2019-10-06-LIVE OAKS - Miraculous: Fellowship

Maybe me doing announcements is not an efficient use of the Kingdom's resources. Alright, let's pray. Got how funny this morning were talking about the fact that you are gathering your body. Your fellowship is a miracle in itself. This this thing called church this body of Christ Jesus. You were body of what you were the head like, you've arranged all of the of the parts of your body specifically on purpose for a purpose. All of us have a part to play. Some of us should be doing announcements. Somebody should not some of the should be should be serving in the background and we'll never see them never know them but you you will still get the praise and glory for that. We are all members of this body help us God show us from scripture how just being a part of your church being a part of your body is a miracle. It's your doing it's your work and I'm just floored that I get to be a part of it. And it's nothing without the truth of your scripture. So open up the Bible this morning open up your word this morning and speak it preach it powerfully. Holy spirit through my mouth if you can around me if you have to but but preach and speak in your name. We pray amen. So miraculous Fellowship this morning. I'm going to start with a with a question that you've heard before is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior not know that is the most important question that you could be asked. It's the most important question that you answer but where does this question come from is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior cuz you don't actually find that question in the Bible. You don't fight you don't you don't find that question is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior. So from where does that question come that question was a pushback that question was in response to this idea.

The preached that by simply being in the church you are in Christ, but by simply being in the Gathering being a part of the of the building so to speak. That you would be saved that you would be a part of the body of Christ just by merely being there by who your parents were by what culture you came from. What traditions you are a part of? Okay. Did you celebrate Hanukkah or or were you a Santa Claus family would be sampled in tangentially your kind of in it because I mean you were celebrating Christmas so you can have in it where we baptize the child. Did you take first communion? Right you go at Christmas and Easter like it was like no question needs to be like Jesus you say I am not who does the organization that you kind of attend say, I am who you say I am. So the question is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior. It was bringing focus of the fact that you must be saved as an individual soul. You have to be Redeemed by Christ. Turn up just to kind of be there you have to be in him cuz Jesus saves individuals. He doesn't saved by association. He saves individuals. He saves human beings. He doesn't save demographics. He saves people. Six people here's another question. Have you ever heard of this statement made? If I were the only person or if you were the only person on Earth Jesus would still have come and died for me died for you. And that. That statement is beautifully true about the Heart of Jesus. It's beautifully true about the love of Jesus. But it's not true at all about the plan of Jesus. Jesus has never nor will he ever intend or plan on saving just a person? He is at work saving a people.

A people is a collection of persons a people made up of persons. I saved people are redeemed people and he does that work and he does that salvation One Soul at a time. But not just so that you could have a relationship with Jesus not just so he could have a relationship with you. But you that you could have a relationship with him and his people. We have a relationship with Christ. Have you ever thought about that? The church has a relationship with Christ. We get to be a Wii.

In which strategy you if you look at our culture you look at all the different ways that sin has broken us a loneliness. It's so powerful. I feel lonely. Even in the midst of a crowd. You're lonely. Sometimes you feel even more lonely. Loneliness in manifested manifesting itself and broken loneliness it's so tragic because God does not intend us to be alone. He doesn't intend for us to live alone. We're not going to be an eternity alone. You skip to the end of the book? You going to Revelation 7. It's it's here not up there cuz I just occurred to me.

Chances are after this. I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation from all tribes and peoples and language is standing Before the Throne and before the lamb close in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice salvation Belongs To Our God who sits on the throne and the lamb we will together be praising Jesus for saving us individually. So that we can be a people collectively. God has done a miracle of Fellowship The Fellowship of Believers Fellowship of adopted Sons and Daughters destined to live alone. But together we are made of people in this is not a new idea that you made up that Jesus but made up like oh now that people can be redeemed. What do we do with all these redeem people that's got a surprise by like a big box of Legos and I wonder what he's going to make with it. It is always been the plan to form a people. It's always been God's plan to make people in not just one or two but a multitude Deuteronomy 7:6 says for you are a people holy to the Lord your God the Lord. Your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples. We're on the face of the Earth. God is making a people from all the peoples. He's making a people and a People is a group of persons. Look in the New Testament looking 1st Peter 2 starting at verse 9, but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light once you were not a people, but now you are God's people once you had not received Mercy, but now you have received Mercy. God is always intended to create a people not just a person go to the very beginning of humanity. What did God say it is not good that the man should be alone. I mean as amazing as Adam was at the at the Apex of of God's created order above all that animals and all the livestock and all the creeping things. He molded man-shaped him out of the Dust of the ground and then breathe life in him in this is a this is a miracle and even in that miraculous awesome creation. He says now, it's not good that he's alone in Genesis 1:27 228. So God created man in his own image in the image of God. He created them male and female. He created them and God bless them and said to them be fruitful note that multiply. It's not good that man was alone. God made woman for man, and then together they were to be fruitful and they were to multiply a couple folks wasn't even enough for God that was not his plan. His plan was a multitude of people looking Genesis 12 starting at first one, this is God reaching out to Abram and in through Abram to make a people. He says not a lord said to Abram go from your country and your Kindred. Okay, so he hasn't he hasn't people Abram how to buy people and got to say no leave those people leave that placed go from your country and your Kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who curse you and him who dishonors you I will curse. Hear this and then you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed. God is calling apron from his people to make a new people and then from that people comes Christ. To pay a penalty of sin so that people could be resurrected from all the peoples of the earth to make a new people. We look at God's plan person know people are not enough bigger people from the bigger. People are special people from that special people redeem people. It's always been a people that God had in mind. And God wants a multitude. He's not satisfied with just a few. He he wants a multitude here. So I just I could really use a reference from from Exodus chapter. 1 starting a verse 8. Swim God's people as God told Abram. They would be just slavery for 400 years. Now. There are rose. I knew King over Egypt who did not know Joseph and he said he was people be called the people of Israel are too many and too Mighty for us, Let us deals shrewdly with them less they multiply and if War breaks out they join our enemies in fight against us in Escape From the land therefore they set task Mac Masters over them to a flip them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaohs store cities put them in Ramsey's but but the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad and the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and make their lives better with hard service and mortar in brick in all kinds of work in the fields and in their work, they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives one of them was named. And the other prove that when you serve as Midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birth stool if it is a son you shall kill him. But if it's a daughter she shall live chickens out check out the people of God, but the midwives fear God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called The Midwives and said to them why have you done this and let the male children live the Midwife said to Pharaoh because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women for their vigorous and give birth before the Midwife comes to them. So goddamn with the midwives and the people multiplied and grew very strong and becomes the midwives feared God he gave them families. So the more the world tried to keep them from being a people and a multitudinous people at work. Our the more they were oppressed the more than x the more they grew in the more the world feared them, but the more people were there to give praise. God looking 1st chronicles 16 1 through 3. This is David addressing the nation. And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God and when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offering he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and distributed to all Israel both men and women to eat a loaf of bread a portion of meat and a cake of raisins. But why a cake of raisins? Oh because I have commentaries. I know stuff that you don't. raisin cakes We're giving us gifts to husbands and wives so that Israel May grow be fruitful and multiply cakes of raisins. I don't know.

Skipping tube to see God's people grow and multiply and be bountiful. The same idea is a q r code now or or repeated later in the New Covenant after Christ had come k and end in Christ is going to make a people and it doesn't matter who your dad and mom was genetically are you descended from Abraham? Jesus comes to make a New Covenant that all who Baldor need to Christ would be a part of his people and all who heard the gospel and believe that can read Romans 10, but I'm not going to listen to Matthew 28:16 through 16 through 20. Now the 11 disciples. Okay, so just 11 right now 11 disciples went to Galilee the mountain to which Jesus had directed them and when they saw him they worship him but some doubted and Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations. remember the end of the book of Revelation multitude upon multitudes of people surrounding the throne from every nation tribe and tongue go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always to the end of the age a multitude has always been God's will it's always been God's plan and everything that God has done from before the beginning until now has been to create a multitude of people a people for his own Glory. Prospective the 1st Peter 2:9 through 10. You are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Marvelous Light. So so why a nation why are a multitude of people why fast multitude of people? It's right there in 1st, Peter 2:9 through 10 that you may proclaim the excellencies of him. God wants Exposition exponential praise and glory exponential praise and glory. I mean it it doesn't work this simply but I mean think about this if the praise of one person brings God's glory if the creation and then re-creation of one person would bring God glory what about the creation and re-creation of a multitude of people, isn't that just more Glory? And it's not just a ditional glory. It's exponential Glory. I am not a math person. That is my wife that she's a math person. I am not but exponential's is like when there's a big number and then a little tiny number in the top right-hand corner and that's like a multiplying thing. Don't just add those two numbers. That doesn't mean anything right multiply that number that many times that's exponential God is deserving and has designed the universe and the plan and the purpose of his working in moving and creating and recreating to bring himself exponential Glory. explosion of glory and praise and in the midst of that exponential Joy

for his people did the sounds like really corny, but I'm moving into an object lesson to a nuclear explosion of praise. I mean, it just sounds kind of corny to me but it's example that occurred to me. How does a nuclear detonation work? Okay in very simple terms cuz it's the only ones I understand. You take a single. Neutron feel kind of guy and you shoot it out an atom. Shoot it at an atom and its splits that atom. Energy is released as well as other neutrons which didn't fly out and Collide into other atoms which are split which explodes and in shootout even more protons and before, you know, it's an exponential explosion.

That's God's work of Grace into our world. When a neutron is fired at an unstable atom that atom is split sending out neutrons that collide with other atoms splitting them sending out other neutrons creating energy of such magnitude that it ignites the air burns the atmosphere turn sand into glass in generates light so bright it would blind the eyes of all who look upon it. It's a collision of an of an irresistible object irresistible force and an immovable object.

The irresistible Force being the grace and purpose of God the immovable object being the broken Stone Cold death of Simplehuman hearts.

The Sovereign Grace of God colliding with the stone cold death of sinful man placed upon his one and only son on the cross the soul split the death remaining in the grave and the living blasting forth in glorious light and all who look upon him are shattered sinful death leaving but a shadow on the wall and the resurrected heart joining the ever-increasing Supernova of praise to the God willing to dispense all his wrath upon himself and beginning Unstoppable chain reaction of his own glory and I'll run into enjoy turning the one son into a multitude of adopted sons and daughters. miraculous Fellowship and we can be a part of it. the glory of God in the joy of his people curettage from scripture from Acts chapter 2 starting in verse 1 when the day of Pentecost arrived they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from Heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and arrested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance know they were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven and at this sound the multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language and they were amazed and astonished saying are not all these or speaking galileans and how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? Peter began to preach basically the most secure insensitive sermon of all time. This is not a message crafted for people who were sensitive about their feelings Kay Peter. Basically preached Jesus, you know, Jesus, you know, the one that you guys insisted be crucified that he was God you murdered him.

And what happened because of the Unleashed power of the Holy Spirit and spoken truth power of the Holy Spirit opening ears and softening hearts. Pick up in Acts 2:36. Ends with this let all the house of Israel there for know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ. This Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard that they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Brothers. What shall we do? And Peter said to them repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off everyone whom the Lord Our God calls to himself. And with many other words, he bore witness and continue to exhort them saying save yourselves from this crooked generation. So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand Souls.

One Holy Spirit-filled man preaching the truth 3000 come to Faith in that day in that moment.

The purpose of the miracle of creation is the miraculous Praise of who created it the full the full reflection of the glory of God. Now that happens in and through the fellowship of those people who are being saved.

Not just a thankful heart of of one person or two but a multitude. There is no Fellowship in one.

The only one who can receive full Fellowship is God himself God the Father God the son God the Holy Spirit. Set Fellowship of Praise could have gone on infinitely.

Because God miraculously created and purpose to recreate a people for his own glory and our joy, we get to experience part of God himself would have God say when he made man. He said let us make man in our own image and male and female. He created them. There's something about the fellowship. between men and women but tells us about the heart of God tells us about who God is and how God lives and how God is is infinitely eternally satisfied. He's giving us a glimpse of that Eternal satisfaction himself that Fellowship in himself father son. Holy Spirit. We experienced a bit of that as adopted sons and daughters in the church.

God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit saves person's individually to make a people corporately. For his exponential praise in our exponential Joy last week. We talked about miraculous provision how God miraculously provides for his people. Here it is that I am thankful. I kept myself from stepping on my own toes this week. the way God miraculously provides for his people is through the fellowship of his people just keep reading Acts chapter to pick up an inverse 42 Right after so those who received his were baptized and they were added that day about three thousand Souls next verse Acts 2:42, and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers and all came upon every soul and Many Wonders and signs are being done through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need and day-by-day attending the temple together a Breaking Bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous Hearts praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day those who are being saved. TCU this beautiful picture not a not a socialism not of collectivism. This isn't like the people of God weren't forced to give up everything that they had to be redistributed to people who didn't this was not some forced thing. This was freely given this was God's people holding all their possessions and open hands. Take all your need while you're not in need because I have so you have because we have it's called a fellowship is going to Covenant Fellowship in this exist in God's people know where else they found favor with all the people with the rest of the world saw that oh my goodness in this thing that they're calling the church. Everyone's needs are met. Everyone is fed. Everyone has a place to sleep and rest everyone belongs. They are not in need. Because they have this Fellowship. What is this thing? It would draw near and they would hear the gospel proclaimed and they too would be cut to the heart just like they were when they heard Peter. And they would lay themselves down. They would lay down everything they had in the Lord day by day added to the number. So they're already sufficient but then yet. Adds more. Was it at the exponential growth? Always been always will be God's plan. We find we see in The Fellowship Of God miraculous growth miraculous provision. Miraculous, Joy. Miraculous Glory exponentially to God. What is lost outside of the fellowship?

Let's say you know you got no problem with Jesus. You just can't stand the church. I've heard it heard it a thousand times. Got no problem with Jesus. You just can't stand the church cuz maybe you were hurt by the church that happens. Right, sometimes I I look at all of us and say what we were surely in Island of Misfit Christians, aren't we? I like refugees.

So the reason you were hurt by the church. is because those people they weren't doing their job.

He might have been attending the events that they were not truly part of the fellowship. And if in response to that you remove yourself in the fellowship now, you just made it more likely for that thing called Church to harm. Somebody else. You're keeping the fellowship from being what it's truly meant to be if you remove yourself from it. And to say out. Well, I have my personal relationship with Jesus and that's all I need.

Thank you very much from for robbing from us. We're now less than we were intended to be because you are not here. 1st Corinthians chapter 12 starting in verse 12 for just as the body is one and has many members and all the members of the body though many are one body. So it is with Christ. Four in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews are Greek slave or free We Are All Made to drink one spirit for the body does not consist of one member but of many to put should say because I'm not a hand. I do not belong to the body that would not make it any less part of the body. And if the ear would say, I don't know how that your talk said that's always just made me laughing at your ear should say because I'm not part of a not be because I am not and I I do not belong to the body that would not getting but not make it any less part of the body if the whole body would I wear with the sense of hearing it the whole body where to eat or where would the sense of smell but it has it is got a range the members in the body each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member where would the body be as it is? There are many parts yet one body the I cannot say to the hand. I have no need of you nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you on the contrary the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable and all those parts of the body that we think less honorable. We were stroke bestow greater honor and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty. Which are more presentable parts do not require. But that is so composed the body giving greater honor to the part that lacked it that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. if one member suffers

All suffer together if one member is going into surgery. All members are going into surgery. If one member has cancer the body has cancer. One member is in financial need the body is in financial need. But when that healing is performed when that need is met the body gets to celebrate.

You miss it all if you're not a part of the body. One member suffers all suffer together if one member is honored all Rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. The body will not be the body. If you are not a part of it you are not the appendix in the body of Christ. You cannot be removed and we won't miss you. You have been called. There's no such thing as a Christian, who is it called? You are called. It's why you're a Christian is why you're a Believer. It's why you bow Journey. It's why your heart was open. Its why you responded and face because God called you in face to belong to the body.

The Fellowship of the body of Christ is a miracle But in order to behold the miracle, you have to be held by the miracle. Be a part of the body. Be a part of the fellowship come.

give

receive

in this one body.

Hebrews 10 starting in 19 says therefore Brothers since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. By the New and Living Way that he open for us through the curtain that is through the Flesh. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full of surance of Faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of Our Hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together. As is the habit of some. But encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day Drawing Near.

So serious good talking about our desire to see a miracle if you want to see a miracle be a part of the miracle.

And it's only through the shed blood broken body of Christ that we can be brought in as what Hebrews is telling us. We have no fellowship with God. Lost and dead in our sins and transgressions. We have no fellowship with God and that's what he wants. That's what he desires is supposed to be in fellowship with an each other. And so the blood of his son, it covers Us.

Skip the fancy restaurants you really only see in TV shows and movies where if you have no dinner jacket and tie. I've never been to one of those places, but I assume they exist movies wouldn't lie to us. Yeah, yeah to get to wear it right it to wear the jacket. You two have yet to be covered to enter. And that you're part of what's Happening that is what Christ has done. He's given us his blood to cover us. It's in that blood that we have Fellowship every single one of us is covered the same. There's not a one of us that needed more washing than the other. Is that one of the children held under the water longer and baptism? We were all outside until God brought us inside.

Through his body and blood. That's a table laid out before us in the midst of our fellowship this morning is the celebration and invitation to receive. the gracious gift of Christ through his body and blood If you've just been attending. Church and not been a part of her. This is an imitation.

As we come forward to receive the the elements you can come forward and receive Christ himself.

Kneel down here. Grab one of us. Got myself. Grab Jeremy grab any of the elders got anyone. Who knows the Lord Jesus Christ and pray whatever your heart is crying. I want to be a part of this body want to be part of this Fellowship. I want to be part of you Jesus.

Already forgiven of my sin. I want to be redeemed. I want to be remade and grafted in to this Fellowship. That's a miracle itself.

I want to buy with you Christ. I want to be brought in here to you. Jesus Christ. Please forgive me wash me make me new and set me in this Fellowship.

In this meal gets to truly be a celebration for you of Christ broken body and blood says the elders come forward to distribute the elements that we're going to take a moment and on us to pray. And the Holy Spirit is stirring your heart. Don't don't ignore that call respond respond. Can come let's pray.

Jesus as we prepare to come forward and receive these elements of Celebration and sacrament.

As we celebrate the the fact that your body was broken. So that ours wouldn't have to be that your blood was spilled. So that ours wouldn't have to be as we celebrate that I pray that maybe Have you some Among Us would celebrate that for the first time today that for the first time they would truly. Bend their knee to you or Jesus and they would receive that gift of a faith and Grace to be washed clean by this Blood. Can be grafted into this Fellowship? Celebrating this meal together for the first time as a part of your body.

Thank you for meeting our needs.

And ways we can't even see or comprehend. It's your goodness and Grace. It's laid out before us this morning. Your goodness and Grace? Thank you, Jesus. And your name?

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