A People, Not an Audience | Ps Mike Mulheran

Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast.

Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to

take hold of. So we hope this message inspires

you and build your faith, but it helps you have more of a God

perspective for your day. Enjoy.

I just don't have to be here and be able to share the word of

God. I count the great privilege be

able to share the word and in this theme of is there not a

'cause this year and this month specifically looking at we've

church. I want to share around 1 passage

script. You're going to know this

passage by the end of this message.

It comes from one Peter chapter 2 verses four and five.

It says these words so it's coming to him as to a living

stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious

you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual

house, a holy priesthood to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

If you need a title for my message this morning, it's

called a people, not an audience.

I think all of us have favorite words that we use and these

words just simply just roll off our tongue.

We don't necessarily give much thought to it, but it's like

dominant words in our lives. I look at some words that have

just become so commonly used. I also use this word, the word

awesome. It just seems to just roll off

our tongues. You wash the car and you did

awesome. No, no, no.

You just washed the car. You know, I vacuumed the house

yesterday for my wife. That's awesome.

Nah, it's just vacuuming the house.

You know, standing in front of the Rocky Mountains.

That's awesome. Going out and looking up the

stars and the moons in the evening and you just man the

handiwork of God. That's awesome.

Another word that we've heard a lot over the last five years is

the word unprecedented of something that just has not been

a usual precedent. But we tend to use this word

over and over and over, not just in relation to viruses, but

that's unprecedented. Like Mike, you preached an

unprecedented message. This no, it's just a message.

But they've had these words to just roll off our tongues.

And there's a word that I would say so many times during the

week. And I've found the words we use

over and over often lose the weight of its meaning through

the commonality of our use. And that word for me is the word

church. I'm a church a lot.

Hemorrhage. Like I'm there like 6 days a

week. I'm there a lot.

And it just rolls off to my grandkids.

I'm going to church. They're like, are you going to

church, Moose? Yes, I'm going to church.

Where do you work? Church?

Where do you worship? Church 322 Wicker Road, 11

Hensel Rd. Caboolture Clopping the dress.

I love this church like and so church just rolls off my tongue.

But have we lost the true meaning of church?

For some of us today, it's just a place I go to, a place I

serve, a place I support. You know, for others, it's your

Sunday rhythm. I can't do without this rhythm

of going to church For others. It is a place, a community of

believers that we come in and we worship God together, we grow

together. It's a church can be so many

different things to different people, but in saying the words,

sometimes we can lose the depth of what the church really,

really is. And the church is a people, not

an audience. I do not want to be a church

where things are happening in front of us without things

happening within us and through us.

Is that this is not a spectator sport where we come along and we

hear some 62 year old guy or 61 year old guy say some words.

No, no, I I want it to be a place where we are a people and

we are growing together. We are believing together.

We are putting faith together. There is something so powerful

that happens whenever you and I come into a community of

believers. I say it like this.

There is this divine melting of our separateness.

You and I are individuals, but as a corporate body of

believers, the church, it's like ice cubes that just melt into

just this beautiful, refreshing water that you are beautiful as

an individual, but you are magnificent together.

And God has designed you to be so uniquely spectacular.

But in the place of coming together in his presence and

carriers of his presence, everything changes.

And so this morning, I don't want us to get familiar with the

word church. I need to be the church.

And then when we skip into the New Testament is none of those

things I said about the church were wrong.

But the New Testament paints the picture of the church as

something living, something powerful, something that's so

full of purpose that will change the world around about them and

bring glory and honor to God in everything that the church does.

And here in this passage, it says coming to him as to a

living stone, rejected by men indeed, but chosen by God and

precious. Here the apostle Paul is talking

to new believers that they are marginalized in their community

that they're still trying to work out what this faith

actually is. You know, we've got 2000 years

of historical, you know, from the day of Jesus coming to his

death and resurrection has been built upon and talked about.

But here these guys are living in the very first early years of

it thinking what does the church actually look like?

What what is mission? It's like going to prep all

again. And here the apostle is speaking

to these marginalized people. And one thing he does not talk

about. He does not talk about systems,

processes or strategies or structures.

He talks about Jesus. He talks about Jesus being a

living stone. He he's breaking everything

down, he's removing the institution and the

establishment of a church could look like and brings it all down

to a relationship. And that's you and I with Tim.

And yes, there must be structure and there must be strategy, but

a structure and strategy becomes comes before the presence of

God. We've got it all wrong.

I don't want to come to a gathering of believers every

week and it to be so full of strategy and structure.

Do we need that? Absolutely.

I like having lunch at 12:00. I don't necessarily think a

meeting needs to go to 4:00 in the afternoon.

I like that. But if the meeting needs to go

to 4:00 because God wants the meeting to go to 4:00, let's

throw out the run sheet and the strategy and just do whatever

God wants to do. Well, there's two good things.

They they clap on throwing out the run sheet and nine Hensel

Rd. Caboolture, like you are the

church. Oh, so as I say, 90, that's 9

next door. I prefer that little building

than this one. That's Oh yeah, wait, I just

threw that in. We are 9 to 11.

We're just not one number. We are 9.

They are 10 over the road and we're back here at #11 like we

confuse the postman around here or post lady, whatever.

What, what about you going on those ones that are posty?

Don't get me started like you get me on that train.

You're going to be here till 4:00 right now.

I don't want, no, I don't want my grandkids getting some

participation ribbon. I don't want it.

If they're not first, second or third, they're losers.

Get over it. Pat them on the back.

Do better next time, champ. And there's a golf clap for

participation ribbons out there. Like thank you for that one

clap. Like I felt, oh man, the world's

gone crazy, but Jesus is still alive in the monst of all the

crazy couple of it's no normal notes, but they're going to go

there anyhow. A couple of couple of weeks ago,

well, having family dinner at home and my son-in-law asked me

this question in light of so many ministries across the globe

falling right now, God just exposing ministries and thought,

Oh my gosh, like even just yesterday I saw like a former

worship pastor murders his wife. Like how?

How do you get from Rach? And I don't know where Chris is

today. And we can we can laugh about

how. And my son-in-law asked me this

question. He said, he said, Dad, is there

anything in City Point in the world of City Point that God

would need to expose in order to bring a cleanliness and a

holiness to City Point Church? Yeah, it was, it was intense.

It really was like, you can go home now, champ.

And I did. I thought, I thought about it

for a while, a number of minutes, just to just to go

through. And I came back and I said, you

know what, Jesse, there, there's nothing that I know of that God

would need to expose. And in order for us to be a

holier church. Are we perfect?

By no means, but I'm so grateful that we have leadership of 40

years in ministry in Pastor Mark and LA.

There's been, there's been no scandal.

The the only scandal we have had as a church is that we simply

stood up with our college and said that boys can't be in girl

bathrooms and girls can't be in boys bathrooms.

And I'm not having a dig at anyone.

That's the biggest scandal we've had.

Now. I don't know what tomorrow holds

with the tomorrow brings, but I'm so glad to be a part of a

church that doesn't do it perfectly, but does have an

integrity and a holiness and a respect and regard for the

things of God. And I don't know why, as I said,

don't know what tomorrow looks like, but I look back

historically and I am so grateful for our church.

I really, really am. I don't know why I said that,

but that was to somebody. And so here in this passage of

Scripture is the church does not begin with what we do.

The church will always begin with coming to Jesus.

And in this month of we the Church of utilizing gifts and

talents in the House of God. I am saying you to you today is

that you don't need to serve in the House of God.

I'm not forcing you. There is no compulsion at all.

One thing I know about the church is the church will

continue, but we are all called to play a role in the part in

the life of the church and so often volunteering has been

based on availability. If you're available, well then

I've got some time. No, I think that's a wrong way

of looking at it is that serving in the Kingdom of God is about

nearness and out of nearness. I'm going to go do is that Jesus

constantly said to his disciples, come away with me.

They came back with all these ministry reports.

He sent them out to heal the sick and the cast out demons and

to preach the gospel. They come back so excited with

the ministry report. This is what God's doing.

This is what's taking part. This is what I saw and he simply

stops them mid track and says, hey, you know what, it's all

wonderful, but would you just come away with me?

Come and be in my presence and then from that place would you

go again and so often we turn this around.

If I just go and do things for God is a God will be with me.

God says no, I much rather you are with me first and then out

of that place. Go for me.

I don't want to be a fraud to the world around about me.

I don't want to say I'm a great lover of Jesus and not go and do

things for Jesus, but I've got to get the order right.

I've got to be in his presence. I've got to be near to him

because he said this. If you and I draw near to him,

he'll draw near to us. That that that happens to

believers after they make that decision to follow Christ is he

finds us. I didn't find him.

He found me through the grace and love.

He found you and then after that point of encounter of him

shaping our lives and forgiving us, he says, now come into my

presence and then out of my presence, go.

If you draw near to me, I'm going to draw near to you.

And so this morning, I'm not saying to you, would you just go

and make yourself available? Would you do more things in life

for church? No, no, no, no, no, no.

And as church, we've been really good at this over the years.

I can manipulate any one of you to serve Today.

We're good. Most retired pastors go into

selling insurance. True.

Pastor Dan, he doesn't sell insurance.

No, no, no, no. We are good at motivating people

to do things they don't necessarily want to do, and this

morning I apologize for that. If the church has ever just

wanted to use you for what you carry, gives talents and

abilities, no, no, no, I would much rather you are near to God

than do anything for God. The scariest passage in the Word

of God, it's Jesus saying to those that know his name, I

never knew you, I never knew you, but I did all this for you,

Lord, you never knew me. I healed the sick and I cast out

demons and I preached your word and I loved in my community.

I did all of these things in your name and he says I never

knew you. I don't want those words spoken

to our church or the church at the end of our days.

You did all this and you never knew me.

And so this morning, my simple message is, would you just draw

near to God? It's not about performance.

It's not about the gifts and talents, it's literally drawing

near to Christ and him flowing through our lives and we make

everything available. And so today, if you've mixed it

up, just make it right with God. So intimate.

We'll just bring you into the mood right now.

Was that the finished side? Are you telling me that I we

don't? We're not an audience, we are a

people coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by

men, but chosen by God before there is any structure, any

strategy. This message is so brought down

to simple terms with these 3 words coming to Him.

He is a God who is accessible, a God who is available.

And there is a response from humanity is we simply just need

to come to him. You are great, but not that

great. He is great and He is

unchangeable and He flows through our lives and the thing

that he desires the most is intimacy, relationship with each

and every one of us. He cheers us on for the good

that we do, but he cheers us on one because we know him and he

knows us and the good that we do.

He doesn't cheer you and on I on to a place of exhaustion, a

place of frustration, a place where pride may rise up in our

heart and say, you know what I can do be all things to all

people. No, he simply says these words.

Would you just come to me? It's this divine relationship

that he is after. He is after nothing else this

morning. It's simply an invitation.

It's not a demand. It's a response, not a

requirement. It's the grace of God would draw

us into this place where I just need to keep on coming back to

him. Coming back to him.

I don't know where your life's looking and how it's looking

right now, but would you just keep coming back to Jesus and to

the church is such an important part of that.

But would you come to him is my psychiatrist has some answers

for and my counselor has some answers for my psychologist has

some answers for me and I see all of those ones regularly.

But I need to come to him. They will all give me tools.

But here's the answer. He is my healing.

He is my health. They are just a solution to get

to that place. And so, so simply this morning,

would you come to him? Don't go to social media, don't

go to Instagram, don't go to your next door neighbor.

Would you come to him? John 644 says this.

No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws me.

And I will raise him up at the last day.

No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him.

And I want you to see this this morning, is that the Father

draws, the Son receives us, and the Spirit of God sustains us.

There's a great work that God is doing in all of our lives.

Is that the Holy Father, He draws you and I into a

relationship. The Son who came and laid down

his life for you says, you know what, in spite of how you've

lived your life, I'm going to receive you.

And when we surrender our lives to Christ is in the Spirit of

God sustained you day by day by day.

Would you simply just come to Jesus?

Whether that's in the morning, whether it's a noon day, whether

it's a night time, whatever your best rhythm is, give your best

to God, give your best to him. It says all the way through here

that Jesus woke up really early and went and prayed Like heck

no, I don't care what Jesus did. I do, but I don't care when he

prayed. You get me up at 6:00 in the

morning, that's going to be my worst time with God.

I have no energy. I didn't want to necessarily get

out of bed, but you get me at 11:00 at night, I'm energized,

I'm pumped, kids are asleep, Nadine's asleep, and I could

just be Mike and God, what forced me to get up at 5:00 in

the morning and I'm like, even a little bowel syndrome, all that.

You know what happens? You get to 61 and things like,

it's the worst time I could give.

God, I've got some amens here. This is good.

Well, I am saying you get your rhythm with God and you make

that a priority. I'm running around my lounge

room at 11:00 at night, right? You know when you're supposed to

be settling down, You put on your blue lights through the

glasses to get everything ready. Set all the mood lighting's on.

All that. No, no, no, no, no.

Everything's on. Fluorescence on.

Let's run. Let's charge.

Let's open up the Bible. Thank you.

Right. Give God your best.

What's the rhythm you need to give God like this message,

probably like every message over the past 28 years, is always

originated behind my lawnmower. I'm pushing my lawnmower and

Revelation just flows. I don't know if it's a four

stroke petrol, but Revelation flows like I get my I got my son

to do the lawn mowing once when he's like 14 years of age.

I walked out. I was like, I was so frustrated.

It's like he missed every 3rd row.

That's the only time he ever mowed my grass.

Not because I was frustrated with Him, because that's my

place with God. I have this expectation every

time I get behind that mower, here we go.

This is not a chore for me. It's like I'm going to hear from

God. I'm going to go and write a kick

butt message. I'm not going to look at my

notes and I don't even know what I'm doing.

But would you find your place with God and would you keep

going back to that place? Because if you heard His voice

once there, you're going to hear His voice again.

And I'm not limiting his voice behind a lawnmower, but I just

know that I get that thing. I start that up, it goes first

time. I'm cheering already.

It's like, come on, speak God, get your rhythm, get your place.

The Father draws the Son receives the Spirit sustains us

living stones is that 55 minutes here we go.

Let's buckle in everybody. You also as living stones are

being built up a spiritual house.

It's an oxymoron. How can God put these two words

together of living and stone? You, you look at a stone,

there's no life to a stone is a stone is enduring.

It's stable. It doesn't necessarily change

it. Wherever it's positioned, it is

positioned. But then you add the word living

to it and then now becomes this life, this vitality to something

that is so stable, something that is enduring.

Something's going to stay in position in place no matter

what's happening around about them in the world.

And so he says to you and I, you are a living stone.

You are just not enduring. No, you had the breath of God

inside of that endure. You're not just a stable person.

No, we have the breath of God inside of you.

It's you don't just remain. Remain in a place of stillness.

No, you're in a place of stillness empowered by the

Spirit of God. So he compares you and I as to

this living stone. There is the breath of God

inside of our lives that it's met with this place of

endurance, this place of resilience, this place where

life is weathered but it still remains.

He says you and I are living stones.

He's a living stone. And the thing I notice about

living stones, if you look at a block wall, a Stonewall, this

verse goes on that says they are being built up into a spiritual

house, is there's an individual component of our walk with God

which is so important. I don't get to heaven by

anyone's faith, by anyone's relationship with God except my

own. There's that responsibility on

us. But when that foundation has

been laid in our hearts, God doesn't just see you as an

individual isolated from everybody else.

Now he sees you and I as living. You've got to get living stone

dry because if you're doing that right, he says you're now going

to make up a spiritual house city Point N You are so

important as an individual. But I, I believe this, you are

more important as a collective and the world has shifted our

mindset, our thinking. You just be have to be an

individual. You do you.

No, you do God and you do each other.

And so as a living stone now being built up into a spiritual

house, it's a wall of just stones, beautiful stones.

It's a magnificent picture of a house where you as a living

Stoner are being supported by somebody else and you're

supporting someone else. That that's the picture of the

church, that we don't do this relationship with God in

isolation, but you also do it in a place of community and both

are so valuably important. As I look at that Stonewall,

there's no stand out stone, there's no superhero stones,

There's only one stand out stone and that is the chief

cornerstone. A brick bricklayer came to me

recently after I was using this illustration.

He said to me, I'm a bricklayer and you are so right.

Is the most important stone is that cornerstone because holds

the weight and it carries alignment?

Is the cornerstone always is an alignment, always must be in the

right place in order for the structure to be in alignment, to

carry the capacity, the load, the weight.

And so you and I, we are not designed to be the superstars as

Jesus is designed to be the superstar.

He says, would you come to me? Would you allow me to make your

life and then I'm going to build you up into the spiritual house.

Right throughout the gospels is the Spirit of God inspires men

to write. The Spirit of God never inspires

them to write to individuals. They are always written to

churches and to cities. It's never once the letter to

Rachel, no, but so to the Church of Corinthians and Ephesians and

Ephesus. And God's not saying that you as

an individual is not important. No, you are so important.

That's why Christ came. But once you're alive in Christ

as a living stone, your greatest value, your greatest worth is in

this community. And so he bills us as living

stones, but he bills us as a spiritual house, and that's

where he chooses to dwell. But where God chooses to dwell

is so, so crucial. In the Old Testament, in the

wilderness, they carried around the ark of the covenant, the

presence of God. And wherever the presence of God

went, that's where blessing and favor just flowed, whether it

was in the hands of the Israelites or in the enemy's

hands. Does the presence of God just

changed everything? He couldn't be contained in a

Tabernacle. David's son Solomon built a

temple, the most beautiful temple, to house the presence of

God. Like wow, God says I can't be

contained in just one temple. He sends his son, the visible

representative of God, to earth. He steps foot on common ground

that you and I share, and He is God.

He walks amongst us, He heals, He sets the captors free, He

brings liberty and freedom. But that just wasn't enough

either. He goes to a cross, comes back

onto earth, resurrected form, then ascends into heaven.

Tags Holy Spirit Inn and now you and I.

We're the dwelling place. It's remarkable.

He lives in US, lives in you. Would you be the very best

living stone that you can be, coming to Him over and over and

over and over, not being forced, not as a demand, but just to

request an invitation. I'm here, I'm here.

He's a God who will never, ever leave us or forsake us unless we

want him to. And he builds us up.

Magnificent spiritual house. One Corinthians says this, do do

you not know, do you not know that you are the temple of the

Holy Spirit? Do you not know, is there this

realization inside of us who dwells in us, that that just

doesn't come in on a Sunday morning for a couple of hours

now, do you not know, would we get gas?

The reality, those 3 words just didn't come out at all, right?

What would I say? Did you gas the allergy?

You know, my medication's wearing off, so we need to get

off. It's not about doing.

It's about being becoming. It's about nearness.

And then out of that, go hard. Leave the tank empty.

Not to burn out, but leave the tank empty.

Jesus emptied himself when John says this.

He came full of grace and truth full, and at the end of his life

says he emptied himself with the fullness that you and I have.

Go hard, go hard for the Kingdom of God.

Go in the power of God. Don't go in the power of you.

You're great, but you're not that great.

Go in His power because He fills us to overflow.

And there can come a time in your life where you just empty

it all. But I found every time you and I

empty, Empty is a good place because it always can be filled.

My first most frustrating days of the week starts in the

morning was when my wife says to me can I take your car today?

And I used to just think she just wanted to drive the bigger

car. But I found out very soon is

that as soon as you jumped in that car it started screaming at

you. Warning lights going off.

Empty, Empty, empty, empty, empty.

It's OK to be empty. It's got to know who to fill you

and who can fill you. Who will fill you this morning?

Let's do it.