Week 11 - Life in Community, Building Community

Well, good morning again. We have been going as you know through turned into pretty much a summer series with the idea of participating in the Divine live. God has called us to begin eternal life now by walking with him in a variety of ways of tools that he has given us that helped shape us and form us into the very image of Christ. That is our purpose. Our purpose is to be made complete to being transformed into the one who showed us. What true humanity is to be like and that is Christ. And so we are to be molded into his image and that's what our Series has been on but as we have gone we have seen. That though we begin with some of these internal attitudes and and practices be the attitude of quietness and and waiting on the Lord and meditating upon him and upon his word prayer study of his word worship. We see that these things as like Jeremiah when he was thrown into the the pit. He said I'm done it he he said I am done preaching your word, but then he said but I can't stop. I can't stop. It's like a fire in my bones. And so these things that we do when God begins working in our life and becomes like a fire in our bones and it has no choice but to escape but to work itself out word as so we see how these things that we do. This is quiet time of studying reading and worship and meditation on God's word and we see how these things and up does boiling and bubbling out of us They Do by necessity and it turns into life in the community where we do these things together where we worship together where we pray together. We study God's word together, but it also flows outward and service service to our fellow Christians service to our fellow man. And it works itself out what this morning were talking about more working itself out. So participating in the Divine Life. Last week actually last couple of weeks. We'll talk about life and Community God has placed Us in community for a reason which we even talked about multiple reasons drawing on strength to get operating in the disciplines together corporately but life and Community this morning were talking about now, we're going even further out I were talking about building Community. You see this the church doesn't happen by accident. It is built. Jesus said Upon This Rock, I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it to Christ builds his church. But again with all things like in the top word first word participating. It takes a participation. He had his disciples and he told them go He says go do this with me. So the Lord builds his church, but we have a hand in that we see right off of that acts chapter to Peter's first sermon in the temple bringing people to Christ. God the Holy Spirit Jesus working together through Peters word to build his church and we see as we'll see later says the Lord added to their number the Lord builds the church, but we participate in that we've talked about it was Wednesday night at our Bible study. We talked about the word edification for a little bit edification. We read that in the Bible lot, you know, edify each other being out of five that literally means being built up. We talked about building each other up. That's what edifying mean in relation to hang a Believer to building up the believer. But we do this for the building of a house first 1st Peter. I don't know what that was, but it's in one of the Peters just read them both. You'll find it. How we are being built up into a spiritual house will Lord. We are being a defined. We are being built into a house with the Lord. We're being built up for the kingdom. That's what we can talk about this morning. We talked about the life of community and how we work together how God builds us together. But now we're going to talk about the building of the larger community and how life pours out to where we begin then inviting others into the life of community and that is evangelism evangelism is is from the word you on Galley on which means a good announcement a good message a good word. The good news. You want gallion is the gospel the good news. So take you on Galley and and and pronounce the you there with a with a V or a nephew got evangelism Evangelion. This is evangelism. It says the Greek word use it all the time. Evangelism is giving the good news of Christ. And so that's what we're going to talk about this morning. And for that we're going to be in Jude chapter 1 because there's only one chapter. I didn't forget to leave it out. Jude verses 17 through 23. I want to be in that a little bit will hit a couple other places as well. But in a men's group was invited to a church to their breakfast, which was like 6 in the morning and that's ridiculous. Like, you know, I'm all about food today right three meals as we don't invite me to food at 6 in the morning. Don't do that to me. That's just mean but I went and it was a good time is good food good fellowship and we were in Jude and this passage really jumped out out to me and some interesting things happening here in red. I've never heard this used in relation to evangelism, but it is definitely Relative is definitely apropos definitely fitting for where we've been in our study and then where it goes I will read others probably go through the whole thing and talk as I go over 17 Jude the brother of Christ rise to the church and he says but you beloved so it's also counts as you guys but you will love it ought to remember the words that were spoken before Hand by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that they were saying to you in the last time there will be mockers following after their own ungodly Lofts. These are the ones who cause divisions worldly minded devoid of the spirits. So his whole epistle is going to be speaking his against heresy some of the stuff we saw I like 1st John where people are are turning around turning aside to a false gospel. He says summer going after that though, but these are ones who cause divisions being worldly minded and devoid of the spirit. U-verse 20 so that contrast but you beloved building yourselves up on your Most Holy Faith that end that that has been our Series this building ourselves up or being built up by God on building up our Most Holy Faith in this has been a what we've been talking about doing it personally participating in the Divine Life personally and then corporately the building yourselves up on your Most Holy Faith praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life and have mercy on some who are doubting save others snatching them out of the fire and on some have mercy with fear hating even the Garment polluted by The Flash. so This is worth taking home and made it meditating on for awhile. Take us home think on this because there's a lot of really good things here. But I want you to notice he's uses a word here three times. And here's one Bible reading principal when we can talk tonight about as well. You see a word repeated inscription we've talked about this but if you see a word a few times in the same passage pay attention, it's a it's a key thought a keyword the author's going somewhere with this and more than likely the Lord has something to give you and here he says he uses the word mercy three times keep yourselves in the love of God verse 21 waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. But then what does it say in verse 22? Okay. This is what you would catch you caught that were being repeated. You would catch this and have mercy on some. Okay. So it says we have received Mercy. As we will wait here says you're waiting for the final Mercy. We're waiting for that final culmination that final revelation of God's mercy write the the the Fulfillment for which we've all been waiting. So we are waiting expectation Ali expectantly at the word. We're waiting expectantly for them. But verse 22 says in the meantime have mercy we were waiting. Art of pour out that same Mercy on others. We have the Flies not going to receive any Mercy. I guarantee you. I will send him straight to his maker. But while we wait the mercy of God, we are to pour out that same Mercy on others participating. In his Mercy, we have received we turn around and give it and God's mercy friends is best displayed. Most explicitly displayed in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the manifestation of God's mercy, because what is Mercy? New York judgment and mercy cares two different things judgment is is getting what you deserve Mercy is not getting what you deserve. So it's Mercy is an extension of Grace of Good Will toward those who deserve judgement. Mercy is an extension of Grace to those who deserve judgment and we all undeserving receive God's mercy. We were just serving of judgment, but we received Mercy we receive God's grace. We receive God's forgiveness. We receive God's salvation through the person of Jesus Christ. He is the image of God's mercy on Earth and if we have received this friends, who are we? To deny that to others Jesus had some strong words to say this about forgiveness. You don't forgive them. Neither. Will you be forgiven? Because who are we? To withhold Mercy in and poor wee to give that judgment when we have had our judgment withdrawn. Who are we to withhold forgiveness when we have been granted so great if forgiveness is our job to Echo Christ in this world to give forgiveness. It's our job their Duty. We are to give Mercy We are to have compassion on those who don't deserve it. Cuz that's what Mercy is right, you don't deserve it. And so we are to extend that to other while we to await the mercy of God. And so we see the movement then we see the moving beginning to work itself out word. So we're moving now from Community to the community's broader purpose towards our purpose as a church, which we'll talk about but really our purpose as the church and that begins with the ministry of mercy and here we see it directed in three ways. Jude says have mercy on some who are doubting verse 22 have mercy on some who are doubting guys. We're not going to walk through life having everything figured out all the time, but give me time to walk through life and we stumble and we trip and weed out. Sometimes we will straight up doubt the the reality of the of the word of God and of Christ. Sometimes people will straight up doubt that they've the completed list the facts of it all. Have mercy on them have mercy on those who are doubting. Sometimes. We know we know that you know, that is true. We know there is a God is irrevocable truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. But yet. Sometimes we're unsure of his faithfulness how of the disciples in the boat whose paper store. That was with Ethan's figure Story the disciples in the boat doubting right doubting God's faithfulness doubting Christ's word. Doubting that they're going to make it to the other side sometimes so too. We in the middle of the storms waves crashing in getting all wet Jesus. It seems like I don't know where he is asleep in the back of the boat. I don't know where God is and you doubts. Lord do you not care? I'm dying here. Do you not care that we are perishing and we doubt And Jesus has Mercy. He gently Rises walks to the bow of the boat says peace be still peace be still. Why are you doubting? He says oh you of little faith. He says that with a Heart of Love gentleness of mercy. So we two guys someone's doubting when they're struggling have mercy Echo Christ be him to that person. The second one. He says save others snatching them out of the fire or to come back today about evangelism about snatching them out of the fire. But the third one had a lot to do with last week's message have mercy on some with fear hating even the Garment polluted by the flesh is what you talkin. What was he talking about here have mercy on some with fear hating even the Garment polluted by The Flash will hear he's talking about those Christians who have soiled their garments who have fallen into sin. Now the 1st Thessalonians 4:3, you know this first we talked about it a lot. This is the will of God, you know, God's will for your life. This is the will of God your sanctification your holiness. Your transformation into His Image, but the rest of the verse says this is in line with what do the saying on have mercy on some with fear hating even the Garment polluted by the flesh says this is the will of God your sanctification and he explains it that is that he would stain from sexual immorality that each of you know how to possess his own vessel his own body and sanctification and an honor not in lustful passions like the Gentiles who do not know God and that no man transgress into fraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the Avenger in all these things just as he also told you before and solemnly warned you and because background for God has not called us to the purpose of impurity. Button sanctification. So does this dude versus at 23 having Mercy on some with fear hating even the Garment polluted by the flash when a brother or sister Falls in sin? Where to have mercy on them if they're persisting in their sin you are to give them a dire warning here. We just read you know, the first Thessalonians 4. This is verse 6 that the Lord solemnly warned, you know, we also told you before the Lord is the Avenger in all these things. We warned you. We solemnly warned you. He said we also must warn if a brother or sister is persisting in sin. We must warn them. We do it in Mercy. Do in gentleness and humility and for the purpose of reconciliation Matthew 18 is the section where Jesus tells us how to address that you see somebody like that go to him talk to him. They're not listening to you have somebody else from the body and say go to him and say listen, we both see this and this is what God's word says that they still don't listen to take it at the church and let the the Korver body address the issue and and hopefully try to help them but if they will not heed God's word your put them out of the fellowship and I don't play around. That's what the word of God says. That's what we should do. Because it is a poison in this is why he writes up all rights to the First Corinthian to the First Christian Church of the Corinthian Church in his first letter and tells them this guy who's doing this you guys think you're all good stuff cuz you're all lovey-dovey and everything is like, oh, yeah, he's involved in this gross in but we love him and he's still in our church. Plus I get that dude out. That's not love. You're letting him persistence in it's not helping him. He's in your midst corrupting goes in the mist of the church. You got to get him out this what Jesus said to do Matthew 18th, but then also Paul II letter he's a guy he's repented restore him. This is the purpose of it. Bring him back in he has repented it is worked. And is it says elsewhere you have won your brother? I don't know what those that wasn't James Monroe that is but juices have mercy on them. You hate the Garment polluted by The Flash you hate the sin, right but you love the person you bring them in for reconciliation. And you do so with mercy and that is Mercy is it not then getting what they don't deserve they deserve Judgement they received mercy and hopefully with their cooperation with their repentance, they receive reconciliation both of the body of God and to God himself here. And this was

23 the beginning of 23 save others snatching them out of the fire. So what fire would this be when can't fire the other night? I had mercy on Brendan's snatching them out of the fire know he was we didn't get close to the fire. My kids don't jump over fires while I'm there. Don't jump over fire this foolish light stuff on fire. I did not have to snatch anybody out of the fire. So we talkin about here talking about eternal Eternal fire Matthew 25:41. Then he will say to those on his left others Matthew 18 for you. There's 1st Corinthians 10:12 for you. Write that down take a look at it. I didn't go over that one. But here we go. Matthew 25:41 is the casing of the 1st Corinthians 10:12 the attitude of when you're restoring somebody that's what this is about. But Matthew 25:41 the Eternal fire, then he will say to those on his left depart from me accursed ones into the Eternal fire, which is been prepared for the devil and his angels. But this is our task to save others snatching them from that fire. You want to find a sermon to read go Center go read sinners in the hands of an Angry. God good old 1700s Jonathan Edwards 1700s Revival sermon, and it is the danger of the fire sinners in the hands of an Angry God. The danger the warning that you says of what awaits that from which we have been snatched we have been saved. So again, it's our duty to turn around and do that same thing for others. We can make Church into a lot of stuff. But if the church is not building us up to reach the Lost then we're missing that we're missing what juices were missing the point now the purpose of the local gathering this right here. This is not an evangelism service. However, if you are here and you are not safe, you do not know Christ. You do not know that you've been snatched from the fire. 1C me to right now do business with God and make sure that you have surrendered your hug. You're giving yourself to the Lord and you are snatched from the fire, but this is not generally and the opportunities arise just like that but this is not generally an Evangelistic service. It's not our job right here to be saving the lost in our pews. Okay, that is the job of the church. But here this time is for corporate worship corporate disciplines practice together and the edification of the believer. This is for the time for us to equip the same somebody finish that verse for me to equip the Saints for the

The work of the ministry. Thank you Pastor. Does anybody else know that first other than the pastors of this verse because it means I don't have to do everything. I shouldn't we shouldn't have to do everything we equip you. For the work of the ministry, and yes, we cooperate with you if we were to work in the ministry. Also, we also share the gospel among our day, but this is the time of the equipping for you guys. To be doing the work of the ministry. So that's what our meeting his here and ushering into the Deeper Life in the industrial into the presence of God and the purpose of the church. The universal body is the furtherance of the kingdom of God. That is why we are left on Earth. That's why we don't come to Christ and then are raptured right away. That's why we thought we'd come to Christ when he takes us out of these like, all right, that one we got him. Bring him home. That's not the purpose or purposes that we grow in relationship and knowledge of him transforming into his image. And while we are here we work we accomplished his mission the church furthers the kingdom of God and so we participate in discipleship. We grow we bring others through it with a vandalism and then we disciple them like we've been disciple for the last year for the summer. We share the same thing with them. Stop discipleship and growth and the church will not grow unless you're discipling someone unless you are reaching out now the Westminster catechism the Westminster Shorter Catechism is a presbyterian rules for its beliefs, you know, things like the very first question. What is what is the purpose of man? You know and you might have heard this phrase man's Chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. What is the purpose of your life? And this is Presbyterian. I I would add on a couple of just Mercy this but it's a good start the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Our purpose is that individually to know him to know God after that's what I would add to that to know God to glorify him to enjoy him and then to be transformed into his likeness. That is the purpose of man a couple versus here for you. You know this one. This is the will of God your sanctification Romans 8:29 For Those whom he foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. 1st Corinthians, 3:18, we all with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory and we are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing Glory which comes from the Lord who is the spirit. So this is the chief end of man individually. So what's the chief end of the church and I don't know if that's actually how they would wear it in the Westminster catechism, but the chief end of the church there is to evangelize and to disciple It's to snatch people from the fire and to disciple them to become Disciples of Christ to get them to grow into likeness of Christ. That is the chief in the church to take the gospel and they give people the opportunity to grow in faith to be discipled. So I would say then that the chief end of man is to be transformed. The chief end of church is to transform the world. That is what we are here for as a body. The second passage were going to look at 1st. Timothy 2 1 through 4 verses 3 and 4 kind of the meat of this but I want to lead up to it Paul tells Timothy. First of all, then I heard that entreaties and prayers petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in Authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life and all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. That's that's that's the phrase. I wanted to get at. But all that other stuff. That's really good leading up to that. But God's desire. He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This is the Lord's desire. Is it hours? Is it yours? He deserves it all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. Is that your desire as well? Because that's what this is all about us about a conforming our will our desire our love conforming those to the Lord's will conforming our desires to the Lord's desire conforming our love's which are sometimes a skewed transforming our love's into God's love and so this is his desire. So how then do we build this desire for evangelism how then do we begin to care about it? You begin to care about you begin to build this Desire by aligning our will with the Lords and that's what this is all been about. Coming into Conformity with him confirming our will to his and so then how will the church grow? How long will our desire for evangelism grow by a personal interest in personal holiness Is he because that personal Holiness is being transformed into his image and that transformation of will becomes transformed into his will his desires become our desires. This is why I mean this is why is what we do in the summer. So important it reaches everything everything that we do. Any till you want to have be on more on fire for God personal Holiness? Cuz then you transformed his desires become your desires. You want to be more interested in what you want to serve more but I just feel blah and I don't really want to but I want to want to personal Holiness draw closer to God and he will transform you and give you his desires evangelism and discipleship draw closer to the Lord and his desires will become your desires. You'll have to manufacture this you have to try to work up into a fervor and work up a fire close to the Lord and He will try to change your Park cuz it's only thing that his desires become our desires and there is this why there's nothing greater than this and what we've been talking about this summer. This is why we are here this is the purpose of church personal Holiness corporate action changing the world is to bring people into a relationship with God and then then Aid them in their in their progression in their walk Lauren. That is discipleship. So we only we will take the gospel to all creation Matthew 28 will take the gospel to all creation, but that only happens when we have a desire to do so, right we only have a desire to do so when the Lord desires become ours and that only happens when we're transform molded Into His Image now, I will go on to this book Thank you chip for this book. Every member evangelism for today. It's a really good sex tonight. I don't always like this reading you big swaths of other people. We just Watson scripture all day, but just kick back and listen to this really good stuff. He says dr. Homer Lindsay Jr. Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida describes his way this way his efforts to get a church to begin witnessing. See he had challenged his congregation from the pulpit to witness, but the results were far from encouraging I can come up and give you a Vangelis messages all day long. Who what can make a difference with their response for him? It is discouraging he urged. He scolded he chasing to no avail. Finally he began to realize that he was treating a symptom rather than the real problem. So he began to teach his people to love. If you look back over the last three and a half years I thought about this a lot. I don't know if I did on purpose or not, but that's been one of the goals of all my messages when we first started our Mark chapter 1 one of the things that I so emphasized that Jesus ministry to the outcasts to the leper how you reached any touched the Untouchable literally touched the untouchable. Jesus's Ministry was all about love asked their Ministry was about love for the world everything. We've been doing some of these messages. You've heard me teach, you know, some of these messages we talked about their was at 1 that morning where God just flip everything on his head and we talk about love for the homosexual in the transgendered we talked about that. He flipped that message on his head that morning. These things have been talkin about his for love.

And so he began to teach people about love he began to preach about the great Commandments love God and love your neighbor. He taught them to love Jesus and when they did they began to witness and while and after a while scores of layman were winning hundreds to Christ every year. If a man is a Christian The indwelling Life and constraining Love Of Christ will impale him to go out into all his portion of the world and seek lost people for Christ. This will be the normal activity and the main business of his life what the love of God was and did through Christ when he was among men. It will also be and do when Christian go through Christians when they are out among men. Skip a bit price program of every member evangelism is the only thing that will save the church every member of angels Mets. You you you you with every member of Angela's constant witnessing activity on the part of every Christian is the Life of Christ in US normally expressed and will therefore keep the church and vigorous Health. Like I said before right healthy sheep reproduce. That's why I don't have to sit here and Hammer your need to go evangelize every week. If I make sure you're healthy. If you are invested in your head spiritual health healthy cheap naturally reproduced healthy Christians naturally get other Christians. But he says ceasing the work of Soul winning means that the Life of Christ is abnormally suppress and this leads the church towards certain spiritual and numerical decline ceasing the work of Soul winning means that the Life of Christ is abnormally suppress and this leads the church door certain spiritual and numerical decline. How can we cease the work of selenium? We will Decline and cease to exist. So you guys it's not It's not about waiting for somebody to show up to your church. Song about sitting here and yes are padded comfortable fused and waiting for somebody to show up. There's a new family in town. Gosh. I hope they come to our church.

Evangelism that's death. It's deaf. You're just waiting for other sheet to come over to your flock the way you hope they stay that's not true growth more importantly, that's not Kingdom growth. That's not King tomorrow. That's that's a shell game. Waiting for a new family to come into town and hopefully they come to your church that doll that is in your picture. Like the three little shells right? I should have had some little shell thing and you'd like me to say you have three balls inside the shells and you're going back and forth and you're like mixing them around and Sligo 3 over here is like, oh look to and one if you're just waiting for the Christians to show up to your church. You're just moving balls around among different churches. You're just moving people around and there's no growth. If you want five six seven balls among your little shell game. You got to take them out of the bucket. You have to add them. Now you have more than you can move them around, but you're not growing. Hoping the right people come to your church is nothing but a shell game and it is certain death. The only way that you're going to grow is by adding Balls to the equation by increasing grow because Church growth Kingdom growth is not it's not a magic trick. It's not a magic trick. You have to add to the number. And yes, as we said we're going to actually get there the Lord added daily to their number but we participate in that acts chapter 2 verse 42, they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer acts 2:46 day-by-day continuing with one mind in the temple at this time. There is no church of the church just started. They're still meeting in the temple on breaking bread from house to house on Fellowship groups. They were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart praising God and having favor with all the people. That's all. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who are being saved. See there could be many things that we do many things that we're interested in but in all that you do and all that you're interested in. Are you still interested in Saving The Souls of men and women? Are you still interested in Saving the souls in the world? It's a lot of things were interested in a lot of good things that we do but among all of that. Are you still even interested in that in advance Malaysian? Are you still interested in sharing the saving power of God for person's life? We all say that we are will say that we are in theory. Right we say we say that of course, we are perhaps we're interested to the extent, you know that we support evangelism measures, but we won't won't do it. You'll give somebody some money your all support the block RTR all I'll send somebody else but are we interested to the point that we do it but I think the way that we speak of Our Lord the way we speak of Christ and to whom we speak is a marker of how serious we are about salvation in the world. Put actions to your feet or put feet to your words. That's a puppy to your words. How interested are you? I think the way we talked about Christ and who we talked to is a marker of how interested we are and our true intentions on the seriousness of this matter is reflected in the way. That we speak to individuals about Christ. Is he on your lips? Do you speak to the unsaved about the wonderful saving healing power of Jesus Christ? How do you how do you speak to strangers? At the block party you will have that opportunity. You're going to be surrounded by strangers and not just the strange people in this church about stranded people. You don't know you'll be surrounded by people. So what will you do? Will you love the hopefully you all are pretty good lover. Will you take the opportunity not just to give but to love somebody. Yeah, we're going to stand there were going to hand out good things. Will you also love them? Will you love that's not little snot-nosed little kid who comes up as V snow cone and you roll your eyes because you know, where am I doing? I'm just give them just been there lyrics what? Do you know the attitudes I can come over you are you going to love him as a child of God? What are you going to do? Will you love we maybe get to know someone get to know somebody tell them about what Christ has done for you? Will you invest in somebody? Because Kingdom growth Church growth takes a little investment. It takes an investment. It takes a little work. It takes guts. It takes some guts talk to stranger about that which is closest to your own heart, but that's the key right there. Isn't it? You've heard me say this and I'll say it again.

You talk about those whom you love it's as simple as that friends. What is on your lips? What's always on your lips? I'll talk about your car. So it's always talking about your jeep, that video game. tamuk football team What are you talkin about? What's always on your lips? You talk about those who you love? So if you want to talk about Jesus more and you just can't figure out how to do it. What's the key love Jesus more right come in a deeper relationship with them let him transform you because evangelism is all about love love for God love for your neighbor and you talk about those he loved it's a natural a very natural response. So if you want to talk more love more participating at 11 weeks, that's what it's about. This is growing into Conformity transformation into Christ his desires becoming hours and this is his desire. So love more participate in these things and you will find yourself naturally evangelizing and you will find the church naturally growing you'll find the kingdom of God naturally growing if we love more we love God more. 11 people in front of us more so you got to bring It full circle all the way back around. This is what it's about love. Let's pray Lord. We ask that you increase our love.