Latest / Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive / February 1st, 2015 | One is the Loneliest Number (Hunter Ruch)

Transcript

February 1st, 2015 | One is the Loneliest Number (Hunter Ruch) · Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive

0:03
SPEAKER_02: All right.
0:05
SPEAKER_02: Good morning.
0:07
SPEAKER_02: Thank you, team.
0:08
SPEAKER_02: Deeply appreciate them leading us in worship this morning.
0:12
SPEAKER_02: Well, it is uh Super Bowl Sunday, Super Sunday.
0:15
SPEAKER_02: If you don't know what the Super Bowl is, it's too late to explain it.
0:19
SPEAKER_02: But my guess is the person sitting next to you understands what that means.
0:23
SPEAKER_02: And all I can say is if you don't know who to cheer for, if you want to cheer for a team that has a committed Christian quarterback, cheer for the Seahawks.
0:31
SPEAKER_02: And if you want to cheer for the Cheaters, cheer for the Patriots.
0:38
SPEAKER_02: That's up to you.
0:40
SPEAKER_02: We uh are actually taking a bit of maybe a detour, you could say, from Route 66 this week.
0:45
SPEAKER_02: Although detour sounds a little negative, so maybe we could say it's more like a rest stop along the way.
0:50
SPEAKER_02: That way the kids can get out and do their thing, and you can come back.
0:53
SPEAKER_02: Or maybe we could call it a bit of a sightseeing tour that we'll do here as part of our time this morning.
0:59
SPEAKER_02: But uh I'm glad you're here because I want to address a very important problem that exists in our culture.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: It's an epidemic.
1:09
SPEAKER_02: It's different than the epidemic of the flu which hit our house about a week and a half ago.
1:14
SPEAKER_02: And I won't uh gross you out by the literal ins and outs of what that meant in our house, but it was not pretty.
1:20
SPEAKER_02: Uh this, however, is much more devastating of an epidemic because of the spiritual ramifications that it has, and it is the epidemic of crowded isolation.
1:32
SPEAKER_02: And what I mean by that is millions of people, in some cases hundreds of thousands or thousands of people, just like you and me, being crowded in uh rooms, crowded in parks, crowded in other places, surrounded by thousands of people, but living life completely alone, without any natural connection, without any genuine connection with others.
1:58
SPEAKER_02: And this is a problem.
1:59
SPEAKER_02: I had a friend named David who's on staff at another church here in town, and back in September, he and his wife went on a uh week away and they went to Boston, Massachusetts, and they enjoyed some time touring the history and seeing parts around Boston.
2:14
SPEAKER_02: And I'm from the Northeast, and so I was really intrigued to hear what he had to say about his trip.
2:18
SPEAKER_02: And so after he got back, I said, David, how was your trip?
2:22
SPEAKER_02: And he said, It was great.
2:23
SPEAKER_02: We saw this historical spot and this place.
2:26
SPEAKER_02: He said, But what I observed as I looked around and I saw thousands of people is that they were all alone.
2:35
SPEAKER_02: There they were in Boston Common, just spread out right next to each other, but totally separated and alone, listening to their music, looking at their phones or their devices without a connection.
2:47
SPEAKER_02: Crowded isolation.
2:49
SPEAKER_02: And it's a problem.
2:51
SPEAKER_02: And it seems strange because in some ways we seem more connected now than we ever have been.
2:56
SPEAKER_02: And on one level, yes, we are.
2:57
SPEAKER_02: I could right now take out my phone and I could communicate with my sister and her husband in England.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: We have social media and we have Facebook and we have Twitter and we have all these avenues.
3:10
SPEAKER_02: And yet, strangely enough, many of those things create a false system of relationships that's not genuine.
3:16
SPEAKER_02: And so while we are more connected now as a culture than we've ever been, we actually are in danger of being more isolated than ever.
3:25
SPEAKER_02: And that's a problem.
3:28
SPEAKER_02: We don't even realize in some cases that we're doing it.
3:32
SPEAKER_02: When I was in college, I knew a lot of people.
3:35
SPEAKER_02: I would walk around and I'd say hi to a dozen people from one class to the next.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: I remember one time a friend I was walking with said, You know everybody.
3:43
SPEAKER_02: And I said, No, no, I don't.
3:44
SPEAKER_02: Of course, then right after that, three people that I knew came walking and hi, hi.
3:49
SPEAKER_02: But I had another friend that spoke wisdom into my life years ago.
3:53
SPEAKER_02: Because they looked at me and they said, You know what?
3:56
SPEAKER_02: You know a lot of people, but not a lot of people really know you.
4:02
SPEAKER_02: I didn't want to hear what they said, I didn't want to hear it at the time, but I realized they were right.
4:08
SPEAKER_02: Not a lot of people knew me.
4:10
SPEAKER_02: And that was part of a process that God began to work in my own life of realizing that I could unintentionally live a life of crowded isolation where I never really let anybody in to see the real me.
4:21
SPEAKER_02: And this has ramifications for us spiritually as well.
4:25
SPEAKER_02: I mean, we were created to have a need for relationships and community.
4:30
SPEAKER_02: And if you think about it, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
4:34
SPEAKER_02: Okay?
4:36
SPEAKER_02: That should tell us something about our need to connect.
4:39
SPEAKER_02: An individual named David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values, I would not agree with him on some of his uh positions on some of the American values like marriage and things like that, but he said it well with this quotation.
4:53
SPEAKER_02: We said, the human being is inextricably social.
4:55
SPEAKER_02: We are not isolated, unencumbered individuals.
4:59
SPEAKER_02: We need other people.
5:00
SPEAKER_02: We humans can only live in groups.
5:03
SPEAKER_02: We can only live together.
5:04
SPEAKER_02: That's how we are really designed to live.
5:08
SPEAKER_02: And this plays an important role in our spiritual lives.
5:11
SPEAKER_02: And what we're going to talk about this morning is the importance of connecting, the importance of relationships.
5:18
SPEAKER_02: Because I think we bought into this lie that me and Jesus is all I need.
5:25
SPEAKER_02: But we find out that we need to shift our thinking to we and Jesus because we need others.
5:30
SPEAKER_02: I'm all for the personal individual connection with the Lord.
5:33
SPEAKER_02: That's important.
5:35
SPEAKER_02: But if we do not connect with others to help spur us on to a deeper Christian life, then we were missing a very key component of our Christian walk that God intends for us to share with others in the body of Christ.
5:49
SPEAKER_02: We'll be looking at the book of Acts, chapter 2, so you can go ahead and turn there now.
5:55
SPEAKER_02: The title of the message is One is the Loneliest Number that comes to us from a well-known song.
6:01
SPEAKER_02: Some of you have heard the Three Dog Night version of that song.
6:06
SPEAKER_02: Someone even told me before last service that they went to a three-dog night concert years ago.
6:10
SPEAKER_02: I thought, wow, I'm glad you're still here.
6:14
SPEAKER_02: But that song was actually crafted, drafted, written by Harry Nilss in 1968, covered by Three Dog Night in 1969, where it gained its popularity.
6:26
SPEAKER_02: And it's an appropriate title as we think about the importance of community, building a case for community and our need to connect with other people within the body of Christ.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: And we're going to be looking at the book of Acts.
6:38
SPEAKER_02: We're going to be seeing some biblical support for the importance of relationships.
6:41
SPEAKER_02: We're even going to hear from a group of friends that is doing that now.
6:59
SPEAKER_02: And then we'll celebrate the Lord's table.
7:01
SPEAKER_02: So while we're not on Route 66 proper, we still need to buckle up because we got a lot of ground to cover.
7:07
SPEAKER_02: But here we go.
7:08
SPEAKER_02: So let's let's open up our Bibles to Acts chapter 2.
7:11
SPEAKER_02: The context of the book of Acts, this is a book that talks about the transition of after Jesus has been crucified, died, buried, resurrected, and then ascended to be with the Father in heaven.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: He told his apostles, hey, you're going to be a part of something great.
7:29
SPEAKER_02: The Holy Spirit's going to come upon you, and you are going to start something called the church, the ecclesia, the gathering of my people.
7:38
SPEAKER_02: And the book of Acts shares with us the transition of the establishment of this church.
7:43
SPEAKER_02: And as we get to Acts chapter 2, we find that the apostles have been gathered on Pentecost and the Spirit has come and they've spoken in languages of other nations to proclaim Christ to the people there in Jerusalem on that day.
7:56
SPEAKER_02: And Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preaches a sermon, his first sermon.
8:02
SPEAKER_02: And the amazing thing about the text we look at today, verses 41 through 47, is that we see what happens in response to what Peter preached.
8:11
SPEAKER_02: Because many people said, Well, what must we do?
8:13
SPEAKER_02: And he said, believe in Jesus.
8:15
SPEAKER_02: And the result was what we read in verse 41 of Acts 2.
8:19
SPEAKER_02: So those who received his word, that is Peter's word about Jesus, were baptized.
8:23
SPEAKER_02: And there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
8:28
SPEAKER_02: Whoa.
8:29
SPEAKER_02: Folks, that's an instant megachurch.
8:32
SPEAKER_02: It seems from the context, all they had to do was add water, right?
8:36
SPEAKER_02: You get it at baptism and water and okay, I'm sorry.
8:41
SPEAKER_02: I know it's third service and you guys are thinking about lunch, but hey, just hold on here.
8:45
SPEAKER_02: But this is amazing.
8:46
SPEAKER_02: This is the first, actually, verse 41, is the first of several summary statements that you find throughout the book of Acts, which give us a synopsis of what God was doing at that point in history.
8:56
SPEAKER_02: 3,000 people added that day.
8:59
SPEAKER_02: That's better than any Billy Graham crusade.
9:02
SPEAKER_02: Man.
9:02
SPEAKER_02: And yet they became the church.
9:05
SPEAKER_02: And the church began meeting immediately.
9:07
SPEAKER_02: And we get a description of what the church is like and how it's described in the verses that follow.
9:12
SPEAKER_02: Verse 42.
9:13
SPEAKER_02: And they, that is, this gathering of believers, devoted themselves, more appropriately, we should translate that, were continuing to devote themselves to four things.
9:22
SPEAKER_02: The apostles' teaching, that would be the word of God, right?
9:26
SPEAKER_02: To the fellowship, that would be the term koinonia, to the common sharing of life together, not separately, but together.
9:34
SPEAKER_02: To the breaking of the bread, which referred to the meeting of meals together, as well as to the celebration of the Lord's table, communion, which we'll do in a little bit.
9:44
SPEAKER_02: And then to prayers, because they knew that prayer was the key.
9:47
SPEAKER_02: They prayed all the time.
9:48
SPEAKER_02: The early church understood that.
9:50
SPEAKER_02: And the result is verse 43.
9:52
SPEAKER_02: And awe, or literally reverential fear, came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
10:00
SPEAKER_02: This was an awe-inspiring community.
10:02
SPEAKER_02: Verse 44.
10:04
SPEAKER_02: And all who believed were together.
10:08
SPEAKER_02: Not separate, not isolated, not alone.
10:12
SPEAKER_02: They were together.
10:15
SPEAKER_02: And they had all things in common.
10:18
SPEAKER_02: And they were selling their possessions and belongings, literally, their real estate and their personal possessions.
10:24
SPEAKER_02: They were selling them and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need.
10:29
SPEAKER_02: This was a radically other centered community.
10:35
SPEAKER_02: And finally, day by day, attending the temple together, because they could do this at that time, they gathered as Jewish Christians following Jesus, this great Jesus movement, in the temple courts.
10:46
SPEAKER_02: Because they were Jewish and they could do that.
10:48
SPEAKER_02: They gathered publicly to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ before persecution would eventually come by the Pharisees and those.
10:56
SPEAKER_02: And they gathered day to day, attending the temple together, breaking bread in their homes, so they gathered publicly as well as privately in their homes, and they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.
11:12
SPEAKER_02: And then here's the second summary statement of the book of Acts.
11:15
SPEAKER_02: And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
11:22
SPEAKER_02: This is how the church was described.
11:23
SPEAKER_02: It was an awe-inspiring community, it was a radically other-centered community.
11:30
SPEAKER_02: And it was a relationally life-transforming community.
11:34
SPEAKER_02: I mean, that folks is the church.
11:37
SPEAKER_02: It was in the 21st century and it should still be today.
11:40
SPEAKER_02: And what we find is that as the church lives as the church should live, God supernaturally blesses the mission of the church.
11:48
SPEAKER_02: And more and more people come and say, I want to be a part of what that's about.
11:54
SPEAKER_02: Needless to say, if people in the church just lived separated from one another, that that wouldn't happen.
12:03
SPEAKER_02: We should expect that God should work in the same way in the 21st century as he did in the first century.
12:08
SPEAKER_02: These people realized that it wasn't just me and Jesus, and me, myself, and I were okay.
12:14
SPEAKER_02: But we and Jesus together follow him together.
12:17
SPEAKER_02: Well, what else does the Bible say about the importance of connecting and relationships?
12:22
SPEAKER_02: First of all, we say theologically that the Bible tells us right from the first chapter from Genesis 1 that we were created to appreciate transforming relationships, relationships that are genuine with other people.
12:36
SPEAKER_02: Because we are made in God's image.
12:39
SPEAKER_02: We find this in Genesis 1.27 as we read these words.
12:43
SPEAKER_02: So God created man in his own image.
12:45
SPEAKER_02: In the image of God, he created him.
12:47
SPEAKER_02: Male and female, he created them.
12:50
SPEAKER_02: So every man, woman, boy, and girl is created in the image of God, meaning, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed in perpetual relationship with one another within the person of God, so you and I exist with a deep need to connect with others relationally as well.
13:10
SPEAKER_02: We're hardwired to do it.
13:12
SPEAKER_02: We're designed to do it, not to live in isolation.
13:16
SPEAKER_02: We find practically that the Bible has a lot to say about the importance of living life with others.
13:21
SPEAKER_02: The book of Proverbs, which is basically like a spiritual punch to the gut, if you want to find some of the most honest and clear wisdom from the Bible, you go to the book of Proverbs.
13:31
SPEAKER_02: It's right there.
13:33
SPEAKER_02: Even non-Christians, those who don't profess to follow Jesus, would say, Yeah, I agree with a lot of that stuff.
13:39
SPEAKER_02: It makes sense.
13:40
SPEAKER_02: But this is inspired from God's Word.
13:42
SPEAKER_02: Proverbs 12, 15.
13:43
SPEAKER_02: The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
13:49
SPEAKER_02: Translated to the practical, what that means is that you live your life in isolation.
13:54
SPEAKER_02: You are living life in your own eyes without the counsel of others, and the Bible says that is foolish.
13:59
SPEAKER_02: Spiritually speaking, the ramifications could be deadly for you.
14:04
SPEAKER_02: But if you're wise, you invite others into your life in order to give you counsel.
14:10
SPEAKER_02: Proverbs 11:14, in the same way, that where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is safety.
14:17
SPEAKER_02: 15 22, without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed, and then 24-6, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
14:29
SPEAKER_02: It behooves us to seek counsel in many matters of life.
14:33
SPEAKER_02: It certainly blesses us when we seek counsel in the most important matters, which would be the spiritual matters of our lives.
14:40
SPEAKER_02: That's why we need to connect with others.
14:43
SPEAKER_02: Throughout the Bible and the New Testament, you have the one another passages: love one another, serve one another, bear with one another, support one another.
14:52
SPEAKER_02: It's hard to do the one another's if it's just me, myself, and I.
14:56
SPEAKER_02: Maybe I'm the only one.
14:57
SPEAKER_02: But that's why we are designed as the body of Christ to carry those out together.
15:01
SPEAKER_02: And then finally, probably the most important example and illustration for the need we have for relationships would be Jesus Christ Himself, right?
15:10
SPEAKER_02: As he surrounded himself with twelve men, even drawing closer even more to three of those men.
15:16
SPEAKER_02: So in his hour of need, when Jesus needed people, he had his small group.
15:22
SPEAKER_02: As he said to three of them, my soul is in anguish.
15:25
SPEAKER_02: Please pray for me the night before he was arrested and crucified.
15:30
SPEAKER_02: So I conclude that if Jesus needed a small group, then maybe you and I do as well.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: In fact, yes, we do.
15:37
SPEAKER_02: We need people that not only we know, but know us and call us to a deeper life in Christ.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: So, you know, what does connecting look like?
15:46
SPEAKER_02: How do we do that?
15:48
SPEAKER_02: You can do that several ways here at our church.
15:50
SPEAKER_02: We have Sunday adult classes.
15:53
SPEAKER_02: We actually encourage small groups of some kind, even in our children's ministry, in our student ministry, and here for adults.
16:01
SPEAKER_02: What we encourage our adults to do is to become connected in our, we call them community groups.
16:07
SPEAKER_02: Some churches call them small groups or life groups, but these are opportunities for you to grow close together and pursue Christ together with other people.
16:15
SPEAKER_02: And we are blessed to have over 70 groups that meet throughout the week here at our church and off-site off campus.
16:24
SPEAKER_02: But we realize that for a lot of people, they still don't have that connection.
16:28
SPEAKER_02: And maybe you're sitting out there wondering, man, I'd love to have that connection, but I don't.
16:33
SPEAKER_02: Well, we'll talk about an opportunity called group links shortly that will allow you to do that.
16:38
SPEAKER_02: But we really believe that a well-balanced disciple does three things.
16:42
SPEAKER_02: They discover God's word, they connect with others in life-transforming relationships, and they serve using the gifts that God has given them, either inside the church or outside.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: And we we really believe that that's important.
16:54
SPEAKER_02: It's like a well-balanced uh diet.
16:58
SPEAKER_02: You know, my kids, you ask them, as I asked one of them the other day, well, what do you have for breakfast?
17:02
SPEAKER_02: Because they went downstairs and got breakfast for themselves.
17:04
SPEAKER_02: Uh well, uh, Pringles, apples, apple juice.
17:08
SPEAKER_02: Like, okay, all right, well, we have some work to do.
17:12
SPEAKER_02: But if we that's the way we approach the spiritual life, oh, well, you know, I kind of like reading my Bible, and that's good.
17:18
SPEAKER_02: You know, I'll I'll serve from time to time, that's good.
17:20
SPEAKER_02: But if we're missing that connecting components of people that we really know and know us, it's like a three-legged stool without a leg.
17:27
SPEAKER_02: It's bound to collapse.
17:31
SPEAKER_02: Discover, connect, serve.
17:34
SPEAKER_02: We need people in our lives.
17:36
SPEAKER_02: There's a well-known Christian counselor named Larry Crab, and back in 1990, uh, Larry Krabbe was asked, Dr.
17:44
SPEAKER_02: Krab, in all of your years of professional counseling experience, what's one of the most important things you've learned?
17:48
SPEAKER_02: And he said, I'll tell you what it is.
17:50
SPEAKER_02: It's that 70% of the people that I see in my office and in our practice don't actually need a professional counselor.
17:58
SPEAKER_02: All they need is a small group of people that just gives them an opportunity to share life.
18:03
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
18:05
SPEAKER_02: Think of how that industry would be put under, you know, no more need for counseling, right?
18:09
SPEAKER_02: If the people just had a small group.
18:12
SPEAKER_02: Well, about 10 years later, he was asked again, Dr.
18:14
SPEAKER_02: Crab in 1990, you said about 70% of the people that you counsel really don't need a professional counselor, but a small group.
18:20
SPEAKER_02: Do you still believe that?
18:22
SPEAKER_02: He said, No.
18:24
SPEAKER_02: Actually, that number's now up to 80%.
18:27
SPEAKER_02: Even a professional counselor remains firmly convinced that we need other people.
18:32
SPEAKER_02: That's why I've been so encouraged through my life, through my spiritual development as a follower of Christ, to connect with the people that I've connected with.
18:40
SPEAKER_02: And my wife and I to connect with the people that we connect with, because this actually has nothing to do with whether you're single or married.
18:46
SPEAKER_02: I hope you understand that.
18:47
SPEAKER_02: You could be married and know thousands of people and still live a life of crowded isolation, versus being single and genuinely connect with those that call the best out of you for the purposes of Christ.
18:58
SPEAKER_02: That's why my wife and I are thrilled that we get to gather with friends on a regular basis in a small group.
19:03
SPEAKER_02: Tonight we go watch the Super Bowl together.
19:07
SPEAKER_02: I really want to talk more to you about this, but I think what's better, as is mostly the case, is for other people to share because they can speak more clearly on this stuff than I can.
19:17
SPEAKER_02: And so I'm gonna invite some friends to come up.
19:19
SPEAKER_02: And these are friends that are actually participating in this whole group thing uh on an ongoing basis.
19:27
SPEAKER_02: They uh they're special people, they're good people, and each of them are friends of mine.
19:32
SPEAKER_02: And what I want is for them to share with you a little bit about their story, about uh what they do, why they do it.
19:41
SPEAKER_02: Um, as they come up here, let's just kind of give them an introductory round of applause.
19:51
SPEAKER_02: We're changing things up a little bit in the previous services.
19:54
SPEAKER_02: I sat on the side, but I'm gonna sit in the middle.
19:56
SPEAKER_02: And so we like to keep people on their toes here.
20:00
SPEAKER_02: Um you guys should each have a microphone for your couches.
20:03
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's it's gets a little cozy up here.
20:05
SPEAKER_04: I never understood the pillow thing.
20:07
SPEAKER_04: It just takes space.
20:08
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
20:09
SPEAKER_02: Get rid of those pillows.
20:10
SPEAKER_02: Uh hey, just uh quickly just give us your names.
20:13
SPEAKER_04: My name's Tom Bryan.
20:14
SPEAKER_04: My wife Susan unfortunately is home with a sick child this morning.
20:18
SPEAKER_03: We are Marshall and Amy Meek.
20:22
SPEAKER_06: I'm Amy Simpson, and my husband Mickey isn't here today.
20:26
SPEAKER_06: Amanda Biden.
20:28
SPEAKER_01: Brian Biden.
20:30
SPEAKER_01: And I'm Jason Bales, and uh my wife Joy is also home today.
20:34
SPEAKER_02: And so we got most of the group here.
20:36
SPEAKER_02: There are some pictures of you guys back there, and uh, things are looking pretty good, uh, just to give us a glimpse about your lives.
20:42
SPEAKER_02: Um Jason and Brian, I'll kind of start with you guys.
20:45
SPEAKER_02: Um you guys were sort of the initiators of this group.
20:50
SPEAKER_02: Uh tell us a little bit about why you did that um and how that process began.
20:55
SPEAKER_01: Um I shared with with uh the previous service that we had gotten together.
20:59
SPEAKER_01: Um we actually the Buttons and the and our family had gotten together um with another group.
21:05
SPEAKER_01: Um joined a small group.
21:06
SPEAKER_01: We decided that we wanted to do something beyond just the Sunday morning thing, um, kind of get into more in-depth Bible study.
21:11
SPEAKER_01: And uh we got into that group.
21:13
SPEAKER_01: We joined it, and about two months after we joined, they dissolved.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: So we killed that group.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Um and then we decided that we we still liked meeting with each other, um, even if nobody else liked us.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: And uh so so uh we contacted Hunter and asked if there were any other people who were interested in joining a group and and uh got together that way.
21:36
SPEAKER_02: And and what I love about that is because this happens sometimes in groups, is that people try to meet together and it doesn't work out, and sometimes the group comes to an end, and and some people throw in the towel at that point and say, you know what, it's too much work, it's not worth it to me.
21:51
SPEAKER_02: But you guys took that courageous step of saying, Hey, we see the value in this, and we're gonna keep trying at this thing.
21:57
SPEAKER_02: And I mean, the result of that is What we see up here.
22:01
SPEAKER_02: Um, how about for some of the the rest of you?
22:05
SPEAKER_02: Why did you decide to join this ragged bunch of people uh when you were invited to uh to be a part of it?
22:15
SPEAKER_06: I it was not something I was planning to do.
22:18
SPEAKER_06: Uh I'd been attending TBC for uh three or four years with my husband and kids and knew several other people.
22:26
SPEAKER_06: We visited some Sunday school classes, and then the group approached us and asked if we'd want to join.
22:32
SPEAKER_06: And we were not sure what we were getting ourselves into, but just felt like it was something we needed to do, and have since found that it's how we've found our place in this big church.
22:43
SPEAKER_06: It's such a big church, and it can be a very easy place to just walk in and walk out and go home and not really be connected.
22:52
SPEAKER_06: And we found that this has been our way to get connected.
22:57
SPEAKER_03: Amy and I moved here from Kansas City, and uh in the eight years that we lived there, we had never really made a connection through our church with any other uh families, and so we just kind of made it a priority upon moving here that we wanted to get connected.
23:13
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and so through talking with Hunter, luckily there was an opening in this group, and also fortunately, nobody has left the group since we joined, so we haven't scared anyone off yet.
23:23
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
23:25
SPEAKER_03: But I think we just saw the value in being able to connect with other people, similar age group, similar life stages, they all have children and share those experiences.
23:36
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, good.
23:38
SPEAKER_02: Tell us a little bit about uh what your group time looks like.
23:43
SPEAKER_02: You guys meet uh almost every week and share a little bit about what that looks like.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh it's developed over the years, it's changed, but uh we used to meet in uh one another's houses.
23:53
SPEAKER_00: Uh we found it difficult to have to coordinate babysitters and get the house picked up and all that, and it's kind of stressful.
23:59
SPEAKER_00: So now we um we meet while our kids are in Iwana.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: We all have kids about the same age.
24:04
SPEAKER_00: They're in Iwana and we meet over in the cab building in the library uh once a week.
24:09
SPEAKER_00: And typically our stud our our our month looks like two Bible studies, give or take.
24:15
SPEAKER_00: Um we we usually um have uh time in the beginning where we do prayer requests, um, and then one of the weeks we'll have just a fellowship meeting, and then one of the weeks we kind of have a date night.
24:26
SPEAKER_00: So we actually run down to the burger stand and play hooky a little bit and and grab a burger with all our couples, and uh it's fun.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of how it's developed.
24:37
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I even hear things here like Acts 2 say, you know, they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.
24:43
SPEAKER_02: So you got study uh to the fellowship, that coininia of sharing together, uh, to the breaking of the bread, and you guys will, even outside of Wednesday nights, we'll talk about that in a minute, you guys will meet together and share that component and in prayers.
24:57
SPEAKER_02: You know, there's an important part of how you guys support each other through that.
25:01
SPEAKER_02: Um Brian, or I think you were the one that talked about um how the study is an important part of what you do as a group, but it's not the ultimate thing.
25:12
SPEAKER_02: Um it is just it's one component, but the more important thing is living life and sharing life together.
25:19
SPEAKER_02: And the study is a means to that end.
25:21
SPEAKER_02: Share what you were previous services about that one week where you realized, you know, the study is important, but it's not the most important thing.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, I I've kind of taken the job of uh leading our studies in the group, and so I had I that's kind of something that Jason and I felt strongly about that we've we felt that the small group we're gonna study the Bible and we're gonna get super smart and we're gonna be awesome.
25:41
SPEAKER_00: And it and uh then I realized that that's not gonna happen.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: Not with us as leaders, they're taskmasters.
25:48
SPEAKER_00: So uh so uh it it all came uh it came into focus uh one day when uh I had a study prepared.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: I don't remember what it was on, but um and then we started talking in the beginning and and one person shared uh a real um difficult struggle they'd had uh that week with one of their kids, and it really um it was apparent, it was clear that uh the study was nowhere near as important as it was to let this person share about their struggles with parenting uh that they're having, and that we just uh fellowship and talk about that and work through this together.
26:22
SPEAKER_00: We may not have come up with an answer, but the important thing was that uh um we're we're sharing those those problems that we have in common.
26:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
26:32
SPEAKER_02: Tell me a little bit about some of what you guys do outside of the group time.
26:36
SPEAKER_02: Because what we want to let people know is that group life is important, but that extends to other arenas of life.
26:42
SPEAKER_02: So it's not like you guys see each other on Wednesday nights for an hour and a half, and then it's all right, see you next week.
26:49
SPEAKER_02: But you guys are are heavily involved in doing life together.
26:52
SPEAKER_02: We saw some pictures of you and your kids up there.
26:55
SPEAKER_02: Tell us a little bit about uh how that looks for you all.
26:58
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well we obviously all have kids, and um, so that's a big part of what we do is just uh an opportunity for our kids to get together and play.
27:07
SPEAKER_04: But you know, birthday parties, uh barbecues in the summertime, um Christmas parties, uh just random basketball game watching parties.
27:16
SPEAKER_04: I mean, all sorts of things we try try to take an opportunity to get together, and and really that's added a depth to our relationship that meeting once a week doesn't really accomplish.
27:26
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, when you have limited time or um to to to be together.
27:30
SPEAKER_04: So those times are really kind of what we have have grown into being really special times for us, um just doing things outside of uh planned activities.
27:41
SPEAKER_04: You know, and it's great as a parent to know when your kids have good friends that that you know when they're going over to their house that that things are gonna be upheld in the same moral guidelines as your own house.
27:52
SPEAKER_04: And that we we you know, I tell our kids they can get in trouble in anybody else's house here, too.
27:58
SPEAKER_04: They can they'll get on to you.
27:59
SPEAKER_04: Um we expect, you know, for them to help us raise our our family.
28:04
SPEAKER_04: And so that's a big part of it, is just that uh as a parent, knowing that our children and our family has a support group um outside of the church.
28:12
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
28:13
SPEAKER_07: And I we don't have any family here.
28:15
SPEAKER_07: We moved up 11 years ago.
28:17
SPEAKER_07: Um, his family's in Florida and mine's in Texas, and so our small group has become our family for birthday parties, it's a small group.
28:25
SPEAKER_07: Um on Thanksgiving, it's a small group, and so the outside part of the group has been more important for Bryn because we don't have you know any really anybody else here like that.
28:36
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's excellent.
28:38
SPEAKER_02: And uh what you guys will will witness is as you guys live those authentic lives together, you know, the the other folks, whether they are some family that that might be in town, will say, Wow, that's something you guys have.
28:52
SPEAKER_02: Uh and there's actually an extension of the gospel through how you live life together.
28:56
SPEAKER_02: What about a particular time where there was maybe a trial or a difficulty, or something that you all experienced, whether it was a personal level thing or a family level thing?
29:07
SPEAKER_02: Tell us about that and how the group ministered to you in those moments.
29:16
SPEAKER_04: That's my story time.
29:18
SPEAKER_04: Um yeah, I probably for uh for me personally, and oh good grief.
29:26
SPEAKER_04: Five, six years ago, I guess, I lost my job and went through a period of my life where I thought that I'd been doing what God had called me to be to do, and then that was taken away.
29:37
SPEAKER_04: Um and went through a period of about a year, really struggling with who I was as a as a Christian.
29:44
SPEAKER_04: Um was I actually doing what God wanted me to do?
29:47
SPEAKER_04: Um where was I as a husband, as a provider, as a as a father, um, and really struggled with some bitterness and well and depression, honestly.
29:58
SPEAKER_04: Um and having this group really helped me work through that.
30:02
SPEAKER_04: Um didn't it it wasn't very expensive either.
30:05
SPEAKER_04: Uh I didn't have to pay pay big bills to uh somebody who was had a degree in it, um, but other people here had gone through things and and uh you know just that support network really helped me um get to a place where I could accept and move on um with what God had for my life.
30:28
SPEAKER_05: Um just to add on to that, um I just think it's important to get involved with the small group um before crisis you have crises hit.
30:39
SPEAKER_05: Um that way when something does happen and you need support, something's already in place, instead of having something happen in your life and go, oh my gosh, I don't have any friends to support me, you know, I wish I had people I could share this with, but I don't have any friendships, you know, open enough to be able to um to be able to you know talk about your problems with.
31:00
SPEAKER_05: So I think that we've found that you know really valuable.
31:04
SPEAKER_05: I mean we joined the group at a time.
31:06
SPEAKER_05: We had just moved here, but you know, not really in time of of you know great need of friends.
31:12
SPEAKER_05: Well, I mean we were, but not in a crisis time.
31:15
SPEAKER_05: Um but that we've just gotten a lot um out of having these close friendships and um being able to call on them anytime.
31:22
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
31:24
SPEAKER_02: Um Amy, you said in the previous two services that you realized you were normal as a result of being together with these folks.
31:33
SPEAKER_06: The group helps me realize that two things.
31:36
SPEAKER_06: I'm not as messed up as I thought maybe I was, and they are just as messed up as I am, really.
31:43
SPEAKER_06: Um that those day-to-day things that you that really weigh on you, the natural arguments that you have in your home, and the frustrations that you have, and the things that you do that you always wonder if I'm doing it correctly, or you're pretty sure you're not doing it correctly.
32:03
SPEAKER_06: And having an open group to share in, if I've had a bad day and I can come in and I tell them I've completely lost it this week, I've done a horrible job dealing with this particular thing, and they can all with love laugh at me.
32:18
SPEAKER_06: And I don't feel like an idiot for that, but I just feel embraced and like I'm among people who've had the same exact things.
32:28
SPEAKER_06: They're laughing not just at me, but with me because they've been through the same thing or just did the same thing the same time that I was doing it.
32:37
SPEAKER_06: And I just it helps me realize that I'm really not the worst mother ever because we're all doing that at the same time in the same way.
32:49
SPEAKER_06: It's just how it goes, and it's good to be open about that.
32:52
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
32:53
SPEAKER_02: And speaking of that openness, Brian, you spoke really well, I think, of the importance of trust.
32:58
SPEAKER_02: Um share with us what similarly what you did in the first two services about trust.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: Well, we realized that it took it it it took time for us to kind of um trust one another enough to be vulnerable with uh real issues in our life.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: I talked about the first service about uh we come to Sunday morning uh service and we all have that church mask.
33:19
SPEAKER_00: Uh and we had that same church mask on even uh when we were meeting at first for about a year until uh one night we um somebody shared something that was uh incredibly personal uh about their married life.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: Very personal.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: Very personal.
33:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
33:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the context uh that uh only other married couples would understand.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: And so um that really opened up um other people to share the problems that they've had in their in their marriage.
33:48
SPEAKER_00: Uh and so we took that mask off, and that's when we that that meeting that Wednesday night was the time when our group kind of bonded at another level.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: And uh we opened up and uh we realized that, hey, they're screwed up too.
34:02
SPEAKER_00: And uh and and we have this similar issues and and we'll get through them together.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: So um that's the thing about small groups is you can go to a small group and you can wear your your church mask in there as much as you can here sitting here today.
34:18
SPEAKER_00: Um but you're not gonna really connect to another person until you take that off, which takes trust and uh a level of vulnerability.
34:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it does require risk.
34:31
SPEAKER_01: I was just gonna add that it may not have to be that sort of issue that you share about in your small group, but it'll uh there will come some issue that that you share about it and you realize that you know everybody else is just like me.
34:41
SPEAKER_01: Um everybody has the same needs and the and the same sort of um problems that I have.
34:48
SPEAKER_01: And to be able to connect on that level, uh you really build a level of um intimacy within the group that you feel like if you can talk about that, if you can share that, if you can have that sort of depth, that there's really nothing else that you can't talk about.
35:03
SPEAKER_02: Um and similar as we asked in previous services, there are a number of people sitting out here and across the street that uh are able to enjoy this kind of connection like you guys have.
35:14
SPEAKER_02: Uh but there are some folks that are not able to enjoy it, and sometimes that's because of choice, other times maybe not, but uh there may be some people here who are thinking, wow, I'd really like this.
35:25
SPEAKER_02: I'd really want to connect with people.
35:27
SPEAKER_02: I need to connect with people, as we should all feel that need.
35:30
SPEAKER_02: But they're on the fence thing, well, I'm not sure.
35:33
SPEAKER_02: Should I take a next step?
35:34
SPEAKER_02: Should I try to join a group?
35:36
SPEAKER_02: What would you say, kind of in closing, to encourage them to take that courageous step, that risk, and become connected in a group, uh, just as you guys have done.
35:49
SPEAKER_03: I think that obstacle a lot of times is not wanting to open up and put yourself out there and take that step.
35:56
SPEAKER_03: And you've said a couple of times that it takes courage, but I think it takes way more courage personally if you try and go it alone.
36:04
SPEAKER_03: Um getting getting that first step, you know, may take a little bit of bravery, but life is so much easier when you're sharing it with other people, and I think it's really how we were uh meant to live.
36:15
SPEAKER_03: And so it may seem courageous to do that, but when you do it, you realize actually the more intimidating or frightening thing is trying to do it by yourself.
36:27
SPEAKER_07: And I think we all have such busy lives.
36:29
SPEAKER_07: And I said in the last service that it's hard to add one more thing when you have practice and work and all these other in school, that it's something that you really should add because uh the value of that of having a group of people that are just you know always there for you and that you can be vulner vulnerable with and you can be real with the you know the payback is that you just can't put any value on it.
36:55
SPEAKER_07: That these people that I can call at any time that love us no matter what, you know, no matter how hard we make it sometimes, and I can share in the good times and the bad times.
37:06
SPEAKER_07: And um it just makes coming to church more fun when you can see a friendly face and you know.
37:14
SPEAKER_06: And I said at the beginning we weren't looking for a small group, but they came and found us.
37:19
SPEAKER_06: I didn't realize how badly I needed this group of people.
37:24
SPEAKER_06: And when I first stepped into the group, it was uh we'll try it and see.
37:29
SPEAKER_06: I don't know what this is gonna bring.
37:31
SPEAKER_06: And now it's I can't imagine my life without it.
37:34
SPEAKER_06: So even if you're not feeling that you're missing something, even if you're not feeling that you need to do something different or that you need the support, go ahead and try it anyway.
37:44
SPEAKER_06: You might surprise yourself.
37:46
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
37:46
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that was well said.
37:48
SPEAKER_02: Hey, I'd say I really appreciate you guys.
37:51
SPEAKER_02: You've been uh you've been a great example of what this is all about for us this morning.
37:55
SPEAKER_02: Let's give them a round of applause.
37:57
SPEAKER_02: Appreciate you.
38:06
SPEAKER_02: Man, it's encouraging.
38:08
SPEAKER_02: I hope you're encouraged.
38:10
SPEAKER_02: Um I hope you're encouraged specifically, knowing that for some of these folks, they maybe like you, were hesitant to step into this thing because of what it would require.
38:21
SPEAKER_02: So the question is: if you are out there and you are thinking, wow, how yeah, how can I do this?
38:26
SPEAKER_02: I'd like this.
38:27
SPEAKER_02: What's the next step?
38:28
SPEAKER_02: We are providing an opportunity for you.
38:31
SPEAKER_02: An opportunity called Group Link.
38:34
SPEAKER_02: Now, this is an event that's going to happen next Sunday, the 8th of February, from 12 30 to 2 30, and it's going to take place in our lower auditorium right below us.
38:44
SPEAKER_02: And this is an event, I'm going to say this up front so you know what you can expect.
38:50
SPEAKER_02: This is an event where you will be uh matched into a short-term community group or a small group that will meet for six weeks or six sessions.
39:02
SPEAKER_02: If you meet every other week, that's three months.
39:04
SPEAKER_02: So you're not committing yourself to something long-term.
39:07
SPEAKER_02: We know none of us, aside from marriage, wants to make lifetime commitments, right?
39:11
SPEAKER_02: And it's just, oh man, I don't want to sign up for that for life.
39:14
SPEAKER_02: And so we want you to have an easy front door opportunity that you can sign up for.
39:19
SPEAKER_02: And I try to make that clear from the start that the group link event is designed to create that opportunity for you to connect with other people.
39:27
SPEAKER_02: Years ago, we had one of these events, and a guy named Dean came and he didn't realize.
39:31
SPEAKER_02: He said he claimed he didn't know what it was.
39:34
SPEAKER_02: And um afterwards he said, Oh, I didn't know I was gonna be signing up for this small group thing.
39:38
SPEAKER_02: He called it an entrapment.
39:41
SPEAKER_02: But you know what's funny is that Dean and his wife and four other couples are still meeting together now, six years later.
39:48
SPEAKER_02: He's fallen in love with these people.
39:50
SPEAKER_02: And you never know.
39:51
SPEAKER_02: You may come and you may find long-term relationships and connections within the body of Christ if you come to group link.
39:59
SPEAKER_02: You know, the dangers of isolation are just too high.
40:02
SPEAKER_02: And yet you might say, but yeah, but it also requires a little risk to let people into your life.
40:08
SPEAKER_02: And that's true.
40:09
SPEAKER_02: Sir Thomas More, a man for all seasons, if you grew up Catholic, he was Saint Thomas More.
40:14
SPEAKER_02: Uh he said this: we need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible to have real conversation with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk.
40:30
SPEAKER_02: And that's because we don't know, or are people really out for our best, or are they out to get us?
40:35
SPEAKER_02: I think what you'll find is, as they said, that most of the people that you will connect with are really out for your best.
40:43
SPEAKER_02: And here's the interesting thing to think about, too.
40:46
SPEAKER_02: While I'm encouraging you to consider this for yourself, you just don't know how you might be that vehicle of blessing for somebody else, and how God would use them in your life and you in their life because maybe they need somebody as well.
40:59
SPEAKER_02: And so I encourage you to consider group link.
41:03
SPEAKER_02: Hey, if the Lone Ranger needed Tonto, if Jesus needed others, then so do we.
41:12
SPEAKER_02: So I close with a question, a quotation, and then really a challenge.
41:16
SPEAKER_02: And the question is this Who do you know?
41:19
SPEAKER_02: But more importantly, who knows you?
41:23
SPEAKER_02: Do you share genuine relationships with people that spur you on to follow Christ?
41:29
SPEAKER_02: The quotation is from an African proverb if you want to go fast, go alone.
41:34
SPEAKER_02: But if you want to go far, go together.
41:37
SPEAKER_02: And many of you can say during the seasons of isolation of your life, man, I might have gone fast, but I didn't go very far.
41:44
SPEAKER_02: And then finally, the challenge to consider is group link next Sunday.
41:48
SPEAKER_02: If you'd like to come, or if you have questions, hey, outside in the lobby, both here and across the street, you'll find some folks willing to take your name and information down.
41:58
SPEAKER_02: I'd encourage you to sign up.
41:59
SPEAKER_02: Hey, we're providing you free lunch.
42:02
SPEAKER_02: We're providing you child care for kids five and under because we really believe in this and we want you to have the easiest next step possible.
42:10
SPEAKER_02: So I'd encourage you to sign up for Group Link if you're considering and needing those relationships to connect in the body of Christ.
42:18
SPEAKER_02: Well, now we get the privilege of doing what the church has been doing for almost 2,000 years, which is to break bread, literally, breaking bread of the Lord's table.
42:28
SPEAKER_02: This is the opportunity that we have as the body of Christ to do what the body of Christ has done for thousands of years.
42:36
SPEAKER_02: It was you may or may not know, this is uh an ancient ritual that we partake in because it represents something very important, which is the sacrifice of Christ for our sins on the cross.
42:47
SPEAKER_02: And we do this together, not in isolation, but together as the church has done for years.
42:53
SPEAKER_02: The bread and the cracker that gets passed, you'll take that and you'll break off a piece.
42:58
SPEAKER_02: And uh, when you're ready, you'll partake of that and be reminded that Christ's body was broken for you, for your sins, that you might be forgiven if you simply trust him by faith.
43:10
SPEAKER_02: Then after that, the cup will be passed, and that cup is grape juice that represents the shed blood of Christ shed for you and for me of the new covenant for the forgiveness of sins.
43:22
SPEAKER_02: And uh what I want you to do is hold on to that cup, and then at the conclusion of our time, I'll come back up here, and we together, not separately, but together, will take that cup, and then after that we'll uh be dismissed.
43:36
SPEAKER_02: So let's pray.
43:38
SPEAKER_02: Father, thanks that you uh love us enough to send your son Jesus to die for us, the great news of the gospel.
43:45
SPEAKER_02: Thank you as well that you love us enough to put us in the context of relationships within the church so that we're not separated.
43:55
SPEAKER_02: At least we don't have to be if we if we choose not to be.
43:58
SPEAKER_02: And I pray for some out there, Father, that are struggling with that isolation, that they would choose today, that they would take that courageous step of connecting with other people.
44:09
SPEAKER_02: As we remember your son's death for us, I pray that we will be moved to deeper levels of devotion, a deeper understanding of your love and your grace as we move throughout uh the rest of this week.
44:21
SPEAKER_02: And we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, your son.
44:25
SPEAKER_02: Amen.