Traditions: Church

Hey, well, good morning Southeast. How are you guys doing this morning? Very good. I may or may not have met you. My name's Adam. I'm a student pastor here, and we're just so glad that you were in the house and that you're here with us to worship. I feel like church has already been great. So, I just want to be a part of it. Hey, I just want to take this time to extend our worship into our tithes and our offerings. There’re so many easy ways that you can give online or give through our app. If you're old school like my wife, you can give through one of the black boxes right when you walk out on your way out of service today.

Secondly, I want to let you know that our connections class kicks off June 6th and June 13th. You might say, “Adam, what in the world is connection class?”. I'm so glad you asked. It's a way for us to get to know you better and you know us better, and to answer any questions you have about the church or what we do or why we do it. We want to talk to you about all those things, and just talk about what the heart of this house is really all about. So, jump into that connection class, if you haven't, and then we're going to have a great day today. So, I'm honored they asked me to speak the last portion of the series called Traditions, and I get to talk about the church and there's nothing I'm more passionate about or have a bigger heart for than the church and what God said about it. And so, as we kind of move into this idea and this thought,  I just believe that it's going to encourage you and maybe just give you some more revelation and insight.

And so, here's my first thing for you. When we hear that word church, we can think of so many different things. I don't know what your background is. I don't know where you grew up, but a lot of you hear church and you think of maybe just the real, quiet, sovereign type of services. I've been in those where it's just light worship and it's a gentle teaching. Then you might've grown up a little bit different, like I did, where church was loud, and the louder it was the better the service was. Or you might've come to Southeast that has just the most amazing praise and worship, and in my opinion, some of the most incredible teaching. I think Aaron is a master. In fact, I'm so glad he's not on the front row like he was at the 8:30 AM service, because it just scared me to death having him stare me down the whole time I was speaking. So, Aaron, thank you for staying in the lobby. Please stay there. I don't know what your background is. Maybe you grew up Baptist. Maybe you grew up Catholic. Maybe you grew up Lutheran. I don't know. Some of you might've been with the Assemblies of God. Maybe some of you've been with the church of God. If you have my background and denominational, thoughts, I came from the background of, oh my God, we're just glad you're alive and well. Some of you went to that church too. And so, I don't know what your thought is or what you see or perceive to be church, but what I do know is it was God's idea and here's the thing, it can be so diverse, different churches and different ways that we choose to worship or study the word, and that's just in the states, right? If we open up this box that the church was for the world, right? Jesus gave his life for the world. Man, you go into the middle of Africa, or you going to the middle of Japan or China, and it can be a totally different expression.

And so, we're going to talk about what is the fundamental things that make the church, the church? What makes this time of worship special? What makes this movement that's taking place at Southeast as something that we want to be a part of? And I believe that Jesus unpacks it better than anybody else, so, we're going to go and see what he has to say about it. So, I want to start here in Matthew chapter 16:13, and this is where we first hear this word in scripture, ecclesia, and it comes out of the mouth of Jesus. And how many know that if Jesus said it first, it's definitely going to be an important thought? It says this in verse 13, “When Jesus came to the region, Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, who do people say the son of man is?” And they replied, “Some, say John, the Baptist, others say Elijah and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the profits”. Now, I love this right here. Their responses aren't wrong because Jesus was famous, and in fact, I want to say this, Jesus was the most famous person on the planet at this point in his life, and everyone was talking about him because everywhere Jesus went, something miraculous happened. There's scriptures that are super short in the gospels that say that when Jesus went into one town, he healed everybody. Like, everybody's life was changed. There are other portions of scripture that we see specific miracles, where they got a packed house and they're literally vandalizing someone's house. They're cutting a hole in the roof of the house to get somebody that needs Jesus right there facing in front of him. And so, everyone's saying all this stuff, and none of these are anything disrespectful, right? John, the Baptist is amazing. You know, Elijah, he kind of called fire down from heaven that one time. Jeremiah, one of our major profits, people were trying to figure it out, but then Jesus gets to the point. He says, “Well, but what about you?” he asked, “Who do you, (which is plural) so if he's Texan, who do you all say I am?” And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. The son of the living God”. Jesus replied, “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven, and I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”.

It's this beautiful picture here of what would be perceived that Peter's just a regular dude, right? He was a fisherman. He did hard manual labor until Jesus got ahold of him. Here's this regular guy that Jesus is identifying something special and spectacular in his life. I just want to say to some of you in here and I can relate to this, maybe you can relate to this too, but I don't feel that special. I feel like a regular guy that just loves Jesus and is trying to follow them with everything that I have. Here, Jesus looks at him and says, “actually, Simon Barjonah, you're more important than you think. In fact, I'm going to rename you Peter right now”. That's kind of cool if Jesus renamed you. And he says, “Peter, not only that, but upon my rock, flesh, and blood have not revealed this to you, but it's my Spirit, my father in heaven has given you this idea and I'm going to build my church on you”. Well, in Greek Peter's name is Petros. And that next portion right there speaks of a word called Petra, which is this huge rock or cliff. And so, he looks at Peter, Hey, you little rock, Hey, you little guy's stone. You're still important. I'm going to build my church on this revelation that you just spoke because what came out of your mouth ,little rock, what actually came out, was Petra. You have a revelation of what I'm trying to do.

I don't know what your past is, but your past doesn't determine your potential. I don't know what you've walked through, or where your soul has been crushed, or maybe you went through a divorce, and you felt like you could never heal or be normal again. Maybe, you were like me, and you were abused as a kid, and you had questions of why that would happen. But I want to tell you ,little rock, God's going to use your gifts. He's going to use the talent that he put into you. For me, it's the picture of the church that maybe it's not just this big rock, which is the idea, but it's the little rocks all coming together and saying, God, we want to see things changed in our world. Jesus says, “and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”. When I think of the church, I think of it as a place of love, that the church, it should be a place of healing. Church should be a place that we come together and that we're elevated, and we're encouraged, and we're lifted up. Maybe some of you in here had a bad church experience at some point in your life, or maybe a leader failed you when you put your confidence and trust in them. But I want to tell you, don't let that define what the church is. Look at it through the purity of who Jesus is and how Jesus loves the church so much that he says it is his bride. And I want you to know that this is not Peter's idea. In fact, I feel like Peter might've been a little intimidated. Like, why are you picking me? Pick him. That's a lot of responsibility. So the church was God's idea, but then he put it into man's hands. How many know that people, men and women, we can mess things up really quickly? I just want to just take a survey here. Just an open survey here. Who in here have a perfect family? Just lift your hand up really quick. All right, ushers, those people lifting their hands, please remove them at this time, because we know that they have deeper issues. (Pastor joking)

Church was not Peter's idea. It was Jesus's idea. The church was birthed out of God's heart and God's vision for the world, but he put it in our hands, and we mess it up. I want to tell you that Jesus has a deeper, deeper thought of what it can actually look like. So, he looks at Peter on this rock, Peter, I'm going to build my church.

As a pastor, sometimes it's intimidating to help build his church. When we're working together in leadership meetings. Sometimes I'm like, guys, I don't know if this is actually going to work, but we're going to try it. But the important thing is that we see the church continued to be built. The bride of Christ has bumps and bruises. The bride of Christ, some of you have had tough moments in church. Maybe somebody is watching online and you're like, I will never walk through the door of a church again, but I want to tell you that God loves you, and we've got to see the beauty of his glorious church.

So here is Peter, wild moment with Jesus, and just a couple of years later, Peter is filled with the holy spirit. Today, we actually traditionally celebrate Pentecost Sunday. The day that the church was birthed, and Peter begins to preach, but not like the old Peter that we see in the gospels. Peter is a new man. He is finally stepped into his calling and what he's arrived here on earth to do.

And Peter's first message, I just want to say, it makes me a little angry. His first message was so good! Like, my first message today was horrible! Please delete it, and don't let anyone see that one. Okay? Second, little better. Third, I'm just blacking out at this point, okay? Peter's first message was amazing! Just a couple of years later, he starts declaring the word of God, and in one message, after he was done, 3000 people believed, and 3000 people were baptized! How many know that was a long service? Because I've seen how long it takes to baptize five people. We would be here for like a week if we did it, like there had to be a moment where they were just like one, two, like just get it going guys. We’ve got to have some kind of manufacturing idea with this. You know? So 3000 believers, 3000 were baptized. I'm happy when one person believes after my message! One person baptized. Come on, we celebrate it today during the second service. Can you imagine the birthing of the church 3000 believe, 3000 are baptized!

Then it says something unique happens here. Maybe at first, it won't seem unique to you, but we're going to look at it a little bit. It says in Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves, the church, to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”. When I read that list, that seems pretty simple to me. Right? Good teaching. Apostles teaching the word of God scripture now. To fellowship. I love fellowship. I love hanging out with people to the breaking of bread and to prayer. I go, what was so special about that? What jumped off that scripture to me and went into my heart and I hope it'll go into yours, is that word, devoted. It didn't say that they attended a weekly church service. It says that they were devoted to each other. Now, I had to learn about devotion a while ago because when I was 23 and 24, I thought I knew everything. Anyone know everything in your teenage years? Your early twenties? Like, I literally could coach you on anything you wanted to be coached on. I knew everything, and literally, I felt like I was a good Christ follower. I felt like humility. God's working that in my life. And then I decided to do this crazy thing and I got married!

I see why Paul says, “it's better to be single”. I'm just kidding, honey. I'm just kidding, I have 14 years’ experience, 15 in June, come on somebody. I'm still in the test, praise God! But I really didn't realize how selfish I was. So, when I was a bachelor, like, I had a bar of soap in the shower. I had those big old Walmart shampoo and conditioners that could last you at least two to three years. Right? And then I had that old school, some of you won't know this, some of you will. It was bright green, like Walmart gel. If you put this gel, some of you laughing harder than others, and some wives, they're like, you're used to wear that too. If you put this gel in your hair, literally, a hurricane could come, and nothing would move your hair. Like you were just in it to win it.

I get married and Sarah brings in crate after crate after crate of hair product. I literally did not know ladies that you set up a salon in our bathroom once you get married. I'm like, how many irons do you need? How many curlers do you need? She's like, “Well, I just don't know what kind of mood I'm going to be in”. I'm like, I'm in green gel mode all day. This is how we roll. I remember taking up all the counter space. There's all these different products in the shower. I realized how humble I wasn't and how selfish I really was. So, then I had my next revelation of it. I'm on the phone with my brother. So story of my brother and me is we got married three months apart. So, Aaron and Terri got married in March. We got married three months after in June. Aaron and Terri had the great idea that they wanted to get married and have kids as quick as possible. I want you to know that that was not our vision at all for Sarah and my life. We were on a five-year plan. We're on a five-year plan. And so I'm on the phone with Aaron. He calls me one night. I'm in California, helping a church, went out there and, I get the call and Aaron is so excited, “bro! You're not going to believe this!” He's like, “We're having a baby”. I'm like, oh, what?!? I'm going to be an uncle! I'm just so excited, and we're just wrapping out on the phone, and so I'm pacing. I pace all the time. When I preach, when I'm on the phone, I'm always pacing. Sarah flies into the room and I'm just trying to celebrate with my brother. Bro, what do you think you're going to name him or if it's a girl, what's that going to be like?

We're like, trying to talk through it, and Sarah looks at me with all desperation and panic in her eyes. Now mind you guys, have some grace for me. I was only 3 months married. 15 years in, I know more now. Okay, I had to learn the hard way. Sarah flies in the room in a panic, “Hang the phone up”! Being a three-month idiot into marriage, I was like, okay, I'm on the phone with my brother. I was indignant. They're having a baby, Sarah. I'm trying to celebrate. I did fellas, and you're going to know it when I tell you, I've learned the wicked ways of my life. I turned my back on Sarah and walked the other way. I’ll let you know, I'm lucky I didn't get punched in the back of the head at that moment. (Congregation laughing) I keep the conversation going. She comes up again, she's like, “Hang the phone up”. I'm like, did I not tell you woman, I am on the phone, and we are celebrating. (Congregation laughing more) I'll be back with you in a minute. They're having a baby. I can just see her just like looking at me like she's seeing red, just red and I don't see it. I'm three months in. I've learned. I've learned. Third time she comes back. I'm telling you. “Hang the phone up”. And I'm like, what? I'm like, Aaron and them are celebrating, they're pregnant. She pulls out a pregnancy test and she goes, “We are too”! (Congregation laughing harder and clapping) I’m like, (Pastor makes a squealing voice). I’m like, you can’t be taking secret pregnancy tests in my house! We both had a part in this. Right? Going in the room all by yourself, coming out, “We’re pregnant”. I guess I should have hung the phone up. I hung the phone up. They finally got through to me and ever since then, I've been learning just how selfish I still am. I've had to learn something about devotion. Sarah was level 1. The first kid was level 2, the second kid level 3. We see that there's something to devotion and actually Jesus breaks it down better than I could ever do.

It's a fun portion of scripture. It's Matthew 12:46-50. It says Jesus was speaking to the crowd. His mother and brothers stood outside asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they want to speak to you. This very well could be because he just called the Pharisees a bunch of (inaudible) and vipers and you don't get to speak to religious people that way and not have any consequences. Like, can you imagine the stress of Mary's life having to parent Jesus and then watch what he was doing all through his work in ministry? Like, you know someone came back to Mary's house, and was like, you know what Jesus called the Pharisees, right? See, even Mary had to parent. Then Jesus makes this crazy statement. Jesus asked, “Who is my mother”? Mary, pretty sure.  “Who are my brothers”? Now I've learned this about Christ. That whenever he asks a question, he's not looking for our answer. We'll just think about that. Whenever Jesus asks a question, he's not looking for an answer. He knows all things. Then he pointed to his disciples, awkward moment and said, “Look, these are my mother. These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother church”. Jesus is making this a family thing. It's a family ordeal. These are my mother, my sister, my brothers. There's a devotion level that he was trying to get us to, that we would fight for the church the same way that we'd fight for our sons and our daughters and our marriages, that we are in this to win it together. By the way, we're so much better together. But what happens? Relationships get tough. Family gets tough. Do you know if you look in the Old Testament, there is not one functional family in the entire Old Testament, like wouldn't you think like hundreds of years and finally they got it right in Job? Nope! Finally, Daniel shifted the scene. No, it started with Adam and Eve. They had to take something that wasn't theirs and then their sons aren’t going to do it any better. They just upped it from stealing to murder. Like that's the course of the generational blessing of humanity.

So many times, we think the church has to be perfect and it doesn't, it can be messy. We can do life together. We can go to counseling and work on our stuff. We can just cheer one another on. People are stepping into sobriety and going up and down with it, but trying to figure life out. I want to tell you, I love this church so much because it's often thick and it's real. And you don't have to wear a mask here. (Congregation cheering and clapping)  I have a pastor who demands it and I'm going to tell you, when you get in that space, y'all made me cry and laugh all at the same time. I must be in counseling right now.

When you get in that healthy space, when we begin to love people, as best as we can, we get rid of the religiosity or whatever you want to call it. The condemnation that we can so easily throw around, the judgment. I'm telling you, it's a place where God's love, begins to fill it. The more that we love people, well, I believe the more that lives are changed forever. So, thank you. I like that guy, give him an extra communion cup. It says every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, that it was better together. That family is important. Families are important.

So, one of my favorite celebrity, pop stars on the planet and you can judge me if you want to. That's okay. You're allowed to do that. Just don't tell me, just judge me quietly. One of my favorite guys in the whole world is Justin Timberlake. Any Justin Timberlake fans in here? Just a little, yeah. Y'all need Jesus.  I'll never forget, Justin Timberlake, one of my favorite performances ever, was at the super bowl. Some of you might've remembered that. He has this epic moment, and there's this kid that doesn't even know what's about to happen, and Justin, somehow security gets him through the places, bananas, smoke, and lights. If you saw it, you know, you can imagine if you didn't see it. And all of a sudden, Justin pops up out of nowhere and he's walking down the steps in the crowd and there's this kid like, I love Justin! He doesn't even know that, like, Justin's right there. Justin comes around and puts his hand over his shoulder, steals the kid's phone and snaps a selfie. Anybody remember this part? He snaps a selfie with this kid before he even knew what happened. I just in my brain, I hope that Justin shook his head a little and like sweat came off and hit the kid in the face because when it hit him on the right cheek, he's never going to wash it off. Like Justin was here. My life has been changed. Right?

I loved the moment I was watching it on TV. His friends, this kid's friends were probably like going crazy texting. I can't believe that happened!  But that one kid, he was the one that was there, live at the game. He experienced this moment in a whole different way that no one else could ever experience. You know what I have to say so many times I come into this church, and I think maybe I'm coming for great worship, or I think I'm coming because my kids just love it. I think I'm coming here to hear a new message that will inspire me. Then someone will say, “Hey, can I pray with you”? It just overwhelms my life. Be somebody that comes up and encourages me and pats me on the back and goes, man, you're doing a great job with those teenagers. They're a little crazy. We get it. We're praying for you, but I love them. Right? So many times, I think we've got to be here live sometimes! If you're watching online, I want you to know thousands of people watch online and we love you. You are part of this church family.  I would tell you many people watching in other countries, man, you’ve got to find that small group, you’ve got to find some people to get with in person that can pray with you. That can encourage you. That can love you right now. I would encourage every person that's here today. If you're not in a life group, if you haven't found that small group, there are amazing ones all over this church. I tell you, plug in. It'll change your life because it's truly where healing can take place.

Acts 2 goes on to say, “They were praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people”. I love this. “And the Lord added to their number daily, those who were being saved”. When we are devoted to loving people really well, God will add more who need to be loved.

You don't need gimmicks. We don't need strategies. The strategy is clear. When we walk in the doors of this church or when we're online watching services, we need to love people really well. We need to know that this is a family ordeal, and that sometimes in church, it gets messy. Things are said that shouldn't be said, things are done, that maybe wasn't our best foot forward, but I'm telling you when we love people really well, God's going to send us more that need to be loved. I want this church, don't get nervous in the service. I want this church to be filled with people who are broken, who are hurting, who are confused. I want this church to be a safe Haven where other churches may have not welcomed them properly into their doors. But they go oh, but that Southeast man, they know how to love people right. I want people to come into the doors that have different religious views, and they're trying to just figure out who God is in their life. They can come here and sit safely and know that we are rooting for them. That we did all this for those that need to feel the love of Jesus.

I’m going to read this final verse, John 12:32, Jesus says this, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto myself”. This is a powerful picture. Of course, of when Jesus would eventually be lifted on the cross, and he would be hanging there full of one thing, love for the world. He said, “the power of who I am. If I be lifted up, I will draw people to me”. Basically, speaking that I'm a magnet. If you lift me up, right, I'm going to draw people to me. I believe the way that we lift Jesus up right, the way we do it well, is that we love people no matter what they're walking through. I love the church. I love this church. I love that my ,well, she's not a baby anymore. She's going to be 10, but whenever she comes to church on Sunday morning, she's beaming. Just ready to be with her friends. Ready to learn about Jesus. My son. He's cool. He's with the middle schoolers right now. Poor Jason. He's on his own today. He's cool. He's got his hard part. He's playing baseball, but I love that he loves Jesus, and he just wants to learn more about him and worship him. I thank God for every parking lot attendant, every person who works in the cafe, all the cool guys that get the cool yellow thing to hang around your neck for security. Love all you guys. I love it. Every person that works back in that (AAV?) room, and a lot of times they get forgotten about, probably want to, but they do a fantastic job setting a stage for God's love to be given. Every teacher, every pastor, every person working on the mission fields outreach. So many incredible things. I love the generosity that our families experienced from your guys's heart to ours. You know what? The best is not behind us. The best is still yet to come. Come on, if you believe that, will you give God a good praise right there? (Congregation clapping)

Let's pray, and then we'll receive communion. Father, in Jesus’ name, I thank you for these precious people. I thank you that despite our imperfections, God, you never stopped loving us. Your grace never quit pouring out. Lord, I just lift up every person that's here, any issue or heaviness that they have, or maybe someone who got burned really bad in church and just had a bad taste in their mouth. God, take that out today and let them see what you want them to see. And father, as we step into a place of communion. God, we thank you for all you gave and for blessing us with your bride in Jesus name. Amen.

Hey, take a couple moments right now. Prepare your heart, as we begin to prepare for communion. (Pause for silent prayer) Father, we thank you for your body that was broken for us, Lord, we thank you for all you've given us and God, we just come with a spirit of gratitude, as we receive today, take and eat.

Lord, we thank you for your blood that was shed for our sins. We thank you for the juice that represents that. As often as we do it, we do it in remembrance of you, take and drink today. If you would, let's stand together, we're going to sing one more song.

Isn’t that so true that when we put our trust in the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, we put our trust in his design, even for the church, that God gives us the ability, even in the middle of storms to not be shaken, not to be moved off of our foundation that God gave us. Well, it was an honor to speak to you today. I have to tell you about something that's super, holy and special, that's happening right after church today. We are baptizing cars for the first time. (Congregation laughing) They used to call it a carwash. I'm calling it a spiritual baptism with all the rain we've had. Your car probably needs it. All the proceeds from this car wash are going to help our kiddos, our middle school and our high schoolers pay for their camp. We have a phenomenal camp planned out for both of them. A few spots left in high school. I think middle school we're sold out. If you would go out there, just encourage our teenagers. They're amazing, and if you could, sew something to bless their life, that would be great. So, Southeast we love, you have an incredible week. We'll see you soon.