1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,009 I hope you like jazz and jazz there. 2 00:00:03,009 --> 00:00:03,819 There's always a riff. 3 00:00:03,819 --> 00:00:06,789 There's a head that starts the song, usually ends a song. 4 00:00:07,389 --> 00:00:08,379 That's what this is gonna be. 5 00:00:08,769 --> 00:00:12,069 We're gonna have a riff that we're gonna play, but it's gonna be a lot of jazz. 6 00:00:13,069 --> 00:00:14,929 Your worksheet's gonna say deny yourself first. 7 00:00:14,929 --> 00:00:15,529 Timothy three, three. 8 00:00:15,529 --> 00:00:16,759 That, that, that is the right text. 9 00:00:16,789 --> 00:00:19,369 I don't know what I would call this sermon, but it's a good one. 10 00:00:19,369 --> 00:00:22,860 We'll keep that, deny yourself the back. 11 00:00:22,889 --> 00:00:25,050 Um, I only had influence over one question. 12 00:00:25,110 --> 00:00:27,270 The others, uh, two questions actually. 13 00:00:27,270 --> 00:00:29,909 The others are gonna be more or less related to what I'm saying. 14 00:00:30,449 --> 00:00:32,189 Um, at least thematically they'll be related. 15 00:00:32,189 --> 00:00:35,039 So as you prepare for your small groups, as you're thinking about these in 16 00:00:35,039 --> 00:00:36,870 relation to your small group discussions. 17 00:00:37,380 --> 00:00:40,770 Um, play some jazz, maybe write a couple questions down as I'm talking 18 00:00:40,770 --> 00:00:43,380 and you think, oh, that would be helpful for my group to discuss. 19 00:00:43,650 --> 00:00:48,870 Um, just feel free to make some additions or subtractions as you feel the need to. 20 00:00:49,870 --> 00:00:50,230 Okay. 21 00:00:50,470 --> 00:00:51,280 Let's jump on in. 22 00:00:51,910 --> 00:00:55,780 Um, Vodi Baum has his book called What He Must Be if he's 23 00:00:55,780 --> 00:00:56,740 Going to Marry My Daughter. 24 00:00:57,625 --> 00:00:59,815 I didn't care about that book until I had a, I had a girl. 25 00:01:00,815 --> 00:01:04,595 Since then, I've taken great interest in all these, I, these ideas of what a guy 26 00:01:04,595 --> 00:01:06,185 has to be if he's gonna marry my kid. 27 00:01:06,185 --> 00:01:08,914 And he says this, he's gotta be a, a follower of Christ. 28 00:01:08,914 --> 00:01:10,175 He must be prepared to lead. 29 00:01:10,175 --> 00:01:11,435 He's gotta lead like Christ. 30 00:01:11,435 --> 00:01:12,935 He's gotta be committed to children. 31 00:01:12,935 --> 00:01:15,935 He's gotta practice the four Ps, which were provider, 32 00:01:15,935 --> 00:01:17,465 protector, priest and prophet. 33 00:01:18,155 --> 00:01:18,245 Um. 34 00:01:19,009 --> 00:01:19,789 So that's kind of cheating. 35 00:01:19,789 --> 00:01:20,660 He added several there. 36 00:01:21,050 --> 00:01:24,350 But in any case, he had a lot of positive qualities that he wanted his 37 00:01:24,350 --> 00:01:28,039 girls to pursue in a man and what he was looking for in the suitor to his 38 00:01:28,039 --> 00:01:29,899 daughter or his daughters in this case. 39 00:01:30,899 --> 00:01:33,269 What's notably absent though is what he must not be. 40 00:01:33,569 --> 00:01:36,239 Things that he said, these are definitely non-negotiables. 41 00:01:36,239 --> 00:01:39,209 These are not things, and it's interesting because you could say, well, if I said 42 00:01:39,209 --> 00:01:42,149 the positive, then certainly the negative would be implied by the positive. 43 00:01:42,149 --> 00:01:43,709 And that's true by and large. 44 00:01:44,369 --> 00:01:46,799 But that's, there's nothing to be said here about. 45 00:01:47,414 --> 00:01:50,894 By him being a Democrat or a vegan or a convicted felon. 46 00:01:51,464 --> 00:01:52,994 One assumes that vote. 47 00:01:52,994 --> 00:01:55,364 He probably would say, oh, if you're a convicted felon, maybe not. 48 00:01:56,174 --> 00:01:57,074 Doesn't say that though. 49 00:01:58,074 --> 00:01:59,840 I bring this up because Paul does something very similar. 50 00:02:00,535 --> 00:02:03,745 Except he doesn't just assume the negative he, he states it. 51 00:02:04,074 --> 00:02:07,375 We're gonna look at four negatives this morning that are gonna show us what 52 00:02:07,405 --> 00:02:09,655 Paul has in mind for God's leadership. 53 00:02:09,805 --> 00:02:13,045 And in fact, these are the few negatives in the whole text that 54 00:02:13,045 --> 00:02:15,745 we're reading about when it comes to the qualifications of overseers. 55 00:02:16,075 --> 00:02:17,575 Lemme remind you why these are important. 56 00:02:18,145 --> 00:02:19,795 There's two reasons why we're looking at these. 57 00:02:19,795 --> 00:02:23,365 Number one, these are the men that you should look to when 58 00:02:23,365 --> 00:02:24,475 you're looking for a church. 59 00:02:24,475 --> 00:02:27,055 When you're looking for a a brother to say, this is the guy 60 00:02:27,055 --> 00:02:28,285 that I'm gonna call my pastor. 61 00:02:28,675 --> 00:02:32,695 These are the non-negotiables you read in second, first Timothy three. 62 00:02:33,204 --> 00:02:33,235 Uh. 63 00:02:33,954 --> 00:02:35,094 Verse two. 64 00:02:35,245 --> 00:02:39,175 He says, therefore, an overseer must be the word There is day. 65 00:02:39,235 --> 00:02:40,225 It is a necessity. 66 00:02:40,344 --> 00:02:42,055 He must be these things. 67 00:02:42,265 --> 00:02:45,565 This is the kind of man you must look for when it comes to the man that 68 00:02:45,565 --> 00:02:48,325 you allow to shepherd your soul and consequently shepherd your family. 69 00:02:48,594 --> 00:02:50,875 These are the non-negotiables of church leadership. 70 00:02:51,325 --> 00:02:53,725 That's the first reason you need to know what you're looking for. 71 00:02:53,725 --> 00:02:57,505 The second reason, however, is that all of these qualities, minus two, 72 00:02:57,925 --> 00:03:02,394 the one for teaching and the one for being a recent convert, all of these. 73 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:05,380 Are evidenced in the larger body of Christ. 74 00:03:05,380 --> 00:03:07,900 That is to say that it's not just true for pastors that we need to 75 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:11,230 be above reproach or that we need to be a certain caliber of man. 76 00:03:11,230 --> 00:03:12,310 So remind self control. 77 00:03:12,340 --> 00:03:14,020 This is all true for the whole church. 78 00:03:14,290 --> 00:03:17,710 The reason God says it has to be true for the leaders or the pastors is because 79 00:03:17,710 --> 00:03:19,030 it's supposed to be true for all of us. 80 00:03:19,540 --> 00:03:21,640 They're meant to be exemplary in the body of Christ, and 81 00:03:21,670 --> 00:03:22,480 which is why you have to know. 82 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:23,050 So two reasons. 83 00:03:23,050 --> 00:03:25,060 Number one, you need to know what you're looking for in a pastor. 84 00:03:25,510 --> 00:03:27,070 Number two, you need to know what you're looking for in 85 00:03:27,070 --> 00:03:28,240 your own growth and maturity. 86 00:03:29,005 --> 00:03:31,644 So Paul gives us this list here and he says, these are all 87 00:03:31,644 --> 00:03:32,904 the things that a man must be. 88 00:03:32,904 --> 00:03:34,225 Let's take a look and remind ourselves here. 89 00:03:34,225 --> 00:03:36,055 We'll start at verse one, and we'll read through verse three, 90 00:03:36,055 --> 00:03:37,375 which is our text for this morning. 91 00:03:37,375 --> 00:03:39,654 He says this, the saying is trustworthy. 92 00:03:39,894 --> 00:03:40,225 It is. 93 00:03:40,225 --> 00:03:42,805 There's something for you to pay attention to and, and the likelihood that Paul wrote 94 00:03:42,805 --> 00:03:44,245 this near the end of his life is high. 95 00:03:44,620 --> 00:03:46,990 He's preparing to land the airplane on his ministry. 96 00:03:46,990 --> 00:03:49,870 And so he's collected a few truisms that he's saying, these 97 00:03:49,870 --> 00:03:53,140 are things I need you to hear and understand as I prepare to leave. 98 00:03:53,140 --> 00:03:55,570 And so he tells Timothy, this is a trustworthy saying. 99 00:03:55,570 --> 00:04:00,070 If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble a good task. 100 00:04:00,220 --> 00:04:01,240 He's caring for souls. 101 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:02,230 That's a good thing to want. 102 00:04:02,230 --> 00:04:03,280 It's a good thing to desire. 103 00:04:03,925 --> 00:04:07,945 It's noble in and of itself, and he says, therefore, because of the nobility 104 00:04:07,945 --> 00:04:11,485 of the role, because of the high calling that God demands, an overseer 105 00:04:11,485 --> 00:04:13,855 must be, it is necessary a, A leader. 106 00:04:13,855 --> 00:04:15,715 A pastor, must be above reproach. 107 00:04:16,045 --> 00:04:19,524 That means people can't lob accusations against him, at least not with any 108 00:04:19,524 --> 00:04:21,445 credibility because his life is exemplary. 109 00:04:21,865 --> 00:04:23,275 It doesn't mean he is perfect else. 110 00:04:23,275 --> 00:04:24,535 Paul wouldn't be a leader else. 111 00:04:24,535 --> 00:04:25,315 We wouldn't be leaders. 112 00:04:25,315 --> 00:04:28,945 He's not asking for perfection, but asking for a high level of 113 00:04:28,945 --> 00:04:30,475 excellence in his character. 114 00:04:30,475 --> 00:04:31,945 It's gotta be above reproach. 115 00:04:32,275 --> 00:04:34,345 The husband of one wife, he's a one woman man. 116 00:04:34,345 --> 00:04:36,235 This does not preclude divorce. 117 00:04:36,235 --> 00:04:39,235 There are occasions when scripture does allow for divorce 118 00:04:39,415 --> 00:04:40,705 in the life of a believer. 119 00:04:41,365 --> 00:04:43,855 Doesn't encourage it, but it does permit it. 120 00:04:44,305 --> 00:04:47,335 So we're not excluding him just because he's divorced there, there 121 00:04:47,335 --> 00:04:50,125 are reasons where we would allow that and we would be okay with that. 122 00:04:50,815 --> 00:04:52,495 Um, again, not commanded but permitted. 123 00:04:52,495 --> 00:04:53,575 So he's the husband of one wife. 124 00:04:53,575 --> 00:04:54,534 He's a one woman man. 125 00:04:55,534 --> 00:04:56,555 He's sober minded. 126 00:04:57,020 --> 00:04:58,610 That's gonna come into play in the next verse here. 127 00:04:58,610 --> 00:04:59,240 He is sober minded. 128 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:00,290 He's self controlled. 129 00:05:00,830 --> 00:05:02,480 He has possession over his own vessel. 130 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,370 I use the word mastery when I taught this. 131 00:05:04,370 --> 00:05:09,110 This is the kind of man who takes care of his, his mind, his heart, his body. 132 00:05:09,755 --> 00:05:10,745 He's respectable. 133 00:05:10,805 --> 00:05:14,615 That is he comports himself in a way that people admire and say he's a good dude. 134 00:05:14,885 --> 00:05:15,815 I may not agree with him. 135 00:05:15,875 --> 00:05:17,975 I may not even like what he teaches, but he is respectable. 136 00:05:17,975 --> 00:05:21,155 I can see that man for who he is, and I can respect his convictions. 137 00:05:21,155 --> 00:05:21,845 He's upstanding. 138 00:05:21,845 --> 00:05:23,165 He doesn't do things that are shady. 139 00:05:23,165 --> 00:05:23,915 He's trustworthy. 140 00:05:23,915 --> 00:05:25,594 He's the kind of guy that's respectable. 141 00:05:26,255 --> 00:05:27,185 He's hospitable. 142 00:05:27,844 --> 00:05:29,854 He's not a recluse, he's not individual. 143 00:05:29,854 --> 00:05:30,604 He is not isolated. 144 00:05:30,604 --> 00:05:32,945 He is the kind of man that invites others into his life. 145 00:05:33,185 --> 00:05:36,515 He welcomes people into his dwellings, which is really a metaphor for 146 00:05:36,515 --> 00:05:38,465 welcoming people into his life, period. 147 00:05:38,705 --> 00:05:40,865 His house is just a reflection of who he is. 148 00:05:41,284 --> 00:05:43,985 He says, I want you to be part of who I am, so you gotta be respectable. 149 00:05:44,645 --> 00:05:46,625 Excuse me, hospitable hospitality. 150 00:05:46,625 --> 00:05:47,705 He loves strangers. 151 00:05:47,735 --> 00:05:48,605 That's what it says here. 152 00:05:48,875 --> 00:05:52,175 He's the kind of guy who's looking around the room and says, who don't I know? 153 00:05:52,175 --> 00:05:54,695 I wanna make sure that that guy, if he's a new guy, he's 154 00:05:54,695 --> 00:05:56,105 feeling part of our crew here. 155 00:05:56,570 --> 00:05:59,270 He's always looking for people because he cares about strangers. 156 00:05:59,330 --> 00:06:01,460 And in our culture, I just gotta say this, in our culture, there's 157 00:06:01,460 --> 00:06:02,599 a lot of strangers around us. 158 00:06:02,599 --> 00:06:05,060 People that don't look like us, talk like us, they have strange 159 00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:06,920 accents, they dress differently. 160 00:06:07,250 --> 00:06:10,340 A Christian man who's qualified to be a leader in God's church 161 00:06:10,340 --> 00:06:13,310 is looking for people to say, I wanna make sure I know that person. 162 00:06:13,849 --> 00:06:15,140 I wanna love the stranger. 163 00:06:15,140 --> 00:06:18,740 I don't want their dress or their food or their smell or their 164 00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:22,940 anything to, to stop me from seeing them as an image bearer that God 165 00:06:22,940 --> 00:06:24,560 designed to be loved and cared for. 166 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:24,770 And. 167 00:06:25,175 --> 00:06:26,195 They need to know Christ. 168 00:06:26,255 --> 00:06:27,244 They need to know the gospel. 169 00:06:27,815 --> 00:06:30,515 I saw someone's Facebook post this week that said there's a hundred 170 00:06:30,515 --> 00:06:33,185 percent chance that if you know me, I'm gonna tell you about God. 171 00:06:33,724 --> 00:06:34,205 That's good. 172 00:06:34,265 --> 00:06:34,895 I like that. 173 00:06:35,045 --> 00:06:36,034 That should be all of us. 174 00:06:36,034 --> 00:06:39,635 Regardless of skin or, or, or gender or anything like that. 175 00:06:39,815 --> 00:06:43,114 Hospitality is a love for the other and that should qualify 176 00:06:43,505 --> 00:06:44,765 what God's leadership looks like. 177 00:06:44,765 --> 00:06:45,695 He's not a lover. 178 00:06:45,784 --> 00:06:46,685 Uh, rather lemme go back. 179 00:06:46,744 --> 00:06:47,734 He's able to teach. 180 00:06:48,005 --> 00:06:52,534 This is one of those qualities that is specific to the office of overseer, but 181 00:06:52,534 --> 00:06:53,825 it doesn't mean you have to be in order. 182 00:06:53,825 --> 00:06:56,119 It doesn't mean you have to do what I or pastor PJ do. 183 00:06:56,119 --> 00:06:57,979 It just means you have to be able to communicate the truth. 184 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,500 Well, that could be done in a small group setting. 185 00:07:00,500 --> 00:07:03,530 That could be done in a one-on-one setting if you're doing the partners manual. 186 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,099 It's a man who knows how to communicate the truth with clarity, 187 00:07:07,430 --> 00:07:08,570 and that's often hard to do. 188 00:07:08,660 --> 00:07:12,290 Uh, the more you understand, the more challenging and confusing things can be. 189 00:07:12,290 --> 00:07:15,109 But a man who is qualified to lead is able to teach. 190 00:07:15,109 --> 00:07:20,150 He has the ability to say what's true in a way that's understandable, able to teach. 191 00:07:20,645 --> 00:07:23,285 We talked about the context of that being your family life in particular, 192 00:07:23,735 --> 00:07:27,844 um, leading your wife, leading your kids, uh, even leading in the workplace 193 00:07:27,844 --> 00:07:30,695 requires you to have a certain skill set of being able to communicate clearly. 194 00:07:30,905 --> 00:07:35,435 Clear, clear speaking is usually not always but indicative of clear thinking. 195 00:07:35,945 --> 00:07:37,145 You can't have one without the other. 196 00:07:38,145 --> 00:07:41,365 Able to teach Our passage today is verse three. 197 00:07:41,815 --> 00:07:44,935 He's not a drunkard, he's not violent, but gentle. 198 00:07:45,385 --> 00:07:46,645 He's not quarrelsome. 199 00:07:46,915 --> 00:07:48,625 He's not a lover of money. 200 00:07:49,315 --> 00:07:51,775 You'll notice 1, 2, 3, 4 knots there. 201 00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:52,975 There are four knots. 202 00:07:53,215 --> 00:07:56,455 These are the first time we encounter negation to everything 203 00:07:56,455 --> 00:07:57,415 else that Paul has said. 204 00:07:57,565 --> 00:08:00,085 Remember, you're saying these are the positive qualities we wanna see in a godly 205 00:08:00,085 --> 00:08:03,775 man, but let's be clear, these are four things we don't wanna see in a Godly man. 206 00:08:04,359 --> 00:08:07,570 These are four things he must not be if he's going to be a leader in God's 207 00:08:07,570 --> 00:08:10,540 church, which again, I find fascinating given the fact that everything up to 208 00:08:10,540 --> 00:08:12,399 this point has been a positive statement. 209 00:08:12,550 --> 00:08:13,570 So why would Paul do this? 210 00:08:13,570 --> 00:08:15,279 I think Paul is doing this at least for two reasons. 211 00:08:15,279 --> 00:08:17,170 Number one, he is doing it for the sake of clarity. 212 00:08:17,619 --> 00:08:20,800 It is not only this in positive, but also let's be sure that 213 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,269 that's not this in the negative. 214 00:08:22,269 --> 00:08:22,330 I. 215 00:08:22,780 --> 00:08:25,690 So clarity is one of those things, but also comprehensiveness. 216 00:08:25,690 --> 00:08:27,190 He's covering all his bases. 217 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,400 So Paul, for the sake of clarity and comprehensiveness, is giving 218 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,610 Timothy everything he needs to identify the kind of man that is 219 00:08:33,610 --> 00:08:35,590 qualified to lead in God's church. 220 00:08:36,220 --> 00:08:40,090 And again, to be clear, this is the kind of man God wants all of us to be, 221 00:08:40,090 --> 00:08:45,010 whether or not we ever formally acquire a leadership role within the church. 222 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,800 This is the kind of leadership that God endorses. 223 00:08:48,460 --> 00:08:51,310 So let's look at these four negation and we're gonna combine two of them 224 00:08:51,310 --> 00:08:54,490 in my second point, but let's look at the first one here, not a drunker. 225 00:08:55,060 --> 00:08:59,079 This is interesting because scripture does seem to allow drinking scripture even 226 00:08:59,079 --> 00:09:00,940 seems in some ways to encourage drinking. 227 00:09:00,940 --> 00:09:04,359 In fact, if you, if you're looking at first Timothy chapter three with me, turn 228 00:09:04,359 --> 00:09:08,230 over to First Timothy chapter five, and let's just take a quick look at verse 23. 229 00:09:08,650 --> 00:09:11,050 This is interesting, given what he just said to Timothy 230 00:09:11,319 --> 00:09:12,880 about not being a drunkard. 231 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:17,260 He says in chapter five, verse 23 of one Timothy, he says. 232 00:09:17,635 --> 00:09:22,645 No longer drink only water Timothy, but use a little wine for the sake of your 233 00:09:22,645 --> 00:09:24,745 stomach and your frequent ailments. 234 00:09:25,375 --> 00:09:27,415 And so whatever Paul means about not being a drunker, he 235 00:09:27,415 --> 00:09:29,365 doesn't say, don't drink at all. 236 00:09:29,694 --> 00:09:31,135 He's saying, don't drink to excess. 237 00:09:31,135 --> 00:09:34,495 Don't drink beyond what's appropriate and, and right for a 238 00:09:34,495 --> 00:09:35,905 liter in your, in your standing. 239 00:09:36,325 --> 00:09:38,515 In fact, let's take a look at another passage here. 240 00:09:38,515 --> 00:09:41,365 Uh, turn to Psalm 1 0 4, verse 15. 241 00:09:41,875 --> 00:09:45,714 Paul gives clarity about what he is not saying. 242 00:09:46,315 --> 00:09:48,985 But it seems in the Old Testament that there's a little more freedom 243 00:09:48,985 --> 00:09:53,125 in terms of what God allows for when it comes to the use of wine. 244 00:09:53,125 --> 00:09:59,820 Psalm 1 0 4, verse 15, these are the among the many gifts that God has given the. 245 00:10:00,290 --> 00:10:01,190 One of the gifts. 246 00:10:01,190 --> 00:10:04,040 He says, let's start at verse 14 to get some, to get a rolling start. 247 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,550 Here he says, you cause the grass to grow for the livestock and you, and you 248 00:10:07,550 --> 00:10:11,360 give plants for man to cultivate that he may bring forth food from the earth. 249 00:10:11,630 --> 00:10:15,860 Verse 15, you give him wine to gladen the heart of man. 250 00:10:16,730 --> 00:10:19,820 Oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. 251 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,900 And so the psalmist here is detailing the gifts that God gives people. 252 00:10:23,990 --> 00:10:28,610 And among those gifts, he identifies wine, alcohol, as one of those gifts. 253 00:10:28,610 --> 00:10:32,000 Unless we forget early in the gospel of John Jesus', first miracle 254 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,680 is to multiply wine into water. 255 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:33,980 Right? 256 00:10:34,790 --> 00:10:35,870 Said that, said the wrong way. 257 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:39,530 No one caught that multiplies water into wine. 258 00:10:40,010 --> 00:10:40,490 Into wine. 259 00:10:40,490 --> 00:10:41,810 So what is happening here? 260 00:10:41,810 --> 00:10:43,040 How do we understand this? 261 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,940 Okay, so Paul is prohibiting drunkenness, and I think what's 262 00:10:46,940 --> 00:10:52,640 really at heart here is allowing any substance to inhibit your control. 263 00:10:53,150 --> 00:10:56,150 Paul doesn't want you to be controlled by wine, not a drunkard. 264 00:10:56,150 --> 00:11:00,710 In, in, in addition to the idea of sober mindedness, tells us that there is a place 265 00:11:00,710 --> 00:11:03,320 for alcohol, there is a place for it. 266 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,860 Now, I've often struggled with this and tell me if you've ever dealt with this. 267 00:11:07,670 --> 00:11:09,170 Where is the line with that? 268 00:11:09,230 --> 00:11:11,990 If I'm drinking alcohol, is it okay for me to get the buzz? 269 00:11:12,905 --> 00:11:14,675 Seems like maybe God's okay with that. 270 00:11:14,705 --> 00:11:18,845 Is the buzz part of being drunk or am I drunk only after I'm slurring my 271 00:11:18,845 --> 00:11:20,675 speech and I'm stumbling in my steps? 272 00:11:21,675 --> 00:11:24,735 And here's where I've landed and I'll let you decide that I, I think I have, 273 00:11:24,740 --> 00:11:26,175 I, I, I've got clarity in my mind. 274 00:11:26,835 --> 00:11:28,725 I think the buzz is where you cross the line. 275 00:11:29,385 --> 00:11:34,215 I don't think God intends for us to, to let our senses be dulled 276 00:11:34,695 --> 00:11:38,595 or in any way to be inhibited, at least not with any regularity. 277 00:11:38,595 --> 00:11:40,485 And I'll qualify that in just a few moments here. 278 00:11:41,070 --> 00:11:44,550 I think the buzz feeling is, is a bad feeling because that inhibits 279 00:11:44,550 --> 00:11:48,390 your ability to act and react with alertness and sobriety. 280 00:11:48,390 --> 00:11:51,480 I think it violates the idea of being sober minded ordinarily. 281 00:11:52,290 --> 00:11:55,780 Now, with that said, with that said, I need to qualify this. 282 00:11:56,230 --> 00:11:59,740 Is there a place for for drugs that dull your senses? 283 00:11:59,740 --> 00:12:00,550 Well, I think yes. 284 00:12:01,194 --> 00:12:04,045 In fact, okay, just because I'm here and I have my Bible, let's do it. 285 00:12:04,045 --> 00:12:05,425 Psalm uh, Proverbs 31. 286 00:12:05,425 --> 00:12:06,265 Let's just go there real quick. 287 00:12:06,265 --> 00:12:07,495 I wanna go to Proverbs 31. 288 00:12:07,824 --> 00:12:11,334 Where does something that intoxicates or dulls our senses 289 00:12:11,334 --> 00:12:13,464 fit into a Christian mindset? 290 00:12:13,765 --> 00:12:16,555 If your kid gets injured, they lose a leg and they're, they're now in the 291 00:12:16,555 --> 00:12:19,975 hospital and the doctor says, do you want to give morphine to your child? 292 00:12:20,155 --> 00:12:22,375 Your job is to say, probably yes. 293 00:12:22,825 --> 00:12:25,855 If I can stop the pain or at least mitigate it in some way. 294 00:12:25,855 --> 00:12:28,045 We just talked about, uh, Julia going through labor. 295 00:12:28,375 --> 00:12:31,075 None of us are probably against epidurals, but do you have a biblical 296 00:12:31,075 --> 00:12:34,735 basis for that given the fact that scripture calls us to sober mindedness? 297 00:12:34,885 --> 00:12:35,515 I think we do. 298 00:12:35,965 --> 00:12:36,565 Here's what we have. 299 00:12:37,285 --> 00:12:39,415 Uh, Psalm, uh, Proverbs rather, 31. 300 00:12:40,415 --> 00:12:43,084 Uh, Proverbs 31, verse 4 31, verse four. 301 00:12:43,234 --> 00:12:44,824 It is not for Kings ole mule. 302 00:12:44,974 --> 00:12:46,834 It is not for kings to drink wine. 303 00:12:47,834 --> 00:12:52,784 Or for rulers to take strong drink lest they drink and forget 304 00:12:52,814 --> 00:12:56,504 what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 305 00:12:56,504 --> 00:13:01,004 And so Lemu Will's mother, whoever she is, and whoever he is, is 306 00:13:01,004 --> 00:13:04,844 saying it's, it's noble to be sober minded so that you can act on 307 00:13:04,844 --> 00:13:06,314 behalf of the people that you serve. 308 00:13:06,314 --> 00:13:07,724 And all of us have people that are. 309 00:13:08,565 --> 00:13:11,505 Our servants are rather people that we serve, and so he's saying, she's 310 00:13:11,505 --> 00:13:13,065 saying, look, it's not good for you. 311 00:13:13,065 --> 00:13:13,785 It's not noble. 312 00:13:13,785 --> 00:13:17,445 We don't want you to forget the words, the rules, and we don't want you to to 313 00:13:17,445 --> 00:13:18,885 pervert the rights of the afflicted. 314 00:13:18,885 --> 00:13:22,095 We don't want your judgment hindered by your drinking. 315 00:13:22,845 --> 00:13:27,285 She says in verse six, give strong drink to the one who is perishing. 316 00:13:28,230 --> 00:13:30,900 And wine to those in bitter distress. 317 00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:34,620 Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 318 00:13:34,949 --> 00:13:36,480 So is there a place for strong drink? 319 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,670 Well, she's saying yes, at least in two instances. 320 00:13:38,670 --> 00:13:41,550 One of those instances being someone who's on the verge of death. 321 00:13:42,405 --> 00:13:45,374 It's a mercy to give someone strong drink on the verge of death. 322 00:13:45,374 --> 00:13:47,474 You might've seen this in some of the war movies where they give the 323 00:13:47,474 --> 00:13:51,165 guy the hard liquor as he's preparing to leave his body and see the Lord. 324 00:13:51,525 --> 00:13:54,464 She also mentions another time when those who are in bitter distress. 325 00:13:54,464 --> 00:13:57,854 Now it seems like this is, this is a dangerous verse for us because there's 326 00:13:57,854 --> 00:14:01,485 lots of people that are using SSRIs and things like that to dull their senses 327 00:14:01,485 --> 00:14:02,894 or to change their brain chemistry. 328 00:14:03,404 --> 00:14:05,174 Um, may maybe this provides support. 329 00:14:05,354 --> 00:14:08,955 I think you might be asking it to do too much though, to make that case. 330 00:14:09,645 --> 00:14:14,355 In any event, what scriptures teaches is that the ordinary way for a 331 00:14:14,355 --> 00:14:18,975 man, the ordinary expectation for a man to lead is sober mindedness. 332 00:14:19,035 --> 00:14:23,205 A man who is not known for drunkenness, a man who is not known for being 333 00:14:23,205 --> 00:14:25,275 controlled by an external substance. 334 00:14:25,545 --> 00:14:27,795 One last verse, Ephesians chapter five. 335 00:14:27,795 --> 00:14:29,055 Let's turn back to the New Testament here. 336 00:14:29,055 --> 00:14:30,105 Ephesians chapter five. 337 00:14:31,105 --> 00:14:33,295 Ephesians chapter five, also written by Paul. 338 00:14:33,565 --> 00:14:38,275 But in this case, he, he wants to tell you why drunkenness is not the right, 339 00:14:38,575 --> 00:14:42,175 the right reason, or drunkenness is not the right, the right approach. 340 00:14:42,745 --> 00:14:46,085 Uh, Ephesians five, starting at verse 18. 341 00:14:46,115 --> 00:14:47,255 Ephesians five 18. 342 00:14:48,255 --> 00:14:49,635 He says, don't get drunk. 343 00:14:49,725 --> 00:14:52,635 Do not be drunk with wine, or that's debauchery. 344 00:14:52,635 --> 00:14:54,374 So he's qualifying the sin now, and he's saying that it's 345 00:14:54,374 --> 00:14:55,515 more than just drunkenness. 346 00:14:55,814 --> 00:14:57,854 You're allowing yourself to be debauched. 347 00:14:58,199 --> 00:15:00,270 That's what it inevitably leads to, at least is his point. 348 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:04,590 But instead of being drunk with wine, be filled with the spirit. 349 00:15:05,310 --> 00:15:09,209 In other words, be under the influence, not of alcohol, but under the spirit. 350 00:15:09,209 --> 00:15:10,890 If you're under the influence of the spirit, here's what 351 00:15:10,890 --> 00:15:11,880 you can expect to have happen. 352 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,630 Verse 19, you'll address one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 353 00:15:15,930 --> 00:15:18,209 You'll sing and make melody to the Lord with your heart. 354 00:15:18,330 --> 00:15:19,800 You'll give thanks always. 355 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,130 For everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus 356 00:15:23,130 --> 00:15:25,860 Christ, you'll submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 357 00:15:25,860 --> 00:15:30,060 There are a, a whole host of evidences that you are under the controlling 358 00:15:30,060 --> 00:15:33,300 influence of the spirit and not under the controlling influence of wine. 359 00:15:33,690 --> 00:15:35,250 That's what sober mindedness looks like. 360 00:15:35,250 --> 00:15:36,630 That's what Paul's expectation is. 361 00:15:36,630 --> 00:15:39,690 And so when he says here that the man of God turned back to first Timothy 362 00:15:39,690 --> 00:15:43,020 chapter three, that the man of God must not be a drunkard, he's saying 363 00:15:43,020 --> 00:15:46,170 the reason why is because he's so controlled by the power of the Spirit. 364 00:15:46,290 --> 00:15:48,900 His whole life is influenced by the spirit. 365 00:15:49,255 --> 00:15:51,295 Not by some external substance. 366 00:15:52,295 --> 00:15:54,515 He's looking for a sharp minded, sober-minded man. 367 00:15:54,545 --> 00:15:55,025 Point number one. 368 00:15:55,025 --> 00:15:55,864 Let's try it like this. 369 00:15:56,704 --> 00:15:59,255 Don't allow your mind to be dulled and controlled. 370 00:15:59,285 --> 00:16:00,814 I think that's a good takeaway. 371 00:16:01,114 --> 00:16:03,634 Don't allow your mind to be dulled and controlled. 372 00:16:03,904 --> 00:16:07,924 We don't want our mind to be influenced by something external to us, 373 00:16:08,824 --> 00:16:10,324 especially when it dulls our senses. 374 00:16:10,324 --> 00:16:13,744 And I know that also brings up a lot of questions about other kinds of 375 00:16:13,744 --> 00:16:15,545 things that enhance our thinking. 376 00:16:16,104 --> 00:16:16,735 Change our thinking. 377 00:16:16,735 --> 00:16:17,604 We think about coffee. 378 00:16:17,604 --> 00:16:18,295 Perhaps coffee. 379 00:16:18,295 --> 00:16:19,555 Is coffee allowed for a Christian? 380 00:16:19,555 --> 00:16:22,374 Because it can also have an influence upon our thinking. 381 00:16:22,374 --> 00:16:24,354 It can sharpen us in many respects. 382 00:16:24,354 --> 00:16:25,314 But can that be abuse? 383 00:16:25,314 --> 00:16:26,005 Of course it can. 384 00:16:27,005 --> 00:16:28,805 There's a lot of questions that opens the door to that. 385 00:16:28,805 --> 00:16:31,295 I don't have time to to go through, but let's just deal with the, 386 00:16:31,415 --> 00:16:33,035 the dulling effect of alcohol. 387 00:16:34,035 --> 00:16:38,235 You might know that the pastors, at least at this church, are teetotalers. 388 00:16:38,475 --> 00:16:41,055 We don't drink as a matter of practice and a matter of policy. 389 00:16:41,055 --> 00:16:42,314 At least that's the policy for now. 390 00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:46,829 We inherited this from our old church that sent us here, and part of the 391 00:16:46,829 --> 00:16:49,919 reason why is that we don't want to cause a weaker brother to be offended. 392 00:16:49,949 --> 00:16:51,809 We don't want to cause the weaker brother to stumble. 393 00:16:52,229 --> 00:16:55,469 And so we recognize that there are people that struggle with alcoholism that are 394 00:16:55,469 --> 00:16:59,039 gonna have difficulties if they see their pastor cracking open a cold one, even 395 00:16:59,039 --> 00:17:00,779 if he's perfectly permitted to do so. 396 00:17:00,779 --> 00:17:02,579 According to scripture, we don't do that. 397 00:17:02,729 --> 00:17:04,980 And part of the reason why, again, is not only because of the 398 00:17:04,980 --> 00:17:07,230 weaker brother, but because so many of you guys have different. 399 00:17:07,829 --> 00:17:12,690 Ideas and, uh, uh, and convictions about alcohol do in large part to the way that 400 00:17:12,690 --> 00:17:14,880 you've seen it either used or abused. 401 00:17:15,420 --> 00:17:18,598 I remember the first time I, one of the first times I visited Kristen's family, 402 00:17:19,290 --> 00:17:21,480 Kristen, my wife, uh, I got to know them. 403 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,848 They seemed like lovely people, and I just thought so well of them. 404 00:17:23,848 --> 00:17:29,140 I'd, I'd, I'd never seen a, a fairly, a fairly well functioning family like hers. 405 00:17:29,785 --> 00:17:32,215 And so I, I was getting to know them and we were having a great time. 406 00:17:32,215 --> 00:17:34,075 I think he was at Christmas party, if I'm not mistaken. 407 00:17:34,555 --> 00:17:36,805 And then I go to the kitchen and people start cracking open 408 00:17:36,805 --> 00:17:40,285 bottles of wine, and I'm looking at them like, what are you doing? 409 00:17:41,035 --> 00:17:43,945 I, in my heart, I, I judge them quickly and severely. 410 00:17:43,945 --> 00:17:45,595 I'm like, oh, these guys are just winos. 411 00:17:45,595 --> 00:17:47,155 These guys addicted to wine. 412 00:17:48,155 --> 00:17:51,365 It took me years to get to this place, but I've come to realize that so 413 00:17:51,365 --> 00:17:54,605 much of what shaped my thinking about alcohol was my own experience about it. 414 00:17:55,145 --> 00:17:59,135 Um, and my family drinking alcohol in moderation was basically a 415 00:17:59,135 --> 00:18:00,935 non, a non-existent practice. 416 00:18:01,235 --> 00:18:04,535 If there was gonna be anything opened up, it was gonna be used to excess, there 417 00:18:04,535 --> 00:18:07,745 was gonna be laughter and slurring and dancing and just all sorts of things. 418 00:18:08,225 --> 00:18:10,745 And I even knew as a young man that that wasn't what I wanted 419 00:18:10,745 --> 00:18:11,705 and neither was that good. 420 00:18:12,215 --> 00:18:12,725 I felt it. 421 00:18:13,385 --> 00:18:16,985 So when I saw her family cracking open bottles of wine, I felt immediately 422 00:18:16,985 --> 00:18:19,115 threatened by that and I thought, I want nothing to do with this. 423 00:18:19,415 --> 00:18:20,105 I'm ready to go. 424 00:18:20,105 --> 00:18:20,825 Is it time to leave? 425 00:18:20,825 --> 00:18:21,005 Yet? 426 00:18:21,785 --> 00:18:23,915 Over the course of time, I've matured in my understanding of this, and I 427 00:18:23,915 --> 00:18:25,355 recognize that there is a place for this. 428 00:18:25,385 --> 00:18:30,155 There is a place, um, I still would encourage you to carefully 429 00:18:30,155 --> 00:18:31,865 consider when that time and place is. 430 00:18:32,345 --> 00:18:33,965 Again, God wants your mind clear. 431 00:18:33,965 --> 00:18:35,045 He wants it focused. 432 00:18:35,045 --> 00:18:35,975 He wants it sober. 433 00:18:36,095 --> 00:18:38,345 That's what Paul says here in the beginning of chapter three, 434 00:18:38,345 --> 00:18:41,975 sober mindedness, self-controlled alcohol can threaten that. 435 00:18:42,975 --> 00:18:45,255 But in any case, I think it's important for you to understand that we shouldn't 436 00:18:45,255 --> 00:18:48,375 let any substance exert a dominating or doling influence in your life. 437 00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:51,735 I would include really any food or substance whatsoever. 438 00:18:52,395 --> 00:18:55,785 Uh, food itself can also be a substance that's engineered to be highly palatable, 439 00:18:56,145 --> 00:19:00,105 to overcome your feelings of satiety and to steal your, your energy. 440 00:19:00,135 --> 00:19:01,485 It's, that's, that's part of the job. 441 00:19:01,485 --> 00:19:05,235 There are food engineers who are pre, who are precisely designing it to 442 00:19:05,235 --> 00:19:07,395 be so palatable that you can't stop. 443 00:19:08,175 --> 00:19:11,715 Part of the job, a Christian man must have control, a controlling influence in 444 00:19:11,715 --> 00:19:15,045 his life that is greater than the food itself or alcohol or even medications. 445 00:19:15,405 --> 00:19:18,825 There was a period in my life where I was, I was wrestling with the use of NyQuil. 446 00:19:19,125 --> 00:19:20,115 Like, is this a good thing for me? 447 00:19:20,115 --> 00:19:22,095 I'm, I'm on call if I, if someone calls me. 448 00:19:22,455 --> 00:19:24,495 In the middle of the night, I need to be able to answer. 449 00:19:24,495 --> 00:19:27,255 And if I need to drive to the hospital, is this a good, should I do, I'm not. 450 00:19:27,255 --> 00:19:28,335 Should I take NyQuil? 451 00:19:28,785 --> 00:19:33,165 Um, I do, I think I, I do take NyQuil when I need it, not all the time, but I 452 00:19:33,165 --> 00:19:35,805 think there's, those are kind of chemical dependencies that we often don and think 453 00:19:35,805 --> 00:19:37,065 about when it says, don't be drunk. 454 00:19:37,245 --> 00:19:41,925 That maybe we should, we should at least consider whether you're able to do that 455 00:19:41,925 --> 00:19:45,375 and still possess a controlling influence over your body to have mastery over it. 456 00:19:46,215 --> 00:19:50,965 All that said, all that qualification set, here's, here's the balance, I hope. 457 00:19:51,610 --> 00:19:54,190 Do enjoy the gifts of God, man. 458 00:19:54,190 --> 00:19:55,450 Do enjoy the gifts of God. 459 00:19:55,450 --> 00:19:58,120 Do it responsibly and appropriately, but do enjoy it. 460 00:19:58,660 --> 00:20:02,530 If you wanna crack open a bag of Doritos, let no man call you out on that. 461 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,130 If you wanna enjoy some delicious Starbucks coffee or whatever it is, 462 00:20:06,130 --> 00:20:07,540 that is your pleasure, enjoy that. 463 00:20:07,540 --> 00:20:10,540 God has given us all good things for to, for us to enjoy. 464 00:20:11,170 --> 00:20:13,600 If you love gluten, throw that gluten in your chocolate 465 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:14,680 cake and eat that cake, man. 466 00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:18,820 Enjoy the good gifts of God with, I mean, I'm telling you. 467 00:20:18,820 --> 00:20:20,560 Be sober minded and self controlled. 468 00:20:20,875 --> 00:20:23,635 Almost anything can steal that from you. 469 00:20:23,635 --> 00:20:27,325 It just means you have to take responsibility over your life and 470 00:20:27,325 --> 00:20:30,925 your leadership to say, is this substance, is this thing that I'm 471 00:20:30,925 --> 00:20:33,715 enjoying helping me love God better? 472 00:20:33,895 --> 00:20:35,845 Or is it stealing my affection away? 473 00:20:36,145 --> 00:20:39,925 Is it exerting a controlling influence in a negative fashion? 474 00:20:40,495 --> 00:20:43,945 So whether you're drinking alcohol or not, or you just have a, you know, 475 00:20:43,945 --> 00:20:48,365 you have a love for painkillers, God has things to say about those things. 476 00:20:49,175 --> 00:20:51,395 Do enjoy the gifts of God responsibly and appropriately. 477 00:20:51,425 --> 00:20:52,295 James one 17. 478 00:20:52,295 --> 00:20:54,635 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. 479 00:20:54,635 --> 00:20:55,595 We ought to receive it that way. 480 00:20:56,595 --> 00:20:58,725 So the first thing that you must not be, if you're gonna be a 481 00:20:58,725 --> 00:21:00,555 Godly leader is not be a drunkard. 482 00:21:00,585 --> 00:21:06,295 You should not be, uh, controlled or compelled by a substance, um, really any 483 00:21:06,385 --> 00:21:09,385 substance, but especially you should be controlled and compelled by the spirit. 484 00:21:09,385 --> 00:21:14,215 You should be filled with the spirit, not with a, an intoxicating, uh, substance. 485 00:21:14,455 --> 00:21:14,995 Besides that. 486 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,310 Second part of one Timothy chapter three, verse three. 487 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:19,840 He must not be a drunkard. 488 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:20,890 And here's another. 489 00:21:20,890 --> 00:21:24,430 We're gonna pair these together, not violent, but gentle and not quarrelsome. 490 00:21:24,430 --> 00:21:25,960 Let's put those two things together. 491 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:26,890 So circle them in your mind. 492 00:21:27,190 --> 00:21:29,860 Not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome. 493 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:31,780 Let's start with the word violent. 494 00:21:31,780 --> 00:21:33,040 The word violent means a striker. 495 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,790 Someone who is physically willing to get into a tussle with you. 496 00:21:36,790 --> 00:21:39,040 They're, they're gonna use their size or their strength 497 00:21:39,250 --> 00:21:41,020 to assert dominance over you. 498 00:21:41,020 --> 00:21:41,350 I don't know. 499 00:21:41,350 --> 00:21:43,630 A lot of people like this, praise God, but I know they're out there. 500 00:21:44,365 --> 00:21:46,915 Every time I drive on a Texas road, I'm always thinking about 501 00:21:46,975 --> 00:21:48,325 the guys who are carrying a weapon. 502 00:21:48,325 --> 00:21:48,955 I'm like, I'm good. 503 00:21:48,985 --> 00:21:49,615 You cut me off. 504 00:21:49,615 --> 00:21:52,645 Have fun your way first, your world. 505 00:21:52,645 --> 00:21:53,150 I just live in it. 506 00:21:53,485 --> 00:21:54,355 I don't wanna pick a fight. 507 00:21:54,355 --> 00:21:55,195 I don't carry a gun. 508 00:21:55,405 --> 00:21:57,895 I don't wanna come into, come into contact with the guy who 509 00:21:57,895 --> 00:21:59,335 automatically resorts to violence. 510 00:21:59,335 --> 00:22:01,705 And of course, scripture is saying, if you're gonna lead as 511 00:22:01,705 --> 00:22:05,455 a Godly man, you can't be quick to assert physical dominance. 512 00:22:05,455 --> 00:22:07,705 You can't be the kind of guy who's saying, well, you wanna talk about this? 513 00:22:07,705 --> 00:22:08,455 Go talk outside. 514 00:22:08,455 --> 00:22:11,935 And you start squaring up with somebody that's not the godly man that God wants. 515 00:22:11,935 --> 00:22:15,145 In fact, to the opposite, he says, this is one of the times he offers a contrast. 516 00:22:15,415 --> 00:22:18,595 He must not be violent but gentle. 517 00:22:19,555 --> 00:22:21,595 He must not be violent but gentle. 518 00:22:21,595 --> 00:22:25,465 The idea here, gentleness, um, this is a person who is forbearing. 519 00:22:25,495 --> 00:22:31,495 This is a person who is not quick to draw negative assumptions about other people. 520 00:22:31,855 --> 00:22:35,695 In fact, if, if you're in Timothy, turn over to Titus, I think this 521 00:22:35,695 --> 00:22:38,575 is a really helpful explanation of what he means by this. 522 00:22:39,385 --> 00:22:43,745 That, that Tim, Tim, T five Ts, that, that Tim, Tim t So Titus 523 00:22:43,745 --> 00:22:45,785 is at the end Titus chapter. 524 00:22:45,785 --> 00:22:46,955 Let's look at chapter three. 525 00:22:47,955 --> 00:22:51,555 Looking at verses one and two, uh, Paul is writing to Titus 526 00:22:51,555 --> 00:22:52,755 his other protege in the faith. 527 00:22:52,785 --> 00:22:56,265 And here's he's telling them how to have people in the congregation 528 00:22:56,295 --> 00:22:58,305 act how, how they should respond. 529 00:22:58,365 --> 00:23:00,255 And here's what he says in chapter three verse one. 530 00:23:00,555 --> 00:23:02,325 Remind them Titus chapter three verse one. 531 00:23:02,325 --> 00:23:06,255 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities to be 532 00:23:06,255 --> 00:23:10,755 obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one. 533 00:23:11,055 --> 00:23:12,585 To avoid quarreling. 534 00:23:12,975 --> 00:23:16,005 Being contentious here to be gentle, there's those two words that we were just 535 00:23:16,005 --> 00:23:21,435 looking at to, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and he, he elaborates and to 536 00:23:21,435 --> 00:23:23,955 show perfect courtesy toward all people. 537 00:23:24,285 --> 00:23:26,175 You see how these words nicely fit together. 538 00:23:26,865 --> 00:23:29,685 Paul tells Timothy Titus, here's what a godly leader looks like. 539 00:23:29,685 --> 00:23:31,575 And by the way, the body looks the same. 540 00:23:31,575 --> 00:23:35,305 A gentle man is someone who is courteous. 541 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:36,730 Again, respectable. 542 00:23:36,820 --> 00:23:40,630 He doesn't pick a fight even though he could likely demolish his opponent. 543 00:23:40,690 --> 00:23:44,800 He's trying to create context where, where he can love them and help them. 544 00:23:45,460 --> 00:23:48,460 In fact, BD, uh, b Bauer, Danker. 545 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:49,600 I forget the names of these guys. 546 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:50,530 B, D is A. 547 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:51,460 Thank you. 548 00:23:51,460 --> 00:23:52,300 R and G, Richard. 549 00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:53,630 There there. 550 00:23:53,690 --> 00:23:54,051 There you go. 551 00:23:54,740 --> 00:23:55,130 B dag. 552 00:23:55,130 --> 00:23:55,730 That's how I know it. 553 00:23:55,730 --> 00:23:56,000 B deck. 554 00:23:56,510 --> 00:23:58,580 Um, it's a, it's a lexicon for Greek words here. 555 00:23:58,580 --> 00:24:01,640 Here's how, here's how they, here's how they summarize the word. 556 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:02,360 I think this is helpful. 557 00:24:03,155 --> 00:24:06,905 The word for gentle is the quality of making allowances despite facts that might 558 00:24:06,905 --> 00:24:08,975 suggest a reason for a different reaction. 559 00:24:09,725 --> 00:24:13,055 Other words, clemency, gentleness, graciousness, courtesy, 560 00:24:13,145 --> 00:24:15,245 indulgence, and tolerance. 561 00:24:15,455 --> 00:24:16,205 Tolerance. 562 00:24:16,595 --> 00:24:21,035 A man who is gentle is a man who is even handed measured. 563 00:24:21,455 --> 00:24:22,670 He's not quick to react. 564 00:24:22,780 --> 00:24:26,855 He's the kind of man who is able to respond kindly to someone who even 565 00:24:26,855 --> 00:24:30,695 may cause instigation, who's trying to create some kind of response from you. 566 00:24:30,935 --> 00:24:32,645 A gentle man doesn't need to do that. 567 00:24:33,050 --> 00:24:36,050 He's self-controlled, he's in perfect control, not perfect. 568 00:24:36,050 --> 00:24:39,950 He's in great control over his vessel, and so he is able to respond and not react. 569 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:41,660 That's the idea for gentleness here. 570 00:24:41,810 --> 00:24:44,270 Now, if you take that word, you might be quick to say, okay, maybe 571 00:24:44,270 --> 00:24:47,780 this is a milk toast man who's just easy to get rolled over. 572 00:24:47,780 --> 00:24:50,630 He's the kind of guy who's not willing to, you know, stick his chest out 573 00:24:50,630 --> 00:24:53,720 every now and then and say what's true and stand for the, for the good 574 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:54,710 and the right and the beautiful. 575 00:24:55,070 --> 00:24:57,470 No, Paul would say this is in, in. 576 00:24:58,250 --> 00:25:01,640 This is in addition to the fact that he must reprove, rebuke 577 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,140 and exhort with all authority. 578 00:25:03,140 --> 00:25:04,520 That's what he says in Second Timothy four. 579 00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:07,340 This is the same guy who must fight the good fight of faith. 580 00:25:07,670 --> 00:25:09,440 A gentle man is not a weak man. 581 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,430 A gentleman is a man who's in control over his emotions and his feelings. 582 00:25:13,490 --> 00:25:15,530 He's not gonna be violently reactive. 583 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,710 He's the kind of guy who's setting the example for the church speaking 584 00:25:18,710 --> 00:25:20,840 evil of no one avoiding quarreling. 585 00:25:21,335 --> 00:25:24,725 Gentle, showing perfect courtesy toward all people. 586 00:25:25,115 --> 00:25:28,115 This is the standard that scripture is calling us to turn 587 00:25:28,115 --> 00:25:29,555 back to one Timothy chapter three. 588 00:25:29,765 --> 00:25:33,095 This is what is included in the idea that a man must be gentle. 589 00:25:34,095 --> 00:25:36,495 False teachers, on the other hand, were not gentle, but 590 00:25:36,495 --> 00:25:37,665 they were in fact quarrelsome. 591 00:25:37,665 --> 00:25:40,185 This is one of the things that Paul is speaking against back 592 00:25:40,185 --> 00:25:41,325 in one Timothy chapter three. 593 00:25:41,325 --> 00:25:44,055 He says that you're to, to not be violent but gentle. 594 00:25:44,265 --> 00:25:45,285 Okay, one Timothy three. 595 00:25:45,465 --> 00:25:47,535 Move over to one Timothy chapter six. 596 00:25:48,535 --> 00:25:52,245 One Timothy chapter six, starting at verse three. 597 00:25:53,245 --> 00:25:56,545 He says, if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the 598 00:25:56,545 --> 00:25:59,215 sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with 599 00:25:59,215 --> 00:26:02,845 godliness, that is someone who's going and they're teaching something 600 00:26:02,845 --> 00:26:05,455 heretical or something, uh, heterodox. 601 00:26:05,815 --> 00:26:08,395 Uh, they're going off in their owns Paul's dealing with false teachers and he is 602 00:26:08,395 --> 00:26:09,505 trying to help Timothy deal with them. 603 00:26:09,505 --> 00:26:10,675 He says, if you have someone like this. 604 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,290 They're teaching different doctrine, uh, and they don't agree with the 605 00:26:14,290 --> 00:26:17,980 sound words, the doctrinal, healthy orthodox words that I've given you. 606 00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:23,740 Then verse four, that man is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. 607 00:26:24,430 --> 00:26:25,660 He thinks he's a good teacher. 608 00:26:25,660 --> 00:26:27,010 He thinks he's bringing in the word. 609 00:26:27,010 --> 00:26:28,210 He actually understands nothing. 610 00:26:28,210 --> 00:26:30,790 Paul says he's full of, he's full of nothing. 611 00:26:30,790 --> 00:26:34,210 He's full of, uh, puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. 612 00:26:34,210 --> 00:26:38,740 He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels about words. 613 00:26:39,145 --> 00:26:40,765 Which produce, and here's Paul's concern. 614 00:26:40,915 --> 00:26:43,795 The reason that he doesn't want this tolerated in the local church 615 00:26:43,795 --> 00:26:49,685 is because those, uh, those words produce envy, dissension, slander, 616 00:26:49,955 --> 00:26:54,245 evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in 617 00:26:54,245 --> 00:26:56,075 mind and deprived of the truth. 618 00:26:56,075 --> 00:26:58,655 Imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 619 00:26:58,685 --> 00:27:01,925 And so Paul's desire here is that we not be a group of quarrelsome 620 00:27:01,925 --> 00:27:04,565 people because quarrelsome inevitably leads to dissensions. 621 00:27:05,565 --> 00:27:09,465 Inevitably leads to divisions and evil suspicions about one another. 622 00:27:10,035 --> 00:27:10,365 Okay. 623 00:27:10,935 --> 00:27:15,195 Practically speaking then, overseers, godly leaders are not polemical. 624 00:27:15,195 --> 00:27:16,425 They're not argumentative. 625 00:27:16,845 --> 00:27:20,685 They're not the kind of men who are ignatious, they're not fighters, they're 626 00:27:20,685 --> 00:27:24,225 not the, and when you think of a pastor or a leader, you should not think of 627 00:27:24,225 --> 00:27:27,765 someone who's constantly going to war with people because he likes that. 628 00:27:28,005 --> 00:27:30,225 There are certain kinds of personalities that really do enjoy this. 629 00:27:30,585 --> 00:27:31,455 They enjoy the fight. 630 00:27:31,455 --> 00:27:35,295 They enjoy picking fights with people and starting up issues and saying, 631 00:27:35,295 --> 00:27:36,585 well, have you thought about this? 632 00:27:36,585 --> 00:27:38,475 And, oh, this person says that over there. 633 00:27:38,475 --> 00:27:41,955 And, oh, do you know that that Greek word though, that Greek word really means, 634 00:27:41,955 --> 00:27:44,865 you know, and the Hebrew in this really, I mean, if you, if you study like I 635 00:27:44,865 --> 00:27:48,285 have, there's really, uh, I mean, yeah, you might know that, but here, here's 636 00:27:48,285 --> 00:27:50,445 really the issue and looking for a fight. 637 00:27:51,075 --> 00:27:52,605 Godly men are not looking for a fight. 638 00:27:52,755 --> 00:27:53,655 They are looking for truth. 639 00:27:53,655 --> 00:27:54,585 They're looking for unity. 640 00:27:54,795 --> 00:27:58,125 They're not willing to sacrifice truth at the expense of unity, 641 00:27:58,335 --> 00:27:59,325 but they're looking for unity. 642 00:28:00,325 --> 00:28:04,015 Point number two, don't allow yourself to cause unnecessary offense or controversy. 643 00:28:04,345 --> 00:28:04,705 Simple. 644 00:28:05,245 --> 00:28:08,605 Don't allow yourself to cause unnecessary offense or controversy. 645 00:28:08,605 --> 00:28:11,485 I think that summarizes the idea of not being quarrelsome and, 646 00:28:11,485 --> 00:28:13,045 and being gentle, not violent. 647 00:28:14,045 --> 00:28:17,615 When God saved me, um, I was saved in the charismatic church and 648 00:28:17,615 --> 00:28:18,635 I, and I was grateful for that. 649 00:28:18,725 --> 00:28:19,235 I loved it. 650 00:28:19,235 --> 00:28:20,105 I learned a lot. 651 00:28:20,525 --> 00:28:24,155 Um, but when I came across this guy in John MacArthur, I started listening 652 00:28:24,155 --> 00:28:26,885 to a lot of his teaching and saying, I think I'm wrong about a lot of things. 653 00:28:27,515 --> 00:28:28,745 I soon left that church. 654 00:28:29,330 --> 00:28:32,480 And found myself in a conservative Baptist church in the heart of Bellflower. 655 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,000 It was some of the best years of my ministry life. 656 00:28:35,270 --> 00:28:36,230 I learned so much. 657 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,170 But here's what happened that I, I don't appreciate as much. 658 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,520 Uh, one of the things that took hold in my heart is what I now understand 659 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,140 to be called Cage stage Calvinism. 660 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,710 I grew and my understanding of God's sovereignty. 661 00:28:48,710 --> 00:28:52,760 And consequently, I was passionate to let everybody know, especially my old 662 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,370 church, how wrong they were to think. 663 00:28:55,850 --> 00:28:58,010 That they had any free will to choose. 664 00:28:58,010 --> 00:28:59,690 God, you're their brave sinner. 665 00:28:59,750 --> 00:29:02,210 How dare you tell God that you, you could choose him. 666 00:29:02,390 --> 00:29:03,560 You're dead in your trespass. 667 00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:05,690 I was throwing Ephesians two so hard at people. 668 00:29:05,690 --> 00:29:06,710 I think I bruised a few. 669 00:29:07,710 --> 00:29:11,370 Needless to say, I aggravated a few friendships from that church 670 00:29:11,625 --> 00:29:15,630 and in my heart I was thinking, and I'm fighting for the truth. 671 00:29:16,170 --> 00:29:19,080 I'm letting people know what they must know, and I was going to 672 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,500 resolve the tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility 673 00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:24,120 by telling people God is sovereign. 674 00:29:24,330 --> 00:29:27,120 Who cares about your freedom of will you submit to God? 675 00:29:27,150 --> 00:29:29,040 That's all you need, just you filthy sinner. 676 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,100 Thankfully, God has grown me quite a bit since then and I had a lot of friends 677 00:29:33,130 --> 00:29:37,930 who graciously pushed back on me and they tolerated my very inappropriate, 678 00:29:37,930 --> 00:29:40,660 ungodly rude polemical behavior. 679 00:29:40,660 --> 00:29:43,030 In fact, I have some friends who, some really good friends 680 00:29:43,030 --> 00:29:44,260 from the, from that church. 681 00:29:44,845 --> 00:29:47,665 Who we still hang out or used to hang out before I left to, to, to 682 00:29:47,665 --> 00:29:49,495 Texas, but they were gracious to me. 683 00:29:50,495 --> 00:29:54,365 One of the things that should not characterize us as men is that fighting 684 00:29:54,365 --> 00:29:58,685 spirit, fighting out of necessity, but not fighting because it's entertainment to us. 685 00:29:59,285 --> 00:30:02,015 Um, I could easily throw someone under the bus that recently got thrown under the 686 00:30:02,015 --> 00:30:05,825 bus because he created personas that were all about creating division and fighting 687 00:30:05,915 --> 00:30:09,035 and creating a polemic against certain people that were called his friends. 688 00:30:10,025 --> 00:30:10,685 What do you know about that? 689 00:30:11,685 --> 00:30:15,045 A godly man is not afraid to fight, just doesn't want to. 690 00:30:15,045 --> 00:30:17,415 As a matter of practice, godly man is gentle. 691 00:30:17,625 --> 00:30:21,855 He's also a guy that's considered, uh, a guy that's considered not quarrelsome. 692 00:30:21,855 --> 00:30:25,165 He's, he's not characterized by a cage stage. 693 00:30:25,165 --> 00:30:29,005 Calvinism, Martin Luther once noted, softness and hardness are 694 00:30:29,005 --> 00:30:32,875 the two main faults from which all mistakes of pastors come. 695 00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:34,865 Leaders in particular. 696 00:30:35,135 --> 00:30:36,815 Anyone, you could be too soft or too hard. 697 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,150 Uh, during my ministry at Compass, there was one particular season where 698 00:30:41,150 --> 00:30:42,650 I was really, really struggling. 699 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:46,310 I really wrestled with being able to do my job well, and, and God 700 00:30:46,370 --> 00:30:49,700 drew me to this place of humbling me so greatly that I learned. 701 00:30:49,910 --> 00:30:53,720 I can't be thick skinned and close my heart off to people, but I, I 702 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,870 can't be so tender hearted that I bleed every time I'm criticized. 703 00:30:57,590 --> 00:31:00,530 And so he taught me I need to be both tender hearted and thick skinned. 704 00:31:01,070 --> 00:31:03,860 I think that's the right place for the Christian leader to be the, the right 705 00:31:03,860 --> 00:31:07,460 place for the, the Christian husband, the Christian father, the Christian leader. 706 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,650 He must be tenderhearted and thick skinned. 707 00:31:10,220 --> 00:31:14,300 If you can have both of those things that allows you not to cause unnecessary 708 00:31:14,300 --> 00:31:18,530 offense and controversy, it allows you to engage hard conversations in a way 709 00:31:18,530 --> 00:31:22,650 that shows compassion and tenderness and while still sticking to your guns of 710 00:31:22,650 --> 00:31:24,180 conviction, which you still should do. 711 00:31:25,180 --> 00:31:27,100 So I, I think you should carefully consider what warrants 712 00:31:27,100 --> 00:31:27,820 a fight and what doesn't. 713 00:31:28,615 --> 00:31:30,595 Some of the things that we would easily fight about are, 714 00:31:30,625 --> 00:31:31,825 for instance, female pastors. 715 00:31:32,305 --> 00:31:36,895 Um, I recently saw a church's website that is nearby to us looking at their 716 00:31:36,895 --> 00:31:39,895 website, seeing what they teach, and I realized, oh, there's Pastor Sally and 717 00:31:39,895 --> 00:31:41,875 there's Pastor Ken, and, and on and on. 718 00:31:42,475 --> 00:31:46,385 And I thought, man, I don't, I don't agree with that anymore. 719 00:31:46,775 --> 00:31:48,095 I used to, but I don't agree with that anymore. 720 00:31:48,485 --> 00:31:50,045 Uh, does that need to divide us? 721 00:31:51,045 --> 00:31:51,645 I don't think so. 722 00:31:51,945 --> 00:31:52,605 I don't think so. 723 00:31:53,205 --> 00:31:55,785 Um, do the charismatic gifts need to divide us as Christians? 724 00:31:56,145 --> 00:31:56,955 I don't think so. 725 00:31:57,405 --> 00:32:00,735 Um, does, does whether or not someone preaches or understands 726 00:32:00,735 --> 00:32:04,275 arminianism versus a a Calvinistic approach, does that need to divide us? 727 00:32:04,275 --> 00:32:04,935 I don't think so. 728 00:32:05,265 --> 00:32:07,995 Now, when I say that I, I, what I, what I mean is not whether we're 729 00:32:07,995 --> 00:32:09,165 gonna be in different churches. 730 00:32:09,165 --> 00:32:12,535 We will be, make no mistake about it, but whether we need to say, 731 00:32:12,535 --> 00:32:13,345 you're not even a Christian. 732 00:32:13,795 --> 00:32:16,255 If you believe in female pastors, if you believe in the charismatic 733 00:32:16,255 --> 00:32:17,065 gifts, you're not even a Christian. 734 00:32:17,065 --> 00:32:18,895 I can't believe how you could even come to that understanding. 735 00:32:19,895 --> 00:32:24,935 Your job is to be so theologically shaped by scripture, by the word of God, to have 736 00:32:24,935 --> 00:32:28,355 so much of it in your head and heart that you're able to make careful distinctions. 737 00:32:28,565 --> 00:32:33,365 Albert Mohler calls this idea theological triage, that is being able to rank 738 00:32:33,395 --> 00:32:37,145 different doctrinal positions to say, how much weight do I give this thing? 739 00:32:37,895 --> 00:32:41,255 Is it a first tier issue, a second tier issue, a third tier issue? 740 00:32:41,645 --> 00:32:43,955 First tier issues are those issues that are gonna say we're 741 00:32:43,955 --> 00:32:44,945 not even in the same fate. 742 00:32:45,215 --> 00:32:48,395 You may call him Jesus, but you don't believe in the same Jesus of the Bible. 743 00:32:48,755 --> 00:32:51,065 Easy targets here would be that of the Mormons or the Jehovah's 744 00:32:51,065 --> 00:32:52,655 Witnesses, even the Muslims. 745 00:32:52,655 --> 00:32:55,265 They believe in a Jesus, but he is not the Jesus of the scriptures. 746 00:32:55,265 --> 00:32:59,015 And so we would say we are at a first tier misunderstanding. 747 00:32:59,225 --> 00:33:02,585 We can't even call ourselves brothers or sisters here, but they're second 748 00:33:02,585 --> 00:33:06,005 tier issues where they're very important and they, they, they have 749 00:33:06,065 --> 00:33:08,735 influence over primary doctrines, but they're not the same thing. 750 00:33:09,035 --> 00:33:11,105 I would put female pastors in that category. 751 00:33:12,105 --> 00:33:15,525 Problem with this area of conversation is that there's not a definitive list. 752 00:33:16,275 --> 00:33:18,615 Um, first tier is gospel. 753 00:33:18,795 --> 00:33:22,245 We know that much first tier is salvation, but when it comes to second 754 00:33:22,245 --> 00:33:26,085 and third tier areas, there's not a definitive, exhaustive list that says, 755 00:33:26,085 --> 00:33:27,675 well, what about this particular issue? 756 00:33:27,675 --> 00:33:29,925 Is this a matter of first tier, second or third tier? 757 00:33:30,195 --> 00:33:31,785 It's up to us and to your pastors. 758 00:33:31,785 --> 00:33:35,235 More importantly, to make those decisions carefully After a careful 759 00:33:35,235 --> 00:33:36,315 and close study of scripture. 760 00:33:37,315 --> 00:33:41,605 I need you to practice theological triage, and I, I think one, one 761 00:33:41,605 --> 00:33:42,865 author puts it this way, helpfully. 762 00:33:43,015 --> 00:33:47,905 We must distinguish between what must be affirmed and what must not be denied. 763 00:33:48,565 --> 00:33:52,435 We must distinguish between what must be affirmed and what must not be denied. 764 00:33:52,735 --> 00:33:53,665 There is a difference there. 765 00:33:54,385 --> 00:33:58,555 What do we expect a, a new Christian to affirm a full throated 766 00:33:58,555 --> 00:34:00,205 understanding of the trinity? 767 00:34:01,105 --> 00:34:01,765 Probably not. 768 00:34:02,215 --> 00:34:05,155 In fact, I'd, I'd venture to guess that most Christians are heretics in this area. 769 00:34:05,635 --> 00:34:09,804 Unknowingly unwillingly, and so we have to distinguish between what must be 770 00:34:09,804 --> 00:34:11,815 affirmed and what must not be denied. 771 00:34:12,625 --> 00:34:16,824 We would say that it is right to not deny a triune understanding of the Godhead, 772 00:34:16,975 --> 00:34:21,205 but whether we expect every Christian to be able to articulate an orthodox 773 00:34:21,205 --> 00:34:24,025 understanding of the Trinity, that's asking a lot more than what I think 774 00:34:24,025 --> 00:34:25,764 we'd, we'd all say is is right and good. 775 00:34:26,409 --> 00:34:30,190 So if we're not gonna cause unnecessary offense or controversy, we just have to 776 00:34:30,190 --> 00:34:34,480 be even-handed tempered and measured men who know our Bibles really well and can 777 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,060 engage people respectfully and gently. 778 00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:41,710 Paul says to Timothy later on in his second epistle, the Lord servant must 779 00:34:41,710 --> 00:34:43,989 not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone. 780 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:45,909 Can people call you when they think about you? 781 00:34:45,909 --> 00:34:46,775 Do they think of the word? 782 00:34:46,989 --> 00:34:48,400 Not quarrelsome, but kind. 783 00:34:48,790 --> 00:34:50,650 This is how Paul says we ought to be described. 784 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:52,420 He's kind to everyone. 785 00:34:52,810 --> 00:34:53,620 To all people. 786 00:34:53,650 --> 00:34:54,940 He's able to teach. 787 00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:57,114 Patiently enduring evil. 788 00:34:57,114 --> 00:35:00,145 When people say that about you, you're kind and you're, you 789 00:35:00,145 --> 00:35:02,365 patiently endure evil again. 790 00:35:02,365 --> 00:35:07,045 This is what Paul says, verse 25, in two Timothy chapter two verses 24 25, he 791 00:35:07,045 --> 00:35:08,935 corrects his opponents with gentleness. 792 00:35:09,295 --> 00:35:10,555 Here are words, make a recurrence. 793 00:35:10,615 --> 00:35:11,485 He corrects. 794 00:35:11,485 --> 00:35:13,435 That is he speaks in people's lives. 795 00:35:13,705 --> 00:35:16,495 He's not afraid to say that's wrong, and let me, let me give 796 00:35:16,495 --> 00:35:17,635 you some reasons why that is. 797 00:35:17,725 --> 00:35:20,185 He's doing it though with a certain tenor and a temperament. 798 00:35:20,185 --> 00:35:20,905 He's gentle. 799 00:35:21,905 --> 00:35:23,315 Paul then concludes that thought. 800 00:35:23,315 --> 00:35:26,525 He says, God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to 801 00:35:26,525 --> 00:35:27,485 a knowledge of the truth. 802 00:35:27,485 --> 00:35:27,845 Why? 803 00:35:27,965 --> 00:35:32,015 Well, because the approach of the Lord's servant is gentle and not quarrelsome. 804 00:35:32,015 --> 00:35:32,765 He's kind. 805 00:35:33,695 --> 00:35:36,275 You must not be a ignatious person. 806 00:35:37,275 --> 00:35:42,135 Jesus says in his sermon on the Mount, he says, blessed are the peacemakers. 807 00:35:42,465 --> 00:35:44,055 They will be called sons of God. 808 00:35:44,595 --> 00:35:47,355 The normal disposition of a godly man who knows his Bible 809 00:35:47,385 --> 00:35:49,755 and loves his people peacemaking. 810 00:35:50,655 --> 00:35:53,505 He's not a controversial man, at least not without cause. 811 00:35:53,805 --> 00:35:55,935 He's not usually ordinarily that way. 812 00:35:55,965 --> 00:36:00,885 He engages because he must, as a matter of prudence and wisdom and godliness, 813 00:36:00,885 --> 00:36:04,275 not because he's looking for a fight, not because he can't control himself, 814 00:36:04,275 --> 00:36:07,635 but because he's discerned and decided I have to engage his fight for the 815 00:36:07,635 --> 00:36:10,455 good of my church, for the good of my body, for the good of my my family. 816 00:36:11,455 --> 00:36:14,245 Last, let's look at the last negation here. 817 00:36:14,245 --> 00:36:15,355 First Timothy chapter three. 818 00:36:16,355 --> 00:36:17,285 He is not a drunker. 819 00:36:17,285 --> 00:36:18,365 He is not violent, but gentle. 820 00:36:18,365 --> 00:36:19,235 He's not quarrelsome. 821 00:36:19,265 --> 00:36:21,485 And lastly, he's not a lover of money. 822 00:36:21,665 --> 00:36:25,595 Point number three, don't allow money to, to make your decisions for you. 823 00:36:26,375 --> 00:36:28,085 Don't allow money to make your decisions for you. 824 00:36:28,775 --> 00:36:31,235 Not being a lover of money means that you're not controlled by it. 825 00:36:31,595 --> 00:36:33,095 Money doesn't make your decisions. 826 00:36:33,305 --> 00:36:35,195 Money doesn't tell you what must be done. 827 00:36:35,345 --> 00:36:38,075 Money's not gonna, they're not gonna make you decide what's most 828 00:36:38,075 --> 00:36:39,395 profitable for my bank account. 829 00:36:40,055 --> 00:36:41,705 Money cannot make decisions for you. 830 00:36:42,705 --> 00:36:45,765 By the way, let's just take a brief moment to recognize here, when Paul gives Timothy 831 00:36:45,765 --> 00:36:51,855 this list, he doesn't expect you, the congregation or Timothy, the pastor to 832 00:36:51,855 --> 00:36:53,955 say, can I see into my pastor's heart? 833 00:36:54,555 --> 00:36:57,045 That is, you can't look at Pastor PGE or myself and say, 834 00:36:57,045 --> 00:36:58,545 does, does, do they love money? 835 00:36:58,845 --> 00:36:59,385 Well, I don't know. 836 00:36:59,385 --> 00:37:00,345 I don't, I can't see their heart. 837 00:37:01,245 --> 00:37:04,095 Paul doesn't expect Timothy or the congregation to see 838 00:37:04,095 --> 00:37:04,995 the heart of the pastor. 839 00:37:05,115 --> 00:37:09,225 He's expecting that the life of the man will be on display to the degree 840 00:37:09,225 --> 00:37:11,865 that you can make a decision about that man and say, yeah, he's not 841 00:37:11,865 --> 00:37:13,095 a lover of money, not a drunkard. 842 00:37:13,575 --> 00:37:13,875 He's not. 843 00:37:13,875 --> 00:37:14,385 He's a man of care. 844 00:37:14,385 --> 00:37:15,165 He's sober minded. 845 00:37:15,195 --> 00:37:16,575 He's a, he's faithful. 846 00:37:16,665 --> 00:37:17,745 He's the husband of one wife. 847 00:37:17,745 --> 00:37:18,225 He's self-control. 848 00:37:18,225 --> 00:37:19,245 He's respectable, hospitable. 849 00:37:19,725 --> 00:37:23,745 Paul is expecting that all these qualities are self-evident in the life of the man. 850 00:37:24,375 --> 00:37:26,895 So we're not talking here about saying, well, do I know his heart? 851 00:37:27,075 --> 00:37:28,575 Don't have to just have to see him. 852 00:37:29,085 --> 00:37:30,165 Paul doesn't expect you to know his heart. 853 00:37:31,110 --> 00:37:33,870 So what would you look for then in a, in a man who doesn't love 854 00:37:33,870 --> 00:37:35,730 money, what would you look for? 855 00:37:35,730 --> 00:37:37,350 And the obvious answer is generosity. 856 00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:40,380 It doesn't mean he's squandering wealth or he is just simply 857 00:37:40,380 --> 00:37:43,290 throwing it out the window and, and letting his money go freely. 858 00:37:43,290 --> 00:37:44,880 He's not frivolous, you understand? 859 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:45,960 But he is generous. 860 00:37:46,290 --> 00:37:50,160 A man who is not a lover of money is a man who is not beholden to 861 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,110 the tyranny of money's demands. 862 00:37:52,770 --> 00:37:54,900 Money is such a fascinating concept. 863 00:37:55,410 --> 00:37:56,460 We used to trade things. 864 00:37:56,460 --> 00:37:59,550 Here's, you know, gimme three oxes for this donkey, or you know, I'll 865 00:37:59,550 --> 00:38:01,320 trade you this grain for this thing. 866 00:38:01,830 --> 00:38:04,800 We live in such an interesting timeframe and now we're no longer 867 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,360 even using paper and coins. 868 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:08,250 We're now exchanging bits and bites. 869 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:09,240 Fascinating. 870 00:38:09,810 --> 00:38:12,060 Um, no longer tied to the gold standard. 871 00:38:12,060 --> 00:38:12,780 So what is our money? 872 00:38:12,780 --> 00:38:13,980 It's our money by fiat. 873 00:38:14,070 --> 00:38:16,050 It's valuable 'cause we say it's valuable. 874 00:38:16,890 --> 00:38:20,760 Fascinating concept, but God knows that the tendency is that money can exert 875 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:22,410 a controlling influence on our lives. 876 00:38:22,410 --> 00:38:24,960 And for the man of God who is a leader, he can't allow that to happen. 877 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:27,930 So the first issue, I got three texts for you under this text. 878 00:38:27,930 --> 00:38:30,270 Please bear with me, but make your, make your way along with me. 879 00:38:30,270 --> 00:38:31,650 Let's start with Hebrews chapter 13. 880 00:38:31,890 --> 00:38:32,910 Hebrews chapter 13. 881 00:38:33,210 --> 00:38:35,580 The first issue with money is a matter of trust. 882 00:38:35,580 --> 00:38:39,570 And because you have a large bank account, you are quickly enticed to trust the 883 00:38:39,570 --> 00:38:41,310 money and not the Lord of the money. 884 00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:43,440 Hebrews chapter 13. 885 00:38:44,025 --> 00:38:47,175 Hebrews chapter 13 in concluding remarks in this sermon letter. 886 00:38:48,015 --> 00:38:51,525 The, the preacher says, Hebrews chapter 13 verse five, keep your 887 00:38:51,525 --> 00:38:53,955 life free from love of money. 888 00:38:54,255 --> 00:38:56,865 That, that, that encourages, I mean, that suggests then that you 889 00:38:56,865 --> 00:38:58,365 have a responsibility to do this. 890 00:38:58,365 --> 00:38:59,115 Keep it that way. 891 00:38:59,805 --> 00:39:01,005 Don't start loving it. 892 00:39:01,275 --> 00:39:02,505 Don't allow yourself to love it. 893 00:39:02,835 --> 00:39:05,235 You can have very little of it and love it quite a bit. 894 00:39:05,655 --> 00:39:09,055 Keep your life free from the love of money, the corollary. 895 00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:09,895 Be content. 896 00:39:10,255 --> 00:39:11,515 Be content with what you got. 897 00:39:12,445 --> 00:39:16,315 Keep your life free from the, the love of money and be content if you, if you have 898 00:39:16,315 --> 00:39:17,845 something in the bank account, be content. 899 00:39:17,845 --> 00:39:20,975 He says, for he has said, here's the reason why. 900 00:39:21,605 --> 00:39:22,955 Here's why you don't need to love money. 901 00:39:22,955 --> 00:39:23,195 Here's why. 902 00:39:23,195 --> 00:39:25,235 You don't need to amass copious amounts of it. 903 00:39:25,625 --> 00:39:28,895 For Jesus has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 904 00:39:29,405 --> 00:39:31,625 Your security is not your 401k. 905 00:39:32,045 --> 00:39:35,675 Your retirement account can quickly diminish and even vanish. 906 00:39:35,705 --> 00:39:39,755 Scripture says your money can grow wings and fly away, and so it's a 907 00:39:39,755 --> 00:39:41,165 foolish place to put your trust. 908 00:39:41,765 --> 00:39:42,995 You should, you should save. 909 00:39:43,475 --> 00:39:44,285 You should save for a rainy day. 910 00:39:44,285 --> 00:39:48,665 But scripture says, the better trust is, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 911 00:39:49,325 --> 00:39:51,665 Verse six, so we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper. 912 00:39:51,665 --> 00:39:54,005 I will not fear what can man do to me? 913 00:39:54,155 --> 00:39:57,365 I can lose every penny, and I know God's gonna take care of me. 914 00:39:57,365 --> 00:39:58,445 And here's the beautiful thing. 915 00:39:58,565 --> 00:40:02,675 It's likely gonna happen through the body of Christ that God will take care of you. 916 00:40:03,365 --> 00:40:04,265 It's gonna be through the body. 917 00:40:04,535 --> 00:40:06,875 If I went bankrupt today, I lost every penny I had. 918 00:40:06,905 --> 00:40:10,385 I believe in my heart of hearts, you will not let me suffer. 919 00:40:10,790 --> 00:40:11,870 I will have a place to live. 920 00:40:12,500 --> 00:40:15,770 If I lost both of my vehicles and I lost the ability to drive those 921 00:40:15,770 --> 00:40:16,910 cars, you would take care of me. 922 00:40:17,450 --> 00:40:20,390 I'm confident you guys will start sending me Uber cash, or you would 923 00:40:20,390 --> 00:40:21,860 offer to let me have your car. 924 00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:24,260 You would do everything he could to help me live my life so I 925 00:40:24,260 --> 00:40:25,940 don't suffer unnecessarily. 926 00:40:26,940 --> 00:40:28,290 I think that's what God intends. 927 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:30,090 He doesn't want us to trust money. 928 00:40:30,090 --> 00:40:33,330 He wants us to trust him, and often that's gonna be provided through the body. 929 00:40:33,630 --> 00:40:36,240 Second, second passage here, Matthew 6 24. 930 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:37,770 Matthew chapter six. 931 00:40:37,980 --> 00:40:39,420 So the first issue is a matter of trust. 932 00:40:39,420 --> 00:40:41,010 Will you trust the money or will you trust the Lord? 933 00:40:41,010 --> 00:40:43,020 The second issue is a matter of allegiance. 934 00:40:43,350 --> 00:40:47,340 Jesus says in Matthew chapter six, verse 24, this is the Sermon on the Mount. 935 00:40:47,340 --> 00:40:51,120 He says, no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and 936 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,510 love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 937 00:40:54,510 --> 00:40:56,160 You cannot serve God and money. 938 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,080 You can't have two masters. 939 00:40:58,080 --> 00:40:59,400 You can't have two allegiances. 940 00:40:59,940 --> 00:41:03,000 The problem with money is that it demands attention. 941 00:41:03,180 --> 00:41:07,050 It demands your awareness, and this is part of living in a fallen world. 942 00:41:07,050 --> 00:41:11,250 We have to have money to pay the bills, to buy groceries, to put gas on the car, 943 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,320 to rent space for the church to meet in. 944 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:14,460 We have to pay attention to it. 945 00:41:15,060 --> 00:41:20,430 We can't ignore it, but we can't let it become our master, which again means you 946 00:41:20,430 --> 00:41:22,200 can't let money make decisions for you. 947 00:41:22,830 --> 00:41:24,960 It has to be part of the calculus out of necessity. 948 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:25,710 I understand that. 949 00:41:26,190 --> 00:41:28,470 You have to think about how much your insurance is and what, what you're 950 00:41:28,470 --> 00:41:30,960 gonna spend on this and that, but you can't let it become the master. 951 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:35,400 Jesus says, you have to let me be your master, which means practically speaking, 952 00:41:35,670 --> 00:41:39,970 Jesus has to control the way that you spend your money, which first of all 953 00:41:39,970 --> 00:41:42,280 means as Jesus says, you give, you give. 954 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,490 And scripture is replete with admonitions for us to be givers. 955 00:41:46,970 --> 00:41:50,450 To be the kind of men who give who, who give willingly, joyfully. 956 00:41:50,450 --> 00:41:52,730 Second Corinthians eight says, we're not the kind of people 957 00:41:52,730 --> 00:41:53,930 who are begrudgingly giving. 958 00:41:53,930 --> 00:41:57,260 We're giving because Christ invites us to do that, and it demonstrates our 959 00:41:57,260 --> 00:41:58,970 love for him over our love for money. 960 00:41:59,970 --> 00:42:02,610 That includes the way that we think about tithing, which tithing, by the 961 00:42:02,610 --> 00:42:04,920 way, not a New Testament concept. 962 00:42:05,790 --> 00:42:08,190 Tithing is not a command for the New Testament Christian. 963 00:42:08,220 --> 00:42:11,370 It was tithing was an Old Testament concept that we've imported into 964 00:42:11,370 --> 00:42:14,880 the New Testament that gives us a really helpful rule of thumb. 965 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:17,080 Can't allow money to master us. 966 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:17,890 We have to master it. 967 00:42:18,340 --> 00:42:21,460 One last passage back to one Timothy, but now I want you to 968 00:42:21,460 --> 00:42:22,870 go to one Timothy chapter six. 969 00:42:23,870 --> 00:42:25,130 The issue is a matter of trust. 970 00:42:25,130 --> 00:42:26,090 It's a matter of allegiance. 971 00:42:26,090 --> 00:42:27,890 And the last one here, this is an interesting one. 972 00:42:27,890 --> 00:42:29,210 It's a matter of preservation. 973 00:42:29,570 --> 00:42:30,770 Take a look at what I mean by that. 974 00:42:30,770 --> 00:42:32,376 Verses six through 10, that's what we're gonna look at. 975 00:42:32,381 --> 00:42:34,640 One Timothy six, starting at verse six. 976 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:36,410 He says this, but godliness with contentment. 977 00:42:36,410 --> 00:42:37,040 Here's that word again. 978 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:38,060 Contentment is great game. 979 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:40,640 If you have a place to live, if you have food to eat. 980 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:43,880 In fact, here's what he says For we brought nothing into the world and 981 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:45,350 we can't take anything out of it. 982 00:42:45,950 --> 00:42:49,220 It was asked about John d Rockefeller when he died, how much did he leave behind? 983 00:42:49,220 --> 00:42:50,030 And what was the answer? 984 00:42:51,030 --> 00:42:52,020 He left everything behind. 985 00:42:52,740 --> 00:42:56,490 It's the old canard about you don't see a hearse pulling a U-Haul. 986 00:42:57,390 --> 00:42:58,470 Yeah, but that's true. 987 00:42:58,680 --> 00:42:59,910 You can't take anything with you. 988 00:43:00,330 --> 00:43:03,060 The only things that are gonna be in your coffin, maybe a few mementos 989 00:43:03,060 --> 00:43:05,550 that your family thinks necessary, but you're gonna be wearing a nice suit. 990 00:43:05,970 --> 00:43:07,290 There's gonna be pain on your face. 991 00:43:07,545 --> 00:43:09,735 To make you look a little nicer, and then they're gonna shove 992 00:43:09,735 --> 00:43:10,965 you to the ground and that's it. 993 00:43:11,595 --> 00:43:13,845 Everything that you've labored for in this life is gonna be left behind 994 00:43:14,625 --> 00:43:15,615 except for what you send ahead. 995 00:43:16,185 --> 00:43:17,535 So he says, we brought nothing into the world. 996 00:43:17,535 --> 00:43:18,645 We can't take anything out of it. 997 00:43:18,915 --> 00:43:20,835 But look at this list. 998 00:43:21,435 --> 00:43:25,155 If we have food and clothing with these, we'll be content. 999 00:43:26,155 --> 00:43:29,635 If I, Paul, I would've added at least five things more there. 1000 00:43:30,595 --> 00:43:32,935 I need wifi, I need air conditioning. 1001 00:43:33,935 --> 00:43:36,275 I need, I, I need a car, or at least a camel. 1002 00:43:36,275 --> 00:43:38,165 Paul, let me have a camel something. 1003 00:43:39,165 --> 00:43:43,935 But under divine guidance, the spirit says What you really need is food and clothes. 1004 00:43:44,775 --> 00:43:45,435 That's it. 1005 00:43:46,005 --> 00:43:46,575 That's it. 1006 00:43:47,475 --> 00:43:50,115 Brothers, I just need to point our attention to the obvious. 1007 00:43:51,115 --> 00:43:56,815 By scriptural definition, we are all wildly wealthy, just wildly 1008 00:43:56,815 --> 00:44:01,805 wealthy, and we need to feel that because there's added responsibility. 1009 00:44:02,180 --> 00:44:03,050 Because of our wealth. 1010 00:44:03,470 --> 00:44:06,320 When Paul says, look, he must not be greedy or a lover of money, 1011 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,120 he's telling, he's talking to us. 1012 00:44:08,510 --> 00:44:09,740 'cause we are most susceptible. 1013 00:44:09,740 --> 00:44:13,400 Even though again, you can have very little and still be a lover of money, 1014 00:44:13,580 --> 00:44:17,240 it's more likely that those who have a lot have a lot harder time parting with it. 1015 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:20,690 When God puts things in our hands, he expects us to remain open-handed about it. 1016 00:44:20,870 --> 00:44:23,000 He gives, he takes away, right? 1017 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:24,050 Blessed be the name of the Lord. 1018 00:44:24,050 --> 00:44:24,680 Job chapter one. 1019 00:44:25,580 --> 00:44:28,550 But a lot of us, when God puts things into our hands, we say mine. 1020 00:44:28,850 --> 00:44:29,990 Thank you mine. 1021 00:44:29,990 --> 00:44:31,130 Now my car. 1022 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:36,660 My house, my living room, my nice sofa that betrays the kind 1023 00:44:36,660 --> 00:44:38,040 of spirit God wants for us. 1024 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:39,820 It's never mine. 1025 00:44:39,820 --> 00:44:42,070 We're stewards and so therefore, it's always yours. 1026 00:44:42,070 --> 00:44:44,680 Lord, do you wanna move my car to somebody else? 1027 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:46,150 Okay, your car? 1028 00:44:46,720 --> 00:44:49,450 Do you wanna move my bank account to giving to somebody else? 1029 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:50,050 So be it. 1030 00:44:50,470 --> 00:44:52,240 Do you want me to support your work over here? 1031 00:44:52,240 --> 00:44:52,870 So be it. 1032 00:44:53,870 --> 00:44:56,450 Do you wanna use my living room to have people meet for a 1033 00:44:56,450 --> 00:44:57,470 Bible study or a small group? 1034 00:44:57,470 --> 00:44:58,100 So be it. 1035 00:44:58,370 --> 00:44:59,600 That's not mine, it's yours. 1036 00:45:00,500 --> 00:45:03,140 Now, of course, you have to do the discerning work there, but notice 1037 00:45:03,140 --> 00:45:04,490 Paul says here, here are the basics. 1038 00:45:04,490 --> 00:45:05,990 Anything beyond that, man, you're rich. 1039 00:45:06,980 --> 00:45:08,990 If we have food and clothing, these will be content, verse nine. 1040 00:45:09,230 --> 00:45:12,440 But those who desire to be rich, those who long for that, they fall 1041 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:17,030 into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires. 1042 00:45:17,030 --> 00:45:21,050 That plunge, they throw people into ruin and destruction. 1043 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:24,920 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. 1044 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:28,160 It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and 1045 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:33,260 pierced themselves with many Ps that the warning could not be more stark and dire. 1046 00:45:33,650 --> 00:45:36,230 He's saying, look, you cannot allow yourself to love money. 1047 00:45:36,500 --> 00:45:39,080 You can't let money make decisions for you because it's 1048 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:40,400 a matter of your preservation. 1049 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:42,860 It's a matter of your persevering in your faith. 1050 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:46,940 If money takes hold of your heart, it can lead you into ruin and destruction. 1051 00:45:46,940 --> 00:45:48,200 These are not soft words. 1052 00:45:48,380 --> 00:45:49,280 These are not light words. 1053 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,080 These are the kind of words that Paul uses for his. 1054 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:53,690 Harshest and strongest admonitions. 1055 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:56,630 Don't let money make decisions for you. 1056 00:45:57,630 --> 00:46:01,510 You've heard pastor PJ say, uh, a couple weeks ago, I think it was a 1057 00:46:01,510 --> 00:46:05,560 couple weeks ago, to I think quoting Randy Alcorn, that when we get money, 1058 00:46:05,590 --> 00:46:07,960 we ought to think about, not how we can raise our standard of living, 1059 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:09,010 but raise our standard of giving. 1060 00:46:09,370 --> 00:46:10,450 And that really is the point. 1061 00:46:10,660 --> 00:46:12,820 An open-handed man is gonna be evident. 1062 00:46:13,390 --> 00:46:16,690 An open-handed man is I, I want to give to the Lord's work, whatever that looks like. 1063 00:46:17,455 --> 00:46:20,575 That might look like buying textbooks for a young man going through college 1064 00:46:20,575 --> 00:46:21,715 doesn't have the money to buy that. 1065 00:46:22,170 --> 00:46:26,005 It might look like buying a, or, you know, giving, if you have extra cars and 1066 00:46:26,005 --> 00:46:28,765 you need, you know, someone who needs a car, let me help you out with that. 1067 00:46:28,765 --> 00:46:30,085 I've got one sitting in the driveway. 1068 00:46:30,085 --> 00:46:30,955 I don't really use it that much. 1069 00:46:30,955 --> 00:46:31,555 Here's a car. 1070 00:46:32,275 --> 00:46:35,575 The body of Christ serving the body of Christ is what God has in mind here. 1071 00:46:35,815 --> 00:46:40,855 We're free and open because God himself was rich and he emptied 1072 00:46:40,855 --> 00:46:41,965 himself and made himself poor. 1073 00:46:41,965 --> 00:46:44,485 For our sake, we can't outgive God. 1074 00:46:44,845 --> 00:46:45,595 You never will. 1075 00:46:46,595 --> 00:46:51,165 But I dare you to try, dare you to try the GLY leadership then as we looked 1076 00:46:51,165 --> 00:46:54,585 at here, is not only defined by what it does, but by what it doesn't do. 1077 00:46:55,035 --> 00:46:56,085 We saw four things. 1078 00:46:56,385 --> 00:46:57,585 We said we shouldn't be allowed. 1079 00:46:57,975 --> 00:46:59,685 We shouldn't allow our mind to be dull or controlled. 1080 00:47:00,165 --> 00:47:04,035 We can't let drunkenness or any kind of inebriation steal our thinking. 1081 00:47:04,035 --> 00:47:05,745 We need to have our minds sober. 1082 00:47:05,895 --> 00:47:06,645 Clear, alert. 1083 00:47:07,425 --> 00:47:08,445 To put it to work for Christ. 1084 00:47:08,655 --> 00:47:10,905 Secondly, we said, don't allow ourselves, don't allow yourself 1085 00:47:10,905 --> 00:47:12,495 to cause unnecessary controversy. 1086 00:47:12,825 --> 00:47:14,595 A godly man is not contentious. 1087 00:47:14,595 --> 00:47:15,645 He's not a brawler. 1088 00:47:15,645 --> 00:47:16,875 He's not looking for a fight. 1089 00:47:17,085 --> 00:47:17,745 He's peaceable. 1090 00:47:17,745 --> 00:47:18,345 He is gentle. 1091 00:47:18,495 --> 00:47:20,295 He corrects his opponents with gentleness. 1092 00:47:20,295 --> 00:47:23,805 And lastly, we said, we don't wanna let money make our decisions for us. 1093 00:47:23,805 --> 00:47:24,585 We don't love money. 1094 00:47:24,585 --> 00:47:27,015 A godly leader is a kind of person who is generous. 1095 00:47:27,405 --> 00:47:28,005 Generous. 1096 00:47:28,035 --> 00:47:29,265 He's open with his house. 1097 00:47:29,265 --> 00:47:30,645 That's what we talked about, hospitality. 1098 00:47:30,855 --> 00:47:33,315 He's open with his heart, he's open with his pocketbook. 1099 00:47:34,095 --> 00:47:35,175 He's not frivolous. 1100 00:47:35,235 --> 00:47:35,805 He's generous. 1101 00:47:36,805 --> 00:47:39,775 This is what Godly leadership looks like, not only by way of positive, 1102 00:47:39,775 --> 00:47:40,855 but by the way of negatives. 1103 00:47:41,845 --> 00:47:44,665 With that said, let's wrap up our time and start with small groups. 1104 00:47:45,325 --> 00:47:48,625 God, we thank you for giving us clear indications in your word of what we 1105 00:47:48,625 --> 00:47:50,185 should be looking for in our pastors. 1106 00:47:50,785 --> 00:47:53,815 Um, I don't expect all of us to be at Compass North Texas 1107 00:47:53,815 --> 00:47:54,715 for the rest of our lives. 1108 00:47:54,805 --> 00:47:57,145 Expect that many of us will part ways for different reasons. 1109 00:47:57,265 --> 00:48:00,175 And so I pray that these discussions that we've had about the kind of 1110 00:48:00,175 --> 00:48:03,325 man that should be a pastor in our lives is, is clear and evident. 1111 00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:06,100 We don't wanna lower the bar where you have heightened it. 1112 00:48:07,100 --> 00:48:11,240 On the other hand, Lord, we want men like that so that we can follow their example. 1113 00:48:11,870 --> 00:48:15,440 We wanna be those kinds of men who are not ignatious, who are 1114 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:19,460 not frivolous, who are not, uh, fighters who aren't stingy or greedy. 1115 00:48:19,460 --> 00:48:21,920 We wanna follow men who exemplify what your word says. 1116 00:48:22,675 --> 00:48:28,800 Lord, that bar is high and I don't want any of us to truncate or blunt the impact. 1117 00:48:29,295 --> 00:48:31,035 By justifying ungodly behavior. 1118 00:48:31,035 --> 00:48:32,865 So please, Lord, in our hearts right now, search us. 1119 00:48:33,865 --> 00:48:36,025 And if there's any part of us that's pushing back on this 1120 00:48:36,025 --> 00:48:38,305 sermon, pushing back on your word. 1121 00:48:38,335 --> 00:48:43,355 More importantly, please help us Lord, to see ourselves as you see us, to genuinely 1122 00:48:43,355 --> 00:48:46,625 question whether or not there is room in our lives to grow in these areas. 1123 00:48:46,625 --> 00:48:48,965 And of course, if we're honest with ourselves, Lord, there's plenty of room. 1124 00:48:49,505 --> 00:48:53,975 Help us to think carefully about these areas and to put them into practice today. 1125 00:48:54,245 --> 00:48:57,185 Whatever that looks like, help us to take continued. 1126 00:48:57,815 --> 00:49:01,595 Steps toward growth and holiness, however small they might be this morning. 1127 00:49:02,595 --> 00:49:05,295 To that end, Lord, we pray that you would help us to become more like Jesus. 1128 00:49:05,295 --> 00:49:06,165 That's what we're here for. 1129 00:49:06,525 --> 00:49:07,515 We wanna be like Jesus. 1130 00:49:07,515 --> 00:49:08,235 We wanna honor him. 1131 00:49:08,235 --> 00:49:09,045 We wanna love him. 1132 00:49:09,615 --> 00:49:12,435 Help us to grow in our longing for His glory and His honor 1133 00:49:13,215 --> 00:49:14,655 as evidenced in our lives. 1134 00:49:14,955 --> 00:49:16,395 We ask all of this in Jesus' name. 1135 00:49:16,845 --> 00:49:17,175 Amen.