Speaker 1: 0:01

Many of you know, but not all of you know that I found Jesus when I was about 17 years old, maybe 16 years old, and I found God at a youth group kind of conference, weekend retreat thing. I was going to a Baptist church because that's where my girlfriend went to and for us to date, I had to also go to church. So I went to her Baptist church and what I loved about this church was just after I found faith. It was all about Jesus and for those of you who do know me really well, you know that that's kind of still my mantra to this day. It's about finding Jesus, it's about following Jesus and it's about following him with all of our heart and submitting everything to him. Now, a few years after that, I'm going to college and I'm preparing to lead a team of my peers to serve at a children's home in central Jamaica. Can you believe it? We were the leaders. I mean, just look at this. Does that instill confidence or what? So Wes and I, we're still friends to this day. I think I've got a couple more pictures here will pop up because this could be like a fun little. This is just me getting mobbed by a couple of the kids we were working with, having a really fun time. But I want to assure you we were making connections and building relationships. And this little girl well, she's not little anymore, but her name is Ashley and we got to build some great connections, great relationships during this whole trip.

Speaker 1: 1:19

Now, while we were getting prepared for the service trip to Jamaica, I remember I felt overwhelmed and unqualified. Confidence is usually not something I'm short of, but it was the reality in which what we were doing was so much more than painting and building and home improvement projects. It was so much more than running daycare-style activities for the kids, style activities for the kids. I suddenly became aware that I had a responsibility as the leader of this trip, not just for my own soul, but like the spirituality of those going on the trip, like I had some responsibility there and investing in them. And not just that, but like, once we got there, all of the kids and teenagers we were going to be partnered with, like I felt the responsibility. We weren't just going to hang out and do work, but we're going because of Jesus. It goes back to that idea it's all about Jesus and that's when it just the reality of it. It hit me. I was like you're not qualified to do this and it was over. I mean so overwhelming.

Speaker 1: 2:18

And so I remember talking to Wes that other goofy guy in the photo and I remember telling him this, and Wes was as surprised as anyone else was that I was like feeling unsure of myself. And Wes gave me some advice that shocked me. He said we should pray about it, and so you could see, wes and I are both growing up this semester because I'm scared and he's like let's pray. So we get everyone together, we start praying, and I remember Wes had this moment in which he would say he was like I was filled with the Holy Spirit. In this moment he was standing next to me, he starts tearing up, you can just tell all around him like God was moving and you could tell it was like physically overwhelming to him. And it didn't happen to me and I'm going to be honest with you and Wes, if you're watching, like I still, to this day, consider myself the more spiritual person. And so I was surprised. I was like why is this happening to him and not me? And I wanted it so bad.

Speaker 1: 3:11

And we kept praying and kept praying and I don't know if you've ever had to pray about something I mean, I'm sure most of you have, but you've prayed about something over and, over and over again and it kind of gets to the point where it's like you get discouraged each and every time you pray, because you're like what's the point of praying for this? This was real life happening before my eyes, as every member of the team came up to pray with me, like, god, give him the confidence, god, fill him with your spirit, god, give him the strength he needs to lead this team, and nothing was happening. It was we're standing in the room, people were putting their hands on me, they were praying I believe in the authenticity of that but nothing was happening. When someone came up to me, it was actually Wes's dad. Wes's dad came up to me and he said, stephen, I feel like I've got like this word from God to give you. And I was like in my soul, like this was the, this was the shift of like in my soul, like this was the shift. We've been there a couple hours already and all of a sudden I knew whatever he was about to say. This was coming from God. So listen up. And he says lean not on your own understanding, but trust in every word of God. And all of a sudden it was like boom. What Wes experienced, that overwhelming power of the spirit of God just started to consume me inside and out. I mean, I would describe this moment as like otherworldly. It's the only time in my life this has ever happened and it hasn't happened since, but it was such a profound moment. I remember walking back to my dorm with like a ton of spiritual swag For those of you in the room, don't worry about it but it was confidence that was dripping everywhere.

Speaker 1: 4:47

And what began as a simple mission trip for me, leading this trip was a catalyst for the rest of my life, because up until this point I was still a psychology major. I was taking grad school classes to become a therapist, and at this moment I realized something in my life, and that was I wanted to help people's souls, I wanted to help your spiritual health. And I'm not saying, you know, psychotherapists can't. But one of the first classes I had was an ethics class, and it became very apparent to me it would be unethical if, every time I got with someone, I was talking about Jesus. I probably wasn't going to last a super long time. And so there was the career change and this moment.

Speaker 1: 5:24

Right now I look back and I say I would not have started this church that you and I are in this morning would not without this experience of being filled with the Spirit. You see, I thought I was being prepared to lead a trip for two weeks to central Jamaica and what God did instead was use this moment to prepare me for His calling over my life, for the rest of my life. I didn't realize it then, but I do now. I was only scratching the surface of my own spiritual potential and it was through the Holy Spirit that my own life was transformed and enabled me and enables me every day to step into the fullness of what God has called me to do.

Speaker 1: 6:04

And I begin with this story and talking about the Holy Spirit because it's essential to recognize, and I want to explicitly state this morning, that the Holy Spirit is at the heart of everything we've been talking about the last six weeks. The Holy Spirit isn't just an add-on or an afterthought, but the Spirit is the power and presence of God actively working in and through us to bring the foundational elements, our values at Madison Church to life. Now I say it's not an afterthought, and if you're really kind of listening closely, you're like, well then, why didn't you start the series with the Holy Spirit? Because it certainly seems like an afterthought. Well, because I wanted to talk about how the Holy Spirit? Because it certainly seems like an afterthought. Well, because I wanted to talk about how the Holy Spirit plays and empowers each of these values, and I realized you'd be starting off with almost no information on any of these things, and so I thought we got to lay out the foundation of the six values before I finish this thing with the Holy Spirit. And so that is where we are at today, and I want to kind of start to point out a little bit of how the Holy Spirit is at work in each of these values.

Speaker 1: 7:09

The first week, we talked about Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit is the one who confirms this truth in our hearts. It is through the Spirit that we truly acknowledge Jesus's Lordship. Not as a statement, not as a check the box. This is what I believe, this is how I affiliate. But as a statement, not as a check the box. This is what I believe. This is how I affiliate, but as a living reality that shapes every aspect of our lives. Paul writes this. He points us out to a church in Corinth. He says I want you to know that no one speaking by the spirit of God will curse Jesus and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There it is. How is the Holy Spirit at work with Jesus as Lord? Well, no one can say it, no one can declare it and mean it without the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 7:56

We then talked about disciple making. We said that disciple making goes merely beyond me following Jesus myself, but extending my hands and my life to helping other people find and follow Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who equips us to do this vital task. Well, it is the Holy Spirit who opens other people's hearts to the teachings of Jesus and who empowers us to live out those teachings in such a way that positively influences others and changes lives. We talked about missional, incarnational impulse and we were reminded that our faith isn't just about me and Jesus and helping other people just kind of become a disciple like Jesus, but we're supposed to go out into the world as Christ's representatives and live like him in modern day, and it is the Spirit who sends us out and the Spirit who empowers us.

Speaker 1: 8:51

In John, chapter 20, jesus says Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. And then he breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn't send his disciples out on their own, but he gives them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's work is also evident in our exploration of community. It is the Spirit of God that brings us together in unity and in love and enables us to support one another well, to bear each other's burdens and to grow together in faith. It is by the Spirit that our community thrives. It is not by our efforts alone, but because the Spirit is at work in each of us, bringing us together and knitting us together as a community, as one body.

Speaker 1: 9:40

And then we delved into that APES framework the different and diverse gifts and functions that exist within the church, and these are not self-generated. We did not come up with this on our own. We are told that it is the Spirit of God who has given us these gifts, that it is God who has called us forward and that these gifts that the Spirit gives us are for the growth and maturity of not just ourselves but the community around us. And then last week we talked about organic systems and we saw how the church is called to be a living, breathing organism, not a static institution. The church we're Jesus's followers, it is a body of believers, it is a community, it's people. It is not an institution, it is not a building, it is not bylaws. It's dynamic, it's adaptable and it grows and it's life-giving, and it's only life-giving because it is the Holy Spirit that drives that growth. The Spirit brings to Madison Church, to churches everywhere, christian churches everywhere, the vitality, flexibility and responsiveness that allows us to grow and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

Speaker 1: 10:50

And it is in each of our values, this MDNA, as we've been calling it, that the Holy Spirit really is central. The Spirit is the one who empowers, equips and enables us to live out our faith in a way that honors God and impacts the world around us. It allows us to honor God and impact the world around us and in two weeks, on September 8th, we're celebrating our 10th anniversary. We've been talking a lot about that because we're really excited about that, and in two weeks we're going to hear from many people in our community sharing what God has done in their lives and what God will continue to do in their lives.

Speaker 1: 11:26

But these stories. What I believe they're going to show are the rumblings of a missional church movement. I believe we are going to hear these stories, and what I hope it does is it gets your imagination fired up, that you're reminded that Madison Church isn't one hour on Sunday morning and small groups a couple times a year, but that Madison Church is a Jesus movement, passionate about the Spirit and sent out to the city of Madison to change things for his kingdom. So when you hear these stories, remember the why behind Madison Church. This is the why I really believe we are on the verge of something truly remarkable, a wave of spiritual renewal that will sweep not just through Madison Church but through the city. But it will require all of us if you're watching or listening online, it will require all of us to step up and to fully embrace not just the values at Madison Church, not just the things we want to put into practice at Madison Church, but to fully embrace life in the Spirit.

Speaker 1: 12:31

That's what it'll take for us to fully embrace life in the Spirit, and this brings us to a crucial moment this morning, not just in this teaching series and not just today, but in our everyday lives, this point where everything comes together and it's where we, as followers of Jesus and would not assume that you all are but for those of us who are followers of Jesus that we acknowledge where our ultimate source of power comes from. And Jesus tells us in Acts 1.8, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth. I want to point out this verse is not just a promise, it's a prophecy. See, we know, because we're looking back in hindsight at history, that this is exactly what happened, that the Jesus movement started in Jerusalem and then went out through Judea and in Samaria and to the rest of the earth. That's how it started. But it's not just a promise and it's not just a prophecy, it is a mandate. Jesus is saying you're my followers, the Holy Spirit is going to come upon you and as such, you will go out into the world. No ifs, ands or buts about it. This is our job, this is our mission.

Speaker 1: 13:54

What I love the most about this is these are Jesus's last words on earth. I don't know if you know anyone who got older and then kind of toward the end of their life. They call you, they want to tell you something. They kind of maybe know that the end of their life is coming. They maybe write some letters for you you get after they pass away. But this is kind of like that for Jesus. What are the last things I want to say before I'm not in front of them anymore? What are the last things? What's the message I really want them to remember when I can't be there in front of them reminding them? I think that with my own kids, when I pass away someday, what do I really want them to have taken away from my parenting and me sharing my life with them and doing our lives together all these years? And Jesus says not make sure you love everyone.

Speaker 1: 14:38

I think he was probably confident he got that message across. Not forgiveness and grace, you know, at the time I think he probably felt really confident about that. But Jesus said one remember I've been talking about the Holy Spirit a lot lately. That hasn't happened yet, but it will soon. So the disciples are like oh, okay, cool, that's Holy Spirit's coming. And then Jesus says and as a result, you will go into the rest of the world.

Speaker 1: 15:03

And then, after that Jesus ascends, they're all left kind of confused, like looking up at the sky, like what just happened. But let's not lose the point of the story in that Jesus was saying for you to do what I've called you to do, and for what you guys are stepping up to do and offering to do, you will need something more than what you already have. And for them, that had to be kind of hard to believe because they were walking with a Jesus who walked on water, who raised dead people, who healed people, who could do all of these things. And Jesus says I'm about to leave, something better is coming and I'm out. Well, this something more was the Holy Spirit. That's what Jesus was trying to communicate, not just to them but to us today.

Speaker 1: 15:49

Jesus says, yes, I am Lord and I am King, but for you to do what I want you to do, you need the Holy Spirit. And the same Spirit who empowered those early disciples is available to us today. That same Spirit is available to you, and that Spirit enables us to do a whole bunch of things. But one of those things is to be witnesses where we live, the city of Madison and to the farthest corners of the world. The Holy Spirit's power. This is so important. The Holy Spirit's power is not just for personal growth. If that's all it is, we are under utilizing this gift that is the Holy Spirit. If it's just about the Holy Spirit giving me peace and power, we are missing it, because the reason we have the Holy Spirit was so much greater than peace and power for ourselves is for the expansion of God's kingdom, both here in Madison and all over the world. Jesus is our peace and Jesus was present with them. If all they needed was peace and presence, and he was there, but what they needed was power for a mission, he was telling them about his entire earthly ministry.

Speaker 1: 17:01

Now I want to point out the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or a power to be harnessed. I think sometimes in Christianity if you've been around in the church a really long time we tend to think of the Holy Spirit as kind of like the Superman cape. I got to get the cape on so I can go and tackle the world. It's like God's power transferred to me. Let me remind you that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity, a vital living presence in our lives and church and again the third person of the Trinity, which means the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. Co-equal, not lesser, not more, not less. Divine, not more divine Equal. And the Holy Spirit actively works for us, guiding us in truth, giving us that comfort in times of need and empowering us for that mission.

Speaker 1: 17:57

But the reason I want to point that out is because when we begin to think of the Holy Spirit as a person, it will change how you relate to Him, to the Holy Spirit. We are not just seeking an impersonal power boost. I need to recharge. Plug in Holy Spirit. Fill me up. It's not impersonal. We are building a relationship with the Holy Spirit, someone who cares as deeply for us as our Father God does and as Jesus, the Son does. The Holy Spirit knows our innermost thoughts and desires and the Holy Spirit is committing to helping us become more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our advocate, the Holy Spirit is our counselor and the Holy Spirit is our friend. These are all ways that the Holy Spirit is described in the New Testament. They're describing a person and the Holy Spirit is our friend. These are all ways that the Holy Spirit is described in the New Testament. They're describing a person, and the Holy Spirit is constantly working within us to transform our hearts and our minds, aligning us with God's will for our lives. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not just a theological concept either.

Speaker 1: 18:56

I want to give some practical examples now of how you can experience the Holy Spirit every day, and the first thing that I think of is guidance and decision-making. I know, because of the prayer requests that we get on the cards, that a lot of you are considering a decision you need to make. It might be a career change. It might be what should I do with my education? What should I do after I graduate? Should we live here? Should we move? There's this opportunity. There's decisions to be made. The Holy Spirit can direct us, can speak to us. We actually want the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions, because the Holy Spirit knows best for us, and so we can take the time to pray about these decisions, not just lean on our own wisdom, not just come up with our own pros and cons list, not just kind of figure this out and analyze it ourself, not run it through chat, gpt or whatever AI bot you're using, but to sit down and open yourself up to the Holy Spirit and say Holy Spirit, should I take this job? Holy Spirit, should we move here? Holy Spirit, should I stay here? Holy Spirit, what's next? And we open ourselves up not just to ask but to wait.

Speaker 1: 20:04

And I know for some of us we're waiting for peace and that's not biblical. I mean, actually, if you read the New Testament, when you pray for the Holy Spirit to speak, it's usually quite terrifying. I mean, when you start to read through this, I can't get into this today. But when you read what the Holy Spirit asked people to do, it's scary. There's not a whole lot of peace about it. It's like this is actually terrifying because the Holy Spirit's gonna call me out of my comfort zone to trust God even more and greater and deeper, and in ways I didn't even know I should be trusting God. And so I don't really like when people are praying and they say I got peace about it, because I'm like, oh, are you sure it's the Holy Spirit? Because that doesn't always sound like that God, because in my experience the Holy Spirit has always called me to do very uncomfortable and crazy things like start a church in Madison, wisconsin, and to not run away during a global pandemic. The Holy Spirit does that for us. And so what I think? Instead, instead of looking for peace, here's what I want to offer. You say okay, well, if it's not peace, what am I looking for? A spiritual assurance, boy, this doesn't make sense, but this is what I have to do. Boy, I really don't want to do that, but I know not doing it isn't an option. That's where we want to get. That is the sign of spiritual and Christian maturity. Not how much of the Bible you know or how much Greek or Hebrew you can recite back to anyone, but can you listen to God and can you do what he says? That's Christian and spiritual maturity.

Speaker 1: 21:41

The Holy Spirit can provide us comfort in difficult times. I don't want to make it sound like the Holy Spirit doesn't provide us comfort. The Holy Spirit absolutely can provide us comfort, especially during tough seasons. Maybe you're dealing with personal loss right now, a challenging relationship, a period of transition or a period of uncertainty. The Holy Spirit can comfort you in that. The Holy Spirit doesn't just call you to do hard things and say, well, hope you can figure it out. The Holy Spirit calls you to do hard things and it says I'm right there with you, right there with you. So perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed. Take time to pray, ask for the Holy Spirit's comfort, Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a sense of peace and, even though your circumstances probably won't change, if you're following Jesus, you might still be in a tough season, but what will happen and will be so good for your faith, is to know that Jesus is right there with you, that the Holy Spirit is right there with you in this hard and challenging time. The other thing the Holy Spirit does for us he can transform relationships.

Speaker 1: 22:50

Perhaps you've been struggling with bitterness or unforgiveness towards someone in your life. We can invite the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and to begin to see this other person like God sees them. It's not excusing bad or abusive or toxic behavior. That's not what I'm saying at all. It's possible that you have to cut someone out of your life, but what I'm saying is for you. I'm saying this is for you. You cut that person out of your life. That's healthy, especially in cases of abuse or toxicity. But what I'm saying is let's begin to pray that we can see that person as God sees them Somebody who's fallen, somebody who's in desperate need of God's help and the Spirit, through His transformative power in our lives, watch, we'll begin to soften your heart and we'll help you to forgive that person, even if reconciliation isn't possible or wise. So, all of that said, the Holy Spirit has been working throughout this whole series, this church.

Speaker 1: 23:55

I want the Holy Spirit to be working in your everyday lives and, as it it pertains to Madison Church, as we go forward, I want you to think about that. When we declare Jesus as Lord, we're committing Again I've said this so many times, but it's so important we're committing, submitting every part of our lives to Jesus's authority and, with the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, he will help us do that well. He will help us declare Jesus is Lord and to commit our lives to Jesus. Even when it's difficult, even when we're personally struggling, the Holy Spirit will help us to trust Jesus more. The Holy Spirit is the driving force behind disciple making, and the Holy Spirit will help us to relationally invest in others, those who are 10 steps behind us and those who are 10 steps in front of us. We don't need to fear. Let me this bonus.

Speaker 1: 24:46

Maybe this doesn't come up in the video, but I think sometimes we think like we can't hang out with certain people because, like they're too sinful or whatever vernacular you want to put, they're too far from God. If I hang out with them, won't I become like them or won't they have a bad influence on me? And I want to say, if you're led by the Holy Spirit and we're pursuing the Holy Spirit, no, no, we won't be negatively influenced by them, because we'll be influenced by the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn't stop at the front door of sinners' houses or bars and taverns or wherever he found himself. The early church didn't do that and say well, gee, I wonder if I go in here and share about Jesus or live like Jesus in this place, if I'm going to be able to maintain my faith. No, they had the Holy Spirit. They were able to do this. Well, they weren't worried about being brought down by others. They went into these places and they said I'm going to bring you up. That's the mission. And so I just wanted to point it out that.

Speaker 1: 25:49

You know, when it comes to disciple making, I think sometimes we think, oh, I can't spend time with them or I can't really hang out with them because of this. Ah, they're not the problem. We got to look at ourselves and our faith and our spiritual growth and the role of the Holy Spirit in my life. I'm not saying it can't happen you can absolutely be negatively impacted by other people but I'm saying it's not them, then, that we need to focus on. Do you understand? I'm saying it's within us and our spiritual health and pursuing Jesus and the Holy Spirit. One of the most potent ways we see the Spirit at work at Madison Church is through the missional, incarnational impulse, this calling to live out our faith in tangible, everyday ways. I think of our gratitude Thanksgiving dinner we do at the Loser Center on the west side, where we prepare this free Thanksgiving feast for the neighborhood and we all just come together and I think we're living out the hands and feet of Jesus. We're feeding people and building relationships with them. The Spirit is at work in that. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in helping us navigate the complexities of relationships in our community.

Speaker 1: 26:56

Some of you may know this to be true Conflict is inevitable, especially when you're doing life with other people. Someone's going to say something that makes you mad. Sometimes they're going to say something that makes you mad on purpose. Isn't that even worse? Most of the time it's not on purpose, right, but they're going to do something that makes you upset. Conflict is inevitable, but it is the Spirit of God that helps us find a way forward that leads to peace and leads to reconciliation.

Speaker 1: 27:23

In some cases, a spirit-led approach to resolving conflict involves us to pausing and praying. I know that might sound like Christianity 101, but think about the last time you were really pissed off at someone. Did you want to stop and pray before you confronted them? Did you rehearse your prayer in your head as many times as you rehearsed the argument or the text message you were going to send? The Holy Spirit says whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why don't you talk with me, son, daughter, let's have a little chat before you press the send button. And if you have an iPhone chat before you press the send button. And if you have an iPhone, you can't unsend it, right?

Speaker 1: 28:07

The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom when we're in conflict with one another. The Holy Spirit helps us to give grace to other people, even when they're flat out wrong. The Holy Spirit helps us do that. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts among us, and discovering these gifts is essential for this church as we go forward. And the Holy Spirit is our church's source of life. The Holy Spirit helps us to remain adaptable. I really believe that through the pandemic and we made all sorts of mistakes, just like everyone else did, but through the pandemic I believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding this community and even when people were hiding under rocks or you know, you couldn't find them, they ghosted you and some of them we have never turned back up, but the Holy Spirit was still guiding the core of this community forward so we could be here today, now wrapping this up, not just the talk today, but the series.

Speaker 1: 28:55

In the past six weeks we've explored the foundational elements, this missional DNA, our values at Madison Church that, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, can bring about transformation, not just in your life. It will happen in your life, not just at Madison Church. It will happen here, but in the city of Madison, and this will be a transformation that changes lives and impacts eternity. That has to sink in. It's going to change lives for the better and impact eternity. And this isn't just about hype. I wouldn't come here and blow smoke your direction. Really, I just wouldn't. It isn't just about hype. It's really coming from a place of deep conviction within me that God's best work is still in front of us Deep conviction that God's best work is still in front of us.

Speaker 1: 29:47

If you've been on our website, you've seen a vision map and they got 10 different locations. But I don't want you to get hung up on 10 locations. Maybe it's 11, maybe it's six. What I want you to get hung up on is that there is a direction for Madison Church. We're heading somewhere, and that's a place where people are finding faith for the first time in being baptized, not just monthly, not just yearly, but weekly, perhaps daily. I want Madison Church to be a community, a missional church movement, in which those who have drifted away from their faith they've deconstructed they don't like Christians, they really don't like the church, but they still somehow remain open to Jesus that they find a safe community here to ask their questions, to express their doubts and to begin to rebuild a faith that's sustainable and life-giving. That's the vision I want Madison Church to be a community in which miracles happen, in which we say so-and-so was sick and they were terminally sick, and they are no longer that. They're getting better. How, why, I don't know. But, boy, we prayed about it and something happened. I want Madison church to be this community that goes all over Madison and we develop all of these small groups all over the place, a genuine, real friendship.

Speaker 1: 30:59

We have a loneliness epidemic right now. People are lonely and there's a correlation, I think. When you look at loneliness and you look at suicide rates, I think that there's a connection. Hard to prove. I know that for some of you stat geeks, I get that, but I'm saying there's loneliness and there's suicide rates. People are lonely and you say how is that possible? Well, you can get on Facebook and there's suicide rates. People are lonely and you say how is that possible? Well, you can get on Facebook and there's like billions of people on Facebook, because that's not relationships, that's not what people are looking for. Facebook, instagram, tiktok is not going to solve your loneliness problem, but small groups at Madison Church can be part of the solution in that, absolutely, I want us to regularly engage in these give back events that serve the city.

Speaker 1: 31:43

I don't want to do a Thanksgiving meal just one time in November every year, but what if we were able to do it multiple times in November every year? What if Madison Church wasn't just a come and see church but we developed the reputation in the city as a go anddo church, a church that goes and finds people the way that Jesus went and found you. Let's not lose sight of where we're going and I want to be realistic this morning. Looking around here this morning or looking at our church community in the past year, everything I just described might seem too good to be true for you. Some of you in the room may even say it's unrealistic. What I've just described might seem too good to be true for you. Some of you in the room may even say it's unrealistic what I've just described.

Speaker 1: 32:25

But let me push back, because I've been here longer than all of you. I've been here for 10 years and I probably better than most not all, but better than most understand the cycle of hope and disappointment that has happened at Madison Church. I've understood it personally as I've watched friends come and do life together and then leave, and it sucks, it's real painful and I've been here for that. And yet today I come here not to blow smoke at you again, but with the deep conviction that, despite all the hope and positive signs and good times, followed up in a lot of cases by some really bad times in which things didn't work out the way that we thought or hoped that they would. I still have faith and conviction and enthusiasm for what God has yet to do here. So I tell God often if you're still in, I'm still in. And every time I hear God say I'm still in. So I'm going to keep showing up and I hope you'll keep showing up and I hope you'll do more than show up. Will you join me on this mission?

Speaker 1: 33:34

This morning I was praying for kind of maybe like a final thing to throw in here, and this passage from Zechariah came to mind, and I think it's almost prophetic for the moment that we're in. But in Zechariah 4.10, we read do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. He likes to see that we're starting, we're getting going. We're like the baby learning to walk and learning to talk, and that's enough for God to have joy. And so, as we celebrate 10 years at Madison Church in two weeks, I hope that this passage reminds us that God values small, faithful steps. Just like the Israelites were faced with the daunting task of rebuilding a temple with absolutely no resources, humble beginnings but guided by faith and spirit.

Speaker 1: 34:31

Over the last decade we have watched God take modest efforts and turn them into something significant. I can't tell you the names of all the people we've baptized at Madison Church who have now gone on, in some cases to other places, and they're living out their faith in other communities and helping bring this DNA that we have at Madison Church to other churches and they're helping this community. All of the people that we've interacted with, not just the volunteer hours but you guys on your own doing things, and all of the money that we have raised and given out in community outreach. God appreciates those small beginnings. God found joy in our first gathering at Madison Church. God was happy at our first initial community outreach. God loved and perhaps even laughed at or laughed with our first small groups that got formed here, and every part, every step of the journey the last 10 years has been a part of a larger plan that God is unfolding through us. He says I'm still in. The question for us today is are you?