Spiritual Growth Is Not a Solo Event

My sermon, Last Sabbath, I talked about the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit and that it's an indwelling presence in our life. And as we yield to God, as we submit ourselves to Him and respond, then He interacts with us. And we begin to take on God's very own nature as a part of our nature and our character. We become partakers of the divine nature, literally by God's Spirit, in our interaction and our relationship with God. And through that process, hopefully we're looking less and less like our former selves, more and more in the likeness of God. Now, that transformation that I spoke about takes place on a very personal and intimate level.

God called each and every one of us individually. It wasn't like en masse. I'll call a thousand people and sort of bring them in as a lump sum. Individually, God calls us and works with us. Individually, He gives us His Spirit, and we respond individually to Him. And so we have very much a direct and individual relationship with God. We don't get into the kingdom on somebody else's relationship with Him. So in that sense, it is very individual and personal. But what I'd like to convey to you today is that our spiritual growth as a Christian was not designed by God to be merely a solo event. As in, it's me and you, Lord, and that's all I need to grow in this calling you've given me. Our calling from God is not intended to be merely a solo event. Again, it's true. God calls us on an individual basis. But at the time of our baptism and the receiving of His Spirit, we become a part of something much bigger than simply ourselves. We become a part of a spiritual body. The Bible calls it the body of Jesus Christ, the Church of God. And it's an assembly that God has called us into. Now, as active members of that body, our spiritual growth is not intended to be something that simply happens off in a corner somewhere. You know, just kind of 100% solitary on my own, separated from anyone else. Again, you and me, Lord, and no one else. God intends that our spiritual growth personally involve that intimate relationship with Him, but also the intimate relationships that we develop with the rest of the body of Christ as well. So the title today for my message is, Spiritual Growth is Not a Solo Event. Spiritual growth is not a solo event. Indeed, God has designed it so that the body plays an important role in the growth of each and every one of us in this calling that we have. The question I'll begin with today is, how important is assembling with a congregation to you? How important is assembling with a congregation to you? Coming here, each Sabbath, coming here on the Holy Days and rubbing shoulders, interacting, having conversations, lifting each other up. How important is that process to you? And how high of a priority do we put on it? You know, is it just sort of, if I feel up to it today, maybe. Or is it a high priority whereby it's the exception or exceptional circumstances that prevent us from coming together? When Darla and I were first married, there's a number of conversations that you have when you're courting and then you're first married. And one of the conversations we had was that neither one of us wanted to live anywhere, ever, if it wasn't in range of a Church of God congregation. As in, it didn't matter what the opportunities were or what doors seemed to open, you know, what salary an employer might promise you. If it wasn't within range of a congregation of the Church of God, we didn't want to go. We said that won't even be an open door or even an opportunity for consideration. Because assembling with the people of God for us was that high of a priority.

But you know what time's changed? 25 years since we've been married, and things change. The technological age has changed. When Darla and I were first married, again 25 years ago, we didn't have the webcast. And I didn't think to ask Alan, but if memory serves, it was probably about 1996, 1997, somewhere in that range that the webcast started. The cybercast out of Spokane, it was an audio signal on dial-up internet. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Now we have high speed, and sometimes it's the best of times, and it's the worst of times. But we have this blessing. It's the ability for the word to go out in a way that it couldn't go all those years ago. The fact is, right now, if you have a computer, if you have a smartphone, if you have a tablet, anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet access, you could connect and you could hear my voice right now. And so we have the opportunity to just simply connect and in some way engage from a distance. But is it the same? Is it the same? Technology has changed, and the ability to connect at least to hear a service is the same.

Isn't that good? Now it does serve a purpose, and it serves a good purpose. But for us, I think sometimes we can almost think, well, this is kind of nice. This is easy. Saturday morning I can sleep in, roll out of bed, flip on the computer, sit there with my cup of coffee and my bunny slippers, and enjoy a sermon, and then just sort of be on my way. Well, the webcast does serve a very important purpose. We're connected to congregations right now through the webcast. And there's people out there on the webcast who are shut in and not able to attend, and it's a vital lifeline, really, to connect to the service and to the congregation. But what about the importance of assembling with the people of God when we are able? How high of a priority, again, do we place on those things? You can talk to those who spend much time on the webcast. My mother-in-law mentioned to me this week that she's grateful for the webcast, but she says it certainly isn't the same as assembling with the people of God, having that interaction and that encouragement. But there are people who, for health reasons, are homebound or shut in. There are times where the weather is such that last year in December, we canceled services once Sabbath on the circuit, and we just ran a webcast from here, because we had a foot of snow all around the area and the weather was bad. There are legitimate times where the webcast serves a very important purpose. But does it alleviate the need for us to assemble on the Sabbath? Does it relieve us from the obligation? And why assemble together anyway? Well, there's two important reasons I'd like to cover today why we come as God's people and assemble on the Sabbath day. And the first is that God commands this assembly. You know, it's the best reason, the most straight-up reason, God commands this assembly. But why? So that'll lead to our second point that we'll look at, which is the purpose that we assemble. The purpose is that God has the work that He's doing in us and through us, and a big portion of that work requires us to come together as the body, as this iron sharpening iron, as the body is assembled before Him. God does a great work in us. I want to begin in Leviticus chapter 23 today to start with. Leviticus 23, we'll just take a look at the command directly that God gives us to assemble. Leviticus chapter 23, beginning in verse 1, it says, The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, These are my feasts. We can start out by asking, whose feasts are they? Whose Sabbaths? Whose holy days are they? Are they the Sabbaths of the Jews? No, they're not. Well, are they the Sabbaths of the United Church of God? They're not. God says, These are my Sabbaths. These are my feasts. And you'll assemble before Me. Again, verse 2, The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, These are my feasts. So God says, This is a meeting that is being convoked. It is assembly of my people. And as a holy convocation, God will be in our midst. Because of and by ourself, we can make nothing holy. But God says, You be there, and I will be there in your midst. I am your God, and you are my people. And on this day, we will come together.

We receive this personal limitation from God. And as a point of being here, what we have to come to understand is God has a very special work that He's doing through us and in us right here today.

Verse 3 says, Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work in it. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. So we don't just make up, you know, mark a date on the calendar that looks good enough for us. Now, these are God's appointed times. These are the times He's called us into assembly. And as chapter 23 goes on, you can read through those other holy days that God has appointed as well.

So, brethren, we're called by God to be active participants in assembling together at the appointed times, and to the degree that we can, we must. There's times where there's exceptions for sick, if we're shut in, if we're traveling, you know, the webcast is a wonderful tool, and those are out there who legitimately need it. But if we can, we have the ability to assemble with God's people on the Sabbath, we must. Because God has a work that He's doing in us and through us, and He's called us into assembly for that purpose. There's times where perhaps we have reasons, legitimately, again, that we haven't made it to services, but sometimes there's reasons that we build up in our mind that might disconnect us or separate us from the congregation in a way that really shouldn't be.

You know, sometimes people choose not to assemble with the congregation because some of the offense has occurred. Someone's offended them, they didn't apologize, now you have kind of this offense that has occurred, and they say, well, I'm not going back there. Sometimes people fail to assemble with the congregation because they look around the church and they say, you know, there's people there with problems.

I'm trying not to look at anybody as I... So people say, you made a point and you looked right at me. So, let's look at my wife, she'll forgive me later. So, no, but people look around and they say, you know, that's a dysfunctional place. There's people with problems. There's people with faults, you know, there's people with sins. There's people with weaknesses, and you know what? I don't want to be in the midst of that. How could that be God's church? I think I'll stay home with myself. Sometimes people separate from the church because, again, someone has stepped on their toes.

You know, at some level, brethren, we are all dysfunctional. If I can... I'll be an equal opportunity insulter today. We are a dysfunctional people that God has called out of a dysfunctional world, but He's teaching us to be functional, and He's given us the ability to work together and by His Spirit. We're to be moving towards, moving forward towards the destination that God has called us to, but we are indeed a work in progress. So, if you're looking for a church full of perfect people, then you probably won't be happy until you're sitting at home by yourself.

But if you're looking for a church and a congregation with people that like to assemble according to God's command, and we're seeking to learn and to grow and to look into God's Word and make changes in our life, then certainly assembled with the church of God is where we need to be on the Sabbath. But again, we're work in progress. All these reasons and others may be true as to why somebody would feel that now they're not going to assemble with the congregation, but none of them give us an excuse not to assemble as God has commanded us.

You know, because somebody stepped on my toes, or somebody, you know, they never say the right thing to me, or I just don't like it, they're too happy all the time. That person's just too happy. You know, there's times where maybe we're not comfortable, but none of those things are a legitimate excuse not to assemble with God as He's commanded. Again, assembling is essential to our Christian growth. It's essential to our direct and personal relationship with God as well.

And frankly, the congregation is a place where we're all in training. This environment right here, the congregation, is a place where we're all in training. We're learning principles of God's Word, but then we're also implementing them. This is a school. I had it in my notes, and I scratched it out, and then I used it, and I scratched it. The term boot camp, I don't know if this comes across as a negative thought in your mind or not, but this is boot camp for the kingdom of God.

God has given us His Word, His instructions, and we're to learn to live them. And sometimes it's a challenge, and sometimes we're not perfect with it.

And other times we as well overcome, and it works well, and we say, Isn't this wonderful what God has called us to? But this is a school. It's a school for learning and practicing this way of life together. This is the environment, brethren, where we learn godly patience. And how do you learn patience apart from having to be patient with people? It's a place where we learn godly love, agape, and how do we learn that apart from having to love one another and maybe even be put at times in circumstances or with people that test that? That we have to say, What is this love really about? And how do I love this person as God has extended love to me? This is where iron sharpens iron, because we learn things here, and then we go our way out into the world. And as Mr. Imes was talking about, we have certain circumstances that allow us to put this into practice or to give an answer. But this is to be a zone where we're immersed in the way of God because we're all doing the same thing. And we're seeking after God together. And we're seeking to grow together. And this is to be a learning experience for things that God is teaching us towards the kingdom of God. God wants us to be ready when His kingdom comes. And sometimes there'll be difficulties within the congregational structure that we have to work through. But all of these things are part of the learning process today, preparing us yet again for the future. Because this world, at the return of Jesus Christ, will be a very dysfunctional place. And you and I are going to be reigning alongside Christ, learning to bring function from dysfunction, that which is this world.

And the lessons God would have us to implement then is allowing us to learn today, as He brings us together as a congregation. We're called by God to be active participants in the congregation of believers, not just spectators, not just kind of off in the corner on our own, but active participants.

After all, that is what we are by design.

The New Testament has a word. It's ecclesia. I've gone through that a number of times. Ecclesia means called out ones, called into assembly. The church comes from ecclesia, and it means assembly. And it's the people, not the building. And if there's one thing that the assembly should be able to do well, it is assemble. And God has called us to do so for a reason.

Let's look at Hebrews 10, verse 23.

We're going to walk through some of the principles that we exercise as we come together as God's people.

Hebrews 10 and verse 23. These are all things for our good and our benefits and our spiritual growth before God.

Hebrews 10 and verse 23 says, You mean we're actually admonished to think of someone besides ourselves in this calling?

Well, that's what the instruction is here in Hebrews, verse 24 of chapter 10. Let us consider one another.

Look out for one another. Engage with one another. Think about one another.

Have a relationship with one another in order to stir up love and good works.

So we're to consider each other in order to provoke a response in one another and a positive response.

That of love and good works. And brethren, you can't effectively do that if you're not coming together. If you're not assembling, if you're not having a relationship with one another, we must come together to do those things.

The congregation exists to bring God's people together in a closer relationship with Him and a closer relationship with one another for the benefit of all.

Verse 25 says, So it says that some actually walk away from the congregation thinking it's of no real benefit to them.

I can do better over here, or better off by myself, or better, you know, again, if I don't have to deal with all those people and their problems and their issues and their struggles.

And somehow I'm just better off separating myself. We're told not to do the same. Not to follow in the same course.

The day of the Lord is drawing nearer and nearer than it has ever been.

And the urgency of the times is increasing, it is not decreasing.

And brethren, right alongside that, the need for us to strengthen one another and exhort one another as the instruction is, is increasing.

It's not decreasing.

So we're told not to forsake that assembling together, but exhort one another so much more as we see the day approaching.

But we can't do that unless we're together, unless we're interacting, unless we're sharing.

The Sabbath day is a minimum. It's one time a week, and this principle ought to be expanded even beyond that.

Whenever we have opportunities at Bible studies, on a moving crew, getting together in one another's home, whatever it is, this is iron sharpening iron and an opportunity to help us to grow spiritually.

Consider also, if you would, from these verses, if we're all together in the congregation, and we're stirring one another up to love and good works, who's going to be the recipient of those things?

Well, it's going to be the rest of us as well, isn't it? Among us in the congregation.

If you're provoking me to love and good works, and I'm doing the same to you in return, that will spread out into the world around us.

Much of the benefit will be reaped by the congregation right here, by the relationships that we have, in the way that we hold one another up in this common calling that God has brought us to.

We're the beneficiaries, but we have to submit ourselves to the process.

So again, spiritual growth is not intended to be a solo event.

Let's go to Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2. Look at the words of the Apostle Paul, verse 17.

Ephesians 2 and verse 17, speaking of Jesus Christ.

And he says, And he came and preached peace to you who were far off, and to those who were near, speaking of the reconciliation through Christ that comes to be now between the historic people of God, the Jews and the Israelites, and the Gentiles.

Gentiles were far off by that reckoning. The people of God were near. And it says, He came and preached peace to those who were far off and those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Verse 19, Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together, and I want to focus us on the word here, together, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

So the point is, God doesn't want us to be a bunch of rocks scattered out in the fields.

On the road to Kettle Falls this morning, I like that drive up there. You're going through the country, you're going through the wheat fields and the alfalfa fields, and you see barns and you see houses and all kinds of different structures. And up around Tooele, there was a structure that I saw that it looked like it had been built out of stones that were just kind of gathered around the property.

Like they went out into the fields and gathered in these stones and they built up this structure.

Well, for me, this is the visual image when I read about the Church of God being living stones, being built together as a house, as a structure, the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

When we come together and we assemble the congregation, we assemble the structure.

The stones come together and we strengthen that mortar between us by our interactions, by the way we lift one another up.

And so we assemble the structure for the benefit of the whole.

Additionally, God gave us the congregation so that we might learn to love just as Jesus Christ has loved us.

So notice John 13.

Again, God has given us the congregation so that we would learn to love just as Jesus Christ has loved us.

John 13, verse 34.

These are the words of Christ.

John 13, verse 34.

Jesus says, A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

So this isn't just a suggestion, or I recommend you do this.

No, he says this is a commandment. This is a law. It's the law of love.

Now love isn't a new commandment. Christ says, a new commandment I give to you.

And we say, well, love isn't a new commandment.

After all, the holy... or, excuse me, not the holy days, but the Ten Commandments, they're summed up in love, and Christ had said so during his ministry.

Love towards God, love towards neighbor.

So how is what Christ is saying here a new commandment?

Well, love is not a new commandment, but that you love one another as I have loved you.

That is the new commandment.

That is a commandment that Christ says, you know, you must do.

Sometimes the concept of love can get poo-pooed or swept under the carpet as sort of a lesser commandment, as in, okay, all right, we've heard about love, now we're hearing about it again.

Well, the point is, love is not the least of commandments. It is the greatest of commandments, and it is the principle under which all of God's commandments are fashioned.

Again, love towards God first and foremost, love towards one another as well.

So Christ said a new commandment is that we love one another as I have loved you.

And the fact is, we've been placed into the congregation as a whole, as an assembly, so that we can learn how to exercise this commandment that he gave.

The love of Jesus Christ was a selfless, sacrificial love, was it not?

It was the love that was willing to lay down his life and sacrifice for his fellow man, those that he knew, and maybe even certainly those he did not know.

So it was not a self-serving love, it was a love of outward concern, it was a love that suffered wrong for the benefits of others.

And it was a love that served others' interests ahead of its own.

And Jesus Christ says, this is the love that you must be learning among yourselves.

And it is part of the reason we're gathered together as a congregation.

Try learning selfless, outgoing, sacrifice for other type of love, off in a corner by yourself, or you're not engaging with other people.

And he said this to his disciples, it is to be among you as my disciples.

The point is, we must be coming together so that we can exercise these things.

And notice what he says about those who would master this love. Verse 35, he says, By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

So this is going to identify who is a disciple of Jesus Christ. It's this love, it's this interaction of not just any kind of love, but the love by which he loved his disciples as well.

We'll notice here that Christ didn't say, By all this, by this all will know that you're my disciples if you have perfect doctrine, or if you have perfect understanding of prophecy.

Now, those things are absolutely important and critical to the Church of God. We must seek truth and doctrine. We must seek truth in what it is that God has given us through his word. But the point is, if that is all that we have, then you're not a disciple of Jesus Christ.

So, you know, a person could sit at home by themselves on their computer and have perfect doctrine.

But Christ says, If you're to be my disciples, this commandment must be active among you. And by this, all will know. They'll walk in the door and say, There's something different here. There's something unique about these people. They love each other, but it's more than that. They give themselves for each other. They lay their lives down for each other.

It's a Christ-like love that would identify the people of God. Again, frequent fellowship.

The Apostle Paul, we won't turn there, but in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 2, this is a slightly different type of love. This is agape. This is, of course, the love of God. But in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 2, Paul said, And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but I do not have agape, do not have the love of God, he says, I am nothing. The love of God is ultimately the love of Jesus Christ as well. God sacrificed and laid his...he sent the sacrifice for our behalf, and God serves us out of his love for us, and Christ did the same. So I'm not trying to distinguish the difference between agape and the love of Christ, but the point is, Paul said, I could have all these things, perfect knowledge, perfect understanding, faith to move mountains, but if I did not have love, I'm nothing. What does it amount to? But the point is, it's not one or the other, it's one and the other working together, and that is what's supposed to take place among God's people. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 14. Again, when we come together, we practice these things. This is an environment for learning, for growing, for improving, maybe even for making mistakes in a safe environment, where we can get up and dust ourselves off, other people can dust you off, and we can keep going together. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 14 says, For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Again, it's love that is that principle that fulfills the law of God.

If you practice it perfectly, then you know what? You will be practicing the law of God. Verse 15, it says, So he's saying, in other words, the opposite of love, if that's what's motivating us as a congregation, then he says you'll just rip each other to shreds until there's nothing left. So love has to be the motivating factor behind all that we do in building our relationships. Otherwise, Paul says, you'll destroy yourselves. Our relationships and our interactions with one another in the congregation, it's about God teaching us things that we need to learn for eternity, on how to get along, on how to resolve conflict, on how to grow in his way and rightly apply it. Again, this is an imperfect place because we're made up of imperfect people. But God has called us and given us his spirit, and we're to be moving in a direction that looks, again, less and less like self, more and more like the image of God. This is the place we learn how to grow in love as a family. But I acknowledge sometimes it would be easier to say, you know what, I think I'll just stay home. That would be easier than to have to face that person or that situation or that circumstance even. But God doesn't give us that option. He says, as my people, you're going to come together, and you're going to assemble, and you're going to have to learn how to demonstrate that love towards one another, not because it's just sort of a nice thing, but it's what you must learn in order to be in the kingdom of God. For us, it has to be that high of a priority. The ability to assemble as a congregation is a blessing, again, because it's our school for learning. And this is where we get to practice, not the easy stuff. This is where we practice the hard stuff. This is where the tough stuff happens, right, within the doors of this congregation, and at times it's a challenge. At times we stumble, we fall down. And other times we have fantastic victories in the things that we work to accomplish together. But it's all a process of coming here together in a learning environment, and growing spiritually together, brethren, that is not a solo event. Galatians 6, verse 1. Galatians 6, verse 1, Paul says, Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Well, that kind of takes a relationship, doesn't it? Number one, to even know what your brother is going through, and to have a close enough relationship with them that you can engage in the process, pulling them out of the fire if necessary. But again, if you don't have that relationship in place, they're going to say, Get away from me, don't touch me. We need to be able to say, I love you, my brother, my sister, please, let me help you. But again, we must be building those bonds. Verse 2 says, Bear with one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. So we're talking about love again here. Right? What is the law of Christ?

Well, that commandment is to love one another as I have loved you. If we're truly doing that, what will we be doing? Bearing one another's burdens. Well, how does that equal up with the love of Christ? Well, did not Jesus Christ bear the heaviest of our burdens? The death penalty that hung over every one of us, He took on Himself. He bore our burdens on the tree so that you and I could walk free. And He says, if you're going to love one another as I have loved you, bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

So there's going to be times where there's burdens, which means heavy lifting, which means difficult tasks and processes that we walk through, but we do it in service to each other.

I hear burdens for some reason, as it's related to the Bible, I tend to think of a donkey or a burrow or something in the Middle East just laden down with such a burden. Have you ever seen those pictures on Facebook? They've got such a load on them that really all you see is these feet sticking out from under this load of whatever is there. They're hauling around. Well, a number of us in the congregation, all of us, is probably safe to say, are hauling around some heavy loads. And at times we can carry those things just fine, but other times maybe we need someone who can come alongside and say, here, let me take a load off. Why don't you have a rest? Let me come alongside you and help you in this burden.

I don't know specifically what that looks like in every single circumstance, but I would say as people called out of this world, in some degree, we're damaged goods because this world is damaged. We're coming out of a dysfunctional world. We're serving a functional God, but it is a process. By His Spirit, He's bringing us along, but there's things that we've brought into the church from this world that are attached to us because of life. And we need to be able to yield to one another for help and assistance and strength and the ability to carry on and overcome certain things.

So to uphold others in their time of need is part of our calling. To put in an effort to help to strengthen and support others is part of our calling. And at times to submit ourselves to others and let them help us in our weakness, that's part of our calling as well, brethren. And it takes submission. And it takes humbling ourselves and yielding ourselves one to another.

And that's a very intimate thing. It's not usually something that's going to happen on the first day someone walks in the door, but it's a position we ought to be comfortable with putting ourselves in as we spend time together. And we yield to one another in this process God has called us to. Romans 15, verse 1.

Romans 15, 1, again the Apostle Paul, and he says, We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves. Well, what does he mean there has to be a weak? Isn't the point, you know, you just have the strong in one side and you just kind of push the weak out? So now all you have is a strong church, you know, get rid of the weak and keep the strong. That's not the way God has designed it. Paul says, We then who are strong, whoever that might be, ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, whoever that might be, and not to please ourselves.

Not just about me and what God has called me to. Me and you, Lord, I'll sit at home because those other people are kind of problematic and, you know, I get roped into things like moving crews and this, that, the other thing. You know, it's easier just to be at home and be with me. No, this is a process of together. He says, the strong bear the weak and it's not about us, personally. Verse 2, Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, lending to edification. Verse 3, For even Christ also did not please himself, but as it was written, The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, and that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is all to the glory of God. All right. Verse 7, Therefore receive one another just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Who did Jesus Christ receive? Well, a bunch of sinning, broken, condemned to death people. Right? And by his sacrifice, he's allowed an opportunity whereby we can be reconciled to God.

And he says, Paul says here that you may with one mind, one mouth, glorify God, and receive one another just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. So the manner in which we work through our interpersonal relationships as a congregation is to the glory of God. He gets the glory. He gets the credit. You know, how else would this group of people sitting right here ever end up in the same room together on a Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining, beautiful day out there, and this particular mix of people, how would we ever end up here together apart from the calling of God and the draw of his Spirit?

And if God has brought us here, then our working together and what we are able to accomplish together is not to our glory, it's to the glory of God. He gets the praise. None of the spiritual growth happens effectively apart from the interaction we experience as a congregation, and if we remove ourselves from the assembly, then we miss out on the opportunities for growth that God provides.

Much of what God does with us, he does through the congregation. He teaches us how to exercise outgoing love and concern through the congregation. God teaches us patience through the congregation. Compassion and mercy and forgiveness, letting go of hurts and wrongs. We're supposed to be learning that right here in the congregation. It is what God has given us to do. Unity and family relationships. This is the proving ground for the kingdom of God.

There's coming a time when all of this will mean something on a much bigger scale than it means right here. These are things we might say, well, how big of a deal is that, really? But our relationships here and what God can build among us mean something on a much larger scale, kingdom of God scale. Our scale is a scale bigger than what we can even comprehend, but this is the training ground. Don't cut yourself off from the experience.

Additionally, the congregation is also the place where we serve each other with the various gifts God has given us through His Spirit. He's added things to us that are for the benefit of all. Paul Moody is just a very small slice of the pie. What I bring is a very small slice of the pie, and I need what you bring and what you bring, and you need what I bring, and each other needs what the others bring. And again, when we come together, we assemble the house and all that God has given us for the benefit of the body. Notice 1 Corinthians 12. We'll wrap up in 1 Corinthians 12 today.

1 Corinthians 12 and 4. It says, There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministry, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. Everybody doesn't have just everything all in one person, so that I need nobody else. That's not what God is doing. Sometimes we think, well, you know, if I showed up in church and all there were was 75 Paul Moody sitting there, it would just be a lot simpler. I'll tell you, this would be a pretty boring place, in my opinion.

We're not all cookie-cutter pieces for a specific reason. Verse 6, and there are diversities of activities, the same God who works all in all. Verse 7, But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one, notice, for the prophet of all. So when God works in us by His Spirit, and we have gifts that are for the benefit of all, and they're diverse things that God adds to us. But the point is, we don't just, I'm taking my toys and I'm going to just sit over here and play with my toys and not share what God gives us by His Spirit. He gave us to be shared with all, and not just, I'm walking in the door so that you can all benefit from what I have to give. No, it's I'm walking in the door because there is something I can contribute, but I need what you have and you have and you have as well. And it comes together as a collective whole and a blessing. And so what you have been given by God profits me, and it leads to growth in me if we're interacting together. And what I have, hopefully, is a prophet to you as well and leads to growth in you, again, if we're interacting together. And it is what God has called us to do within the congregation. Verse 8, it says, You know, have you ever felt just down and depressed because you're going through a trial and maybe your faith was struggling, and you sat down and you talked to the little sweet widow lady, who basically had very little, except dependence on God? Your faith was so strong that you walked away feeling encouraged. Your faith was bolstered because you talked to her. That's a gift. That's God's blessing to His people, but we have to interact for it to take place. Verse 9, In other interpretation of tongues, God gives by His Spirit what it is that He wants His people to have at the time that they have it and the work that He is doing in them. Verse 11, All called individually, all given God's Holy Spirit, after you've come under baptism in that covenant, individually brought here individually but now made one in terms of the body. Verse 13, If the foot should say, because I'm not of the hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, because I am an eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were the hearing, where would be the smelling? You know, if all you had in the body was an ear, and remember it was an ear, then the body would be a really good listener, wouldn't it? But it wouldn't have much to speak or contribute to the benefit, so everybody plays a part.

Verse 18, So if we're going to be in a position where we're a spiritual help to one another, then we can't all be the same cookie-cutter image of each other. There has to be different personalities. There has to be different gifts. There has to be different strengths. And you know what? There has to even be different weaknesses as well, so that one can contribute to the other for the strength and the growth of the body. Notice verse 22.

If we seem to be weaker, he says, are necessary. Well, wait a minute. Again, when logic say, get rid of the weak parts and we'll just have a strong body. No.

He says, much rather those members of the body, which seem to be weaker, are necessary. God put them in the body for a reason.

We all have various weaknesses in certain ways. We have various strengths as well. There's others who have walked in the door with certain levels of baggage because of this. Life has beaten them up and God in His mercy has called them.

But God says, you know, you're not all cookie-cutter images of one another. And if you have strength, your job is to help somebody who needs some of that strength for themselves.

And God says, they are necessary to have in the body. It may not be, we need a strong person for the sake of the weak. Maybe at times we need a weak person for the sake of the strong. So the strong can learn to humble themselves and serve. So the strong can learn what it means to help take somebody who's been beaten and battered and bring them along in the way of God.

Again, this is preparation ground for the kingdom of God. And this world is going to be battered and beaten and weakened. And we're going to have to know, how do we bring them from one point to the glory that God has called them to?

Again, these things we learn in the congregation.

Much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor. And our unpresentable parts have greater modesty. But our presentable parts have no need, but God has composed the body, having given greater honor to that which part which lacks. That there should be no schism in the body, no division, no fractures, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Why? Because they're intimately connected together.

And if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So this is describing a group of people who God has called out of this world, who He is working with individually, and yet He has placed them into a body for the collective good of the whole. For the contribution that each can bring for the whole. And the contribution is going to be different from each of us, but you know what? The need for the other is going to be different from each of us as well. But the need is real, and it's there.

Brethren, our spiritual growth was not designed to be a solo event. Just kind of off, sitting at home by ourselves, sitting in the corner somewhere, detached from the rest of God's people. We are here because God has called us and placed us here. The ability to assemble together as God's people is a blessing that God intends us to not only do if we happen to be in the mood today.

But He says it is something that you need. It is for your eternal life, for your growth, and for your good. So let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Let's not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of song. Brethren, let us humble ourselves before one another and exhort one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching.

It's a blessing, brethren, that God has given us the Sabbath and the Holy Days. But again, it's not just about what I can receive from it. It's what I can contribute to someone else. And it's about what we can do as a congregation, as a body, by God's Spirit.

So I pray you have a blessed remainder of the Sabbath day. Brethren, let us enjoy our fellowship together.