me to do the invocation and the benediction at the award ceremony that they have. And
so that, and I was learning more about it, like, man, this organization does basically
the things that I think that it wants to start to do. So really, as we should have friends,
people that live in, there are organizations that are already designed to help neighborhoods
how to grow. And we don't always have to reinvent that. We just need to partner with a wheel
that's already spinning. Does that make sense? Right. And so that's why I want to make sure
that we were aware of that. So today we are wrapping up our blueprint series. This is
our basic plan for discipleship. We have gone through seven things and today is the last
and final theme to a couple of the community tables. I'll pop on that theme. Wednesday,
the last community table wraps up on that theme. We'll have a break from community tables
for a couple of months, I think until February. So I'll be thinking ahead about being involved
in one of those and building community a couple months from now. But we rest, right? We live
table learning how to live that live that expands out into a prayer, meditating on scripture,
listening to the spirit. We practice our faith and we forgive as we are forgiven. And all
of this lead to the final theme in the blueprint of work. Because work is safe for last because
work comes from somewhere. I want you to hear that. Work comes from somewhere. Work is the
outcome of everything else that gets put in. Those of us that are like eight and older,
so I go to the kids and the adolescent at Genesis and I always say like 44, you can
decide whether that's old or not, right? Just like a little ice break. But it is. I'm officially
old because I have a fish thinking about the work ethic of people that are younger than
me. Right? And part of the reason we think that generation, then we start thinking, oh,
because when is what you get out like, oh, well, I didn't this or that or that or maybe
their parent did and we become judgmental about it. I know. But I think that what we
say today is going to help temper that, give us insight about what's healthy regarding
what goes in and then what comes out. We're aiming here in this church environment to
have a culture where rest comes first because we want people to begin with an experience
of a God that isn't looking to run them ragged. Isn't looking to ride away the second they
walk through the door, hey, we've got a job for you. Because I think that what happens
is a lot of times churches follow following the world's definition of work, the culture
of work, instead of what the Lord is out in front of us. And so what do I mean? I mean,
listen to what the court found about work this year, this year in 2022. 33% of workers
report feeling engaged jobs. Only 33%. One third, one third. The other side point is
that 60%, almost on the other side of that coin, that coin report being emotionally detached
at work. 19% of workers say workers say that they are miserable. Are you having a hard
time making friends at work? I think I know why. Because the majority of your majority
of your either turning off turning off their emotional and or they're just miserable. That
makes it pretty hard to develop relationships and friendships and community in an environment
like that. Gallup also found also found that half of work for it feeling stressed at their
job on a daily basis, not just not just like, oh, my job stress sometimes on a daily basis.
41% feel worried. 22% are sad. 18% feel angry. It's what the world's version of work creates.
And then for the most part, most part says, get over it. I'm not paying you to be happy
me paying you to job. We might be tempted to think that that also just because of the
hours or because of low pay or the commitment level that they're being asked for. But we
would be wrong. Because the because the gal goes on to say, it's not just the hour work
life balance or workplace location that leave workers dissatisfied. In fact, worker disengagement
rose those when remote work a work weeks were introduced were introduced, whilst levels
rose for in person and five day week workers reports even as the nature of one's working
working schedule is an element in this. It is not the entire story. Workers are unhappy
home home office and working 30 or 60 or 60 hour work week. Maybe you already knew this
prior to the pandemic. Before this for this report, 60% of workers about five workers
served surveyed in the United States were so unhappy in their current job, they they'd
prefer to choose a whole new career, just so they could just so they could what they
were doing. And do you know what happened dynamic 20% of people into their careers,
not jobs, jobs, yours.
Po that even now that another 45% still want to do something about how the world works
does not work. I had no satisfaction saying this, but we should not pretend the issues
that exist exist in the world work don't sneak their way into churches. Start poisoning
the way that God God wants our work to be in it. I've experienced it. I think it was
about probably the year we were launching this church church maybe in I was sitting
at a simulcast for ship conference and the founder and multimillionaire pastor of a multi
campus globe spanning congregation spoke spoke about grit, manliness, grit, and how
sometimes we just have to work through the hurt, we just have to we just have to worry
the injury. I knew he was wrong. He was wrong. The very least I believed believed I knew
that what he was saying would be manipulated and used to make hurting church people just
get back get back to work. Who says that you have to put you have injuries? injured people.
A couple of years a couple of years after that pastor resigned, when it came out that
he had made it made inappropriate advances toward men, used used his position to obtain
physical favors and fostered an environment of protection for his own personality. And
then two after that, the other co founder same church had resigned for the same reasons.
These were the men that over 40 years in America in America were in law are responsible for
moving the American church into an obsession with leadership culture and work. They led
a church growth growth, so effective, so so big so many roots. Their success trumped their
secret secret sin. In the same way, so much so much of world overlooks misconduct, character
flaws and narcissism, narcissism, bullying and its leaders. Church is tempted to let
the end ends by the means. But the kingdom of God, God says capital N capital, oh no.
Jesus says, says no. This morning and every month on the third Sunday, we pray together
and pray together. Our prayer for we pray our work has been in Marson. Then we got clean
up, make it right again again from a rest in life. How we work matters. How we work
for Jesus matters. Work of the church church. Jours is meant to be a bastion and benefit
to the world, not a mirage and imagine a mirror of what the world already does. So we got
to talk about that. Let's get into what to what work should look like. God is asking
us to be. Let's open up our Bibles, right? I'm going to be in John John 13 in Corinthians
15. Those are both in the New Testament. If you don't have a physical Bible, we've got
Bible on the bookshelf in the lobby. You're welcome to grab those on your way home today
on the day. Take one home for or download a digital Bible from any of the digital app
stores stores on 13. And if you you can go to either or first Corinthians 15. We have
a tradition of giving the scriptures are full attention while they are read. And you can
and you can do a number of ways you can you can sit or you can stand with me as you were
able body or spirit as we read the scriptures. And so here we go. John 13 says this this
John starting in verse 12. Well, it finished washing their feet. He put on his clothes
and returned to his place. Do you understand what I have done? This is a story where Jesus
is taken off his office outer robe and wrap around himself so that he could wash wash
their feet. He says, Do you understand what I've done for you? He asked them. You call
me to teacher and rightly so for that is what I am. Now that I your Lord and teacher have
what you have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an
example an example that you should do as I have done for you. First 15 verse three. For
what I received, I passed on to you as a first first and died for our sins according to the
scriptures in the verse 58. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters stand firm, let
not move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know when
the Lord is not in vain. Let us pray. Father, thank you for the scriptures. We thank you
that they exist that they have persisted throughout the millennia that we are able to open read
them consider them better than meditate upon them. Whatever you have for us to learn. I
pray that it would stick. I pray that would become a part of the framework of our faith
that our faith that our faith from stronger you would become more more like your son.
Jesus. Amen. Thanks y'all. You can have a seat. Okay, so Paul tells us to give ourselves
fully to the to the work of the right. And so we should ask ourselves what is our work
work. Is it that we are supposed to be giving ourselves fully into that in a health in a
healthy way that the most precise and succinct answer and what Jesus said to his disciples
that I have set you an example that you should do as I have done. I think our work is to
do to do for others ever has done for us. Our work is to give what we have have. We
we receive reciprocate in the context and verbiage and language of this to ship plan
it can be boy it can be boil like this. Our work is to offer rest and life to others.
Our work is to offer rare rare life to others. And so what does that look like like? Well,
let's go on the way back way back machine. First, we've been given from the very beginning
of the story God has been invited inviting people rest. And so our work our work is to
us to others. For some of us this will be the most important work that we do for the
rest of our lives lives offering rest is probably the single act of work that I have offered
the most. Because after my decade my decade of experience around overworked churches.
I think the Lord's given me I see the tired that will not bite people work what what they
need first is I'll tell you are people that belong here at this church I believe I believe
it depths my heart my heart that are because they don't know how to receive rest. I remember
one person in particular I met I messed to set up a coffee this is probably probably
in like year two of of this church church and message him to set up a coffee a coffee
to me just start coming to the church and I happened to also know son and so his son
said hey my dad wanted to know why you to meet him and I go would you say goes I told
me probably just wanted to get to know him. People with church in their aren't you aren't
used to pastors and without an agenda. Because it feels it feels like trap. And that's why
rest has to come first. Rest has to be the first to be the first we do in our offer offer
rest. Because if we do not start with rest with the well rested before they begin to
work then wounds won't heal and heal and the weary will nested and instead of buying binding
up the broken heart we will actually build a house on bruised hearts. I've lost count
of how many times I've gone to coffee with someone and they were like they were like
oh is that all. Or or the hey so I really want to get involved and I have to go on are
you good on are you good are you good you're good just just settle in. Let's figure out
if this is really the home for you you know. Let's get you. Of course from from we are
offering rest so that people can put put their burdens down right now got more. We asked.
And then we offer life at the table. Paul says in Galatians 6 to carry each other's
burdens and in the fulfill the law of Christ. So many people don't want to read rest.
Because they have burdens and that they have been cared for so many years years they have
no to put them down or who they are without them. So when we have lived at the table he
have come out rested and when we begin to live at the table we start to see who Jesus
says says we are all of our heavy burden the burdens and we offer that life at the table
to others and we take up their burdens. So that they don't have to. I think that what
community is. This is a really important thing you read here okay. Some of us that are here
even now are listening online. Some of us aren't as we believe everything that gets
said from this pulpit. You are here you are here because you believe in what you see happening
in this community. Every time every single time I will take I will take community of
believers that loves and cares for each other really well over and above a community where
everyone idolizes the pastor or we are growing so fast. Did you guys hear about what is happening
it is growing so fast. I would rather have a community that loves each other well. That
believes in what is happening in each other community that is always like man you got
to hear this sermon that is preached. When we offer life for life working. Life only
expands outward from there right from there right. Same way it does in the blueprint we
offer that life to others. So we rest we begin to live at the table and then we abide and
then we abide. We meditate on meditate on scripture we listen to it we we practice our faith we
forgive as we have been forgiven given. Listen to what Jesus said in John 17 20. He said
my prayer is not for my current for my current disciples I pray also for those who will believe
in me through their message. Jesus prayed us we do what Jesus has done and so we work
when we abide in prayer for others. Yeah so now so now don't raise your hand because I
just praised you guys you guys about what a beautiful community we are. Don't raise
your hand because I'm not looking to shame anyone but let's be honest how many of us
have have prayed for prayed for someone else in the last 24 hours hours week months sometimes
I said don't show your hands Cody Cody up here being all all holy I did. That was me
I prayed for someone more. Some of us are wandering around the house of the Lord wondering
what our work will will be. While we have people in our own homes that need to be prayed
for prayed for that we can take what the life that God has offered us and turn that around
as an as an act of work on behalf of someone someone else. Some of us were waiting for
a grand idea. We're waiting for the thing that seems important enough. When even just
praying for someone near you. It's not changing for somebody. All we need to do is stop stop
offer we have already been given to the people around us pray for our family for our neighbors
for our co-workers for strangers. I didn't prayer to grow in our relationship with Jesus
and then we offer that that prayer to and for others. It's the same with the same with
measure meditation on scripture scripture begins as a way to live to build our life
and it grows into a way to others. Listen to what Paul says in Colossians 3 16. Let
the word Christ dwell richly in you teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanks thanks thanks in your heart to
God. See we don't only don't only meditate for ourselves the scriptures become the words
we offer to each other. They become the songs that we sing. They are the foundation for
the wisdom of the spirit of the spirit that we do. This happens to me all the time when
I'm with people at the hospital a patient will say something and scripture will come
to my come to my mind. And then instead of saying something that I could come up with
I say sure. You know why that's powerful because those of you that have known me long enough
know talk a lot. I have many things to say but here's the thing this they don't they
don't know me but maybe they know or have heard some of the scriptures. The spirit that
has brought sure to my mind has already prepared them to remember member or reminded of same
scripture come out of my mouth. I'll have patience that they feel so discouraged so
discouraged so worried. That is I'll say Jesus told us I will never leave never leave you
thank you. So many times some something they say causes sure to come from me me and tears
to come from them. We have meditated on the script on the scriptures God knows how to
turn that into a work we could not fabricate fabricate on. We learned to listen to the
spirit for as that as an act of work we have received and listening to the spirit spirit
we are filling the words of Jesus in John 14 26 when he said this but the helper the
Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all all the things
all things and bring to your your remembrance all that I have said to you. Every part of
the blueprint becomes a source for us to work with God's God's arrest in life. All of every
single bit. I could go on and on about each other elements but I want to wrap that wrap
that part up because I need to move forward with the time that I have left because I always
want also want to make it clear everything that we are given becomes what we are able
to have that balances and that's as important because if all we do is rest then I believe
that we atrophy all that we do is live I believe that we develop a sense of entitlement all
that we do is work or that we develop a sense of resentment. So let me explain that a bit
more one of the reasons my knees got so bad the last few years is because during the pandemic
my pattern my patterns and my physical activity changed dramatically that's true for some
of us but I have coffee shops at least I'd be walking from the bar to the coffee shop
and I would sit and I would sit in such a way my knees were bent maybe I'd get maybe
I'd get up and do other things but during the pandemic I was like why don't really
leave my house and so I would sit in my bed and I would work in my bed and I would just
chill maybe have something on the TV and on the TV background working out my legs would
be eggs would be straight a lot of the day so when I started going to therapy for my
knees they were saying oh like your muscles that have atrophied I spent just just enough
time in a different position that caused the muscle my knees to atrophy to a point other
muscles could pull on my pull on my kneecaps what had been a minor pain to a major pain
because too much rest to atrophy in recent years actually in the medical field doctors
have figured out that when a patient has knee replacement or a injury they need to actually
get them up as possible they need to it used to be oh I need to stay in this chair for
this amount of time this number of days and they started to realize negative outcomes
if they if they did not have people begin to get up and have physical therapy sooner
rather than later I think the same thing is true for true for our lives and rest in a
church in a relationship with God if we never step forward life of a church into scripture
meditating on on scripture and practicing our faith and so on I think our hearts atrophy
just that first off first offered spade heal will become the same place that we at we atrophy
we have to move forth but if all but if all that we do live at the table and do the things
underneath the banner of live I think that we run that we run the risk of becoming an
adult entitlement is when we look around and we say why would I do something all of this
is here for me I'm just enjoying all the benefits of the community that's great that has a season
that has a balance but we do not move from healthy living to healthy working and then
we become entitled this isn't always comfortable to talk about years ago there was a young
lady that had been coming to the church for a couple of years he attended services consistently
she went to community tables I'd meet her for a bunch of times I met her for for coffee
life about relationships and ships a whole gamut when I finally asked her hey I was thinking
about this for you there might be an opportunity for city for you to step in in health with
this she said she was still in a she was still in a without realizing what she didn't realize
she wasn't in a wasn't in a season she was a season in a season of living and receiving
everything everything that the community had for without out giving of herself she'd become
entitled titled I would she hold the door for someone someone she was resting we're
supposed to hold the door for her door for her and I'm not I'm not saying this because
I'm like wounded or wounded or hurt it's just the really what happens to some of us some
of us rest too long we can atrophied if we get stuck in in the living portion too long
we can become we can become not seeing that there is an entrance for me for me to offer
in return saying and I've seen this seems I've seen this happen across generations okay
I'm not picking I'm not picking on anyone generates where I've seen it in it in Millennials
I've seen it in teachers I have seen it in boomers everyone is at risk of slipping entitlement
if they do not find healthy work now while at reason healthy entitlement is extremely
unattractive if engines I think that the most poisonous possibility happens happens what
we do is work because when all that we do is work risk of becoming resentful we do not
do not rest in life and work at some point our work will get will get is with resentment
if we are not careful then resentment will poison every free one week with everything
that we offer them in my book when I wrote about this I described it this way is it at
a house that was spotless yeah most of us you were asked to remove your shoes second
you came in you you want to use a coaster for your drink for your drink in the living
room before you had the chance you were told not to leave the kitchen with any food or
food or drinks you brought your kids be kids because you thought it would for them and
then sit still the whole time never offered any toys and see and see thought send them
outside to the yard to play oh play only to be told to stay off the grass the homeowner
resented the very idea that you would even consider the risk of leaving risk of leaving
on the table or let your kids leave a toy on the toy on the carpet some of us have experienced
that that's resentment that is the kind of resentment that starts to glaze work lays
ways explain why when you assume that no one appreciates appreciates the work that you
you begin to feel no joy when someone benefits from it from it when you assume that no one
appreciates the work you've done you become resentful you get to you get to this where
you feel no sense of joy that someone benefits from it does that make sense what happens
is you start to treat people passive aggressively as though they have no idea how hard I've
been working some of us are thinking about ourselves right now some of us are thinking
about others try to take your mind off the person you're thinking of us back to ourselves
we're not here to judge the other we're here to think is this happening to me am I annoyed
annoyed when someone doesn't know I worked so hard on hard on they didn't even say thank
you can't believe they left their shoes there there and then they pick up that blanket why
didn't they put you in cup where it belongs why didn't they straighten out that row when
they got up when anyone hold the door for me or for me some of us have seen it some
of us have been this so what if you find yourself in one of these what if you find yourself
find yourself in the area fear entitlement or resentment what two directions here here
okay to think about in the concept of this blueprint of rest live at the table the table
abide in prayer aid on scripture listen to the host into the Holy Spirit our faith forgive
as you've been forgiven and work there's two directions that we need to think about first
it sounds counterintuitive intuitive but row in an area we go back we go backwards if you
lack forgiveness you don't need to hurry up and move into work is what I'm saying if you
lack the ability to forgive then you actually need to actually need to go backwards into
the spirit if you feel like you are struggling willing to listen to the spirit you don't
need to hurry up and move forward or do you need to go to go back meditate on the scriptures
scriptures find it difficult to meditate on the scriptures you don't hurry up and go oh
I'm just gonna just gonna listen to it and do whatever the Holy Spirit says you move
you move backward into you move backwards if you need to grow and then you go okay okay
now that informs firms I move forward but if you get where you're wounded where you're
atrophied and titled or resentful we move forward to forward to heal makes makes you
are atrophied you have to move forward live you have to do something with your muscles
you have to enter into a community you have to flex and start to work that spirit spiritual
muscle in prayer in meditating on reading on scripture listening to the spirit you hear
it you need practicing doing all of these exercises is building all the different things
so that your life to stay atrophied in that plate in that place rest if you feel entitled
then you need to find your work there is work for everyone everyone actually no one should
ever get stuck only living in the life of the church and then if you're resentful you
need to go for rest because the thing about the blueprint beginning in rest and ending
in work is that it's not just linear they're all they're all connected to each minded of
what Paul said he said in Galatians where he says let us not grow weary of doing good
works right but that connects back to what Jesus said Jesus said come to our weak weary
of trying to do all of these things so if we need to grow we go back right and if we
need to if we need to feel we move forward so we need to do now take a minute we need
to take to pray to ourselves to think about those eight things and ask the Lord where
am I on this journey on this journey where architectural disciples and do I need to
move forward am I lacking some do I do I feel wounded do I need to get forward and move
out of just resting to living do I need to need to move move from live working understand
understanding they are only meant to be in just one of these things that they all lap
they're all all work work off of each all important thing thinking all the way and I
said why do we need to play a plan because eventually we can improvise the eyes this
so let's so let's take let's abide in prayer let's ask the Lord where are we there's something
lacking that we need backing that we need to backwards on the thing that builds it up
empowers that thing are we wounded and to move forward into something that will give
us life this life just pray.
God of rest I thank you that you offer us a place to heal.
I pray that you give us wisdom that our hearts not become atrophied.
Thank you for being the God of life.
Pray that you give us wisdom that we not we not become entitled.
You have good work for us.
Pray that you our hearts that we not become resentful.
Teach us when to go back.
When to go forward.
Amen.