Full Transcript for Beneath the Surface with Pastor Ben Carruthers

This is not just fellowship like we read there. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:06.080 It says fellowship. 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:06.800 Oh, yeah, we have that. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:07.840 We have donuts and coffee. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:08.879 We understand that. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:17.199 The meaning of this word is deep-rooted fellowship, an active participation in each other's life. 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.720 There's a purpose there, there's participation there. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.920 It goes beneath the surface. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:26.160 It's a partnership. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:28.879 And this is how John starts off his letter. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:39.839 And it's really important to understand that because the context of what is going on when he's writing this will make this seem, it will make this more sense to us in today's culture as in back then. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:50.720 This idea of Koheniah going beneath the surface of not just friends, not just fellowship, not just coffee and donuts, but a deep connection. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:54.879 And so we want to dive into why exactly John would start his letters this way. 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:57.040 But before we do, will you pray with me? 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.079 God, we give you thanks and praise for this day, this morning. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:08.079 We thank you for those who are here today to light a candle for someone they lost. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:13.439 We think of them this morning as we talk about this word koinania and fellowship and community. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.160 We think about this as a place where they should be. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:28.800 We ask that you lead and guard our time. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:30.000 In your name we pray. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:30.959 Amen. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:32.079 So here we are. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:33.199 First John says this. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:34.079 Now, who wrote this thing? 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.360 We obviously John, but there's a couple different trains of thought here. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:42.240 One is John, the writer of the gospel and of Revelation as well. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.600 Other people seem to think it was a guy named John the Elder. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:58.000 But what it doesn't really matter in the sense of what's important is that if whether it's John the gospel writer or John the Elder, they're giving you a firsthand account of Jesus. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:05:58.800 Let's go back. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:05.360 He gives you his basically his authority or his uh qualifications in this passage here. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:15.600 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, we have looked at and our hands have touched. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:18.639 This we proclaim concerning the word of life. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:29.279 The life happened uh the life appeared, we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was appeared to us. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:34.399 This is important because this letter takes place about 50 years after the death of Christ. 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:40.399 And John, whether it be John the Elder or John the writer of the gospel, is believed to be around 75, 80 years old. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:41.279 Pretty, pretty old. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:44.639 I'm just kidding, pretty young, they won't offend anybody, pretty young. 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:55.040 And he's writing this because now he's writing to people who may not have walked with Jesus, who may not have seen his miracles, who may not have heard firsthand his teachings. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:57.680 So he's telling you, listen, I was there. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:07.920 I heard him, I saw him, I lived with him, I walked with him, I saw the miracles, I heard the teachings, I saw him raised from the dead. 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.639 This is a firsthand account. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:15.040 He's given you his qualifications as an old man. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:18.959 He's given you his resume as he knows what he is talking about. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:26.480 And he is writing, we're not quite sure, it's not to a specific church or a specific pastor like a lot of the other letters are in the New Testament. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:34.240 We believe it's just writing to believers, to followers of Jesus in and around the area of Ephesus at the time. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:39.120 He's just writing to people who are following Jesus. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:43.120 And the why is incredibly important. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:52.639 Because, again, this is about 50 years after the death of Jesus, and this kind of new age faith movement called Gnosticism is starting to creep in. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:58.720 Gnosticism is this spiritual belief that comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means knowledge. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:13.839 And at the time there was this gentleman named Serinthius, who was a very well-educated Egyptian Jew, and he made his way around Asia and other parts, spreading this new spiritual belief with amongst many other teachings that went against the teachings of Jesus. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:20.000 One central one was salvation was not by faith in Christ, but by knowledge. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:34.080 And so he was taking bits and pieces of the Old Testament, bits and pieces of Christianity and of other faith practices of the day and rolling them into one and going out and spreading this new spiritual movement. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:38.399 And followers of Jesus must have been buying it. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.919 Because this is why John writes his letter. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:53.200 This is why he's calling us back as followers of Jesus to live how Jesus taught, to not give in to these false teachings that are coming in and around wherever the believers are. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.000 So John writes

this letter. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:59.120 Does this sound a little familiar? 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:11.120 That believers are giving in to false doctrine, that believers are being pulled away from the truth of God because of what the world is speaking and teaching. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:13.919 Matter of fact, this is pretty crazy. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:20.639 About 30 years before John writes this letter, a guy named Paul was in prison in Rome. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:24.559 And he writes a letter to a young man named Timothy. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:32.399 Timothy is a young pastor in a brand new Christian church, which is like a house church, in a place called Ephesus. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:38.480 And Paul writes this to young Timothy, 30 years before this Gnostic movement happens. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:40.000 Paul writes this. 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:09.200 Fast forward 30 years, John is writing this letter because believers and followers of Christ are starting to turn away from the truth of God and go where their itching ears will be heard. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:13.679 Go to what makes them feel right, maybe holds them less accountable. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.600 Maybe it's easier to live that way. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:17.759 They're leaving the truth. 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.080 John is calling them back. 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:25.279 And in the middle of, or in the beginning of this, in the beginning of the first letter, he doesn't start off this way. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.279 He doesn't say, listen, there's false teachings out there. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:28.159 You gotta watch out. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.240 Don't go down this path, don't go down this path. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:31.039 Which he could have. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:32.080 That's the culture. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:35.120 But instead, he calls believers back to koinania. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:42.639 He says it's the fellowship that you have with one another and the fellowship that you have with God. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:45.120 This is what you need to focus on. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.120 This is your starting point. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:59.120 Before we even get into the culture around you, before we even get into the ways the world is trying to pull you away, understand the importance of being together in koinania and koinania with God. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.919 You're going to wake up in the morning and be like, Kunania. 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:05.120 He said it enough times. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:13.759 First John 1 through 3 says this we've proclaimed to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may also have fellowship with us, koinanea with each other. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:15.360 What does that look like? 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:19.519 What does quininea as a group of believers look like? 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:27.200 I had something happen in my life that, you know, it was a picture that I, when I was preparing this, I was like, this

is what it is, and I didn't know if I wanted to share it. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:31.679 And I didn't share it the first one, but I asked some feedback and they're like, you should share it. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:33.360 Many of you know my story. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:38.080 I'm not gonna go into it, but if you don't know my story, please grab me anytime and I'd love to share it with you. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:46.080 But part of my story has me standing in front of a judge in a courtroom for things that I have done wrong in my life. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:53.840 And I had to stand in front of that courtroom, but before that even happened, I had to go and tell people what I did. 00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:02.720 I had to go tell family, I had to go tell friends, and I had to deal with whatever came from doing that. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:10.080 And that whole process took about a year or so before I ended up in front of a judge. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.879 But I can tell you it was one of the worst moments of my life to be standing up there. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.559 But when I looked behind me in the courtroom, I saw two things. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:27.600 I saw one side of the courtroom where the prosecution was with empty seats. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:32.960 And I looked behind me and I saw the seats were full. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.080 With family and friends. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:38.240 And it wasn't easy for them. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:45.919 I'm sure they were, you know, there was a bit of like they were associated with me, the person who was standing up there, who'd done wrong, who deserved to be standing up there. 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:52.159 And I'm there was probably guilt and shame that came with being associated with me, but they were still there. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:57.519 Family and friends who walked with me through the darkest part of my life. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:00.000 And they stood with me. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:02.559 They held me accountable. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.039 They walked with me. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:10.000 To me, that's what the image of Koinonia looks like. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:16.240 Is to have people in your corner that no matter what comes your way, the mistakes that you make, they're back there. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:21.600 And that's that squad behind me, they weren't there saying, Ben did no wrong, this is a travesty of justice. 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.039 That was not it at all. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:27.679 They were there to show the judge that he has accountability. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:30.080 We know what he did. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:32.399 It's wrong. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.600 And we're here supporting him as he moves forward. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.960 See, koin and nea isn't having a rah-rah section behind you just saying, Go, everything you're doing is great. 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:46.159 It's people who are willing to walk alongside of you in the muck, in the mire, and say, Man, this is not the right way. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:47.679 This is not the way you should live your life. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:48.399 Turn back from that. 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:48.879 Repent. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:49.679 Shoove. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:51.039 Turn away from that. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:56.480 That's what koinonia looks like in a community like this. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:00.000 That's the koinonia that I think what Acts 2 church was all about, right? 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.000 We hear about Acts 2 church all the time. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:10.399 After the Holy Spirit comes into the believers, they go and spread this new gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to wherever they can go, to whoever will hear it. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:12.879 And their path wasn't easy. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:16.720 Their path led to prison, to persecution, to death. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.039 But they didn't go alone. 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:22.960 They had this koinonia fellowship, this community that they could rely on. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.279 That when things got tough, they kept going. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:30.399 When they had to be accountable, like Paul was to Peter, they were. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.679 That's what koinonia in this fellowship looks like. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:37.679 Central, do you have that? 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:41.919 Someone caught me after the first service, and I think this person was absolutely right. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.320 He said, I think Central does have that. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:46.399 And I think this person was right. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:53.600 But as you sit here today, when you leave this place, do you still feel that you have that? 00:14:54.799 --> 00:15:07.279 That deep connection with someone, with a group of people that are in your corner, that you're in life participating in with each other, walk in this life together, partners in life. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:15.600 As John is writing to the church, that's about to be pulled away or being tried to be pulled away from the truth, this is the fellowship that he writes about. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.679 But then he goes on to say, koinania with God, koinonia with Christ. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:27.840 Again, John 1, 1 through 3 says this we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:32.080 And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:42.000 So if fellowship with each other looks like going to bat for each other, accountability for one another, what does fellowship, this deep koinania, look like with God? 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.440 Scripture is packed full of it. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:47.919 Look at Romans chapter 6. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:55.679 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:06.639 We were

therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too live a new life. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:08.399 This is a partnership. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:10.320 We're in this thing with him. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:17.679 For if we have been united together with him in death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection life like his. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:23.440 We are partnership with Christ in this new life, this resurrection life, this forgiveness of sins. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:25.120 We're in it with God. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:26.879 How about this from Matthew? 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.639 This is Jesus speaking. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:32.720 Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:40.399 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:43.039 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.600 Do you guys know what a yoke is, not the egg version, right? 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.159 This yoke that they'd put on cattle in the farms. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:51.279 There's one bull or creature of whatever farming thing. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:52.720 I'm obviously not a farmer, right? 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:55.039 And there's another one, and they're together. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:59.679 The yoke binds them together to share the load. 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.000 When this ox, cattle, whatever it might be, is tired, this one can keep going. 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:05.920 When this one's tired, this one keeps going. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.440 They're connected together. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:09.680 What does koin and nea look like with God? 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:14.079 The good news of the gospel is that we're connected to our Creator. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:21.359 That this new life is given to us because of who you are, not because of what you do. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.279 This is koinanea with God. 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.359 That when you need rest, he gives you rest. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:32.960 When you need resurrection life, he gives you resurrection life. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.599 When you need forgiveness of sins, he's there. 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:40.240 And it's not he's there, he's here with you. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:43.680 Because you're in it together. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:46.799 Our God is not some God who's distant and far away. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.880 He's right here next to you. 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:53.680 That's what koinonia with God looks like. 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:55.279 Now, this is good news, right? 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.240 I mean, this sounds great. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:03.200 New life, resurrection life, rest for our weariness, rest for all of the stuff that goes on and the hits that we take. 00:18:03.440 -->

00:18:04.559 This sounds great. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.200 So then how come we don't run to this? 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:12.240 How come we don't run to this koinanea relationship with God? 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:13.599 Why do we run from it? 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.319 Why do we want to keep it surface level with God? 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:21.279 Why do we say, I'll just come to church and I'll hear a little bit and then I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna live my life. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:22.480 But that's you know, that's good enough. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:23.759 And God, that's great, that's great, man. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:24.559 We're so glad you're here. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:26.240 Don't think of anything bad. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:27.599 We're glad you're here, that's good. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:31.200 But we are called for more than that: a deeper relationship. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:34.319 So why don't we run to it if this is good news? 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.880 And I think it has to do with our perception of who God is. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.599 The picture of who we have as God. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.079 What is God like for you? 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:47.440 What's the picture that you have of God? 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:57.119 Because I learned this a long time ago, and as a young man, I just hated, I rebelled against the statement, and it bothered me even more because it's true, and I've learned to accept it and understand it. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.839 It says perception is reality. 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:07.920 Perception is reality, which means your perception of who God is is your reality. 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:09.359 Perception is reality. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:14.079 When I turned 20, I had an opportunity to go to Australia for a year and work in youth ministry down there. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:22.480 And you know, when I was 20, that was a long time ago, like 25 years ago, we didn't, you just couldn't hop on your phone and Google what's Australia like, or things you should know about Australia. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.720 We just had to take it from people who had been there. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:32.079 And so we would meet some people and they'd say, Yeah, you know, kangaroos are all over the place and the toilets go backwards, all of which is true. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.079 It's pretty crazy, blow your mind. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:42.079 But the one thing that they said that we really took to heart was that in Australia they didn't have deodorant. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:43.839 Yeah. 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:50.559 20-year-old man, I believe that because I'm a 20-year-old guy who you know might have a sweating problem, right? 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.880 And like, I don't want to be down there for a whole year stinking. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.240 I went to Walmart that day, I bought 12 sticks of deodorant. 00:19:56.799 --> 00:19:58.079 12 sticks of deodorant. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:58.720 I'm not kidding. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:03.839 I go, fly down to Australia, and I'm unpacking my bag at this house that I'm staying at. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.039 This family put me up, and they're in there, we're talking, having a good time. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:14.400 I'm putting my clothes away, and all of a sudden I start deodorant stick, deodorant stick, like Mary Poppins, like right here, just one thing after another. 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:19.279 12 of them, I line them up on the dresser and they look at me and they're like, What is going on? 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:23.519 Well, we heard you guys didn't have deodorant down here, and I didn't want to be the stinky one. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.880 He's like, You are a moron. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.119 Of course we have deodorant down here. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:31.119 Did you get off the plane and were you hit with a what is that, right? 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.039 Of course you had deodorant. 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.680 But my perception of the place was my reality. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:44.240 And that perception drove my actions. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:50.640 You see, how you perceive God is gonna drive how you have a relationship with God. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:21:02.000 And maybe you're here today and you perceive God to just be angry and wrathful, just waiting for you to screw up. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.640 Maybe that's your perception of God. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:08.319 Maybe your perception of God is a God who doesn't care. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:13.200 Because there's too much ugliness in the world, there's too much hurt in the world, there's too much pain in the world. 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:17.839 If there was a God and He truly did love us, why is this happening? 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:20.559 So your picture of God is a God who doesn't care. 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.519 Maybe your picture of God is a God who's just anything goes. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:24.240 Love, man. 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:25.359 God is love, everything. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:25.920 You're fine. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:26.799 Do whatever you want. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:27.920 God is love. 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:30.720 Because that version's out there. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.359 And maybe you see that version or hear that version. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:34.799 I don't want to follow that. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:41.920 You see, the reason why we just don't run to quininea with God is the way that we perceive him. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.960 And the truth about who God is is right there on the cross. 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.799 That's the truth about who God is. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:55.200 That God loves you so much that he sent his son to die for you. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:22:05.359 A God that loves you so much that wants to be in this life with you, wants to be yoked with you, wants to go through the hurt with you, wants to celebrate with you. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:09.920 That's the good news of the gospel, and that's the truth of who God is. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.160 That's the true picture of who he is, and that's why we run to him for Koinania. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.880 So, Central, who is God to you? 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.920 Who is God to you? 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:28.559 I'm gonna leave you with this, and I'm gonna go back to September 2009, because I live in the past. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:38.079 It was a pretty cool game, it was a pretty cool thing, but what I realized was this is that there were 66,000 plus people in there. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:49.119 There was 30 or 40 people around me, people who I had never met before, people of different backgrounds, people who had different spiritual backgrounds, they looked different than me, they voted different than me, I'm sure of it. 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:52.640 They had we were on different different teams, supported different teams. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:59.119 All of these people from different backgrounds were still able to celebrate with one another. 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:02.960 They were still able to be in that moment together. 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:04.160 Why? 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:08.960 Because they had one thing at the center, and man, we just loved good football. 00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:14.559 Imagine what your life would be, is if at the center was koinanea. 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.039 Koinanea with God. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.279 And that was it. 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:22.319 The most important thing. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.960 How would your life be different? 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:27.440 How would your relationships be different? 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:36.880 Because Central, we are called to be in relationship with others and relationship with God, and koinanea is so much deeper than the surface. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.839 So, what is your relationship with God and others look like today? 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:42.640 Amen.