Well, good morning, church. And it is a great week. I hope you've had a great week. And also, today, is one of my favorite Sundays of the year. I'll get to watch all the little cults around the church and all their jerseys, and get to see what is there. And I just want you to notice today it is hard to be a Falcons fan, all right? It is really hard. Five win seasons are all we got. But we're holding on to it. But hey, I'm glad that you're here today, and I'm also glad that it is tailgate Sunday, aka, dinner on the grounds. Remember that? That is what today is. We get to sample every tent on that front lawn, after this service.
Well, look, if you've been here over the last couple weeks, over the last couple months, actually, you know that we're walking in a series through the book of Acts. Actually, it's not one series, it's three miniseries that are going to take us all the way through sometime in mid-February. And here's why it's three, because really and truly, that is how the book of Acts is laid out. The first part of the book of Acts is where we've been over these last couple of months where we've been really just talking about the spirit of God, the power of God, and the Church of God. That's the first chapters in the book of Acts.
Last week, pastor Marty, he started the second round for us where we're going to look over these next couple of months of what God's word looks like, what his plan looks like, and what his people look like. That's kind of the next series that is laid down when the Church of God begins to expand out of Jerusalem into the areas surrounding it. All right? That's what we're doing.
But today, we're actually going to look a little bit different, all right? We're going to launch out of the book of Acts, because the Acts story shows us the story of the church, but also today we're going to walk through the Why Church question. And here's why we do this, all right? Every year on this Sunday, we pause and we look at the why behind church. You say, "Well, man, why would you do that every year?" Well, really and truly because last week alone, if you look at Sunday, last week over Sunday last year, there were almost 600 new people. Here, last Sunday, that were not here that same day last year. And one of our core values is that we want to walk together. We want to walk unified, and we want everybody to be on the same page under the banner of Christ and walking together as a church, all right?
So today, here's what I'm going to do. We're going to talk about the idea today that we are the church. We've been hitting that almost every week in Acts, and then also we're going to swing around and look at this idea of what does that mean since I'm the church? What is my responsibility in being the church? And then on the backside of the day, all right? I'm going to warn you. So if you try to slip out early, you might either be baptized or become a member, right? I'm going to warn you. We're going to look at the backside today of what should my relationship with the church look like, and do I need to plant my self? All right? So that's what we're going to do today. If you got a copy of scripture, I want you to go with me to Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. I realize we're not in Acts chapter six, that's where we should be today. We're going to be back there next week.
But I want you to go to the backside, Acts chapter 20 today. We're going to start with that one verse, because it kind of gets hidden in the backside of Paul's missionary journeys, and it actually sums up a lot of God's view of the church. All right? God's view of the church. Now, as you're finding that, let me remind you, in Acts chapter two, at Pentecost, the church started, right? It launched. The spirit of God fell among the people and the church of God launched. We looked at Acts 2:42 almost every single week that says that the apostles devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the breaking of bread, to prayer and to fellowship. And we see the church actually explode from Acts chapter two on. We got to Acts chapter five, and then we saw it continued to add people, it continued to baptize people. There was this oneness, many were added to it. They were growing and expanding.
And then in a couple weeks we're going to get to Acts chapter eight. And this man named Saul pops onto the scene. And he is persecuting the church, but gets radically saved by God on this road to Damascus, and he becomes the forerunner of planting churches through the rest of the book of Acts. We get to see his story. But just before Acts lands and ends, the apostle Paul looks at some leaders in these churches, and I want you to see what he says to them that actually brings so much validity to this idea of church Acts chapter 20 verse 28. It'll make sense after I read it. Watch this. Here's what Paul says to these church leaders.
He says, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers." Watch what he says. He says, "Be shepherds of the church of God," here's the main line, you might want to underline this in your Bibles, "...which he," that's Jesus, right? "... which Jesus bought with his own blood."
Now, there's so much emotion in this statement. Why? Because of what's going on in Acts chapter 20- all these churches have been established. All these people have literally given their lives for the church of what of which Christ has died and given his life for. So I want you to remember something by looking at this. Here's the deal that kind of hit me this week after reading this verse again. I want you to remember that Jesus has not only spoken about the church, but Jesus has bought and paid for the body of Christ the church, and here it is, we don't get to determine its worth. Jesus did. Jesus has given his life for it.
Now, here's what I know when I say that statement in this place. Here's what I know. There are some of you, all right? There are some of you that you're like, "Hey, that's right. That's where I'm at. That's where I believe, that's where I'm walking." And you dearly love and are committed to the body of Christ. I know that about you. And kudos to y'all, you are seen, and you're doing a good work. So today's going to be a little reminder for you. But also, on the other side of that, I realize that when I begin to talk about church, that some of you, you're brand new to this deal, all right? You're brand new, you just stepped in, just jumped in. There's others of you that you've gotten burned at some point in your life. There's some church hurt there, and there's literally are words that people have shared with me in the last couple of weeks.
I realize that some of you, you've gotten wounded, and you're just now back in. I realize there's another group of you that are listening to this message that you're pretty skeptical still of this church thing, but just to keep him, or just to keep her off your back, you dedicate this hour and a half a week, and you come in to make the peace for the kiddos. For some of you, you're just indifferent to it, and it's just another deal in your life. I understand all that. And as a result, that's a large feeling in the room. There's a result of a national crisis when it comes to church, because church has swung from what we just read in the New Testament to become this consumeristic thing where church is just about my needs, and my family's preferences, and my family's wants, and my family's desires.
So, if you look at all of those things together and feelings together, here's the problem. The problem is that church throughout time has bled out of its primary mission, and into this idea that the first century church never had. And that is that church is just something that I add on to everything else in my life. That's not what we read right here. And as a result of that and as a result of our bleed away from the Axe model of how Christ has established church, as a result of that, it's become a super low commitment, super low trust, which leads to a lack of sacrificial living and accountable, and long-term serving, when it comes to the body of Christ.
So this is what I want to do this morning. I just want to lovingly point out God's desire for his children when it comes to the church. So why do I want to do that? In fact, I want to start with the principles just to put my primary thesis on the table, all right? Because this is going to be a new thought for some. New thought for some here. Write this down. We've kind of talked about it almost every week in the Axe series, but I want you to have it on this paper. Here's the principle. "God's will is not just for you to attend church, it's for you to belong and to be the church." "It's for you to belong and to be the church." Now, what does that mean? That means, this is particularly true for today, that means that church is not a spectator sport. Here's what that means. Yesterday was a spectator day, amen. It was a spectator day. Was it not? 85,000 people in desperate need of exercise watching 22 brothers that were about to die, right? That was yesterday.
But in some of our minds, that's what church is, and that's what church looks like. Really and truly here's the bottom line today is that you don't just come to church: you are the church. You are the church. Now, I want to show you something. It's actually the first mention of Jesus when it comes to church in the New Testament. There's a theological concept called the idea of the first mention in scripture, and that kind of sets up what every other mention should carry with it. And I want to show you Jesus's first mention of church in Matthew chapter 16. Actually, side note on this, this is the first message that was ever preached at Burnt Hickory as it became a mission in 1973, right?
Matthew 16, verse 13, listen to what Jesus says, how he gets to church. Says this in verse 13, "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the son of man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' Jesus asked, 'Who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered..." Here it is, here's the thesis right here, "'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven.'" Verse 18, here's how it ties all together, "'And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'"
So what does Jesus do here? Jesus says in this intimate moment, he looks at Peter and he says, Peter, on that message, on that participation, on that oneness and on that truth claim, here's the truth claim that Jesus says, "That I am the Messiah." He says, "Peter, that is what is going to build my church."
Now look, don't take this the wrong way. This is not built on a man Peter. The church is not built on Peter: it is built on Christ. To say that it's built on Peter is heresy and blasphemy, and takes Jesus off the cross and puts Peter on it, right? It is built on the Messiahship of Jesus. That's what it says right here. That's the rock that it's built on. And the reality is that we are these small little pebbles, these small little rocks built on the big rock Messiah Jesus, right? That's the description of the church. And that's what we live out in our life, and that's the foundation of the church.
Now, let me teach you something. I bring up this almost once a year to help us understand this whole thing of church. The word church in the Bible when it is used most of the time is the actual Greek word ekklesia, ekklesia. And it's a compound word meaning ek, out of, and kaleo, all right? That's where you get the second part. Kaleo, which literally means to call out. So when you put those things and smash them together out of to call, and put them in the right order because English for some reason chose the wrong order of all words in every other language, when you put those two things together, literally the word church means the called out body, the called out assembly, and the called out organization. That's literally what it means.
Now, if we follow that up with just a little bit of logic, here's how that works out. I get the fact that we gather here. I get that. We do gather here, and that's important. Actually, from church history, from about the 150s on when they could start doing it, they literally started building places to gather in and to operate out of.
We gather here in a place called Burnt Hickory, and that's important, but listen to me, it is less about a place and more about a group, here it is, that we just read, of called out people that have a common confession moving in a direction together under the Messiahship of Jesus. You see that looks a little bit different, doesn't it? Than just showing up on a Sunday and hanging out.
That's the Bible. We see this all over the New Testament, as the church has described. Let me give you a couple of examples, just because you might not believe me and I get that. Watch this out of First Corinthians chapter one. It's Paul talking to the church at Corinth. First Corinthians 1:1, it says this, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and by our brother Sosthenes. To the church of God in Corinth, to those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be his holy people, together with those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Now, this is not just an introduction that you should skip when you're looking at this. Actually, Paul describes emphatically the church. What did he say? He said, the church is gathered, right? Keep the verse up there, gathered in where? It's gathered in Corinth, right? The church is, what? A called out, it said body, that are being sanctified. That means they're becoming more and more like Christ, and becoming less and less like the world. He says that we're also part of the big C body, the big C church. Where? From everywhere. Are you seeing this? This is a common confession, a common direction, and a common goal under the Messiah Jesus. That's what he says right here. They're assembled, and they're accountable, and they're moving. You say, "Well, Matt, I don't like the Corinthian church." Okay, well, let's look at the Thessalonica church right here, right?
Watch this. Watch this. Verse one, Thessalonians 1:1. It says, "Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, in God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father," watch what he says about the church, oh, here's the call, "... your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." You see the description of the church? Was it just a big old group that just hung out every now and then that just came, that just tried to find a parking spot when they could? No, it was a group that were doing, what? They were working together, they were faithful people, they were called out, they were present, loving, enduring, hopeful, and laboring. That's the church.
In fact, if you've been here during this series on all of Acts, what is the common denominator of the church? God saves, people are baptized, people turn back around and they begin to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Why? Because they belong. They're little rocks built on the big rock Jesus. They're not built around me, they're not built around a leader, they're not built around a philosophy. They're built on the foundation of Jesus. Now, here's what I know. Most of us, we agree with that statement, but here's where it may get personal. As a result of that statement, as a result of what we see in the New Testament. The assumption is in the New Testament and in scriptures, is that all believers belong to and are regularly assembling in, and are working as called out people as part of the body of Christ.
You see? That's the assumption. In fact, I want to point out my second principle, write this down, maybe it'll help you think this week. "There's no such thing in the New Testament as a believer that exists," here it is, "... in a random or independent lifestyle that is not fully active in a local church." You don't see it. You say, "I saw it." Okay, great. Let's have coffee this week. We'll look at it together, right? It's just not there. You see? All believers were assumed to be part of a body. Why? Because the called out body of Christ is what we're looking at, which is why really and truly one of the biggest offenses, and it's always some college student, every single year, I'm just going to put that on the table, it's always a college student that's usually sleeping with her girlfriend, all right? It is always a college student that will say, "Well, Matt, the Bible doesn't tell me that I should be a part of the church."
And I'm like, "True, true. But also the Bible doesn't tell you that you should be breathing air, all right?" And they say, "What do you mean by that?" Here's what I mean by that. There is never a time in scripture that the assumption is not there, that every single believer belonged to a local body of Christ, because Christ died for it and he gave his blood for it. It's always there. "Matt, that's not enough for me." Okay. What about the fact that in Revelation two and three, every single last warning was written to a church? What about the fact that every single letter in the New Testament, we can argue Hebrews at some point if you want to, but every single letter is either written to a church or a leader of a church? What about every single person that is looked at as a leader and a follower of Jesus in the New Testament is a part of the body of Christ?
What about our key verse that we looked at in Acts 2028? The last words, what did it say? "Which Jesus bought with his blood." So, what is this saying? All of this is pointing to the fact that it's cute to say you just want to be spiritual, but it's not biblical. That's what it's pointing to in scripture. There's no other club, there's no other organization, there's no other activity on this earth that carries the weight that the body of Christ does. That's what it's saying. You say, "Matt, you haven't given us a whole lot of points or a whole lot of truths here." Okay, well, let me give you seven foundational truths of what the New Testament says about church, just so you'll have them in one order, and just so you can argue it later.
Number one, I want you to remember this, that God speaks to the church. He speaks to the church. "So Matt, where'd you get that?" Well, we just talked about it for 10 minutes, all right? He speaks to the church. It's the New Testament. It's his bride and he loves it. But on top of that, write this one now, number two, God speaks through the church. He speaks through the church. Through what? I would just call through gifted, or through called individuals, here it is, through pastors, through leaders, that do what? They take this book that's in our hands, that open it every single week, that do their best to pray, that the spirit would show them how to divide it over the people. God speaks to the church, he speaks through the church, but I can kind of feel the weight of that, Matt. When the Bible was written, there weren't MP3s, there weren't podcasts, there weren't books on audio, there weren't like Kenneth Copeland on TV on Sunday mornings, whatever, you want to do with that, right?
But here's what I'll say to that. All those things are fabulous, all those things are great. But here's what I'm going to tell you. If you so choose to be the only person that feeds yourself spiritually, you will never seek the full counsel of God. You will always lean into your strengths and you'll shy away from your weaknesses. Every single time. You see? God speaks to the church, he speaks through the church. How many times have you sat in that seat and went, "Uh-oh, was he watching me this week?" The answer is no. The answer is this is what God does. He puts people in positions like your life group leaders, like your Bible study leaders, to come in and divide the word and talk about the word together. Why? Because that's where transformation happens. He speaks to the church, he speaks through the church.
Therefore, number three, watch this, this is what about belonging means. The church is active and it's the light, here it is, the light to reach the dark world. This is why belonging is so important, because it's the church. That's the hope of the world. Why? Because God speaks to it, and then God speaks through it, and God speaks in it, and then he motivates his people that belong to it, to move as the body of Christ to go into action. But to go into action means more than just casually attend. It means more than just dip in and out when we want to. You see? These cultures done this to us. Culture says to just go to church, to be fed, be entertained, check the box. But Jesus says belong. Jesus says be a part, and be known, and be accountable.
So listen, just as there's no independent non-connected people to a body of Christ in the New Testament, I would argue also that there's no autonomous or no anonymous unknown believers inside the churches in the New Testament. Here's what that means. These brothers and sisters didn't sneak in, sit on the back row and get out during the invitation. These people belong somewhere. And it was home. And they wanted to make a difference through it. "Matt, I don't know about that." Okay.
Remember when we were studying Pentecost in Acts two? Remember what it said after Peter preached and the spirit fell? Remember what it said in Acts 2:41? It says, "Those who accepted his message," those who met Jesus that day, this is the model, what were they? Number one, they were baptized, right? They gave their life to Christ, they got over their pride, they were baptized as believers in Jesus, and then watch this, and then about 3000 of them were added to their number that day. You know what that means? That means that day there was 3000 people that went from individuals that joined into the body of Christ that moved together. That also means this, look at this in Acts 5:14. The disciples were healing people, they were ministering to people. And it says this in Acts 5:14, "Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number."
What does that mean? That means people knew who they were. That means as they came in, they were greeted, they became a part, they became some part of the body. Why? Because to be added to the Lord means to be added to the bride of Christ. To be added to the Lord means to walk out the body of Christ together. Listen to this one out of Hebrews 13:17. This one scares me to death. Seems a little self-serving on the front end, but hold on, watch this. Hebrews says, "Have confidence in your leaders and to submit to their authority."I told you, it seems a little self-serving, but watch this on the backside, it doesn't lean to this, "Because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account." All right?
What does that mean? This one keeps me up at night. Why? Because how can we as your shepherds keep an account for people who are just dating the church? Who are just sneaking in and sneaking out, and not being known, and not serving, and not walking together? Listen, I don't see it in scripture. I don't see it, where there's just this autonomous person that is just anonymous, and not known, walking as part of the body. It doesn't work. Why? Because you're the church. You're the church. And if that's our attitude, it's not going to make it. Here's a question that hits me every time I think about this. I've used it before, but it's such a great question. Would I want to be a part of a church, or could the church even exist if it was made up mostly of people with my level of belonging?
Not a lot said about that one, huh? But here's what I know. For some of you, oh, absolutely it could. Because man, we've got some brothers and sisters and people of faith in this church that absolutely are killing it for the cause of Jesus. I mean, you are accountable, you are walking with the Lord, you are serving, you are honoring God, but for others of you, here's what I want to tell you, put down some roots, and belong. Man, I just want to be honest with you. Here's the deal. Man, I lose sleep over this. And it's not because I have some desire to build this big church. I don't. My desire is to see God move in your life, to see God move in our life, to see God bring us together as brothers and sisters in Jesus, and for us to reach the hundred thousand people that are within five miles of this place. And we're only going to do it when we see what the body of Christ really looks like.
Look, Jesus desires you to belong. To belong. But Satan doesn't. He doesn't. And I know he doesn't because I get it all the time. "Man, I'm just not interested in the church. I just want Jesus." You ever heard that one before, right? I'm just spiritual. I just have this little collective that I hang out with and I just don't even need the church, right?
Let me give you a couple more truths that maybe can settle that. Number four, here it is. It's Jesus that started the church. He's the one that did it. Man didn't dream this up. I mean, for some of you, I want you to think about this. It wasn't like some guys in a circle one Saturday night, "How do we ruin everybody's Sunday morning? Let's come up with church." No. Jesus started the church, Matthew 16:18, we read it earlier, where Jesus said literally, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." And really and truly if you think about that, it's so profound, because Jesus didn't start any other organization when he was on this planet. Do you really realize that? No other organization. It's the church. That means that unlike every other organization, what we're doing right now is not manmade. It is God-ordained. From him, by Jesus. For what? For Jesus.
So leads me to number five, and that's that Jesus deeply loves the church. He didn't just start it and set it in motion and hope for the best. No, he loves that. How do we know that? Well, watch what Paul says about it. Later on he says this, he says, "Husbands, love your wives..." How? "... just as Christ loved the church, and he gave him himself up for her." Do you see it? That Jesus loved the church so much, he literally died for it. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but Jesus didn't die for your sports team; he didn't die for your organization; he didn't die for your band; he didn't die for your career; he didn't die for your popularity. He died for the people in all those, but he died for the bride, for the church. That's what he died for.
Now, you can say what you want to about me, right? People do all the time. Some of them are actually kind of funny, right? But you don't talk about my bride. That's fighting words. Is it not, men? But why is it that we're so flippant when it comes to the bride of Christ, men, when we're talking about his bride, the church. And how is it that we claim to love a God that we can't see when we can't seem to belong and love the people of God that we do see?
Which leads me to my next one, and this one's a little bit controversial, and it's okay. Number six, look at this truth. It's not actively belonging or being the church is indisputable truth that something is wrong spiritually in your life. Man, I stand by it. Why? Because many, many, many people claim a whole lot of things. But here's what it looks like when we come together as the body of Christ. It means that we're professing that I'm not perfect, but Christ is my king. I'm not perfect, but the Messiah, Jesus has died, and resurrected, and given me life, and now I've come together with the body of Christ to serve him, to look for the day that I will spend eternity with him, and look for the day that I will be in the presence of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, with the family of God that is around me.
And how do we think that we're going to enjoy it then when now we despise it? It's proof. Something is wrong with me spiritually. Now I get it. I get it. Are we perfect as a body? No. In fact, you're led by one of the most dysfunctional people that I know. But it's the body of Christ that wants to give life.
I watched the reel yesterday by somebody that posted it, and it was actually me, and it was kind of funny. It was from 2019 I was talking about church, and I leaned into this idea just a little bit about church because I think we got it so wrong as consumers, and not as part of the body. I think we got it so wrong, because I mean, some of us have this mentality, and I called it, and it reminded me when I saw it. We kind of feel like we're this connoisseur of churches, where I like the worship at this one, but the Bible study at this one, and the kids program at that one, and they got a great playground. And that one is great over here. And so we hop around in this mentality of, I'm going to take the best from everything I got, realizing that I'm to plant myself and make a difference where I am.
Now look, I'm not meaning to step on any toes like hard, but a little bit on that, because I think it just shows one more time the fact that we've just lost sight of the first century church of the God has called us to plant and belong somewhere, to plant and belong somewhere. Listen, every church is for every Christian. And let me go back to the opening principle that I had. And it's that God's will is for you not just to attend church. It's for you to belong and to be the church. Belong and be the church. Why? Because the church is the hope of the world. And listen to me, the church is what's going to propel the life of Christ into the world. The church is what is going to move in this community, and we just simply can't do it. Unless we're moving together, which makes me bring up the last point this morning, and this is number seven. And that is the church is not only important for you, but it holds the power to impact the world and the generations to come.
Here's what I mean by that. And I'm going to slow down on this for a minute, because I really think we need to talk about it. The church is not just built for you, it's built as a launching point for you and I to reach the world. And not just reach the world, but it is the primary tool of Jesus to fulfill his great commission. And look at me, parents, look at me, look at me, look at me: your kids are right now determining the value of church for the rest of their lives based on how you are living it out in front of them. Literally has the chance to impact eternity.
So listen, this is not a message that's self-serving; it's not a message because we're trying to build something here; it's not a message that we're trying to be something here. It's a message for all of us that know Jesus, to examine where we are, to examine what my commitment to the bride looks like, and to watch what it looks like to take the next step.
So here's the ask for the morning. I'm going to ask all of us to respond in this. I'm going to ask us what would it look like and what would it take for me to plant myself in this local church, or some other local church, and belong, and be.
I get to hang out with pastors all the time from this community. We're all great friends, so just know that, all right? So if you do something somewhere else and make a fool of yourself, they tell me, all right? Just know that, all right? And every single one of us would agree this: can't we all just stop hopping, and going and being, and visiting? And can't we all just plant in a place and agree that we're going to do everything we can as a body to reach this community for Jesus?
Listen, that's the goal. The goal is not Burnt Hickory. The goal is Jesus. I'm going to close for this verse. Psalm 92, verse 12, and listen to what the psalmist says. It says, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. They will grow like the cedar of Lebanon." Now, we don't use that word flourish a lot, right? We just really don't. But I love the imagery there. Why? Because flourish means that I'm growing, it means that I'm planted, it means that I'm healthy, it means there's some vitality in me. And then he uses the palm and the cedar. Remember, Palm Sunday was a victorious. The King Jesus was riding down the road. It was a victory and triumph. The cedar is a symbol all through scripture of strength, and it has a pleasing ever-growing body to it.
Who's going to flourish? Watch what it says. Says, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. They will grow like the cedar of Lebanon," verse 13, "... planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God." Keep reading. Watch this. "They will still bear fruit in old age..." Can I get an amen right there? "... they will stay fresh and green proclaiming the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no wickedness in him." Did you see it? Who's going to flourish? It's really clear. The people that are going to flourish are those that are planted in the house of the Lord. This image of fulfilled, this image of making a difference, this image of filled with joy and vitality.
Look, many of us would not use that language about us. We would use language like withering, or alone, or struggling, or relationally hurting, or just barely making it. But look at the promise from God. And the statistics show it, that those who are planted flourish, those who drive reach will flourish. Those who drive themselves into the hope and the love and the mercy and the grace of God through the body of Christ will flourish in their life. Why? Because when you do that, it becomes part of your identity. When you do that, it becomes part of your soul. And when you do that, no matter what life throws at you, Christ is your King, the Messiah has your back, and there's a group of 3000 people called Burnt Hickory that want to fight with you.
But the question is, will you let them? Will you let them? Or will you just keep doing what you're doing, and bumping in, and bumping out, bumping in when you can, and bumping out? And just in case, if there might not be nothing going on the weekend, I guess we'll go to church, but wait a minute, we're tired for the rest of the week. Will you plant and will you belong to the body of Christ?
Listen, you might be a member here for a long time, but let me ask you this. What are you doing to plant and belong? What does that look like in your life? Maybe, maybe this is your first Sunday here and you're like, "Woo, that's pretty intense." Yeah, I get it. It really kind of is, right? But maybe today is like, "That's what I've been looking for." You know what I say to you? Come on, and let's go do it together. Let's go walk it together. Maybe though, maybe you've been visiting here since 1986.
It's a quiet laugh, because there's some of you. Man, what does it look like for you to take that next step? Some of you, you need to join here and you need to put down roots. "Man, I don't know about this whole joining thing." You know what joining does? It puts down roots saying, "I'm a follower of Jesus that has been baptized and that is ready to stand with this local body of Christ to reach this community." Listen, if that's not you, and you've been coming here for months and months and months, go find somewhere it can be. Just do it. We need your seats. I mean, honestly. Particularly parking.
But if it's you, man, let's do it. Let's walk together. Let's do this together, not for Burnt Hickory, not for this guy, I promise you: for the kingdom of God. Will you commit? Will you plan? Will you go with us? Would you pray Lord Jesus?
These next couple of minutes, Lord, I just pray for the people in this house that need to make their next step of commitment of what it looks like to be part of the bride of Christ. Oh, God, move in their heart. God, whether it's online, on the next steps app, in their hand, or whether in just a second they step out, likes happened all day long, they step out from their seat and they come over to myself or one of these counselors over at the next steps banner. And God just help some of the people in this room in the next couple of minutes. Just walk over to one of us and go, "Hey, I need to make this home." We'll pray with them, we'll talk with them.
Lord, for some people, they need to be baptized in here to make a stand. That they're part of the body, as a believer in Jesus. Oh God, give us just these next couple of minutes to stand before you and plant, and to begin to flourish. Thank you, Jesus. It's in your name. Amen.