WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.280 Well, how are we doing? 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:02.240 One church? 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:05.839 It is great to see you. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:07.120 I'm so glad that you came. 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:08.720 If I haven't met you, I'd love to. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:11.199 If you're new, welcome, welcome, welcome. 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:12.160 Let's do something. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.960 Every week there's people that join us all around the world online. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:16.800 Would you guys let them know how much you love them? 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:18.079 We're grateful you're here. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.039 No matter where you are, they love me. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:30.800 So I keep hearing this amazing story of what God's doing and what he's doing in this house, in this church, is just incredible. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.960 People keep saying this sentiment of like, I've I've just never felt so loved. 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:38.799 And I we had discovered one church this last week, and I mean it was packed. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:40.960 There was like 60 families or something. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:44.240 And so uh a whole bunch of new people want to be a part of this place. 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:59.439 And there was this sweet uh 20-something year old, and she came up and and um she you could tell her background's not church, and she doesn't know the language or whatever, and so she's just like um I I just want to tell you something, Pastor. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.000 I I um she got real teary. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:08.000 She was like, I I want you to know that I really struggle with um any organized religion. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:11.200 And I was like, that's so honest, thank you for saying that. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:13.040 I I feel the same way. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:24.719 And she was like, but what I keep telling my friends is like I just want to bring you because I can go there and I feel so loved, and I feel like so welcomed, and I feel like it is family. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:30.400 So out of her mouth to say that, it was like beautiful to hear that, and it's just so so awesome. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:36.799 And so she's been bringing her friends, and then next service today, one of her friends are getting baptized. 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:37.680 Isn't that amazing? 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:53.439 Yeah, so that's one of many people's lives that are being changed, and that's only because of the power of God, and He He's moving in this place, and people's lives are being radically transformed. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:55.040 It's awesome to be a part of it. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:58.799 And so, if you're new around here, every August I like to do something, right? 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:05.680 I like to talk about who we are and why we do what we do, um, our vision and our values. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:07.599 See, every family has values. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:13.680 You might go in their house, and as soon as you walk in, you're like, you gotta take your shoes off, and you're like, oh, you value your carpet, right? 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:17.439 Or if if their walls are all brown, you're like, oh, you guys value brown. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:19.120 Uh but then right, right? 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.719 But then there's other things like um, you know, you smell candles, and I and you know, like, you like candles. 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:32.080 Or there's things about family, like as a bergstrom, we would say bergstroms never quit, or bergstroms uh don't lie. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:37.599 There's values that we have that define who we are and they define how we live. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:41.759 And it shouldn't be me trying to talk you into these are our values as a church. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.360 It's something you should walk in and go, oh, that's just, I can see that. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.280 That's something that that's the way they are. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.479 It's the way they make me feel so loved and seen. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:54.560 And so um every year we like to talk about all of those things. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:59.439 And so, as a family here at one church, we want you to know our greatest value is love. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:08.479 And so it's our main mission is to passionately love God vertically and to horizontally love his people intentionally. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:14.879 And so that's that's our heart, and our heart is also to help people know God, grow deep, and go love. 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:16.719 And so we always say, no, grow, go. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:23.439 And we want we want people to know him, to grow deep in him, and then also to go love the world and be on mission for him. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:31.199 And so today specifically, I want to talk about what it means to grow deep, and we're gonna talk about grow groups. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:39.199 And so um, it's crazy that we're we're preaching about that on the very day that we're launching grow groups, almost like we thought about that. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:53.360 And so, um, right up front, if you're new to church and don't understand what a small group is, well, I'm just gonna challenge you today to invest your life into other people by getting involved in a small group. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:57.360 And I know, I know some of you are like, Blake, man, I'm not about that. 00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:58.159 That's just weird. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:06.240 I'm not going to somebody's living room, the bunch of strangers, and they're gonna look at me and say, All right, tell us your deepest sin. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:06.719 Right? 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:07.680 Not about that. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.960 Or the other one is, I show up and they're gonna ask for my deepest childhood wound. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:14.960 No, I'm I'm not, I'm out, right? 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:19.120 And so you would probably be like, yeah, I came for the chips and queso. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:19.920 No thanks. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:28.959 And so I get it, I know that it's hard to step into a uh, you know, the feeling of feeling vulnerable with strangers. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:43.199 And so I want to challenge us today that my my heart really is that everybody that's a part of a church would find some people to follow Jesus with, that you make friends. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:53.759 And um, I know that that might take a little courage for some of you, and it always might feel a little awkward the first couple of times, but I'm gonna say that relationships always do. 00:04:54.240 --> 00:05:01.839 And eventually, though, what I've seen happen over and over is that strangers become friends, and those friends become like family. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:04.720 And so let me just get a raise of hands. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:08.800 Tell me if you're a part of a group that has become like family. 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:09.759 Raise your hand. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:11.120 Yeah, all over the room. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:12.000 That's amazing. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:14.720 Here at OneChur, it's a massive value of ours. 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:26.480 In fact, there are over 76 groups that meet throughout this city every single week, and over 800 people are involved in our grow groups at OneCurch. 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:32.000 And so we care a lot about people finding other people and having people in their lives. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.279 And so this series is called Everyone Matters. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:39.279 And the first week we talked about how Jesus sees people. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.560 And he sees not just a crowd, but he sees the individual. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.639 Last week we talked about do you know God and the importance of knowing him? 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:50.000 Because that's where we all start is by knowing God. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.800 But today I want to talk about like the next question. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:55.759 Well, okay, so once you know him, then what? 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.519 Do we just pray the prayer, get baptized, and that's it? 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:07.199 And I think a lot of times at church we make it really casual to be a disciple or a follower of Jesus, right? 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:09.360 You get saved, try not to cuss as much. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:14.399 I come to church when I can if it fits my schedule, and then you know what, I'll see you in heaven, bro. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.639 And it's kind of very casual. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:28.560 But I need to submit that when you give your life to Christ and you get saved and you actually experience salvation, that's not the finish line, that's the starting line. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:37.839 And so that's when we start the adventure of a lifelong process of learning to live and love like Jesus. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:42.079 And so that's what we mean when we talk about growing deep in Christ. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:47.040 It's allowing Christ to transform the way that we live and the way that we think. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:49.199 It's learning your calling and your purpose. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:56.319 It's the way that we, you know, serve his church and partner with heaven to be a part of his community on earth. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.040 So Jesus, he didn't make it casual. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:01.279 He asked us to come and die. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:07.759 He said, I want you to lose your life for my sake, to decrease so Christ might increase. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:18.639 He said in Mark 8, for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:23.279 So, from the words of Jesus, that doesn't seem very cheap or casual. 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:25.040 He's asking for everything. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:28.879 He's saying, I want you to go all in and I want all of your heart. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:31.439 He doesn't want to share our heart with the world. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:36.319 He wants to know that we worship him completely, to live for him and him alone. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:40.800 He wants to be the king over our lives and the throne over our heart. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:51.839 And so when we love him, that's the natural outpouring of like, I love you, God, vertically, and so therefore your love flows through me horizontally to love his people. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:58.399 And so that's why when we we love God, the natural reaction is to love his church. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.959 Because his church are his people, and he dwells inside of people. 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:11.839 And so I need to say this: growth happens best inside of the church, in community with other folks. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:12.800 Never alone. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:14.160 It doesn't work that way. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:18.079 And so my message today is called, don't grow alone. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:21.759 Will you just tap your neighbor and say that to him, say, don't grow alone. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:22.480 All right? 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.160 And then follow up with that by saying, Man, we need each other, bro. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:26.639 Say that. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:28.000 We need we need each other. 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:38.320 So we were we were never meant to live this whole thing out in a community of believers alone. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.279 It's not a private thing to be a Christian. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:43.519 Jesus, how did he do it? 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:52.480 I I like to think of us as a New Testament church, meaning we want to be as close to the Bible and how the early church did church as we can. 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.000 And so, what did Jesus do? 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.279 He he formed his disciples in community, right? 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:01.600 The early church, they grew together and they had everything in common. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:04.000 And they gave to anyone that was in need. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:04.399 Right? 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:11.120 Some of the deepest work that God will ever do in our lives will happen through other people, right? 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:18.240 So when the Holy Spirit speaks through someone, we hear from God through his word, through his people, and sometimes in a still small voice. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:23.600 And so I've experienced God's voice coming loud and strong through God's people. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:32.000 And so every one of us needs people that are ahead of us, that are stronger and farther along in their faith to show us the way. 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:37.120 We need people beside us that are walking alongside of us along the way. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:45.759 And eventually we need people that are behind us, and we need to help them grow to show them their way in the faith journey. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:48.559 And so that's how disciples grow deep. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:49.919 And so let me challenge you. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.440 I have a question for you. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:53.200 Are you guys ready for a question? 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:59.840 Okay, who is discipling you and who are you discipling? 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:01.519 I'm gonna ask it again. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.759 Who is discipling you and who are you discipling? 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:14.000 In other words, who is helping you grow closer to Christ, and who are you helping grow closer to Christ? 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:21.519 If you can't answer either one of those, then maybe you're more of a casual Christian than you even know. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:30.799 Maybe you aren't living your life on mission and fulfilling God's purpose and plan for your life. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:37.200 Because the main point of being a disciple of Jesus is to make other disciples of Jesus. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:39.440 And so if you're not, I think you should ask. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:43.120 Like, okay, God, well then who would you want me to disciple? 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:45.440 And who could disciple me? 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:48.720 In Matthew 4, Jesus made this very simple. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:52.240 He said to Peter and Andrew, come follow me. 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:53.679 Everybody say follow me. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.879 Right after that, he put them on mission. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:02.480 He said, Okay, immediately he says, and I will send you out to fish for people. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.240 And I challenge this last week. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:07.120 If you've never caught a fish, are you really a fisherman? 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.639 And so I want to ask you, are you on mission? 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:17.679 If you're saying, yes, I believe in Jesus, I'm following him, but you're not going out and fishing for people? 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:19.840 Like I love the simplicity of that. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:20.960 Follow me. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:22.159 So what does that mean? 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.840 Well, you you walk where I walk, you do what I do. 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:31.759 You listen to my words and understand my heart, and then you watch how I treat people. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:36.639 You watch how I forgive and how I pray and how I serve. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.200 But most importantly, watch how I love. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:46.159 Stay close enough to me that eventually the way I live starts to become the way you live. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:48.240 That's discipleship. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:55.360 In fact, the the early days of the church, the movement of Jesus was actually called the way. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:00.480 And people, followers of the way, were called just that. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:01.759 People of the way. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:06.240 And it comes directly from John 14, 6, when Jesus said, What? 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:10.159 I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.519 And no one comes to the Father except through me. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.960 And so I'd like to ask you, do you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life? 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:19.759 Come on, somebody. 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:27.759 And so I need to clarify, Jesus didn't say that he is a way, as many would tell you today. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.360 Jesus never said that he is one of many ways. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:36.480 Jesus made it very clear that he's the only way to the Father. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:42.720 And so if you actually believe that, then you are people of the way who belong to the way. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.559 You're a part of the original movement of the early church. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:51.840 And I want to challenge us to make the gospel simple, right? 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:56.000 I'm going to follow Jesus, who is the way, and I want to help other people to find their way. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:57.120 It's that easy. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:03.440 But as it we have this tendency, as humans do, to make things really hard and complicated. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.720 And religion can be so challenging to understand. 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:07.759 Am I doing it right? 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:13.120 Am I, you know, and so we make all these rules and regulations and we make it about law. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:19.279 And I just want to challenge us today that it's not about how much you know. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:33.519 It's not about like book smart and having, you know, doing another Bible study and another, you know, understanding doctrine and theology and what's Calvinism versus Arminianism and what's eschatology, and how do I be sanctified? 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:34.799 And what does all that mean? 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:39.039 And we we have a tendency to go, if you're spiritually mature, then you know all of this. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.399 And that's good and fine. 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:48.639 I'm not condemning knowledge, but being a follower of Christ can't just be about knowledge and information. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:52.879 At some point, it has to be about heart transformation. 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.440 Like allowing the Spirit to change you into the likeness of Christ. 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:57.919 Right? 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:08.159 It's going from your head to your heart, not just how much you know, but how much you're actually being transformed into the likeness of the one that we're following, right? 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.080 It's saying, What is your way, God? 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:11.279 I'm gonna do it that way. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.039 I'm not gonna do it my way. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.039 So Burger King was wrong. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.879 You can't have it your way. 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:19.840 We have to do things his way. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:24.320 And that's why we talk so much about growing in Christ. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:30.799 The process of like actually giving of yourself to Christ and becoming like him. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:39.279 And um, it's not just, I always say, a lot of people come to church and they're saved, they're satisfied, and they're sitting. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:40.480 Right? 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.120 They're they're doing nothing with their faith. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:47.039 Uh and so I want to say, if you're sitting, you're rotting. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:48.240 Right? 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:57.840 If if you want to grow, growing, if here's the way I like to say this: if we're not growing, then we're dying. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:00.879 And so there's always got to be this growth. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.320 Colossians 2. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.840 So, so then, just as you receive Christ Jesus Lord, right? 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.440 Now you know him, right? 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:08.960 And so do this, continue. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.559 Everybody say, continue. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:23.200 Continue to live your lives in him, rooted down deep and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:28.720 Clearly, this text is about this continuing of growing in your faith. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.440 And think of faith like a muscle, right? 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.919 And so, muscles, we all know this statement. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:38.480 If you don't lose it, I mean, if you don't use it, you lose it. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:40.799 You have to continue to work. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:49.039 And so this happens by being rooted, established in Christ, allowing your roots to grow deeper and deeper. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:54.399 So we can withstand all of the challenges and the winds of this world, right? 00:15:54.559 --> 00:16:06.559 To know that no matter what temptation comes, no matter how hard this life comes, no matter how much the devil tempts me, I know that I'm rooted and strong enough to withstand whatever he brings my way. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:13.200 And so there's this continual building, a continual learning, and a continual becoming strengthened in Christ. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:14.240 Are you guys tracking? 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.120 So I geek out when it comes to trees. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:21.200 I used to have a furniture company and I love building things out of wood. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.159 And one of my favorite trees is the aspen tree. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:31.039 And I I don't know if you know this, but the aspen tree is actually the largest living organism in the world. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:38.320 There's an aspen tree in South Utah called Pando, which means I spread in in uh Latin. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:44.639 And so I I love the thought that it's a beautiful picture, the largest living organism of the church. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:51.039 The reason why, if I show you a picture of the aspen tree, um you go, man, that's a lot of beautiful trees, and you'd be wrong. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:56.080 That's actually not beautiful trees, plural, that's one tree singular. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:07.920 And so the cool thing about an aspen tree is that all the sprouts that come up from the ground are all from the same root system, meaning the largest tree is looks like a bunch of trees, but it's actually one tree. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:13.200 And I think that's a beautiful picture of us, the body of Christ all connected together, right? 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:19.359 So you might see the beauty of an outward appearance and the leaves and the branches and the trunk, right? 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:26.640 But everything that we see above the ground is being sustained by something that we can't see underneath the ground. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.559 And that's the same thing here. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:30.880 It's true for our walk with God. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:38.960 The life that everybody sees on the outside is only as strong as the root system that are being grown on the inside. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.680 And so, can I say something? 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:47.119 We don't ever grow deep accidentally, it's never by accident. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:49.599 We grow deep intentionally. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:53.200 Nobody wakes up one morning and accidentally has man. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:53.920 I don't know, man. 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.240 We just have an incredible marriage, right? 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:58.559 Or you don't just go, wow, I don't know how it happened. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.000 Accidentally, I I have phenomenal friends. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:10.960 Or we don't accidentally get jacked in the gym by eating junk food and never actually working out. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:11.680 Right? 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:23.119 Growth requires sacrifice and discipline in every part of life, in your friendships, in your work, with your finances, in your marriage, in every relationship, and especially with God. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:27.119 Growth requires sacrifice and discipline. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:33.279 Jesus talked a lot about this idea when he talked about producing spiritual fruit. 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:39.599 He said that we can actually tell who followers are by their fruit. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:44.480 And so if you aren't producing fruit, then maybe you're not a follower of Christ. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:52.319 Fruit never grows by itself, it always has to be connected to the source, to have intimacy. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:19:01.680 And so he explained that in John 15 by saying, Remain in me as I remain in you, because no branch can bear fruit what? 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:03.279 By itself. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:06.640 It must remain in the vine. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.720 And neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:13.039 And then Jesus said this about himself. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:16.079 It's kind of a wack-a-doo thing to say out loud. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.119 If you said this to me, I'd be like, Yeah, you're weird. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:21.359 He said, I am the vine. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.880 I am the vine, and you are the branches. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:29.119 If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:32.559 But apart from me, you can do what? 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.160 Nothing. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.799 We have to stay connected to the vine. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.880 If the if the someone branches cut from the vine, what happens? 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.720 It withers and dies and it no longer grows. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:50.960 And so Jesus never intended for growth to happen in isolation. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:55.279 We have to be connected to him and to one another. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:58.079 Think about how Jesus made disciples. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:00.880 He could have done it however the way he wanted to. 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:01.839 He was God. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:03.359 But what did he do? 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:05.519 He formed a small group. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:10.319 And it was a very strange, weird, small group. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:23.039 Think about in your small group, if you had a fisherman, you had a tax collector, and you had a political zealot, you had Peter, who said everything that he ever thought. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:25.920 Do you guys have anybody like that in your group? 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:27.680 Don't point fingers. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.519 Yeah, bro, it's right here. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:37.279 James and John, those guys, they they actually said, Hey, God, I think you should call down lightning from heaven for those people I don't like. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.799 Yeah, come on, bro. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:43.279 You had Thomas, who's always asking questions and doubting everything, right? 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:47.359 And if you don't know this, but I know every single one of the disciples' names by heart. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.559 Do you guys know this about me? 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.440 I can tell you all. 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:50.880 Would you like me to tell you all of them? 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:51.839 Okay. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.200 There were twelve disciples. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:21:00.480 Jesus called to help him, Simon, Peter, Andrew, James's brother, John, Philip Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Atheus, Thaddeus, Simon, Judas, and Bartholomew. 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:01.279 Thank you. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:02.240 There you go. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:04.480 My wife taught me that song. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:09.920 So, anyways, if you want to know the names of the disciples, we'll have a sing along after this. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:10.559 I'll teach you. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:16.160 Anyways, so Jesus called these 12 guys, very different, all come together. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:21.119 And Jesus took this collection of dysfunctional humans and decided, you know what? 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:22.640 Those are my dudes. 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:28.079 Those guys right there are gonna lead the greatest movement in all of history. 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:32.799 And so Jesus didn't like say, hey guys, gather around. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:33.839 Here's a workbook. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.200 I want you to fill out the blanks and come back next Tuesday. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:37.759 No. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:47.599 He invited them to do life with him, to eat together, they traveled together, they prayed together, they served everywhere that they went. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:52.240 And they watched Jesus do miracles. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:59.039 He watched him heal people, they walk they watched him love his enemies and deal with conflict appropriately. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.720 Jesus welcome little children. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:05.599 They watched him love the unlovable. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:09.920 And truthfully, they watched his every move. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:18.559 And little by little, day after day, they were becoming more and more like the one that they were following. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:22.240 And I'd submit that that's discipleship. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:24.640 And that's what we're supposed to do. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:49.920 And then at the end of Jesus' ministry, when he had done all he was supposed to do and he was ascending into heaven, and he was going back to be with the Father, he looks down to these twelve guys, and he says to them, Hey, go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.920 And so I want us to be clear. 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:55.119 That's our mission. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:56.480 Go and make. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.960 Because Jesus' vision is that we become disciples who are making disciples who are making disciples. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:16.160 That's been the vision for well over 2,000 years, and it hasn't changed. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:22.960 And church, I believe that's one of the greatest needs in Christianity today is discipleship. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.519 We have plenty of sermons. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:27.680 We have lots of content. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:30.720 More content than ever before in human history. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:37.839 You can watch podcasts and sermons 24 hours a day now and see the very best communicators in the world. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.400 What we don't need is more content. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:43.839 We need biblical community. 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.279 The world is desperate for friends. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:54.720 They want to put away their screens and find like someone that cares, someone that actually has intimacy. 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:59.359 That to me, church, that's the secret sauce of the church. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:03.119 And we need people who actually know us. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:04.400 And they know us well. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.319 They know us enough to encourage us when we're discouraged. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:11.680 They confront us when we're drifting away. 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:17.599 They pray for us when we're hurting and celebrate with us when God's moving. 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:21.039 That's exactly what happened in the early church. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:22.720 And it hasn't changed. 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:24.559 That's still what the church needs. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:31.440 And so, Acts 2.42, if you want to know a picture of the early church, it says, They devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.480 So there were sermons being taught. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:37.839 They devoted themselves to fellowship with one another. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.119 They devoted themselves to breaking bread and to prayer. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:47.519 And then in verse 46, it says, Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.160 They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. 00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:53.599 So they did both. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:57.119 You didn't throw out the temple courts in the church, right? 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:05.119 They gathered in temple in rows, but they also gathered in living rooms in circles, knee to knee, face to face. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:08.640 And that's something that we've said here at One Church from the beginning. 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:24.160 You can learn a lot sitting in rows, but some of the deepest, most transformative life change always happens when you're sitting in circles with people who know your story, that know what keeps you up at night. 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:25.440 So let me be clear. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:29.119 And it matters. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:36.000 The Holy Spirit shows up, and we all lift up the name of God in worship and praise. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:38.799 And there's something special about that. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:44.319 I love preaching God's word and allowing the word of God to come alive in people's lives. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.160 There's something powerful about the gathered church. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:50.640 But it can't stop there. 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.279 That's not the full picture of the church. 00:25:55.680 --> 00:26:01.599 It's easy to come to a room like this and to hide, to disappear. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:03.440 And some of you prefer that. 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:15.440 But those same people, some of us, need to allow people into our lives and into our brokenness. 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:18.480 It's easy to like push people out. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:27.519 I don't want you to know what I'm going through, my struggles, and what my the battle I have with my marriage right now and my finances, right? 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:34.079 And I don't want you to know how much of a mess my life really is, the addictions that I'm facing. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:40.640 But I'm telling you, when you have people like that, that's the best part of the church. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:54.480 Having people who know your struggles, who know what you're tempted by, and people who help us grow in the word, and people that actually spend time praying for you. 00:26:54.880 --> 00:27:02.319 And not just that part of it, but I love it when a grow group or a small group all serve together. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:05.759 And you have like common stories. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:14.559 You have like shared experiences and shared, you know, like you remember when we were cutting down that tree, or you remember when we went and helped with that tornado? 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:28.880 You remember when those are those are the best parts of like when you're growing, like this this Saturday, maybe challenge your group to like, let's all serve together and let's side by side, you know, do the work of God together. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:30.079 It's beautiful. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:33.440 Shared experiences and shared memories matter. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:38.240 This summer I got to experience that in a different way. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:42.480 It was not for a church or anything holy or Christian. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:50.799 Um, I got to go to Salzburg, Austria, and I was with my wife, and she had one goal while we were there. 00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:54.480 She wanted to see the sound of music. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:58.160 And so, is there any people here that love the movie, the sound of music? 00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:58.799 Oh, there's a lot. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:27:59.920 Okay, all right. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:08.319 Well, I had more time thinking about this movie than anybody really wants to have. 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:22.880 And so we went on this tour that was like a half-day tour, and we got to go see all these beautiful places, you know, where where she got married, and all the things that you can imagine about the sound of music, we got to see it all. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:32.400 In fact, I even got a hotel where you could look out the window and see the bridge that the kids came across when they were all in their curtains, whatever the green, anyways. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:35.279 So I I really tried to make this special for my wife. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:40.559 We went and had breakfast at the hotel Schlagenberger or whatever it is. 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:43.839 And so we we had a blast. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:53.680 But um, I'll tell you that there was moments when I was on that bus and everyone was singing all of the songs for a four-hour sing-along. 00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:59.920 Four hours that I was like ready to like, you know, pop my eyes out. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:01.279 I was losing my mind. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:08.400 And so I wonder if you guys would like to see a video of us singing the would you like to see? 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:08.960 Okay. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:10.480 Here you go. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:32.240 Sing along, everybody, if you know it. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:54.640 So my sweet wife, she, I looked over her several times and she's singing these songs, and she's just like crying. 00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:56.559 She's like, I'm like, really? 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:57.839 You're crying? 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.240 I'm like losing my mind. 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:03.839 But if you love it, then I love it. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:07.599 And so the truth is it was really a special moment. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:16.799 And you know, doing that with a bunch of people that all like have this massive affinity for the sound of music, and they're just singing and singing. 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:25.839 It was a shared experience and a shared moment that we got off the bus and we're all hugging and we had sung together, and all these, it was crazy. 00:30:31.519 --> 00:30:40.079 But what we have here, the shared experiences that we have, and the songs that we sing, it's not about a movie. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:42.160 It's not about a story. 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:51.920 It's it's actually about something that happened in history that created the strongest movement in all of history. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:31:10.799 We get to come together and sing songs that worship our Savior, and we get to be a part of the church, which is the most important part of being a believer is that we have one another and we need each other. 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:18.559 And so that's why we talk about grow groups and growing in a group together. 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:20.559 It's shared life. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:26.720 It's me coming with my needs and my brokenness and saying, Help. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:29.200