WEBVTT 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:07.720 - Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast. 00:00:07.720 --> 00:00:09.240 This is where you can find audio 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:11.480 from Sunday morning messages and more. 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:12.760 Make sure you're subscribed 00:00:12.760 --> 00:00:14.680 so that you don't miss future episodes 00:00:14.680 --> 00:00:15.920 and thanks for listening. 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:20.280 - Good morning. 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.740 Glad to have you guys with us. 00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:24.520 If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, 00:00:24.520 --> 00:00:29.280 wanna invite you to join me in Genesis 1 and Ephesians 2. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.560 These are our main passages that we look at. 00:00:31.560 --> 00:00:35.800 This is our last week in our messages 00:00:35.800 --> 00:00:38.240 that we've been walking through together 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:39.640 as we talk about structure, 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:44.120 why we do what we do here at Willow Ridge Church. 00:00:44.120 --> 00:00:47.320 Next week, we're gonna have Pastor Sam John. 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.760 He's gonna be here with us to be sharing with us. 00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:51.800 If you don't recognize that name, 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:54.400 Sam is the pastor that we partner with 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:55.880 and work with in India. 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:57.640 And so he'll be here sharing, 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:00.680 sharing out of God's word, preaching for us that morning. 00:01:00.680 --> 00:01:02.140 And of course, as he always does, 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.840 wonderfully building into the message, 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.120 the ministries and the things that are going on there. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.440 And so you wanna make sure that you join us for that. 00:01:11.440 --> 00:01:12.760 Well, I didn't have you turn here, 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:15.040 but as we've done these last three weeks 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:16.920 as we've gone through this series, 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.600 is I do want us to read Acts chapter two. 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:22.380 This is the passage, this is the heartbeat 00:01:22.380 --> 00:01:24.120 of what we believe in scripture 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:26.920 that leads us to the why we do what we do 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:30.280 in our church together, as we gather together as a church. 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.360 And so I want us to read this 00:01:32.360 --> 00:01:35.160 for one last time in this series together. 00:01:35.160 --> 00:01:37.520 Acts two, verses 42 through 47. 00:01:37.520 --> 00:01:39.840 And it says, "And they devoted themselves 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.720 "to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, 00:01:42.720 --> 00:01:44.900 "to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:47.000 "And awe came upon every soul, 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.080 "and many wonders and signs were being done 00:01:49.080 --> 00:01:50.660 "through the apostles. 00:01:50.660 --> 00:01:52.900 "And all who believed were together 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:54.600 "and had all things in common. 00:01:54.600 --> 00:01:56.260 "And they were selling their possessions 00:01:56.260 --> 00:01:58.620 "and belongings and distributing the proceeds 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:00.760 "to all as any had need. 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:03.480 "And day by day, attending the temple together 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:05.340 "and breaking bread in their homes, 00:02:05.340 --> 00:02:08.440 "they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 00:02:08.440 --> 00:02:11.180 "praising God and having favor with all the people. 00:02:11.180 --> 00:02:14.380 "And the Lord added to their number day by day 00:02:14.380 --> 00:02:16.920 "those who were being saved." 00:02:16.920 --> 00:02:18.840 And so this is the earliest account 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:23.060 of what we get in scripture of the snapshot of the church. 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:24.960 Jesus has died on the cross. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:28.280 He's been resurrected from the grave. 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.400 He has ascended and in that process, 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:33.880 he's promised the coming of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:33.880 --> 00:02:35.280 The Holy Spirit comes. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:37.580 Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 00:02:37.580 --> 00:02:39.120 They begin to share the gospel, 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:41.480 some of them even in languages they do not know. 00:02:41.480 --> 00:02:46.080 And we see this massive group of people get saved, 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:47.840 become followers of Jesus, 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.640 and we see the birth of the early church. 00:02:51.640 --> 00:02:54.200 And this is the church that we look to 00:02:54.200 --> 00:02:56.760 to draw from as God gives us in the scripture 00:02:56.760 --> 00:02:59.640 to ask the questions of why we do what we do. 00:02:59.640 --> 00:03:02.280 And so they give us a model here 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.640 of what we can draw the truths out, 00:03:04.640 --> 00:03:06.760 but there's a little bit different context 00:03:06.760 --> 00:03:10.560 and an ax to narrative than what we get in the context 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.880 where we find ourselves today. 00:03:14.880 --> 00:03:17.200 But what we do see, we think there are these big three 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:19.240 that kind of draw out from that. 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:21.320 Obviously, there's other things that are happening 00:03:21.320 --> 00:03:23.680 and taking place, but we see these big three 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:26.600 of these foundational aspects of this early church 00:03:26.600 --> 00:03:27.840 as they gather together. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:29.640 And so we see discipleship, 00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:30.920 that's what we talked about week one, 00:03:30.920 --> 00:03:32.640 to grow more like Christ. 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:35.560 We see fellowship amongst the believers there 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:39.040 to love one another, to love the body of Christ. 00:03:39.040 --> 00:03:43.880 And then we also see worship to exalt the name of Christ. 00:03:43.880 --> 00:03:47.040 And we believe as a church that everything we do 00:03:47.040 --> 00:03:48.440 kind of comes out of those. 00:03:48.440 --> 00:03:49.400 And so you're like, but Bo, 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:50.960 'cause there's things that we're called to do 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.000 that we're a part of that we don't see in there. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.360 We don't see evangelism, we don't see missions, 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:58.280 we don't see serving, we don't see giving. 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:01.720 And what we believe is we focus in on discipleship, 00:04:01.720 --> 00:04:05.160 fellowship, and worship is that from those flows 00:04:05.160 --> 00:04:07.280 all the things that we're called to be about 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:09.600 as a body of believers is we're unified together 00:04:09.600 --> 00:04:12.560 underneath the gospel of Jesus Christ to glorify him 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.800 and to see the message go to those who do not know him. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.760 And so what we've done and what we will continue to do 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:22.680 is take this model and then put it in the context 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:25.080 of our church of who we are. 00:04:25.080 --> 00:04:27.800 And a couple years ago we started really praying about this 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:30.480 and thinking about this or are we doing this 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.960 in the context with which we find ourself today 00:04:33.960 --> 00:04:37.600 that helps reach men and women and expose them 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.780 and offer them the opportunities to do this. 00:04:40.780 --> 00:04:43.640 And we live in the world of busy. 00:04:43.640 --> 00:04:46.000 And I remember we're sitting at a staff meeting one day 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.400 and I made this comment. 00:04:48.400 --> 00:04:52.320 I said, I understand busy and I'm tired 00:04:52.320 --> 00:04:54.720 of fighting against busy. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.840 And so let's be better. 00:04:57.840 --> 00:05:00.200 Let's think outside of the box. 00:05:00.200 --> 00:05:03.920 Let's ask ourselves what can we do as a leadership team 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:06.800 so that we can provide opportunities for men and women 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:08.940 and kids to engage in discipleship, 00:05:08.940 --> 00:05:12.480 to engage in fellowship, and to engage in worship. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.280 And that's why we have the schedule, the model, 00:05:15.280 --> 00:05:17.980 the ministry plan that we have every Sunday morning. 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:19.600 So you can come at nine for discipleship, 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.680 you can stay around 945, 950 for fellowship together 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:24.320 where we gather in this room together. 00:05:24.320 --> 00:05:26.520 And then you can stay after that and we can worship. 00:05:26.520 --> 00:05:28.360 It's why we have that for our kids, 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:31.280 for our teens, for our adults across the board. 00:05:31.280 --> 00:05:32.920 This is what we have, this is what we're part of 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:36.280 'cause we're all a part of the body of Christ. 00:05:36.280 --> 00:05:40.120 And then on top of that, we'll continue to offer more. 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:41.720 And continue to challenge and press people 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:44.760 to take another step of obedience 00:05:44.760 --> 00:05:46.640 in their walk with the Lord. 00:05:46.640 --> 00:05:49.360 So that hopefully that church doesn't become, 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:51.280 well you know I went on Sunday, checked the box 00:05:51.280 --> 00:05:52.180 and I move on from there. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:54.160 But in every aspect of our life, 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:55.240 we're continuing looking at, 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.160 am I taking another step of faithfulness, 00:05:57.160 --> 00:05:58.960 am I taking another step of obedience, 00:05:58.960 --> 00:06:01.640 and am I doing this with other believers 00:06:01.640 --> 00:06:03.940 so that we can challenge one another 00:06:03.940 --> 00:06:06.160 to grow in the image and likeness of Christ. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:09.560 So week one we looked at discipleship, 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:10.720 we talked about discipleship, 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:11.760 and we're asking our question like, 00:06:11.760 --> 00:06:14.560 how do we grow more like Christ? 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.880 And what we see from God's word 00:06:16.880 --> 00:06:19.520 is it's not just about like classes, 00:06:19.520 --> 00:06:21.800 it's not just about Bible study time together, 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:24.580 but Jesus as he would call those 00:06:24.580 --> 00:06:26.880 to follow him in discipleship. 00:06:26.880 --> 00:06:28.740 The challenge was devotion. 00:06:28.740 --> 00:06:33.960 Devotion, would we be devoted to Christ? 00:06:33.960 --> 00:06:36.960 Last week we looked at fellowship, 00:06:36.960 --> 00:06:41.960 and how do we grow in our love for the body of Christ more? 00:06:41.960 --> 00:06:46.040 And the challenge is that we need to have a deep 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:49.400 and intimate relationship with Jesus, 00:06:49.400 --> 00:06:51.160 and then from that, 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:53.440 from that deep intimate relationship 00:06:53.440 --> 00:06:54.960 that we have with Christ, 00:06:54.960 --> 00:06:57.000 what comes from that is a deep 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.720 and intimate relationship with each other. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:04.440 That it's not a have to, it's a get to, 00:07:04.440 --> 00:07:08.440 and it's a growing to love more and more and more. 00:07:08.440 --> 00:07:11.340 And so this week we're gonna look at worship, 00:07:11.340 --> 00:07:15.400 and here's the win, like we're already all here for this. 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:18.560 But I wanna ask some questions like what do we do 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.440 when we gather for worship? 00:07:21.440 --> 00:07:23.360 I want you to think about the intricacies 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.240 and the pieces of a worship service. 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:29.920 One of the things that Joel Berger is tasked 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:33.240 to be a part of is to build within the dynamic 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:35.240 of what we do and what we plan for every day, 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.680 what we call our flow of service. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:40.240 And we have through that these intentional markers 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.060 in the pieces that we've put together. 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:44.140 Maybe you've just kind of got accustomed 00:07:44.140 --> 00:07:46.440 to the flow that we have, but every week, 00:07:46.440 --> 00:07:47.840 intentional, and I thought about this, 00:07:47.840 --> 00:07:50.320 what do we do when we gather for worship? 00:07:50.320 --> 00:07:52.080 Well, we greet one another, right? 00:07:52.080 --> 00:07:54.800 We love seeing even as people are coming in, 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:56.600 even as worship is getting started, 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:58.800 where we're having this, and then we build in these times 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.240 from the stage where we say it is important 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:03.120 to make sure that we are greeting you, 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:05.080 and especially if you're a first time guest. 00:08:05.080 --> 00:08:06.640 If you're a first time guest, we want you to know 00:08:06.640 --> 00:08:09.680 that we are so excited, and it is an honor 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.280 that you are here to worship with us. 00:08:12.280 --> 00:08:13.140 We wanna do that. 00:08:13.140 --> 00:08:16.040 We wanna share important church information. 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.360 We know that, like, no one dislikes announcements 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:21.520 more than like us, right? 00:08:21.520 --> 00:08:23.800 But when we announce something, we announce something 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:25.840 'cause we're doing something because we believe 00:08:25.840 --> 00:08:27.880 in this moment what we're doing matters, 00:08:27.880 --> 00:08:30.560 and it's important, and it's valuable for you 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.840 to help you grow and take a next step 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:35.680 in your walk with Christ. 00:08:35.680 --> 00:08:37.120 We pray together. 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.160 We pray. 00:08:38.160 --> 00:08:40.440 We have intentional times where we dedicate 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:43.000 in our service where we pray, and even within that, 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.260 those prayers are intentionally done in a certain way 00:08:46.260 --> 00:08:49.220 as we pray to God and ask God to work and move 00:08:49.220 --> 00:08:51.420 in the lives of the individuals who are here, 00:08:51.420 --> 00:08:56.120 including us as we lead you in worship. 00:08:56.120 --> 00:09:00.100 But when you think about this, and I did some math this week, 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:02.880 we largely do two things. 00:09:02.880 --> 00:09:07.020 We sing and we preach. 00:09:07.020 --> 00:09:10.060 That's largely what we do. 00:09:10.060 --> 00:09:13.600 When we gather in here together, we have announcements, 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:17.840 we have time of prayer, we have time of greeting one another, 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.800 but largely on a week in and week out basis, 00:09:21.800 --> 00:09:26.800 what we do together is we sing and we preach, 00:09:26.800 --> 00:09:29.680 every single service. 00:09:29.680 --> 00:09:32.500 Even the one time of year when we kind of step out 00:09:32.500 --> 00:09:36.000 of our normal service flow, and that's our New Year's 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.960 breakfast where we gather together for a meal 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:42.020 as a family and we spend that time intentionally 00:09:42.020 --> 00:09:43.780 praying for the upcoming year. 00:09:43.780 --> 00:09:44.700 I don't know if you noticed this, 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:46.700 but we always open it up with worship, 00:09:46.700 --> 00:09:49.180 and as I'm going through, I just can't help it, right? 00:09:49.180 --> 00:09:52.420 We gotta preach and we gotta explain why we're praying for, 00:09:52.420 --> 00:09:54.660 what we're praying for, why we're doing what we're doing, 00:09:54.660 --> 00:09:57.200 and we always come back to God's word. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:02.200 So even in those moments, we still value the scene 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:05.660 and the preaching. 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:09.940 Here's the math as I went to Planning Center this week. 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:14.100 We reserve in a 75-minute service, 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:17.040 so that's what we're banking on. 00:10:17.040 --> 00:10:22.040 If it goes over that, it's always Dave's fault, all right? 00:10:22.040 --> 00:10:24.400 It's always Dave's fault. 00:10:24.400 --> 00:10:28.960 We reserve, of a 75-minute service, 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.900 we reserve 61 minutes, I'm sorry, 00:10:33.900 --> 00:10:37.280 61 minutes for two actions. 00:10:37.280 --> 00:10:42.280 61 minutes are locked in of what we have planned for, 00:10:42.280 --> 00:10:46.920 for singing and for preaching. 00:10:46.920 --> 00:10:48.980 Why? 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:51.560 Why? 00:10:51.560 --> 00:10:54.040 Why do we take this time that you've dedicated, 00:10:54.040 --> 00:10:56.720 this time that you've given, 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.220 and in an overwhelming majority, 00:11:00.220 --> 00:11:04.620 said that we're gonna do these two things? 00:11:04.620 --> 00:11:06.860 Here's a couple interesting facts. 00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:11.860 If you travel the world and you go to any Bible-believing, 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:16.620 Jesus-exalting Christian church, 00:11:16.620 --> 00:11:20.200 they will do some things differently, 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:25.360 but the two aspects that will continue to be the same 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:28.020 is they will sing and they will preach. 00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:30.520 In 2005, Aaron and I got invited. 00:11:30.520 --> 00:11:32.980 We'd been married for about a year. 00:11:32.980 --> 00:11:36.460 We actually celebrated a one-year anniversary on this trip. 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:38.240 We were invited to go with a part of a team 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:41.300 to go to Zimbabwe to be a part of a city-wide revival 00:11:41.300 --> 00:11:43.500 in the capital city of Zimbabwe, 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:46.140 and we were very excited to go. 00:11:46.140 --> 00:11:48.060 I was very young in ministry. 00:11:48.060 --> 00:11:51.320 I had only been in full-time ministry about four months 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:53.420 when we were invited and said yes, 00:11:53.420 --> 00:11:56.140 and so the guy that invited us to go, 00:11:56.140 --> 00:11:57.180 I said, "What do I need to do?" 00:11:57.180 --> 00:11:58.660 And he's like, "Well, here's what I want you to do." 00:11:58.660 --> 00:12:02.060 He knew, he had older, experienced pastors. 00:12:02.060 --> 00:12:02.980 He's like, "But we're just gonna give you 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:05.420 "some opportunities to preach and share God's word." 00:12:05.420 --> 00:12:09.340 He says, "What I need you to do is prepare three messages 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:11.900 "and bring those three messages with you, 00:12:11.900 --> 00:12:15.380 "and I will put you in churches, and you will preach, 00:12:15.380 --> 00:12:19.060 "and you will share the gospel, and Aaron will come," 00:12:19.060 --> 00:12:20.980 and she was a part of a choir at that time, 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:22.820 and so she sang with a choir some, 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:25.860 but then she also came and she led worship 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:28.780 in some of the places where I was speaking, 00:12:28.780 --> 00:12:31.620 and there was one night, there was an opportunity 00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:34.760 for me to go preach somewhere, and this was a new place. 00:12:34.760 --> 00:12:35.900 They didn't even really know 00:12:35.900 --> 00:12:37.400 that this was gonna be an opportunity, 00:12:37.400 --> 00:12:39.060 but the guy that was overseeing this, 00:12:39.060 --> 00:12:40.660 you know, the key for international mission trip 00:12:40.660 --> 00:12:42.880 is be flexible, and he said, "Bo, there's a church, 00:12:42.880 --> 00:12:44.800 "and they're gonna gather tonight, 00:12:44.800 --> 00:12:46.520 "and we've got all of the singers 00:12:46.520 --> 00:12:48.860 "kind of dispersed everywhere, 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:50.940 "but we would like for you to go and preach. 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:53.340 "Their choir's gonna take care of the worship, 00:12:53.340 --> 00:12:54.500 "and you're gonna preach, 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:55.740 "but you're gonna be there by yourself 00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:56.580 "for you, okay with that?" 00:12:56.580 --> 00:12:58.580 And I was like, "Sure," and so we drove 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:02.180 about 45 minutes outside of town into this village area, 00:13:02.180 --> 00:13:05.300 and I was there, the driver was from Zimbabwe, 00:13:05.300 --> 00:13:07.180 and so he said, "All right, we're here," 00:13:07.180 --> 00:13:08.700 and I said, "But where's the church?" 00:13:08.700 --> 00:13:09.980 He's like, "Well, there's the church," 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:12.300 and it was a cinder block building with no roof, 00:13:12.300 --> 00:13:14.240 and he's like, "Well, so you can get out 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:15.580 "and you can leave now," and I was like, 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:16.740 "But there's no one here." 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:17.900 He's like, "You're good." 00:13:17.900 --> 00:13:21.100 So I got out, standing there by myself, 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:23.380 stood there for about 45 minutes by myself, 00:13:23.380 --> 00:13:25.420 and I begin to wonder, like, is this the practical joke 00:13:25.420 --> 00:13:26.860 that we're playing on the new guy, right? 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:29.060 Like, I'm beginning to get a little bit terrified, 00:13:29.060 --> 00:13:31.020 and then two guys come walking up, 00:13:31.020 --> 00:13:33.400 and so I introduced myself, and they said 00:13:33.400 --> 00:13:35.500 that they were there, in typical fashion, 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:38.060 it was the audio, it was the media team was there, right? 00:13:38.060 --> 00:13:39.780 The media team, that's what they said that they were due, 00:13:39.780 --> 00:13:41.620 they were gonna let me in, and they were the media team, 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:44.180 and so they let me in, and we talked for about 30 minutes, 00:13:44.180 --> 00:13:45.900 and so we were talking about, 00:13:45.900 --> 00:13:47.540 they had never been in the United States, 00:13:47.540 --> 00:13:50.020 they knew a lot about the United States, 00:13:50.020 --> 00:13:52.660 I'll never forget this, the guy asked me, 00:13:52.660 --> 00:13:53.860 here's one of the guy's questions, 00:13:53.860 --> 00:13:54.980 I said, "Do you wanna ask me anything 00:13:54.980 --> 00:13:55.820 "about the United States?" 00:13:55.820 --> 00:13:57.940 Like, ask me, and I can give you my perspective, 00:13:57.940 --> 00:13:59.260 and I can tell you about this, and he said, 00:13:59.260 --> 00:14:02.000 "Well, have you ever met Michael Jordan?" 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.020 (congregation laughing) 00:14:04.020 --> 00:14:07.980 And I said, "No, I've never met Michael Jordan." 00:14:07.980 --> 00:14:10.700 And he looked at me and said, "Well, why not?" 00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:12.300 I was like, "Well, it doesn't really work that way, 00:14:12.300 --> 00:14:14.780 "like, it's not how it happens." 00:14:14.780 --> 00:14:18.420 So I go there, and the building, I'm gonna guess, 00:14:18.420 --> 00:14:20.320 was about as big as this stage, 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:23.860 if we rectangled this stage out, it was there, 00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:28.500 they packed about 150 people into this room. 00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:32.940 And the media team, they made sure 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:37.460 that the one light bulb that was duct taped 00:14:37.460 --> 00:14:40.340 to the center block wall behind me, turned on. 00:14:40.340 --> 00:14:46.320 And they gathered together, with no instruments, 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:51.320 with no AC, with no screens, with no hymnals, 00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:56.800 and they worshiped for about an hour, 00:14:56.800 --> 00:15:00.360 just singing, just singing. 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:04.100 And then they said, "It's time to preach." 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:08.020 And I walked up there, and I grabbed my message 00:15:08.020 --> 00:15:13.020 out of my Bible, and I preached for about 30, 40 minutes, 00:15:13.020 --> 00:15:17.720 and I went and sat down, and then they sang some more, 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:18.700 for about an hour. 00:15:19.660 --> 00:15:21.980 And then the pastor comes up to me, 00:15:21.980 --> 00:15:24.480 and he's like, "We're ready for the rest of it." 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:30.860 So I got up and I took the second message out of my Bible, 00:15:30.860 --> 00:15:31.980 and I preached it. 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:37.460 And then I went and sat down, and then we sang some more, 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:40.040 about another hour's worth of singing. 00:15:40.040 --> 00:15:42.860 And then he said, "Well, we're ready for some more." 00:15:42.860 --> 00:15:47.660 And so I took the third message out of my Bible, 00:15:47.660 --> 00:15:51.780 and I preached it, and then we sang some more. 00:15:51.780 --> 00:15:54.800 And he came up to me, and he said, 00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:56.980 "All right, well, we're ready for some more." 00:15:56.980 --> 00:15:59.720 And I was like, "Buddy, that's all I got, right?" 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:03.380 At this point, I'm just gonna start reading out of my Bible, 00:16:03.380 --> 00:16:05.260 and I probably just should have done that. 00:16:05.260 --> 00:16:07.820 But for five hours, we gathered together in a room, 00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:12.700 and we sang, and we preached, 00:16:12.700 --> 00:16:15.100 in every Christian church in the world. 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:18.860 Whether it's programmed on plan and centered for 75 minutes, 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:23.060 or they're gathering over, and over, and over again. 00:16:23.060 --> 00:16:25.540 It's preaching and singing, preaching and singing, 00:16:25.540 --> 00:16:27.180 preaching and singing, why? 00:16:27.180 --> 00:16:32.160 Every other world religion does not hold to this 00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:34.180 when it comes to their worship. 00:16:34.180 --> 00:16:36.180 Muslims do not do this, Hindus do not do this, 00:16:36.180 --> 00:16:39.260 Buddhists do not do this, Sikhs do not do this. 00:16:39.260 --> 00:16:44.260 2018, I went to Taiwan to work with some church leaders, 00:16:44.300 --> 00:16:47.180 and training them in discipleship. 00:16:47.180 --> 00:16:48.420 One of the things we did during that 00:16:48.420 --> 00:16:50.820 is we visited one of their temples. 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:55.300 There's different religions or practice in Taiwan, 00:16:55.300 --> 00:16:59.780 and what happens usually is they've been morphed into one. 00:16:59.780 --> 00:17:01.580 And so we went to one of these temples 00:17:01.580 --> 00:17:03.480 to kind of watch their worship. 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:06.260 And here's what I observed. 00:17:06.260 --> 00:17:07.380 Like to go into the temple, 00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:12.380 first you had to kind of like pass through a store. 00:17:13.300 --> 00:17:15.580 It honestly looked like a little store, 00:17:15.580 --> 00:17:17.260 like when you go to the hospital and they've got 00:17:17.260 --> 00:17:20.660 at the gift shop, and they had little things that were there 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:25.660 but it was like fruit, flowers, and candles, and incense, 00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:27.140 and it was all of these things. 00:17:27.140 --> 00:17:29.420 And I thought like, oh, I mean, like, I don't know, 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:31.420 like churches have these sometimes, 00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:33.860 like out in their foyer, like maybe that's what they had, 00:17:33.860 --> 00:17:36.380 and you can like get this temple's like candle scent, 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:37.220 I don't know. 00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:39.340 And so, but I watched people like buy the stuff 00:17:39.340 --> 00:17:41.780 that was there, I watched them buy these little statues 00:17:41.780 --> 00:17:46.780 and things, and then they came in 00:17:46.780 --> 00:17:50.180 and there was these little shelves 00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:51.540 all throughout the temple. 00:17:51.540 --> 00:17:53.920 And they would take their statue 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:55.780 and they'd put their statue up there, 00:17:55.780 --> 00:18:00.240 and then they'd begin to bow to their statue. 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:05.660 And they would hold like in place for a long time. 00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:10.100 And then they'd put a candle and they'd light it, they'd bow. 00:18:11.100 --> 00:18:15.540 And then they would take their fruit, 00:18:15.540 --> 00:18:18.020 their flowers that they bought. 00:18:18.020 --> 00:18:20.620 Found out the reason why is all of this 00:18:20.620 --> 00:18:22.740 had been blessed by the priest. 00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:24.660 So any other sacrifice was insufficient 00:18:24.660 --> 00:18:26.260 unless you bought the sacrifice. 00:18:26.260 --> 00:18:30.940 And they laid it there, they laid it there. 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:37.320 There's no singing, there's no preaching, there's no joy. 00:18:38.500 --> 00:18:43.020 It was this cycle over and over and over again 00:18:43.020 --> 00:18:47.640 of people who within their life have a void 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:52.640 that only Jesus can fill, not filling it with Jesus. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:58.740 Instead, in this cycle of religion, why? 00:18:58.740 --> 00:19:00.820 Why? 00:19:00.820 --> 00:19:06.780 Why in we of the observation in our faith 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:12.220 do things strangely different than the rest of the world? 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:20.620 Take every other world religion in what I just described 00:19:20.620 --> 00:19:22.300 to a context is what they do. 00:19:22.300 --> 00:19:26.100 Looks differently, feels differently 00:19:26.100 --> 00:19:28.400 based off of the different faiths. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.540 But when we gather together as a body of Christ, 00:19:31.540 --> 00:19:34.220 would you stand and worship with us? 00:19:34.220 --> 00:19:36.420 And we're gonna sing songs. 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:38.540 And we're gonna open up God's word. 00:19:38.540 --> 00:19:41.780 And we're gonna preach the truth of what's there. 00:19:41.780 --> 00:19:44.860 I think we can understand this looking at Genesis one 00:19:44.860 --> 00:19:48.260 and looking at Ephesians two of why we do what we do 00:19:48.260 --> 00:19:50.180 and why it is so important for you to do this. 00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:52.440 So let's look at Genesis one first. 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:55.620 And we're gonna look at this, 00:19:55.620 --> 00:19:58.340 call this like image over instinct. 00:19:58.340 --> 00:20:01.420 Image over instinct. 00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:03.320 Why are we doing what we do? 00:20:04.380 --> 00:20:07.500 It's 'cause it's our image over our instinct. 00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:08.420 And here's what I mean. 00:20:08.420 --> 00:20:09.420 Start in verse 24. 00:20:09.420 --> 00:20:14.340 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures 00:20:14.340 --> 00:20:15.740 "according to their kinds." 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:17.340 And this is the creation account. 00:20:17.340 --> 00:20:21.900 Livestock and creeping things and beast of the earth 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:24.220 according to their kinds. 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:26.080 And it was so. 00:20:26.080 --> 00:20:29.320 And God made the beast of the earth according to their kinds. 00:20:29.320 --> 00:20:30.740 Do we get that? 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:32.860 According to their kinds, according to their kinds. 00:20:32.860 --> 00:20:35.060 And the livestock according to their kinds. 00:20:35.060 --> 00:20:36.620 And everything that creeps on the ground 00:20:36.620 --> 00:20:38.060 according to its kind. 00:20:38.060 --> 00:20:39.740 And God saw that it was good. 00:20:39.740 --> 00:20:42.060 So we're talking about according to its kind. 00:20:42.060 --> 00:20:43.460 That's not a negative. 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:46.920 That's what God did and God saw that it was good. 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:49.700 But then, verse 26, then God said, 00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:53.540 "Let us make man according to its kind." 00:20:53.540 --> 00:20:54.380 Nope. 00:20:54.380 --> 00:21:00.300 "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, 00:21:00.520 --> 00:21:03.880 "and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:05.680 "and over the birds of the heavens 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.720 "and over the livestock and over all the earth 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:12.400 "and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:17.400 So God created man in his own image. 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:20.840 In the image of God, he created him. 00:21:20.840 --> 00:21:25.840 Male and female, he created them. 00:21:25.840 --> 00:21:29.360 And I think this is some important things that we see 00:21:29.360 --> 00:21:32.640 from these few verses of Scripture. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:37.560 God made animals according to their kind, 00:21:37.560 --> 00:21:39.880 or what we can understand as this, 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:44.720 within setting within them what is instinctual to them. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:47.480 Animal instinct. 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:48.440 What do they drive? 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:49.640 What do they do? 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:53.480 So a dog is a dog. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:00.560 A dog can be taught, trained, 00:22:00.560 --> 00:22:05.880 shaped, motivated, 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:09.180 but when it's all said and done, 00:22:09.180 --> 00:22:13.360 a dog is a dog. 00:22:13.360 --> 00:22:15.800 It is what it is. 00:22:15.800 --> 00:22:18.080 An animal is an animal, 00:22:18.080 --> 00:22:22.640 and they respond in the instinct according to their kind. 00:22:23.840 --> 00:22:28.840 But humans, we are not made according to our kind 00:22:28.840 --> 00:22:31.580 of what we see in this creation. 00:22:31.580 --> 00:22:34.160 We're made in the image of God. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:38.120 So God places within humans the ability, 00:22:38.120 --> 00:22:38.960 so what does that mean? 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:42.160 To reason, to love, to problem solve, 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:44.640 to imagine, to care in a way 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.040 that no other created thing can. 00:22:47.040 --> 00:22:50.320 And human beings, male and female, 00:22:50.320 --> 00:22:53.400 have a capacity for relationship 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:57.320 that reflects the character of our creator. 00:22:57.320 --> 00:23:02.040 And God created us with a reason to know him, 00:23:02.040 --> 00:23:05.920 to be known by him, and to worship him. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:09.420 And when we're saved, 00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:14.280 when we're brought in to that relationship with Christ, 00:23:14.280 --> 00:23:15.780 we begin to get this. 00:23:15.780 --> 00:23:19.640 And now, I would say if you grew up in church 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:22.360 and got saved later in life like I did, 00:23:22.360 --> 00:23:25.280 like I remember that light switch coming on in my head. 00:23:25.280 --> 00:23:30.520 I remember going to church and thinking like, 00:23:30.520 --> 00:23:35.520 oh, one more time just as I am, right? 00:23:35.520 --> 00:23:41.720 I remember sitting there thinking like a 25 minute message, 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:43.780 when is this guy going to stop? 00:23:43.780 --> 00:23:46.800 Over and over. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:53.000 And then I got saved, and that light switch flipped on, 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.960 and I got it. 00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:59.080 This isn't about me. 00:23:59.080 --> 00:24:03.800 This is about my creator, this is about my savior. 00:24:03.800 --> 00:24:09.920 And what a privilege, and an honor, and a joy it is. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:16.340 But why do we see worship in other dynamics? 00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:21.500 With other values, with other practices, 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:24.820 outside of Christianity? 00:24:24.820 --> 00:24:27.500 Because if we keep reading in Genesis, 00:24:27.500 --> 00:24:29.500 we see sin came in, broke the relationship 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:31.900 between God and man, and now there are people 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:34.100 made in the image of God. 00:24:34.100 --> 00:24:40.160 But their relationship with him has been broken. 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:43.940 And we see this play out in scripture 00:24:43.940 --> 00:24:47.500 over and over and over again, 00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:50.880 and we see it playing out today. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:54.780 When that person walked into that temple 00:24:54.780 --> 00:24:57.340 with their oranges, their candle, and their statue, 00:24:57.340 --> 00:25:02.020 they were not worshiping their creator. 00:25:02.020 --> 00:25:04.940 They were not worshiping their savior. 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:06.860 They don't know him. 00:25:06.860 --> 00:25:11.100 What they're worshiping is their religion. 00:25:11.100 --> 00:25:13.380 Religion says name your prophet, pray your prayers, 00:25:13.380 --> 00:25:16.580 give your alms, keep your fast, make your pilgrimage, 00:25:16.580 --> 00:25:18.460 be good enough, do it yourself. 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:21.740 And the problem with that is this. 00:25:21.740 --> 00:25:25.440 This religion worship can't save you. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:30.260 They either worship religion or they worship themselves. 00:25:30.260 --> 00:25:31.980 When they worship themselves, be enlightened, 00:25:31.980 --> 00:25:35.460 satisfy yourself, seek your truth, determine your way. 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:37.180 And the problem with this worship is, 00:25:37.180 --> 00:25:40.420 you can't save you, and if you think that this life 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:42.200 is all that there is, then one day you're gonna stand 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:44.460 before your creator and find out there's more. 00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:46.820 And there's eternity. 00:25:46.820 --> 00:25:52.280 So, why do we get together and sing? 00:25:52.280 --> 00:25:54.380 Why do we get together and preach? 00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:56.620 Why do we get together and praise? 00:25:56.620 --> 00:26:00.060 We gather because God created us to know him, 00:26:00.060 --> 00:26:02.580 to be known by him, and to worship him. 00:26:02.580 --> 00:26:08.500 So if discipleship is to grow more like Christ, 00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:11.420 then fellowship is to love the body of Christ. 00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:14.520 Then worship, when we gather in here together, 00:26:14.520 --> 00:26:19.520 worship is to exalt, to lift up the name of Christ. 00:26:19.520 --> 00:26:24.420 And we exalt him in here. 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:28.480 And here's the tension of why we do what we do. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:32.440 Here's the tension of why we sing the songs that we sing. 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:34.800 Here's the tension of why we preach 00:26:34.800 --> 00:26:36.360 in the way that we preach. 00:26:36.360 --> 00:26:40.080 Because we're gathered in here to exalt him 00:26:40.080 --> 00:26:44.160 and the tendency within us is we wanna go back to religion 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:45.360 and guess what we wanna do? 00:26:45.360 --> 00:26:47.120 We wanna exalt ourselves. 00:26:47.120 --> 00:26:52.240 So we sing songs about him, we preach messages about him. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.080 Here's who we are. 00:26:53.080 --> 00:26:54.840 Exodus 15, two says this. 00:26:54.840 --> 00:26:58.040 The Lord is my strength and my song 00:26:58.040 --> 00:27:03.060 and he has become my salvation. 00:27:03.060 --> 00:27:06.560 This is my God and I will praise him. 00:27:06.560 --> 00:27:09.800 My father's God and I will exalt him. 00:27:10.600 --> 00:27:14.200 Psalm 99, nine, exalt the Lord our God 00:27:14.200 --> 00:27:16.480 and worship at his holy mountain 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:19.820 for the Lord our God is holy. 00:27:19.820 --> 00:27:26.120 So we see the call that we have is to lift him up. 00:27:26.120 --> 00:27:32.100 That's why in our songs, you and I are not the subject. 00:27:32.100 --> 00:27:35.560 You and I are not the focus. 00:27:35.560 --> 00:27:38.360 You and I are not the point. 00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:42.520 It's why in our messages, you and I are not the focus. 00:27:42.520 --> 00:27:44.720 You and I are not the point. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:48.040 You and I are not the solution. 00:27:48.040 --> 00:27:51.320 Only God is because here's the thing. 00:27:51.320 --> 00:27:56.320 Here's what drives it all because God alone brings 00:27:56.320 --> 00:28:00.480 what no religion can bring. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:04.720 God brings us good news. 00:28:05.600 --> 00:28:09.600 The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. 00:28:09.600 --> 00:28:15.000 Isaiah 52, seven, how beautiful upon the mountains 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:18.200 are the feet of him who brings what? 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:19.800 Good news. 00:28:19.800 --> 00:28:24.520 Who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, 00:28:24.520 --> 00:28:29.520 who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns. 00:28:29.520 --> 00:28:33.180 The apostle Paul with this scripture in mind 00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:36.800 in Romans 10, 15 and how are they to preach 00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:39.840 unless they are sent as it is written. 00:28:39.840 --> 00:28:42.640 How beautiful are the feet of those 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:44.700 who preach the good news. 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:51.800 Today's August 25th, four months away from Christmas. 00:28:51.800 --> 00:28:53.840 Just let that hang out there for a second. 00:28:53.840 --> 00:28:55.940 Dollar General has already started, right? 00:28:55.940 --> 00:29:01.320 Luke two, and the angel said to them, 00:29:01.320 --> 00:29:06.320 fear not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy 00:29:06.320 --> 00:29:08.560 that will be for all the people. 00:29:08.560 --> 00:29:13.000 For unto you is born this day in the city of David 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:17.320 a savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:29:17.320 --> 00:29:19.680 The good news. 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:22.840 The good news in Jesus. 00:29:22.840 --> 00:29:26.460 So we're here to sing about the good news. 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:30.000 We're here to preach about the good news. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:32.120 But what does it mean? 00:29:32.120 --> 00:29:33.720 And go ahead and jump over to Ephesians two, 00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:34.560 we're gonna look at this, 00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:36.240 we're gonna wrap up with this passage. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:42.520 What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the good news? 00:29:42.520 --> 00:29:50.360 We find that here that the good news of Jesus Christ, 00:29:50.360 --> 00:29:54.280 what he has done for you and what Jesus Christ does 00:29:54.280 --> 00:29:56.080 for everyone who puts their faith, 00:29:56.080 --> 00:29:58.220 their hope and their trust in him. 00:29:59.320 --> 00:30:02.200 We'll read Ephesians two starting in verse one. 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:06.420 Apostle Paul starts with a very blunt reality. 00:30:06.420 --> 00:30:11.080 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:14.320 in which you once walked following the course of this world 00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:16.400 following the prince of the power of the air, 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:19.480 the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:23.720 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:26.520 carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind 00:30:26.520 --> 00:30:29.080 and were by nature children of wrath 00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:31.240 like the rest of mankind. 00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:36.040 Paul doesn't draw it in with some sweet silliness 00:30:36.040 --> 00:30:41.040 of a falseness of who you and I and mankind of who we were. 00:30:41.040 --> 00:30:45.640 But he's gonna draw us to the explanation 00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:49.200 of who we are before Christ. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.020 Look at it, you were dead. 00:30:52.020 --> 00:30:53.000 What were you dead in? 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.360 You were dead in your trespasses and sins. 00:30:55.360 --> 00:30:57.640 Who do we walk, who do we follow, who would be in good? 00:30:57.640 --> 00:31:00.080 No, no, no, we were following the course of this world. 00:31:00.080 --> 00:31:02.880 We were following the prince of the power of the air, 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:07.080 the spirit that is in work in the sons of disobedience. 00:31:07.080 --> 00:31:09.920 And we all live this way. 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:12.120 We all function in this way. 00:31:12.120 --> 00:31:15.800 And the only thing that we wanted in life, 00:31:15.800 --> 00:31:20.800 what Paul says is a craving for the passions of our flesh. 00:31:24.040 --> 00:31:29.040 Every single day, carrying out the desires of the body 00:31:29.040 --> 00:31:35.440 and of the mind and here's who we were by nature, 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:39.300 children of wrath. 00:31:39.300 --> 00:31:45.520 Standing in the inevitable and promised wrath of God. 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:54.400 And everyone who does not know Christ, 00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:57.500 this is their reality. 00:31:57.500 --> 00:32:03.200 This isn't who they were, this is who they are. 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:10.960 Dead, wrath, desires of the flesh, 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:15.400 sons of disobedience. 00:32:16.280 --> 00:32:19.740 So here's the point. 00:32:19.740 --> 00:32:24.160 When we gathered for worship, it's about him 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:26.160 because this is who he is, 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:28.320 because this is why it's good news, 00:32:28.320 --> 00:32:30.400 because in this, what we understand 00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:32.840 is there's no self-help that can fix this. 00:32:32.840 --> 00:32:36.700 There's no determination within me 00:32:36.700 --> 00:32:38.400 that can make the bad me better. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.840 There's no determination of my own mind 00:32:42.840 --> 00:32:45.900 that can take the dead me and make me alive. 00:32:45.900 --> 00:32:50.900 There's no character compass within me prior to Christ 00:32:50.900 --> 00:32:53.440 that says I need to move and here's what I need to do 00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:55.000 to get out of the wrath of God. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:57.600 This is who we were. 00:32:57.600 --> 00:33:00.680 Look at verse four. 00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:04.500 But God, pause there for just a second. 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:09.560 When you see but God in scripture, 00:33:09.560 --> 00:33:11.240 here's what you know is coming. 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:13.540 Oh, there's good stuff about to happen. 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:16.900 There's good stuff about to happen. 00:33:16.900 --> 00:33:20.900 And what Paul does here is he says this is who, 00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:24.660 this is how miserable, rebellious, offensive 00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:26.060 every single one of us were. 00:33:26.060 --> 00:33:31.520 No hope but God. 00:33:31.520 --> 00:33:33.720 But God. 00:33:33.720 --> 00:33:38.140 But God being rich in mercy 00:33:38.140 --> 00:33:43.100 because of the great love with which he loved us, 00:33:43.980 --> 00:33:47.800 even when we were dead and our trespasses 00:33:47.800 --> 00:33:51.240 made us alive together with Christ. 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:54.440 By grace you have been saved 00:33:54.440 --> 00:33:59.440 and raised us up with him and seated us with him 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.240 in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:06.120 so that in the coming ages he might show 00:34:06.120 --> 00:34:09.340 the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness 00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:11.720 toward us in Christ Jesus. 00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:14.720 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:34:14.720 --> 00:34:16.520 And just in case Paul's like, 00:34:16.520 --> 00:34:18.720 just in case you're missing this. 00:34:18.720 --> 00:34:21.360 And so church, just in case you think like, 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:23.080 but there's this part of my goodness, 00:34:23.080 --> 00:34:25.780 like my grandma told me that I was a sweet boy, right? 00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:29.080 And this is not your own doing. 00:34:29.080 --> 00:34:32.480 It is the gift of God, 00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:36.040 not a result of works 00:34:36.040 --> 00:34:40.840 so that no one may boast. 00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:44.400 So we move from who we were 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:47.480 and then this is what Paul brings us to, 00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:49.760 what God did. 00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:55.200 He took dead people and he made them alive. 00:34:55.200 --> 00:35:01.680 He took sons and daughters of wrath and disobedience 00:35:01.680 --> 00:35:08.700 and made them sons and daughters of the living God. 00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:15.320 God bridged the gap from our rebellion 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:19.360 to our salvation with himself. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:25.360 But God. 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:31.960 So the good news is God's story and our story. 00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:39.640 All of you, when Jesus Christ has saved you, 00:35:39.640 --> 00:35:42.960 you all have a verse one through three testimony 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:43.840 of your life. 00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:46.000 Here's who you were. 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:49.540 And then on that day of salvation, 00:35:49.540 --> 00:35:54.040 VBS, at a small group, at a revival, 00:35:54.040 --> 00:35:57.000 in a worship service, at a Starbucks, 00:35:57.000 --> 00:35:59.920 sitting there having a cup of coffee with a friend, 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:01.500 you had a but God moment. 00:36:01.500 --> 00:36:07.080 You had a but God moment where what God did, 00:36:07.080 --> 00:36:09.680 God saved you. 00:36:09.680 --> 00:36:15.520 And God's story is in your story. 00:36:15.520 --> 00:36:20.660 For a purpose, for a reason, 00:36:20.660 --> 00:36:25.080 for motivation, for desire, for verse 10. 00:36:25.080 --> 00:36:30.440 So with this, for we are his workmanship, 00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:33.560 created in Christ Jesus for good works. 00:36:33.560 --> 00:36:36.600 Oh, which God prepared beforehand. 00:36:37.600 --> 00:36:40.280 That we should walk in them. 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:43.160 So it's who we were, it's what God did, 00:36:43.160 --> 00:36:45.880 and now it's what God has for us. 00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:48.940 It's the calling that God shares with us. 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:52.460 Of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and now has us. 00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:55.460 Don't just go sit and wait for God to return. 00:36:55.460 --> 00:36:58.240 But here's the work that I have you to do. 00:36:58.240 --> 00:37:01.200 It's why God saves you and doesn't take you. 00:37:01.200 --> 00:37:03.840 It's why God saves you and he leaves you. 00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:06.080 And God saves you and he leaves you with a purpose 00:37:06.080 --> 00:37:08.160 and for a reason. 00:37:08.160 --> 00:37:11.360 For we are his workmanship, we are his story. 00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:13.640 We are his opportunity to go out and share 00:37:13.640 --> 00:37:15.880 and to reflect the goodness and greatness of God 00:37:15.880 --> 00:37:18.000 and who we are and in the message that we share 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:20.040 and how we treat people and how we love people 00:37:20.040 --> 00:37:21.640 and how we serve people and how we share 00:37:21.640 --> 00:37:22.900 compassion with people. 00:37:22.900 --> 00:37:26.900 We are created in him. 00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:30.880 Not for the rebellious works that we pursued before, 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:32.620 but for the good works. 00:37:32.620 --> 00:37:36.080 Which God prepared that we should walk in them. 00:37:36.080 --> 00:37:38.000 I love this, it doesn't say that we should just go 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:40.280 and do them, but that we should walk in them. 00:37:40.280 --> 00:37:43.280 Anytime the Bible talks about walking in something, 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:46.280 the imagery that we need to get is this continual pursuit. 00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:50.160 So from the time that we wake up to we hang our head, 00:37:50.160 --> 00:37:53.740 right, we'll sing of the goodness of God. 00:37:53.740 --> 00:37:59.680 Of the purpose of who we are as we walk in. 00:37:59.680 --> 00:38:01.240 So here's the thing. 00:38:01.240 --> 00:38:04.200 This is why we gather and this is why we sing. 00:38:04.200 --> 00:38:10.160 Because we have good news. 00:38:10.160 --> 00:38:14.000 So we sing about the good news. 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:17.560 We preach about the good news 00:38:17.560 --> 00:38:22.560 because this is what he has done. 00:38:22.560 --> 00:38:29.700 And so worship becomes who he is. 00:38:30.540 --> 00:38:35.540 And not about simply who we are. 00:38:35.540 --> 00:38:40.740 When worship becomes focused on us, 00:38:40.740 --> 00:38:46.860 of what we long for and what we desire. 00:38:46.860 --> 00:38:50.880 Why should I go? 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:52.100 This is all about me. 00:38:52.100 --> 00:38:57.460 When I do change, then I have to thank myself. 00:38:57.460 --> 00:39:00.060 When I don't change, then my hope is lost 00:39:00.060 --> 00:39:01.720 because I have failed me. 00:39:01.720 --> 00:39:03.500 When I experience difficulties, 00:39:03.500 --> 00:39:06.780 then the reason for that is this must be punishment to me 00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:09.620 instead of understanding that this is the story 00:39:09.620 --> 00:39:11.480 of the good news of God. 00:39:11.480 --> 00:39:14.980 And so that we gather here, not as people without hope, 00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:19.980 but we gather here because we are people of hope. 00:39:19.980 --> 00:39:23.340 We are people of the gospel. 00:39:24.300 --> 00:39:28.700 To sing the gospel, to preach the gospel, 00:39:28.700 --> 00:39:33.460 to sing of who he is, to preach about who he is. 00:39:33.460 --> 00:39:38.260 And so our eyes are not locked on ourself 00:39:38.260 --> 00:39:39.820 but are focused on him. 00:39:39.820 --> 00:39:45.740 And when worship is about God and what he has done 00:39:45.740 --> 00:39:47.900 and what he promises to do, 00:39:47.900 --> 00:39:52.400 we see how our story, every bit of it, 00:39:53.820 --> 00:39:57.220 the highs and the lows, the good and the bad 00:39:57.220 --> 00:39:59.660 fits right into the story of God. 00:39:59.660 --> 00:40:03.700 How he's working and what he's doing. 00:40:03.700 --> 00:40:04.860 Would you pray with me? 00:40:04.860 --> 00:40:13.020 God, thank you that we can gather in here. 00:40:13.020 --> 00:40:18.020 Thank you, Lord, that we can come together 00:40:19.620 --> 00:40:24.620 and to sing songs of who you are, of what you've done. 00:40:24.620 --> 00:40:29.900 And Lord, you hear us. 00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:32.260 God, that blows my mind to think 00:40:32.260 --> 00:40:35.460 that the creator of the heavens and the earth, 00:40:35.460 --> 00:40:38.620 as all churches are gathered all over the world, 00:40:38.620 --> 00:40:41.740 all over the state, all over this city. 00:40:41.740 --> 00:40:44.340 Lord, as we gather, as we sing, Lord, you hear us. 00:40:44.340 --> 00:40:46.740 Like your name is exalted. 00:40:46.740 --> 00:40:48.860 We sing praises of who you are. 00:40:48.860 --> 00:40:51.180 We sing praises of what you've done. 00:40:51.180 --> 00:40:53.980 We sing the promises of what you say you're going to do. 00:40:53.980 --> 00:40:58.460 And God, that we open up your word. 00:40:58.460 --> 00:41:05.020 And that we are not, we are not the focus. 00:41:05.020 --> 00:41:06.500 It's you. 00:41:06.500 --> 00:41:10.540 But the beauty of the gospel is not to exclude us from it, 00:41:10.540 --> 00:41:13.340 but the beauty of the gospel is to bring us in 00:41:13.340 --> 00:41:15.540 where we find us in this. 00:41:16.940 --> 00:41:20.860 That in your story, our story is placed. 00:41:20.860 --> 00:41:23.380 And so God, Lord, I thank you. 00:41:23.380 --> 00:41:25.220 Lord, and I praise you that those of us 00:41:25.220 --> 00:41:27.660 who were found in Christ, Lord, we were dead, 00:41:27.660 --> 00:41:31.380 we were lost, we were without hope. 00:41:31.380 --> 00:41:36.380 We stood, Lord, our very being, 00:41:36.380 --> 00:41:39.140 anticipating your wrath. 00:41:39.140 --> 00:41:41.020 And God, we deserved it. 00:41:41.020 --> 00:41:46.780 But you, but you acted. 00:41:47.580 --> 00:41:51.060 You worked, you moved. 00:41:51.060 --> 00:41:56.060 Not because we were good, not because we were right, 00:41:56.060 --> 00:41:58.540 not because we were loving, 00:41:58.540 --> 00:42:01.020 but God, you worked and you moved 00:42:01.020 --> 00:42:03.740 because you are the one who's rich in mercy. 00:42:03.740 --> 00:42:06.140 You are the one with great love. 00:42:06.140 --> 00:42:08.540 You are the one that makes us alive. 00:42:08.540 --> 00:42:11.020 You are the one that extends us grace. 00:42:11.020 --> 00:42:13.540 You are the one that changes our identity. 00:42:13.540 --> 00:42:15.540 You are the one that raises us up. 00:42:15.540 --> 00:42:17.620 You are the one that seats us. 00:42:17.620 --> 00:42:20.100 And you're doing all of this, Lord, 00:42:20.100 --> 00:42:25.100 to show the immensity of your kindness 00:42:25.100 --> 00:42:30.460 and your love toward us in Christ and Christ alone. 00:42:30.460 --> 00:42:33.740 So Lord, we gather not to boast in ourselves, 00:42:33.740 --> 00:42:37.420 but we gather to boast in you and in you alone. 00:42:37.420 --> 00:42:41.700 And God, I pray if there's anyone in here today, 00:42:44.180 --> 00:42:46.980 and Lord, maybe they followed their religion. 00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:50.340 Maybe they followed their identity. 00:42:50.340 --> 00:42:53.860 Maybe they followed their ideology. 00:42:53.860 --> 00:42:58.540 But that God today, through the power of your spirit 00:42:58.540 --> 00:43:00.740 and your spirit alone, 00:43:00.740 --> 00:43:05.740 Lord, that they could have a but God moment of salvation. 00:43:05.740 --> 00:43:12.820 They're a sinner separated from God, 00:43:13.820 --> 00:43:16.380 a holy God who loves them. 00:43:16.380 --> 00:43:21.780 And the only way 00:43:21.780 --> 00:43:27.660 is to put their faith, their hope, and their trust 00:43:27.660 --> 00:43:32.420 into Jesus Christ, our Savior, 00:43:32.420 --> 00:43:38.740 who died on the cross and who rose from the grave 00:43:38.740 --> 00:43:41.900 to pay the penalty of our sin 00:43:41.900 --> 00:43:46.620 and to promise us the gift of eternal life with him. 00:43:46.620 --> 00:43:52.620 God, I pray that we, this week, 00:43:52.620 --> 00:43:58.820 in who we are, as we're found in you, 00:43:58.820 --> 00:44:04.180 will live in the power of your spirit 00:44:04.180 --> 00:44:10.400 to be the story, to share the love, 00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:13.880 to remind people of the hope, 00:44:13.880 --> 00:44:18.080 to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:44:18.080 --> 00:44:21.480 And that, Lord, we would not look 00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:23.320 to how can we go do something, 00:44:23.320 --> 00:44:26.600 but God, as your word says, 00:44:26.600 --> 00:44:32.520 that we would walk in the reality of your salvation. 00:44:32.520 --> 00:44:34.760 God, I thank you. 00:44:34.760 --> 00:44:39.440 I thank you that we are not a people 00:44:39.440 --> 00:44:44.440 that come to an altar with shallow prayers, 00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:47.880 meaningless statues, 00:44:47.880 --> 00:44:52.560 looking at or clinging to the religious works 00:44:52.560 --> 00:44:53.560 that we've done, 00:44:53.560 --> 00:44:58.660 but understanding, Lord, what you've done. 00:44:58.660 --> 00:45:05.180 And so, Lord, may our worship please you. 00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:10.020 Lord, may our preaching glorify you. 00:45:10.020 --> 00:45:15.480 And may we, as a people, in all that we do, 00:45:15.480 --> 00:45:16.680 live to exalt you. 00:45:16.680 --> 00:45:20.480 This is Jesus, and we pray, amen. 00:45:23.060 --> 00:45:25.960 - Thanks again for listening, 00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:29.080 and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 00:45:29.080 --> 00:45:32.840 In the meantime, you can visit us at willowridgechurch.org 00:45:32.840 --> 00:45:34.760 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church 00:45:34.760 --> 00:45:36.560 on Facebook and Instagram.