WEBVTT 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:05.680 If you're joining us, I want to welcome you and I'm going to invite you to two chapters of the Bible we're going look at as we go through this series together. 00:00:06.100 --> 00:00:11.540 We're going to be in Genesis chapter two, the first book of the Bible, Acts chapter two, the fifth book of the New Testament. 00:00:11.700 --> 00:00:18.840 We're going to focus on those two areas and we're going to bridge a theological theme and talk about this new series that we're in together on 00:00:18.840 --> 00:00:30.680 "The Core." The core for us as a church is putting a target on a map as to why we exist. 00:00:31.200 --> 00:00:37.550 One of the things that we definitely do not want to do, we gather on Sunday mornings, we're not meeting just to meet. 00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:44.760 My wife and I, we moved here 12 years ago and we started the ABC eight or nine years ago. 00:00:44.800 --> 00:00:51.820 And we've had a wonderful families come be a part of that and help us grow and build and allow the Lord to use us to see 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:54.620 his kingdom pronounced and his church established here. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:56.690 And we're just enjoying that journey. 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:02.280 We definitely did not move all the way across the country, away from family and friends, just to be like we should meet on Sunday cause you're supposed to meet on Sunday. 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:03.340 That is ridiculous. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.360 We have a plan, a purpose for which God has designed his church that we want to live in light of. 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:10.560 And so we're in this series together talking about that. 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:13.140 Putting a target on the map, what it means for us to win. 00:01:13.520 --> 00:01:16.620 And we're going to use these four words as our theme to build that basis. 00:01:17.080 --> 00:01:20.920 And in these four words, we're going to spend the first two weeks setting up a theological framework. 00:01:21.020 --> 00:01:22.140 We started this last week. 00:01:22.540 --> 00:01:28.020 And into this week, setting up a theological framework and then talk about how it practically applies to where we are today. 00:01:28.020 --> 00:01:35.280 So the next two weeks we're going to be heavy into the application and how that specifically relates to our church and what we feel like God has called us to in 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:35.850 this valley. 00:01:36.720 --> 00:01:44.100 But we're looking at these theme ideas of worship, discipleship, relationship and mission and what God wants to accomplish in 00:01:44.100 --> 00:01:46.690 us and through us as his family. 00:01:46.960 --> 00:01:49.680 And last week we started off with the idea of worship. 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:55.020 That God created you as a worshipful being and God created you as a relational being. 00:01:55.240 --> 00:01:57.000 And we looked at a couple of important passages. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:58.200 One is the greatest command. 00:01:58.820 --> 00:02:06.110 God said that he created us and the greatest command to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and the second one like that to love others. 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:09.160 And so your love for the Lord should be reflected in your relationship with others. 00:02:09.440 --> 00:02:12.380 You look at those two greatest commands, the relational commands. 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:17.740 So God didn't create you primarily for religious performance, but relationship in him. 00:02:18.140 --> 00:02:21.190 God's desires for you to know him and to enjoy him for all of eternity. 00:02:21.760 --> 00:02:24.420 And in that relationship that impacts the relationships around you. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.160 And so we said the theme of our church, very simplistic. 00:02:27.180 --> 00:02:31.460 We want everyone to experience a transforming relationship with Christ that transforms your relationships in this world. 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:37.860 To know Jesus and let him just speak into our hearts and our lives and to let that impact lives around us. 00:02:38.140 --> 00:02:40.420 And we even talked about how that happens to the ends of the earth. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:44.330 By the way, this past Saturday, yesterday, a lot of you were here laboring. 00:02:44.700 --> 00:02:45.660 Some of you stopped by visit. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.350 We had that outreach that we were doing. 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:55.520 The fall festival for India to help with the lepers and orphans in India that we helped sponsor. 00:02:55.780 --> 00:03:02.420 All the money is not in for that yet, but it's somewhere between $10,000 or maybe a little bit over is what we're expecting to come in. 00:03:02.420 --> 00:03:04.740 So we want to say thank you for that. 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:07.320 But the point is that's what God does in our lives. 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:12.990 He transforms our hearts and gives us a passion in particular areas as it relates to people. 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:14.380 And that gets to live itself out. 00:03:14.380 --> 00:03:15.800 And we saw that demonstrated on Saturday. 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:17.940 It's a beautiful thing when God does that in his family. 00:03:17.940 --> 00:03:19.360 So thank you for everyone that was involved in that. 00:03:19.380 --> 00:03:23.100 How about a round of applause too for those individuals that really helped with part of that. 00:03:23.140 --> 00:03:24.740 Appreciate that. 00:03:25.640 --> 00:03:27.980 God works in us and through us to do those things. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.080 He created you for that beautiful purpose. 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:30.840 But here's what happens when it comes to worship. 00:03:31.480 --> 00:03:33.220 You are a relational being designed for worship. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:35.080 It's impossible not to worship something. 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:41.680 But when God created you, he recognizes that there's also a worship war taking place, because you have freedom. 00:03:42.480 --> 00:03:47.200 When it comes to the idea of love and responding in love in a relationship, you have the ability with that to also not love. 00:03:47.920 --> 00:03:49.140 And so there's freedom in that. 00:03:49.700 --> 00:03:55.460 And we talked about last week, Matthew 16:18, that God built his church for a specific purpose to storm down the gates of hell. 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:58.140 And we looked at the idea of what a gate represents. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:04.630 And in ancient times when you lived in a fortified city, people look for those places because you felt protected. 00:04:04.640 --> 00:04:07.520 You weren't outside for bandits and raiders to take advantage of you. 00:04:07.540 --> 00:04:08.860 But you were in the protection of the city. 00:04:09.660 --> 00:04:11.320 And what controlled that city was the gates. 00:04:12.420 --> 00:04:19.459 And if you were a traveler going into a city and you wanted to meet someone with power, influence, making decisions over that area, you would 00:04:19.459 --> 00:04:20.140 go to the gates. 00:04:20.260 --> 00:04:21.420 That's where they ruled and reigned. 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:24.020 That's where you received wisdom and you spoke to leadership. 00:04:24.760 --> 00:04:30.840 And so when Jesus says he builds his church to storm down the gates, what he's also recognizing is that there's influences that are not good. 00:04:31.740 --> 00:04:34.020 And we think about the gates, we often think about the gates of hell. 00:04:34.020 --> 00:04:35.740 We often think about Satan and his dominion. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:38.750 And the Bible is very clear that he has authority and power. 00:04:38.760 --> 00:04:42.320 He's referred to as the Prince of Power of the air, Ephesians chapter two. 00:04:42.340 --> 00:04:45.460 And the ruler of this world, second Corinthians chapter four. 00:04:45.460 --> 00:04:47.940 The angel of Light, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:04:47.940 --> 00:04:51.240 A lion that roars in 1 Peter chapter 5 and 8. 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:55.180 The accuser of the brethren and the accuser of God's church, Revelation chapter 12. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:56.840 Satan has dominion. 00:04:57.980 --> 00:05:05.100 And the one of the things that Satan is great at is not getting you to say I'm a worshiper of Satan, but rather to stop worshiping the Lord 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:06.560 and start worshiping yourself. 00:05:06.820 --> 00:05:13.940 And when you look in the book of Genesis, when Satan is in the garden with Adam and Eve, he comes to Eve and he starts to challenge, 00:05:13.940 --> 00:05:15.620 "Surely God didn't say that? 00:05:16.260 --> 00:05:18.840 You need to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. 00:05:19.340 --> 00:05:26.500 And that will allow you to tell God what's right and wrong and you put yourself in the position of God." And so there is a worship 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:27.880 war that happens in all of us. 00:05:28.280 --> 00:05:32.930 And when it talk about the gates of hell ruling our lives, it's not us going around and being like, I'm a worship Satan. 00:05:33.340 --> 00:05:34.020 Hooray. 00:05:34.020 --> 00:05:37.500 It's us going around saying everything that exists in life is for me and my glory. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:42.020 And so what that means is as human beings, we like to see ourselves as an end. 00:05:42.740 --> 00:05:45.420 But rather when God created you, he created you as a means to an end. 00:05:46.180 --> 00:05:48.010 And that means to the end is for his glory. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.450 God created you for his relationship in him. 00:05:51.780 --> 00:05:55.220 And so rather than be an end in ourselves, we're a means to an end. 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:56.900 And we as human beings do not like that. 00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:00.680 We want to be about our rule and authority and power. 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:03.120 Now, we would never go around and be like, I'm God of my life. 00:06:03.400 --> 00:06:09.840 But the decisions we make kind of look at things that exist in this world as if everything exists is all about me because I am God. 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:14.960 And so the challenges when it comes to the gates of hell is to recognize God created you for a bigger purpose than that. 00:06:15.940 --> 00:06:17.040 God created you for his glory. 00:06:17.400 --> 00:06:18.030 But it's to your benefit. 00:06:19.080 --> 00:06:22.700 And in fact, when you look at, we'll talk about this next week, the fruit of the spirit. 00:06:23.380 --> 00:06:29.340 When God comes into our lives, his Spirit indwells us and the fruit of the spirit becomes a part of our lives, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness. 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:31.430 Wonderful things for us to experience. 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:35.500 But all starts with us saying to the Lord, "Lord, I am not God of my life. 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:37.040 You are. 00:06:37.840 --> 00:06:45.040 And I'm surrendering myself for your glory." And we lay ourselves down in worship to the Lord to allow him to utilize us 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.040 for his glory, to our benefit. 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:54.650 And today when we talk about our church, I'm going to take the idea of worship a little bit further, a little more specific, and talk about how worship becomes discipleship. 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:01.160 And I'm going to carry the idea of a theme as it relates to Jesus being our king and us being the disciples. 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:02.500 Disciples of our king. 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:10.780 And in Genesis chapter 2, that story starts to unfold and it creates for us a picture that really is carried out 00:07:10.780 --> 00:07:12.370 through the course of the rest of scripture. 00:07:12.380 --> 00:07:19.520 And so if you get this idea painted in Genesis chapter 2, it helps create a particular idea in your mind to understand the 00:07:19.520 --> 00:07:20.310 rest of scripture. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:27.860 I want to be honest and tell you when it comes to the Bible, this might be, Genesis chapter 1, 2, and 3, it might be my 00:07:27.860 --> 00:07:30.960 favorite section in all of scripture. 00:07:31.700 --> 00:07:35.400 I feel like the theology of all of the Bible is contained in the first three chapters of Genesis. 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:37.880 I love this section of scripture. 00:07:37.880 --> 00:07:45.260 And especially chapter two, it creates a certain idea within our minds that helps shape our identity 00:07:45.260 --> 00:07:49.300 in God's plan for our existence. 00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:57.400 And when you get the Genesis chapter two, starting off in the very first section of this chapter, it says, thus the heavens and the earth 00:07:57.400 --> 00:07:59.320 were completed and all their hosts. 00:07:59.740 --> 00:08:01.360 So God's creating. 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:04.330 If you know that creative story, seven days, it talks about. 00:08:05.510 --> 00:08:09.640 And on the seventh it says in verse two, God completed his work, which he had done. 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:13.520 And he rested on the seventh day from all his work, which he had done. 00:08:14.260 --> 00:08:20.380 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it, he rested from all his work, which God had created and made. 00:08:20.960 --> 00:08:28.020 I want you to know, when you read this passage of scripture, oftentimes we completely miss what was intended to be understood in 00:08:28.020 --> 00:08:29.940 the time that Moses is writing this. 00:08:29.940 --> 00:08:32.260 The way that they would have perceived it in this time period. 00:08:32.860 --> 00:08:34.900 We looked at things like, and that's why we go to church on Sunday. 00:08:35.539 --> 00:08:37.340 And oh my word, God's resting. 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:38.480 Does he not care about me? 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.630 Did he ever get off the couch? 00:08:39.700 --> 00:08:40.640 I mean, what is he doing here? 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:42.380 He creates, he rests, and he's done with us? 00:08:42.659 --> 00:08:43.299 Oh my word. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:44.169 We blew it that quick. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:45.760 Does God not love me? 00:08:45.880 --> 00:08:47.040 What does this mean for us? 00:08:47.560 --> 00:08:54.000 When you look at the beginning of creation, starting in Genesis chapter one, you see the beautiful story unfolding. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:54.770 It's written poetically. 00:08:55.880 --> 00:08:59.400 Very descriptive, very intentional, very specific. 00:08:59.660 --> 00:09:01.380 How God makes all of these things. 00:09:01.380 --> 00:09:03.140 And so Genesis chapter one, this is what happens. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:04.890 God speaks on the first day. 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:05.940 Things come into existence. 00:09:06.540 --> 00:09:10.140 And when it gets to the end of that day, it says the evening and the morning, the first day was complete. 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:12.090 And you see this nice ending to day one. 00:09:12.300 --> 00:09:13.320 Day two, same thing. 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:15.060 God speaks, things come into existence. 00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:18.460 A few verses later, evening and morning of that day is ended. 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:20.440 And then day three begins and God speaks. 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:27.560 And so you see this theme and it's neat when you look how it correlates because day one matches day four and day two matches day five and day three 00:09:27.560 --> 00:09:31.990 matches day six, which I don't have time to get into, but God's creating all of this. 00:09:32.040 --> 00:09:39.200 And you see the morning and the evening and then all of a sudden he gets to the seventh day, and he rests. 00:09:40.540 --> 00:09:42.140 What in the world does that mean? 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:45.160 Did God stopped doing stuff? 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:46.960 Does God care? 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:48.020 Did God get tired? 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:54.680 Well, when you study scripture, you see in Isaiah 40:28, it tells us God does not get tired. 00:09:56.220 --> 00:10:03.520 So what's being communicated in this narrative, this poetic narrative describing creation isn't that God has this 00:10:03.520 --> 00:10:05.600 energy that comes to an end. 00:10:05.780 --> 00:10:09.580 But rather God is self-sustaining in himself and he does not run out. 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:10.340 He does not become tired. 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:14.060 But when you look at creation, you see this beautiful thing unfolding, right? 00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:18.120 God's intentional, God's purposeful. 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:19.760 This didn't happen by chance. 00:10:20.380 --> 00:10:22.400 God has a particular design in everything that he did. 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:27.680 And when you get to day six, he then creates the crown of his creation, which is the last thing that he designs before he rests. 00:10:28.260 --> 00:10:29.740 And the crown of his creation is humanity. 00:10:30.740 --> 00:10:35.320 And when God creates you, it tells us in chapter two, verse seven, he breathes into you this breath of life. 00:10:35.380 --> 00:10:38.060 And that breathing is more than just like, okay, you're there. 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:40.200 But it's a word of intimacy. 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:43.620 God draws close to you and he breathes life into you. 00:10:44.680 --> 00:10:49.120 And at the same time, when it's telling us he brings life into us, just before that, it tells us that he forms us. 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:57.200 And so it's saying something unique about your creation as the last part of creation, that God created everything else, he spoke it into existence. 00:10:57.400 --> 00:10:59.720 But when God makes you, he takes the time to do it intricately. 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:04.340 He's very personal in the purpose for which he's designing you. 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:08.160 And he breathes into you that breath of life, making you the crown of creation. 00:11:08.660 --> 00:11:09.280 And then he rests. 00:11:10.060 --> 00:11:11.160 Now, what in the world does that mean? 00:11:12.420 --> 00:11:19.740 Well, rest in this context is "shabbat", it's where we get to the word later for Sabbath, which the Jews use as Saturday 00:11:19.740 --> 00:11:21.390 as their time of worship. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:26.760 But this word for "shabbat" also comes from shabbat, which means to cease. 00:11:28.540 --> 00:11:35.540 And shabbat is saying, when God's creative work, his creative work that happens in the first six days, it ceases and then God is now 00:11:35.540 --> 00:11:36.740 doing something different. 00:11:39.140 --> 00:11:39.140 Now what is he doing? 00:11:39.140 --> 00:11:45.000 Well, this word host gives us a little bit of detail, but I'm going play on this word for rest on the seventh day for a minute. 00:11:45.540 --> 00:11:49.660 Just whatever God is doing in this rest, it's something that has not ended. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:55.100 Because when you look at the first six days of creation, it says morning and evening, and then it was the next day. 00:11:55.900 --> 00:11:57.490 Morning and evening, and then it's the next day. 00:11:58.280 --> 00:12:00.280 When you get to the seventh day, there is no morning and evening. 00:12:01.540 --> 00:12:05.270 Meaning on the seventh day, what God does here, it's something that is happening continually. 00:12:06.760 --> 00:12:07.720 This has not ended. 00:12:09.260 --> 00:12:13.310 And so when we talk about this rest ceasing, there's this transition taking place. 00:12:14.100 --> 00:12:17.320 In ancient times they would have understood exactly what was happening here. 00:12:18.460 --> 00:12:22.380 Because this word "host" gives us an idea of what God's doing. 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:24.880 This word host translated literally means an army. 00:12:26.260 --> 00:12:29.530 And so what you see here is a leader, a ruler. 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:32.160 The type of person that has an army is a king. 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:39.900 And so in this design of creation, God is showing his dominion, his authority, the expanse of his kingdom. 00:12:39.920 --> 00:12:42.540 And by the way, it happens to include all of the heavens and earth. 00:12:42.560 --> 00:12:43.720 Everything created. 00:12:43.780 --> 00:12:47.900 That's what this king rules over and he's got his army with him. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:55.620 And so when God is resting, or he ceasing, it's not saying he's stopping from whatever he intended to do, but rather now he's letting it play out. 00:12:56.660 --> 00:13:03.680 So God creates, divine design, intentionally, purposely, you become the crown of his creation and then he pauses from his creative 00:13:03.680 --> 00:13:05.580 work and he sits on his throne. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:10.480 And so what it's saying to us is God is ruling and reigning. 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:12.960 And that has not ended. 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:18.420 Beautifully, masterfully, he shaped you in this world. 00:13:19.300 --> 00:13:22.260 Then the question becomes, what happened? 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:25.490 If you made us to enjoy you forever? 00:13:26.060 --> 00:13:27.400 And you look around right now. 00:13:27.680 --> 00:13:33.000 I mean, we got armies and police, we lock our doors at night and we're worried about where we set our purses. 00:13:33.380 --> 00:13:35.110 And you know, we just stress out about things. 00:13:35.160 --> 00:13:35.460 Not me. 00:13:35.660 --> 00:13:36.310 I don't carry a purse. 00:13:36.380 --> 00:13:37.600 But you know what I'm saying, right? 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:44.700 That there's something wrong with the way God originally designed things. 00:13:44.700 --> 00:13:45.980 But just hold onto that. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:47.400 We'll talk about that in just a minute. 00:13:47.420 --> 00:13:48.300 You hold onto that thought. 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:50.550 And then when you look at the end of the Bible, look what it says. 00:13:50.700 --> 00:13:57.920 It says, talking about Jesus, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the Tabernacle of God is among men." So Tabernacle 00:13:57.920 --> 00:14:01.380 means God's dwelling place, "and he will dwell among them. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:03.740 By the way, I'm getting attacked by flies. 00:14:03.860 --> 00:14:07.410 So if you see me do this, just pretend it's praising Jesus, was what I was told by someone earlier. 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:12.400 But we had a chili cook off this weekend, apparently flies like chili much as human beings. 00:14:12.920 --> 00:14:14.590 And so their were floating around today. 00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:15.920 But anyway, back to this. 00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:23.340 So you hear a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the Tabernacle of God is among men and he will dwell among them and they shall be his people and God himself 00:14:23.340 --> 00:14:24.320 will be among them. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:28.640 So you see that relationship you are created for and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 00:14:28.860 --> 00:14:30.400 There will no longer be any death. 00:14:30.400 --> 00:14:32.560 There were no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. 00:14:32.560 --> 00:14:33.480 The first things have passed. 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:39.260 And then he says this, he who sits on the Thrones, you see his ruling said, behold, I am making all things new. 00:14:40.540 --> 00:14:46.560 So God's even recognizing in this passage that what he created everything for is not the way it's looking right now. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.600 And so his design, his plan is to make those things new. 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:54.100 And to renew those things in him. 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:57.060 And so what happened? 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:01.060 God designs this for his glory, to our benefit. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.860 Crown of creation, this wonderful thing. 00:15:03.880 --> 00:15:09.010 And you see Genesis chapter two, the very beginning of the Bible, Revelation 21, the very end of the Bible. 00:15:09.140 --> 00:15:12.610 And here we are sandwiched in this chaos and that's where we find ourselves today. 00:15:15.260 --> 00:15:19.960 And then you start to see from Genesis to Revelation 21, God unfolding this wonderful story. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.580 It carries the theme of our king and what it means to be a disciple. 00:15:26.760 --> 00:15:32.590 One of my favorite verses that kind of point to this identity, Isaiah 9:6, in talking about Jesus. 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:37.030 Jesus by the way, is the one it tells us in Colassians 1:15-16, he's the one that created everything. 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:43.160 And in Isaiah 9, it gives us the promise of the coming of Jesus, when Jesus will become flesh. 00:15:43.280 --> 00:15:46.890 It says, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. 00:15:46.920 --> 00:15:52.600 So for us to find that identity, a child was born from a Virgin Mary, a son will be given who was from the Father in heaven. 00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:56.260 So you see that the humanity and the deity of Jesus played out in this. 00:15:56.460 --> 00:16:00.700 A child will be born to us, a son will be given and the government will rest on his shoulders. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:04.970 So you see his ruling and authority and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor. 00:16:05.020 --> 00:16:08.040 So he brought, provides great counseling, Mighty God. 00:16:08.040 --> 00:16:12.340 So he's Creator, Sustainer, look, Eternal Father, he's referred to as a father. 00:16:12.540 --> 00:16:15.360 And then the word that I just want to highlight for us, the Prince of Peace. 00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:20.090 So you see in that word "Prince" his ruling. 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:27.140 At the same time, recognizing what we lost in sin being introduced in this world, in the garden of Eden, that peace. 00:16:29.520 --> 00:16:31.100 A peace you were created for with God. 00:16:32.520 --> 00:16:33.790 That the reason Jesus came. 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:36.820 That relationship that we talk about. 00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:39.680 We want everyone to experience a transforming relationship with God. 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:42.100 Jesus brings that peace, and let me tell you how beautiful this is. 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:46.780 It really says to you that you can stop the war. 00:16:46.940 --> 00:16:49.120 And I told you we had a worship war happening in all of us. 00:16:51.640 --> 00:16:58.760 When you get to this statement and what you see in this statement created throughout the rest of the scripture, this becomes the place where the war that rages within you gets 00:16:58.760 --> 00:16:59.390 to stop. 00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:04.300 Because Jesus has already paid for it all. 00:17:06.300 --> 00:17:07.220 Jesus has brought peace. 00:17:09.780 --> 00:17:11.460 There's nothing that you do to add to it. 00:17:13.099 --> 00:17:18.170 Simply his love has been demonstrated on the cross that you finally in your life can find acceptance in him. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:19.900 I love this. 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:22.050 This is such a healing place. 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:29.120 Whatever you struggle with in life, you get to start from a new beginning, because God wants to shape something in you and Jesus has already paid it 00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:29.800 off for you. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:34.200 So you don't work your way to this, God's already done it. 00:17:34.300 --> 00:17:35.460 Becoming flesh, dying on the cross. 00:17:36.140 --> 00:17:43.340 And so you think of everything in your life that you're like, "This person may not accept me if they ever found this out, or I got to put on a front to pretend to be something I'm 00:17:43.340 --> 00:17:46.820 not so that people would embrace me," and the struggle of all of that. 00:17:47.460 --> 00:17:49.740 And when it comes to Christ, you get let your hair down. 00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:50.660 God already sees it. 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:55.860 He loves you where you are and he loves you too much to leave you that way. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:58.680 He passionately loves you. 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:03.080 We would even say excrutiatingly loves you, which means out of the cross, demonstrated in that. 00:18:03.080 --> 00:18:06.260 And so the Prince has come to establish this peace. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:16.460 And if you see this theme throughout the Bible, he also communicates the way he brings that peace. 00:18:18.580 --> 00:18:25.980 You read in Genesis where we started the story, you know very early on in Genesis, starting at the end of chapter 11, God introduces 00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:29.590 us to a man from Ur of the Chaldeans. 00:18:29.820 --> 00:18:31.890 His name was Abrahm, that was later changed to Abraham. 00:18:33.120 --> 00:18:40.380 And he gives these promises to Abraham and one of the things that he says in your seed, all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed because you 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:41.480 have obeyed my voice. 00:18:42.900 --> 00:18:46.500 So God is pointing out to Abraham that through him the Messiah would come. 00:18:47.180 --> 00:18:51.950 And it's important to recognize, we think when we read verses like this, we start thinking about the nation of Israel. 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:58.480 But to be honest, I think Israel is included here, but this word that's used isn't seed plural. 00:18:58.480 --> 00:18:59.210 It's seed singular. 00:19:00.280 --> 00:19:07.320 In fact, Paul refers back to this section when he's writing Galatians 3:16 he says, through the seed that 00:19:07.320 --> 00:19:10.180 blessing would come referring to Jesus, one singular. 00:19:11.040 --> 00:19:18.440 And so in Genesis 2:18, God calls out this small people group Israel to recognize that God can work anything 00:19:18.560 --> 00:19:20.880 out of any meager means. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.200 Israel, it tells us in Deuteronomy they were nothing in God's eyes compared to the rest of the nations. 00:19:25.600 --> 00:19:26.840 They had nothing that would be impressive. 00:19:27.360 --> 00:19:32.280 But God chooses to work through them because he wants us to show how his redemptive hand can use anything for his glory. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.720 And he works with this people group to bless all nations. 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:46.300 You know, as the story starts to unfold, we've seen this in the Gospels that by and large, the nation of Israel rejects, or the people of Israel reject 00:19:46.300 --> 00:19:46.900 God. 00:19:47.560 --> 00:19:49.140 Now, that's not to say that to malign them. 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:54.280 I think wherever Jesus decided to show up that they were just going to be people that in general would have rejected him. 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:57.560 Whether he had been Greek or Roman or whatever. 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:00.560 And so we could have been talking about that with any people grew. 00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:02.540 But he went to the Jewish people group. 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:06.060 And from that people group rejected him. 00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:08.580 But the promise still remained, that all nations would be blessed. 00:20:09.040 --> 00:20:11.360 And then when you read in Matthew 28, which we looked at together. 00:20:12.080 --> 00:20:19.240 Matthew 28, the end of the Gospel, this is what it says, and Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, this is after his resurrection, all authority has 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:19.940 been given to me. 00:20:20.040 --> 00:20:23.410 So we see ruling on thrones, still king and his kingdom. 00:20:23.620 --> 00:20:27.260 All authority given into Christ in heaven and on Earth. 00:20:27.340 --> 00:20:34.560 So there's his dominion again and the way that he desires to work, Genesis 2, Revelation 21, to bless 00:20:34.560 --> 00:20:37.000 all nations is through his people. 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.720 And so it says this in 19, go therefore and make disciples of all nations. 00:20:41.860 --> 00:20:43.360 So you see this theme carried out again. 00:20:44.020 --> 00:20:45.600 All nations being discussed here. 00:20:45.860 --> 00:20:50.820 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:20:51.540 --> 00:20:54.420 So God calls his people on mission to bless all nations. 00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:56.620 And that theme of all nations carried still. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:05.000 Now that's not to say in talking about how God is now moving through the church in the New Testament, that it's to the abandonment of what God has done 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:05.540 in the past. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:13.680 In fact, if you read Romans 9, 10, 11 it explains that to us very clearly, God is not done with any nations, not 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.040 done with the Jewish people either. 00:21:15.780 --> 00:21:19.800 But God rather now works through all nations because he called his church to reach all nations. 00:21:20.320 --> 00:21:23.040 So if you read Romans 9, you see Israel in the past rejected God. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:30.600 Romans 10 Paul's prayer, his heart and desires for Israel, that they might come to a saving knowledge in God, though they have a zeal for God, it's not according to knowledge. 00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:33.700 So there's lots of people walking around claiming to know God, but it's not the true God. 00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:35.240 And he's saying that for the Jewish people. 00:21:35.800 --> 00:21:39.460 So we get the Romans 11 you see God continuing to call out to them. 00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:43.240 And he also says in Romans 11, there's a new group grafted in. 00:21:44.380 --> 00:21:49.100 And so we're joining in God's plan in this world, to bless the nations. 00:21:50.460 --> 00:21:56.920 And the idea of what he uses in this story, being played out as king ruling, is this thought of discipleship. 00:21:59.320 --> 00:22:00.450 What does it mean to be a disciple? 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:06.920 Well, the word disciple, in its basic sense comes from the idea of discipline. 00:22:08.320 --> 00:22:15.320 That someone in order to identify with something, they discipline themselves, that it would shape who they are and what they 00:22:15.320 --> 00:22:15.660 do. 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:24.020 So I would say this morning, whatever has your heart, whatever you love, whatever you're passionate about, to some degree or another, you are shaped in 00:22:24.020 --> 00:22:27.340 a certain discipline that reflects your appreciation for what that is. 00:22:29.340 --> 00:22:35.180 So in Christianity, in our context, we would say this, a disciple is a fully devoted follower of Jesus. 00:22:35.720 --> 00:22:40.160 We looked at Jesus, we call him King Jesus, and we want to reflect our King in this world. 00:22:40.340 --> 00:22:44.200 God, what do you look like and what does it look like to live like you in this world? 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:45.580 That's my desire. 00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:47.840 I am a disciple, I am a follower. 00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:55.200 And in our lives, as we said, it starts with worship. 00:22:57.600 --> 00:23:04.940 You have a gate and what controls that becomes important, because that gate influences 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:05.880 what you are about. 00:23:08.280 --> 00:23:15.680 And in that worship, we see a beautiful picture 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:20.320 of this King who's still ruling and reigning now working through his people. 00:23:20.620 --> 00:23:22.150 And so we asked the question, what in the world happened? 00:23:22.360 --> 00:23:25.300 We know sin cursed this world, but God has not finished. 00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:26.880 Resting does not mean God is finished. 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:29.660 But rather God is still on the move. 00:23:30.100 --> 00:23:32.360 And he's passionately pursuing people in this world. 00:23:32.560 --> 00:23:39.560 And the way that he wants his glory to be made known is by working through his people that know him and desire to reflect that in the 00:23:39.560 --> 00:23:40.080 life around us. 00:23:43.940 --> 00:23:45.670 We think about it in a theological framework. 00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:47.740 I love the way Colossians puts it. 00:23:47.840 --> 00:23:55.040 Colossians 1:27, it says this, "To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of 00:23:55.040 --> 00:24:02.420 this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." So it's recognizing for 00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:06.220 us in times past, you couldn't see completely how God was going to work this out. 00:24:06.300 --> 00:24:10.050 We knew that he was promising a Messiah and what all that would entail. 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:17.780 But prophetically it tells us, Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:31, that what God would do is he would take this heart of 00:24:18.080 --> 00:24:24.440 stone and his Spirit would come and we make that heart new for him and he would dwell within us. 00:24:24.440 --> 00:24:26.520 And so that's the mystery that's been shaped out. 00:24:26.520 --> 00:24:28.020 It's no longer a mystery anymore. 00:24:28.280 --> 00:24:35.040 That Jesus would come in the flesh, he would die for us, he would then indwell us and he would work through us to proclaim his glory in this world. 00:24:36.180 --> 00:24:37.440 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:43.640 It says in verse 28, "We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom. 00:24:44.540 --> 00:24:48.460 So that we may present every man complete in Christ." That's discipleship. 00:24:50.780 --> 00:24:51.340 Reflecting Jesus. 00:24:52.580 --> 00:24:53.210 For this purpose. 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:58.580 Paul says, I labor, striving according to his power, which mightily works within me. 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:07.180 So he's recognizing anything that we do in this world, it's never been by our power, but his sustaining power that has been reigning on the throne since the beginning of creation. 00:25:08.760 --> 00:25:11.680 And the laying down of myself that God could work through me. 00:25:13.300 --> 00:25:14.240 I'm controlling my gate. 00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:18.760 And so then he kind of gives this concluding thought in Colossians 2. 00:25:20.940 --> 00:25:28.430 He says, "Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him." This idea of walking again carries the thought of discipleship. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:32.480 It's saying to us, there's a rhythm to the way God desires to move in this world. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:38.480 And you being a disciple, desire to look at Christ and begin to mimic the rhythm in which God wants to move in the world around you. 00:25:39.640 --> 00:25:42.720 And so you're surrendered to him and in surrendering to him you walk in him. 00:25:44.020 --> 00:25:49.940 "Having Been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:57.760 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles 00:25:57.760 --> 00:26:02.960 of the world, rather than according to Christ." And he says, why? 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:03.650 Why do you want to live this way? 00:26:03.800 --> 00:26:08.760 "For In him, all the fullness of deity or God had dwells bodily in Jesus in this form. 00:26:09.540 --> 00:26:10.720 And in him you have been made complete. 00:26:11.020 --> 00:26:13.090 And he is the head over all rule and authority. 00:26:14.520 --> 00:26:15.520 So why do you live this way? 00:26:15.520 --> 00:26:18.160 Because Jesus is God and Jesus is ruling. 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:23.320 And he warns us in the context of this section, I love it, it's is a concluding thought. 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:31.080 By the way, I encourage you this week if you want to read theologically how the authority and deity 00:26:31.080 --> 00:26:32.300 of Jesus impacts life. 00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:34.890 Colossians 1 and 2, that's what Paul unpacks there. 00:26:35.060 --> 00:26:36.900 Jesus created all things for his glory and purpose. 00:26:37.260 --> 00:26:41.340 He upholds all things Colossians 1:15-16, and he builds from there how it relates to us. 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:48.220 But he says something very important, starting in verse 7, 8, he starts talking about our default as individuals. 00:26:49.800 --> 00:26:54.180 We tend to make our lives about religion rather than relationship. 00:26:55.580 --> 00:27:02.620 We tend to make our lives about, "God, I'm showing up on Sunday to perform this thing so that I obligate you and that you might have to be forced 00:27:02.620 --> 00:27:07.380 to love me." And so Jesus is going to love you any more than he already loves you right now. 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:10.000 And the way that it loves right now is by coming and giving his life for you. 00:27:10.040 --> 00:27:13.300 There is no further extent in which someone could go to ever demonstrate their love. 00:27:13.560 --> 00:27:16.460 So it doesn't matter what you do and try to make God love you more. 00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:19.660 There is no possible way that he could already love you more than he loves you. 00:27:20.620 --> 00:27:24.240 And he loves you so much that he loves you and doesn't want to leave you that way. 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:28.720 God wants to shape something in you that matters bigger than yourself. 00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:30.660 And what are you saying? 00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:38.460 Colossians is this idea for his glory and our benefit, which is far better than anything that we can fabricate in our own lives because it's Jesus who designed 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:39.400 us for his purpose. 00:27:41.360 --> 00:27:43.960 Our default is religion. 00:27:45.140 --> 00:27:52.540 And he talks about this more in Colossians, you can look at it in chapter two, he talks about how we might emphasize a day or a religious practice or something 00:27:52.540 --> 00:27:59.220 that we blow out of proportion and he says the significance of all of it is it's Jesus. 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:02.680 It's not religion, it's relationship. 00:28:02.800 --> 00:28:04.340 It's Jesus. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.380 That Prince of Peace has come for you. 00:28:09.540 --> 00:28:11.380 And we look at this theologically, right? 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:14.260 Colossians laid it out. 00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:16.300 Genesis lays it out. 00:28:18.860 --> 00:28:19.720 What does it look like practically? 00:28:21.280 --> 00:28:27.960 If you call yourself a disciple, what does that look like for me to live that out in my life? 00:28:28.820 --> 00:28:31.200 To worship and disciple. 00:28:33.460 --> 00:28:40.540 When it comes to life, I find there's a lot 00:28:40.540 --> 00:28:44.540 of ways we declare words with little demonstration. 00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:52.060 That doesn't carry much weight. 00:28:52.060 --> 00:28:56.140 And James even said that in the book of James 2, right? 00:28:57.600 --> 00:29:01.400 You show me your faith without your works, not showing you my faith by my works. 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:08.220 It's like the reality of who I am, if I'm saying one thing and not living it out, that's not really who I am. 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:13.180 I can call myself a Christian all day long, which by the way, the Bible only uses the word Christian like three times. 00:29:13.760 --> 00:29:16.650 It uses the word "disciple" or "follower of the way" more than it uses the word Christian. 00:29:17.260 --> 00:29:20.210 That for some reason that became the popular choice of words for us. 00:29:21.140 --> 00:29:25.240 Just saying that, what does it look like? 00:29:26.760 --> 00:29:30.960 Are they empty words or are you a genuine followers of Jesus? 00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:37.160 What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:44.520 We turn to Acts 2, I think you see that unfold in a practical way. 00:29:46.280 --> 00:29:52.560 Acts 2 is the place where the Spirit of God comes and empowers the people of God to accomplish the will of God in this world. 00:29:54.080 --> 00:30:01.340 And it's the first place, Acts 2, is the first place where, when the Spirit of God comes, Peter gives a sermon and then the church starts 00:30:01.340 --> 00:30:02.440 to live its life out. 00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:08.280 And I want you to know, before I start to read this, that this section of scripture is not necessarily prescriptive. 00:30:08.820 --> 00:30:14.380 What I'm saying is, we're going to read this story and I'm not telling you to do everything they're doing the way that they're doing it. 00:30:14.910 --> 00:30:16.900 It's not prescriptive, it's descriptive. 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:22.340 And so what I mean is,what's happening in Acts is Luke is just recording for us. 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:29.440 He's saying, when the people of God came to know the Lord and gave their lives to him, this is what it looked like in 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:30.060 the first century. 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:34.740 And then he starts to share with us starting in verse 42 what they did. 00:30:36.060 --> 00:30:41.700 Now, I'm going to tell you, because I just warn you that our default is just to think religiously apart from relationally. 00:30:42.940 --> 00:30:47.020 I want to warn you before I read this passage, because you're going to read things and I want to tell you to do them. 00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:52.080 You're going to read within the context that they got into God's word. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:58.080 And they prayed, and they fellowship, and they shared, and they gave, and they broke bread. 00:30:58.320 --> 00:31:03.960 And I'm going to say all those things are good and you should consider them and how they fit in your life, and in the way you live for God's glory. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:04.890 But here comes the danger. 00:31:06.020 --> 00:31:08.260 Is that we can treat those things as an end to themselves. 00:31:08.540 --> 00:31:11.420 Or we can treat those things as if they obligate God in our lives. 00:31:12.380 --> 00:31:17.240 But I want to tell you that when the early church did this, the thing that drove them to do this was one singular passion. 00:31:18.080 --> 00:31:19.320 They had a hunger for God. 00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:21.880 They wanted to know God. 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:27.560 And in wanting to know God, they sought the things that helped them better know God in their lives. 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:32.640 And so in that they became hungry for the word of God and prayer and seeking God. 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:36.420 And so when I read this list, I'm not trying to put a burden on you to obligate you. 00:31:36.620 --> 00:31:43.760 What I'm saying is when you have a passionate hunger for the Lord in his life, making him known as a disciple, these things will become a natural outflow 00:31:43.760 --> 00:31:44.200 of your life. 00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:45.730 And it's not something that you fabricate. 00:31:46.940 --> 00:31:48.480 It's not something that weighs you down as a burden. 00:31:48.500 --> 00:31:49.540 It's something you live out in your life. 00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:55.860 We as people recognize in the worship war that we live out, our heart needs revived daily. 00:31:57.480 --> 00:31:59.700 In fact, we even talk about revivals. 00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:03.520 It would be awesome to see a revival happen in Utah. 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:04.680 It would be awesome. 00:32:05.080 --> 00:32:12.120 You read Acts 2, when we read this context in a moment, I mean this is a 00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:12.420 revival. 00:32:12.760 --> 00:32:14.280 Thousands of people coming to know Christ. 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:15.480 Awesome. 00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:23.460 When you study American church history, there were some big revivals that happened in America starting in the 1700's into the 1800's. 00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:25.300 The Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening. 00:32:25.300 --> 00:32:26.090 There was a prayer revival. 00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:29.780 And sometimes when people look at that, they want it so bad. 00:32:29.800 --> 00:32:35.840 They start saying things like, "Let's just do what they did." And they studied the early revivals and they start telling us,"These people really prayed. 00:32:36.100 --> 00:32:42.620 And if we start praying, it's going to mean that we get a revival." Now prayer is good, but I'm going to tell you, it doesn't necessitate that there's going to be a revival. 00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:47.380 Prayer is not like this magic wand where you're like, if we just all did it, then there's going to be a revival. 00:32:47.580 --> 00:32:49.300 And the reason there's not a revival is because we're not all doing it. 00:32:50.060 --> 00:32:52.000 I don't think prayers what created revivals in America. 00:32:53.340 --> 00:32:55.900 I think prayer was a natural outflowing of what created revival. 00:32:56.900 --> 00:33:00.000 What created revival was that the people had a hunger for God. 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:06.080 And in their hunger for God, God revived the land in him, as people trust and pursued him. 00:33:06.600 --> 00:33:08.640 The prayer just became a natural outflowing of that. 00:33:09.260 --> 00:33:14.040 And so when we look at the story that's unfolding, Acts 2, we see people come to know Jesus, disciples of him. 00:33:14.040 --> 00:33:16.200 Then we asked the question practically, what does it look like? 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:17.880 Not as an end in itself. 00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:23.500 Because it's a natural outflowing of a hunger for God. 00:33:23.580 --> 00:33:24.980 I don't want you to shame me. 00:33:25.860 --> 00:33:27.920 God, I want you to be in control of my life. 00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:31.660 Rather than it be about me, I want it to be about you. 00:33:33.060 --> 00:33:34.720 God, make me hungry. 00:33:37.880 --> 00:33:40.330 And the word of God in that context becomes sustenance. 00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:42.960 It becomes food for your soul. 00:33:44.500 --> 00:33:45.380 So this is what it says. 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:53.060 This is what Luke records, early church, they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and 00:33:53.060 --> 00:33:54.660 the breaking of bread and to prayer. 00:33:55.660 --> 00:33:59.790 And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 00:34:00.080 --> 00:34:04.230 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common, that beautiful unity. 00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:09.380 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all as anyone might have need. 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:14.600 And look at verse 47 I skipped ahead, but it says, "in praising God and having favor with all people. 00:34:14.600 --> 00:34:21.620 And the Lord was adding to their number day by day, those who were being saved." I'm going to say this about verse 47 I'm going to tell you we're going to talk 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:23.620 more about verse 47 next week. 00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:33.280 But in the beauty of the fellowship of God's people, what it says as that community, as they had their tribe 00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:40.639 together, people around saw how beautiful that was, how powerful it was and how attractive it became and 00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:42.659 God kept adding to their numbers. 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:45.820 People were seeing that and they just wanted it. 00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:50.780 For me, I love this verse for Utah. 00:34:50.780 --> 00:34:57.920 And the reason I love this verses is.because I've lived here for well over a decade now and I can tell you one of the number one things that 00:34:57.980 --> 00:35:00.620 this area struggles with, probably far above anything else. 00:35:02.540 --> 00:35:02.920 It's loneliness. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:13.320 For whatever reason, I've lived in a few different places in America, but one of the struggles that we have in this area that I think is a little more powerful 00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:15.670 than other areas is loneliness. 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:19.440 And I just want to point that out to you. 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:28.300 We'll talk a little bit more about next week, but I just want to point that out to you this week just to say this to you as a church family, I 00:35:28.300 --> 00:35:33.420 want us to realize how powerful our fellowship is as a community. 00:35:36.340 --> 00:35:43.560 Because what it's here in this fellowship is if your area struggles with loneliness, then what God's family can 00:35:43.560 --> 00:35:50.140 have together, created and committed to each other is such a beautiful thing that it draws other people in. 00:35:50.220 --> 00:35:53.300 I, I think this becomes a tool to reach the world around us. 00:35:55.450 --> 00:36:02.500 Now, I want to tell you, I don't want you to feel the pressure of that and say, okay, I need to know everybody 00:36:02.500 --> 00:36:02.940 in the church. 00:36:03.020 --> 00:36:04.120 Because our church, we have two services. 00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:04.820 We're too big. 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:05.600 You can't know everybody. 00:36:06.180 --> 00:36:06.680 You can't know everybody. 00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:10.460 But I do want you to know everyone deserves to be known. 00:36:12.060 --> 00:36:14.300 Now, everyone is made special and important in God's eyes. 00:36:14.560 --> 00:36:16.460 And so everyone deserves to be made known. 00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:21.760 And that makes it important for you to find a tribe within our bigger tribe to encourage and fellowship. 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:23.060 We all carry this responsibility. 00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:30.600 And when we live it out, how beautiful that becomes in Christ, like how important it is for you to participate in community life, 00:36:30.720 --> 00:36:32.410 to encourage each other. 00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:37.280 To make a family, and to make God's family become a priority in our lives. 00:36:37.300 --> 00:36:41.100 That we can see the beauty of Christ reflected in our world and it becomes attractive to the outside world. 00:36:42.080 --> 00:36:48.440 But he also says this, I'm going to get off that, I'm going to let you see in verse 42 what he says, and some specific things the church does. 00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:55.440 In the apostles teaching, which the apostles wrote the New Testament, and we talked about this before, the string of 00:36:55.440 --> 00:36:59.480 pearls, how they took the New Testament and tied it to the Old Testament. 00:36:59.680 --> 00:37:03.900 So they're listening to God's word, the apostles teaching and to fellowship. 00:37:04.980 --> 00:37:06.080 So let me, let me just say this. 00:37:08.260 --> 00:37:16.020 At some point in our framework of thinking somehow the church has gotten a little off skew and tends to think at different times that 00:37:16.020 --> 00:37:19.820 information, your knowledge means spirituality. 00:37:20.660 --> 00:37:22.170 Like the more you know, the more spiritual you. 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:25.580 And truth is that's garbage. 00:37:26.780 --> 00:37:28.750 The more you know, doesn't make you more spiritual. 00:37:28.980 --> 00:37:30.240 It just means that you know. 00:37:30.980 --> 00:37:32.720 And the Bible tells us actually knowledge puffs up. 00:37:32.760 --> 00:37:34.060 So you might actually have an issue with pride. 00:37:36.100 --> 00:37:38.440 When it comes to the idea of truth. 00:37:41.140 --> 00:37:45.220 Notice that he says in this verse that they're devoted the apostles teaching and to fellowship. 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:54.060 And what he's saying for us as a people is that if your understanding of God doesn't impact your 00:37:54.060 --> 00:37:56.730 relationship with others, you need to change your theology. 00:37:58.740 --> 00:38:03.880 Because the truth of God as it's being made in our lives, isn't just about information. 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:08.780 That you spiritually should find yourself interacting holistically. 00:38:09.540 --> 00:38:13.080 That as you come to know God's truth, it should impact the way that you live your life. 00:38:14.260 --> 00:38:16.200 Now let me just say, I don't want to downplay truth. 00:38:17.820 --> 00:38:20.440 I want to elevate fellowship and elevate truth. 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:26.440 And in recognizing the significance of truth, let me just say this, truth becomes the catalyst for change. 00:38:27.740 --> 00:38:34.860 The reason they were drawn to God's word is because they identify it as the truth of who God is, that they can know him more intimately and be a disciple or 00:38:34.860 --> 00:38:36.880 reflect the beauty of God in this world. 00:38:38.020 --> 00:38:39.660 You don't just get the make up who God is. 00:38:40.820 --> 00:38:42.160 God has revealed himself. 00:38:42.980 --> 00:38:45.060 That you can know him personally and intimately. 00:38:46.180 --> 00:38:48.540 And so truth becomes the catalyst for life change. 00:38:49.060 --> 00:38:50.080 And that makes truth important. 00:38:51.060 --> 00:38:56.060 But if I'm just embracing the truth to puff up my mind and calling that spirituality, that's false perception. 00:38:57.620 --> 00:39:04.480 Because the truth of who God is intended to impact the lives of individuals around me and how I live that out, the love of the Lord in my life. 00:39:05.240 --> 00:39:07.880 And so he goes a little bit further than he talks about the breaking of bread and of prayer. 00:39:08.100 --> 00:39:13.210 When we talk about the breaking of bread, we often think about communion, which we do as a church. 00:39:13.260 --> 00:39:15.260 But their picture of breaking of bread was far bigger than that. 00:39:16.180 --> 00:39:18.120 They were referred to their gatherings as love feasts. 00:39:18.120 --> 00:39:25.340 They'd often meet in homes or a common area, didn't have church buildings, and when they would gather together, they would have an entire feast. 00:39:25.380 --> 00:39:26.690 And a part of that involved communion. 00:39:27.860 --> 00:39:31.660 So they were enjoying life together in one another's home. 00:39:31.700 --> 00:39:34.760 Having fellowship with one another, talking about the truth of God's word. 00:39:35.290 --> 00:39:36.860 By the way, I would say that's our connection groups. 00:39:37.740 --> 00:39:44.840 If you want to know what I think is a broader picture of the church is what we do in our family groups or connection groups throughout 00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:45.200 the week. 00:39:46.640 --> 00:39:50.080 So it's the fellowship together that's important and people are lonely. 00:39:50.080 --> 00:39:51.080 You've got to have that stuff. 00:39:51.080 --> 00:39:51.400 It's an encouragement. 00:39:51.760 --> 00:39:58.750 It's a rallying point for us and our identity in Jesus to encourage one another along and to share this teaching and to the breaking of bread and prayer. 00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:01.180 Now, we talk about all of these things. 00:40:01.180 --> 00:40:03.040 I think it's important to just continue to remind ourselves. 00:40:03.220 --> 00:40:04.720 This is not a legalistic checklist. 00:40:05.360 --> 00:40:10.100 That these things don't exist like God is up there in heaven begging you to use them. 00:40:10.120 --> 00:40:12.720 I think God wants you to use them, but prayer doesn't exist for God. 00:40:12.980 --> 00:40:17.720 God's not in heaven like, "Man, I hope they pray to me, I really need to hear today." Prayer exists for you. 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:20.780 God created that so that you can connect to him. 00:40:20.820 --> 00:40:22.540 God said, "You carry burdens in this world. 00:40:22.540 --> 00:40:24.060 You have direct access to me. 00:40:24.060 --> 00:40:24.620 Talk to me. 00:40:24.620 --> 00:40:25.600 Utilize this. 00:40:25.600 --> 00:40:28.860 I've given you this opportunity to draw near to me." Prayer is for you. 00:40:30.640 --> 00:40:31.640 Fellowship isn't for God. 00:40:31.760 --> 00:40:32.760 Fellowship is for you. 00:40:34.340 --> 00:40:35.600 God's Word isn't for him. 00:40:35.640 --> 00:40:37.160 He already knows it, He wrote the book. 00:40:38.020 --> 00:40:38.840 It's for you. 00:40:39.980 --> 00:40:40.560 It's for us. 00:40:40.640 --> 00:40:45.240 They call ourselves Christians or disciples, I think is another way of saying what I think "Christian" should mean. 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:54.020 And so these things exist for us because we are under our King desiring to align our hearts as he controls 00:40:54.020 --> 00:40:56.000 our gates to reflect him in this world. 00:40:58.700 --> 00:40:59.940 So these things become important. 00:41:00.120 --> 00:41:00.280 Why? 00:41:01.660 --> 00:41:06.720 Hunger for God, hunger for God. 00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:11.790 So I think in our groups as we meet, as you have your little tribes. 00:41:12.060 --> 00:41:17.500 By the way, I am getting into next week's message but let me say, people are weird, right? 00:41:18.140 --> 00:41:19.000 We're okay with that. 00:41:19.020 --> 00:41:21.860 No one who wants to be your descriptive word. 00:41:21.860 --> 00:41:24.560 If I had to describe you to people, "You're normal." That's boring, right? 00:41:24.820 --> 00:41:25.860 It's cool to be weird right? 00:41:25.860 --> 00:41:28.820 Everyone's got their own eccentric personalities and stuff. 00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:32.420 And when you get together with different groups in our church, different connection groups, you try those out. 00:41:32.880 --> 00:41:34.020 You're not always going to match with one. 00:41:34.020 --> 00:41:34.480 That's okay. 00:41:34.500 --> 00:41:36.600 Just be like they're just a different weird than me. 00:41:36.860 --> 00:41:39.230 So I'll try a another group or some. 00:41:40.040 --> 00:41:41.080 That's important. 00:41:42.140 --> 00:41:46.860 But when you talk about our groups, or meeting as a group and the importance of fellowship, it's good. 00:41:47.540 --> 00:41:49.160 But that doesn't end there either. 00:41:49.180 --> 00:41:54.980 If you have a family or whatever you are, whether one person or you represent a family core to some degree. 00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:59.040 I'm just going let you know my home, what we do: hunger for God. 00:42:00.300 --> 00:42:02.180 And in the back there are these Bibles. 00:42:03.780 --> 00:42:09.400 If you have been looking for a Bible for your kids, this Bible is more designed between the ages of four to eight. 00:42:09.960 --> 00:42:10.880 We have him on the back for $5. 00:42:13.520 --> 00:42:17.190 Usually about four or five days a week, just being honest, not every day. 00:42:18.580 --> 00:42:22.620 I'll get with my kids, I'll sit up in their room, they share the same room together. 00:42:22.620 --> 00:42:26.000 We like them to have that as brothers sharing a room. 00:42:26.580 --> 00:42:28.420 And I'll sit on their bed and we'll read a story. 00:42:29.420 --> 00:42:33.740 And the reason I liked this Bible is because it takes a story and doesn't just leave it as the end of the story. 00:42:33.740 --> 00:42:37.380 It ties it into God's greater theme of his plan of redemption for all of creation. 00:42:38.040 --> 00:42:40.420 So it ties everything back to Jesus, each Bible story. 00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:42.100 And I'll read them a story. 00:42:42.120 --> 00:42:46.180 And usually before I read the story, I'll tell them, knowing what the story is, I'll tell them why I like this story. 00:42:47.180 --> 00:42:48.220 What it means to me. 00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:52.210 And then I'll read it or I'll get to the end of the story and I'll tell them how that story impacts me. 00:42:52.620 --> 00:42:53.600 I'm trying to make it personal with them. 00:42:53.660 --> 00:42:56.760 It's not real long, but God uses that to shape us. 00:42:58.280 --> 00:43:01.630 And as a dad, I understand what God wants to do in my son's, he wants to mature them. 00:43:03.020 --> 00:43:07.700 One of things I love to do is I don't want to follow after my kids all day long and barking every time they're wrong. 00:43:07.740 --> 00:43:10.240 That's a horrible representation of Jesus. 00:43:10.730 --> 00:43:16.580 Every time you think about your dad and you think about the pastor that tells you all the wrong things you're doing, and then you end up hating Jesus because of it, that's horrible. 00:43:17.820 --> 00:43:21.980 Rather what I tried to do with my kids, I correct them when there's things that they shouldn't be doing. 00:43:22.640 --> 00:43:23.560 Which is daily. 00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:30.840 But more than that, I encourage them when I see them doing things that reflect what I think the nature of God is. 00:43:31.400 --> 00:43:32.100 And I celebrate that. 00:43:32.540 --> 00:43:34.640 I tell them, "You guys are young men. 00:43:34.640 --> 00:43:41.740 I'm so proud of the way that you just took time to care for your mom like that, reflecting a characteristic that's godly." I'll just point 00:43:41.740 --> 00:43:43.110 out whatever that characteristic is. 00:43:43.300 --> 00:43:43.800 And that's it. 00:43:43.800 --> 00:43:45.010 I just want my children to be shaped. 00:43:45.060 --> 00:43:48.580 It's not, it's not all day long walking behind them and be like, looks like Jesus looked like Jesus. 00:43:48.760 --> 00:43:51.400 You know, just being proactive and spending time. 00:43:51.420 --> 00:43:55.600 So if you want to get a Bible five bucks in the back, you can grab one. 00:43:55.600 --> 00:44:00.770 But all of these things become central for us as a church family. 00:44:02.560 --> 00:44:04.960 What it means to be a disciple and follow after Christ. 00:44:06.900 --> 00:44:11.900 And one of the things that I think this passage does to encourage us, I love how it starts. 00:44:12.160 --> 00:44:17.300 If you just look at verse 41, this section describes their action. 00:44:18.360 --> 00:44:21.340 But just before that it talks about their conversion, their salvation. 00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:25.200 Their point in life where they realize, "I was in control of my gate. 00:44:27.040 --> 00:44:29.000 Jesus paid for that. 00:44:29.380 --> 00:44:30.120 I don't have to hide. 00:44:30.240 --> 00:44:30.940 I don't have to pretend. 00:44:32.440 --> 00:44:35.460 He loves me that much." Peter preached that message. 00:44:35.540 --> 00:44:37.300 He preached the sermon in Acts 2. 00:44:38.440 --> 00:44:39.220 And then they surrender themselves. 00:44:41.540 --> 00:44:42.240 "Jesus save me. 00:44:43.960 --> 00:44:44.960 Jesus be the Lord of my life. 00:44:45.240 --> 00:44:52.240 I don't want to be Lord." And it says, after Peter preached that sermon in Acts 2, "So then those who 00:44:52.240 --> 00:44:53.550 had received his word were baptized. 00:44:54.860 --> 00:44:59.440 And that day there were added about 3,000 souls." Now this is the day of Pentecost. 00:44:59.800 --> 00:45:00.990 And this would be cool, when we talk about revival. 00:45:01.180 --> 00:45:03.080 This would be cool, 3,000 people come to know Jesus. 00:45:03.080 --> 00:45:03.780 I would like that. 00:45:04.540 --> 00:45:05.500 Let's do that. 00:45:05.800 --> 00:45:06.490 Let's live this verse. 00:45:07.260 --> 00:45:10.700 But the point of this verse actually isn't the number. 00:45:10.740 --> 00:45:12.940 Now the number does wow you, but the point of this verse isn't the number. 00:45:12.940 --> 00:45:14.590 The number is specific, I think it's a real number. 00:45:14.700 --> 00:45:15.500 It was 3,000. 00:45:16.180 --> 00:45:19.060 But this number is symbolic and that carries far more weight. 00:45:19.160 --> 00:45:22.360 And the symbolism of this is what's intended to encourage you as God's people. 00:45:23.720 --> 00:45:30.080 Because when Peter preaches this message and these people come to Christ, this happens 50 days after Passover. 00:45:31.180 --> 00:45:31.640 On the day of Pentecost. 00:45:33.700 --> 00:45:36.500 And Israel has been celebrating Pentecost since the Passover. 00:45:37.720 --> 00:45:38.510 You remember the Passover? 00:45:38.660 --> 00:45:41.500 Moses was in Egypt with the slaves who were Israel. 00:45:41.760 --> 00:45:48.960 God uses the Passover to set them free and they celebrate the Passover for almost a few thousand years before Christ comes in the sacrifice of the lamb. 00:45:50.140 --> 00:45:53.360 And then after they leave Egypt, they get to this place called Mount Sinai. 00:45:53.860 --> 00:45:57.080 And while they're traveling, God gives them the law. 00:45:58.300 --> 00:46:00.520 Moses goes up on the mountain and he gets the law. 00:46:00.540 --> 00:46:02.260 In happens in Exodus 32. 00:46:02.560 --> 00:46:09.660 When he comes down with the law, what he finds out are the people of Israel, Moses receives this law on the day of Pentecost, he comes down and he sees the people 00:46:09.660 --> 00:46:11.680 of Israel worshiping a false god. 00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:20.280 And because of the judgment that takes place for them, leaving the Lord and worshiping a false god, it tells us 3,000 souls die that day. 00:46:22.140 --> 00:46:26.180 And the point of the illustration with the law is that law, religious living, does not save you. 00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:29.440 In fact, if you think that, I would say, please read Galatians 3. 00:46:30.520 --> 00:46:32.240 Religious law will not save you. 00:46:32.240 --> 00:46:33.080 It will never save you. 00:46:33.080 --> 00:46:35.560 The only thing it will ever do is condemn you. 00:46:36.520 --> 00:46:43.720 And you think in practical terms of our law today, no police officer ever pulls you over and says, "Good job in obeying the law." The only thing that they use 00:46:43.720 --> 00:46:45.320 the law for is to tell you when you break it. 00:46:45.820 --> 00:46:47.420 And we love police officers, but that's their job. 00:46:48.680 --> 00:46:49.650 Same thing with the Old Testament law. 00:46:50.160 --> 00:46:51.990 It's to show you your need to be rescued. 00:46:52.200 --> 00:46:54.530 It doesn't free you, it condemns you. 00:46:55.140 --> 00:47:02.120 And so when Israel would think about the Pentecost, the day of Pentecost, they would think about the day 3,000 people were killed. 00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:10.660 And now all of a sudden in Acts 2, after Jesus's death, burial and resurrection, when God says to them that 3,000 souls are saved that day, 00:47:10.820 --> 00:47:12.300 it's as if to stop them in the tracks. 00:47:13.380 --> 00:47:16.500 It's to awaken them to something new that's happening in the new covenant here. 00:47:17.820 --> 00:47:21.800 What God is doing through Christ and now working through his people to proclaim this glory. 00:47:23.220 --> 00:47:30.440 That God's power is still on mission and it's coming into this world to save us and to rescue us from the curse of sin of which law and religion 00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:31.700 can never free us from. 00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:35.500 It identifies that. 00:47:38.580 --> 00:47:44.920 How important God's community becomes in declaring his purpose. 00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:45.900 Could you imagine you hear the story? 00:47:47.840 --> 00:47:56.500 The people hear what Peter's preaching and they're rescued by Christ and 00:47:56.500 --> 00:48:04.400 they see that the saving God has taken this law that has oppressed and 00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:06.920 demonstrated their need for a Messiah. 00:48:08.440 --> 00:48:15.440 And that same law that took 3,000 lives in the Old Testament now brings 3,000 new lives 00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:16.400 into His kingdom. 00:48:18.560 --> 00:48:22.920 And their response is, I'm hungry for this God. 00:48:25.160 --> 00:48:25.960 How can I know him? 00:48:27.860 --> 00:48:30.140 How can I live in that Prince of Peace? 00:48:31.760 --> 00:48:38.240 And as they live it out in their lives, they're not just disciples by word, but they're disciples by living. 00:48:39.200 --> 00:48:47.060 "The Lord continues to add to their numbers day by day." That 00:48:47.060 --> 00:48:49.020 makes your walk with Jesus important. 00:48:51.080 --> 00:48:58.280 Not just in your relationship, in growing in God, but how God then uses that to impact 00:48:58.280 --> 00:48:59.180 lives around you. 00:49:01.060 --> 00:49:08.380 The seriousness of this story says to us as people, don't take advantage of the opportunity 00:49:08.380 --> 00:49:14.330 God has given you to know him and to live for the purpose for which he has created you in this world. 00:49:15.940 --> 00:49:20.840 We're going to talk about in the next two weeks how that practically breaks itself out, but I'm going to leave you with just this quote. 00:49:22.420 --> 00:49:24.000 Out of all the things you can live for in your life. 00:49:25.120 --> 00:49:32.180 Of the things that can control your gate, living for Christ becomes the most paramount and beautiful thing for which you 00:49:32.220 --> 00:49:35.800 could live because God created you for that, from the very beginning. 00:49:36.040 --> 00:49:42.880 Intentionally, intimately breathing you, forming you, and the breath of life that you can know and enjoy him for all of eternity in demonstrate that glory in this world. 00:49:44.180 --> 00:49:48.240 William Carey was a missionary in the 1700 to recognize this. 00:49:48.320 --> 00:49:53.080 And he lived at a time when Christians did not care about demonstrating their faith in that way. 00:49:53.100 --> 00:49:56.390 They didn't go to the ends of the word earth to make disciples of all nations. 00:49:56.940 --> 00:50:04.040 And William Carey kept reading through God's word and saw himself trapped between Genesis 2 and Revelation 00:50:04.040 --> 00:50:06.000 21 to live for his glory. 00:50:06.040 --> 00:50:12.280 And he continued to compel and preach the need to go to the point that he ends up going into the foreign mission field and living his life for God. 00:50:12.340 --> 00:50:13.760 And this is what he said that impacted him. 00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:15.720 He said this, "I'm not afraid of failure. 00:50:17.460 --> 00:50:24.700 I'm just afraid of succeeding at the things that don't matter." This story is 00:50:24.700 --> 00:50:30.630 the theme of our existence and our hunger for this determines the power through which we live.