Freedom Through Serving

Welcome to Church of the Grove Online.

My name is Pat.

I'm the Connections pastor here at Church of the Grove, which means I have the privilege of directing the next steps ministry.

A couple of things that I really focus on is trying to help people discover the next step in their faith journey, which can usually be done through joining a community group, or the other thing I'm honored to do is to help people connect on a serve team so that they can be serving others Sunday morning and throughout the week.

Today, as we enter the third week of our Find Freedom series, I have the honor of sharing with you how to put those two things together, how you can be part of a community group and serve the community.

So let's dive right in, shall we?

I've always liked drama.

Some people say that I've always been dramatic.

If you knew any of my 11 brothers and sisters, they would tell you that is the case.

Perhaps the most well-known soliloquy in dramatic history is that which is uttered by Hamlet in Shakespeare's work, titled Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, where Hamlet says this, to be or not to be, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing in them in blah blah blah.

He goes on.

Most actors dream of one day uttering these famous lines on a Broadway stage, yet they usually wind up, like me, on a high school stage as a tree, or perhaps uttering one line that no one ever remembers except for them.

Now I want to get dramatic here for a moment and ask you a question similar similar to the one that Hamlet asked himself.

Here's the question.

To serve or not to serve, which will your community group choose?

Today I want us to think about something.

I want us to think about how much more we can accomplish together.

We've been exploring the idea of biblical community the past couple of weeks, and Russ has done an incredible job teaching us how God moves in our midst when the right people gather together for the right reasons.

He showed us last week that biblical community must be intentional, something that we fight for.

So as the right people gather together for the right reason, intentionally fighting for biblical community, how will that which we are fighting for be expressed?

I believe God's purpose for biblical community is to demonstrate his love for his creation.

So the best way to show the love of Jesus to others is to serve them.

Just as Jesus served, unconditionally and sacrificially.

We promote community groups here at the Grove as a way for you to get to know people, as a way for you to grow in your faith, as a way for you to be accountable to others for the way that you live your life.

And while all that is true, that's not all there is to living in community or to being part of a community group.

So the best expression of your group living out your faith, I believe happens when you serve together.

Which leads us to the big idea for today.

God's people express God's love when they serve together.

Would you open your Bibles and turn with me to Mark chapter 2?

Mark 2 · chapter mention

We're gonna look at a very familiar story this morning that I believe shows us four expressions of living in biblical community.

Let's read verses one through twelve.

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was home.

Mark is talking about Jesus here as he returns to the area that he grew up in.

And returning to verse 2, it says, And many were gathered together so that there was no more room, not even at the door.

And he was preaching the word to them.

And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him.

And when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven.

Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, Why does this man speak like that?

He is blaspheming.

Who can forgive sins but God alone?

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, Why do you question these things in your heart?

Which is easier to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven?

Or to say, Rise, take up your bed and walk.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

He then said to the paralytic, I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.

And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this.

We can learn a great deal about biblical community and how it is expressed from this passage as we observe these four men who serve their paralytic friend.

The first expression of community is found when community is expressed in unity.

All these guys working together.

Have you ever tried to lift something with three other people?

If one person doesn't lift their corner at the right time, it puts a strain on the other three people, doesn't it?

When three of you decide to move forward, but the fourth person moves backward, what do you think is gonna happen?

Your load is probably gonna fall to the ground, isn't it?

These four friends had to lift their paralyzed buddy up and carry him to Jesus, which meant lifting in unison, moving in unison, and then unanimously deciding how to accomplish their objective when obstacles arose in their path, as we see in verses three and four.

In fact, they appear to be unified in their decision to take their friend to Jesus to be healed, and I hope that many of us are living that same way in unity with other believers.

I hope that we are as determined as these guys were to bring our friends to Jesus as they did their paralytic friend.

We see evidence of unity when they arrive at the house in verse 4 and can't even get close to Jesus.

I believe this is a perfect example of both unconditional and sacrificial love.

Even if the house only had eight-foot ceilings, I can imagine that it wasn't easy lifting a paralyzed man still on his mat up to the roof of said house.

Think about what those four friends had to do to make that happen.

It was not easy.

If you've ever been on top of an old house with a thatched or earthen roof, then you can understand what I'm talking about.

It could actually be quite dangerous.

We must not miss the opportunities that God gives us to serve others and to demonstrate his love just because it is dangerous.

I remember sharing my faith with a gang leader in the Desire Street Housing Projects over in Pre-Katrina, New Orleans, while on a mission trip with a student ministry.

Even though I was pretty scared, we had experienced a drive-by shooting the day before as we were performing a drama on the steps of the local community center.

Just so happened that when the drive-by occurred, the leader of the gang that was the object of the drive-by was inside using the bathroom and thus escaped death, even though the rest of his gang was slaughtered on the street corner.

The community center director asked me the next day to come and talk to this young man because he had come into the community center and asked the director, Why did God spare my life?

So I told him about Jesus.

I told him how Jesus had saved me and changed my life.

And that young man confessed his sins in the office of that community center.

He committed his life to Jesus Christ right then and there.

So we mustn't miss the opportunities just because they might be dangerous.

In fact, I would say that those are probably the opportunities that we can see God's miraculous hand at work the best.

Here's the second expression.

Community is expressed in faith.

Now we see evidence of this paralytic friend's faith right from the start as all four of them labor together to bring him to Jesus.

Verse 1 informs us that it was known around the area that Jesus was home and it was known that he was preaching.

So the four amigos obviously believed that this preacher could heal their friend.

So they concocted a plan to take him to Jesus.

Their only thought was we have to get our buddy to Jesus so he can be healed.

I imagine they were only considering a physical healing.

But Jesus was so impressed by their remarkable faith and their incredible sacrifice that he offered the paralytic an eternal healing as he declared in verse 5 Son, your sins are forgiven.

Wow! The friends are thinking about walking home with their buddy, and Jesus is thinking about spending eternity with their buddy.

I love to see young people bring their friends to Jesus, especially when the friend is thinking they're just coming to church.

Or maybe, as I did when I was a youngster, maybe they're thinking about little free lunch they're gonna have after church when they go out with their buddy.

When that young person's eyes are opened and they see that Jesus has come to rescue them from their sins and their life, and they accept his free gift of eternal life, then any and all sacrifices made by their friends to bring them to Jesus are worth it.

So what about your community group?

If you're part of a group, are you inviting others to join your group?

Is your group looking for a way to express your faith by serving someone in your neighborhood?

Would you consider meeting a need together as a group?

Unified in your expression of Christ's love and living out your faith.

The third expression we can, I believe we can obtain from this passage is that community is best expressed in action.

For a dramatic work to be effective, there needs to be some action, right?

No play is gonna sell out week after week if it's full of empty dialogue and no action.

This encounter between Jesus, the crowd, the paralytic, and the four friends is fraught with action.

The scene is set.

The local celebrity has come home to a packed house.

There are even critics on hand to observe the action.

There are also fans to cheer him on, and then there's the action-packed encounter between the helpless victim and his amazing creator.

The friends up on the roof watch in stunned silence as the creator does the unthinkable and forgives the sins of their immovable buddy.

The critics are silently judging him in their hearts, questioning the authority of the lead character in this drama to utter such a seemingly blasphemous comment.

But the creator, who knows the thoughts and the intentions of their hearts, and our hearts, by the way, he confronts their hypocrisy and validates his authority by telling the lame man to get up, pick up his pallet, and go home.

The response is immediate as the forgiven man obeys and the crowd is amazed.

Now that is an action-packed drama.

The victim, this paralytic, is galvanized into action following the forgiveness of his sins and the healing of his body.

The friends are galvanized into action, as I'm sure they scrambled off the roof and surrounded their suddenly agile friend.

I imagine they pounded his back, hugged his neck, and cheered his upright stance.

They joined the crowd in praising God in the midst of their incredulous amazement.

Is your community group regularly seeing God move in miraculous ways in your midst?

If not, is that because you're basically inactive?

Is it possible that God is calling you and your group to climb up on a roof so you can witness his miracles?

And if so, what actions will you and your community group comrades take as you identify and meet the needs of those around you?

The fourth expression of community that we see in this passage is that community is expressed in praise.

Once the crowd sees the man get up, they believe that Jesus is indeed one with authority, the authority to forgive sins.

And their amazement is reflected in their praise of Almighty God as they glorified him and remarked, We never saw anything like that.

As your community group begins to serve others, invite others, I promise you're gonna meet people with needs, just like this paralytic.

And as your group begins to meet those needs, I can assure you lives will be changed, onlookers will be amazed, and God will be glorified.

Our church has a big event every December called Shop with a Hero.

Many of our community groups actually serve together to help make this event come together and to help children in our area have a joyful Christmas.

We have groups that help organize, groups that help provide baked goods, groups that help set up, groups that help clean up, and of course the groups that help eat up, of which I'm a big part.

All the baked goods, that is.

I'm just kidding about that.

Or am I?

But I wanted to make sure that you guys were still awake and still watching.

We're also involved in this incredible annual event known as Joy Prom that's held every year at Walnut Grove High School in the spring.

It's a prom experience for our special needs community.

Again, we have community groups that help serve meals.

We have community groups that help decorate, that help with hair and makeup and shoe shining.

We have groups that help with photos.

We even have a group that comes after everything's over and cleans up.

It's an incredible opportunity for your community group to demonstrate the love of Jesus in an unconditional and sacrificial way.

In our story here today, the four friends functioned as a community group and they labored to help their friend come to Jesus.

As these four men worked together, the obstacles were overcome, and through their service together, Jesus was glorified.

All of us have a next step on our faith journey.

So ask God to show you what is your next step.

Is it joining a group?

If you're part of a group already, is it rallying your group to serve in the community?

Possibly meet the needs of someone even in your own neighborhood?

Perhaps it's to invite someone to become part of your group and share in the faith journey with you.

Let me share a story that describes just an opportunity that your group might consider.

Years ago, I met a young man and shared Jesus with him.

This young man accepted Christ, but he wanted his whole family to become followers of Jesus and come to church, but they were resistant to his inquiries.

Eventually, both of the parents lost their jobs and they were in desperate need.

So I went to some people in our church and part of our group, and I asked them if they'd be willing to help me meet the needs of that family.

I couldn't do it alone.

So we all pulled our resources and paid their utilities for a couple of months.

When the family finally found out that it was a group from our church that was responsible for helping them, they were amazed.

I can imagine they said, We've never seen anything like this.

They began to attend church.

In fact, they came every week for three months.

I know some people that have grown up in church that don't go every week for three months, but these guys did because they were hungry.

And eventually their questions were answered and their eyes saw the truth.

They became followers of Jesus themselves.

It was a miracle to see these parents and their two children baptized together.

That family became very involved in the church, and years later, they actually helped another family that was in a similar situation.

That family, by the way, is still serving in that church today, and they're still involved.

That happened almost 30 years ago, but God is still being glorified today for the miracles that happened decades ago.

Maybe your next step is to join the family of God.

You need to do that first.

Please, let today be the day.

And then join a community group that will help you grow and give you the opportunity to serve others.

I want to ask you if you would to pray with me.

If you've never accepted the free gift of eternal life that Jesus offers, then consider this.

Jesus, the creator and the healer, died for your sins.

He desires to be united with you, to fill you with the Spirit, and to say to you, Son, your sins are forgiven.

If you'll admit right now that you're a sinner and that you're willing to repent from your sin and turn to Jesus, because you believe in his redemptive work on the cross and you're willing to commit the rest of your life to him, then all you need to do is tell him I believe the best way to do that is through prayer.

Would you pray with me?

God, I confess that I'm a sinner and I believe that Jesus is your son, that he lived a perfect life, yet died a horrible death on the cross to pay for my sins.

I commit to living the rest of my life for you.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now listen, if you prayed that today from the bottom of your heart, believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins, then we want to ask you to let us know.

You can text Start to Follow to 9700.

Or you can fill out an online encounter card and check the box that says, I'm interested in becoming a follower of Jesus.

Just let us know and we'll help you.

In fact, we have an online community group that will begin next week.

It's going to meet every Sunday evening at 8 o'clock.

For those that are unable to attend one of our on our campus gatherings, or for those that are unable to attend in person one of our community groups, we would love to have you join us with our online Zoom group.

To find details about that group, simply go to the church's website or go to the Church at the Grove app and click on community groups.

Thank you for sharing with us this morning this message about community and serving.

May God bless you and all you do.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Man, what a great message for us to hear this morning.

And I just want to challenge you to take your next step in your faith journey.

Maybe your step was putting your faith and your trust in Jesus as Pat shared the gospel message with us.

And if that is the step that you need to take, you can text the word, start to follow all one word to 9700.

And we would love to have an opportunity to follow up with you this week.

Also, maybe you put your faith in Jesus over the last couple of weeks or months, and you need to take your next step in being baptized.

We've got a baptism coming up this next Sunday, and we would love to be able to baptize you or a member of your family this week if that's the next step that you need to take.

But the big point that Pat brought forth this week was to join a group.

That ultimately we find freedom when we live in community with one another.

And so we want you to be a part of a group.

We've got tons of groups that meet on Sunday mornings, we've got groups that meet throughout the week, we've got groups that meet in people's homes, people church uh groups that meet at the church, we've got groups that even meet online.

We've got tons of options for you to get connected.

And so we would challenge you to join a group even right now.

You can head over to our website at church at the Grove.com and you can get connected there in a group, or you can always go to our Church of the Grove app and you can click on community groups and you can see a list of all of our groups and choose which one would fit best for you and for your family.

We pray that you would take your next steps and that you would get connected in the days and the weeks and the months ahead.

We love you guys.

We pray that you have a fantastic rest of your weekend and labor day, and we will see you again next Sunday.