Welcome to Hub City Vineyard.
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If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text
change me to 970-00.
Thank you and enjoy the message.
Thank you so much for tuning in to our live stream whether in your living room, your bedroom
or listening in your car.
Thank you for just inviting us into your space.
And just as John shared we are believing that we're going to get the Fire Marshall in here.
We are coming to you live from the Heger's Tom Premium outlets.
We are believing he's going to be in this week.
And if he does and he gives us a thumbs up then we will open our doors next Sunday July
19th for our in-person gatherings where we will once again gather as a church, as a community
of faith.
Our two morning times will be at 9 and 11.
So I want to encourage you to stay tuned in to my emails, to our social media pages and
we will be announcing what we're learning and what he's sharing with us.
But we're just believing that next Sunday will be the Sunday that we're all able to
gather together.
And also I want to encourage you, I will be sending out a list of the different precautions
and the different steps that we're taking to keep everyone safe with cleaning and social
distancing and all the different necessary steps to just be healthy and to gather together
in a way where we're caring for one another and loving one another.
And again those details will be coming out in an email this week.
So John opened in prayer and I just believe that the Holy Spirit is here this morning.
There's a few of us gathered here and I know he's going to speak to our hearts but more
importantly he's going to come through your computer screens, your TV or whatever you're
watching on to challenge you because we are launching a new series this morning called
X Marks the Spod.
And I just know that God is going to use this series to change our lives.
Isn't it true that our world is just full of different treasure maps if you will pointing
us to the different treasures that are all throughout this world.
Treasures that many people speak of lead us to happiness.
When you're online you know that marketers and advertisers are constantly getting you
to click on different links that we can buy things or read different self help websites
that tell us how to improve ourselves.
There's of course the political circus that's all around us.
Vote for me, vote for me.
I will make everything right.
There's different scholars and educators that tell us if we do this or do that your life
will end up happy.
Well Jesus if you don't know and had something more important to say then buy this car, read
my book or vote for me and you'll be happy.
He actually calls us in a better direction which does not leave us empty but actually
leaves us passionately following him.
In one of Jesus's most famous teachings the one that's called the Sermon on the Mount
we encounter a command if you will that's very clear about our treasures.
In Matthew 6 verses 19 through 21 we read this, don't store up treasures here on earth
where moths eat them and rust destroys them and where thieves break in and steal.
Instead store up treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves
do not break in and steal.
Wherever your treasure is there the desires of your heart will also be.
Now we can all acknowledge that there's many earthly treasures that people passionately
seek after.
Jesus would have us know that they are in fact temporary and not only are temporary
but they will decay and they ultimately don't bring meaning to life.
Now all these things that we put our energy into think about it making money, taking care
of ourselves, having long term security when we're at an older age, relationships with
other people they're all good things I'm not in any way saying that they're not good things
but they can't be our treasures.
They can't be those things where we hope to find meaning of life because all those things
are going to end up disappointing us.
Jesus clearly said that the only treasure that can be found was in a relationship with
Him that when we're in a relationship with Him our treasure is in fact heaven and when
we're passionately pursuing heaven the things of the kingdom then our heart is flooded with
peace.
You see the problem is too often Jesus followers they get distracted by the cares of this world
and they get distracted by the different material possessions and the educational achievement
and professional success.
He said security to make sure that we won't have to work again or maybe it's a new house
or a new phone or some new gadget that's going to make our life better and we can find ourselves
looking to those things if you will as that X in our life that if we pursue those things
we're going to be happy and at peace but in doing so we lose the real value and meaning
of life.
See to balance these distractions I really felt God challenged me to simply look at an
ordinary day in the lives of the early church.
So this morning we're going to go into Acts 3, 4 and 5 and we're just going to look at
an ordinary day at one day in the life of Jesus followers in the early church and I
firmly believe that if we pattern our lives after these early believers then the treasures
that we seek will be God's kingdom that we will be putting Him first in our lives and
that each and every day we'll be focused on filling up our treasures in heaven which leads
us to our first thought this morning.
Friends one day that's right one day can change a life.
Listen to these words from Acts chapter 3 verses 1 through 8 here it is one day everyone
say one day at 3 o'clock in the afternoon Peter and John were on their way into the
temple for a prayer meeting.
At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up.
Every day he was sat down at the temple gate the one named Beautiful to beg from those
who were going into the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to enter he asked for a hand out.
Peter with John at his side looked at him straight in the eye and said look here.
He looked up expecting to get something from them.
Peter said I don't have a nickel to my name but what I do have I give you in the name
of Jesus of Nazareth walk.
He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up and in an instant his feet and his
ankles became firm.
He jumped to his feet and walked.
Now what an incredible story.
It's one of those things where when you read that you can't help but bubble with excitement
and did everyone hear the two words at the beginning of the text?
One day and see one day is kind of like a chemical reaction that you learned about in
middle school.
You took these two chemicals and you mixed them together and what happened when two chemicals
came together they weren't supposed to be together.
There was this explosion and this bubbling out of these two chemicals and in an instant
that's what these two words are like.
One day.
See one day is a place of potential and possibility and when we read those two words you need
to pay attention to what happens next.
One day is a game changer if you will and it's funny I think about that word game changer
and immediately I went back to Jess and I when we announced that we were going to have
a new baby and now Phoenix is six months old.
We took a picture on the pool with a onesie and on that onesie it said game changer and
why did we use those two words?
Because we knew that our lives were going to be completely turned upside down because
our youngest was nine at the time.
So suddenly here we are we're going to have an infant in the midst of five older siblings.
Oh yeah throw in a coronavirus and all the other things that were happening and literally
our lives are going to be turned upside down.
Well when one day happens in your life when one day becomes a reality in Jesus followers
hearts then everything changes.
Everything changes and I firmly believe that God wants to do that in your life this morning.
One day encounters happen through ordinary people believing that all things are possible.
Look at Philippians 4 13 I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength and notice
when we read the word everything I'm pretty sure that that encompasses all of life.
When we view every day of our lives as one day full of possibility and meaning life change
can happen in our life and more importantly in the lives of others that we come in contact
with.
When you look at these verses there's another view of life that's illustrated directly in
the text that can get us off course real easy when it comes to treasure and it's called
another day.
Everyone say another day.
So we got one day and then another day and the amazing thing is we get to decide what
type of day we want to live.
One day is full of potential and possibility another day which you know like well Chris
what does that mean?
Well it kind of sounds like this I walk into the door after a long day at the office and
just looks at me and says hey Chris how was your work today?
How was your day at the office?
And I say it was just another day.
It was just another day.
And see if we're not careful friends another day becomes another week and another week
becomes another month and another month becomes another year and suddenly you can find yourself
trapped in another day that's lasted 20 years and you're trying to figure out where did
the time go?
Life can quickly slip away when we're living for another day.
See another day mentality is when people give up believing in God's promises and God's call
on their life that they won't come to pass and I'm here to challenge you this morning
stop settling for comfortability for the average to just kind of coast through life expecting
that God won't change you.
No God wants to use you each and every day for his kingdom.
See this view of life is seen in the crippled band remember one day Peter and John were
on their way to the temple full of possibility at the same time we read there was a crippled
band from birth being carried up.
Every day he was set down at the temple gate.
See every day what was he he was placed at the gate of the temple to do what to beg for
money.
So every day equals another day and another day means that we find ourselves begging for
money for stuff for the careers for our relationships for drugs for alcohol whatever it may be that
we're pursuing to find happiness one day full of possibility another day full of emptiness
and probability coasting through life hoping that the world satisfies our needs which it
never will.
Now both of these perspectives on life are ordinary because you're ordinary is how you
choose to live and God gives you a choice.
What will you choose today?
Will you choose one day or will you choose another day which leads us to our next thought
you see an ordinary day in the church was all about new life.
An ordinary day in the church was all about new life.
Look at Acts 2 43 through 47 a deep sense of awe came over them all and the apostles
performed many miraculous signs and wonders and all the believers met together in one
place and shared everything they had.
They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
They worshiped together at the temple each day met in homes for the Lord's Supper and
shared their meals with great joy and generosity.
All the while while praising God and enjoying goodwill of all the people each day the Lord
added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Friends the church that we read about in the book of Acts was living for one day.
They were experiencing signs and wonders.
They were gathering together and what were they doing?
They were sacrificing all that they had and why were they sacrificing?
Why were they giving it to the church so that people could experience new life?
Their treasure was the kingdom of God.
They were focused on God's kingdom and seeing it forcefully advance throughout the world.
Listen again to verse 47.
Each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Each day added those who were being saved.
You see it's almost like that word who.
Who makes it personal.
Who is not a large group of people.
Who makes it personal.
And friends if we're going to live this way if we're going to live with this one day mentality
allowing God to use us to change our priorities then we have to make it personal.
Who close to you is far from God?
Who is it that is within your sphere of influence but is not in a relationship with Jesus?
Who is it?
I guarantee you all of you gathered here and all of you watching online if you drew a line
on a piece of paper or on your phone or in your iPad or across your TV it doesn't make
any difference.
Drew a line.
You could write one, two, three, five names on that blank of people that are far from
God that have walked away from God that aren't in a relationship with Jesus.
I don't want to challenge you right now.
Stop.
Think about that one person or that two people or those three people and write down their
names.
And if that person that if their life was to end today they would be eternally separated
from God.
I mean when we begin to look at it in that perspective then suddenly our priorities change.
And you say okay Chris I wrote that person.
Now what do you pray for that person?
Believe that God is going to intervene in their life and then pray for yourself.
God give me an opportunity to share the good news to smile to pray for whatever it may
be.
Give me an opportunity to speak life into that person's life into their struggles whatever
it may be so that one day they find Jesus.
And see friends when we make it personal the church which is you and me we should expect
our friends our family our co-workers our classmates to experience new life each and
every day.
You heard John share that we have scheduled our summer baptism for Sunday August 9th and
I want to challenge you that blank that person that you wrote down I want you to pray a bold
prayer.
I mean I don't know about you but my phone still goes off at 8.05 every morning to pray
bold prayers.
I want you to pray a bold prayer this week to focus on the kingdom to focus on one day
and pray that that person in that blank would get baptized on August 9th.
That's a bold prayer.
I mean that person may not even live around here but you're praying for an opportunity
for a life to be changed which moves us to our next thought our third thought this morning.
Jesus is preached every day by ordinary people.
Look at Acts chapter 5 verse 42.
Every day they were in the temple in homes teaching and preaching Christ Jesus not letting
up for a minute.
And notice that does not say Sunday that does not say once a month that says every day not
letting up for a minute.
They were preaching and sharing the good news.
Friends too many Jesus followers simply disqualify themselves thinking they're not called to
share the good news.
Well that's reserved for you Chris or John or a leader in the church the one that leads
my growth group.
They can teach people about Jesus.
I can't know.
Remember who Jesus called to be his disciples.
Fishermen, tax collectors, the forgotten, the outcast of society.
He said hey come and follow me change the world.
I mean look at Acts 4 13 the members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John for they could see that they were ordinary men.
And remember a few months back I did a teaching on that ordinary men that ordinary in the
Greek is idiotos which means those idiots they had been with Jesus.
They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
And friends one day mentality is what brings about that change that you live one day for
God's kingdom that your priority your focus your treasure is God's kingdom and then everything
else slowly goes away.
Who in your sphere of influence?
Who is it?
That God is calling you to serve to encourage to send a text to send a note to invite to
our community of faith.
Because see back in Acts chapter 3 Peter and John they were simply living their lives one
day and they came across a man that was living another day and what happened?
God's kingdom just exploded into that man's life and God used Peter and John to change
that man.
Friends the same can happen with you and me.
The same can happen when our X when our treasure is God's kingdom and we're putting that first
living every day as one day the miraculous can happen.
Now what does this look like?
You say well okay Chris this all sounds good I can I see in Acts the early church I see
these incredible things happening.
How does it work in my life?
How is it that people will recognize that I had been with Jesus?
Well first simply stated you got to make it a priority.
You got to make it a priority within your life.
Have you ever thought?
Now just stop and think about it for a second.
So many people they they look at success as well I'm a doctor or I'm a nurse or I'm a
teacher or whatever it may be that they define success.
I'm successful in life.
Have you ever thought for a second that if you're in a relationship with Jesus oh yeah
you're called to evangelize the world before the second coming of Jesus before he returns.
That's a pretty important calling and see so many so many followers of Jesus they don't
recognize that or realize that and they don't understand they have the greatest purpose
ever given to mankind and we just let it slide away and coast away because we don't focus
on that call in our life and in the Old Testament in Judges 2 10 we read these words.
After that generation died another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or
remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.
Now in verse 8 of Judges 2 it says Joshua son of none the servant of the Lord died at
age 110 and see back Joshua took over from Moses and led the people into the promised
land and Joshua is recognized as one of the greatest leaders in the entire Old Testament.
I mean you learn to lead from Moses he experienced firsthand the miracles of God the literally
the parting of the Red Sea the Manta from heaven you say well it's Manta from heaven
it means that God fed them daily from heaven he sent the Israelites food while they were
in the wilderness they marched around Jericho oh yeah and the walls fell down he hung out
with Moses on the mountain experiencing God's presence he walked into the promised land
of God but yet the next generation the next generation after Joshua did not know God and
people you know look around it's like how do they not know God well Joshua and his generation
you know what happened they became comfortable in the promised land they became comfortable
they made it to the promised land they they all we made it this is what God gave to us
they became comfortable and they didn't pass it on and friends the same can happen to us
our promised land is called the USA we can slowly find ourselves coasting through life
and God is challenging us if you want to live for God's kingdom if you want your priority
your focus to be eternal you got to live one day one day believing that God is going to
use you which leads us to our first action step and we're going to dive into Hebrews
chapter 12 for action steps and the first is this you got to remove the weight Hebrews
12 1 says since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith
let us strip off every weight that slows us down the church of acts I want to encourage
you the church of acts that we read about in in two in Acts 2 3 4 & 5 they're cheering
us on they're saying go allow the the different people that are that are in your sphere of
influence to hear about the good news to experience new life they're cheering us on and they're
surrounding us it says and they're encouraging us daily and what does it say we have to do
the writer of Hebrews says you got to strip off every weight and what is a weight you
know first I want to say this a weight is not a sin because the sin is next a weight
is anything that is slowing us down from running the race that God has called us to and he
said well what could that be it could be a friendship it could be a relationship it could
be a job it could be a hobby it could be a sport it could be a cell phone it could be
an app on that cell phone it could be a car it could be a house it could be jet skis I
have no idea is there something in your life that's slowing you down and again it's not
necessarily a sin and you say well if it's not a sin what is it it's a distraction it's
a distraction that keeps us from focusing on the X from the kingdom from God's call
on our life James 1 22 says don't just listen to God's word you must do what it says otherwise
you're only fooling yourselves friends let's not be fools for this world and all the entertainment
and fun it offers let's be fools for Jesus because our life will never be the same which
moves us to our next section and here it is remove the sin see it's remove the weight
and then remove the sin therefore since we are surrounded by that early church a huge
crowd of witnesses to the life of faith let us strip off every weight that slows us down
notice especially the sin that so easily trips us up and hear me out friends it's my responsibility
as your pastor as a pastor as a leader in the church that Jesus built that we read about
to challenge you to remove any sin that is currently in your life now I know hear me
out it's not politically correct I to call people out on an issue to hold them accountable
on a sin that's in their life to to challenge them that God can change them I've heard it
all don't judge me worry about yourself well what about grace Chris oh friends hear me
out I'm not judging when I'm talking about sin I'm simply pointing out what the Bible
says I do focus on myself and believe that God changes me every day and I do believe
in grace because that's how all of us ended up here by God's grace however if there's
something in your life a sin that is negatively affecting your connection with the Holy Spirit
it's my responsibility to challenge you to change don't allow that sin to remain between
you and God and you say well Chris what's a sin well Paul lists a few in Galatians 5
this is what he said in Galatians 5 when you follow the desires of your sinful nature the
results are very clear sexual immorality impurity lustful pleasures idolatry sorcery hostility
quarreling jealousy outbursts of anger selfish ambition dissension division envy drunkenness
wild parties and other sins like these let me tell you again as I have before anyone
living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God friends if you are in a
relationship with Jesus the Holy Spirit is convicting you right now of anything that
is between you and God all we have to do is experience God's grace and go to Him for forgiveness
1 John 1 9 says if we confess our sins to Him He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness friends you have to remove the weights you
have to remove the sins which moves us to our third step you have to run your race since
we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith let us strip
off every weight that slows us down especially the sin that easily trips us up and let us
run with endurance the race God has set before us notice friends that it is your race not
someone else's it is your race that God has called you to to live every day passionately
pursuing Him we all have a race to run in stop looking at everybody else's race stop
liking and thumbs upping everybody else's race and focus on what God is doing in yours
every day look for opportunities to smile to be kind to encourage to pray for to invite
you got to get involved friends we are planning on gathering again next Sunday we need people
to serve we are challenging you to become a part of a team it is going to be so exciting
just to see people again coming up next month we are doing a back to school drive through
giveaway that is right normally we do a back to school backpack giveaway and we invite
people to our building this year because of the coronavirus we are going to do a drive
through giveaway and it is our goal friends to give away a thousand backpacks again this
year we are going to have people drive through the parking lot and we are going to put them
in their cars and we are going to hang them bags of food so that we can serve our community
and say well Chris why are you sharing that now because we need your help you know to
get a thousand backpacks we need backpacks donated or we need funds given to the backpack
giveaway so that we can buy bulk backpacks to be given away the point is take action
the point is that God is calling us to so much more to run the race to make a difference
in our community Philippians 3 tells us this I don't mean to say that I have already achieved
these things that I have already reached perfection but I press on to possess that perfection
for which Christ Jesus first possessed me dear brothers and sisters I have not achieved
this but I have focused on this one thing for getting the past and looking forward to
what lies ahead God is challenging us to press on come along be a part of the team which
leads us to our final step and our fourth and final step is you have got to focus on
Jesus Hebrews 12 2 we do this we press on by keeping our eyes on Jesus the champion
initiates and perfects our faith because of the joy awaiting him he endured the cross
disregarded his shame now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne you
know just this week if you haven't been by our Oak Ridge Drive location the outline of
the building is there there is these huge trucks on the property they are digging holes
they are getting ready to lay footers and I recorded my Friday video from the site this
week and I tell you what I was just thinking back you know to 14 years ago here we are
fast forward today we are getting ready to build a new complex build a new building believing
that God is going to change lives in our community I thought back to 14 years ago when 12 people
you know my family literally sold everything we had including our house and we moved from
Syracuse to come back to Hagerstown to come back to the tri-state area believe that God
is going to supernaturally change lives believe that God was going to use us and to many people
I am just being honest here it was foolish what do you mean you are selling everything
that you have to invest it in a church that doesn't exist believing that God is going
to use you to transform your community fast forward 14 years don't get me wrong I am happy
that we are successful and that we are building a building but it is amazing how God uses
foolish things and just ordinary people to change lives and this is not new you see in
God's kingdom if you are reading Hebrews 12 go back to the previous chapter there is this
list of these different heroes of the faith and each of them had to take a step of faith
look foolish doing it they were just ordinary people like you and me and some of the lists
included like for example Noah God called Noah to build an ark in a desert because it
was going to rain and God said you just build it and Noah was asked questions well what
is an ark I don't know what an ark is well what is rain I don't know what rain is but
he just trusted God Moses stood in front of Pharaoh and he stood in front of a red sea
with a stick and that is it and you think about Sarah and Sarah was promised that she
was going to become pregnant did anybody know she was 90 right Joshua and the Israelites
already mentioned that they marched around Jericho seven times with no weapons they had
no army they just marched around singing songs David many of you know David he stood
in front of a Goliath a giant David being a kid with five stones Mary was a virgin teen
Peter was sitting in a perfectly good boat Paul and Silas were locked in prison and simply
began to sing a child offered his lunch to feed a gathering of people Jesus hung on an
ordinary cross meant for thieves and villains each and every one of them when the time came
and God called them to step out to live one day they looked foolish but because of an
extraordinary God God used those ordinary people to do incredible things Noah and his
family was saved humanity started over Moses saw the plagues happen in the Red Sea part
Sarah gave birth to Isaac the walls of Jericho came what tumbling down David killed Goliath
Jesus was born to Mary Peter walked on water Paul and Silas walked out of prison because
an angel set them free over five thousand men women and children were fed Jesus hung
on a cross but on the third day was raised to life new life that is promised for you
and me look at Romans 8 the spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you
and just as God raised Jesus from the dead he will give life to your mortal bodies by
the same spirit living inside of you if you're here will you stand with me friends will you
join me those of you at home will you join me in daily focusing on God's kingdom in your
life one day making that one day a priority each and every day that acts in your life
that as you live for one day you don't coast you don't lean back or away from God's kingdom
you lean into it believing that God is going to use you and I want to pray for anyone that
is coasting through life and I hear me out on the other side of that camera I know there's
many of you just coasting through life you know as I was praying about starting this
series I was one of them I was coasting you know this pandemic and and and and just being
at home and trying to get the church open don't get me wrong I've been working hard but I
haven't been focused on the eternal I've been working to get our doors open and to get gathering
together again but I've been focused on the eternal I haven't been focused on people's
souls and their lives that there's people that are separated and that's got to be our
priority because that's when abundance happens in our life so if you're if that's you this
morning acknowledge it like me say God forgive me for coasting forgive me for taking my priority
off of you for the X in my life being these worldly temptations and sins the weights that
separate us from you draw me back to your spirit Jesus draw me back draw me back to
focus on the people around me that need your love your grace your mercy your hope your
joy challenge me God to pray bold prayers that people will see their life changed and
want to be baptized want to make that public commitment allow me to be passionately pursuing
you this week and for the rest of my life in Jesus name we all say amen so if you you
know the drill if you prayed that prayer this morning and I prayed it I guess I got a text
it too I don't have my phone though we want to help you we want to walk with you in it
text change me to 97 000 text change me to 97 000 and now let's focus on Jesus you know
I asked Rhett to lead us in a song so we can worship together to close and this is my prayer
for you on through the videos on your screens my prayer is that people will recognize that
you are with Jesus today tomorrow when you go to work when you go to school when you're
hanging out with your family your friends your neighbors they will recognize that you
spent time with Jesus today and they'll see it and want a piece of it that's it that's
why we worship so I'm going to challenge you worship and all abandon if you're here with
me give it all back to Jesus