1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,280 Good morning everyone. Welcome to Vita Springs. 2 00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:05,600 My name is Tony Rand Vessel and the lead pastor here. 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,120 As the lead pastor, one of my jobs is to bring order and 4 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,760 sanity back to the church. That's why I'm wearing what I'm 5 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,480 wearing. You can disregard Gordon and 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,640 everything he just said. We're going to be re evaluating 7 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,000 his employment here. Josh, you too. 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,480 You can't hide. I'm just messing. 9 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,160 Fun game last night. I hope you didn't stay up to the 10 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:29,720 end because then you'd be super tired. 11 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,439 But and after it's 41 to nothing, it's like you can just 12 00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:33,720 go to bed. You know how this thing's going 13 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,360 to end. So all right, seriously though, 14 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:38,880 why don't you take out your Bibles? 15 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,720 We're going to be in the book of Ephesians today. 16 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,160 We're taking a break from our preaching series through the 17 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:45,680 book of John. We've been in the book of John 18 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,400 for months now. We're taking a seven week 19 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,040 hiatus. We're going to be teaching 20 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,360 through a series called Church Anatomy One O 1. 21 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,400 So the human body is, it is an amazing thing. 22 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,040 You probably didn't know this, but you have in your body 23 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:10,200 somewhere around 30 to 40 trillion cells, not billion 24 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:19,560 trillion cells, 600 muscles, 206 bones, 78 to 80 organs. 25 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,320 People are, they don't know if this is an organ or not. 26 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,720 So there's a little range there and 11 organ systems. 27 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:30,240 So a lot of different parts, many different parts and pieces 28 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,040 and they all do different things, but they all work 29 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:38,160 together in harmony so that you can live, so that you can grow, 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,280 so that you can function and so that you can flourish. 31 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,200 Now, when a part of your body, even if it's a small part of 32 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,080 your body is not working, right, it's off it's sick, it gets 33 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,800 hurt, that negatively affects the whole, right? 34 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,960 You've experienced that. I had a little, some kind of a 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,200 little virus this week, not sure what it was. 36 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,760 I told my wife I felt like I had a cup of water sloshing around 37 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,840 in my head all week long, right? And it just, I felt off because 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,560 of that. You know this, if you've ever 39 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,639 gotten up to go to the bathroom at night, you decide you're not 40 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,880 going to turn the lights on and you kick the dresser with your 41 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,760 pinky toe, right? I mean, that will like ruin your 42 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,720 life for a while. And it's just your pinky toe. 43 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,200 But a part of the body got hurt and now the whole body is 44 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,560 suffering. So in this series, we're going 45 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,240 to be talking about the, as I said, the the body, but not the 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:33,800 physical body. We're going to be talking about 47 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,520 the body of Christ. This is one of the most frequent 48 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,240 images used in the Bible to describe the church. 49 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:45,120 We are the body of Jesus Christ here on planet earth. 50 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,600 The church body is composed of parts, and those parts are 51 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,520 people. They're me. 52 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,520 They're you. They're Christians. 53 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:55,800 Every Christian is a part of the body. 54 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,040 We all do different things. We all have different 55 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,840 responsibilities when we work together, the church functions 56 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,000 properly, the church grows, the church lives, the church 57 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,200 flourishes. And likewise, when part of the 58 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,040 body is off or sick or hurt or not doing its job, then the 59 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,320 whole body actually suffers, it's affected. 60 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,960 So we're going to be in this series for seven weeks. 61 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,480 It's going to be kind of a two-part series. 62 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,160 The first three weeks we're going to be focusing a lot on 63 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,920 our identity and our purpose as the church, as the body of 64 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:31,680 Christ. So today we're going to be 65 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,000 talking about our identity, how we are a Kingdom, we are a 66 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,080 household, we are a temple. These are some images that the 67 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,600 apostle uses to describe what the church is. 68 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,080 Next week we'll be talking about how we are a holy people. 69 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,680 Then we'll talk about how we have to be a missional 70 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,720 community, right? A community that is on mission 71 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,920 together. And then for the four weeks 72 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,720 after that, we'll be talking some about church membership, 73 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,400 how all the parts are necessary, church discipline and church 74 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,720 accountability in the midst of membership. 75 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,600 What is your job as members? And then how as members we have 76 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:06,680 spiritual leadership that is a gift from God. 77 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,040 So that's where we're going to be going for the next 7 weeks as 78 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,240 we really unpack this series. And our hopes are very simple. 79 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,720 We want to help us understand the identity and the purpose of 80 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:18,959 the church. It's important. 81 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,600 The church is the hope of the world. 82 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,280 The church has been entrusted with the gospel. 83 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:24,160 We have a very important job to do. 84 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,200 And so it helps when we know what are we and how are we 85 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:28,800 supposed to be doing this together. 86 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,960 And we're going to talk a bit about your need for becoming a 87 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,560 member of a local church, how that really is important. 88 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,480 That is something that every Christian should be pursuing. 89 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,840 And then we're actually going to be launching our new membership 90 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:45,320 series in October. So we'll be talking about that 91 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:50,320 as that gets closer. But as far as today goes, in 92 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,440 Ephesians chapter 2, let me kind of Orient us a little bit before 93 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:54,640 we dive in. We're going to be looking at 94 00:04:54,640 --> 00:05:01,080 verses 11 through 22, the verses previous chapter 2, verses one 95 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,520 through 10. The apostle Paul has been 96 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,120 sharing the gospel message with the Ephesians, reminding them of 97 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:13,200 this powerful, powerful truth that all of us are born dead in 98 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:20,560 our sins, but God in love, by his grace through faith in 99 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,720 Jesus, makes us alive together in Christ, right? 100 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,800 This gospel truth. And then in the following verses 101 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,960 11 through 22, he he shares some of the implications of our 102 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,640 salvation, including these three very vivid images describing our 103 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,560 identity together. And so when Jesus saves you, you 104 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,800 were born again and you become a Christian. 105 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,160 We actually become citizens of God's Kingdom. 106 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,800 We become members of his household or his family, and we 107 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,760 become stones in His holy temple. 108 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,000 OK, so three very good, powerful images we're going to be 109 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,880 unpacking today. Before I read the text, I want 110 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,680 to give us a brief moment of quiet just so you can take a 111 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:10,320 minute and gather yourself and clear your head and focus your 112 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,520 heart on Jesus. Open yourself up. 113 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,360 We're about to hear from God through His scriptures. 114 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:16,920 This is a very, very important moment. 115 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,200 I would say this is the most important time of our week 116 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,720 together as a body that we hear from God together. 117 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,600 And so let me give us about 15 or 20 minutes, seconds, not 118 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,680 minutes of silence. And then we'll just go home 119 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,280 after that, no seconds. And then I'll pray for us. 120 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,640 I'll read the text and then I'll I'll pray for us. 121 00:06:37,640 --> 00:07:07,680 So let's take a moment. Ephesians chapter 2 starting in 122 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:15,520 verse 11, Apostle Paul writes, He says, therefore remember that 123 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:21,320 at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision 124 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,000 by what is called the circumcision, which is made in 125 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,800 the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at that 126 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,440 time separated from Christ, alienated from the Commonwealth 127 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:38,120 of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no 128 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,320 hope, and without God in the world. 129 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:48,440 But now in Christ Jesus. You who once were far off have 130 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,800 been brought near by the blood of Christ. 131 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:57,360 For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one, and has 132 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,800 broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by 133 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,240 abolishing the law of commandments expressed in 134 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:09,440 ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place 135 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:15,440 of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God 136 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:20,760 in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 137 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,160 And He came and preached peace to you who are far off, and 138 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,680 peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have 139 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,320 access in one spirit to the Father. 140 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,679 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you 141 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,559 are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the 142 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:45,200 household of God built on the foundation of the apostles and 143 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,680 the prophets. Christ Jesus Himself being the 144 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:52,800 cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together, 145 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,720 grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 146 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,760 In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place 147 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:08,280 for God by the Spirit. Let's pray, Father, help us to 148 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:12,440 get this. We live in a nation and in a 149 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,160 world that glorifies independence. 150 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,720 I, I am my own man. I could do what I want and leave 151 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,520 me alone and that. But that's not what you call us 152 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:25,320 to as Christians. You rescue us from sin and 153 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:30,080 death, and you place us in this body, this precious temple, this 154 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,480 household, this Kingdom that you yourself are building. 155 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,840 And Lord, we want to play our part and so help us and teach us 156 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,840 this morning and over the next seven weeks. 157 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,480 And I pray for a great strength of unity here at Veda Springs 158 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:48,320 Church that you would be pleased to bless us and to dwell among 159 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,400 us. And so we give you this time and 160 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,560 we pray this all in Jesus name, Amen. 161 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:00,800 OK, so in this text, starting in verse 11, we see Paul is telling 162 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:05,640 the Ephesian believers what they were before Christ. 163 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,280 And so as we hear this, we are hearing here's what we were 164 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,640 before Jesus saved us. Very simply stated, we were 165 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,360 separated from God and we were separated from God's people. 166 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:23,040 That is very, very bad news, OK? He says in verse 11 it says 167 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:28,840 therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh 168 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,760 called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, 169 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,360 which is made in the flesh by hands, pause there. 170 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,920 So he is speaking to Gentile believers. 171 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:42,000 So in this day there were two major people groups or people 172 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,560 divisions. There were Jews and there were 173 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,880 Gentiles. The Jews were God's people, 174 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,360 God's chosen people that he was in covenant with. 175 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:54,320 And the Gentiles were pagans. They didn't worship the God of 176 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,600 the Bible. You could call them spiritual 177 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,280 outsiders. OK. 178 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:05,080 The Jews are God's chosen. The males had the mark of 179 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,640 circumcision. So when you were a little boy, 180 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,000 you were born when you were eight days old, mom and dad 181 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,960 would bring it to the temple and you were physically marked with 182 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,720 the mark of circumcision. And that was a kind of a 183 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,680 physical marker that showed a spiritual reality, OK? 184 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:23,800 It shows that you and your offspring, hence the location, 185 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:29,080 are in covenant with God, OK. The new mark of circumcision is 186 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:30,960 baptism. OK, That's what it is in the New 187 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,320 Testament. You go into the water, you come 188 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,520 out of the water. That is the marker that you are 189 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,840 now in covenant with God. So what are the covenants, very 190 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,800 briefly to the biggies in the Old Testament or the covenant 191 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,320 that God made with Abraham first, way back in Genesis, that 192 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,320 God would give him a land, He would give him many descendants, 193 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,880 many offspring, and that the whole world would be blessed 194 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,360 through Abraham. There's God makes a covenant 195 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,080 with Moses, and the essence of the covenant was with Moses is 196 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:03,320 that if the Jewish people would follow the laws, would follow 197 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,720 the commands of God, they would be blessed by God. 198 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,560 He also makes a covenant with David. 199 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,600 He tells David that there would always be a descendant of David 200 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,880 who would rule as king over God's people. 201 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,640 OK, so if you're a Jew, you are circumcised. 202 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,320 It shows you're in covenant with that God who made those 203 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:28,600 promises. The Gentiles were uncircumcised. 204 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:31,640 They're called the uncircumcision, right? 205 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:35,200 It's a derogatory term. They're not in covenant with 206 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,520 God. They're worshipping false gods. 207 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,440 The New Testament tells us they're actually demons. 208 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,440 They're cut off from the one true God and from his people and 209 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,560 from his promises. OK, so that is not good. 210 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,720 He rubs this in verse 12. He highlights this, emphasizes 211 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,680 this, reminds them of this. He says, remember that you were 212 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:04,560 at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the 213 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:09,400 Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of 214 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:14,560 promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 215 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:20,520 So as a Gentile, you had no Christ, you had no people of God 216 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,280 who were in your corner. You had no promises to rest in. 217 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,160 You had no hope. You had no true God. 218 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:32,840 And this is as bad as it gets. If we're thinking soberly, 219 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,280 spiritually, this is as bad as it gets. 220 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,080 This is worse than losing your job. 221 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,080 This is worse than getting dumped by your boyfriend or your 222 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,160 girlfriend. This is worse than getting a 223 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,880 cancer diagnosis. To be separated from God, His 224 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:51,640 promises, His people, and His hope is the worst news possible. 225 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:58,760 He's reminding them of their previously spiritually hopeless 226 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:03,640 condition before God rescued them in Christ. 227 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,120 If it feels like a downer, it's because it is, right? 228 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:15,760 It's a huge downer. The good news of the gospel 229 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:21,160 starts with bad news, and that bad news is that apart from 230 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,400 Jesus, we're hopeless. We're hopeless. 231 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:26,920 We have no hope, we have no future, we have no people, we 232 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,800 have no God. That's as bad as it gets. 233 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,400 And I'll just a kind of a minor point of application here, 234 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,480 because we're getting into the good news. 235 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,360 The good news starts with bad news, right? 236 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,440 The gospel is good news. It starts with this bad news. 237 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,880 If you go to a church and all they tell you is God loves you 238 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,200 and he wants to make you happy and he wants to make you rich, 239 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,200 and that's why God exists. It's for your happiness and for 240 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,320 your joy. But they never talk about sin. 241 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,400 They never talk about separation from God because of sin. 242 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,480 They never talk about the reality of hell. 243 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:05,440 They're not actually telling you the good news. 244 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,280 They're giving you a little bit of the good news, but they're 245 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:14,720 not giving you the whole story. The gospel good news starts 246 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:19,120 with, not us. It starts with God, right? 247 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,280 God is holy. God is just. 248 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,400 We are not. We are unrighteous. 249 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:32,000 We are sinners, Romans tells us. No one is righteous, not even 250 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,600 one, because we have sinned against our holy God. 251 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,880 We have earned right punishment, right judgment, because of our 252 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,360 sin. To be right with God, you either 253 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,840 need to follow the law perfectly, which nobody can do, 254 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:56,200 or you have to have your sin, your crimes atoned for by a 255 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,880 sacrifice so that you can be forgiven. 256 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,320 And if you've ever read through the Old Testament, there's a lot 257 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,640 of blood in that book. There's a lot of dying, there's 258 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,640 a lot of animals being sacrificed because you know why? 259 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,600 There's a lot of sin among God's people and that sin must be 260 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,480 atoned for. It must be paid for, that there 261 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,040 would be justice. So the good news actually starts 262 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,720 with very bad news, all of sin and fall short of the glory of 263 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,200 God. The wages of sin is death. 264 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,040 This is where every human being, whether you are a Jew or a 265 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,640 Gentile, finds ourselves because of our sin. 266 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,720 This is very bad news. We're not right with God. 267 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,000 But again, it's not where the gospel ends, thank goodness, 268 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,600 because then we're all depressed. 269 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:44,840 We leave. We have no hope. 270 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,440 The gospel doesn't stop with the bad news. 271 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,040 We see in the next verse in verse 13 this beautiful glorious 272 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,640 reversal. Look at verse 13. 273 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,280 Now we see what God has done. He says. 274 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,720 But now turning point in the text, this is what you were, but 275 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:12,599 now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off, IE you 276 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:19,920 Gentiles, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 277 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:25,200 So people who were separated from God because of their sin 278 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,920 have now been reconciled to God, brought back into right 279 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,320 relationship with God through the blood of Jesus, through 280 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,800 faith in Jesus. So the sin that earned us our 281 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,400 condemnation and our separation from God is forgiven. 282 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:47,600 It's paid for, it's atoned for. The unholiness that we lived in 283 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,480 is cleansed. This is why I say we are 284 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,160 cleansed by the blood of Christ. Jesus became our substitute. 285 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,080 He followed and fulfilled the law of God perfectly, what we 286 00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:59,640 were supposed to do, but we never could. 287 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,880 And then He died on the cross in our place. 288 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,400 That's where we were supposed to be for our crimes against God. 289 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,920 Jesus swaps places with us and He gives us as a gift His 290 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:19,160 righteousness and he takes upon himself our sin and our shame, 291 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,600 and he is judged by God in our place on the cross. 292 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,680 That's why the cross is the center of our faith and our life 293 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,760 as Christians. It's where this exchange happens 294 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:34,480 and we are made right with God. He goes on in verse 14 through 295 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,120 18 and let me just kind of read this whole text and then just 296 00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:40,040 give a couple thoughts about it. He says for He himself he's 297 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:45,480 talking about Jesus is our peace, who has made us both one 298 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,280 and has broken down in his flesh. 299 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,800 The dividing wall of hostility, that wall that used to be there 300 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,360 separating Jew and Gentile, has been ripped down. 301 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,120 He did this by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in 302 00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:02,480 ordinances that He might create in himself. 1 Newman in place of 303 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:08,400 the two, so making peace and verse 16 and might reconcile us 304 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:13,720 both to God in one body. There's that image. 1 body 305 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,680 through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 306 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,040 And he came and preached peace to you who are far off. 307 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:26,400 That's the Gentiles, and peace to those who were near. 308 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,840 That's the Jews who grew up with the word of God. 309 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:37,800 Verse 18 For through him we both have access in one spirit to the 310 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,160 Father. So this wonderful image of unity 311 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,320 and reconciliation that Paul is unpacking here, that he has made 312 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,880 US1 Jew and Gentile, the, the the insiders and the outsiders 313 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,320 have been brought together. The wall has been ripped down 314 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,800 between us. People who were separated from 315 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,880 each other by their religious differences are now reconciled 316 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,040 to one another. It's no longer the law keeping 317 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,360 Jews and the Pagan Gentiles. The wall of the law that 318 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:08,040 separated them is now fulfilled in Jesus. 319 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,920 Through faith in Jesus. We have peace with God because 320 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,120 our sin is forgiven. It's wiped away. 321 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,320 It's cleansed. We have peace with one another 322 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,400 because now we're in the same spiritual family. 323 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:25,000 The ground is level at the foot of the cross. 324 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,200 You know, the image that kept coming to my mind this week as I 325 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:35,480 was reading this text and studying this text is Jesus 326 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,840 coming to his world that he created and seeing all of these 327 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:46,160 broken people separated from God because of their sin, separated 328 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,920 from one another because of their sin, or different races. 329 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:53,720 There's all this division and it's like Jesus comes and to 330 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,440 those who believe Jew and Gentile both, it's like he, he 331 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,160 wraps his arms around them and he squishes them together. 332 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:02,840 You ever like when you were a kid, if you had siblings, did 333 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,480 your dad ever like grab you and squish you together with your 334 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,760 siblings? And it's like, and then he lifts 335 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,280 and then he lifts us up to God, right? 336 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:11,640 That's what he's doing with his people. 337 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,000 He comes and he, he, he just squishes us together. 338 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,320 And he says, now you're mine. You're my family, you're my 339 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,120 body, You're reconciled to one another. 340 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,520 We're going to do this together. And then he lifts us up to God 341 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,880 and reconciles us to God, right? This beautiful image of unity 342 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,240 and love and togetherness. This is what God came to do. 343 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,440 This is what Jesus lived for and died for. 344 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,280 This message is for all people, no matter what your background 345 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,680 is, no matter what your previous lifestyle was, no matter what 346 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,680 country you came from, no matter what color your skin is, no 347 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:48,920 matter what political affiliation you have, no matter 348 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,040 your education level, your income level. 349 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,160 Jesus came and he died for sinners, and if you trust in 350 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:00,120 him, you will be reconciled to God first foremost and 351 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,560 reconciled to his people as well. 352 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:07,880 He came to build a family. If you put your trust in him, 353 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,440 this can be true of you. This can be true for you. 354 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,680 And now as Christians, just a just a quick point of 355 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:18,840 encouragement for those of you who are in Christ and you've 356 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,600 trusted Jesus and you're following Jesus. 357 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:27,200 Please realize in Christ you have been linked with God and 358 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:31,800 his people forever, OK? You have been linked with God 359 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:36,240 and his people forever. You have become a part of his 360 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,480 body. You have been adopted, right? 361 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,560 Paperwork has been signed, lawyer stamped it. 362 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,760 It's legal, it's good, it's done. 363 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,680 You have been reunited. Roman says We've been grafted in 364 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,840 like a branch. We've been grafted into the 365 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,000 tree. We've been attached to him. 366 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,360 We're bound to him and his people forever. 367 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:02,200 And that's true of you when you're doing really well. 368 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,840 As a Christian, you'd say I'm on fire right now, I'm waking up, 369 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:10,040 I'm reading my Bible, I'm praying, I'm serving, I'm not 370 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,800 sinning as much as I usually do. You know, I'm doing good. 371 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,040 And it's also true of you when you're struggling. 372 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,000 And we all go through seasons, right? 373 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,560 There are times when you're more on fire and there are times when 374 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,720 you're not so on fire, but if you are truly in Christ by 375 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:28,960 faith, you are always a part of His family. 376 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,760 You belong to Him. You will not be left behind. 377 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:36,720 You will not be cast aside. In John chapter 10 verses 27 378 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,400 through 29, Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and I know them 379 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,360 and they follow me. I give them eternal life and 380 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:49,720 they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my 381 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,280 hand. My Father who has given them to 382 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:57,120 me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out 383 00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:59,920 of the Father's hand. Those are strong words of 384 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:03,320 security for you if you are in Christ through faith. 385 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,880 God is a gracious, loving, patient Father, and He loves us 386 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,400 as His children, whether we're doing amazing spiritually or 387 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,800 whether we're struggling spiritually. 388 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,440 He accepts you. He loves you because this is a 389 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,200 great news about grace. His love for you is not based on 390 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,960 your performance. You know, you're kind of 391 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,240 Christian spiritual metrics. His love for you is based upon 392 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,960 himself. And he is perfect in love, 393 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,520 abounding in steadfast love. And so even when you're 394 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:34,080 struggling, you don't have to worry. 395 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,120 Oh no, Is God mad at me? Am I out of the family? 396 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:39,720 No, you're part of the family. You've been saved by grace 397 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,000 through faith. And once you're a part of the 398 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,240 body, you will never not be a part of the body. 399 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:50,720 So stop striving to earn His love and His favor. 400 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:55,600 It has been given to you, poured out for you in Christ. 401 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,680 So this is what God has done. He squished us together and He 402 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,080 lifted us up, reconciled us to God. 403 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:10,560 Now because of this, we have a new identity, OK? 404 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,400 We have a new identity and this is what we are now. 405 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:19,320 So look at verse 19. So then he's drawing us to a 406 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:24,840 conclusion with his language. So then you are no longer 407 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:29,200 strangers and aliens. Stop there. 408 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,960 At one time they were strangers from God and strangers from God, 409 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,160 people, God's people. They were aliens. 410 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:40,240 They they were not natives, but God rescued them from that. 411 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:44,520 And he's making you into something beautiful, says you're 412 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:49,760 no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with 413 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,480 the Saints and members of the household of God built on the 414 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,840 foundation of the apostles and prophets. 415 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,320 Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole 416 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:06,280 structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the 417 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:12,720 Lord, In him, in Christ you also are being built together into a 418 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,720 dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 419 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:22,720 So we have these three images of our new identity. 420 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,120 We're citizens of a Kingdom, we're members of a household, 421 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,160 and we are stones in a holy temple. 422 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:35,760 I think the Bible gives different images because they 423 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:41,200 help us understand different aspects of our new identity in 424 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:42,760 Christ. What are the benefits? 425 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,640 What are the responsibilities of of those things? 426 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,960 And you know, pictures worth 1000 words, right? 427 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,840 And so God gives us some pictures, some images to help us 428 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:56,440 understand, to visualize what it actually means to be a part of 429 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,120 the church. First, let me list a few 430 00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:03,920 features, if you will, of these images that I we just saw in 431 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,080 that in that passage. And then I'm going to unpack 432 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:08,840 each of those images individually. 433 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,680 So first, some features. Number one, in all three of 434 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,240 them, God is building them. OK, God is building them. 435 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,400 These are the church is not a man made institution that will 436 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:25,280 eventually be corrupted and fail because God is building it. 437 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:30,400 It will endure forever because what God builds will endure 438 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,880 forever. He's the perfect master builder. 439 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,760 You know, you think about permanence, right? 440 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,000 And there, there are some things that feel very permanent to us, 441 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,640 but in the grand scope of history, they're actually not 442 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,440 very permanent. Like Paul is writing this to, 443 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,840 to, to Christians who are ruled over by Rome. 444 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,040 And in that day, I mean, it was like Rome. 445 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,800 I mean, Rome was everything. Rome was almighty. 446 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,160 I mean, Caesar was viewed as a God. 447 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,080 Nobody ever thought Rome was going anywhere. 448 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,200 What happened to Rome? Rome fell. 449 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,360 What happened to Egypt? In Egypt? 450 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:14,760 This world power that somehow however many thousands of years 451 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,320 ago could build those pyramids. I mean, the kind of ingenuity 452 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:23,080 and technology and wealth and power of of that society. 453 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:27,200 And then you like what happened? Things that feel very permanent 454 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,040 to us are actually not very permanent. 455 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:34,800 Countries rise and fall. You know, businesses, they are 456 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:39,600 born and then they close down. Anybody remember Blockbuster 457 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,400 videos? You know, I mean, I'm born in 458 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,600 the 70s, child of the 80s. It was like there's a 459 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,040 Blockbuster Video on every single corner. 460 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,640 Those of you who are millennials and beyond, you actually had to 461 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,960 go to a video store. If you wanted to watch a movie, 462 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,120 you had to drive to a video store, you had to buy this 463 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:01,320 clunky plastic bot rectangle and you had to bring it home with 464 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,760 you just stick it in a box that had wires that went to your 465 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,840 television and you'd hit play and then it was always like, you 466 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,680 know, then the thing gets all like the film gets all messed up 467 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:14,360 and you got to rewind it. It's like so inconvenient. 468 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,160 We have streaming. This is this is a whole business 469 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,320 was built around videos and now is there. 470 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:22,920 I mean, I don't even think it exists anymore. 471 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:27,240 There's no blockbusters. It came, it went rise and fall. 472 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,160 I think about my own last name, the renvestal name. 473 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,000 You know, there's not a lot of us. 474 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,200 There's a few in Chicago, there's a handful in 475 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,120 Gainesville, and then the rest of us are in Sicily. 476 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,720 I'm trying to keep my name alive. 477 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,240 I have 5 kids, you know, trying to pass pass it along. 478 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,040 I have three sons. So there's some hope. 479 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:53,760 But there could very well be a day, in fact anyway, that the 480 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,000 Rand Vestal name ceases to exist. 481 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:02,560 Same for you, for your your last name like it's but what God 482 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,800 builds. You realize this is going to go 483 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,360 on forever, forever and ever and ever. 484 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,520 This Kingdom, this household, this temple is going to go on 485 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,960 forever because God is building it #2 verse 20. 486 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,720 He says they're built on the foundation of the apostles and 487 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,200 the prophets. Christ Jesus himself being the 488 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:27,480 cornerstone. So these images are actually 489 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:31,520 built on the Scriptures. That is the foundation of the 490 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:33,560 apostles and the prophets, right? 491 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,400 So this is how we know what to do, how this all works. 492 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:41,160 We go back to the Bible. God has spoken to us about His 493 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,360 church. Jesus is the cornerstone, the 494 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:49,120 most important stone, the anchor stone that sets the course for 495 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,760 the whole thing. It's built on Scripture. 496 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,000 This is why every time we gather, we open this book 497 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,760 because we need God to tell us what to do, what not to do, and 498 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:02,160 how to do it. And then finally, verse 22, He 499 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,600 says in Him you also are being built together. 500 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:11,160 So only those who are in him, who are in Christ through faith, 501 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:17,320 are a part of this Kingdom, this household, this temple. 502 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,680 The church is not the building, OK? 503 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:27,400 It's not the walls around us. The church is not even all of 504 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,000 the people who are in the building on a Sunday. 505 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,880 OK, that's not quite accurate. The church is actually verse 19. 506 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:47,290 The Saints. Who are the Saints who Jane's 507 00:31:47,290 --> 00:31:50,690 like I am The believers you are. You're one of them. 508 00:31:51,090 --> 00:31:54,560 Saints are the Christians. So isn't it strange to think 509 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,680 that just because we're you're sitting in this building right 510 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,440 now, if you're not in Christ, you're actually not a part of 511 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,760 the church. You're in the church building 512 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,680 and we're very, very glad for that for you. 513 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,080 But the church is actually the believers, right? 514 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,680 The body of Christ is those who are in Christ by faith, those 515 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,720 who've been made righteous through faith. 516 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,800 So now let's unpack these images. 517 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:21,120 We start with citizens of a Kingdom, verse 19. 518 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,360 You're no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow 519 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:29,560 citizens with the Saints. As Christians, we belong to an 520 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,320 eternal Kingdom that God is building. 521 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,880 OK, we belong to an eternal Kingdom that God is building. 522 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,160 There's a story in Daniel chapter 2, and this will be up 523 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:45,560 on the screen for you. A few verses the Babylonian king 524 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:52,520 Nebuchadnezzar has a very disturbing dream and Daniel is a 525 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:56,920 prophet. He tells Nebuchadnezzar what his 526 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,880 dream is, which is impressive and then he interprets the dream 527 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,960 for him and listen to so listen to this story. 528 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:09,000 First is the dream that Daniel is telling Nebuchadnezzar. 529 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:15,600 He says as you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand and 530 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:20,920 it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them 531 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,600 into pieces. That image was this kind of 532 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:27,120 statue that represents all the kingdoms of the world, right? 533 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,280 All the different rulers and leaders and nations. 534 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,560 So this stone is cut out by supernatural hands. 535 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,960 It strikes the image and it breaks those kingdoms into 536 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,640 pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the 537 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,760 bronze, the silver, and the gold all together were broken in 538 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:47,200 pieces and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, 539 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,920 right when you separate the wheat from the husk, and the 540 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,760 husk just blows away. And the wind carried them away 541 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,360 so that not a trace of them could be found. 542 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:01,760 But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain 543 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,560 and filled the whole earth. So that's the dream that 544 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,840 Nebuchadnezzar has. And now Daniel goes on, and he 545 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,120 interprets what this actually means in verse 44. 546 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,719 He says, And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven 547 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,440 will set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall 548 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,320 the Kingdom be left to another people. 549 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,600 It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to 550 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,000 an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a 551 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,239 stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke 552 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,760 in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the 553 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,320 gold. A great God has made, noted, has 554 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,199 made known to the king what shall be after this. 555 00:34:39,199 --> 00:34:43,679 The dream is certain and its interpretation is sure. 556 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:52,520 He is saying the kingdoms of the world are going to fall, even 557 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,880 the strongest, most mighty among them. 558 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:00,240 But the Kingdom that God is building will never be 559 00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,120 destroyed. Can you believe it? 560 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:06,840 At some point, at some point in the future, the United States of 561 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,560 America will no longer exist. Does that feel impossible? 562 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:12,840 It's like we're so big, we're so mighty, we're so stable. 563 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,120 We have so much land and so many soldiers and so much money, so 564 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:20,600 much debt, right? But but a day, there will be a 565 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:24,240 day where there is no more United States of America, that 566 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:27,160 Kingdom is going to fall. But the Kingdom of God is never, 567 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:32,280 ever, ever going to fall. As Christians, you become a 568 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:36,600 citizen of that Kingdom. When you trust in Jesus, you 569 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:38,840 become a citizen of that Kingdom, that that Kingdom 570 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,320 becomes your homeland. And it comes with a lot of 571 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,080 benefits. And just like living in our 572 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:46,040 nation, there's benefits to living in our nation. 573 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:48,360 Being in a Kingdom of God, there's benefits. 574 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:53,360 You get to be ruled by a wise, compassionate, powerful, just 575 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:57,560 king, King Jesus. He will lead you. 576 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,360 He will provide for you. He will protect you from evil. 577 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,800 He gives you an identity, He gives you a homeland, and as a 578 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,640 citizen of a Kingdom, He gives you eternal security. 579 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:11,600 Those are benefits of being in His Kingdom. 580 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,800 We also have responsibilities, though, just like as citizens of 581 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,920 the United States of America or of Florida or of Alachua County 582 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:21,400 or of Gainesville, there are responsibilities that come with 583 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:24,400 citizenship. As citizens, we are to submit to 584 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,520 his rule, right? Humble ourselves and put 585 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,800 ourselves under his rulership. We're to contribute to his 586 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:35,800 Kingdom, right in the city. It's like to be a citizen of 587 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,680 this country, It's like I got to, I got to work a job, I got 588 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,520 to pay my taxes, right? Because I'm, it's not just about 589 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,800 me, it's about helping the whole, I have a responsibility 590 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,160 to, to vote, right, to help choose leaders. 591 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,200 If you ever get called into jury duty, anybody ever get called 592 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,920 into jury duty, you can't say no to that one. 593 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,280 You know, it's just part of your responsibility as a citizen. 594 00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:00,920 We help with arbitration, with making those decisions. 595 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:05,040 As citizens, one of our responsibilities is to live and 596 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:08,640 work together in peace, right? To maintain peace, to be good 597 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:11,680 ambassadors. There are responsibilities that 598 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,520 come with being a part of the Kingdom. 599 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:15,960 Same with the church, God's people, right? 600 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,000 It's not just about me. It's not just about you. 601 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,000 We, we serve together, we give together. 602 00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:25,080 We, we maintain peace with one another as much as we are able. 603 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,760 We seek to be good ambassadors, good representatives of King 604 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:34,000 Jesus who rules over us right now. 605 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:38,400 This Kingdom that Jesus is building is a spiritual Kingdom. 606 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,960 It's a spiritual Kingdom. But a day is coming when Jesus 607 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,760 will return. He and he will establish his 608 00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:50,120 rule and his reign on the earth as it is in heaven. 609 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:55,280 OK, that day is coming. In Revelation we see a glimpse 610 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,800 of that chapter 21. This will be up on the screen as 611 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,600 well. The apostle John has this vision 612 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,680 of this new city, a heavenly Jerusalem where King Jesus rules 613 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:07,840 and reigns. He says I saw a new heaven and a 614 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,040 new earth for the 1st heaven and the first earth had passed away 615 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,760 and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, a new 616 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,840 Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a 617 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:23,200 bride adorned for her husband. So this city coming down from 618 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:27,160 the sky and planting itself on on the earth. 619 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:31,520 And I heard a loud voice from where the throne where the king 620 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,920 is, He says, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with 621 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:36,800 man. He will dwell with them, and 622 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,040 they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as 623 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:42,360 their God. He will wipe away every tear 624 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,480 from their eyes, and death shall be no more. 625 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,240 Neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain, for the 626 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:50,440 former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the 627 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:54,520 throne said, Behold, I am making all things new also. 628 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,400 He said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and 629 00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:59,600 true. And I love verse 6. 630 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:01,800 And this is where we get our name for Vita springs from. 631 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,560 And he said to me, it is done. I am the alpha and the Omega, 632 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,200 the beginning and the end to the thirsty. 633 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:12,360 I will give from the spring of the water of Vita without 634 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,200 payment. The one who conquers will have 635 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:20,400 this heritage and I will be as God and he will be my son. 636 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:23,480 It's Christians. That's our Kingdom. 637 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:25,200 Now. Jesus is our king and that is 638 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,680 the Kingdom that we are citizens of. 639 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,800 We should seek to represent our king well as we live in this 640 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,520 Kingdom now. I love that he ends with he 641 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,280 shall be my son because that kind of segues us into the next 642 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:44,080 image that Paul gives us in in Ephesians in chapter 19, he says 643 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,200 you're going to be members of the household of God. 644 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,400 OK, We're going to be members of the household of God. 645 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,440 So it's Christians. We belong to a new household, or 646 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:56,760 you could say a new family where Jesus is our head. 647 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:01,600 First John chapter 3 verse 1, John says, see what kind of love 648 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:06,440 the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of 649 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:09,720 God. And so we are, we have been 650 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:14,240 adopted into his family. So the church is a household 651 00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:19,560 that has a perfect father full of members, brothers and 652 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,600 sisters. Who are learning to love, to 653 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:27,520 serve, to forgive. Who are growing together in 654 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:31,960 maturity and grace. There are great benefits to 655 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,160 being a part of this household and this family. 656 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,360 We get to share loving relationships with one another. 657 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:46,760 Care, support, affection, help, encouragement, companionship, 658 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,840 belonging. We get to have fun together. 659 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,120 We had a group of people praying before the service for the 660 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,360 service and we, the first few minutes were just laughing 661 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,720 together. And then someone said the first 662 00:40:57,720 --> 00:41:00,240 prayer was thank you, God that we get to be a part of a family 663 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,320 where we have fun together, right? 664 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:05,600 We just, we just love each other and we love doing this together. 665 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:09,760 We get to bring discipline into one another's lives. 666 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:13,960 Just like in a family, there's loving accountability from our 667 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,200 Heavenly Father and from one another. 668 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:18,560 We get the benefit of shared wisdom. 669 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:22,520 We get a big family and lots of joy. 670 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:25,680 There's a lot of benefits that come with being a member of the 671 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,760 household of God. You know, Vita, there's, there's 672 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,000 I think we excel at loving community. 673 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,600 There's just so much interchange that happens between our people. 674 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,400 This is not a church where you just come on Sunday morning and 675 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:39,320 you're just an anonymous person in the seat. 676 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:42,720 I mean, people really get into each other's lives and help each 677 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:45,880 other and share time and energy and money and resources. 678 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,320 And you know, Kurt just started this tools and stuff GroupMe for 679 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:52,040 guys. So guys, if you need tools and 680 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,720 stuff, talk to Kurt and you'll be added to the list. 681 00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:58,000 And then we can share our tools and our stuff with each other, 682 00:41:58,560 --> 00:41:59,760 right? Because sometimes you need some 683 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:01,680 tools and you need some stuff and you're like, I don't have 684 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:02,680 it. And there's got to be a guy in 685 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,960 the church who does. You know, if you move from this 686 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,400 house to that house, this apartment to that apartment, 687 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,440 there will be people who show up on moving day to help you move. 688 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:14,360 If you have a baby, you will be fed, OK. 689 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:17,120 We will have an army of people bringing you food. 690 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,520 There's great benefits to being part of the body. 691 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:26,720 There's also responsibilities. There's also responsibilities. 692 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:31,160 We're to care for one another and it's, please hear me, it's 693 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:34,240 not the pastors are supposed to care for all the people. 694 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:37,960 We can't. There's just four of us, but we 695 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:40,600 are to care for one another. That's going to be what we're 696 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:42,360 talking about in our small groups this fall. 697 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:45,360 We're going to be getting into the many one another versus in 698 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:48,200 the New Testament, learning. What does it mean for us to do 699 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,720 this for one another to one another? 700 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,240 We have to share responsibility for the homestead. 701 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,920 You know, in my family we have a chore chart and everybody's got 702 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:01,160 their weekly responsibility because everybody's got to 703 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:04,800 contribute so that our household can function well. 704 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:06,320 It's the same thing in the church. 705 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:09,040 We all do our part. We serve somewhere so that we 706 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:13,240 together can function well. We have a responsibility to live 707 00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:17,400 in harmony, to know other people and be known by other people, to 708 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:19,720 love one another and be loved by one another. 709 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:23,480 We give up our freedoms for the sake of one another. 710 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:28,000 We speak the truth in love to one another that we might grow 711 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:33,720 up into our head who is Christ. You know, one of the greatest 712 00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:38,440 blessings in my life regarding the church has been the family 713 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:42,040 that the church has become for me and my family through the 714 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,240 years. You know, we live 900 miles away 715 00:43:45,240 --> 00:43:49,320 from my parents, my brothers and Sarah's parents and her brother 716 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:51,360 and sister. That's a long ways away. 717 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:55,480 It's an annoyingly long drive and, and especially when our 718 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:58,400 kids were were smaller and you know, you need child care, 719 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,280 something comes up, you need support. 720 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,960 We couldn't, we couldn't rely on them for that. 721 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:05,480 But the church stepped up big time. 722 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,760 The church became our family. The church is our family. 723 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:13,480 We have been so blessed by God's people, his family. 724 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:18,120 Sometimes the bonds in our church family actually go deeper 725 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,760 than the bonds in our earthly family because we have been 726 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:28,240 united in this spiritual family under one head who is Jesus, and 727 00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:30,400 then bless you. And then the third image, it 728 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:40,960 says in verse 21, So this structure is being joined 729 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,840 together and it grows into a holy temple. 730 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:49,480 It's a holy temple, which in verse 22 is a dwelling place for 731 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:53,800 God by the Spirit. So we are stones in a holy 732 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:57,640 temple as Christians. We are being built into a temple 733 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,480 where Jesus is worshipped and glorified. 734 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,920 First Peter chapter 2, he says you yourselves, like living 735 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:11,360 stones, are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy 736 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:15,440 priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 737 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,840 through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, to worship 738 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,200 God, you had to physically go to a temple. 739 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:27,440 The temple was where the sacrifices were offered to God 740 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:31,280 through the priests, and that's where God manifested his 741 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:36,520 presence among his people. Now it's not the same. 742 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:42,280 Now the church is the temple. Now when God's people gather 743 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:45,760 together, we offer a sacrifice, not of a lamb or a goat or a 744 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,320 dove, but we offer him a sacrifice of worship. 745 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:51,440 We offer him the sacrifice of our lives. 746 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:55,600 And when we do so together, it's wonderful. 747 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:58,000 God is with us. We're two or more gathered 748 00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,720 there. I am with them. 749 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:04,080 He manifests his presence, his love, his power in the church 750 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:09,400 body as we gather together. There's great benefits to being 751 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:13,280 a part of the temple. You get to be a part of a place 752 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,200 where God is worshipped. That's amazing. 753 00:46:16,720 --> 00:46:20,280 The God, God Almighty is worship week in and week out and you get 754 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:23,560 to partake in that. Don't forget what a privilege 755 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:27,960 and an honor that that is that we can do what we do and lift 756 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:31,720 our voices together and offer our lives together as worship to 757 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:34,920 Him week in, week out as a part of His temple. 758 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,400 You get a front row seat to the goodness and the glory of God. 759 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:43,880 You get to watch Him save and transform other people as they 760 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:47,640 come into His family. You get to enjoy His presence. 761 00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:50,600 Isn't it sweet when we're together and we're especially 762 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:53,680 when we're singing and it feels like, oh, God is among us in a 763 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:58,480 unique way, in a powerful way, You get to use your life to 764 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:03,600 build something big and beautiful and lasting, far more 765 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:05,680 lasting than your own little personal Kingdom. 766 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:12,680 But you are a living stone. I am a living stone in that 767 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:17,120 temple. We have responsibilities as 768 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:22,480 well. Basic responsibility is to show 769 00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:27,000 up and be in your spot, right? I would say that is the most 770 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:32,600 fundamental calling of the Christian is just to show up, to 771 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:37,760 be at church, to to be at small group, to be there for God's 772 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:41,440 people just show up. There are problems. 773 00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:44,800 If you think of the physical building, there are problems 774 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:47,400 when there's a brick missing, right? 775 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:51,160 You start to have problems like the weather gets in the the 776 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:53,920 cockroaches get in when there's a brick missing. 777 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:56,600 Can you imagine if there's a whole course of bricks missing, 778 00:47:57,120 --> 00:47:59,640 There's 10 or 12 or 14 or 20 bricks missing. 779 00:47:59,880 --> 00:48:03,560 Now that wall has just lost stability, and that wall might 780 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:06,680 come down, right? It's actually very important 781 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:08,600 that as a stone, you take your place. 782 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:10,600 Now, it doesn't mean I got to be at church every single Sunday. 783 00:48:10,600 --> 00:48:12,840 I mean, vacation happens, sickness happens. 784 00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:16,360 I understand that. But by and large, see it as your 785 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:19,200 responsibility as a Christian. I'm going to show up. 786 00:48:19,240 --> 00:48:22,200 I'm going to be there. They can count on me. 787 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:27,120 We have a responsibility to be as strong of a stone as we can 788 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:32,640 possibly be, to stay linked with the stones next to us, right? 789 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:36,680 God is building a temple. I want to show you a few 790 00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,320 pictures as I get ready to close here. 791 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:44,680 And this is from Westminster Abbey in London. 792 00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:48,320 I actually got to visit Westminster Abbey back and I 793 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:51,960 think it's 2004, so it's been a while now, but I was just 794 00:48:52,080 --> 00:49:00,640 absolutely floored by the beauty and the glory of this temple. 795 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:05,040 And there's the one of the the main entry way that, you know, 796 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:07,840 just you look and it's just astounding. 797 00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,360 It just eats like it envelops you go to the next photo, a 798 00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:14,200 couple of the outside. I mean, just absolutely 799 00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:18,360 breathtakingly beautiful. You know, it's cool. 800 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:21,640 All these old cathedrals are in the shape of a cross too, and 801 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:24,760 the altars right in the center. And they did that very, very on 802 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:26,960 purpose. This is where we go to meet with 803 00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:31,360 God. But do you realize that temple 804 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:36,080 is nothing apart from the stones that build it? 805 00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:40,120 You start pulling stones out and that thing, like any other 806 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:41,840 building, will just fall to pieces. 807 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:46,280 It requires that the stones are present, the living stones. 808 00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:50,640 Please understand, you are a living stone in God's temple. 809 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,240 You have a place, and I would just encourage you and urge you 810 00:49:54,240 --> 00:49:58,360 to step up and take your place in this temple of worship that 811 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:04,880 God is building for His glory. Jesus died so that these things 812 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,920 could be true of us, that we could share this new identity. 813 00:50:09,720 --> 00:50:15,120 Sinful humans separated from God and one another are now brought 814 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:21,520 back together again into a Kingdom, a family, and a temple. 815 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:24,920 We have a new identity. We have a new purpose. 816 00:50:25,280 --> 00:50:27,960 We have a wonderful future. He's going to build it. 817 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:31,480 It's not going to fail. So I want to encourage you to 818 00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:36,320 pursue being a part of Jesus Church with all of your energy. 819 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:40,400 It's worth it. Don't just quote, go to church. 820 00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:43,800 Anybody can just sit in a building on a Sunday. 821 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:48,400 Be the church. Step into the role that God has 822 00:50:48,400 --> 00:50:52,040 called you to as a citizen, as a family member, as a stone, and 823 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:54,000 be a part of what God is doing with his people. 824 00:50:54,240 --> 00:50:58,480 It's a wonderful privilege. We're going to worship God 825 00:50:58,520 --> 00:51:00,800 together. Now why don't you stand up with 826 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:04,960 me? Worship team, come on forward. 827 00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:12,200 One of the key ways we worship Him is through song, lifting our 828 00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:17,160 voices together in unity. We're singing the same words. 829 00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:20,600 This is not just your own kind of private little worship 830 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,600 session and you just happen to be in a room with a bunch of 831 00:51:22,600 --> 00:51:24,960 other people. This is we're doing something 832 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:27,240 together this morning. We're lifting our voices 833 00:51:27,240 --> 00:51:31,920 together in unity to worship the God who has unified us to 834 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:34,440 himself and to one another. Keep that in mind as we're 835 00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:36,800 singing. Let me pray for us. 836 00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:39,240 And then we'll worship with the band, and then we'll have a time 837 00:51:39,240 --> 00:51:42,040 for prayer at the very end of our service. 838 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:47,680 So, Lord, we just thank you so much for your gift of grace. 839 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:53,400 Jesus, we thank you that you willingly went to the cross and 840 00:51:53,400 --> 00:51:57,760 willingly suffered and died so that we could be forgiven of our 841 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:01,000 sin, so that we could be made righteous through faith in You, 842 00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:05,720 so that we could become a part of your Kingdom and your family 843 00:52:05,720 --> 00:52:09,000 and your temple. And so I pray Lord, you would 844 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:12,520 help us to live that calling out as well as we possibly can. 845 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:16,040 Let there be a great strength of unity here at Vita Springs 846 00:52:16,040 --> 00:52:19,240 Church, and I pray as this particular local church, we 847 00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:22,040 would represent you very, very well. 848 00:52:23,080 --> 00:52:26,000 And now, Lord, as we lift our voices to you together, I pray 849 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:28,200 that you would be pleased, that you would be blessed, that you 850 00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,440 would be glorified, and that you would also encourage us. 851 00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:35,000 We love you, King Jesus, and we pray all these things in your 852 00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:36,800 name, Amen.