WEBVTT 00:00:08.810 --> 00:00:12.289 Well, I think an amen is due after the singing 00:00:12.289 --> 00:00:14.429 of the choir and the hymn that we've just sung, 00:00:14.529 --> 00:00:18.370 for we've spent this time in prayer, our thoughts 00:00:18.370 --> 00:00:22.210 and hearts being directed to the Lord. Would 00:00:22.210 --> 00:00:25.629 you now open your Bible, please, to 1 Corinthians 00:00:25.629 --> 00:00:28.250 chapter 3, to the verse that we've been using 00:00:28.250 --> 00:00:31.949 as a starting point, a touchstone, through these 00:00:31.949 --> 00:00:34.210 four weeks of January, as we've thought about 00:00:34.210 --> 00:00:37.939 our church in the 90s. I'm looking especially 00:00:37.939 --> 00:00:40.340 at verse 10 that says, according to the grace 00:00:40.340 --> 00:00:44.520 of God which was given to me, as a wise master 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:48.979 builder I laid a foundation. Another is building 00:00:48.979 --> 00:00:52.380 upon it, but let each man be careful how he builds 00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:56.899 upon it. One of the noted characteristics of 00:00:56.899 --> 00:01:01.119 our culture as we enter the 90s is an increasing 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:05.640 tendency toward individualism. I believe that 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:08.659 this is an indication of societal degeneration. 00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:13.159 An example of that is in the way that we view 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:18.000 liberties or rights as a people. Traditionally 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.700 and historically, our liberties were viewed in 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:24.560 reference to the good of the whole of society. 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:29.359 But in the last 25 years or so, the liberties 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:34.299 or the rights that people talk about are merely 00:01:34.299 --> 00:01:38.659 personal rights without any respect to the welfare 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:44.780 of society or of others. This same tendency toward 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:48.659 privatization is seen in the Church of Jesus 00:01:48.659 --> 00:01:52.780 Christ. We are a private people. We tend to have 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:56.540 difficulty relating to others, whether in small 00:01:56.540 --> 00:02:01.939 groups or large. We talk about personal salvation. 00:02:02.409 --> 00:02:05.829 And of course we should, because salvation is 00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:11.710 personal. One is saved as a person. But on the 00:02:11.710 --> 00:02:14.370 other hand, we are called of Jesus Christ to 00:02:14.370 --> 00:02:19.310 be the people of God, not the persons of God. 00:02:21.409 --> 00:02:24.930 Schaefer put it this way, salvation is individual, 00:02:25.090 --> 00:02:29.539 but not individualistic. People cannot become 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:33.580 Christians except one at a time and yet our salvation 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:38.960 is not solitary. God's people are called together 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:44.120 in community. I believe that to the extent that 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:48.580 we allow ourselves to withdraw from others and 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:54.080 practice our faith unto ourselves as individuals 00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:03.360 alone. We are worldly. We need to recover the 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:07.259 sense of corporate identity that God wants us 00:03:07.259 --> 00:03:11.280 to have as his people. God has called us to be 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.659 a part of something that is far bigger than we 00:03:14.659 --> 00:03:18.759 ourselves alone. Let me suggest this morning 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:22.560 four aspects to the church that God has called 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:27.780 you to be a part of and to share in. In the first 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:32.780 place, there is the cosmic church. You are identified 00:03:32.780 --> 00:03:36.580 with all believers from the first century, the 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:39.939 day of Pentecost, until the present. That is 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:43.979 the cosmic aspect of the church. And then there 00:03:43.979 --> 00:03:47.580 is the global church, for you are in the same 00:03:47.580 --> 00:03:51.479 body with Christians in every culture and every 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:56.270 nation in the world right now at this time. the 00:03:56.270 --> 00:04:00.090 global church. And then there is the regional 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:04.469 church. For you and I are one with other believers 00:04:04.469 --> 00:04:09.449 in this region. Let's say for illustration sake, 00:04:09.590 --> 00:04:12.870 the Twin Cities region. However you may define 00:04:12.870 --> 00:04:17.029 that. We who believe in Jesus Christ in this 00:04:17.029 --> 00:04:22.310 region are a body of people. And then fourthly, 00:04:22.350 --> 00:04:26.060 there is the local church. For you and I are 00:04:26.060 --> 00:04:29.699 joined in heart and purpose with others with 00:04:29.699 --> 00:04:32.639 whom we regularly meet for fellowship and worship. 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:36.000 It is the local aspect of the Church that is 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:38.959 the emphasis in the New Testament, though the 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:43.019 others are also clearly seen. It's hard for us 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:46.040 to identify with the cosmic reality of the Church, 00:04:46.819 --> 00:04:48.839 to think of being one with those who've already 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:51.579 died, who lived generations or centuries ago. 00:04:52.469 --> 00:04:55.189 It's somewhat easier, at least in our day of 00:04:55.189 --> 00:04:57.550 fast communication and transportation, to think 00:04:57.550 --> 00:05:01.050 of the global church and how we relate to others 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:03.970 in other parts of the world. It's still easier 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:06.730 to think of the regional church, but perhaps 00:05:06.730 --> 00:05:11.149 the most important, the most real aspect of the 00:05:11.149 --> 00:05:15.810 church to us and to any people is the local church. 00:05:17.410 --> 00:05:20.509 It is in the local church that God has called 00:05:20.509 --> 00:05:26.230 us primarily. to invest our energy, our time, 00:05:26.750 --> 00:05:32.170 our money, our gifts. And God has designed us, 00:05:32.449 --> 00:05:36.810 each of us, to make a contribution to the good 00:05:36.810 --> 00:05:41.709 of the whole local church. There are no exceptions 00:05:41.709 --> 00:05:48.490 to that. Dr. R .G. Lee, who was for decades one 00:05:48.490 --> 00:05:51.189 of the greatest preachers of America. A pastor 00:05:51.189 --> 00:05:55.689 at a great church in Memphis, Tennessee, related 00:05:55.689 --> 00:06:01.769 a story during his ministry regarding tools in 00:06:01.769 --> 00:06:05.610 a tool room of a master carpenter. Late at night, 00:06:05.730 --> 00:06:08.269 the tools were wrangling and quarreling among 00:06:08.269 --> 00:06:12.790 themselves, says Dr. Lee. Brother Hammer had 00:06:12.790 --> 00:06:15.629 the floor, but the other tools were shouting 00:06:15.629 --> 00:06:18.350 for him to leave because he was so noisy. Worse, 00:06:18.569 --> 00:06:21.810 they said. If he wasn't banging around, he was 00:06:21.810 --> 00:06:25.110 always clawing at things. Well, if I am to leave 00:06:25.110 --> 00:06:27.389 the carpenter's shop, then Brother Punch must 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:30.990 leave too. He's so insignificant that when he 00:06:30.990 --> 00:06:33.810 has finished his work, he seems to have made 00:06:33.810 --> 00:06:37.790 no impression at all. Well, Brother Punch saw 00:06:37.790 --> 00:06:41.750 the point and said, If you wish I go, I will 00:06:41.750 --> 00:06:45.110 do so, but Brother Screw must go with me. You 00:06:45.110 --> 00:06:47.790 have to turn him around and around again and 00:06:47.790 --> 00:06:51.110 again to get him into anything." Brother Screw 00:06:51.110 --> 00:06:53.709 said, well, turn me out if you wish and I'll 00:06:53.709 --> 00:06:57.629 go, but Brother Plane has to leave also. He seems 00:06:57.629 --> 00:06:59.850 to be doing a lot of work around here, but it's 00:06:59.850 --> 00:07:03.290 all superficial, surface work with no depth to 00:07:03.290 --> 00:07:10.629 it at all. Brother Plane responded thinly, I'll 00:07:10.629 --> 00:07:13.949 glide out if you wish. but Brother Ruhl must 00:07:13.949 --> 00:07:16.709 get out too. He's always laying down on the job 00:07:16.709 --> 00:07:21.350 and measuring others by his own standards. Brother 00:07:21.350 --> 00:07:25.370 Ruhl said he'd not get out of line, but he added, 00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:28.769 if I go, then Brother Sandpaper must go with 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:30.970 me because he's always rubbing things the wrong 00:07:30.970 --> 00:07:34.149 way, never leaves things as they are, but always 00:07:34.149 --> 00:07:38.089 tries to smooth things over. Well, Sandpaper 00:07:38.089 --> 00:07:42.699 said, if I go, I'll go, but Brother Rasp goes 00:07:42.699 --> 00:07:47.100 too, since he likes to trim edges and cut corners." 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:50.040 Brother Rasp laughed, saying, if we both go, 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:52.839 then Brother Saw must go, since he works against 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:56.519 the grain most of the time. Brother Saw didn't 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.819 see it that way. He said, it's all Brother Nail's 00:07:59.819 --> 00:08:03.160 fault. He drives himself into things sharply 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:06.620 and has a piercing way about himself. Brother 00:08:06.620 --> 00:08:11.060 Nail was bent out of shape over that cut. Soon 00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:13.680 the tools had wrangled away the night, and the 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.819 master carpenter arrived for his day work. He 00:08:16.819 --> 00:08:19.339 put on an apron and went to the bench and regarded 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:22.439 his plan. He had a pulpit he wished to make that 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.220 would last through the ages of the world and 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:27.319 would be used to proclaim the message of his 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:30.579 love and grace to men. He took the rule and measured 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:32.840 some boards, and then he used the saw to cut 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:35.539 them to length. He reached for the plane and 00:08:35.539 --> 00:08:38.259 the rasp to trim them properly. He used the hammer, 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:41.149 the screw, and the punch. He finished his pulpit 00:08:41.149 --> 00:08:45.129 by smoothing it with sandpaper. By day's end, 00:08:45.210 --> 00:08:47.230 the master carpenter completed his pulpit, and 00:08:47.230 --> 00:08:50.090 it was perfect. After he had gone, the tools 00:08:50.090 --> 00:08:53.190 were silent. They had discovered that the master 00:08:53.190 --> 00:08:55.789 carpenter had a work for each of them to perform, 00:08:56.230 --> 00:08:58.870 and that when each of them worked together with 00:08:58.870 --> 00:09:02.710 the others, the work was accomplished. The master 00:09:02.710 --> 00:09:06.370 carpenter's will was done, and the work was perfect 00:09:06.370 --> 00:09:10.000 because each tool submitted itself to that which 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:14.720 it was brought into existence to do. I think 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.000 from that parable you can see the point, can't 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.960 you? In all of our diversity and differences, 00:09:22.019 --> 00:09:25.299 God has called us together to build a local church, 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:29.519 a pulpit if you please, to proclaim the grace 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:34.000 and the glory of God. He has called us together 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.620 to build a local church that is consistent with 00:09:36.620 --> 00:09:41.139 His Word. using principles that are effective 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:44.200 and God -honoring. But what kind of a church 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:47.759 is that? What are those principles? And what 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.279 will our church look like in the 90s if we use 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:55.059 them? Well, we've talked about seven of them 00:09:55.059 --> 00:09:57.240 thus far this month, and I want to close out 00:09:57.240 --> 00:09:59.639 this series this morning by pointing out an eighth. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.360 I believe that God would have us to be in the 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.929 90s a church where everyone feels a sense of 00:10:07.929 --> 00:10:11.909 ownership and commitment to the mission that 00:10:11.909 --> 00:10:16.889 God has given us. Now a mission is a specific 00:10:16.889 --> 00:10:21.049 assignment that God gives to us. It is a task 00:10:21.049 --> 00:10:24.809 He wants us to fulfill. It is our reason for 00:10:24.809 --> 00:10:29.990 being called into existence. On our worship folder 00:10:29.990 --> 00:10:32.669 we have printed for you a mission. You may want 00:10:32.669 --> 00:10:35.700 just to take a look at that. It's there every 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:38.779 Sunday. In fact, it's there so much that maybe 00:10:38.779 --> 00:10:42.820 we've forgotten it's there. But on the back of 00:10:42.820 --> 00:10:46.399 the, not the worship folder, but the newsletter, 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:51.600 you find at the bottom a listing of the staff, 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:54.659 but just above that it says, Grace Church Roseville 00:10:54.659 --> 00:11:00.240 is a community of believers. We're not individuals 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:04.230 only. We are a community of believers. whose 00:11:04.230 --> 00:11:07.990 purpose is worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:11:08.409 --> 00:11:11.590 evangelizing the lost, and edifying its members 00:11:11.590 --> 00:11:15.309 through teaching the Word, service, and fellowship. 00:11:16.809 --> 00:11:19.309 We believe that that statement gives the broad 00:11:19.309 --> 00:11:24.250 sense of purpose for us as a congregation. I'd 00:11:24.250 --> 00:11:26.429 like to compare that statement this morning to 00:11:26.429 --> 00:11:30.710 an arrow, at least to the shaft of the arrow. 00:11:31.430 --> 00:11:34.769 the shaft that must be straight and well formed 00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:39.389 in order for that arrow to hit its mark. But 00:11:39.389 --> 00:11:42.049 there is another part to an arrow besides the 00:11:42.049 --> 00:11:46.450 shaft, and that is the point. It is the head 00:11:46.450 --> 00:11:51.429 of the arrow. It is the tip that is sharp, so 00:11:51.429 --> 00:11:54.789 that when the shaft is let go by the bow, it 00:11:54.789 --> 00:11:58.970 flies straight and punches the target and sinks 00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:03.149 in. because it has that sharpened edge on the 00:12:03.149 --> 00:12:05.690 front of it that we call the head or the tip 00:12:05.690 --> 00:12:10.769 of the arrow. If this is in fact, this statement 00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:16.250 is in fact our shaft, what is the point, what 00:12:16.250 --> 00:12:20.250 is the tip that will cause our arrow to sink 00:12:20.250 --> 00:12:25.409 in and strike home at the target? I'd like to 00:12:25.409 --> 00:12:28.149 suggest to you that our more specific mission 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:32.600 That sharpened head of the arrow can be described 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:36.679 in terms of the cultural keys that we have talked 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:40.799 about now for a number of months. Some time ago 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.480 I drew up a statement regarding cultural keys, 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:46.759 trying to explain the need for them and to define 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:48.659 them. I'd like just to read a couple of sentences 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:52.379 from this for you. Many of you have seen this, 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.120 some of you have it in your hands and materials 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:58.970 given to you in your leadership positions. But 00:12:58.970 --> 00:13:02.210 here is what cultural keys is all about. We live 00:13:02.210 --> 00:13:05.149 in a time when traditional methods of evangelizing 00:13:05.149 --> 00:13:08.610 are of questionable effectiveness. People in 00:13:08.610 --> 00:13:11.830 our generation are generally distrustful of institutions 00:13:11.830 --> 00:13:15.590 and that includes the religion and the church. 00:13:16.450 --> 00:13:19.789 Many have low tolerance for verbal witness that 00:13:19.789 --> 00:13:22.870 is not undergirded with this demonstrable faith. 00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:26.970 They want to see religious conviction and profession 00:13:26.970 --> 00:13:31.009 fleshed out. and practical, meaningful ways. 00:13:31.409 --> 00:13:33.769 Such give credibility in their thinking to the 00:13:33.769 --> 00:13:38.690 witness of the gospel message proclaimed. Cultural 00:13:38.690 --> 00:13:44.710 keys are those means by which believers can gain 00:13:44.710 --> 00:13:48.090 the privilege of presenting the living Christ 00:13:48.090 --> 00:13:53.009 to the lost. They create the possibility of relationships 00:13:53.009 --> 00:13:56.909 that allow the unconverted to see and feel the 00:13:56.909 --> 00:14:00.549 reality of God's love so that they can hear and 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:04.149 believe the truth of his love. These keys especially 00:14:04.149 --> 00:14:08.730 focus on felt needs. Our challenge is to uncover 00:14:08.730 --> 00:14:12.169 the needs of people that can be addressed by 00:14:12.169 --> 00:14:16.429 our God -given resources and develop means or 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:20.620 keys. that can be employed by the people of Grace 00:14:20.620 --> 00:14:24.279 Church, Roseville to unlock the hearts of secular 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:27.799 people. Once the heart is opened, the gospel 00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:33.159 can be effectively communicated. The other evening, 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:38.419 I went down to see the Timberwolves play. They 00:14:38.419 --> 00:14:40.399 may not have a winning season this year, but 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:44.200 they're sure fun to watch. But in between some 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.370 of the action, I was looking around at the crowd 00:14:47.370 --> 00:14:52.669 that was there, almost 25 ,000 people. And it 00:14:52.669 --> 00:14:56.889 struck me as I looked at them, big and short 00:14:56.889 --> 00:15:01.330 and tall and large and beautiful and not so, 00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:04.289 and quite a variety. And as I looked at them, 00:15:04.389 --> 00:15:08.669 I thought, you know, here are the sons and the 00:15:08.669 --> 00:15:15.240 daughters of Adam. And their lives are wrapped 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:20.039 up in so many different things. And the development 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:24.500 of our culture has shut the door to their lives. 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:28.259 And again, I thought to myself, what are the 00:15:28.259 --> 00:15:35.240 keys that will allow us to open the door to their 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:39.600 lives? So that we can gain entrance and have 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:43.120 a credible meaningful witness to them for Jesus 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:48.519 Christ. I believe that God wants that to be the 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:54.440 mission, the more specific tip of the arrow for 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:58.659 Grace Church Roosevelt. There are other churches 00:15:58.659 --> 00:16:02.159 who are doing similar things. They may use different 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:04.720 kinds of language to describe it. I would like 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:09.360 for us to think in terms of cultural keys. In 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.200 fact, I was thinking last night, maybe it would 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:15.519 be good for us to have a display somewhere, talking 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:19.940 about keys, and then listing there the various 00:16:19.940 --> 00:16:24.360 cultural keys that God leads us in the church 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:28.159 to develop. As we said last week, those keys 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.899 are going to be developed as a result of personal 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:34.220 vision of people in the church. It's not a matter 00:16:34.220 --> 00:16:37.950 of the church starting a ministry. It's a matter 00:16:37.950 --> 00:16:41.990 of you and me feeling released to do that ourselves 00:16:41.990 --> 00:16:48.950 by God's blessing and guidance. To say, I have 00:16:48.950 --> 00:16:52.350 a burden for this group or for this need or I'd 00:16:52.350 --> 00:16:56.809 like to see this happen. And then begin to pray 00:16:56.809 --> 00:17:01.629 and say, God, how could this need be met? How 00:17:01.629 --> 00:17:05.980 could this happen? And ask God to send us some 00:17:05.980 --> 00:17:09.000 co -laborers, perhaps another person or a group 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:13.039 of people or a flock. And we could together labor 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:19.079 on that specific cultural key. There are some 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:21.380 of you that are already using a cultural key 00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:24.940 of your home. And you're starting Bible studies. 00:17:24.980 --> 00:17:28.619 You've had Bible studies in your home. Evangelistic 00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:30.539 studies, or perhaps some of you have had the 00:17:30.539 --> 00:17:34.019 video tape series on family and you've used that 00:17:34.019 --> 00:17:37.079 to invite neighbors in, to begin building a bridge, 00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:42.019 opening the door to their lives. I believe that 00:17:42.019 --> 00:17:44.079 that is the mission that God wants us to have. 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:48.440 It's proclaiming Christ to our generation and 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:53.359 finding by the Holy Spirit those forms of ministry 00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:01.490 that unlock the cultural doors I believe if we're 00:18:01.490 --> 00:18:03.549 going to be the church God wants us to be in 00:18:03.549 --> 00:18:06.230 the 90s, we must be a church where everyone feels 00:18:06.230 --> 00:18:11.470 ownership in that. Where together we are committed 00:18:11.470 --> 00:18:16.069 to that mission. What do I mean by ownership? 00:18:16.250 --> 00:18:21.750 What do I mean by commitment? Using those terms, 00:18:21.930 --> 00:18:27.240 I'm saying that my attitude reflects this. This 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.740 is something I buy into and I will therefore 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:37.200 give myself to it. We as a church will be what 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.579 God wants us to be in this decade to the extent 00:18:40.579 --> 00:18:49.000 that I and you and you and you and you buy into 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:54.450 this mission. and say if that's what God wants 00:18:54.450 --> 00:18:59.450 us as a corporate body together to do, then that's 00:18:59.450 --> 00:19:04.690 my mission too. And we commit ourselves to it. 00:19:07.009 --> 00:19:09.509 We've been primarily looking at Paul's epistles 00:19:09.509 --> 00:19:13.190 to the Corinthians as we've talked about this 00:19:13.190 --> 00:19:18.349 theme. I believe in Corinthians the Apostle Paul 00:19:18.349 --> 00:19:22.700 describes to us in meaningful terms, what commitment 00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:28.200 is. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:34.440 look at his language beginning in verse 19. Let's 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.740 ask the Apostle Paul, Paul, what is commitment? 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:42.039 What does that mean to you? How should that be 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:47.640 seen in my life, Paul? In verse 19, 1 Corinthians 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:51.549 9, Paul says, For though I am free from all men, 00:19:51.690 --> 00:19:55.589 I have made myself a slave to all, that I might 00:19:55.589 --> 00:19:59.329 win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, 00:19:59.349 --> 00:20:02.069 that I might win Jews. To those who are under 00:20:02.069 --> 00:20:05.130 the law as under the law, though not being myself 00:20:05.130 --> 00:20:08.029 under the law, that I might win those who are 00:20:08.029 --> 00:20:12.029 under the law. To those who are without law as 00:20:12.029 --> 00:20:15.170 without law, though not being without the law 00:20:15.170 --> 00:20:19.430 of God, but under the law of Christ. that I may 00:20:19.430 --> 00:20:22.650 win those who are without law. To the weak I 00:20:22.650 --> 00:20:26.130 became weak, that I might win the weak. I have 00:20:26.130 --> 00:20:30.250 become all things to all men, that I may by all 00:20:30.250 --> 00:20:33.130 means save some, and I do all things for the 00:20:33.130 --> 00:20:36.410 sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow 00:20:36.410 --> 00:20:40.130 partaker of it." The Apostle Paul is saying to 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:43.750 us here essentially that commitment means establishing 00:20:43.750 --> 00:20:49.230 priorities. Establishing priorities reflecting 00:20:49.230 --> 00:20:55.490 Christ's lordship. Paul says, my priorities are 00:20:55.490 --> 00:20:58.990 to be all things to all men. That means to those 00:20:58.990 --> 00:21:01.569 who are slaves, I become as a slave. To those 00:21:01.569 --> 00:21:03.089 who are under the law, I become as under the 00:21:03.089 --> 00:21:05.029 law. To those who are free, I become as one who 00:21:05.029 --> 00:21:11.329 is free. He says, I am under the law of Christ. 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:15.420 In other words, he is saying the lordship of 00:21:15.420 --> 00:21:18.880 Jesus Christ causes me to establish priorities 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:23.000 in my life, and I live by those. He explains 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:25.539 this further as he goes on. He talks about the 00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:29.740 importance of discipline. He warns us to avoid 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:33.980 the self -indulgence of the age, the first part 00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:39.519 of chapter 10. He tells us to flee from idolatry, 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:43.079 whether that idolatry be a physical idol or it 00:21:43.079 --> 00:21:45.380 be something else in the heart that takes the 00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:49.079 place of Christ's lordship. Then he concludes 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:53.960 chapter 10 and verse 31 by saying, whether then 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:57.980 you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to 00:21:57.980 --> 00:22:02.599 the glory of God. Give no offense either to the 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:05.099 Jews or to the Greeks or to the Church of God, 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:08.859 just as I also please all men in all things, 00:22:08.900 --> 00:22:11.660 not seeking my own profit, but the profit of 00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:15.859 the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators 00:22:15.859 --> 00:22:21.660 of me, just as I also am of Christ." The Lord 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:24.680 Jesus Christ was a man who lived by priorities. 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:33.160 His number one priority was the cross. And he 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:37.759 set his face as a flint with determination and 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:41.220 courage and moved toward that cross, letting 00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:45.579 nothing lead him off the track. He had other 00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:49.460 priorities, the priority of the Twelve, and among 00:22:49.460 --> 00:22:53.640 the Twelve, the three who were closest to him. 00:22:54.829 --> 00:22:58.170 He had the priority of going after those who 00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:02.230 sensed their need and turning away from those 00:23:02.230 --> 00:23:05.329 who were self -righteous and self -satisfied. 00:23:06.849 --> 00:23:09.049 Jesus was a man who lived by priorities, and 00:23:09.049 --> 00:23:11.369 I want to say to you that I believe commitment 00:23:11.369 --> 00:23:15.710 to the mission means first of all I need to struggle 00:23:15.710 --> 00:23:19.089 with priorities in my life, priorities that reflect 00:23:19.089 --> 00:23:23.559 the lordship of Jesus Christ. Where I say I may 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:29.460 be free in Christ, but I am under law to Christ. 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:35.940 What kind of priorities? Well, it's impossible 00:23:35.940 --> 00:23:39.660 to describe all of those because priorities deal 00:23:39.660 --> 00:23:42.839 with every area of life. I need to think about 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.480 priorities when it comes to my essential needs 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:48.799 as a Christian. We've talked about three of those 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:52.480 these weeks. Worship, relationship, and ministry. 00:23:54.619 --> 00:23:57.559 I need to understand what Christ lordship means 00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:02.099 with a priority on worship. What Christ lordship 00:24:02.099 --> 00:24:07.279 means with a priority in my relationship. What 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:10.099 priority means in Christ lordship in ministry 00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:14.099 in my life. I need to think of Christ lordship 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:18.029 with respect to my stewardship of life. my time, 00:24:18.970 --> 00:24:24.309 my money, my influence, my energy. What does 00:24:24.309 --> 00:24:28.789 it mean to say Jesus Christ is Lord of my purse 00:24:28.789 --> 00:24:34.490 as well as my calendar? And believe me, he must 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:37.470 be Lord of both of them, not one or the other, 00:24:38.710 --> 00:24:42.470 if he is Lord. What does it mean that he is Lord 00:24:42.470 --> 00:24:49.559 of my influence or my energy? I need to struggle 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:53.480 with what lordship means with regard to my decisions 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:59.160 in life. What I'm going to do. How I'm going 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:04.380 to use my life. I need to struggle with lordship 00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:09.160 with regard to lifestyle decisions. The way I 00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:13.819 choose to act and to live. I believe that we 00:25:13.819 --> 00:25:16.420 don't take seriously enough what God expects 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:20.559 of us in these areas. We are very creative with 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:23.819 excuses as to why this or that doesn't apply 00:25:23.819 --> 00:25:27.220 and Jesus Lordship doesn't apply to this point 00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:32.640 of my life or that point. But in fact, if I am 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:36.339 committed to Jesus Christ and to the mission 00:25:36.339 --> 00:25:38.599 that he's given us as the people of God in this 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:41.740 church, it means I must deal with Lordship in 00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:45.460 every area of my life and establish priorities 00:25:45.460 --> 00:25:49.690 according to that. Is not it thought -provoking 00:25:49.690 --> 00:25:54.190 to consider that our children, those of us who 00:25:54.190 --> 00:26:00.410 have children, are following our example? What 00:26:00.410 --> 00:26:03.670 will your children think of the meaning of worship 00:26:03.670 --> 00:26:06.509 with God's people by following your example in 00:26:06.509 --> 00:26:13.369 attendance in worship? And remember the tendency 00:26:13.369 --> 00:26:16.940 is for the next generation to feel less commitment 00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:23.079 about things than the present one. And so as 00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:25.720 your children see your attendance pattern in 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:31.000 worship, what do you think their pattern is going 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:35.819 to be in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years? And what 00:26:35.819 --> 00:26:39.859 about the mission of the church then that they're 00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:45.059 a part of? Will they contribute to it? You set 00:26:45.059 --> 00:26:49.960 the pattern now for them. As your children see 00:26:49.960 --> 00:26:54.240 the way you spend your money, the way you give 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:59.579 to God, what is their response going to be when 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:01.599 they're old enough and they have an allowance 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:05.539 or they're earning their money? What will their 00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:10.180 sense of stewardship be by your example and mine? 00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:15.000 You just talk about every area of life in that 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:22.920 regard and it is sobering. Commitment means establishing 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:27.140 priorities which reflect the lordship of Jesus 00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:32.660 Christ in our lives. I'd like to turn now to 00:27:32.660 --> 00:27:37.779 2 Corinthians chapter 8 where the Apostle Paul 00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:41.849 is talking about a specific issue of giving. 00:27:44.890 --> 00:27:48.990 But I want to pull out of this a principle rather 00:27:48.990 --> 00:27:51.630 than talking about the immediate context of giving. 00:27:52.910 --> 00:27:55.430 You may recall that the Corinthians had promised 00:27:55.430 --> 00:27:59.410 a number of months before Paul writes this letter 00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:04.250 to send an offering for the relief of the saints 00:28:04.250 --> 00:28:08.190 in Jerusalem who were in persecution. And as 00:28:08.190 --> 00:28:11.710 yet they had not done that. That is the reason 00:28:11.710 --> 00:28:14.329 for chapters 8 and 9 of this letter. Paul wants 00:28:14.329 --> 00:28:16.930 to stir them up to remind them to keep their 00:28:16.930 --> 00:28:20.809 commitment. Basically what he is saying to them 00:28:20.809 --> 00:28:25.049 here is this. Commitment means keeping my promises. 00:28:28.789 --> 00:28:31.450 Commitment means keeping promises reflecting 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:36.430 Christ's integrity. Jesus Christ keeps his promises. 00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:40.400 And if I claim to be His, then I need to keep 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:46.740 my promises. That's commitment. Our honor is 00:28:46.740 --> 00:28:51.099 as good as our word, and whether we keep it. 00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:54.660 So Paul writes to them in verse 6, he says, consequently 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:58.339 we urge Titus that as he had previously made 00:28:58.339 --> 00:29:00.940 a beginning, so he would also complete in you 00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:04.420 this gracious work as well, this gracious work 00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:10.160 being their giving. It goes on to say, but just 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:12.779 as you abound in everything in faith and utterance 00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:15.180 and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:18.079 love we inspired in you, see that you abound 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:22.880 in this gracious work also, their giving. I am 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:27.799 not speaking this as a command, but as proving 00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:30.180 through the earnestness of others the sincerity 00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:34.500 of your love also. For you know the grace of 00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:36.839 our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:40.240 yet for your sake he became poor, that you through 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:42.660 his poverty might become rich. And I give my 00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:45.980 opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, 00:29:46.039 --> 00:29:49.480 who were the first to begin a year ago, not only 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:53.259 to do this, but also to desire to do it. But 00:29:53.259 --> 00:29:57.859 now finish doing it also, that just as there 00:29:57.859 --> 00:30:01.089 was the readiness to desire it so there may be 00:30:01.089 --> 00:30:05.130 also the completion of it by your ability. In 00:30:05.130 --> 00:30:07.809 chapter 9 verse 2 he says, I know your readiness 00:30:07.809 --> 00:30:11.589 of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, 00:30:12.210 --> 00:30:15.049 namely that Achaia has been prepared since last 00:30:15.049 --> 00:30:18.529 year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them, 00:30:18.549 --> 00:30:21.529 but I have sent the brethren that are boasting 00:30:21.529 --> 00:30:24.509 about you may not be made empty in this case. 00:30:24.859 --> 00:30:28.000 That, as I was saying, you may be prepared, lest 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:30.599 if any Macedonians come with me and find you 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:33.819 unprepared, we, not to speak of you, should be 00:30:33.819 --> 00:30:37.220 put to shame by this confidence." See what Paul 00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:40.180 is saying? He's saying, look folks, you promised. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:43.480 Now keep your promises. That's what commitment 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:48.339 is. When you and I say that we're going to do 00:30:48.339 --> 00:30:53.240 something, commitment to the mission means that 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:57.539 we do it. Even if it means that in the process 00:30:57.539 --> 00:31:01.319 we don't get to do what we might rather do. Or 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:03.339 something has come up in the meantime that we 00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:06.900 would prefer. Or it's going to cost us more than 00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:11.019 we thought it was going to cost us. It means 00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:13.920 that when we give our word, we keep our word. 00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:18.539 That is what commitment is. It means keeping 00:31:18.539 --> 00:31:22.200 promises that reflect integrity, the integrity 00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:26.990 of Jesus Christ himself. Paul points to Christ 00:31:26.990 --> 00:31:29.789 as being the great example in chapter 8 and verse 00:31:29.789 --> 00:31:36.809 9. This last fall, we went through a process 00:31:36.809 --> 00:31:39.089 of putting together a church directory. I'm looking 00:31:39.089 --> 00:31:42.250 forward to that director being out in a few weeks, 00:31:42.650 --> 00:31:46.490 sometime here later in the spring. As a part 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:50.309 of that process, we had to sign up just hundreds 00:31:50.309 --> 00:31:54.369 of you for taking pictures. and later to come 00:31:54.369 --> 00:31:56.529 back and to view the proofs of the pictures. 00:31:58.569 --> 00:32:01.029 I want to tell you about this experience because 00:32:01.029 --> 00:32:03.269 I think it illustrates exactly what I'm talking 00:32:03.269 --> 00:32:05.609 about this morning, though some of you will be 00:32:05.609 --> 00:32:11.029 ashamed by it, and frankly I am too. As I talked 00:32:11.029 --> 00:32:15.230 with the company that was doing this work, They 00:32:15.230 --> 00:32:18.869 told me that the average rate of no show, that 00:32:18.869 --> 00:32:20.589 means people who said they would be there for 00:32:20.589 --> 00:32:22.650 their picture at a certain time or those who 00:32:22.650 --> 00:32:24.269 said they would come to view the proofs at a 00:32:24.269 --> 00:32:28.470 certain time, was somewhere between 3 and 11 00:32:28.470 --> 00:32:32.430 percent in the average church where they work. 00:32:33.410 --> 00:32:37.309 In Grace Church, Roseville, it was 30 percent. 00:32:39.869 --> 00:32:46.019 As much as 10 times higher in our church. when 00:32:46.019 --> 00:32:47.880 people didn't show up when they said they would 00:32:47.880 --> 00:32:53.759 be there. Now there are some reasons for that 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:56.819 and the company understood some of the extenuating 00:32:56.819 --> 00:33:00.440 reasons in our particular situation as to why 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:04.559 that was the case. But it's hard for me to think 00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:10.779 that there were that many reasons. A couple of 00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:13.460 weeks ago we asked people to sign up to come 00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:17.480 to Family Night and we had Almost 150 people 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:19.339 indicate they were coming to family night to 00:33:19.339 --> 00:33:27.480 play games. Fewer than half showed up. Now I 00:33:27.480 --> 00:33:31.319 know in one family that the daughter signed up 00:33:31.319 --> 00:33:33.000 the whole family to come and the parents didn't 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:42.150 even know about it. That was mine. So I know 00:33:42.150 --> 00:33:44.609 that there are sometimes legitimate reasons as 00:33:44.609 --> 00:33:46.369 to why people don't show up when they're thought 00:33:46.369 --> 00:33:53.509 to have given their word to be there. But fewer 00:33:53.509 --> 00:33:57.009 than half, and some of those had not signed up. 00:34:01.069 --> 00:34:03.009 And we could talk about nursery commitments, 00:34:03.710 --> 00:34:07.420 or we could talk about ministry pastors. We had 00:34:07.420 --> 00:34:09.300 a ministry pastors meeting a couple of weeks 00:34:09.300 --> 00:34:11.699 ago and only a handful of the ministry pastors. 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:14.820 The key leaders of our small churches were there. 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:17.159 Now there were some who had good reasons why 00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:20.619 they couldn't be. It's hard for me to think all 00:34:20.619 --> 00:34:27.179 of them did. You understand my point, don't you? 00:34:28.300 --> 00:34:33.829 I'm not trying to be unkind. But I think that 00:34:33.829 --> 00:34:35.969 we have to understand that that is a character 00:34:35.969 --> 00:34:39.329 defect to the extent that exists in our lives 00:34:39.329 --> 00:34:43.010 and in our church. Because you see, commitment 00:34:43.010 --> 00:34:45.289 means, according to the Apostle Paul, keeping 00:34:45.289 --> 00:34:48.969 our promises. If we say we're going to do something 00:34:48.969 --> 00:34:52.789 to do it, if we sign our name on the line to 00:34:52.789 --> 00:34:56.769 keep that commitment, that's what commitment 00:34:56.769 --> 00:35:02.760 is all about. Commitment means establishing priorities 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:06.400 reflecting Christ's lordship. Commitment means 00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:09.239 keeping promises reflecting Christ's integrity. 00:35:10.820 --> 00:35:13.219 Let's go back a couple of pages now to chapter 00:35:13.219 --> 00:35:16.380 5 and see another way that Paul seems to talk 00:35:16.380 --> 00:35:22.500 about commitment. In chapter 5 and verse 14 he 00:35:22.500 --> 00:35:26.170 says, for the love of Christ controls us Having 00:35:26.170 --> 00:35:28.969 concluded this, that one died for all, therefore 00:35:28.969 --> 00:35:32.449 all died, and he died for all, that they who 00:35:32.449 --> 00:35:35.670 live should no longer live for themselves, but 00:35:35.670 --> 00:35:41.869 for him who died and rose again on their behalf." 00:35:41.869 --> 00:35:46.429 Wonderful words. Why are we to live? For Christ. 00:35:46.989 --> 00:35:50.389 Because he died for us and rose again. And so 00:35:50.389 --> 00:35:52.929 in chapter 6 he goes on to say in verse 1, and 00:35:52.929 --> 00:35:56.800 working together with him, We also urge you not 00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:59.460 to receive the grace of God in vain for he says 00:35:59.460 --> 00:36:01.920 at the acceptable time I listen to you and on 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:04.599 the day of salvation I helped you behold now 00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:06.980 is the acceptable time behold now is the day 00:36:06.980 --> 00:36:11.429 of salvation giving no cause for offense in anything 00:36:11.429 --> 00:36:13.949 in order that the ministry be not discredited 00:36:13.949 --> 00:36:17.730 but in everything, commending ourselves as servants 00:36:17.730 --> 00:36:20.670 of God in much endurance, in afflictions, in 00:36:20.670 --> 00:36:22.969 hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, 00:36:23.190 --> 00:36:25.769 tumults, labor, sleeplessness, hunger, purity, 00:36:26.010 --> 00:36:28.349 knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, 00:36:28.530 --> 00:36:32.460 in genuine love, and on and on he goes. And he 00:36:32.460 --> 00:36:35.619 describes the kind of tests that he went through. 00:36:36.139 --> 00:36:38.619 I believe that Paul is saying here, look, Jesus 00:36:38.619 --> 00:36:41.219 Christ died for us and rose again that we might 00:36:41.219 --> 00:36:44.480 live for Him. Now that commitment means showing 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:50.920 perseverance. It means establishing priorities. 00:36:51.059 --> 00:36:53.880 It means keeping promises. And it means showing 00:36:53.880 --> 00:37:00.039 perseverance, reflecting Christ's love. That 00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:03.800 kind of love bears all things, says Paul in chapter 00:37:03.800 --> 00:37:08.099 13 of 1 Corinthians. That kind of love endures 00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:11.139 all things. That kind of love never fails. It 00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:14.960 perseveres. One thing that you and I can know 00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:17.719 beyond any shadow of doubt, and that is that 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:20.579 any commitment that we make is going to be challenged. 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:25.820 It is going to be put to the test. And it's only 00:37:25.820 --> 00:37:28.570 right that that's the case. because our commitments 00:37:28.570 --> 00:37:33.349 are to be made by faith. And faith is exposed 00:37:33.349 --> 00:37:40.809 through tests. I believe that God wants us to 00:37:40.809 --> 00:37:46.630 be the kind of a church that is committed, where 00:37:46.630 --> 00:37:51.329 everyone has ownership in the mission that He's 00:37:51.329 --> 00:37:55.110 given to us. Now why is this commitment, why 00:37:55.110 --> 00:37:58.119 is this ownership so important? because of what 00:37:58.119 --> 00:38:02.739 he says in chapter 5 verse 10. We must all appear 00:38:02.739 --> 00:38:07.480 before the judgment seat of Christ, that each 00:38:07.480 --> 00:38:11.280 one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:13.460 according to what he has done, whether good or 00:38:13.460 --> 00:38:16.800 bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, 00:38:16.960 --> 00:38:21.219 we persuade men. Paul says, here's the reason 00:38:21.219 --> 00:38:25.579 that I am so committed to my apostleship. Here's 00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:28.219 the reason that I persevere in the sufferings 00:38:28.219 --> 00:38:31.820 that I've endured. The reason is that one day 00:38:31.820 --> 00:38:36.099 I'm going to appear before Jesus Christ and there 00:38:36.099 --> 00:38:41.840 I will be examined for my commitment. And that 00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:47.300 examination is going to be a searching one. It 00:38:47.300 --> 00:38:52.159 is compared to fire that burns up the chaff and 00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:55.699 that which is worthless in my commitment. All 00:38:55.699 --> 00:39:01.019 the holes in it will be exposed. But that which 00:39:01.019 --> 00:39:06.960 I have genuinely committed, that mission that 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:12.679 I have sold myself to, that which I have purposed 00:39:12.679 --> 00:39:18.159 to do for the glory of God, that's going to pass 00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:24.969 the test. And for that we receive reward. Why 00:39:24.969 --> 00:39:30.510 is it worth it to be committed? Because we'll 00:39:30.510 --> 00:39:36.710 pass the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. I've 00:39:36.710 --> 00:39:39.329 tried to outline during this month in broad statements 00:39:39.329 --> 00:39:41.570 the kind of church that I believe God wants us 00:39:41.570 --> 00:39:46.369 to be in the 90s. What we look like 10 years 00:39:46.369 --> 00:39:49.210 from now will be determined by your response 00:39:49.210 --> 00:39:55.289 and my response to the challenges. Now, we can't 00:39:55.289 --> 00:39:57.869 expect a perfect church to emerge from all of 00:39:57.869 --> 00:40:02.590 this. There is no such thing in this world. Someone 00:40:02.590 --> 00:40:06.050 handed me, I think it was last week, a little 00:40:06.050 --> 00:40:08.269 thing called the perfect church, a little poem 00:40:08.269 --> 00:40:10.710 that goes like this. I think that I shall never 00:40:10.710 --> 00:40:15.210 see a church that's all it ought to be. A church 00:40:15.210 --> 00:40:17.889 whose members never stray beyond the straight 00:40:17.889 --> 00:40:21.820 and narrow way. A church that has no empty pews, 00:40:22.039 --> 00:40:25.280 whose pastor never gets the blues. A church whose 00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:28.659 deacons always deke, and none are proud and all 00:40:28.659 --> 00:40:32.199 are meek. Where gossips never peddle lies or 00:40:32.199 --> 00:40:35.880 make complaints or criticize. Where all are always 00:40:35.880 --> 00:40:38.420 sweet and kind and to each other's faults are 00:40:38.420 --> 00:40:42.320 blind. Such perfect churches there may be, but 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:45.579 none of them is known to me. But I'll still work 00:40:45.579 --> 00:40:48.960 and pray and plan to make my church the best 00:40:48.960 --> 00:40:54.579 I can. For Grace Church Roosevelt to grow toward 00:40:54.579 --> 00:40:57.260 the goal that we've laid before us, each of us 00:40:57.260 --> 00:40:59.719 must be willing to do our part as that tool that 00:40:59.719 --> 00:41:02.860 God has made us to be. That is going to require 00:41:02.860 --> 00:41:07.320 from each of us a willingness to evaluate our 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:11.039 lives and a willingness for us as a church to 00:41:11.039 --> 00:41:13.880 evaluate what we're doing now. Is it the best 00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:17.519 that we can do? Is it effective? Is it on the 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:23.619 cutting edge? What might work better? It means 00:41:23.619 --> 00:41:26.199 that we're going to need to discipline ourselves. 00:41:27.239 --> 00:41:30.800 If, in fact, we simplify expectations of ministry 00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:35.400 and create more free time, are we willing to 00:41:35.400 --> 00:41:39.099 discipline ourselves to use that freed up time 00:41:39.099 --> 00:41:42.719 for the glory of God rather than upon our own 00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:47.539 pleasures and leisure? It means discipline. If 00:41:47.539 --> 00:41:49.739 we're going to be this kind of a church, it means 00:41:49.739 --> 00:41:51.760 we're going to need a new way of thinking about 00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:55.940 what ministry looks like. Instead of saying, 00:41:56.059 --> 00:41:59.139 worship looks like this, and anything beyond 00:41:59.139 --> 00:42:03.280 that is not worship, we've got to change. Or 00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:05.559 instead of saying a ministry looks like this 00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:08.139 and that's it, we've got to change our way of 00:42:08.139 --> 00:42:10.619 thinking about that. Ministry can take many different 00:42:10.619 --> 00:42:15.000 forms. Instead of saying, relationship to me 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:18.460 is just this, and that's all it can be to anybody 00:42:18.460 --> 00:42:21.440 else, we need to see that relationships can take 00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:25.559 many different appearances and forms and accomplish 00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:29.699 the purpose. We need to get out of the boxes 00:42:29.699 --> 00:42:35.420 that we've put around our minds and open our 00:42:35.420 --> 00:42:37.900 eyes to see that ministry can look different 00:42:37.900 --> 00:42:42.699 than it does now and be God -honoring. But the 00:42:42.699 --> 00:42:46.820 bottom line to it all is commitment. For none 00:42:46.820 --> 00:42:48.780 of the possibilities that I've talked about, 00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:50.980 none of the principles that we've laid out this 00:42:50.980 --> 00:42:54.920 month will ever be realized unless each of us 00:42:54.920 --> 00:43:00.099 is willing and actually does do his part to bring 00:43:00.099 --> 00:43:07.059 it to pass. One Sunday morning, Carlos walked 00:43:07.059 --> 00:43:12.699 slowly up toward his church. a church that was 00:43:12.699 --> 00:43:15.639 located in the jungles in Columbia near the Venezuelan 00:43:15.639 --> 00:43:20.219 border. As he walked along, his Bible under his 00:43:20.219 --> 00:43:25.000 arm, he hummed some of his favorite hymns, anticipating 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:30.059 the worship. After a lengthy walk, he came to 00:43:30.059 --> 00:43:32.980 the little hut where they worshipped, and stooping 00:43:32.980 --> 00:43:36.780 down, he entered in. There was one lone gasoline 00:43:36.780 --> 00:43:41.429 lamp that cast eerie shadows. But soon his eyes 00:43:41.429 --> 00:43:44.570 became accustomed to the dark and as he sat there 00:43:44.570 --> 00:43:49.269 on the third bench, he looked up and he saw people 00:43:49.269 --> 00:43:51.690 sitting in front of him and he saw the pastor. 00:43:52.989 --> 00:43:55.929 And then Pastor Martinez got up and approached 00:43:55.929 --> 00:43:59.110 the pulpit to begin the service. And the music 00:43:59.110 --> 00:44:02.710 began to be heard as people burst into joyful 00:44:02.710 --> 00:44:05.760 singing and then the sermon began. And as it 00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:08.840 did, Carlos noticed some stranger slip in the 00:44:08.840 --> 00:44:12.699 back, but he paid no attention to them. And then 00:44:12.699 --> 00:44:14.760 suddenly in the middle of the sermon, it was 00:44:14.760 --> 00:44:18.099 all interrupted. The men who had come in late 00:44:18.099 --> 00:44:21.360 pulled out automatic weapons and took strategic 00:44:21.360 --> 00:44:25.760 places in the room. They went to the front and 00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:28.280 grabbed the pastor and dragged him out the side 00:44:28.280 --> 00:44:33.500 door. Everyone was shocked. and silenced. The 00:44:33.500 --> 00:44:37.739 air was thick with fear. Then the leader of the 00:44:37.739 --> 00:44:42.519 group returned, leaving the pastor in charge 00:44:42.519 --> 00:44:46.119 of one of his men, and addressed the congregation. 00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:50.900 Those of you who believe this God stuff, come 00:44:50.900 --> 00:44:58.159 forward. For a whole minute, nobody stirred. 00:44:59.869 --> 00:45:03.329 And then from the third row back, Carlos got 00:45:03.329 --> 00:45:07.110 up and walked toward the front. And as he went 00:45:07.110 --> 00:45:09.690 toward the front, some of the others in the congregation 00:45:09.690 --> 00:45:15.969 joined him. Brusquely, they were all herded out 00:45:15.969 --> 00:45:21.150 the side door. When no one else came forward, 00:45:21.269 --> 00:45:22.989 the guerrilla leader then looked at the remainder 00:45:22.989 --> 00:45:27.269 of the congregation with contempt. And he said, 00:45:27.349 --> 00:45:31.760 out! Out, all of you. You have no right to be 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:34.960 here. Only those with courage to stand up for 00:45:34.960 --> 00:45:39.119 what they believe can stay. And with that everyone 00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:42.480 else was driven out of the church. And the amazed 00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:46.239 pastor and those who had joined him came back 00:45:46.239 --> 00:45:49.019 in and were seated. And the guerrillas said, 00:45:49.159 --> 00:45:52.000 now continue with your service. And they left. 00:45:57.150 --> 00:46:02.550 Commitment is what it takes to get the job done. 00:46:06.750 --> 00:46:08.670 Why should we become a part of the church that 00:46:08.670 --> 00:46:12.409 I've just described in these four messages? Why 00:46:12.409 --> 00:46:16.489 should our church look like that? Because I believe 00:46:16.489 --> 00:46:18.849 that we're living in the twilight of the Western 00:46:18.849 --> 00:46:21.769 civilization, for one thing. As we have known 00:46:21.769 --> 00:46:26.360 our culture, It is soon to not exist anymore. 00:46:27.900 --> 00:46:31.019 The lights are almost out in our civilization, 00:46:31.539 --> 00:46:34.059 and we are called upon to be God's people at 00:46:34.059 --> 00:46:37.739 a time like this. As Esther was called to the 00:46:37.739 --> 00:46:40.139 kingdom for such a time as this, so you and I 00:46:40.139 --> 00:46:43.619 are called to be His people, God's people, in 00:46:43.619 --> 00:46:47.440 such a time as this. And we need commitment to 00:46:47.440 --> 00:46:51.070 do it with effectiveness. I believe that only 00:46:51.070 --> 00:46:53.550 the kind of church that I have broadly outlined 00:46:53.550 --> 00:46:56.230 in these principles that we've talked about is 00:46:56.230 --> 00:46:58.590 going to be that kind of a church in the 90s 00:46:58.590 --> 00:47:02.110 and beyond. If we are going to penetrate the 00:47:02.110 --> 00:47:05.349 increasing darkness, if we are going to bring 00:47:05.349 --> 00:47:09.449 hope to individuals that are in despair, if we 00:47:09.449 --> 00:47:12.610 are by the grace of God perhaps going to delay 00:47:12.610 --> 00:47:15.789 judgment to this civilization, then it's going 00:47:15.789 --> 00:47:19.860 to take the cutting edge kind of a church. described 00:47:19.860 --> 00:47:21.820 by the eight principles we've laid out during 00:47:21.820 --> 00:47:25.440 these messages. There are lives that hang in 00:47:25.440 --> 00:47:29.300 the balance. There are needs crying to be met. 00:47:30.599 --> 00:47:32.920 There's a culture out there whose doors are shut 00:47:32.920 --> 00:47:36.500 but which is empty and desperately searching. 00:47:38.059 --> 00:47:42.880 Oh, God, give us hearts that are broken and wills 00:47:42.880 --> 00:47:46.530 that are broken before Jesus Christ. So the putting 00:47:46.530 --> 00:47:51.849 away our silly excuses, we make Him Lord and 00:47:51.849 --> 00:47:54.449 we seek those cultural keys that will allow us 00:47:54.449 --> 00:47:59.210 to open the door and make a difference in the 00:47:59.210 --> 00:48:03.329 generation He's called us to serve. Let's pray. 00:48:08.690 --> 00:48:11.090 Well I hope that your heart responds positively 00:48:11.090 --> 00:48:18.210 to this challenge. And that you sense commitment 00:48:18.210 --> 00:48:22.489 and an increasing ownership in the mission that 00:48:22.489 --> 00:48:25.769 we've talked about. That we might be the kind 00:48:25.769 --> 00:48:29.670 of church that we've described by the grace of 00:48:29.670 --> 00:48:33.369 God, for the glory of God. That we might build 00:48:33.369 --> 00:48:39.269 as wise master builders. Oh God, break our hearts 00:48:39.269 --> 00:48:44.320 with what breaks your heart. Fill us with love 00:48:44.320 --> 00:48:48.440 and compassion to serve you as your people in 00:48:48.440 --> 00:48:52.500 this age And as a result of that may we build 00:48:52.500 --> 00:48:56.559 a church that will stand the test The test of 00:48:56.559 --> 00:48:59.780 time and the test of the judgment seat of Christ 00:48:59.780 --> 00:49:02.960 So that we can give good account of ourselves 00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:07.039 on that day in Jesus name Amen