WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:10.480 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:14.720 I always have to begin my time with you by saying thank you. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:21.760 Because it was a church just like you 47 years ago that welcomed a young man like me. 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:23.679 I was a teenager. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:30.559 By the way, there are some eras you don't need to relive, and one of them is junior high and parts of high school, right? 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.560 But I I wasn't, you know, better or worse than most. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:39.439 I was, but I was in all of those normal, where do I fit mode? 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:45.520 You know, I was a good basketball player, but as you can see, my vertical leap is limited. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:50.320 My dad called me a fiery humanist and a repressed basketball star. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:51.039 Okay? 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:54.399 Steph Curry, I am not. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.159 And then I didn't quite fit the chess club either. 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:04.480 I like chess, but that was how many of you know schools have social groups, right? 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:12.159 But you know, I discovered there's one group that didn't care what group I was in, and that was the body of Christ. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:19.359 I saw changed lives in young adults such as myself who had met Christ. 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.280 They invited me, and I'm just gonna say, to a church like awakening. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.280 I gave my heart to Christ. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:28.799 You were there when my family went through difficulty. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:34.719 And one night leading a small group, by the way, I was just like awakening. 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:39.840 Uh they they believed in me and believed I could do something for God as a young man. 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:44.000 Um, by the way, my first small group lesson I preached for 45 minutes. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:45.439 I don't do that anymore. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:50.319 But Jesus was so faithful, but you were there. 00:01:50.799 --> 00:02:03.599 And I want to share why it matters today, both what we do, but why it matters that we gather together and share about how God's people bring liturgy and life together. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:07.920 By the way, if that word liturgy is new, it literally means the work of the people. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.039 It means what we do to respond to God. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.759 And so I'm so excited to share with you from God's Word. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.680 Would you turn to Psalm 111? 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:22.800 And we're going to be in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, the Old and New Testament. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:30.800 And Psalm 111, 112, and 113 are part of what are known as the halal or hallelujah Psalms. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.759 They were part of the worship of ancient Israel. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:35.840 And let's look at some of these verses together. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.240 They're also on the screen if you want to follow along. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:39.840 But let's look at some of these together. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.919 Psalm 111, first part of verse 1 and 2 and 3. 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:45.759 Praise the Lord. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:51.919 I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the counsel of the upright and in the assembly. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:58.719 Verse 2 great are the works of the Lord, they are pondered by all who delight in them. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:04.240 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:09.039 So we're praising God, but we're already doing some thinking. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:15.360 By the way, I want you to know, maybe you're having some challenges with your faith. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:21.919 Maybe there's a part of you that wonders if this Christian endeavor can engage the mind as well as the heart. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:28.879 I want you to know God welcomes worshiping Him with all of our minds as well as our heart and our lips. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.840 Look at Psalm 112, verse 1. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.280 Praise the Lord. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:39.439 Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:40.400 Wow. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:47.680 All that God tells us to do for our good is part of worship as well. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:53.360 And then let's go to Psalm 113, verses 2 and verses 7 and 8. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:57.919 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:03:59.039 Verse 7. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:04.400 He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap. 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:08.719 He seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.000 Do you know that our God cares about justice? 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:13.439 Can you say amen? 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:20.720 He cares about seeing people lifted, welcomed, included, and flourishing. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:28.399 So we can't separate our worship together from doing good in the world that changes people and systems. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:30.160 What a wonderful God. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:31.920 We've just gotten started, though. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:39.360 Would you go forward in the scriptures with me, please, to the New Testament, to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:45.519 One writer said years ago, if you want to understand the gospel, read the book of Romans. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:51.920 If you want to understand a community trying to work it out and having lots of challenges, read 1 Corinthians. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:55.360 And then when you're broken, read 2 Corinthians and get healed. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:06.480 But 1 Corinthians, Paul's working with these enthusiastic believers to understand culture and morality and worship and how to walk with the Lord. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:12.959 And in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, we have the introduction to the table of the Lord. 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:14.800 And let's look at verse 16. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:17.279 We're now talking about what we call communion. 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:19.920 Others call the Eucharist, the table. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.079 And here's what Paul says. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:32.240 Verse 16 of 1 Corinthians 10, is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:37.199 And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:45.519 Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all share in the one loaf. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:47.600 Turn immediately to chapter 11. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:57.600 And Paul gives some further instructions that he had received from the apostles about this moment around the table when God's people gather together. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:05:59.680 Verse 23 of chapter 11. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:03.040 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.000 The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:10.720 And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body which is for you. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:12.800 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:18.639 In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:22.000 Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:29.199 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:33.839 Wow! A celebration of what Christ has done for us. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:40.399 As Josh said earlier, he died in our place, and he rose again, offering us new life. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:49.360 So we celebrate that in the bread and the cup, but we anticipate the day he returns, and the feast is forever. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:54.639 Already, just from the scriptures, we've seen that we're supposed to praise God. 00:06:54.800 --> 00:07:01.040 We're supposed to learn about him, and we're supposed to participate together around a table. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.959 By the way, I'm gonna give you a little bonus I didn't do in the first service. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:06.480 Don't tell them, okay? 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:12.959 Have you ever had a wonderful meal around the table and you didn't want to leave the table? 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:14.800 Have you ever had that experience? 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.480 It's like you don't want to go into the living room. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:20.560 You want to just stay there. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:22.879 The conversation's flowing. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:29.519 By the way, I Kathy, in addition to being my wife, in addition to being an amazing artist, she makes homemade bread. 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:32.079 You're all salivating right now. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:34.560 I want you to imagine homemade sourdough. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:41.680 I want you to imagine homemade figasa bread with a little olive oil and salt on the top, fresh from the oven. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.000 And you're all starved right now for lunch, aren't you? 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:49.279 But we're around the table, and you don't want to leave. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.639 Jesus gave us a table to be around, to celebrate him together. 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:56.399 Well, let's keep going forward. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:58.480 A few more instructions from the Apostle Paul. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.040 Would you turn to 1 Corinthians 14, 26? 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:03.360 So we're praising God. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:08.800 We're hearing about his commands, we're learning together, we're celebrating Christ. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:17.759 And then chapter 14, verse 26, Paul spends a few chapters here kind of putting things in order, but he says we're to be participating together. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:18.959 Look at verse 26. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.959 What shall we say, brothers and sisters? 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:28.240 When you come together, each of you has a hymn or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.839 Everything must be done so the church may be built up. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:38.480 Now, the order of this and how these kinds of things are administrated are unique to awakening in every church. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:50.639 But whether it's a small group, a Bible study, our fellowship time during the service, we come ready to participate, ready to bring our gifts and graces to the church. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:57.279 And so, as we share from these scriptures, just a couple more, Colossians chapter 3, verse 16. 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:13.519 So as Paul writes to his friends in Colossae, he says this: Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one of another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your heart. 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.639 Now I'm gonna let Josh lead worship, not me. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:21.519 Every church I've been in, they say, watch Pastor Charlie clap and do the opposite. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:34.720 So I'm not, I mean, I can sing a chorus and lead a prayer, but um, that's music isn't my gift, but God still wants a song to come from my heart, words of encouragement to come. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:45.600 And in this one little phrase, we have the psalms of ancient Israel, the hymns of the church of every place and age, and new songs to come forth. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:47.759 Thanks for teaching us a new one. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.399 And he wants us to participate together. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:55.519 And then last scripture this morning, would you turn to 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 13? 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:57.279 You can look on the screen as well. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:06.559 Paul says to his young pastor, Devote yourselves to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:09.919 By the way, do you know the difference between preaching and teaching? 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.159 It's not just volume and spit. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:13.600 I just want you to know that. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:21.600 Preaching includes good instruction, but it's calling forth a response. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:26.320 A response to come to Christ, a response to deepen our walk with Christ. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:31.360 Teaching can include that, but it's it gives us greater depth and detail. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:37.600 Can we just thank God that every week at awakening we are preached to and taught well? 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:38.960 Can you say amen? 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:41.360 Pastor Ryan and the team, what do they do? 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:48.000 They're encouraging us to respond in the moment, but also to keep learning, keep deepening. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:51.360 So, why do we gather? 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.559 Why is it important that we gather in person? 00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:01.200 Well, God's design and destiny for us is to be with him and to do his work. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:10.080 The reason we gather is that from the beginning, God designed us to enjoy his presence and fulfill his purpose. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.159 And by the way, when the Lord returns and everything is put right again. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:15.519 Anyone else with me? 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.399 Are you looking forward to the day when everything is put right? 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:19.200 Amen? 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:19.919 It's okay. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:20.960 Go ahead and clap. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:25.919 This is not an escape, it's fulfillment. 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.960 And I hope you want to bring a few more people with you. 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:37.840 God made us to dwell with him, to enjoy him, and then he made a world for us to cultivate and to develop together. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:42.960 And one day I want you to know your reward for good work in this life is more in the life to come. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:44.159 Isn't that good? 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:50.000 By the way, though, no bad bosses, no bad paychecks, no high taxes. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:12:08.080 We were made to be and to do, just as the God we worship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are forever a divine dance of love, and they're on a mission together, doing the work to bring all things together under Christ. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:15.200 My friends Jeff and Sid Hosclaw wrote a little book a couple years ago called Does God Really Like Me? 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.879 By the way, spoiler alert, the answer's yes. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:27.519 But they I want to give them the credit for just putting these two words together: the being, the doing, the presence, the purpose. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:34.960 And so, with that framework in mind, let's talk a little bit about the biblical gatherings for worship. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:39.919 First of all, we're saying yes to God's invitation. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.639 God called the meeting this morning. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:44.559 We're responding to him. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:13:00.960 The late Robert Weber at Wheaton College reminded all of generations of students and others who read and listened to the sound of his voice that our worship pleases God, but he took the initiative and we're responding to him. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:04.159 Thank you for saying yes to that invitation. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:08.879 And we're responding to him, to his mighty acts and his goodness. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.240 We can worship in private and in public. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:13.840 So praise God. 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:22.639 It's not, our worship isn't confined to moments like this, that it includes that public place of being together. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:26.559 It includes private, but it's God's invitation. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:31.120 And that it brings us into his presence and into his purpose. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:39.679 So I'd like to share three elements of worship or three sort of sets of ideas that have always been a part of worship. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:42.480 And then we're going to make application for Monday morning. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:44.960 Is everybody looking forward to Monday morning? 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:48.399 You can't wait to get back on a Zoom call, right? 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:50.399 Or back in that office. 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:51.600 I hope you are. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:57.360 And by the way, if you're not quite, join the class that's being offered on faith and work integration. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:08.559 On the airplane, I'm asked what I do for a living, and I explain to people I travel the country teaching pastors about what you do all week and the goodness of the work that you do all week. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:14.960 But let's I want to share three things coming out of these Psalms, out of these epistles, out of history. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:21.519 Number one, God's people have always offered prayers and songs to God. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:27.279 The early church took the synagogue worship and made it their own, centered in Christ. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:36.159 And so we're always offering prayers, prayers of just beautiful praise to God, and sometimes prayers of deep lament for our sin. 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.200 Intercession for those around us. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.360 And then we're offering songs. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:48.399 By the way, open the book of Psalms, and they're either complaining or praising, and sometimes they're doing it in the same psalm. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:53.120 By the way, is that am I the only one that complains and praises every day? 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.279 It's normal. 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.799 Kathy and I call it living a life of joyous lament. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:06.000 There's not a day that goes by we cannot weep, and there's not a day that goes by we cannot praise God and rejoice. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:08.639 And that doesn't mean we're in a roller coaster every day. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:16.399 It means that God's people have always, together and in person, offered prayers and songs to Him. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:22.559 The second element that's been a part of worship from forever is the reading and teaching of God's word. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:30.559 In fact, the great Old Testament word throughout all of the Old Testament is hear, O Israel. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.919 Nobody had pocket Pentateuches back in the day. 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:37.600 Nobody had the prophets, you know, in a satchel. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:42.720 You had to hear the word being read and then being taught. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.720 Praise God, we have it in print. 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.120 We have it for those of you who struggle with reading. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:48.799 Can we be really tender today? 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:50.080 You can listen to it today. 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:51.039 Isn't it exciting? 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:52.320 You can listen to it. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.879 You can download and listen to God's word. 00:15:55.279 --> 00:16:00.399 So whatever, whether you were a reader or not, you can hear and listen and learn. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:02.240 And then the teaching of God's word. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:05.679 We need women and men that can help us learn. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:09.279 And I want to give thanks to you as a church again. 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.679 I was the kid in Sunday school, as a new Christian, that asked all the weird questions. 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:18.639 And somebody said, I'm tired of you asking questions, you need to start teaching. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:24.639 But I received some good mentoring and some good teaching, and I'm so grateful for it. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.200 So we need to read and learn God's word. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:30.240 This is what Jesus did as he inaugurated his ministry. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:34.399 He read from the book of Isaiah, he expounded upon it. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:41.519 And then the third element that's always a part of gathered worship, and that's the participation of the community. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:46.799 In the ancient synagogue, there would often be questions and participation back and forth. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:55.919 In the early church and throughout church history, there have been people reading prayers, singing psalms, responding to the leaders, sometimes exercising spiritual gifts. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.679 It just depends on the tradition. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:00.240 But participation matters. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:05.920 You see, Jesus isn't looking at us like uniform bricks in a wall. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:11.440 We're living stones in an unfinished, beautiful cathedral of his presence. 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:16.000 And every single one of us adds something that wasn't there before. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:18.720 If you're newer to awakening, thank you. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:21.039 You've just made us better. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:25.680 And of course, some people are awakened going, well, I'm not sure they've made us better yet. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:26.799 You have. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:31.759 Because you're a unique living stone held together by faith, hope, and love. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:43.359 So God's people have always prayed and sung together, learned the word together, and then participated together in a variety of expressions. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:52.720 Along with all of this, Jesus gave us two special moments that we need to remember as part of our worship. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.160 These are sometimes called sacraments or ordinances. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:02.480 And traditions have a lot of different ways to put these, but there are two that every group of Christians agree on. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.359 Jesus gave us a bath and a meal. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:31.759 He gave us baptism, not to be baptized in water again and again, but rather as a fundamental place of dying to ourselves and rising in new life, but also as a place to remember that we were not only baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we were not only baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 12, we're baptized into the body of Christ as well. 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:38.160 So when I said yes to Jesus back in 1974, I didn't know all I was doing. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:43.519 But one thing that happened at that moment, I became a part of the body. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:46.720 And we make that concrete in a local church. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:48.799 And then Jesus gave us a meal. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:59.680 He gave us the bread and the cup to both celebrate and anticipate, to remember what he's done, but also to be right with each other. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.839 And again, a little bonus I didn't get to in the first service. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:11.440 One of the tragedies of church history is that the church has fought over that bread and cup more than almost any other item. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:20.720 You see, many of the ancient traditions made it this beautiful high altar of great mystery, but almost inaccessible. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.680 And then a small little event called the Reformation came along. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.359 Anybody read about that in history? 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:27.599 There were actually five of them. 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:33.440 And it became a table again, but then we made the pulpit inaccessible and way up there. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:41.039 How many of you are glad that we can have the desk and the table and the participation of God's people all together? 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:45.440 And so this is really important as we think about why do we gather? 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:47.200 We gather to be well taught. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:57.839 We gather to sing and praise together, and we gather to have this meal and make sure our relationships are in place and make sure that we're continuing as a community. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:02.000 And this table is where everyone is welcome. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:06.240 Has anybody heard the words diversity and inclusion at least once this week? 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:09.440 By the way, don't treat those as good words. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:17.839 The Apostle Paul spent a lifetime getting Jew and Gentile to sip out of the same cup and touch the same loaf of bread. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:25.599 I have missionary friends spending a lifetime getting upper and lower classes and different cultures to sip from the same cup. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:32.079 But regardless of culture or color or nation or class or background, the table is open. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:33.279 Can you say amen? 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:36.559 And it's a place of inclusion. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.200 That's where real inclusion happens, is around the table. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:45.279 And these are the elements of Christian worship that we get to be part of. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.319 But how does this work on the other six days? 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:54.319 As we prepare to go from this place, I want to share some practical applications for Monday morning. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:02.559 And then God's given me a word of encouragement for awakening that relates to this area of worship and mission that we're about to embark on. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.519 So it's wonderful to gather. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:10.799 And I just have to say that there's an even more fundamental reason we need to gather in person. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:14.640 And those of you watching online, this is not a legalistic call. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:17.599 We're not asking you to be uncomfortable. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:23.680 In this moment of pandemic, there's all kinds of reasons that some need to be home, some need to be watching online. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:30.720 So this is not a this is not a call that uh you have to be in a certain kind of meeting at a certain moment. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:43.119 But in general, all things being equal, the fundamental reason we need to gather together is that God decided in Jesus Christ to forever be one of us physically himself. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:52.160 Jesus, the incarnate Lord, decided we were worth becoming one of us forever. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:05.039 I mean, God could have just said to the world, He could have called the Dolby brothers to put the speakers in Air and then could have called Samsung to put the screen in the air and just told the world to repent, right? 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:17.119 And instead, in Jesus Christ, he forever became one of us, and in the divine inefficiency of God, he's decided to use us to welcome other people in the kingdom of God. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:26.880 Embodied worship, work, and witness matter so much that Jesus is forever one of us. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:31.680 How many of you needed that word of encouragement to know how valuable you were this morning? 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:34.400 He's forever one of us. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:39.200 We are forever worth the blood of his sacrifice. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:42.079 So, what does this mean, the other six days of the week? 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:51.440 Well, number one, that praying and that singing, we can't just go to the next Zoom meeting tomorrow and burst out into Josh's new song. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:55.359 Although that might help some of our meetings, right? 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:02.240 But what we can do is be people who meditate on the goodness of God. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:08.480 And look at and look at this wonderful word to be a people who are listening and rejoicing. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:17.759 We can take our gathered experience and make it our experience every day as we listen to the Lord and as we rejoice in Him. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.960 There is such a lack of joy in our culture today. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:32.799 The fact that we are rejoicing in God in and through every circumstance will set us apart from so many of our colleagues and neighbors. 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:35.440 So, how do we apply singing and praying? 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:38.960 We become people who are listening and rejoicing as we go to work. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:45.759 And may I remind you that all of Jesus's signs and wonders took place outside of religious gatherings? 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:54.079 That the supernatural work of God is not confined to this tent, to a home, to a tabernacle, to a church or a cathedral. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:56.160 We are his emissaries. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:01.519 As Mark Green puts it, we're on the front line for Jesus wherever we are all day. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:05.279 We can be people listening, rejoicing. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:07.200 The reading, the teaching. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:12.799 We can be people of meditation and observation, always looking to learn. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:18.480 And by the way, meditation here means that we're we're not getting into some kind of cosmic consciousness. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.519 It means that we're pondering the goodness of God. 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:33.519 We're allowing his word to get inside us, and then we're allowing the Holy Spirit to use us both in the work that we do and in the people we engage with at work. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:35.599 That learning continues. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:39.599 And by the way, we can keep learning from God's second book as well. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:45.920 We can learn from watching the world around us, from scientific and technological innovation. 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:51.279 And we can be people who are constantly learning and growing. 00:24:51.599 --> 00:25:05.039 Thirdly, and this is exciting, communion, baptism means that daily we can be consecrated to God and we can know that we're part of a community. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:30.000 Just as you welcome me and didn't treat me as one of those cliques in high school, so also by being part of this beautiful community Christ has created, we can also be the people of God who are engaged in a consecrated life, in a life dedicated to Him, and then doing our work for His glory. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:35.759 God's at work in us, creating new dispositions, new desires. 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:42.240 Now I want to share a word for awakening that I think is so exciting in this moment. 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:51.359 When we flew in yesterday, we immediately were aware of the unique challenges of this beautiful valley where both Kathy and I grew up. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:58.960 Kathy grew up in Sunnyvale, and uh the house she grew up in, anybody know what an Icler house is? 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:01.759 It's a cult these days, isn't it? 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:06.079 But she grew up in a little Icler house about a mile from the Apple headquarters. 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:11.200 I grew up in Almanon Valley when there were still apricots falling from the trees. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:15.200 And that$30,000 house was so hard to afford. 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:22.640 But as we wrote, we we we understand the unique challenges that we're under. 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:30.319 But as I was praying for us here at Awakening, three things came to my heart that I want to share by way of encouragement. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:34.240 First of all, we need to understand this moment. 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:43.920 We are feeling as Christians, marginalized, sometimes exiled, mostly ignored in this valley. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:47.680 We're not always persecuted, we're just not even part of people's radar sometimes. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:48.960 You ever feel that? 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:58.400 But it's precisely in this moment that the ancient people of God became their most effective in witness and mission. 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:02.079 Would you write down Jeremiah 29 to look it up later? 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:05.920 The prophet wrote to a people going into exile. 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:18.319 They had lost, they were losing their temple, they were losing their cultural influence, their power, they were losing the visible trappings of what had been a tremendous history. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:25.359 And he said, I want you to seek the flourishing or prosperity of the city where you are. 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:27.920 I want you to engage. 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:50.559 And here's the amazing thing from history: more people came to the Lord God to believe in the Lord God, either as full converts to Judaism or God fearers that you read about later, more people came when they had lost all the trappings of power, felt weak, and they in fact became amazing witnesses. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.519 Awakening, our best days are ahead. 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:57.680 Can you believe it's been a decade already of ministry here? 00:27:57.920 --> 00:27:59.200 Can we thank God for it? 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:00.079 Amen. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:10.640 The next decade is going to not be easy, but be even more fruitful. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:22.880 For your witness will shine as people of consecration, as people dedicated to justice, as people calling others to repentance and faith in Christ. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:31.839 So though the moment is challenging and it feels like we're in exile, it feels like we're ignored, and in some cases we are. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:36.559 Let me encourage you, it's precisely at that moment the witness will shine through. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:42.319 A second thing I believe for us together is that we need to bring history and hope together. 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:54.079 We need to remember the goodness of God this past decade as a church and beyond that in our personal lives, but we need to allow our hope to be shaped by the future and not by the past. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:04.319 We need to remember the ways the Lord has led us, but also forget at times both the failures and victories in order that we might know the new thing that God's doing. 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:17.119 In the second half of the book of Isaiah, starting in chapter 40, in that second half, he's talking to people who feel just so discouraged, and he says, I want you to know I'm with you. 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:20.079 I want you to know I'm about to do new things. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:25.119 I want you to know I'm going to give you streams of water in what feels like a desert land. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:29.680 By the way, I'm not simply being cheerful, Charlie, or an optimist or hopeful. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:37.920 Based on God's word, based on history, based on the work of the Holy Spirit in the present, we have amazing, hopeful days ahead. 00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:39.119 Can you say amen? 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:57.440 And finally, today, as we prepare to worship some more, I believe that awakening has a new day, a deeper day of prayer and practice, of impact, supernatural impact. 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:24.400 As we come together, those of you online, in the sound of my voice, those of you gathered here, as we come together and experience the goodness of God, learn from God's word, as we take that and apply it daily, I believe we're about to come into a moment of supernatural expression where God's going to trust us, trust us to be a small part of an awakening in our nation. 00:30:24.640 --> 00:30:29.519 It's been 200 years since we've had a full awakening in this country. 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:31.279 We've had amazing revivals. 00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.680 We've had amazing moments of renewal. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:38.480 We've had amazing moments locally and even nationally of God being at work. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:45.279 But awakening comes when Sunday's ecstasies join Monday's ethics. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:54.960 Awakening comes when we not only call people to personal faith in Christ, but we go out and embody what new systems of righteousness look like. 00:30:55.279 --> 00:31:04.480 Awakening comes when we not simply ask people to conform to a culture, but ask people to be transformed by Christ. 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:07.839 Do you believe God has something great for us in the future? 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:10.400 And we all get to be a part of it. 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:13.519 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:18.720 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:21.200 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:27.359 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.