The Only Family that Will Last Forever · Part 3

0:31 The third metaphor that we see in the Bible is the church is a body. The church is a body. It's called the body of Christ. Up here on the screen, 1 Corinthians 12 says, Together you are the body of Christ. And each one of you is a part of it. So the church is a family, the church is a temple, the church is a body. Now, what's the benefit of being a part of the body of Christ? Romans chapter 12, there on your outline, verse 4 and 5. just as there are many parts to our bodies so it is with christ's body we're all parts of it and takes everyone to make it complete for we each have different work to do so we belong to each other and each of us needs all the other parts i could have preached the entire sermon just on this it says we're all many parts we're all unique look around nobody's like you in our church family everybody's unique we're all unique everybody's needed to make the body complete we each have different work to do. We belong to each other and we need each other. Church is far more than simply something you attend. It's a family you belong to and you need other people. You need connections in your life. First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 15. If the foot says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not a hand, that doesn't make it any less part of the body. And if an ear says, I'm not part of the body because I'm only an ear and not an eye, would that make it any less part of the body? Too often, the church is just a big mouth. And we've amputated the arms and the feet.

2:11 And we're known for what we say. We know for what we're against. I'm tired of that. I want our church to be known for what we're for, not what we're against. okay I want us to be known for what we're for not what we're against again what good is an eyeball detached from a body it can't see anything I want you to write this on your outline I can't fulfill my purpose by myself that's one of the fundamental lessons you have to learn in life I cannot fulfill my purpose by myself. Let me give you the fourth metaphor. The Bible calls the church not just the family of God, not just the body of Christ, not just the temple of God, but we are the flock of God. The flock of God. What I'm talking about here is like a group of sheep gathered together for safety. Now, Psalm 100, verse 3 says, God made us, and we are his, and we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

3:14 We are in the flock of God. Now that probably doesn't sound too appealing to you because you have no idea how well sheep are cared for. Sheep are pretty dependent upon being cared for and they are cared for well. And I don't have time to go into this. I'm gonna cut this out of the message. But if you'll go and read Psalm 23, and John 10, write that on your outline, Psalm 23, John 10, you go and read how well sheep are cared for, and you'll feel a whole lot better about being in the flock of God because Jesus is the good shepherd. Now, in God's flock, what does that mean? What's the benefit? As a part of God's flock, when I'm in the family of God, I'm in the church of God, in God's flock, I'm defended and cared for. I am defended and cared for.

4:09 I'm not on my own. I have other people looking out for me. I enjoy the safety and the security and the protection. And what does that do? That makes me more confident. It makes me less anxious. The better connected you are in God's church, the less anxious you'll be because you realize you're not on your own. And when you're getting beat up in the business world, you go, I'm not on my own. and when your family or marriage is being strained, you go, I'm not on my own, I'm in the flock. And when you're facing personal crisis or illness, I'm not on my own. You need people who walk into your life when everybody else walks out.

4:53 That's what you need. And that's what you get in a church family. Now in the church, God has placed two kinds of people, Two kinds of people to help you through your difficult times and to help you and to care for you when you're going through tough times, to be defensive for you. Write these down. Number one is my pastors. My pastors look out for me. Do you know the word pastor is the word shepherd? It's the same word. A shepherd is a pastor. A pastor is a shepherd. And in 1 Peter chapter five, God says this to pastors. This is instructions for me. Take care of God's flock, his people, that you are responsible for. Watch over them because you want to, not because you're forced to do it. You know, nobody pays me to do this.

5:47 I've now served Saddleback Church for 40 years for free. Why? I really do love you. I love God, and because I love God, I love his family, I love his flock, I love his children. I love you. Nobody pays me to do this. I do this because I love Jesus, and I love you. He says, do it willingly, but you need to pray for me because I'm not smart enough to lead a flock this big. I'm on my knees constantly going, God, I need to know what do you want us to do next? So pastors are given to look out for me in the flock of God, but there's another. And that is small group. You need a small group. There are 58 one another's in the Bible. Love one another, care for one another, help one another, serve one another, share with one another, pray for one another, encourage one another. There are 58 one another's. You can't do that in a crowd this size, a weekend crowd. You can only do that in a small group. And in the small group, that's where the flock of God really shows up. Galatians 6.2 says this, share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way, obey the law of Christ. Now, let me give you quickly the fifth metaphor, and that is the church is a garden. The metaphor of the church is a garden or a vineyard. In fact, there are churches that are actually called vineyard church based on this idea. It's an organic metaphor that we grow and we are fruitful when we are working together.

7:30 John chapter 15, verse one and five, here on the screen, Jesus said, I am the true vine and my father is the gardener and you are the branches. So we are God's garden. Now in God's garden, and write this down, my life becomes productive. When I'm connected in God's garden, now all of a sudden I start becoming fruitful. The Bible calls it being fruitful, being productive. It's called bearing fruit. I'm able to make a contribution. Everybody I've ever met wants their life to count. Everybody I've ever met wants to make a difference. They want to make a contribution with their life. Where can you best do that? in God's garden where you will be productive. But here's the key, again, you have to be connected. John 15, four and five on the screen says this.

8:24 A branch cannot produce fruit if it's severed from the vine. And you cannot be fruitful. Read that as productive. You cannot be productive apart from me. I am the vine, Jesus says, and you are the branches. and those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit. You'll be much, you'll be very productive, very productive. He says, and, but apart from me, you can do nothing. The point is this, you'll never be as productive as God intended for you to be with your life if you're not connected to a church family. You're just not going to. It teaches you the questions to ask. It teaches you the priorities to understand. It teaches you all kinds of stuff, but you're not gonna be as productive if you're disconnected from the church.

9:19 A cutoff branch cannot bear fruit. But when you're connected to the vine, life-giving energy flows through you. But here's the thing. God has brought you here now for a purpose. You're not here just to take up space. you're here because God knows you have gifts, abilities, contacts, connections that he wants to use in his family for the next leg of the journey. I have said this many, many times, hundreds of times in 101 class. Can you imagine getting to heaven and 100 years from today, somebody walks up to you in heaven and says, I just want to thank you. I'm here because of you. And you say, I don't even know you.

10:11 I say, no, no, no, you don't know me. But you were one of the pioneers of Saddleback Church. and you prayed and you served and you got involved and you were a member and you got connected and you were generous and you sacrificed and you gave it your best shot. You invested your life in something that would outlast you and 50 years after you died, that church reached me for Jesus Christ. I'm in heaven because of you. Will that be worth it? If you know anything more important to do with your life,

10:52 I challenge you right now, if you know anything more important to do with your life than to invest it in the one thing that's gonna last on the planet Earth when everything else is gonna burn up, the family of God. Nothing else is gonna last. It's gonna outlast your business, it's gonna outlast your hobby, it's gonna outlast your sports, It's gonna outlast your own family. If you know anything more important to do, then build the family of God. Bring people to Christ, build them up to maturity, teach them to discover their gifts, send them out in their ministry in the world to make an impact. If you know something more important, I invite you to stand up right now and tell us. Right now. Stand up and tell us what's more important than that. because I decided a long time ago as a very young man,

11:46 I was not gonna waste my life, and I have not. I have used it for the glory of God. I want you so badly to know what it feels like to be used by God. 40 years, great history. It's nothing compared to where we're going. And you're here now. Will you join me? Let's charge hell with squirt guns.

12:25 Let's go for it. Let's, in a dark, dark and getting darker world, shine a light of truth. shine a light of hope, shine a light of joy to be for the good news, not against all the bad news. There's plenty of people out there. You want to go join a negative movement, it's not here.

12:49 There's plenty of other places to go be negative and talk about how bad the world is, but not here. You have five fundamental needs in your life. You have a need for identity. You need to know who you are. You have a need for stability. You need stability when life gets tough. You need capacity. You need a place to develop in a safe place your gifts and talents where people aren't going to put you down for not having it perfect the first time you try it. You need security of relationships and you need productivity. You feel like you're making your life is going to make a long-term efforts. Where else are you going to get that besides the church of God? Nowhere. Nowhere. So I just end with one question. Given the fact, why should you remain disconnected when a church family like this has so much to offer to you? And if not here, just go somewhere and find a church, but get connected.

13:53 I want to close by talking to two different groups. To some of you, you've been here, you've been coming to Saddleback Services for a long time, months, maybe years. And you've attended but you've never stepped across the line to member. You've never gotten connected. You've never been baptized. You've never joined the church. You've never taken class. You've never gotten involved in a ministry. many of you have families that don't live in the area. So you don't really see your families and relatives much. You don't have really family around you. Others of you, you're single. And maybe even you live by yourself. You don't have much family around you. Others of you, you're in a marriage or in a family where you don't feel supported.

14:43 We will be your family. we will be your family and maybe all your life you've been trying to belong there is a universal longing for belonging in everybody everybody has a longing for belonging and I've heard many many people tell me out on that patio Rick, I've never felt I belonged anywhere until I got here. Until I got here. Because you're wanted here. You're not just welcome, you're wanted. And you belong and you fit and we'll help you. So what do you do? You get baptized, you get connected to a small group. Join us for the next leg of the journey.

15:35 the other group I want to talk to those of you who've been members here with me for years thank you and my challenge to you as we start not just a new year but a new decade is fall in love with the church again it is the hope of the world it is the hope of the world there is no politics that can save the world there's no business that can save the world Only God can save the world. And it is the only thing that is gonna last on this planet. Last verse on the screen. Ephesians 3, 21. All glory belongs to God in the church. See, in the church. Glory belongs to God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity. This is an investment that will pay dividends for the rest of eternity.

16:34 Let's bow our heads. If you don't know Jesus Christ, you need to get to know him first. You need to be saved. You need to say, Jesus Christ, I believe in you. I wanna follow you. I wanna learn to trust you. I accept your forgiveness. You don't have to understand it all. Just say, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord, I want to know you, and I wanna learn to love you. Thank you for loving me. And if you've been on the edge, you say, I've been attending Saddleback, but I've never actually got connected. I've never joined, never taken the class, never been baptized. You need to be in the family of God, if not here, somewhere.

17:25 And I challenge you to make that commitment to join us this month. and for those of you who are already in, as I said, fall in love with the church all over again, realizing that there is nothing greater to give our time, our energy, our effort to. It's the only thing that's going to last on this planet.

17:51 Father, I pray for everyone in the sound of my voice, and as the pastor of this church, I ask you to bless them, Bless their past, their present, their future. Bless their bodies. Bless their minds with creativity. Bless their physical health. Bless their finances.

18:17 Bless their relationships. And where's there's conflict, bring peace. We look forward to this new decade together with great enthusiasm, knowing that you're gonna use ordinary people in extraordinary ways just like you have done. You didn't bring us this far just to stop. But all the past is prologue in a launch pad for the future. And we're saying today we're all in. In Jesus' name, amen. You know, if you just prayed that prayer for the very first time, or you just recommitted your life to Jesus again today, would you let me know about it? There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me, Rick, at PastorRick.com and say, Rick, I prayed that prayer of commitment. I gave my life to Christ. And I'll send you some material that'll help you on your journey with Jesus, and I'll also pray for you.

19:20 What a special message from Pastor Rick. And now let's hear how lives are changing through Daily Hope. Here's Rick with a letter from one of our listeners. I love receiving notes and emails from Daily Hope listeners like you. Here's one that I got from Vio, a listener from Canada. She shared, Pastor Rick, I'm eternally grateful for all the wonderful work you're doing. Your messages are touching my heart and changing my life. And I'm sharing Daily Hope broadcasts with other people. Last month, I was baptized at my local church, and God is truly working in my life. Thank you, Pastor Rick. Well, Vio, it's so encouraging to hear these kind of messages. Thanks for writing me. And it's exciting to hear that you're sharing this Daily Hope program with other people. And I'm also glad to hear that you were baptized. Every Christian should be baptized. It's an important step of faith that says, I'm not ashamed of saying that I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.

20:17 I'm also happy that you found a local church family. You cannot be all God wants you to be without being connected to some kind of local church family where you live out all of God's purposes for your life. Thanks for listening today, and join me next time as we continue to look into God's word for our daily hope.