WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.639 My name is Greg Hampton. If we've never met, 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:03.600 I would love to meet you. Put it on the connection 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:06.419 card at the end or snag me before you leave the 00:00:06.419 --> 00:00:08.679 building today, and I'd love to buy you a coffee. 00:00:08.699 --> 00:00:14.480 Or even if we've met before 17 times or 700 times, 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:17.000 I would love to grab a coffee with you. Let me 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:20.260 know. Let's get together. Let's talk about life. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:23.719 Next week begins Advent, so you'll notice some 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:27.420 Christmassy Advent season kind of decorations 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:31.699 up around the building. But today we are finishing 00:00:31.699 --> 00:00:34.619 up our series through the Nicene Creed. If you 00:00:34.619 --> 00:00:37.500 missed any of those sermons, you can hear those 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:39.399 anywhere that you get your podcasts, or if you 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:41.359 want to watch the whole service and kind of have 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:43.619 it as a time where you also worship the Lord, 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:46.380 the entire service is on YouTube, and those are 00:00:46.380 --> 00:00:50.429 up there in perpetuity. So far, we've talked 00:00:50.429 --> 00:00:54.509 about the global and historical beliefs about 00:00:54.509 --> 00:00:58.630 the Father, about Jesus the Son, and about the 00:00:58.630 --> 00:01:02.310 Holy Spirit. But the last section of the Creed 00:01:02.310 --> 00:01:04.829 that we're going to talk about today says something 00:01:04.829 --> 00:01:10.750 about us. It says that we believe in one holy, 00:01:10.909 --> 00:01:15.709 Catholic, and apostolic church. All right, there's 00:01:15.709 --> 00:01:18.730 a lot that's in that, those six or seven words. 00:01:19.260 --> 00:01:21.680 So we're going to go ahead and jump in. If you 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.739 want to, you can open your Bible to Ephesians 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:26.219 2, but I'm going to be reading from the message 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:29.239 today. And so unless you're looking at the message 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.140 version, you may get lost pretty quickly because 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:37.579 his translation is rather floral. But feel free 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:40.719 to open up to Ephesians 2 if you would like. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.000 If you happen to not have a Bible and you would 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.049 like one. You can take one of the blue Bibles 00:01:48.049 --> 00:01:49.650 that are on the tables, or there's ones out on 00:01:49.650 --> 00:01:51.409 the bookshelf you can have as well. Download 00:01:51.409 --> 00:01:54.849 Bible from any of the digital app stores. And 00:01:54.849 --> 00:01:56.310 then we have a tradition of giving the scriptures 00:01:56.310 --> 00:01:58.450 our full attention when they're read in the context 00:01:58.450 --> 00:02:01.430 of the sermon. And you can do that any way that 00:02:01.430 --> 00:02:03.709 you see most fit for you. But if you would like 00:02:03.709 --> 00:02:05.590 to join me in standing as we read the scriptures, 00:02:05.790 --> 00:02:13.550 this is Ephesians 2, starting in verse 16. Christ 00:02:13.550 --> 00:02:15.409 brought us together through his death on the 00:02:15.409 --> 00:02:19.560 cross. The cross got us to embrace, and that 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:22.740 was the end of the hostility. Christ came and 00:02:22.740 --> 00:02:24.860 preached peace to you outsiders and peace to 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:29.099 us insiders. He treated us as equals and so made 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:32.159 us equals. Through him, we both share the same 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.280 spirit and have equal access to the Father. That's 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:38.939 plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering 00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:42.580 exiles. The kingdom of faith is now your home 00:02:42.580 --> 00:02:45.699 country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:49.120 You belong here with as much right to the name 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.379 Christian as anyone. God is building a home. 00:02:53.060 --> 00:02:55.860 He's using us all, irrespective of how we got 00:02:55.860 --> 00:02:59.560 here and what he is building. He used the apostles 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:02.319 and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:05.419 you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by 00:03:05.419 --> 00:03:08.639 stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:12.389 holds all the parts together. We see it taking 00:03:12.389 --> 00:03:17.409 shape day after day. A holy temple built by God. 00:03:17.930 --> 00:03:22.250 All of us built into it. A temple in which God 00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:30.849 is quite at home. Let us pray. God, we thank 00:03:30.849 --> 00:03:32.870 you for the scriptures that they have persisted 00:03:32.870 --> 00:03:35.449 throughout the millennia. That we still have 00:03:35.449 --> 00:03:39.080 them to learn from, to consider. I pray that 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:40.740 whatever you have for us to learn today, that 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:43.120 it would stick, that it would become a part of 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:46.180 the framework of our faith, that our faith would 00:03:46.180 --> 00:03:48.620 become stronger as we become more like your son, 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:52.460 Jesus. Amen. Amen. Thanks, y 'all. You can have 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:56.139 a seat. It may go without saying, but humans 00:03:56.139 --> 00:04:01.280 are really good at dividing things. And unfortunately, 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:05.659 the same thing happens in the church because 00:04:05.659 --> 00:04:10.319 the church is made up of? People, right? Whether 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.680 it's doctrines and theologies or if it's the 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:15.139 worship songs or the preaching styles, people 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:20.319 have a lot of reasons to divide things. Sometimes 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.139 that means that they're splitting a church in 00:04:22.139 --> 00:04:25.120 half. Sometimes they're just finding a church 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:28.120 that fits what they're looking for just a little 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.399 bit better. Research actually tells us that these 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:34.660 are the top five things that people care about 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:36.180 when they're looking for a church. Number one 00:04:36.180 --> 00:04:40.050 is beliefs and doctrines. Number two, the preaching. 00:04:40.910 --> 00:04:43.430 Number three, the authenticity of the people. 00:04:44.069 --> 00:04:46.490 Four, if the church cares for their community. 00:04:46.529 --> 00:04:50.209 And five, the unity among church members. Did 00:04:50.209 --> 00:04:52.509 you notice that music was not in that top five? 00:04:53.389 --> 00:04:57.769 Now for me, it's right up there next to beliefs 00:04:57.769 --> 00:05:01.050 and doctrines because I'm a music person. But 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:05.750 people in general, that's not the very top. All 00:05:05.750 --> 00:05:08.610 of these things. All of these things hold value. 00:05:08.670 --> 00:05:11.910 They matter. They are good and important things. 00:05:12.069 --> 00:05:16.209 But all of our preferences and incremental differences 00:05:16.209 --> 00:05:19.529 in beliefs are also the reason that there are 00:05:19.529 --> 00:05:23.790 tens of thousands of versions of Christianity 00:05:23.790 --> 00:05:27.149 around the world. When you take into account 00:05:27.149 --> 00:05:29.509 that country by country, even if you have the 00:05:29.509 --> 00:05:32.829 same name of denomination, country by country, 00:05:32.990 --> 00:05:35.389 they still practice their beliefs differently. 00:05:36.009 --> 00:05:38.269 When you take that into account, there's as many 00:05:38.269 --> 00:05:42.009 as 45 ,000 branches of Christianity in the world. 00:05:43.970 --> 00:05:48.990 That's a lot. I didn't think to put it up there, 00:05:49.029 --> 00:05:51.670 but I saw this meme one time, and maybe I've 00:05:51.670 --> 00:05:53.509 mentioned it before, but it's like a family tree 00:05:53.509 --> 00:05:56.089 of the church, and it keeps branching off and 00:05:56.089 --> 00:05:58.029 branching off and branching off. And it's this 00:05:58.029 --> 00:05:59.850 little cartoon, and the pastor points right here, 00:05:59.870 --> 00:06:01.310 and he goes, that's where we came in and got 00:06:01.310 --> 00:06:06.680 it all right. I could list for you 40 different 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:09.339 kinds of Baptists. I could list for you 40 different 00:06:09.339 --> 00:06:11.860 kinds of Presbyterians, 40 different kinds of 00:06:11.860 --> 00:06:15.000 Lutherans, on and on, every kind of denomination. 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.519 We're a non -denominational, so we're part of 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:21.660 an even bigger list of versions of what it looks 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:25.240 like to believe in and practice Christian faith 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.879 because we are very good at dividing ourselves. 00:06:29.699 --> 00:06:32.269 One of my favorite anecdotes. And I've probably 00:06:32.269 --> 00:06:35.170 told this story before too. But it's the story 00:06:35.170 --> 00:06:37.610 of the guy gets stranded on a desert island. 00:06:38.370 --> 00:06:41.569 And when he finally gets found, he's like, oh, 00:06:41.589 --> 00:06:43.550 let me show you around. And there's three buildings. 00:06:43.649 --> 00:06:46.649 He's built three buildings on this island. And 00:06:46.649 --> 00:06:48.550 they're like, oh, what's this? He goes, oh, that's 00:06:48.550 --> 00:06:51.189 my hut. That's where I live. And I'm like, oh, 00:06:51.290 --> 00:06:53.430 what's that? Well, that's the church I go to. 00:06:53.569 --> 00:06:55.889 Oh, what's that over there? That's the church 00:06:55.889 --> 00:06:58.889 I used to go to. Like he's the only guy on the 00:06:58.889 --> 00:07:03.670 island. But the creed says that we believe in 00:07:03.670 --> 00:07:09.170 a church that is one. Not because there can't 00:07:09.170 --> 00:07:12.410 be multiple branches and not because there shouldn't 00:07:12.410 --> 00:07:16.730 be differences between congregations. The creed 00:07:16.730 --> 00:07:19.189 says that we are one because no matter what local 00:07:19.189 --> 00:07:22.389 expression or congregation that you are in, the 00:07:22.389 --> 00:07:25.569 scriptures are teaching us that if you believe 00:07:25.569 --> 00:07:32.379 in Jesus, that he is the son of God. born, lived, 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:37.879 crucified, resurrected, then you are a part of 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:44.660 the one church. And that's why this line still 00:07:44.660 --> 00:07:47.540 matters today, maybe more than ever, because 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:49.379 you can walk down the street right now and find 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:51.040 any number of churches that do not think that 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.180 any number of the other churches in town are 00:07:53.180 --> 00:08:00.430 a part of the one church. And that's sad. Because 00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:03.389 in Ephesians 4, Paul was writing to the church 00:08:03.389 --> 00:08:06.189 in Ephesus, and he reminds them, with all humility 00:08:06.189 --> 00:08:10.490 and gentleness, with patience, bear with one 00:08:10.490 --> 00:08:14.670 another in love, make every effort to maintain 00:08:14.670 --> 00:08:19.750 the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:29.920 I wonder if we have... spent so much time and 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:33.240 so many years trying to be right that we have 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:41.899 forgotten how to be one. And the creed is reminding 00:08:41.899 --> 00:08:46.299 us to believe what the scriptures have already 00:08:46.299 --> 00:08:49.980 said. There is one body, there is one spirit. 00:08:50.669 --> 00:08:53.889 just as you were called to the one hope of your 00:08:53.889 --> 00:08:57.269 calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one 00:08:57.269 --> 00:09:02.090 God and Father of all who is above all, through 00:09:02.090 --> 00:09:09.570 all, and in all. God is building a home. He is 00:09:09.570 --> 00:09:12.169 using us all irrespective of how we got here 00:09:12.169 --> 00:09:20.120 and what he is building, one holy Catholic. Apostolic 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:21.960 Church. Okay, but weren't they saying that you 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:23.299 were just supposed to be part of the Catholic 00:09:23.299 --> 00:09:31.500 Church? In as much as the word... On the count 00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:33.179 of three, everyone say boo back. One, two, three. 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:39.519 Boo! In as much as the word Catholic means universal 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.840 or according to the whole. That's what Catholic 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.240 means. Universal and according to the whole. 00:09:46.370 --> 00:09:48.610 In as much as that's what the word Catholic means, 00:09:48.769 --> 00:09:50.649 yes, they want us to be a part of the Catholic 00:09:50.649 --> 00:09:54.690 Church, the universal church, part of the whole 00:09:54.690 --> 00:09:58.649 church. They used the word Catholic, lowercase 00:09:58.649 --> 00:10:02.549 c, because it was inclusive, not because it was 00:10:02.549 --> 00:10:07.370 a branch or a denomination. It's saying that 00:10:07.370 --> 00:10:10.470 we're all a part of the whole, we're all a part 00:10:10.470 --> 00:10:13.549 of the same thing, not because we look the same. 00:10:14.009 --> 00:10:16.230 Not because we vote the same, not because we 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:20.509 sing the same songs, not even because we all 00:10:20.509 --> 00:10:23.370 believe all the same things exactly the same 00:10:23.370 --> 00:10:29.309 way, but because Jesus has brought us together. 00:10:30.629 --> 00:10:37.549 And Jesus holds all things together. When we 00:10:37.549 --> 00:10:40.429 say this part of the creed, when we say, I believe 00:10:40.429 --> 00:10:43.740 in one. holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:47.240 We're standing against our proclivity to be picky. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:51.399 We're rejecting division for division's sake. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.340 We're saying that we will continue to believe, 00:10:54.419 --> 00:11:01.659 no matter what, that we are one. Maybe we don't 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:05.539 feel it, and it definitely doesn't always describe 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:10.799 what we see. So we're saying it because it describes 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:14.759 what we're called to believe. We're saying it 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:17.679 because it describes what we are called to be 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:24.019 practicing. We're saying, I will not let my world 00:11:24.019 --> 00:11:28.179 become so small that only people just like me 00:11:28.179 --> 00:11:33.480 fit inside of it. I will not let the identity 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:38.120 of the church shrink to the size of my preferences 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:42.460 or even to the size of my own understanding. 00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:48.320 Okay, then I just want to talk for a second about 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:53.200 that word apostolic for a minute. Because imagine, 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:55.559 we've probably all heard it. We've probably all 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.759 said it when we've said the Nicene Creed. And 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:00.909 it gets used relatively differently. depending 00:12:00.909 --> 00:12:03.870 on where you've heard that word. Paul said, God 00:12:03.870 --> 00:12:06.429 used the apostles and prophets for the foundation 00:12:06.429 --> 00:12:10.070 of what God is building. Apostle just means one 00:12:10.070 --> 00:12:14.590 who is sent or a messenger. When we say we are 00:12:14.590 --> 00:12:17.909 an apostolic church, we are acknowledging that 00:12:17.909 --> 00:12:21.230 the message started somewhere else, that the 00:12:21.230 --> 00:12:24.429 message started with the first followers and 00:12:24.429 --> 00:12:28.169 it has been carried to us, that we did not invent 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:33.129 it. The first week of this series, Pastor Jen 00:12:33.129 --> 00:12:35.750 started and she mentioned Rich Mullins, a Christian 00:12:35.750 --> 00:12:42.590 musician back in the 80s and 90s. And in his 00:12:42.590 --> 00:12:45.169 song called The Creed, he has a line that says, 00:12:45.309 --> 00:12:51.710 I did not make it, no, it is making me. This 00:12:51.710 --> 00:12:54.990 started somewhere else. And we get to be a part 00:12:54.990 --> 00:13:00.120 of that family. But we're also saying, when we 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.019 say that this is an apostolic church, we're also 00:13:03.019 --> 00:13:07.480 saying how the message will continue. Because 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:11.000 the church is not and was never meant to be stationary. 00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:16.399 The church is meant to be living and active, 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:20.480 carrying the good news everywhere that it goes. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:22.779 And so it means that Jesus isn't just for us. 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:28.740 Jesus isn't just for me. Jesus is for my neighbors 00:13:28.740 --> 00:13:33.279 and my workplaces and my schools and for my family 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.840 members. And honestly, the Christmas season is 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:41.299 one of the best times for us to decide that we 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:45.240 are going to be apostolic, that we are going 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:50.620 to carry this with us to someone else. Show of 00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:53.600 hands, anyone that grew up. if you're comfortable 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:57.700 doing this, Catholic or Lutheran or Methodist, 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.379 okay? Now, raise your hands again if you know, 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.120 if you had candles at the front that acolytes 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:07.500 lit those candles, okay? So I used to work at 00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:10.379 a Lutheran church. and I taught confirmation. 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:13.120 And part of teaching confirmation was teaching 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.519 the students why they would have a candle at 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:19.039 the back, they would have a long thing that was 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:20.919 lit, and they would walk it to the front, and 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:22.720 they would light the candles that were on the 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.320 stage. And then often, depending on what kind 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:28.080 of church you were in, you would then take the 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.899 light from that again, and then you would carry 00:14:29.899 --> 00:14:33.980 it out at the end of the service. That was a 00:14:33.980 --> 00:14:39.559 symbol of being apostolic. Because the symbolism 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.039 is that Jesus is the light of the world. He has 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:47.700 come into the world hoping that the world will 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:51.779 receive it. And then we as the church are meant 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:54.360 to take this light that we've been standing here 00:14:54.360 --> 00:15:01.919 talking about out into the world with us. We're 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:07.389 meant to be evangelical in the sense that We 00:15:07.389 --> 00:15:10.549 carry the good news with us. We're meant to be 00:15:10.549 --> 00:15:13.210 apostolic in the sense that it was given to us, 00:15:13.250 --> 00:15:16.629 and then we then are attempting to pass it along 00:15:16.629 --> 00:15:21.570 to others in this long 2 ,000 -year line of the 00:15:21.570 --> 00:15:25.370 story of Jesus that goes back before that to 00:15:25.370 --> 00:15:30.190 the people of Israel. And you don't have to be 00:15:30.190 --> 00:15:34.250 an expert. All you have to know is what your 00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:39.059 current experiences are. If your current experience 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:42.000 is the idea that you have seen a glimmer of hope 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.500 that you are part of a church that offers family, 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:50.360 that offers belonging, that holds Jesus above 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:53.559 everything, and that says that in all other things 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:57.440 that we will find a way to stand together. There's 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:00.860 a theologian from the 1700s. I'm not sure if 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:02.639 I left that part in my notes, but his name is 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:09.490 Rupertus Maldinius. And this is actually on our 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:11.909 website. If you want to go there with me now. 00:16:12.669 --> 00:16:17.529 You don't actually want to do that, but I don't 00:16:17.529 --> 00:16:20.669 want to say it wrong. On our website, if you 00:16:20.669 --> 00:16:29.649 go to our beliefs page, it says this. This is 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.049 a quote from the 17th century theologian Rupertus 00:16:32.049 --> 00:16:37.799 Maldinius. In essentials unity. In non -essentials, 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:46.179 liberty. In all things, charity. The point being 00:16:46.179 --> 00:16:52.700 that it is not a new idea today that you don't 00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:54.519 have to agree about everything in order to be 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:58.159 a part of the same family together. It is a concept 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:03.200 that is centuries and thousands of years. And 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:07.519 we have the opportunity to offer family to people 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:10.420 that need it. I want to bring special attention 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:15.559 to one way that we can symbolically, at least, 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:18.819 but also practically offer a sense of family 00:17:18.819 --> 00:17:22.009 to people. Over here in the corner. you'll see 00:17:22.009 --> 00:17:26.069 that we've got a display, and those are our ornaments 00:17:26.069 --> 00:17:29.009 or our mittens, and those 50 ornaments over there 00:17:29.009 --> 00:17:33.109 represent 25 children that are currently in the 00:17:33.109 --> 00:17:36.490 DCFS system and are experiencing the foster system. 00:17:36.690 --> 00:17:40.430 They are kids that are fostered right now. And 00:17:40.430 --> 00:17:45.269 every year, we as a church, we provide gifts. 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:49.349 to the foster parents of those kids so that they 00:17:49.349 --> 00:17:52.210 can have gifts for those kids so that those kids 00:17:52.210 --> 00:17:55.009 aren't worried or stressed or anxious about, 00:17:55.109 --> 00:17:59.509 am I going to have a Christmas this year? And 00:17:59.509 --> 00:18:01.970 one of the reasons we do it to make sure that 00:18:01.970 --> 00:18:04.529 it's a good experience for these kids is because 00:18:04.529 --> 00:18:06.390 they're learning something about family right 00:18:06.390 --> 00:18:09.109 now, aren't they? They're learning that there's 00:18:09.109 --> 00:18:11.809 something that's happening in their first family, 00:18:11.950 --> 00:18:15.619 but they're also going to learn something. about 00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:20.940 their new temporary or given family. And our 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:24.880 hope is to be a part of making this temporary 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:29.319 or given family experience as positive as possible 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:32.519 as they learn that their first family is getting 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.880 healthy so that they can be cared for there as 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:38.220 well. Does that make sense? And guys, we get 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:39.880 to be a small part of that. They'll never know 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:43.569 your name. Some of the parents, the foster parents 00:18:43.569 --> 00:18:45.670 will know that they came from this church. They 00:18:45.670 --> 00:18:48.069 will not know who they came from. And those children 00:18:48.069 --> 00:18:51.490 will never know that it was from us because the 00:18:51.490 --> 00:18:53.789 way that we've designed this is that we bring 00:18:53.789 --> 00:18:57.589 these gifts back unwrapped just with the tag 00:18:57.589 --> 00:19:00.150 so that they know which kid it's for so that 00:19:00.150 --> 00:19:02.470 those foster parents can wrap them as if they're 00:19:02.470 --> 00:19:12.009 from them. I don't need to know. The name of 00:19:12.009 --> 00:19:18.170 the person that led my mother to the Lord. But 00:19:18.170 --> 00:19:21.650 I know that my mother brought me to the Lord. 00:19:24.970 --> 00:19:27.329 And we do not need to know who wrapped every 00:19:27.329 --> 00:19:32.869 present God has ever given us. But we know who 00:19:32.869 --> 00:19:36.789 it came from. We know that it is a gift from 00:19:36.789 --> 00:19:39.940 the Lord. So after service today, I want to encourage 00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:43.579 you to go over there, sign out some tags, and 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:45.680 we'll bring those back in a couple Sundays. You'll 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:49.180 get an email about it as well. But I want you 00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:50.740 to do it not just because it's a nice thing to 00:19:50.740 --> 00:19:54.099 do. I want you to grip onto the philosophy of 00:19:54.099 --> 00:19:57.859 it, the meaning of it, that this is a small way 00:19:57.859 --> 00:20:01.119 that we offer a sense of family to kids that 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.799 are learning what a family is right now in the 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:08.690 midst of not knowing. what to feel about family. 00:20:09.329 --> 00:20:23.170 Right? Yeah. Let's pray. God, thank you for whoever 00:20:23.170 --> 00:20:26.630 told my mom about you and whoever told them about 00:20:26.630 --> 00:20:34.970 you. All the way back to the first century, to 00:20:34.970 --> 00:20:37.990 the first followers. that we're just trying to 00:20:37.990 --> 00:20:41.710 figure out how to understand exactly who you 00:20:41.710 --> 00:20:45.170 are and how to lead these little congregations 00:20:45.170 --> 00:20:55.349 in being one, in being unified. Help us to embrace 00:20:55.349 --> 00:21:00.569 that oneness, that universal, apostolic, and 00:21:00.569 --> 00:21:05.390 holy nature of this thing we call church. Amen.