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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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If you have your Bibles this
morning, we're going to open that

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up in a few moments.

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But I want to review with you
just for a few moments about what

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we've been talking about so
far this year.

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We've been talking about the
goals for a growing church.

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Now, last week we had a
PowerPoint and notes.

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This week you have notes and
no PowerPoint.

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And I'm going to tell you that
technology can be a good thing when

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it works, but when it doesn't
work, it's a terrible thing.

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And I had a whole PowerPoint
set up for this morning, and I failed

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to push that little button
that says save.

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And then when you get it all
taken care of, I was ready to print

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it this morning and get it all
up there on the screen and I'm like,

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where is it at?

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So little confession time.

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I did get the notes, though.

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So on the back of your
bulletins, if you got a bulletin

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as you came in this morning,
you should see the outline there

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so you can follow along with
me and I will do my best to try to

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get you all the information so
that you can have a full outline

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there this morning and maybe
even just maybe you can add some

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extra stuff to the side of
that here.

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So we're talking about the
goals of a growing church.

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Last week, if you were not
here, we talked about the first goal

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of a growing church, and that
is the gospel.

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That that a growing church
must be a gospel centric church.

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A growing church must be a
gospel preaching church.

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A growing church must be a
gospel living church.

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And we define what that word
gospel really means.

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The word gospel literally
means good news.

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But we know that that good
news is the good news of Jesus Christ.

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The fact that Jesus came to
this earth, he lived a perfect life.

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He died on the cross for our sins.

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He was buried in a tomb.

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He resurrected on the third
day and conquered death in that resurrection

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so that we might have life, so
that we might have forgiveness.

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And so through faith, by God's
grace, we are able to have salvation.

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We are able to have
everlasting life.

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And that is the message that
we proclaim.

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That is the message that we live.

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That is the Message that we
center everything around within our

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church.

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Because if a church is not
based in the gospel, the true question

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is, is what will we be based in?

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We could be based in a lot of
different things, but all of those

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things fall short of the
importance of that gospel message.

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Because we see at the very
beginning of the church that the

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whole purpose, the whole
mission was to proclaim that message

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to a lost and dying world, right?

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Go ye unto all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature.

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And we looked at what that meant.

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We looked at the idea of this.

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What do we preach?

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Well, we preach the truth of Jesus.

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How do we preach it?

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We preach it boldly, with
courage, with.

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With plainness, with prayer.

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You know, who do we preach it to?

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Well, that verse tells us all.

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Everybody.

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Every person that you can
preach it to.

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You preach it.

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You say, well, is that the
pastor's job?

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Is that the missionary's job?

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Is that the deacon's job?

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No, the Bible says all believers.

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So everybody preaches.

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And we preach in different ways.

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Some people preach behind a pulpit.

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Some people preach in the workplace.

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Some people preach in their neighborhood.

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Some people preach by the way
that they serve.

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The Bible says that we all
have that responsibility.

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So first step of a growing
church is that we are focused on

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the gospel.

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We are focused on the truth of
Jesus Christ.

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We are focused in his word.

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And so secondarily, we see
this week the idea of the group.

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And so we have to have an alliteration.

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So we have gospel and group.

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Now when we're talking about
the group, we're talking about the

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church.

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So.

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So to be a growing church, we
have to have individuals that are

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sold out for the gospel.

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But those individuals are the
ones that make up the church.

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And so we come together
corporately and we become the group.

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And so it starts individually.

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You can't have a group, you
can't have a church without the individuals.

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So the individuals need to be
where they need to be so that they

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can be the group.

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But now we have to come
together because we might have 200

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people sold out for the
gospel, but are we sold out for the

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gospel and unified in our purpose?

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Are we unified in our function?

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Are we unified in our love?

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And so the next step of a
growing church is that we come together

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and we understand the purpose
of being an assembly.

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And that's what we see here.

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First and foremost, the church.

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The word church is a
translation of a Greek word that

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is defined as an assembly.

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So literally, the word church
means assembly.

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So today we are having church
as we assemble together in this building.

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Now, God forbid, this building
is gone, we have no roof over our

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heads.

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Could we still have church?

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The answer is yes, because
it's the assembly of the believers.

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And so when you drive by
Middletown Baptist Church, the church

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is not the building.

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The church is not the steeple,
even though that's a symbol of the

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church.

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The church is not the pews.

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The church is not the pulpit.

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The church is the people.

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That that is, that is what the
Bible teaches.

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The, the Bible teaches that
you are the church.

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And so as we come together,
whether we have 50 people or 5,000

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people, that is the assembly
of believers.

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And so literally speaking, the
church is a called out assembly,

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an assembly of believers,
assembly of people that are distinct,

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different.

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So what makes you a part of
the church, not just your attendance?

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Let's say someone walked in
today and admittedly they were an

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atheist.

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They said, I don't believe
that there is a God.

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I don't believe in believing
in him, I don't believe in any of

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that.

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And they come and they sit in
this pew.

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Does that make them part of
the church?

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No, that makes them part of
our attendance today.

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But it means really this, that
they're just here, but they are not

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of us.

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The Bible speaks of there are
people that were with us, but they

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were not of us.

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And then they went out from us
because they were not of us.

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So the Bible speaks to be a
distinct part of the church, you

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must be a born again believer.

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You must be someone who has
faith in Jesus Christ that goes back

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to the gospel.

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Now we believe in the book of
Acts that it speaks of those that

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were saved, baptized and added
to the local church.

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And so to be part of the
assembly of believers, we believe

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that's the process that one
must take to come in faith in Jesus

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Christ and then to be publicly
professing their faith in baptism

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and then identifying
themselves with a local body of believers.

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We talked about this last week.

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There is a local body of
believers, the local church.

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And then we see that there is
the worldwide universal body of believers

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when we come to Christ.

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So the beauty of this is that
yes, we are Middletown Baptist Church,

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we are the local church here
in this area.

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But if you went to, let's say
you went to India and you're.

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We're in India and we visit a
church over there that's like minded

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believing the same things.

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Though we are not part of the
local assembly, we are still part

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of the family of God.

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And there's this wonderful
thing that you will See, if you go

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to another country, they might
be singing a different language,

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they might be preaching a
different language, they might have

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different traditions and
cultures within their church service.

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But we can worship together
because we're worshiping the same

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Savior.

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And that's the beauty of the church.

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And so we come together as
Middletown Baptist Church, as an

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assembly.

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And the Bible also uses a
body, a physical body, as an example

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of how a church should function.

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So, yes, we are an assembly,
but how does that assembly, how does

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that church work and function properly?

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Well, the Bible gives us an
awesome example, a body.

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And we all understand what it
means for a body to be working in

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unison, to be working well, to
be working in a healthy way.

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And so when we say that the
church is the church body, we're

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talking about the picture of
something working together with different

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parts.

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And so we're going to go to
Ephesians chapter four this morning.

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This is going to be our main text.

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And we're going to look at
many other texts here this morning

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talking about what it means
for us to be a healthy group, what

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does it mean for us to be a
healthy church, what does it mean

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for us to be a healthy body of
believers working together in stride

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for the cause of the gospel.

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So the first step is the gospel.

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The second spot, the second
part, the second focus is the group.

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How can we effectively
proclaim the truth of God as a group?

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Well, Ephesians chapter four,
we're going to look at verses one

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through six.

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We're going to look at this
concept of being one body in Christ.

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I hope that you understand
that when you look around this building,

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you're going to see people
from different backgrounds.

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You're going to see people
that look differently than you.

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You're going to see different ages.

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I hope that you're excited
when you see the young people run

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out for junior church.

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That's an amazing thing to see.

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And that's our next generation.

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And if our whole church was
one age, there would be a problem,

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right?

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If the whole church was kids,
we would say, okay, we're going to

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have some bad leadership here.

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Okay?

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The whole church was young
families, that would be an issue,

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right?

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Because the young families
wouldn't be able to look and see

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how to raise their children.

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If the whole church was, let's
say, the more mature folks, we wouldn't

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have the next generation, right?

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So you see that there's this
dynamic of we are one body, but we

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are also different, which is a
good thing.

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And so In Ephesians chapter 4,
verse 1, it says, I, therefore this

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is Paul, prisoner of the Lord.

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The prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you, beg you, urge you that

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you walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith you are called,

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meaning this walk worthy of
the job that God has given you.

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We have all been given a job
from God, a purpose from God.

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We studied that at the end of
last year and we've all been tasked

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with that message of the gospel.

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So how do we walk worthy of that?

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Well, it says with lowliness.

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That's humility, meekness,
that's strength under control, that's

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having a sense of knowing from
exercising elements of our strength

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with long suffering or
patience, forbearing one another

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in love.

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So that's essentially this
being patient with each other in

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love.

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And so what we can see is that
part of the struggle within the body

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is acting biblically with
other believers.

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How do we do that?

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Lowliness, humility, love,
forbearance, patience, meekness.

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He says, you got to have that
to walk the way that God walks, the

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walk the way that God wants us
to walk.

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So, so we, we copy or we
emulate the character of the Lord

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in our church.

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So verse three, endeavoring,
striving to keep the unity of the

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Spirit in the bond of peace.

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00:11:02,426 --> 00:11:06,030
So the Bible says that there
is a challenge for us as believers,

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00:11:06,530 --> 00:11:10,138
as a church says, what do you
need to strive for?

247
00:11:10,194 --> 00:11:12,346
What do we need to endeavor to do?

248
00:11:12,498 --> 00:11:15,870
Keep the unity of the Spirit.

249
00:11:16,610 --> 00:11:17,658
What are we talking about?

250
00:11:17,714 --> 00:11:18,954
What's the unity of the Spirit?

251
00:11:19,002 --> 00:11:19,990
It means this.

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00:11:20,370 --> 00:11:23,338
If you're a saved, born again
believer here this morning, you've

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trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

254
00:11:25,154 --> 00:11:30,260
We believe that God indwells
us in the Holy Spirit.

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00:11:30,420 --> 00:11:34,436
Okay, so, so the Holy Spirit
lives within you and the same Holy

256
00:11:34,468 --> 00:11:36,052
Spirit that lives within you.

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00:11:36,156 --> 00:11:39,476
If there's another believer
sitting across the aisle from you,

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00:11:39,548 --> 00:11:43,428
and if they have trusted in
Jesus Christ as their savior, then

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what we can see is that the
same Spirit that lives within them

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00:11:46,492 --> 00:11:48,308
is the same Spirit that's
living within you.

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00:11:48,364 --> 00:11:52,890
And so therefore we have
something in the bond of unity, whether

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00:11:52,930 --> 00:11:56,026
we look the same or not,
whether we come from the same background

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00:11:56,058 --> 00:11:58,218
or not, whether we're the same
age or not.

264
00:11:58,274 --> 00:12:00,778
So you say, I don't have
anything in common with that person

265
00:12:00,834 --> 00:12:01,670
over there.

266
00:12:02,050 --> 00:12:04,458
Well, if you're a believer and
they're a believer, you do.

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00:12:04,594 --> 00:12:07,962
You have the most important
thing in common, that is the unity

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00:12:08,026 --> 00:12:14,922
of the Spirit in the bond of
peace, in the clasp of peace, if

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00:12:14,946 --> 00:12:16,586
you will, the grip of peace.

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00:12:16,698 --> 00:12:20,314
So the whole idea is to keep
the peace we have to have the unity

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of the spirit.

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00:12:22,530 --> 00:12:26,250
And so as a believer today,
what the challenge is for us is not

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00:12:26,290 --> 00:12:30,430
to assume that this unity
comes naturally.

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00:12:31,170 --> 00:12:34,954
A lot of times we think that
if we just go about our everyday

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life and kind of go in the
status quo and allow everything to

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00:12:39,266 --> 00:12:41,322
happen the way that it
naturally happens, we'll just have

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00:12:41,346 --> 00:12:42,872
unity unless something comes up.

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00:12:42,986 --> 00:12:47,612
No, what we can see here is
that the default mode is that there

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00:12:47,636 --> 00:12:51,612
is no unity, that there is
division, that there is struggle,

280
00:12:51,676 --> 00:12:54,572
that there is going to be
people going back and forth on each

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00:12:54,596 --> 00:12:54,780
other.

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00:12:54,820 --> 00:12:59,516
So the Bible says, we
endeavor, we strive for that idea

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00:12:59,548 --> 00:13:01,360
of keeping the unity.

284
00:13:01,860 --> 00:13:07,548
So it's work, it's a
challenge, sometimes even a struggle

285
00:13:07,644 --> 00:13:08,572
to keep that unity.

286
00:13:08,636 --> 00:13:09,628
But we say, no way.

287
00:13:09,684 --> 00:13:13,154
I look at a bigger picture, I
look at that bigger thought, I look

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00:13:13,162 --> 00:13:13,986
at the bigger purpose.

289
00:13:14,018 --> 00:13:18,402
And so I want you to see the
first mark of a healthy group, the

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00:13:18,426 --> 00:13:19,954
first mark of a healthy church.

291
00:13:20,002 --> 00:13:23,058
There, as you see, is unity.

292
00:13:23,234 --> 00:13:24,150
Unity.

293
00:13:25,690 --> 00:13:28,210
Right above those three
elements, we see a blank.

294
00:13:28,290 --> 00:13:30,562
I want you, if you are taking
notes, write unity there.

295
00:13:30,586 --> 00:13:33,762
Now we're going to talk about
the three elements of unity, the

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00:13:33,786 --> 00:13:35,778
three elements of unity in the church.

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00:13:35,954 --> 00:13:38,886
We're going to see that in
Ephesians, chapter four, he says,

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00:13:39,018 --> 00:13:47,230
there is one body, one spirit,
even as you are called in one hope

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00:13:47,270 --> 00:13:48,190
of your calling.

300
00:13:48,270 --> 00:13:50,638
So we know that there's one
body of believers.

301
00:13:50,734 --> 00:13:53,950
We know that there's one
spirit indwelling those believers.

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00:13:54,030 --> 00:13:57,950
We know that there's one hope
with those believers.

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00:13:58,110 --> 00:14:03,902
Now, if you say, well, I'm
hoping that 2025 is the best year

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00:14:03,926 --> 00:14:04,748
of my life.

305
00:14:04,894 --> 00:14:09,020
I pray that all my finances
are where they need to be.

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00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,016
I pray that all of my health
is where it needs to be.

307
00:14:12,088 --> 00:14:13,900
And that's my final hope.

308
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,400
And if I don't get that, I
lose my hope.

309
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,040
Folks, we have the wrong
picture of what our hope is really

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00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:20,192
supposed to be based in.

311
00:14:20,296 --> 00:14:21,440
Folks, let me tell you something.

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00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:22,976
That's a theological truth.

313
00:14:23,088 --> 00:14:26,512
Even if you have the worst
year of your life in 2025, which

314
00:14:26,536 --> 00:14:28,896
I hope you don't hope, it's
the best year of your life, because

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00:14:28,968 --> 00:14:29,680
I love you.

316
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,420
The truth is, is that even if
2025 is the worst year of, of your

317
00:14:33,460 --> 00:14:36,428
life, when it comes to
circumstance, you still have hope

318
00:14:36,484 --> 00:14:38,092
in Jesus Christ, in the eternal.

319
00:14:38,156 --> 00:14:40,092
We all have that same hope.

320
00:14:40,276 --> 00:14:44,236
We all have that same focus,
Lord willing, when we're walking

321
00:14:44,268 --> 00:14:45,200
with unity.

322
00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:48,716
So even if my circumstance is
a terrible circumstance this year,

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00:14:48,788 --> 00:14:50,440
maybe you lost a loved one.

324
00:14:51,620 --> 00:14:53,772
Maybe things aren't going the
way that you want them to go.

325
00:14:53,796 --> 00:14:59,008
When it comes to politics or
the news or your job or.

326
00:14:59,044 --> 00:15:00,472
Or your health, you can say,
you know what?

327
00:15:00,496 --> 00:15:05,384
I still have a bigger hope in
the call for my life to live a kingdom

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00:15:05,432 --> 00:15:06,360
focused lifestyle.

329
00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,220
So he says you have one Lord.

330
00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,260
One Lord, not 20 Lords.

331
00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,792
The idea is, is that sometimes
within a church, we have a hundred

332
00:15:14,816 --> 00:15:15,992
people and there's a hundred lords.

333
00:15:16,056 --> 00:15:17,740
Because we serve ourselves.

334
00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:19,460
We're the focus.

335
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,424
The Bible says, no, we have
one person that we serve.

336
00:15:22,472 --> 00:15:25,496
That word Lord is a word that
we use quite frequently, but it's

337
00:15:25,528 --> 00:15:27,464
not sometimes what we
understand it to mean.

338
00:15:27,552 --> 00:15:29,780
We think Lord just means
someone we really respect.

339
00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,040
Lord means my master.

340
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:37,048
Lord means the one that I
serve him and him alone.

341
00:15:37,224 --> 00:15:39,544
What does the Bible say about
serving more than one master?

342
00:15:39,592 --> 00:15:41,816
You can't serve more than one master.

343
00:15:41,848 --> 00:15:43,000
You can only serve one.

344
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,540
So you're either going to
serve that one and hate the other,

345
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:47,496
or vice versa.

346
00:15:47,608 --> 00:15:48,312
So what does he say?

347
00:15:48,336 --> 00:15:51,752
Here we have one Lord, one
person we worship, one person we

348
00:15:51,776 --> 00:15:51,928
serve.

349
00:15:51,944 --> 00:15:53,064
You're not serving the pastor.

350
00:15:53,112 --> 00:15:57,906
Please never feel like I need
to go because Pastor Josh is expecting

351
00:15:57,938 --> 00:15:59,906
me to be there, folks.

352
00:16:00,018 --> 00:16:02,194
Fact is that you could come
and you could serve and effectively

353
00:16:02,242 --> 00:16:02,978
get things done.

354
00:16:03,034 --> 00:16:05,362
But at the heart of it, that's
the wrong purpose.

355
00:16:05,506 --> 00:16:07,970
You're not serving a man,
you're serving the Lord.

356
00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:10,962
And so the Bible says here,
one Lord, one faith.

357
00:16:11,026 --> 00:16:18,150
We don't come to our salvation
by multiple different ideas of faith.

358
00:16:19,140 --> 00:16:22,080
Well, as long as you have
faith in something, that's okay.

359
00:16:22,420 --> 00:16:25,212
As long as you have faith in
your good works, as long as you have

360
00:16:25,236 --> 00:16:28,188
faith in humanity, as long as
you have faith in some kind of higher

361
00:16:28,244 --> 00:16:28,508
power.

362
00:16:28,564 --> 00:16:29,916
No, he says one faith.

363
00:16:29,948 --> 00:16:32,572
And there's only one type of
way that you can do that, and that

364
00:16:32,596 --> 00:16:33,500
is through Jesus Christ.

365
00:16:33,540 --> 00:16:36,236
I am the way, the truth and
the life.

366
00:16:36,388 --> 00:16:37,420
One faith.

367
00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:43,964
One faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of all, who is above

368
00:16:44,012 --> 00:16:48,522
all and through all and in you
all very clearly explains to us the

369
00:16:48,546 --> 00:16:52,698
purpose of the church, and
that is to glorify God and to live

370
00:16:52,754 --> 00:16:55,914
together in unity, promoting
the truth of Jesus Christ.

371
00:16:56,082 --> 00:16:58,042
So we see here we have unity.

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00:16:58,106 --> 00:16:59,994
That's the first mark of a
healthy group.

373
00:17:00,082 --> 00:17:02,842
But I want you to see three
elements of that unity.

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00:17:02,986 --> 00:17:06,090
First of all, within that
unity, we must have humility.

375
00:17:06,170 --> 00:17:08,074
We have the latitude to be different.

376
00:17:08,242 --> 00:17:10,026
You would say, I don't know
about that, Pastor.

377
00:17:10,058 --> 00:17:13,002
We all need to look the same,
talk the same, be from the same place.

378
00:17:13,106 --> 00:17:15,914
I want you to see another
passage of scripture that really

379
00:17:16,002 --> 00:17:18,710
amplifies this idea of the body.

380
00:17:19,250 --> 00:17:20,474
Go back to the body.

381
00:17:20,562 --> 00:17:21,050
Right?

382
00:17:21,170 --> 00:17:22,710
We're unified in the body.

383
00:17:23,170 --> 00:17:27,978
Well, First Corinthians 12:12
talks about this.

384
00:17:28,114 --> 00:17:33,470
We must have diversity within
the body to work in unison.

385
00:17:33,810 --> 00:17:37,178
Because if we're all serving
in this ministry, we're going to

386
00:17:37,234 --> 00:17:39,430
admittedly have some gaps in
other areas.

387
00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:44,404
If we're all serving in one
way, at one capacity, with one style,

388
00:17:44,452 --> 00:17:48,212
we're going to miss a huge
portion of our community for the

389
00:17:48,236 --> 00:17:49,400
cause of the gospel.

390
00:17:50,380 --> 00:17:53,204
And so what we can see in
First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse

391
00:17:53,252 --> 00:17:56,932
12 is that there's this idea
of explanation about the body and

392
00:17:56,956 --> 00:17:59,572
how there's differences, but
still working together.

393
00:17:59,676 --> 00:18:06,510
So verse 12 says, for as the
body is one unified, and have many

394
00:18:06,550 --> 00:18:10,670
members, and all members of
that one body, being many, are one

395
00:18:10,710 --> 00:18:12,142
body, so also is Christ.

396
00:18:12,246 --> 00:18:16,490
For by one spirit are we all
baptized into one body.

397
00:18:16,950 --> 00:18:20,210
Whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, there's that diversity,

398
00:18:20,550 --> 00:18:26,558
whether we be bond or free,
and have been all made to drink into

399
00:18:26,614 --> 00:18:27,678
one spirit.

400
00:18:27,854 --> 00:18:31,370
For the body is not one
member, but many.

401
00:18:31,860 --> 00:18:35,804
If the foot shall say, because
I'm not the hand, I am not of the

402
00:18:35,812 --> 00:18:38,412
body, is it therefore not of
the body?

403
00:18:38,516 --> 00:18:39,292
Meaning this?

404
00:18:39,396 --> 00:18:43,244
The idea is, is that part of
the body is, you know, let's say

405
00:18:43,252 --> 00:18:45,660
the hand, this part of the
body is different than the foot.

406
00:18:45,700 --> 00:18:47,356
But are they still part of the
same body?

407
00:18:47,428 --> 00:18:47,964
Yes.

408
00:18:48,092 --> 00:18:50,412
And if the ear shall say,
because I am not the eye, I'm not

409
00:18:50,436 --> 00:18:52,600
of the body, is it therefore
not of the body?

410
00:18:53,460 --> 00:18:57,476
The whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing?

411
00:18:57,628 --> 00:18:59,140
And so I love how he puts this.

412
00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:00,340
Like, if we were all just.

413
00:19:00,380 --> 00:19:02,612
And this is kind of a weird
picture to put in our brains, if

414
00:19:02,636 --> 00:19:05,556
we're just all one big
eyeball, how could we hear anything?

415
00:19:05,668 --> 00:19:06,404
Couldn't hear anything.

416
00:19:06,452 --> 00:19:07,908
We would need the ear to hear something.

417
00:19:08,044 --> 00:19:10,308
He says, if we were all the
eye, how could we hear?

418
00:19:10,444 --> 00:19:13,028
If the whole we're hearing,
where are the smelling?

419
00:19:13,204 --> 00:19:13,920
Right.

420
00:19:14,700 --> 00:19:17,332
But now hath God set the
members, every one of them, in the

421
00:19:17,356 --> 00:19:19,360
body as it hath pleased him?

422
00:19:19,740 --> 00:19:22,800
Meaning God wants this to happen.

423
00:19:23,110 --> 00:19:27,330
God wants there to be people
in different ways, in different paths

424
00:19:27,830 --> 00:19:31,054
and different understandings
of how they get to Christ.

425
00:19:31,142 --> 00:19:34,654
Now, not different gospel,
but, you know, praise God for the

426
00:19:34,662 --> 00:19:36,670
people that were raised in a
Christian home.

427
00:19:36,790 --> 00:19:37,870
That's amazing.

428
00:19:38,030 --> 00:19:42,174
And I think we should strive
to have more folks within our church,

429
00:19:42,222 --> 00:19:44,718
raising their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord.

430
00:19:44,814 --> 00:19:46,958
That is our goal, that is our purpose.

431
00:19:47,054 --> 00:19:48,570
That's a beautiful thing.

432
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:53,176
But some of you weren't raised
in a Christian home, and you don't

433
00:19:53,208 --> 00:19:55,528
have the same understanding,
maybe that someone else did.

434
00:19:55,584 --> 00:19:57,416
But the beauty of this is that
it's okay.

435
00:19:57,448 --> 00:20:00,728
You still have a place in the
body of believers.

436
00:20:00,904 --> 00:20:02,408
You still have a purpose.

437
00:20:02,584 --> 00:20:05,112
You could bring something to
the table with your experience that

438
00:20:05,136 --> 00:20:07,896
can help maybe somebody else,
maybe you can help somebody else

439
00:20:07,928 --> 00:20:10,792
not go down that path because
of some things that you've gone through

440
00:20:10,816 --> 00:20:11,620
in your life.

441
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,626
Maybe you know what it means
not to have a loving father, father

442
00:20:15,658 --> 00:20:16,026
or mother.

443
00:20:16,058 --> 00:20:18,314
And you can say, hey, let me
show you what it means to have a

444
00:20:18,322 --> 00:20:21,626
loving father and a mother to
our families in our church.

445
00:20:21,738 --> 00:20:24,154
And so what we can see here is
that there is a purpose.

446
00:20:24,202 --> 00:20:26,042
God has a purpose for you.

447
00:20:26,146 --> 00:20:28,394
And so you are included in this.

448
00:20:28,482 --> 00:20:29,338
And so verse 19.

449
00:20:29,394 --> 00:20:31,802
And if there were all one
member, where the body, but now,

450
00:20:31,826 --> 00:20:32,842
are there many members yet?

451
00:20:32,866 --> 00:20:33,546
But one body?

452
00:20:33,618 --> 00:20:36,490
And the eye cannot say unto
the hand, I have no need of thee,

453
00:20:36,570 --> 00:20:39,994
nor again the hand to the
feet, I have no need of you, Nay,

454
00:20:40,042 --> 00:20:40,950
much more.

455
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,760
Those members of the body
which seem to be more feeble are

456
00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:45,352
necessary.

457
00:20:45,416 --> 00:20:49,496
Meaning sometimes we feel like
certain people that are in the church

458
00:20:49,528 --> 00:20:50,840
are not as important as other people.

459
00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:51,944
Hey, let's just be honest.

460
00:20:51,992 --> 00:20:53,560
That's sometimes our natural inclination.

461
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,540
Well, look at the ministry
that you have.

462
00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:57,240
I'm not like that.

463
00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:58,200
I can't do that.

464
00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,088
Truth is that every element of
the church is necessary.

465
00:21:02,264 --> 00:21:05,432
We have to have everybody
doing different things or we would

466
00:21:05,456 --> 00:21:06,890
not be able to do anything.

467
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,862
And so there's no job more
important than the other job, just

468
00:21:09,886 --> 00:21:10,450
different.

469
00:21:10,910 --> 00:21:13,526
And you can't say, well, I'm
not the hand, so I don't.

470
00:21:13,558 --> 00:21:14,918
I don't even want to come to church.

471
00:21:15,014 --> 00:21:16,406
No, because you're the other part.

472
00:21:16,478 --> 00:21:17,494
You're the part that needed.

473
00:21:17,542 --> 00:21:18,774
That's needed over here.

474
00:21:18,942 --> 00:21:22,182
And so that's the idea that
there's humility and diversity in

475
00:21:22,206 --> 00:21:22,770
this.

476
00:21:23,630 --> 00:21:27,350
You could go more on and study
that passage out, even, even more.

477
00:21:27,390 --> 00:21:29,638
But I would encourage you to
think about the importance of you

478
00:21:29,694 --> 00:21:33,302
finding the place that God has
for you, not what someone has for

479
00:21:33,326 --> 00:21:34,170
someone else.

480
00:21:35,050 --> 00:21:36,594
A lot of times there's jealousy.

481
00:21:36,722 --> 00:21:38,386
I wish I could serve that way.

482
00:21:38,458 --> 00:21:40,706
Why does that person get to
get up and do this?

483
00:21:40,778 --> 00:21:43,906
Why does that person have the
opportunity to have three events

484
00:21:43,938 --> 00:21:44,290
this month?

485
00:21:44,330 --> 00:21:46,370
And this person only has two
events this month?

486
00:21:46,410 --> 00:21:49,186
Folks, the reality is, is that
God has a plan and a purpose.

487
00:21:49,218 --> 00:21:52,418
And when we come in with
humility and diversity, we can understand

488
00:21:52,554 --> 00:21:54,498
that it's not about us it's
about him.

489
00:21:54,634 --> 00:21:57,682
But then I want you to see the
third element of unity, and that

490
00:21:57,706 --> 00:21:58,594
is purpose.

491
00:21:58,722 --> 00:22:00,536
We got to go back to the purpose.

492
00:22:00,698 --> 00:22:02,028
What is the purpose?

493
00:22:02,124 --> 00:22:04,172
We can't have unity without
the purpose.

494
00:22:04,236 --> 00:22:06,360
If the purpose is, hey, you
know what?

495
00:22:06,820 --> 00:22:11,532
I want people to like me or
you know what my idea of purpose

496
00:22:11,596 --> 00:22:12,108
is?

497
00:22:12,244 --> 00:22:14,252
I want people to notice me.

498
00:22:14,276 --> 00:22:16,204
I want people to praise me.

499
00:22:16,292 --> 00:22:18,284
I want people to elevate me.

500
00:22:18,372 --> 00:22:20,652
The whole idea is going to be
messed up because what happens when

501
00:22:20,676 --> 00:22:21,692
other people are elevated?

502
00:22:21,756 --> 00:22:22,636
Well, I'm upset.

503
00:22:22,668 --> 00:22:23,036
I'm mad.

504
00:22:23,068 --> 00:22:24,316
There's no unity, folks.

505
00:22:24,348 --> 00:22:26,012
It's the understanding of what
is the purpose.

506
00:22:26,076 --> 00:22:26,992
What is the purpose?

507
00:22:27,116 --> 00:22:27,880
The purpose.

508
00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,016
Okay, this is clear.

509
00:22:29,088 --> 00:22:30,120
You guys will understand this.

510
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:31,688
The purpose is the gospel.

511
00:22:31,864 --> 00:22:33,928
The purpose is the truth of scripture.

512
00:22:34,024 --> 00:22:37,976
The purpose is seeing people
come to Christ and then teaching

513
00:22:38,008 --> 00:22:40,936
them how to walk in that in scripture.

514
00:22:41,048 --> 00:22:43,528
That's the purpose of what we
are called to do in the church.

515
00:22:43,704 --> 00:22:45,832
No, I thought the purpose was
that we have to make sure we have

516
00:22:45,856 --> 00:22:47,620
three potlucks per year.

517
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:49,736
Potlucks are wonderful.

518
00:22:49,768 --> 00:22:51,064
I love potluck meals.

519
00:22:51,192 --> 00:22:51,912
Okay?

520
00:22:52,056 --> 00:22:54,798
And when we do potlucks, by
the way, I like deviled eggs.

521
00:22:54,894 --> 00:22:55,966
So you can make all different.

522
00:22:56,038 --> 00:22:57,582
I like diversity in deviled eggs.

523
00:22:57,646 --> 00:22:58,270
Make them all different.

524
00:22:58,310 --> 00:22:59,010
Okay?

525
00:22:59,350 --> 00:23:00,730
But here's the thing.

526
00:23:01,590 --> 00:23:03,566
That's not our ultimate purpose.

527
00:23:03,678 --> 00:23:05,690
And I've used this as an
analogy before.

528
00:23:06,550 --> 00:23:10,094
Well, my purpose is that
everyone will make sure that my deviled

529
00:23:10,142 --> 00:23:11,390
eggs are the best in the church.

530
00:23:11,470 --> 00:23:14,046
And if you don't try mine,
then I'm going to get upset.

531
00:23:14,238 --> 00:23:21,232
You see how silly churches can
cause division and struggle and strife?

532
00:23:21,376 --> 00:23:22,272
The Bible says no.

533
00:23:22,296 --> 00:23:23,392
Our purpose is the gospel.

534
00:23:23,456 --> 00:23:25,744
Who cares about some other things?

535
00:23:25,912 --> 00:23:26,880
There's going to be things in.

536
00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,552
In our church that you might
have a different opinion on, and

537
00:23:29,576 --> 00:23:31,248
it's okay to have that opinion.

538
00:23:31,424 --> 00:23:33,808
I would encourage you to
always have your opinion tied to

539
00:23:33,864 --> 00:23:35,300
some element of scripture.

540
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,768
If it's a matter of color,
like in the concept, like, well,

541
00:23:38,824 --> 00:23:40,848
Pastor, we're going to build a
new building, and we don't want that

542
00:23:40,904 --> 00:23:43,584
new building to be, you know, aquamarine.

543
00:23:43,632 --> 00:23:44,912
That might be a weird color to have.

544
00:23:44,936 --> 00:23:45,376
I understand.

545
00:23:45,448 --> 00:23:45,680
And.

546
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,498
And you don't have to tie that
description, by the way.

547
00:23:47,584 --> 00:23:48,102
Okay?

548
00:23:48,166 --> 00:23:51,190
We can all have opinions that
are just, you know, neutral.

549
00:23:51,350 --> 00:23:53,622
But the idea for us is that
when we're going to talk about things

550
00:23:53,646 --> 00:23:56,710
that matter, our purpose, it
needs to go back to the gospel, and

551
00:23:56,750 --> 00:23:58,486
it needs to go back to the
truth of scripture.

552
00:23:58,518 --> 00:24:01,350
It needs to go back to
understanding that there is a bigger

553
00:24:01,430 --> 00:24:02,038
picture.

554
00:24:02,134 --> 00:24:04,006
And it's the purpose of the
Great Commission.

555
00:24:04,158 --> 00:24:05,890
Go ye into all the world.

556
00:24:06,430 --> 00:24:07,690
Preach, teach.

557
00:24:08,430 --> 00:24:12,934
So we have the first element
of, of a healthy church, the first,

558
00:24:13,022 --> 00:24:14,892
excuse me, first mark of the
healthy church.

559
00:24:15,006 --> 00:24:17,888
And that is unity with
humility, diversity and purpose.

560
00:24:17,984 --> 00:24:20,880
But then I want you to see the
second mark of a healthy church.

561
00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,792
So looking at a church, you
need to see unity for them to be

562
00:24:23,816 --> 00:24:24,240
healthy.

563
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,168
For, for a church to be a
healthy church, there has to be unity.

564
00:24:27,264 --> 00:24:28,592
But then I want you to see
number two.

565
00:24:28,616 --> 00:24:29,900
There has to be community.

566
00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:31,680
There has to be community.

567
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,912
Community isn't the first
purpose of the church, but there

568
00:24:34,936 --> 00:24:36,900
has to be community within the church.

569
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,040
A church is a family, though a
church is also a body.

570
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:42,048
It is a family.

571
00:24:42,104 --> 00:24:43,500
It is a church family.

572
00:24:43,980 --> 00:24:49,320
And so within the idea of
community, we have to see encouragement.

573
00:24:50,620 --> 00:24:53,320
To have community, you have to
be encouraged.

574
00:24:53,980 --> 00:24:56,612
Come with me to Hebrews
chapter 10.

575
00:24:56,796 --> 00:24:59,924
Very, very known passage of scripture.

576
00:24:59,972 --> 00:25:02,196
And when we get there, you're
going to understand why.

577
00:25:02,348 --> 00:25:06,308
It's the, it's the verse or
verses that people use when they're

578
00:25:06,324 --> 00:25:07,960
talking about church attendance.

579
00:25:08,870 --> 00:25:09,950
You need to be in church.

580
00:25:10,030 --> 00:25:10,974
You need to be in church.

581
00:25:11,022 --> 00:25:11,982
You need to go to church.

582
00:25:12,046 --> 00:25:13,246
That's Hebrews chapter 10.

583
00:25:13,318 --> 00:25:14,046
Agreed.

584
00:25:14,158 --> 00:25:15,422
You should be in church.

585
00:25:15,566 --> 00:25:17,130
Church attendance is important.

586
00:25:17,830 --> 00:25:19,678
Doesn't make you saved.

587
00:25:19,774 --> 00:25:21,650
You don't get saved by being
in church.

588
00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:25,250
You don't become extra
spiritual just by being in a pew.

589
00:25:25,990 --> 00:25:28,734
But there's actually more to
it than just attendance.

590
00:25:28,862 --> 00:25:31,902
It doesn't just stop at, hey,
don't forsake the assembly of yourselves

591
00:25:31,966 --> 00:25:32,570
together.

592
00:25:32,950 --> 00:25:34,388
That is one element of it.

593
00:25:34,494 --> 00:25:38,340
But I want you to see Hebrews
chapter 10, verse 24.

594
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,160
It's always important to read
the verse that comes right before

595
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:41,448
it.

596
00:25:41,504 --> 00:25:42,100
Right.

597
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,336
This is not a, a point that
I'm trying to make that, hey, church

598
00:25:45,368 --> 00:25:46,440
attendance doesn't matter.

599
00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,660
What I'm saying is how you
attend church matters.

600
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:53,192
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24.

601
00:25:53,216 --> 00:25:57,800
And let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and

602
00:25:57,840 --> 00:25:58,760
to good works.

603
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,916
You go back a, a verse before
that, he's talking about holding

604
00:26:01,948 --> 00:26:04,556
fast to the profession of our
faith without wavering.

605
00:26:04,748 --> 00:26:07,628
So, so leading up to church
attendance, he says the whole purpose

606
00:26:07,644 --> 00:26:11,772
of this is to consider, to
think about one another, to provoke

607
00:26:11,836 --> 00:26:13,724
unto love and to good works.

608
00:26:13,772 --> 00:26:16,412
The whole goal of church is to
provoke each other to love and good

609
00:26:16,436 --> 00:26:18,748
works, to encourage each other.

610
00:26:18,884 --> 00:26:21,100
I want to encourage you, not
just telling you that you're.

611
00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:23,212
You know what, sometimes we
think encourages this, telling people

612
00:26:23,236 --> 00:26:24,284
what they want to hear.

613
00:26:24,452 --> 00:26:26,120
Man, you look great today.

614
00:26:27,070 --> 00:26:31,382
Well, that might be an Element
of encouragement and it's okay to

615
00:26:31,406 --> 00:26:31,970
do.

616
00:26:32,510 --> 00:26:34,422
But what's the purpose of our
encouragement here?

617
00:26:34,446 --> 00:26:37,702
It says to consider one
another, to provoke unto love and

618
00:26:37,726 --> 00:26:42,182
to good works, to stir people
up to love God and to love others.

619
00:26:42,286 --> 00:26:44,838
To stir people up to serve God
and to serve others.

620
00:26:44,894 --> 00:26:47,650
That's the whole point, to
encourage each other.

621
00:26:48,990 --> 00:26:50,118
Verse 25.

622
00:26:50,174 --> 00:26:51,302
You're familiar with this one.

623
00:26:51,406 --> 00:26:54,964
Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together such the man

624
00:26:55,052 --> 00:26:55,780
as some.

625
00:26:55,900 --> 00:26:57,940
As the manner of some is so
meaning this.

626
00:26:57,980 --> 00:27:00,000
Some people are already
forgetting to do this.

627
00:27:00,540 --> 00:27:01,556
But exhorting.

628
00:27:01,588 --> 00:27:02,596
There's that word, exhorting.

629
00:27:02,628 --> 00:27:07,412
Exhorting means to challenge
or to encourage, literally come alongside

630
00:27:07,476 --> 00:27:12,292
of, but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the

631
00:27:12,316 --> 00:27:12,836
day approaching.

632
00:27:12,868 --> 00:27:16,964
The Bible says one element of
church, one element of getting together

633
00:27:17,052 --> 00:27:21,020
as the group is to exhort one
another to challenge one another,

634
00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:25,292
to encourage one another, to
build each other up, to edify one

635
00:27:25,316 --> 00:27:27,520
another, to love and to good works.

636
00:27:28,660 --> 00:27:29,372
Church.

637
00:27:29,516 --> 00:27:31,500
Sometimes we walk into church
with blinders on.

638
00:27:31,540 --> 00:27:33,004
You know what I mean by
blinders, right?

639
00:27:33,092 --> 00:27:34,828
All you can see is what's in
front of you.

640
00:27:34,964 --> 00:27:37,324
You see the pastor, you can
see your Bible.

641
00:27:37,452 --> 00:27:38,220
Then you can see the.

642
00:27:38,260 --> 00:27:38,460
The.

643
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:39,468
The road, the car.

644
00:27:39,524 --> 00:27:40,172
Okay?

645
00:27:40,316 --> 00:27:44,444
Truth is, is that we come into
church and we look not just for ourselves,

646
00:27:44,572 --> 00:27:47,760
but we look how we can provoke
others to love and good works.

647
00:27:48,130 --> 00:27:52,058
And in so doing, others will
then look for how they can provoke

648
00:27:52,074 --> 00:27:53,066
us to love and good works.

649
00:27:53,098 --> 00:27:57,226
And so there's this idea of
community with the element of encouragement.

650
00:27:57,258 --> 00:27:58,522
But then I want you to see
number two.

651
00:27:58,546 --> 00:28:02,090
There's the element of
community in the elephant element.

652
00:28:02,170 --> 00:28:04,490
Elephant element of fellowship.

653
00:28:04,650 --> 00:28:06,150
Fellowship is so important.

654
00:28:07,410 --> 00:28:11,354
What I mean by fellowship,
spending time with one another, getting

655
00:28:11,442 --> 00:28:19,220
to know one another, serving
together, laughing together, crying

656
00:28:19,300 --> 00:28:21,284
together, hurting together.

657
00:28:21,372 --> 00:28:27,300
Folks, relationships are
forged sometimes in difficulty.

658
00:28:27,460 --> 00:28:29,240
And that's part of fellowship.

659
00:28:30,380 --> 00:28:31,300
Fellowship.

660
00:28:31,380 --> 00:28:32,916
Confessing our faults.

661
00:28:33,028 --> 00:28:34,260
James, chapter five.

662
00:28:34,380 --> 00:28:36,560
Confessing our faults, one to another.

663
00:28:37,340 --> 00:28:39,828
There's an opportunity for us
to say, hey, look, this is what I'm

664
00:28:39,844 --> 00:28:40,466
struggling with.

665
00:28:40,548 --> 00:28:42,210
This is what I'm working on.

666
00:28:42,590 --> 00:28:46,438
When we see the church as a
place of community, there's a place

667
00:28:46,494 --> 00:28:49,750
where we can come and we can fellowship.

668
00:28:49,830 --> 00:28:51,030
Ephesians chapter two.

669
00:28:51,070 --> 00:28:54,742
This was our whole theme for
last year in many elements.

670
00:28:54,886 --> 00:28:55,382
Excuse me.

671
00:28:55,406 --> 00:28:56,150
Acts chapter 2.

672
00:28:56,190 --> 00:28:58,050
Acts chapter 2, verse 42.

673
00:28:58,830 --> 00:29:02,662
We had an opportunity for Acts
2:42 ministry, and we still will

674
00:29:02,686 --> 00:29:04,690
have some more opportunities
for that this year.

675
00:29:05,070 --> 00:29:08,790
But the Bible says the early
church, this is as almost as early

676
00:29:08,830 --> 00:29:09,894
as you can get with the church.

677
00:29:09,942 --> 00:29:12,070
Acts chapter 2 what were they doing?

678
00:29:12,610 --> 00:29:14,474
What was their community like?

679
00:29:14,642 --> 00:29:19,642
Well, they showed up on Sunday
mornings for an hour, maybe an hour

680
00:29:19,666 --> 00:29:22,682
and a half if the guy was
preaching long, and then they went

681
00:29:22,706 --> 00:29:23,274
home.

682
00:29:23,442 --> 00:29:25,514
No, that's not what the
fellowship looked like.

683
00:29:25,522 --> 00:29:26,442
In Acts, chapter two.

684
00:29:26,466 --> 00:29:28,070
What did the fellowship look like?

685
00:29:28,610 --> 00:29:32,442
And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles doctrine.

686
00:29:32,506 --> 00:29:37,220
So they did listen to
preaching and teaching and fellowship.

687
00:29:37,330 --> 00:29:40,432
They spent time one another
with one another and breaking in

688
00:29:40,456 --> 00:29:43,460
bread they ate together and in prayers.

689
00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,904
And then it goes down even
further and tells us how frequently

690
00:29:47,952 --> 00:29:48,940
they did this.

691
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:50,700
Verse 46.

692
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:56,900
If you look at verse 46, it
says, and they continually continuing

693
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:02,560
daily with one accord in the
temple and breaking bread from house

694
00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,850
to house, did ether meet with
gladness and singleness of heart

695
00:30:06,470 --> 00:30:07,250
daily.

696
00:30:07,590 --> 00:30:10,090
The church is a daily community.

697
00:30:10,550 --> 00:30:12,078
Church is not just Sunday morning.

698
00:30:12,134 --> 00:30:14,170
Yes, we meet corporately
Sunday morning.

699
00:30:14,790 --> 00:30:16,814
We meet other times
corporately as well, throughout the

700
00:30:16,822 --> 00:30:17,582
week, if you didn't know.

701
00:30:17,606 --> 00:30:19,050
We do meet other times.

702
00:30:19,350 --> 00:30:20,398
We meet Sunday nights.

703
00:30:20,414 --> 00:30:21,326
We meet Wednesday nights.

704
00:30:21,358 --> 00:30:22,670
There's Bible studies
throughout the week.

705
00:30:22,710 --> 00:30:24,094
There's ministries throughout
the week.

706
00:30:24,182 --> 00:30:28,046
But the Bible says that the
church is a daily endeavor to.

707
00:30:28,118 --> 00:30:29,368
What does it say there?

708
00:30:29,534 --> 00:30:35,060
It says that they went about
worshiping, breaking bread, and they

709
00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:36,708
did it with gladness.

710
00:30:36,884 --> 00:30:39,956
They didn't do it like, oh,
man, we got another church fellowship

711
00:30:39,988 --> 00:30:40,560
today.

712
00:30:41,900 --> 00:30:44,084
Don't they know that I'm a
busy person?

713
00:30:44,252 --> 00:30:48,004
No, they did it with gladness
and singleness of heart.

714
00:30:48,092 --> 00:30:49,480
They did it with unity.

715
00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:51,284
So they fellowshiped with unity.

716
00:30:51,332 --> 00:30:52,484
They fellowship with.

717
00:30:52,572 --> 00:30:53,300
With gladness.

718
00:30:53,380 --> 00:30:56,880
They fellowshiped with the
everyday type of thing.

719
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,768
You know, folks, sometimes we
get together in fellowship and we're

720
00:30:58,784 --> 00:31:01,376
like, okay, we better be in
our best behavior.

721
00:31:01,568 --> 00:31:05,300
Pastor might be around, and we
got to be in our church mode, folks.

722
00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,352
You should be in church mode
all the time, right?

723
00:31:08,456 --> 00:31:10,864
Whether the pastor's around,
whether your friends at church are

724
00:31:10,872 --> 00:31:12,496
around, you are the church.

725
00:31:12,608 --> 00:31:14,272
So when you leave this
building, guess what?

726
00:31:14,296 --> 00:31:15,056
You're still the church.

727
00:31:15,088 --> 00:31:20,100
When you're at Walmart, you
are an extension of the gospel.

728
00:31:21,170 --> 00:31:23,674
That's hard because we're
like, whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait,

729
00:31:23,722 --> 00:31:24,282
wait.

730
00:31:24,426 --> 00:31:27,194
It can't be that I'm an
extension of the gospel.

731
00:31:27,242 --> 00:31:31,642
On i95, when someone pulls out
in front of me, okay, I get it, I

732
00:31:31,666 --> 00:31:32,442
get it.

733
00:31:32,626 --> 00:31:33,018
You.

734
00:31:33,074 --> 00:31:34,762
You don't understand my workplace.

735
00:31:34,826 --> 00:31:37,270
I can't be an extension of the
gospel there.

736
00:31:37,810 --> 00:31:41,066
The Bible says, yes, you have
to be, because that's.

737
00:31:41,098 --> 00:31:41,626
That's the church.

738
00:31:41,658 --> 00:31:42,410
So it's daily.

739
00:31:42,490 --> 00:31:45,350
So we see encouragement,
fellowship, and then we see service.

740
00:31:46,380 --> 00:31:49,300
One element of the community
Is that I want to serve others.

741
00:31:49,420 --> 00:31:54,708
Philippians chapter two says
this, basically esteeming other people

742
00:31:54,764 --> 00:31:55,880
better than ourselves.

743
00:31:56,460 --> 00:31:57,876
Romans talks about that.

744
00:31:57,948 --> 00:32:00,852
It says this, if I'm going to
be part of the community, I want

745
00:32:00,876 --> 00:32:02,004
to serve my community.

746
00:32:02,172 --> 00:32:05,124
Now, we could talk about it
from the broader sense of the Middletown

747
00:32:05,172 --> 00:32:07,520
community, and we should be
serving that community.

748
00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:11,284
But if we're neglecting the
folks within our midst, that's a

749
00:32:11,292 --> 00:32:12,240
mistake as well.

750
00:32:12,710 --> 00:32:16,010
And so there is an element of
community, and that is service.

751
00:32:16,870 --> 00:32:19,342
And that is, you know, it's explanatory.

752
00:32:19,406 --> 00:32:21,150
It's self explanatory, right?

753
00:32:21,190 --> 00:32:23,130
If there's a need within the
church, we help.

754
00:32:24,310 --> 00:32:26,862
The Bible says in the book of
James, right?

755
00:32:26,966 --> 00:32:29,250
There's taking care of the
widows and the orphans.

756
00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:33,214
That's speaking of taking care
of people that can't take care of

757
00:32:33,222 --> 00:32:35,982
themselves, possibly, and
their culture at that time, it was

758
00:32:36,006 --> 00:32:38,702
that cultural thing that they
could not provide for themselves.

759
00:32:38,766 --> 00:32:41,646
And so what I would say for us
as a church as part of fellowship,

760
00:32:41,678 --> 00:32:44,930
is looking out for the needs
of others within the church.

761
00:32:47,030 --> 00:32:50,318
And this is hard because you
can't really legislate this.

762
00:32:50,454 --> 00:32:53,182
But what I would say is that
there should be compassion in our

763
00:32:53,206 --> 00:32:56,382
hearts to say, hey, if I know
of a need within the church and I

764
00:32:56,406 --> 00:32:59,950
have the ability to take care
of that need, I need to do that.

765
00:33:00,070 --> 00:33:02,014
Let me tell you, there are
some times where you need to pray

766
00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:03,534
about some things, and there's
other times where I don't think you

767
00:33:03,542 --> 00:33:04,824
need to pray about it, right?

768
00:33:05,022 --> 00:33:06,548
Like, oh, should I'm gonna really.

769
00:33:06,604 --> 00:33:07,108
Should I.

770
00:33:07,164 --> 00:33:10,720
Should I love my wife today
I'm gonna really pray about that,

771
00:33:11,100 --> 00:33:11,880
folks.

772
00:33:12,220 --> 00:33:13,844
Love your wife, right?

773
00:33:13,932 --> 00:33:15,092
It's Christ, love the church.

774
00:33:15,156 --> 00:33:15,588
It's very.

775
00:33:15,644 --> 00:33:16,756
It's a simple command.

776
00:33:16,868 --> 00:33:19,380
It's a simple can the Bible to
have compassion and be able to provide

777
00:33:19,420 --> 00:33:20,800
for people that are in need.

778
00:33:21,580 --> 00:33:22,772
Sometimes we need to pray
about it.

779
00:33:22,796 --> 00:33:25,556
If at what capacity we can
help, right?

780
00:33:25,708 --> 00:33:26,692
You might say, well, I.

781
00:33:26,716 --> 00:33:29,962
I could help them in a big
way, but that might hit me financially.

782
00:33:30,076 --> 00:33:30,798
Pray about that.

783
00:33:30,854 --> 00:33:32,702
Allow the Lord helping you in
that area.

784
00:33:32,806 --> 00:33:35,630
But the desire should be there.

785
00:33:35,670 --> 00:33:36,974
Don't pray, don't pray.

786
00:33:37,022 --> 00:33:38,638
Well, should I desire to help
this person?

787
00:33:38,694 --> 00:33:40,926
The desire is already there,
so you should help that person.

788
00:33:40,998 --> 00:33:44,078
If the desire is not there, I
would encourage you to think about,

789
00:33:44,134 --> 00:33:47,630
hey, am I looking and praying
for those opportunities.

790
00:33:47,710 --> 00:33:50,094
So three elements,
encouragement, fellowship, and service.

791
00:33:50,182 --> 00:33:53,342
I want you to see the third
mark of the healthy church, and that

792
00:33:53,366 --> 00:33:54,210
is accountability.

793
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,520
Not one that we want to
celebrate very often, but this is.

794
00:33:58,560 --> 00:33:59,320
This is a big one.

795
00:33:59,360 --> 00:33:59,976
Accountability.

796
00:34:00,088 --> 00:34:02,392
Now, let me preface that with this.

797
00:34:02,576 --> 00:34:06,328
There is an ultimate
accountability before God.

798
00:34:06,424 --> 00:34:08,520
All right, so, so what do I
mean by that?

799
00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,992
Well, you only answer to God
for your sins, right in the, in the

800
00:34:12,016 --> 00:34:14,580
concept of he's the only one
that can judge you.

801
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:16,680
So he's the ultimate judge.

802
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:17,768
And so therefore your.

803
00:34:17,824 --> 00:34:20,152
Your ultimate accountability
is before the Lord.

804
00:34:20,216 --> 00:34:23,592
But there is an element of
accountability within the local church.

805
00:34:23,656 --> 00:34:26,562
And, and I have really three
scriptures that I would like us to

806
00:34:26,586 --> 00:34:26,850
look at.

807
00:34:26,890 --> 00:34:31,026
One, we were just looking at
Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 24.

808
00:34:31,098 --> 00:34:34,274
Let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and good works.

809
00:34:34,322 --> 00:34:37,394
And then we see in verse 25,
but exhorting one another part of

810
00:34:37,402 --> 00:34:38,978
accountability is exhorting.

811
00:34:39,154 --> 00:34:40,642
Let me give you a practical.

812
00:34:40,786 --> 00:34:43,122
Let me give you a practical
application of this.

813
00:34:43,306 --> 00:34:44,230
Okay?

814
00:34:44,570 --> 00:34:47,410
And, and we talked a little
bit about this in our Bible study

815
00:34:47,450 --> 00:34:49,122
this morning in my Sunday
school class.

816
00:34:49,226 --> 00:34:52,928
Let's say that I have a church
member here.

817
00:34:52,984 --> 00:34:55,056
And like, don't, don't think
of me as a pastor.

818
00:34:55,088 --> 00:34:56,944
Just think of me as a fellow
brother in Christ.

819
00:34:57,112 --> 00:34:58,352
And I'm watching this brother.

820
00:34:58,416 --> 00:35:01,072
He's my friend, and I've
invested with him, I've prayed with

821
00:35:01,096 --> 00:35:02,592
him, I've served with him.

822
00:35:02,696 --> 00:35:06,500
And I start to see certain
elements of his life turning to sin,

823
00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:10,496
turning to something that's
going to cause him to step away from

824
00:35:10,648 --> 00:35:12,260
the truth of God.

825
00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,232
There's a right way that I can
do this, and there's a wrong way

826
00:35:15,256 --> 00:35:16,028
that I can do this.

827
00:35:16,104 --> 00:35:17,876
The right way would be this in love.

828
00:35:17,948 --> 00:35:18,420
Coming.

829
00:35:18,540 --> 00:35:19,812
What does exhortation mean?

830
00:35:19,836 --> 00:35:21,680
Literally coming alongside of.

831
00:35:21,980 --> 00:35:25,364
Not coming from up top and
condemning, but coming alongside

832
00:35:25,412 --> 00:35:25,524
of.

833
00:35:25,532 --> 00:35:27,156
And saying, hey, I've noticed
this in your life.

834
00:35:27,228 --> 00:35:28,452
You know that I love you.

835
00:35:28,556 --> 00:35:30,468
You know that I'm here with you.

836
00:35:30,524 --> 00:35:33,396
You know that I have no other
motives, but I want to encourage

837
00:35:33,428 --> 00:35:33,572
you.

838
00:35:33,596 --> 00:35:36,900
I want to challenge you to get
to a place in your life that would

839
00:35:36,940 --> 00:35:39,188
allow you to align yourself
with Scripture.

840
00:35:39,364 --> 00:35:42,612
Now, how they respond to that
is going to be indicative of where

841
00:35:42,636 --> 00:35:43,684
they stand before the Lord.

842
00:35:43,732 --> 00:35:46,592
They might be standing in
pride and going, forget you, who

843
00:35:46,616 --> 00:35:47,008
are you?

844
00:35:47,064 --> 00:35:48,320
And there you go.

845
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:49,968
But there's a way that you do it.

846
00:35:50,104 --> 00:35:51,984
There's a way that you don't
do it in condemnation.

847
00:35:52,032 --> 00:35:54,416
There's a way that you don't
do it from, hey, you know what Jesus

848
00:35:54,448 --> 00:35:54,592
says?

849
00:35:54,616 --> 00:35:56,704
If you have a plank in your
eye, don't go trying to pick the

850
00:35:56,712 --> 00:35:58,128
speck out of another brother's eye.

851
00:35:58,224 --> 00:36:00,592
So if you're causing strife
within the church everywhere, and

852
00:36:00,616 --> 00:36:03,264
then you go to someone else
and say, hey, I saw you cause strife

853
00:36:03,312 --> 00:36:04,140
over here.

854
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:06,080
There's an issue there.

855
00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:10,384
But as you have grown in your
maturity in Christ and you have inspected

856
00:36:10,432 --> 00:36:12,884
your life, there might be a
time where you need to come alongside

857
00:36:12,932 --> 00:36:16,280
of somebody and exhort them to
love and good works.

858
00:36:17,100 --> 00:36:17,844
That's hard.

859
00:36:17,932 --> 00:36:21,108
That's a part of church that
we don't do very often because there's

860
00:36:21,124 --> 00:36:23,364
a fear of offending other people.

861
00:36:23,532 --> 00:36:24,868
And I understand that.

862
00:36:25,004 --> 00:36:27,284
And that's why I say that
there's a right and a wrong way to

863
00:36:27,292 --> 00:36:27,636
do it.

864
00:36:27,708 --> 00:36:31,332
If someone walks in today for
the first time to this church, they

865
00:36:31,356 --> 00:36:34,820
walk in and they sit down and
there's something evident to me about

866
00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:36,800
their lives that needs to change.

867
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:38,568
But I don't know them.

868
00:36:38,704 --> 00:36:39,944
I don't know their background.

869
00:36:39,992 --> 00:36:41,912
I've never built any trust
with them.

870
00:36:41,936 --> 00:36:44,584
I've never built any sweat
equity with them.

871
00:36:44,672 --> 00:36:47,304
I may or may not come down on
them right away and go, hey, by the

872
00:36:47,312 --> 00:36:49,432
way, I noticed that you need
to change that before you come back

873
00:36:49,456 --> 00:36:50,088
into the church.

874
00:36:50,184 --> 00:36:51,176
You can't do that.

875
00:36:51,328 --> 00:36:53,700
There's not that relationship
built there.

876
00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:59,096
But If I've spent 20 years
with an individual and we've served

877
00:36:59,128 --> 00:37:03,176
together, we've sacrificed
together, we've cried together, there's

878
00:37:03,208 --> 00:37:06,068
a lot more of a receptance to
that message.

879
00:37:06,184 --> 00:37:08,492
But then on the flip side of
things, for some of us, we might

880
00:37:08,516 --> 00:37:10,476
be the ones receiving that exhortation.

881
00:37:10,588 --> 00:37:12,204
How do we receive that exhortation?

882
00:37:12,252 --> 00:37:15,840
That's a challenge, too, never
to receive the exhortation and pride.

883
00:37:16,980 --> 00:37:17,340
I.

884
00:37:17,380 --> 00:37:19,980
I had a pastor friend of mine
tell me one time, when someone comes

885
00:37:20,020 --> 00:37:23,820
to you with a criticism, it's
going to be very hard for you to

886
00:37:23,860 --> 00:37:24,460
receive that.

887
00:37:24,500 --> 00:37:27,836
But always receive it in the
honesty and saying, is there something

888
00:37:27,908 --> 00:37:28,476
here?

889
00:37:28,628 --> 00:37:31,292
Is there something here that I
need to address in my life?

890
00:37:31,396 --> 00:37:34,332
And many times there have been
people who have come and said things

891
00:37:34,356 --> 00:37:38,236
to me, and my first immediate
reaction is, who are you to say,

892
00:37:38,388 --> 00:37:38,892
there it is.

893
00:37:38,916 --> 00:37:40,520
You guys know what I'm saying there?

894
00:37:40,980 --> 00:37:43,980
And then it's like this.

895
00:37:44,020 --> 00:37:47,244
Well, maybe if I pray about
that, maybe that isn't completely

896
00:37:47,292 --> 00:37:50,444
true, but maybe there's an
element there.

897
00:37:50,612 --> 00:37:53,260
Maybe there's something there
that I need to inspect in my life

898
00:37:53,300 --> 00:37:53,916
to say, well, maybe.

899
00:37:53,948 --> 00:37:56,572
Why is that question placed
out there, folks?

900
00:37:56,636 --> 00:37:59,206
Just as much as there's an
importance of us exhorting others,

901
00:37:59,308 --> 00:38:02,242
we need to be able to receive
that exhortation when it comes with

902
00:38:02,266 --> 00:38:02,626
the church.

903
00:38:02,658 --> 00:38:04,386
And so there's accountability there.

904
00:38:04,458 --> 00:38:06,866
I want you to see another
passage of scripture, Romans chapter

905
00:38:06,898 --> 00:38:07,522
15.

906
00:38:07,706 --> 00:38:10,082
We're going to move somewhat
quickly here.

907
00:38:10,266 --> 00:38:13,346
Romans, chapter 15, verses 1
and 2.

908
00:38:13,498 --> 00:38:16,870
This speaks to the heart of accountability.

909
00:38:19,210 --> 00:38:19,906
Okay?

910
00:38:20,018 --> 00:38:23,234
So when you hear the word
accountability within the church,

911
00:38:23,362 --> 00:38:25,986
depending on where you grew
up, depending on what type of church

912
00:38:26,018 --> 00:38:28,692
you've been a part of,
depending on where you stand in your

913
00:38:28,716 --> 00:38:31,716
own life, that word has
different connotations, meaning this.

914
00:38:31,788 --> 00:38:32,932
Sometimes I hear accountability.

915
00:38:32,996 --> 00:38:35,012
I think it's just someone up
there trying to take notes and give

916
00:38:35,036 --> 00:38:35,700
me demerits.

917
00:38:35,780 --> 00:38:38,980
I grew up in a Christian
school, and the Christian school

918
00:38:39,020 --> 00:38:41,332
for me was that there were
people that would walk around with

919
00:38:41,356 --> 00:38:45,028
their demerit books, and every
time I didn't adhere to one of the

920
00:38:45,084 --> 00:38:47,844
dress code rules, it was, you
got a demerit.

921
00:38:47,972 --> 00:38:50,132
And that's how sometimes we
feel like accountability is.

922
00:38:50,156 --> 00:38:52,640
Accountability is just trying
to drop the hammer on people.

923
00:38:52,990 --> 00:38:54,822
And sometimes that's how
humans do it.

924
00:38:54,846 --> 00:38:56,918
That's how sometimes we do it
within the church.

925
00:38:57,014 --> 00:38:57,718
Accountability.

926
00:38:57,814 --> 00:38:59,974
Well, I'm just going to look
at every Sunday I'm here to try to

927
00:38:59,982 --> 00:39:01,366
find everyone's flaws.

928
00:39:01,558 --> 00:39:04,614
And we look and we go, yeah, I
saw the way that, that husband and

929
00:39:04,622 --> 00:39:05,814
wife were coming out of their car.

930
00:39:05,902 --> 00:39:07,078
They're a bunch of hypocrites.

931
00:39:07,094 --> 00:39:08,918
I bet you they were yelling at
each other in that car.

932
00:39:08,974 --> 00:39:10,854
And now they're trying to put
on a happy face.

933
00:39:10,942 --> 00:39:12,470
I know that to be true.

934
00:39:12,550 --> 00:39:12,790
Right.

935
00:39:12,830 --> 00:39:15,446
You see how you can be like
the gospel police?

936
00:39:15,598 --> 00:39:18,370
Okay, we're not called to be
the gospel police.

937
00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,260
So there's a spirit to the accountability.

938
00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:23,032
There's a spirit to the accountability.

939
00:39:23,096 --> 00:39:29,496
Look at it with me In Romans,
chapter 15, verses 1 and 2, we them

940
00:39:29,568 --> 00:39:36,632
that are strong, to bear the
infirmities of the weak and not to

941
00:39:36,656 --> 00:39:37,740
please ourselves.

942
00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:41,032
The part of accountability is
not so that I can catch someone in

943
00:39:41,056 --> 00:39:43,740
the wrong, but it's to lift
them up when they're hurting.

944
00:39:45,050 --> 00:39:45,650
Verse 2.

945
00:39:45,690 --> 00:39:49,554
And let every one of us please
his neighbor for his good.

946
00:39:49,642 --> 00:39:50,950
To edification.

947
00:39:51,290 --> 00:39:54,430
Accountability is for the
betterment of the person.

948
00:39:54,730 --> 00:39:58,162
It's not to catch somebody and
make ourselves look like we are the

949
00:39:58,266 --> 00:39:59,682
ones that are better.

950
00:39:59,866 --> 00:40:02,018
It's to help the other person up.

951
00:40:02,154 --> 00:40:03,870
It's to do it in love.

952
00:40:04,570 --> 00:40:07,190
It's to help those that are weak.

953
00:40:08,330 --> 00:40:10,866
And the Bible speaks more
about that in that passage of Scripture.

954
00:40:10,898 --> 00:40:16,986
It speaks to that idea of
Jesus's humility and how we can model

955
00:40:17,018 --> 00:40:17,882
that in our own life.

956
00:40:17,906 --> 00:40:20,010
So what I would encourage you
to think about is this.

957
00:40:20,130 --> 00:40:23,658
When we are, if we create a
spirit of accountability within church,

958
00:40:23,674 --> 00:40:27,050
let's say someone stops coming
to church within, you know, this

959
00:40:27,090 --> 00:40:31,690
Year they two, three, four
months, you haven't seen them.

960
00:40:31,730 --> 00:40:35,430
And it's not calling them and
going, what's wrong with you?

961
00:40:36,770 --> 00:40:37,786
What's your problem?

962
00:40:37,858 --> 00:40:39,150
Why aren't you in church?

963
00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:43,552
It's doing it in a spirit of,
like, how can we restore this person

964
00:40:43,656 --> 00:40:44,800
to fellowship?

965
00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:46,432
You know, you see a.

966
00:40:46,536 --> 00:40:49,664
A marriage struggling, it's
not, hey, we want to pick that marriage

967
00:40:49,712 --> 00:40:51,168
out and make them feel bad.

968
00:40:51,224 --> 00:40:54,336
We want to say, hey, how can
we get that couple in the nurture

969
00:40:54,368 --> 00:40:57,248
and admonition of the Lord to
raise their children to come together,

970
00:40:57,384 --> 00:40:58,416
to be unified?

971
00:40:58,528 --> 00:40:58,992
So it's.

972
00:40:59,056 --> 00:41:02,128
It's not a judgmental thing,
or at least, let's say condemnation

973
00:41:02,224 --> 00:41:02,768
thing.

974
00:41:02,904 --> 00:41:03,216
It's.

975
00:41:03,248 --> 00:41:04,256
I'm wanting to help.

976
00:41:04,328 --> 00:41:05,360
And it's the spirit of things.

977
00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:05,552
Right?

978
00:41:05,576 --> 00:41:07,026
We understand the spirit of things.

979
00:41:07,168 --> 00:41:09,790
And so with the spirit of
accountability in the church is always

980
00:41:09,830 --> 00:41:15,006
to lift people up, to edify
each other, to encourage them, never

981
00:41:15,078 --> 00:41:18,286
to press them down and to
condemn them.

982
00:41:18,438 --> 00:41:21,486
And so we see that, and then
we see another passage of scripture

983
00:41:21,518 --> 00:41:24,398
that probably all of you, if
you've been in church any amount

984
00:41:24,414 --> 00:41:25,438
of time, have heard.

985
00:41:25,534 --> 00:41:29,166
And that is a proverb in
Proverbs, chapter 27.

986
00:41:29,238 --> 00:41:32,250
Proverbs 27, verse 17.

987
00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:37,780
The idea here would be the
accountability means that we become

988
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:40,420
stronger together.

989
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:42,712
Proverbs 27:17.

990
00:41:42,816 --> 00:41:44,072
Iron sharpeneth iron.

991
00:41:44,136 --> 00:41:46,580
So a man sharpeneth the
countenance of his friend.

992
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:51,176
As I grow, I want others to grow.

993
00:41:51,328 --> 00:41:52,312
As I learn.

994
00:41:52,376 --> 00:41:55,688
I want others to learn as I struggle.

995
00:41:55,864 --> 00:41:59,048
I don't want other people to
struggle, but I want to be able to

996
00:41:59,104 --> 00:42:02,856
encourage them to a place
where they can grow just like I've

997
00:42:02,888 --> 00:42:03,580
grown.

998
00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:05,912
And I think a lot of times
that's like, well, who do you think

999
00:42:05,936 --> 00:42:06,520
you are?

1000
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:07,400
Well, the pride.

1001
00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,336
If it's done in pride, right,
it's wrong.

1002
00:42:09,368 --> 00:42:11,032
But if iron sharpens iron.

1003
00:42:11,176 --> 00:42:15,352
So as it says here, a man
sharpeneth the countenance of his

1004
00:42:15,376 --> 00:42:15,848
friend.

1005
00:42:15,984 --> 00:42:21,128
That idea of countenance just
means his life, his demeanor, his

1006
00:42:21,184 --> 00:42:21,780
walk.

1007
00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:25,352
And so that's the purpose of
accountability, to strengthen each

1008
00:42:25,376 --> 00:42:29,426
other, not to catch each other
in wrongs and, and right to merit

1009
00:42:29,458 --> 00:42:30,354
in church demerits.

1010
00:42:30,402 --> 00:42:31,810
And you're out.

1011
00:42:31,850 --> 00:42:34,626
You know, you're out of God's
good graces because you haven't taken

1012
00:42:34,698 --> 00:42:35,202
communion.

1013
00:42:35,266 --> 00:42:37,474
You're out of God's graces
because you haven't attended church.

1014
00:42:37,522 --> 00:42:38,322
No, it's to.

1015
00:42:38,346 --> 00:42:41,522
How can we get A Galatians,
Chapter 6 talks all about this.

1016
00:42:41,626 --> 00:42:43,842
Restoring the brother in love.

1017
00:42:44,026 --> 00:42:44,802
Because guess what?

1018
00:42:44,826 --> 00:42:46,610
We need to be cautious,
because if we were in that place,

1019
00:42:46,650 --> 00:42:47,874
that's what we would want.

1020
00:42:48,042 --> 00:42:50,150
Treat others as we would want
to be treated.

1021
00:42:51,130 --> 00:42:51,682
You know what?

1022
00:42:51,706 --> 00:42:53,572
When you're hurting, what do
you want people to do?

1023
00:42:53,596 --> 00:42:54,720
Beat on you more?

1024
00:42:55,740 --> 00:42:59,940
No, you want people to help
you, encourage you, strengthen you.

1025
00:43:00,060 --> 00:43:02,180
That's the same thing when it
comes to how we deal with other people

1026
00:43:02,220 --> 00:43:02,948
within the church.

1027
00:43:03,044 --> 00:43:06,240
Folks, 2025, I'm looking
around and I'm not.

1028
00:43:07,100 --> 00:43:09,860
I don't know, but some of us
might come through some hard times

1029
00:43:09,900 --> 00:43:13,560
this year, and not just
financially, but maybe spiritually.

1030
00:43:14,540 --> 00:43:18,164
Maybe I will come into a place
where I go through a spiritual struggle

1031
00:43:18,212 --> 00:43:18,868
this year.

1032
00:43:19,004 --> 00:43:21,044
What do I want to see within
the church?

1033
00:43:21,172 --> 00:43:23,280
Us lifting each other up in
those times.

1034
00:43:23,900 --> 00:43:26,164
And that's the idea of accountability.

1035
00:43:26,292 --> 00:43:30,116
So a healthy church, a mark of
a healthy church, would be unity,

1036
00:43:30,308 --> 00:43:34,196
community, and accountability.

1037
00:43:34,308 --> 00:43:35,940
But we're going to end with
this one here.

1038
00:43:35,980 --> 00:43:37,480
And that is ability.

1039
00:43:38,780 --> 00:43:39,640
Ability.

1040
00:43:41,100 --> 00:43:45,594
When we are a healthy church,
we have the ability to do wonderful

1041
00:43:45,642 --> 00:43:46,778
things for the Lord.

1042
00:43:46,954 --> 00:43:47,930
I put it down there.

1043
00:43:47,970 --> 00:43:55,706
When a body of believers can
work together with the power of God

1044
00:43:55,738 --> 00:43:58,390
in their midst, amazing things
can happen.

1045
00:43:58,930 --> 00:43:59,642
Amazing.

1046
00:43:59,706 --> 00:44:03,146
You want to see things really
happen for the cause of the gospel?

1047
00:44:03,258 --> 00:44:04,390
Let's work together.

1048
00:44:05,410 --> 00:44:07,670
Let's have accountability,
let's have community.

1049
00:44:08,050 --> 00:44:12,094
If we do that, we're going to
be unified in our purpose, going

1050
00:44:12,102 --> 00:44:17,102
to be unified in our service,
and we're going to be able to see

1051
00:44:17,126 --> 00:44:17,870
amazing things happen.

1052
00:44:17,910 --> 00:44:20,958
You want to see people coming
into the church, getting saved, getting

1053
00:44:21,014 --> 00:44:24,302
baptized, reaching people in
our community, reaching people in

1054
00:44:24,326 --> 00:44:24,910
our world.

1055
00:44:25,030 --> 00:44:28,170
We have the ability to do that
in Christ, In Christ.

1056
00:44:29,670 --> 00:44:33,422
And we think sometimes that
the church has lost its luster.

1057
00:44:33,566 --> 00:44:35,006
Sometimes we even feel like we
have the church.

1058
00:44:35,038 --> 00:44:36,766
It's just not effective as it
used to be.

1059
00:44:36,838 --> 00:44:37,600
The church is.

1060
00:44:37,630 --> 00:44:39,628
Is losing its feet in this world.

1061
00:44:39,684 --> 00:44:42,332
No, it's the individuals that
are making up the church that are

1062
00:44:42,356 --> 00:44:43,436
losing strides, folks.

1063
00:44:43,468 --> 00:44:46,012
When we come together and do
what God has called us to do, the

1064
00:44:46,036 --> 00:44:49,004
church is still powerful in
his power because he's still powerful.

1065
00:44:49,132 --> 00:44:50,348
It's his institution.

1066
00:44:50,444 --> 00:44:53,452
The Bible says the gates of
hell won't prevail against us.

1067
00:44:53,556 --> 00:44:54,940
And that's not a passive thing.

1068
00:44:54,980 --> 00:44:55,852
That's an active thing.

1069
00:44:55,876 --> 00:44:57,276
That means we're going out.

1070
00:44:57,428 --> 00:45:00,604
It means we're contending for
the faith, that we're challenging

1071
00:45:00,652 --> 00:45:02,156
the world with these truths.

1072
00:45:02,188 --> 00:45:03,852
And so there is ability here.

1073
00:45:03,876 --> 00:45:09,758
And the ability is to see
God's power working through us, in

1074
00:45:09,814 --> 00:45:12,366
us, for us, and all together.

1075
00:45:12,438 --> 00:45:16,010
We can see working in the
concept of bringing people to Christ.

1076
00:45:16,550 --> 00:45:20,094
And so there's this wonderful
ability that we have, and that is

1077
00:45:20,182 --> 00:45:23,630
relying and trusting in him
and coming together.

1078
00:45:23,750 --> 00:45:26,190
And we can see things
happening more than we could ever

1079
00:45:26,230 --> 00:45:30,410
imagine in our community, in
our church, in our own lives.

1080
00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:35,544
I think a passage of scripture
that can be seen in that is the book

1081
00:45:35,552 --> 00:45:36,472
of ecclesiastes.

1082
00:45:36,536 --> 00:45:40,340
Ecclesiastes, chapter 4, verse 9.

1083
00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,656
Some of you might have used
this verse.

1084
00:45:43,688 --> 00:45:45,140
Some of you might even have this.

1085
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,616
This is a classic one that
people put up in their homes and

1086
00:45:48,688 --> 00:45:49,620
things like that.

1087
00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,472
But in the book of
Ecclesiastes, you could take this

1088
00:45:52,496 --> 00:45:55,064
in the context of a marriage,
you could take this in the context

1089
00:45:55,112 --> 00:45:55,824
of a family.

1090
00:45:55,952 --> 00:45:58,000
You could take this in the
context of your relationship with

1091
00:45:58,040 --> 00:45:58,384
Christ.

1092
00:45:58,472 --> 00:45:59,856
You can take this within any context.

1093
00:45:59,888 --> 00:46:06,288
But Ephesians, chapter four,
we see two are better than one because

1094
00:46:06,344 --> 00:46:08,400
they have a good reward for
their labor.

1095
00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,392
For if they fall, the one will
lift up his fellow.

1096
00:46:11,456 --> 00:46:13,616
But woe to him that is alone
when he falleth.

1097
00:46:13,648 --> 00:46:16,640
For he hath not another to
help him up again.

1098
00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:19,680
If two lie together, then they
have heat.

1099
00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,180
But how can one be warm alone?

1100
00:46:23,350 --> 00:46:24,926
Here's an amazing truth in
verse 12.

1101
00:46:24,998 --> 00:46:27,422
And if one prevail against
him, two shall withstand him.

1102
00:46:27,446 --> 00:46:31,170
And a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.

1103
00:46:31,510 --> 00:46:35,502
So this idea here is that,
yes, when we link up together, we

1104
00:46:35,526 --> 00:46:36,330
are strong.

1105
00:46:37,110 --> 00:46:40,770
When we link up together in
Christ, we are even stronger.

1106
00:46:41,430 --> 00:46:43,710
So I would encourage you,
like, hey, two people getting together

1107
00:46:43,750 --> 00:46:44,810
is better than one.

1108
00:46:46,790 --> 00:46:50,120
200 people getting together is
better than two.

1109
00:46:50,900 --> 00:46:54,700
But when we add the Lord in
the mix as well, the Bible says very

1110
00:46:54,740 --> 00:46:56,476
clearly here that we're even stronger.

1111
00:46:56,588 --> 00:46:57,756
And so we get together.

1112
00:46:57,828 --> 00:47:00,572
Yes, there is that community,
there is that unity, there is that

1113
00:47:00,596 --> 00:47:01,260
fellowship.

1114
00:47:01,340 --> 00:47:05,740
But we do it not in the sense
of our own wealth, our own worth,

1115
00:47:05,820 --> 00:47:07,036
our own goodness.

1116
00:47:07,148 --> 00:47:08,604
We do it in the power of God.

1117
00:47:08,652 --> 00:47:11,820
And we know that we're a lot
stronger when we're unified with

1118
00:47:11,860 --> 00:47:12,108
others.

1119
00:47:12,164 --> 00:47:15,836
But ultimately, we have the
power of God in our lives when we're

1120
00:47:15,868 --> 00:47:16,826
unified with him.

1121
00:47:16,908 --> 00:47:18,542
And so there's teamwork there.

1122
00:47:18,726 --> 00:47:19,758
Teamwork.

1123
00:47:19,934 --> 00:47:22,382
Think about how you fit into
the team.

1124
00:47:22,486 --> 00:47:25,210
Not the team of Middletown
Baptist Church alone, but the team

1125
00:47:25,510 --> 00:47:26,770
of the gospel.

1126
00:47:27,350 --> 00:47:28,570
Where's your place?

1127
00:47:29,270 --> 00:47:31,278
I remember growing up playing
sports, right?

1128
00:47:31,334 --> 00:47:34,210
You know, everyone wanted to
play certain positions.

1129
00:47:34,710 --> 00:47:37,214
Some of you that know sports
know what I'm talking about.

1130
00:47:37,302 --> 00:47:38,430
Different sports are different things.

1131
00:47:38,470 --> 00:47:40,046
I can use, for example, football.

1132
00:47:40,118 --> 00:47:41,246
Everyone wanted to be the quarterback.

1133
00:47:41,278 --> 00:47:44,350
That was the cool guy throwing
the ball around and on our team.

1134
00:47:44,390 --> 00:47:46,028
And everyone wanted to be the quarterback.

1135
00:47:46,044 --> 00:47:47,676
And so the coach says, oh, you
guys want to be the quarterback,

1136
00:47:47,708 --> 00:47:48,636
let's try out.

1137
00:47:48,788 --> 00:47:52,892
And like 30 guys would get out
trying to throw the ball because

1138
00:47:52,916 --> 00:47:54,284
we wanted to be the quarterback.

1139
00:47:54,412 --> 00:47:56,220
Not all of us had the ability
to do it.

1140
00:47:56,260 --> 00:47:58,844
And there was one that stood
out amongst the rest, and so he was

1141
00:47:58,852 --> 00:47:59,756
the one that was the quarterback.

1142
00:47:59,788 --> 00:48:00,396
But guess What?

1143
00:48:00,468 --> 00:48:03,500
The other 29 guys, we didn't
just go quit.

1144
00:48:03,660 --> 00:48:05,756
We had a small Christian
school, so they needed every single

1145
00:48:05,788 --> 00:48:06,796
person to be on the team.

1146
00:48:06,868 --> 00:48:08,460
So we went and played other positions.

1147
00:48:08,540 --> 00:48:10,640
Maybe not the one that was
going to score the touchdown.

1148
00:48:10,780 --> 00:48:12,952
Maybe some of these guys are
the ones that were blocking for the

1149
00:48:12,976 --> 00:48:14,808
other ones, and they got no glory.

1150
00:48:14,904 --> 00:48:17,304
Those guys that were blocking
for the quarterback, they're sitting

1151
00:48:17,352 --> 00:48:19,992
there doing everything they
can, getting bloody and tired and

1152
00:48:20,016 --> 00:48:21,496
bruised, and they're holding
everyone back.

1153
00:48:21,568 --> 00:48:23,592
And the guy just sits back
there and just tosses the ball.

1154
00:48:23,616 --> 00:48:25,656
And everyone cheers for the
guy who threw the ball.

1155
00:48:25,728 --> 00:48:28,340
And no one was cheering for
the guys that were protecting him.

1156
00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,704
Truth is, though, that that
person right there was doing a valuable

1157
00:48:31,752 --> 00:48:34,280
work because without them, the
person that was throwing the ball

1158
00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:35,592
was not able to do anything.

1159
00:48:35,736 --> 00:48:37,382
It's the same thing within the church.

1160
00:48:37,536 --> 00:48:40,426
You might not be able to say,
you know what, Pastor?

1161
00:48:40,458 --> 00:48:40,682
You don't.

1162
00:48:40,706 --> 00:48:42,378
You don't want me getting up
and speaking, okay?

1163
00:48:42,394 --> 00:48:43,002
I'm just not the.

1164
00:48:43,026 --> 00:48:44,510
I'm not the public speaker.

1165
00:48:44,850 --> 00:48:49,626
But your support, your
prayers, your sacrifice, your service

1166
00:48:49,698 --> 00:48:51,962
can allow other people in the
church to do certain things.

1167
00:48:51,986 --> 00:48:56,874
And then you can, by way of
extension, and really directly affect

1168
00:48:56,922 --> 00:48:58,378
the cause of the gospel.

1169
00:48:58,554 --> 00:49:00,938
Who knows what your role is
within the church?

1170
00:49:01,034 --> 00:49:02,298
And so it's teamwork.

1171
00:49:02,394 --> 00:49:05,338
It's not seeing that, hey,
everyone has to be this way, or everyone

1172
00:49:05,394 --> 00:49:06,442
has to be this way.

1173
00:49:06,546 --> 00:49:10,058
You might say, you know, the
years of me traveling and going out

1174
00:49:10,114 --> 00:49:10,650
are gone.

1175
00:49:10,730 --> 00:49:13,354
Okay, Pastor, it takes
everything for me to just get out

1176
00:49:13,362 --> 00:49:15,898
of my house, get in the car,
come to church.

1177
00:49:16,074 --> 00:49:17,018
I understand that.

1178
00:49:17,074 --> 00:49:19,562
I understand that not
everyone's at that same place right

1179
00:49:19,586 --> 00:49:23,162
now, but maybe God has helped
you in a specific area that say,

1180
00:49:23,186 --> 00:49:23,434
you know what?

1181
00:49:23,442 --> 00:49:24,746
I have a lot of time now.

1182
00:49:24,898 --> 00:49:25,850
Retired.

1183
00:49:26,010 --> 00:49:27,642
I don't have a 9 to 5 anymore.

1184
00:49:27,706 --> 00:49:30,122
I could sit and pray for a
couple hours a day for different

1185
00:49:30,146 --> 00:49:30,826
people in the church.

1186
00:49:30,858 --> 00:49:31,922
That could be my ministry.

1187
00:49:32,026 --> 00:49:35,746
My ministry could be that I
call people, hey, God's really blessed

1188
00:49:35,778 --> 00:49:36,434
me financially.

1189
00:49:36,482 --> 00:49:37,602
I can't go to a.

1190
00:49:37,706 --> 00:49:41,026
A mission field, but I could
support someone to go to the mission

1191
00:49:41,058 --> 00:49:41,394
field.

1192
00:49:41,482 --> 00:49:41,842
You see?

1193
00:49:41,866 --> 00:49:44,914
You see how there's
alternatives to what we expect to

1194
00:49:44,922 --> 00:49:46,946
be the, the way to serve God.

1195
00:49:47,058 --> 00:49:48,322
And so there's teamwork there.

1196
00:49:48,346 --> 00:49:50,482
And so I have a last point here.

1197
00:49:50,586 --> 00:49:53,666
It's that last phrase and I
think it kind of summarizes everything

1198
00:49:53,738 --> 00:49:55,310
that we've talked about today.

1199
00:49:57,460 --> 00:49:58,428
I put down there.

1200
00:49:58,484 --> 00:49:59,920
This takes humility.

1201
00:50:00,260 --> 00:50:01,340
This takes humility.

1202
00:50:01,420 --> 00:50:03,212
Everything that we're talking
about today takes humility.

1203
00:50:03,276 --> 00:50:04,588
First Corinthians, chapter three.

1204
00:50:04,644 --> 00:50:06,508
You guys are familiar with
this passage.

1205
00:50:06,684 --> 00:50:10,300
There were people in First
Corinthians chapter 3 that were saying,

1206
00:50:10,340 --> 00:50:14,476
I'm from Paul, I'm from
Apollos, I'm from this speaker, I'm

1207
00:50:14,508 --> 00:50:15,388
from this speaker.

1208
00:50:15,484 --> 00:50:17,480
And, and what Paul says is this.

1209
00:50:18,980 --> 00:50:24,284
For while one says, I am of
Paul, this is verse four, First Corinthians

1210
00:50:24,332 --> 00:50:25,694
three, if you want to write
this down.

1211
00:50:25,852 --> 00:50:28,906
For while one saith, I am of
Paul and another, I am of Apollos,

1212
00:50:28,938 --> 00:50:29,626
are you not carnal?

1213
00:50:29,658 --> 00:50:31,070
He says, that's fleshly.

1214
00:50:32,050 --> 00:50:33,546
Who then is Paul?

1215
00:50:33,738 --> 00:50:38,042
And who is Apollos but
ministers, servants by whom ye believed,

1216
00:50:38,106 --> 00:50:41,114
even as the Lord gave to every
man I have planted.

1217
00:50:41,162 --> 00:50:42,910
Paul says, I've planted the seed.

1218
00:50:43,890 --> 00:50:48,762
Apollos, he watered it, but
God gave the increase.

1219
00:50:48,946 --> 00:50:50,138
Takes humility.

1220
00:50:50,314 --> 00:50:53,130
It's not saying, well, look
here, it's this person who did this.

1221
00:50:53,170 --> 00:50:54,250
It's this person who did this.

1222
00:50:54,290 --> 00:50:55,588
It's God who did this.

1223
00:50:55,754 --> 00:50:57,488
God's the one who gives the increase.

1224
00:50:57,624 --> 00:51:00,032
You might be the one that
plants the seed, you might be the

1225
00:51:00,056 --> 00:51:02,672
one that waters the seed, but
you are going to never be the one

1226
00:51:02,696 --> 00:51:03,952
that brings that fruit forward.

1227
00:51:04,056 --> 00:51:05,568
That is always God.

1228
00:51:05,744 --> 00:51:08,208
And so it's a complete
humility on him.

1229
00:51:08,344 --> 00:51:11,904
It's a complete statement of
saying, I don't need to be the one

1230
00:51:11,992 --> 00:51:14,640
that is the one who wins the prize.

1231
00:51:14,720 --> 00:51:17,792
I can be the one that sets the
seed into the ground and lets that

1232
00:51:17,816 --> 00:51:18,608
go in motion.

1233
00:51:18,704 --> 00:51:23,216
Think about people 50 years
ago here in Middletown Baptist Church

1234
00:51:23,408 --> 00:51:26,016
that planted seeds that we are
reaping today.

1235
00:51:26,168 --> 00:51:27,260
Think about that.

1236
00:51:27,880 --> 00:51:30,352
Think about if The Lord
tarries 50 years from now.

1237
00:51:30,456 --> 00:51:32,848
Think about things that you
could do now that you might not ever

1238
00:51:32,904 --> 00:51:34,112
see the outcome of.

1239
00:51:34,216 --> 00:51:37,312
But people 50 years from now
can say, wow, I'm thankful for those

1240
00:51:37,336 --> 00:51:40,672
people back then that
sacrificed and that served and that.

1241
00:51:40,696 --> 00:51:41,552
And that did all of that.

1242
00:51:41,576 --> 00:51:44,864
Folks, I think that so many
times in our society we're so self

1243
00:51:44,912 --> 00:51:48,800
focused that we're in the
microwave society, I need it right

1244
00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:49,412
now.

1245
00:51:49,576 --> 00:51:50,988
Where's the benefit right now?

1246
00:51:51,044 --> 00:51:52,972
But are we willing to play the
long game?

1247
00:51:53,076 --> 00:51:56,764
You know, in Eastern cultures,
they're willing to do that.

1248
00:51:56,852 --> 00:51:59,228
They're willing to say, this
is a generational thing, we don't

1249
00:51:59,244 --> 00:52:01,000
need to have the outcome right now.

1250
00:52:01,780 --> 00:52:05,132
And what I would say for us as
Christians is that we need to, to

1251
00:52:05,156 --> 00:52:07,980
some degree, not just live for
ourselves, but live for the next

1252
00:52:08,020 --> 00:52:08,800
generation.

1253
00:52:09,140 --> 00:52:12,092
Live for, you know, sacrifice
now for the young people, use the

1254
00:52:12,116 --> 00:52:17,750
freedoms that we have now for
the gospel, that maybe two to three

1255
00:52:17,790 --> 00:52:20,170
generations from now might not
have those freedoms.

1256
00:52:21,150 --> 00:52:24,758
The beauty of the Internet is
that we can put a lot of content

1257
00:52:24,814 --> 00:52:27,414
out there and that's there, okay?

1258
00:52:27,542 --> 00:52:31,270
The beauty of allowing
ourselves to reach the, in the world

1259
00:52:31,310 --> 00:52:33,894
and the impact of the gospel
means that, hey, you know what?

1260
00:52:33,982 --> 00:52:37,798
A lot of people tried to wipe
away the truth.

1261
00:52:37,974 --> 00:52:39,730
The Roman Empire tried it.

1262
00:52:40,350 --> 00:52:43,954
Many, many dictators have
tried to wipe out the influence of

1263
00:52:43,962 --> 00:52:45,154
the Gospel in certain countries.

1264
00:52:45,242 --> 00:52:47,298
I'm going to tell you that
that never goes away.

1265
00:52:47,434 --> 00:52:50,306
It's not the influence of the
gospel will not go away if we proclaim

1266
00:52:50,338 --> 00:52:50,482
it.

1267
00:52:50,506 --> 00:52:55,122
But I will say that the impact
of the gospel in a community, in

1268
00:52:55,146 --> 00:52:59,270
a country, in an area, in a
church, can pass away in one generation.

1269
00:52:59,610 --> 00:53:00,690
And I don't want to miss it.

1270
00:53:00,730 --> 00:53:02,578
I don't want to be the one
that drops the torch.

1271
00:53:02,754 --> 00:53:04,674
I want to be the one that
passes the torch.

1272
00:53:04,802 --> 00:53:06,344
And so it takes humility.

1273
00:53:06,522 --> 00:53:13,308
But then, as we mentioned,
diversity, 1 Peter 4, 10, 11 speaks

1274
00:53:13,324 --> 00:53:17,068
of the manifold grace of God,
the various graces of God.

1275
00:53:17,164 --> 00:53:21,756
So, meaning this, it's okay to
be different, it's okay to serve

1276
00:53:21,788 --> 00:53:22,652
in a different ministry.

1277
00:53:22,716 --> 00:53:23,580
It's okay.

1278
00:53:23,740 --> 00:53:26,396
And then lastly here, and I
think this is the most important

1279
00:53:26,468 --> 00:53:27,720
one, and then we're done.

1280
00:53:28,020 --> 00:53:32,680
To do all of this, to have
these marks, takes a reliance on

1281
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:34,640
reliance on the Lord.

1282
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:36,940
I'll leave you with one last
verse here.

1283
00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:39,952
To be the group that we need
to be, to be the church that we need

1284
00:53:39,976 --> 00:53:43,248
to be, we need a complete
reliance on the Lord.

1285
00:53:43,344 --> 00:53:44,832
John 15, 5.

1286
00:53:45,016 --> 00:53:48,900
Jesus is speaking to his
followers and he says, I am the vine,

1287
00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:51,140
ye are the branches.

1288
00:53:51,640 --> 00:53:56,528
He that abideth or liveth in
Me, and I in him, the same bringeth

1289
00:53:56,544 --> 00:53:57,620
forth much fruit.

1290
00:53:58,850 --> 00:54:01,310
For without me you can do nothing.

1291
00:54:02,850 --> 00:54:05,114
The phrase that we can take
with us this morning is, without

1292
00:54:05,202 --> 00:54:08,314
God, without Christ, we can do nothing.

1293
00:54:08,442 --> 00:54:10,586
With him, we can have
wonderful fruit.

1294
00:54:10,778 --> 00:54:13,466
With him, we can be the group
that God has called us to be.

1295
00:54:13,538 --> 00:54:17,914
Without him, we're just a
social club that has flawed people.

1296
00:54:18,082 --> 00:54:21,270
But with him, we are the bride
of Christ.

1297
00:54:21,650 --> 00:54:25,888
With him we are the ones who
have all power given to us through

1298
00:54:25,944 --> 00:54:26,528
Jesus Christ.

1299
00:54:26,584 --> 00:54:28,080
Now we don't have the power.

1300
00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:29,056
We're not like.

1301
00:54:29,128 --> 00:54:33,296
So, like, I'm not all
powerful, but I am in a relationship

1302
00:54:33,328 --> 00:54:36,256
with the one who is all
powerful, and without him, I can't

1303
00:54:36,288 --> 00:54:36,768
do nothing.

1304
00:54:36,864 --> 00:54:38,832
And so I would encourage you
to think about that when we come

1305
00:54:38,856 --> 00:54:40,380
to this idea of the group.

1306
00:54:41,720 --> 00:54:44,752
I'm going to ask if you're
able to stand with me, every head

1307
00:54:44,776 --> 00:54:46,672
bowed, every eye closed as the
music plays here.

1308
00:54:46,696 --> 00:54:48,560
This is a time for introspection.

1309
00:54:48,720 --> 00:54:53,190
This is a time for reaction.

1310
00:54:53,610 --> 00:54:55,310
This is a time for decision.

1311
00:54:56,010 --> 00:54:57,474
When we have a time of invitation.

1312
00:54:57,522 --> 00:54:59,442
This isn't just to say, hey,
you know what?

1313
00:54:59,546 --> 00:55:02,562
How many of you are really
failing in your life and you need

1314
00:55:02,586 --> 00:55:04,050
to come forward and get
everything right.

1315
00:55:04,090 --> 00:55:05,538
That's not what this is
talking about.

1316
00:55:05,674 --> 00:55:09,250
This, this time that we do is
not a legalistic time just to get

1317
00:55:09,290 --> 00:55:09,810
numbers.

1318
00:55:09,890 --> 00:55:12,258
This is a time for you to
respond to God.

1319
00:55:12,354 --> 00:55:14,034
You can respond to God in your heart.

1320
00:55:14,122 --> 00:55:17,480
You can respond to God
physically here this morning by coming

1321
00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:19,160
up here and kneeling at the steps.

1322
00:55:19,240 --> 00:55:23,192
But all of us, as we last week
hopefully dedicated ourselves to

1323
00:55:23,216 --> 00:55:28,056
the gospel, how many of us are
dedicated to being part of the body

1324
00:55:28,128 --> 00:55:34,616
of Christ, to endeavor for the
unity of the Spirit, to be willing

1325
00:55:34,648 --> 00:55:39,432
to say, I'm going to be humble
enough to seek, to encourage others,

1326
00:55:39,536 --> 00:55:43,240
to seek to serve others, to be
able to put myself in that place

1327
00:55:43,280 --> 00:55:46,856
of accountability within the
church, though I'm ultimately accountable

1328
00:55:46,888 --> 00:55:47,176
to God.

1329
00:55:47,208 --> 00:55:49,992
And by the way, let me just be
clear here this morning.

1330
00:55:50,096 --> 00:55:52,072
None of you need to confess
anything to me.

1331
00:55:52,096 --> 00:55:54,536
I am not your priest, okay?

1332
00:55:54,648 --> 00:55:56,024
You go right to God.

1333
00:55:56,152 --> 00:55:57,720
You have that access to Him.

1334
00:55:57,760 --> 00:55:58,776
That's a beautiful access.

1335
00:55:58,848 --> 00:56:02,184
And so this is not about
coming to me and being accountable

1336
00:56:02,232 --> 00:56:02,872
to me.

1337
00:56:02,976 --> 00:56:05,912
It's just the idea of bringing
each other together and lifting each

1338
00:56:05,936 --> 00:56:06,820
other up.

1339
00:56:07,520 --> 00:56:08,940
That's the accountability.

1340
00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:12,808
And so may we this morning
understand where we're at in that

1341
00:56:12,864 --> 00:56:13,542
process.

1342
00:56:13,736 --> 00:56:15,402
Am I willing to give accountability?

1343
00:56:15,466 --> 00:56:20,030
Am I willing to exhort others,
and am I willing to receive exhortation?

1344
00:56:20,930 --> 00:56:23,146
That's something that we could
ask the Lord to give us strength

1345
00:56:23,178 --> 00:56:24,390
in here this year.

1346
00:56:25,170 --> 00:56:28,650
But are we willing to work
together with the power of God, with

1347
00:56:28,690 --> 00:56:31,610
humility, diversity, and
reliance on him, to get the work

1348
00:56:31,650 --> 00:56:33,658
of the gospel to the world?

1349
00:56:33,794 --> 00:56:36,554
Today is a day where you can
dedicate yourself to that.

1350
00:56:36,642 --> 00:56:38,746
This morning, if you don't
know Jesus as your Savior, we've

1351
00:56:38,778 --> 00:56:40,590
mentioned the gospel at the
very beginning.

1352
00:56:40,900 --> 00:56:43,148
The Gospel is that good news
of Jesus Christ.

1353
00:56:43,204 --> 00:56:44,012
You can trust in Him.

1354
00:56:44,036 --> 00:56:44,220
Today.

1355
00:56:44,260 --> 00:56:48,060
The Bible says that if you
trust in him in faith, if you give

1356
00:56:48,100 --> 00:56:51,212
yourself to him and say that
you can't forgive yourself and only

1357
00:56:51,236 --> 00:56:54,652
he can forgive you, that is
the moment in your life where all

1358
00:56:54,676 --> 00:56:57,276
of your burdens fall out and
you know that you have everlasting

1359
00:56:57,308 --> 00:57:01,052
life, your sins are forgiven
and you can know that Jesus is your

1360
00:57:01,076 --> 00:57:04,636
savior, that he died on the
cross for your sins and that he conquered

1361
00:57:04,668 --> 00:57:06,716
death through the
resurrection, that he extends life.

1362
00:57:06,788 --> 00:57:10,822
John 3:16 and so this morning,
if you need that in your life, if

1363
00:57:10,846 --> 00:57:13,094
you want to be part of the
church, if you want to know what

1364
00:57:13,102 --> 00:57:16,422
it means to be a member, if
you want to know what it means to

1365
00:57:16,446 --> 00:57:20,742
be someone who is walking with
that one hope in Jesus Christ, you

1366
00:57:20,766 --> 00:57:22,822
can come forward and we've got
some folks up here that can show

1367
00:57:22,846 --> 00:57:25,670
you in the Bible what it means
to know Jesus as your Savior.

1368
00:57:25,830 --> 00:57:28,038
So Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation, working

1369
00:57:28,094 --> 00:57:29,010
hearts and lives.

1370
00:57:29,470 --> 00:57:30,902
Thank you for what you've done
for us.

1371
00:57:30,926 --> 00:57:32,582
Thank you for giving us the church.

1372
00:57:32,726 --> 00:57:35,890
Thank you for allowing us to
be part of the assembly being part

1373
00:57:35,930 --> 00:57:36,514
of the church.

1374
00:57:36,562 --> 00:57:38,274
Thank you for letting us be
your bride.

1375
00:57:38,402 --> 00:57:41,010
We long for the day in which
we can be with you face to face.

1376
00:57:41,130 --> 00:57:43,298
So I pray that you be in this
time of invitation, working hearts

1377
00:57:43,314 --> 00:57:44,578
and lives in Jesus name, Amen.

1378
00:57:44,594 --> 00:57:47,310
As the music plays, follow as
the Lord leads here this morning.

1379
00:57:47,690 --> 00:57:50,354
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1380
00:57:50,402 --> 00:57:51,154
podcast.

1381
00:57:51,282 --> 00:57:53,870
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1382
00:57:54,170 --> 00:57:56,466
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1383
00:57:56,498 --> 00:58:00,162
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1384
00:58:00,306 --> 00:58:03,130
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1385
00:58:03,550 --> 00:58:08,854
You can also email me directly
at Josh massaro@middletownbaptistchurch.com.

1386
00:58:09,022 --> 00:58:12,518
if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1387
00:58:12,574 --> 00:58:15,530
along for future podcast and updates.

1388
00:58:15,950 --> 00:58:17,030
Thank you so much.

1389
00:58:17,150 --> 00:58:18,054
God Bless.

1390
00:58:18,182 --> 00:58:19,230
Have a wonderful day.