Life At The Table

Good morning and welcome to Living Faith Church. I am so excited to be able to worship Jesus Christ with you on this amazing Sunday. If we have never met before, my name is Aaron. My wife Stella and I are honored to be able to serve on the Pastoral team at LFC. Today we are in week number three of this vision series called The Gospel In Every Home.

Before we get too far into todays message, I need to tell you something; I have a problem. I have an incredibly round head. And I promise, this will make sense here in just a few minutes. But this is the truth. Now, I cut my hair in such a way that it does not accentuate this fact, but this has not always been the case. As a matter of a fact, when I was kid I was very self conscious of the roundness of my head. And to make matters even worse, I didn’t have a “girlfriend” as a kid, and all my friends did- and all these friends, they had oval, blatantly oval heads! So one day I decided; “I need to do something about the roundness of my head”. After my morning shower routine, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and analyzed my facial features and realized that if I simply drop my jaw, even just a little bit, my head seemed my less offensively round. And in my junior mind, this would most certainly make the girls like me more than they had yesterday. So It was a plan! All day I walked around my sixth grade classes with my jaw dropped. Sometimes, I would find myself dropping my act; this was a difficult task to keep up, but the promise of female affection kept me motivated. Day two came around, this was sure to work. And then I had the question, how long can I keep this up? Certainly, if this girl and I get close enough she will realize that I have a round head and not an oval head. And so, just as easy as that, I decided to drop the act. And, I’ve had a round head ever since.

Now, I tell you this because I believe that some, if not many, of you in this room are just like me. No! You don’t have a round head, maybe you have an oval, or square one. But you have the propensity to live a double life. You’re nice here, kind of mean there. Maybe you are empathetic in this setting, yet merciless in another. Maybe you laugh at dirty jokes in this space, while vilifying them in another space. More secular in this venue, while Uber spiritual in another. But I learned something in sixth grade, no one can keep up two lives for very long. And even more certain; you can only be one thing at a time.

My sister Bonnie, she used to love to sing in the car. It was as if she was pop star from behind the wheel, her antics were larger than life, as if the road in front of her was the audience and the cars disappeared. One day, as she was on 82nd boulevard traveling and 35 miles per hour, the front of her car collided with her virtual audience. I remember my mom asking her, how did you not see this massive truck completely stopped in front of you. She said; “I was singing”.

We’ve been talking about blind spots, some blind spots are right in front of you. Some of you today, you are so focussed on living out one life, that you are about ready to rear end another life! I’m not just talking about heaven or hell kind of stuff here.

A Tale of Two Lives

Listen, I want to suggest to you today that there are two aspects two human salvation. The first aspect can be found in John 3:16 when Jesus said:

John 3:16 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

And the second is found in Acts 2:40 when Luke says:

Acts 2:40 ESV

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

And so we find that God saves us from our sins, but we also have to do the work to “save ourselves from this crooked generation”. Because, like we said last week, while God gives us a new spirit at salvation, the new mind is a process we have to work out on our own. This is why Philippians 2:12 says:

Philippians 2:12 (NASB95)

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

Peter was saved in an instant, but it took years to work off his dirty mouth.

Noah was a righteous man, yet after the flood he drunk himself into a stoopper. When his sons found him he was stark naked.

David was a man after Gods own heart the Bible says, yet he had a problem with girls, theft, cheating, lying and murder.

So, we are going to have to put some work into this new, Christian way of life. And you have already figured this out. Now, if you are a typical Christian, and fall within the lines of the 332 million Christians in America, you will “save yourself from this crooked generation” by going to church on Sunday, by trying harder throughout the week. And when you fail, you will go to church on Sunday, repent again, and try harder. Because the Monday through Saturday life, especially the Saturday life, is so tempting, but so “not-Christian”. Now, if it gets really bad, you may find yourself wanting to recommit your life to Jesus regularly in an attempt to make this Christian life stick a little better. Because everyone knows that the real fun begins Friday after work, but the Spiritual begins Sunday morning. This is the life of a Christian Dualist. But, the early church teaches us a better way, a more effective way. I would argue, a more wholistic way.

Acts 2:42 NASB95

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Biblical Model of Community

The writer here gives us four things that we should be “devoted” to. That word devoted, in the Greek Proskartereo means to “persist obstinately, to persevere”. In other words, this author, whose name is Luke, is telling us to work hard at, let nothing get in the way of, overcome any and every obstacle that would keep you from these four things:

Following the Apostles teachings

Fellowship

Breaking Bread - or sharing a meal with other believers

prayer

Whatever has to give, Luke says, ensure that these things happen, and two out of the four of these items listed require that we be in community. Breaking bread, which was the celebratory bread that was shared prior to receiving communion, and fellowship. Now, that word fellowship, or Koinonia is also a unique word in the Greek language, because it doesn’t just mean having a conversation over a cup of coffee like we may think. The literal definition is: To share what one has with another so that they both can prosper- inner relationship, participation and impartation.

Life At The Table

Now, here is the blindspot for too many believers. We translate fellowship as “being together”. Many believers I know consider Sunday morning to be their Christian fellowship. Now, I don’t want to steal fun and thunder out of our Sunday gatherings; but I will tell you that if you consider this to be fellowship- I mean, you are sitting in a chair right now staring at a platform. Not to be rude, but you and I could fellowship a whole lot better if there was a table and plate of pancakes involved. See, what God is trying to do is open our eyes to another paradigm. Where the church gathered in this kind of a setting is a celebration of Gods work; the church scattered, in homes all throughout our region, is a fellowship, or Koinonia of Gods people. Fellowship, or Koinonia is the ecclesiastical tool designed by God for saving His people from the evil of this present generation.

If you will go back to this Mark 16:15 passage that has been with us since the beginning of this series, you will find a mystery hidden here. Because, as I’ve shared each week, this is not Jesus sitting with a group of men and women who are die-hard, faith filled, ready to change the world believers. By verse 20 they become that, but in verse 14 they are still struggling to even believe that Jesus is alive. They are at risk of succumbing to the deception of the common world around them, or we could say: the crooked generation, the evil of this present world. And what changed their mind?

Mark 16:14 (NASB95)

14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.

He joined them in life at the table. He fellowshipped with them in the home. Look at what Jesus warns us of in Matthew 24.

Matthew 24:24 NASB95

24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Why is it that so many will be deceived in the last days? It is because so many have strayed from the fellowship of the church, they have isolated themselves from the very thing God designed as His mechanism of course correction when we begin to stray away from the truth.

A Stronger Church

When we say our vision is to get the Gospel in every home, we are not just talking about a larger church, we are talking about a stronger church.

A stronger church is not built upon a platform, a personality, or a single geographical location, but rather a Stronger Church is a church that is built upon the Presence of the Holy Spirit active through individuals while in their natural social habitats.

The strength of the church gathered is set by the consistency and efficacy of the church scattered. When the individual members of the church isolate, and insulate, and removed themselves from community; we have no other option than to manipulate the work of the weekend gathering to ensure it can jump start our spiritually dead battery in hopes we can last another seven days without dying. Members of the body of Christ were never intended to live life alone.

1 Corinthians 12:12 NASB95

12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Look at what Paul says again in this chapter:

1 Corinthians 12:14 NASB95

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

So, we don’t survive a part from each other. And we don’t survive by touching base once a week. My eye doesn’t have a weekly staff meeting with my foot. NO! My whole body is in constant communication, and connection in order to stay healthy and live. Beyond that, if one part ever stopped communicating with another, this would necessitate a hospital visit. As I have studied the spiritual and social habits of believers over the last 10 years, I am more convinced than ever that the greatest weapon against the church is not false religions, it’s not a sexualized culture, it’s not the threat of an outlawed faith, or the persecution of believers. The greatest threat to the body of Christ is Christians living outside community. We have separated the social from the spiritual, thus causing our lives to become divided. We lives as Christian Dualists. The spiritual life separate from the social life. And there is nothing more threatening to our own faith than this alone. Because it puts the two lives at war with each other. Assuming that to be social is to sever the spiritual and to be spiritual is to sever the social. As a result, too many Christians spend their weekend celebration in shame for the social fun they have participated in all week.

The Union

But, God never intended for the Spiritual to be at odds with the social, nor the social to isolated from the Spiritual, but that the Spiritual would be social, and that the social would be deeply spiritual. Thus causing this new life in Christ to be the most healthy, and vibrant life one could ever have! Jesus in Matthew 22 told us that the Kingdom of Heaven is a like a king who hosted a wedding feast. What could be more amazing that a week full of fun and laughter, encouragement and support, and at the end of that week knowing that it has all been done in one holy act of worship to God? This is a whole new life, this is a subculture that is contagious and viral in the best way ever! This is why the early church grew so rapidly, because for once in their lives these people who joined in living life the Christ Way were experiencing life the way it was really meant to be! Look at how Luke describes it in Acts 2:46

Acts 2:46 NASB95

46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

Look at these word pictures:

In the temple- They went to church on Sunday

House to house- The were in small groups

Taking their meals together- They had a Country Buffett

With Gladness- Literally translated “great joy”- They were “stinkin’ happy”

Sincerity of heart- There was no shame involved

When it was all over, nobody was at the alter repenting of the fun they had last night night. The reason the early church was so viral is because for the first time ever in human history, the social and spiritual life came together in a perfect union, leaving the non-christian life completely undesirable. And get this; this new life, it didn’t exclude the unbelieving world, it drew them in. it was a contagious new way of living.

Acts 2:47 (NASB95)

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Over this last year, the pastors of this church have studied and considered the spiritual health of those who call LFC their home, and this is what we have found. Those who live in community with other like minded believers and practice these four elements: studying the teachings of Gods Word, fellowshipping, sharing a meal, and praying together, these people are more likely to remain spiritually healthy long term. And we have studied this for years, and the two most common arguments against living in community remain; “I don’t have time”, and “I don’t need it”. Yet, Lukes own words remain in your Bible: “Be devoted to fellowship”. Do life at the table, and save yourself from this crooked generation. When you walk out of this auditorium today you will find a big table in the coffee shop. At that table you can make a choice today to live life At The Table. There are several clip boards where you can sign up to be a part of a home group.

Salvation Response

Now, for some of you, your next step is right here. Jesus said in John 10:10

John 10:10 (NASB95)

10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I don’t know why you came to church today, but my guess is it has something to do with the fact that you are looking for a change in life. I am here to tell you that real life begins with Jesus. People tell me all the time; Aaron, I’m not sure if I can keep up the Christian way of life. I tell them; and I struggle to keep up my workout routine, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. The truth of the matter is this, Jesus is not looking for your perfection, He is looking for your surrender. You know, and I know, that life in your own hands is not working. God tells us this: Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NASB95

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

I share this verse with us regularly, because this verse reminds us that our salvation is not contingent upon our ability to perform for Jesus, but His willingness to save us. Today, I want to lead you in a simple prayer of surrender to Jesus. If you are here in this room, or online, and want to ask Jesus the be the Lord and Savior of your life, raise your hand right now. Awesome; let’s pray this out loud, church, repeat after me.

“Heavenly Father, I trust You to save me through Your Son, Jesus.  Forgive me for all of my sins.  Make me brand new.  Because You died for me, I want to live for You.  Fill me with Your Spirit, so I could follow You.  Jesus, You’re now my Lord and the Savior of my life.  Take my life.  It is Yours.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.”