Being Present With Jesus

Speaker 1 0:30

Okay now are you ready for what's coming ? Yes , here he is . I'll tell you what . If you don't have a hype man or woman , get one , because it it's kind of fun . Good morning everybody , happy Sunday .

Speaker 1 0:48

My name is Jeff Bach . When I'm one of the pastors here on staff , I get a chance to open up God's Word and to see what it says for my life , for our life , and I just want to say it's so nice to see you , some of you . I'm glad that you're here , based on you're making good on a promise that you made last night with God . You said , god , if you'll just let the 49ers win , I will go to church in the morning , and so congratulations . I had , I had two different ways that was gonna go last night , and we got the good one . We got the good one right , so , but I'm glad to see you here . I also heard some people made some deals about extra tithe , but we'll talk about that later . I don't know , I don't know .

Speaker 1 1:32

All right , I want to tell you a quick little story . Okay , this is a story about a man . Okay , it's a story about a man , and this is a man who , like any other person , he , he lived , he went to school . He grew up and one of the first things after he got out of college he decided that what he was going to do was , as a wise investment , he was going to buy a house . So he bought a house . He bought this house and he lived in this house and it was a . It was a beautiful house that had a white picket fence . He didn't really like the white picket fence after a while , and so he changed it sound brown picket fence , and so this was just this was his thing .

Speaker 1 2:06

And , of course , after a guy goes to college and he decides to wisely invest all of his money , he then gets a dog . That's what he does . He gets a dog , and so this man and this dog live in this house with a brown picket fence and it's a lovely , lovely life . And one day this man meets a woman and I know , and these two they fall in love . They fall in love and they get married , and after they , after they are living in this house with a brown picket fence and they're caring for their dog , and after all of this is happening and and they get married , and their husband and wife is that they have a kid , and then they have another kid and , as science goes , the these two kids , you feed them and you take good care of them , and they grow up . These two kids grow up and they become older kids and then , as other science goes , and we don't need to talk about this they had other kids and so they now this husband and wife and a dog and a house with a brown picket fence Not just have two kids , they have four kids and they are lovely , but what is happening is that this house is starting to feel a little small and he would also ever feel that that you're like man .

Speaker 1 3:18

I just , I just see you all the time . Could you , could you go someplace else in the house ? There's no place else to go . Then go outside . So they , they , and , and with each kid , what they found is that they added a room . They added a room on over here , they added a room on over there . They said that we're running out of space , we keep having more kids , so add another room there . In fact , you know what ? Let's blow off the roof and let's just put another there , and then we'll put more roofs everywhere . By the way , I'm available for all graphic arts and architecture needs if , if you need anything , send it to , not Jeff at aolcom . So what in the so what ? What I think you would say if you looked at this house is that this house isn't appealing to anybody . What in the world has even happened to this house , right ? And the truth is that if this husband and this wife and this dog and the four kids went out to go look for a House today , they would probably never buy that house . This Frankenstein Monstrosity house it's . It's . It works for them now because they've kind of grown into it , but it's not what they would have wanted if they were to step back and do that .

Speaker 1 4:31

I believe For us is that our spiritual life is very similar to that . I Believe that if you were to step back and look at the , the way that your spiritual life has has evolved , or Even where you've you've put some add-ons in different , different places and areas that it might not be helpful for you , or even if you were to step back and look at it and say that's the kind of life that I want Now , the good news is this we get a chance to step back , we get to go house shopping , we get a chance to look and to say maybe there's a way that we get to experience the presence of Jesus that isn't us just adding things on out of convenience and out of necessity Because of who we are and the life that we've slowly , over time , built . So that's what we get to look at today and , as we continue on with this idea of represent , we are going to look at this , and so two weeks ago we looked at the idea . So you take that word and it really plays in a couple different ways . The first one is that , if you look at the word represented to represent when we talk two weeks ago is that you need to go out and find those To go and represent Jesus , that we live in a community and in a world now that we have Unchurched , anti-church indeed church because they have had experiences in the church and outside of the church , they've made them say you know what I actually ? I'm good , but for us to represent Jesus to people is that we first must represent in every part of our life . And if you're with us last week , we talked about this idea of of not only conflict , but just saying when there is sin within the church , how is it that we handle all of that ? So then , for this week . We will look at being present with Jesus , why this is so important and , in fact , where it starts , because each one of these things beautifully , I think that they're dependent on each other , and that's what I love , as pastor earlier brought this new vision for our church to us . I love how they really do play on each other , is

Present, Represent, Community in Matthew 18

Speaker 1 6:25

it ?

Speaker 1 6:25

And you can start here in the idea of being present and make your way out to Represent . You can also start at represent and make your way back into being present , and I think that both are true . But I think this is that last part of that community conversation that Jesus is having with his disciples . I mean , he's talking to a lot of other people , but he's really talking to his disciples and it starts , I believe , to represent Jesus with . One starts with being present with Jesus , and for us is that we look at this idea of Represent and to say you may not actually be all that excited about that yet , and that's fine , you don't have to there , we're not gonna have a tattoo Stand out there where you have to go and take all this on , but I do . I like the heart and the idea of what represent looks like and that actually we start here with being Present . The freedom is that you don't need to . I found that at the more time that I spend with Jesus , there's this natural byproduct he has a heartbeat for community , but it starts with the one . So we're gonna start today . It becomes very Self-focused and I hope that you feel the freedom to sit and even hold your own life with Jesus and how you are present with him up to the light , because that's that's actually where we're gonna end today .

Speaker 1 7:43

So then , with that , let's look at Matthew 18 . We're gonna look at Matthew 18 , 19 and 20 those verses right there . So let me read it for you and then we'll jump into it . Says again truly , I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything that they asked for , it will be done for them by my father in heaven , for where two or three gather in my name , there I am with them or there I am with them . Now , before we even get into this , is that it starts with that word . It says again , which means and , and , and . When you look at any sort of scripture , you need to look at when it says something like again , that's implying that there's something that happened before . When the scribes write this down , there were no footnotes , you can't bold it , you can't italicize it , you can't underline that . That word again is telling you to go and look some other place . So actually , that again is sending us back to verse 18 in chapter 18 , where it says truly , I tell you , whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven . Now it's not only again for verse 18 , it's actually again for all of chapter 18 . Everything that we've actually studied in 2024 has come from chapter 18 and it's come from .

Speaker 1 8:55

There was one simple question that the disciples asked at the start of this . They said excuse me , who's the greatest ? And then Jesus has gone on and answered this . Did you ever , when you were a kid and you asked your parents a question and they give you a longer answer than you ever wanted ? You're like a simple yes or no would have been just fine . I'll just put myself to bed . You know I don't need all this , but I think it's interesting . They said who's the greatest ? And he's like buckle up .

Speaker 1 9:19

We got some talking to do , because what we learn is this that he paints a full picture of God's kingdom , that our role in that and how we are called to not only live but treat others and then respond to Jesus it starts . He indicates that the greatest are children , which in biblical times had no rights . It was the less than he described which also had no rights , and then he described the one that I leave , the 99 to find , the one that I care about , the minority , I care about the lost and I care about those who are far away from me , whether it's outside of the church or inside of the church . Those are the ones that we care for , and then it's our responsibility , community Northgate , to then pursue them and love them unconditionally .

Unity and Prayer in Jesus' Body

Speaker 1 10:02

So then , when you look back at 19 , it says it like this again truly , I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for , it will be done for them by my father in heaven . When there is unity among believers in Jesus' name , his community is built and we get this first glimpse of God's kingdom . When two or more agree , his kingdom come , his will be done . That was first said in Matthew six . So you almost see that , jesus , like now that we're getting farther along in Matthew , you're seeing these things that Jesus said and they're now starting to come to light . You're like , oh , when you said your kingdom come , your will be done that there's things that I get to now live that out right here and now .

Speaker 1 10:45

And while the disciples didn't fully understand what it was that was going on , that they too wanted usher in God's kingdom , they just didn't know what that actually meant and they thought that it was going to be there on earth and they thought that it was gonna put them into a position of power like they had grown up seeing for so many years . But , as you see , in verse 19 , it actually that word where it says again , I truly , I tell you that if two of you on earth agree , that word agree , it actually means symphonis in that's the Greek word , for it is symphonis in , which is where we get the word symphony Essentially meaning this it means that you are creating one sound with multiple sources that are participating in doing different parts of it . So then when two or more agree and pray to the same ends no matter how they're praying , if it's under Jesus's name then there's a chorus of people Like , get that picture of what this says . He's saying that we , in the body of Jesus , have the opportunity , under Christ , to then agree in word , and indeed that , as we agree , that there is a symphony , a resounding choir of prayers that are aiming all towards the honoring and the glorification of Jesus , and that we will get there by the end of today . But even the word in the passage , what it's implying , is that each individual has to come ready to then participate in what has been collectively happening . This is not a spectator sport . This is that everyone gets to play a part , and it's a different part . And somebody out here is the bassoon , and I'm sorry for that , because that's a weird instrument . Have you ever heard a bassoon ? By itself , it's just an odd instrument , but somebody's bassoon , somebody's sitting here going . I'm the bassoon . We're so glad that you're here . We're so glad that you're here , and what you're saying is that , as you arrive , you have already done at least part of your part , or that you are going to grow and progress in the oneness of the responsibility , that you are going to contribute to what is happening and that you're going to accomplish the end goal altogether .

Speaker 1 12:47

I've , at two different points in my life , participated in one of those races that about halfway through that you think you wanna die . Not a marathon . I'm not that good . I did Tough Mudders . Anybody else ever done a Tough Mudder ? Anyone ? Okay , so a couple . Maybe we'll find one we'll do it . So here's if you've never done a Tough Mudder , just do this . Go sit in your garage and beat yourself with a hammer for about four hours and then you get a sweatband and it's great .

Speaker 1 13:15

But this is . It's essentially a 10 to 12 mile race and you run up hills and down hills . It's all in the dirt . They usually go to like motocross tracks and things like that , and about every mile they will have some sort of an obstacle that you have to climb under or go over . I don't know why I always pick these things in January , when it's really cold . You know you can run in June too , but that was just . That was my problem .

Speaker 1 13:36

So we ran and did these things and the big like the pinnacle at the end is that they have all of these live wires I'm not joking , live wires at the end of this and you're supposed to run through them , and some of the wires are live and some aren't , but depending on which ones you hit , you will be shocked . And I paid money , I said . I said I'm not gonna take my kids to a special school , I'm gonna do this instead . What is wrong with me now ? Here's the part in this . The last thing is that there were times I just noticed like it was hard , and there were times they would literally have you run up a hill . There was nothing up there , and then then have you just run down , and I was like you know what , I'm good , if you guys want to run up , that I'm gonna just stay right here , cause I see that you're coming back , so I'm gonna hang out right here and then we're gonna keep going . That's what we're gonna do . I'm still gonna get the headband . That's what I'm gonna do . So , but here's the part in this . It's about nine miles into this 12 mile race .

Community and Individual Responsibility

Speaker 1 14:32

They had gone and taken us through some very cold waters and though I had trained , is that there was a point in time when my legs locked up . I never physically exerted myself like this and all of a sudden I got like I got cramps in both of my legs , like Charlie Horst is in cramps . Both of my legs just shot out straight and I looked at my teammates . I was like I don't know what I'm gonna do . It's like you got to keep moving . I was like I can't , and so they lit for about a mile . I went and put my arms over their shoulders and they carried me up this hill and again there was one of the hills . I was like , just lean me against something and come back and get me . Later I was like a broom , but there was an agreement for us to get across .

Speaker 1 15:13

The end is that there was an agreement of individual participation and individual preparation that had to be done so that we could accomplish this at the end , and I think that it's very similar to what it is that we've been called to as we step into this idea of representing but then also then being present . It's as if Sunday morning gatherings the thing that we are participating in right now is crucial , but it's not where it starts and it's also not where it ends , because , my friends and let me just have the most honest conversation I can have we don't , in the Christian life , if this is gonna work , we don't belong to ourselves . We are responsible for each other and we were bought at a price from a savior who didn't deserve to die and yet he did it for us Before we had ever actually stepped in and done our part . Frankly , I feel like biblical community and the Christian life is generally let me start that over . Biblical community and the Christian life in general is wildly inconvenient to the self-indulgent life . If you are coming to make sure that your needs are served only first and last , then you are going to be disappointed and you are not experiencing the fullness of what Jesus designed it to be . And if you miss the push and the pull of what it is to live in both community and then to be present with Jesus alone , then you are missing the very heartbeat of God's kingdom . Because I think that there's a very personal and private life with Jesus that again we will talk about more today . That works then in symphony with the assembly of other believers . That also needs to be united under the heart of who Jesus is and that selfishness and that self-preservation that we oftentimes see in society today is in direct violation of who Christ is , because , again , he was not selfish in what he did for us , that while we were still sinners he died for us .

Speaker 1 17:16

The fullest version of community is the agreement that we are first all aligned with Jesus and then we will live that out for other people . That's how it works best , because Jesus didn't wait for you to come to Him . He went to you , and you too should consider the needs of other people , not waiting for them to come and become something that you would hope . There's no conditions on that . We are , then , saying yes to Jesus and yes to that community Philippians 2 , 3 , 4 , and says this Philippians 2 , 3 and 4 says do nothing out of selfish ambition or being conceit . Rather , in all of humility , value others above yourself . My friends , there is this beautiful accountability that , as we step into community , of saying that we serve Jesus and while there are different instruments , there's different parts to that symphony is that they all submit to that same King , and so then , under Christ , it creates this long standing , beautiful community that we get to experience perfectly , hopefully through His Spirit .

Speaker 1 18:22

So then verse 20 , continuing on says four , where two or three gather in my name , there I am with them . Okay , so now do you see it ? Because that's it They've told us . They've told us the goal and the prize , and it's not the two or three , which I think is how I always used to read that . I used to read it and say if we're with Jesus , then I'm gonna have friends , but that's not it . It's actually saying that when two or three gather , it's with , it's with and it's not with . He says I Jesus with and it's with others , but it's with Jesus .

Speaker 1 18:58

And Jesus is what we all unify under and that's how we're able to look different and vote different and have different lifestyles . That we're able to , as we unify under Jesus , that we become different . And there are a few sad people in here today who are sad that the 49ers won and you are welcome as well , we're glad that you're here . We unify under Jesus . We can disagree about those things , but it's as if , when lived out beautifully , individuals aim their lives at Jesus together , then both representing and representing the coming King , that we are living that out together and also then by ourselves . All of community , while designed to be with others , comes to the fullest experience when we are abiding in Christ individually . But the problem is , I think , that we live in a culture where oftentimes we believe that we can be Christians without Christ and as we live that out , then we are assuming that we are then going to be caring for ourselves and then also caring for other people outside of Jesus and his authority . And that could be farther from the truth , because we see all the way back at the very start .

Speaker 1 20:10

Is it with withness ? Is it that's what God made us to be ? It's with , you see , in Genesis 1 , 1 , look at it like this . Genesis 1 , 1 , I'm going to read in a second . But I want you to see it like this God , because it says in the beginning , god . And so God in the beginning , that God , the word God , is actually Elohim , which is plural . Most scholars believe that it's God the Father , god the Son and God the Holy Spirit . But it's saying that God , even in his own entity and being , is community . But then , as he created Barah , it's singular . So it's the olive community watched as God the Father created an individual . And so look at it and it says in the beginning , elohim . In the beginning Elohim created , singular , the heavens and the earth . Now the earth was formal , said empty , darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the water . So there's this beautiful picture of God , elohim in plural , creating individual , and also that the spirit of God is there . So there's a sense of plurality in the sense of there also being individuals among that it's modeled again when you see in Genesis 1 , 27 . Genesis 1 , 27 says so God created mankind in his own image . God Elohim created singular , making man in his own image . In the image of God , he created them male and female . So then God models this all throughout Genesis and then lives it out as we then walk through Genesis . Look at this .

Speaker 1 21:36

Genesis 2 , 18 says it like this the Lord God said it is not good for a man to be alone . I will make him a helper suitable for him . And just a little side note , because I know that this is oftentimes been used in different ways and misused in different ways . I think it's interesting that that word helper is actually translated to Ezra , which means helper . So it goes back to that . The only people in scripture that hold the title of Ezra is God , the Father , god the Son , god , the Holy Spirit and woman . Isn't it interesting that God has aligned himself with woman in that way and giving a calling that is higher than sometimes a title that man has gone and done something with ? Again , that's a side note , but I just wanted you to know that , as we continue on in this , and that it's pleasant to be around people that are enjoying serving and living with one another , but each one of them has an individual responsibility , including God .

Speaker 1 22:29

Genesis 3 and 8 and 9 says it this way . It says then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day , and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden . But the Lord God called out to the man . He said where are you ? So a couple of things to note in this . First off , this is after man and woman said no to God . So there's sin is now introduced and there's now separation between a holy God and an imperfect creation . So there's that . But what this is saying is that God was spending time in a place that he expected that he was going to be interacting with man and woman .

Speaker 1 23:01

You don't hide from something that's not looking for you . Have you ever played hide and seek but nobody's actually looking ? Right , it's a lonely game . I had kids that were like we're playing hide and seek , that I was like . Nobody told me , so I just had a quiet cup of coffee . Thanks for that . I appreciate that . But man and woman were hiding because they knew that God was going to be with them , and so they didn't want to be with them , because there was sin and there was shame . Hiding means somebody's looking . So then for us , represent and represent . We must get the life of being present right first , not more important , but that's how we're going to then live out all these other parts .

Speaker 1 23:44

My family knows about me . I love oh gosh , I love in the fall , I love apples . I love apples . It's just simple . And so every when we go to the grocery store , typically I'll go to Costco and I'll buy one of the boxes of like the fancy apples and I put them in the refrigerator and they're mine . If you want to buy your apples , get your own dang apples , because a cold , a cold apple is way better than a room apple temperature . Those are for peasants . I'm going to put mine in a in a cold by whatever . It's just so good and there's so many and it'll be sitting there and I'll grab . I've got one in the refrigerator right now . I'll show it to you .

Speaker 1 24:22

But it's just , it's the worst when you pull this thing out and it's shiny and it's red and you know that you're going to eat it and you bite into that thing and the center is just rotten to the core . Absolutely . Talk about a bad day , right ? That's the danger If we represent Jesus before we represent Jesus . That's the danger of representing Jesus If we have not been present with Jesus . Because if we have not been present with Jesus , then we have no right to represent or to represent . Because if we do , then we are no better than the religious leaders

Living in Rhythms of Grace

Speaker 1 24:54

we're not .

Speaker 1 24:55

Matthew 23 , 27 and 28 says like this woe to you , teachers of the law and Pharisees , you hypocrites . You are like whitewash tombs , which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of bones of the dead and everything unclean . In the same way , on the outside you appear to people as righteous , but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness . Now , the beautiful part in this is that if we focus on , if we get this right , then we don't have to worry about the other part . That takes care of itself . Those are the natural byproducts of doing what God has called us to , which is to be present . So then we look at the life of Jesus to know how to live in those rhythms , because Jesus even understood how important witness was , because God was with , as we saw .

Speaker 1 25:44

But what we will see all the way through the life of Jesus is that there is an ongoing with expression of Jesus wanting to be with his people . You see it even in the arrival . What is Jesus called at Christmas ? He is Emmanuel . He is God with us . He moves on and through his life . So he is with them in the arrival , he is with them in his life .

Speaker 1 26:09

Matthew 419 says come follow me . Jesus said , and I will send you out to fish for people . So God was with his people at the time . And then , as Jesus grew and then lived the life that you and I couldn't and died the death that we deserved , is that he then prepared . People are saying that I was with and I will be with , thank you . It says it like this in John 14 , 16, . He says and I will ask the Father . So again , it's Jesus acknowledging that there is another Godhead in community and that he will give you another advocate to help you and to be with you forever . That word another translates actually to another of the same kind . So when he said another , they all understood . They're saying so , you're saying that you're going to leave , but another of the same kind is going to come , and he goes yes , but wait , it's 2.0 , because it's forever . I will send one that will be with you forever and he will help and he will comfort and he will advocate , for that term advocate is a legal representative , so it's not only witness , but it's also that he will guide and lead and protect because of knowledge and insight and ability . So God was with , he is with and he ends with With .

Speaker 1 27:28

Revelation 21 , 3 and 4 says it like this , and I just want you to hear it's not the word with , but I want you to hear , as I read this passage , how many times there is God being with his people . It says and I heard a lot of voice from the throne saying look , god's dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them . They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God . He will wipe every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain , for the old order of things is gone . Old order of things has passed away . How can you wipe tears away from an eye ? You've got to be pretty darn close , right . It's just like that . We're made to be with our heavenly Father . We're made to be with God and there is a longing that we will experience until we figure out how to live in that rhythm of withness with Jesus by ourselves .

Speaker 1 28:29

Here's the best imagery that I can give you that . I've seen it in scripture and it's a paraphrase , but I just love this picture of what it looks like to be present daily Matthew 11 , 28 through 30 , and it's out of the message . It says it like this are you tired , worn out , burnout on religion ? Come to me , get away with me and you'll recover your life . I'll show you how to take a real rest . Walk with me and work with me . Watch how I do it . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace . We move it on . There . We are thanks . Watch how I do it . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace . I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you . Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly . Do you read that and just go nowhere in there ? Does that say that you're supposed to do another Bible study , said the pastor . But you need to know your Bible . The part that stuck out to me is this word it's the unforced rhythms of grace . It's this beautiful picture of us . It's this picture of almost . I'm not a dancer , trust me , but it's this beautiful . It's this push and this pull and moving and rhythm and grace .

Speaker 1 29:59

I went down this rabbit hole . On social media , specifically TikTok , there are these videos of it's . Basically it's a dance studio and they pick random dancers and a random song and the two of them have to come up with a dance together . And I'll tell you what . That's a good time to watch , because not all of them are great . When you watch , people get it right and you see two people who never met each other maybe they know the song , but they don't necessarily know how that other person is going to dance and you see these people moving and anticipating it , as if they've spent enough time in the ethos and the DNA of dancing that they know where that person is going to go .

Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Speaker 1 30:37

For us , I picture almost like the idea of ocean waves coming in and out . Nobody has to tell the ocean waves that they're moving in that direction . They all just do it , and we be people who like the waves of the ocean is that it's this unifying love and grace of Jesus and as he pushes we pull and as he pulls we push , and that we move together . Nothing ill-fitting . I will rise with you , I will walk with you , I will work with you . The unforced rhythms of grace . When you see that , when you see people who are living in that harmony with God and experiencing those unforced rhythms of grace , it becomes natural .

Speaker 1 31:18

I went this last week . I was driving through McDonald's don't judge , you've done it too , maybe not and he handed me my drink . And he just , the guy , handed me the drink . He had the biggest smile on his face and he just looked at me and he goes God bless you , maybe you have the best day . And I said you , I'm really excited to get the soda . You've made my day so much better . He goes man , that's what God calls us to do and that's all I get to do here . Right , by being present with Jesus , we are then able to then represent Jesus more appropriately , because we then know the character in which we are then trying to represent .

Speaker 1 32:05

Isaiah 43 talks about the idea that we are created for his glory , whom he has formed and made . Glorifying God is not something that we can do . It's not something that we do after communing with God . So hear this again Glorifying God is not something that we do after we commune and spend time with God . It's what we're doing , while and though I don't fully understand it , the only thing that I can even wrap my brain around to that is that when I spend time with my kids , is that other than chores ? I really don't want much out of them , and that many of my wife and I were sitting and talking last night that many of our memories , some of my favorite times that I had with my kids , is when I would take them out on a date and buy them a donut , and while they were excited about the donut it was . We would just sit there and we'd talk and I had no agenda . I didn't need anything from them , that I was just with them , and I think they had a pretty decent time as well .

Speaker 1 32:58

We , after our two oldest kids got into school so we have three kids Jackson , isabella and then Charlotte and when the older two were going to full days at school , fridays Charlotte didn't have school , and so we called them mornings with Charlie and we lived . We lived at that time . We lived close enough that the kids would literally walk out the door and walk to the school , and so they'd walk out the door and we would slam the door and we'd look at each other and we'd go mornings and then she'd say with , and then Sharon would go Charlie , and we wouldn't do all sorts of cool stuff . I mean like , but it was just , we just knew that we got to be with , that we were communing and that we were spending time with each other . And here's the amazing thing we get that all the time with Jesus , all the time with God , because of the Holy Spirit . Think about this .

Speaker 1 33:50

This kind of blew me away when I was thinking about this in scripture , that there's a lot of scripture where people didn't have the constant , ongoing presence of God through his Holy Spirit that's dwelling in us . That didn't come until Acts . Now we see in the Psalm that it says create me a clean heart and take not your spirit from me . So there's a sense that God came about people and that he dwelt among them . But it wasn't a consistent and now we as people ? So then , from Acts on , is that people for the first time ever got to experience the presence of God ? And we get that ? And yet for me , so many times in my life , it's as if I sit here and I know that it's going to be there and I'll commune tomorrow . It's the best day to start a diet , it's the best day to start saving and tomorrow is the best day to start communing with God . I saw this and I thought it was powerful .

Speaker 1 34:48

Apprenticeship to Jesus is about turning your body into a temple , a place of overlap between heaven and earth , a glimpse of heaven and what eternity will feel like . Don't you want that ? I do , and even as the pastor , I don't experience that every day . So here's the freedom in saying that we are in a process of fighting for the presence of Jesus Again , binding and losing on earth , in Jesus's name , what you get to experience then forever the presence of God .

Speaker 1 35:22

Last week we launched Routed . We have over 60 leaders and people in Routed . There's still a couple spots . If anybody wants them , we'd make some room . But I'll tell you what . Here's the secret sauce of Routed . It's that over those 10 weeks we spend time in the seven rhythms of God , and it's worship and it's daily devotionals and it's sharing your testimony and it's confessing sin , and it's doing it in community . But can I tell you why we're doing this ? We're doing this because one of our end goals at the end of Routed not only is to build community .

Speaker 1 35:56

It's that we want to turn God into a habit . We want to turn him into a habit and not a habit like it . If you ever thought about tying your shoes I don't , I just do it , ironically , I have no laces today but have you ever thought like , actually , when you think about tying your shoes , that's when it gets all messed up You're like I'm going to really think about it and then you're like I don't know how to tie my shoes today , but so it's not a habit like that . But it's saying that if I spend them enough time doing this , I'm creating an environment to where I will then eventually and slowly and consistently crave God . That if I continue to and we even see the science of it that if I continue to spend my time doing those sorts of things , my literal brain will be rewired so that I will become like that . I read a book called Atomic Habits that talks about this idea of habit stacking . And again , this is not going to be the turn in the sermon where we sit here and go and here's five simple ways . But I will say this it's interesting that when you see this idea of habit stacking is doing things at different times when you're going to have to do things .

Speaker 1 37:01

At the end of Ruta this last week , there was a little girl there . She was about four or five years old and I just thanked her for coming . I said , man , it's really late . Thanks for coming to this . She wasn't in a group , she was in childcare . It's a different group , but I said thanks for coming . I hope that you go home and that you get a good night's sleep . And she goes . I'm never going to sleep . I looked at her mom and I was like I'll be praying for you . Sorry about the energy drink we gave her , but there are things . She fell asleep , she fell asleep , and so there's just things that we inevitably in our daily habits and rhythms that we will do . I think it's almost .

Speaker 1 37:39

I didn't spend the time to study this , but I think it's interesting that that's why maybe we even add things like grace to meals that you have to eat . So then you're going to add gratitude to this thing . That isn't always promised . So then , what are the things that we can stack upon what we are doing so that we can do that ? Here's what I know Spending time alone with Jesus in private is a non-negotiable .

Speaker 1 38:06

That's where we will land . It's a non-negotiable , and I don't exactly know how that looks , and there's lots of different resources and , whether it's through rooted or our different community groups or Northgate U , there's plenty of ways to help you in figuring out what that looks like . But spending time with Jesus in private is a non-negotiable Praying , considering contemplating God , reading his word , because here's what it does . It assumes a posture that you , in and of yourself , can create nothing outside of God , that the things that you are doing are only temporal , but that , as by God's grace , as we continue to and by create I mean relationships , investment , conversations , prayers , even creative projects all of it outside of God is temporal , and I think that here's something else is I think that there needs to be something of your spiritual life that nobody else knows nothing about , absolutely nothing about . If your entire spiritual present life with Jesus consists of what we see on Sunday and on social media , then I'm concerned and I believe that there need to be things that are only between you and God .

Speaker 1 39:20

I have a fantastic relationship with my wife . I love her and I would love to tell you all sorts of things about her . She is kind and loving and she is powerful and strong and smart , and those are all the things . There are things I am not going to tell you about her , not only for her privacy , but you just don't need to know those things , and that's probably true of every person in here . That should be true of our relationship with Jesus . There should be things between you and Jesus that are only for you and Jesus , and that's my hope and my prayer for you Is that spending time alone with Jesus in private is a non-negotiable .

Speaker 1 39:54

So then let's go back to the house . Let's finish up that house . If I could design a house today , have you ever seen somebody who we have some friends who literally just built a house ? They had land and they got to pick every part of it , which they said was like super overwhelming . Because you're like do you want , do you want gunmetal gray carpet or do you want shaggy gray carpet ? You're like just I don't know , I don't care , but just think about if you were able to design a house today , how much different it would look than a house that was 15 years ago . I hope it would . I mean , have you ever gone into a house that somebody bought and designed and then they lived in for 30 years and you're like this could stand a coat of paint , at least something .

The Changing Spiritual Life

Speaker 1 40:38

So then , why would we assume that the spiritual life that suited us five , 10 , 15 years ago was the same one that is going to house us today ? That was a good timing , by the way . We didn't even plan that . May we be people that go to God and say God , what do you wanna do in and through me today ? That's only gonna come through Jesus . I'll tell you what everybody's got a strong opinion about how you're supposed to live your life . If you wanna ask me , I'll tell you too . Doesn't matter . It is only by that push and that pull of both living in community and allowing that secret , private voice , the loving voice that comes through God's spirit , that dwells in us . I think here's the last thing I wanna say , that I just wanna make sure that we're clear on this too .

Speaker 1 41:43

When we spend because I spent so many years not wanting to be alone with God because I thought that he was gonna give me a list of all the things that I had done wrong , jeff , I'm so glad that you're here . I need you to fix these 20 things first . And so I didn't , because I didn't wanna hear it . I was like , oh , I just I can't when I'm able to quiet this and quiet this and spend time and be present with Jesus . You know what I hear ? Welcome back , I love you and you're mine , you're mine , and he'll say that to you too .

Speaker 1 42:27

So may we today , through song , through community and more than anything through God , be present with what he is doing in your life right now . So , father , it's really loud out there and it's busy , and so much is asked of us . Could we today find the space to experience the unforced rhythms of grace ? God , you promise you won't put anything ill-fitting or heavy on us . We come to you through , almost like looking between our fingers , just scared of what's gonna be next . And God , you are so gracious and kind . Could we experience that today ? In the name of we pray , amen , value , amen .