Here's a brief outline from yesterday's message. I went "off script" a few times but the heart of the talk is all here. Enjoy.
DOMINANT THOUGHT: An authentic
community is real because first it is righteous.
Story
· Summer of 2004
· People I trusted… did
life with… shared my concerns, dreams, prayers with
· And not just every
once in awhile, but weekly we poured out our hearts to each other.
· One day I expressed
my concern over an issue I saw in this group’s life.
· Within days, almost
all of our friendships were over…
· Tears, frustration,
attacks on my family
· It was among the
hardest things we’ve ever gone through in our lives.
· We left that
situation wondering if we could ever be real with people again… wondering if we
could ever trust a group on that level again.
Dilemma – we all want a
family… we all want a place to belong… we all want a cause to fight for and
people to fight alongside… but many of us are not ready for the transparency,
vulnerability and honesty that comes from really being known intimately… we’re
scared because our “experience” has taught us to be wary… and even sometimes to
be cynical.
Recap Series – We are
REVEALING the VINEYARD FAMILY
· Hap/Di – story and
foundation
· Putty – 4 pillars of
who we are (slide)
· Clay – talked our
global tribe
· Today, we talk a
little more intimately about our day-to-day “tribe” experience. Those sitting
in the rows next to you.
· Before I pray, pass
out nametags (silly thing just to break down some barriers).
PRAYER
Word
Today, we are going
to unpack some of Paul’s ideas of how the church should interact with each
other. Now, this is not a set of rules… rather it’s a way of thinking that
comes from being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(A) To be an authentic
community, we need to give up our old thinking.
· We need stop looking
to the world for our model on relationships & realize that with Jesus we
have the power to create a new normal in the power of Holy Spirit.
·
Ephesians 4:17 Now this
I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do,
in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their
understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is
in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and
have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of
impurity.
·
Giving up
our orphan mentality
·
Putting
aside the old man
·
Leaving
our flesh behind to walk in the Spirit
·
Discarding
our offense and picking up love.
(B) To be an authentic community, we
need to begin to think like Jesus.
· Good opportunity to
share the gospel in this section
·
Ephesians 4:20 But that is not the way you learned
Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in
him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which
belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in
true righteousness and holiness.
·
Christ
died both as us and as an example for us.
·
Understand
your place in the kingdom (sons and daughters)
·
You have
been reborn… you ARE a new person.
·
The Father
has counted you holy, royal, sanctified in Him.
·
You are
free (from everything that used to bind you up)… begin to live like it!
·
Think like
you are born of heaven and not of this earth.
·
When we
begin to do this, we will interact with our family, our church and our world in
a completely different way.
·
SOFIA THE
FIRST – finding out what being “royal” is all about
·
But, it’s
not just a ME thing… it’s bigger than that.
(C) To be an authentic
community, we need to think of the other person’s identity.
·
We can’t
stay wrapped in our own journey… in our own change… when we do, we replace one
lie (about ourselves) for the lie of not caring about the lif-change of the
people around us.
·
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore,
having put away falsehood, (the lie
is gone!)
·
let each one of you speak the truth
with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your
anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief
no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own
hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let
no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for
building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
·
God not
only has given you a new identity, but to everyone who says YES to Him.
·
When we
see the other person’s value…
o
We will
always speak the truth… no masks
o
We will
always be patient and seek reconciliation… no delays
o
We will
always act with honor and find our place on the team… no leeches.
o
We will
always let our speech reflect the heart of the Father… no exceptions.
·
ONLY IN
JESUS is their freedom to live this way… we can’t force it on our own strength…
the transforming power of the Spirit alone has the ability to give you grace to
live without
o
Gossip
o
Slander
o
Bitter
thoughts
o
And toxic language
As we pursue these ideas… who am I? Plus, who are
the people around me? In the Father’s eyes… in the Father’s family… we will
begin to think of the greater good, of the greater community… and think less
about ourselves:
(D) To be an authentic community,
we need to think unity above precision.
·
(Julie
pastor at Urbana) – we will begin to move from being a taker… and move into the
grace of being a giver to those around us/community.
·
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
·
Ephesians 4:1-3
has value here also
·
We will
remain humble to avoid pride.
·
We will
remain gentle to avoid more fuel on fires.
·
We will
strive to understand someone’s pain to avoid talking behind his or her back.
·
We will
keep short accounts to avoid bitterness.
·
We will
focus on loving others to avoid having to always be “right/correct.”
STORY
· Fred Johnson – love her more a
year from now
· No decisions are ever made on our
own
· We began to create dreams
together
· First child… 5th child
· Creating new dreams together
· Ephesians 5 – Give up your lives
out of reverence for Jesus
· He gave up everything for us.
· Forgiveness is a choice, an
action step, a verb
Mission
What should we do
with all of this?
- Begin to understand that we cannot
be real with one another until we understand our righteousness in Christ.
- From there is birthed an
understanding of how the Father sees all of His followers as righteous.
- From there is birthed authenticity
with one another…
- For we begin to see each other as
Jesus sees us.
- For we begin to see each other’s destiny and purpose, rather than our hurts, pains, offenses…. Or even just our quirkiness
WHAT HAPPENS when
the church begins to live this way?!
1. First, the culture of
our churches change.
2. Second, the world
begins to take notice of the way we do life.
3. Finally, the way we
“do relationships” outside the church walls begins to change too…
4. And in turn, we begin
to change the atmosphere…
So, lets go on this mission
together.
- Value
and importance of Small Groups
-
practice & training ground for authenticity
- Value
and importance of serving on teams – practice and training ground for the right
way to do conflict.
- Value of our Tribe – no longer a “country club” of believers meeting for karaoke on Sundays, but a “Grace Filled Family” on mission to bring about the Kingdom in the way we relate to each other… to change the atmosphere of our cities by our love… and the demonstration of that love.
