John Gunter: Worship God together. We have come to the the last sermon in this series, Marks of a True Disciple. Next week, we will begin a new series, the title of which is Tell Me the Story. And so we will be covering a different biblical story each week. That'll be helpful for those of you who travel.
You won't have to feel like you have to catch up once you come come back from your vacation, and so so hopefully, you'll get to enjoy that as well. This week we end the trait we're talking about is living in community. And so as we talk about what it means to be a true disciple, a true disciple is one who lives in community. We're gonna start in Acts chapter two this morning, starting in verse 42. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers, and all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they were selling their possessions and belongings, and and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. And so, to be a true disciple is to be a person who lives in community. I think sometimes we we like Acts two thirty eight, hey, let's let's be baptized, let's tell everybody to be baptized, but then right after that, we get to this part, and we're like, you know, we really don't live like that. Right?
Can we be honest this morning? Yeah. And so, what I want to, again, encourage us, exhort us to do is to try to live in community. Scott mentioned as we've been going from different house to house on Wednesday night, we have received blessings from that. Fellowship time that we don't get.
Right? I got to visit with you guys, and we've gotten a few, you know, little short interactions, we got to actually sit down and eat and have conversations, which is a blessing. Logan, always has something to say during announcements or something like that, and as Scott was saying that, Logan leaned over and he said, it's really cool that we've gotten to go to other people's houses and they've given us dessert. Yes, it is. Because there is something about being connected, being in one another's home, in your space, because we can only know each other in this place at a certain level.
Right? And I think what you see is when people leave a church, a lot of times, it's because they haven't grown the roots necessary to be anchored in a place. They haven't decided to join others in their homes, or they haven't decided to open their homes to others, and so you really don't form those connections and things that hold you in place. Right? Now, people leave for all kinds of reasons, but I think that's a main one.
And so, if you put out the effort to be here and to be a part of this church, you will receive a blessing. I've shared the story with you before of a girl that I've known since, I don't know, I was a little kid, but we we were serving at a church, and she came up to me one day, and she was just crying and saying how she feels like she does not fit in. What I know about her is that as soon as that final prayer is said, maybe before it's over, she's inching to the door. Well, if you're not putting down roots, you're not going to feel the blessing, you're not going to be encouraged or anything like that. And so, what we see here is the early church was not casually connected.
Right? They lived life together. They were deeply devoted to each other in teaching, fellowship, prayer, and generosity. A lot of times, we we go through scriptures like, well, I'd love to help people out, but I just don't know who needs it. Well, guess what?
Start a relationship with other people, and you're gonna find out who needs what really quickly. Right? Because we can only put on a mask and and act like things are going perfectly for so long, but as you get to know each other, think about the people with whom you share everything. It's because you've developed that relationship with them that you know. From John 17, starting in verse 20, Jesus here speaking, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, talking about the disciples and apostles, that they may be all all be one just as you, father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may be become that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Now, we think of this as kind of a unity passage. Right? And it is. It is Jesus praying to God that the followers that come from him, and the words of the disciples, that they will be one.
Why? Well, because if we're united, and we're showing the world what we just read in Acts two, that's very appealing, isn't it? Because it means we're serious, we love each other, we care, and that's something a lot of people want to be a part of, I think. But also, what I want to point out there is when when Jesus is talking about this, it's it's really an evangelism thing as well. Right?
Is that it's not just a unity for unity's sake, but our community is part of God's strategy to make himself known. And so, we're we're calling this this series Marks of a True Disciple because lots of people claim to be Christian, don't they? Do all of those people, including us in here, always live out what it means to be a Christian? So, it is very very important what we show the world that that what it means to be a follower of Christ. To be a disciple, what that looks like in truth, because anyone can claim Christianity and live a life that is very very far from it.
And let me say this, division in the church weakens our witness. You know that? Division, and especially things like gossip and tearing people down, weakens that. And so God meant this to be an evangelism tool, and what we can do is spread a word of hate and not good news. We can spread a word of you don't belong here instead of good news.
We can spread a word of, well, you gotta be in the know, you gotta be a part of the gossip. Love and oneness, those things demonstrate the gospel, not division and gossip and hatred and the like. What I hope you take from this, and what Jesus has prayed for is that oneness within the church is not optional. Community is not optional. We don't go out and live a life that is a solitary life.
You even think of Paul, as much as he traveled, he kept connected to people, there were always people with him. There were no solo Christians. And sometimes, I think we can be so individually minded that we forget that. We need each other. We need to draw encouragement from one another, we need to give encouragement to one another, don't we?
Because when we do that is when I think the world sees what it needs to see from the church. In Romans 12, starting in verse four, the apostle Paul says this, for as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function. So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Every single person in here has a role. We don't all have the same role, we don't have all the same responsibilities, we don't all have the same gifts.
And we should know that because we just read it. Right? But sometimes, we just beat ourselves up that we don't have the same gifts as sister a over here, or brother b, or whoever, and so we take ourselves out of the community, we decide we don't belong. When scripture says, everyone is different, everyone belongs, everyone comes together for the good of building up the body. Hear this this morning, we need you.
We need you in this place. We need you for what you bring. Whatever that is, maybe you haven't found that, that's okay. We can all help you with that. I I tell people in I've told them in our small group, if you don't know how God has blessed you, if you don't if you don't know the the gifts God has blessed you with, ask those close to you.
We had somebody in our small group say they didn't know, and I said, I do. Hospitality. You like taking care of people, you like having things a certain way, care for people. Ask somebody, fit in because we need you. You are part of the body of Christ.
Don't talk bad about what you do, don't look down on it. Now, are ways in which we can hone, we can develop. If you're always saying no, that I won't do anything, well, you're not going to develop those skills and blessings, are you? So, we want to live a life that builds up the body. We are connected and interdependent.
We are never meant we were never meant to function alone. Belonging to Christ means that we belong also to his church. And so, in Christ, you're not just saved from something, you are saved into something. That is his church. That is a part of the body of Christ.
And so, what I wanna encourage you this morning is to find that, find where you fit in this place. If you'd like to do something, if you'd like to start a ministry, we want you to do that. I have never heard anyone in here say, no, we don't want to serve God in that way. We want to find every way we can in this place to serve God and do it effectively. And so, that means starting a new ministry.
When I was in Texarkana, I know you guys are probably tired of hearing this, that's what I said. It was a bigger church, but they said, if you want to start something, be prepared to lead it. And that might scare you off, but it also might light a fire on you that, hey, we have the freedom to serve God in this way with my passion, and my ability, my skills, and the way God has blessed me. And again, I want you to hear, we need you. In Galatians six verses two, it says this, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Well, why is that? Why is it that we are commanded to bear one another's burdens? If you thought, well, I can be a solo Christian, this ought to change your mind, shouldn't it? We have a duty to walk with one another. Again, if you're not walking with one another, you're choosing to say, no, I'm not going to get involved, I don't think I fit in here, I don't have friends.
Well, how much effort are you putting in? How much desire do you have to bear someone else's burden? Because a lot of times as a as a preacher, what I hear when people get mad and they wanna leave, they wanna tell you what you didn't do for them. You know that? They didn't have that discussion prior to that, they didn't say, hey, I'd like to do this, most of the time.
It is as I'm mad, and you did not provide me, or you didn't hold up your end of the bargain too, it is never, you know what, I just couldn't bear enough burdens in here. Y'all didn't have enough burdens to bear. I wanted to do it, and you wouldn't let me. I've never heard that in my life. But this is what we are called to do, to be there for one another, to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
We don't just gather, we bear one another in love. Burden bearing is something that is a practical expression of the law of Christ. Well, how do I live up to being a Christian? How do I be a true disciple of Jesus? Do this.
Walk with someone, wrap your arms around someone, and say, hey, I'm here for you. This is how I got through a time like this. Or, I've never experienced it. That sounds terrible. I'm just going to walk, I'm just going to listen, and I'm going to bear burdens with you.
So, discipleship means walking with others, not watching from a distance. You hear that? Not watching from a distance, not gossiping about here's what I heard, it is walking hand in hand with each other. That's what we should be doing. Hebrews ten twenty four and twenty five says this, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.
Remember, Hebrews, we think, is a sermon recorded. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. We want to, the Hebrew writer says, stir each other up to love and good works, But you can't do that if you decide I'm never gonna be there. Now, this sermon this morning is not about, were you here last Sunday, you know, are you gonna miss next Sunday type of thing. Because what the Hebrew writer says is there's a habit that some people fall into where I've just got too much going on.
Anybody like that? I've got too much going on. Yes. My calendar is full. This week, I realized I hadn't put the podcast out there.
Now, for the two of you that listen to that, I'm sorry. You could have gotten it on Facebook or YouTube, but anyway. Sometimes, the week just comes at you with such force that you forget, oh my goodness, I've got so many things, and we can fall into a habit. Right? We're not going to beat you over the head, you missed last Sunday, where were you at?
You ever had a call like that, and it didn't feel much encouraging and loving as where were you and why weren't you here? We're not going to be that way, but we do want to encourage one another. I do want you here, because again, you're a part of this body, you're a critical part, you bring something, and so we come together, let us consider how to stir up each other, but we can't do that if we're always separated. If you're not comfortable in someone's house, do it anyway. Go to Scott's on Wednesday night, he has a massage chair and everything, and as long as you get there before me, you can try it.
If you don't, well, maybe next time. But I'm telling you, it will be a blessing to you to put yourself out there because we are afraid of being vulnerable. How many of you just love going to new places and a place you're not familiar with? Some of you are. Some of you are extroverts, hey, I just love new things, I'm I'm just kinda, we'll see when we get there type of thing, I'm anxious.
Like, even going to I told you last week we went to a baseball game, and even just getting there, it's like anxiety, anxiety, there's my seat. Okay, I can calm down. I'm here, I know where I need to be, I saw where the restroom was, I where I can get food. Right? All the things.
Same same way walking into a new place, Oh, Scott Scott lives right there, You go across the street, go through, he's the first one. You take the first right, and he's on the right, Scott, not on the left. Scott told us last time the wrong directions, he didn't want you there. He's right before he's right before the cul de sac, so right on the right. Go there and receive a blessing.
Go there and give a blessing, because God has gifted you. You need to encourage someone else. If all we do is gather and say, what can I get out of this? You're going be sorely disappointed, or we're not going to be doing things the right way. One of the two, maybe both.
Because if all we're doing is just coming to expect something, I hope you receive a blessing, I receive a blessing just from being here. I could not say a word we could sit here and sing, and I'd walk away, my cup overflows. Tyler, you did a great job. I'll I'll see you next week. Because just in singing a song, I got a lesson, I I sang songs, I praised God, I thanked Him, I I did all the things.
Right? We we had communion, I could just leave and and be okay. That's because I received a blessing from you, that I I saw you. Because if you've been a part of a church, and you sat, and you nested in one one area, and you sat beside someone, and it just all felt comfortable, alright? It all feels right.
I'm gonna sit here, I know brother and sister so and so sit in front of me, I love hearing her sing, and then they miss on a Sunday. What do you feel? It just just wasn't wasn't all there. Right? I enjoyed it, we we had a good time, but man, where were they?
I love them, they're not here. Well, just being there is an encouragement to people. You understand that? And so, let me encourage you if Wednesday night or next Sunday you're feeling, we've got so much going on, don't think I can make it, go for somebody else. Get moving for someone else, and maybe it's not about you.
I've told you the story that every time when Katie when I was working in IT, and you know know how it is in the middle of the week, you're tired, you don't know, and Katie would say, are we going to church tonight? I said, yes, but we're leaving early. Every single time I said that, I was the last one to leave. The janitor's waiting on me to turn out the light, and and not because I I don't think I was all that important, but we got to to talking, and encouraging one another, and just discussions went from this to that, to you left, and you got, what would I have done without that this week? Earlier in the day, it felt like a burden to bear that I was going to have to go somewhere else and do something else in the middle of the week.
After having done that, I thought, where would I have been without it? You ever been there? Because I received a blessing, both in what I gave to someone and what I received from someone, and you can't do that alone. Community fuels consistency, encouragement, and endurance. You know that?
As we wrap up this series, I want to wrap up with some words Jesus said on the sermon on the mount. In Matthew seven, he says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many work mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
Saying Lord isn't the same as doing what Jesus said. Claiming to be a Christian isn't the same as being a Christian. Claiming to be a disciple is not the same thing as being a true disciple. Jesus makes it very clear in this, those who truly belong to him will do the will of the father. And so, has been the encouragement through all of this, is that we are, when we claim to follow Jesus, that we do so with a desire to follow God's will, to be a true disciple.
We could have included so many things. I think of the one another passages, love one another, encourage one another, serve one another, pray for one another, forgive one another one another, bear with one another, confess to one another, submit to one another, be kind and compassionate to one another, carry one another's burdens, be devoted to one another. And you can't do all that for one another without being with one another. And so Jesus isn't looking for people who say the right things, he's looking for people who live the life he modeled, and that life is never lived alone. It is lived in community.
So the question this morning isn't just do you believe in Jesus? The question is, are you walking in his way with his people doing the father's will? Because these are the marks of a true disciple. So if you have any needs this morning, would you come as we stand match me safe.