The Gathering Surf City

Today we continue as we consider
identity priorities,

the plan that God has for our lives.

I shared with you last week,

simply the title of the message
would just be the gathering.

And we came out of Hebrews again,

chapter ten,

where it says,

don't forsake the gathering
of yourselves together.

Because quite honestly,

our strengthen great deal of our identity
is in gathering as the body of

Christ, coming together with purpose
and priority and accomplishing that

which God has set for
us in his word.

And so today the title of today's
message is be the people.

And the word to be is a big deal there
to be who and what God has called

us to be,

to identify as.

As who God has identified and purposed
for us to live out our lives.

And quite honestly,

you know,

we can say that we have responded
to God's love,

God's plan,

God's purpose for us.

We've received God's message and we've
received God's salvation that he's

given to us in the shed
blood of Jesus Christ.

And we've been redeemed,

we've been purchased.

And so,

so now we can be the people.

And I'm way loud.

Chris left too.

So anyway,

he left because I was too loud.

So anyway,

so what people,

right?

I mean,

let's ask ourselves some question.

If I tell you,

be the people,

right? What people?

Which people?

What do those people look like?

What is it that God wants
to see in us?

What is it God wants to see from us?

What is it that God desires for us to
represent in the world around us?

Okay. I want to be God's people.

I want to be one of them.

I want to be attached
to God's people.

I want to be identified as
one of God's people.

And so we're going to
look at one Peter,

chapter two,

verses nine and ten.

It's just two little verses in here,

kind of stuck in the middle of
a very important passage.

So let's look at it.

But you are a chosen race,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

a people for his possession,

so that you may proclaim the praises
of the one who called you out of

darkness and into his
marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,

but now you are God's people.

You had not received mercy,

but now you have received mercy.

So let's pray.

Father, we thank you that we get to
look into your word again today.

God, you've spoken to us from the
beginning of all creation,

at the very beginning when you
spoke it into existence.

And God,

you speak to us all the way through
kingdom and ultimately,

God, through the kingdom of heaven.

And so,

God, we want to hear from you.

And we want to hear your voice.

But more than that,

God help us to pay attention.

God, help us to hear that which
is important to you.

God, one of our greatest prayers
each day should be,

God, help me to get accomplished
that which is important to you.

So, God,

help us to hear you today.

And we pray it in Jesus name.

Amen. How many of you in the room?

And, Eli,

I know you're going to
raise your hand,

but here you go.

How many of you in the room have
ever heard of a zodonk?

See, Eli's the only.

Oh, you've heard of a zodonk?

Good job,

dude. All right,

if you've never heard of one,

let me ask this question.

Who can describe it for me?

Only him.

And him.

You see,

I mean,

if you've never seen one,

you can't describe one.

And the name doesn't tell
you what it is.

Unless you know what the
name looks like.

I mean,

it's z e d o n k.

Somebody had the great wisdom.

Or failure to have a zebra and a
donkey in the same penniless.

Ended up with a zdonk.

Now, you see this thing?

It's odd,

okay?

It's got some really shady
looking striping on it.

Some odd looking coloring
throughout.

It's weird.

I think it's pretty safe to say this
is probably a freakish kind of

thing, right?

Doesn't look like it's supposed to.

Doesn't look like a zebra.

Doesn't look like a donkey,

right? It's some kind of weird
combination of the two.

And they actually have one
down here in Wilmington.

At that tragumba zoo down there.

And here's what we found out.

Last time we were down there.

They loaned that thing out.

Cause other people want to see
what a zodonk looks like.

You know what?

Before I saw it,

I don't think I went
through life going,

I would love to see a zadonk.

I don't think that was ever
the case in my life.

Right? So when we look
at this thing.

And we start to consider.

What is it that we're supposed
to look like as God's people,

right? What is it that we're supposed
to portray in our lives?

What is it that we're supposed
to identify as.

As God's people.

When people look at us.

When people see us.

When people see us live our lives,

are they saying in the
back of their minds,

never seen one of those before,

right? Or are they saying in
the back of their minds,

wow, I've read some things about Jesus
and that person really knows what

it means to live.

Jesus. Right.

So that's kind of what we're
talking about today.

But I want to,

here's a little sort of
rabbit chase here.

But it's a very important thing.

We're in the season
of administration,

as I've warned you,

and Kyle's busy working on
the next step steps area,

which is just an opportunity and a place
and a way to volunteer and to

serve in ministry throughout the gathering
and the ministries of the

gathering. And there's these little
cards on the back of the chairs up

here that don't work.

At least they don't
work on my phone.

But eventually you'll be able to tap
your phone to one of these little

cards and it'll take you right to the
next steps page on the app or on

the website and you'll be
able to volunteer to,

to do whatever.

And then they're setting up a
next steps area out here.

But right now we're about to go into
this whole nominating team meetings

and stuff.

And so our deacons,

we have two groups of deacons.

The deacon leads and
the deacon serves.

And the deacon leads are the ones that
meet very regularly and they're

very visible all around
the gathering.

And then the deacons serve,

folks, is when there's a project
that comes up or whatever,

they call them all out and say,

all right,

let's go do this.

But right now we're looking
for recommendations.

Maybe you've been watching,

you've been watching throughout the
gathering or the gatherings

activities and you've seen those men
that just have a servant's heart,

man, they just,

they just know how to serve somebody.

That was a song,

wasn't it?

Anyway, sorry,

but, but the idea is that you see
what a servant looks like,

these guys lives and
you just know that,

that, that it comes from his heart.

It's not because somebody
told him to do it.

It's not because somebody gave
him a list of things to do,

but it just comes out of his
heart to serve people.

And so we're just looking for
those recommendations.

And in your backs of those
chair pockets,

there's a card right
here says Deacon,

recommendation list here,

acts six three.

But I'm going to read it all to you
because it's a great story of how

servanthood was highlighted in the body
of Christ in the New Testament.

And it goes like this.

It says,

as soon as I get there,

you notice these are thin
pages come on now.

All right.

In those days,

as the disciples followers of Jesus
were increasing in number,

there arose a complaint by the hellenistic
Jews against the hebraic Jews

that their widows were being overlooked
in the daily distribution.

So that was one of those things
where folks who didn't have,

you know,

the body of Christ came together and
took up stuff and everything and

distributed it out.

The twelve summoned a whole company
of the disciples together.

So they got all of those that were surrendering
their lives to Christ and

those who were following Jesus
there in Jerusalem,

and they said it would not be right for
us to give up preaching the word

of God to go wait on tables.

Brothers and sisters,

select from among you seven
men of good reputation,

full of the spirit and wisdom,

who we can appoint to this duty,

but we'll devote ourselves
to prayer,

to the ministry of the word.

So here you go.

You hear that word,

serve the tables.

The word serve in Greek is diakonos.

Now, what we did,

and there are those who claim this passage
doesn't actually identify as

the creation of the office of deacon
in the body of Christ,

but it certainly called out
the first servants,

didn't it?

All right,

so.

And then verse five says,

this proposal pleased
the whole company.

So they chose Stephen,

a man full of faith and
the Holy Spirit,

and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and
Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas,

a convert from Antioch.

So it wasn't just locals.

They had them stand before the apostles
who prayed and laid their hands

on them.

And so if you've seen somebody that
just has a servant's heart,

you also see different
qualifications.

I mean,

same qualifications but different lists
in Titus and in Timothy and

what's the servant look like?

Have you seen servants of
the body of Christ?

Have you seen servants in and around
this gathering who devote and

dedicate themselves to the kingdom
of God and the progression of the

gospel? What do they look like?

Who are they?

Right. That's all we're asking.

Maybe you've seen them,

maybe we hadn't.

So as we get together and begin
this nominating process,

we'll talk to the folks that
you recommend and Nick,

who kind of coordinates deacon
ministry right now.

They will kind of be in charge
of carrying all that out.

So there,

that's the tangent,

the rabbit chase,

but these little cards are
in the back of the seat.

So if you got a name in mind,

put your name,

who you're recommending and why.

What does it look like to you?

All righty.

That's all we're asking.

It's going to be fun.

We haven't done it this
way in years.

So if you have somebody in mind,

but it goes right along with the question
of what does a follower of

Christ look like?

What does a Christian look like?

What are the characteristics that you
look for when somebody says they're

a Christian?

Because truth is the point of the whole
message today is God made us his.

We belong to him.

We no longer have the authority to say
that I'm going to live my life any

way I want to.

I'm going to do what
I feel like doing.

I'm going to do that which entertains
me or pleases me.

No, we become the possession of God.

We belong to him.

We've been redeemed and paid for and
bought and all that sort of thing.

And so when we look at this,

we see these.

If in your Bible,

in one Peter,

chapter two,

verse nine,

you'll start to see mine's all heavy
darkened because it's all quotes

from the Old Testament,

chosen race.

Or it can be translated,

a chosen generation that comes out of
deuteronomy seven and deuteronomy

ten, Isaiah 43.

And then again,

a royal priesthood is a reference to
Exodus 19 and Exodus 23 and Isaiah

61 and revelation chapter one and revelation
chapter five and revelation

chapter 20.

Holy nation refers to Exodus
19 and Exodus 23.

And then a people for his possession
refers to Exodus,

Deuteronomy, Titus.

So there is a full biblical sort of
idea concept that we're special.

You're special.

Anybody ever tell you that?

I mean in a good way.

I don't mean in that negative way.

All right.

Kyle walked in when I was sitting back
there kind of reading through my

notes and everything this morning.

And I looked up at him,

I said,

I'm possessed.

And he went,

no, I'm possessed by God.

I am a possession of God's.

I belong to him.

You see,

that makes me special.

I'm chosen.

I'm royal.

I'm possessed by God.

Why?

Why? What's the purpose of it all?

So that,

see, that's kind of like
the therefore.

You go look at the therefore and
find out what it's there for.

So that means that everything
you see preceding the.

So that means there is a purpose for
all those things and the purpose

behind God choosing us,

God making us a part of
his royal family.

This royal priesthood,

this possession of his
is to praise him,

to worship him,

to proclaim the praises of God.

Does your life,

does my life proclaim the
praises of goddess?

Do people see my actions,

my word?

Hear my words?

Do people see in me this proclamation
of praises.

Actually, praises can be translated.

Mighty deeds.

Does my life proclaim the
mighty deeds of God?

Can people see it in me?

You know,

that's kind of what
this is all about.

Is that in the book of one,

Peter, the apostle Peter,

writing to mainly jewish
believers in Christ,

those who have trusted
Jesus as messiah,

savior, and Lord.

And Peter's writing
to them and going,

look, what you were is
not what you are now.

Yes, you were a nation.

Yes, you were a people.

But what God has done is a new
redemption of his people.

You see,

God's called you out.

And so when we look at this thing,

it means that we are something special
and that we have a special task.

There is a purpose for our lives,

and more specifically,

there is a purpose to our redemption
and our possession.

We are to proclaim in our lives,

whether by word or deed,

or however our lives should proclaim
the mighty acts of God.

People should be able
to see it in you,

you know,

and that's one of the
reasons why I'm not.

I'm not always real happy about.

And here's the wording.

And if it offends you,

well, all right.

I'm not always happy about
mealy mouth christians,

okay?

Christians who complain all the time.

You know,

Pete, you guys that came in
here this morning early,

and I was walking around shaking
hands and all that stuff,

they said,

how are you?

I say,

man, this is the best
day of the week.

You know what?

Monday through Saturday,

I like them,

too. But Sunday,

this is the best day of the week,

man.

I love Sunday mornings.

Good gracious alive.

I said,

whoo. Say,

I'm sorry.

You want to know where woo came from?

There it is.

We. And it goes on.

It says,

proclaim the mighty deeds,

the praises of the one who called
you out of darkness and into his

marvelous light.

We were talking about this in one
of our meetings this week,

and they said,

oh, we need to sing marvelous
lights Sunday morning.

Years ago when I led worship here,

Jennifer's anyway,

years ago when I led worship here,

we used to do marvelous light,

which was this song,

and I made everybody in the congregation
do this marvelous light.

You know,

I'm in the remember,

some of you remember anyway,

but that was sort of the whole idea.

We're celebrating that God called
us out of darkness and into his

marvelous light.

That's what we look like.

So now we have to consider
the fact that,

that there is a darkness that
we've been called out of,

you realize,

as God's people,

as the possession of God,

we're not supposed to look
like that darkness.

Y'all realize that.

Can I just go ahead and tell y'all
we're in a season of darkness?

Every other commercial on television
is darkness these days.

Just so you know,

somebody called me this week
and was asking me.

Now, nobody ever asked me,

so that's fine.

I don't care.

Somebody called me this week and
asked me about politics.

How about that?

Uh oh.

Look out.

I said,

well, you know what?

I don't ever talk about
it from up here.

I said,

but since you asked me personally,

there are some things
in this world here,

darkness that I can't align with,

that I can't be a part of.

I can't say that I agree with.

Can I go so far as to say
I can't vote for.

Right.

I can't vote for any group
that's going to deny God.

I can't vote for any group that's
going to deny God's designs for

humanity. I can't vote for any group
that's going to deny God's purpose

and plan for his creation.

Sorry, can't be there with you.

Not gonna wear your colors.

Okay. I can't align with
those who would.

Here you go.

This is gonna infuriate
some of y'all,

but if I offend you,

Bible says you forgive me.

I can't align with those who are
gonna kill innocent life.

Can't do it.

Sorry. I won't do it.

I mean,

I guess I could.

I could say,

oh, yeah,

I'm a Christian.

But over here,

I think this is more important
than what God's word says.

So I'm going to vote over here.

One of my favorite expressions
from the pulpit.

I'm not going to do it,

y'all. I don't think God's
people can do it.

Now. I quit because
that is darkness.

And I get to be in the light.

I get to live in the light.

I get to walk in the
light of good news,

the light of redemption,

the light of God's glory,

and I get to proclaim the
mighty acts of God.

So I'm getting a lot of comments
these days on my beard.

It's growing longer,

right? There's a reason for it.

But years ago,

I grew it long like this,

and it was white.

And somebody called me Papa Smurf.

Yeah, that was Tracy,

by the way.

So I shaved it off because I didn't
want to look like Papa Smurf.

Right? I mean,

people look at me and go,

you look like Papa Smurf.

All right.

Well, I'm gonna go right
along with it,

all right?

So what I want people to say is,

you look like a follower of Jesus,

right? Isn't that what we want people
to say about our lives?

You look like one who identifies with
the glory and purpose and mighty

acts of God.

You look like one who subordinates and
surrenders yourself to God's will,

God's purpose for your life,

and for those around you and
the world around you.

You look like one who has surrendered
yourself to God's intent and

purpose for this world.

That's what I want people
to see in me.

Not Papa Smurf.

But now it's growing back again.

So this is what I've decided.

Since I'm about to be a grandpa,

I will own the Papa Smurf.

If I'm gonna be a grandpa.

Papa Smurf sounds just as good
as anything else to me,

right? But here you go.

I get to.

Because of God's election
for my salvation.

He elected me for salvation.

And I responded to the fact that
he called me out of darkness.

He placed me.

I didn't have to go looking for it.

He placed me in his marvelous light.

And then he began to show me all the
different facets of that light.

Through his word,

by his spirit in the body of Christ.

I get to see God at
work all the time.

I am a possession of God.

Yes, I'm possessed.

You know,

that doesn't sound right,

does it?

I'm possessed.

That's why Kyle freaked
out when I said it.

No, I am a possession of God.

And here's the question
for us this morning.

Are you.

Are you a possession of God?

Do you look like what God describes
as his possession in his word?

Here you go.

Gonna go farther.

Do you behave like a
possession of God?

It's important,

y'all. We're not supposed
to look like the world.

If you jump over into one,

John, you'll find in there.

If you say you're in the light,

but you walk in darkness,

you're a liar.

What John said.

So we got John and Peter chiming in
together on this whole idea of

walking in God's light.

I want to look like God's people.

I want to look like
a follower of God.

I want to look like a possession.

Yes, I belong to.

To God.

Okay, so,

last week was be the gathering.

We come together as the people of God
for the purpose of worship and our

expression of love to God.

Now we.

In a minute.

Well, let's see.

In about 14 minutes,

most of you will leave here and then
you get to go out and be the people

of God out there where the
darkness actually is.

Okay. Will you go out and represent the
mighty deeds in the light of God?

I told you.

I tell you all the time,

I'm not going to follow you.

I'm not grading you.

But we know what God's called us to.

Now we got to go live it.

Okay? It all starts with Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus,

you need Jesus.

Maybe you wandered in here today
and you're thinking,

that guy yells too much.

Okay.

Yeah, he does.

But as we leave today,

you've got to decide whether or
not you're going to live.

The characteristics that proclaim
to the world that you are God's

possession. It's up to you.

Not up to me.

I'm just telling you what one Peter,

chapter two,

verses nine and ten,

point out because it goes on.

I didn't work my way all the way
through verse ten because it's.

But it's still important.

Once you were not a people.

Now you are God's people.

You belong to God.

You had not received mercy.

That last phrase right there
is really important.

But because of sin,

we all deserve death according
to scripture.

But God's given us that which
we don't deserve.

That's mercy.

He has loved us and made us his.

Okay. If you need Jesus,

I'd love to share it with you.

There are others in the room that
will share Jesus with you.

We're going to sing one more song.

Gives you an opportunity
to respond to God.

So, let's pray.

God, thank you for today and,

God, for what you're doing.

God, you're at work in our midst,

and I praise you for that.

And, God,

yes, things like this make us realize
that there's some things in our

culture, in our society that really
don't proclaim your mighty deeds.

So, God,

we need to proclaim
your mighty deeds.

We need to live it out.

We need to show others
what it looks like.

And so,

God, I pray that this morning,

if there are those in this room
that don't know Jesus,

maybe there's one God,

I want to introduce them to Jesus.

I want them to know you,

Jesus.

I want them to know the salvation
that you've given us.

And so,

God, help us.

Help us to let the world
see Jesus in us.

We pray it in Jesus name.

Amen.