Camping In Step | John Challinor

With that said, this is Lewis. Lewis is an eight

-year -old English Bulldog. And if you know anything

about Bulldogs, that's like eight to 12 is about

their lifespan. If you make it to eight, it's

a pretty good time. So he's batting above his

average at the moment. With that, Lewis is my

reminder that we are just camping. Lately, I

found that every day that I get with him feels

like a bonus. It feels like something special.

I'm aware that he's not going to be around forever.

And it reminds me that I'm just camping. And

so I thought I'd bring him along just to remind

you all that we're just camping. Come on, buddy.

You can sit. And we'll see what he does. He's

a wild... He's a wild card today. So he's just

going to do what he does and we're just going

to go along for the ride. So I was just camping

this past week in Miami. And what I mean by that

is we ended up at the airport and we're walking

through the airport and there's this really long

line. And as we're walking along, I asked my

son -in -law, Noah, I go, hey man, what's the

line for? What's everybody lining up? And he

goes, I think it's the cancellations. He goes,

I just heard that Charlotte canceled its third

flight. And I was like, oh, I didn't even know

there was weather. Where we were, everything

was fine. So we get to our gate, and all of a

sudden at our gate, they go, hey, we have overbooked

this plane by 12 people. We're looking for 12

people that are willing to get off this flight,

and we'll pay you $3 ,000 a person to get off

the flight. To which I am texting my wife as

fast as I can. The Wi -Fi did not work. That

is my story, and I'm sticking to it. So she's

over in another spot. She comes back. I'm like,

babe, go get in line. We were too late. And so

then they go, okay, your flight's a little delayed,

but we're going to board you anyways. We're going

to get you on there. And so we begin to taxi

out. We get out on the tarmac, and all of a sudden

we come just to a dead halt. And they go. We're

trying to work with the air traffic. It's kind

of convenient that the airlines blame the air

traffic controllers. They're like, they're figuring

out a route for us around this storm. We think

we have one. We move a little further. They stop

again. They're like, no, we were wrong. We're

going back to the gate. So we go back to the

gate. It's like mid -afternoon at this point

and moving towards dinner. And we're like, okay,

we're fine if we get on a flight. It just means

a long day. So new crew comes, same plane. They

board us back on the same plane. We head out

onto the tarmac again. We figured out a route.

We get stopped again and they go, we don't think

the route's gonna work. I'm like, you couldn't

have told us this like back there. So now what

you need to know about the story, we went on

vacation with our oldest and her husband and

our 14 month old grandson. So a 14 -month -old

on a plane that's not going nowhere, that's a

good time, right? Like mama's in high mama mode,

like just entertainment for quite a while. So

we're sitting on the thing. They go, we're going

to head back towards the gate, but we're going

to park you off to the side because we think

we can figure this out. Well, then they come

on. Every 15 minutes, this guy gets on the radio.

This guy, the captain gets on the radio. And

he goes, I told you I'd be back in 15 minutes.

I got no new information. He did this for an

hour, right? And then he goes, well, it turns

out, folks, that we don't have enough fuel to

get around south to get around this thing, and

we can't put enough fuel on the plane to do that.

So we're heading back to the gate. Well, now

it's about 11 o 'clock at night. 11 .10, they

cancel the flight. I look at Noah, I go, you

gotta go get in that line. So he's gone, right?

Noah's out, or my wife told him to go get in

the line. He's gone, he's running down. And we

figure out that you can rebook through the app.

So we rebooked the earliest flight. This was

Monday, the earliest flight is Thursday. And

so we're like, okay, cool, we're in Miami. We're

just camping. So we go down to the baggage claim

to get our bags. And while we're sitting at baggage

claim waiting, we're like, we gotta book a car.

And so we... Go to book a car. We booked the

Airbnb. It was one of the last ones available.

Hotels were ridiculous. There was barely any

rooms left. Crazy expensive. So we booked this

Airbnb and they go, you got to book a car. So

I booked the biggest thing I can find because

there's seven of us with a lot of luggage. And

we got a 14 -month -old and they come with an

entourage of luggage, right? So we booked this

thing. I should have known when I got to the

counter and the guy goes, oh, you booked the

limo van? I don't know much about limos, but

when you put it with a van, that sounds... It's

like something. And then he goes, you need to

sign this waiver to drive the thing. And I'm

like, I am definitely not qualified for this.

I can tell you right now. So in the midst of

that, we discover we're not getting our luggage.

Our luggage is staying on the plane and making

it to Phoenix days ahead of us. I'm like, you

can get my luggage there, but not me. How does

that work? Anyways, so they get our luggage.

Our luggage is gone. So now we got a limo van

for seven people. My kids, and then on top of

that, we're like, we have no necessity. We got

to go get the necessities. What's open? There

was one target that if we hit everything right,

we had 10 minutes to get the necessities. So

we get in the limo van. We're racing through

Miami in a limo van. That's a fun time. My kids

are bouncing, but it's okay because the ceiling's

high enough. They're not hitting their heads.

And we pull into the Target. We pull right up

to the door at Target. We got like eight minutes,

and it's like everybody spills out, and in we

go. And it's like, well, what do I need as necessities?

Well, I don't have any clean underwear, so let's

grab a pack of that. I don't have no T -shirts.

We'll grab a pack of that, and we'll grab some

sweats. That's how we're going to live for the

next however many days. Well, then we pull up

to our Airbnb, and it is in a sketchy neighborhood.

And we pull up in the limo van. You can't make

this stuff up. So we go to the door. We get the

key. We get the key out of the lockbox. We go

up to the door. The key doesn't fit the lock.

We're like, this has to be something. We're getting

punked by somebody right now, right? What I learned

from all that is really important who you camp

with. It's really important who's on the trip

with you. Right, it's really important that you

understand today, you were never meant to camp

alone. You were never meant to camp alone. That

what we inherited by birth on this fallen planet

is that we are isolated on a camping trip. And

that is not the intent that God had for you ever.

And what happens is if we're not careful, we

can let the story we inherited. blind us from

the story that's actually true. And what I mean

is this. We've been in 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, we've been framing

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

up this whole idea of just camping, right? This

is temporary. This life is temporary. Eternity

is coming. And so on this camping trip, how do

we understand what it is and how do we live this

camping trip to the fullest? And then, you guys,

did you not enjoy Pastor Todd the last two weeks?

He is phenomenal. Phenomenal. So grateful for

the gifts that God has given him. But he talked

last week, if you were here, about this idea

that you are a new creation in Christ, that you've

been transformed, that you're not the same you

no more. That you've been completely transformed

by the person of Jesus, by the work of Jesus,

and now you are new, which means that because

you're new, what has been kind of rebirthed in

you is that you don't, you were a worshiper the

whole time. You don't have to worship idols no

more. You can worship God with your life. And

so he talked about this idea of being new. Verse

17, therefore. If anyone is in Christ, the new

creation has come, the old is gone, and the new

is here. Don't miss this. You are new today.

This isn't something you're waiting for. This

camping trip in the temporary body, I am not

the same person I was that didn't know Jesus.

I'm not the same person I was that was separated

from God. I am not the same person that I was

that is broken and has no help and can only be

selfish and live the way I want. That is not

true of me anymore because I've been transformed

to be in the image of Christ and I am new today.

You are brand new. So the question is, are you

living new? Or are we stuck with these old habits

that come, right? Because what we're told is

we're new. Then he says, part of the new is all

of this, all of this is from God. All of this

is from, you know what that tells me? There's

not one of us in this room that has said yes

to Jesus, that you did anything to deserve it.

You didn't earn it. You're not ahead of anybody

else. You're not cuter than anybody else. You're

not smarter than anybody else, and you figured

it out. God didn't just look at you and go, ooh,

look how cute and smart you are. What this tells

me is it's all from God. All you did was go,

he initiated, and all you did was went, I'll

take it. He gave it to you. You didn't ask to

be made new. He goes, I'm gonna make you new.

How am I gonna do it? I'm gonna show up in the

person of Jesus and you are going to be new today.

And so you have the privilege. You have the privilege

of living this newness of life. And he goes,

it's all from God. It's all by grace. Church,

let's never get bored of grace. Let's never get

to the point where we're like, well, we shouldn't

teach too much grace because all we have is grace.

Now, grace doesn't mean we don't put in effort

after, but all you have is grace. When you have

the newness, you have to live the newness. How

do you live the newness? It's going to take me

living my life in a specific way that God's called

me to. Right? It's going to call me to live in

a specific way where worship is the definition,

as Todd talked about last week. But here's the

thing. It's by grace. Don't mix those two. Because

if you mix those two, what you end up doing is

trying to earn the favor of God your entire life

and you never can. You never can. It will never

save you. All this is from God who reconciled

us to himself. How did he do it? Through Christ

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. We'll

talk about that next week. That God was reconciling

the world to himself. So God is reconciling the

world to himself. in Christ, not counting people's

sins against them. And he has committed to us

the ministry of reconciliation. So we'll get

into what we've been given with the ministry

of reconciliation next week. This week, I wanna

zero in on this idea that all this is from God

who has reconciled us, reconciled you and me

to himself through Christ. Like, okay, the Apostle

Paul wrote a lot of the New Testament that we

have, wrote a lot of the new letters. And when

he wrote those, one of the key themes that he

talks about is you and me as followers of Jesus

being reconciled to God. That tells me it's a

pretty important topic for us. That it's pretty

important that you understand what it means to

be reconciled, that if you don't understand what

it means to be reconciled to God, You will miss

what it means and the gift that you've been given

by grace of what it means to be new and what

you've actually been established between you

and God. You will always live out of sync with

the story of God. So what does the word reconciled

mean? Core definition is that you have been brought

into harmony. You have been brought into relational

harmony. The kind of the core around it is that

there's one that is a hostile enemy and one steps

in and removes that person from being a hostile

enemy, moves them into being a friend of the

other person, that they go from enemy to friend.

What that tells me today is when it says that

you have been reconciled, you have been made

in relational harmony through Christ. that God

has removed what was there, and what you have

today, it tells me this, that God is your friend.

God's your friend today. You think about that.

How many people live like God, like God's out

to get them? You have friends that you're out

to get? I sure hope not, right? You have people

that you're in relational harmony with, relational

wholeness? When you're in relational wholeness

with somebody, you're for them. I am for my wife.

I want to see her flourish in everything she

does. I wanna see her supported and cared for.

Why? Because we have relational harmony and the

harmony, what it does is it brings me to the

point where I want nothing but good for her.

She's my best friend. And what this is saying

between you and God is that you are a friend

of God today. He is not out to get you. So much

so that the story goes, remember, we're just

camping, right? And the story of just camping

is this is temporary. Eternity's coming. There

will be a day when you stand before the judge.

So much so that he has covered you for all of

eternity, that when you get to heaven and it's

judgment, he goes, I got this one. I'll pay for

it. Because you're a friend of God. When I stand

with the judge. I stand there as one who is in

relational harmony with the God Almighty of the

universe. Romans picks up on this and kind of

explains it a little bit more. Romans 5, verse

Romans 5:8

8. There we go. But God demonstrates his own

love for us. Pastor Todd talked about love compels

us. What compelled God Almighty to move towards

you? His love. What are you a living proof of?

When you receive the gospel of God, when you

receive grace, what are you now living proof

of? You are living proof that you are the demonstration

of God's love. When people go, does God really

love? They should be able to look at you and

go, wow, God loves that. He is love, right? But

God demonstrates his own love for us in this,

while we were still sinners, Christ died for

us. While we were still sinners, capture that

part. Since we have now been justified by his

blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's

wrath through him? So since we've been made right

by his blood, right? Verse 10, for if, for if

while we were enemies, we were reconciled to

him through the death of his son, how much more

having been reconciled shall we be saved through

his life? You catch what he says there? That

you, we tend to think we're pretty good people,

right? Like I'm a pretty good person. How you

meet people that don't know Jesus and they're

like, well, I've been good. What's interesting

with this is the definition that God gives those

that don't know him is that they are enemies.

They are opposed to the kingdom of God. And it

says that while you were opposed to the kingdom

of God, while you were an enemy. Jesus showed

up on your behalf to what? Bring relational harmony.

How did he do that? He removed the sin so that

you could have a relationship with him. And he

brought relationship harmony. Now here's what

it tells me, that if he did all that while you're

an enemy, imagine what he'll do when you're a

friend. Imagine what he'll do when you're a son

and daughter. That's what he's getting at. Imagine

how good this temporary life, how good God is

to us. Imagine how good eternity is gonna be

when he lavishes out. without the barriers of

sin, every ounce of good he has on his people.

I don't know about you, that makes me excited

for what's to come because I can't wait to see

it because I've tasted the goodness here. Imagine

how good it's gonna be there. And so what happens?

He goes, you've been reconciled, this relational

harmony. Sometimes it just helps to put like

a new, a new kind of thought behind a word. This

guy right here. It was quite comfy. Lewis was

not originally in our home. We had to go to a

place we'd never been before. Our daughter was

16 at the time, something like that, 15, 16.

And she'd always wanted a dog, and we'd always

said no. The time was never right. And finally,

I just made a decision like, babe, if we don't

do it now, we're never going to do it. Let's

go do this. And I was convinced if I was getting

one, it was going to be an English Bulldog, which

my wife to this day is like, you picked the wrong

breed. Like, all I do is clean his rolls, right?

And so we go down, and we enter a space we've

never been. We go into a home that's not our

home. And there's a little fenced area. In the

middle of this home, and Lewis is inside the

fenced area with another dog. And as we begin

to, you know, entertain, see which one matches

us, this guy will take love whenever you give

it to him. And we knew his temperament, we're

like, this is a dog for our family. But there

was a barrier between us and him. There was a

literal fence, if you like, between us and him.

And we had to pay the price to remove the barrier.

To which then we got to take him home. And when

we got to take him home, we also gave him a new

name. He wasn't called Lewis when we found him.

He got a whole new identity. And on top of that,

he got a whole new family. See, we weren't his

family until the price was paid and we got to

bring him with us. Now, what's crazy about it

is there was a point in this journey with him.

5 .30 in the morning, he woke me up and he couldn't

breathe. Now, you may be going, it doesn't sound

like he can breathe. No, he's doing good today.

But he was turning a little blue and I'm like,

babe, something's wrong. We got to get him to

the ER. So we take him to the animal ER and they're

like, yeah, his soft palate, his... pulled away

from the roof of his mouth. He's dying. We need

to do emergency surgery. So this guy goes in

for emergency surgery. They fix him up. He comes

out wagging his, well, he's kind of got a tail,

wagging his butt, right? You know what he didn't

do? He didn't pay. Guess who paid? This guy.

This guy, and my wife will tell you this, requires

more care. Like he's got special wipes for his

rolls because if not, they get sores in them,

right? So the special wipes that she has to do

every day. He has to have his eyes wiped. He

likes to eat multiple times a day. Guess who

pays for that? You see, the care that he needs

has been provided. The price that it costs for

this guy to stay alive has been provided by me.

When Jesus crossed the universe to a home that

was not his home, he walked in and there was

a barrier between him and people. And guess what

he did? I'll pay the price. I'll pay the price

to remove the barrier. What was the payment of

price to remove your sin? I'll pay the price

for their sin. And then what does he do? He takes

you and he creates a new home. And he not only

creates a new home for you, but guess what? He

puts you in a new family with a new identity

and a new name. And he goes, I'll cover the cost

for them. Who is your provider? It's God Almighty.

What is God Almighty doing? He's paying for your

tab. That's what he does. The care that you need,

he wipes your wrinkles. Why? Because he has reconciled

you. He came and he put you in relational harmony

with himself. Why? Because God has always wanted

to be on the camping trip with you. He made a

way so that he, so today, as you are just camping,

God is camping with you, but it gets even better.

If you go back to 2 Corinthians, we've read this

verse a bunch, but it's one that we just need

to remember. 2 Corinthians 5 .1, for we know

that if the earthly tent, this thing right here,

were destroyed, we live in is destroyed. We have

a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,

not built by human hands. Right, it's the guarantee

we started this whole collection with, that when

this earthly tent is laid down, and it will be,

that we have a permanent dwelling waiting for

us in our eternal home, because we are on the

journey home, and we have this eternal dwelling

that's waiting. Verse five then says this, because

that's true, now the one who has fashioned us

for this very purpose is God. You caught that,

right? God is a fashion designer. What did he

design? Tents. Your earthly tent was fashioned

by God. You are part of his collection as a designer,

which means that when you're walking along and

somebody goes, you look good, thanks. What are

you wearing? God. What line is that? God. I'm

part of his collection. He has fashioned you

for this trip. He has fashioned you for this

camping trip. And so then he goes, for this very

purpose is God who has given us, who has given

us the spirit. So the Holy Spirit as a deposit

guaranteeing what is to come. So you have been

given. So you're fashioned. designed and given

the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does what? It

comes in and dwells you. Know what the word indwell

is? To make home. Where does the Holy Spirit

make home? In you. For how long? Well, he's a

deposit for what? When we lay down this life

and pick up our what? Eternal dwelling. So the

Holy Spirit has been given to you and will not

leave you, which tells me you are never alone.

You're never alone. No matter how isolated you

feel, no matter how much you think you're not

seen, no matter in a culture that says we have

all this connection, all these friends, and really

we have no relationships, right? And so what

happens is what this calls us to is even in the

midst of your loneliest moment, you're not alone.

Why? Because in your salvation and what God did

for you, he made a way that he would be with

you forever. He never leaves you, no matter how

bad it gets. He'll never leave you nor forsake

you, he says. He's with you. However dark it

is today, all the feelings that you have today,

all the things that don't seem to be working

out today, he is in the midst of them on the

camping trip with you. Why? Because God has always

wanted to camp with you. He's never wanted you

to camp alone. If you turn over to 1 Corinthians,

this idea of the Holy Spirit being in us, 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:19

6, verse 19 says this. Do you not know that your

bodies, do you not know that your bodies, okay,

let's use same language, right? This earthly

tent, this body, this earthly tent, do you not

know that your body, this earthly tent is a temple

of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who dwells

in you, who is made home in you, whom you have

received from God. There it is again. You didn't

earn it. God gave it. You just received it. God

initiates, we receive. You are not your own.

You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor

God with your body. Okay, a couple of things

this tells me is this, that your tent that is

fashioned by God is actually a temple. That you

right now in your earthly tent. You are the temple

of God. Why are you a temple? Because God in

his spirit dwells in you, which tells me when

Pastor Todd last week went, hey, you worship

everywhere you go. When you go to soccer practice,

when you go to dance, when you go to Chipotle,

when you go to wherever, right? I don't know

why Chipotle. I don't even eat it. I don't even

like it anymore. Anyways, why is that true? Because

you are the temple of God. Your tent is a temple.

Your tent is sacred. It's sacred. You are the

sacred space. So everywhere you go in this life,

as you are camping, you are a sacred moment for

people to be around. And that's how life can

become worship. Why? Because what do you do in

temples? You worship. And what are you? You are

the temple of God. Why? Because the Holy Spirit

has made a home with you. How did he do that?

Because God relationally brought you into harmony

with himself. One last thought. Galatians chapter

five, verse 25. Since, since then, all this is

true. Since we live, that word live is everything

you do in your life. Since we live, since everything

we do in our life, everywhere we go, since we

live by the what? Spirit. What is supposed to

empower your life? The Holy Spirit of God. Who

is supposed to lead your life? The Holy Spirit

of God. Who is supposed to guide your life? The

Holy Spirit of God. Since we live by the Spirit,

let us keep in step with the Spirit. On vacation,

we knew we were going and our grandson had chosen

not to walk leading up to it. So literally, we

tried everything, man. My wife was buying all

kinds of like little things he could push, you

know, and walk behind it. He loves pushing stuff.

Swear he's going to be a lineman. I just kind

of know it. But we had suitcases. He would push

a suitcase around so he'd stand tall. I mean,

we tried everything. Guess where he decides to

walk? On vacation, right? Like none of it worked

beforehand. And so on vacation, what was interesting

is he would hold your finger. And then he would

wobble as he took steps. And guess what I didn't

do? I didn't go, come on, man. No, what did I

do? I waddled. I held his finger and I went at

his pace. Why? Because I was keeping in step

with him. And he kind of knows what he wants.

So at one point he's like, we're going this way

because I want to see the airplanes. And so he

leads me and I keep in step all the way to see

the airplanes. At one point, he wants to go this

way in the terminal, not that way in the terminal,

which that way was the way we needed to go. And

we walk all the way down to the point his mama's

calling me going, where are you guys? I'm like,

I don't know. I'm just following him. But you

move at his pace. You move in step with him.

God who joins you on the camping trip, who empowers

you with the Holy Spirit, that wants to guide

every moment, what is he calling you to do? He's

calling you to stay in step with him. Are you

behind him? Are you in front of him? Where are

you? Because what I know about the Holy Spirit,

it's a lot like this guy. Come on, buddy. What's

he doing right now? He's just staying in step,

letting me lead him. The picture that we're given

of the Holy Spirit is that he indwells you, he

makes his home in you. Why? So that on this camping

trip, come on, buddy, let's go this way. There

you go. On this camping trip, you wouldn't get

lost. He's like, you ain't leading now, I'm doing

it. Probably a picture of a lot of us. But isn't

it fascinating that what we're called to do is

to just let God lead us and he's provided everything

we need. We don't have to strive for harmony

with God. We already have it. We don't have to

strive to take care of our sin. He already took

care of it. We don't have to strive. What we

get to do is go, the Holy Spirit has made his

home. God, what do you wanna do in me today?

And you'll empower me and lead me to do it. My

job is to what? Stay in step with the Holy Spirit

of God. So what does all this mean, you guys?

Well, it tells me this, that your journey with

God is sacred, even though you're in a tent.

It's sacred, which tells me it really matters,

that there's deep significance to your life.

It also tells me when I understand the story

of God that you right now here are loved by God.

He's not waiting for you to do something. He's

not waiting for you to just be cleaned up enough.

He's not waiting for you. He loves you completely

and fully right now. He cannot love you any more

than he already does. How do I know that? There's

a cross. that is stained red for all of eternity.

There are nail marks in his hands that declares

he loves you and he is for you and that you are

not alone. That your life that you think is just

bumbling along in these days, right? Like there's,

you're just like a tumbleweed, right? Blown by

whatever direction that he goes. No, your life

has deep significance so much so that the Holy

Spirit is gonna live in you to guide you. Because

he wants your life to count for all of eternity.

I think he likes the keys, man. The last thing

it does is it should produce in you such overwhelming

gratitude. The last thing it does is it just

produces this gratitude. How can we not be thankful

when we know what we have? Right, like how can

we not look at the story and go, God, you, you,

reconciled us. You relationally brought harmony

and we didn't deserve it. We didn't earn it.

You gave it. And then on top of that, you join

us on this camping trip. Why? So our camping

trip has significance and value that we know

we are loved, that we know that you care, that

we know we are seen today and you provide for

us everything we will ever need. How can we not

just go, God, all I got is thankfulness. How

can I not go, all I got is gratitude. All I have

is a hallelujah for you. Church, how, how, how?

We're gonna sing in a minute. And I don't want

you to miss what God does in music. You were

designed by God. Remember you're fashioned by

God and part of being fashioned by God is that

music and melody mixed with words would actually

get below your defenses. See, you can have a

defense the whole time I'm talking. But when

you start to join in song, you stop thinking.

And when you stop thinking, it gets below your

defenses and God can get what he needs to get

to your soul. My question for you is some of

you stand up and some of you go, I am not going

to engage. I don't like music. What you're actually

saying is I'm gonna keep the wall up, God, because

I don't want you to impact my soul. You have

a choice. You get to take what is inside your

breath and you get to let your breath come out

of your body in such a way that it's an invitation

that God, as I declare these words, you're actually

cementing something deep inside of me that I

need today. And we're gonna declare that we are

just grateful people today. We're just grateful.

So I'm gonna pray for us and then we're gonna

sing. God, thank you for everyone in this room.

Thank you for everybody across screens today.

God, thank you for the story. that we live inside

of the truth that you are a God who is not distant.

You are not a God who is abandoned, but you're

a God that stepped into a home that was not yours

to claim through paying a price, a family forever.

And God, we are grateful that you have initiated

and we receive. We are grateful that you transform

us, that we are new today. We are grateful that

we have relational harmony today. We are grateful

that God, we have the Holy Spirit living in us

today. And so God, all we got, when our words

fall short, God, we don't have anything new,

but what we do have is a hallelujah. And God,

today it's yours because we just say thank you.

Thank you for loving us first. It's in your name

we pray, everybody said, amen.