14. A Journey Best Traveled Together

Welcome to the almost conclusion of our sermon series, Long Obedience in the Same Direction.

Most of you know, we take a group of students from our church out to Colorado each summer for Nationwide Youth Round Up. We camp on a mountain, hike, worship and learn about Jesus and we take a few adventures. One of them is to go to South Platte River and wade and swim in this icy cold water. In the spot we go, there is a massive boulder right along side the river bank and for the last few years, we have been jumping off this rock into the frigid waters. I’ll be honest, it’s a bit intimidating at first. The water moves fairly fast, and there is one particular spot that is deep enough to jump into. Over the last few years, I’ve taken the lead by going over and jumping in. Then I start encouraging other students to come over and try it.

I really believe that we always need to be challenging ourselves by doing hard things. Once students get up on that rock, look at the cold water and jump in, there is a literal and mental break though. We all need those moments. What happens is that as more and more students do it, there is this encouragement and “you can do it talk” that goes on. It’s awesome to see…especially when the really reluctant student finally does it. There is one young man who I thought would never do it…and it took a lot of prodding…challenging and encouragement…but when he finally jumped in…that literally made my day. It’ funny, because when he walked out of that water, he walked a little taller, and his chest stuck out a little bit farther. Here’s the deal, the only reason that happens is because there is a sense of togetherness…we can do this…together. The saying is true: We are better together.

(Picture of us jumping off the rock together)

That is the best way to live life…together! So, why can’t we live life like that? As followers of Jesus sometimes we are better known for what divides us as compared to what unites us. Did you know that for roughly the first thousand years of there was one church. Then for the next five hundred years it divided into about three or four branches. For the last five hundred years…well it’s kind of all over the place, it kind of looks like the root system of a giant oak tree.

However, after looking back over the last two years, I’m not surprised. We’ve lived in a country that was divided over lock downs, issues of race, politics, masks and vaccines…and that made it’s way into churches all across the country. But what it revealed is that maybe we are more aligned with our politics parties and news outlets then we are to King Jesus. You see, before I identify as an American, or as a Democrat, Republican, Independent, capitalist, or communist…I identify as a servant of King Jesus.

This whole series of Long Obedience in the Same Direction, is about growing as servants of King Jesus. The word we have been suing to describe this journey is discipleship. What is the definition of a disciple? A person committed to following Jesus. A person being transformed by Jesus. A person living on mission with Jesus.

When there is clarity on who we are becoming like, all of a sudden there is this alignment with others on the same journey. There is this amazing collaborative experience we call community.

There are two significant reasons why so many people, and maybe even you, end up stalled out and frustrated with the Christian faith: 1) Clear Allegiance to Jesus and not a philosophy or ideology. 2) You’re doing it alone. This journey is best traveled, together. What the Bible teaches us is that living and growing as God’s people best happens when we follow Jesus together.

If you have a Bible or device, turn to Psalm 133. If you are using the YouVersion Bible app, go to the bottom right hand corner and look for those three lines. In the new menu, look for Events. Then look for Iowa City Church. All of the sermon notes and Scriptures should be there on your device.

If you are new with us, we are on this journey through the Psalms of Ascent. 15 Worship songs the Jewish pilgrims would sing as they journeyed to Jerusalem for one of their big feasts. As they traveled up the mountain to Jerusalem they would sing these worship songs as reminders of their long journey of obedience following God. We are using them in a similar manner, reminding each of us of our long journey of obedience following Jesus.

If you would join me in standing, I’ll read these words of worship:

Psalm 133:1–3 NIV

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

PRAY

This is such a good psalm! It’s very simple and straightforward: Good and pleasant things happen when God’s people are united in community. What a beautiful picture to imagine, these Jewish pilgrims walking together from their different villages or cities, traveling up the mountain to Jerusalem singing this worship song of unity. Three clear truths: 1) God’s people. It’s their identity. 2) United. Together. 3) It’s good and a blessing.

Then psalmist then uses two very descriptive metaphors for this unity. The first one is Moses’s brother Aaron when he becomes the first high priest over Israel. He is set apart for this position by the anointing of oil over his head. It’s something we are very unfamiliar with. If I was to pour a quart of 10-W30 over your head you would be like, “What’s wrong with you?!” Some of you are like, “What’s 10-W30?”

Here’s why the metaphor is so powerful. As the oil is rolling down Aaron’s beard and collar, setting him apart as priest, it goes down onto his breastplate, where there are twelve engraved stones symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. So in setting Aaron apart, there is this setting the 12 tribes apart as a unified community of God’s people. Cool image isn’t it?

The second metaphor is like the first. Mount Hermon is located in the far northern part of Israel. It is the tallest mountain in the region. It receives a lot of precipitation, in fact today there is a ski resort there. So here is how the metaphor works. Mount Hermon is in the far north of Israel, Jerusalem, our Mount Zion is near the southern end. So a united Israel is the dew or the blessing of Mount Hermon flowing down covering all the people of Israel from top to bottom. God’s united people united in community is a blessing!

Oh, to live in that sweet spot of unity as God’s people! How can we do that today? Most importantly, how can living together in community transform us to live a life on mission with Jesus?

If you have a Bible, go to Acts chapter two. It’s been 50 days since Jesus’ death and resurrection. He has ascended and commissioned his apostles to wait in Jerusalem. Chapter two opens with a powerful display of the Holy Spirit, a massive crowd gathering and the apostle Peter preaching a sermon focused on Jesus’ death and resurrection. The crowd is so moved that they want to know what they need to do to respond to God’s grace. Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Over three thousand people are baptized, and literally we have the birth of the church…instantly filled will over three thousand disciples. The following is a brief description of how they went about their lives as disciples.

Acts 2:41–42 NIV

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

If we are going to be better together, and faithfully walk this long obedience in the same direction together, here are some things we can do to get there:

Devote Ourselves to the Apostle’s Teaching - When these words are written, keep in mind, there is no Bible. There are the OT Scriptures…that’s it. The apostles begin to teach, sometimes using the OT, others time telling these new disciples what Jesus taught them. Today, we literally have these teachings available to us in the Bible. In these teachings we obviously find the central truths of our faith, for example, the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, there are countless teachings of loving, serving, and forgiving one another. To live these out, we need to be together. We are better together.

Devote Ourselves to the Fellowship - This is devotion, not to a religion or institution, but to a people…people who are devoted to King Jesus. But you see, that is how we are better. Our unified differences make us better. In this room there are a lot of differences; ages and genders. Some of you are Republicans. Some of you are Democrats. Some of you are even sitting next to each other. Some of you even root for the Cyclones…or even more challenging…the Huskers…you all require extra but we are better because you are different. We have different life experiences. Different ways of connecting with God. Different giftedness. But that is what makes us all better. That is where we really grow. Eugene Peterson says this: “There can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life, apart from an immersion in, and embrace of community. I am not myself by myself.” ~ Eugene Peterson

Devote Ourselves to the Breaking of Bread - This is specifically referencing the Lord’s Supper or Communion. It was a central part of the disciple’s regular worship rhythm. Not only is the Lord’s Supper supposed to remind us of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross, but it also reminds us that through faith in him, we who all share in his body and blood are one…we are one family. When we share communion, we are reminded that the ground is level at the foot of the cross…all are welcome. There are no divisions. No socio economic differences. There are no sin differences. Everyone who walk to take communion is a sinner, totally and completely dependent upon the work of Jesus to save us. Devoting ourselves to the Lord’s Supper reminds us that we are better together.

Devote Ourselves to Prayer - They made it a point to seek the Lord in prayer, as a community of believers. We are fortunate to have access to a few of these prayers in the book of Acts. In these prayers, we read of a group of disciples asking God to unify them and embolden them to carry out the mission of making disciples.

Now, you go through that list and you realize that there are a lot of things missing…like serving, ministry, church buildings and mission programs and youth groups. What these four truths focus on is devoting us to Jesus and his people. When we devote ourselves to community with Jesus and his people…it’s good and good things happen! Look what happens next with this diverse group of Jesus followers. Look at verses 43-47.

Acts 2:43–47 (NIV)

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The result of devoting ourselves to Jesus and to each other are things like, ministry, service, deeper community and ultimately evangelism and discipleship. So in other words, when we center our lives on King Jesus, we are drawn together and learn to live our lives on mission together…because we are better together. Let me say it this way: We only reach our destination of becoming like Jesus by doing it together.

Here are a few steps you can take to help all of us be better together:

Is Jesus your King?

Devote your life to your church family.

Be welcoming and hospitable to everyone.

Who is discipling you? Who are you discipling?

If we commit to pursuing these four things…God is going to work through us to do big things!

The very best way to live a life on mission is with Jesus and his people.