The Church
Series: WE BELIEVE
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 14th March 2020
Passages:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Jack and Grace met through a mutual friend.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 From day one, they seemed to be perfect for each other.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 Grace was everything that Jack had always wanted.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:17 She was beautiful and outgoing and caring,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 always there when Jack needed her.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:21 For the first...
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 I might get one of those other microphones, is that alright?
00:00:23 --> 00:00:30 Grace was beautiful, outgoing and caring.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 She was always there for whatever Jack needed her.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 For the first five months, they were just inseparable.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:42 Jack could hardly think of anything but Grace.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 He didn't need to look further.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 He told his friends.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:47 He said, she's the one.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Now, almost three years have passed,
00:00:50 --> 00:00:56 and Jack still enjoys the comfort and the familiarity of being with Grace.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 But the spark's gone.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:03 Grace's flaws are just a little bit more obvious.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:08 He's not sure he finds her as attractive as he once did.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:12 And he's beginning to resent all the time that she wants to spend with him.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:19 One day, when she asks if they can define the nature of their relationship,
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 Jack blows up.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:23 We're together, aren't we?
00:01:24 --> 00:01:25 He says angrily.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 Why is that not enough for you?
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 Obviously, Jack isn't ready for commitment.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 He's not sure he ever will be,
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 nor ever wants to be.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:45 I wonder if you've ever been in a relationship like that.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:51 I wonder if you know of people who are in relationships like that.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 I can think of a couple.
00:01:54 --> 00:01:59 Let me say, if you are in a relationship like that,
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 that is not God's purpose for your life.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 God wants you to be in a relationship
00:02:06 --> 00:02:11 defined by both passion and commitment.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:15 And the reality is,
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 there are millions of Jacks
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 walking around on the face of the earth today.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 But before I go on any further,
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 let me just give you one more piece of information
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 that you should know.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 Grace isn't a girl.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 Grace is a church.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:38 And this, unfortunately,
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 is the let's define the nature relationship talk.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 The ethic of personal autonomy
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 shapes the minds,
00:02:50 --> 00:02:51 the expectations,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:55 and the worldviews of most Australians.
00:02:56 --> 00:02:57 And regrettably,
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 this ethic has permeated
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 the Australian church.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:04 There is little,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:04 in fact,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 it's not just the Australian church
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 in terms of the culture.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:08 It's one of the things
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 that's happening with this pandemic
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 at the moment
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 as to why places like Singapore
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 and Hong Kong
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 can contain it so well.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 But in the Western world,
00:03:17 --> 00:03:18 it explodes.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 In our minds,
00:03:23 --> 00:03:24 there is little thought
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 given to our statement
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 from the Apostles' Creed today.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 I believe in
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 one holy,
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 Catholic,
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 and apostolic church
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 and the communion of saints.
00:03:36 --> 00:03:37 Now,
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 if you've just joined us
00:03:38 --> 00:03:39 today,
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 then we're working our way
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 through the ancient statement
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 of Christian belief
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 called the Apostles' Creed.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 And this short statement
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 captures the way
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 that Christians view God,
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 the world,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 the life,
00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 future.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:56 It's our worldview,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 if you like.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 And so today,
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 I'm picking up
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 what Christians believe
00:04:00 --> 00:04:01 about the church.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:01 I've got three things
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 I want us to explore.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:03 If you've got a phone
00:04:03 --> 00:04:03 or an iPad
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 or a handout in front of you,
00:04:05 --> 00:04:06 you'll see there
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 three main points.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 What is the church?
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 What's the purpose
00:04:10 --> 00:04:11 of the church?
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 And how to be
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 a purposeful church member?
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 So what's the first point?
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 What is the church?
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 The word church
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 in our New Testament
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 comes from the Greek word
00:04:26 --> 00:04:26 ecclesia.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 It's used just under 80 times
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 in the New Testament
00:04:31 --> 00:04:35 and only on three occasions
00:04:35 --> 00:04:36 in the New Testament
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 is the word ecclesia
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 not translated
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 into the English word church.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 For instance,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 in Acts 19,
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 an idol-making silversmith
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 named Demetrius
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 whips the whole city up
00:04:54 --> 00:04:55 into a riot
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 because too many
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 of his customers
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 were turning from idolatry
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 to faith in the Lord Jesus
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 and therefore not buying
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 his produce.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 And next thing you know,
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 there's this large crowd
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 that's gathered
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 and it says
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 in Acts 19,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:12 32,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 the assembly
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 was in confusion.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 Some were shouting
00:05:18 --> 00:05:18 one thing,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 some another
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 and most people
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 didn't even know
00:05:22 --> 00:05:22 why they were there.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:24 So it seems like
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 a sensible kind of mob really.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 The word assembly there
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 is the Greek word
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 ecclesia.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 The word church
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 at its core
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 simply refers to
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 a crowd
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 of people
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 gathered together.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:43 Sometimes in the New Testament,
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 churches used to
00:05:44 --> 00:05:45 refer to the
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 gathering of Christians
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 around God
00:05:49 --> 00:05:49 in heaven.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 Theologians refer to this
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 as the invisible church.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 Everyone
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 who knows Jesus
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 from every time
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 and
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 place,
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 those who are alive
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 and those who are dead
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 are gathered
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 spiritually
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 in God's presence,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 united in Jesus,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 magnifying God.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 That's the invisible church.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 And if you are in Jesus now,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 if you're a Christian,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 spiritually,
00:06:20 --> 00:06:21 you're connected
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 to that universal church
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 currently gathering
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 in the throne room
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 around God.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 That's the invisible church.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 mostly,
00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 however,
00:06:32 --> 00:06:32 the words
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 in the New Testament
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 refer to the
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 local church
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 gathered in a particular
00:06:38 --> 00:06:38 place,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 like the church
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 that gathers
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 on the corner of
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 Fuller's Road
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 and View Street,
00:06:44 --> 00:06:44 Chatswood.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 The local church.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:46 Us.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 This is the church
00:06:49 --> 00:06:49 visible.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 never
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 in the New Testament
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 is the
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 word
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 ecclesia
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 used
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 to describe
00:07:00 --> 00:07:00 a location,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 a building,
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 or an institution,
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 or even
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 a collection
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 of local churches.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 And so,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:16 you could say,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:16 well,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 the church is just
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 a mob
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 on one level.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:21 But,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:22 the church
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 is not just
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 any mob
00:07:24 --> 00:07:24 or crowd
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 gathered together.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 The Greek word
00:07:27 --> 00:07:27 ecclesia
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 is made from
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 two other
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 Greek words
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 and joined together.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:33 These words
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 mean
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 to call
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 out.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 The word
00:07:39 --> 00:07:39 church
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 really refers
00:07:41 --> 00:07:41 to those
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 called out
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 by God,
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 called out
00:07:46 --> 00:07:46 by God,
00:07:47 --> 00:07:47 joined
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 together
00:07:48 --> 00:07:48 as his
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 people,
00:07:50 --> 00:07:50 the followers
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 of his
00:07:51 --> 00:07:51 son,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:51 Jesus.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:53 And
00:07:53 --> 00:07:54 Matthew 18,
00:07:55 --> 00:07:55 which Peter
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 read out to us,
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 is where we see
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 the foundation
00:07:59 --> 00:07:59 of the church.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 We see this
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 theology
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 starting there.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:03 This is
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 what separates
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 this particular
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 gathering of people
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 from all other
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 gatherings of people.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 Matthew 16,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 13 to 19,
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 people,
00:08:18 --> 00:08:18 Jesus
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 asks his
00:08:19 --> 00:08:19 disciples,
00:08:20 --> 00:08:20 who do
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 people say I am?
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 And they come up
00:08:22 --> 00:08:22 with all sorts
00:08:22 --> 00:08:22 of different
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 answers.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:23 Jesus says,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:23 well,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 what about you?
00:08:25 --> 00:08:25 And Peter
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 confesses the
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 identity
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 of who
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 Jesus is.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:30 Peter says
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 that Jesus
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 is more than
00:08:32 --> 00:08:32 a prophet,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:33 he's more
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 than a teacher,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 he is
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 the son
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 of the living
00:08:37 --> 00:08:37 God,
00:08:38 --> 00:08:38 the Messiah.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:42 He is
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 the promised
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 seed of the
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 woman from
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 Genesis 3.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:49 And Jesus
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 then responds
00:08:51 --> 00:08:51 with an
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 announcement
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 that will
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 change the
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 course of
00:08:55 --> 00:08:55 human history.
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 He says,
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 upon
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 Peter's
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 word,
00:09:05 --> 00:09:05 not
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 Peter the
00:09:06 --> 00:09:06 person,
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 but upon
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 his word,
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 his confession,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:12 he will
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 build his
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 church,
00:09:15 --> 00:09:15 his gathering.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 Why is
00:09:16 --> 00:09:16 Peter's
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 word not
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 Peter the
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 person?
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 Because the
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 whole context
00:09:21 --> 00:09:21 tells you
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 it's about
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 who Jesus
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 is,
00:09:24 --> 00:09:24 not who
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 Peter is,
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 it's about
00:09:26 --> 00:09:26 the identity
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 of Jesus.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 Who do
00:09:29 --> 00:09:29 people say
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 I am?
00:09:31 --> 00:09:31 And in the
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 very next
00:09:32 --> 00:09:32 section,
00:09:32 --> 00:09:32 Peter gets
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 it totally
00:09:33 --> 00:09:33 wrong and
00:09:33 --> 00:09:33 tries to
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 stop Jesus
00:09:34 --> 00:09:34 from going
00:09:34 --> 00:09:35 on the
00:09:35 --> 00:09:35 cross in
00:09:35 --> 00:09:35 the first
00:09:35 --> 00:09:35 place.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:36 So Peter
00:09:36 --> 00:09:36 hasn't
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 fully
00:09:37 --> 00:09:37 grasped it.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 Upon
00:09:41 --> 00:09:41 Peter's
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 confession,
00:09:43 --> 00:09:43 he will
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 build his
00:09:44 --> 00:09:44 church.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 Where
00:09:46 --> 00:09:46 Peter's
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 confession
00:09:47 --> 00:09:47 of the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 true
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 identity
00:09:49 --> 00:09:49 of Jesus
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 Christ
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 is found,
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 the church
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 is found.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:55 Where
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 this
00:09:56 --> 00:09:56 confession
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 is
00:09:57 --> 00:09:58 proclaimed,
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 you find
00:10:00 --> 00:10:00 the communion
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 of saints.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 Entrance
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 into God's
00:10:04 --> 00:10:04 church,
00:10:04 --> 00:10:04 church,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 his crowd,
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 his mob
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 begins
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 with the
00:10:09 --> 00:10:09 confession
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 that Jesus
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 Christ is
00:10:12 --> 00:10:12 Lord,
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 Son of
00:10:14 --> 00:10:14 the living
00:10:14 --> 00:10:14 God.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 All who
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 make that
00:10:18 --> 00:10:18 confession,
00:10:18 --> 00:10:19 by God's
00:10:19 --> 00:10:19 grace,
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 become his
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 people and
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 unite themselves
00:10:23 --> 00:10:23 to Christ
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 and his
00:10:24 --> 00:10:24 body,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:25 the church.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:26 It's by
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 God's grace
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 because Peter's
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 confession
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 was gifted
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 to him
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 by God
00:10:32 --> 00:10:32 himself,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 as Jesus
00:10:33 --> 00:10:33 said.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 This all
00:10:35 --> 00:10:35 means that
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 when a
00:10:36 --> 00:10:36 church
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 fails to
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 hold to
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 this truth
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 and declare
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 this truth
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 and embody
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 this truth,
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 they forfeit
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 their status
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 as a
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 church of
00:10:51 --> 00:10:51 Christ.
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 And they
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 become a
00:10:56 --> 00:10:56 mob,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:57 a crowd.
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 As
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 theologian
00:11:01 --> 00:11:01 J.R.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:02 Packer
00:11:02 --> 00:11:02 puts it
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 in his
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 very short
00:11:04 --> 00:11:04 book,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 Affirming
00:11:05 --> 00:11:05 the Apostles
00:11:05 --> 00:11:05 Creed,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:06 he says,
00:11:07 --> 00:11:07 the church
00:11:07 --> 00:11:07 is a
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 supernatural
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 society
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 of God's
00:11:10 --> 00:11:10 redeemed
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 and baptized
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 people,
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 looking back
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 to Christ's
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 first coming
00:11:15 --> 00:11:15 with gratitude
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 and on to
00:11:17 --> 00:11:17 his second
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 coming with
00:11:18 --> 00:11:18 hope.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 That's the
00:11:21 --> 00:11:21 first point,
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 that's what the
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 church is.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 So what's the
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 purpose of
00:11:23 --> 00:11:23 church?
00:11:24 --> 00:11:24 Matthew
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 16
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 would also
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 suggest the
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 church has a
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 specific purpose.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 It alludes to
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 it in the
00:11:32 --> 00:11:32 second half of
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 verse 18
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 where we read,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 the gates of
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 Hades will not
00:11:36 --> 00:11:37 overcome it,
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 I will give you
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 the keys of
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 the kingdom of
00:11:40 --> 00:11:40 heaven,
00:11:41 --> 00:11:41 whatever you
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 bind on earth
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 you will be
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 bound in
00:11:44 --> 00:11:44 heaven and
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 whatever you
00:11:45 --> 00:11:45 loose on
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 earth will be
00:11:46 --> 00:11:46 loosed in
00:11:46 --> 00:11:46 heaven.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 So Peter's
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 confession
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 insists that
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 the church be
00:11:53 --> 00:11:53 built on the
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 truth of the
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 gospel,
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 but Jesus
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 also endows
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 his body
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 with an
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 insurmountable
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 power,
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 a power that
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 Satan himself
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 cannot
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 overturn
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 even by
00:12:12 --> 00:12:12 death.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 And this
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 authority is
00:12:15 --> 00:12:15 given to the
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 church that
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 the church
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 might carry
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 out its
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 God-given
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 duties and
00:12:23 --> 00:12:23 that is to
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 shine the
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 light of
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 the glory
00:12:27 --> 00:12:27 of Jesus
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 Christ to
00:12:29 --> 00:12:29 a lost
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 and dying
00:12:30 --> 00:12:30 world.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 That's his
00:12:33 --> 00:12:33 purpose.
00:12:34 --> 00:12:34 So let's
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 unpack that
00:12:35 --> 00:12:35 purpose a
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 little bit.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 We'll see,
00:12:38 --> 00:12:38 and I want to
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 jump into
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 Ephesians chapter
00:12:40 --> 00:12:40 1.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:40 So if you've
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 got your
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 Bibles in
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 front of you,
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 you're going to
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 run through
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 some of
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 Ephesians to
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 see some of
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 what God's
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 intention is
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 for his
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 church.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 So Ephesians
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 1 verse
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 8, we
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 see, if
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 you like,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 the end
00:12:53 --> 00:12:53 of the
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 plan of
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 the gathered
00:12:56 --> 00:12:56 church.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:57 With all
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 wisdom and
00:12:58 --> 00:12:58 understanding,
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 he made
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 known to
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 us the
00:13:00 --> 00:13:00 mystery of
00:13:00 --> 00:13:00 his will
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 according to
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 his good
00:13:02 --> 00:13:02 pleasure,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 which he
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 purposed in
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 Christ, to
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 be put into
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 effect when
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 the times
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 reach their
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 fulfillment.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:10 Here it
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 is, to
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 bring unity
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 to all
00:13:14 --> 00:13:14 things in
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 heaven and
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 on earth
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 under
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 Christ.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:19 That's the
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 end of it
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 all.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 That's the
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 goal.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:23 That's where
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 everything is
00:13:24 --> 00:13:24 going.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:25 Everything
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 gathered
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 together
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 around
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 Jesus.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 There's that
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 word gathering
00:13:33 --> 00:13:33 again.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:34 Gathered
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 together around
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 Jesus.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:36 It's been
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 God's plan
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 all along.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:38 In the
00:13:38 --> 00:13:38 Garden of
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 Eating,
00:13:39 --> 00:13:39 there's a
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 real sense
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 right at
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 the beginning
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 that things
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 are gathered
00:13:44 --> 00:13:44 to God.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 He has
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 made the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 garden and
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 all is at
00:13:48 --> 00:13:48 peace and
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 ordered and
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 everything is
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 in perfect
00:13:50 --> 00:13:50 relationship
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 with God.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 And then
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 the first
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 people make
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 the decision
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 to live
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 their way
00:13:57 --> 00:13:57 and make
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 everything
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 about them.
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00 And the
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 Bible calls
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 this attitude
00:14:02 --> 00:14:02 and this
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 action sin.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 And the
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 consequence of
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 sin is that
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 everything is
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 disordered.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 There's no
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 more harmony.
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 There's no
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 more peace.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 Relationship
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 is broken.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 And where
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 there was
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 unity and
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 closeness,
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 now because
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 of sin,
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 there's
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 distance and
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 disunity.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 God judges
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 sin by
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 scattering
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 his people.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 Scattering
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 people from
00:14:37 --> 00:14:37 himself.
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 And this is a
00:14:40 --> 00:14:40 principle that
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 you'll see right
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 throughout the
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 entire Bible.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 Bible, when
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 humanity sets
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 itself up
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 against God,
00:14:49 --> 00:14:49 he scatters
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 them.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 Whenever
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 humanity sets
00:14:54 --> 00:14:54 itself up
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 against God,
00:14:56 --> 00:14:56 he scatters
00:14:56 --> 00:14:56 them.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 When he
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 rescues them,
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 he brings
00:14:59 --> 00:14:59 them to
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 himself.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 He gathers
00:15:01 --> 00:15:01 them to
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 himself.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 In
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 Isaiah 11,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 700 years
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 before Jesus,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 Isaiah is
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 looking forward
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 to the day
00:15:10 --> 00:15:10 when everything
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 is finally
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 ordered and
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 harmonious and
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 peaceful and
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 right relationship
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 like it was in
00:15:16 --> 00:15:16 the beginning.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 And he refers
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 to a particular
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 person who
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 will accomplish
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 God's grand
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 plan.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 God's grand
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 and he calls
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 the Messiah,
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 a son of
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 King David.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:32 And this is
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 what he says
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 in verse 12
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 of Isaiah 11.
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 He will
00:15:36 --> 00:15:36 raise a banner
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 for the
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 nations and
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 gather the
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 exiles of
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 Israel.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:42 He will
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 assemble the
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 scattered people
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 of Judea
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 from the
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 four quarters
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 of the
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 earth.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 And a
00:15:51 --> 00:15:51 little later
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 in Isaiah
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 chapter 56,
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 God declares
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 that it's
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 not just
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 for his
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 people,
00:15:59 --> 00:15:59 but this
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 promise is
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 expanded beyond
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 Israel.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:03 When he says,
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 I will gather
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 still others
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 to them
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 besides those
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 already gathered.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 And the
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 climax of
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 God's plan
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 is revealed
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 in Isaiah
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 66.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 And I,
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 because of
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 what they
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 have planned
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 and done,
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 am about to
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 come and
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 gather the
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 people of
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 all nations
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 and languages
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 and they
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 will come
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 and see
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 my glory.
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 You see,
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 God's
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 plan
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 is to
00:16:35 --> 00:16:35 gather
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 people from
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 all nations
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 and tribes
00:16:38 --> 00:16:38 and languages
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 and people
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 groups and
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 cultures to
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 himself that
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 they might
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 see his
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 glory and
00:16:46 --> 00:16:46 live
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 forever.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 forever.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 And what
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 Peter confesses
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 in Matthew
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 16 is
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 that Jesus
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 is the
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 one that
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 Isaiah
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 talked about.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 Jesus is
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 the focal
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 point of
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 God's
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 gathering of
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 people that
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 they might
00:17:05 --> 00:17:05 see the
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 glory of
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 God.
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 Jesus is
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 central to
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 God's plan
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 of bringing
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 people back
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 to each
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 other and
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 to their
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 creator.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 And Ephesians
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 2, if you're
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 working with
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 through
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 Ephesians
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 with me,
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 is the
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 long-awaited
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 plan being
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 worked out
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 with Jesus
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 at the
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 heart of
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 it.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 Verse 11,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 we read,
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 therefore,
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 remember that
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 formally,
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 you who are
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 Gentiles by
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 birth and
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 called the
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 uncircumcised by
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 those who
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 call themselves
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 circumcision,
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 which is done
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 in the body
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 by human
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 hands,
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 remember that
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 at that
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 time you
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 were separated
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 from Christ,
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 excluded from
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 citizenship in
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 Israel, and
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 foreigners to
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 the covenants
00:17:46 --> 00:17:46 of the promise
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 without hope
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 and without
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 God in the
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 world.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 What Paul
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 does there in
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 Ephesians 2
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 is he highlights
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 this massive
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 division between
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 Jews and
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 Gentiles, but
00:18:00 --> 00:18:00 also between
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 them and
00:18:01 --> 00:18:01 God.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 Deep, deep
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 hostility.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 And then in
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 the very next
00:18:07 --> 00:18:07 verse he shows
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 how that
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 hostility is
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 overcome.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:11 Now in
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 Christ Jesus,
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 you who
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 once were
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15 far away,
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 scattered from
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 God, have
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 been brought
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 near by the
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 blood of
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 Christ.
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 For he
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 himself is
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 our peace,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:25 who has
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 made the
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 two groups
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 one,
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 destroyed the
00:18:29 --> 00:18:29 barrier, the
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 dividing wall
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 of hostility,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 by setting aside
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 in his flesh
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 the law with
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 its commandments
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 and regulations.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 His purpose
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 was to create
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 in himself
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 one new
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 humanity out
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 of the two,
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 thus making
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 peace, and
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 in one body
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 to reconcile
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 both of them
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 to God
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 through the
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 cross by
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 which he
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 put to
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 death their
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 hostility.
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 Sin and
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 death and
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 hostility between
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 Jews and
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 Gentiles is
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 finally dealt
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 with by the
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 Messiah, the
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 son of the
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 living God,
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 Jesus on a
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 cross 2
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 years ago.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 Jesus is the
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 one who
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 gathers these
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 diverse groups
00:19:11 --> 00:19:11 of people
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 together into
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 one new
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 humanity in
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 relationship with
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 their creator
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 God.
00:19:17 --> 00:19:22 God's purpose in
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 all of this?
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24 What is the
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 idea?
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 What's his
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 plan?
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 Ephesians 3,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 10, read
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 out to us by
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 Tom.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 His intent
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 was that now
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 through the
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 church, that's
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 us, that word
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 there, Ecclesia,
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 is talking about
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 us, local
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 gathering,
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 God's
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 God's
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 manifold
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 wisdom of
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 God should
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 be made
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 known to
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 the rulers
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 and the
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 authorities in
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 the heavenly
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 realms according
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 to his
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 eternal purpose
00:19:53 --> 00:19:53 that he
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 accomplished in
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 Christ Jesus
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 our Lord.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 God's great
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 and glorious
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 plan is to
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 bring a very
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 diverse group of
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 people together
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 and to himself
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 in such a
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 way that his
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 greatness and
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 his glory is
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 made known
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 everywhere
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13 including the
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 heavenly realms.
00:20:15 --> 00:20:17 There is a
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 sense where
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 God calls
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 over the
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 rulers and
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 the authorities
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 of the heavenly
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 realms, gets
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 them to look
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 over the
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 balcony of
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 heaven if
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 such a place
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 exists and
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 says look
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 at that,
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 look at
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 that.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 See
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 St.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 Paul's
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 Chatswood?
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 That is
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 what I've
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 been working
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 on for
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 all of
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 history.
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 My son
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 Jesus has
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 made that
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 possible.
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 United
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 Nations
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 can't do
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 it.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 He's the
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 one who's
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 brought down
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 those dividing
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 walls of
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 hostility and
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 brought diverse
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 people together
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 and he
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 turns to
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 Satan,
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 hey,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 enemy,
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 get over
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 here.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 He says,
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 see that?
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 You cannot
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 prevail against
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 that.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 You cannot
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 stop that.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 My son is
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 building his
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 church out of
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 every tribe and
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 language and
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 peoples.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 people.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 And so let
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 me just
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 say,
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 as a
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 society of
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 individualistic
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 thinkers where
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 personal autonomy
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 rules and a
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 highest value,
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 this is very
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 important for us
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 to grasp.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 Before
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 church
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 has
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47 anything to
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 do with
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 you and
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 me,
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 before
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 church is
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 about us
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 serving one
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 another or
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 even before
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 church is
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 about us
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 learning more
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 about God,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 it is about
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 him and his
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 glory.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 It's why we
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 start with
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 singing and
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 singing in such
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 a way that we
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 actually believe
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 it.
00:22:10 --> 00:22:15 this is so
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 fundamental for
00:22:16 --> 00:22:16 us to grasp.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 It's critical
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 even.
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 Before church
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 is about me
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 or about you
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 or about us,
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 it is about
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 God.
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 It is about
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 his design,
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 his plan for
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 all of time
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 and eternity.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 A
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 multi-ethnic,
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 multi-generational,
00:22:36 --> 00:22:36 socially,
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 socio-economically
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 diverse gathering
00:22:39 --> 00:22:39 of people,
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 declaring that
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 Jesus is
00:22:41 --> 00:22:43 Lord and
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 King for
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 the glory
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 of God
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 is the
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 reason
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 St.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 Paul's
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 Chatswood
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 exists.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 And it's
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 about more
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 and more
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 people being
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 added for
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 that purpose,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 for the
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 glory of
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 God.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 And all
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 of our
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 resources are
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 to be deployed
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 in that
00:23:07 --> 00:23:07 direction.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09 this
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 building,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 you've got
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 to get
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 this deep
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 down into
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 your souls.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 This
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 building is
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 not a
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 church.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 This
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 building is
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 a tool.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 It is
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 nothing more
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 than a
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 tool.
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 It's a
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 resource to
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 help the
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 church,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 us,
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 to pursue
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 its mission
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 for the
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 glory of
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 God.
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 God,
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 this
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 building is
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 not even
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 our
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 clubhouse
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 where we
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 gather.
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 It's not
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 about us
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 having a
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 nice place
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 for us to
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 gather and
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 facilities and
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 room to
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 spread out and
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 kick back and
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 enjoy.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 It's our
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 mission
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 headquarters to
00:23:53 --> 00:23:55 see God's
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 reason for
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 us gathering
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 fulfilled.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 Okay.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:03 number
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 three,
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 how to be a
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 purposeful church
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 member.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 So how do we
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 as individuals
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 be members of
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 a church on
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 purpose?
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 Firstly,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 let me say,
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 you don't
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 become a
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 member of
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 God's church
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 by completing
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 a membership
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 course or
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 going to a
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 Welcome Sunday
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 event.
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 Although I'm
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 not suggesting
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 you don't
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 go at
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 all.
00:24:25 --> 00:24:31 you don't
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 become a
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 member of
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 a church
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 by sitting
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 in a pew
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 for a very
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 long time
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 either.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 Longevity's
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 got nothing to
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 do with your
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 membership of
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 a church.
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 You become a
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 member of
00:24:44 --> 00:24:44 God's church
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 by doing
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 what we saw
00:24:46 --> 00:24:46 in Matthew
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 16,
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 by repenting
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 of living
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 independent of
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 God, by
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 putting your
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 trust in the
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 Lord,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:57 Jesus Christ
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 declaring that
00:24:57 --> 00:24:59 he is the
00:24:59 --> 00:24:59 son of the
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 living God
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 and receiving
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 the Holy Spirit
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 who unites you
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 with God and
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 all other
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 Christians from
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 time and
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 eternity.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 That's how you
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 become a
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 member of his
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 church.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 And that is
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 the fundamental
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 first step.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 There will be
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 people, just to
00:25:19 --> 00:25:19 emphasize this
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 point, there
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 will be people
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 in heaven who
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 have not done
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 a pathways,
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 a course,
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 who have
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 never been
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 to a
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 Welcome
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 Sunday
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 event, but
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 there won't
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 be anyone
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 in heaven who
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 hasn't repented
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 of their sins
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 and trusted in
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 Jesus Christ as
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 son of the
00:25:36 --> 00:25:36 living God.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 Not a single
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 one.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 And potentially
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 you're here
00:25:42 --> 00:25:45 today and
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 this is the
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 fundamental first
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 step that you
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 need to take.
00:25:48 --> 00:25:52 and if that
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 is you, then
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 come to the
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 Welcome
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 Center.
00:25:55 --> 00:25:55 We would
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 love to
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 speak to
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 you.
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 Secondly, and
00:26:01 --> 00:26:01 this is going to
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 sound somewhat
00:26:02 --> 00:26:04 ironic, being a
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 purposeful church
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 member means that
00:26:06 --> 00:26:09 you gather because
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 that's what you've
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 been called to do.
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 You've been called
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 to gather.
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 together.
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 Because you are
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 spiritually gathered
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 by God.
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 One of the core
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 values that helps
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 us think about the
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 sort of gathering
00:26:23 --> 00:26:25 that we are and
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 inspire to be is
00:26:26 --> 00:26:28 our core value of
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 treasuring Jesus
00:26:29 --> 00:26:29 together.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:31 It says this,
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 having been led
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 individually by the
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 Spirit of God to
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 receive Christ Jesus
00:26:35 --> 00:26:37 Lord, Savior and
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 supreme treasure of
00:26:38 --> 00:26:40 our lives, we now
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 most solemnly and
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 joyfully enter into
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 covenant with one
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 another as one body
00:26:44 --> 00:26:44 in Christ.
00:26:45 --> 00:26:47 We believe the
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 people whom Jesus
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 has called into
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 relationship with
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 himself are his
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53 church and not an
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 institution or a
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 building.
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 In an age of
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 individualism, we
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 value vigilance and
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 accountability.
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 In treasuring Jesus
00:27:01 --> 00:27:01 together.
00:27:03 --> 00:27:05 In Ephesians, Paul
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 spends extensive
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 time on what God's
00:27:08 --> 00:27:10 new humanity, his
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 gathering, his
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 church looks like in
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 their life together.
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 And our value of
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 treasuring Jesus
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 together is a value
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 that tries to capture
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 some of that in terms
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 of the quality of who
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 we are as God's
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 people.
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 It's about our life
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 together.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 It's about our
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 relationships.
00:27:24 --> 00:27:24 It's about our
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 togetherness as a
00:27:25 --> 00:27:27 dynamic spiritual
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 community under the
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 lordship of Jesus.
00:27:29 --> 00:27:32 It says things like
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 this as a church, we
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 are committed to
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 making corporate
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 worship a weekly
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 priority, unless of
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 course I shut them
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 all down.
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 In the Bible, to
00:27:41 --> 00:27:43 magnify God always
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 requires the regular
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 gathering of God's
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 people.
00:27:48 --> 00:27:51 And so, if or maybe
00:27:51 --> 00:27:53 when that decision is
00:27:53 --> 00:27:55 made for us not to
00:27:55 --> 00:27:58 gather, that is not the
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 normal pattern for us.
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 That will never be the
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 normal pattern for us.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:05 It will be out of love
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 for our community.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 And we're working on
00:28:11 --> 00:28:13 specific ways where we
00:28:13 --> 00:28:16 can still gather, even
00:28:16 --> 00:28:19 if it's via a screen, in
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 order to declare the
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 praises of God as his
00:28:21 --> 00:28:24 people and to hear from
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 him.
00:28:24 --> 00:28:27 So I want to ask you,
00:28:28 --> 00:28:28 first of all, have you
00:28:28 --> 00:28:30 ever calculated how many
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 gatherings you miss in a
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 year?
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 Ever done that?
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 Regular attendance now for
00:28:38 --> 00:28:38 churches has become
00:28:38 --> 00:28:40 somewhere between 30 and
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 40 percent
00:28:41 --> 00:28:43 attendance
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 across a year.
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 Now, I don't need a rule
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 here.
00:28:47 --> 00:28:49 And I'm not looking to
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 implement a rule here
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 because you'll just go to
00:28:51 --> 00:28:53 the next church that
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 doesn't have that rule.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:58 The only way for there to
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 be radical change is
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 radical change in the
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 heart.
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 What we need to see is the
00:29:03 --> 00:29:06 greatness and the
00:29:06 --> 00:29:08 gracious plan of a great
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 and a gracious God.
00:29:10 --> 00:29:12 We need to see that all of
00:29:12 --> 00:29:14 history is about God's
00:29:14 --> 00:29:16 glory and the church of
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 Jesus Christ is central to
00:29:17 --> 00:29:17 that.
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 We need to see what it
00:29:19 --> 00:29:22 cost him to gather us
00:29:22 --> 00:29:24 together and to gather us
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 to himself.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 Frankly, nothing else will
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 motivate us.
00:29:31 --> 00:29:34 Second point, under point
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 three, is to build
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 supernatural community.
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 Treasuring Jesus
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 together not only says that
00:29:38 --> 00:29:40 we value being together,
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 but how we value being
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 together.
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 We're committed to
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 gathering in small
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 groups, remembering one
00:29:45 --> 00:29:47 another in prayer and a
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 aiding one another in
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 sickness and distress and
00:29:49 --> 00:29:51 cultivating sympathy,
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 Christian sympathy and joy
00:29:52 --> 00:29:54 and being slow to take
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 offense and always seeking
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 reconciliation and mindful
00:29:58 --> 00:30:00 of the need and of the
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 fact that command of our
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 Savior to secure it
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 without delay.
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 We want to be a church
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 that's welcoming of people
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 of every blackout.
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 We don't want to have
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 cliquishness in our groups.
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11 We want to purge our lives
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 of sin that cause division.
00:30:12 --> 00:30:14 We want to pursue
00:30:14 --> 00:30:16 increasingly visible and
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 authentic practical ways of
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 loving each other and our
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 community.
00:30:20 --> 00:30:22 But frankly, the best thing to
00:30:22 --> 00:30:24 do is to look at what the
00:30:24 --> 00:30:26 New Testament says about our
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27 supernatural life together.
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 John 13, a new commandment I
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 give you.
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 This is Jesus.
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 Love one another as I have
00:30:34 --> 00:30:36 loved you so that you must love
00:30:36 --> 00:30:36 one another.
00:30:37 --> 00:30:39 By all this, by this, all people
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 will know that you are my
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 disciples if you love one
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 another.
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 Romans 12, be devoted to one
00:30:45 --> 00:30:47 another in brotherly love.
00:30:47 --> 00:30:49 James, do not slander one
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 another.
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 Don't grumble against one
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 another.
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 Confess your sins to each
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 other.
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 Pray for one another.
00:30:53 --> 00:30:55 And that's just a snapshot.
00:30:57 --> 00:31:00 What is obvious from the New
00:31:00 --> 00:31:02 Testament is the prominence of
00:31:02 --> 00:31:04 loving, Christ-exalting, other
00:31:04 --> 00:31:06 person-centered personal
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 relationship in the local
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 church.
00:31:07 --> 00:31:12 There is no such thing as
00:31:12 --> 00:31:15 isolated, individually sick,
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 meet-my-needs consumer
00:31:17 --> 00:31:19 Christianity in the Bible at
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 all.
00:31:21 --> 00:31:22 Not even a glimpse of it.
00:31:27 --> 00:31:29 You can't even play exegetical
00:31:29 --> 00:31:31 gymnastics and come to any form
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 of conclusion on that.
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 Anywhere.
00:31:33 --> 00:31:38 What we are seeking to do at
00:31:38 --> 00:31:40 St. Paul's is build a gospel-
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 centered community.
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 Another way of putting that is
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 we are seeking to build a
00:31:44 --> 00:31:46 supernatural community, not a
00:31:46 --> 00:31:47 natural community.
00:31:47 --> 00:31:49 A natural community is where
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 people feel connected because of
00:31:50 --> 00:31:52 demographic closeness and
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 connectedness.
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 They gravitate to each other and
00:31:54 --> 00:31:56 they find a sense of belonging
00:31:56 --> 00:31:58 because they've got similarities
00:31:58 --> 00:32:00 and irrespective of whether the
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 gospel is true or not, you can do
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 that.
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 Now, that's not a bad thing.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:08 All of my friends that I've got, I
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 share common interests with them.
00:32:11 --> 00:32:13 Not a bad thing to have those
00:32:13 --> 00:32:15 connections and affinities here at
00:32:15 --> 00:32:15 St. Paul's.
00:32:16 --> 00:32:18 But I want us to caution about
00:32:18 --> 00:32:20 thinking that somehow that that is
00:32:20 --> 00:32:22 the total sum of gospel community.
00:32:22 --> 00:32:27 At the end of the day, you can have
00:32:27 --> 00:32:30 natural community without Jesus.
00:32:32 --> 00:32:35 The heavenly realms look on and see
00:32:35 --> 00:32:38 the wisdom of God when they gaze upon
00:32:38 --> 00:32:40 supernatural community.
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 Gospel community.
00:32:44 --> 00:32:46 And so we seek diversity.
00:32:47 --> 00:32:50 We seek shared discomfort in all of our
00:32:50 --> 00:32:51 corporate gatherings.
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 This is the kind of community that
00:32:54 --> 00:32:57 could really only exist when Jesus
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 is Lord of all.
00:33:00 --> 00:33:02 And we have the indwelling power of
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 the Holy Spirit to drive us away from
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 self-centeredness.
00:33:07 --> 00:33:09 It's when people who would not
00:33:09 --> 00:33:13 gravitate to each other or people
00:33:13 --> 00:33:16 groups who have open hostility towards
00:33:16 --> 00:33:19 one another are drawn together in
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21 peace and love because of the work of
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 Jesus Christ in their hearts.
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 Thirdly, having said that,
00:33:29 --> 00:33:31 about that, third thing about being a
00:33:31 --> 00:33:33 purposeful church member is to
00:33:33 --> 00:33:35 purposely fracture community.
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 Bear with me here.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 It is great to be part of a gospel
00:33:40 --> 00:33:42 community that God is growing.
00:33:42 --> 00:33:44 And one of the painful realities of God
00:33:44 --> 00:33:47 growing a community is that we have to
00:33:47 --> 00:33:50 keep fracturing in order to make space
00:33:50 --> 00:33:51 for others who are being welcomed in.
00:33:53 --> 00:33:55 We should see that as a joy.
00:33:55 --> 00:33:58 In the same way, I remember having one
00:33:58 --> 00:34:00 child and not sure how I was going to
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 work with two children.
00:34:03 --> 00:34:06 And then you discover the joy of having
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 two and then a third.
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 And not sure how.
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11 It resulted in all kinds of different
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 changes.
00:34:13 --> 00:34:16 But the joy of welcoming more people in.
00:34:17 --> 00:34:19 And so we've got to be a church
00:34:19 --> 00:34:23 that's building deep relationships,
00:34:24 --> 00:34:26 but also seeing that deep relationships
00:34:26 --> 00:34:27 in themselves are not the goal.
00:34:29 --> 00:34:31 People being connected to their God
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 is the goal.
00:34:33 --> 00:34:35 And therefore, we need to fracture some
00:34:35 --> 00:34:38 of those relationships to allow room for
00:34:38 --> 00:34:38 more to come in.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:47 There are a few metaphors that the Bible
00:34:47 --> 00:34:49 uses to describe the intimate way that
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 Jesus views his church.
00:34:51 --> 00:34:54 He calls it his family, his body, his bride.
00:34:55 --> 00:34:57 He loves his church and he gave himself
00:34:57 --> 00:34:58 over to death for it.
00:34:59 --> 00:35:02 He looks forward to the day when his bride,
00:35:02 --> 00:35:05 in all its perfection, will be presented to
00:35:05 --> 00:35:08 him and be with him forever.
00:35:09 --> 00:35:11 And as I said at the beginning,
00:35:11 --> 00:35:13 today is one of those commitment
00:35:13 --> 00:35:14 conversations.
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 If you're a Christian,
00:35:18 --> 00:35:22 you have a crucial part in God's plan
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23 for eternity.
00:35:24 --> 00:35:26 Your life, and I think this is what I want
00:35:26 --> 00:35:30 to get hopefully in showing you how the Bible,
00:35:30 --> 00:35:32 all the Bible views the idea of gathering
00:35:32 --> 00:35:33 as his people.
00:35:34 --> 00:35:35 I want you to get this picture.
00:35:36 --> 00:35:42 Your life is so much bigger than a good job,
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44 an understanding spouse,
00:35:45 --> 00:35:47 non-delinquent kids or even having kids,
00:35:48 --> 00:35:50 good friends and active social life.
00:35:50 --> 00:35:53 It is so much bigger than beautiful gardens
00:35:53 --> 00:35:56 and nice holidays and fashionable clothes.
00:35:57 --> 00:35:59 If you're a Christian,
00:35:59 --> 00:36:04 you are part of something immense
00:36:04 --> 00:36:06 that will never end.
00:36:08 --> 00:36:10 Something that began before you were born
00:36:10 --> 00:36:13 and continued long after you die.
00:36:13 --> 00:36:16 God is rescuing fallen,
00:36:16 --> 00:36:18 scattered humanity
00:36:18 --> 00:36:20 and gathering to him himself
00:36:20 --> 00:36:23 and progressively shaping them
00:36:23 --> 00:36:26 into the likeness of his much-loved son,
00:36:26 --> 00:36:26 Jesus.
00:36:27 --> 00:36:30 He gathers you to himself
00:36:30 --> 00:36:34 so that you may take part in his glory
00:36:34 --> 00:36:39 and find your joy in his glory.
00:36:39 --> 00:36:45 The church matters because God chose it
00:36:45 --> 00:36:47 to show and tell the universe
00:36:47 --> 00:36:48 his wisdom and love.
00:36:49 --> 00:36:53 And this message is our world's only hope.
00:36:53 --> 00:37:00 And so we must fight the toxicity
00:37:00 --> 00:37:05 and the poison of modern church culture
00:37:05 --> 00:37:08 that says that you can walk this Christian life
00:37:08 --> 00:37:10 without the church.
00:37:12 --> 00:37:13 It is not true.
00:37:17 --> 00:37:19 Individualism not only betrays the church,
00:37:20 --> 00:37:21 it betrays the gospel,
00:37:21 --> 00:37:25 it takes glory from God,
00:37:25 --> 00:37:28 it insinuates that the glorious good news
00:37:28 --> 00:37:29 of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:37:29 --> 00:37:31 is only about saving people,
00:37:32 --> 00:37:34 it's only a gospel of sin management,
00:37:35 --> 00:37:37 there is such a bigger story.
00:37:37 --> 00:37:40 God is creating an eternal people.
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41 God's design throughout history
00:37:41 --> 00:37:43 from beginning to end
00:37:43 --> 00:37:46 is about him creating an eternal people
00:37:46 --> 00:37:49 from every tribe, tongue, language and group.
00:37:49 --> 00:37:53 one people are people for his pleasure.
00:37:57 --> 00:37:58 So let me ask you,
00:37:59 --> 00:38:02 if I ask you to tell your story
00:38:02 --> 00:38:05 of your journey to
00:38:05 --> 00:38:07 and growth in
00:38:07 --> 00:38:09 faith in the Lord Jesus,
00:38:10 --> 00:38:11 how central
00:38:11 --> 00:38:14 is the church to that story?
00:38:14 --> 00:38:15 Amen.
00:38:15 --> 00:38:15 Amen.
00:38:26 --> 00:38:26 Amen.
00:38:26 --> 00:38:27 Amen.