WEBVTT 00:00:08.326 --> 00:00:13.378 Wow, okay, I think the children can leave now, right, am I right? 00:00:13.378 --> 00:00:14.900 I didn't forget this time. 00:00:14.900 --> 00:00:17.725 Children can head on out. 00:00:17.725 --> 00:00:19.048 My name is Randy. 00:00:19.048 --> 00:00:22.334 I'm just so glad that I get to be here. 00:00:22.334 --> 00:00:24.844 My wife is Sherry, here on the front row. 00:00:24.844 --> 00:00:27.090 We switched with James. 00:00:27.090 --> 00:00:29.863 James is downtown and I'm out here today. 00:00:29.863 --> 00:00:57.805 So just so thankful for all of you and many of you have been here since early this morning with the setup crew or the other duties that you've been doing so faithfully here and God's using you and I'm just so thankful James is doing my job, teaching our group downtown about fasting today, right, because you learned all about fasting last week, right? 00:00:57.805 --> 00:01:05.067 So they'll listen to him and then they'll all go down to cracker barrel and talk about what that means in their life. 00:01:05.847 --> 00:01:14.047 Let me give you a little back story of what you just saw with my friend AJ. 00:01:14.047 --> 00:01:58.213 Aj and his older sister were adopted out of an orphanage in another country years ago by a couple that specifically were looking to get hearing impaired children to rescue out of a really bad situation, and they did that, and not too long after, coming back over to the States to live and to learn about how to be Americans, the mom died and it left dad to somehow raise two children hearing impaired, children with other needs, to other physical needs and to figure that out. 00:01:58.213 --> 00:02:02.087 So through the years he has done that, they have turned into young adults. 00:02:02.087 --> 00:02:19.751 Aj is 22 now and it has just been recently that dad has remarried, and so AJ has decided I'm going to give this lady a chance to be my mom, and it has opened up his life. 00:02:19.751 --> 00:02:38.962 And so, rather than stay at home because he's hearing impaired and he can hear, but he can barely hear he has decided to venture out and go to church with his mom and his dad, and that has led to having the courage to. 00:02:38.962 --> 00:02:51.811 A few months ago he went with them to their small group, to their life group, and, as you would expect, aj is now a rock star over on Central Avenue. 00:02:51.811 --> 00:03:02.682 That group has just and they're all two or three times his age and they all have just engulfed him here's as a pastor. 00:03:02.722 --> 00:03:04.525 How, why AJ? 00:03:04.525 --> 00:03:13.829 The AJ's and many like him who are special need of one reason or another in our church and you have some here too I think too we need AJ. 00:03:13.829 --> 00:03:22.912 This church needs AJ, and this church needs a young man, bradley, who is wheelchair confined. 00:03:22.912 --> 00:03:27.968 We need another one, craig, who's 26 and now in a wheelchair. 00:03:27.968 --> 00:03:30.935 Life expectancy is winding down. 00:03:30.935 --> 00:03:49.401 We need those guys because God brings young men and young women like them to churches to test the metal of those churches, and he just watches to see how these churches including us handle those people. 00:03:49.401 --> 00:04:04.272 And one reason I'm so grateful for y'all and downtown is you've passed that test and AJ is a better man now, believe it or not. 00:04:04.272 --> 00:04:20.084 Aj now comes to worship where he absolutely would not be caught dead, because he felt so embarrassed and so out of place that he sits there now in the third row and he takes notes, actually, and then he goes to Sunday school and he does the same thing. 00:04:20.084 --> 00:04:25.221 So glory to God, for that right Fits pretty well into our topic. 00:04:25.281 --> 00:04:26.826 Today is all about community. 00:04:26.826 --> 00:04:28.531 We need each other, right? 00:04:28.531 --> 00:04:29.174 Let's pray. 00:04:29.174 --> 00:04:31.300 Father, we do need you. 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:35.291 We are only as good as our surrender to you. 00:04:35.291 --> 00:04:39.100 We're only as good as our obedience to you. 00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:55.733 So may we submit ourselves to you for these next several minutes, just well enough to start to do those dangerous prayers that begin with whatever, lord, whatever. 00:04:55.733 --> 00:05:05.320 So just speak to our hearts and our minds today and please come, holy Spirit, amen, what's good to see you. 00:05:05.440 --> 00:05:11.281 We are in Acts, chapter two, so if you've got your Bible or your device, thank you for bringing that. 00:05:11.281 --> 00:05:14.188 Acts, chapter two, verses 42 through 47. 00:05:14.188 --> 00:05:15.151 We're in a series. 00:05:15.151 --> 00:05:19.165 James and I are doing the same topics generally each week. 00:05:19.165 --> 00:05:31.384 This week we get to talk about community and I think it's never been more timely in our culture than to talk about that, because we see what's going on, don't we? 00:05:31.384 --> 00:05:37.663 We see how people are not handling certain social aspects well at all. 00:05:37.983 --> 00:05:44.980 We have never been in a time period when trust level is lower across the board. 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:45.964 We can go. 00:05:45.964 --> 00:05:48.050 We can go to politics. 00:05:48.050 --> 00:05:49.876 You know what's going on there. 00:05:49.876 --> 00:05:56.341 The only thing that the two political parties have in common right now is neither one particularly likes their candidate. 00:05:56.341 --> 00:05:59.488 Right Trust level, and it's not just here. 00:05:59.488 --> 00:06:02.362 Go to Canada, you go to Japan, to the emperor. 00:06:02.362 --> 00:06:09.142 Go to Germany, you go to Spain, all of those countries that are getting ready for elections. 00:06:09.142 --> 00:06:13.736 The approval ratings of their candidates is at an all time low. 00:06:13.736 --> 00:06:22.541 We can go to schools, especially the higher institution, higher learning institutions Trust level is abysmal. 00:06:22.541 --> 00:06:28.413 Non-profits, churches it has never been so low. 00:06:28.413 --> 00:06:36.915 So without trust, there's not a whole lot of social interaction on a deep level that is going to happen. 00:06:37.537 --> 00:06:42.731 But yet we are created by our, our God, to be social creatures, aren't we? 00:06:42.731 --> 00:06:50.553 And we know what's happening with anxiety and depression and suicidal tendencies, and all of that today. 00:06:50.553 --> 00:06:54.264 So what's the deal with the trust Now? 00:06:54.264 --> 00:07:01.003 We're in a Christian organization, we are Christ followers, or I think the majority of us in here are. 00:07:01.003 --> 00:07:04.192 We're told that we got to love everybody, right? 00:07:04.192 --> 00:07:11.534 So just because we're supposed to love everybody, or we're supposed to just automatically trust everybody? 00:07:11.534 --> 00:07:16.528 Well, shakespeare said love every wrong everyone. 00:07:16.528 --> 00:07:20.117 Trust a few do harm to no one. 00:07:20.117 --> 00:07:21.783 It's a great motto to live by. 00:07:21.783 --> 00:07:24.894 And if you're a parent, how many dads in the room? 00:07:24.894 --> 00:07:39.192 Well, the first time the doorbell rings and that neo-nazi skinhead is coming to call on your 16-year-old daughter, there goes trust right, there, right, there is no more. 00:07:39.192 --> 00:07:53.085 Of course not, but I think you would also agree if we love but we also don't trust, and sometimes it's for good reason, that's an incomplete relationship, correct? 00:07:53.085 --> 00:07:56.740 That relationship is never going to go past surface level. 00:07:58.706 --> 00:08:06.746 Here's the issue with a lot of us today, and we don't like to talk about this because it's too easy to blame other people for our lack of trust. 00:08:06.746 --> 00:08:20.786 A lot of times we don't get attached to groups and get from those groups exactly what we need friendship-wise, bonding and social-wise because we don't trust ourselves. 00:08:20.786 --> 00:08:24.477 We don't want to be the dumbest one in the group. 00:08:24.477 --> 00:08:30.596 We don't want to be the oldest one, the youngest one, we don't want to be the one that stands out. 00:08:30.596 --> 00:08:33.203 We don't know exactly what's going to happen. 00:08:33.203 --> 00:08:37.919 We might not be the best talented in the group, so we just don't go there. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.242 But I don't want to say that. 00:08:39.242 --> 00:08:42.432 I'd rather just say, well, I don't trust everybody in that group. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:48.033 So now let's talk about, within this context, the body of Christ. 00:08:48.033 --> 00:09:01.990 There is a difference between groups here and anywhere else, because in a biblical community we are bound by love, and that's our big idea for today. 00:09:01.990 --> 00:09:04.377 Jesus himself said in John 13,. 00:09:04.377 --> 00:09:12.019 He said people should know you are a disciple or a follower of me by the way you love each other. 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:22.427 Loving God is a given, but loving each other is how people are going to gauge if the message is real or if it's real and you are not. 00:09:22.427 --> 00:09:29.805 And that's what we're going to talk about from the book of Acts, chapter two, just for a second, a few minutes today. 00:09:29.805 --> 00:09:31.107 So are you there? 00:09:31.107 --> 00:09:42.393 Acts, chapter two, 42 through 47, we're going to talk about some characteristics of this biblical community that is bound by love. 00:09:42.393 --> 00:09:50.016 The first characteristic is in verses 42 and 43, and that is simply this the body. 00:09:50.016 --> 00:09:56.514 We are devoted to the body over our individual needs, over individuality. 00:09:56.514 --> 00:09:57.918 Look at verse 42. 00:09:58.239 --> 00:10:03.712 They devoted themselves to the apostles' learning and to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer. 00:10:03.712 --> 00:10:10.773 Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by all the apostles. 00:10:10.773 --> 00:10:12.845 Now some of you know what's going on here. 00:10:12.845 --> 00:10:18.750 This is right after that event called Pentecost, and Pentecost is where Jesus has ascended. 00:10:18.750 --> 00:10:23.144 He tells his followers, goes up a room, pray to like, give you further instructions. 00:10:23.144 --> 00:10:25.451 He's given them what we call the Great Commission. 00:10:25.451 --> 00:10:37.491 They don't know what to do next, but then at some point the Holy Spirit descends he promised it to them and comes in, inhabits all of them and they spill out onto the streets. 00:10:37.491 --> 00:10:39.121 Peter is the head spokesman. 00:10:39.121 --> 00:11:04.240 They start talking about what we call today the gospel, the good news about Jesus and why he came and why he died and was resurrected, and people are just cut to the quick and people are just standing up saying what do we need to do to get in that group and it starts to happen, and by the end of that encounter there's 3,000 people that are professing to be Christ followers. 00:11:05.542 --> 00:11:27.905 This is a time in history that literally changed the world and is still changing the world, because ever since we have the same promise you profess Jesus, your belief in him, your trust level in him, you will receive his own spirit and then you can authentically attach yourself to a group that we need so much. 00:11:27.905 --> 00:11:36.489 The world changed that morning in Jerusalem in the first century, and this is the follow up to that. 00:11:36.489 --> 00:11:39.918 So, right off the bat, the body is capital B. 00:11:39.918 --> 00:11:49.105 All that means is like the symbol for the church, which means the word Paul uses was the body of Christ, the corporate group. 00:11:49.105 --> 00:11:54.899 The group is more important than me and the group is more important than you. 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:58.814 I've been saying this downtown every week almost of the new year. 00:11:58.814 --> 00:12:04.028 Let me just remind all of us it's I'm sorry, but it's not about you, right? 00:12:04.028 --> 00:12:08.259 You're important and I love you, but it's not. 00:12:08.259 --> 00:12:10.704 It can't be about you and it can't be about me. 00:12:10.704 --> 00:12:19.949 It's got to be about the body, the whole group, and so there's four parts that a healthy group is a part of. 00:12:19.949 --> 00:12:21.091 Look at verse 42. 00:12:21.091 --> 00:12:21.913 Can you pick them out? 00:12:21.913 --> 00:12:23.843 They're pretty easy teaching. 00:12:23.843 --> 00:12:25.807 That's why we do this. 00:12:25.807 --> 00:12:26.971 We look at the scripture. 00:12:26.971 --> 00:12:31.367 That's why we encourage you to get into a group where you're doing more Bible study. 00:12:31.769 --> 00:12:33.111 Fellowship what is fellowship? 00:12:33.111 --> 00:12:39.716 In this context, it was a word of Greek, pronounced Cornonia, and that meant a sharing. 00:12:39.716 --> 00:12:44.491 It's so close of a relationship that we're like brother and sister. 00:12:44.491 --> 00:12:47.781 You got something, you need something that I have. 00:12:47.781 --> 00:12:55.942 It's yours, what's mine is yours and yours is mine and, if need be, we would give our lives for each other. 00:12:55.942 --> 00:13:00.111 That's the type of deep, deep knowing each other. 00:13:00.111 --> 00:13:00.552 That's here. 00:13:00.552 --> 00:13:02.201 Breaking a bread is another. 00:13:02.201 --> 00:13:04.326 That's kind of a strange phrase. 00:13:05.168 --> 00:13:08.573 We do Lord supper here regularly, right? 00:13:08.573 --> 00:13:12.427 We believe that that's what this meant. 00:13:12.427 --> 00:13:14.735 But also, you got to eat. 00:13:14.735 --> 00:13:16.721 They were having a lot of meals together. 00:13:16.721 --> 00:13:22.732 Fellowship happens around mealtime, at the table in your family and in churches too. 00:13:22.732 --> 00:13:28.740 It looks like the practical thing was, it's like while we were having dinner together. 00:13:28.740 --> 00:13:35.092 Because they didn't, there wasn't a place to fit 3000 people, so they're meeting in houses at night. 00:13:35.092 --> 00:13:42.130 We think they met for a while every single night in groups in a house. 00:13:42.611 --> 00:13:50.632 While we're at it, let's do what he told us to do and have the Lord supper because he didn't tell us how often to do this. 00:13:50.632 --> 00:13:55.722 Well, maybe if he didn't tell us how often to do it, maybe we ought to do it like every night and cover our bases. 00:13:55.722 --> 00:13:57.709 And that's what they were doing. 00:13:57.709 --> 00:14:02.305 It worked out pretty well for a while, but then it started to get corrupted. 00:14:02.305 --> 00:14:17.432 Because if we, if you read 1st Corinthians 11, paul writes a letter to another church and he jumps all over them because he says you have corrupted the Lord supper because you're you're eating too much and you're getting drunk. 00:14:17.432 --> 00:14:22.164 That's not what he intended and so at that point they thought maybe that's a bad idea. 00:14:22.164 --> 00:14:28.083 Let's eat together but then let's have a sacred time for a sacred ordinance. 00:14:28.083 --> 00:14:31.492 But they were doing that very regularly and for, of course, prayer. 00:14:31.492 --> 00:14:38.841 Acts 20 says they started doing it on the first day of the week because that's when Jesus was resurrected. 00:14:38.841 --> 00:14:43.794 That moved one day off from what they called their Sabbath. 00:14:43.855 --> 00:14:45.759 But look at, look at verse 43. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:53.600 Everybody's filled with awe or reverence and there's wonders and miraculous signs done by the apostles. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:54.601 What's an apostle? 00:14:54.601 --> 00:15:06.332 An apostle was someone who personally was in contact with Jesus, who knew Jesus and was eye witness to some of the things that happened. 00:15:06.332 --> 00:15:08.057 Somebody set aside. 00:15:08.057 --> 00:15:19.519 It also just meant messenger, a messenger, to do the, the story, the gospel of Jesus, as he was leaving also. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.842 But notice what they're doing. 00:15:20.842 --> 00:15:26.917 They're doing miracles and prophecies and wonders that Jesus was doing. 00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:31.326 The Sanhedrin and the Pharisees got together. 00:15:31.326 --> 00:15:42.625 They killed Jesus, in part because he's threatening them with his supernatural abilities, and now the worst case scenario is all of his, seems like all of his followers are doing the same thing. 00:15:42.625 --> 00:15:45.144 The gloves are off. 00:15:45.144 --> 00:15:53.942 The Holy spirit has been unleashed and the Holy spirit is now in each individual follower. 00:15:53.942 --> 00:15:57.010 And this is the evidence of that. 00:15:57.010 --> 00:16:10.646 And it says if God is saying, if you're not going to believe the message, I'll just show you how powerful I am and I'll show you how much I want you in relationship with me. 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:12.586 So what's your anchor group? 00:16:12.586 --> 00:16:17.043 What group are you a part of? 00:16:17.043 --> 00:16:20.732 That like that gives life to you. 00:16:20.732 --> 00:16:28.353 It lifts you up, because everything else in this world tends to tear us down. 00:16:28.353 --> 00:16:34.808 If you think about it, it will erode your personhood, it will take away your felt identity. 00:16:34.808 --> 00:16:41.131 Being in a biblical group that's based and bound on love is the opposite. 00:16:41.131 --> 00:16:45.049 It restores, it renews, it gives life. 00:16:45.049 --> 00:16:49.246 So those of you that are in such a group. 00:16:49.246 --> 00:16:51.564 You know what I'm talking about, right? 00:16:51.564 --> 00:16:54.127 Some of your hosting a group like that. 00:16:54.127 --> 00:17:00.562 If you're not in one, we're going to gently, gently encourage you toward getting in one. 00:17:00.942 --> 00:17:05.045 And right as you leave this afternoon, around the little table, there's the settings. 00:17:05.045 --> 00:17:09.010 We've got some folks that are qualified to even recommend them for you. 00:17:09.010 --> 00:17:11.006 They're all during the week. 00:17:11.006 --> 00:17:23.429 They're on Sunday nights downtown at the church, they're on Wednesday nights downtown at the church, and I would highly recommend you doing that because there's these days, y'all there's a lot at stake. 00:17:23.429 --> 00:17:26.846 I know there's competition. 00:17:27.528 --> 00:17:28.151 I looked it up. 00:17:28.151 --> 00:17:29.858 You want to be depressed for a minute? 00:17:29.858 --> 00:17:35.579 The average American deals with 85 texts per day. 00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:37.977 Just like these, just like it's happening right now. 00:17:37.977 --> 00:17:44.751 Some of you right, 85 texts per day, 125 emails a day. 00:17:44.751 --> 00:17:54.556 Yet we've never been so isolated and we've never been so disconnected as a culture. 00:17:54.556 --> 00:17:56.458 Go figure, go figure. 00:17:56.458 --> 00:18:02.439 You know half of my texts these days are political guys running for office. 00:18:02.439 --> 00:18:02.780 They are yours. 00:18:02.780 --> 00:18:05.060 Are you hearing from all those people? 00:18:05.060 --> 00:18:08.177 I'm hearing from Democrats and Republicans, and independence. 00:18:08.177 --> 00:18:10.940 I never knew I was so popular. 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:13.117 I'm like, wow, they're really after me. 00:18:13.117 --> 00:18:17.380 I can't wait on the election because I don't care who wins. 00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:22.235 I think this time next year I will have been invited to the White House by now. 00:18:22.235 --> 00:18:26.037 We know that's not the case. 00:18:26.037 --> 00:18:26.479 We know that does. 00:18:26.479 --> 00:18:26.580 Okay. 00:18:27.887 --> 00:18:30.480 The second thing is from verse 44. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:41.160 And that is basically we were devoted to unity over divided, over divisiveness or disconnectedness, unity over disconnectedness. 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:45.051 All the believers were together and they had everything in common. 00:18:45.051 --> 00:18:47.547 Everything in common. 00:18:47.547 --> 00:18:52.131 Some of you know the scripture well enough to know that that was very literal. 00:18:52.131 --> 00:18:55.560 They were pooling some resources together. 00:18:55.560 --> 00:19:18.080 Some were selling property and bringing the money in to go into, like the kitty, to pay out to folks as they needed them the widows, the struggling the, the immigrants and things like that and so they're banding together for protection, but also for each other's welfare and everything. 00:19:18.080 --> 00:19:19.340 Why is this important? 00:19:19.340 --> 00:19:22.130 Because the attacks are coming. 00:19:23.142 --> 00:19:26.832 If you read chapter three, they start to get in trouble right away. 00:19:26.832 --> 00:19:29.917 And it happens first in the church. 00:19:29.917 --> 00:19:33.219 Believe it or not, these guys grew up in the Jewish temple. 00:19:33.219 --> 00:19:35.613 They still are trying to make that work. 00:19:35.613 --> 00:19:48.280 They're still going there every single day, but pretty soon they're going to get kicked out or they're going to be jailed and imprisoned and beat up and worse from the people in the religious establishment. 00:19:48.280 --> 00:19:54.841 And the enemy is right behind that they're even going to have some internal divisions after a while. 00:19:54.941 --> 00:19:59.483 Cause a couple of chapters over a guy named Ananias and Sapphira, a couple. 00:19:59.483 --> 00:20:02.320 They decided to do what some are doing. 00:20:02.320 --> 00:20:09.120 They sell some property, they sell a little real estate and they bring the money in to give to the church. 00:20:09.120 --> 00:20:10.160 That's a great thing. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:14.660 But they decided, you know, let's don't give all of it. 00:20:14.660 --> 00:20:18.152 I know we promised let's not give all of it. 00:20:18.152 --> 00:20:29.700 And so they go in and they do a little backwards accounting and when they bring the money in, the leader says this all of the price of the property, oh yeah, oh yeah. 00:20:29.700 --> 00:20:34.360 And the first one who comes in drops dead on the spot. 00:20:36.126 --> 00:20:39.700 And you know, I've read that all my life and every time I tend to say come on, lord. 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:42.220 That's kind of harsh, isn't it? 00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:47.079 I mean, man, that belongs in the Old Testament rather than the New Testament. 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:49.519 To me I just zapped both of them. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:21:03.900 But here's why it is the infancy of the church age, a new movement, and the groups and the dynamics of truthfulness and honesty within those groups has to be protected. 00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:17.780 And if they start to cut corners there and they start to take license there inside their group, with the truth and, with the honesty, guess what goes out the window. 00:21:17.780 --> 00:21:23.170 Trust and the truth is the truth, and we're just like any other group at that point. 00:21:23.170 --> 00:21:31.005 And so God, knowing that, said I got to make an example early and quickly here and then we'll take care of it. 00:21:31.005 --> 00:21:37.753 And sure enough, I don't read any more crooked real estate deals in the rest of the Bible. 00:21:37.753 --> 00:21:40.930 It probably did take care of that. 00:21:42.441 --> 00:21:45.259 So unity is something you actually have to work at. 00:21:45.259 --> 00:22:10.552 We're just talking about that down front here with some of my buddies here about how the more complicated and complex an organization gets, the harder you have to work at communication and the harder you have to make sure, or the more you have to press into the fellowship part and the just being together part and doing all of that. 00:22:10.552 --> 00:22:18.214 Colossians 314 says above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 00:22:18.214 --> 00:22:23.688 Paul here makes the point that you want to be really close to some people, love them. 00:22:23.688 --> 00:22:27.374 You want to have a really super tight bond. 00:22:27.374 --> 00:22:36.739 Let them love you, let them be restorative in your life, and that will always happen in a good way. 00:22:38.384 --> 00:22:40.831 Again, let's go back to what's going on in our culture now. 00:22:40.831 --> 00:22:56.584 The technology and the science is getting so good that there are attempts there have been and there will be attempts every day to replace what we have as biblical community with technology. 00:22:56.584 --> 00:23:06.273 If you got about $350, you can go out this afternoon and you can order a robot to be delivered to your house. 00:23:06.273 --> 00:23:10.740 You can get robotic pets that run around on all fours. 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:19.000 They make sounds like a dog, they will bark, they will wag their tail when you come home. 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:24.015 They won't pee on the carpet, though, and you won't have to take them out in the middle. 00:23:24.015 --> 00:23:25.137 It's perfect, right? 00:23:25.137 --> 00:23:41.590 You can also get a robotic companion, and I Lord knows where that's going to go in the next several months and years, but you can get a companion and he or she they'll be glad to see you when you come home. 00:23:41.590 --> 00:23:46.508 They won't gripe at you, they won't criticize you, they'll make small talk with you. 00:23:46.508 --> 00:23:50.661 They could be programmed to talk about your favorite sports team. 00:23:50.661 --> 00:24:00.292 Ai is even trying to load them up to where they can be sympathetic with what they say when you come home whining about the long day that you've had. 00:24:01.596 --> 00:24:12.250 Colorado State University has a lot of really smart professors, and they've done these studies on designing these things and all, and this sounds more like a marketing thing than a professor. 00:24:12.250 --> 00:24:28.330 But the head of that department says we're getting them perfected to the point where these will serve the needs of companionship and will greatly take away the isolation and the loneliness in our country. 00:24:28.330 --> 00:24:35.900 Oh really, oh really, we know differently. 00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:44.996 There is only one level of relationship that will suffice and meet all those needs. 00:24:44.996 --> 00:24:53.476 It is the love of the Father into us, that goes into other people and we receive it also. 00:24:53.476 --> 00:24:56.361 That is the only thing that's going to work. 00:24:57.023 --> 00:25:04.305 So there's third one we got devoted to unity, and devoted to the body, not ourselves. 00:25:04.305 --> 00:25:08.942 That's verse 45 and 46, and that is basically. 00:25:08.942 --> 00:25:12.526 We're going to be devoted to giving over consumption. 00:25:12.526 --> 00:25:17.300 Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone who had need. 00:25:17.300 --> 00:25:33.492 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts, they broke bread in their homes and they ate together with glad and sincere hearts, selling what they had and giving it to the poor as they had need. 00:25:33.492 --> 00:25:38.923 And then it goes back to their breaking bread together and their sincere hearts. 00:25:39.110 --> 00:25:42.440 Your translation may say singleness of heart. 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:43.884 That's the unity part. 00:25:43.884 --> 00:25:47.710 We're going to give and we're going to be generous. 00:25:47.710 --> 00:26:08.163 There's a time for consumption and we all should gain something from our church family and our church fellowship, but we ought to be more concerned about giving than taking, and that's one reason I'm so proud of all of you and the group that we'll be in in the next hour is you came, those of you that came here day one. 00:26:08.163 --> 00:26:10.873 You came not to receive, you came to give right. 00:26:10.873 --> 00:26:13.340 And then the effort of giving. 00:26:13.340 --> 00:26:21.078 Other people are coming closer to God, or coming to God for the first time too, and God will bless you for that. 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:28.925 So there's a giving, there's a stewardship of all of these things, but let's just talk about the monetary thing right now. 00:26:28.925 --> 00:26:54.211 Again, thank you, thank you, many of you who are giving, who are giving so other people can know Christ or get closer to Christ also, and thank you for giving above tithes and offerings, because you guys are going to be the prime ones affected one day when we're able to get this group to a permanent place, right? 00:26:54.211 --> 00:26:56.256 Can I give you an update on that? 00:26:56.256 --> 00:27:02.614 We had an excess amount given over budget last year, which is fantastic. 00:27:02.614 --> 00:27:22.775 The vast majority of that went into our Kingdom Come fund, which we're asking everybody to give to above your tithes and offerings, which goes toward where y'all will be permanently one day and also some renovations that we've got to do downtown that we've been putting off for a long time too. 00:27:22.775 --> 00:27:31.620 So because of that and because of what's already been given, we're like at 2.3, 2.4 million dollars right now in cash. 00:27:31.620 --> 00:27:36.490 That's awesome and y'all ought to feel good about that. 00:27:36.490 --> 00:27:44.113 Now that's not near enough yet, but it sure is a good start, right and proud and excited about that. 00:27:44.113 --> 00:27:46.284 There's two more years left in this pledge thing. 00:27:46.284 --> 00:27:51.907 If you've not pledged, you haven't been here long and you'd like to make a two-year pledge Love to have you do that. 00:27:51.907 --> 00:27:53.592 We can help you with all of that. 00:27:53.592 --> 00:28:07.405 If you just want to start giving and not make the pledge, that's good too, but I always feel like I need to give updates on that and everything, because that's just what we are. 00:28:07.405 --> 00:28:09.800 You know I'm going to get this off my chest. 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:12.190 You know what's always been funny to me as a pastor? 00:28:12.190 --> 00:28:22.384 There's two groups of people that never get squirrely when I talk about money in the church and giving. 00:28:22.384 --> 00:28:28.759 Those are the devoted disciples, the growing Christ followers. 00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:29.360 You know why. 00:28:29.360 --> 00:28:34.615 They understand that A disciple is a giver. 00:28:34.615 --> 00:28:39.001 You're not a disciple if you're not a giver. 00:28:39.001 --> 00:28:41.725 So they understand that. 00:28:41.725 --> 00:28:43.854 And guess who else it is. 00:28:43.854 --> 00:28:51.435 It's people who are not even connected, not even members of the church, who walk in as guests. 00:28:51.435 --> 00:28:58.513 They may not even be Christ followers, yet they say well, of course it takes some money to run this place. 00:28:58.513 --> 00:29:01.096 They have no problem with it. 00:29:01.096 --> 00:29:04.306 Guess who has a problem? 00:29:04.306 --> 00:29:22.131 And guess who gets a little bit wound up when people like me just start talking about we're supposed to be givers, people that have been attending the church a long, long time but are not giving, and rightly so. 00:29:22.131 --> 00:29:27.348 They're the ones that are going to get defensive, and they're the ones that are going to get critical. 00:29:28.954 --> 00:29:30.480 But it's all through the Bible. 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:38.304 The Old Testament clearly says tithe, tithe, tithe, tithe, a tenth, a tenth, a tenth, a tenth, a tenth plus offerings. 00:29:38.304 --> 00:29:46.718 The argument nowadays, though, is well, we're New Testament people, right, we go by the New Covenant, so why don't we do that with the money? 00:29:46.718 --> 00:29:48.143 Okay, let's switch it over. 00:29:48.143 --> 00:29:49.445 What did Jesus require? 00:29:49.445 --> 00:29:59.971 Everything he said you got to take up your cross, so the Old Testament doesn't look too bad after that. 00:29:59.971 --> 00:30:10.062 But here's what I really get fired up about too the way we're structured, with our budget, giving and everything. 00:30:10.062 --> 00:30:12.006 12% goes right out the door. 00:30:12.006 --> 00:30:17.643 12 cents of every dollar you give goes right out to missions all across the world. 00:30:17.643 --> 00:30:29.828 With our 12% last year 2023, that means right at $450,000 went right out the door to missions $450,000. 00:30:29.828 --> 00:30:31.211 That's awesome. 00:30:31.211 --> 00:30:48.961 And so here we sit in Somerville, south Carolina, but we have had a hand in spreading the gospel all across the world and we haven't left the county and that's why, again, a biblical community bound by love is the same to do it. 00:30:49.302 --> 00:31:01.711 The last part is we are devoted to outsiders and insiders, people that are just getting here as well as people that have been here. 00:31:01.711 --> 00:31:13.795 Look at verse 47, praising God and enjoying the favor of all of the people, and the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved. 00:31:13.795 --> 00:31:26.415 We know in chapter four, verse four, that by the time they get to that point, there's 5,000 people who are calling themselves what we would call today Christ followers also. 00:31:26.415 --> 00:31:31.186 So, to answer the question, who should we be concentrating on? 00:31:31.186 --> 00:31:32.169 Guest? 00:31:32.169 --> 00:31:35.983 And if you're a guest today, thank you especially for being here. 00:31:35.983 --> 00:31:38.468 You're super important to us. 00:31:38.468 --> 00:31:41.534 Just don't listen to this part, okay? 00:31:41.534 --> 00:31:46.417 We're not talking to you now for about the next five minutes, so just tune us out. 00:31:46.417 --> 00:31:52.609 I'm going to talk to us who are part of the family right here, but you also are important. 00:31:53.371 --> 00:31:55.474 Ministry is not an option. 00:31:55.474 --> 00:31:59.736 Ministry is a key ingredient of every single church. 00:31:59.736 --> 00:32:03.358 We should love each other, we should take care of each other. 00:32:03.358 --> 00:32:05.884 We should do a lot of celebrating together. 00:32:05.884 --> 00:32:07.890 We should do a lot of grieving together. 00:32:07.890 --> 00:32:12.450 We should we should bear one another's burdens together. 00:32:12.450 --> 00:32:23.703 But also those who are just walking in here, who've maybe been out of touch with the Lord for a long time or have not ever yet had that relationship. 00:32:23.703 --> 00:32:27.553 You are the prime reason that we should be. 00:32:27.553 --> 00:32:31.625 We should be attentive to you and all of those things too. 00:32:31.625 --> 00:32:33.471 That's why we do some. 00:32:33.471 --> 00:32:36.081 That's why you've heard a lot of scripture read today. 00:32:36.081 --> 00:32:39.207 It's the truth that we can pattern our lives around. 00:32:39.207 --> 00:32:44.042 That's why we do the Lord's supper very regularly. 00:32:44.042 --> 00:32:47.889 It is a symbol of why we are changed people. 00:32:47.889 --> 00:32:48.490 It's Christ. 00:32:48.490 --> 00:32:52.727 That's why baptism is a big deal around here. 00:32:52.727 --> 00:32:55.997 It's a big deal here and it's a big deal downtown, right? 00:32:55.997 --> 00:32:59.525 How many of you remember your day you got baptized? 00:32:59.525 --> 00:33:03.653 Isn't that still like one of the vivid things in your life? 00:33:03.653 --> 00:33:05.062 And it should be. 00:33:05.062 --> 00:33:06.846 It should be. 00:33:08.630 --> 00:33:17.206 Can I give you evidence of the supernatural qualities of just doing something as simple as baptism? 00:33:17.206 --> 00:33:19.330 It's happened. 00:33:19.330 --> 00:33:38.780 It's happened several times, just that I know of in our church here, and that is simply this when we have a baptism, we set them aside, like once a month at the end of the month, and we'll always have some guests that I don't know. 00:33:38.780 --> 00:33:43.851 I get to meet some of them and they're here to support somebody that's getting baptized. 00:33:43.851 --> 00:33:53.632 And so, truth be known, they wouldn't be here, they wouldn't be in church, if it wasn't for the coworker, the friend, the cousin or something who's getting baptized. 00:33:53.632 --> 00:34:01.553 And so they'll sit in the back and they'll politely endure everything. 00:34:02.540 --> 00:34:15.992 But while we're singing about how great God is, they're watching y'all sing and what they're trying to put together is you know, boy, she looks like she actually believes God, is all that. 00:34:15.992 --> 00:34:24.771 And then somebody will pray and they're just watching and trying to check out is this real? 00:34:24.771 --> 00:34:32.412 And their conclusion must be you know, he actually thinks God's going to answer that prayer. 00:34:32.412 --> 00:34:47.452 And they watch the whole thing and they watch us read our word and talk about our word and break it out, and they're like, I don't really want to religion, stuff, but that sounds like good advice for life. 00:34:47.452 --> 00:34:50.103 And they leave. 00:34:50.103 --> 00:34:53.104 They came out of obligation the next Sunday. 00:34:53.164 --> 00:34:54.047 Guess what happens? 00:34:54.047 --> 00:34:55.443 They come back. 00:34:55.443 --> 00:35:01.510 It's not a baptism now, but they're curious. 00:35:01.510 --> 00:35:04.487 The same process happens. 00:35:04.487 --> 00:35:10.413 They watch you sing and they're starting to say, boy, they really believe this stuff. 00:35:10.413 --> 00:35:28.827 They watch you pray, they listen to the messages and they come back again and again and sometimes, maybe fourth, fifth week, something happens in here and they realize I don't want to live without this. 00:35:28.827 --> 00:35:52.262 I need this and I need him and I need her and I need to be able to trust a group with my life and my kid's life, and I sure would like somebody to be able to break out the meaning of why I'm on this doggone world. 00:35:52.262 --> 00:36:00.744 To begin with, because I'm having a struggle with my purpose and it starts to make sense. 00:36:00.744 --> 00:36:17.985 And then, glory, hallelujah, couple of months later, we have another baptism and guess who's in the pool this time and guess who's standing for him out there. 00:36:21.240 --> 00:36:22.644 That's a biblical community. 00:36:22.644 --> 00:36:34.443 We need you here, and if you're not yet a part of things and you know that the Holy Spirit has led you here, why are you waiting? 00:36:34.443 --> 00:36:44.867 Because the day may be coming when somebody very close to you but very far from God needs to see your example of commitment. 00:36:44.867 --> 00:36:48.546 Why should I join a church? 00:36:48.546 --> 00:36:49.965 I get that question all the time. 00:36:49.965 --> 00:36:51.164 Why can't I just attend? 00:36:51.164 --> 00:36:53.869 Why can't I go to yours awhile and go to that one awhile? 00:36:53.869 --> 00:36:55.706 I go to the ABC church for awhile. 00:36:55.706 --> 00:36:56.983 Well, you can. 00:36:56.983 --> 00:36:58.023 You can do that. 00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:00.903 But here's why it's important to join. 00:37:00.903 --> 00:37:12.447 We know practically it cuts down the isolation factor and it cuts down the tendency to walk away from your faith. 00:37:12.447 --> 00:37:19.592 It's a lot easier to walk away from your faith and unplug from God if you are not accountable. 00:37:19.592 --> 00:37:25.971 The other two reasons are for the corporate benefit, because it's about the body. 00:37:25.971 --> 00:37:34.490 We need your spiritual gifts because we don't have them all, and we need your talent and your experience and your heart. 00:37:34.490 --> 00:37:43.865 And let me tell you, when 300 people start praying for the same thing, that's much more powerful than if three are. 00:37:43.865 --> 00:37:50.510 We're better together and we're more powerful together. 00:37:50.510 --> 00:37:59.307 And so when you add all that up and oh yeah, we have a requirement we'd love for you to be a member officially of the church. 00:37:59.307 --> 00:38:01.985 That's an easy decision. 00:38:01.985 --> 00:38:05.579 That's why we have invitation times, ultra-cost. 00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:09.490 If you need to come and pray, I'll be here. 00:38:09.490 --> 00:38:12.586 Some of our other guys will be available too. 00:38:12.586 --> 00:38:14.592 Sherry's, my wife, she's on the front row. 00:38:14.592 --> 00:38:47.626 She'd love to pray with you If you'd like to join or if you'd like to rededicate your life or, even better yet, if you'd like to take Jesus up on his offer to become a follower of him, this would be the greatest time to celebrate that he died on the cross for me and you, and he lives in heaven now waiting to hear from me and you, and all he wants is a simple act of surrender and acknowledgement, and this involves and involves trust. 00:38:48.039 --> 00:38:49.603 Once, stan, let me pray for you, lord. 00:38:49.603 --> 00:39:09.787 We're broken, we're marred, we're disfigured, we are pretty messed up, but together we are powerful. 00:39:09.787 --> 00:39:18.423 United, putting the body ahead of our individual needs, we're an unstoppable force. 00:39:18.423 --> 00:39:29.887 God, I frankly believe it's worth spending our lives together and investing our future in your purpose, not ours. 00:39:29.887 --> 00:39:32.642 So, god, help us to. 00:39:32.642 --> 00:39:47.006 For those that are struggling with do they really have a relationship with you, lord, give them the heart to take care of that and to nail that down and to take that next step today so they can walk out of here free. 00:39:47.006 --> 00:40:03.666 For those that have been away for a while and they feel you just clear as a bell calling them home, to come back into the family, to come back into your fold and your love, help them to simply be obedient. 00:40:03.666 --> 00:40:05.844 In Christ's name, we pray, amen.