Join John and Brandi Belt as they share about the importance of Christian community.
The Transcription
You know, it’s so important that you are surrounding yourself with a group of people that are hungry and passionate for Jesus. You know, as you study the Gospels, you’ll see over and over when Jesus went and ate with the sinners, and he’s with the tax collectors and the prostitutes, and everybody down and out. But you know, at the same time, one of the things that’s so critical is that he was the one shifting the atmosphere, everywhere he went, he was the one raising up and training leaders. And so I think it’s so just such a good example for us, you know, that, that we can be in the world but not of the world. And we don’t want to be getting our advice from the world. We don’t want to be, you know, living to please the world. But it’s, it is really a good idea. And just critical actually, that we have friends and people around us with a similar focus a similar heart and passion.
First, John 215 says Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. thema loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, and how important it is, for us to keep that love of the Father in our hearts, you know, and, and it can be so easily seduced from us. And so we want to stay in that place of the Holy Spirit, where that love is not compromised, you know. So what it says in first, John 215, it says that the things that are in the world, the lust of the eyes of lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, are not the father of the world. And so we don’t want to live by the loss of our flesh, but we want or the worries are concerned, sometimes we don’t think of that as lust. But actually, it’s the affections it’s the things that the flesh reacts to and connects with, you know, our souls get caught up in our flesh gets connected to that. And that’s just as much unless the the flesh is what we typically think of as lust. But God wants us to be free, and he wants us to live in a place of His love, because his love sets us free.
Definitely. And you know, I’ve been thinking recently, just about the blessing of different friends in my life. But one of the things that I love is that they are people I can reach out to and say, Hey, I’ve been having a hard time with the Coronavirus. Or maybe, hey, I’m actually really excited about what God’s doing, you know, and just people you can bounce things off of. So it’s not like you’re doing it alone, which, you know, we recently obviously celebrated Easter and my heart started breaking when I was thinking about people that maybe would not get to, you know, have tons of relationships or be around a lot of people. But holidays, usually people get together. And I was just my heart was just breaking for different people, even people that we knew that we did our best to connect with that we just thought, man, God, you know, here’s a scenario, we’re probably you’re alone right now. And God doesn’t want any of us alone. Obviously, he wants us in relationship with him. And that’s the most important, but at the same time, we need relationship with each other. And not just super spiritual relationship. God wants us to have fun relationship to what’s reassuring as well. And it’s, it’s easy for me to say because we have a family, we had two kids, boys. So when you’re locked down, or you’re sitting at home, you at least have your family and it is hard when you’re just alone. And you don’t have anybody to connect with. And you’re just stuck at home alone. And so God, you know, he is there. So that’s reassuring, you know, his presence is there. And it is satisfying enough. We’ve all lived through lonely times where we’ve been alone. And it’s not easy, but it’s a great opportunity that God can use for you to press into him and just experiences reality. And so don’t look at it as a place where you’re just gonna get self consumed, but a place of opportunity where you can connect with him in a more intimate way. Yeah, definitely seek His face and learn. Learn about how to connect with him in the secret place.
Yeah, and it’s important to you know, that obviously, you’re connecting with God. But even if you have a church family, you know, some churches are probably great at connecting right now and some might need improvement and that’s okay. But you know, it’s important that those relationships that you maybe have had established in the past, you know, that you reach out to some of those people that you really connect with some of those people because God is not wanting you to go through this season lonely, he’s not wanting you to go through this time feeling you know, like you’re in despair and that there’s no one there you know, one of my favorite one of my favorite passages of Scripture actually is is when when you hear the story of the Samaritan think or the Good Samaritan and you know, you’ve got this, this guy going from Jericho to Jerusalem and and all this kind of stuff and you can take lots out of that story goes lots of directions. And there’s a lot of insight there. But reality, one of the things is that here’s this Samaritan that really would have no reason in the natural to take the time for this man. And yet he did. And I just think even right now, you know, we’re blessed in the relationships we have, that we’re really blessed, for all of you that have been reaching out to us, you know, for us, it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to pray for you and cheer for you, and do whatever we can in the natural to help you know, but quite a few people have just reached out to connect and say, you know, I’ve, I’m just looking for someone to talk to, you know, because if maybe you don’t have those relationships around you, some people in the midst of where we’re living, you know, might be saying, Oh, the world is ending. And some people might be saying, like, let’s just go have a party, I mean, depending on the relationships you have depends on the response. But I just want to really encourage you to make sure that you are not going through this time and this season alone, and to make sure that you really are connecting with people and sometimes you have to be the one to put in the effort. Sometimes the reality is, you have to be the one to make the first phone call, and you have to be the one to take the first step. But you know, I I’m guarantee you there are people around you, excuse me around you willing to help you excited to help you. And, and we would love to just pray for you again and do whatever we can to help ourselves.
And there’s more than one way to communicate, you know, so most get used to communicating person to person, obviously, there’s text, which used quite quite a bit in our society today. But sometimes you got closer friends, you can do a FaceTime with them or something like that, where it’s more intimate. That way, you know, or call or whatever, just set up some kind of way to communicate with the outside world. If you’re just isolated in your home alone, definitely, definitely, definitely. And you know, God has so many great things in store for you on the other side of this, you know, don’t lose sight of the fact that this will one day pass, you know that you’re not going to be isolated, you’re not going to be alone, you’re not going to be at home forever. And God is using this time as an opportunity to train you and prepare you for the glory you get to carry that’s coming, you know, but but one part of that and being able to carry that is being able to do it with people around you, with the men and women God has brought into your life that really you can hold their hands up, and they can hold your hands up.
And to be quite honest, I was thinking today, just my history with God. And the decisions I made to spend time is presence. And I thought Lord, if if I hadn’t gone through those seasons, if I hadn’t gone through those tough times, if I hadn’t gone through all these times where I just chose to seek you, this would be really hard for me. But it’s really not that hard. I’m just to be honest with you, just because the presence of the Lord, I’ve learned to connect with him. And it helps so much if you can learn to connect with God. And not that that’s all we need. Obviously, we need more, and I’ve had the presence of God and I’ve had loneliness at the same time. So I do understand that. And so you do need to connect with people. But boy, it sure does help. Because if you don’t have the presence, you’re really up the creek without a paddle. That’s the truth. You know, so I just want to encourage you to press into the presence. And not only that, just think of creative ways to connect with other people where you are and just think of your sphere of connectivity.
If you don’t have that, you know, just reach out the way the Lord would have you to reach out you know, contact us we’ll be glad to play for you. Whatever we can do to help and we’re working on trying to get a group call put together where people can just like all call in or zoom in and just have an interactive time really connect and relationship. So we’ll get you more details of that soon. Hey guys, we got two cameras going at once. So we’re getting there. We’re getting there on the technology here okay. But so we just want to pray for you and we our heart is really that God would surround you with people that would help you in your walk with Him and solar he just thank you right now. Father for bringing relationships true friendship, Scott, just like Jonathan and David Lord loved each other like brothers Lord, I just thank you for bringing every person listening on men and women that will really cheer them on and encourage them Lord, and propel them in their walk to you learn not just stand by idly but that they would make a point of helping every person get closer to you Lord, and I thank you that you are filling everyone with fresh Pease fresh wrestler that you are washing and cleansing every personal or and just creating an excitement for the next God that we’re excited I did four we are now because we’re excited for what’s coming for the next season for the next time for the next era. And so let me just thank you for fresh hope tonight.
And I just pray for your people, especially those who feel lonely right now. And it’s okay to be alone. But we reviewed the loneliness, Lord Jesus, because you’re always with us. In the name of Jesus, I think that your presence is always there. And Father, we just thank you for providing connectivity for your people in the name of Jesus, and just the wisdom of God. You said, if anyone asked for wisdom, that you would not find fault that you would give it freely, Lord, so we just release that wisdom of God right now and your people or we just thank you for your comfort. The Holy Spirit is the comforter. I can even remember a dream that the Lord gave me where a Holy Spirit comforter, a literal comforter like you would put on your bed, and that was the Holy Spirit in the form of comforter, and I just, we just released that right now Lord Jesus that just makes people at peace. Rest in your presence, in the name of Jesus Christ, and we thank you for this.