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So a good design, something that
captures attention and communicates

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the message well, is often, oh,
thank you, is often, uh, compelling.

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There's something about good design
that causes us to take notice

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and say, oh, that's interesting.

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Um, but other times, ads or some
kind of communication, some kind

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of design can actually go astray.

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It can, uh, do the opposite of
what you're intending to do.

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Instead of communicating a
clear message, it can fuddle

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the message and creates issues.

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For instance, uh, maybe you're Lisa
Jackson who wrote her first novel.

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Wanted to be sure that everybody saw how
good this novel was and saw your name.

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So she puts her name like this and so
the rest of it seem to send a message.

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You don't wanna send.

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We don't think she deserves to die.

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Hope she doesn't either.

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Whoever her cover designer
was, needs to be let go.

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Not appropriate.

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Or maybe you're an aspiring photographer
and you really want to communicate

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that the future is bright and
exciting and people ought to use your

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photography for that very purpose.

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And so maybe you put out an ad like this.

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Look to the future.

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You're walking on the railroad
tracks and you see a bright lights.

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You ought to get off, Joan.

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It's not gonna be, not
gonna be a good design.

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Or maybe you're selling, uh, I
thought about you, Mike Cleman,

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when I saw this next one here.

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Maybe you're selling your
new padded cycling underwear.

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You wanna show how breathable they are,

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maybe you do a little
air next to the rear end

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to just show how, how obvious it
is that these guys breathe sheep

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with,

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not just,

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uh, good design.

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When done right, communicates
a clear message, but sometimes.

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Design can send the wrong message
because somebody simply overlooks

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something that is pretty obvious
to almost everybody else.

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And I wonder if you're doing that in
your life now, maybe you are sending

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the wrong message too, because you've
been overlooking some pretty clear

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areas or some areas that often are
just assumed but not inspected.

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And maybe you're, you're going about
your life and you're, you're not really

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considering these three critical areas
that are, again, often overlooked.

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That will ultimately
result in God's glory.

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And as a man of God, you should be
concerned ultimately for God's glory, and

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that means that you have to get practical
attention to how you conduct yourself.

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In means three again,
often overlooked areas.

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My title for this sermon is that
a godly, uh, rather, rather godly

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leadership cares about its witness.

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Godly leadership is rightly concerned
with how it's perceived, uh, among

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not only the watching world, but
even your family, your church.

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There's a, there's a sense in
which we're thinking about how

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other people are thinking about us.

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Now, before we get into, by way of
recap, I wanna remind you that we're

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talking about the Office of Overseer.

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And as we've noticed before, or at
least, uh, two, two times ago, we

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noticed that the Office of Overseer
is really synonymous with these three

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categories, overseer, elder, and Shepherd.

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They're used interchangeably,
therefore, synonymously throughout

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the New Testament as, as offices that
really speak to one office, the man

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who is a leader within the church.

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And we said to you, the reason
that you need to know about this

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is because the, the leaders are
leading in order to be followed.

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They're meant to have these qualities
so that the men of the church and the

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women as well, the children included,
also display this same quality.

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So the leadership that we're talking
about is meant to be reflected

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in the congregation at large.

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The reason that we're talking about
it with you this, this season, is

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because we want you to know what these
qualifications are because we want you

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to aspire to them even if you never.

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Have a formal role of pastor or teach you
or elder at a congregation or a church.

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Uh, but as one of you brothers once
said to me, I may not ever be an elder,

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but I want to be elder qualified.

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And I think I, I think I could resonate
with that for, for not only myself, that

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was always my goal, but I'd like for
all of us as a church to have this goal.

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I, I wanna make one more observation
here as we enter into our text.

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First Timothy chapter three, verse two.

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And it's be, before we jump into the,
the part that we're gonna look at today,

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I wanna remind you in, in verse two
that it says that someone who's aspiring

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to this office must be, must be the,
the word is day, DEI, in the Greek.

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And the word conveys a need.

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It has to be this way.

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Don't let yourself, uh, put a,
put a, an elder or a pastor, or a

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shepherd or an overseer in place who
does not possess these qualities.

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So this is part of what you're looking
for, not only in yourself, but also

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for any church that you ever go to.

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Should the Lord keep you here
at this church, this is what

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we hope every pastor reflects.

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Every leader that you follow
must have these qualifications.

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If he doesn't, he should
not be in leadership.

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So if you ever go to a different
church and you're looking to discern

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whether or not you want to join
that congregation of believers, this

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is something that you should say.

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00:04:42,164 --> 00:04:45,284
Do I see the evidence of these
qualities in the pastors?

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00:04:45,614 --> 00:04:47,054
Do they possess this kind of leadership?

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00:04:47,715 --> 00:04:50,924
And ultimately, what we, why we care about
this is because it reflects God's glory.

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It's also gonna mean a
strong church for us.

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If your pastors look like this, and if
the men of the church are all men of,

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uh, high caliber who look like this,
we're gonna have an incredibly strong

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church who does incredibly good work
for the incredible glory of Christ.

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That's what this is all about.

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00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,110
This is why we're talking about it.

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00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:08,280
This is why it's important for us.

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00:05:08,670 --> 00:05:11,400
You may may not say, I'll never be
a pastor, I'll never be a teacher

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in the church, but this is still
important for us, for all the

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reasons that I just stipulated today.

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We're looking at three more qualities.

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We're gonna look at three qualities
that, again, I think are often just,

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they're assumed and not inspected.

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The first one that we're gonna
look at here is found in verse two.

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Let's read verse two Together.

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00:05:26,385 --> 00:05:28,635
As we see what these qualities
are, we'll be reminded of

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what we've co covered so far.

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And now, uh, look at the
next, the next set, verse two.

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Therefore, an overseer
must be above reproach.

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That's gonna encompass really the
whole lot of that, of the, the

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qualities that we're going to see.

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00:05:41,729 --> 00:05:43,049
He must be the husband of one wife.

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He's faithful to his one bride.

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He is sober minded.

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He thinks carefully and critically
about himself and the world around him.

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00:05:49,289 --> 00:05:50,219
He's self controlled.

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00:05:50,219 --> 00:05:52,650
He's not given over to,
uh, a lack of restraint.

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And here's the three that
we're gonna look at today.

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He's respectable.

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He's hospitable, and he's able to teach
respectable, hospitable, able to teach.

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Paul actually uses this word
only twice in his letters.

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Respectable.

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00:06:05,895 --> 00:06:09,495
Uh, the first place that he uses it is
actually gonna be just a few verses before

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when he is talking about the kind, uh, of
adornments that a woman should possess.

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He says that a woman should, likewise,
rather likewise, also, that women should

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adorn themselves, dress themselves,
conduct themselves in respectable apparel.

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Sometimes we, as, as Nan, will talk
about, are either to our daughters

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or to our wives that we want to dress
conservatively or we, we want you to have.

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Kind of apparel that
doesn't reveal too much.

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Uh, Paul doesn't say
conservative, he says respectable.

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Now, you could obviously draw
conclusions for yourself and say,

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well, they're kind of synonymous.

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00:06:37,860 --> 00:06:41,730
But Paul's talking about a kind of
comportment that conveys dignity,

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a respectable apparel, and he says,
with modesty and self-control, and

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not with braided hair or, and gold
and or pearls or costly attire.

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00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,680
He's saying that the way that you
dress yourself should be a lot more,

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given a lot more attention to the inner
person as opposed to the outer person.

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00:06:56,370 --> 00:06:58,140
Um, what does the word
respectable mean then?

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The war itself.

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00:06:59,505 --> 00:07:02,655
I love the way that David Mathis
puts it, and I, I just thought

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his definition was so helpful.

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00:07:04,425 --> 00:07:06,615
I'm gonna give it to you at length
and we'll read it together here.

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00:07:06,615 --> 00:07:09,255
Take a look at your screen and we'll
just, we'll just go through this.

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00:07:09,255 --> 00:07:10,485
I think his definition covers it.

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'cause I, I've looked at this of
lexicons and dictionaries that kind of

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get the sense of what the word means,
and I think he covers it the best.

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Here's what he says, the concept
of an orderly life, that's

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actually what respectable means.

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The word is cosmos, which if
you can listen to it, cosmos

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sounds a lot like cosmos.

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00:07:23,490 --> 00:07:26,070
And we think that those words
are in fact related cosmos.

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00:07:26,070 --> 00:07:30,180
God's orderly creation as he designed
it, is reflected in a respectable life.

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00:07:30,180 --> 00:07:33,570
And so he says here the concept of
an orderly life that puts others

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at ease and engenders trust.

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That's what respectable is.

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00:07:37,409 --> 00:07:40,890
In other words, it's to help others
take you seriously, for Jesus' sake.

162
00:07:40,890 --> 00:07:41,790
I love that line.

163
00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,290
Respectable demeanor helps
others take you seriously.

164
00:07:46,860 --> 00:07:48,060
For the sake of Christ.

165
00:07:48,090 --> 00:07:50,760
You don't want people to think that
you're only a huckster or a jokester, or

166
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that you're just a, a, a big man and a
child or a big boy in a, in a man's body.

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00:07:55,890 --> 00:07:58,260
It's having others, uh, helping
others take us seriously.

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00:07:58,260 --> 00:07:58,800
For Jesus' sake.

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00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:03,870
He continues, um, to present yourself
as worthy of respect, carrying with it

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00:08:03,870 --> 00:08:06,660
a sense of seriousness or holy dignity.

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00:08:06,990 --> 00:08:11,700
He's noble, he's esteemed, admirable,
not being frivolous or crass or

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indecent, respectable then, and
here's, here's an important feature

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for us as we pay attention to this.

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Respectable then is irreducibly external.

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00:08:20,460 --> 00:08:22,710
That means we're looking only
on the outside of your life.

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00:08:22,710 --> 00:08:23,700
That's all we have to work on.

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00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:25,770
I can't see your heart, but I
can see what your heart produces

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00:08:25,770 --> 00:08:27,000
in the externals of your life.

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00:08:27,659 --> 00:08:31,469
Uh, it refers to a person's outward,
deportment, or outward appearance.

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00:08:31,830 --> 00:08:35,730
So critical because when we look at
this word and affect all of these

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00:08:35,730 --> 00:08:37,710
qualities of elders are external.

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00:08:37,770 --> 00:08:40,318
What we, no one can see anyone's
heart, but what we can see

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00:08:40,318 --> 00:08:41,340
is how you live your life.

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00:08:41,849 --> 00:08:44,280
We can see the fruit of
your, of your conversion.

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00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,040
We can see how you talk,
how you walk, what you do.

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00:08:47,310 --> 00:08:48,449
That's all we have access to.

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00:08:48,449 --> 00:08:50,969
And Paul assumes that without having
access to someone's heart, that

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00:08:50,969 --> 00:08:55,319
you can make a judgment whether or
not they're respectable, which must

189
00:08:55,319 --> 00:08:58,349
mean then that what we're looking at
when we look at our respectability

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00:08:58,349 --> 00:09:01,530
is that we're looking at the, the
conduct of the entirety of our lives.

191
00:09:01,859 --> 00:09:05,160
We're looking at all the parts and putting
them together to forge a picture about

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00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,550
ourselves because whether or not we know
it, this is what people are doing for us.

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00:09:08,910 --> 00:09:11,430
People look at you all the time and
they make guesses about who you are

194
00:09:11,430 --> 00:09:14,160
and what you believe, and, uh, you
know, based on the car you drive, what

195
00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:15,750
kind of personality you might have.

196
00:09:15,750 --> 00:09:17,130
Even people are just
looking at these things.

197
00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:18,360
What's your hair look like?

198
00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:19,410
What does your breath smell like?

199
00:09:19,410 --> 00:09:20,640
You know, what kind of
glasses do you wear?

200
00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:21,480
What do your shoes look like?

201
00:09:21,660 --> 00:09:24,930
Everyone just, uh, women are
especially good at this, but men do

202
00:09:24,930 --> 00:09:26,610
it too, maybe to a lesser extent.

203
00:09:27,015 --> 00:09:28,425
Maybe we do it subconsciously.

204
00:09:28,425 --> 00:09:31,454
We're not deliberately looking at certain
aspects of your features and saying,

205
00:09:31,454 --> 00:09:35,265
well, this guy is this or this guy is
that, unless there's some kind of obvious

206
00:09:35,265 --> 00:09:36,915
personality quirk that stands out.

207
00:09:37,155 --> 00:09:40,545
Otherwise, we do it much more intuitively.

208
00:09:40,605 --> 00:09:44,055
We can feel the, the, the man women
may look at all the features that I

209
00:09:44,055 --> 00:09:46,454
mentioned, the hair, the, you know,
fingernails and all those things.

210
00:09:46,935 --> 00:09:50,685
Uh, but obviously Paul intends for us to
look at the respectability of a person and

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00:09:50,685 --> 00:09:52,485
make a, a guess or a judgment about that.

212
00:09:53,175 --> 00:09:54,105
We think about the word respect.

213
00:09:54,105 --> 00:09:55,515
It actually has a really close synonym.

214
00:09:56,219 --> 00:09:59,069
It's called, it's the word is
enos, and the word means dignified.

215
00:09:59,099 --> 00:10:03,329
Paul uses this terminology again, not
only for the leaders, but also for the,

216
00:10:03,660 --> 00:10:05,400
the deacons, the deacons, and the women.

217
00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,040
He says this in one Timothy
three, eight deacons.

218
00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:13,560
That is the servant leaders in the church,
uh, likewise, must be dignified Enos, not

219
00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:15,285
double tongue, not addicted to much wine.

220
00:10:15,285 --> 00:10:16,739
They're not greedy for dishonest gain.

221
00:10:17,189 --> 00:10:20,099
He says their wives or the women,
if they're female deacons, they

222
00:10:20,099 --> 00:10:22,020
also likewise, should be dignified.

223
00:10:22,349 --> 00:10:25,560
They conduct themselves with
dignity and respectability.

224
00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,829
People look at them and say, they're
worthy of my admiration and attention.

225
00:10:29,099 --> 00:10:32,250
He says about older men and
the older men in the room.

226
00:10:32,250 --> 00:10:37,500
He says, older men are to be sober
minded, dignified, uh, older men are.

227
00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:40,260
To have the kind of comportment that
says, look, I've lived a long life.

228
00:10:40,260 --> 00:10:42,420
I've lived a good life, and God
has dealt with me, and here,

229
00:10:42,449 --> 00:10:43,650
here's the product of that.

230
00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,790
He's not boasting about it, but the
evidence of his dignity is seen.

231
00:10:47,790 --> 00:10:48,599
It's visible.

232
00:10:48,599 --> 00:10:51,060
It's something that
other people can notice.

233
00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,060
By just looking at the man and
making a guess about his life.

234
00:10:54,060 --> 00:10:55,290
An educated guest to be sure.

235
00:10:56,430 --> 00:10:59,460
So a respectable and dignified
man lives so that others can

236
00:10:59,460 --> 00:11:00,930
visibly see his character.

237
00:11:01,530 --> 00:11:02,580
He's aware of this.

238
00:11:02,910 --> 00:11:06,570
A godly man is concerned
about his witness, the way

239
00:11:06,570 --> 00:11:07,800
that the world looks at him.

240
00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,070
Now, obviously there's a way to go wrong
on this, but let's just talk about the

241
00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:14,460
way that it goes, right When a godly man
cares about this, when he thinks about

242
00:11:14,460 --> 00:11:19,470
his respectability before people, uh,
he is, uh, caring about his character.

243
00:11:19,814 --> 00:11:21,585
In an authentic and purposeful way.

244
00:11:21,585 --> 00:11:25,215
He's purposefully putting things on
display because he wants people to

245
00:11:25,215 --> 00:11:27,435
see what God's grace has done in him.

246
00:11:28,005 --> 00:11:31,125
This is not meant to boast about
where he is as opposed to others.

247
00:11:31,125 --> 00:11:31,905
I'm better than you.

248
00:11:31,905 --> 00:11:32,715
I'm taller than you.

249
00:11:32,715 --> 00:11:35,625
I do, I make more money than This
is not about that, but this is about

250
00:11:35,625 --> 00:11:40,095
what Paul says, the tightest, um,
as he's instructing the slaves, the

251
00:11:40,095 --> 00:11:42,165
bond servants in his congregation.

252
00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,865
In, in, uh, Ephesus.

253
00:11:44,865 --> 00:11:45,975
No, Titus is in Ephesus.

254
00:11:46,845 --> 00:11:47,835
Um, Crete.

255
00:11:48,074 --> 00:11:48,375
Crete.

256
00:11:48,495 --> 00:11:48,855
Thank you.

257
00:11:49,755 --> 00:11:53,145
Titus is told to tell his
bond servants on Crete.

258
00:11:53,775 --> 00:11:55,605
Uh, this is how you, you're
to conduct yourselves.

259
00:11:55,635 --> 00:11:58,365
You're to not be pilfering, you're not
to, you know, cut stuff off the top,

260
00:11:58,724 --> 00:12:00,224
take extra that you're not supposed to.

261
00:12:00,224 --> 00:12:03,795
He says, instead, you ought to live your
life in such a way that you may adorn.

262
00:12:03,855 --> 00:12:06,285
This is the same word that we saw
previously with the way that women dress

263
00:12:06,285 --> 00:12:11,175
themselves adorn the doctrine of God our
savior, which is to say that the goal

264
00:12:11,175 --> 00:12:16,275
of a servant's life is to make something
else look beautiful in your life.

265
00:12:16,305 --> 00:12:18,735
Point number one, I think you ought
to make the gospel look beautiful.

266
00:12:19,020 --> 00:12:21,390
Make the gospel look good with your life.

267
00:12:21,390 --> 00:12:24,870
This ought to be the way that you conceive
of yourself as you go about your day to

268
00:12:24,870 --> 00:12:28,860
day when you're making decisions about
how to dress or how you drive, or even,

269
00:12:28,860 --> 00:12:31,350
you know, how you conduct yourself in
the office, or whether you're playing

270
00:12:31,350 --> 00:12:32,970
with your kids or dating your wife.

271
00:12:33,660 --> 00:12:36,510
You're thinking about, I
mean, just deliberately again,

272
00:12:36,510 --> 00:12:37,920
authentic, authentically.

273
00:12:38,010 --> 00:12:42,030
To be sure this isn't, this isn't putting
on a show, but authentically in purposely

274
00:12:42,030 --> 00:12:44,730
saying, I want to make sure that the
gospel looks beautiful in my life.

275
00:12:45,330 --> 00:12:46,890
This is what respectability does for us.

276
00:12:46,890 --> 00:12:51,090
This is how respectability benefits us
because it, it sh it says to others,

277
00:12:51,090 --> 00:12:54,510
it's a megaphone to say, look, my
life is lived on purpose for the glory

278
00:12:54,510 --> 00:12:57,660
of another, and I want you to see my
master as being exceedingly good and

279
00:12:57,660 --> 00:12:59,730
exceedingly wise and exceedingly worthy.

280
00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:02,939
We do that by how we
present ourselves to others.

281
00:13:02,939 --> 00:13:04,830
Again, if you think about
the advertisements, we're

282
00:13:04,830 --> 00:13:07,350
trying to make sure that the
advertisement matches the message.

283
00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:08,850
What's the message?

284
00:13:09,030 --> 00:13:10,590
I'm a sinner who's been bought by grace.

285
00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:13,770
I've been saved, I've been redeemed,
I've been made alive in Christ,

286
00:13:13,770 --> 00:13:16,290
and now my life looks fundamentally
different because of that.

287
00:13:17,820 --> 00:13:20,910
If you've ever noticed the, the
Mormons probably once or twice, right?

288
00:13:20,910 --> 00:13:22,140
They've come to your door a few times.

289
00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,740
These young men and often young women, not
all the time, but a lot of young men, they

290
00:13:25,740 --> 00:13:29,100
just come with a certain, a certain vibe.

291
00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,210
I know Pastor Pge doesn't like when
we use that word, um, they come

292
00:13:33,210 --> 00:13:34,980
with a certain air, a a certain.

293
00:13:35,864 --> 00:13:36,974
A a certain kind of feeling.

294
00:13:37,125 --> 00:13:39,165
And part of that is the way
that they dress themselves.

295
00:13:39,165 --> 00:13:40,425
You can notice them anywhere you go.

296
00:13:40,425 --> 00:13:42,555
You go to the grocery store, you
see them with their name tags,

297
00:13:42,824 --> 00:13:45,104
you know, elder so-and-so, and
I mean, these guys are boys.

298
00:13:45,104 --> 00:13:48,375
I don't like calling 'em elder, but I'll
use their vernacular to connect with them.

299
00:13:48,584 --> 00:13:51,675
But they come with a certain kind of
dignity, a certain kind of respectability,

300
00:13:51,675 --> 00:13:52,635
and they do that on purpose.

301
00:13:52,635 --> 00:13:55,574
In fact, one thing you may not
know about the Mormons is that they

302
00:13:55,574 --> 00:13:59,895
basically, when they go out on their
two year mission, young men, they

303
00:13:59,895 --> 00:14:04,334
are given a missionary handbook that
guides almost everything that they do.

304
00:14:04,845 --> 00:14:06,255
Down to the very details.

305
00:14:06,555 --> 00:14:10,335
Take a look under the missionary
handbook in section 4.9.

306
00:14:11,895 --> 00:14:16,064
I just thank you and
stepped on the cable here.

307
00:14:16,485 --> 00:14:20,025
It says this, uh, and as an authorized
representative of Jesus Christ in his

308
00:14:20,025 --> 00:14:23,415
restored church, your appearance is
often the first message others receive.

309
00:14:24,150 --> 00:14:26,490
It should be consistent with the
sacred message you are called to

310
00:14:26,490 --> 00:14:27,540
share throughout your mission.

311
00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:29,400
Make sure that your appearance
and behavior help others

312
00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:30,270
focus on that message.

313
00:14:30,270 --> 00:14:31,320
That's your summary statements.

314
00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:34,740
But as you dig down, you notice that
it has very real practical application.

315
00:14:34,740 --> 00:14:36,060
Here's how they, how they talk about it.

316
00:14:36,630 --> 00:14:37,920
Uh, you should be neat and clean.

317
00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:39,780
You should bathe, uh, daily.

318
00:14:40,470 --> 00:14:43,740
The fact that they're telling young men
that I think is evidence of awareness

319
00:14:43,740 --> 00:14:44,850
that some men need to be told that.

320
00:14:45,570 --> 00:14:47,820
Wear sunscreen, wash your hair frequently.

321
00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:49,050
Choose a neat conservative hairstyle.

322
00:14:49,050 --> 00:14:50,760
Elders should be clean shaven.

323
00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:52,800
That means no sideburns, that's
why they're always looking good

324
00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:53,910
on the, on their faces anyway.

325
00:14:53,910 --> 00:14:58,020
It makes 'em look more like boys and
less like men sometimes, uh, for sisters

326
00:14:58,020 --> 00:14:59,460
nail polish and pick up are optional.

327
00:14:59,940 --> 00:15:01,110
Um, but they, they carry on.

328
00:15:01,110 --> 00:15:02,010
Let's talk about clothing here.

329
00:15:02,460 --> 00:15:04,320
Their clothing shouldn't
be too tight or too loose.

330
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,420
It should not be transparent,
revealing, or distracting.

331
00:15:06,420 --> 00:15:10,350
It should be clean and good repair, free
of wrinkles, be durable, easy to care for,

332
00:15:10,350 --> 00:15:11,940
and should easily fit into your luggage.

333
00:15:12,270 --> 00:15:14,610
Man, and it goes on, I, I haven't
even scratched the surface.

334
00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:20,280
Of how clear and how particular they
are about the kind of representation

335
00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,770
that they have for their Mormon church.

336
00:15:23,130 --> 00:15:25,860
Now, I bring them up, obviously not
because I agree with their theology.

337
00:15:25,860 --> 00:15:28,920
Let's all agree that the Mormon
theology is rotten and condemnable

338
00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:30,510
and it won't do you any good.

339
00:15:31,050 --> 00:15:33,720
But they do have a healthy understanding
where they have rotten theology.

340
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,150
They have a healthy understanding
that how do you carry yourself

341
00:15:36,150 --> 00:15:38,970
reinforces or undermines the
message that you claim to bring.

342
00:15:39,525 --> 00:15:41,354
So I commend them for their shrewdness.

343
00:15:41,564 --> 00:15:43,214
I condemn them for their theology.

344
00:15:43,214 --> 00:15:44,954
Again, it's aberrant, it's awful.

345
00:15:45,135 --> 00:15:46,995
But they're, they're
thinking wisely about this.

346
00:15:46,995 --> 00:15:47,865
And we ought to do the same.

347
00:15:48,045 --> 00:15:51,314
And I wanna have you consider at
least three areas where you should

348
00:15:51,314 --> 00:15:53,895
ask yourself, am I conveying
respectability in these three areas?

349
00:15:53,895 --> 00:15:54,375
Here they are.

350
00:15:54,405 --> 00:15:55,425
All three on the screen for you.

351
00:15:55,694 --> 00:15:57,224
Your words, your works in your witness.

352
00:15:57,795 --> 00:16:01,125
If you, as you consider, uh, whether
or not, so you're presenting the right

353
00:16:01,125 --> 00:16:04,545
message, I'd love for you to think about
your words, your works, and your witness.

354
00:16:04,545 --> 00:16:06,074
How about your words for a second here?

355
00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:09,689
One of the things that I often easily
do, I don't have to think about it.

356
00:16:09,694 --> 00:16:11,835
It just flows outta my mouth, is complain.

357
00:16:11,865 --> 00:16:14,655
I can complain about Preston Road,
I can complain about the weather.

358
00:16:14,655 --> 00:16:16,035
I can complain about almost anything.

359
00:16:16,455 --> 00:16:17,865
I don't need a reason to complain.

360
00:16:17,865 --> 00:16:18,795
I'm so good at it.

361
00:16:18,795 --> 00:16:20,775
I could complain to you
right now if I wanted to.

362
00:16:21,705 --> 00:16:25,875
Easy, which means I have to be especially
good at not letting that happen.

363
00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:26,805
How are you with that?

364
00:16:27,285 --> 00:16:30,765
One of the sins of commission that we
might commit that others can easily hear

365
00:16:30,765 --> 00:16:35,145
and either be attracted to or repulsed by
is whether or not our words are edifying.

366
00:16:35,175 --> 00:16:37,695
Ephesians chapter four says that
we ought to have words that build

367
00:16:37,695 --> 00:16:40,215
up, uh, one of the words that
don't build up is complaining.

368
00:16:40,215 --> 00:16:42,855
How's your, how's your mouth in
terms of your, your complaining?

369
00:16:43,605 --> 00:16:44,115
How about this?

370
00:16:44,115 --> 00:16:45,255
Here's another sin of commission here.

371
00:16:45,255 --> 00:16:45,885
Do you indulge?

372
00:16:45,915 --> 00:16:46,665
In course joking.

373
00:16:47,085 --> 00:16:51,585
Is there any part of you where you either
laugh at, or laugh with, or even land a

374
00:16:51,585 --> 00:16:55,665
joke here and there that is really funny,
but perhaps course biblically defined?

375
00:16:56,355 --> 00:16:56,955
How about this one?

376
00:16:56,955 --> 00:16:58,905
Do you ask for forgiveness when you sin?

377
00:16:59,205 --> 00:17:00,315
That's a sin of omission.

378
00:17:00,315 --> 00:17:02,205
A time where we should
ask for forgiveness.

379
00:17:02,205 --> 00:17:06,255
We've sinned against our wives, our
friends, our kids, and, and we just,

380
00:17:06,255 --> 00:17:10,275
uh, you know, use our, our position of
authority and say, well, I make mistakes

381
00:17:10,275 --> 00:17:14,115
too, don't we All, after all, um, do
you ask for forgiveness when you sin?

382
00:17:14,865 --> 00:17:19,035
Uh, these are areas where people
will notice your respectable words.

383
00:17:19,214 --> 00:17:23,025
Uh, they'll notice that you use your words
judiciously, that you're wise in how you

384
00:17:23,025 --> 00:17:24,405
deliver them, that you're thinking about.

385
00:17:24,763 --> 00:17:26,145
How your words affect others.

386
00:17:26,534 --> 00:17:27,284
Respectable words.

387
00:17:27,284 --> 00:17:28,095
How about your works?

388
00:17:28,605 --> 00:17:30,284
Um, do you follow through on your word?

389
00:17:30,554 --> 00:17:33,435
When you give your word to somebody and
you tell them, I'll be there at this

390
00:17:33,435 --> 00:17:37,395
time, are you there at that time or
are you the kind of person who maybe

391
00:17:37,395 --> 00:17:41,054
finds a good reason to say, oh, man,
I know I, I committed, but I, I won't.

392
00:17:41,054 --> 00:17:43,395
I can't, and so I'm gonna
find a way to get out of it.

393
00:17:43,965 --> 00:17:45,465
Or are you the kind of
man that follows through?

394
00:17:45,465 --> 00:17:46,725
Are you faithful to your word?

395
00:17:47,085 --> 00:17:48,075
Are you respectable?

396
00:17:48,075 --> 00:17:48,495
Even though.

397
00:17:49,305 --> 00:17:51,525
This is where it gets tricky here,
even though you might commit to

398
00:17:51,525 --> 00:17:53,745
something and it's like, oh man,
I didn't realize that that was on

399
00:17:53,745 --> 00:17:55,215
the same day as this other thing.

400
00:17:55,215 --> 00:17:57,075
Well, now I'm in a bind.

401
00:17:57,615 --> 00:18:00,315
I either should go to the thing over
here that's really important that I go

402
00:18:00,315 --> 00:18:02,175
to or I break my word, which do I do?

403
00:18:02,175 --> 00:18:03,825
And that's a very sticky
situation to be in.

404
00:18:03,825 --> 00:18:07,305
But I think the default for the Gandhi
man, who's respectable, he said,

405
00:18:07,305 --> 00:18:08,355
I'm gonna be faithful to my word.

406
00:18:08,505 --> 00:18:09,225
I mean what I say.

407
00:18:09,225 --> 00:18:09,735
Say what I mean.

408
00:18:09,735 --> 00:18:12,075
Even if it costs me and perhaps
especially if it costs me, because

409
00:18:12,075 --> 00:18:13,065
that's when it really matters.

410
00:18:13,875 --> 00:18:14,655
Respectable works.

411
00:18:15,330 --> 00:18:17,520
Do you come to mind when
people need to get things done?

412
00:18:17,670 --> 00:18:18,990
I think this is a good one to ask.

413
00:18:19,410 --> 00:18:21,870
Am I one of the people that people
think about when they say, I need

414
00:18:21,870 --> 00:18:24,570
to get this project done, I need
to get this situation completed.

415
00:18:24,930 --> 00:18:26,520
Um, who, who's reliable?

416
00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,370
Who can I trust that if I call
them, they're gonna get it done?

417
00:18:29,370 --> 00:18:30,060
For sure.

418
00:18:30,540 --> 00:18:32,760
If you come to mind when someone's
thinking about how do we get

419
00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:33,840
things done, that's a good sign.

420
00:18:34,410 --> 00:18:36,270
It's not a perfect sign,
but it's a really good sign.

421
00:18:36,330 --> 00:18:37,380
Uh, you're responsible.

422
00:18:37,740 --> 00:18:40,200
Your respectable work are that
you are totally responsible.

423
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,870
If someone gives you a task, it's
gonna be done on time, on budget,

424
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,170
and no one has to think twice about
it because you're responsible.

425
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:48,210
Lastly, how about your witness?

426
00:18:48,570 --> 00:18:51,030
Uh, here, here's something that I've
been, that God's been working on me

427
00:18:51,030 --> 00:18:53,970
with, but just something to keep in
mind again, as we're thinking about the,

428
00:18:53,970 --> 00:18:56,430
the, the respectability is external.

429
00:18:56,820 --> 00:18:59,100
People can't see your heart, but
they can see everything else.

430
00:18:59,670 --> 00:19:04,230
Um, do you conduct your life in such
a way that people can say there's

431
00:19:04,230 --> 00:19:05,670
something different about Bob.

432
00:19:05,670 --> 00:19:08,940
There's something different about John,
there's something different about Tom.

433
00:19:09,330 --> 00:19:12,450
Uh, do you, do you present
yourself with these, with a,

434
00:19:12,450 --> 00:19:15,840
with a sense of differentiation,
appropriate differentiation?

435
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:17,280
Here, here's a good question.

436
00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:21,180
Do your neighbors like having you
near them, do your neighbors like

437
00:19:21,180 --> 00:19:24,990
the fact that you are in their
neighborhood, you clean up your lawn,

438
00:19:25,020 --> 00:19:28,320
or you know, you don't, you don't park
your cars six feet into the street.

439
00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,870
You're, you're next to the
thing, now you clean up trash

440
00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:32,130
that's in front of your driveway.

441
00:19:32,130 --> 00:19:34,530
I mean, you're the kind of person
who's courteous and thoughtful.

442
00:19:34,830 --> 00:19:37,139
They appreciate having you because
when they look at their ring

443
00:19:37,139 --> 00:19:40,649
cams, they see you acting in ways
that are just so above reproach.

444
00:19:40,889 --> 00:19:44,070
Do your neighbors like having
you near them, can they see by

445
00:19:44,070 --> 00:19:46,649
your life that you just do things
that a lot of people don't do?

446
00:19:47,490 --> 00:19:50,010
Um, do you dress only for
comfort or with others in mind?

447
00:19:50,010 --> 00:19:53,010
Do you consider how the way that
you dress affects or impacts

448
00:19:53,010 --> 00:19:54,090
the way others think about you?

449
00:19:55,050 --> 00:19:58,590
Respectability is is inherently
external, so obviously all these

450
00:19:58,590 --> 00:20:02,070
things could be done in ways that
are, again, deceitful or underhanded.

451
00:20:02,460 --> 00:20:05,490
That can be done in, in a way where
you're just trying to be eff affectatious.

452
00:20:05,490 --> 00:20:07,080
I want you just to think
a certain way about me.

453
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,540
So I'm gonna pretend to be that
that's not what I'm talking about.

454
00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,080
A man's heart who has been transformed by
God does these things with the awareness

455
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,740
that I, I'm doing this unto the Lord
as a way to say, I care about my Jesus.

456
00:20:16,740 --> 00:20:17,820
I care about his reputation.

457
00:20:17,820 --> 00:20:21,480
I'm an ambassador for Christ, and
therefore, the way that I use my words,

458
00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,010
the way that I do my work and the way that
I conduct my witness are all on purpose.

459
00:20:26,010 --> 00:20:27,960
They're intentional
displays of God's glory.

460
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:30,000
So what God that leaders his respectable.

461
00:20:30,405 --> 00:20:31,845
Lives his life to make
the gospel look good.

462
00:20:31,845 --> 00:20:33,135
And that's what I'm
encouraging you to think about.

463
00:20:33,735 --> 00:20:36,135
Uh, what else can you do where,
I mean, some of you guys, lemme

464
00:20:36,135 --> 00:20:38,835
just say this, I think you guys do
really well as far as we can tell.

465
00:20:39,315 --> 00:20:42,105
As your pastor, I just, I think you
guys do really well in these areas.

466
00:20:42,495 --> 00:20:44,175
A question for you then
is where can you excel?

467
00:20:44,175 --> 00:20:46,215
Where does God want you
to consider even more?

468
00:20:46,215 --> 00:20:47,085
What's the next step for you?

469
00:20:47,565 --> 00:20:49,395
And maybe you're great
at conducting your words.

470
00:20:49,395 --> 00:20:51,915
Well, maybe you need to be better
at edifying and encouraging,

471
00:20:52,035 --> 00:20:54,315
deploying words of exhortation.

472
00:20:55,545 --> 00:20:57,045
Nevertheless, uh, God the leader.

473
00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,270
As someone who wants to make the
gospel look good with his life.

474
00:21:00,810 --> 00:21:02,010
That's what a qualified leader does.

475
00:21:02,010 --> 00:21:03,179
That's what a gly man does.

476
00:21:03,810 --> 00:21:07,139
Um, and on top of that though, he's also
gotta consider how others experience

477
00:21:07,139 --> 00:21:10,560
his life in leadership in one of the
most intimate places that he has.

478
00:21:10,740 --> 00:21:12,330
And this is where it gets a
bit challenging 'cause we're

479
00:21:12,330 --> 00:21:14,459
gonna get into your kitchen
in this case, quite literally.

480
00:21:14,939 --> 00:21:15,570
Uh, your home.

481
00:21:15,570 --> 00:21:16,409
Let's talk about your home.

482
00:21:16,409 --> 00:21:17,669
First Timothy chapter three, verse two.

483
00:21:17,669 --> 00:21:19,649
In Titus one, Adrian, look
at these two passages.

484
00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:20,970
They work in parallel.

485
00:21:21,149 --> 00:21:22,139
Let's see what he has to say here.

486
00:21:22,139 --> 00:21:22,949
And quite simple.

487
00:21:23,909 --> 00:21:25,050
Let's go back to one Timothy three.

488
00:21:25,679 --> 00:21:26,580
He says this in verse two.

489
00:21:26,580 --> 00:21:28,379
Therefore, an overseer
must be above reproach.

490
00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:30,090
He must be the husband of one wife.

491
00:21:30,090 --> 00:21:33,720
He must be sober-minded, self-controlled,
respectable, and hospitable.

492
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,179
There's our word verse Timothy
three, two, hospitable and

493
00:21:36,179 --> 00:21:38,669
able to teach Titus one, seven.

494
00:21:38,669 --> 00:21:41,189
And they don't want you to see both of
these passages because they actually

495
00:21:41,189 --> 00:21:42,600
work together to fill out the picture.

496
00:21:43,199 --> 00:21:44,850
Uh, here's Titus one, seven and eight.

497
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:49,169
For an overseer, as God's steward
must be above reproach, here's what he

498
00:21:49,169 --> 00:21:52,830
should not be, shouldn't be arrogant
or quick tempered, or a drunkard.

499
00:21:53,175 --> 00:21:55,125
Or violence or greedy for gain.

500
00:21:55,395 --> 00:21:59,355
Notice the contrasting conjunctive
here, but that is in contrast

501
00:21:59,355 --> 00:22:00,855
to all of these qualities.

502
00:22:01,215 --> 00:22:03,225
But he should be hospitable.

503
00:22:04,065 --> 00:22:05,625
And then he says, A lover
of good, self-controlled,

504
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:06,765
upright, holy, and discipline.

505
00:22:07,305 --> 00:22:10,275
But I think this is important
because that contrasting word that,

506
00:22:10,275 --> 00:22:14,565
but tells us that hospitable stands
in conjunction or rather, uh, in

507
00:22:14,565 --> 00:22:15,795
contrast to these other things.

508
00:22:16,395 --> 00:22:19,605
It is hospitality in some way
is the opposite of arrogance.

509
00:22:19,605 --> 00:22:21,255
It's the opposite of being quick-tempered.

510
00:22:21,645 --> 00:22:24,285
It's the opposite of being a drunkard
or violent or greedy for gain.

511
00:22:24,285 --> 00:22:26,175
And probably particularly
the greedy for gain.

512
00:22:26,595 --> 00:22:30,435
'cause hospitality by its very nature, is
giving, it's being generous with people.

513
00:22:31,095 --> 00:22:34,185
The word itself, hospitality is
a com is a compound word, uh,

514
00:22:34,215 --> 00:22:35,325
compound word in Greek here.

515
00:22:35,385 --> 00:22:36,885
Uh, sometimes it's not helpful.

516
00:22:37,335 --> 00:22:38,325
Uh, sometimes it is.

517
00:22:38,325 --> 00:22:40,695
And I think in this particular case,
it actually is helpful for you to

518
00:22:40,695 --> 00:22:41,955
understand what the word means.

519
00:22:42,345 --> 00:22:44,685
Uh, pheno orus.

520
00:22:44,865 --> 00:22:46,365
There's a couple, there's
a couple ways that the word

521
00:22:46,365 --> 00:22:47,355
appears in the New Testament.

522
00:22:47,865 --> 00:22:49,335
The word literally means love.

523
00:22:49,365 --> 00:22:49,995
Strangers.

524
00:22:50,025 --> 00:22:52,815
A lover of strangers, a person
who cares about the stranger.

525
00:22:53,355 --> 00:22:56,535
And the word translates into
our language as hospitality.

526
00:22:56,535 --> 00:23:00,495
Someone who is hospitable and there's
probably no better testing ground

527
00:23:00,495 --> 00:23:01,725
for a man's character than his home.

528
00:23:02,235 --> 00:23:04,004
This is where you see everything, right?

529
00:23:04,004 --> 00:23:04,875
This is dirty laundry.

530
00:23:04,875 --> 00:23:06,615
You see, you know what his
kitchen floor looks like.

531
00:23:06,615 --> 00:23:08,115
You see what he's got in his refrigerator.

532
00:23:08,430 --> 00:23:10,650
You see how he lives with
his kids or his wife.

533
00:23:10,650 --> 00:23:12,990
You see whether or not he's
aggressive with them or heavy handed.

534
00:23:12,990 --> 00:23:14,580
You see just so much about him.

535
00:23:14,580 --> 00:23:16,620
You see what he puts on the
wall, what does he care about or

536
00:23:16,620 --> 00:23:17,580
what his wife put on the wall.

537
00:23:17,940 --> 00:23:19,980
Most of the time you
see a a lot of things.

538
00:23:20,220 --> 00:23:21,390
What does his garage look like?

539
00:23:21,390 --> 00:23:22,290
Does he sweep his garage?

540
00:23:22,290 --> 00:23:23,820
You know, what does his
real life look like?

541
00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:26,610
This is where you get a
sense of the man's real life.

542
00:23:26,610 --> 00:23:30,150
And again, just to remind you, even though
this is a qualification for an elder,

543
00:23:30,150 --> 00:23:35,430
pastor, overseer, uh, Paul and Peter both,
and the author of Hebrews, whoever he is.

544
00:23:35,790 --> 00:23:39,090
All unanimously, unanimously agree that
this should be evidence in the church.

545
00:23:39,090 --> 00:23:41,100
One Peter four, nine says,
it should be evidence without

546
00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:43,650
grumbling show hospitality, but
don't be a grumbler about it.

547
00:23:43,650 --> 00:23:45,180
Okay, I guess we're gonna
have the yangs over.

548
00:23:45,630 --> 00:23:46,200
Here we go again.

549
00:23:47,430 --> 00:23:48,000
Don't do that.

550
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,260
Peter says one Peter four, nine.

551
00:23:49,620 --> 00:23:53,070
Paul says in Romans 1213 that we should
seek to show hospitality to the saints.

552
00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,620
And I'm looking for opportunities
to invite Christian friends over

553
00:23:55,620 --> 00:23:56,730
'cause I wanna show love to them.

554
00:23:57,270 --> 00:24:00,090
Uh, Hebrews 13, two says, don't
neglect to show hospitality.

555
00:24:00,090 --> 00:24:02,340
Don't, don't let it fall by the
wayside because you're busy.

556
00:24:03,030 --> 00:24:04,740
So again, this is one
of those things that is.

557
00:24:05,159 --> 00:24:08,970
Meant to be, uh, demonstrated by the
leader, but evidenced also in the body.

558
00:24:09,690 --> 00:24:11,129
So let's talk about hospitality.

559
00:24:11,490 --> 00:24:12,840
Uh, first of all, your, your home.

560
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,050
Then as you conceive of it, you
have to remember, it is not your

561
00:24:16,050 --> 00:24:19,590
home only for private purposes is
not your own, uh, private fortress.

562
00:24:19,590 --> 00:24:22,020
It is actually a place that is
meant to be a ministry outpost.

563
00:24:22,020 --> 00:24:22,620
So let's put it like this.

564
00:24:22,620 --> 00:24:25,980
Number two exploits your home
for ministry opportunities.

565
00:24:26,639 --> 00:24:29,940
Notice I put home, I didn't put house
and I put apartments, and I put condo.

566
00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:30,540
I put home.

567
00:24:31,155 --> 00:24:35,745
Home is a lot of places, right home could
be a, a small place, a crammed apartment.

568
00:24:36,195 --> 00:24:39,135
Uh, it could also be a, a large
estate where you have lots of land

569
00:24:39,135 --> 00:24:42,855
to share, uh, exploit your home, your
home, whatever God has given you.

570
00:24:42,855 --> 00:24:45,975
Whatever the stewardship is that
he's, he's provided for you, that

571
00:24:45,975 --> 00:24:48,165
that ought to be the thing that you
say, okay, how do I best use this?

572
00:24:48,495 --> 00:24:50,265
And it may mean that you can't
host a men's event 'cause

573
00:24:50,265 --> 00:24:51,075
your house isn't big enough.

574
00:24:51,075 --> 00:24:51,375
That's okay.

575
00:24:52,095 --> 00:24:54,105
But it does mean that there
is something you can do.

576
00:24:54,105 --> 00:24:55,785
What is the thing that you can do?

577
00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,699
We have to admit that our Western
culture is just not super great at this.

578
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:01,320
I think we as a church do really well.

579
00:25:01,620 --> 00:25:03,929
I've been over to several of your homes
and I'm tremendously thankful for that.

580
00:25:03,929 --> 00:25:04,830
You guys are so good at that.

581
00:25:05,399 --> 00:25:07,020
Now, pastor P does a
great example of this.

582
00:25:07,020 --> 00:25:09,659
I think he, he's often having people
over and does, he does lots of

583
00:25:09,659 --> 00:25:12,629
things like this, but by and large
western culture isn't great at it.

584
00:25:12,629 --> 00:25:14,639
My eastern neighbors though,
their neighbors right across the

585
00:25:14,639 --> 00:25:18,179
street from us, they're an Indian
couple, south Asian, I guess we're

586
00:25:18,179 --> 00:25:20,129
being politically correct here.

587
00:25:20,490 --> 00:25:21,750
Um, south Asian couple.

588
00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:25,649
Uh, they had us over a couple months
ago, several months ago now, and.

589
00:25:26,504 --> 00:25:28,814
It was one of the coolest
experiences of my life.

590
00:25:28,844 --> 00:25:31,064
'cause I'd never been to an
Indian family's household.

591
00:25:31,064 --> 00:25:32,084
And these guys are legit Indians.

592
00:25:32,655 --> 00:25:35,445
And one of the, one of the things
that stood out, first thing we

593
00:25:35,445 --> 00:25:36,375
walked in, walk in the door.

594
00:25:36,675 --> 00:25:37,905
Um, yeah, yeah.

595
00:25:37,905 --> 00:25:38,175
Come in.

596
00:25:38,264 --> 00:25:39,554
So first of all, we showed up on time.

597
00:25:39,554 --> 00:25:40,395
That was a big mistake.

598
00:25:41,084 --> 00:25:41,985
They weren't right for us.

599
00:25:42,465 --> 00:25:45,165
You're not supposed to show up
on time if you're South Asian.

600
00:25:45,314 --> 00:25:47,865
Neighbors who are genuine South
Asian don't show up on time.

601
00:25:48,254 --> 00:25:49,185
That was mistake number one.

602
00:25:49,754 --> 00:25:53,865
But after we go in, the first
thing he shows us is his altar.

603
00:25:54,465 --> 00:25:57,135
With his gods and he's, oh yeah,
here, here, this is my altar.

604
00:25:57,135 --> 00:25:59,085
I, we pray, we pray at this every morning.

605
00:25:59,085 --> 00:26:01,065
And, and it's a legit altar.

606
00:26:01,185 --> 00:26:02,264
It's a biblical altar.

607
00:26:02,264 --> 00:26:03,825
It's one of those things that
you say, oh, this is, this is

608
00:26:03,825 --> 00:26:05,145
what the Bible is talking about.

609
00:26:05,415 --> 00:26:07,425
Legitimately the thing you should not do.

610
00:26:07,815 --> 00:26:09,495
And it's in a prominent
place in his house.

611
00:26:09,495 --> 00:26:13,095
So he is, he is got this, it's got
his altar, and then he literally

612
00:26:13,575 --> 00:26:15,435
take us to every room in their house.

613
00:26:16,274 --> 00:26:17,055
Here's our closet.

614
00:26:18,945 --> 00:26:19,965
This is our bedroom.

615
00:26:19,965 --> 00:26:22,485
And there, and here's here was
the best and, and probably most

616
00:26:22,485 --> 00:26:23,475
lovable thing that they did.

617
00:26:24,060 --> 00:26:27,510
They took us into their master
bedroom, which was kind of a wreck.

618
00:26:28,470 --> 00:26:31,350
I just thought, man, I, I'm,
so, I'd be concerned about that.

619
00:26:31,379 --> 00:26:34,260
I showed someone in the master bedroom
and there's things on the floor, you know,

620
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,570
clothes on the, on the, on the dresser.

621
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:37,770
I would just be mortified.

622
00:26:37,889 --> 00:26:41,879
'cause I think that doesn't look
what do, and Bendu had no shame.

623
00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:43,200
They like, this is our house.

624
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,030
Here's, here's our kids'
room, here's our room.

625
00:26:45,030 --> 00:26:46,800
You know, and they got all the stuff out.

626
00:26:47,460 --> 00:26:50,940
Um, and another notice that,
another note that I made was

627
00:26:50,940 --> 00:26:52,260
that they had gods all over.

628
00:26:52,889 --> 00:26:54,480
I kept on asking, which God is that?

629
00:26:54,780 --> 00:26:55,740
Oh, which God is that?

630
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,490
Oh, that's the God I'm named after
Ali says, oh, what God is that?

631
00:26:59,550 --> 00:27:00,899
And they just kept on going.

632
00:27:00,959 --> 00:27:05,129
Their, their, their religion was all
over their home and their hospitality

633
00:27:05,159 --> 00:27:09,120
made their religion something,
uh, something to be reckoned with.

634
00:27:09,959 --> 00:27:13,080
Their hospitality was so far
above my own that I was ashamed.

635
00:27:13,350 --> 00:27:15,570
Honestly, I was, I'm, I'm still
ashamed as I think about it.

636
00:27:15,570 --> 00:27:17,969
Recall that in my mind,
I wanna have them over.

637
00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:21,120
More and say, let me just, let
me try to reach your level.

638
00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:24,870
But I just think, and I, I don't feel
like I'm even in the same ballpark now.

639
00:27:24,870 --> 00:27:27,030
We have a long way to go, but
there's, there's lots of good

640
00:27:27,030 --> 00:27:28,200
things that we can benefit from.

641
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,670
And I, I'm not saying that no one expects
you guys to go from zero to 100 overnight.

642
00:27:32,670 --> 00:27:35,190
We all have, we all have our reasons,
but I do wanna show you that it

643
00:27:35,190 --> 00:27:37,440
actually is quite powerful in her book.

644
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,750
Um, the Secret Thoughts
of An Unlikely Convert.

645
00:27:40,379 --> 00:27:45,899
Rosaria Butterfield has this experience
with a pastor that because of his

646
00:27:45,899 --> 00:27:47,910
hospitality, it really changed.

647
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,780
Her willingness to receive the
gospel as something genuine, as

648
00:27:51,780 --> 00:27:56,190
something, not put something obvious
that could be, could be received.

649
00:27:56,430 --> 00:27:58,020
Here's what she says, and I'm
just gonna read it at length.

650
00:27:58,020 --> 00:27:59,640
There's two paragraphs, but it's worth it.

651
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:00,300
Here's what she says.

652
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:01,920
Ken and Floyd, he's a pastor.

653
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,010
Pastor Ken and Floyd, his wife
did something at the meal that

654
00:28:05,010 --> 00:28:06,600
has a long Christian history.

655
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,080
They invited the stranger in, not
to scapegoat me, but to listen

656
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:11,250
and to learn and to dialogue.

657
00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:12,330
We didn't debate worldview.

658
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,780
They were willing to walk the long
journey to me in Christian compassion.

659
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,440
During our meal, they did not share
the gospel with me after our meal.

660
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:20,730
They did not invite me to church.

661
00:28:20,730 --> 00:28:24,360
And we can debate about some of
those things because of these glaring

662
00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:27,389
omissions to the Christian script as
I had come to know it when the evening

663
00:28:27,389 --> 00:28:30,389
ended and Pastor Ken said he wanted
to stay in touch, I knew that it was

664
00:28:30,389 --> 00:28:32,040
truly safe to accept his open hand.

665
00:28:32,370 --> 00:28:35,325
Since this beginning, the journey
on which the Lord has taken me has

666
00:28:35,445 --> 00:28:38,580
been a great adventure, and the
simple meal in a pastor's home was

667
00:28:38,580 --> 00:28:41,670
the first leg of this journey before
I ever stepped foot in a church.

668
00:28:41,700 --> 00:28:44,910
I spent two years meeting
with Ken and Floyd.

669
00:28:45,540 --> 00:28:49,920
On and off studying scripture in my heart,
uh, studying scripture and my heart.

670
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,010
She says, Ken knew at the time
that I couldn't come to church.

671
00:28:53,130 --> 00:28:55,350
It would've been too
threatening, too weird, too much.

672
00:28:55,740 --> 00:28:57,990
So Ken was willing to
bring the church to me.

673
00:28:58,950 --> 00:29:01,740
So Rosaria Butterfield, if you don't
know her, is a force to be reckoned

674
00:29:01,740 --> 00:29:03,630
with in her current conservative church.

675
00:29:03,660 --> 00:29:05,220
She's, she writes lots of great works.

676
00:29:05,460 --> 00:29:07,980
Most recently, uh, she's written
about lies that the church

677
00:29:07,980 --> 00:29:09,330
believes it does good work.

678
00:29:09,330 --> 00:29:13,350
And God used hospitality to reach
her heart in ways that maybe a lot

679
00:29:13,350 --> 00:29:14,730
of other things would not have.

680
00:29:16,290 --> 00:29:17,760
Hospitality all over the scriptures.

681
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,120
Um, let's add add a quick clarification.

682
00:29:21,629 --> 00:29:22,290
Quick clarification.

683
00:29:22,649 --> 00:29:27,090
Um, gender, hospitality, the word has
been co-opted and applied to something

684
00:29:27,090 --> 00:29:28,980
that should not be put together.

685
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,440
Gender hospitality is
something you should not do.

686
00:29:31,889 --> 00:29:33,750
Um, I'm convicted about that.

687
00:29:33,750 --> 00:29:36,030
I don't think that's a good decision
for us as a Christian, I understand

688
00:29:36,030 --> 00:29:38,970
that you're trying to preserve the
relationship, uh, but far better for you

689
00:29:38,970 --> 00:29:41,850
simply to use their name than to use their
preferred pronouns when you know that

690
00:29:41,850 --> 00:29:43,110
their pronouns don't match their gender.

691
00:29:43,950 --> 00:29:47,130
Gender, hospitality, not a thing, but
Christian hospitality, having people

692
00:29:47,130 --> 00:29:48,270
in your home, that's a great thing.

693
00:29:49,260 --> 00:29:50,820
Now let's, let's just be honest here.

694
00:29:50,820 --> 00:29:53,640
There are at least four obstacles
that prevent us from saying, I

695
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:54,360
wanna have people in my home.

696
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,090
There's at least four, and I'm just
gonna briefly touch on them 'cause I know

697
00:29:57,090 --> 00:29:58,440
that we could add several more to this.

698
00:29:58,440 --> 00:29:59,310
Let's talk about busyness.

699
00:29:59,310 --> 00:30:01,290
This is the one that I think
you guys are most likely gonna

700
00:30:01,290 --> 00:30:03,480
say we're busy, and I get that.

701
00:30:04,050 --> 00:30:08,130
My simple response to that is if
scripture's calling you to do it, if it's

702
00:30:08,130 --> 00:30:11,430
a biblical command, if it's something
that we should aspire to as a church.

703
00:30:12,645 --> 00:30:18,105
We ought to just schedule it, start
small and, and not, not look at your

704
00:30:18,135 --> 00:30:21,435
Christian neighbor or look at pastor pj
or look at, you know, anyone else and

705
00:30:21,435 --> 00:30:24,705
say, well, I can't do it as much as they
are, so certainly I shouldn't do it then.

706
00:30:24,975 --> 00:30:25,725
No, start small.

707
00:30:26,025 --> 00:30:29,565
It doesn't have to be, uh, a, a
herculean effort, but it should

708
00:30:29,565 --> 00:30:30,885
be, uh, one way or another.

709
00:30:30,885 --> 00:30:34,365
It should be, maybe it is having
your, your, you know, the, the Mormon

710
00:30:34,365 --> 00:30:35,325
missionaries who come to your door.

711
00:30:35,325 --> 00:30:36,465
Maybe it is having them inside.

712
00:30:37,095 --> 00:30:38,715
Giving them a meal off the cuff.

713
00:30:38,805 --> 00:30:39,585
Oh, I have time.

714
00:30:39,585 --> 00:30:40,875
These two nice gentlemen are at the door.

715
00:30:40,875 --> 00:30:41,925
These two young ladies are at the door.

716
00:30:41,925 --> 00:30:46,305
Maybe I have them in and I have a
meal with them, and I help, help

717
00:30:46,305 --> 00:30:47,745
teach them what true Christianity is.

718
00:30:48,045 --> 00:30:49,335
Have a an honest conversation.

719
00:30:50,445 --> 00:30:53,355
So don't let busyness prevent
you from doing God's will.

720
00:30:53,625 --> 00:30:55,095
We could use that really
for a lot of things.

721
00:30:55,095 --> 00:30:58,875
And maybe that's, uh, maybe
the season for you isn't right.

722
00:30:58,905 --> 00:30:59,955
That's a possibility too.

723
00:31:00,015 --> 00:31:02,535
But I leave that between you and
your Lord to discern that, uh,

724
00:31:02,535 --> 00:31:03,795
the Lord does expect it of us.

725
00:31:03,855 --> 00:31:05,865
And the question is whether or not,
we'll, we'll make it a priority.

726
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,130
Even if it's not particularly convenient.

727
00:31:08,130 --> 00:31:10,350
And of course that's what most
of God's food is for us, right?

728
00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:12,210
It's not always convenient,
but it's what he calls us too.

729
00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:14,130
So don't let busyness be a hiccup.

730
00:31:14,130 --> 00:31:15,210
Number two, perfectionism.

731
00:31:15,750 --> 00:31:18,000
I feel this one, I don't like
having a home that's less than neat.

732
00:31:18,390 --> 00:31:19,260
Maybe you feel the same.

733
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,900
Um, but here, here's something
that God continues to teach me.

734
00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:24,060
And I'm not saying this is the Holy
Spirit talking to me, but it sure feels

735
00:31:24,060 --> 00:31:25,890
like it's sometimes get over yourself.

736
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:28,050
Get over yourself.

737
00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:30,510
Um, people appreciate authenticity.

738
00:31:30,930 --> 00:31:33,660
I, again, I, I, I fell in love
with my neighbors after I saw

739
00:31:33,660 --> 00:31:35,700
their, their, their, their bed.

740
00:31:36,525 --> 00:31:38,385
It's like, okay, these are
these, this is the real deal.

741
00:31:38,385 --> 00:31:40,125
They're not putting on errors,
they're not putting on a show.

742
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,935
I, I, I loved it and I, I think you
ought to take it in stride and understand

743
00:31:43,935 --> 00:31:45,195
that people feel the same way about you.

744
00:31:45,945 --> 00:31:48,345
More than likely finances.

745
00:31:48,405 --> 00:31:51,735
It might be another reason that we
use, it's expensive to host people.

746
00:31:51,765 --> 00:31:53,415
You know, it costs money
to buy these resources.

747
00:31:53,715 --> 00:31:55,155
Uh, you can do it on the sheet.

748
00:31:55,335 --> 00:31:58,905
Rice and beans are perfectly fine,
and if you're ashamed about that.

749
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:01,170
We're probably ashamed
about the wrong things.

750
00:32:01,230 --> 00:32:04,020
We should rather be ashamed of not
loving people than we are ashamed

751
00:32:04,020 --> 00:32:05,850
of the meal that we serve, the
people that we're trying to love.

752
00:32:06,510 --> 00:32:08,310
I said, don't, don't be
concerned about that.

753
00:32:08,940 --> 00:32:12,600
Don't let that be the thing that hinders
you from loving your neighbors and loving

754
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:13,890
your Christian brothers and sisters.

755
00:32:13,890 --> 00:32:14,850
You can do this on the sheet.

756
00:32:15,270 --> 00:32:18,660
Lastly, this was just an,
uh, potential, but rejection.

757
00:32:18,660 --> 00:32:22,950
The act, uh, the act of opening your
home is really, again, intimate.

758
00:32:22,950 --> 00:32:24,720
You're opening your heart, you're
opening your life to people, and if

759
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,660
they say no or they can't, or they don't
like you after they just, they come

760
00:32:27,660 --> 00:32:28,680
into your home, they decide not to.

761
00:32:29,685 --> 00:32:30,615
Hang out with you after that.

762
00:32:31,455 --> 00:32:32,025
That's okay.

763
00:32:32,925 --> 00:32:35,745
The act of hospitality is
valuable in and of itself.

764
00:32:35,745 --> 00:32:36,465
Trust God with that.

765
00:32:36,825 --> 00:32:39,075
And if you lose friends
because of that, that's okay.

766
00:32:39,885 --> 00:32:41,235
Let the Lord handle those consequences.

767
00:32:42,585 --> 00:32:44,985
So a Godly leader cares
about God's priorities.

768
00:32:45,015 --> 00:32:47,865
Even when they're at odds with his
comfort and convenience, they, he

769
00:32:47,865 --> 00:32:48,766
cares about how people see him.

770
00:32:48,790 --> 00:32:51,585
He wants his neighbors to see that
he's a hospitable man because he's

771
00:32:51,585 --> 00:32:53,115
been welcomed by a hospitable God.

772
00:32:53,610 --> 00:32:56,820
He cares that his, his, uh, neighbors,
he cares that his family, his kids.

773
00:32:56,820 --> 00:32:58,800
He cares that his kids see
what's important to you.

774
00:32:59,370 --> 00:33:02,460
Um, he cares that people
are, uh, judging him rightly.

775
00:33:02,460 --> 00:33:05,400
And so he goes out of his way
to do things that, uh, that help

776
00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:06,990
people see the God that he serves.

777
00:33:07,590 --> 00:33:10,590
It's like when someone's wearing a
jersey, you show your team loyalty

778
00:33:10,590 --> 00:33:11,640
by the jersey that you wear.

779
00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:14,400
You got your Dallas Cowboy thing
on, or your ranger's jersey

780
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:15,450
on, or your Dodgers jersey.

781
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:17,370
You want people to know, this is my team.

782
00:33:18,150 --> 00:33:19,200
Christians don't have a jersey.

783
00:33:19,740 --> 00:33:22,200
We do have a Jesus and the way
that we display him is by our

784
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:23,550
respectability and our hospitality.

785
00:33:23,550 --> 00:33:24,150
But there's one more.

786
00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:26,040
One Timothy three, two.

787
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:26,640
Titus one, nine.

788
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,860
This is the one that you're gonna
be quick to say, ah, this is the

789
00:33:28,860 --> 00:33:29,850
one that I don't have to apply.

790
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:31,950
And you're only half right.

791
00:33:32,790 --> 00:33:33,330
One Timothy three.

792
00:33:33,330 --> 00:33:33,930
Titus one, nine.

793
00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:36,330
First thing is, uh, Timothy three, two.

794
00:33:36,330 --> 00:33:36,720
Again.

795
00:33:36,870 --> 00:33:39,330
Now, therefore, an overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of one

796
00:33:39,330 --> 00:33:42,990
wife, sober-minded, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable.

797
00:33:43,020 --> 00:33:45,480
And lastly, able to teach.

798
00:33:45,510 --> 00:33:46,230
Able to teach.

799
00:33:46,530 --> 00:33:49,110
This will make sense if you're
a pastor, overseer, elder.

800
00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:52,200
You should be able to communicate
God's word, and that's a qualification.

801
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:57,300
This is the only difference really,
between the elder and the deacon in terms

802
00:33:57,300 --> 00:34:00,870
of qualification, uh, so able to teach.

803
00:34:00,930 --> 00:34:03,810
Now, I, I really like the way Titus
puts it in his passage on and Titus

804
00:34:03,810 --> 00:34:06,690
one nine, when, when Paul writes
a Titus, here's what he says.

805
00:34:06,690 --> 00:34:09,000
He adds a little more that I
think is especially helpful.

806
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,159
He says he must hold
firm that is the elder.

807
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,770
He has a hold firm and
he's got a tight grip.

808
00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,449
To the trustworthy word, not the
untrustworthy philosophers and books

809
00:34:18,449 --> 00:34:20,850
out there that, you know, the, the
New York time bestsellers know he's

810
00:34:20,850 --> 00:34:22,320
holding firm to the trustworthy word.

811
00:34:23,070 --> 00:34:23,400
How?

812
00:34:23,489 --> 00:34:25,889
As taught he's been
handed down a tradition.

813
00:34:26,340 --> 00:34:27,480
This man holds it.

814
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,110
He clutches it, he grasps it,
and now he holds it firmly.

815
00:34:31,949 --> 00:34:35,730
Paul adds a reason why though,
so that he may be able to give

816
00:34:35,940 --> 00:34:40,380
instruction in sound doctrine and also
to rebuke those who contradict it.

817
00:34:40,710 --> 00:34:42,630
And so you see two, two things, right?

818
00:34:42,630 --> 00:34:43,739
One a positive, one's a negative.

819
00:34:44,234 --> 00:34:48,554
He says, this man who is elder
qualified has to be strong in the word.

820
00:34:48,554 --> 00:34:49,424
He knows the word.

821
00:34:49,424 --> 00:34:50,234
He holds it tight.

822
00:34:50,594 --> 00:34:50,924
Why?

823
00:34:50,924 --> 00:34:51,734
For two reasons.

824
00:34:51,734 --> 00:34:55,214
So he can positively instruct people
with sound doctrine, and so that if

825
00:34:55,214 --> 00:34:59,085
someone comes at him, he has Mormons at
the door, Jehovah's Witnesses or Imam

826
00:34:59,085 --> 00:35:00,464
saying, this is what the Bible teaches.

827
00:35:00,464 --> 00:35:02,085
He could say, no, that's not true.

828
00:35:02,115 --> 00:35:03,345
This is what the Bible really says.

829
00:35:03,645 --> 00:35:05,205
I'm gonna rebuke those who contradict it.

830
00:35:05,265 --> 00:35:10,214
It says, so obviously an elder
pastor needs to have these qualities.

831
00:35:10,770 --> 00:35:14,280
However, as we talk about from the
very beginning here, uh, the, the

832
00:35:14,340 --> 00:35:18,630
pastor is leading because the church
is meant to reflect the same things.

833
00:35:18,900 --> 00:35:21,150
So he shows by his life what
it means to look like this.

834
00:35:21,150 --> 00:35:24,660
So a godly leader then isn't someone
who's satisfied with acquiring

835
00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:27,570
knowledge only for himself,
opens his Bible in the morning.

836
00:35:27,570 --> 00:35:28,020
That's good.

837
00:35:28,020 --> 00:35:29,010
He prays in the morning.

838
00:35:29,070 --> 00:35:29,460
That's good.

839
00:35:29,820 --> 00:35:34,920
But he's also concerned about having
a godly influence, his salt and light,

840
00:35:35,100 --> 00:35:39,240
his ability to penetrate and permeate
the lives of others for Christ's glory.

841
00:35:39,630 --> 00:35:42,240
Which means you ought to
point number three, care about

842
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:44,279
transmitting and defending the truth.

843
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,940
You may never have a pulpits, you
may never have a teaching post, but

844
00:35:47,940 --> 00:35:52,110
you ought to care about communicating
effectively, communicating clearly the

845
00:35:52,110 --> 00:35:56,250
truth and defending it when it's attacked,
and this is happening all the time.

846
00:35:56,490 --> 00:35:59,790
This happens in your living room when you
open up your TV or your, your streaming

847
00:35:59,790 --> 00:36:02,819
network and you have these TV shows
coming through your, your speakers.

848
00:36:03,195 --> 00:36:06,735
When you play a Disney movie, there's
truth that's, that's being attacked.

849
00:36:07,065 --> 00:36:09,315
Uh, when you play even some of
the cool Netflix movies, you know,

850
00:36:09,315 --> 00:36:12,555
there's truth that's being attacked
by what the characters say and the,

851
00:36:12,555 --> 00:36:14,415
the, the values that portray it.

852
00:36:14,655 --> 00:36:17,235
So you're being assaulted
with untruth all the time.

853
00:36:17,235 --> 00:36:17,955
We call them lies.

854
00:36:18,345 --> 00:36:22,815
Your job then is to be able to communicate
true truth by saying, okay, here's,

855
00:36:22,845 --> 00:36:24,015
here's the way to think about this kids.

856
00:36:24,300 --> 00:36:27,570
Or my wife or my friend, or
you know, your friend or you're

857
00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:28,950
listening to a podcast together.

858
00:36:28,950 --> 00:36:29,850
You talk about it with your friend.

859
00:36:29,850 --> 00:36:30,810
Did you hear about what that guy said?

860
00:36:30,810 --> 00:36:31,560
What'd you think about that?

861
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:32,250
Why do you think that's true?

862
00:36:32,250 --> 00:36:33,090
Why do you think that's false?

863
00:36:34,050 --> 00:36:37,890
You're having the truth attacked
all over the, the social media, all

864
00:36:37,890 --> 00:36:39,420
over the entertainment channels.

865
00:36:39,900 --> 00:36:42,120
Uh, even on the bookshelves,
the top 100 books.

866
00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:44,970
They, they're talking about, uh, one
book that stood out recently is something

867
00:36:44,970 --> 00:36:48,300
about, um, it's a, it's a profane title.

868
00:36:48,330 --> 00:36:51,030
It's something like, don't, don't
care about what anyone thinks.

869
00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:52,320
It's profane.

870
00:36:52,380 --> 00:36:53,520
It's, you see it's orange.

871
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:54,510
You guys have seen this one before.

872
00:36:55,710 --> 00:36:56,730
This is a top 100.

873
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,480
It's for profane title, and people love
this book and it's, it's bestselling

874
00:37:01,050 --> 00:37:04,440
you, because you're a godly man,
care that the truth is communicated

875
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,670
clearly, articulately, and you care
about defending it when it's attacked.

876
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,660
A couple years ago within the church,
this movie came out, it's actually a book.

877
00:37:12,660 --> 00:37:14,010
First you heard of it, right?

878
00:37:14,010 --> 00:37:14,580
The Shaq.

879
00:37:15,330 --> 00:37:19,950
Shaq is about a young man, well, a
father named Mac, who loses his daughter.

880
00:37:20,475 --> 00:37:21,404
He's grief stricken.

881
00:37:21,404 --> 00:37:21,915
Obviously.

882
00:37:21,915 --> 00:37:23,355
It's a really compelling story actually.

883
00:37:23,355 --> 00:37:25,904
I, I started watching some of the movie
clips as I was preparing for the sermon.

884
00:37:25,904 --> 00:37:28,125
I thought, man, why was this so catchy?

885
00:37:28,125 --> 00:37:29,444
Why do people, so many people like it?

886
00:37:30,194 --> 00:37:30,915
And there's a good reason.

887
00:37:31,005 --> 00:37:31,845
It's a good, it's a good story.

888
00:37:31,904 --> 00:37:32,984
It's a good, it's a good story.

889
00:37:33,615 --> 00:37:34,875
Um, but it's horrendous theology.

890
00:37:35,444 --> 00:37:39,615
William Paul Young wrote the book, uh, an
attempt to help the church, and when he

891
00:37:39,615 --> 00:37:43,455
was crafting the story, one of the issues
that came to the surface pretty quickly

892
00:37:43,455 --> 00:37:46,214
is that he de depicted the Trinity.

893
00:37:47,325 --> 00:37:49,545
And he didn't just depict the
trinity, he went for the gold.

894
00:37:50,055 --> 00:37:51,135
Here's what the Trinity looks like.

895
00:37:52,785 --> 00:37:55,545
The father is called papa in the story.

896
00:37:56,175 --> 00:37:57,105
He's the black woman.

897
00:37:58,365 --> 00:38:00,195
Hopefully you heard the
problem with that sentence.

898
00:38:01,155 --> 00:38:02,055
Uh, Jesus.

899
00:38:02,055 --> 00:38:04,665
This is probably the only one that we
could all agree on was a Middle Eastern.

900
00:38:05,115 --> 00:38:05,925
That's Jesus.

901
00:38:05,985 --> 00:38:06,375
Okay.

902
00:38:06,555 --> 00:38:07,875
Alright, fine.

903
00:38:08,235 --> 00:38:08,505
Okay.

904
00:38:08,505 --> 00:38:09,735
We can work with that.

905
00:38:10,125 --> 00:38:13,035
The spirit, if you're doing the
process of elimination here is a,

906
00:38:13,125 --> 00:38:15,315
a small Asian woman named Sara,

907
00:38:17,535 --> 00:38:19,455
so people called him out
for this, rightly so.

908
00:38:20,130 --> 00:38:25,020
William, you're teaching something that's
really just not even close to being true.

909
00:38:25,710 --> 00:38:29,010
Now, William responded with, this
isn't a theology textbook, it's a story

910
00:38:29,010 --> 00:38:32,700
that's meant to communicate truths
about God, even if it's not true to

911
00:38:32,700 --> 00:38:33,870
who God is according to scripture.

912
00:38:33,870 --> 00:38:36,000
You could see the problem with
that, that reasoning, can't you?

913
00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,480
You wanna care about defending the
truth even when it's a good story.

914
00:38:40,170 --> 00:38:43,470
We, you know, lots of people wrote
about that, that story, and you know.

915
00:38:44,444 --> 00:38:45,314
It's a great story.

916
00:38:45,314 --> 00:38:46,515
People were inspired by it.

917
00:38:46,515 --> 00:38:48,555
There were so many people that
were blessed by that story.

918
00:38:48,555 --> 00:38:49,785
How could you stand against that?

919
00:38:50,535 --> 00:38:53,834
And that's because Paul says to
Titus, when you find a Gly man,

920
00:38:53,834 --> 00:38:56,955
find a Gly man who can rebuke those
who contradict sound theology.

921
00:38:57,944 --> 00:39:01,544
Find a man who can identify
what's false and call it out.

922
00:39:02,325 --> 00:39:03,194
We're not curmudgeons.

923
00:39:03,194 --> 00:39:05,774
We're not trying to just throw
rocks at that stages or say,

924
00:39:05,774 --> 00:39:06,674
you know, all that music.

925
00:39:06,674 --> 00:39:07,634
All the music is bad.

926
00:39:07,995 --> 00:39:09,674
We just care about sound theology.

927
00:39:10,004 --> 00:39:13,544
We care about communicating,
transmitting the truth and defending it.

928
00:39:14,835 --> 00:39:16,305
And you might see to yourself,
okay, I'm not a pastor.

929
00:39:16,305 --> 00:39:17,745
So then what are some
of the opportunities?

930
00:39:18,045 --> 00:39:20,895
Uh, lemme just give you a couple
people to think about your friends.

931
00:39:21,315 --> 00:39:22,605
Think about your
counseling and your advice.

932
00:39:22,605 --> 00:39:25,725
Giving your ability to know the truth
that is, have a mastery of God's word

933
00:39:25,725 --> 00:39:27,555
and communicate it tremendously helpful.

934
00:39:28,035 --> 00:39:29,745
It's basically biblical,
biblical counseling.

935
00:39:29,775 --> 00:39:33,225
Informally, your family, if you have
a family, your, your, the movies you

936
00:39:33,225 --> 00:39:36,555
watch, the music you listen to, the
books you read, all of those inputs are

937
00:39:36,555 --> 00:39:38,085
coming at you a thousand miles an hour.

938
00:39:38,085 --> 00:39:39,525
You need to have the wisdom to say.

939
00:39:39,900 --> 00:39:41,340
What does the Bible
say about those things?

940
00:39:41,340 --> 00:39:44,760
And have your biblical filter go
off when something wrong hits the

941
00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:48,360
airwaves, and also to positively
communicate that to your kids.

942
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:50,280
Three, think about your small group.

943
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,970
Your small group relies on you to
help them process the scriptures.

944
00:39:54,390 --> 00:39:57,690
Think about the kind of difference
it makes when you come fully prayed

945
00:39:57,690 --> 00:40:01,050
up, fully studied up, and you're
ready to communicate The, the

946
00:40:01,050 --> 00:40:02,520
message that the sermon was about.

947
00:40:03,029 --> 00:40:06,330
You're able to dialogue with different
texts and cross references that just

948
00:40:06,330 --> 00:40:09,150
makes a qualitative difference and
the kind of experience your group has,

949
00:40:09,150 --> 00:40:11,220
you benefit people by your godliness.

950
00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:15,240
Just last night I was at a small
group and Dan Mayer, he, he had

951
00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:17,880
pages of, pages of notes typed out.

952
00:40:18,270 --> 00:40:21,060
He had cross references and
he was quoting, he's like, oh,

953
00:40:21,060 --> 00:40:24,180
this guy's the malki, and he
was aiming for the guy's head.

954
00:40:24,180 --> 00:40:27,420
He cut off his ear instead the synoptic
gospels, and he was just started

955
00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:28,980
quoting these other references and.

956
00:40:29,475 --> 00:40:34,485
Ancient fathers of the faith and all the
people, Plato and dilution, everybody.

957
00:40:34,485 --> 00:40:35,295
He was just quoting people.

958
00:40:37,155 --> 00:40:38,205
I was so proud of Dan.

959
00:40:38,235 --> 00:40:41,445
I was so proud of Dan because obviously
Dan doesn't have a seminary background.

960
00:40:41,445 --> 00:40:45,015
It just shows that he was studying
and he came prepared and his input

961
00:40:45,015 --> 00:40:47,265
made a qualitative difference in
the experience of that small group.

962
00:40:47,265 --> 00:40:47,775
It was a benefit.

963
00:40:47,775 --> 00:40:48,315
It was a blessing.

964
00:40:48,315 --> 00:40:50,055
He cares about transmitting
and defending the truth.

965
00:40:50,775 --> 00:40:54,105
Your social media, um, if you're on
social media, certainly that's an

966
00:40:54,105 --> 00:40:56,955
area where caring about transmitting
and defending the truth is important.

967
00:40:57,495 --> 00:40:59,415
But please jot down second Timothy 2 24.

968
00:40:59,985 --> 00:41:03,885
The Lord servant must not be
quarrelsome, but kind to everyone able

969
00:41:03,885 --> 00:41:05,745
to teach patiently and during evil.

970
00:41:07,635 --> 00:41:10,845
Your children and grandchildren need
you to communicate and defend the truth.

971
00:41:11,325 --> 00:41:13,665
They rely on you to help them
understand how the world works.

972
00:41:14,115 --> 00:41:16,635
Your coworkers need you to
understand how the world works

973
00:41:16,635 --> 00:41:17,865
according to what God's word says.

974
00:41:18,735 --> 00:41:21,585
When I used to work at a DP,
they celebrated pride month.

975
00:41:22,275 --> 00:41:22,545
Uh.

976
00:41:23,415 --> 00:41:25,095
I struggled with that
'cause this is my company.

977
00:41:25,095 --> 00:41:25,965
I support the company.

978
00:41:25,980 --> 00:41:29,865
I, I was, I was, I benefited from the
company, but having them support this

979
00:41:29,865 --> 00:41:31,515
thing put me in a really awkward position.

980
00:41:31,725 --> 00:41:33,315
'cause I couldn't put
anything in my cubicle.

981
00:41:33,735 --> 00:41:38,625
I couldn't put anything up to say I stand
with whatever, um, I lose my job for it.

982
00:41:39,345 --> 00:41:40,695
But maybe that's not the same thing today.

983
00:41:41,475 --> 00:41:43,635
Your coworkers depend upon you
to know the truth and be able to

984
00:41:43,635 --> 00:41:46,575
defend it and to communicate it
in a way that's helpful and clear.

985
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,190
Now one of the, the skills that I think
you ought to grow in is communicating

986
00:41:50,190 --> 00:41:52,830
Christian truth with, uh, with minimal
christianese, or at least being able

987
00:41:52,830 --> 00:41:56,220
to communicate it and then explain
Christianese as they, as they seek

988
00:41:56,220 --> 00:41:57,210
to understand what you're saying.

989
00:41:57,570 --> 00:41:59,340
That's one of the things that gets
us in trouble, is that we use a

990
00:41:59,340 --> 00:42:01,560
lot of Christian lingo and people
who have no clue what we're saying.

991
00:42:02,100 --> 00:42:04,470
You, we gotta be careful with how
we talk and we gotta learn how to

992
00:42:04,470 --> 00:42:06,540
do that skillfully and persistently.

993
00:42:06,540 --> 00:42:08,760
So care about transmitting
and defending the truth.

994
00:42:13,020 --> 00:42:14,970
Uh, you guys know the name
Robert Murray McShane, don't you?

995
00:42:16,665 --> 00:42:20,145
This man only lived for 29 years.

996
00:42:20,565 --> 00:42:22,185
29 years, and yet, you know who he is.

997
00:42:22,845 --> 00:42:23,865
Uh, why do you know who he is?

998
00:42:25,035 --> 00:42:25,754
Couple reasons.

999
00:42:25,785 --> 00:42:27,645
Uh, number one, you might know
his Bible reading plan, the

1000
00:42:27,645 --> 00:42:28,665
Nick Shane Bible Reading Plan.

1001
00:42:28,665 --> 00:42:29,205
It's a great plan.

1002
00:42:29,205 --> 00:42:31,214
It's a morning and evening thing,
and it's a great, it's a great thing.

1003
00:42:31,665 --> 00:42:36,884
Um, but this man, uh, for his short 29
years made an indelible impact on lots

1004
00:42:36,884 --> 00:42:40,845
of people to this day, where even though
he died in 1843 in 2025, we still know

1005
00:42:40,845 --> 00:42:42,254
who his name, uh, still know who he is.

1006
00:42:42,795 --> 00:42:44,745
Here's a, here's a one.

1007
00:42:45,944 --> 00:42:48,134
That encapsulates a lot
of his impact on people.

1008
00:42:48,165 --> 00:42:51,915
And I'm quoting from
MacArthur's summarization of

1009
00:42:51,915 --> 00:42:53,774
what Murray actually wrote.

1010
00:42:54,435 --> 00:42:55,035
It's ancient.

1011
00:42:55,035 --> 00:42:57,765
This is a better, and it's,
he just sums it up better.

1012
00:42:57,765 --> 00:42:58,274
Here's what he writes.

1013
00:42:59,145 --> 00:43:01,875
Robert Murray McShane spoke at the
ordination of young Dan Edwards in

1014
00:43:01,875 --> 00:43:05,475
the 1840s, and so shortly before he
died, he said something like this.

1015
00:43:05,475 --> 00:43:05,835
Mr.

1016
00:43:05,835 --> 00:43:08,055
Edwards, do not forget
the inner man, the heart.

1017
00:43:08,924 --> 00:43:11,535
The Calvary officer knows
that his life depends upon his

1018
00:43:11,535 --> 00:43:13,035
saber, so he keeps it clean.

1019
00:43:13,770 --> 00:43:16,170
Every stain he wipes off
with the greatest care.

1020
00:43:16,529 --> 00:43:16,965
Mr.

1021
00:43:16,965 --> 00:43:21,150
Edwards, you are God's chosen
instrument according to your purity.

1022
00:43:21,210 --> 00:43:22,890
So shall be your success.

1023
00:43:23,430 --> 00:43:24,660
It is not great talents.

1024
00:43:24,690 --> 00:43:27,120
No, it is not great ideas that God uses.

1025
00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:29,490
It is great likeness to Jesus Christ.

1026
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:30,285
Mr.

1027
00:43:30,285 --> 00:43:34,319
Edwards, a holy man is an awesome
weapon in the hand of God.

1028
00:43:35,790 --> 00:43:40,290
That is, that's powerful preaches
even today, and I want to affirm

1029
00:43:40,290 --> 00:43:41,370
that and communicate that to you.

1030
00:43:41,745 --> 00:43:44,955
Your godliness will radiate
and emanate from your person

1031
00:43:44,955 --> 00:43:46,185
into every aspect of your life.

1032
00:43:46,185 --> 00:43:47,955
It will change the way that you drive.

1033
00:43:47,955 --> 00:43:49,905
It will change the way that
you think about how you dress.

1034
00:43:49,905 --> 00:43:52,305
It'll change the way that you think
about how you conduct yourself with

1035
00:43:52,305 --> 00:43:53,445
your words, your works, your witness.

1036
00:43:53,805 --> 00:43:56,205
It will cause you to say, I want
to open my door so that people

1037
00:43:56,205 --> 00:43:58,545
can know that I love Jesus Christ.

1038
00:43:58,995 --> 00:44:01,635
Not just because of the decor in
my wall, although that's good, but

1039
00:44:01,635 --> 00:44:03,105
because of the decor of my life.

1040
00:44:03,195 --> 00:44:05,205
I adorn my life with
beauty, with godliness.

1041
00:44:06,555 --> 00:44:08,115
Your godliness will also be evidenced.

1042
00:44:08,700 --> 00:44:11,399
In the way that you care about the
truth, you don't compromise, you don't

1043
00:44:11,399 --> 00:44:14,640
mix it, you deliver it because you're
faithful to the master who sent you.

1044
00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:18,450
You're an ambassador and therefore
you consider all of these things a

1045
00:44:18,450 --> 00:44:21,540
man fit to lead considers how others
experience his life and leadership.

1046
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:25,080
And that's the kind of godly man
that people will look to and the

1047
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:26,399
kind of godly man people will follow.

1048
00:44:26,549 --> 00:44:27,899
Kind of godly man that's worth following.

1049
00:44:28,859 --> 00:44:34,980
So let me encourage you to care about your
witness, to care about how people see you.

1050
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:37,110
And perhaps to make some
adjustments starting today

1051
00:44:37,110 --> 00:44:38,100
about what that might look like.

1052
00:44:38,100 --> 00:44:39,990
And so with that, I'll send you to
your small groups after we pray.