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[ Music ]

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>> Now for a wonderful part that I'm sure all of you came for,

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the Word is going to be brought by our own Pastor Ronnie,

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and I'm so encouraged by the Word that he's bringing.

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[ Applause ]

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>> Morning, Springhouse.

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>> Morning.

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>> I-- wow, that's pretty good, you guys.

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A couple of months ago, actually I know

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that Kevin didn't just leave today because I was speaking.

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He-- several months ago when he set up this particular Sunday,

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and he said the topic is going to be his church,

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and he gave me the topics for the first two weeks,

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and he said, "What do you want to do on the third week?"

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And bam, I want to talk about its mission.

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The church's mission is not well understood,

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and it's often misrepresented, which is very unfortunate.

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In fact, oftentimes it kind of seems like the mission

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of the church is actually the church itself,

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and that's not really the case.

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Back in 1964, October 25, 1964, how many of you remember

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that day?

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Okay, yeah.

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I didn't remember it either,

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but I remember what I'm getting ready to tell you about.

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There was a professional football player named

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Jim Marshall, and he was with the Minnesota Vikings,

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one of the purple people leaders defense, and he was--

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he's probably the one player who isn't in the Hall of Fame

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who should be in the Hall of Fame.

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I mean, he was that good.

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But on October 25, 1964, he recovered an offensive fumble,

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and he ran the ball all the way back, crossed the end zone,

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threw the ball in the air in celebration.

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It went out of bounds.

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He thought he had scored a touchdown,

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but he had just scored a safety for the other team

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after a 66-yard run.

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And the reason that I mention that is

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because if we don't really know what the mission is,

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if we're focused on-- see, the enemy doesn't care

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if you're trying hard.

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He doesn't care if you're running the ball hard.

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He doesn't care if you cross the goal line as long

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as you're going in the wrong direction,

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as long as your focus is not on the right thing.

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So would you stand with me and let's read a passage

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of scripture that is hopefully becoming very familiar

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at this church.

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It's been read quite a bit lately.

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So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets,

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the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people

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for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built

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up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge

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of the Son of God and become mature,

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attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth

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by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching

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and by the cunning and craftiness of people

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and their deceitful scheming.

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Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become

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in every respect the mature body of him

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who is the head that is Christ.

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From him, the whole body joined and held together

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by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself

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up in love as each part does its work.

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Father, I thank you for your word.

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I thank you for the life and the power that are in your word.

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I pray that the presence

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of the Holy Spirit would inhabit each person here so that the life

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and power of the word would be manifested in us.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Mission and vision, those are two different words.

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They're often, it's often a little confusing

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as to which is which, you know.

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What is your mission statement?

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What is your vision statement?

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And what is the difference?

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But it's kind of important to know what the difference is.

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And let me say before I get into this today,

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because it would be kind of easy

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to be misunderstood about some things.

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What I want to share today is not a, it's not a slam

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about any other churches or what anybody believes

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or anything like that.

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But it's information that I've carried for years

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and that the Holy Spirit has used in my life.

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And I think it's information that he could use

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in your life, hopefully as well.

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Because if we don't know what we're really about,

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then we can be very easily misled, very easily blown here

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and there by every wind of doctrine

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and the deceitfulness of clever schemers.

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Anyway, mission is what you're doing right now.

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Vision is what you're aiming for in the future.

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So that's the difference.

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The vision should direct the mission.

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What you're aiming for should be a powerful influence

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on what you're doing.

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The mission impacts the vision.

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The mission is what you're doing should be all about,

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let's go for this vision.

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Let's go there.

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Let's aim for that.

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And Ephesians 4, 11 through 16 is God's mission statement

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for the local church.

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It's God's mission statement and it contains a strong hint

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of his vision for the individual believer.

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So what is the mission of the church?

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If you were to ask, if you were to be asked,

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well what's the mission of the church?

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I mean for a lot of people it'd be crickets, but you know,

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and understandably so if you haven't really thought about it,

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if you haven't really put some thought into it,

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probably most people would jump to Matthew 28

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and the great commission.

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Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

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in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

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and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you

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and surely I am with you always to the end of the age.

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This is what Jesus told his disciples to do

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and by extension it's what he's told us as individuals to do

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because we are disciples.

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Yeah. Notice he didn't say go and make believers.

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He didn't say go and make converts.

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He said go and make disciples.

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That's what we're supposed to be doing.

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Well why does the local church exist?

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If that's my job, I had a friend of mine who made a comment

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at lunch, I don't know, a year or two ago we were at lunch

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with some people and he said, you know, one of the things

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that I've noticed about Pastor Ronnie is that he doesn't seem

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to be preaching to get people to come and be saved.

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He seems to be preaching about people who already are saved.

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And I went yeah, yeah, you get it.

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My job as a believer is to maybe bring people to Christ.

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My job as a pastor is to pastor people who are believers

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and there's a good reason for that.

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Why does the local church exist?

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Last week Justin confused everybody by preaching

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about three churches.

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Actually it wasn't all that confusing

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but I heard a person or two, what was that all about?

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It's actually pretty simple.

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I want to preach about the church,

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the church and the church.

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And he mentioned what they were, the universal church.

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Universal church is everybody who has ever been a believer.

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Everybody who belongs to the body of Christ.

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It's not just those who are alive right now.

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It stretches back to I don't know where it stretches back,

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at least to Abraham and probably to Abel and even before that.

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And it goes probably into the future of some people

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who aren't here yet.

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And so that's the universal church.

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And then you are the church because you are part

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of that universal church.

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So you as an individual are the church.

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But what's this local church thing?

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I mean what is that all about?

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Well the primary mission of the local church is you.

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That's what the primary mission is.

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Well how can it be about me when it's supposed

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to be about Jesus?

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I didn't say it was about you.

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I said you are the mission.

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You are the mission but what that mission is is what it's

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actually about and that takes us over into God's vision.

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That's the vision statement.

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What is God's vision for you?

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What is God's plan for you?

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Well it tells us over in Romans 8 29 for those God foreknew,

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he also predestined to be conformed to the image

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of his son so that he might be the firstborn among many

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brothers and sisters.

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God's vision is for you to be like Jesus.

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That's God's vision for you.

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A disciple is one who is in the process

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of becoming like the master.

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Now none of us are there yet.

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In fact most of us are pretty poor imitations

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at this point in time.

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But we have this promise.

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Over in Philippians 1 6 and if you don't have Philippians 1 6

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highlighted in your Bible you need to get your Bible

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out right now and highlight Philippians 1 6.

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It's a very important passage of scripture.

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It says being confident of this that he who began a good work

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in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

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He who began a good work is going to complete it

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until the day of Christ Jesus.

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God's vision for you, the work that he began in you is for you

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to look like Jesus and he's given the local church the

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mission of working out that vision so that we will all

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attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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You may go that's crazy talk.

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What are you talking about?

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I mean me, the fullness of Christ, I can't do that.

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Right. You can't do that.

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But he can and he's the one who has the vision and he's the one,

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he's the one who made the promise.

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And he's the one who's doing the work.

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God did not just save you to go to heaven.

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I mean he didn't, he didn't, he didn't, he didn't save Cole

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because he went, oh, I want Cole up there in heaven.

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No, because, you know, I mean, you're okay Cole.

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You ain't that good.

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I mean, you know, that's just, I mean, he didn't save Ronnie

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because he wants Ronnie up in heaven.

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He saved us so that he can make us like Jesus.

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He didn't just, he didn't just save us to give us dominion

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over the earth.

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Oh, we lost the dominion and Christ came back

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and retook the dominion.

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And now he's given it to, now he's given it to us.

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Now he's given it to you.

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What would a bunch of knuckleheads like us do

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with the dominion?

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We'd just build another subdivision.

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We'd just tear down a bunch of trees and put some concrete

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down, I mean, that's what we do.

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I'm not, I mean, I know, you know, you got to live somewhere,

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but I'm just saying almost everywhere I drive

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in Rutherford County and I look out at those beautiful fields

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and I always think, I wonder how long that's going to be there

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because, you know, it's all kind of going away.

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So, I mean, why would he do that?

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No, he's conforming us to the image of Jesus.

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And then all this other stuff can get done.

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In our culture, I feel like that large portions actually,

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or portions for sure of the American church,

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have jumped the tracks and are no longer working toward the

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mission for which the local church was created.

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And as a result, we see believers blown here and there

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by every wind of doctrine and the cleverness, clever teaching

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of people and their deceitful scheming,

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not just inside the church, but outside the church as well.

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I mean, you know, clever deceitful schemers aren't just

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teachers in the church.

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They're out there as well and, you know, we see people just

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kind of blown everywhere.

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The American church would have us believe as a general rule

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that your job is to do something.

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But God's mission is for you to be something.

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Be something.

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We focus on doing God's work before we allow him

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to do his work in us.

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And we are his workmanship.

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Yes, we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

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but he's got to do a work in us first.

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I've shared this before.

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Back when Michelle and I first got married, she washed her car.

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And our grandsons live next door.

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And one of them was, I think, five, and the other one was six

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00:14:08,540 --> 00:14:12,640
at the time, and they helped her wash the car.

256
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Now, if you've ever washed a car with a five-year-old

257
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or with a six-year-old, then you know that's a futile exercise.

258
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It's going to take a long time, and it ain't going to get clean.

259
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You're going to get messed up, but the car isn't.

260
00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:31,980
And it's the same thing.

261
00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,780
It's the same thing with God.

262
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We think, oh, I've got to go do something.

263
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God needs this.

264
00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:41,920
I better go do it.

265
00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,800
And God's going, wait a minute.

266
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,580
No. I've got to work.

267
00:14:48,580 --> 00:14:49,120
I'm doing it.

268
00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,340
You just stand over here and watch me do it.

269
00:14:52,340 --> 00:14:56,960
Recently, I feel like the American church jumped the

270
00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,800
tracks on all this in my lifetime.

271
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It's been, it's always been not just the American church.

272
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This stuff's always been with us.

273
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,220
But in my lifetime, the American church really jumped the tracks

274
00:15:08,220 --> 00:15:12,700
back in the '70s by emphasizing some other things

275
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instead of Christ.

276
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Maybe you'll recognize it.

277
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,360
By emphasizing culture, politics, growth,

278
00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,800
personal growth, church growth.

279
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That was, and Jesus was kind of back there

280
00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:25,740
in the background somewhere.

281
00:15:25,740 --> 00:15:30,300
He was, he was sort of the wallpaper on the back

282
00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:33,060
of the real apps that we were all working on.

283
00:15:33,060 --> 00:15:35,700
We live in a consumer culture,

284
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and everything's geared toward our comfort and our,

285
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to be conformed to our desires.

286
00:15:40,300 --> 00:15:43,620
And so, in the process, we lose ourselves.

287
00:15:43,620 --> 00:15:46,400
We lose ourselves.

288
00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:51,820
I believe this really started with the prosperity message.

289
00:15:51,820 --> 00:15:55,800
And in our culture, the prosperity message was

290
00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,400
like shooting fish in a barrel.

291
00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,280
I mean, because that's, that's, who doesn't want

292
00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:02,360
to be prosperous?

293
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,620
Who doesn't want to have more?

294
00:16:04,620 --> 00:16:08,000
Who doesn't, who doesn't want to be successful?

295
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000
And so, the Lord kind of gave me a litmus test.

296
00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:15,500
And those of you who've been here for a while,

297
00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:17,740
have heard this story, but it's real good.

298
00:16:17,740 --> 00:16:18,740
It's worth hearing again.

299
00:16:18,740 --> 00:16:23,520
Back in 1975, when the litmus test came up,

300
00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,020
I had been a prodigal.

301
00:16:26,020 --> 00:16:28,260
I grew up in a church, but I've been a prodigal

302
00:16:28,260 --> 00:16:30,120
for six or seven years.

303
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,160
And I came back to the Lord, and when I came back

304
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,040
to the Lord, man, I was on fire.

305
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:36,680
You know, I wanted, I wanted to be

306
00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,240
in a service every day, every night.

307
00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,340
You know, and, and I, can you imagine a bunch of,

308
00:16:44,340 --> 00:16:47,460
a bunch of young people in their, in their early

309
00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:50,100
to mid-20s getting together every night,

310
00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:52,360
and just partying down with the Bible?

311
00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,780
Come on, what's your favorite song?

312
00:16:55,780 --> 00:16:57,040
Everybody, let's go around.

313
00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:58,500
Everybody share their favorite song.

314
00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:00,760
And the first time I, the first time I did that,

315
00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:02,500
it had been so long since I'd read the Psalms,

316
00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:05,000
I was going, oh God, I wish I had a favorite song.

317
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,460
I guess it's Psalm 23, because it's the only one I know.

318
00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:11,220
But I, I've known, I've known a bunch since then.

319
00:17:11,220 --> 00:17:13,600
And so, I was, you know, I was wanting

320
00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:14,700
to be somewhere every night.

321
00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:16,800
And some friends of mine said, hey,

322
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,000
there's this service going on at the House of Blessing.

323
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,760
And it's going to be a blessing.

324
00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,620
So, let's go to the house.

325
00:17:22,620 --> 00:17:25,320
And so, we, we went to the House of Blessing that night.

326
00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:28,480
And the, the guy got up to teach.

327
00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,200
And, and you know what?

328
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,120
You know what I learned that night?

329
00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:39,100
I learned that by faith, he claimed

330
00:17:39,100 --> 00:17:43,420
and God gave him a brand new Lincoln.

331
00:17:43,420 --> 00:17:44,880
It's God free.

332
00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:49,860
No, yeah. And not only that, that's not all.

333
00:17:49,860 --> 00:17:53,560
His son, who played the drums on the worship team,

334
00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:57,960
this is a young guy, he claimed and believed a brand new Lincoln

335
00:17:57,960 --> 00:17:59,140
and he got one too.

336
00:17:59,140 --> 00:18:04,080
And I left there thinking, and everybody was excited.

337
00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:05,620
Oh, great, hallelujah.

338
00:18:05,620 --> 00:18:06,720
Everybody was excited.

339
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,960
And I left there thinking, this doesn't, what?

340
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,180
This doesn't feel right.

341
00:18:11,180 --> 00:18:13,560
What's wrong?

342
00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:19,080
And the Lord just sort of clicked in my mind,

343
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:24,300
if you leave thinking about something other than Jesus,

344
00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,620
that's what's wrong.

345
00:18:27,620 --> 00:18:32,780
Because that's supposed to be the focus.

346
00:18:32,780 --> 00:18:36,420
That's supposed to be where your focus is taken.

347
00:18:36,420 --> 00:18:39,940
Today it isn't just about money.

348
00:18:39,940 --> 00:18:43,500
You know, it's about, it's about looking good.

349
00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:44,800
It's about losing weight.

350
00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:49,380
It's about, it's about, where's your waistline?

351
00:18:49,380 --> 00:18:51,700
I mean, is it right here or is it supposed to be,

352
00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:54,140
somebody told me it was right here and that's just wrong.

353
00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:55,780
I'm sorry.

354
00:18:55,780 --> 00:18:59,820
You know, it's got to be, it ain't the belly button.

355
00:18:59,820 --> 00:19:04,460
I'm just telling you, you know, you're supposed to look good

356
00:19:04,460 --> 00:19:10,020
and feel good and just be prosperous and stop,

357
00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:11,560
well, don't stop me if you've heard this.

358
00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:12,400
Have you heard this?

359
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:17,360
And reach your full potential to be all that you can be.

360
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:22,580
Anybody got their litmus paper out yet?

361
00:19:22,580 --> 00:19:28,660
God's plan is not to make you a better you.

362
00:19:28,660 --> 00:19:32,120
That's not God's plan.

363
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:36,340
God wants to make you like Jesus.

364
00:19:36,340 --> 00:19:43,660
And in the process, we find our true selves.

365
00:19:43,660 --> 00:19:48,300
Jesus said over Matthew 10, 39,

366
00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:50,880
said whoever finds their life will lose it.

367
00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:52,740
What does that mean?

368
00:19:52,740 --> 00:19:55,680
Whoever finds their life will lose it,

369
00:19:55,680 --> 00:20:00,800
but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

370
00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,740
So why is it that we think that we're supposed to think

371
00:20:04,740 --> 00:20:07,620
that the mission of the church is self-improvement?

372
00:20:07,620 --> 00:20:14,200
I think that might be another phrase for finding your life.

373
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:22,480
Jesus said again, Matthew 16, whoever wants

374
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:24,800
to be my disciple must deny themselves,

375
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,380
take up their cross and follow me.

376
00:20:27,380 --> 00:20:30,340
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,

377
00:20:30,340 --> 00:20:33,860
but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

378
00:20:33,860 --> 00:20:37,220
Now, yeah, if you follow along and read, it's got their take

379
00:20:37,220 --> 00:20:38,480
up their cross, not their sword.

380
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:39,560
That's not in the Bible.

381
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:43,780
But I made that up and I put it there and I put it in italic.

382
00:20:43,780 --> 00:20:45,900
So, you know, it's just it's just me.

383
00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,320
But I mean, we are so ready to go fight for Jesus.

384
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,700
Now, I'm going to I'm going to run to the battle for Jesus.

385
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:54,700
Jesus never asked us to run to the battle.

386
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:58,820
Jesus asked us to take up our cross.

387
00:20:58,820 --> 00:21:03,700
He didn't ask us to go and win.

388
00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:05,700
He asked us to go and die.

389
00:21:05,700 --> 00:21:14,700
For him, you know, I used to I used to read that passage

390
00:21:14,700 --> 00:21:18,040
and and it would say whoever loses their life for me

391
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,780
will find it, and that just kind of reinforced that idea.

392
00:21:20,780 --> 00:21:23,780
Yeah, I need to I need to go out there to the battle and and die

393
00:21:23,780 --> 00:21:26,400
for Jesus now.

394
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,780
No, what he's saying is if I will lay my life down,

395
00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:34,020
if I will give up my life.

396
00:21:34,020 --> 00:21:38,080
For him. Then I'll get his life

397
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:43,280
of giving up my life for his life, my life isn't found

398
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:44,900
in a store.

399
00:21:44,900 --> 00:21:47,280
My life isn't found on a car lot.

400
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,240
My life isn't found online.

401
00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,240
That's where fake me lives, where fake you lives

402
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,320
as well online.

403
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,160
My life is not found in my fears, my phobias, my neuroses.

404
00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,280
I got all of those things and they itch sometimes.

405
00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:08,660
And it's not well, if I can just change my if I'm

406
00:22:08,660 --> 00:22:11,840
on work on this fear, if I if I work on this fear

407
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,540
and I overcome it, then I'm going to be more like Jesus.

408
00:22:15,540 --> 00:22:18,080
You ain't ever going to be more like Jesus

409
00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,700
because you're you're running in the wrong direction with the ball.

410
00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:27,780
If I focus on Jesus.

411
00:22:27,780 --> 00:22:30,860
Then guess what happens to my fears?

412
00:22:30,860 --> 00:22:34,280
Guess what happens to my my phobias?

413
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,660
Guess what happens to my my neurosis?

414
00:22:38,820 --> 00:22:42,200
I can't change myself to be like Jesus,

415
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:44,880
but God can change me.

416
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,200
This was the devil's message to Eve from the very beginning

417
00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:49,460
in the garden.

418
00:22:49,460 --> 00:22:52,500
He said, you know, it sounded like a good idea.

419
00:22:52,500 --> 00:22:55,380
It sounded like, wow, it would be pretty it'd be pretty

420
00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:59,040
beneficial to know the difference between good and evil.

421
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,740
So I should probably eat this.

422
00:23:02,740 --> 00:23:03,620
And you know what?

423
00:23:03,620 --> 00:23:08,080
If I do, this guy says I'll be I'll become like God.

424
00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,760
Is anybody tracking with me here?

425
00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:16,300
OK, good. Sometimes silence is good and sometimes it's just silence.

426
00:23:16,300 --> 00:23:23,100
Yeah. And so if I will do something, I can become like God.

427
00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:25,440
And God says it doesn't work that way.

428
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,280
It doesn't work that way.

429
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:34,200
My life's also not found in my job or my accomplishments.

430
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,920
A lot of you know that I have done a bit of acting

431
00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,340
in my day.

432
00:23:43,340 --> 00:23:46,680
I when I was in my prodigal years, I

433
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,140
majored in theater and started doing a lot of theater.

434
00:23:50,140 --> 00:23:52,920
And, you know, I'm a pretty good actor.

435
00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:58,480
But I didn't like to go see plays.

436
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,820
And there were two reasons why I didn't like to go see plays.

437
00:24:01,820 --> 00:24:04,980
I mean, I like to go be in them, but I didn't like to go see them.

438
00:24:05,980 --> 00:24:09,980
And one of the reasons was if I if I went to see it and somebody was

439
00:24:09,980 --> 00:24:15,100
was not very good, I would sit there the whole time thinking I knew I'm better than that.

440
00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:18,700
I knew that better.

441
00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:23,320
Or if I saw them and they were really good, I like that even less.

442
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:33,580
But after I came to Christ, after I gave my life to Christ,

443
00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:39,040
you know, one of the one of the interesting things was I started liking to go see plays.

444
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,840
Because it was no longer about me.

445
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,340
It was no longer comparing myself to anyone.

446
00:24:46,340 --> 00:24:49,680
My life wasn't on that stage or it wasn't in that audience.

447
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,520
My life was in Christ.

448
00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:56,100
And it's the same thing when I when I was no longer a pastor

449
00:24:56,100 --> 00:25:00,780
and I am no longer a pastor, so call Kevin, call Barbie, call Alan.

450
00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,700
You know, and if I hear about it, I'll pray for you.

451
00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:09,620
But but but when I was no longer a pastor, it didn't change

452
00:25:09,620 --> 00:25:13,340
who I was because my life was not in being a pastor.

453
00:25:13,340 --> 00:25:15,800
My life is in Christ.

454
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,180
And whatever it is you do, whatever your whatever your job is,

455
00:25:19,180 --> 00:25:23,340
whatever your passion is, you may be a you may be an engineer, you may be a

456
00:25:23,340 --> 00:25:29,220
a coach, you may be a a medical worker, whatever your job is.

457
00:25:29,220 --> 00:25:31,020
That's not who you are.

458
00:25:31,020 --> 00:25:34,560
That's not where your life is hidden.

459
00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:44,060
You know, the idea is not for people to see

460
00:25:44,060 --> 00:25:48,400
how good we are, how rich we are, how prosperous we are, how

461
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,240
how good good looking we are and and be attracted and go,

462
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,920
oh, I want to I want to go where where they want to go.

463
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,160
No, the idea is for people to see Jesus

464
00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:01,960
and they can't see Jesus unless God's people

465
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,620
allow themselves to become like Jesus.

466
00:26:05,620 --> 00:26:12,180
Because when he is lifted up, then he will draw all people unto himself.

467
00:26:12,180 --> 00:26:16,020
And if we will lose our life for him, we'll find our real life.

468
00:26:16,020 --> 00:26:19,720
OK, well, let's let's get let's get over to the other stuff that people really

469
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:24,280
enjoy hearing, talk about the mission of the government, the culture,

470
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,440
the mission of the church isn't to change the government or to change the culture.

471
00:26:29,100 --> 00:26:32,140
It's a change you.

472
00:26:32,140 --> 00:26:35,520
It's the change be, you know, and

473
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:40,400
especially in our culture, especially I mean, it's an election year, right?

474
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:41,580
Crying out loud.

475
00:26:41,580 --> 00:26:44,660
I mean, we're supposed to come church and find out about this sort of stuff.

476
00:26:44,660 --> 00:26:46,660
No, we're not.

477
00:26:46,660 --> 00:26:51,840
The only political stand Jesus ever took.

478
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,000
You know what the only political stand was Jesus ever took?

479
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,460
And he was kind of forced into that.

480
00:26:58,460 --> 00:26:59,960
He was kind of pushed into it.

481
00:26:59,960 --> 00:27:02,340
The only political statement.

482
00:27:02,340 --> 00:27:07,720
That Jesus ever made, unless you count, you know, my kingdom is not of this world.

483
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,520
If it were, my servants would fight to

484
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:16,640
to keep me from being captured by the Jews, but my kingdom's from another place.

485
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,900
Now, the only political statement he made was pay your taxes.

486
00:27:20,900 --> 00:27:24,400
That's it.

487
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,320
So if you want to be in the on the Jesus party

488
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,540
and make this thing political, then you need to start a party called

489
00:27:30,540 --> 00:27:32,240
Pay Your Taxes.

490
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:36,460
You ever want to sign up for it?

491
00:27:36,460 --> 00:27:40,080
The apostles never took a political stand.

492
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:46,420
Or about social issues, you know, it kind of go,

493
00:27:46,420 --> 00:27:49,640
well, are you you saying sins, OK?

494
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,920
No, sin's not OK.

495
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,600
Sin's not OK. And self righteousness isn't OK.

496
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,260
There's just so much. It's not OK.

497
00:27:57,260 --> 00:27:59,940
I mean, God, God isn't going to fix this thing.

498
00:27:59,940 --> 00:28:02,940
He's going to destroy this thing and bring in something completely new.

499
00:28:02,940 --> 00:28:06,240
That's that's what he's doing.

500
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:11,120
And OK, let me let me just dive into the deep end of the pool here.

501
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:14,120
It isn't about Israel either.

502
00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:17,820
You know, and that's such a hot topic right now.

503
00:28:17,820 --> 00:28:20,740
We we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

504
00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,000
I personally love God's chosen people,

505
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,040
but that's not what the church is about.

506
00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:31,000
And if that's what we leave thinking about.

507
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,760
Then the litmus test should tell us something.

508
00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:43,900
Your stand on any particular issue really has no bearing on whether or not

509
00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:48,060
you are becoming like Jesus.

510
00:28:48,060 --> 00:28:51,560
I have heard people say.

511
00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,860
I've heard people say, I don't know how anybody can be a Democrat

512
00:28:54,860 --> 00:28:56,020
and be a Christian.

513
00:28:56,020 --> 00:29:00,700
I have also heard people say, I don't know how anybody can be a Republican,

514
00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:02,200
be a Christian.

515
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,360
And what I say is, what's that got to do with anything?

516
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:10,840
Really? What does that have to do with anything?

517
00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,920
But the American church is many places made it about issues,

518
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,600
about where you stand on on this particular social issue

519
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:28,680
or that particular social issue or where you who you're going to vote for or.

520
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:34,520
And if it's not a social issue or political issue, it's a doctrinal issue.

521
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,940
Well, what do you believe about tongues?

522
00:29:37,940 --> 00:29:40,360
You know, well, how do you baptize?

523
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,280
You know, we need to grow up.

524
00:29:45,740 --> 00:29:51,080
Because the mission, the vision, the idea is for us to become like Jesus.

525
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:57,760
The main mission of the church also, let me just say this local church,

526
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:02,180
the main mission isn't actually to win the lost.

527
00:30:02,180 --> 00:30:05,220
It's to prepare God's people.

528
00:30:05,220 --> 00:30:10,980
To live the kind of lives that the lost look at,

529
00:30:10,980 --> 00:30:16,860
and they are attracted to this beautiful, wonderful savior

530
00:30:16,860 --> 00:30:20,200
that we have and go, I want to know that guy.

531
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,620
I want to know him.

532
00:30:24,620 --> 00:30:26,960
That's what I want to do.

533
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,000
And when we bring these other things in,

534
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:33,180
we're just joining the fray, we're just we're just

535
00:30:33,180 --> 00:30:37,040
we're just joining the the flow, the river of things, you know?

536
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,840
Well, you know, if you come to Christ, you will prosper.

537
00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:43,140
Yeah, well, if you'll follow this plan, you will prosper, too.

538
00:30:43,140 --> 00:30:45,780
And if you'll invest over here, you will prosper.

539
00:30:45,780 --> 00:30:48,940
Well, you know, if you come to Christ, you can be healthy and wealthy.

540
00:30:48,940 --> 00:30:52,620
Well, yeah, if you join Weight Watchers, you become healthy

541
00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:54,920
and all if you just eat right.

542
00:30:54,920 --> 00:31:00,240
I mean, you know, it's all it's there's only one unique thing we have to offer.

543
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:05,220
And that's Jesus Christ.

544
00:31:05,220 --> 00:31:07,840
That's the only thing that we have.

545
00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,720
And Jesus Christ, guess what is enough?

546
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,680
He's enough.

547
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:18,680
Well, you know, are you sure we're not supposed to be, you know,

548
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,640
using some of these methods that I mean, it sounds like a pretty good idea.

549
00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:24,560
Paul wrote to Timothy and he said,

550
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,780
a time's going to come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

551
00:31:27,780 --> 00:31:32,360
Instead, to suit their own desires,

552
00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:36,120
they'll gather around them a great number of teachers to hear what they're

553
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,480
what their itching ears want to say. Yeah.

554
00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:44,620
one of the one of the verses that.

555
00:31:44,620 --> 00:31:50,700
one of the verses that we really like these days,

556
00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:55,260
and you hear quoted often is Jeremiah twenty nine.

557
00:31:55,260 --> 00:31:57,340
What was it? Verse eleven?

558
00:31:57,340 --> 00:31:59,220
Yeah. Twenty nine. Eleven. Yeah.

559
00:31:59,220 --> 00:32:05,260
OK. And it says, I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord's

560
00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:07,060
plans to prosper you.

561
00:32:07,060 --> 00:32:09,100
Yeah, that's great verse.

562
00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:10,980
That's great verse.

563
00:32:10,980 --> 00:32:13,480
But the context of the verse.

564
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:18,400
He's talking to the Jews who are in Babylon, they're in Babylonian captivity.

565
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:23,080
And they had gathered around themselves, a group of teachers

566
00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,540
to say what their itching years wanted to hear and what their itching years

567
00:32:26,540 --> 00:32:29,200
wanted to hear was, you're not going to be here long.

568
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:30,880
God's going to deliver you.

569
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,180
You're going to be you're going to be sent back to Jerusalem.

570
00:32:33,180 --> 00:32:35,180
We're going to we're going to win this thing.

571
00:32:35,500 --> 00:32:37,160
And it's going to be great.

572
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,420
And what God is saying in that verse is, no, it ain't.

573
00:32:40,420 --> 00:32:46,760
No, it ain't. You're going to be there 70 years.

574
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:51,480
So just just cool your jets because I'm doing something.

575
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:56,060
And so they were where they didn't want to be.

576
00:32:56,060 --> 00:32:59,980
And and we're going, oh, we're going to we're going to advance and go forward.

577
00:32:59,980 --> 00:33:02,940
And that's no, you're going to stay right there.

578
00:33:02,940 --> 00:33:05,020
Because I know the plans I have for you.

579
00:33:05,020 --> 00:33:09,660
Because I know the plans I have for you.

580
00:33:09,660 --> 00:33:12,860
You see, the reason they were in captivity.

581
00:33:12,860 --> 00:33:17,080
This is good. I mean, this is I didn't put up my notes, but it's real good.

582
00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:21,120
Listen, the reason they were in captivity was idolatry.

583
00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:24,120
They had been they were worshiping.

584
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:25,720
They were idol worshippers.

585
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,920
And that's why they were sent into Babylonian captivity.

586
00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:34,180
And God was saying, it's going to be 70 years.

587
00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:35,600
I'm doing a work in you.

588
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,400
I'm working something out.

589
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:43,640
And when they came back after 70 years, 67 years, actually, I mean, prayer,

590
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:44,980
God answers prayer.

591
00:33:44,980 --> 00:33:49,400
But when they came back, they never had an issue with idolatry again.

592
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:53,460
Because when God fixes something, it gets fixed.

593
00:33:53,460 --> 00:33:58,040
When we fix it, it's fixed until it gets broken again.

594
00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:02,620
And that's usually not a very long period of time

595
00:34:03,340 --> 00:34:04,300
before it gets broken again.

596
00:34:04,300 --> 00:34:08,380
And so when we're when we're working on this stuff, you know, in our life,

597
00:34:08,380 --> 00:34:10,800
that's where our focus is. Oh, I got that fixed now.

598
00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,260
I can be like, oh, OK, well, maybe it's not actually fixed.

599
00:34:14,260 --> 00:34:17,400
But if we let God, if we'll focus on him,

600
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,440
you see, we become what we look at.

601
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:25,480
What we've what the focus of our lives is, is what we become.

602
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:31,540
And so the idea isn't you say, well, I shouldn't be concerned about this.

603
00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,040
Yes, but that's not how you fix it.

604
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:40,160
Fix it by focusing on him and letting him fix it.

605
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:43,300
It's not easy sometimes.

606
00:34:43,300 --> 00:34:46,880
I mean, sometimes, you know, you have to stay in a church with some stinky people,

607
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,560
because that's where God's put you.

608
00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,480
But sometimes you have to do some things you didn't want to do,

609
00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:58,400
because God's doing a work inside of you.

610
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,980
It's not easy, but the end result is so worth it.

611
00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:07,020
You know, I read earlier Romans eight twenty nine.

612
00:35:07,020 --> 00:35:09,600
Romans eight twenty eight goes before that.

613
00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,440
You need to put them together.

614
00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:15,520
And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him,

615
00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,940
who have been called according to his purpose.

616
00:35:17,940 --> 00:35:24,020
Man, I thought that that verse has come to come to my rescue so many times in my life.

617
00:35:24,020 --> 00:35:28,160
You know, there have been so many situations that I've been in and I've kind of gone,

618
00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:29,900
oh, this ain't good.

619
00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:32,060
And then the Holy Spirit brings.

620
00:35:32,060 --> 00:35:35,400
And we know that in everything God is at work for those who.

621
00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:40,240
OK, but I never really put it together with the next verse for.

622
00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:44,120
Therefore, if you want to.

623
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,920
For God. Those God foreknew,

624
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,500
he has predestined to be conformed to the image of his son.

625
00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:56,500
That he might be the first born among many brothers and sisters,

626
00:35:56,500 --> 00:35:59,760
and those he predestined, he also called and those he called.

627
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:02,800
He also justified and those he justified.

628
00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,260
He also glorified.

629
00:36:04,260 --> 00:36:07,680
So that's what's meant by in all things.

630
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,260
God is at work for our good.

631
00:36:09,260 --> 00:36:13,360
It's not that, oh, it's going to it's going to be better tomorrow.

632
00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,980
Well, it may not be better tomorrow, but God is work.

633
00:36:16,980 --> 00:36:18,860
God's doing something.

634
00:36:18,860 --> 00:36:22,940
He is working something out of what he is doing is he's conforming us

635
00:36:22,940 --> 00:36:24,320
to the image of his son.

636
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,940
So in everything, God is at work.

637
00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:31,200
His purpose, his vision is to make us look like Jesus

638
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:34,120
and what's going on right now.

639
00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,200
And the writer of Hebrews says.

640
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,720
That Jesus was made perfect by his suffering.

641
00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:43,720
It doesn't say he was made perfect by his blessings.

642
00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:49,800
Oh, that hurts.

643
00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,260
I like my blessings much better than my sufferings.

644
00:36:55,980 --> 00:36:58,400
But he doesn't say he was made perfect by his blessings.

645
00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:03,900
He was made perfect by his sufferings, and he's making us look like Jesus.

646
00:37:03,900 --> 00:37:08,580
And the end result of that process is something called being glorified.

647
00:37:08,580 --> 00:37:13,120
And before you get there, just in case you're wondering,

648
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:14,500
things are going a little early today.

649
00:37:14,500 --> 00:37:16,420
I'm not going to go I'm not going to go real long.

650
00:37:16,420 --> 00:37:19,920
I'm I'm not one of those preachers who just goes on and on and on and on

651
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,140
and talks about stuff just to make it long enough.

652
00:37:25,260 --> 00:37:31,520
Anyway. Oh. So, yeah, you worship guys, you get yourself back here.

653
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:39,520
The. In the process of getting. Oh, not yet.

654
00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:47,120
I said back here. Yeah.

655
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:55,000
Oh, OK. Glad to know

656
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,460
y'all are still awake.

657
00:37:57,460 --> 00:38:03,080
In the process of getting from here to there, some other things happen.

658
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:07,080
You know, I talked about the fears and the phobias and the

659
00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,000
and the neuroses and everything.

660
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,100
You think Jesus was ever afraid?

661
00:38:12,100 --> 00:38:14,840
I don't. I don't think he was ever afraid.

662
00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,800
Distressed? Yes.

663
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,720
Pressed in difficult situations?

664
00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:24,640
Yes. Afraid? No.

665
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:29,560
Fear not. Storm about to over flood the boat.

666
00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:31,560
Don't be afraid.

667
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:36,740
Here comes the people to arrest them and and take them to the cross.

668
00:38:36,740 --> 00:38:40,780
Not not put your sword away.

669
00:38:40,780 --> 00:38:43,540
How is this scripture going to be fulfilled?

670
00:38:43,540 --> 00:38:44,820
And Jesus wasn't afraid.

671
00:38:44,820 --> 00:38:47,120
So as we become like Jesus.

672
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:52,120
Those fears. Begin to leave us.

673
00:38:53,380 --> 00:38:55,080
Think Jesus was ever worried?

674
00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:57,720
You think you think the guy who said, don't worry about tomorrow?

675
00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:02,260
Tomorrow's got enough worries of its own, so don't worry about tomorrow.

676
00:39:02,260 --> 00:39:06,880
And in fact, God, he he he closed the lilies of the field.

677
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:08,180
He feeds the birds.

678
00:39:08,180 --> 00:39:10,180
He's going to take care of you.

679
00:39:10,180 --> 00:39:13,360
I don't think Jesus worried.

680
00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,440
I don't think Jesus was afraid.

681
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,980
I don't think he was threatened by the actions of others.

682
00:39:18,980 --> 00:39:22,240
So when others would come against him, he didn't have to.

683
00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:23,520
He didn't have to react.

684
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:25,100
He didn't have to defend himself.

685
00:39:25,100 --> 00:39:30,120
He could move in grace and love and mercy and wisdom.

686
00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:33,440
Oh, you're going to throw me over the edge of this cliff?

687
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,400
I don't think so.

688
00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:37,500
Yeah, my time has not yet come.

689
00:39:37,500 --> 00:39:43,120
No fear. And so as we are, if we will allow God

690
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:47,840
to do this process in us by focusing on Jesus,

691
00:39:48,220 --> 00:39:52,460
then these things that we think we got to fix, but we can't fix them.

692
00:39:52,460 --> 00:39:55,840
Will get fixed.

693
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:59,440
And then beyond that,

694
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,760
this this this thing called glory, being glorified,

695
00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:08,060
the the Hebrew word is kabod, and it means means two different things.

696
00:40:08,060 --> 00:40:14,400
One aspect of the meaning is is weight, strength, power, ability.

697
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,660
Kind of doesn't sound like me, well, it may not sound like you.

698
00:40:18,660 --> 00:40:20,540
It sounds like Jesus.

699
00:40:20,540 --> 00:40:23,280
And that's what he's conforming you to.

700
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,120
Weight, strength, power, ability.

701
00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:33,540
The other is honor, magnificence, dignity, splendor.

702
00:40:33,540 --> 00:40:39,420
Some of you, the devil has told you and he's used people

703
00:40:39,420 --> 00:40:42,640
throughout your life to tell you that you don't have any dignity.

704
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,340
You don't have any worth.

705
00:40:45,340 --> 00:40:48,340
God goes to Jesus to us.

706
00:40:48,340 --> 00:40:51,300
Come on, let me make you like him.

707
00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:55,140
Let's focus on him, shall we?

708
00:40:55,140 --> 00:41:00,180
No wonder, no wonder, Paul says over in Second Corinthians

709
00:41:00,180 --> 00:41:05,020
for our light and momentary troubles are achieving

710
00:41:05,020 --> 00:41:08,740
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

711
00:41:08,740 --> 00:41:13,740
He doesn't say our light and momentary blessings.

712
00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:16,900
He says our light and momentary troubles are achieving.

713
00:41:16,900 --> 00:41:21,200
So when trouble comes, you kind of go, wow, achieving for us

714
00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:25,080
an eternal weight, eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

715
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,720
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

716
00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:35,060
Not on my troubles, not on my failures, not on my faults.

717
00:41:35,060 --> 00:41:39,880
But on the invisible God.

718
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:44,060
On Jesus. Since what is seen is temporary.

719
00:41:44,380 --> 00:41:46,140
But what is unseen is eternal.

720
00:41:46,140 --> 00:41:49,140
OK, guys, you come on out now.

721
00:41:49,140 --> 00:41:52,680
OK, now I'm going to say something.

722
00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:56,180
And for some of you, it's going to be what you're going to leave here thinking.

723
00:41:56,180 --> 00:42:00,320
I'm not really a big King James Bible fan.

724
00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:04,240
Now, if you leave here thinking that

725
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:06,780
pastor didn't like the King James Bible, that's on you.

726
00:42:06,780 --> 00:42:09,780
That's not on me.

727
00:42:09,780 --> 00:42:14,820
But I love the phrase that the King James Bible uses in this passage.

728
00:42:14,820 --> 00:42:19,700
It doesn't say an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

729
00:42:19,700 --> 00:42:24,300
The phrase that it uses is an eternal weight of glory.

730
00:42:24,300 --> 00:42:27,420
A weight of glory.

731
00:42:27,420 --> 00:42:30,560
Weight of glory.

732
00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,980
What a what a magnificent phrase.

733
00:42:33,980 --> 00:42:37,680
I don't know how it's going to happen.

734
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:41,400
I mean, I know we're in process right now, but someday we'll get there.

735
00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,780
I don't know how it's going to happen, but I know it will happen.

736
00:42:43,780 --> 00:42:47,860
Because first, John three tells us.

737
00:42:47,860 --> 00:42:51,240
Dear friends, now we are children of God

738
00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:56,420
and what we will be has not yet been made known, but we know that

739
00:42:56,420 --> 00:42:59,620
when Christ appears, we shall be like him.

740
00:42:59,620 --> 00:43:03,080
But we shall see him as he is.

741
00:43:06,580 --> 00:43:09,580
That's some pretty good stuff, huh?

742
00:43:09,580 --> 00:43:13,180
Are you guys going to do the same song you did at the end of the service?

743
00:43:13,180 --> 00:43:16,180
We can. You are.

744
00:43:16,180 --> 00:43:19,600
Yeah. OK. Yes. No.

745
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:26,180
Normally, if I'm going to be

746
00:43:26,180 --> 00:43:29,600
speaking, I'll kind of go, what song should we use?

747
00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:33,060
I couldn't think of one this week.

748
00:43:33,060 --> 00:43:34,480
I couldn't think of one.

749
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:39,080
And so, lo and behold, they sang the perfect song

750
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:44,740
from how many years ago was that we used to sing that song?

751
00:43:44,740 --> 00:43:48,380
And we haven't done it in six or eight years.

752
00:43:48,380 --> 00:43:50,540
Maybe, maybe, maybe longer than that.

753
00:43:50,540 --> 00:43:58,220
Yeah. I don't have to be strong.

754
00:43:58,220 --> 00:44:02,220
Where he is my strength.

755
00:44:02,220 --> 00:44:03,680
I don't have to hold on.

756
00:44:04,540 --> 00:44:07,000
Because he won't let go.

757
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:10,100
I trust him. I trust him.

758
00:44:10,100 --> 00:44:14,300
Trust him. Would you stand?

759
00:44:14,300 --> 00:44:16,600
We're going to worship for a little while.

760
00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:19,900
We have brothers and sisters who are going to come down to pray with people.

761
00:44:19,900 --> 00:44:23,600
And if you're here, if you came, you need you have a prayer need.

762
00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,360
They'd love to pray with you.

763
00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:29,120
That's a nice worship. Yeah.

764
00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:32,480
[MUSIC PLAYING]

765
00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:38,900
[The spendthick scott axe has nothing left]