The Practice of Presence.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, welcome to Village Church. [0:02] Go ahead and have a seat. [0:03] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:05] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:07] And as always, I am thankful and grateful [0:09] to see each and every one of you.

[0:11] If you have your Bibles, [0:12] go ahead and open them to Hebrews chapter 10. [0:15] We’re gonna be starting in verse 24 in just a few moments. [0:19] But we are in the middle of a series [0:22] called Preparing to Plant Practices that Plant Churches. [0:26] And the idea behind that series really flows out

[0:30] of the reality that on September the 9th, [0:32] we’re gonna start weekly services at a church in Chester. [0:36] So we are launching a new campus down there. [0:39] And what we want to do through this series [0:42] is to explore the mission of church planting [0:45] as to why we desire to do that,

[0:47] but to also help you understand what your part is [0:52] in launching that new church. [0:54] But it’s really bigger than that [0:56] because what’s really happening is [0:57] that you are learning what your part is [1:00] in reaping the harvest of God.

[1:02] And that’s where we started with this reality [1:05] that Jesus stood with his disciples [1:09] and gave them this analogy that redemption [1:12] and the work of the gospel that God wants to do [1:14] in our lives is like a harvest that he desires to reap. [1:18] And we are part of that harvest,

[1:20] but once God has redeemed us, [1:22] once we have been saved through our faith [1:25] in the work of Jesus, [1:26] then we are called laborers in the harvest field. [1:30] We have been sent out to reap the harvest of God, [1:34] and that is the calling that God has put

[1:36] on the life of every single one of his followers. [1:39] And then last week, we started talking about the mission [1:42] of Jesus that we’re exploring. [1:44] And the fact that his mission is something [1:46] that he wants to change our lives to live. [1:49] And that in that mission, every time the gospel

[1:52] has done an amazing work in this world, [1:55] it has come out of the local church [1:57] and it has started new local churches. [2:01] That was the practice in the book of Acts. [2:03] And as we look throughout the history of the church, [2:05] that is the practice of how God is reaching the world

[2:09] and how he will continue to reach the world. [2:12] We are not a disconnected gathering of people [2:15] who are individually living the mission, [2:17] but rather we are a church of Jesus [2:20] forming the body of Jesus to live [2:22] for the gospel of Jesus together.

[2:26] And so this morning I want to transition a little bit, [2:30] because there’s two ways that I see people falter [2:34] in their life as a follower of Christ. [2:36] The first one is that you want the benefits [2:40] of faith in Jesus. [2:42] You want to go to heaven,

[2:43] you do not desire to spend your eternity in hell, [2:47] but you do not have a desire to explore the mission [2:50] that he has for you in your life. [2:52] And so you seek to form a life [2:54] in which you claim the benefits, [2:56] but you do not want to learn

[2:58] what God actually wants to do with your life. [3:02] But there’s another one that I’ve seen people do [3:04] and that is that they only explore the mission. [3:08] And you cease to make the transition to forming a plan. [3:12] You think thoughts about God, [3:16] you learn the facts of scripture,

[3:19] you want to talk about the theories of how to follow God, [3:24] and you even go beyond that. [3:25] You see what other people are doing for God, [3:28] and you spend a lot of time criticizing [3:30] how they could do it better, [3:32] and how their plan is flawed,

[3:35] and how they need to correct the course [3:37] of their flawed plan. [3:39] And you do this without a plan for yourself. [3:44] With no real intention of ever getting in the game [3:49] and ceasing to be a consumer or an attender, [3:53] and actually forming a plan for how God desires

[3:57] for you to grow in your faith [4:00] by reaching other people [4:02] with the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus. [4:06] You see, when we consider our mission statement, [4:08] and of course, a huge part of our mission statement [4:10] is helping people become fully devoted followers of Jesus.

[4:14] You cannot be a fully devoted follower of Jesus [4:17] until you are seeking to multiply your faith [4:20] into the life of other people. [4:22] And that is not something that is meant by God [4:25] to be a random activity in your life [4:28] that while you are just doing whatever you want,

[4:32] opportunity will present itself, [4:33] and until that opportunity presents itself, [4:36] well, you’re not responsible for actually forming a plan [4:38] as to how to do anything for it. [4:41] That is not the way of Christ. [4:43] Christ has given us an entire word,

[4:46] the 66 books of the Bible, [4:48] for us to have the capability and potential [4:51] to not just put our faith in Jesus, [4:54] but to through the exploration of his mission, [4:57] begin to form a plan as to how we will actually reach [5:01] the world with the gospel of Jesus.

[5:04] And so my hope is today that we can take the mission [5:08] that we have explored over the past two weeks, [5:11] and really over the past nine years, [5:14] and form a plan as to how we can individually [5:18] be the body of Christ on mission together.

[5:23] I wanna start with something very simple. [5:26] I wanna start with something that requires [5:28] not a ton of ability, [5:31] but through it you will find all of your capabilities. [5:34] And only if you commit to this one thing [5:37] will you ever have any hope of learning

[5:41] just the plan of God for your life [5:43] and the giftedness that he has given you, [5:45] and it is the practice of presence. [5:49] In Hebrews chapter 10, [5:50] the author of Hebrews begins to talk about that. [5:52] He says in verse 24,

[5:54] and let us consider how to stir up one another [5:58] to love and good works, [6:01] not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, [6:04] but encouraging one another, [6:06] and all the more as you see the day drawing near. [6:11] You see, what he’s talking about there

[6:14] is the principle of showing up. [6:18] He’s talking about actually being present, [6:23] to see the work of God happen. [6:26] And the fact that when you show up, [6:29] it is only when you commit to that one thing [6:33] that you will ever actually see all of the other things

[6:36] that God has in store for you. [6:39] A number of years ago, [6:41] I’ve worked in many ministry positions [6:42] over the last 20 years, [6:44] and a number of years ago, [6:45] I received a phone call in which I was offered a position

[6:48] that I did not feel qualified for at all. [6:51] I knew while they were offering me the position, [6:54] there are probably 12 guys that I know personally, [6:58] and you know personally, [7:00] that would be better at the thing [7:02] that you were trying to get me to do.

[7:04] And so in the midst of the conversation, [7:06] I couldn’t help myself. [7:07] I just said, I said, [7:08] dude, you know this guy, this guy, this guy, and this guy, [7:13] they would be so much better at this. [7:14] They are so much more qualified at this than I am.

[7:18] Why me did they say no? [7:20] And they say, no, Steve, you’re the first choice. [7:23] I was blown away. [7:23] I was like, why? [7:25] I mean, I was really confused. [7:27] I was also in a place where I could say things like that

[7:29] because I wasn’t desperate, [7:30] but the response amazed me. [7:35] He said, Steve, because every time we call you, [7:39] you answer your phone.

[7:42] They say, we call these other guys, [7:45] and it goes to voicemail.

[7:48] Because, not because they’re busy, [7:50] but because they’re not interested. [7:53] They say, and Steve, every time we ask you to do something, [7:57] even menial things, even things that we know are below you,

[8:04] you always say yes, [8:07] and you always show up, [8:10] and you always do the job that you’re asked to do, [8:15] no matter what it is. [8:17] I said, oh, well, in that case, I guess I get it. [8:22] When I was in my early 20s,

[8:24] I was experiencing the fastest growth [8:28] that I’d ever experienced in my life as a disciple of Jesus. [8:31] I was blessed beyond measure with the fact [8:34] that I was able to just be in rooms with spiritual giants [8:38] that I did not deserve to be in, [8:41] nor there were times when I looked around

[8:42] and I was like, do they know I’m here? [8:45] Because when they find out, [8:46] surely they will ask me to leave.

[8:49] And I was blessed to be in the presence [8:51] of these great spiritual giants [8:53] that are guys that have just given their lives [8:56] for the gospel. [8:58] And it was in that period that I determined for my life [9:03] that if I was ever asked to do anything

[9:08] that would move the gospel of Jesus [9:10] even a centimeter further in my life [9:14] and in the lives of others, [9:15] I will say yes when I have no real reason to say no, [9:21] no matter what it is. [9:23] And I’ll tell you over the past 20 years of my life,

[9:27] I have not always been perfect, [9:29] but I’ve always done my best to live up [9:33] to the commitment that I have made. [9:35] And in that commitment, what I want you to understand [9:39] is that I have seen God work in ways [9:43] that I cannot believe I am blessed enough

[9:48] to have seen God work. [9:51] I have seen hundreds of people come [9:54] to faith in Jesus Christ. [9:56] I have been in rooms with people [9:59] who have given their lives to the gospel [10:01] and have poured into my life,

[10:05] even in moments that I didn’t think [10:07] I was gonna learn anything. [10:09] These great people of faith have taught me things [10:13] that I will never forget [10:15] and have literally changed the direction of my life [10:20] in a five minute conversation.

[10:24] And what I’m here to tell you this morning [10:26] is that if you will make the decision to show up,

[10:34] you will see things that you will not see [10:39] if you don’t show up. [10:41] You will be a part of movements [10:44] that you will not be a part of if you don’t show up [10:50] and that you will be used by God [10:52] in the lives of other people because of his grace,

[10:58] simply because you showed up, [11:01] because you can always practice being there. [11:08] You see, I believe that every one of you [11:10] have the capability of showing up. [11:13] Most of the reason is is that you were able [11:16] to get here today.

[11:17] Okay, so I’m assuming something. [11:21] I’m assuming that at some point this morning, [11:23] you got up and you got out and you got here. [11:30] Did that actually happen? [11:32] I think it did. [11:34] So guess what?

[11:36] You’re qualified, you’re hired. [11:39] You have an amazing capability [11:42] that people who aren’t in this room [11:44] and aren’t in this building, you have. [11:46] You have the capability of being able [11:49] to produce a response to the grace of Jesus Christ

[11:53] by faith of actually being present when God is at work [11:59] and you’ve proved it right now. [12:01] And my call to you this morning [12:03] is that you need to exercise that ability [12:07] over and over and over in your life [12:11] to extreme levels.

[12:14] And if you will do that, you will see yourself grow, [12:17] you will see others grow, and you will see the church grow. [12:21] And that is the 100 level, that is the ground floor, [12:26] that is the first commitment that you will make [12:29] in which you will see things happen, [12:32] that if you don’t make that commitment,

[12:34] you will not see things happen.

[12:39] When we think about spiritual disciplines, [12:41] we are tempted to think about spiritual disciplines [12:43] like reading the Bible and prayer, [12:47] and those are vital spiritual disciplines. [12:50] I do not discount those at all, but that’s reductionistic.

[12:56] Spiritual disciplines are every environment [13:00] that you form a rhythm around entering [13:02] that will grow your faith in Jesus Christ, [13:05] that without it, you wouldn’t have grown. [13:08] And what I hope you understand through what I say today [13:11] is that showing up and being present

[13:14] is a spiritual discipline, [13:17] and the author of Hebrews believed it. [13:20] Because the natural trajectory of our lives [13:23] is that when something is new [13:26] and we make a brand new commitment, [13:29] we will show up at the beginning

[13:31] and we will be very committed at the beginning. [13:34] But as time goes on, those commitments get harder. [13:40] The excitement wears off, the emotions begin to falter, [13:45] and so you show up less and less. [13:48] If you note what is said in Hebrews 10.25, [13:51] he actually gives you a different mentality

[13:53] that the follower of Jesus must live by. [13:56] He actually says that the day, [13:59] the return of Christ, [14:02] as it hastens or as it gets closer, [14:05] you need to commit to showing up more as time goes by [14:10] instead of showing up less as time goes by.

[14:13] Because as time goes by, it will require more endurance [14:18] than it did at the beginning. [14:20] Mile 22 of a marathon is harder than mile one of a marathon. [14:26] And so he’s saying that you need to flip things around. [14:30] He says, yeah, show up at the beginning. [14:32] But as time goes on, the necessity of you

[14:35] not neglecting the gathering together [14:38] is going to be more vital than it even was at the beginning. [14:42] And if you will show up, you will see three things happen. [14:46] First, you need to practice presence [14:49] because it builds the church. [14:51] You need to practice presence because it builds the church.

[14:55] Hebrews 10 gives focus to the power of the gospel of Jesus. [14:59] It’s an amazing chapter of scripture. [15:01] If you’ve never read the entire chapter, [15:04] once we’re done, read the entire chapter. [15:07] Don’t, stop reading it right now. [15:10] My turn.

[15:12] Just kidding.

[15:15] But Hebrews 10 is an amazing chapter [15:17] that talks about what’s called the once for all aspect [15:20] of the gospel of Jesus. [15:22] What he says is that the work of Jesus [15:25] who coming to earth, dying on the cross for your sin [15:28] and then rising from the dead

[15:30] is this amazingly powerful event [15:33] that there will never need to be another sacrifice [15:38] offered for our sin ever again. [15:41] Jesus has accomplished once for all the atonement for sin [15:46] and he has accomplished once for all the victory [15:50] over sin and death through the resurrection.

[15:52] And if you will believe in him, [15:56] you will once for all be redeemed from your sin. [16:01] And then in that, he gives us this applicable thought [16:06] that if you believe in that once for all aspect [16:09] of the gospel, you will need to commit to practices [16:14] that will continue your faith in that once for all aspect.

[16:19] And one aspect of that and the most vital part of that [16:23] is that you gather together and you do not neglect it [16:28] because you need to stir up one another [16:31] to love and good works. [16:35] And he’s saying that that is a vital aspect [16:38] to the life of the church of Jesus.

[16:41] He’s saying that you cannot stir yourself up [16:47] to love and good works in a sufficient manner [16:50] and you need other people in your life to do it. [16:55] And he’s talking specifically about the church [16:58] and he’s talking even more specifically [17:00] about the practical aspect of what we are beginning

[17:03] to accomplish here gathering together this morning. [17:08] And he says, don’t neglect it.

[17:11] Lead with yes when you are asked to gather [17:15] with other believers because God has destined [17:19] that his church will grow.

[17:25] Good question to ask yourself and that I assume [17:28] you will say yes to is do you want to experience [17:32] the work of Jesus in your life? [17:35] And here’s why I assume you say yes because most of you [17:38] are claiming to be Christians.

[17:42] If you say no to that, here’s the deal, [17:46] you’re not a Christian. [17:48] If you don’t want to experience the work of Jesus [17:50] in your life then you are not a Christian. [17:52] That’s just a fact. [17:54] So I’m assuming that you’re gonna say yes.

[17:57] And so if you want to experience the work of Jesus [18:00] in your life, what the author of Hebrews is saying here [18:03] is you will regularly gather with other believers [18:08] because there is no other plan. [18:10] To be stirred up to love into good works [18:13] is to gather together with other believers

[18:15] and grow with the body of Christ. [18:18] This is the life of discipleship. [18:21] This is the source of growth. [18:24] And the obvious application of this at the birth [18:27] of the church is seen in Acts chapter two [18:29] starting in verse 42.

[18:31] If you ever talk to a church planter, [18:33] they’re gonna go here, okay? [18:35] This is what all church planters will talk about [18:38] that we need to be more like the early church. [18:41] And so they will give the distinctives [18:42] of what the early church committed themselves to.

[18:45] They committed themselves to the apostles teaching [18:47] of the Old Testament and the new writings [18:50] that became the New Testament. [18:51] That was the apostles doctrine. [18:53] That they were committed to fellowship [18:55] and that’s what Hebrews 10 is all about here.

[18:58] That you will gather together with other people. [19:00] That you will commit to the breaking of bread. [19:03] Some people say that is communion [19:04] which we practice every week here. [19:06] Some will say that that is just meals for growth [19:09] and you can have community group aspects to that as well

[19:12] and to the prayers. [19:13] In other words, coming together and praying [19:15] for the work of God through that specific practice. [19:18] And it says that all came upon every one of them. [19:22] And that God actually in verses 46 and 47, [19:25] it says that God added to their number daily

[19:28] people who were being saved. [19:29] But I don’t wanna focus on the practices.

[19:33] That’s not what we’re talking about this morning. [19:35] I wanna talk about the presence.

[19:38] See, if you just kind of sit around [19:42] and throw around their practices, [19:43] you might miss what led to the practices. [19:46] You might miss what led to the all. [19:48] You might miss what led to, [19:50] he added to their number daily people who were being saved.

[19:54] If you pass that word devoted.

[19:58] Because the term devoted is the catalyst [20:01] upon which the rest of the text goes. [20:04] These people made these practices [20:08] the most important commitment that they had in their lives. [20:13] And because of their devotion came the all. [20:19] Because of their devotion,

[20:22] God built the church in the book of Acts.

[20:28] And we need to understand that if you were to talk [20:30] to a first century Christian specifically, [20:33] these people from Acts chapter two, [20:36] the explanation that you would get [20:38] as to what is the most vital thing in their lives, [20:41] they would talk to you about these practices.

[20:45] Because they were more devoted to gathering together [20:48] with other believers to grow in their faith [20:51] than they were to anything else in their lives. [20:54] And so that leads me to a question.

[20:58] Why is my reaction to commitments and things [21:04] outside of the church life to immediately say yes,

[21:10] but inside of the church, I’ll have to check my schedule.

[21:17] I’ll have to see if I’m available. [21:20] I’ll have to think about that. [21:23] I mean, shouldn’t those things be reversed [21:25] for the Christian?

[21:28] Shouldn’t when you are asked for commitments [21:30] outside of church life and you were asked [21:33] to pour your margin into things outside of church life [21:37] for us as people who claim to be followers of Jesus [21:40] to actually say, I will have to think about that. [21:44] I will have to check my church schedule.

[21:46] I will have to make sure that I am available [21:49] because I am so devoted to the things of God [21:54] that that takes precedent over everything.

[22:00] That’s the devotion that they had. [22:03] And that devotion led to the awe of the practices.

[22:10] Too often we don’t get to the awe [22:13] because we’re only available for the practices [22:16] when we don’t have something else going on. [22:21] Too often we RSVP maybe the church life [22:26] because we’re waiting to see if anything better [22:29] comes down the road.

[22:31] And then you will have the audacity to say, [22:33] why am I not experiencing the awe of Christian living?

[22:39] Because you refuse to practice presence.

[22:43] This is not about when you’re available for God to work. [22:45] This is about making yourself available for God to work [22:48] because that is what repentance looks like. [22:51] You must have a radical commitment to showing up [22:58] to ever get to the goodness of the practices. [23:02] Because number two, the practice of presence

[23:04] shows others that you love them. [23:07] The practice of presence actually shows others [23:09] that you love them. [23:10] See, an issue that we have in our lives [23:12] is that we want to talk about love. [23:16] We want to memorize verses about love.

[23:21] We want to dialogue about what is love. [23:25] My question is, what is your practical plan [23:28] to practice love? [23:31] How will you show other people that you love them? [23:35] And the biggest way you show people you love them [23:39] is by showing up.

[23:41] I can tell my wife I love her. [23:45] All I want to. [23:47] But if I buy a house in Florida and I’m never present, [23:50] she’s going to start thinking [23:52] my affections have gone elsewhere.

[23:55] Because a huge part of love [23:57] is actually being present to love. [24:01] Again, presence is the ground floor [24:05] upon which the practice of love is built. [24:09] In Galatians chapter six, the apostle writes, [24:11] and he says, so then, as we have opportunity,

[24:14] let us do good to everyone, [24:16] especially to those who are of the household of faith. [24:19] Note the order Paul puts it in. [24:22] He says, the love will flow to the world [24:25] to be reached with the gospel [24:27] when it begins by loving people in the church.

[24:30] He is saying, your love of other Christians [24:33] takes precedent with your love for anybody else [24:37] because you need to form a community [24:39] in which love will be present [24:41] when you bring non-believers into it.

[24:46] Your commitment to people of faith needs to grow [24:50] so that you will have a faith worth non-believers having. [24:55] And you can only have that [24:56] when you form a community of showing up. [25:00] We have a phrase in the staff here that we say frequently, [25:07] and it’s a core value that we have.

[25:09] It’s literally built on the core value of showing up. [25:12] And we will always say, at least they showed up. [25:16] I mean, we will be talking about an event. [25:19] When we have events, we have debriefing meetings, [25:21] and we will talk about what worked, what didn’t work. [25:23] And I gotta be honest,

[25:24] sometimes those meetings aren’t very fun [25:26] because sometimes we do things and they really don’t work. [25:29] You ever been in a meeting [25:30] where it’s like, it just didn’t go very well? [25:33] We have those and you know. [25:35] But a lot of times,

[25:38] one of us will always try to remember.

[25:43] Even if something didn’t go right, [25:45] even if we can pinpoint the person [25:47] that made it not go right, [25:50] we try to remind ourselves, at least they showed up.

[25:56] At least they tried. [25:59] At least they attempted. [26:00] At least they loved other people enough [26:04] to where they made their presence known and felt. [26:09] At least they showed up. [26:13] See, because showing up is vital for anything to happen.

[26:20] Sometimes I try to ask myself the question, [26:22] what if no one showed up? [26:24] I mean, every single Sunday morning, I gotta be honest, [26:26] that’s a legitimate fear I have, [26:28] that I’m going to walk up on stage and talk to an empty room. [26:32] You know, I have nightmares.

[26:33] But the fact of the matter is, [26:36] is I want to give you a hypothetical story [26:40] that is based, unfortunately, in reality, [26:43] because I’ve seen it happen many times. [26:45] And sometimes when I tell hypothetical stories, [26:48] I try really hard to find names of people

[26:50] that don’t go here, but as we grow, that gets really hard. [26:54] So I’ve stopped trying. [26:56] And so let me assure you, [26:57] I’m not talking about anyone that actually exists, okay? [27:02] A guy named Rick is starting a new community group. [27:06] There’s a couple of Ricks in here, I know.

[27:08] Look, I try. [27:09] A guy named Rick is starting a new community group, [27:13] and he’s inviting new people. [27:15] And he starts, as is wise, [27:17] with people who already go to the church, [27:19] and he’s experiencing a great deal of success,

[27:22] and he’s building a group, and they are beginning, [27:25] and he’s got a few couples that have committed, [27:28] and they have had a community group [27:30] that is going for a few months now. [27:31] And one Sunday morning, as is Rick’s practice, [27:34] he tries to meet new couples in the church

[27:37] to invite them to his community group. [27:39] And recently, a new couple began attending the church. [27:42] Rick and his wife befriend them [27:44] and invite them to their community group. [27:47] After a few weeks, they finally agree, [27:49] and the arrangements are made.

[27:51] They’re coming to their first community group this week, [27:54] and with the help of Rick and Alice, [27:56] and the rest of the group, [27:58] this young couple will begin a journey [28:02] towards authentic biblical community. [28:05] At least, that is the young couple’s hope.

[28:07] It’s going to ultimately be a life-changing experience, [28:11] is their thought. [28:12] This is real frontline ministry of connecting people [28:16] to the life of the local church friends.

[28:19] At least, that was what was supposed to happen. [28:21] But what Rick and his wife don’t know [28:23] is that they are about to be left [28:25] stranded alone on the front line. [28:27] Because one of the other couples in the group, [28:29] Jared and Lisa, call to say

[28:31] that they won’t be able to make it. [28:34] Lisa has some work to catch up on, [28:36] and Jared, well, he doesn’t like to attend group on his own [28:39] by himself without his wife. [28:41] Besides, he thinks they’ve been pretty consistent, [28:44] and a week off isn’t going to hurt anything.

[28:47] So Rick and Alice prepare for group with the new people, [28:51] knowing that they will be down one of their regular couples. [28:53] But they still should be able to have a solid group time. [28:57] They will still have Alex and Teresa there. [28:59] They will still have Adam and Susan there [29:01] to welcome the new couple.

[29:03] Because these people have been attending the church [29:05] for some time and always have authentic [29:08] and helpful responses to keep the discussion moving [29:11] during community group. [29:13] But as the clock ticks past 7 p.m., [29:16] Alex and Teresa are nowhere to be found.

[29:18] Neither are Adam and Susan. [29:20] The new people, though, have arrived, [29:22] and friendly small talk is being made [29:24] as Rick anxiously glances towards the clock, [29:27] unsure of whether or not to begin the discussion time. [29:30] The new people in the group instinctively know

[29:33] something isn’t quite right, [29:35] for the obvious reason that they know they’re new [29:37] and no one else is there but them. [29:39] Rick makes a joke, and he promises [29:41] other people are usually there, [29:43] and he’s not sure where they could be.

[29:45] And the group discussion begins. [29:48] Rick does his best, but things are awkward. [29:50] With brand new people, the conversation is hard [29:52] to keep going consistently. [29:54] And Rick starts to feel like he’s just teaching, [29:57] which isn’t what he was hoping would happen.

[30:00] He wants dialogue. [30:02] The new people have come hoping to see [30:04] these community groups that they’ve been hearing about [30:07] on Sunday morning. [30:08] And they have a feeling they’re not quite getting [30:10] the full picture.

[30:11] They don’t feel comfortable sharing much yet, [30:13] but they also feel bad that no one else is sharing much. [30:17] Despite all this, the night goes okay, [30:19] and after a shorter than normal group, [30:21] they pray and the group ends. [30:23] Later, Rick and Alice try to put a positive spin on it.

[30:26] They say they really enjoyed spending quality time [30:29] getting to know these new people. [30:30] And that wouldn’t have happened [30:32] if the others had actually showed up. [30:34] Even though it was just the two of them, [30:35] they were warm and hospitable.

[30:37] And hopefully the people who visited [30:38] for the first time realized that life happens [30:41] and they give group another try next week. [30:43] But the positive spin is just that, it’s spin. [30:46] And spin is never good. [30:47] While it’s good that Rick and Alice had more time

[30:51] to get to know the new people, [30:52] that’s not the reason the new people [30:55] had come to community group. [30:56] They wanted to experience the biblical community [31:01] that they are being told is an essential part [31:03] of participating in the local church

[31:04] and being a follower of Jesus. [31:06] They wanted to see what this looked like [31:08] from others who are currently doing it. [31:11] What’s more, while they do want to be understanding, [31:14] the thought can’t help but creep in their minds. [31:16] Why didn’t anyone else show up?

[31:19] Maybe this group isn’t very good. [31:21] Maybe this group isn’t very important [31:23] to the people who are supposedly committed to it. [31:26] In fact, while they weren’t even aware of it, [31:28] subconsciously these thoughts had begun [31:30] at the beginning of the evening

[31:31] and influenced their perception [31:32] of everything that happened that night, [31:34] right down to their perceptions of Rick and Alice, [31:37] the people whose group no one bothered to show up to. [31:43] You see, friend, that’s a hypothetical situation, [31:46] but over the years I have actually seen

[31:47] that very scenario play out many, many times. [31:51] And I would love to tell you [31:53] that usually that new couple tries it again the next week.

[31:59] But they don’t.

[32:03] Usually they don’t try any group ever again. [32:06] Because their first experience was so bad, [32:08] they’re terrified that they’re just going to replay [32:10] that experience over and over and over. [32:13] Because being new and alone [32:17] is not something anyone is very comfortable with.

[32:21] See, what the other people [32:22] in that hypothetical group situation, [32:24] and what you probably don’t understand,

[32:30] is that just the act of showing up [32:35] helps other people be more comfortable in the room. [32:41] Because they don’t feel singled out. [32:43] Because that helps them not feel alone. [32:47] And that is why we are to not neglect the gathering [32:52] to stir one another up to love and good works.

[32:57] Because sometimes all that needs to happen [32:59] for someone to be stirred up to love and good works [33:03] is that someone else is in the room with them. [33:08] One question that I always take inventory of my life with [33:12] is what would the result be if everyone else did [33:16] what I am about to do?

[33:22] And if what I’m about to do is going to further [33:24] the gospel into someone else’s life, [33:27] then by all means I need to do it, [33:29] because if everyone did it, the gospel would go.

[33:33] But when I am tempted to be selfish, [33:36] when I am tempted to be less committed, [33:39] when I am tempted to choose a commitment [33:41] outside of the church that doesn’t further the gospel [33:43] rather than choosing my commitment to love other people [33:46] and to make my love known,

[33:50] then I need to be honest that if everybody did [33:52] what I am about to do, less people would be discipled. [33:57] See, when we won’t show up and when we don’t show up, [34:02] we miss the harvest that God has prepared for us. [34:08] You need to realize that the moment you place [34:11] your faith in Jesus, you became a part of the body of Christ.

[34:15] You became a necessary part of the lives of other people. [34:20] And that is why showing up needs to take precedence [34:24] in your life, because when you don’t show up, [34:30] you are always saying no to an opportunity [34:34] to love other people in real life [34:38] instead of just trying to define loving other people

[34:42] in theory. [34:45] Thirdly this morning, you need to understand [34:47] that the practice of presence grows your faith. [34:51] The practice of presence grows your faith. [34:54] When I originally wrote this, I had it the other way around [34:58] and I started with growing your faith.

[35:01] And I ended with growing other people’s faith, [35:03] but then when I started thinking about it biblically, [35:06] I was like, that’s actually the wrong order. [35:10] See, because we are so tempted to engineer our lives [35:13] thinking of, I wanna grow my faith. [35:17] And most of the problem with our attempts at discipleship

[35:20] is that we’re pretty self-absorbed. [35:25] And so long as all of your attempts at growing your faith [35:29] are centered around your needs, [35:31] friend, you will not grow in your faith. [35:34] Because the most important thing you could understand [35:37] about Sunday morning as a Christian,

[35:39] about community groups as a Christian, [35:41] about discipleship groups as a Christian, [35:43] about reaching people who don’t believe the gospel [35:46] as a Christian, is it is not about you.

[35:52] And until you get that through your head, [35:57] you will not grow in your faith. [36:04] It is about others.

[36:10] And when you seek to grow the church, [36:14] when you seek to love other people, [36:18] then and only then will you grow. [36:26] But until then, take a look at where you are right now, [36:32] because that is a best case scenario [36:34] for where you’re going to be.

[36:38] You will never grow.

[36:41] Discipleship is always about others. [36:44] Sports is so important in our culture. [36:47] Sometimes it’s not helpful, but sometimes it is. [36:49] Sports can teach you some wonderful things. [36:52] And when you talk to coaches of many, many sports, [36:56] now some of you are fans of some obscure sport

[37:00] that they only do in Mongolia, [37:02] and you’re gonna say this analogy doesn’t fit that sport, [37:05] that’s because no one cares about that sport, okay? [37:08] So just forget it. [37:10] Let’s talk about sports that more people care about, [37:13] team sports.

[37:14] When you talk to coaches of sports, [37:16] they will always tell you that you are a part of a team, [37:20] and when you slack off, and when you don’t show up, [37:23] and when you don’t do your part, [37:26] it doesn’t just affect you, it affects the whole team. [37:31] I mean, think about baseball.

[37:32] Somebody hits a ground ball to third base, [37:34] and the third baseman gets it, [37:35] and he comes up to throw it to first, he looks up, [37:38] first baseman is sitting Indian style, playing in the dirt.

[37:43] You think about soccer. [37:45] You got two forwards who are advancing towards the goal, [37:49] and one forward is headed towards the defenders, [37:52] and he realizes all the defenders [37:53] are on my side of the field, [37:54] I gotta pass it to another forward,

[37:56] and so he looks over, saying, as soon as I pass it to him, [37:59] he’s gonna have a free field to go towards the goal, [38:02] and he looks over, and that forward [38:03] standing still watching a butterfly.

[38:07] Think about football. [38:09] The quarterback takes the ball, and he goes back, [38:11] and he’s gonna pass it to the receiver, [38:13] and he looks up, and he’s on the sideline drinking Gatorade.

[38:18] See, in every one of these instances, [38:19] you realize very quickly that the action of the individual [38:24] affected more than the individual. [38:26] It affected the entire team.

[38:33] Friends, what I need you to understand [38:34] about what we’re talking about today is, [38:36] is that you’re a part of the most important team [38:40] in the history of the world, the Church of Jesus Christ. [38:45] What you need to understand is that your commitments, [38:48] your yeses and your nos, your I’m going to be there,

[38:52] I might be there, and I’m not going to be there, [38:56] affects more than just you. [38:59] It affects the entire team, [39:03] because you are a part of the body of Christ, [39:06] and individually members of it. [39:10] See, that is the idea that God is trying

[39:12] to get through our heads.

[39:16] What does your commitment level communicate [39:19] about the place you put discipleship in your life, [39:22] and how does it affect the discipleship of other people [39:25] that could happen through you? [39:28] There’s this interesting thing that parents always talk about, [39:31] and it’s a terrible analogy, and I’m gonna tell you,

[39:33] stop using it, that you’re more about quality time [39:36] versus quantity of time. [39:38] If you think that is a good parenting tip, you’re stupid. [39:41] All right, because that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. [39:44] If I walk into my kids’ room [39:46] after not spending two weeks talking to them,

[39:50] and I say, okay, kids, quality time starts now, [39:55] they will look up from their iPads, [39:58] confused, and then look right back down. [40:02] You cannot program quality time. [40:06] That is just not how it works. [40:09] Quality time only comes from quantity of time.

[40:13] Any parent can tell you that, [40:15] because quantity of time breeds familiarity. [40:19] Quantity of time breeds affection for one another. [40:24] Quantity of time shows commitment to one another. [40:28] Quantity of time is the source of real affection [40:32] in any relationship.

[40:35] You cannot program quality of time. [40:39] You can only find quality time [40:43] in the midst of quantity of time.

[40:49] If you would apply that to your spiritual walk, [40:52] to your life in Christ, it would change things. [40:55] Because many people show up, [40:59] and they say, God, click, quality of time starts right now. [41:06] And then you wonder, why am I not feeling it? [41:11] Why am I not experiencing the awe from Acts chapter two?

[41:15] I mean, I programmed in this five minutes [41:18] to be the quality of time [41:19] that God gets every single week from me. [41:22] Why do I feel disconnected? [41:24] Why don’t I feel familiar? [41:26] Why don’t I feel intimacy?

[41:28] Why aren’t my affections for God? [41:30] Why will I go through a worship service [41:33] where people on other rows look like [41:35] they are experiencing the presence of God in song, [41:38] but I feel nothing?

[41:44] Because you don’t show up the quantity of time. [41:50] The Father wants quantity of time, [41:55] and then you will experience the quality time of the awe. [42:00] Because you will experience devotion [42:02] on a level that you never knew was possible.

[42:10] Friends, if you wanna see God work in your life, [42:14] friends, if you wanna be a part of a movement [42:16] that you will not believe the power of God works in, [42:20] if you want to put into practice [42:23] something that will plant churches,

[42:30] just show up, [42:34] and you will see God move. [42:38] As we transition into a time of communion,

[42:43] friends, this morning,

[42:48] I’ve been talking a lot about commitment.

[42:52] But for some of you in this room, [42:54] it doesn’t really mean anything [42:55] because you don’t believe the commitment God has made to you.

[43:03] You see, if you don’t believe in Jesus, [43:05] making a commitment to the church is worthless. [43:08] If you don’t have faith in Christ, [43:11] then any practice that you put into place [43:14] will be meaningless, [43:16] because you need to first put your faith

[43:19] in the commitment that God has made. [43:22] You see, God has made the commitment [43:24] to redeem you from your sin, [43:27] and he shows his level of commitment [43:28] by the fact that he sent his son [43:31] to take the penalty of your sin onto himself

[43:35] as he died on the cross, [43:37] and then he showed the power of his commitment [43:39] and the victory of that life [43:41] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [43:45] And if you will place your faith in Jesus, [43:47] if you will trust him,

[43:49] if you will confess that you have sinned [43:52] against a holy God, [43:53] and that you believe that he has done everything necessary [43:57] to forgive you of that sin, [44:01] he will redeem you and put you [44:03] into the life of the body of Christ.

[44:07] If you need to put your faith in Jesus this morning, [44:09] I’m gonna ask you in just a moment, [44:10] step outside into the foyer [44:12] where someone could pray with you, [44:14] where somebody will be waiting to answer any questions [44:16] that you might have.

[44:19] For those of you that are in here, [44:20] and you say, I’ve trusted in Christ, I believe. [44:25] Then this morning, the tables around this room are open. [44:27] The bread represents the broken body of Christ. [44:30] The cup represents his shed blood. [44:33] As you eat and drink, you proclaim,

[44:37] I believe the gospel. [44:39] And then when we walk away from that table, [44:41] we realize that God is inviting us into his presence [44:45] through all of our lives. [44:47] And when you walk out of that door today, [44:49] I’m gonna ask you to make a commitment

[44:53] that Jesus is more important than anything else [44:55] in your life. [44:57] And that you will show up

[45:04] to see the mission of Jesus go forth. [45:07] When you’re ready, come.