WEBVTT 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:38.799 Well, good morning, Church of the Grove, and happy New Year to everybody. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:41.039 Yes. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:50.719 For all of you guys that are online, I want to welcome all of you that are in the building and that are online. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.880 You have perfect attendance so far in 2021. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:05.359 And so, and yes, it does count if you're sitting at home and watching online or if you're on vacation or if you're hanging out with your family for whatever reason. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:09.280 We're excited that you are with us and we are excited. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:22.719 I was hoping and praying that I would wake up on Friday morning, the first day of 2021, and that everything that had been experienced in 2020 would have been a bad dream. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:24.319 But it was not. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:32.159 It was the same, but we're going to celebrate nonetheless because we know who is in control. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:33.680 We preach it every week. 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:35.200 We believe it with our lives. 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.359 We are going to believe it this year. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:38.159 Amen. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:53.120 And so it's exciting to be able to talk about Jesus in 2021 and to talk about Jesus and his church with the expectation and some anticipation and excitement. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.519 I believe the best is yet to come. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:00.480 And so this morning, we're not necessarily going to talk about any grandiose plans. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:10.960 We're not going to talk about some type of vision that is about physical space or building or property or expansion or anything. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:13.360 We're going to talk about leaning into Jesus. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:14.960 That's what we're going to talk about. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.479 That is the vision for 2021. 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:26.000 And 2020 has been a tough year, but let me tell you also that it has been a good year in many ways. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:38.000 It has been a year that has revealed a lot about who we are individually, who we are as families, and who we are as a church. 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:42.800 It has revealed who we are as a church, even maybe in America. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:45.759 Maybe even around the world. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:56.479 And so one of the reasons I'm excited about 2021 is because I believe that the church has probably been pruned a bit. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.000 Do you know what a strainer is? 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:01.280 You know what a strainer is? 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:18.080 It's the little thing that's at the bottom of your sink and you wipe and scrape food that's left over, and water drains down into the drain, into the sink, and and and all the solid stuff kind of gathers in that strainer. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:20.800 All the stuff that's left over. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:24.719 And you can still pick that stuff up and eat it, right? 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:25.280 No. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:26.560 No. 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:28.960 No, but it's what's left. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:30.560 It's what's left. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:36.879 And so 2020, I believe, was a bit of a strainer. 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.680 It was a pruning year. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:52.080 And in a sense, we have seen what really matters to us in our lives that matters to us in this world. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:58.080 Maybe what matters in the body of Christ, in the church. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:01.439 And so the church, this sounds crazy. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:03.759 I mean, look around the room. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:10.960 And I can tell you that it did not look this way last year on the first Sunday. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:30.399 Now, the first Sunday is not necessarily the biggest Sunday because people are still, you know, possibly hanging out with family, but I can tell you the next Sunday, next Sunday, it may be, there may be a few more people in here, but I'm telling you, it was completely different last year. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:42.480 I mean, I could go back and tell you just how God had grown our church over the last year or two prior to 2020 and what God was doing. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:56.079 I mean, the weekend that COVID broke, we gathered 300 students for what we call United Weekend, and we we baptized 15 young people that Sunday, and we've been baptizing all year. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:10.079 God, listen, as far as numerical value, we've seen God do things, but we don't know really what matters until we're in the hot seat and we're going through the strainer. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.839 And we find out what's left. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:16.399 What really matters. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:17.680 And let me say this. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:21.680 If you're at home, you're just as much part of our family. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:28.399 As a matter of fact, I just I want to I want to lift up even some of the needs. 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:34.959 I can I and I don't I I don't ask, I don't even like asking for people to pray for me. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:35.680 I don't know why. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.720 It may be a prideful ego kind of thing. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:45.759 I don't know why, but but I my I'm thinking about my mom and how her heart is breaking and hurting. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.120 And some of the needs in my family. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:54.079 We were not able to gather over the holidays and it broke her heart. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:58.800 Last Friday. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:04.319 Christmas Day. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:09.759 My mom's younger brother began to feel a little bit sick. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.920 And Sunday afternoon, he was gone. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:16.399 He was gone. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:19.839 He passed away Sunday afternoon. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.439 From COVID-related issues. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:27.920 From Friday to Sunday, Thursday, he was fine. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:37.439 And so my mom, I'm hoping she's gonna watch uh, she's I'm her son, I'm her favorite preacher that I know of. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.040 She's got two sons that preach. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:45.680 And so he one of them's retired, so now I'm her favorite preacher. 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:51.199 And so, so I I want I want to stop and just pray. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:51.680 You know what? 00:06:51.759 --> 00:07:01.920 My mom, and I think of of all of the other families that weren't able to gather, that are hurting over loss. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:06.079 There's a family, I got a text this morning. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:10.959 Last night, it can be this morning, I mean, middle of the night. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:16.240 One of our church members, their grandfather passed away. 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:21.759 Josh and Hannah Ham, and I want to lift them up. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:32.800 And the Patterson, they're uh uh uh Hannah's mom, is Kent John and Kim Patterson are part of our church family, and so they're they're grieving. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:39.920 People, people are grieving in this season, and it's a very difficult time. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.279 But in the midst of difficulty, God can show up. 00:07:45.839 --> 00:08:00.399 And God can do his deepest and greatest work, and I believe that maybe even now that we've gone through this year, the church may be at a point that is healthier than it was beginning in 2020. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:21.199 Because because the the the we've been in the fire, and the impurity has been brought to the surface, and and God has a way of wiping away the dross and the impurities and revealing what really matters the most. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:23.680 Do we have less people? 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:24.399 Yep. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:30.319 Do we have a volunteer base that's been cut into and less people to volunteer? 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:31.199 Yep. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:40.799 Do we have a lot of questions about the future, what what what the church looks like in America, what the church looks like in the world, what church at the grove looks like? 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:41.679 Yep. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:09:03.200 But I believe that we have more promise and that we may be more healthy and we may have more to dream about, more to be excited about, and and maybe all the things that we thought were so important, they have been whittled away, they have disappeared, and it's down to what really matters. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:08.879 And so we thought in America that the bigger the better. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:10.639 The bigger the better. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:20.080 Church has been about, it's been about um places and buildings and locations, it's been about personalities. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:26.240 It's been about it's a it's been about just who who's there, who the people are. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:37.919 It's been about um all of these exterior things, and it and it's God has a way of whittling it down to where now it may be, you know what, that bigger is not better. 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:47.279 It might be that smaller is better, and that God can bring us back to what is most basic, and then he can begin to do his work. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:10:08.320 And so the big idea is this that as we begin this series, Vision 2021, just for the next few weeks, before we, then we'll begin teaching through the Sermon on the Mount, um, all right, and and we'll teach through that for a large portion uh of this year. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:17.120 The big idea is the church is not a place where, the church is not a place where, but a people who are. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:24.240 Now, many of you that were with us, some of you in this room were with us when we started our church. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.320 Uh up at up the road at youth middle school 14 years ago. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:40.639 We we we loaded in a bunch of equipment and we would have church and then we would load out and put it back in a trailer, and then they built the high school and we would move down to the high school and we would do the same thing. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:44.559 We would set up everything on Sunday morning and then we'd load it back out. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:54.799 And I remember telling everybody when I preached all the time, the church is not a building, the church is not a location, the church is a people. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.320 We are the church, you are the church. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:05.360 When you walk out the doors, you're just as much the church as you are when you're in this building. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:14.399 And so I would say, if people ask you where your church is, because people ask me all the time, hey preacher, where's your church? 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:24.480 Well, I know they're waiting for me to tell them a location or an address or or a road or but I still answer. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:27.519 I still it's just it's ingrained in me. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:40.080 Well, some of them are at work, some of them are at school, some of them are at home, some of them are asleep, some of them, I got our church is all over the place. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.639 No, no, no, church, preacher, but where is your church? 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:52.399 And so even our staff, uh to this day, and Tyler, you you correct me if I'm wrong. 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:57.519 When they say, hey, uh are you going, are you gonna be at the church? 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.440 Like, well, that's that's the weirdest question I've ever heard. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:06.080 I to this day I still I say the church is not a building. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:08.799 The church is not, what is the address here? 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:12.240 1025, Walnut Grove Parkway. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:21.279 The church is is is is in your neighborhood, it's where you live, it's just where people are, it's wherever you do life. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:27.519 And so we go back to the birth of the church, go back to the basics. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:41.759 Jesus is crucified, Jesus is buried, Jesus is resurrected, and he spends 40 days with his disciples and he teaches about the kingdom of God. 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:44.879 If you read the book of Acts, it'll tell you this. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:57.360 And so he spends 40 days teaching about the kingdom of God, and then he gathers his disciples on the Mount of Olives and He gives them what we call the Great Commission. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:12.559 Matthew 28 says, go, Jesus says, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and I will be with you until the end of the age. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:18.320 Now in Acts 1.8, he says, hey, you you go, take the gospel to the whole world. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:26.399 You start in Jerusalem, and then you go to Judea, and then you go to Samaria, and then you go to the ends of the earth. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.480 But he said, Here's what I want you to do. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:38.240 Before you do that, I want you to go gather in the upper room in Jerusalem. 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:39.679 120. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:42.399 It says about 120. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:47.200 Now, evangelists, if I was counting, it'd be about 200. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.039 I mean, that's how I count, okay? 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:52.000 All right, people ask me how many were at church today? 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:54.320 Uh about 200, okay? 00:13:54.399 --> 00:14:00.559 That's about that's close to the people, people watching. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.519 Probably a thousand if people, if I count people watching. 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.720 So he says, 120 gathered in the upper room. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:13.440 And they spent time praying. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:15.519 And what happens? 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:18.000 What happens? 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:19.120 What happens? 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.840 Somebody tell me what happens. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:23.519 The what? 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:25.840 Holy Spirit comes. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:27.759 I mean, the Holy Spirit just comes in. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.799 I mean, it it's like it's it's a fresh wind. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.600 I mean, they physically can feel it, they can sense it, they can hear it. 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:37.120 It is miraculous. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:40.639 It is, it is, it is, it is Pentecostal. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:44.720 It's okay to be Pentecostal, you know that? 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:52.240 And then Peter gets up and preaches this message of the gospel. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:59.120 And in the streets, 3,000 people are saved on that first day of the church's birth. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:02.960 3,000 people are saved. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:06.000 And then Acts 2, here's the text for today. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:12.000 Here's Acts 2, verses 42 through 47 is where we're gonna be. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.480 So here's the first activity of the church. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:23.600 Post, Holy Spirit, 3,000 are saved. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:30.320 Here's what they do after the church's birth. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:42.879 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship and to sharing in meals, including the Lord's Supper and to prayer. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:47.360 And so the church gathered in the early days. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:53.360 I want you to notice the simplicity of their gatherings. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:55.440 The simplicity. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:05.360 When I talk about big churches, I am not critical. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.840 I want our church to grow. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:18.559 I'm looking forward to the day when COVID is done with and we can be excited and inspired with more people. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.039 So don't get me, I am not critical of big churches whatsoever. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:29.200 So I'm not anti-mega church, I'm not anti-micro church or house church. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:38.639 I am pro-church at whatever level, as long as it's Jesus-centered, biblically based, and full of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.559 That's what matters to me. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.559 So please understand me. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:44.799 I am not being critical. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:50.159 But the simplicity of these gatherings, they gathered daily. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.000 They did life together. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:55.279 The church was always about people. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:17:00.000 It was never about a specific place or location or gathering. 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.000 It was always about people. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:11.519 And in these gatherings, they would take the scriptures and they would open them up and they would read them and they would teach and they would listen. 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:20.319 They began to fellowship, which means they got together, not just sitting in rows staring at the heads, the back of the heads of other people. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.839 They sat in circles. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.519 They sat around tables. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.720 They shared meals together. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.920 It was more than an event. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:32.160 It was a way of life. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.880 It was the Jesus way. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:38.160 And so they shared meals. 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:43.119 Part of that would be the Lord's Supper, but they would eat meals together. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:44.400 And then they would pray. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:45.200 They would pray. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:56.079 They would pray over the needs probably of people like I'm talking about, people that have hurting hearts, or people that are sick, or people that have needs, people that have different things in their life going on. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:02.000 But part of their prayer was just, hey, God, thank you for who you are and what you've done in our life. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:07.680 And so that's the simplicity of the early church. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:13.519 So what happened? 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:15.680 What was the result of this? 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.440 You see, in verse 43, listen to this. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:25.200 A deep sense of awe came over them all. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.440 Not some of them. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.200 It came over them all. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:38.880 And the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:40.079 You know what that means? 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:41.680 People were healed. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:46.319 People were delivered from oppression. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:55.279 People had needs met, food, material needs met. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:01.359 And it says, and all the believers met together in one place and they shared everything they had. 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:04.720 So they made sure nobody went without. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:09.680 They sold their property and possessions and they shared the money with those in need. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:13.039 They worshiped together at the temple each day. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.160 They met in homes for the Lord's Supper. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.839 They shared their meals with great joy and generosity. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:26.000 And so here's what this is why I'm not I'm not against church being in a building. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:27.759 Being in a building is fine. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.680 Part of that's just contextual. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:34.079 It depends on where you are on the planet and what freedoms you have. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:38.400 There are some places in the world where people can't go build a building. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:40.160 China, you can't go build a building. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:45.519 Iran, Iran and Iraq and other places where the church is exploding underground. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:48.559 They can't go buy property and meet in a building. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:52.960 They meet in houses and they meet in secret places. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:57.839 It says here they went to the temple and they met in the houses. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:19:59.680 So they got together in the temple. 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:11.119 They did get together in buildings and they maybe they had large gatherings where they were inspired and they worshiped and had music, and it was exciting to have everybody together at one time. 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:15.279 But then it says they separated out and they went and met in homes. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:25.200 And it says they shared meals with great joy and generosity, all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:30.160 And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:38.480 So here, I want you to look at these words, and this is what I my this is the vision for 2021. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:43.119 Amazement or awe. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:51.680 I want 2021 to be a year of amazement at what God can do in spite of our obstacles. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.880 They were amazed at who God was and what he was doing. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:55.839 Miracles. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.240 They were a regular part of gatherings. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:02.319 I want, I want to see a church that is that where miracles take place. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:04.720 I want us to lean into the Holy Spirit. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:10.720 Now, now I'm I'm a listen, my ecumenical background is very unique, okay? 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:14.880 And I'm not gonna bore you with it, but I've seen it all. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:24.960 I've been I've been in any kind of church you can imagine, short of being in a snake handling church, and that is one of my bucket list items. 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:28.240 And I you ask me why, I'll tell you later. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:41.920 I've been in every type of church you can imagine, and I've seen the real and I've seen the false and the forced and the made up. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:48.400 And I'm asking for God to work genuinely where He would provide miracles. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:51.279 I've seen miracles, I've seen it in our church. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.279 Incredible generosity. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:59.279 There were no poor people or no people without basic needs, joy. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.319 Was part of the body. 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:06.240 Joy was a part of the church despite circumstances. 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:12.799 You know, um, joy is something that transcends even tough circumstances. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:19.920 They glorified God, worship was in the middle of everything, and they had this missional flavor. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:21.359 This missional flavor. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:34.960 When I'm talking about missional flavor, I'm talking about they they cared about the fact that there were people in their community that didn't know about Jesus and they wanted to get those people to Jesus and they wanted to get Jesus to those people. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:55.440 They couldn't sleep at night knowing that some people might spend eternity away from Jesus, that people would die and experience the wrath of God in a place called hell, and that hell is real, and that everybody lives somewhere forever. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:08.640 So we sometimes we lose sight of this in the Americanization of the church. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:20.480 Where we have programs and we have ministries, and that's what defines us rather than amazement and joy and miracles and community and missional flavor. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:22.799 Where did we go wrong? 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.000 I mean, where do we where do we drop the ball? 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:32.720 I mean, you could go through church history and you can kind of look at some areas and maybe maybe guess a little bit. 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:41.680 Was it when Constantine, um, the the ruler of Rome, he made Christianity legal up until that point? 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:58.960 The church was illegal, but but Rodney Stark, the sociologist at Baylor University, he will tell you that the first 400 years the church grew from zero to over 50% of the population of the Roman Empire. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:05.519 That's no pastors, no buildings, no legal Christianity. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:14.480 Then all of a sudden Constantine comes to Christ, and we people debate whether that was genuine or not, and he starts building cathedrals. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:24.559 He starts saying the clergy should be part of the nobility, and we're gonna put them in funny robes and wear pointed hats, and they're gonna ruin everything. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:40.640 Then during the what we call the Reformation, God began to bring people back to the basic. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:47.759 But even in the Reformation, you see this drift to organizations and denominations, and it was about where it was about doing things in a biblically correct manner, and in view of the sacraments rather than the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:26:08.079 And so the problem with all of that is the church became defined as a place where the gospel is rightly preached, the sacraments are rightly administered, and the church discipline is exercised, but it became about a place where, instead of a people who are. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:23.839 And so Daryl Guter, who who who has written, he he's he's still alive, he's written extensively about the need for the church in America to return to its missional roots. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:29.680 And he writes this, he says, popular grammar captures it well. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.960 You go to church much as the way that you go to a store. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:40.000 You attend a church much in the way that you attend a school or theater. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:45.759 You belong to a church much as you would a service club with its programs and activities. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:56.559 And he said, these words and how they are written and how what they mean are critical in shaping our expectations about what the church is all about. 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:14.160 Erwin McManish, um uh pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, in a book he wrote called The Unstoppable Church, he talks about members and those outside the church expect to be the they expect the church to be a vendor of religious services and goods. 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:17.359 He said, We're looking for a church that meets our needs. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:20.480 It seems like I've heard this one a thousand times. 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:25.359 The phenomenon of church shoppers has profoundly shaped the contemporary church. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.000 The entire conversation is not about relevance but convenience. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.960 The focus is not serving the world, the church itself became the focal point. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:47.200 Our motto did degenerated from we are the church here to serve a lost and broken world, to what does this church offer to me? 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:55.440 And so these two terms are important as we come to this conclusion. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:09.519 This morning there's the consumer church, which I'm afraid that much of the church has become, where the church is seen as simply a dispenser of religious goods and services. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:21.680 People come to church to be fed, to have their needs met through programs, and to have the professionals teach them and their children about God. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:26.799 And the phrase there is I go to church. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:38.160 Where the missional church is the church is seen as a body of people that are sent on mission, who gather in community for worship. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:39.279 Yes, we do. 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:53.200 We gather for encouragement, we gather to have the teaching from the word, but it it is the teaching of the word in our community that supplements what we are feeding ourselves during the week. 00:28:54.400 --> 00:29:02.240 And so the church here is not I go to church, it's I am the church. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.200 The church is not a place where, but a people who are. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:29.200 This is I don't, this is, this is probably not the Vision 2021 sermon that somebody expected. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:37.440 This is the kind of the crowd that I would expect to get excited about a sermon like this. 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:43.839 What needs to happen? 00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:50.400 I think revival needs to happen. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:30:05.599 And when I say revival, a lot of you immediately went back to when y'all used to do revival, where you'd have a special speaker come in and he would preach each night. 00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:08.079 That's not what I'm talking about. 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:13.680 I mean, if that's part of it, that's great. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:18.799 We need our hearts broken. 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:23.279 We need to repent. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:42.480 Some of us need to take our first step toward Christ and put our faith in Jesus for the first time, and we need to we need to realize that we walked an aisle, we filled out a card, we might have even been baptized, but we really never understood the Jesus way. 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:48.400 And we need to repent maybe for the first time and to put our faith in Jesus Christ. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:54.400 Some of us are believers and we need to repent from consumer church. 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:13.200 And we need to embrace 2021 and just say, you know what, this is, hey, we've we we've we've we've gone through the sifter, we've gone through the strainer, we've been pruned, and maybe God is ready to start doing something fresh and something real. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:20.400 Here's what, here's something tangible I'm gonna give you to start this year with. 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:26.079 And and we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna I'm gonna connect with digital people. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:31.200 I know the social circle campus is a much younger crowd. 00:31:31.519 --> 00:31:32.640 Now you know why? 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:39.279 Because we planted that church campus in 2012 and they have a much younger pastor. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:50.000 Now I know you don't you look at Nathan and you think he's probably close to my age because he's bald and but but but he is he is much younger than me. 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:58.400 And and he's got young kids, and so as a result, they're probably a lot more digitally connected than we are. 00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:02.640 But but on your phone, you can download the Church at the Grove app. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:10.640 If you've got a computer, you go to church at the Grove.com and on the very front page, it'll give you Vision 2021. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:13.440 Here's what we want you to do tangibly. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:15.519 Here's what, here's something practical. 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:22.240 Now, this itself will not bring, it's not gonna be revival, but it might, it might be some of the components. 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:27.599 It might be throwing some gasoline on our hearts that are burning for the Lord. 00:32:27.839 --> 00:32:38.000 And so we want to begin this year with a reading plan where we read through the gospels in 21 days, starting tomorrow. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:40.799 Not today, but starting tomorrow. 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:44.559 Now, when you hear that, you think, man, that's a lot of reading. 00:32:44.880 --> 00:33:02.319 I went and read Matthew 1 through 6, and I and I didn't I took my time, I went slow and I went steady, and it took me about 16 to 17 minutes to read Matthew chapter 1 to Matthew through chapter 6. 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:04.559 15 to 17 minutes. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:07.839 Can we give God that each day? 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:20.480 And so through the Gospels, and then we're gonna spend time in prayer as a church family, but we're gonna do it electronically rather than gathering in a building. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:23.519 We know we've got limitations because of COVID. 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:26.960 So why don't we do Zoom prayer meetings? 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:32.240 And we're gonna do it Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 6 a.m. 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:34.160 to 6.30 a.m. 00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:42.240 Now, if you're not a morning person, they're gonna be recorded and you can catch the prayer time at a later day. 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:49.279 If you're a worker and you're uh traveling, you can dial in on your phone and you can join our prayer time. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:54.240 Now, I'm always up that early, but I was telling Katie, I said, my hair may not look good. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:59.599 So my biggest deal is making sure I comb my hair before I get on the Zoom call. 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:04.880 And we're gonna spend 30 minutes just with a devotion and prayer. 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:08.880 And and just just let's do it, let's let's dive in and pray. 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:14.159 Let's spend time uh asking and begging God for revival. 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:32.800 And then I want you to prioritize community, which means to your best ability, be present, whether it's it's physically here or with us online, and then get into a community group. 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:38.079 And I'm begging our community groups, don't stop meeting because of COVID. 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:42.400 If you need to shift to digital meetings, do that. 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:45.199 That is better than to stop meeting. 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:54.079 There are people that are dying from loneliness, that are crippled by loneliness, and they need some community. 00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:57.840 And so you could check the Church at the Grove app. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:18.960 You can go to the website, it's churchatthegrove.com forward slash the way, and what would it look like if we simply begin to follow and live the way of Jesus and what he modeled. 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:22.480 So what am I asking? 00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:27.280 I'm asking for you to read through the gospels in 21 days. 00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:30.800 Read through the gospels in 21 days. 00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:34.639 Join us if and when you can. 00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:38.400 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 6 a.m. 00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:39.360 to 6 30. 00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:46.320 The zoom, the address is on our app or on the computer on the on the uh website. 00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:53.199 And I'm asking you to prioritize community. 00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:59.199 Let's pray for for God to use our church to reach our community. 00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:02.639 Let's be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:08.159 Maybe we should do that right now. 00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:11.280 Would you just pray with me? 00:36:15.760 --> 00:36:18.719 Let's just be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:25.280 What is it that God might want to do this morning? 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:29.599 Maybe you've got a need in your heart. 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:46.880 You've got something going on in your life, and you just say, Russ, I am completely and utterly dependent upon God in my personal circumstances. 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:49.280 Would you slip your hand up? 00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:51.440 Nobody's looking around. 00:36:51.679 --> 00:36:52.639 I see that. 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:53.840 I see that. 00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:54.719 Anyone else? 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:56.559 Slip your hand up. 00:36:57.119 --> 00:36:58.480 I've got something going on. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:02.400 If I don't, if it's not for the Lord, I see that. 00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:07.679 Father, I pray. 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:13.199 For those that are online, I'd love for you to just type it in the chat. 00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:18.639 I I I need the Lord, or I I'm I'm I need I need prayer. 00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:22.480 Maybe you might even mention specifically what it is. 00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:34.400 Father, we for those that are watching online, for those that are in this room, Lord, we we lean into you asking desperately for you to work. 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:39.280 God, there are people that are hurting. 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:54.400 There are people with health issues, there are people that are lonely, there are people in need, that are people without Jesus, that are that are a stone's throw from this location. 00:37:54.639 --> 00:37:59.360 There are people that live next door to us that are without Jesus. 00:37:59.519 --> 00:38:12.639 There are people in our community that haven't been to church maybe in their whole life, but certainly since they were a child, but and they're desperately in need of salvation. 00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:14.719 So, Father, would you work? 00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:18.079 We call upon you right now, Jesus. 00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:21.840 Would you work and would you move? 00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:35.519 God, we are desperately hungry for a move of the Holy Spirit that is fresh, that is real, that will cut up to the core of our heart and who we are.