Good-News-Culture-Bonded-By-Blood

Thank you Father. Thank you Father.

Father we thank you for bringing us together as a body.

There are some of us Abba who cannot be here who are tuning in now or maybe tuning in later.

But we come together as a people to you now Abba.

We want you to speak to us.

We want your words to revive our souls.

We want you to teach us Abba.

Father the next little while we give it to you.

We give it to you so that you can speak to us Holy Spirit.

Abba, my mouth, my mind, my body, our minds, we give it to you Holy Spirit.

We thank you that you want to do something in our midst.

And we want all of it. We will not leave you without getting all of what you have for us.

We want all of it Holy Spirit.

This is your church. This is your body.

And we come as your people.

Have your way in our midst.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Guys over the last little while God has been speaking to us about things that we are to step into.

This song that we sang, these are the days of Ezekiel.

These are the days of David.

These are the days of Elijah.

These are the days of great harvest.

God has been promising different things to us as a church over the last little while.

He's talking about revival.

He's talking about nations opening up for the church.

What I want us to think about today, hear today from the Holy Spirit, is none of those things that he promised us,

none of those things that he has ready for us, can we walk in if we do not walk in the fullness of what he is asking us to do.

I'm glad Brad talked about obedience today.

What I'm going to be talking about today is there are certain things specific to Acts 29

that I believe God is going to share with us today, that we are to walk together as a body.

And if we can't walk together as a body, I'm going to just say this, we can sing as much as we want,

we can think of it as much as we want, but the full obedience that God is expecting of us has to be found in our midst.

We talked about a few days ago, the prayer meetings have been great over the last few days.

Two or three days ago we said there is a gap sometimes between what we know here and what we experience.

And this gap can only be filled when we walk in obedience and are readied by the Holy Spirit for the work that is at hand.

So today I want us to listen to what I have to say together as a body.

Please don't lose me while I'm speaking today because I know personally the importance of what God wants to talk to us today.

I am convinced of it. I am completely convinced of the fact that the Holy Spirit wants us together as a church to march a certain way,

to walk a certain way, to live a certain way.

And this, is there a music playback? That's great.

He wants us to do it his way guys. And that's what we're going to be talking about today.

So there is a call, there are promises, there are things that he has already asked us.

And for us to walk in it, we have to walk in the fullness of what he has asked us to.

Not half of it, not three quarters of it.

I was reading about this guy, Lewis Hamilton. He's the F1 car racer.

They have to go fast of course. When the race happens, everything happens very quickly.

But it's interesting what F1 formula drivers do.

They can't have too much muscle on their arms and their shoulders because the center of gravity in the car has to be low.

During a two hour race, your heartbeat can be 160-170 beats per million. Beats per minute. Million? Yeah.

Beats per minute. That much beats. 160-170 times the heart beats.

In just a matter of two hours, that's how your heart responds to the crazy fast speed.

And when you exercise as an F1 driver, you have to sprint as much as you want to sprint.

Because otherwise you're not prepared for the race ahead.

So F1 drivers, they prepare their bodies, their minds for the journey ahead.

How much more so we for the journey ahead that God has for us.

And the journey ahead is clear. The journey ahead is sure. The journey ahead is here.

It is now about us readying ourselves perfectly in the manner that the Holy Spirit wants us to prepare and be ready for.

I want to read a verse first. Let's read Acts chapter 20, 28.

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 20, 28.

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

To care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood.

The church of God which he obtained with what? With his own blood.

The title of today's message will continue the series that Jacob started which is...

What's the CD name again? Sorry, what's it again?

Just kidding. The Good News Culture. I forgot the name of the title but that's okay.

But I know the name of the message which is bonded by blood.

We'll continue that series but this time around we're not going to be looking at outward what's happening.

We're looking inside within the church. Bonded by blood.

So the Good News Culture, bonded by blood is what we're going to talk about today.

So this church, Acts 29, has been bought by Jesus Christ.

And all of us belong to this body because we've been purchased by the blood.

And when we operate together, when we walk together, when we live together, when we respond to the call of God that is on us,

we have to then know for a fact that this bond is not an earthly bond.

This bond that brings us together, it's not something that happens just by chance.

It is a bond that is formed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And I always love talking about this. I want us to look at ourselves and know that my goodness, when Jesus looks at us,

He sees us as a body, as a people placed here, bought by His blood, and He looks at us and cherishes the fact that we are together.

Every time I think of how Jesus' heart is to us, not as individuals, but as a body, I go, wow.

Even times like this when we come together and we are ready to listen to Him together as a people, it brings such pleasure to His heart.

There is nothing more important to Jesus than His people. And we are part of this people.

So let's talk about if there is this good news culture that we're talking about and then we're bonded by blood,

what's the culture that Jesus expects within this community and how are we to walk within this community responding to this call?

So everything that we're going to talk about today is us readying ourselves, us preparing ourselves for this next phase, walk, season, call it whatever that God has for us.

This is all about us readying and preparing ourselves. I really do believe that God is asking us to get into a new orbit in Him as a church.

And only if we move into this new orbit together can we walk in the fullness of what He has for us.

The letters that were written to the different churches in the book of Revelation, it wasn't written to a few different people.

It was all written to the church. So when the letter to the Church of Philadelphia was written, it doesn't say to a few people in the Church of Philadelphia.

It was always written to the entire people that assembled in that physical location in Philadelphia.

So when Jesus is speaking to Acts 29, when He talks about a new thing that He is doing, when He talks about revival, He is talking to the entire body, not one person left out.

He is talking to all of us. And then if we listen to that and listen to what He is saying, the obedience is also a collective obedience.

And when the obedience is collective and we hear together and we respond together, that is when the fullness, I know I am saying fullness too many times, but I want you to hear it.

The fullness of what He has said will only happen at that point. Otherwise we will see things. I am guaranteeing you.

We will see things. We will experience the things that He has asked us to.

But my goodness, if we walk together, listen together, respond together, live together in what He is saying, we will see the fullness of what He has promised us.

All of it. Nothing left out.

So let's look at what's this good news culture.

The first thing I want to talk about is from 1 Corinthians 13.

So Acts 29, you may be able to speak in the tongues of angels and men, but if you do not have love, you gain nothing.

Acts 29, you may have the faith to move mountains.

You may have all the wisdom, all of the understanding.

Anyone stepping inside this building at any given time will benefit from the fact that you can prophesy over them.

But if you do not have love, you are nothing.

Acts 29, you can talk all about what God wants to do and be all excited about it.

But if you do not have love, you gain nothing.

I know I'm paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 13, but this is something God clearly wants to remind us today.

Yes, there are things. Yes, there are promises.

But Acts 29, the commandment that I've given you is a commandment of love.

It is a commandment. Jesus said, we'll read that verse.

He said, I give you a new commandment.

The commandment that I'm giving you, which is new, is this.

You are to love each other as I love you.

And if you miss that and you chase after anything, you can be as good as the best in the world.

But you are nothing.

You can speak in tongues. You can prophesy. You can have deliverances.

But if you do not have love, you gain nothing.

And it's a clear message that the Holy Spirit has for us this morning.

So in everything that we do, God is reminding us of the greatest of all, which is love.

Faith, hope, love. Love. The greatest of all.

I want to read this verse that I spoke out loud, which is John chapter 15-12.

John 15 · chapter mention

Guys, I know today when I speak everything that I have to speak,

it's probably going to sound like a little accusational.

It is not. This is really just what God wants to speak to us today.

And I don't care. I shared this with Jacob as well.

And I know for a fact that God wants us to think differently.

I'm telling you, this time we will be able to move into what God has for us if we shift in our thinking.

If we see things differently now, if we can look and operate in a way we have never operated in between amongst each other,

it will change us. It will transform us. It will give us a momentum.

It will give us a force, a speed that we haven't experienced before.

Once this is there, once what I'm going to talk about today is there in our midst, it's already there.

But God is saying, change it, advance in it, transform in it.

There is more that you can do.

Once we are obedient to what God is saying, I know for a fact that there will be a momentum, a change in speed,

a change in how He works in us that others will recognize.

I want us to read John chapter 15 and 12.

John 15 · chapter mention

This is my new, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 13, 34, 35. I'll just read it loud.

John 13, 34, 35.

A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Notice this guys, Jesus is not saying that, hey church, here is my wish list for you, I want you to love one another.

Jesus is not saying, guys, I want you to try as much as you can to love one another.

Jesus is saying, I am giving you a new commandment.

And this new commandment, Acts 29, is this, love one another.

But it doesn't stop there. Love one another as I have loved you.

And that changes everything.

That is what God wants us to understand today.

Because the love that we sometimes know of, the love that I operate in, the love that you operate in, it can have a greater measure.

Because Jesus' commandment is not to love each other.

Jesus' commandment is this, love each other as I have commanded, as I love you.

As I have loved you, you therefore, like that, love each other.

So how does Jesus love?

How does Jesus love us?

Because once we know how Jesus loves us, once we understand that, once that is here in our heart and we understand the depth of it,

we are then able to exercise that and give the fullness of it to others.

So let's go through this one by one.

How did Jesus love?

Number one, Jesus loved with the love of the Father.

Jesus loved with the love of the Father.

Hear me out.

Jesus did not love with an earthly love.

Jesus did not wake up and say, today I want to love everyone.

And so I'm going to love everyone.

Jesus wasn't just intentional about loving people.

Jesus was able to love people the way he loves people because he was soaked, because he is immersed in the love of the Father.

That is why Jesus loved the way he did.

Jesus loved with the love of the Father.

So I can only love someone the way Jesus loves when I know fully the love of the Father.

Jesus was immersed in the love of the Father.

By loving the Father and being loved by the Father, he was then able to love others like the Father.

So for Derek and for you, by loving the Father and by being immersed in the love of the Father,

that is the only way we will be able to love each other like the Father does.

There is no other way.

We can try with the best of our abilities, the best intentions.

I can wake up every single day and say, all of Acts 29, I want to love like Jesus does.

I can try. I can do as best as I can.

I will not be able to do it fully well unless I am soaked in the love that the Father has for us.

So for us, guys, can we change our thinking?

Can we challenge what we know and say, Abba, collectively as a people, I'm not happy with how I love.

I'm not loving as you love.

I want to love others like you do.

I want to love others like you do.

This is not something you just said and added as a verse in the Bible.

This is your commandment to me.

This is your commandment to us as a people.

And when there is a measure of obedience in the church, my goodness, the Holy Spirit takes that and adds that.

And he does something that we can't do with our strength.

This is why obedience to what he is saying is important.

And if this obedience is collective, guys, if what we are talking about is collective,

if the Holy Spirit is truly saying this, and I believe he is,

and if all of us respond to this word and we say, Holy Spirit, we want something new,

we are ready to move from where we were before.

We look at each other and I know we love each other.

But no, I'm not satisfied with this measure of love.

My love, I need to change in it.

I want to be so soaked in you, so immersed in you, so all of what I have can be yours.

And I want to love each other like you do.

How powerful will we be as a church when we do that?

We won't be, as Jacob talked about it, unstoppable.

We won't be, we cannot be stopped when we love with that love.

So it is impossible to love people like Jesus did with our best intentions.

It is impossible to love people like Jesus did with our best intentions.

It is impossible to love people like Jesus did by trying our best and working hard at it.

That's when you burn out, because you are trying too hard.

You are trying with everything you have.

You burn out because you are a human being.

There is only possibly so much you can do.

But it is possible to be soaked in Jesus.

That the very same power that empowered Jesus can empower you to love.

It is possible to be so immersed in Jesus that I can forget my old self.

And every day I can be advancing in my love for others.

It is possible to move from one measure of love to another measure of love.

As I immerse myself in the love of Jesus.

See the thing is when Jesus says, this is important, when Jesus says love others as I love you.

He is not just giving a pattern.

Because we look at that and we think it is a pattern.

No, he is saying there is a pattern which is you love others like I do.

But there is also the power factor.

The power to love people comes from me.

Abide in me. Soak yourself in me.

Immerse yourself in me.

Then you will be able to love like I do.

Unless you do that you can try.

And guys, I know we love each other.

I know this church is great at many things.

But I feel the pull of the Holy Spirit saying,

Guys there is a depth that is needed in your midst.

This new depth will come when you recognize what I want of you collectively.

Will you respond collectively?

Will you respond together to what I want to do?

Just by associating with Jesus, for me just in a matter of one year,

I have picked up words and mannerisms that Iris has.

When we walk together with Jesus every day,

when we are so willing to be immersed in Jesus,

how much more?

There will be new depths of love that we can experience.

We will be able to love others like Jesus did.

Guys, Jesus doesn't give any commandment that we cannot follow.

Everything that he says is for us to completely run in.

And so this commandment is fully ours to follow, to live.

So Acts 29, let's look at Jesus and clearly see two things.

One, that we can love like Jesus.

And it is in fact his command to us.

It does not come from striving.

It does not come from best effort.

But it comes from immersing ourselves in Jesus.

So that was the first one.

Second, Jesus loved by laying down his life.

So when Jesus says, Acts 29, love each other like I love you,

that love that Jesus has for us,

it led Jesus to dying at the cross for me and you.

So I cannot love like Jesus does

if I am not willing to lay down my life for others.

Let's read John chapter 15, 13.

John 15 · chapter mention

We just read for the first point, John chapter 15, 12.

John 15 · chapter mention

Verse 13 is right after that.

John 15, 13.

Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus emptied himself to the point of death.

He cared enough, he loved enough to die for us.

And so if I am to follow him and I have to follow this commandment that he has given me,

I have to put down my life to love others.

When I was writing this I that day, I'll be honest with you guys,

I shut down my laptop as soon as I wrote it.

And I asked myself, some of these things I just read man,

and I just assume that I understand.

Jesus is saying, Derek, you want to walk in the fullness of my love?

You have to lay down your life for others.

See the thing is, Remy can take a bullet for Amari and Yahya and Judah right now.

He wouldn't mind.

That's just innate in him.

God has given men the ability to do that.

Somehow God makes you able to do that.

But the question is, can we die for each other?

We can't escape these questions, guys.

Can we die for each other?

Because if I read that verse, it has to naturally lead me to this question.

Will I die for you?

Will I die for each other?

So the more I thought about it, I want us to look at it this way.

We will not lay down our lives for each other unless we lay down a few things before that.

Because life is the thing that's most precious to all of us.

Is it not?

Am I saying something that you don't agree with?

Is it not?

Life is very precious to each of you. Is it not?

Guys, let's be honest here.

So when Jesus says, I will lay down my life for you,

I won't be able to lay down my life for you unless I lay down a few things before that.

Once I lay down a few things before I lay my life down, I am prepared.

I am getting to a point where, yeah, one day I could lay down my life for you.

But without laying down a few things even before that, there is no way I lay down my life for you.

That's the good shepherd.

He always would lay down his life for others, for us.

So let's just first begin sincerely looking at this and say,

what are the few things that I should lay down, should train myself to lay down

so that I can be at a place where I am fully willing to lay down my life as well.

Guys, the last thing I want today is for us to think about something that we're just hearing and are not applying.

Everything that I have written down, I have full...

I want to obey.

Everything that I am speaking, I hope we can collectively obey.

So let's start with five things we lay down first before we get to a point of collectively being able to die for each other if we need to.

Number one, lay down your rights.

Lay down your rights.

Lay down your rights.

Jesus laid down his rights at the cross.

Jesus laid down everything at the cross.

He had the right to do many things there, but he didn't do any of that.

He just laid all of his rights down.

So for Acts 29, for each of us, can you lay down your rights?

When you truly owed something by someone, can you get to a point where you can say, even if you don't get it, it's okay?

Can you get to a point where you're deserving something, but even if you don't get it, you lay down your rights?

Can you get to a point where you're living and walking in the context of this body where something that you truly are to get from someone, from my brother, Don, I expect something,

and it is my right to get something from Don.

But if Don doesn't give that which is due me, can I lay it down because I love him?

Can I lay down my rights?

Can I lay down what I'm deserving of?

Can I lay down my self entitlement, things that are entitled to me?

Can I lay it all down? That's one.

Number two, lay down your time.

Lay down your time.

Can I lay down my time for others?

And this is not just to meet with each other and have a fun time with each other, but can I know, especially with where this church is going, can I lay down my time to pray for others?

Because the last couple of weeks, as we get together here to pray, it's amazing how God leads us.

And if that's the call on this church, can I lay down my time to pray, not for me, but for others?

No one will know, guys.

No one will know that you're praying for me, that you're praying for each other, but God knows.

And there is a laying down of self that's required if we are to love others like Jesus does.

Third, can you lay down your money?

And while I am speaking, I just ask you to ask yourself where you're at with each of these things.

Can you lay down your money?

Next, can you lay down your convenience?

The more I thought about it, it's not just being willing to be inconvenienced, because we inconvenience ourselves for each other.

But can you have a lifestyle where you're ready for inconvenience?

Where you wake up and are ready for the call of God to say, do this, do that.

You're not just willing. You're ready for it. You're expecting it.

That's a different way, guys. That's a completely different way of living.

The desire to be inconvenienced is good. The willingness to be inconvenienced is good.

It is good, but there is another realm. You are ready to be inconvenienced.

And you have told God already, Abba, I'm ready to be inconvenienced for the sake of your body, bought by your blood,

because I'm bonded by blood to this family. I am readied.

And God, whenever you put something in front of him, he'll take it and he'll use it.

Next.

Lay down your personality. Lay down your personality.

So you could say, well, my personality is what God gave me. Why would I lay it down?

The good stuff that God has given you, don't lay it down.

The bad stuff in your personality and in my personality that doesn't align with how God has laid down.

We all have that. If you have any questions, as Jacob always says, just talk to him.

You all have that. I have that. You have that.

There are things in our personalities that do not align with how God wants us to be.

Can you lay it down?

And this is really the meaning of dying to yourself.

Otherwise, these verses are verses kept somewhere in our head and we know we die to ourselves.

But let's just practically together run in these things so that there is a collective momentum that is there within Acts 29.

So we talked about what is the culture that Jesus has prescribed for us at Acts 29.

We started off with the love commandment and we said we cannot love each other as Jesus asked us to if you don't love with the love of Jesus.

And then we started going down that path.

We said love like Jesus did, love like Jesus did by laying your life down.

And the next thing I want us to think about is when Jesus loved, he broke down walls.

So you can't love like Jesus does unless you break down walls.

Something that I truly treasure at Acts 29 is this. I think we are a full crowd today.

If someone steps into Acts 29 right now, I think the last question in our minds collectively is where are they from?

What nationality do they belong to? It's precious.

Because in this church, there is really no thinking of nationality, race, ethnicity,

because somehow the Holy Spirit has taught us to know of us as one family, one culture.

But there are other walls that God is asking us to think of so that we can excel in being together as a community and walking together.

So when Jesus loved, he broke down walls. Those who were discriminated, Jesus held close.

Those who were not popular within a group, Jesus considered them in high regard.

Listen to me guys. Those who were not popular, Jesus held them in high regard.

Those who were discriminated against, Jesus held close.

Those who were outcasts, they belonged in Jesus' crew.

And every time he met someone, he loved them with a purpose.

And so for me then, I have to ask the question, what are the walls that I have to break down with the power of God so that I can walk knowingfully well, be bonded by blood?

Is it the wall of age? Is it age that is a barrier? Is it the wall of single versus married?

Is it gender? What are the walls that you can think of that the Holy Spirit is asking you to break down?

Then that's how you love each other. So break down also the walls of hurt and past experiences. That's big.

Sometimes there are walls of past experiences. I dealt with this person this way and I don't think I can expect anything different.

Or I got hurt because of Nick two years ago. And I kind of like Nick, but can I still be okay with that?

Am I willing to be breaking this wall between Nick and I because of my past experiences and hurt?

Ask these questions guys. Jesus says the love that he has that flows through us, all walls will be broken.

Nick and I are friends, so that's okay. Just in case someone was wondering if that was true.

Next, this is just a side note. This is where walking and living life as a son will help us.

Because orphans always pull back when there is hurt. And I've been there myself.

Orphans will pull back when there is hurt. Orphans will dwell on past experiences.

But if you're a son, if you know that you're a daughter and you're walking in it, this will be so much more easier.

Because you can't be pulled back by orphan mentality. Because your relationships here horizontally are all governed by the relationship you have with the father.

That's where it all starts.

So we're moving from love to the next one.

As a church, God wants us to be an unoffendable church.

I want to write this in...

As a church, God wants us to be an unoffendable church.

Guys, here's the thing. Offense is one of the dirtiest traps of the enemy.

The word offense comes from... even I am using Greek now, scandalon.

I had to look that up, I didn't know. But I looked it up and the word is scandalon.

And it actually means trap. Can you believe it?

The word offense comes from a word, a Greek word, scandalon, which means trap.

Offense is one of the dirtiest traps the devil uses. It is also a very common trap.

It's a very common trap. It's a bait. Devil uses this bait of offense.

And if you go for it, you're trapped.

Knowing this and being aware of this is half the victory won.

Offense, it's a trap. It is a dirty trap. It's a common trap.

When you take the bait, you're trapped. Just knowing this is half the victory won.

Because sometimes we can go through life thinking...

See, that's the thing about Christians, right?

Because Christians can look at... I'm not talking about us, but generally, you look at stuff like adultery.

And you go, that's a sin. You look at stuff like homosexuality.

That's a sin. And you go look at something like offense, it's a weakness.

You go look at something like unforgiveness, it's a weakness. It's not. It's a sin.

When I take offense, it's a sin. It's not a weakness.

When I am unforgiving, it's not a weakness. It's a sin.

So God is saying, with what he wants to do with us together, he wants us to be an unoffendable church.

Guys, this is... all of the stuff I'm talking about can be applied within our homes, within our relationships outside Acts 29.

But this teaching is primarily for us together, how we relate to each other.

So there are different types of hurt, there are people... or offenses.

There are people who are... there is a right reason for them to feel hurt, because they were genuinely hurt.

And then there is a group where they may think that they got hurt and the problem is with the other person, but it's not.

It doesn't matter which group we belong to in different situations.

It's one of the two, because I could be like, Diana was supposed to do this for me, but she did not.

Jill was supposed to... she should never have said this of me, but how come she said this?

That's how it starts. And then I dwell on it, then the root goes deep and I take offense.

So it's either stuff people did or did not do, what people said or did not say, that's how it starts.

But once it takes root, one of the things that offense does is it... it poisons your soul.

It truly does. Offense poisons your soul.

It's not a small thing. You live in offense for a few days, it can... it can poison you.

God can put understanding and wisdom and what he wants you to do right in front of you, but you'll go right over it.

Because it has the ability to pull you back. And God is saying, don't do that.

Offense is the exact opposite of what the cross stands for.

So that's how we look at Offense Acts 29. Offense is the exact opposite of what the cross stands for.

Yeah.

We'll... I'll get there in... very soon.

No, that's so true. Because offense leads to unforgiveness.

So offense is the exact opposite of what the cross stands for.

And I'd go to the extent of saying, if you are operating in offense, if I am operating in offense and I am unrepentant,

it is idolatry, because I'm replacing God with myself.

If I am offended by Heidi, and for whatever reason, it doesn't matter.

The reasons don't matter guys, once we give root to stuff. That's the thing. Because the devil doesn't care.

If I am offended by Heidi, and I am unrepentant about it, and I go on like that, really what I am doing is I am replacing the cross.

Because I have been forgiven truly by Jesus. All my sins have been washed away.

But I am not able to extend forgiveness to Heidi.

And I have replaced the cross with myself. And I am rooted in it. And it poisons you.

So don't allow that to happen.

Tomorrow, the day after, we will face situations that offend us.

The question is, can I train myself by the power of the Holy Spirit to be unoffended?

Because we won't go from zero to hundred just like that.

Wherever we are today, can I work with the Holy Spirit to walk in a greater measure of being unoffended by stuff?

And if we can train ourselves to be unoffended people who forgive each other, then it adds so much spiritual clout to how we are.

This is why it is all important with respect to the promises God has given us.

If we become an unoffendable people, and we walk in forgiveness, accepting the fact that we are unoffended,

and we walk in forgiveness, extending forgiveness, it adds so much spiritual clout to us as a people.

So for all of the stuff we sang about, we talk about, when we do those things, there will be so much more power because we have surrendered ourselves and we have allowed the Holy Spirit to flow through us.

Release people, guys.

While I am talking, if you can think of people, you need to release.

Release people. Be reasonable. Think the best of people, not the worst.

These are all principles. Think the best of people.

Two days ago when we were praying, someone said here,

Father, we ask you for forgiveness for assuming things.

Someone prayed. We ask you for forgiveness for assuming things.

Don't assume something about someone because maybe the assumption is wrong.

Think the best of people.

Release people. I met someone two or three days ago, and this lady, she had very traumatic experiences in her past.

And one of the things that this lady said is, when we talked about Jesus, this lady said, I don't want to believe in a God who forgives child molesters.

I don't want to believe in your God if this God forgives people who do really bad stuff to babies.

I don't want this God.

But then that's the beauty of the cross, that it doesn't matter where you've come from, what you've done, He forgives you.

And I am to extend the same for that's the forgiveness that that brought me here.

And I am supposed to extend the same forgiveness to others.

So don't be like that person and pray for that person so that that person sees the beauty of forgiveness, that the same forgiveness they need is the same forgiveness.

They are to extend to others.

Yes.

I know that.

Yeah, yeah.

Sometimes that's the thought process, which is how can God forgive someone like that?

So is that OK to do that?

But then when you really understand what Jesus did, which is he died on the cross, it's not OK.

It's a sin, but it has been paid for because it has been paid for because he has taken the punishment of sins.

Therefore, that person can now walk free.

When they are repentant, they can walk free.

Something on the side, guys.

Learn to be a people who know how to tame your tongue.

The people who can tame their tongue.

These are characteristics that God looks at together as a people.

When he looks at it, these things that so much clout to us together collectively tame your tongue.

Tame your tongue.

I'm just going to read out verses for this.

I don't want to talk much, but as I read out verses, I pray that you you hear and that you act on this.

Ephesians 4 29.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as good as building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear.

Let no corrupting talk come out, but only that which is good for building up.

A soft answer turns away a wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Our tongue must become proficient in giving soft answers that turn away anger instead of a harsh word that stirs up anger.

David said this, and this is a great prayer that we can pray, which is.

I want us to partake in communion together.

But before we do that, can we for a couple of minutes, I want to ask you to please stand up and say a few words of prayer.

I want us to partake in communion together.

But before we do that, can we for a couple of minutes just think about the stuff we have heard today and lay down stuff at Jesus's feet?

Because he is very serious about us.

He's very serious about us.

He doesn't give us promises, and he's not wishy washy about them.

He wants us to walk in the fullness of it.

I know that the things that I've said today are things that he desires for this body, not just for individuals, but collectively as a people.

He wants us to know that there is a certain momentum and force with which we can move and walk into this next thing that God is calling us.

And that happens when we are obedient to his word collectively.

We are a people bonded by blood.

And so the culture, the good news culture that he wants amongst us starts with love.

Love commandment.

I command you to love each other like I love you.

What does that look like?

That I have to love you like I love you.

You to love each other like I love you.

What does that look like?

That I have to love others like Jesus does with his power by being immersed in him.

It means that walls can be broken down, must be broken down with this power.

Stuff that separates me from others.

You talked about being unoffendable.

That it's a trap, it's a common trap, it's a dirty trap.

And we can train ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit to be forgiving, extending forgiveness to others like he has extended forgiveness to us.

There is a verse in...

There is a verse in...

There is a verse in 1 Peter somewhere, it talks about God wanting to purify his people.

And I believe that this time with what we are doing with these prayer meetings that Jacob has asked us to partake in with what he is speaking today,

with what he has been speaking about,

with what we are doing with these prayer meetings that Jacob has asked us to partake in with what he is speaking today,

with what he will be speaking, I strongly believe that God is purifying us.

He wants to purify us.

He wants a cleansing wind to clean stuff in our midst so that we are ready for the work at hand.

Psalm 133, we prayed along these lines a few days ago.

Psalm 133 says, it is good and pleasant for brothers and sisters to live together.

It is good and pleasant.

Good because anything that God does, he looks at that and he creates, he looks at that and goes, that's good.

Pleasant because it's delight for us to walk in it, to walk together.

So as we partake of the bread and the juice today, we are doing that in response to what we heard

because we remember that we belong to a body, we are bonded by blood.

And there are principles, commandments that he has given us that we are to walk in.

So that is how we will do communion today.

So if you guys are ready, you can bring the bread and juice.

Actually, just give it to people.

While you're waiting guys, think about the stuff you heard today and just speak to God individually.

Just talk to him.

So, we are going to start with the first one.

So, we are going to start with the first one.

So, we are going to start with the first one.

Just speak to God individually. Just talk to him.

I'm going to ask Remy and Dawn to come up and lead us in communion.

So don't have your bread and juice yet. Remy and Dawn will come up, they'll pray, then we'll have it together.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father, we thank you for what we heard right now.

I'm really touched by the fact that Father, the beauty of Gospel is that everyone has a chance.

I mean, who am I to stand here and talk about communion, the ultimate expression of love?

Father, every story in the Bible, everything that you did, in one way or the other shows love taking no offense.

I mean, when you were at the wedding at Cana and you said, my hour has not come, and then you just do what you did, it was love.

You changed your plans, Father. You changed your time. You changed everything because you loved them.

When you met the woman at the well, that's what you did.

You broke the walls of gender. You broke the walls of culture. You broke the walls of religion.

Because you loved her. When people spat at you, when people said, who are you? You're just the son of a carpenter.

You didn't take no offense, Father.

Father, help us teach us to be like you.

Help us to tame our tongue so that we don't speak things that are not necessary.

Father, usually when we take communion, we say, we remember what you did on the cross, Father, but today as we remember the things on the cross,

we also remember why you did all of that so that we can be just like you.

We want to say, Father, there are things in us that make us not so worthy, but then there is this blood that makes us worthy.

We come to you with this sonship that you have proudly put on us, Father.

And we say, Father, we want to become more like you.

We say yesterday everything that you talked to us through direct today.

Every single word, everything, love, taking no offense, controlling our tongue, laying our life for each other, laying tight on our tongues,

laying money, laying our nature, our priorities, everything before you, Father.

And as we take this prayer, Father, I say thank you for your body that was shed so that I can be like you,

so that we can be just like you.

And I say, Father, thank you for your body that was shed so that I can be like you.

So that we can be like you as a body bonded by your flesh and your blood.

We love you, Father.

Yeah, Holy Spirit, we thank you for your body that was shed so that I can be like you.

Yeah, we say amen to what was spoken here today, Father.

Yeah, Father, thank you for reminding us that who we are and how we operate here on earth,

that we're just not mere people who are following a religion, but that we're representing you and your Son.

And so, Father, as we remember the act of communion and as we eat the bread and drink juice, Jesus,

we want to follow your footsteps and we want to model how you lived.

And just like how John said in the letters, we want to be how Jesus was.

And so, Jesus, we as a church collectively lay down our rights.

We lay down our time. We lay down our money.

We lay down our comfort and the culture of convenience, that culture of my space and what benefits me, what's in it for me.

And we lay down our personality.

Since we are a new creation, a new Jesus, and our whole life is buried and crucified with Christ,

as we walk, help us to walk like you.

And thank you that you've given your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ within us, to live that life.

So thank you as we drink the juice and the bread.

Thank you for reminding us that it is possible that we can be like Christ and we want to believe moving forward.

Amen.

I'm adding myself in here because it ties in really closely.

Several years ago at Easter, we were, Jacob was singing Via della Rosa,

and I was having this conversation with God, with Jesus, could you have gotten out of this?

Could he have gotten out of this? And the answer is no.

He had his eye on the prize. And what's the prize? And the answer was you.

He had his eye on us so he couldn't get it. He didn't want to get out of it. He had his eye on the prize.

And just now I was sitting here and thinking, how on earth am I going to do this?

How am I going to get rid of all of these things? And God said, have your eye on the prize.

And what's the prize this time? God said, me.

Thank you, Diana.

Yeah, so we come. We thank you for the week ahead.

I pray your protection, your care, your goodness upon every single family,

people who are here and people who are away.

We thank you for who you are to us. We want to walk with you in the fullness of what you have for us.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

There'll be...