WEBVTT 00:00:04.044 --> 00:00:10.872 So the overarching theme that the elders received from the Lord for this year, first of all, was that we needed to get some things. 00:00:11.933 --> 00:00:26.925 We needed to grow within our own team, and so be praying for us, asking the Lord to help us as we long to be greater examples of what it looks like to be followers of Jesus Christ as we lead this church according to the grace of God. 00:00:26.925 --> 00:00:27.809 So be praying for us. 00:00:27.809 --> 00:00:44.570 But also, we felt like the Lord spoke something to us for the entire church, and it can be summed up in a simple sentence together, growing deeper so that we can reach farther, together, growing deeper so that we can reach farther. 00:00:44.570 --> 00:00:52.862 And that's what we believe is kind of the overarching theme for this entire year and what we believe that God wants us, as a church, to experience. 00:00:52.862 --> 00:00:56.832 Now, if we're going to experience it as a church, where does it have to start? 00:00:56.832 --> 00:00:59.643 With individuals? 00:00:59.643 --> 00:01:11.072 It starts with individuals, and then it goes to families, and then it goes to community groups, and on and on and on, and eventually the church itself will also experience it together, right? 00:01:11.072 --> 00:01:13.006 So let's get into this. 00:01:13.006 --> 00:01:21.495 Over the next few weeks, we'll be breaking this idea down into segments that just happen to coincide with belong, grow and serve. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:31.492 If you've ever been a part of Trinity for any length of time, you know that you've heard these three words, and these aren't just it's not just a mantra, it's just not words on a wall in the lobby. 00:01:31.492 --> 00:01:42.560 These are words that we believe, that God is asking us, as a church, to participate in, and so the first word is belong, and the title of today's message is we belong together. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:44.069 We belong together. 00:01:44.069 --> 00:01:48.646 Let's look in our Bibles to Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 19 through 25. 00:01:48.646 --> 00:01:54.623 And I'm actually using the NIV version today Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 19 through 25. 00:01:54.623 --> 00:02:02.543 Please, as we read this, pay attention to all of the plural words that are used we, us and so on. 00:02:02.543 --> 00:02:05.388 Right Hebrews 10, 19 through 25. 00:02:05.790 --> 00:02:40.445 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 00:02:40.445 --> 00:02:49.956 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 00:02:49.956 --> 00:03:06.057 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. 00:03:06.057 --> 00:03:07.481 Let's pray together. 00:03:07.481 --> 00:03:19.540 Father, I thank you for your matchless word and I thank you, lord, that you've been working this word in my heart and in my mind and my soul, in my spirit, over this last couple of weeks. 00:03:19.540 --> 00:03:32.752 And, father, I pray that the work that you've done in my life would be translated and that I would speak the words that you desire to be spoken today and that you would touch each and every person that is listening to this message. 00:03:32.752 --> 00:03:37.632 And, father, that you would do the work that only you can do of transforming hearts and minds. 00:03:37.632 --> 00:03:45.389 Father, we want you, we need you and we need each other, and we ask that you'd help us to recognize that even more today. 00:03:45.389 --> 00:03:47.824 In Jesus name, amen. 00:03:50.768 --> 00:03:56.222 So I wanted just to start with this simple thought we were created to be a part of God's family. 00:03:56.222 --> 00:04:01.331 We were created by God to be a part of his family. 00:04:01.331 --> 00:04:05.008 Can you travel with me through the cosmos to To eternity past. 00:04:05.008 --> 00:04:10.610 You have father, son and spirit who, by the way, are the perfect picture of unity and togethering. 00:04:10.610 --> 00:04:19.730 And they're having a staff meeting right and as they're having the staff meeting, they're having a discussion About what they may want to do over the next few days or weeks. 00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:21.504 And guess what they said? 00:04:21.504 --> 00:04:23.524 Why don't we create something? 00:04:23.524 --> 00:04:25.730 Why don't we make something brand new? 00:04:25.730 --> 00:04:31.983 Why don't we speak something? 00:04:31.983 --> 00:04:34.654 Why doesn't something come from the Father's heart and Jesus speak it out of his mouth and the Holy Spirit take the words and form? 00:04:34.654 --> 00:04:35.620 That Wouldn't that be amazing. 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:36.980 Let's do that. 00:04:37.502 --> 00:04:40.908 And so we see in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 26,. 00:04:40.908 --> 00:04:43.593 It says let us make man in our image. 00:04:43.593 --> 00:04:53.312 Verse 26, it says let us make man in our image, after our likeness, after God had created everything and said that it was good, then he created man and he said it is very good. 00:04:53.312 --> 00:04:55.297 It is very good. 00:04:55.297 --> 00:04:57.783 Why did God create us? 00:04:57.783 --> 00:05:00.795 Because he wanted us to be a part of his family. 00:05:00.795 --> 00:05:08.571 It's as if the father looked at the son and said I want to give my son the very best gift that I could ever give him, and so I want to give him a bride. 00:05:08.571 --> 00:05:16.244 And it's like the son looked at the father and said I want to give him the very best gift that I can give him, and so I want to give him children. 00:05:16.244 --> 00:05:24.504 And so the Holy Spirit took that and caused it to come to being here in this earth as God created Adam. 00:05:24.964 --> 00:05:33.891 And the first not good found in scripture is found when God says what it is not good for man to be alone. 00:05:33.891 --> 00:05:39.680 Now, several of you men in this room just missed a divine opportunity. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:48.449 I laid it out for you on a platter and you remain silent it is not good for man to be alone. 00:05:48.449 --> 00:05:50.552 Thank you, thank you All. 00:05:50.552 --> 00:05:56.971 Right, I'm going to be praying for your wives even more, even more now. 00:05:56.971 --> 00:06:00.218 But it is true, it's not good for man to be alone. 00:06:00.218 --> 00:06:09.064 God created Adam and he realized that Adam needed other people, another person in his life and other people in his life. 00:06:09.064 --> 00:06:19.906 And so God formed Eve out of Adam's rib and brought her to Adam, and the two enjoyed their relationship with each other, and part of the fruit of their relationship together was that they bore children. 00:06:19.906 --> 00:06:23.362 Right, but how many of you know that's not the end of the story. 00:06:24.129 --> 00:06:28.346 This story takes an unfortunate turn and, by the way, this isn't just a story in a book. 00:06:28.346 --> 00:06:29.309 This really happened. 00:06:29.309 --> 00:06:30.992 This is real. 00:06:30.992 --> 00:06:32.822 And so what did they do? 00:06:32.822 --> 00:06:39.074 They sinned, and sin broke our relationship with God. 00:06:39.074 --> 00:06:49.334 Adam and Eve broke God's commandment and in so doing they were removed from the presence of God and from the Garden of Eden, and they were doomed to eventually die. 00:06:49.334 --> 00:07:03.387 But even in the middle of that devastating scene if you can picture it in your head and we've just read about this in our Bible reading plan since the beginning of January God promised that there would be redemption. 00:07:03.387 --> 00:07:03.968 That would come. 00:07:03.968 --> 00:07:09.432 God had a plan that was bigger than man's sin and man's mistake. 00:07:09.432 --> 00:07:13.822 Now we can blame Adam and Eve all we want, but here's the reality. 00:07:13.822 --> 00:07:22.644 Every person ever born, including myself, have been born what Condemned. 00:07:22.644 --> 00:07:26.110 We have been born in sin and death. 00:07:26.110 --> 00:07:28.615 We have been born opposed to God. 00:07:28.615 --> 00:07:34.853 We have been born dead in our trespasses and sins, and if you want proof of that, here's the proof. 00:07:34.853 --> 00:07:43.103 All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, every single one of us. 00:07:43.103 --> 00:07:47.213 We are in desperate need of rescue. 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:55.048 Not only was our relationship with God affected by the fall, but so was our relationship with each other. 00:07:55.048 --> 00:07:59.471 What was the second sin that was recorded in the Bible. 00:07:59.471 --> 00:08:09.670 You see, sin broke our relationship with each other, and we see that as the second sin recorded in the Bible was when Cain killed his brother Abel. 00:08:09.670 --> 00:08:12.834 Why? 00:08:12.834 --> 00:08:16.771 Because he was jealous that God accepted his brother's sacrifice and not his own. 00:08:16.771 --> 00:08:19.064 He killed his brother over that. 00:08:19.064 --> 00:08:58.283 And from then on we see regurgitation of these kinds of cycles, where mankind grew further and further away from any knowledge of God and gave in more and more to their own fleshly desires, hatred and anger and malice and destruction and murder and sexual sin, all of the things that you can name, all of the things that you can name, all of the things that remove us in our relationship with God and also remove us in our relationship with each other. 00:08:58.283 --> 00:08:58.783 So how did God respond? 00:08:58.783 --> 00:09:07.011 He responded in the Old Testament, with sweeping judgments, like the flood and then the fire that fell as brimstone, destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:09:07.011 --> 00:09:11.015 God grew weary of all of this, and so what did he do? 00:09:11.015 --> 00:09:24.874 He began to enact a plan of redemption Wherein he would restore his family back to himself and to each other, and that's the premise of this whole message this morning. 00:09:24.874 --> 00:09:28.264 That's the premise, I believe, of this passage of scripture. 00:09:28.264 --> 00:09:39.052 So let's dig in First point is that Jesus' sacrifice made a way for us to be restored to right relationship with our Father God. 00:09:39.052 --> 00:09:56.407 The passage reads therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way, open for us through the curtain that is his body, jesus' sacrifice. 00:09:56.407 --> 00:10:05.609 By the way, jesus was the only one born, who wasn't born condemned by sin and death Because his father was not of this earth. 00:10:05.609 --> 00:10:08.821 His father was our father in heaven. 00:10:10.725 --> 00:10:13.691 In Old Testament times, people were kept at a distance from God. 00:10:13.691 --> 00:10:17.183 This was a part of the tabernacle and temple motif. 00:10:17.183 --> 00:10:48.845 Only once a year, during Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement, the high priest would be allowed to go past the veil that guarded the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was kept and was to be found, and he would go in as a representative of his own family and of the people of God, the Jewish nation, and he would stand there before the Ark of the Covenant, before the altar, and he would sprinkle upon it the blood of animals who had been sacrificed for the sins of the altar, and he would sprinkle upon it the blood of animals who had been sacrificed for the sins of the people. 00:10:48.845 --> 00:10:59.009 The book of Hebrews teaches us that, as important as that old covenant was and it was it was just a shadow. 00:10:59.009 --> 00:11:06.812 It was a shadow of the substance, which is the new covenant which Jesus enacted by dying for us. 00:11:06.812 --> 00:11:14.092 Jesus replaced the old covenant with a new covenant, and he did this with his own body. 00:11:14.092 --> 00:11:18.386 Christ's death created a new and living way. 00:11:18.386 --> 00:11:26.013 The veil in the temple, if you think about it, when Jesus died, when he breathed his last breath and he said it is finished. 00:11:26.520 --> 00:11:30.892 The Bible says that the veil of the temple rent from top to bottom. 00:11:30.892 --> 00:11:36.831 Wasn't one of Jesus's followers, like Peter, that got excited and ripped it from the bottom to the top? 00:11:36.831 --> 00:11:41.427 God ripped it from the top to the bottom and he said let me out. 00:11:41.427 --> 00:11:47.231 I will no longer be contained in vessels made by man. 00:11:47.231 --> 00:11:59.889 And because of this, as Jesus' body was being broken, the veil separating man from God was torn. 00:11:59.889 --> 00:12:00.750 It was a symbol. 00:12:00.750 --> 00:12:06.332 It represented this new covenant, this new life that we can have. 00:12:06.332 --> 00:12:09.970 We can now come confidently into the presence of our father. 00:12:09.970 --> 00:12:14.470 We don't need a human mediator, we don't need a high priest other than Jesus. 00:12:14.470 --> 00:12:17.889 We can come boldly into the throne of grace. 00:12:17.889 --> 00:12:21.205 This is good news. 00:12:21.205 --> 00:12:25.448 Our relationship with him has been restored. 00:12:25.448 --> 00:12:26.705 If we do what? 00:12:26.705 --> 00:12:33.846 If we place our faith, hope and trust on Jesus Christ, that's what opens the door. 00:12:33.846 --> 00:12:45.171 So Jesus' sacrifice made a way for us to be restored to right relationship with our father God, but it also made a way for us to be restored to right relationship with each other. 00:12:45.171 --> 00:12:46.302 Did you catch this? 00:12:46.302 --> 00:12:47.684 As I was reading it the first time? 00:12:47.684 --> 00:12:51.039 And since we have a great priest over the what? 00:12:52.142 --> 00:12:59.750 The house of God, the house of God, plural. 00:12:59.750 --> 00:13:03.836 Jesus didn't die just to save one person. 00:13:03.836 --> 00:13:08.038 Jesus didn't die just to save one person. 00:13:08.038 --> 00:13:11.081 Jesus died to save an entire household. 00:13:11.081 --> 00:13:12.043 That's why he came. 00:13:12.043 --> 00:13:17.729 That's why he died, that's why the new covenant was cut, that's why he did what he did. 00:13:17.729 --> 00:13:26.336 In other words, he came to save all of those who belong to him, all of those who are called to be a part of his family. 00:13:26.336 --> 00:13:34.677 He did it once and for all. 00:13:34.677 --> 00:13:39.787 We are made alive under God so that we can also be made right with each other. 00:13:39.787 --> 00:13:42.312 And the Bible refers to this house of God in a lot of different ways. 00:13:42.312 --> 00:13:47.913 It refers to it as a family, a body, a building and the bride of Christ, just to name a few. 00:13:47.913 --> 00:13:53.091 But make no mistake, the church is God's idea. 00:13:53.091 --> 00:14:00.928 It's not man-made, somebody didn't come up with it as a great idea. 00:14:00.928 --> 00:14:10.785 Jesus died so that the church could be made alive and we could have right relationship with God and with each other. 00:14:11.626 --> 00:14:14.634 I know it isn't popular to say this in today's world. 00:14:14.634 --> 00:14:19.331 How many of you know, there's a lot of people who love to hate the church. 00:14:19.331 --> 00:14:25.210 There's a lot of people who love to hate the church. 00:14:25.210 --> 00:14:44.390 And don't get me wrong, there are things that I see happening within the churches, especially in our own nation, that grieve me, that cause me deep sorrow, that cause me to cry out to God to bring about revival and restoration and reformation. 00:14:44.390 --> 00:14:47.758 Absolutely, do you know? 00:14:47.758 --> 00:14:50.745 So many people say the church ain't what it once was. 00:14:50.745 --> 00:14:56.321 I'm here to tell you the church ain't what it's going to be yet either. 00:14:56.321 --> 00:15:04.611 God's not done with his church yet, and if he's not done with it, how dare we say that we're done with it? 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.104 I choose to believe that the best is yet to come for the church of Jesus Christ. 00:15:16.104 --> 00:15:28.041 We know we're definitely a work in progress and the Ephesians 5 tells us that so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish. 00:15:28.041 --> 00:15:39.081 God, by the work of his Holy Spirit, is doing a work on the inside of each of us as individuals and he's brought us together as families and he continues to cultivate holiness within our lives. 00:15:39.081 --> 00:15:43.972 And when Jesus returns to this planet, we will all be made like him. 00:15:43.972 --> 00:15:58.910 Returns to this planet, we will all be made like him and we will be a church that will be without spot or wrinkle or blemish. 00:15:58.990 --> 00:16:02.494 Some of us need to repent for the attitude that we've had concerning the church. 00:16:02.494 --> 00:16:18.884 Jesus gave his very life to establish the kingdom of God, and part of the function of the kingdom of God, or the vehicle that God uses within the kingdom of God, is the church. 00:16:18.884 --> 00:16:21.206 Let's pray for her. 00:16:21.206 --> 00:16:24.729 Let's be the very best church members that we can be. 00:16:24.729 --> 00:16:30.052 Let's make sure that we're representing Christ in our own lives and within our church family. 00:16:35.280 --> 00:16:46.712 So there are three exhortations here that are found in this passage and we're going to just dive into these for a few minutes and these are given to those who have been restored to right relationship with God and with each other. 00:16:46.712 --> 00:16:59.753 Think about it like this the vertical plank of the cross represents the relationship with God that has been restored, and the horizontal plank of the cross represents the relationship with each other that's been restored. 00:16:59.753 --> 00:17:04.901 Jesus died for both, for both, for both. 00:17:04.901 --> 00:17:15.010 So let's look at this and let's think about these three exhortations. 00:17:15.010 --> 00:17:18.273 Personally, how should I live these things out? 00:17:18.273 --> 00:17:20.796 But then let's look at it as a family as well. 00:17:24.744 --> 00:17:26.131 First of all, draw near in faith. 00:17:26.131 --> 00:17:36.987 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 00:17:36.987 --> 00:17:38.951 Let's not linger back. 00:17:38.951 --> 00:17:47.673 Let's not wait for ourselves to get to a certain place so that we feel like we have it together enough where we can approach God. 00:17:47.673 --> 00:17:53.351 My friends, jesus paid the price for us to be able to approach God. 00:17:53.351 --> 00:18:01.413 In our current state, whatever we find that state to be, we can come boldly into the presence of God. 00:18:01.413 --> 00:18:09.083 That doesn't mean arrogantly or filled with pride or look at who I am, but it's a realization that God paved the way. 00:18:09.083 --> 00:18:16.832 God made the way, and to not enter into his presence is to say that it wasn't enough. 00:18:16.832 --> 00:18:29.095 We should approach God with utter sincerity and with full assurance that faith provides in the finished work of Christ. 00:18:29.095 --> 00:18:36.993 The finished work of Christ is what we should focus on when it comes to us drawing near to God. 00:18:36.993 --> 00:18:41.248 So how can we do this as individuals? 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:42.424 Let's talk about this for a minute. 00:18:42.424 --> 00:18:45.890 How about personal devotions? 00:18:45.890 --> 00:18:49.064 How about reading your Bible? 00:18:49.064 --> 00:18:55.788 How many of you know it's hard to know somebody unless you understand who they are and what they're about. 00:18:55.788 --> 00:19:13.020 Aren't you glad that God gave us such a thick Bible to give us such detailed information about who he is, what he does, what his thoughts are, what his heart's like, what his characteristics are, how we should obey him, what his commandments are? 00:19:13.020 --> 00:19:17.086 All of those things are found in the word of God. 00:19:17.086 --> 00:19:21.974 Read your Bible, and I'm so thankful. 00:19:21.974 --> 00:19:27.867 There's over 130 people who have joined us in the reading plan for this year, and I just encourage you to continue it. 00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:31.770 Let this not just be a New Year's resolution that comes and goes right. 00:19:31.770 --> 00:19:33.065 Let's stick with it. 00:19:33.065 --> 00:19:37.090 Let's let the word of God read us as much as we're reading it. 00:19:37.090 --> 00:19:39.865 How about prayer? 00:19:39.865 --> 00:19:42.967 Remember, prayer is a two-way street. 00:19:42.967 --> 00:19:47.230 It's me talking to God and it's me listening to God. 00:19:47.230 --> 00:19:53.290 That's why Bible reading and prayer goes so well together, because a lot of times God chooses to speak to us through his word. 00:19:53.290 --> 00:20:09.800 Spend time in prayer with God, worship, worshiping God, glorifying him, lifting his name up, acknowledging who he is, fasting. 00:20:09.800 --> 00:20:19.547 We won't linger there, but fasting is a real, legitimate way to develop and to grow your relationship with God, and this one, hopefully, we can all embrace. 00:20:19.547 --> 00:20:19.808 This Resting. 00:20:19.808 --> 00:20:26.903 Hopefully we can all embrace this Resting If you want to get to know God. 00:20:26.923 --> 00:20:49.905 You know, the seventh day what God did after he'd worked for six days, he rested Doesn't mean that he ate Cheetos all day and watched reruns of whatever, but it means that he enjoyed life, he breathed, he took it all in, he smelled the roses. 00:20:49.905 --> 00:20:54.409 When's the last time you took time to smell the roses? 00:20:54.409 --> 00:21:00.130 Now, here's the danger in all of these things that I've just said. 00:21:00.130 --> 00:21:02.788 We can easily make these transactional. 00:21:02.788 --> 00:21:13.183 We can make them like God's our boss and we're his employees, and so these are the things that we need to do in order for him to pay us what we need in this life. 00:21:13.183 --> 00:21:16.250 Don't act like I'm crazy. 00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:19.301 All of us have had those thoughts, maybe even this week. 00:21:20.943 --> 00:21:23.807 God wants a relationship with us. 00:21:23.807 --> 00:21:33.065 He wants our heart's desire to be, to be with him, reminded of the story of Mary and Martha. 00:21:33.065 --> 00:21:38.424 Martha was busy getting the dinner ready and we know Jesus loved to eat Martha's food, right? 00:21:38.424 --> 00:21:47.843 So it wasn't that she was wrong, necessarily, but Mary sat at Jesus's feet and listened to his words and connected with him and related to him. 00:21:47.843 --> 00:21:53.842 Martha interrupts the scene and says Jesus, tell Mary to help me, she's being lazy. 00:21:53.842 --> 00:22:03.344 And Jesus says to Martha Martha, martha, mary's chosen the better thing right now. 00:22:03.344 --> 00:22:11.489 There'll be time for making dinner, there'll be time for making the bed, there'll be time for doing this or for doing that. 00:22:11.489 --> 00:22:18.733 This is our time for connection and for relationship, amen. 00:22:21.340 --> 00:22:23.328 So we need to draw near to God as individuals. 00:22:23.328 --> 00:22:25.607 We also need to draw near to God as a church family. 00:22:25.607 --> 00:22:27.664 What does that look like? 00:22:27.664 --> 00:22:30.888 It looks like husbands and wives praying together. 00:22:30.888 --> 00:22:37.451 It looks like families having devotions together. 00:22:37.451 --> 00:22:43.448 It looks like times of corporate prayer and worship, just like we've just experienced. 00:22:43.448 --> 00:22:45.961 It looks like taking communion together. 00:22:45.961 --> 00:22:51.521 In this very passage it says having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. 00:22:51.521 --> 00:22:57.260 One of the things that we do when we take communion is remind ourselves of what Jesus did. 00:22:57.260 --> 00:22:58.884 This very thing. 00:22:58.884 --> 00:23:02.789 It's powerful when we do this as a community. 00:23:04.152 --> 00:23:05.894 How about celebrating water baptisms. 00:23:05.894 --> 00:23:12.269 It goes on in the same passage to say having our bodies washed with pure water. 00:23:12.269 --> 00:23:14.226 Baptism is an example. 00:23:14.226 --> 00:23:28.932 It's an outward expression of something that's happened on the inside and it's meant to be done together to celebrate Once this person was lost and now they've been found. 00:23:28.932 --> 00:23:37.294 I pray to God that we have twice as many baptisms this year as we had in 2024. 00:23:37.294 --> 00:23:45.334 True converts, true people who have been radically changed and saved by the grace of God. 00:23:45.334 --> 00:23:51.309 So many other ways that we can draw near to God together. 00:23:51.309 --> 00:23:56.269 These are not exhaustive lists, obviously. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:00.348 The second exhortation given here is to draw near in hope. 00:24:00.348 --> 00:24:01.551 In hope. 00:24:01.551 --> 00:24:09.330 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we professed, for he who promised is faithful. 00:24:09.330 --> 00:24:16.752 How many of you have ever felt hopeless, discouraged, despondent? 00:24:16.752 --> 00:24:20.925 I know what it's like, I have experienced those things. 00:24:20.925 --> 00:24:25.553 But how many of you know our hope is found in Christ alone? 00:24:25.553 --> 00:24:29.222 He is the anchor of our souls. 00:24:29.222 --> 00:24:32.768 God can be thoroughly relied upon. 00:24:32.768 --> 00:24:36.835 If he makes a promise, he will fulfill it. 00:24:36.835 --> 00:24:40.404 There's no questions to ask. 00:24:40.404 --> 00:24:42.228 There's no reason to doubt. 00:24:42.228 --> 00:24:51.711 If God says it, that settles it, and he's the only one who can do the good work that needs to get done in our lives. 00:24:53.042 --> 00:24:55.079 We can't behavior, modify ourselves enough. 00:24:55.079 --> 00:25:00.732 We cannot put our hope in our own strength or our own will or our own courage. 00:25:00.732 --> 00:25:06.881 Thank God when those things align with God's will and God's strength and God's courage. 00:25:06.881 --> 00:25:09.567 But, friends, we cannot do it on our own. 00:25:09.567 --> 00:25:25.011 And how many times have we fallen on our face because we've tried to put our hope in anything else in governments, in marriage, in families, in finances, whatever you could put, whatever you want to put in there. 00:25:25.011 --> 00:25:32.153 But our hope, our unswerving hope and dying devotion, needs to be in Christ. 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:42.010 Philippians 1, 6 gives us this promise, and I'm sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 00:25:42.010 --> 00:25:52.923 God's not finished with us yet, but he hasn't stopped working either, and we can put our hope in him. 00:25:52.923 --> 00:25:55.811 Here's the thing. 00:25:55.811 --> 00:26:03.285 The grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simply this, and this is where our hope is found Jesus did it all. 00:26:03.285 --> 00:26:15.469 He did it all, he did it all, and he gives us the ability, by the Holy Spirit that lives on the inside of us, to do what he's asking us to do. 00:26:15.469 --> 00:26:20.250 We're not alone on this journey. 00:26:20.250 --> 00:26:31.492 So, even when you feel alone and you don't have that sense of community around you or belonging, how many of you know, we can find our hope and trust and anchor in Jesus himself. 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:43.771 The final exhortation is all about what it looks like to belong together as redeemed children of God, and it is simply this draw near in love, draw near in love. 00:26:43.771 --> 00:26:57.813 Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. 00:26:57.813 --> 00:27:00.987 What day are we talking about? 00:27:00.987 --> 00:27:09.128 What day are we talking about the return of Jesus, the return of Christ? 00:27:09.128 --> 00:27:15.140 And how many of you know every day that goes by on this green earth gets us one day closer to the day when he will return. 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:25.268 And he is going to return, and he's coming again for a church that's prepared, that's ready, that's longing for his return. 00:27:25.268 --> 00:27:44.991 The reality of the first two draws that we talked about is that one may practice faith or hope alone, but you can't practice love alone, you cannot obey the commands of Scripture fully by yourself. 00:27:44.991 --> 00:27:50.868 We need each other, we belong together. 00:27:50.868 --> 00:27:54.204 It's interesting the words that are used here. 00:27:54.204 --> 00:27:57.813 Christians are to spur one another to love and good deeds. 00:27:58.641 --> 00:28:00.046 Now I'm a cowboy from Wyoming. 00:28:00.046 --> 00:28:00.828 I'm not a cowboy. 00:28:00.828 --> 00:28:02.163 I should tell the truth. 00:28:02.163 --> 00:28:03.990 Speak the truth in love. 00:28:03.990 --> 00:28:05.046 I am not a cowboy. 00:28:05.046 --> 00:28:06.056 I should tell the truth, speak the truth in love. 00:28:06.056 --> 00:28:06.420 I am not a cowboy. 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:10.848 My dad was a cowboy and he used to wear spurs on his cowboy boots. 00:28:10.848 --> 00:28:12.794 And what were those spurs about? 00:28:12.794 --> 00:28:20.029 They're about when that horse needed to giddy up and get moving. 00:28:20.029 --> 00:28:31.153 My dad would gently give a little kick to the side of that horse and it would get that horse to move in the direction that he wanted to and at the pace that he wanted him to. 00:28:31.153 --> 00:28:39.347 Right Now, some of us are like sign me up, if I can be a spur to somebody else, I want to do it. 00:28:40.651 --> 00:28:45.930 Okay, sarcasm and annoyance are not spiritual gifts. 00:28:45.930 --> 00:28:50.326 At least they're not spiritual gifts from God. 00:28:50.326 --> 00:28:54.923 They may be spiritual gifts from the other, the enemy right. 00:28:54.923 --> 00:29:01.163 So we're not talking about looking forward to tearing somebody down or breaking them apart. 00:29:01.163 --> 00:29:10.371 It should hurt us, like it hurts us when we correct our children To lovingly speak the truth to somebody else. 00:29:10.371 --> 00:29:11.663 But it should also. 00:29:11.663 --> 00:29:32.172 We should also love somebody else enough to be honest, to speak the truth to them and friends, when Satan can get us isolated and individualized, just like a pack of wolves, he attempts to pursue us, to isolate us and to eliminate us. 00:29:32.172 --> 00:29:50.270 That's why God, in his foreknowledge and understanding and plan, put the idea of the church together so that we could watch each other's backs, so that we could help each other's backs, so that we could help each other to continue to walk in the truth and in the light. 00:29:54.539 --> 00:30:00.190 Before we start using those spurs, let's look at 1 John 4, verse 7. 00:30:00.190 --> 00:30:08.061 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 00:30:08.061 --> 00:30:12.270 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 00:30:12.270 --> 00:30:21.564 In this the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. 00:30:21.564 --> 00:30:30.550 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. 00:30:30.550 --> 00:30:37.209 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 00:30:37.209 --> 00:30:39.707 No one has ever seen God. 00:30:39.707 --> 00:30:52.333 If we love one another, god abides in us and his love is perfected in us If you want to encourage somebody else in love and toward love and toward good works and good deeds. 00:30:53.580 --> 00:30:58.211 Ask yourself this question am I loving them the way I want God to love me? 00:30:58.211 --> 00:31:03.911 And as long as the answer is yes to that question, you're probably in a good space. 00:31:03.911 --> 00:31:05.529 You're probably in a good space. 00:31:05.529 --> 00:31:06.599 You're probably in a good place. 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:14.891 But if you're just trying to make a point or drive a certain agenda home, then ask yourself the question do I need to regather? 00:31:14.891 --> 00:31:17.008 Do I need to pray about this some more? 00:31:17.008 --> 00:31:18.846 Do I need to make sure that my heart is right? 00:31:18.846 --> 00:31:25.112 We can love other people because God first loved us. 00:31:25.112 --> 00:31:33.826 Jesus' love actually enables us to love each other, but I don't like them. 00:31:33.826 --> 00:31:39.809 Where in the Bible does it say you have to like each other? 00:31:39.809 --> 00:31:45.749 I mean, we have to be tenderhearted and kind and all of those things, but we need to love each other. 00:31:47.182 --> 00:31:51.153 Love sees past all kinds of things that would keep us apart. 00:31:51.153 --> 00:31:55.627 How many of you love every person in your family? 00:31:55.627 --> 00:31:56.550 Now, let's be honest. 00:31:56.550 --> 00:32:01.244 You love them, right, but do you like them? 00:32:01.244 --> 00:32:05.009 Or on the way to their house, are you grumbling? 00:32:05.009 --> 00:32:10.067 I hope they don't give me that jello again. 00:32:10.067 --> 00:32:15.509 You know Well, that's the least of the worries, right? 00:32:15.509 --> 00:32:20.404 You think Aunt so-and-so is going to mention my mole. 00:32:20.404 --> 00:32:26.259 You know, there's all of these things, these things that we have that try to keep us apart. 00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:35.030 My friends, most of it is so childish, it's so trivial. 00:32:35.030 --> 00:32:40.903 There's so much more that binds us together than tries to pull us apart. 00:32:40.903 --> 00:32:44.470 Let's walk like that, let's live like that. 00:32:44.470 --> 00:32:46.815 We belong together. 00:32:46.815 --> 00:32:49.702 We are commanded to love. 00:32:49.702 --> 00:32:52.529 Therefore, it's something we can and must do. 00:32:52.529 --> 00:32:55.741 Love is the root, good works are the fruit. 00:32:55.741 --> 00:33:01.852 Love is the root and good works are the fruit. 00:33:02.772 --> 00:33:06.829 By our example and by our teaching, we should stir up other believers to this kind of life. 00:33:06.829 --> 00:33:12.752 This is a most important Christian responsibility, and believers are to help one another attain it. 00:33:12.752 --> 00:33:16.288 Let's talk about some ways to show love as the family of God. 00:33:16.288 --> 00:33:19.969 How about helping those in crisis? 00:33:19.969 --> 00:33:26.385 Nobody does this better than the body of Christ. 00:33:26.385 --> 00:33:34.328 When we're doing it right, we have relegated most of this to the governments of this world. 00:33:34.328 --> 00:33:36.773 Shame on us. 00:33:36.773 --> 00:33:54.121 We are the spiritual hospital that people need and the church of Jesus Christ, and we're believing this year that we're going to be raised back up and reformed so that we can help people truly help people in their time of need. 00:33:57.987 --> 00:33:59.971 How about rejoicing with those who rejoice? 00:33:59.971 --> 00:34:06.330 I now know of nine women within our congregation who are pregnant, and I know you want me to name all of their names. 00:34:06.330 --> 00:34:12.885 Some of them don't even know that I know, so I can't do that and besides, I might miss one. 00:34:12.885 --> 00:34:28.373 We should rejoice when babies are born and when marriages happen, and when people get new vehicles and when, you know, most importantly, when a lost person comes to know Jesus Christ. 00:34:28.373 --> 00:34:33.030 We have a lot to rejoice together about. 00:34:33.030 --> 00:34:35.688 Let's not miss those opportunities. 00:34:35.688 --> 00:34:42.583 But just as strongly as we should party with those who are partying and I mean that in. 00:34:45.302 --> 00:34:46.507 Do I need to explain myself? 00:34:46.507 --> 00:34:58.126 Okay, we also need to be prepared to weep with those who weep, to mourn with those who mourn. 00:34:58.126 --> 00:35:10.811 There's no greater love, it seems to me, at times, than when somebody just provides an ounce of comfort. 00:35:10.811 --> 00:35:18.632 My family and I went through the loss of my mother-in-law, kathy, this last year. 00:35:18.632 --> 00:35:27.472 I just want to publicly thank each and every one of you that showed your kindness and love and compassion toward us and prayed for us. 00:35:27.472 --> 00:35:28.804 It's still hard. 00:35:28.804 --> 00:35:43.454 Every holiday that goes by it's hard, but, man, you have made it so much easier than it would have been or could have been, just by being the body of Christ and a family. 00:35:43.454 --> 00:35:50.724 You can show love by listening first before speaking. 00:35:50.724 --> 00:36:06.614 You can show love by praying for each other, spending time together, screen free, speaking the truth in love, encouraging each other and simply doing life together. 00:36:08.282 --> 00:36:10.869 And again, there's a gazillion other things that I could mention here. 00:36:10.869 --> 00:36:25.954 You see, we belong to a body of believers at TCC that is committed to living out our Christian walk with others through vital relationships characterized by honesty and genuine care for each other. 00:36:25.954 --> 00:36:29.168 We need accountability in our lives. 00:36:29.168 --> 00:36:45.579 We need others that are watching over us to help us, to encourage us, to correct us at times, and we also need people to hug us, hold us, walk with us, pick us, us up and carry us sometimes. 00:36:45.579 --> 00:36:50.570 This is what we mean by we belong together. 00:36:50.570 --> 00:36:55.590 And finally, it says don't give up meeting together. 00:36:55.590 --> 00:36:58.670 Now, it's funny because I was supposed to give this message last week. 00:36:58.670 --> 00:37:06.791 You can see the internal struggle that I had as we made the decision to cancel services last Sunday. 00:37:06.791 --> 00:37:11.532 I'm like Lord, forgive me because I'm reading this passage. 00:37:11.532 --> 00:37:22.628 Obviously, there's grace, right and safety is of the Lord as well, but we should miss each other when we're not together. 00:37:22.628 --> 00:37:37.371 Mark's gone out of the country six months out of the year now, and every time he comes back he communicates how grateful he is to be back, to be a part of this family. 00:37:40.260 --> 00:37:49.067 While Christians many Christians view their faith as a private matter, the author of Hebrews reminds believers the importance of not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. 00:37:49.067 --> 00:38:07.807 There are many ways and places in which Christians can encourage and strengthen each other, but the most natural and effective setting for this is within the local church, during these occasions that believers have an ideal opportunity to minister to one another and to exercise their spiritual gifts. 00:38:07.807 --> 00:38:18.327 What would happen if all of us as a church, as individuals, came together each week with the mindset what do you want me to give today, lord? 00:38:18.327 --> 00:38:21.684 How do you want me to be a blessing to somebody? 00:38:21.684 --> 00:38:23.389 Who can I pray for? 00:38:23.389 --> 00:38:25.701 Who can I give a hug to that needs a hug? 00:38:25.701 --> 00:38:28.726 Who can I spend time listening to today? 00:38:28.726 --> 00:38:47.067 Can you imagine and what does God in all of his goodness know, that if the church lives like this and it's real the world around us is going to pay attention and say I want some of that, because the world has none of that. 00:38:47.067 --> 00:38:51.309 The world gets a hug when a hug is given. 00:38:51.309 --> 00:38:56.592 The world is loved based upon the performance that is given. 00:38:56.592 --> 00:39:04.847 We as a church have a chance to do it right and to be an example to the world around us. 00:39:04.847 --> 00:39:10.420 Without question we find strength, comfort, nourishment and joy when we're together. 00:39:10.500 --> 00:39:16.552 It's interesting to me when I was young we went to church when how often? 00:39:16.552 --> 00:39:27.311 Three times a week and we considered ourselves faithful Christians if we went to church three times a week, or at least let's say two out of three. 00:39:27.311 --> 00:39:30.764 Right, If you made two out of three. 00:39:30.764 --> 00:39:38.335 Now the new mantra is if I make it to three Sunday morning services a month, I am all in. 00:39:38.335 --> 00:39:42.019 I'm not saying that to bring condemnation. 00:39:42.019 --> 00:39:49.967 I'm just saying it's interesting how, in one generation, the mindset has shifted so drastically away from us being together. 00:39:49.967 --> 00:40:02.277 Let me give you just a quick I'm almost out of time a quick exhortation. 00:40:02.277 --> 00:40:10.579 We live in a world where we're surrounded by talking heads. 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:12.048 I know that there are many preachers that you could listen to today. 00:40:12.048 --> 00:40:12.813 That would be more eloquent than I am. 00:40:12.813 --> 00:40:15.105 That would have their points just jump off of their lips. 00:40:15.105 --> 00:40:15.807 That would look better than I am. 00:40:15.807 --> 00:40:17.574 That would have their points just jump off of their lips. 00:40:17.574 --> 00:40:19.782 That would look better than I do. 00:40:19.782 --> 00:40:31.648 That would have all of these different gifts and strengths, and it's not wrong to listen to podcasts or YouTube, and some of them are really good and they sound real good. 00:40:41.481 --> 00:40:46.347 Jesus, by the work of the Holy Spirit, is the only one who places people in churches where they belong. 00:40:46.347 --> 00:40:47.592 It's his work. 00:40:47.592 --> 00:40:51.945 You think that you decided to become a part of Trinity Community Church? 00:40:51.945 --> 00:40:55.806 Yeah, you aligned your will, but God was the one who chose you. 00:40:55.806 --> 00:41:08.572 We believe that you can always subsidize your learning by listening to others, but please, please, don't stop paying attention to what God is saying and doing in your local church. 00:41:08.572 --> 00:41:20.036 God still desires to use his local church really as a primary source of life and community. 00:41:20.036 --> 00:41:31.146 There's no way that I have time to unpack all the ways that TCC attempts to create an atmosphere of community I'm representing today. 00:41:31.146 --> 00:41:58.773 Some of the ways that we want to do this is by encouraging healthy marriages, loving families, being family for those who don't have family, baby dedications, triads, community groups, community dinners, 24-7 prayer partnership, which we're going to talk about in just a few minutes. 00:41:58.900 --> 00:42:03.652 A little extra plug Please come to lunch Coffee bar. 00:42:03.652 --> 00:42:06.168 You know why we spent so much money on that coffee bar. 00:42:06.168 --> 00:42:09.385 It's for you to be together. 00:42:09.385 --> 00:42:15.809 I don't mean to blow your minds or to make you think we're trying to trick you. 00:42:15.809 --> 00:42:17.786 Let's be completely honest. 00:42:17.786 --> 00:42:19.427 We want you guys to spend time together. 00:42:19.427 --> 00:42:28.630 You know a lot of churches beg their congregation to come to church on time. 00:42:28.630 --> 00:42:30.947 I'm asking you not to come on time. 00:42:30.947 --> 00:42:40.329 I'm asking you to come 30 minutes early and stay 30 minutes late so that you can encounter the body of Christ. 00:42:40.329 --> 00:42:42.952 It's more than just what you hear from up here. 00:42:42.952 --> 00:42:55.344 Let's engage each other, let's spend time together, and obviously Sunday morning is just one expression of that. 00:42:55.364 --> 00:43:07.755 Weddings and funerals, biblical counseling, ministry teams all of these things are in place and configured for the sole purpose of making sure that we belong together. 00:43:07.755 --> 00:43:10.025 Would you stand to your feet with me? 00:43:10.025 --> 00:43:16.161 Thank you, lord. 00:43:16.161 --> 00:43:21.891 Thank you, lord. 00:43:21.891 --> 00:43:30.547 Father, we thank you for the amazing work that Jesus did, the sacrifice that he made so that we could be made right with you. 00:43:30.547 --> 00:43:33.666 That's primary, that's of first importance. 00:43:33.666 --> 00:43:41.931 But, lord, we know that you desire for us to not only be in relationship with you, but to be related to the rest of your children. 00:43:41.931 --> 00:43:57.634 You want your family to get along and so, father, we pray that, especially for those who feel like outsiders or who feel hopeless today or feel wounded. 00:43:59.400 --> 00:44:08.432 Father, I pray in Jesus' name, for your divine mercy and grace, that your spirit would bring healing and restoration. 00:44:08.432 --> 00:44:27.047 And, father, for those who might be here, who are not yet a part of your family, I ask that today would be the day that they would acknowledge their need for a Savior, that they would repent of their sins and turn their heart and soul and trust to Jesus Christ and the work that he did. 00:44:27.047 --> 00:44:38.369 We ask you for salvation this day and, father, we pray for the weeks and days ahead, ahead in 2025. 00:44:38.369 --> 00:44:48.304 We ask that you would help us, lord, to live out our lives in such a way that we would, at the end of this year, be able to say together more than more than we can today. 00:44:48.304 --> 00:44:50.148