What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into?

I forgot to mention, the other two elders are out preaching today, Andrew at Redeemer and Dan at New City. So, it's kind of nice that we can help others. This morning as I pray for God to give us insight into His Word, I'm also going to pray for our country. given the events of last evening. This is not an endorsement of any candidate. This is a prayer for our country and where we are.

So bow with me in prayer. Father, now as we come to you, as we open your word, we pray that it would be, your spirit would work in us. right now father I want to pray for first of all for candidate Trump and thank you that he escaped death thank you that we do not have that as part of our history again father remember the families of those who were killed and injured right now father politics is not a part of their thinking and we pray that somehow somewhere someone would be able to minister the gospel to them pray for our country this no doubt is going to have incredible civil repercussions in the life of our nation so we pray for her Father help us as believers to be light in this darkness that we would see that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world and that we as citizens and subjects of our King and his kingdom we would be different we would not be those who sink into despair but those who realize that the kingdom of God continues to grow and that these events will not retard its progress. Now, Father, I ask that you open the word of God to us.

Help us to understand these texts that we will look at. Help us not just to know more but to change as a result and to have a change in our understanding of what it means to be part of a church. And we'll thank you for that. In Jesus' name, amen. Becca and I got married in 1977. I know, that's ancient history to many of you.

That wasn't too far ago for us. We've been married 47 years this year. But I remember on the third day of our marriage, we arrived at the home, at the house, the place where we were going to live, start our married life. And so we were cleaning it up. We were cleaning it up. And she asked me to clean the shower.

And it was a shower that had all those orange stains in it, right? You know how showers get. Orange stains in it. So I got to work. This is August. It's really hot. and I'm scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing and sweat is just pouring down my face.

And it's not coming out. And I'm working and working and working. It's not coming out. And suddenly the thought started coming. If I were a bachelor right now, I couldn't care less about these stains. I could easily live with this orange in the shower.

That is not a big deal. That's not a big deal, but here I am. Why? Because I'm married now. Third day, and this thought started coming into my head. What in the world have you gotten yourself into?

And man, I was in a bad mood. We went for a walk. Becca says, oh, look at that butterfly over there. And I said, oh, butterflies are nothing but moths with a little bit of color. and she says, what's wrong with you? Oh my goodness, was I going to tell her? I wish I'd never gotten married.

I have no idea what I've gotten into. I don't have any idea what I've gotten into. This is not what I signed up for. I didn't say that. If you want to hear the rest of the story, you ask me later. The point was, I'm asking myself, what in the world have I gotten into now?

Well, maybe Tyler and Bonnie are thinking the same thing. Or maybe you're thinking, what are these two signed up for? Because you know at baptism we ought to be asking that question. What are we signing up for here? Because in baptism, you're saying clearly to the world, Jesus is my Lord, I'm going to obey him no matter what the cost, and you're saying to the assembled people, I am becoming a part of this people officially.

I am now a part of this congregation of God's people. What have you gotten into when you do that? That's what I want to explore with you today. Now we're going to go to a number of passages, so be ready to go. And the first is found in 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2.

Verse 4 verse 4 as you come to him the Lord Jesus a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Jump over now to verse 9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

What have you gotten into? You've joined a worshiping community. You've become living stones that God fits together into his temple, into a spiritual house that is the temple of God. And he's talking here about the local church. He's not talking about the universal church. He's talking about the local church.

All of you have been formed and fitted to become part of this people, which is the temple of God. You come to Christ and he cuts and shapes you for proper fitting and functioning in God's temple. And the glory of this spiritual house is not the stones. You are not the glory of this house. several years ago I was part of the dedication of a church building in Wisconsin actually it was a church where I grew up and they asked me to come back and have a part in the dedication service it was a really nice place it had great wood and vaulted ceilings the exterior design was really good great location up on a hill really nice but the glory of this temple is not in the building materials not in you, the building materials but in the fact that God dwells here God dwells here that's the glory of this temple the God of glory lives in that spiritual house and it's a unique community this is a community unlike any other this is an organization unlike any other this is different from any other formation of any kind of a community or organization in this world because this belongs uniquely to God through Jesus Christ indwelt by the Spirit.

It is an absolutely unique. No one else can make that kind of a claim. No other community can say that. But we can. We are the dwelling place of God. We have been fitted together to make a dwelling place for God.

And this is a unique community with the glorious function of worship. notice verse 9 why has he fitted us why has he done this and by the way we're not just a temple we are what a chosen race we are what a royal priesthood we are what a holy nation we are what a people for his own possession why so that we can proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light god has constituted constituted you as a spiritual priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices you know god still accepts sacrifices they're different he still has a priesthood it's us all of us now are part of that royal priesthood we have that function we're people for his possession And the focus of that worship, or our worship is that we proclaim or we advertise His excellencies to the people of this world. They ought to know there is a God because of His people. I want you to think that thought with me for a moment.

The world should know there is a God because of His people. Because of His people. now listen in the events of last evening this whole nation is going to go crazy it's going to be hard there's going to be lots of accusations there's going to be lots of conspiracies theories put out there there's going to be plenty of despair there's going to be more than enough anger and people aren't going to be thinking about God but they ought to be thinking about God because of the way they see us because of the way they see us. And the way they ought to see us is people who worship the living God.

We follow the Lord Jesus. We worship the living God. We proclaim His excellencies. We can say God is sovereign. We can say this didn't take Him by surprise. We can say with confidence, God is working His purposes.

Not just for our nation, but for you. He's working His purposes. He's put us here in this context, in this situation, for the purpose of magnifying and proclaiming His excellencies. And notice, the focus of that worship is our salvation. He's called us out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light that He has, that He is. And we are to proclaim the excellency.

You have been saved for the purpose of worship. You know, that's why I get a little bit exercised when some folks aren't here for a while. And I talk to them and say, I haven't seen you in church. Is it because I want more people in the audience? No. The very purpose of your salvation is that you will worship You will worship God And so you gotten yourself into a worshiping community You have joined a loving community.

You've joined a loving community. Turn with me to Romans 12. Romans 12. Romans 12 we're just going to take a little snippet out of this chapter verses 9 through 11 let love be genuine abhor what is evil hold fast to what is good love one another with brotherly affection outdo one another in showing honor do not be slothful in zeal. And I'll put the period there because in my view, that part goes with the first part.

By the way, the Greek text didn't have periods or commas. This is an editorial. This is how I interpret it. There should be a period there because it goes with what he just said. And then he moves on to something else. So that's what we find here.

You've joined a loving community. This is a community that loves sincerely This is a community that loves genuinely It's not a love that's showy and sentimental and superficial It's not that kind of love, right? We all know that kind of love, right? Oh, Jenny, how good to see you What a wonderful... Oh, you look lovely today Oh my... How is your husband John?

Oh, that's good to hear Oh, okay and she walks away and you go, what a loser, right? Did you see what she was wearing? When it comes to John, we all know what's going on there, don't we? The love we show is not this kind of sentimentally sloppy, slobbering all over everybody. It's the real deal. It's the real deal.

For those transformed by the redemption in Jesus, you don't get showy sentiment. you get concern, real concern, and service, and love no matter what. And it's a community that loves in the right way. What does he next say? Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. This is a love, this is a community that loves the right way. It abhors evil and it clings to what is good.

Now, what do we hear all over today? What do we hear today in our culture? Love just is. Right? You can't help who you love. Love just is.

It just happens. It's some kind of directionless emotion. It just overcomes you. You can't choose who you love. Love just is. No.

Genuine love never leads a person to do wrong or to avoid doing what is right. That's genuine love. That's real love. So you watch the soap operas. Derek loves Joy, but she's already married. What are they to do?

Well, we all know what they're to do. She's got to follow her heart. Love just is. You can't help who you love. So Joy needs to get a divorce and marry Derek because, you know, you can't help who you love. Is that real love?

You know what I'd suggest real love is? Joy saying, no, I cannot do that. I've made a commitment to this man and I will stay true to that commitment. That's love. That is love. Real love will not lie for one another.

If you really love me, you won't tell. What? that's not love. Real love will not be glad when something bad happens to a brother or sister. Real love will weep with them, not rejoice because of their, because of the dark providences. You know that you love someone when you rejoice when they're growing in grace, and when your heart breaks when they aren't. notice as well this is a community with family love it pours itself out in brotherly love and honor verse 10 because we're bound together in jesus by our faith in him we are a family we are family and so we should exhibit towards one another heartfelt and consistent concern you all know my older sister right i could tease her i could make fun of her but if you did that is an entirely different story you don't ever mock my sister or make fun of her my brother and i we stood our ground together right you say something about my brother you have to deal with me too i mean we had this fierce loyalty to one another why because we're family i remember the day when i was 24 and i heard over the phone my dad's voice your mother has cancer my heart sunk why because we're family why do i have or why i should say why did i hold my father in such high esteem because he was my dad we're family that's what it's about this brotherly love is this kind of of intense concern for one another.

That's what He calls us to be. That's what He calls us to do. That's the kind of community we need to be. We love one another because we family Right And as family we loyal to one another We have a loyalty that transcends every other loyalty You should have more loyalty to us, to this group, than you should to Honda. In fact, that kind of loyalty should transcend blood bonds.

We're family, and that requires loyalty. And you know what? When the world continues to turn against us, when the world wants to make our life miserable, we will not abandon one another. In fact, the Apostle John says in the first epistle about love in the congregation of God's people, he said, you ought to be willing to lay down your life for the person sitting next to you. in the pew.

That's the kind of family we're to have. And because we're a family, we eagerly bestow honor on one another. Do you notice him saying that here? Outdo one another in showing honor. What an amazing statement to make. You try to outdo one another in giving honor to the people of the congregation.

We need to surpass one another in showing honor. Not giving our energies to seeking recognition and reputation, but giving our energy over to giving honor to others in the congregation. You know, you parents know what this is like. Your little girl has one line. One line in the school Christmas program. And she gets up to the microphone and she says that one line.

Right? And afterwards you say, honey, that was phenomenal. You got every word right. You did it well. Other kids had whole paragraphs, right? They'd be the ones getting the honor.

But maybe she only has one line. You're going to outdo yourself and tell her, man, you did great. That's the way it is, right? Parents, you know. Grandparents, you know what that's all about, right? So we honor the tasks, great and small, in this body. we outdo one another in showing honor to one another honoring those can I tell you something you stand up here and preach you get lots of honor people talk to you all the time but what about what about the clean bathrooms around here you know what it's like to clean this place what about that does that deserve honor we ought to outdo one another what about the Sunday school teacher who's labored and you you may or may not go over the lessons when your kids come home do you do they get honor and we got to find ways of honoring one another that's the kind of community we ought to be and when you enter into that community that's what you ought to find turn now to Galatians by the way I could spend probably the whole afternoon describing the church I've only picked out four here today Galatians chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ all right you've joined a worshiping community you've joined a loving community you've joined a rescuing community now notice what he says here in Galatians, we have an obligation to these new members, these two, and they have an obligation to all of us.

Because we're in a battle against the world and our flesh and the devil, there are going to be casualties. And God says we don't leave our wounded behind. We go after them. Restoration is necessary because at times we will be caught in a sin. Now, the word does not mean that you catch someone in a sin. It's not what he's saying.

Aha! I got you! no what he's talking about here is someone that sin has caught that are entrapped it means to be taken by surprise to be overtaken to be entrapped they're they're struggling they're in this sin they can't get out they're caught your friend has been hurt and now your brother struggles with responding in a godly way you're seeing bitterness and vengeance coming out of his mouth and his attitudes. What are you going to do?

Shrug your shoulders and say, wow, that's too bad. I'll pray for him. That's a good thing to pray. Is that all you're going to do? Oh, no. What does our text tell us?

You need to go talk to him. You need to help him. So you and your friend are in the youth group together. And when your friend's at church and in youth group, man, he's one of the best. Right? but you also know that at school he's living a double life. There's things going on in his life that you know about that no one else does.

What are you going to do about that? What are you going to do about that? Are you going to go talk to him? Or are you just going to go, Well, that's none of my business. Yeah, it is. You know.

You go. That's what God says. We're to be restoring. We're in a rescuing community. You who are spiritual. What does that mean?

You say, well, I'm not the spiritual one. It doesn't matter. It means you who have the Spirit of God. The use of spiritual in the New Testament is a word that means those who have the Spirit of God. Who has the Spirit of God? Every believer has the Spirit of God.

He's saying, you Christians, yes, you. You are responsible. You are to help restore. He's not talking about some uber Christian here. He's talking about a brother or a sister. you as a Christian have a responsibility to do this what does it mean to restore the word was often used about fishermen mending their nets or of doctors setting a bone in other words making the net so that they're useful again healing the bone so that that person that bone is useful again it means to restore to a state of usefulness so scripture commands you to take your erring brother or sister and restore them to a place of usefulness in God's service.

This is a process. It takes time. It takes energy. And it takes resources. But you have to be committed to doing it. Let me say to you right now, some of you in this congregation may know of other things that are going on that the shepherds don't know yet.

It's not your responsibility to come to us and say, you know, so-and-so is involved in this. No, no. Your responsibility is to go to them and begin the process of rescue and restoration. It is your responsibility. Of course, now, if nothing happens, you go get help. But the point is, do not abdicate your responsibility here. right when you join this community you're joining a rescuing committee one community one that does not leave the wounded on the field one that does not shrug its shoulders and say oh isn't that too bad no no that's not the kind of community we are and so when you come into this community you've joined a rescuing restoring community here's the last one I want you to get you've joined a Christ exalting Christ understanding Christ loving community Colossians chapter 2 to me this has been one of the most intriguing passages for me Colossians 2 verses 1 through 5 for I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face that their hearts may be encouraged being knitted together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. He says, I'm struggling for you and the other churches, that they may be encouraged. Note, that they may be encouraged being knit together, being welded, is what the term means.

Being welded together in love. Being welded together in love. God says that you are encouraged as you cultivate love in the community. If you want to see others encouraged, if you need encouragement, then you and others must join yourselves to a community of believers who love. You see what he's saying? He says you're encouraged being knit together. all right you're encouraged as that loving relationship is strengthened is welded as you are welded together in this loving community if you hear the complaint there's just no joy here there's just no joy here well sometimes that can be true but i've observed that those who usually make that complaint are the ones who are only here for an hour every week they're the ones usually making that complaint they spend an hour with god's people and they're the first ones out the door and they complain there's no love here well if you want these new members to experience joy if you would experience such joy then invest yourselves in that community that's what he's saying you're encouraged when you invest yourself in that community you know what i found joyful marriages are the marriages where the where the spouses have invested deeply in it.

They have remained true to their vows. For better or for worse, we're sticking it out. Right? I shudder to think if I said on that third day, I'm done. And by the way, that wasn't the only bad day I had. That wasn't the only bad day we had.

All right? there have been tons of really difficult times in our marriage. Alright And yet we invested in that And there joy You invest yourself in the community of God people and you will find joy But the point is, notice what's interesting. This cultivation of love in the church results in a deeper, fuller understanding of Jesus. This is what intrigues me.

Because he says here that you're knit together in love by being knit together, right? To reach, in order to reach a full understanding of Christ in whom are hidden all the riches of wisdom and knowledge. This is what's intriguing to me. you can fully learn and appropriate Jesus Christ only within the context of the church, of a community where you've invested.

Now look, I'm not against other Bible studies, right? Campus Bible studies are great. All those things are good. But if you really want to know Jesus fully, you're going to be part of a local church and you're going to invest in it. And you will find that the riches of Christ will be open to you in a way that's not possible outside of the church. This is intriguing.

And Jesus has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All that you need to live, everything you need to live, are found in Christ. And if you want those treasures, you need to be a part of the church. You see, a Christ-exalting, Christ-understanding, Christ-loving community. being a part of that community puts you in possession of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge necessary for life and as you participate in the life of the congregation you possess all that's necessary verse four to keep you from deception to keep you from deception and to provide you with stability all of that comes right as you're welded together into a community of love i hope you've seen that i hope you've seen how others have been helped how others have have have come into the possession of those treasures how you have come into the possession of such treasures because you've been part of this.

And so when you enter the waters of baptism and you come into the community of believers that are identified as a local congregation, you become part of a Christ exalting Christ understanding Christ loving community So Tyler and Bonnie I hope you understand a little bit more of what you gotten yourself into And I hope that the rest of you have a renewal of the understanding of what you've gotten yourself into. We're not merely some religious organization that meets on the corner of high and walnut. that's not who we are you've gotten into you're a part of a unique community with unique functions and unique responsibilities and all of us here have to commit ourselves to fulfilling those responsibilities and to functioning in those roles all of us have that and Tyler and Bonnie you have the same obligations and so on this occasion let's all renew our commitment to serving the Lord Jesus in this community of believers let's become what we are what God has set us apart to be and to do Father although this these passages do bring conviction they also bring us excitement because we know that no matter what else we're involved in no matter what group we're a part of no matter what club what employment we have in this community we have something that far transcends them all And this is the community that equips us to serve in all those other places. We thank you for setting apart a people who have these unique functions and responsibilities.

Oh God, help us to grow more and more and more in them. Please, Father, help us. Oh God our nightmare is that we will just sink and become just another religious organization God help us to be this help us to be this kind of community God give us your spirit to move us to be and to do what you've called us to be and to do and we'll thank you for all eternity for the work that you have done.

In Jesus' name, Amen.