All right, let's get after it. We're going to continue in worship by getting into God's word and hopefully I can stir up some affection for us as we do. So when we come back to praise God, there's some, some motivation and do that to do that as we see how awesome he is. So grab your Bibles, turn to the book of First John. We're starting our new book study in First John. It's only five chapters. We're going to be in this for a while. We're going to be in First John through the month of June. So grab your Bibles, grab a pen, open them up. Maybe you got a scripture journal to write your notes along with it. But let's get to this and I'm going to jump right in because we got some stuff to cover and I want us to get, get to it. Let me give you kind of a, just some context to this book as we dive into it. This is just a general letter that was meant to be circulated among the churches in Asia Minor, which would be kind of modern day Turkey. And it's kind of, it's be to meant made its way to us. So now it's our turn. We're going to dive into this book together. It was written by the apostle John, John, the disciple of Jesus. He wrote five of the books in the New Testament, the Gospel of John. The next three are tricky. First John, Second John and Third John. And then he also wrote Revelation. And we're going to get into First John and we're going to be here a while and it's got a lot to teach us. He is the probably the only apostle left alive when he wrote this. This is towards the end of his life and he's kind of this fatherly figure looking on the church with concerns. And he does have a very kind of pastoral tone. Throughout this letter, you could see John's deep concern and care and love for the people he's writing to. In fact, sometimes he refers to them as my little children. It's a term of endearment. He's this older father figure in the church and he's writing to these churches and he's about to kind of move on in life, so to speak. And he's. This church is going to be left into the hands of the next generation. And he has some concerns and I think some of us maybe that are older in life, we can relate to that. We have a passion to reach the next generation. We want to see the next generation be the next leaders in the church, but from a distance you can kind of look and be like, ah, well, what about this? And we'd like to see you grow in this and don't watch out for this. And there's some concerns there. And John has these concerns for the church that might be like losing its momentum, this movement, because he's the last apostle left. Jesus hasn't returned yet. And there's reason to be concerned because some of the believers are getting relaxed in their standards. They're not as passionate about their obedience. In fact, some worldliness is creeping in on their behavior that's being justified by bad doctrine. False teachers have kind of made their way into the church and are leading people astray. And it's shown in people's lives. So John has a reason to be concerned and he's writing this letter and he's going to be, but be bold. And you'll see that as we get into this, but he's going to be bold with a heart full of care and concern. So hopefully that comes across to you as well. As we say bold things coming out of this letter, you would know that it comes from a heart of care and concern too, that it's not just that God's wanting something from us, but he's wanting something for us and he has something for us. So I want to lean in with that attitude because disobedience is not something that we can't struggle with as well. And rebellion is kind of the fast track to bad living. Like just that attitude of like, I'm gonna do what I want, I don't care, just kind of rebellious attitude. That's the fast track to bad living. But bad doctrine is the scenic route to bad living. Like if you have bad or wrong beliefs, you'll get to bad living. You'll just kind of take longer to get there. But those beliefs eventually start affecting the way that you live and the decisions that you make. And the main kind of bad doctrine that this first century church was dealing with was Gnosticism. So it was a bad doctrine that also had bad implications. The Gnostics believed in Jesus, so this is an internal problem. This isn't just kind of like, oh, these pagan religions out there. This was the corruption of truth within the church that John is addressing. So they believed in Jesus, but they did not believe he had a human body. They believed that Jesus kind of just came as a spirit, floated around, did his miracles, did his teaching, but he never came physically. He was just a spirit. But one guy there was a contemporary kind of taught this Heresy in a unique way that he believed Jesus was just a real normal person that became the Christ at his baptism. Like when the Spirit of God kind of descended upon him as baptism, he's like, okay, that moment is when he became the Christ. But then the Spirit left him on the cross when he said, why have you forsaken me? So it's basically this guy's teaching that Jesus was a normal person who was kind of divinely possessed for just a short period of time to kind of do the work of God. So these are some heresies that are kind of infiltrating the church in the first century. And John's going to push back on these. But we're seeing not just bad doctrine, but bad doctrine take root and affect the way people live. And this bad doctrine kind of had two main practical implications or expressions. The first one was the satism, which was kind of this idea that you punish the body. Because here's what's behind the idea of Gnosticism. The body's bad, but the spirit's good. Right? So Jesus couldn't come in the body. Like, the body's bad, but the spirit's good. So asceticism says you just kind of punish the body in order to kind of free the spirit. Almost like self torture. That one was not as popular as you can understand. But the next one really took off and it led to licentiousness. Basically, you can do and live however you want in the body because the body's bad, it doesn't matter. The spirit's the good. So if you want to get with a prostitute in your body, that's fine. If you want to do this in the body, like how you live doesn't matter because there's this separation or distinction that they make between the body and the spirit. Now that one really caught on, as you can see. Like, you get this kind of Christian permission to live however you want. That one took root. And John, seeing that come to life in the church. So he's gonna. He's gonna push back. He's gonna push back boldly. But here's the question. Why? It's like, well, because he loves the truth. Yeah, yeah, he does love the truth. But. But there's something even more to it than that. It's like, because he loves the church, certainly he loves the church, he wants to see the church healthy. He wants to see the church in the right trajectory. Like, he is this father figure in the church and he cares for the church. But there's something even deeper than that. And John makes his ambition or his motive really clear right off the bat in this letter. And his ambition is about our joy. Let's look at the verse 4. This is the last verse we're going to look at today, but let's start there. He says, we are writing these things so that our. What joy may be complete. So these things refer to this whole letter, like I'm writing this letter, all these things in this letter. And my ambition for doing this is your joy. So if you think, especially when we get to the hard stuff, because it's coming, maybe not too much today, but it's coming like when we get to that hard stuff. If you think this is just kind of some slap on the wrist guy that's saying, get your life in order, don't do this, and you ought to do this and kind of shape up, you're missing it. Because he is somebody who speaks boldly because he cares deeply and he is after our joy. And I think that's something that we could have in common. I mean, it's rooted in the founding of our country. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of what, happiness. Like, if you're human, you want joy like you're after it. It just seems like a lot of people just look in the wrong places for it. And John, who's somebody who's walked with Jesus, who lived with Jesus, he knows something about joy and he cares for us and he's pointing us in that direction. So if you care about your joy, anybody in there care about their joy. All right, then lean into this series. And even when the stings come, he's like, this is a man who cares and he wants something for me. So let's get after it. You guys ready? Let's start in verse one. How about that? That's a novel idea. Verse one. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and in touch with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us. Now who's he talking about? Yeah, say with confidence. Come on. 9:30. Yeah, that was last week. All right, so he's talking about Jesus. And John comes right out of the gate throwing punches. Now, you might not see that if you don't know the background of what he's dealing with, but he comes right out of the gate throwing some punches at Gnosticism. He's like saying, you Trying to tell me Jesus didn't have a body. I saw him, I looked upon him, I touched him. Like, why does he use language of that? He's undermining the false teaching there. He's like, no, I was there. I. I touched him. That's. This is real. You trying to tell me that Jesus was just a normal man who became Christ at his baptism? No, no, no, no, no. He is that which is from the beginning. And when it says that he is was with the Father, that word with means face to face. So he's talking about the deity of the Son of God. He's like, he exists for eternity past, and he has entered our world in flesh. And in eternity past, he was face to face with the Father. He's saying he's God. He's making a bold doctrinal statement about the deity of Jesus Christ, the pre existent Son of God. And he's making an important doctrinal statement about the incarnation of Christ. He put on flesh. He came as a man to die on the cross for our sins, as our representative. Like these truths matter. And John is addressing the lies that are being spread, but he's also validating his message. This is what he says. Verse three, the first part of verse three. That which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you. He's like, I'm proclaiming something to you, but I'm proclaiming something to you that I witnessed, that I saw, that I looked upon, that I touched, that I was there. Like these other people that you're buying into their stuff. They weren't there there. They didn't see it, they didn't look upon it, they didn't touch Jesus like, I was there. So he's given some validation to his ministry. But let's look back at verse one and two. Try to put a little bit more emphasis on this point because this is interesting. It says this. That which we have, that's which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and which we have touched with our own hands. So you got, you got four verbs there. The first two verbs that we heard and seen are in the perfect tense in Greek. Now don't check out on me. Perfect tense in Greek just means something that happened in the past that continues on in the future. But the next two verbs, looked upon and touched, are in the aorist tense, which is like past tense. Something that happened in the past and was completed in the past. Why does he change verb tenses in the in the midst of this one sentence, like, what's he trying to communicate here? If you kind of put it in more of a paraphrase, this is what, this is what John's saying. What I heard from Jesus many years ago is still ringing true in my ears today. What I saw many years ago is still just as clear as me today. Like, he's talking about, like, guys, I was there and it's still with me. John had a life changing experience with Jesus Christ. Don't you think? Like, if you walked with Jesus, if you saw him do the things that he did, you heard him teach the things that he taught, you saw dead people rise from the grave and blind people see, you're gonna be a bit blown away. Like, that changed John's life. And sometimes we want Jesus without life change. And John's like, it don't work that way. Like, Jesus is a life changer and I want you to have what I got. But he's also talking about it in such a way where he's not like, just boasting about himself, like, let me tell you my old stories. This is about his credibility. He's saying this because it's like, I want to get through to you. Like, I was there, I saw it, I touched it, and I want to get through to you. I want you to listen to this. There's this plea to like, listen up, trust me. It's like a fatherly figure that is watching his kids buy into the lies of this world. He's like, no, don't do that. Don't go there. Don't buy into that. Like any parents in here that can relate to that emotion. Like, when you look at your kids and it's like, oh, they're making some decisions that I wish they were making, right? There's a unique kind of parental angst in that. Like, don't do that. Like, I've been there, I've done. Like, that's totally going to cause pain. Like, that's not right. And there's this hurt. John has this like fatherly figure, like looking on these churches kind of at the end of his life. He's like, don't believe them, don't follow them. Don't buy into this Gnosticism. Like, that's ridiculous and it leads to corruption. And he has this care and concern for them because, listen, this isn't unique just to them, because this exists for us today. Worldliness is a problem. Like just this outside influence that creeps in and begins to just kind of direct and shape the way we think, and then the way we live and it just is tricky. Worldliness is a problem. Here's a good way to define worldliness. Worldliness is anything that makes sin seem normal and holiness seem weird. And that's everywhere. Like, we just breathe that all the time. The shows we watch, the things we read, the music we listen to. There's this constant message that we're probably even perhaps numb to that takes sin. And just like everybody thinks that everybody does that. That's not wrong, that's okay, that's normal. And then any kind of expression of holiness, it's like, that's weird. Who thinks like that? That's crazy. And you start to just kind of feel isolated, which shouldn't surprise us, because Jesus, like, hey, let's go the narrow road, right? He's invited us to that. But yet we still find ourselves, like, you know, kind of in this trap of, like, holiness just seems weird and sin seems normal, and that's worldliness. And it's a problem. And it's a problem in the church. It's not just a problem out in the world. You expect the world to be worldly, but when the world makes its way into the church, it's like, oh, church people are starting to think that way. Church people dress that way. Church people act that way. Church people think that way. Church people spend that way. Church, like, then it's kind of this infiltration and John has this angst that he's kind of calling people out. But we have to realize it's not just, hey, don't do that. Knock it off, Be a better Christian. That's wrong. Do right. Because if that's all that we see, that's not much motivation. That's not very compelling to change. And John has a really compelling message for us. He's not just saying, knock it off. He's inviting us to something. Because here's what he's saying. That worldliness that you're buying into is. It's a joy killer. It's a joy killer. Like, it makes promises to you, but it never delivers. Like, you engage it, but it just leaves you empty. It's a joy killer. Because that's what he's after, our joy. Look at verse four again. We are writing these things so that are what? My goodness. Okay, I'm only going to give you little words, guys. Let's go. We are writing these things so that our. Yeah, here we go. Joy may be complete. So he's saying, I'm writing these things and here's my motivation. I'm after your joy. Like we can collaborate in this because I know you care about your joy. I'm after your joy. This is why I'm writing these things. Well, let's cheat. We're gonna peek at a verse we're gonna look at next week. But here's the first verse in chapter two. My little children. Right? So this is this kind of pastoral concern, this fatherly concern he has for him. I'm writing these things. Yep. Stop right there, John. You've already told us why you're writing these things. We already know that. You've already covered it. It's like, no, no, no. I'm writing these things. Right? So their joy may be complete. We've heard it. Nope. I'm writing these things so that you may not what? Sin? Right. Three letter word again. You're doing great. So, well, which one is it? Are you writing these things so that my joy may be complete, or are you writing these things so that I won't sin? You betcha. Right? And they go together. Cause here's the thing. This is important to understand. A lack of joy is a path to sin. It's why we sin. Like we're chasing something. We're chasing some promise. Like, this is gonna bring pleasure. This is gonna bring satisfaction. This is gonna bring validation. This is gonna make me important. This is gonna give me belonging. Like, we're unsatisfied, so we're looking for something to satisfy. And we just look in the wrong places. That's what sin is. And here's what we all know. It further steals our sin. Or, excuse me, it further steals our joy. Right? It just. Like. Maybe for a moment, Terry, like pleasure, but afterward, what's the aftertaste? Regret, Shame, Guilt. Like, it doesn't deliver. So the lack of joy is a path to sin. And John is out for our joy. He is out for our joy because here's what he knows. Christians who are satisfied in God don't chase sin because they're full. Their joy is complete. I don't need this to validate me. I don't need this to give me pleasure. I don't need this for find acceptance. I'm satisfied in God. So are you writing this so that our joy may be complete, or are you writing this so that we may not sin? You betcha. And they go together. And John is wanting this for them. So if a lack of joy is a path to sin, what's the path to joy? Like? If joy is really important for our holiness, for our Christian life, how do you get Joy or how do you get it? The way John's talking about it, Complete, full mature. Like they're saying, yeah, you can have joy, but you don't have this kind of joy. John's saying, I got this kind of joy for you. Like, this is what I'm. So what's the path to that kind of joy? It's interesting that in all this talk about Jesus, he hasn't even mentioned his name yet. You notice that, like, he is the subject and he hasn't said Jesus yet. How does he talk about Jesus, though? Look at the text. How does he talk about Jesus? The word of life, the life, the eternal life. And here's what he's saying. There is no life apart from Jesus, not in any kind of satisfying, fulfilling, lasting way. He is the life. He's the source of life. He's the source of joy. You start looking for it outside of Jesus, it's not going to deliver. And even if it delivers, it's not going to last. Even if it delivers, it's certainly not going to satisfy. Right? It's in Christ. He's our path to joy. In fact, John quotes Jesus in his gospel a few times. In John 14:6, very familiar passage, Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the. Yeah, four letters. You guys are killing it. No one comes to the Father except through me. I'm the life. And you want to get to the Father because at the Father are pleasures forevermore, and I'm the way to get there. He says this in John 10:10, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have what and have it abundantly. Like there is a quality of life, a full life, a joyful life, an abundant life that is found in Jesus Christ. Here's one. This is John 17:3. And this is eternal life, right? Because John's talking about eternal life here. Well, this is what it is. It's not just how long you live, because we talked about this before. Everybody lives forever somewhere. But this is eternal life. That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you've sent. That's what eternal life is. It's quantity and quality. It's a life reconnected with our Maker, who gives us joy. And sometimes I think we make the mistake of thinking that Jesus is just the way to eternal life someday, but not the way to a joyful life today. And inside the church, there is a thinking. Of course I'm a sinner and I need a savior, and someday I'm Gonna really need Jesus to get me into heaven. Like, someday for an eternal life, he's really gonna be helpful. But right now, for a joyful life, I need that money. I need that job. I need that body. I need that relationship. I need that reputation. That's what's gonna deliver. Yes, someday, Jesus is important. But today I need all these other things to make me happy. And we'd be like, I don't think that. Look at what you're devoted to. We just got over Christmas break. This is a time where it's like, I binge watched so many movies, and what did I forget to do the whole Christmas break? I never read my Bible, right? We're so, like, I won't miss a workout, but I don't always make it to church. We never miss a practice with connection groups. You're there because it makes promises to us. This is where the life is. This is where recognition lies. This is where value is found. This is where rest is found. This is where peace is given. And we chase those things and we buy into it. But that's not the life. People talk like, man, he's got the life, right? What do people mean when they say that? Oh, man, you're living the life. You got nothing to worry about. Financially secure, great family, you know, fancy car, whatever it may be. It's like, oh, that's the life. And John's like, that's not the life. That's not it. Jesus Christ is the life. And John's saying this to somebody who they've tried to kill. So John's the last apostle left, the only apostle not martyred, but not because they didn't try. Church history tells us they tried to boil him alive in oil. That didn't work. So they just kind of put him off in this island of Patmos where he did some of his writing. And John saying, like, I've been through it. Jesus is the life. Nothing can satisfy, deliver, give fulfillment and peace like Jesus Christ. That's the life. And he's wanting it for us. He's trying to give us the key to joy. So let's look at the last two verses together. Verse 3. That which is which we have seen and heard. Excuse me. That's what we have seen and heard. We proclaim to you also, so that you, too, may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete. So we got two. So that's here that we need to Pay attention to. So they build on each other. There's a reason behind that. So that this happens. Let's look at the first one, first verse three. That we have seen and heard and proclaimed also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. So he's saying, I want you to have fellowship with us. And guess who our fellowship is with. God, the Father and the Son. And I want you to be a part of this. I want you to be on this team. Join us. I want you to have what I have, this fellowship. And this fellowship is so sweet. There's nothing like fellowship with God. So join this team. Like, you know, quit the world. Join us. That's what he's calling them to. Now, this is important. I think we can often have a pretty weak understanding of fellowship in the church. Like, we treat it as just kind of some kind of social activity that Christians do. How many of you guys grew up in a church that had a fellowship hall, Right? That's where fellowship happened. Like in that room, normally with a potluck, which always helps. But that's not what fellowship is like. I understand the meaning of the heart behind it. And there's. There's something that we are called to, but fellowship is not primarily social. Now, that may be new to some of us in this room. Let me just say it again. Fellowship is not primarily social. Now think about it. John is wanting them to have fellowship with us, himself included. How can they have fellowship with John? He's not even there. Like, this isn't just going to one church. It's going to a bunch of churches. It's a letter that's in circulation. John's at the end of his life. He's gonna die soon. Like, how can they have fellowship with John? John's not saying he wants to hang out. He's saying, I want you on this team. I'm on Team Jesus. I want you on Team Jesus. I'm on Team Jesus because I get Jesus right? Doctrinally, I'm not buying into the lies of Gnosticism that it's selling to you. And I get Jesus right, because I'm sold out to Jesus, and my life is for Jesus. And I want you to join Team Jesus. So get Jesus right, and live passionately for him. And when you do, we're gonna have fellowship. We're gonna be on the same team. And in that, we're gonna have a bond. That's so sweet. That's what he's Inviting them into the word fellowship. Koinonia describes a partnership. Sometimes it was used like, if you're going into business with somebody, it's like, okay, we're linked together in this. We have shared goals, shared passions, shared purpose, like that. That's the kind of meaning of fellowship. So, yes, it's a deep relational connection, but it's built on shared purpose, conviction, devotion, doctrine. Fellowship is not built on just spending time together. Fellowship is not built on just spending time together and being kind to one another. It's not just friendship. It's not just niceties. And some of you feel this, like, in a connection group is like, man, we've been in the same connection group for like, three years. I don't feel much fellowship. Well, you might learn why, because it's not just built on spending time together. It's not just built on socialization. It's not just built on kindness or niceness. Fellowship is about a shared devotion, a shared doctrine, a shared passion. If we don't believe the same things, like, if we're not united, like, this is who Jesus Christ is. This is God's word. It has authority over our life. If we don't believe the same things or if we're not devoted to the same things, this is what life is about. It's about God's glory, his pleasure. Then it doesn't matter how much time we spend together, we won't have fellowship. Not the kind of fellowship that John's talking about. John's calling us something to a type of fellowship that he says, you know what comes with this fellowship? Joy. That's the other. So that. See, these are fellowship killers. Like, when we don't get doctrine right, when we're not devoted, it messes up fellowship. And this is what's behind a weakened experience. Not just a weakened understanding, but a weakened experience of fellowship within the church. The doctrine's off, devotion's off. Like a lot of us, we grew up in a church. We didn't get much doctrine. It was just like, how do we help you have a better marriage? And how do we help you handle money better? And how do we help you keep you happy? How do we help you enjoy church? But there's not a lot of doctrine. I don't know if you. A while back, like, months, not years. But just recently, fairly recently, a big study came out on the state of theology in America among professing evangelicals. And they were denying basic Christian doctrine. Jesus isn't the only way to salvation. The Bible's not necessary enough, necessarily. An Authority over my life. It's like, how do you get there? Like, that's foundational Christian stuff. But when he's kind of just drift away from correct doctrine, you're going to then drift into bad living. And when you. When you're in a church where it's like, people are more devoted to lesser things, it's a fellowship killer. When you're. One person's like, my life is for the glory of God. And another person is like, yeah, that's kind of nice. You're not going to have great fellowship. Like, okay, that's different teams. Like, we're not shooting at the same target. And John is calling us like, you want this kind of fellowship. It's where joy is found. Cause that's why it's a big deal. That's the second. So what, we are writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete. And all this builds on each other. John's like, you gotta get Jesus right. And when you get Jesus right, you have fellowship. Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with us who are committed to him. And when you have fellowship, you have joy. And that's what he's calling us to. But he says that our joy may be complete. He didn't say so that your joy be complete. He said our joy because there is a collective contributing to each other's joy in the body of Christ. When you're devoted, when you're part of this body and you're devoted, you help other people's joy who are a part of this body and devoted. And here's the other side. When you're a part of this body and you're lukewarm, you're detrimental to the joy of other people in this body who are devoted. Like, there's a feeding off each other in joy in the body of Christ. Because he's not just saying so that you'd have joy, he's saying that so your joy would be complete or full or mature. It's the same word that Jesus used or John uses in John 15. You guys are familiar with this passage? As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love if you keep my commandments or if you don't sin what he says in first John, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my what may be in you, and that your what may be what? Full. Okay, that word, full, is the same word that John uses. For complete here in first, John means the same thing. Full, complete, mature. Like there's a type of joy that you're experiencing in this world that is lacking, that only Jesus and abiding with him, with the Father, with other believers can give you. You will not find it anywhere else. And John is wanting that type of joy for us. Let me put it this way. Real Christian fellowship is the path to real, lasting joy. Real Christian fellowship is the path to real, lasting joy. And here's why I use the word real. Because using the word real applies that there is a fake, that there is a counterfeit, or at best, there is a lacking, that you're missing something. And Jesus is saying, I'm telling you these things so that my joy would be in you and that your joy would be full. John here saying, I'm writing these things so that our joy may be full. Listen to me, church. There is something better offered in Jesus Christ than the world offers you. And until you believe that, you will continue to chase after the things of this world, thinking they will deliver and they will not. There is a joy in Jesus that is satisfying and lasting, and John is wanting that for us. Do you have that? Do we have that? Guys, this is dangerous. I think one of the worst things a church could do to this world is display to the world a lukewarm, mediocre devotion because it just. It undermines evangelism. Because what it says is, I believe in Jesus, but he's not that worth it. I believe in Jesus, but he's not worthy of my heart. And life and devotion sends the wrong message. And if we lower the. Hear me out. If we lower the bar on Christian fellowship, like, it doesn't matter what you believe, it doesn't matter how you behave. We're just glad you're here, right? We're just one big happy family, big front door. It doesn't matter what you believe. It doesn't matter how you act. We're just glad that you're here. If we lower the bar on Christian fellowship, at best, we weaken the sweetness of it didn't taste how it's supposed to taste. And at worst, we deceive people, leading them to think they're okay with God when they're not. And these false teachers have got into the church and they're saying some things that aren't true and leading them to live lives that aren't honoring to God. And John is saying, that ain't how it works. And it's not how it works. It doesn't deliver. It doesn't satisfy. Come to Christ for fulfillment. Enjoy. There's fellowship waiting for him. So here's what kind of scares me as a pastor, especially of a church that's grown fast and it's exciting, and praise God for it. And sometimes when you get around other pastors, you can eventually get to that question of, like, how big's your church? It's like talking to another dude that lifts that and that works out. And you're like, how much do you bench? You know, you're just kind of flexing on each other a little bit. We've grown fast. And sometimes people think that's a sign of health. And it does say something, and I hope so, because God has been so kind to us. But weeds grow fast, too. And what scares me as a pastor is that Veritas would just be a really cool place to come to church. But it doesn't really matter what you believe, and it doesn't really matter how you behave. And the fellowship is not that sweet. And we present something to the world that's not accurate. We are called to make disciples, but we are not called to compromise the sweetness of Christian fellowship in order to grow a church. And it can be tempting. It can be tempting not to bring that up. It could be tempting not to press in. It could be tempting not to challenge. Be tempting to skip that text. And that would make us terrible pastors who don't care about your joy and just care about the size of our church. And if we need to shrink in order to taste the sweetness of Christian fellowship, then so be it. Because there is something better than numerical growth that we are called to. We are called to fellowship. Fellowship with the Father and the Son and with other devoted believers is the sweetest thing ever. But it's not the opposite of evangelism. It's not. Do you remember when we looked at Acts 2 and that church that kind of was a corrective to us? Like, they were devoted to the apostles teaching. They were devoted to truth. They were devoted to the breaking of the bread, to the remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They were devoted to prayer. And what else were they devoted to? They were devoted to the what fellowship. This mission that we're on together. I'm in this hundred percent. I have died to myself to live for Christ. And you know what happened to that church? Day by day, the Lord added to their number. Because there's something really evangelistic about a church that's sold out for Jesus Christ. What the world needs now is to see Christians who actually prefer Christ to the world to see Christians who are sold out, devoted to Jesus Christ in the midst of this world because they're looking for joy. And when they look at a church who's like, I would rather be here. I would rather do this. My life is for Christ, and I'm fulfilled in him. They're going to want what we have. So church, here's the call. God through Jesus Christ is calling us. Now get this. He's calling us to himself. There's nothing better than that, that we would be reconciled with God. And when you lose your life for his sake, for that fellowship, and you lose your life for that, and you lose your life for that, and you lose your life for that, and you lose your life for that, and you lose your life for that, and I lose my life for that, then we will experience a type of fellowship that brings a joy that we know nothing about in this world. Amen. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that by the power of your spirit, you had created us a hunger for you that is greater than any other hunger that we have. That we would want you. We would want closeness with you. We would want to please you and honor you. We would want to adore you and praise you. And we need you to want you. So would you wake us up to your glory and pray this in your name. Amen.