Real Church

0:01 It's crazy I had a message to bring tonight. And I walk in this room and I realize God's shown me the message has already happened. Like, this is what I was praying for. This is what I was thinking I'm going to need to rile them up or something to get them to just open up and for the whole body to use their gifts. and man, I always dreamt of being a part of a church where God would just move in supernatural ways and there would be such a love amongst the people, a church that wasn't known for a speaker or a band, but for the power of God and for the love of God.

0:58 And, man, I'm just so grateful. I feel like even our obedience from last week and some of the difficult things and just saying, you know what, no, we're not going to allow. We're not going to allow gossip. We're not going to allow slander. We want a spirit of unity here. And we will obey his word and warn the divisive person, warn him again that have nothing to do with him. Because that's scripture. And to really seek him. And this week, the thing that the Lord put on my heart was, we've been reading through the book of Acts. And ever since I first became a believer in high school, I would read the book of Acts and get frustrated. Because I would say, God, why don't we get to have that now? How come this happened back then?

1:51 And I was jealous of the people who lived 2,000 years ago. And I was told, I was taught theologically I was trained to believe that that can't happen today. And yet as a kid, I was like, man, it seems like it's supposed to. If anything, it should happen more. I mean, that was just my simple reasoning through the scriptures. Like he was saying that was the last days there in Acts 2. And I'm thinking, well, if that's the last days, how can this not be the last days? Like it's just simple logic. but I was taught, no, that can't happen today.

2:33 And so even as my theology started to change, I'm going, gosh, that doesn't make sense that that ended back then and that the power isn't going to happen now. There should be more. Well, then not theologians, but other people were just saying, well, that can't happen in America because we're not persecuted, because we don't live communally, because we can't love each other like that the way they did back then. That's just the way that they lived. And I believe that. I started believing these people who were telling me, one, theologically, no, that can't happen today. Or two, just practically, that can't happen in America. But I'm looking at this passage and it just says, no, they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and the prayers and awe came upon every soul and many, many, I can't even, wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

3:34 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they're selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. and the Lord added to the number day by day those who were being saved. Then read in chapter 4 and verse 32, it says, now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own but they had everything in common and with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. there was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet.

4:36 And it was distributed to each as any had need. I would read that and go, gosh, people would say that can't. And I'm going, how? Why can't that happen? That's just a choice that I make. I have a choice. I can choose right now to look at Kevin and Liz and say, look, you guys are family and anything I own, man, you got to know if you're ever in need, man, I will sell it and take care of you. That's just a promise from my lips to you right now. You are my brother and sister and anything, anything. I feel one spirit with you, one heart with you. I trust you with every... And I mean that too. I'm not just saying that as an illustration.

5:29 That's a choice I make. I can do that in China, we can do it in India, you know, for your sake, or we can do it right here in America. You know, like, but it's just like this craziness of people saying, no, that can't happen in your country. It's like, that doesn't make any sense. I just feel like it was just on the plane here, it was just revealed to me. It's very much like Satan to say, hey, did God really say? Did God really say? And now I'm realizing, gosh, those are the voices that are in my head. Come on, did God really say that this could happen at any time in history? Was this promise really for you and your children and for those who are far off? it's like is this really about the life like it's it's all like these thoughts that have in my head and so all my life i just felt like this disconnect from what i would read that's why i didn't like reading the book of acts honestly man if you go back in fact don't go back but i preach to the book of acts worst sermon series in history i i mean it just because i i didn't really believe it i just kept skipping over parts and just skimming through them because something in my soul was like man, I'm not living this. And I'm just at that point in life now where I'm going, God, okay, I'm 50 years old now. And I have wanted to experience this my whole life. And I feel like right now is the first time I feel like I've got a shot at this. There's a group of people who actually believe this and actually say, you know what? I want to devote myself to this because I want this? Because the truth is, it says they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the commute, to the breaking of bread, to the fellowship, to prayer. They devoted themselves.

7:26 That's a lot more than saying, oh, I'll go once a week for an hour to a service. No, they said, we're going to devote ourselves to one another. We're going to devote ourselves to this Bible reading. It's not just reading a chapter a day. It's like, this is what I'm devoted to. It's what I'm committed to. It's committing to one another. Man, and that's why even tonight that, you know, there's so many people that still wanted to share and had words from the Lord. And that's why we break up into homes, because if we just keep getting bigger and gathering, only one person can talk at once, you know, and then all these gifts are wasted. This is the whole reason why I left a church of thousands of people, because I'm going, this doesn't make sense. They all come for an hour a week and I'm the only one using my gift. Like according to the Bible, everyone can manifest the Holy Spirit of God in some supernatural way to build up the body. And it was driving me nuts that I had all these gifted people and I'm the only one talking. I'm the only one doing the ministry. I know there were a few things here and there, but the truth is, is for the most part, that's what we used to call church was this one gathering and that makes no sense in scripture and I pray to go God could there just come a day where I get to be with a group of people and we just believe in the book of Acts and we just say you know what I want to be one heart and mind like they did it that's what Jesus prayed for in John 17 and it was fulfilled in the book of Acts when it says everyone, all the believers were of one mind and spirit.

9:10 That's insane. I want that. I want to devote myself. I've got to experience this. Man, I just want to experience this and I just wonder if we strip away all the other things that we were told as church and we devoted ourselves to the simple things in that book and we just got, because I would much rather just get with a small group of people in a room with nothing else and say, let's just seek God with all of our hearts and see what he does. Let's just see it. Let's just go for it. Let's just go for it. Like, I'm at this point where that's all I hunger for now. You know, the other stuff, man. It's just... Okay, Friday night I was in Texas, and that was actually really cool. Speaking to like 10,000 young people who all are planning on going overseas to just reach the world.

10:16 I mean, you talk about a radical group of young people. It was awesome. The week before that, I was in Indonesia with 100 people that are already living in foreign countries, all coming together. You know, some in such dangerous, dangerous places, ready to give their lives for Jesus, giving their lives for Jesus. Full-time missionaries. And it was just like, this is so good. And yet when we come here, it is true in America. it is difficult to stay focused on the mission. But I'm just going, man, could this be the year, 2018, where we just have one mind and one heart say, you know what, I've been visiting church, I've been visiting the mission, and I want to devote myself to this. Because that's what I see in scripture.

11:08 It says day by day, they're seeking each other out. They're breaking bread daily. This wasn't something they visited once a year. This was their life. Man, and this whole idea of I go on Easter or I go on Christmas or I go on Sunday mornings for an hour, I mean, you try to find that in this book.

11:28 I believe God's stirring something here. I really do. I was so anxious to get back here. I spoke to another 10,000 people this morning in Arizona, and I just thought, and here's what I thought, okay? There was a shot, there was a slim chance that if I just, after the last message, jammed in a car and they dropped me off, break the speed limit, that I can get an earlier flight and actually get here to the beginning of the service, you know, and not miss any of it. But then the Lord was just convicting me again. It's like, Francis, this isn't about you. You don't have to be there for my church. The Holy Spirit's going to be there and he's going to move. And I was like, you know what? Yeah, so I land in 515, you know, at SFO, and go, you know what? I'll get there when I get there.

12:21 The Holy Spirit's already there. He's already going to move. And then I get to this point. I'm like, they don't even need me. This is awesome. This is the dream. This is exactly what we want, the power of God through his people. And I just think if we devote ourselves this year, what kind of miracles are we going to see? What kind of salvation are we going to see? Don't many of you just, you've been hungering for this for a while, haven't you? Just, I'd rather have a small group. Give me 10, give me 20, give me 50 people who are serious, but they're going to devote themselves to this. And then let's just go after it with all of our, I'd much rather, I've done the thousands. And now I just want to get, let's just see what happens when we strip away all the other stuff that we think we need to attract people to his church. And what if we just go after God hard in prayer, in the word, using our gifts for one another, breaking bread with one another,

13:24 devoting ourselves to this. Man, so I praise God. I praise God for what he's done tonight. Here's what I think God would like us to do to kind of end this. But I hate even the thought of that. We're so used to church ending, and church doesn't end. You know, we are church. That's our identity. That's why we call ourselves such a weird name, we are church. It doesn't even make sense. That's not a name. Because I want us to always think about it. Because we have to change the concept of what people think church is, which is a building. You know, Kevin Kim brought this up the other day. He goes, I've been telling people, hey, here's a blank piece of paper. Here's a pen. Draw a church. And what does everyone draw? A building with a steeple.

14:18 Would you get that from Scripture? That's just what we naturally... Isn't it crazy that Satan has so screwed up our minds that we call that church? We should be drawing a bunch of people, like caring for one another, of one mind, one spirit, selling all their stuff, praying for each other, using their gifts. I know that's a tough thing to draw, but that's what we should be drawing, right? That's what I see in scripture, and I'm going, that's what I want to be. We are church. It doesn't matter if we're here, doesn't matter if we're Youngblood Park, doesn't matter if we're in different homes. It's who we are and our commitment to one another. And first, I want to say thank you so much. This last year, my birthday in August, you know, a bunch of you fasted and prayed that day and laid hands on me. And then Liz gave me that calendar that has a name on every day of the rest of the year where someone from the church was fasting and praying for me every single day for the rest of 2017. And it's no surprise that here I go entering this new year and I feel closer to God than ever.

15:28 I feel like there's this faith in me. Like, no, this is going to happen. This is the year 2018. Seriously, man. And go listen to every sermon. I've never said anything like this before. It's just God has done a new thing in my heart and my spirit, and I'm seeing it everywhere. Everything I'm walking to, he's just orchestrating this, this, this, this. I have no idea what to expect this year, But I'm just saying, I want to walk it through with this group here. I want us to walk together and devote ourselves to one another. Devote ourselves to the fellowship. Not show up for it, devote ourselves to it. Not just do the Bible reading, devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching. Not just pray before meals, devote ourselves to prayer. Not just once a month, take of the bread and the cup.

16:21 but as churches let's devote ourselves to the breaking of bread you know people say well why do you guys meet in homes and this and this i'm like it's the only way we can all use our gifts that i can think of it's the only way we can practice all those one another's and and the truth is you know that was back when you know we started in homes because i thought you know what There's no other way to do this. If we only have an hour or two a week, then we better do this. But if we were devoted, then we could have large gatherings like this because we were being the church all week long. And we were loving each other and practicing all the one another's. We're taking care of each other's needs. We're devoted to it. If you only got one hour, then you got to choose. We're going to meet in homes. We're going to meet all together. But if we're devoted as a church, Man, there'll be way more times like this where we celebrate together, because I love this.

17:22 I love seeing your faces. I love just new faces. I love people that I, you know, because we're in different gatherings. We just don't see each other. And I just feel so strong when we're together. Man, I was so pumped when I walked into the room at 545, you know, and I'm just seeing this fanatical worship going on and seeing one of my best friends, Christian, up here leading and to be ministering with him again and my daughter singing and everyone else singing and I'm just going nuts. You know, I'm just so pumped. I've already preached like seven times this weekend and I'm just like, man, I'm just shouting at the top of my lungs, jumping up and down like, wow, this is so not me. and then I look over and I see Rob and Kevin, the two of the other elders, and here's three elders jumping up and down in the front row, and I'm going, man, when, you know, I don't know where you were, Justin, but you don't want him dancing.

18:24 But it was just like, man, it just was like this joy, this rush, like, God, I love this church. I love what you've done here, and I believe this is going to be an amazing year. So here's how I'd like us to move from here is I want you to think of just one thing you would love prayer for. Okay? Just one thing you would really love to see God do this week. Be specific. Don't just say, oh, I hope it's warm all week. Like, no, something specific. and I want you to either pray with some people right now or at least share this with someone before you go. Because what I want to do next week is I want people coming in, sharing thanksgiving for the prayers that were answered this week.

19:33 Wouldn't that be awesome? You know, we all pray together, and then we come in with this celebration of praise of the things we prayed for even today. I want to hear about these people we prayed for today that live on the other side of the world, you know? Other people that we don't get to see and hear because I believe our prayers are powerful. And then we come in next week ready to worship again because all week long we've been praying with one another about these things. We've been devoting ourselves to prayer, devoting ourselves to this fellowship. And I don't know about you guys. I just, I love this. And I'm so glad. I'm so glad the Super Bowl was today. Seriously. Because it's like, who's going to show? I was thinking, okay, is anyone going to show up?

20:26 And to see us go, you know what? This is it. And because a thought occurred to me, you know, in Acts 4, they prayed. And the Bible says the ground started shaking. and I thought, gosh, what if there was a verse after that, that, but Timothy missed that day because he was watching a chariot race, you know, like, it's like, oh, he blew it, wouldn't you just read and go, oh, he blew it, he missed out on the power of God to watch a chariot race, you know, and like the stuff that we would go, that would have been so stupid for all of eternity he's remembered as the guy that went and you know and I just go you know what this year I don't want to miss it I don't want to miss anything that God's doing I want to devote myself to him I want to see it I want to be a part of it and I want to be a part of with you guys I want us all to just experience the power of God it doesn't feel right to just close in prayer can we just have one more song before ship I know you guys been leading a lot but can we just end with just, I don't know the song, you're going to have to, you're the worship leader.

21:41 Just where we just thank God for tonight through this praise and this prayer. And then as we go, that's why there's no formal ending. Just start sharing your requests. If you feel like you want to stay here, lay hands on one another, pray for one another, minister to one another, don't miss what God is doing.