Community | More Than a Rulebook | Sunday Service

The theme that the Lord gave us for 2025 is crossover, and since the beginning of the year, we've been exploring what that looks like.

To the story of Joshua and the children of Israel crossing over the Jordan River to go and inherit the promised land.

To go and inherit the promised land.

As we were worshiping this morning, I just felt like I heard the Holy Spirit say I've parted the river and now you're beginning to step on promised land.

That what you are tasting and experiencing this morning is promised land, living, living in the best that I have for your life.

As a testament to that, this morning I was talking with a young lady before service.

She came up to me and she said Pastor, I just have a testimony that I have to share.

I can't contain it.

And she said for the last 18 years, I've been praying for my father.

He's 55 years old and I've been praying that he would come to Jesus, and I call this week that he gave his life to the Lord Church.

It's the year of crossover.

It's the year that we cross over and begin to experience the promises of God for our lives in a way that we have never known before.

I'm telling you, you need to get ready.

I sense it in the spirit like I've never sensed it before.

This year is going to be a year unlike anything you've ever known and experienced before.

God's presence is going to be more tangible and more ready than you've ever known.

His promises that you've longed to walk in, that you've prayed for and believed for, and maybe you've tasted to a certain extent.

But in 2025, you're going to eat and feast on the promises of God.

It's time to cross over.

But in order to cross over one, two things have to happen.

You have to let go of your past so that you can embrace your future.

You can't carry yesterday's baggage into tomorrow's future.

You got to let it go and at the conclusion of our service this morning, the conclusion of my message, I'm going to give you an opportunity to let go of some things.

Let's go of some things that you've held on to, whether that be a hurt or a wound, a word or an action.

You've held on to some things because that's all you knew to do, but today you're going to let go of them and you're going to lay hold of the promises of God for your life.

How many of you believe this morning that God has more?

Let me ask you that again how many of you believe that God has more?

Listen, god's not done with you yet.

He hasn't brought you this far to leave you now.

No, as a matter of fact, you're getting ready to experience freedom like you've never known, so that you can walk in the fullness of God like you've never known.

Today we're going to experience that together.

We've been looking at keys to cross over, and last week Pastor Noah talked about the key of faith, and he did a phenomenal job.

Can you celebrate?

Our executive pastor, pastor Noah, does so many things around here in addition to communicating God's Word so wonderfully well.

The key that we're going to look at this morning is the key of community Everybody say community, turn to your neighbor and say community, turn to your other neighbor and of community.

Everybody say community, turn to your neighbor and say community, turn to your other neighbor and say community.

What we're going to learn together today is that if we really want to move in the promises of God and we really want to inhabit the promised land that he has for our lives, want to inhabit the promised land that he has for our lives, that is never everybody.

Hear me say this.

That is never an individual endeavor.

It is always, in scripture, a community moving together.

It's not just about my salvation, it's about somebody else's salvation.

It's not just about me tasting and seeing that God is good.

It's about me helping others taste and see that he is good.

It's a community moving forward in faith, laying hold of the promises of God.

It's always a community to another.

Grab your Bibles.

Stand with me this morning as we read God's word in Joshua, chapter one.

Joshua chapter one, starting in verse 10, is where we are going to begin.

Joshua 1.10.

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people go through the camp and tell the people get your provisions ready.

Get ready.

Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord, your God, has given you for your own.

Verse 12.

But to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, joshua said remember the command that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave after.

He said the Lord will give you rest by giving you this land.

He's talking about the land on the east side of the Jordan River.

Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all of your fighting men ready for battle must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.

Listen.

Next sentence you are to help them.

You're to help them.

Listen, it's not just about your journey, it's about the journey of those around you.

It's not just about my salvation, it's about others' salvation.

It's not just about my victory, it's about others' victory.

We aren't to live this journey of faith alone.

We're to live it in the context of community.

You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest.

I'm to keep working and I'm to keep serving and I'm to keep fighting, not just for my rest and my victory, but for somebody else's rest.

It's for somebody else's victory.

Help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord, your God, is giving them.

After that, you may go back and occupy your own land.

Did you hear that, after you've helped somebody else to victory, then you can go and enjoy your victory?

Do you hear what the scripture is telling us this morning?

This isn't an individual endeavor.

This is a community of faith moving forward, concerned for one another.

Verse 16,.

They answered Joshua whatever you have commanded us, we will do.

Wherever you send us, we will go.

Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you Only.

May the Lord, your God, be with you, as he was with Moses Church.

This is the word of God.

Would you say this after me this morning?

We believe it to be true.

This is the word of God, and Y'all didn't know how to do that, right, did you?

Let's try that.

I'm gonna say this is the word of God.

You say we believe it to be true.

Some of y'all got it, some of you didn't.

Let's do it together.

This is the word of God.

Some of y'all got it, some of you didn't.

Let's do it together.

This is the word of God.

Some of y'all still didn't get it.

You say we believe it to be true.

Okay, don't say what I say.

This is the word of God.

There you go, good job.

Title of my message this morning is this you are not alone.

Turn to your neighbor and say you are not alone.

Turn to your other neighbor and say you're not alone.

Turn around to the person behind you and tell them they're not alone.

Father, we thank you for your word this morning.

Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

It shows us the way to go and how to arrive there safely, and I pray this morning that we would not just be hearers of your word, but that we would be doers of it.

In Jesus' name, everybody said amen.

You may be seated, caleb.

Thank you so very much.

Be seated, caleb.

Thank you so very much.

The longer we live in the digital age, the more research comes out about how important community is.

Let me say it another way the more we live in close proximity to mama, children who play in close proximity to mama they are more creative, more naturally inventive, more curious, more likely to take risks.

They show more energy.

They are more likely to get up when they fall down.

They are more likely to laugh and enjoy life.

Children that play in close proximity, close contact to mama, are just better in every way.

Somebody say amen to that.

You know.

What's interesting about the study is they found that mama did not engage in any of the activities.

Mama didn't direct anything.

Mama didn't help in any way, she was just close by.

What does that tell us?

Well, it tells us that when community is present, something gets released in us that makes us stronger, bolder and more creative.

Can somebody agree with that this morning, that when we are in a healthy community, that it does something in us that changes us for the better in many, many, many ways?

We'll say it this way, church, we're just better together.

How many of you guys would agree this morning?

You're better together, so get this.

Joshua has received the instruction of the Lord that it's time to go take the promised land.

And he gathers Israel together and he tells them two things.

He tells them number one get ready, we're about to cross over.

You need to get your provisions ready.

You need to gather all your stuff up together.

Get prepared for crossing over.

Number one the first thing he told them was get ready to cross over.

And the second thing that he told them was hey, don't forget this, we are one community.

We are one community that we are in all of this together.

That not just one of the tribes of Israel is going to conquer the promised land.

No, it's going to take all 12 tribes of Israel to conquer the promised land.

It's bigger than what any one group or one tribe can do.

So he reminds the tribes hey, we are in this together.

See, there were two and a half tribes the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh.

When they got to the east bank of the Jordan River, they told Moses we like this land and we would like this to be our inheritance.

And Moses said, okay, this can be your inheritance.

But then he made them promise if you're going to get this land, you got to help the other tribes get their land.

Verse 13, let's read it again.

Remember the command that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you after he said the Lord, your God, will give you rest by giving you this land.

Your wives and your children and your livestock may stay in the land Moses gave you east of the Jordan.

But all your fighting men, all of the fellows, where are my fellows at this morning?

I guess we ain't got no dudes.

Say it again.

Hey guys, y'all know what Friday is, don't you?

Valentine's Day.

Jesus, help us Ladies.

I'm sorry, I'm trying, just listen.

It ain't for me, it's for you.

Where are all my fellas at this morning?

Good Lord, it's a little better.

Ladies, where are all my ladies at this morning?

Pathetic, pathetic.

Where are all my men that are going to take care of their wives this weekend, on Valentine's Day?

Oh hey, we got some guys stood up.

Hey, listen, I'm trying to help.

That was softball fellas.

I'm trying to put it out there for you.

Help you.

Joshua said to the Gadites, the Reubenites, the half tribe, all your fellas listen to this ready for battle must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.

You're to help them.

Everybody say help them.

You're to help the O's around you.

You're to help them until God brings them to victory and then, once they come to victory, you can go back and celebrate your own Church.

If we just stop there and got that Church, if we just stop there and got that, far too often all we are concerned about is ourselves.

Let me ask you a question If every prayer that you're praying right now was answered, would anybody else's life be different?

If the answer to that is no, you might need to change your prayers.

You might need to get a bigger perspective, because it's not just about your victory, it's not just about inhabiting your promised land, it's not just about you.

It's about those around you and making sure they get to experience the promises of God as well.

That's what Joshua tells these two and a half tribes.

If I could impress anything upon your heart today, it would be this If you don't hear anything else here this morning.

Your journey of faith isn't yours alone.

Your journey of faith isn't yours alone.

Your journey of faith isn't yours alone.

Your journey affects others' journey, like their journey, affects your journey.

Paul said it this way in Romans, chapter 14, none of us live unto ourselves alone.

Romans 14 · chapter mention

There is a call and a commission and a command from God for us to be concerned about those around us and where they are in their journey.

We're to be concerned about what they're going through.

We are called to bear one another's burdens.

We are called to encourage and comfort and strengthen one another and help each other come into the victory that God has for our lives.

I want to give you three reasons this morning, three reasons we need to be in community.

Three reasons we need to be in community.

Number one is this we are created for it.

Why do I need to be in community, pastor?

Because you've literally been created by God to exist in community, not outside of it.

In 13th century, a German king by the name of Frederick II wanted to test to see what kind of language children would speak if they were never spoken to.

What kind of language would children speak if they're never spoken to.

So they instructed nurses not to talk to the babies at all.

Then they took the study a step further and they said well, let's not just not talk to them, let's not touch them.

What would happen if a baby isn't talked to or if a baby isn't touched?

They had to cancel the study, not just because these babies weren't learning to talk.

They canceled the study because babies were literally dying.

Why?

Because we've been created for community.

We literally cannot exist outside of the context of community.

You may not like it, it may cause a little bit of ire to rise in your spirit, but you weren't meant to do life alone.

As a matter of fact, I believe that we as a people are at our worst outside of community and we as a people are at our best inside of a community.

See, we've been created for community.

You see this in the very beginning of the book Genesis, chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

We have the micro creation story and in this we have the creation of Adam and we find that Adam doesn't have a partner suitable for him.

And in Genesis, chapter two, verse 18, god says this is not good.

It's not good, it's just not good for man to be alone, touch your neighbor and say you're not alone.

It's not good for man to be alone.

Let's pause here.

Do you know that this was before sin entered the equation?

This was before the fall of mankind, in the perfect state of humanity.

God said it's not good for man to be alone.

You know that separation really is just the consequence of sin.

The breakdown of community is the consequence, the result of sin.

That's why, just a couple of chapters later, when Cain kills his brother Abel, god's question to Cain was where's your brother?

Where's your brother?

Mike says well, mine's sitting right next to me.

Where's your brother?

What is God saying to Cain?

He's telling him I've created you for community.

And what has happened to the community that you have been living in?

Just to pause here for a second church?

Think about this If we've been created for community, what do you think the number one tactic of the enemy against us is?

If we've been created to live in community, wouldn't it make sense that the number one tactic of the enemy against our lives is to break down the community that we're in, to sow seeds of division and discord, to eliminate the community?

Because the enemy knows what can happen in the context of healthy community.

It's transformational.

It's incredible that we begin to possess the promises of God for our lives, and it's for this reason the writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 25, says do not, do not give up the habit of meeting, don't give up your community.

Hebrews 10:25

Regardless of what happens, don't give up your community.

You need it why?

Because we all need encouragement, we all need comfort, we all need strength.

We can't do this thing on our own.

Don't give up.

Listen, I know people talk about all the time, about church hurt, and it's real.

You know why?

Because you're here.

People aren't perfect.

Any perfect people in here this morning, anybody here that's never said anything the wrong way, never said anything wrong at all, like you've never.

No.

So that's gonna happen and what the enemy wants to do is to take those things and use them to divide and to discourage.

Why?

Because he understands what you've been created for.

We have been created.

Why do I need to be in community?

Because that's what you've been created for.

Number two community is a major, major, major difference maker in our lives.

Community is a major difference maker, not just a little difference maker, a major difference maker in our lives.

And that's really what the book of Ecclesiastes tells us that community makes us better in a multitude of ways.

In Ecclesiastes, chapter four, starting in verse nine, solomon says two are better than one.

Somebody say amen to that this morning.

Two are better than one.

Why are they better, solomon?

Because they have a good return, a better return on their labor.

They get a good return.

A better Two can produce more than one.

I saw this week that out of Texas, the grand horse champion was crowned for pulling the most weight of a horse that has ever pulled before, and one horse pulled 4,500 pounds by itself.

That's a lot of weight.

The runner-up pulled 4,400 pounds by itself, the winner 45.

The runner-up 44.

And so they got to talking and thinking I wonder what these two horses together might pull.

Would they pull the combined weight of what they did individually?

The combined weight was 9,900 pounds, and so they were wondering would the two horses pull together what they both did individually?

And so they strapped them together and started putting loads and they started pulling.

And they quickly found out they pulled not just 9,900 pounds, that together they pulled 12,000 pounds.

Why?

Because we're better together.

Do you know that?

What community does?

It multiplies your productivity.

We can all do more together than any of us can individually.

Somebody say amen to that this morning.

It multiplies, it gives us a better return.

Solomon goes on to say in verse 10, if one falls down, another can be there to help them up.

If one falls down, another can help them up, but pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Anybody here ever needed help up.

Anybody had somebody around you when you were going through it and you had fallen down and you had scuffed your knee and you didn't know if you were going to be able to get up.

But you had somebody in your life that came alongside you and grabbed your hand or grabbed your arm and helped you up and dusted your am I talking to anybody this morning that knows what it's like to have somebody help them?

You know that geese fly in a V formation.

Why do geese fly in a V formation?

Why do geese fly in a V formation?

Is it just the way God made them?

Probably partly so, but what research has found is that geese fly in a V formation because in a V formation together they can fly 71% further than any one of them could alone.

Can I tell you this morning, you can fly a lot further together than you can alone you can.

Community makes you way more efficient and effective.

And what they found is that geese as they flap their wings y'all want me to flap like a geese this morning.

Kate says please, dad, keep it together.

As geese flap their wings, what they do is they produce lift for the geese goose behind them.

See, what you need to know this morning is that you're better together, that you're way more efficient and effective flying as a group than you are flying alone.

In verse 11, solomon goes on to say if two lie down together, they can keep warm.

Amen, it is Valentine's week, you're welcome.

I'm not going to go any further.

If two lie down, they can keep warm, roll tide.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Harvard economist and Nobel Prize winner, amartya Sen, found this this is amazing that in developed countries, improved life expectancy everybody's living longer in the 20th century.

What is causing that?

What's the reason for that?

And the reason she found that people are living longer is more about one's social capital than their economic status.

Do you know what that means?

Than their economic status?

Do you know what that means?

It means that your community has an impact on your life expectancy more than your money does.

So maybe we need to stop pursuing the dollar and start pursuing relationships.

Maybe, maybe just by chance, the dollar doesn't have the impact that we think it has.

Maybe the greatest impact upon our life is the relationships of our lives, not the money in our bank accounts.

The number one predictor of your economic success, they found, is the quality of your community.

The number one predictor of your mental, physical and spiritual well-being is the quality of your community.

Let me say it this way it's not what you know, it's who you know.

Community multiplies the quality of your life.

And then, finally, solomon says this in verse 12.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Two can defend themselves is not easily broken.

Two can defend themselves.

I was watching a documentary recently where a lion wandered into a pack of hyenas and all of a sudden, this lone lion was surrounded by 20 hyenas.

Anybody see it?

I don't know if it was on BBC or something like that and so this lion was doomed.

It was on like BBC or something like that, and so this lion was doomed.

And this scenario unfolds where the hyenas are playing with the lion each one after another and the lion is getting exhausted and he's soon to fatigue and wear himself out.

And then he's a goner.

And then, all of a sudden, one of his bros comes trotting in.

Another male lion comes trotting into the equation and the hyenas scatter and what they found was is that one lion against 20 hyenas is doomed, but two lions turns the tide and they're victorious.

Can I tell you, you're better together.

Two can protect themselves.

One may fall victim to what they are facing.

I want to prophesy over you this morning, for just a moment You're one relationship away from victory.

I want to declare over your life you're one relationship away from victory.

You're one relationship away from the most fruitful season of your life.

You're one relationship away from the most fulfilling season of your life.

You're one relationship, you're one community away from the most effective, the most productive, the most satisfying season of your life.

Turn to your neighbor and say you're not alone this morning, you're not alone today.

We're better, we're better together.

We're better, we're better together.

What we find is this Anything in isolation dies and anything in community thrives.

Has the enemy convinced anyone else at some season of your life?

It's not worth it and you begin to retreat away from it.

You know what happens when the enemy isolates us I don't care who you are, he'll work you over.

Look in scripture and you find every time the men and women of faith got isolated from the community of God, they got worked over.

If we have been created for community and we're at our best inside of it, doesn't it make sense that the enemy's number one tactic against the people of God is to get you out of community so he can work you over?

Third reason third reason I'm going to wrap this up Third reason we need to be in community is that God's community always advances.

God's kingdom always advances through community.

God's kingdom always not sometimes, not ever now, and then not periodically God's kingdom always advances through community.

When you study scripture, what you find is that God never calls just a person, he always calls a people.

Let me clarify that.

The invitation may initially go out to a person, but it always, inevitably, is extended to a community of faith.

Hey, moses, I want you to go.

Tell Pharaoh to let my people go.

And what was Moses' response?

God, I'm not enough, I'm slow of speech, nobody's gonna believe me and I'm all alone.

And what was God's response?

God's response hey, don't worry about it, moses, you're not alone.

I've got an Aaron, I've got an Ur, I've got a Miriam and I've got a Joshua that I'm going to surround you with, and together you're going to do more than you ever could alone.

Joshua, go take the promised land.

I'm all alone, god.

No, no, you're not.

I've got elders throughout the land, throughout the people that are going to surround you, and together you're going to conquer the land.

And when you get to the book of Judges, what do you find?

It says that during the lifetime of Joshua and the elders, israel served the Lord David.

I've called you to be a king.

God, this is bigger than me.

I don't know.

Don't worry, I'm going to send you to a desert and it's not going to make a lot of sense.

But in that desert place, I'm going to surround you to a desert, and it's not going to make a lot of sense.

But in that desert place, I'm going to surround you with 400 men.

That's going to make your leadership strong.

We're better together.

One of my favorite stories is Elijah.

He stares down the 450 prophets of Baal, god sends fire from heaven and consumes the altar, and then, all of a sudden, he gets a word from Jezebel that causes him to run in fear.

And he runs for days on end and finds himself in a cave whining to God I'm all alone, god, there's nobody that's serving you.

I'm all alone.

And God says, son, I've got 7,000 that have yet to bow the knee.

You're not alone.

Go get back in the community that I sent you to See church.

We've been created for community.

Community helps us be the best that we can possibly be and it's community through which the kingdom of God advances.

But here's the problem Community is hard.

It's hard because none of us are perfect.

Community is hard because we're all fallen and we say things and we do things that we don't mean and we later regret.

And then we have that we don't mean and we later regret, and then we have to deal with the hurt of those things.

Community is hard because people are tough.

Am I speaking the truth this morning to anybody?

And community doesn't come in nice wrapped Christmas presents that are all pretty and wonderful, with bows and ribbon.

See, relationships come more like boxes that come through the post office that are all beat up and battered and ripped and torn and guts falling out.

That's the reality and that's why it's hard, and the enemy wants to seize upon the hurt and the wounds that you experienced in community as a reason to get you to retreat from them.

As a reason to get you to retreat from them.

But the problem is, the very place where you got hurt is also the place that you can get healed.

It's the place that causes the anguish of yesterday to be washed away.

Church just because you've been in a car accident doesn't mean you stop driving.

Just because you've got food poisoning a time or two doesn't mean you stop eating.

Just because I've drank some bad water doesn't mean I stop drinking.

No, as a matter of fact, in order to get well, to get healing, I've got to get back out on the road and keep driving.

I've got to go eat some more food.

I've got to go drink some more water.

You've got to go get back in the community.

The place that you got hurt is the place that you can get healed.

But as long as you stay separated from it, the hurt will define your future.

But the moment that you cross over in courage back into the community that God has placed you in, it's in that moment that you receive your healing.

You stand with me where you are this morning.

It's time, church, to let go of the hurt of yesterday.

It's time to let go of the wounds that have kept you isolated, that have kept you in bondage, that have kept you from moving forward into the future that God has for your life.

If you're gonna take a step and cross over and experience the promised land, you gotta let go of the wounds of yesterday.

With every head bowed and every eye closed this morning, I have a question for you today.

How many of you would say Pastor?

I know that God's best for me is in community, but I've been hurt in that community before and I'm struggling to take a step of faith into community today.

But I wanna forgive and I wanna move forward.

If that's you, you just raise your hand right where you stand, with every head bowed and every eye closed.

Thank you, I see that hand.

Thank you, I see that hand.

Thank you, I see that hand.

Thank you, I see that hand.

Thank you, I see that hand.

I see those hands.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you for your courage this morning that, just by raising your hand this morning, you're taking a step towards healing today and you're going to let go of the wounds of yesterday and move into the promises of tomorrow.

I want to ask my prayer team to join me to my right and to my left this morning, and I've asked the worship team to join me on stage because I feel like this is a crossover moment for so many of you.

Today, I'm telling you you can't cross over into the promised land holding on to yesterday's baggage.

You've got to let it go.

You've got to let it go.

You've got to let it go.

You've got to let it go.

You've got to forgive and let it go so that you can step forward into the future that God has for you.

I'm going to pray over you this morning and the team is going to sing and, as they do, if you're ready to let go and move forward into the future that God has for you this morning, I want to ask you to step out of your seat and we're going to pray with you and I'm believing that, before you even get to the altar, the Jordan River is going to part in your life and you're going to experience the freedom of God in a way like you've never.

People are already moving.

You don't have to wait for me to pray If I'm speaking to you this morning, get out of your seat and experience the freedom and the healing and the victory that God has for your life right now.

In the name of Jesus, I release it over the church today that yesterday is gone and it's past and it's no more, and that today we're moving forward in freedom to the future that God has for our life.

Mike lead us this morning.