1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,160 I found over Christmas, I get nerdy Christmas presents. 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,160 My nerdy Christmas present this year was a scanner. 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:10,160 You know what I'm talking about? 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,080 A desktop scanner for my house, I know. 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:14,520 Pretty cool, I love it. 6 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,520 And I have a bunch of old pictures that I had never scanned 7 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:22,840 and so I spent some of my time over Christmas 8 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,680 scanning pictures and I found this old picture. 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,640 There's like three of them, here's the first one. 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,640 This is Park Street Baptist Church. 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,600 It was the church my dad became the pastor at 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,080 when I was nine years old. 13 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,560 I think 20 people or so voted on him being the pastor. 14 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,040 And I know that this is kind of a year or two into it 15 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,440 because the parking lot, you can barely see it there, 16 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,160 but the parking lot that's there is an actual 17 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:52,640 like concrete parking lot. 18 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,320 When we got there, it was a crushed shell driveway. 19 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,040 The whole parking lot was old shells 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,520 and they were like white chalky and they would get all over. 21 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,560 It was like getting salt on your clothes, but it was that. 22 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,800 And I would get in a lot of mess because we go outside 23 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,920 and play, but anyway, we got to a parking lot. 24 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,800 There's another picture, this is like the other side of it. 25 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:23,200 There it is from the other side. 26 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:24,640 That building is no longer there. 27 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,040 They built another building on top of that. 28 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,920 That's my brother and I, Shadrack, sitting. 29 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:31,880 I'm the cute one. 30 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:35,560 You laughed really hard. 31 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,680 Okay, that's Shadrack and me and we're both wearing 32 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,320 matching basketball ties, which is pretty cool, 33 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:43,760 but that's on the stage of that particular thing. 34 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,920 And then I found this picture, this is just because for fun, 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,280 that's us going out to eat after church. 36 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,280 The one on the left with the pizza is me. 37 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,720 The one on the right, the middle there is my brother Shad. 38 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:58,560 Doesn't that look like Zeke? 39 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,280 I think that looks like Zeke. 40 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,080 But that's my brother Shad. 41 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,560 And on the right, do you see who that is on the right? 42 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,560 You guys know who that is? 43 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,360 That is Corey Kirschner on the right-hand side. 44 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,440 Not the Indian, the little boy right there. 45 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:17,800 That's Corey. 46 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,320 I think it's, we kind of voted, didn't we? 47 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,080 I'm pretty sure that's Corey. 48 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,520 Anyway, who likes going out to eat after church? 49 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:26,520 That's always fun, isn't it? 50 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:27,360 Yeah. 51 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,360 I say I like to say that like going to church has been a habit 52 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:33,960 for me for a long, long time. 53 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,800 In our family, if the church doors were open, 54 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,080 you went to church. 55 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,440 If there was somebody there on a Thursday vacuuming, 56 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,160 we sat in our place and watched the vacuum 57 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:44,960 because you're supposed to be in church. 58 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,800 That's a joke, that didn't really happen. 59 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,360 But going to church is an important thing. 60 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,280 But when you think about the word church, 61 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:52,560 and I've taught you some of this before, 62 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,360 but it's good to think about. 63 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,760 In English, we use the word church. 64 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:58,000 And when you think about the word church, 65 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,080 you often think about church as an institution. 66 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:02,880 You think about church as a building. 67 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,440 We use that language. 68 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,120 Hey, it's time to go to church, right? 69 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,480 And when we say that, we're saying we're going to a service 70 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,640 and a service time. 71 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:14,120 We're going to a location. 72 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,000 Anybody here know the address for this place? 73 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:18,840 Quick. 74 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:20,960 Hey, there's a bunch of you. 75 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,440 You know the address, 7839 County Road 236, 76 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,680 Finley, Ohio 45840. 77 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,720 We know that because we come here, we mail stuff here, 78 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:32,880 and we know how to get here, that's part of it. 79 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,760 But we also know that from a biblical perspective, 80 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,140 the word church is translated in English. 81 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,560 It really comes from the word eglacia, 82 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,240 which means assembly, right? 83 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:47,440 Assembly. 84 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,120 And it means it's a group of people that come together. 85 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,600 It's a group of people that assemble together. 86 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,360 And so as you think about Jesus, 87 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,040 and you think about what he did with the church 88 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,800 and how he thinks about the church, 89 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,880 the assembly, you know what assemblies do? 90 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,080 Assemblies assemble. 91 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,080 They come together, right? 92 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,960 They spend time with each other. 93 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,840 They do things together. 94 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:21,160 And this is really a pattern that Jesus showed. 95 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,320 This is a pattern of behavior that he had. 96 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,520 And I think we can be followers, 97 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,960 mimics, mimitates, imitators of Jesus, 98 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:35,960 in assembling by taking into account 99 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,580 his attitude and actions in assembling. 100 00:04:39,580 --> 00:04:41,760 That's really the big idea for tonight, 101 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:42,740 is that we can do that. 102 00:04:42,740 --> 00:04:47,740 Now, I know that some of this will be reviewed 103 00:04:47,740 --> 00:04:51,240 for a lot of you, but I hope that you have a heart 104 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,680 for this particular idea, 105 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,280 and that you evaluate your own life and why you come 106 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:00,840 and what we're doing as a result of this particular lesson. 107 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,560 And so let's go ahead and go to the Lord in prayer, 108 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,840 and then we'll get into the text tonight. 109 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,040 God, we love you so much. 110 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:09,480 I thank you for, 111 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,360 I thank you for your word, 112 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,120 and I thank you for this idea, 113 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,440 this mystery that was once not revealed 114 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,160 and has been revealed of this church, 115 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:26,160 the assembly, this thing that you died for, 116 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,440 this thing that you love. 117 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,760 And I pray that you'd help us to follow you, 118 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,320 to imitate you in your love for us 119 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,760 and our love for each other. 120 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,680 And I pray that as a result of the lesson tonight, 121 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,200 that this wouldn't just be whole-hummed, 122 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,200 that this wouldn't be something that I've heard this before, 123 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,600 but I pray that it would be a time 124 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,600 where folks would really evaluate their own heart 125 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,680 in and around this thing that we call the assembly, 126 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:55,520 the church. 127 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,160 I pray that you'd help us to do that. 128 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,120 We love you, in Jesus' name, amen. 129 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,720 Okay, so attitudes and actions of Jesus. 130 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,400 Usually I like to go to a text and stay in a text, 131 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,120 but tonight I'm gonna go to a bunch of different texts 132 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:08,960 and I hope this helps you. 133 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:13,960 Number one, we see this, that Christ's habit was assembling, 134 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:15,640 his habit of assembly. 135 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,120 It should be our custom, it should be our habit too. 136 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,080 In Luke chapter four, verse number 16, it says this, 137 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:28,080 Pastor Corey read it last week in his message, 138 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:30,240 but I think it bears repeating. 139 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,200 It says, talking about Jesus, 140 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:37,200 and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. 141 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,480 This is his hometown, these are the people that knew him. 142 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,640 And as his custom was, say that with me, 143 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,800 as his custom was, as his custom was, 144 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,160 he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day 145 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,280 and stood up for to read. 146 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:58,000 We see here that obviously the synagogue 147 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,920 and the church are two different things, right? 148 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,720 But the synagogues, these local bodies of people 149 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,560 who are following God and trying to worship God 150 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,520 as they understood it from the Old Testament 151 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:12,880 were groups of people that would meet 152 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:17,440 and they would praise, they would sing, they would read, 153 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,980 and someone would stand up and give the sense 154 00:07:20,980 --> 00:07:23,200 over what was read. 155 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,600 They didn't have books like we have them today. 156 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,160 In fact, I was listening to some research here 157 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,000 in the last couple of days that talked about 158 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,800 some of the differences between a lot of the Jews. 159 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:41,800 And when Christians started writing the original text 160 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,720 of the New Testament, making copies of manuscripts, 161 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,360 that they would do it on the front and the back. 162 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,600 And a lot of times that ended up getting to where 163 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,160 it was codex like book form. 164 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,800 They didn't have, back in Jesus' day, they had scrolls. 165 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:57,920 And so in a lot of the synagogues, 166 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,240 they would have some portions and they would bring 167 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,080 that portion out. 168 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,400 And in fact, that's what happens in this particular narrative 169 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,400 where it's brought out and Jesus reads from that scroll. 170 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,600 That's what they did. 171 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,920 And that should be our custom too. 172 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,840 Like when we ought to have a habit, 173 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,760 I feel like I'm speaking to the choir here tonight, 174 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,800 but we ought to have a habit of coming to church. 175 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,240 At church we sing, we read the scripture, 176 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,800 somebody stands up and says, this is what the scripture says. 177 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,800 And I think part of what we're trying to do, 178 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:33,600 and we're gonna talk about this later, 179 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,760 but we wanna be different after we've met. 180 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,200 We wanna change, we wanna make right decisions when we meet. 181 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,360 In fact, that's what it says in Hebrews chapter 10, 182 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,080 24 and 25. 183 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,520 Christ has his habit, it should be our habit. 184 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:48,480 He says in verse 24, 185 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,560 and let us consider one another to revoke unto love 186 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:54,280 and to good works, 187 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:59,280 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together 188 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,080 as the manner of some is, 189 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:06,800 but exhorting one another and so much the more 190 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,760 as you see the day approaching. 191 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,040 The writer of Hebrews, I've preached on this to you before. 192 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,360 He says, hey, when you should be together, 193 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,280 you should be assembling together, 194 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,320 you should be coming together. 195 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:22,960 What do you do when you come together? 196 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,400 You provoke one another to love and to good works, 197 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,800 and you don't stop doing that, don't forsake doing that. 198 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,400 The assembly assembles, you ought to come together, 199 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,160 you ought to assemble, 200 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,640 and you ought to encourage that word, exhort, 201 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:38,680 encouraging one another so much the more 202 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:41,840 as you see the day, meaning the day of the Lord approaching. 203 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,920 Who thinks Jesus is coming back, Sam? 204 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:45,400 I think he's coming back very soon. 205 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,240 So it's important for us to know each other, 206 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,760 to love each other, to be with each other, 207 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,760 and to hear the word of God proclaimed, 208 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,440 and we ought to respond to it. 209 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,520 So Christ's habit of assembling should be our custom. 210 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,080 Christ's pattern when assembling, it should be our pattern. 211 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,160 Now I've already kind of referenced to it, 212 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:10,440 going on from verse 16 in Luke chapter four, it says this, 213 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,920 and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah, 214 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,560 and when he had opened the book, 215 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:17,680 he found the place where it was written, 216 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:20,000 the spirit of the Lord is upon me, 217 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,440 because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, 218 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:26,880 he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 219 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,080 to preach deliverance to the captives, 220 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:30,640 the recovery of sight to the blind, 221 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,760 to set at liberty them that are bruised, 222 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,320 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 223 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,040 And he closed the book and he gave it again 224 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:39,720 to the minister and sat down, 225 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,760 and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue 226 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,120 were fastened on him, and he began to say unto them, 227 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:51,520 this day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears. 228 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,760 I love this passage of scripture, it goes on, 229 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,680 they try to kill him, it's kind of a rough thing. 230 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,480 But who agrees that if Jesus showed up to church, 231 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:03,760 he'd be the one preaching? 232 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:07,480 Okay, he'd be the one coming up and giving the sense. 233 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,720 Like at that point, the preaching calendar 234 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,800 does not matter, Jesus is gonna do that. 235 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,880 And he showed up and what did he do when he got there? 236 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,520 Like many of the rabbis that would teach, 237 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,560 he would, in the Sabbath day, they would get, 238 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:22,480 they would open up the word of God, 239 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,680 and he would give the sense, 240 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:26,680 and that's exactly what happened here. 241 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,840 I just wanna say this out loud, I know you expect this, 242 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,840 I know that you long for this, so many of you that come, 243 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,600 I hope you're not just coming for the social aspect, 244 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,040 you wanna come and hear the word of God. 245 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,240 It's the word of God, I want to preach to you, 246 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,440 not my own thoughts only. 247 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,040 In fact, I want my thoughts to be guided by God's thoughts, 248 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:53,160 I want to say, thus saith the Lord. 249 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,600 This isn't like Ben's ideas, these are God's ideas. 250 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,760 I want Pastor Cory and Pastor Miles. 251 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,040 I want every Sunday school teacher that gets up 252 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,640 to open the Bible and use the Bible. 253 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,280 And when I say use it, I mean, 254 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,840 make it plain, explain it, help us understand it, 255 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,840 and apply it to our lives. 256 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,200 That's the pattern of what Jesus would do 257 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:16,040 when he would assemble. 258 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,400 Now, something was different about Jesus. 259 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,280 The many that heard Jesus says, 260 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,480 he's like one that speaks of his own authority. 261 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,120 He definitely saw the Old Testament as an authority, 262 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,400 he would quote the Old Testament passages 263 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,320 as authoritative as they are the word of God. 264 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,040 But there were times that he would say, 265 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,960 you have heard it said, but then he would say, 266 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:46,160 I say unto you, you've heard it said, 267 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,320 but I say unto you, and then he would go on 268 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:49,440 and give his explanation. 269 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,600 That's because he's the word. 270 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,240 That's because he is able to give new revelation 271 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:57,680 and he certainly would do that. 272 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:00,600 And so that ought to be the pattern for us, 273 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,640 not that we give new revelation, 274 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,200 but that we take God's revelation and we make it clear, 275 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:06,720 we make it plain. 276 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,320 That's what we do when we assemble. 277 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,320 Number three, we see Christ's love for the assembly. 278 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:15,200 Now, before I move on to number three, 279 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,080 even though I just did, Christ's pattern was assembling, 280 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:20,080 what should our pattern be? 281 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,840 It should be in assembling, our pattern should be, 282 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,040 we're opening up the Bible and we're talking about it. 283 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:25,880 That's the pattern. 284 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,480 Number three, Christ's love for the assembly. 285 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:31,880 Christ's love for the assembly. 286 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,360 We should have a love for the assembly. 287 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,320 If Christ's love and gave himself for the church, 288 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,520 then we ought to love and give ourselves for the assembly. 289 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,160 Verse Ephesians chapter five, verse 22, 290 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:46,320 verse 22 here it says, 291 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,040 wives submit yourselves unto your own husband 292 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:53,280 as unto the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, 293 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,480 even as Christ is the head of the church 294 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,560 and he is the savior of the body. 295 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:03,560 Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, 296 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,560 so let wives be to their own husbands and everything. 297 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:10,560 Husbands, love your wives, 298 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:14,840 even as Christ also loved the church, 299 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,600 what is Christ feeling towards the church? 300 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,320 What is his action towards the church? 301 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:23,400 What is his affection? 302 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,000 It's love. 303 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,560 As Christ also loved the assembly, the church, 304 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,240 and gave himself for it. 305 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,120 How did he give himself for it? 306 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,920 He died on the cross. 307 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,920 He bore the wrath of God for you and for me. 308 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,680 He did it so that this church could exist. 309 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,200 He did it so that we can do what we're doing now. 310 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,600 This is why he did it. 311 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,120 He gave himself for it. 312 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:49,960 Why? 313 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,720 Verse 26, that he might sanctify and cleanse it 314 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,920 with the washing of water by what? 315 00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:59,040 By the word. 316 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,480 Understand that when Jesus died, 317 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,320 he didn't just die so that we could be converted, 318 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:07,880 like I said this morning, 319 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:09,200 so that we could be saved. 320 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:10,640 Clearly that's part of it. 321 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:11,680 He sanctifies us. 322 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,440 He sets us apart if any man be in Christ, 323 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:14,520 he's a new creature. 324 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,960 But then he is sanctifying us how? 325 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,960 By the washing of the water, by the word. 326 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,240 He wants us to be more like him. 327 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,240 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, 328 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,560 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 329 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,760 but it should be holy and without blemish. 330 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,640 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. 331 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:35,760 He that loves his wife loves himself. 332 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,280 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, 333 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:39,440 but nourished it and cherished it, 334 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,920 even as the Lord of the church. 335 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,040 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, 336 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,880 and of his bones for this cause. 337 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,720 Shall a man leave his father and mother 338 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:50,880 and shall be joined into his wife, 339 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,160 and the two shall be one flesh. 340 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:55,160 I think it's interesting, 341 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:56,960 and we've talked about this before. 342 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:02,520 Verse number 31 says, 343 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,480 for this cause shall a man, this is quoting Genesis. 344 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,480 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, 345 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:09,320 shall be joined to his wife, 346 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:10,520 and the two shall be one flesh. 347 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,200 He's talking about, when that first was said, 348 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,680 he was talking about how that woman was made out of man 349 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,320 and how that there was a help then meet for 350 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,960 or appropriate for Adam when Eve was made out of Adam 351 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,440 and brought to Adam. 352 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,960 And he says, when he saw that, he says, 353 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,000 this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, 354 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,640 she shall be called woman because she was made out of man. 355 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,320 And it says for this cause, 356 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:37,920 because woman was made out of man, 357 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,520 because woman was made for man, 358 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,080 and man was made for woman. 359 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,360 Because that's true, a man will leave his father and mother 360 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:45,760 and cleave to his wife. 361 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,960 Here he kind of lays out this idea 362 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,840 that it's, he says in verse 30, 363 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,680 we are members, who's we? 364 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,560 In verse number 30, who's we? 365 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,040 Go back one slide, Kevin. 366 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,200 So I'm in the love of their wiser own body, 367 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,000 he loves his wife loves himself, 368 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,360 no man ever yet hated his own flesh, 369 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:08,640 but nourished and cherished in it, 370 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,120 even as the Lord, the church, 371 00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:18,120 for we are members of his body, who's we? 372 00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:23,120 The church, we are members of his body. 373 00:17:24,360 --> 00:17:25,480 You agree? 374 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,880 Christ is the head, we're the church. 375 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:32,880 We're members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 376 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,240 Do you see the correlation? 377 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,400 He's saying, Adam said, this is bone of my bone flesh 378 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,560 and my flesh, talking about man and woman. 379 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,840 Now what Paul's saying is, we, the church, 380 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,640 the bride of Christ are members of his body, 381 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,800 of his flesh, and of his bones. 382 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,800 The two have come together to make one, right? 383 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,720 And he says, for this cause, now referencing, 384 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:02,720 what not man and woman only, but Christ in the church. 385 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:04,440 Do you get it? 386 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,160 For this cause, shall a man leave his father or mother, 387 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,800 shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. 388 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:14,960 Okay, Paul, are you talking about Adam and Eve? 389 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,360 Are you talking about Christ in the church? 390 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:21,240 And he says, this is a great mystery, 391 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,560 but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 392 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,720 Just so you understand why I'm quoting Genesis, 393 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,920 it's because God always had in mind to picture, 394 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,960 through a husband and wife, Christ and the church. 395 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:36,440 It's something that they didn't understand 396 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,160 until now, I'm getting to say it. 397 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,400 Now I'm getting to show you, Christ loved us so much, 398 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,720 and the picture of that is, a husband and a wife 399 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,560 loving each other, sacrificially loving each other. 400 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,240 And so he says, verse 33, 401 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:51,400 nevertheless, let every one of you in particular, 402 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,400 so love his wife even as himself. 403 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,800 And the wife see that she reverence her husband. 404 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:04,800 The perfect picture of a husband is Jesus. 405 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:10,200 He would not ask us to do something that he did not do. 406 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,680 And what did Jesus do for the church? 407 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,680 Verse 33, he loved the church even as himself. 408 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,000 Does that blow your mind? 409 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,760 Christ loves you. 410 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:27,920 He loves me. 411 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,880 And the wife see that she reverence her husband. 412 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,880 The wife see that she respect her husband, 413 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,040 that she submits to her husband. 414 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,760 And so, I'm not trying to teach you about marriage tonight, 415 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,560 although I am trying to teach you about marriage tonight. 416 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:44,800 What am I trying to say? 417 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,120 Point to the church. 418 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,400 It's not just me. 419 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,760 Everybody point, come on, let's do it, let's do it. 420 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:57,320 We're going over people who haven't joined yet, 421 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,240 but basically, I'm joking. 422 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,240 This is the church, right? 423 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,720 Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. 424 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,400 Who am I to love? 425 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:06,520 Who am I to love? 426 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:09,160 Let's point to the same people, right? 427 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:10,920 It's supposed to love the church. 428 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:12,960 It's an important thing. 429 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,920 Number four, I think this is important. 430 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,520 Number four, Christ's attitude towards assembling 431 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,880 and towards the assembly, towards the church. 432 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,480 Number four, Christ started the assembly. 433 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,520 That means we should be on his mission. 434 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,640 The assembly ought to be on his mission. 435 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:34,840 It's his church. 436 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,640 He started it. 437 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,920 It ought to be on his mission. 438 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:43,920 Matthew 16, 13, when Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea 439 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:48,440 Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, 440 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,360 whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? 441 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,920 And they said, some say that our John the Baptist, 442 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,080 some say Elias, talking about Elijah, 443 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,440 and others say Jeremiah's or one of the prophets. 444 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,560 He says unto him, but whom say, unto them, 445 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,800 whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, 446 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,080 thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 447 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:16,680 And Jesus answered and said unto him, 448 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,600 blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, 449 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,040 for flesh and blood has not revealed to thee, 450 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,240 but my Father wish is in heaven. 451 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,000 And I say also unto thee, thou art Peter, 452 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:32,000 and upon this rock I will build my church, my assembly, 453 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,520 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 454 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:41,520 Interesting that Jesus, when you think about the word assembly, 455 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:48,120 Jesus essentially says, hey, my assembly is gonna be built 456 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:50,680 on this idea, what is the idea? 457 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:55,680 He says, the idea is, verse 16, it's what Peter said, 458 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,800 it's what Little Stone said, 459 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,560 thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 460 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:06,640 Amen? 461 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,240 For you to be the true church, for you to be, 462 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,760 we believe in a regenerate church membership, 463 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:15,160 what do we mean? 464 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,680 That saved people are part of the church. 465 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,760 Unsafe people are part of the church, right? 466 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,200 So if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, 467 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,880 the Son of the living God, if that is your profession, 468 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,880 if that is your trust, then you are a part of Christ, 469 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:34,920 you're a part of his body, you're a part of the church. 470 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,080 And he says, to Peter, upon this rock, 471 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,240 I will build my church and the gates of hell 472 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,160 shall not prevail against it. 473 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,480 This church is this assembly. 474 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:49,160 When Jesus ascends to heaven and there is the assembly 475 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,040 of people in the upper room that are then indwelled 476 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,800 by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, okay? 477 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,840 And they are now empowered as that body of believers 478 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:01,480 in that upper room. 479 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,160 Let me ask you a question. 480 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:04,920 How did they all get there? 481 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:08,000 How did they get there? 482 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,080 Did Jesus have something to do with assembling 483 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:12,560 that assembly? 484 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,360 Absolutely, if it wasn't for Jesus, 485 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:16,160 they wouldn't be assembled anymore. 486 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,480 In fact, that's what happened. 487 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,560 And so he had that assembly, he helped them believe in him, 488 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,400 they trusted in him, because they were there together, 489 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,680 they were filled with that Holy Spirit 490 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,440 and then he had commissioned them 491 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,080 and that's what they went out and did. 492 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,880 And so the Great Commission is our mission, 493 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:36,720 that's what we do. 494 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,280 Number five, here's the last one. 495 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:46,200 Oh, before I, I'm so excited about moving on, let's pause. 496 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,200 If his mission was to build his church on the earth 497 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,800 and it's by believing in Jesus Christ 498 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:53,840 that we all go to heaven, 499 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,440 then we don't get to like choose 500 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,200 what our mission is gonna be as a church. 501 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:00,600 Does that make sense? 502 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,920 We don't get to vote on what our mission is gonna be. 503 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,560 What's our mission? 504 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:10,440 We glorify God, we do it in this church age 505 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,800 by reaching people, discipling people 506 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,200 and sending people out to minister. 507 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,200 That's what we do, it's called the Great Commission. 508 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:18,640 That is our mission. 509 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:20,320 Can we vote on that? 510 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:21,160 Who votes with me? 511 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,120 Come on, I said we can't vote on it 512 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:24,520 but we should just like all admit 513 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:25,560 that that's what we're trying to do. 514 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:26,400 Okay, very good. 515 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,960 Number five, number five, Christ's assumption was assembling. 516 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,600 Christ's assumption was assembling, it should be defended. 517 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,700 Matthew chapter 18, I love this. 518 00:24:38,780 --> 00:24:40,880 Jesus is talking and he says, 519 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,720 Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, 520 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,200 go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone, 521 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,560 if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother, 522 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,880 if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more 523 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,080 that in the mouth of two or three, 524 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,360 when it says every word may be established. 525 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:00,960 And if he shall neglect to hear them, 526 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:04,240 tell it to the church. 527 00:25:05,660 --> 00:25:08,260 Tell it to the church, tell it to the assembly. 528 00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:09,840 What is he saying? 529 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,040 My point in bringing this up is this, 530 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,520 that Jesus assumed there's already been an assembly 531 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:20,000 that started and he's telling his disciples, 532 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,680 this is how you're gonna do life together 533 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,280 as part of the assembly. 534 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,760 If there's a problem, one on one, 535 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,360 if he doesn't hear you two or three, 536 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:30,280 and if he doesn't hear you, 537 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:31,800 then you take it to the assembly. 538 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:32,960 What is he trying to say? 539 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,640 You're gonna be a part of an assembly. 540 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:36,480 You get it? 541 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:37,840 You're gonna be part of a church. 542 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,080 But if he neglect to hear the church, 543 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:46,080 let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican, right? 544 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,800 And so then Peter, 545 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,040 down in verse 20 says, 546 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:54,880 down in verse 21, 547 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:55,920 then Peter came to him and said, 548 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,080 Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me 549 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,600 and I forgive him till seven times? 550 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,760 Jesus said to him, I say none of thee until seven times, 551 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,040 but until 70 times seven. 552 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,600 I think it's interesting that right after Jesus teaches 553 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,120 about church discipline, 554 00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:13,880 being disciplined in the body, 555 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,600 like dealing with people in the body, 556 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,840 that Peter goes, well, how often do we have to do this? 557 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:20,840 How often do we need to forgive? 558 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,120 You know why? 559 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,840 Because when people get together in a symbol, 560 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:26,840 we mess up. 561 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:32,360 Anybody ever been offended by somebody at church, right? 562 00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:35,440 You're like, oh, nobody wants to raise their hands, right? 563 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,480 Generally when you're offended, you're offended by people, 564 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:41,480 right? 565 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,000 People are flawed, people are messed up. 566 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,120 And sometimes at church, your expectations are high 567 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:48,480 because we're all supposed to be Christians, 568 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:49,320 and act christianly. 569 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,000 And sometimes Christians don't act like Christians, 570 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,680 and all God's people said, oh me, right? 571 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,640 Sometimes I don't always act like a Christian. 572 00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:58,880 And it's in that assembly, 573 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,640 we ought to love each other and care about each other 574 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,280 and forgive each other. 575 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,120 That's true from every leadership position 576 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:11,680 on down to the youngest kid we got. 577 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,000 We ought to forgive each other and love each other. 578 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,600 So, what were our points? 579 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,040 What was Jesus' attitude and actions? 580 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,200 Actions, when he was here on the church, 581 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,080 he had a habit of assembly. 582 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,320 He would get together, he would come together. 583 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:27,640 That was his custom. 584 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:32,000 His pattern in it was that he would do what they taught 585 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,400 him to do and what he wanted in the assembly. 586 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:39,400 He wanted people to preach the word and make it clear. 587 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,360 It's clear that his attitude towards the assembly 588 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:42,680 was that he loved it. 589 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,880 It should have our affection too. 590 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,720 Christ started the assembly, he had a mission for it. 591 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,160 We don't get to change his mission, we do his mission. 592 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:52,000 Amen. 593 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,200 And the number five, his assumption was 594 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,480 that this thing, this assembly that was going to be started 595 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,440 was gonna continue on until he raptures it out one day. 596 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:02,280 Amen. 597 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,880 And so we ought to be unified in that. 598 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,800 All of that stuff, hopefully that you, amen, 599 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:07,640 and you believe. 600 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:09,920 Let me give you some tips, okay? 601 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,320 These are some things that I think ought to govern 602 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,360 the way you think about this thing that we do 603 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:18,600 called assembling, okay? 604 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,800 Here's just some things that I just wrote down. 605 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,680 I'm like, this is like what we need to do 606 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,000 when we come together, okay? 607 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,800 When you come to assemble with the assembly, 608 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:31,920 let me give you some things you ought to be thinking. 609 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,580 Number one, look for somebody to encourage. 610 00:28:35,580 --> 00:28:38,420 You ever need encouragement? 611 00:28:38,420 --> 00:28:40,580 In fact, in Hebrews he said, 612 00:28:40,580 --> 00:28:43,980 don't forsake the assembling of the selves together, right? 613 00:28:43,980 --> 00:28:46,900 But provoke and love into good works. 614 00:28:46,900 --> 00:28:51,220 One of the things that I have the privilege 615 00:28:51,220 --> 00:28:55,820 and the honor of doing as the pastor 616 00:28:55,820 --> 00:29:00,260 is trying to help people when they're going through difficult. 617 00:29:00,260 --> 00:29:01,820 I think that's a good thing. 618 00:29:01,820 --> 00:29:06,140 Is trying to help people when they're going through difficulty. 619 00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:14,180 And I see people come into church 620 00:29:15,780 --> 00:29:18,340 and everybody thinks that they're doing great 621 00:29:18,340 --> 00:29:20,100 and I know they're not doing great. 622 00:29:21,260 --> 00:29:24,820 And everybody that says fine when you say how are you 623 00:29:24,820 --> 00:29:25,820 is not fine. 624 00:29:27,340 --> 00:29:28,620 It's a greeting. 625 00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:31,220 They're not lying and they're just saying, 626 00:29:31,220 --> 00:29:32,060 hey, yeah, doing good. 627 00:29:32,060 --> 00:29:32,900 Good to see you. 628 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:34,140 They're being positive. 629 00:29:34,140 --> 00:29:36,460 But not everybody is doing fine. 630 00:29:36,460 --> 00:29:39,940 Sometimes life is hard. 631 00:29:39,940 --> 00:29:42,980 And so if you need encouragement 632 00:29:42,980 --> 00:29:46,060 and I need encouragement and we need encouragement, 633 00:29:46,060 --> 00:29:47,060 you know how it's gonna happen? 634 00:29:47,060 --> 00:29:48,820 It happens when we actually decide 635 00:29:48,820 --> 00:29:50,540 I'm gonna be in encouragement. 636 00:29:50,540 --> 00:29:54,340 I'm gonna look for someone to encourage. 637 00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:56,620 So when you come to church, 638 00:29:56,620 --> 00:30:01,620 here's my, this isn't a mandate. 639 00:30:02,260 --> 00:30:04,340 This is now my opinion. 640 00:30:04,340 --> 00:30:06,900 Okay, I'm telling you when there's no like command 641 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:09,580 from the Lord that says what I'm about to say, 642 00:30:09,580 --> 00:30:11,620 but I think the spirit of it's there. 643 00:30:11,620 --> 00:30:14,900 Don't just come in and plop down and fold your arms 644 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:16,820 and go, well, somebody bless me. 645 00:30:18,780 --> 00:30:19,620 Right? 646 00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:25,220 I think it's good that when the service is about to start, 647 00:30:25,220 --> 00:30:27,540 don't just plop down, go sit with somebody, 648 00:30:27,540 --> 00:30:31,300 go talk to somebody, go ask them how they're doing 649 00:30:31,300 --> 00:30:33,700 in such a way that they know you actually care 650 00:30:33,700 --> 00:30:34,540 about the answer. 651 00:30:34,540 --> 00:30:36,380 It's not just a greeting. 652 00:30:37,380 --> 00:30:38,940 Hey, how are you? 653 00:30:38,940 --> 00:30:42,580 What's going on with, didn't you have a surgery or something? 654 00:30:42,580 --> 00:30:44,420 You know, how's your wife? 655 00:30:44,420 --> 00:30:46,620 How's your husband actually dig in? 656 00:30:46,620 --> 00:30:48,300 I wanna know how you're doing. 657 00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:51,260 Can I, how cool would it be to pray with each other 658 00:30:51,260 --> 00:30:52,180 in between the pews? 659 00:30:52,180 --> 00:30:53,900 That happens around here a lot. 660 00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:55,540 So look for someone to encourage. 661 00:30:55,540 --> 00:30:58,180 Number two, their bullet points. 662 00:30:58,180 --> 00:31:00,300 So the second bullet point. 663 00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:03,020 Look for places and people to serve. 664 00:31:03,020 --> 00:31:06,860 Look for places and people to serve. 665 00:31:06,860 --> 00:31:10,740 Jesus said, I came not to be minister unto, 666 00:31:10,740 --> 00:31:14,940 but to minister, to give my life a ransom for many. 667 00:31:14,940 --> 00:31:18,260 He said to his disciples, the greatest among you 668 00:31:18,260 --> 00:31:20,580 shall be your servant. 669 00:31:20,580 --> 00:31:22,140 And it doesn't have to be a position, 670 00:31:22,140 --> 00:31:23,780 it can just be an attitude. 671 00:31:23,780 --> 00:31:24,860 Hey, how can I help? 672 00:31:24,860 --> 00:31:28,100 How can I, how can I help what's going on around here? 673 00:31:28,100 --> 00:31:30,060 How can I help the body? 674 00:31:30,060 --> 00:31:32,860 Not just the institution, not just the programming. 675 00:31:32,860 --> 00:31:37,580 How can I help the people in my church community? 676 00:31:37,580 --> 00:31:39,020 How can I do that? 677 00:31:39,020 --> 00:31:39,960 Here's the third one. 678 00:31:41,660 --> 00:31:44,700 Look for a decision to make. 679 00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:46,820 Look for a decision to make. 680 00:31:46,820 --> 00:31:47,660 What do I mean? 681 00:31:47,660 --> 00:31:52,660 Teaching and preaching are similar, very, very similar, 682 00:31:55,420 --> 00:31:57,860 but also sometimes different. 683 00:31:57,860 --> 00:32:01,980 I think inherent in the preaching of God's word 684 00:32:01,980 --> 00:32:06,980 is this idea that I'm trying to call you to a decision. 685 00:32:08,380 --> 00:32:11,340 I'm not just trying to inform you of what to know, 686 00:32:11,340 --> 00:32:15,500 I'm trying to help you to grow in obedience. 687 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:17,180 Does that make sense? 688 00:32:17,180 --> 00:32:19,900 And so that means that when we come to church, 689 00:32:19,900 --> 00:32:22,180 when we listen to the word of God, 690 00:32:22,180 --> 00:32:23,940 what we're trying to do is, okay, 691 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:25,460 this is what the word of God says 692 00:32:25,460 --> 00:32:27,220 is my life matching up to that. 693 00:32:27,220 --> 00:32:29,020 Do I need to make a decision to repent? 694 00:32:29,020 --> 00:32:30,900 Do I need to make a decision to obey? 695 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:32,620 What do I need to do? 696 00:32:32,620 --> 00:32:35,420 That needs to be your attitude every time 697 00:32:35,420 --> 00:32:40,420 you come to the church. 698 00:32:40,420 --> 00:32:41,860 Here's a fourth bullet, ready? 699 00:32:43,100 --> 00:32:45,060 This again, not command. 700 00:32:45,060 --> 00:32:46,980 I just think that this is an attitude thing 701 00:32:46,980 --> 00:32:49,020 that can be really helpful, okay? 702 00:32:49,020 --> 00:32:50,140 Do this in the right area. 703 00:32:50,140 --> 00:32:51,980 Number four, take notes. 704 00:32:53,420 --> 00:32:54,260 Take notes. 705 00:32:55,460 --> 00:32:56,380 Here's what I mean. 706 00:33:01,460 --> 00:33:02,500 What's the point? 707 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:08,580 What is the point of preaching? 708 00:33:09,660 --> 00:33:11,620 What's the point of Bible teaching? 709 00:33:11,620 --> 00:33:16,620 The point of Bible teaching is Bible obedience, right? 710 00:33:19,060 --> 00:33:20,900 The point of it is life transformation. 711 00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:22,420 Do you agree with me? 712 00:33:22,420 --> 00:33:24,340 We're not just learning it to know it, 713 00:33:24,340 --> 00:33:26,500 we're learning it to obey it. 714 00:33:26,500 --> 00:33:28,220 And for that to transform our lives. 715 00:33:28,220 --> 00:33:30,700 Okay, not trying to be critical. 716 00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:32,180 If you feel like I'm talking about you, 717 00:33:32,180 --> 00:33:35,260 I'm not because I don't have anybody in mind, okay? 718 00:33:35,260 --> 00:33:37,100 I'm not talking about you. 719 00:33:37,100 --> 00:33:41,140 But which person seems like they're more engaged 720 00:33:41,140 --> 00:33:44,620 and more eager for life transformation? 721 00:33:48,260 --> 00:33:49,180 This guy? 722 00:33:54,780 --> 00:33:56,380 I don't have a pen, where's my pen? 723 00:34:03,340 --> 00:34:04,180 This guy. 724 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:06,860 Who seems more engaged? 725 00:34:08,300 --> 00:34:09,580 Right? 726 00:34:09,580 --> 00:34:13,020 The one who's ready to like, okay, what does the word say? 727 00:34:13,020 --> 00:34:15,180 I've got my Bible, I'm listening. 728 00:34:16,340 --> 00:34:18,380 Which one's more engaged? 729 00:34:18,380 --> 00:34:19,420 The second one, clearly. 730 00:34:19,420 --> 00:34:22,620 Why do I put blanks in your bulletin? 731 00:34:22,620 --> 00:34:26,420 I wanna prompt you to like, write some of this down. 732 00:34:26,420 --> 00:34:28,620 If you write it down, you might actually end up doing it. 733 00:34:28,620 --> 00:34:29,740 I don't know. 734 00:34:29,740 --> 00:34:30,740 Does that make sense? 735 00:34:32,980 --> 00:34:37,980 Remember like, who's, this they have this, 736 00:34:37,980 --> 00:34:41,780 I understand now that Bob Evans is an Ohio thing, 737 00:34:41,780 --> 00:34:43,500 but we had it in Florida. 738 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:46,940 Who's been to Bob Evans the last month? 739 00:34:46,940 --> 00:34:47,780 Okay, cool. 740 00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:52,220 At the Bob Evans in St. Pete, Florida, 741 00:34:52,220 --> 00:34:55,420 years and years ago, I remember this, 742 00:34:55,420 --> 00:35:00,420 they would put the mugs for coffee out, right? 743 00:35:01,460 --> 00:35:03,940 And when they put the mugs in the saucers out, 744 00:35:03,940 --> 00:35:05,300 they would put the mugs on the table, 745 00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:06,340 like pre-put them there, 746 00:35:06,340 --> 00:35:10,140 and the mug would be on its top, right? 747 00:35:10,140 --> 00:35:12,500 It would be flipped over, right? 748 00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:15,220 And what did you do if you wanted coffee? 749 00:35:15,220 --> 00:35:17,380 You flipped it over, right? 750 00:35:17,380 --> 00:35:22,380 You're telling the server, hey, I want coffee. 751 00:35:22,420 --> 00:35:24,740 And all guys, people said, amen. 752 00:35:24,740 --> 00:35:26,100 Turn it over, right? 753 00:35:27,740 --> 00:35:31,100 If you don't flip it over, you won't get anything. 754 00:35:31,100 --> 00:35:34,820 If you keep it on the top, you don't get anything, right? 755 00:35:34,820 --> 00:35:38,100 And there's a sense in which when you're like, 756 00:35:38,100 --> 00:35:39,860 when you're ready to receive, 757 00:35:41,140 --> 00:35:42,900 when you're ready to study, you're here, 758 00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:45,540 you're taking notes, what you're kind of doing, 759 00:35:45,540 --> 00:35:48,260 I want, behavior doesn't change your heart, 760 00:35:48,260 --> 00:35:50,980 the heart affects the behavior. 761 00:35:50,980 --> 00:35:52,300 Does that make sense? 762 00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:53,820 But in a sense, what you're doing 763 00:35:53,820 --> 00:35:55,220 is you're flipping that cup over. 764 00:35:55,220 --> 00:35:57,020 God, I want to get something today. 765 00:35:58,020 --> 00:36:00,540 God, I want to be different today 766 00:36:00,540 --> 00:36:03,100 because of what's being taught. 767 00:36:03,100 --> 00:36:05,940 There's a lot more attendance than there is obedience. 768 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:12,060 There's a lot more attendance than there is obedience. 769 00:36:12,060 --> 00:36:14,860 I want to be affected by what God's doing here, 770 00:36:14,860 --> 00:36:16,100 what God's saying here. 771 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:18,860 So taking notes is not the end all be all. 772 00:36:18,860 --> 00:36:20,900 I'm not saying if you take notes, then you're a good Christian. 773 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:23,340 There's some people that never take a note in the world 774 00:36:23,340 --> 00:36:25,780 and they are obedient and growing. 775 00:36:25,780 --> 00:36:27,220 That's not the point, but the point is 776 00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:29,660 to turn that cup over, okay? 777 00:36:29,660 --> 00:36:30,980 Now I lost all my sermon notes. 778 00:36:30,980 --> 00:36:31,820 Here we go. 779 00:36:31,820 --> 00:36:32,660 Next one. 780 00:36:36,620 --> 00:36:37,660 I literally dropped all my notes. 781 00:36:37,660 --> 00:36:38,500 I don't know where they are. 782 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:39,340 Here we go. 783 00:36:39,340 --> 00:36:40,260 Next one, Kev. 784 00:36:41,340 --> 00:36:44,060 Sing loud. 785 00:36:46,460 --> 00:36:49,100 Sing loud. 786 00:36:52,700 --> 00:36:57,700 Is singing just the thing we do to get to the preaching? 787 00:36:57,700 --> 00:37:00,740 When we're singing, we're trying to make our melodies 788 00:37:00,740 --> 00:37:03,620 and our hearts to the Lord. 789 00:37:03,620 --> 00:37:05,140 We're trying to prepare our hearts 790 00:37:05,140 --> 00:37:07,700 for the rescuing of God's word. 791 00:37:07,700 --> 00:37:09,860 You're like, but I'm not very good at singing. 792 00:37:09,860 --> 00:37:11,700 Who cares? 793 00:37:11,700 --> 00:37:14,940 Maybe the people around you, maybe they care, okay. 794 00:37:14,940 --> 00:37:18,340 But sing, this is about Jesus, this is about the Lord. 795 00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:19,340 Sing out. 796 00:37:19,340 --> 00:37:20,940 Again, it's an attitude thing. 797 00:37:20,940 --> 00:37:21,780 Then the last one. 798 00:37:22,780 --> 00:37:24,100 I think it's the last one. 799 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:27,780 Oh no, two more things, respond to the invitation. 800 00:37:27,780 --> 00:37:28,620 Respond to the invitation. 801 00:37:28,620 --> 00:37:30,980 You want to get a lot out of it? 802 00:37:31,980 --> 00:37:34,380 Who thinks it's a good thing when people respond? 803 00:37:35,380 --> 00:37:36,220 Yeah. 804 00:37:36,220 --> 00:37:38,980 Have you ever judged somebody? 805 00:37:38,980 --> 00:37:41,180 Man, I'm glad they're going down, they need it. 806 00:37:41,180 --> 00:37:42,380 Have you ever done that? 807 00:37:42,380 --> 00:37:43,820 You don't have to say yes or no. 808 00:37:43,820 --> 00:37:46,020 If you've done that, you need to come down. 809 00:37:46,020 --> 00:37:46,860 Okay. 810 00:37:48,540 --> 00:37:51,100 It shouldn't be, oh man, finally they're done. 811 00:37:51,100 --> 00:37:54,180 It should be praise the Lord, they have the courage 812 00:37:54,180 --> 00:37:56,820 to make a decision for the Lord, right? 813 00:37:56,820 --> 00:38:00,900 And so, hey, it's a good thing to respond to the invitation. 814 00:38:00,900 --> 00:38:01,740 Last one. 815 00:38:03,260 --> 00:38:04,100 Bring a guest. 816 00:38:07,460 --> 00:38:08,940 You want to hear the sermon differently? 817 00:38:08,940 --> 00:38:11,860 You want to experience everything differently 818 00:38:11,860 --> 00:38:14,700 than just another old Sunday at church? 819 00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:17,100 Have someone who's lost sitting next to you. 820 00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:20,100 Have someone who's lost their mind. 821 00:38:20,100 --> 00:38:23,900 Have someone who doesn't know Christ sitting next to you. 822 00:38:23,900 --> 00:38:27,740 All of a sudden you realize the stakes just went way up, 823 00:38:27,740 --> 00:38:29,900 right? 824 00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:32,940 And you know what happens when people hear the word of God? 825 00:38:34,820 --> 00:38:36,620 They're far more likely to respond to it 826 00:38:36,620 --> 00:38:38,660 than if they had never heard it before. 827 00:38:38,660 --> 00:38:41,460 You want to experience something incredible? 828 00:38:42,300 --> 00:38:44,260 Sit next to a lost person. 829 00:38:44,260 --> 00:38:47,380 I remember years ago we had a Muslim lady 830 00:38:47,380 --> 00:38:50,260 that we were working on that we were inviting to church 831 00:38:50,260 --> 00:38:52,620 and she finally came, she finally came to class 832 00:38:52,620 --> 00:38:56,900 and we were talking on that day about Isaac and Ishmael. 833 00:38:56,900 --> 00:39:00,780 And I remember thinking, oh man, I wonder if she understands 834 00:39:00,780 --> 00:39:05,780 and I'm talking about fight between the Jews 835 00:39:05,780 --> 00:39:07,340 and now the Muslims that are happening now, 836 00:39:07,340 --> 00:39:09,380 like that's where it started. 837 00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:12,300 Just life is different, church is different 838 00:39:12,300 --> 00:39:14,700 when you are experiencing it, when you're on mission 839 00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:17,580 and it's happening right then. 840 00:39:17,580 --> 00:39:20,620 And so you pray different, hey God, 841 00:39:20,620 --> 00:39:23,300 would you help Pastor Ben not to mess up today? 842 00:39:23,300 --> 00:39:25,980 Help him to be clear, because this person 843 00:39:25,980 --> 00:39:29,460 doesn't know Jesus as Savior. 844 00:39:29,460 --> 00:39:31,260 Who thinks it's important to bring guests to church? 845 00:39:31,260 --> 00:39:36,260 Yeah, so man, imagine if you prepared your heart 846 00:39:37,540 --> 00:39:40,060 before you came, if you look for somebody 847 00:39:40,060 --> 00:39:41,340 who encouraged when you show up, 848 00:39:41,340 --> 00:39:43,900 it's not about you, it's about everybody else. 849 00:39:43,900 --> 00:39:45,900 That you look for places to serve, 850 00:39:45,900 --> 00:39:47,980 you're looking for people to impact, 851 00:39:47,980 --> 00:39:50,700 you're looking to be changed as you show up, 852 00:39:50,700 --> 00:39:53,700 you're looking for God to fill up your cup, right? 853 00:39:53,700 --> 00:39:55,820 To give you something to live in. 854 00:39:55,820 --> 00:39:58,340 And you're writing that down and when it's time to sing, 855 00:39:58,340 --> 00:40:01,540 you're singing because it's not about you, it's about him. 856 00:40:01,540 --> 00:40:03,820 And you're trying to give him praise and glory. 857 00:40:03,820 --> 00:40:07,340 And when there's a decision to make, 858 00:40:07,340 --> 00:40:09,780 you're responding even at the invitation 859 00:40:09,780 --> 00:40:11,820 and sometimes you even bring someone 860 00:40:11,820 --> 00:40:12,820 that needs to hear it with you. 861 00:40:12,820 --> 00:40:16,780 Man, if that was the way that you approached assembling 862 00:40:17,740 --> 00:40:19,820 when the doors come open, man, 863 00:40:19,820 --> 00:40:22,660 we'd have to build new buildings around here. 864 00:40:22,660 --> 00:40:24,820 We would, maybe we were gonna do that anyway. 865 00:40:24,820 --> 00:40:28,180 We'd have to do more, because I believe God would show up 866 00:40:28,180 --> 00:40:30,220 because he'd have our hearts. 867 00:40:30,220 --> 00:40:32,740 And when he has our hearts, then he affects our hands 868 00:40:32,740 --> 00:40:34,420 and our feet and our mouth. 869 00:40:34,420 --> 00:40:37,740 And there's a whole lot of people that need Jesus. 870 00:40:37,740 --> 00:40:41,820 There's a whole lot of people in this town that need Jesus. 871 00:40:41,820 --> 00:40:43,780 And we can do that. 872 00:40:43,780 --> 00:40:47,060 We can help reach them with the power of the Holy Spirit 873 00:40:47,060 --> 00:40:51,260 when we work together as the assembly. 874 00:40:51,260 --> 00:41:13,260 Would you buy her the...