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Hey, welcome to the City Point 
Church podcast. 

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Thanks for joining us. 
Every day is an opportunity to 

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take hold of. 
So we hope this message inspires

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you and build your faith, but it
helps you have more of a God 

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perspective for your day. 
Enjoy. 

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I just don't have to be here and
be able to share the word of 

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God. 
I count the great privilege be 

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able to share the word and in 
this theme of is there not a 

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'cause this year and this month 
specifically looking at we've 

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church. 
I want to share around 1 passage

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script. 
You're going to know this 

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passage by the end of this 
message. 

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It comes from one Peter chapter 
2 verses four and five. 

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It says these words so it's 
coming to him as to a living 

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stone rejected indeed by men, 
but chosen by God and precious 

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you also as living stones are 
being built up a spiritual 

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house, a holy priesthood to 
OfferUp spiritual sacrifices 

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acceptable to God through Jesus 
Christ. 

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If you need a title for my 
message this morning, it's 

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called a people, not an 
audience. 

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I think all of us have favorite 
words that we use and these 

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words just simply just roll off 
our tongue. 

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We don't necessarily give much 
thought to it, but it's like 

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dominant words in our lives. 
I look at some words that have 

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just become so commonly used. 
I also use this word, the word 

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awesome. 
It just seems to just roll off 

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our tongues. 
You wash the car and you did 

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awesome. 
No, no, no. 

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You just washed the car. 
You know, I vacuumed the house 

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yesterday for my wife. 
That's awesome. 

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Nah, it's just vacuuming the 
house. 

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You know, standing in front of 
the Rocky Mountains. 

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That's awesome. 
Going out and looking up the 

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stars and the moons in the 
evening and you just man the 

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handiwork of God. 
That's awesome. 

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Another word that we've heard a 
lot over the last five years is 

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the word unprecedented of 
something that just has not been

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a usual precedent. 
But we tend to use this word 

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over and over and over, not just
in relation to viruses, but 

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that's unprecedented. 
Like Mike, you preached an 

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unprecedented message. 
This no, it's just a message. 

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But they've had these words to 
just roll off our tongues. 

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And there's a word that I would 
say so many times during the 

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week. 
And I've found the words we use 

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over and over often lose the 
weight of its meaning through 

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the commonality of our use. 
And that word for me is the word

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church. 
I'm a church a lot. 

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Hemorrhage. 
Like I'm there like 6 days a 

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week. 
I'm there a lot. 

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And it just rolls off to my 
grandkids. 

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I'm going to church. 
They're like, are you going to 

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church, Moose? 
Yes, I'm going to church. 

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Where do you work? 
Church? 

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Where do you worship? 
Church 322 Wicker Road, 11 

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Hensel Rd. 
Caboolture Clopping the dress. 

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I love this church like and so 
church just rolls off my tongue.

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But have we lost the true 
meaning of church? 

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For some of us today, it's just 
a place I go to, a place I 

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serve, a place I support. 
You know, for others, it's your 

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Sunday rhythm. 
I can't do without this rhythm 

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of going to church For others. 
It is a place, a community of 

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believers that we come in and we
worship God together, we grow 

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together. 
It's a church can be so many 

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different things to different 
people, but in saying the words,

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sometimes we can lose the depth 
of what the church really, 

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really is. 
And the church is a people, not 

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an audience. 
I do not want to be a church 

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where things are happening in 
front of us without things 

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happening within us and through 
us. 

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Is that this is not a spectator 
sport where we come along and we

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hear some 62 year old guy or 61 
year old guy say some words. 

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No, no, I I want it to be a 
place where we are a people and 

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we are growing together. 
We are believing together. 

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We are putting faith together. 
There is something so powerful 

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that happens whenever you and I 
come into a community of 

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believers. 
I say it like this. 

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There is this divine melting of 
our separateness. 

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You and I are individuals, but 
as a corporate body of 

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believers, the church, it's like
ice cubes that just melt into 

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just this beautiful, refreshing 
water that you are beautiful as 

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an individual, but you are 
magnificent together. 

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And God has designed you to be 
so uniquely spectacular. 

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But in the place of coming 
together in his presence and 

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carriers of his presence, 
everything changes. 

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And so this morning, I don't 
want us to get familiar with the

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word church. 
I need to be the church. 

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And then when we skip into the 
New Testament is none of those 

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things I said about the church 
were wrong. 

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But the New Testament paints the
picture of the church as 

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something living, something 
powerful, something that's so 

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full of purpose that will change
the world around about them and 

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bring glory and honor to God in 
everything that the church does.

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And here in this passage, it 
says coming to him as to a 

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living stone, rejected by men 
indeed, but chosen by God and 

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precious. 
Here the apostle Paul is talking

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to new believers that they are 
marginalized in their community 

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that they're still trying to 
work out what this faith 

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actually is. 
You know, we've got 2000 years 

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of historical, you know, from 
the day of Jesus coming to his 

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death and resurrection has been 
built upon and talked about. 

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But here these guys are living 
in the very first early years of

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it thinking what does the church
actually look like? 

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What what is mission? 
It's like going to prep all 

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again. 
And here the apostle is speaking

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to these marginalized people. 
And one thing he does not talk 

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about. 
He does not talk about systems, 

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processes or strategies or 
structures. 

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He talks about Jesus. 
He talks about Jesus being a 

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living stone. 
He he's breaking everything 

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down, he's removing the 
institution and the 

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establishment of a church could 
look like and brings it all down

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to a relationship. 
And that's you and I with Tim. 

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And yes, there must be structure
and there must be strategy, but 

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a structure and strategy becomes
comes before the presence of 

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God. 
We've got it all wrong. 

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I don't want to come to a 
gathering of believers every 

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week and it to be so full of 
strategy and structure. 

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Do we need that? 
Absolutely. 

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I like having lunch at 12:00. 
I don't necessarily think a 

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meeting needs to go to 4:00 in 
the afternoon. 

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I like that. 
But if the meeting needs to go 

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to 4:00 because God wants the 
meeting to go to 4:00, let's 

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throw out the run sheet and the 
strategy and just do whatever 

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God wants to do. 
Well, there's two good things. 

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They they clap on throwing out 
the run sheet and nine Hensel 

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Rd. 
Caboolture, like you are the 

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church. 
Oh, so as I say, 90, that's 9 

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next door. 
I prefer that little building 

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than this one. 
That's Oh yeah, wait, I just 

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threw that in. 
We are 9 to 11. 

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We're just not one number. 
We are 9. 

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They are 10 over the road and 
we're back here at #11 like we 

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confuse the postman around here 
or post lady, whatever. 

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What, what about you going on 
those ones that are posty? 

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Don't get me started like you 
get me on that train. 

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You're going to be here till 
4:00 right now. 

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I don't want, no, I don't want 
my grandkids getting some 

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participation ribbon. 
I don't want it. 

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If they're not first, second or 
third, they're losers. 

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Get over it. 
Pat them on the back. 

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Do better next time, champ. 
And there's a golf clap for 

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participation ribbons out there.
Like thank you for that one 

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clap. 
Like I felt, oh man, the world's

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gone crazy, but Jesus is still 
alive in the monst of all the 

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crazy couple of it's no normal 
notes, but they're going to go 

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there anyhow. 
A couple of couple of weeks ago,

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well, having family dinner at 
home and my son-in-law asked me 

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this question in light of so 
many ministries across the globe

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falling right now, God just 
exposing ministries and thought,

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Oh my gosh, like even just 
yesterday I saw like a former 

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worship pastor murders his wife.
Like how? 

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How do you get from Rach? 
And I don't know where Chris is 

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today. 
And we can we can laugh about 

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how. 
And my son-in-law asked me this 

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question. 
He said, he said, Dad, is there 

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anything in City Point in the 
world of City Point that God 

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would need to expose in order to
bring a cleanliness and a 

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holiness to City Point Church? 
Yeah, it was, it was intense. 

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It really was like, you can go 
home now, champ. 

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And I did. 
I thought, I thought about it 

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for a while, a number of 
minutes, just to just to go 

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through. 
And I came back and I said, you 

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know what, Jesse, there, there's
nothing that I know of that God 

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would need to expose. 
And in order for us to be a 

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holier church. 
Are we perfect? 

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By no means, but I'm so grateful
that we have leadership of 40 

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years in ministry in Pastor Mark
and LA. 

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There's been, there's been no 
scandal. 

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The the only scandal we have had
as a church is that we simply 

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stood up with our college and 
said that boys can't be in girl 

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bathrooms and girls can't be in 
boys bathrooms. 

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And I'm not having a dig at 
anyone. 

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That's the biggest scandal we've
had. 

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Now. 
I don't know what tomorrow holds

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with the tomorrow brings, but 
I'm so glad to be a part of a 

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church that doesn't do it 
perfectly, but does have an 

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integrity and a holiness and a 
respect and regard for the 

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things of God. 
And I don't know why, as I said,

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don't know what tomorrow looks 
like, but I look back 

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historically and I am so 
grateful for our church. 

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I really, really am. 
I don't know why I said that, 

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but that was to somebody. 
And so here in this passage of 

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Scripture is the church does not
begin with what we do. 

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The church will always begin 
with coming to Jesus. 

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And in this month of we the 
Church of utilizing gifts and 

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talents in the House of God. 
I am saying you to you today is 

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that you don't need to serve in 
the House of God. 

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I'm not forcing you. 
There is no compulsion at all. 

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One thing I know about the 
church is the church will 

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continue, but we are all called 
to play a role in the part in 

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the life of the church and so 
often volunteering has been 

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based on availability. 
If you're available, well then 

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I've got some time. 
No, I think that's a wrong way 

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of looking at it is that serving
in the Kingdom of God is about 

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nearness and out of nearness. 
I'm going to go do is that Jesus

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constantly said to his 
disciples, come away with me. 

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They came back with all these 
ministry reports. 

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He sent them out to heal the 
sick and the cast out demons and

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to preach the gospel. 
They come back so excited with 

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the ministry report. 
This is what God's doing. 

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This is what's taking part. 
This is what I saw and he simply

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stops them mid track and says, 
hey, you know what, it's all 

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wonderful, but would you just 
come away with me? 

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Come and be in my presence and 
then from that place would you 

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go again and so often we turn 
this around. 

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If I just go and do things for 
God is a God will be with me. 

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God says no, I much rather you 
are with me first and then out 

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of that place. 
Go for me. 

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I don't want to be a fraud to 
the world around about me. 

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I don't want to say I'm a great 
lover of Jesus and not go and do

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things for Jesus, but I've got 
to get the order right. 

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I've got to be in his presence. 
I've got to be near to him 

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because he said this. 
If you and I draw near to him, 

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he'll draw near to us. 
That that that happens to 

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believers after they make that 
decision to follow Christ is he 

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finds us. 
I didn't find him. 

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He found me through the grace 
and love. 

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He found you and then after that
point of encounter of him 

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shaping our lives and forgiving 
us, he says, now come into my 

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presence and then out of my 
presence, go. 

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If you draw near to me, I'm 
going to draw near to you. 

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And so this morning, I'm not 
saying to you, would you just go

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and make yourself available? 
Would you do more things in life

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for church? 
No, no, no, no, no, no. 

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And as church, we've been really
good at this over the years. 

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I can manipulate any one of you 
to serve Today. 

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We're good. 
Most retired pastors go into 

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selling insurance. 
True. 

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Pastor Dan, he doesn't sell 
insurance. 

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No, no, no, no. 
We are good at motivating people

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to do things they don't 
necessarily want to do, and this

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morning I apologize for that. 
If the church has ever just 

233
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,240
wanted to use you for what you 
carry, gives talents and 

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00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:09,560
abilities, no, no, no, I would 
much rather you are near to God 

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than do anything for God. 
The scariest passage in the Word

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of God, it's Jesus saying to 
those that know his name, I 

237
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never knew you, I never knew 
you, but I did all this for you,

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Lord, you never knew me. 
I healed the sick and I cast out

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demons and I preached your word 
and I loved in my community. 

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I did all of these things in 
your name and he says I never 

241
00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:59,800
knew you. 
I don't want those words spoken 

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to our church or the church at 
the end of our days. 

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You did all this and you never 
knew me. 

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And so this morning, my simple 
message is, would you just draw 

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near to God? 
It's not about performance. 

246
00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,760
It's not about the gifts and 
talents, it's literally drawing 

247
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near to Christ and him flowing 
through our lives and we make 

248
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everything available. 
And so today, if you've mixed it

249
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:42,280
up, just make it right with God.
So intimate. 

250
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We'll just bring you into the 
mood right now. 

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Was that the finished side? 
Are you telling me that I we 

252
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don't? 
We're not an audience, we are a 

253
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people coming to Him as to a 
living stone, rejected indeed by

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men, but chosen by God before 
there is any structure, any 

255
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strategy. 
This message is so brought down 

256
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to simple terms with these 3 
words coming to Him. 

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He is a God who is accessible, a
God who is available. 

258
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And there is a response from 
humanity is we simply just need 

259
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to come to him. 
You are great, but not that 

260
00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,880
great. 
He is great and He is 

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unchangeable and He flows 
through our lives and the thing 

262
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that he desires the most is 
intimacy, relationship with each

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and every one of us. 
He cheers us on for the good 

264
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that we do, but he cheers us on 
one because we know him and he 

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knows us and the good that we 
do. 

266
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He doesn't cheer you and on I on
to a place of exhaustion, a 

267
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place of frustration, a place 
where pride may rise up in our 

268
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heart and say, you know what I 
can do be all things to all 

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people. 
No, he simply says these words. 

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Would you just come to me? 
It's this divine relationship 

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that he is after. 
He is after nothing else this 

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00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,560
morning. 
It's simply an invitation. 

273
00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,840
It's not a demand. 
It's a response, not a 

274
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,360
requirement. 
It's the grace of God would draw

275
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:41,800
us into this place where I just 
need to keep on coming back to 

276
00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,560
him. 
Coming back to him. 

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00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,520
I don't know where your life's 
looking and how it's looking 

278
00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,120
right now, but would you just 
keep coming back to Jesus and to

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the church is such an important 
part of that. 

280
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:59,080
But would you come to him is my 
psychiatrist has some answers 

281
00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,440
for and my counselor has some 
answers for my psychologist has 

282
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,160
some answers for me and I see 
all of those ones regularly. 

283
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,800
But I need to come to him. 
They will all give me tools. 

284
00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,120
But here's the answer. 
He is my healing. 

285
00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:19,000
He is my health. 
They are just a solution to get 

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00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,680
to that place. 
And so, so simply this morning, 

287
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:29,000
would you come to him? 
Don't go to social media, don't 

288
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,080
go to Instagram, don't go to 
your next door neighbor. 

289
00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:37,440
Would you come to him? 
John 644 says this. 

290
00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,880
No one can come to me unless the
father who sent me draws me. 

291
00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,760
And I will raise him up at the 
last day. 

292
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:50,080
No one can come to me unless the
father who sent me draws him. 

293
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,080
And I want you to see this this 
morning, is that the Father 

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draws, the Son receives us, and 
the Spirit of God sustains us. 

295
00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:05,160
There's a great work that God is
doing in all of our lives. 

296
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Is that the Holy Father, He 
draws you and I into a 

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relationship. 
The Son who came and laid down 

298
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his life for you says, you know 
what, in spite of how you've 

299
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,200
lived your life, I'm going to 
receive you. 

300
00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,400
And when we surrender our lives 
to Christ is in the Spirit of 

301
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,320
God sustained you day by day by 
day. 

302
00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,200
Would you simply just come to 
Jesus? 

303
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,840
Whether that's in the morning, 
whether it's a noon day, whether

304
00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:38,160
it's a night time, whatever your
best rhythm is, give your best 

305
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:45,040
to God, give your best to him. 
It says all the way through here

306
00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,640
that Jesus woke up really early 
and went and prayed Like heck 

307
00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:59,120
no, I don't care what Jesus did.
I do, but I don't care when he 

308
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,480
prayed. 
You get me up at 6:00 in the 

309
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,520
morning, that's going to be my 
worst time with God. 

310
00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,000
I have no energy. 
I didn't want to necessarily get

311
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:19,000
out of bed, but you get me at 
11:00 at night, I'm energized, 

312
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:25,200
I'm pumped, kids are asleep, 
Nadine's asleep, and I could 

313
00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:31,040
just be Mike and God, what 
forced me to get up at 5:00 in 

314
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,600
the morning and I'm like, even a
little bowel syndrome, all that.

315
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:39,720
You know what happens? 
You get to 61 and things like, 

316
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,440
it's the worst time I could 
give. 

317
00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:46,640
God, I've got some amens here. 
This is good. 

318
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,360
Well, I am saying you get your 
rhythm with God and you make 

319
00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:56,000
that a priority. 
I'm running around my lounge 

320
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,640
room at 11:00 at night, right? 
You know when you're supposed to

321
00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,920
be settling down, You put on 
your blue lights through the 

322
00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,640
glasses to get everything ready.
Set all the mood lighting's on. 

323
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,440
All that. 
No, no, no, no, no. 

324
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:08,280
Everything's on. 
Fluorescence on. 

325
00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:09,520
Let's run. 
Let's charge. 

326
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,400
Let's open up the Bible. 
Thank you. 

327
00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,360
Right. 
Give God your best. 

328
00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:24,040
What's the rhythm you need to 
give God like this message, 

329
00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,640
probably like every message over
the past 28 years, is always 

330
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:36,680
originated behind my lawnmower. 
I'm pushing my lawnmower and 

331
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,000
Revelation just flows. 
I don't know if it's a four 

332
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:45,560
stroke petrol, but Revelation 
flows like I get my I got my son

333
00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,120
to do the lawn mowing once when 
he's like 14 years of age. 

334
00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:52,800
I walked out. 
I was like, I was so frustrated.

335
00:24:01,490 --> 00:24:03,170
It's like he missed every 3rd 
row. 

336
00:24:07,010 --> 00:24:09,850
That's the only time he ever 
mowed my grass. 

337
00:24:10,490 --> 00:24:12,770
Not because I was frustrated 
with Him, because that's my 

338
00:24:12,770 --> 00:24:16,200
place with God. 
I have this expectation every 

339
00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,880
time I get behind that mower, 
here we go. 

340
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:24,480
This is not a chore for me. 
It's like I'm going to hear from

341
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,280
God. 
I'm going to go and write a kick

342
00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:27,880
butt message. 
I'm not going to look at my 

343
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:29,400
notes and I don't even know what
I'm doing. 

344
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:36,160
But would you find your place 
with God and would you keep 

345
00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,840
going back to that place? 
Because if you heard His voice 

346
00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:40,800
once there, you're going to hear
His voice again. 

347
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,960
And I'm not limiting his voice 
behind a lawnmower, but I just 

348
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,800
know that I get that thing. 
I start that up, it goes first 

349
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:51,440
time. 
I'm cheering already. 

350
00:24:55,400 --> 00:25:00,120
It's like, come on, speak God, 
get your rhythm, get your place.

351
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,920
The Father draws the Son 
receives the Spirit sustains us 

352
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,400
living stones is that 55 minutes
here we go. 

353
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:16,040
Let's buckle in everybody. 
You also as living stones are 

354
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,720
being built up a spiritual 
house. 

355
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,880
It's an oxymoron. 
How can God put these two words 

356
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,560
together of living and stone? 
You, you look at a stone, 

357
00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:32,080
there's no life to a stone is a 
stone is enduring. 

358
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,560
It's stable. 
It doesn't necessarily change 

359
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:41,160
it. 
Wherever it's positioned, it is 

360
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:45,040
positioned. 
But then you add the word living

361
00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:50,280
to it and then now becomes this 
life, this vitality to something

362
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,400
that is so stable, something 
that is enduring. 

363
00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,000
Something's going to stay in 
position in place no matter 

364
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,720
what's happening around about 
them in the world. 

365
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,320
And so he says to you and I, you
are a living stone. 

366
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:09,080
You are just not enduring. 
No, you had the breath of God 

367
00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,880
inside of that endure. 
You're not just a stable person.

368
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,360
No, we have the breath of God 
inside of you. 

369
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,400
It's you don't just remain. 
Remain in a place of stillness. 

370
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,960
No, you're in a place of 
stillness empowered by the 

371
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,400
Spirit of God. 
So he compares you and I as to 

372
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,760
this living stone. 
There is the breath of God 

373
00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:32,200
inside of our lives that it's 
met with this place of 

374
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,040
endurance, this place of 
resilience, this place where 

375
00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,160
life is weathered but it still 
remains. 

376
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:41,920
He says you and I are living 
stones. 

377
00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,760
He's a living stone. 
And the thing I notice about 

378
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:53,360
living stones, if you look at a 
block wall, a Stonewall, this 

379
00:26:53,360 --> 00:26:56,360
verse goes on that says they are
being built up into a spiritual 

380
00:26:56,360 --> 00:27:02,040
house, is there's an individual 
component of our walk with God 

381
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,160
which is so important. 
I don't get to heaven by 

382
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,600
anyone's faith, by anyone's 
relationship with God except my 

383
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:13,280
own. 
There's that responsibility on 

384
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,800
us. 
But when that foundation has 

385
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,560
been laid in our hearts, God 
doesn't just see you as an 

386
00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,520
individual isolated from 
everybody else. 

387
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,120
Now he sees you and I as living.
You've got to get living stone 

388
00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:32,200
dry because if you're doing that
right, he says you're now going 

389
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:37,600
to make up a spiritual house 
city Point N You are so 

390
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,960
important as an individual. 
But I, I believe this, you are 

391
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:47,640
more important as a collective 
and the world has shifted our 

392
00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,600
mindset, our thinking. 
You just be have to be an 

393
00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:52,320
individual. 
You do you. 

394
00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:59,920
No, you do God and you do each 
other. 

395
00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:06,360
And so as a living stone now 
being built up into a spiritual 

396
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:12,160
house, it's a wall of just 
stones, beautiful stones. 

397
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:18,920
It's a magnificent picture of a 
house where you as a living 

398
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,840
Stoner are being supported by 
somebody else and you're 

399
00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,080
supporting someone else. 
That that's the picture of the 

400
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,360
church, that we don't do this 
relationship with God in 

401
00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:35,360
isolation, but you also do it in
a place of community and both 

402
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:42,480
are so valuably important. 
As I look at that Stonewall, 

403
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,240
there's no stand out stone, 
there's no superhero stones, 

404
00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,800
There's only one stand out stone
and that is the chief 

405
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:57,320
cornerstone. 
A brick bricklayer came to me 

406
00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,560
recently after I was using this 
illustration. 

407
00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,520
He said to me, I'm a bricklayer 
and you are so right. 

408
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:08,320
Is the most important stone is 
that cornerstone because holds 

409
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,040
the weight and it carries 
alignment? 

410
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,640
Is the cornerstone always is an 
alignment, always must be in the

411
00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,840
right place in order for the 
structure to be in alignment, to

412
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,920
carry the capacity, the load, 
the weight. 

413
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,720
And so you and I, we are not 
designed to be the superstars as

414
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,720
Jesus is designed to be the 
superstar. 

415
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,840
He says, would you come to me? 
Would you allow me to make your 

416
00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:38,000
life and then I'm going to build
you up into the spiritual house.

417
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:49,800
Right throughout the gospels is 
the Spirit of God inspires men 

418
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,400
to write. 
The Spirit of God never inspires

419
00:29:53,400 --> 00:30:00,280
them to write to individuals. 
They are always written to 

420
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:09,040
churches and to cities. 
It's never once the letter to 

421
00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:15,120
Rachel, no, but so to the Church
of Corinthians and Ephesians and

422
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:19,640
Ephesus. 
And God's not saying that you as

423
00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,160
an individual is not important. 
No, you are so important. 

424
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,320
That's why Christ came. 
But once you're alive in Christ 

425
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:31,600
as a living stone, your greatest
value, your greatest worth is in

426
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:38,000
this community. 
And so he bills us as living 

427
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,760
stones, but he bills us as a 
spiritual house, and that's 

428
00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:47,200
where he chooses to dwell. 
But where God chooses to dwell 

429
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:52,440
is so, so crucial. 
In the Old Testament, in the 

430
00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,920
wilderness, they carried around 
the ark of the covenant, the 

431
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,080
presence of God. 
And wherever the presence of God

432
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,880
went, that's where blessing and 
favor just flowed, whether it 

433
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:04,080
was in the hands of the 
Israelites or in the enemy's 

434
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,400
hands. 
Does the presence of God just 

435
00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:11,640
changed everything? 
He couldn't be contained in a 

436
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,800
Tabernacle. 
David's son Solomon built a 

437
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:19,400
temple, the most beautiful 
temple, to house the presence of

438
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:24,800
God. 
Like wow, God says I can't be 

439
00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:31,560
contained in just one temple. 
He sends his son, the visible 

440
00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:38,200
representative of God, to earth.
He steps foot on common ground 

441
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,120
that you and I share, and He is 
God. 

442
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:50,480
He walks amongst us, He heals, 
He sets the captors free, He 

443
00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:56,120
brings liberty and freedom. 
But that just wasn't enough 

444
00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:01,200
either. 
He goes to a cross, comes back 

445
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:06,840
onto earth, resurrected form, 
then ascends into heaven. 

446
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:14,640
Tags Holy Spirit Inn and now you
and I. 

447
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:21,160
We're the dwelling place. 
It's remarkable. 

448
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:29,440
He lives in US, lives in you. 
Would you be the very best 

449
00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:35,240
living stone that you can be, 
coming to Him over and over and 

450
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:42,400
over and over, not being forced,
not as a demand, but just to 

451
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,080
request an invitation. 
I'm here, I'm here. 

452
00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,880
He's a God who will never, ever 
leave us or forsake us unless we

453
00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:56,000
want him to. 
And he builds us up. 

454
00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:03,560
Magnificent spiritual house. 
One Corinthians says this, do do

455
00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:10,160
you not know, do you not know 
that you are the temple of the 

456
00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,680
Holy Spirit? 
Do you not know, is there this 

457
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:21,200
realization inside of us who 
dwells in us, that that just 

458
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,080
doesn't come in on a Sunday 
morning for a couple of hours 

459
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:31,120
now, do you not know, would we 
get gas? 

460
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:35,120
The reality, those 3 words just 
didn't come out at all, right? 

461
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,080
What would I say? 
Did you gas the allergy? 

462
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:44,080
You know, my medication's 
wearing off, so we need to get 

463
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:51,840
off. 
It's not about doing. 

464
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:57,800
It's about being becoming. 
It's about nearness. 

465
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:05,720
And then out of that, go hard. 
Leave the tank empty. 

466
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,080
Not to burn out, but leave the 
tank empty. 

467
00:34:10,199 --> 00:34:15,239
Jesus emptied himself when John 
says this. 

468
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:20,600
He came full of grace and truth 
full, and at the end of his life

469
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:27,560
says he emptied himself with the
fullness that you and I have. 

470
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,560
Go hard, go hard for the Kingdom
of God. 

471
00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,840
Go in the power of God. 
Don't go in the power of you. 

472
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:37,960
You're great, but you're not 
that great. 

473
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:44,719
Go in His power because He fills
us to overflow. 

474
00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,040
And there can come a time in 
your life where you just empty 

475
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,000
it all. 
But I found every time you and I

476
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,560
empty, Empty is a good place 
because it always can be filled.

477
00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:03,520
My first most frustrating days 
of the week starts in the 

478
00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:08,080
morning was when my wife says to
me can I take your car today? 

479
00:35:18,390 --> 00:35:21,150
And I used to just think she 
just wanted to drive the bigger 

480
00:35:21,150 --> 00:35:25,190
car. 
But I found out very soon is 

481
00:35:25,190 --> 00:35:27,910
that as soon as you jumped in 
that car it started screaming at

482
00:35:27,950 --> 00:35:30,030
you. 
Warning lights going off. 

483
00:35:31,070 --> 00:35:33,070
Empty, Empty, empty, empty, 
empty. 

484
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:41,440
It's OK to be empty. 
It's got to know who to fill you

485
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,320
and who can fill you. 
Who will fill you this morning? 

486
00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:44,640
Let's do it.