"What Is A Healthy Church?"

I heard that story about a little old shirt, Little Country Church on the countryside that was painted white on the outside, really, really small building with a beautiful people on top. And I'm just kind of sat there on the hill and it been there for like a hundred years and the pastor one morning goes out of his study and he walks outside. And he listed this church on the outside and he's like, you know what, this church needs a little bit of a little bit of a space with the shirts. Need to be cleaned up. A little bit of paint is dry and it's it's old and starting to peel off the side of the building and fill the small church with even a smaller budget. And so, he decided he's going to go to the local like Piggly Wiggly with a few dollars and he's going to buy a brand new bucket of white paint and he's going to get out there and he's going to paint that shirt and repainted and make it kind of Sparkle again and shine again. And so he gets his gallon of white paint and take some tools and take the ladder. And he starts painting one of the walls of the church and its members of the gal. Haney paint with a roller, and it's looking really, really good. He goes to another start to do another wall and he is looking really, really good. But then you looked down after about, you know, 3 hours of painting and realizes that 75% of his pain is now, what is gone? And he still has like 70% of the church to do until we look. What do I do? Don't have any money to finish this project and he has a great idea. He says I know what I'll do is go to the back of the church, I'm going to go to the hose and I'm going to take the water and I'm going to put it into the Paint Bucket. I'm going to do what to the pain. I'm going to thin the paint a little bit and so he goes in Ethan's the pain. He takes his roller and he starts paying the rest of the church and it looks perfect. And it's all nice and sparkly and why he's like this is amazing. Well done. And he goes home. And he goes to bed, and as he's in bed. He starts to hear some, some noises outside of, of his of his house. And the noise sounds like a pitter patter of what falling from the sky rain. It starts to rain and it rains when it rains when it rains, Torrential downpours like Florida rain it. Pours all over the place and he starts to think themselves. Oh, know what's going to happen? Oh no. Something I just know. I just painted this morning and he walks up and he looks at the first two sides that he worked on 1st, and they look pretty good right there. Looks great. He goes to the other side of the building and what happened. All the pain has washed off. All the pay is not falling all over the ground and Spilled everywhere. It looks absolutely terrible. You see the undercoat. He's so upset and he cries out to God in heaven. He's like all our what on Earth would I do that moment that the skies literally split, and the Clouds park, and a voice from Heaven calls down. Here's what the boy says. It says, repaint and thin. No more. You ain't over that was going, just keep that up there. First, I can repay and stay with me, send no more. Sometimes a particular local church is nothing but vibrant and growing and healthy and beautiful and then at other times perhaps due to some bad decision-making on the L or some simple determination is made on behalf of the members. It may be in fact, necessary for a church that once was healthy but not healthy anymore for the skies to literally Park. The clouds to move out of the way and God to declare his people. Stay with me again, repaint and thin no more or as the bible really say it. What? Repent and sin? No more. So that is the people of God. We as a church, can get back to what I'm going to call this morning, spiritual balance. Well, I'm going to call this morning, spiritual Fidelity, or spiritual health. In fact, if you're taking notes this morning, right at the top of your notes, this question, what is a healthy Church? What is a healthy? Sure. Because Isley come to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 verses 1 through 3, as we're soon going to discover in this introductory preface or this preamble to Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. What we're going to find in these verses are some some foundational facts. What? We're going to find her some fundamental characteristics in regard to what a genuinely biblical and healthy Church actually. Looks like, how many of you want to be a part of a church but have a healthy Church? Today to be healthier. Yesterday. How many if you want it? Then it was. Your last month can I get a resigning amen for that want to help you Church itself, you have your Bibles up and look at me now at 1st Corinthians chapter 1 beginning and verse one, where the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the holy spirit is going to reveal three biblical attributes. He's got three scriptural qualities, which make up a balance, biblical and healthy church. Friends, what do we want today? We want a balanced biblical and healthy shirts, and I don't know if you want it yet cuz I haven't heard. If we want a balance biblical and healthy shirt and sew it all begins. And first one, where Paul says that he is Paul who is in fact, what's the second word there call? It was Ron. Paul is Call, we can't go fast. We're going to have to stay there for a little bit, Paul Effect called, and he's called as an apostle of Christ Jesus. Now, before we go any further, what we need to understand is that that word called in the original, Greek is the word play top, everything, clay sauce, we all learn some Greek this morning, Clay, and Clay talk. That actually find this root word. In another Greek word, which is Place either. They take Lacey and Clay, cease literally needs to be hand, selected to be clay. Tosses to be hand-picked into my go back here. I'm Han Solo thing. Every look over here and I can select someone and handpick, Abigail cuz this is Abigail's last day for a long time. So we toss places that is to be hand-selected or to be hand-picked. In fact, it was a term used in the first century, Greek didn't know, being individually invited to a party or to be individually invited to some sort of a of a celebration. And so I want you to notice here in verse one right away, that Paul is utilize. And this particular, Greek term in the Greek term is Play Talk Play. Talk to explain to his friends, then back in 5580, when this was written and explain to you. And I now right now in 2023, that in every generation and in every congregation a healthy Church, number one has leaders who hear God's call a healthy church has leaders who hear God's plate off? His hand selection his call on there, looking for someone, again, when we actually read is that Paul who, by the way, is a church planter, he's a missionary, he's an evangelist, he was Klay Thompson. He was called or hand-selected or uniquely chosen as it. What was the text saying, as they Apostle, which if you're right in your Bibles, it just needs a messenger. Who is the messenger of Jesus? Be the herald of Jesus. And it's He was called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. And then it says by who, by God's will It doesn't say that he was chosen to be a messenger of Jesus, by the will of his friends or by the will of his peers or rather Williston Community. It says that he was chosen to be a messenger in Oracle of God, by whose well, by God's will, you might be asking yourself this morning? Already pastor of, why are we belaboring this point? Why the clay thoughts modeling the pants? Here's the point, and he messaged her or any servant leader in a healthy Church. Whether they happen to be pastors or Sunday school teachers, whether they happen to be life, group leaders or kids club workers, what did they happen to be, welcome, team leaders or prayer team Warriors, or volunteers, or music leaders, or deacons or Elders or ground, Keepers, or anything in between. We've actually received, you and I are late on our hands selected, calling, not from people, but from God, which means that you're here. And if you have ever served the day in your life, in the Church of Jesus Christ, you're not doing that. Someone next you just said, hey can you come help? It's because of the god of the universe, has a plan and a purpose for you in his church. It's because he's called you to do something amazing for the kingdom of God. You have been hand selected. The Bible says you've been clay toss. You have been chosen by God for God. Is that good news? I think so, I cut the University football coach, who is Monday morning and he starts to get out there for practice and his first string quarterback in the first 5 minutes of practice damages, his knee and his elbow and all the sudden he can't play. And so the coach shows, oh, goodness gracious. We have a game this coming up on Saturday when we do. Okay. So I'm going to take the second string and we're going to not make him first ring. So, now we can have our second screen be the first team first string quarterback, and he'll he'll leave the game on Saturday. And so, 30 minutes more practice goes by second string, quarterback is now what strain. He's now first thing he goes down hard and he falls, he bust his knee and but started his shift at the all the sudden he can play at the game on Saturday, said the coach was broken, this rages, I'm going to go now to third string. After we goes to third string and he goes to four string and he says, okay, 1340, straight peers that you guys are going to do. You're going to play on Saturday to Great and they're out there and their training and they're playing and all the sudden, they Collide and their shoulders hurting and now they can't play on Saturday. The coaches fed up, right? The players are fed up and they're not bleeding after the coach looks off to the side of the, of the bleachers. And there's old fifth string, right? Little little tiny fish string. He sent over there, never played football Dana's life. Doesn't know what he's doing, right? How many of you don't remember? You was a bit strange, son. Do you believe Magic? Little little ride goes. I mean I guess and the coach and put the stuff in the displays he says well then proof, you are now the first string quarterback be better Bedford. According to 1st Corinthians 1:1 you and I have been Plata. We have been hand selected by the god of the universe to have a first string position on his team. No matter who you are a first string position on his team. Now, in actual practice. How many of us would agree that we have a long way to go, if we're going to be first string players on the team of. Right? I don't know about you, but I have a lot of practice to to do it and if you're feeling that way this morning, you're like, I don't have what that takes your thing that I'm clay pots and pans selected by God to play a different position in the kingdom of God. How am I supposed to do that? I'm just little old me while you're in good company, if you feel that way, because that's the exact same way. That the Apostle Paul fell in the first century because I want you to notice and 2nd Corinthians 10:10. We read that his that is Paul's letters there waiting. And what else are they? They are powerful. How many of you that's like this? That's a dream. I'd like a Bible teacher appreciation that your words are waiting and what and powerful and then. So Paul was that says but his physical presence is weak and its public speaking readers with me amount to nothing which tells us that Paul himself had a very long way to go in terms of his development as a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ and we feel a little bit better this morning, right? And if the good news today is that our coach but not a human coach. With our divine coach, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, he is absolutely committed to getting you. And I matter how weak we feel to where we need to go in his kingdom. Did you know that he's committed to that? And my Bible says that he will not fail at that. And we actually know that because as you go through both, the New Testament and the Old Testament, what we find time and time again, is that it is always been God who stubbornly calls his people to leave. It's always been God calls his people to serve, whether they are big or small or weak or capable or anywhere in between, for example, and John 15:16. Here's Jesus's words on my word. He says, you did not choose me, but what does he say? I shows you, we can just stop here and just sang. Hallelujah, all morning. And if we don't have her, some Praise Jesus is for that statement, right? We're dead this morning. What are you? Sorry about that. That when we were running far from God, he was running relentlessly and passionately. After what you did not choose me when with me, but I chose you. And I got that Jesus says appointed you. Could go and produce fruit. Unless you think that's just a new testament idea. I want you to notice what the prophet. Isaiah says, and Isaiah 49 verse 1. He doesn't say that his cures called him or his family called him or that he called him. It says the what the Lord called me before, I was even born and he named me while I was in my mother's womb.

Linda Claire was the young girl in Eugene, Oregon, who hate it or job. She didn't like it. She felt like she was getting nowhere in life. She was a child care worker. She she babysat for a living and she tried to get into different lines of work and none of it's stuck and none of it. So I can. So she just stuck working with kids watching other people's kids as they go off to the movies and things like that, since she's like crying out to God. When are you going to use me. When are you going to use my life for something great? When are you going to send me to do something great for your king and I just I got to get out of this job is backwards. So that I can go do something great for you and then one day she went to go watch a father's kiddo. And she got up to the house to go babysit for the night, but dad turned to her Linda Claire. And he said, Linda Clair. I just want you to know something after the scepter. Here's what he said is true story. He says you taught Casey. That's their little daughter to what it's so now she says Grace at home and my wife and I are thinking of attending church

It's all of a sudden in that moment, her vocation in life became exceedingly, clear and young, Linda Claire decided that her job was not a waste of time and that it was wasn't some sort of useless Endeavor for the kingdom know. Now instead of Linda clear, what she does for a living, here's what she said about it. She said, I just babysit for the Lord. I babysit for the Lord.

See some of you know, this is true about yourself, God hasn't sent you to Africa. For some of you got hasn't wired, you and sent you to India or to end in Indonesia, but I did send you to the place where you work everyday And he did send you to the place where you worship every weekend, and served every week. And so, ultimately, the question really this morning is, are you representing him? Well, or he has placed you. Please play tossed. You repent selected you to serve. And are you making him famous through your deeds and through your words in the ministry that he has called you to serve him? Duck. The Theology of doctor. Elton Trueblood says it like that. He says, if you're a Christian dumbass this guy, if you're a Christian then you are a minister and read that part again. If you're a Christian then you are a minister because he says a non ministering. Christian is a contradiction in terms of you ever thought about that because two minutes or simply needs to serve and you're never more like Jesus and when you serve as if you're not serving, you're not very much like your savior Which means that you were called by God with a unique set of abilities, and a unique set of gifts that God has given to each and every single one of you this morning and the Bible says that a healthy church, then is the one whose leaders hear God's blood that your buds call The Cure it. And they say Here, I Am send me. Here I am. Send me. And as late as we'll see. Next time versus to according to Paul's letter to the Believers in Corinth, the healthy Church doesn't just have leaders who hears God's call the number to they have members who Embrace God's command to hear, got called to have members who Embrace God's command looking for someone again Paul he's clay talk you called he's handsome elected as a messenger or Envoy of Christ an apostle of Christ Jesus by who by God's Will and then it says just parenthetically and stuff and he's our brother saucony's was probably the man who was tasked with delivering the questions that the church and corn hat for Paul the Heat and answers in this letter and then he probably delivered it back to the church and the Believers in Corinth, that's often teased. And Paul said that these things have been written, verse 22, the Church of God. It's delivered and written to the Church of say with me. God at corner. Which reminds this right away. That when it comes down to it, wherever a church happened to be located and wherever a church happens to be positioned in the world. The Church of Jesus Christ belongs to God and not to us. The Church of Jesus Christ, full on to God, and not to us, which means I want you to turn your neighbor and say, this this church is God's church. This church is his church, which means that ultimately the lead pastor of this congregation is not me. Who is it? It's Jesus. And all to mately. The one who calls the shots in his congregation is not us. Who should it be? It should be Jesus because my Bible says, in your Bible says that this church is his sure.

See all too often. I think that there's a problem that I noticed all throughout the country, when we go visit churches and congregations all over the place and all too. Often you have some leader or you have some group of people with animal congregation. That begin to act as if they owned that church, right? They begin to act and the begin to operate as if the church simply exists to do their bidding and to do their will, And then I'm going to let us know this morning. That that is a dangerous and perilous place for any congregation to be. Because I read throughout this Bible. And I can't find any place where God's happy when people try and pick him up with this rifle Trump. I find a by God in the Bible who will not share his glory, with anybody else. Because this church is his church, look at Isaiah 42 verse 8. The god of the universe speaking to us, and he says who's the Lord was? He said, he says, I am the Lord on y'all way. That is my name. And I will not give my glory to who to another, or my praise to Idols. Jesus is jealous for his position as king, isn't he? He he's holy, he's the righteous one. He is the leader. This church has his church. I said in the first service, this was David's favorite illustration. I can think is, she's been to the monarchy that the British Monarchy, but I want to think about the king and queen of England, whoever it is and we just have a queen. Now, we have a king, and a queen or King of England is a prestigious figure, right? Big, big moon, larger than life, they live in essentially, a palace, they drive around and exquisite vehicles and cars. They have all these accoutrements and all this fancy stuff a Maltese think there's only one. Problem, if you really start to think about it, the king or the Queen of England's, they actually have no power, right? They actually have no power. They look good, they look good. They look like one of the most powerful people in the world and yet they do, they can't do, they can't vote, and they can't be too, which means they can't do a whole lot of anything, they can't vote. They can't be do, which means that their position in their country is only a position of cursing. You tried with me?

All too often we is the church do with the church of England does to the monarchy. We do to the King of Kings. In the church by giving him verbal recognition will say, oh, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is King. We're here to Praise Jesus, where does the Balvenie to Jesus? And sure we encased him in beautiful palaces that we call, what do we call? Churches our congregation. And sure we have people that are coming to pay homage to him and to raise hands and say that we are to Praise Jesus and it all too often in our own churches. When it comes to the decision-making power, when it comes to the veto making power or the voting power functionally. At least we act, as if we don't need him by acknowledging his position and yet refusing to give them both a credit and the power that accompanies it. Which is my time and time again. The Bible is going to remind you. And I and the people have got to put Jesus back where he rightly belongs. Can we do that this morning? And we put Jesus back where he rightly belongs which is the ruling and reigning king of his church that seizes his position.

Brains think about this evening brains don't move right? Bad Brains don't walk right brains don't shake hands, rainbow run know, instead brains are really the control center of our thoughts and the thoughts of them. And so the job of the body is to put into action the plan of the of the brink, okay? And so does the body is to experience movement and operate based off of the brain's Direction and in medical science, there's a serious ailment or disease call, don't have to read this cuz I can't pronounce this. Well, myasthenia gravis, myasthenia gravis. And it's a disease of the nervous system. So the nerves interact with the muscles and at the end of those nerves, that's what's called a motor end plate. Motor end plate and the motor end plate receives the signal that it said by the brain to the extremity or to the muscles and that single from the brain is related to the muscle, Bia the motor, and what the motor end plate. And so, if a person thinks in the cells, move your arms to try that out real quick, just tell your brain dead, right? Okay, so the brain out, sent the signal to move your arm, what's happening is that the brain is sending a message to through the nerves to the muscle to the motor and plate. So that the hand carries out. What the what, what the brain wants them. And yet in this disease, the witness this malady called myasthenia gravis. There is a relay switch that's not working. Even though the brain sends the message, the muscle doesn't get it. Because the the message is traveling through the nerves, which is the relay switch stops, when he gets to the motor in plate. In order to fix that you actually have to fix not the brain and not the nerves, but the motor end plate. Here's the problem that Jesus has. Okay? Not a problem. It's more than what he's upset by and in life, the church is motor and play often time isn't working. Because Jesus is sending signals and if sometimes isn't people, what do we do? Refuse to hear. And we know that we refuse to hear because when Jesus said to move, we don't

When Jesus says to go, we don't go when Jesus says to do something, we don't do the things that he's calling us to do not think about it. When there's a problem where the body is not responding to the brain either, it's the heads problem or it's the body's problem. We know that the Bible says that Jesus is the perfect, what Abyss Church, he's the perfect head of this church. He's a perfect head which means that he is always holding and sound in his thinking and its purposes and its decision-making. There's no sin and God of darkness and God, there's nothing wrong with God, he is perfectly infinitely, eternally an unchangeable a holy and righteous in all the city. There's nothing wrong with the head. which means that the problem then resides not in the head but in the the body, Which is my notice of Paul's, doing a 2. He's going out of his way to remind us in. Verse to that these words that are being written here are written to the Church of God God. They're not written to the church with us. It's written to the Church of God knows, he doesn't say, it's the trust of Corinth. He says it's the Church of God that happens to meet at corn or khdc or wherever Believers are gathered locally because this, we've already learned this church is his church.

That's because of that. The question is okay but Jesus is the perfect head, which he is and where the body which is supposed to carry out with the head tells us to do. The question is, what is Jesus call us to do as members of his church? I'm glad you asked where we're supposed to do, because the rest is a to look at there with me, it says to the Church of who to the Church of God at Corrin. Now, here's the commanders of marching orders. Here's the Divine expectation. Paul says that he's writing to those who are Sanctified everybody Circle, think about you say, the word Sanctified, those who are Sanctified in Christ Jesus and those who are called, as think he says, those are running to those who are Sanctified. I'm writing to those who are synced who is fighting to, he's running to those who are Sanctified and those who are safe and just so we don't forget it. Who's he riding his riding to those who are Sanctified and those who were Saints with all those, in every place that includes to, that includes all of us who call in the name of the Lord. Jesus Christ, both theirs and Ours.

You can't miss with Paul's trying to say here. If you miss everything else that we send this message, don't miss this. That word Sanctified in the original Greek is the term hagiazo. How do you say? So, is a word that literally means to stand apart or to be separated from the crack? Kiss. And a part of her separated from the crowd. Like why is that where the Saints in verse 2 is very similar to that. We're hagiazo for Sanctified. It's how you away which is just another way of saying to be set apart or consecrated as special. To be special. Beers at this means. If a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of their life, then the Bible tells us that you are unique in this universe. In the Bible tells you that you are Sanctified. The Bible tells you, you are since you were set apart uniquely Supernatural Especial. Why? Because the moment that you put your faith in Christ, God actually deposited in you a divinely empowered nature. This divining empowered Nature has been deposited inside every believer in seed form C form. What kind of phone is it in seed form? Now, inside that seed is an infinite amount of spiritual potential inside, that seed is infinite amount of of expensive, growth inability and Supernatural, ability to think about it. Like this when you see a seat of corn does field corn inside of the inside of a DNA microscopic way down, deep in there, has the potential to grow a bunch of heads of what corn and field corn on that little. See, all the potentiality is there a Nazi or think about the seat of a watermelon? How many do love to chew on the watermelon? You said the thieves like can we just eat the seeds in the season watermelon, the seed of the watermelon, has the ability to produce something that is so much bigger than what's in that individual. See or think about an a chord in C. If you put an acorn seed in the ground and you water, it it has the potential Audi of becoming a What a Mighty Oak Tree. The point is that planted seeds grow with the help of a little water, and a little sunshine, so much more than originally visible. And yet they have to go through this process of growth in order to fully mature into their future capabilities or possibility. The Bible says that this way maybe never thought about this virtually for a little bit 2nd. Peter 1, verse 3 says, it says that his Divine what has been given to you, his divine power. I hope you get this. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness. What do I need to live the Christian Life? Jesus has already given it to you. What do I need to make an impact in this Kingdom, for the kingdom of God, Jesus is already deposited into you. He's giving you divine what And the next verse says, he's given us a very great and precious promises future-oriented so that through them, you may share in the divine nature. This should make you go. Whoa. The Bible doesn't say that when you come to Christ, you become God that will never happen. There's only one God and we're not him, right? For the Bible does say that when we put our faith and trust in Christ, God deposit, it his divine nature into us. That's a person to third person of the Trinity called the Holy Spirit. And so now the same power that Rose Jesus from the dead and spoke the universe into creation resides inside of you in that amazing. If you're a Christian, Jesus is saying all the same, you're a Sanctified think. If you're a Christian pulse in your spiritual Oak Tree in terms of your potential, Paul is saying you were absolutely unique and special in this world because of the supernatural relationship that you have with Jesus Christ, the god of Eternity. It's almost like, you know, you're an old car, that's had a new engine, a new motor dropped inside of the hood, under the hood on the outside. You might look the same. You might still Creek and you might still do whatever, and you might just look in a banged-up on the outside, but inside you have a brand new engine inside. You, got something that purse in something. You don't like a maze in motor inside that car. Now, if you have this brand new motor that's inside of your car, you don't need to be concerned with changing spark plugs at that point. That's right. You don't have to be concerned with connecting wires know. All you have to do is understand that you now under the hood, have a brand new power source. You have a brand new engine. And many Christians today are basically going through their lives and their changing spark plugs on Monday. And they're, they're connecting and checking connections on Tuesday, and they're changing wires on Wednesday and they're working on a gas line on Friday and they're replacing some through a broken belt on Saturday. And yet what they're forgetting is that the good news of the Gospel this morning is all that work has already been taken care of by the Lord Jesus Christ who deposited his seat of power and divine nature in you. He's already taking care of all of that. And so 1st Corinthians 1:2 says guys become who you are look under the hood, you were already sanctify. You were already sing. You are special. You are super naturally set apart. Even when you don't behave like it. Because how many of us know who don't raise your hand that even though Jesus has saved you and being Sanctified and the spirits living in, you you still look kind of like a beat-up, dinged-up thing number the thing. No, that's the thing. You look like on the outside, like a pinto on the outside.

Just think about, I gave her felt that way. I want you to think about how the original church that received this letter must have felt when they heard Paul saying this to them. Cease, we're going to understand and come to learn over the next few weeks. Next two months, the Corinthian Church was filled to the brim. Not was super, super Christians and super disciples. But of a church that was filled with leave her sewer bill at dissension, and sexual sin and selfishness and disorder and pride and uncertainty and unfaithfulness so much so that sometimes calls going to have to say like, hey, like Devil shape up or ship out. And yet, he doesn't call them that in the opening verses, in the opening words of this letter has, he he doesn't kiss aou. Serpents are all you. Sinners know what is he called him? He calls them sanctified.

What is Jesus see when he looks at you? If you've been covered in Jesus, blood and righteousness, he just sees you as a Sanctified think. He sees you as a holy one. He sees you as perfectly set, aside, and unique, and special in the universe because of your relationship with him, not because of something that's in you. But because of what Jesus has done on your behalf, he doesn't see. You're sending more. That Sim is already transplanted onto Jesus on the cross. He just sees you as a saint. Did you know that all throughout the new test and I didn't share this with the first service. But I'll drop the old that the New Testament. You're never going to find a place where Believers are referred to as it after the gospels after Pentecost as sinners.

He doesn't call you back anymore. What is it called?

Because we've been redeemed, we've been restored. We've been transformed.

Several years ago, there was a coach that was in the basketball coach and in the NCAA, and who's in the final, four playoff status team, and one of the reporters can ask him a question, they were doing really well in the playoffs and they said that his coach so I can wipe your team doing so well. How are you able to do Excel and and win all these games that you're winning? And the goats just come look at the reporter. And this is true story, just said, well, we have a motto on our team. I put the stuff on, this is Wilmot on our team in the motto. Is this good people do for themselves? But we with me, great people do for us, leave it up there. Good people do for themselves, but great people, do for others, 1st Corinthians 1, verses 1 through 2 tells us that God, who is your coach that has clay tossed? You, he has hand-picked you. He is Hansel elected, you? He is called you to serve on his team with special guest, not simply calling you to be good. But calling you to be what call me, you to be great, your to be Sanctified saint for the sake of other people, and the expansion of the kingdom of God. And so what makes the healthy Church? Number one, a healthy church is filled with leaders who hear God's what they hear God's call. And it's full of members who obeyed God's command, which ultimately number three. If you're taking notes, begins to produce an us hearts. The pursue God's contentment, its leaders, who hear God's call its members who obey God's commands. It's hearts. That pursue God's contentment. Notice what he says in verse 3 in the second we're just starting this is just the preface the preamble to this letter. There was so much here, I was thinking about going through 9 vs, I was like, no way we're get 33. Here we go. Here is how we end. He says, what's the keyword there? Says grace to you and peace. What does God speak of Rush this morning? He says grace to you and peace. What are the healthy Church supposed to experience? And we gather together we experience Grace and we experience. Peace Grace, you in peace. And where does that come from from God our Father? And the Lord Jesus Christ.

There's a story of a man who for his whole life group board and have a lot of money and didn't have a lot of resources and he always saw these other families going on these lavish vacations, on cruise ships. And so, when he grew up, he's like when I dropped one day, I'm going to get on a on a cruise ship. And so he starts saving. He starts working and he pinches all the pennies that he can, so that he can get onto this cruise ship. And at the end of the period of these, kind of saving up all those funds, he has enough for the ticket to the cruise ship and then he realizes that he's ran out of what he has no more money. And so at that point he's like, okay, okay here's what I can get on the cruise ship for any of the food. So I'm just going to go to the grocery store and got a pack of bunch of bread, and I'm going to pack a bunch of peanut butter and a pack of bunch of jealous. Because peanut butter jelly two, things that Jesus going to keep apart right now. So he says, I'mma put all those peanut butter and jelly together and then I'm going to bring with me in the whole trip on the on the cruise ship, what's going to be the peanut butter and jelly. So it shows up on the ship and he's just like all excited and he's like Go shopping areas and lounging out on the beaches and he's got his gear butter and jelly sandwich in his hand and he's watching, her walk by and he's fine for the first 3 days or so. And then, I made four starts to smell certain smells here to see people walking around the ship. And what are they eating there? Eating grilled chicken steak and they're eating shrimp scampi and the reading and reading all this fruit and all the sudden where is wanting it like peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and jelly walking next to him and they have steak and shrimp and stuff on the plate. And he stops to me, says, I can you do me a favor. He says the whole story to them. I wanted to go on a cruise ship, didn't have enough money for the ticket. Didn't have enough money for the food. Can I please just have her stay. Please write. This is make you so happy. And the man looks at him with bewilderment on his face. And he says don't you know don't you know that the food is included in the price of the tickets? How many do you know that if you go on a cruise the food is included with the price of the ticket.

Would that man didn't understand is? What many of us don't understand. Even in the church today which is the principle of God's grace. Because the Bible says that when Jesus passed through the heavens and was seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, the Bible says that every single meal that we would ever need a carry and provided for on cheapest ticket. The Bible says that all the help that we ever need is provided all ready for us on Jesus's ticket. It was done on his behalf. The Bible says that all the enablement will ever need to live the Christian Life. It's not going to compromise. It's already been provided for us on Whose ticket on Jesus's tickets that all the strength that we need to live the Christian Life is on Jesus's tickets. As there was a result, we can kind of, leave the spiritual, peanut butter, and jelly at home. And it said, we could have bail ourselves of all the provision, and the Victory, and the forgiveness, and the justification, and the hopes, and the power, and the joy, and the peace, and the reconciliation of God's. Because Jesus already took care of all that a little over two thousand years ago, on the cross of calvary, if it was all been paid for, it's all been taken care of Which is my Paul later in a seasons 1. Verse 7 is going to stay in him in Jesus when we already have, we have Redemption through his blood. But this up there, under this place, we have Redemption through his blood and the what of our trespasses as we already have the Forgiveness of our trespasses. According to the riches of his grace and his lion Colossians 1:20. He says, Jesus did this. By making what to reply, he made peace through his blood shed on the cross.

Maybe this morning begin to understand. The grace and peace can only be found in one person and one way, and that's in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, if you're lacking the grace, you need, and the piece that you need in the Forgiveness, that you mean may we, to begin to place our faith and trust in him. So that is verse 3 says, Grace and peace. From God. Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ can be manifested in our own lives. We just got started. Are you ready for the book of 1st Corinthians? I hope you. Alright, let's prank.