The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 2: One Church

Episode Date: October 21, 2018

In the body of Christ (the church), EVERYBODY counts. We are ONE church with many members to the glory of the ONE name that is above every name.

Amen and amen. How are you in church? Doing all right? No? Okay, whatever. I'm doing great. So each is on. Hey, if everybody would grab this one journal, you need it. If you didn't get one last week, maybe you picked one up on the way in. I hope you did. You will need this. We're going to be on page 23, so we've got the sermon notes in there. It'll take me a minute to get there. There's so many things about that video that I just love so, so much. I love that those kind of stories are happening here in this. church. Not in this building here at San Pablo. That happened at our Mandarin location, but it's just

one church in a whole bunch of different locations. I love the authenticity of that video. I love that Angela said that she was pissed at God. I don't know if you're supposed to say that. Some of you're offended right now. Jimmy Crass Corn? I don't care because you know that's what you felt like before, but she would say that. I love that. I love that she had a couple drinks before the first time she ever came to our church. That just kind of cruised right on by. Everybody feels okay. about that. I'm glad it was a Thursday and not a Sunday morning just for her own sake. And I love that one single female in our church understands the one true God that we worship and that she made the connection between what we are doing here in this place to change the life of

her one more, just one month before she went to be with Jesus. Amen? I mean, it is unbelievable the things that God is doing here in us and through us and to us. In the back of your, one journal thing. If you would grab it, there is a commitment card there. I want you to put that thing in your hand. Because every single one of us over the next few weeks have a very similar opportunity that Angela in that video have. That every single one of us are wrestling around with this thing called this shema. The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And we're asking this question, what is the one thing that drives everything in our life? And I know you're in church, so automatically you would say God or Jesus or whatever.

But is he really? Is he the one thing that is the most important thing? Is he the one thing? Or is it our comfort or is it our family or is it our productivity? And for those of us that would want to say, no, no, no, he is the one thing that drives everything. Then the Shemah leads us to ask a second question. Then what does it look like in your life to love the Lord of your God with all? With all.

Now, the crazy thing about that is that the answer to that second question will be unique to every individual believer. And I cannot answer that question for you. Only the Holy Spirit in you can give you that answer. Now, the reason I've got you holding this card is on November 2nd or 3rd, either one. We're going to run two worship experiences that are the exact same. And we're going to hold these worship experiences right next door to us here at our San Pablo location and what used to be the Hobby Lobby. You see, a big part of what we're doing in the one initiative is we think that it's worth whatever it takes to reach one more generation.

I hope you believe that. I'm going to preach on it in a couple of weeks. And so with that in mind, in the next couple of years, all of the space that we're sitting in here at our Habi Lobby, I mean at our San Pablo location, all of it is going to be kids and youth space in the upcoming years. So we're kicking out all the adults and we've got to move next door, which means that will be our new worship center next door.

Now currently, it looks like the end of a Terminator 2 movie. It's not that awesome, okay? But on November 2nd or 3rd, either one, we're going to gather in there for the very first time and we're going to worship God. Now, I know some of you have felt like you've worshipped in a Hobby Lobby before, but that's idolatry. That's a different sermon. But we're going to gather there, a little temporary stage and some stuff like that. And if you consider yourself like a leader or an influencer, or you would just say, 1122 is my church,

then I need you to go first. I need you praying like crazy over this card. And on those nights, second and third, a couple of weeks before all of our church, does this, this commitment card will represent a portion of what it looks like to say, all right, God, this is what it looks like in our family to love you with all. So you don't want to miss that. You see, this one initiative could change the landscape of everything that we're doing as a church. Hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And we should love the Lord our God with all. And the way that's playing out over the next two and a half years is this, that we're one church to reach one more and especially one more generation.

So in our time together, we are going to talk about what does it mean to be one church. So if you're in your journals, it's Ephesians chapter 3. And I said I'm going to start with verse 20, but really we're going to back up from there a little bit. We're going to talk about what does it mean? What was God's idea when he came up with the idea of church? And what we're going to find here in the text is not only is church God's idea, but the church is God's plan A to redeem the world unto himself. That the church is God's plan A to introduce people far from God to the love of God. Now, the crazy thing is, is the moment that I mentioned the word church, man.

There's a bunch of us in all of our rooms all over the city. And actually for a long time, the church was kind of the thing that like kept. us away from knowing the love of God. I mean, I've talked to people in Jacksonville that got kicked out of church because they had tattoos. Can you imagine that? I can't. I got them right here, the Bible verses. Jesus is going to come back with tattoos. Y'all know that? Lord of Lord, King of Kings. They ain't Sharpies. He's writing on his thighs. All right? Get with it. But there are people, when I was in high school, I was trying to be on the leadership team of our youth group. I was not allowed because my parents were divorced. Run that through your skull for a second. I was like,

y'all know that wasn't my fault right but i'm punished for it okay it's that kind of stuff and so the the crazy thing is though and yet even with all the like jacked upness of church and some church experience that that the church is still god's plan a and listen to me if you've been beat up by the church seriously from the bottom of my heart i am so sorry i'm so sorry i'm so sorry i'm so sorry and if you stick around 1122 long enough you will be disappointed in me I will let you down. I will say things that offend. I will say things that are inappropriate.

I think I already have twice in this current sermon, all right? So I promise you will, and yet somehow God's plan of the church planted on the gospel is still his plan A to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. And I know, man, if you talk about church to your friends in our current society and you say, like, hey, you should come to church with me. You should try this thing out. that they will say, well, why would I go to church? It is full of hypocrites.

To which I would say, you're absolutely right, and I think you would fit right in. Because surely you're not saying that you keep all of your promises and you don't have junk that you need to work on. Let me tell you what the church is, man. The church is like the emergency room. Look around this place. At all of our locations, look how jacked up everybody is. And they took hours to get to just this point, this best version of you all week long, and this is still the best weekend. to. You understand that the church is a mess. And yet in this glorious mess called the church,

we are invited in to know the Almighty God. You see, church is God's idea. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus takes the disciples to this place called Cessaria Philippa. Cessariah was like Sin City, man. It was the Vegas of that day. And he gathers his disciples and they go to, to Cessori of Philippa, there's like temple prostitutes there and child sacrifice. And I mean, it's some shady stuff going on. And he asked the disciples, who do people say that I am? And they give a very like Oprah-esque answer. You're like a religious, godly teacher person. And then he says, in verse 16, or 15, he said to them, but who do you say that I am? And Peter's going to talk, because Peter always talks first, Peter always talks most. And if you talk enough, eventually you say right stuff. Well,

he finally gets one right. Simon Peter replied, you are the Christ, the son of the living God, and Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven, and then here's what he says. And I tell you, you are Peter, changes his name. And on this rock, and the rock that he is talking about is the public profession of the gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. Now, here's how we know that it's not built on the person, Peter, because Later in this chapter, Jesus lays out the gospel. He says, I'm going to die for the sins of all mankind, crucified, dead, buried on the third day, I will be resurrected.

And the Bible says that Peter rebukes him. Peter's like, not on my watch. You're not dying. Peter is like anti-gospel. And Jesus says to Peter, get behind me. Anybody know what he calls him? All right. You think I hurt your feelings?

Imagine the son of God calling you the devil. You know what I'm saying? The brother goes from Pope to a devil in one chapter. So here's what we know that the church is not bad. built on an individual, the rock that he is talking about here is the rock of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he says, and I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Now, that word church in Greek is this word called ecclesia. Say ecclesia. Oh, you're so smart. Good job. Ecclesia was not a religious term in the first century. In fact, it just meant a called out people on purpose. So if you saw like a group of demonstrators, imagine that was happening, that's like an ecclesia. It's not just a random crowd.

It's just any group of people on purpose. The way we would translate that in the 21st century here at 1122 is we would call that thing a movement. And in a linguistic tragedy in about 300 AD or so, Bible scholars start, they quit using the word ecclesia, the Greek word. They started using this German word, Kirche, which we get the word church. and it means the Lord's house. And people begin to think of church, not as a movement of God's people on God's purpose, but like a building on the corner with like a steeple and stuff.

But that's not what God was talking about. You see, we're not into buildings. We have facilities to facilitate ministry. But when Jesus said he's going to build his church, he wasn't talking about another building. He was talking about building up the body of Christ. And so he says, I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church.

And the gates of hell will not prevail against it. that the inception, the idea of this movement called the church, was not, it did not happen in the holy city of Jerusalem. It happened in sin city right at the edge of the gates of hell. And then he says, And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

In other words, God is going to use people in this movement called the church to do things that will change people's lives forever. what Angela, this single female at our church, by being involved in the mission and ministry of God, God used her and the little bit that she had dedicated unto the Lord to loose the soul of her sister to be with Jesus forever and ever and ever. Amen? That the church is God's idea. And this thing that we're doing here, 1122, listen, folks, it's not new.

It's just our turn. It's just our turn. and we are a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. So if you'll go to Ephesians chapter 3 and 4, we're going to talk about the church a little bit about God's purpose and plan, not just through the church, but in the church. And if Matthew chapter 16 is the inception of the church, like the first idea of it, and Acts chapter 2 is the conception of the church. So when the spirit fell and the first church service happened, then Ephesians chapter 3 and 4 are like the

maturation of the church. Now, in your journal there, it will say that the first word we're going to start with is Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20, and it says now. Now here's the problem when I do Bible study. When I get a word like now, I can't just start with now because I have to go, well, what? What? What now? What happened for you to go now? So you got to back up a little bit. And if you back up to like, I don't know, I think it's like verse 14 or so, he says this, for this reason. And for this reason is why there's the now. But the problem is is when it says for this reason, I go, for what reason? I got to get the reason. So let's just back all the way up to chapter 3, verse 1.

I'm sorry, it's just how my brain works. Get over it, okay? So I'll summarize verses 1 through 6 of chapter 3. What Paul is doing here is he's just like reminiscing on why he or that God called him into the gospel ministry. And he's really thanking God that a wretch like him would be called into the gospel ministry. He says, because God, you have revealed to me some mysteries that you have kept hidden for the ages. And then he gets into verse 6 and he says this. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs.

That's rednecks and nobodies like us right here at our church. That this movement is a movement for all people, not just the Jewish people that were religiously right. He says this mystery that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body. This is the kind of language he's going to use for the church, that you and I are connected like a body is connected and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. Here it comes through the gospel. So you know how you join the church? Your initiation into the body of Christ is not First Communion. It's not your baptism.

It's not going to a class. It's not confirmation. It's not moving your letter. It's not the initiation into the family of God, into the church, into being the bride of Christ. These are all words that the Bible uses to describe this thing we're a part of. Is the gospel of Jesus Christ that when Jesus died on the cross, that counted for you. And if you believe that somehow when he died, that counted for you, congratulations. You are invited in to be a part of this movement.

Verse 7. Of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power to me, though I am the very least of all the saints. I cannot tell you how much I resonate with that verse. I cannot get over the gospel in my life. I can't get over to the fact. First of all, I can't believe he'd save me, honestly. I'm not worth it.

And then that he would use me, that anything would happen. I can't get over it. And if you knew the crazy going on in here, I'm telling you, either one, you would never show up here again, which I wouldn't blame you, or two, you would feel a lot better about your walk with Jesus. This is what Paul is saying too.

He says, I am the very least of all the saints. This grace was given to preach to the Gentiles. Check this out. The unsearchable riches of Christ. He's saying, I'm going to talk about some stuff that nobody can understand. We're going to dive down into the depths of this pool of scripture and there is no bottom. And he is saying, who am I that God would use somebody like me to make plain to people a thing that people have been searching in for thousands of years? You see, anytime somebody says something nice to me about sermons, which you should often.

I go, listen, man, every sermon preached here, it's moderately delivered, it's exceptionally received. Somehow there's like this Holy Spirit grid right here, and as it goes out, I'm telling you, God just does a thing that I can't do. You see, my job is to expose you to the scriptures. That's what expository preaching is. That's what we do, verse by verse. but only the spirit of God can expose the scriptures to you. And Paul is saying, who am I that I get to do this as a job? He says that we're going to dig into the unsearchable riches of Christ,

verse 9, and bring to light for everyone, not just a certain group of people, not a target audience, but for everyone, remember, we're a movement for all people, that what is, underline this part in your Bible, the plan, that the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in, God who created all things so that, and here's how he's going to accomplish the plan, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. that the plan to communicate to the world the way that we can have access to the Father is the Church declares the gospel that it's by the blood of Jesus that we can be reconciled to the Father. You see this access and boldness talk?

You see in the old covenant there was no access. That there was a curtain that separated the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, from the people of God. And when Jesus pushes up on his nail-pierced feet on the cross and he says, it is finished, an earthquake cracks right through Jerusalem, and it tears the curtain from the very top to the very bottom, and people like us, not consecrated priests, but there's a priesthood of believers that

whoever would believe in Jesus. Now the sovereign king of the universe sees you and I as sons and daughters, and like any good dad, he says, come on, you have an all-access pass to me. I have a very busy schedule. Do you know who does not have to get on my calendar or make an appointment with me. My children, they have access to parts of me that none of you do. The other morning, yesterday morning, J.P. woke up earlier than I did, and he came in to the Holy of Holies, my bedroom. He had a football game and I wasn't awake yet, and he comes over to me and he jumps in the bed and rubs my head and said, wakey, wakey. And he can do that because he's my son. If you do that, you'd get shot at the door, okay?

That's just how it goes. And so yet what the Father through Christ and the church, what the church is supposed to do is declare and demonstrate that God has invited you to boldly access him as your Heavenly Father because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. And so he says, I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you. which is your glory. He's saying, don't worry about what it costs, because no matter what it costs, it is worth it. And then he goes, for this reason. So because the church is God's plan A to take the gospel to all people to know that Jesus died for all, for anyone who would believe, then Paul

goes, okay, for that reason, because the church is plan A, for that reason, I bow my knees before the Father. So Paul is saying to the church in Ephesus, I'm praying for you. and this is what I'm praying for you. Church of 1122, I spend gobs of time just praying for you. And these are some of the things I pray. I just ripped them right out of the Bible. He says this, for this reason, I bow my knee before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you, and here it is. Here's what I'm praying for you during this one initiative, that you would be strengthened with power through Him. his spirit in your inner being? Who wants some of that? Who wants to be strengthened with his power through the spirit of God like in your inner being? Let's be honest. I don't even know what that means. You don't either. What does that mean? I'm like, I don't know, but I need some of that. I got some inner being strength, power, holy spirit I need to be worked on a little bit. And I think

you do too. You see, you see, the church is not just a pawn in God's plan, but God also has a purpose, has a mission, not just through us, but in us. And so he's saying, this is what I'm praying for you, church, that you would be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being. And here's why, verse 17, so that, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. You know what we would call that here at 1122? That you would discover a relationship with Jesus. When you discover a relationship with Jesus, when you surrender your life to Christ, guess what happens?

Through faith, Christ dwells in your life. your heart. But then he keeps going. It doesn't stop there. He says that you being rooted and grounded in love. You know what we would call that around here? That you would deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. You see, I don't know if you realize this, but if you look through the New Testament, what you're going to see all over the place is a lot of similar language to this thing that we call a movement for all people to discover and deepen our relationship with Jesus. You know why? Because we didn't make it up. We just stole it right out of the book. And this is, this, when I say this is a church for all people, that also means spiritually all people.

For those of you that are brand new to this whole thing, man, you're brand new. This church is for you. And I hope and I pray that God would open up your eyes and you would discover for the very first time that you are who he says you are. And if you would just believe that when he died on the cross, that counted for you, then he would dwell in you. And, and if you, if you've been around a long, long time, I mean, like you were in Sunday school with Methusel. All right, God bless you. You've been reading your Bible forever, all right?

Well, then guess what? God's not finished with you either. That we're going to continuously deepen our relationship by being rooted and grounded in the love of God. And he keeps going. Here's what he's praying for the church. They may have strength to comprehend with all the saints. I pray that you would have the strength to comprehend with all the saints. Now, check this out. According to the New Testament, guess who a saint is?

Listen, Catholics, this is going to blow your mind. Anybody that puts their faith in Jesus, you are a saint. You're a saint. Nobody's got a vote on it. You don't get a necklace with your head on it. No holidays for you. But all of that is secondary stuff that you are a saint because you have the imputed righteousness of Christ. And when we are, when we discover our relationship with Jesus and deepen that relationship with Jesus, then he gives us the strength to comprehend with all the saints. I love this. What is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses

knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God? You know what all that language there? To know the love of Christ? That's like having a relationship with Jesus Christ. This means that somehow over the last, probably since the Reformation, so the last 500 years or so, discipleship has been equated with knowledge. I think it has to do with the Industrial Revolution. I think it has to do with the information age.

I think it has to do with modernity, like pre-postmodernity, when everything was just about info, info, info. And somehow we lined up disciples like classroom and we would just do lectures and it's just information, information. The problem is that in the scriptures, discipleship is not measured by knowledge. Discipleship is measured by love. Think about this. A lawyer comes to Jesus and says, what's the greatest commandment? And he said, love God. He quoted the Shema. Now think about the Nicene Creed. Some of you quoted it every Sunday in church for tons of time. The Nicene crane is super, super important. A bunch of church fathers got together to say this is what Orthodox belief is. Guess what it leaves out? Nowhere in the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed does it say that we should

love God. Did you know, you could know all there is to know about God and spend an eternity apart from him? In fact, in the scriptures, who were the people that knew most about the scriptures? They were the Pharisees. Their only problem is they didn't love Jesus. They didn't love Jesus. And in fact, in the New Testament, the people that were most unlike Jesus were the people. that liked Jesus most. And they were the people that they didn't understand all the festivals and the holidays and the laws and the rituals. But what they understood is that they were sinners and that he loved them.

And instead of pouring out his judgment, he poured out his grace. And so they would worship and adore him and they knew him. Now, don't get me wrong, right theology matters because you can't rightly love somebody with wrong thoughts about them. You can't. If I were to write a love song to my wife, it would be awesome. Let's be honest, okay? It would sound like Johnny Cash, ring of fire, and it would be a love song to her.

But if I started it out about how I was mesmerized by her beautiful blonde hair, she wouldn't like it. And some of you are thinking, well, what is wrong with her? Here's what's wrong with her. She ain't got blonde hair. So she would think, you're singing about somebody, but she ain't singing about me. So right theology matters, but what matters most is to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Like I don't want to just know facts about my wife. I want to know her. Like just spend time with her. I want to, there's a love that I have for this woman that I can't just put into words. Like, listen, the gospel is true.

It is. It's true. Jesus died on the cross for our sins on the third day. It was resurrected. There's all kind of evidence for the resurrection. You should check into that. The gospel is logical. Hell is hot forever's a long time. You should follow Jesus. It goes better for you. The gospel is practical. You can't pay for your past sins, and Jesus is offering you a sweet deal, baby. He'll pay for it, and you get the prize, and he takes the payment. If somebody gave you that real estate deal, you're like, I'm in, okay? And yet, even though the gospel is true, it is logical, it is practical. If that's all you know it as, you don't actually know the gospel.

Because the gospel is beautiful. Who are we? would leave his throne to come on a rescue mission to save us. You see, it is true that I'm married to Gretchen. It is practical that I stay married to her, and it is logical that I treat her nice. It is. I mean, honestly, look at me and look at her.

I could never pull that off again, okay? It was a very small window. We got married. We were really, really young. She was very easily influenced, and it's a covenant, so she's stuck, all right? And if, even though it's true that I made a vow, and it's practical for my kids and me, and it's logical for me to stay with her.

That is not the driving force in our relationship. I just love her. Like, so much, I get a little like, oh, if I talk about it too much, okay? Why? I don't know how to explain that. And so the gospel is not just the facts of what happened. Of course, it's rooted in history, but the gospel is so much bigger than that. The gospel is, it's all inspiring.

It's the love and the glory of God put on display and the person and work of Jesus Christ. and it should draw us to him like a tractor beam, and the church is supposed to declare and demonstrate that kind of beautiful gospel. That's what we've been called into, to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that we would be filled with all the fullness. Verse 20, now. All right, so now we're to the sermon.

Okay? That was just like the preview. That didn't even count. But see, if you didn't know all that stuff, you wouldn't know now what we're talking about. So now that the church is to put on display, the glory of God for the nations, now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever, amen. This is a very often quoted verse except people skip the church part. Here's what he says. He goes now, so now that we have established the role of the church in history for his glory, now to him, not to us. It's not based on strategy. It's not based on talent. Now to him, who is able to do, check this out,

far more abundantly than all we ask or think. Listen, I'm going to tell you, what God has already done through this movement 1122 is exceedingly more than we ever hoped or imagine. We used to sit around our house and beg that people would just show up, maybe, a couple people. I remember the first time Carrie Williams led a volunteer meeting. We had 400 people show up to the be volunteers for 1122. Y'all were there.

And I just remember thinking, okay, sweet, if just those people show up, even if not one person is in the seat, we got enough to, like, do church. We didn't know the thing was going to work. And now you fast forward six years, then we have about 10,000 people here this weekend. four campuses, plant 150 churches. It's crazy. It is exceedingly more than we ever hoped to imagine, which leads me to believe this. What if the limiting factor in this thing

is we're not dreaming big enough? We're not thinking big enough. What if that's the limiting factor? I believe God's calling us to plant a thousand churches over the next 10 years to send 100 missionaries to the ends of the earth. Some of those are going to be you. You don't even know it yet.

Bye. All right? You go on, man. You go on. If I could pick who it is, it'd be even better, but that's a different message, okay? And at least 10, 1122 campuses, I mean, from St. Augustine and St. Mary's, and everywhere God opens the door. And maybe the problem with that is that we're not believing God for enough. Last week, I said that we're believing God over the next two years to accomplish a bunch of this stuff, $52 million in resources.

And we hear $52 million, we're like, ooh, let me tell you what did not happen in heaven. God was not like tuning into the podcast and was like, what 50? What in the name of me are you talking about? Where am I going to get that kind of money? No way, man. He's got it all. He's got it all. And if he wants, maybe he wants me to win that billion dollar lottery.

I'd have to buy a ticket, but still, maybe. We did have a couple of disciple groups, and they went and they bought a bunch of lottery tickets, and they have covenanted that if they win, it goes to the church. That might be a sin. I don't care. Okay, I think it's awesome. Maybe we're not believing God for enough. let me tell you what blows my mind more abundantly than all we ask are mad just not 10,000 people

on Thursday night I come walking into 722 I come through this door right over here it's very spiritual things that happen back there I can't tell you about it and I walk in and my one more is one more one more is on the second row just hand up just going for it a dude I met in a hunting club a few years ago I let his dad to Christ and his dad said to me can you just pray for my sons both of his sons are there and they're just worshiping the Lord their whole family are. That's abundantly more than I ever hoped or imagine. And so what if that was the limiting factor that we're just not dreaming big enough now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, and I love this, according to the power, according to the power, not according to talent,

not according to personality, not according to a strategic plan, not according to a fundraiser, but according to power. Do you know that word in Greek for power here? Is the word we, is the same root word that we get our English word dynamite. It's that kind of power. By show of hands, how many of you have ever messed around with some dynamite? Anybody? All right? A couple people. All right? I mean, seriously, you've blown up, see where I'm from, half the room will be that. Of course. All right. So, when I was in college, I was a member of this hunting club. One day, it was kind of a slow day, and I head back to the little lodge thing, which was just a double-eyed trailer but we call it the cabin and so I walk in and there's a guy named Zeke and he just

kind of lived there I don't know what the zeke did he worked for the railroad and so Zeke says you want to blow up a beaver dam there's some things you don't even have to pray about yeah I believe I do I think that sounds awesome and I was like how are we going to blow up a beaver dam these beavers were damming up these creeks and it was like flooding our it jacks up the trees it's not good and so I was like yeah man I'm in and so he goes out to his truck and he's got like a milk crate with dynamite in it. Like it looked fake. And it's just a milk crate.

And I'm like, art, cool. So he puts it on the four-wheeler, and he bungee straps the dynamite on the front of the four-wheeler. And then there's Zeke taking up way more than his one-person room on the seat. And then there's me, scoched all the way back on the rack, trying to not touch Zeke in any way possible, all right? Now, I will tell you this. If your name is Zeke, the possibility of you having dynamite,

in your truck is exponentially higher than most humans, all right? And so there we go. And then we ride on this four-wheeler as if we don't have dynamite on the front, all right? And then we get to the place, man. We've got our waiters on, and we go out there, and it's this huge beaver dam. And we've got the sticks of dynamite, and we're just sticking them down into as far as we could reach down under the beaver dam. And they just looked like, I mean, it looked like a Western movie. It looked like what the Duke boys used to use. If y'all know, Google the Duke boy, they were missionaries in the late 80s, okay and so and then we ran this little wire he stuck the wires in there and he had this big spool of stuff and we like go it's probably 75 yards away and he had this big thing looks like i'm telling you

look like a western movie you know with the two handles thing and he's like you might want to get behind the four wheel so i did i lay down and he clicked that thing off and i don't know if you've heard something explode like under the water but it's like and the earth shook and water shot to the heavens and trees and beaver dam and beaver paw and hearts are just flying everywhere. And I'm like, this is the greatest day of hunting my whole life. And that power is nothing compared to the power of God at work. The power of God took Jesus in the grave and resurrected him forever and ever and put

death to death. The power of God takes all of your sins and wipes them away forever and ever. The power of God takes the perfect righteousness of Christ and imputes it into your soul, and there's nothing that can take that away. That's the power of God. And then my favorite part, within us, that that power is not out there, it's not in the Holy of Holies, that power is at work in here within us. You think God needs us for anything?

No. Why does God use us to the church? All I can come up with is that he is a good dad and he loves his kids. The church is essentially take your kid to work day for God. until he returns. That's what it is. Let's be honest. Have you ever asked your kids to help you with a project around the house? How helpful are they? If you're not a parent, jot this down. Not. That's it. They're not helpful at all. Actually, they're aggravating. Okay? God does use them to grow things like patience and kindness, all right? And he takes years off of your life when they try to help you

with projects. I'm telling you, not you, we'd be so much more efficient if we just lift them in their own fortnight and then we just did everything and yet what good parents do good parents go come on you want to help me with something not only does it develop them but also you just want to be with them and so what god does with this cosmic plan of the universe as he looks at his kids it goes come on you want to help me with something yeah what's that dad the redemption of the world a few years ago Gretchen's parents gave our kids a trampoline for Christmas because they hate us and they want us to die. And we were putting the thing together on Christmas Day. I was like, hey, buddy, you want to help me put the trampoline together? He's like, yeah, and he gets out there. And he was no help.

He was worse than no help. He made it harder. There's like a thousand springs than he's playing with him, so we're always further away than I can reach. And when I finally get the whole thing put together, and I made him jump on it first, then we walk into the house. Then Gratchie goes, where y'all been? J.P.'s like, we've been putting the trampoline together. No, we have not. I have been putting the trampoline together trying not to kill you. That's what we have done. And yet, man, good dad say, come on. Good mom say, come on. Let's do this thing together. This is what God is doing now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. To him be glory. Look what it says. In the church,

this is where all of that happens in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. And then he goes, therefore, because of that, because the church is God's plan A, I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. That means that if the gospel has infected your life, then your life should show symptoms of that gospel infection. With all humility and gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Here's what he's saying here. And see, the church, the reason that we're a movement for all people is because the church is for everybody,

all kind of, no matter what you look like or how you vote or what you think about this, that or the other, no matter your college football affiliation, we're not talking about that right now, but all of us together and yet we're unified under the headship of Christ. Now see, what was going on. here is that there were all these different races, primarily Jew, Gentile, they like each other a lot, okay? And in the old covenant in the temple, there literally was like, it's this thing called the wall of hostility. You read about it in Ephesians chapter two,

and he says the gospel knocks that thing down, that this church, the church, should be putting on display what it looks like to be a movement for all people to discover in deep in a relationship with Jesus Christ. By the way, in January, we're going to do a three-week, Friday night class on the gospel and race, I hope you will be there so that we can be more of a discussion and dialogue, not just me preaching it. Also, if you'll see these things like humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, this is a shortened list of the fruit of the spirit that Paul lays out in Galatians chapter 5. And here's the thing, the majority of the fruit of the spirit is only achieved or recognized in proximity to one another. You can't learn patience by yourself. You can't

Can't be kind by yourself. Gentleness is a thing that happens when the body of Christ is joined together. And so if you're not joined to a local expression of the body of Christ, then you've got no hope of the fruit of spirit being produced in you. Because it's not some kind of like magic fruit dust. He sprinkles on you during your quiet time. It's as we are together as a body. And here's what he's saying here.

Listen, man, you get a bunch of different sinners together. Look at the person next to you. Sinner. worse than you think you just know some of their sins they got some junk going on in here whoa it's rough and you get us together in one body one family it's a mess it's a hot mess and yet what he's saying here is don't let our messiness cause us to miss the mission that god has for us that the mission is so much bigger than our own individual messiness and so here's where he goes check this out, that there is one body and one spirit, just as you recall to one hope that belongs

to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all, but grace was given to each one of us, according to the measure of Christ's gift. In other words, he's saying this, it ain't about you. Church is not about you. It is about the mission of God, and the mission of God is the glory of God. So, you know what this means? So I get it, man, I get it. If you're trying out a few churches to see which one you're like, that's fine, but then you get connected, and then we're here for the glory of God. I mean, this ain't American Idol where you judge the singers about that. It's not my favorite. It's not my song. You know, he wasn't as funny. It's like,

okay, whatever. That's American consumerism. It has nothing to do with what God has called us to do and be as the church. And he says, it's not about you. It's our lives are for his story and his glory. And then here's the example he gives. It's kind of weird, but I'll explain it. He says, Therefore, it says the it's the Bible. Therefore, the Bible says, when He, that's Jesus, ascended on high, he led a host of captives and gave gifts to men, and then in parentheses, and saying he ascended, what does it mean? But that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth.

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things. I think that's pretty obvious. We can just keep going. Ha ha. No, here's what he's saying. Jesus didn't make it about him. Jesus made it not about his own personal preferences, but Jesus made it about the glory of God. And this is what the church should be, that Jesus, in the Garden of Gassimony, says, Father, if there be any other way, here's what he's saying.

If Oprah is right, and all roads lead to heaven, if you could be good enough, if you can just follow the Ten Commandments, if you can pray a certain prayer, if you can align your chakra, if you can obey the five pillars, if any of those ways, work, then it seems like an awful waste of my blood on the cross tomorrow. Father, if there be any other way to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God, if there be any other way, let this cup, the cup of wrath, pass from me. And then here it is. Not my will. Your will be done. And when we're united together in one church under the banner of the one name whereby all men must be saved, then this is what we're saying. Not my will, but Your will be done. And then he gives some instructions on how the church should be set up.

And he gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. A decent way to think about that in today's world, in church world, is that's like the staff. Apostles plant gospel-centered churches. Prophets tell you how to glorify God in this world. By the way you live your life according to the scriptures, evangelists invite people to follow Jesus. Shepherds care for the sheep. And teachers root the saints in the word of God by explaining the scriptures. a way that people are going to understand. I dare you to look through the one initiative in what we

do as a church and see how much of this lines up. Because what we're trying to do is align our church to the New Testament definition of church. And so that's like the five-fold ministry of the church. That's what a way to think about it is be like the staff. And guess what our job is. Our job is the next first. Verse 12, to equip the saints. Now, review class. Who are the saints? That's right. You're the saints to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ. So according to Ephesians, I'm not in ministry. You are. I'm an equipper. You're in ministry. One in the church. So look, we gave you this little thing when you came in and it says serve on it. If you're not building up the body of Christ by serving, then you should. Pray about it, fill the

stuff out, write it down. We made it perforated, which is Hebrew to tear away. I don't know if that's true, but that sounds awesome. Driving in a basket on the way out. Why? Because Ephesians says for you to do that, okay? But it's not just in the church, it's also that you would be equipped to be a missionary wherever you are. Spurgeon says this, Charles Spurgeon.

He says, every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. Think about this. Whether you're the pastor or a principal. Whether you're a homiletics professor at a seminary or a homemaker. Whether you're a banker or a Bible study leader. Whether you're a worship leader or a waste management expert. Whatever it is, you are either a missionary or you're an imposter. Why?

Because this is what God has called the church to be and do. Verse 13, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God to mature manhood, to measure, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Look, man, church is not just this thing that you should come and intend. It is a family to belong to. And I would ask you, are you growing? If you're not growing in your relationship with Jesus, if you're not deepening in your walk with Jesus,

I'm telling you, you're not doing it right. You're not putting yourself in the kind of environments whereby you grow and grow and grow. And he tells us why, verse 14, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes. In other words, as you do ministry, God will mature you.

The best way to deepen your relationship with Jesus is put yourself in a place where you can help other people discover theirs. He says, rather, speaking the truth and love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ, from whom the whole body, that's us, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly. If you're disconnected, you're not working properly.

I've told you this a thousand times. If you walked out to the parking lot and you just saw a foot, nobody, just a foot. You know what you would not say? You would not say, this foot does not need a calf and an ankle to be all that this foot could be, you would think something has gone horribly wrong. Not only for this foot, but there's a whole body, and they ain't doing too. Someone like a fellow hopping around, and he ain't doing good either.

I think when you're disconnected from the body, that heaven looks at you and goes, something has gone horribly wrong. The future of the disconnected foot is going to shrivel up, stink, and die. That is the future of the disconnected Jesus follower. This is a team sport and that we should be connected to one another so that we are growing. And it says it makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Somebody asked me, one of my preacher friends, who's like, so I hear y'all are doing a building campaign. I'm like, not exactly.

He goes, well, what are you building? The body of Christ. It's not about bricks and mortar. We're going to use facilities to facilitate ministry, like Angela's system. meeting Jesus at the Mandarin location. Praise God. We're going to do it over and over and over again. But the point is not to build buildings. The point is to build the body of Christ. Here is the point. In the body of Christ, that's us. In the body of Christ, everybody counts. Everybody counts. We are one church with many members to the glory of the one name that is above every name.

So the question here that Ephesians leaves us with is this. It says, so are you maturing, are you growing? You see, if you're a follower of Jesus, that means you continuously take steps to keep following after Jesus. If you quit taking steps, it's over, man, you're done. You're not following anymore. And so, listen, I had dinner,

Gresh and I had dinner with this couple this week, and they're about to be brand new parents. They're about to be brand new parents. And these are theologically astute kids, early 30s, all right? And, I mean, they listen to podcasts and read theological books. In fact, on their first date, she asked him what he thought about reformed theology. So you can imagine the fireworks that ensued. So they're about to be first-time parents.

And I told these little theologians, hey kids, your whole Bible's about to change. They're like, why? I'm like, because when you become a mother or a father, then you're going to see the gospel through the lens of the dad with a lost kid as opposed to seeing the gospel as the lost kid. You began to get, why, for God so loved the world, he gave, because you would do anything for your children. Do you know that's how God thinks of you?

And so when you are taking steps, I promise he's a good dad. He celebrates every step. Every preacher with a kid has used this illustration, but do you remember when your kid first started walking? Remember, they crawled up, they got there, they looked around, like, oh, it's like a whole new world.

And you had to like start moving everything, like three feet and higher, right? And there they are. And then they looked at you. And they were like, oh, I know that one. And what did you start doing? Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on. You know, the first 18 months of your child's life, all you ever do is go, come on, talk, walk, talk, walk. The next 16 and a half years, you're like, sit down, shut up, sit down, shut up. That's parenting. Okay. And so there you are. Come on, take a step, buddy. And then God created them with these enormous football-sized heads

and these little bodies that can't hold up the head, and the head goes. And it's just momentum. And they go, uh-uh. And when that happens, what do you do? Are you like, are you serious? You just fell? Would you quit crying, you baby? That's your mama's blood right there.

Because I would get like Heisman, if you were some of my genetic. No, you don't do that. You cheer, you close. clap, you put it on Facebook, you call people, he's walking. The other day, my son's almost 13, comes walking out of his room, my daughter who's nine, comes walking out of her room. Let me tell you what we didn't do. Gretchen I didn't go, he did it again, because they're supposed to grow up.

Now we do celebrate steps, just different steps. He plays for his middle school baseball team. He had a game yesterday, two of them, and he hits the ball, he runs the first, steals second, steals third, somebody hits the ball, and he comes running home. And when he steps on that home plate, we celebrate, look, man, this ain't the MLB. This is Providence Middle School baseball. There's more people playing than watching, okay? You understand what I'm saying?

But if you would only have looked at us celebrating, you'd think he just won the World Series with a walk-offs. Why? Because that's my boy. And we celebrate. My little girl, Reagan, she does gymnastics. like real gymnastics now. Ain't just frolicking around. She takes steps on a balanced beam.

Have you seen these balance beams? Somebody created them to give a heart attack to the dads. Man, I hate these things. Make me so nervous. Why don't have to be so tall? Ain't got to be that tall. She ain't been this tall. It's way up here.

It's like this big. And then she can like step like this and she can go all the way over and then start stepping again. It's the craziest thing in the world. And see, we go to her little meats. And she does her little thing and spins around and takes that step,

and we lose our mind like it's the Olympics. It ain't the Olympics. It's this little gym over here. It stinks like somebody needs to find a rotten sock in that place. It's awful. But if you look at us, we'd be like, we celebrate every step. That's what the church does. God Almighty has a mission through us, but he has a mission to us.

And he's saying this, come on, just take a step. What's your next step? For some of you, it's like, hey, man, step into a great. group. You know that's where it's at. You need to be surrounded by men and women that will be praying for you. Maybe you need to step into serving. Maybe you need to take that step and become a covenant member. For a bunch of us, this will be the step. Maybe you, for the very first time in your life, it'll click in your brain over the next few weeks ago. Oh, wait a minute. So this ain't all mine. This isn't all my. I thought I worked for this and it was mine, but what you mean to tell me

is that everything I have is from above. And I should glorify God with a portion of what I have. And some of you for the very first time will begin to trust Jesus with a portion of your resources. And I'm telling you, he's going to say, he's going to cheer and cheer and cheer and cheer. Some of us have been doing that for a long time. You've been tied since you were in Sunday school with Moses, okay? God bless you. And God's not done with you.

He's going to say, come on, come on. Now you know what your step looks like for you? only the Holy Spirit can tell you. But I promise you, we have a good, good dad that delights in his children and delights as we grow up in him. See, not only does God have a mission through the church, but he has a mission to the church, which is to grow us up. Would you please stand and pray with me?

Our good and grace is Heavenly Father. God, we thank you that we can love you because you love us first. And God, I thank you from the depths of my soul. in my inner being for this church, for all of our campuses, for all of our staff, our deacons, our elders, for the brand new people, for the people that were here to help us get going on day one and everybody in between. God, I thank you that this truly is one big dysfunctional family. And God, I know, especially from your perspective, God, we are a mess. And yet in our mess, you accomplished your mission, that you would be glorified by all people discovering and deepening a

relationship with you. We pray that continues for your glory. We prayed in Jesus' name. Amen.