Oh Like [Applause] like Come w [Applause] you For [Applause] okay let’s go ahead and get started here this morning it’s good to see you um I know that uh you may not be your back this week from last week and you may not be necessarily excited to see that I’m still here uh I’m excited that you’re
Still here but I think we’re all excited that it’s warmer right than last week so some of you I know your uh your uh thermometer doesn’t register coldness like some of us do but it it’s good to feel the warmth here this morning both in the temperature and in um the
Fellowship we’re we’re we’re making some movements we’re getting to a point here um probably at the end of our time this morning we’re making some movements early on we’re we’re trying in our minds and in our hearts to create a a a very solid portrait of the spirit the
Attitude um the image of the disciple and from the beginning we’re we’re saying okay our objective as a disciple is to grow the measure statute belong the fullness of Christ be like Jesus grow to be like him represent him in all of our attitudes and all of our in all
Of our actions and so what we’ve been doing for the last couple of weeks is we’ve been building that picture of well what does the disciple look like what are some of the attitudes what are some of the actions that we find in disciples before we get through uh this morning
What we’re going to be doing is we’re going to be able to talk more about well how does that happen okay gotcha mon I see that this is where it’s supposed to be well how do we get there and and we’re going to talk some more about that
As we go on this morning but I have a couple of things that I I want us to continue to build in this image of the disciple of Christ and so we’re going to start here this morning the Biblical Portrait of intimacy with God and I have
A ton of material here and I’m going to be moving as fast as I can in order to uh be ready for next week and finish this up so I I if I talk talk too much and don’t allow you to interact please forgive me about that it’s just simply
Me trying to to cover the material that uh the elders said you better get in there and get that done um over the years what what I’ve experienced and maybe you’ve experienced and we talked about this a little bit in the beginning is that over the years I’ve experienced
Two different things one I’ve experienced people who have said to me I just don’t feel close to God I I don’t feel his presence I don’t know that he loves me I I’m not confident and and assured about his providential work in my life I just I just don’t feel that
And on the other hand I’ve had people who say I you know I feel I feel the presence of God every day and and God and I are like this and and I just love my relationship with God and as I I give you those two different
Scenarios the the common theme in both of those is I feel and intimacy with God is it should be a felt experience there should be some emotion within this this this nature of our closeness when I say intimacy I’m talking about closeness Harmony fraternity those types of of
Things to to to God but what what I want us to see this morning is that the disciple uh actually understands that there is a very objective side not just simply a subjective side to understanding and having confidence that we have the type of intimacy with God
That we were created to have and we want that confidence and we want that assurance and so with the person who says uh I don’t feel close to God what we want to say to them is that your feeling is not necessarily a good barometer for whether you are or whether
You’re not we’re going to look at that some more and for the person who says I really feel close to God we want to say to them that that feeling isn’t NE while good and we appreciate that that isn’t necessarily A a completely accurate barometer whether you’re close to God or
Not let me put it this way so it’s very and we’ll get to this in a moment but what I’m saying is is that for the person who says man I am really really close to God and God and I are like this and and I love my relationship with God
And yet you see them in attitudes and and behaviors that are completely inconsistent with God it it at least on on your own subjective level it’ll it causes you to go really so you’re close to God and yet your behaviors and your attitudes indicate something that’s distinctly
Different than the person you claim that you’re close to well I I want to I I want us to sort of part this out a little bit this morning and help us have the a better understanding about uh and and confidence about when we say that we
Have intimacy with God to be able to have some really biblical assurance that that’s that’s true look at this statement closeness in harmony with God in the disciples uh is the disciples highest reward and their most heartfelt desire now these are going to be the two two uh essence of this idea about
Intimacy with God this morning it’s going to be reward the highest reward and the most heartfelt desire so when I say it’s the disciples highest reward you are currently experiencing um intimacy with God as Christians as Believers that you could never experience for yourselves but while you have that and
I’m going to I’m going to clarify this even more while you have that you still have a heartfelt desire as a a as a disciple for for additional measures of intimacy to two terms that we’re looking at when I talk about the highest reward intimacy is the highest reward I’m first
Of all talking about what I call imputed intimacy imputed means that it has uh uh been given to me it has been uh Grace to me it’s not something that that uh I earned it is something that that God has blessed me with let me get this to move forward
Imputed often times speaks about something credited I’m going to credit this to you so when we talk about intimacy with God and we talk about imputed intimacy we’re talking about the type of closeness that that God credits us with even though we in of ourselves may not be as holy as he
Is in certain not as righteous as he is and not living exactly like he wants us to be when you look in scripture and think about in scripture what are some Concepts that you think about that communicate imputed intimacy you know that you’re close to God in what
Way okay we’re called his children now uh let’s just talk about a couple of key passages let’s talk about about um Ephesians 1 through Ephesians 2 and let let’s in your minds think about uh first Peter 210 in in in that area when you go through those passages you start getting
The sense of what you once were and what you are now that through Christ you were not at one time the children of God you were not a part of God’s family but now you’re you’re his children you you’re once aliens strangers not a part of the
Household of God but now you are his children you’re part of his household and so how did that happen how did we get so close to God well we just changed and got better people got to be better people no it’s because of our faith in Jesus Christ and the blood of
Jesus Christ that brought us into that very close relationship what are some other terms that help you be confident about this this this uh intimacy that God has graced you with and these are terms that we use a lot but we don’t necessarily think about uh the the communication of intimacy you are
Redeemed right you once belonged over here but now you belong over here you were once walking and living in Children Of Darkness but now you’re called what children of light you’re walking and living in in the light and these things have have been grace to you and and and
You’re uh uh a royal priesthood and a holy nation and a people for God’s Own possession um you all of a sudden you’re starting to realize that that I have been transferred over into relationship with God that I do not deserve and I did not earn at all except through my faith
In the blood of Jesus Christ another aspect of the knowing that you have intimacy with God you know that when you were baptized you were not only forgiven of your sins but what acts 238 you were given the gift of the Holy Spirit Now 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians
6 other passages you know that the you have become the temple of God the Holy Spirit lives in you God is living in you can you be more intimate than that no so scriptures are telling us and want us to be confident and assure that we have this intimacy with God that has
Been imputed it has been credited to us through our faith in Jesus Christ and the blood that continually cleanses of our sins and makes us holy and and blameless and Beyond reproach as Paul talks about to the colossian church but on the other hand we want to look at
This idea of practical intimacy and practical intimacy talks about demonstrated or lived out uh um lives that manifest um that we actually have our as our intent to be close to God as he attempts and wants to be close to us we have no doubt that God wants to be close
To us but the question then comes do we have this desire this great desire to be close to him and so part of what we’re talking about we want to talk about is having this heartfelt desire about being close to him we’ve already talked about
This and we quoted this in part uh when when Jesus talks about this and and quotes Isaiah 29 he says the and I’m paraphrasing here uh because there are a couple of different translations and I’ll just say it this way uh these people honor me with their lips and yet
Their hearts are far from me what is he saying about here they are and they’re worshiping God and they’re offering their their their offerings and in our context to get today they’re going shout hallelujah woo shout hallelujah and he’s saying to them you’re honoring me with your lips but
Your hearts far from me what kind of commentary is he making on intimacy they haven’t ch to be close to him and is that some type of subjective arbitrary observation by God or is there some type of evidence in their attitudes and actions that are indicating that
They have no real desire to be like him right they’re acting different they’re they’re doing their worship and their celebration but they’re robbing from the widows and they’re worshiping idols and they’re committing adult he’s going to go through this laundry list of everything that’s happen happening in
Your life that indicates that while I’ve done everything possible to draw close to you you are maintaining your distance from me and you can say we’re close and you can act like we’re close but practically speaking practically speaking that closeness isn’t really there on your part and so what we want
To look at as disciples and understand that we are trying to to create agreement and and concert between this idea of the Practical intimacy that we always live in through faith the Holy Spirit the cleansing of Christ’s blood and our desire to actually be close to him and
So what I want to look at this morning with with us is uh let me make this statement and I’ll move on as disciples we must continue to recognize that our transforming lives are predicated on the sincere desire to be in agreement with God’s character and purpose for our
Lives now I I just said a ton but what I’m saying is is that what we want to have in our hearts in our minds is not only for God to to to love us and draw near to us but we want to have lives that are being lived in agreement and in
Concert for his will and his purpose in our lives because if we don’t then we’re communicating practically that we’re not as close to Jesus not as close to the Lord as what they want us to be so let’s look at a couple of areas that demonstrate this
Isn’t all but just a couple of areas really quickly that demonstrate um where um um this objective or practical intimacy shows up first of all love the fullness of our love testifies to the nature of our practical intimacy with God these scriptures and I’ll have time
To go through each and every one of them but these scriptures if you look them up take a picture write them down if you can but they will indicate and tell us that if love is not a part of your character then it’s in congruent with
The person that you say that you are connected to right so here in John 13 for example 33 through 34 he’s talking to me and he’s and he says they will know that you are my what disciples by your love you can say you’re my disciple but
If you’re not communicating my uh uh the love and he says this is a new commandment I give to you that you love one another even as I have loved you the new commandment you always supposed to love your neighbor but the new commandment here is love your neighbor
How even as I have loved you so when you’re demonstrating that type of love to one another and others it communicates that you actually belong to me Jesus that you are connected and you are intimate and close with me because you are reflecting me in your attitudes and in in your behaviors and
You several passages of scripture that you can look at and go through here U that uh uh tell us and help us to see that in how we love others and how I if we don’t we can I if if we say uh that we uh love others but yet we hate them
Or demonstrate hate we live and walk in darkness is Jesus in darkness or is Jesus in light Jesus is in light and so if we say if we hate our neighbors and don’t love them like he’s called us to love them then it practically puts us in a dark
Position this is not a commentary listen very closely this practical move on our part isn’t necessarily always a commentary on a saved or not saved position it just means in congruency and we as disciples don’t want any type of practical in congruency to be there are
We living every day in some measure of practical inconsistency when it comes to our intimacy yes absolutely that’s not a commentary on our Salvation because we have that imputed intimacy with God through his Spirit through the grace of Jesus Christ and his blood that continually cleanses us but we want to
Be those whose behaviors and attitudes practically speaking aligns us and puts us in concert with his nature trust is another do I trust God and my measure of trust indicates how close I am with God when you see Psalm 23 and he David talk about how he trusts God in every
Situation of his life he’s communicating intimacy he’s communicating that he sees Jes uh God he walks closely with God in a degree that no matter what’s going on in his life he is able to to trust him in in what’s happening with his life even though he he has enemies he knows
That that God is going to make him successful when we trust God as disciples we’re not walking according to our knowledge but we’re walking according to the the knowledge of God Romans 8:28 and we we know this passage that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and called
According to his purposes but trust intimate uh uh communicates intimacy when we ourselves are living a life that even though we’re in midst of the bad thing even though the things around us are difficult and chaotic and we don’t understand it trust when we say yet I know that God is
Working all things together for my good then we’re communicating intimacy agreement and closeness closeness to God so that’s another indicator and I wish we had more time to talk about but we there’s also obedience if I say that I’m like this with God if I I’m I’m close to
Jesus Jesus then there should be some practical representation of that in my life when you look at these pra these these uh uh statements let’s just look Matthew 4 1-11 this is the temptation of Jesus it’s there’s something practically going on Jesus is going to say I’ve not
Come to do my will but the Father the will of the father who sent me great statement that Intimates uh uh intimacy with your father but is is that actually true what does the Temptation tell us he was actually close to the father why because in every Temptation who does
He who does he defer to when it comes to making a decision the the father’s will this is written the father wants this I don’t want this but God wants this and that’s what I’m going to defer to with every Temptation he said no I am not close to
Me I’m not close to this world I’m not close to Satan I’m close to my father because I’m really choosing to live and to do his will John 14:15 John 1514 both of those are great passages uh if you love me you will what keep my Commandments those who are my friends
Keep my Commandments those two passages so what’s he saying if you really say you’re my friend friend is that intimacy is that closeness yeah then you’re actually going to do what I’ve asked you to do if you say that that that uh you love me you’re intimating that we have closeness
But that closeness is only ratified or or verified by the type of Love That You Are by the uh Commandments that you are keeping so what I’m trying to say ultimately in all of these statements that we want to be understanding is that as as uh disciples we want to live and
Rejoice and celebrate the imputed intimacy that we have with God that we could have never attained for ourselves and and that gives us such hope and Assurance every single day but on the other hand we don’t want to tell ourselves lies that’s actually one of what first
John and John’s talking about if you if you say you love you love God and yet you hate your neighbor then you are a liar you’re saying that you know God that you love God and yet you’re practically demonstrating that you’re not even close to who he is at all but
We want to be those who are always looking and have this heartfelt desire to continue to ascend practically in our relationship and our closeness and fellowship with God and so that’s part of our desire and when we do that what happens is is as we’re close to God we
Continue to be changed and shaped by him and therefore transformed more and more into the image of Jesus and that’s and that’s what we’re we’re asking for that’s what we want so here’s kind of a shift so how here Monty just told us all this idealic stuff about what it looks
Like to be a disciple and uh but sort of tell me how I’ve already told you some power behind transformation uh the the holy spirit in our hearts but let’s look at some some things that will be familiar to you I call this through spiritual Graces some might call this
Through spiritual disciplines um I I prefer uh personally This this term over uh disciplines the the spiritual Graces um the spiritual Graces that support transformation and there are many and I I’m just going to quickly go through several here that are really the power behind what you actually want to do you
Can’t just sit and go I’m going to be better I’m going to love I’m going to demonstrate more I’m going to I’m I’m going to become more and more like Christ you just can’t pull into yourself and will yourself in that position you have to to uh invest and drink in and
Embe the types of things that God has given you to help you accomplish that he didn’t say I want wants you to be holy even as I am Holy and give you no way to reach that and pursue that Holiness but he’s done and given you some Graces what
I call Graces that help you to get there and so let’s just look at a couple of them and these are going to be very familiar to you but I’m going to uh speak of them in maybe a little bit different way number one Bible communion
I’m I’m so very thankful as I come here I hear uh uh you’re in this reading the Bible through the here and have been doing that and that’s wonderful and that’s perfect and and and certainly part of what we want to be about in and doing I appreciate that sincerely but
What I also want to say to us in this is that it takes a sincere desire to hear God’s message to us as we read scripture to hear it and see it clearly and allow it to shape us we’re not just simply there in scripture to to remember the stories
And be able to know where where Hosea is versus where uh where Jude is we’re not there just to gather facts let me say this listen closely we’re not just there to build up our Theology and Doctrine so that we can utilize it in a number of different ways that’s right and that’s
Good but that’s not essentially why we’re there we’re there to hear God speak to us to know that what’s in scripture has a a value and purpose for our lives and for our own spiritual um U transformation I grew up in the time I try to get through this real quickly I
Grew up in a time where on Sunday mornings in Bible classes Somebody went around knocked on the door and opened the door and said how many daily Bible readers we have in here this morning anybody live in that world anybody grow up there yeah many of us grew up there
And I get what they were trying to do they were trying to encourage us to be daily Bible readers to be in in the Bible but often times what they did to some of us is they turned us into liars cuz they they knocked on the door
And who who’s daily Bible study and all my friends around me are like oh daily Bible read I don’t know if they were or not but I’m daily Bible reader and there I’m sitting there and I know I’m not been a daily Bible reader but am I going
To sit there and be the one long goofball in the middle of the room that didn’t read his Bible no and so when they well daily Bible readers I’m like well yes I was I was lying about that or better yet it’s 11:59 at night and I go oh wait a minute
I didn’t read my Bible throw it open Jesus wept throw it closed now I’m day daily Bible reader am I hearing God speak to me am I engaging God at any level no and so what we what I’m saying is I don’t want you to be just people who read
Through scripture in the year I don’t want you to be daily Bible readers I want you to be people who are constantly in communion with God through scripture now here’s and I’m I’m going to bring some things together here so bear bear with me um Bible communion is based in a
Sincere desire to hear God’s message clearly and be shaped in ways that renew our minds and encourage our journey toward the full character of Christ that’s that’s that’s what the the the point is this is what we’re wanting to go to scripture for yes it’s good to
Know Doctrine yes it’s good to know the facts yes is good to know the the the stories but do they have any implic ations for our lives in our walk of Faith so let me tag on something else so you’re here and you’re in your scriptures and your open scriptures and
You’re reading scriptures and so now what I’m saying is I want you to unite with your Bible reading I want you to unite spiritual or Believers meditation if you go through scripture especially the Psalms you’re going to see over and over and over this idea of meditate David’s going to say I meditate
On your word days day and night meditate meditate meditate what’s going on there well here’s the power of what I think is happening in meditation for our transformation as we read scripture we’re going after we read the scripture we’re asking two very important questions about what we just
Read what do it say about God and what does it say about me I’m trying to dive into and make them is relevant in who I am how I see God how I’m experiencing God the culture and the times that I’m living in and I’m trying to do that
Through processing scripture and Truth through through my mind and so no matter what scripture you’re reading I’m convinced that there are these two questions a minimum of these two questions here that say what does to say about God and what does to say about me I want to know the
Implications of this scripture for my life so if anyt if we were to take John John 3:16 and we read that and we’re we’re familiar with John 3:16 just really quickly what what would you say what is this what do John 3:16 say about God He Loves Us what else does it say
About God do what which which and he just he he he he said well here he is he’s just going to show you the way and we’re going to have a happy time together but he he he he he placed him and he created he didn’t just give us
But he gave him to us as an offering for our sinfulness so that we may not perish but have everlasting life if you look at that and you start parsing it out you begin to draw this conclusion now listen and and maybe the question is
What does this say about me if if that’s true about God what does it say about you what would you say do what why should you love God he loved you and demonstrated that in this huge incredibly marvelous way that gave you the greatest blessing you’ve ever had or
Ever have which is your salvation that’s that’s important what else does it say about you how valuable you are do you ever encounter people that walk around even Believers and they don’t really see that they have much value or worth they’re not even sure about if they valuable and
Worthy in the sight of God when you go to this scripture and you commune with it and you meditate on it this scripture of one of a thousand is saying you are valuable not just sort of marginally valuable not a little valuable not even a lot valuable your value is worthy of
The greatest sacrifice ever known to in in in in humanity and so that truth begins to help you shape and understand your nature of God I grew up I grew up in with a mindset that that that uh here here was God’s posture when I was growing up as he looked at
Me what am I going to do with that knucklehead and I really struggled to see God ever smiling at me or God ever thinking kindly of me because all I could live in is what was my failures and my inadequacies but I couldn’t look back and see that before I ever confess my
Faith in him while I was still a stranger and still an enemy of God he loved me now living within the the the the the Embrace and the BL blanket of Jesus Christ would he not still love you even more even though you’re have your own
Failings so what I’m saying is is that what what we’re doing as Believers is that we’re going in and we’re not just going yeah John 3:16 is still there and I can still quote it but we’re going in we’re saying what does this really say about God and it
Helps me to understand his love if we’re going to fall in love with God we’ve got to see his love and then it helps us understand more about ourselves and we’re constantly doing that in every single scripture and and here’s what I’m going to encourage you to here’s what
I’m going to encourage you to do I’m going to encourage you to to I don’t know how to say this in a way that doesn’t make half of you throw up can I say that in a Bible class uh I’m going to encourage you to to don’t hit me to to
Journal there there are trash cans at the back for those of you that when I say Journal like oh Journal how do you feel what do you think blah blah I can’t do that I’m and I get that I I do but what I’m saying is is this how do what does this
Say about God and what does this say about you you need to practice getting that down on paper you need to start writing this out and extrapolating out not just say Well it said he loves me and that’s great that’s good but in what way to what measure what’s the implications what can
I learn from that what should I tell somebody else about that love that’s struggling with that there’s so many implications in that one passage of scripture and and and I want you to to to to learn to start writing out don’t just read but take time afterwards and
Meditate and say what is this really saying about God what is this saying about me and you’re going to find that all of a sudden scriptures that you’ve been to a thousand times are going to start talking to you in ways that you’ve never heard them it’s not magic it’s the grace of
God he gave that to me in order that he might help me grow and be transformed now then after you do and I’m pass that after you do that after you’ve been in biblical communion after you’ve you’ve meditated on that and and and let me tell you this real quickly um we
Understand and often times I’m talking well I just go outside and and I look at the sky and I look at the beautiful evening sky and I go oh God God is so great not anything wrong with that but you have to understand that there’s another whole population out there and
Looks out at that same beautiful guy sky and said what an amazing um uh feet of nature that through the the humidity in the air and the layers of dust that are there I have these multi and and they just intellectualize this down to something that is completely not about God
So just looking at nature just looking at a butterfly in the rain that’s very good but when you look at scripture Divine truth it supersedes how you feel and how you might necessarily think yes meditate on the sunrise meditate on the mountain reflect and and and contemplate uh the
Beauty of God all that sort of stuff but at some point you want to hear God speak to you and not just draw conclusions from the sky all of that’s good but uh um I’m trying to encourage you to go look for it so as that takes place I I I think
About and talk about overflowing prayer you have your prayers you pray in the morning you pray at dinner you pray with your children you you pray with your spouse we have all these sort of different prayers that we do but do we have prayers that come out
Of the moment out of here’s what God is trying to communicate to me I see that clearly and I meditating on its implications and now as I see that I’m going to draw some conclusions about some things that I want to say to God when you Nicole when you wrap your mind
Around John 3:16 and it sort of Blows the top of your head off that that that he loves you that much and that you’re that valuable do you not have something you want to say of course you do and as we look at how we weren’t strangers and Aliens now
House anything that we read in God’s word is communicating these things to us and it’s out of those moments after you’ve written these things down or you’ve contemplated it in your mind it’s time for you to say something to God and I promise you that as you read
Scripture and you and you you tonight scripture and meditation your prayer life will change I’ve taught prayer to to students in in in the school of preaching for for for many years and I have them write papers and what I get back from people that that are about to be and are are
Wanting to become preachers in our Brotherhood and and I say tell me what your day of prayer was like most of the time in the very beginning what they say after the first five minutes one of two things happened what do you think it was do what they get
Distracted some are bold enough to say I fell asleep others say I ran out of things to say others say I felt like I kept saying the same thing over and over again why is that it’s because there’s nothing new and nothing fresh in your mind except
What’s on your mind today and those are good and right things but when you go through and you read scriptures about who God is and how he how he sees you and how who you are in view of those things you’re going to speak in terms
That are not just what’s fresh on your historical mind but what’s fresh in your heart based on what God’s been saying to you and then you’re going to lead prayers and offer up prayers that are not rot that are not ritual not this now
I lay me down to sleep a bag of peanuts at my feet no that’s not how that goes but something like that you’re going to start speaking some things to God that are completely in concert with what he’s been telling you about him and about you and you’re going to find a prayer
Life that has been resurrected and revitalized if that’s the case and it needs if that needs to be that you haven’t uh heard before so these are just three of The Graces that he’s given us to help us to change to help us transform and and shape I
Wish I had time to to talk about singing It’s power to change our hearts and our lives and help us transform about the power of fasting this is a Grace that God’s given us about silence and Solitude these are just a few of those things that are out there that help us
To to to understand God more and ourselves in the view of God and then to allow those truths to start shape us and trans transform in us have you ever come into an assembly down of heart uh uh uh diminished in spirit but as people started singing to you and you sang
Together have you felt that transformation that’s the power of God W within that’s why he said sing to one another because it has power in it but if we we don’t bring that into our lives in a number of different levels it’s it’s robbing us of ways in which he can
Shape us and transform and we look at that passage is not just sing and encourage one another but it’s also about teaching one another there are things that I will say to you in song that I Won’t Say in any other way I’m not going to walk up to you and
Say I love you with the love of the Lord I should but I’m not going to but I can sit here next to you and say I love you with the love of the Lord I’m I’m when I sing that I’m saying it to you and you and you and and and all
Of you and you’re supposed to be going thank you I I appreciate that that’s the way this is supposed to be so these are things that transform our hearts and our minds if we’ll give ourselves to those Graces okay let me say this trivia let me go back trivializing or ignoring these
Graces robs us of the divine power through which God supports our desire for transformation and the blessings that come through it if we don’t Embrace these Graces to the highest level we’re just sort of robbing ourselves of the good gifts and transformation that God has for us last thing here before we
Close out I’ve got five minutes right boy what am I going to do with five minutes um the blessings of family and and I I took a whole class here and this isn’t in your notes so um write it on the back and you’ll see it in your hand
Out next week and the blanks will be filled in the blessings of family here’s what I want you to look like and look at every Kingdom Community has a god- centered power to support transform transformation this group of people here is God’s gift to you that supports and
Helps your transformation but it has a lot of different faces we’re going to talk about we’re going to talk about the super I want you to think about the super macro church that’s that’s the church that’s that’s Universal that’s out there that’s Christ it it’s the greatest diversity out there of people
And cultures and and and and colors and mindsets it’s all over the world and God has uh God has the the power to shape you through what you know about the the super macro Church the The Universal Church you guys have been in the mission field how long were you in the mission
Field 10 years do have has has that great ler portrait of God’s worldwide Church influenced your way of of of living and thinking as a Christian absolutely we say we’re we’re over here and I just a few months ago I was trying to buy a house and I was going oh I want
The perfect house and it got to be here and it has to have this acreage and it it has to have this kind and all this sort of stuff and I get on the plane and I fly to Mexico City and I spend I spend a week with two different churches and
The whole time God’s going content be content right and you begin to experience that it shaped my heart to go be with my brothers and sisters in Mexico in ways that I needed right then that’s part of the power of the super macro Church the macro church is
This Auditorium that just happens to be the the macro Church in epoxico Mexico but this is the large assembly when you get together the things that you do and the things that you say and the songs that you sing have the power to shape and transform how you think as
A Christian the the meso groups your bi the medium siiz the your Bible classes are are are things that help to shape you it’s where you go from this big room that’s all about we you don’t get to stand up and go hey I didn’t like that
Song I wish you’d sing a different song could we have less song singing and more prayer could we have less preaching by all means and more F you know we all have our particular desire what we want but that’s not what this assembly is is
It it’s not about what I want it’s about what’s going to bless all of us well that teaches us humility but when we get into the classroom it’s a little bit more about me here’s what I’m thinking and I’m kind of challenged by what you’re you’re saying so that’s a great
Context by which we can grow and develop and be shaped by each other hey brother I hear what you’re saying have you ever thought about this and here’s how I’m oh yeah no that’s great I’ve never thought about that that’s really important or and we’re God’s word and we’re
Discussing it together in this group it it helps to shape and trans transform our minds and then in the micro setting this is two or three people getting together often times this is about the the most intimate setting where I’m sharing with you what I’m struggling with and you’re sharing with me what
You’re struggling with and we’re trying to encourage each other and hold each other accountable and and and studying things in God’s word that helps us to see these things more clearly The Genius of God is that he places in a family that has multiple faces the UN church can bless us and
Shape our hearts if we’ll look at it this large congregation in the stories of these people that’s why uh on on a few Sundays ago that’s why Seth had our brother up here talking about trust you learn something from him as you gathered here all of these contexts if we’ll
Embrace them and if we’ll allow them they have the power to shape us and to not take advantage of any one of these say well you know um I I you know I’ll come to church on Sunday morning but you know the Bible classes I’m not really
Into Bible study and the and and those small group things you do those are those are a little uncomfortable for me I understand all that but I also want you to understand you’re robbing yourself of God’s purpose and genius for your life and transformation into the image of of
God so my encouragement is that we we don’t do that and this is this is what I’m saying uh super macro this is where our spiritual maturity and growth is is encouraged and shaped by the faith and the spirit of other disciples around the world and these just repeat but I want
You to think about how every one of these help us to grow and transform you want to know how to grow you’re going to you’re you you need to have Bible communion you need to have have u meditation you need to have outflowing prayers and you make sure you’re
Embracing the the multiple faces of this of of this body in Universal next week we’re going to talk make a shift we’ve been talking about me me me my my my how am I going to become now we’re going to make a shift and start talking about
Your role for discipling others so be here it’s my last time you can celebrate me leaving uh we’ll see you next week
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