“Get In The Room!” (It’s Time To Come Home)
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 01/12/25 (2nd Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Get In The Room!” (It’s Time To Come Home)
It’s a new year!
It’s a time when people reflect over the previous year. “What Can I Do Better?”
It’s where we start with resolutions. Let’s talk about some examples:
This Year I Will: Get Organized
Learn A New Skill Save More Money Clean The House Travel More Exercise More Lose Weight
Get Closer To God
Typically January 1st is the start day of the “new me.” We do our best to work to do some of these things.
The 2nd Friday of January is a special day also.
It’s called “Quitter’s Day.”
it’s when people give up till next year.
Some of us might still be going strong… wanting to get closer to God.
Each year we want to get closer to God. We want to strengthen our walk.
To build our relationship and our faith. We want to work on our love for God.
We do that by studying more in the new year. praying more.
coming to church more.
All to build a better relationship with God.
But before we talk about our God… let’s talk about each other.
Question:
How Do We Build Relationships With Others?
We might have a ton of ideas.
We can do what WE think is good,
but usually people will tell/show you how to build a relationship with them.
We just have to make sure to “listen to them.” It’s the same with our God.
What did Jesus say?
In John 14:
Jesus told us that if we love him.
We’ll obey him.
{Repeat:}
“If I Love The Lord, I’ll Listen To The Lord”
Jesus also told us that if we believe in him… If you want to know how to build relationship…
He’s telling you how!!
But he said more!
John 14:12
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
If we have faith in him.
If we believe in him…
we will “do.”
Our Belief In Him Is Measured By WHAT WE DO!
He tells us if we love him to listen. If we believe to “do.”
Getting Closer To The Lord Requires Action!
What is that action? Continuing his ministry.
What was his ministry?
Jesus didn’t come to earth to just pray at home.
It was to reach the lost. It was to care for people.
It was to give his life for the sake of others.
These are the things Jesus was “DOING.” For example:
What was something he said over and over?
Matthew 4:18-20
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
“Come, follow me.”
He told these two brothers to follow him.
Which one was he talking to? {one or both?} He told them BOTH to follow him.
Together…
He said it to others later.
To the disciples as well as others. {Rich man, many others} “Follow me…”
What did people get from following him?
Spending time with Jesus…
building a relationship with him.
- being in close proximity. But ALSO being around one another.
Jesus didn’t just tell one person to follow him… But he told many!
God Wants More Than A Relationship With You, He Wants Us!
It’s not meant to be a secret relationship…
He spent time teaching his “GROUP” of followers the things of God.
Jesus told us one of his missions.
Matthew 16:13-20
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
He asked the disciples…
who are people saying he is?
Then he asked them…
who do YOU say I am?
Only Peter responded…
he recognized that Jesus was the Christ. the Messiah, the Son of God.
Jesus was amazed.
Peter realized what’s really happening. "And on THIS realization…”
“I will build my CHURCH.”
Jesus Came To Do Many Things, One Of Them Was To Establish His Church!
Church is important!
The Church is the ekklesia. the gathering
the assembly
The GROUP.
We overlook an important part of what ministry looks like.
The Church Is To Be Built On The Foundation That Jesus Is Lord
And THAT church…is what Jesus came to build.
The Church Was Important To Jesus! If We Are To Do What He Did, It Has To Be Important To Us Also!
We have to make church a priority. Why?
2 Reasons:
It’s shown on the Day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:1-4
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
When the day the Lord had chosen…
all the people were together in “one” place. they weren’t at home.
they were in church.
and THAT is where the Spirit fell!
The Lord COULD have gone to each person’s home…
but scripture says when they were ALL TOGETHER in ONE place.
They weren’t watching from next door.
that’s why social media doesn’t work. together in ONE place!
It May Be Great At Home, But It’s Better In The Building!
Which goes right to number 2.
After Jesus was crucified and resurrected. The disciples were continuing to have church.
John 20:19-20
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Jesus decided to show up one day… and where did he go?
he visited his CHURCH!
- the gathering of people who knew he was Lord!
The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. it says that he didn’t JUST show up.
he brought joy with him!
Imagine what type of week you may have… dealing with people…
dealing with trials…
dealing with our own problems.
Yet…just so happens there is a PLACE you can go. where Jesus has been known to show up.
and he brings JOY with him when he does!
But he didn’t JUST bring that.
John 20:21-22
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
He showed up to CHURCH…
and gave those who were there gifts. he filled them with joy.
but he ALSO gave them the Holy Spirit!
Those across the street looking didn’t receive the gift. Those at home didn’t receive the gift.
You had to be IN THE BUILDING! How do we know?
Verse 24-25
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
Thomas…one of the 12.
He was a DISCIPLE.
but was not in church that day.
When he HEARD about how great church was… he wouldn’t believe it.
but if he would have been there… he would have known!
But he will find out.
Verse 26-27
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
A week later…Thomas comes. Jesus showed up a second time!
He calls out Thomas for not believing when he SHOULD had been there!
Verse 28-29
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Okay…so all is well right? NO!!
What Jesus did the first week was different.
Jesus brought Joy with him…
and gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to those in the room.
The SECOND Week…
when Thomas came… All he got was rebuke.
Why??
Because he doubted…
why did he doubt?
because he wasn’t IN the room he should have been.
We have to make sure we get IN The Room!
The Lord Can Move Anywhere, But He Definitely Moves In His Church!
{recap}
If we want a better relationship in 2025…
we have to care about the things the Lord cares about.
continuing his work.
the work of ministry.
The church is important.
it’s where power is.
it’s where HE shows up. it’s where gifts are given. it’s where miracles happen.
If you’re wanting to grow that relationship in 25.
and you aren’t IN the building like you should be.
Let’s not be MIA.
and others go home with blessings that are for us.
END
{Lead into the Blessing of the oil}
Another point of church that we’ll cover this month:
Matthew 18:19-20
19 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
He is telling us there is power because of what happens when the believers come together. What we agree on…we can have.
As we pray for this oil…
if we want the power of God to flow from it. it will.
We were anointed last week.
This week WE will come together as a UNIT of believers… And bless this oil.
