter 6 is that the ministry of word and prayer gets neglected. 00:18:56.840 --> 00:18:59.120 That's the biggest threat facing any church. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:05.759 And listen, Washington, D.C. is filled with empty church buildings. 00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:10.559 And the reason is not just because people got secularized. 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:11.319 That's part of it. 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:20.339 The reason is because at some point along the way, that church decided that the word of God needed to be put aside 00:19:20.339 --> 00:19:26.139 to focus most of the attention on a more pressing issue that at the time seemed more urgent. 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:30.380 Now nobody remembers the issue. 00:19:31.340 --> 00:19:32.940 Nobody remembers that church. 00:19:34.380 --> 00:19:35.600 It's an empty tomb. 00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:37.580 Right? 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:41.680 So that's a kind of warning that we drive or walk by every day. 00:19:42.060 --> 00:19:45.480 Here's what happens when you neglect the word of God and prayer. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:47.080 Churches die. 00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:49.500 It's a very simple equation. 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:50.180 Right? 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:54.440 So these are the dangers facing the church. 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:57.720 And we ask, well, how do we guard against all of these dangers? 00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:59.700 And here's where we come to the solution. 00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:02.579 Here's the solution that we see in Acts. 00:20:02.619 --> 00:20:03.319 It's so wonderful. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:12.779 Most pastors and church leaders I know would be strongly tempted in a situation like this to rush in and solve the problem themselves. 00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:13.019 Right? 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:14.319 Oh, the widows are being neglected? 00:20:14.579 --> 00:20:14.900 Okay. 00:20:15.140 --> 00:20:16.420 I'm going to go fix it. 00:20:16.420 --> 00:20:19.140 Because most people in ministry, we love to be the hero. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.500 We love to rush in and say, you know, I'll take care of it. 00:20:22.620 --> 00:20:23.640 You know, I'm here now. 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:26.519 But that's not what the apostles do. 00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:31.400 This is a problem that affects everybody. 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:35.000 And so everybody is responsible for helping to solve it. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:39.519 So in verse 2, it says, and the 12 summoned the full number of disciples. 00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:45.099 They say, well, okay, we've all got to be involved in the solution for this thing to work. 00:20:46.019 --> 00:20:48.960 And the reason they do that is because that's how families work. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:49.980 Right? 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:53.460 And families is not just mom who does everything or dad who does everything. 00:20:53.859 --> 00:20:55.960 In a healthy family, everybody's contributing. 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:01.579 Then they say it's not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 00:21:01.579 --> 00:21:06.119 And it's easy to read that and say, like, the word of God is up here and serving tables is down here. 00:21:06.179 --> 00:21:07.419 But that's not how we should read it. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:09.759 They're not saying that one is better than the other. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:12.000 There are two competing priorities. 00:21:12.939 --> 00:21:17.879 And they're saying it wouldn't be right to neglect this priority in order to focus on this priority. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:22.659 In the same way that it wouldn't be right for me to tell you, you really need to choose. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:24.279 Do you want to breathe or do you want to eat? 00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:25.659 Right? 00:21:25.679 --> 00:21:26.679 That's not a fair choice. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:27.899 You need both. 00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:31.680 And so they're saying we need both, but we can't do both. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:37.460 So the only answer is to raise up more people to share in the work of ministry. 00:21:37.580 --> 00:21:41.040 People to focus on this ministry and people to focus on this ministry. 00:21:41.300 --> 00:21:50.759 So they say pick seven men who have good reputations, who are full of the Spirit, who are wise, great qualities in any leader in the church. 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:56.160 And we see two general categories of ministry emerge. 00:21:56.220 --> 00:21:59.480 And this really begins to set the tone for the rest of the church. 00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:01.920 Two categories of ministry. 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:06.619 And by the way, the same Greek word, diakonia, is used for both. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:07.940 Right? 00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:13.339 In verse 2, we see the sort of birth of what we might think of as the ministry of tables. 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:16.439 This is what we might think of. 00:22:16.500 --> 00:22:19.679 It's not just helping at the communion table or the daily distribution. 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:23.379 This is what we might think of broadly as social work. 00:22:24.659 --> 00:22:28.579 This is the ministry of meeting the practical needs of people in the community. 00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:30.240 It's the ministry of doing justice. 00:22:30.659 --> 00:22:34.619 It's the ministry of caring for the poor and the vulnerable and the marginalized. 00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:37.419 That's one ministry, one diakonia that emerges. 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:41.779 And then in verse 4, we see the ministry of the word and of prayer. 00:22:42.120 --> 00:22:45.420 Preaching and teaching the word of God to the whole community. 00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:49.140 And so we have these two categories of ministry. 00:22:50.820 --> 00:22:57.620 And you see the same general categories applied to the whole church in 1 Peter 4, verses 10 and 11. 00:22:57.740 --> 00:23:05.000 He says, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace. 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.799 So what Peter is saying is, all of you fall into one of these two categories of ministry. 00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:13.039 And some people can do both. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:21.619 But all of you fall into these one categories and everybody's been given gifts and everybody's called to serve in these broad areas of ministry. 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:22.740 Right? 00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:26.359 He says, whoever speaks, speak as one who speaks oracles of God. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.519 That's the ministry of the word. 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:32.039 Whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies. 00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:33.420 That's the ministry of tables. 00:23:33.420 --> 00:23:36.180 Here's the principle. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:46.779 In a spirit-filled church, a spirit-filled church is one where ministry is both vertical and it's horizontal. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:54.220 There is a strong commitment to preaching the word of God, to worship, to prayer, to the sacraments. 00:23:54.220 --> 00:24:03.700 And there is an equally strong commitment to meeting material needs, to the horizontal, to caring for the poor, to serving others in tangible ways. 00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:13.860 And of course, by the way, this makes sense if you go back to the fact that the church is the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ in the world. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:18.160 How is Jesus' ministry summarized in the gospel accounts? 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:21.380 All through the gospels, you see Jesus' ministry summed up as this. 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:29.060 He's preaching the gospel of the kingdom, ministry of the word, and he is caring for the poor and the afflicted, the ministry of tables. 00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:32.860 He's doing both, the vertical and the horizontal. 00:24:32.859 --> 00:24:41.019 In Jesus, the ministries of word and service come together. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:44.699 They come together because he is the word incarnate. 00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:49.000 There's no one more qualified to do the ministry of the word than the word. 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:54.700 And on the cross, you see the ultimate act of sacrificial service. 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.400 Right? 00:24:56.500 --> 00:25:04.640 Someone willing to give his life as an innocent to take on the sin of the world and to die on behalf of people he loves in order to save them. 00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:07.500 That's the ultimate example of sacrificial service. 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:12.440 So in a spirit-filled church, you see both kinds of ministry. 00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:16.740 And this is why everyone is called to serve in one way or another. 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:18.980 Everybody here is called to serve in one way or another. 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:22.900 It's called to play a role in these kinds of ministry. 00:25:24.740 --> 00:25:25.799 Here's the result. 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:30.740 The result of all of this, it says in the last verse of our passage. 00:25:31.700 --> 00:25:32.720 Now just think about this. 00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:38.559 The problem in the Jerusalem church could easily have resulted in a divided church. 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:44.680 It could have easily resulted in a dissolved church if grumbling just took over. 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:49.080 It could have easily resulted in a distracted church. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:52.600 They got focused on something else and died. 00:25:53.420 --> 00:25:54.960 Instead, we have verse 7. 00:25:55.799 --> 00:26:05.680 And the word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:06.360 Why? 00:26:06.360 --> 00:26:06.660 Why? 00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:08.519 Because two things. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:13.660 They kept their focus on the word and they multiplied the number of people doing ministry. 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:19.940 They kept their focus on the word and they multiplied the number of people doing the work of ministry. 00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:30.539 So a spirit-filled church is one where every single member, every single woman, every single man, every single child is actively involved in the work of ministry. 00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:41.700 You know, one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned over the years as a pastor is the importance of discerning when to step in and when to get out of the way. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:46.980 And when I was younger in ministry, I very much wanted to be able to do it all. 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:50.639 And I thought because I was a pastor, I should be good at all of the things. 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:56.400 And very quickly, in like the first month of being a pastor, I began to realize that I wasn't. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:01.480 And that actually the list of things that I wasn't good at was a lot longer than the list of things that I could do decently well. 00:27:02.340 --> 00:27:08.600 And about 14 years in now, I've come to this place where I absolutely delight. 00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:17.120 I absolutely delight in the fact that there are people in this room who are far better than I am at many of the things that need to be done in the life of this church. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:26.279 And I've come to this place where I love stepping out of the way and I love watching somebody in action who is just really good at something, who is really gifted at something. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:29.519 And, you know, one great example of this is our healing prayer ministry. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:34.979 I have wanted to move in the direction of growing a healing prayer ministry at Advent for years, but it's not my thing. 00:27:35.659 --> 00:27:37.279 I just have no idea how to do it. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:41.399 I know how to pray for people, but it's not my gift. 00:27:42.239 --> 00:27:43.519 Healing prayer is not my gift. 00:27:44.199 --> 00:27:45.339 And I knew that. 00:27:45.339 --> 00:27:47.119 And so I prayed. 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.220 And so God has, you know, we've raised up Lisa. 00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:53.139 God has sent us Rob Kretsch. 00:27:53.679 --> 00:27:55.919 We have a growing core of people in our community. 00:27:56.079 --> 00:27:57.019 It is their gift. 00:27:57.619 --> 00:27:59.019 They are passionate about it. 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:03.859 They just want to be let loose to do what God has called them to do in his community. 00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:09.179 And I love just stepping back and saying, man, look at God work through these people. 00:28:09.779 --> 00:28:11.000 I love that kind of thing. 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:25.880 On an average Sunday, when all of our programming is working, children's ministry is up and running, on an average Sunday, just for Sunday, how many men and women do you think it takes outside of clergy and staff? 00:28:25.940 --> 00:28:31.759 To put clergy and staff aside, how many men and women from the congregation need to be involved on an average Sunday, would you think? 00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:34.279 The answer is about 45. 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:42.559 We need about 45 men and women actively serving just so that we can come together and worship the Lord. 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:45.660 And I look around every Sunday, and it is beautiful. 00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:51.180 I see people coming early and staying late in order to set up and clean up. 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:56.740 I see people who are willing to miss the service so that they can care for and teach our children. 00:28:57.120 --> 00:29:05.160 I see people who are not comfortable yet worshiping in person because of COVID, who nevertheless come before the service. 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:10.420 And then they come back after the service just to make sure things get done. 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:18.580 I see people up here prepping and running cables and solving tech issues and praying over possessed printers and all kinds of things. 00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:21.960 And it is a beauty to behold. 00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:22.980 It is a symphony. 00:29:23.439 --> 00:29:31.740 It is a symphony, sometimes verging on cacophony, of God's gifts and God's Holy Spirit at work. 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:33.159 That's a Holy Spirit-filled church. 00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:36.539 And that doesn't even include the people outside of Sunday, right? 00:29:36.619 --> 00:29:38.559 The people who serve on parish council. 00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:41.559 The people who are investing in the lives of our children. 00:29:41.939 --> 00:29:43.799 The people who are leading small groups. 00:29:44.199 --> 00:29:47.419 The people who are discipling and leading triads. 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:51.880 The people who are serving with DC 127 or Little Lights or other area ministries. 00:29:52.840 --> 00:29:59.800 In a Spirit-filled church, every single member and regular attender is actively serving to meet the needs of the community. 00:30:01.860 --> 00:30:03.140 That's just the way it is. 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:07.840 And see, the trend in every church is to turn inward. 00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:14.679 The trend in every church is to focus more and more on your own needs, on your own preferences. 00:30:15.139 --> 00:30:17.319 To become more and more consumeristic. 00:30:17.959 --> 00:30:20.539 And to think of the church primarily as a service provider. 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:24.480 And listen, for the last year, that's essentially what we've been. 00:30:24.539 --> 00:30:27.459 We've been literally providing an online service experience. 00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:29.879 But that's not really what a church is. 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:31.860 It's been helpful. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:34.340 But we've been in survival mode. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:36.400 Like, we've just come through major crises. 00:30:37.300 --> 00:30:39.580 And so we're all still in this kind of survival mode. 00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:42.240 I've just got to hunker down and just meet my most basic needs. 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:45.620 But a church is not a service provider. 00:30:46.420 --> 00:30:47.600 A church is a family. 00:30:48.540 --> 00:30:50.600 And in a family, everybody has a job to do. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:52.480 You know, I don't know about your family. 00:30:52.760 --> 00:30:53.680 Those of you with kids. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:57.740 But in our family, everybody shares in the work that needs to be done. 00:30:58.019 --> 00:31:00.560 And if my kids are listening, just want to remind you of this. 00:31:01.860 --> 00:31:04.019 Everybody shares in the work that needs to be done. 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:05.259 Our boys are 10 and 8. 00:31:06.080 --> 00:31:10.340 And our boys fix meals occasionally when they need to. 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:12.820 They empty the dishwasher every single day. 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:14.940 They take out all the trash and recycling. 00:31:15.380 --> 00:31:17.820 They roll the canisters out to the road once a week. 00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:19.860 They can fold and put away laundry. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:22.220 They started trimming the hedges. 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.000 They feed and water the dog. 00:31:24.100 --> 00:31:25.539 Like these are their jobs. 00:31:25.640 --> 00:31:26.440 And they do them. 00:31:26.600 --> 00:31:28.940 And when they don't do them, the dog doesn't eat. 00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:29.220 Right? 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:30.160 So they do them. 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:34.339 Our 3-year-old is currently learning how to wash dishes. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:37.960 And she loves vacuuming up stuff with the Dustbuster. 00:31:38.500 --> 00:31:39.819 And those are her jobs. 00:31:40.380 --> 00:31:40.819 Right? 00:31:40.860 --> 00:31:42.039 Because that's how families work. 00:31:43.940 --> 00:31:45.440 Here's the best part of this, though. 00:31:45.940 --> 00:31:47.480 And this is true in your own. 00:31:47.600 --> 00:31:48.839 This is going to be true in your family. 00:31:49.620 --> 00:31:51.640 Or if you have roommates, it's the same deal. 00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:54.400 You know, I used to live with a bunch of guys. 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:56.440 And we had this rule that if you didn't wash your own dishes, 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:00.420 if you didn't wash your own dishes, and it went more than a couple of days, 00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:06.220 you would find those dishes often under your covers down at the foot of your bed. 00:32:06.220 --> 00:32:09.880 So you'd be up studying late. 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:11.640 You know, you'd get back from the library. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:13.339 It's like, you know, midnight. 00:32:13.620 --> 00:32:14.519 And you're climbing into bed. 00:32:14.539 --> 00:32:18.960 And you stick your feet down into an old bowl of mac and cheese that's been sitting around for a couple of days. 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:20.839 That happens exactly once. 00:32:20.860 --> 00:32:22.420 And then you start washing your dishes. 00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:25.880 Because we tried to operate like a family in that household. 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:26.200 Right? 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:29.200 And I'm not suggesting you do that to your kids. 00:32:29.259 --> 00:32:30.960 But I'm not saying you shouldn't do it to your kids. 00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:34.779 But here's the best part. 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:38.880 The more you invest in the life of a community, 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:41.660 the more you will get out of it. 00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:45.640 The more you invest, the more you will get out of it. 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:47.680 When you invest in a church community, 00:32:48.040 --> 00:32:52.300 that will bring with it an entirely new sense of belonging, 00:32:53.320 --> 00:32:56.080 sense of meaning, and sense of purpose. 00:32:56.380 --> 00:33:01.180 There is a massive spiritual difference between coming to church as a consumer 00:33:01.180 --> 00:33:03.960 and coming to church as a stakeholder. 00:33:04.980 --> 00:33:06.360 You will get to know people. 00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:08.420 You will develop friendships and relationships. 00:33:09.040 --> 00:33:12.240 You will feel a sense of shared ownership in the life of the community. 00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:14.720 It will completely transform your relationship with church. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:18.480 So I want to end this sermon with simply an invitation. 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:19.680 Right? 00:33:19.960 --> 00:33:22.279 To those of you who are serving, I praise God for you. 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:23.860 I praise God for you. 00:33:24.019 --> 00:33:26.079 Thank you for helping us to be a spirit-filled church. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:28.779 For those of you who are not yet serving, 00:33:29.480 --> 00:33:32.839 I would just love for you to start praying about ways that you might get actively involved. 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:33.880 Right? 00:33:34.100 --> 00:33:37.680 And if this is your first Sunday, you're exempt because you're a newcomer. 00:33:37.819 --> 00:33:38.120 Welcome. 00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:40.920 If this is not your first Sunday, 00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:42.279 I'm talking to you. 00:33:42.279 --> 00:33:46.759 I want you to start praying about ways that you might start investing in the life of this church. 00:33:47.139 --> 00:33:47.519 Kids? 00:33:49.119 --> 00:33:49.480 Kids? 00:33:49.819 --> 00:33:50.240 You hear me? 00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:50.799 Hi. 00:33:51.259 --> 00:33:51.700 You hear me? 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:52.319 Hi. 00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:54.019 Two things for you. 00:33:54.779 --> 00:33:56.079 One, I want you to go home, 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.920 and I want to ask your parents, 00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:01.440 what's one way that I can start contributing to the life of our household? 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:03.519 Do that. 00:34:04.080 --> 00:34:09.920 And then talk to your parents about one way that you might start getting involved in helping in the life of this church. 00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:11.840 Your two families. 00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:12.139 Deal? 00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:13.880 Deal. 00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:15.039 That's what I like to hear. 00:34:15.539 --> 00:34:16.179 Number three, 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.019 as I said, 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:19.400 even if you're new to our community, 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:20.220 my hope is, 00:34:20.300 --> 00:34:22.179 and COVID may have screwed this up a little bit, 00:34:22.179 --> 00:34:25.899 my hope is that at some point somebody greeted you with a handshake, 00:34:26.279 --> 00:34:27.159 or a fist bump, 00:34:27.379 --> 00:34:28.099 or an elbow bump, 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:31.500 or a wave that would have been a handshake before the pandemic, 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:33.699 but you were greeted in some way. 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:35.899 My hope is that that's happened. 00:34:36.879 --> 00:34:37.879 And at some point, 00:34:37.940 --> 00:34:41.739 our desire is to see everybody move to the other side of that handshake. 00:34:42.379 --> 00:34:43.079 At one time, 00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:44.019 I was welcomed in, 00:34:44.759 --> 00:34:47.000 but now I'm the one welcoming others in. 00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:47.899 Right? 00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:49.559 You're on the other side of that handshake. 00:34:49.659 --> 00:34:50.959 You're the one sticking out your hand, 00:34:51.019 --> 00:34:51.759 or your fist, 00:34:51.819 --> 00:34:52.259 or your elbow, 00:34:52.399 --> 00:34:52.739 and saying, 00:34:53.259 --> 00:34:53.500 hey, 00:34:53.739 --> 00:34:54.019 welcome. 00:34:54.319 --> 00:34:55.279 I don't think we've met. 00:34:56.339 --> 00:34:57.179 My name's Tommy. 00:34:57.239 --> 00:34:57.619 What's yours? 00:34:58.219 --> 00:34:59.419 I'm really glad to see you here. 00:35:00.019 --> 00:35:02.479 Is there anything that I can do to help you be more comfortable? 00:35:02.739 --> 00:35:02.919 Right? 00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:07.419 So start praying about ways that you might get involved. 00:35:07.539 --> 00:35:08.399 And in this way, 00:35:08.879 --> 00:35:09.619 brothers and sisters, 00:35:09.619 --> 00:35:09.799 brothers, 00:35:09.980 --> 00:35:12.359 my hope is that we do become a more diverse, 00:35:13.059 --> 00:35:14.519 welcoming community for this city, 00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:16.880 that we do become more of the family that God has called us to be, 00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:19.739 and that we become more of a spirit-filled community 00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:23.199 that God has called his church to be for the sake of the world. 00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:24.559 Let's pray. 00:35:25.779 --> 00:35:26.179 Lord, 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:27.299 we thank you for your word. 00:35:27.719 --> 00:35:33.799 We thank you for these messages that come from your word that are, 00:35:34.679 --> 00:35:34.940 Lord, 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:39.319 sometimes they are messages that focus us outward 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:40.820 and get us thinking about the needs 00:35:40.820 --> 00:35:42.240 and the ministries in the world, 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:42.820 but other times, 00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:42.960 Lord, 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:44.800 we need to be reminded of what we're called to be 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:47.360 and what it means to be your family. 00:35:48.340 --> 00:35:48.580 And so, 00:35:48.660 --> 00:35:48.720 Lord, 00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:50.920 I pray that we would be moved by your Holy Spirit 00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:54.200 and gain a vision for what it means to be a spirit-filled community 00:35:54.200 --> 00:35:56.400 where every part is working properly 00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:58.240 and everyone is serving out of their gifts. 00:35:58.980 --> 00:36:00.519 We pray this in your son's holy name. 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:01.120 Amen. 00:36:01.120 --> 00:36:01.220 Amen. 00:36:01.220 --> 00:36:01.260 Amen. 00:36:01.260 --> 00:36:01.280 Amen. 00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:01.300 Amen. 00:36:01.300 --> 00:36:01.320 Amen. 00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:01.380 Amen. 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:01.400 Amen. 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:01.440 Amen. 00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:01.500 Amen. 00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:01.580 Amen. 00:36:01.580 --> 00:36:03.260 Amen. 00:36:03.260 --> 00:36:03.340 Amen. 00:36:03.340 --> 00:36:05.360 Amen. 00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:05.380 Amen.