WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.919 How are we doing, everybody? 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:04.080 We made it through Christmas. 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:05.759 Most of us did. 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.240 Looks like some folks might not have made it. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:10.000 But it's so good to see you all. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:11.359 My name is Josh Teague. 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:12.480 I'm an elder here at the church. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:17.199 This morning, uh Russ Masterson has his morning off, so hopefully he's resting in, sleeping in. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:19.199 And so you're stuck with me. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:22.879 You know where the doors are if it gets that bad. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:29.920 But this morning I felt it'd be useful for us to return and look at one of our core values as a church. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:37.920 I want to unpack it a little bit and encourage all of us in pursuing it and praying for it collectively as a church. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:41.439 We don't talk about our core values all that much week over week. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.479 We certainly fold them into our sermons and so forth. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:51.280 But they are grace, worship, growth, community, and mission. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:52.719 And if you're new here, welcome. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:54.000 That's what we care about. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:58.719 I love this beautiful statement of ours on community, which is what we'll be talking about this morning. 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:00.560 We're talking about a core value of community. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.439 What does it mean for us as a church here at Redeemer? 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:04.640 This is our core value. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:13.680 It says this we are made in the image of the triune God and are therefore created out of community and for community. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:19.599 We are called to rich relationships characterized by compassion and humility. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:20.480 I don't know who wrote that. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.760 I think it's on our website, it's been on our website since day one, but I love it. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:24.879 I thought it was great. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.120 Now let's just consider the season that many of us are ramping down from, right? 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:35.840 From Thanksgiving to Christmas, you know, we've been likely in countless community settings. 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:40.879 And here I am with the nerve to tell you to keep going that you're not done yet. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:48.480 We've spent extra time with our family, uh, maybe our community groups, maybe we've attended some holiday parties, maybe a couple of them. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.359 We've certainly had a fair share of church services. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:56.239 Um we have just been deeply immersed in community this whole season, right? 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.040 For some, this can be strictly energizing. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:00.079 Community can be. 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:02.719 For others, maybe not so much, certainly not for everybody. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:12.400 And of course, it's probably foolish to dive into the topic of biblical community and to say something meaningful in only 20 minutes, but I think it's worth a shot. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:13.360 And so here we go. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:21.840 So a quick survey raise your hand if you've truly never been hurt by a community of people. 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:26.960 Anyone just never it's just only been just beautiful scenes everywhere you go. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:27.680 Right? 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:28.400 Right. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:30.719 So there, we have something in common, right? 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:32.560 Not a single one of us raised our hands. 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:38.879 More often than not, community and communities, simply put, they can stink, right? 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:52.400 Like we open ourselves up in joining communities, we open ourselves up to awkwardness, in some cases, misunderstanding, rejection, and on and on and on, right? 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.360 Sometimes communities can make you even feel more isolated than you meant to. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.240 It's kind of having the complete opposite intended effect, right? 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:01.120 It's weird. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:07.120 So I think it's just worth us acknowledging that, that we all have something in common here, and that we're all in this together. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:08.879 And this is this is a reality. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:12.719 Communities can be a dangerous, vulnerable thing to be a part of. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.360 So just for a brief moment, let's think about some common communities. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:16.319 I listed a few already. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:27.439 We had our family communities, church communities, small groups, these are all church communities, work groups, um, maybe community service organizations, you know, maybe the gym. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:30.639 The gym's got its own special community and unique culture there. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:38.000 Your online communities, and of course, the dreaded HOA, right? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.479 Your neighborhood HOA. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:46.319 This is perhaps the most dreadful creation of all mankind. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:55.759 And, you know, I've I'm sorry if any of you participate on your HOA board and I'm you're offended by this, I'm sorry, but you probably should just repent. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.719 And, you know, maybe do so before you take communion, of course. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:02.240 Uh work that out. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.520 I'm joking, of course, but HOAs are pretty easy to pick on, right? 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:06.159 This is a community. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:08.159 We're kind of living in close chords with one another. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.639 We're gonna have issues, but boy do we ever overcorrect with the HOA. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:20.560 Uh for a for a handful of years, Lauren, my wife and I, we lived in a neighborhood with ever exacting HOA demands. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.519 Today, we don't live in such a neighborhood, and you can maybe see why. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:35.920 But life under this particular regime of HOA basically amounted to a uh like impossibly high demands and a trust no one mentality, right? 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:37.439 Defenses were up. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:42.959 Checking your mailbox day to day was like an impossible, it was like a show of strength. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.560 If you could check your mailbox without receiving a letter, that was a big deal. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:05:01.920 Um but it was funny because what there was aspects of it that were funny, particularly the coercion tactics that the HOA board used to draw people to their annual meeting, to get quorum, as they would always say. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:15.680 Uh for example, one year they promoted their annual meeting by announcing the raffle of an Amazon Kindle if and only if attendance was met at a certain number. 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:20.480 So, low turnout, no chance you're getting that right, you know, no chance you're getting that Kindle. 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:23.199 That coveted Amazon Kindle, my goodness. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:35.600 Um the monthly newsletter attended shortly thereafter, after the meeting, and uh my brother and I would always exchange pictures pictures of this newsletter because they were just so passive aggressive in their approach. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:41.759 Um they had a very front page, very passive-aggressive rebuke of the entire neighborhood. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.079 And it read something like this: this is a summary. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:53.439 Much to our sadness and surprise, we were unable to hold a raffle and give away the Amazon Kindle due to low attendance at our annual meeting. 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:54.560 Oh my goodness. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:55.839 Oh my goodness. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:01.040 Everybody got punished, particularly the people that attended the meeting, those poor people. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:04.560 It was really sick stuff. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:13.040 Uh, this is a community driven by performance, by shame, and you know, by fear with those letters. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:18.959 Now, other times, communities are motivated by other types of passion. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:25.519 And of course, we've all seen this happen, we've all seen this happen at scale with online communities, online social networks. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:31.680 Now, of course, networks don't really count as community in like the formal historical sense, but we confuse them in our digital age. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:34.560 Okay, so a short version of a long story. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:47.199 For a brief period of time, my face was visible to every Gmail user on the planet as part of a as part of a promotion for the newly released Gmail video chat feature. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:48.399 It's about 12 years ago. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.000 I was working at Google at the time. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:56.319 Um, and around the corner, some folks needed somebody to pose for a picture, and I'm like, yeah, sure, I'll I'll be an M, I'm an idiot. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:02.879 Um and so what happens when you logged into Gmail as part of this promotion, you ended up seeing my face. 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:04.639 I had no idea this was gonna happen. 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:09.360 My face was used on a login page for the promo announcement, and perhaps some of you saw this. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:10.319 I think we've got a picture of it. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:11.439 Yeah, there I am. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:17.199 That's me posing, uh, and that was not intended, I didn't think that was gonna happen. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:25.680 Uh and then when you logged into your email, you saw me there, a postage stamped version of myself. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:30.720 And uh I won't and I won't go into all the backstory, but uh, we actually I will say this. 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:32.160 We were new in Seattle at the time. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:40.879 Lauren was off making friends with new moms and so forth, and one of them logged into her Gmail one day and saw me, and she like reached out to Lauren. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:43.519 Is Josh trying to video chat with me? 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.680 Like, no, I'm really not. 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:47.439 I just it's just a picture. 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:54.160 Uh so effectively you'd have my face just staring at you as you did your email, as you did your work. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:01.920 There was an X icon, you good luck finding it in that mess, but um most people missed the X icon entirely. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.759 And so overnight, someone took this frustration to Reddit. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:10.160 And Reddit, as many of you may know, is a wonderful community of people. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.360 Very positive things happen there. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:19.839 And um they somebody took this frustration, took this picture of me and said, I hate this guy. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:29.439 So this is the this happened, I didn't know this, this all happened overnight. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:45.840 Uh this community had been galvanized by the presence of my face, and it was trouble because I woke up to an inbox flooded, my personal inbox was flooded with email from all over the world of people saying, effectively, uh, I hate you. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:52.240 Um you're an idiot, and I hate you in your face and everything you stand for. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.039 I'm not kidding, like they they really took to it. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:09:00.559 Um an online community in this case read it, they had done some clever digging and they were galvanized, right? 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:07.039 They uncovered my name, where I live, my wife's blog. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:21.360 But the attacks, like I got literally words attacks came at me because I wrote openly on my website, just a few sentences really, about how my faith in Jesus and my career calling, how they intersect. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.000 Um I was really this is like doxing before doxing was even a thing. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:32.879 Uh so this was a community united in a very specific hatred, united in anonymity. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.879 And it was a really interesting moment. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:36.960 You know, and perhaps they were hurt themselves. 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:42.000 Perhaps there was a community of Christians that they had been touched by, and perhaps they had been hurt, I don't know. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:48.399 So, even though this was largely an anonymous attack, an attack on me personally, I felt it pretty deeply that day. 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:55.600 Of course, I'm then reaching out to the communities I know that will support me and love me and pray for me, and that was going on, and I got that, of course. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:58.159 But it definitely wanted me to avoid other communities altogether. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:00.720 I wanted to put a bag over my head and just pretend like this never happened. 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:02.399 It was a very odd moment. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:12.480 And of course, it can be ten times worse when it happens, when you get the attacks and rejection from people that that know you and that you know, like it can be even worse. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:25.840 But despite the danger of communities being driven by performance, shame, fear, anonymity, the Bible exhorts and commands us to seek it out, right? 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:29.759 Thankfully, scripture is honest with us about what that means. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:40.960 Because in addition to uh vignettes where community is grinding in scripture, where people are in strife and there's backstabbing, and we certainly saw this with Jesus, we'll get to that. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:47.519 There's also pictures of perfect community, of holy community, and what is it meant to be like, right? 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:53.679 As I read a few passages here from the New Testament, I want, I think we'll probably pick up on some themes. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:59.840 I'm gonna kind of go through these one at a time pretty quickly, but just kind of listen for themes and we'll see what we'll pick up on. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:01.679 So we'll start in 1 Peter 3:8. 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:10.720 All of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.000 And we'll go to 1 Corinthians, this is Paul. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:26.559 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:28.799 Do you think there was disagreement in the church? 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:30.159 Oh, you bet there was. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:31.519 And that's what Paul's getting after. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:34.720 He's saying, no, unity, hold unity high. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.440 Ephesians 4, 2 through 6. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.039 This is Paul again. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:47.600 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:53.840 There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:12:02.960 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:05.440 There's so many beautiful layers to that. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.960 Uh lastly, Romans 12, 16. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:12.000 Live in harmony with one another. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:15.919 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:19.120 Never be wise in your own sight. 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:22.080 Just pick up on some themes there, y'all. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:22.879 I did. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:32.720 I saw unity, humility, tenderness, gentleness, love, patience, and others. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:37.840 Now, if you're a bit more of a Bible learner, you're kind of thinking about these themes, they might sound a little familiar. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:44.320 You might pick up on the fact that many of these are also referenced in Galatians 5 as fruit of the spirit, right? 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:46.080 I think this is intentional. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:55.360 But what strikes me is that oftentimes we, or at least me, myself, I look to the fruit of the spirit as entirely individualistic in its nature, right? 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:01.279 We think, okay, the fruits are for me, and I'm changing, and that's exciting, but I'm keeping going internally. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:07.919 I see some change, and the fruits are for me and how I interact with others, and that's the interface by which you know fruit is expressed. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:08.879 That's great. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:10.320 We go inward. 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:13.039 And to a large extent, I don't think it's wrong to do that. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:13.759 You know, that's fine. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:18.559 That can be actually uh you can see miracles happening in that sense in your own life. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:25.759 But then you look to how Peter and Paul use the fruit, it's for a collective community good, right? 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:35.039 It's less about us as individuals, and more so in how we relate to uh relate and love in a collective sense, a communal sense. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:51.440 And I can't help but think that Peter and Paul are hearkening back perhaps, you know, to the profound teaching of Jesus when he says in John, you know, by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another, right? 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:52.720 That's the marker. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.159 That's the marker. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.919 So is your primary community marked by love? 00:13:58.240 --> 00:13:59.120 How about your church? 00:13:59.200 --> 00:13:59.840 How about this church? 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:01.279 Are we marked by love? 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:06.879 Or is your primary community marked by disunity, destruction? 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.639 This is something that we ought and should be praying for. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.000 We can be praying for this. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:17.039 God break our hearts for believers and unbelievers alike. 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:25.360 Let that be the by the let that sorry, let that be the mark by which others know and find you by this collective love. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:29.600 People hurt, sin hurts. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.480 But you heal, Lord. 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.039 Help me forgive as you do. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.200 Bind us in unity. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.480 Help us see this community as you see it. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:46.559 And ultimately, let this community be a fruitful expression of your spirit. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:48.960 I don't know if you guys saw this, but it's kind of cool. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:56.720 Uh a few weeks ago, um, Marietta was named by GoFundMe as the most generous city in the nation. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:06.399 GoFundMe is this website, if you don't know, it's where you can set up, you know, set up ways to uh collect donations for a particular cause or somebody's in the hospital or sick. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.360 And you can raise money for certain individuals. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:13.360 Uh they looked across to all the cities in the nation, and Marietta was number one. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:14.159 That's pretty cool. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:20.639 That's something that that's a that's a unique expression of some fruit happening here in Marietta, and that's that's that's something we can be thankful for. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:23.440 That's fruit expressed in a unity sense, right? 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:35.759 So here's the big idea we get out of the New Testament, or a big idea we get out of the New Testament, which is this the fruit of the Spirit is simultaneously for us as distinct individuals, but also for us as community. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.200 In Genesis 1, 1, we get strong hints of community. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:46.320 Now, think back to the statement, our church statement we made at the beginning, that we are born out of community, made for community. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:47.600 This is what I'm gonna get to there. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:49.279 Genesis 1 hints of this. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.200 Now, before we get there, a core belief for many Christians is that of the Trinity, right? 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:58.720 The Trinity is comprised of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:02.159 These are three distinct beings with singular God form. 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:04.000 It's a mystery, but it's amazing. 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:11.679 So in that, we see there's always been community, even before any of us showed up, even before there was man and women, like there was community. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.320 And so that at the highest level is something that we should look at. 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:22.639 So in Genesis 1.1, you know the verse, in the beginning God created, right? 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:28.240 Now the word God here is translated from the Hebrew word Elohim. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:35.440 And Elohim is unlike the word Jehovah, which is the more common word in the Old Testament, Yahweh in the Old Testament for God. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.639 Elohim instead has a plural form to it. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:40.960 It implies more than one, community. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:46.720 And we see this plurality again in verse 26, let us make man in our image. 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:48.080 So there's something here. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:53.360 Now, is it irrefutable proof of the Trinity, um, of community ahead of creation? 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:55.200 On its own, we don't know, probably not. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:56.159 Who knows? 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.679 Uh, but every word of scripture is God breathed, right? 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:00.799 2 Timothy. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:02.720 Every word of scripture is God breathed. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:14.720 And so, even in the case this text isn't trying to tell us something about the Trinity, we do know from Jesus that there's this idea of the Father, God the Father, Him the Son, and the Spirit to come. 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.119 So we do know there's community built baked into that. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:24.400 So with the image of our Creator stamped into us, us being made in his image, community is also stamped into us. 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:26.880 So the first thing we do is just acknowledge that, right? 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.559 That's what we're doing this morning. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:32.240 And then out of receiving of that gift, we then serve, right? 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:32.960 And love. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:35.440 I like this take on this morning's scripture. 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:36.160 I'll read it. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:40.079 This is from David Mathis of Desiring God, which is a wonderful resource. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:48.720 Um, he says this we're prone to think of our conduct in the world in largely individualistic terms, especially us Americans, by the way. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.480 Largely individualistic terms. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:18:01.839 Yet here, in charging believers to let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, Paul doesn't accent individual behaviors, but focuses on the collective harmony of the community. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:13.920 Gospel conduct means the church standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.519 So it's talked about opponents and trouble. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:18.400 What's that up? 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:19.440 What is that all about? 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.279 This is not just a people problem, this is a spiritual battle. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:28.480 The enemy's best weapon is to cause disunity among believers, right? 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:36.480 That's what the enemy's after, and it's what sin will draw us to if we're not fervent and seeking unity and repenting of disunity. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:45.920 It's interesting also, if you think about the garden story, Satan himself doesn't show up in the garden story until Adam and Eve are together in unity, right? 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:47.359 So watch for that. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.839 When we are together, especially united under Jesus' blood, there will be attacks. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:54.880 But that's also a moment to love and support each other. 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:59.039 So in your groups, talk about what the open-handed issues are. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:02.319 You know, the things that you're not willing to go to the mat for. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:11.279 Whether or not the shingles on your home are not perfectly straight, uh, is probably an open-handed issue, HOA people. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:18.799 Um, you know, and that's also why we support both, you know, uh covenantal baptism and child dedication. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.400 That's an open-handed issue for us as a church, and we're gonna support both of them. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:28.480 Instead, lean into the closed-handed issues, the things, the blood of Jesus that unites us. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:33.680 That is a mark of a community, unlike any community you'll be a part of outside of this church. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:34.319 It's that. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:38.160 There's something miraculous and something extremely holy about that. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:43.920 Lean into the foundation of values, who Jesus is, seek out who Jesus is. 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:53.680 Remember that by meeting together in small groups and dinner groups and this morning, in light of his blood, that you're participating in worship. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:58.880 This is a worshipful act, just to sit here in the presence of each other in the acknowledgement that Christ died for us. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.759 This is worship, just being present with each other. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:05.200 Even when you have nothing to say or at that's worship. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:22.079 Remember also that when you experience hurt in a community, and scripture tells us you will experience hurt in community, consider who Jesus surrounded himself with, and how even he was ultimately uh betrayed and abandoned and rejected by those close to him. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:23.920 And find hope in that. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.240 And that in his humility, Jesus understands what you're going through. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:35.039 We worship an amazing God, you guys, a humble God, a humble and yet powerful, all-knowing God. 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:36.319 It's amazing. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:39.680 To end, we'll look at Colossians 3. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:44.880 The Apostle Paul here, like Jesus, he holds love above all else. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.640 And when you think of love, think of Christ's love, okay? 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:52.079 That's the model, not just how we love Christ's love. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:54.240 Bear with each other and forgive one another. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:59.039 If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:05.359 And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:06.960 We'll pray. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:09.519 God, thank you for this morning, Lord. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:18.000 Thank you that you have bound us this morning together in light of your son, in light of the sacrifice your son made for us on the cross. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:19.599 Thank you for the blood. 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.920 Thank you, God, for um this church, this community. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.640 Thank you for allowing my family to be part of it. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.559 And Lord, we ask that our worship to you this morning be beautiful. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.359 And we thank you. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:32.079 Jesus' name. 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:32.799 Amen.