Paul starts with an incredibly important if

If encouragement in Christ
If any comfort from His love
If any participation in the Spirit
If any affection and sympathy

he says next is rooted in those if’s
Notice, this is already after salvation
Active presence of the Holy Spirit
Even his relationship with him

Cool, you are a Christian!
It has happened - here’s what’s next!

into it
So much of our framework slides into
Earn it, keep it,

Here Paul roots “How to be a Christian”
In Christ as the beginning and at the end

Anything we do is rooted in Christ
If he’s doing something in you
And this is where we are headed
Live likewise

Nature of Christian community described here is something else
Unity
Humility
Looking after others as ourselves

How utterly against the grain this is
Look around us!
System seems built to reward selfishness
Destroy unity

Advertisers have tried to cultivate our hearts
To be selfish
Social media is built to inflame and divide

Called to be completely different
Hard - looks correct
Jesus we find it is the ultimate design for the whole creation

Jesus
Deeper understanding of the incarnation
How is it that God became a human?

Empties himself
Complete humility

So as a church, we are a servant community

But where?
Tough question

In the

?
Surely there is so much to do
Programs
Fortress - we say to the world - come to us
Jesus went to them

In the

?
Certainly
Priesthood of all believers
Everywhere you go is your mission field
But, without one another, we’ll collapse
This is a plural YOU remember

Kuyper
Church Institutue
Church Organism
Scattered/Gathered

Flow
Out
In
Out
Heart - the Spirit the actual force
Lungs - Church Gathered Together
Arteries/Vein - Church giving life to the world

Grow/Serve Season
- Tangible Service to the world and one another
- Rooted in Grow
- Centered in Christ
- Serve
Sent Out
Where are you called? To whom are you sent?
Gathered Together
How might we serve one another?

Form
Options, entry level
If you already lead, great
Number of you, we want you to be invited
Only way to be in Christ is to serve
Not to build Gateway, but that we might come and go in Christ