Acts 6, We Are The Church
1. We Are Far From Perfect (v1)
2. We All Have A Specific Call (v2-4)
3. Lets Be Available To Fill The Needs We See (v5-6)
4. We Must Spread Gods’ Word (v7)
Acts 6, We Are The Church with Pastor Jonathan Horne
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So we'll be in acts Chapter 6.
Usually I'm in the youth room and teaching the youth and we are going through the book of acts.
So I decided, hey, why don't I share what we're already going through so we would have been if you're in youth, we would be in Chapter 6, right, Nehemiah?
Yeah, he didn't know that, but we so yeah, acts chapter 6 all.
Let's just read really quick.
It says now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists.
Because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution, then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom you may appoint over this business.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word.
Verse 5.
And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and Phillip Procurious Nick on our Tim and per menace and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles.
And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
Then the word.
Of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedience in the faith will stop there.
So most of you guys know I'm married so wonderful and beautiful lady her name is Lena and I'm going to to her horn or whatever.
Make her blush.
No, I won't, but but I just want to share it with you guys.
That honestly a lot of you guys know me and a lot of guys know I have a lot of faults.
And failures and stuff.
But what I fail in she completes me in right?
Like if if Jerry didn't ask me to be up here, I would totally be fine in the back corner and a locked room.
I I I'm not one to like to.
Talk and I'm very what's the word introverted?
But however, my wife is an extrovert, I could say like 2 words.
So someone or anyone, even my wife, all day.
Well, she could talk for years and years and years, right?
Everything I'm not she is and I hope everything she is and I am like we honestly do complete each other and it's a wonderful thing.
I I would.
Go on and on of of what who she is and and who I'm not.
But really the Lord brought us together and the same is true.
I'm sure with all you couples right, can you guys probably say that?
Or you could you guys marry someone?
That's exactly like you.
Probably not right.
Opposites do attract, right?
And and and.
We could honestly say that each of our partners who, the Lord's brought in our lives, has completed us, and so Chu is.
Is the church body at us is here in this building, but as a whole as a church the Lord has brought us together to complete each and every one of us.
'cause we're far from perfect.
Any of you guys perfect?
I might look perfect, but I'm not perfect, right?
And we need each other.
We need the body of Christ.
We need each other in First Corinthians chapter 12.
You guys probably know this verse and verse 12 it says of chapter 12.
It says for just as the body is 1 and has many members and all the members of the body, though many are one body.
So it is with Christ.
For in one spirit, we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of 1 spirit consuming on in verse 14 through 18 the writer of First Corinthians Paul talks about how you know there's the eye, and then their hand and the feet and, and then you know the.
Ears and and all that all those different parts complement the whole body and so true is is our is the body of Christ right continue on verse 19 through 20 it says if all were a single member member.
Where would the body be as it is, there are many parts, yet one body in verse 27 it says now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it and this morning message and this morning title I I never title it except when I have the opportunity to teach.
Here and I never make points if I want to have the opportunity to teach here up here I mean.
So this morning, really the title is we are the church.
We are the family, we are the body of Christ.
And I I pray that you guys would be encouraged this morning about that as we look at acts Chapter 6 and.
Just some background on the book of acts.
Nehemiah is falling asleep on me.
Do you know the guys who wrote?
I'm just going to call out people just 'cause that's what I do in youth and so that's what.
We do in you.
So stay awake, but sorry, but do you guys know who the writer, the author of the Book of Acts is?
Bible scholar.
Man and you went to Bible college Lena.
Did you say Paul?
What did you say?
Oh, you said Paul OK?
No, it wasn't Paul.
He wrote many books, but it wasn't Paul.
He gets no.
Lucy Luke Luke yes.
Luke Luke, the writer of the Book of Luke.
Wrote the book of acts and it really is kind of a a continuation of the Book of Luke, the end of of Luke we see Jesus dying and and rising from the dead and the book of Acts we see Jesus going up into heaven and then he gives the Great Commission and and then the church begins with the Holy Spirit.
Falling upon the church and and it's a wonderful thing about the book of Acts, it's.
If you guys don't know, it surely is the acts of the early church or the acts of the Apostles, or the Acts of God working in and through his church body.
And it's, and it said that this book is really the only book that really doesn't have an ending, right?
Because God is still acting in and through his church and then through his the family in it, through the body of Christ.
And I just want to encourage you guys.
God is working, God is moving.
He's not done he's he wants to do a work.
And then through us and so.
Understanding that understanding that we are the church, understanding that we are the family, we are the body of Christ.
Understanding all that comes to my first point and the first point is.
We are the church, we are the family.
We are the body of Christ.
But we are far from perfect, right?
We're far from perfect verse one it says now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaints against Hebrews by the Helenas because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution we see here.
Right?
As the church is growing as the Holy Spirit has fallen, fallen, fallen on upon the disciples, and the church is multiplying the word of God.
The gospel message is being spread out.
People are getting saved.
We see here that the church is far from perfect.
We see here there's there's this dispute, right?
We see there is these helenas they bring up this complaints against The Who it's in the Bible.
First one.
The Hebrews, why?
What was their complaints about?
They weren't distributing to their widows right up to those that were in need.
There was a neglect that these Hebrews.
Neglected the heaviness.
Now the Hebrews were obviously Hebrews.
They were Jewish, but at the same time during this period.
In the book of Acts, there were these Helenus.
The Helenus were there.
They were Jewish people, but they desired and sought after the Greek culture.
A lot of them said Greek names.
They spoke the Greek language.
If you didn't know at this time Greek was kind of the the main language.
Even though Rome was was in charge at this time, Greek, the Greek culture was kind of the most influential.
It's kind of almost like the American culture like you could go almost anywhere in the world and.
There's a heavy influence of American cultures throughout the world, right?
Like if you go to France, Paris, like, do you guys not?
Well, the Max Olympics is where?
I don't know.
France it's in France.
And do you guys know what one of the new Olympic events that they're having in France is?
Oh, you guys probably 'cause they they come up with a couple different ones, but one of the new Olympic events that they're going to have is break dancing.
Break dancing, break dancing and it's in France.
But do you know why?
Because the hip hop break dancing culture is huge in Europe.
But guess where it started from?
In New York, right in America? And then if you go to Japan and I'm just throwing this out to you guys, we're praying about 2022.
If they open the doors, the for us to go praying about going to Okinawa to minister.
So that's something to pray for, right?
If you go to Japan, one huge influence in Japan is guess what American culture, right?
Like you'll be walking down the street and you're hoping to hear like some Japanese music or something.
They'll be playing hip hop.
They don't even understand the words or just playing it in the background, it's just it's it's interesting.
American culture is prevalent throughout the war.
World for better or for worse, right?
And the same was true during these times in the book of Acts, the Greek culture was prevalent throughout the world.
Now in in Jerusalem, in Israel there were these guys that really stuck to being a Hebrew and it was all about being Hebrew and the Jewish culture, right?
And if you straight away?
Veered away from that, then they wanted nothing to do with you.
And so you had this Hebrews, and you had the Greeks, and obviously there is this dispute where we don't know per say, if the Hebrews were really like, I guess, quote unquote racists or I don't know.
Ethnically, they just didn't like the Greeks or or the Greek culture or whatnot, and so they were like, hey, we don't want to do anything with you.
Or they just thought, OK, well the the Hellenist will take care of their people and we'll take care of ours like sometimes.
Like the you know, things happen in in family, in in the church.
But most importantly in family that like it's maybe not good.
They were far from perfect, just like in your household.
I'm sure even me and Lena.
We love each other, but there's so sometimes that she gets on my nerves, you know, and I get on her nerves.
Mostly I get on her nerves.
So, but I'm sure you guys without a show of hands, you guys could say the same, right?
You guys could probably say the same.
But but it doesn't mean that we don't love each other.
It just means that we need to work out our relationship and we need more of Jesus in our in our relationship as couples.
But more importantly in our relationship with each other as the church body.
Right, and we're far from perfect and I just want to remind you guys that here the early church just started like this has been a couple months that the church just started and they already have issues.
I mean just the chapter before you had Ananias and Sapphira where they just were liars and they you know got struck down dead.
And if you guys remember before like who did Jesus pick to be the apostles?
Or disciples, right far from perfect people, right?
You got Peter who always put his foot in his mouth.
You have.
What would you?
Say Judas, yeah, you have Judas who was pretty yeah bit bad too right?
You just have all these guys that I mean.
But Jesus chosen he desired a relationship with them and to use them and understand we're far from perfect, individually and definitely as a church.
But God desires to have relationship with us and he'll work through those imperfections.
I mean they say, and it's a sad.
It's a sad statement for Christian American Christians.
I guess that they say Sunday is the most segregated day of the week.
I mean, 'cause you have.
Like the Black Church and the Spanish church and the White Church and the Korean Church and the Chinese church and then the Pentecostal Church and not so Pentecostal church.
And you know, and the people that believe you know, get baptized this time, and baptize when you're older.
Whatever, like we, we 'cause our flesh, I would say really like to divide, but through Christ we do have one thing in common, and that's.
That's he loves us.
He died for us.
He's our Lord and our savior.
And we just need to work through these imperfections, but be reminded we are imperfect, and so, just like with your wives or husbands or your children.
Have patience with them 'cause God has patience with us.
Have love on each other.
There's no one, no church, no, no one, perfect.
Just because we're Calvary Chapel doesn't make us better than the Baptists that just because the Baptist or Baptist doesn't make us better than the Methodist.
Well, no, it's like Christ.
Is better than all of us and we need to fix our eyes on him and I pray that we would be more unified.
More in.
But in Philippians chapter 2 verse 13 it says for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.
We have to realize who we are.
And we are far from perfect.
Let us run and draw closer to God and allow him to do the work in our lives for his good pleasure.
And I just want to encourage you guys.
Yeah, we're we're not great.
We're far from perfect.
Realize who we are, but it just means we need more of Jesus and that's always a good thing to realize who we need more.
In our lives, continuing on verse 2.
Sorry it might be.
Continue on in verse two of Chapter 6.
It says then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable.
That we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer.
To and to the Ministry of the word.
So my next point is we're the church, where the family or the body of Christ, and we all have a specific call in our lives.
We all have a specific call in our lives here.
With this issue of people.
Not getting what they needed right?
Being neglected.
With this issue, they brought it up to the disciple or the the 12 apostles and and the the apostle said, hey, you know it's not desirable that we should leave the word of God to to to minister specifically of waiting tables, right?
So why don't you guys pray and see?
Seek the Lord out and see who could do this.
Service and and understand.
We all have specific roles, specific responsibilities that the Lord has put in our lives to serve one another, and that's a wonderful thing.
Going back to hey, we're not perfect.
God knows that, but he wants to use us.
He wants to use us in this church as a church as a whole.
He wants to use us.
There shouldn't be just those you know.
Sunday Pew questions Christians, right?
I mean, we're not called to do that here in a wonderful as you read the book of Acts, right the.
Couple chapters before the the church as the Lord and the Holy Spirit was just doing a work.
They were like giving all their possessions, selling all their possessions to help one another, and I'm not asking you guys to start selling all your possessions to help one another, but that man the the spirit was moving.
They were they wanted just to be there as a church family just to be there for each other and and I would encourage you guys.
So what God would desire for us even today, going back to axe the book of acts.
God isn't done working in and through the church, right?
I believe that each and every one of us has a role and you might say, well, how can I be used by God, right like?
Well, what what would God desire of you specifically?
And I would just say hey, Romans chapter 12 verse one is a simple verse that we could all hold onto that maybe we need to apply.
I need to apply a little bit more in our lives in my life, right?
It it says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies.
A living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service?
If you don't know.
What to do?
How to be used by God?
Writes in Romans.
Well, I beseech you, I ask you, I beg you, why don't you just present your bodies a living sacrifice to the Lord?
Let him use your life.
Does it have to be your possessions like going back to earlier in acts where they're selling everything but just your lives?
Live out.
Live your lives for the Lord guys.
Allow him to do a work.
And why?
Because it's your reasonable service.
It's not something that's extraordinary.
And out of the ordinary, no, it's something reasonable.
Why, because God gave his life for you.
Our reasonable act is just to simply give our lives back.
And and so I would encourage you guys.
As Paul did.
Hey how to live your life, how to be used by God.
Just give your lives to the Lord and and how you might ask well now specifically.
Well, continue on in Romans chapter 12.
Verse six specifically.
I gotta find it says having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.
Let us use them in prophecy.
Let us prophecy let let us prophecy in proportion to our faith or ministry, let us use it in our ministering.
He who teaches in teaching here.
Resorts and exhortation.
He who gives with liberty liberality.
He who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.
Here we see seven spiritual gifts, and I would say everyone in the church has at least one of these spiritual gifts.
Everyone in the church, everyone that's part of the body of Christ.
Everyone that's part of the family at least has one of these spiritual gifts.
And what was the first one?
That are at.
Prophecy the next one.
You're saying we're not exhortacion yet?
Next one.
Come on, it's in the Bible.
Romans chapter 12 first.
Ministry serving next one.
Teaching next one.
Sortation next one.
Giving leading and then mercy right?
With prophecy, it's simply declaring the truth or God heart.
I like to share.
Just simply sharing the truth ministry, it's illustrating the truth so you know the truth.
Now, putting that into practice.
Teaching clarifying the truth, which I don't.
I mumble and jumble right, but clarifying the truth.
Pastor Jerry does.
A great is great in that exhortation.
Encourage to encourage and strengthen someone really kind of.
Kick them in the **** to continue on or where they're going giving.
Well, that's kind of simple, right?
What's giving to give right?
And I always tell the kids don't use the word in your definition, but that's the only one I could use.
Like giving is giving leading.
Administering or or some people to be a supervisor.
He does like supervising administration, leading and last one is mercy radiating the truth.
Radiating the truth of God's love and pouring that out onto others.
Now, how do you know what gifts you?
May have though that's the question.
Do you guys know how many gifts you might have or how do you know some of us?
It's hard, some of us were seeking and and struggling so almost no, I would say here's here's one way to find out.
So just say Pastor Jerry decided.
To I don't know.
Go on vacation.
He didn't tell anyone and you're the only one here.
I don't know just so we anoint, you appoint you pastor for the day.
OK or pastoret for the day.
What would your focus be?
What would your focus be?
Would it be prophecy?
Would it be declaring the truth like man?
I see these people every day or every Sunday and they they need the truth.
They need God, word I.
I just need to proclaim the truth to them.
They just need that.
Or how about ministry like hey I see some light ball I see like that needs some changing.
There's a lot of spider webs and and just this the.
The place has a lot of trash like.
I just need to go start picking up stuff and just serving.
Or how about teaching.
Just clarifying the truth?
Like they just, I just need.
God's word to be shared with the people, or if you were the pastor or pastor, it what about exhortation?
Do you see, like hey, I I just I just see the body just being bummed out 'cause this whole COVID thing we just we just need to just fix our eyes on Jesus and continue to run the race.
They need that encouragement.
How about giving?
If you were the pastor.
Like, hey, you know we need to use our finances or whatnot just to just to help help people help people.
Or leading, like, hey, there's there's a lot of things messed up with this church.
Someone needs to orchestrate this place better.
Or what about mercy?
Just like man, I know there's some people that are sick in the body.
There's just some people that just need prayer that we need to show some mercy.
Do any of those things ring a bell, though any of those things like tug at your heart, like if you were to be the Pastor, pastor at for the day, or for the year for the for for life.
Whatever you know, whatever, something stick out to you, point out to you.
I would say maybe that's your gift.
Maybe that's your calling, and so I would say hey, we are the church.
We are the family.
Use those.
Gifts or use that gift that God has placed upon your life.
To help out the family you've heard me say this before when I've given announcements like.
I have a 13 year old daughter now and and before you know I had to take out the trash and do the dishes and you know all these like chores right?
But now she's older and now I expect her and desire her to what help out right?
Just because she's older, she could do that.
And it's not good for me or my wife to do everything right, and the same would be true for for your household, right?
If you have a family.
I'm sure after a long day of work you wouldn't expect you wouldn't hope to need to do everything.
It just be nice for your wife to cook you a steak and lobster dinner and and rub your feet.
Right like all that like it would.
Be nice, hint hint, nudge nudge right but but.
It would be wonderful and nice and it is wonderful and nice when when the family our family like helps out each other and the same true is probably at your house but the same is true in the body and the church here, but not just the church here.
Going back to like the church as a whole we need each other.
God wants to use us.
And use those gifts.
Those spiritual gifts or gift that the Lord has called you.
To for for each other.
Continuing on in acts Chapter 6, I'm going quick.
Yes, sorry.
Says in verse five it says and the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and Phillip precarious nikanor Tim and Parm, Aeneas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles.
And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
My next point is we are the church where his family were the body of Christ.
So let's be available to fill the needs.
We see.
Be available to fill the needs we see going back to verse one, right there was a.
Ah, ah, first.
There was a dispute right that the Helenus brought up to the apostles about the Hebrews, right?
Hey, they're not.
They're not serving us.
They're not helping us that we we have these widows that that are being neglected, right?
And the apostle said, hey pray, seek the Lord, who would you raise up?
Who would the Lord raise up?
And who did he raise up?
These seven guys, right?
And I already read them, so I don't.
I won't read them again, but if you take a look at their names, they're not Hebrew names.
They're not Hebrew names.
They're actually Greek names, which would mean that these guys were Greek or Helenus.
They were helenus.
Which means the people that were like seeing a need.
Seeing the issue.
Seeing what was wrong.
It was actually that was who the Lord chose to help fix the problem and I would say maybe sometimes.
If you see a need, if you see an issue.
If you see a problem, maybe you see it and the Lord has allowed you to see it because he wants to use you.
To help fix that issue or problem.
I'm just throwing that out to you 'cause there's a lot of times we could point fingers and complain just like any family, right?
Like and my wife knows this and my daughter knows this and and I'm guilty of it like.
Like I get on my daughter's case all the time, like who left the fridge door open or who left the remote here or who left the water out here and like and then my daughter is like, uh, it was you dad like take it.
Or it was Lena?
You know, my wife and we're so easy, we we so easily could point fingers.
But it would be a lot better and more loving.
Maybe like, hey, I see the need why don't I fix it?
Why don't I help be a part of the solution instead of, you know, continue pointing fingers or whatnot and that goes, you know individually as a church as a whole.
Maybe God has allowed you opened your eyes to see the issue.
See the problem.
So you could help fix it.
Going back to hey, your spiritual gifts.
Right, like you might have this on your heart, like the prophecy or minister or or exhort or teach and lead or mercy with mercy and or giving.
And you might see a need.
'cause it's on your heart.
That other people might not see.
And so I would say maybe the words put it opens your eyes for you to be used.
Going back to the apostles right, they're like, hey, it's not good for us to some minister and wait tables.
The Lord has called.
To teach right to be in prayer and teach and and pray for our pastor honestly.
Like with this whole COVID thing, our pastors literally has done everything like everything and so like a few of us like our hearts are like, hey, let's take some of those burdens off of him, hold burdens.
He he loves computer stuff, so I don't think it's a burden.
Maybe, but to us like hey, just focus on teaching.
You don't need to do worship.
You don't need to do fix the lights.
You don't need to like do the air conditioning, whatever turn on whatever, I don't know.
This is what the Lord has called you.
Pastor Jerry.
So focus on it, but until someone steps up.
He has to write.
And that could be for any going back to any church.
They always say like what like a small percentage of people like actually minister at a church and it's sad.
So I would encourage you guys wherever you call your home church, seek the Lord and how he could use you because he wants to use you and it's a wonderful thing.
It's not that we have to, it's we get to.
I hope you guys understand that we get to serve God and his people and that's a beautiful thing guys.
Because going back to my first point, we are far from perfect.
If you guys, most of you guys are probably around my.
Well, the older people are around my age.
We used to play like dodgeball, right?
Like in elementary and stuff and you guys play dodgeball like no do you guys used to pick teams you guys used to line up and pick teams and I used to 'cause you know I'm used to be before this.
I used to be pretty athletic right?
And so I used to.
Be one of the guys that used to always choose the you know teams.
Smart person if you're going to choose a team, do you choose the the nerd or the sorry if there's any nerds here.
Or the one that does is uncoordinated.
Do you guys know you guys picked 'cause you want to win, right?
You guys choose the the.
The best people that you think to help you win, right?
Or am I am I lying?
I'm I I I love toy right and the same as I would think like God would choose the best and the brightest and the the wisest and the smartest.
Right going back to his the apostles.
Who were they first and foremost most of them were all fishermen.
Tax collectors, yeah.
And most of them were all fishermen and tax lot like the societies like.
No one wanted right?
And then going back to acts.
I think it was Chapter 4, maybe five I'd forgotten.
Or maybe like it.
It the the sad the Pharisees Sadducees were scratching their heads like who are these people like?
They're blown away because they're they're speaking such like awesomeness.
And yet they knew that they were galileans, like, meaning that they were, you know, not the brightest and the best.
But that's who God chose.
And that's who looking around here.
Yeah, but God has chose you guys and God has chosen me and what a wonderful thing because we have nothing to offer but it's all about him and so he could be glorified through us.
And that's a wonderful thing.
So if we see a need, maybe God has allowed us to see the need to fulfill the need.
And remember this in Hebrews 11/6.
Faith it pleases God and so maybe it's like man, I don't know that's I see it and it's going to be a struggle and it's gonna be.
It's gonna be hard but to step of faith and understand it just to please God.
Taking that step of faith may and will please God.
If you don't, especially in things that we feel inadequate.
Or unequiped to do.
It just means we need to rely more on the wonderful and Great Father.
The creator of the universe for for everything.
It's just a step of faith, so please God.
We as a church need to.
We individually need to we as the church as the whole worldwide needs to.
Take more steps if a.
In my final point, oh, I went really quick.
Sorry, keep on saying that, but verse seven it says then the word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedience to the faith.
My final point is.
We as a church we as the family we as the body of Christ, must spread God's word, make it.
Make it.
Uh, need in in in church in general?
That the word of God, 'cause here we see in verse seven, it says the word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly.
If we want to see church growth.
And I'm not, and honestly, and this church has never been about numbers.
It really hasn't.
But just church growth spiritually most importantly.
Or if you want spiritual growth, we need God's word.
We need God's word spread in our lives daily. Like how often do we get in God's word into his word?
How often as a church? How often personally do we get in God's word? We need God's word.
Be faithful to be in his word, guys.
Be faithful to be in his word, 'cause he wants to help you grow.
He wants to share and allow you and allow me to know how much he loves us.
It's a need and it needs.
To be a priority in our lives.
Needs to be a priority in the church, and there's too often or not and and no offense.
OK, so don't take any offense, but we have some of our youth kids they have this thing and I don't.
It's not me, that's spread it, but they have this thing 'cause some of our youth kids go to another youth group during.
The week and stuff, and that's really cool.
Like my heart is like, hey, you're not bound to any church right where the church, where the body of Christ like that's that's my heart and desire but it's funny 'cause some of our kids like oh they go to that church over there and I won't name the name but the big church over there and it's like that's why they're there.
I was like 'cause they.
'cause you know they have fun and all that stuff, and that's great, like.
If a church.
Any church their focus isn't sharing God's word, spreading God's word. Then it really isn't a church.
And so just be mindful of that.
And if we as Christians, if we call ourselves Christians, if, if getting into God's word.
Isn't a priority?
Then we need to check our relationship with him.
We need more of God's word in our lives.
And I feel, and this is just feeling so you could throw this totally out.
But there's a saying that America.
American Christianity is really consumer.
Christianity is like what we could get.
'cause I hear it, I do hear it a lot like oh man that church has awesome worship like that's great like look at the smoke and the fog and the lights and like that's cool right like that might draw people.
But is that our focus?
Or they might have the greatest like we have a cool swing set, right?
Like oh man, look at this the swing set.
They just got. You could bring all the kids here like. OK, that's cool, but are they sharing God's word in the children ministry?
And if we're not, please tell us like if you see something, say something.
I work for TSA, so that's one of the things that we say, right?
We need more of God.
We need his word.
We need to grow.
'cause we live in a world that man it's it literally is going down the drain, but is it going down the drain?
Because maybe the church.
Isn't being the church and staying steadfast in his word and not just reading it, but living it out?
Living it out, going back to the spiritual gifts.
Are we actually living out those gifts?
The gifts like get here's God like here's the gift.
Are we using it?
For his glory.
For his passion.
Because his passion is what that he so loved the world that he died for us, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
That's his passion.
That's his desire.
He loves us so much, he died for us, not just us in this room.
Not just us as.
Christians the world.
Does the world know that 'cause they're filling their lives with so many other things?
Trying to find that love and passion that's only found in Christ, God wants to use us all to impact each other.
Each others lives for eternity, and I hope you guys understand that.
I hope I understand that and I am and am reminded of that, that we are the church.
We are, his family, we are the body of Christ.
Yeah, we have faults.
Yeah, we have failures.
But he's called us.
He's called our lives and he.
To specific things, and that's a wonderful thing, and we need to be.
And I pray that we are available to be used by him.
See a need fill that need.
But we must be grounded and rooted in his word.
He must be grounded and rooted in his word and in him 'cause he's our source.
He's our rock.
He's our foundation that's really in my encouragement to you guys this morning and I'm just going to play a couple more songs.
And I want to encourage you guys as I do so.
Just seek the Lord.
Maybe you guys are wondering like well what is my spiritual gift?
We'll pray.
Seek the Lord.
Or if you know what your spiritual gift is and you're like, I don't know how to use it.
I don't know.
Just pray for more faith.
You sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to give us boldness.
I I pray that during this time that we would just yeah seek the Lord out and I would even encourage you guys.
If you guys want to pray for one another, go feel free.
If you guys want to just yeah, just pray and talk to the Lord.
Feel free to do that, but yeah, just take the time to glorify and honor our wonderful savior.
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that.
As we have this opportunity.
Just not just to get into your word Lord, but just apply your word to our lives.
Lord, I pray that you would.
Use us and mold us and shape us.
Help us to realize we are your people.
We are your children, we are.
The body and we need each other.
You brought each and every one of us Lord into other people's lives for a reason. Lord, you have people in our lives for a reason, Lord.
And may we just always desire to point them towards you and to you.
Or else we might miss opportunities.
Lord, because tomorrow is not promised.
You've given us.
So much grace and so much mercy, especially here in the city and the state in this country that we live in Lord.
And may we not miss those opportunities to use them for your glory?
Just to draw closer to you.
And we pray for our brothers and sisters in those countries that don't have the same freedoms and opportunities.
We feel that we have Lord, we pray that you would strengthen their hearts lard because we are the church body.
We are one in you and we thank you for that.
In Jesus name we pray Amen.