Nothing on earth has greater potential to change lives and carry out His kingdom work in your community, than your local church.There’s nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.

BILL HYBEL

Being disconnected from the local church, for whatever reason, is a dangerous way to live. Not only do these “ lone rangers” miss out on the blessings of functioning within the context of the body of Christ, but like lone sheep away from the safety of the flock and the watchful care of the shepherd, they are vulnerable to predators of every sort.

NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

EPHESIANS 5:25

JESUS GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR A CONNECTED FAMILY

1. GOD’S PRESENCE 

8 “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.

EXODUS 25:22

15-16 Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you’re with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we’re special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?”

EXODUS 33:15-16

1. GOD’S POWER 

18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[f] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

MATTHEW 18:18-20 

The righteous flourish like the palm tree

    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

    they flourish in the courts of our God.

PSALM 92:12-13 

1. GOD’S PEOPLE

25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26 (MSG)

26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

2 CORINTHIANS 14:26

JUST BEING CONNECT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST ISN’T ENOUGH. 

Some people think of the church as a pyramid, with the pastor at the top. Others think of the church as a bus driven by the pastor, who takes his passive passengers where they should go. God wants us to see the church as a body, where every part does its share.

DAVID GUZIK

Sedentary: (of a person) tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive

THE BODY WAS DESIGNED TO BE ACTIVE

I AM MEANT TO BE AN ACTIVE PART IN FELLOWSHIP

• Galatians 2:20
• The world says we need to conquer/dominate others, but God says to serve others (Matthew 20:28)
• The world says we need to take from others and receive, but God says to give to others (Luke 6:38)
• The world says to put yourself first/be selfish, but God says to put others first, be selfless (Philippians 2: 3-4)
• The world says you need to speak/act first, but God says to listen first (James 1:19)
• The world says you need to compare yourself to others, but God says to encourage/support others, to cheer them on. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• The world says to seek revenge, but God says to forgive others and pray for them (ephesians 4:32). 
• The spiritual discipline of submission. 
• Submission: the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.

• “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” -Matthew 10:38-39
• Mark 4:1-20 “We walked through this passage recently.”
• 
  
• Mark 4:1-20 MSG
• #1 KNOW YOUR IDENTITY
•  
• KNOW YOUR IDENTITY IS NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO BUT WHO YOU ARE, BECAUSE WHO YOU ARE WILL DETERMINE WHAT YOU DO AND WHEN YOU KNOW WHOSE YOU ARE, YOU’LL KNOW WHO YOU ARE
• #2 EMBRACE YOUR IDENTITY 
• Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
• #3 FOCUS ON YOUR IDENTITY 
• Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• #4 MEDITATE ON HIS WORD
• Joshua 1:8  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
• #5 AUTHENTIC, GENUINE (REAL) PRAYER
• Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Spiritual Disciplines: things we do in order to reorient our life, habits, and routines in a way that feeds our spirit more than our flesh.

Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.

JOHN 14:12

MATTHEW 4:1-11

IF JESUS OVERCAME TEMPTATION, I CAN OVERCOME TEMPTATION

JOHN 13:3-5

IF JESUS SERVED OTHERS, I CAN SERVE OTHERS. 

LUKE 9:40-43

IF JESUS HEALED AND SET OTHERS FREE, I CAN HEAL AND SET OTHERS FREE.

MATTHEW 26:38-39

IF JESUS FOLLOWED GOD NO MATTER WHAT, I CAN FOLLOW GOD NO MATTER WHAT.

52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. 

LUKE 2:52 

“And in this truth lies the secret of the easy yoke: the secret involves living as he lived in the entirety of his life - adopting his OVERALL life-style. Following “in his steps” cannot be equated with behaving as he did when he was “on the spot.’ To live as Christ lived is to live as he did ALL his life.”

DALLAS WILLARD

27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:27

DISCIPLINES OF ABSTINENCE (starving your flesh)

DISCIPLINES OF ENGAGEMENT (feeding your spirit)

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

ROMANS 8:6

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

ROMANS 13:14

Whatever I FEED will eventually grown. Whatever I STARVE will eventually die.

DISCIPLINES OF ABSTINENCE (starving your flesh)

• Solitude and Silence 
• Fasting 
• Frugality
• Purity 
• Secrecy
• Sacrific

DISCIPLINES OF ENGAGEMENT (feeding your spirit)

• Study 
• Worship 
• Celebration 
• Serving 
• Praying 
• Fellowship
• Confession 
• Submission

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 6:23

GRACE IS NOT OPPOSED TO ACTION. IT’S OPPOSED TO EARNING. 

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

MATTHEW 11:28-30

1. THERE’S A WEIGHT WE CARRY (whether it’s from Jesus or not)

“To depart from righteousness is to choose a life of crushing burdens, failures, and disappointments, a life caught in the toils of endless problems that are never resolved… The cost of discipleship, though it may take all we have, is small when compared to the lot of those who don’t accept Christ’s invitation to be a part of his company in ‘The Way’ of life.”

DALLAS WILLARD

2.  IT’S NOT, ONE SIZE FITS ALL

3.   IF THE YOKE IS HARD AND HEAVY; IT’S NOT FROM JESUS

 If your yoke is hard and your burden is heavy, then we can say that it isn’t His yoke or burden, and you aren’t letting Him bear it with you. Jesus said it plainly: My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

GUZIK

IN THE DARK

INTEGRITY IS A BIG DEAL TO GOD. 

Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.

BILLY  GRAHAM

Integrity: the state of being whole and undivided

Reputation is who everybody THINKS you are. Integrity is who you REALLY are. 

25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.

27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

MATTHEW 23:25-27

INTEGRITY IS REINFORCED IN THE DARK AND INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED IN THE DARK. 

OUR INTEGRITY IS EASIER TO KEEP THAN TO RECOVER

Integrity is NOT perfection.

INTEGRITY IS NOT BEING AFRAID TO CONFRONT WHAT’S IMPERFECT.

1. INTEGRITY KNOWS GOD SEES EVERYTHING

“This is a great principle which is applicable to every age. You and I ought to live our lives in the light of the fact that we are to stand in the presence of Christ. Note that I didn’t say in the light of the COMING of Christ but in the light of the PRESENCE of Christ.”

J. Vernon McGee

2. INTEGRITY KNOWS EVERYTHING WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED. 

19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 

GENESIS 39:19-21 

17 For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.

LUKE 8:17

3. INTEGRITY KNOWS EVERYTHING BUILDS

23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

COLOSSIANS 3:23

WHEN I LIVE A LIFE OF INTEGRITY, I AM UNDER SUPERNATURAL COVERING.

COUNT THE COST.

 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[i] who sins against me? Seven times?”

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven![j]

MATTHEW 18:21-22

“If you are trying to keep count, you’re missing the point.”

“Forgiveness is the Culture of Heaven” - Mark Driscoll 

Forgive: to release; cancel a debt

FORGIVENESS IS NOT: APPROVAL

FORGIVENESS IS NOT: AUTOMATIC RECONCILIATION

TRANSANCTIONAL FORGIVENESS

UNILATERAL “ONE-WAY” FORGIVENESS

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

MATTHEW 18:21-22

In this, Jesus recognized the blindness of His enemies in His prayer. This did not excuse the guilt of those who put Jesus on the cross; but Jesus set His enemies in the best possible light in His prayer to the Father. We must pray with the same heart, after the same pattern. - GUZIK

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

EPHESIANS 4:32

1. WE’VE BEEN FORGIVEN

Un-forgiveness is always hypocritical.

2. IT FREES US

COUNT THE COST

#1) COMPARISON KILLS CONTENTMENT

Philippians 4:11-12 

For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

He stepped out of contentment and into comparison. 

#2) COMPARISON STEALS PERSPECTIVE

#3) COMPARISON DESTROYS OUR COMMISSION

It steals, kills, and destroys.

JONH 10:10 

10 The enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

ROMANS 12:4-8

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.

Comparison didn’t just hurt him, it hurt other people. 

When a comparison problem becomes a competition problem it results in a collaboration problem. 

PSALM 139:13-14

13 

For you formed my inward parts;

    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well.

• Do you believe He formed you?

• Do you believe He knit you together?

• Do you believe you are wonderfully made?

• Do your words align with this?

• Does your soul know very well? 

Parables are not simply teachings on what the Kingdom of God is LIKE; they are an invitation into Kingdom LIVING.

We know that God is Spirit and is neither male nor female. Yet in the Scriptures we are told that the believer is “born of God”. Here John uses female language to describe the relationship between God and believers. Similarly, when Jesus addressed God as “Father,” he used a male metaphor/title to help us understand the nature of God. Scripture uses male and female images to enrich our understanding of God, who is Spirit and thereby beyond male and female.”

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey

“WE DON’T JUST READ PARABLES; JESUS EXPECTS US TO LIVE THEM OUT.”

LUKE 19:11-26

• Whenever Jesus told a parable, He was communicating ETERNAL TRUTHS in a way that made sense to an ANCIENT AUDIENCE. 
• CONTEXT UNLOCKS MEANING.

FIRST ASSUMPTION: The Parable Of The Talents and the Parable Of The Pounds are the same.

SECOND ASSUMPTION: These two parables are all about being responsible with what we have. 

Herod the Great made a trip to Rome in 40 B.C. seeking a Roman appointment as king, and his son, Archelaus, made a similar journey in 4 B.C. to argue his case against his half-brother Antipas. Jesus used a political scene familiar to his audience as the background for this parable.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey

• Jesus is the Nobleman.

REVELATION 17:14

REVELATION 19:16

JOHN 18:37

• Worldly culture is the enemy of the Nobleman

JOHN 1:10-13

MATTHEW 12:30

• Christians are the servants

O Lord, surely I am Your servant,

I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,

You have loosed my bonds.

PSALM 116:16

• The pounds represent the Great Commission

Such is the real world of this parable. King Herod’s trip to Rome was successful; he received kingly power. His son Archelaus made the same trip and was banished. No one knows how such a perilous journey will end. The nobleman wants to know, “Are you willing to take the risk and openly declare yourselves to be my loyal servants (during my absence) in a world where many oppose me and my rule.” … It will be easy to declare yourself publicly to be my loyal servants when I return. I am more interested in how you conduct yourselves when I am absent and you have to pay a high price to openly identify yourself with me. 

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey

DO PEOPLE KNOW WHICH KING YOU ARE LOYAL TO?

“Christ never contemplated the production of secret Christians, - Christians whose virtues would never be displayed, - pilgrims who would travel to heaven by night, and never be seen by their fellow-pilgrims or anyone else.” 

Spurgeon

JESUS IS INVITING US TO GO PUBLIC

• JESUS MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR EFFORT THAN YOUR SUCCESS.

If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

WTF: Where’s The Faith?

Faith is important to God. 

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

HEBREWS 11:6

God is ALWAYS clear about what’s important to Him.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7 

• Faith: trusting in and acting from what God says instead of what we can see
• 
  
• 
  
• FAITH DOES NOT STOP AT TRUSTING IN GOD. IT MOVES INTO ACTING ON WHAT GOD SAYS.

• INTELLECTUAL AGREEMENT + TRUST = FAITH. 

FAITH WILL ALWAYS SEEM A LITTLE CRAZY.

IT’S NOT FAITH IF YOU CAN SEE IT

1  Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

HEWBREWS 11:1-2

THE FACTS THAT WE WANT ERODE THE FAITH WE NEED.

14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.[d]”

MATTHEW 17:14-20

OUR FAITH CAN OPEN DOORS. OUR LACK OF FAITH CAN CLOSE THEM TOO. 

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.[d]”

MATTHEW 17:14-20

The faith that we must have has more to do with what kind of faith it is than with how much faith there is. A small amount of faith, as small as a mustard seed (a very small seed), can accomplish great things if that small amount of faith is placed in the great and mighty God. - GUZIK 

THE PLACEMENT OF OUR FAITH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR AMOUNT OF FAITH.

HOW TO GROW FAITH:

START WITH GOD; NOT US

DETERMINE TO OBEY 

LEAVE THE RESULTS WITH HIM

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

ROMANS 1:16

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you (the book of Luke), most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

LUKE 1:1-4 (NIV)

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

LUKE 1:1-4 (ESV)

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

JOHN 10:27 (ESV)

God is always talking.

“I HAD A FEELING”.

“And if what you see is all you see, Then you do not see all there is to be seen” - Kirk Franklin

NUMBERS 22:21-31

“Sometimes the message God is giving us is loud and clear, but we don’t recognize God in the message.”

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

LUKE 1:1-4 (NIV)

God wants YOUR VOICE! 

God wanted LUKE’S VOICE!

“The Gospel of Luke is a carefully researched and selective presentation of the person and life of Jesus. The book was written to strengthen the faith of believers and challenge the misconceptions of unbelievers, especially those from a Greek background. Luke’s profession as a medical doctor gives his Gospel a unique focus on Jesus’ humanity and the role of Christ as the suffering servant.”

IF YOU DOWNPLAY THE PURPOSE OF YOUR VOICE, YOU DOWNPLAY THE VOICE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE. 

It takes faith. 

“Luke was able to write the word because he was acquainted with the Word.”

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

ROMANS 10:17 (NKJV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

ROMANS 12:2 (ESV)

Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

ACTS 1:4-5

1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-16 

Essential: of the utmost importance: basic, indispensable, necessary.

Indispensable: absolutely necessary

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

ACTS 8:14-17

 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.[a] 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

ACTS 19:1-7

WE’VE MADE THE HOLY SPIRIT OPTIONAL WHEN JESUS SAYS HE’S ESSENTIAL.

• “Being a disciple without receiving the Holy Spirit is like discovering you have a sickness, going to the doctor for a diagnosis, and leaving without the prescription.”

14 But the person without the Spirit[f] does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him;

THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS ME SEE

For who knows a person’s thoughts[d] except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

1 CORINTHIANS 2:11-12

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GIFT

“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.