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Speaker 2: I love basketball.

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And one basketball player that I
made the mistake of drafting to my

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fantasy basketball team a few years
ago, and I will never ever draft him

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again, his name is Zion Williamson.

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Zion Williamson.

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And the reason I will never
draft this man, even though

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he looks, he looks amazing.

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Doesn't he look like a superhero?

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The reason I will never draft this
guy again is because he never plays.

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He never plays and the reason
he never plays he's always

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injured or he's out of shape.

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Now, can you imagine this
guy being out of shape?

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Well, see the problem with this guy is
he has all these resources available.

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He's a professional athlete.

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He's got dietitians.

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He's got millions of dollars.

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He's got coaches.

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He has other players.

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He has maybe retired players he could talk
to and and hear from to help him learn

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how to take care of his body and head in.

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Do his job, which is to play
basketball to the best of ability.

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He has all the resources in
the world, but he can't do it.

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This is a stat from 2022.

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He only played in 38 percent of
the games he could have played it.

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So almost a third of the games he
should have been able to be at.

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He only played in 38 percent 85, 226.

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And guess what?

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This year.

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He's only played in 14 games, and
it's been more than half the season.

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So once again, he's hurt.

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Last year, he finally played a
lot of games, and then they got

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to the playoffs, and guess what
happened to his first playoff game?

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He got injured, left the game,
couldn't finish the game.

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So he has all these
resources available, right?

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He has millions of dollars, he's a
professional athlete, he has, the whole

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New Orleans team, the whole organization
wants him to be healthy, to stay in shape.

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And he can't do it.

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Sometimes he'll show up to training camp
and he'll be 300 plus pounds, professional

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athlete, all the resources in the world.

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And see what I want you guys to
realize is that just like Mr.

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Williamson has all these resources
available to him to help him

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be a good basketball player,
but he can't stay on the court.

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You have so many resources available
to you to get eternal life with God.

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It's an obvious, clear way to heaven.

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You have so many resources available,
but so many people still miss it.

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So many people still end up missing out on
eternal life with God and instead go down

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the path to eternal destruction away from
Him, despite all the resources you have.

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So today we're going to look in Matthew 7.

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We're going to see that God
offers you as much as He can, as

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much help as He can to get you.

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To heaven.

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And so, the title of this sermon
is, God wants you to get to heaven.

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God wants you there.

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He's done everything he can to
get you there, but some people,

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as we'll see in this passage, many
people still miss out on heaven.

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Not many people will go
to heaven, which is sad.

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Not many people will go to heaven.

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That's what Jesus will tell us.

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But God wants to help you get there.

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Not many people will get to heaven,
but God wants to help you get there.

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See, in our passage, Jesus is
presenting your life as a pathway.

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Your life is a path, and it's
leading to one of two places.

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It's either gonna lead in the
direction towards eternal life, or

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it's gonna lead in the direction
towards eternal destruction.

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There's only two options.

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You either follow Jesus, or
you turn away from Jesus.

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You either live for yourself,
or you live for God.

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You And see, the path to life might be
unpopular or it might seem restrictive,

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but really it's the happiest, the fullest,
the best way to live, and that path to

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life is fueled by all of God's resources.

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I'll try not to smack
you in the face, Lucas.

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I almost did.

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I'm sorry.

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I'll back up a little bit.

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The path to life, God is giving
you all of his resources.

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God has way more resources
than millions of dollars.

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of professional athlete resources.

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God has way more available
at his disposal, and he wants

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to help you get to heaven.

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God's power, God's goodness, they're
all at your disposal if you will

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reach out and grab God's hand in
faith and say, God, I need your help.

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I want you to lead me
down the path to life.

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So in this passage, we'll see four ways
that God helps Christians get to heaven.

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Amen.

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It.

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So Matthew seven, right?

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We're continuing on this
sermon on the Mount.

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Jesus is teaching.

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We're almost at the end, by the way.

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So the first thing we're gonna
see in verses seven and eight.

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So Jesus here in, in Matthew
seven, he says, ask, I should

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just read this from here.

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That would be helpful.

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He says, ask and it will be given to you.

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Seek and you'll find, knock
and it will be open to you.

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For everyone who asks, receives,
and the one who seeks, finds, and to

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the one who knocks, it will be open.

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So God is talking, or Jesus
here, is talking about prayer.

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He's talking about how to pray,
what it's like when you pray.

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And what he's, he's giving
you three commands, right?

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Ask, seek, knock.

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You've probably heard about this before.

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The reality here in this passage
is that if you ask, you'll get it.

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If you knock It'll open, and
if you seek, you'll find.

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So the, what Jesus is saying is, God
is available to answer your prayers.

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God's ready.

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He's ready to help.

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He wants to help you.

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So, you have the resource
of prayer to access God.

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You can access God.

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Sure thing.

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That's what Jesus is saying.

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You 100 percent have access to God.

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So the first way that God helps
Christians get to Heaven is He says,

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God promises to be available for you.

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, God promises to be available for you.

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And now all my points are gonna
have two sections tonight.

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And that's because I want you to see
that there's two ways you can go.

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You can go on the path to life.

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You can see that God is available,
he's ready, he's willing to help me.

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Or you can ignore God's availability.

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You can say, God, I know you want
to help me, but I don't care.

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You can stiff arm God and say,
God, I, I know I want you.

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Or I, I know you want me.

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I know you want me to, to
come to you and ask for help.

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But I'm gonna ignore that.

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I'm not gonna pray.

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And that path leads to destruction.

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See, Satan would love
for you to ignore God.

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To turn down everything he's given
you to help you get to heaven.

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Now there's one thing I
want you to understand.

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The point's still up there, by the
way, if you're still writing it.

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There's one thing I want you to understand
with this sermon is it's massively

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important that I want you to get, okay?

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Christians fail at prayer.

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This point, right?

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You can be a Christian and
sometimes not feel like praying.

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You can be a Christian and
sometimes not take advantage of

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all of God's resources for you.

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I'm not saying you have to be
perfect at this to go to heaven.

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That's not what I'm saying, okay?

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I'm not saying you have to
be perfect to go to heaven.

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Are we good?

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All right, cool.

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But if the constant theme of your life.

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is ignoring God, not even considering the
fact that you need to pray, neglecting

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your need for God's help, then you are
heading down a path towards destruction.

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If you are trying to pray and having
trouble focusing, that's very different.

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Right?

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You're not going to go to hell for
trying to pray and needing help focusing.

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That's not what I'm saying.

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What I am saying is that if you
are constantly ignoring God and

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Putting him at arm's length and
saying, God, I don't need you.

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Rejecting him, saying, God,
I don't want your help.

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That's a dangerous spot to be in.

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So, look back at our passage.

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The first thing Jesus wants us
to do is He wants us to ask.

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Now, what, what do we mean by ask?

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Well, I think there's two things
that we learn about God from

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looking at when Jesus says ask.

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He says, one, that God wants
to answer your prayers, right?

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Ask, and it will be given to you.

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Jesus isn't saying, you know, if
you ask, God might answer your

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prayers if he's in a good mood.

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Maybe, you know, maybe you can argue
God into answering your prayers.

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Maybe.

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No!

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Jesus is saying God wants
to answer your prayers.

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He's willing to.

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He's ready to.

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He's happy to.

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He's not saying you have to bother
God into answering your prayers.

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The second thing is that
he's saying God promises.

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This is a command and a promise.

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Amen.

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Ask and it will be given to you.

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That's not a suggestion.

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That's not a, well, if you ask in
this special way with the right words,

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then God will answer your prayer.

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No, ask and it'll be given to you.

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There's, there's a promise there.

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So God wants to answer your prayers and
God promises to answer your prayers.

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And these are things you need to know
when you're having trouble praying, right?

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I think back to when I, you
know, I'd always been school.

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I would often try to talk my
teachers into putting an extra

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credit question on the test, right?

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Oh, can we have extra
credit on this assignment?

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Oh, is there extra credit in this class?

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And sometimes they're like, no, right?

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So I try to talk them into it.

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I'm like, oh, you know, well,
what if we did, you know, on

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this project, what if I did this?

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Could I get extra credit?

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Like, no, okay.

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I would be much more bold in asking
them for extra credit if I knew

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they wanted to give me extra credit.

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If they were like, I love
giving out extra credit.

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It's like my favorite thing.

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The highlight of my school year is
giving my students extra credit.

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Then I'd be like, Hey, you
should do extra credit.

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Hey, can you add this on this assignment?

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Hey, can you do this over here?

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Because I know that they want it.

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I know that they want to give it.

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When you pray, know that
God wants to answer.

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God's disposition is, I want to
answer the prayers of my people.

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I want to give them things
that are good for them.

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And not only that, he
said, he's promised you.

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Imagine if your teacher said,
I promise if you ask for extra

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credit, I'll give it to you.

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You'd ask every day, you'd ask every
minute, you'd raise your hand every,

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like, in and out of them all the time.

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Can you have extra credit?

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Can I have extra credit?

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You'd do it.

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Because you, you know
what your teacher's like.

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You know what they want to do.

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You know if they, what
they've said they'll do.

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And you have here, in God's word, a
promise that he wants to answer your

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prayers and he promises to do it.

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So, that's the first motivation to pray.

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That shows that God is available.

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Next, that word seek.

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Right, ask, seek.

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There's a progression.

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There's three things.

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This is the second one.

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Seek.

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Well, that means that God wants to
be asked, even if he seems distant.

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Alright, think of the imagery here.

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You ask someone, but now you're seeking.

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You're looking for them.

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You're trying to find them.

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God, where are you?

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I don't know where you are.

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Well, let me go look for you.

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Right?

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Think of a kid.

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When you're a kid, you're
looking for your parents.

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You want something from them.

241
00:11:12,575 --> 00:11:14,935
If you see them, you know where
they are, you say, Hey, hey mom,

242
00:11:14,935 --> 00:11:16,185
hey dad, can I please have this?

243
00:11:16,595 --> 00:11:18,535
Hopefully you're a polite
child and you say please.

244
00:11:19,515 --> 00:11:21,594
But, if you don't know where
they are, what do you do?

245
00:11:22,594 --> 00:11:23,565
You go look for them, right?

246
00:11:23,565 --> 00:11:26,205
You go upstairs, you go to their
room, you say, where are my parents?

247
00:11:26,205 --> 00:11:26,845
I need to ask them.

248
00:11:27,105 --> 00:11:28,344
I want ice cream.

249
00:11:28,474 --> 00:11:29,284
So I'm gonna go ask them.

250
00:11:29,284 --> 00:11:29,915
I'm gonna go find them.

251
00:11:29,925 --> 00:11:31,105
Mom, can I get ice cream, please?

252
00:11:32,665 --> 00:11:37,115
God is saying, if you
seek me, I'm available.

253
00:11:37,215 --> 00:11:37,605
I'm ready.

254
00:11:37,615 --> 00:11:39,255
You can come look for me and find me.

255
00:11:39,255 --> 00:11:41,395
If you don't know where I'm
at, you can come find me.

256
00:11:41,530 --> 00:11:46,530
So, God is saying, look, I
want you to keep on praying.

257
00:11:47,110 --> 00:11:49,669
If you don't feel like I'm answering
your prayers, if I don't feel

258
00:11:49,669 --> 00:11:53,860
like, if you don't feel like I'm
available, I want you to keep going.

259
00:11:54,140 --> 00:11:55,700
Don't just pray once and stop.

260
00:11:56,719 --> 00:11:58,419
So I'm sure we've all had that experience.

261
00:11:58,419 --> 00:11:59,969
You prayed for something, you're
like, Oh, it didn't happen.

262
00:12:01,490 --> 00:12:03,880
God's not saying give up.

263
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,220
He's saying, no, I want
you to keep asking.

264
00:12:06,220 --> 00:12:07,310
And that's the second part.

265
00:12:07,330 --> 00:12:08,470
He wants you to be persistent.

266
00:12:08,690 --> 00:12:10,860
He even expects you to be persistent.

267
00:12:10,870 --> 00:12:14,550
See, all these verbs, the way that
they're written in Jesus original

268
00:12:14,550 --> 00:12:17,230
language, is they're all ongoing verbs.

269
00:12:17,450 --> 00:12:21,540
So you could read it as, keep
on asking, keep on seeking.

270
00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:23,830
They're present, ongoing verbs.

271
00:12:24,110 --> 00:12:26,250
So God expects you to be persistent.

272
00:12:26,710 --> 00:12:30,690
So if you have to keep praying for
something over and over, that's normal.

273
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:32,320
That's okay.

274
00:12:32,850 --> 00:12:34,020
God's not failing you.

275
00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,200
God's not ignoring you.

276
00:12:36,055 --> 00:12:36,625
That's normal.

277
00:12:36,965 --> 00:12:41,075
You should expect to have to
pray for something over and over.

278
00:12:42,555 --> 00:12:45,324
And that shows you that, hey, God
still wants to answer my prayer.

279
00:12:45,345 --> 00:12:46,215
He's still available.

280
00:12:46,224 --> 00:12:47,525
He's still ready.

281
00:12:49,534 --> 00:12:53,164
That third word in the passage,
we've got knock, right?

282
00:12:53,184 --> 00:12:54,344
Ask, seek, knock.

283
00:12:54,975 --> 00:12:57,065
Well, what knocking implies,
think of, you know, you're in

284
00:12:57,065 --> 00:12:58,755
your house, you're a little kid,
you're looking for your parents.

285
00:12:59,345 --> 00:13:01,545
So first you got, you know where
they are, so you can ask them.

286
00:13:01,985 --> 00:13:04,004
And then maybe later in the day,
you don't know where they are.

287
00:13:04,395 --> 00:13:05,525
So now you got to go find them.

288
00:13:06,780 --> 00:13:09,410
Well, now knock, you go, you
know, they are, you know, they're

289
00:13:09,410 --> 00:13:11,110
in their room, the doors closed.

290
00:13:12,689 --> 00:13:13,220
What do you do?

291
00:13:14,430 --> 00:13:17,140
Jesus says, knock, right?

292
00:13:17,140 --> 00:13:19,319
Keep knocking on the
door, bang on that door.

293
00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:22,979
Even if God seems unavailable, he's ready.

294
00:13:23,070 --> 00:13:26,419
He's a, he's actually ready
to answer your prayers.

295
00:13:26,889 --> 00:13:29,790
That's what Jesus is saying about God.

296
00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:34,010
He's saying, even if God seems
distant, you can find him.

297
00:13:34,250 --> 00:13:35,240
Even if God seems.

298
00:13:35,675 --> 00:13:38,565
Unavailable or like he's ignoring
you like your prayers are bouncing

299
00:13:38,565 --> 00:13:43,325
off the ceiling and coming back down
God is ready and willing and able

300
00:13:43,325 --> 00:13:49,075
to answer your prayers And also he's
saying that God is still good and he

301
00:13:49,075 --> 00:13:53,225
still wants to answer your prayers
even when you don't see him, right?

302
00:13:54,674 --> 00:13:59,774
little kids Really little kids they
get scared when they can't see their

303
00:13:59,774 --> 00:14:03,800
parents Right mom left the room mom's
around the corner They start crying.

304
00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:04,350
They freak out.

305
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:04,710
Why?

306
00:14:05,060 --> 00:14:06,240
Because they think mom disappeared.

307
00:14:06,290 --> 00:14:07,810
They think mom doesn't exist anymore.

308
00:14:08,660 --> 00:14:10,050
We do that with God, don't we?

309
00:14:10,820 --> 00:14:12,550
Oh God, I don't see
you working in my life.

310
00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:16,160
Oh God, I'm not really getting
a lot out of my Bible read.

311
00:14:16,260 --> 00:14:18,900
God, my life's not going
the way I thought it would.

312
00:14:19,529 --> 00:14:21,029
And then we're like, oh God doesn't exist.

313
00:14:21,029 --> 00:14:21,969
God's abandoned me.

314
00:14:21,969 --> 00:14:22,879
Maybe God's not real.

315
00:14:22,879 --> 00:14:23,899
Maybe the Bible's not true.

316
00:14:23,909 --> 00:14:24,710
We start freaking out.

317
00:14:26,290 --> 00:14:27,700
Jesus is saying, look, you can knock.

318
00:14:27,940 --> 00:14:29,140
You can knock on God's door.

319
00:14:30,355 --> 00:14:33,165
You can keep bothering him
and he wants to answer.

320
00:14:33,175 --> 00:14:34,215
He wants to open the door.

321
00:14:34,215 --> 00:14:35,165
He wants you to come in.

322
00:14:36,255 --> 00:14:38,665
So don't feel like God is
far away, disappeared around

323
00:14:38,665 --> 00:14:41,665
the corner, out of your life.

324
00:14:42,735 --> 00:14:45,935
Even if you have to keep praying for
something over and over and over.

325
00:14:48,795 --> 00:14:50,155
If you keep going in the passage,

326
00:14:53,375 --> 00:14:56,935
you can see that all of
this shows dependence.

327
00:14:57,425 --> 00:14:58,335
It shows reliance.

328
00:14:58,335 --> 00:14:59,285
It shows trust.

329
00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,850
It's not the amount of praying
you do that gets you to heaven.

330
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:05,130
Right?

331
00:15:05,130 --> 00:15:06,330
We're talking about our two paths, right?

332
00:15:06,580 --> 00:15:09,650
The, the amount of prayers you do,
the frequency, the regularity, you

333
00:15:09,660 --> 00:15:12,840
know, I use prayer mate, I do this,
that doesn't get you to heaven.

334
00:15:15,139 --> 00:15:19,780
But the dependence on God
is what gets you to heaven.

335
00:15:20,490 --> 00:15:25,050
It shows that you trust Him, you rely on
Him, that you recognize that you need Him.

336
00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,280
Praying before your meals every day.

337
00:15:29,364 --> 00:15:33,644
It doesn't matter if you're not relying
on God to give you those meals, if you're

338
00:15:33,644 --> 00:15:35,924
taking them for granted and ignoring God.

339
00:15:37,495 --> 00:15:39,334
It expresses your helplessness.

340
00:15:39,344 --> 00:15:42,114
See, if you're praying like this,
if you're praying over and over and

341
00:15:42,114 --> 00:15:46,274
over, and you're desperate and you're
constantly, actively taking God at his

342
00:15:46,274 --> 00:15:48,034
word and saying, God, I know you're there.

343
00:15:48,035 --> 00:15:48,874
I trust you.

344
00:15:48,874 --> 00:15:49,624
I know you're good.

345
00:15:49,624 --> 00:15:51,664
I want you to answer my prayers.

346
00:15:51,964 --> 00:15:54,094
I know you're ready and available.

347
00:15:54,104 --> 00:15:56,704
Then that expresses your
reliance on him, your trust.

348
00:15:57,805 --> 00:15:58,985
And that's where Jesus goes next.

349
00:15:58,985 --> 00:16:01,314
But what if you ask for something bad?

350
00:16:01,384 --> 00:16:03,584
A lot of us, we read this passage
and we're like, great, I'm going

351
00:16:03,584 --> 00:16:04,965
to pray for five million dollars.

352
00:16:05,604 --> 00:16:07,545
I'm going to pray that I'm six foot four.

353
00:16:07,864 --> 00:16:10,114
I'm going to pray that I'm the
prettiest girl in the world.

354
00:16:10,144 --> 00:16:13,864
I'm going to pray that whatever,
what if you ask for something

355
00:16:14,854 --> 00:16:15,795
and God doesn't give it?

356
00:16:16,185 --> 00:16:16,904
What do I do?

357
00:16:17,094 --> 00:16:18,164
Does Jesus lie?

358
00:16:18,735 --> 00:16:21,005
He said, God's going to answer prayers.

359
00:16:22,060 --> 00:16:24,590
What if I ask for something
that's bad for me?

360
00:16:24,590 --> 00:16:26,630
Well, Jesus thought ahead of you.

361
00:16:26,630 --> 00:16:31,360
So look now at Matthew 7, 9 through 11.

362
00:16:34,039 --> 00:16:37,629
So Jesus says, Or which one of
you, if his son asks him for

363
00:16:37,629 --> 00:16:39,729
bread, will give him a stone?

364
00:16:40,489 --> 00:16:41,370
Alright, that would be me.

365
00:16:42,170 --> 00:16:45,130
Or, if he asks for a fish,
will give him a serpent?

366
00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:50,400
If you then, who are evil, which
that's just a passing, you know,

367
00:16:50,430 --> 00:16:53,349
you heard the phrase, catching
strays, Jesus Just, just caught all

368
00:16:53,349 --> 00:16:54,729
of humanity on a stray right there.

369
00:16:55,459 --> 00:16:59,199
If you, who are evil people, by
the way, so all humans, Jesus

370
00:16:59,199 --> 00:17:00,189
is saying, are evil people.

371
00:17:00,699 --> 00:17:05,549
If you, who are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much

372
00:17:05,549 --> 00:17:11,769
more will your Father, who is in heaven,
give good things to those who ask Him?

373
00:17:11,770 --> 00:17:16,878
So what kind of things does God give?

374
00:17:19,759 --> 00:17:20,469
Good things.

375
00:17:22,868 --> 00:17:24,499
God only gives good things.

376
00:17:25,464 --> 00:17:26,513
Things that are good for you.

377
00:17:26,763 --> 00:17:28,095
Things that help you.

378
00:17:28,125 --> 00:17:29,014
Things that grow you.

379
00:17:29,025 --> 00:17:33,135
Things that shape you into more
like Jesus if you're a Christian.

380
00:17:34,504 --> 00:17:36,485
So if you ask for something bad,

381
00:17:38,524 --> 00:17:39,584
is God gonna give it to you?

382
00:17:40,985 --> 00:17:45,784
Well this passage says no, because that
would be like a father giving his son

383
00:17:46,475 --> 00:17:48,395
a snake if he asked for a fish to eat.

384
00:17:49,774 --> 00:17:52,995
That would be like a son giving
it, or a father giving his son a

385
00:17:52,995 --> 00:17:54,395
rock if he asked for some bread.

386
00:17:56,664 --> 00:18:01,154
That's what God would be doing if he
gave you something that was bad for you.

387
00:18:02,064 --> 00:18:02,245
Right?

388
00:18:02,264 --> 00:18:04,004
What if the son asked for a rock?

389
00:18:04,004 --> 00:18:06,514
What if he says, Dad, I want to
eat rocks for breakfast every day.

390
00:18:08,014 --> 00:18:09,164
What's the dad going to do?

391
00:18:10,664 --> 00:18:13,124
He's going to say, No, no
son, that's not good for you.

392
00:18:13,164 --> 00:18:15,664
I love you too much to
give you what you want.

393
00:18:17,185 --> 00:18:20,115
I, I give you good things for you.

394
00:18:20,695 --> 00:18:24,710
So the second thing, The second way
that God helps you get to heaven is

395
00:18:24,710 --> 00:18:27,790
He only wants what's good for you.

396
00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:30,059
God only gives what's good for you.

397
00:18:30,060 --> 00:18:32,419
That's why when you pray,
sometimes you don't get what you

398
00:18:32,420 --> 00:18:36,069
prayed for, because you asked for
something that wasn't good for you.

399
00:18:36,620 --> 00:18:40,350
And God only gives things
that are good for you.

400
00:18:42,409 --> 00:18:47,509
So the alternate, right, of God
only wants what's good for you,

401
00:18:48,039 --> 00:18:50,289
I shouldn't doubt God's goodness.

402
00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,924
If you doubt God's God's goodness.

403
00:18:53,354 --> 00:18:56,104
It's an easy way to distrust God.

404
00:18:56,735 --> 00:18:58,745
To turn away from him and his commands.

405
00:18:58,764 --> 00:19:01,034
Because you say, oh God, you don't
have my best interest at heart.

406
00:19:01,975 --> 00:19:03,915
Your commands aren't good for
me, so I'm not going to do them.

407
00:19:04,524 --> 00:19:06,324
I'm not going to listen to, to your word.

408
00:19:06,324 --> 00:19:08,995
I'm not going to listen to my parents
or my small group leader because

409
00:19:09,675 --> 00:19:12,264
I know that, I know better than
them, so I'm not going to listen.

410
00:19:12,995 --> 00:19:15,074
That's an easy way to end up in hell.

411
00:19:16,784 --> 00:19:18,185
Distrusting God's goodness.

412
00:19:18,185 --> 00:19:19,574
Saying, God, I know better than you.

413
00:19:20,175 --> 00:19:21,834
I know it's better, what's best for me.

414
00:19:22,230 --> 00:19:23,740
I don't think you have my
best interests at heart.

415
00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,080
God, your commands are for lame people.

416
00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:27,570
Your commands are boring.

417
00:19:28,290 --> 00:19:29,620
Your commands aren't good for me.

418
00:19:29,650 --> 00:19:33,560
That's an easy way to end up in hell
because you end up distrusting God,

419
00:19:33,569 --> 00:19:37,920
distancing yourself from him and going
further down the path towards destruction.

420
00:19:41,210 --> 00:19:43,700
So God only wants what's good for you.

421
00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:45,700
He only has your best interests at heart.

422
00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:48,660
So don't doubt God's goodness.

423
00:19:52,830 --> 00:19:57,780
And of course, As I said before, if
you occasionally doubt God's goodness,

424
00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,529
and you struggle with it, and you
have a battle with your doubt, it

425
00:20:01,530 --> 00:20:02,879
doesn't mean you're going to hell.

426
00:20:03,580 --> 00:20:05,250
Okay, make that very clear.

427
00:20:05,669 --> 00:20:08,490
You are not going to hell if
you occasionally doubt God.

428
00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:11,599
Yes, we're all good on that?

429
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,139
Special PJ would say north south.

430
00:20:15,270 --> 00:20:15,659
All right.

431
00:20:16,460 --> 00:20:19,520
So, occasional doubts.

432
00:20:20,509 --> 00:20:21,679
does not mean you're going to hell.

433
00:20:21,949 --> 00:20:25,519
But if your life is characterized
by rejection of God's word,

434
00:20:25,529 --> 00:20:29,229
saying, God, that's, I don't,
I don't want your commands.

435
00:20:29,459 --> 00:20:30,279
They're not good for me.

436
00:20:30,629 --> 00:20:32,219
God, I don't want what you have to say.

437
00:20:32,219 --> 00:20:33,870
I don't want your desire for my life.

438
00:20:33,870 --> 00:20:34,949
I don't want your worldview.

439
00:20:34,959 --> 00:20:37,689
I don't want to believe
what, what you say.

440
00:20:39,029 --> 00:20:40,379
I don't take you at your word.

441
00:20:40,379 --> 00:20:45,469
Well, then that character and that
pattern of thought will lead you away

442
00:20:45,469 --> 00:20:48,639
from God and to eternal destruction.

443
00:20:48,790 --> 00:20:56,850
So, God only wants good things for us,
so he never gives us anything bad for us.

444
00:20:57,129 --> 00:20:59,350
And that's when you need to remind
yourself, when you feel like you

445
00:20:59,350 --> 00:21:01,029
got something bad from God, right?

446
00:21:01,410 --> 00:21:03,560
So a lot of kids, when their
dad gives them bread, they're

447
00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,300
like, No, dad, I want sugar.

448
00:21:05,899 --> 00:21:06,549
Right?

449
00:21:08,460 --> 00:21:10,879
You feel like, man, my dad's
not giving me what I want.

450
00:21:12,189 --> 00:21:13,970
Well, your dad's giving
you something good for you.

451
00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:15,460
Because he loves you.

452
00:21:16,090 --> 00:21:21,465
And even if it's not what you want,
it's Better for you than what you want.

453
00:21:21,465 --> 00:21:24,385
We talked about this two weeks
ago when we talked about anxiety.

454
00:21:25,025 --> 00:21:25,395
James 4

455
00:21:27,885 --> 00:21:29,025
Has an interesting take on prayer.

456
00:21:29,025 --> 00:21:33,014
He says you don't have because you don't
ask so if you're like man I wish I had

457
00:21:33,015 --> 00:21:34,505
this but James is like hey pray for it.

458
00:21:34,515 --> 00:21:35,315
That's your fault.

459
00:21:35,315 --> 00:21:38,125
You don't have that's convicting, right?

460
00:21:38,965 --> 00:21:40,435
You don't have it because
you didn't pray for it.

461
00:21:41,205 --> 00:21:43,794
If you still don't have it, even
though you've asked well, guess what?

462
00:21:44,314 --> 00:21:47,509
It's because you asked it wrongly
Because you were being selfish.

463
00:21:47,590 --> 00:21:48,039
See that?

464
00:21:48,509 --> 00:21:50,779
Your passions, your desires, your kingdom.

465
00:21:51,790 --> 00:21:53,000
That's why you asked and did that.

466
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,290
That's why your prayer didn't work.

467
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,940
Because it wasn't for God, it was for you.

468
00:21:57,209 --> 00:21:58,180
That's what James is saying.

469
00:22:01,199 --> 00:22:05,579
When God doesn't answer the, the prayers
the way you, you want them to be answered,

470
00:22:06,210 --> 00:22:08,270
you should ask that, that question of why.

471
00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:09,460
Is this, is this for me?

472
00:22:10,020 --> 00:22:10,740
Or is this for God?

473
00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:15,879
You should also ask the question, when God
doesn't answer the prayer I want the way I

474
00:22:15,879 --> 00:22:22,140
want, Is it maybe because he has something
better in mind than what I'm asking for?

475
00:22:24,770 --> 00:22:26,180
Raise your hand if you're smarter than God

476
00:22:29,209 --> 00:22:35,019
So if you didn't get what you wanted from
God Maybe it's because God's smarter than

477
00:22:35,020 --> 00:22:36,439
you and God's like, hey, you know what?

478
00:22:37,189 --> 00:22:40,830
I know that if I give them that
that would be bad for them or maybe

479
00:22:40,860 --> 00:22:41,830
he just is like, you know what?

480
00:22:41,870 --> 00:22:44,750
That's not bad, but I have
something even better.

481
00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,919
I Have something way better for you Right?

482
00:22:48,919 --> 00:22:51,739
I don't want you to eat the snacks at 3 p.

483
00:22:51,739 --> 00:22:52,010
m.

484
00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:53,540
because we're going to Hutchins at 5 p.

485
00:22:53,540 --> 00:22:53,729
m.

486
00:22:53,870 --> 00:22:54,189
Right?

487
00:22:55,229 --> 00:22:57,530
Maybe that's what God has in
mind, but you're like, it's 3 p.

488
00:22:57,530 --> 00:22:57,709
m.

489
00:22:57,709 --> 00:22:58,580
God, and I'm hungry.

490
00:22:58,580 --> 00:22:59,429
I want my snacks.

491
00:22:59,610 --> 00:23:02,469
God's like, you're gonna ruin the
amazing thing I have for you later.

492
00:23:03,860 --> 00:23:05,070
That also could be the case.

493
00:23:06,389 --> 00:23:09,429
So maybe it would be better for
you not to give you what you want.

494
00:23:10,419 --> 00:23:12,979
So when you're praying for something,
you're like, no, it's not happening.

495
00:23:14,219 --> 00:23:16,629
Well, maybe God's like, hey, I
got something better for you.

496
00:23:16,709 --> 00:23:17,019
So.

497
00:23:18,124 --> 00:23:18,504
Chill out.

498
00:23:18,504 --> 00:23:19,014
It's okay.

499
00:23:19,074 --> 00:23:19,354
Trust me.

500
00:23:19,574 --> 00:23:19,944
Right?

501
00:23:20,654 --> 00:23:24,745
Or maybe, here's a thought, it would
be better for you to keep on asking.

502
00:23:26,375 --> 00:23:29,935
Maybe it would be better for you to keep
asking because you'll be a better person

503
00:23:29,945 --> 00:23:31,804
by the end of the time you're done asking.

504
00:23:32,264 --> 00:23:33,254
You'll be more patient.

505
00:23:33,435 --> 00:23:34,234
You'll be more kind.

506
00:23:34,234 --> 00:23:34,964
You'll be more loving.

507
00:23:34,975 --> 00:23:36,004
You'll trust God more.

508
00:23:36,225 --> 00:23:38,605
You'll have a better story
of God's faithfulness.

509
00:23:39,655 --> 00:23:41,235
Maybe that's why God lets you keep asking.

510
00:23:41,365 --> 00:23:44,744
Because you asking changes you.

511
00:23:44,744 --> 00:23:45,294
It shapes you.

512
00:23:45,354 --> 00:23:46,704
It grows your dependence on God.

513
00:23:47,299 --> 00:23:49,519
It grows you into a more content person.

514
00:23:50,379 --> 00:23:53,009
And those things are even more
valuable, maybe, than the thing

515
00:23:53,019 --> 00:23:54,329
you're asking for in the first place.

516
00:23:57,089 --> 00:24:01,859
So, sometimes the period of asking
shapes you and it makes you better.

517
00:24:02,249 --> 00:24:06,539
So now you get the thing you
want later, and you're a more

518
00:24:06,539 --> 00:24:07,919
Christ like person as a result.

519
00:24:08,199 --> 00:24:10,619
You're a more joyful person, you're
a more peaceful person, you're a

520
00:24:10,619 --> 00:24:12,329
more kind person, a gentle person.

521
00:24:13,429 --> 00:24:14,649
And that lasts forever.

522
00:24:16,350 --> 00:24:16,719
So.

523
00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,560
So, don't doubt God's goodness
because you remember that God

524
00:24:20,590 --> 00:24:22,800
only wants what's good for you.

525
00:24:24,199 --> 00:24:28,189
So, if I have all of God's
resources at my disposal, right,

526
00:24:28,239 --> 00:24:30,019
God's available, I can ask Him.

527
00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,629
I can look for Him, and I can
bother Him when I can't find Him.

528
00:24:35,449 --> 00:24:37,850
And He, so I'll have all His
resources at my disposal.

529
00:24:37,860 --> 00:24:39,620
He's intensely committed to my good.

530
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,130
God is a loving Father.

531
00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:46,305
He wants what's best for Can't I just
then be selfish and do whatever I want?

532
00:24:46,514 --> 00:24:50,504
God's my, you know, I can be a spoiled
kid, rich dad, do whatever I want, right?

533
00:24:50,665 --> 00:24:53,365
Well, look where Jesus goes next.

534
00:24:53,465 --> 00:24:54,545
Matthew 7, 12.

535
00:24:54,575 --> 00:24:55,645
Jesus is so smart.

536
00:24:55,895 --> 00:24:59,504
He's put all of these things
together, right, as we're asking them.

537
00:24:59,514 --> 00:25:00,245
So, verse 12.

538
00:25:01,524 --> 00:25:02,925
I'll put it on the
screen so you can see it.

539
00:25:02,974 --> 00:25:03,445
That'll help.

540
00:25:03,895 --> 00:25:09,804
So, that whatever you wish that others
would do to you, do also to them,

541
00:25:09,804 --> 00:25:13,514
for this is the law and the prophets.

542
00:25:14,955 --> 00:25:17,175
Now see that word, so, at the beginning?

543
00:25:18,975 --> 00:25:21,805
That's the most important
word in this sentence.

544
00:25:22,675 --> 00:25:25,975
That word, so, connects this to
what we were just talking about.

545
00:25:27,095 --> 00:25:27,825
Means therefore.

546
00:25:28,415 --> 00:25:31,614
So you can pray, you have
unhindered access to God.

547
00:25:31,644 --> 00:25:35,405
You can pray, you can ask, you
can seek, you can knock, and you

548
00:25:35,405 --> 00:25:36,524
know that God's a loving Father.

549
00:25:36,524 --> 00:25:37,784
He gives you what's good for you.

550
00:25:37,785 --> 00:25:44,444
Therefore, whatever you wish
others would do to you, do to them.

551
00:25:46,875 --> 00:25:50,235
So because you know, God's
going to take care of you and

552
00:25:50,235 --> 00:25:51,125
God's going to be good to you.

553
00:25:52,574 --> 00:25:55,514
Now, you don't have to worry
about yourself anymore.

554
00:25:56,405 --> 00:26:02,745
God has freed you up to go follow him,
to go love others, to give yourself away

555
00:26:02,875 --> 00:26:07,324
for the good of other people, because
you can trust him to take care of you.

556
00:26:08,584 --> 00:26:10,865
You see that God wants
to help you obey him.

557
00:26:12,285 --> 00:26:15,385
You see that God's not like, all right,
I really need you to love others.

558
00:26:16,230 --> 00:26:17,340
So do your best.

559
00:26:17,540 --> 00:26:18,000
Have fun.

560
00:26:18,690 --> 00:26:19,340
Ready, set, go.

561
00:26:21,190 --> 00:26:22,030
That's not what God's doing.

562
00:26:22,030 --> 00:26:25,680
God's saying, look, I'll take
care of all the stuff so you

563
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,100
can go out and love others.

564
00:26:27,370 --> 00:26:30,080
But when you, when, when you're
loving others, I'll take care of you.

565
00:26:30,250 --> 00:26:31,060
I'll supply you.

566
00:26:31,450 --> 00:26:32,409
I'll be good to you.

567
00:26:33,569 --> 00:26:35,490
I'm available to help you love others.

568
00:26:35,850 --> 00:26:38,480
I'll give you everything you
need while you're doing that.

569
00:26:38,580 --> 00:26:40,620
But that's where you're, that's
where I want your focus to be.

570
00:26:40,620 --> 00:26:41,890
But God wants to help you.

571
00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:45,890
God's not sitting there being
like, Oh, do my, do my commands.

572
00:26:48,044 --> 00:26:48,715
You're on your own.

573
00:26:49,395 --> 00:26:52,975
And see, this is all the, this
is the law and the prophets.

574
00:26:52,985 --> 00:26:57,084
Jesus is saying the whole
Bible is about loving others.

575
00:26:57,104 --> 00:26:57,894
Isn't that crazy?

576
00:26:58,455 --> 00:26:59,984
If someone asked you what's
the whole Bible about, you'd

577
00:26:59,985 --> 00:27:00,894
probably say loving God.

578
00:27:02,074 --> 00:27:03,244
Jesus is saying it's about loving others.

579
00:27:03,274 --> 00:27:07,004
We're going to look at what
in the world that means.

580
00:27:07,195 --> 00:27:11,715
But our, I should have had this,
this would have helped so much

581
00:27:11,715 --> 00:27:13,485
to explain what I just explained.

582
00:27:13,485 --> 00:27:14,614
Wouldn't that have been so helpful?

583
00:27:14,614 --> 00:27:18,540
I'll That's why they have the thing
where like you can see the next

584
00:27:18,540 --> 00:27:21,439
slide, you know, but rookie move.

585
00:27:21,719 --> 00:27:24,959
Okay, point three, God
equips you to follow Him.

586
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:29,529
So, don't disregard God's wisdom.

587
00:27:30,789 --> 00:27:31,969
God equips you to follow Him.

588
00:27:31,979 --> 00:27:34,189
God is saying, look, I
will take care of you.

589
00:27:35,289 --> 00:27:39,649
I will supply all your needs so
that you can go love other people.

590
00:27:40,159 --> 00:27:41,909
I want you to do the law and the prophets.

591
00:27:41,909 --> 00:27:46,259
I want you to love people, which is
actually what my whole Bible's been about.

592
00:27:48,389 --> 00:27:50,379
So, trust God.

593
00:27:50,729 --> 00:27:51,790
God knows what's best for you.

594
00:27:51,829 --> 00:27:54,240
You know, if the whole Bible
comes down to loving other

595
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,429
people, maybe that's a good idea.

596
00:27:57,035 --> 00:27:57,905
Maybe I should do that.

597
00:27:57,925 --> 00:27:59,335
That's, that's what we're saying here.

598
00:27:59,335 --> 00:28:00,905
Don't disregard God's wisdom.

599
00:28:01,325 --> 00:28:05,795
God is saying, my law
is the best way to live.

600
00:28:06,955 --> 00:28:11,785
See, looking down on law, on God, and
not taking what he says seriously, and

601
00:28:11,795 --> 00:28:15,985
thinking you know a better way to live,
that's another easy way to go to hell.

602
00:28:17,985 --> 00:28:20,385
If you're saying, you know what God, I
know you want me to love other people,

603
00:28:21,125 --> 00:28:25,005
but I think I should do life this way.

604
00:28:27,330 --> 00:28:33,120
If you're saying, God, I know that, you
know, all of history has kind of like,

605
00:28:33,990 --> 00:28:38,409
you know, you've orchestrated it and you
made me and you know how I work and you

606
00:28:38,420 --> 00:28:42,769
know what's good for me, but I don't know.

607
00:28:42,779 --> 00:28:44,059
I don't feel like loving other people.

608
00:28:45,870 --> 00:28:47,055
That's disregarding God's wisdom.

609
00:28:47,055 --> 00:28:49,870
That's what you're doing when you're
saying, God, I know better than you.

610
00:28:49,870 --> 00:28:51,130
I don't want to do your commands.

611
00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:56,240
Not thinking that you know a
better way to live than God.

612
00:28:57,025 --> 00:28:58,045
It's also not very unique.

613
00:28:58,115 --> 00:29:02,025
I'm sure millions of people have done
that and they would all tell you They were

614
00:29:02,025 --> 00:29:06,445
wrong So god equips you to follow him.

615
00:29:06,505 --> 00:29:10,375
So don't disregard his wisdom Well
first thing we can learn from verse 12

616
00:29:10,375 --> 00:29:14,764
here is that god thinks other centered
living is essential to following him

617
00:29:15,135 --> 00:29:19,655
Remember, this is all the law and the
prophets If you're not loving other

618
00:29:19,655 --> 00:29:25,705
people if you're not focused on loving
other people then You're disobeying

619
00:29:26,285 --> 00:29:29,605
Everything That's what Jesus is saying.

620
00:29:30,715 --> 00:29:31,985
You're breaking all the law.

621
00:29:32,015 --> 00:29:35,905
You're disregarding the whole bible
if you're not loving other people.

622
00:29:40,275 --> 00:29:45,545
And see this, this idea, it's looking
for what's best for others, right?

623
00:29:45,555 --> 00:29:47,045
It's not just, oh, I won't bother you.

624
00:29:47,445 --> 00:29:49,194
It's, oh, I'm looking
for what's best for you.

625
00:29:49,195 --> 00:29:53,754
I'm actively engaged in loving you
and thinking about how I can do this.

626
00:29:55,064 --> 00:29:57,184
Now, one more thing, pause.

627
00:29:57,274 --> 00:30:00,474
You don't love other people
to gain favor with God.

628
00:30:01,065 --> 00:30:03,865
Or to gain good standing with God, right?

629
00:30:04,175 --> 00:30:08,575
If you're loving other people, it
doesn't make you more acceptable to God.

630
00:30:09,185 --> 00:30:11,435
If you're really good at caring
for people, it doesn't make you

631
00:30:11,435 --> 00:30:12,634
more acceptable to God, okay?

632
00:30:13,274 --> 00:30:15,464
Or if you're having a hard time
loving someone, does that mean

633
00:30:15,465 --> 00:30:16,124
you're going to go to hell?

634
00:30:17,425 --> 00:30:18,835
No, right?

635
00:30:19,635 --> 00:30:22,905
Struggling to obey God, but
pushing through, persevering,

636
00:30:22,905 --> 00:30:27,465
trying, is very different than
saying, God, your law is stupid.

637
00:30:29,410 --> 00:30:30,390
I don't want that.

638
00:30:30,950 --> 00:30:32,670
That's a, there's two
very different things.

639
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:34,810
So,

640
00:30:37,090 --> 00:30:42,129
this passage here also assumes that
God knows the best way to love others.

641
00:30:43,410 --> 00:30:45,820
That God, because think
about what we just read.

642
00:30:46,739 --> 00:30:52,730
All the law and the prophets
mean, like, loving other people.

643
00:30:53,150 --> 00:30:58,560
So that means that God's word is how
you, shows you how to love other people.

644
00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:00,090
Did you catch that?

645
00:31:03,115 --> 00:31:04,795
This is all a law in the prophets.

646
00:31:04,915 --> 00:31:05,405
What is?

647
00:31:06,305 --> 00:31:08,465
Do unto others as you'd
have them do unto you.

648
00:31:09,125 --> 00:31:09,565
Right?

649
00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:16,425
So, God made up how to love other people.

650
00:31:16,435 --> 00:31:17,325
That's God's idea.

651
00:31:17,664 --> 00:31:19,625
God explains how to do that in his word.

652
00:31:19,845 --> 00:31:22,145
So God shows us how to love other people.

653
00:31:22,655 --> 00:31:23,315
Not us.

654
00:31:23,395 --> 00:31:27,445
We don't get to say, You know what God,
I think we should love other people

655
00:31:27,535 --> 00:31:29,064
by not sharing the gospel with them.

656
00:31:29,294 --> 00:31:32,475
We should never tell them
That, that they need Jesus.

657
00:31:33,005 --> 00:31:34,355
That would be way more loving, God.

658
00:31:35,565 --> 00:31:37,235
God's like, no, that's, that's not loving.

659
00:31:37,245 --> 00:31:38,535
That's actually really hateful.

660
00:31:39,355 --> 00:31:43,124
To withhold salvation from someone because
you're scared to share the gospel, right?

661
00:31:43,654 --> 00:31:45,375
So, here's the thing.

662
00:31:45,824 --> 00:31:49,015
You might have heard about
something called the Platinum Rule.

663
00:31:49,045 --> 00:31:50,605
We just talked about,
right, the Golden Rule.

664
00:31:50,605 --> 00:31:51,895
Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.

665
00:31:52,215 --> 00:31:54,675
You might have heard something
called the Platinum Rule.

666
00:31:56,045 --> 00:31:58,294
So the Golden Rule, treat others
as you would want to be treated.

667
00:31:58,624 --> 00:32:02,870
The Platinum Rule, which is really
cool and trendy now, Is treat

668
00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:04,610
others as they want to be treated.

669
00:32:04,610 --> 00:32:05,380
Isn't that better?

670
00:32:05,420 --> 00:32:07,050
Isn't that more focused on them?

671
00:32:07,810 --> 00:32:09,910
It's not treat others how
you want to be treated.

672
00:32:10,130 --> 00:32:11,740
It's focused, it's focused on them.

673
00:32:11,740 --> 00:32:13,420
It's how do they want to treat?

674
00:32:13,420 --> 00:32:14,269
What do they want?

675
00:32:14,330 --> 00:32:15,640
I want to do that, right?

676
00:32:15,649 --> 00:32:18,280
Because if you're treating others how
you want to be treated, and you really

677
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,230
like chocolate, but they're allergic
to chocolate, and you get them a

678
00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:22,130
chocolate dessert, that's not loving.

679
00:32:22,380 --> 00:32:25,390
Because you weren't considerate,
and you weren't kind, right?

680
00:32:26,220 --> 00:32:27,710
You're like, okay, that's got a point.

681
00:32:27,730 --> 00:32:28,420
We got a point there.

682
00:32:28,865 --> 00:32:31,695
I need to know other people
and do what they want, okay?

683
00:32:33,915 --> 00:32:38,235
There's a point to that, but here's the
problem with, with the Platinum Rule.

684
00:32:39,934 --> 00:32:43,204
So, See, I can even come up with
a fancy heading and everything.

685
00:32:43,745 --> 00:32:46,235
Jesus is smarter than everybody.

686
00:32:46,304 --> 00:32:47,724
Whoa, breaking news.

687
00:32:47,765 --> 00:32:49,674
So the Golden Rule is better than
the Platinum Rule because what's

688
00:32:49,674 --> 00:32:50,554
the Platinum Rule really saying?

689
00:32:50,564 --> 00:32:51,184
Look at number one.

690
00:32:51,664 --> 00:32:53,544
Before you start writing, just look, okay?

691
00:32:53,834 --> 00:32:55,144
Pause the writing and just look.

692
00:32:55,940 --> 00:32:59,440
The Platinum Rule is really just
saying give people whatever they

693
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:01,070
want, even if it's bad for them.

694
00:33:03,290 --> 00:33:06,720
Because, what if you applied
the Platinum Rule to parenting?

695
00:33:08,429 --> 00:33:10,100
Treat others how they want to be treated.

696
00:33:11,780 --> 00:33:13,630
I don't think any kids would survive.

697
00:33:14,419 --> 00:33:15,290
Like, at all.

698
00:33:16,750 --> 00:33:18,560
Treat the kids how they
want to be treated.

699
00:33:19,730 --> 00:33:20,570
That's not happening.

700
00:33:20,650 --> 00:33:21,000
Right?

701
00:33:21,210 --> 00:33:23,945
Remember two weeks ago we talked about
Levi and Angelo and Levi's jacket.

702
00:33:23,945 --> 00:33:25,190
Levi didn't want his jacket.

703
00:33:25,815 --> 00:33:28,575
But Levi didn't know that if he didn't
have a jacket he was going to die of

704
00:33:28,615 --> 00:33:30,345
pneumonia because he's going to get cold,

705
00:33:32,645 --> 00:33:32,985
right?

706
00:33:33,225 --> 00:33:35,785
So the Platinum Rule is really
just saying, give people what they

707
00:33:35,785 --> 00:33:36,865
want, even if it's bad for them.

708
00:33:36,865 --> 00:33:39,095
Just affirm whatever desires they have.

709
00:33:41,055 --> 00:33:42,585
That's really bad.

710
00:33:43,764 --> 00:33:45,554
Because what if I want
something that's bad for me?

711
00:33:45,565 --> 00:33:48,225
See, aren't you glad that God doesn't
always give you what you want?

712
00:33:49,335 --> 00:33:50,455
Because we're all broken.

713
00:33:50,455 --> 00:33:51,805
We all want sin sometimes.

714
00:33:51,825 --> 00:33:52,895
We all want poison.

715
00:33:53,185 --> 00:33:55,685
It looks good on the outside, and
then we drink it and die, right?

716
00:33:55,705 --> 00:33:56,195
That's sin.

717
00:33:58,285 --> 00:34:00,775
So, the Platinum Rule really isn't loving.

718
00:34:01,855 --> 00:34:05,855
The Golden Rule asks you to put
yourself in their shoes, because

719
00:34:05,995 --> 00:34:11,135
you would want them to put them
in your shoes, wouldn't you?

720
00:34:11,784 --> 00:34:12,054
Right?

721
00:34:12,054 --> 00:34:14,665
If, it would, our chocolate illustration,
right, you have to go, I really like

722
00:34:14,675 --> 00:34:18,835
chocolate, and you're allergic to
chocolate, but I'm like, I love chocolate,

723
00:34:18,835 --> 00:34:22,635
I bet Pastrata would love chocolate
for his birthday next Wednesday.

724
00:34:23,264 --> 00:34:26,005
So I would be like, Oh, I'll get
Pastor Rod a bunch of chocolate.

725
00:34:26,014 --> 00:34:30,065
And let's say Pastor Rod is very
unfortunate and has a very large cross

726
00:34:30,074 --> 00:34:31,385
to bear and he's allergic to chocolate.

727
00:34:31,605 --> 00:34:35,034
And he can't taste chocolate until he gets
to heaven, when everything's chocolate.

728
00:34:35,034 --> 00:34:35,324
Just kidding.

729
00:34:35,514 --> 00:34:40,175
Um, but it would be unloving for
me to get Pastor Rod chocolate if

730
00:34:40,175 --> 00:34:41,165
he's allergic to chocolate, right?

731
00:34:42,154 --> 00:34:43,425
Yes, because that would be torture.

732
00:34:43,425 --> 00:34:50,455
But, if I really thought about it,
if I really treated Pastor Rod how I

733
00:34:50,455 --> 00:34:51,204
would want to be treated, I wouldn't.

734
00:34:51,565 --> 00:34:55,895
If I was Pasterado and I was allergic
to chocolate, I would want Lewis

735
00:34:56,235 --> 00:35:00,005
to find out that Pasterado was
allergic to chocolate and get him

736
00:35:00,005 --> 00:35:02,075
something not chocolate, right?

737
00:35:02,525 --> 00:35:05,335
So see how the Golden Rule
still is actually better?

738
00:35:06,075 --> 00:35:08,864
Because if you treat them how you
want to be treated, you're going

739
00:35:08,865 --> 00:35:14,105
to treat them with everything that
the Platinum Rule says is better

740
00:35:14,105 --> 00:35:15,085
than the Golden Rule, right?

741
00:35:16,170 --> 00:35:17,270
Look here at Philippians 2, 3.

742
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:20,500
Do nothing from selfish ambition or
conceit, that means to seem better

743
00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:24,779
than you are, but in humility, this
will say count, like, count, like,

744
00:35:24,779 --> 00:35:26,509
um, the Sesame Street guy, right?

745
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:27,280
One.

746
00:35:27,620 --> 00:35:28,949
Ah, ah.

747
00:35:28,950 --> 00:35:29,180
Okay.

748
00:35:29,390 --> 00:35:33,269
Um, but in humility, count others
more significant than yourself.

749
00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,910
And then it goes on to say, don't
look out for your own interests, but

750
00:35:36,910 --> 00:35:38,290
look out for the interests of others.

751
00:35:38,910 --> 00:35:42,479
So really the golden rule is still more
other centered than the platinum rule.

752
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,950
Because you're saying, okay,
how would I want to be treated?

753
00:35:45,585 --> 00:35:48,375
I would want that, I would
want someone to be thoughtful.

754
00:35:48,835 --> 00:35:50,825
I'd want them to think about my desires.

755
00:35:51,205 --> 00:35:54,354
I'd want them to give me something that's
good for me, even if I don't like it.

756
00:35:55,064 --> 00:35:56,275
I would want them to help me.

757
00:35:56,635 --> 00:35:59,545
I wouldn't want them to just
put up a facade and say that

758
00:35:59,575 --> 00:36:00,895
everything in my life is okay.

759
00:36:01,905 --> 00:36:03,515
Pastor Rod told me something
once when I was in high school.

760
00:36:03,515 --> 00:36:06,095
He said, A good friend
stabs you in the front.

761
00:36:08,475 --> 00:36:09,455
There's something wrong with you.

762
00:36:09,805 --> 00:36:10,855
You want your friend to tell you.

763
00:36:11,665 --> 00:36:13,775
You want your friend to be like, Oh,
well, I don't want to offend them.

764
00:36:13,775 --> 00:36:15,445
So I'm not going to tell him.

765
00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:20,080
That, you know, they're
a really unkind person.

766
00:36:21,370 --> 00:36:24,760
Would you want your friend to tell you
that and and help and help you grow with?

767
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:26,080
Yeah, you would.

768
00:36:27,450 --> 00:36:30,690
So the golden rule is actually way
more loving than the platinum rule,

769
00:36:30,690 --> 00:36:37,110
and Jesus is a genius even if people
are trying not to believe that.

770
00:36:37,110 --> 00:36:40,290
So God knows the best way to love others.

771
00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:40,910
Right?

772
00:36:40,910 --> 00:36:43,660
The Golden Rule is better
than the Platinum Rule.

773
00:36:43,690 --> 00:36:47,380
The Platinum Rule is just catering
to whatever people desire.

774
00:36:47,380 --> 00:36:52,720
So, the next thing, number three
down there, God must be loved

775
00:36:52,739 --> 00:36:54,430
first in order to love others well.

776
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,409
Because, right, loving others
is the law and the promise.

777
00:36:57,409 --> 00:37:02,890
Well, if you ask someone, what's the whole
Bible about, they would say, loving God.

778
00:37:03,370 --> 00:37:04,690
Yes, that is true.

779
00:37:04,700 --> 00:37:05,670
It is about loving God.

780
00:37:06,300 --> 00:37:08,040
That means that loving God, right?

781
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:08,690
What did Jesus say?

782
00:37:08,860 --> 00:37:09,750
What's the best commandment?

783
00:37:09,790 --> 00:37:10,810
What's the greatest commandment?

784
00:37:11,450 --> 00:37:13,720
Love God with everything you've got.

785
00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:14,630
Right?

786
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:16,980
Well, that's the best way to love others.

787
00:37:17,220 --> 00:37:20,559
Because if the whole Bible is about, like,
the greatest commandment is about love

788
00:37:20,559 --> 00:37:24,900
God with everything you've got, and the
whole Bible is also about loving others

789
00:37:24,900 --> 00:37:30,160
as you would want to be loved, well, then
that means that loving God with everything

790
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,850
you've got is the best way to love others.

791
00:37:33,730 --> 00:37:34,260
See that?

792
00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:37,230
Because it's the same thing.

793
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:41,360
The Bible can't be, the main point of
the Bible can't be two things, right?

794
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:46,440
So that means loving God with everything
you've got is the best way to love others.

795
00:37:48,709 --> 00:37:52,290
So you love others best
when you love God most.

796
00:37:55,259 --> 00:38:02,430
When I got married, the first vow
I promised my wife was that I would

797
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,999
pursue Jesus more than I pursued her.

798
00:38:06,550 --> 00:38:08,220
I would love Jesus more than I loved her.

799
00:38:08,900 --> 00:38:11,759
Because if I love her more than I
love Jesus, guess what she's is?

800
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:12,380
She's an idol.

801
00:38:13,590 --> 00:38:16,359
And she's not supposed to be an
idol because that's bad for her.

802
00:38:17,020 --> 00:38:18,720
If my life's about her,
that's bad for her.

803
00:38:19,549 --> 00:38:21,100
But if my life's about
Jesus, that's good for her.

804
00:38:22,569 --> 00:38:25,210
So you love other people
best when you love God most.

805
00:38:25,420 --> 00:38:29,710
And, this is the genius of what Jesus
is saying, the deeper your relationship

806
00:38:29,710 --> 00:38:32,960
with God, the more like God you become.

807
00:38:33,190 --> 00:38:35,710
And then you become more like
a loving father from verses

808
00:38:35,775 --> 00:38:40,145
Verses 8, 9, or 9, 10, and 11.

809
00:38:41,005 --> 00:38:42,545
I haven't taken math in like 6 years.

810
00:38:42,965 --> 00:38:44,715
Um, verses 9, 10, 11.

811
00:38:44,764 --> 00:38:46,495
The loving father who gives good things.

812
00:38:46,855 --> 00:38:48,624
Because you have a closer
relationship with God.

813
00:38:48,745 --> 00:38:51,934
So now you love other people
more like God loves them.

814
00:38:52,174 --> 00:38:53,815
So now you're even better for them.

815
00:38:54,564 --> 00:38:58,585
So you see how loving God more makes
you more like God, which actually makes

816
00:38:58,585 --> 00:39:01,015
you better at loving other people.

817
00:39:01,705 --> 00:39:05,745
So the best way to love God, Or the
best way to love others is to love

818
00:39:05,745 --> 00:39:11,115
God, because then you become more
like the loving Father that God is.

819
00:39:13,445 --> 00:39:19,885
Fourthly, God thinks other centered
living is essential for your happiness.

820
00:39:21,475 --> 00:39:23,675
God thinks other centered
living is essential.

821
00:39:24,405 --> 00:39:29,895
You won't be happy unless you love
other people and count their interests

822
00:39:29,895 --> 00:39:31,715
as more significant than yourselves.

823
00:39:33,055 --> 00:39:38,295
You will not be happy, unless you
love other people more than yourself.

824
00:39:38,335 --> 00:39:39,235
That's what Jesus is saying.

825
00:39:41,234 --> 00:39:42,005
How did we get there?

826
00:39:42,005 --> 00:39:51,755
Well, remember what Jesus has
said this whole sermon is about.

827
00:39:52,035 --> 00:39:53,479
Remember how Jesus started this sermon?

828
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,900
He started with blessing, right?

829
00:39:55,900 --> 00:39:56,650
Sermon on the Mount.

830
00:39:57,010 --> 00:40:00,500
He's the new Moses coming down
the mountain with, instead of Ten

831
00:40:00,500 --> 00:40:02,890
Commandments, he's got Beatitudes.

832
00:40:02,930 --> 00:40:04,050
He has blessing.

833
00:40:04,970 --> 00:40:08,059
And so he's saying that, and then he
goes on, he talks about the law, right?

834
00:40:08,060 --> 00:40:10,269
He says, You've heard it
said, but I say to you.

835
00:40:10,589 --> 00:40:12,380
So he's got a better law.

836
00:40:12,710 --> 00:40:14,390
The true intention of the law.

837
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:16,200
Of God's law and prophets.

838
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:18,940
He's saying, Here it is,
and it brings blessing.

839
00:40:19,030 --> 00:40:20,000
Because it's from the heart.

840
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:20,180
Amen.

841
00:40:21,685 --> 00:40:25,715
And so the blessed life that Jesus
has been describing, this whole

842
00:40:25,715 --> 00:40:31,395
sermon, about being pure, about
not being angry, about laying up

843
00:40:31,395 --> 00:40:37,865
treasures in heaven, about not being
anxious, that's part of loving others.

844
00:40:38,394 --> 00:40:42,005
So loving others is
essential for your happiness.

845
00:40:44,265 --> 00:40:51,195
Now, again, if you're struggling to
love others, but you're trying, Does

846
00:40:51,195 --> 00:40:52,065
that mean you're gonna go to hell?

847
00:40:53,355 --> 00:40:54,675
No, right?

848
00:40:55,255 --> 00:41:02,624
But, loving others is an extension
of your reliance on the Lord.

849
00:41:03,584 --> 00:41:05,475
You aren't obeying to get to heaven.

850
00:41:07,035 --> 00:41:11,075
Obeying doesn't get you
closer to, to heaven.

851
00:41:11,735 --> 00:41:13,685
You're obeying out of trust.

852
00:41:14,025 --> 00:41:17,835
That your good loving father
has your best interest in mind.

853
00:41:17,855 --> 00:41:21,425
Because remember, the reason
we love is because we know

854
00:41:21,425 --> 00:41:23,015
that God is providing for us.

855
00:41:23,015 --> 00:41:26,934
And so that overflows
into a love for others.

856
00:41:28,835 --> 00:41:31,615
So when Jesus says, The whole
law and prophets is summed up in

857
00:41:31,624 --> 00:41:33,065
love your neighbor as yourself.

858
00:41:33,395 --> 00:41:38,285
He's saying that living for the good
of others is the best way to live.

859
00:41:38,295 --> 00:41:41,875
So he's presenting his disciples
with the heart of God's law.

860
00:41:42,845 --> 00:41:47,325
Which, as we've seen, is the path to
life, to joy, to peace, to security.

861
00:41:47,875 --> 00:41:52,384
So the law, loving others,
is the path to life.

862
00:41:54,874 --> 00:41:59,475
Now the last two verses in this
passage start a new section

863
00:41:59,514 --> 00:42:00,675
in the Sermon on the Mount.

864
00:42:00,964 --> 00:42:01,884
The final section.

865
00:42:02,255 --> 00:42:04,645
In this section, Jesus is
going to give you two choices.

866
00:42:05,295 --> 00:42:07,985
He gives, in these two verses,
you'll see he gives two paths.

867
00:42:08,335 --> 00:42:10,695
And then next week we'll see
that he gives you two prophets.

868
00:42:11,650 --> 00:42:13,980
Or two kinds of, of tree, if you will.

869
00:42:13,990 --> 00:42:14,920
Different kinds of fruit.

870
00:42:15,230 --> 00:42:18,860
And then he'll give you two
foundations to build your life on.

871
00:42:20,110 --> 00:42:21,630
Jesus is giving you a choice.

872
00:42:23,220 --> 00:42:27,270
Look with me at Matthew 7, 13 and 14.

873
00:42:29,050 --> 00:42:31,110
Enter by the narrow gate.

874
00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:35,480
For the gate is wide and the way
is easy that leads to destruction.

875
00:42:35,710 --> 00:42:38,370
And those who enter by it are many.

876
00:42:38,370 --> 00:42:38,540
Amen.

877
00:42:39,290 --> 00:42:42,900
For the gate is narrow, and the
way is hard, that leads to life,

878
00:42:43,590 --> 00:42:45,960
and those who find it are few.

879
00:42:48,060 --> 00:42:50,569
So there's two options here, right?

880
00:42:50,569 --> 00:42:51,019
You see that?

881
00:42:51,020 --> 00:42:51,720
Verse 13.

882
00:42:51,989 --> 00:42:55,580
There's a wide, easy way, and
there's a narrow, hard way.

883
00:42:56,970 --> 00:42:58,740
The difference is where they go.

884
00:43:01,130 --> 00:43:05,200
Now I want you to see, not just the
seriousness of this, I do want you to

885
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:09,430
see that, but I also want you to see that
God is helping you pick the right one.

886
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:13,410
Cause he's making it really
obvious which one you should pick.

887
00:43:14,210 --> 00:43:16,450
One of them, destruction.

888
00:43:16,940 --> 00:43:18,580
One of them, life.

889
00:43:19,670 --> 00:43:22,199
So God is offering you life.

890
00:43:22,199 --> 00:43:27,859
He's offering you joy and peace and
security and, and embraced by him.

891
00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:33,300
So he's helping you get to heaven
by offering you the reward.

892
00:43:33,310 --> 00:43:35,610
He's saying, look, if you live
this way, this will happen.

893
00:43:35,620 --> 00:43:37,330
If you live this way, this will happen.

894
00:43:38,429 --> 00:43:39,100
So point four.

895
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:41,660
That should be a plural offers.

896
00:43:41,890 --> 00:43:44,430
God offers the path to eternal life.

897
00:43:44,710 --> 00:43:47,660
So don't reject God's salvation.

898
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,390
God offers the path to eternal life.

899
00:43:52,379 --> 00:43:55,139
So don't reject God's salvation.

900
00:43:55,140 --> 00:44:01,470
See, God is helping you get to heaven by
offering you a choice and he's making it

901
00:44:01,470 --> 00:44:05,620
really obvious which way you should go.

902
00:44:10,695 --> 00:44:14,815
Something that this passage makes
really clear is that it's really easy

903
00:44:15,065 --> 00:44:17,425
and it's really common to go to hell.

904
00:44:18,685 --> 00:44:23,804
Like the way is, the gate is wide and
the way is easy that leads to destruction

905
00:44:23,804 --> 00:44:26,065
and those who enter by it are many.

906
00:44:28,094 --> 00:44:30,224
A lot of people go to hell.

907
00:44:30,225 --> 00:44:33,195
It's not uncommon to go to hell.

908
00:44:33,825 --> 00:44:36,135
And that's because living
for anything but Jesus.

909
00:44:36,730 --> 00:44:37,660
We'll send you to hell.

910
00:44:37,890 --> 00:44:42,430
Remember, three weeks ago, we talked
about your master and your treasure.

911
00:44:43,750 --> 00:44:47,169
If those things are anything but God,
if you're the most important thing in

912
00:44:47,169 --> 00:44:51,610
your life, the most precious thing to
you, and the one you build your life

913
00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:54,770
around, the one you're, the direction
you're pursuing with your life, your

914
00:44:54,780 --> 00:45:01,910
master, are anything but Jesus, that
definitely will send you to hell.

915
00:45:03,570 --> 00:45:09,810
Now, if you are tempted to value other
things but Jesus, and you value other

916
00:45:09,810 --> 00:45:16,180
things a lot, or you serve things, and you
love things, and you're devoted to other

917
00:45:16,180 --> 00:45:23,450
things, and maybe they're competing with
Jesus, but at the end of the day, maybe

918
00:45:23,450 --> 00:45:27,110
it's hard, maybe you give in sometimes,
but you choose Jesus, Jesus is your

919
00:45:27,110 --> 00:45:29,440
treasure, does that send you to hell?

920
00:45:30,665 --> 00:45:31,405
No, right?

921
00:45:31,515 --> 00:45:33,485
So struggling does not send you to hell.

922
00:45:35,845 --> 00:45:38,055
Rejecting sends you to hell.

923
00:45:38,055 --> 00:45:42,525
Turning away, saying, God, I
don't, I don't find you appealing.

924
00:45:42,525 --> 00:45:44,145
I don't want to be with you.

925
00:45:44,215 --> 00:45:45,044
I don't love you.

926
00:45:45,045 --> 00:45:45,894
You're not important.

927
00:45:46,115 --> 00:45:47,445
You're not valuable.

928
00:45:48,535 --> 00:45:49,805
That's rejecting God.

929
00:45:49,955 --> 00:45:52,235
And that's what sends you to hell.

930
00:45:52,235 --> 00:45:54,295
And so when you're tempted,
when you are tempted, you're

931
00:45:54,295 --> 00:45:55,875
wavering between the two paths.

932
00:45:56,375 --> 00:45:59,080
When you're struggling,
God wants to help you.

933
00:45:59,090 --> 00:46:00,530
He doesn't want to say, Oh, figure it out.

934
00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:01,140
Deal with it.

935
00:46:01,730 --> 00:46:02,440
No, he wants to help you.

936
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:03,000
So what does he do?

937
00:46:03,020 --> 00:46:07,580
He, he gives you the reward.

938
00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:09,520
He says, you can have eternal life.

939
00:46:11,599 --> 00:46:14,639
It's easy to get distracted
by the world or to give your

940
00:46:14,639 --> 00:46:16,469
heart to, to other treasures.

941
00:46:16,530 --> 00:46:19,480
But when you're tempted to be
distracted, remember your reward.

942
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:21,790
Remember where this will take me, right?

943
00:46:21,810 --> 00:46:24,860
Take a step back and think about,
man, if I click on these things,

944
00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:26,220
where are they going to take me?

945
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,330
If I say those words,
where does that lead me?

946
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,600
If I look at those things,
where will that lead me?

947
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:38,330
If I treat this person that
way, what is that, what is

948
00:46:38,330 --> 00:46:40,030
that pulling my heart towards?

949
00:46:41,090 --> 00:46:41,919
Remember the reward.

950
00:46:41,929 --> 00:46:45,529
Take a step back and ask
yourself, Where does this lead?

951
00:46:45,539 --> 00:46:46,380
Where does this go?

952
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:50,910
See, God, He motivates us.

953
00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:55,849
He motivates our exclusive
allegiance with eternal life.

954
00:46:56,230 --> 00:46:59,405
Because And maybe you've never thought
about it this way, but following

955
00:46:59,405 --> 00:47:04,045
Jesus leads to the greatest amount of
joy for the longest amount of time.

956
00:47:05,425 --> 00:47:08,595
Psalm 1611 says, At God's right
hand are pleasures forevermore.

957
00:47:10,534 --> 00:47:12,685
The greatest amount of joy for
the longest amount of time.

958
00:47:14,235 --> 00:47:15,574
That's a good enough reason to follow God.

959
00:47:15,575 --> 00:47:16,475
I hope.

960
00:47:19,675 --> 00:47:23,905
Following Jesus is about, it's
about trusting Him to be your

961
00:47:23,905 --> 00:47:25,355
only hope, your only treasure.

962
00:47:26,655 --> 00:47:28,074
Your only Savior.

963
00:47:29,300 --> 00:47:31,880
And you're motivated to do
that by God's offer of life.

964
00:47:31,890 --> 00:47:33,890
This is going to be
best for you in the end.

965
00:47:34,690 --> 00:47:35,980
So walk the narrow path.

966
00:47:36,010 --> 00:47:38,140
Enter the narrow gate.

967
00:47:40,730 --> 00:47:43,610
See, this sermon, it puts
two paths in front of you.

968
00:47:45,130 --> 00:47:49,190
One of them is easy and common,
and many people are going down it.

969
00:47:49,190 --> 00:47:50,880
It doesn't take much work.

970
00:47:52,190 --> 00:47:56,700
I heard one pastor talk about it like
the lazy river at the water You just

971
00:47:56,700 --> 00:47:58,990
float on down, following everyone else.

972
00:47:59,810 --> 00:48:03,150
But see, there's actually a bunch of
different ways you can go down this path.

973
00:48:03,540 --> 00:48:04,270
It's wide.

974
00:48:05,010 --> 00:48:06,360
There's a bunch of different
ways you can do it.

975
00:48:07,069 --> 00:48:08,240
You can make it a big party.

976
00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:11,590
You can say, Oh, I, I love disobeying God.

977
00:48:11,590 --> 00:48:12,319
It's so fun.

978
00:48:12,319 --> 00:48:16,080
It's so much better than being a boring
church person and be proud, right?

979
00:48:16,090 --> 00:48:19,860
That I'm those lame
people who read the Bible.

980
00:48:21,420 --> 00:48:25,069
You can do it spitefully because
you feel like the other path is

981
00:48:25,069 --> 00:48:26,890
restrictive and legalistic and boring.

982
00:48:27,345 --> 00:48:27,515
Right?

983
00:48:27,515 --> 00:48:30,945
You can say, oh, I don't
like parents rules.

984
00:48:30,945 --> 00:48:31,775
I don't like God's rules.

985
00:48:31,775 --> 00:48:32,975
He's so, so mean.

986
00:48:32,985 --> 00:48:34,095
He's so hateful.

987
00:48:34,385 --> 00:48:35,155
He does that.

988
00:48:35,165 --> 00:48:35,835
He says that.

989
00:48:37,515 --> 00:48:39,324
Or you can do it because
you think God lets you down.

990
00:48:39,424 --> 00:48:40,845
God, He didn't answer my prayers.

991
00:48:40,845 --> 00:48:41,845
He burned me.

992
00:48:42,084 --> 00:48:43,344
You know, my family's a mess.

993
00:48:43,345 --> 00:48:44,155
It's God's fault.

994
00:48:44,294 --> 00:48:44,995
You can do that.

995
00:48:45,515 --> 00:48:47,465
That's one way down this wide path.

996
00:48:48,085 --> 00:48:53,685
You can also go down this path
morally, nicely, religiously, even.

997
00:48:55,455 --> 00:48:58,765
You can do it serving at church,
reading the Bible to make yourself

998
00:48:59,015 --> 00:49:00,705
feel good enough to go to heaven.

999
00:49:01,125 --> 00:49:05,164
You can be a Pharisee and rely
on your churchianity to save you.

1000
00:49:07,245 --> 00:49:10,815
You can even go down this path without
really noticing that you're on it.

1001
00:49:11,335 --> 00:49:14,425
And just float your way down and
fill your life with distractions and

1002
00:49:14,425 --> 00:49:19,195
games and fun and VR headsets and
TikTok reels and float your way down.

1003
00:49:22,005 --> 00:49:23,325
This path will kill you.

1004
00:49:26,790 --> 00:49:32,250
It will leave you unsatisfied,
empty, bitter, hurt, and regretting

1005
00:49:32,250 --> 00:49:35,440
that you wasted your life
and you turned away from God.

1006
00:49:37,170 --> 00:49:40,070
It will bring you under the
wrath of God, burning forever

1007
00:49:40,070 --> 00:49:41,859
in hell, that's destruction.

1008
00:49:44,259 --> 00:49:48,450
Because nothing good you did, or
religious you did, or fun you did,

1009
00:49:48,860 --> 00:49:50,230
could cleanse you of your sin.

1010
00:49:52,425 --> 00:49:53,735
It isn't hard to go down this path.

1011
00:49:53,745 --> 00:49:57,295
All you have to do is ignore God, doubt
God, look down on God, and reject God.

1012
00:49:57,505 --> 00:50:00,275
And if you keep doing those
things the rest of your life,

1013
00:50:00,445 --> 00:50:01,735
that's the path you're down.

1014
00:50:02,085 --> 00:50:06,694
The more persistently you do that,
the further down this path you'll go.

1015
00:50:08,534 --> 00:50:11,995
And see, the other path, the narrow
path, it's not much to look at.

1016
00:50:12,025 --> 00:50:13,535
There's only one way to go down it.

1017
00:50:13,815 --> 00:50:15,735
It's very counterintuitive, right?

1018
00:50:15,735 --> 00:50:19,884
It's forgetting yourself, taking up your
cross, being unpopular, taking Jesus at

1019
00:50:19,885 --> 00:50:21,119
His word even when you don't really care.

1020
00:50:21,130 --> 00:50:26,600
I don't get it, but as you
go down the path, you'll

1021
00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:30,369
realize how much better it is.

1022
00:50:31,290 --> 00:50:34,010
Even before you reach the end of
it, you'll see why other people,

1023
00:50:35,010 --> 00:50:37,899
like your parents and your leaders,
took this choice so seriously.

1024
00:50:38,950 --> 00:50:43,600
Because as you learn to trust Jesus,
to live for the good of others,

1025
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:48,140
to depend on God, to keep seeking
His wisdom, you realize that this

1026
00:50:48,150 --> 00:50:49,890
path is the best way to live.

1027
00:50:49,890 --> 00:50:49,904
Amen.

1028
00:50:50,195 --> 00:50:54,635
Because you have a good and loving
wise father leading you down.

1029
00:50:55,115 --> 00:50:58,705
It brings comfort, it brings peace,
security, even in hard seasons.

1030
00:50:59,815 --> 00:51:05,625
It gives you joy and love that lasts way
longer than anything on the other path.

1031
00:51:08,194 --> 00:51:14,715
And that's because this path fills you
up, even though you're emptying yourself.

1032
00:51:14,715 --> 00:51:17,305
You're giving yourself away,
but you're coming back full.

1033
00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:22,000
And that's because as you walk the
narrow road, you realize that this path

1034
00:51:22,010 --> 00:51:26,580
isn't as much about the path, and it's
more about who you're walking with.

1035
00:51:29,109 --> 00:51:35,000
You understand that the person you
get to know on this path is Jesus.

1036
00:51:35,539 --> 00:51:40,260
And the longer you're with Jesus, the
more convinced you are that being with

1037
00:51:40,260 --> 00:51:43,380
him is the best place that you can be.

1038
00:51:46,950 --> 00:51:50,130
What I would hate for you to walk
away from this sermon thinking.

1039
00:51:52,015 --> 00:51:56,095
is that the narrow way is a lifestyle
to earn you a spot in heaven.

1040
00:51:58,165 --> 00:51:59,365
Please don't believe this.

1041
00:52:00,415 --> 00:52:01,265
This will kill you.

1042
00:52:03,755 --> 00:52:09,694
The narrow way, the narrow road
is not being religious enough to

1043
00:52:09,694 --> 00:52:13,835
go to heaven or doing what God
says and following the rules good

1044
00:52:13,835 --> 00:52:15,985
enough so you can make it to heaven.

1045
00:52:18,305 --> 00:52:21,895
That's not what I want you to believe.

1046
00:52:24,345 --> 00:52:28,755
See, the way you live on the path,
the lifestyle of the path, is

1047
00:52:28,795 --> 00:52:34,035
only an expression of your trust
in Jesus to get you to heaven.

1048
00:52:35,684 --> 00:52:37,724
Jesus is the one who gets you to heaven.

1049
00:52:37,724 --> 00:52:43,375
The things you do on the way are
an expression of your dependence

1050
00:52:43,415 --> 00:52:45,275
on him to get you there.

1051
00:52:47,925 --> 00:52:51,615
See, the narrow way is trusting
Jesus to get you to heaven.

1052
00:52:51,654 --> 00:52:52,385
That's what it is.

1053
00:52:52,395 --> 00:52:53,534
It's not doing things.

1054
00:52:53,980 --> 00:53:00,140
It's not obeying God, it's not listening
to your small group leader and all that.

1055
00:53:00,960 --> 00:53:03,400
The narrow way is trusting
Jesus, depending on Him.

1056
00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:06,400
Jesus is the narrow gate.

1057
00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:07,779
Enter by the narrow gate.

1058
00:53:07,780 --> 00:53:08,229
What is it?

1059
00:53:08,240 --> 00:53:09,050
It's Jesus!

1060
00:53:09,470 --> 00:53:12,339
He says, I am the way,
the truth, and the life.

1061
00:53:12,429 --> 00:53:13,850
Trust me, depend on me.

1062
00:53:15,730 --> 00:53:18,450
You can never be Christian enough,
religious enough, loving enough,

1063
00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:21,180
anything enough to get to heaven.

1064
00:53:21,180 --> 00:53:21,550
Amen.

1065
00:53:21,825 --> 00:53:25,175
God wants to bring you there,
and He's the one who'll do it,

1066
00:53:25,285 --> 00:53:29,785
and He does it by trust in Jesus.

1067
00:53:30,045 --> 00:53:31,125
Dependence on Him.

1068
00:53:31,895 --> 00:53:35,954
Saying, Jesus, your
righteousness qualifies me

1069
00:53:35,954 --> 00:53:38,655
for heaven, not anything I do.

1070
00:53:41,425 --> 00:53:42,944
That's the narrow way.

1071
00:53:44,634 --> 00:53:45,054
Let's pray.

1072
00:53:47,994 --> 00:53:51,875
Father, thank you that you want us
to be in heaven, that you love us

1073
00:53:51,875 --> 00:53:57,680
so much that That you do everything
you can to make sure that we know

1074
00:53:59,890 --> 00:54:01,260
that we have two options.

1075
00:54:02,320 --> 00:54:07,450
We can either reject you and turn
away from you and go to our own

1076
00:54:07,450 --> 00:54:13,740
destruction, or we can turn to you and
rely on you and follow you to life.

1077
00:54:15,220 --> 00:54:20,280
So I pray tonight that you
help us all to trust you more.

1078
00:54:20,369 --> 00:54:21,720
Maybe some of us for the first time.

1079
00:54:21,720 --> 00:54:22,529
I pray that you help you.

1080
00:54:23,710 --> 00:54:27,990
These students to realize that you
want them to be in heaven, and you've

1081
00:54:28,150 --> 00:54:32,669
given them everything they need to
get there because ultimately, yes,

1082
00:54:32,669 --> 00:54:36,920
you've given them so many good things,
but you've given them yourself.

1083
00:54:36,959 --> 00:54:41,960
You've made yourself available
for us if we call on you in faith.

1084
00:54:42,690 --> 00:54:47,200
So I pray tonight that you hope our
small group time to be about you.

1085
00:54:47,250 --> 00:54:50,069
Help us to focus, help us to be
respectful and kind and thoughtful.

1086
00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:54,180
And I pray that we walk away trusting
Jesus more than we walked in.

1087
00:54:54,180 --> 00:54:55,310
I pray this in Jesus name.

1088
00:54:55,590 --> 00:54:55,990
Amen.