WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:02.799 Last week we looked at the first of the five 2 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:05.120 callings that God has for your life. In this series 3 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.320 on live your calling, that God has called you to 4 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.960 be loved before you do anything else. You don't do 5 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.880 anything for God. You just let God love you. You 6 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:18.359 are called to be loved. This week we look at 7 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:20.640 the second calling of life, and it is this. You 8 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.320 have been called to not just be loved, You've been 9 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:29.640 called to belong. To belong to God's Church, which is 10 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:32.399 going to go on and on forever in eternity. Now 11 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:37.119 the Bible says this Hebrews Chapter C, Verse ten. God 12 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:40.679 is the one who made all things, and all things 13 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:45.520 are for his glory. He wanted to have many children 14 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:51.600 share in his glory. God created the entire universe because 15 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:54.920 he wanted a family. And God doesn't want his children 16 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:57.679 to be orphans. He doesn't want his children to be 17 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:00.560 street kids. He puts them in the family, and that 18 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.880 family is called the Church. Now I want you to 19 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:08.000 write this down. The second purpose of my life is 20 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:12.879 that God formed me for his family. God formed me 21 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.040 for his family. If God hadn't wanted a family, you 22 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:20.599 wouldn't exist. But God made you because He loves you 23 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:22.599 and He wants you to love him back, and he 24 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:24.879 wants you to be a part of his family. You 25 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:27.760 were formed for God's family. This has been his plan 26 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.359 from the very beginning of time. Ephesians one says this, 27 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:35.519 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into 28 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:40.799 his own family by bringing this to himself through Jesus Christ. 29 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.680 So the first purpose of God for my life is 30 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.560 that I am I beloved by Him. But the second 31 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.959 purpose of my life is that I belong to Him, 32 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.159 and that I belong to his family. Now, God's family, 33 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.719 write this down, is called the Church. That's what God 34 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:03.280 called his family. He calls his family the Church, the 35 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:08.240 Church of God, the Church of Jesus Christ. One Timothy 36 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:13.000 chapter three says this, I'm writing to you so that 37 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.159 you will know how to live in the family of God. 38 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:19.840 Paul's writing in Timothy says, I want you, guys to 39 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.439 know how to live in the family of God. That 40 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:26.919 family is the Church circle that that family is the Church. 41 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:30.319 That family is the Church of the Living God, the 42 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:35.400 support and foundation of the Truth. So God formed me 43 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:38.639 for his family. His family is called the Church. And 44 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:40.479 the third thing I want you to get is that 45 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:45.039 I'm called to belong to that family. I'm called to 46 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:49.120 belong to his church, and the Bible says this in 47 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:55.240 Ephesians two nineteen. So now you are no longer visitors 48 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:00.400 or strangers. Now you are citizens together with God's holy people, 49 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.319 and you belong to God's family. Just underline that, start 50 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:09.719 circleing you belong to God's family. That is the second 51 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:14.319 calling or purpose or reason or mission of your life. 52 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:18.360 First to know God, who loves you dearly, but second 53 00:03:18.439 --> 00:03:21.120 is to be a part of His family. And that 54 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:24.280 family is called the church. Romans one six says you 55 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:28.479 are among those who have been called to belong to 56 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:32.120 Jesus Christ. The word church literally means the group of 57 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:36.479 people who are called by God, the called out ecclesia 58 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:41.800 called by God. Christianity is based on God's word, and 59 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.879 God's word says the church is the called out. In 60 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:50.840 other words, church is an event. It isn't a program, 61 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:52.719 It isn't a building. If I ask most people what 62 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:53.840 do you think of church? Is they think of a 63 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.599 building or they think if it's something you go to. 64 00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:01.919 I'm going to church, not something you go to. Church 65 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:05.120 is something you belong to. It is not an event 66 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:10.120 and it's not a location. Church is a relationship. Now 67 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:12.879 we worship here, we have a place here, but this 68 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.240 is not the church is the people of God. 69 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:16.800 It's our relationship. 70 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.519 What I want to do this weekend is share with 71 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:26.439 you the five benefits of belonging. Because God designed his family, 72 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.680 the church, to meet your five deepest needs. In fact, 73 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:34.120 the church is the only thing that can meet your 74 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.920 five deepest needs. In the Bible, the church is often 75 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:42.639 referred to by a different metaphor. The church is called 76 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.279 a family, the church is called a temple, the church 77 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:49.399 is called a body, the church is called a flock, 78 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:52.839 and the church is called a garden. Each one of 79 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:56.040 these have profound implications for your life. And if you 80 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.319 understand the five meanings of these five metaphors, you will 81 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:05.399 understand how the church was designed. God's family was designed 82 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:07.920 to meet your deepest needs in life. 83 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:09.600 Now let's get into this. 84 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:14.199 The first metaphor that the Bible describes the church as 85 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.040 is one we all are familiar with, and it is 86 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:19.160 this a family. It is a family, and in a 87 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.240 healthy family, one of the benefits of a healthy family 88 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:26.439 is you're taught who you are, You learn your identity. 89 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:28.560 So the first thing I want you to write down 90 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:31.680 is that in God's family, the first benefit is I 91 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.439 learn my true identity. 92 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:37.759 You're not going to learn it from the world. 93 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.399 You're not going to learn it from your parents, You're 94 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:43.279 not going to learn it from your peers or anybody else. 95 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:49.560 Your true identity is found in relationship to God's family. Now, 96 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:52.639 we're all concerned about our identity. In fact, we do 97 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:55.360 this by the kind of clothes we wear. Have you 98 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:58.040 noticed that people like to wear clothes that have brands 99 00:05:58.040 --> 00:05:59.879 on them or have logos on them. 100 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:01.480 But the truth is. 101 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:07.439 Most of your identity comes from your relationships, for good 102 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.720 or bad. And if you have good relationships, you have 103 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:13.639 a good identity. If you have bad relationships, your identity 104 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:18.920 is much more difficult. See I am a grandson, I'm 105 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:25.040 a son, I'm a father, I'm a husband, I'm a grandfather. 106 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.360 I'm a team member, I'm a small group member, I'm 107 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:34.160 a pastor, I'm an employer. All of these are relationships 108 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:36.879 that define who I am. You know who you are 109 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.600 in relationship to other people. Now what that means is 110 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.680 if my connections or my relationships get broken, or my 111 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:49.279 connections or relationships are poor, then I have a hard 112 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.360 time of knowing who I really am. Anybody who's gone 113 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.399 through a divorce knows. After divorce, you go, now, who 114 00:06:56.439 --> 00:07:01.199 am I? Because your relationship was tied to that person, 115 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:04.120 Or somebody who's been married to someone for a long 116 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.680 time and that loved one that spouse dies. It's very common, 117 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.199 very natural, and normal people go now, who am I? 118 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:14.000 What's my place? What's my role? Or if you get 119 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:17.040 laid off and your identity has been tied to your work, 120 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:18.160 you're going, who am I? 121 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:20.240 What's my identity? 122 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:25.879 And so our identity is actually tied to our relationships. Now, 123 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:27.680 the problem with this is a lot of us don't 124 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:30.959 have very good relationships growing up. And some of you 125 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:33.720 would say, you know, Rick, my family was dysfunctional, my 126 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:39.199 family was broken, my family was really nonexistent, So how 127 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.560 do I know who I am? Well, here's the good news. Ephesians, 128 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.560 chapter two, verse nineteen. You are members of God's very 129 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.800 own family, and you belong in God's household with every 130 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.959 other Christian. Now doesn't matter what other families you've had. 131 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:02.399 Your most important family is God's family. Why, because that's 132 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:06.720 the permanent one. It's gonna last, it's gonna last forever. Actually, 133 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:09.439 your physical family was just a channel to get you 134 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:13.040 into God's family. God used your parents, whether they were 135 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.360 good parents, bad parents, or indifferent parents, or maybe you 136 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:17.399 never ethe knew him. He used them to bring you 137 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:19.639 into the world. But his real goal was not to 138 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:21.839 keep you in that family, but to put you into 139 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:26.959 His family. You see, I hate to say this to you, 140 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:30.040 maybe a shock to you, but your spiritual family is 141 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.320 actually more important than your physical family because no physical 142 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:38.480 family lasts. People grow up, they move away, people get divorced, 143 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:44.480 people die. No physical family lasts. We know that, But 144 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:47.960 your spiritual family is gonna last forever and ever and 145 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.000 ever and ever and ever, so it's actually more important. 146 00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:54.159 In fact, the Bible says God created the entire universe 147 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:59.360 for his spiritual family, the church. When you get your 148 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:02.039 identity from that, then you get a long term identity. 149 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:03.600 See. 150 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:05.600 The problem is we go out trying to look for 151 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:07.960 identity and things that aren't going to last, and the 152 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.200 world judges your identity on all the external stuff, not 153 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.080 the internal. The world says to you, you're short, you 154 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:18.840 have black hair, you are of Asian descent, or European 155 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:23.200 or African American or Latin America or whatever. You have 156 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.120 this kind of thing, and this is your political party, 157 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:32.000 and this is your job, and you are an American, 158 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:37.440 and those are all interesting identifiers, but none of them 159 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.960 are going to last. Yes, I am an American, but 160 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:42.200 there's something more important than that. I'm a member of 161 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:46.519 the family of God. America isn't going to last. No 162 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.639 kingdom lasts one thousand years or two thousand years or 163 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:53.000 ten thousand years. Where's the hit Dyed Empire, Where's the 164 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:56.480 Assyrian Empire? They don't last. So if you want your 165 00:09:56.519 --> 00:09:59.480 identity to last, you put into something that's never going 166 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:02.320 to change. And the Bible says God's family, the Church, 167 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.279 is going to go on for all of eternity, because 168 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:08.360 it's why God made the universe. What matters most is 169 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.919 your spiritual identity. Hebrews chapter two, verse eleven says this 170 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:16.960 Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to 171 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:22.360 the same family. So this is why he, Jesus isn't 172 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.879 ashamed to call them his. 173 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:26.120 Brothers and sisters. 174 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:31.399 Did you know that Jesus calls you his sister, That 175 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:35.799 Jesus calls you his brother. That's a pretty amazing thing. 176 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:39.240 And it says he isn't ashamed to call you his 177 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:42.279 brother or sister. Have you ever had a brother or 178 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:43.399 sister you are ashamed of? 179 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:50.720 Don't answer. You may have, you may have, But Jesus. 180 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:53.320 Isn't ashamed to call you his brother's sister, no matter 181 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:54.799 how messed up your life. 182 00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:56.679 Is why because you're in the family. 183 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.679 You see, this is one of the great things about 184 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.440 being in the family of God, is that your sin 185 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:07.679 doesn't define you anymore. Yes, you sin, but it's not 186 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.120 your defining characteristic. 187 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.000 Let me explain it this way. 188 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:18.399 It's the difference between Alcoholics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery, 189 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.080 of course, was started at Saddleback Church. Alcoholics Anonymous is 190 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:24.559 a good program, it's very good program, but I think 191 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:27.159 Celebrate Recovers a whole lot better for a number reason. 192 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:30.200 It's Christ centered. But one of the reasons is we 193 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:34.240 say and celebrate recovery. Your sin does not define you. 194 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:37.759 Your sin is not your identity. Here's the difference. If 195 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.759 you were to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, you 196 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:44.399 would stand up and you'd say hi, my name is Rick, 197 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:47.440 and I'm an alcoholic, and you would be saying that 198 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.240 the rest of your life you're letting your sin define you. 199 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:55.600 At saddleback and celebrate recovery. People stand up and say, Hi, 200 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:58.559 my name is Rick. I'm a child of God who 201 00:11:58.559 --> 00:11:59.759 struggles with alcohol. 202 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:02.960 See the difference. Big difference. 203 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:07.480 His difference was saying saying you know, I struggle with 204 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:13.519 lying or saying I'm a liar. Big difference. Your identity 205 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:16.960 is not your sin. Does that make sense? That's why 206 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:19.559 Jesus is not ashamed of you to call you a 207 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.480 brother's sister, because once you're in the. 208 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:22.879 Family, you're in the family. 209 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.639 You may be a little weird, but you're in the family, 210 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:29.799 and you may have some sin in your life, but 211 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:33.080 you're in the family, and brothers stick up for brothers 212 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:36.600 and sisters, and the Bible says Jesus is. 213 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:37.399 Not ashamed of you. 214 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:47.840 By belonging to God's family, you will learn your true identity. 215 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:54.600 Hey, would you like to go deeper with pastor Rick 216 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.759 to discover God's purpose in your life? Well now you 217 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:01.480 can with the video based study kit called What on 218 00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:04.879 Earth Am I here for? This life changing study is 219 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:09.000 taught by Rick and includes a workbook and six video sessions. 220 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.039 As you go through these lessons, you'll embark on a 221 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:17.080 journey of discovery to answer life's most fundamental question, what 222 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:20.039 on earth am I here for? You'll learn that it's 223 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:24.200 only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, 224 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:29.080 our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. 225 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:30.679 Every other path. 226 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:33.799 Leads to a dead end. This resource is packed with 227 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:38.519 biblically centered principles and is perfect for personal or small 228 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:41.759 group study. So be sure to request this study kit 229 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.399 when you give a gift to Daily Hope to help 230 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:47.840 share the hope of Jesus with a hurting world. We'll 231 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:51.159 send it to you today as our way of saying thanks. 232 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:54.320 Now. 233 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.559 A lot of families to advertise their identity. They have 234 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:02.320 a symbol, or they have a family. Scottish families have 235 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:06.519 a plaid that the finds our families, and a lot 236 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:07.639 of groups will have some. 237 00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:08.240 Kind of mark. 238 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.879 I mean, gangs will often get a similar tattoo. So 239 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:14.159 when you have a certain tattoo, then you know you're 240 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:16.600 part of that gang. Do you know what is the 241 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.399 mark the symbol of being in God's family? You know 242 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:26.600 what it is. It's baptism. Being baptized is the public 243 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.440 symbol that says I'm not ashamed to say I'm a 244 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:32.919 part of the family. I'm advertising in the world. I 245 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:36.080 don't understand it all, but I'm in. If you haven't 246 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:39.320 been baptized, you need to be baptized. That's the symbol 247 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.399 that says I'm in the family. It's coming out of 248 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:48.759 the closet. It's your public proclamation, it's your coming out party, 249 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:52.360 and you need to be baptized. The Bible says this 250 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:57.919 in Acts chapter two. Those who believed what Peter had 251 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:04.120 said were baptized and added to the church about three thousand, 252 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:05.360 about three thousand people that day. 253 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:06.399 Those day of kind of costs. 254 00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:09.480 So you believe, then you get baptized, then you get 255 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:13.080 added to the church. Now that's the first metaphor. I'm 256 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.519 in a family, and my family helps me understand my 257 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.360 true identity. That's why a lot of people go back 258 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.440 and trace their genealogies to discover their true identity. Now 259 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:25.879 there's a second metaphor that God uses to describe the church, 260 00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:29.200 and he says the church is like a temple. 261 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:30.879 It's like a temple. 262 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:34.480 Another words, it's like a building that is erected for 263 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.639 God's glory. It's a building where God's presence shows up, 264 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.039 where God has loved, where God is honored and worship 265 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:43.480 a temple. And the Bible says in one Corinthians three sixteen. 266 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:47.840 Here on the screen, don't you realize that all of 267 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:52.200 you together are the temple of God, and His spirit 268 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:55.279 lives in you. He's talking to the church, you know. 269 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:58.240 I remember when we have been building buildings here on 270 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.080 the Lake Forest campus over many years, and as each 271 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:02.799 ound of them is built, I'll walk through them as 272 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:05.399 they're getting built, and I'll see all of the carpenters 273 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.519 and the construction workers building all things. And I've noticed 274 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:11.559 that it takes thousands of different pieces to build a building. 275 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:14.720 But the most important thing is that the pieces have 276 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:17.320 to fit together. If you have a beam that's a 277 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:19.519 half an inch short, it doesn't hold up the roof, 278 00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:23.399 And if you have a pipe that's one inch too long, 279 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.840 it doesn't make a connection. And if you don't make 280 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:29.320 the connections, then you don't have a building. A building 281 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:33.120 cannot stand on its own power unless it has connections, 282 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.000 unless the things fit together. I've also noticed that when 283 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.399 you go through a construction site, there's always a lot 284 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:42.279 of other stuff laying around on the ground, spare parts, 285 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:45.000 there's spare pieces of wood that haven't been used, or 286 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.879 spare pieces of pipe. And what I've noticed is that 287 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.159 you can be a pipe or a piece of wood 288 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:54.120 in a building, but not necessarily belong to the building. 289 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.720 You don't belong to the building until you're connected to it. 290 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.720 That's the way some of you are. You're in saddleback family, 291 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:06.720 but you don't belong to saddle back family because you've 292 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:10.279 never taken the time to get connected, to make a 293 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.720 commitment to say, I want to be belong here. I 294 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:14.279 want this to be I want to be more than 295 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:16.640 a tender. I want to be a member. I want 296 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:18.519 to belong I want to be connected. I don't want 297 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.279 to just be a spectator. I want to be a participator, 298 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:24.160 and I want to be connected. Now, why did God 299 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.039 choose a temple as one of the illustrations of what 300 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.640 it's like to be in his family in the church, 301 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.640 Because in a building, all of the connected parts support 302 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:39.200 each other. Now, this is the second benefit that you 303 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.480 get in being a part of the family of God 304 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:46.519 in God's temple. I'm supported by others. I'm not out 305 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.200 there on my own. I'm not a lone ranger. I'm 306 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:53.160 not there by myself in a strong structure of a building, 307 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:58.759 we support and we hold each other up. In a building, 308 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:05.160 all connected parts hold each other together. And you know what, 309 00:18:05.880 --> 00:18:07.720 there's going to be some times in your life when 310 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:12.200 you need other people to hold you together. You're going 311 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:14.559 to need them to hold you together because you're falling apart. 312 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.920 And if you're not in the building of God, the 313 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:20.720 Temple of God, the Family of God, the Church of God, 314 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:24.079 and you're not connected, you're disconnected from the Temple of God, 315 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:27.519 nothing's going to hold you together, and you're going to 316 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:31.240 fall apart. The Bible says in Ephesians two, in Christ, 317 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:37.039 the whole body, the whole building, is joined together and 318 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.000 rises to become a holy temple in the Lord and 319 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:46.480 in Him Jesus, You too are being built together to 320 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.799 become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. 321 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:55.359 So together we all together form the Family of God, 322 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:57.920 and we form the Temple of God. 323 00:18:58.200 --> 00:18:59.880 What is a temple God? Well? In a building? 324 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:04.880 A disconnected frame has no support, it has no stability, 325 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:08.400 and you need it. This is the second great need 326 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:12.480 in your life. You need identity and you need stability. 327 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:14.359 You need to be a part of a family to 328 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.839 understand your identity, and you need to be a part 329 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:20.240 of God's temple to get the stability where we support 330 00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:22.920 and we connect it to each other. You weren't meant 331 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:24.880 to go through life disconnected. 332 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:28.319 You know. 333 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.079 This week and my grandkids came over and we were 334 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:34.519 playing in the garage, playing legos because I got one 335 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:38.599 of the largest collections of legos in southern California, and 336 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.000 all my grandkids they like to play legos. You know, 337 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:45.599 there's only one purpose for legos. They're designed to connect. 338 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:50.519 If you don't connect the lego, it's worthless. Now, if 339 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:53.599 you connect legos together, you can build all kinds of 340 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.599 really cool stuff. But if you never connect them to 341 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:01.960 each other, they're worthless. It just a pile up, big mess, 342 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:08.480 is what it is. You are God's lego. If you're 343 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:11.000 a believer in Christ, you're God's lego, and you were 344 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.400 designed for connection, and you were meant to be not 345 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:16.599 just in the family of God, but in the Temple 346 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.200 of God, in the building of God, where we connect 347 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.400 to each other. Romans one twelve says it like this, 348 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:24.799 I want us to help each other with the faith 349 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:28.000 we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith 350 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:32.079 will help you. This is what we call the mutuality 351 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:35.039 of the body, of the building of the family. 352 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:37.160 And why is this important? 353 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:39.759 Why is it important for me to have support, and 354 00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:41.680 why is it important for me to have stability in life? 355 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:46.720 Because the number one epidemic in our society today, in 356 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:52.119 my opinion, is not the financial crisis. The biggest epidemic 357 00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:57.799 in our society is loneliness. As somebody who talks to 358 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.720 hundreds and even thousands of people, a lot of lonely 359 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.799 people in this world, and they feel alone and they 360 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.680 feel disconnected. It's very interesting. We have more technology for 361 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:11.720 connection than ever in history, and yet people feel more disconnected, 362 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:14.240 particularly teenagers. 363 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:17.759 And particularly young adults. 364 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:21.759 Now, the third description of the church in scripture is 365 00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:24.119 that of a body. And you've heard this one before. 366 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:27.480 The Bible calls the church the body of Christ. Look 367 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:30.119 on the screen at this verse. The Bible says in 368 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:34.359 one Corinthians twelve twenty seven. Now you talking about Christians, 369 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:39.559 you are the body of Christ, and each one of 370 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:41.119 you is a part of it. 371 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:43.400 Now what is this illustration? This metaphor mean? 372 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:47.039 Well, we're different parts, but we're all connected and together 373 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:51.160 we complete the body, and we accomplish together what we could. 374 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.680 Never do on our own. 375 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:55.720 And when we do that, all of a sudden we 376 00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:59.559 find our place, We find our spot, we find our niche, 377 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.279 we find now how we matter, We find our unique shape, 378 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:06.079 our our talents. And you're not going to find this 379 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:09.960 anywhere else except in the church, where you find how 380 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:12.640 to use your spiritual gifts, the gifts that God has 381 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:16.200 given you. And so the third benefit of belonging to 382 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:20.559 a church family is this. In Christ's body, I discover 383 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:27.480 my unique value. I discover my unique value. This is 384 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:32.200 your capacity. First I learn my identity in God's family, 385 00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:36.240 and I get stability in God's temple. But I learn 386 00:22:36.279 --> 00:22:40.960 my capacity in Christ's body. I discover my unique value. 387 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:45.799 Romans chapter twelve, four and five says this, Just as 388 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:50.200 there are many parts to our bodies, so it is 389 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:55.039 with Christ's body. We are all parts of it, and 390 00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:58.319 it takes every one of us to make it complete, 391 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:02.200 for we each have different ways to do. So we 392 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:06.359 belong to each other, and each of us needs all 393 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:10.079 the others. Now, that's a very important passage. It says 394 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:12.240 four or five things. At first, it says that the 395 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:14.519 body of Christ, the Church is made up of many parts, 396 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.880 we're all different. You look around here, nobody's like you, 397 00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:21.799 nobody looks like you, nobody smells like you. We're all different. 398 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:25.440 We're all God designed us that way. God loves variety. 399 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:27.440 Can you imagine if God had just said, let's only 400 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:31.160 make three kinds of human beings. God made us all different, 401 00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:34.920