The Danger of Self-Powered Discipleship

• Discipleship Series Overview 00:36:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces a new five-week sermon series on becoming the disciple God designed us to be, providing a summary of the first three weeks to establish context.
• Spiritual DNA Analogy 00:37:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the biological concept of DNA as an analogy for spiritual identity, explaining that just as physical DNA determines traits, spiritual DNA determines a disciple's nature and actions.
• Divine Connection and Identity 00:38:41 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that humans are designed for a divine relationship with God, and struggling with identity often stems from not being 'plugged in' to this divine strand.
• Transformation of Nature 00:39:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that true discipleship involves a transformation of nature and heart by God, changing what a person loves and desires, rather than just maintaining their current state.
• Action and Witness 00:41:05 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that spiritual DNA must be active, requiring believers to demonstrate their faith through actions that show a change in life and transform the world around them.
• Definition of Christian vs. Disciple 00:42:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor distinguishes between the label 'Christian' (looking like Christ) and the active role of a 'disciple' (being transformed into the one followed), urging the congregation to embrace the latter.
• Spiritual DNA and Identity 00:42:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a malformed DNA strand to explain that spiritual identity requires all three components (connection, presence, calling) to function correctly, just as physical identity requires complete genetic information.
• Divine Strand and Connection 00:45:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes the 'divine strand' as a power source that must be actively plugged in through prayer and worship, warning against relying solely on Sunday sermons for weekly spiritual fuel.
• Presence vs. Performance 00:50:48 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts living in God's presence with living for performance, asserting that success is defined by relationship with Jesus rather than completing task lists.
• Intimacy and Calling 00:54:41 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor emphasizes that God calls individuals by name for relationship, not just for activity, and that intimacy is built through time and effort, similar to a marriage.
• Spiritual Fruitfulness vs. Busyness 00:57:04 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the state of being 'withered' and 'brittle' like a fallen branch with the call to be connected to the vine, asserting that busyness has replaced fruitfulness.
• Building Intimacy with God 00:58:28 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that intimacy is built through 'time spent' and effort, rejecting the idea that God will automatically fix relationships without human participation.
• The Divine Strand and Spiritual DNA 01:01:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines the 'divine strand' as the critical part of a Christian's identity, stating that without connection to God, believers 'can do nothing' for the kingdom.
• Confession and Absolution 01:04:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor introduces confession not as a negative judgment but as a necessary step to receive God's help, leading into the liturgical confession of sins.
• Communion and the Body of Christ 01:06:06 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor leads the congregation in the Eucharistic prayer, emphasizing unity, the remembrance of Christ's sacrifice, and the invitation for all to partake.

• Sermon Illustration 00:37:04 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a map with only point A marked to explain why providing an overview of the sermon series is necessary for the congregation to understand their destination.
• Sermon Illustration 00:37:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the biological analogy of DNA, chromosomes, and physical traits (like eye color and baldness) to illustrate the concept of spiritual DNA and how it defines a disciple's identity and potential.
• Sermon Illustration 00:46:55 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about waking up early to watch a sunrise over the ocean, praising God for His glory in creation rather than in a church setting.
• Sermon Illustration 00:45:34 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a lamp that is not plugged in to illustrate Christians who are not connected to the divine power source.
• Sermon Illustration 00:55:18 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor compares the divine strand to an anchoring mower in a storm, holding a person fast when they are lost and overwhelmed.
• Sermon Illustration 00:57:19 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical metaphor of a withered branch fallen from the vine to describe Christians who have lost their connection to God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:57:19 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a withered branch found on a pathway to illustrate the state of a Christian disconnected from Christ, describing it as brittle and broken.
• Sermon Illustration 00:58:52 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor compares the effort required for intimacy with God to the effort required in a marriage, noting that just as a spouse relationship needs time and effort, so does one's relationship with God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:59:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of an old-fashioned map requiring a compass to find north, contrasting it with modern GPS, to explain how the 'divine strand' helps believers understand their direction and calling.

• Pastoral Charge 00:44:33 ▶️ 📄
  > Take the teaching materials home and review them to understand spiritual DNA.
• Pastoral Charge 00:46:06 ▶️ 📄
  > Engage in personal prayer, worship outside the sanctuary, and seek God's presence daily.
• Pastoral Charge 00:51:33 ▶️ 📄
  > Shift focus from task completion to cultivating a relationship with Jesus, asking oneself daily if they had a relationship with Him.
• Pastoral Charge 00:59:05 ▶️ 📄
  > Turn toward God and draw near to Him.
• Pastoral Charge 00:58:09 ▶️ 📄
  > To take specific steps to address their lack of spiritual fruitfulness and connection.
• Pastoral Charge 01:02:37 ▶️ 📄
  > To pray for the Holy Spirit's conviction and to commit to spending time with God.
• Pastoral Charge 01:15:44 ▶️ 📄
  > To come forward to receive communion.
• Pastoral Charge 01:23:14 ▶️ 📄
  > Stand and sing the worship song 'Be Thou My Vision'.

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:00:02] It's a wonderful opportunity to get a chance to be a part of this mission. Here we go.
[00:00:11] So that's a meeting.
[00:00:16] You're going to come with us.
[00:00:20] And so it all works out.
[00:00:40] I've been around for a year, right?
[00:00:42] For a few years.
[00:00:43] That's not the problem.
[00:00:45] That's what we need to learn about.
[00:00:47] Oh, we need to learn about it.
[00:00:49] We need to learn to find the right one.
[00:00:52] So you can wait for the right one.
[00:00:54] You've got to find the right one.
[00:00:56] That's not the problem.
[00:00:59] Yeah.
[00:01:00] Everybody's staring at our faces.
[00:01:01] Nobody's looking at us.
[00:01:03] Right here.
[00:01:04] I'm just going to say this.
[00:01:05] It's the page.
[00:01:06] It's the page three.
[00:01:07] Yes.
[00:01:08] It's the page four.

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:01:09] You guys hear me okay?
[00:07:01] Okay, very good.
[00:07:04] Well, good to see everybody here this morning. Just a few announcements before we get ready for worship. If you're in the trustees, trustees will have a meeting this Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the workroom, so please plan on being there for all the members of the trustees council. Also, the
[00:07:24] church council got postponed from this past Tuesday because of the weather, so we will be meeting this Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Wesley building. So change of time, change of venue. So 7 p.m.
[00:07:38] in the Wesley building for church council on Thursday. Also another note that choir rehearsal resumes this Wednesday at 7 p.m. So all new and existing choir members please plan to attend Wednesday at 7 p.m. also we will not have any adult study following service
[00:08:01] today but if you're able please stay as we do need help moving furniture off of our carpeted areas in the in the north wing we're going to be having the carpets cleaned this week so right after service if you could plan just to join
[00:08:19] us in the fellowship hall real quickly so we can get some of the stuff moved off the carpet areas we would really appreciate it and a little special announcement we would like to make an announcement that we have secured miss
[00:08:36] Tiffany as our new newest nursery worker so please take time to stop by and see all of our wonderful staff in the nursery now as well as bring your kids and grandkids to meet our wonderful staff so round of applause for filling
[00:08:53] out our that's all the announcements I have really short today are there any other announcements that I may have forgotten or we need to bring forth all right if not well as always if you're visiting
[00:09:12] with us we are so glad to have you with us if you're here with us in person please make sure that you get with one of the ushers and get one of our visitors packets and if you're online
[00:09:24] please make sure you go to the bottom of our website there's a contact form there so we can get more information about you and get you connected here at Fairview.
[00:09:33] With that, let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

[00:12:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:12:10] Please join me for our responsive call to worship.
[00:12:15] Come near to God, for he is already drawing near to you.
[00:12:20] We have come to worship and know him more.
[00:12:24] Show us your presence, O Lord, our God, for we desire it more than all else.

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:12:31] so today is a special day we're going to recognize that our kids that are going into sixth grade so they're moving up the youth group and this year we have two joining us and that's taylor gray
[00:16:06] who is not here today because they are enjoying a great vacation so we're going to be in prayer for Taylor, and then we have Dominic Stutz. Stand here one minute. All right, so you are getting a
[00:16:26] teen study Bible, so that Bible is going to help guide you as you grow and come into your faith where you're on your own understanding with it, and you see every single person in here.
[00:16:39] Every single person in here is here for you and praying for you, and you can come to any of us if you have questions about anything, okay?
[00:16:47] Okay.
[00:16:47] And welcome to youth group.
[00:16:52] Keep standing there.
[00:16:54] Just stand right there.
[00:16:55] We'll go to your backpack.
[00:16:57] And now if all of our students and teachers would come forward, please.
[00:17:16] So it is that time of year where it is time to return to school.
[00:17:21] Summer has gone by fast, I feel like.
[00:17:22] So we are going to pray over all of our students and teachers and school staff, and we we are done if you guys will take your bags with you back to the seats okay so if you will all bow your heads loving and gracious god as a new school year begins we
[00:17:41] bring before you these backpacks and all who will carry them may these backpacks be more than bags filled with books and supplies may they be reminders that you walk behind us every step of the journey bless all the students as they learn grow and discover the gifts you have given
[00:17:56] them. Fill them with curiosity, courage, kindness, and perseverance. Help them to make wise choices, show compassion to others, and remember that they are deeply loved by you. Bless our teachers, administrators, counselors, teacher assistants, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians,
[00:18:16] nurses, office staff, and every person who serves in our schools. Grant them patience, wisdom, strength, and joy as they care for and encourage those entrusted to them.
[00:18:27] When the days are exciting, remind us to give thanks. When the days are challenging, remind us that your presence never leaves us. Help each person entering our schools to be a light in the world, sharing your love through words and actions. May these backpacks carry
[00:18:43] not only the tools for learning, but also the assurance of your grace, your peace, and your unfailing love keep all who enter our schools safe in your care guide them in truth and surround them with faithful friends and caring hearts we send them into this new school year with
[00:18:59] our love our prayers and our blessing trusting that you go before them walk beside them and remain with them always in the name of jesus christ we pray amen be found on number 593 in

[00:19:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:19:42] your red hymnal here i am lord please stay first scripture reading is from james 4 verses 8 through

[00:24:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:24:16] 10 draw near to god and he will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded lament and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
[00:24:40] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:24:45] Good morning.
[00:25:02] Please join me in our affirmation of faith.
[00:25:07] I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried the third day he rose from the dead
[00:25:30] he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Spirit the Holy Catholic Church the communion of saints the forgiveness of sins
[00:25:51] the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting amen I love that hymn here I am

[00:26:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:26:11] Lord in that version of the hymn though I think there's a little bit of a misunderstanding because it is taken from the calling of Samuel and when he runs to him and says hey I heard the
[00:26:28] voice of God. I heard the voice of God. So, so I'm here, master. What would you have me do?
[00:26:35] And so in that verse of it, it says, here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? And I always wondered about that one. And when I was a young kid, my brother changed those words for me. And I still, to this
[00:26:50] day, when I, I read that hymn, I change the words every time. You see, God didn't question. There was no question that he has called us. So don't ask, is it I, Lord? Proclaim it. It is I, Lord.
[00:27:09] It is I you've called. I have heard you calling in the night. I will go. And another word that I wondered about when we heard this one, it says, if you lead me. Well, if you have said, I am
[00:27:25] following you, God, he will lead you. It's not a matter of an if, it is as he leads you. So I change those words every time I hear that hymn. And as we gather together in the community of saints, and as
[00:27:42] we work out and we're called to go serve people with our times, our prayer, our gifts, our service, and our missions and our witness, I asked you, are you accepting the call that God has called to you?
[00:27:58] Are you still questioning it? Is it I, Lord? Is it I? If you'll lead me, God. No. He's gonna lead you.
[00:28:11] He is leading you. His presence is right here with you. So as you are giving up your offering to God today. I want you to take that plate into your hands, even if you're not putting anything in
[00:28:24] monetarily. I want you to put in your heart to the plate. I want to say, it is I, Lord.
[00:28:34] As you lead me, I will go and serve you. Think of one thing, one thing this week, you can serve God and offer it up. Again, as you touch the plate, we are going to offer up
[00:28:49] something to God. And as the ushers come forward, we have a special offering by a guest musician, Dylan, and our Isaiah on the piano. As we hear this, may we offer up our hearts, our lives,

[00:29:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:29:03] our mission toward God. Ushers, please come forward. Let us pray. You are the God who draws

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:33:15] near. You are the one who breathes life into us and gently turns our hearts toward your presence.
[00:33:22] Receive these gifts as a sign of our desire to come close to you. Bless what is given, bless those who give, and bless the quiet turning of every heart in this room toward your love, your voice,
[00:33:36] and your purpose. May this offering reflect not just our resources, but our readiness to be shaped by you, the God who is our beginning, our center, and our true home. Amen. Please be seated.

[00:34:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:34:01] Sisters and sisters, as always, I ask if you have your word with you to take it out. We will be reading from the Gospel of John today, the 15th chapter, verses 1 through 5. And as you hear these
[00:34:17] words I want you to long long for the connection long for that that very source of Christ God in you come and seek out God as we hear these words and may they connect us with the true vine
[00:34:40] hear now God's word for us I am the true vine and my father is he removes every branch in me that bears no fruit every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit
[00:35:04] you are already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you abide in me as I abide in you just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you
[00:35:21] unless you abide in me i am the vine and you are the branches those who abide in me and i and them bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing this is the word of god for
[00:35:41] us the people of God. Thanks be to God. Will you pray with me? Come Holy Spirit, as we journey into this new discipleship series, I ask you, oh God, that you would draw near to us.
[00:35:59] Show us how to be better disciples. Show us how to be connected. Show us how we find our identity, our spiritual identity in you and help us oh God live that out in every aspect of our lives
[00:36:21] in your mighty name we pray amen this morning we are going to be starting a new sermon series where we're going to be talking about becoming the disciple that God designed us to be we're
[00:36:38] going to be talking about the calling. And we're going to be talking about these things as we do over the next five weeks. But I want you to hear this. We are going to be doing a quick summary of
[00:36:49] the first three today because you have to understand where we're going. You see, I'll be honest with you. If I gave you a map today and I said, here is point A and that's all I wrote on
[00:37:04] the map. It isn't a very good map now, is it? I'll know where I'm at, but it won't tell me how to get to my destination, right? Many times we start off sermon series and we start to do that. We just
[00:37:18] give you a little glimpse of it, but don't give you an overview. And so this morning, I want you to hear this. We're going to be talking about the DNA of a disciple. You see, DNA is a neat thing.
[00:37:32] Every one of you has one. It's a part of the building blocks of who we are as human beings.
[00:37:37] There are so many different chromosomes that come together to create us as human beings.
[00:37:43] They give the identity of your eye color, your hair color, whether or not you will be bald later on in life or if you're going to be bald early on in life. It will give you all of the DNA markers
[00:37:55] that make up who you are, even identical twins, are different. They're different because of the little nuances in their DNA. So what I want you to hear when we're talking about this is there is
[00:38:11] not only something that builds up our physical being, but there is a spiritual being inside of you that needs to be plugged in to its spiritual DNA. And those three pieces, three cords of the
[00:38:26] DNA are the three letters of DNA. First, the one we're going to get to later on in this sermon is our divine strand. That is the divine part of the equation. Guess what? I don't know if you knew
[00:38:41] this, but you were designed for a divine relationship with God. Most people walk around their lives trying to figure out why they don't fit in, why it doesn't work, why all the different identities in the world don't match up to what they think they are. There's a reason for it.
[00:39:01] They're not plugged in to the divine strand, the very thing that tells us who we are and whose we are. So many people are struggling with their identity because they haven't got a good grasp on their DNA, spiritual DNA. The next part of it is beautiful. See, it is a divine nature
[00:39:25] that changes, transforms us. See, God changes our hearts. It changes our nature. See, so many people hear how I am. And they get that call to know who Jesus is. And they want to stay exactly the way
[00:39:44] they were. See, God designed you. God knows your potential. But so many of things in our lives are me-centered and me-conversation. And God's got to get a hold of a good disciple and transform their nature from the inside out. It has to give you a new identity. But the most of us are willing
[00:40:06] to just stay right where we are. And so we're caught up. We've got a divine connection, but we're not connected to the source enough to transform us. Nature is changed. Hearts are changed. The things you once loved may not be the same things you love after you know Jesus. I know that's not
[00:40:33] a popular conversation, but it is true. The things that you desire will change. The things you want in your life will change. The things you want to happen for your lives and your families will
[00:40:47] change. So our natures are changed. Our hearts are changed toward God. And the third strand is your action. Have you ever heard the phrase, action speaks louder than words?
[00:41:05] You've heard that phrase, right?
[00:41:07] Well, what are your Christian actions speaking?
[00:41:10] How are you acting in the world that shows a change in your life?
[00:41:14] How is the Spirit moving through you to transform the world around you?
[00:41:21] You see, every aspect of our DNA, our spiritual DNA, must be inactive.
[00:41:27] I mean active, it can't be inactive.
[00:41:30] So in other words, if I am not divinely connected to God, I will not get what God is calling to me to do. Maybe God is transforming me, but I'm not listening to what God is seeing,
[00:41:42] so therefore I have nature changing, but I'm not really connected with God, then a disciple will suffer. If I've got a good connection with God and I'm really letting God change me, but it's only for me, I'm not actually putting it into action in the world,
[00:41:59] then I am missing something.
[00:42:02] These are not personality traits that you can just put on or things you want to work on.
[00:42:08] All three must work together to make it.
[00:42:11] Just like if a DNA strand on your physical being was malformed, not given all of the information, you would not be able to have a full identity.
[00:42:22] That is like for us as Christians.
[00:42:27] I look around and I see a lot of Christians trying, Let me rephrase it.
[00:42:32] See, I keep on using the word Christian, and a lot of people use the word Christian, but I don't like that word.
[00:42:36] I want to call what Jesus called everyone, you are my disciple.
[00:42:43] Being a Christian means I look like Christ.
[00:42:46] That's what that means.
[00:42:47] That's the definition of a Christian, I look like Christ.
[00:42:49] But a disciple becomes transformed into the one he follows or she follows.
[00:42:55] The spiritual identity, your DNA, helps us understand where we are falling short.
[00:43:06] Or, if working well can give a powerful testimony of people living out their life, changing the world for the kingdom, doing the things we always sing about in our wonderful hymns, we hope for in our mission rooms when we talk about reaching out for the world,
[00:43:29] When the child is crying on the bench, wanting to know Jesus, wanting to know the love of God, all of these things, unless we put together our spiritual DNA, we will miss something.
[00:43:51] And when we miss something, when we miss something, the world suffers, the gospel suffers.
[00:43:59] And so today, those are the three things that we'll be talking about in the next three weeks.
[00:44:04] and I want you to hear that.
[00:44:05] It's a five-week sermon, but we're gonna be talking about DNA first and spiritual DNA, and that's where we're going.
[00:44:10] That's our map point.
[00:44:12] I want you to understand ABC, that's where we're going, or DNA, that's where we're going.
[00:44:16] But I want you to hear today that we're gonna be talking about the movements of the divine strand, that God designing us.
[00:44:25] In your bulletins, you will see a teaching expert right here.
[00:44:31] I'm going to go through some of this today.
[00:44:33] I want you to take this home and look at it. I want you to remember these pieces as we grow in our understanding of Jesus and our divine strand. There are four movements in which we
[00:44:46] will go over today in our sermon today, and I want you to hear this as we do. I want you to hear that God is drawing you to him. James, if you remember Kathy listening and hearing her give
[00:45:03] our first scripture reading. It was from James 4. And in James 4, it tells you, draw near to me.
[00:45:11] Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. See, there's a movement there. You see, the divine strand is like a outlet or a plug, ready to plug in. It's allowing us the power, the source of
[00:45:26] everything that we do. But the problem is, is so many Christians are walking around not plugged in.
[00:45:34] See, if I gave you a lamp right here, put it right in front of you, never plugged it in, will it shine for the light it was designed to do? No. Why? Because we're not connected
[00:45:49] to that divine. We must draw near to him. So I must pick up the plug and plug it in to the source, to the thing that powers us through our lives. How many of you have plugged in this week,
[00:46:06] this past week pastor how do i pull again okay i know these are redundant but i just want you to know if you have been praying with all your heart saying god i want to know you more that's one way
[00:46:21] if you worshiped god i'm not talking about gotten together in this wonderful sanctuary which i love worshiping in this sanctuary but did you worship outside this sanctuary did you praise god in the midst of it, did you seek him out and say, God, the reason why I'm this way, the reason why you've
[00:46:41] given me these blessings, the reason why all of this is working out is you are fueling me. You're the one who's the source of everything. Did you wake up early enough to see a sunrise? When I was
[00:46:55] young, just a few years ago, I went to the beach and I got up early enough to watch the sun rise over the horizon at the ocean. And I watched in awe as God rose up and showed his glory. I
[00:47:09] will tell you, I praised and worshiped God, not on a Sunday, but on that day when I saw his wondrous creation. So I asked you, did you connect with God? Because the first understanding is,
[00:47:27] before I can do anything, I must understand who he is. And the first movement that we have to do to help you better understand that is connecting with him. Prayer. Worship. How many of you,
[00:47:45] I've raised mine up during worship. How many of you have looked at this Bible this week? Okay, I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand, but I want you to think about it.
[00:47:55] How often did you raise it up? How often did you open the page of the Bible?
[00:48:00] today, yesterday, the day before. This is not a shaming. I'm saying these are the words of life.
[00:48:11] This is how you connect. This is like plugging it into the socket. But most Christians say, I'm good. I got enough power from what Pastor Nathan preached on Sunday that I'm good all throughout the week. No, please don't do that. Please don't do that. Because the word
[00:48:30] can fuel you for more ministry.
[00:48:33] Open your eyes to what the scriptures and what God wants you to do in your life.
[00:48:36] It will move you to your nature being changed.
[00:48:39] It will move you to action, but without being connected with the gospels and with the ministry and to this wonderful love letter God has written for you, you will be poorly sourced for the world.
[00:48:58] Those are some of the ways in which we connect, but I want you to understand the reason why we do this, why we pray, why we worship, why we do all of these things is
[00:49:07] it's also because we need to understand that God is preparing in us something. But before we can get to it, before we can get to our performance review, we must also learn that the presence of
[00:49:29] God is most important. Every time we have a meeting here at Fairview, why do you think we start with prayer. We start with prayer because, God, you're the source of this. When you start off your day,
[00:49:53] before your feet hit the ground, you say, God, you're the source of this. This heartbeat in my chest, this breath is a gift from you. This presence that you have drawn near to me is the
[00:50:17] reason I get up in the morning, and the reason why I don't fear to place my head upon my pillow.
[00:50:23] It is the reason I am able to do anything. And my performance, what I do, pales in comparison to knowing you, the one who created it all. Too many of us are looking for our performance. What is the church doing before they realize how are they living in the presence
[00:50:48] of God. Presence is important. And that helps me. That is a good marker to tell me if you are living in the presence, not in the performance. If you are living in that one, that tells me you're
[00:51:03] connected to the divine strand. Another thing that really is hard for most disciples to hear is that God is wanting a relationship, not to add on more responsibilities.
[00:51:22] How many of you, when you get up in the morning, have a checklist of responsibilities that you have to check off to get done?
[00:51:33] Your task list becomes the overriding thing of whether or not your day was successful.
[00:51:39] I want you to know, you getting up and being in a relationship with God makes the day successful.
[00:51:45] No matter what you turn out, no matter what happens in your life, if you are saying, I was successful today, no, I didn't get this done, I didn't get, no, no, no, no, no, no.
[00:51:56] Did you have a relationship with Jesus today?
[00:51:58] Ask that question.
[00:52:00] Did you have a relationship with Jesus today?
[00:52:04] Were you crying out to God?
[00:52:05] That's why we pray.
[00:52:08] Did you spend some time in his word as he spoke to you?
[00:52:12] Did you put into your relationship as much as you put into what you were trying to accomplish today?
[00:52:22] See, your divine strand is very evident in what you put your time and your effort into.
[00:52:33] It's not your responsibilities.
[00:52:36] God did not create you to be a human doing.
[00:52:39] he created you to be a human being. Be in God's presence. Be in God's relationship.
[00:52:51] Here's the other thing. The third thing is God wants to know if your call, he's listening to his call. Remember our nice, wonderful hymn that I talked about? Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord.
[00:53:12] I have heard you crying in the night I will go Lord as you lead me I will hold your people in my heart see that prayer right there says I am more important more important than anything
[00:53:33] that God will do in this world is the fact that he called me he called me he called you this week to be in a relationship. He's called you not in what you're doing, but he's called you
[00:53:52] by name. One of my favorite verses, I've called you by name and you are mine. The word says that about you. When was the last time you spent that much time with the divine to understand
[00:54:10] And my identity is wrapped up in my relationship, my presence of God in my life, in this sense of calling that he has called me to today.
[00:54:28] You see, the last part that really shows a person, a disciple, not a Christian, a disciple that's really connected with God is this sense of intimacy.
[00:54:41] Have you ever heard somebody who's really in love with God pray?
[00:54:48] Oh, it's so sweet.
[00:54:53] You hear him say, or that person say, God, you are my father.
[00:54:58] Abba, I love you.
[00:55:00] Thank you, God, for this day.
[00:55:03] God, it hurts.
[00:55:05] Okay, I want you to hear this.
[00:55:06] A divine thing doesn't always mean that it's going well in your life, but it means that I'm connected no matter what it happens.
[00:55:13] And you see that cord that I said was powering our lives?
[00:55:18] It is like an anchoring mower in the midst of a storm.
[00:55:21] It will hold you fast when you don't know which way is up, when the waves are crashing over your bow and you have no clue what north is.
[00:55:30] God is your true north.
[00:55:39] See, there's an intimacy in our conversation.
[00:55:44] and before he calls you to activity, before he tells you go out into the oceans, go by the faces, go through the storms, there is an intimacy. There's an intimacy with God that is evident
[00:56:00] in a person connected with God. So I ask you, in your life, where are you connected?
[00:56:14] Where are you using those gifts, those wonderful things in which we have heard today?
[00:56:21] Where have you been worshiping? Where have you been praying? Where have you been reading the word? Where have you been growing? Because without this divine strand, we have a calling that is self-driven, not spirit-led. A ministry that becomes performance instead of an overflow
[00:56:40] of our relationship with God. I have seen this. I have been in churches, and you've probably been in churches where it felt like a performance. Anybody been in a church like that? Felt like a performance? See, that tells me the divine strand is not being tended. That tells me that
[00:57:04] our busyness has replaced our fruitfulness. Our gospel reading today talked about being connected with the vine. How many of you have been like a withered branch, a branch you found on a pathway that it's fallen off the tree and sits there
[00:57:19] and when you touch it, it's brittle and broken.
[00:57:21] Why are we living as Christians like that?
[00:57:26] When God calls us to a relationship to be connected, to feed upon the power and the place of our identity, which is I am, I am Yahweh, God.
[00:57:50] Brothers and sisters, if we are sitting here today without this critical part of our DNA, we are going to struggle. And I see too many Christians struggling this way. So what are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about it this
[00:58:09] week? Well, pastor, I can, I can read my Bible every day. I'll hold you to that. I'll hold you to that. Well, pastor, I can, I can, I can pray. I don't have that intimacy yet. Trust me. You know
[00:58:28] how you build intimacy? Time. Time spent. How you build intimacy? Having a relationship. How you build an intimate relationship is you have to have a relationship. You've got to put the time and effort into it. You have to put forth the effort. Everyone who's ever been a Christian
[00:58:52] thinks that God is just going to come in and fix it. It's going to make it happen. No. Just like a relationship with your spouse does not happen unless you put in the effort, so is it with God's.
[00:59:05] You must turn toward him. It says, I draw near to me and I will draw near to you. See, God is already wanting to draw near to us, but we have to plug in. We have to tie in. We have to be grafted in
[00:59:21] to the vine. When we do that, our hearts turn. The nature gets changed. Relationships deepen.
[00:59:36] Calls become clearer. Remember I told you about that map? I don't know where I'm going. Well, you know what? One of the beautiful thing about a map is on the top there is this thing. It looks
[00:59:49] like a compass. It tells you which direction things are. You don't know which way is up. And I'd be honest with you back in the old day when you had to look at the map unless you had that
[01:00:00] key to tell you this is the top of the map you'd be turning it and you had no earth the idea which way you were going right now we have google maps and all that stuff and so you don't have to worry
[01:00:10] about that you have gps I understand that but now back in the day you had to turn it to find where your north is because you don't know the divine strand does that it helps us be able to be more
[01:00:24] clear about the calling which God has called us. And guess what? You know that twig that's on the floor on the pathway that you stepped on and on that path? It wasn't bearing much fruit, was it?
[01:00:39] Was it? Christians, we will bear no fruit. That's what scripture says. You can do nothing. He said, you will bear no fruit for my kingdom if you are not connected with me. So Christians, one of the most important things about our identity of our spiritual DNA is to be connected,
[01:01:01] to have the presence of God in our lives, to understand the relationship that we have with him, to understand that God is calling us, to understand that the intimacy with God is not an option. It is a thing that must be a part of a Christian disciple. Brothers and sisters,
[01:01:20] where are you on this road of being a disciple this is a call a convicting call hopefully the Holy Spirit is moving on you right now and saying this is what I want to do pastor I will do this
[01:01:36] good I'll hold you to it I'll hold you to it hold me to it because if we are not living out our spiritual DNA if we're not connected to that divine strand scripture says we can't do nothing
[01:01:58] I want to do something don't you I want God to move in my life I want that intimacy I want to see the sun rise and say God you did it again I want to take in that breath of life
[01:02:19] and say God thank you for you breathe into me the breath of life I want to feel that heartbeat in my chest and say thank you for giving me more time to do your good
[01:02:37] work in this world? What will your response be? Will you pray with me? Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful gathered here. And as we hear these words of challenge, of our spiritual DNA, we ask you, oh God, convict us. I know that word hurts, but convict us.
[01:03:12] turn our hearts towards you turn our lives towards you because you have designed us to be in relationship with you and you have made a way for that relationship to be possible through your son jesus christ and in you oh god in christ jesus we are grafted into this great vine
[01:03:41] so that we might be a part of your kingdom, a part of your family. May we not forget to spend time with you. In your mighty name we pray. Amen. Conviction calls us into confession.
[01:04:06] Confession is something that is a dirty word for a lot of folks. Why? Because then we have to verbally say out loud the things where we've fallen short. But guess what? Here's the thing.
[01:04:16] God doesn't hold the things you've done against you unless you don't confess.
[01:04:26] Meaning you have to confess to God.
[01:04:28] Say, this is where I'm at.
[01:04:30] This is where I'm at.
[01:04:31] I'm not where I'm supposed to be.
[01:04:33] You told me this is where I'm supposed to be on the map, but I can't.
[01:04:36] I'm not there.
[01:04:39] God will draw near to you and help you understand this.
[01:04:43] And when doing this, he gave us a way through Christ.
[01:04:47] so as we come to the table today as we come before God and share in this great mystery of communion we come with a prayer of confessions and you will find this on your screen merciful God we confess
[01:05:04] that we have not loved you with our whole heart we have failed to be an obedient church we have not done your will. We have broken your law. We have rebelled against your love, and we have not
[01:05:18] loved our neighbors. We have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience through Christ our Lord. Amen. Hear the good news. Christ died for us while we
[01:05:55] were yet sinners. This proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
[01:06:06] In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. Brothers and sisters, join me in our great thanksgiving. The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the
[01:07:20] Lord our God, it is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere, to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image. You breathed life
[01:07:38] into us. And when we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity to sin and made a covenant to be our sovereign God. And so with your people on
[01:07:54] earth and all of company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the
[01:08:09] highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ. Your spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor,
[01:08:24] to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce the time had come when you would save your people.
[01:08:37] he healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By his baptism of suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church. You delivered us from slavery to sin and death and made us with us a new covenant by water and the spirit. And when the Lord Jesus ascended,
[01:09:02] he promised to be with us always in the power of your word and the Holy Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us he took the bread he gave thanks to you blessed are you oh lord our
[01:09:22] god king of the universe who brings forth grain from the fields he took the bread and he broke it realizing that this was the bread his body the cost of grafting us into the vine he gave it to
[01:09:59] his disciples said, take ye. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise, when the supper was over, he took the cup. Looking into the reflection of the cup, he knew that he would be the sacrifice to make it all possible. He lifted it up to you.
[01:10:34] Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the fruit of the vine.
[01:10:45] And he gave it to his disciples and said, drink from this, all of you.
[01:10:48] This is my blood of the new covenant shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin.
[01:10:54] Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
[01:11:14] And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us.
[01:11:28] As we proclaim the mystery of faith, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
[01:11:38] Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup, that we may be the body and blood of Christ, that we may be the for make them for us the body and blood of Christ that we might be for the world
[01:11:54] the body of Christ redeemed by his blood by your spirit make us one with Christ one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast in a heavenly
[01:12:10] banquet through Jesus Christ, Son. And with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen. Now with the confidence of those who have the presence of God, who have the relationship with God, who have the calling in their lives
[01:12:38] to become disciples and who have the intimacy of knowing who he is for us, the vine. Let us now say the prayer that he taught us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
[01:12:56] come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not to temptation but
[01:13:12] deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen i will now ask those who are communion servers to please come forward though we are many we are brought
[01:14:30] together as one body in this sacrifice for us one body broken for us and though we are many we partake in one cup reminders that god has shed this light to be the divine sacrifice and the
[01:14:54] divine source of all our lives one cup for us all are welcome all are welcome to the table as it is set for you all.
[01:15:39] If you have a gluten allergy, there will be a station here in the center for you.
[01:15:44] Please come as you are able to receive the mystery of God in our lives, to be connected with the divine in our hearts.

[01:15:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:15:54] Come, draw near to him and he will draw near to you.

[01:22:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[01:22:37] I hope you felt his presence at the table.
[01:22:40] I hope that you knew his intimate love for you today and how he gave it all on the cross for us.
[01:22:49] As we gather together in celebration of this holy mystery, let us now join in our communion responsive prayer.
[01:23:00] Eternal God, we give thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
[01:23:07] Grant that we may go into the world with the strength of your spirit to give ourselves to others.
[01:23:14] in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Now let us stand as he has called us. Let us be about singing the worship song, Be Thou My Vision, found on page 451 and on your screen. Please stand.
[01:25:27] Brothers and sisters, fellow ones of the call, fellow disciples of the one we call Jesus, go into the world and seek out his presence this week seek out his relationship that he desires to have with you
[01:25:47] seek out his call for you on every aspect of your life and seek out the intimacy of a Lord and God who made you who breathed life into you that you might go into the world
[01:26:02] to be transformed in this coming in his presence. Go in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by his praise and by his grace. Amen.