1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Bible Verse, 2 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn 3 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: more about God and his will for our lives. I'm 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: your host, Kyle Norman. After a brief message from one 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: of our sponsors, we will continue with today's verse. Today's 6 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: verse can be found Anyphesians, Chapter three, Verse ten. His 7 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: intent was that now through the Church, the manifold wisdom 8 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: of God should be made known to the rulers and 9 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: authorities in the heavily realms. The other day, I was 10 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: at the gym and I heard someone ask a member 11 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: of the front staff if they were ready for the 12 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: quote resolution revolution. By this, they meant the influx of 13 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: new gym memberships that come flooding in every January. Every January, 14 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: new people join their local gym because they've made a 15 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: resolution to revaent their lives in some way. What do 16 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: we do if our new year's resolution addresses the spiritual 17 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: side of our lives? What if we resolve to be 18 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: more spiritually healthy this coming year? What then? It's not 19 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: like we can join the local spiritual gym and start 20 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: throwing around spiritual weights. Can we wait? Can we? Scripture's 21 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: clear that Our life with God is never an individual journey. 22 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: We never exist in some type of spiritual silo. Cutting 23 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: ourselves off from others is actually tantamount to cutting ourselves 24 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: off from the spirit of God. So Paul says that 25 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: part of Jesus' redemptive purpose in the world was that 26 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God would be 27 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: made known. Just think about that. God's plan in this 28 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: world involves the church. The movement of the spirit in 29 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: this world involves the church. The work of Jesus in 30 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: this world involves the church. Now, the word for church 31 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: is the Greek word eclesia, which means called out ones. 32 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: The word church doesn't mean special building. It describes a 33 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: congregation of people who gather to live in response to 34 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: God's presence. The church, it is the spiritual gym where 35 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: we grow in our knowledge of God's presence and activity 36 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: in this world, is where we engage in spiritual practices 37 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: or exercises that help form us spiritually and mold us 38 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: into images of Christ in this world. Why isn't there 39 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: a resolution revolution for the local congregation. I sometimes wonder 40 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 1: if we have gotten so used to talking about being 41 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: out in the world that we have forgotten that being 42 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: a community of worship, prayer, and faith is just as 43 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: important to what God wants to do. A prayer failed 44 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: encouraging holy congregation is important to the spiritual health of 45 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: this world. And this means that our worship services, our 46 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: prayer nights, our Bible study sessions, they have impact in 47 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: this world. They have impact for those in our neighborhoods. 48 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: What we do within the walls of our local congregation matters. 49 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: It is a vehicle for God's work in this world. 50 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: Our church is filled with a power which is not 51 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: our own, and this means that the community of faith 52 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: that you belong to has the capacity to witness redemption 53 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: and Joe going into people's change lives. This is because 54 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: when the congregation of the faithful are united in their 55 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: dedication to Jesus, then everyone around them can know that 56 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: if they ever want to draw closer to the God 57 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: who created them and redeem them, well, they can enter 58 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: that community of faith and meet the living God. And 59 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: it can be easy to adopt a self focused and 60 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: self defined spirituality. Faith is about increasing our individual relationship 61 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: with Jesus. It's about me and Jesus. But in Ephesians, three. 62 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: Paul is quite bold. The mission of Jesus from cradle 63 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: to the Cross wasn't just about giving individual gifts of 64 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: love of forgiveness, but it was about creating a community 65 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: of people who were so awash in the blessing of 66 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: God's presence that they naturally called others to experience that 67 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: reality for themselves. And that purpose began with the Disciples, 68 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: and it moved through Paul and the Gentiles. It eventually 69 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: included people like Francis of the CCI and Teresa at Abala. 70 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: And what is more, it continues all the way down 71 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: through the Ages to you and I. We are a 72 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: community of people through whom God wants to reveal the 73 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,559 Speaker 1: riches of God's wisdom, and the way that God does 74 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:26,679 Speaker 1: that is by actively working in and through the called 75 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: out congregation. If it is true that the church matters, 76 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: then it is true that your church matters. Your church 77 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: is an important outpost to the Spirit's mission in this world, 78 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: and you, as a member of that church, are a 79 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: vital part of it. So what does it look like 80 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: for you to be active in your church or more 81 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: active in your church? If you're in a place of 82 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: wanting more out of your spiritual life. Maybe because you're 83 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: new to the faith or because you feel things kind 84 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: of routine over the years, where might God be asking 85 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: you to lean into the life of the church more. 86 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: We'll us be honest. Churches aren't perfect. Paul knew that 87 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: he often wrote about that. But the imperfection of the 88 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: church is part of what makes the church an important 89 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: vessel for God's work, because God works through our imperfections 90 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: to highlight His power that can do far more than 91 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: we can ever ask or imagine. If you are wanting 92 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: to grow in your Christian walk or participate in what 93 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: the Spirit is doing in this world, then be a 94 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: part of the community of faith. Join others in prayer, 95 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: worship with Gusto, attend services and Bible studies. Because Scripture 96 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: is clear the life of the church is a necessary 97 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: part of Christ's work of redemption.