GOSPEL COMMUNITY: WHY?

I meant the last week we finished up at series on gospel fluency. We spent several weeks this summer thinking about not only what is the gospel but how does the gospel actually apply to all of our lives? But the essence of the Gospel is the power of God for salvation and that doesn't simply mean not saved from hell and takes us to some place called heaven after we die. It's the power of God for salvation in all of our lot. The gospel is what we need to be healed for any hurt that we have. The gospel is what we need to grow into any goodness that we want to grow in and so the gospels not something that we believe just wants the gospels not something that we start with and then move on to other things the gospel. If everything's the follower of Jesus, we need the gospel everyday in every way.

doesn't quite count when I have to tell you to do it, but

Thank you, Jim. We need the gospel. We need to learn. How to speak the gospel to ourselves and that's really what the essence of that series was. How do we apply the gospel to the needs in our lives today on gospel Community flows out of it because I absolutely believe that in order to be fluent in the gospel or to grow in gospel fluency. You have to be a part of a gospel Community. It's not enough to simply speak gospel to yourself by yourself for yourself. You are by definition blind to your blind spots are all sorts of areas in your life and in my life that if we're the left to ourselves. We're in trouble. Gospel fluency really flourishes and develops and grows in the context of a community of people that are equally committed to the truth and power and beauty of the gospel and in love learn how to speak the gospel to each other. I'm going to do my best over the next few weeks to to ask an invite and persuade and exhort and plead and beg for you to choose to invest your time and your energy and your heart that you're everything about you into and I don't care if it's a formal informal but in to gospel Community into relationships with other people who value Jesus the way that you do and will commit to speaking the gospel speaking life speaking truth to one another on a regular basis to be invested in each other's life. I want you to be a part of a gospel community of beautiful messy inconvenience. Surprising mysterious sometimes tragic sometimes amazing and astounding gospel Community because that is how we grow and it is the heart of God for each of us. But this morning I want to start bye-bye really tackling to see why why should you be a part of a gospel Community? Why should you spend your time, especially in the world in which we live where the pace of life seems to be constantly increasing. We're in a frenzy were always rushed. Why why isn't it enough to show up to a service on a Sunday, you know for an hour and a half once a month or twice a month or some of you were here every week good for you. Why isn't that though? I'm not because all argue all day long that if that is the extent of your spiritual worship and Community you are starving.

for Spiritual nourishment and grow

not that's not to say that what we're doing right now and right here isn't important. Of course. It's important. It's not the end-all be-all. I think far too often in our culture. We've made worship Services what happens on Sunday morning the center of everything? When in reality it's but a part. Of a larger process of growing in the gospel together. So I want us to think this morning about why we should be a part of a gospel Community to do that. I want us to look together and Galatians chapter 5 open up the Galatians chapter 5 up here on the screen. What up when I pick up in verse 13?

Where the Apostle Paul writes these words he says for you were called to Freedom Brothers. Everybody goes yeah America. America we love freedom. We love freedom. We love freedom. But what does freedom mean in our contact? We love freedom because we believe at the core of our culture that the only thing that matters is individual need and desire. So when we hear you are called to Freedom what we hear as good Americans is pulse I've been called to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it. However, I want to do it and if anybody doesn't like it then there an obstacle to my freedom and Jesus wants me to be happy. Therefore I should be able to do anything that I want cuz I'm free.

Apollo would vomit copious amounts

That's not the freedom that he's talking about. He says this you have been called to Freedom Brothers only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. He has this one saying there is exactly the opposite of what we think Freedom should be America. He said don't use your freedom to do whatever you want to do. Your freedom hasn't been given you so you can pursue your desires your agenda for your happiness or your comfort or your convenience. That's not. It's not about your flesh. What you desire says don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Oh how we need to hear this message today?

The freedom that we have been given in Christ. Is a freedom to grow in love. It's a freedom to have the capacity to serve others. It's only a freedom that comes from the gospel. We're picking up in the middle of an argument in the book in The Book of Galatians hear Paul's writing about legalism. There's this group that has moved into the church of galatia and they're telling people. Yeah, you got to believe in Jesus, but what you really got to do is perform. You've Really Got A behave you really got to keep the law. You got to get circumcised. You got to stop eating bacon. You've got to You've got to do all of these things and if you perform if you do these things. Then you can be confident in yourself. And Paul has been doing a marvelous job in the book of Galatians dismantling that kind of ideology in his responses. Nobody's ever been saved by The Works of the flesh. Nobody's ever been safe by keeping the lights always been and it always will be by grace. through face

What's up? There's this this this?

Is entirely Flannery O'Connor is one of my favorite American Authors. She wrote in one of her short stories. She's quit she says I if you want to stay away from Jesus, that's easy. Stay away from sin. Just think about that for a minute cuz I think she's on to something. That's the heart of legalism if I want to stay away from Jesus if I want to stay away from God in other words if I want to be free to be myself and at the same time not go to hell. I'm going to stay away from sin, right if I make myself look good as good as I can on the exterior. Maybe I can fool you maybe I can fool myself. I don't really need God.

So many people today that that in an effort to be good.

in an effort to be religious what they're really doing what maybe some of what we're really doing is trying to avoid God. We try to avoid God through our goodness.

our freedom Is the freedom to be loved and accepted? Completely accepted by God in spite of what we do. and Have Nots and when that happens when the gospel grabs when we stop searching for meaning and significance in how we perform or behave when we stop comparing ourselves to the others around us when we allow God's fries and mind-blowing Grace to accept us and set us free and forgive us. We actually become free to care about others because Jesus has taken care of us.

And far too often in the church that we Retreat Community as optional which we treat it as an add-on. It's not optional. It's not an add-on Community is the natural expression and extension of a gospel lived life. If you are living in the truth and power and reality of the Gospel, you will stop worrying about yourself and you will start caring about others. That is the way it works up. Christian growth is the freedom to be in community. Asthma with so many things in the Christian Life. Why are we in community? Not because we're supposed to not because we have to but because we get to Christian growth is the freedom to be in community. One of my favorite definitions of the church when I think about II, what is the church really? This verse comes to my mind Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who weep.

That that's that's the kind of community. I want to be a part of that only happens. You only really weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. When you are taken care of and crack. When your focus is moved off of you on two others like it was with Christ. Then we are able to truly be happy when someone else has something good. Not be envious. Not be jealous. Not start playing the Y game. What would you do that for them? God not for me. Rejoice with those who Rejoice to truly weep with those who weep Is a fruit. It is a natural expression and extension of a life that is filled with the gospel. Another word to say what I'm trying to say. Almost to Denny's. I'm not quite.

If you're here this morning. And you think that Christianity is an individualized faith. But you think it's all about your personal relationship with Jesus that you are going to grow spiritually because you have your personal quiet time and you personally read the Bible and you personally give in this new personally show up and it's all about you and Jesus you're missing the point of the Gospel. I'm not saying you're not saved but I will say you better step back and truly evaluate. What's your faith? And your hope is actually in because your Faith and Hope is in the gospel. And in Jesus, the inevitable natural transformation of a gospel infused life is a love for others. And the desire for community. the world today is full of Christians that have taking the name Christian But are really living out an individualized.

adaptation of Christianity got its name, but not its power.

Got the words but not the effect.

We want to make it all about ourselves. Jesus sets us free from ourselves. That we might truly love one another Rejoice with those who Rejoice weep with those who weep don't you want to be a part of that kind of community? But you want to have those kinds of relationships that depth of friendship that when your heart is broken.

People are going to come up to you and say oh, that's too bad. I'll pray for you and walk away.

I'll come up and say boys your face must be weak. You should pray a little bit harder and then this bad stuff wouldn't happen to you.

Don't you want people that when your heart is broken and you're on the ground that get on the ground with you and weep with you? When something amazing happens they are celebrating every bit as much as you are because they genuinely love and care for you. Don't you want that for yourself? Don't we want to give that other? This is what the gospel produces within us. It is the freedom to be in community. He send us the exact opposite doesn't think back to Genesis in the beginning right? We're going to move into Genesis here in the fall. In the original state Adam and Eve are naked and with no shame. There's no filters.

In the moments in comes into the picture where they doing, they're hiding from the the father they're making fig leaves so they can hide their differences from each other. That's what sin does sin exasperates our differences Grace demonstrates our Unity. Fight for yourself gray says Jesus fought for you. So now you can fight for other.

Let's go back to the Galatians chapter 5. He says this for the whole lot of field in one word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Smithfield in this one word love your neighbor as yourself.

Is it but if you bite and devour one another watch out?

The you are not consumed. by one another

it's almost like Paul had a prophetic vision. What was going on on Facebook in 2019?

I remember who said if it's only said the the Christian Army is the only Army that shoots its own wounded.

We've we've developed a well-earned and it hurts me to say that we have developed a well-earned reputation in the church today of being divisive and harsh and judgmental of separating and segregated. We have created environment. Based on gender based on ethnicity based on economics based on politics. We have master that we're in and they're out.

We have the defining contribution of American church and Christianity to the Christianity as a whole is the abundance of tribalism.

Cuz we've been more American than Christian. The part of the Church community and we don't quite agree. Theologically. The only thing I can do is go start my own denomination.

If you don't do worship the way that I like you to do worship. I can't be there. retreat being a part of the church being a part of community light consumers.

I don't like to shop there. I don't get my groceries anywhere but Whole Foods.

I'd rather die than shop at Ross.

I'd rather Diamond shop anywhere, but Amazon to be honest, but

We're not consumers when it comes to the church.

Be careful. how to use your freedom for good Use your freedom to serve each other not to try to get others to serve you. If you love one another the gospels will flourish and grow but if you don't you will devour each other.

I could spend a few hours up here this morning and I could just show you my scars. from the church

stars from well-intentioned dragons Stars from those who knew the truth. I didn't know how to speak in love.

Stars from those that didn't rejoice when I was rejoicing it didn't weep when I was weeping and I imagine every single one of us could share the same thing. In fact, it's probably a miracle that some of you are here this morning.

Some of you may have been so hurt and wounded in the church that it's a supernatural act of Grace for you to actually choose to come back and come here this morning.

And if that's you I'm glad you're here. Cuz it doesn't have to be like that.

He says but I say to you walk by the spirit.

Walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. You said use your freedom. Not for the Flash.

But use your freedom to serve others and how do we do that? We do that by walking in the spirit. Following the lead and directions and guidance of the spirit. When we do that, we won't gratify the desires of the flesh just for the desires of the flesh are against the spirit. And the desires of the spirit are against the flesh for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do.

Well live with this kind of spiritual schizophrenia, don't we? The things that we want to do, we also don't want to do. there's things that we deeply long for and at the same time we're afraid of the reality is that that there is a battle raging within each of us between the spirit and the Flash between our old identity and our new identities between the sinful nature and the spirit nature.

Is it if your led by the spirit? Under the law. Not bound by that. It says this Christian growth is the fight of a new nature.

The new nature, you know that when you came to Faith In Jesus, and if you haven't yet when you come to Faith In Jesus something amazing happens. And it's not contrary to be the most commonly present. The gospel is not that God punishes your ticket to get you out of hell and put you on the train for heaven. What happens is so infinitely greater than that? When we come to faith in Christ in the spirit is given to us as a down payment to sealer for what is the coming fullest in the future? What happens is that we are made new. You know this verse right? Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. The old has passed away behold. The new has come. As much as I love that verse it's easy to take Iverson and maybe misunderstand exactly what he's saying it cuz that almost makes it sound like it's easy, right? Like okay now that you're in Christ, you're this new creation. You're not going to desire bad things anymore. That's not that's not what this versus a we got to look at other text. Paul's understand it. One of my favorites. Is Roman chapter 6. Listen to this morning. It says if we have been United with him. In a death like his we shall certainly be United with him in a resurrection like his this is in the context of baptism is in the baptism is a symbol a sign that we've been crucified we died with Christ and then we've been resurrected risen alive and new in Christ. He says that we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to send.

We probably don't like to think about this. But without Christ we are by Nature children of Wrath. We are by Nature enslaved to sin. What he saying here in this is a distinction that makes a difference we are. We're not Sinners because we send. We sin because we're Center.

In other words without Christ, it's really the only option you got. And even things but don't normally look and appear as Sin without faith. Everything is sin process. So even things good works good deep humility can use all of these things.

without Christ send

he says we know that our old stuff has been crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin for one who has died. Has been set free from sin in other words, you don't have to send anymore. You don't have to you're not obligated. You don't serve sin anymore. Now you serve Jesus. Not if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die. Again. That's no longer has dominion over him for the deaf. He died he died to sin once and for all but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. You don't have to send wife could Christ has broken the power of cities transferred you from the Dominion of Darkness to the Dominion of the beloved Son, but you're still going to want pill.

So I said you got a I like the King James you got to reckon yourself. You got to consider yourself dead to sin. You got to remind yourself because without you live a long time without Christ you developed a lot of habits a lot of behaviors a lot of patterns with Sam feldt natural and normal. And now in Christ you've been made a new creation in Christ. Send has been broken. You are no longer enslaved to it, but you're still going to like it.

That's why he says you got to consider yourself dead to sin alive to God in Christ. Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its Passions.

Do not present your members of parts of your body to send as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourself to God as those who have been brought from Death to life and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

so Christian growth Is the freedom to be in community and Christian growth?

Is the fight of a new nature within us against the old nature of sin that's been crucified with Jesus.

And quite simply that is not a fight that we can win by ourselves.

This is not a fight that we can win by herself. There's so much that is revealed in community. Now, I'm going to tell you something this morning. It may be shocking to some of you so just prepare yourselves for a moment. But I get grumpy. a lot I get irritable. I can get short-tempered. I can be quick and mean with my tongue yesterday was one of those days for me. I was here at the church put in my final touches on the sermon in the beauty community and how good it is and how Christ has set us free.

Me. Just my son's with me everything. He does annoys me. It's just one of those days and I and I are sitting back and I'm feeling convicted. I'm starting to shame myself and feeling super guilty and like I can't stand up and preach tomorrow. Like I'm a total hypocrite and what the spirit told me and what was so beautiful to me. Is it? I'm a super simple. But it just came to me if I wasn't in relationship with my son and my wife. I never would have seen that anger. And whatever it was that was going on within me. I wouldn't even have known it was there to allow God's grace to deal with it without community. Did you see that this morning? There aren't there so much in you that Jesus wants to transform that he wants to bind up that he wants to put back together, but he wants to restore for so many things in your life, but he wants to set you free from but if you are not in the context of community, you won't even see it or know that you need it.

So let's go. Let's go back to the galatian says this now the works of the flesh are evident.

Sexual morality and Purity sensuality idolatry sorcery and the T Strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries dissensions divisions and be drunkenness orgies and things like this. Hope that doesn't look like you're Diaries. I warn you as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God much like you didn't Roman six Siege on a contrast between the Flesh and the spirit. If you're still works a flash, here's the freedom. It does whatever it wants to do. Right. I'm going to use my freedom to indulge My Flesh. That's what ends up looking like.

This is what the fruit. the Fruit of the Spirit love Joy, and peace and patience kindness goodness faithfulness.

I guess I didn't finish that. Let's go hear Christian growth is the fruit of the spirits work and community.

but the Fruit of the Spirit

interesting because he lives a whole bunch of fruits. But he says the fruit of the spirit singular thought the fruits of the spirit. It's the fruit. The singular of the spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness.

Other words all of these things come from the result of the spirit and they come in the context of community. Remember, this is not a letter that Paul wrote to an individual. This is a letter that Paul wrote to a church.

Is writing this to a gospel community? He said don't indulge the flesh don't serve yourself love and serve one. Another don't walk in the works of the flesh, but you y'all all y'all? Walk in the spirit and bear the fruits of the spirit together.

Thinking about this last night and my uncle lives in Southern California and four years. He's had this amazing avocado tree. And I mean it produced amazing abundant Harvest of avocados, which is a really good thing in my book.

until a couple of years ago His neighbor three houses down that had another avocado tree cut down their avocado tree. Avocados are weird and unique tray that the flowers actually it has a male Bloom and a female Bloom each flower, but they don't do it at the same time. Avocado tree can't fertilize itself because it doesn't the male the female Bloom first. And then it closes in the mail Bloom and it can't fertilize the female cancer to close. Turn order flat avocado tree to be fertilized with it might their fruit. Is that have another tree that when it blooms then this month and then they tell her Bloom and the bees do their job.

And we can guacamole.

See far too many Christians in the church today. We're standing by ourselves. Well, yeah, it's all about me and Jesus. I love Jesus Jesus. I go to church on talk to anybody but I go to church. How to answer if it's convenient for me, but if it's not something I don't want to do I'm not going to do it. But if the church that's something I don't really like what there's another church down the street. I think I'll shop. which we try to stand alone and then we wonder

what what can I eat guacamole?

riddle. Any fruit I called the bear fruit buy or sell.

Is the fruit of the spirit is born in the context of community the spirits Community. We need each other to speak the gospel to one another when we need it the most when you're feeling weak and I'm feeling strong. We need each other when I'm feeling weak and you're feeling strong. We need each other.

When I get caught up in sin, I need you to restore me when you get caught up and said I need to restore you. This is how it's supposed to work.

But we've Americanized Independence eyes are Christianity so that we try to stand alone and you may grow you may stand. But are you bearing the fruit? of the spirit

Why should we be in gospel communities? Because it is the natural expression and fruit of the Gospel in the life of a man or woman. Who buy coming in space to Christ has been in dwelt with the spirit? The gospel makes us love one. Another the gospel compels us to serve one another and the gospel in the context of community is what grows us into the image of Christ and produces the fruit in our lives. That we all long half.

I think that's a pretty good reason for community.

Next week we're going to talk about.

What do we do in gospel community? And I hope you'll be back to join us. But right now. We're going to pause and celebrate the gospel together. through communion