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Howdy, Pastor Mark here.

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I wanted to say thanks for tuning in
and joining us for our sermon series.

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We're currently in the Book of Acts.

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We're actually going to take
a chunk every year after Easter

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for the next number of years.

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And for those of you
who pray for me or for us,

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those of you who give to the church,
want to say thank you very, very much.

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For those of you
who'd like to get connected

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and be part
of the extended Mars Hill family,

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go to marshill.com/global, we'll sign
you up for a "connect" account.

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That'll get you some free resources

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and allow you to know
what's going on at Mars Hill.

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In addition you can also find 
the study guide for the "Acts" series.

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It was put together by a team 
right here at Mars Hill church.

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We've made it very inexpensive.

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Any of the proceeds 
come back to the church, not to me.

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And we'd love
to have you do a deep study

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with us through the Book of Acts.

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So we love you,
we appreciate you, thank you,

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and thanks for signing up
for a global account.

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Jesus said, "You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit

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"has come upon you,

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"and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem

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"and in all Judea and Samaria,

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and to the ends
of the earth."

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What does Jesus'
mission look like here?

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What's his mission here?

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What does Jesus'
mission look like here?

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What does Jesus' mission
look like here?

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What is Jesus' mission here?

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How do I know what
Jesus' mission is?

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All right, welcome
to Mars Hill Church.

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Today, the big question
is, "What's a church?"

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How many of you, if this week,
somebody came up to you

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and asked,
"What'd you do this week?"

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you say, "I went to church"?

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If they asked,
"So, what's a church?"

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what would your answer be?

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Where would you take
them in the Bible?

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And the truth is,
there's a lot of churches,

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there's a lot of Christians,
and most Christians don't know,

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really, what a church is.

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I've heard some
weird definitions, I'll say,

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of a church over the years.

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Some years ago, I noticed
that there were these

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single guys--it's always
single guys.

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They're always
the best illustrations.

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There were these single guys
who would be at church,

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but they would not be
there for the summer.

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So I asked them, "How come
you're not at church

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during the summer?"

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They said, "Oh, we go
to a different church."

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I was like, "OK, what
church do you go to?"

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"Well, we get up,
and we hang out together

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"as Christian brothers,

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"and then we get our boat,
and we go to the lake,

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"and we water ski all day
in God's glorious creation.

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And for the summer,
that's our church."

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Is that a church?

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No, those are
single guys on a lake.

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That is not a church.

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I heard other people
say, "Well, you know,

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"we go to a coffee shop,
we go out to dinner,

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"we go out to a pub, and we hang
out together, and we just visit,

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"and accountability, you know?

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It's good hanging out time.
That's my church."

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Is that a church?

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No, it's not a church.

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Some people say, "Well,
we have parachurch.

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"So, mom's got some sort of
women's Bible study thing,

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"and then we take
the kids to their thing,

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"and then the high school
kids go to their thing,

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"and then the college kids
go to their thing,

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"and we kind of have this
various collection

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"of parachurch ministries
that we're involved in.

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"So, we don't really
have a church,

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"but we listen to some
praise songs on the radio,

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"and we download some podcasts,
and put it all together in this

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big, huge stew, and for us,
that's our church."

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Is that a church?

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No, it's not a church.

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Are any of those things bad?

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No, we're not anti-coffee,
water-skiing,

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or kids getting together
for a Bible study.

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All of those things can be
perfectly fine and good,

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but they're not the church.

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So, where would you go
to define the church,

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to explain the church,
to articulate the church?

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How many of you would go to
Matthew 18 where it says--this

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is the most common definition of
the church that I've ever heard,

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and it's wrong, so don't
say it too confidently.

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But it says this in Matthew 18,
"Where two or more are gathered,

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there I am with them,"
the Lord Jesus says.

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And then some people come along
and say, "Well, that's it.

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"Anywhere there's two or more
believers gathered,

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"the Lord is with them.

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That's a church."

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Is it?

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No, Matthew 18's about
church discipline.

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If one person has a conflict
with another person,

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they need to bring
in two or three witnesses

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to help untie the knot.

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That's not
a definition of a church:

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that's the number of witnesses
a church should require

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to untangle some sort
of relational, sinful knot.

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Here's where we're
going to go:

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Acts 2:38-47.

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You can find it in your Bible
or the fake Bible on your phone,

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and we're going to study it
together,

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and we're going to see what
happens when the Holy Spirit

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shows up and awakens people to
the love and salvation of Jesus,

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and what happens when
the Holy Spirit is present

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among God's people.

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And this whole event
that we're going to examine,

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it comes on the heels
of Peter's sermon,

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and I just want to mention
one thing from it:

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He says repeatedly in that
sermon, "Men, men, men."

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He's speaking to everyone, but
he's really emphasizing the men,

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and he says that this good news
of Jesus is for you

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and for your children.

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So, I want everyone to listen,
but especially you men.

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The least likely person
to be participating in a church

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is a single, young man,
usually in his 20s.

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You need to be in church,
learning how to be a godly man

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so that if God should give
you an opportunity to become

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a husband and a father,
you're preparing for that.

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Those of us who are husbands,
one of the most important

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decisions we make,
also if we are fathers,

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is what church
we participate in,

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because those will be our
friends we get counsel from

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and give counsel to.

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Those will be the friendships
that our wife has,

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and who she's going to talk to
and learn from

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and get good
or bad advice through.

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These will be the friendships
that our children have,

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and the family modeling
that they experience,

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and it may even be the people
they grow up to marry.

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And I see a common mistake
with men where they will choose

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a city, or they'll choose a job
somewhere without considering,

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"Is there a good,
godly, Bible-believing,

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"Jesus-loving church
that I can be a part of,

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"that we can be a part of,
that we can worship

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"and grow together and serve
and give together

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for the well-being of future
generations and legacy?"

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And I would submit to you
that one of the most important

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decisions you ever make is
what church you will call home,

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so we welcome you to Mars Hill.

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If you're visiting, we want
you to find, by God's grace,

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a good church near your home.

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As well, as you're
talking to other people,

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I want you to be able to help
them find a good church,

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and so we're going to read
together what that entails.

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Acts 2:38-47--we like
the Bible, right?

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We'll read a little
Bible together.

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"Peter"--there's the leader--

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"said to them"--so it's
a sermon--

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"'Repent and be baptized
every one of you in the name

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"'of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins,

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you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

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Here's a Christian.

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They receive the Holy Spirit,
they repent of sin,

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believing in Jesus,
and they demonstrate that

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through baptism.

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For Jesus--it goes on to say,
"'For the promise is for you

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and for your children'"--so this
is legacy--"'and for all

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"'who are far off,
everyone whom the Lord our God

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"calls to himself.'"

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And with many other words"--
let me just hit this:

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this is part of Peter's sermon,
and what we have in the Bible

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are sermon summaries, OK?

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The sermons tended to be longer
than the actual transcripts

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in the Bible, so this is
a selective transcript summary.

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Some of you will read
the Bible, you'll be like,

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"Man, the sermons
are very short.

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Mark's are not very short.
Mark must not be biblical."

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Oh no, Mark, right
here in the Bible,

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would be very glad
to point out to you

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that the sermons were very long.

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Because Peter had
how many other words?

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Many, hours.

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So, long sermons, right?

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Long sermons, amen.

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I'm biblical, you're welcome.

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OK, verse 40,
"And with many other words,

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"he bore witness and continued
to exhort them, saying,

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"'Save yourselves
from this crooked generation.'

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"So those who received
his word were baptized,

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"and there were added that day
about three thousand souls.

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And they devoted
themselves"--I want you

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to really pay attention
to that word.

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This is ongoing, habitual,
continual, lifestyle, right?

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This is not like junior high--
it's a couple years,

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and then you're done with it

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and move on with the rest
of your life.

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Christianity is an ongoing
lifestyle of Bible study

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and repentance of sin
and generosity

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and worship of Jesus

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and friendship
with God's people.

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All the things that we're going
to examine now today together,

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this was ongoing,
habitual, new lifestyle.

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"They devoted"--that's
the word--

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"themselves to
the apostles' teaching,

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"to the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread

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"and the prayers.

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"And awe came upon every soul,
and many wonders and signs

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"were being done
through the apostles.

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"And all who believed
were together

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"and had all things in common.

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"And they were selling their
possessions and belongings

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"and distributing the proceeds
to all, as any had need.

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"And day by day, attending
the temple together

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"and breaking bread
in their homes,

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"they received their
food with gladness

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"and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor

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"with all the people.

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"And the Lord added to their
number day by day

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those who were being saved."

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Jesus dies for sin.

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Jesus rises for sinners.

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Jesus ascends into heaven.

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Jesus drops the presence
and the power of God

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and the person
of the Holy Spirit.

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And when
the Holy Spirit shows up,

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the church springs into being:

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people are born again
and they become, together,

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the people of God, and that's
what we see right here

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in the New Covenant church.
And so we're going to look

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at Jesus' church empowered
by the Spirit.

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A couple of things.

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First of all,
it's Jesus' church.

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The church belongs to Jesus.

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Not you, not me,
not us. Belongs to him.

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So, we want to hear from him,
follow him, obey him,

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and love and serve the church
because Jesus loved the church

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and he serves the church.

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In addition, the evidences
of the Holy Spirit,

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the marks of the church, are not
religious traditions

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of things we do for God:

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it's the Holy Spirit
putting the life of Jesus in us

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and calling us
and compelling us with

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great enthusiasm and joy to have
certain evidences

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00:10:48,625 --> 00:10:51,333
of this new life in Jesus.

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00:10:51,375 --> 00:10:54,333
And I also want to distinguish
for you between principles

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00:10:54,417 --> 00:10:57,208
and methods. And this
is very important:

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00:10:57,292 --> 00:11:00,917
the Bible has principles
for all churches,

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00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,375
and then churches get to
figure out their methods.

247
00:11:04,458 --> 00:11:06,125
So, the Bible says to preach.

248
00:11:06,167 --> 00:11:08,375
Well, do we do this book
of the Bible

249
00:11:08,458 --> 00:11:10,583
or that book of the Bible,
or a topical?

250
00:11:10,667 --> 00:11:12,833
Do we do video or not?
Those are methods.

251
00:11:12,875 --> 00:11:14,333
The Bible says,
"Preach the Word."

252
00:11:14,375 --> 00:11:15,708
That's the principle.
There's methods.

253
00:11:15,792 --> 00:11:18,292
The Bible says to sing psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs.

254
00:11:18,333 --> 00:11:19,833
That's the principle.

255
00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:22,000
Well, what songs?
What kind of music?

256
00:11:22,083 --> 00:11:23,708
What kind of instrumentation?

257
00:11:23,792 --> 00:11:26,417
Really depends on what
nation or culture you're in.

258
00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:28,625
In China, it's going
to be different than India,

259
00:11:28,667 --> 00:11:31,000
is going to be different
than the United States,

260
00:11:31,083 --> 00:11:33,000
is going to be different
than the Philippines.

261
00:11:33,083 --> 00:11:35,125
Praise God, their songs
will be different,

262
00:11:35,167 --> 00:11:37,375
their music will be different,
their instrumentation will be

263
00:11:37,458 --> 00:11:39,792
different, their language
will be different.

264
00:11:39,833 --> 00:11:41,792
The principle remains the same.

265
00:11:41,833 --> 00:11:43,500
So, I want you to know this.

266
00:11:43,583 --> 00:11:45,625
We will examine
today the principles.

267
00:11:45,667 --> 00:11:48,500
We'll look at some of
the methods of how we do this

268
00:11:48,583 --> 00:11:51,500
at Mars Hill. But other churches
that hold the same principle

269
00:11:51,542 --> 00:11:53,667
in a different method,
we don't judge them,

270
00:11:53,750 --> 00:11:56,167
we don't look down on them,
we don't criticize them.

271
00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:57,625
We love them, amen?

272
00:11:57,667 --> 00:11:59,333
We love all churches
that love Jesus

273
00:11:59,375 --> 00:12:02,292
and adhere to the same
biblical principles.

274
00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:06,083
And lastly, one person
is a Christian,

275
00:12:06,167 --> 00:12:10,125
but it takes God's people
to be the church.

276
00:12:10,167 --> 00:12:13,125
You have a personal
relationship with Jesus,

277
00:12:13,167 --> 00:12:18,000
but it's part of the family
of God. And both matter.

278
00:12:18,042 --> 00:12:20,500
And in the world we live in,
it's highly individualistic.

279
00:12:20,583 --> 00:12:23,000
People are more worried about
their personal relationship

280
00:12:23,042 --> 00:12:26,333
with Jesus than participation
in the family of Jesus.

281
00:12:26,375 --> 00:12:29,417
You can be
a Christian by yourself,

282
00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:33,000
but you cannot be
the church by yourself.

283
00:12:33,083 --> 00:12:36,000
So, what we're going to do now,
we're going to look at

284
00:12:36,083 --> 00:12:37,417
what is Jesus' church?

285
00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:39,208
What are the marks
of Jesus' church?

286
00:12:39,292 --> 00:12:41,625
What are the evidences that
the Holy Spirit has brought

287
00:12:41,667 --> 00:12:43,000
Jesus' church into existence?

288
00:12:43,083 --> 00:12:44,417
You know why I'm excited?

289
00:12:44,500 --> 00:12:48,000
I'm excited because I love
you and I love our church,

290
00:12:48,042 --> 00:12:52,333
and I am very excited for what
Jesus has done and will do

291
00:12:52,375 --> 00:12:55,625
in our future. And it's been
nothing but 17 years

292
00:12:55,667 --> 00:12:59,583
of painful joy for me to be part
of Mars Hill Church.

293
00:12:59,667 --> 00:13:02,375
And sometimes you're hard,
but God is always good,

294
00:13:02,458 --> 00:13:04,917
and we have the best people,
and I love you,

295
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,375
and I need you
to know what a church is,

296
00:13:07,458 --> 00:13:10,375
and I want you to love our
church. So, here's your acronym.

297
00:13:10,458 --> 00:13:12,375
You spelling bee winners,
big day for you.

298
00:13:12,458 --> 00:13:14,125
You get an acronym,
"Jesus' Church."

299
00:13:14,167 --> 00:13:17,708
J-E-S-U-S, space,

300
00:13:17,792 --> 00:13:19,500
C-H-U-R-C-H.

301
00:13:19,583 --> 00:13:22,000
And I know there's some
sort of punctuation in there,

302
00:13:22,083 --> 00:13:24,208
but we're not going
to get that detailed, OK?

303
00:13:24,292 --> 00:13:27,500
So, "Jesus' Church,"
write it down, take notes,

304
00:13:27,583 --> 00:13:29,000
you're very excited.

305
00:13:29,083 --> 00:13:31,708
All right, one of you is.
We're off to a start.

306
00:13:31,792 --> 00:13:33,125
All right, here we go.

307
00:13:33,167 --> 00:13:36,708
"Jesus-Centered Bible Preaching
and Teaching" is the first one.

308
00:13:36,792 --> 00:13:39,625
So, Acts 2:14, "Peter"
--there's our leader--

309
00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:41,167
"lifted up his voice."

310
00:13:41,250 --> 00:13:42,708
What's he doing?!
What's he doing?!

311
00:13:42,792 --> 00:13:44,833
What's he doing?!
He's yelling.

312
00:13:44,875 --> 00:13:47,833
I love that,
I really love that.

313
00:13:47,875 --> 00:13:49,875
It's right there in the Bible.

314
00:13:49,958 --> 00:13:52,625
"Peter lifted up his voice
and he addressed them."

315
00:13:52,667 --> 00:13:54,708
This is a sermon.
He's going to preach.

316
00:13:54,792 --> 00:13:56,333
That's preaching.

317
00:13:56,375 --> 00:13:58,583
And then Acts 2:42, "And they
devoted themselves

318
00:13:58,667 --> 00:14:00,583
to the apostles' teaching."

319
00:14:00,667 --> 00:14:03,167
So, there's preaching
and teaching from the Bible,

320
00:14:03,250 --> 00:14:06,792
centered on Jesus,
and every mark of the church,

321
00:14:06,833 --> 00:14:08,708
every evidence
of the Holy Spirit

322
00:14:08,792 --> 00:14:11,000
bringing the church into being.

323
00:14:11,083 --> 00:14:12,917
It all points
back to Jesus.

324
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,917
So, what we're talking
about here is Jesus' word.

325
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,625
We're talking
about the Scriptures

326
00:14:17,667 --> 00:14:19,208
which reveal Jesus.

327
00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:21,625
Mars Hill, we're
a Bible-believing church, amen?

328
00:14:21,667 --> 00:14:25,333
If you're new, we believe that
the Bible is the only book

329
00:14:25,375 --> 00:14:27,083
that God wrote.

330
00:14:27,167 --> 00:14:29,625
We believe that it is
perfect, it is in authority,

331
00:14:29,667 --> 00:14:32,417
that everything else is
to be subject to its truth,

332
00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:35,625
and that the big idea
of the Bible is that the person

333
00:14:35,667 --> 00:14:39,292
and work of Jesus Christ,
that the Bible's not about us,

334
00:14:39,333 --> 00:14:41,000
it's about Jesus.

335
00:14:41,042 --> 00:14:43,583
It's for us,
but it's about Jesus.

336
00:14:43,667 --> 00:14:46,792
And I want you to see that
through preaching and teaching,

337
00:14:46,833 --> 00:14:49,125
the church comes into existence.

338
00:14:49,167 --> 00:14:51,583
People are not born with
an innate understanding

339
00:14:51,667 --> 00:14:54,833
of Jesus and his person
and work.

340
00:14:54,875 --> 00:14:57,708
That has to be preached
and that has to be taught.

341
00:14:57,792 --> 00:15:00,667
We have to learn who Jesus
is and what he has done.

342
00:15:00,750 --> 00:15:03,667
And that is all recorded for
us, thanks to the Holy Spirit's

343
00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:07,125
ministry, perfectly
in the pages of Scripture.

344
00:15:07,167 --> 00:15:10,417
And I want you to see
that a sermon is what births

345
00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:12,000
the church.

346
00:15:12,083 --> 00:15:14,708
Where there is no preaching
and teaching of the Bible

347
00:15:14,792 --> 00:15:16,667
about Jesus, there is no church.

348
00:15:16,750 --> 00:15:19,125
There may be a social club,
a civic organization,

349
00:15:19,167 --> 00:15:20,917
some cause-oriented
group,

350
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,375
but there is not
the church of Jesus Christ.

351
00:15:23,458 --> 00:15:28,333
Just like the world was brought
into being through God's Word,

352
00:15:28,375 --> 00:15:30,917
so the church comes
into being through

353
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,000
God's Word being preached.

354
00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:35,625
And here it is, Peter
opening up the Old Testament,

355
00:15:35,667 --> 00:15:38,667
and he is articulating
Old Testament prophesy

356
00:15:38,750 --> 00:15:41,583
and pointing it all to Jesus
and showing everyone

357
00:15:41,667 --> 00:15:45,125
that it's ultimately all--as we
like to say at Mars Hill--

358
00:15:45,167 --> 00:15:47,125
all about Jesus.

359
00:15:47,167 --> 00:15:50,333
So, on each of these points,
I'm going to ask you a question.

360
00:15:50,375 --> 00:15:52,917
At Mars Hill Church--here's
the first one--do we preach

361
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,833
and teach from the Bible?

362
00:15:54,875 --> 00:15:56,708
We do. We do.

363
00:15:56,792 --> 00:15:59,125
We believe that
everything starts here.

364
00:15:59,167 --> 00:16:01,667
There may be other aspects
and elements to the church--

365
00:16:01,750 --> 00:16:04,917
and we're going to look at
11 of them--but ultimately,

366
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,000
Bible preaching
and teaching comes first.

367
00:16:08,042 --> 00:16:10,417
Bible preaching
and teaching comes first.

368
00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:13,583
So, I would just solicit your
prayers for me, that I would,

369
00:16:13,667 --> 00:16:16,583
by the grace of God, do
a good job preaching the Bible.

370
00:16:16,667 --> 00:16:18,333
That's the lion's share
of my responsibility.

371
00:16:18,375 --> 00:16:20,833
We have other preachers,
and we have lots and lots

372
00:16:20,875 --> 00:16:22,833
and lots of Bible teachers,
classes, small groups--

373
00:16:22,875 --> 00:16:24,208
we call them Community Groups,

374
00:16:24,292 --> 00:16:25,917
Redemption Groups--
training days,

375
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,667
counseling, lots of
teaching that's going on.

376
00:16:29,750 --> 00:16:33,500
But we always want it to be from
the Bible and about Jesus,

377
00:16:33,583 --> 00:16:35,083
point number one.

378
00:16:35,167 --> 00:16:38,500
Number two, the E--
emotional worship.

379
00:16:38,542 --> 00:16:43,875
Acts 2:43, "And awe
came upon every soul."

380
00:16:43,958 --> 00:16:47,208
You get this--people are
like, "Wow, that's amazing!

381
00:16:47,292 --> 00:16:49,500
"Somebody got healed.
God answered prayer.

382
00:16:49,583 --> 00:16:51,292
"Somebody got saved.

383
00:16:51,333 --> 00:16:54,500
"God's at work. We're
not alone. Look at this.

384
00:16:54,542 --> 00:16:57,083
God's here, and he's doing
things in people's lives,"

385
00:16:57,167 --> 00:16:58,833
and they're amazed by that.

386
00:16:58,875 --> 00:17:01,875
They're filled
with gladness over that.

387
00:17:01,958 --> 00:17:04,833
"And awe came upon every soul,
and many wonders and signs

388
00:17:04,875 --> 00:17:07,208
were being done
through the apostles."

389
00:17:07,292 --> 00:17:10,208
We believe that God can still
heal, so we pray for healing,

390
00:17:10,292 --> 00:17:12,375
and we've seen
God's people healed.

391
00:17:12,458 --> 00:17:15,500
We believe that those who are
oppressed by unclean spirits

392
00:17:15,583 --> 00:17:17,000
can have deliverance.

393
00:17:17,083 --> 00:17:19,500
They experience that in Acts,
and we experience that today.

394
00:17:19,583 --> 00:17:21,500
We see God answering prayers.

395
00:17:21,542 --> 00:17:24,125
We see God helping,
serving, loving, healing,

396
00:17:24,167 --> 00:17:26,292
providing for people,
and when he does,

397
00:17:26,333 --> 00:17:28,125
a sense of awe comes over us.

398
00:17:28,167 --> 00:17:29,625
"That's amazing!

399
00:17:29,667 --> 00:17:32,083
God loves us,
and he's here with us."

400
00:17:32,167 --> 00:17:34,500
And Mars Hill, we don't
chase signs and wonders,

401
00:17:34,542 --> 00:17:36,917
but we do believe that signs
and wonders should follow

402
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,708
God's people
who are chasing Jesus.

403
00:17:39,792 --> 00:17:42,833
We're not looking for the latest
thing; we're pursuing him,

404
00:17:42,875 --> 00:17:44,708
and those things follow us.

405
00:17:44,792 --> 00:17:46,833
Jesus said, "A wicked,
adulterous generation

406
00:17:46,875 --> 00:17:48,708
seeks for a sign."

407
00:17:48,792 --> 00:17:52,833
We're not chasing signs and
wonders, we're chasing Jesus,

408
00:17:52,875 --> 00:17:56,208
and signs and wonders follow
those who chase Jesus.

409
00:17:56,292 --> 00:17:59,000
It goes on to say
in Acts 2:47 that they were,

410
00:17:59,042 --> 00:18:01,875
quote, "praising God and having
favor with all the people."

411
00:18:01,958 --> 00:18:04,500
"Praising God"--that's
the language of worship, right?

412
00:18:04,583 --> 00:18:08,167
And what we're talking about
here is the worthiness of Jesus.

413
00:18:08,250 --> 00:18:10,708
Nobody's worth
worshiping but Jesus.

414
00:18:10,792 --> 00:18:13,167
Nothing is worth
worshiping but Jesus.

415
00:18:13,250 --> 00:18:15,083
There's no one like Jesus.

416
00:18:15,167 --> 00:18:17,083
No one does what Jesus does.

417
00:18:17,167 --> 00:18:19,125
No one is like Jesus is.

418
00:18:19,167 --> 00:18:21,167
He alone is worthy
of our worship,

419
00:18:21,250 --> 00:18:23,917
and here's the truth:
even for those of you

420
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,292
who are not Christian,
you're going to worship.

421
00:18:26,333 --> 00:18:28,667
You're going to worship
someone--boyfriend, girlfriend,

422
00:18:28,750 --> 00:18:31,833
husband, wife, child.

423
00:18:31,875 --> 00:18:35,000
You're going to worship
something--job, health, beauty,

424
00:18:35,042 --> 00:18:39,500
pet, sports team, income,
grade point average.

425
00:18:39,583 --> 00:18:41,833
You're going to worship.

426
00:18:41,875 --> 00:18:44,625
You're going to give your
life, your energy, your time,

427
00:18:44,667 --> 00:18:46,125
your talent, your treasure.

428
00:18:46,167 --> 00:18:50,417
You're going to give yourself
away, maybe just for yourself.

429
00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:52,917
And here, when we praise God

430
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,625
and we acknowledge
the greatness of Jesus,

431
00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:58,083
we're acknowledging
that he alone is worthy

432
00:18:58,167 --> 00:19:00,667
of our worship, amen?

433
00:19:00,750 --> 00:19:05,125
So it's great when sports teams
get together and they cheer,

434
00:19:05,167 --> 00:19:09,375
when fans get together
and they cheer their band.

435
00:19:09,458 --> 00:19:11,875
It's great when something
happens and people are excited,

436
00:19:11,958 --> 00:19:14,375
and they talk about it,
and they revel in it,

437
00:19:14,458 --> 00:19:16,208
and they rejoice in it.

438
00:19:16,292 --> 00:19:19,417
But for us, we never get over
the fact that God loves us

439
00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:21,833
in Christ, that God came
for us in Christ,

440
00:19:21,875 --> 00:19:25,333
that God died for us in Christ,
that God rose for us in Christ,

441
00:19:25,375 --> 00:19:29,000
that God embraced us in Christ,
that God is coming again,

442
00:19:29,083 --> 00:19:30,833
and his name is Jesus Christ.

443
00:19:30,875 --> 00:19:33,708
We never get over that.
So we sing, and we celebrate,

444
00:19:33,792 --> 00:19:35,500
and we rejoice.

445
00:19:35,583 --> 00:19:38,000
This includes private worship,
where you sing and celebrate.

446
00:19:38,083 --> 00:19:41,083
It includes public worship, where
we come together to sing

447
00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:42,833
and to celebrate.

448
00:19:42,875 --> 00:19:45,417
And I know that worship
is not just singing,

449
00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:48,333
but it certainly
does include singing.

450
00:19:48,375 --> 00:19:51,625
It certainly does
include singing.

451
00:19:51,667 --> 00:19:54,917
And our culture is not one that
is particularly familiar with

452
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,125
singing, but around
the world it is more common.

453
00:19:58,167 --> 00:20:00,875
Soccer fans around the world,
when they get together for their

454
00:20:00,958 --> 00:20:04,500
match--I think that's what it's
called--what do they tend to do?

455
00:20:04,583 --> 00:20:06,542
They sing the whole time.

456
00:20:06,625 --> 00:20:10,542
Well, Christians, we're ones
who sing. So after the sermon,

457
00:20:10,625 --> 00:20:12,833
please don't grieve
the Holy Spirit

458
00:20:12,917 --> 00:20:14,833
and leave, all right?

459
00:20:14,917 --> 00:20:16,833
Don't grieve and leave.

460
00:20:16,917 --> 00:20:18,500
Instead, stay and sing.

461
00:20:18,583 --> 00:20:21,500
And for those of you who
are here and you get this,

462
00:20:21,583 --> 00:20:23,708
you're those people--you're
like, "I like to sing.

463
00:20:23,792 --> 00:20:25,208
"I like to raise my hands.

464
00:20:25,292 --> 00:20:27,333
I'm excited about Jesus,"
if you see them leaving,

465
00:20:27,417 --> 00:20:31,208
grab their hand and raise it so
they can sing with you. Amen.

466
00:20:31,292 --> 00:20:33,708
All right, you're welcome.
It'll be fun.

467
00:20:33,792 --> 00:20:36,167
All right, what does
private and public worship

468
00:20:36,208 --> 00:20:38,167
look like for you?

469
00:20:38,208 --> 00:20:40,042
Are you one when
God answers prayer,

470
00:20:40,125 --> 00:20:42,250
when God teaches you something,
when God saves someone,

471
00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:44,667
when God shows up, you stop,
you're filled with awe,

472
00:20:44,708 --> 00:20:46,417
and you just want to praise God?

473
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:48,625
"Hey, thanks, Lord.
I want to talk to you.

474
00:20:48,667 --> 00:20:50,625
"I want to sing.
I want to celebrate.

475
00:20:50,667 --> 00:20:53,625
I want to tell other people so
they can sing and celebrate."

476
00:20:53,667 --> 00:20:56,625
When you come on Sunday, are you
thinking of reasons to praise

477
00:20:56,667 --> 00:20:58,833
God, reasons to thank God,
reasons to celebrate God?

478
00:20:58,875 --> 00:21:01,500
And some of you will look at
your circumstances and say,

479
00:21:01,583 --> 00:21:03,292
"But Pastor Mark,
life is very hard."

480
00:21:03,333 --> 00:21:05,708
I understand that. But imagine
if you didn't have Jesus.

481
00:21:05,792 --> 00:21:07,208
Imagine if you
didn't know Jesus.

482
00:21:07,292 --> 00:21:09,917
Imagine if you thought that
this life was all there was

483
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,792
and that you were
abandoned and alone

484
00:21:11,833 --> 00:21:14,083
and then you would die
and cease to exist.

485
00:21:14,167 --> 00:21:15,917
It could be worse.

486
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,500
Anything we are going through
is worse if we don't know that

487
00:21:19,583 --> 00:21:22,375
Jesus is with us
and for us, amen?

488
00:21:22,458 --> 00:21:25,333
So, there's always a reason
to praise and to celebrate.

489
00:21:25,375 --> 00:21:27,333
So, there's emotional worship.

490
00:21:27,375 --> 00:21:31,208
Some of our churches are good at
this, some a little more decaf.

491
00:21:31,292 --> 00:21:33,917
We've got to wake them up, OK?

492
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,625
Some of our church services
at our various locations,

493
00:21:36,667 --> 00:21:40,000
really enthusiastic;
others, not so much, OK?

494
00:21:40,083 --> 00:21:44,167
It's a good thing to be excited.

495
00:21:44,250 --> 00:21:47,500
Jesus is alive--
good news, bad news?

496
00:21:47,583 --> 00:21:48,917
I'm pretty excited.

497
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,500
All right, next one, J-E-S,
"Saved Church Members,"

498
00:21:53,583 --> 00:21:55,625
Acts 2:38-39,

499
00:21:55,667 --> 00:21:58,208
"Repent, be baptized
every one of you

500
00:21:58,292 --> 00:22:00,667
"in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness

501
00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:02,875
"of your sins,
and you will receive the gift

502
00:22:02,958 --> 00:22:04,917
of the Holy Spirit."

503
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,125
Jesus is going to come and live
in us through the Holy Spirit.

504
00:22:08,167 --> 00:22:10,583
"For the promise is for you
and for your children

505
00:22:10,667 --> 00:22:12,417
"and for all who are far off,

506
00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:16,333
everyone whom the Lord our God
calls to himself."

507
00:22:16,375 --> 00:22:19,167
This is about Jesus' people.

508
00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:22,500
The world is filled
with people, all right?

509
00:22:22,583 --> 00:22:24,000
The world is filled with people,

510
00:22:24,083 --> 00:22:26,500
but not all of them
are Jesus' people.

511
00:22:26,542 --> 00:22:28,333
Not all of those
people love Jesus.

512
00:22:28,375 --> 00:22:30,167
Not all of those
people serve Jesus.

513
00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:32,167
Not all of those people
believe in Jesus.

514
00:22:32,250 --> 00:22:34,167
Not all of those
people belong to Jesus.

515
00:22:34,250 --> 00:22:36,208
Not all of those
people obey Jesus.

516
00:22:36,292 --> 00:22:39,208
So, there's a line in the Bible
between what is called

517
00:22:39,292 --> 00:22:42,417
the world--people who don't
belong to Jesus, yet

518
00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:46,083
some will still get saved: it's
not too late--and the church,

519
00:22:46,167 --> 00:22:51,625
those who belong to Jesus, those
who are born-again Christians.

520
00:22:51,667 --> 00:22:53,000
And this is important.

521
00:22:53,083 --> 00:22:55,000
This is very important.

522
00:22:55,083 --> 00:22:57,125
On Sunday,
everybody's welcome.

523
00:22:57,167 --> 00:22:59,292
Community Group,
everybody's welcome.

524
00:22:59,333 --> 00:23:02,333
Training Day,
everybody's welcome.

525
00:23:02,417 --> 00:23:05,833
Communion,
not everybody's welcome,

526
00:23:05,875 --> 00:23:08,208
just those who are Christian.

527
00:23:08,292 --> 00:23:11,917
Baptism, not everybody's
welcome to get baptized,

528
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,000
only the Christians.

529
00:23:14,083 --> 00:23:16,500
Church membership,
not everybody's welcome

530
00:23:16,583 --> 00:23:19,792
to become a church member--
you need to be a Christian.

531
00:23:19,833 --> 00:23:22,583
Church leader,
not everybody's welcome--

532
00:23:22,667 --> 00:23:24,417
you need to be a Christian.

533
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:26,917
We love, serve,
welcome everyone,

534
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,292
but there is a line for those
who have passed

535
00:23:30,333 --> 00:23:33,583
from death to life,
from unbelief to belief.

536
00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:36,000
And so, to be a member
of Mars Hill Church,

537
00:23:36,083 --> 00:23:37,917
you need to be a Christian.

538
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,625
We don't add a lot to that. We
just want you to be a Christian.

539
00:23:41,667 --> 00:23:46,000
So, my question to you is, "Are
you a member of our church?"

540
00:23:46,083 --> 00:23:48,917
Right, not just an attender,
not just an observer,

541
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:50,583
but a member of the family.

542
00:23:50,667 --> 00:23:52,292
And that's what we're talking
about: family members.

543
00:23:52,333 --> 00:23:53,667
Church is a family.

544
00:23:53,750 --> 00:23:55,667
It's not like membership
in some civic organization.

545
00:23:55,750 --> 00:23:57,667
It's membership in a family.

546
00:23:57,750 --> 00:23:59,833
"I'm going to love
my brothers and sisters,

547
00:23:59,875 --> 00:24:01,875
"and I'm going to look
after my family,

548
00:24:01,958 --> 00:24:04,333
"and I'm going to figure
out what chore, all right,

549
00:24:04,375 --> 00:24:07,000
"the Father has for me to do
in our proverbial family.

550
00:24:07,083 --> 00:24:10,125
What do you want me to do?
I'm here to help and serve."

551
00:24:10,167 --> 00:24:12,125
And this is really important
because churches

552
00:24:12,167 --> 00:24:14,667
who do not require that their
members be believers,

553
00:24:14,750 --> 00:24:17,417
they get into all kinds of
trouble because then they start

554
00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:19,875
letting non-Christians vote
on doctrine and discipline

555
00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:21,792
and direction issues.

556
00:24:21,833 --> 00:24:24,625
And then membership is
the doorway into leadership--

557
00:24:24,667 --> 00:24:26,917
so your Community Group leaders,
your Redemption Group leaders,

558
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,417
your worship team leaders,
your service team leaders,

559
00:24:29,500 --> 00:24:32,667
your deacons, your elders--if
you don't have members

560
00:24:32,750 --> 00:24:35,000
who are believers, pretty
soon you'll have leaders

561
00:24:35,083 --> 00:24:36,417
who are not believers.

562
00:24:36,500 --> 00:24:39,917
Actually, I know churches where
the pastor is not a believer.

563
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,083
Somehow, the denomination
allowed a non-Christian

564
00:24:43,167 --> 00:24:45,333
to be the pastor.

565
00:24:45,375 --> 00:24:48,333
I mean, it's mind-bending
what happens sometimes.

566
00:24:48,375 --> 00:24:52,333
So, we have a membership class,
we have a membership process,

567
00:24:52,375 --> 00:24:55,083
and what I would ask you
is, "Are you a member?"

568
00:24:55,167 --> 00:24:57,292
And if not, would you please
become a member

569
00:24:57,333 --> 00:24:58,625
and join our church family?

570
00:24:58,667 --> 00:25:01,167
And if not our church family,
would you find another

571
00:25:01,250 --> 00:25:03,417
church family where you
would be a member there?

572
00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:06,125
And this is important, because
what tends to happen is people

573
00:25:06,167 --> 00:25:08,125
tend to pick and choose
aspects and elements

574
00:25:08,167 --> 00:25:09,500
and marks of the church.

575
00:25:09,583 --> 00:25:11,000
So, "I'll download
some sermons.

576
00:25:11,083 --> 00:25:13,208
Well, that's fine." But no,
that's not the church.

577
00:25:13,292 --> 00:25:15,000
"Well, I'll listen
to Christian praise music

578
00:25:15,083 --> 00:25:17,000
and sing at home or in my car."

579
00:25:17,083 --> 00:25:19,625
Well, that's fine,
but that's not the church.

580
00:25:19,667 --> 00:25:21,417
Are you a part of the church?

581
00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:23,292
Are you a member of the church?

582
00:25:23,333 --> 00:25:24,833
Are you connected to the church?

583
00:25:24,875 --> 00:25:26,500
Jesus loved the church.

584
00:25:26,583 --> 00:25:28,333
Jesus died for the church.

585
00:25:28,375 --> 00:25:30,208
Jesus is coming
again for the church.

586
00:25:30,292 --> 00:25:32,917
The letters of the New Testament
are written to churches.

587
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,833
Are you a member?

588
00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:37,625
Hugely important question.
And we'd love to have you,

589
00:25:37,667 --> 00:25:39,708
and so we do invite you.

590
00:25:39,792 --> 00:25:44,667
Next one, the U,
"Under Godly Leadership," OK?

591
00:25:44,750 --> 00:25:48,208
And this is showing that
Jesus is our Senior Leader.

592
00:25:48,292 --> 00:25:51,000
1 Peter 5 says that he
is the Chief Shepherd.

593
00:25:51,042 --> 00:25:53,167
He's our Senior Pastor.

594
00:25:53,250 --> 00:25:56,417
So, leaders follow Jesus,
the Senior Leader,

595
00:25:56,500 --> 00:25:58,833
and then people
are to follow their leaders,

596
00:25:58,875 --> 00:26:00,958
who are following
Jesus, but ultimately,

597
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:02,750
everybody's supposed
to be following Jesus.

598
00:26:02,833 --> 00:26:04,833
That's the big idea.

599
00:26:04,875 --> 00:26:07,583
And so here, you're going to
see the apostles, like Peter.

600
00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:10,333
You keep reading in the book of
Acts--and I'd encourage you

601
00:26:10,375 --> 00:26:12,833
to be reading the book of Acts
for yourself--you're going

602
00:26:12,875 --> 00:26:15,125
to meet some guys called "elders,"
also called "pastors."

603
00:26:15,167 --> 00:26:17,333
Those words are synonymous.

604
00:26:17,375 --> 00:26:19,833
You're going to meet some
men and women called deacons,

605
00:26:19,875 --> 00:26:22,583
church leaders--
some paid, some unpaid.

606
00:26:22,667 --> 00:26:24,625
You're going to meet
just leaders,

607
00:26:24,667 --> 00:26:27,083
and for us that would be
our Community Group leaders,

608
00:26:27,167 --> 00:26:29,333
our Redemption Group leaders,
our children's ministry leaders,

609
00:26:29,375 --> 00:26:32,292
our student ministry leaders,
our worship team leaders.

610
00:26:32,333 --> 00:26:35,000
We have various leaders
at Mars Hill leading

611
00:26:35,083 --> 00:26:37,625
according to their gifting.

612
00:26:37,667 --> 00:26:40,333
So, my big question
to you is this,

613
00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:43,625
"Do you submit to any
leadership in your life?"

614
00:26:43,667 --> 00:26:46,000
I know it's not even
popular to ask that.

615
00:26:46,042 --> 00:26:49,000
We live in a day where, "No,
I'll be my own authority."

616
00:26:49,042 --> 00:26:51,000
Do you really think you're
the smartest person

617
00:26:51,042 --> 00:26:52,500
in your life?

618
00:26:52,542 --> 00:26:54,833
Do you think you really
have the best perspective

619
00:26:54,875 --> 00:26:56,208
on your life?

620
00:26:56,292 --> 00:27:00,083
Do you think that you really
are without bias or proclivity

621
00:27:00,167 --> 00:27:02,500
to sort of justify yourself?

622
00:27:02,542 --> 00:27:04,625
We all need to be
under authority.

623
00:27:04,667 --> 00:27:06,000
I'm under authority.

624
00:27:06,083 --> 00:27:08,208
I don't know if you know
this--there are pastors

625
00:27:08,292 --> 00:27:09,625
in authority over me.

626
00:27:09,667 --> 00:27:11,792
Not even those
who are on payroll,

627
00:27:11,833 --> 00:27:14,125
not even those that I
have any authority over.

628
00:27:14,167 --> 00:27:16,417
I have to submit
to them and take orders

629
00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:17,833
and directives from them.

630
00:27:17,875 --> 00:27:20,000
Everybody needs
to be under authority,

631
00:27:20,083 --> 00:27:22,417
especially those of us
who are in authority.

632
00:27:22,500 --> 00:27:23,917
And the Trinity
demonstrates this.

633
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,333
Jesus comes,
and he's in authority,

634
00:27:26,375 --> 00:27:28,125
and he's under authority.

635
00:27:28,167 --> 00:27:30,333
He says what the Father
tells him to say,

636
00:27:30,375 --> 00:27:32,500
he does what
the Father tells him to do,

637
00:27:32,583 --> 00:27:34,875
and he says things like,
"Your will be done,"

638
00:27:34,958 --> 00:27:36,375
and he defers
to that authority.

639
00:27:36,458 --> 00:27:38,125
While the Lord Jesus
was in authority,

640
00:27:38,167 --> 00:27:40,625
and he was under authority,
and he's our highest authority,

641
00:27:40,667 --> 00:27:42,333
we want to be under
his authority,

642
00:27:42,375 --> 00:27:44,333
and as he establishes
leaders in the church,

643
00:27:44,375 --> 00:27:45,833
we want to respect
their authority.

644
00:27:45,875 --> 00:27:47,833
And for those of us
who are leaders,

645
00:27:47,875 --> 00:27:49,583
we also want to be
under authority.

646
00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:51,333
It's very important,
because we're all sinners,

647
00:27:51,375 --> 00:27:54,000
and we all make mistakes,
and we're all prone to wander

648
00:27:54,083 --> 00:27:57,000
and stray, so we need those
who love us to help us

649
00:27:57,083 --> 00:27:58,417
stay close to Jesus.

650
00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:02,167
Has God burdened
you for leadership?

651
00:28:02,250 --> 00:28:05,292
Paul says it this way elsewhere,
"If anyone desires

652
00:28:05,333 --> 00:28:07,708
the office of overseer,
it's a noble thing he desires."

653
00:28:07,792 --> 00:28:10,292
Desire, this innate desire.

654
00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:12,292
The Bible says elsewhere
that leaders

655
00:28:12,333 --> 00:28:13,917
should not serve
out of compulsion.

656
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,000
"Well, they took a vote.
They made me.

657
00:28:16,083 --> 00:28:17,708
"The committee nominated me.

658
00:28:17,792 --> 00:28:20,125
"You know, my mom pushed
me to Bible College.

659
00:28:20,167 --> 00:28:22,333
Now I guess
I've got to be a pastor."

660
00:28:22,375 --> 00:28:24,000
It shouldn't be
under compulsion.

661
00:28:24,083 --> 00:28:25,708
It should be out of calling.

662
00:28:25,792 --> 00:28:28,083
I can still remember,
as a brand-new Christian

663
00:28:28,167 --> 00:28:29,917
in college at the age of 19,

664
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,417
I thought, "Man, I want
to be--I feel like God

665
00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:33,917
wants me to be a pastor."

666
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,625
My first inclination was
not, "I want to be a pastor."

667
00:28:36,667 --> 00:28:39,333
That was definitely not my first
inclination. But then I thought,

668
00:28:39,375 --> 00:28:42,000
"I feel like God
wants me to be a pastor."

669
00:28:42,083 --> 00:28:44,208
So, I went
to the leader in the church.

670
00:28:44,292 --> 00:28:46,208
I was like--
to the pastor, I said,

671
00:28:46,292 --> 00:28:48,083
"I feel this desire to lead."

672
00:28:48,167 --> 00:28:50,333
He's like, "I confirm that,
but you're not ready."

673
00:28:50,375 --> 00:28:52,417
I was like,
"I kind of sense that."

674
00:28:52,500 --> 00:28:54,417
I said,
"So, how do I get ready?"

675
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:56,708
He was like,
"Well, it's going to be awhile."

676
00:28:56,792 --> 00:28:58,500
"Yeah, I kind of
sensed that, too."

677
00:28:58,542 --> 00:29:01,542
He said, "Well, I need you
to read your Bible and study

678
00:29:01,625 --> 00:29:03,500
"and take these classes
and do these things

679
00:29:03,583 --> 00:29:04,917
"and be in this group

680
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:06,667
"and become a member
of the church,

681
00:29:06,750 --> 00:29:09,833
and I need you to serve," and he
laid out--so I was like,

682
00:29:09,875 --> 00:29:11,208
"OK, that sounds great."

683
00:29:11,292 --> 00:29:14,000
And he put a track together
for me to walk on

684
00:29:14,042 --> 00:29:15,375
that was super helpful.

685
00:29:15,458 --> 00:29:16,792
I mean, super helpful.

686
00:29:16,833 --> 00:29:19,500
I praise God for that pastor,
and I praise God for

687
00:29:19,583 --> 00:29:22,208
that church, and God had me
in the right place absolutely.

688
00:29:22,292 --> 00:29:24,208
We want to be that
place for you.

689
00:29:24,292 --> 00:29:26,208
Do you feel called
to leadership?

690
00:29:26,292 --> 00:29:27,917
If you're in a Community Group

691
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:29,833
and you feel called
to Community Group leadership,

692
00:29:29,875 --> 00:29:31,333
tell your
Community Group leader

693
00:29:31,375 --> 00:29:33,333
so that they can help
get you ready.

694
00:29:33,375 --> 00:29:34,708
If you're in Redemption Group

695
00:29:34,792 --> 00:29:37,208
and you feel called to be
a Redemption Group leader,

696
00:29:37,292 --> 00:29:39,708
tell them so they
can help to get you ready.

697
00:29:39,792 --> 00:29:42,708
If you're serving on a team,
tell the team leaders so that

698
00:29:42,792 --> 00:29:45,875
they can help you to get ready
to be a serving team leader.

699
00:29:45,958 --> 00:29:47,583
If you're aspiring
to be a deacon,

700
00:29:47,667 --> 00:29:49,708
talk to a deacon
and see what that's like

701
00:29:49,792 --> 00:29:51,917
and what that track
might look like for you.

702
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,417
If you feel compelled
toward eldership,

703
00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:54,833
because of God's calling,

704
00:29:54,875 --> 00:29:57,833
find a pastor in the church
and get some time with them,

705
00:29:57,875 --> 00:30:00,833
and have them evaluate you
and see if you're ready to begin

706
00:30:00,875 --> 00:30:02,500
some formal or even informal
preparatory process

707
00:30:02,583 --> 00:30:03,958
to get you there.

708
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,667
And this can be paid or unpaid.

709
00:30:05,708 --> 00:30:08,417
Not everybody's paid. Some
are doing so just out of love

710
00:30:08,500 --> 00:30:10,333
for Jesus with a different
vocational career track,

711
00:30:10,417 --> 00:30:12,625
and we say "Praise God"
to all of that.

712
00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:14,542
But it's under
godly leadership.

713
00:30:14,625 --> 00:30:18,167
J-E-S-U-S, the next one
is the S, "Sin Repenting."

714
00:30:18,208 --> 00:30:19,708
And I didn't make this up.

715
00:30:19,792 --> 00:30:21,917
Acts 2:38,
what's the big word?

716
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,500
"Repent."

717
00:30:23,583 --> 00:30:25,667
All right, you're not
excited about it, OK.

718
00:30:25,708 --> 00:30:27,042
Acts 2:38, "Repent."

719
00:30:27,125 --> 00:30:30,750
Acts 2:40 goes on to say--Peter
does--"Save yourselves

720
00:30:30,833 --> 00:30:32,708
from this crooked generation."

721
00:30:32,792 --> 00:30:36,042
The big idea here is people in
the world are living their life

722
00:30:36,125 --> 00:30:38,958
sinfully and rebelliously
and foolishly.

723
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:40,625
It's crooked; it's not straight.

724
00:30:40,667 --> 00:30:42,833
It's not the way
it's supposed to be.

725
00:30:42,917 --> 00:30:47,667
And so, what we do,
by God's grace, is we repent.

726
00:30:47,708 --> 00:30:49,333
We repent.

727
00:30:49,417 --> 00:30:52,333
And repentance is
a change of mind, right?

728
00:30:52,417 --> 00:30:54,167
You're living your life,
doing your thing,

729
00:30:54,208 --> 00:30:56,167
and all of a sudden
the Holy Spirit

730
00:30:56,208 --> 00:30:58,333
convicts you of sin as Jesus
promised he would,

731
00:30:58,417 --> 00:31:01,417
and you're like,
"This is wrong.

732
00:31:01,500 --> 00:31:03,417
This is just wrong."

733
00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:05,167
That leads to
a change of heart.

734
00:31:05,250 --> 00:31:07,167
"I don't want
to do this anymore.

735
00:31:07,250 --> 00:31:08,917
This needs to change."

736
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:10,875
This leads to a change of life.

737
00:31:10,958 --> 00:31:14,000
"I'm going to do
things differently."

738
00:31:14,083 --> 00:31:17,333
And the big idea is this: you're
either going toward Jesus

739
00:31:17,375 --> 00:31:19,333
or toward sin, all right?

740
00:31:19,375 --> 00:31:21,500
That's the trajectory
of each of our lives.

741
00:31:21,583 --> 00:31:24,125
And you can't say you're
going toward Jesus and sin.

742
00:31:24,167 --> 00:31:25,625
I've never met anybody
who said,

743
00:31:25,667 --> 00:31:27,833
"Yeah, the closer I got
to Jesus, you know,

744
00:31:27,875 --> 00:31:31,000
the worse I became
and the more sin I committed,"

745
00:31:31,083 --> 00:31:34,500
because Jesus and sin
are in opposite directions.

746
00:31:34,542 --> 00:31:38,083
And it's acknowledging my back
has been toward Jesus

747
00:31:38,167 --> 00:31:41,000
and my face has been
toward sin, and now,

748
00:31:41,083 --> 00:31:42,667
by God's grace, I turn around:

749
00:31:42,750 --> 00:31:46,292
I turn my back toward my sin,
and I turn my face toward Jesus,

750
00:31:46,333 --> 00:31:50,125
and I approach him for
forgiveness and for ongoing help

751
00:31:50,167 --> 00:31:54,292
to not go back
into that pattern of living."

752
00:31:54,333 --> 00:31:57,375
And what this reminds us
of is Jesus' righteousness--

753
00:31:57,458 --> 00:31:59,875
that Jesus is holy,
that Jesus is without sin,

754
00:31:59,958 --> 00:32:02,875
that Jesus died in our place
for our sin so that we

755
00:32:02,958 --> 00:32:06,000
could put our sin to death.

756
00:32:06,083 --> 00:32:08,167
And Mars Hill, let me
submit this to you

757
00:32:08,250 --> 00:32:10,917
that one of the great
story lines of the Bible is

758
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,333
the story line of repentance.

759
00:32:12,375 --> 00:32:14,500
The Old Testament prophets
over and over and over

760
00:32:14,583 --> 00:32:15,917
they preach repentance.

761
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,500
The last Old Testament prophet,
John the Baptizer,

762
00:32:18,583 --> 00:32:21,500
preparing the way for Jesus,
he comes preaching repentance.

763
00:32:21,583 --> 00:32:25,000
Jesus comes
preaching repentance.

764
00:32:25,083 --> 00:32:27,833
Peter stands up
on the Day of Pentecost,

765
00:32:27,875 --> 00:32:30,625
and he preaches the sermon that
births the New Testament church

766
00:32:30,667 --> 00:32:36,708
as we know it, and he starts
with the word of "Repentance!"

767
00:32:36,792 --> 00:32:40,917
And this is very controversial
in our day

768
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,333
and it was very controversial
in their day.

769
00:32:43,375 --> 00:32:48,667
Peter was crucified upside down
for preaching repentance.

770
00:32:48,750 --> 00:32:52,875
Jesus was crucified
for preaching repentance.

771
00:32:52,958 --> 00:32:57,667
John the Baptizer was beheaded
for preaching repentance.

772
00:32:57,750 --> 00:33:00,667
Old Testament prophets didn't
have to worry about their

773
00:33:00,708 --> 00:33:04,292
retirement account because
they were dead early

774
00:33:04,333 --> 00:33:06,667
from preaching repentance.

775
00:33:06,750 --> 00:33:10,333
Repentance is always
met with resistance.

776
00:33:10,375 --> 00:33:11,917
Hear me on this.

777
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,583
Repentance is always
met with resistance.

778
00:33:15,667 --> 00:33:19,208
The result is, in an effort to
remove those who are preaching

779
00:33:19,292 --> 00:33:22,833
repentance, there's
resistance against them.

780
00:33:22,875 --> 00:33:26,833
And the way it works in this
world, it is particularly

781
00:33:26,875 --> 00:33:29,333
difficult, and I would
say, pray for me, right?

782
00:33:29,375 --> 00:33:32,500
I have to preach. I get
to preach repentance,

783
00:33:32,542 --> 00:33:35,417
but there's a reaction
and a response to that that's

784
00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:39,208
not always like a birthday party
with a cake

785
00:33:39,292 --> 00:33:41,333
and a hat and a kazoo.

786
00:33:41,375 --> 00:33:43,708
It's not always
a good time, all right?

787
00:33:43,792 --> 00:33:46,000
Sometimes, it's a little
hard and a little harsh

788
00:33:46,083 --> 00:33:48,792
and a little complicated,
and sometimes I contribute

789
00:33:48,833 --> 00:33:53,500
to it through my tone,
disposition, and you know . . .

790
00:33:53,583 --> 00:33:58,208
So anyways, he preaches
repentance. But hear me on this:

791
00:33:58,292 --> 00:34:02,000
any time repentance
is not preached,

792
00:34:02,042 --> 00:34:06,083
the Holy Spirit is grieved,
the Bible is ignored,

793
00:34:06,167 --> 00:34:09,167
and Jesus is dishonored.

794
00:34:09,250 --> 00:34:14,417
Because what happens
in our day--

795
00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:19,000
the greatest virtue is
tolerance,

796
00:34:19,083 --> 00:34:25,833
diversity, love, and if you
tell people they're wrong,

797
00:34:25,875 --> 00:34:27,625
well, that's intolerant.

798
00:34:27,667 --> 00:34:29,417
You're rejecting
their diversity.

799
00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:32,583
It's not very loving.

800
00:34:32,667 --> 00:34:35,000
God is tolerant.

801
00:34:35,042 --> 00:34:37,625
He's putting up with
a lot right now, amen?

802
00:34:37,667 --> 00:34:40,708
On the earth, God puts up
with--he's very tolerant.

803
00:34:40,792 --> 00:34:42,292
He's diverse.

804
00:34:42,333 --> 00:34:45,917
He welcomes people from every
language, tribe, tongue, nation,

805
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,375
background, gender,
sexual orientation,

806
00:34:50,458 --> 00:34:55,000
socioeconomic history,
education level, capacity.

807
00:34:55,083 --> 00:34:56,500
He's very diverse.

808
00:34:56,583 --> 00:34:59,625
He calls everyone to what?

809
00:34:59,667 --> 00:35:01,833
Repent.

810
00:35:01,917 --> 00:35:07,875
And that's very loving
because people living in sin

811
00:35:07,958 --> 00:35:11,000
are rebelling against God.

812
00:35:11,042 --> 00:35:13,417
And if God says something
is wrong, then it's wrong.

813
00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:15,125
And if God says, "No,"

814
00:35:15,167 --> 00:35:17,583
the answer is no.
And if God says, "Stop,"

815
00:35:17,667 --> 00:35:21,000
the answer is stop.
And if you don't, you will die

816
00:35:21,083 --> 00:35:22,792
and stand before God,

817
00:35:22,833 --> 00:35:26,000
and you'll give an account
for your eternal life,

818
00:35:26,042 --> 00:35:29,417
and you could suffer
forever under the conscious

819
00:35:29,500 --> 00:35:32,208
eternal torment of hell.

820
00:35:32,292 --> 00:35:34,167
We actually believe that.

821
00:35:34,250 --> 00:35:38,833
Jesus spoke of it more
than anyone in the Bible.

822
00:35:38,875 --> 00:35:44,125
We believe it is very loving to
say, "Repent. You're in danger.

823
00:35:44,167 --> 00:35:48,208
"Hell is hot.
Forever is a long time.

824
00:35:48,292 --> 00:35:52,292
"Jesus is the judge of
the living and the dead.

825
00:35:52,333 --> 00:35:55,208
"Today is the day
of your salvation.

826
00:35:55,292 --> 00:35:58,875
"If you hear his
voice, please, please

827
00:35:58,958 --> 00:36:02,542
do not harden your heart," amen?

828
00:36:02,625 --> 00:36:05,125
It's very important
that, as Christians,

829
00:36:05,167 --> 00:36:08,000
we practice repentance,
we acknowledge our sin,

830
00:36:08,083 --> 00:36:11,000
we apologize for our
sin to God and others,

831
00:36:11,083 --> 00:36:14,208
but that we also proclaim
repentance and that we then

832
00:36:14,292 --> 00:36:17,792
endure the reaction that
comes in light

833
00:36:17,833 --> 00:36:20,208
of the call to repentance.

834
00:36:20,292 --> 00:36:22,000
God is not OK with everyone.

835
00:36:22,083 --> 00:36:25,333
God is not OK with everything.
And it's not going to go well

836
00:36:25,375 --> 00:36:27,875
for everyone forever.

837
00:36:27,958 --> 00:36:30,500
That's the truth.

838
00:36:31,750 --> 00:36:33,208
That's the truth.

839
00:36:33,292 --> 00:36:35,917
Now, you
have to make a decision.

840
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:41,208
"Will I repent?
Will I acknowledge my sin?

841
00:36:41,292 --> 00:36:44,500
"Will I receive
Jesus' righteousness?

842
00:36:44,542 --> 00:36:49,500
"Will I roll
the proverbial dice and die

843
00:36:49,583 --> 00:36:53,125
"and hope that there is no
judge, or if there is a judge,

844
00:36:53,167 --> 00:36:56,333
that he has no problem with me."

845
00:36:56,375 --> 00:37:02,083
I would beg you
not to be so foolish.

846
00:37:02,167 --> 00:37:05,917
When the Holy Spirit shows up,
people are aware of their sin,

847
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:11,500
and they repent of it, and they
receive Jesus' righteousness.

848
00:37:11,542 --> 00:37:13,792
And this includes church
discipline for those who are

849
00:37:13,833 --> 00:37:16,125
believers, where when
they're in ongoing,

850
00:37:16,167 --> 00:37:19,125
constant rebellion
against God, out of love,

851
00:37:19,167 --> 00:37:22,333
we're trying to bring them back
just like a parent, who's got

852
00:37:22,375 --> 00:37:25,125
a rebellious, wayward kid, is
trying to get them to turn

853
00:37:25,167 --> 00:37:27,167
from their ways before they
destroy their life.

854
00:37:27,250 --> 00:37:29,417
This is about drawing a line
between the world

855
00:37:29,500 --> 00:37:30,833
and the church.

856
00:37:30,875 --> 00:37:32,333
God's people are
those who repent.

857
00:37:32,375 --> 00:37:33,708
So, here's my question:

858
00:37:33,792 --> 00:37:35,500
What do you need to repent of?

859
00:37:35,542 --> 00:37:37,000
What sin is in your life?

860
00:37:37,042 --> 00:37:38,500
Will you become
a Christian today?

861
00:37:38,542 --> 00:37:41,000
Or if you are a Christian,
what sin is there?

862
00:37:41,042 --> 00:37:43,500
And you say, "Yeah, I really
need to acknowledge that

863
00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:45,667
"and apologize to God
or someone else, or both,

864
00:37:45,750 --> 00:37:48,417
"and I need to invite
the Holy Spirit to help me

865
00:37:48,500 --> 00:37:50,833
"so that I can walk away
from this because this

866
00:37:50,875 --> 00:37:52,833
ain't working and this
ain't honoring to God."

867
00:37:52,875 --> 00:37:54,333
Move down to the next one.

868
00:37:54,375 --> 00:37:56,000
It's the C in 'CHURCH,'
"Communion."

869
00:37:56,083 --> 00:37:58,208
"And they devoted themselves
to the breaking of bread

870
00:37:58,292 --> 00:37:59,833
and the prayers."

871
00:37:59,875 --> 00:38:03,167
Here, what we are
acknowledging is Jesus' cross.

872
00:38:03,208 --> 00:38:07,000
Communion has two elements,
bread and wine.

873
00:38:07,042 --> 00:38:10,000
We also use juice so that,
according to conscience, you're

874
00:38:10,042 --> 00:38:13,500
not forced to violate conscience
but you have freedom in Christ.

875
00:38:13,583 --> 00:38:16,625
And this harkens back
to Jesus' last supper

876
00:38:16,667 --> 00:38:18,333
that he ate with his disciples,

877
00:38:18,375 --> 00:38:21,333
and he took the bread,
and he broke it, and he said,

878
00:38:21,375 --> 00:38:23,000
"This is my body,
given for you,"

879
00:38:23,083 --> 00:38:25,000
and he took the wine
and he said,

880
00:38:25,083 --> 00:38:26,792
"This is my blood,
shed for you."

881
00:38:26,833 --> 00:38:28,417
So, when we partake
of Communion,

882
00:38:28,500 --> 00:38:30,125
we're remembering
Jesus' Last Supper,

883
00:38:30,167 --> 00:38:33,625
we're remembering that the bread
is about his broken body

884
00:38:33,667 --> 00:38:35,708
and the drink is
about his shed blood,

885
00:38:35,792 --> 00:38:39,583
and we're reminding ourselves of
the sacrifice of our Savior.

886
00:38:39,667 --> 00:38:42,000
So, at Mars Hill,
we do this every Sunday.

887
00:38:42,083 --> 00:38:44,500
We've been doing it every
Sunday for a long time.

888
00:38:44,583 --> 00:38:46,000
When we first
started the church,

889
00:38:46,083 --> 00:38:48,500
we didn't do Communion every
week until I started preaching

890
00:38:48,583 --> 00:38:49,917
through the book of Exodus,

891
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:51,417
and then I studied
the Passover

892
00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:53,167
and took it
to Jesus' last supper,

893
00:38:53,250 --> 00:38:56,417
and then to the New Testament
Lord's Table or Communion Feast,

894
00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:58,375
and I realized
that historically,

895
00:38:58,458 --> 00:39:00,083
up until the Reformation,

896
00:39:00,167 --> 00:39:02,042
God's people had
pretty much celebrated,

897
00:39:02,125 --> 00:39:04,333
in most traditions,
Communion every week.

898
00:39:04,375 --> 00:39:08,333
So we decided to start doing
it every week many years ago.

899
00:39:08,375 --> 00:39:11,625
And it'll come after the sermon,
and it's an opportunity for you

900
00:39:11,667 --> 00:39:14,333
to see if there's any sin
in your life that you

901
00:39:14,375 --> 00:39:16,500
need to talk to God
about before you partake.

902
00:39:16,583 --> 00:39:18,000
For those who are not Christian,

903
00:39:18,083 --> 00:39:19,833
it's an opportunity
to become a Christian.

904
00:39:19,875 --> 00:39:22,000
And it's an opportunity for you
to do business

905
00:39:22,083 --> 00:39:24,417
with the Lord Jesus
and to remember his broken body

906
00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:27,417
and his shed blood
given out of love for you

907
00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:29,833
so that your sins
could be forgiven, amen?

908
00:39:29,875 --> 00:39:32,667
Now, how many of you like
taking Communion at Mars Hill

909
00:39:32,750 --> 00:39:35,667
every week, and it's kind
of a new thing for you,

910
00:39:35,750 --> 00:39:37,500
but it's actually
something that makes sense?

911
00:39:37,542 --> 00:39:39,625
Because in preaching,
we hear the gospel,

912
00:39:39,667 --> 00:39:43,500
but in Communion we show
the gospel. So, it's together,

913
00:39:43,583 --> 00:39:45,708
and it's an opportunity for you
to identify yourself

914
00:39:45,792 --> 00:39:47,333
with Jesus publicly.

915
00:39:47,375 --> 00:39:49,208
So, we'll do that on Sunday.

916
00:39:49,292 --> 00:39:51,125
We also do that
in Community Groups,

917
00:39:51,167 --> 00:39:53,917
which are groups that meet in
homes and condos and dorms

918
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:55,708
and apartments
throughout the week,

919
00:39:55,792 --> 00:39:58,375
and people will get together
and have a meal together,

920
00:39:58,458 --> 00:39:59,875
and those are Communion meals.

921
00:39:59,958 --> 00:40:01,875
Those are remembering
the meal that Jesus ate

922
00:40:01,958 --> 00:40:03,250
with his disciples,

923
00:40:03,333 --> 00:40:05,208
and it reminds us
that heaven is typified--

924
00:40:05,292 --> 00:40:06,625
you're going to love this.

925
00:40:06,667 --> 00:40:09,333
You Food Network fans, you're
going to love this--that heaven

926
00:40:09,375 --> 00:40:10,958
is typified as a what?

927
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,667
An eternal,
awesome feast party.

928
00:40:13,708 --> 00:40:15,958
Yay, OK?

929
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:17,667
Yay!

930
00:40:17,708 --> 00:40:22,417
And the concept is that it's
like a huge celebration where

931
00:40:22,500 --> 00:40:26,208
God's people feast together
and celebrate together,

932
00:40:26,292 --> 00:40:29,208
and Jesus is there with us.

933
00:40:29,292 --> 00:40:30,708
So, when we eat,
we're saying,

934
00:40:30,792 --> 00:40:33,167
"Well, we're going to eat
with these people forever,

935
00:40:33,208 --> 00:40:35,333
"so we're going to eat
with them every week,

936
00:40:35,417 --> 00:40:37,625
practicing for the greatest
feast of all time."

937
00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:39,833
And it's part of what
God's people do.

938
00:40:39,917 --> 00:40:43,333
In the Bible,
we call that fellowship.

939
00:40:43,375 --> 00:40:45,167
So, my question to you is this:

940
00:40:45,208 --> 00:40:47,833
do you partake of Communion
on Sundays if you're a believer,

941
00:40:47,917 --> 00:40:49,542
and are you
in a Community Group,

942
00:40:49,625 --> 00:40:51,333
enjoying a Communion meal

943
00:40:51,375 --> 00:40:53,333
with God's people
together every week?

944
00:40:53,375 --> 00:40:56,333
It's a great honor to do
so, and we would invite you,

945
00:40:56,375 --> 00:40:58,250
and if you don't have
a Community Group,

946
00:40:58,333 --> 00:40:59,667
get in one this week.

947
00:40:59,708 --> 00:41:02,625
There's over 600. There's
probably one right near

948
00:41:02,667 --> 00:41:04,625
where you live.

949
00:41:04,667 --> 00:41:09,500
Next one is H, 'Church,'
C-H, "Huge Generosity."

950
00:41:09,583 --> 00:41:13,083
Acts 2:44-45, "And all who
believed were together,

951
00:41:13,167 --> 00:41:15,708
had all things in common"--
that's their possessions--

952
00:41:15,792 --> 00:41:18,000
"And they were selling their
possessions and belongings

953
00:41:18,083 --> 00:41:21,000
and distributing the proceeds
to all, as any had need."

954
00:41:21,083 --> 00:41:25,417
So, in generosity, we're
remembering that Jesus is

955
00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:30,000
the most generous giver ever.

956
00:41:30,083 --> 00:41:34,000
Jesus is the most
generous giver ever.

957
00:41:34,083 --> 00:41:36,167
God gave us the earth.

958
00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:38,333
God made us in his
image and likeness.

959
00:41:38,375 --> 00:41:40,833
We sinned against God.
God gave us his Son.

960
00:41:40,875 --> 00:41:43,500
God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son.

961
00:41:43,542 --> 00:41:44,875
Here comes Jesus.

962
00:41:44,958 --> 00:41:46,292
Jesus lives without sin.

963
00:41:46,333 --> 00:41:48,375
Jesus gives us his
life, and he dies.

964
00:41:48,458 --> 00:41:51,333
Jesus rises, and he gives
us his righteousness.

965
00:41:51,375 --> 00:41:53,000
He ascends into heaven.

966
00:41:53,042 --> 00:41:54,500
He gives us the Holy Spirit.

967
00:41:54,542 --> 00:41:56,208
He gives us the Word of God.

968
00:41:56,292 --> 00:41:58,833
He gives us the people of God.

969
00:41:58,875 --> 00:42:00,667
He's preparing a place for us.

970
00:42:00,708 --> 00:42:02,375
He's got more gifts for us.

971
00:42:02,458 --> 00:42:04,625
He's got an inheritance for us
in his kingdom

972
00:42:04,667 --> 00:42:06,083
that'll endure forever.

973
00:42:06,167 --> 00:42:10,208
Our Jesus is hugely generous.

974
00:42:10,292 --> 00:42:12,000
And once you meet Jesus

975
00:42:12,042 --> 00:42:13,792
and you receive
the Holy Spirit,

976
00:42:13,833 --> 00:42:15,875
unless you really
fight the Holy Spirit,

977
00:42:15,958 --> 00:42:20,208
he awakens in you
a desire to be generous.

978
00:42:20,292 --> 00:42:24,708
You say, "Man, if I've received
so much, I want to give."

979
00:42:24,792 --> 00:42:27,083
You know, there was only
one of Jesus' disciples

980
00:42:27,167 --> 00:42:28,500
who wasn't a giver.

981
00:42:28,583 --> 00:42:29,917
What was his name?

982
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,625
Judas.

983
00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:33,833
He was a taker.

984
00:42:33,875 --> 00:42:36,292
Jesus is a giver,
Jesus' disciples are givers,

985
00:42:36,333 --> 00:42:38,875
Judas was the taker.

986
00:42:38,958 --> 00:42:40,792
God's people have
the Holy Spirit.

987
00:42:40,833 --> 00:42:43,125
They're the givers,
not the takers.

988
00:42:43,167 --> 00:42:46,833
We live in a world filled with
takers, not a lot of givers.

989
00:42:46,875 --> 00:42:51,000
Here, we see God's people
becoming hugely generous.

990
00:42:51,042 --> 00:42:53,875
They're giving their
possessions to other people.

991
00:42:53,958 --> 00:42:56,625
Some of them are selling their
possessions and they're giving

992
00:42:56,667 --> 00:42:59,333
them--the proceeds--to
other people.

993
00:42:59,375 --> 00:43:01,375
You're going to see,
in a few chapters,

994
00:43:01,458 --> 00:43:04,333
there are people selling their
land and giving the proceeds

995
00:43:04,375 --> 00:43:06,417
to the church as a large gift.

996
00:43:06,500 --> 00:43:08,208
This is huge generosity.

997
00:43:08,292 --> 00:43:10,500
Now, let me say this--I've
got to clarify this:

998
00:43:10,583 --> 00:43:12,917
Immediately, there will always
be at least one person

999
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:14,917
in every church who,
when they hear this,

1000
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:16,333
they're like, "Yay, Communism!"

1001
00:43:16,375 --> 00:43:18,000
No, not Communism, right?

1002
00:43:18,083 --> 00:43:20,167
This is not Communism, right?

1003
00:43:20,250 --> 00:43:22,625
They're like, "Well, look, they
didn't even own their stuff.

1004
00:43:22,667 --> 00:43:24,333
"It was all in a big pot

1005
00:43:24,375 --> 00:43:26,500
and you could just take
what you want, OK?"

1006
00:43:26,583 --> 00:43:30,333
No, that's not the way it works,
because Communism denies

1007
00:43:30,375 --> 00:43:33,375
private property ownership,
all right?

1008
00:43:33,458 --> 00:43:35,125
That the government
owns your land.

1009
00:43:35,167 --> 00:43:37,625
The government owns your house.
The government owns everything.

1010
00:43:37,667 --> 00:43:39,792
Does the Bible teach
private property ownership,

1011
00:43:39,833 --> 00:43:41,583
yes or no?

1012
00:43:41,667 --> 00:43:45,333
Yes, so thou shall not steal.

1013
00:43:45,375 --> 00:43:46,875
You know what that means?

1014
00:43:46,958 --> 00:43:49,708
It's not yours.
It's not yours.

1015
00:43:49,792 --> 00:43:54,667
That's theirs, not yours.
Don't take it: that's stealing.

1016
00:43:54,750 --> 00:43:57,125
That's stealing.

1017
00:43:57,167 --> 00:44:02,583
So, the Bible does not believe
in Communism but generosity.

1018
00:44:02,667 --> 00:44:06,500
Your house, your car,
your income, your wealth,

1019
00:44:06,542 --> 00:44:09,500
your possessions--
those are yours.

1020
00:44:09,583 --> 00:44:12,292
Those are yours--
they come from the Lord.

1021
00:44:12,333 --> 00:44:14,417
The church doesn't
have any right to them.

1022
00:44:14,500 --> 00:44:16,417
I can't come to your house
and say,

1023
00:44:16,500 --> 00:44:18,625
"I was reading Acts 2.
Give me the keys.

1024
00:44:18,667 --> 00:44:20,625
"Give me the keys.
Give me the keys.

1025
00:44:20,667 --> 00:44:22,292
"I've always wanted
an Audi Quattro.

1026
00:44:22,333 --> 00:44:24,000
Yay!" OK?

1027
00:44:24,083 --> 00:44:28,667
You'd say,
"No, no, no, that's mine."

1028
00:44:28,750 --> 00:44:33,292
So, we have no right to take.
But you're invited to give.

1029
00:44:33,333 --> 00:44:35,500
Do you see the difference?

1030
00:44:35,583 --> 00:44:39,000
This is the difference between
a tax and a tithe, OK?

1031
00:44:39,083 --> 00:44:41,667
A tax is where the government
does what?

1032
00:44:41,750 --> 00:44:43,083
Have you noticed this?

1033
00:44:43,167 --> 00:44:44,500
They take.

1034
00:44:44,583 --> 00:44:46,125
Did you agree to it?
No.

1035
00:44:46,167 --> 00:44:47,708
Can you negotiate it?

1036
00:44:47,792 --> 00:44:49,125
You could try.

1037
00:44:49,167 --> 00:44:51,125
You could do prison
ministry from the inside.

1038
00:44:51,167 --> 00:44:52,500
But you could try, OK?

1039
00:44:52,583 --> 00:44:53,917
The government just takes.

1040
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,417
"That's ours.
That's ours."

1041
00:44:56,500 --> 00:44:59,208
The church doesn't have a tax.

1042
00:44:59,292 --> 00:45:01,000
We don't get a percentage.

1043
00:45:01,042 --> 00:45:02,375
It doesn't belong to us.

1044
00:45:02,458 --> 00:45:03,792
Instead, there's a tithe.

1045
00:45:03,833 --> 00:45:05,167
This is where you give.

1046
00:45:05,250 --> 00:45:07,417
And if you are filled
with the Holy Spirit

1047
00:45:07,500 --> 00:45:09,625
and you love the church
and you love people,

1048
00:45:09,667 --> 00:45:11,000
you're going to give.

1049
00:45:11,083 --> 00:45:13,375
The reason the government
doesn't do what we do--

1050
00:45:13,458 --> 00:45:15,167
can you imagine this?

1051
00:45:15,250 --> 00:45:18,208
Can you imagine if
the government passed the plate?

1052
00:45:18,292 --> 00:45:19,792
Can you imagine
if the government

1053
00:45:19,833 --> 00:45:21,167
had on their website,

1054
00:45:21,250 --> 00:45:22,917
"We've decided
to get away with taxes.

1055
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,917
"We want you to pray
about an amount

1056
00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:26,625
and just give as you feel led."

1057
00:45:26,667 --> 00:45:28,417
Do you think our
revenue might decrease?

1058
00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:29,833
Oh yes.

1059
00:45:29,875 --> 00:45:32,500
You'd be like, "I prayed about
it and the Lord said...

1060
00:45:32,583 --> 00:45:33,917
so you know."

1061
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,500
So, the government doesn't trust
that regenerated hearts

1062
00:45:37,583 --> 00:45:40,792
out of love and concern for
others will give generously.

1063
00:45:40,833 --> 00:45:42,500
So, they take.

1064
00:45:42,583 --> 00:45:45,500
The church has no right to take,
but we have every right

1065
00:45:45,583 --> 00:45:47,875
to invite others to give.
To give.

1066
00:45:47,958 --> 00:45:50,625
Immediately, some of you
will be like, "Oh, here we go.

1067
00:45:50,667 --> 00:45:52,125
Church talking
about money again."

1068
00:45:52,167 --> 00:45:54,708
No, talking about
your God, OK?

1069
00:45:54,792 --> 00:45:56,417
So, if you have a different god,

1070
00:45:56,500 --> 00:45:59,625
my job is not to walk up
around your god and be like,

1071
00:45:59,667 --> 00:46:01,875
"Oh, how's he doing?
I want to be nice."

1072
00:46:01,958 --> 00:46:04,417
No, my job is to run
up and steamroll it

1073
00:46:04,500 --> 00:46:07,625
and to knock your little
god called money over.

1074
00:46:07,667 --> 00:46:10,000
Jesus says that some have,
as their God, Mammon,

1075
00:46:10,083 --> 00:46:11,833
which means money.

1076
00:46:11,875 --> 00:46:14,583
Oh, and that God can save
them and keep them healthy

1077
00:46:14,667 --> 00:46:16,792
and make them beautiful
and make their life secure

1078
00:46:16,833 --> 00:46:19,792
and take care of their family
and give them heaven on earth,

1079
00:46:19,833 --> 00:46:21,792
and if something should
go wrong, that's OK,

1080
00:46:21,833 --> 00:46:23,500
because they
can go to the bank,

1081
00:46:23,583 --> 00:46:24,917
and get their savior,

1082
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:29,333
and then pay for it
to be fixed.

1083
00:46:29,375 --> 00:46:31,500
Who's your god?

1084
00:46:31,583 --> 00:46:33,500
What's your priority?

1085
00:46:33,583 --> 00:46:35,000
Where's your investment?

1086
00:46:35,083 --> 00:46:37,625
These people
are hugely generous.

1087
00:46:37,667 --> 00:46:41,083
I saw this as an example
many years ago in the church.

1088
00:46:41,167 --> 00:46:43,583
There was a couple that was
giving faithfully and generously

1089
00:46:43,667 --> 00:46:45,000
to the church.

1090
00:46:45,042 --> 00:46:48,000
They were a generous family, but
they were one of those families

1091
00:46:48,083 --> 00:46:50,500
that was looking for opportunity
to go above and beyond

1092
00:46:50,583 --> 00:46:53,000
their tithe to the church,
to be generous toward others.

1093
00:46:53,083 --> 00:46:54,417
And I'll never forget,

1094
00:46:54,500 --> 00:46:56,917
there was a single mom
with a cute little boy,

1095
00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,125
and he had been diagnosed
with a very aggressive

1096
00:46:59,167 --> 00:47:01,292
and concerning form of cancer.

1097
00:47:01,333 --> 00:47:03,792
So, we brought her up on
the stage--this was many

1098
00:47:03,833 --> 00:47:06,208
years ago--prayed for her
and her son.

1099
00:47:06,292 --> 00:47:09,125
And she was concerned because
her son had to go to treatment

1100
00:47:09,167 --> 00:47:11,583
and he was going to need
a lot of care,

1101
00:47:11,667 --> 00:47:14,625
and she's working full time,
and she can't look after him.

1102
00:47:14,667 --> 00:47:17,083
A family in the church
came up and they said,

1103
00:47:17,167 --> 00:47:19,125
"You know, the Holy Spirit
impressed on us.

1104
00:47:19,167 --> 00:47:20,917
"We just bought a new truck.

1105
00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:24,000
"We feel like God said to
return it, get the money back

1106
00:47:24,042 --> 00:47:25,708
"and give it
to the single mother

1107
00:47:25,792 --> 00:47:27,917
"so she can take the next year
from work

1108
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,375
and stay home
to look after her son."

1109
00:47:30,458 --> 00:47:32,708
That's amazing.

1110
00:47:32,792 --> 00:47:34,333
Isn't that beautiful?

1111
00:47:34,375 --> 00:47:37,000
And that's exactly
what happened.

1112
00:47:37,083 --> 00:47:38,917
I didn't know exactly
what had happened.

1113
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,333
I saw this woman
some months ago.

1114
00:47:41,375 --> 00:47:43,833
I was teaching Student Ministry
up at Mars Hill Shoreline

1115
00:47:43,875 --> 00:47:45,625
a while back,
and this boy comes up.

1116
00:47:45,667 --> 00:47:47,833
Not a little boy anymore,
he's a young man.

1117
00:47:47,875 --> 00:47:49,833
"Hey Pastor Mark,
I'm all better, I'm fine,

1118
00:47:49,875 --> 00:47:51,333
thanks for praying,
everything's good."

1119
00:47:51,375 --> 00:47:52,708
Like, "OK, who are you?

1120
00:47:52,792 --> 00:47:54,708
Because you've grown,
I don't recognize you."

1121
00:47:54,792 --> 00:47:56,917
"Oh, I was that
little boy you prayed for."

1122
00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,375
And then his mom comes up.

1123
00:47:59,458 --> 00:48:01,000
They're still at Mars Hill.

1124
00:48:01,042 --> 00:48:02,875
It's a great, beautiful family.

1125
00:48:02,958 --> 00:48:04,375
She said, "It was so nice.

1126
00:48:04,458 --> 00:48:07,000
I got to care for my son
and he's all better."

1127
00:48:07,083 --> 00:48:09,500
She said, "And I met
a guy at Mars Hill.

1128
00:48:09,583 --> 00:48:11,500
He loves Jesus,
married me, adopted my son."

1129
00:48:11,583 --> 00:48:12,917
Now he's got a dad.

1130
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:14,917
"We've got other kids,
we're a happy family,

1131
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:16,667
"members of the church,
and we're generous

1132
00:48:16,750 --> 00:48:18,167
because the generosity
of God's people."

1133
00:48:18,250 --> 00:48:19,583
Good or bad?

1134
00:48:19,667 --> 00:48:21,000
Beautiful.

1135
00:48:21,042 --> 00:48:23,208
That's amazing.
I love that.

1136
00:48:23,292 --> 00:48:26,000
And that happens over and over
and over in uncounted ways

1137
00:48:26,083 --> 00:48:29,583
and humble ways and quiet ways
and unseen ways

1138
00:48:29,667 --> 00:48:31,708
among loving relationships
with people in the church.

1139
00:48:31,792 --> 00:48:34,167
And sometimes, it makes
its way onto The City,

1140
00:48:34,250 --> 00:48:36,833
which is our social network
online, onto the Marketplace.

1141
00:48:36,875 --> 00:48:38,500
I've seen it.

1142
00:48:38,583 --> 00:48:40,500
"We have furniture.
Do you need furniture?

1143
00:48:40,583 --> 00:48:42,500
"We have clothes.
Do you need clothes?

1144
00:48:42,583 --> 00:48:45,000
We have baby items.
Do you need baby items?"

1145
00:48:45,042 --> 00:48:47,417
I've seen certain people
say, "We have a car.

1146
00:48:47,500 --> 00:48:48,917
"We were thinking of selling it,

1147
00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:50,917
"but instead we
want to give it away.

1148
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,125
"Is there a single mom
that needs a car?

1149
00:48:53,167 --> 00:48:54,833
We'd like to give it to her."

1150
00:48:54,875 --> 00:48:57,000
See, that's huge generosity.

1151
00:48:57,042 --> 00:49:00,167
Let me just say, Mars Hill,
that's the heart of God.

1152
00:49:00,250 --> 00:49:03,583
All right, when the Bible says
that God loves a cheerful giver,

1153
00:49:03,667 --> 00:49:07,833
the key to sometimes
cheerfulness is giving.

1154
00:49:07,875 --> 00:49:09,833
It is.

1155
00:49:09,875 --> 00:49:13,417
How many of you have given
something and received joy?

1156
00:49:13,500 --> 00:49:16,583
How many of you, on Christmas,
you're way more excited to watch

1157
00:49:16,667 --> 00:49:19,333
somebody else open the present
you got them than to open

1158
00:49:19,375 --> 00:49:22,000
the present that they got you?

1159
00:49:22,042 --> 00:49:25,208
Huge generosity which leads
to huge joyfulness

1160
00:49:25,292 --> 00:49:27,417
among God's people.

1161
00:49:27,500 --> 00:49:29,292
So, how is your
generosity going?

1162
00:49:29,333 --> 00:49:30,917
How are you doing?

1163
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:34,167
Are you a generous person?

1164
00:49:34,250 --> 00:49:37,000
In addition,
"Underwater Baptism," U.

1165
00:49:37,042 --> 00:49:38,667
You knew this was coming.

1166
00:49:38,750 --> 00:49:40,917
Acts 2:41, "So those
who received his word

1167
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,208
were baptized."

1168
00:49:44,292 --> 00:49:47,083
Dunked, wet, underwater, right?

1169
00:49:47,167 --> 00:49:49,292
Jesus was dunked in a river.

1170
00:49:49,333 --> 00:49:52,208
John the Baptizer
was dunking people in a river.

1171
00:49:52,292 --> 00:49:55,000
It says in the Bible that they
baptized in certain places

1172
00:49:55,042 --> 00:49:57,292
because there was
plenty of water.

1173
00:49:57,333 --> 00:49:59,833
OK, how many of you
were baptized as infants?

1174
00:49:59,875 --> 00:50:01,875
All of you,
put your hands down.

1175
00:50:01,958 --> 00:50:03,625
None of you were
baptized as infants.

1176
00:50:03,667 --> 00:50:06,542
You were made wet by believing
parents who had good intentions,

1177
00:50:06,625 --> 00:50:08,958
but you were not
baptized, right?

1178
00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:12,042
That was a decision your parents
made, not a decision you made,

1179
00:50:12,125 --> 00:50:13,667
and they sprinkled you.

1180
00:50:13,708 --> 00:50:16,458
This word means,
"dunk underwater," right?

1181
00:50:16,500 --> 00:50:18,125
In ancient Greek literature,

1182
00:50:18,167 --> 00:50:20,458
this word is used
for a ship that sank.

1183
00:50:20,500 --> 00:50:22,833
It says the ship
was baptized, OK?

1184
00:50:22,875 --> 00:50:24,333
That's really wet.

1185
00:50:24,375 --> 00:50:26,958
Do you know why we do
not baptize infants?

1186
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,125
It's child abuse, right?

1187
00:50:29,167 --> 00:50:31,750
Like, if I had a big--like,
let's say, right now,

1188
00:50:31,833 --> 00:50:35,167
I had a big tank and I said,
"OK, oh, see this little girl,

1189
00:50:35,208 --> 00:50:36,917
little flower in her hair?
Haha, ka-klunk!"

1190
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:40,167
You'd be like, "Oh my gosh!
Oh my gosh!

1191
00:50:40,208 --> 00:50:41,958
We're drowning infants!"

1192
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:45,333
No, that's why--OK,
there are reasons

1193
00:50:45,417 --> 00:50:46,833
we don't baptize infants.

1194
00:50:46,917 --> 00:50:48,667
Number one,
it's not the in Bible.

1195
00:50:48,708 --> 00:50:50,667
Number two, it's just
flat out mean, right?

1196
00:50:50,708 --> 00:50:53,333
To take a kid
and to dunk them underwater.

1197
00:50:53,417 --> 00:50:55,750
So, baptism is for adults.

1198
00:50:55,833 --> 00:50:58,417
And some of you say, "Other
Christians disagree with that."

1199
00:50:58,500 --> 00:51:03,917
I know. We love them.
They're wrong, OK?

1200
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:05,833
I was baptized as an infant.

1201
00:51:05,875 --> 00:51:08,208
My mom and dad were
Catholic. They meant well.

1202
00:51:08,292 --> 00:51:09,625
They got me wet.

1203
00:51:09,667 --> 00:51:11,125
It was awesome. Not against it.

1204
00:51:11,167 --> 00:51:14,625
But once I got saved at 19 in
college, came to my own faith,

1205
00:51:14,667 --> 00:51:17,333
I got baptized as a believer
in Jesus Christ

1206
00:51:17,375 --> 00:51:20,500
to show his death,
burial, resurrection for me.

1207
00:51:20,583 --> 00:51:23,000
Newness of life.

1208
00:51:23,083 --> 00:51:24,792
Have you been baptized?

1209
00:51:24,833 --> 00:51:26,500
That's the question.

1210
00:51:26,542 --> 00:51:27,875
Have you been baptized?

1211
00:51:27,958 --> 00:51:29,500
If not, let us know.

1212
00:51:29,583 --> 00:51:33,000
We'd love to dunk you, and
yes, we will bring you back up.

1213
00:51:33,083 --> 00:51:35,417
And we have shirts
and shorts and towels,

1214
00:51:35,500 --> 00:51:37,208
and we'd love to baptize you.

1215
00:51:37,292 --> 00:51:39,333
And here's good news, Mars Hill.

1216
00:51:39,375 --> 00:51:45,292
This last year we baptized
over 1,000 people.

1217
00:51:45,333 --> 00:51:49,167
Over 1,000 people.

1218
00:51:49,250 --> 00:51:54,375
The year before that, we
baptized over 1,000 people.

1219
00:51:54,458 --> 00:51:58,667
The year before that, we
baptized over 1,000 people.

1220
00:51:58,750 --> 00:52:02,167
And these are evidences that
the Holy Spirit is at work,

1221
00:52:02,208 --> 00:52:04,125
and we rejoice, amen?

1222
00:52:04,167 --> 00:52:07,792
We rejoice in that,
and we'd love to dunk you.

1223
00:52:07,833 --> 00:52:10,208
The next one,
"Regular Gatherings."

1224
00:52:10,292 --> 00:52:12,417
Acts 2:46, "Day by day,
attending the temple together

1225
00:52:12,500 --> 00:52:14,125
and breaking bread
in their homes."

1226
00:52:14,167 --> 00:52:16,500
So it's regularly gathering.

1227
00:52:16,583 --> 00:52:19,625
God's people meet
generally on Sunday, why?

1228
00:52:19,667 --> 00:52:21,292
Why Sunday?

1229
00:52:21,333 --> 00:52:23,500
It's the day of Jesus'
resurrection from the dead,

1230
00:52:23,542 --> 00:52:25,833
so we gather to remember
the resurrection of Jesus.

1231
00:52:25,875 --> 00:52:29,917
Even just going to a church
meeting on a Sunday indicates

1232
00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:34,500
some sort of public affiliation
with the resurrection of Jesus.

1233
00:52:34,583 --> 00:52:39,125
Now, the church, the early
church, had big meetings,

1234
00:52:39,167 --> 00:52:40,792
small meetings.

1235
00:52:40,833 --> 00:52:43,583
We have big meetings.
They tend to be on Sunday.

1236
00:52:43,667 --> 00:52:46,500
We have small meetings; we
call them Community Groups.

1237
00:52:46,583 --> 00:52:51,208
And those tend to be in homes,
and we get together for meals

1238
00:52:51,292 --> 00:52:53,250
and break bread, OK?

1239
00:52:53,333 --> 00:52:55,958
Some of you are new to church
and new to Christianity,

1240
00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:57,958
you say, "Why do we
do these things?"

1241
00:52:58,000 --> 00:52:59,667
Well, because they're
in the--first point,

1242
00:52:59,708 --> 00:53:01,125
what was the first point?

1243
00:53:01,167 --> 00:53:02,667
They're in the Bible.

1244
00:53:02,750 --> 00:53:04,125
When the Holy Spirit
shows up,

1245
00:53:04,167 --> 00:53:05,833
these are the things
that happen.

1246
00:53:05,875 --> 00:53:07,667
They're recorded
in the Scriptures.

1247
00:53:07,750 --> 00:53:10,583
He's here with us,
and we want to follow

1248
00:53:10,667 --> 00:53:14,667
in what he wants us to do.

1249
00:53:14,750 --> 00:53:17,167
Now, there is a myth
that I need to correct,

1250
00:53:17,250 --> 00:53:19,375
and that is sometimes people
come along and say,

1251
00:53:19,458 --> 00:53:22,125
"Oh, the early church only had
small meetings, not big ones.

1252
00:53:22,167 --> 00:53:23,500
"They only met in homes.

1253
00:53:23,583 --> 00:53:24,917
"They didn't have
large get-togethers.

1254
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:26,417
"We should only meet in homes,

1255
00:53:26,500 --> 00:53:28,625
"and the church should be very
small and disorganized,

1256
00:53:28,667 --> 00:53:30,375
"and we don't need
all that leadership,

1257
00:53:30,458 --> 00:53:32,125
"and we don't need
all that preaching,

1258
00:53:32,167 --> 00:53:33,833
"and not everybody
needs to get together.

1259
00:53:33,875 --> 00:53:36,000
"It should just be little group,
after little group,

1260
00:53:36,083 --> 00:53:38,208
after little group," or,
"That's the pure church," or,

1261
00:53:38,292 --> 00:53:40,500
"That's the best church,"
or "That's the real church."

1262
00:53:40,583 --> 00:53:42,875
And I'd say, "That's not
what the Bible says."

1263
00:53:42,958 --> 00:53:45,375
Temple courts,
big group or large group?

1264
00:53:45,458 --> 00:53:48,167
Any time you hear the word
"temple" and "court,"

1265
00:53:48,250 --> 00:53:50,000
think big, OK?

1266
00:53:50,042 --> 00:53:52,292
It's a big room,
and they didn't have seats.

1267
00:53:52,333 --> 00:53:54,667
Seats didn't come along
until much, much later.

1268
00:53:54,708 --> 00:53:56,667
They didn't have amplification,

1269
00:53:56,708 --> 00:53:58,417
so people would
stand up for meetings.

1270
00:53:58,500 --> 00:54:01,625
You get a lot of people
in a room, just stand them up.

1271
00:54:01,667 --> 00:54:03,000
You been to a concert?

1272
00:54:03,083 --> 00:54:05,208
You get a lot of people
in a room.

1273
00:54:05,292 --> 00:54:07,417
You don't sit them down,
you stand them up.

1274
00:54:07,500 --> 00:54:09,417
We read of other places
in the Bible

1275
00:54:09,500 --> 00:54:10,833
that they had big meetings.

1276
00:54:10,875 --> 00:54:13,583
It says in Ephesians, or rather
in the city of Ephesus

1277
00:54:13,667 --> 00:54:15,000
from which Paul wrote,

1278
00:54:15,042 --> 00:54:17,208
that he rented
the hall of Tyrannus

1279
00:54:17,292 --> 00:54:21,792
and he lectured there, so it's
some hall, some big room.

1280
00:54:21,833 --> 00:54:25,208
Jesus had big crowds--
5,000 men, plus the women,

1281
00:54:25,292 --> 00:54:28,292
plus the children--
20-some thousand people maybe.

1282
00:54:28,333 --> 00:54:34,208
We're talking a huge gathering
to hear Jesus.

1283
00:54:34,292 --> 00:54:36,917
And there's smaller
gatherings in the homes,

1284
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,125
but let me say that not
all those gatherings

1285
00:54:39,167 --> 00:54:40,792
were really, really small.

1286
00:54:40,833 --> 00:54:43,708
See, in the hill country
of Judea where Jesus grew up,

1287
00:54:43,792 --> 00:54:45,125
the homes are very small.

1288
00:54:45,167 --> 00:54:46,500
The people were peasants.

1289
00:54:46,583 --> 00:54:48,000
Their homes are about the size

1290
00:54:48,083 --> 00:54:50,333
of a parking stall
for one of our cars.

1291
00:54:50,375 --> 00:54:51,833
So, I've been to these places

1292
00:54:51,875 --> 00:54:53,250
and I've investigated
these things.

1293
00:54:53,333 --> 00:54:55,542
Boy, you go to a city
like Laodicea,

1294
00:54:55,625 --> 00:54:57,542
one of the cities
mentioned in the Bible,

1295
00:54:57,625 --> 00:54:59,042
these people lived
on a plateau,

1296
00:54:59,125 --> 00:55:00,917
kind of like
Mars Hill Sammamish.

1297
00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,792
These people are very, very
rich and they have huge homes.

1298
00:55:03,833 --> 00:55:07,417
Archeological digs show indoor
plumbing, outdoor fountains,

1299
00:55:07,500 --> 00:55:10,167
3-plus-thousand
square foot homes.

1300
00:55:10,250 --> 00:55:12,167
These people
are living very nice.

1301
00:55:12,250 --> 00:55:14,375
So, just because they're
in a home doesn't mean

1302
00:55:14,458 --> 00:55:16,125
there's a small group of people.

1303
00:55:16,167 --> 00:55:19,083
I was in the archeological dig
in the city of Ephesus,

1304
00:55:19,167 --> 00:55:21,583
and there were great rooms
for entertaining in the homes

1305
00:55:21,667 --> 00:55:24,708
of the more affluent people that
could easily house hundreds--

1306
00:55:24,792 --> 00:55:26,417
hundreds of people.

1307
00:55:26,500 --> 00:55:28,000
I stood in them.

1308
00:55:28,083 --> 00:55:30,208
When we went
to the city of Corinth,

1309
00:55:30,292 --> 00:55:36,000
many of the homes were in
more of the shape of a square,

1310
00:55:36,042 --> 00:55:37,833
and the home would be
constructed

1311
00:55:37,875 --> 00:55:40,208
with a huge inner courtyard
that was open

1312
00:55:40,292 --> 00:55:42,500
because the weather afforded
a lot of outdoor time,

1313
00:55:42,583 --> 00:55:44,875
kind of like
Southern California.

1314
00:55:44,958 --> 00:55:47,917
On an archeological dig, they
discovered one of these homes

1315
00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:51,333
had a menorah, representing
Judaism, and a cross,

1316
00:55:51,375 --> 00:55:54,250
representing
Christianity, on the home,

1317
00:55:54,333 --> 00:55:57,250
showing that this probably
belonged to a Jewish believer

1318
00:55:57,333 --> 00:56:00,208
and this is where they met,
and this courtyard would house

1319
00:56:00,292 --> 00:56:03,708
hundreds of people.

1320
00:56:03,792 --> 00:56:06,833
So I want you to blow
out the myth that Christianity

1321
00:56:06,875 --> 00:56:10,083
was forever this small movement
of a couple people

1322
00:56:10,167 --> 00:56:12,417
meeting in a home
and nothing more.

1323
00:56:12,500 --> 00:56:14,708
They have large meetings
and small meetings,

1324
00:56:14,792 --> 00:56:17,000
and even some of the meetings
in the homes

1325
00:56:17,042 --> 00:56:18,792
were not necessarily
small meetings.

1326
00:56:18,833 --> 00:56:21,417
Some of those were very
large meetings as well--

1327
00:56:21,500 --> 00:56:24,625
because God's people
love to get together.

1328
00:56:24,667 --> 00:56:27,625
So, my question to you is,

1329
00:56:27,667 --> 00:56:30,875
are you attending
our large meetings?

1330
00:56:30,958 --> 00:56:33,333
Do you join us
regularly on Sunday?

1331
00:56:33,375 --> 00:56:35,833
Are you participating
in our small meetings,

1332
00:56:35,875 --> 00:56:38,833
our Community Groups
that meet in homes?

1333
00:56:38,875 --> 00:56:40,500
Those are part of our church.

1334
00:56:40,583 --> 00:56:43,500
We don't believe that if you
just go to a Community Group

1335
00:56:43,583 --> 00:56:46,083
that you're fully participating
in what is a biblical church.

1336
00:56:46,167 --> 00:56:48,500
It's an aspect of a church.

1337
00:56:48,583 --> 00:56:50,375
Somebody who's only
in a Community Group

1338
00:56:50,458 --> 00:56:52,333
or only listens
to a sermon online

1339
00:56:52,375 --> 00:56:54,042
is getting
an aspect of the church,

1340
00:56:54,125 --> 00:56:56,958
but they're not participating in
the fullness of what it means

1341
00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:58,917
to be the New Testament church.

1342
00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:01,208
Are you regularly involved
in our big groups

1343
00:57:01,292 --> 00:57:03,167
and our small groups?

1344
00:57:03,250 --> 00:57:05,833
And if not, we're going
to sign you up today.

1345
00:57:05,875 --> 00:57:07,583
There's probably
one right near you.

1346
00:57:07,667 --> 00:57:09,500
Different days
and times and locations.

1347
00:57:09,583 --> 00:57:11,833
And if you don't
like the first one,

1348
00:57:11,875 --> 00:57:13,375
find another one.

1349
00:57:13,458 --> 00:57:15,833
Just get involved
with God's people.

1350
00:57:15,875 --> 00:57:19,917
Regular gatherings, and this
shows us Jesus' reconciliation,

1351
00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:23,875
that he reconciles us to God,
he reconciles us to one another.

1352
00:57:23,958 --> 00:57:26,500
C, "Community."

1353
00:57:26,583 --> 00:57:31,417
Acts 2:42, "They devoted
themselves to the fellowship."

1354
00:57:31,500 --> 00:57:34,417
Hospitality is where
we welcome strangers.

1355
00:57:34,500 --> 00:57:38,000
Fellowship is where
we welcome believers.

1356
00:57:38,083 --> 00:57:40,417
So, hospitality's where
we welcome strangers;

1357
00:57:40,500 --> 00:57:43,417
fellowship is where
we welcome believers

1358
00:57:43,500 --> 00:57:45,500
"to the breaking of bread
and prayers."

1359
00:57:45,583 --> 00:57:47,500
So, you get this idea
of community here.

1360
00:57:47,542 --> 00:57:49,417
They're getting together,
they know each other,

1361
00:57:49,500 --> 00:57:51,500
they love each other,
they serve one another,

1362
00:57:51,542 --> 00:57:53,333
they do life together.

1363
00:57:53,375 --> 00:57:56,750
Acts 2:44, "All who
believed were together."

1364
00:57:56,833 --> 00:57:58,750
There's a community there.

1365
00:57:58,833 --> 00:58:01,083
And Acts 2:46, "Breaking
bread in their homes."

1366
00:58:01,167 --> 00:58:04,917
So, a lot of the language
here is language of community.

1367
00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:07,625
What we're talking about here is
this is a reflection

1368
00:58:07,667 --> 00:58:09,333
of Jesus' kingdom.

1369
00:58:09,375 --> 00:58:11,208
In Jesus' kingdom,
all of Jesus' people

1370
00:58:11,292 --> 00:58:13,292
are going to be together
forever.

1371
00:58:13,333 --> 00:58:15,708
In Jesus' kingdom, we're going
to eat together with gladness.

1372
00:58:15,792 --> 00:58:20,000
It's typified as a huge
celebration meal around Jesus.

1373
00:58:20,042 --> 00:58:22,500
And so when we gather
together in community,

1374
00:58:22,583 --> 00:58:25,708
it's called fellowship for
God's people. This is community

1375
00:58:25,792 --> 00:58:28,500
and friendship and life
and love and joy and unity.

1376
00:58:28,583 --> 00:58:30,625
What it is,
it's a foreshadowing--

1377
00:58:30,667 --> 00:58:34,500
it's a foretaste of the coming
of the kingdom of Jesus Christ,

1378
00:58:34,583 --> 00:58:36,833
where we'll eat with
him together forever.

1379
00:58:36,875 --> 00:58:38,875
And let me say this:
sometimes in community,

1380
00:58:38,958 --> 00:58:41,000
you're going to drive
one another nuts.

1381
00:58:41,083 --> 00:58:44,208
You're going to, so don't get
this idealized picture, OK?

1382
00:58:44,292 --> 00:58:49,083
Heaven will be great, and those
people will be better in heaven

1383
00:58:49,167 --> 00:58:50,917
than they are
in your Community Group.

1384
00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:53,667
So, when you show up to your
Community Group, don't think,

1385
00:58:53,708 --> 00:58:56,167
"Oh, this will be amazing.
These people will be perfect.

1386
00:58:56,208 --> 00:58:58,333
It's going to be like heaven."
No, it won't.

1387
00:58:58,417 --> 00:59:00,292
You're going to drive them
crazy, OK?

1388
00:59:00,333 --> 00:59:03,000
They're going to drive
you crazy.

1389
00:59:03,042 --> 00:59:05,833
Welcome to the family of God,
OK?

1390
00:59:05,875 --> 00:59:07,333
And we work it out.

1391
00:59:07,375 --> 00:59:10,000
We work our sin out. We work
things through together.

1392
00:59:10,042 --> 00:59:12,583
We realize, "Man, I got
some stuff to work on.

1393
00:59:12,667 --> 00:59:14,417
You got some stuff to work on."

1394
00:59:14,500 --> 00:59:16,500
But don't over idealize
this, OK?

1395
00:59:16,583 --> 00:59:18,500
Don't over idealize this.

1396
00:59:18,583 --> 00:59:22,625
God's people fight, but we
fight as family, not as enemy.

1397
00:59:22,667 --> 00:59:25,500
We fight as family,
but not as enemy.

1398
00:59:25,542 --> 00:59:28,125
So, are you, again,
in community?

1399
00:59:28,167 --> 00:59:30,292
Are you in a Community Group?

1400
00:59:30,333 --> 00:59:33,417
That's how we practice
this together as a church.

1401
00:59:33,500 --> 00:59:39,833
Lastly, H, "Harvesting Through
Evangelism and Church Planting."

1402
00:59:39,875 --> 00:59:42,833
Our mission has always been,
"Hey, we plant churches,

1403
00:59:42,875 --> 00:59:44,333
make disciples," right?

1404
00:59:44,375 --> 00:59:46,833
We want people to meet Jesus,
people who meet Jesus

1405
00:59:46,875 --> 00:59:49,125
to become more like Jesus,
and as that happens,

1406
00:59:49,167 --> 00:59:51,625
you're going to need to have
more churches because there's

1407
00:59:51,667 --> 00:59:54,208
going to be more people,
so we do church planting.

1408
00:59:54,292 --> 00:59:56,125
Acts 2:41, "There were added
that day

1409
00:59:56,167 --> 00:59:58,083
about three thousand souls."

1410
00:59:58,167 --> 01:00:00,583
How big was the
church prior to that?

1411
01:00:00,667 --> 01:00:04,042
120 to 3,000.

1412
01:00:04,125 --> 01:00:06,500
They don't have enough leaders,
they don't have enough buildings,

1413
01:00:06,542 --> 01:00:07,833
they don't have enough systems.

1414
01:00:07,917 --> 01:00:09,667
Everything just broke.

1415
01:00:09,750 --> 01:00:12,542
It's a mess where people 
are showing up to church like,

1416
01:00:12,625 --> 01:00:14,750
"Oh my goodness.
Everything's changed.

1417
01:00:14,833 --> 01:00:17,917
"I'm so frustrated.
That's my seat.

1418
01:00:18,000 --> 01:00:20,167
How come I can't hang out
with the apostles?"

1419
01:00:20,208 --> 01:00:22,292
They're very frustrated.

1420
01:00:22,333 --> 01:00:24,292
How do I know?
They blogged about it.

1421
01:00:24,333 --> 01:00:26,167
They had reviews on Yelp.

1422
01:00:26,250 --> 01:00:29,792
People were very frustrated
with all these transitions,

1423
01:00:29,833 --> 01:00:32,000
but you know what?
It's a good thing.

1424
01:00:32,083 --> 01:00:33,375
It's a good thing.

1425
01:00:33,458 --> 01:00:37,042
It's a good thing
when a family grows, right?

1426
01:00:37,125 --> 01:00:39,083
It's a good thing
when a family grows.

1427
01:00:39,167 --> 01:00:43,833
More kids, more work,
more problems, more joy.

1428
01:00:43,875 --> 01:00:45,292
You know what I'd rather have?

1429
01:00:45,333 --> 01:00:50,250
A big family
than things never change.

1430
01:00:50,333 --> 01:00:52,250
I love the idea,
I got five kids,

1431
01:00:52,333 --> 01:00:55,250
obviously I love
the idea of a big family.

1432
01:00:55,333 --> 01:00:57,917
Let me say this Mars Hill,
they had a little family,

1433
01:00:58,000 --> 01:01:00,833
it became a big family
and that was a good thing.

1434
01:01:00,917 --> 01:01:02,792
That little family,
it became a big family

1435
01:01:02,833 --> 01:01:05,750
and that was a good thing;
that's what the Holy Spirit did.

1436
01:01:05,833 --> 01:01:08,208
And so what you see
is 3,000 souls are added,

1437
01:01:08,292 --> 01:01:10,167
all these new Christians come.

1438
01:01:10,250 --> 01:01:12,917
Acts 2:47, "The Lord added to
their number day by day

1439
01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:14,375
those who were being saved."

1440
01:01:14,458 --> 01:01:16,333
You know what's
amazing, Mars Hill?

1441
01:01:16,375 --> 01:01:21,500
Years ago, almost 20 years ago,
I read this verse and I prayed,

1442
01:01:21,583 --> 01:01:26,333
"Lord Jesus, I know it's not
soon, but someday, please,

1443
01:01:26,375 --> 01:01:30,625
"someday let us see people
get saved day by day.

1444
01:01:30,667 --> 01:01:33,708
"Every day, every day,
let us get to the point

1445
01:01:33,792 --> 01:01:35,833
where we see people saved."

1446
01:01:35,875 --> 01:01:38,417
True or false, that
prayer was answered?

1447
01:01:38,500 --> 01:01:44,917
Three years in a row, we have
averaged three baptisms a day.

1448
01:01:45,000 --> 01:01:48,375
Three baptisms a day
we have averaged for over

1449
01:01:48,458 --> 01:01:54,833
three years. People becoming
Christian over and over

1450
01:01:54,875 --> 01:01:58,417
and over and over and over.

1451
01:01:58,500 --> 01:02:01,375
Last week, I'm at the airport,
a woman walks up,

1452
01:02:01,458 --> 01:02:04,292
"I got saved and baptized
at Mars Hill." Give her a hug.

1453
01:02:04,333 --> 01:02:07,000
I swear to you, I'm at
the store, somebody walks up,

1454
01:02:07,042 --> 01:02:09,458
"Pastor Mark, I got saved
and baptized at Mars Hill."

1455
01:02:09,500 --> 01:02:10,833
Gives me a hug.

1456
01:02:10,917 --> 01:02:13,583
I tell you the truth,
I go to a coffee shop,

1457
01:02:13,667 --> 01:02:15,000
somebody comes up,

1458
01:02:15,042 --> 01:02:17,500
"Pastor Mark, I got saved
and baptized at Mars Hill."

1459
01:02:17,542 --> 01:02:18,875
Gives me a hug.

1460
01:02:18,958 --> 01:02:21,708
I'm going out more.
I get very encouraged.

1461
01:02:21,792 --> 01:02:25,208
Lots of people becoming
Christians--good, right?

1462
01:02:25,292 --> 01:02:27,167
It's good.

1463
01:02:27,250 --> 01:02:30,125
And so as a church, we get
excited as the church grows.

1464
01:02:30,167 --> 01:02:32,833
And some of you say, "Oh,
it's all about the numbers."

1465
01:02:32,875 --> 01:02:36,000
"Three thousand," somebody's
counting, right?

1466
01:02:36,083 --> 01:02:38,833
A guy with a clipboard like,
"One, two, three, four, five.

1467
01:02:38,875 --> 01:02:40,417
Anymore wet people?"

1468
01:02:40,500 --> 01:02:42,583
He's counting, right?

1469
01:02:42,667 --> 01:02:45,625
We count people
because people count.

1470
01:02:45,667 --> 01:02:47,417
You know how many kids I have?

1471
01:02:47,500 --> 01:02:48,833
Five.

1472
01:02:48,875 --> 01:02:52,125
You know why?
I count them, right?

1473
01:02:52,167 --> 01:02:54,125
We're on a trip,
jumping on an airplane,

1474
01:02:54,167 --> 01:02:55,625
"Do you have all the kids?"

1475
01:02:55,667 --> 01:02:58,333
"I don't know. I don't count.
I'm not into the numbers."

1476
01:02:58,375 --> 01:03:01,667
No, I count, right?

1477
01:03:01,750 --> 01:03:05,583
We count people
because people count.

1478
01:03:05,667 --> 01:03:07,958
We don't want to--
"Hey, did we miss anybody?"

1479
01:03:08,000 --> 01:03:09,333
Right?

1480
01:03:09,417 --> 01:03:11,500
Any of our people playing
spiritual "Home Alone"?

1481
01:03:11,583 --> 01:03:13,917
You know, how's everybody doing?

1482
01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:16,125
And so what happens is,
we believe in evangelism.

1483
01:03:16,167 --> 01:03:17,500
People should meet Jesus.

1484
01:03:17,583 --> 01:03:18,917
We believe in church planting.

1485
01:03:19,000 --> 01:03:21,917
As more people meet Jesus, more
churches should be planted.

1486
01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:25,875
And here's the big idea: Kings
and kingdoms will come and go.

1487
01:03:25,958 --> 01:03:28,667
Businesses and headquarters
will come and go.

1488
01:03:28,750 --> 01:03:31,417
Teams and stadiums
will come and go.

1489
01:03:31,500 --> 01:03:34,417
And bands and venues
will come and go.

1490
01:03:34,500 --> 01:03:37,500
But the church of Jesus Christ
endures forever.

1491
01:03:37,542 --> 01:03:39,583
It's the biggest thing
on the earth.

1492
01:03:39,667 --> 01:03:42,000
It's the biggest thing
in the history of the earth.

1493
01:03:42,083 --> 01:03:43,708
It's the one thing
that Jesus started.

1494
01:03:43,792 --> 01:03:45,708
It's the one thing
that Jesus died for.

1495
01:03:45,792 --> 01:03:48,333
It's the one thing
that Jesus loves.

1496
01:03:48,375 --> 01:03:52,208
And it's the one thing that will
end when everything else ends.

1497
01:03:52,292 --> 01:03:56,792
God's people will march together
into God's kingdom to sing

1498
01:03:56,833 --> 01:04:01,875
God's praises because they
are God's people, amen?

1499
01:04:01,958 --> 01:04:05,417
Amen!

1500
01:04:07,167 --> 01:04:09,167
I don't know if
you've caught this--

1501
01:04:09,250 --> 01:04:11,708
I really love our church, amen?

1502
01:04:11,792 --> 01:04:14,000
And Jesus really
loves our church,

1503
01:04:14,083 --> 01:04:17,000
and the Holy Spirit really
loves to show up at our church,

1504
01:04:17,042 --> 01:04:19,000
so I'm really excited to share
with you

1505
01:04:19,042 --> 01:04:20,500
what's going on in our church.

1506
01:04:20,583 --> 01:04:23,167
And as they give you a little
glimpse of what's next,

1507
01:04:23,250 --> 01:04:25,125
we're going to collect
our tithes and offerings.

1508
01:04:25,167 --> 01:04:27,500
This is a chance
for you to obey, yeah.

1509
01:04:27,583 --> 01:04:29,708
This is a good chance
for you to obey.

1510
01:04:29,792 --> 01:04:32,917
If you're not a Christian, this
is where you give your sin

1511
01:04:33,000 --> 01:04:34,625
to Jesus and become a Christian,

1512
01:04:34,667 --> 01:04:37,000
then we're going to take
Communion so you can obey.

1513
01:04:37,083 --> 01:04:39,000
We're going to sing
so you can obey.

1514
01:04:39,083 --> 01:04:41,000
We're going to sign
you up to serve

1515
01:04:41,083 --> 01:04:43,208
and get into Community Group
so you can obey.

1516
01:04:43,292 --> 01:04:46,000
We're going to invite you
to love and serve one another

1517
01:04:46,042 --> 01:04:47,375
so that you can obey.

1518
01:04:47,458 --> 01:04:49,125
Do not merely listen
to the Word

1519
01:04:49,167 --> 01:04:51,125
and so deceive yourselves.

1520
01:04:51,167 --> 01:04:55,875
Do what it says, amen?

1521
01:04:55,958 --> 01:04:57,667
I like this.

1522
01:04:57,750 --> 01:05:01,042
All right, let's see
what's next.

1523
01:05:02,917 --> 01:05:05,167
That's why we're here.

1524
01:05:05,208 --> 01:05:08,167
Religion does not save.
Philosophy does not save.

1525
01:05:08,250 --> 01:05:12,000
Spirituality does not save.
Morality does not save.

1526
01:05:12,042 --> 01:05:14,417
The faith of your
parents does not save.

1527
01:05:14,500 --> 01:05:17,083
The faith of your
grandparents does not save.

1528
01:05:17,167 --> 01:05:19,333
Only Jesus saves.

1529
01:05:19,375 --> 01:05:22,417
You and I need a Savior.

1530
01:05:22,500 --> 01:05:26,167
That's the good news, is
that we have a Savior.

1531
01:05:33,875 --> 01:05:36,333
You know, for the first time
in many, many years,

1532
01:05:36,375 --> 01:05:39,500
we've taken ourselves off
the list of the fastest growing

1533
01:05:39,542 --> 01:05:41,875
and largest churches in America.

1534
01:05:41,958 --> 01:05:44,000
I think between
Good Friday and Easter,

1535
01:05:44,042 --> 01:05:47,292
we were able to welcome
28,000 people

1536
01:05:47,333 --> 01:05:49,792
to our Mars Hill churches,

1537
01:05:49,833 --> 01:05:53,417
and we had over
1,000 baptisms this past year,

1538
01:05:53,500 --> 01:05:56,208
over 1,000 baptisms
the year before that,

1539
01:05:56,292 --> 01:05:58,708
over 1,000 baptisms
the year before that.

1540
01:05:58,792 --> 01:06:01,292
I mean, God just
keeps saving people,

1541
01:06:01,333 --> 01:06:04,500
and we've decided as
an executive eldership,

1542
01:06:04,542 --> 01:06:08,833
we're going to take ourselves
off that list just for us.

1543
01:06:08,917 --> 01:06:13,417
It's a conscience issue, and we
just don't want to, in any way,

1544
01:06:13,500 --> 01:06:15,625
have people think it's more
about numbers

1545
01:06:15,667 --> 01:06:19,500
than it is about faces.

1546
01:06:19,542 --> 01:06:22,333
I would--I mean, if I'm praying,
and I've always got goals--

1547
01:06:22,375 --> 01:06:25,292
I've got no shortage of goals--
but I can see Mars Hill

1548
01:06:25,333 --> 01:06:28,917
at full maturity, 50 locations,
50,000 people.

1549
01:06:29,000 --> 01:06:34,208
I can see that, but I would
rather have health than growth.

1550
01:06:34,292 --> 01:06:37,000
If I have to choose between
a really healthy child

1551
01:06:37,083 --> 01:06:40,125
and a really big child--well,
what I would like is, you know,

1552
01:06:40,167 --> 01:06:43,708
a very healthy big church. But
if we've got to choose between

1553
01:06:43,792 --> 01:06:46,167
big and healthy,
we choose healthy.

1554
01:06:46,250 --> 01:06:48,125
I want it to be strong.

1555
01:06:48,167 --> 01:06:51,833
I want it to have loving,
committed, stable local leaders,

1556
01:06:51,875 --> 01:06:54,375
pastors, and deacons who
are going to love and care

1557
01:06:54,458 --> 01:06:56,083
for that family.

1558
01:06:56,167 --> 01:06:59,375
I want the Community Groups
to not settle for anything less

1559
01:06:59,458 --> 01:07:02,375
than really working through
the hard issues of life together

1560
01:07:02,458 --> 01:07:06,083
and doing what the church
family's supposed to do together

1561
01:07:06,167 --> 01:07:08,583
on mission
in their community.

1562
01:07:08,667 --> 01:07:11,917
You know, I don't want to just
have a bunch of podcasters

1563
01:07:12,000 --> 01:07:15,333
who show up 52 times
a year for a conference.

1564
01:07:15,375 --> 01:07:17,375
I want--we want a church.

1565
01:07:17,458 --> 01:07:22,833
We want a godly, healthy church.

1566
01:07:22,875 --> 01:07:27,125
And so the emphasis really now
is on being a healthy family,

1567
01:07:27,167 --> 01:07:30,333
so things like Community Groups
are more important than ever,

1568
01:07:30,375 --> 01:07:32,417
and things like
Redemption Groups,

1569
01:07:32,500 --> 01:07:34,875
which we're excited about,
to help those who are suffering

1570
01:07:34,958 --> 01:07:38,333
and hurting. And adding new
things as well in the past year,

1571
01:07:38,375 --> 01:07:42,417
like Women's Ministry, which
has been very, very successful,

1572
01:07:42,500 --> 01:07:45,500
allowing our women and enabling
our women to use their gifts

1573
01:07:45,542 --> 01:07:47,625
and meet together in community,

1574
01:07:47,667 --> 01:07:50,125
as well as
Mars Hill Student Ministry,

1575
01:07:50,167 --> 01:07:53,125
which is really off
to a great, strong start.

1576
01:07:53,167 --> 01:07:55,000
It's about people.

1577
01:07:55,042 --> 01:07:56,500
It's about people meeting Jesus.

1578
01:07:56,583 --> 01:07:58,500
It's about people
being loved by Jesus.

1579
01:07:58,583 --> 01:08:00,292
It's about people loving Jesus.

1580
01:08:00,333 --> 01:08:02,042
It's about people
loving each other.

1581
01:08:02,125 --> 01:08:05,750
It's about people then doing
life together as family,

1582
01:08:05,833 --> 01:08:08,167
walking through the hard times,
being there to celebrate

1583
01:08:08,250 --> 01:08:11,083
the good times, when
there's problems or sin,

1584
01:08:11,167 --> 01:08:13,583
helping people get
unstuck and corrected,

1585
01:08:13,667 --> 01:08:15,500
when people are
growing in wisdom,

1586
01:08:15,583 --> 01:08:18,000
having them become leaders
and help look after

1587
01:08:18,083 --> 01:08:20,000
the younger kids in the family.

1588
01:08:20,042 --> 01:08:22,500
Those are the things that,
in my heart right now,

1589
01:08:22,542 --> 01:08:24,167
are super, super important.

1590
01:08:24,250 --> 01:08:28,167
We have so many people.

1591
01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:33,500
Well, one thing we've learned
over the years is once

1592
01:08:33,542 --> 01:08:35,917
you plant a church
in an urban area,

1593
01:08:36,000 --> 01:08:38,208
that it tends to be
a regional church.

1594
01:08:38,292 --> 01:08:41,417
People come in from many, many
miles around and then they start

1595
01:08:41,500 --> 01:08:44,292
Community Groups in their
particular area, and over time,

1596
01:08:44,333 --> 01:08:46,500
you might get enough
Community Groups to start

1597
01:08:46,583 --> 01:08:49,875
launching other churches
in those particular areas.

1598
01:08:49,958 --> 01:08:52,708
And so for us, historically,
cities have been

1599
01:08:52,792 --> 01:08:54,417
incredibly important.

1600
01:08:54,500 --> 01:08:57,292
This has been the case
at Mars Hill for 17 years.

1601
01:08:57,333 --> 01:09:00,083
The Bible ends with a picture
of God's eternal kingdom

1602
01:09:00,167 --> 01:09:01,667
as a great city,

1603
01:09:01,708 --> 01:09:04,167
the city of Jerusalem
come down out of heaven.

1604
01:09:04,208 --> 01:09:06,333
And cities are where
culture is made.

1605
01:09:06,417 --> 01:09:08,333
It's where people
travel to and from.

1606
01:09:08,417 --> 01:09:10,667
It's where ideas are
formed and shaped.

1607
01:09:10,750 --> 01:09:13,000
It's where you'll find
the students, the media,

1608
01:09:13,042 --> 01:09:14,792
the cultural creatives.

1609
01:09:14,833 --> 01:09:16,708
And so, as you're
thinking about Mars Hill,

1610
01:09:16,792 --> 01:09:19,208
be praying for us
as we're always looking for

1611
01:09:19,292 --> 01:09:22,625
opportunities, both in old urban
areas where we can reclaim

1612
01:09:22,667 --> 01:09:24,500
an older church building,

1613
01:09:24,542 --> 01:09:27,167
as is the case at
Mars Hill Church Downtown

1614
01:09:27,250 --> 01:09:29,667
where I'm standing,
Mars Hill West Seattle,

1615
01:09:29,750 --> 01:09:32,000
Mars Hill University District.

1616
01:09:32,042 --> 01:09:35,000
Surrounding us in the Seattle
area are some older

1617
01:09:35,042 --> 01:09:36,625
urban church buildings

1618
01:09:36,667 --> 01:09:38,917
that we've been able
to reclaim and reuse

1619
01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:40,500
for the cause of Jesus.

1620
01:09:40,583 --> 01:09:42,708
The same is true
at Mars Hill Portland.

1621
01:09:42,792 --> 01:09:46,000
As well as new urban areas,
areas where lots of people are

1622
01:09:46,042 --> 01:09:48,833
flocking, particularly young
people, cultural creatives,

1623
01:09:48,875 --> 01:09:51,333
and those who will be shaping
whatever the culture

1624
01:09:51,375 --> 01:09:53,167
becomes next.

1625
01:09:53,250 --> 01:09:55,500
That would be places like
Mars Hill Orange County

1626
01:09:55,583 --> 01:09:57,625
and also Mars Hill Bellevue.

1627
01:09:57,667 --> 01:10:00,917
In those locations, there tend
not to be as many older historic

1628
01:10:01,000 --> 01:10:03,708
churches that we can
repurpose and reuse,

1629
01:10:03,792 --> 01:10:07,708
so we have to find warehouses,
other kinds of space that we

1630
01:10:07,792 --> 01:10:13,417
can repurpose and reclaim for
those new urban areas as well.

1631
01:10:13,500 --> 01:10:16,500
And so our big vision, going
forward as we look way, way,

1632
01:10:16,542 --> 01:10:19,833
way down the road is continuing
to pioneer churches

1633
01:10:19,875 --> 01:10:22,000
in urban areas,
and then from there,

1634
01:10:22,083 --> 01:10:24,917
have those churches reach out
to the suburban areas.

1635
01:10:25,000 --> 01:10:27,833
So, the same kind of thing
that we've done in Seattle--

1636
01:10:27,875 --> 01:10:29,500
plant a church, let it grow,

1637
01:10:29,542 --> 01:10:31,417
become healthy,
strong, and regional,

1638
01:10:31,500 --> 01:10:34,292
and then from that, plant other
areas. That's what we're doing

1639
01:10:34,333 --> 01:10:36,917
in Orange County, that's what
we're doing in Albuquerque,

1640
01:10:37,000 --> 01:10:39,000
that's what we're
doing in Portland,

1641
01:10:39,042 --> 01:10:40,833
as part of the long-term vision.

1642
01:10:40,875 --> 01:10:43,625
And then you can pray with
us as we're considering

1643
01:10:43,667 --> 01:10:45,792
other opportunities as well.
Places like Austin,

1644
01:10:45,833 --> 01:10:48,708
L.A., and Phoenix are probably
first on our radar for

1645
01:10:48,792 --> 01:10:51,500
the next opportunities, though
if something else shows up,

1646
01:10:51,542 --> 01:10:53,958
we'll always take a look at it.

1647
01:10:56,667 --> 01:10:59,125
Here's the truth:
I really love our church,

1648
01:10:59,167 --> 01:11:02,792
and by God's grace, I want to
pastor one church my whole life.

1649
01:11:02,833 --> 01:11:06,375
I do feel about each of our
locations like it's a big family

1650
01:11:06,458 --> 01:11:08,333
with 14 kids.

1651
01:11:08,417 --> 01:11:11,708
Everybody's different
and everybody needs investment

1652
01:11:11,792 --> 01:11:15,500
and love and care and concern
and correction differently.

1653
01:11:15,583 --> 01:11:18,167
And so here's what is
on my heart this year

1654
01:11:18,250 --> 01:11:21,125
and for our forthcoming year:
Jesus says it this way,

1655
01:11:21,167 --> 01:11:23,125
"A good tree bears good fruit."

1656
01:11:23,167 --> 01:11:26,375
Our focus, really, is just
to be a good tree, love Jesus,

1657
01:11:26,458 --> 01:11:29,583
love one another, love lost
people, love hurting people,

1658
01:11:29,667 --> 01:11:31,375
love rebellious people, heck,

1659
01:11:31,458 --> 01:11:33,208
love our enemies
while we're at it,

1660
01:11:33,292 --> 01:11:36,500
because Jesus told us to, and
may they even join our family.

1661
01:11:36,583 --> 01:11:39,208
And so that's really my
heart for the upcoming year.

1662
01:11:39,292 --> 01:11:42,125
I think that there is still
an escalator of God's grace

1663
01:11:42,167 --> 01:11:45,208
that we're riding, as we
have been for 17 years.

1664
01:11:45,292 --> 01:11:47,917
I think we're going to plant
a lot more churches,

1665
01:11:48,000 --> 01:11:50,208
I think we're going to see
this church grow,

1666
01:11:50,292 --> 01:11:53,333
but what I really want to
implore for you in this next

1667
01:11:53,375 --> 01:11:56,333
season is something that's
very simple, very profound,

1668
01:11:56,375 --> 01:11:59,333
very important,
and not very measurable,

1669
01:11:59,375 --> 01:12:02,458
and that's that we love one
another, that you love the Lord,

1670
01:12:02,500 --> 01:12:03,833
that you love one another,

1671
01:12:03,917 --> 01:12:06,042
that you love the people
in your Community Group,

1672
01:12:06,125 --> 01:12:08,250
that you love the leadership
in your local church,

1673
01:12:08,333 --> 01:12:10,833
you love the people
in your family and in your

1674
01:12:10,917 --> 01:12:13,000
spiritual family, and even
when there's conflict, trouble,

1675
01:12:13,083 --> 01:12:16,292
or trial, we love one another
and we work that through so that

1676
01:12:16,333 --> 01:12:19,500
we could be the family of God
and continue to mature together.

1677
01:12:19,583 --> 01:12:24,500
And so right now, I'd love to
tell you all the amazing things

1678
01:12:24,542 --> 01:12:27,083
we have teed up and lined
up. And they're coming.

1679
01:12:27,167 --> 01:12:29,000
And God has opened
some amazing doors--

1680
01:12:29,083 --> 01:12:31,833
it'd be a little too premature
to tell you about,

1681
01:12:31,875 --> 01:12:34,000
but whatever Jesus has for us,

1682
01:12:34,042 --> 01:12:37,208
I know that if we're loving one
another, whatever he has for us,

1683
01:12:37,292 --> 01:12:39,083
we're going to be ready for it.

1684
01:12:39,167 --> 01:12:40,833
And if we're not
loving one another,

1685
01:12:40,875 --> 01:12:43,000
we're not going to be ready
for any opportunity

1686
01:12:43,083 --> 01:12:44,750
that he would give us.

1687
01:13:07,833 --> 01:13:10,750
Each year, over 10 million
Mars Hill church sermons

1688
01:13:10,833 --> 01:13:13,833
are downloaded
worldwide for free.

1689
01:13:13,917 --> 01:13:16,458
This ministry is generously supported

1690
01:13:16,500 --> 01:13:19,083
by Mars Hill church members
and listeners like you.

1691
01:13:19,167 --> 01:13:22,667
If you'd like to support our efforts
to preach Jesus to the world,

1692
01:13:22,708 --> 01:13:25,667
Please consider making
a tax-deductible donation

1693
01:13:25,708 --> 01:13:28,542
by visiting marshill.com/give.