WEBVTT 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:07.680 - Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast. 00:00:07.680 --> 00:00:09.200 This is where you can find audio 00:00:09.200 --> 00:00:11.440 from Sunday morning messages and more. 00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:12.740 Make sure you're subscribed 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:14.640 so that you don't miss future episodes 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:15.840 and thanks for listening. 00:00:15.840 --> 00:00:24.320 - If you're curious, New Life Baptist Church 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.880 is a Hispanic church that we partner with in Queens. 00:00:27.880 --> 00:00:29.240 We've been partnering with them now, 00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:32.200 where's Brent at, for about three years now. 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:33.800 Two to three years that we've been going up there 00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:35.440 and we've been doing things from Coates to the city. 00:00:35.440 --> 00:00:37.120 Our student ministry went up there 00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:38.880 for the first time this summer. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:41.600 We got future trips planned and you just love that. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:45.200 I got our house when we get a thank you note. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.360 I remember we hadn't been married long 00:00:47.360 --> 00:00:50.640 and we got a thank you note in the mail 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:52.760 and I got the mail and I opened it 00:00:52.760 --> 00:00:56.080 and I read the thank you note and I threw the note away. 00:00:56.080 --> 00:00:58.840 And then Erin came home and she opened up the trash can 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:00.760 to throw something away and she saw a thank you note 00:01:00.760 --> 00:01:01.960 sitting right there and she's like, 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:03.120 why did you throw that away? 00:01:03.120 --> 00:01:04.240 I was like, well, 'cause I read it. 00:01:04.240 --> 00:01:06.440 And she's like, yeah, and I bought the gift. 00:01:06.440 --> 00:01:09.160 And so she's like, no, no, when someone writes 00:01:09.160 --> 00:01:11.040 us a thank you note, we both wanna, 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:12.600 we wanna be able to read that 00:01:12.600 --> 00:01:13.600 and we wanna be able to see that. 00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:15.760 And so just so grateful for them 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:17.480 and just to be able to say thank you, 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:19.880 not just to our youth or not just to our adults 00:01:19.880 --> 00:01:22.020 who've been there, but us as a church. 00:01:22.020 --> 00:01:24.440 And it truly is a partnership, 00:01:24.440 --> 00:01:28.700 which is just so beautiful and so wonderful to see. 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:31.640 I'm speaking of partnerships at the beginning 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:32.920 of September, September 1st, 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:34.180 I know that's a holiday weekend, 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:35.680 but you're gonna wanna be here. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.600 Pastor Sam will be with us from India that morning 00:01:38.600 --> 00:01:41.040 and he's gonna open up God's word and he's gonna preach. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.140 And I'm excited about that and be able to hear him 00:01:43.140 --> 00:01:44.600 and be a part of that service. 00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:47.000 And so you'll wanna make sure that you're here 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.660 as him and his lovely wife, Susan will be here, 00:01:49.660 --> 00:01:52.320 traveling all around the state of South Carolina, 00:01:52.320 --> 00:01:57.320 North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio 00:01:57.440 --> 00:01:59.480 to share with partnering churches, 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:02.280 but also to develop some different partnerships 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:03.120 of what's there. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:06.720 So be in prayer for them as he is speaking 00:02:06.720 --> 00:02:09.720 for the next two months, pretty much every Sunday morning, 00:02:09.720 --> 00:02:11.840 Sunday night and Wednesday night, 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:13.840 he will be at various churches. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:17.260 And so be a wonderful time, September 1st. 00:02:17.260 --> 00:02:19.880 Well, if you have your Bible and I hope you do, 00:02:19.880 --> 00:02:24.880 I want you to join us in Matthew chapter four, 00:02:24.880 --> 00:02:26.760 Matthew chapter four. 00:02:26.760 --> 00:02:29.000 So here's what we're gonna do today. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.280 We are going to usually I take a passage of scripture. 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:34.680 You guys know this, you've been around me for a while 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.600 and we just kind of like hang out on these handful of verses 00:02:38.600 --> 00:02:40.960 and we really try to break down and understand 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:43.760 what God is teaching us and what God is telling us 00:02:43.760 --> 00:02:45.200 from that passage of scripture. 00:02:45.200 --> 00:02:47.960 And I think it's important that we study scripture 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:49.480 and we teach scripture that way. 00:02:49.480 --> 00:02:52.580 However, for the next few weeks, the next three weeks, 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:53.920 what we're gonna do on Sunday morning 00:02:53.920 --> 00:02:56.880 is gonna look a little bit differently than that. 00:02:56.880 --> 00:02:58.220 We're gonna look at our structure, 00:02:58.220 --> 00:03:01.760 what defines us as a church as we look at God's word 00:03:01.760 --> 00:03:04.800 and examine that and answer the question, 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:08.160 why do we do what we do here? 00:03:08.160 --> 00:03:12.440 Why do we do what we do here? 00:03:12.440 --> 00:03:13.840 You can go and you can look, 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:18.120 there's not a shortage of churches around. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:24.000 Chances are you drove past a church to get to this church 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:29.120 unless you're one of the handfuls that live right around, 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:31.920 like here, you're like, no, but we can hit a golf ball 00:03:31.920 --> 00:03:33.720 from our house to the church, right? 00:03:33.720 --> 00:03:37.480 But for us, I know this morning I passed six or seven 00:03:37.480 --> 00:03:39.640 churches to come here. 00:03:39.640 --> 00:03:44.600 And so what I want us to see is why do we do what we do 00:03:44.600 --> 00:03:48.000 and then why do we do what we do here? 00:03:48.880 --> 00:03:52.440 Because I feel like sometimes what has happened 00:03:52.440 --> 00:03:55.520 is a church becomes a church 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:58.960 and then when a church moves off of God's word 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:02.000 to what they do and why they do what they do, 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.840 they begin to look at things differently 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:09.000 and then they flirt with, they become threatened by, 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:13.560 they have a risk of danger of walking away 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:16.720 from being a church to being something else. 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:22.720 We're not a daycare, we're not a school, 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:27.640 we're not a political organization, 00:04:27.640 --> 00:04:30.600 we're not a social club, we're a church. 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:33.840 And I'm not saying that churches that have some of those 00:04:33.840 --> 00:04:37.440 aspects aren't churches, I'm saying that above everything, 00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:40.320 they better make sure that they're being a church 00:04:40.320 --> 00:04:42.520 and that what the ministry of the church 00:04:42.520 --> 00:04:46.040 and the heart of God drive what's there. 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:47.520 And so if you ever wonder, you're like, 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:49.560 well maybe I like what we do here 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:51.600 or maybe there's even some aspects and you're like, 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:53.400 yeah, I don't really care for this aspect 00:04:53.400 --> 00:04:54.480 of the things that we do. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:58.100 I want you to know the why we do what we do 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:00.920 because I believe when it comes down to church, 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.440 I read a book years ago called Simple Church. 00:05:04.440 --> 00:05:07.240 God in my name, Tom Rayner wrote it. 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:08.760 Simple Church. 00:05:08.760 --> 00:05:11.360 And what I began to understand is that in order to have 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:15.520 a simple church, it could be a complicated process. 00:05:15.520 --> 00:05:17.520 But that the church that God was calling us to 00:05:17.520 --> 00:05:20.880 was in fact a simple church when we look at God's word 00:05:20.880 --> 00:05:22.600 and when we are the simple church that the Bible 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.360 calls us to do, we can become a powerful church. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.460 I said this a few weeks ago and surprised some of you, 00:05:28.460 --> 00:05:32.640 maybe you were newer and maybe not knowing about my past, 00:05:32.640 --> 00:05:37.400 but very rarely does somebody decide at a very young age 00:05:37.400 --> 00:05:40.720 that they're gonna grow up and be a pastor. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:44.080 That was definitely not my journey in life. 00:05:44.080 --> 00:05:46.800 I had a lot of things that I thought about doing. 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:51.440 But my lifelong dream from a very young age 00:05:51.440 --> 00:05:54.840 was to be a football coach. 00:05:54.840 --> 00:05:56.020 I wanted to be a football coach. 00:05:56.020 --> 00:06:01.020 Very specifically, I wanted to be a college football 00:06:01.020 --> 00:06:04.440 offensive coordinator. 00:06:04.440 --> 00:06:05.840 That's what I wanted to be. 00:06:05.840 --> 00:06:08.800 One of my coaches that I coached under 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:12.440 when I was a college student, he came to me and he said, 00:06:12.440 --> 00:06:17.080 there's a coach that's up in the Midwest that he knew 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:19.160 and if I could get my grades in order, 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:22.600 if I could study hard, if I could finish college on time, 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:25.760 he said he's an up and comer, we really believe 00:06:25.760 --> 00:06:28.960 that he'll be able to do great things in football 00:06:28.960 --> 00:06:32.000 and I know him and we could possibly set you up 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.200 with an internship with this coach. 00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:37.480 And then he said his name and years later it hit me, 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:39.140 Nick Saban. 00:06:40.880 --> 00:06:43.320 And Michael Brewer would have lost credibility for me 00:06:43.320 --> 00:06:44.560 as an Auburn fan. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:48.680 But there's this opportunity. 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:51.320 And so I coached football for years as a non-believer. 00:06:51.320 --> 00:06:53.080 I coached high school football. 00:06:53.080 --> 00:06:55.320 I loved every minute of it. 00:06:55.320 --> 00:06:57.960 I coached offensive line was the position that I coached. 00:06:57.960 --> 00:06:59.920 I had the opportunity of calling plays. 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.160 I learned how to break down film. 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:02.300 I learned how to do these things. 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:06.080 I would go to clinics and learn and I took in so much 00:07:06.080 --> 00:07:08.840 about what it meant to coach college football. 00:07:08.840 --> 00:07:10.320 I was able to serve under what I believe 00:07:10.320 --> 00:07:12.560 one of the greatest offensive coordinators 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.720 in South Carolina high school football league history. 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.840 I'm able to learn so much. 00:07:17.840 --> 00:07:19.920 And then God called me into ministry 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.320 and I walked away from coaching football. 00:07:22.320 --> 00:07:24.480 And I'd been about four years in ministry 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:26.560 and we were living in Sumter, South Carolina 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.040 and I got a phone call one day from a guy named John. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.680 John was the interim youth pastor at First Baptist Sumter 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:33.520 and he called me and he said, 00:07:33.520 --> 00:07:36.160 "Bo, John was an insurance salesman." 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:39.280 He called me, he said, "Bo, I got a favor to ask of you." 00:07:39.280 --> 00:07:42.640 I said, "Sure, John, what favor do you have?" 00:07:42.640 --> 00:07:46.280 And he said, "I'd like to ask you if you would help me out 00:07:46.280 --> 00:07:48.500 "and if you would be willing to coach football again 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:50.240 "just for one season." 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:52.720 He said, "I know you're busy, I know you got a lot going on 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:56.080 "but I'd like to see if you'd be willing to coach football." 00:07:56.080 --> 00:07:57.440 I said, "Where do you want me to coach football at 00:07:57.440 --> 00:07:58.280 "with you, John?" 00:07:58.280 --> 00:08:00.360 He said, "Well, I'm one of the offensive coordinators 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:02.240 "at Wilson Hall, it's a private school 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:04.320 "there in Sumter, South Carolina." 00:08:04.320 --> 00:08:05.620 And he said, "If you'd be willing to come 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:09.200 "and be our offensive line coach, I'd really appreciate it." 00:08:09.200 --> 00:08:12.040 And I said, "Sure, I'd love to." 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:13.400 He said, "All right, we'll be there at practice 00:08:13.400 --> 00:08:15.400 "at three o'clock today." 00:08:15.400 --> 00:08:17.900 I said, "John, would you mind, so I can come out there 00:08:17.900 --> 00:08:21.880 "and be ready, could you email me your playbook? 00:08:21.880 --> 00:08:23.120 "I'd like to look over some things, 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:24.940 "I'd like to understand your base offense 00:08:24.940 --> 00:08:27.520 "of the things that we're trying to do." 00:08:27.520 --> 00:08:29.280 And he laughed. 00:08:29.280 --> 00:08:31.880 He said, "Just come out to practice first." 00:08:31.880 --> 00:08:33.600 So I came out to practice. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:35.880 Had my gym shorts on, right? 00:08:35.880 --> 00:08:38.440 I had my T-shirt on, I had a Wilson Hall hat 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:41.040 that I went and bought, I was ready to go, 00:08:41.040 --> 00:08:42.880 I was ready to inspire men, 00:08:42.880 --> 00:08:45.200 just ready to see some heads knock around, 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:47.680 just ready to see some people just really go at it. 00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:50.680 And I see the varsity on one side of the field. 00:08:50.680 --> 00:08:53.400 And I see the JV on the other side of the field. 00:08:53.400 --> 00:08:55.240 And then I see another group of kids. 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:59.560 And I see John walking up to me. 00:08:59.560 --> 00:09:01.640 He's got this big smile on his face. 00:09:01.640 --> 00:09:03.000 He's like, "You ready?" 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:04.160 I said, "Sure." 00:09:04.160 --> 00:09:06.900 He's like, "All right, man, you're the offensive line coach 00:09:06.900 --> 00:09:08.800 "for the fifth and sixth grade team." 00:09:08.800 --> 00:09:12.960 It's like, well, this is gonna be an experience. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.400 I said, "John, what do I need to know?" 00:09:15.400 --> 00:09:17.380 And he said, "Bo, here's what you need to know. 00:09:17.380 --> 00:09:19.020 "We only do three things. 00:09:19.020 --> 00:09:21.140 "We got three plays that we run, that's all we run, 00:09:21.140 --> 00:09:24.000 "but we're gonna run these three plays 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.240 "over and over and over again, 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.540 "and we're gonna run 'em to perfection 00:09:28.540 --> 00:09:30.740 "so that as these boys move up, 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:33.460 "they'll be able to grow and they'll be able to understand 00:09:33.460 --> 00:09:35.160 "and they'll be able to diversify. 00:09:35.160 --> 00:09:37.420 "But Bo, at Wilson Hall, we're committed 00:09:37.420 --> 00:09:39.860 "to doing these three things." 00:09:39.860 --> 00:09:42.100 And then he shared with me what those three things were. 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:45.500 And then over the course of the next about eight weeks, 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:50.280 I had the most fun I had ever had 00:09:50.280 --> 00:09:55.280 in my coaching life getting these fifth and sixth graders 00:09:55.280 --> 00:09:59.980 just to fire off the line and hit the person next to 'em. 00:09:59.980 --> 00:10:02.580 And it was so remarkable, whether it was a win 00:10:02.580 --> 00:10:04.420 or whether it was a loss, 00:10:04.420 --> 00:10:06.500 it was just, "Hey, coach, where are we stopping 00:10:06.500 --> 00:10:08.220 "for dinner afterwards?" 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:11.100 It didn't matter, and just the simplicity of that, 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:11.940 that's there. 00:10:11.940 --> 00:10:15.080 Here's my point of telling you guys this story. 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:19.060 I think sometimes as a church, or as a church as a whole, 00:10:19.060 --> 00:10:22.140 we begin to reach out and think through 00:10:22.140 --> 00:10:24.940 all of the different things that we can do, 00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:27.620 all of the different things that we can start, 00:10:27.620 --> 00:10:30.220 all of the different aspects that are there, 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:31.260 and what we become. 00:10:31.260 --> 00:10:33.620 And I don't think it matters if you're a church 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:37.020 of five or if you're a church of 5,000. 00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:38.580 I don't think it matters. 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:41.940 What we become is because we become exhausted 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:42.780 for two reasons. 00:10:42.780 --> 00:10:46.700 Number one, we're doing things that we're not ready to do, 00:10:46.700 --> 00:10:48.060 or number two, we're doing things 00:10:48.060 --> 00:10:50.740 that we're not supposed to do. 00:10:50.740 --> 00:10:53.020 And so when I look at Scripture and see 00:10:53.020 --> 00:10:56.100 there are three main aspects, and this is what we do, 00:10:56.100 --> 00:10:57.780 and this is what we focus in on. 00:10:57.780 --> 00:10:59.860 When we're sitting there and we're having our staff meetings 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:01.860 and we're talking through leadership, 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:04.100 we believe that these are the three things 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:06.820 that we need to be about, that we need to do 00:11:06.820 --> 00:11:08.580 to make sure that we're being the church 00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:10.100 that God's called us to be. 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:12.980 And they're discipleship, fellowship, and worship. 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:14.780 Those three things. 00:11:14.780 --> 00:11:17.340 Discipleship, fellowship, and worship. 00:11:17.340 --> 00:11:19.940 And then everything that we do is gonna come 00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:21.700 from one of these aspects. 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:24.660 So discipleship, just a very brief definition, 00:11:24.660 --> 00:11:27.260 discipleship is to grow more like Christ. 00:11:27.260 --> 00:11:28.220 That's what we wanna do. 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:31.220 So if you were a part of one of our classes earlier, 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:33.220 there was classes of teaching you how to read the Bible 00:11:33.220 --> 00:11:35.180 more effectively, there was women's studies, 00:11:35.180 --> 00:11:37.620 there was men's studies, there was my study in here 00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:39.420 where we talked about the Holy Spirit. 00:11:39.420 --> 00:11:41.500 The goal in the discipleship aspect 00:11:41.500 --> 00:11:44.620 is to help you grow more like Christ. 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:46.220 And so whether it's our small groups, 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:48.780 I met here, I believe we had four different small groups 00:11:48.780 --> 00:11:50.420 meeting on campus, we got small groups 00:11:50.420 --> 00:11:52.900 that are meeting in homes pretty much every night 00:11:52.900 --> 00:11:55.380 of the week, we got men's groups, we got women's groups, 00:11:55.380 --> 00:11:56.900 scattered all over Lexington. 00:11:56.900 --> 00:12:00.060 The goal in those is to grow more like Christ. 00:12:00.060 --> 00:12:01.900 That's discipleship, we're gonna look at that 00:12:01.900 --> 00:12:03.660 in a second a little bit more. 00:12:03.660 --> 00:12:05.500 But we also, we wanna come from discipleship 00:12:05.500 --> 00:12:08.660 to fellowship, to fellowship, right? 00:12:08.660 --> 00:12:12.500 And in fellowship, to love the body of Christ. 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:15.900 We don't always wanna be a part of something, right? 00:12:15.900 --> 00:12:17.580 Like people say, I wanna be a part of something, 00:12:17.580 --> 00:12:19.260 man, I wanna be a part of something, 00:12:19.260 --> 00:12:21.860 I wanna love being a part of something. 00:12:21.860 --> 00:12:23.540 And so what fellowship is designed to do, 00:12:23.540 --> 00:12:25.140 we're gonna look at this next week, 00:12:25.140 --> 00:12:27.940 is that fellowship designs us, it wires us, 00:12:27.940 --> 00:12:31.220 it brings us into a special kind of relationship 00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:33.560 with one another as we're brought under the banner 00:12:33.560 --> 00:12:36.280 of Jesus Christ, we're brought into a relationship 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:39.200 with one another through the saving work of Jesus Christ, 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:42.020 and then what comes out of that through fellowship 00:12:42.020 --> 00:12:44.940 is that we love each other. 00:12:44.940 --> 00:12:48.580 And then the last is worship. 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:51.260 Worship, to exalt the name of Christ, 00:12:51.260 --> 00:12:53.300 and in two weeks, we'll talk about that. 00:12:53.300 --> 00:12:55.820 But it is what we are doing right now, 00:12:55.820 --> 00:12:58.500 and it's what we just did, and I'm so grateful 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:02.460 and thankful for Joel and our worship team 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:04.460 and what they do, I love that. 00:13:04.460 --> 00:13:06.820 I want you to notice this, that when we sing songs, 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:10.460 I want you to look at it and see who is the subject of that? 00:13:10.460 --> 00:13:11.300 Who is the subject? 00:13:11.300 --> 00:13:15.940 And the subject is God, over and over and over again, 00:13:15.940 --> 00:13:18.740 of who we exalt and who we praise, 00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:22.060 and all of this comes from a heart of worship. 00:13:22.060 --> 00:13:24.900 So discipleship, fellowship, and worship, 00:13:24.900 --> 00:13:27.260 and you're like, well, Bo, are you missing something? 00:13:27.260 --> 00:13:28.300 Are you missing something? 00:13:28.300 --> 00:13:30.260 Are there pieces of this that you're like, 00:13:30.260 --> 00:13:31.980 well, there's important things that the church 00:13:31.980 --> 00:13:34.700 is also called to do that you didn't list in there. 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:36.700 There's even things that you see that we do 00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:38.140 that you didn't list in there. 00:13:38.140 --> 00:13:40.140 And I would say, well, there's things 00:13:40.140 --> 00:13:41.920 that I didn't just list, but it doesn't mean 00:13:41.920 --> 00:13:43.540 that I don't believe that they're not a part, 00:13:43.540 --> 00:13:45.060 because I do believe that they're a part. 00:13:45.060 --> 00:13:47.900 So if you talk to me, like evangelism, right, 00:13:47.900 --> 00:13:50.060 which is important, which evangelism is sharing 00:13:50.060 --> 00:13:53.140 the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who do not know him. 00:13:53.140 --> 00:13:55.700 Evangelism, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:13:55.700 --> 00:13:56.980 with those who do not know him. 00:13:56.980 --> 00:14:00.180 I believe that evangelism comes from discipleship. 00:14:00.180 --> 00:14:02.500 That as I'm discipled, more to be like Christ, 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:05.580 the more that God burdens my heart for lost people, 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:07.340 and I'm willing to go and I'm willing to share, 00:14:07.340 --> 00:14:08.780 and I'm willing to tell people my story, 00:14:08.780 --> 00:14:10.180 and I'm willing to listen to their story, 00:14:10.180 --> 00:14:12.780 and I'm willing to point them to Jesus, 00:14:12.780 --> 00:14:15.140 because of the heart and the work of discipleship. 00:14:15.140 --> 00:14:17.180 I believe that missions come from discipleship. 00:14:17.180 --> 00:14:18.980 I believe that serving comes from discipleship. 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:20.820 I believe that giving, right, comes from a heart 00:14:20.820 --> 00:14:21.660 of worship. 00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:23.740 I believe that community, and as important as that is, 00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:26.820 we gather together as these different groups of people, 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:28.420 and we wanna be able to share things and do that. 00:14:28.420 --> 00:14:30.740 Like I believe that comes from fellowship. 00:14:30.740 --> 00:14:32.780 Fellowship isn't an aspect of community. 00:14:32.780 --> 00:14:34.540 Community is what fellowship, 00:14:34.540 --> 00:14:36.780 or fellowship is what community's all about. 00:14:36.780 --> 00:14:40.480 As we gather together and we do this. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:44.980 So if you're new here, let me kind of explain, 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:49.980 but if you've been here, you'll see this. 00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:53.100 It's what we try to do, 00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:55.380 and it's what we try to grab a hold of, 00:14:55.380 --> 00:15:00.460 in the busyness, in the chaos, 00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:04.100 in the craziness that is your world. 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:08.340 When we come here as a group of individuals 00:15:08.340 --> 00:15:13.340 on Sunday morning, we say, "Let's take this time, 00:15:13.340 --> 00:15:16.160 "and let's make sure that we do this together." 00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:20.500 What we do on Sunday morning is not, 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:24.500 as I prayed through this, it wasn't a strategy 00:15:24.500 --> 00:15:27.780 for us to think through, like, how do I boost attendance? 00:15:27.780 --> 00:15:31.560 How do I get more people to arrive? 00:15:31.560 --> 00:15:35.020 What will guilt people into giving more? 00:15:35.020 --> 00:15:39.220 What will create for more people opportunities 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:41.900 or their willingness to serve? 00:15:41.900 --> 00:15:45.420 The heart and motivation behind why we do what we do 00:15:45.420 --> 00:15:48.420 is how can we take these three things that we believe in, 00:15:48.420 --> 00:15:51.020 and we believe that everything pours from these, 00:15:51.020 --> 00:15:53.420 and so we built our structure, 00:15:53.420 --> 00:15:55.220 the flow of who we are on Sunday morning, 00:15:55.220 --> 00:15:59.480 so that you have the opportunity to engage in that. 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.060 So at nine o'clock, there's discipleship. 00:16:01.060 --> 00:16:02.300 At 9.50, there's fellowship. 00:16:02.300 --> 00:16:05.580 At 10.15, there's worship, right? 00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:08.080 So that this is our vision, so that you as an individual, 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:10.540 that you as a family can come alongside, 00:16:10.540 --> 00:16:12.980 and that we can join together as a unique body and do that. 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:17.540 And then the beauty of that is there's still more. 00:16:17.540 --> 00:16:19.500 There's still more. 00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:24.500 And on Sunday nights, students will gather back in here, 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:28.660 and students will open up God's word together, 00:16:28.660 --> 00:16:31.160 and they'll fellowship together, 00:16:31.160 --> 00:16:34.100 and they'll experience discipleship together, 00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:35.560 and they'll worship together. 00:16:35.560 --> 00:16:40.720 And in homes, couples and individuals will gather, 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.940 and they'll open up God's word, 00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:46.860 and they'll talk about it, and they'll study it, 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:48.540 and they'll break it apart, 00:16:48.540 --> 00:16:50.020 and they'll challenge one another, 00:16:50.020 --> 00:16:52.180 and they'll hold each other accountable. 00:16:52.180 --> 00:16:55.380 But the beauty of that is in the chaos 00:16:55.380 --> 00:16:56.940 of everything that's going on, 00:16:56.940 --> 00:17:00.820 we have this snapshot of what we're able to do 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:02.220 and what we're able to be 00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:05.220 as we gather together on Sunday morning. 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:10.060 And it's why I love being here. 00:17:10.060 --> 00:17:12.020 I love the nine o'clock vibe 00:17:12.020 --> 00:17:13.380 as people are getting here. 00:17:13.380 --> 00:17:14.780 It was crazy. 00:17:14.780 --> 00:17:17.260 This is really crazy, especially around here. 00:17:17.260 --> 00:17:20.820 We got people getting here at 8.15, right? 00:17:20.820 --> 00:17:23.620 And they just love to come and be a part. 00:17:23.620 --> 00:17:26.660 And then we get done, and in the chaos, 00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:31.500 trust me, I know that is having everybody in here 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:35.400 with orange juice and coffee without lids, right? 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.100 But we give moon pies out, 00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:41.340 so that balances it out, you know? 00:17:41.340 --> 00:17:43.980 And we can gather together and have those opportunities, 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:45.980 and then we can get in here together, 00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:48.220 and we can worship together. 00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:51.180 The beautiful picture of what we do. 00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:54.980 So this is why this is our vision. 00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:57.060 So I want us to look at and see, 00:17:57.060 --> 00:18:00.620 like, what is the biblical evidence of this for us? 00:18:00.620 --> 00:18:01.460 What is the drive? 00:18:01.460 --> 00:18:04.140 Why isn't this just some crazy scheme 00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:06.980 that we come up with on a whiteboard one day 00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:09.340 and then try to implement to grow our kingdom 00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:13.220 instead of understanding the heart of God 00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:14.620 and try to bring glory to his name 00:18:14.620 --> 00:18:16.460 and grow the kingdom, right? 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:18.740 So we ask ourselves two questions, 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:22.380 and so I want us to look at this by looking at scripture. 00:18:22.380 --> 00:18:25.780 The first is, what are we supposed to do? 00:18:25.780 --> 00:18:27.620 What are we supposed to do as a church? 00:18:27.620 --> 00:18:29.020 What are we supposed to do? 00:18:29.020 --> 00:18:30.860 So just kind of leave there Matthew four. 00:18:30.860 --> 00:18:32.540 I promise we're gonna jump there at the end, 00:18:32.540 --> 00:18:34.300 but two verses, you've heard these 00:18:34.300 --> 00:18:35.600 over and over and over again. 00:18:35.600 --> 00:18:38.260 Matthew 28 and Acts one, we're looking at Matthew 28 verse, 00:18:38.260 --> 00:18:40.480 "Jesus came and said to them, 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.300 "all authority in heaven and on earth 00:18:43.300 --> 00:18:45.240 "has been given to me. 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:49.780 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 00:18:49.780 --> 00:18:51.920 "baptizing them in the name of the Father 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.220 "and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:57.660 "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, 00:18:57.660 --> 00:19:00.660 "and behold, I'm with you always to the end of the age." 00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:02.100 The Great Commission, you've heard it 00:19:02.100 --> 00:19:04.820 over and over and over again. 00:19:04.820 --> 00:19:06.860 But then there's also Acts one eight, 00:19:06.860 --> 00:19:08.860 "But you receive power when the Holy Spirit 00:19:08.860 --> 00:19:11.060 "has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses 00:19:11.060 --> 00:19:13.620 "in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria 00:19:13.620 --> 00:19:15.300 "and to the ends of the earth." 00:19:15.300 --> 00:19:17.980 So we look at these two and we ask ourselves, 00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:20.820 like what are we supposed to be doing? 00:19:20.820 --> 00:19:24.900 And we can draw from these verses what God has for us. 00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:26.500 What God has for us as a church, 00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:28.540 what God has for us as an individual, 00:19:28.540 --> 00:19:30.820 how am I doing this away from here, 00:19:30.820 --> 00:19:33.540 how am I doing this in here? 00:19:33.540 --> 00:19:35.860 And he tells us very simply what we find here 00:19:35.860 --> 00:19:40.860 is to go, to go, that our faith is a mobilizing faith 00:19:40.860 --> 00:19:45.860 that we have, that's why what we do every single week 00:19:45.860 --> 00:19:49.280 as we come together is we're gathering together 00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:52.620 to go back to my football language and my football mind. 00:19:52.620 --> 00:19:54.740 This is our huddle that we have 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:57.740 where we're coming together to be reminded of the play, 00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:59.880 to be reminded of what we're supposed to do 00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:02.740 so that we don't at the end of it go high five 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:04.580 and then I don't do anything. 00:20:04.580 --> 00:20:06.620 It's so that we leave from here, 00:20:06.620 --> 00:20:08.260 we leave from this gathering 00:20:08.260 --> 00:20:10.960 and we scatter all over the place, 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.780 all over the place to go, to go. 00:20:15.780 --> 00:20:18.500 It's not just so I've had a tough week 00:20:18.500 --> 00:20:20.300 so I need to come in here to be encouraged. 00:20:20.300 --> 00:20:21.940 And trust me, if you've had a tough week, 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:24.580 there's no better place than to be in your church 00:20:24.580 --> 00:20:26.240 to hear the truth of God's word. 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:31.240 But as we do that, the goal is so that I can go 00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:36.460 out of here and live for the name of Jesus. 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:41.500 That that word go, when we take our translation, 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:44.060 it's actually the word like as we go. 00:20:44.060 --> 00:20:47.760 So it doesn't as much speak to a destination 00:20:47.760 --> 00:20:50.800 that we need to get to, but it speaks to the journey 00:20:50.800 --> 00:20:53.740 that we're going to go in an everyday moment. 00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:59.800 The grocery store, the school, the home, 00:20:59.900 --> 00:21:01.900 the neighborhood, go. 00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:04.820 And go with a purpose and go for the reason. 00:21:04.820 --> 00:21:07.820 To make disciples. 00:21:07.820 --> 00:21:12.120 That's it, that's it, make disciples. 00:21:12.120 --> 00:21:15.580 Not make really good dads, really good moms. 00:21:15.580 --> 00:21:19.920 Not make rich people, not make humble people. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:23.500 To make disciples. 00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:26.260 That is the job that we have. 00:21:26.260 --> 00:21:29.460 And within that, baptizing them 00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:31.220 so that we've shared the gospel, 00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:33.060 they've come to faith in Christ, right? 00:21:33.060 --> 00:21:35.340 We see the evangelism and the missions 00:21:35.340 --> 00:21:37.700 of the calling that we're called to. 00:21:37.700 --> 00:21:42.700 And then teaching them to obey all that I've commanded you. 00:21:42.700 --> 00:21:45.180 So that's it. 00:21:45.180 --> 00:21:51.120 That we're called to go, you and me 00:21:51.120 --> 00:21:54.500 and everybody in between. 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:59.240 That we're called to go and to do something. 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:02.160 To make disciples. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:04.640 And we get to celebrate that together. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:07.720 We get to celebrate that last week with Patrick. 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:10.680 It's a 12 year old boy, comes forward and says, 00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:13.080 I'm a follower of Jesus Christ 00:22:13.080 --> 00:22:15.460 and I want to share it with everyone. 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:17.160 We get to celebrate that. 00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:20.720 So we go and we make and then the important part, 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:24.240 and this is why we've got Acts 1:8 that's in there, 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:27.360 is what we understand is that it's a spiritual work. 00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:29.020 It's a spiritual work that we're doing, 00:22:29.020 --> 00:22:33.080 but you will receive power, Jesus tells us. 00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:37.800 You'll receive power when you learn enough. 00:22:37.800 --> 00:22:39.400 Nope. 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:42.560 But you'll receive power when you've got 00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:44.800 the right outline written down. 00:22:44.800 --> 00:22:46.320 Nope. 00:22:46.320 --> 00:22:48.600 But you'll receive power when you can learn 00:22:48.600 --> 00:22:51.520 what the original languages are of the Bible. 00:22:51.520 --> 00:22:52.960 Nope. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:57.620 But you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit 00:22:57.620 --> 00:22:58.680 has come upon you. 00:22:59.620 --> 00:23:04.620 And he is calling us into a spiritual work 00:23:04.620 --> 00:23:08.820 as he's working, as he's moving, 00:23:08.820 --> 00:23:13.580 he's inviting us, he's calling us, 00:23:13.580 --> 00:23:17.760 he's commanding us into the game. 00:23:17.760 --> 00:23:22.900 My first year coaching, we had a running back, 00:23:22.900 --> 00:23:24.100 it was a pretty special running back. 00:23:24.100 --> 00:23:27.460 If you're a Clemson fan in here, you'll know this name. 00:23:27.460 --> 00:23:29.660 His name was Reggie Merriweather. 00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:31.420 Reggie went, left from North Augusta 00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:33.740 and played football at Clemson. 00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:37.100 I'll never forget, our plays were basically 00:23:37.100 --> 00:23:41.220 run Reggie right, run Reggie left, 00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:44.980 Reggie go run and we'll throw the ball to you, right? 00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:48.940 We were playing Silver Bluff High School one night. 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:51.200 Silver Bluff was beating us. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.580 We were trying to spread the ball around. 00:23:53.580 --> 00:23:56.100 The head coach looked at me as the offensive coordinator. 00:23:56.100 --> 00:23:58.780 He said, "Stop getting the ball to everyone else. 00:23:58.780 --> 00:24:01.260 "Just give it to Reggie." 00:24:01.260 --> 00:24:03.620 Called timeout, Reggie was our running back. 00:24:03.620 --> 00:24:05.300 Went out there onto the field. 00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:06.860 I looked at our wide receiver. 00:24:06.860 --> 00:24:09.400 I said, "You're about to play running back. 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:11.360 "Just stand there. 00:24:11.360 --> 00:24:14.540 "And if anybody gets past the line, hit 'em. 00:24:14.540 --> 00:24:17.960 "Reggie, you're gonna go play wide receiver." 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:19.180 Reggie said, "What do you want me to do?" 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:21.860 I said, "Just run as fast as you can." 00:24:21.860 --> 00:24:23.820 And I looked at our quarterback, I got him Clark Mullins. 00:24:23.820 --> 00:24:26.380 Clark's the baseball coach at Gilbert High School now. 00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:28.100 I said, "Clark, I want you to wait 00:24:28.100 --> 00:24:30.380 "until Reggie's 30 yards down the field. 00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:32.140 "And then I want you to throw the ball up in the air 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:34.980 "as hard as you can and Reggie, go catch it." 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:37.820 And Reggie did it, scored the touchdown. 00:24:37.820 --> 00:24:39.980 We won the game, I looked brilliant. 00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:42.780 It was all Reggie, it was all Clark, all right? 00:24:42.780 --> 00:24:45.300 But one day, Reggie got hurt. 00:24:45.300 --> 00:24:47.620 Reggie got hurt, Reggie had to come out. 00:24:47.620 --> 00:24:50.740 Reggie never got hurt, never got pulled out of a game. 00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:52.820 And we had a kid who was his backup. 00:24:52.820 --> 00:24:54.660 And being the backup for Reggie Merriweather 00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:57.720 meant this kid didn't ever get in the game. 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:00.620 Reggie was a durable player that never got hurt. 00:25:00.620 --> 00:25:02.400 And I looked at this kid and I said, 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.900 "Get your helmet, you gotta go in. 00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:07.800 "We've gotta pull Reggie out for one play." 00:25:07.800 --> 00:25:09.020 And he looked at me and he said, 00:25:09.020 --> 00:25:12.020 "Coach, I don't know where my helmet is." 00:25:12.020 --> 00:25:14.260 (congregation laughing) 00:25:14.260 --> 00:25:16.500 I said, "How do you not know where your helmet is?" 00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:18.040 He said, "I've never played, 00:25:18.040 --> 00:25:20.200 "I didn't think I was gonna play. 00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:22.500 "I'm just happy to have the jersey, right?" 00:25:23.500 --> 00:25:24.340 Right? 00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:32.080 Put on your helmet and get in the game. 00:25:32.080 --> 00:25:38.100 Too many of us standing on the sidelines 00:25:38.100 --> 00:25:42.020 and God's called us and he's given us the power 00:25:42.020 --> 00:25:43.940 and he's given us the ability, 00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:47.620 not by who we are, but by who he is. 00:25:47.620 --> 00:25:50.800 And so this is what we're about. 00:25:50.800 --> 00:25:54.380 This is why we do what we do. 00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:59.460 Because we're called to go, we're called to make disciples, 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:03.540 and we understand it's a spiritual work of God 00:26:03.540 --> 00:26:05.100 of what he is doing. 00:26:05.100 --> 00:26:07.740 And I don't understand it. 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:11.600 Why someone who says, "I'm on the team," 00:26:11.600 --> 00:26:14.540 doesn't wanna play in the game. 00:26:14.540 --> 00:26:16.920 Second question. 00:26:18.020 --> 00:26:22.800 It's not just what are we supposed to do, 00:26:22.800 --> 00:26:24.500 but who are we supposed to be? 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:27.140 Who are we supposed to be? 00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:30.240 It's an interesting question. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:33.640 You ask any football team, you ask any business, 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:35.320 you ask any band, right? 00:26:35.320 --> 00:26:37.100 They find this identity. 00:26:37.100 --> 00:26:40.800 It influences the music that they play, 00:26:40.800 --> 00:26:42.120 the plays that they run, 00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:46.640 the services they provide as a business. 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.880 Well, this informs us as well as a church 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:52.280 of who are we supposed to be. 00:26:52.280 --> 00:26:54.040 And when we look at Acts chapter two, 00:26:54.040 --> 00:26:56.160 we get this, and so it'll be on the screen there. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:57.680 I want you to read along with me. 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:00.840 Acts chapter two, verses 42 through 47. 00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:03.840 It says this, "And they devoted themselves 00:27:03.840 --> 00:27:07.340 "to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, 00:27:07.340 --> 00:27:10.380 "to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:12.120 "And awe came upon every soul, 00:27:12.120 --> 00:27:14.900 "and many wonders and signs were being done 00:27:14.900 --> 00:27:16.600 "through the apostles. 00:27:16.600 --> 00:27:18.260 "And all who believed were together 00:27:18.260 --> 00:27:20.580 "and had all things in common. 00:27:20.580 --> 00:27:22.780 "And they were selling their possessions and belongings 00:27:22.780 --> 00:27:26.500 "and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. 00:27:26.500 --> 00:27:29.620 "And day by day, attending the temple together 00:27:29.620 --> 00:27:32.280 "and breaking bread in their homes, 00:27:32.280 --> 00:27:36.300 "they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 00:27:36.300 --> 00:27:40.280 "praising God and having favor with all the people. 00:27:40.280 --> 00:27:43.620 "And the Lord added to their number day by day 00:27:43.620 --> 00:27:46.400 "those who were being saved." 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:52.540 See, this is a very beautiful picture of this church. 00:27:52.540 --> 00:27:55.620 This is the church in Acts two. 00:27:55.620 --> 00:27:58.400 Acts two is not far from Acts one. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:02.020 This is the early gathering of believers. 00:28:02.020 --> 00:28:05.300 Some who saw Jesus in his ministry on the earth, 00:28:05.300 --> 00:28:07.180 some who hadn't. 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:08.740 And this is who they were. 00:28:09.780 --> 00:28:13.660 And the heart of simplicity within the body of the church, 00:28:13.660 --> 00:28:15.980 as complicated as it can be sometimes, 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:18.900 is to look at this and say, 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:21.900 okay, well, this is who we are supposed to be. 00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:25.260 Like what we see in the book of Acts 00:28:25.260 --> 00:28:27.820 is this historical explosion 00:28:27.820 --> 00:28:30.940 of men and women coming to faith 00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:33.860 and Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 00:28:33.860 --> 00:28:35.780 It's where we see the book of Acts, 00:28:35.780 --> 00:28:37.580 sorry, it's where we see in the book of Acts 00:28:37.580 --> 00:28:41.660 the gospel spread across language barriers, 00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:44.220 across socioeconomic barriers. 00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:46.260 In the book of Acts, we see the gospel 00:28:46.260 --> 00:28:49.780 move out of one city and explode 00:28:49.780 --> 00:28:54.580 into Asia, into North Africa, into Europe. 00:28:54.580 --> 00:28:58.220 We see this movement of the work of God 00:28:58.220 --> 00:28:59.660 like we've never seen before. 00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:05.140 And what we find here is this beautiful model 00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:06.420 that God gives us. 00:29:07.300 --> 00:29:09.340 This isn't a model for a small group, 00:29:09.340 --> 00:29:12.220 it's not a model for discipleship class, 00:29:12.220 --> 00:29:15.260 it's not even a model for worship. 00:29:15.260 --> 00:29:19.340 This is the church. 00:29:19.340 --> 00:29:23.500 If we were able to go to, right, 00:29:23.500 --> 00:29:28.260 their website, their piece of paper, 00:29:28.260 --> 00:29:30.700 they're pointing to this is what we're about, 00:29:30.700 --> 00:29:33.240 come be a part, this is what you can expect, 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:34.900 this is what we would see. 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:38.700 And so what this does for us is it drives 00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:42.980 who we are as a church, why we do what we do, 00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:45.220 what we're trying to press onto 00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:50.220 as we are trying to create disciples of Jesus. 00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:54.460 That's the goal, the disciples of Jesus. 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:56.960 We're not trying to create any part of you 00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:59.740 just to be better for your sake or my sake. 00:29:59.740 --> 00:30:01.780 We're not trying to create something 00:30:01.780 --> 00:30:03.740 that is a Willow Ridge brand. 00:30:05.300 --> 00:30:09.500 We're trying to create in the power of the Holy Spirit 00:30:09.500 --> 00:30:12.500 men and women and children 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:18.660 who gather together to be disciples of Jesus. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:20.560 And so we see this. 00:30:20.560 --> 00:30:23.680 We see in their theological worship, 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:27.060 they devoted themselves to the disciples' teaching. 00:30:27.060 --> 00:30:29.840 And so what we provide, what we wanna be a part of 00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:33.060 is theological discipleship where believers 00:30:33.060 --> 00:30:38.060 come together to grow in right understanding 00:30:38.060 --> 00:30:40.380 of the word of God. 00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:42.300 That's the goal. 00:30:42.300 --> 00:30:44.540 That's what we're pushing toward. 00:30:44.540 --> 00:30:48.940 So that you and I, regardless of our education level, 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:51.260 regardless of our experience, 00:30:51.260 --> 00:30:53.740 regardless of our time being saved, 00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:55.660 that we can gather together 00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:58.140 and not just simply answer this question, 00:30:58.140 --> 00:31:01.860 what does this mean to me, which can be dangerous. 00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:05.220 But answer the question, what does this mean? 00:31:05.220 --> 00:31:08.260 What does this mean? 00:31:08.260 --> 00:31:11.540 Not so that my mind grows, 00:31:11.540 --> 00:31:14.780 but so that my mind grows 00:31:14.780 --> 00:31:16.660 so that I will grow in right understanding 00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:18.140 of the word of God, 00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:19.820 so that I'll grow in right understanding 00:31:19.820 --> 00:31:21.760 of the mission of God. 00:31:21.760 --> 00:31:26.600 We see in here relational discipleship in Acts chapter two. 00:31:26.600 --> 00:31:31.600 We see this beautiful aspect that believers came together 00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:37.120 that there was the pressing together of lives. 00:31:37.120 --> 00:31:40.340 There was the mingling of one another. 00:31:40.340 --> 00:31:44.240 And we see in the early church, it got messy sometimes. 00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:46.840 It got messy as people were leaving others out, 00:31:46.840 --> 00:31:48.680 people were excluding one another, 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:50.240 cliques were starting to happen. 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:54.320 Like what we see oftentimes take place in some churches, 00:31:54.320 --> 00:31:56.400 takes place in the churches that we see back there, 00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:59.960 but there was this mingling of this relational discipleship 00:31:59.960 --> 00:32:01.320 where people come together 00:32:01.320 --> 00:32:03.080 and what is beautiful that I like 00:32:03.080 --> 00:32:05.160 about relational discipleship 00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:07.200 is you come together again to grow 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:10.360 in personal relationship with one another 00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:14.240 as you grow in your relationship with God. 00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:17.100 And so it's the opportunity for men and women and kids 00:32:17.100 --> 00:32:19.240 to gather together in rooms, 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:21.160 to gather together in homes, 00:32:21.160 --> 00:32:23.720 to gather together across studies, 00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:26.940 and open God's word together and walk with one another 00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:29.960 and encourage one another and correct one another 00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:32.560 and challenge one another and in doing so, 00:32:32.560 --> 00:32:35.040 growing in relationship with one another 00:32:35.040 --> 00:32:37.180 as we grow in relationship with God. 00:32:37.180 --> 00:32:41.120 And I love hearing the stories of that. 00:32:41.120 --> 00:32:44.360 Hearing the stories where there's someone in a group 00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:48.720 who's hurting, who has need, 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:52.840 and watching the group, not because they have to, 00:32:52.840 --> 00:32:55.280 but watching the group because they care, 00:32:55.280 --> 00:32:57.080 engage in these relationships. 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:02.600 And then the other aspect of missional discipleship. 00:33:02.600 --> 00:33:05.840 We see in here the very last line, 00:33:05.840 --> 00:33:08.000 the very last sentence in verse 47, 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:11.880 "And the Lord added to their number day by day 00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:14.760 "those who were being saved." 00:33:14.760 --> 00:33:16.760 Missional discipleship, 00:33:16.760 --> 00:33:22.720 where believers come together in their community 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:26.660 to share the truth of Jesus 00:33:26.660 --> 00:33:29.080 with those who are not followers of Christ. 00:33:29.080 --> 00:33:32.760 So that we as a church, we as individuals, 00:33:32.760 --> 00:33:35.360 we as small groups are mobilized 00:33:35.360 --> 00:33:37.120 to go out into this community 00:33:37.120 --> 00:33:40.400 and not hold dear to us this holy secret 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:42.000 that you've gotta stumble across 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:43.840 so that you can be into the club, 00:33:43.840 --> 00:33:47.240 but so that we're going out and sharing the password, 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:50.240 sharing the hope, sharing the secret 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:52.120 with everybody that we can 00:33:52.120 --> 00:33:55.560 because we wanna see the family of God grow. 00:33:57.580 --> 00:34:02.160 Now our minds, and I think this is what happens, 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:07.640 our minds can intellectually agree with discipleship. 00:34:07.640 --> 00:34:13.920 Our minds can say, "I know that's important. 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:17.780 "I know that's good. 00:34:17.780 --> 00:34:20.760 "I know that's right." 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:26.540 And then we put a dangerous word after that. 00:34:27.540 --> 00:34:32.440 "But, but, but." 00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:38.680 We can intellectually agree with discipleship. 00:34:38.680 --> 00:34:42.000 We can look down, we can check all the boxes, 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:46.400 we can say, "My mind agrees that this is correct." 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:50.820 But at the heart of discipleship, 00:34:50.820 --> 00:34:53.380 it is just that, it's a heart check. 00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:55.120 It's a heart check. 00:34:55.120 --> 00:34:57.480 When we see Jesus define discipleship, 00:34:57.480 --> 00:34:58.920 and this is where we'll be in Matthew four, 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:00.900 we're gonna look at four, very quickly, 00:35:00.900 --> 00:35:02.060 passages of scripture. 00:35:02.060 --> 00:35:06.280 What we find is that discipleship is about devotion. 00:35:06.280 --> 00:35:09.180 Discipleship is about devotion. 00:35:09.180 --> 00:35:14.120 We think, and I talked about this, 00:35:14.120 --> 00:35:16.780 that discipleship is about someone 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:18.220 that's committed to growth. 00:35:18.220 --> 00:35:24.200 But discipleship, growth, comes from the process. 00:35:24.500 --> 00:35:28.400 That when we look at Jesus challenging those, 00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:32.560 inviting them to be a disciple of Christ, 00:35:32.560 --> 00:35:37.020 what he's challenging them on is devotion. 00:35:37.020 --> 00:35:38.960 Matthew four, 18 through 22. 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:42.640 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, 00:35:42.640 --> 00:35:45.920 he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, 00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:49.500 and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, 00:35:49.500 --> 00:35:51.140 for they were fishermen. 00:35:51.140 --> 00:35:53.020 Let's pause here really quickly. 00:35:53.020 --> 00:35:56.160 That doesn't mean that they liked to go fishing. 00:35:56.160 --> 00:36:01.440 That means that they provided for their family 00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:03.440 by the career of fishing. 00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:07.360 Verse 19, and he said to them, 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:12.360 "Follow me, I will make you fishers of men." 00:36:12.360 --> 00:36:17.400 Verse 20, immediately, they left their nets and followed him. 00:36:19.560 --> 00:36:23.760 And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, 00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:27.840 James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:30.160 in the boat with Zebedee, their father, 00:36:30.160 --> 00:36:33.520 mending their nets, and he called them. 00:36:33.520 --> 00:36:38.520 Immediately, they left the boat and their father 00:36:38.520 --> 00:36:41.320 and followed him. 00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:45.900 It's first disciples Jesus called. 00:36:47.240 --> 00:36:49.640 And here's what I want us to see. 00:36:49.640 --> 00:36:54.240 With whatever you've placed on the other side, 00:36:54.240 --> 00:36:57.500 Bo, but, this is what I've got. 00:36:57.500 --> 00:37:01.280 Bo, but, this is who we are. 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:03.900 But Bo, but, this is what we struggle with. 00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:09.980 Being devoted, I mean, this is Jesus's works, 00:37:09.980 --> 00:37:14.080 but being devoted to Jesus means 00:37:14.080 --> 00:37:16.580 leaving your earthly security behind. 00:37:17.580 --> 00:37:22.580 It means giving of my time. 00:37:22.580 --> 00:37:27.540 It means giving of what I've deemed to be the priority. 00:37:27.540 --> 00:37:31.820 It means giving up what I deem to be the most important. 00:37:31.820 --> 00:37:34.620 It means giving up any of those things 00:37:34.620 --> 00:37:37.540 that I've elevated to this status. 00:37:37.540 --> 00:37:43.940 This group of men, they left it all behind. 00:37:46.460 --> 00:37:48.260 They left the nets, they left the boat, 00:37:48.260 --> 00:37:51.180 they left the fish, they left the dad, 00:37:51.180 --> 00:37:54.400 they left the business, they left the 401K. 00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:59.220 Because nothing was more precious. 00:37:59.220 --> 00:38:02.040 Nothing was more valuable. 00:38:02.040 --> 00:38:06.020 Nothing was more important than following Jesus. 00:38:06.020 --> 00:38:08.420 Jump over to Matthew nine. 00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:13.260 Matthew nine, starting in verse nine. 00:38:13.260 --> 00:38:18.260 It says, "As Jesus passed from there, 00:38:18.260 --> 00:38:25.040 "he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 00:38:25.040 --> 00:38:28.180 "And he said to him, 'Follow me.' 00:38:28.180 --> 00:38:32.500 "And he arose and followed him." 00:38:32.500 --> 00:38:34.580 Let's pause there for a second. 00:38:34.580 --> 00:38:38.660 When I was reading this this week, 00:38:38.660 --> 00:38:42.880 I kind of like pictured when tax season comes up 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:46.420 and you go to Walmart and you see the tax people there, 00:38:46.420 --> 00:38:50.380 right, and then that's not it though. 00:38:50.380 --> 00:38:53.300 It's not like pay your $25 and I'll do my taxes. 00:38:53.300 --> 00:38:56.920 Matthew's the guy that would cheat, that would steal, 00:38:56.920 --> 00:39:00.780 that was taking, and the funds that Matthew was raising 00:39:00.780 --> 00:39:03.580 would be the funds that would keep Matthew's own people 00:39:03.580 --> 00:39:04.940 in prison to roam. 00:39:04.940 --> 00:39:09.060 And he would have been wealthy 00:39:09.060 --> 00:39:10.580 because of his sinful living. 00:39:11.580 --> 00:39:14.320 But he arose and followed him. 00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:20.960 And as Jesus reclined at the table in the house, 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:25.960 behold, many tax collectors and sinners came 00:39:25.960 --> 00:39:34.440 and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 00:39:34.440 --> 00:39:39.200 And when the Pharisees saw this, 00:39:39.200 --> 00:39:42.120 they said to his disciples, 00:39:42.120 --> 00:39:46.640 "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 00:39:46.640 --> 00:39:50.760 But when he heard it, he said, 00:39:50.760 --> 00:39:55.500 "Those who are well have no need of a physician, 00:39:55.500 --> 00:39:57.680 "but those who are sick. 00:39:57.680 --> 00:40:00.020 "Go and learn what this means. 00:40:00.020 --> 00:40:02.980 "I desire mercy, not sacrifice, 00:40:02.980 --> 00:40:07.980 "for I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners." 00:40:08.980 --> 00:40:13.980 Being devoted to Jesus means leaving 00:40:13.980 --> 00:40:18.340 your sinful life behind. 00:40:18.340 --> 00:40:23.540 Discipleship says I lay it down. 00:40:23.540 --> 00:40:28.380 I think there's two reasons that you and I 00:40:28.380 --> 00:40:31.180 have a hard time with that, two reasons. 00:40:31.180 --> 00:40:36.920 First reason is because we like it, we like it. 00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:40.980 We find that the enslavement and the death 00:40:40.980 --> 00:40:45.380 that is our sin is home 'cause it's comfortable 00:40:45.380 --> 00:40:47.740 because it's all that we know. 00:40:47.740 --> 00:40:51.620 But the beauty of it is that the life with Christ 00:40:51.620 --> 00:40:55.420 is the only life that is satisfying, 00:40:55.420 --> 00:40:59.020 with purpose and with meaning. 00:40:59.020 --> 00:41:00.980 But the second, and I think this is probably 00:41:00.980 --> 00:41:04.980 where most of us find that we fall. 00:41:04.980 --> 00:41:07.220 The reason why we have such a hard time 00:41:07.220 --> 00:41:12.220 leaving our tax collector booth and following Jesus 00:41:12.220 --> 00:41:16.680 is because we think he couldn't love a sinner like me. 00:41:16.680 --> 00:41:21.160 We think he's not bigger than the sins that I've committed. 00:41:21.160 --> 00:41:26.080 We think that he can't fix what is broken in me. 00:41:26.080 --> 00:41:34.660 Jesus says, "But those who are well have no need 00:41:34.680 --> 00:41:37.900 "of physician but those who are sick. 00:41:37.900 --> 00:41:43.800 "For I came not to call the righteous but the sinners." 00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:45.860 Here's the thing. 00:41:45.860 --> 00:41:51.540 When you lay it all before him, 00:41:51.540 --> 00:41:56.580 you're not unveiling some secret that he doesn't know. 00:41:56.580 --> 00:42:00.940 He knows, he knows. 00:42:00.940 --> 00:42:04.060 And he loves you just the same. 00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:07.840 And he's calling you to lay it down. 00:42:07.840 --> 00:42:13.800 Being devoted to Jesus, being a disciple of Jesus 00:42:13.800 --> 00:42:15.800 means leaving your sinful life behind. 00:42:15.800 --> 00:42:20.200 Look at Matthew 16, 24 and 26. 00:42:20.200 --> 00:42:28.980 When Jesus told his disciples, 00:42:28.980 --> 00:42:32.000 "If anyone would come after me, 00:42:33.020 --> 00:42:38.020 "let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 00:42:38.020 --> 00:42:42.980 "Forever he would save his life, we'll lose it. 00:42:42.980 --> 00:42:48.980 "But whoever loses his life for my sake, we'll find it. 00:42:48.980 --> 00:42:53.420 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world 00:42:53.420 --> 00:42:55.520 "and forfeits his soul? 00:42:55.520 --> 00:43:00.480 "Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" 00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:05.480 Being devoted for Jesus means leaving it all behind. 00:43:05.480 --> 00:43:11.540 All the good, all the bad, all of the ugly. 00:43:11.540 --> 00:43:16.940 And locking our eyes into him to follow him. 00:43:16.940 --> 00:43:21.680 If you're a disciple and you heard this, 00:43:21.680 --> 00:43:28.020 it seems like a very, very complex but simple. 00:43:28.940 --> 00:43:33.940 Keep our eyes on Jesus, follow him, 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:39.880 but I gotta deny myself and I've gotta take up my cross. 00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:42.660 And what does that look like? 00:43:42.660 --> 00:43:45.060 What does that look like? 00:43:45.060 --> 00:43:48.860 Now jump, last passage you're gonna read, Matthew 19. 00:43:48.860 --> 00:43:52.500 Matthew 19, verse 16. 00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:53.800 Matthew 19, verse 16. 00:43:53.800 --> 00:44:00.480 So someone comes to Jesus. 00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:05.140 Jesus has been going to everybody, all that we've just read. 00:44:05.140 --> 00:44:07.920 But now someone comes to Jesus. 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:13.180 The MVP, the person you want on the team. 00:44:13.180 --> 00:44:18.300 The person that you would say this is who we're shooting for. 00:44:20.040 --> 00:44:22.540 Says, "Behold, a young man came up to him saying, 00:44:22.540 --> 00:44:28.360 "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:32.460 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? 00:44:32.460 --> 00:44:34.300 "There is only one who is good. 00:44:34.300 --> 00:44:38.900 "If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 00:44:38.900 --> 00:44:41.680 Verse 16, he said to him, "Which ones?" 00:44:41.680 --> 00:44:43.360 And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, 00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:45.820 "you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, 00:44:45.820 --> 00:44:47.540 "you shall not bear false witness, 00:44:47.540 --> 00:44:49.220 "honor your father and mother, 00:44:49.220 --> 00:44:51.300 "and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." 00:44:51.300 --> 00:44:54.020 Jesus locks in on these commandments 00:44:54.020 --> 00:44:57.460 with how we interact in relationship with other people. 00:44:57.460 --> 00:45:03.140 And the young man said to him, "All these I have kept. 00:45:03.140 --> 00:45:05.680 "What do I still lack?" 00:45:05.680 --> 00:45:07.960 Let's pause there for a minute. 00:45:07.960 --> 00:45:12.680 It's debated about the sincerity 00:45:12.680 --> 00:45:14.180 of this young man's answer. 00:45:14.180 --> 00:45:18.840 It's debated about was this, 00:45:18.840 --> 00:45:22.460 obviously we know that he hasn't fully done these. 00:45:22.460 --> 00:45:23.420 We know this. 00:45:23.420 --> 00:45:29.500 I believe that in his answer, he believes that he has. 00:45:29.500 --> 00:45:35.940 I believe in his answer, he believes, "I'm a good guy. 00:45:35.940 --> 00:45:39.660 "This is what I'm about. 00:45:39.660 --> 00:45:41.800 "This is what I've done. 00:45:41.800 --> 00:45:44.600 "Look at who I am." 00:45:46.020 --> 00:45:49.400 Verse 20, the young man said, "All of these I have kept. 00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:50.600 "What do I still lack?" 00:45:50.600 --> 00:45:55.300 Verse 21, "Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, 00:45:55.300 --> 00:46:01.500 "'go and sell what you possess and give to the poor, 00:46:01.500 --> 00:46:05.900 "'and you will have treasure in heaven. 00:46:05.900 --> 00:46:08.520 "'Come and follow me.'" 00:46:08.520 --> 00:46:12.140 What Jesus does here in this moment 00:46:13.860 --> 00:46:18.860 is he moves him to what this young man holds the most dear. 00:46:18.860 --> 00:46:23.780 It's his possessions, it's his money, it's his wealth. 00:46:23.780 --> 00:46:29.820 The bigger piece is Jesus is saying, "What's that idol? 00:46:29.820 --> 00:46:33.560 "In order for you to be my disciple 00:46:33.560 --> 00:46:37.500 "that you intellectually agree is the right thing 00:46:37.500 --> 00:46:39.020 "that you're supposed to do, 00:46:39.020 --> 00:46:42.460 "what are you placing after the butt?" 00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:47.460 Verse 22, "When the young man heard this, 00:46:47.460 --> 00:46:57.140 "he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." 00:46:57.140 --> 00:47:04.440 Can I tell you how I would translate that in our context? 00:47:04.440 --> 00:47:07.760 For he had a good reason. 00:47:10.260 --> 00:47:14.660 He had a reason that when he said it, 00:47:14.660 --> 00:47:17.500 "Jesus, here's why I can't be your disciple," 00:47:17.500 --> 00:47:20.620 people went, "Oh, I mean, that makes sense." 00:47:20.620 --> 00:47:24.060 That is a little too extreme for Jesus to ask. 00:47:24.060 --> 00:47:27.020 Yeah, we understand. 00:47:27.020 --> 00:47:33.220 But he walked away sad because in that moment 00:47:33.220 --> 00:47:38.620 what he said no to was not a class, 00:47:40.100 --> 00:47:41.620 was not a small group. 00:47:41.620 --> 00:47:45.500 He said no to Jesus. 00:47:45.500 --> 00:47:48.440 He said no to Jesus. 00:47:48.440 --> 00:47:57.140 Being devoted to Jesus means seeing that unfortunately 00:47:57.140 --> 00:47:59.600 not everyone will. 00:47:59.600 --> 00:48:05.380 Our call for discipleship, 00:48:06.620 --> 00:48:10.180 our heart for what we see from the truth of God's word 00:48:10.180 --> 00:48:14.040 is not so that we can look at a piece of paper 00:48:14.040 --> 00:48:19.040 at the end of the day and say, "How many people did we have?" 00:48:19.040 --> 00:48:20.500 I'll be honest with you. 00:48:20.500 --> 00:48:23.300 We track attendance. 00:48:23.300 --> 00:48:25.240 I don't want you to think that we don't. 00:48:25.240 --> 00:48:26.080 We do. 00:48:26.080 --> 00:48:29.340 You're a small group leaders. 00:48:29.340 --> 00:48:33.320 If they do what Dave has asked them to, they take roll. 00:48:33.320 --> 00:48:35.700 So that Dave can know and see 00:48:35.700 --> 00:48:37.580 and help reach out and connect to people. 00:48:37.580 --> 00:48:39.140 Can I tell you something? 00:48:39.140 --> 00:48:41.540 I don't know how many people were here this morning. 00:48:41.540 --> 00:48:42.820 I won't find out this week 00:48:42.820 --> 00:48:44.380 how many people were here this morning. 00:48:44.380 --> 00:48:46.020 I don't know how many people were here today 00:48:46.020 --> 00:48:49.660 because what we're doing is not just a motivation 00:48:49.660 --> 00:48:53.740 of how can we get more people in the seats. 00:48:53.740 --> 00:48:57.460 The motivation in the heart behind why we do 00:48:57.460 --> 00:49:00.180 what we're doing as we gather together 00:49:00.180 --> 00:49:03.020 is because there's a call to go out into this world 00:49:03.020 --> 00:49:05.100 and share the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:49:05.100 --> 00:49:06.420 with people who don't know. 00:49:06.420 --> 00:49:09.540 And the end goal of what Jesus calls us out to go and make 00:49:09.540 --> 00:49:12.500 is not church members, is not faithful attenders, 00:49:12.500 --> 00:49:14.180 it is disciples. 00:49:14.180 --> 00:49:17.220 And the question that I have for you is this. 00:49:17.220 --> 00:49:21.660 Are you walking on the plateau of your spiritual life? 00:49:21.660 --> 00:49:26.020 Are you stuck in the mud of where you've always been? 00:49:26.020 --> 00:49:31.020 Is Jesus calling you into a depth of relationship with him? 00:49:31.020 --> 00:49:33.380 And not what you're telling me, 00:49:33.380 --> 00:49:35.180 not what you're telling your friends, 00:49:35.180 --> 00:49:37.220 not what you're telling others around, 00:49:37.220 --> 00:49:39.460 but as Jesus calls you into that, 00:49:39.460 --> 00:49:42.820 what you answer with him is Jesus but. 00:49:42.820 --> 00:49:48.480 Jesus but my fishing net provides for my family. 00:49:48.480 --> 00:49:51.740 But Jesus, I'm a tax collector 00:49:51.740 --> 00:49:54.280 and they'll never welcome me in 00:49:54.280 --> 00:49:56.140 and you can't work in my life. 00:49:56.140 --> 00:50:00.140 Jesus, the call to take up my cross 00:50:00.140 --> 00:50:03.540 and follow you to keep my eyes on you, 00:50:03.540 --> 00:50:05.540 to die to myself daily, 00:50:05.540 --> 00:50:09.500 but Jesus, that's too much. 00:50:09.500 --> 00:50:14.980 And we walk away sad, 00:50:14.980 --> 00:50:18.940 rejecting what he has for us. 00:50:18.940 --> 00:50:22.500 A rejection of discipleship 00:50:22.500 --> 00:50:28.780 is not rejecting simply a call for an adjustment of time, 00:50:28.780 --> 00:50:30.920 priorities, or schedule. 00:50:30.920 --> 00:50:34.860 But it's laying down of idols. 00:50:34.860 --> 00:50:40.040 And say Jesus, none of this matters. 00:50:40.040 --> 00:50:44.260 None of this matters other than becoming more like you 00:50:44.260 --> 00:50:46.360 and knowing you. 00:50:46.360 --> 00:50:48.940 Would you pray with me? 00:50:48.940 --> 00:50:55.580 God, I thank you. 00:50:55.580 --> 00:50:58.300 Lord, what a beautiful joy it is 00:50:58.980 --> 00:51:01.340 to gather together. 00:51:01.340 --> 00:51:05.580 Lord, to see brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:51:05.580 --> 00:51:10.720 And Lord, to spend time with one another. 00:51:10.720 --> 00:51:15.420 God, I pray for us, 00:51:15.420 --> 00:51:19.300 for all of us, 00:51:19.300 --> 00:51:25.060 that none of us in here have arrived. 00:51:25.060 --> 00:51:28.540 None of us in here have got it all figured out. 00:51:28.540 --> 00:51:31.940 None of us is the perfect disciple. 00:51:31.940 --> 00:51:36.360 All of us, Lord, all of us have room to grow. 00:51:36.360 --> 00:51:41.740 All of us have a step of commitment to take. 00:51:41.740 --> 00:51:47.520 All of us have sins to repent of. 00:51:47.520 --> 00:51:54.220 All of us need to grow in our desperation for you. 00:51:55.220 --> 00:52:00.220 And so God, I pray, I pray, Lord, 00:52:00.220 --> 00:52:03.740 that by the power of your Holy Spirit, 00:52:03.740 --> 00:52:09.700 for whatever step you're calling us to take, 00:52:09.700 --> 00:52:17.060 Lord, whatever but we wanna insert in there, 00:52:22.560 --> 00:52:27.560 Lord, that we would stop and just say yes, Jesus. 00:52:27.560 --> 00:52:29.860 Yes, Jesus. 00:52:29.860 --> 00:52:31.740 Yes, Jesus. 00:52:31.740 --> 00:52:33.340 Jesus, what do you have for me? 00:52:33.340 --> 00:52:36.200 What do you desire for me to do? 00:52:36.200 --> 00:52:39.300 Who do you want me to become? 00:52:39.300 --> 00:52:42.100 What do I need to walk away from? 00:52:42.100 --> 00:52:46.280 What security do I need to lay aside 00:52:46.280 --> 00:52:48.380 in understanding that it is temporary 00:52:48.380 --> 00:52:50.300 and the only security, Lord, 00:52:50.300 --> 00:52:52.400 is found in relationship with you? 00:52:53.400 --> 00:52:57.380 Lord, what sin do we need to lay down 00:52:57.380 --> 00:52:59.620 at the foot of the cross and know, 00:52:59.620 --> 00:53:02.100 Lord, that you've died for? 00:53:02.100 --> 00:53:04.180 You've forgiven us, 00:53:04.180 --> 00:53:06.520 and through your power we can overcome. 00:53:06.520 --> 00:53:16.220 Lord, what's stopping us from picking up that cross, 00:53:16.220 --> 00:53:19.140 locking our eyes on you, 00:53:21.180 --> 00:53:23.680 and saying, Jesus, what do you have for us today? 00:53:23.680 --> 00:53:28.420 Lord, speak to our hearts. 00:53:28.420 --> 00:53:34.540 What's stopping us from becoming the disciple 00:53:34.540 --> 00:53:37.760 that you've called us to be? 00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:44.940 God, may this not be about a program. 00:53:47.160 --> 00:53:50.840 May this not be a message 00:53:50.840 --> 00:53:54.160 that's filled with selfish motivation of the heart. 00:53:54.160 --> 00:54:00.000 But may this be, Lord, in the power of your spirit, 00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:01.920 to speak to our hearts 00:54:01.920 --> 00:54:06.080 so we can evaluate ourselves, 00:54:06.080 --> 00:54:09.100 for what you have for us. 00:54:09.100 --> 00:54:13.040 Jesus, we love you. 00:54:13.040 --> 00:54:14.920 We praise you. 00:54:15.960 --> 00:54:17.920 It's in your name we pray, amen. 00:54:20.500 --> 00:54:23.120 - Thanks again for listening, 00:54:23.120 --> 00:54:26.240 and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 00:54:26.240 --> 00:54:29.960 In the meantime, you can visit us at willowridgechurch.org 00:54:29.960 --> 00:54:31.880 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church 00:54:31.880 --> 00:54:33.400 on Facebook, Instagram.