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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church Podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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Today we are concluding our
study in the area of gifts in accordance

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to scripture.

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And the month of December has
been a month of gifts.

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We've looked at a couple of
different elements of that.

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We looked at the element of
God giving us the greatest gift in

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Jesus Christ.

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And that's what we celebrate
at Christmas time.

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Jesus born in.

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In a lowly place in Bethlehem, in.

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In a place that we would not
expect a king to be born.

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But we know that he came to
humble Himself, to live that perfect

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life for us, to sacrifice for
us, to serve those that were not

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willing to love Him.

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And he did that because he
loves us.

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John 3:16.

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For God so loved the world
that he sent his only begotten Son.

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And then we know that it
didn't stop there.

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Jesus lives that perfect life.

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He fulfilled the law.

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He came and he sacrificed.

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He came and he served.

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And then he goes to the cross
and he dies for our sins.

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What an amazing truth that is.

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The one who knew no sin became
sin for us and paid the penalty that

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we deserve.

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And when he was taken down
from that cross, he was put in a

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tomb.

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But we know he didn't stay there.

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He conquered death through the
resurrection and extends that gift

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of grace to all of us so that
we can have that eternal life as

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well.

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That's the excitement, that's
the Gospel message.

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But then it doesn't stop
there, because once we trust in Jesus

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Christ as our Savior, we have
the opportunity to receive the gift

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of grace and salvation.

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But we also have the gift of sanctification.

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That's our spiritual growth.

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And we have the gift of service.

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God gifts all believers with a
gift of the Spirit or gifts of the

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Spirit, so that we can utilize
those gifts for his kingdom, to serve

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others, to serve him, to
sacrifice for others.

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And so in a way, we begin to
live out that Christlike life.

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We model his example that we
see throughout the Gospels, and we

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live that out to the best of
our ability in the power of the Spirit.

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And that is the picture of the
Christian life.

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And what an amazing privilege
that is to know God and to not just

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to know him, but be a part of
his work.

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You know, God could have Just
saved us and said, okay, we're going

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to put you in a holding cell
till you get to heaven one day.

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But no, he uses us.

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He allows us to be part of his work.

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And I'm going to tell you here
something this morning.

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The Bible says not to think of
ourselves higher than we ought to

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think.

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Folks, God does not need us.

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He doesn't need you and me to
get across his work, but he wants

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to utilize us.

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He wants us to be a part of
us, part of it, because he loves

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us.

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And so that's something that I
would like you to think about when

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we get to this area of
spiritual gifts, is that God is allowing

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us to be a part of this.

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And so it's a privilege.

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It's a responsibility, yes,
but it's more of a privilege to be

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a part of this and to be used
by God in His work for the kingdom.

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And so let's go ahead and look
at a few passages of scripture just

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to refresh your memories.

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We're going to go to First
Peter, chapter four.

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First Peter, chapter four,
kind of gives us a summary of these

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spiritual gifts and why God
gives them to us.

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And then we're going to go
back to Romans, chapter 12, and we're

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going to look at those
spiritual gifts that are listed there,

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the ministering gifts.

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And then we're going to look
at how we can grow in those areas

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and how we can actually serve
the Lord and serve others in that

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area of our lives.

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Now, as you guys are turning
there, I hope you had a wonderful

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Christmas season.

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How many of you ate too many sweets?

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Okay, some of you are good.

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I'm going to raise my hand and
say, I ate too many sweets.

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So we're going to go ahead and
just confess that now.

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But we had a good time, hope
that you had a great time with family,

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friends, and are able to
celebrate the, the coming of Jesus

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here in this season.

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So in First Peter, chapter
four, we get to the verse number

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10, and he says, as every man
hath received the gift, and so we

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all, as believers have
received the gift of salvation, but

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we've also received the gift
of service.

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And so many times we don't
think of service or ministry as a

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gift.

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But the Bible says here that
it is a gift.

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And so every man hath received
the gift.

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Which means that God has not
pulled back some gifts from other

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people and say, okay, you're
saved, but we're not going to give

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you this gift.

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No, God gives all believers gifts.

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And he says, even so, minister
the same One to another.

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So the purpose of the gift is
to serve one another as good stewards

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of the manifold grace of God.

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And so the Bible says is that
this gift that you are given or these

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gifts that you are given are
given to you out of the grace of

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God.

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We didn't deserve these gifts.

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We didn't earn these gifts.

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And he says that really
they're not our gifts because we're

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stewarding them.

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And then it says their
manifold grace, meaning there's diversity.

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And so the first thing that I
want you to think about with the

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gifts is diversity.

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That's a big term that I want
us to put in there today.

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Now, I know that that word
diversity can be taken out of context,

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but what we see here in this
case is that in the gifts of grace,

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there is diversity.

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And I want to emphasize this
one more time.

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God does not gift everybody
the same way.

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God does not expect everyone
to serve the same way in the same

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areas at the same capacities.

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And I know that there's people
that wrestle with that, because sometimes

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comparison can be a killer.

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If I look at somebody else and
say, well, I wish I had that gift,

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or I wish I had that ministry,
or I wish I could serve at that capacity,

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folks, God has gifted you with
a specific gift so that you could

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serve where he would will you
to serve.

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That might be different, that
will be different than other people.

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And so don't allow yourself to
compare your ministry, your gift,

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to somebody else's gift.

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Because the Bible says it's
the manifold grace of God.

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God gives this person with
this area, this person with this

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area, both equally valuable in
the body of Christ.

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Not one gift is better than
the other, because that's sometimes

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what we think, right?

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Well, look.

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Look at this person.

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Look, look how well they're
able to do this.

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I could never do that,
therefore I'm not at that level.

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The Bible says that there's
different gifts in different areas.

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And so we see that there's
diversity, and that's good.

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It's.

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It's this.

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It's being unified but not
being uniformed.

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We can be diverse in our gifts
at the church, but.

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But still be unified in our purpose.

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So there's service behind the
scenes there.

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There.

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We're going to see here in
First Peter, Chapter 4 that there's

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different categories of gifts.

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It says, if any man speak, let
him speak as the oracles of God.

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So there's going to be
ministry gifts in which people are

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going to be in the public
speaking, teaching, preaching.

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Okay, that's going to be an
element of being upfront.

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And so people are going to
notice those gifts more frequently.

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But then we see that there is,
if any man minister, let him do it

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as of the ability which God giveth.

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Meaning there's going to be
people that are going to be, quote,

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unquote, behind the scenes.

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There's going to be people
that are supporting other people.

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And that's just as needed as
the other gifts.

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And so it says that in all
things, that God in all things may

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be glorified.

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So the.

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The direction of the gift.

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We have the diversity of the
gifts, but we also have the direction

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of the gift.

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The direction of the gift is
always outward.

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It's never about me.

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It's never about what I can
pull into my own pleasure, my own

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purpose, my own plans.

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The gift is given to us so
that we can serve God and serve others,

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so that God is glorified.

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It's all about him.

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And so we see that the
direction of the gift is an outward

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direction, outward and upward,
not inward.

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And so there's this
directional passage that we see here,

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and that is to go and to serve
and to glorify God through Jesus

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Christ.

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It's only through Jesus Christ
that we're able to have these gifts.

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And so there's diversity and
there's direction.

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But we're going to see here a
little bit later on that there's

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dedication to this.

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God has given us the
opportunity as believers to be dedicated

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to what he has called us to do
in our lives.

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And so many Christians today
are what I would consider, including

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myself, apathetic or just
content with what we have.

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You know, I'm content with
coming, filling a pew and going home.

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And the Bible says that the
Christian life is so much more than

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my presence.

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It's so much more than just my pleasure.

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Okay, I go to.

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Let me tell you this as a
church member.

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I'm a church member of
Middletown Baptist Church.

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Sometimes my focus is, what
does the church do for me, right?

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What is offered for me, what
is offered for my family.

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But I think biblically
speaking, the right question to ask

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is, what can I bring to the
church to serve others?

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What can I bring to the Lord
to serve him?

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And so what we're seeing here
is that there's this dedication that

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God calls us to have in these gifts.

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And eventually God is going to
direct our desires towards serving

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him.

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I think a lot of times we see
individuals lacking the desire to

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serve.

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And so what happens there is
sometimes what we try to do is motivate

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them, like we Try to have a
rah rah.

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Let's go, let's go.

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Let's get them going.

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Hey, come on, church.

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We're gonna have a special
month of service and we get all excited,

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but what happens when that
month of service is over?

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We all kind of go back to just
getting content with where we are.

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The Bible says that there is a
true desire that must change in our

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hearts for us to be servant Christians.

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And we're going to talk more
about that as we come along here

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this morning.

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So let's go ahead and open up
with a word of prayer and we're going

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to go back to our main text in
Romans, chapter 12, and we're going

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to look at more of those
spiritual gifts that are listed there.

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Lord, I pray that you be with
us in this service this morning.

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I pray that we're able to see you.

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We're able to see the purpose
that you have given us in our lives

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to serve you.

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Lord, I pray that the gospel
message can be on the forefront of

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our minds.

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Lord, we're thankful for you
sending your only begotten son for

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us.

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We're thankful for the fact
that we are directed to give gifts

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to others and give gifts to
you when it comes to our worship,

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when it comes to our service,
Lord, help us not to do it begrudgingly.

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Help us to do it in a sense of joy.

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Help us to do in the sense of excitement.

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Lord, help us to be passionate
about what you have called us to

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be passionate about.

241
00:10:15,146 --> 00:10:17,794
Lord, help us to have the
heart of service.

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00:10:17,882 --> 00:10:20,194
Help us to have a heart of sacrifice.

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00:10:20,322 --> 00:10:23,074
Just as you have directed us
in Scripture, so, Lord, I pray that

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00:10:23,082 --> 00:10:23,986
you be with us this morning.

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00:10:24,058 --> 00:10:25,810
Lord, help us to understand
the gift of grace.

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00:10:25,890 --> 00:10:28,114
If there's someone here today
that does not know you as savior,

247
00:10:28,162 --> 00:10:28,990
Lord, help.

248
00:10:30,010 --> 00:10:35,314
Help them see the truth of the
gospel, the truth of forgiveness,

249
00:10:35,362 --> 00:10:36,610
the truth of everlasting life.

250
00:10:36,650 --> 00:10:39,042
Lord, I pray to remove
distractions from our minds and from

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00:10:39,066 --> 00:10:39,474
our hearts.

252
00:10:39,522 --> 00:10:41,186
Help us to see you clearly
here this morning.

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00:10:41,258 --> 00:10:42,434
In Jesus name I pray.

254
00:10:42,482 --> 00:10:43,026
Amen.

255
00:10:43,138 --> 00:10:44,610
We're back at Romans chapter 12.

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00:10:44,650 --> 00:10:48,306
Romans chapter 12 talks about
this idea of the body having different

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00:10:48,378 --> 00:10:48,990
members.

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00:10:49,290 --> 00:10:53,330
If you go back to verse number
four, it says, for as we have many

259
00:10:53,370 --> 00:10:56,646
members in one body and all
members have not the same office,

260
00:10:56,798 --> 00:11:01,366
so we being many are one body
in Christ and everyone members one

261
00:11:01,438 --> 00:11:02,054
of another.

262
00:11:02,142 --> 00:11:04,358
So what the Bible says is that
the church is made up of different

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00:11:04,414 --> 00:11:04,822
people.

264
00:11:04,926 --> 00:11:08,902
We are all one body, but we're
all serving the Lord in unison.

265
00:11:08,966 --> 00:11:11,014
And that's what the Call is
for us as Christians.

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00:11:11,142 --> 00:11:14,198
So he says, here, one body,
many members.

267
00:11:14,254 --> 00:11:15,478
There's diversity.

268
00:11:15,654 --> 00:11:18,902
Then he says, having then
gifts differing.

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00:11:18,966 --> 00:11:19,702
Verse 6.

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00:11:19,806 --> 00:11:24,376
According to the grace that is
given to us, whether prophecy.

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00:11:24,408 --> 00:11:25,752
We talked about prophecy last week.

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00:11:25,776 --> 00:11:30,088
That's the proclamation,
declaration of the truth of God.

273
00:11:30,264 --> 00:11:32,488
Not always just talking about
speaking about the future.

274
00:11:32,544 --> 00:11:34,216
It's speaking forth the truth
of God.

275
00:11:34,248 --> 00:11:35,736
There's proclamation.

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00:11:35,928 --> 00:11:39,512
And then what we see here is
that there is the gift of ministry.

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00:11:39,576 --> 00:11:40,728
That is the gift of service.

278
00:11:40,784 --> 00:11:44,264
This is a broad category, but
this is a category that many folks

279
00:11:44,312 --> 00:11:45,944
can be lumped into when it
comes to.

280
00:11:46,032 --> 00:11:48,790
Maybe it's, hey, I like to
cook for other people in the church.

281
00:11:48,870 --> 00:11:52,070
I, I like to help out when it
comes to facilities at the church.

282
00:11:52,150 --> 00:11:54,598
I like to serve other people
when it comes to their needs.

283
00:11:54,654 --> 00:11:56,150
Maybe it's, maybe it's a.

284
00:11:56,190 --> 00:11:57,366
I'm making something for them.

285
00:11:57,438 --> 00:12:00,662
It could be a broad category,
but this would be looking to serve

286
00:12:00,726 --> 00:12:02,454
others for the cause of the gospel.

287
00:12:02,582 --> 00:12:05,366
Now, now I think it's very
clear for us to understand that there's

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00:12:05,398 --> 00:12:08,502
a purpose behind these gifts
because someone who is unsaved can

289
00:12:08,526 --> 00:12:09,702
be serving other people.

290
00:12:09,806 --> 00:12:13,110
But there's a reason that we
serve as Christians, and it's to

291
00:12:13,150 --> 00:12:16,086
point people to Jesus Christ,
to show them the love of Christ.

292
00:12:16,238 --> 00:12:19,190
So I serve so that people can
see the light.

293
00:12:19,310 --> 00:12:21,030
Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16.

294
00:12:21,150 --> 00:12:24,790
Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works

295
00:12:24,870 --> 00:12:27,734
and glorify your Father, which
is in heaven.

296
00:12:27,862 --> 00:12:31,462
So there's a purpose to this
ministry and there's patience to

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00:12:31,486 --> 00:12:32,486
this ministry.

298
00:12:32,678 --> 00:12:34,982
But many of us are called to
be servants.

299
00:12:35,046 --> 00:12:37,734
All of us are called to be
servants, but some of us are naturally

300
00:12:37,782 --> 00:12:40,262
or supernaturally gifted in
this area of service.

301
00:12:40,446 --> 00:12:43,344
So we see that there's
prophecy, we see that there's ministry

302
00:12:43,392 --> 00:12:44,176
or service.

303
00:12:44,328 --> 00:12:47,900
We see last week we looked at
that area of teaching, right?

304
00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:48,608
So.

305
00:12:48,664 --> 00:12:52,848
So some folks are gifted in
the ministry for teaching.

306
00:12:53,024 --> 00:12:55,744
Now, that doesn't mean that
every teacher has to be supernaturally

307
00:12:55,792 --> 00:12:57,200
gifted with the gift of teaching.

308
00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,392
But what it does mean is that
there's going to be people that have

309
00:12:59,416 --> 00:13:02,976
a desire to teach and that are
very successful in getting across

310
00:13:03,048 --> 00:13:07,344
truths in scripture to other
people, making it clear for them,

311
00:13:07,432 --> 00:13:09,848
putting it on a level where
everyone can understand.

312
00:13:10,024 --> 00:13:11,832
That's that gift of teaching.

313
00:13:11,976 --> 00:13:14,152
And so we're gonna go a little
bit further and we're gonna see that

314
00:13:14,176 --> 00:13:17,128
there's at least three more
gifts listed in this passage.

315
00:13:17,224 --> 00:13:19,580
Verse 8, it says, or he that exhorteth.

316
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:21,500
Now, what's exhortation?

317
00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,032
That's a word that we don't
use quite frequently, but it literally

318
00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:28,872
means comforting or
challenging, encouraging.

319
00:13:29,016 --> 00:13:29,464
Okay?

320
00:13:29,512 --> 00:13:32,776
So it's coming alongside of
someone, literally coming alongside

321
00:13:32,808 --> 00:13:36,440
of someone and encouraging
them and comforting them towards

322
00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,486
living a Christlike life.

323
00:13:38,648 --> 00:13:38,970
So.

324
00:13:39,010 --> 00:13:40,090
So think about it this way.

325
00:13:40,130 --> 00:13:42,810
You got to have the
proclamation of the truth, right?

326
00:13:42,930 --> 00:13:45,978
Someone's got to get up and
tell someone what the truth is according

327
00:13:46,034 --> 00:13:47,082
to the word of God.

328
00:13:47,226 --> 00:13:49,274
We can't just sit around and
go, well, everybody's right.

329
00:13:49,362 --> 00:13:51,562
Someone's got to get up and
say, thus saith the Lord.

330
00:13:51,626 --> 00:13:53,690
And we get thus saith the Lord
from Scripture.

331
00:13:53,770 --> 00:13:54,650
Okay, that's.

332
00:13:54,730 --> 00:13:56,682
This is the source of thus
saith the Lord.

333
00:13:56,746 --> 00:13:59,578
It's not Pastor Josh that gets
up and says, I have a word today.

334
00:13:59,634 --> 00:14:00,586
The new word is this.

335
00:14:00,658 --> 00:14:01,690
We're going to start doing this.

336
00:14:01,730 --> 00:14:02,426
And whoa, whoa, whoa.

337
00:14:02,458 --> 00:14:03,578
That doesn't line up with scripture.

338
00:14:03,674 --> 00:14:08,068
Scripture is the standard for
the proclamation of truth.

339
00:14:08,244 --> 00:14:10,532
Someone's got to stand up and
say, this is the truth.

340
00:14:10,596 --> 00:14:12,404
And it doesn't have to just be
the pastor.

341
00:14:12,452 --> 00:14:13,908
It could be people within the church.

342
00:14:14,004 --> 00:14:16,240
We're proclaiming the truth to
the world.

343
00:14:16,540 --> 00:14:18,756
But then you have to have
people that teach that.

344
00:14:18,908 --> 00:14:19,364
Right?

345
00:14:19,452 --> 00:14:21,684
Because I can get up here and
say, well, you know what?

346
00:14:21,852 --> 00:14:22,900
Don't do this.

347
00:14:23,020 --> 00:14:24,740
But there's an element of
teaching that.

348
00:14:24,780 --> 00:14:26,020
Okay, what does that mean?

349
00:14:26,060 --> 00:14:27,060
What does that look like?

350
00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:29,844
There's the teaching element,
but then sometimes with preachers

351
00:14:29,892 --> 00:14:31,968
and teachers, there's not
always exhortation.

352
00:14:32,084 --> 00:14:34,568
There's not always
encouragement in that, because what's

353
00:14:34,584 --> 00:14:37,336
going to happen is that some
people are going to understand intellectually

354
00:14:37,448 --> 00:14:38,536
what the Bible says.

355
00:14:38,608 --> 00:14:41,336
There's going to be people
that even understand it completely,

356
00:14:41,448 --> 00:14:43,704
but yet are challenged to
practice it.

357
00:14:43,792 --> 00:14:45,704
That's where the exhortation
comes in.

358
00:14:45,792 --> 00:14:47,336
That's where the challenge
comes in.

359
00:14:47,408 --> 00:14:49,144
That's where the encouragement
comes in.

360
00:14:49,232 --> 00:14:50,328
That literally, it's.

361
00:14:50,344 --> 00:14:50,536
It's.

362
00:14:50,568 --> 00:14:54,760
It's the comfort, comforting
someone in that process of walking,

363
00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,180
that spiritual walk.

364
00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,208
Some folks here today are
natural encouragers.

365
00:14:59,224 --> 00:15:00,540
I think of Pastor John.

366
00:15:00,580 --> 00:15:01,836
Pastor John is an encourager.

367
00:15:01,868 --> 00:15:03,436
He's an exhortation gift.

368
00:15:03,468 --> 00:15:06,444
I mean, he comes alongside and
his smile just encourages you to

369
00:15:06,452 --> 00:15:07,004
move forward.

370
00:15:07,092 --> 00:15:09,468
And I know many other people
in the church that have that.

371
00:15:09,604 --> 00:15:10,140
And, And.

372
00:15:10,180 --> 00:15:12,640
And so not everyone's gifted
in that naturally.

373
00:15:13,220 --> 00:15:15,804
But what we see there in
exhortation is that it's going to

374
00:15:15,812 --> 00:15:19,100
be a challenge for somebody to
live this way.

375
00:15:19,140 --> 00:15:23,052
So therefore, we need people
to come alongside and encourage and

376
00:15:23,076 --> 00:15:23,820
comfort and.

377
00:15:23,860 --> 00:15:26,588
And it might not always be
when it comes to what we think about

378
00:15:26,644 --> 00:15:29,622
when it Comes to like, okay,
I'm going to live my life in the

379
00:15:29,646 --> 00:15:30,822
purity of the Holy Spirit.

380
00:15:30,886 --> 00:15:32,742
I'm going to live my life
according to the word of God.

381
00:15:32,806 --> 00:15:36,470
Yes, but it also could be in
times of difficulty, because sometimes

382
00:15:36,550 --> 00:15:38,806
we are challenged not to trust
in God.

383
00:15:38,838 --> 00:15:41,894
When difficulties come, right,
if everything's going well in our

384
00:15:41,902 --> 00:15:44,454
life, sometimes we don't need
that encouragement because the encouragement

385
00:15:44,502 --> 00:15:45,734
comes from the circumstance.

386
00:15:45,862 --> 00:15:48,390
Like, if everything's going my
way, I might say, you know what,

387
00:15:48,430 --> 00:15:50,374
it's very easy to trust in the
Lord in this time.

388
00:15:50,462 --> 00:15:52,166
But when is it difficult to
trust in the Lord?

389
00:15:52,198 --> 00:15:53,482
When things aren't going our way?

390
00:15:53,566 --> 00:15:56,402
Maybe when a loved one passes
away or maybe when I'm going through

391
00:15:56,426 --> 00:15:57,474
a difficulty at work.

392
00:15:57,562 --> 00:16:00,802
That's when we need the people
with the gift of exhortation to come

393
00:16:00,826 --> 00:16:04,338
alongside and to comfort and
to challenge people to continue on

394
00:16:04,394 --> 00:16:06,754
and believing what they
believe about Jesus Christ.

395
00:16:06,922 --> 00:16:07,666
You know, what?

396
00:16:07,738 --> 00:16:12,322
We sometimes are challenged to
put to practice what we believe in

397
00:16:12,346 --> 00:16:13,106
our minds.

398
00:16:13,218 --> 00:16:13,634
Okay?

399
00:16:13,682 --> 00:16:17,282
So, for example, all of us can
read a passage of Scripture and see

400
00:16:17,306 --> 00:16:21,404
that, let's say Hebrews,
chapter 13, that, that God's not

401
00:16:21,412 --> 00:16:23,180
going to leave us nor forsake
us, right?

402
00:16:23,220 --> 00:16:27,212
We, we all can intellectually
understand what that means, that

403
00:16:27,236 --> 00:16:28,840
God is with me all the time.

404
00:16:29,220 --> 00:16:31,452
And I could sit here and I
could talk to you about the Greek

405
00:16:31,516 --> 00:16:34,316
and I could teach you all the
inner workings of how God's presence

406
00:16:34,348 --> 00:16:34,956
is with us.

407
00:16:35,028 --> 00:16:37,756
No matter if we're here or no
matter if we're there, it doesn't

408
00:16:37,788 --> 00:16:39,244
matter where we physically are.

409
00:16:39,332 --> 00:16:42,556
If we're in Christ, the Holy
Spirit indwells us.

410
00:16:42,628 --> 00:16:45,132
And so you can understand all
the nuances of that.

411
00:16:45,156 --> 00:16:48,256
But what happens when, when
you don't feel like he's with you?

412
00:16:48,408 --> 00:16:50,544
That encourager comes
alongside and says, hey, you know

413
00:16:50,552 --> 00:16:50,624
what?

414
00:16:50,632 --> 00:16:52,944
I know it's difficult right
now, but let me share with you the

415
00:16:52,952 --> 00:16:53,712
comfort of God.

416
00:16:53,776 --> 00:16:55,824
Let me share with you what God
has done for me.

417
00:16:55,912 --> 00:16:57,792
Let me share with you the
goodness of God.

418
00:16:57,856 --> 00:17:00,912
And that's the exhortation
that's needed, that's needed just

419
00:17:00,936 --> 00:17:01,952
as much as the teaching.

420
00:17:02,016 --> 00:17:03,952
That's needed just as much as
the prophecy.

421
00:17:04,016 --> 00:17:05,584
That's needed just as much as
the service.

422
00:17:05,672 --> 00:17:08,208
So there's that exhortation,
that encouragement.

423
00:17:08,384 --> 00:17:09,820
But then we see there's more.

424
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,640
Verse 8, he that giveth, so
there's the gift of giving.

425
00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,616
Now, this predominantly deals
with the area of giving financially

426
00:17:18,648 --> 00:17:21,592
or giving materially, but it
could be giving in other areas as

427
00:17:21,616 --> 00:17:22,040
well.

428
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,792
He that giveth, it says here,
let him do it.

429
00:17:24,816 --> 00:17:26,140
With simplicity.

430
00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,840
Now that word simplicity is an
interesting word there because for

431
00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,104
many of us, that's not a word
that we use quite frequently in this

432
00:17:34,192 --> 00:17:35,000
context.

433
00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,674
He that giveth, let him give
with simplicity.

434
00:17:38,722 --> 00:17:39,362
What does that mean?

435
00:17:39,386 --> 00:17:42,082
Well, number one, it means
that the person who has been given

436
00:17:42,186 --> 00:17:46,370
this gift of giving is going
to naturally desire to give to other

437
00:17:46,410 --> 00:17:51,058
people, naturally desiring to
give what they have to other people.

438
00:17:51,114 --> 00:17:52,290
Not everyone has that gift.

439
00:17:52,370 --> 00:17:54,098
Now, we're all called to give,
by the way.

440
00:17:54,154 --> 00:17:56,754
We're all called to give, but
not all of us are supernaturally

441
00:17:56,802 --> 00:17:59,218
gifted with that desire to give.

442
00:17:59,354 --> 00:18:01,474
And so he that giveth, giveth
with simplicity.

443
00:18:01,522 --> 00:18:06,940
The Greek word here is this
idea of generosity, openness of heart,

444
00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:07,968
right?

445
00:18:08,104 --> 00:18:11,312
So, so the one who is giving,
the one who has been gifted in this

446
00:18:11,336 --> 00:18:15,056
area of giving, we should be
giving out of a genuine heart for

447
00:18:15,128 --> 00:18:18,096
service to the Lord, not
looking for ulterior motives, meaning

448
00:18:18,128 --> 00:18:21,280
this, okay, I'm going to give
to the church, but they have to do

449
00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:22,016
xyz.

450
00:18:22,128 --> 00:18:24,304
I'm going to give to this
person, but they're going to have

451
00:18:24,312 --> 00:18:25,296
to do this back for me.

452
00:18:25,368 --> 00:18:29,008
No, it's giving with openness
of heart of this, this genuine nature

453
00:18:29,104 --> 00:18:31,060
of generosity.

454
00:18:31,660 --> 00:18:33,508
And so some of us are gifted
in that area.

455
00:18:33,564 --> 00:18:38,004
Now, usually with the gift of
giving comes the material blessings,

456
00:18:38,052 --> 00:18:38,404
right?

457
00:18:38,492 --> 00:18:42,052
God materially blesses many
Christians, and so he's going to

458
00:18:42,076 --> 00:18:45,876
give usually that gift of
giving with people that are given

459
00:18:45,948 --> 00:18:48,628
gifts of material blessings, right?

460
00:18:48,684 --> 00:18:48,948
Because.

461
00:18:49,004 --> 00:18:52,644
Because, hey, if he, if he
wants to see that gift manifested,

462
00:18:52,692 --> 00:18:54,228
he's going to give resources
for that.

463
00:18:54,284 --> 00:18:56,564
It doesn't mean that everybody
that has the gift of giving is going

464
00:18:56,572 --> 00:18:57,798
to be a multi millionaire.

465
00:18:57,884 --> 00:19:01,282
But what it means is that God
is going to provide the means in

466
00:19:01,306 --> 00:19:03,666
which they can exercise that
gift of giving.

467
00:19:03,858 --> 00:19:06,642
Philippians, chapter 4, verse
13 says, I can do all things through

468
00:19:06,666 --> 00:19:07,522
Christ, right?

469
00:19:07,626 --> 00:19:09,042
That doesn't mean I can do
whatever I want.

470
00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:11,586
It means if God calls me to do
something, if he gives me the gift

471
00:19:11,618 --> 00:19:15,362
of service, if he gives me the
gift of giving, he's going to give

472
00:19:15,386 --> 00:19:17,938
me the resources to exercise
that gift.

473
00:19:18,114 --> 00:19:20,402
If he's given me the gift of
teaching, he's going to give me the

474
00:19:20,426 --> 00:19:23,090
resources to be able to give
that gift to other people.

475
00:19:23,210 --> 00:19:25,666
And so there's that gift of
giving that we are all challenged

476
00:19:25,698 --> 00:19:26,818
to, to live out.

477
00:19:26,954 --> 00:19:30,306
But there's supernaturally
folks that are given that gift.

478
00:19:30,338 --> 00:19:32,930
And so we talked about in
Second Corinthians, chapter 8, the

479
00:19:32,970 --> 00:19:33,794
grace giving.

480
00:19:33,922 --> 00:19:37,510
All of us should grow in this
area, but some are naturally gifted.

481
00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:41,110
Then we see the next one, he
that ruleth.

482
00:19:41,930 --> 00:19:43,890
Think of this word as administration.

483
00:19:44,050 --> 00:19:46,870
Some people are gifted in the
area of administration.

484
00:19:47,370 --> 00:19:50,230
They're to administrate with diligence.

485
00:19:51,050 --> 00:19:54,176
And so we see this area of administration.

486
00:19:54,368 --> 00:19:56,464
Some people are just natural administrators.

487
00:19:56,512 --> 00:19:59,616
They're, they're, they're not
necessarily maybe the most gifted

488
00:19:59,648 --> 00:20:02,304
in communicating the truth of
God to other people, but they're

489
00:20:02,352 --> 00:20:06,064
able to delegate, they're able
to organize.

490
00:20:06,192 --> 00:20:09,152
They're able to get people in
the right place at the right time.

491
00:20:09,256 --> 00:20:11,904
And that is a wonderful gift,
because not everyone has that gift.

492
00:20:11,952 --> 00:20:12,304
Okay?

493
00:20:12,352 --> 00:20:14,336
There's some people that are
great visionaries.

494
00:20:14,448 --> 00:20:16,672
They're, they're able to see
the big picture, but they're not

495
00:20:16,696 --> 00:20:18,906
able to get to that end point.

496
00:20:19,008 --> 00:20:23,130
And so we need those people
that are gifted in the area of administration.

497
00:20:23,950 --> 00:20:27,126
And that's where sometimes we
see the greatest areas of diversity

498
00:20:27,158 --> 00:20:27,926
within the church.

499
00:20:28,038 --> 00:20:29,686
Sometimes people compliment
each other.

500
00:20:29,758 --> 00:20:32,294
Sometimes there's going to be
a person who has these big picture

501
00:20:32,342 --> 00:20:34,518
ideas, oh, we can do this and
we can do this.

502
00:20:34,574 --> 00:20:35,382
How are we going to get there?

503
00:20:35,406 --> 00:20:36,022
Have no idea.

504
00:20:36,086 --> 00:20:38,262
And there's this person over
here that maybe doesn't see that

505
00:20:38,286 --> 00:20:38,646
big picture.

506
00:20:38,678 --> 00:20:41,862
But they say, now that I see
where you're going, I can tell you

507
00:20:41,886 --> 00:20:42,950
how we can get there.

508
00:20:43,070 --> 00:20:46,842
And you see how God marries
together these wonderful gifts and

509
00:20:46,866 --> 00:20:48,890
utilizes this for the cause of
the gospel.

510
00:20:48,970 --> 00:20:52,510
And so we see that there's
this idea of diligence with administration.

511
00:20:53,010 --> 00:20:57,370
And then lastly, what we see
here is he that showeth mercy with

512
00:20:57,410 --> 00:20:57,866
cheerfulness.

513
00:20:57,898 --> 00:20:59,550
And so there's the gift of mercy.

514
00:21:00,050 --> 00:21:04,030
The gift of mercy is another
broad category, but it's extending

515
00:21:05,090 --> 00:21:09,470
basically mercy and grace to
someone in the midst of their difficulty.

516
00:21:11,130 --> 00:21:14,950
Mercy literally means to
withhold what a person deserves.

517
00:21:15,370 --> 00:21:16,002
You know what?

518
00:21:16,026 --> 00:21:18,322
There's an opportunity
sometimes for us to let someone have

519
00:21:18,346 --> 00:21:18,578
it.

520
00:21:18,634 --> 00:21:21,874
But the Bible says the gift of
mercy is that gift of, hey, you know

521
00:21:21,882 --> 00:21:22,146
what?

522
00:21:22,218 --> 00:21:25,522
I'm not going to exercise my
anger on this person.

523
00:21:25,626 --> 00:21:28,194
I'm not going to exercise my
feelings on this person.

524
00:21:28,282 --> 00:21:31,430
I'm going to exercise meekness
and show them mercy.

525
00:21:32,090 --> 00:21:34,450
But it does say something very
interesting at the end of that.

526
00:21:34,490 --> 00:21:37,462
It says to show mercy with cheerfulness.

527
00:21:37,586 --> 00:21:40,350
Sometimes we can show mercy to
people, but we're not cheerful about

528
00:21:40,390 --> 00:21:40,974
it.

529
00:21:41,142 --> 00:21:42,090
You know what?

530
00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:44,990
Again, this person gets me upset.

531
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:47,742
Well, I, I better not go off
on them today because I can't deal

532
00:21:47,766 --> 00:21:48,110
with that.

533
00:21:48,150 --> 00:21:49,086
No, it's, it's.

534
00:21:49,118 --> 00:21:52,206
Sometimes we can show mercy in
a fleshly manner, right?

535
00:21:52,278 --> 00:21:55,134
I'm showing mercy because it's
not going to Benefit me if I don't.

536
00:21:55,182 --> 00:21:58,398
You know, if, if I act on my
flesh, I'm gonna see some problems

537
00:21:58,414 --> 00:21:58,734
here.

538
00:21:58,822 --> 00:22:02,382
No, the Bible says here to
show mercy with cheerfulness, to

539
00:22:02,406 --> 00:22:05,854
be excited to exercise mercy,
going to be people that are naturally

540
00:22:05,902 --> 00:22:06,846
gifted in that area.

541
00:22:06,918 --> 00:22:08,030
They're just merciful people.

542
00:22:08,070 --> 00:22:09,230
They're patient people.

543
00:22:09,350 --> 00:22:12,190
And, and that, I think that
sometimes is something that we all

544
00:22:12,230 --> 00:22:14,478
have to grow in is that area
of mercy in our lives.

545
00:22:14,534 --> 00:22:16,862
And so there's going to be
people that are gifted in that area

546
00:22:16,886 --> 00:22:17,502
of mercy.

547
00:22:17,566 --> 00:22:20,270
And that mercy can be
something as small as.

548
00:22:20,310 --> 00:22:23,358
I'm going to overlook this
area of someone's flaw in their life.

549
00:22:23,494 --> 00:22:25,022
And it doesn't mean
overlooking sin.

550
00:22:25,086 --> 00:22:26,142
Let me be very clear about that.

551
00:22:26,166 --> 00:22:29,806
Now I will say that last week
I had mentioned there is that area

552
00:22:29,878 --> 00:22:33,680
of exercising these gifts in
the Spirit and the flesh.

553
00:22:34,180 --> 00:22:37,532
And so all of these gifts are
manifested in a way that can be very

554
00:22:37,556 --> 00:22:39,708
biblical and very spiritual.

555
00:22:39,804 --> 00:22:43,036
But all these gifts, if we are
walking in the flesh, can be manifested

556
00:22:43,068 --> 00:22:44,556
in negative ways as well.

557
00:22:44,708 --> 00:22:45,164
Right?

558
00:22:45,252 --> 00:22:48,172
So someone that has the gift
of administration could do it for

559
00:22:48,196 --> 00:22:50,764
the cause of the gospel, or
they could do it for the cause of

560
00:22:50,772 --> 00:22:53,452
their own personal, you know,
plan in their life.

561
00:22:53,636 --> 00:22:57,334
People that have the gift of
mercy could use it for cheerfulness

562
00:22:57,382 --> 00:23:00,022
and grace, or they could use
it for, you know what, let's just

563
00:23:00,046 --> 00:23:01,130
overlook sin.

564
00:23:01,550 --> 00:23:04,422
Someone who is gifted in mercy
is going to naturally feel like,

565
00:23:04,446 --> 00:23:05,030
hey, you know what?

566
00:23:05,070 --> 00:23:06,902
We can't really tell that
person that they're wrong because

567
00:23:06,926 --> 00:23:08,054
we don't want to offend them.

568
00:23:08,142 --> 00:23:11,126
You understand how that gift
of mercy can then manifest itself

569
00:23:11,158 --> 00:23:11,990
in a fleshly way?

570
00:23:12,030 --> 00:23:12,902
Well, I, you know what?

571
00:23:12,926 --> 00:23:14,646
I don't want to stand on the
truth of God.

572
00:23:14,678 --> 00:23:15,622
The Spirit's not leading me.

573
00:23:15,646 --> 00:23:18,934
I'm just going to exercise
this gift of the Spirit in this way.

574
00:23:19,022 --> 00:23:22,216
And the Bible says very
clearly that we can live in the flesh

575
00:23:22,248 --> 00:23:23,336
or live in the Spirit.

576
00:23:23,448 --> 00:23:27,144
And so each one of these
elements can be exercised in a fleshly

577
00:23:27,192 --> 00:23:29,976
manner or they can be
exercised in a spiritual manner.

578
00:23:30,168 --> 00:23:32,840
So, so we went back to that
idea of diversity.

579
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,032
We went to that idea of direction.

580
00:23:35,176 --> 00:23:35,480
But.

581
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,536
But I want you to see how we
are supposed to live these gifts

582
00:23:38,568 --> 00:23:40,180
out, starting in verse number nine.

583
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,680
So, so verse number nine
through verse 13 talks about how

584
00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,922
we are to deal with other
Christians with these gifts.

585
00:23:48,096 --> 00:23:51,502
And then verse 14 goes on to
talk about how we're to deal with

586
00:23:51,606 --> 00:23:53,966
unsaved people outside of the
family of God.

587
00:23:53,998 --> 00:23:56,702
And then we start talking
about how to deal with all people.

588
00:23:56,806 --> 00:23:59,070
But here in verse nine through
verse 13.

589
00:23:59,190 --> 00:24:03,838
It's how we deal with people
within the body of church, within

590
00:24:03,894 --> 00:24:04,942
the body of Christ.

591
00:24:05,126 --> 00:24:06,526
So verse number nine says this.

592
00:24:06,598 --> 00:24:09,214
Let love be without dissimulation.

593
00:24:09,342 --> 00:24:12,158
Now, we need to go back and we
need to look at what this is talking

594
00:24:12,174 --> 00:24:12,686
about here.

595
00:24:12,758 --> 00:24:16,270
He's talking about exercising
the gifts of the Spirit within the

596
00:24:16,310 --> 00:24:17,970
body of believers.

597
00:24:18,870 --> 00:24:20,366
So he says that you need.

598
00:24:20,438 --> 00:24:21,214
What do you need?

599
00:24:21,302 --> 00:24:21,790
Love.

600
00:24:21,910 --> 00:24:23,054
That's the first thing he mentions.

601
00:24:23,102 --> 00:24:25,918
After all these things, you
got to have that genuine love for

602
00:24:25,974 --> 00:24:28,446
God and for others to exercise
these gifts properly.

603
00:24:28,558 --> 00:24:30,558
Now, how do I exercise love properly?

604
00:24:30,654 --> 00:24:31,902
Love without dissimulation.

605
00:24:31,966 --> 00:24:34,478
Now, how many of you use that
word dissimulation every day?

606
00:24:34,614 --> 00:24:35,342
Not me.

607
00:24:35,446 --> 00:24:41,170
But the word dissimulation
means hypocrisy, love without hypocrisy.

608
00:24:42,470 --> 00:24:45,940
It literally means putting on
a mask.

609
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,752
Like, like, okay, so you know,
you go to the store and you see a

610
00:24:50,776 --> 00:24:54,096
mask for a famous person and
you put it on and you know, you can,

611
00:24:54,168 --> 00:24:55,136
you can wear it around.

612
00:24:55,208 --> 00:24:56,752
And that's what it's talking
about here.

613
00:24:56,776 --> 00:24:59,840
It's talking about putting on
the mask of love, even though behind

614
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:01,776
the mask, you're not loving somebody.

615
00:25:01,968 --> 00:25:05,840
So the way that we exercise
these spiritual gifts within the

616
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,100
church is we love with a
genuine love.

617
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,296
We truly love that person.

618
00:25:11,368 --> 00:25:11,600
We.

619
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:13,952
We don't just put on that love
for the moment.

620
00:25:14,096 --> 00:25:14,352
You.

621
00:25:14,376 --> 00:25:17,232
You can't exercise these
spiritual gifts within the body of

622
00:25:17,256 --> 00:25:20,240
believers unless you truly
love the body of Christ.

623
00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:22,220
Now, how do we love the body
of Christ?

624
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:24,060
We love Christ.

625
00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:29,072
If you do not love God, you're
not going to love others.

626
00:25:29,256 --> 00:25:33,420
Now you say, well, I love God,
but I don't love others.

627
00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,056
Well, there's a whole passage
in one John that says, if you don't

628
00:25:37,088 --> 00:25:39,300
love others, you don't love God.

629
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,576
You have to love others if you
love God.

630
00:25:42,608 --> 00:25:46,800
And so there, what we see is
that as a church, we must grow in

631
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,940
a love for God so that we can
grow in our love for others.

632
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,968
Love without hypocrisy.

633
00:25:54,064 --> 00:25:55,840
Love without a mask.

634
00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,000
Love without other motives.

635
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,552
He says here, if you're going
to exercise the spiritual gifts within

636
00:26:01,576 --> 00:26:03,802
the church, you must have love.

637
00:26:03,936 --> 00:26:07,330
And I challenge you to grow in
your love for others.

638
00:26:07,710 --> 00:26:10,770
Don't just love those folks
that love you.

639
00:26:11,070 --> 00:26:14,806
The Bible says, Jesus says,
hey, the heathens do that, right?

640
00:26:14,878 --> 00:26:17,094
The unsaved people love people
that love them.

641
00:26:17,182 --> 00:26:21,334
The true task for a believer
is to love someone that isn't necessarily

642
00:26:21,382 --> 00:26:22,530
lovable to you.

643
00:26:23,230 --> 00:26:24,934
You say, well, I don't know
that person.

644
00:26:25,022 --> 00:26:26,582
You don't have to know that
person, guess what?

645
00:26:26,606 --> 00:26:29,158
If they're a believer in Jesus
Christ, you love them because God

646
00:26:29,254 --> 00:26:30,300
loves loves them.

647
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,700
You don't have to love
everything that they do.

648
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,296
You don't have to condone
their sin.

649
00:26:35,408 --> 00:26:37,216
You don't have to condone
their wrongdoing.

650
00:26:37,248 --> 00:26:40,980
But the Bible says we are to
love them sacrificially.

651
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,840
We are to love them in that
agape love.

652
00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:45,792
Now we're going to talk more
about brotherly love here in a few

653
00:26:45,816 --> 00:26:46,256
moments.

654
00:26:46,368 --> 00:26:49,216
But the Bible does say that
there is that desire in our hearts

655
00:26:49,248 --> 00:26:50,224
to love God.

656
00:26:50,352 --> 00:26:52,620
And if we love God, we will
love others.

657
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,576
So there is that first step of
loving with genuine love.

658
00:26:57,648 --> 00:27:00,700
Then we see next abhor that
which is evil.

659
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,672
So there isn't a sacrifice in
our love for evil.

660
00:27:05,736 --> 00:27:06,376
What does that mean?

661
00:27:06,448 --> 00:27:07,048
That means this.

662
00:27:07,104 --> 00:27:09,192
We don't overlook sin in our love.

663
00:27:09,296 --> 00:27:10,344
We already mentioned that.

664
00:27:10,432 --> 00:27:11,880
But the idea here is this.

665
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,260
We should love others, but we
should not condone wrongdoing.

666
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,432
And then the opposite of that,
we should cleave to that which is

667
00:27:19,456 --> 00:27:20,020
good.

668
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:21,958
Cleaving, holding onto it.

669
00:27:22,024 --> 00:27:24,554
So it's not enough just to
hate evil, it's to cleave to that

670
00:27:24,562 --> 00:27:25,430
which is good.

671
00:27:26,290 --> 00:27:28,890
You see that in the book of
Ephesians, when the Bible says put

672
00:27:28,930 --> 00:27:32,522
off and put on, it's not just
rejecting evil in our lives, but

673
00:27:32,546 --> 00:27:34,794
it's also holding onto that
which is good.

674
00:27:34,882 --> 00:27:37,194
So what the Bible basically
says here is that we can be a double

675
00:27:37,242 --> 00:27:37,962
minded person.

676
00:27:38,066 --> 00:27:42,522
We can say, oh, I hate evil
over here, but I'm not excited for

677
00:27:42,546 --> 00:27:43,590
that which is good.

678
00:27:44,050 --> 00:27:47,030
I love God, but I also love
the world.

679
00:27:48,220 --> 00:27:51,400
That's an issue there because
the Bible says that's a contradiction.

680
00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:53,604
So it's a two way path.

681
00:27:53,732 --> 00:27:58,452
It's hating, abhorring that
which is evil, cleaving to that which

682
00:27:58,476 --> 00:27:59,200
is good.

683
00:28:00,540 --> 00:28:03,604
It's very easy for Christians
to call out evil in this world.

684
00:28:03,692 --> 00:28:04,724
I think we should.

685
00:28:04,892 --> 00:28:05,844
I think we should.

686
00:28:05,932 --> 00:28:06,372
Okay.

687
00:28:06,436 --> 00:28:08,932
There are a lot of things that
are going on in our world today that

688
00:28:08,956 --> 00:28:13,240
are purely, clearly evil.

689
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,216
Anti Bible, Antichrist.

690
00:28:16,328 --> 00:28:18,440
The spirit of the Antichrist
is in the world.

691
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:19,640
The Bible says in First John.

692
00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,112
It's been here since that time
and it will be here till the end.

693
00:28:23,216 --> 00:28:25,752
There is a spirit against God
in this world.

694
00:28:25,856 --> 00:28:27,300
We should hate that.

695
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,160
We should hate evil.

696
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:30,584
There's nothing wrong with
hating evil.

697
00:28:30,632 --> 00:28:31,608
God hates evil.

698
00:28:31,704 --> 00:28:35,752
But then there's that second
part, cleaving or holding on to that

699
00:28:35,776 --> 00:28:36,820
which is good.

700
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,500
There's some people very
apathetic about the doing good part.

701
00:28:41,100 --> 00:28:43,124
I'm all able to say that this
is wrong.

702
00:28:43,172 --> 00:28:46,080
But then what am I doing on
the side of the good?

703
00:28:46,780 --> 00:28:48,420
Well, I hate that these people
are doing this.

704
00:28:48,460 --> 00:28:50,612
Well, what are you doing on
the side of good for that?

705
00:28:50,796 --> 00:28:53,400
How are you elevating the
cause of the gospel?

706
00:28:53,740 --> 00:28:56,644
You know, churches for many,
many years have been known for what

707
00:28:56,652 --> 00:28:59,700
we are against, and we should
be known for what we are against.

708
00:28:59,820 --> 00:29:02,880
But we also should be known
for what we are for.

709
00:29:03,260 --> 00:29:04,480
What are we for?

710
00:29:04,860 --> 00:29:10,076
We're for justice, seek
justice, love mercy, walking humbly

711
00:29:10,108 --> 00:29:10,636
with our God.

712
00:29:10,668 --> 00:29:12,360
That's Micah, Micah 6.

713
00:29:12,740 --> 00:29:15,964
We should be known for
proclaiming hope.

714
00:29:16,132 --> 00:29:19,500
Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works

715
00:29:19,580 --> 00:29:22,000
and glorify your Father, which
is in heaven.

716
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:25,772
So within the spiritual gifts,
it's not just calling out evil that

717
00:29:25,796 --> 00:29:31,404
is one element of it, but it's
also amplifying, lifting up the goodness

718
00:29:31,452 --> 00:29:32,268
of God in our lives.

719
00:29:32,324 --> 00:29:35,402
We should be characterized by
what we are for, and we should what

720
00:29:35,426 --> 00:29:37,002
we are against equally.

721
00:29:37,146 --> 00:29:40,586
And so the Bible says here,
abhor that which is evil, cleave

722
00:29:40,618 --> 00:29:41,882
to that which is good.

723
00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:46,470
Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love.

724
00:29:47,730 --> 00:29:49,050
So this is where the challenge comes.

725
00:29:49,090 --> 00:29:50,954
I love that person, but I'm
not going to do anything good for

726
00:29:50,962 --> 00:29:51,514
them.

727
00:29:51,682 --> 00:29:52,666
You ever heard that?

728
00:29:52,738 --> 00:29:52,970
I.

729
00:29:53,010 --> 00:29:54,630
I love them, but I don't like them.

730
00:29:57,250 --> 00:29:58,266
Contradiction.

731
00:29:58,378 --> 00:30:01,018
Because right after it tells
us to love them.

732
00:30:01,074 --> 00:30:04,972
With this type of love, it
says, be kindly, affection one to

733
00:30:04,996 --> 00:30:06,284
another with brotherly love.

734
00:30:06,372 --> 00:30:09,612
So the challenge here is to
prove your love, demonstrate your

735
00:30:09,636 --> 00:30:14,440
love with affection, kindness,
doing good unto others.

736
00:30:15,220 --> 00:30:17,324
We see a passage of Scripture
in the book of Ephesians.

737
00:30:17,372 --> 00:30:20,412
You probably have it
Memorized, Ephesians, chapter 4.

738
00:30:20,436 --> 00:30:25,800
At the end of the chapter it
says, and be ye kind, one to another,

739
00:30:26,340 --> 00:30:31,408
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's

740
00:30:31,424 --> 00:30:32,860
sake hath forgiven you.

741
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,952
So you say, well, how can I be
kind and forgiving and patient with

742
00:30:37,976 --> 00:30:39,300
people that are difficult?

743
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,392
The Bible says, you go back to
what Christ has done for you.

744
00:30:43,576 --> 00:30:48,544
You go back to your rebellion,
you go back to your sin.

745
00:30:48,592 --> 00:30:50,576
You go back to where you have
fallen short.

746
00:30:50,648 --> 00:30:53,856
And you see God's great
affection to you, his great forgiveness

747
00:30:53,888 --> 00:30:54,208
to you.

748
00:30:54,264 --> 00:30:58,036
That is how we become more
Christlike, living in the spirit,

749
00:30:58,148 --> 00:31:01,280
being kindly, affection one to
another with brotherly love.

750
00:31:02,380 --> 00:31:08,240
So the idea here is to love
genuinely and to love in action.

751
00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:12,084
Demonstration of our love, folks.

752
00:31:12,132 --> 00:31:13,908
I fail in this all the time.

753
00:31:14,044 --> 00:31:15,320
I love you, brother.

754
00:31:16,380 --> 00:31:17,476
I love you.

755
00:31:17,628 --> 00:31:20,612
The truth is, is that
sometimes I might believe that in

756
00:31:20,636 --> 00:31:22,660
my mind and I might even
believe that in my heart.

757
00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:26,060
But I lack the application to
prove that love.

758
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,200
Truth is, is that God
demonstrated his love towards us

759
00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,792
in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.

760
00:31:31,896 --> 00:31:34,384
The greatest example of
demonstration of God's love is that

761
00:31:34,392 --> 00:31:35,728
he sent his only begotten Son.

762
00:31:35,824 --> 00:31:38,752
So if we are to love like
Christ, we are to demonstrate our

763
00:31:38,776 --> 00:31:41,460
love by service and sacrifice.

764
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,752
If I love somebody, will I
serve them?

765
00:31:44,856 --> 00:31:46,820
It goes back to the spiritual gifts.

766
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,072
If you don't love someone
enough, you're not going to want

767
00:31:49,096 --> 00:31:49,714
to serve it.

768
00:31:49,792 --> 00:31:51,614
You're not going to want to
use the spiritual gifts within the

769
00:31:51,622 --> 00:31:52,606
church if you don't love them.

770
00:31:52,678 --> 00:31:54,126
But the other side of things
is this.

771
00:31:54,198 --> 00:31:57,790
I'll serve them until I have
to sacrifice.

772
00:31:57,870 --> 00:32:00,574
And at the moment of
sacrifice, I'm going to stop, right?

773
00:32:00,662 --> 00:32:03,678
If you put me out, then I'm
not going to serve anymore.

774
00:32:03,854 --> 00:32:07,182
The Bible says that Jesus
loved us enough to die for us, okay?

775
00:32:07,246 --> 00:32:09,982
He went past service and went
to sacrifice.

776
00:32:10,126 --> 00:32:11,758
And that's biblical love.

777
00:32:11,894 --> 00:32:12,238
Okay?

778
00:32:12,254 --> 00:32:14,894
There are my three children.

779
00:32:14,982 --> 00:32:19,018
If my three children were up
here right now, I would do everything

780
00:32:19,074 --> 00:32:21,722
in this world to take away
their pain.

781
00:32:21,866 --> 00:32:24,090
I would do everything in this
world to die for them.

782
00:32:24,210 --> 00:32:26,906
Some of you that are parents
understand that concept, okay?

783
00:32:26,938 --> 00:32:28,810
I would sacrifice to prove my
love for them.

784
00:32:28,850 --> 00:32:32,550
I would sacrifice to prove my
love for my spouse and for my family.

785
00:32:33,010 --> 00:32:37,786
And the truth is, is that if
we truly love God and we truly love

786
00:32:37,858 --> 00:32:41,050
others, we will be willing to
be put out for them.

787
00:32:41,170 --> 00:32:45,210
We will be willing to
sacrifice our time, our treasure,

788
00:32:45,370 --> 00:32:50,250
our talents, everything if we
truly love.

789
00:32:50,370 --> 00:32:53,482
And so he says here, be kindly
affectionate one to another with

790
00:32:53,506 --> 00:32:57,482
brotherly love, in honor, in
honor, preferring one another.

791
00:32:57,586 --> 00:32:59,930
This speaks of that humility
that we talked about at the very

792
00:32:59,970 --> 00:33:00,682
beginning.

793
00:33:00,826 --> 00:33:03,562
Putting myself below others.

794
00:33:03,746 --> 00:33:05,482
You say, well, that that's not that.

795
00:33:05,506 --> 00:33:07,870
Because culture has told you
that that is wrong.

796
00:33:08,370 --> 00:33:13,492
Culture has told you that
humility is weakness, that humility

797
00:33:13,636 --> 00:33:14,756
is vulnerability.

798
00:33:14,868 --> 00:33:16,036
And that is bad.

799
00:33:16,108 --> 00:33:18,068
But the Bible says something
completely different.

800
00:33:18,124 --> 00:33:20,440
Humility is the greatest aspect.

801
00:33:20,860 --> 00:33:23,252
Humility is the greatest
character trait that we could ever

802
00:33:23,276 --> 00:33:23,604
have.

803
00:33:23,692 --> 00:33:26,596
You say, I don't believe you, Pastor.

804
00:33:26,788 --> 00:33:27,908
I don't believe you.

805
00:33:27,964 --> 00:33:30,276
It's hard for me to even call
you pastor by saying that.

806
00:33:30,348 --> 00:33:32,612
Well, I'm glad you said that
because I want to show you.

807
00:33:32,636 --> 00:33:35,252
In Philippians chapter two,
what does it say?

808
00:33:35,356 --> 00:33:37,012
This is not my opinion.

809
00:33:37,156 --> 00:33:39,640
Humility is a necessity.

810
00:33:40,140 --> 00:33:41,572
Humility is a necessity.

811
00:33:41,636 --> 00:33:42,884
Philippians chapter 2.

812
00:33:42,972 --> 00:33:44,800
You say you want to be like Christ.

813
00:33:47,580 --> 00:33:48,640
Verse 3.

814
00:33:51,740 --> 00:33:52,340
Watch.

815
00:33:52,460 --> 00:33:53,840
Go back to verse 2.

816
00:33:54,140 --> 00:33:59,600
Fulfill ye my joy that ye be
like minded, having the same Love

817
00:34:00,460 --> 00:34:02,324
being of one accord, of one mind.

818
00:34:02,412 --> 00:34:05,700
Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory.

819
00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:07,888
Don't be, don't, don't be.

820
00:34:07,944 --> 00:34:11,872
Don't do anything that's going
to cause pressure and strife and

821
00:34:11,896 --> 00:34:13,296
fighting amongst the brethren.

822
00:34:13,408 --> 00:34:15,664
Don't do anything for selfish glory.

823
00:34:15,792 --> 00:34:20,100
But in lowliness of mind, let
each esteem other better than themselves.

824
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,872
Look, not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the

825
00:34:23,896 --> 00:34:24,768
things of others.

826
00:34:24,904 --> 00:34:28,288
Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ.

827
00:34:28,344 --> 00:34:31,338
Jesus says, that's the path
that Jesus took.

828
00:34:31,394 --> 00:34:33,050
You need to be like Christ Jesus.

829
00:34:33,130 --> 00:34:34,682
Therefore humble yourselves.

830
00:34:34,746 --> 00:34:36,250
Put others before yourself.

831
00:34:36,410 --> 00:34:38,202
That's what is being taught
there in Philippians.

832
00:34:38,266 --> 00:34:40,630
That's what's being taught
here in Romans chapter 12.

833
00:34:41,810 --> 00:34:43,898
In honor, preferring one another.

834
00:34:44,034 --> 00:34:48,362
That means I prefer that you
take first.

835
00:34:48,466 --> 00:34:53,082
I prefer that you get what I want.

836
00:34:53,186 --> 00:34:54,170
I prefer this.

837
00:34:54,210 --> 00:34:54,410
I.

838
00:34:54,450 --> 00:34:56,271
I'm going to put myself behind you.

839
00:34:56,425 --> 00:34:59,075
Me last, him first.

840
00:34:59,227 --> 00:35:01,683
It's that, you know, at
Christmas time we sing joy to the

841
00:35:01,691 --> 00:35:01,859
world.

842
00:35:01,899 --> 00:35:03,971
There's an acronym that I
always remember when I was a little

843
00:35:03,995 --> 00:35:04,435
kid.

844
00:35:04,547 --> 00:35:05,203
It's J.

845
00:35:05,291 --> 00:35:07,919
Jesus, Others, you.

846
00:35:08,299 --> 00:35:10,559
Sometimes we get that acronym
flipped, right?

847
00:35:11,099 --> 00:35:12,259
Me, it's all about me.

848
00:35:12,299 --> 00:35:15,795
And the Bible says, no, the
spiritual gifts are not about us.

849
00:35:15,947 --> 00:35:17,999
They're about God and they're
about others.

850
00:35:18,939 --> 00:35:21,199
So he says, in honor,
preferring one another.

851
00:35:22,150 --> 00:35:25,998
So we know so far that there
is the diversity of the gifts.

852
00:35:26,094 --> 00:35:28,910
We know the direction of the
gift, that is to the Lord and to

853
00:35:28,950 --> 00:35:29,486
others.

854
00:35:29,638 --> 00:35:33,518
But then we see here that
there's this dedication, verse 12,

855
00:35:33,574 --> 00:35:34,862
rejoicing in hope.

856
00:35:34,966 --> 00:35:36,542
So there's joy in doing this.

857
00:35:36,646 --> 00:35:37,790
He says, hey, you know what?

858
00:35:37,830 --> 00:35:40,370
When you have this type of
hope in your life, there's joy.

859
00:35:41,190 --> 00:35:42,670
And in that joy comes this.

860
00:35:42,710 --> 00:35:44,930
It says, patient in tribulation.

861
00:35:47,030 --> 00:35:50,502
So when we have this proper
perspective, it brings us to a place

862
00:35:50,526 --> 00:35:54,022
of joy, which brings us to a
place of hope, which brings us to

863
00:35:54,046 --> 00:35:55,302
the place of dedication.

864
00:35:55,446 --> 00:35:59,770
Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

865
00:36:00,510 --> 00:36:02,582
That word, fervent means boiling.

866
00:36:02,646 --> 00:36:04,450
It actually has the picture of
a fire.

867
00:36:05,470 --> 00:36:07,318
And so what he's saying here
is this.

868
00:36:07,374 --> 00:36:08,678
Be on fire for God.

869
00:36:08,774 --> 00:36:10,630
You say, I want to be on fire
for God.

870
00:36:10,710 --> 00:36:11,638
How do I get there?

871
00:36:11,694 --> 00:36:13,730
He's just told you the path to
get there.

872
00:36:14,270 --> 00:36:14,822
Love.

873
00:36:14,926 --> 00:36:17,654
Genuinely hate evil.

874
00:36:17,782 --> 00:36:19,222
Cling to what is good.

875
00:36:19,406 --> 00:36:20,838
Demonstrate your love.

876
00:36:20,974 --> 00:36:22,330
Humble yourself.

877
00:36:26,030 --> 00:36:27,702
Don't be slothful in business.

878
00:36:27,806 --> 00:36:28,598
What does that mean?

879
00:36:28,654 --> 00:36:29,990
It means I got to get to work
every day.

880
00:36:30,030 --> 00:36:30,950
Work 60 hours a week.

881
00:36:30,990 --> 00:36:34,742
No, he's talking about don't
get lazy in what God has called you

882
00:36:34,766 --> 00:36:35,894
to do in Your life.

883
00:36:36,062 --> 00:36:39,094
The challenge here is this
many of us are going to get to a

884
00:36:39,102 --> 00:36:45,602
place in our life where we get
comfortable, apathetic, careless

885
00:36:45,746 --> 00:36:47,538
in what God has called us to do.

886
00:36:47,674 --> 00:36:54,210
But he says, passionate,
fervent in spirit, boiling on fire

887
00:36:54,250 --> 00:36:56,722
for God, serving the Lord.

888
00:36:56,786 --> 00:36:59,602
He says, don't get passionate
about the things that don't matter.

889
00:36:59,786 --> 00:37:04,082
How many of you, okay,
including myself, how many of you

890
00:37:04,106 --> 00:37:09,514
have spent a lot of time
fervent and cheering for a sports

891
00:37:09,562 --> 00:37:12,426
team so much to say that
you're like, my life is invested

892
00:37:12,458 --> 00:37:14,470
in how this team is going to
do this year.

893
00:37:15,010 --> 00:37:18,010
My happiness on Monday morning
is going to be affected by how this

894
00:37:18,050 --> 00:37:18,426
team goes.

895
00:37:18,458 --> 00:37:18,746
Okay?

896
00:37:18,778 --> 00:37:20,870
Some of you say, I've never
been tempted to do that.

897
00:37:21,250 --> 00:37:23,658
How many of you have done that
with the stock market?

898
00:37:23,794 --> 00:37:26,330
How many of you have done that
with, you know, whatever we can list

899
00:37:26,370 --> 00:37:26,570
on.

900
00:37:26,610 --> 00:37:30,170
All of us are invested in
things in this world so much that

901
00:37:30,210 --> 00:37:32,070
we are passionate about that.

902
00:37:32,700 --> 00:37:35,412
Like, so, for example, you
know, someone came up to me and they

903
00:37:35,436 --> 00:37:36,880
say, you know, who are you?

904
00:37:37,180 --> 00:37:40,116
You know, most of the time, we
men, we say what we do for a living

905
00:37:40,148 --> 00:37:41,732
and what we're passionate
about, right?

906
00:37:41,836 --> 00:37:44,084
So I'm a pastor, and I'm
passionate about the outdoors.

907
00:37:44,132 --> 00:37:45,520
I like sports, right?

908
00:37:45,820 --> 00:37:50,292
So the Bible says, don't pour
out your passion on something that

909
00:37:50,316 --> 00:37:52,440
isn't eternal.

910
00:37:53,100 --> 00:37:55,236
Now, now you can be passionate
about a hobby.

911
00:37:55,268 --> 00:37:55,476
I'm.

912
00:37:55,508 --> 00:37:58,468
I'm passionate about a lot of
things in my life, but if those things

913
00:37:58,524 --> 00:38:02,470
steal away my passion for God,
I'm missing the point.

914
00:38:03,250 --> 00:38:05,658
My passion for God should be
so evident.

915
00:38:05,754 --> 00:38:06,058
My.

916
00:38:06,114 --> 00:38:09,370
My fervent spirit for God
should be so evident that when I

917
00:38:09,410 --> 00:38:13,242
go out into the world, people
see that it says, rejoicing in hope,

918
00:38:13,346 --> 00:38:14,682
patient in tribulation.

919
00:38:14,826 --> 00:38:17,658
The way that you can do that
is not being slothful in business,

920
00:38:17,794 --> 00:38:22,026
not allowing yourself to lose
your passion in the spirit serving

921
00:38:22,058 --> 00:38:22,762
the Lord.

922
00:38:22,906 --> 00:38:25,770
So, for example, if.

923
00:38:25,810 --> 00:38:31,152
If I am married and I have my
wife and, you know, I'm called to

924
00:38:31,176 --> 00:38:32,480
love her 100.

925
00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:33,952
Everything in me is called to
love her.

926
00:38:33,976 --> 00:38:36,272
I'm not supposed to love any
other woman on the planet the same

927
00:38:36,296 --> 00:38:37,472
way that I love my wife.

928
00:38:37,616 --> 00:38:41,220
Okay, I love my mom, but
that's a different love than my wife.

929
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,920
And what happens is, when we.

930
00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:45,728
Let's talk about the marriage
context right now.

931
00:38:45,784 --> 00:38:48,816
What happens is that many
times marriages begin to crumble

932
00:38:48,848 --> 00:38:52,416
and fail when someone's
passion for their spouse is stolen

933
00:38:52,448 --> 00:38:53,220
by another.

934
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:55,900
Like, so, for example, I
suppose I'm gonna love my wife with

935
00:38:55,940 --> 00:38:58,956
everything but this work
relationship over Here has pulled

936
00:38:58,988 --> 00:39:01,436
my passion just a little bit
away from my wife.

937
00:39:01,468 --> 00:39:04,716
I'm stealing from her and
giving it to somebody else.

938
00:39:04,828 --> 00:39:08,972
That's exactly what happens in
the Christian walk when we take our

939
00:39:08,996 --> 00:39:10,844
passion that's designed to go
to God.

940
00:39:10,892 --> 00:39:12,796
Our worship that's designed to
go to God.

941
00:39:12,828 --> 00:39:16,000
And we take that and we
reallocate it to something else.

942
00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:20,684
The Bible says in the Old
Testament that this is called spiritual

943
00:39:20,732 --> 00:39:24,524
adultery, that I'm taking my
love for God and I'm appropriating

944
00:39:24,572 --> 00:39:25,628
it to something else.

945
00:39:25,724 --> 00:39:29,916
Folks, we lose our passion for
the Lord when we put our passion

946
00:39:29,948 --> 00:39:30,540
into other things.

947
00:39:30,580 --> 00:39:32,280
All of us have a passion for something.

948
00:39:32,580 --> 00:39:33,756
All of us have a.

949
00:39:33,828 --> 00:39:37,160
Have an innate desire in our
hearts to worship something.

950
00:39:37,460 --> 00:39:39,804
And so the question is, is
where are we going to take that passion?

951
00:39:39,852 --> 00:39:41,228
Where are we going to take
that worship?

952
00:39:41,324 --> 00:39:43,480
And so it goes further in
verse 13.

953
00:39:43,940 --> 00:39:44,908
Excuse me, verse 12.

954
00:39:44,964 --> 00:39:48,492
Rejoicing in hope, patient in
tribulation, continuing instant in

955
00:39:48,516 --> 00:39:49,034
prayer.

956
00:39:49,172 --> 00:39:52,878
So the Bible says here, to
live this way, to live with this

957
00:39:52,934 --> 00:39:57,534
fervent spirit, to live with
this hope, to live with this patience,

958
00:39:57,582 --> 00:40:01,438
we must be continuing instant
or constantly in prayer.

959
00:40:01,614 --> 00:40:04,254
Prayer is a necessity for
spiritual growth.

960
00:40:04,342 --> 00:40:07,502
Prayer is a necessity for
spiritual service.

961
00:40:07,606 --> 00:40:11,902
Prayer is a necessity for us
to live with this genuine love, with

962
00:40:11,926 --> 00:40:14,850
this genuine application of
this passage.

963
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,584
So he says, rejoicing in hope,
patient and tribulation, continuing

964
00:40:18,632 --> 00:40:22,216
incident prayer, distributing
to the necessity of the saints.

965
00:40:22,248 --> 00:40:25,144
Meaning we do all of these
things so that we can distribute

966
00:40:25,192 --> 00:40:27,180
the needs to the other believers.

967
00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:30,580
Folks, we all have spiritual needs.

968
00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:35,608
All of us have needs, whether
we want to admit them or not.

969
00:40:35,744 --> 00:40:39,624
Most of the time when we come
into the building, most of the time

970
00:40:39,712 --> 00:40:42,088
we come into the building and
we want everyone to think that we're

971
00:40:42,104 --> 00:40:42,780
okay.

972
00:40:43,270 --> 00:40:44,318
I don't have any needs.

973
00:40:44,374 --> 00:40:45,022
Hey, how you doing?

974
00:40:45,046 --> 00:40:45,838
I'm doing great.

975
00:40:45,974 --> 00:40:48,050
In our heart of hearts, we're
doing terrible.

976
00:40:49,750 --> 00:40:50,958
How's your life going?

977
00:40:51,014 --> 00:40:51,854
Going fantastic.

978
00:40:51,902 --> 00:40:54,718
In my heart, I'm questioning
whether or not I even want to continue

979
00:40:54,774 --> 00:40:57,250
to go to church or read my
Bible or pray.

980
00:40:58,230 --> 00:41:03,294
And the truth is, is that as a
believer, it is my job.

981
00:41:03,462 --> 00:41:07,022
It is my responsibility to
distribute the gift that God has

982
00:41:07,046 --> 00:41:10,290
given me to the necessity or
the needs of the saints.

983
00:41:10,650 --> 00:41:11,858
So what does that mean?

984
00:41:11,914 --> 00:41:15,266
That means that you and your
spiritual gift might be what is needed

985
00:41:15,298 --> 00:41:19,362
today for me to be able to see
the grace of God and to grow in my

986
00:41:19,386 --> 00:41:22,030
life and to see that need
fulfilled in my life.

987
00:41:22,410 --> 00:41:25,010
It's ultimately God, it's
ultimately God giving this.

988
00:41:25,050 --> 00:41:27,282
But God is using us as his vessels.

989
00:41:27,426 --> 00:41:30,070
For these areas of needs in
our church.

990
00:41:30,810 --> 00:41:33,634
So, so, one, we need to be
authentically open about some of

991
00:41:33,642 --> 00:41:34,930
the things that we are
struggling with.

992
00:41:34,970 --> 00:41:38,208
I, I think that all the more
we need to be open about that.

993
00:41:38,264 --> 00:41:38,432
Now.

994
00:41:38,456 --> 00:41:39,664
I know that there's
discernment with that.

995
00:41:39,672 --> 00:41:41,792
We can't go around telling
everybody every little issue that

996
00:41:41,816 --> 00:41:42,400
we have.

997
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,936
But we need to be open and
ready to seek after God's presence

998
00:41:45,968 --> 00:41:49,232
in our church to say, you know
what, hey, I struggle with this.

999
00:41:49,256 --> 00:41:50,512
I need help with this.

1000
00:41:50,696 --> 00:41:53,232
But then on the other side of
things, the people that are in the

1001
00:41:53,256 --> 00:41:55,952
church, we need to be ready to
exercise our spiritual gifts to help

1002
00:41:55,976 --> 00:41:56,800
other people around us.

1003
00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:58,176
We have to walk circumspectly.

1004
00:41:58,208 --> 00:42:01,754
We have to walk open and
willing and ready to serve people

1005
00:42:01,872 --> 00:42:02,614
in these areas.

1006
00:42:02,702 --> 00:42:05,750
It says distributing to the
necessity of the saints given to

1007
00:42:05,790 --> 00:42:06,422
hospitality.

1008
00:42:06,486 --> 00:42:08,370
It takes hospitality to do this.

1009
00:42:08,750 --> 00:42:12,182
You know, a good host is
someone who is not focused on their

1010
00:42:12,206 --> 00:42:13,010
own needs.

1011
00:42:13,310 --> 00:42:16,294
Like, if someone's coming over
to your house and you're a good host,

1012
00:42:16,382 --> 00:42:18,390
you're not going to sit there
and go, well, I really want the first

1013
00:42:18,430 --> 00:42:21,110
dibs on that, that turkey, I
cooked it.

1014
00:42:21,150 --> 00:42:23,462
So I'm going to, I'm going to
jump ahead and I've got guests here,

1015
00:42:23,486 --> 00:42:25,494
but I'm going to eat it real
fast and get all the good parts and

1016
00:42:25,502 --> 00:42:27,174
then give it to you.

1017
00:42:27,342 --> 00:42:29,734
A good host doesn't set their
place and say, well, figure it out

1018
00:42:29,742 --> 00:42:30,150
on your own.

1019
00:42:30,190 --> 00:42:31,470
I don't know, you sit wherever
you want.

1020
00:42:31,550 --> 00:42:33,582
A good host is going to have
everything ready, right?

1021
00:42:33,686 --> 00:42:34,478
It's about them.

1022
00:42:34,534 --> 00:42:35,918
It's about the, it's about the guest.

1023
00:42:36,014 --> 00:42:38,462
The Bible says that's the kind
of spirit that we have to have to

1024
00:42:38,486 --> 00:42:40,174
exercise these spiritual gifts.

1025
00:42:40,302 --> 00:42:42,942
To be a good host means to put
others before yourself.

1026
00:42:43,086 --> 00:42:46,222
To, to, to have that
hospitality means I'm going to seek.

1027
00:42:46,286 --> 00:42:47,022
What, what do you need?

1028
00:42:47,046 --> 00:42:48,330
You need a drink of water?

1029
00:42:48,870 --> 00:42:49,646
Do you need.

1030
00:42:49,718 --> 00:42:50,894
Here's where the restroom is.

1031
00:42:50,982 --> 00:42:52,142
Here, here's where you can get this.

1032
00:42:52,166 --> 00:42:53,038
Here's where you can get that.

1033
00:42:53,094 --> 00:42:53,838
That's a good host.

1034
00:42:53,894 --> 00:42:56,270
A good host is looking out for
the needs of others.

1035
00:42:56,310 --> 00:42:57,644
And that's what the Bible says here.

1036
00:42:57,742 --> 00:43:01,344
We have to be focused on the
distribution to the necessity of

1037
00:43:01,352 --> 00:43:02,260
the saints.

1038
00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:07,008
And so we take all that and we
say, okay, so far, what have we learned?

1039
00:43:07,024 --> 00:43:09,008
We've learned that there's
diversity of gifts.

1040
00:43:09,184 --> 00:43:12,176
We've learned that there's the
direction of those gifts, and we've

1041
00:43:12,208 --> 00:43:14,688
learned that there's the
dedication needed for those gifts

1042
00:43:14,704 --> 00:43:15,740
to be lived out.

1043
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:17,888
But how can I grow in these?

1044
00:43:18,024 --> 00:43:18,320
How.

1045
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:20,256
How can I grow in my gift?

1046
00:43:20,288 --> 00:43:22,944
Okay, so, for example, maybe
you say, well, I really feel like

1047
00:43:22,952 --> 00:43:25,184
God has gifted me in the area
of teaching, but I don't know how

1048
00:43:25,192 --> 00:43:25,872
to exercise that.

1049
00:43:25,896 --> 00:43:27,924
I don't know how to I grow in that.

1050
00:43:28,092 --> 00:43:29,600
The Bible says that.

1051
00:43:30,620 --> 00:43:35,076
That God will give you the
desires to exercise in that gift.

1052
00:43:35,108 --> 00:43:38,164
So, for example, I've had
people come up to me and say, well,

1053
00:43:38,172 --> 00:43:39,920
I don't know what my spiritual
gift is.

1054
00:43:40,700 --> 00:43:43,092
And what I say to them next
sometimes throws them off.

1055
00:43:43,116 --> 00:43:44,400
I say, what do you like?

1056
00:43:44,700 --> 00:43:45,440
What?

1057
00:43:45,980 --> 00:43:46,836
Well, I don't.

1058
00:43:46,868 --> 00:43:47,252
I don't know.

1059
00:43:47,276 --> 00:43:47,556
I don't.

1060
00:43:47,588 --> 00:43:48,852
I don't know what I like.

1061
00:43:48,956 --> 00:43:52,308
Well, what do you enjoy doing
in your life?

1062
00:43:52,364 --> 00:43:53,882
And you say, well, what does
that mean?

1063
00:43:53,906 --> 00:43:57,258
Well, the Bible says that God
will give us the desires to exercise

1064
00:43:57,354 --> 00:43:58,474
in our spiritual gifts.

1065
00:43:58,522 --> 00:44:00,522
I want you to see a passage of
scripture that talks about this.

1066
00:44:00,546 --> 00:44:01,910
It's Psalm 37.

1067
00:44:02,290 --> 00:44:04,490
Say, well, how can I discern
my spiritual gift?

1068
00:44:04,570 --> 00:44:07,114
Well, one of the areas is that
if you're walking in obedience to

1069
00:44:07,122 --> 00:44:09,750
the Lord, he's going to give
you the desire to do these things.

1070
00:44:10,370 --> 00:44:13,658
You have no desire to serve in
any capacity within the church.

1071
00:44:13,754 --> 00:44:15,930
There's a time where you need
to revitalize your life.

1072
00:44:15,970 --> 00:44:19,034
If you're a believer in Jesus
Christ, but you don't have a passion

1073
00:44:19,082 --> 00:44:21,290
to serve, there might be a
time in your life where you say,

1074
00:44:21,330 --> 00:44:23,818
what is causing me not to have
this desire?

1075
00:44:23,994 --> 00:44:25,430
In Psalm 37.

1076
00:44:25,730 --> 00:44:31,754
Psalm 37, verse 4 is one of
the most quoted verses of Scripture,

1077
00:44:31,802 --> 00:44:35,162
but most of the time quoted
out of context.

1078
00:44:35,306 --> 00:44:39,130
Okay, we're going to look at
this because I want you to see that

1079
00:44:39,250 --> 00:44:44,630
your spiritual gift or gifts,
they're accessible to you.

1080
00:44:45,340 --> 00:44:49,172
And it's not like this very
vague thing that God just has out

1081
00:44:49,196 --> 00:44:51,620
in the ether that you have to
find accidentally.

1082
00:44:51,780 --> 00:44:55,156
God has given you everything
that you need to exercise these spiritual

1083
00:44:55,188 --> 00:44:56,516
gifts within the church.

1084
00:44:56,708 --> 00:44:59,748
It's just a matter of
discerning it and embracing it.

1085
00:44:59,804 --> 00:45:01,508
So verse 4 of Psalm 37.

1086
00:45:01,564 --> 00:45:03,124
Delight thyself in the Lord.

1087
00:45:03,252 --> 00:45:04,560
That's the first step.

1088
00:45:05,340 --> 00:45:06,180
Okay.

1089
00:45:06,340 --> 00:45:09,120
Reading this in context is important.

1090
00:45:09,820 --> 00:45:10,772
So a lot of people.

1091
00:45:10,876 --> 00:45:14,506
I'll read the verse and I'll
tell you how a lot of people interpret

1092
00:45:14,538 --> 00:45:15,418
this verse.

1093
00:45:15,594 --> 00:45:18,138
Delight thyself in the Lord,
and he shall give thee the desires

1094
00:45:18,154 --> 00:45:18,970
of thine heart.

1095
00:45:19,090 --> 00:45:23,710
Okay, well, I love God and I
want a Ferrari.

1096
00:45:24,210 --> 00:45:27,706
So I'm just going to pray a
lot, and God better give me the desire

1097
00:45:27,738 --> 00:45:28,630
of my heart.

1098
00:45:29,170 --> 00:45:32,922
The problem is that you're
Reading that out of context, because

1099
00:45:33,026 --> 00:45:37,962
if you read down, it's not
talking about getting material things

1100
00:45:38,066 --> 00:45:38,982
necessarily.

1101
00:45:39,146 --> 00:45:39,790
Verse 1.

1102
00:45:39,830 --> 00:45:42,302
Fret not thyself because of evildoers.

1103
00:45:42,446 --> 00:45:45,102
So we're dealing with people
that are being persecuted.

1104
00:45:45,246 --> 00:45:47,262
We're dealing with people that
are doing the right thing.

1105
00:45:47,286 --> 00:45:49,374
They're walking the path of obedience.

1106
00:45:49,502 --> 00:45:52,382
Says, neither be thou envious
against workers of iniquity.

1107
00:45:52,446 --> 00:45:55,290
Meaning, don't want what
sinful people have.

1108
00:45:56,390 --> 00:45:57,118
Verse 2.

1109
00:45:57,174 --> 00:46:00,590
For they shall soon be cut
down like the grass and wither as

1110
00:46:00,630 --> 00:46:01,550
the green herb.

1111
00:46:01,630 --> 00:46:05,178
He says, those people that are
seeking their fleshly desires, they're

1112
00:46:05,194 --> 00:46:06,790
going to lose all that one day.

1113
00:46:07,570 --> 00:46:08,394
Verse 3.

1114
00:46:08,482 --> 00:46:09,562
Trust in the Lord.

1115
00:46:09,626 --> 00:46:13,146
So there's an element of trust
in this trust in the Lord, have faith

1116
00:46:13,178 --> 00:46:14,666
in the Lord and do good.

1117
00:46:14,818 --> 00:46:15,130
So.

1118
00:46:15,170 --> 00:46:18,510
So it's getting your life in
order in obedience to God.

1119
00:46:19,170 --> 00:46:22,762
So shalt thou dwell in the
land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

1120
00:46:22,866 --> 00:46:25,146
So God is already providing
your needs.

1121
00:46:25,298 --> 00:46:28,350
And then it says, delight
yourself in the Lord.

1122
00:46:29,570 --> 00:46:34,466
So it's more than just vaguely
saying, I love God is having a delight

1123
00:46:34,498 --> 00:46:35,794
in the things of God.

1124
00:46:35,922 --> 00:46:38,290
It's growing in your spiritual disciplines.

1125
00:46:38,370 --> 00:46:39,810
It's growing in my prayer life.

1126
00:46:39,850 --> 00:46:41,394
It's growing in my Bible study.

1127
00:46:41,482 --> 00:46:42,930
It's growing in my time with him.

1128
00:46:42,970 --> 00:46:44,290
It's growing in my service.

1129
00:46:44,410 --> 00:46:47,410
I'm delighting myself in the
things that God delights in.

1130
00:46:47,530 --> 00:46:49,330
God delights in when you serve.

1131
00:46:49,410 --> 00:46:50,898
God delights when you pray.

1132
00:46:50,994 --> 00:46:53,442
God delights when you share
your faith with other people.

1133
00:46:53,546 --> 00:46:56,114
God delights when you obey his word.

1134
00:46:56,242 --> 00:46:56,578
So.

1135
00:46:56,634 --> 00:46:59,630
So when you are delighting in
the things that God delights in,

1136
00:47:01,240 --> 00:47:05,660
and he shall give thee the
desires of thine heart means this.

1137
00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:11,232
As you grow in your knowledge
of God, as you grow in your love

1138
00:47:11,256 --> 00:47:14,832
for God, as you begin to love
the things that God loves, as you

1139
00:47:14,856 --> 00:47:19,020
begin to desire the things
that God desires, your desires change.

1140
00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:24,902
Your desires move and blend
into his will for your life.

1141
00:47:25,056 --> 00:47:28,298
Before, it was Josh's will
over here, God's will over here,

1142
00:47:28,354 --> 00:47:29,866
and it was this conflict.

1143
00:47:29,978 --> 00:47:31,114
I want this.

1144
00:47:31,282 --> 00:47:32,010
Does God.

1145
00:47:32,090 --> 00:47:35,082
I hope that God blesses me
here, but I don't know for sure.

1146
00:47:35,186 --> 00:47:39,482
But then as time progresses
and you become more and more in a

1147
00:47:39,506 --> 00:47:43,994
close relationship with God,
your will and his will begin to mend

1148
00:47:44,042 --> 00:47:44,346
together.

1149
00:47:44,418 --> 00:47:47,498
And the things that you desire
are the things that he desires.

1150
00:47:47,594 --> 00:47:50,218
And so no longer are you
desiring those fleshly things.

1151
00:47:50,354 --> 00:47:51,050
Well, God, I.

1152
00:47:51,090 --> 00:47:53,402
I want all these spiritual
gifts so that people will say that

1153
00:47:53,426 --> 00:47:54,550
I'm a great person.

1154
00:47:55,220 --> 00:47:57,324
Eventually it becomes God.

1155
00:47:57,372 --> 00:47:59,292
Thank you for this wonderful
gift that you've given me.

1156
00:47:59,316 --> 00:48:00,492
How can I serve others with this?

1157
00:48:00,516 --> 00:48:01,756
God's going to give you desires.

1158
00:48:01,788 --> 00:48:03,244
I want to serve someone with this.

1159
00:48:03,332 --> 00:48:04,540
I want to give someone this.

1160
00:48:04,580 --> 00:48:07,420
And he's going to give you the
desires of your heart because your

1161
00:48:07,460 --> 00:48:09,260
desires are his desires.

1162
00:48:09,420 --> 00:48:11,372
So I would encourage you to
think about your desires.

1163
00:48:11,436 --> 00:48:15,800
Do your desires focus on God's
will or your own will?

1164
00:48:17,540 --> 00:48:21,220
Is it my wants, my dreams, My passions?

1165
00:48:21,340 --> 00:48:25,844
Or is it his dreams, his
passions, his wants in my life?

1166
00:48:26,012 --> 00:48:29,108
And the Bible says eventually
those desires, if you're walking

1167
00:48:29,124 --> 00:48:32,388
with him, will draw you to a
place of service within the church.

1168
00:48:32,484 --> 00:48:36,772
As you guys head out today,
you don't have to take one, but on

1169
00:48:36,796 --> 00:48:39,844
the desk out there, there's
going to be these spiritual gifts

1170
00:48:39,892 --> 00:48:41,396
test for you.

1171
00:48:41,468 --> 00:48:42,920
And these aren't perfect.

1172
00:48:44,060 --> 00:48:47,480
They're only as good as your honesty.

1173
00:48:48,100 --> 00:48:50,252
But I will say that it will
help you.

1174
00:48:50,276 --> 00:48:54,092
If you have not discerned a
spiritual gift in your life, it will

1175
00:48:54,116 --> 00:48:57,612
help you discern a direction
in which God has blessed you with,

1176
00:48:57,796 --> 00:48:59,996
and it links to your desires.

1177
00:49:00,108 --> 00:49:05,740
So, for example, if you get to
the teaching section and you have

1178
00:49:05,780 --> 00:49:08,860
no desire in any of those
categories, you put a one on every

1179
00:49:08,900 --> 00:49:09,708
category.

1180
00:49:09,884 --> 00:49:13,260
I think it would be safe to
say that God has not naturally or

1181
00:49:13,300 --> 00:49:15,084
supernaturally gifted you in
the area of teaching.

1182
00:49:15,132 --> 00:49:15,916
Doesn't mean you can't teach.

1183
00:49:15,948 --> 00:49:19,252
It just means that's not an
area that you necessarily want to

1184
00:49:19,276 --> 00:49:19,892
exercise.

1185
00:49:19,956 --> 00:49:22,276
And so God works through your desires.

1186
00:49:22,388 --> 00:49:24,932
If you're walking with him,
go, go back on that.

1187
00:49:24,956 --> 00:49:29,396
The, the preface to God
guiding you through your desires

1188
00:49:29,428 --> 00:49:31,812
is that if you're walking with
him and you're delighting in his

1189
00:49:31,836 --> 00:49:32,356
heart.

1190
00:49:32,508 --> 00:49:34,852
So let's say a person comes
off the street, they haven't been

1191
00:49:34,876 --> 00:49:38,292
in church in, in 50 years, and
they've been living their lives the

1192
00:49:38,316 --> 00:49:39,572
way that they want to live it
for 50 years.

1193
00:49:39,596 --> 00:49:41,492
And they come and they go,
well, God's given me a desire to

1194
00:49:41,516 --> 00:49:43,838
teach, so I must be a teacher.

1195
00:49:44,014 --> 00:49:45,614
We don't know for sure, right?

1196
00:49:45,702 --> 00:49:48,846
Because they have not been
walking in obedience and delighting

1197
00:49:48,878 --> 00:49:49,710
in the things of God.

1198
00:49:49,790 --> 00:49:53,598
Your desires will align with
his desires when your heart is delighting

1199
00:49:53,694 --> 00:49:54,990
in his heart.

1200
00:49:55,110 --> 00:49:57,102
And so I would encourage you
to think about that when we come

1201
00:49:57,126 --> 00:50:02,222
to this season of trying to
find where God has you to fit in

1202
00:50:02,326 --> 00:50:03,278
within the church.

1203
00:50:03,374 --> 00:50:06,958
And so there's diversity,
there's direction, there's dedication,

1204
00:50:07,054 --> 00:50:08,174
and there's desire.

1205
00:50:08,302 --> 00:50:11,598
And all of those things allow
us to understand these serving gifts

1206
00:50:11,614 --> 00:50:14,750
in Romans chapter 12, so that
we can say, you know what I'm called

1207
00:50:14,870 --> 00:50:17,870
To do this in the church now,
I, I, I need to be very clear because

1208
00:50:17,910 --> 00:50:20,734
I know that churches for many,
many years have just said, serve

1209
00:50:20,782 --> 00:50:22,030
anywhere we need you.

1210
00:50:22,070 --> 00:50:23,290
Are you a warm body?

1211
00:50:23,910 --> 00:50:25,326
Do you have a pulse?

1212
00:50:25,518 --> 00:50:27,810
You're qualified for the
children's ministry?

1213
00:50:30,870 --> 00:50:33,614
I want to be very careful to
say, I don't think you should be

1214
00:50:33,622 --> 00:50:36,422
like, well, I can't serve
anywhere because I'm, I'm, I can

1215
00:50:36,446 --> 00:50:39,030
only serve in this one area,
or I can't serve it all because,

1216
00:50:39,070 --> 00:50:41,430
because that's why God made
these categories so broad.

1217
00:50:41,550 --> 00:50:41,878
Right?

1218
00:50:41,934 --> 00:50:42,998
The gift of service.

1219
00:50:43,134 --> 00:50:44,742
Can you serve in the
children's ministry?

1220
00:50:44,806 --> 00:50:45,382
Yeah.

1221
00:50:45,526 --> 00:50:47,094
Can you serve in the adult ministry?

1222
00:50:47,142 --> 00:50:50,490
Yeah, you can serve in any
area of any ministry.

1223
00:50:50,910 --> 00:50:53,798
And so I think a lot of times
we get so narrowed in our focus that

1224
00:50:53,854 --> 00:50:56,406
I can only do this, and so
therefore, I'm not going to be open.

1225
00:50:56,478 --> 00:50:59,014
You know, one of the ways to
learn where you're gifted is serving

1226
00:50:59,062 --> 00:51:00,050
in many areas.

1227
00:51:00,510 --> 00:51:04,364
My pastor, when, when I was
looking into ministry, he was like,

1228
00:51:04,372 --> 00:51:06,880
I want you to serve in every
ministry in the church.

1229
00:51:07,380 --> 00:51:10,092
I, I served in the nursery
ministry, believe it or not.

1230
00:51:10,116 --> 00:51:11,148
They, they let me serve.

1231
00:51:11,244 --> 00:51:12,076
My wife was there.

1232
00:51:12,148 --> 00:51:13,980
They let me serve in the
nursery ministry.

1233
00:51:14,060 --> 00:51:15,340
I was in kids ministry.

1234
00:51:15,420 --> 00:51:17,372
I was working in the soundboard.

1235
00:51:17,516 --> 00:51:18,892
I was up on the camera.

1236
00:51:19,036 --> 00:51:20,476
I was in the orchestra.

1237
00:51:20,588 --> 00:51:22,300
You said, how did you have
enough time to do all that?

1238
00:51:22,340 --> 00:51:24,460
It was just running around
every single week, rotating between

1239
00:51:24,500 --> 00:51:24,988
all of them.

1240
00:51:25,044 --> 00:51:28,054
But the goal was, for me,
there were some areas I, I didn't.

1241
00:51:28,102 --> 00:51:31,478
Guess what, I didn't feel
called to the children's ministry.

1242
00:51:31,574 --> 00:51:33,318
That wasn't where I felt like
my gift was.

1243
00:51:33,374 --> 00:51:33,910
But you know what?

1244
00:51:33,950 --> 00:51:37,238
I was there and I exercised
it, and I said, you know, that's

1245
00:51:37,254 --> 00:51:37,990
not for me.

1246
00:51:38,110 --> 00:51:41,574
And so what we do is we don't
just go, well, I don't feel like

1247
00:51:41,582 --> 00:51:42,902
I'm gifted, so I'm not going
to serve.

1248
00:51:42,966 --> 00:51:45,974
It's exercising service in the
church and then having the humility

1249
00:51:46,022 --> 00:51:47,490
to say, you know, that's not me.

1250
00:51:48,750 --> 00:51:51,206
But what I will say is that
there are some times where God allows

1251
00:51:51,238 --> 00:51:52,570
us to stretch ourselves.

1252
00:51:54,840 --> 00:51:59,216
My pastor in Florida was like,
okay, I need you to preach on Wednesday

1253
00:51:59,288 --> 00:51:59,520
night.

1254
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:02,096
Coming up in two weeks, I
might preach.

1255
00:52:02,128 --> 00:52:05,136
I had never preached in front
of anybody my whole life.

1256
00:52:05,288 --> 00:52:06,096
I was a teacher.

1257
00:52:06,128 --> 00:52:08,288
I taught in front of a
classroom because I want you to preach

1258
00:52:08,304 --> 00:52:09,312
on Wednesday night.

1259
00:52:09,416 --> 00:52:10,240
You know what I did?

1260
00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:11,056
I was so stressed.

1261
00:52:11,088 --> 00:52:12,384
I was like, I don't, I can't preach.

1262
00:52:12,432 --> 00:52:13,984
I can't get up there and talk
in front of people.

1263
00:52:14,072 --> 00:52:14,592
I can't.

1264
00:52:14,656 --> 00:52:15,552
What am I going to preach on?

1265
00:52:15,576 --> 00:52:16,608
There's a, that's a big book.

1266
00:52:16,664 --> 00:52:17,632
What am I going to preach on?

1267
00:52:17,656 --> 00:52:18,352
I had no idea.

1268
00:52:18,416 --> 00:52:21,814
And so it took me all my free
time for two weeks.

1269
00:52:21,902 --> 00:52:23,494
They come up with a 20 minute sermon.

1270
00:52:23,542 --> 00:52:27,094
I got up there and I was like
this, the whole podium was shaking,

1271
00:52:27,142 --> 00:52:30,422
my knees were knocking and I
was like, I am going to fail.

1272
00:52:30,526 --> 00:52:32,838
And I probably did to many degrees.

1273
00:52:32,934 --> 00:52:37,014
But the idea was for me is I
never would have dreamed that was

1274
00:52:37,022 --> 00:52:38,630
an opportunity that I could
ever serve in.

1275
00:52:38,670 --> 00:52:41,062
Until my pastor said, hey, you
want to give it a shot?

1276
00:52:41,206 --> 00:52:42,130
So sure.

1277
00:52:42,830 --> 00:52:45,862
And the more I was able to do
it, the more it was like, okay, I

1278
00:52:45,886 --> 00:52:47,330
see a desire here.

1279
00:52:47,730 --> 00:52:49,754
And so what I would challenge
you is if you're sitting there and

1280
00:52:49,762 --> 00:52:51,390
you go, I don't have any ministries.

1281
00:52:51,810 --> 00:52:55,130
Get involved, get involved and
see where God has you.

1282
00:52:55,170 --> 00:52:57,910
And you might find a desire
that you never thought would be there.

1283
00:52:58,210 --> 00:53:00,826
But what I would say is this
way too, folks.

1284
00:53:01,018 --> 00:53:04,426
God has gifted you all with so
many natural talents.

1285
00:53:04,458 --> 00:53:07,258
I'm looking, you know, I know
you're not supposed to be jealous,

1286
00:53:07,434 --> 00:53:09,706
but sometimes I look at some
of these fellows who are super handy

1287
00:53:09,738 --> 00:53:12,544
in the church and I'm like,
man, I wish I just had 10% of that.

1288
00:53:12,682 --> 00:53:15,396
We're, we're trying to put
together a thing that we got at Christmas

1289
00:53:15,428 --> 00:53:17,652
time and I'm like, dad, you
figure it out.

1290
00:53:17,676 --> 00:53:19,188
I, I can't figure it out.

1291
00:53:19,324 --> 00:53:21,092
I, I don't have the patience
for that.

1292
00:53:21,276 --> 00:53:24,228
But the truth is, is that
again, going back to that comparison,

1293
00:53:24,324 --> 00:53:27,204
look, I might not be called to
use my hands to build something at

1294
00:53:27,212 --> 00:53:29,520
the church, but you might be.

1295
00:53:30,460 --> 00:53:33,252
I might not be called to work
with the two and three year olds,

1296
00:53:33,316 --> 00:53:37,892
but you might be, that might
be your position in the kingdom of

1297
00:53:37,916 --> 00:53:40,708
God is to be an influence to
these three year olds.

1298
00:53:40,724 --> 00:53:42,644
And you say, well, what does
that have to do in the cause of the

1299
00:53:42,652 --> 00:53:44,516
grand scheme of eternity, folks?

1300
00:53:44,628 --> 00:53:48,240
You ministering to someone
behind the scenes could be everything.

1301
00:53:48,860 --> 00:53:52,900
You know, some of the greatest
people in my life that I feel were

1302
00:53:52,940 --> 00:53:56,132
influences to me were my
Sunday school teachers that probably

1303
00:53:56,196 --> 00:53:58,756
thought that I wasn't
listening and probably I wasn't listening

1304
00:53:58,788 --> 00:53:59,700
in a lot of cases.

1305
00:53:59,820 --> 00:54:02,132
But they were there and they
were faithful and they were in their

1306
00:54:02,156 --> 00:54:05,170
place and they thought
probably, I don't know for sure,

1307
00:54:05,210 --> 00:54:08,834
but they probably didn't think
in any way that their influence in

1308
00:54:08,922 --> 00:54:11,030
my life would influence
anybody else.

1309
00:54:12,410 --> 00:54:15,362
And the truth is, is that I'm
able to utilize the love that they

1310
00:54:15,386 --> 00:54:17,602
gave to me so that I could
serve other people.

1311
00:54:17,786 --> 00:54:19,826
And that's all of us, all of
us have that story.

1312
00:54:19,898 --> 00:54:23,586
All of us have someone in our
life that probably unassumingly helped

1313
00:54:23,618 --> 00:54:25,986
us in a way that we can help
others with.

1314
00:54:26,138 --> 00:54:28,962
And so what I would encourage
you to think about is this, in the

1315
00:54:28,986 --> 00:54:32,642
spirit of all of this, finding
your gift, exercising your gift,

1316
00:54:32,706 --> 00:54:34,738
being in the will of God,
having that desire.

1317
00:54:34,834 --> 00:54:38,434
Just go back to the spirit of
what Jesus Christ told us in Matthew.

1318
00:54:38,562 --> 00:54:39,730
Excuse me, Mark, chapter 10.

1319
00:54:39,770 --> 00:54:40,850
This is where I'm going to end.

1320
00:54:40,970 --> 00:54:44,354
This is the spirit of all of
this, okay?

1321
00:54:44,482 --> 00:54:47,186
Because I, I want to go back
and I want to talk about this.

1322
00:54:47,338 --> 00:54:48,190
It is.

1323
00:54:49,450 --> 00:54:51,010
Hear, hear me out this morning.

1324
00:54:51,130 --> 00:54:52,750
I got to speak from my heart.

1325
00:54:54,170 --> 00:55:00,300
Church has become such a
consumer driven product in this world.

1326
00:55:00,420 --> 00:55:03,228
I don't care what denomination
you are, I don't care if you're contemporary.

1327
00:55:03,324 --> 00:55:06,524
Traditional church has become consumeristic.

1328
00:55:06,572 --> 00:55:12,044
Meaning I need to produce as a
pastor, as a leader, I need to produce

1329
00:55:12,092 --> 00:55:16,220
a product that the people like
to hear that, that they will come

1330
00:55:16,260 --> 00:55:17,240
back for.

1331
00:55:18,100 --> 00:55:19,468
And the church is this, this.

1332
00:55:19,524 --> 00:55:21,986
And what happens is, is that
now you have reviews on churches.

1333
00:55:22,068 --> 00:55:24,326
So people come into churches
and they write their review.

1334
00:55:24,478 --> 00:55:27,238
Well, this church has good
music, but you know, the preaching's

1335
00:55:27,254 --> 00:55:30,550
a little weak or this church
has great children's programs and

1336
00:55:30,590 --> 00:55:32,130
it becomes now like a business.

1337
00:55:32,990 --> 00:55:35,782
Folks, I understand there are
elements of the church that have

1338
00:55:35,806 --> 00:55:37,126
to be elements of business.

1339
00:55:37,278 --> 00:55:43,930
But when we lose sight of what
the church is, who is the church?

1340
00:55:44,430 --> 00:55:47,730
You, me, the people, not the building.

1341
00:55:48,070 --> 00:55:50,126
The church is not the programs.

1342
00:55:50,158 --> 00:55:51,450
The church is the people.

1343
00:55:52,070 --> 00:55:54,970
And so what do we see in Mark,
chapter 10, verse 25.

1344
00:55:55,270 --> 00:55:57,050
This is the heart of all of this.

1345
00:56:00,470 --> 00:56:02,510
I have the wrong passage of scripture.

1346
00:56:02,670 --> 00:56:04,206
That's, that's, that's the
wrong passage.

1347
00:56:04,238 --> 00:56:06,478
If you turn to Mark, chapter
10, verse 25.

1348
00:56:06,614 --> 00:56:07,850
Don't look at that.

1349
00:56:09,110 --> 00:56:09,902
You can look at it.

1350
00:56:09,926 --> 00:56:10,110
Now.

1351
00:56:10,150 --> 00:56:13,646
It's actually the verse that
says and, and it's easier for a camel

1352
00:56:13,678 --> 00:56:15,774
to go through the eye of the
needle than a rich man to enter the

1353
00:56:15,782 --> 00:56:16,368
kingdom of God.

1354
00:56:16,454 --> 00:56:18,412
I don't know if that was
divine inspiration to take me to

1355
00:56:18,436 --> 00:56:23,372
that verse, but that, but, but
I'm gonna get that passage for you

1356
00:56:23,396 --> 00:56:23,820
here in a second.

1357
00:56:23,860 --> 00:56:27,276
But what we will see here is
that Jesus is talking about his purpose

1358
00:56:27,308 --> 00:56:28,620
of coming to this earth.

1359
00:56:28,780 --> 00:56:29,100
He.

1360
00:56:29,140 --> 00:56:34,348
He came to seek and to save
that which was lost.

1361
00:56:34,404 --> 00:56:35,788
He came to serve.

1362
00:56:35,964 --> 00:56:39,628
Jesus came to serve and he
came to minister.

1363
00:56:39,764 --> 00:56:41,612
He didn't come for people to
do things for him.

1364
00:56:41,636 --> 00:56:43,720
Even Though he would be the
one that would do that.

1365
00:56:44,310 --> 00:56:45,902
Luke, chapter 17, verse 33.

1366
00:56:45,926 --> 00:56:47,758
I don't know how I got Mark,
chapter 10 in there.

1367
00:56:47,894 --> 00:56:51,450
Luke, chapter 17, verse33.

1368
00:56:53,430 --> 00:57:07,102
Jesus comes and, and he says,
whosoever shall seek to save his

1369
00:57:07,126 --> 00:57:07,950
life shall lose it.

1370
00:57:07,990 --> 00:57:10,548
And whosoever shall lose his
life shall preserve it.

1371
00:57:10,654 --> 00:57:14,664
This idea of dying to our
flesh, dying to ourselves, dying

1372
00:57:14,712 --> 00:57:15,608
to the fact that.

1373
00:57:15,664 --> 00:57:16,072
You know what?

1374
00:57:16,096 --> 00:57:17,096
It's not about me.

1375
00:57:17,168 --> 00:57:19,352
It's not about what people can
do for me.

1376
00:57:19,376 --> 00:57:21,300
It's about what I can do for others.

1377
00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:23,272
Jesus came as a servant.

1378
00:57:23,336 --> 00:57:29,160
Jesus came as a humbled person
that was willing to sacrifice, was

1379
00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:30,700
willing to serve.

1380
00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:34,392
You know, for me, I think that
that's what we have to get back to.

1381
00:57:34,416 --> 00:57:36,388
We have to get back to that
passage of scripture.

1382
00:57:36,504 --> 00:57:37,900
Mark, chapter 10, verse 45.

1383
00:57:37,940 --> 00:57:38,700
I'm so sorry.

1384
00:57:38,780 --> 00:57:40,396
I was all over the place there
for a second.

1385
00:57:40,468 --> 00:57:42,200
Mark, chapter 10, verse 45.

1386
00:57:44,900 --> 00:57:48,920
I have my handwriting and it's
not good.

1387
00:57:49,620 --> 00:57:50,460
So when you.

1388
00:57:50,500 --> 00:57:54,520
When I make notes that are not
typed out, can't read it.

1389
00:57:55,300 --> 00:57:56,956
Mark 10:45.

1390
00:57:57,028 --> 00:58:00,380
Even the son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister

1391
00:58:00,500 --> 00:58:02,620
and to give his life a ransom
for many.

1392
00:58:02,740 --> 00:58:04,252
That's the spirit of all this.

1393
00:58:04,356 --> 00:58:05,500
That's the spirit of church.

1394
00:58:05,580 --> 00:58:06,732
That's the spirit of service.

1395
00:58:06,836 --> 00:58:08,572
That's the spirit of our
spiritual gifts.

1396
00:58:08,636 --> 00:58:10,892
That's the spirit of
everything that we do in our lives,

1397
00:58:10,996 --> 00:58:13,244
is to have that same spirit of
Jesus Christ.

1398
00:58:13,332 --> 00:58:16,492
He came not to be ministered
unto, but to be minister and to give

1399
00:58:16,516 --> 00:58:17,500
his life a ransom for many.

1400
00:58:17,540 --> 00:58:19,692
So you would say, well, so am
I supposed to go to a church that

1401
00:58:19,716 --> 00:58:20,764
doesn't serve me?

1402
00:58:20,932 --> 00:58:22,188
What's the point of coming?

1403
00:58:22,324 --> 00:58:25,836
Folks, if your purpose is to
serve others and other per.

1404
00:58:25,908 --> 00:58:28,098
Other people's purpose is to
serve others, you.

1405
00:58:28,124 --> 00:58:29,542
You guess what the outcome is.

1406
00:58:29,566 --> 00:58:31,010
You will be ministered to.

1407
00:58:31,550 --> 00:58:32,930
But that's not the focus.

1408
00:58:33,390 --> 00:58:33,750
So.

1409
00:58:33,790 --> 00:58:37,558
So for if I come into a church
and I say, well, who's going to minister

1410
00:58:37,614 --> 00:58:38,342
to me today?

1411
00:58:38,446 --> 00:58:40,390
And everybody has that same spirit.

1412
00:58:40,470 --> 00:58:42,838
Let's say everyone that walks
in this building today says, who's

1413
00:58:42,854 --> 00:58:44,210
going to minister to me today?

1414
00:58:44,910 --> 00:58:46,358
No one's going to get
ministered to.

1415
00:58:46,414 --> 00:58:46,630
Why?

1416
00:58:46,670 --> 00:58:48,294
Because everyone's thinking
about who's going to minister to

1417
00:58:48,302 --> 00:58:48,566
them.

1418
00:58:48,638 --> 00:58:51,686
But if everyone comes in with
the spirit of how can I minister

1419
00:58:51,758 --> 00:58:52,310
to others?

1420
00:58:52,430 --> 00:58:52,870
Guess what?

1421
00:58:52,910 --> 00:58:54,850
We're all going to minister
each to each other.

1422
00:58:55,280 --> 00:58:56,120
And there's going to be.

1423
00:58:56,160 --> 00:58:58,460
There's going to be people
that fall through the cracks.

1424
00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:05,592
And what I would say is this,
as a Christian, we go back to the

1425
00:59:05,616 --> 00:59:06,296
spirit of things.

1426
00:59:06,368 --> 00:59:06,696
We.

1427
00:59:06,768 --> 00:59:09,340
To not assume the worst in a
brother or sister.

1428
00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:12,152
Well, no one, no one
ministered to me today, so I'm not

1429
00:59:12,176 --> 00:59:14,104
ministering to anybody else
for the rest of my life.

1430
00:59:14,192 --> 00:59:14,456
Folks.

1431
00:59:14,488 --> 00:59:16,888
That's the wrong spirit to
have when you don't get ministered

1432
00:59:16,904 --> 00:59:17,176
to.

1433
00:59:17,248 --> 00:59:18,488
Minister to people more.

1434
00:59:18,624 --> 00:59:19,982
That's what Jesus did.

1435
00:59:20,136 --> 00:59:20,866
Think, think about.

1436
00:59:20,938 --> 00:59:24,242
Think about the, the time in
which Jesus was the most rejected.

1437
00:59:24,386 --> 00:59:24,690
What.

1438
00:59:24,730 --> 00:59:27,266
What was the time where Jesus
was the most rejected, the most forgotten

1439
00:59:27,298 --> 00:59:27,870
about?

1440
00:59:28,170 --> 00:59:29,906
Right before he went to the cross.

1441
00:59:30,098 --> 00:59:30,830
Right.

1442
00:59:31,370 --> 00:59:32,830
What did he do then?

1443
00:59:33,210 --> 00:59:34,290
He gave everything.

1444
00:59:34,410 --> 00:59:36,550
At the moment, he was the most rejected.

1445
00:59:36,970 --> 00:59:39,842
So, so this isn't today to
say, well, let's give examples of

1446
00:59:39,866 --> 00:59:42,338
people like they're getting
forgotten about, but it's all about

1447
00:59:42,394 --> 00:59:43,666
having the purpose in our hearts.

1448
00:59:43,698 --> 00:59:46,846
And that is that purpose of
having that desire serve.

1449
00:59:46,878 --> 00:59:48,862
And so I encourage you to
think about that as you head out

1450
00:59:48,886 --> 00:59:49,450
today.

1451
00:59:50,470 --> 00:59:53,022
I want you to think about
maybe possibly taking it.

1452
00:59:53,046 --> 00:59:56,814
We've got 50 in the back, 50
of these spiritual gift tests in

1453
00:59:56,822 --> 00:59:57,198
the back.

1454
00:59:57,254 --> 01:00:01,038
If we run out of that, we can
get more.

1455
01:00:01,094 --> 01:00:01,822
Okay?

1456
01:00:01,966 --> 01:00:04,254
And I would like you to go
through it if you can.

1457
01:00:04,342 --> 01:00:06,010
Today is COIN and NEA Sunday.

1458
01:00:06,550 --> 01:00:09,102
It's our fifth Sunday, so we
don't have an evening service and

1459
01:00:09,126 --> 01:00:10,686
we always encourage people to
get together.

1460
01:00:10,838 --> 01:00:13,390
We don't have a study guide
today, but what we do have is this

1461
01:00:13,430 --> 01:00:14,190
spiritual gift test.

1462
01:00:14,230 --> 01:00:18,042
And to go through it and just
to see where you stand on that, you

1463
01:00:18,066 --> 01:00:18,554
might be.

1464
01:00:18,642 --> 01:00:18,890
You.

1465
01:00:18,930 --> 01:00:21,578
You might look and say, well,
I'm gifted in a lot of these areas.

1466
01:00:21,714 --> 01:00:23,834
So then the next step after
that would be this.

1467
01:00:23,922 --> 01:00:28,910
Okay, I'm gifted in the area
of teaching exhortation and mercy.

1468
01:00:29,250 --> 01:00:31,110
Pastor, where do I fit in there?

1469
01:00:31,410 --> 01:00:32,602
Well, hey, you know what?

1470
01:00:32,706 --> 01:00:35,722
We have an area of teaching in
this, in this area here we have an

1471
01:00:35,746 --> 01:00:36,490
adult teaching class.

1472
01:00:36,530 --> 01:00:37,962
We have a children's teaching class.

1473
01:00:38,066 --> 01:00:40,506
Hey, you can serve in mercy in
a lot of categories.

1474
01:00:40,618 --> 01:00:43,154
You can serve in exhortation
in many areas.

1475
01:00:43,282 --> 01:00:47,270
And so it's finding a place
for you at Middletown Baptist Church.

1476
01:00:48,410 --> 01:00:49,362
For me, it's.

1477
01:00:49,426 --> 01:00:52,946
It's wanting to be able to be
utilized by God in his will.

1478
01:00:53,018 --> 01:00:55,634
And I think that's the biggest
thing for all of us to be in the

1479
01:00:55,642 --> 01:00:56,338
will of God.

1480
01:00:56,434 --> 01:00:58,482
And so this morning, I'm going
to ask you to, if you're able to.

1481
01:00:58,506 --> 01:01:00,306
To stand with me, every head
bowed, every eye closed.

1482
01:01:00,338 --> 01:01:02,402
We have a moment of response here.

1483
01:01:02,506 --> 01:01:04,882
I know nothing earth
shattering was preached this morning.

1484
01:01:04,906 --> 01:01:06,194
A lot of it's been Teaching.

1485
01:01:06,322 --> 01:01:08,162
But what I want you to know is this.

1486
01:01:08,266 --> 01:01:10,910
God has a purpose and a plan
for you.

1487
01:01:11,260 --> 01:01:15,300
He has given you a specific
gift to use within the body of believers.

1488
01:01:15,380 --> 01:01:18,308
And the true test is, number
one, do I know what that gift is

1489
01:01:18,364 --> 01:01:19,680
or gifts are?

1490
01:01:20,620 --> 01:01:23,652
And number two, am I
exercising those gifts within the

1491
01:01:23,676 --> 01:01:26,360
body of believers in the power
of the spirit?

1492
01:01:27,260 --> 01:01:28,276
That be the case?

1493
01:01:28,348 --> 01:01:29,236
Praise God.

1494
01:01:29,348 --> 01:01:32,836
Then keep passionate in
service, fervent in spirit, serving

1495
01:01:32,868 --> 01:01:33,476
the Lord.

1496
01:01:33,588 --> 01:01:36,538
Don't get your eyes off of the
prize, so to speak.

1497
01:01:36,684 --> 01:01:38,830
But maybe some of you have
said, it's been a long time since

1498
01:01:38,870 --> 01:01:41,650
I've been able to exercise my
spiritual gift within the church.

1499
01:01:42,070 --> 01:01:45,374
Say, well, maybe, Pastor, you
don't know my physical state.

1500
01:01:45,542 --> 01:01:46,910
You don't know what I'm going
through at home.

1501
01:01:46,950 --> 01:01:47,502
I don't know.

1502
01:01:47,526 --> 01:01:50,126
But God knows and God understands.

1503
01:01:50,238 --> 01:01:53,214
So God's not asking everyone
to serve at the same capacity here

1504
01:01:53,222 --> 01:01:54,510
at Middletown Baptist Church.

1505
01:01:54,590 --> 01:01:58,446
Maybe for your ministry, it's
a ministry of calling someone, sending

1506
01:01:58,478 --> 01:01:59,330
a letter.

1507
01:01:59,830 --> 01:02:01,182
Maybe it's not what it used to be.

1508
01:02:01,206 --> 01:02:03,862
Maybe you're not out running
on the bus and going through every

1509
01:02:03,886 --> 01:02:06,822
neighborhood, knocking on
every door, but maybe you can be

1510
01:02:06,846 --> 01:02:09,158
an encouragement to one person
here this year.

1511
01:02:09,214 --> 01:02:13,558
You know, if one person
encouraged another person and that

1512
01:02:13,694 --> 01:02:16,710
continued on here at the
church, all of us would grow in those

1513
01:02:16,750 --> 01:02:20,086
areas of encouragement, and we
would be able to grow in our understanding

1514
01:02:20,118 --> 01:02:24,038
of the goodness of God if we
just exercised the best that we could

1515
01:02:24,094 --> 01:02:25,650
in the place that we are in.

1516
01:02:25,950 --> 01:02:28,262
So I encourage you to think
about that here this morning.

1517
01:02:28,366 --> 01:02:31,956
Hey, you can't exercise these
spiritual gifts without knowing Jesus

1518
01:02:31,988 --> 01:02:33,332
as your personal savior.

1519
01:02:33,476 --> 01:02:38,004
We celebrated Christmas this
past week, and Christmas is a wonderful

1520
01:02:38,052 --> 01:02:40,964
holiday, but it's empty
without the message of the Gospel

1521
01:02:41,012 --> 01:02:42,160
of Jesus Christ.

1522
01:02:42,700 --> 01:02:45,988
There was a lot of babies born
over the years in Bethlehem.

1523
01:02:46,084 --> 01:02:48,484
There's still babies being
born in Bethlehem today.

1524
01:02:48,652 --> 01:02:51,572
But the truth is, is that that
baby that was born in Bethlehem was

1525
01:02:51,596 --> 01:02:54,516
different because of the
gospel message.

1526
01:02:54,628 --> 01:02:58,230
The gospel message of his
life, his death, his burial, his

1527
01:02:58,270 --> 01:03:01,046
resurrection and his power and
who he is.

1528
01:03:01,118 --> 01:03:03,078
He is the King of Kings and
the Lord of Lords.

1529
01:03:03,174 --> 01:03:06,422
If you have not put your faith
and trust in the King of Kings and

1530
01:03:06,446 --> 01:03:10,166
the Lord of Lords, the
Messiah, the Jesus Christ, everything

1531
01:03:10,318 --> 01:03:10,950
in our lives.

1532
01:03:10,990 --> 01:03:14,838
If you have not put your faith
in him, today is the day to do that,

1533
01:03:14,894 --> 01:03:18,534
to trust in Jesus as your
Savior, to take the path of spiritual

1534
01:03:18,582 --> 01:03:19,170
growth.

1535
01:03:20,190 --> 01:03:22,730
So here this morning, I ask
you to respond to him.

1536
01:03:22,830 --> 01:03:23,950
Maybe it's this.

1537
01:03:24,410 --> 01:03:25,790
Just thought about this.

1538
01:03:26,090 --> 01:03:33,074
Maybe you've been exercising
love, but not with genuine spirit,

1539
01:03:33,202 --> 01:03:34,434
not with a genuine spirit.

1540
01:03:34,482 --> 01:03:35,906
Maybe it's been hypocrisy.

1541
01:03:36,018 --> 01:03:37,586
Maybe it's been love with the mask.

1542
01:03:37,618 --> 01:03:39,618
Or maybe it's been love with
ulterior motives.

1543
01:03:39,714 --> 01:03:42,290
Maybe it's been love seeking
something else.

1544
01:03:42,370 --> 01:03:46,194
Hey, today, maybe dedicate
your life and your spiritual walk

1545
01:03:46,282 --> 01:03:49,720
to loving the Lord genuinely
and loving others.

1546
01:03:50,580 --> 01:03:52,476
Love covers a multitude of sins.

1547
01:03:52,588 --> 01:03:58,156
Love Love will be able to let
you overlook people's flaws and their

1548
01:03:58,228 --> 01:04:01,308
inadequacies because that's
what happens in our own life.

1549
01:04:01,364 --> 01:04:04,892
Jesus forgave us not because
we earned it, but because of our

1550
01:04:04,916 --> 01:04:05,788
faith in Him.

1551
01:04:05,924 --> 01:04:07,404
And that's what makes us unique.

1552
01:04:07,452 --> 01:04:09,628
That's what makes us unified.

1553
01:04:09,724 --> 01:04:14,114
That's what makes us gifted is
the gift of his grace through faith.

1554
01:04:14,292 --> 01:04:18,342
And so this morning, exercise
that faith here by loving him and

1555
01:04:18,366 --> 01:04:18,790
loving others.

1556
01:04:18,830 --> 01:04:20,918
Lord, I pray that you'd be, in
this time of invitation, working

1557
01:04:20,974 --> 01:04:21,510
hearts and lives.

1558
01:04:21,550 --> 01:04:23,222
We thank you for your love and
your grace.

1559
01:04:23,286 --> 01:04:25,702
I pray that we're able to
exercise these spiritual gifts that

1560
01:04:25,726 --> 01:04:26,918
you've called us to exercise.

1561
01:04:27,014 --> 01:04:28,054
We thank you and we love you.

1562
01:04:28,062 --> 01:04:29,610
In Jesus name, amen.

1563
01:04:30,030 --> 01:04:32,614
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1564
01:04:32,662 --> 01:04:33,414
podcast.

1565
01:04:33,542 --> 01:04:36,130
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1566
01:04:36,430 --> 01:04:38,806
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1567
01:04:38,838 --> 01:04:42,444
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletown baptist church.org

1568
01:04:42,572 --> 01:04:45,360
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1569
01:04:45,860 --> 01:04:51,084
You can also email me directly
at Josh massaroiddletownbaptistchurch.com

1570
01:04:51,252 --> 01:04:54,748
if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1571
01:04:54,804 --> 01:04:57,840
along for future podcast and updates.

1572
01:04:58,180 --> 01:04:59,340
Thank you so much.

1573
01:04:59,460 --> 01:05:00,284
God Bless.

1574
01:05:00,412 --> 01:05:01,460
Have a wonderful day.