Why Not Us? Why Not Here? Why Not Now? Pt. 2

Scripture: Matthew 16:13\u201319

Jesus builds his church on Peter's confession that he is the Messiah, not on any person's greatness. He has given us the keys to the kingdom, so we are co laborers, not spectators. Our excuses do not outweigh what Christ finished. So the question is, why not us, why not here, why not now?

Jeremy walks through Matthew 16 and shows that the church is Jesus's called out congregation, built on Peter's confession of who Jesus is. It is not built on anyone's greatness. Jesus even speaks this near a place people associated with the gates of hell, so his church does not run from dark places. Then he says the keys to the kingdom are given to us. Jeremy invites us to stop giving God lists of excuses, like being too young, too busy or too broken. He reminds us that Jesus paid it all, and he counts how much of our life goes to sleep, scrolling and waiting. Jeremy also warns that changing churches can become a way to avoid being changed. Instead he calls us to get planted, serve somewhere, forgive, and keep building what God has called us to build.

From the message: “You got the keys. What are you waiting for?”

Prayer: Jesus, you are the rock our church is built on. Thank you for calling us out and giving us a place in your house. Take our excuses and use our lives. We say, why not us, why not here, why not now. Amen.

Stop Just Attending, Start Building

Scripture: Matthew 16:13\u201319

Many of us think a messy church means God messed up. Jesus says he will build his church, and real building is loud, dusty and inconvenient. Mess can be a sign God is still at work. He is not finished, and he invites us to pick up tools and help.

Jeremy points to a line Jesus spoke: I will build my church. We tend to picture that as quiet and tidy, but anyone who has watched a real building go up knows it is noisy and unfinished. So when your life or your church feels loud and unfinished, that may not mean God has left. It may mean he is cutting, shaving and hammering on something. Jeremy also says we are not meant to stand by and watch. God calls us co laborers, people who get on the job site, get some dust on us and some calluses on our hands. He also says that growth takes relationship and depth. We are meant to be planted, not potted, with our roots touching other roots. Instead of only asking whether a church feeds us, we can ask who we are feeding. That shift changes how we see the mess.

From the message: “God says, "I will what? Build what? My church."”

Prayer: Jesus, thank you that you are building your church and that you have not given up on us. Help us not to run from the mess or the dust. Show us where to pick up tools, stay planted, and serve the people beside us. Amen.

God Is Still Working on Me

Scripture: Matthew 18:21\u201322; Romans 3:10

We are all a work in progress. God has finished with our sin, but he is still working on our destiny. When someone hurts us, we forgive, because we need forgiveness too. If we have time to gossip about others, we are not letting God work on us.

In this clip Jeremy reminds us that we are on a work site, not in a sterile room. God is putting different people together, and that will bump our toes and our feelings at times. His answer is simple: forgive, and keep forgiving, because you need forgiveness too. He then turns the mirror on us. If we have time to talk about everyone else, we may not be letting God sand on us. Jeremy compares it to lifting a heavy weight, where you are working so hard on yourself that you cannot talk about anything else. He says we want God's grace for us and God's judgment for them. Paul says no one is righteous, not even one, so we all have work to do. This is not about beating yourself up. It is about bringing your own flesh to the altar again and again.

From the message: “We are all experts in everybody else and failures in our own life.”

Prayer: Father, thank you that you are still working on me and that I am not finished yet. Help me forgive quickly, speak less about others, and bring my own heart to you. Present us as your church, clean and pure. Amen.

Start a conversation

What comes to mind when you picture God building his church, and how does the mess fit that picture for you?

Pray this week

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are building your church and that you invite us to build with you. Forgive us for the excuses we bring. Work on our hearts first, plant us where we can serve, and help us love your people well. Use our lives for your glory. Amen.

Make it personal

Take it into your week.

What would it look like for you to be a co laborer this week instead of only an attender?
How has God used something messy or broken in your story to draw you closer to him?
When have you wanted God's grace for yourself and his judgment for someone else, and what did you learn?
Where could you stay planted and serve in your community, even when it gets uncomfortable?
What is one thing you sense God asking you to loose or build in your home, work or neighborhood?
What part of your life feels loud or unfinished right now, and how might God be working in it?
How do you tend to respond when church or community life gets messy or inconvenient?
Where could you move from only being fed to feeding someone else this week?
What helps you keep forgiving when it would be easier to hold on to a hurt?
Where is God sanding on your own heart right now, and how are you responding?
How can you bring your own flesh to the altar this week instead of focusing on someone else's mess?
What excuse do you most often give God, and what might change if you set it down?
How are you spending your time, and what small change could help you pursue God more?
Where might you be avoiding being changed by moving away when things get uncomfortable?

The original message