WEBVTT 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:04.737 So let's pray together. 00:00:04.737 --> 00:00:05.397 All righty. 00:00:05.497 --> 00:00:05.953 Our father, 00:00:05.953 --> 00:00:06.993 we just bow before you now, 00:00:06.993 --> 00:00:08.857 giving thanks and praise that, 00:00:08.961 --> 00:00:11.001 God, you have made a way, 00:00:11.073 --> 00:00:16.441 God, for us as families and individuals to have an impact around the 00:00:16.473 --> 00:00:17.081 world. God, 00:00:17.081 --> 00:00:18.521 we don't know where this shoebox is going, 00:00:18.521 --> 00:00:20.425 but you know where it's going. 00:00:20.425 --> 00:00:24.165 You know exactly what child will hold this box. 00:00:24.865 --> 00:00:25.361 So, God, 00:00:25.361 --> 00:00:26.625 we just pray that you, 00:00:26.625 --> 00:00:28.025 as you go before it, 00:00:28.025 --> 00:00:29.457 because you always do. 00:00:29.641 --> 00:00:30.153 We pray, 00:00:30.153 --> 00:00:33.017 God, that you'd prepare her heart and you'd prepare her family, 00:00:33.017 --> 00:00:34.965 God, you'd prepare her community. 00:00:35.465 --> 00:00:37.193 God, to hear your love, 00:00:37.289 --> 00:00:38.537 to hear the good news, 00:00:38.537 --> 00:00:39.857 to hear the gospel. 00:00:40.625 --> 00:00:42.161 God, let them enjoy the box. 00:00:42.161 --> 00:00:45.641 Let them enjoy the toys and the things that are inside the box. 00:00:45.361 --> 00:00:45.873 But, God, 00:00:45.873 --> 00:00:51.057 let them recognize that there is real joy in knowing you and that they'll 00:00:51.081 --> 00:00:52.865 have that message when they open this box. 00:00:52.865 --> 00:00:56.409 God, we dedicate this box and every other box out in the hallway, 00:00:56.409 --> 00:00:58.369 every other box that will come in this morning, 00:00:58.369 --> 00:01:01.815 and every other box that will be collected just throughout this country 00:01:01.815 --> 00:01:02.335 and the world. 00:01:02.335 --> 00:01:02.775 And pray, 00:01:02.775 --> 00:01:05.951 God, that your kingdom goes forth, 00:01:06.023 --> 00:01:07.519 that the gospel is spread, 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:08.903 and we give you thanks for it all. 00:01:08.903 --> 00:01:10.015 In Jesus name, 00:01:10.135 --> 00:01:12.791 amen. Tomorrow is Veterans Day. 00:01:12.943 --> 00:01:13.603 You know, 00:01:13.607 --> 00:01:14.959 it's particularly important, 00:01:15.047 --> 00:01:15.527 I think, 00:01:15.527 --> 00:01:20.639 for us as a community to recognize Veterans Day because we are so 00:01:20.687 --> 00:01:25.519 grateful for the liberties and the freedoms that we have in this nation, 00:01:25.567 --> 00:01:26.557 in this country, 00:01:26.647 --> 00:01:32.649 and we particularly live in a community where veterans are numerous. 00:01:32.817 --> 00:01:34.377 And so I'm so grateful for that. 00:01:34.377 --> 00:01:37.657 I always reference it on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, 00:01:37.657 --> 00:01:42.833 this idea that not only do they serve our country or serve our community 00:01:42.929 --> 00:01:44.769 or serve our ideologies, 00:01:44.817 --> 00:01:45.845 they serve me. 00:01:46.265 --> 00:01:46.753 You know, 00:01:46.753 --> 00:01:48.017 it's a personal thing to me. 00:01:48.017 --> 00:01:48.633 Those guys, 00:01:48.633 --> 00:01:49.609 they sign up, 00:01:49.609 --> 00:01:50.513 they go. 00:01:50.689 --> 00:01:51.313 And, you know, 00:01:51.313 --> 00:01:51.889 they could go, 00:01:51.889 --> 00:01:52.737 any, you guys, 00:01:52.737 --> 00:01:53.281 it's you guys. 00:01:53.281 --> 00:01:54.017 I don't say they. 00:01:54.017 --> 00:01:55.239 You. You're here. 00:01:55.417 --> 00:01:59.539 A lot of folks from the military community are here at the gathering, 00:01:59.539 --> 00:02:01.539 and could be any given morning, 00:02:01.587 --> 00:02:02.299 they go in and say, 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:02.491 all right, 00:02:02.491 --> 00:02:06.451 here's where you're going in 72 hours or 36 hours or whatever. 00:02:06.603 --> 00:02:07.939 And that's a big deal to me. 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:09.355 And so I want us to. 00:02:09.355 --> 00:02:10.067 In a moment, 00:02:10.067 --> 00:02:11.275 I'm going to read the text, 00:02:11.275 --> 00:02:12.467 and then we're going to pray again. 00:02:12.467 --> 00:02:15.595 But I just want us to recognize that tomorrow is Veterans Day. 00:02:15.595 --> 00:02:17.587 And, you know, 00:02:17.611 --> 00:02:20.635 a lot of times I hear that thank you for your service thing, 00:02:20.635 --> 00:02:22.299 and I agree with that. 00:02:22.467 --> 00:02:25.107 But so many times I see veterans go. 00:02:26.355 --> 00:02:30.135 They really don't like the acknowledgement or the recognition, 00:02:30.475 --> 00:02:32.267 but we certainly want to give it to them. 00:02:32.267 --> 00:02:33.507 So thank you. 00:02:33.531 --> 00:02:34.795 If you're a veteran here this morning, 00:02:34.795 --> 00:02:35.675 I'm so grateful. 00:02:35.675 --> 00:02:39.563 It was only a few months ago that I found out my dad had actually gone to 00:02:39.563 --> 00:02:40.335 Vietnam. 00:02:40.715 --> 00:02:43.267 I didn't even know that all my life. 00:02:43.267 --> 00:02:44.123 I never knew that. 00:02:44.123 --> 00:02:47.003 And then we're interviewing with the pulmonologist and he goes, 00:02:47.003 --> 00:02:47.299 oh, yeah, 00:02:47.299 --> 00:02:48.619 I went to Vietnam. 00:02:49.915 --> 00:02:52.691 What? Anyway, 00:02:52.803 --> 00:02:53.615 alrighty. 00:02:53.955 --> 00:02:56.003 Today we continue in our priorities. 00:02:56.059 --> 00:02:56.763 As a matter of fact, 00:02:56.763 --> 00:02:58.347 this is the last Sunday that we'll talk about. 00:02:58.347 --> 00:02:59.947 I'm way too loud up there, 00:02:59.947 --> 00:03:01.627 guys. I can already tell it. 00:03:01.627 --> 00:03:05.917 So call somebody out of the back and tell them to adjust it. 00:03:05.755 --> 00:03:09.335 Anyway, gathering priorities. 00:03:10.035 --> 00:03:13.427 The identity that we bear is we're a worship community, 00:03:13.611 --> 00:03:18.131 passionate people living that passion by loving God, 00:03:18.283 --> 00:03:20.307 living Jesus and walking together. 00:03:20.371 --> 00:03:23.867 So this is last Sunday we'll consider the topic of our priorities. 00:03:23.867 --> 00:03:26.323 Not the last Sunday that we'll live out our priorities, 00:03:26.323 --> 00:03:29.795 but the last Sunday we'll be talking about as a part of the message. 00:03:29.795 --> 00:03:30.547 And we're in. 00:03:30.291 --> 00:03:30.923 First John, 00:03:30.923 --> 00:03:31.515 chapter one, 00:03:31.515 --> 00:03:32.667 verses five to seven. 00:03:32.667 --> 00:03:33.307 You ready? 00:03:33.307 --> 00:03:33.803 Here it goes. 00:03:33.803 --> 00:03:34.283 It says, 00:03:34.283 --> 00:03:38.531 this is the message we have heard from him and declare to you, 00:03:38.531 --> 00:03:43.705 God is light and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 00:03:44.245 --> 00:03:48.125 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet we walk in darkness, 00:03:48.125 --> 00:03:51.545 we're lying and not practicing the truth. 00:03:51.965 --> 00:03:55.965 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, 00:03:55.965 --> 00:03:58.237 we have fellowship with one another. 00:03:58.301 --> 00:03:59.781 And the blood of Jesus, 00:03:59.781 --> 00:04:00.665 his son, 00:04:01.045 --> 00:04:03.533 cleanses us from all sin. 00:04:03.629 --> 00:04:04.157 All righty. 00:04:04.157 --> 00:04:05.147 Pray with me, 00:04:05.149 --> 00:04:05.717 our Father, 00:04:05.717 --> 00:04:09.677 Indeed, today we do thank you that we can gather and we can celebrate and 00:04:09.677 --> 00:04:12.229 we can proclaim the name of Jesus and speak. 00:04:12.229 --> 00:04:14.721 Speak the name of Jesus as we just sang. 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:16.865 And part of that freedom and part of that liberty, 00:04:16.865 --> 00:04:17.833 God, is that God, 00:04:17.833 --> 00:04:20.793 you have granted it to us in this nation, 00:04:20.793 --> 00:04:23.329 in this culture and community that we live in. 00:04:23.329 --> 00:04:24.889 And we thank you so much, 00:04:24.889 --> 00:04:27.245 God, for those who give of themselves, 00:04:28.865 --> 00:04:30.153 not just the individuals, 00:04:30.153 --> 00:04:33.201 but their families and indeed our whole community, 00:04:33.273 --> 00:04:39.193 God, because we recognize how important it is as a nation for us to have 00:04:39.249 --> 00:04:44.773 those who not only surrender and give of themselves to serve the nation, 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:45.253 but God, 00:04:45.253 --> 00:04:45.989 they serve us. 00:04:45.989 --> 00:04:46.717 They serve me. 00:04:46.717 --> 00:04:47.613 And I thank you for that. 00:04:47.613 --> 00:04:48.949 I thank you for our veterans. 00:04:48.781 --> 00:04:52.445 I thank you for all those that serve in our military and their families 00:04:52.445 --> 00:04:52.813 and pray. 00:04:52.813 --> 00:04:55.421 God, you just continue to be near God, 00:04:55.421 --> 00:04:58.613 that you'd show up in their lives and in their homes every day. 00:04:58.613 --> 00:05:00.037 God, I thank you for this text. 00:05:00.037 --> 00:05:00.645 And I thank you, 00:05:00.645 --> 00:05:03.185 God, that John is encouraging us today, 00:05:03.605 --> 00:05:06.825 that John is giving us not just instruction, 00:05:07.725 --> 00:05:08.413 but God, 00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:13.541 that John is encouraging us in our relationship with you. 00:05:13.733 --> 00:05:16.341 So God help us to hear John speak. 00:05:16.029 --> 00:05:17.597 God help us to hear you speak. 00:05:17.597 --> 00:05:19.453 We pray it in Jesus name. 00:05:19.453 --> 00:05:21.837 Amen. So how many of you. 00:05:22.021 --> 00:05:23.701 This is some feedback time. 00:05:23.733 --> 00:05:24.405 You ready? 00:05:24.525 --> 00:05:28.469 How many of you have spoken to someone in this building this morning that 00:05:28.469 --> 00:05:31.197 you did not come with or not a part of your family? 00:05:31.197 --> 00:05:32.187 Raise your hand. 00:05:32.895 --> 00:05:33.623 Oh, very good. 00:05:33.623 --> 00:05:34.519 Y'all did well. 00:05:34.359 --> 00:05:35.255 Give yourselves a pat. 00:05:35.255 --> 00:05:36.575 No, I'm just kidding. 00:05:37.415 --> 00:05:39.725 So when we get together like this, 00:05:40.015 --> 00:05:47.319 one of the things that we do is we encounter those that we see maybe 00:05:47.487 --> 00:05:49.797 every Sunday or on a regular basis, 00:05:49.855 --> 00:05:53.485 or we encounter those that we haven't seen since last Sunday, 00:05:53.775 --> 00:05:56.191 or we encounter someone that we don't know, 00:05:56.191 --> 00:05:57.151 maybe be. 00:05:57.303 --> 00:05:59.019 Maybe, oh, 00:05:59.067 --> 00:06:04.347 you live in my neighborhood or we work at the same place or didn't I see 00:06:04.347 --> 00:06:05.083 you at. 00:06:05.179 --> 00:06:06.683 Here's the one that I get lately. 00:06:06.483 --> 00:06:08.667 And she's going to hurt me for saying this, 00:06:08.667 --> 00:06:12.163 but most of you know Angie works at Harris Teeter now. 00:06:12.163 --> 00:06:13.375 She shops. 00:06:13.675 --> 00:06:14.675 She's good at it. 00:06:14.675 --> 00:06:15.483 I'll just say that. 00:06:15.483 --> 00:06:16.763 I knew that for years. 00:06:16.539 --> 00:06:17.331 But anyway, 00:06:17.483 --> 00:06:19.133 she shops for other people. 00:06:19.251 --> 00:06:21.499 And it's funny how many people at the gathering go, 00:06:21.499 --> 00:06:23.851 oh, I saw your wife at Harris Teeter. 00:06:23.851 --> 00:06:24.931 Or somebody will say to her, 00:06:24.931 --> 00:06:26.139 I saw you at Harris Teeter. 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:26.533 Well, yeah, 00:06:26.533 --> 00:06:27.765 that's what she enjoyed. 00:06:27.765 --> 00:06:32.933 I told her once she quit being the secretary for the Presbyterian church 00:06:33.069 --> 00:06:35.379 last year about this time she started. 00:06:35.285 --> 00:06:36.333 She took some time off. 00:06:36.333 --> 00:06:37.323 She thought she. 00:06:37.421 --> 00:06:37.853 I said, 00:06:37.853 --> 00:06:39.265 just do something fun. 00:06:39.805 --> 00:06:43.197 Well, this opportunity to shop for other people, 00:06:43.341 --> 00:06:46.265 get ready with other people's money, 00:06:48.605 --> 00:06:49.893 came available to her. 00:06:49.893 --> 00:06:51.493 Well, here's what she finds out. 00:06:51.261 --> 00:06:53.571 She runs into people from the gathering. 00:06:53.695 --> 00:06:55.607 She runs into people from the community. 00:06:55.607 --> 00:06:56.383 She runs into people, 00:06:56.383 --> 00:06:58.127 and she has these conversations. 00:06:58.271 --> 00:07:05.303 And so it's become sort of a ministry for her to shop for other people at 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:06.535 the Harris Teeter. 00:07:06.695 --> 00:07:10.263 See, that's something that we as the body of Christ need to always have 00:07:10.263 --> 00:07:10.719 in mind, 00:07:10.719 --> 00:07:15.009 is that God is the one who has connected us to each other. 00:07:14.967 --> 00:07:17.023 And that's what this text is all about. 00:07:17.023 --> 00:07:18.511 When we start to consider this thing, 00:07:18.511 --> 00:07:19.399 I'd love to ask, 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:19.859 you know, 00:07:19.859 --> 00:07:20.251 all right, 00:07:20.251 --> 00:07:24.483 when you talked to somebody else in the building this morning, 00:07:24.619 --> 00:07:26.147 what was the conversation? 00:07:26.291 --> 00:07:27.611 What was it like? 00:07:28.275 --> 00:07:30.115 Was it just about the weather? 00:07:30.115 --> 00:07:31.347 Was it just about, 00:07:31.347 --> 00:07:32.007 you know, 00:07:32.091 --> 00:07:33.619 the football game yesterday? 00:07:33.707 --> 00:07:34.697 Was it about, 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:35.187 you know, 00:07:35.187 --> 00:07:37.497 what flowered his shirt they're wearing today? 00:07:37.531 --> 00:07:37.851 You know, 00:07:37.851 --> 00:07:40.171 I don't know what the conversation was about, 00:07:40.171 --> 00:07:43.801 but God has a purpose and an intent for our conversations, 00:07:44.275 --> 00:07:46.139 not just in this building, 00:07:46.267 --> 00:07:50.819 but when we as his people and as his children go out into the community, 00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:51.479 you see, 00:07:51.507 --> 00:07:54.947 there's a purpose in the conversation. 00:07:55.011 --> 00:07:56.661 There's a purpose in community. 00:07:56.731 --> 00:07:58.347 So when we look at this text, 00:07:58.347 --> 00:07:58.907 it says, 00:07:58.907 --> 00:08:02.163 this is the message we have heard from him. 00:08:02.219 --> 00:08:03.209 Heard from whom? 00:08:03.075 --> 00:08:04.215 Heard from God. 00:08:04.915 --> 00:08:07.179 John is the writer of this. 00:08:07.227 --> 00:08:08.707 And I tend to be very, 00:08:08.707 --> 00:08:10.803 very conservative about the word of God. 00:08:10.803 --> 00:08:12.571 I believe John wrote the gospel. 00:08:12.571 --> 00:08:15.091 I believe he wrote these three letters, 00:08:15.123 --> 00:08:17.147 and I believe he wrote Revelation. 00:08:17.251 --> 00:08:17.667 All right, 00:08:17.667 --> 00:08:18.451 I believe that, 00:08:18.451 --> 00:08:20.431 yes. I think he's the author. 00:08:20.435 --> 00:08:21.883 And so when he says this, 00:08:21.883 --> 00:08:25.755 he is communicating to a group, 00:08:25.835 --> 00:08:26.651 a body, 00:08:26.763 --> 00:08:28.539 call it a worship community. 00:08:28.707 --> 00:08:30.027 In the first century, 00:08:30.075 --> 00:08:32.595 probably toward the end of the first century, 00:08:32.595 --> 00:08:34.795 may have been even in the 90s A.D. 00:08:34.795 --> 00:08:37.435 at this point that he's writing these letters. 00:08:37.355 --> 00:08:39.635 And I preached through First John one time, 00:08:39.635 --> 00:08:41.475 and all the time I preached through First John, 00:08:41.475 --> 00:08:46.495 I referred to him as Grandpa John because he's an old man at this time. 00:08:46.795 --> 00:08:50.203 And he's probably got younger men and younger believers and younger 00:08:50.203 --> 00:08:52.371 followers of Jesus sitting at his feet, 00:08:52.371 --> 00:08:52.763 you know, 00:08:52.763 --> 00:08:53.643 as he's teaching. 00:08:53.643 --> 00:08:54.171 And he's saying, 00:08:54.171 --> 00:09:00.467 yeah, I remember the time that Jesus and we all were following him and we 00:09:00.491 --> 00:09:01.763 were walking along, 00:09:01.939 --> 00:09:02.475 you know, 00:09:02.475 --> 00:09:03.731 the Sea of Galilee, 00:09:03.731 --> 00:09:07.763 and he's telling the stories and he's telling the things that Jesus 00:09:07.819 --> 00:09:08.211 taught him. 00:09:08.211 --> 00:09:09.883 And so he says this in this letter. 00:09:09.883 --> 00:09:10.475 He says, 00:09:10.475 --> 00:09:15.425 this is the message we have heard from him and we're declaring it to you. 00:09:15.429 --> 00:09:17.865 God is light. 00:09:18.205 --> 00:09:19.421 Now, what does all that mean? 00:09:19.421 --> 00:09:20.717 Well, in the Greek community, 00:09:20.717 --> 00:09:21.597 the Roman Empire, 00:09:21.597 --> 00:09:22.325 all that sort of thing, 00:09:22.325 --> 00:09:25.933 and really following the philosophies of the Greeks, 00:09:26.029 --> 00:09:28.477 that this idea of light's a big deal. 00:09:28.477 --> 00:09:31.701 Well, if you go back into the Gospels and you see where Jesus starts 00:09:31.701 --> 00:09:32.053 talking about, 00:09:32.053 --> 00:09:33.141 I am the light of the world, 00:09:33.141 --> 00:09:33.981 then he turns around and says, 00:09:33.981 --> 00:09:35.669 you're the light of the world. 00:09:35.669 --> 00:09:36.329 You see, 00:09:36.333 --> 00:09:40.301 this idea of light in darkness is a big thing because as we get ready to 00:09:40.301 --> 00:09:41.285 do next week, 00:09:41.285 --> 00:09:44.695 which is the first three weeks from now, 00:09:44.735 --> 00:09:45.795 not next week, 00:09:46.255 --> 00:09:47.943 the first Sunday of December, 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:51.623 when we start into the Advent calendar and we'll start taking light and 00:09:51.623 --> 00:09:54.199 candles for the Advent wreath and that sort of thing, 00:09:54.199 --> 00:09:59.015 the first thing is the people who have walked in darkness have what? 00:09:59.135 --> 00:10:01.663 Seen a great light. 00:10:01.839 --> 00:10:03.155 God is light, 00:10:03.655 --> 00:10:06.431 and there's absolutely no darkness in him at all. 00:10:06.431 --> 00:10:11.723 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, 00:10:11.899 --> 00:10:12.723 we're liars. 00:10:12.779 --> 00:10:14.495 We're not practicing the truth. 00:10:14.995 --> 00:10:17.323 See, that's all right. 00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:19.107 That sounds like an indictment, 00:10:19.251 --> 00:10:20.459 but it's an encouragement. 00:10:20.459 --> 00:10:26.571 Honestly, it's the encouragement of God through the words of John and the 00:10:26.603 --> 00:10:27.459 pen of John, 00:10:27.459 --> 00:10:28.475 if I can call it a pen. 00:10:28.475 --> 00:10:31.043 It's probably some kind of quill looking thing anyway. 00:10:31.043 --> 00:10:31.947 But John's saying, 00:10:31.947 --> 00:10:34.459 look, if you claim Christ, 00:10:34.547 --> 00:10:36.059 if you've trusted Jesus, 00:10:36.107 --> 00:10:39.781 if you receive the salvation that God has offered in the shed blood of 00:10:39.781 --> 00:10:42.825 Jesus, then walk in the light. 00:10:43.645 --> 00:10:45.345 Don't run to the darkness. 00:10:45.725 --> 00:10:49.021 Don't try to get as close to the darkness as you can without getting in 00:10:49.021 --> 00:10:52.785 it. Just stay over in the light is what he's saying. 00:10:53.365 --> 00:10:55.709 If we have fellowship, 00:10:55.837 --> 00:10:57.901 if we say we have fellowship with him. 00:10:57.901 --> 00:10:59.733 So I started looking at this fellowship. 00:10:59.733 --> 00:11:01.693 What do we call it in the gathering? 00:11:01.405 --> 00:11:02.189 It's two words. 00:11:02.189 --> 00:11:04.305 Ready? Walking together. 00:11:04.885 --> 00:11:07.525 We walk together as the body of Christ. 00:11:07.805 --> 00:11:09.893 We come together as the body of Christ. 00:11:09.677 --> 00:11:11.525 We go out together as the body of Christ. 00:11:11.525 --> 00:11:14.765 We run into each other at the Harris Teeter as the body of Christ. 00:11:14.765 --> 00:11:16.185 We're walking together. 00:11:16.605 --> 00:11:18.205 We have a commonality. 00:11:18.285 --> 00:11:20.077 Actually, according to Acts, 00:11:20.101 --> 00:11:21.781 in the first several chapters of Acts, 00:11:21.781 --> 00:11:25.821 we have a unity as the body of Christ. 00:11:25.933 --> 00:11:26.825 You see, 00:11:27.205 --> 00:11:28.909 we have common goals, 00:11:28.997 --> 00:11:30.021 common purposes, 00:11:30.093 --> 00:11:32.483 common, common salvation. 00:11:32.579 --> 00:11:33.239 One body, 00:11:33.251 --> 00:11:33.907 one spirit, 00:11:33.907 --> 00:11:34.587 one baptism. 00:11:34.651 --> 00:11:37.627 All that kind of stuff is what unites us together. 00:11:37.627 --> 00:11:40.975 And so we have fellowship with him, 00:11:42.075 --> 00:11:43.555 we have fellowship with each other. 00:11:43.555 --> 00:11:45.865 That's what this whole text is about. 00:11:45.539 --> 00:11:46.529 We're walking together. 00:11:46.539 --> 00:11:48.395 The word fellowship right here in both places, 00:11:48.395 --> 00:11:52.675 because you see it in verse six and you see it again in verse seven, 00:11:52.675 --> 00:11:53.683 is the word in Greek, 00:11:53.683 --> 00:11:55.851 koinonia, K O I, 00:11:55.923 --> 00:11:56.583 N O, 00:11:56.619 --> 00:11:57.687 N I A. 00:11:57.851 --> 00:11:58.743 Now, it's real funny, 00:11:58.743 --> 00:12:00.799 I remember when in Bible college, 00:12:00.847 --> 00:12:01.479 that word, 00:12:01.479 --> 00:12:01.935 you know, 00:12:01.935 --> 00:12:04.195 we had koinonia prayer groups. 00:12:05.135 --> 00:12:07.275 Like koinonia prayer groups. 00:12:07.655 --> 00:12:08.635 I don't. 00:12:09.135 --> 00:12:10.391 Okay, I'll go pray with you. 00:12:10.391 --> 00:12:11.703 But what does that mean? 00:12:11.703 --> 00:12:14.735 Right? So I started even back then. 00:12:14.775 --> 00:12:15.311 I studied, 00:12:15.311 --> 00:12:16.791 I tried to figure this out. 00:12:16.295 --> 00:12:18.675 So when you see the word koinonia, 00:12:19.055 --> 00:12:21.399 it can be translated fellowship, 00:12:21.487 --> 00:12:25.595 obviously it can actually be also translated communion. 00:12:26.175 --> 00:12:27.143 Well, wait a minute. 00:12:27.143 --> 00:12:29.175 Don't we need some bread and juice? 00:12:29.175 --> 00:12:29.927 No, no. 00:12:29.991 --> 00:12:37.919 The idea of communion is this idea of communing with God if we commune 00:12:37.967 --> 00:12:38.639 with God, 00:12:38.687 --> 00:12:43.519 or if we say we commune with God but walk in darkness, 00:12:43.647 --> 00:12:44.835 we're lying. 00:12:45.935 --> 00:12:46.835 See that, 00:12:48.095 --> 00:12:50.035 that's pretty sharp right there. 00:12:50.455 --> 00:12:52.967 So what does it mean to have fellowship? 00:12:52.967 --> 00:12:54.935 Koinonia, walking together, 00:12:55.015 --> 00:12:57.391 communing, definition wise, 00:12:57.463 --> 00:12:59.095 American heritage or whatever. 00:12:59.135 --> 00:13:00.927 All these dictionaries you can Google up, 00:13:00.927 --> 00:13:06.071 say, sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings, 00:13:06.183 --> 00:13:08.207 especially mentally, 00:13:08.311 --> 00:13:10.115 intellectually, or spiritually. 00:13:11.375 --> 00:13:11.815 All right, 00:13:11.815 --> 00:13:12.835 y'all got it. 00:13:13.175 --> 00:13:13.647 All right, 00:13:13.647 --> 00:13:14.127 go. No, 00:13:14.127 --> 00:13:15.117 I'm just kidding. 00:13:15.655 --> 00:13:17.991 But what it can be characterized as, 00:13:18.023 --> 00:13:22.395 is this intimate sharing of life together. 00:13:23.535 --> 00:13:26.875 Intimate sharing in life with God. 00:13:27.215 --> 00:13:32.679 Intimate sharing together of life as the body of Christ opening ourselves 00:13:32.767 --> 00:13:33.207 up. 00:13:33.311 --> 00:13:34.783 Can I go ahead and say, 00:13:34.783 --> 00:13:39.155 making ourselves vulnerable to each other. 00:13:40.175 --> 00:13:40.703 You see, 00:13:40.703 --> 00:13:41.607 man, we don't like that. 00:13:41.607 --> 00:13:43.115 Mmm, I'm tough, 00:13:44.135 --> 00:13:49.115 right? So when we start to look at this communing. 00:13:51.335 --> 00:13:53.839 Alright, so I am a child. 00:13:53.967 --> 00:13:55.235 I was born in 62, 00:13:55.235 --> 00:13:59.487 don't remember much about the 60s except in 69 when there was something 00:13:59.551 --> 00:14:00.295 happening at the moon. 00:14:00.295 --> 00:14:00.955 They say, 00:14:01.055 --> 00:14:01.755 all right, 00:14:02.135 --> 00:14:08.275 But I am a child of the 70s and I remember hearing about communes, 00:14:09.615 --> 00:14:12.555 right? What's a commune? 00:14:13.535 --> 00:14:18.329 It's where a bunch of people with long hair that don't take baths live 00:14:18.377 --> 00:14:18.965 together. 00:14:19.785 --> 00:14:20.801 I'm just kidding, 00:14:20.833 --> 00:14:22.017 y'all, please. 00:14:22.161 --> 00:14:23.521 But you see my point. 00:14:23.521 --> 00:14:24.145 What it is, 00:14:24.145 --> 00:14:28.965 is that a group of people come together in agreement, 00:14:29.345 --> 00:14:33.073 right? To share of themselves, 00:14:33.249 --> 00:14:38.593 to share of the things that they have in support of each other, 00:14:38.769 --> 00:14:42.649 right? This coming together in a unity and in a oneness. 00:14:42.697 --> 00:14:45.373 And the word commune can be. 00:14:45.489 --> 00:14:47.265 Can be translated bond. 00:14:48.405 --> 00:14:49.395 To bond together, 00:14:49.421 --> 00:14:50.445 to relate together, 00:14:50.565 --> 00:14:52.105 to click together, 00:14:52.565 --> 00:14:56.625 to converse or to talk with profound intensity. 00:14:57.125 --> 00:14:58.989 Intimacy of thoughts and feelings. 00:14:59.037 --> 00:15:04.373 So you see all of that and I'm just going to bring it down to one word. 00:15:04.005 --> 00:15:06.865 The body of Christ is connected, 00:15:07.645 --> 00:15:09.705 okay? Can't get away from it. 00:15:11.525 --> 00:15:14.905 It flies in the face of those who will say, 00:15:15.855 --> 00:15:18.655 I don't have to go to church to be a Christian. 00:15:18.655 --> 00:15:21.235 True, you don't. 00:15:22.455 --> 00:15:23.595 But boy, 00:15:24.415 --> 00:15:25.755 I'll just tell you, 00:15:26.415 --> 00:15:29.855 if you are a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ and you aren't 00:15:29.855 --> 00:15:31.263 connected to other Christians, 00:15:31.439 --> 00:15:32.835 you got a problem, 00:15:33.695 --> 00:15:34.515 okay? 00:15:35.095 --> 00:15:36.745 You just got a problem. 00:15:37.735 --> 00:15:39.591 So we need to be connected. 00:15:39.591 --> 00:15:40.583 We are connected. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.223 We're supposed to be connected. 00:15:42.223 --> 00:15:44.555 We are in communion with one another. 00:15:44.955 --> 00:15:46.083 And so when I looked at this, 00:15:46.083 --> 00:15:46.435 I thought, 00:15:46.435 --> 00:15:46.947 all right, 00:15:46.947 --> 00:15:48.051 what does the passage say? 00:15:48.051 --> 00:15:48.899 Well, first of all, 00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:51.539 if we say we are connected with him, 00:15:52.435 --> 00:15:53.795 so there's a goal here, 00:15:53.795 --> 00:15:56.451 that we be connected to God, 00:15:56.603 --> 00:15:59.243 to Christ through the shed blood of Christ, 00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:03.011 that we have been given entrance into the body of Christ, 00:16:03.011 --> 00:16:04.899 the fellowship of believers, 00:16:04.947 --> 00:16:06.603 the family of God. 00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:09.015 So we're brothers and sisters together. 00:16:09.475 --> 00:16:12.027 I don't know if it's anybody's first time here this morning. 00:16:12.027 --> 00:16:14.475 I love it if it's your first time. 00:16:13.955 --> 00:16:15.035 Woo, we love it. 00:16:15.035 --> 00:16:16.479 Yay. Glad you're here. 00:16:16.667 --> 00:16:17.615 If you come back. 00:16:17.615 --> 00:16:19.111 Well, you knew what you were getting into, 00:16:19.111 --> 00:16:19.915 so there. 00:16:20.575 --> 00:16:25.759 But the idea is that we come together first of all because we've been 00:16:25.807 --> 00:16:27.235 connected to Him. 00:16:28.175 --> 00:16:29.675 He called us, 00:16:30.255 --> 00:16:33.115 he made provision for our Salvation. 00:16:33.775 --> 00:16:35.455 He adopted us. 00:16:35.615 --> 00:16:38.915 And a lot of words go to this word grafted. 00:16:39.575 --> 00:16:45.047 Grafted into God's people that we the Gentiles. 00:16:45.191 --> 00:16:46.167 See, if you're not a Jew, 00:16:46.167 --> 00:16:46.815 guess what you are. 00:16:46.815 --> 00:16:47.955 You're a Gentile. 00:16:48.735 --> 00:16:49.551 But here you go. 00:16:49.551 --> 00:16:52.111 And I thought about this grafted thing. 00:16:52.263 --> 00:16:55.233 Any of y'all got pear trees in your yards? 00:16:55.535 --> 00:16:57.879 See, I used to have a pear tree in my yard. 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.719 And at the height of pear season, 00:17:00.887 --> 00:17:01.743 I don't know what that is, 00:17:01.743 --> 00:17:02.295 but anyway, 00:17:02.295 --> 00:17:06.327 the limbs would just be folded down to the ground with so much of those 00:17:06.327 --> 00:17:08.413 heavy, juicy pears. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.681 Well, there was this one branch on our pear tree, 00:17:11.681 --> 00:17:14.249 and it was central to the tree itself. 00:17:14.249 --> 00:17:18.305 But there was this one branch that went up and the fruit on that pear 00:17:18.305 --> 00:17:22.005 tree on that branch were these little bitty baby looking things. 00:17:23.025 --> 00:17:23.745 And I was like, 00:17:23.745 --> 00:17:24.377 what? 00:17:24.561 --> 00:17:27.201 Man, that tree's not getting enough to drink. 00:17:27.305 --> 00:17:29.615 Something wrong with that limb right there. 00:17:29.657 --> 00:17:30.385 Something's a problem. 00:17:30.385 --> 00:17:31.889 So I asked somebody about it. 00:17:31.889 --> 00:17:33.281 Well, here's what I found out. 00:17:33.105 --> 00:17:35.891 For a pear tree to actually produce fruit, 00:17:35.993 --> 00:17:43.191 there have to be two varieties of the pear pollen to germinate the flower 00:17:43.303 --> 00:17:44.623 to make the pear. 00:17:44.623 --> 00:17:48.831 And so what they do is they'll graft a branch of a different variety of 00:17:48.831 --> 00:17:52.807 pear tree into the pear tree so that in one tree you've got both 00:17:52.807 --> 00:17:54.815 varieties so that it produces fruit. 00:17:54.935 --> 00:17:56.585 Man, I love the preserves. 00:17:57.535 --> 00:18:00.063 There was a lady at First Baptist, 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:01.079 Beaufort, Georgia, 00:18:01.167 --> 00:18:01.827 she said, 00:18:01.919 --> 00:18:02.935 pastor Bobby, 00:18:04.155 --> 00:18:05.579 if you'll let me, 00:18:05.747 --> 00:18:09.795 I'll come get the pears and make preserves and give you half of them. 00:18:09.795 --> 00:18:10.563 I was like, 00:18:10.563 --> 00:18:11.695 that's a deal. 00:18:12.395 --> 00:18:15.255 We were communing over preserves, 00:18:15.795 --> 00:18:17.155 right? You see my point? 00:18:17.155 --> 00:18:17.963 So this is the idea. 00:18:17.963 --> 00:18:19.163 We're connected to him. 00:18:19.163 --> 00:18:20.867 We're grafted into Him. 00:18:20.971 --> 00:18:23.611 We're connected to the light that is God. 00:18:23.659 --> 00:18:24.747 God is light. 00:18:24.851 --> 00:18:25.395 In Greek, 00:18:25.395 --> 00:18:26.155 light is God. 00:18:26.155 --> 00:18:26.867 God is light. 00:18:26.867 --> 00:18:29.507 The is is a is an equal sign. 00:18:29.675 --> 00:18:32.531 So in him there is no darkness at all. 00:18:32.531 --> 00:18:34.107 We are connected to God. 00:18:34.107 --> 00:18:35.757 We're connected to his light. 00:18:35.803 --> 00:18:37.795 We become the reflection of his light. 00:18:37.795 --> 00:18:39.775 And we're connected to each other. 00:18:39.755 --> 00:18:41.895 We're to commune with each other, 00:18:42.915 --> 00:18:46.451 see? So I don't know what your conversation was this morning. 00:18:46.451 --> 00:18:47.441 See, right now, 00:18:47.491 --> 00:18:48.483 if you know Jesus, 00:18:48.483 --> 00:18:49.523 if you've trusted Jesus, 00:18:49.523 --> 00:18:52.579 you've received the salvation that God's offered in the shed blood of 00:18:52.579 --> 00:18:53.273 Jesus Christ, 00:18:53.379 --> 00:18:56.253 then you are connected to God. 00:18:56.309 --> 00:18:57.565 You're a part of his family. 00:18:57.565 --> 00:19:00.205 You're a part of the body of Christ. 00:18:59.805 --> 00:19:03.109 You have the spirit of God living in you. 00:19:03.157 --> 00:19:04.933 God is constantly pouring. 00:19:05.109 --> 00:19:07.089 Don't you stop it up okay. 00:19:07.157 --> 00:19:09.421 God's pouring his spirit into you. 00:19:09.573 --> 00:19:12.133 You are connected to the light of God, 00:19:12.133 --> 00:19:15.985 and you are to be connected to each other. 00:19:16.845 --> 00:19:18.365 If you don't know Jesus this morning, 00:19:18.365 --> 00:19:19.701 we want you to know Jesus. 00:19:19.701 --> 00:19:24.853 Okay? We're going to sing one more song and give you an opportunity. 00:19:25.029 --> 00:19:26.501 But after we sing that song, 00:19:26.501 --> 00:19:27.557 it's not time to leave yet. 00:19:27.557 --> 00:19:30.781 Because I got one more thing I want to do before we leave this morning. 00:19:29.885 --> 00:19:31.965 Okay? So I'm going to invite now. 00:19:31.965 --> 00:19:33.413 They don't even know it. 00:19:33.413 --> 00:19:36.901 Somebody shout down the hallway and tell the band to come on, 00:19:36.901 --> 00:19:39.541 because I didn't warn them ahead of time. 00:19:40.365 --> 00:19:42.015 Oh, that's Scott right there. 00:19:41.925 --> 00:19:44.229 Okay. Where's the rest of you? 00:19:44.397 --> 00:19:46.125 They're enjoying coffee out in the hall. 00:19:46.125 --> 00:19:47.775 I know what they're doing. 00:19:48.005 --> 00:19:49.545 Oh, they're eating breakfast. 00:19:50.325 --> 00:19:51.453 Well, Scott can do it all. 00:19:51.453 --> 00:19:51.781 Oh, no, 00:19:51.781 --> 00:19:53.013 there's the other half of them over there. 00:19:53.013 --> 00:19:54.065 Okay. Sorry, 00:19:54.525 --> 00:19:55.901 I just don't pay attention. 00:19:55.901 --> 00:19:56.231 Right. 00:19:56.261 --> 00:19:57.105 All righty. 00:19:57.405 --> 00:19:58.285 Let me pray. 00:19:58.285 --> 00:20:00.573 We're going to sing if you don't know Jesus, 00:20:00.573 --> 00:20:01.933 we want you to know Jesus. 00:20:01.933 --> 00:20:03.405 And then I'm going to give you an assignment. 00:20:03.405 --> 00:20:04.065 You ready? 00:20:03.981 --> 00:20:04.405 Let's pray. 00:20:04.405 --> 00:20:07.285 God, thank you for today and for all that you do. 00:20:07.285 --> 00:20:08.935 Thank you for your love. 00:20:09.405 --> 00:20:09.893 Thank you, 00:20:09.893 --> 00:20:11.873 God, that you loved us first. 00:20:12.125 --> 00:20:14.945 God, that you called us yours. 00:20:16.205 --> 00:20:18.133 But more than just calling us yours, 00:20:18.133 --> 00:20:21.981 you made us yours because of God, 00:20:22.013 --> 00:20:23.333 your incredible love for us. 00:20:23.333 --> 00:20:23.621 And so, 00:20:23.621 --> 00:20:28.013 God, I thank you this morning that when we look at a text from the first 00:20:28.013 --> 00:20:30.705 century written by John, 00:20:31.365 --> 00:20:37.181 who says that if we walk in the light, 00:20:37.213 --> 00:20:38.493 as he is in the light, 00:20:38.493 --> 00:20:40.597 yes, we have fellowship with him in the light, 00:20:40.597 --> 00:20:40.973 but, God, 00:20:40.973 --> 00:20:43.765 you've also given us fellowship with each other. 00:20:44.585 --> 00:20:46.825 So God help us to love you. 00:20:46.825 --> 00:20:49.135 God, help us to love each other. 00:20:49.545 --> 00:20:53.405 God help us to love each other communally. 00:20:54.865 --> 00:20:57.193 God help us to have the fellowship, 00:20:57.249 --> 00:21:00.685 God, that you long for your people to have together. 00:21:02.785 --> 00:21:06.153 God, we pray as we sing that we would respond to you and we pray it in 00:21:06.153 --> 00:21:06.785 Jesus name, 00:21:06.785 --> 00:21:06.945 Amen.