Live as Christ's Members

ME: Intro

Does anyone else have a typical go to for breakfast most mornings?

We live in such a busy paced culture that it is usually something quick, right?

That’s the case for me.

My go to are those Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches.

Man, I think those are so good.

The 5&10 doesn’t help my problem,

Because they have the breakfast sandwiches for a really good price so often.

Part of the reason this is my go to is because I like a nice warm breakfast.

I don’t just grab the sandwich out of the freezer and go to town.

No, I throw it in the microwave and get my warm breakfast in under a minute.

Microwaves are great.

They take something frozen that can’t be eaten,

And turn it into something warm, edible, and useful in just a moment.

And the background of the microwave is fascinating too.

It started back during WWII with a company called Raytheon.

One day, a researcher who worked with tubes used to direct microwave radiation,

Had a candy bar in his pocket,

And as he walked by one of the tubes,

It melted in his pocket.

And he went, “Aha! These microwaves can heat up food.”

And that was the start of the microwave.

Of course it took about another 20 years to get it ready for commercial use.

But the way the microwave works,

Is that the microwaves excite, stimulate, or provoke water molecules and fat molecules in food,

The excited molecules then cause friction,

Which produces heat from within,

And voila,

Cooked food!

Our frozen TV dinners need this stimulation to become useful.

Likewise, as members of Christ’s body,

We need to be stimulated or provoked to become useful.

We are to live like microwaves to each other.

We must Live as Christ’s Members to Live as Christ’s members.

We see this in Hebrews 10:19-25.

It is a passage rich with specific application,

The apex of these applications is to provoke one another.

Don’t stay as frozen TV dinners.

Provoke one another to love,

Provoke one another to do stuff for Jesus.

Two weeks ago,

We looked at how the baseline of being a member of Christ’s body is to abide in Him,

As branches abide in the vine.

This was talking about connecting with God through Jesus.

This morning,

Pastor Ryan read the verses that follow that teaching,

Where Jesus shows how connecting to God is a connection to love.

And this love for God then extends to a love for God’s members.

Slide

This teaching is reinforced in our passage this morning.

Where we are commanded to have full faith in vs. 19-22.

This faith is built upon the assurance of God’s love.

Next, we are commanded to hold hope in vs. 23.

Lastly, vs. 24-25 command us to provoke love.

So, this is what it means to live as Christ’s members,

Like food molecules being microwaved,

We commit to provoking love and good works in Christ’s body.

Once again, Hebrews is a public letter filled with exhortations for the church.

Our passage is a major turning point in this letter.

The first ten and a half chapters are about the glorious ministry of Jesus Christ.

Teaching how in light of the OT,

Jesus is far greater than the law,

And He is the fulfillment of the prophets.

Our passage then briefly summarizes these teachings,

Before applying how we live as members of Christ’s body in light of these teachings.

WE: Full Faith (vs. 19-22)

Slide

So, our passage begins this transition by reiterating what Christ has given us.

Notice how the author identifies himself with his brothers and sisters in Christ,

As he offers a renewed appeal for confidence,

Or boldness, in approaching God’s presence.

He is clear that this boldness is not grounded in any human merits.

No, this boldness rests in the person and work of our great High Priest,

Who is described in Heb 4:15 as,

Being able to sympathize with our weaknesses,

And was tempted in every respect as we are,

Yet is without sin.

So, He is the reason we have boldness to enter holy places.

Not by our own worthiness,

But by the blood of the One Who is worthy,

The blood of the perfect sacrifice,

The blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:24 says,

That Jesus entered into the only truly holy place,

Heaven,

To appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

This book is called Hebrews because it is written to Christians with a Jewish background.

So, these lessons come alive when we understand the OT backdrop against which they are written.

In the OT, the most holy place was the place where God’s presence rested on earth,

It was the innermost room of the temple.

All people were forbidden from entering the most holy place,

Because we are all unholy.

However, God made one exception,

Once a year,

On the Day of Atonement,

Which is outlined in Leviticus 16.

He would have the high priest enter the most holy place on behalf of the people only by the blood of a sacrifice.

So, now Hebrews is teaching that Jesus did that.

He entered the Father’s presence in heaven by His own blood,

Not by the blood of an animal.

Then, even better the the high priest’s sacrifice.

Jesus’s sacrifice gives us the boldness to personally enter the holy presence of God ourselves.

And we need this boldness.

Because the Bible describes God’s holiness in absolutely incredible terms.

It says, His throne is made of fire,

With wheels of fire,

And a river of fire flowing out from before Him.

He is a consuming fire.

All this fire language speaks of the justice, holiness, and purity of God.

Therefore, His perfect character engulfs wickedness and evil in flames.

And guess what?

We are inherently wicked and evil.

But in Christ, that is not who we are anymore.

We are transformed by the blood of Christ,

Giving us boldness through the Holy Spirit,

And granting us the right to be in God’s presence,

Slide

So, the author is teaching how the OT way of entering into God’s presence is no longer the way.

Vs. 20 says there is a new and living way opened for us.

Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life.

So, this new way is the new covenant in Christ’s blood,

Which He taught about when He instituted the Lord’s Supper.

And it is the living way because,

According to Heb. 7:25,

Jesus always lives to make intercession for us.

So, Jesus is the new and living way!

Hebrews says, we come through the curtain

That is, through Christ’s flesh.

Again, the curtain is an OT reference,

The curtain was what separated the most holy place in the temple.

So, the author is illustrating how the curtain is Christ’s body.

This was made clear when the actual curtain was torn open when Jesus died.

Slide

Look at what Matt 27:51 says the moment Jesus was crucified;

Matthew 27:51 ESV

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

When the curtain was torn,

It physically symbolized the new and living way into the presence of God.

Christ’s flesh given on the cross is the new and living way.

Now, by His death,

Romans 5 says that since we have been justified,

Made right,

Through faith,

We have access by this same faith into the grace of God’s presence in which we now stand.

Brothers and sisters,

This means,

We have the legal right to be in God’s presence.

Slide

Because of our Great High Priest,

Who is over the house of God,

According to vs. 21.

This is a small but important emphasis because Moses was described as being a servant in God’s house,

But here, the author shows that Christ is not in it, He is over it.

So, while the revered Moses was a servant in the house,

This Jesus Christ is the Lord over it.

And when the Lord’s flesh was torn on the cross like the curtain,

His sacrifice opened the new and living way to God for all who trust in Him.

Before this,

The high priest could only enter the most holy place once a year.

Now, we have access to the presence of God every moment of every day!

What an incredible privilege!

This is what Christ has given us,

The legal right to be in God’s presence.

Slide

Based upon what Christ’ has given us,

Vs. 22 says, not only is it our right to be in God’s presence,

But we have a moral obligation to be in God’s presence.

The author commands us to come into the presence of God.

We don’t just have the privilege,

We don’t just have the right,

But by the blood of Jesus,

We need to draw near to God.

You know the lyric from Amazing Grace,

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And…?

Grace my fears relieved, that’s right.

So, because His grace relieves our fear,

We do not tremble at the thought of being in God’s presence.

You see, if we are still in bondage to sin,

Then we still have the condemnation and wrath of God hanging over us.

Slide

So, first and foremost,

This command to draw near to God in full assurance of faith,

Is a command to come to Jesus for salvation.

This is the first step needed to live as Christ’s members.

So, If you do not have faith in Christ,

If you know you are not a Christian,

Then the Bible says you are lost.

But right here tells you how to be found.

Draw near to God by faith in Jesus.

By trusting His cleansing work.

Don’t leave here today with God as your enemy still.

You can leave with God as your adopted Father.

Let Him adopt you.

Let Him make you His son or daughter.

Draw near to Him by faith in Christ.

If you have already come to Christ,

You are already a Christian.

Draw near to Him again.

Remember, this letter is written to members of Christ’s body,

And yet, the author still says to draw near to God.

There is this gift of intimacy with God that you can have right here,

Right now,

While you are in this world.

The Bible expects members of Christ’s body to connect with God,

To draw near to Him.

Again, in the OT, nearness to God was a priestly privilege,

Reserved only for the priests who have been purified of sin.

And this purification was a whole process.

Priests would get purified through a series of washings,

And by applying the blood of sacrifices.

But now,

We draw near to God in full assurance of faith. in Christ’s sacrifice.

And this faith has an expiration date.

Because we don’t need faith in heaven.

Heb. 11 says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for.

And we do not hope for what we already have.

So, we won’t be hoping in heaven.

The author also says faith is the assurance of things not seen.

Well, guess what?

We will see God’s face in heaven,

We will be in His unfiltered presence.

So, we don’t need faith in heaven.

Faith is for the here and now.

And we receive faith through the Spirit.

Faith is how we connect with God.

It is how we have intimacy with Him.

It is how we walk in the light of God every day,

So that whatever you are doing;

Chores or errands or working or just driving in the car,

While doing homework,

Whatever you are doing,

Wherever you are,

You are with God by faith in Jesus.

This is the greatest gift God can give you.

An immediate sense of His presence in your life.

That He is with you,

Right now.

That He loves you,

Helps you,

And protects you.

That is why you need to draw near to Him.

Don’t stay away.

That is what Satan wants.

He wants to tempt you to create a sense of distance from God.

Making you feel like you don’t deserve to draw near to God,

And you never will deserve to draw near to God.

The reality is,

It has nothing to do with what you deserve.

You have no better standing based upon your own merits.

On your most obedient day,

And your most disobedient day,

You have no standing before God.

Hebrews is clear,

It is through Christ that you are given this right.

It is through Christ that you are given this command.

Sin damages this assurance,

It causes you to doubt when you have been called to boldness.

That is why it is Christ who determines your standing before God.

And that is why it is faith in Him that we need to connect with God.

Slide

On the basis of that faith,

We must make drawing near a daily priority.

Just like we come to Jesus for salvation,

We come to Jesus daily for sanctification.

This was the same idea of abiding in Christ.

Be in the Word every day.

But when you are in the Word,

Make a point to sense God’s presence,

Sense His love for you.

Draw near to that love,

And don’t stop until you get it.

Hunger for it,

Thirst for it.

Like Psalm 63 says to God,

“My soul yearns for you,

I’m thirsty for you,

I was in a dry and weary land where there’s no water.

I’m thirsting for the living God.

When can I be near God?”

Let that be the cry of your heart every day,

As you approach God in His Word.

The Bible says His mercies are new every morning.

And even when you sin,

It may feel like you shouldn’t go to God.

But the reality is,

There is no other place for you to go.

The Bible says to bring that sin to God,

Confess it to Him,

And let Him drown it in the ocean of His grace.

Slide

As vs. 22 says,

God sprinkles our hearts clean from an evil conscience,

And He washes our bodies pure with water,

Through Christ’s sacrifice.

This was what the OT sacrificial system was setup to do on a momentary basis.

But as Heb. 7:19 says,

The law made nothing perfect.

But now a better hope through which we draw near to God has been introduced,

Jesus Christ.

And now the sacrifice we offer is the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.

Only Jesus can sprinkle our hearts clean.

The Bible describes the heart as the center of the person.

It is the seat of the conscience.

And because of sin,

The human heart is naturally wicked and deceitful,

Contaminating the whole life and character.

So, the heart needs to be changed,

Needs to be regenerated,

Needs to be sprinkled clean,

Before a person can willingly obey God.

This means salvation begins in the heart,

Believing in God.

But the Bible says, as a person rejects God,

Their heart is hardened.

So, hardness of heart is evidenced by sin, pride, lack of gratitude, ignorance, or apathy toward God and His Word.

A hard heart in turn, numbs the conscience and rejects correction.

So, our hearts are sprinkled clean by God through the Spirit.

Slide

In Ezek. 36:25, God says to His people,

Ezekiel 36:25 ESV

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

So, the heart being sprinkled clean is talking about this inner cleansing of conscience.

Something only made possible by Christ’s death,

Which is why His sacrifice is superior to the sacrifices made under the law.

Slide

Heb 9:13-14 explains this in greater detail,

Hebrews 9:13–14 ESV

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

But not only is the heart sprinkled clean,

Renewing the inner person.

But Hebrews says our bodies are washed with pure water.

This could be alluding to baptism,

Which seems to at least be a part of it.

But the author seems to have more in mind here.

Again, the OT law states that the priest had to wash his body with holy water before entering the most holy place.

But now, the author is teaching how we enter God’s presence as priests,

Because we have been washed clean inside and out by Jesus.

His atoning sacrifice cleanses and purifies our lives and our hearts.

The author seems to be teaching the same idea that Ephesians 5 talks about,

When it tells husbands to love their wives,

“As Christ loved the church,

To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,”

That is the pure water the author is talking about here.

It is the work of Jesus Christ on His bride, His body,

The church,

Cleansing us and making us holy.

As Titus 3:5 says,

He saved us not because of any good works we have done,

But because of His own grace.

He saved us by the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit makes us fit to be in the presence of God.

This is what Ezekiel 36 was talking about.

The Spirit cleanses,

Washing with water.

He removes the heart of stone,

And replaces it with a heart of flesh.

Therefore, our allegiance, affection, and love for sin is severed forever!

We no longer want it,

We hate it!

We long to be clean.

We long to be pure,

We long to be free from all sin!

We begin to see sin for the enemy it truly is.

And it is all because of full faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

GOD: Hold Hope (vs. 23)

Slide

Next, the author commands us to Hold Hope in vs. 23.

The readers of Hebrews were being tempted to forsake their confession of Christ,

And to revert back to the OT worship customs.

So, earlier, the author reminded them,

Christ is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.

Now, the author exhorts his readers to hold fast to their confession of hope.

Their confession of hope is their original confidence in Christ.

But instead of looking back,

Hope looks forward.

It is this sense of certainty based on God’s promises that the future is gloriously bright,

That it is going to be really really good,

Specifically, there will be a new heaven and new earth.

And it is going to be beautiful, righteous, holy, majestic, and glorious!

There will be no sin,

And none of the consequences attached to sin.

Even the Bible struggles to adequately describe it,

Because words cannot do it justice.

It says there will be a banquet table for all of God’s children with Jesus,

And we will feast together with the multitude of the redeemed from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

This is the hope.

These blessings of a glorious future!

And the author commands us to hold firmly to this hope.

Hope is one of the main themes in Hebrews,

Especially in ch. 6.

The author tells us to rejoice in hope.

But if you turn your back on Jesus,

Then you have no hope.

Because the basis of our hope is His character.

You see, it is impossible for God to make a promise that He does not intend to keep.

He cannot lie.

Therefore, since He has made these promises to us.

As a member of Christ’s body,

You must be as unshakable in your hope,

As He is in keeping His promises.

Because when your hope is fixed on God,

And His faithful character,

The author says, you will not waver.

So, instead of looking back,

As the Jewish readers of this letter so often did,

He is saying,

Look ahead to the coming of the Lord.

We are called to hold unswervingly to the hope we confess.

YOU: Provoke Love (vs. 24-25)

Slide

After being commanded to have full faith,

And to hold hope,

The author commands us to Provoke Love in vs. 24-25.

Faith, hope, and love,

A familiar triad in the NT.

Faith and hope are more internal applications.

Provoking love, however, is an external application.

Because we do not live the Christian life alone.

Therefore, we must look outward toward one another,

And build each other up in faith and hope.

But look closely at how the command is actually worded,

“Let us consider.”

What does it mean to consider?

It implies thoughtfulness.

That we are to be considerate, thoughtful, meditative people.

We are to be alert,

Thinking things out,

Reasoning things.

Earlier in Heb. 3:1,

The author said to consider Jesus,

The author and perfecter of our faith.

So, we first consider Jesus.

We think about Jesus,

Then we consider the members of His body.

Next, it says consider how.

If you are considering how to do something,

Then you are considering the procedure,

The technique, the approach, or the method.

Slide

But a better translation is the CSB for example,

Which says let us consider one another.

So, it is not that we are considering a technique, approach, or pattern,

We are considering people.

We are to consider one another,

Consider your brothers and sisters,

Think about each other,

In such a way to provoke one another to love and good works.

Next, let’s talk about this idea of provoke.

Usually provoking has something to do with conflict or a fight.

It is usually in the context of tension between people, bitterness, or a problem.

So, provoking is not necessarily a comfort.

The NIV says to spur on love and good works.

Think about that.

Think about spurs on the back of a boot.

Round little spikes that go into the side of a horse to make them giddy-up.

That is the idea the author is getting at here in a positive way.

To stir up, spur on, or provoke one another toward love and good works.

You and I have a duty toward one another to encourage love and good works,

Even if the encouragement is uncomfortable.

But let me give a disclaimer here.

Because there are good ways to provoke love and there are not so good ways to do this.

The author is not giving you a green light to be a jerk to someone and call it love.

We cannot forget what other parts of Scripture teach us,

1 Cor. 13 for example,

Tells us what our love for one another is meant to look like.

That being said, the author does call us to provoke one another toward love.

Sometimes this can be done through a simple invitation,

“Hey, we’re doing this, can you come?”

Or through sharing your testimony about a specific ministry,

That leads others to getting involved in that ministry.

The author says to provoke love and good works.

So, pray for one another about serving.

Find out how others are gifted,

Or what they love,

And spur them on to use it.

Start today,

Find out what someone else is good at.

Why would the author make a point about this?

Because the Bible talks about rewards on Judgement Day.

And don’t you want fellow members to be rewarded on that day?

To be rich?

To have all these good works they did?

I do!

That is why I am preaching this right now!

I want you all to be rich on judgment day!

I want you to have good works and you to have good works!

So, let’s just provoke a river of love and good works here at FBC Afton,

Let them flow!!

And we will be blessed!

Ephesians 4 says good works build up the body of Christ to full maturity.

So, these works are not just a matter of want,

They are a necessity.

We need one another’s spiritual gifts.

We need one another to do good works.

The church cannot be a freezer housing a bunch of TV dinners.

We need to be a microwave!

Stimulating and provoking one another toward love and good works,

Heating up like TV dinners,

And becoming useful.

So, consider one another,

Pray for one another,

And provoke one another to love and good works.

This is how we live as Christ’s members.

And why I have such a conviction about the importance of committing to being a member.

Because we help protect one another from our own sinfulness,

We encourage one another,

We watch over one another,

We consider one another,

We pray for one another,

And we provoke one another to be rich on Judgment Day,

With a multitude of good works.

In order to do these things,

We must know one another and be known by one another.

We must be in connected to each other.

That is why we have Connect Groups.

If you are not involved in a Connect Group,

Pray about it and get involved.

Because you are not going to know and be known just by coming once a week,

Sitting here and listening,

And having a few conversations afterward.

It is too hard.

Slide

And what happens is what the author warns against in vs. 25.

It seems some began making a habit of neglecting meeting together.

Vs. 32-33 alludes to some sever persecution that also may have influenced this.

Perhaps the temptation simply became,

Stop the meetings, stop the beatings.

But the author knows not only is the member hindered when they neglect meeting together,

But the body is hindered too.

You see,

When we meet together,

When you show up,

Add your voice to the choir of voices during worship,

And even just greet others when you come,

You are an encouragement to the body.

An encouragement that provokes love and good works in others.

Meeting together is a necessity.

This is the baseline commitment for members,

Regular attendance.

We have Sunday morning worship services,

I mentioned earlier Connect Groups,

Once a month we have prayer gatherings,

Which we are having one this evening.

We are not talking about a legalistic standard of perfect attendance at these things.

But we do affirm what Hebrews is talking about here,

Not making a habit of neglecting to meet together.

That is what we mean when we say we expect members to attend regularly.

Because these meetings become the vehicle through which we can provoke love and good works.

The author makes it clear that assembling together is vital.

We need this,

What we are doing right now!

This is huge!

God’s people are meant to be together!

It is fundamental to our growth as Christians.

And when the author talks about neglecting,

What he is talking about is no accident.

He is not talking about something that may happens to a person.

No, he is talking about a willful choice.

Slide

Other translations say let’s not forsake meeting together.

To forsake meeting together is consciously choosing to turn your back on faithful church attendance,

Which is in turn,

Turning your back on your fellow members,

Because you are not in fellowship with them anymore.

Forsaking meeting together is something you decide to do.

And it is not a one time thing.

The author says it is a habitual thing.

There are some who have made a decision,

And they have habitually turned away from faithful involvement in a local church.

They are not coming to corporate worship anymore.

And this is huge!

We must be faithful to be here.

Just come.

You are needed for corporate worship,

Your involvement is needed in the life of the body.

And you also need to receive what you need for spiritual health and growth.

Do you desire to meet with God’s people in fellowship?

Do you desire to meet for corporate worship?

This is the end of the spectrum where we want to be.

But on the other end,

Do you feel your desire tapering off?

Or worse, has it already tapered off?

You see,

If you have an increasing hunger for Christian fellowship,

Then that is evidence that you are spiritually healthy.

But if you have no desire to be in church,

Then not only is there a question about your spiritual health,

But there may be a reason to question if you are even a member of Christ’s body at all.

Most of us, however,

Tend to find ourselves somewhere in between these two extremes.

Our desire to gather on Sunday morning comes and goes.

Sometimes it is strong.

Other times, not so much.

So, what we need to do,

Is examine what are the things that cause our desire to fade?

Satan wants to use things to keep you from connecting with the body.

Perhaps it is your own sin?

Because when you are in sin,

You don’t want to be around the people who are open about their struggles with sin.

When you are entrenched in sin,

It violates your conscience,

So, you would rather be in that sinful habit,

Then be in church.

Because your sin causes you to drift,

So, you do not feel good at church.

Maybe it is a broken relationship.

It only takes one broken relationship,

One person saying something or doing something.

One hurt in some way at church,

And you have bitterness and unforgiveness,

So, you don’t want to be at church,

You want to avoid that person.

Because it is uncomfortable.

Or maybe in a more general sense,

You feel like the church has wronged you in some way.

It has failed you.

Perhaps you had a genuine need,

And you felt like no one cared,

No one came,

No one did anything.

Or more specifically,

You feel like the pastor didn’t do this,

Or the elders didn’t do that,

Or the deacons didn’t help the way you wanted.

So, that also causes bitterness in your heart,

And you decide you just don’t want to be at church anymore.

Some failures of the church may be true,

Some may just be felt.

Either way, it is not justification to drift away.

Perhaps it is not a failure of the church,

Perhaps it is your failure to submit to others.

Whether it is the way I, or the other elders, or the deacons are leading.

Or it is another member trying to provoke you to love.

You don’t like it,

So, you don’t come.

Or maybe it is simply love for something else more than love for church.

It could be a love for career, love for money, love for hobbies, love for extra sleep on Sunday morning.

Whatever it is,

It is really dangerous.

Neglecting to meet together is what Pastor Andy Davis calls a signal sin.

He says, it is how we know there is a problem brewing.

It is the smoke that indicates a fire.

There are several reasons a person may habitually forsake meeting together.

But regardless of the reason,

Hebrews is clear that it is a problem.

So, it is so important for the church to support and pray for members,

And pray especially for members who you may notice are not attending.

Keep in mind,

I am not referring to homebound members who are physically unable to meet together.

But if there is someone who is able-bodied,

And you have not seen them in a while,

Go after them,

Provoke them to love and good works.

Hebrews is written to the whole body,

Because this has to be a whole church effort.

Let’s stay connected with one other,

Let’s be aware of one other’s participation patterns.

And I am not saying we do this like a cult.

Calling people as soon as you get home,

“Hey! Why weren’t you in church this morning?”

We don’t have to be that extreme.

But at the very least,

We should be aware,

And if someone is not here,

See it as an opportunity to love them by reaching out in some way.

As the author says next in vs. 25,

Encouraging one another,

More and more,

As the Day,

Capital d,

Draws near.

He is talking about the day of Christ’s second coming,

The hope we hold onto.

Our faith in Christ and the hope of His coming,

Are the strongest motives to provoking one another in love and good works.

WE:

Slide

Until that day comes,

This place is so sweet.

It is an oasis of encouragement.

You come here to get courage,

Courage to fight against sin,

Courage to serve others,

Courage to be a witness for Christ.

We are encouraged by the examples or other,

The words of others,

And the prayers of others.

But it takes connecting with other members to live as Christ’s members.

Pray.