God's Living Room: Love and Truth in Church

So here's what I wanna say. As a church of Jesus Christ in 2026, it's so easy to try to get in tune with the culture, to get in tune with other churches. If we would just get in tune with middle c, Jesus Christ, and each of us did that, we would be in tune with one another. And if each church would tune in to Jesus Christ, we would be in tune with one another. So let's not worry about what other churches are doing and saying or what culture is doing and saying. Let's tune ourselves to Christ. And we do that, we will find just the right balance of love and justice, truth and mercy, and grace. [01:05:15] (42 seconds)  #TuneToChrist

Conduct, guidelines, rules, if you will, instruction. How are supposed to get along with each other? You're going to see love. It's addressed here as God's household. Same word translated could be God's family. So it's a relationship oriented community. And then truth matters. Did you see that? The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. So the theme verse summarized in one sentence, and the entire of first Timothy and our message today is this. The church is God's family of love and foundation of truth. [00:34:14] (38 seconds)  #ChurchFamilyTruth

What's happening in Ephesus is this. Some people are getting nitpicky about the rules and the guidelines and get your feet off of the, you know, the couch type stuff to the point where they'd be they're they're turning God's living room into man's courtroom. Have you ever been part of a church like that? Where it's not a place of love and peace and comfort. It's a pace place of law and judgment. That's what's happening in Ephesus, and that's what Paul is writing to correct. [00:42:10] (30 seconds)  #StopChurchCourtroom

Here's what I wanna say about foundations and furniture. We live in an era where people treat eternal truth like temporary furniture, that they can change, move around, get rid of, to make themselves a little bit more comfortable. That is not what we do with scripture. That is not what we do with God's revealed truth. Christianity is an historical faith. It's based on real events. God revealing himself through time and history. And so we don't get to tell God who he is. He tells us who he is. We're never starting from scratch. [00:54:22] (41 seconds)  #FoundationsNotFurniture

And we forget that love is the mission, and love is the motive, and love is the method. It's our what, why, and how of everything that we do. And I want to make sure at Genesis, and I'm pleased that this is the track we're on, but we always have to guard against it, that we do not become a courtroom where people walk in, are assessed, and judged, we're trying to modify their behavior by outside rules. It will never work. Love is the only thing that transforms. [00:47:49] (30 seconds)  #LoveIsTheMission

But in those days, if you didn't wear your tie or you weren't wearing a dress, then you were a sinner. And we were confusing furniture with foundations. Your comfortable, you know, chair that you enjoy. I love great old hymns. They're comfortable to me, and I learn a lot from them. But that's my recliner. I can't force somebody else to enjoy my recliner the same way I do. There's nothing in the bible that tells me that's how I'm supposed to sing. It just tells me I'm supposed to worship god. That's foundational. [00:57:46] (33 seconds)  #WorshipNotTradition

You know what that would be like? That'd be like living in a family, and mom or dad makes dinner and they set it on the table, and everybody comes to eat together, and you just come with your little brown bag, and you make a little to go bag and go back to your room every meal and eat by yourself. That's what coming to church is, getting some food and leaving, and never trying to connect with people is about. You've got to try to connect with people, as difficult as it is, because we are called to love, and you can't love when you're all by yourself. Intentional care. [01:00:59] (28 seconds)  #ConnectDontConsume

I wanna encourage you this week to choose one relationship that needs your intentional care. A relationship that needs your intentional care. Some of us in the room are a little bit more head people than heart people. We are a little bit more cement, cinder block, and steel. And, you know, kind and comforting isn't our strong suit. Well, guess what? That's not optional. We need to treat people with love and care. Paul began his letter with grace, mercy, and peace. When was the last time you were gracious and peacemaking and merciful? [00:59:39] (34 seconds)  #CareForOneRelationship