1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:11,000 Today we're going to give some vision for who we are as a 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,440 church. And so the specific kind of view 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,240 of this is the purpose of church. 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,240 What is the purpose of what we're doing right now? 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,680 And before I get to some of the ways we'll answer that through 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,360 the Word and through just our local convictions as well, I 7 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,400 just want to give you a little bit of a heart behind this. 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,040 A couple weeks ago, I spoke to our church about just the 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:35,760 cultural moment that we're living in. 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,040 If you've tuned into the news at all, or if you've just had 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,080 conversations around the workplace or at home, you know 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:46,120 that there's something happening in our country right now. 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:47,880 And. Really, in our world where 14 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,000 people's hearts are being stirred. 15 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,760 For what they believe. They're trying to figure out, 16 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,760 you know, where they fit in, in a world of confusion and, and 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,920 some people really, you know, having some heartbreak. 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,400 They're they're working through with the recent news and a lot 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,760 of different ways and. Because of that. 20 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,960 More people are starting to come to church. 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,080 I have met many people over the last month who are like, I'm 22 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,080 going to get right with God and you're going to see me Sunday. 23 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,880 Or I've met people who are like, I am here for the first time in 24 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,600 a long time because I need some answers for what I believe in. 25 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,360 And so it's a great first step is to come to church. 26 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,080 And in response to some of you, if you're feeling that way, I'd 27 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,440 love to just give some vision behind. 28 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,560 Church. But I don't only wanna speak to 29 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,840 those of you who maybe are from afar, I wanna speak to our whole 30 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,560 church family too. This is just good for us to, to 31 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,240 have in our hearts and our minds from time to time, just a 32 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,040 reminder of what we do and why we do it. 33 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,640 So that's one of the reasons that we've got the, the upper 34 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,560 balcony, the, the cheap seats are filled up today with the 35 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,960 youth want you guys to know that we are a church with a specific 36 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,400 purpose and why we do what we do. 37 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,120 And so just to give you kind of a, a picture of every once in a 38 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:00,480 while you want to call a family meeting. 39 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,760 You know, I don't know how you guys run your households of 40 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,640 faith, but I would recommend from time to time just to 41 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,720 implement some vision and some some understanding for your kids 42 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,560 as you give them directions and rules. 43 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,040 It's good to say, you know what? Tonight everybody gather around. 44 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,400 We're going to family meeting. I just did one of those last 45 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:18,960 week. Maybe it's why it's on my mind. 46 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,240 I had to do a family meeting in regards to birthday parties. 47 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,560 We get my wife help me do the math, and I think that between 48 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,520 our four kids, we get invited to around 20 birthday parties a 49 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,720 year. So we're always once a month 50 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,760 we're doing something, once or twice a month we're doing 51 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,000 something in the birthday party realm. 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,760 And I'm like. We got to have a. 53 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,160 Plan for these kids to try to offer a gift from the abundance 54 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,160 of their life. So we, we've called a family 55 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,680 meeting and I gave them the, you know, the, the way for them to 56 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,520 make money and have a budget and get a gift and write a card and 57 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,160 just the heart behind it. And then they asked questions 58 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:57,360 and we had vision and they were excited to start working towards 59 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,000 the goal of buying birthday presents. 60 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,960 And I'm like, you know what? Family meetings are so good. 61 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,800 So that's my pro tip to you. If you want my birthday present 62 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,880 plan as parents with multiple kids, you're welcome to talk to 63 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:07,960 me after the service. I'd love to. 64 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,480 Give it to you. Free of charge, I think I have a 65 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:11,800 good one, but it'll always be edited. 66 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,920 But we also need to do that as part of this family. 67 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:19,360 It's like, why do we do what we do and, and how are we going to 68 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,920 go about doing it? So today we're going to talk 69 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:26,720 about the purpose of the church and really the heart of our 70 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:28,920 church. And so to do that, let me just 71 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:33,200 start with a simple reality. This is true of your family, 72 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,160 your life, and our church the the mission. 73 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,600 Makes the vision so you know your when we talk about vision, 74 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,360 we're talking about, you know, trying to figure out where we're 75 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,240 going and how to get there. And that all comes from the 76 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,240 mission. And so let me just share with 77 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,960 you, in case you've never heard it, the mission of our church 78 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,000 that has been around for as long as I can remember. 79 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,320 We've we've done all sorts of ways to get it out. 80 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,120 We've said it. Put it on bulletins has been on 81 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,400 our website, but I want you to know the simple mission of our 82 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,680 church. It's right here, our mission as 83 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:05,840 a. Church is to. 84 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,120 We know Jesus and make him known. 85 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,800 So that is the simplicity behind why we do. 86 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,519 The purpose of our church could be answered in the goal of all 87 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:22,040 the operations and all the invites and all the gatherings 88 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,280 and all the thereafters. We want to know who Jesus is and 89 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:28,680 we want to make him known in our world. 90 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,520 And I'll just say this from time to time through. 91 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,840 Today I'll I'll speak. To some of you who may be. 92 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,680 Coming into the church for the first time, and I'll remind all 93 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,720 of you, this is just a great mission not only for your 94 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,480 church, but for your life. If you want to know, you know 95 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,240 how to filter through the purpose and direction for your 96 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,840 life and what to do with the person of Jesus and your 97 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:52,400 knowledge of Jesus, here's what it is. 98 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:58,320 Just live your life everyday, try to know him more and then do 99 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,080 something to step out in faith as you follow him to make him 100 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,880 known to the world around you that God has placed you in. 101 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:11,200 And so that's our mission now the the, the way that we can get 102 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,880 a, a vision for that, maybe a picture for it. 103 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:15,480 Jesus was always teaching in parables. 104 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,880 There's my favorite picture of what the church does to to 105 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,720 complete that mission is in Matthew chapter 5, verse 14. 106 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,280 So if you have a Bible, keep it handy. 107 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,560 You know, we have a It's a great. 108 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,560 First week to come to church if you're visiting us, except for 109 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,240 one thing. Usually we just go verse by 110 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,680 verse through the Bible. We pick one passage of scripture 111 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:37,080 or 1 chapter and go through it all. 112 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:39,640 Today we're doing more of a topical, so keep your Bibles 113 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:41,640 handy. I'm going to start 114 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,840 foundationally to answer the the purpose of the church in the 115 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:47,360 heart of our church. Matthew chapter 5 verse 14 says 116 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,640 this. You are the light of the world. 117 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,000 This is Jesus. He's gathered all his disciples 118 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,800 together and he says, then you're the light of the world, a 119 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,400 city that is set. On a hill cannot. 120 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,840 Be hidden. I love the picture of how we 121 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:08,880 gather together to be the lights of the world to know Jesus and 122 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:13,480 to make him known with the parable of a city, because 123 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,200 whether you like it or not, everyone searching for a place 124 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,360 to belong and, and cities and societies, communities have been 125 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,200 around since the beginning of time. 126 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,200 And Jesus says now think of the concept of people getting 127 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,880 together and they're gathering and a city has a product. 128 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,040 A city has a a little mission within the mission. 129 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,320 A city has a community. And I'm going to make my city, 130 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,040 and that's the church, and the city's going to shine on a hill 131 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,360 for others to see the glory of God coming out of it and for 132 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,360 people in that city to show the world what it looks like to. 133 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:50,360 Live in the city as citizenship. Of heaven so that's kind of a 134 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:52,600 picture for Jesus describing the church. 135 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,880 We're like a little city within our city we're in the city of 136 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,320 Boise all over this little city, there's these little hilltop 137 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,800 cities that that say this is one that gives God the glory and 138 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,120 teaches people what his citizens live like. 139 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,720 And so that's the purpose of our church. 140 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,560 And, and I bring that up because we will now take the parable of 141 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:13,960 A. City as a church. 142 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,680 And I just want to break it down into three main ways that we, we 143 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,360 have to, you know, focus on accomplishing this. 144 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,240 And this will be 3 really good ways for you to kind of take a 145 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,640 fly over of our church if you're new, and for all of us to just 146 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,800 get kind of a, a, a refreshment in the foundation of what makes 147 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,320 a church a church. So the three main ways you got 148 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:38,640 to have really good core leaders. 149 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:43,560 So core leadership, you have to have corporate worship where we 150 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:48,440 come together and we, we, we reestablish what it is we're all 151 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,720 aiming to give glory to. And then there needs to be some 152 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,920 sort of community. And I'm calling this community 153 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,880 discipleship. So core leadership, corporate 154 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,480 worship and community discipleship, These are the 155 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,600 three fundamentals of the city on a hill for it to succeed. 156 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,040 And these are things you'd need in any successful city. 157 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,400 You want to know that the the reason that there's a good city 158 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,560 and a city that's run down with graffiti and trash and crime 159 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,760 leadership. You want to know a city that's 160 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,760 doing well and what happened. There's good leaders that are 161 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,120 doing something to advance the good causes of the city. 162 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,160 And that's where we'll start throughout our year in the 163 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,960 Pastoral Epistles. Timothy and Titus one of the 164 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,520 major themes for a trustworthy, healthy, good churches. 165 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,880 You got to have good leaders and during the cultural moment a 166 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,520 couple weeks ago when when I was welcoming anyone who was 167 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,400 visiting a church, you know, I made an assessment of our 168 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,920 country and our cultural moment that is very similar to an 169 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:48,720 assessment Jesus made of his day. 170 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,520 It says as Jesus was going around from town to town, he saw 171 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:54,520 the. Problem and identified it as 172 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,160 this. Matthew Chapter 9 verse 36 when 173 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,160 he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them 174 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,840 because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no 175 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,120 shepherd. Jesus was moved for compassion 176 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,640 and he said, you know what people need as they're feeling 177 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,520 scattered and wearied, they need a shepherd now. 178 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:19,040 He's the chief shepherd that we. All aim to please but as we 179 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,440 studied later in our. Our passage in Titus, the goal 180 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,440 is to have strong leaders be under shepherds to Jesus. 181 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,840 Look what it says in Titus. For this reason, I left you in 182 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,840 Crete that you should set in order the things that are 183 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,280 lacking and appoint elders in every city as I command you. 184 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,040 We live in a time where people are desperate for someone to 185 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,120 give them guidance to answer the questions of life to, to be 186 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,520 someone they can follow and influence by. 187 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,840 And the church is the city on the hill to offer the guidance 188 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,200 on behalf of Christ for people who are longing for direction. 189 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,320 And Paul says to Titus, So whenever it's out of order, when 190 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,640 you got to put things in order, when you got to shine the light 191 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,760 more brightly, make sure you have strong leadership. 192 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,480 Appoint elders synonymous for. Pastors, bishops, overseers of 193 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,800 the church, so that they can put the church in order. 194 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:16,120 So the goal of casting vision for this church is to present a 195 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,480 desire and a need for grace. Because none of us will do this 196 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,560 perfectly. No church has perfect. 197 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:23,320 Leadership. But the goal. 198 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:27,560 Is to say one of our aims as a church, one of our fundamentals 199 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:33,520 as a church is to have strong godly people in place to serve 200 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:36,240 and shepherd the needs of our church. 201 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,960 And so again, we've spent pretty much the year of 2025 studying 202 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,920 the pastoral epistles. And if without having, you know, 203 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:49,320 time to give a whole sermons on just the characteristics of what 204 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,480 makes a good leader, I'll just summarize our lessons. 205 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:56,840 In this, we want to have people who are qualified by the 206 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:58,960 character qualities of Scripture. 207 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:03,920 There are 15 qualities that a godly leader needs to adhere. 208 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,960 By to be blameless in the categories that it has to do 209 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,600 with his godly character representing the virtue and 210 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,200 character that God wants people to be led by. 211 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,360 And we also want leaders who are not just from the stage leaders 212 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,480 or from the pulpit leaders, but leaders who are judged by the 213 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,720 health of their own households. So people whose? 214 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:30,560 Primary ministry is not the the pulpit or the guitars or the 215 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:32,680 Bible studies, but their children. 216 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,840 And their their wives and the health of the the foundation of 217 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,560 their life, which is their homes. 218 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,760 We also want people of good reputation, people that could 219 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,000 leave. Leading our church and walk into 220 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,680 any store or any neighborhood or any, you know, team that they're 221 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:52,960 a part of and people would know that they are quality and. 222 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,200 Reputable people. And then we also want leaders 223 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,000 that hold to sound doctrine. So we want to, we want to be 224 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,640 people who are committed to do what the word says, to not be 225 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,000 swayed by culture or the opinions of people, but to take 226 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,520 an honest dissection of the word and try our best to lead 227 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,960 according to what it says. And so it it's. 228 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:20,600 My, my joy and also I, I lead with hopeful optimism that God 229 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,000 has graced our church. And one of the reasons I think 230 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,680 we've gone through the storms of just the trials of church life 231 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,640 is because He's graced us with people who have a heart to lead. 232 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,320 Well, a couple weeks ago, I'll share a story about the 233 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,160 excitement of just our leadership. 234 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:42,040 A couple weeks ago, there was a couple who'd been tuning into 235 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:47,600 our live stream from Tampa, FL and they, they reached out to me 236 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:53,680 and said, hey, we are, we have such a love for this church from 237 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:58,360 afar that we're thinking about selling our house and putting in 238 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,240 a transfer for our job so that we can move to Boise to join 239 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,680 your church. And I thought, wow, how blessed 240 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:06,240 are we? We only had to drive 20 minutes 241 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,760 to get here. They had to take a whole flight 242 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,480 to get here and a connecting flight. 243 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,360 And so I was like, welcome visit. 244 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,840 And so they did, they visited, they visited our church not long 245 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,480 ago. And they, they, they found 246 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:19,960 someone to show them some houses and they were dead serious about 247 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:21,480 moving and they came to our church. 248 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,440 And one of my favorite parts that I got to do is their tour 249 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:25,840 guide. You know, I got to show them our 250 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,280 sanctuary. They were like, wow, it's. 251 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,440 Like we like we see it online. Like, yeah, it's like it. 252 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,360 And you know, they got to sit in the sanctuary and and worship 253 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:35,520 with us and they were so pleased. 254 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,640 But my favorite part was taking them to on tour of all of the 255 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:42,840 amazing leaders of our church. I got to introduce them to 256 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,200 pastors and I had the elders pray for them to get direction 257 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,480 on the decision. And I got to introduce them to 258 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,640 all of the people at the welcome center. 259 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,000 And we had that night, they went to our our Calvary community's 260 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,440 kick off and they were thinking about joining a Calvary 261 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:57,760 community and they live in Tampa. 262 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,040 So that's a pretty that's a pretty impressive example. 263 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,320 But now I get to do that for you guys. 264 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,200 I'm like, you know what? That was so fun. 265 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:09,520 If there's anyone here who doesn't know who we are as the 266 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:14,440 core leaders that are called to serve in our leadership, I want 267 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,600 to just give you kind of a fly over of our leaders. 268 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,280 And, and once again, I'll just point this at the youth. 269 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,280 Someday you guys will graduate youth group and I hope that 270 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:24,120 you'll be welcomed into our church and this kind of a 271 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,520 preview. Of the the the leadership team 272 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,640 that will be. Welcoming people into into the 273 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,560 big the gathering. So first, of course, we have our 274 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,040 pastoral team. So these are men who have 275 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,480 endured just serving our church, qualified by the qualifications 276 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:46,440 of Titus and Timothy. And honestly, as I look at this 277 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,480 list, these are some of I, I, I, I don't have real brothers, but 278 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,760 when the Bible says that, you know, anyone who follows Jesus, 279 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,960 that they, they receive more in this life. 280 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,880 Brothers, sister, these, these guys are like my brothers in 281 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,480 life. I've served alongside of these 282 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,400 guys for the better part of 10 years as the, the lead of this 283 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,760 team. And, and I just love each one of 284 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,080 these guys so much. And, and I didn't put their 285 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:10,800 exact roles. These are just their names. 286 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:15,240 I hope you can put a face to the name, but each one of them has a 287 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,240 flock within the flock that they shepherd. 288 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,840 And if they are, if you're being shepherded by these guys, then 289 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,480 you know they're just men who want to serve you and love you. 290 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:30,080 And if you don't know them, I'll also say apart from just the 291 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,520 flock they're shepherding in kind of the under shepherd way, 292 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,320 they're also just available to our church as general servants 293 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,960 for pastoral needs. So any one of these guys would 294 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,360 would respond to a request. For a house. 295 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,800 Visit to anoint the sick with oil and lay hands on people who 296 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,320 who need prayer. Any one of these guys would do a 297 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,720 funeral for anyone who has a need in our church family or 298 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,640 weddings. We're we're always happy to pray 299 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,560 for people who come into the church. 300 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,320 All of them are qualified to cheat to to teach and share the 301 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,320 word and to to offer any kind of spiritual counsel that any of 302 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,320 you may need. And so just know that. 303 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,040 They're here. To serve in their specific 304 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,920 flock, but they're all in love with our church in just the 305 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,160 general pastoral way. So apart from these guys, we 306 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,960 also have a few people going through kind of the, the hands 307 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:24,080 on experience of pastoring and what what I'll call pastor in 308 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,800 training. These are guys that I think it's 309 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,960 just healthy to always be looking for that next 310 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:31,840 generation. I think that's in it. 311 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,960 Maybe I have a conviction for that because that's how a lot of 312 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,360 those pastors on the screen got there, including myself, the the 313 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,480 founding pastor of this church. Bob was always just looking for 314 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,400 guys that he could pour into and disciple and give them 315 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,720 opportunities to step into pastoral roles. 316 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:49,440 So we're doing our best to do that. 317 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,160 I'd like to do that more, but we do. 318 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,320 Have some pastors in training and then we also have as a way 319 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:59,360 to try our best to lead beyond the limitations. 320 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,080 We also have a team now of bi vocational pastors. 321 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,280 I've been blessed by the example of men who are are serving in a 322 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,760 vocation to provide for their family in in in the. 323 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,200 World, but also. Just willing to take on a 324 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,359 specific area of ministry within our church. 325 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,560 And so these men are are allowing us to expand our our 326 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:24,599 pastoral offering and they will they they have found specific 327 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:26,520 ministries to do that in. So very quickly, Frank 328 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:31,160 Kaprimnikar and his wife Kathy have taken on the, the, the 329 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,160 family ministry of our church. So something like parenting 330 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,320 commissioning, they have organized that and the teams of 331 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,720 people that do it, all of the family classes, all of the 332 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,120 premarital discipleship, all of the things we do to think 333 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:45,680 through how we're caring for people beyond marriage. 334 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,680 That's all Frank and Kathy. He does that apart from being a 335 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,120 pilot for Delta. So amazing brother of the, of 336 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,360 the church. Then we have Chris Smith, who 337 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:58,800 has been in the ministry with me since I can remember. 338 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:03,800 I started at the District coffee house in the year 2011 and a 339 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,000 couple years later a guy got out of prison and started to help me 340 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,400 stack chairs and, and put them out on Sunday mornings. 341 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,000 And he has just never left my side. 342 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,320 And so now he is, he has a vocation as a plumber, but he 343 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:19,160 also helps with all of our the outreach to kind of his old 344 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,800 life. So he goes into the prisons and 345 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:26,080 he helps with the homeless and he's here on Thursdays to preach 346 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:27,680 to those who are struggling with addiction. 347 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:32,120 And he, he does Thursdays in part with Marcus W, who is, who 348 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:33,640 is maybe the future of things to come. 349 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,840 He's just somebody who, who has been serving at our church 350 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,520 faithfully and he's serving in a Calvary community. 351 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,960 He's helping Chris on Thursdays, helps with the hospitality team. 352 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,400 And, and he he stepped out in faith to do a wedding. 353 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,360 And I said, I think maybe we can get more people like you who has 354 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:54,000 a vocation. He's a family trust planner, but 355 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,800 he also will be willing to do all of the pastoral duties that 356 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,160 he can as well. And then we have John Whitaker 357 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,840 and you guys know John Whitaker from the times that he's taught. 358 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,400 A couple weeks ago, he he taught in our kickoff to the the Titus 359 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,160 series. And, and this is a a cool role 360 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,280 that he plays in our church. And so just so you know, every 361 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:17,160 Wednesday I get together with the what we call the teaching 362 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:18,320 team. And these are guys that are 363 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,760 going to be teaching similar passages of scripture at our 364 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,560 church. So guys that are going to be 365 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:26,400 walking with Titus that can come. 366 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,480 And we all just kind of think through and talk through the 367 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:33,840 best way to share and John Whitaker overseas that group. 368 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,840 So I, I, I look to him to offer any kind of guidance and help 369 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,160 that that he can to me as your guys preacher and to the other 370 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,760 guys that we want to raise up to offer more men who will preach 371 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,000 the gospel in in the day that we live in. 372 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,160 And so John Whitaker had many years of experience doing that 373 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,400 at Calvary or at the Boise Bible College. 374 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,200 And now he does it for us and just to keep them on our 375 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,600 forefront. We also have partner pastors. 376 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,120 These are guys that you'll recognize if you've been around 377 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,040 our church for more than a couple years as guys that were 378 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,160 once on staff as our pastoral team. 379 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,440 And a few years ago, the Lord opened up a door for us to be 380 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,560 stepping out in faith to take part in revitalization of 381 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,440 churches in our valley. So after COVID, there's just 382 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,280 this sad reality that smaller churches were really struggling 383 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,000 to survive. And so we were able to partner 384 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,880 with two of them, Trinity Boise and Cole now Living Stones, by 385 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,800 sending pastors into those churches that would revitalize 386 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:37,440 the effort. And we sent some people from our 387 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,560 own church. To those churches so that that 388 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,560 could. Happen and I would love to have 389 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,000 more opportunities to help the smaller churches in our valley 390 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,320 as well. And I'd love to see more guys go 391 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,840 from the pastoral team into the partner team. 392 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,680 And so we have partner churches. So if you're new to our church, 393 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,360 just know that there are two churches that we try also to do 394 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:00,720 kind of bigger mission ministry opportunities with. 395 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,360 So this this year in the park, we baptized with two other 396 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,720 churches. This summer we're planning a 397 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,560 mission trip where the other churches would all be able to go 398 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,400 and visit some of our missionaries together. 399 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:17,920 So that's the partner pastors and we covered this next 400 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:19,840 category as we went through First Timothy. 401 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:22,720 But I want to talk about it again because so far I've talked 402 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,880 about our core leaders and you've seen a bunch of men on 403 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,960 the screen. And I want to encourage you that 404 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:35,520 there are some amazing, godly gifted women who are part of the 405 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,800 core leadership and direction and vision of our church, but 406 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,840 they're just not in the role of elder. 407 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,440 And for this, I just want to read to you something that we 408 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,720 have put together as of this year called our leader Training 409 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,600 manual. So Connor and the other pastors 410 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,080 and I went through Connor's leader training manual and we we 411 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,360 brought it up to date for 2025, everything that a leader of a 412 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:01,440 community group would need to know. 413 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:06,600 And I really like what we tried to explain for our answer on 414 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,520 role of women in the ministry. It says this. 415 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,360 Through our unique design, we have been given unique roles. 416 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,240 Scripture delineates between the roles of women and men in 417 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,840 marriage, home, and church. Women are crucial in their role 418 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,920 in the marriage and family, and they're just as crucial in the 419 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,200 church. Marriage and family don't exist 420 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,600 without women, just as the church cannot exist without 421 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,240 women fully functioning in their roles in the church. 422 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,320 So Scripture teaches us that women lead in the church in a 423 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,760 variety of ways, but God has reserved their roles of elders 424 00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:44,560 and pastors for men. So the the overseeing preach, 425 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,560 give direction to the church, the complementarian set aside 426 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,720 for a man, and then all sorts of ways that women lead with 427 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,320 direction and overseeing things like woman's ministry and 428 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,160 serving with the kids and doing Bible studies. 429 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,720 We have an amazing. Part of our core leadership team 430 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:02,080 that are women, so I'll just share their faces on the screen. 431 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,040 Some of these women are behind our unfiltered conference that I 432 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,240 just announced. Carrie leads our hospitality 433 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,920 team every week, so I'd love for you guys to all. 434 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,040 Know her more. Stephanie Smith is Chris's wife 435 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:18,800 and she goes to, she overseas a lot of those outreach ministries 436 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,000 as well. And then Corinne is our 437 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,600 accountant and I don't know where we'd be without her. 438 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,560 So amazing women. We have women leaving leading 439 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,400 our school and preschool as well. 440 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:34,360 And we have a women leading our mission in send Hope as well. 441 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:37,600 So thank you for the women who are serving and leading and 442 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,520 caring and, and by God's grace, we are a church that I hope in 443 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,480 both of our roles we complement each other well. 444 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,880 So the final thing I'll say about strong leadership, which 445 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,280 is important and it's a question that I've heard some of you ask 446 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:50,280 which. Is a good question. 447 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,360 What about elders? So we've got pastors and 448 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:55,680 partners and by vocational guys and women. 449 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,720 Leadership. As I said, pastor, elder, 450 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,120 Bishop. It is a synonymous term in the 451 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:05,840 Bible, but for us we delineate the word pastor and elder. 452 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,320 By the the the work that they're commissioned to do so pastors, 453 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,880 as said have a specific boots on the ground ministry that they 454 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,240 are committing their mostly the guys are committing their life 455 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,720 to vocation to elders are called to an overseeing role. 456 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,080 So they are a little bit more life experience. 457 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,240 They they give final direction, final word on things we do with 458 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,880 money and direction. And so these are our elders, 459 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:38,160 Monty Aldfric, Tom Velasco, myself and John Meyer. 460 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,280 So we, we look to those guys for accountability, for the wisdom 461 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,560 that I know I need to try to serve and lead this church well. 462 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,840 And so there's also. As you as you saw on on the 463 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,080 screen, there's in addition to those guys. 464 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,560 I have two elder candidates that we are praying through that you 465 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,800 may know their names are Brad Westam and Dave Johnson. 466 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,880 So many of you know who they are and we have invited them into 467 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,160 our elders meetings and invited them into times with the pastors 468 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:09,760 and we went on retreat and they came. 469 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,320 And the, the hope is that as they just learn to operate as 470 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,720 the elder team that we would see in them the qualities and the, 471 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,720 and the heart posture of godly men who will be qualified to 472 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,800 join our, our team. And by God's grace, it has been 473 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:25,840 an amazing journey that they've been on with us. 474 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,360 So we're very close to presenting them to you and so 475 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,680 that we can pray for them to have God's grace to be part of 476 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,680 our, our leadership team. So very quickly, I'll just say 477 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,000 this another question. How do you get, how do I find 478 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:38,920 these men? How do? 479 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,680 How do we get the? To go from coming to church to 480 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,360 to serving at the core leadership, that's a great 481 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:45,840 question. And we actually have a little 482 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,520 answer to that as we study the church that was being born in 483 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,960 the book of Acts. And so Acts chapter 6 we get a 484 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,320 story of some challenges that were happening in the early 485 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,120 church. With the widow care, so some 486 00:25:58,120 --> 00:25:59,560 widows weren't getting enough food. 487 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,080 They needed to appoint men to oversee the widow care ministry, 488 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,600 and this is how they did it. Acts chapter 6, verse 3. 489 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,160 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you 7 men of good 490 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,560 reputation. Full of the Holy Spirit and 491 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:15,160 wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. 492 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,640 So I love it. It's like you find some people 493 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:23,840 among you who are doing the work of the ministry to be known and 494 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,480 good reputation and they're they're known to have the Holy 495 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,080 Spirit. So they're making themselves 496 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:32,920 known in the church, active, and when it's time for leadership to 497 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,640 to be called. On there are in the book of Acts 498 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,240 there were seven guys that just came to people's minds so it 499 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,360 says in the Bible he who desires to be an elder desires a good 500 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,200 thing. Here's how you can start in that 501 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,560 pursuit one, as we've been going through the characteristics of 502 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,280 an elder and Titus and Timothy, just apply them to your life and 503 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,840 by God's grace live them and then start getting a reputation 504 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,480 in our church as someone who wants to help and serve and and 505 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,200 care for the needs of specific ministries and when it's time 506 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:01,360 for. Leaders to be. 507 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:03,480 Risen up what we'll say, Well, what about this guy? 508 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:08,280 And that is by my estimation, how we have got all the elders 509 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:09,680 that I just mentioned to you now. 510 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,680 So that is strong leadership. There's a lot to it. 511 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,400 I need a ton of grace. And I I I I someone told me 512 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,280 happy. Appreciation day today, I was 513 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,360 like, I don't know, just just continue to pray all the time 514 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:23,480 for the leaders of this church. Don't wait till one month. 515 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,920 But thank you if you, if you're celebrating a month of pastors 516 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,080 or something, I don't know, but just pray for the leaders of 517 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,680 this church because it requires so much grace. 518 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:37,840 To do these things and continue to focus on the mission of the 519 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,960 church without losing focus on what makes the church healthy 520 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,720 from the inside out. So second thing I mentioned was 521 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,840 corporate worship. We're all doing it right now. 522 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,880 So this one should be a vision that is fairly easy for you to 523 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,120 buy into because you woke up this morning. 524 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,360 And you said I'm going to go to church. 525 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,680 And what you decided to commit to, at least for this morning, 526 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,120 was what is commonly called corporate worship, or a time for 527 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:08,560 the body of Christ to come together. 528 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,840 So here's a vision behind this in a verse that will forever 529 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,440 remind me of one of the hardest pastoring seasons of my life, 530 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:21,320 Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25. Not forsaking the assembly of 531 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:25,840 ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting 532 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,960 one another, and so much more as you see the day. 533 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:35,760 Approaching I am so glad we have navigated through the 534 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:39,320 challenging and trying and maybe most difficult pastoral part of 535 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,680 my 10 years, which was not assembling during COVID. 536 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,080 How many of you look back at that and think, man, that was so 537 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:51,800 frustrating so hard. I will tell you it was nearly 538 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:56,960 impossible for me to pastor a camera and broadcast it. 539 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:02,200 It it is not the design of God for us to all scatter and just 540 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,920 TuneIn. It was very challenging and I'm 541 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,840 so glad it's over and by God's grace I don't ever want to do 542 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,200 that again. So if anything ever happens in 543 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:12,040 the. Future of the World. 544 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,160 I'm going to come. You don't have to if you don't 545 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,760 feel safe, but come and we're going to keep worshipping 546 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,200 through whatever may come, OK? Amen. 547 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,720 And the reason? It was so hard for me, and the 548 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,080 reason for those of you who are believers and churchgoers before 549 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,400 2020, the reason it should have been so hard for you is because 550 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,880 we're not meant to pursue Jesus alone. 551 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,320 We are meant to have a fellowship in the gathering, a 552 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,240 corporate worship time and and I'll just say the the author of 553 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,760 Hebrew says don't neglect that as is the manner of some, which 554 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,160 means it's not just government shutdown that causes this 555 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,240 sometimes to happen. Sometimes we get this thing in 556 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,480 our heart that says, OK, I love God, I love Jesus. 557 00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,200 I like the Bible, I don't like the people. 558 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:01,440 And so people don't want to come to church. 559 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,240 And you've probably all felt that there are probably some 560 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,400 empty chairs right now that once were people who tried church or 561 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:10,080 went to church and said, you know what? 562 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,680 I don't want to go anymore. I remember growing up, I had a 563 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,320 grandpa who said my church is the mountains. 564 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,040 I don't need to go to church. And he didn't make it to the 565 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:19,080 mountains much either. So he. 566 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:20,240 Didn't really go to church at all. 567 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,680 And you know, you get other people who say I like it, I just 568 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,680 can't stand. Church Structure. 569 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,200 Church Leadership. I've been burned. 570 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,600 I've been hurt. I'm so sorry that's happened to 571 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,000 you. But I'm going to say it again. 572 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,240 Do not neglect what we're doing right now. 573 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,480 There is power in the. Corporate coming together of 574 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,600 believers to sing in one voice and to sit under one teaching 575 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:48,520 and to leave here in one charge to live for Jesus. 576 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,000 Here's here's one way to put it. The corporate worship of the 577 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,560 church moves believers beyond individual faith and into 578 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,480 collective participation of worship, teaching, and the 579 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:05,280 breaking of bread. As many members of one body, you 580 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,800 are not meant. To pursue Jesus alone. 581 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:12,720 And this gives a vision. What I just read gives a little 582 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,800 bit of a vision for the purpose not only of church, but the 583 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,280 purpose of Sunday. The purpose of Sunday is to. 584 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:24,400 Inspire our church to love Jesus and to instruct our church. 585 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,240 To live. For Jesus, so as you. 586 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:31,640 Come Sundays, here's what I hope you leave with inspiration to 587 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,720 live for Jesus and instruction on how to love Jesus. 588 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:41,600 Here's some framework for those words inspire you to magnify the 589 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:47,360 person of Jesus in your life, and to instruct you is to apply 590 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:52,960 the ways of Jesus to your life. Inspire you to know him more, 591 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,200 inspire you to make him known more by living it out. 592 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:03,040 This also informs our liturgy. Now that's where we are a come 593 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:05,560 as you are pretty laid back church, but we still have a 594 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,880 liturgy. Don't think liturgy is just for 595 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,880 the you know the the highbrow churches that have chanting and 596 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:12,240 incense. We have liturgy too. 597 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,360 We have an organized. Structure to our service. 598 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,200 And the organized structure of our service. 599 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,000 Is. To accomplish what we just read 600 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,920 about the purpose of Sunday gathering, taking individual to 601 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,280 the collective gathering. And here's what it is in our 602 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:28,760 liturgy. We want to organize around 603 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,240 worship, the teaching and the breaking of bread. 604 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,080 We want to do those three things every time we gather. 605 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,080 Those three things will inspire and instruct us all together. 606 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,560 And those three things will ensure that we keep Jesus at the 607 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:47,080 center of everything that we do as a church on a weekly basis. 608 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,960 And so let's just talk about those 3 three things very 609 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:57,600 quickly to to worship, to magnify Jesus is not a warm up 610 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,200 to the sermon. I know I've I've fallen into 611 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:02,840 this. I know that we all are running 612 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,480 late to church. For let's at least. 613 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:07,840 Get there for the sermon or you know, I'm going to hang out and 614 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,040 then the sermon starts. The sermon is. 615 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,080 Part. Of inspiring and instructing you 616 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,400 but. Worship is so. 617 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,680 Important corporate gathering of worship. 618 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:24,000 There is so much power in a song sung together by people. 619 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:26,160 I mean, just think about people who aren't at church right now 620 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,080 and they go to the football game or they're watching it and it's 621 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,000 like, you can't help it. You're going to. 622 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:32,360 You're going to. Set the whole. 623 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,160 Thing right as you sing the anthem to your country and then 624 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,120 you know, in in other countries, songs break out as they're 625 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,200 worshipping their teams. They just break out in these 626 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,640 soccer soccer chants. And it just brings this 627 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:48,360 collective focus on the thing that you're all there for, and 628 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,520 that is what worship can do. For your life, worship is 629 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,920 something that God can use to open your heart to receive the 630 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:58,160 word, open your mind to understand who he is and meet 631 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:02,400 you right where you're at. My wife is a story of this and, 632 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,400 and the reason I, I know this is true because I, I was, you know, 633 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,760 I know my wife's testimony. She grew up Mormon. 634 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,159 My wife did and she left the Mormon church, spent about five 635 00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:14,760 years in the wilderness of didn't know what she believed 636 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:16,760 and eventually she got invited to this church. 637 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:22,840 And before she even understood what the Bible was all about, 638 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,760 before she said, OK, I'm coming here to submit myself to the the 639 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:32,480 red letter words of Jesus. She sat up in the balcony and 640 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:33,800 she started weeping over worship. 641 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,080 I mean, just think about what we sang today. 642 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,440 We're singing about the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. 643 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,920 The name above all names. There is power when you open 644 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,840 your heart to worshipping Jesus that will bring you so much 645 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:52,960 inspiration to live for Jesus. Then we have preaching as part 646 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:54,760 of our liturgy, what we're doing right now. 647 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,680 It's not just because it's good for us to be, you know, 648 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,320 knowledge of the historical person of Jesus or we want to 649 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:02,880 memorize Bible verses. There is power when the word of 650 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,520 God goes out, it goes with and does not return void. 651 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:11,800 And it, it is supposed to stir in us an inspiration to know 652 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:13,560 Jesus, which is our mission to know him. 653 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:15,720 How do we know him? We don't know him by. 654 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,400 Going up to the foothills. And waiting for the clouds to 655 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,680 spell a word about the Bible. We know him by studying his 656 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:26,040 word. And that is why we are a church 657 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:29,240 that in in all of the ways we've had to navigate through Charles, 658 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:30,800 one of the anchors. Of our church. 659 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,680 Every Sunday without fail has to say Let's open the Word and see 660 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:39,480 what God has to say. Here's what Jesus says of the 661 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,120 word after he meets his disciples. 662 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:42,520 They're confused about his death. 663 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,120 They don't know he's been resurrected, so he meets with 664 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,560 them and it says in Luke chapter 24 verse 27 and beginning at 665 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,640 Moses and. All the prophets he expounded to 666 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:57,160 them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself says 667 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,040 He began in Moses, which is the first five books of the Bible. 668 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,720 He went all the way through the prophets, and then it says all 669 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:06,640 of Scripture concerning Himself, which means every word. 670 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:12,080 Of the Bible is inspired to help you know the person of Jesus, it 671 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:16,000 all points to him. There is not a wasted moment, 672 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,160 not a wasted page, not a wasted sermon. 673 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:22,280 If you want to know Jesus, and if we're a church that wants to 674 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,280 make him known, we need to know his word. 675 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:32,880 And there's also powerful instruction that comes from the 676 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,960 word. You know, James says, don't just 677 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,680 be a hearer of the word, but be a doer. 678 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,960 Jesus says anyone who hears my word and does them is wise. 679 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,400 If you don't do them, you're a fool. 680 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:46,520 Galatians says chapter 6, verse 9. 681 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:51,520 Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we 682 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,960 shall reap the reward if we do not lose. 683 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,200 Heart. And to me that is just a such a 684 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:01,040 picture perfect example of the word of God being preached to 685 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,200 inspire and instruct you. It should inspire you that 686 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:09,440 Paul's saying don't grow weary, don't lose heart. 687 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:14,920 And This is why I want to double down on your commitment, our 688 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:19,280 commitment to gathering weekly as is possible because we. 689 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:23,080 All grow weary of following anything. 690 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,720 Let alone the narrow gate of Jesus in a culture that is 691 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:29,520 totally against him. I grow weary and everything. 692 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:31,320 I'll use my kids as another example of this. 693 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,400 I there are good things the Bible says don't grow weary and 694 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,320 doing good. There are really good things 695 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:37,600 that I have on my heart for my kids. 696 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,440 One of them, and I know that when this season is gone, I will 697 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:44,240 miss it so bad, is our bedtime routine. 698 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:52,520 I love getting to read to them and pray with them, answer their 699 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,240 questions. And they love it too. 700 00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:55,920 Every night. They're like, will you read? 701 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,640 Will you lay on my bed when you read? 702 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,120 Will you? And, and they love it. 703 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:00,680 And you know what? I love it and I'm going to miss 704 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:02,280 it. And sometimes I don't want to do 705 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,600 it. I'm like, pray for each other 706 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:08,040 and go to bed. I'm weary. 707 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,040 I, I'm tired. It's been a long day. 708 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:14,400 I I I don't have it in me to do every night and. 709 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,440 I'm weary of a lot of good things in my life. 710 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,080 I have a beautiful vision for the way I want to be as a 711 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,120 husband and the way I want to care for my wife, and sometimes 712 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,760 I'm so tired. I don't want anything to do with 713 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,600 laying down my life for her. How much more are you going to 714 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:31,920 grow weary of whatever you're inspired to do when the Word is 715 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,920 preaching God? Put something on your heart to 716 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,040 love your enemies to go the extra mile. 717 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,320 To to be bold in your workplace, to live for the mission of 718 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:44,960 making God known for such a time and as this. 719 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,000 That may cost you some slander and you're going to get weary 720 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:53,160 week by week, but you can always come back to this weekly 721 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,920 gathering or where the word can be preached. 722 00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:01,120 And it says don't grow weary, keep on going and it's going to 723 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:03,120 instruct us. He says don't grow weary of 724 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,520 doing good. There's so much good that God 725 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:09,600 has for your life as you listen to the Word and as you worship 726 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:12,080 Him and you leave those doors to go. 727 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:16,520 Do good to keep Jesus at the center not only of your church's 728 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,320 mission on a mission statement Sunday, but on your life. 729 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,240 Don't grow weary. How can you leave this place 730 00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:24,880 after listening to the Word preach and spending time with 731 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:29,120 Jesus and the body of believers to do good in knowing Jesus and 732 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:31,520 making him known in your life on Monday? 733 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:37,560 Don't grow weary of doing good. And then we also have breaking 734 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,960 of bread, and that's the third aspect of our liturgy. 735 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:42,840 We have worship, we have preaching, we have breaking of 736 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,320 bread. And this is our way of keeping 737 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:50,400 Jesus, making him known through the remembrance of what he did 738 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:55,480 to give us the citizenship into the city of God. 739 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:58,920 It's our weekly reminder lest we forget. 740 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,480 Sometimes we need to remember more than weekly that we are 741 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:07,400 part of the family of God because of not our own good 742 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:12,480 works, not sitting in a chair at a Sunday service, not the the 743 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,200 ideas we have to help other people and be a good person. 744 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:19,240 We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven because. 745 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,880 He died on the cross for our sins. 746 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:27,840 He gave us newness of life, death, burial, resurrection. 747 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,840 We remember it every time we take communion as a church. 748 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:35,760 And that is another way to know that our mission is being 749 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:39,840 secured on Sundays. To to know Jesus is to know the 750 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:45,720 cross of Jesus and to know Jesus is to know the resurrected power 751 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,880 of Jesus in your life. And so this will give me an 752 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:50,480 opportunity. I don't do this every week. 753 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,960 Sometimes there's there's probably a a misstep in this, 754 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:59,240 but question comes up who's communion for Maybe you're here 755 00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:01,280 and you don't consider yourself a believer. 756 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:05,000 You're visiting our church and you think you guys are all going 757 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,440 to pass out the the little wafer in the in? 758 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,000 The the the cup of grape juice. Should I take this? 759 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:16,440 Here's the answer. We have an open table for all 760 00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:20,240 who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of 761 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:23,880 Jesus Christ as their salvation. And here's the order of 762 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:26,000 communion in the believer's journey. 763 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:28,680 So you believe in the power of Christ. 764 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,600 You put your faith in him. The next step is to. 765 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:35,680 Take part in his death and burial in baptism. 766 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:39,160 That is your public declaration that you identify with death and 767 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,800 resurrection. And then you take part in a 768 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:46,440 weekly reminder of that symbol in your life through communion. 769 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:50,320 So that's the perfect. Way to see where communion fits 770 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,320 in to your journey with Christ. The only other thing to be added 771 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:57,880 is that communion, it says, is for people who are in good 772 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,320 standing with other members. So we're not. 773 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,240 We leave the gift of the altar, we have something against 774 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:07,520 someone else in in our lives, be reconciled and then come to the 775 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:09,640 Lord's table. The the other thing it says 776 00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:12,400 about breaking a bread and why it's so important to every time 777 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,200 we gather, it says in First Corinthians, for as often as you 778 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,400 eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord. 779 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:22,240 'S death till he comes. Here's another thing that we 780 00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:26,960 need on a weekly basis. It says we are proclaiming his 781 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:32,400 death until he comes. There is an acknowledgement 782 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:35,480 every time that we break bread at the communion table together 783 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:39,440 at the end of our service that we are leaving this place in 784 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,080 expectation that. Jesus is alive and is coming for 785 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:45,440 his church. He is coming again. 786 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:49,840 So let us leave this place with a readiness to live for him. 787 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,200 That he could come between now and next Sunday. 788 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:53,800 That would be great. I would love that. 789 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,240 And if he doesn't come, I want to remind you again that you got 790 00:42:56,240 --> 00:42:59,640 six days to live for Jesus until you're reminded that he's coming 791 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:01,880 again. And every week we proclaim his 792 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,840 death, his resurrection, and he will return. 793 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:08,160 So live lives as though Jesus could return. 794 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:10,520 That's what Communion reminds us of. 795 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:14,200 And so this is our corporate worship liturgy. 796 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:18,240 We do it every Sunday to to know Jesus and make him known. 797 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:21,760 On Sunday. We worship Jesus, we preach 798 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:26,520 Jesus, and we remember Jesus as our hope and our salvation and 799 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,160 our great expectation for his return. 800 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:34,040 So we've got strong. Core leadership, we've got a 801 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:40,240 strong corporate worship gathering and we also have what 802 00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:42,840 is so vital to that picture of a city. 803 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:47,240 You have to have communities, you have to have a part in the 804 00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:51,520 city where you. Belong and this is what that 805 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,520 third leg we'll call community discipleship. 806 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,200 Jesus says in John chapter 13 a new commandment I give to you 807 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:04,240 that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also 808 00:44:04,240 --> 00:44:07,800 love one another. By this all will know that you 809 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:12,840 are my disciples. If you have love for one another 810 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,600 three times you will love one another. 811 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:20,520 Jesus uses the verse the phrase one another. 812 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:25,960 This phrase appears over. 50 times in the New Testament, 813 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:29,520 Jesus says to love one another. Paul says to serve one another. 814 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:32,840 He also says bear one another's burdens, forgive one another. 815 00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:38,240 Ephesians Thessalonians says to encourage one another and it's 816 00:44:38,240 --> 00:44:42,760 impossible to practice the one another's alone. 817 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:45,360 It's very difficult and now you might be tricked because it's 818 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:47,680 actually makes it a lot easier to practice the one another's by 819 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:50,040 yourself. It's like I thought I was I 820 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:51,920 thought I was going to be the best parent in the world until I 821 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:53,440 had kids and I'm like, actually, this is pretty hard. 822 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:55,840 I have, I have take back a lot of the things I said about you 823 00:44:56,200 --> 00:45:02,000 crazy parents and it's a lot easier to follow in the ways of 824 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:04,560 Jesus. When you just have to keep it 825 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:08,360 between you and Jesus, the things that makes it require 826 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:11,320 prayer in the Holy Spirit and instruction from the Word is 827 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:13,000 usually the people. You're not going to have a big. 828 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:16,080 Problem with Jesus, it's the people that are going to test 829 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:21,240 your ability to live for Jesus. And so if we're going to have a 830 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:27,320 mission to know Jesus and make him known, you yourselves are 831 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:33,080 going to need to be known. And this is part of the 832 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:38,600 $1,000,000 question of every church, because the church is 833 00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:42,240 like a city on a hill. That's a vision of the church, 834 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:44,200 the mission of the. Church is to make disciples. 835 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:48,240 How do you make disciples? The best way to be part of 836 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:50,160 disciple making is what Jesus says. 837 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:53,880 You'll know that you're my disciples the way you love one 838 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:55,960 another. The best way is to be in a 839 00:45:55,960 --> 00:45:58,640 committed and consistent. Let's call it. 840 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:02,320 One another environment. It's not one another to hang out 841 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:05,920 with people that could care less about your following of Jesus at 842 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:10,800 the pickleball court, the soccer field, or the water cooler or. 843 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,200 The big football game one another implies there is a 844 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:17,400 community of committed and consistent believers being 845 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:22,680 together and Jesus says that discipleship is known in the way 846 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:28,960 we treat one another. And this actually answers one of 847 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:33,040 the great questions that I'll try to give a, an answer to at 848 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:35,400 least this Sunday that many people have when trying to step 849 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:37,880 into a church. How do you, how do you go from 850 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:41,000 outsider to insider? How do you go from visiting and 851 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:44,080 not knowing anybody to being part of a church? 852 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:48,360 How do you go from being unknown to being known? 853 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:50,480 And before I give the answer for the church, let me just give the 854 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:54,520 practical answer for life. So let's use the example of 855 00:46:55,240 --> 00:46:59,360 moving to a city. Many of you have moved to Boise 856 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:03,640 recently and I won't have you raise your hands and wherever 857 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:05,880 you came from, you are now a new creation in Idaho. 858 00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:09,720 It doesn't matter where you came from and you know when you are 859 00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:12,760 getting ready to move. To your city, it was a big 860 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:14,000 picture. It's Boise. 861 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:16,360 You're moving to Boise. You may have told your old 862 00:47:16,360 --> 00:47:19,760 friends, I'm moving to Boise and it was this big picture, But to 863 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,160 actually be in Boise, you had to make the big city small. 864 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:27,800 You didn't actually move to Boise and the whole size of the 865 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:29,760 map. You moved to a very specific 866 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:31,400 street with an address and a few neighbors. 867 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,200 And once you move there, you move to a very specific 868 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:37,080 workplace or you move to a very specific school with classrooms 869 00:47:37,080 --> 00:47:40,160 and teachers. You made the big city become a 870 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:44,720 small neighborhood, and that is how you become known. 871 00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:47,920 And so I'm grateful that part of the way that you made Big Boise 872 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:51,560 small is by choosing a church. And now the operation continues 873 00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:54,520 to make a big church small, you got to find a neighborhood. 874 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:58,720 You got to find an area in the church that you belong to beyond 875 00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:01,400 the big. And so, you know, one of the 876 00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:04,720 ways you can do that, I've seen many people become known just by 877 00:48:04,720 --> 00:48:07,880 serving. It's a great way to say, OK, I 878 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:09,640 don't know a lot of people. You want to know a lot of people 879 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:12,480 quickly start helping out and people will know you. 880 00:48:12,480 --> 00:48:14,760 You'll become a man of or a woman of reputation. 881 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,120 And hopefully you'll have something that will be a 882 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,320 blessing to the church and you will be blessed by it. 883 00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:22,120 That's one way. The. 884 00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:25,480 Best way the way that we've designed or we're trying to 885 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:30,720 design our church to offer a small committed and consistent 886 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:35,560 discipleship one another environment is with our Calvary 887 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:39,640 communities that is literally going to take you from the big 888 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,720 picture of Calvary Boise and put you into a neighborhood with 889 00:48:42,720 --> 00:48:45,600 someone another people that you will commit to. 890 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:50,480 And so my encouragement for this community discipleship aspect 891 00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:55,920 will be if you're not part of that, pray and if you're ready 892 00:48:55,920 --> 00:49:01,040 to step into a more robust version of what church is, you 893 00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:05,160 have to go be on Sunday. And my encouragement is pray to 894 00:49:05,160 --> 00:49:09,000 see if you're be on Sunday would be to join a Calvary community. 895 00:49:09,720 --> 00:49:12,960 Calvary communities can also answer some other really 896 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:15,600 important questions to have answered as a church. 897 00:49:15,600 --> 00:49:19,560 One of them is. How can I get help when I'm in 898 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:21,640 need? You know, imagine walking into a 899 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:24,360 church and and we're people who want to bear one another 900 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,960 burdens, encourage one another, love one another, and you're an 901 00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:29,240 unknown person. You're walking in or or maybe 902 00:49:29,240 --> 00:49:32,040 you you are only in your capacity, which grace for you. 903 00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:34,280 You can only come Sundays. You work, you travel. 904 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:36,880 Sundays are your spot. Maybe you're just not. 905 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,040 Ready to go? Beyond the inspiration 906 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:41,560 instruction of Sundays. So how do you get help? 907 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:43,800 I'm always trying to answer that question better. 908 00:49:44,240 --> 00:49:47,760 And so this will be hopefully something that we continue to 909 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:51,280 come back to and say, here's here's our latest version of of 910 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,080 offering help to to those in need. 911 00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:57,000 One way is that every Sunday you can come and we will have people 912 00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:59,000 pray with you. And when they're praying, they 913 00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:03,160 always will do their best to discern how to help you beyond 914 00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:06,000 the foot of the stage. Another ways you can leave this 915 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,880 place and you can go right under that big sign that says welcome. 916 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:13,960 And there are people that are positioned there to be available 917 00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:16,120 to, to answer questions. And I know that takes a certain 918 00:50:16,120 --> 00:50:18,440 boldness to come to a stage or even to talk to people. 919 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,360 Sometimes your help is so personal that you don't want to. 920 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:25,720 So in an effort to offer even farther out help, maybe someone 921 00:50:25,720 --> 00:50:29,760 who's in the shadows, who has an unmet need, I'd like to offer a 922 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:32,400 new effort. And I'm going to try my best to 923 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:35,640 continue to get this word out. But if you have help beyond what 924 00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:38,040 I've just said, if you have needs that beyond what I just 925 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:40,720 said as an answer, we we've started an e-mail called. 926 00:50:40,720 --> 00:50:45,000 Care. At calvaryboise.com care at 927 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:46,960 calvaryboise.com. If you have a need that you 928 00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:48,920 don't even you're not ready to talk about, you just want to 929 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:54,080 send it in. I have the amazing team of 930 00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:57,960 Jessica Guadalupe and Ashley Fiola and they committed, I said 931 00:50:57,960 --> 00:50:59,840 I'm going to announce this, but you guys got to make sure it 932 00:50:59,840 --> 00:51:01,760 happens. They have committed to having 933 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:05,560 you get a reply, not necessarily the the end of the road answer, 934 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,360 but get a reply that we're here, we see it, we're working on 935 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:10,880 within 48 hours. So if you have anything 936 00:51:11,480 --> 00:51:15,040 financial need, you're in crisis, you have questions about 937 00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:18,280 marriage, you're in danger of any kind and you just need a, a 938 00:51:18,280 --> 00:51:22,000 lifeline and you just want to send it out without having to, 939 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:25,120 to, to come forward. We will get you the care you 940 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:27,280 need. We will take it in, in 48 hours. 941 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:29,400 We will get someone on the case at least. 942 00:51:29,720 --> 00:51:33,280 And I'll, I'll just add to that that can include questions of 943 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:35,000 any kind. I think one of the hard things, 944 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:37,960 you know, every Sunday I stand over here and shake hands and 945 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:39,520 sometimes people just ask me their questions. 946 00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:40,920 And sometimes people are like, I got to go. 947 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:44,440 I don't have time for that. And you can, you can send in 948 00:51:44,440 --> 00:51:46,360 questions. I would love for, for these 949 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:49,600 ladies to just filter anything that's on your mind or your 950 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:53,080 heart as a need of our church. Just let us let it be known so 951 00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:54,240 that we can serve you in that way. 952 00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:55,400 So. That's the big. 953 00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,920 Picture answer. Here's the small picture answer 954 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:03,560 the best way to be positioned in life for that when the trials of 955 00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:07,280 life come up, which they will, Jesus says don't be surprised 956 00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:11,600 they're coming trials of life he's overcome is to live your 957 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:14,520 life, not in the. Big picture of a church. 958 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:19,680 But in the small version of church, to commit to being part 959 00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:24,200 of one another community so that you're in a rhythm of prayer, 960 00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:27,560 you're in a rhythm of already helping those in need that you 961 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:29,520 know. And when your time comes, which 962 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:33,520 it will, all of us have a timeline over our head of the 963 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,800 hospital or the funeral that awaits us all. 964 00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:39,720 When our time comes, we'll be positioned in a place where 965 00:52:39,720 --> 00:52:43,600 people already know us. It says in Galatians chapter 6 966 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:48,320 verse 2 bear one another burdens and so fulfill the law of 967 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:51,080 Christ. I think the last question I'll 968 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:58,280 try to answer with the time I have is how can with the pastor 969 00:52:58,280 --> 00:53:01,640 team that we have extended into by vocational care and the 970 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:05,360 leaders? Of our church, how can we pastor 971 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:10,960 all of these people that you are and how can we offer? 972 00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:14,800 The care that is needed in the pastoral sense with just a 973 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:19,120 handful of leaders. And I'm asking that question 974 00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:21,320 because it actually got brought up last week by Connor. 975 00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:24,520 He was teaching through the word and he's he's so wise. 976 00:53:24,520 --> 00:53:26,320 He taught through the word and he asked this question. 977 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:29,040 I thought that is so good. His question was essentially 978 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:35,320 this, if we are living on the precursor of a revival, let's 979 00:53:35,320 --> 00:53:39,560 say God is stirring our country, our city, our world, and, and 980 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:42,200 awakening people's hearts and minds to not just come to 981 00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:46,400 church, but to to long for one another community and 982 00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:49,840 discipleship and care and and the the process of 983 00:53:49,840 --> 00:53:52,080 sanctification, which is going to need some shepherds. 984 00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:55,800 Would we be ready? To care for a wave of people 985 00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:59,480 that came in. And I think Connor is wise to 986 00:53:59,480 --> 00:54:02,280 ask it because Connor knows the answer. 987 00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:09,480 It isn't possible for me or even the faces on the screen as a 988 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:14,000 handful of leaders to care for all of the needs that exist in 989 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:17,200 the sanctuary right now. It's just not possible. 990 00:54:17,720 --> 00:54:23,160 And there's there, there's a a vision or a picture for how we 991 00:54:23,160 --> 00:54:28,000 could make the big church small and the small church well cared 992 00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:30,160 for. And for this, I'll just give 993 00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:35,280 kind of a, maybe a picture of what we, we often call in the 994 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:37,320 Calvary Chapel worlds, the Moses model. 995 00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:39,760 So if you've ever been around the Calvary Chapel, the, the 996 00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:42,320 leadership style that exists in the Calvary Chapel is often 997 00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:44,880 called the Moses model. So we have a lead pastor that 998 00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:47,320 would be me. And then then I try to kind of 999 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:50,120 hear from the Lord and lead the, the, the, the people through the 1000 00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:51,400 wilderness. So you're the people in this 1001 00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:53,520 scenario. Sorry to hear, sorry to tell you 1002 00:54:53,520 --> 00:54:59,080 that, but just stay with me. And there's a moment in the the 1003 00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:04,280 life and leadership of Moses where he was trying to lead his 1004 00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:07,240 best, but he was it was becoming very apparent. 1005 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:11,800 One guy couldn't lead all those children of Israel through the 1006 00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:14,680 desert. And so there's a very important 1007 00:55:14,680 --> 00:55:18,080 moment that comes into us in the life of Moses with an 1008 00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:19,880 interaction he has with his father-in-law. 1009 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:23,120 It says Exodus chapter 18. So Moses father-in-law said to 1010 00:55:23,120 --> 00:55:24,920 him, the thing that you do is not good. 1011 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:28,320 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear 1012 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,920 yourselves out for this thing is too much for you. 1013 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:33,400 You are not able to perform it by yourself. 1014 00:55:33,880 --> 00:55:36,720 And then his father-in-law Jethro goes on to give him a 1015 00:55:36,720 --> 00:55:39,640 vision for taking the. Big group of. 1016 00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:45,240 People and making them small. And so my hope is that we would 1017 00:55:45,240 --> 00:55:50,040 be people who would be committed to small neighborhood versions 1018 00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:53,480 of the city on the hill that is our church and that people would 1019 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:58,360 be qualified to care for and oversee our Calvary community. 1020 00:55:58,360 --> 00:56:01,520 So as I said, we're doing our training, training manual and 1021 00:56:01,760 --> 00:56:06,400 Connor and I would, we're going to step into a season of really 1022 00:56:06,400 --> 00:56:10,240 working with our Calvary community leaders to make sure 1023 00:56:10,240 --> 00:56:12,400 that they've gone through the qualities and the 1024 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:16,360 characteristics and the tests of the Timothy and Titus Pastoral 1025 00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:18,800 Guide. And then put them in positions 1026 00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:23,040 to care for the house groups of our church in a way that is not 1027 00:56:23,040 --> 00:56:26,080 just a Bible study. But truly, if, if the revival 1028 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:29,040 comes and we can get people into different homes and have them 1029 00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:32,600 led by people who are qualified, then we'll be living out the 1030 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:37,400 true Moses model, which is Moses leading and a bunch of qualified 1031 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:40,200 men caring for the needs of the masses. 1032 00:56:40,720 --> 00:56:43,880 So more on that as we go through the upcoming year. 1033 00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:47,200 But I'll, I'll end with this. Let me end with just a picture 1034 00:56:47,200 --> 00:56:51,680 of what we just did. So we just gave a, a version of 1035 00:56:51,680 --> 00:56:55,120 our church and as a city on a hill and what makes us through 1036 00:56:55,120 --> 00:56:59,440 the purpose of our church, how we commit to knowing Jesus and 1037 00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:02,240 making him known. We've got just a picture of a 1038 00:57:02,240 --> 00:57:05,280 desire for strong core leadership and, and, and a 1039 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:08,200 picture for clarity on our corporate worship and, and a 1040 00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:12,280 call really to a community of discipleship in our church. 1041 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:15,520 And all of those are really great if you're new to our 1042 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:17,360 church, because you can tell this Sunday you're like, you 1043 00:57:17,360 --> 00:57:19,880 know what, this sounds great. I don't know if I'm looking for 1044 00:57:19,880 --> 00:57:21,880 something like this, but maybe I'll come back. 1045 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:23,920 And so you know exactly what you'd be committing to. 1046 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:26,560 And that's really what this is. It's a commitment, This is a 1047 00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:30,320 church that that that requires us to commit to each other like 1048 00:57:30,720 --> 00:57:33,520 a family would commit to the, the, the family meeting. 1049 00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:39,040 And as you've listened to that commitment go out for maybe the 1050 00:57:39,040 --> 00:57:42,200 newcomers, there's also a number of you that can recommit. 1051 00:57:42,840 --> 00:57:46,640 And for this, I have a picture of, of just going to a wedding. 1052 00:57:46,760 --> 00:57:49,000 You know, it's wedding season, it's the end of wedding season. 1053 00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:52,920 And I love when I go to a wedding where I'm watching a new 1054 00:57:52,920 --> 00:57:55,760 man and wife commit to the vows of marriage together. 1055 00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:59,000 And it's such a beautiful thing. And I've made it a practice when 1056 00:57:59,000 --> 00:58:01,440 I'm at the wedding. To reach over hold. 1057 00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:06,520 On to the hand of my wife and also commit to the same vows. 1058 00:58:06,520 --> 00:58:08,600 So if you ever invite me to your wedding, I'm I'm going to take a 1059 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:11,240 little bit of it home with me and I encourage you to do that. 1060 00:58:11,240 --> 00:58:12,440 If you're married, you get invited to a wedding. 1061 00:58:12,440 --> 00:58:16,000 It's like those vows are for you recommit to them and the same 1062 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:18,520 with what we just did. This is our church. 1063 00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:20,320 This is what it means to commit to our church. 1064 00:58:20,680 --> 00:58:23,480 And if you heard it from a longtime member? 1065 00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:25,560 Of our church if. You've been here and you've 1066 00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:27,920 known all this. You know the leadership and who 1067 00:58:27,920 --> 00:58:31,960 we are, and it's time to make a recommitment to our church and 1068 00:58:32,160 --> 00:58:36,400 let us be ready for whatever God wants to do to bring in the next 1069 00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:41,000 great harvest into our church. Thanks for joining us today. 1070 00:58:41,280 --> 00:58:44,040 If you would like to watch the full service, check out the link 1071 00:58:44,040 --> 00:58:46,880 in the description. For next steps and to learn 1072 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:49,120 more, visit calvaryboise.com.