We are One in Purpose

If you have your Bible today, I invite you to turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verse 7 Ephesians chapter 4 verse 7 & Wiley. I got to warn you notes today. So you're in for a treat as well. So I'll just I'll tell you where to go. You just try to follow me. Okay, if you just see a whole bunch of things flashing and stream behind me. Just just listen to what I say. Okay. Alright, but we're going on. How many of you have ever struggled to see the purpose in church?

how many of you have had a season in your life where you woke up on Sunday morning you be but Didn't really feel like going.

Back when I was in college. And you have to understand I grew up in the church. And my grandfather was a pastor. And when I grew up in the youth group, I led Worship in the youth.

but when I got into college I left home. I went for a span of probably. Six months to a year where I got up on Sunday morning. I really didn't see the point but I just could not figure out the purpose of going what it would benefit me and doing

Never been there. I found it's especially hard to figure out the purpose of church when we get disappointed with church. We get disappointed with the way that things are made in the church. We get disappointed with the way that fellow church members act in ways that we don't appreciate our life. Maybe we've been hurt by church and we say what gives I thought the church was supposed to be the community of Jesus Christ. I thought that the church was supposed to be a place where you experience God's presence among his people and yes, I see so many people who are different.

Are you look around this room right now and you're going to see all kinds of different people. There are old people and there are young people. Instead of old. Maybe I should say well season. there are

there are people of different races different backgrounds different ways of looking at the world. There are people of different personalities. People with different expectations of what the church is supposed to be. There are people all over the place in this room right now. And there are people who used to be here. Are used to come regularly? Either rarely come or don't come at all.

Why are you here? What's the purpose of you getting up and not staying in your warm pajamas sitting in front of a nice fire in your home that that would be nice wouldn't it? What's the purpose of giving up and wrangling the kids if you have them and having a stressful morning because you know what? I find I find purpose is something that is so powerful to keep us doing the things that we should do. And when we lose sight of the purpose, especially if things like that shirt It can be easy for us to kind of write it off and say you know what? I don't really see the point of the purpose of this so I am just going to backup I don't see the point of the purpose of this. So I'm just going to stop going. And maybe you're in a season of lie. It's like that right now understand I'm not judging you. I've been there too. Or I had trouble seeing the point.

And I believe that God wants to tell us today that there is an important purpose for this. A purpose for the church a reason why we come together and why we gather and it is a a purpose that is a part for all of us to play. And when we see God's purpose for the church. It helps us to continue to come. Even when it's not easy, even when there are disappointment, even when there are disagreements because we have a purpose. You want to know what God's purpose for the church it? Because Paul is going to tell us in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 7 through 13. Let's read this together. He says but to each one of us Grace has been given as Christ a portion. This is why it says when he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave me except that. He also descended to the lower end. It is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the Apostle the prophets the Evangelist the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all in the face and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Now you might have missed this but

What the purpose of the church is? Why did God create the church? Why did he establish it? Why did he instituted? And he says it's a verse 13 the church does its work until we all unity in the face and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Paul says the reason why God brings all the different types of people together. And there are differences. the reason why he does this is because he wants to make us collectively and individually more like Jesus. What's God's gold for your life? What's God's gold for all of us in the church to become more like Jesus. That's why if you look on a community committed to becoming more like Christ, we believe that's God's goal for the church and God's goal for each of us individually. But as you look around this room and let's not look around the room. Let's just look at ourselves in the mirror. We got a long way to go. Don't we? I've got a long way to go when I think about who Jesus and his mercifulness and it's not a worry about his loving when I think about all that. I see that I have a long way to go. Impulse is an order for us to get there. We need the church. help you see we look at this goal. Christian Community Being like Christ and experiencing Jesus.

But sometimes we come to church in.

It might seem hard to find it.

Is can you believe what brother Showing Service in?

I know that she's over there. She's just talking about me behind my back. I know that she's doing this and he said that she did this and he did that in the other and we got to go talk about it over here and separate into groups and we believe we should do this and tell her we think this that and the other and so many different opinions and different perspectives and different ideas come into play and before you know it It can be hard to find Jesus even in the church.

So what do we do?

If God has this goal for us and it seems like we are so far from it. How do we get there?

In order to help us accomplish this goal. Paul says that Christ has given us something to help us. You want to know what he's giving us? In order to help us accomplish his goal Christ has given us us. That might sound weird. What do you mean? He's giving us us?

Sure, he's giving us as we have traditionalist and we have people who want to see we have people who believe that work. It should be done one way. We have some people who believe we have people who like we have people who don't like we have this that and the other if I could go through and I could give you a question. Are you probably answer everything exactly the same we have people who want to see certain things. We have people to say exactly the same and we have people in between we have so many differences in here. Why in the world would God give us his jumbled mess of people who can't seem to get along sometime and put us together in this one place. You know. Paul is actually writing to a church a lot like ours. He's writing to a church made up of Jewish Christian and Gentile Christians. And you know, these people were had such different backgrounds and different expectations. It's so easy for them just to say you know, what? Why don't we just have the Gentiles come over here and be the Paul says God is not interested in having two different families. He says we are one body One Church. We Are One So why? Why would try to bring these different groups together?

See we can allow our differences in the church. To either divide us or we can recognize that our differences. sir to accomplish God's purposes

our differences accomplish God's purposes Look at what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 7. but to each one of us to each one of us Grace has been given as Christ apportionment. To each one of us Grace has been given as Christ a portion it now. God has given all of us Grace. And saving us from our sins. That's not what Paul is talking about you. what he's talking about is this That God has given you. some Grace But he hasn't given to me. God has given Scott and Grace that he hasn't given to Cody is giving Monica some Grace that he hasn't given to Debbie. He's giving each of us. Our own individual personalities our own individual background our own individual skills our own individual ways of looking at problems and looking at the World War. I Why is he giving me some things that he hasn't given to you? And why is he giving you something that he hasn't given to me?

No, there's two ways that we could respond to that. We could be jealous of the things that he's given to you and hasn't given to me. We can be jealous of the things that we don't have and we can start to resent each other because of our differences or or

we can learn that the reason why God has given us all different gifts. It's because he wants us to need one another and to rely on one another.

If I don't have money, but you do and I'm not talking about racist, but but maybe some of it if I don't have money, but you do and I am in need.

I need what you have.

Now that's a simple example, but there are so many others. If I don't have certain skills and gifts, but you do.

In those areas the church needs you to step up.

If I have certain things in the church needs me to fulfill my role. But in your area the church your role as well. God has ordained. Every single member of the church to be where they are and he is giving us everyone a role to play. Now what is that roll? How can you play it? I don't have time to talk about all of the many roles that Paul highlights two different ones. What God has given leader? remember He's giving the church leaders and members. He talks about this and verse 11. He says this so Christ himself gave the apostles the prophets the Evangelist the pastors and teachers to equip his people. If you are a leader in the church. And God has given you the roll. of an equivalent of God's people any quipper of God's people your role as a leader is to give God's people what they need in order for them to fulfill their purpose their role and they're calling in the church, especially with all the differences that we have. How do we do this? How are we to equip God's people?

That is all of the roles that he describes. He describes Apostle and establish the church under God's direct Authority. They were the sent out once now there are no living Apostles to this day in that sense of the word. But we could say in a certain aspect of the certain contacts. God has sent all of us to the place where we are. You're not here by accident. What about prophets prophets in the Old Testament or the early church for those who spoke a direct message of special Revelation from God to the people? Now often God would warn the prophet encouraged to the prophet or this is someone would say God has a word directly from you. This is from God himself.

I don't personally believe that those gifts are still in exercise today. Because God has given us his work. And so God can still speak to us through but God doesn't speak in a way that's outside or contrary to his work.

Someone like me up here speaking to you from God's word saying this is how you take these work. These gifts can still work in the church in that way as long as we grounded in the word of God, what about pastors and teachers evangelists you recognize a theme here all of these people that Paul is talking about exercise teaching in the church.

They put them with the word of God. Elsewhere in the book of 2nd Timothy the Apostle Paul is going to say this is Timothy 3:16 and 17 on the screen. All scripture is god-breathed correcting and training in righteousness. So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. If you notice every time we come together, we crack open the Bible. Every time we come together we talked about God's word. Why? Because we believe as leaders that that is what the church needs more than anything. Who is the one who builds the church according to God's word?

And Jesus builds the church through his word and pulse as part of the goal of the church is that we would grow in the knowledge of the Son of God. What does that mean? That means that each and every one of us doesn't know God as well as we need to that. We need to know him more when we come to listen to his work that we need to drop closer. We need to know his will for our lives and if if if

For some reason we stopped coming. If for some reason we say, you know what I don't need to deal with any of this.

If we lose sight of that. If we think the church is about something else.

Then we're missing out on what God wants for our lives. Do you know Jesus as well? as you could or do you need to know him more?

This is the reason why we quit. The members for these for Paul says this for members, he says this to his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built.

All describes the church as one body. A body that has many members. Each of our members are different. My finger is not do the same thing as my foot. My knee does not do the same thing as my eye. My nose does not do the same thing. As any other part of my body member has a specific role and a specific to fulfill in the church. That doesn't mean that you can only do one thing that doesn't mean that you can only help and serve in one area. But if the members of the church are not serving the church, then the church will not grow strong. I remember reading a few months ago in a book called. I am a church member story that Thom Rainer the author that book told he said that when he was a kid because they were building airplanes to build a country club in the town that he grew up in Southern Alabama and so he was excited cuz he was a swimming pool membership dues for the summer and during the school year and he could do all of these things.

But he said these words and it really stuck what he said. but he said that kind of Membership Country Club membership. It's a little bit different than the kind of membership that were talking about were talking about.

Tickets for Country Club membership. What do you have to do?

I got it doesn't matter if you show up. It doesn't matter if you contribute as you paid good money to be a part of this country club and everybody should Ben and do the things that you want them to do to please you and make you happy. What is that what membership in the church is meant to be?

That's not the purpose that God has for us.

If we are going to follow in the footsteps of cry. Then we are coming to this place not to be served. Not to say oh this is what I get out of it.

But we come and we make this place better be contributing to it by fulfilling our role by serving one another in love.

the truth is the diss church will never be what it can be. Without the grace that God has given to you.

And it will never be what it can be.

Without the grace that God has given to each and everyone of us serving and working.

No, I could go and I said before I could go on a long list of things that areas in the church that you could sir places need your help places where we need people to step up. I'm just going to start by giving you two of the most every single one of us.

the first thing is this I encourage you to pray. the church Pray for the church.

I'm convinced.

But there are few things. in this world But the enemy the devil likes attack more. in the church

He's good. He can do it in so many different way.

We can do it for people getting angry at the church. He can do it through people just getting other things in higher priority than so many different ways in Temptations.

and my fear My fear is that as I look out and I see certain phases that I get used to less and less often. my fear Is that many of us? Many of us have given in to those sensation. now what can we do about it? There are lots of things. But I can tell you honestly the most important things you can do for this church and for any church to pray for. The pray for its members to pray for those who are here and to pray for those who aren't because we all need prayer. I hope that you pray for me cuz I need prayer we all need it. One of the best ways that we can come together is through prayer. I know last spring. We had a deal where I sent out a text message.

Every single weekday just a prayer request. Through the summer we kind of just let that slide, but I'm going to bring it back. And for those of you who would like to sign up for this, I don't have any information for you during the sermon, but come talk to me after and I'll tell you exactly how to do it. If you haven't been getting prayer text messages last spring I join together and praying for.

So we can do that. It doesn't have to be a long prayer doesn't have to be an hour-long prayer that we are a part of this and that is a role that we can play as we only got some. But the second thing is this.

If you want to serve Christ body if you want to understand the purpose. And experience the purpose of her and find your purpose in the church. and gather when we got

gather When We Gather

Dietrich Bonhoeffer pastor and theologian You may have heard of him. He is actually put to death for resisting the Nazis in Germany during World War II. He left Germany before Hitler Rose to power of when he saw all all of the things that we're going on realize that things weren't going to get better in Germany. If all of the Christians and everyone left and so he went back to try to make a difference and he did even though he lost his life. There's a book that he wrote about Church community. It's called life together. And I want to share with you a quote that he says in this book. He says this he who loves his dream of community more than the Christian Community is cell becomes a destroyer of the ladder. If we do not give thanks Bailey for the Christian Fellowship. Even when there is no great experience and continues on no discoverable riches but much weakness small faith and difficult. If on the contrary, we keep complaining that everything is paltry and pedi then we hinder God from letting our fellowship, bro. How many of you have ever met someone who is more in more in love with the idea of being in love with someone than actually being in the relationship? anybody do they have good relationships? No, they won't that good relationship. They want to find Prince Charming or their princess, but they're more in love with the ideal and they are with the reality and because of that they never experienced either.

It can be the same thing with the church. If we expect everything to be Rosie and perfect all the time, and that's what we need from the church. We are going to be disappointed and we're going to leave then we'll go to church more than likely and will find a problem in another church and we'll find a different set of problems. We will never experience true Community unless we are committed to that community and its imperfections. The same thing could be said here we have differences and we have disagreements that time and we have problems.

God can use these. for his glory and we have a choice.

See what God wants for us is what the girl more like Jesus, right?

Who was Jesus?

Call Sis. Jesus is someone who descended from heaven? We sing about it during communion you came from Heaven to Earth to show the way from the Earth to the cross my debt to pay from the cross to the Grave from the grave to the sky. Paul says he descended he came down to be with you and me and he loved us even though we were in perfect. Now, let me ask you a question. How do you expect to grow to become more like Jesus unless you can learn to love imperfect people as well.

We can let Satan use our differences to divide us or we can allow price to use our differences to United. You see if there is no there is no night of the week. I think. That shows us just how God likes to bring different groups of people together and Wednesday night. If you've been here on Wednesday nights, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Do you know that now most of the time Wednesday nights? We have more people more souls in this building.

But you know that the majority of those cells are not members. weather children the children that walk their children that talk about it during school and they come here afterwards their children that are even bring some of their parents and their parents are starting to get involved in starting to bring food and starting to support the things that we do. God is bringing them to us and we might think well, that's not really what we want. We want adults and we want families you want this out of

All we get to decide is what to do with the people that he brings and I can tell you something. Honestly. I heard this story this weekend just inspired me to continue this work. We need more people to continue.

My favorite preacher right now is guy by the name of Brian Chapel. Brian is a president of a seminary he is written any books on preaching and he is

and you might think somebody like Brian with his pedigree in with his credentials, especially in mini Conservative Christian circles that he would have grown up in a family. That was a lot like mine family. That was very traditional very Christian very conservative.

LeBron has a brother who spent many years in jail for Crime. His parents were divorced for over 15 years when he was young his mom and dad had problems and his little brother would come to a church not like ours.

They said to tell you the truth. We honestly didn't feel like we fit.

We said I get developed a relationship with my Sunday School.

He said that Sunday school teacher even though about a year later we moved away. We continue to stay in contact with me. I said I would not start middle school every few months. I get a letter from that thing Sunday school, so go to high school. Every once in awhile, I get a letter from Bob. His name is Bob. He said go to college I get a letter from Bob and then when I became the president of the Seminary and I begin to Pastor churches in to do all of these things. he said I got a phone call one day and it was from I'm so proud of you. But I just want you to know that my wife and I got just put you on our heart.

We saw the struggles and everything you're going through and we just

we not stopped praying for you, and we've been praying for you. Even though he was different even though many people would try to take the kid like him and just say you know what God we can't decide we don't get to know how God is going to use each and every one of us. We don't know how the story is going to end, but we can't let God use us if we don't show up to be used. and the purpose of the church God's purposes are going to be done whether we show up or not, but I want you to be here. I don't want you to be here so that the number up on the screen is a lot I can say hey, I've got to church of this many people. That's not why I want you to be here. I want you to be here because if we can't be without you. And when you don't come for whatever reason when you don't gather together. You can't be who God wants you to be fully either. We need each other. And God can do amazing things imperfect people. If we're just simply in faith. Show up.

You read your Bible. You'll see story after story after Story.

That's God's purpose in the church in Mexico as well.

Can we do those things?

Can we begin to encourage one another to be can we encourage others to serve involved and help?

Is that is the body? Christ

let's pray. Heavenly father. I thank you so much for your words. Thank you so much for your love for us and thank you for the purpose of the church. And father that purpose stain. Help us not to loose out of it. Help us not to lose sight of the fact that we are all members of your body and we all have something to contribute as imperfect as we are. Help us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To know that we are one family one body one church and that does have us to meet here are just a small part of your world.

father we are humbled because we do not deserve this distinction of his grace and mercy But when we come together.

We experience more of you. Then we would have if we had stayed apart. So helpless to do that. Help us to shine the light of your gospel into this community and continue to work and serve to equip and to love one another in Jesus name. I pray amen. Would you staying with me?