WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.959 Thanks for checking out this podcast from Carterville Christian Church. 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:04.160 We're so glad you're here. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:09.679 Our hope is that through these messages you'll grow deeper in your faith and experience the life-changing hope of Jesus. 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.240 Now let's jump into this week's teaching. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:14.880 Well, good morning. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:16.960 C3, good to be with you this morning. 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.280 Man, what a powerful time of worship. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.519 There's nobody else worthy of our worship this morning. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:22.239 Amen. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:24.399 And we are I'm excited to be with you. 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:31.120 I've got a um, I don't know, maybe a vivid picture to put into your mind right now. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.000 So good morning. 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:33.920 Hopefully you're ready for this, right? 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:34.960 But uh we'll see. 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:36.479 Um I want you to think about. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:48.640 Imagine with me that you leave uh church this morning, make a beeline to your car, get out there, and what you see as you go to open your car door, you see there on the ground just a severed foot sitting there on the ground. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.840 I want you to think about what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see this foot laying there, right? 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:54.719 Sorry, good morning. 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:57.280 Hope you're doing good this morning, okay? 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.000 But listen, like what do you what's the first thing that comes to your mind? 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:02.479 It's probably not, hey, everything's fine. 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:03.439 We're good, you know? 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:09.760 Like this, there's nothing to no no reason for panic right now, nothing to be worried about at all right now. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:13.040 No, you're probably like, what in what in the world happened? 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:15.280 Like, how did we get to this point right now? 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:21.200 You know, I one guy came up to me in between services and said, his thoughts were not my circus, not my monkeys. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.120 I'm just gonna leave, you know, get out of here, you know? 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:24.879 And maybe that's what you think, right? 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:32.560 But here's how the the Bible describes the church as the body of Christ, and that the the hand can't say to the foot, I don't need you. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.040 The eye can't say to the mouth, I don't, I don't need you. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:36.319 No, we need one another. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:43.920 And this is leading us into what we're talking about today, our need for community, our need to gather, our need for one another. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.879 And what we've been doing over the last several weeks is uh doing this series called Vital Signs. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:56.319 What we're talking about is our core values as a church, what we really want to be as a church, the the vision that we have for where we're going. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:02.239 And what we're talking about, what we've talked about already is that hey, we're a gathering of people who just realize we need Jesus. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:06.560 Like ultimately, that's that's the the ground is level at the foot of the cross. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:12.080 Every single one of us that comes in this place, we are a gathering of people who realize, man, we need Jesus. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:20.240 Like above and above everything else, we need him to step in and save us, to do something about our brokenness and our sin. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:27.360 And we need his strength to fill us every day of our lives so we can we can make it through every day of our lives. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:30.879 But then we talk, we're starting to shift and talk about so what do we do then? 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:35.599 Well, we make disciples of Jesus who are growing by studying and applying the word of God. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:36.879 That's what we talked about last week. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:44.080 And today we're talking about we we make disciples of Jesus who are also gathering together for worship, encouragement, and accountability. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:46.639 And what we're talking about is this importance for a community. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.639 What we believe is, and we've we've been talking about this, these these statements are we need statements. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.199 And what we're saying today is we need each other. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:56.879 We need to gather. 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:58.159 We need each other. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:02.800 And honestly, when it really comes down to it, there's something I need to address. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:11.919 Each of these statements, when it comes down to it, this these we need statements, in order for us to really accept them and really internalize them, it's gonna take humility. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:17.520 Like we're gonna have to put our pride aside and admit, yeah, I cannot do this by myself. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:19.439 I cannot do this on my own. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:22.240 Yeah, I need, I need you, right? 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:26.960 I need you to help me be the person that I'm that I'm that I really am created to be. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.560 I need to be in community. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.159 I love how John Stark said it. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:35.759 He said, the more we are alienated from other Christians, the more we are alienated from Christ Himself. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:45.199 Justin Early takes it a step further and says, Hey, you cannot experience God the way you were made to until you experience him alongside others. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:59.520 And yet, so many of us and so many, uh so many people in our culture and so many people in the American church kind of view this gathering together as a church kind of just flippantly or really passively. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:08.800 We we we like rather we we we treat it as an optional addition to our walk with the Lord rather than a necessity for us a lot of times. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:10.479 We treat we come at it passively. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:21.680 So I'll I'll go whenever it's convenient for me, I'll go when I have the time, I'll go when the weekend's not crazy busy, I'll go when I have a major life problem, or I'm going through a struggle, or when I just feel off. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:32.319 And maybe some of you in this room right now, some some of us that are watching online, maybe, maybe you've come in this space or you've come to this church because there's something that's just off. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:35.519 There's you've come to the end of something. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:41.120 You're struggling with something, or like you're not sure where to turn, and and so you've turned to this this building. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.079 Can I just say, first and foremost, we're glad that you're here. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:45.279 We're glad that you're here. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:46.000 Can I also say this? 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:47.120 Praise God. 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:55.600 Like sometimes God uses the life circumstances we find ourselves in and us coming to the end of ourselves, for us to finally just say, I've got nowhere else to turn. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:57.920 I'm gonna I'm gonna turn to you, Lord. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:09.920 And maybe that's where you find yourself right now, but can I just say this very clearly, if that's you this morning, the Lord has way more for you than just a quick fix to whatever problem you're going through. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:24.800 Maybe others, other others of us in this room have been coming to this church for a few months or a few years, and you're you're kind of just content with coming to church, you know, going through the motions here in this room and then making a beeline back out to your car afterwards. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:32.000 You know, like you haven't really opened yourself up to knowing anybody or really being known by anybody. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:35.120 You haven't really been open and honest in community or anything like that. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:36.639 And can I just say this to you? 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:44.079 The the Lord has so much more for you than what's just offered here in this room, even right now in this experience. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:46.160 He's got more for you than that. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.199 Or maybe, maybe others of us have made it a habit. 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:54.720 Maybe right now you're watching online and you've just kind of made it a habit to watch online, and I or just stay at home. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:06:08.000 It's more comfortable just to be in my in my PJs, or man, I'm exhausted from my Saturday activities, or you didn't make it a priority to bust at home after the after the ball tournament on Saturday, so you could be here on Sunday, or whatever, whatever it may be for you. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:20.319 Can I just say, first of all, man, I'm super thankful for people on our staff like Keith Bell and Josh Sargent who make this happen, make us be able to live stream services and post it on YouTube later and post it on our podcast later. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:27.360 I'm so thankful for a host of creative arts volunteers who are running all kinds of stuff to make this all possible. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:34.399 And like, so whenever you're unable to join us physically in person, you're still able to be connected to the body in that way. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:44.240 But so many times we've we we get into that rhythm, an unnecessary rhythm, of like, I can still connect and be separate from the body. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:51.680 I can still like just it just becomes uh an unhealthy habit that that's what we're choosing more than showing up to this place. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.439 And can I just say it clearly? 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.720 The church needs you and you need the church. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.759 Like the church suffers and your faith will suffer if you're not here with us in person. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:08.160 And the Lord has more for you than just a consumeristic approach to church. 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:12.800 And here's the deal: the Lord has a full life for you. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:14.399 He wants to give you a full life. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:21.680 That's what every single one of these vital signs has come back to is John 10, 10, when Jesus says, I've come that you may have life and that have it to the full. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:30.319 And part of this full life, it includes a flourishing community if you're ready to step into it, if you're willing to step into it all in. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.040 A word of caution here before we really jump in. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:34.959 I heard a preacher say this many, many years ago. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.079 It's stuck with me ever since. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:42.079 He said there's two obstacles to this vision that God has for the kind of community he wants his people to be. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:50.639 There's two obstacles to this, and it's and and I think it's good for us to look at these just for as a way of self-reflection this morning. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:52.000 It's the two obstacles. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:55.040 The first one is this some people want Christ without community. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:59.759 Some people want to just, you know, I want my own personal relationship with the Lord. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.319 I want to just, you know, follow him on my own. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:03.839 I don't really need anybody else. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.600 You know, it's kind of an issue of pride. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.040 Like I can figure it out. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.920 I've got the answers, or I can find the answers if I need to. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:11.360 I don't, I don't need anybody else. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:13.519 I don't need to open myself up to anybody else. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:21.680 Or maybe it's maybe it's not just Christ, Christ without anybody else, but it's Christ without without those, those people, whoever those people are for you. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.560 Like it's Christ without a select few of people. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:29.360 I I I yeah, I realize I need community, but I don't want that to be my community. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:31.519 I don't want them to be my community. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:33.279 What whoever, whoever they are. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.919 And here's the deal like this is what we're getting at this morning with the sermon is that this is a vital sign. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.840 This is we need to gather. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:44.960 Like, this is how we know we're fully alive with Christ is when we're gathering together with other people. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:46.480 You need other people in your life. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:47.600 You cannot do this alone. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:50.879 You were not created to walk this life alone. 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:52.639 I love how Eugene Peterson says it. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:56.720 He said this way God never makes secret salvation deals with people. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:02.559 His relationships with us are personal, true, and intimate, yes, but private, no. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:04.559 We are a family in Christ. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:08.080 When we become Christians, we are among brothers and sisters in the faith. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.159 No Christian is an only child. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:11.039 I love that. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.799 No Christian is an only child. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:24.960 And here's the truth: you cannot experience the full life that Christ wants you to have, wants to give you without other people walking with you and encouraging you and worshiping with you and spurring you on. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:27.519 Some people want Christ without community. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:34.720 But the other obstacle to this, to God's vision for the kind of community he wants his people to be, is some people want community without Christ. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:36.720 Some people want community without Christ. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:38.240 And this is this is the danger. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:47.200 If we don't, if we just take this one core value, this one vital sign without the others in context, then we'll get here. 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:49.600 We'll get to just community without Christ. 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:53.519 And we'll just end up being a country club, Carnival Christian country club, you know? 00:09:53.679 --> 00:10:03.200 And instead of, and just being being around people, and yeah, sure, caring about their hobbies and interests and their kids and their activities and all that kind of stuff, but we won't really get down to what really matters. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:12.720 And here's the thing: our need for each other flows out of our need for Jesus and ultimately his desire for us to be united together under him. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:19.600 So maybe a question for those of us who would say, This is my place, these are my people, this is my home, this is my church. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:28.080 Maybe a question for us is, or just a challenge for us, is we need to be the kind of community that doesn't just do life together without any hint of Christ. 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.519 Like it needs to be, our community needs to be rooted in him. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:41.600 And it can be really tempting for us just to gather together and enjoy being around one another for what it's worth, and just like have small talk or fun activities or potlucks. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:51.840 And if the purpose of our gatherings is absent of our continuing to be formed into his image and joining with him in his mission, then we are missing the point. 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.919 There's too much at stake. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:55.919 So what do we do? 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:08.879 Well, we gather together in large group environments like this and in small, smaller group environments, but we don't just fall into, we don't want to just fall into a community of people gathering with no real goal, no real mission driving us. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:10.960 So what do we do when we gather? 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:14.080 And I think that's the question I kind of want to lead the rest of our time. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:16.720 What are we really doing when we gather together? 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.480 What are we really, why do why are we doing this in the first place? 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:28.240 And I don't think there's gonna be anything surprising to you, but I think hopefully it's reorienting for us and for us to say, yes, absolutely. 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:29.519 That's why we're gonna gather. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:31.519 That's why we're gonna make this a priority. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:32.000 Okay? 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:33.279 So here's where we're going. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:36.080 I think the first thing is we gather, we gather to worship. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:37.519 That's why we gather. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:43.120 We want to gather to lift our voices to the Lord, the only one who is worthy of our worship. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:44.879 We're created to do this, right? 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:45.840 We just sang about it. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.000 I am I am an instrument of exaltation. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.159 I was born to lift your name above all names. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.679 This is what we believe to be true. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:57.600 And maybe some of you right now, if you're being honest with yourselves, you've already checked out because you're just like, yeah, it's great. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:01.120 I know we gathered worship, but worship just isn't my thing, you know? 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.120 And I don't know if you ever used that phrase, you know, it's just not my thing. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:09.440 Or maybe, maybe you've lived that way, you know, like with different things. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:10.799 That's just not my thing. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:12.559 Um, I'm thinking about my kids. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.000 My kids might say, cleaning my room just isn't my thing, you know? 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.720 Or maybe, maybe your husband says, listening attentively just isn't my thing, you know? 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:25.440 Or maybe your wife would say, being on time just isn't my thing, you know, being ready on time just isn't my thing. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:26.960 I said, Your wife, not my wife, okay? 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:28.480 I'm not gonna be in trouble. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:31.840 Now, sometimes we can be this way with worship, right? 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:33.039 It's just not my thing. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:34.399 But actually it is. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:35.600 Actually, it is. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:41.039 Worship at its simply means to give worth to something, and we all do this. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:44.159 We all do this because worship isn't just about singing songs. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:48.000 Worship is a every part of our lives is meant to be worship. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:49.919 And so we do this with every part of our lives. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.799 We are all worshipers, we're all giving worth to something. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.879 This is worth whatever, whatever this is. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:08.799 This is worth my time, and this is worth my energy, and this is worth my money, and this is worth my struggle even to experience it, and this is worth my pain, and this is worth my response, and this is worth my energy, whatever it might be. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:11.840 It makes sense that we do this because we were created for it. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:17.360 I just came, I was just with our second and third graders at Camps Alcamo for a couple days at the end of the week. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:20.320 And man, I'm telling you, like it was just affirming for me. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:21.679 We were created to worship. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:28.559 Whenever the worship leader got up there, when Harmony got up there and started singing, started singing, praise the Lord. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:31.440 And you couldn't see a single kid not jumping in that room. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:32.159 You know what I'm saying? 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.200 Like they're going crazy, they're worshiping, lifting their voices to the Lord. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:38.799 And that's what they were created to do, is to lift their voices to the Lord. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:40.960 But also, worship is not just singing. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:58.559 And so I saw it at the same time as there were like so many adults there with me who had given up their time and given up their energy and had so much patience over that 26 hours with those kids, you know, like just pouring and discipling other these this next generation. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:06.639 It was it was incredible to see because they were created for that kind of worship, like an all-in, all of your life kind of worship, and so were you. 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:08.080 You were created for worship. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:12.799 But let me be very clear: this community, this church is created for worship. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:18.080 Like the church gathers so that we can worship the God who is worthy of our worship. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:26.159 There's a lot of places we could go here, but I want to go to Psalm 95, and I want you to pay attention to the community worship language all throughout this passage. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:27.600 I'm just gonna read a few verses. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:28.799 This is what he says. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.000 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:38.960 Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation, let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:47.440 Come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:49.679 Did you hear the community worship language? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.759 The let us, he says, let us, like six different times in those four verses right there. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:04.799 Let us, let us sing for joy, let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation, let us come before him with thanksgiving, let us bow down before him in worship, let us kneel before our maker. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.559 We do this together. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.759 Like this is a picture of what it means to gather together. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:16.159 We gather for worship, no matter what we bring in, and no matter what circumstances we're facing. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:37.679 Our worship minister Creighton has said this before many times, and sometimes we come into this place and this this room specifically, and we come in and you know, we start singing, the worship leader invites us to come sing with them, and and it's really easy sometimes for us to walk in this room and and you know lift our voices and lift our hands and praise our God. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:44.799 Sometimes it's really easy for us to come in and do that, you know, like a there's nothing, there's nothing weighing on me, there's nothing heavy on me. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:52.320 Other times we walk in this room, and man, life is just kind of chewed us up and spit us out throughout the week. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:16:03.120 And it's just hard as you come in this room and you're just burdened or you're weighed down by something and you you can't bring yourself to sing, and that's whenever, and I don't know if you've you've experienced something like that. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.600 I know I've experienced something like that in this room when I've come to worship in this in this room. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:08.720 And you know what? 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:14.399 Then I then I look across the room and I see my brother raising his hands in worship. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.879 Or I I look to the person sitting behind me and I hear her voice lifted to our God who's worthy of our worship. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:27.919 And sometimes my community worships on my behalf whenever I can't bring myself to sing the words. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:29.360 And this is what this is what happens. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:36.960 Here's the deal: every single one of us comes in this room with a different story, a different perspective, a different burdens and struggles and temptations and sin. 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:44.639 And the good news this morning is that hey, nothing of what you bring into this room disqualifies you from worshiping. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.600 None of what you bring in here disqualifies you. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:55.039 But also, hear me, none of whatever you're experiencing disqualifies God from being worthy of your worship either. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:59.919 Like he is still worthy, he has proven himself faithful and worthy of our worship. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:06.240 So, what does it mean for you to worship God as we gather together in the context of this community? 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:10.640 Man, I would encourage you to worship the way that Paul encourages us in Romans chapter 12. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:13.200 I love how the message says it. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:22.000 It says, take your everyday, ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going to work, walking around life, and place it before God as an offering. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:24.240 He's worthy of everything. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.440 He's worthy of it all. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:30.960 And as we gather together, we're reminded of this that our God is worthy of our worship. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.559 But we're also, it's not just that we gather to worship, we do gather to worship. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:37.680 We also gather, we get we gather to walk as well. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:39.279 We gather so that we can walk. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.680 Walking is an interesting concept in scripture. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:51.039 There's actually like the idea of walking kind of carries like a metaphor for a couple different ways, a couple different ways in scripture. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:52.960 The first one is like an interaction with somebody, right? 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:56.000 A companion, somebody walking along the path with you. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:59.119 And this is the Lord walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.160 And this is the Lord's promise to Israel when he says, I will walk among you, I will be your God. 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:05.839 And we talked about this a few months ago. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:11.759 Whenever Jesus looks at the thief on the cross and says, I tell you, I tell you the truth, like today you will be with me in paradise. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.480 What he's saying is, I'm gonna be your companion. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:18.319 I'm gonna walk with you in the garden, just like the Lord did with Adam and Eve. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.160 Like we're gonna walk together. 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:29.200 So it's got that got that metaphor with it, of interaction with somebody else, but it also has this metaphor of like a person's lifestyle. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:38.880 Walking, walking goes with this, and the image of walking suggests suggests like a continuing progress towards faithfulness and towards obedience. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:48.720 So this becomes like a chief example, a chief like urge and plea from the New Testament writers to continue to walk in the way of the Lord. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:50.960 This is what Jesus himself says in John chapter 8. 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:52.079 I'm the light of the world. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:55.759 Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:04.960 In 1 John, it says, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:19.440 Paul urges us to not walk as the Gentiles do in their futility, of their thinking, but walk in a manner worthy of the calling that we have received, to walk as, to walk in love and to walk as children of the light, and to walk as wise, not as unwise. 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:22.240 And then it makes me think of Proverbs chapter 13. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:27.759 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:51.440 And listen, like this is this is a picture of what our community should be: one that gathers together so we can walk together, so we can continue taking steps towards faithfulness and towards obedience and towards wholeness and completeness in Christ, so we can continue to be formed into his image, so we can stay on track, so we can hold each other accountable, so we can carry one another's burdens. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:59.680 This is why we gather so we can walk, so we can be a companion to one another, and so we can continue to grow in the Lord together. 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:12.240 I asked several of you, I text a lot of different people in our church this week, asking them about their experience in small groups and like what kind of what kind of impact your small group has had in helping you grow in the Lord. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:21.279 I got a lot of different answers from doing extra Bible studies to just like realizing my need for a community, realizing my need for to have other people speaking into me. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:22.640 I got several I want to share with you. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:23.440 Brandi said this. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:35.200 She said, I didn't grow up in church, so being part of a life group with a with a group of women that have deeply, that have deep family history and wisdom of the Bible has helped me to grow and understand what I'm reading and studying. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:42.000 I also love knowing that they are always, they always stand beside me, praying through all the things life hands me, big and small. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:43.759 Matt Basing said it this way. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:46.960 He said, My group has helped me to understand that I'm not alone in this. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:49.359 I'm not alone in having questions or doubts. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:52.160 I'm not alone in the areas I struggle with spiritually. 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:55.920 There are men there who struggle with some of the same things or concepts. 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:03.759 It's easy to look at others from the outside and assume they've got it all figured out and that they don't struggle as I do or in the same way or have the same fears that I carry. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:10.880 But when I'm willing to be honest and say, hey, I'm struggling in this area, it's nice to have a group of guys who can encourage me and lift me up. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:17.839 The Gunsarus said it this way: our small group offers opportunities for us to ask honest questions and have discussions that help strengthen our faith. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:24.640 Our family has had major life changes in the last year, and having our church community pray for us has been encouraging. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:28.960 And although we don't have the answers, we don't have to carry the burden alone. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:32.000 Church, this is why we gather. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:47.279 So that we can share the burden, so we can continue to encourage one another to take faithful steps towards Christ's likeness, so that we can walk alongside one another and encourage one another and spur one another on towards love and good deeds. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:57.759 Like, this is why we do this, this is why we gather together, because ultimately we know we know that following Jesus is hard, but following Jesus alone is nearly impossible. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.759 Like we know this to be true, so we gather. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:07.920 We gather to walk in step with the Lord, to spur one another on, to walk together as we strive to be more like Christ. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:13.039 What would it look like for you to be involved in that kind of community here? 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:21.119 What would it look like for you to step forward and just be honest and be open and experience that kind of community here? 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:30.240 So we gather, we gather worship, and we gather so we can walk with the Lord, so we can continue to walk in step with Him, but we also gather to remember. 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.279 We gather to remember every single time we gather. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:40.559 Remembering is a theme that's seen all throughout scriptures, and it makes sense because we're described in the Bible as sheep. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:44.880 And I don't know what you know about sheep, but they're not the wisest of animals. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:46.960 You know, like they're they're pretty forgetful. 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:49.839 Like they they, you know, you rescue them, they go right back into the pit. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:54.240 You know, as one scholar said, it's more often that we need to be reminded than we need to be informed. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:23:00.799 It's not that we need new information all the time, it's more we need to be reminded of what we already know to be true. 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:03.599 What we already know to be true about who about who our God is. 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:09.759 There's a refrain in the book of Judges that sounds like this Again, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.960 They forgot the Lord their God, and they instead served the Baals and the Asheras. 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:23.359 This is one scholar pointed out, like Israel's repeated absent-mindedness always resulted in disobedience and defeat. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:26.160 And let me just say it very clearly. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.880 You and I are wired the same way. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:31.200 Prone to forget. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:38.880 And when we forget, it will always lead, always result in disobedience and defeat. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:43.599 We're prone to forget how good and how faithful the Lord has been. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:46.640 We often slip into disobedience and defeat. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:56.240 So we need to gather so we can remind each other of how good our God is and how faithful he is to us, and how he's always going to be with us. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:59.599 He walks with us, and if God is for us, who can be against us? 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:07.440 We remind ourselves of that as we gather, and there's a lot of places we can look for in scripture here, but I want to go to Psalm 77 this morning. 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:12.240 Psalm 77, this the psalmist is in a like a deep valley pit. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:14.799 And they start asking questions. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:15.839 This is what they start asking. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.680 Will the Lord reject forever? 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:20.640 Like, will the Lord never show his favor again? 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:23.279 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.680 Has his promise failed for all time? 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:27.839 Has God forgotten to be merciful? 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.279 Has he in his anger withheld his compassion? 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:40.160 And maybe, maybe you found yourself in a season that is similar to that, like where you just, man, God, where are you? 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:43.599 I can't see you in the midst of whatever I'm facing right now. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:47.039 I don't know, I don't know where to turn, I don't know what to what to lean on. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:48.480 I don't know, I don't even are you here? 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:49.440 Are you with me? 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:51.359 Are you still for me? 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.000 Look at what the psalmist says. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.240 Then I thought, to this I will appeal. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.720 The years when the Most High stretched out his right hand, I will remember the deeds of the Lord. 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:04.319 Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:09.279 I will consider all your works, and I will meditate on all your mighty deeds. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.200 Your ways, God, are holy. 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:13.440 What God is, as great as our God. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:18.640 You are the God who performs miracles, you display your power among the peoples. 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:22.480 With your mighty hand, with your mighty arm, you redeemed your people. 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:24.880 The descendants of Jacob and Joseph. 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.079 Do you see the turn that happens there? 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:37.839 The psalmist brings himself to remember, to recall, even in his darkest hour, what the Lord has done. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:47.759 He brings back to mind what the Lord has done, and the psalmist remembrance, in the psalmist remembrance, his attitude changes from lament to worship. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:26:00.480 Like he's brought back into like what he remembers is what is ultimately true, what is ultimately real, what is the most real thing for any of us, real than any of our situations, any of our circumstances, any of our feelings. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:07.680 What's real is who God is and what he has done for us, what he has proven to be true about himself over and over and over again. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:09.839 And this is what we do every time we gather together. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.759 We remember who our God is. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:35.920 Whether that's through the worship songs that we sing, the true songs we sing back to our God, who is worthy of our worship, or whether that's we when we open his word and we see his character in the pages of scripture, or whether that's whenever we interact with one another and we experience the presence of God through a brother or sister who takes time with us to listen to us and care about us and pray for us and point us back to who God is. 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:38.640 Like this is what we do as we gather, we remember. 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:42.720 And what is most true is brought back into view for us. 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:47.599 And it's not this kind of remembering that's like I wish I was back in the good old days, you know? 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.960 I wish there was a way to know that you were in the good old days before you left it. 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:54.240 You know, it's not the vitamin C kind of remembering. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:56.960 As we go on, we remember all the times we had together. 00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:00.079 You know, it's not that kind of stuff that we're talking about. 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:06.400 That we remember all those good times and then we, you know, just go cry ourselves to sleep because it's not as good as it was back then. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.319 You know, that's not what we're talking about here. 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:10.400 It's not just like some feely kind of thing. 00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:13.119 No, it's an old testament kind of remembering. 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:15.440 Like, hey, remember where you were. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:17.519 Remember what God did. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:21.440 Remember how good and how faithful He's been and buckle up. 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:23.519 Like, take heart, be encouraged. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:25.119 He's going with you. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:27.920 Remember where you came from. 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:31.039 Remember what you came through. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:40.720 We look back so we can have a better understanding and appreciation of where we are right now and who God is, even right now, in the midst of whatever you might be facing. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:43.039 We look back so we can remember who he is. 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.480 Question for you. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:51.759 When's the last time you just gave yourself time to reflect on how good the Lord has been to you? 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:58.240 When's the last time you reflected about the goodness of God in your life and what he's brought you through? 00:27:58.319 --> 00:28:09.039 Not so you could wish that you were back there in the good old days, but so you could be assured that he is walking with you right now and will continue to provide moving forward. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:16.000 Our God has brought you this far, and he's gonna continue providing moving forward. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:23.279 This is the message for us individually, but also, man, it's a message for us communally, corporately. 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:29.599 God has brought us this far, and he will continue to provide for us moving forward. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:44.720 As we gather together, we're given this opportunity to recall the works of the Lord, to remember what he's done in the past, and we're given this opportunity to place our trust in him, even in the midst of whatever circumstance we might be facing. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.480 This is why we gather, so we can remember. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:51.039 And it's actually what we do every single time. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:52.079 We gather. 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:53.359 We remember. 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:56.160 We go to these tables around the room. 00:28:56.400 --> 00:28:57.279 It's kind of weird. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:05.599 I think anybody in the world coming in and not having any any idea of what's happening, they'd be like, this is kind of a weird thing, you know? 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:16.720 Why are they gonna go eat that, you know, that stale communion bread and drink that little that little tiny cup of grape juice that feels really weird that they're gonna go there, but we know what's happening as we go to these tables. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:27.359 As we go to these tables, we we're gathering and we're we're being reminded of what our God has done that we could not do. 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:35.039 We're being reminded that He we while we were dead in our sin, God made us alive with Christ. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:43.200 Remembering that even while we were still in our sin, Christ died for us, that he willingly went to the cross on your behalf and on mine. 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:51.279 And so we go to these tables, and as we go to these tables, what's crazy is we go to these tables and we are brought together as a people. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:58.079 Not just those of us in this room, but all of our brothers and sisters who are scattered throughout the entire world. 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:03.440 They're all going around the same table that we are going to, and we're brought together. 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:13.039 Ephesians chapter 2 says that Jesus has brought down every dividing wall of hostility that stood between us by his finished work on the cross. 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:14.559 This is what he has done. 00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:18.799 Anything that could divide us no longer does because of what Christ has done. 00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:27.519 We are brought together when we remember what he has done for us, not as a result of anything we have done, but because of what he has done. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:31.440 And you know so many times we're gonna we're gonna go to the tables in just a second. 00:30:31.519 --> 00:30:35.359 And so many times we go to these tables and we go quietly. 00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:46.160 You know, we had Family Sunday in here about a month ago, and I remember like kind of shushing my kids as we're going to the communion table, you know, like shh, you know, whatever you gotta keep this to yourself, kind of a thing. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.559 I'm gonna ask you to do something a little bit weird this morning. 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:50.079 Maybe this is your first time here. 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:52.799 Maybe you're just like, I don't want to do this at all, okay? 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:55.519 But I'm sorry, doors are closed and they're locked, actually. 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:57.359 You can't get out of here, okay? 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:00.880 But I'm gonna ask you to not go quietly to these tables. 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:04.960 I'm gonna ask you to go to these tables as a family, gathering around a table. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:09.680 As you go to the table, I'm gonna ask you to to say hi to somebody. 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:12.960 Maybe to introduce yourself to somebody if you don't know who they are. 00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:20.240 I'm gonna ask you to go and and go like you're you're surrounding a table, like you would with your family. 00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:22.400 To to share with one another. 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:39.200 And I'm gonna ask you if you if you see somebody, if you see somebody who's sitting by themselves, would you ask them to join with you and and as and and pray together as you reflect on what the Lord has done, not just for you individually, but what he has done for us. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:46.640 Would you welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you into his family? 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:49.359 That's what we're gonna do as we go to the as we go to the table. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:51.359