New Purpose

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:36:58 Speaker 1 up Bibles to Ephesians two or pull it up on your phone, whatever you do. I've been really struggling. I want to say good morning. Good evening. How about that? Welcome. Welcome to Sydney. Well, if this is your first time here and we haven't met yet, my name's D.J.. I am the pastor here, and we're glad you're working with us on our second week having worship gatherings, which I'm excited about, But we're actually picking up tonight where we left off. 00:00:36:58 - 00:01:00:47 Speaker 1 We started a series we're calling it last week. We talked about being Brandon, being a new creation in Christ. Last week we looked at second Corinthians 517 and it says that if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. We focused in on those two sets of words in Christ, new creation in Christ, new creation. Are you in Christ and are you a new creation? 00:01:00:47 - 00:01:25:35 Speaker 1 Basically, what we did last week, what we talked about, if you weren't here, just to remind you, is we said, let's walk through the gospel and get a foundation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, because everything else we're going to talk about is built on that. And so we're continuing on now. And we're we're going to start talking about some some things that happened when we're brand new in Christ. 00:01:25:35 - 00:01:46:32 Speaker 1 And if you are checking out Christ and you're like, I have not actually put my faith in Jesus ever, I'd encourage you to stick with us. Bear witness. Listen, I would rather you, if you choose to follow Christ, you walk into that relationship with your eyes wide open that, you know, like, okay, this is what it means to be safe. 00:01:46:32 - 00:02:25:21 Speaker 1 But this is also what it looks like to follow Christ. So Ephesians two, we're going to focus on verse ten. It says Work out workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. And for this verse we need context. Well, every verse we want that. But Ephesians 210 comes right after Ephesians 289 obviously, but visions 289 is like a very memorized verse four, It is by grace that you have been saved through faith is not of yourself, it's gift of God. 00:02:25:21 - 00:02:53:28 Speaker 1 It is not by works so that no one can boast and then we go for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. It's not by works, but we're created for works. And so last week, as we talked about what it mean to be be in Christ, we very easily could have went vision through eight nine and then picked up today and birth ten. 00:02:53:33 - 00:03:18:13 Speaker 1 We are talking about what is our purpose in Christ and our new purpose. I want to remind you, if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. That that was the big thing last week. You are a new creation. And then today I want to start by making sure you know that you, God made you a masterpiece. 00:03:18:18 - 00:03:47:44 Speaker 1 So. And I v it says we are his workmanship or some other translations of, say, handiwork. If we dig into the original Greek, you'll find out that the word is of pretty much the same Greek word as you are a new creation. It's the same root word for creation here, but it implies that God God did a unique, special, personal and involved work with you to make you new in Him. 00:03:47:44 - 00:04:04:50 Speaker 1 You are a new creation and God does not make junk. God doesn't have two projects. We have two projects a lot. My wife does not let me get away with it. She's like, No, you go finish that. But if she was here right now, she'd tell you that we're still missing a transmission strip between our bathroom and bedroom floor. 00:04:04:50 - 00:04:32:27 Speaker 1 But I made it 99%. God doesn't have two projects. When? When he made you a new creation, he did a good work. And often we missed us. So last week, our first week, we had a friend named Amy show up, and she took pictures of the night and it's been fun to trickle them out during the week on social media and see some different reactions. 00:04:32:27 - 00:04:52:22 Speaker 1 We text some pictures to different people who were here and the one family we sent a picture look, we got you come in through the doors and all I saw in the picture was a mom with a giant smile. As she came through the door, she sent back my baby, screaming its head off, and my other son looked terrified. 00:04:52:26 - 00:05:14:56 Speaker 1 Oops, I didn't see that. I saw the giant smile on this lady's face. But that's how we are, isn't it? I know. I saw the pictures of me, and what I saw is I never wear flannel, like unbuttoned and just t shirt. But Stef encouraged me to have city, well, incorporated into what I was wearing. And so that was what I figured out. 00:05:14:56 - 00:05:35:35 Speaker 1 And I saw it. I'm like, I don't like it. It's like, bunch weird. It looks funny. I when you see pictures of you, what do you think? Most of us, we see the issue with ourselves and the picture. We see the zit on our head. We're like, I'm almost 40. Why am I still getting that? Or we see the extra pounds that we're like, I. 00:05:35:40 - 00:05:57:42 Speaker 1 I know I need to get back to the gym. Maybe someday, but I want to pause and remind you that when God made you a new work, he did a good creation. And often we look at ourselves and we see our flaws, we see our mistakes, we see our failures, and we go, why am I so angry? 00:05:57:47 - 00:06:40:25 Speaker 1 Well, maybe, maybe anger sin's effect on what God created. He didn't create you angry. He created you passionate. It's just through sin coming out as anger. Or you're like, Why am I foolishly stubborn? Anybody ever feels foolishly stubborn sometimes. And that teenager. Yeah. And my yes, maybe that's sin's effect on how God created you, but what God actually made you was tenacious to be able to stand up against anything in a crazy generation we live in and in his redeemed state. 00:06:40:30 - 00:07:13:14 Speaker 1 It's actually a blessing from God. Didn't make us less. I, I don't know how often I'm talking to people and they don't often use the words I feel less than, but they express. Wow, the rain is coming down. Express a feeling of less then and that's often caused when you keep talking to him because of other people's sinful reaction to how God made them so. 00:07:13:14 - 00:07:36:29 Speaker 1 A new term I learned recently from my wife is neurodivergent. So you see anything can process the world differently. And she informed me I am. I don't know if I agree with her, but I like the term and a lot of people who fall into that category where you see and process and engage with the world differently, feel at different points less that or art it. 00:07:36:34 - 00:08:11:26 Speaker 1 Other people act like they're less that. Or there are people who throughout their entire lives have wrestled with anxiety and depression and struggle with God. What did you do when you made me? If you mess up, we feel like that. But God doesn't make mistakes. God doesn't make junk. God did not make you less than He made you for a purpose. 00:08:11:31 - 00:08:43:13 Speaker 1 And the way you were created was made for a purpose. Just like the Neurodivergent people see the world differently. That means they solve problems nobody else solves because of the different way of thinking. It's God's hand at work. It's not a less than thing in Christ. You are chosen, you're set apart, your loved, your adopted, your pure flight, your justified, and through you Christ will be magnified. 00:08:43:17 - 00:09:14:29 Speaker 1 God made you a masterpiece. I want to pause for a minute here because before we get into like what? How do we live out our new purpose in Christ? First, I want us to just spend a minute thinking and praying and asking the Holy Spirit. Where is it that I don't see myself the way you see me? Where is it that the my experiences or my life or what people have spoken over me don't line up with your word and just let let the Holy Spirit minister start to our hearts in that. 00:09:14:29 - 00:10:09:58 Speaker 1 So here's what I'm going to ask just quietly about your head. Maybe even just fold your hands like this in your lap, like, Lord, I'm receiving from you, Spirit, speak to me. And then a minute I'll pray and then we'll continue on with the message. But just take a minute before God and just speak to Him and listen for him. 00:10:10:03 - 00:10:39:43 Speaker 1 Jesus, Show us a unique way. You meet us, help us see ourselves like you see us past what others said, past any negative roots that maybe have grown up in our lives and let us see ourselves how you do so. God made you a masterpiece. But here's the other side of that. God does not make museum pieces. The now my family loves going to museums. 00:10:39:45 - 00:10:59:07 Speaker 1 We do. We whenever we're traveling, we're always looking for different museums to go to. And what we found is there are some people we can't go to museums with because we move slow and we read exhibits and we look and we wonder and we talk and we just take it in and spend a long time in the museum. 00:10:59:11 - 00:11:17:46 Speaker 1 And we've gone to some museums with people that they're like, Where are the digital things that I can push? Buttons and lights come on. And then as soon as I push the buttons, I need to run to the next thing and I'm like, I can't keep up with that. They're they're missing everything. And they at the same time, they're like, You guys are moving so slow. 00:11:17:51 - 00:11:40:08 Speaker 1 But there is this one museum I went to last year. It's in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, near where my mom lives, and we were up there visiting her and she's like, let's go to this museum. It's only open two days a year. It it is a museum of cars, planes and motorcycles. And I'm pretty sure it's a giant tax rack. 00:11:40:23 - 00:12:06:54 Speaker 1 It's like wealthy people store their cars there for free, calling it a museum. And they have to open two days a year to actually keep the business opened for it. But it was so cool. I'm not like a big car guy, but the vehicles in that place were absolutely gorgeous. And you look at them and you're like, That would be so much fun to drive. 00:12:06:54 - 00:12:31:50 Speaker 1 Like, Can I just get behind the wheel and just go up and down the road in that car? Those cars never see that. They sit looking pretty in an air conditioned room all the time. At some point in history there is an engineer who does or engineers who design the car and then there's the assembly line that built the car. 00:12:31:50 - 00:12:50:55 Speaker 1 And then there's painters and they're salesmen, and I doubt any of them ever in the line to the process of creating these beautiful works of art that were made to just go. I don't think any of them ever thought. I hope this sits in an air conditioned, climate controlled building for years and years so that it never gets messed up. 00:12:51:00 - 00:13:13:30 Speaker 1 No, they were like, Stop on the pedal, let's go. But so often we live our Christian lives like we're we're a museum piece. I want to sit and be comfortable and and be cozy. Maybe once in a while I might show people some of the gifts I have. Or maybe once in a while I'll join with other people and sing a song or listen to a message. 00:13:13:30 - 00:13:42:35 Speaker 1 Will open the doors once, sometimes. But most of the time, a lot. Not everybody, but a lot of people who follow Christ are looking to be as comfortable in their Christian walk as possible. They're looking to be museum pieces, but that's not what God designed us to be. That's not our purpose. Titus three says. This is a trustworthy saying, and I want to stress these things so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. 00:13:42:40 - 00:14:17:41 Speaker 1 These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. God's calling those of us who are in Christ to get involved in His mission. We He's calling us to do the good works, which he prepared in advance for us to do. And we're not saved by the good things we're doing. Again, Ephesians nine, it's not by work so that no one can boast but Ephesians ten four, we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which got prepared for us to do. 00:14:17:46 - 00:14:49:57 Speaker 1 And I love something my favorite preacher of all time. It's Bill SPURGEON. Sorry, Bill, you come in on the top ten list. Pastor Bill Beckner But something he said is speaking of speaking of the idea of good works, he says they are not the root, but the root of salvation. So if Jesus is the vine and we're the branches, he says will bear fruit in him, that the good works we're doing. 00:14:49:57 - 00:15:22:56 Speaker 1 It's the fruit, the results that are produced because of our salvation. Titus 214, says he who gave himself for us as a ransom, who gave himself for us to ransom us from all wickedness and to justify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do good works. God make you to be holy so that you can be a museum piece. 00:15:23:01 - 00:15:48:56 Speaker 1 He did a work to purify you and change you and create you anew so that you can do what you were designed to do. And as you were doing those things, it's pointing people back to him now. Our goal is not ever as we're doing, works for God to show off and be like, Look at me, I'm so good. 00:15:49:01 - 00:16:19:05 Speaker 1 But at the same point we can always hide it and keep people from seeing it or just always want to be completely behind the scenes. Matthew 516 In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good deeds. Glorify or praise your father in heaven. In other words, you are a sports car. Let's get you out of the garage and take you up to Maple Grove and run you down that strip as hard as we can and see what type of times we can clock. 00:16:19:10 - 00:16:46:05 Speaker 1 I don't know why I'm stuck today. Just bear with me. We're going to stay there the rest of the night. But God wants to use you in a way for his kingdom. Over four years ago or four years ago, as we were beginning the church planning process for city. Well, and as it became obvious, we're going to be a while, we find a location there was a group of us that met in my home and as we're talking and praying and we ended up just at the place where like earlier we laid our hands out. 00:16:46:10 - 00:17:17:38 Speaker 1 It got whatever you have. Russ, we'll do it. That's the posture. I still want to continue to have whatever you have. Russ We are here as a church. We now have a gathering. I'm excited. We're we're meeting together like this. But this isn't this right here isn't the end goal. It's the end goal is to continue to point as many people to Christ to glorify Christ through the things we're doing. 00:17:17:53 - 00:17:40:47 Speaker 1 This is a tool that is a great tool. So you have unbelieving friends. It's a tool to bring them out so that they can hear the gospel and be introduced to the things of Christ. And every week, if I'm given a microphone, I'm pointing at Jesus. It's a place to hear the stories of how God's working in other people's lives and celebrate with them. 00:17:40:52 - 00:18:06:01 Speaker 1 It's a it's a place to encourage one another and grow in the call that God has on your life. It's a it's a place to study Scripture and be equipped for the good works which he prepared in advance for us to do. But this is not the end goal to argue. We actually were seeing some of the end goal well before we got to today. 00:18:06:05 - 00:18:34:12 Speaker 1 So when when our team started praying about what ministry work we were supposed to do in Coatesville, as we continued the search and we we the one Tuesday night at that point felt like the Holy Spirit was saying we were supposed to start doing youth ministry work. And then that week I had a pastor from the city go, I really need a youth ministry, youth pastor from my church and conversations evolved with that, like timing. 00:18:34:12 - 00:19:07:14 Speaker 1 We couldn't have done it on our own and we started a multi church youth ministry with another church in their building with our people leading it, so that then the students from a bunch of different churches all had a place of community that the Gospel consistently be declared that was seeing some of the goal already. Or when we heard about a family that I've actually known for a really long time, but they've been doing a ministry work in Coatesville for 15 years, handing out food, just filling trailers and handing it out. 00:19:07:14 - 00:19:28:49 Speaker 1 And they were getting worn out, tired and hadn't had vacation. They didn't know how much longer they could go on. We were able to say to step in and say, Let's help. What if we take a week, a month off? Or for you, They're like, Yes, please, thank you. And so we're out will be out next Saturday morning, bring out food to people and providing that and weaning them. 00:19:28:53 - 00:19:48:32 Speaker 1 And that was the that was a seeing some of the goal lived out already or even as we had teams that before they read it Palmer Park it just always looked trashed but it didn't need to just spending an hour or two out there with the team, we could clean it up and it looked great. And then as we're doing that, there were people were like, Why are you guys doing that? 00:19:48:32 - 00:20:33:20 Speaker 1 We we had we had ladies live streaming, really read the live streaming, talking to the community about why are we out there. And we were able to tell them about Jesus through that. Some of the goal the goal is to find people who are outside of the Kingdom of God and invite them to step inside. It's that it's the live to as a group live lives where we have our eyes wide open in the places we live, the places we work, the places so that we can see people like Jesus sees them, speak his truth into their lives and invite them to follow him. 00:20:33:25 - 00:20:56:53 Speaker 1 The goal is to go to places that we could say are at the edges of the Kingdom of God, the people who are forgotten and isolated and alone and rejected and say, I'm here because Jesus is here and he loves you and wants a relationship with you. And as we're doing that, we're really living up the call of Christ and and a lot of the goals of city. 00:20:56:53 - 00:21:26:28 Speaker 1 Well, here our gathering tonight is a tool, but it is not the end goal. God wants to do a unique kingdom work through you. And as I wrote this, I had a tug in my heart because I know there's been seasons in my life and season that in people's lives I care about where you hear a message like this and you're like, I have to do more. 00:21:26:33 - 00:21:49:57 Speaker 1 I have to up what I'm doing. If for some people that is very true, God wants to like kind of gently kick you on the behind and say, let's let's get moving forward, Why don't you push the gas pedal a little bit? But there are others. Satan knows he's not going to get you in a parking garage. He's not going to get you to stop moving forward with doing kingdom work. 00:21:49:57 - 00:22:13:01 Speaker 1 So what he's going to try to do is get you to push that gas pedal so hard. You wrap the car around the tree that there are like, if Satan can't get you to stop moving forward with kingdom work, what he might do is say, let me get you so busy that we forget about our family. No, we don't forget about it. 00:22:13:01 - 00:22:42:11 Speaker 1 But they start feeling about or get you so busy that we're not investing in our in our home, in our marriage, or get you so busy that, like, we physically just get so worn down and we don't have time to actually rest and love Christ. Maybe tonight some some of you need to remind it that God is doing a unique kingdom work for you. 00:22:42:13 - 00:23:04:37 Speaker 1 Not that he wants to do that He already is, and we can celebrate that. And as I was studying this idea of good work, preparing for this message, I came across the verse that's really it's like kind of obscure. You wouldn't think of it in this message typically, but it's Paul writing to a young Timothy, and Timothy is establishing a new church in Ephesus and he's got some instructions. 00:23:04:37 - 00:23:27:56 Speaker 1 He's supposed to establish some elders there. But one of the other things start supposed to start a widow and well, Paul writes to him, says, No, we're only put on the list unless she's over 60, has been faithful to her husband. Its verse ten made me pause, says, and is well known for good deeds like the good work. 00:23:27:56 - 00:24:01:04 Speaker 1 She's known for that. But then he says, Such as? Such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble, devoting herself to all kinds of good works to moms. If I'm reading this correctly, and you're in the thick of bringing up your kids and you're doing everything you possibly can to train them and Jesus, you are doing a unique kingdom work. 00:24:01:08 - 00:24:39:10 Speaker 1 And we could celebrate that. And Paul mentions other things showing hospitality and washing the feet of the saints, serving people. But we get so caught up in doing outside kingdom work that we forget about our family or our kids start feeling forgotten about. So it might be winning. So parents parents celebrate the kingdom work God is doing in this season through you with your kids. 00:24:39:14 - 00:25:07:25 Speaker 1 Don't let him trick you into wrapping the car around the tree, so to speak. In this season. Workouts workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do the good works. God has good work for you. He has a good work plan for you there. There's been different seasons in my life where I go, God, What? What is that good worker? 00:25:07:25 - 00:25:36:11 Speaker 1 Am I walking in that good work? And the biggest question I struggle with is when am I supposed to give up what God a work he was doing through me? There? It's a hard topic to approach, but for me personally, as I'm doing different things, there's a lot of times that it's like leading into something a kingdom thing that I've been doing. 00:25:36:16 - 00:25:55:35 Speaker 1 I don't want to do it. And then I get there and I do it anyway and leave. And I'm encouraged and blessed by it. And I know that we did something to help other people in those situations. I can look back and go, okay, I was ill with some spiritual warfare, but God, it's still in this. There's other things that you do and you're like, There is. 00:25:55:39 - 00:26:20:52 Speaker 1 God is not here anymore. The Spirit is not here anymore. Afterwards, you're like, Is this I'm doing it 100% by my power. Maybe it's time to give it up. Visions to 13 says for it is God who works in you too will enact according to his good purpose. If you're doing it 100% on your own and God isn't showing up, maybe you've moved beyond the good work He has for you. 00:26:20:56 - 00:26:51:29 Speaker 1 If you're tired and time to rest, you might be moving beyond what would be good work into exhausting not necessarily God work, Galatians 110 says, and we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, knowing the knowledge of God brings. 00:26:51:29 - 00:27:22:19 Speaker 1 Approaching last few weeks in some of my downtime, I've been sneaking outside on days and pruning things that pruned my apple trees, my cherry and my peach and my pear and elder berries and raspberries and blackberries. Yeah, I think. And figs. Actually, the dog ripped them out of the ground. I do not like the dog. It's weird because you're like, I want as much as I can. 00:27:22:19 - 00:27:56:17 Speaker 1 And so I'm chopping sections of this off. It seems counterintuitive. Why would you get rid of branches? But getting rid of the excess allows the tree to focus on the branches that are left and it produces more, better fruit. It's okay for us in the kingdom works. God is calling us to do pruning. On the other hand, if if you were just really, really busy because you don't ever pause and fill out your calendar or have a to do list that you check at. 00:27:56:17 - 00:28:18:55 Speaker 1 So you're running around putting fire after fire after fire out. I don't know if God's telling you, calling you to do less. He might be saying spend 30 seconds in the morning getting your day organized and everything else might go better. But if you've done everything you can to coordinate and you're still like, I'm just running ragged all the time, maybe you've moved beyond that. 00:28:18:59 - 00:28:52:50 Speaker 1 Good work. As we're studying scripture, a lot of times we want more. We want to know more, understand it. And second, Timothy 316, It's up to you all Scripture stop brief. As we study it. It's useful for teaching, rebuke and correcting and training of righteousness. But why? So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for good work so that so sometimes we need to take our foot off the gas pedal. 00:28:52:50 - 00:29:20:59 Speaker 1 Sometimes we need to put it on. Scripture for us is milk. For the new Believer, it's meat for the growing believer. But but it's supposed to be the sustenance that gives us what we need to continue to do a good work. So I want we paused earlier and said, What? What is God? How do you not self help God? 00:29:21:04 - 00:29:45:09 Speaker 1 I want to pause again and I think we're all going to be in a different place when it comes to the good work which got prepared in advance for us to do. Maybe your brand new believer and you're like, I, I've never actually done anything intentionally to do Kingdom work and move his kingdom forward or to help with anything related to those types of things. 00:29:45:09 - 00:30:27:25 Speaker 1 And it's time for you to get out of the garage. Maybe you've just you've been then putting up the road like, like it's a nice Sunday drive and God's like, you know what? Gas is on the right. It a little bit harder. Maybe you're at a place where you are in your sweet spot. You're right where God wants you and the Holy Spirit say, you know what, let's celebrate that Click Cruise control for a little bit and keep listening for him then on how to move forward. 00:30:27:25 - 00:30:45:49 Speaker 1 Or maybe you've been running yourself ragged and it's time to let off the gas pedal a little bit. Or maybe even you're just done in and you need to park in the garage. And it's like, if, if we were in NASCAR, which I haven't watched in like a decade, and when I tried it, they ruined it. But forget that. 00:30:45:54 - 00:31:53:35 Speaker 1 But there are times that the car so jacked up a quick pit stop is not going to do it. They have to take it into the garage and just pause. Let the Holy Spirit. So here's what I want you to do. We're going to just like we did before, Pause, couple of minutes, quietly. I'll let the Holy Spirit speak to each of our hearts individually, where we're at with this Jesus. 00:31:53:35 - 00:32:35:37 Speaker 1 You prepared us, You create a new and have call and mission purpose for us. It was wisdom to know whether walking in that what you'd have us do, whether you have got more or maybe, maybe take on less, but be intentional about doing less, better, whatever you have. These are our hearts and minds tonight about that last few minutes. 00:32:35:37 - 00:33:00:04 Speaker 1 I just want to get really practical city. Well, specific related. We had years of searching for building, but during that time we said to a lot of people who were hanging out with us, like, if you need the larger corporate worship, go, We want to tie you in with a Bible believing church that it's going you're going to be filled in that way. 00:33:00:09 - 00:33:25:13 Speaker 1 And we've heard from some of those families, like, I can't come back this quick. I have other commitments or I have and totally awesome. We're celebrating what God did in that. But we we signed an agreement for us to rent this building Saturday nights on January 24th. And by March 2nd we were starting services. So if I would be lying, if I didn't say we're flying by the seat of our pants right now. 00:33:25:17 - 00:33:54:13 Speaker 1 Right. I think I think most of us already knew that. And to do Saturday nights well requires about ten people minimum. So we need four people for children, one for check in, three greeters, sound guy and a projection person. And that's just just make sure we can coordinate everything. That's not including the crew that shows up here to set everything up where the crew that stays like the tear it down. 00:33:54:13 - 00:34:23:46 Speaker 1 And it's also not including anybody up here in that. And so if while praying you felt like the Holy Spirit sank your heart, it's time to step on the gas. I didn't hurt you. Let us know if this is a place that you can step on the gas pedal little bit and get involved in helping fill some of those areas. 00:34:23:51 - 00:34:44:55 Speaker 1 Long term, our goal is to as much as we can have teams every other week. So you have a week that you're working with kids and then you have a week that you're up here doing the first and third and second and fourth. A team. We're not there yet. I make no promises on when we're going to get there. 00:34:45:00 - 00:35:05:39 Speaker 1 That's that's the goal. And what we're working towards. And and as we're doing different things, something I'm I ask our team and different people it's how can we do this better? How can we make it more lean? And that's a manufactured term, which is weird to use. But how how do we do more with less? Are there anything areas that we don't need? 00:35:05:44 - 00:35:33:06 Speaker 1 Can we eliminate this position? Do we need that many people in kids? Yes, we do. But we had 31 kids downstairs last week. I don't know what the number is this week, but I didn't need them right now. There's 11 right now. But can we do it? Can we be more efficient? And we're going to continue to work on being as efficient as possible with what we're doing. 00:35:33:11 - 00:35:55:36 Speaker 1 And that's not because we don't want people to serve. It's not to eliminate it. So that but it's really so that we can give as much availability for this to be a place of filling so that we can go out the doors and serve, serving outside instead of inside of here. And there's two different terms that you'll hear me using as we talk serving outside of the walls. 00:35:55:41 - 00:36:27:30 Speaker 1 And the one is the kingdom impact. This is this is a goal that does not exist yet, but it is a dream to start a team that if you say God is calling me to be a missionary to my kids. PTA That's awesome. And that you're doing a kingdom work. If you're going to the PTA meetings to be the light and voice of Jesus in that setting, let's celebrate and recognize the kingdom work you're doing in that you don't need to do anything extra to be on the team. 00:36:27:30 - 00:36:50:28 Speaker 1 Just the fact that you're letting us know that, or the library fire station or saying, you know, I'm just going to monthly invite as many neighbors as I can to play cards and feed dinner, but I'm going to move the conversation towards Jesus, anything like that. The goal would be to have this kingdom impacting We're all you you let us know. 00:36:50:33 - 00:37:17:01 Speaker 1 We celebrate, we check in with you, see how it's going. We can be praying for you in that can be for people who work in unique ministry situation. So a few years ago, Stef and I were talking to a lady and she's like, I can't I can't serve in it. I'm like, Why not? And she explained to us that she worked for an organization and was a caseworker. 00:37:17:06 - 00:37:52:23 Speaker 1 So 40 hours a week she's working with people on the verge of homelessness or in homelessness, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. And then she get done that and she'd go home. But her home was to be a parent for another organization, another 40 hours a week. That's a lot. And she felt like she couldn't go to church because every time she stepped through the doors of a church after a few weeks, they'd get to know her background, get to know that she has she was at one point ordained within a denomination. 00:37:52:23 - 00:38:34:03 Speaker 1 She has a master's in Christian leadership, and that every church she ever went to started going, How can we use you? And she's like, I got nothing left to give The Kingdom Impact Team is a place that we can celebrate. People like that, like let's know and recognize that the other term is micro churches. This can be a small group, but it it's where a group of people are getting together for kingdom purpose and so this would be three families. 00:38:34:12 - 00:38:56:32 Speaker 1 You know, I really feel like we need to get involved with good works fixing other houses in the area great that that's a micro church and it's a it may be a weird but the reason I really like the phrase micro church as opposed to group ministry for things like that is the first that it's a reminder that we are not just the church here. 00:38:56:37 - 00:39:18:02 Speaker 1 Two or three of us are going out to do something in Jesus name for Jesus purpose, for His glory. We're just as much the church there. The other thing is whoever is leading that, it's a reminder for them that if this is a micro church and I'm taking responsibility for this, then I'm carrying some of the spiritual weight of the people I'm overseeing. 00:39:18:07 - 00:39:44:31 Speaker 1 It's not just all on me as as the senior pastor, but we're carrying the load together in that. So what the is, if you were to ask me what's the bare minimum for a church in general, what's the ecclesial? Ecclesial logical minimum? I would say worship, fellowship and mission. And what's the minimum for micro worship, fellowship and mission. 00:39:44:31 - 00:40:18:19 Speaker 1 But worship isn't just singing together. Worship is. It can be lifestyle. We're serving these people together for Jesus. Name of his glory can be worship. Community naturally occurs when people are doing stuff like that together. And then mission currently work. We're operating officially with two microchips. One is Axios, the youth ministry I talked about earlier. The other one is the food for Coatesville that we do on the third Saturday. 00:40:18:23 - 00:40:42:13 Speaker 1 We had another one operating on Monday nights that we pushed pause on so that the people who were involved in that could coordinate this and get this going. We're as we move past Easter, we'll be talking about like we have this space Tuesday nights also. So we're praying through and planning for what we can do Tuesdays in this space, but also in the community and other areas. 00:40:42:14 - 00:41:13:00 Speaker 1 And if the Holy Spirit lays anything on your heart like it does not have to come top down. We want to let the Holy Spirit speak to all of our hearts and have conversations. Just because you say I have an idea doesn't mean we're going to all run with it. But we're open to that. That dialog. So if the Holy Spirit said to you tonight, though, it's time to push the pedal a little harder, time to get out of the garage, we have a place for you, and we'd love for you to jump in and get involved. 00:41:13:05 - 00:41:37:12 Speaker 1 And a little bit we'll talk through announcements and filling out connection card and that would be the easiest thing just because if you tell me in person, I won't remember, I'll forget and then you'll be offended. Why didn't he? My attention span. I can't retain it until tomorrow. Sorry. If it's digital, I can. God is called you. He has a unique purpose for you. 00:41:37:14 - 00:41:58:12 Speaker 1 He has good work for you. Let's walk that out together. Now. I started out stepping aside. It's like if you were here tonight and you don't follow Jesus and you've never accepted Jesus. I want to loop back to that conversation tonight. We talked about God has a purpose and a plan and a call for you If you've never put your faith in Jesus. 00:41:58:12 - 00:42:25:11 Speaker 1 I want to remind you or let you know that from the beginning of creation, God, love, loves people, created a relationship with him. But there's a barrier now between us and him, and we call that barrier. No amount of good work, no amount of living, doing the work is going to restore the relationship we have God desires to have with us and we desire to have with him. 00:42:25:16 - 00:42:48:19 Speaker 1 It doesn't do it. The good work that repair, that relationship is what Jesus did for us. Dying on on the cross, for us. He did the good work already. The ultimate good work. And he stands at the edge of the Kingdom of God where we go and he says, Step inside. Just that invites us to take that one step towards him. 00:42:48:23 - 00:43:12:02 Speaker 1 If you've never put your faith in Christ and tonight that makes you assume that there's somebody here, you know who does follow Christ. I'd love for you to talk to them and say, Hey, I'm ready to follow Jesus. You say, I don't know anybody here. Then talk to Sarah who prayed earlier or talk to me. We're talking we'd love to talk with you and talk about what it looks like now to move into that relationship with Christ. 00:43:12:07 - 00:43:51:02 Speaker 1 Let me, Lord, thank you. Thank you for creating us. Unique. Thank you for the unique gifts, abilities and passions. Everything you put into this room. Thank you for Coatesville that has more opportunities for kingdom work than what we can even start to understand For a church. We can continue to hold our hands open to you. Say whatever. Whatever you have for us works for you. 00:43:51:02 - 00:44:32:41 Speaker 1 Help us do it spiritually. Healthy way to walk in, step with you. As we're charging the gates, inviting everyone we can step inside and bring the same time. We can find times trust in you consistently. But as we bring our kids along in the ride, we can also care for them. Well, for all we give this world your name.