Week 10 - Life in Community, Life Together

All right. We'll see I got to talking about it's only have three books on my consult this morning. This is the one that's back there on the table how to read the Bible for all it's worth. And here are my notes. So well, I trust and I have heard that you're well taken care of last week. Thank you very much for getting that day off. I was able to amuse, you know, I had to go up to Chicago for for work, but then I took the weekend which was Friday Saturday Sunday and half of Monday 2 to do a spiritual Retreat of my own and to go see some people that it was good to see but people that I needed to see God had his hand and everything. It was just amazing time would fail me to tell you everything but suffice it to say God knows what he's doing and every little thing he does is a gift it is a gift from God always using things to draw sneer to himself continue to pray for me, especially this morning that my voice last. But now that I'm back I wanted to just give us a quick review of what we're doing where we've been we are looking at participating in the Divine Life what it means the First Peter chapter 1 verse 4 to be partakers of that divine nature and through this we have we looked at what it means personally this this internal relationship with God this internal but God directed focus of things that we do things that he has given us that are meant to be working in our lives to transform us. It is about transformation eternal life to the course Bible as we said begins now, but that eternal life is not just your saved in your going to heaven. It is a transformation a renewal of the image of God in as a transformation into the likeness of Christ. This is a high calling. This is not just be a Christian wait to die and go to heaven. We are meant to be transformed into the image of Christ. This is big in the things he's given us to do this. We looked at the first week waiting. Creating that that space of time of location that silence in the busyness of our life to be able to come into to God's presence and they're meeting him in prayer and meditating on on him on who he is and then scriptural reading reading scripture and instead of studying it for a for an intellectual purpose of studying for Spiritual change again transformation in that that that word lexio divina Divine reading of God's word and the last part of lexio Divina that contemplation that entering into God's presence of worship. We looked at worshipping what worship is it how it's not just singing songs. It's laying ourselves at God's feet a complete surrender, but then with all of these Things happening in us this transformation happening in US it begins to turn itself out word. It has two and these things that God is doing in US begin to work itself out and one of the ways we saw its kind of transition point two more outward disciplines was his idea purgation of sin being routed out of us. Of course as Paul says if you walk by the the spirit, you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. So these practices is walking by the spirit help us. Purge ourselves of sin, of course by the power of the Holy Spirit, but we are walking with the Holy Spirit and we send less and less and then the spiritual discipline that really goes along with that was fasting the denial of self denial in in fasted denying something that is good bread food Mountain Dew very good these things but the denial of self and when you do that, it's so much easier to deny yourself sinful Pleasures as well. You said you can come to play something. That's not that's not mine. I don't need that. That is not good for my health. We all practice fasting all the time. I eat I give up donuts everyday sometimes I take but anytime you want any sort of diets your fast in your your setting aside some some people you don't eat cake and some people you don't eat kale, you know, it is actually wife is going to sneak sit in there on me, but we don't do things for our physical benefit right when we spiritually we don't do things. We don't invite them things for our spiritual benefit as well. So fasting a big part of that as it begins it to Works itself out and then Works itself out in service to service to those around a service, of course to God, but as it changes our life on the inside, they can't help but change your life on the outside and from that we began looking last time two weeks ago, by the way, I'll probably say last week a lot. The last time we we saw how this this outpouring flows into lives of those around us who feel the same thing were called that the church ekklesia called for called out from the world to the same relationship with God to the practicing the same disciplines together. It's the last time we looked at what it is we do as community of the Gathering right is what what you think I have right? I hear life in community of horror look out last week this week and then I seen last week and told you to do it and then next week. It's the last time was the Gathering what we do white white church. What church is what worship is in the study how we participate in the Divine life together in the spiritual disciplines together, but this time we know that church is much more than just Sunday morning. So we going from the Gathering to the life life and community and what it means to live life together the name of. Dietrich bonhoeffer's work by the way life together and there's a a great illustration of the S&M. Perhaps you've heard it and in this book here invitation to a journey by Mulholland. He he reiterates that as well d l Moody is is is invited to a gentleman's house who does not feel that he needs church. He does not feel that he has to go to a building and worship God healing you hear these things all the time. You know my God, you aren't I worship God out on the lake with the fish and that's cool. I worship god there too. I don't got to go to church but I but I do this. And this was the gentlemen's arguments it d l Moody while it while while they were talking then there was a fire there and he pulls a coal out of the fire and sent it out by itself. Their conversation continues but if they watch this Cole begins to go out and you you know, if you did that but the coal is burned brightly when I'm on the other Kohl's it starts to fade and pretty soon it grows dark and then it grows cold and the gentleman sees that and he says your point is well made and Mulholland when he talks about that. He says this information that story we can no more be conformed to the image of Christ outside of corporate spirituality than a cold Canton continue to burn brightly outside of the fire me try again without tripping we can no more be conformed to the image of Christ outside of corporate spirituality than a cold can take continue to burn brightly outside of the fire. We are that Cole if you couldn't catch that and what if we remove ourselves from the life of community see the fire fire lends itself to fire. And that that burning that. That's why I love about Cole's. You know, we we have somebody that is Flash in the pans, you know, these great experiences are or a Revival over here or you know individuals were like they're on fire for God and then they fall off the seen for a while then catch up in a couple years later and you know, they're not doing so well then maybe a little while later at roaring fire. It is a good thing. I love it when we start a fire and you have all your your Tinder and you have all your little weeds in there and you light it and it goes right as fun. It's exciting. But what is useful? What is important is that deep? Burn when you put that cedar Log on the Fire and it's still burning after 6 hours, you know that is life and it might not be as pretty it might not be as exciting as there's times for that. But it's that deep burn that is that a continuation of the Christian Life and we can have that but we have that. Only in community with other burning coals or taken apart set apart by ourselves. We cannot be conformed to the image of Christ any more than a cold can can you turn you to burn outside of the fire? So we're not meant for this isolated life the soul quote on Merida it move it from Bonhoeffer in his chapter on the day alone. Cuz he talks about other day and community in the day alone talk about the importance of silence and Solitude which we touched on but he says let him who cannot be alone beware of community for the person who cannot be alone who always needs noise who always needs to be surrounded and going things that person needs to beware of community because it's feeding their own desires and they don't have a healthy relationship with silence and Solitude. Okay, but he also says the reverse is also true. Let him was not in community beware of being alone. Into the community you were call the call was not meant for you alone in the community of the called you bear your cross you struggle you pray, you are not alone even in death. And on the last day you will only be one member of the great Congregation of Jesus Christ. We are not meant to be alone. If you score in the Fellowship of the Brethren you reject the call of Christ and dust your Solitude can only be hurtful to you and see if we have been called a house which we have. And we if we reject that call it is to our detriment. It is not good for our help. We are meant for formation this this as with all of these other things this is for our formation for that progression. Is sanctification and Holiness a tent over all that formation into christlikeness. This is just as important. If not, it's certainly indispensable just as important as all the others because this is the call of Christ So today, we're just been a little time in Romans 12 in the middle time in James 5, but if Community, how did how did Bonhoeffer puppet that last bit of the code are the Solitude is hurtful because this is meant for transformation. And so we we come back to Romans chapter 12, but I want to start off with the first TV versus that we've done a few times and then we're going to see where Paul goes after this the Romans chapter 12 or reverses. I wanted to which you know Therefore I urge you Brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And so Paul talks about worshiping what worship is that sacrifice of yourself to the to the Lord but then verse to do not be conformed to this world but be transformed this is the purpose of what we've been talking about this summer be transformed by the renewing of our mind and he says that we may prove what the will of God is and what was the will of God 1st Thessalonians for this is the will of God your sanctification your Holiness. This is the will of God. ESO where Paul goes to see where Paul goes from. This is a very good point. Those are two great verses that you can take out and stick in your pocket and and save for later but tasty versus but let's see where he goes cuz he has a point. Where is he going? So verse 3 already through 5:4 through Grace given to me. I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought but to think so as to have sound judgment as God has a lot a lot to teach another Measure of Faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function. So we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another so Paul goes from this idea of us being of our purpose being to be transformed into the image of Christ. He goes right into community and that's where he goes from here on to the rest of Versa verse 15. He says Community goes right in the community. This is a part of this transformation. And also I write this down take a look later because it has a lot of parallels with 1st Corinthians chapter 12. So if you ever want to know, you know, what are your community vs. Idea of being a body Romans 12 1st Corinthians 12 and 1st Corinthians 12 is I'll just pick out some of the things here where we hear him say the body is not one member but many Afterfoot says that because I'm not a hand. I'm not a part of the body but it's not any less a part of the body and if the ear says because I'm not an ion not a part of the body if it's not any less a part of the body if the whole body were and I wear with the hearing be right Verse 18 and in 1st Corinthians 12 pieces, but now God has placed the members each one of them in the body just as he desire is he if impulse as if the whole body were a near where would the body be it wouldn't be this big fat are walking around guys of all of us were called to be preachers or pastors. Where would the people be it would be very lonely service. Everybody would be gone. I be preaching to nobody see but then also the other when they were to be no Nursery, we're getting gyno Sunday school getting tile guys. We all have a part in the body. And if Paul talks about, you know, some of those that seem less honorable like Nursery where he was like I'm going to be in here changing diapers. I am I am convinced though that on the last day that those who serve in the most meaning of the most hidden the most near the Lesser tasks. They're going to be the ones in the front seat of Heaven. People like me who talk a lot who get the divisible attention, you know, we all will be in the back, you know, it went with those who really put the feet to the work up front in the presence of Christ, you know for speaking meal silly. It says there's no there's no hierarchy of that matter, but the importance of the entire body of all the little works are so important and not one is greater than the other. In fact, I R I argue that most of what goes on in the church is is pop probably greater importance than a little work I do on Sunday morning and that's what we talked about this morning. Why why why is that more important than this? Cuz I meant for life to this this is church not this living life together in each other's lives ministering to the needs of people. That's how the church has grown. This is how your edify this is where we meet to partake of things Community such as this but his involvement in each other's lives and that's where everybody has their place. God has placed the members each one of them in the body just as he desired and there are many members but one body that's that's all from 1st Corinthians 12 read the whole thing has a lot to say and you start pulling out some of these grade analogies a great understanding cuz they're within the body. We have different gifts, right? We're different purposes. So back to Romans 12 verse 6. He says since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to each of us is to exercise them accordingly if prophesy according to the proportion of his faith if service in his serving or he who teaches in his teeth Or he who exalts in his exaltation he who gives with liberality he who leads with diligence he who shows Mercy with cheerfulness. So we talked to the passage of you will go to the talk about your gifts of the Spirit you would have I been gifted with what what is my what is my place in the body? What has God given me to do, how can I serve the body and every one of us has this and here is here's a small list, but it goes beyond this teaching exhortation is mentioned here hug guidance, some people just have that that neck to be able to do it to to receive someone to listen to them. And to just give those those poignant words of wisdom and usually it's like a sentence, you know, that's a gift of the spirit hammering nails and doing work and having those skills. Skills that I lack those are god-given gifts to use for his kingdom Administration. That is something I'm not I don't I don't have her or business stuff, you know the with the numbers and in the mats in the budgets and you know, not my bag I have not been gifted in every area of the church need that's why we have each other. That's why we have you because if everything was dependent as white not just me, but pastors everything was depending on the pastor. Where would the body be right to Echo Pas if the if the pastor is doing everything where would the body be? It would be useless. Though it is not the pastor should be doing everything I operate in my guess. That's the only reason. I'm here. Because remember I used to fill in I fill in for a while once in awhile for for Chris or I don't know if I ever get to the guys before red feeling once a while because I could okay cuz I love God's word study the snot out of it and I love teaching it. So, you know what when somebody's missing I will go preach Rabbitt. I did it for the last two churches that password gun. Hey, yeah, I can do this. I'm only here because this is what God has gifted me to do not here because I'm a great administrator. Okay. I'm operating in my capacity and when I go down there and I sit and I worship with you and we all worship God together. I'm just one more dude in the middle of a bunch of other dudes and dudettes. Okay, I'm not special trust me anybody who knows me knows I'm not special unless you're talking special, but you see I'm just operating on my gifts and each of you must do the same in each of you have been gifted. You have been gifted for the health of the body. God has given these for a more robust body a more healthy body that operates well together until Denver's 9 Paul speaks on how to live this out.

So it's kind of a button or going to come to move into a house. I guess verse 9 let love be without hypocrisy abhor. What is evil cling to what is good be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another in honor. I have a little list your let me go go through these for you. I start over there first 10 be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another and honor not lagging behind and diligence. One of the first ones I said be not slothful don't be slothful bit be diligent not lagging behind a diligence fervent in spirit serving the lord rejoices sing and hope persevering in Tribulation devoted again devoted to prayer contributing to the needs of the Saints and practicing hospitality is this now we're moving into something that we just have things. We just do I see when I when I started this I started thinking about together and talk about the Gathering don't talk about what happens outside the Gathering would you like it was Sunday school Bible studies other things But it is so much more than that. Those are our areas that are made available for us to gather together and do this but it is not just serving. What would talk about a minute ago of operating in your gifts. It's a lot more than just that it's a lot more than doing its living life together. I love those two devoted scuzz the word devoted just blows my mind how we saw it and ask him what they're actually I said they were they devoted themselves to prayer. What does it mean to be devoted? To devote yourself to prayer and big and he said that it's all consuming your people devote themselves to working out. So, you know, I may do it to 3 hours a day, which is nuts. I think so, but to be devoted your devoted to your spouse to be devoted, but here twice devoted to one another. devoted and devoted to prayer and so we can see through these things that it goes. Well beyond Sunday mornings. This is meant to go well beyond the walls of this church, which I include Sunday school and and and bible studies. We make these things available for the growth of the body. But Roo life together is this it's meant to go beyond the gathering. This is life and Community where we care for each other or we care for each other verse 10. He says give preference to one another in honor and 1st Corinthians 12. He said something similar verses 24 through 26, but God is so composed the body giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have the same care for one another and if one member suffers all the members suffer with it, if one member is honored all the members Rejoice with it. And so we see some parallels are especially the first 15 coming up. But to focus here on on 1st Corinthians 12:24 real quick this honor. If is remember suffers everyone suffers. This is being devoted to one another. This is caring for one another. And also let us to take this outside of our walls real quick not just us but also do not rejoice in the trials of the members and we wouldn't do that in this church. I would rejoice in the trials that people are having. But let us not rejoice in the trials that other churches have because you can slip into that. Hopefully, I mean you people are excellent people and it's not have not caught a hint of that in this body. But let us always be on guard don't rejoice in the trials of other churches are not our competitors tell her brothers and sisters. They are working for the same Kingdom that we are working for when the when the church down the street succeeds. We succeed the kingdom of God succeeds and went to church down the street suffers Lisa. The kingdom of God suffers and so if one member suffers all members suffer with it, but if one member is honored all the members Rejoice with it and so back over to Romans 12 verse 15, we have that famous line Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep rejoicing with those who weep and or weeping with those who Rejoice, you know, like you're you you kind of have some financial difficulties and you hear about a buddy who gets a job where he's going to make a lot more money than he needs and you you really wanted that job soon as I guess that's fantastic bill. Good job. I'm I'm glad for you. Sometimes we going to be down or sometimes we're too focused on ourselves and we will weep with those who rejoice and sometimes we Rejoice with those who weep, you know about what we when we needed like we talked about before we just need to listen. We don't need to give him a sermon with those who are Weeping. We don't need to give them a sermon, you know, we don't need to tell them what they need to be doing. I'm going to try rejoicing with those. We we just need to weep and tells us right here week with them. Just be silent sit with them. I've been talked about before enter into their world and just be there with them and what this does is it's a very personal life together. It require something of you requires your silence requires you to your humility to just sit there and feel without counseling just to be there for them and you know this so many times. How often is it true? There was somebody needs to somebody there just need somebody to be a shoulder to cry on and we always need your advice as a husband to a wife. I I've learned you don't always have to try to solve their problem. Sometimes you just need to listen and Paul here weep with those who weep Rejoice with those who rejoice and this is how it looks this interaction is involvement in the community in the life together Beyond these walls. We're not alone. Each of us are not alone, and we should not be alone. Boss, let me challenge you people should not be left alone. We need to reach out. We need to live this life Community outside these walls and so they shouldn't be left alone. Either. So, what do we do? How do we do this? It requires requires Law requires concern. To do actually care about those around you. This is one way this is how we do this being devoted being diligent being further serving rejoicing persevering devoted to prayer contributing to their needs and being hospitable involvement in each other's lives not to pray for you not just to pray for someone but to serve them not to just pray for someone but really going to care for them. Sometimes we just hang that little thing of y'all. I will pray for you but prayer is feet you you pray and then you do that's how prayer works. And so not just a pray for them not to just ask how they're doing. But to be intent on making sure that they are doing well. You know what I'm saying? And this this is necessary for the success for the life for the health of the body as we have all these things here, but wait, there's more chain turn with me to James chapter 5 verse 13 through 20.

Hear James talks about life and Community as well and how it's supposed to look if you're here in our James study. This will be somewhat of a review but there's also many more good things along with it on top of it. Now, there's four more in in in addition to those others. There's four more of that. I want to look at here to explicitly in the text into that come out of it. So I'll just wouldn't read 13th about 16 is any among you suffering. There you go right back life in community is any among you suffering then he must pray is anyone cheerful used to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick. Then you must call for the Elders of the church and they are to pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and pause on that just because it's in the text. We're going to talk about a real quick. Are we talked about this and James and I paid that challenge out there with that and with confession is coming up. We call ourselves Bible Christians. Do we do we do it but that challenge me out there how how serious are we so we talked about doing that I laid that out there if you want me to pray with you we will do that. Well, I have oil given to me after that message set aside for this purpose if you want to operate in this in accordance with scripture here, if you're sick and you want someone to pray with you call me. I will call a deacon or an elder and we will come we will pray with you and anoint with oil because we want to do what the Bible says. That's what we bout to say. We're about right so many times. We don't we're going to leave if you want this. This is made available to you verse 15 in the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick in the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him for 16. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may He healed the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much and what part of the body part of the body is hurt. Where's Nicki at where Nikki at what part of the body is her door has glass stuck in the pinky. You don't cut it off. What a part of the body is hurting. You. Don't cut them off. But you minister to in fact what happens when your body is hurting the rest of the body ministers to it the rest of the body compensates and act towards its healing great with his body. Analogy. James picks it up grade here our bodies a wonderful machine it it's fascinating the way it heals the way when one is suffering the rest of the Body Works towards its healing is a wonderful analogy for the church. When one is hurting you don't cut that off you don't cut off the part that hurts but you work together for its healing. So how do we do that here praying for each other praying with each other? And confession. This is a day. I think I put these up here. Yes, these four things. The first is confession. And this is a beautiful aspect of what community provides and here's some of the struggle when we were going through James. I got a hold of my youth pastor and his wife actually cuz she's a clinical psychologist and ask them, you know this confession thing you how what is a way to incorporate this in our world? Cuz they're also Baptist was Baptist youth pastor to Pastor in Washington. Now, how do we incorporate this in our life? Because it's a command it's necessary for the health of the body. And she she talked about you just to give you the lowdown on that. The best way for it to happen is in in building small community within your community home fellowship groups close-knit friendships within the church, but the only way that that this will happen for us is by Community is like you're not going to establish community on confession. You're not going to go to a stranger and confess your sins. You're only going to do that with a trusting relationship you're lying going to do that. But Community has already been established. You have to build these relationships build a relationship with with a person or two or three to which you can do this and notice here. It's linked with heel and yeah, James links it with physical healing but it is definitely linked with spiritual healing as well. And there's so many so many great quotes and aspects of confession, but so many such great reading. Miss but I have three adult adults Willard spiritual books and I have have sections on things Foster has a chapter on confession both these talk about it will or he's been like two chapters on it. So it's one of the things where you want to eat. Maybe you don't want to pick up an entire book and read it. But if you want to know more about any of the disciplines and in this case, the discipline of confession Pages get that perspective, but I want to share I want to share with you the way he wrote this confession is a discipline that functions within Fellowship in it. We let trusted others nor deepest weaknesses and failures. This will nourish our faith in God's provision for our needs through his people are sense of being loved and humility before I brothers and sisters. That's we let some friends in Christ know who we really are not holding anything back but ideally allowing complete transparency. We lay down the burden of hiding and pretending. Which normally takes up such a dreadful amount of energy we engage and are engaged by others in the most profound depths of the Soul. Do you have that relationship with anybody you have a relationship with anybody where you can do that and you can come to them as a brother or sister? I fell today. I need to confess my sin and we know if we confess our sins the Lord he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We know that we can sit in the privacy of our house confess our sins to God and we will receive forgiveness. But James also here and elsewhere. We were told there's this relational aspect confession is to be done together. Sob and there's reasons God smart. He knows what he's doing but there's just something about vocalizing it getting it out letting it be heard and hang in the air and then to hear from your brother and sister you are forgiven to have that reassurance to hear it and it just washes over you that real feeling that real acknowledgement of forgiveness. I just want to read a couple different quotes or you talk a little bit about each but this beautiful but a confessing Community is not a community-based on shame exposure. The one who is healed and integrated by corporately coming into the light is he healed integrated into the body? This is formation confession is formation and we miss out we miss out when we don't do it because it is a gift all of these things are gifts given to us. It is a gift given to us by doing an examination of conscience. We are confronted with our sins. But when we go to confession we are confronted with God's love his mercy and his forgiveness and I think what it comes down to his were afraid to do it. We're afraid for people to know who you really are.

We're afraid for people to think that we're Center Foster as another good quote that I didn't put in here, but he says perhaps part of the problem is that we we think we're part of a community of saints and we forgot number community of Sinners we all walk around. Trying to convince everybody how awesome we are. You don't know my sin. Do we know each other since we're afraid of that exposure dead gone. We're back to the Garden of Eden. They walked together naked. I'm not suggesting anything. But they did that because they were willing to be vulnerable. There was no shame. But today we still wear our clothes. We still wear our spiritual clothes. We packed tightly around us. So people can't see Who We Are And that's what the fall did the fall part of this barrier between man and God of Shame. And we still walk in that so we're afraid to be vulnerable. The guys to love is to be vulnerable. Hobo Norman did did Christ make himself? When he came to this earth when he died on the cross to love is to be vulnerable so we can get over our dad going to pry. Be willing to let other see who we are. We think there's shame there. But I'm sorry we think we're carrying around this beautiful persona, but there is nothing as beautiful as us before our knees before on our knees before God in the face of the father. There's nothing more beautiful than us confessing our sin to him because what that shows is the beauty of what God has done in our life to bring us to that point. It shows the Wonder the beauty of God as it as it's like I said, we are confronted with God's love mercy and forgiveness cuz we say I want to participate in this I want to enter in And so confession then is not just removal of sin. It's an encounter with Christ. It's an open as it is going back to the Garden of Eden of Eden and having that vulnerability to God. We'll talk about going to go back to the Garden of Eden blah blah blah. I think we're just thinking of pretty trees and nice grass. I don't know if I'm really thinking about that complete abandon to God, I'd over really thinking about that complete vulnerability to those around us into God that is the Garden of Eden openness and honesty and vulnerability and that vulnerability is only possible because there's no shame because there is no condemnation. Romans 8:1 there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus confession is an active healing and as an encounter with Christ one more quote confession is an account for no, that's me. I thought confession is encounter. It is worship. Yes our sins committed or an offense to God but since confessed are a song to God you are singing praise to God for his great Mercy. Galatians 6:1 says Brethren if anyone is caught in a trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one and a spiritual in a spirit of gentleness each one looking to yourself so that you two will not be tempted and this is the goal. Restoration reconciliation forgiveness and I don't know if you know this but in the Catholic Church confession is not just called confessions the sacrament of reconciliation forgiveness confession and forgiveness reconciliation forgiveness receiving forgiveness from each other from God confessing our sins one to another saying brother. I did this against you and receiving that forgiveness. And that is the second part. We have confession second one is forgiveness. Doritos quote from Thomas Merton. He says we do not really know how to forgive until it. We know what it is to be forgiven today. We should be glad that we can be forgiven by our brother. It is our forgiveness of one another that makes the love of Jesus manifest in our lives for in forgetting one another we act towards one another as he has acted towards us forgiveness another way of living life and Community the lens the health of the body and to the formation in the health in the growth of our own soul. But also here's something that confession does a byproduct. You might not think about accountability. If you're going to someone got a consistent basis to confess your sins, and you know, you're going to see them next Thursday. It helps you keep an eye on what you're doing now cuz you don't want to admit what you've done. You don't have to say if I do that. I'm going to have to go confess to him it acts as a barrier as well. And then the other is discipline. There is place for this in the body of Christ. And I think it is a it's another one of those things that have been lost in the modern Church in more so recently than confession has been lost but Church Des Plaines gone by the wayside and people can live. However the heck they want to with no repercussions are the dangerous because you know, it's like you try to enact discipline that God ordains on on a member of the church that you're living in in the Sin and I seen this and you need to confess and repent that person refuses. Jesus says Matthew chapter 18, bring along side of brother has a brother observing sister observing this in your life. It needs to change and when they don't just says you know what get him out since I clearly do I put these on up here. Yes, Matthew 18:15 through 17. The body is to be healthy and be holy and to be living with that in your midst is not Healthy Start Lee not wholly does not healthy for the body. And that's why Paul Rice to the Corinthian Church or ice for many reasons. We need addresses and chapter 5, there's gross send in your church and is not being addressed address it. And it's necessary. And so yes discipline, but also and read 1st Corinthians 5 and then read 2nd Corinthians read what happens about it? Discipline itself is for the purpose of reconciliation. For the health of the individual and the health of the body and so these four things here.

There's more this is life in communities to big list for you. Go read over the passages. We looked at today get any of them and see how we can operate in this way. Ask yourself. Do I have these things in my life and remember cuz it's all a part of dro. If you want progress in your sanctification in your spiritual life and your transformation knees are very important tools that are at your disposal important but indispensable necessary even tools for your continued transformation and bro, we need each other. We need each other so we can grow grow up in that spiritual house that Peter talked about 1st Peter 2:5 you as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

It was very quick. How to live life together of course we have we have books written on it. The most I can do for you is to whet your appetite. I could sit and read Bonhoeffer to you. I could you want me to do that on tonight? I'll sit and read a book to you. Don't know why but I can't do that the most I can do no matter how much I spend all that's been like at 10 weeks series on life and Community though, even that the most I can do is just wet your appetite it is too and hopefully inspire you to continue on your own. So to continue in it is up to you. Now, I was going to say I was going to say the rest is up to you, but it's not the rest is not up to you a decision to continue it is but it you're not alone. The rest is not up to you because I'm here to help you others are here to help you. If you want to know more if you want to go further. Let's talk if you need help advice Direction in an area. Let's talk. You're not going it alone in that sort of I guess the purpose of what we were talking about today. You're not going it alone. But it is up to you to choose to walk. It is up to you to pick it up and go down the path and love is a motivation love toward God and love for those around us now and like we talked about last week that what love wants more than anything else is Union with a beloved. So guys, we love God it comes out of us toward other people if we love other people it takes it takes it manifest itself in community. So examine love meditate on Christ for he is the Supreme example of Love drop closer to him your relationships with people be changed when your relationships the people are changed you are changed the community is changed. This morning. We're going to participate in this the sacrament this active Community as we do this. I want you to in your place. You'll pulse as a 1st Corinthians that if you come to the table that one first examined him or herself. so right now in the quietness of your own heart in the quietness of your own seat, when I can do public confession confess your sins to the Lord acknowledge them confess them received forgiveness receive reconciliation. Do not do this if you were out ready as not to something you have to do. You're not there don't do it, but do business with the Lord. This is why we are here. So as you do that as you prepare, your hearts will ask the decans to come will prepare the elements. Let us prepare our hearts.