1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,200 Dallas: So today's lesson, I feel like is, was I was really inspired by Jesse 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,640 Goldman's lesson if you were able to attend the joint service of, of 5,000 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:14,640 people at the, in the Anaheim Arena with the ICMC and with the, uh, uh, the, the 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,680 Jubilee, Jesse Goldman gave a lesson. 5 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,070 I, I think for me, one of the, the one, the phrases that he spoke that 6 00:00:20,070 --> 00:00:23,790 kind of really stuck out to me was LA needs to get its swagger back. 7 00:00:24,825 --> 00:00:26,205 I really, I really believe it. 8 00:00:26,235 --> 00:00:30,075 I mean, as someone that is born and bred in LA culture and then moving 9 00:00:30,075 --> 00:00:32,174 out here to Orange County and being part of an extended part of our 10 00:00:32,174 --> 00:00:35,114 LA church, I really believe that we need to get our swagger back. 11 00:00:35,445 --> 00:00:38,805 And so I feel like we need to proclaim the Jubilee, proclaim 12 00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:40,305 the year of the Lord's favor. 13 00:00:40,515 --> 00:00:44,295 And the reason why we need to is because I feel like we've had a lot of discouraging 14 00:00:44,295 --> 00:00:47,655 things happen that have really, honestly, quote unquote hindered us or. 15 00:00:47,715 --> 00:00:51,075 Really, we felt like we've had to pull back and shrink back from what we were 16 00:00:51,075 --> 00:00:53,115 really, really about from the beginning. 17 00:00:53,325 --> 00:00:55,365 That we were proclaiming the word, we were proclaiming the 18 00:00:55,365 --> 00:00:56,865 gospel, proclaiming the good news. 19 00:00:57,075 --> 00:01:00,255 And LA and OC need to get its swagger back. 20 00:01:00,285 --> 00:01:00,585 Amen. 21 00:01:00,585 --> 00:01:00,945 Come on. 22 00:01:02,355 --> 00:01:04,575 And today the title of my lesson is. 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,380 We need a come back season. 24 00:01:07,679 --> 00:01:12,000 Now obviously that space in between come and back is intentional because 25 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,970 it's not just about, you know, a comeback like LeBron coming down three 26 00:01:14,970 --> 00:01:18,000 one with the Cavs and coming back and winning the finals, or any other big 27 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,590 sports comeback that you can think of. 28 00:01:19,860 --> 00:01:23,430 This is a coming back to who we are. 29 00:01:24,150 --> 00:01:27,120 It's coming back to what we have always been about. 30 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,509 Maybe sometimes we can forget or be distracted by, but this 31 00:01:30,509 --> 00:01:32,789 is coming back to who we are. 32 00:01:32,789 --> 00:01:33,090 Amen. 33 00:01:33,090 --> 00:01:34,020 You guys with me this morning. 34 00:01:34,785 --> 00:01:35,445 Come on guys. 35 00:01:36,435 --> 00:01:40,005 So we're gonna start in one Corinthians chapter 15, verse 1910. 36 00:01:40,005 --> 00:01:44,595 I think for me the greatest comeback in spiritual history besides Jesus 37 00:01:44,595 --> 00:01:47,115 dying on the cross and being in the tomb for three days and being 38 00:01:47,115 --> 00:01:48,914 resurrected, I think is Paul. 39 00:01:50,175 --> 00:01:51,945 Paul has one of the greatest comebacks ever. 40 00:01:51,945 --> 00:01:54,164 I mean, this man pulled a full 180. 41 00:01:54,854 --> 00:01:58,125 This man, literally, it's like this man was playing for the Yankees 42 00:01:58,125 --> 00:01:59,535 and then went to the Dodgers. 43 00:01:59,715 --> 00:02:03,164 It's like he went from playing against Manchester City to playing for Man 44 00:02:03,164 --> 00:02:05,625 United, like he flip sides so easily. 45 00:02:07,115 --> 00:02:08,405 Because, but not so easily. 46 00:02:08,405 --> 00:02:11,315 But in the sense of that it was a complete change. 47 00:02:11,615 --> 00:02:17,015 That it was who he was to who He to, who he became, and who he is now 48 00:02:17,165 --> 00:02:18,725 as someone that is right with God. 49 00:02:18,995 --> 00:02:21,695 Now and here I wanna write, I wanna read a passage here in one 50 00:02:21,695 --> 00:02:24,905 Corinthians 15 that I feel like really shares the epi of who he is. 51 00:02:24,905 --> 00:02:28,625 It says, for I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve 52 00:02:28,625 --> 00:02:31,805 to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God. 53 00:02:32,135 --> 00:02:34,730 But by the grace of God, I am what I am. 54 00:02:35,340 --> 00:02:37,799 And his grace to me was not without effect. 55 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:38,160 No. 56 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,380 I worked harder than all of them yet. 57 00:02:40,380 --> 00:02:42,000 Not I, but the grace of God. 58 00:02:42,150 --> 00:02:43,829 That was with me. 59 00:02:44,370 --> 00:02:45,359 You know where Paul was? 60 00:02:45,359 --> 00:02:46,230 He was a persecutor. 61 00:02:46,230 --> 00:02:49,350 He said this, I mean, if you don't know about Paul, Paul used to work 62 00:02:49,350 --> 00:02:52,410 for the Roman government and would kill and persecute Christians. 63 00:02:52,410 --> 00:02:53,459 That was his job. 64 00:02:53,730 --> 00:02:54,690 That's what he would live for. 65 00:02:54,690 --> 00:02:56,310 That's even recorded in the Bible. 66 00:02:56,310 --> 00:02:56,954 That's what he did. 67 00:02:57,859 --> 00:03:00,170 But then he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus 68 00:03:00,170 --> 00:03:01,430 and everything changed for him. 69 00:03:01,700 --> 00:03:02,960 His sight was blinded. 70 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,590 For three days, he wandered and a brother named Ananias came and restored 71 00:03:06,590 --> 00:03:08,810 his sight and he became a disciple. 72 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,720 You know, where he was now is he was transformed, but where he's 73 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,459 going, it's not by his own words. 74 00:03:13,459 --> 00:03:13,910 What does he say? 75 00:03:13,910 --> 00:03:14,390 It carries him. 76 00:03:14,390 --> 00:03:18,920 It says, by the grace of God that he became who God intended 77 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:20,420 him to be by His grace. 78 00:03:20,930 --> 00:03:22,910 You know, have you guys ever felt like this before? 79 00:03:24,345 --> 00:03:26,475 Or I'm gonna see, I'm, I'm gonna say for like this, 80 00:03:28,785 --> 00:03:31,035 for those of you that don't know, this is an episode in SpongeBob. 81 00:03:31,635 --> 00:03:32,625 Um, actually shout out to you. 82 00:03:32,625 --> 00:03:33,315 Where's Derek Lale? 83 00:03:33,405 --> 00:03:34,935 It's Derek LaBelle's birthday today. 84 00:03:36,585 --> 00:03:39,315 Derek Derek's a big SpongeBob fan, so I had to, I had to shout 85 00:03:39,315 --> 00:03:40,605 him out for his birthday on that. 86 00:03:40,995 --> 00:03:45,135 Um, but there's this episode in SpongeBob where he's sitting at this diner and 87 00:03:45,135 --> 00:03:46,515 he's, he's got his hands full, obviously. 88 00:03:46,515 --> 00:03:50,204 You can see he's just distraught and he's in this identity crisis because 89 00:03:50,204 --> 00:03:52,454 he's just for, he's lost his name tag. 90 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,030 He's lost his identity. 91 00:03:54,030 --> 00:03:56,310 He's just like, oh man, I'm just, he doesn't know what to do. 92 00:03:56,310 --> 00:03:58,320 He's like, I lost something once. 93 00:03:58,530 --> 00:03:59,370 And it, it's a whole thing. 94 00:03:59,370 --> 00:04:01,740 If you, if you don't, if you don't watch it, it's okay. 95 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:04,020 You know, some of you guys say that SpongeBob's a brain rock. 96 00:04:04,050 --> 00:04:05,760 Sure, go, go tell it to your friends, it's fine. 97 00:04:06,300 --> 00:04:08,610 But I used, I had a moment like this in my life. 98 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,610 I was a freshman and college just coming into the campus ministry. 99 00:04:11,610 --> 00:04:13,560 I was, uh, 17 years old. 100 00:04:13,890 --> 00:04:15,630 And I remember I just got a job at Chipotle. 101 00:04:16,290 --> 00:04:20,490 I, uh, needed to get my documents in, in, uh, inserted into the system so they could 102 00:04:20,490 --> 00:04:21,899 run a background check, all these things. 103 00:04:22,620 --> 00:04:25,679 Um, after that at, because I had, I didn't have my documents, 104 00:04:25,679 --> 00:04:27,120 only my dad had gotten it to me. 105 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,030 So I had used it to go turn it into my manager, got it back. 106 00:04:30,299 --> 00:04:33,479 And so that day I was actually going to Disneyland and I was like, okay. 107 00:04:33,479 --> 00:04:37,049 You know, after I got my documents, I went to Disneyland and I was giving it back. 108 00:04:37,140 --> 00:04:38,549 Uh, there's the documents to my dad. 109 00:04:38,549 --> 00:04:42,060 And so I was like, Hey, here's a, it was like a, like a clear sheet, uh, folder 110 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,419 with my birth certificate, with my social security card, with some other things, 111 00:04:45,510 --> 00:04:46,799 uh, some other documents, stuff like that. 112 00:04:46,979 --> 00:04:48,120 I get back to him, say, okay, cool. 113 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:48,780 Have fun at Disneyland. 114 00:04:48,780 --> 00:04:49,530 I said, okay, great. 115 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:49,979 Awesome. 116 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:51,299 So I go to Disneyland. 117 00:04:51,390 --> 00:04:54,120 Um, I'm having a great time with my roommates and my friends. 118 00:04:54,450 --> 00:04:58,620 I get a text from my dad, Hey, um, where's your social security card? 119 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:00,960 And I said, what do you mean? 120 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,700 It's in the documents that I gave you? 121 00:05:02,729 --> 00:05:04,740 He's like, yeah, they're not here. 122 00:05:05,190 --> 00:05:06,479 I was like, what do you mean they're not there? 123 00:05:06,900 --> 00:05:10,860 I literally had 'em when I got out of the car and Disneyland, I gave it to 124 00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:15,210 you, and I, I left and he's like, I, I don't know, but they're not here. 125 00:05:15,930 --> 00:05:18,570 So obviously as you know, if you lose your social. 126 00:05:19,844 --> 00:05:21,585 That's pretty detrimental to your identity. 127 00:05:22,395 --> 00:05:25,995 So I'm searching all of Disneyland of all the places I lose it at. 128 00:05:25,995 --> 00:05:27,164 I lose it at Disneyland. 129 00:05:27,315 --> 00:05:28,905 So we're searching the park. 130 00:05:29,055 --> 00:05:31,335 We, after we're done, I could even enjoy the rest of the day. 131 00:05:31,335 --> 00:05:33,795 I always just stress every time we go on a ride, it'd be like this, like two 132 00:05:33,795 --> 00:05:36,825 minutes of thrill and then I'm like back to worrying and I'm like, just distraught. 133 00:05:36,974 --> 00:05:39,465 And then next thing you know, we're at the end of the day, we're searching 134 00:05:39,525 --> 00:05:43,695 up and down the parking lot of the floor I was at of the elevator. 135 00:05:43,695 --> 00:05:44,594 Like it was just everywhere. 136 00:05:44,594 --> 00:05:46,875 And I just could not, I could not believe that. 137 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:51,270 The first time I have, I handle my social security card, I already lose it. 138 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:54,930 And I was just like I, I'm like, someone's gonna take my identity, 139 00:05:54,930 --> 00:05:55,950 someone's gonna run with it. 140 00:05:55,950 --> 00:05:57,300 And there goes my life, you know? 141 00:05:58,110 --> 00:06:00,539 Now, luckily, I called the next day and then someone actually turned it 142 00:06:00,539 --> 00:06:02,219 into the Lost and found at Disneyland. 143 00:06:02,219 --> 00:06:03,719 So it was at Disneyland. 144 00:06:03,719 --> 00:06:05,070 It was just not in my care. 145 00:06:05,940 --> 00:06:09,240 But I think sometimes this can be us spiritually, that we can lose our 146 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,630 identity, that there are things that happen in life that cause us to stray 147 00:06:12,630 --> 00:06:15,010 and veer away from who God says we are. 148 00:06:15,870 --> 00:06:19,320 Sometimes we lose our identity by, by, by comparing ourselves to others, saying, 149 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:20,760 why is this family more spiritual? 150 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,440 Why does it seem like they have it all together? 151 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,780 Why do, why are they more stable financially? 152 00:06:24,870 --> 00:06:27,240 Why does it seem like they're relationally more intact? 153 00:06:27,570 --> 00:06:27,750 Right? 154 00:06:27,750 --> 00:06:30,870 We start to compare for one another, or we even, our sin begins to make 155 00:06:30,870 --> 00:06:32,430 us ident, lose our identity, right? 156 00:06:32,490 --> 00:06:33,299 We make mistakes. 157 00:06:33,299 --> 00:06:34,919 We, we, we fall short of the glory of God. 158 00:06:34,919 --> 00:06:38,099 I'm like, man, like I just, I can't be who God wants me to be. 159 00:06:38,370 --> 00:06:40,469 Or sometimes you let the culture define it by whether it's 160 00:06:40,469 --> 00:06:42,655 beauty or success or it's fame. 161 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,390 Or we leaving, led by the achievements that we wanna get, 162 00:06:45,390 --> 00:06:47,549 whether it's at work or school. 163 00:06:48,270 --> 00:06:52,440 We allow so many things to take and steal away our identity. 164 00:06:52,830 --> 00:06:54,659 But can I tell you what God says we are? 165 00:06:55,650 --> 00:06:57,390 Do can I tell you who God says we are? 166 00:06:57,390 --> 00:06:57,900 Come on church. 167 00:06:57,900 --> 00:06:58,229 Come on. 168 00:06:58,229 --> 00:06:58,409 Come on. 169 00:06:59,849 --> 00:07:03,365 Because if we, we have to know, are to ask, are you secure in your identity? 170 00:07:04,470 --> 00:07:06,900 We have to ask that question, are we secure in who we are? 171 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:10,440 Because I think when life gets hard, when life changes, when things 172 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,070 are not in your control, are you secure in who God says you are? 173 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,200 God says in one Peter chapter two, verse nine, he says, you are a chosen people. 174 00:07:19,605 --> 00:07:25,305 A royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that you made it 175 00:07:25,305 --> 00:07:29,505 declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 176 00:07:29,715 --> 00:07:32,925 Once you were not a people, but now you are a people of God. 177 00:07:32,985 --> 00:07:36,825 Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 178 00:07:37,095 --> 00:07:40,335 I could go on because therefore in two Corinthians chapter five, Paul 179 00:07:40,335 --> 00:07:43,545 says, this is Paul the persecuted, who is now a disciple of Christ. 180 00:07:43,665 --> 00:07:45,010 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ. 181 00:07:45,675 --> 00:07:48,945 The new creation has come and the old is gone, and the new is here. 182 00:07:49,125 --> 00:07:52,155 Trust me, if there's anyone that believes that firmly, it's Paul. 183 00:07:52,575 --> 00:07:55,635 He was a persecutor, someone that was dead in his sin for killing 184 00:07:55,635 --> 00:08:00,735 Christians, for murdering them, and now he says he's a new creation in Christ. 185 00:08:00,735 --> 00:08:02,595 The old is gone in, the new is here. 186 00:08:02,955 --> 00:08:06,585 All this is from God who reconciled us to himself, uh, reconciled us to 187 00:08:06,585 --> 00:08:10,425 himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God 188 00:08:10,425 --> 00:08:12,020 was reconciling the world to himself. 189 00:08:12,630 --> 00:08:17,039 In Christ, not counting people's sins against them, and he and He has committed 190 00:08:17,039 --> 00:08:19,050 to us the message of reconciliation. 191 00:08:19,349 --> 00:08:24,150 We are therefore, Christ's ambassadors, as Marcel loves to say, as though God 192 00:08:24,150 --> 00:08:25,349 we're making his appeal through us. 193 00:08:25,349 --> 00:08:28,349 We implore you on Christ, God be reconciled to God. 194 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:32,818 God made him who had no sin be sin for us so that in him we might 195 00:08:32,818 --> 00:08:35,068 become the righteousness of God. 196 00:08:35,115 --> 00:08:37,065 And you might say, Dallas, you know, that's great. 197 00:08:37,065 --> 00:08:38,145 I wanna be a new creation. 198 00:08:38,174 --> 00:08:39,645 I wanna have the old God news here. 199 00:08:39,645 --> 00:08:42,015 But it just seems like I can never get over. 200 00:08:42,015 --> 00:08:45,675 Or sometimes it can just seem like it's just always my sin is always before me, as 201 00:08:45,675 --> 00:08:49,245 David was say in the Psalms and it's hard and like, DA man, you don't understand. 202 00:08:49,245 --> 00:08:52,245 I've been struggling with this for years, or it's just been too hard to overcome. 203 00:08:52,245 --> 00:08:54,165 I've wrestled with this, I've struggled with this. 204 00:08:54,449 --> 00:08:56,819 And you know what, and sometimes I can feel that too. 205 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:58,979 My God, I, I'm, I'm, I'm fighting for it. 206 00:08:58,979 --> 00:09:01,890 I'm trying to get through, but sometimes I just don't feel like I'm enough. 207 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:03,810 I don't feel like I don't deserve your love. 208 00:09:03,989 --> 00:09:06,150 I feel like I'm not worthy to be identified as a son. 209 00:09:06,449 --> 00:09:09,120 But you know what God says, God says, for I am convinced 210 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:10,859 because Roman says, this is Paul. 211 00:09:10,859 --> 00:09:13,439 Once again, like I said, Paul said one of the greatest 212 00:09:13,439 --> 00:09:14,819 comebacks in spiritual history. 213 00:09:14,969 --> 00:09:20,370 He says, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 214 00:09:20,370 --> 00:09:21,839 neither of the present nor the future. 215 00:09:22,199 --> 00:09:25,709 Neither any powers, neither height nor depth or anything else in our 216 00:09:25,709 --> 00:09:28,920 creation could be able to separate us from the love of God that is 217 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:30,660 in Christ, our Lord and Savior. 218 00:09:30,660 --> 00:09:31,290 Amen. 219 00:09:31,290 --> 00:09:31,439 Amen. 220 00:09:33,329 --> 00:09:37,260 If this does not fire you up, this does not inspire you to be the new 221 00:09:37,260 --> 00:09:38,610 creation that God has called you. 222 00:09:38,730 --> 00:09:40,380 You are out of touch with God's love. 223 00:09:41,579 --> 00:09:41,939 I can. 224 00:09:41,939 --> 00:09:44,699 I can say that with confidence 'cause this is someone right here 225 00:09:44,790 --> 00:09:46,030 on this stage that is not perfect. 226 00:09:46,905 --> 00:09:48,405 I am not righteous at all. 227 00:09:48,405 --> 00:09:48,975 Because Why? 228 00:09:48,975 --> 00:09:51,555 Because it's hard to be righteous as an imperfect human being. 229 00:09:51,555 --> 00:09:52,845 'cause I'm flaw, I'm sinful. 230 00:09:53,715 --> 00:09:57,165 And I say that because as someone that has fallen many a time because 231 00:09:57,165 --> 00:09:58,695 we all fall short of the glory of God. 232 00:09:58,725 --> 00:09:59,205 Amen. 233 00:10:00,435 --> 00:10:03,285 But that God's love, nothing separates me from that. 234 00:10:03,645 --> 00:10:04,275 And you know what? 235 00:10:04,335 --> 00:10:05,925 I'm not a person of words of affirmation. 236 00:10:05,925 --> 00:10:07,035 That's not my love language. 237 00:10:07,905 --> 00:10:10,455 I'm not someone that really likes to receive a lot of encouragement or not 238 00:10:10,455 --> 00:10:11,865 that not like it, but I don't know. 239 00:10:11,865 --> 00:10:13,140 It just doesn't hit the same for me. 240 00:10:13,485 --> 00:10:16,785 Yeah, but I'm actually, I'm really grateful for my girlfriend 241 00:10:17,295 --> 00:10:20,355 because when I fall short, I'm the hardest person on myself. 242 00:10:20,805 --> 00:10:22,215 I'm the first person to beat myself up. 243 00:10:22,215 --> 00:10:25,245 I'm the first person to just drag myself through. 244 00:10:25,245 --> 00:10:26,805 I don't know about you, about, that's me. 245 00:10:28,455 --> 00:10:32,055 But she reminds me that I am a child of God. 246 00:10:32,745 --> 00:10:35,505 That got my identity is not in my weaknesses. 247 00:10:36,225 --> 00:10:38,685 My identity is in Christ who died for my sin. 248 00:10:38,715 --> 00:10:38,775 Yeah. 249 00:10:39,585 --> 00:10:43,875 And that I get to be a new creation, that I get to be loved by God, and that nothing 250 00:10:43,875 --> 00:10:48,885 separates that, and that fires me up because I'm like, man, I, I feel so free. 251 00:10:48,885 --> 00:10:50,265 I feel so passionate. 252 00:10:50,265 --> 00:10:53,325 I feel so driven to continue to show others that love. 253 00:10:53,715 --> 00:10:58,335 And I want us as the OC Church, as the LA Church, as the ICOC, whatever 254 00:10:58,335 --> 00:11:01,875 you want to call it, the church, to be able to show people that the 255 00:11:01,875 --> 00:11:03,615 love of God can never separate them. 256 00:11:03,615 --> 00:11:07,515 That there is always opportunity to be identified as a child of God. 257 00:11:07,515 --> 00:11:07,905 Amen. 258 00:11:09,450 --> 00:11:13,650 There needs to be a passion and a drive, an unshakeable conviction that 259 00:11:13,650 --> 00:11:18,660 your identity is rooted not in you and your works, but in Christ and the grace 260 00:11:18,660 --> 00:11:20,970 that was blessed upon the cross for us. 261 00:11:21,510 --> 00:11:24,660 That fires me up and if that doesn't keep you going as a Christian, 262 00:11:24,660 --> 00:11:25,680 then I don't know what will. 263 00:11:26,489 --> 00:11:29,640 If that doesn't keep you inspired to continue to share your faith and to 264 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,270 continue to uphold and encourage other people in their faith, I don't know 265 00:11:33,270 --> 00:11:36,479 what will, because the only reason you or any of us are here, or even 266 00:11:36,479 --> 00:11:38,849 me, is because of the love of God. 267 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:39,359 Amen. 268 00:11:39,359 --> 00:11:39,540 Amen. 269 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,849 If we wanna be transformed and have a comeback season, 270 00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:49,005 we need to have, we need to. 271 00:11:49,050 --> 00:11:51,630 We need to remember that our true identity is in Christ. 272 00:11:51,930 --> 00:11:54,660 Are you secure in your true identity? 273 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,960 Next point is come, we gotta come back to the main thing. 274 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,020 We gotta come back to the main thing. 275 00:12:03,165 --> 00:12:05,100 I I, I, I have a bunch of stories today. 276 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:08,760 It, it's just one of those, kind of the sermons, you know, but I'm as, as 277 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,420 a broke college student, I remember one day, um, as, as one does, I, 278 00:12:12,420 --> 00:12:13,740 I, I, I love going to the movies. 279 00:12:13,740 --> 00:12:14,400 That's one of my biggest things. 280 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:15,090 Shout to my dad. 281 00:12:15,090 --> 00:12:17,280 My dad is like, the reason why I love movies. 282 00:12:17,730 --> 00:12:21,900 And I, uh, I go to the movies and, uh, uh, it's too expensive 283 00:12:21,900 --> 00:12:22,980 to afford concessions there. 284 00:12:23,010 --> 00:12:24,690 'cause as you guys know, a MC is not cheap. 285 00:12:24,990 --> 00:12:25,890 Regal is not cheap. 286 00:12:26,370 --> 00:12:30,060 But, uh, so I sneaked some food in from McDonald's 'cause that's cheap. 287 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:30,720 Right? 288 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:36,570 Um, and I, this day I think it was, uh, it was McNuggets and, uh, some 289 00:12:36,570 --> 00:12:39,900 sauce I think, or McNuggets and fries and everything like that. 290 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,500 But what happened was I forgot to ask for sauce that day. 291 00:12:44,430 --> 00:12:47,640 And so I'm like, ah, I gotta eat these nuggets all dry. 292 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,230 This is, this is terrible. 293 00:12:50,610 --> 00:12:53,280 And so I'm like, I'm in the theater, I'm like watching the trails. 294 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:54,300 I'm just eating and I'm like. 295 00:12:54,689 --> 00:12:57,959 But then it, but then it occurs to me as I'm eating. 296 00:12:57,959 --> 00:13:03,000 I'm like, you know, I don't remember the last time I ate nuggets without sauce. 297 00:13:03,810 --> 00:13:04,589 And I'm like, you know what? 298 00:13:04,589 --> 00:13:06,420 This is actually pretty good. 299 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:08,160 Like, I'm not mad about it. 300 00:13:08,189 --> 00:13:11,339 I'm like, I thought I would be like just super discouraged and super, like just, 301 00:13:11,370 --> 00:13:12,540 oh, like just get through this meal. 302 00:13:12,780 --> 00:13:13,829 But I was like, you know what? 303 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:15,990 It's actually not that bad. 304 00:13:16,199 --> 00:13:18,420 But then when I thought about it some more, I was like, you know what? 305 00:13:18,449 --> 00:13:20,459 I don't go to McDonald's just for the sauce. 306 00:13:21,345 --> 00:13:23,415 Though it's nice to have as an add-on. 307 00:13:23,415 --> 00:13:26,655 That's not the reason why I don't, I go, I don't just say, Hey. 308 00:13:26,835 --> 00:13:27,645 It's like, wow, welcome McDonald's. 309 00:13:27,645 --> 00:13:28,185 What do you wanna order? 310 00:13:28,245 --> 00:13:29,415 Uh, can I have four barbecue sauce? 311 00:13:29,415 --> 00:13:29,775 That's cool. 312 00:13:29,775 --> 00:13:31,035 Would you like anything else with that? 313 00:13:31,035 --> 00:13:31,845 No, just the sauces. 314 00:13:32,565 --> 00:13:32,865 No. 315 00:13:32,865 --> 00:13:33,105 Right. 316 00:13:33,105 --> 00:13:33,285 No. 317 00:13:33,285 --> 00:13:35,985 We don't go to a McDonald's or anywhere place just for 318 00:13:35,985 --> 00:13:37,395 sauce or the size or the extra. 319 00:13:37,545 --> 00:13:39,975 We go for the main thing, right? 320 00:13:39,980 --> 00:13:42,795 And so for me, the main thing in this analogy is Christ. 321 00:13:43,545 --> 00:13:46,695 Jesus, his word, he is the main thing. 322 00:13:46,695 --> 00:13:48,165 And why do you think I, why do I share that? 323 00:13:48,165 --> 00:13:50,595 'cause I think in collage in chapter two, I think this paints 324 00:13:50,595 --> 00:13:51,945 a beautiful picture as to why. 325 00:13:52,365 --> 00:13:54,825 So then just as you've received, this is Paul, once again, I'm 326 00:13:54,825 --> 00:13:55,905 telling you, comeback of comebacks. 327 00:13:56,625 --> 00:14:00,255 Just as you receive Christ's use as Lord, continue to live your lives 328 00:14:00,255 --> 00:14:02,535 in him, rooted and built up in him. 329 00:14:02,745 --> 00:14:06,675 Strengthen the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. 330 00:14:06,915 --> 00:14:10,905 See, to that, no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, 331 00:14:11,084 --> 00:14:15,314 which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of 332 00:14:15,314 --> 00:14:18,285 this world, rather than on Christ. 333 00:14:20,055 --> 00:14:21,405 You know, the sauce is not always bad. 334 00:14:22,830 --> 00:14:25,410 You know, the wor like, and I think for me, and, and we're gonna turn 335 00:14:25,410 --> 00:14:27,000 this analogy into reality here. 336 00:14:27,390 --> 00:14:31,710 Sometimes the sauce can be the worship music here, it could be the fellowship. 337 00:14:32,430 --> 00:14:36,480 Even the podcast or spiritual books that you like to read, or the advice you like 338 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,050 to get from one of the relationships that you trust, or even the conferences 339 00:14:40,050 --> 00:14:41,430 or the retreats that you attend. 340 00:14:42,150 --> 00:14:43,890 You know, those things are not bad. 341 00:14:43,980 --> 00:14:45,000 The sauce is good. 342 00:14:45,270 --> 00:14:47,700 That's why we have sauce, right? 343 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:50,820 Because we, we felt like we needed to add a little something. 344 00:14:51,839 --> 00:14:54,869 But what's bad is when the sauce begins to overtake the main thing. 345 00:14:55,890 --> 00:14:58,109 When that becomes your, when the sauce becomes your main 346 00:14:58,109 --> 00:14:59,250 thing, there's a problem. 347 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,459 And Paul warns the church against this. 348 00:15:02,699 --> 00:15:06,030 He says, do not let the deceptive and hollow philosophy, there 349 00:15:06,030 --> 00:15:09,270 was a, there was, it's basically tox of gnosticism and mysticism. 350 00:15:09,270 --> 00:15:12,390 That's a fancy way of saying that gnosticism is like this, that you, it 351 00:15:12,390 --> 00:15:15,989 required secret knowledge outside of scripture in order for you to really 352 00:15:15,989 --> 00:15:17,130 have a close relationship with God. 353 00:15:17,685 --> 00:15:21,974 Or this mysticism, which is like these spiritual experiences and these feelings 354 00:15:22,125 --> 00:15:23,925 rather than just Christ in his word. 355 00:15:25,755 --> 00:15:28,665 The main thing is the main thing, and the main thing is Christ. 356 00:15:29,564 --> 00:15:31,425 That's what Paul is talking about here. 357 00:15:31,875 --> 00:15:34,995 He's saying that, you know, all these things that you, we try to add on, 358 00:15:34,995 --> 00:15:38,805 or the things that we try to attach to Christ, it's like, you need Christ 359 00:15:38,834 --> 00:15:40,755 plus this in order to have this. 360 00:15:41,475 --> 00:15:44,805 When Christ is supposed to be just enough, you know, some of the philosophies 361 00:15:44,805 --> 00:15:47,625 that I feel like sometimes have plagued our church, and let's be real about 362 00:15:47,625 --> 00:15:51,375 this and let's be honest, is that sometimes, sometimes we, we, we, we 363 00:15:51,495 --> 00:15:54,195 create our own, um, standard of love. 364 00:15:54,495 --> 00:15:56,685 We create our own standard of forgiveness. 365 00:15:56,895 --> 00:15:58,995 We create our own standard of confession. 366 00:15:59,145 --> 00:16:03,255 We create our own standard of what devotion looks like instead of 367 00:16:03,255 --> 00:16:04,840 just going back to the main thing. 368 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,319 I get, there's circumstances I get. 369 00:16:07,319 --> 00:16:09,870 There are things that we all deal with that are different, but the 370 00:16:09,870 --> 00:16:11,370 main thing is the main thing. 371 00:16:12,689 --> 00:16:15,480 The main thing is Christ and in Christ and his word. 372 00:16:15,660 --> 00:16:18,689 And I think for me, at least the things that I've seen is that sometimes we can 373 00:16:18,689 --> 00:16:20,370 become too dependent on the fellowship. 374 00:16:21,390 --> 00:16:23,790 That if the relationships here are not feeling me up, then 375 00:16:23,790 --> 00:16:25,199 Christ is definitely not worth it. 376 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,430 If I'm not being poured into, if I'm not being the one met, having my needs 377 00:16:29,430 --> 00:16:31,020 met, then I guess crisis isn't worth it. 378 00:16:31,035 --> 00:16:31,125 Right. 379 00:16:32,655 --> 00:16:35,055 Some things I think is sometimes we idolize even people and their 380 00:16:35,055 --> 00:16:38,355 advice over God's word, man, what does this person think? 381 00:16:38,355 --> 00:16:39,704 What does this person wanna share? 382 00:16:40,214 --> 00:16:43,185 Instead of, and then even then, if you're the one that's giving the advice, you're 383 00:16:43,185 --> 00:16:44,775 like, you don't even whip out a scripture. 384 00:16:44,775 --> 00:16:48,885 You just think, well, I think this, or I feel this instead. 385 00:16:48,885 --> 00:16:49,964 No, let's go to the Bible. 386 00:16:49,964 --> 00:16:52,185 Let's see what Jesus says about this. 387 00:16:52,425 --> 00:16:54,405 Let's see what God's word we have to make. 388 00:16:54,405 --> 00:16:55,515 The main thing, the main thing. 389 00:16:55,515 --> 00:16:55,785 Church. 390 00:16:55,785 --> 00:16:56,505 Are you guys with me? 391 00:16:57,570 --> 00:17:01,470 If we are gonna have a comeback season as a church, we have to make the main thing. 392 00:17:01,470 --> 00:17:01,860 The main thing. 393 00:17:01,890 --> 00:17:04,890 You know what else that means for us specifically, church is 394 00:17:04,890 --> 00:17:07,980 not a place, it's the people. 395 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,640 And I know some of you are frustrated that we're going back to Irvine. 396 00:17:12,569 --> 00:17:13,200 I know it. 397 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:16,170 And you know what? 398 00:17:17,010 --> 00:17:19,380 Church is just a place Or is it for you? 399 00:17:19,619 --> 00:17:20,700 Is it just a place for you? 400 00:17:20,910 --> 00:17:24,480 If not, if it's the people and if it's God, if Jesus is the main thing 401 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,069 that it does not matter where we go. 402 00:17:26,115 --> 00:17:26,325 That's right. 403 00:17:27,045 --> 00:17:29,205 If two or more, I gather that's where we are. 404 00:17:29,775 --> 00:17:31,305 Christ is with us. 405 00:17:31,785 --> 00:17:34,455 And if we're gonna have the same fire that we have from the beginning, 406 00:17:34,455 --> 00:17:36,465 then it does not matter where we go. 407 00:17:36,465 --> 00:17:37,785 It matters who we are with. 408 00:17:37,785 --> 00:17:40,635 And it's, it's the word of God that will be preached in the place. 409 00:17:42,075 --> 00:17:45,855 We cannot allow circumstances, guys, I've, I've been so blessed 410 00:17:45,855 --> 00:17:50,445 to be able to go to different parts of the world and meet different 411 00:17:50,445 --> 00:17:51,405 parts of my brothers and sisters. 412 00:17:51,945 --> 00:17:55,605 I remember gonna El Salvador and there was a sister there. 413 00:17:56,190 --> 00:17:59,430 Who lives about 40 minutes outside the city. 414 00:18:00,510 --> 00:18:07,890 She only makes about in our currency $2 a week for her job. 415 00:18:09,870 --> 00:18:11,070 And she can spend that on food. 416 00:18:11,070 --> 00:18:12,415 She can spend that on water and everything like that. 417 00:18:12,420 --> 00:18:16,140 She uses that fair to take a bus to church. 418 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,010 Another, another brother in Panama takes a bus. 419 00:18:23,010 --> 00:18:23,975 That's an hour and a half. 420 00:18:24,899 --> 00:18:26,220 To get to church every Sunday. 421 00:18:28,889 --> 00:18:32,129 Those are people that they know that the main thing is the main thing. 422 00:18:32,879 --> 00:18:34,770 It does not matter where they are. 423 00:18:34,770 --> 00:18:39,120 It matters where is the main thing, and that is in Jesus, whatever it takes. 424 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,780 We go to the ends of the earth to preach the gospel, but if we can't 425 00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:45,300 even go to the ends of our county to do that, what are we doing? 426 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,030 What kind of love are we showing people? 427 00:18:48,149 --> 00:18:49,800 If we're limited in our capacity? 428 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:54,179 If the main thing is the main thing that we need to come back 429 00:18:54,179 --> 00:18:56,790 to it, we need to be convinced. 430 00:18:56,879 --> 00:18:59,879 We need to be devoted about it. 431 00:19:00,570 --> 00:19:04,139 That the level of God that you get to experience everyone else should 432 00:19:04,139 --> 00:19:07,439 be, to be able to experience it here in this county, in this state, 433 00:19:07,469 --> 00:19:08,939 in this country, and in the world. 434 00:19:09,689 --> 00:19:13,050 The main thing is the main thing, and there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. 435 00:19:14,219 --> 00:19:16,649 If you said, Jesus' Lord, then you should be agreeing with me on this. 436 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:17,010 Right. 437 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,730 There's no, there's no fine print in the contract where you get to decide 438 00:19:23,730 --> 00:19:25,050 who, what you wanna do and everything. 439 00:19:25,980 --> 00:19:27,720 You surrendered it all. 440 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,380 You said, Jesus is Lord, above my finances, above my gas 441 00:19:31,380 --> 00:19:36,660 mileage, above my time, but my schedule, he's Lord over it all. 442 00:19:36,660 --> 00:19:39,090 If that's the main thing, then that's the main thing. 443 00:19:40,770 --> 00:19:44,280 No deceptive hollow philosophy will be brought into this church. 444 00:19:46,425 --> 00:19:47,625 That isn't the main thing. 445 00:19:49,155 --> 00:19:51,465 We need to be convinced and convicted about that. 446 00:19:51,465 --> 00:19:53,445 'cause that's what brought us here in the first place. 447 00:19:53,745 --> 00:19:57,315 People in our people that have walked steps to me that we are following 448 00:19:57,315 --> 00:20:00,885 and paved the way because they were convinced of the main thing. 449 00:20:02,235 --> 00:20:06,585 So my question to you is this church, do you have the main thing? 450 00:20:09,525 --> 00:20:10,905 Is the main thing? 451 00:20:11,265 --> 00:20:13,785 The main thing, or. 452 00:20:15,855 --> 00:20:17,415 What extras are you getting caught up in? 453 00:20:17,415 --> 00:20:17,565 Come on. 454 00:20:18,550 --> 00:20:18,840 Okay. 455 00:20:19,725 --> 00:20:22,395 What sauce are you getting lost in 456 00:20:25,395 --> 00:20:25,905 barbecue. 457 00:20:25,905 --> 00:20:26,235 Right? 458 00:20:27,525 --> 00:20:28,545 I'm more of a sweet and sour guy. 459 00:20:28,575 --> 00:20:29,415 No, I'm, I'm a barbecue guy, 460 00:20:33,135 --> 00:20:35,685 but like I said, are you, is Jesus the main thing? 461 00:20:35,685 --> 00:20:37,575 Am I chasing experiences? 462 00:20:38,415 --> 00:20:39,825 More than I'm chasing Christ. 463 00:20:40,665 --> 00:20:45,285 Am I letting cultural philosophies or podcasts or spiritual books define 464 00:20:45,285 --> 00:20:50,145 what things are for me rather than what Christ says First, am I letting my own 465 00:20:50,145 --> 00:20:53,625 feelings trump over what the word says? 466 00:20:56,025 --> 00:20:59,895 What would it look like as a church for us to make the main thing, the main thing? 467 00:21:02,265 --> 00:21:03,735 What would our prayer life look like? 468 00:21:05,385 --> 00:21:06,765 What would our relationships look like? 469 00:21:09,180 --> 00:21:10,920 Would our faith look like 470 00:21:14,250 --> 00:21:20,010 because he's before all things and in him all things hold together and 471 00:21:20,010 --> 00:21:24,780 he's the head of the body, the church, he's the beginning and the first 472 00:21:24,780 --> 00:21:28,980 born from among the dead, so then everything he might have, the supremacy. 473 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:36,660 Paul is convinced that nothing matters more than Christ. 474 00:21:38,085 --> 00:21:41,355 Are you convinced that Christ is the main thing? 475 00:21:44,054 --> 00:21:47,445 Last but not least, we gotta come back to the table. 476 00:21:49,605 --> 00:21:53,145 You know, the table is, for me in this context is communion. 477 00:21:53,415 --> 00:21:56,895 And I'm gonna transition us into this time of communion here and we'll talk about it. 478 00:21:56,895 --> 00:22:01,215 But for those that don't know, communion is a spiritual and, uh, 479 00:22:01,245 --> 00:22:04,784 physical reminder of crisis sacrifice for, uh, for us on the cross. 480 00:22:05,850 --> 00:22:09,990 You know, this is where we really center our hearts and let go of distractions. 481 00:22:10,469 --> 00:22:13,620 And remember that it's not by works philosophies or tradition. 482 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,959 It's by his grace that we are here. 483 00:22:17,699 --> 00:22:20,760 Our comeback season starts here. 484 00:22:21,810 --> 00:22:22,919 It starts at the cross. 485 00:22:23,639 --> 00:22:27,719 It's not by our own works, like I said, but really remembering his 486 00:22:27,719 --> 00:22:29,274 mercy and committing to live for him. 487 00:22:30,975 --> 00:22:33,945 You know, the beautiful thing I, I have a little script here that I wanna read. 488 00:22:33,945 --> 00:22:36,195 It says, the beautiful thing about the Lord's table is that it reminds 489 00:22:36,195 --> 00:22:38,745 us that two things at once, that what Jesus did for us and what 490 00:22:38,745 --> 00:22:40,395 he calls us to be, his people. 491 00:22:41,205 --> 00:22:44,565 Communion isn't just this private snack that we have with Jesus. 492 00:22:44,565 --> 00:22:45,885 It's a family meal. 493 00:22:47,895 --> 00:22:51,885 You know, Paul says in Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 26, uh, here, Al 494 00:22:51,975 --> 00:22:53,355 says, for I receive from the Lord. 495 00:22:53,355 --> 00:22:56,595 What I also passed on to you, the Lord Jesus on the night 496 00:22:56,595 --> 00:22:57,675 he was betrayed, took bread. 497 00:22:57,975 --> 00:23:02,054 When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. 498 00:23:02,054 --> 00:23:03,585 Do this in remembrance of me. 499 00:23:04,155 --> 00:23:06,195 In the same way after suffer, he took the cup saying, this cup 500 00:23:06,195 --> 00:23:08,205 is a new covenant in my blood. 501 00:23:08,205 --> 00:23:12,225 Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me for whenever you 502 00:23:12,225 --> 00:23:16,485 eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death. 503 00:23:16,485 --> 00:23:22,425 Until he comes, the table brings us back to the center that we are proclaiming. 504 00:23:22,425 --> 00:23:24,375 Jesus' blood has for forgive us. 505 00:23:24,915 --> 00:23:26,774 His body was broken for us. 506 00:23:27,765 --> 00:23:30,345 At the cross it's ground level for our comeback season. 507 00:23:31,725 --> 00:23:33,855 All great comeback seasons start from a turning point. 508 00:23:35,025 --> 00:23:36,465 And it's not one that we made. 509 00:23:36,555 --> 00:23:40,815 It's one that Christ made for us and that we get to decide if we 510 00:23:40,815 --> 00:23:42,885 want to join in on that as well. 511 00:23:43,905 --> 00:23:46,245 'cause where we were is that we were all lost in sin. 512 00:23:46,905 --> 00:23:51,015 We were not a people of God, but where we are now is that we are 513 00:23:51,015 --> 00:23:55,125 forgiven and that we are children of God and what carries us forward. 514 00:23:56,325 --> 00:24:03,315 Is eternity with him that we get to spend eternity having a feast, a 515 00:24:03,315 --> 00:24:09,225 meal, a un unblemished relationship with him in heaven for eternity. 516 00:24:10,845 --> 00:24:11,955 I think I, I love that it says that. 517 00:24:11,955 --> 00:24:15,885 Will you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes Man, guys, church. 518 00:24:17,535 --> 00:24:18,645 Think about church back then. 519 00:24:19,785 --> 00:24:22,275 What, what reason do they have to come to church? 520 00:24:24,075 --> 00:24:29,025 They were being persecuted, people were dying, proclaiming the Lord's 521 00:24:29,025 --> 00:24:33,765 death, proclaiming that he had resurrected and come back, and that 522 00:24:33,795 --> 00:24:35,445 nothing was ever gonna be the same. 523 00:24:36,975 --> 00:24:39,465 That when we come here to this place, it's not just because of the 524 00:24:39,465 --> 00:24:41,715 people, it's not for the worship. 525 00:24:42,495 --> 00:24:43,695 It's to come center our hearts. 526 00:24:43,695 --> 00:24:44,685 Because guess what we got? 527 00:24:44,685 --> 00:24:48,585 I hope in our faith that we've gotten beaten up by the world so 528 00:24:48,585 --> 00:24:51,615 much that we need to come here and be reminded of why we are still here. 529 00:24:51,765 --> 00:24:51,855 Right. 530 00:24:53,025 --> 00:24:56,985 Communion reminds us that the cross is the reason why we do what we do, right? 531 00:24:58,755 --> 00:25:00,225 We had to recenter ourselves. 532 00:25:00,225 --> 00:25:01,875 This is why Jubilee is so important. 533 00:25:01,965 --> 00:25:06,465 This is why Jesus fulfills the jubilee, because he is the point that we get to 534 00:25:06,465 --> 00:25:10,875 come back to and be like, man, I had a rough week, or, man, I fell short so much. 535 00:25:10,875 --> 00:25:10,995 This. 536 00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:12,390 You know what? 537 00:25:12,780 --> 00:25:13,860 I'm ready to go back out there. 538 00:25:13,860 --> 00:25:16,680 Not because of what I'm I'm about to do, but I'm gonna allow Christ. 539 00:25:16,710 --> 00:25:21,030 I'm gonna come back to Christ, come back to the cross, reset my heart 540 00:25:21,270 --> 00:25:26,010 and reframe my thinking so that I can be able to go out for another 541 00:25:26,010 --> 00:25:29,850 week and proclaim the name of Jesus. 542 00:25:31,105 --> 00:25:33,270 Do you allow the cross to reset your heart? 543 00:25:36,570 --> 00:25:38,460 Do you allow it to break you? 544 00:25:40,830 --> 00:25:41,399 And, you know, it's hard. 545 00:25:41,399 --> 00:25:41,879 I'll be honest. 546 00:25:41,879 --> 00:25:45,060 Like I said, I, I don't feel this every week and every and every week 547 00:25:45,060 --> 00:25:47,909 out, so don't feel like I'm coming up here saying like, you gotta follow me. 548 00:25:47,909 --> 00:25:53,250 Like, no, I'm, I'm, I'm asking myself the same questions that it's hard to 549 00:25:53,250 --> 00:25:54,480 sometimes feel broken by the cross. 550 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:54,629 Why? 551 00:25:54,629 --> 00:25:59,970 Because we live in a, a place that is peaceful in a, in a, in a, in a shorter 552 00:25:59,970 --> 00:26:01,320 way of saying, sometimes sheltered. 553 00:26:02,909 --> 00:26:04,350 Well, we're not being persecuted for our faith. 554 00:26:04,350 --> 00:26:05,675 People are not, no one's threatening to kill us. 555 00:26:11,310 --> 00:26:16,440 But how much more, how much more do we need to surrender and submit 556 00:26:16,650 --> 00:26:19,980 our pride and our comfort to Jesus so that we can proclaim his name? 557 00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:25,440 The cross helps me refocus my priorities, man, I, I, I, I, I'm grateful for all 558 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,350 that I've been able to experience on this earth, that getting an education, 559 00:26:28,740 --> 00:26:32,340 being able to serve in the ministry, being able to have an amazing family, 560 00:26:32,340 --> 00:26:33,720 have an amazing relationship, like. 561 00:26:34,169 --> 00:26:36,689 A lot of things in life and in our culture today that would say I'm 562 00:26:36,689 --> 00:26:39,750 successful, that say that I have it all. 563 00:26:41,429 --> 00:26:44,010 But for me to come before the cross and be like, man, you know what? 564 00:26:45,330 --> 00:26:50,939 Paul calls it all garbage 'cause of the surpassing worth of knowing who Christ is. 565 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:53,310 And the cross reminds me of that. 566 00:26:54,030 --> 00:26:56,459 And I pray that as we take community today, like I said, this 567 00:26:56,459 --> 00:26:57,689 is not an individualistic thing. 568 00:26:57,689 --> 00:27:02,280 This is a collective thing we do together As we look across the rows and we think. 569 00:27:03,075 --> 00:27:06,945 I'm so grateful you were here because Jesus was worth it for you as he 570 00:27:06,945 --> 00:27:11,355 was for me and for all you that, for Christians that have been here for a 571 00:27:11,355 --> 00:27:13,665 long time, thank you for your faith. 572 00:27:14,805 --> 00:27:18,075 Thank you for being faithful and being stewardess with your, with 573 00:27:18,075 --> 00:27:20,535 the wisdom and the knowledge and the experience that God has given 574 00:27:20,535 --> 00:27:22,245 you to be able to pass down to us. 575 00:27:23,205 --> 00:27:25,995 And I pray that we can continue to do the same college students singles. 576 00:27:26,655 --> 00:27:28,965 We've gotta be able to pass that down and, and remind people 577 00:27:28,965 --> 00:27:31,155 that the cross needs to reset. 578 00:27:32,250 --> 00:27:35,310 Always bring us back to ground zero that we were not good enough. 579 00:27:35,910 --> 00:27:38,910 That when we walk into these build, we walk into buildings, we walk into 580 00:27:38,910 --> 00:27:43,320 places of worship, it's not because of what we've done, that we are 581 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:44,910 only here because of God's grace. 582 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,410 Every time we come to the table, we preach the gospel with his bread 583 00:27:49,410 --> 00:27:53,190 in the cup because we are saying that what Christ is worth more than 584 00:27:53,190 --> 00:27:54,210 anything we could ever have done. 585 00:27:56,250 --> 00:27:58,470 So as we take communion today, brothers and sisters, I pray 586 00:27:59,010 --> 00:28:00,420 that we have a comeback season. 587 00:28:01,155 --> 00:28:04,605 That not only brings us spiritual rejuvenation, but brings God glory for 588 00:28:04,605 --> 00:28:11,324 generations to come because we get to walk in God confidence, found not in our found, 589 00:28:11,324 --> 00:28:16,095 not in our identity as in our own personal way, but in God is who God says we are. 590 00:28:16,845 --> 00:28:20,145 We get to come back and remind ourselves that the main thing and that the main 591 00:28:20,145 --> 00:28:23,745 thing does not change, and that the extras and the sauce and all the sides 592 00:28:23,955 --> 00:28:25,574 should never overtake the main thing. 593 00:28:26,925 --> 00:28:29,179 And if anything, that we remind ourselves that Christ. 594 00:28:30,555 --> 00:28:35,175 Is always at the center and the cross should always bring us to our knees, 595 00:28:36,015 --> 00:28:39,765 bring us to gratitude and thankfulness that God chose us and has called 596 00:28:39,765 --> 00:28:41,895 us out of darkness into his light. 597 00:28:42,585 --> 00:28:43,035 Let's pray. 598 00:28:44,745 --> 00:28:45,735 God, thank you for today. 599 00:28:46,035 --> 00:28:47,145 In the time that come before you. 600 00:28:47,145 --> 00:28:51,135 God, thank you for speaking through your words so powerfully. 601 00:28:52,230 --> 00:28:54,705 God, thank you for reminding us that the, that you are the 602 00:28:54,705 --> 00:28:57,585 main thing, that as a creator. 603 00:28:58,290 --> 00:29:01,560 As a creation that is fickle, that is stubborn. 604 00:29:02,370 --> 00:29:07,140 God, we pray that and ask that you please humble our hearts as we take communion. 605 00:29:07,140 --> 00:29:10,950 God, we pray that we remind ourselves at the cross was the greatest act 606 00:29:11,070 --> 00:29:15,630 of love in human history, that we remind ourselves that we are not here 607 00:29:16,020 --> 00:29:20,220 and merited because of our work that we've done or how to be faithful. 608 00:29:20,790 --> 00:29:24,570 But because of your example and the way that you remind us of who we are. 609 00:29:25,665 --> 00:29:26,445 God I pray to. 610 00:29:26,745 --> 00:29:28,095 I pray for our church. 611 00:29:28,875 --> 00:29:30,435 I pray for our brothers and sisters across the world. 612 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:34,305 I pray for specifically though that we could get our swagger back here in Orange 613 00:29:34,305 --> 00:29:39,645 County, that we could proclaim your name to the ends of this county, God, that 614 00:29:39,645 --> 00:29:45,225 you would change lives, you would break hearts and mend them because of your love. 615 00:29:46,455 --> 00:29:48,585 God, I pray for those in this room that have not yet made the 616 00:29:48,585 --> 00:29:52,455 decision to follow you fully God, and invest fully into your kingdom. 617 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,430 I pray that you can inspire them and convict them to, to see that 618 00:29:56,430 --> 00:29:59,340 you are the main thing, that there's nothing else in this world that 619 00:29:59,340 --> 00:30:02,370 could ever, ever overshadow that. 620 00:30:03,780 --> 00:30:06,030 Father, be with us as we remember you and your son. 621 00:30:06,780 --> 00:30:08,790 Thank you for this time and for Jesus may. 622 00:30:08,865 --> 00:30:08,985 Amen.