WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:38.429 may be dismissed to children's church. I'm going 00:00:38.429 --> 00:00:42.409 to be real honest with you. And I didn't know 00:00:42.409 --> 00:00:45.710 what to think about this morning as we were planning 00:00:45.710 --> 00:00:51.250 it. I wasn't real excited about it. Because this 00:00:51.250 --> 00:00:55.890 is unknown to us, it's one of those things we 00:00:55.890 --> 00:00:58.770 don't know how this thing is going to go. I don't 00:00:58.770 --> 00:01:04.489 know how I feel about walking in a circle. Don't 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:11.780 trip me. But as we got closer to today, I got 00:01:11.780 --> 00:01:13.879 more excited about it. Even though it was a little 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:16.060 inconvenient because we had to move all the chairs 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:19.019 around, we had to have a lot more discussions 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:22.019 on what the service was going to look like and 00:01:22.019 --> 00:01:23.640 make sure we're all on the same page. But as 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:27.599 we got closer to it, I just got excited because 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.219 sometimes it's good for us to get out of our 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:33.200 comfort zone and do things a little differently. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:36.000 Because sometimes we create some bad habits. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:41.040 Like for instance Sina and I have created this 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.799 bad habit. I'm gonna blame her, but it's probably 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:48.859 my fault of I Cannot go to bed, and I know you're 00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:51.159 gonna judge me for it, and that's okay, but I 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:55.939 cannot go to bed without the TV on And it it 00:01:55.939 --> 00:01:57.939 has to be something that I've seen a thousand 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:00.439 times like we're almost to the point where I 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.500 haven't memorized But I have to go to sleep with 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:07.519 something that that I know If it's something 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:09.400 new or something I haven't seen before and it 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:12.180 grabs my attention Then I'm gonna be up all night 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:14.979 because because that's how it seems to work But 00:02:14.979 --> 00:02:16.800 when it's something that that I've seen a thousand 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.680 times I can drift off to sleep in five ten minutes 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:25.199 really really easily It's made seen and not want 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:28.479 to go to the movies with me because I tend to 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:32.800 fall asleep in the movies somehow I've trained 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.069 my brain to think that when the TV is on It's 00:02:36.069 --> 00:02:40.509 time to go to sleep. And that's just, it's like 00:02:40.509 --> 00:02:42.189 my brain knows it. It's like, you know, like 00:02:42.189 --> 00:02:44.590 you develop, you know, types of muscle memory. 00:02:44.669 --> 00:02:48.250 Like my brain just knows when that show turns 00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:50.789 on, it's bedtime. And I'm out quick. I'm out 00:02:50.789 --> 00:02:54.569 before the opening credits come on usually. And 00:02:54.569 --> 00:02:57.689 I was thinking about, I was thinking about church. 00:02:57.789 --> 00:03:02.409 Do we just do muscle memory? Because is there 00:03:02.409 --> 00:03:06.819 a better way for me to fall asleep? Yes, shouldn't 00:03:06.819 --> 00:03:10.400 have the TV, I get it. Have I read all the studies 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:13.199 that show how harmful it is to you by watching 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:16.199 a screen right before you go to bed? Yes, I've 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:19.060 read them all. Am I still going to turn the TV 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:24.110 on tonight when I go to bed? Absolutely. Like 00:03:24.110 --> 00:03:27.750 my brain knows it's been conditioned to do this 00:03:27.750 --> 00:03:30.030 thing over and over and over again. And sometimes 00:03:30.030 --> 00:03:33.189 in church we have this, we've created this muscle 00:03:33.189 --> 00:03:37.129 memory of we show up on Sunday morning and we 00:03:37.129 --> 00:03:40.949 sit in our seat. And if somebody's in our seat, 00:03:42.229 --> 00:03:45.189 that's not good, right? Now, most of y 'all are 00:03:45.189 --> 00:03:46.669 pretty nice, you're not gonna say anything about 00:03:46.669 --> 00:03:48.889 it, but you are gonna be here earlier next week 00:03:48.889 --> 00:03:51.990 to make sure that person doesn't sit in your 00:03:51.990 --> 00:03:54.849 seat again, right? And we sit in our seat, and 00:03:54.849 --> 00:03:59.629 we sing the songs, and we hear a message, and 00:03:59.629 --> 00:04:02.009 we call it a day, and we do it again next week. 00:04:02.669 --> 00:04:04.969 And we do it again next week. And we do it again 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:08.189 the following week. Because with muscle memory, 00:04:08.330 --> 00:04:11.189 sometimes it creates these bad habits. And we 00:04:11.189 --> 00:04:14.900 just do with what's familiar. and we lose the 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:20.199 significance of these things. Like, think about 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:25.500 what we just did. We just sang songs that probably 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:28.139 most of us know. We sang about the goodness of 00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:33.079 God. When was the last time you really dwelt 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:37.899 on how God has been good to you? Maybe your life 00:04:37.899 --> 00:04:40.660 isn't perfect right now, but God has still been 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:45.629 good to you. Do you speak the name of Jesus over 00:04:45.629 --> 00:04:51.550 your family? Do we really want to draw near to 00:04:51.550 --> 00:04:54.209 Him? Do we want Him to draw near to us? Is He 00:04:54.209 --> 00:04:58.170 really the great I Am? Is He really, really holy 00:04:58.170 --> 00:05:00.810 like we just sang and declared that He is holy? 00:05:03.009 --> 00:05:06.769 Because sometimes we get a good melody and you 00:05:06.769 --> 00:05:09.959 put some words together. and it's catchy, and 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:11.899 it loses its significance sometimes, doesn't 00:05:11.899 --> 00:05:16.259 it? And we create this, we go through worship 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:19.920 with muscle memory. We gotta be careful with 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:25.899 how we worship. So I have two children that are 00:05:25.899 --> 00:05:28.699 heavily involved in extracurricular activities, 00:05:28.740 --> 00:05:30.379 and I have two more children that are not far 00:05:30.379 --> 00:05:33.199 behind them. Like I feel like my life is busy 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.980 now. I'm just assuming that a year from now when 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:40.579 my younger two start getting involved in everything, 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:43.399 it's just going to get so much worse. But my 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:48.720 two older kids, Adely and Asher, are awesome. 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:50.579 I mean, I hope you know that. I think they're 00:05:50.579 --> 00:05:59.680 awesome. But my daughter here, Adely, like when 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:05.019 I watch her, I'm like, if you ever see her on 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:08.680 a stage, you're like, she belongs on a stage. 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:12.519 That's where she comes alive. She belongs on 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:15.500 a stage. But if you only saw her at the house, 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:19.660 you would never think that. I mean, she walks 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:27.220 around like this, like teenagers do, like everything 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:30.660 else is just like teenagers do. But man, you 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:34.439 get her on a stage. And her pot, she just looks 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:37.420 like her head's up. She just walks around and 00:06:37.420 --> 00:06:40.019 floats around on the stage. It's really like 00:06:40.019 --> 00:06:42.480 to me a thing of beauty. If you were to watch 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.800 her try to be graceful with a glass of water, 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:52.139 you would be watching for a very long time. Because 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:54.720 she can't do it. There's always going to be water 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:58.800 somewhere. But man, you put her on a stage and 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:01.439 she just... It's just who she is, and I get to 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:04.319 sit in the audience, and I get to watch her, 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.839 and I'm like beaming with pride. It's like, that's 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:10.019 my girl. That's my girl. Not your girl. That's 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:12.360 my girl. And it's just like, that's who she is. 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:15.139 Like, that's what she was almost like, I feel 00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:16.699 sometimes, that's what she was created for, to 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:19.920 be on a stage. And then I have my older son Asher, 00:07:20.459 --> 00:07:24.639 and Asher's this really awesome pitcher. And 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.279 he stands on that mound. with kids that are bigger 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:30.040 than him and the ball just goes right past him. 00:07:30.620 --> 00:07:32.399 And I want to go over to the other side and be 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:34.240 like, that's my kid that just struck out yours. 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:39.839 That's my boy. He can do this. He's really good 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.000 with his glove. And every time I think a ball 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.720 is going to get past him, he just puts it down 00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:46.160 at the right time in the right position and just 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.920 catches it. He has this really beautiful throwing 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:54.199 motion that just looks so natural. Something 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.250 he did not get from his mama. I promise you that. 00:07:57.850 --> 00:08:01.069 But I will sit there watching Asher practice, 00:08:01.350 --> 00:08:03.350 and I'll lean over to the scene and be like, 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:07.269 that kid of mine has this beautiful throw. It's 00:08:07.269 --> 00:08:09.810 just perfect every time. And again, I'm like, 00:08:09.810 --> 00:08:15.009 that's my boy. That's my kid. And if I'm not 00:08:15.009 --> 00:08:18.449 careful, and if they're not careful, they're 00:08:18.449 --> 00:08:21.709 going to begin to think that that is their identity. 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:25.800 And there's this risk that I run. all of us run 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:29.100 as parents, of trying to find all of our fulfillment 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:33.220 in how well our kids do. And we begin to worship 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:36.720 what they do. And I begin to find my value in 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:38.899 how well Adily does on stage or how well Asher 00:08:38.899 --> 00:08:40.840 does on the baseball field. And if we're not 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:43.480 careful, they can begin to think that their whole 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:45.639 world, their whole identity is in this sport 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:49.340 or in this play. And it's a really dangerous 00:08:49.340 --> 00:08:53.149 thing because that's not what we worship. We 00:08:53.149 --> 00:08:56.129 worship God. Why do we worship God? We come here 00:08:56.129 --> 00:08:59.870 every single week to worship God. Why? Because 00:08:59.870 --> 00:09:03.289 He needs it? Because He's some sort of person 00:09:03.289 --> 00:09:05.730 that has absolutely no self -esteem whatsoever, 00:09:05.730 --> 00:09:08.149 and He just needs us to sing to Him and encourage 00:09:08.149 --> 00:09:12.970 Him. Is that why we worship God? Like He's Eeyore, 00:09:13.269 --> 00:09:17.019 just moping around. and needs us every Sunday 00:09:17.019 --> 00:09:19.860 to come and tell him how great he is, tell him 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:22.220 how holy it is, tell him how much we're thankful 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:24.019 for, and that gets him through the rest of the 00:09:24.019 --> 00:09:26.940 week. But that's not why we worship. We don't 00:09:26.940 --> 00:09:31.200 worship God for us. I'm sorry, we don't worship 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.419 God because he needs it. I can worship God with 00:09:34.419 --> 00:09:36.820 all of my mind like I'm commanded to, and God's 00:09:36.820 --> 00:09:40.419 not gonna be any smarter. I can worship God with 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:42.759 all of my strength like I'm commanded to, and 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:48.600 he's not gonna be any Stronger. I can love God 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.240 with everything in me and it's not going to make 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:53.100 him any more loving than he already is right 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:59.740 now. So God gets no better. He doesn't love me 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.980 any more if I sing really good for him, if I 00:10:02.980 --> 00:10:04.120 preach a really good message. He doesn't love 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:09.480 me any more or any less. But we're commanded 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:12.600 consistently to worship him, aren't we? Throughout 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:14.820 the whole Bible worship me. Why does why does 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:20.799 God need us to worship him? Because what we worship 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:24.399 is what we end up becoming I could be a baseball 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.639 dad I could be a I Don't know what they're called 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.559 play dad. I don't know stage dad drama dad. I 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:36.960 don't know Or whatever my other two decide to 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:40.840 do one day I could be that dad But but I'm created 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:45.720 to worship God. And what we worship is what we 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:48.379 end up becoming. God commands us to worship Him 00:10:48.379 --> 00:10:50.960 because when we worship Him and recognize who 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.500 He is and what He's done for us, we become more 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:58.580 like Him. We become more like what we were created 00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:02.539 to be. If the more I focus on baseball and worship 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:05.059 baseball, I'll have more knowledge of baseball. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:09.039 I'll have more strategy of baseball as I as I 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:11.220 focus on Adlai and all that she does I'll learn 00:11:11.220 --> 00:11:13.600 that I'm called a drama dad I didn't know that 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.039 until right now like I'll learn all these things 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:19.159 and I can I can be consumed by and I can volunteer 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:20.899 and I can give all my time to these things so 00:11:20.899 --> 00:11:23.639 that my kids get to participate but but I don't 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:25.940 want to be known as a drama dad I just want to 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:30.379 be known as a man that loves the Lord and wants 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:35.259 to worship him and as we worship him more we 00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:40.259 become more like him. So I grew up in this church 00:11:40.259 --> 00:11:47.320 where we used to sing the old hymns. Organ, piano, 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:51.799 decibels didn't matter. Like that organ to blast 00:11:51.799 --> 00:11:54.879 the glass off the building, that didn't matter. 00:11:56.940 --> 00:11:59.279 And we'd sing these songs every single week and 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:03.179 I loved it. I loved those songs. And we had this 00:12:03.179 --> 00:12:05.960 lady in our church, her name was Miss Ruby. She 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:09.480 was a widow lady, older, really, really sweet, 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.539 one of the sweetest ladies I've ever, that I 00:12:11.539 --> 00:12:13.980 remember growing up. And she would come and she'd 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:17.759 sit in the second pew every single week. And 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.480 she'd always have a hat on, like she was going 00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:22.340 to the Kentucky Derby. And she'd always have 00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:24.519 this really nice dress on every single week. 00:12:25.340 --> 00:12:27.659 She would come and she would sit in that second 00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:31.950 pew. And we would sing How Great Thou Art. You 00:12:31.950 --> 00:12:35.450 know that song? And she would put her hands in 00:12:35.450 --> 00:12:38.549 the air, how great thou art. How great is He. 00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:42.649 I love the Lord. All those things. She would 00:12:42.649 --> 00:12:46.990 start clapping when we sing that hymn, when the 00:12:46.990 --> 00:12:49.230 roll is called up yonder. You know that song? 00:12:50.129 --> 00:12:52.110 Why don't we use the word yonder more often now? 00:12:55.730 --> 00:12:59.190 And she would just love being in the presence 00:12:59.190 --> 00:13:02.629 of in the church, she would just love to worship 00:13:02.629 --> 00:13:06.350 God. She's so grateful for all that he had done 00:13:06.350 --> 00:13:09.450 in her life. She was so thankful to him. She 00:13:09.450 --> 00:13:13.190 was so loving about him. She just had this aura 00:13:13.190 --> 00:13:16.769 about her that was just so, so sweet. You know 00:13:16.769 --> 00:13:19.049 people like that? They just have something about 00:13:19.049 --> 00:13:20.309 them. They're just really, really sweet. That's 00:13:20.309 --> 00:13:23.710 what Miss Ruby. But here was the problem. In 00:13:23.710 --> 00:13:26.750 my church, the church I grew up growing up, is 00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:30.870 if you raised your hands in worship, you were 00:13:30.870 --> 00:13:36.009 probably going to hell. And they would use that 00:13:36.009 --> 00:13:37.970 scripture that says do not be a distraction. 00:13:39.049 --> 00:13:40.889 And they would say that anybody that's raising 00:13:40.889 --> 00:13:44.509 their hands is distracting the others from worshiping 00:13:44.509 --> 00:13:48.009 the Lord. And I remember hearing these pockets 00:13:48.009 --> 00:13:52.070 of people throughout the church that would just 00:13:52.070 --> 00:13:56.070 basically be criticizing Miss Ruby because she 00:13:56.070 --> 00:13:57.590 was sitting up front and she was raising her 00:13:57.590 --> 00:14:00.159 hands and it was a distraction. And they'd be 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.360 really sweet to her in her face. But they were 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:04.919 criticizing her behind the back. And that really 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:07.059 developed how I worshipped the Lord when I was 00:14:07.059 --> 00:14:08.620 growing up. Because I didn't feel like I had 00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:11.120 the freedom to worship how I felt like the Lord 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.019 was leading me. And so I began to think it was 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:18.279 all about me. I can't get out of my comfort. 00:14:18.620 --> 00:14:21.820 I never experienced the freedom that we have 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:25.220 in Christ. But as I've gotten older, I've learned. 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:26.720 And as I know my Bible better, I'm learning. 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:30.419 I don't even know where they got that. Because 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:32.399 nowhere in the Bible does it say, just stand 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.759 there with your hands in your pockets and mouth 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:37.539 words. There's nothing wrong with that. But as 00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:40.379 I go through the Bible, there's all kinds of 00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:45.080 worship. Like David danced. Like we're not charismatic 00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:53.059 here, but David danced. People sang. People bowed 00:14:53.059 --> 00:14:57.840 down. They yelled his name. They played instruments. 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:00.419 They did all these things as types of worship 00:15:00.419 --> 00:15:03.700 for the Lord. And so as I'm getting older and 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:05.500 I'm learning my Bible, I'm like, what is wrong? 00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:07.840 What was wrong with Miss Ruby? Nothing was wrong 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.320 with Miss Ruby. That's how the Lord led her to 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.720 worship him. It wasn't about her. It was about 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:17.580 what she could offer the Lord. And as I think 00:15:17.580 --> 00:15:24.460 through those things, I realize that's why we're 00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:28.360 here every single week. We come into this place 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:31.340 to worship who God is and what He's done for 00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:34.320 us. I want to read you a passage of Scripture. 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:36.220 Maybe you'll want to join me. It's in 1 Corinthians 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:48.539 15. Because I began to, I needed to be reminded. 00:15:49.539 --> 00:15:52.590 Why do we worship? Why do we come? Every single 00:15:52.590 --> 00:15:57.090 week. Why why do we? Sing songs. Why do I prepare 00:15:57.090 --> 00:15:59.309 a sermon? Why do we celebrate communion? Why 00:15:59.309 --> 00:16:02.309 do we do all these things? Is it because we have 00:16:02.309 --> 00:16:06.789 nothing better to do on a Sunday? So first Corinthians 00:16:06.789 --> 00:16:10.330 15 starting verse 12 Paul writes now if Christ 00:16:10.330 --> 00:16:13.409 is proclaimed as raised from the dead How can 00:16:13.409 --> 00:16:15.129 some of you say that there is no resurrection 00:16:15.129 --> 00:16:17.809 of the dead? But if there is no resurrection 00:16:17.809 --> 00:16:21.049 of the dead then not even Christ has been raised 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.620 If Christ has not been raised then our preaching 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:29.399 is in vain and your faith is in vain We are even 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:33.019 found to be misrepresenting God Because we testified 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:36.360 about God that he raised Christ whom he did not 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:39.659 raise if it is true that dead are not raised 00:16:39.659 --> 00:16:43.000 For if the dead are not raised not even Christ 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:46.919 has been raised and if Christ has not been raised 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:50.820 Your faith is futile and you were still in your 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:54.820 sins, then those also who have fallen asleep 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:58.659 in Christ have perished. If in this life only 00:16:58.659 --> 00:17:03.200 we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:07.140 most to be pitied. You understand what that means? 00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:11.180 That if Christ didn't raise from the dead, if 00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:14.319 God didn't raise Christ from the dead, then you 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:20.720 had to feel sorry for me, pity me. Because everything, 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:23.720 my whole career, everything I do week after week 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:27.940 after week is in vain. If God didn't raise Christ 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:30.259 from the dead, then you need to pity yourself 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:33.500 because you come week after week after week and 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:39.660 your faith is in vain. But that's not the truth, 00:17:39.819 --> 00:17:43.240 is it? Because God has raised Christ from the 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:46.950 dead. And because Christ has raised God I'm sorry 00:17:46.950 --> 00:17:49.869 because God has raised Christ from the dead then 00:17:49.869 --> 00:17:54.089 all of a sudden my life has purpose Your life 00:17:54.089 --> 00:17:58.089 has purpose you come in here every single week 00:17:58.089 --> 00:18:02.089 has purpose because he has raised him from the 00:18:02.089 --> 00:18:05.089 dead and That is what we worship and that is 00:18:05.089 --> 00:18:08.410 what we celebrate and sometimes because of bad 00:18:08.410 --> 00:18:13.069 muscle memory We forget that and we just go through 00:18:13.099 --> 00:18:19.359 the motions. Several years ago somebody asked 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:29.380 me, why did God send Jesus to the earth when 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:33.160 He did? Why didn't He send them a thousand years 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:36.380 earlier? Why didn't He send them a thousand years 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:40.920 later? Why did He send Jesus to the earth at 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:45.039 that time? Now the easy answer is, well, because 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.660 God's timing is perfect and that's when He wanted 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:51.440 to do it. That's the easy answer. That's the 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:57.099 church answer. But the more I've thought about 00:18:57.099 --> 00:18:59.460 that question over the years, the more I think 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:05.279 is the people, God's people, they had to experience 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:09.619 grief. And they had to experience hard things. 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:12.500 There had to be an expectation and anticipation 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:15.900 built so that they understood their need for 00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:18.759 a Savior. So that they understood that a Messiah 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:22.279 is coming and that got them excited. He sent 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:24.859 them at that time because if he sent them a thousand 00:19:24.859 --> 00:19:27.619 years earlier, all those Roman roads, they wouldn't 00:19:27.619 --> 00:19:32.079 have been there. The spread of the gospel would 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.509 have been so much harder. He sent him when he 00:19:36.509 --> 00:19:38.650 did because his timing is perfect, but also because 00:19:38.650 --> 00:19:42.089 I think that there had to be an anticipation. 00:19:43.130 --> 00:19:44.710 And so I don't know what your life is like. I 00:19:44.710 --> 00:19:46.569 don't know how you walked in here this morning, 00:19:47.289 --> 00:19:50.089 but maybe your life up until this point has been 00:19:50.089 --> 00:19:54.230 building in anticipation. You've tried all kinds 00:19:54.230 --> 00:19:57.809 of things. You've found value in your sports 00:19:57.809 --> 00:20:00.369 or your plays you found value in your kids and 00:20:00.369 --> 00:20:02.950 they always seem to disappoint you You find value 00:20:02.950 --> 00:20:04.549 in your kids activities and they always seem 00:20:04.549 --> 00:20:07.470 to disappoint you because seasons end and plays 00:20:07.470 --> 00:20:11.410 end and all those things You've got that pay 00:20:11.410 --> 00:20:13.589 raise and that was nice for a little while But 00:20:13.589 --> 00:20:15.690 now it's you're back at the same spot. You got 00:20:15.690 --> 00:20:17.470 a new house and that was sweet for a little while 00:20:17.470 --> 00:20:20.589 but but now there's kids live there and there's 00:20:20.589 --> 00:20:25.430 holes in the wall and You know, whatever Maybe 00:20:25.430 --> 00:20:28.349 your life has finally got to the point where 00:20:28.349 --> 00:20:39.769 you're ready for the Messiah. Maybe you experience 00:20:39.769 --> 00:20:42.910 Him here today. Maybe you call upon His name 00:20:42.910 --> 00:20:46.589 today. Because we're about to celebrate Communion. 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:57.759 And I love gathering with you at the first of 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:01.740 the month and celebrating communion with you. 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:05.460 It's one of those things where the scriptures 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:07.380 come to life because it says we have all things 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:09.900 in common. We don't have all things in common. 00:21:11.169 --> 00:21:13.829 But in Christ we do we have all things in common 00:21:13.829 --> 00:21:16.430 and so we're able to come to the table and Remember 00:21:16.430 --> 00:21:18.230 what he's done for us remember to worship him 00:21:18.230 --> 00:21:21.230 for who he is and we're able to be in that place 00:21:21.230 --> 00:21:23.470 And give him praise and honor because of the 00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:30.609 sacrifice that he made for us And so here's what 00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:31.910 we're gonna do we're gonna take some communion 00:21:31.910 --> 00:21:35.430 and It worked first service. We'll see different 00:21:35.430 --> 00:21:36.970 groups second service, so we'll see how this 00:21:36.970 --> 00:21:40.130 is gonna work Did not communicate at all with 00:21:40.130 --> 00:21:47.230 them But we're going to pass these things out 00:21:47.230 --> 00:21:50.750 to you. This is your first time, and you haven't 00:21:50.750 --> 00:21:53.869 ever had communion with us. There's two cups 00:21:53.869 --> 00:21:57.430 stacked on each other. Grab them both. And the 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:00.269 bread's in one, the juice is in the other. We're 00:22:00.269 --> 00:22:01.990 going to just ask you to hold onto that until 00:22:01.990 --> 00:22:10.410 we get ready to take it together. But but what 00:22:10.410 --> 00:22:13.710 we remember what we're remembering and celebrating 00:22:13.710 --> 00:22:18.309 this morning is the whole reason we're here Because 00:22:18.309 --> 00:22:22.269 God has raised Christ from the dead And he's 00:22:22.269 --> 00:22:24.470 no longer dead he's living evermore. He's alive 00:22:24.470 --> 00:22:26.670 right now, and that's what we are celebrating 00:22:26.670 --> 00:22:31.430 this morning and remembering this morning And 00:22:31.430 --> 00:22:34.269 scripture says not to take communion in an unworthy 00:22:34.269 --> 00:22:37.849 way And so as Matthew and David come and they 00:22:37.849 --> 00:22:40.390 lead us in another song and as we reflect on 00:22:40.390 --> 00:22:44.069 our life as we reflect on our faith as we reflect 00:22:44.069 --> 00:22:51.509 on our worship May that fill us with joy May 00:22:51.509 --> 00:22:55.230 it make us feel wonder for what God has done 00:22:55.230 --> 00:23:00.289 for us when we sing songs When we sing songs 00:23:00.289 --> 00:23:02.410 about who God is when we sing that he's the great 00:23:02.410 --> 00:23:06.490 I am when we sing that that That that he's holy 00:23:06.490 --> 00:23:08.430 and he's righteous and he's true and he's been 00:23:08.430 --> 00:23:11.410 good to us that should create some sort of emotion 00:23:11.410 --> 00:23:17.599 in us It should stir something in us When we 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:20.099 hear the Word of God proclaimed, when we're in 00:23:20.099 --> 00:23:21.960 our Bible study and we're reading the words and 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:25.279 we truly understand what those words mean for 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:28.299 us, it should create some sort of emotion in 00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:33.519 us. When we are praying on our knees and we're 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:35.799 making our requests known to God, we're giving 00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:38.640 Him praise for all that He's done for us, we're 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:42.160 just... loving on him in that moment and in communion 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:45.039 with him, that should create some sort of emotion 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:49.039 to us because we're communicating with the creator 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:54.180 of the universe. This is not muscle memory. This 00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:57.680 is really stopping and considering who God is 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:03.420 and what he has done for us. We should not be 00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:07.180 pitied. We should not be pitied because God did 00:24:07.180 --> 00:24:09.660 raise him. from the dead, and we're going to 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:11.900 celebrate that right now. So I don't know who's 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:13.839 serving. If you're serving community, if you'll 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:16.119 just come up, we'll disperse these things, and 00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:18.039 then Matthew and David are going to come lead 00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:21.460 us, and then we'll come back together and pray. 00:24:22.660 --> 00:24:27.960 But just as you're holding these things, think 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:30.920 about His broken body for you. Think about His 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:33.920 spilled blood for you. Give Him praise and glory.