WEBVTT 00:00:09.860 --> 00:00:12.679 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.279 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.000 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast, 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:20.820 you can have an encounter with Jesus that'll 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:24.359 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:30.320 message from our preaching team. Thank you, Tim. 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:35.179 Hey church, it's me again. Sands tears for now. 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:39.759 So during, I know this is a time we're not even 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:42.740 meant to say the word anymore, during COVID, 00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:46.200 the Horners got caught exactly, we got caught 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:49.880 in one of those, what felt like a seemingly endless 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:53.890 loop. of uh what do they call like home i was 00:00:53.890 --> 00:00:56.250 about to say home detention that's not the word 00:00:56.250 --> 00:00:58.969 uh what do they call the isolation loops type 00:00:58.969 --> 00:01:00.729 thing right so it was one of those ones where 00:01:00.729 --> 00:01:03.329 like if you tested positive for covid and then 00:01:03.329 --> 00:01:05.150 somebody else tested positive in your house for 00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:08.409 covid like it all just ran like it started again 00:01:08.409 --> 00:01:11.849 what an unbelievable time so the the five horners 00:01:11.849 --> 00:01:14.689 got the they had the beauty of spending 19 days 00:01:14.689 --> 00:01:24.760 together in isolation i mean She's right. You 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:27.099 can only play so much Mario Kart. I can tell 00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:29.879 you, you think you want to play more, there's 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:35.140 a limit. So we spent 19 days. And of everything, 00:01:35.459 --> 00:01:38.280 are we honest? We were mostly okay. We all got 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.140 COVID actually and then we kind of recovered 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:42.159 pretty quickly and it wasn't too bad for us, 00:01:42.219 --> 00:01:44.959 you know, God bless. And having a bit of time 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:46.799 off from work, not all that bad. The kids are 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:48.519 missing a bit of time from school. They didn't 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:50.659 actually mind it that much. What we found ourselves 00:01:50.659 --> 00:01:53.219 all really missing was Sunday, it was church. 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.319 We had not missed church services basically since 00:01:57.319 --> 00:01:58.920 we'd come, you know, come to faith and started 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:00.980 going to church as a family a couple of years 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:05.260 prior to that. So on the afternoon of the second 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:07.319 Sunday in a row that we had missed, and I genuinely 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:08.840 think that might have been the first time we'd 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:11.560 missed two weeks in a row ever, on the afternoon 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:13.900 of the second Sunday, there was a knock on the 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:17.099 door. And that knock on the door was actually 00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:20.120 Jenny, who's here with us today. and she was 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:21.939 there and she was off to drop off some dinner 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:24.599 for us and some snacks and it was really a really 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:26.319 lovely, you know, do the whole knock and then 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:27.939 you drop at the door and then you walk away and 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:30.360 then the person open. What a time, right? So 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.939 it was a really lovely gesture. But what was 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:35.479 an even more lovely gesture is it wasn't just 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:39.259 Jenny. We looked out through our kind of sliding 00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:42.560 doors and Jenny was there and Mike was there 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.900 and Josh was there and Emma was there. and our 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:49.259 friend Tash was there and our friend Schmox was 00:02:49.259 --> 00:02:52.159 there and we were kind of so overwhelmed because 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:53.780 again we haven't really seen anyone we're so 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:55.780 overwhelmed it took us a little while to realize 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.520 that Josh was there and Josh had his acoustic 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:02.740 guitar slung over his shoulder. And as Kara sat 00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:05.699 at our open doorway and kind of held each other, 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:08.520 as we sang and as we prayed, we worshiped with 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:10.539 our church as that group of people who had come 00:03:10.539 --> 00:03:14.319 to our house stood in our yard and worshiped 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:16.699 Jesus with us and brought church to our house. 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:22.379 Us in our house, them in our yard, separated 00:03:22.379 --> 00:03:27.580 by like an imaginary boundary, I'd never felt 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:29.319 closer to any of those people than I did in that 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:33.759 moment. And the interesting thing is, like, I 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:36.300 cannot remember, sorry Jen, I cannot remember 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:40.860 what you cooked us for dinner. God bless Jen, 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.120 it's the thought that counts. I cannot remember 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:44.659 what you cooked us for dinner. I have no idea. 00:03:44.699 --> 00:03:46.400 I have no idea what snacks were in those bags. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.039 I do not remember the songs we sang. I do not 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:52.280 remember any of the words of the prayers that 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:57.259 we prayed. I will never, ever forget that day. 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:01.819 the people that showed up for us at our house, 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.199 the love that they showed us, the care that they 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:07.080 showed us, and the way that they made us feel 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.460 in that moment. At a time when we felt at our 00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:12.500 most isolated and most vulnerable members of 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:16.480 our church, our family had sacrificed time, money, 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:19.360 energy, comfort, effort. These people had all 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.899 served that day at church already. To think of 00:04:22.899 --> 00:04:26.040 that act to think to do that for us and not just 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:27.379 to think about and be like You know how to be 00:04:27.379 --> 00:04:29.319 nice. They thought about it. They talked about 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:33.240 it and then they did it They came and it was 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:34.860 one of the greatest acts of encouragement and 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:36.399 greatest acts of love that I've ever actually 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.699 born witness to and been the recipient of And 00:04:39.699 --> 00:04:40.939 it's kind of one of the reason I'll be honest 00:04:40.939 --> 00:04:42.800 that those same people kind of have my love and 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.759 my respect of my loyalty like forever Because 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:48.199 you don't have a moment like that and get loved 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:49.860 on like that and then just kind of sweeping under 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:53.519 the rug And it's moments like that and acts like 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:56.319 that that I've seen since I've been a part of 00:04:56.319 --> 00:05:01.019 this Church that make me really proud and excited 00:05:01.019 --> 00:05:04.860 to speak today on one simple line from the Apostles' 00:05:04.980 --> 00:05:08.259 Creed. And that line is, I believe in the Holy 00:05:08.259 --> 00:05:12.500 Catholic Church. Just to clarify, in this context, 00:05:12.819 --> 00:05:16.209 Little Sea Catholic Church. No smells, no bells 00:05:16.209 --> 00:05:18.610 here, right? Little Sea Catholic Church, which 00:05:18.610 --> 00:05:21.009 just means the combined body of all Christian 00:05:21.009 --> 00:05:25.589 believers. And I want to unpack a little bit 00:05:25.589 --> 00:05:28.670 for us why I and why we should hold that line 00:05:28.670 --> 00:05:32.069 and hold that idea of believing in the Holy Catholic 00:05:32.069 --> 00:05:35.610 Church and that body so importantly and so dearly. 00:05:36.470 --> 00:05:38.730 Now, the Apostles' Creed, which we've been preaching 00:05:38.730 --> 00:05:41.970 on through this series, is a statement of core 00:05:41.970 --> 00:05:45.500 beliefs. It kind of acts as a reminder of some 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:47.720 of the key aspects of our faith that we all agree 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:52.439 upon. It acts as something that our faith is 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:54.740 built on, our church is built on, personal belief 00:05:54.740 --> 00:05:56.800 system built on. But that's what it is, it's 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:01.379 a foundation. And foundations are the base and 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:03.500 you have to build upon them. You have to make 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:06.199 choices to build upon that foundation. Because 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.319 there is power when a group of individuals decide 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:12.560 together to build something. together. Then they 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:16.860 opt to sacrifice self and self -preference and 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:20.240 comfort for others when they sacrifice preference 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:25.879 for a greater goal and a higher purpose. Nicky 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:28.680 Gumbel tells us this, that church is not an organization 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:32.399 to join, it is a family where you belong, a home 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:34.540 where you are loved and a hospital where you 00:06:34.540 --> 00:06:39.019 find healing. And it's with that in mind that 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:41.819 we return to today's teaching text. Now today's 00:06:41.819 --> 00:06:43.579 text is taken from the book of Hebrews. It's 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:46.120 a letter written to a community of kind of under 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:49.399 threat Jewish Christians to remind them of their 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:52.079 shared beliefs of the superiority and sovereignty 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.399 of Jesus, to urge them to live out of that truth 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:56.579 and to compel them to uplift and support each 00:06:56.579 --> 00:07:01.930 other. And again, before we proceed, I'm always 00:07:01.930 --> 00:07:04.449 in danger, especially me, like I'm a doing person, 00:07:04.670 --> 00:07:07.509 and we're about to kick a microphone stand, because 00:07:07.509 --> 00:07:10.670 that's sometimes what we do. I'm a bit of a doing 00:07:10.670 --> 00:07:12.449 person, so I just want to make this really clear 00:07:12.449 --> 00:07:14.529 before I proceed any further. What I'm about 00:07:14.529 --> 00:07:17.129 to talk about today, and I'm going to talk about 00:07:17.129 --> 00:07:19.550 acts and doing a fair bit, I want to make it 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:22.910 really, really clear that this is not about your 00:07:22.910 --> 00:07:24.949 faith, this is not about, sorry, it's not about 00:07:24.949 --> 00:07:29.360 your salvation, okay? Your salvation was secured 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:33.639 for you by Jesus on a cross that cannot be taken 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:36.100 away, you did not earn it, you cannot loot, like 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:39.699 it is there, that exists. This is about acts 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:42.300 and deeds and things that we then choose to do 00:07:42.300 --> 00:07:45.220 as a result of that act of sacrifice, as a result 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:48.259 of holding that faith so dearly and so closely 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:50.339 and holding that relationship with Jesus of such 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:52.620 value and importance that we can't help but be 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:54.939 changed and can't help but then want to act out 00:07:54.939 --> 00:07:57.569 of that change. okay so please hear me when I 00:07:57.569 --> 00:07:59.569 say this this is not like if you want to punch 00:07:59.569 --> 00:08:01.930 your ticket into heaven then you should okay 00:08:01.930 --> 00:08:04.689 ticket to heaven punch secure good to go all 00:08:04.689 --> 00:08:07.990 right so like we can move on one of my favorite 00:08:07.990 --> 00:08:09.750 quotes of all time with that I say that right 00:08:09.750 --> 00:08:11.889 before this quote for a reason right one of my 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:13.870 favorite quotes of all time is from craig rochelle 00:08:13.870 --> 00:08:18.550 and it's this a goal without a plan is a wish 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.459 We cannot, will not, and won't build the church 00:08:24.459 --> 00:08:26.420 that we want or that God is calling us to be 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:28.699 by simply showing up and hoping for the best. 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:34.480 This passage from today's teaching text starts 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.259 with, Let us think of ways to motivate one another 00:08:37.259 --> 00:08:40.279 to acts of love and good works. This verse is 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:43.480 a declaration of mutual betterment, intentionality, 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:51.799 and action. Let us think of ways. This affirms 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:56.039 intentionality. This affirms a plan of attack, 00:08:56.179 --> 00:09:00.440 a plan of action. What I love about this though, 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:03.279 in this context, is it also affirms ability. 00:09:05.179 --> 00:09:07.769 There are some parts of the Bible that we will 00:09:07.769 --> 00:09:10.669 read. And we really does kind of recognise that 00:09:10.669 --> 00:09:12.850 we all serve different functions, we might all 00:09:12.850 --> 00:09:14.529 have different gifts, we might all have different 00:09:14.529 --> 00:09:16.169 spiritual gifts, different areas that we learn. 00:09:16.590 --> 00:09:18.950 In Romans 12, 4 to 6, for example, Paul tells 00:09:18.950 --> 00:09:21.029 us, for just as each of us has one body with 00:09:21.029 --> 00:09:23.409 many members, and these members do not all have 00:09:23.409 --> 00:09:26.309 the same function, so in Christ we through... 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:29.080 Though many form one body and each member belongs 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:31.899 to all the others, we have different gifts according 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:34.039 to the grace given to each of us. If your gift 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:36.500 is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with 00:09:36.500 --> 00:09:39.740 your faith. But the baseline and fuel, regardless 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:42.759 of function or gift, remains the exact same. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.059 We are part of one body. We belong to each other. 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:48.279 We are under Jesus' sovereignty. We are fueled 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:51.179 by the Holy Spirit. These acts of love and good 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:54.700 works use that as their foundation and we are 00:09:54.700 --> 00:09:57.570 to then act in accordance and compliance with 00:09:57.570 --> 00:10:01.509 that faith and with that fact. This verse makes 00:10:01.509 --> 00:10:04.950 it really clear that we are all to think of these 00:10:04.950 --> 00:10:07.850 acts of good faith and love and good deed, which 00:10:07.850 --> 00:10:12.450 means we are all capable of these acts. It is 00:10:12.450 --> 00:10:14.990 through that lens that we are to act out these 00:10:14.990 --> 00:10:19.169 acts of love and good works. Now I just want 00:10:19.169 --> 00:10:21.269 to, we're gonna do what we love a little sneaky 00:10:21.269 --> 00:10:25.029 detour here. If you've been around church for 00:10:25.029 --> 00:10:26.909 more than 12 seconds and you've heard us talk 00:10:26.909 --> 00:10:28.769 about the concept of love, then you'll know that 00:10:28.769 --> 00:10:31.090 we talk about four different kinds of love in 00:10:31.090 --> 00:10:34.929 the Bible. You know what? You guys can repeat 00:10:34.929 --> 00:10:36.809 these with me. This will be fun. The first is 00:10:36.809 --> 00:10:39.149 eros, which is romantic love. Everybody say eros. 00:10:39.610 --> 00:10:42.309 There we go. Second is, and Mike always puts 00:10:42.309 --> 00:10:44.669 a nice rolling R on this, so I'm going to do 00:10:44.669 --> 00:10:47.370 it the my way. Storge. Everybody say storge. 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:50.789 That's familial love. There is philia, which 00:10:50.789 --> 00:10:54.600 is friendship love. Philia. And there's the last 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:57.139 one which is, who knows it? It's something behind 00:10:57.139 --> 00:11:00.600 me, it's given, right? Agape. Agape is selfless 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.279 love, right? Agape love is considered the highest 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:07.340 form of love. It is agape love that is used in 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:09.620 the original text for this passage. So when we're 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:11.299 talking about acts of love, we're talking about 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:14.299 acts of agape love, the highest form of love 00:11:14.299 --> 00:11:17.960 that the Bible has to offer us. Selfless, unconditional, 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:21.779 sacrificial. Active it's the kind of love that 00:11:21.779 --> 00:11:24.720 focuses entirely on others without expectation 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:32.340 of anything in return In this context friends, 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:39.019 and I think overall love is a verb Love requires 00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:44.850 action It will always lead to an action Which 00:11:44.850 --> 00:11:48.250 is exactly why verse 24 goes hand -in -hand with 00:11:48.250 --> 00:11:50.889 verse 25 as we unpack the passage today and let 00:11:50.889 --> 00:11:53.629 us not neglect our meeting together as some people 00:11:53.629 --> 00:11:56.289 do, but encourage one another especially now 00:11:56.289 --> 00:12:00.789 that the day of His return is drawing near. Agape 00:12:00.789 --> 00:12:03.950 love requires other people in order to live it 00:12:03.950 --> 00:12:06.789 out. You cannot have sacrificial love without 00:12:06.789 --> 00:12:12.000 somebody or something to sacrifice for. You need 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:16.019 someone or multiple someones with whom to direct 00:12:16.019 --> 00:12:24.360 agape love at Love cannot true love agape sacrificial 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.519 love for other people cannot be lived out in 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:32.019 isolation From the very, very beginning, God 00:12:32.019 --> 00:12:34.820 makes it abundantly clear that the intention 00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:38.259 was for us to never be isolated people. We're 00:12:38.259 --> 00:12:40.639 going to go back to Genesis for a second, Genesis 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:45.059 2, 18. Then the Lord God said, it is not good 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:47.600 for the man to be alone. I will make a helper 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:50.559 who is just right for him. Now we know here this 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:54.360 is, again, this is the story of the creation 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:57.950 of Adam and then the creation of Eve. God had 00:12:57.950 --> 00:13:00.389 created Adam. Now, I think it's really important 00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:02.970 we note here, up until that point, up until this 00:13:02.970 --> 00:13:05.149 very expression that comes out of Genesis 2, 00:13:05.570 --> 00:13:08.929 everything that God had created, He had declared 00:13:08.929 --> 00:13:15.029 either good or very good. Everything. Until now, 00:13:15.809 --> 00:13:19.230 until this very moment, even after creating man 00:13:19.230 --> 00:13:22.350 in His own image, He recognizes the incomplete 00:13:22.350 --> 00:13:26.029 vision of His own creation. And He takes immediate 00:13:26.029 --> 00:13:30.460 action. and proceeds to make Eve, affirming that 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:32.659 without companionship, without community, without 00:13:32.659 --> 00:13:35.360 somebody else for him to be in community with, 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.980 that his vision will never be complete. That 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:40.879 we will always remain incomplete if we're left 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:45.960 in isolation. Now some of us, despite the fact 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:48.960 that God declares that it is not good for us 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.259 to be alone through fear or maybe what it could 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:54.620 require of us or the sacrifices that will be 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.120 made or maybe we're carrying personal hurt or 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.379 family hurt or previous church hurt, we have 00:14:00.379 --> 00:14:10.139 been trying to live out an isolated life. But 00:14:10.139 --> 00:14:14.720 being annoyed is the price we pay for connection 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:18.759 and community. We're paying for convenience with 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:22.500 disconnection. We traded the messiness of community 00:14:22.500 --> 00:14:25.360 for the ease of solitude and we have lost something 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:29.799 vital along the way. I love this quote. I love 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:34.399 it because she's not wrong. But we are living 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:38.139 in a world currently that the World Health Organization 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:44.299 is referring to as a loneliness epidemic. It 00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:47.000 is clear that for too many of us we are living 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:50.440 lives of isolation and disconnection and my fear 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:53.360 is that so many of us have done so because we 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:56.299 believe it is the easier way or we have become 00:14:56.299 --> 00:14:59.279 fearful of what it might look like to live in 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.659 a community, to live in a way that we will have 00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:04.039 to sacrifice, to spend time with people that 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.740 just kind of annoy us a little bit. Welcome to 00:15:06.740 --> 00:15:13.330 church. God does not want that for us and neither 00:15:13.330 --> 00:15:19.450 should we want that for us But to avoid that 00:15:19.450 --> 00:15:21.610 isolation and to build that kind of community 00:15:21.610 --> 00:15:26.309 that will require And it will require sacrifice 00:15:26.309 --> 00:15:30.649 work and sacrifice I ask you a sacrificing personal 00:15:30.649 --> 00:15:33.370 preference and comfort for an agape based community 00:15:33.370 --> 00:15:36.289 going to be hard sometimes I'll give you the 00:15:36.289 --> 00:15:42.909 answer. Yep Is it going to be inconvenient? Yup. 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.389 Is it going to suck a little bit sometimes? Yup, 00:15:48.409 --> 00:15:51.649 I was waiting for somebody to be like, yup. It's 00:15:51.649 --> 00:15:53.990 going to cost you time. It's going to cost you 00:15:53.990 --> 00:15:56.789 comfort. It's going to cost you money. It's going 00:15:56.789 --> 00:16:00.750 to cost you preference. That is what it will 00:16:00.750 --> 00:16:06.789 cost to build an agape love community. But again, 00:16:06.830 --> 00:16:09.070 I ask you, do you think that that sacrifice might 00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:12.549 be worth it? A sacrifice that allows you to unify 00:16:12.549 --> 00:16:14.570 with others, a sacrifice that allows you to uplift 00:16:14.570 --> 00:16:17.350 and encourage people, to be uplifted and encouraged 00:16:17.350 --> 00:16:20.110 by people, to live out an agape life lifestyle, 00:16:20.730 --> 00:16:23.149 to help form a community formed in Jesus' own 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:25.529 image in which all are included, all are welcome, 00:16:25.750 --> 00:16:28.929 and love is at the centre. Because I think so, 00:16:28.950 --> 00:16:30.350 and if I'll be honest with you, if you're in 00:16:30.350 --> 00:16:32.029 this room right now, then I think you do too. 00:16:35.740 --> 00:16:37.659 So that always leads to the question of like 00:16:37.659 --> 00:16:39.899 well, then how do we form that kind of community? 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.919 It's really easy to talk about text, but you 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:47.519 said before plan, goal, wish, right? So I'm going 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:51.120 to start with the real basics of how you form 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:58.620 a community. An agape love community. The first 00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:06.750 is attend. You can't build a community if you're 00:17:06.750 --> 00:17:11.670 not in community. Physically impossible. Show 00:17:11.670 --> 00:17:15.829 up. Prioritise it. The Barna Group in the States 00:17:15.829 --> 00:17:18.390 is a highly respected research organisation that 00:17:18.390 --> 00:17:20.309 studies the intersection between culture and 00:17:20.309 --> 00:17:23.390 faith. That's kind of what they do. Does anybody 00:17:23.390 --> 00:17:25.930 know what the Barna Group these days considers 00:17:25.930 --> 00:17:29.410 a regular church attendee? Shout it out. How 00:17:29.410 --> 00:17:32.470 often? How many times? How many weeks? One in... 00:17:34.750 --> 00:17:39.130 One in four. The Barna Group now considers one 00:17:39.130 --> 00:17:43.150 in four weeks a regular church attendee. God, 00:17:43.170 --> 00:17:44.670 I promise you I'm not throwing any judgment. 00:17:44.710 --> 00:17:46.230 I'm not looking at anybody in any way, right? 00:17:46.250 --> 00:17:47.650 You're all here. I love you. I love you. I love 00:17:47.650 --> 00:17:51.670 you. Right? If you go to your local coffee shop 00:17:51.670 --> 00:17:55.049 with more regularity than you go to your church, 00:17:55.230 --> 00:18:01.049 where are you building your community? Where 00:18:01.049 --> 00:18:06.150 is your community forming around you? It is likely 00:18:06.150 --> 00:18:08.930 if you are at your regular coffee shop more often 00:18:08.930 --> 00:18:11.089 than you are at your church, then every time 00:18:11.089 --> 00:18:13.309 you come to church you are going to feel isolated, 00:18:13.490 --> 00:18:15.349 you are going to feel on the outer, you are going 00:18:15.349 --> 00:18:17.430 to feel like you do not have a place there. I 00:18:17.430 --> 00:18:22.750 don't want that for you. So the first step is 00:18:22.750 --> 00:18:25.710 to attend, prioritize it. It's good for you, 00:18:25.710 --> 00:18:31.549 I promise. The second way that you help to build 00:18:31.549 --> 00:18:37.089 an Agape Love Focus community is to engage. Okay. 00:18:38.529 --> 00:18:41.230 You're here anyway. If you show up, if you are 00:18:41.230 --> 00:18:42.990 the kind of person who is now like, I am going 00:18:42.990 --> 00:18:44.869 to show up every week. God bless you. One in 00:18:44.869 --> 00:18:46.930 four again. Barna Group, God bless you. We're 00:18:46.930 --> 00:18:49.769 not doing that. One in four, no. Right? If you're 00:18:49.769 --> 00:18:51.930 here anyway, if you have made the choice to get 00:18:51.930 --> 00:18:54.410 in your car and drive here and attend, engage. 00:18:55.470 --> 00:18:59.869 Worship, pray, sing, talk, dance, listen, respond. 00:19:00.549 --> 00:19:03.369 I know it will not feel natural at first. Everybody's 00:19:03.369 --> 00:19:05.509 like the introvert, the extrovert's yelling at 00:19:05.509 --> 00:19:08.809 me again, right? I know that it will not feel 00:19:08.809 --> 00:19:12.410 natural at first. I'm empathetic towards that. 00:19:12.490 --> 00:19:16.109 I am not asking you to fake it. What I am asking 00:19:16.109 --> 00:19:18.990 you to do is to engage with it. I am asking you 00:19:18.990 --> 00:19:21.910 to change your posture, to learn a new pattern 00:19:21.910 --> 00:19:25.589 of behavior. don't roll in at three past three 00:19:25.589 --> 00:19:28.410 and roll out during the benediction and then 00:19:28.410 --> 00:19:30.730 when people say how was church and you go fine 00:19:30.730 --> 00:19:33.230 how are you finding the community i'm not really 00:19:33.230 --> 00:19:39.289 finding a home there you reckon like show up 00:19:39.289 --> 00:19:42.170 have coffee talk to someone you don't know talk 00:19:42.170 --> 00:19:44.009 to someone who your first impression of wasn't 00:19:44.009 --> 00:19:45.890 maybe the strongest because we all have a bad 00:19:45.890 --> 00:19:49.490 day hang out be a part of this community. That 00:19:49.490 --> 00:19:51.470 is how you will learn to sacrifice for other 00:19:51.470 --> 00:19:55.130 people once you get to know other people. Thank 00:19:55.130 --> 00:19:58.009 you, I hear that. I am begging you, I am imploring 00:19:58.009 --> 00:19:59.849 you to, literally, here's what I want you to 00:19:59.849 --> 00:20:03.630 do, show up, have coffee, stay for 10 minutes 00:20:03.630 --> 00:20:06.599 after service. If you're relatively new here, 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:08.299 or you're someone who's tendency is to leave, 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:09.640 I tell you what, Tim mentioned it before, we're 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:11.460 having community dinner afterwards, $5 a head 00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:13.500 for pizza. If you're new here and you've not 00:20:13.500 --> 00:20:15.220 yet fully engaged, or you're still not sure if 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:17.299 this is the community for you, work it out tonight. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:20.960 If you can't afford pizza, come tap me on the 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:22.319 shoulder, I'm buying. Like, honestly, I don't 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:25.319 care. Like, we'll make whatever sacrifices need 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:30.759 to be made. Just hang out. Kara's like, how many 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:31.920 people are we paying? I'm like, don't worry about 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:34.750 it, we'll work it out later. Church is not a 00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:37.829 box to tick. It's a community to experience and 00:20:37.829 --> 00:20:43.390 a family to join. The last step in how you help 00:20:43.390 --> 00:20:49.710 to form an agape love community is to act. I 00:20:49.710 --> 00:20:51.329 said this was going to be a sermon when I asked 00:20:51.329 --> 00:20:54.750 you to do things. I can't begin to tell you how 00:20:54.750 --> 00:20:56.529 hard it is to not make every sermon from me about 00:20:56.529 --> 00:20:58.009 asking you to do things, all right? So you just 00:20:58.009 --> 00:20:59.509 have to roll with me on this one and my last 00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:03.349 one, right? I need you to stop. waiting for the 00:21:03.349 --> 00:21:06.029 perfect moment in order to live out sacrificial 00:21:06.029 --> 00:21:09.490 love. If you are waiting until there is more 00:21:09.490 --> 00:21:11.730 money in your bank account to buy ex -person 00:21:11.730 --> 00:21:14.069 coffee or dinner, good luck, man. I've never 00:21:14.069 --> 00:21:15.970 had enough money in my bank account to do that, 00:21:16.130 --> 00:21:17.930 ever. There's always one more. You can always 00:21:17.930 --> 00:21:20.029 pay one more bill. You can always do one more 00:21:20.029 --> 00:21:21.450 thing. Same advice I give to people who think 00:21:21.450 --> 00:21:23.430 about having kids, by the way. Once we have done 00:21:23.430 --> 00:21:25.289 blank, we'll definitely have enough money. No, 00:21:25.410 --> 00:21:30.099 you won't. Promise. There's just never enough 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:32.039 money man. Like I don't care. I don't care. There's 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:33.640 never enough. That is not me telling everybody 00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:35.660 to go rush off have kids I'm just saying if you're 00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:37.940 thinking about it. Anyway, we'll move on right 00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:40.819 there is no perfect moment They don't exist. 00:21:41.059 --> 00:21:42.720 There is no perfect amount of money in the bank 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:44.960 account It doesn't exist your house will never 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.279 be clean enough The fridge will never be stocked 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:49.000 enough. The bank account will never have enough 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:51.700 money in it The I don't know the car will never 00:21:51.700 --> 00:21:54.200 be clean enough pick somebody up in your dirty 00:21:54.200 --> 00:21:57.059 car Invite them around to your house. My house 00:21:57.059 --> 00:21:58.880 is always full of clothes horses in winter, man. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:00.819 Come around and hang out. My house will be full 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:02.799 of clothes horses. Invite them around to your 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.180 house. You're like, I don't have anything in 00:22:04.180 --> 00:22:06.059 my house with which to do this and da da da da. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:08.440 Change your intentionality. Change your posture. 00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:10.859 Change your mindset. We live in a life where 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:13.519 so many people feel isolated, lost, and alone. 00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:16.440 If you have a kettle, you have an isolation breaker. 00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:19.539 If you have a kettle, you have a community maker. 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:22.299 That's all you need. I'll buy you the box. Stop 00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:26.259 giving people. No, right? I will buy you a box 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:29.259 of tea and I will buy you a $9 kettle from Kmart 00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:32.140 if you need one, genuinely. And it's 12 now, 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:34.700 dang, that inflation, right? I will buy you a 00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:37.059 $12 kettle from Kmart and a box of tea, I'm not 00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:38.660 joking, again, come tap me on the shoulder this 00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:40.400 last sermon might cost me some cash, but I gotta 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.299 put my money where my mouth is, literally. If 00:22:42.299 --> 00:22:43.980 you have a kettle and a box of tea, you have 00:22:43.980 --> 00:22:45.859 an isolation breaker. If you have a kettle and 00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:48.900 a box of tea, you have a community builder. Do 00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:52.299 not allow yourself to fall into the trap of if, 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:55.559 then. If this happens, then I can start to build 00:22:55.559 --> 00:22:57.039 a community. No, no, no, man. If you're here, 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.759 you're already building that community. All you're 00:22:58.759 --> 00:23:02.220 choosing is how deep into it you are. You are 00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:09.289 here anyway. Right? Engage and act. The more 00:23:09.289 --> 00:23:11.509 you share your daily life, the more you get to 00:23:11.509 --> 00:23:13.769 know people, the more support you will show for 00:23:13.769 --> 00:23:15.710 each other, these acts of love and encouragement 00:23:15.710 --> 00:23:17.789 that you had to work hard for in the beginning 00:23:17.789 --> 00:23:20.930 start to become natural. It's like any new habit, 00:23:20.990 --> 00:23:23.269 any new behavior. The more you do it, the less 00:23:23.269 --> 00:23:26.250 you think about it and the more you do it. And 00:23:26.250 --> 00:23:27.650 I gotta tell you, something that Cara and I hear 00:23:27.650 --> 00:23:29.029 all the time, I've stopped tracking my watch, 00:23:29.069 --> 00:23:32.009 sorry Tim, that I hear from people all the time. 00:23:32.109 --> 00:23:34.430 Cara and I hear this all the time. Man, you guys 00:23:34.430 --> 00:23:39.480 are so lucky. You guys are so lucky. We see, 00:23:39.619 --> 00:23:42.559 like, you guys don't have to look for babysitters 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:45.440 ever. You guys don't have to look for dog sitters 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.640 ever. You guys, like, we went away to Melbourne. 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:50.460 No, where do we go? The Gold Coast. Jordan and 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:52.019 Katie came and watched our kids and lived at 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:53.940 our house. Like, and people are like, you're 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:56.500 so lucky. And I always say to people, like, we 00:23:56.500 --> 00:23:58.799 are, let me be really clear, we are so blessed 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.339 and we are so lucky. Then I say to the people, 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:03.160 yeah, these are all people from my church and 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:07.339 this is kind of the point. This is the point 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:09.700 of a church community is you do life together. 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.099 I don't just want to see you here on a Sunday 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:15.500 I don't just want to see you when it's a special 00:24:15.500 --> 00:24:17.920 occasion or this that and the other it is about 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:21.720 forming a community that cares enough to Sacrifice 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:28.460 what they want for the other people in it And 00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:31.440 a community that forms with a kingdom focus will 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:35.970 always stand out to the world around it You guys, 00:24:36.009 --> 00:24:37.710 the way you love each other, the way you love 00:24:37.710 --> 00:24:40.809 me and my family, people see it and they yearn 00:24:40.809 --> 00:24:45.430 for it. They are desperate for it. Your job is 00:24:45.430 --> 00:24:49.829 simply to invite people into it. We are God's 00:24:49.829 --> 00:24:52.250 Church, full of God's children, doing our best 00:24:52.250 --> 00:24:54.650 to reflect the love that He has already shown 00:24:54.650 --> 00:25:01.210 for us. Let's be real clear. You can hear this 00:25:01.210 --> 00:25:04.049 and be like, Tex yelled a lot and I did. And 00:25:04.049 --> 00:25:07.849 you can leave here today and choose to do none 00:25:07.849 --> 00:25:12.069 of it. You can make that choice. You can choose 00:25:12.069 --> 00:25:14.630 to see statements on the wall, posters up of 00:25:14.630 --> 00:25:16.309 who we are and what we believe, or you can read 00:25:16.309 --> 00:25:19.269 the Apostle's Creed and go, that all sounds awesome, 00:25:20.230 --> 00:25:23.309 and take absolutely no action with which to reinforce 00:25:23.309 --> 00:25:26.910 it or have it come to fruition. You can take 00:25:26.910 --> 00:25:31.450 the comfortable route. I'm going to rename the 00:25:31.450 --> 00:25:34.869 comfortable route if you want. We say comfort, 00:25:34.890 --> 00:25:38.130 what we mean is bare minimum. If you're on the 00:25:38.130 --> 00:25:39.369 comfortable route, you're on the bare minimum 00:25:39.369 --> 00:25:43.849 route. The bare minimum route is an option that 00:25:43.849 --> 00:25:46.190 is available to each and every one of us at all 00:25:46.190 --> 00:25:50.869 times in every situation. And I'm willing to 00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:52.809 wager that some of you in this room who are probably 00:25:52.809 --> 00:25:54.509 recognizing, I'll go back to the kind of version, 00:25:54.569 --> 00:25:56.750 that you're on the comfortable route right now. 00:26:00.490 --> 00:26:05.019 Do you want a comfortable faith? Do you want 00:26:05.019 --> 00:26:07.140 a bare minimum faith? Do you want a bare minimum 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:11.019 church? Do you think we serve a bare minimum 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:16.299 comfortable God? I don't. You don't. We do not 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:19.720 serve a bare minimum God. We serve a God who 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:23.059 saw a suffering world broken by sin and the bare 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:26.980 minimum was never an option for Him. He could 00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:29.420 have chosen the bare minimum. He could have chosen 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:36.640 to love us from afar. But he didn't. He could 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.480 have chosen to not show up in person. He could 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:40.819 have chosen to let us continue on the path that 00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:43.180 we had been forging for ourselves, comfortable 00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:46.960 in our own pain and our own isolation. And he 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:50.460 could have chosen a bare minimum response. And 00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:57.359 Benji can come back up, please. But he didn't. 00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:04.829 God chose the active path of love. God chose 00:27:04.829 --> 00:27:07.410 the active path of agape love that led all the 00:27:07.410 --> 00:27:09.490 way to salvation and eternal life for you and 00:27:09.490 --> 00:27:13.490 me. God chose to send his son Jesus, the ultimate 00:27:13.490 --> 00:27:16.029 and eternal example of agape love, who through 00:27:16.029 --> 00:27:18.950 his earthly ministry chose us again and again 00:27:18.950 --> 00:27:21.130 and again, through wonder, through miracle, through 00:27:21.130 --> 00:27:23.750 healing, through salvation, and yes, eventually, 00:27:24.589 --> 00:27:28.920 through sacrifice. with the greatest act of selfless, 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:32.380 unconditional, sacrificial, and active love that 00:27:32.380 --> 00:27:38.039 has ever existed in all of human history. A selfish, 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:41.140 selfless act of love that through its very nature 00:27:41.140 --> 00:27:44.779 offers us an invitation to sacrifice our personal 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:50.259 desires to totally and fully commit to Him even 00:27:50.259 --> 00:27:57.720 now and to invite others to do the same. So as 00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:03.359 we come to a close, as we come to a time of worship 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:09.140 and prayer and response, I really want to challenge 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:10.680 you today and I want to ask you, what do you 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:14.099 need to sacrifice? What personal comfort do you 00:28:14.099 --> 00:28:16.420 need to sacrifice in order to follow that example? 00:28:17.619 --> 00:28:19.480 That's what this is, guys. We don't come to church 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:23.390 to hear... a message and go that made me feel 00:28:23.390 --> 00:28:26.309 good or bad or challenged and then leave. It's 00:28:26.309 --> 00:28:29.410 meant to change us, not me. Jesus is meant to 00:28:29.410 --> 00:28:31.990 change you. Jesus is meant to change your heart. 00:28:32.009 --> 00:28:33.470 He's meant to change your posture. He's meant 00:28:33.470 --> 00:28:35.529 to change your mind. He's meant to change your 00:28:35.529 --> 00:28:39.529 actions. That is what we are pursuing as disciples 00:28:39.529 --> 00:28:43.470 under Jesus. We are not called to comfort. We 00:28:43.470 --> 00:28:46.130 are not called to an insular faith in which we 00:28:46.130 --> 00:28:48.730 grow and thrive whilst the world around us turns 00:28:48.730 --> 00:28:54.900 to dust. We're called to great acts of love. 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:58.740 We're called to sacrifice. We are called to a 00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:00.680 life that's fueled by and continues to point 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.279 back to the gospel and the saving grace of Jesus. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:08.460 Please hear me. I know I'm talking a lot of doing 00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:11.059 by all means and I'm begging you. This is like 00:29:11.059 --> 00:29:14.819 a yes and thing, right? By all means pursue strong 00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:21.029 theology. Read the books. Close your door and 00:29:21.029 --> 00:29:27.589 pray. Do the inner work. But don't let that fire 00:29:27.589 --> 00:29:30.230 stay with just you. You need to let it burn in 00:29:30.230 --> 00:29:36.029 a way that the world can see. My final prayer 00:29:36.029 --> 00:29:39.109 for you, encounter Henley, before I sign off 00:29:39.109 --> 00:29:45.130 on my final word as one of your pastors, is I 00:29:45.130 --> 00:29:47.730 want you to yearn to be a church that is known 00:29:47.730 --> 00:29:53.140 for how well you love. I want you to motivate 00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:55.160 each other to acts of great works and to great 00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:58.319 love. And I don't want you to be passive about 00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:03.200 it. I want you to fight for it. Love is worth 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:06.940 fighting for. The community around you is worth 00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:09.480 fighting for. The people on Henley Beach right 00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:11.420 now having their ice cream are worth fighting 00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:13.539 for. The people in your workplaces are worth 00:30:13.539 --> 00:30:16.779 fighting for. And let me be really clear, the 00:30:16.779 --> 00:30:20.259 people in this room are worth fighting for with 00:30:20.259 --> 00:30:28.970 acts of love. So as we finish and as we start 00:30:28.970 --> 00:30:30.789 to pray, I'm gonna be up the front, Jen, some 00:30:30.789 --> 00:30:32.289 of our past, some of our leaders, if you're the 00:30:32.289 --> 00:30:33.569 kind of person who likes to pray for people, 00:30:33.690 --> 00:30:37.670 come pray, man. And I want you to pray against 00:30:37.670 --> 00:30:42.809 the prioritization of comfort. Maybe for some 00:30:42.809 --> 00:30:47.069 of you, you need to pray against the prioritization 00:30:47.069 --> 00:30:52.410 of isolation or self. We need to pray to become 00:30:52.410 --> 00:30:57.309 a person of bold, selfless. and sacrificial love.