WEBVTT 00:00:00.059 --> 00:00:00.341 Do that. 00:00:00.341 --> 00:00:03.129 Well, we're going to be in the Book of Acts this morning. 00:00:03.129 --> 00:00:11.901 We're going to be in the Book of Acts and we're going to start off with a really deep spiritual, theological question Are you guys ready? 00:00:11.901 --> 00:00:15.624 Did you watch cartoons growing up? 00:00:15.624 --> 00:00:22.091 Ok, how many of you guys are really worried? 00:00:22.091 --> 00:00:23.204 You're like, where are we going with this? 00:00:23.204 --> 00:00:25.743 How many of you still watch cartoons? 00:00:25.743 --> 00:00:31.644 Ok, awesome, wow, I guess those of us that don't watch cartoons, now we are in the minority. 00:00:31.644 --> 00:00:44.780 Ok, somebody tell me what is a cartoon that you either used to watch growing up or you still watch to the Tom and Jerry Tom and Jerry fans in the room yeah, all right. 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:47.963 Dragon Ball OK, dragon Ball Z OK, dragon Ball Z. 00:00:47.963 --> 00:00:51.667 Yeah, scooby Doo Somebody said that at 9 AM service too. 00:00:51.780 --> 00:00:56.786 Scooby Doo, yeah, I heard SpongeBob. 00:00:56.786 --> 00:01:02.746 If you're a millennial in the room, like SpongeBob is like a staple right, like SpongeBob, spongebob's classic. 00:01:02.746 --> 00:01:04.203 What did you say? 00:01:04.203 --> 00:01:06.963 Flintstones, flintstones. 00:01:06.963 --> 00:01:13.231 Yeah, and I think I heard, I think from GI Joe, gi Joe. 00:01:13.231 --> 00:01:20.743 Can somebody remember what GI Joe at the very end of the show, the last line of the show of GI Joe, anybody remember what it was? 00:01:20.743 --> 00:01:26.581 Yo Joe, yo Joe, no, exact, phone Bam. 00:01:26.581 --> 00:01:29.243 Dramatic entrance. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:30.522 We planned this. 00:01:30.522 --> 00:01:38.421 Now you know, and knowing is half the battle Today. 00:01:38.421 --> 00:01:46.929 I want you to know something, but because you're intelligent, you probably already know. 00:01:46.929 --> 00:01:58.501 But here's what's interesting this is something that God in the world, but 100%, agree about, 100%, in fact. 00:01:58.501 --> 00:02:07.683 When God saw this thing, he said that's not good, that ain't good at all. 00:02:07.683 --> 00:02:10.110 You know what it is. 00:02:10.110 --> 00:02:22.909 It's not having community in your life, it's living your life in isolation. 00:02:22.909 --> 00:02:26.786 It's not having friends. 00:02:26.786 --> 00:02:40.469 Now, because of COVID, we've all experienced this to some degree of some loneliness, right, but every stat that we see we're still experiencing this. 00:02:40.469 --> 00:02:55.564 Even now, in fact, even after COVID, it's almost like it's kind of hard to make friends, like it's like everybody's got stuff going on, everybody's busy, who can I trust? 00:02:55.564 --> 00:02:56.483 How do I do this? 00:02:56.483 --> 00:03:01.631 And what can happen is we can live our lives lonely. 00:03:01.631 --> 00:03:08.028 In fact, some of you may know what it's like to be in a room, even like this, maybe filled with people, but you feel all alone. 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:16.353 You and me were actually hardwired for community. 00:03:16.353 --> 00:03:28.801 You were built for community and this is why because you're made in the image of God, in the image and likeness of God, and God is a community the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 00:03:28.801 --> 00:03:39.667 So, because we're made in His image, the only way we can truly flourish in life is if we have community. 00:03:39.667 --> 00:03:54.010 But so many things seem to be pulling us away from community and pulling us away from genuine friendships and pulling us away from the very thing that God says you need. 00:03:54.010 --> 00:03:56.485 And this is what we're going to do today. 00:03:56.485 --> 00:03:58.004 It's pretty simple. 00:03:58.004 --> 00:04:08.383 We're going to see a beautiful picture of what community looks like, and then we're going to see something that some of you don't believe. 00:04:08.383 --> 00:04:09.961 You don't believe this. 00:04:09.961 --> 00:04:27.250 We're going to see how you can actually have community, how you can actually have real, genuine friendships, and, and and and what this community will produce in your life. 00:04:27.250 --> 00:04:36.288 Because no matter what your background is, no matter what you look like, no matter how you even feel about this whole community, saying you want what community will produce in your life. 00:04:36.288 --> 00:04:38.303 Now here's what we're going to see. 00:04:38.303 --> 00:04:46.461 This beautiful picture of this beautiful picture is the first, the first church, the first church. 00:04:46.521 --> 00:04:48.228 By the way, a church is not a building. 00:04:48.228 --> 00:04:49.184 How many of you guys understand that? 00:04:49.184 --> 00:04:49.404 Right? 00:04:49.404 --> 00:04:51.043 Church is a group of people. 00:04:51.043 --> 00:04:57.350 We have the first church in Acts, and they were very normal people like you and like me. 00:04:57.350 --> 00:05:05.184 Real struggles, real issues, lots of things going on, but this group of people put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 00:05:05.184 --> 00:05:23.040 They had unified together and they were going to experience, and they experienced the very thing that is possible for you to experience, and it's not only possible but it's something that I hope every single one of you will experience, Because it's the very thing that will give your life meaning. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.548 So we're going to pick this up in Acts, chapter 2, this morning. 00:05:25.548 --> 00:05:28.822 If you are looking forward to being in God's Word this morning, would you say amen. 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:31.324 Acts 2.42 is what it says. 00:05:31.324 --> 00:05:32.689 It says they. 00:05:32.689 --> 00:05:37.327 This is that first group of Jesus followers, that first community, that first church. 00:05:37.327 --> 00:05:48.264 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching so, to gathering around the Word of God, to the fellowship, to hanging out with each other, to the breaking of bread. 00:05:48.264 --> 00:05:52.531 This is not just communion, like we just participated in, but it's also eating. 00:05:52.531 --> 00:05:54.245 How many of you guys in the room like to eat? 00:05:54.245 --> 00:05:56.545 Yes, co, my people. 00:05:56.545 --> 00:05:58.064 Right, this is what they did. 00:05:58.064 --> 00:06:01.547 Right, breaking of bread and to prayer. 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:03.684 Let's skip down a few verses. 00:06:03.684 --> 00:06:04.726 Verse number 46. 00:06:04.726 --> 00:06:18.430 It says every day, they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple and broke bread from house to house, and they ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts. 00:06:18.430 --> 00:06:25.384 With joyful and sincere hearts, can we say that we're joyful together, ready, joyful, hey guys in the back. 00:06:25.384 --> 00:06:28.942 If you guys can possibly get the confidence monitor up, that would be great, because I'm not going to be able to preach without it. 00:06:28.942 --> 00:06:32.244 Not really, guys, I was just joking, but if we could get that up, that'd be great. 00:06:32.244 --> 00:06:33.187 With joyful hearts. 00:06:33.187 --> 00:06:37.045 Ok, now I want you guys to think about this Real community number one. 00:06:37.225 --> 00:06:38.725 This is what real community produces in your life. 00:06:38.725 --> 00:06:40.343 It produces joy. 00:06:40.343 --> 00:06:42.449 It produces joy. 00:06:42.449 --> 00:06:43.161 Now, think about this. 00:06:43.161 --> 00:06:44.908 Ok, here's a group of people. 00:06:44.908 --> 00:06:45.884 They lived in the first century. 00:06:45.884 --> 00:06:48.050 They had zero creature comforts. 00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:54.622 Imagine Imagine living your life without any air conditioning. 00:06:54.622 --> 00:07:01.141 Imagine living your life without any YouTube. 00:07:01.141 --> 00:07:11.380 Imagine living your life without any fast food, without any taco trucks. 00:07:11.380 --> 00:07:14.781 What would you do with your life? 00:07:14.781 --> 00:07:17.401 They had no electricity. 00:07:17.401 --> 00:07:18.446 The same thing. 00:07:18.446 --> 00:07:22.362 You guys were like I could go without electricity, I go camping for a couple of days and it's great. 00:07:22.362 --> 00:07:24.982 Live your life without electricity, right? 00:07:24.982 --> 00:07:29.360 Some of these people had none of that, but you know what they did have? 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:29.922 They had joy. 00:07:29.922 --> 00:07:44.682 They had real joy, because community produces joy and community produces joy. 00:07:44.682 --> 00:07:47.781 And as these people came together. 00:07:47.781 --> 00:07:53.584 They had joy and they also had a meaningful shared experience. 00:07:53.584 --> 00:07:56.685 They had meaningful shared experiences together. 00:07:57.274 --> 00:07:59.744 Look what it says in Acts, chapter number Acts, chapter number four. 00:07:59.744 --> 00:08:02.161 It says or Acts, chapter three. 00:08:02.161 --> 00:08:03.680 It says Peter and John. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:08.517 They were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.408 A lame man who was lame from birth. 00:08:12.408 --> 00:08:13.338 He was carried there. 00:08:13.338 --> 00:08:19.095 He was placed each day at the temple gate, called beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. 00:08:19.095 --> 00:08:21.985 First century they had no government support. 00:08:21.985 --> 00:08:25.545 They were really on their own to try to get some resources. 00:08:25.545 --> 00:08:27.120 This man, verse three. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:31.810 He saw Peter and John about to enter the temple and he asked for money. 00:08:31.810 --> 00:08:37.952 Peter, alongside with John, looked straight at him and said look at us Now. 00:08:37.952 --> 00:08:40.363 Let's think Somebody's begging for money. 00:08:41.202 --> 00:08:42.315 And Peter and John try to get his attention. 00:08:42.315 --> 00:08:44.394 What do you think the lame man thinks he's going to get? 00:08:44.394 --> 00:08:45.715 What do you think the lame man wants? 00:08:45.715 --> 00:08:47.442 He wants money. 00:08:47.442 --> 00:08:50.006 So lame is rising and I'm getting. 00:08:50.006 --> 00:08:50.852 I'm getting some money. 00:08:50.873 --> 00:08:51.215 He turned to them. 00:08:51.215 --> 00:08:53.315 He's expecting to get something from them. 00:08:53.315 --> 00:08:57.230 But Peter said I don't have any silver or gold. 00:08:57.230 --> 00:08:58.514 I found the lame man. 00:08:58.514 --> 00:09:00.759 My first thought is well then, how come. 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:01.881 You wanted me to look at you. 00:09:01.881 --> 00:09:03.846 What a let down. 00:09:03.846 --> 00:09:14.124 But what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ, of Nazareth and Nazareth, get up and walk. 00:09:14.124 --> 00:09:21.123 Then, taking him by the right hand, he raised them up and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 00:09:21.123 --> 00:09:28.203 So he jumped up and started to walk and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 00:09:29.176 --> 00:09:31.678 This is a incredible experience. 00:09:31.678 --> 00:09:50.008 This is obviously a very Spiritual experience, is a very meaningful experience, and while this experience was very meaningful, these people were were doing life together, where they were having not necessarily Super spiritual experiences, but they were having experiences together. 00:09:50.008 --> 00:10:03.490 And this is really challenging for us right now, because something we've talked about before is we have a hard time separating and differentiating between digital communication and in-person connection. 00:10:03.490 --> 00:10:17.563 Digital communication and in-person connection Right, so most of us, a lot of us to some degree, we have some type of digital in-person connection and we can think that that's enough, right, and it's something. 00:10:17.563 --> 00:10:23.231 It's good, but it's different than in-person connection with people. 00:10:23.231 --> 00:10:36.710 I Was reading this week in the most recent stats say that most of us, the typical person, spends about three hours a day on their phone Three hours a day, so some about three hours a day on our phone for different things. 00:10:37.142 --> 00:10:43.268 Does anybody know, if you were to add that up over a year, how many days in a year that adds up to that? 00:10:43.268 --> 00:10:45.432 We spend on our phones every year in any guesses? 00:10:45.432 --> 00:10:47.143 60 something. 00:10:47.143 --> 00:10:50.745 That's a little high, but 100 it's a little high. 00:10:50.745 --> 00:10:55.287 It's actually about 45 days a year on our phone. 00:10:55.287 --> 00:11:01.927 That's what we typically, so it's equivalent to us just looking at our phones for 45 24-hour days in a row. 00:11:03.501 --> 00:11:08.000 Now you think about this, I you think about it, and I'm not here to say like that's good, bad or whatever. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:18.244 But this is what I'm here to say is imagine what would happen if we took our screen time down 25% a week, or not even 25, let's just say 20% a week. 00:11:18.244 --> 00:11:20.668 That would give us four more hours a week. 00:11:20.668 --> 00:11:30.423 And imagine the power of spending four hours a week With in-person connection with somebody instead of just digitally with people like. 00:11:30.423 --> 00:11:34.025 Imagine the power of that. 00:11:34.025 --> 00:11:35.427 And what happened? 00:11:35.427 --> 00:11:37.832 Is these people here, this first community? 00:11:37.832 --> 00:11:56.162 They had in-person relationships, but they spent time with each other and because of that they got to know each other and then, when they had hard times and Difficult times, you know what they were able to experience support. 00:11:56.162 --> 00:12:00.042 They were able to experience Encouragement. 00:12:00.403 --> 00:12:01.866 This, this group of people, they up. 00:12:01.866 --> 00:12:04.596 They had something bad happened to a few of them. 00:12:04.596 --> 00:12:12.121 I Mean we all know that life happens, right, struggles, sickness, difficulties. 00:12:12.121 --> 00:12:14.729 Life happened here, a couple of these guys. 00:12:14.729 --> 00:12:15.572 They got thrown in jail. 00:12:15.572 --> 00:12:18.908 They didn't get thrown in jail because they were selling drugs. 00:12:18.908 --> 00:12:21.202 They got thrown in jail because they were. 00:12:21.202 --> 00:12:22.546 They were money laundering, right. 00:12:22.546 --> 00:12:26.113 They got thrown in jail because they were trying to make Jesus known to people. 00:12:26.113 --> 00:12:27.624 That's what they were doing. 00:12:27.624 --> 00:12:31.500 They were trying to make Jesus known and they got thrown in jail. 00:12:31.500 --> 00:12:38.299 And watch what happens after they got out of jail says in verse 23 of Acts, chapter 4 they were released. 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:43.171 They went to their own people and reported what's that word? 00:12:43.171 --> 00:12:47.524 They reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 00:12:47.524 --> 00:13:00.913 When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth and the sea and everything in them. 00:13:00.932 --> 00:13:03.524 And what real community does? 00:13:03.524 --> 00:13:13.351 It not only gives us joy and not only allows us to have shared meaningful experiences, but it allows us to have support and strength in trials. 00:13:13.351 --> 00:13:15.763 Those are some of us. 00:13:15.763 --> 00:13:22.812 Some of us think that we don't need anybody, that, amanda, that we're strong, like we can carry everything on our own. 00:13:22.812 --> 00:13:25.606 What have you lived very long? 00:13:25.606 --> 00:13:29.500 You know that after a while you're going to break with that mentality. 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:56.509 In fact, some of us in the room we know what it's like to try to do things on our own and care our own burdens for a length of time, and then what happens is it breaks us, and the reason being is because God has designed us to live in community, and what community allows us to do is find support when life is hard, and it's not even so much something that somebody says, but it's just somebody's presence. 00:13:56.509 --> 00:13:59.471 It's just that they're there. 00:14:00.664 --> 00:14:09.480 You imagine what your life would look like If you had this community that produced joy, that produced meaningful experiences, that gave you support and strength in trials. 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.251 Can you imagine what your life would look like? 00:14:12.251 --> 00:14:15.706 Can you imagine how you imagine he's? 00:14:15.706 --> 00:14:16.769 He can imagine it. 00:14:16.769 --> 00:14:17.513 I'm not gonna imagine that. 00:14:17.513 --> 00:14:21.192 Can you imagine this? 00:14:21.192 --> 00:14:21.937 Here's the thing. 00:14:21.937 --> 00:14:22.559 This is possible. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:23.441 This is possible. 00:14:23.441 --> 00:14:27.504 But did you know that this doesn't happen on accident? 00:14:27.504 --> 00:14:30.649 This doesn't happen accidentally. 00:14:31.546 --> 00:14:42.155 Sometimes there's this folly out there that I just need to find community, and I understand the idea of finding community, but community like this is not just found, it's forged. 00:14:42.155 --> 00:14:48.134 It's not just found, it's forged, it's built. 00:14:48.134 --> 00:14:51.676 So we don't drift into this community accidentally. 00:14:51.676 --> 00:15:04.115 It takes time, it takes us investing in this, but what this community requires is commitment. 00:15:04.115 --> 00:15:07.065 I want to show you, guys, how we can have this community. 00:15:07.065 --> 00:15:16.714 I want to show you how you can experience this as commitment, not as I was thinking through this message, I was like I wish I could find a better word than commitment, because commitments are really strong word that we don't like. 00:15:16.714 --> 00:15:20.613 Wish I could soften this word a little bit. 00:15:20.613 --> 00:15:23.674 Can I make it more palatable for the people? 00:15:23.674 --> 00:15:26.753 Nope, it says commitment. 00:15:26.753 --> 00:15:31.155 You remember in Acts, chapter 2, it says they devoted themselves. 00:15:31.155 --> 00:15:37.874 Now, do you think that these people of normal people like us, do you think they ever had any misunderstandings with anybody? 00:15:37.874 --> 00:15:40.831 Do you ever disagreed about anything? 00:15:40.831 --> 00:15:45.775 Do you think that they ever got annoyed or upset with anybody else? 00:15:45.775 --> 00:15:48.894 Yeah, some of you are looking at me like no, they never did. 00:15:48.894 --> 00:15:54.125 Yes, they did, but they were devoted to each other. 00:15:54.267 --> 00:15:55.644 Now think about two of the apostles. 00:15:55.644 --> 00:15:58.133 Okay, one was Matthew. 00:15:58.133 --> 00:16:00.734 Do you guys remember what Matthew's occupation was? 00:16:00.734 --> 00:16:02.347 Tax collector. 00:16:02.347 --> 00:16:07.797 Okay, so Matthew was boys with the Roman Empire. 00:16:07.797 --> 00:16:16.604 He worked with the Romans, he was connected with the Romans, he was a Roman sympathizer. 00:16:16.604 --> 00:16:18.272 That was Matthew. 00:16:19.004 --> 00:16:21.815 Now there's another apostle they're part of the church. 00:16:21.815 --> 00:16:27.918 We don't know as much about him, but his name is Simon the Zealot. 00:16:27.918 --> 00:16:37.931 Simon the Zealot you guys know what Zealots wanted to do Overthrow the Roman government, overthrow the Roman Empire. 00:16:37.931 --> 00:16:43.613 So they weren't like hey guys, let's go door to door and have this petition and let's all sign it. 00:16:43.613 --> 00:16:46.653 And then maybe you know some things can change in legislation. 00:16:46.653 --> 00:16:49.965 Now, no, these are like hey, let's grab the sword, let's grab the knives. 00:16:49.965 --> 00:16:51.948 Like, let's go over there, let's take those guys out. 00:16:54.605 --> 00:16:55.750 Romans, terrible people. 00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:58.514 Matthew's like Romans, they're not so terrible. 00:16:58.514 --> 00:17:01.731 I mean, you know, we kind of work together. 00:17:01.731 --> 00:17:04.492 They help me, they scratch my back, I scratch their back. 00:17:04.492 --> 00:17:08.414 Simon's like no, you are the problem. 00:17:08.414 --> 00:17:10.904 What is wrong with you? 00:17:10.904 --> 00:17:12.689 This is what Jesus does. 00:17:12.689 --> 00:17:16.439 Hey, matthew, tax collector, come follow me. 00:17:16.439 --> 00:17:20.436 Hey, simon the Zealot, come follow me. 00:17:20.436 --> 00:17:24.276 Well, matthew here, simon here. 00:17:24.276 --> 00:17:27.236 Well, these guys are not in the same social circles. 00:17:27.236 --> 00:17:29.884 These guys are not liking each other's Facebook post at all. 00:17:29.884 --> 00:17:39.039 So now, now, now they're supposed to like spend time with each other. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:48.839 I eat together, help people together, serve in ministry together. 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:51.752 What that's weird. 00:17:51.752 --> 00:17:53.411 Why would they do that? 00:17:53.411 --> 00:17:55.263 They should have been enemies. 00:17:58.710 --> 00:18:12.117 But what Jesus does is he brings people that should be completely apart on every different economic, socially, you name the scale and he brings people together. 00:18:12.117 --> 00:18:18.325 He allows us to be able to agree, to disagree on certain things. 00:18:18.325 --> 00:18:26.383 He allows us to be able to understand that Jesus is bigger than all of these other lesser things. 00:18:26.383 --> 00:18:36.419 There's this up, there's this false dichotomy that the world has created that we live in and it's agree with me and affirm 100% everything about me. 00:18:36.419 --> 00:18:40.223 Or you hate me, agree, or you hate me. 00:18:40.223 --> 00:18:42.470 Oh, you don't agree with this, you're the enemy. 00:18:42.470 --> 00:18:43.903 You're the enemy. 00:18:43.903 --> 00:18:45.743 But you know what the gospel does. 00:18:47.792 --> 00:19:04.365 The gospel allows us to say okay, we may not agree on this, I don't agree with you, but I can come and I can actually get to know you and I can actually say let me hear your perspective, let me understand you, let me see where you're coming from. 00:19:04.365 --> 00:19:07.039 And in the world's economy, what happens? 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:07.884 Like these people, we're enemies, no, no, no. 00:19:07.884 --> 00:19:11.412 And God's economy happens to. 00:19:11.412 --> 00:19:12.193 We can come together. 00:19:12.193 --> 00:19:26.742 And this is why because in a loving, christ-centered community, loving people is more important than proving a point Loving people is more important than proving a point. 00:19:27.454 --> 00:19:30.182 In the world that we live in, we want to prove points. 00:19:30.182 --> 00:19:33.883 In the kingdom of God, god wants us to love people. 00:19:33.883 --> 00:19:43.585 So what we don't have to do is we don't have to be people that say, well, you're wrong and I'm right, and I'm going to prove to you that you're wrong. 00:19:43.585 --> 00:19:49.721 No, what I'm going to do is I'm going to listen to and I'm going to love you and say it's okay, we may be different, but God loves you and I'm going to too. 00:19:49.721 --> 00:19:51.507 And this is what that takes. 00:19:51.507 --> 00:19:55.939 That takes humility, that takes compassion. 00:19:55.939 --> 00:20:03.201 That's not something you're going to see on any one of these news networks, but that's something you're going to see in a Jesus-centered community. 00:20:04.934 --> 00:20:18.949 And when we do the messy, beautiful work of doing community with those who don't think, act, dress or even vote exactly as we do, we show that Jesus is greater than any differences we might have. 00:20:18.949 --> 00:20:23.564 I'm going to say that one more time because it's really good, because I didn't come up with it. 00:20:23.564 --> 00:20:24.486 It's really good, all right. 00:20:24.486 --> 00:20:39.673 When we do the messy, beautiful work of doing community with those who don't think, act, dress or even vote exactly as we do, we show that Jesus is greater than any difference we might have. 00:20:39.673 --> 00:20:45.038 That is greater, that we can be for each other, that we can support each other. 00:20:45.038 --> 00:20:55.099 I can be committed to you, even if you don't like the San Francisco 49ers, which of course means that I will be praying for you as well. 00:20:58.835 --> 00:21:01.240 A community requires us to be devoted. 00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:04.067 But number two and you guys know this community requires time. 00:21:04.067 --> 00:21:07.564 And actually after three, peter and John went to the temple together. 00:21:07.564 --> 00:21:09.017 Now, what Peter could have said? 00:21:09.017 --> 00:21:11.865 Peter could have said I'm going to take a nap today. 00:21:11.865 --> 00:21:21.826 Peter could have said you know, I'm just spending a little while, since I've had some me time the wrong me time, by the way but I'm just going to go spend time by myself. 00:21:21.826 --> 00:21:25.086 I'm not going to spend any time with you, john, but he didn't. 00:21:25.086 --> 00:21:35.619 They spent time together and I say, as a church, we are more committed than ever before to creating spaces and places where community can happen. 00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:43.497 In our church, we are more committed than ever before to create places and spaces where community can happen. 00:21:43.497 --> 00:21:46.140 And community takes some time. 00:21:47.535 --> 00:21:49.582 Community isn't made in a microwave. 00:21:49.582 --> 00:21:53.325 I don't know about you guys, but I really like microwaves. 00:21:53.325 --> 00:21:55.515 Any guys like microwaves? 00:21:55.515 --> 00:22:04.484 I use my microwave quite a bit these days and I can put a little something in there and three minutes later, voila, I got some food. 00:22:04.484 --> 00:22:06.107 Amazing. 00:22:06.107 --> 00:22:09.005 Now is it like amazing food? 00:22:09.005 --> 00:22:15.963 No, but it's good, fills the pit, fills the job. 00:22:15.963 --> 00:22:23.827 It's a microwave, but you know, if you want to have a really good meal, go take some time. 00:22:23.827 --> 00:22:29.867 I mean, you're not going over to your family members or friend's house for Thanksgiving in a couple months. 00:22:29.867 --> 00:22:34.597 You're not walking in and they're not going to be like, oh, let me stir the food in the microwave real quick and we'll be good. 00:22:34.597 --> 00:22:39.377 It requires time. 00:22:39.377 --> 00:22:53.176 Everything of worth requires time, and community is formed in a crock pot, not a microwave. 00:22:53.176 --> 00:22:59.877 Communities formed in a crock pot, not a microwave. 00:23:00.375 --> 00:23:09.148 I wish when all of you guys came in, what I could say is I could say okay, guys, take this pill and automatically you're going to have community. 00:23:09.148 --> 00:23:14.394 That's going to be amazing, it's going to bring you joy, you're going to have meaningful experiences, you're going to have support and trials and tribulations. 00:23:14.394 --> 00:23:17.222 All you got to do is just take this little pill and you're good and you're going to have it. 00:23:17.222 --> 00:23:20.281 I wish I could, but I can't. 00:23:20.281 --> 00:23:27.407 You know what it requires from every single one of us to get some time, to spend some time with each other. 00:23:27.407 --> 00:23:34.259 Now we know baseline for this is gathering with the church on Sunday morning, is gathering and worshiping God together. 00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:36.721 But beyond that, it's taking a step of growth. 00:23:36.721 --> 00:23:40.904 Growth happens one step at a time through our growth groups. 00:23:40.904 --> 00:23:43.000 We have this semester. 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:48.083 We have nine different adult growth groups that are meeting just about every day of the week different times. 00:23:48.634 --> 00:23:52.806 We are trying to make groups accessible and easy for you to be a part of. 00:23:52.806 --> 00:23:56.724 Most of our groups meet about eight weeks long and they start next Sunday. 00:23:56.724 --> 00:24:03.397 We're actually trying something that we haven't tried, at least as long as I've been here the last few years. 00:24:03.397 --> 00:24:06.663 We're trying something that we're calling a community group. 00:24:06.663 --> 00:24:13.862 We're beta testing this, where a group will meet four out of eight weeks and they'll meet together just to do an activity together. 00:24:13.862 --> 00:24:16.060 It's a really spiritual activity. 00:24:16.060 --> 00:24:18.398 You know what it's going to be Volleyball. 00:24:18.398 --> 00:24:18.740 That's right. 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:19.780 Somebody was looking on the website. 00:24:19.780 --> 00:24:20.883 That's right, volleyball. 00:24:20.883 --> 00:24:23.448 This is what's going to happen. 00:24:23.448 --> 00:24:27.442 So a group is going to meet together four out of eight weeks to play volleyball together. 00:24:27.442 --> 00:24:28.244 Why? 00:24:28.244 --> 00:24:31.643 Because we want you to experience community. 00:24:31.643 --> 00:24:37.144 A couple of weeks ago, at team night, we shared that we're talking about going to a men's retreat coming up. 00:24:37.144 --> 00:24:38.166 Why do we want to do that? 00:24:38.166 --> 00:24:47.501 So we can have community with other people, and not just have community with other people, but have community with the right people. 00:24:49.055 --> 00:24:53.164 Because when you form community, your community also forms you. 00:24:53.164 --> 00:24:57.844 When you form community, your community also forms you. 00:24:57.844 --> 00:25:01.642 So if you want to see your future, just show me your friends. 00:25:01.642 --> 00:25:09.006 If you want to see the type of person you'll become, see the people that you're around. 00:25:09.006 --> 00:25:13.519 It's been said that when you were born, you look like your parents. 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:16.182 When you die, you look like your community. 00:25:16.182 --> 00:25:19.594 When you're born, you look like your parents. 00:25:19.594 --> 00:25:20.891 When you die, you look like your community. 00:25:20.891 --> 00:25:22.872 You look like the people that are around you. 00:25:24.368 --> 00:25:28.852 And for us to experience some of this, what we have to do is we have to give ourselves to this. 00:25:28.852 --> 00:25:34.368 We have to take some time, even if it's just an hour and a half a week over the next eight weeks. 00:25:34.368 --> 00:25:41.010 But it's something where you can step out of your comfort zone to be in community with others. 00:25:41.010 --> 00:25:44.568 But it's really hard because all of us like our comfort zones. 00:25:44.568 --> 00:25:47.491 Right, and you know why we all like our comfort zones? 00:25:47.491 --> 00:25:50.575 Because our comfort zones are comfortable. 00:25:50.575 --> 00:25:52.628 They're really comfortable. 00:25:52.628 --> 00:26:00.375 But growth happens outside of the comfort zone and relational growth happens when we take a step. 00:26:00.825 --> 00:26:07.171 And for us to experience the fruits of community, we have to be committed to what it takes to experience community. 00:26:07.171 --> 00:26:28.652 Community requires commitment, community requires time and this third essential we could say for communities something that I'm learning, something that I don't stand up here and teach as somebody that I got this one down. 00:26:28.652 --> 00:26:37.550 Guys, I don't, and this is the scariest thing for a lot of us Community requires vulnerability. 00:26:37.550 --> 00:26:44.864 I know that we have to be committed to what it takes to help others. 00:26:44.864 --> 00:26:54.305 You guys remember in Acts, chapter four, when the guys were thrown in prison and they came back, the chief priests and the elders, those were not good guys. 00:26:54.305 --> 00:26:55.217 They were not good guys. 00:26:55.217 --> 00:27:04.854 I have no idea what they experienced in jail, I have no idea what was told to them, but it says in the verse that when they went back to their people, it says they reported everything. 00:27:04.854 --> 00:27:08.423 Did you guys see that they were vulnerable? 00:27:08.423 --> 00:27:09.650 They were vulnerable. 00:27:09.650 --> 00:27:17.178 They opened themselves up to say, hey, guys, this is what happened. 00:27:17.178 --> 00:27:20.876 Hey, guys, this is what I experienced. 00:27:20.876 --> 00:27:26.132 And, guys, vulnerability is powerful. 00:27:26.132 --> 00:27:31.229 Vulnerability is us being able to say, hey, man, I'm struggling with something. 00:27:31.229 --> 00:27:34.951 Hey, I just right now I'm going through this right now. 00:27:34.951 --> 00:27:47.526 This is kind of where I'm at and can I say I want to give you permission to not be okay, like there are times when all of us struggle and in those moments we have to be willing to say okay. 00:27:47.526 --> 00:27:50.150 I'm gonna have a conversation with a friend this past week. 00:27:50.170 --> 00:27:54.570 Something happened to me, had happened to me for quite a while is I got triggered off something. 00:27:54.570 --> 00:27:59.811 And I got triggered and when I did, in that moment I was like okay, now I'm feeling a certain way. 00:27:59.811 --> 00:28:03.010 I was like all right, I'm gonna pray because I need help. 00:28:03.010 --> 00:28:05.167 I was like God help me. 00:28:05.167 --> 00:28:13.055 And then I processed this and I was feeling a little bit better and then I said this isn't enough. 00:28:13.055 --> 00:28:17.031 Like praying, that was great, that's not enough right now. 00:28:17.031 --> 00:28:21.996 I need to take a step that I did want to take. 00:28:21.996 --> 00:28:26.666 I need to talk to somebody right now, just for a minute. 00:28:26.666 --> 00:28:28.808 Just talk to a buddy, talk to somebody I know. 00:28:28.808 --> 00:28:46.242 And I took out my phone you can actually make phone calls on this, it's not just for texting and ordering food or whatever Took out my phone and I called a gobbly person that I trusted and I said I was praying about this. 00:28:46.242 --> 00:28:47.127 This happened. 00:28:47.127 --> 00:28:50.509 Praying about this, I'm feeling okay right now, but I just wanted to share it with you. 00:28:50.509 --> 00:28:52.749 I just want to share it with you, that's all. 00:28:53.765 --> 00:29:02.230 And this person, we're able to speak truth into the situation because of my emotions relying to me, my real, valid emotions that were real and were valid. 00:29:02.230 --> 00:29:03.529 They were telling me things that weren't true. 00:29:03.529 --> 00:29:05.405 You ever had that happen to you Right? 00:29:05.405 --> 00:29:18.393 And after this like seven minute phone conversation, I felt 100% better and I thought after that conversation, why was I fighting to be vulnerable right there? 00:29:18.393 --> 00:29:25.049 Why was I having such a hard time opening up when it literally just took that? 00:29:25.049 --> 00:29:28.188 And I'm like, okay, you know what it was. 00:29:28.188 --> 00:29:30.931 I didn't want to admit weakness. 00:29:30.931 --> 00:29:52.974 I want it to be strong, because I'm pastor Nate, okay, but when I stepped into vulnerability and showed weakness, that's when I found strength. 00:29:55.309 --> 00:30:01.491 And some of us are some vulnerability, away from experiencing real community. 00:30:01.491 --> 00:30:11.950 And community only happens when you're vulnerable to some degree, because you have to be known, you have to let people know you, and this is something that I'm learning. 00:30:11.950 --> 00:30:25.477 Again, I have not arrived, I'm learning this, but when you step out and you're vulnerable, it gives people permission to be open and vulnerable to you and sometimes people are just one person being vulnerable. 00:30:25.477 --> 00:30:26.568 That gives them permission. 00:30:26.568 --> 00:30:33.832 Then they can be vulnerable and it's like, oh wow, like we have this human connection that it's beautiful that God designed us to have. 00:30:35.664 --> 00:30:37.211 So where did we go with this message? 00:30:37.211 --> 00:30:45.827 Today, I want to make this really accessible and I want to talk about how we can just take this home really quick, because I want you to experience this, because you can't experience this. 00:30:45.827 --> 00:30:47.413 So what do we need to do? 00:30:47.413 --> 00:30:48.055 This is what we need to do. 00:30:48.055 --> 00:30:50.311 We need to one prioritize Christian community. 00:30:50.311 --> 00:30:53.032 We need to make Christian community a priority. 00:30:53.032 --> 00:30:59.772 Now I know some of us are thinking I don't have time, but remember, we have time for whatever's important to us. 00:30:59.772 --> 00:31:03.967 We just do right, I promise you. 00:31:03.967 --> 00:31:10.886 I think that everybody in the room and online probably prioritizes taking the shower every once in a while. 00:31:10.886 --> 00:31:17.471 Thankfully, most of us prioritize eating right. 00:31:17.471 --> 00:31:31.269 We prioritize certain things and you can never experience community until you prioritize community, and I know this is hard, but you can prioritize this because if you prioritize this, then you can experience this. 00:31:31.365 --> 00:31:35.490 Number two what you can do is you can decide to join an eight-week growth group. 00:31:35.490 --> 00:31:37.088 Decide to join a group. 00:31:37.088 --> 00:31:38.386 I'm amazed. 00:31:38.386 --> 00:31:42.832 Last week we didn't even announce groups and I checked on the sign-up spreadsheet. 00:31:42.832 --> 00:31:44.511 We had like 40 adults signed up for groups. 00:31:44.511 --> 00:31:46.130 We had not announced them one time. 00:31:46.130 --> 00:31:49.467 Here Y'all love groups, which is amazing, right. 00:31:49.467 --> 00:31:50.488 We had like 40 adults sign up. 00:31:50.488 --> 00:31:51.366 We never even announced them. 00:31:51.366 --> 00:31:57.122 But what groups are is groups meet again for about eight weeks or so and there's a group for everybody. 00:31:57.122 --> 00:32:07.361 I mean we have young adult group, ladies group, men's groups, just all couples groups, all kinds of different groups that are meeting and you can be a part of a group. 00:32:07.361 --> 00:32:08.768 Now, this is what it's going to require. 00:32:08.768 --> 00:32:12.859 It's going to require about an hour or two one night a week over the next eight weeks. 00:32:12.859 --> 00:32:15.434 But you can experience this. 00:32:16.430 --> 00:32:17.673 For some of us, we need to join a group. 00:32:17.673 --> 00:32:24.536 For those of us, let's get a little vulnerable with somebody, just a little bit. 00:32:24.536 --> 00:32:26.499 Just a little bit. 00:32:26.499 --> 00:32:28.555 Get a little bit vulnerable with somebody. 00:32:28.555 --> 00:32:33.692 I'm not saying that you get vulnerable with a stranger, but maybe it's somebody that you serve with. 00:32:33.692 --> 00:32:36.790 Maybe it's somebody in your growth group or somebody you've been in a growth group with. 00:32:36.790 --> 00:32:41.290 Maybe it's somebody on the same serve team you're on, that you've fostered a relationship with. 00:32:41.290 --> 00:32:46.476 Maybe it's somebody else, I don't know but get a little bit vulnerable with somebody. 00:32:46.476 --> 00:32:51.138 Sometimes, when we sometimes we think about vulnerability, we think that I have to share my entire life. 00:32:51.138 --> 00:32:55.398 No, you don't Just take a step and just share a little bit. 00:32:55.398 --> 00:32:57.834 And what vulnerability is? 00:32:57.834 --> 00:33:04.936 It's a skill that we learn as we rest in the gospel and understand our identities in the gospel, and not what others think of us, but it's something that you learn to develop. 00:33:04.936 --> 00:33:06.575 Get a little vulnerable with somebody. 00:33:06.575 --> 00:33:11.442 And then, lastly, maybe you're in the room and you're not yet a Jesus follower. 00:33:11.470 --> 00:33:20.557 I would encourage you to become a Christ follower when you hear you know the Jesus stuff, ish. 00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:23.143 You know some things about the Bible. 00:33:23.143 --> 00:33:30.732 Maybe you have friends that try to get you to do this stuff and come, and maybe you're a family member I don't know, but you're just not. 00:33:30.732 --> 00:33:37.255 You have not come to a place where you've made the decision to follow Jesus and you probably have some legitimate reasons. 00:33:37.255 --> 00:33:42.696