1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,440 Good morning everybody. How y'all doing? I'm doing good. Thanks for asking. How are you? 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:14,660 Sometimes you get a question back. All right. Hey, my name is Chris Britton. It is an honor 3 00:00:14,660 --> 00:00:21,520 to be here before you to continue our series called The Blueprint. And obviously if you're 4 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:26,600 here, you know that our church is called The House. Right? You know our church is called 5 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:32,200 The House. And we use The House kind of terminology to define some of the things that we do here. 6 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,880 So if you're joining us for the first time or if you've been here for a while, you probably 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,920 have realized some of the names that we have around here. Like we have Treehouse, Kids 8 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,840 Ministry. We have what's the Teen Ministry? The Shed. Shout out to the Shed. You like 9 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:53,720 the Shed. The Shed. We have our Framework Team. Right? All the volunteers in here. Yeah, 10 00:00:53,720 --> 00:01:01,360 for sure. We got one clap for that. We've got one volunteer. No, I'm kidding. The Framework 11 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,920 Team and even some of the practical ways that you can live out our faith we call, wait for 12 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:14,440 it, The Blueprint. So it's obviously like Greg likes HGTV. No, I'm just kidding. He 13 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:20,200 doesn't like camping. But we have kind of those plays on words and we've been in this 14 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,320 series called The Blueprint where we're laying out these practical ways that you can live 15 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:31,320 out your faith. And in some ways we even call that a basic kind of plan for discipleship. 16 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:35,200 Some might be interested in this. Not sure if you are or not. But Greg actually has a 17 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:40,320 book that he came out with about these things. He doesn't ever get up here and advertise 18 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:43,920 that. But if you're interested, it actually lays out all those things. I think it's even 19 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:49,920 on Amazon or whatever. But it's not a plug to buy that. But I'm sure that we could get 20 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,360 one in your hands if you're interested in seeing it laid out in that way. 21 00:01:54,360 --> 00:02:00,160 So we're in the second week of our series called The Blueprint. And today there might 22 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,240 be some of you that might not rock with this message because we're going to talk about 23 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,320 coming together and some of you that don't like your food to touch on a plate. We're 24 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:15,200 going to talk about togetherness and community and fellowship when things get messy. It's 25 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:22,200 like don't touch me. So I think that we can all agree that in our day and age there's 26 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:27,000 a lot more things that we can find out about ourselves and we can use more excuses like 27 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,960 this is my Enneagram number so I don't have to be a part of this. Or I know that this 28 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,960 is how I am so I don't have to partake in this. So thank you for telling me. But I'm 29 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,960 good. I've studied this. I know I can stay clear away from people and I'm fine and blah, 30 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:46,520 blah, blah. So I know we're all studied and we can find out our personality types and 31 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,040 all this and we can easily brush this off if we're one of those types of people that 32 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:56,640 well. He just doesn't know this is how I am. But I pray regardless that you will listen 33 00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:02,400 to the Bible has to say about what happens when churches like truly come together in 34 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:09,860 fellowship and they actually agree on being on the same plate and things getting messy 35 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:15,760 and what life might look like when people agree that you know we're not like this but 36 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:22,040 this might be the best way for us to live as community together and promote hope and 37 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:27,480 change in the love of Christ on this planet. All right. So we're going to kind of talk 38 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:32,760 about that and it might get messy a little bit. All right. So I'm going to pray real 39 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:38,120 quick before we jump into it. God thank you so much for your word and I thank you God 40 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:43,800 that we are able to just unpack the blueprint some ways that we can practically live out 41 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:50,160 our faith and today as we talk about community as we talk about fellowship I pray God that 42 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,760 we learn what it means to live at the table or to live at the at the table to be to be 43 00:03:54,760 --> 00:04:02,160 seen by you God and to be to actually see others as well. So help me with my words may 44 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,520 they be yours and may they be edifying to you and may we be closer to you this morning 45 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:19,800 in your name. Amen. I've heard this phrase this feels like family from a lot of different 46 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:26,680 walks in my life not just Christian places I remember working in youth ministry and there 47 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,920 was actually a lot of people that came in our youth ministry sometimes and they played 48 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,540 basketball from different walks of life and I remember one time we had this Bible study 49 00:04:36,540 --> 00:04:40,800 and most of the time we had an open door policy and these guys came in and I knew that here 50 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,240 I knew like he was really out on the streets like he was really living that life and when 51 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,280 I mean by that like he was really out there like living that life always respectful when 52 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:54,160 he came in and I asked him why do you why did you stay for a Bible study this time and 53 00:04:54,160 --> 00:05:00,040 he was like man this feel like family. All right. I heard a student in my classroom one 54 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:08,840 time she graduated and she text and said I miss my family. I heard a teen that I knew 55 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:16,440 that his his heat from his words he said that in the living situation that he had him and 56 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,960 his brother would sleep in the hallway where their dirty clothes were kind of like their 57 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:27,040 mattress and he would stay and do poetry and all those kind of things and there's some 58 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:34,000 things that happen in his life and he said I miss family this that was family. You hear 59 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:42,240 this family concept and you usually it stirs up something where somebody feels like they've 60 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:50,520 been seen they've felt loved and somebody wasn't scared that they was on their plate 61 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:55,740 type thing and I feel like if we think about this and some of you might feel like this 62 00:05:55,740 --> 00:06:02,440 here we hope that you like this is family I've heard that before as well. I know that 63 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:08,680 God has wired us to be connected to one another right and I've again I've heard this from 64 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,120 lots of different people from Christians from non-Christians from gangbangers the people 65 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,120 that's on the street for people that's homeless from people in the kids in the classroom this 66 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:24,840 feels like family. What if we all are kind of built hardwired to be on the same plate 67 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:32,200 with other people? That's in our soul it's in on the DNA of our soul and how God wired 68 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:37,200 us to be and I want to talk about that today what that might look like and offer hopefully 69 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:44,040 some some insight on what the first church had done and offer some suggestions to us 70 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:52,120 as well. We'll be reading from Acts 2 chapter Acts chapter 2 verse 40 through 47 so you 71 00:06:52,120 --> 00:07:02,440 can get that get that out right now and you can stand if you're able in mind or spirit 72 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:12,320 Acts chapter 2 verse 40 through 47 and with many other words he bore witness and continued 73 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:17,720 to exhort them saying save yourselves from this crooked generation so those who received 74 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:24,760 his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls and they 75 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:29,360 devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread 76 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:37,320 and the prayers and all came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done 77 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:43,360 through the apostles and all who believed were together and had all things in common 78 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:48,000 and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to 79 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:54,800 all as any had need and day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in 80 00:07:54,800 --> 00:08:00,480 their homes they received their food with glad and generous hearts praising God and 81 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:06,320 having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their numbers day by day those who 82 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:20,160 were being saved you may be seated. Whether our family consists of people in our homes 83 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:25,160 or maybe people that we might visit often or even a small group of close friends I believe 84 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:29,160 that when we look at this passage when we look at scripture the Bible has some some 85 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:35,360 powerful values and practices that when we put them into practice it can make those circles 86 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:48,040 even more life-giving. As we see it's Peter as we see in the scripture right in Acts chapter 87 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:59,480 2 right we have the the Holy Spirit falls and then we get the fellowship of believers 88 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,840 and the church is kind of starting in this in this place where imagine three thousand 89 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:09,680 people come to know Christ and then it's like hey what do we do now like how do we live 90 00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:16,000 should we just all go our separate ways or what's going on and we see not this instruction 91 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:23,840 book that we get but we see the way that they kind of figured it out the best way to live 92 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:31,240 studying God's Word together eating at the same tables together sharing food not just 93 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:37,560 collecting money for their self but also distributing money towards those that are in need coming 94 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:45,920 together collectively the fellowship of believers we see this awesome example and I bet I bet 95 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,800 among those three thousand there was a high percentage of them that's like this feels 96 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:58,000 like family. So like family this is it probably not perfect but they were like this this feels 97 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:04,240 like family. Now when we talk about this morning I want to talk about what that means that 98 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:08,760 at church here we talk about leaving things on the table we have all this terminology 99 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,800 like I said before so living at the table and what we see that at the beginning of the 100 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:20,400 scripture the gospel was kind of being laid out and people were responding to it they 101 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:29,240 were responding to accepting Christ and surrendering all surrendering all and sometimes that's 102 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:35,540 kind of like I don't know what that means like what does that really mean to just surrender 103 00:10:35,540 --> 00:10:39,480 everything because we hear about people coming to Christ or people saying the prayer and 104 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:44,960 we hear these formulaic things but sometimes we forget about the supernatural aspect of 105 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:52,760 the Holy Spirit entering into somebody's life and in wrecking it for the good. A lot of 106 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:58,240 you know that I do poetry and all this kind of stuff and I kind of got a couple different 107 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:06,880 options up here you guys want option A or B. A and B okay but when I look at my life 108 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:13,640 when I look at my experience as a Christian and I look at what it was like for me to lay 109 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:19,000 everything on the table what I found it wasn't just one day that I did that and it was like 110 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:26,360 over it's like here Christ here's my life boom all right. It was a continual process 111 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,960 that you have to come back time and time again throughout your life there's different seasons 112 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:38,320 of life when I was a teenager but the first time the first time I remember how it changed 113 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:44,200 everything and that's where I feel like the supernatural aspect of God's Spirit the Holy 114 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:50,840 Spirit that we forget about right. We might think of some movies where we see CGI stuff 115 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:57,560 and all this magical stuff has to happen. There's things that happen to some people 116 00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:00,880 that you can't discount and other people like I didn't hear no voices ain't nothing happened 117 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:07,280 to me I don't know what all this stuff is about I just changed but whatever that is 118 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:12,680 we can't discount the power of the Holy Spirit because I didn't understand but there was 119 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:18,360 a piece that I had never felt before that I know that I didn't come up with it. There 120 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:25,000 was a restraint that's what I'll say to some of you youth out there or maybe some of those 121 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,760 adults there's some areas in our life where we need restraint in some things where we 122 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:38,600 don't have the power ourselves to say no to some things. You hear in the black church 123 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:47,480 sometimes they say help us Holy Spirit. So for all of us there's things that with all 124 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,600 the power lifting and all the strength that we might have we might not have the strength 125 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:58,920 to fight some of our own temptations and sin and we need God and we need to say God I give 126 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:07,200 this to you and that's the strongest move that you can make. There's a poem called 127 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:11,720 the dark side that I kind of frequent back here a little bit because some of my poems 128 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:17,080 are kind of like in the making for years I know it sounds strange but they just have 129 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:22,760 to sit with me for a long time and I go back to it and everything but this poem is called 130 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,720 the dark side because it was as if my dark side was was kind of talking to me taking 131 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,480 me on this journey of hey man you remember this like if my dark side was like bro you 132 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:38,360 remember because it's still here. I can't tell you when those testimonies about yeah 133 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:45,440 my dark side back when I was a teenager didn't it was gone. It's still like hey bro you should 134 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:52,800 do this you do this right. Sometimes I'm like what if the dark side is just like like almost 135 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:58,800 like likes me but knows that I can't resist it sometimes so it's kind of like hey you 136 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:07,600 remember this man I couldn't believe that you did that. You remember this. I care about 137 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:13,240 you even though I'm the part of you that's dark. Chris you remember what you used to 138 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:18,480 be on even I was ashamed that the place is your amusement park. You remember the first 139 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:23,000 time that you held crack and you stared as it sat in the universe of your palms. Chris 140 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:29,880 be honest you kind of felt like you kind of like the thought of having fiends orbit your 141 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,920 space just for a taste of stardust. Chris like the first time that you held a 38 I remember 142 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,720 the weight you felt the metal in your waist and I wondered what was you thinking. Chris 143 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:44,520 did you feel like God with the power to big bang life into extinction. Chris the first 144 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,920 time that that malt liquor hit you your brain triggered lust like fireball you didn't even 145 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,040 know how to ask for help. You were a young son bursting with hormones seeking to crash 146 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:58,240 land below a young lady's asteroid belt. Well Mr. Britton ain't you ever considering me 147 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:02,480 an important part of your life. I mean without me the darkness how can you truly appreciate 148 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:10,000 the light. You saw me often lurking long moonlit sidewalks that dark shadow when you were acting 149 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:15,240 irresponsibly often watching fear paint smirks across your face as you played in carnivals 150 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:21,440 of curiosity. See I was there when it was the devil's work that you delighted in then 151 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:27,320 somehow you start going to all the place inviting delight in but you're older now and somehow 152 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:34,760 you think that we are divided light and dark. Sometimes you just have to be reminded. 153 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:45,160 And there's times that we have to be reminded that there's this process where we still need 154 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:51,920 to put things on the table and give God these things because we're not meant to hold the 155 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,720 weight of them and I don't know what that's for you. I've been around long enough where 156 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,720 I know what it is for me that I need to keep putting back on the table and there's some 157 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:03,520 things that God will say like give me that give me that and there's some things where 158 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:08,080 Greg talks about this even in his book where there's things that God might leave on the 159 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:13,720 table. I mean if you go to a table you might see like hot sauce and salt and pepper and 160 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:17,060 some things that aren't really good good for you like you don't want to take the pepper 161 00:16:17,060 --> 00:16:22,080 and just undo it and just like drink it like that. There's some things that are just there 162 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:29,240 that we have to learn and discipline ourselves and God's like I can't help you control some 163 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:34,560 of this but it's going to be around. 164 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:40,440 So the table figuratively in our life is like this altar of sorts. Greg and I had a chance 165 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:47,360 to visit the Holy Land way back it seems like years and years ago but we visited these biblical 166 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:52,860 places where we talked about it on our separate visits when we came back and I remember saying 167 00:16:52,860 --> 00:16:59,080 like Greg like I was fascinated by every community that we visited have this altar of sorts 168 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:05,640 this start calling this high place where people would either worship God and this high place 169 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,840 or they'd worship these other things but every community that we visited that was in ruins 170 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:15,920 you could identify this high place where people gathered as a community and they were either 171 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:23,600 worshiping things of God or they found something else to put above that above God on this altar 172 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,280 and here in 2022 we're saying when we see this scripture what would it look like for 173 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:34,600 a church what would it look like for us to fellowship and know that we are a place that 174 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:40,920 is trying our best to live at the table and put God first and put and worship God above 175 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:49,660 everything else in our lives. 176 00:17:49,660 --> 00:17:52,800 So the question that I will leave you with is have you done that first have you done 177 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,200 that have you started that's kind of like square one that doesn't mean like oh that's 178 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,760 just you know first base or whatever but that's an important step is imagine the disciples 179 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:08,320 being at the table with Jesus and Jesus seeing them do you know that you're seen by God that 180 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:20,880 you're loved by him that he's has the door open for you you said both of them. 181 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,440 This poem is called Beauty and the Change it's a poem just as I was contemplating years 182 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:32,040 ago just about me coming to Christ and what this battle going on in my head. 183 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:38,160 There are times I weep for change and search for my identity's freedom come out come out 184 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:45,960 wherever you are reveal yourself to my soul and I ask who am I who am I in front of the 185 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:53,160 cam who am I in front of my fam am I different in front of the sun does the moon see a different 186 00:18:53,160 --> 00:19:01,080 side of me soon there will be no need to mask myself to Gotham my insecurities I sit signaling 187 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:08,560 Savior please rescue me soul projecting sounds to clouds and prayers to air is there help 188 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:15,840 on the way inside I know that help is here but there's a barrier a door longing to be 189 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:22,920 unlocked maybe maybe it's my pride caged inside like bird longing to touch skies freedom what 190 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:28,360 will it take for me to get open as evil desires comfortably entice I begin to take the light 191 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:34,320 in cage watching a door that seems to be cracked open I hope someone will save me enter my 192 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:41,120 story save me when the door is cracked open I think I think I see a light or pride tells 193 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:48,640 me to hide and seek self satisfaction pride says when it comes to action Savior so I sit 194 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:56,000 Indian style smoke signaling clouds of silence to my Savior Savior's message has always 195 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:05,680 been I am here at the table come to me I'm I'm right here come follow me but instead 196 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:11,080 I'm coddling convictions and waddling conviction toddling the fence instead of swallowing my 197 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:20,080 pride I want to feel change tangible as the air in these lungs so I finally flung open 198 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:26,200 the door to God's Word and fell in love with His love my eyes kissed the pages of James 199 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:35,360 516 and sent me to my knees proposed a confession professed the wretch in me I was once blind 200 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:44,440 but now as I was dormant there had always been a doormat welcoming me to knock the door 201 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:50,960 had always been open so why did I wait why did I wait for change why did I wait to be 202 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:57,240 rescued when I could have just walked into the arms of forgiveness transformed from a 203 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:08,880 strange to experienced and changed through Christ and toast His endless beauty there's 204 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:17,160 often talk about about change that we want in our life and sometimes it's easier than 205 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:24,880 we think when we just surrender and say man I'm done I just want to surrender all to you 206 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:41,640 there's another side of living at the table it's not just to be sitting and to know and 207 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:50,840 be known by God but also in the company of others and I hope in these next few moments 208 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:58,640 to explain how living at the table in community and rich fellowship means nurturing deep friendships 209 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:04,680 with people that push you closer to God and your goals who know both the good and the 210 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:12,360 bad about you and whose love is not contingent upon either who you can call at 2 a.m. if 211 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:17,840 you're in crisis and I want to pack a few reasons why you should have people like that 212 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:23,840 around you you often I don't know if you've seen the reality show storage wars storage 213 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:29,640 wars storage wars and the basic premise is that you know these people get to bid on these 214 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:34,840 storage bins and in hopes that there's something good in there that's salvageable or they can 215 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:39,160 you know and sometimes it's not good stuff and sometimes but you know it's oftentimes 216 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:45,160 really adults like we got this storage built up where we don't want nobody to get in there 217 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:51,640 we don't want nobody in our stuff man because we're saying when you pop that open but when 218 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,640 you have good people in your life and a good guy in your life they can pop that thing open 219 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,400 and be and they can find the goodness in there something of value that you might even have 220 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:05,720 missed yourself it's like all this is just an old do you know the value of this are you 221 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:13,200 serious you're an artist you know this no no that's just the old no we need people like 222 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:18,160 that I'm not an expert in antiques and all that kind of stuff but I understand why you 223 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,880 have people that are experts in that because they can speak the life into that thing that 224 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:26,840 you thought was dead you was gonna throw it away and we're like that with ourselves as 225 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:31,480 well and we need the guy to point that out we need people here around us that can be 226 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:36,480 like no I'll never forget early in my youth ministry years like I had this plan for this 227 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:43,680 creative art stuff a long time ago and I would tuck the files over here I'm not gonna talk 228 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:51,040 about that that's crazy I should just play my role do youth ministry hey Chris you got 229 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:58,840 any good ideas I'd be like mmm no cuz I was scared it's gonna get too messy I remember 230 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:04,880 like yesterday there was a project that we were working on for a grant and we had somebody 231 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,120 that's still a good friend to my wife and I but she worked at our ministry for about 232 00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:14,520 three years she said Chris then I hear you say something about this creative art stuff 233 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:19,780 that should be the idea for the grant and I was like no we can't no no no she's like 234 00:24:19,780 --> 00:24:24,920 tomorrow get that thing out and then I was just like oh man I was just showing like the 235 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:32,160 initial plans she said this is amazing we should present this to the city of Rock Island 236 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:37,680 and all this other stuff and I'm like no we don't wanna just talk about it long story 237 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,080 short like we went to the city of Rock Island for this is not a diss this is just what actually 238 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:47,560 happened they said no they we didn't get the grant but it wasn't their job they didn't 239 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,920 want to point out they was like close that garage we don't want to we're not giving money 240 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:57,560 to that but for me somebody pointed out the value of that and I articulated it to other 241 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,720 people and even when we left she was like they don't know what they're talking about 242 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,760 I think you should still do it we're gonna start doing some of this stuff in the youth 243 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:11,400 center and I was like for real okay I needed somebody in my life to point out stuff that 244 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:16,200 I thought like this is trash nobody's really gonna go for this I'm doing poems and stuff 245 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:22,680 all the time all right and there's been this legacy of things that have happened but deep 246 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:29,600 friendships is a part of God's plan and we look at the first church in Acts 2 which talks 247 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:37,040 about how they how the early church devoted the members were devoted to one another and 248 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,760 the truth is if we think about even outside of these scriptures in the Bible there's a 249 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:46,440 lot of things that happen in the language that the Bible is used where it's almost it's 250 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:51,760 almost like the Bible is saying like duh y'all should do this together like think about the 251 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:58,120 stuff that we recite up here all the time what's the first word for the Lord's Prayer 252 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:05,880 is it my the first word is our so it's just like this is the basics like y'all reading 253 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:14,080 this together our father it's not Chris's or it's ours it's this collective idea that's 254 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:20,120 already imprinted in the scriptures right and then prayer doesn't say my we're in this 255 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:27,180 together there's when you think about our physical bodies like we're born into a place 256 00:26:27,180 --> 00:26:31,920 where God hopefully intends that we're not alone you know this is a dark world but the 257 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:39,280 intention is that we are together with people that care about us and in our spiritual rebirth 258 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:46,720 the Bible uses language like we're adopted into a family so littered in scripture there's 259 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:52,200 this language that already kind of assumes that y'all should know like this is a together 260 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:58,440 type thing this is our family when you're when you're physically you're not supposed 261 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:06,640 to you're not meant to be alone and even spiritually you're not meant to try to do this alone and 262 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:11,680 we see that there's a need for connecting with other people that's reinforced Jesus 263 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,360 modeled it and his close friendships one of the very first things that he did after beginning 264 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:24,600 his public ministry you know he could have went solo he could have went solo Han solo 265 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:30,080 his public ministry he got 12 disciples from among a broader group that traveled around 266 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:34,840 with him and within that group of 12 he was particularly close with about three and when 267 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:39,200 life got really crazy he leaned into them when Jesus sent his disciples out did he send 268 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:45,120 them out alone two by two and those aren't measurements for something that's like real 269 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:54,400 like two we're commanded to love one another there's all these scriptures that promote 270 00:27:54,400 --> 00:28:00,880 this one anotherness one another we're command to love one another to encourage one another 271 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:05,600 to care for one another to serve one another to bear one another's burdens to be at peace 272 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:11,180 with one another to wash one another's feet respect one another submit to one another 273 00:28:11,180 --> 00:28:15,640 forgive one another comfort one another pray for one another confess our sins to one another 274 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:21,440 and be hospitable towards one another every one of these commands requires that we are 275 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:33,500 in a relationship with another so this idea that we're created for community is all throughout 276 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:41,800 scripture and that friendship is almost a dis-expected part of a relationship but it's 277 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:46,920 hard when we think about cultivating loving nurturing relationships with others even if 278 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:54,280 it's assumed in the Bible we know that one other's point is that life life change happens 279 00:28:54,280 --> 00:29:01,520 best in community that's Christ's probably one of our goals to become more like Jesus 280 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:08,280 and that means being more loving more kind more gracious and more patient and how does 281 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:12,800 change happen? 282 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:17,520 By the grace of God working our lives and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life 283 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:22,520 it's important that we include the presence of others in our life that can bring that 284 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:29,120 out as well that can point that out to us and be like you know I think you can be more 285 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:35,320 kind about that right? 286 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,680 We're not meant to have all these just yes men around us the people just like well you're 287 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:44,280 good no you're good that's cool that's fine that's fine but real people that really care 288 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:49,960 about your life they can call that stuff out and you know that it's from a place of love 289 00:29:49,960 --> 00:30:00,120 not like oh you just hating on me we're not talking anymore unframed right? 290 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:05,360 We have these luxuries where we can just turn people off now literally and the Bible is 291 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,960 saying like the real people in your life the genuine people in your life that you actually 292 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:15,000 there's this reciprocal relationship that you have of this giving and taking where there's 293 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:19,840 sometimes there where you get checked. 294 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:26,360 I'm lucky that I learned that as a at an early age and I accepted that change in my life 295 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:33,840 especially spiritual change in my in my early life happened usually in the context of having 296 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:40,600 people around me like mentors and other friends so I kind of grew up kind of knowing that 297 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:45,500 kind of almost as the expectation and even in my adult years I always kept like some 298 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:52,160 people around me and so it was a little easier for me just because that's how I experienced 299 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,800 spiritual growth but I started to understand especially when I was adult that excuse me 300 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,760 it doesn't come as easy to some some people and I understand that I get that and when 301 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:08,520 you add in like church hurt and you add in abusive type relationships and other things 302 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,720 lying games and all these things it becomes very hard even for a believer to start trusting 303 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:18,000 people to develop real relationships it's this idea that we all want that we all want 304 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 it some of you might be like man I really want that but this happened and this happened 305 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,880 and this happened and it becomes this kind of like where's Waldo's like where can I find 306 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:32,880 him where can I buy a group of good friends like that like I would but I can't trust nobody 307 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:39,600 because this happened and this happened and this happened I don't have any easy answers 308 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:50,560 except to lean in don't stop to lean in to those that could possibly be trusted don't 309 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:57,040 give up that that fight to try to find good friends around you and don't you know there's 310 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:02,760 sometimes where there's people that have spoken to me about man I could never really trust 311 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:07,800 ministry folks or blah blah blah and then what ends up happening is that they kind of 312 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:12,840 take on the villain characteristics themselves they start kind of becoming the villain you 313 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:17,920 know like in superheroes sometimes the hero and the villain used to be close friends and 314 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:24,280 then there was something happen where something got sour then they turn you know right so 315 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:30,440 sometimes I find that people that kind of get hurt they hurt people as well it's because 316 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:35,440 things that happen to them so sometimes it's like yeah don't become that because that happened 317 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:42,920 to you as well right because we want to also have those components and those those those 318 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:47,800 fruits and in our lives that are attractive to others so sometimes I just tell people 319 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:53,040 like well make sure that you don't let that turn you into somebody that's not good to 320 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,840 be around or healthy to be around because that's not going to attract the people that 321 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:10,400 you want around you either all right but a good group of folks around you also can be 322 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:16,560 a safety net for you like I mentioned before do you have someone that you can call at 2am 323 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:20,520 and that's difficult right if you don't have that but somebody that you can call at 2am 324 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:26,280 that's somebody that you know that that would be mad at you if you didn't call them at 2am 325 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:31,200 they'd be like why didn't you call me you should have what why did you go through that 326 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:44,120 alone why did you do that at the end of the day I'm reminded of another reality TV show 327 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:49,240 if you ever watched the show called alone have you seen that show alone don't watch 328 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:53,560 it alone no but there's a reality show called nobody seen that show so there's a reality 329 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:58,640 TV show called alone where they get these these these folks that are supposed to be 330 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,320 like something they have some kind of experience in the wilderness and stuff like they can 331 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:07,960 be self-sufficient out there anyway they pick these contestants and they get all these people 332 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:13,640 from from wherever that submit these videos of how they know how to build stuff and they 333 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:19,960 can you know whatever they drop them off in different locations a lot of times in Canada 334 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:25,000 my wife works we watched that sometimes and beautiful places in Canada but dangerous places 335 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,720 where there's bears and all that kind of stuff and they drop them off kind of miles away 336 00:34:29,720 --> 00:34:37,640 from each other and guess what they just have to do no they just have to survive so they 337 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:43,360 give them they basically make these commitments to this show for maybe they sign these contracts 338 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:48,360 for like hey I'm gonna leave my family for at least maybe six months if I'm if y'all 339 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:53,000 don't see me for six months we I'm winning this cash you know if y'all see me in a couple 340 00:34:53,000 --> 00:35:02,880 weeks I gave up but what happens is they teach these folks how to use all the cameras they 341 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:07,800 got all these GoPros so in the contract they have to record all this stuff so they get 342 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:12,840 this these battery packs they get all this stuff they have to keep the cameras rolling 343 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,240 right they get the night vision cameras they set them up in their tent they get these tripods 344 00:35:16,240 --> 00:35:21,400 so they can't really go find each other they have to kind of stay camped and if they want 345 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,360 to move somewhere they have to bring all of this equipment with them so a lot of times 346 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:29,360 they get there they get dropped off they have to build stuff they basically are surviving 347 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:37,960 on their own I have to tell you the fascinating thing about it is that there's a point where 348 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,000 some people you know I laugh I mean me and my kids we kind of laugh there's people that 349 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:47,240 they get out of there in like 24 hours and some people that lasted like three hours and 350 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:51,520 they're crying and they're just like I gotta go back to my family and I'm like look at 351 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:55,160 them they didn't even last long my kids are like dad how long you think that you will 352 00:35:55,160 --> 00:36:05,400 last out there I'm like man once I see the vehicle leaving man I might be like all right 353 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:14,440 yeah it might be time to get out of here but if you ever watch a show you see the realest 354 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:20,040 moments in people's life especially at night when they're all alone and they're just looking 355 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:27,400 at this night vision camera and they're freaking out because they realize the light is gone 356 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:34,860 there's nobody there it's just them and you get these some of the realest gut talks about 357 00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:39,240 how they're feeling about their family I wish I would have done this for I left man I'm 358 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:45,600 doing this and it's in some ways gut-wrenching but at the same time it gives you this idea 359 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:51,880 like bro you're not supposed to be out there by yourself right there's bears and stuff 360 00:36:51,880 --> 00:37:00,660 that come up around the area but here's the thing that's what I want to close with today 361 00:37:00,660 --> 00:37:04,520 they are alone but they're kind of not alone after watching a couple of seasons I realized 362 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:10,600 you watch some behind-the-scenes footage they send a medical staff out periodically to check 363 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,240 on them they have to do checks they can't give them anything but they have to just go 364 00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:24,600 check so in the back of their mind they know every once in a while people are coming also 365 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:29,440 they get this GPS little device and you see them walking around with it sometimes they 366 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:34,240 get one call that they can make and it tells people the exact coordinates where they are 367 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:41,760 and if they do it first light in the morning no questions asked the team comes out and 368 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:48,440 rescues them and they're out of there so after the first season stuff after a while I'm like 369 00:37:48,440 --> 00:38:00,560 I'm like but are they really alone someone are you yeah physically alone but the comfort 370 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:12,040 that they have is knowing that they can be heard at any moment if they needed it they're 371 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:17,920 alone physically sometimes we feel like that can we have the comfort of knowing that Christ's 372 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:28,960 spirit is right there to rescue us we're sitting here feeling alone or we feel like no one 373 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:33,760 sees us no one cares about us look I think about this show where they have it set up 374 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:37,560 where they're alone but at the same time they had to give them the hope and the comfort 375 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:44,960 of knowing that people are closer than they think because they get out there and then 376 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:49,440 they always have to have the camera set up on their their facial expression when help 377 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:55,640 arrives and they're they see people and then they almost start taking it back like oh I 378 00:38:55,640 --> 00:39:00,040 shouldn't have left I should have stayed out here but this is the best decision I got to 379 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:05,160 go back to my family it's so good to see you and then they always are like I'm so sorry 380 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,000 for calling you guys out here and they're like hey that's what the buttons were we're 381 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:15,360 here they don't even talk about it they're just like get your stuff let's go but the 382 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:19,640 people are always just like yeah you should have saw man like I had bears around me and 383 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:23,520 the people are just looking at him like hey get your stuff we're gonna check you out no 384 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:33,320 but you probably would have got out of here too you don't know like oh this is crazy. 385 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:40,480 Living at the table means that we are putting everything on the table for God and we're 386 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:44,760 putting things on the table with one another we're doing life and sharing life with one 387 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:52,620 another and when we mix those variables that's when in the Bible says that we can experience 388 00:39:52,620 --> 00:40:01,600 a fruitful life in our church we can experience and get some more mileage out of our relationships 389 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:07,680 and it can make things better. I often think about like you know some people might say 390 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:11,280 oh you guys telling me all these rules and these things that I have to do and that it's 391 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:20,200 not like that but the scriptures kind of tell us some best practices some best ways to live 392 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:25,880 and we should aim for those right maybe these are targets that we are trying to go forth 393 00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:34,280 and this self reflection that we need to say what should I be doing to focus put in Christ 394 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:43,780 first what should I be focused on to reach out to others or maybe to become a better 395 00:40:43,780 --> 00:40:50,960 and to look for ways I can be healed from broken relationships that I've had in the 396 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:56,160 past. That might be where to start as well and you can talk to Greg or Pastor Greg or 397 00:40:56,160 --> 00:41:01,600 Pastor Jen or myself if you need resources to help you with that. So there's no there's 398 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:11,240 no it's it we have community tables going on so this isn't like a trick to make people 399 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:15,520 feel bad if you didn't sign up for them or anything like that but we purposely right 400 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:19,200 we purposely are talking about these things because we're saying hey we're offering these 401 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,000 things as well so it's not to trick you or to be like you're gonna tell me that you should 402 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,960 have joined the community no we're not trying to shame anybody about that but we're actively 403 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:32,240 saying like hey we have these opportunities at community table that aren't these threatening 404 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:37,240 things that maybe you're used to but that's why the format is a little bit you know some 405 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:41,480 people like man you guys do a should have a Bible study in these where you go through 406 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:47,600 this this and this or this the functionality of these is just to come together and to sit 407 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:52,360 at the table and fellowship with one another no strings attached in a place where you know 408 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:59,920 the hosts will love you as you are and invite you to the table period and that's what we're 409 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:05,160 about in that way. So I hope this morning that you've been encouraged in that way and as 410 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:13,400 you go that Christ's Spirit can meet you where you're at and you know that you are seen by 411 00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:22,200 God and you can call on God and I pray that you will be blessed to have if not now work 412 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:32,240 towards having some life-giving friendships. Amen. Let's pray. God thank you so much for 413 00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:38,360 your word and I thank you God that the example that you've shown us in Acts chapter 2. God 414 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:43,080 I pray God that as we continue to move forward and we offer these things at our church Lord 415 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:48,200 we're not saying that we have all the right answers at our church however we do offer 416 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:56,680 places of fellowship of community of open table Lord for where anyone's invited to share 417 00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:05,400 a meal be loved to be seen and gives us the opportunity to see others as well. So we thank 418 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,200 you God for the opportunity that we have at this church to do so in your name we pray. 419 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:27,200 Amen. Thank you.