January 2, 2022: “Renewed Beginning" 1 Cor 1:1-3

Corey had mention, we are starting a new series and I think of the beginning of the year, we all feel this need for a little bit of a renewal this year to maybe do some things differently than what we did last year, and try some new things live live on The Adventurous side and maybe not be still with held her holding back. Like we have been is maybe your your challenge in life. I want to share with you. A message is we're going to pick up in the letter to the Corinthian Church in 1st and 2nd Corinthians the Apostle. Paul, during one of his missionary Journeys, goes to this place called corn, and it begins to share the gospel in the church begins to ground, its roots and its roots out of the ground. If you will, and becomes the body of Christ, one of the many churches that ball and planted during his missionary Journeys, you can find that in the Midway through the book of Acts, which we've already priest through. But now we're going to look at. Why did he write these letters? If you will need Epistles, probably more aptly called letter correctly, the very personal nature, and what was going on. And I hope we're going to take away. Over the next couple of days, probably the rest of this year's we work through the Corinthian letters. I'll Cheryl Pastor Corey there 16 tapper's just in the first letter and I'm not sure I can do that in 16. Sunday. Probably not. You might not like 16 Sundays of the grant, then we might have to spread out a little bit more, but we want to bless you today. Buy open in God's word, the 1st Corinthians and I want to start off while you're finding your place. In chapter 1, verses 1 through 3. I want to share with you just a little bit of an image. Now, when I came to church this morning, I look down at my van. And this was the image that I saw. No kidding, not making it up. Adjust. The timing of god is perfect. Right is right rear tire on my van was showing me that I needed to check the pressure. Not mine was the right rear. This is all I could find. However, it was an indicator to my wife, that I had failed to do something right. Keeping the tires, inflated properly, but in reality what they are for you and I, as we have check engine light to come on in our vehicle from time to time and Supposed to all those are called dummy lights. They're supposed to tell us when something needs to be serviced or something needs to be done. Then what the goal is is that we get ahead of it so that we don't have a problem. Let me share with your problem. That happens to tires. The next picture will show you what a tire looks like when your wife put air in it right way too much. Are what happens that the center gets too inflated, and it doesn't touch the ground properly, in the middle of the tire gets wore out. We know it's over inflated. It needs to be the right amount of here, but some of you wrote in the church this morning, and here's what your tire look like. They look like the next picture. It should be completely shredded, right? That's what some of us rode in on. And you know, how many people are going through life riding on tires. That look like this. But that's what's going on in the life of not only the secular world, but I would argue in the life of the church. And this one is no exception. Many of us are riding on tires, in our spiritual life, that look like this that there's no retread. Hope for them. They're completely flattened or wondering. How do you hear something? Right, if you've ever had a tire look like that on your car, you don't have to ask long. Is there something wrong, you know, because it's immediately pulling to the left or right of your thumb thumb. Thumb thumb thumb going down the road riding on the rim. But that's what's going on in the spiritual life of many. That was what was going on in the spiritual life of the church in. Corinth is Paul was ministering to them and writing to them while they were the body of Christ. While they had come to the Salvation knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were running on a tire that look like this spiritually in their life and they didn't know that anything was wrong. There was normal. It was just going through the motions of normal activity. They never recognize the signs of the check engine light coming on for their vehicle to our life. And how do we assess what's going on on our dashboard? Spiritually. I want lights may be coming on to give us some indicators of what we need to be looking for. And that way we can travel the road of our spiritual Walk In Christ with good tires, where the rubber meets the road and we can help others along that journey. I want to give you a few things. Let's go to 1st Corinthians. 1 verses 1 through 3, if you're there, Say, Amen. Picking up in 1st Corinthians chapter, 1, verses 1 through 3. We're going to see what the Apostle Paul writes that his church that he loved going to God's word 1st Corinthians. 1:1 Paul called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. And our brothers, often. He's do. The Church of God. That is important to those Sanctified in Christ. Jesus called to be Saints together. With all those who won every place. Call upon the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ. Both their lord and ours grace to you and peace from God. Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray together as father. We thank you for the reading of your word and we pray. Now is there early book of Acts reminds us that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles teaching to Fellowship to prayer. Lord and we thank you for this blessing. I thought we pray now that the Holy Spirit, open our minds, and in our hearts, to recognize the indicators of things to come and things to look out for and how we can be the church, you called was to be able to help us to apply the letter to Corinthia our own Hearts right here in pine-bluff, North Carolina and the church across the world. We thank you. We ask it in Jesus precious name. Amen. So what are we going to do? I'm going to take you on a trip if you will and I want to share with you five areas of spiritual renewal that we can apply to our daily life. Our daily walk with Christ Our Life with the church as it applies to us for this year. And I would argue like God's word. The lessons are Timeless. We can take it with us wherever we go. But if we start today, how many all made New Year's resolutions, right? That's something people like to do. I don't care for a resolution to myself or they don't last too long, right? We all know that that's our nature. We don't stick with a resolution is too often, but one thing I do find necessary is renewal. Amen. We can find something that will give us Search for Renewal as we move forward. And I want to share five of those with your very quickly. Number one. I want us to go to the text and go back to 1:1 and let's look what was going on. And if you will mature to the church as he's writing to a specific location in the specific people, he uses an interesting word when he refers to the word church. Now in our culture and our church is known by a lot of different names. Not all of them. Good, right. One of them is hypocrite. I love that one. Once had a man tell me I can't go to that. Church is full of Hypocrites Neverfull. There's always room for one more. I mean, that's the reality of it. That's the body of Christ. But many have the view of the church being that way. Then we're at, we're a bunch of self-righteous people. I don't argue with you. We are all sinners. And if you've been saved by the grace, you're a sinner who's been Sanctified by Jesus Christ. Who occasionally sends Adrian Rogers. Put it this way. I want to The difference is I no longer want to God is fixed my water. My one is no longer broken. I desire, the things of God. And I desire to live as the body of Christ. I desire to be a member of the Waco, stay out the household of God. Therefore I am the church. The church is not the building the church and its people and its Paul was communicating. This is very important for us to understand who is this audience talking to. He is not worried about the Corinthian secular culture, that's going on at the acrocorinth there in, in Corinth. He's not worried about the Roman Colony that is stablished, its Rule and domain around 1:47 BC. He's not worried about Caesar Augustus. He's not worried about the senate or any of the other thing. He's not worried about the Olympic Games or the Infamous game that took place during corn. He's talkin to the church and he identifies them to make sure they understand who they are and why he's writing this letter. So often I think in the church, we look at the scriptures as applying to those outside the church. And in reality, almost all of the scriptures, apply to the body of Christ. Not to the Heathen, not to the law but man, how quickly we hear good message. Pastor sure. Wish there was someone here to church today, that needed to hear that one. I may go on to their lunch realize until God has given us in his word of this new testament that we read and we cling to even the Old Testament and the New Testament letters written to the bride of Christ. To the Church of God as Paul makes it clear the church. The very word ekklesia. This word Universal Church. The real world comes the Catholic church, not the Roman Catholic Church. What the word Catholic means Universal? And it's understanding. And it's applied to all believers across the world understood as a singular assembly. Sometimes, all believers throughout time. That's who we are as the body of Christ. The Gathering of assembly and Acts chapter 17 and a few other places. You can even find the Greek word eklektos. Sia used to describe the Heathen Gathering of the Riders mob that wanted to prevent Paul from proclaiming the gospel. The scriptures, talk about that necklace, sea of that Gathering of the unchurched, they even being there in Corinth. It's interesting that the Greek understood Equity is to be nothing more than assembly. It's come to be known for us today as those who are indeed called out. Once, although, that etymology is probably improperly used often. They act lesya is the Gathering of the body, the Gathering of a group, and we the Church of Christ are the accuracy of the kereiakes. If you will, under the curry off the Lord. Jesus Christ. Is Who We Are. But Not only was Paul address it to the church. He understands who the church belongs to notice. He says it's the Church of God belonging to God. It's not the things of this world. It's not yours, it's not my church is not your church, is God's Church in prices, they had. Can I hear an amen? Both of you following anybody other than Christ. I don't care how good your preacher speaks or the ladder or how much he doesn't speak well or how popular it. Maybe we live in a culture today that has popularity as a great value washer like the way that got says it. I sure like the way that choir sounds, I sure like the music that's going on their folks, the church belongs to God Almighty. Not a particular Pastor or particular Power Group within the church that we don't have that problem. You're a man.

Glad y'all agree with that. Just confirming what I thought all along, right? But the church belongs to God, it is his church, the church belongs to God and gives a specific location thoroughly about this issue. I find it absolutely fascinating when we put our microscope lens on, and we look at what the text says, notice. He calls them by name where they are. He didn't write this letter to galatia. He didn't write it to Ephesus. He didn't want it to Phillipi. He didn't write it to anybody else. He was speaking specifically to what was going on in the life of corn. Why? Because he knew these people, he spend time with these people. Hate evangelize. You been at home. See if you laid hands on, he had prayed with them and he saw their Spiritual Development and one point in his letter, he refers to them as is. Child as his church as his men to him, being their spiritual father and their birth in Christ coming through the gospel of evangelism that he had, but notice he called them by name. You see while there may be a universal shirts, are also local assemblies that God has ordained and and allowed us to be a part of how do we know that in Revelation Chapter 2 and chapter 3? Matter fact, I'm going to share a few names with when he refers to the locations. He gives us these locations here in scripture in Revelation Chapter 2 and 3. He identified the uniqueness of the assembly dealing and addressing seven churches in Asia, Minor, my name. Now, this is Jesus being recorded by the Apostle, John while he was exiled, on the Isle of Patmos in a vision. Jesus speaks to him and he tells them write down all the things that you see in that I tell you. And here we have this record in Revelation, Chapter 2 and 3. I need addresses. The churches. He says, to the church in Ephesus Church, in Smyrna, to park, on the thighs. Here. I would argue to Pine Bluff.

God's word speaks to us individually, it's not a random. Anomaly, God is very specific when he's writing to his church. And when Paul is speaking to the church in Corinth. He wants to make sure that they understand who they are and who he is speaking to specifically dealing with every one of their issues that have been brought up in his letters to the Corinthians and Revelation Chapter 2 and 3. We see that only two of those seven churches listed are commended by the Lord for Thy Faithfulness, the other five rebuked for some issue and we don't have time for that today. But I want to leave you with this key point about understanding the renewed identity in the church. The Church of Jesus Christ is the only place where its membership. Dues were paid by the owner. Think about that for a minute, you join a club when it's a hunting club, or Fitness club, or whatever, kind of thing. You want to join. You have to pay to be a part of it, and someone else has to let you be a part of it. Did you know that the church is? The only place where is membership. Dues were paid by Jesus Christ himself. It's the blood of Christ that allows you to even become part of the body of Christ, without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You are not part of the body of Christ. There is only one way to Salvation in his name is Jesus as you enter in by any other door. The scripture said you'd be equivalent of a thief or a robber trying to sneak your way in, but it won't. Hold one day. God will separate the wheat from the tares. That's not our job to do. That's God's job to do and I promise you, he will be faithful in doing that. Do you know that your membership is secure because of Jesus Christ. Are you still trying to pay your own dues?

We hope it's the, the former Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We have no other way to join the the church Universal. Other than the coming through the door. The Jesus opened. I am the door. I am the way I am. The bread of life. I am the light of the world. No one comes to the father, except by me. But, secondly, I want to share with you A Renewed awareness as we kick off this year. Not only to the weariness of the sanctification that we have in Christ Jesus noticing birth to Paul addresses this back. And he says not only did Forint but then he takes it another level further. Just to make sure in case there's any confusion for those. That would have been, there is Paul's letter would have been read to them because you see, there was a lot of things going on in Christ that are contrary to what we find in. Verse to, I call Paul wants to recall, their memory of being exactly who they're supposed to be because he knows he's going to get into it in the letter. He's going to address some things that show their other than Sanctified activities going on among the body of Christ in Corinth notice. He says to those Sanctified in Christ Jesus, the very issue of three sanctify means to become or be dedicated to God either and distinction devotion or tomorrow. E. When were Sanctified to price. There's only one way that we can become sanctified. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures, tell us about the high priest in this day called Ian confer. With a high priest, would offer a sacrifice for his own sins. Then he would go before the holy of holies on behalf of the nation of his or her offer since in offering for the nation to be Sanctified to be covered if you will by Blood, but you see that covering would never completely purify them. They would have to do this year in and year out over and over and over. I don't know about y'all but I am so grateful to Jesus's blood on the cross of Calvary paid for my sins once, and for all this. He proclaimed to tell us die. It is finished but there's nothing else that we need to do other than place our trust and faith in Christ. Repent of our sins and be baptized in the water to be in fellowship with his community and begin living, a life of discipleship. That is the Salvation that is the sanctification process that we are in in Christ Jesus. There's no other way. And to trust and Obey. I think we sang that song. I'm going to go. Man how quickly we can sing it though, but our lives, often emulate that we need to be reminded of this issue to trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus. But to trust and Obey. Let me give you three truths about the sanctification that we have in Jesus Christ. Number one, worst thing, the fight by Christ Sanctified, by his blood and Hebrews 9:22, the writer of Hebrews depending on how you take and I won't go down to see a logical rabbit hole for a moment. But depending on who you think the writer was that writer may have spent some time in Forint maybe even passing the church important. How do you remind me? Audience in Hebrews chapter 9 lesson, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Very clear on. That doesn't make sense about the song Jesus coming in and when he said, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Cuz I knew what would follow the sanctification that we have, by Christ by the blood that was shed on Gaga a hill by calvary's cross. Jesus died on that. Glorious first Christmas tree, but secondly, we know that we're not only Sanctified by Christ. We are Sanctified in Christ. What do we mean by being Sanctified in Christ? The scripture is very clear that Jesus did something for you and I that we could never do for ourself. What was that thing that he did for us? He provided the pure offering. He who knew no, sin became sin, so that we may be his righteousness that we have recorded in scripture. He who knew no sin, a perfect blameless spotless. Lamb of God, that was offered up. When we were Sanctified. We were Sanctified in price or think. If I'd advise blood or think about any, but thoroughly were Sanctified for Christ. We're Sanctified for Christ in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 10. It tells us very clearly that for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Seek the truth about sanctification that it was done by Christ. It was done in Christ and it was Sanctified. We are Sanctified for him. God has a purpose for you, the very same way when got them form for Madame out of the ground out of the Adamo, the dirt and he breathes life into it and created Adam and said go forth and have the minion. The very same purpose for that creation. We have the same purpose in Christ. Jesus. Now to be his workmanship to have the Dominion that he intended for Adam and woman to have over all creation and to go forth and Proclaim, his glorious truth to the ends of the Earth. Hello, I'm with you to the end of the age. You reminds us that we're not Sanctified in Christ. We have no part of Christ there. For Christ is not our head. Therefore. We are not the Church of Christ. But if we were, in cries were Sanctified, Mike, rice or purified for Christ. We are Sanctified for the work. He's called us to therefore. We are the church did. He said I will build my church. And the gates of Hades will not Prevail against it. What a beautiful understanding that Focus not my job. It's not the deacons job is not Elders job. It's not Sunday school teacher job. It's none of our job to build my church. While we all have a stewardship responsibility with what gift in God has given us, it is gone responsibility that he is told us. I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not Prevail against it. Isn't it wonderful that we can rest renewed in our sanctification that we have in Jesus Christ, but their lie I want to share with you. I renewed desire for assembly. Notice in the second part of the first two, he says, call to be Saints together. Not individually not on the boat. On the lake thinking about fishing, right? He's called us to be the Saints together in assembly. That's what assembly means to gather together. He's addressing it very seriously to the church. That's there. In Corinth call Kaleo summoned to be Saints. Hockey off that word. Holy and righteous. Did join together in the body of Christ. What makes the church so different than anything else we know in our culture than anything. We know when civilization is society. What unites us together is not the Jersey we where it's not the team. We root for. It's the fact that we are indeed brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a a blood Bond because of the blood of Jesus Christ that unites us all the same blood that runs through your veins now and sanctification through the power of the holy spirit is the same blood running through my veins. Jesus even said I didn't call for there to be peace. Matter fact, father will be against brother. Mother will be against daughter. But isn't it wonderful that in Christ were to be United in all things in all things? Unity. Why? Because the same blood runs through your veins now that's been Sanctified by Jesus Christ, black yellow, red or white. They are all precious in His sight. A man. That's what we are called to be as the church A Renewed desire to be together. So what do we do? What what's the example? Why do we have to be together? Number one? I want to share with you that their spiritual strength in numbers because a Christian without a church, is indeed an orphan. A Christian, a lot of churches in North, right. So here's a spiritual strength in numbers. I want to share with you really quickly. A couple passage of scripture, just write them down for you that the wisest man to ever live or whatever. Live by the name of Solomon. Record forcing Ecclesiastes. This wisdom literature book and Ecclesiastes. 414e says, the following and do a man might Prevail against one, who is Alone 2? Where was stand him? And a three cord is not quickly broken. But I don't know about you but there are spiritual warfare going on in my life and my family's life in my wife, life in my life and my children's life on a daily basis. And if I tried to fight those things, all by myself one, I might Prevail against two. Will overtake me? Three will surely meet me under. Isn't it wonderful that we have a church body that we can come together and be strengthened by that? When I'm spiritually in need? When I'm hurting when I'm broken right? Need healing. I can talk to my brothers to my left and right and they will lift me up. Matter fact in Exodus in chapter 17. We see this great battle that Moses goes any Israel defeat samluk in the Old Testament, but Moses is so weary that he can't keep his arms up and he was told as long as your arms are up. You'll Prevail now, that's great right now. If we do this tonight, I had some I had some folks in my younger years that made me do this for a long time. And I got I learned some new tricks when I was in the military. And I would stand like this for a long time. It's all eventually I could not for the life of me, hold my arms up, any longer and then I get them back up. Right? And they find some other devilish, way of inflicting, bodily pain on. But eventually my arms, no matter how strong we are. I would drop to your side. You see Moses was doing well when he was on his own strength, but what God was showing Moses was, you can't do this alone? Cuz your arms are going to begin to fall. You can only carry but so much you can only be there but so much. And you know, what you need, you need brother's to come alongside you so that they can help you. And verse 12. It says, but Moses hands grew weary, so they had us, they took a stone and they put it under us. We can sit down, he sat on it. I want Aaron and Hur held up his hands one on one side, 10 on the other side. So his hands were steadily until going down of the Sun than Joshua overwhelmed and Malik, and his people with a sword. What a beautiful picture even for the New Testament Church, to understand that when we gather together, the purpose of the assembly is because eventually, I don't know about you, but my arms get tired of your arms, get tired and I need someone to come alongside me and hold them up. And when that fails and I've got no one to hold up my arms. When you've got no church to help, hold up your arms where you got no small group. No Sunday school class to help lift you up when you're going through difficulty. What's the one thing we say, you? Abandon me?

We start throwing stones and saying, well, the church isn't there. But we got to be part of it because we need each other. Our new desired assembly, helps us understand that there are spiritual strength in numbers. But there's also a spiritual Point number to spiritual work must be done together. There's a reason God gave us gifts to do that as well. See you later on. I don't know next year. Sometime after 12. We're going to get into understanding this issue of the gift. But he says this. Now, there are various of gifts for the same spirit and there are varieties of service. But the same lord and there are a variety of activities, but it's the same God, who empowers them all and everyone to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. You don't remember. None of it. Just hit First Corinthians 12. The Reason God gave us the gift. We have is for the common good of the body of Christ to edify and uplift and to facilitate godliness the monks God's people.

Spiritual work must be done in community. We can't do it alone. It takes all of us together, every hand, every feet, every I Ever Knows, every tongue, the undesirable Parts. The desirable parts. We all work in concert. The way God has created his church, but too often folks. I think we're like that football team. Never seen a football team play football and right off the bat. It's like the Dallas Cowboys and the Redskins beating last week. Right off the bat. It's like 47 to 0. And the team that's got zero. You watch their sideline. Y'all see that game? Not picking on y'all. By the way, Jesus loves you. But they start fighting one player punches the other player in the face on the same team.

But that's what happens even in the church when we're divided, when we were at, we think we're fighting a losing battle that we can't possibly overcome and we lose, guess what happened? We start fighting against each other. The next thing, you know, you got the Deacon punching the other Deacon or okay, that he can punch in the pasture, right? That's never happened here, by the way.

But you understand the concept and we're not working together. We get defeated. We feared spiritually feel the underdog and we start to fight about all the other stuff cuz taking our eyes off Jesus and what he called us to. There's a reason, God has given us, the gifts, we have, and it's for the manifestation of the spirit of God, for the common, good of his church. Not your church, his church. But there's only there's a spiritual mandate that we are to assemble together. Facebook. I love you guys. Keep watching. Leave us some comments. But Facebook, social media while all those things may be necessary, a different seasons of our life because of circumstances, if your home bound and you're watching, God bless, you. Continue to watch. We will continue to love on you and minister to you. The best, we know to minister to you. But there's no exception for meeting together. Here's what the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews. 10. 22, says, let us hold fast to the confession of Our Hope, without wavering, for he, who promised is faithful. That's good, isn't it? Here's what he says on the next first and and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. Stir up the pot show. Me all. Do we know start a pot to Good Works? Not neglecting to meet together. As is the habit of some. But encouraging one, another and all the more as you see the day Drawing Near. But that's the renewed desire. We should have is the body of Christ to be amongst the people of God, doing the very work. He's, Stu. And if there's no desire for us to be doing those things, if we're not willing to rearrange, whatever is going on in our lives, it stops us from being able to Fellowship in two and be disciple together. The body of Christ. There is no desire. When your desire has broke and it needs to get fixed because there should be a desire for the people of God together, with the people of God. And I'll just put this disclaimer out here. If it's not this church. And you're so broken that, you got to go somewhere else. Let us send you with our blessings and help find a place where you can desire to be amongst that Fellowship because both that's what God has called us to be and call this to do. It is a spiritual mandate through scripture that we gather together. It is our togetherness. That makes us the Church of Christ. We're not together where an individual believer where a hand a finger of foot, but you ever try to do something with one finger that requires the whole body is pretty hard to do right hard to take that 50 lb sack of something when you're just trying to do it with your pinky finger requires the back and the arms, everything working against Bend at the knees. Right? We got to work together as the body of Christ before that. I want to share with you. Another thing that we need to be renewed in his are renewed witness noticed. What? He tells the church in the last part of her stew, with all those who in every place. Call upon the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Both their lord and I H C. Paul was all about expanding and working and taking the ministry, two places. It hadn't been evangelized yet. What do you use the church at the primary mechanism for the witness of the body of Christ? The work of the Gathering Church, does a few things. What do we do when we gather together? I want to share with you. You don't have to write them down at 7 real quick. Things that we do when we gather together. Number one, we glorify God, Amen. We glorify God, all of our life should be spent this way of gathering declares this purpose as we see through scriptures, number two, and I'm going to go through these quickly for the purpose of time. Number to, we glorify God, but we exemplify the church. We are God's people, Christ's body in the spirit Temple. The shepherd's flock, The Vines branch that Kingdom Citizen, and then demonstration of God's wisdom and peace for a Dying World. Who doesn't know the kingdom of God, they can see it. And you and me. when I walk through the doors, as a visitor, how much courage it takes for someone who is Lost. I'll just call it that who has no salvation Salvation experience, with Jesus Christ to come into the doors of the church and a walk into our culture, as great as it is. Scare me, and I know you

Imagine how difficult it is for a lost person that has mustered up. The courage that feels drawn by the conviction that they need to come to church. Because that's where God is, that's where God's people are as we're God's word will be spoken and they don't understand God's word for morse code most of the time. But something is wrong and we know that something we song about it, the Holy Spirit and John 14 and John 15. The gods gave us the Holy Spirit and Matthew chapter 6 verse 44. I believe it is. It says, it's less the father calls you and draws him to himself. No man comes on his own the father and draws them that Holy Spirit. When a person comes into the church, for the first time, we can overwhelm them. But man, what a witness? When we wrap our arms around them and we greet them and we say hello. God loves you. Despite you God's already factored in my deficiencies. By the way, you think about that for a minute? That's how much he loves me. And he already is a factored in my mistakes and my errors in my issues and my peculiarities. He's already factored them into who I am. When he called me to be a pastor. Give me a deacon. Give me a Sunday, school teacher. He's already factored yours into, by the way. How scary is church can be but we exemplify. God. We are God's people. Where the visible manifestation of the kingdom of God here on Earth. But thoroughly, we edify. The saint everything is done and got to be done for building up. The Saints as Paul is going to describe throughout his letter for the currency in church. Today, Fusion Church, the Philippian church galatian church to all of them the Roman Church. Everything we do to edify to lift up the build-up to strengthen. Express number for expresses and promotes Fellowship to Koinonia that sense of family that we have. It's not only an act that we do, but it's an expression and a promotion of the fellowship in the family that we have because we are the family of God fist, Lee it impresses Outsiders. Oh, I don't care about them. We ought to because they ought to see something that's so radically different from them that it draws their attention. I wonder they got something. I don't got. There's something missing in my life that place seems like it's got something. I need to go check that out. See the world looking for answers, folks. Why do you think we have the economy that we have? Are you think we have the social media that we have? Why do you think we have the Facebook to the Met other, whatever you want to call it. It's going on today that people are just walking to because they're looking for an answer to life issues and are hoping they can find it on a YouTube video on a Facebook on a social media post on Twitter or SnapChat or something else. But what it should be found where it can be found is with the Church of God. We ought to be trying to impress Outsiders so that we can share with them. And when an opportunity is Paul said I become all things to all men to buy some, I might win a few so we can proclaim the gospel to them the number 6 and commemorates, and Proclaim salvation are witnesses. The proclamation of the good news is transform Our Lives. If we've been transformed, I want to remember it as fast as we sit around, we talked about how can we witness the folks in the house and we're Outreach to our community. And how is your church? Pastor? You know, we, we talked to that to Pastor that's got ten thousand people at his church and new people are coming every week and 1,000 different Ministries. How do you do that? But I remember this one. Pastor says that this way, we don't have a formal outreach program. Will scratch your head. What do you mean? He says, here's what I think, found people find people. Think about that for a minute. Found people find people that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. You see, we want to Proclaim salvation to others to our neighbors, to our co-workers, to our friends, put a new family that just moved into the ups and we don't know from Adam, but we're in the car line with them and their child. Going to the same school, my child going to found people find people that's the program. Jesus initiated for us to proclaim the truth of his salvation go and make disciples Jesus told us and Matthew's gospel, but lastly it illumines and affirm the members of the people. The household of God, the family of God. You see when we gather together our renewed witness. Is that others get to see that light on a hill that can't be hidden the light of the world.

We are the candle if you will by which others find their way to Salvation fifthly. Let me close with this point. Number 5, Looking verse 3 with me. Our renewed identity in Christ grace to you and peace from God. Our Father and the Lord. Jesus Christ. Noticed the pronoun use their in the way to describe God our Father. A Unity that we have now is the same family of God, with the same headship of the god of creation, and the Lord Curry off, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The one Simeon we talked about last week says I have seen the Christ. The Lord's Christ. What a beautiful picture for us. The three requirements of our identity is found in the Lord. Our identity is in Christ. Your three things that need to be present. Number one. We will Unite with a local assembly. It's not an option cause Church calls us to do that again. If you're not a member of a local church that you're a spiritual Christian, orphan looking for a home to live in that was never intended to be God's way number, to be faithful to your local assembly. Be faithful to yourself local assembly. We sang the song trust and Obey trust and Obey. There is no other way, right? And I love that song. But I also kind of gripping. Grimace every time I hear it cuz I know the reality that song we don't want to preach on obedience to often cuz we live in a culture and time that we don't like obeying anyting. We don't like to be told what to do as Americans. It's My Life. I'll live it the way I want to live it. Well, if you're a part of the church, let me share a little insight with you. It's no longer your life for you have died to self and you're alive in Christ Jesus. We live to glorify him. And I know it's easier to say it from a Pulpit in the live. It tomorrow morning. Send me, you'll be tested before you leave the driveway. That's the reality of the life. We live in or call to be faithful to our church. And if you don't like something, talk to your pastor, talk to your Deacon, don't Rumor Mill behind the scenes, and Scuttle buttin, share all the, the bad stuff that's going on cuz you don't know. Nothing drives me more nuts than people that have a problem than ever taken in the first. And they could write the problem to begin with in the first place. I mean, it's just crazy to me. I see it all the time. Every organization is not just churches, but around around, it's our nature. We want to talk about the issues with people that have no ability to influence or make it any different. Now, we do a stir, the pot, the negative way. Be faithful to our assembly, and thirdly be ready for the work that God has called you to, the God has called us to the God has called the church to. You. See, there are some layers to this thing of the work that God has called you to do. He's called you to do something. If you're a member of this body of Christ, I want to ask you this and I'll challenge you this. Where are you serving the body? 80% of the ministry in this church is done by 20% of the people that's in every Church. By the way, you don't feel bad about yourself too much, but there is a place for you to serve. If you're not serving, There's an opportunity for you to serve. And I know this about your pastor. If you have a passion for something, he will be your biggest champion. I will, I will I will harness a team of oxen behind you to help you plow. Whatever, ho, in row that God has called you and your gifting and your passions. If it aligns with what we need to be doing as a church, I will be your biggest advocate.

The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Was the same for Jesus's day and it's the same in our day. Where are you serving or you just consuming buffet? And I know y'all are going to do this and you're going to feed yourself from the great trough, right? You're going to try everything on the menu at Buffet. And when you got done with your meal, y'all fat happy and satisfied, Ryan ready for a nap, got to have your husband drive home, cuz you ready? Take a nap on the way. That's the kind of full I'm talking about. You know what I'm saying? But instead of paying the bill, you just walk out the door. Did your car drive home? But you know, that's what happens in every Church crossed America on a daily basis on Sunday morning. You come and consume you come and get fat and happy and get fed up and you walk out the door without ever giving back to Christ without ever serving the body without even wondering. How can I give back? What could I do? Want to pay my tithe? Keep your tithe? Come and serve see what God can do with that. He don't need your money. By the way, I'll get in trouble. If I don't say that. However, you understand that there's a place for every single member of the body in this church to serve and I'm from last firmly. Believe this, God will not continue to bless our church with growth and reaching this community until our people get off their hands and begin serving. We can't do it. We just can't do it at the bottom light. We need some renewed experience of a service in our church. But against with renewing who we are in Christ and what he's called us to be in the local body to be faithful to be ready. There's more work here than the 20% can possibly do. And I'll be honest with you. It is defeating. It is discouraging when you're part of the 20% and you work yourself to death and nobody helps you. You get discouraged? I will go too much further with that bush. We all need to sir. We all have a place to serve. God has given us his only close with an illustration. I think it's pretty cool. Cuz I like coffee, right? I'm a coffee connoisseur. I'm kind of becoming a coffee snob. At this point. My life right on Duncan. Isn't that cool? I don't like Dunkin Donuts coffee. But anyway, American runs on. Duncan. Here's what I think's going on in America. Here's what it looks like. Here's what it looks like in the church. Do you go to the next picture for me? Here's what we're running on in the church. We got a flat tire we from the donut on and we're hoping we can get to our destination. But we know 45 miles an hour. How many Oliver had a donut on your car, you know the deal you still driving like you got the regular Tire on right? They passed by me all the time. I'm here before long.