WEBVTT 00:00:00.769 --> 00:00:03.690 Teamwork makes the dream work. We've all seen 00:00:03.690 --> 00:00:07.849 it on the ball field maybe, in a workplace, in 00:00:07.849 --> 00:00:11.669 our families, in our jobs. When people work together, 00:00:11.849 --> 00:00:15.789 they can accomplish what no single person can 00:00:15.789 --> 00:00:19.969 do on their own. And Jesus built the church the 00:00:19.969 --> 00:00:24.140 same way. Not as a collection of lone believers, 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:27.100 but as a body, a group of people that are joined 00:00:27.100 --> 00:00:29.620 together, that have a purpose, that have something 00:00:29.620 --> 00:00:32.100 that they are called to do together. They're 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:33.960 serving together. They're worshiping together. 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:37.840 They're growing together. I want to tell you 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:41.320 a story. In 1980, the U .S. men's Olympic hockey 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:45.179 team was made up mostly of young amateurs and 00:00:45.179 --> 00:00:48.259 college players, and they faced this impossible 00:00:48.259 --> 00:00:52.609 challenge. Going up against the Soviet Union's 00:00:52.609 --> 00:00:55.409 team. Maybe you've seen this movie. The Soviet 00:00:55.409 --> 00:00:58.130 Union's team was widely considered the greatest 00:00:58.130 --> 00:01:00.850 hockey team in the world. And they had dominated 00:01:00.850 --> 00:01:02.969 all their opponents, the international hockey 00:01:02.969 --> 00:01:07.409 scene, for years. And nobody at all expected 00:01:07.409 --> 00:01:13.969 the U .S. team to win. This was an impossible 00:01:13.969 --> 00:01:18.170 feat. The Soviets were faster. They were more 00:01:18.170 --> 00:01:21.760 experienced. And they had won almost every championship 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:25.560 that they could win for decades. This was their 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:29.359 game. This was their sport. But here's what happened. 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:32.480 The American team, they didn't try to win by 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:35.719 getting one superstar. They didn't have one ace 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:38.200 player. They didn't have one great player that 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:39.760 would lead the way, that would carry them to 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:44.629 victory. Instead, they worked together. trusted 00:01:44.629 --> 00:01:47.489 each other they they had really good communication 00:01:47.489 --> 00:01:50.650 they played selflessly they were covering up 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:53.329 for each other's weaknesses and they combined 00:01:53.329 --> 00:01:58.090 their strengths and in the end the u .s team 00:01:58.090 --> 00:02:01.689 pulled off an unbelievable upset winning four 00:02:01.689 --> 00:02:07.390 to three it was called the miracle on ice this 00:02:07.390 --> 00:02:11.479 was a miracle This accomplishment came not because 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:14.439 one player scored all the goals, but because 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:18.460 an entire team united with one purpose achieved 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:22.759 what nobody expected. This victory wasn't about 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:26.520 talent. Talk about a lesson on church. I could 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:30.439 probably just leave it there. A team of imperfect 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:35.639 people working together who accomplished something 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:39.659 extraordinary. You may know this to be true, 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:41.639 and if you don't, I'm going to tell you, alone, 00:02:41.979 --> 00:02:44.979 we're limited. If I'm by myself, there's only 00:02:44.979 --> 00:02:52.280 so much I can do. But together, combined, united, 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:56.719 joined together, we are an unstoppable force 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.020 for the kingdom. I want us to read, we're going 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:02.500 to be in Acts chapter 2, verses 37 through 47. 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:04.560 We're going to read this together, and then we'll 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:09.090 pray as we try to have a habit of doing. Starting 00:03:09.090 --> 00:03:11.610 there in verse 37. Now when they heard this, 00:03:11.689 --> 00:03:14.110 they were cut to the heart. And they said to 00:03:14.110 --> 00:03:15.689 Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, 00:03:15.870 --> 00:03:18.889 what shall we do? And Peter said to them, Repent 00:03:18.889 --> 00:03:21.370 and be baptized, every one of you, in the name 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:24.030 of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:27.729 sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy 00:03:27.729 --> 00:03:31.770 Spirit. For the promise is for you, and for your 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:35.169 children, and for all who are far off, everyone 00:03:35.169 --> 00:03:38.979 whom the Lord our God calls himself. And with 00:03:38.979 --> 00:03:41.560 many other words, he bore witness, and he continued 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:44.199 to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:47.319 this crooked generation. So those who received 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:50.460 his word were baptized. And there were added 00:03:50.460 --> 00:03:54.419 that day about 3 ,000 souls, and they devoted 00:03:54.419 --> 00:03:57.280 themselves to the apostles' teaching and the 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.400 fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.960 prayers. And all came upon every soul, and many 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.879 wonders and signs were being done through the 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.039 apostles. and all who believed were together, 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:13.539 and they had all things in common. They were 00:04:13.539 --> 00:04:15.879 selling their possessions and belongings and 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:20.399 distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:24.079 And day by day, attending the temple together 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.759 and breaking bread in their homes, they received 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:31.279 their food with glad and generous hearts. Praising 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.160 God and having favor with all the people. And 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:38.660 the Lord added to their number day by day those 00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:43.959 who were being saved. Let's pray. Father, we 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:49.259 thank you for this family. This team that you've 00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:51.939 given us, that you have established through Christ 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:56.360 to help us to make it through this life. But 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:58.800 more than that, this team that you have given 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:03.540 us to help us to make it to home with you and 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:09.120 to bring many souls with us. God, I pray that 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:12.959 we realize just how important this team is. And 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:17.560 I pray that we live a life that shows the transformation, 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:21.560 not just of a group of individuals, but Father, 00:05:21.620 --> 00:05:26.149 of a body of believers. Father, help us to be 00:05:26.149 --> 00:05:30.050 that church that you established. And help us 00:05:30.050 --> 00:05:33.290 to win souls to you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:05:33.470 --> 00:05:38.129 Amen. So you have here in Acts, Peter is preaching 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:42.089 the first gospel sermon. And he is just really 00:05:42.089 --> 00:05:44.529 throwing it down. And he is giving this large 00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:47.829 crowd of people this amazing, bold sermon. And 00:05:47.829 --> 00:05:50.430 we see in this sermon where it says, they were 00:05:50.430 --> 00:05:53.829 cut to the heart. And then they ask, what should 00:05:53.829 --> 00:05:56.870 we do? So you talk about conviction. Peter's 00:05:56.870 --> 00:06:00.149 preaching led to conviction to follow Jesus, 00:06:00.350 --> 00:06:04.110 which we'll see will lead to unity, which will 00:06:04.110 --> 00:06:07.889 lead to teamwork. There in verses 41 through 00:06:07.889 --> 00:06:12.149 42, so those who received his word were baptized. 00:06:13.889 --> 00:06:17.089 And there were added that day about 3 ,000 souls. 00:06:17.589 --> 00:06:19.970 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' 00:06:20.230 --> 00:06:22.819 teaching. and the fellowship, to the breaking 00:06:22.819 --> 00:06:25.639 of bread, and the prayers, those new believers, 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:29.920 they immediately devoted themselves. That's a 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:34.300 key word. Devotion. They devoted themselves to 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:38.699 being taught, to fellowship, to eating together, 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.180 to praying together, to living life together. 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.720 That sounds like church to me. That sounds like 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:49.459 what I want, what I envision, what my mind says 00:06:49.459 --> 00:06:52.100 is the perfect model of church. It's living life 00:06:52.100 --> 00:06:55.980 together. It's being convicted by a message and 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:58.439 saying, I'm going to follow the one who makes 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:01.120 that message true. I'm going to be unified with 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:03.560 those who believe that message and we're going 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:06.560 to devote ourselves to living it out together. 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:10.699 See, this passage goes even further in this explanation 00:07:10.699 --> 00:07:13.379 of what church is. looked like for the first 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:17.000 Christians in verses 44 through 46. And all who 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.519 believed were together. They had all things in 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.699 common. They sold their possessions and they 00:07:23.699 --> 00:07:26.660 distributed the proceeds from these sellings 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:29.199 so that everybody could have what they needed. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:31.800 If somebody in the church was struggling to have 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.180 food for their family, the church took care of 00:07:34.180 --> 00:07:36.759 that. If somebody in the church was in need of 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:39.139 medical services and they couldn't afford it, 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:41.620 the church took care of that. If somebody needed 00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:43.939 a roof over their head, if they needed help getting 00:07:43.939 --> 00:07:46.879 from A to B, if they needed a job, the church 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:55.839 took care of that. As any had need. They stayed 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:01.439 together daily. They worshipped. They fellowshiped. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:05.220 They laughed. They cried. They prayed. They sang 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:09.060 together daily. See, being a part of the church 00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:13.000 was a daily, joy -filled, and simple experience. 00:08:14.569 --> 00:08:17.250 The church of Christ, just like the Christian 00:08:17.250 --> 00:08:19.889 church, comes out of the restoration movement. 00:08:19.970 --> 00:08:22.670 It's born out of this movement that was calling 00:08:22.670 --> 00:08:26.889 believers to just simply be like the first century 00:08:26.889 --> 00:08:30.209 church. We just want to be Christians. We just 00:08:30.209 --> 00:08:33.210 want to be disciples of Christ. And so when we 00:08:33.210 --> 00:08:36.370 say we want to restore Christianity, to be like 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:38.570 the first century church, to be like the church 00:08:38.570 --> 00:08:42.250 there in Acts 2, this is what we should mean. 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:46.139 If we're going to be the church that we were 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:49.379 designed to be, we have to go back to our roots 00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:53.419 of living lives that worship, that fellowship 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:57.299 together. Lives of generosity and hospitality 00:08:57.299 --> 00:09:00.700 for our brothers and our sisters. And if we do 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:05.639 that, I do believe we'll see lives change. We'll 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:10.600 accomplish the impossible. We will be that miracle 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:14.429 team. Just look at what happened to the first 00:09:14.429 --> 00:09:17.750 century church there in Acts 2, verse 47. The 00:09:17.750 --> 00:09:24.870 Lord added to their number day by day. Daily, 00:09:24.909 --> 00:09:31.769 those who were being saved. Daily. They were 00:09:31.769 --> 00:09:35.850 living life together and daily. Those that saw 00:09:35.850 --> 00:09:38.830 what they were doing, that saw the life that 00:09:38.830 --> 00:09:41.909 they had as a family, the people around them 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:45.070 saw this and they were convicted. They were attracted 00:09:45.070 --> 00:09:48.049 to this life. That's the new life that we're 00:09:48.049 --> 00:09:51.950 called to and the people saw that and they wanted 00:09:51.950 --> 00:09:58.409 in. And God made it happen. And I keep saying 00:09:58.409 --> 00:10:02.750 words like we, they. Together. Team. Because 00:10:02.750 --> 00:10:05.009 it matters. That is essential. It's crucial. 00:10:05.409 --> 00:10:08.289 Teamwork is an integral part of God's redemptive 00:10:08.289 --> 00:10:11.289 mission for His people. This is what God needs 00:10:11.289 --> 00:10:17.549 us to do. It's who God needs us to be. And I 00:10:17.549 --> 00:10:20.269 know the church isn't always easy to have this 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:23.509 kind of life together with. There's so many challenges 00:10:23.509 --> 00:10:26.629 that pop up. They present themselves. And so 00:10:26.629 --> 00:10:29.149 many things that cause us to not want to live 00:10:29.149 --> 00:10:34.769 life Oh, they're Christians. Or maybe He just 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:39.649 calls us to be complacent. Things like busyness, 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:46.649 disagreements, differences, conflicts. But if 00:10:46.649 --> 00:10:49.950 we're going to be successful, we have got to 00:10:49.950 --> 00:10:55.789 move past that. In the early 1970s, the T .C. 00:10:55.809 --> 00:10:57.909 Williams High School football team in Virginia, 00:10:58.029 --> 00:11:00.919 they faced a really big challenge. You probably 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:02.919 have no idea what that challenge was, do you? 00:11:03.299 --> 00:11:05.700 You've seen the movie, right? It's a great movie. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:08.980 This school was newly integrated. Tensions ran 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:11.139 high between the black and the white players 00:11:11.139 --> 00:11:14.220 who they were forced to play on the same team. 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:18.980 And at first, they didn't trust each other. Quite 00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:21.620 frankly, they didn't like each other. They had 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:26.279 no desire to be on the same team. There was division, 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.580 fear, hostility. But their coach, Herman Boone, 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:36.960 insisted that they unite as one team, that they 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:39.320 work together, that they trust each other, that 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:44.580 they focus on one common goal, winning. And through 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:47.279 hard work, tough conversations, and learning 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:50.399 to understand and rely on each other and to rely 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:53.059 on other people's strengths, this team transformed. 00:11:54.659 --> 00:11:59.159 And by the end of the season, They were undefeated 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.080 champions, and the world will forever remember 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:09.759 the Titans. See, this story helps us to see that 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.200 teamwork has to happen in order to accomplish 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.559 the extraordinary, whether that be... Just winning 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:20.240 souls to Jesus today or just helping each other 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.179 to carry on through life when it gets hard. No 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:26.460 matter what the task is at hand, if we will work 00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:29.279 together, if we'll be united regardless of our 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.879 differences, regardless of our challenges, regardless 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:34.460 of the things that crop up and pop up in our 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:38.700 lives, if we will work together and be united 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:42.559 for this cause. We will accomplish the extraordinary. 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.500 And here's how I know that. In John chapter 17, 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:49.460 Jesus pleads with God that his people would work 00:12:49.460 --> 00:12:53.419 together. Here's what he says. I do not ask for 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:55.659 these only, but also for those who will believe 00:12:55.659 --> 00:12:58.539 in me through their word, that they may all be 00:12:58.539 --> 00:13:02.539 one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:05.740 you, that they also may be in us, so that the 00:13:05.740 --> 00:13:09.879 world may believe that you have sent me. The 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:12.179 glory that you have given me I have given to 00:13:12.179 --> 00:13:16.019 them that they may be one even as we are one. 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:21.740 I in them and you in me. That they may become 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:27.799 perfectly one. So that the world may know that 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:32.460 you sent me and love them even as you loved me. 00:13:33.450 --> 00:13:35.029 Then I want you to listen to what the preacher 00:13:35.029 --> 00:13:38.570 in Ecclesiastes 4, 9 -12 says. Two are better 00:13:38.570 --> 00:13:41.470 than one because they have a good reward for 00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:45.509 their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up 00:13:45.509 --> 00:13:50.470 his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when 00:13:50.470 --> 00:13:53.149 he falls and has not another to lift him up. 00:13:53.470 --> 00:13:56.669 Again, if two lie together, they can keep warm. 00:13:57.450 --> 00:14:01.940 But how can one keep warm on his own? And though 00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:03.980 a man might prevail against one who is alone, 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:08.279 two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:13.620 quickly broken. On our own, we're susceptible 00:14:13.620 --> 00:14:18.799 to being overcome. It's pretty easy to fail by 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.399 yourself. You're open to being left cold, to 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.320 being left on the ground with nobody to help 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:32.220 you. On your own, you are, I am weak. In all 00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:40.179 reality, I am in line to be destroyed. The enemy 00:14:40.179 --> 00:14:44.120 is looking to destroy a bunch of individuals. 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:48.659 And the way he does that with the church is by 00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:52.379 splitting up the pack and looking for the weakest 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:57.600 one. Looking for the slowest one. And so if we 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.600 want to survive this life, and if we want to 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:03.220 help other people survive this life, then the 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:06.200 only thing I can think of that has to be the 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:08.679 answer, because Jesus said it, the wisest man 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:11.539 ever lived said it, all of the scripture points 00:15:11.539 --> 00:15:14.799 to this true fact that if we're going to do the 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:18.200 extraordinary, and that is live this life abundantly 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.159 and make it home with God, if we're going to 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:23.059 do the extraordinary, we've got to do it together. 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:27.399 Because you cannot do it alone. I cannot do it 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:33.220 alone. We have to get past our differences. We've 00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:35.379 got to give up all the things that distract us 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:39.200 and pull us away from being family, from being 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.259 church. We have to let those things go. We have 00:15:43.259 --> 00:15:46.019 to get past them. I want you to listen to what 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:49.840 Paul says in Philippians 2, verses 1 -4. So if 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:52.840 there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:56.100 from love, any participation in the Spirit, any 00:15:56.100 --> 00:15:59.519 affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:07.340 of the same mind. Having the same love. Being 00:16:07.340 --> 00:16:12.059 in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from 00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:16.029 selfish ambition or conceit. But in humility, 00:16:16.210 --> 00:16:20.049 count others more significant than yourselves. 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:24.629 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, 00:16:24.870 --> 00:16:29.649 but also to the interests of others. If we're 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.429 going to have encouragement, if we're going to 00:16:32.429 --> 00:16:34.629 have love and comfort, if we're going to live 00:16:34.629 --> 00:16:37.330 lives that have access to the Spirit, and all 00:16:37.330 --> 00:16:39.210 those things that Paul talks about, if we're 00:16:39.210 --> 00:16:42.070 going to have that life, we have to be of the 00:16:42.070 --> 00:16:45.909 same mind and the same love. That requires some 00:16:45.909 --> 00:16:49.009 humility. That requires considering others before 00:16:49.009 --> 00:16:51.669 ourselves. That requires me taking a step back 00:16:51.669 --> 00:16:53.990 and not thinking about what's best for Donovan, 00:16:54.090 --> 00:16:57.769 but what's best for the kingdom. What's best 00:16:57.769 --> 00:17:00.149 for my brother who's struggling. What's best 00:17:00.149 --> 00:17:02.850 for my sister that just can't wrap her mind around 00:17:02.850 --> 00:17:05.190 what's going on in her life. I have to think 00:17:05.190 --> 00:17:07.690 about you before I think about me in order for 00:17:07.690 --> 00:17:14.509 us to get to be with God together. And if we 00:17:14.509 --> 00:17:17.950 can achieve unity within our own body, if we 00:17:17.950 --> 00:17:20.730 can live life together, if we can be that Acts 00:17:20.730 --> 00:17:24.190 2 church, if we can be something so counter -cultural, 00:17:24.329 --> 00:17:28.789 if we can be what the church was designed to 00:17:28.789 --> 00:17:34.690 be, we can achieve success in this mission. The 00:17:34.690 --> 00:17:37.289 mission that we've been called to be a part of. 00:17:37.349 --> 00:17:43.099 We've been called to do this together. And so 00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:46.380 if you're asking, how do we do this? Well, the 00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:49.900 long term is to commit to being involved in the 00:17:49.900 --> 00:17:56.279 lives of those here. Those in this body. Commit 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:58.720 to living life together, to being the phone call 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.519 that somebody makes when they're struggling, 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.119 to being the text that somebody makes when they 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:05.779 need prayer, to being the person that I can turn 00:18:05.779 --> 00:18:08.619 to, that they can turn to when they need a shoulder 00:18:08.619 --> 00:18:12.779 to lean on. To being family that cheers on successes 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:17.579 and grieves loss together. Commit to being engaged. 00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:20.400 It's more than that though. It's being together 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:23.460 when we study. When we look at Scripture and 00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:26.099 we try to figure out what God is calling us to. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:29.500 It's being together when we gather to pray. It's 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:32.720 being together when we gather to worship. It's 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.299 finding ways to serve those around you. Those 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:39.150 here and even those outside. And then I've got 00:18:39.150 --> 00:18:40.809 a little bit of homework for you for this week. 00:18:40.910 --> 00:18:44.710 I want you to find somebody that you don't normally 00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:47.069 gather with, that you don't normally fellowship 00:18:47.069 --> 00:18:50.349 with. Maybe it's somebody that is new to the 00:18:50.349 --> 00:18:52.490 church. Maybe it's a visitor. Maybe it's somebody 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:54.369 that you've been going to church with here for 00:18:54.369 --> 00:18:56.450 40 years, but y 'all just never had a meal together. 00:18:56.750 --> 00:19:00.869 Find someone, a family, an individual, a couple, 00:19:00.950 --> 00:19:06.950 and meet with them for a meal. Break bread together. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:11.720 Whether that be breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack. 00:19:12.339 --> 00:19:14.819 Whatever it be, break bread with somebody that 00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:17.400 you don't normally do that this week. It could 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:19.579 be in your home. It could be at a restaurant. 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:21.859 It could be at a picnic table at Meeks Park. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:25.140 I don't care. Just get with somebody that you 00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:29.319 don't normally fellowship with. And get to know 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:38.460 them. Be church with them. In that challenge, 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:42.359 I want you to not just talk about the ball game 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:45.819 and not just talk about the music you like. I 00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:49.059 want you to talk about life. Ask them their story. 00:19:49.299 --> 00:19:52.059 Ask them how they came to know Christ. Talk about 00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:54.740 their family and what they need prayer for and 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:58.299 then pray with them. Because that's what we see 00:19:58.299 --> 00:20:01.880 happening in Acts chapter 2. And if we really 00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:04.279 are the church that Christ established in the 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:06.400 New Testament, then that's what we've got to 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.519 be doing. And we've got to do that all the time. 00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:14.740 Too often the world sees a bunch of people that 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:18.059 dress up and go to a brick building on a Sunday 00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:20.680 morning, and they gather and they sing a bunch 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:25.420 of songs, but they live disconnected lives. They 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:27.819 just kind of do their own thing Monday through 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:31.180 Saturday. But they gather on Sunday morning. 00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:34.240 And they sing these songs together and they sit 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.759 and listen to some guy talk for 30 minutes. And 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:39.920 they do this together, but every other day of 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:43.119 the week they're on their own. And to the world, 00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:45.099 what that looks like is a bunch of people wasting 00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:48.299 an hour and a half on a Sunday morning. To the 00:20:48.299 --> 00:20:50.160 world, what that looks like is a bunch of people 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:52.759 giving up the extra sleep they could have gotten. 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:56.220 To them, that looks like people wasting time 00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:59.160 and resources on an hour and a half or two hours 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:01.339 a week for something that doesn't even change 00:21:01.339 --> 00:21:04.180 their lives. But what we see in Acts chapter 00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:07.259 2 is a completely different picture. And here's 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:10.500 what it says. And day by day, attending the temple 00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:12.839 together. So that's not just on Sundays. That's 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:15.339 daily. Attending the temple together and breaking 00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:17.859 bread in their homes. They receive their food 00:21:17.859 --> 00:21:22.549 with glad and generous. That's people that enjoy 00:21:22.549 --> 00:21:26.630 being together. It was a party to be a part of 00:21:26.630 --> 00:21:32.309 the church. It was life -giving. They praised 00:21:32.309 --> 00:21:36.710 God together. And in this, they had favor with 00:21:36.710 --> 00:21:40.750 all the people. And the Lord added to their number 00:21:40.750 --> 00:21:44.289 day by day those who were being saved. I'm reading 00:21:44.289 --> 00:21:47.650 this book right now, and it's talking about restoring 00:21:47.650 --> 00:21:52.500 the church to the... the Acts 2 church. And there's 00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:54.779 a guy, and I wasn't going to share it, but I 00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:57.480 want to because, man, this was a great story. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:00.660 There's a guy named Frank, and Frank was a new 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:04.460 believer. And Frank, the church was reading the 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:07.019 book of Acts together. And so Frank reads through 00:22:07.019 --> 00:22:09.500 Acts as a very new Christian with no background 00:22:09.500 --> 00:22:12.740 in church tradition and in all the church language. 00:22:14.130 --> 00:22:16.730 Frank referencing after reading Acts chapter 00:22:16.730 --> 00:22:19.109 2, he's talking to the preacher of the church. 00:22:19.630 --> 00:22:22.710 And his name is David. He asked David, when do 00:22:22.710 --> 00:22:27.049 we get to the good stuff? And David felt that 00:22:27.049 --> 00:22:30.829 he knew what Frank was asking him. He wasn't... 00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.400 Completely sure, but he had a good idea of what 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:36.019 he was asking them. So David, he answers and 00:22:36.019 --> 00:22:38.519 he says he doesn't fully remember what he said 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:41.460 except maybe saying something about how the power 00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:43.779 of the Acts 2 church died out with the apostolic 00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:48.460 age. And here was Frank's disappointed response. 00:22:50.059 --> 00:22:54.440 I'm not asking for new apostles. I'm asking for 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:58.279 the kind of devotion I see in this book. I'm 00:22:58.279 --> 00:23:01.839 asking about awe. I'm asking about people so 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:04.319 passionate about a movement that they would sell 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:07.000 all that they have to be a part of it. I'm wondering 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:10.400 why we don't have baptisms anymore. Or why we 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:14.180 don't talk about God doing big things in our 00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:19.039 church. I'm not asking for apostles. I'm asking 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:23.119 for a church filled with passion, with power, 00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:27.839 and with boldness. I'm asking why we aren't a 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:33.579 church that wants to change the world. I'm asking 00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:36.900 when are we going to start being the Acts 2 church? 00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:48.779 Daily, they lived life together. And daily, they 00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:53.519 saw lives changed. When are we going to start 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.079 doing that? When are the Christians in North 00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:59.319 Georgia, when are the Christians in America going 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:02.079 to start remembering that we were called to a 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:05.259 radical movement that was more than just gatherings. 00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:08.640 It was life together and life transformation. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:11.279 When are we going to remember that we were called 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:13.960 to something far greater than just singing pretty 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:17.059 songs and listening to people talk. We were called 00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:22.799 to changing the world. And I don't know about 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.339 you, but that's convicting me. I don't want to 00:24:26.339 --> 00:24:28.920 stand up here and talk. That's not what this 00:24:28.920 --> 00:24:33.039 is about. This is about going out there. Living 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:36.779 life together out there. Changing lives together 00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:42.579 out there. And ultimately changing the world. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.839 And it requires us being together as a team. 00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:52.259 Being together is not only essential because 00:24:52.259 --> 00:24:55.069 of what it does to us. It is essential because 00:24:55.069 --> 00:24:59.369 of what it will do to the world. You see, we 00:24:59.369 --> 00:25:03.630 remember the miracle on ice. And we will forever 00:25:03.630 --> 00:25:07.910 remember the Titans. And we can think of a million 00:25:07.910 --> 00:25:12.730 stories of teams and armies and groups and companies 00:25:12.730 --> 00:25:15.069 that they banded together so that they could 00:25:15.069 --> 00:25:20.690 achieve the seemingly impossible. And I'm asking 00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:23.509 you, what is the world going to remember? about 00:25:23.509 --> 00:25:26.670 the Blairsville Church of Christ. Scratch that. 00:25:26.769 --> 00:25:29.109 What is the world going to remember about the 00:25:29.109 --> 00:25:37.910 church that Christ bought? We were called to 00:25:37.910 --> 00:25:42.269 prepare the world for the return of Christ. That's 00:25:42.269 --> 00:25:44.750 what we've been called to do. We've been called 00:25:44.750 --> 00:25:49.390 to do that together. And it's not an individual 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:52.930 burden to bear. That is a team. responsibility. 00:25:54.710 --> 00:25:58.009 It's a shared mission. See, Jesus established 00:25:58.009 --> 00:26:02.589 the church as a team for the dream of His kingdom 00:26:02.589 --> 00:26:09.650 becoming reality. The kingdom here, now, to prepare 00:26:09.650 --> 00:26:13.809 the way for the kingdom come. If you've been 00:26:13.809 --> 00:26:16.119 disconnected from the body, If you feel like 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:17.640 you haven't been a part of the team, like you 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:20.460 haven't been sharing the load of the team, or 00:26:20.460 --> 00:26:22.619 maybe you just feel like the team hasn't invited 00:26:22.619 --> 00:26:27.619 you into the mission. Or maybe you've never been 00:26:27.619 --> 00:26:31.079 a part of the team, and you want in on this task, 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:34.579 on this revolution. Whatever it is that you're 00:26:34.579 --> 00:26:36.539 dealing with today, if it's just need for prayer, 00:26:36.619 --> 00:26:39.200 if it's need for salvation, we offer you an invitation 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:41.119 to join us as we stand and as we sing.