Recently at The Grove we finished a series we have been in for 24 weeks. We have been going through the Gospel of Luke chapter by chapter in a series we have called "Know Jesus:Luke."
Our last night of the series was one of those messages that resonated with me and I believe everyone needs to hear it. It isn't because I did an amazing job delivering it or that there is some bit of new never heard before information. The reason I think everyone needs to hear it is because I believe that every single one of us who have signed up to follow Jesus will have days where we feel like giving up. And I think the three things we talked about on our last night are essentials for us to stay in this race until our dyeing day.
“32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
If we are going to be people who change the world around us and love Jesus every day of our lives we have got to be people who have burning hearts. By that I mean that we must be people who continually have a passion for Jesus and His story and His Kingdom burning in our hearts. To do that I think there are three essentials, not the only things, but three core ideas that we must grasp and implement in order to do this. I am going to talk about these three things in three separate posts. You can get part one HERE. You can get part three HERE.
2. Live in community with burning ones.
“32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32
Us.
At its' core US says "You may wrestle with your faith but I will not allow your flame to go out."
Community protects hearts from growing cold, if you abandon community you will isolate yourself and have no one to help kindle your fire when it burns low.
The church at its very core idea is a gathering of people who love Jesus and are committed to making his story known to the earth.
They are committed to one another and committed to telling the Story.
“42 They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. 43 Everyone around was in awe - all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! 44 And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. 45 They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. 46 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, 47 as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.”
Acts is the story recorded by Luke about the forming of The Burning Ones! They had rough days, long nights, questions, growing pains, changes, and the list goes on. In the middle of all of those things though, they always had US.
The gospels record Jesus telling His disciples “All men will hate you because of me…”
"22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22 NIV
"13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13 NIV
"17 All men will hate you because of me." Luke 21:17 NIV
If we know that the world is going to hate us, you would think that we would work hard to be apart of and stay involved in a community that loves us and is for us.
You were made by a God who eternally lives in community, to live in community.
Your purpose as a community of people is to create order in the midst of chaos through community.
In Genesis we find God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, creating order when the world was “without form…” out of their relationship with one another.
“1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Marriage is about a man and woman coming together to create life through community.
“27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
“18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
”24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
The church is about a group of people living together in community creating order in cities where there is chaos through living out the story of the Gospel.
If you search for the phrase "the church" in the New Testament you will find that it is the church that Jesus works through and brings healing and hope to cities. Order into chaos through communities.
Right after Jesus ascends into heaven, He sends the Holy Spirit and the church is born, a group of people empowered to tell the story of Jesus and demonstrate his goodness to the earth.
To be a burning one, you must live in community with burning ones. To do this you will have to submit your life to the working of the Holy Spirit of God. It will require you to embody the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians five. It will require you to walk in Matthew eighteen forgiveness. It will require you to walk in 1 Corinthians thirteen love. Make no mistake about it, living in community with burning ones will cost you at times.
Finishing the race in love with Jesus and surrounded by friends and family who love him as well is more than worth whatever price we must pay to stay in community with burning ones.
Stay tuned for Part Three of The Burning Ones!