Encounter, Part 2: His People // Pastor David Spiegel

The last week we started a series or calling and counter the whole idea is to set the tone for the new year and and we started out I know that it was the kind of the first Sunday in January and and sometimes it takes us a little bit to get back into the groove coming up to the holidays their sickness is going around and so not everybody was here. So I want to challenge you if you weren't here to go back and listen to the message on the app is it really sets the tone what I believe that God is speaking for this year. I believe that this is going to be literally the year of encounter. I am praying for that by believing for that. It's the last one we talked about John 14:23 and we talked about how are Jesus makes this statement? He says if anyone loves me he will obey my teaching my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.

This weekend for a moment not want to reap reach what I did last week. I want to set a timer for to move on or we're doing for this week. It's the whole point was the idea of encounter that we should desire God to make his home with us.

That's an easy thing to say if we were to take a poll and say who desires God to make your home with it with you probably say yes, but many times we made those statements about stopping and taking into account what that would mean.

Cuz this guy comes in and makes his home with us. Some things are going to change.

And the truth is we talked about that we talked about if we truly loved him, we would love him to the point of obedience. We talked about this idea of him making his home with us and we threw out throughout the question when I asked this I said are you sure because that's what God spoke to me over some things I was praying about. I don't know sometimes God wants the best for us. But sometimes we ask for things and God's response. That is are you sure? I can do that. I want to answer that prayer, but I want you to know that some things are going to change in your life for me to answer that prayer. So we talked about that last week him in because it's a huge step for even season followers of Christ because when he moves in and there's truly encounter with God nothing stays the same.

But what about those that aren't there yet? What about those that have acquired brought themselves to the point of saying. Go ahead and move in. Change what you got to change to got to do work in me? What about those that aren't quite there yet. What about those know that there's something in their life that needs to change and they feel this tugging at their heart. but how can I make this transition toward this idea of an encounter with God because sometimes we throw our christianese turns out

It would make statements like encounter guy, which is a great thing. We want that. That's what we want. But send me the other sometimes there people was like I know about that. It sounds a little spooky to me. That sounds a little I've heard about you folks. right and we see those things and sometimes are those at that I have but I want to want us to understand this morning as I believe in counter with genuine Christ Christ followers can and should serve as the bridge from those that are seeking to that encounter with God.

Cuz what happens many people come in and it may be coming in and they feel this tugging and I kind of wanted to check things out a little bit and I kind of want to put a little toe in the water. So to speak in an account shopping in but they have these preconceptions about what those of us that that are Christians are.

They were false notion of what God's people are like they fear being judged their biggest conception is looking to walk in and somebody's going to Corner them and pick apart every little thing about them.

And we have to be careful about that thing because cuz they they in many times you also see in addition to that. You see people that have this idea that well, you know, I know I need to get back involved in church. I know I need to take the step before Christ, but I've got some things I need to clean up first. Then this false notion that they got to get everything right before they can step in to God's presence.

And what they do need is real approachable people. What they don't need is somebody that's going to walk out and pull out their holy measuring stick and hold it right up to them from the beginning and see if they measure up to the point. Okay, will you can measure if I can talk to you?

What they need is people that will embrace them where that you heard the song that we sing earlier. I mean that that was done picking at song. I didn't say he picked the song it kind of shows the goddess sit in the table for what is being said today that no matter who you are. This is a place. You need to be welcome.

So my question is this whenever the question I had questionable get you later, but my statement is this that I want you to hold on to their encounter with us should entice them towards a god encounter.

Cuz they're not there yet. I'd love it if we were at the place where we're all walking around, so holy and so full of the spirit. They when they come around us at all some conviction hits them and they just begin to fall on their face before God and and unloading all their sins. And and it did we just walking around that kind of presence, but if you're not there yet.

Then their encounter with us should entice them towards a god encounter. So that mom wouldn't mind I want to talk about us for just a moment.

Some of you were here a lot of you were new but in September of 2012, we had our first official service in this Auditorium right here together.

As we looked at the idea of merging two churches together. It basically was already decided but it was the first official service that we would have. Clyde officially on paper yet One Church And I'll never forget that Sunday. I don't think as long as I live and we're walking in and and I remember that this idea and I thought you know what we have the situation. We're trying to merge two churches are trying to make this thing happen in and I know that it out. There's that me ever heard that same an elephant in the room is the thing that everybody knows is there but nobody wants to talk about And I remember having that thought coming into that service. You know what there's an elephant in the room that everybody's thinking about but nobody wants to talk about it. So I thought you and I was going to talk about it verse first Rattle out of the box.

Remember making the statement. Right up front send you know what every one of you when you walked in today. When somebody walked in the door you either said that's one of them or that's one of us.

right You know, sometimes we do that. Am I stay with that? I made was this somehow Us and Them has to become we

Praise God, I believe mission accomplished.

But my point is this we can still have that attitude lingering as Believers when somebody comes walking in. The Mets doesn't quite fit in maybe they're not fully surrender their life to Christ and it's easier for us as a body of Believers to look at them and say oh that's one of them.

That whole attitude needs to shift. We're even we see somebody to they may not fit in yet. But we need to have this attitude and this mindset this somehow them has become part of us.

Us and Them have to become weed You remember for those who they were part of that that kind of weed I can already mentioned a couple times but it really got solidified in the church at that point. We begin using this term very often and I haven't spoke on this in a while will begin using the term uncommon Unity.

The idea being is that we have to be unified as Believers. I'm convinced. This is the key component and it for those that come in and not sure they want to encounter God what they need to do is they see if they need to have a unified encounter with us. We need to represent him. Rightly. If they can't hear me say this and I and this should be on the screen if they can't stand their encounter with his people they will not want anything to do with a god encounter.

I don't say that again if they can't stand their encounter with his people, they will not want anything to do with encountering God.

We're supposed to be that bridge now before you think I'm off the Mark or summer. I'm going somewhere today. That's okay. You'll get over it. But today I've given this today's message the title and counter his people.

Isn't it interesting that they will come to the end of something we come to the end of our lives or some circumstance. I know that's when we finally focus on what really matters. How often do you have somebody that they're really reaching the end of their life and they know it and they're at that point and all the sudden we hear about the regrettes all the sudden we hear about the things in their life. It was not a balance. Another priority was a wrong about things that they should should do much better. They didn't do it and we hear all those things wouldn't be much better if we got those things right before we got to the end.

And while Jesus certainly himself Had No Regrets We also know that he definitely had laser focus. Is he reached the end of this time here on Earth? Cuz it all came down to his mission and what it was about. So in Jesus last moments in the Garden of Gethsemane, which is what I want to look at today. He was clearly focused on the things that were most important. Use focus on obedience to the father. He was focused on the completion of his mission of redemption and he was focused on his vision for his church.

Did you know on those last moments before he was arrested? 3 prayed for you, and I

and look at what?

1 which is the text for the message today. He says this is my prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who believe in me through their message that all of them maybe one father just as you were in me and I am in You by they also being us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Think about that.

There he is at that place that he's about to wrap up his Earthly Ministry. And he's focus on the things that matter most and is a part of that. He stops and he prays for us.

Any makes this thing when I read that this last week.

I saw this those nice words just jump off the page at me on that verse where it says be in us so that

Cuz when we talked about last week, we talked about this idea of God making his home with us. And I saw him being at us and us being in him and those things are important. But what is the purpose for B&S? So that what is that that

that that is that we shouldn't God desire God to make his home on us. So the world may believe. their encounter with us Will entice them towards a god encounter. Big Butter Jesus in that moment Here's this man a very human man in that moment facing a miserable death.

In his human nature just like you and me wanted to avoid that.

Not that he was sending out that he was failing or they could but you can understand that that flash part of him will still like Lord if there's any other way.

He prayed that prayer. And yet he came back to this idea. We know what nevertheless your will not mine and he came back around to obedience even though he was about to go through on the most horrific things. Anybody would ever have to go through and I know that he was all God, but he was also all man in the man part of him was about to go through some horrific things and he knew exactly what it was. This thank God this is the ordinary man. This man was one with the father. This man was in all things. He was loved by the father before the creation of the world. The Bible says that he was there an active at creation that he's one with the father and then he was his will in the father's will wear identical and then he loved everything. He wanted to bring glory to God more than anything. I think about it. It was in this moment. It was his desire. It was here Prince prayer for us that we would be one as he in the father are one.

Cgb one was with Jesus being one with us and I'll be one with one another was clearly a focus that he was focused on at that very last moment and what he wants for us. He wants us to be United. He wants our will to be his will he wants the choices that we make it like to bring glory to him. He wants us to demonstrate how that we are in him and he is in us we're supposed to be that representation so that when people have encounter with us, they can get a taste of what an encounter with God could be like

So what does this look like in practice?

First of all, this means we don't roast each other as the world does.

You notice we've gotten into this Society of critics.

Everything that happens so many people like it is their Destiny of this world critique, whatever happens.

Somebody posted picture of some somebody dress and some fashion and somebody's going to critique however dressed.

Put the song of you singing something online even it's just for fun and somebody's going to critique that. We live in this world, but should we be that way as Christians? Should we be going about the business of roasting each other? Should we be about the business of of critiquing every little thing that everybody does

what it looks like in practice is a truly loving one another not giving lip service.

It means that we remember that before we pass judgment on somebody else and we've got some flaws of Our Own.

Jesus said we need to quit pulling out the tweezers trying to get the speck out of somebody else's I will get this log sticking out ours. I need to be that that mental picture looks like something out of The Three Stooges, right?

So my walk around us login there knocking everybody around there where there go, but I'll hear let me get that spec.

We need to let this in practice it needs to be with there's always room for more.

Doing somebody comes in like you know, what come on Inn. Join the group. It means that we Embrace people so that they can Embrace Jesus.

moving on John 17 22 through 23 Jesus saying he's continued part of that purses. I have given them the glory that you gave me and that they may be one as we are one eye and them and you and me May the be brought to complete Unity to let the world know that you sent me and have love them. Even as you have loved me.

He prayed for Unity.

Let that sink in for a moment. So my second thought this morning base of that is the glory of unity.

See we all video of us all I want the glory of God to fall. I do too. I pray that all regular basis.

But uncommon Unity sets the stage for uncommon Glory.

Create an atmosphere. We don't have the stuff going on for God to move.

True unity in the church looks nothing like conformity.

I'm going to say again. So sync sent to Unity in the church looks nothing like conformity. What is uncommon Unity? Let's start out of this idea what it isn't it isn't all of us being the same.

Is it all of us dressed and groom the same is that all of us loving the same style of music? It is at all of us focus on an outward Holiness veneer in place of an inward heart for God.

It's no cookie-cutter pattern is the breeds this false Unity of Conformity which leads to a culture of judgment.

Cuz when you have this false idea that Unity is conformity. There was somebody doesn't conform to the pattern. You begin to judge?

think about that for a moment this type of

Unity it leads to fake Unity release the soul Unity. Let's talk about what I'm, Unity is. It's a Unity of focused its focus on the purpose of bringing glory to the savior. And that can take on different colors that can take on different styles of dress that can take on different styles of music if it brings glory to him.

Do we need to say you know what? That isn't have to fit my taste.

As we talked about last week, it says you always back episode this. We have been set free.

It's so Jesus didn't sacrifice. So that we can be set free of our stuff to get caught back up in the Bob wire of some overly legalistic rule system.

Runs, but that doesn't always make it to word of God.

I know I'm meddling a little bit.

What did it say in John 14:12 who did last week says if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching less obey his teaching but let's don't add any other stuff to it that it doesn't say.

Love bass Unity will be law based every time.

Can I tell you something we're living under a new covenant?

It's a covenant this based on the heart is a covenant this based on the sole. It's account of this based on the right kind of obedience and loving one another. Hey, can I tell you when the world sees this and it's real practice, they don't know what to do with it.

Cuz we talked about what I do they come in and they had this mental image that everything is going to be picked apart about them that it's going to be a place of judgment. They're not going to love them where they're at. And then all those things going to happen in the people have this idea and it's and it's a grain of it when they come in and they find out that's not the case when they come in they find out that people love them where they're at. That isn't me work we let them stay whether or not

But it means we love because that's just the starting point. Guess what you had a starting point at one point. I had a starting point and wherever that is some people we start off a little further up the road that other people but we all have a starting point and that is we don't stay at our starting point. We move on and let God do the power of the Holy Spirit begin to change them to transform them.

It is so uncommon the people are amazed when they see it and it begins to draw the there are people that we have baptized that came in the doors feeling like they were going to be judged and when they were done and they found that we love them God through the Holy Spirit begin to work on them and transform them and they were baptized it when they walked in the door. They wouldn't have fit in.

I never forget I mentioned when we were merging the two churches. Remember months down the road. We have gone through quite a few months and things are going well. We were merging the two churches and and I remember the day came for us to have our business be all the paperwork and all the stuff. I've been filled out it about to truly officially be one church and is all going to be sitting order another part of that process where to vote in the Constitution and bylaws and week. We had this business meeting and how how me know that sometimes business meetings when you're doing stuff like that can be a little awkward.

Because everybody has their opinions.

But I remember we had that businessman remember that some of our district and section officials were here to help sit that and order it and us having that many, but I remember the joy that was in the room that night. People coming in excited about what God has done and I remember making a few opening comments and I threw out this idea and I kind of spoke just a couple sentences or so on the sun, you pretty thing and talking about is we're getting ready to remember that night turned into the celebration as we're going through that business being so forth. I remember presbyter Thomas mcgahan at the time of her him leaning over to me and making this statement. He said this uncommon Unity thing is contagious. I can feel it.

See, there's something about it when people see the real thing in our Oneness is a huge witnessed other people. You might be concerned it. Maybe your hearing you say, you know, but I'm just me and I'm concerned cuz I'm really not a great evangelist. I don't I don't have words. I'm not very good at leading somebody else to the Lord, but guess what? Yes, that's something we all should work on it. So we all should strive for. But to let you off the hook just a little bit this morning.

What did Jesus say you verse 23 we talked about us being one. He said may they be brought to complete Unity to let the world know.

many times our actions and the way we handle situations in the way, we love one. Another can be the greatest witness. We can never have

Truth is as Christians our Unity as a witness matter of fact, John 13:35. Jesus himself sit by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

Think about that. See when we get there people be drawn and in it, he will move in and he will be glorified all the things that we're praying for or part of this complete package. since we want what Jesus said in verse 24

since father I want to give I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and just see my glory the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

I'm lazy praying for our Unity. But he praised that we would see his glory.

You think maybe there's a correlation there?

It's my last out this morning. I want to touch you on his show us your glory.

How about you? I want the glory of God to reside in this place. Cuz I said the idea of encounter is something that is burning deep within me. Bisque, it would be honest.

We can throw a rock in any direction and hit another church in this community. We live in Thank God for that.

But you know, what would make this difference and I'm not bashing You by else?

We're not going to compete by out programming somebody else.

Ford make a standout is if we truly had on common unity and which led to an uncommon presence of the Holy Spirit.

This was going to make a difference.

Our goal should be for others to see his glory now. So they'll be enticed to see his glory later. Rule now and later candies

I thought about literally thought about having some of those out today.

Because we need to live our lives where people can get catch a glimpse of his love now.

So they can make it and see his glory in its fullness later.

We need to be a people of now and later. And when we get finished when the focus is change for bringing glory to God.

We're not finished when we get selfish. I want to touch on that first. I will ship the glory from bring glory to God to what I want.

Then we're putting ourselves and our desires ahead of God and ahead of our neighbors.

What I mean by that is that we don't.

We should put other people you're on another we can get pretty caught up on our opinions. We think pretty highly of our opinions.

But our goal should be to bring glory to God and to do something to love our neighbor. You know, I'm not saying we put our neighbor above ourselves with scripture makes it pretty clear that that that are sell in other people or supposed to kind of be on the same Level Playing Field. Is there supposed to love our neighbors as our self?

But would do that. Sometimes we we get caught up in what we want and that doesn't mean that we need to put them first but we need to understand that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and put them on an even footing with us and forgive their shortcomings.

And doing for them as we would have them do for us.

Can a metal just a little more?

bored

How many times are we guilty?

I have this going on my life, and nobody called me. Nobody visited me. Nobody cared for me. Nobody even noticed I was gone. Okay, that may be true.

What other people were missing when other people were sick? But other people are facing things did you do for them what you want done for yourself?

She is so easy. We need to forgive one another. None of us are above making mistakes.

Follow me around long enough. You're going to see me make a mistake. I know that make shatter your view me.

But it'll happen.

We need to give other people the same Grace we want in return.

We need to love one another.

We need to work to keep Unity who noticed sometimes the people you're closest with the people that you're the harshest with. Sometimes you're nicer. Or strangers than you are two people are supposed to be close to you.

What if we lived our life? Their default setting was to give people the benefit of the doubt first.

Sometimes somebody does something. And we get all offended and they have no idea because the way we took it is not the way they minutes.

Do we get all bent out of shape? Ben I really am waiting deep into this.

But what do we do? Instead of doing what scripture says and going and talking to that person.

And making a statement and seeing you know, what when you said that that kind of rub me the wrong way that I just want to what did you mean? And give him a chance to talk it through.

Because what we do many times in place of that is we'll go find somebody else.

Know what they said to me.

And all the sudden you just change somebody else's opinion of somebody else.

seafrost to have this uncommon Unity We need to give a little grace to people. Because we look for it. We can find things that will divide us.

In fact, I know of a former head angel will be more than happy to help you with that. He got a name change to Satan.

And I believe I understand I'm not going to say this is scripture, but I just want you to dream with me for just a moment, but the story of the Tower of Babel.

This found in Genesis 11:6 and seven hits of the people begin to build this Tower. Literally bring glory to themselves. It's so God comes on and says this he says if if this one people speaking the same language of a gun to do this than nothing they plan to do is impossible for them. Come let us go down and confuse their language. They will not understand each other. You know what I have for years wondered. If Satan wasn't sitting on the sidelines seeing this obviously he was all for the tower and God comes along they were in unity. They were Unity for the wrong purpose. But they were in unity God comes along confuse their language gets them speaking different ways and not in there in literally souls disunity in and a project collapses and they gone I wonder I've also wondered just my mind I said, I'm not saying this is scriptural if you are diagnosed.

If I can. If I can divide his people. If I can get them disunified with one another.

I can stop the dance men of his kingdom.

And he's been playing that trick again and again and again through the centuries and we fall for it again and again and again him.

Because it for Unified. as believers If we walk in and I come here, let me make this clear. I'm not dealing with any particular issue today. That is not the purpose. I just know that if we want to continue this unit, if we want the glory that we are saying we want God to pour out that we have to guard this Unity.

Cuz the enemy is an incredible divider.

And he loves to create a fence.

I say this. I'm just going to throw this out there.

If you have a concern about some decision I've made. If you got a concern about some direction of something. And you want to come ask me about it. I won't bite your head off.

You may not understand decision, but sometimes it's easier maybe cuz you don't have all the details.

Is if you want now I may not tell you stories or something is going on behind the scenes that you don't need to know. But if you want if you don't like Services may come ask me about and I'll tell you how I got to that decision.

and you may go all what do you may still disagree? That's okay, too. But what we don't need is the disunity of somebody going to somebody else whether it's a decision I make or some Department leader or somebody else or whoever we don't need to be going to somebody else and sowing Discord. That is what the enemy does.

If we do what is scriptural? We just go to the person and ask.

simple

but isn't it easier to go talk to somebody else about somebody?

Need to watch that are tempted to do that we to call it what it is cuz I'm telling you there are times in my life is something happens and and there's something inside of me begins to rise up and wants to take offense and immediately. I have a habit of Lord. Don't let this turn into anything because it is not worth it.

Sometimes it's easier and better for the kingdom. Just take a Big Gulp and swallow it.

And keep the peace. amen

Let me tell you that's the most Raptors. There's something about Unity.

Let's say we're getting ready to do the dishes out here. The kids are in all said we had no clue it was there we find out that there was a a one-ton stone just underneath the ground that was in the way.

I just shoot me for a little bit for whatever reason we didn't have heavy equipment to get it out of the way. We had to do it by Manpower.

There's not a single one of us that could do it by ourselves.

And so we would go out there with look at it. And then if we were in disunity, we'd all standard a circle around it talk about a hundred different ideas of how to get that mood and we would never settle on anything and it would stay there for years and months.

Or maybe there's this group of 10 and that group of five and this group of six that have different ideas. And so they all decide to tackling in the nest. Is there working against one another once again, it would never get moved.

but if 100 of us working Unity

I discovered something when I was kind of doing the math. I did not know that there was a short ton and a long time short tons. 2000 lb long time is 2200 lb. So depending on whether it was a short ton or long turn rocked if 100 people and unity. That means we don't have to lift between 20 or 22.4 lb per person.

UCL doable something is somewhere in unity.

There's something about that.

By here many times people ask a question while can you be a Christ follower without being connected with somebody? or church Yeah, it's possible but it's kinda like being a soldier without an army. A citizen who doesn't pay taxes or vote the captain on a ship without a crew a tuba player with an orchestra. That's bad.

a politician who is a hermit

baby without a hive

see there's there's a value in being together.

We must be as one and we must work together for the kingdom. Is the buy problems us becoming like him in the last thing I'm going to say is this? How can we? Leave the prayers of the one we expect to answer hours on answered.

What did he pray at the Garden? That we would be one so that the world would know.

And it's within our grasp to answer his prayer.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Because if we work together. We get in unity. And we put our insignificant differences aside and we focus on the big picture. We can get incredible things accomplished for the kingdom and the reason we don't. Is because we let stupid little things divide us.