WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:13.759 Did you know if you invested$1,000 in Apple stock in 1997, it would be worth over a million dollars today? 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:15.519 Did you know? 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:24.000 If you bought a house in San Diego County in 2009, you'd look like Warren Buffett in 2026. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:34.240 Did you know if you kept those Legos as a child and never opened them up, they'd be worth 30 times the amount that you bought for them. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.200 Have I made you feel bad yet? 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:39.600 Welcome to church. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:48.799 Sometimes the smallest actions yield the biggest impact. 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.640 When has that been true in your life? 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:59.600 A friend got you Starbucks before you start work, and the impact is everyone else around you gets a happy person. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:09.040 For you, is it someone decided to watch your kids and you got a moment of a date night and you got to connect with your spouse maybe for the first time in a long time? 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.920 Was it that moment where someone believed in you before you even believed in yourself? 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.760 Small action, big impact. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:25.200 Scientists have researched why this phenomenon is true. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:31.840 We can look at somebody else and notice their impact on our lives. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:38.799 But it's very difficult for us to look at some small action that we do and actually think it affects somebody else. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.920 In fact, scientists say there's a reason because of this. 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:51.120 There's a reason because when you serve someone, you write them a letter, you encourage them, you send them that text, you're thinking about them. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:55.599 You're oftentimes thinking about how does this come across? 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:56.799 Is this weird? 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.120 Like it does this, like is this a social norm? 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:00.319 Am I breaking something? 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:04.879 And and the other person, they're receiving it, they're feeling the things that you said. 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:06.239 So it's hard for us. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:09.039 A small action leads to a big return. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:15.520 It's hard for us to see it because we're so often thinking about ourselves, which makes sense. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.400 Today, this is why I want to investigate a question with you. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:30.000 The question is this how could something as small as an invitation actually change someone? 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:38.639 In fact, if you're taking notes, uh, I want to give you three ways that one word, a table, can actually impact your thoughts on this. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:46.319 So as you're taking notes, if you're wondering, man, what God's doing in this room, I want to remember what it is tomorrow on Monday when I'm at work stressed. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:53.360 That's why we give you the notes to be able to process all the things that God might be doing in the next couple of minutes together. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:58.000 Hey, as we jump in, we're in our series at the table. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:03.919 We are pulling up a chair to see the life that Jesus is inviting us into. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:07.599 If it's your first time, I'm so glad you are here. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:17.599 I met so many of you before service, and please let us give you the free, mysterious bake good that we made this morning to you at Create Corner. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:29.439 We are a Bible-believing, Bible preaching church, and today we'll be in the Gospel of Luke, investigating a passage that we've been in in this entire series. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:40.960 Now, bear with me, because it's a little bit long, but I do believe that you get the whole scope and sequence of the idea will help tremendously as we continue in this sermon. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.840 It says this in Luke 5. 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:49.599 After this, Jesus went out and he saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.039 Jesus says, Come along with me. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:54.240 And he did. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.759 He walked away from everything and went with him. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:00.479 Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:09.280 Everybody was there, taxmen, other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner, and the Pharisees and the religious scholars came to his disciples, greatly offended. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:10.960 What is he doing? 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:16.800 Eating, drinking, with misfits and sinners. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.879 Jesus heard about it and spoke up. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:22.240 Who needs a doctor? 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:24.240 The healthy or the sick? 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.160 I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders. 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:35.839 An invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:39.279 What does a table do? 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:40.160 You can write this down. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:43.360 The first thing a table does, the table comes to you. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.399 The table comes to you. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:49.279 Tables, they're everywhere in scripture. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.199 In Isaiah, it represents a feast. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:53.600 Jesus ate with outsiders at a table. 00:04:53.759 --> 00:05:02.319 In fact, this picture that we have of the Passover, this is the night before Jesus died, and he's with his disciples at a table. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:08.240 They say when God makes all things new, that it will be like a wedding supper. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:15.600 They even say in heaven, there'll be like all of us around a table. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:26.240 Every generation, every race, every economic status, every political bent, all around the same table. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:28.879 The table matters in the Bible. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:34.319 And anytime I say table, here's what I really mean: proximity to Jesus. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:38.959 You get close to the table, and you get close to Jesus. 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:41.360 And what do we have here? 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.319 The Bible says a disreputable character, Levi. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:50.800 He is known as a scammer in 2026. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:52.560 I don't know about you. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:55.040 I'm not hanging out with any scammers, right? 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:56.639 Like those aren't my friends. 00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:59.040 Jesus is not disreputable. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:00.720 He is respected. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.120 This guy goes up to the guy who's not respected, a table. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:07.199 He brings the table to Levi. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.199 Levi was literally at a tax booth. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:10.240 What is he doing? 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:11.120 Taxes. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:12.160 He's scamming people. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:13.439 He's taking. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:15.279 I want something from you. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.399 Do you know a friend who takes more than they give? 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:21.600 This is Levi. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:24.639 And Jesus meets him there. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:35.680 And anytime the table comes to you, anytime you're close with Jesus, you can't help but leave unchanged. 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:45.839 Jesus goes to Levi, and Levi puts everything aside and he follows Jesus. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:53.600 And then all of a sudden, he opens up his table to the other disreputable characters so they could be close with Jesus. 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.360 Did you notice what just happened? 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.279 The taker turned into a giver. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:02.800 The guy who's always looking, what's out? 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.079 What is it for me? 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:07.360 Turn into the person of generosity, Levi. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:12.160 It's you can't be close to Jesus and leave unchanged. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:16.720 Do you remember the first time you felt the presence of Jesus? 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:25.839 Was it a moment before work and you're in your car crying because you're overwhelmed and you felt the presence of God and his peace? 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:34.720 Was it a moment in powerful worship where the first time you lift up your hands and you felt the presence of God and his power come upon you? 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:41.199 Was it a moment in bed with your spouse before you go to bed and you're talking and you're praying? 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:44.959 And when was a moment that you first felt the presence of God? 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.480 Maybe that's been happening right here in this room. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.079 And I'm guessing you'd probably say the same thing. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:55.040 You weren't the same after that moment. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:12.399 Whether you're an atheist in the room, whether you're a Christian, whether you've been a Christian for 20 years, here's what I've known about my faith is that I never want to forget the moment where Jesus arrived to me for the first time because it changed everything. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:14.800 So the table, it comes to you. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:16.399 What a beautiful thing it is. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:19.199 Here's the second thing that a table does. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.000 A table goes with you. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:26.480 A table goes with you. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:30.160 Do we have any historians in the room, like history buffs? 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:30.560 Right? 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:33.039 Like you love World War II or, you know, one of those. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:34.159 Okay, we've got a couple. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.039 Uh have you ever heard of campaign furniture? 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.039 Campaign furniture. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:50.159 About 150 years ago, uh, the British were fighting all over the world, and they felt the need for their soldiers to feel at home. 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:59.759 So they took all the furniture that was once stationary with a bunch of engineers, they found a way to make it portable. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:12.399 So all the dining tables and the uh the chairs, they were able to take off the legs and actually uh put it in uh a way that the where it could actually be transported to all the places around the earth. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:13.759 You know why? 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:17.360 Uh war is probably a little foreign. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:20.879 You're on foreign soil, you're you're nervous, you don't know if you might die. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:36.559 In fact, you need a little bit of your creature comforts, and the idea behind it was that if I get like a table that reminds me of eating with my mom when I was 16 years old, I'll be comforted in the midst of an unknown territory. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:49.360 The British actually got a little too excited, and they made so much that one uh soldier actually wrote a letter to another soldier 200 years ago, and it's and he said the line was about 18 miles long. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.840 They just loved to put furniture everywhere they went. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:52.559 But why? 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.399 Because it brought comfort. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:07.039 And let me just say this some of you think that being close to Jesus, this table, happens here on a Sunday morning and only here. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:12.399 In fact, I'm so excited to encounter Jesus at 11 a.m. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:13.919 on August 30th. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:18.159 As long as it ends at 12 p.m., I love it. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:22.799 And then when I leave, I'm excited for next week. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:28.320 But until then, the table is not even close to me. 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:37.200 What if, this is for somebody in the room, what if the moment the reason you're here is to realize that the table, it goes with you. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.879 In fact, Jesus would say, you are the legs to the table. 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.200 Like you walk out here and you are the table. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.799 In fact, the church, beautiful building, earth wrong. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:48.639 The church, beautiful people. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:49.919 That's what the church is. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:53.840 So when we're done being the church in here, do you know what we're gonna do? 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.480 We're gonna be the church out there. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:58.799 That's what we're gonna do. 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:02.480 This table has legs, it's beautiful. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:03.519 Let's stay in here. 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:10.480 This is the table of the presence of God, and you're encountering him, and you'll cry, and you'll talk, and you'll write notes, and God will inspire you. 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:11.679 That's my hope for this. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:15.360 We designed everything for that moment of encounter with Jesus. 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:23.600 And my prayer is that you leave here and you can still encounter Jesus Monday morning when you're stressed before work. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:28.080 At lunchtime, when you don't want to go to the next class. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:34.960 The table, it doesn't stay in a church building, it goes with you. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:40.080 And this might be the part of the sermon. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:42.720 Jake, I know where you're going with this. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:47.360 You're gonna say, now you get to be the table, you get to be Jesus for your friends. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:47.840 Right? 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.240 That's what you probably think I'm gonna say next, right? 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.840 That's a logical conclusion to what I'm saying. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:55.600 That's not what I want to say. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:59.840 Yes, you can be Jesus to your friends, you can be the table, all those things, yes. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:05.679 But I want to read you a verse that's wrecked my life for the past three days. 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.360 This was in my sermon three days ago. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:12.720 And as soon as I heard it from a local theologian, I was like, I gotta, I gotta, this is it. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:18.240 It says this, Ephesians 1.19, the immeasurable greatness of God's power made available to you through faith. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:18.960 Whoa, wait. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:31.200 The immeasurable greatness of God's power is made available to you through faith. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.840 Like, I just want you to actually think about what this could mean for you. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:36.879 Like, right now. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:39.120 In fact, can we read this together? 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:40.159 All right, one more time. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:40.720 One more time. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:42.159 All right, 3, 2, 1. 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:50.240 The immeasurable greatness of God's power made available to you through faith. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.919 Do you know what immeasurable means? 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.720 Shockingly, without measure. 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:01.440 There's no limit to your power with Jesus. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:10.879 In fact, a king, when he sends his people out on a mission, he gives them all authority of the king. 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:26.000 So 2000 years ago, when a king sent them out to do a task, when they're with the people, they get to enact any power that the king has because they are the king in that moment. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:27.679 What am I saying here? 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:39.039 When Jesus rose from the grave before he left, he made sure that you know you have that same power. 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:41.840 Whoa, now this can't, okay. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.559 The same power that rose Jesus from the grave isn't me. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.799 This is an immeasurable amount of power. 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:54.960 Does this mean when my marriage is on the rocks, that God will give me the peace I need and the clarity to have a conversation? 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.200 No, this can't mean that when I'm studying for a test at 12 a.m. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:12.080 and there's no way I'm gonna, like God will give me the knowledge that I that there's no, this is what it means that when you are, the table goes with you, you have all access and authority to the power of our king. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.039 My question for you is where do you need it today? 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.159 Where do you feel hopeless? 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.000 Where do you feel like it's impossible? 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:22.080 What relationship is not going anywhere? 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:23.360 Where's your vocation at? 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:24.480 Where's your money at? 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.600 Jesus would say, dude, the immeasurable power. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:30.720 And it's made available through faith. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:33.279 If you believe, you receive. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:34.320 This is what Jesus is saying. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:34.960 It's like a gift. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:35.600 It's crazy. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:37.679 If you just believe, you receive. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:42.639 So, yes, the table, it comes to you, and then the table, it goes with you. 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:54.000 Levi, he took all of his friends, he took all of his family, and he brought it to his house, and he had all the power of Jesus with these disreputable characters to transform their lives. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:57.919 Here's a third one as we end today. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.960 The table, it expands through you. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.480 The table, it expands through you. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:06.480 Here's what it says. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:13.759 When Jesus rose from the grave before he ascended into heaven, he made this declarative sentence to you and to me. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:24.879 And any church that's a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church will say this is one of the cornerstone passages, and it's this all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:35.840 So now go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I've commanded you. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:37.759 And behold, I am with you. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:43.759 The table goes with you to the end of the age. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.960 Oh, you're thinking I'm gonna play? 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.360 No, I'm just gonna take the chair. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:02.240 What do you notice about this chair? 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:07.279 Who do you imagine what this chair is for? 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:14.240 Are you imagining the new friend that you just met at college who's not here, who's struggling and homesick? 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:23.360 Are you imagining the coworker who just can't get it right and just feels overwhelmed? 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:30.559 Are you imagining your spouse or a sibling that you love so much that's just in a deep depression? 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:34.159 Who do you imagine is sitting in that chair? 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.679 The table expands through you. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.600 Do you know who what I imagine? 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:43.679 I have a specific number in my mind, actually. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.919 The number is 512,000 people. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:58.000 Did you know that in a 15 to 20 minute radius of our church, which most of you are probably within, there's 512,000 people. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:11.680 It's interesting because our church, growing very fast, right now, might not be the same next week, is about 500 people that would come on any given month to our church, would call Create Church Home. 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:25.119 Scientists would say that in a city such as San Diego, that uh you would come into contact with about 1,000 people in any given week. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:26.400 They call them touch points. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:28.480 You would have 1,000 touch points. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:32.160 I'm not a mathematician, but let me do a little bit of math for you. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:38.480 There's 500 people at our church, and there's a thousand touch points that each of us have. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:45.039 It's almost like it equals around 512,000 people. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:51.920 It's almost like that everything this neighborhood needs is in this room right now. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.079 You're like, Jake, this is great. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:59.200 But I'm not inviting those thousand people to church. 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:00.400 Believe me. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:03.920 Is there one though? 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:06.000 Like just one? 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:07.920 Levi was the one to Jesus. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.039 In fact, it says that Jesus left the 99 for the one. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.480 Who's just the one? 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:20.720 The one that you're just, your heart breaks for them and it aches for them because you know what they could have, but they don't have it. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:27.440 The community, a relationship with Jesus, encounter, you know, like there's a burden in your heart for somebody today. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:28.480 I hope there is. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:33.440 If you're living and breathing, whether you're a Christian or not, there's a burden for someone that you love today. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:35.119 Who's in that chair? 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:36.640 Is there one? 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:46.400 I want to tell you, show you a story of two people who are one day the Levi. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:51.279 Take a look at the screen, and we'll show you what this looks like. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:26.400 Levi, before he opens up his table to his friends and a family that he loves so much, he left everything behind and followed Jesus. 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:40.799 And today, I mean, I'm so excited that you will witness before your very eyes the people who made that decision, and it's gonna be scary for them because they're in front of a lot of people that they love, but they're gonna make a public declaration. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:46.720 My old life leaving it behind, and I'm coming out and I'm following you. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:23:02.559 So, right now, if you are someone who's going to get baptized or making that decision right now, just like people in the early church, I would ask you to go ahead and rise and you can go to the back of the room. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:04.640 Let's give it up for them as they get ready. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:10.960 This is your chance. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:14.480 Anyone can get up in this moment. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:24.880 I mean, I'm grateful for Jen and Therese, in fact. 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:32.400 Uh, in part because Jen, the one to the right, uh, is my pediatrician for my kid. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:35.440 So I'm glad that someone invited her. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:41.680 Uh and and and Therese, uh, she basically leads our entire kids ministry with a couple of people. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:43.119 She's a she's a she's a nurse. 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:45.599 By the way, we got nurses and doctors leading your kids. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.039 You're in good hands. 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:53.519 Yeah, I'm glad they're I'm glad they're here. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:24:02.640 I wonder what Key, Jen's husband, or the college friend of Therese would say 20 years ago of how much work it was to invite them. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:13.839 It's it's almost like something small can turn into a big impact without you even understanding it. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:17.200 This is the story of Jen and Therese. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:26.079 And I want to today invite you into an all-skate 100% participation initiative that we are doing as a church. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:28.559 And it's called At the Table. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:34.960 Our dream is this one person, one prayer, and one invite. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:43.599 This goes back to uh this this moment in Luke, or at the end, Jesus, word for word, says this. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:51.759 I'm here inviting outsiders and not insiders, an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:56.079 This past week I set my alarm at 5.32 p.m. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:00.160 Not to wake up, but in general at 5.32 p.m. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:01.119 Why? 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:05.440 So I could say that verse out loud and pray for my one. 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.559 Do you know what happened? 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:08.319 Started on Monday. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:19.839 Every day, God softened my heart for the person, and every day I felt God was giving me more and more ideas of what it means to love that person. 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:29.440 It's crazy that if you just remind yourself every once in a while of burdening your heart for somebody else in a world where it's all about me, it really actually changes me, not even the other person. 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:30.079 It was crazy. 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.680 Would you set your alarm at 5.32 p.m.? 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:35.440 Like maybe you want to get out your phone right now. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:36.799 Clock, 5.32 p.m. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:41.279 I'm gonna remind myself what it looks like to think of somebody else. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:50.640 And then one day there could be a story like Jen or Terese that was because of your invite. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:55.920 In fact, what you'll see in this baptism moment is you'll see a lot of tears. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.000 That's what you'll see in a moment. 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:01.680 You know who those tears are mostly gonna be from? 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:08.640 It's gonna be from the person making the decision, but most of the tears will be for the people who invited them to this moment. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:25.200 Most of the tears that you'll see, I want you just to notice the people beside the people around, and what you'll see is they've been praying for this moment for years for the person that is getting baptized. 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:29.119 So today, would you consider being that person? 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:54.160 And here's what I promise you this is a guarantee that when that person gets baptized because of your invite, when that person serves for the first time, when that person is alive with the life of Jesus, and with tears in their eyes, they come up to you and say, Thank you, your life will never be the same. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:55.759 That's a guarantee. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:00.640 One prayer, one person, one invite. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:13.599 So as they come up to get baptized, leaving the old world behind, coming new to what we have, here's what I would love to do in this moment. 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:22.480 They're making this decision, but it's also a decision for us to accept them into our community. 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:27.200 In fact, you can make a personal decision anywhere, but you can't get baptized anywhere. 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:30.720 In fact, the baptism is supposed to be in your local church. 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:31.359 You know why? 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:32.000 Two things. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:40.400 First, for your community to accept you, and second, for you to hold them accountable to this new life in faith. 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:42.000 This is what a community does. 00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:43.599 So I'm gonna try something very new. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:50.319 We've actually never done before at Create Church, uh, because one of my good friends here at our church suggested this, and I love the idea. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.440 We're gonna try it here. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:58.400 Where uh they're gonna come up and get baptized, but before they go under the water, I wanna ask you a question. 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:00.240 Do you accept them? 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.880 And I really hope that you say yes for their sake. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:16.480 But it's important for you to realize this is not a monologue, this is a dialogue happening as it says, disciple them, as they belong to a local family of faith. 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:18.559 So, in a moment, we're gonna sing this song. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:24.559 Would you actually stand with me as a moment of uh saying yes to them, affirming this decision? 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:31.279 And with every person, I will ask you that wild question will you accept them into our community? 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.119 So I'm gonna invite the first person to come up as we sing today.