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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.

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Let's look into the Bible and
see what God has for us here today.

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Here this morning, we're
starting out the new year with somewhat

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of a new sermon series, even
though we're in the book of Romans.

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So just pause.

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In the book of Romans, we just
finished Romans 8.

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We're not going to Romans 9 yet.

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We're going to go to Romans 9
in a little bit.

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But here at the beginning of
the year, we're going to have a small

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sermon series entitled Church Culture.

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We're going to talk about what
that means.

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And I want you to think about
the word culture here this morning,

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because it might mean
different things to different people,

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but when we talk about the
word culture, it essentially means

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a shared way of life,
including our beliefs, our values,

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our customs.

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Essentially, we could say this
way, a culture is a way a group of

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people do things, how we do things.

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In particular, we're talking
about church culture.

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How should the church live?

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How should the church think?

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How should the church respond?

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How should the church treat
one another?

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How should the church treat
our society around us?

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And I think that the Bible
speaks to that very clearly in the

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book of Ephesians.

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And so if you have your
Bibles, I want us to look here in

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Ephesians, Ephesians, chapter four.

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Because if we're going to find
what our culture should be, our church

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culture, where should we look?

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Well, we shouldn't look to the world.

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We don't want to get our
culture at church from the culture

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that's around us, because
obviously the world's culture is.

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Is a much different culture.

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It's a culture of fleshly living.

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It's a culture of pleasure.

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It's a culture of anger.

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It's a culture of separation,
of bitterness.

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And we certainly don't want to
put that inside our church culture

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here, because we could take
some things that the world thinks

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is completely acceptable, but
when we pull that into the church,

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we see that there's going to
be division.

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We see that there's going to
be pain.

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Pain.

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We see that there's going to
be confusion.

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And obviously we know that God
is not the author of it.

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So where do we get our culture?

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Well, we.

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We don't get our culture from
any of the other belief systems out

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There in the world today, as
you know, there's a bunch of different

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belief systems in this world
that many people follow.

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But if we try to go somewhere
else to find our hope, our truth,

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we're going to miss the boat.

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We're going to miss what God
has for us as a church and what's

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happened over the years as.

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As we've seen the church live
and grow and shrink in some cases.

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And when I'm talking about the
church, I'm not just talking about

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Middletown Baptist Church.

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I'm talking about the church
at large.

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What we've seen is that many
of the things that the world sees

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as completely normal has come
into the church, and the church has

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seen as completely normal.

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And we've had a church culture
that's based in.

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In materialism.

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It's all about what we see.

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It's all about what we have.

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It's all about how much money
we have.

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Or.

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Or we see a church culture
filled with separation.

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We see different groups within
the church and different cliques

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that happen, and a lot of separation.

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And we've seen church culture
based in gossip, right?

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It's all about what we can say
about somebody else or.

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Or what we can share about
someone else's private life.

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And that's been a thing that
we've seen within churches in America.

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We've seen different aspects
of control within the church, right?

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A culture of control.

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Well, there's one person at
the top that makes all the rules

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and makes sure that all the
rules are enforced.

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And there's that control.

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There's.

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There's a culture of concealment.

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For.

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For.

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For many churches, there's
been things that need to be brought

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to light, but churches have
concealed it for whatever reason.

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And so.

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So we think about all these
different elements of.

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Of church culture.

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Concealment, confusion, you
could even say communication, gossip.

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It's all these different currency.

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Materialism could be all these
things that a church bases its culture

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off of.

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But I would say, and I think
many of you would also agree, that

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the best place that we can
find our culture, at least what the

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church should be, is found in
the word of God.

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And there's a lot of passages
of scripture that we could go to,

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but one that I think will be a
blessing for us as we study and hopefully

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a challenge for us as we study
is here In Ephesians, chapter 4.

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In Ephesians, chapter 4, it
says in.

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In verse 1, I, therefore, the
prisoner of the Lord.

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So Paul's recognition here is this.

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I, I am a prisoner of the Lord.

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I Am a servant to the Lord.

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Nothing else has my heart and
nothing else is controlling me.

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What controls me is what God
wants for me.

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And I think that's a good
place to start as a church.

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Question should be this.

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What does God want for us?

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Not.

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Not what does the.

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The city around us want from us?

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Not what the.

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What people that are seeking
different things want from us, but

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what does God want from us?

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If we all agreed to say we're
all servants of God, He.

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He's our master, he's the
director, he's the one that's in

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control.

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And ultimately we're to obey Him.

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The that.

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That's enough right there to
say that's a good place to start

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with church culture, that God
is the head, that Jesus Christ is

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the head.

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The Bible says that Jesus is
the head of the body.

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The Bible says that Jesus is
the chief cornerstone of the building,

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not the physical building, but
the spiritual building.

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And so what we can see here
this morning is that where it starts

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with church culture is it's a
focus on the Lord, it's a focus on

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his word, it's a focus on his will.

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It's a focus on all the
aspects that God wants for us to

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be when it comes to being
believers and children.

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Jesus Christ.

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So he says, I, therefore the
prisoner of the Lord, beseech you,

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beg you, plead with you that
ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith

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you're called, meaning this.

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Walk the way you're supposed
to walk, live the way that you're

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supposed to live, interact
with other Christians the way that

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you're supposed to interact
with other Christians.

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Interact with the lost, the
way that you're supposed to interact

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with the lost, Interact with
God the way that you're supposed

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to interact with Him.

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The Bible says that we're to
walk a certain way, which tells us

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this.

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If there's a right way to
walk, there is a wrong way to walk.

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And a lot of times people
think, well, you know what?

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I'm in church, that's enough.

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I'm not a Muslim or I'm not a
Buddhist, so.

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So that's enough.

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No, the Bible says that church
culture is so much more.

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It's walking in the way that's
worthy of the vocation or the job

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or the purpose in which we are called.

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And by the way, the Bible says
that when we trust in God, when we

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become children of God, we are
called to a purpose.

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We have a job to do.

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We're going to talk more about
what that job is later on in the

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Sermon series.

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But essentially, what we have
to understand is that all of us are

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called for a specific purpose,
and that is to glorify God.

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And he says to walk worthy of that.

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This isn't legalism.

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This isn't, hey, walk a
certain way so that you can be a

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Christian.

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He says, you that are
believers, walk a certain way because

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you are Christians.

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Church should look a certain way.

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Church.

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By the way, let me.

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Let me just go back and not
assume everyone knows what I mean

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by church.

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When I say church, I'm not
talking about this building.

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This is the church building
where we meet.

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But this building is not the church.

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This property is not the church.

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Even though I'm thankful for
what God has blessed us with, with

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materials here.

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But the church, as the Bible
tells us, is the body.

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The body is made up of the believers.

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You, if you are a believer in
Jesus Christ, you are the church.

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We are here together as the
assembly of believers to be the church.

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The Greek word for that.

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You don't need to remember
this, but it's something that you

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can think about is ecclesia,
which means assembly.

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We are the church.

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So when I say the church, I'm
not talking about the building.

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I'm not talking about the
programs, talking about the people.

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So the church should have a culture.

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The people should have a culture.

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A culture itself means this.

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We have to think a certain way collectively.

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We have to believe a certain
way collectively.

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We have to respond a certain
way collectively.

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When I moved to Delaware, I
had to get used to a culture.

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You know, by the way, I'm.

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Some of you might not know this.

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I'm from Florida.

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So Florida has a specific culture.

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Not saying it's the best culture.

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I'm not saying it's a better
culture, but it's a different culture.

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So when I moved here to
Delaware, I had to realize that there

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are certain things that were different.

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For example, I got here.

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The very first time I got
here, someone said, you got to try

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scrapple.

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And I'm like, scrapple?

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I don't know what that is.

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And an apple.

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They go, no, no, it's
something else.

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You got to try it.

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So I tried it.

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And at first time I tried it,
I'm like, okay, that's something.

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Don't necessarily like that,
but it's become an acquired taste.

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And I. I eat scrapple now.

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Okay?

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It's something that I enjoy.

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It's come a long way with that culture.

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So.

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So leaving Florida, I'm gonna
try to put this in a way that we

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can all understand.

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Leaving Florida.

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It never gets cold in Florida.

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Doesn't snow.

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There's no ice.

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And so, culturally speaking, I
had to get used to that change.

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It was a different thing.

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And so it's a way that I think
when I woke up in Florida, I didn't

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have to check my phone.

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Okay, is it going to be snowy?

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Okay, I didn't have to check that.

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Now I. I wake up and I, what
was it a couple days ago?

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I didn't even know it was
supposed to snow.

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I walk outside and it's snowing.

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I'm like, wow, this is crazy.

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That's.

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That's, that's nice.

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That's good.

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So it's a different culture.

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It's a different way of thinking.

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When I was in Florida,
specifically where I was at in Florida,

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when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
would win, it would be a celebration.

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Everyone would be going around
and celebrating.

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Here, it's not that way.

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I don't see anyone celebrating
when my football team wins.

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Okay?

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00:09:56,380 --> 00:09:57,180
It's the other way around.

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00:09:57,180 --> 00:10:00,140
Some people actually might
root against my team if there's other

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00:10:00,140 --> 00:10:01,420
particular teams doing that.

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So.

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00:10:01,660 --> 00:10:03,260
So you get the point that I'm
trying to make here.

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Culture is different in
different areas.

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And it's.

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It's the way that we think.

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It's what we know, it's what
we expect.

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00:10:09,340 --> 00:10:11,900
And sometimes we just learn
that culture.

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00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:16,060
And so sometimes in the
church, we've learned a certain culture

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00:10:16,620 --> 00:10:19,300
that isn't necessarily the
biblical culture of how a church

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should be.

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So we go back to verse number one.

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He says, walk the right way.

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00:10:24,620 --> 00:10:28,860
Walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called.

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00:10:30,140 --> 00:10:31,500
So there's a right way to walk.

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00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:36,540
Church is not just, hey, come
and be as you are and leave as you

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00:10:36,540 --> 00:10:39,820
are, and worship the way you
want to worship and be the way that

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you want to be.

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00:10:40,460 --> 00:10:42,220
That sounds good in our culture.

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But the Bible says that it's
not that we don't come and be the

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way that we want to be.

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00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:49,800
We come and be the way that
God wants us to be.

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We leave changed.

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00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,400
We leave, we leap differently.

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00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,400
It doesn't mean that we're all
going to leave perfectly.

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There's.

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00:10:56,680 --> 00:11:00,040
It doesn't say walk perfectly
because none of us can walk perfectly,

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00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,080
but all of us can strive to
walk more and more like Christ.

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00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,640
To walk worthy, you might say,
well, what does it mean to walk worthy?

281
00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,320
What does it mean to walk like Christ?

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00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,680
Well, he goes on to say what
it looks like.

283
00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,080
He goes on to actually list
certain character traits that should

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00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:19,110
be character traits that are
reflected in A proper biblical church

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00:11:19,270 --> 00:11:19,910
culture.

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00:11:20,070 --> 00:11:22,830
And I'm going to tell you,
they're all opposite of what the

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00:11:22,830 --> 00:11:23,670
world tells us.

288
00:11:23,990 --> 00:11:25,190
Because what does the world
tell us?

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00:11:25,190 --> 00:11:28,630
It's all about you, it's all
about materials, it's all about pride,

290
00:11:28,630 --> 00:11:30,150
it's all about lifting
yourself up.

291
00:11:30,150 --> 00:11:32,390
It's all about getting yours
when you can.

292
00:11:32,470 --> 00:11:35,350
What does it say in verse
number two with all lowliness.

293
00:11:35,350 --> 00:11:36,310
Okay, right there.

294
00:11:36,310 --> 00:11:39,750
That strikes out that
thinking, biblically speaking, church

295
00:11:39,750 --> 00:11:42,430
culture, lowliness in the King
James means humility.

296
00:11:43,390 --> 00:11:47,310
Church culture should be
characterized by humility.

297
00:11:47,390 --> 00:11:49,910
All should be characterized by humility.

298
00:11:49,910 --> 00:11:53,630
By the way that we talk, by
the way that we serve, by the way

299
00:11:53,630 --> 00:11:54,990
that we react to people.

300
00:11:55,310 --> 00:11:55,830
Humility.

301
00:11:55,830 --> 00:11:56,469
What's humility?

302
00:11:56,469 --> 00:12:01,070
Well, it's putting someone
before myself, it's putting their

303
00:12:01,070 --> 00:12:02,190
needs before my needs.

304
00:12:02,910 --> 00:12:05,310
It's not expecting to be
lifted up.

305
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,840
The Bible actually says that
those people who expect to be lifted

306
00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,480
up are going to be ones that
are torn down.

307
00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,760
God resists the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.

308
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,560
I think all of us want to be
characterized by God's grace and

309
00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:23,280
to experience and to live and
to rest in God's grace.

310
00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:27,720
We must all realize the
humility that Jesus had and reflect

311
00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,800
that type of humility by the
way that we live our lives.

312
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,500
So church culture is a humble culture.

313
00:12:32,650 --> 00:12:33,050
Culture.

314
00:12:33,690 --> 00:12:36,850
It's not about getting the
attention, it's not about being in

315
00:12:36,850 --> 00:12:37,610
the spotlight.

316
00:12:38,410 --> 00:12:41,210
It's not about tearing other
people down so that I can be lifted

317
00:12:41,210 --> 00:12:41,450
up.

318
00:12:41,690 --> 00:12:43,970
Now I'm going to be saying
some tough things here this morning,

319
00:12:43,970 --> 00:12:47,170
but because the word of God
points us to this, the word of God

320
00:12:47,170 --> 00:12:50,090
points to a spirit of
humility, lowliness.

321
00:12:50,810 --> 00:12:52,970
You might say, well I'm better
than that.

322
00:12:53,210 --> 00:12:54,330
You don't know who I am.

323
00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:56,170
You don't know what I've accomplished.

324
00:12:56,330 --> 00:12:58,730
You know what, if anyone
accomplished anything, it was Jesus.

325
00:12:59,910 --> 00:13:03,670
Philippians, chapter two, it
says that he humbled himself, took

326
00:13:03,670 --> 00:13:04,950
a form of a servant.

327
00:13:06,230 --> 00:13:10,950
You know, in John 13 he washed
the disciples feet, one of which

328
00:13:10,950 --> 00:13:13,430
would betray him, one of which
would deny him.

329
00:13:14,630 --> 00:13:18,230
So that's the type of humility
that we're called to have within

330
00:13:18,230 --> 00:13:18,790
the church.

331
00:13:19,670 --> 00:13:22,150
The church is all about this
ministry is more important than this

332
00:13:22,150 --> 00:13:22,710
ministry.

333
00:13:22,710 --> 00:13:24,270
And this is my territory.

334
00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:28,760
And this, that, that becomes
an issue that we cannot walk in unity,

335
00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,480
which we're going to talk
about here in a few moments.

336
00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:34,040
And so the, the first step of
living that culture, obviously outside

337
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,680
of faith in Jesus Christ and
walking worthy would be to walk with

338
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:38,800
that humbled spirit.

339
00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:43,080
But then you see here, the
next thing Is it says so.

340
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,720
So a lot of times what people
would say is this, humility means

341
00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:46,240
I'm weak.

342
00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:47,000
I have to be weak.

343
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,160
I have to be walked all over.

344
00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:49,440
I have to just take it.

345
00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,350
No, because with humility
comes meekness.

346
00:13:52,350 --> 00:13:55,590
And meekness could be
considered strength under control,

347
00:13:56,550 --> 00:13:57,350
gentleness.

348
00:13:57,510 --> 00:13:59,990
Some of the strongest people
that I know are gentle.

349
00:14:00,950 --> 00:14:04,030
The reality is that strength
doesn't necessarily always equal

350
00:14:04,030 --> 00:14:06,870
violence and anger and being boisterous.

351
00:14:07,270 --> 00:14:12,510
Actually, true strength means
I'm under control because true strength

352
00:14:12,510 --> 00:14:16,230
is an individual who can say,
yes, I have a temptation, but no,

353
00:14:16,230 --> 00:14:17,830
I don't need to give into that temptation.

354
00:14:18,710 --> 00:14:21,270
The world thinks that strength
is, I do whatever I want to do.

355
00:14:21,590 --> 00:14:24,550
If I want to go do that, I'm
going to go do it.

356
00:14:24,550 --> 00:14:25,670
That's strength and control.

357
00:14:25,910 --> 00:14:29,670
But real strength, real
control, real meekness is I have

358
00:14:29,670 --> 00:14:32,550
the strength and the ability
to do it, but I'm going to allow

359
00:14:32,870 --> 00:14:37,670
my beliefs, my culture, my
faith to dictate to me that I don't

360
00:14:37,670 --> 00:14:38,470
have to do that.

361
00:14:38,710 --> 00:14:40,150
I don't have to convince that.

362
00:14:40,550 --> 00:14:44,070
Again, another example of
meekness, Jesus on the cross.

363
00:14:45,540 --> 00:14:49,020
Jesus wasn't hanging on the
cross thinking, I wish I could take

364
00:14:49,020 --> 00:14:50,020
all these people out.

365
00:14:50,340 --> 00:14:51,220
He could have.

366
00:14:51,460 --> 00:14:54,740
The Bible says he could have
called a legion of angels and wiped

367
00:14:54,740 --> 00:14:55,940
out everybody, but he didn't.

368
00:14:55,940 --> 00:14:57,460
It was strength under control.

369
00:14:58,100 --> 00:15:01,980
So within the church, there's
this idea of gentleness, this idea

370
00:15:01,980 --> 00:15:02,660
of meekness.

371
00:15:03,540 --> 00:15:06,660
It means that, hey, I can be
strong in my faith, I can be strong

372
00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:12,020
in my opinion, I can be strong
in what I stand for in Jesus Christ,

373
00:15:12,290 --> 00:15:15,170
but at the same time, being
gentle in how I deal with people.

374
00:15:16,050 --> 00:15:16,410
So.

375
00:15:16,410 --> 00:15:18,450
So one way that Paul worded it
is this.

376
00:15:18,530 --> 00:15:20,130
Speaking the truth in love.

377
00:15:21,010 --> 00:15:23,410
We don't have to sacrifice truth.

378
00:15:24,050 --> 00:15:26,610
And what we have is our
strength is the truth of God.

379
00:15:26,610 --> 00:15:30,130
We don't have to sacrifice our
truth to be loving and kind and gentle.

380
00:15:30,290 --> 00:15:33,090
We can be truthful and gentle
at the same time.

381
00:15:33,570 --> 00:15:36,770
And that's one aspect of a
church culture, is that, hey, there's

382
00:15:36,770 --> 00:15:39,530
going to be times that I need
to stand up and be strong, but I

383
00:15:39,530 --> 00:15:42,740
do it in a way that, that's
kind and gentle to those that are

384
00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:43,020
around.

385
00:15:43,820 --> 00:15:45,500
It's not to tear somebody down.

386
00:15:46,540 --> 00:15:50,540
Especially in a, in a context
of a new Christian folks, we're gonna,

387
00:15:50,540 --> 00:15:54,860
if we're a biblical growing
church, we're gonna have new Christians

388
00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:56,540
praise God for that.

389
00:15:57,020 --> 00:16:00,860
But new Christians sometimes
are not going to be as mature as

390
00:16:01,020 --> 00:16:02,060
older Christians.

391
00:16:02,380 --> 00:16:03,900
That's just the reality of it.

392
00:16:04,140 --> 00:16:05,820
There, there's a, There are
Babes in Christ.

393
00:16:05,820 --> 00:16:07,180
Babes in Christ need to learn.

394
00:16:07,180 --> 00:16:08,380
Babes in Christ are needy.

395
00:16:09,630 --> 00:16:12,230
Babes in Christ are going to
be confused in some places.

396
00:16:12,230 --> 00:16:14,310
And we don't just beat them up
for their confusion.

397
00:16:14,310 --> 00:16:20,670
We say, hey, I'm going to take
it upon my responsibility to disciple

398
00:16:20,830 --> 00:16:23,630
and to love and to be gentle
with someone who needs that learning.

399
00:16:24,990 --> 00:16:27,830
And so we see here that
there's lowliness, humility, there's

400
00:16:27,830 --> 00:16:29,310
meekness, that's gentleness.

401
00:16:29,310 --> 00:16:33,110
And with all of that, though,
within the spirit of humility and

402
00:16:33,110 --> 00:16:35,900
within the spirit of
gentleness or meekness, we have something

403
00:16:35,900 --> 00:16:40,580
here that the Bible says is
called with long suffering or patience.

404
00:16:41,540 --> 00:16:45,700
Church culture, Biblical
church culture is a culture of patience.

405
00:16:46,420 --> 00:16:49,940
While I like the word long
suffering because it's very picturesque,

406
00:16:49,940 --> 00:16:50,260
right?

407
00:16:50,420 --> 00:16:54,420
Suffering means to allow or to
endure suffering long.

408
00:16:54,820 --> 00:16:56,660
I'm enduring a long time.

409
00:16:56,660 --> 00:16:57,860
I have patience with others.

410
00:16:57,860 --> 00:17:00,500
And that's what we talk about,
specifically with new Christians.

411
00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:00,900
There's.

412
00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,280
There is a spirit of patience
that we have to have.

413
00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:04,480
It's okay.

414
00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,000
It's okay if someone doesn't
get it the first time.

415
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:07,800
How many of us.

416
00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:09,960
Don't raise your hand because
I don't want to embarrass you, but

417
00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,560
how many of us got it the
first time?

418
00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,920
Probably none of us could
raise our hand and say, I got it

419
00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:14,880
all right the first time.

420
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:15,640
I was.

421
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:15,880
I'm.

422
00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,359
I've been a perfect Christian
from the start.

423
00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:17,760
No.

424
00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,320
All of us have had times in
our life where we've stumbled.

425
00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,560
All of us in our life have had
times where we were confused, where

426
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,680
we made the wrong decision and.

427
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,200
And hopefully people were patient.

428
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,320
I've had so many people that
have been patient with me at various

429
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,240
stages of my life, and I'm
thankful for that.

430
00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,200
And so the church culture
should be a culture of patience.

431
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:42,200
It doesn't mean that we allow
things to just keep going on without

432
00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:43,640
addressing them.

433
00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:45,080
It's not what that's talking about.

434
00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,080
Because we know that God is patient.

435
00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,880
He's long suffering, but he
doesn't just let things go forever.

436
00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:51,800
He doesn't just overlook sin.

437
00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:54,440
And so again, patience doesn't
mean overlooking sin.

438
00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:59,030
Patience means dealing with it
in a way that's enduring and having

439
00:17:59,030 --> 00:18:02,510
a focus of, as it's going to
say here at the very end of the verse,

440
00:18:02,590 --> 00:18:04,830
for bearing one another in love.

441
00:18:05,950 --> 00:18:09,470
The spirit of it would be the
church culture is characterized by

442
00:18:09,470 --> 00:18:12,350
love, biblical, sacrificial love.

443
00:18:12,510 --> 00:18:14,390
And I like the way that Paul
puts it here.

444
00:18:14,390 --> 00:18:17,350
He says, forbearing one
another in love.

445
00:18:17,350 --> 00:18:20,190
And there's a lot that we
could say about that word forbearing.

446
00:18:20,190 --> 00:18:24,020
But basically what it means is
to endure, to.

447
00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:25,540
To endure with love.

448
00:18:25,540 --> 00:18:29,220
Because there's going to be
times in our Christian walk where

449
00:18:29,220 --> 00:18:32,900
we're tempted to give up on
people, where we're tempted not to

450
00:18:33,220 --> 00:18:37,620
give them patience, grace,
meekness, and love.

451
00:18:38,020 --> 00:18:40,100
And I, and I think that's
something to think about when it

452
00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:40,580
comes to.

453
00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:42,780
Even if you look at the Greek
word, the.

454
00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:46,100
The definition of the Greek
word literally means to hold up.

455
00:18:47,550 --> 00:18:48,630
So think about it this way.

456
00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:54,030
The Bible tells us to hold one
another up in love because my brother

457
00:18:54,110 --> 00:18:57,950
or sister might be weak in a situation.

458
00:18:59,070 --> 00:19:02,270
Maybe they're going through a
hard time, and maybe they're responding

459
00:19:02,270 --> 00:19:06,470
in a specific way that isn't
as agreeable as I would want it to

460
00:19:06,470 --> 00:19:06,750
be.

461
00:19:07,230 --> 00:19:11,990
The Bible says to forbear
them, to hold them up in love, because

462
00:19:11,990 --> 00:19:15,430
I love them more than the
offense that I just experience.

463
00:19:15,750 --> 00:19:18,630
Now, there is a biblical way
to deal with sin.

464
00:19:18,790 --> 00:19:20,070
We're not talking about that yet.

465
00:19:20,550 --> 00:19:23,950
What we're talking about is a
personal slight or difficulty or

466
00:19:23,950 --> 00:19:24,950
maybe just their.

467
00:19:25,510 --> 00:19:27,030
Their struggle that they're
going through.

468
00:19:27,030 --> 00:19:27,270
We.

469
00:19:27,270 --> 00:19:28,630
We forbear them in love.

470
00:19:28,630 --> 00:19:30,630
And even with forbearance come forgiveness.

471
00:19:31,510 --> 00:19:31,870
They're.

472
00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:34,070
They're almost very, very
similar words.

473
00:19:34,310 --> 00:19:38,230
Forbearance has the idea that
I'm offering up grace, I'm offering

474
00:19:38,230 --> 00:19:39,670
up the gift of forgiveness.

475
00:19:39,670 --> 00:19:42,910
And then forgiveness is that
restoration process when that other

476
00:19:42,910 --> 00:19:45,760
individual recognizes where
they have gone wrong.

477
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,560
Then we get together and we
have forgiveness and restoration.

478
00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,040
The Bible speaks of that
within church culture as well.

479
00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,520
But when we're talking about
this in, in this verse, he's.

480
00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,080
He's talking here about
holding one another up in love.

481
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,879
So if we take the Bible for
what it says, the Bible says that,

482
00:19:59,879 --> 00:20:01,680
hey, we're all servants of God.

483
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:03,360
That's church culture.

484
00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:06,360
We are to walk worthy.

485
00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:07,920
We're to walk a specific way.

486
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:08,360
What's that?

487
00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:11,120
Way to walk with lowliness.

488
00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:14,680
That's humility, meekness,
that's gentleness, strength under

489
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,400
control, long suffering.

490
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:17,320
That's patience.

491
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,800
And then forbearing one
another in love, essentially dealing

492
00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:25,400
with other people with a
loving, kind way that agape love,

493
00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,000
we all know what agape love,
it's sacrificial love.

494
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,400
It's not a love that, hey,
I'll love that person if they love

495
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:30,760
me.

496
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,240
I'll give to that person if
they give to me.

497
00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,760
I'll be patient with that
person if they're patient with me.

498
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,250
No, biblically speaking, if
the church is a culture of love,

499
00:20:39,250 --> 00:20:42,170
we're loving without accepting
that love back.

500
00:20:43,050 --> 00:20:44,130
And, and we know that.

501
00:20:44,130 --> 00:20:46,610
Remember that guy that came to
Jesus and he said, hey, Jesus, what's

502
00:20:46,610 --> 00:20:47,490
the greatest commandment?

503
00:20:47,490 --> 00:20:49,730
He says, well, to love God
with everything and to love your

504
00:20:49,730 --> 00:20:50,570
neighbor as yourself.

505
00:20:51,930 --> 00:20:54,410
That, that's the way that we
should respond within church.

506
00:20:54,490 --> 00:20:56,250
It's called, it's called the
Great Commandment.

507
00:20:56,970 --> 00:20:59,410
The Great Commandment is to
love God with everything that we

508
00:20:59,410 --> 00:21:01,450
have, our heart, soul, mind
and strength.

509
00:21:02,340 --> 00:21:03,700
That's, that's, that's meaning this.

510
00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:08,140
I have to have my relationship
with God right, the vertical relationship

511
00:21:08,140 --> 00:21:11,380
with God where I need it to be
so that I can be the right type of

512
00:21:11,380 --> 00:21:14,180
individual within the body of
the believers.

513
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,980
Because if my walk with God is
not right, my walk with other Christians

514
00:21:17,980 --> 00:21:18,900
is not going to be right.

515
00:21:19,540 --> 00:21:22,540
And the truth of the matter
is, in this case is what Paul is

516
00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:25,100
telling us is it has to be
characterized by love.

517
00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:26,780
That's what Jesus was telling us.

518
00:21:26,780 --> 00:21:29,260
It has to be characterized by
love, love for God.

519
00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:32,740
Then our love for God, as we
see in First John, will stem out

520
00:21:32,740 --> 00:21:35,500
and it'll be displayed by how
we love others.

521
00:21:37,180 --> 00:21:39,100
So, Pastor, get practical.

522
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:39,820
What does that mean?

523
00:21:39,980 --> 00:21:42,380
Well, loving others means
doing good, brother.

524
00:21:42,540 --> 00:21:44,700
Treating them as you would
want to be treated.

525
00:21:45,580 --> 00:21:49,500
It might mean giving gifts, it
might mean teaching them.

526
00:21:50,060 --> 00:21:53,540
It might mean in more
difficult sense, it might mean calling

527
00:21:53,540 --> 00:21:55,260
them out on something to help
them out.

528
00:21:56,050 --> 00:21:58,930
Now, again, there's a way that
we can call out people.

529
00:21:59,730 --> 00:22:03,810
That's not love, that's
selfish, that's prideful, that's

530
00:22:03,810 --> 00:22:06,210
not lowliness of mind, that's
not meek.

531
00:22:06,290 --> 00:22:09,450
And so the Bible says that
love is essentially doing to others

532
00:22:09,450 --> 00:22:11,090
what we would want them to do
to us.

533
00:22:11,090 --> 00:22:13,650
Caring for them, sacrificing
for them.

534
00:22:14,450 --> 00:22:17,330
And so biblically speaking, it
might mean a lot of different things

535
00:22:17,330 --> 00:22:19,490
for us as a church to show
love for one another.

536
00:22:20,210 --> 00:22:21,890
So then we're going to go a
little bit further here.

537
00:22:21,890 --> 00:22:28,350
So church culture so far has
been walking with God, faith in God,

538
00:22:28,350 --> 00:22:31,470
walking with God, walking with
others with lowliness.

539
00:22:31,470 --> 00:22:35,630
That's humility, meekness,
long suffering, patience for bearing

540
00:22:35,630 --> 00:22:36,230
one another, love.

541
00:22:36,230 --> 00:22:38,190
And then here's the big one,
verse three.

542
00:22:38,510 --> 00:22:39,390
Endeavoring.

543
00:22:39,950 --> 00:22:42,270
That's a strong word,
endeavoring, pursuing.

544
00:22:43,150 --> 00:22:45,670
If I'm going out on an
endeavor, it's, it's, it's something

545
00:22:45,670 --> 00:22:46,710
that I'm going after.

546
00:22:46,710 --> 00:22:48,710
I'm, I'm pursuing after this.

547
00:22:48,710 --> 00:22:51,190
This is not something that I'm
casually doing.

548
00:22:51,910 --> 00:22:57,110
It says endeavoring to keep
what the unity of the spirit.

549
00:22:58,310 --> 00:23:03,470
Church culture is unified
doesn't mean that it's uniform, by

550
00:23:03,470 --> 00:23:03,710
the way.

551
00:23:03,710 --> 00:23:06,149
Uniform Means this uniform
means everything looks the same,

552
00:23:06,149 --> 00:23:09,590
everyone acts the same,
everyone talks the certain way.

553
00:23:09,590 --> 00:23:12,230
Everyone likes the same
football teams, everyone likes the

554
00:23:12,230 --> 00:23:12,670
same food.

555
00:23:12,670 --> 00:23:15,110
That's not going to happen in
the body of Christ.

556
00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:16,040
Just not.

557
00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:17,040
It's not realistic.

558
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,480
Especially a church that has
different cultures, by the way.

559
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,960
I'm not degrading any other
culture, by the way.

560
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:23,800
I. I love.

561
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,120
One of the things I love about
Middletown Baptist Church is all

562
00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,440
the different cultures from
around the world have come together

563
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,320
here as the body of believers.

564
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:30,920
I like.

565
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,320
I like other cultures, food.

566
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,040
I like other cultures,
different ways of doing things.

567
00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,760
Like, I. I never give you an
example of this.

568
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,760
Growing up, taking off my
shoes in the house was like, not

569
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:41,880
even something we did.

570
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:42,880
We wore shoes in the house.

571
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:43,200
We.

572
00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:44,730
Some of you say, I wear shoes
in my house.

573
00:23:44,730 --> 00:23:45,410
It's no big deal.

574
00:23:45,410 --> 00:23:47,530
Well, you might not know, but
there's some cultures that.

575
00:23:47,530 --> 00:23:48,570
No shoes in the house.

576
00:23:48,570 --> 00:23:49,090
That's like.

577
00:23:49,090 --> 00:23:50,490
That's like, disgraceful.

578
00:23:50,810 --> 00:23:51,650
I didn't know that.

579
00:23:51,650 --> 00:23:53,370
And I can appreciate that culture.

580
00:23:53,690 --> 00:23:56,410
And so it doesn't mean that
one culture outside of the Bible

581
00:23:56,410 --> 00:23:57,450
is better than the other.

582
00:23:57,450 --> 00:23:59,850
What it's talking about is
that there's a different type of

583
00:23:59,930 --> 00:24:03,130
eternal kingdom culture that's
happening within the church, that

584
00:24:03,130 --> 00:24:06,090
people from different
backgrounds, different skin colors,

585
00:24:06,330 --> 00:24:11,280
different food groups, a
different cultural climate, places

586
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,040
can come together and be unified.

587
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,640
And so he says, endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit.

588
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,640
So it's not talking about uniformity.

589
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,720
Uniformity would mean this.

590
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,720
Everyone's going to walk into
church looking exactly like Pastor

591
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:24,080
Josh.

592
00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,240
You're not just not a good Christian.

593
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:28,400
And that's just not what the
Bible is saying.

594
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,040
Uniformity would mean this.

595
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,600
Whatever Pastor Josh says
goes, and there's no questioning

596
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:34,960
it.

597
00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:36,480
That's uniformity.

598
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:38,400
But unity is this.

599
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:43,080
We all come together with one
purpose, and we're not fighting against

600
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:43,680
each other.

601
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:48,120
It doesn't mean that there's
going to be uniformity in all of

602
00:24:48,120 --> 00:24:48,800
our opinions.

603
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:50,120
Right?

604
00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:50,880
That's okay.

605
00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:54,400
But the Bible says that as we
move forward in, as it says here,

606
00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,400
unity in the spirit.

607
00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:57,680
Unity of the spirit.

608
00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,920
We know that the unity can
come from something bigger than our

609
00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:01,440
opinions.

610
00:25:02,490 --> 00:25:04,010
Unity doesn't come from our opinions.

611
00:25:04,010 --> 00:25:06,330
It doesn't come from our circumstances.

612
00:25:06,410 --> 00:25:08,330
It doesn't even come from our feelings.

613
00:25:08,490 --> 00:25:09,850
What does unity come from?

614
00:25:09,850 --> 00:25:11,690
It says it right here in verse three.

615
00:25:12,010 --> 00:25:13,010
From the Spirit.

616
00:25:13,010 --> 00:25:14,810
What are we talking about when
we talk about the Spirit?

617
00:25:14,810 --> 00:25:17,410
Well, all of you, if you don't
know, I will tell you.

618
00:25:17,410 --> 00:25:19,810
All of you, if you're a
believer in Jesus Christ, have the

619
00:25:19,810 --> 00:25:21,210
Holy Spirit living within you.

620
00:25:21,450 --> 00:25:25,570
And so the same Spirit that
lives within me when I trust in Jesus

621
00:25:25,570 --> 00:25:28,010
Christ is the same Spirit
that's living within you if you've

622
00:25:28,010 --> 00:25:28,970
trusted in Jesus Christ.

623
00:25:29,510 --> 00:25:30,110
So what does that mean?

624
00:25:30,110 --> 00:25:33,870
That means that if we're
following the Spirit, if we're yielded

625
00:25:33,870 --> 00:25:37,270
to the Spirit, if we trust in
the Spirit's will for our lives,

626
00:25:37,590 --> 00:25:40,150
then we're walking with that
same focus.

627
00:25:40,870 --> 00:25:44,470
And you might say, well, I
think we should, you know, do it

628
00:25:44,470 --> 00:25:44,830
this way.

629
00:25:44,830 --> 00:25:46,550
And I say, I think we should
do it this way.

630
00:25:46,550 --> 00:25:48,870
Well, biblically speaking,
what that looks like is coming together

631
00:25:48,870 --> 00:25:51,550
and figuring out how the
Spirit would want us to do it.

632
00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:55,430
Because maybe I'm wrong, maybe
you're wrong, maybe we're both wrong.

633
00:25:55,830 --> 00:25:58,590
And the idea would be, is that
unity is we're going to come together

634
00:25:58,590 --> 00:26:02,550
and we're going to be humble,
we're going to be meek, we're going

635
00:26:02,550 --> 00:26:05,990
to be forbearing, we're going
to be patient, and we're going to

636
00:26:05,990 --> 00:26:08,550
see what God's plan is for us
on the bigger picture.

637
00:26:08,870 --> 00:26:13,750
And sometimes that means dying
to my wants, dying to my preferences.

638
00:26:14,470 --> 00:26:15,830
We all have preferences.

639
00:26:16,710 --> 00:26:20,550
You know, I. I have
preferences, but sometimes my preferences

640
00:26:20,550 --> 00:26:23,000
have to die for the Spirit to work.

641
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:25,160
And that's a hard thing to
talk about.

642
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,360
None of us want to talk about
that because we want it our way.

643
00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,760
But if we're truly thinking
about the unity of God, we want a

644
00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:32,440
God's way.

645
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:33,960
So he says, there's one body.

646
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,040
We're going to get to that
here in a moment.

647
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:37,480
But there's one body.

648
00:26:37,639 --> 00:26:39,560
It's the unity of the Spirit.

649
00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:41,520
So, so what does that mean?

650
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:42,280
It means this.

651
00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,280
God's desire for the church,
and specifically within the church

652
00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:47,880
culture, is that we're unified.

653
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,680
We're not all the same, but
we're unified in our purpose.

654
00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:58,200
And that is to follow God, to
walk his way, to proclaim the gospel,

655
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:04,680
to see other people come to
Christ, to do the work of the ministry.

656
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,600
So he says, endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the

657
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:13,000
bond of peace, meaning this,
the church should be characterized

658
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,410
by unity and peace, not chaos
and comedy.

659
00:27:17,690 --> 00:27:19,210
Doesn't mean that all churches
are perfect.

660
00:27:19,210 --> 00:27:22,730
That doesn't mean that all
churches won't go through times of

661
00:27:23,290 --> 00:27:24,570
chaos and conflict.

662
00:27:24,650 --> 00:27:26,890
But that should not be what
we're characterized by.

663
00:27:27,370 --> 00:27:32,650
The biblical church is
characterized by unity and peace.

664
00:27:33,930 --> 00:27:34,850
If there is.

665
00:27:34,850 --> 00:27:37,250
Let me say it, Let me say it
clearly, and some of you might not

666
00:27:37,250 --> 00:27:39,610
agree with me on this, but I
think this is a strong biblical point.

667
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,280
If the church is walking in
division and chaos and conflict,

668
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:45,480
we are not following this.

669
00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:47,360
We are not.

670
00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:49,080
We as a church are not
following God.

671
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,560
If we are divided, because
that's actually what Satan wants.

672
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,360
Satan wants to divide and conquer.

673
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,760
Satan doesn't care what we're
fighting over.

674
00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,280
He just wants us to be fighting.

675
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:00,680
He wants us to be divided.

676
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,080
And so what we do as a church
is instead of just saying, well,

677
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:04,560
you know what?

678
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:05,520
We're going to be divided.

679
00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:10,340
Now, there is a time and a
place within the church to divide

680
00:28:10,340 --> 00:28:11,100
and separate.

681
00:28:11,180 --> 00:28:13,740
Okay, when we're talking about
biblical teachings.

682
00:28:14,140 --> 00:28:17,060
So let's say, for example,
today we had someone come up and

683
00:28:17,060 --> 00:28:19,260
they say, pastor Josh, we
don't like what you're preaching.

684
00:28:19,740 --> 00:28:20,100
We.

685
00:28:20,100 --> 00:28:22,300
We think that there's another
way to get to heaven.

686
00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:23,020
We.

687
00:28:23,020 --> 00:28:25,580
We think that if you just work
really hard, you can get to heaven.

688
00:28:25,580 --> 00:28:27,660
And we're going to take part
of the church and we're going to

689
00:28:27,660 --> 00:28:28,220
believe that.

690
00:28:28,780 --> 00:28:32,460
Okay, that, that is not a time
where we say, well, we can agree

691
00:28:32,460 --> 00:28:34,460
with that and have unity with
that type of teaching.

692
00:28:34,460 --> 00:28:36,450
No, biblically speaking, if we're.

693
00:28:36,450 --> 00:28:36,730
If.

694
00:28:36,730 --> 00:28:40,490
If we're dealing with heresy
and we're dealing with public rebellion

695
00:28:40,490 --> 00:28:43,530
to God and sin, then we don't
unify in that.

696
00:28:43,690 --> 00:28:44,330
Okay, that.

697
00:28:44,330 --> 00:28:45,610
That's a time where we separate.

698
00:28:45,610 --> 00:28:48,250
And the Bible talks about how
to deal with that Biblically.

699
00:28:48,250 --> 00:28:50,210
We're not talking about that particularly.

700
00:28:50,210 --> 00:28:52,810
What we're dealing with is
things that aren't dealing with theology,

701
00:28:53,210 --> 00:28:56,090
other things that can cause us
to have division within the church.

702
00:28:57,530 --> 00:29:00,090
You know, I use this as a
silly analogy, but you guys get the

703
00:29:00,090 --> 00:29:00,210
point.

704
00:29:00,210 --> 00:29:01,780
What I'm trying to say,
hopefully you get.

705
00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:06,980
We have a potluck dinner and
maybe someone you spend like hours

706
00:29:06,980 --> 00:29:09,940
on, your favorite dish, let's
call it potato salad.

707
00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:12,900
You had your potato salad just
right, seasoned just right.

708
00:29:13,220 --> 00:29:16,380
And some other person walks by
your potato salad and says, oh, I

709
00:29:16,380 --> 00:29:18,060
can't stand that type of
potato salad.

710
00:29:18,060 --> 00:29:18,820
That's terrible.

711
00:29:18,900 --> 00:29:20,180
I would never eat that.

712
00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:22,180
Oh, my.

713
00:29:22,180 --> 00:29:23,380
Now we've got a problem.

714
00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:25,740
Now we've got division.

715
00:29:25,740 --> 00:29:26,780
Now we've got anger.

716
00:29:26,780 --> 00:29:29,380
Can you believe that someone
said that about my dish?

717
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,640
And something that has nothing
to do with theology or salvation

718
00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,040
has now become a spirit of
division within the church.

719
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:36,320
That's.

720
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:37,440
That's detrimental.

721
00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,960
And so what we have to do
within our church culture is we have

722
00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:48,040
to say what matters to the
gospel, and what do I have to extend

723
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:54,560
in patience, humility and
grace and forbearance and say, okay,

724
00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,880
at this point, I'm going to
Err on the side of.

725
00:29:57,610 --> 00:30:02,890
And by the way, lest you think
that unity is not important to God,

726
00:30:02,890 --> 00:30:06,010
if you look at Jesus's high
priestly prayer in the book of John,

727
00:30:07,530 --> 00:30:08,650
give you some time.

728
00:30:08,970 --> 00:30:13,650
We don't have time now, but at
some point, read John 17, Jesus's

729
00:30:13,650 --> 00:30:16,410
prayer to the Father for his
church, for his followers.

730
00:30:16,570 --> 00:30:20,970
You know, one of the things
that he prays for, praise for unity.

731
00:30:22,170 --> 00:30:25,750
Now Jesus desire unity within
the church.

732
00:30:25,750 --> 00:30:28,150
I think it's something that we
should endeavor, strive.

733
00:30:29,350 --> 00:30:30,390
And so we move forward.

734
00:30:30,390 --> 00:30:30,990
We move forward.

735
00:30:30,990 --> 00:30:33,990
He says this is how you can
have this type of unity in the spirit,

736
00:30:33,990 --> 00:30:35,030
in the bond of peace.

737
00:30:35,350 --> 00:30:36,950
This is why you can have it.

738
00:30:37,110 --> 00:30:38,150
There is one body.

739
00:30:39,349 --> 00:30:39,910
One body?

740
00:30:39,910 --> 00:30:40,750
What are you talking about?

741
00:30:40,750 --> 00:30:42,950
One body, One body of the church.

742
00:30:43,110 --> 00:30:45,790
In the book of First
Corinthians, the Bible tells us that

743
00:30:45,790 --> 00:30:48,150
the church is a body made up
of different parts.

744
00:30:48,150 --> 00:30:50,310
Some are the ear, some are the
eye, some are the.

745
00:30:50,650 --> 00:30:52,890
The foot, but God is the head.

746
00:30:53,210 --> 00:30:55,730
Not all of us can be the ear,
because if all of us were the ear,

747
00:30:55,730 --> 00:30:56,970
there'd be a problem with seeing.

748
00:30:57,050 --> 00:30:59,290
Not all of us could be the eye
because some of us couldn't hear.

749
00:30:59,290 --> 00:31:02,250
And so the Bible tells us that
all of us are part of the body.

750
00:31:02,250 --> 00:31:06,130
It's one body, different
parts, but one body, one spirit.

751
00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:07,930
We've already talked about that.

752
00:31:08,170 --> 00:31:09,610
We all have the same spirit.

753
00:31:10,250 --> 00:31:14,290
Even as you're called in one
hope of your calling, meaning all

754
00:31:14,290 --> 00:31:17,930
of us are called with the same
hope to glorify God and to walk with

755
00:31:17,930 --> 00:31:19,650
him one day for eternity.

756
00:31:20,050 --> 00:31:20,970
That's the type that's.

757
00:31:20,970 --> 00:31:21,770
We all have the same hope.

758
00:31:21,770 --> 00:31:24,490
If your hope is outside of
that, you have the wrong hope and

759
00:31:24,490 --> 00:31:25,490
we're going to have the vision.

760
00:31:25,490 --> 00:31:27,250
If my hope is this, okay, I'm.

761
00:31:27,250 --> 00:31:28,930
I'm just trying to have real
talk with you guys today.

762
00:31:29,330 --> 00:31:32,050
If my hope is that people are
going to praise me at the end of

763
00:31:32,050 --> 00:31:35,810
this year, at the end of 2026,
I want everyone to come up to me

764
00:31:35,810 --> 00:31:40,530
and tell me how great of a
pastor that I am, and that's my hope.

765
00:31:41,980 --> 00:31:44,700
And then your hope is, well, I
hope that, you know, Pastor Josh

766
00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:45,380
leaves the church.

767
00:31:45,380 --> 00:31:45,820
Okay?

768
00:31:46,380 --> 00:31:49,780
The problem's going to be that
we have two different hopes and neither

769
00:31:49,780 --> 00:31:51,300
one of them are going to be fulfilled.

770
00:31:51,300 --> 00:31:52,540
And then there's the vision, right?

771
00:31:52,860 --> 00:31:55,460
What if all of our hope is
that one day we get to walk with

772
00:31:55,460 --> 00:31:56,420
our Savior, Jesus Christ?

773
00:31:56,420 --> 00:31:59,260
In the meantime, we serve him
to the best of our ability, Then

774
00:31:59,260 --> 00:32:00,660
we are going to be on the same page.

775
00:32:00,660 --> 00:32:01,780
That's how we can have unity.

776
00:32:01,780 --> 00:32:03,020
We have the same hope.

777
00:32:03,580 --> 00:32:04,540
The same hope.

778
00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:06,940
Where is our hope placed?

779
00:32:07,990 --> 00:32:09,070
Well, my hope is placed.

780
00:32:09,070 --> 00:32:10,670
I. I gotta make sure, Pastor.

781
00:32:10,670 --> 00:32:13,510
I gotta make sure that, you
know, my.

782
00:32:13,510 --> 00:32:16,830
My affairs are all in order,
that all of my money is where it

783
00:32:16,830 --> 00:32:17,750
needs to be, where my.

784
00:32:17,750 --> 00:32:19,390
My job is where it needs to be.

785
00:32:19,390 --> 00:32:20,670
My health is where I need to be.

786
00:32:20,670 --> 00:32:21,430
That's my hope.

787
00:32:21,670 --> 00:32:25,030
Well, folks, that's all great
hopes, but at the end of the day,

788
00:32:26,070 --> 00:32:28,510
it's not necessarily promised
to us that we're gonna have everything

789
00:32:28,510 --> 00:32:29,670
that we want in our life.

790
00:32:30,790 --> 00:32:32,310
And so what is our ultimate hope?

791
00:32:32,310 --> 00:32:34,350
Our ultimate hope is in our calling.

792
00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:35,910
Our calling in Jesus Christ.

793
00:32:35,910 --> 00:32:37,250
He says, one Lord.

794
00:32:37,330 --> 00:32:38,610
We all have the same Lord.

795
00:32:39,010 --> 00:32:39,890
What does the Lord mean?

796
00:32:39,890 --> 00:32:41,010
Lord mean master.

797
00:32:42,530 --> 00:32:43,650
Who's your master?

798
00:32:43,810 --> 00:32:45,210
Well, I don't have a master.

799
00:32:45,210 --> 00:32:47,130
Well, you got a problem.

800
00:32:47,130 --> 00:32:48,450
Because we need a master.

801
00:32:48,930 --> 00:32:51,170
Some of us, we are our own master.

802
00:32:51,730 --> 00:32:53,890
Some of us, it's like, well, I
make all the shots.

803
00:32:53,890 --> 00:32:55,410
I take all the shots.

804
00:32:55,410 --> 00:32:56,930
I'm the one that makes all the calls.

805
00:32:56,930 --> 00:32:59,330
But the Bible tells us that we
are all called to.

806
00:32:59,570 --> 00:33:01,010
What did Paul say in verse one?

807
00:33:01,170 --> 00:33:02,650
To be a prisoner of the Lord.

808
00:33:02,650 --> 00:33:03,410
He's our mess.

809
00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:06,000
So the true question is this.

810
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:06,720
Who's our Lord?

811
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:09,680
I'm my own Lord.

812
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:10,440
Is.

813
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:14,960
Is my job, is my finances, is
my health, is my whatever.

814
00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:16,480
What's my Lord?

815
00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:17,880
Well, it should be one Lord.

816
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:22,480
And as we see, one God, one
faith, one baptism.

817
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:26,960
It's talking about the
similarities that we have as believers.

818
00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:32,830
One God and Father of all, who
is above all and through all in you

819
00:33:32,830 --> 00:33:33,030
all.

820
00:33:33,030 --> 00:33:35,230
I think verse six summarizes
it very well.

821
00:33:35,870 --> 00:33:40,030
We have one God, Father of all.

822
00:33:40,110 --> 00:33:40,790
He's our God.

823
00:33:40,790 --> 00:33:43,230
And Father who he's above all.

824
00:33:43,230 --> 00:33:45,070
He's not below anything else.

825
00:33:45,070 --> 00:33:47,550
He's above all, through all.

826
00:33:47,790 --> 00:33:48,670
He's with us.

827
00:33:49,710 --> 00:33:51,470
He's working in our midst.

828
00:33:51,870 --> 00:33:56,620
And in wall meaning dwells us
in the Holy Spirit.

829
00:33:57,810 --> 00:33:59,170
And so what we can see is this.

830
00:33:59,170 --> 00:34:00,770
We have a God who is above us.

831
00:34:00,770 --> 00:34:02,610
He's beyond our comprehension.

832
00:34:03,170 --> 00:34:03,650
That's.

833
00:34:03,650 --> 00:34:05,290
That's hard for us to understand.

834
00:34:05,290 --> 00:34:06,930
He's not bound by space or time.

835
00:34:07,330 --> 00:34:07,690
He.

836
00:34:07,690 --> 00:34:11,010
He's not bound by any
limitations with power or wisdom.

837
00:34:11,330 --> 00:34:14,330
But at the same time, we have
a God who's working in our mids.

838
00:34:14,330 --> 00:34:14,610
Personal.

839
00:34:15,650 --> 00:34:19,410
If you're honest, you would
say, I can see God's hand working.

840
00:34:20,210 --> 00:34:22,130
I can see God's hand working
in this church.

841
00:34:22,779 --> 00:34:24,379
I can see God's hand working
in our.

842
00:34:24,699 --> 00:34:25,859
But then he says even more.

843
00:34:25,859 --> 00:34:28,299
He says, it's not just that
he's working around us, but he's

844
00:34:28,299 --> 00:34:31,499
working in through us as a church.

845
00:34:31,579 --> 00:34:35,099
And so a church culture is a
church culture that recognizes the

846
00:34:35,099 --> 00:34:40,579
power of God, recognizes the
plan of God and recognizes our purpose

847
00:34:40,579 --> 00:34:42,859
in God's power and his plan
for our lives.

848
00:34:43,579 --> 00:34:48,139
I want you to think about to
recognize the power of God to recognize

849
00:34:48,769 --> 00:34:52,929
his purpose and then to
recognize our plan, his plan through

850
00:34:52,929 --> 00:34:55,329
us in that purpose as we live
our lives out.

851
00:34:56,689 --> 00:34:59,889
And when we do that as a
church, we recognize that there is

852
00:34:59,889 --> 00:35:04,329
more at stake than maybe what
meets the eye because we live in

853
00:35:04,329 --> 00:35:04,768
a world.

854
00:35:04,768 --> 00:35:10,049
And in the battle next
chapter, he's going to talk about

855
00:35:10,689 --> 00:35:14,830
some things, about the family,
instructions in marriage and things

856
00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:15,310
like that.

857
00:35:15,870 --> 00:35:19,910
But we know that In Ephesians
chapter 6, Paul says that we're living

858
00:35:19,910 --> 00:35:23,310
in a world that there's a
bigger battle than what things happen.

859
00:35:23,470 --> 00:35:26,350
It's not a battle of flesh and
blood, it's a spiritual battle.

860
00:35:27,310 --> 00:35:30,590
And so as a church, we have to
understand what our purpose is and

861
00:35:30,590 --> 00:35:37,550
the time that we have and the
unity and the love and the peace

862
00:35:38,110 --> 00:35:40,030
and all those things that we mentioned.

863
00:35:40,030 --> 00:35:43,230
Humility, those are all
factors that build into accomplishing

864
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,760
God's plan for us in the time
that he has for us.

865
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,680
And so a church culture has to
be something that we teach.

866
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:54,120
It has to be something that we
expect, it has to be something that

867
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:54,880
we pray for.

868
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,240
It has to be something that we
have to sacrifice for.

869
00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:00,840
Because this type of culture
will not happen naturally in the

870
00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:01,200
flesh.

871
00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:05,840
This type of culture that
we've just described within the church

872
00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:07,840
won't just happen by default.

873
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,400
We all, we all just don't come
into church and go, that's just going

874
00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:11,870
to happen without anything.

875
00:36:12,190 --> 00:36:16,110
Takes, faith, takes, it takes
purposing in our hearts.

876
00:36:16,670 --> 00:36:19,070
It takes sacrifice, it takes,
it takes humility.

877
00:36:19,950 --> 00:36:22,990
Folks, I, I, I want to
challenge us as a church this year

878
00:36:24,110 --> 00:36:28,390
to think about building a
culture here that's already been

879
00:36:28,390 --> 00:36:28,910
built.

880
00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:32,430
And so we're, we're, we're,
we're just trying to hone our, our

881
00:36:32,430 --> 00:36:36,710
culture here, hone our culture
to a place where we would say, wow,

882
00:36:36,710 --> 00:36:39,020
that's a, that's, this is a
biblical culture.

883
00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:43,500
This is a culture that's
looking to lead people to Christ.

884
00:36:43,900 --> 00:36:47,260
This is a culture that's
looking for people to grow in Christ.

885
00:36:47,420 --> 00:36:47,820
Folks.

886
00:36:47,820 --> 00:36:50,940
If someone cannot grow within
a church setting, that's a big issue.

887
00:36:50,940 --> 00:36:53,660
I'm not saying that's where
we're at, but I do know there's a

888
00:36:53,660 --> 00:36:55,860
lot of churches in America
that if a person went in there today

889
00:36:55,860 --> 00:36:56,660
and tried to Grow.

890
00:36:56,660 --> 00:36:59,060
It's not going to happen
because there isn't a culture of

891
00:36:59,060 --> 00:36:59,820
discipleship.

892
00:37:00,380 --> 00:37:01,060
It's just a.

893
00:37:01,060 --> 00:37:02,060
It's a cultural performance.

894
00:37:03,350 --> 00:37:03,550
It's.

895
00:37:03,550 --> 00:37:05,750
It's a culture maybe of action.

896
00:37:06,390 --> 00:37:07,590
It's a culture of.

897
00:37:07,990 --> 00:37:09,350
Of maybe morals.

898
00:37:10,070 --> 00:37:10,430
But.

899
00:37:10,430 --> 00:37:13,590
But just telling people what
the morals are is not enough to teach

900
00:37:13,590 --> 00:37:15,830
people how to live those
morals out in their life.

901
00:37:16,390 --> 00:37:18,790
Discipleship means do doing
life together.

902
00:37:20,070 --> 00:37:22,790
And what I want to do at
Middletown Baptist Church, and ultimately

903
00:37:22,790 --> 00:37:26,390
what I believe God wants us to
do, is to create a church family

904
00:37:26,710 --> 00:37:31,310
where that culture is the
norm, where children know that they

905
00:37:31,310 --> 00:37:34,630
can come to their families and
their parents and their grandparents

906
00:37:34,630 --> 00:37:36,950
and ask them hard biblical questions.

907
00:37:38,710 --> 00:37:41,990
A place where people know that
when they sin, they can find forgiveness

908
00:37:41,990 --> 00:37:46,390
in Jesus Christ and find a
group of members of the church who

909
00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:49,870
will and as the Bible says,
forbear them in love, hold them up

910
00:37:49,870 --> 00:37:50,310
in love.

911
00:37:51,190 --> 00:37:55,660
People can find a church where
we can speak the truth in love.

912
00:37:56,940 --> 00:37:57,260
I.

913
00:37:57,260 --> 00:37:57,500
One.

914
00:37:57,500 --> 00:37:58,140
One thing as.

915
00:37:58,140 --> 00:37:58,420
As.

916
00:37:58,420 --> 00:38:01,260
Because we're going to talk
about this next week, is the roles

917
00:38:01,260 --> 00:38:05,140
of leadership and the roles of
everyone in the church, because everyone

918
00:38:05,140 --> 00:38:06,940
has a role, but not everyone
has the same.

919
00:38:07,420 --> 00:38:10,220
But one of the things as a
pastor that I want to give you my

920
00:38:10,220 --> 00:38:13,460
word in and also give the Lord
my word in is that one thing we never

921
00:38:13,460 --> 00:38:15,940
want to sacrifice at
Middletown Baptist Church is the

922
00:38:15,940 --> 00:38:16,300
truth.

923
00:38:17,260 --> 00:38:20,320
We can't sacrifice the truth to.

924
00:38:20,390 --> 00:38:22,350
To basically let people know
that we love them.

925
00:38:22,350 --> 00:38:24,550
We can still love them and
still give them the truth.

926
00:38:25,190 --> 00:38:27,510
And that's the type of culture
that we need to have in Middle Town.

927
00:38:28,630 --> 00:38:30,070
And so that's just the start
of it.

928
00:38:30,070 --> 00:38:30,350
What's.

929
00:38:30,350 --> 00:38:31,790
What's church culture, you
might say?

930
00:38:31,790 --> 00:38:32,790
What does that mean for me?

931
00:38:32,950 --> 00:38:33,950
I'm visiting today?

932
00:38:33,950 --> 00:38:36,830
Well, Lord willing, you keep
coming back, and Lord willing, you

933
00:38:36,830 --> 00:38:37,910
find this as your church family.

934
00:38:37,910 --> 00:38:41,670
But if you're here and this is
your church family, it's on us.

935
00:38:42,950 --> 00:38:45,590
It's not about, hey, I want to
let someone else change.

936
00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:47,920
And once everyone else
changes, I'll jump on that boat.

937
00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:49,760
Let's get in now.

938
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:50,560
Let's see.

939
00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:51,680
Inspect our own lives.

940
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,480
Let's see where we are in our
personal walk so that we can get

941
00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:00,240
to a place where we are part
of that change that we can continuously

942
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:01,600
see within the church culture.

943
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:08,080
You know, if God tarries and
my children are able to become adults,

944
00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,440
and Lord willing they are in
this church or another church, I

945
00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:16,330
want them to be able to
replicate and live out the type of

946
00:39:16,330 --> 00:39:18,570
culture that we have in
Middletown Baptist Church.

947
00:39:19,850 --> 00:39:22,690
And what's happened is, is
that people see church in many different

948
00:39:22,690 --> 00:39:23,130
ways.

949
00:39:23,370 --> 00:39:25,810
You know, if you're talking to
someone in your community and you

950
00:39:25,810 --> 00:39:26,570
go, I go to church.

951
00:39:26,570 --> 00:39:28,330
That can mean a bunch of
different things to a bunch.

952
00:39:30,010 --> 00:39:32,450
So the best thing that we can
do is we can say we're trying to

953
00:39:32,450 --> 00:39:35,410
follow God's word and trying
to live out as the family of God.

954
00:39:35,410 --> 00:39:38,090
Because really, in verse
seven, this will be a segue till

955
00:39:38,090 --> 00:39:43,740
next week, says, but unto
every one of us, not just the pastor,

956
00:39:44,460 --> 00:39:48,500
not just deacons, not just the
missionaries, but to every one of

957
00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:52,180
us is giving grace according
to the measure of the gift of Christ.

958
00:39:52,180 --> 00:39:57,820
Meaning every member of the
body is given a gracious gift to

959
00:39:57,820 --> 00:40:00,700
use for the purpose of the
kingdom of God.

960
00:40:00,940 --> 00:40:01,380
That's.

961
00:40:01,380 --> 00:40:01,980
That's the point.

962
00:40:03,180 --> 00:40:04,540
And the church cannot be.

963
00:40:04,860 --> 00:40:08,500
The church cannot be a
pyramid, meaning the pastor's at

964
00:40:08,500 --> 00:40:11,180
the top and everyone else is
underneath him and he does all the

965
00:40:11,180 --> 00:40:11,460
work.

966
00:40:11,780 --> 00:40:14,260
The truth is, is that's never
a sustainable culture.

967
00:40:14,580 --> 00:40:16,180
The sustainable culture is that.

968
00:40:16,180 --> 00:40:20,500
That we're going to see that
the pastor is just a facilitator

969
00:40:20,900 --> 00:40:22,420
to equip the saints.

970
00:40:22,740 --> 00:40:25,060
That's you, for the work of
the ministry.

971
00:40:25,060 --> 00:40:26,340
So we're all saints in the work.

972
00:40:27,620 --> 00:40:31,180
And so what I'm saying this
year is not I need you or not even

973
00:40:31,180 --> 00:40:33,620
that God needs you, because
God doesn't need any of us.

974
00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,280
God can do the work that he
wants to do outside of our human

975
00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:43,000
limitations, but God wants you
to be part of this church culture,

976
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:44,440
to find your place.

977
00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,200
And maybe God has someone else
moving on.

978
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,400
Maybe you say, well, Pastor,
how do you know that it's my God's

979
00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:54,000
plan for me to be a Middletown Baptist.

980
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,200
What if I'm called to move
somewhere else?

981
00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,400
Well, God calls you to move
somewhere else, then he's called

982
00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:00,040
you to be part of that family,
part of that culture.

983
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,760
But all of us here at the
church have a responsibility to be

984
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,800
a part of this church culture
that God has ordained for us in the

985
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:07,320
scriptures.

986
00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,640
And so what I'd like you to do
coming into this new year, is to

987
00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:11,920
pray first and foremost.

988
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:13,800
Number one, where am I at in
my faith?

989
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,319
Because I can't be part of the
body without faith, right?

990
00:41:16,319 --> 00:41:18,320
One faith, one spirit.

991
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:20,640
You don't have faith if you
don't have the spirit indwelling

992
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:20,880
you.

993
00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:22,120
You can't be part of the body.

994
00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:25,400
You can experience some of the
blessings of the body.

995
00:41:26,450 --> 00:41:28,610
You know, if we had a big
potluck dinner, you came in here

996
00:41:28,610 --> 00:41:30,290
today and you weren't a
believer in Jesus Christ.

997
00:41:30,370 --> 00:41:31,810
It's not like you wouldn't get
the food.

998
00:41:32,130 --> 00:41:34,970
You would still partake in the
blessings of those people cooking

999
00:41:34,970 --> 00:41:35,490
that food.

1000
00:41:35,490 --> 00:41:37,290
But at the same time, it's.

1001
00:41:37,290 --> 00:41:40,770
It's not something that is
experiential for you because you

1002
00:41:40,770 --> 00:41:42,770
have not trusted Jesus Christ
as your Savior.

1003
00:41:43,090 --> 00:41:45,970
So the first step that you
have to take in coming into 2026

1004
00:41:45,970 --> 00:41:46,370
is this.

1005
00:41:46,450 --> 00:41:50,730
Have I trusted in Jesus Christ
and Him alone for what he has done

1006
00:41:50,730 --> 00:41:54,870
on the cross, what he has done
through his sacrifice for my sin,

1007
00:41:54,870 --> 00:41:59,030
and then also through the
resurrection, through the resurrection

1008
00:41:59,030 --> 00:42:00,310
that died on the cross for our sins.

1009
00:42:00,310 --> 00:42:02,550
He conquered death, the
resurrection, and gives us new life.

1010
00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:05,670
And when we trust in that,
when we have faith in that, then

1011
00:42:05,670 --> 00:42:07,230
we are part of the family of God.

1012
00:42:07,230 --> 00:42:08,430
So that's the first step.

1013
00:42:08,510 --> 00:42:10,590
But then the second step would
be, how am I walking?

1014
00:42:10,590 --> 00:42:13,630
Am I walking worthy of the
vocation that God has called me to

1015
00:42:13,630 --> 00:42:13,950
walk?

1016
00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:16,350
Where's my walk?

1017
00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,120
Well, let me tell you, Pastor,
it hasn't been great.

1018
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:20,080
I've been really discouraged.

1019
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:21,960
I've been really walking in a
lot of sin.

1020
00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,720
The Bible says he's faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and

1021
00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:25,920
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1022
00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:27,160
All we have to do is confess.

1023
00:42:27,240 --> 00:42:28,720
All we have to do is come back
to Him.

1024
00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:30,840
All we have to do is desire to
walk with Him.

1025
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:32,920
And the Bible says that he can
renew our hearts.

1026
00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:35,720
David said, renew, give, give.

1027
00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:37,720
Renew in me the joy of my salvation.

1028
00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:41,160
Some of us have lost the joy
of our salvation.

1029
00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,000
Maybe that's something that we
need to ask the Lord to give us.

1030
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:45,240
Give, Lord, give me the joy.

1031
00:42:46,210 --> 00:42:46,410
Give.

1032
00:42:46,410 --> 00:42:47,010
Give me the.

1033
00:42:47,010 --> 00:42:47,970
Give me the peace again.

1034
00:42:48,370 --> 00:42:50,810
I've been walking the wrong
path and I need to get back on that

1035
00:42:50,810 --> 00:42:51,130
path.

1036
00:42:51,130 --> 00:42:53,050
But then let's say you're
walking on that path.

1037
00:42:53,050 --> 00:42:56,410
You know, you're like, pastor,
I'm trying my best to be trusting

1038
00:42:56,410 --> 00:42:57,570
in the Lord and all these things.

1039
00:42:57,570 --> 00:42:59,930
Then the next question would
be, where does he have you in this

1040
00:42:59,930 --> 00:43:00,610
church culture?

1041
00:43:01,489 --> 00:43:03,410
Let's be a culture of change
in our community.

1042
00:43:03,650 --> 00:43:05,650
Let's be a culture of change
in our country.

1043
00:43:05,970 --> 00:43:08,130
Let's be a culture of change
in our world.

1044
00:43:09,010 --> 00:43:09,730
Think about it.

1045
00:43:09,730 --> 00:43:12,680
Just, just think about the
impact that we could have if we all

1046
00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:16,240
were just so passionate about
the truth gospel of Jesus Christ.

1047
00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:21,040
I know that God has a plan for
this church, and I'm looking forward

1048
00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:23,960
to, in a couple of weeks
talking more about what the vision

1049
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:27,480
is for this year and how I
think that God has that given to

1050
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:27,640
us.

1051
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:32,160
But at the same time, and so
what I'd like you to do now we're

1052
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,560
going to have a time of
invitation and I want you to respond

1053
00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:37,600
this year, any, anything.

1054
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,920
What I want you to do is this,
this not what I want you to do because

1055
00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:42,160
I can't force you.

1056
00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,120
My, my prayer, my desire,
something that I'm going to do with

1057
00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:46,200
my family here this morning.

1058
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,320
And, and I'm not, I'm not big
on resolutions because I know resolutions

1059
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:50,840
can fail.

1060
00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:53,720
But what I am big on is
setting goals or trusting in the

1061
00:43:53,720 --> 00:43:54,999
Lord to walk in the Spirit.

1062
00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:56,520
So maybe what it is is this.

1063
00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,880
Even if any of those other
things haven't spoken to you here

1064
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,000
this morning, what I would
challenge you to do is get either

1065
00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,890
with yourself, you're by
yourself, or with spouse or with

1066
00:44:05,970 --> 00:44:10,330
family, commit 2026 to the
Lord, commit it to him, committed

1067
00:44:10,330 --> 00:44:14,850
to his work, Give it over to
him and say, lord, we want your will

1068
00:44:14,850 --> 00:44:15,850
for 2026.

1069
00:44:15,850 --> 00:44:18,170
If you've already done that,
you don't have to performative do

1070
00:44:18,170 --> 00:44:18,610
that today.

1071
00:44:18,850 --> 00:44:22,090
If you haven't committed this
year to the Lord and your life to

1072
00:44:22,090 --> 00:44:24,530
the Lord, hey, come, come and
pray over your family.

1073
00:44:24,770 --> 00:44:26,050
It's totally acceptable to do that.

1074
00:44:26,050 --> 00:44:27,010
You can do that in the few.

1075
00:44:27,330 --> 00:44:30,340
What I would encourage you to
do is think about how this year you

1076
00:44:30,340 --> 00:44:33,060
can follow that calling that
God has for you to be part of this

1077
00:44:33,060 --> 00:44:35,820
church culture and to follow
the word of God in that way.

1078
00:44:35,820 --> 00:44:37,900
Well, I'm going to ask if
you're able to stand with me, every

1079
00:44:37,900 --> 00:44:41,020
head bound, every eye closed
as the music plays here this morning.

1080
00:44:41,420 --> 00:44:46,220
If you want to respond to what
we've talked about here in Ephesians,

1081
00:44:47,420 --> 00:44:50,500
the Lord's, the Lord's here,
the Lord's everywhere.

1082
00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:51,100
We know that.

1083
00:44:51,420 --> 00:44:54,220
But here this morning, you
have an opportunity to respond.

1084
00:44:54,540 --> 00:44:57,410
Number one, in faith, in
salvation, but number two, in faith

1085
00:44:57,410 --> 00:44:58,130
and obedience.

1086
00:44:58,530 --> 00:45:00,250
Say, lord, I want to walk in humility.

1087
00:45:00,250 --> 00:45:01,730
I want to walk in this.

1088
00:45:01,730 --> 00:45:05,290
I want to walk in forbearing
one another in love.

1089
00:45:05,290 --> 00:45:07,130
I want to walk with patience.

1090
00:45:07,130 --> 00:45:10,050
And all of those things that
we just saw in Ephesians chapter

1091
00:45:10,050 --> 00:45:14,930
four committed to him this
morning is powerful enough to give

1092
00:45:14,930 --> 00:45:15,730
you strength.

1093
00:45:17,010 --> 00:45:18,530
I want you to submit to him.

1094
00:45:19,730 --> 00:45:26,220
Remember, we're walking in one
spirit, one call, one baptism, one

1095
00:45:26,220 --> 00:45:26,660
Lord.

1096
00:45:27,300 --> 00:45:29,580
So if you need something this
morning, maybe you need salvation.

1097
00:45:29,580 --> 00:45:31,060
We've got some folks standing
up here.

1098
00:45:31,540 --> 00:45:33,260
Come up here and share with them.

1099
00:45:33,260 --> 00:45:35,900
I need Jesus showing you the
word of God, what it means to know

1100
00:45:35,900 --> 00:45:36,980
Jesus as you're seeing.

1101
00:45:37,940 --> 00:45:40,500
But if you want to just come
up with your family or individually

1102
00:45:40,500 --> 00:45:43,660
and commit this year to Jesus
commit this year but to the work

1103
00:45:43,660 --> 00:45:46,380
of the Lord in your life I
would encourage you to do so next

1104
00:45:46,380 --> 00:45:46,700
moments.

1105
00:45:46,700 --> 00:45:49,690
Lord I pray in this time of
invitation working hearts and lives

1106
00:45:49,690 --> 00:45:53,970
I pray that you can allow us
to follow you or to be the church

1107
00:45:53,970 --> 00:45:55,050
that you called us to be.

1108
00:45:55,930 --> 00:45:59,370
Help us not to get our culture
from somewhere else but your word.

1109
00:46:00,170 --> 00:46:03,490
So Lord I pray that you be in
this time working hearts and lives

1110
00:46:03,490 --> 00:46:04,010
of Jesus.

1111
00:46:04,090 --> 00:46:06,490
May as a music play as follow
as the Lord leads here today.

1112
00:48:21,990 --> 00:48:22,230
Foreign.

1113
00:48:29,030 --> 00:48:31,710
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1114
00:48:31,710 --> 00:48:32,310
Podcast.

1115
00:48:32,550 --> 00:48:34,950
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1116
00:48:35,590 --> 00:48:37,830
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1117
00:48:37,830 --> 00:48:41,350
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1118
00:48:41,670 --> 00:48:44,150
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1119
00:48:44,950 --> 00:48:49,900
You can also email me directly
at joshma sorrow@middletownbaptistchurch.com

1120
00:48:50,300 --> 00:48:53,820
if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1121
00:48:53,820 --> 00:48:56,620
along for future podcast and updates.

1122
00:48:57,340 --> 00:48:58,220
Thank you so much.

1123
00:48:58,460 --> 00:48:59,180
God Bless.

1124
00:48:59,420 --> 00:49:00,700
Have a wonderful day.