True Spirituality - How to Experience Authentic Community, Part 2

When was the last time you hung out with some fellow believers. Afterwards, just felt so much closer to God. I mean, you opened up shared your life. You laugh together, maybe even you cried you paused and prayed about something and as you were going home. You thought yourself, why can't I have more times like that was called authentic community today we will learn how to get welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges of international discipleship history featuring the Bible teaching just a minute she picks up where he left off last time series spirituality Romans 12 Christian with a look at what it means to be part community want to learn how to genuinely connect with fellow believers. This message is for you thought stewardship for part two of his message. How do we experience authentic community Romans chapter 12 authentic community as happened when you do a little nice thing or little ice thing here and it doesn't really cost you very much. Authentic community happens when the real you shows up.

Notice it says devotion be devoted to one another in brotherly love, humility, giving preference to one another and honor real needs getting that always involves devotion on our part and humility door devotion here strong piece saying you need to be committed to one another and let your lives down for one another like you would for blood relatives coming for people that you feel this moral responsibility for any says be devoted to one another. How in brotherly love fellow Adelphi.

That's the word we named city in Pennsylvania by that.

It's this commitment of family love being there for one another, of doing whatever it takes. I thought I knew what it meant to come to be devoted in love. I was a new Christian and after, I guess, was five, six years I've been coaching for a couple years after school and Tresa and I were married. We had two small kids at this time and so I mean I was shocked, literally shocked that God called me into vocational ministry. I thought I just can't imagine ever being able to use someone like me. I'm a teacher in the basketball coach.

I can imagine being pastor, but he made it clear so we went to school and after about a year there built some relationships. We stayed in little apartment complex. X is a huge apartment complex, but it was had like these apartment here apartment here part of your apartment here little quad things and see really got to know the people we share one hallway. I came home after school is in my first or second year in Tresa's eyes were all reticent honey what is going on the occasions I spent all afternoon with Pat. No front across the hall so what's going on. She goes will her husband left her. I said are you kidding and that the ship they got really close. They had little boy the same age as my little boys. They were all about five years old and she is is worse than that bank accounts are emptied, he left her to have a like two or three week old newborn and she has no money and we just prayed and cried while sitting on thinking my hearts really going out to her son, thinking that's really spiritual so money where you want to pray for. She was well actually we did that, but I been thinking about it. We talked over dinner.

She goes, I think we should in today's her rent is due, and they kick her out if she doesn't have rent money and I think we should pay for her rent and my portfolio at this point is very easy to keep. I can keep it in my head. We don't have a savings account because there was no need. We had a checking account and I made under $1000 a month on straight commission. As I went to school full-time is it honey if we pay for Pat's rent. Our rent is due in 10 days in the moment we pay for her rent.

We will have $10 in our checking account. She said I know I'll get when you marry above yourself. It's really not very good at times it up so I was like you know what okay you know what it was. It was being devoted isn't like all I hope it goes well for her.

I heard she had cancer. You know that the Amazon through a rough time. Dad led the blue no-no.

It's like were in this together. She's family and so he I'm figuring I'm probably have to learn how to be a pastor.

Someday my will start now so okay Lord, here it is. We write the check and by the way, it was not noble.

I think people get this idea that we take big steps for God. Yes God most my really big steps are like yes God I don't really want to do this some pretty but okay you claim your promise, but my God supply all my needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus you said I do that the context is giving being generous looking for 19th. I'm standing on that passage are rents do no money. We have a three day grace period.

First day grace. No money. Second day grace period. No money. Third day which part of this verse my misinterpreting arena. What's the deal and that day in the mail that day, unable okay your business item will open in the left-hand corner. It had a football helmet that was green and yellow and was from Lombardi Avenue. I got a letter from someone from the Green Bay Packers was like are you know what is this so I open the letter and the letter says hi Chip I'm sure you don't know me, I met you about six years ago or so, I was a senior in high school at the time and you taught a Bible study in San Jose and I later went on and played college football and I was the first quarterback taken in the draft and I'm playing for Green Bay Packers noun when you taught that Bible study. All I can tell you I can't really remember what you said but something happened change the spiritual trajectory of my life have never forgotten it and I'm not thought of you for six years but this is weird out of the blue. You came to my mind and I'm supposed to send you this thousand dollars. It was just like all you know what happened.

I got to experience authentic community. This is how God works. This is normal.

He puts people in your life that you have some more time than they have. You have money that they don't have you had energy that they don't have spiritual gifts that would help in that they don't have and you don't nod and think what I went to church.

I read the Bible went on a mission trip you think I am a part of this community and that need is a red light going off on my soul to love them and I will tell you what been we got tight with Pat on it was like 20 years later got a postcard Tresa you know I saw somewhere you enchanted that it I just when your picture of her and her grown son and the little one in your hearts were connected to Pat why is wherever your treasure is, your heart follows and then I got to see that God also.

That was the first of many lessons I mean that was coming. That was a like and after that in the last 30 years we've done that scores of times scores of times, never knowing for sure how God supply a testimony. He always does and what we've experienced is God see at the end of the day you what most Christians don't know God is real is not a philosophy. He's not a formula she's not a moral code.

Jesus is a person and he's real and he loves you and he made promises and what you stand on and you take risk, which are called faith and your love one another and people get love through you and then he supplies when the real you meet real needs through devotion and also through humility is at the end of the day to hear what you have to think more of other people than yourself jot in the corner of your notes. Philippians chapter 2 if you will.

Verse three and four, the apostle Paul says me think of how all in encompassing this do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourself. But would that change your small group would that change your family. Each of you should look not only for your own interest, but also the interests of others.

In fact, he goes on to say have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, that although he existed in the form of God, he didn't regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he humbled himself, taking the form of a bondservant, becoming obedient, even unto death, humility. Humility is putting other people giving preference where you lift them up had the privilege of working with someone that's modeled this for me and there's a number of people that do it but I just have a long history with a guy named Greg. He came out of Silicon Valley early days of PalmPilot later with the Cisco project manager. I later was a volunteer over in Santa Cruz in 40 or 50 volunteers did like sound real super tech guy when I went to walk to the Bible. He came with me and was just is just a manager of just tremendous ability and is Living on the Edge went out on its own. He ran all of living on the broadcasting the money the finances the operation.

Everything and we started to grow and there's a guy that came along he wrote a strategic plan for us and keep the letter huge ministry in United States and I'll never forget.

He met with me said this is really exciting. I think God's, and it I like to help you fulfill it and little humility. I said will I now know, what you've done in your life and you now know all of her books I could pay you maybe half of what you ever made. This is a amazing downward mobility opportunity for you and he looked and he said I'll take and Andrew came in in the next three and half years he tripled the size of everything that happened at Living on the Edge, but here is the interesting point. Greg is really good into the people in roles and personnel in HR and all that stuff. I'm not an we set down the entire executive team of Living on the Edge mean great to us. You know, and he said if we hire Andrew you need to know something about that in about six months. He needs to lead the whole organization and I need to be just over broadcasting and just technology is his gifts and what he'll bring. He's far better he will bring what I don't have and there's no way the ministry will be what God wants it to be unless he has that role. So I'm just telling you that you know he needs to become my boss was the last time you ever worked or met anyone who had the power to hire someone that when he hired them. He knew they would become greater.

I will become less or he will have a higher role make a higher income and I will move down because I want to serve you serve God and the mission is what matters you what that's called giving preference seat when you walk into a small group or when you walk in the church or when you err in your family sit around the table, which I hope you do all of us either have one or two sets of lenses on one lens is who asked me a question. Who cares about we let anyone give me a hug. How come everyone seems so happy.

No one cared about me, to the small group and no one seemed to really listen to and I'm lonely and I need a friend and what about what about and that's one set of glasses and other people go with a set of glasses and say I've got needs and God knows what they are but I wonder who he wants me to be a conduit of grace in the small group or when I get home from work. I'm absolutely tired. I want to talk about all that stuff. I went through, but I bit my wife or my husband or some of my kids do you need someone that's alive and caring, engage and find out how can I put them above myself.

How do I get them preference. And here's the weird part.

Those people who do that experience amazing joy and people flocked around them because Jesus and give her be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over back into your lap. For the same measure that you give and it may include money, but he wasn't talking about money the same measure you give it to be given unto you press down, shaken together and running back seat that spiritual ceiling where we get stuck is often the real you doesn't show up if the real you doesn't show up often were not meeting real needs were just meeting convenient or superficial needs but then he says not only does the real you and me need to show up and meet real needs what he says you need to do it for the right reason not to please people.

This is not lagging behind in diligence fervor in spirit, serving the Lord not lagging behind in diligence, literally the word is slothfulness. The literal meaning of it is not being slow, fervent in spirit is a picture of water coming to a boil. It has this idea of you know, like when the bubbles come up right just before the you know what it was boiling business. This energy dispassion is focused, fervent in spirit, not obligation duty. I guess you gotta do this. Got to go to go to this group and so-and-so has a new 940 thing I guess we ought to help him. Blah blah blah is not the picture I noticed the focus isn't what will I get better will people think better of me.

I'm not going to be slow about the promptings of God gives me I'm going to be filled with Z as him that comes from God to do it, not even just for them but to serve him. How many of you have ever been like talking with a close friend or been in the small group especially Bible study and someone in the Bible study said hey would you all pray for me.

I'm lazy and I need help with my laziness is most people, especially Americans, none of us think were lazy, but part of it is we have a warped view of what laziness is we think laziness are people who watch seven hours of TV play for hours of video games any chocolate bonbons on the couch for days on end there lazy biblical definition of laziness is not doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. A lot of we mask our laziness with good things God speaks to your heart, and he says you need to apologize to so-and-so you think, oh wow, I think I'll go read a chapter in the Bible, or pray, guess what is not God's will to pray, read a chapter in the Bible when he says go apologize to so-and-so she laziness is refusing to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

We have all kind of denial and avoidance. And he says in your motives. Don't be slothful be enthusiastic notice at the bottom of your notes genuine service to God is characterized by diligence, excellence in what we do and how we do it and enthusiasm, passion to serve God and love people, not please people were impressed people. My dad was a an alcoholic, a great guy. In general, but just one of the roles and alcoholic family is making peace and fixing things. Once I came to Christ, I didn't.

I didn't realize it. It took me a while to get going, spiritually, and when I finally got going. When I found out was I was still trying to fix things and work out my dysfunctional issues now in the body of Christ and what I found is this group of people who call themselves Christians.

And I was genuinely transformed and lots of great things were happening but I found. If you memorize a lot of verses and you serve the people and if you said the right things and you just kind of went off the charts in your performance orientation to quote what looked like loving people, you got a lot of strokes and affirmation. And so, after a slow start.

I went nuts. I memorized hundreds versus I was in this Bible study led this Bible study was in this group did this I mean I was just like a maniac.

I was such a maniac that there were times I thought I make myself sick and I had this opportunity. You know, if you are leader on this campus. You could go to the special thing in the summer that only a few people can go to and you memorize these verses and everyone would go to the city and you get a job and then there'd be like hundred or 200 and you be on teams of five. You have a team leader and for people in unit would help you grow you got a job you did evangelism enzymes like hothouse for spiritual growth and was really really beneficial. But this particular group had a very structured approach to sanctification or how you grow spiritually and their approach, combined with my warped personality and background was like the perfect storm to create a Pharisee and so I I really thought by the end of that summer. I mean, you need to do this you need to Bible study need to share your faith can you do this by the end of that Bible study you go to the and and your team leader would meet with you individually and kinda give you an evaluation and says you go back to campus. Here's something to think about to really help you grow your campus ministry and innocent people talking and they were little uptight like.

While this might be very threatening. I'm thinking this is can be great because in my private world. I'm thinking I more discipline than anybody here if they were to give an All-Star most valuable Christian award no sans both have this meeting with John, my team leader and I literally can't wait on thinking I'm finally going to get some pats on the back that I really deserve and he's gonna tell me just you know probably you Hudson Taylor Dawson Trotman Martin Luther get up you and the boys can make a big impact. Someday, it was so sick and I chlamydia.

Let me pick up the story because it's too embarrassing to tell John was quiet is my team leader and un-had a very understated approach to leadership. I was also looking forward to the meeting and I secretly hope that he noticed the discipline and what I model for the other members of my team, the servant hood that I've demonstrated in our relationships in the knowledge and faith were rapidly developing my life.

I worked hard and was ready for that good pat on the back. Our meeting didn't go as I expected, although I was full of sealant performed well throughout the summer.

John's evaluation stuns me is assessment my spiritual growth was far different than my own. With very few words he said he appreciated getting to know me throughout the summer and I God and revealed three versus on his heart. He wanted to share with me handed me the note cards and said I pray God really speaks to you as you go back your campus anti-climatic, so that these three 3 x 5 cards with verses that he hand written out the first one said for my now seeking the favor of men or of God or my striving to please men. If I was still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. Galatians 110. I thought that's interesting. Verse second verse John 544 how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God, there may be a message or all doubt was removed by the last verse, Luke 1615 and he said to them, you are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your heart that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable. The sight of God.

See the real you can show up and you can meet real needs. And you can do it to serve you. Like I did to get affirmation to get strokes to play a game inside the Christian community where you appear loving but what you really do is you end up using all the verses that you know when all the good deeds that you have. To create a little world where you just send a different hologram of a fake and phony person that's working out your own dysfunctions to get people to accept you rather than say I am accepted in Jesus and the acid test of your motives. As always, when you get treated like a servant when no one notices when they don't say thank you when you're not rewarded when you feel like you know the only one that sees what I'm doing is God the only one that seems to really care is God in your heart of hearts. If you can say oh yeah that's right I'm serving audience of one people's response people strokes people's affirmation God when it comes or if it doesn't come. That's not why I do what I do's the real you. Meeting real needs for the right reason and finally it's in the right way authentic community is always going to be played out in the context of pain and difficulty in challenge in a fallen world. It's really really hard to make the time for authentic community.

It's really hard to be honest when you're bombarded and so in the right way is not in your own strength, not in what you can do, not in the power of your personality not is Jesus of some sort ideal model you work hard and I can love people and I can be real and I can do this and this is how much money I have this known on a piece is your focus the right way is there's an outward focus and there's an outward focus and says you need to rejoice in hope that the mindset not rejoice in circumstances or people's response. He says what you need to do. Persevere in tribulation words in the midst of one it's difficult you refuse to give up because you cannot do life with this group of people and it's hard and everything in you wants to give up but you refused to and you can help people make it through and your resources can be devoted to prayer you know if you have multiple times where I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent.

I don't have time to solve this problem. I don't know how I'm going to heal this marriage. I don't know how I can break this addiction.

But God asking for your help and to share my life openly and in all that authenticity with a group of people that are safe and ready to go through this together and there's an upward focus is not your resources, the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in every child of God. Give all the power you ever need, but that power gets accessed through his word into the community of God's people, and that power gets accessed. As you pray, one of the greatest evidences of genuine humility and dependence is your prayer life and I've been there. You know what when your life basically is like you get up you grab a cup coffee you get in the car you run your goal and there's a big meeting gonna do this with the kids got a make a big decision and you do all that and you're not on your knees. Thank God I don't know what to do. God, I don't have the wisdom of God.

I don't know how to do this with one of my kids got. I need please when you're not doing that what you're saying to God is.

I know you created the world. I know you're all wise. I know you everything you know everything is happening today, tomorrow and forever. But I really don't need that can help think that's the definition of arrogance is our prayer. Looseness basically says I got this one you to skip that world spinning handle this one and God as opposed to the proud gives grace to the humble. That's tapping his supernatural resources and so there's an upward focus and then it's followed by an outward focus and outward focus says notice what it says it's as contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing or pursuing hospitality is sorry says there's an outward focus.

The resources are. There's times were God's. When asked you to contribute the real meaning of contribute is contribute like give money away to people in need.

Give time away. Give things away to someone that doesn't have what you have is a brother or sister in Christ, contribute to the needs of the saints, fellow believers, and when you do this, like, what about me. God says I got that one covered in this is pursuing hospitality literally the phrases pursuing strangers to. You can get into authentic community. I think this is added at the very end for very important reason for can be asked for and no more.

We got the greatest Bible study were really close were so authentic were open, we can share anything were super supportive we been doing for 25 years with just us while goody for you I want.

There's anybody else in the church that might've needed this in the last 24 or five years who the people that are unlovely. Who are the people that are lonely pooh-poohing the people that need you to pursue and open your home and open your heart and invite into a meal who the people that need you to be the presence of Jesus say this this is what breaks the ceiling. This is how you get unstuck the seed of God's word in a good and honest heart the soil in the environment of authentic community.

The real you.

Meeting real needs for the right reason in the right way is worse supernatural transformation occurs.

It mattered so much to Jesus.

Notice how he closed his last prayer recorded in Scripture. He says my prayer father is not for them alone his disciples to pray also for those that will believe in me through their message, that's us that all of them. Notice may be one father just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us. The Trinity has any community in Jesus is praying to the father that we could experience what they experience, and then we could experience with them and look at the purpose clause so that this is why this is so important so that they may believe you sent me the greatest apologetic on the face of the earth is when you love authentically brothers and sisters with the real you.

Meeting real needs for the right reason, the right way.

Those outside of Christ will understand and believe Jesus could be there safe will be right back with his application how to experience authentic community from a series true spirituality becoming a Romans 12 Christian this six part series sheds light on how to move your relationship with God. From a performance oriented existence to a loving grace filled life, and these messages strip describes the profile of an authentic follower of Jesus, and provides practical steps for how we can get there over those who don't know true spirituality is the core discipleship teaching here at Living on the Edge because of that we have a ton of great resources to help you get plugged in with the series. Whether that's the study guides the DVDs or CDs of chips teaching the book or are free MP3s for limited time. All of these helpful resources are discounted to order your true spirituality resources today by going to LivingontheEdge.org that's LivingontheEdge.org at blisters tap special offers will chip in this last year we've been thrilled and actually shocked by the tens of thousands of people of gone through these daily discipleship's that we've been talking about for the last several programs give a special word for those that have already gone through a daily discipleship.

Well Dave I really do. And here's the special word we got such great feedback of those that would meet with me daily in the daily discipleship. Here's my challenge the people that I heard from did took it to the next level that had amazing experiences were people that did one and they were just into it and said you know what this is something where if each one of us can get one other person to go through this. Imagine what would happen if people can know God understand his word share his word and experiences power. Here's what I know many Christians that need help, even that are struggling are one invitation away from you to say I am going to do this you send them the link you show them how to do it and let's do this together it could change the course of their life. Let me encourage you yes do the daily discipleship.

Let me encourage you, especially those of you who been through it and know the value invite someone to go along for the ride, but strip what were so excited to share with you this new daily discipleship with trip true spirituality based in Romans chapter 12 our heart behind this video series is to really help you dive into God's word and discover how to more intentionally live out your faith for 17 days you and Schiphol walk-through were true spirituality looks like and how you can put these truths into practice. If you're looking for the next step along your faith journey. Let me encourage you to be a part of daily discipleship with chip. True spirituality can sign up for this study right now and when you do will send you our friend Lance Witt's devotional based on Romans 12 called leave ordinary behind at no cost. Sign up now. While this offer lasts by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse just up discipleship without her strip to share some deeper application from this message as I was thinking about this message and I thought about authentic community and the first thing came to my mind was some men's groups or couples groups have been in or actually I guy that I'm working out with right now is a personal trainer and he was a very committed Christian, but was never in authentic community and while when he got into a group that shared from the heart. His life just it's been amazing to watch.

But then as I thought about I thought you were the real authentic community needs to begin. I mean, I love couples groups, men's groups, women's groups, all that's great.

We share hearts were going through it together but I think the first and most important group is your family and for some, their single might be a roommate but for many of you it's it's you and your kids. It's you and your mate and its the real you showing up at home, meeting real needs at home and doing it for the right reason in the right way that could I just implore you to do some of those things that build authentic community. I mean real, practically eat together as often as possible and least three or four times a week have dinner together talked to one another, have a time were you put away all the devices and people actually make eye contact and talk and if you have little ones please please please don't miss the bath times and the bad times. You're shaping the soul of your child as you an unhurried way, tuck them in telling the story read a Bible story pray with them. Authentic community is that the fiber that connects our hearts with one another and eventually connects it with God, can I encourage you don't miss out, but strip let me take just a second and think the generous people who make monthly donations to support the ministry of Living on the Edge your faithful gifts help us inspire Christians to live like Christians. Every gift makes a huge difference. If you haven't partnered with us yet. Would you prayerfully consider joining the Living on the Edge team make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling us at AAA 83336003 website. Again, is LivingontheEdge.org and her phone number is AAA 83336003 and no were blessed by whatever the Lord leads you to do well. Until next time, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this vision of living on the