1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,119 Daniel: We're gonna be finishing up our series, uh, Spring 2 00:00:02,119 --> 00:00:03,409 Cleaning, Tending to the Soul. 3 00:00:03,709 --> 00:00:07,389 Now, I know it may not feel like spring because Mother's Day is here, and usually 4 00:00:07,389 --> 00:00:10,819 that's when the summertime begins, but technically, we're still in spring. 5 00:00:10,819 --> 00:00:14,350 So, you know, the past few weeks, uh, we've been talking about, 6 00:00:14,459 --> 00:00:15,999 uh, you know, the need to clean. 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,379 We need to see the reason why we have to clean our homes and clean our 8 00:00:19,379 --> 00:00:22,889 souls, and we also talked about, you know, cleaning out and decluttering 9 00:00:22,889 --> 00:00:24,179 some of the sins in our lives. 10 00:00:24,399 --> 00:00:27,349 And then, uh, Two weeks ago we talked about, you know, scrubbing out the 11 00:00:27,349 --> 00:00:29,199 bitterness and resentment left. 12 00:00:29,409 --> 00:00:32,519 Um, and as you see, we quickly lay our homes and our souls together. 13 00:00:32,519 --> 00:00:34,819 Just as homes can get messy, so can our souls. 14 00:00:35,169 --> 00:00:37,639 So, this week, we're going to be closing out our series, and it's going 15 00:00:37,639 --> 00:00:40,329 to be titled, The Power of Invitation. 16 00:00:40,629 --> 00:00:41,079 Right? 17 00:00:41,099 --> 00:00:42,419 So, let me ask you guys this. 18 00:00:42,429 --> 00:00:45,289 Have you guys ever been invited to something where you're like, Wow, 19 00:00:45,289 --> 00:00:46,669 like, yes, I want to go to that. 20 00:00:46,669 --> 00:00:48,259 Maybe it was a wedding or a party. 21 00:00:48,259 --> 00:00:50,099 Like, have you guys been invited to something like that? 22 00:00:50,109 --> 00:00:50,469 Right? 23 00:00:51,149 --> 00:00:52,979 And it's one of those things where it's so fun because you're 24 00:00:52,979 --> 00:00:54,589 like, wow, I'm, I'm part of this. 25 00:00:54,599 --> 00:00:55,449 Someone thought of me. 26 00:00:55,449 --> 00:00:57,829 I get to be part of this party going down. 27 00:00:58,399 --> 00:01:02,989 But there's also power when there's things you're not invited to, right? 28 00:01:03,019 --> 00:01:06,589 Maybe I don't know if you guys have been on social media and you see your friends, 29 00:01:06,599 --> 00:01:09,649 they're all hanging out and you're just at home just like, oh, that's weird. 30 00:01:09,649 --> 00:01:11,089 How come I wasn't invited? 31 00:01:11,179 --> 00:01:11,409 I don't know. 32 00:01:11,409 --> 00:01:11,869 That's just me. 33 00:01:11,869 --> 00:01:15,119 I don't know about you guys, but I just think, man, that's a sinking feeling. 34 00:01:15,769 --> 00:01:19,559 There's even power in maybe being invited something you don't want to be a part of. 35 00:01:20,009 --> 00:01:24,169 You know, this past week, I was invited, or called, to do jury duty. 36 00:01:25,209 --> 00:01:26,129 Exactly, right? 37 00:01:26,129 --> 00:01:27,129 Oh, what an invitation. 38 00:01:27,129 --> 00:01:27,929 I'm like, alright, cool. 39 00:01:28,039 --> 00:01:30,229 Now, for me, I was like, alright, I'm gonna serve my country. 40 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:31,799 I'm Captain America over here. 41 00:01:32,169 --> 00:01:36,429 And then, when I get there, I was there for three hours, and then, everyone 42 00:01:36,429 --> 00:01:39,319 started getting dismissed, and then, this lady comes up and saying, Alright, 43 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,789 guys, so, you guys are all gonna be eligible for a nine month trial. 44 00:01:44,169 --> 00:01:45,009 Yeah, I was like, nine months? 45 00:01:45,039 --> 00:01:45,249 What? 46 00:01:45,309 --> 00:01:46,149 Everyone just, oh. 47 00:01:46,889 --> 00:01:49,259 And even me, I was like, I don't want to be part of this invitation. 48 00:01:49,259 --> 00:01:52,579 Now, you know, I'm not part of it, I got removed from it, but we see 49 00:01:52,579 --> 00:01:55,279 that there is power in an invitation. 50 00:01:55,649 --> 00:01:57,740 You know, invitation comes in all shapes and sizes. 51 00:01:57,740 --> 00:02:00,980 You know, there's the informal invitation, such as, Hey, what are you doing Friday? 52 00:02:00,990 --> 00:02:01,599 Watch a movie? 53 00:02:01,659 --> 00:02:01,969 Dinner? 54 00:02:02,009 --> 00:02:02,579 Yeah, cool. 55 00:02:02,589 --> 00:02:03,649 Let's, let's go ahead and do that. 56 00:02:04,179 --> 00:02:06,169 Then there's the invites. 57 00:02:06,219 --> 00:02:07,699 Those are the more popular ones today. 58 00:02:07,699 --> 00:02:08,799 Thank goodness for invites. 59 00:02:09,204 --> 00:02:11,994 Uh, you know, you go on your email, inbox, you check to see 60 00:02:11,994 --> 00:02:13,264 if you want to RSVP or not. 61 00:02:13,294 --> 00:02:16,164 And the good thing with an e vite is you get to see who RSVP'd 62 00:02:16,164 --> 00:02:17,194 and who's going and who's not. 63 00:02:17,414 --> 00:02:20,774 So then from there you can decide, oh, like, is it, maybe I'll stay, or 64 00:02:20,774 --> 00:02:22,234 maybe I'll go, this person's going. 65 00:02:22,884 --> 00:02:26,004 And then there's that old school, the old fashioned, the formal, you know, 66 00:02:26,274 --> 00:02:29,603 uh, you send the letter, the card stock, the writing's in calligraphy, 67 00:02:29,603 --> 00:02:32,484 you send it to the, the person's address, and you see that, wow, 68 00:02:32,504 --> 00:02:34,034 something special's about to go down. 69 00:02:34,884 --> 00:02:38,364 And when I think about invitations, I think about Jesus being the 70 00:02:38,364 --> 00:02:40,164 greatest inviter of all times. 71 00:02:40,594 --> 00:02:41,064 I mean, think about it. 72 00:02:41,103 --> 00:02:44,054 When you are invited to something, it says you are wanted and you are welcome. 73 00:02:44,434 --> 00:02:48,043 And no person in history has ever epitomized that than Jesus. 74 00:02:48,444 --> 00:02:50,634 You know, there's many stories that I think of of Jesus when 75 00:02:50,634 --> 00:02:51,864 he was just inviting people. 76 00:02:51,864 --> 00:02:54,244 I think of, you know, Jesus and the Samaritan woman. 77 00:02:54,244 --> 00:02:56,793 But right now, today, for some reason, the Spirit just kind of led 78 00:02:56,793 --> 00:02:58,254 me this week to talk about Zacchaeus. 79 00:02:58,543 --> 00:03:01,904 And I was just thinking about, uh, Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector. 80 00:03:01,975 --> 00:03:04,625 Who, back then, you know, no one loved the tax collector. 81 00:03:04,664 --> 00:03:06,375 Even today, no one likes the tax collector. 82 00:03:06,804 --> 00:03:09,404 But still, there's power in that invitation. 83 00:03:09,404 --> 00:03:13,834 We see in Luke, chapter 19, verse 5, it says, When Jesus reached the 84 00:03:13,834 --> 00:03:17,965 spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. 85 00:03:18,084 --> 00:03:20,715 I must stay at your house today. 86 00:03:21,140 --> 00:03:25,079 And we see Zacchaeus, he was a vertically challenged tax collector and, you 87 00:03:25,079 --> 00:03:29,149 know, Jesus was walking through, he was walking through, um, the town and next 88 00:03:29,149 --> 00:03:30,789 you know, Zacchaeus got wind of this. 89 00:03:30,789 --> 00:03:32,620 He's like, oh man, I gotta see this. 90 00:03:32,779 --> 00:03:35,939 Now imagine trying to, probably be my height, maybe a little smaller, 91 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,728 and Zacchaeus is trying to see over these crowds of people, but he can't. 92 00:03:38,918 --> 00:03:39,679 So what does Zacchaeus do? 93 00:03:39,679 --> 00:03:43,039 He climbs up a sycamore tree, and I'm like, man, I gotta go see Jesus. 94 00:03:43,709 --> 00:03:46,209 And what Jesus says next is so powerful. 95 00:03:46,210 --> 00:03:50,149 He says, So he came down at once and woken him gladly. 96 00:03:50,159 --> 00:03:54,918 All the people saw this and he muttered, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner. 97 00:03:55,349 --> 00:03:58,789 But just thinking about how God or Jesus called Zacchaeus 98 00:03:58,819 --> 00:04:00,939 down saying, Hey, I need you. 99 00:04:01,049 --> 00:04:01,990 I want you. 100 00:04:02,919 --> 00:04:05,490 You know, it's such a great feeling to be part of that, 101 00:04:05,499 --> 00:04:06,849 especially for, for Zacchaeus. 102 00:04:06,870 --> 00:04:10,350 Someone who was an outsider that no one loved, that no one wanted. 103 00:04:10,350 --> 00:04:13,589 He always was rejected and yet Jesus was like, Hey Zacchaeus, 104 00:04:14,059 --> 00:04:15,120 come on, I want to be your friend. 105 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:15,269 Amen. 106 00:04:15,544 --> 00:04:17,944 There's so much power with that. 107 00:04:18,394 --> 00:04:20,553 Have you guys ever been excluded from like a friend group? 108 00:04:20,844 --> 00:04:22,674 Maybe back in elementary school for whatever reason. 109 00:04:22,674 --> 00:04:24,724 Like, I know for me, I was like, Man, I can't play kickball 110 00:04:24,745 --> 00:04:25,914 because I can't kick the ball far. 111 00:04:25,924 --> 00:04:27,094 Like, are you serious? 112 00:04:27,245 --> 00:04:29,745 Now looking back, it's like, Oh, man, that's whatever. 113 00:04:29,745 --> 00:04:31,074 But back then, I was like crying. 114 00:04:31,074 --> 00:04:32,354 I was like, why can't I do this? 115 00:04:32,394 --> 00:04:34,034 I want to just be part of the group. 116 00:04:35,265 --> 00:04:38,304 But there's power when you invite someone to be part of the group, right? 117 00:04:38,485 --> 00:04:42,015 Maybe you're an outsider and then someone says, Hey, why don't you come on join us? 118 00:04:42,235 --> 00:04:45,204 You're like, wow, there's power in that invitation. 119 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,740 You know, Jesus is the great inviter. 120 00:04:48,429 --> 00:04:49,460 That's who he is. 121 00:04:49,909 --> 00:04:52,270 Even when he went after his disciples and pursued them. 122 00:04:52,750 --> 00:04:56,409 He didn't pursue the, the, the bright, he didn't pursue the smart people. 123 00:04:56,669 --> 00:04:58,280 He pursued ordinary people. 124 00:04:58,630 --> 00:04:59,730 Ordinary fishermen. 125 00:05:00,329 --> 00:05:03,120 Those that rabbis didn't want to invest in. 126 00:05:03,260 --> 00:05:05,439 They were like, no, they're, they're not that wise enough. 127 00:05:05,559 --> 00:05:07,120 But Jesus saw something in them. 128 00:05:07,870 --> 00:05:11,039 You know, in Matthew 4, verse 18 through 19, it says, As Jesus was walking 129 00:05:11,039 --> 00:05:14,854 beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon and Peter, Simon 130 00:05:14,854 --> 00:05:16,014 called Peter and his brother Andrew. 131 00:05:16,525 --> 00:05:19,234 They were casting a net into the lake for they were fishermen. 132 00:05:19,704 --> 00:05:24,574 Come follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people. 133 00:05:25,244 --> 00:05:27,564 So Jesus finds people. 134 00:05:28,374 --> 00:05:30,044 Jesus looks for people. 135 00:05:30,394 --> 00:05:34,204 And Jesus seeks people out that he doesn't see, uh, he doesn't 136 00:05:34,204 --> 00:05:35,484 just see people for who they are. 137 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:40,500 He doesn't see, uh, you know, Peter just as a fisherman doing his work. 138 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:44,090 He doesn't see Zacchaeus or, or Matthew as just a tax collector 139 00:05:44,090 --> 00:05:45,880 who may be ripping people off. 140 00:05:46,069 --> 00:05:48,389 No, he views them as his followers. 141 00:05:48,399 --> 00:05:50,880 He views them as people who wanted to join their movements so they 142 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,390 can turn this world upside down. 143 00:05:52,390 --> 00:05:53,149 Amen, church? 144 00:05:53,859 --> 00:05:55,870 And I believe that that's what we are supposed to do. 145 00:05:55,870 --> 00:06:01,199 You know, as we tend to our souls and as we, we, we see the need for God, it should 146 00:06:01,199 --> 00:06:03,909 inspire us to invite others to see God. 147 00:06:04,579 --> 00:06:09,209 We're supposed to call that God thing out of people, into people, so people can 148 00:06:09,209 --> 00:06:13,199 see something that they could have never imagined, but God had planned for them. 149 00:06:14,579 --> 00:06:19,199 And because, notice how Jesus calls his disciple, he doesn't just say, follow me. 150 00:06:19,750 --> 00:06:22,709 He also says, I will send you out to fish for people. 151 00:06:23,789 --> 00:06:26,010 You are not just called to follow, church. 152 00:06:26,559 --> 00:06:29,079 You're called to also fish for people as well. 153 00:06:29,949 --> 00:06:32,799 You know, two years ago, it reminded me when I was wearing this lesson. 154 00:06:32,799 --> 00:06:36,049 I remember going on a fishing trip with some of my buddies back in my old church. 155 00:06:36,050 --> 00:06:39,729 And, I don't know about you, but like, by show of hands, who 156 00:06:39,729 --> 00:06:41,019 here has gone fishing before? 157 00:06:41,139 --> 00:06:41,599 Raise your hand. 158 00:06:41,969 --> 00:06:43,489 Okay, good amount of people, alright. 159 00:06:43,579 --> 00:06:46,119 Now raise your hand if you consider yourself a good fisherman. 160 00:06:47,704 --> 00:06:48,525 Okay, yeah. 161 00:06:48,814 --> 00:06:49,304 Rusty, come on. 162 00:06:49,304 --> 00:06:50,314 I feel like you are rusty. 163 00:06:51,794 --> 00:06:54,244 But yeah, so when I went, I was kind of like, alright, this 164 00:06:54,244 --> 00:06:57,044 is my first time fishing in a while, but I'm somewhat excited. 165 00:06:57,544 --> 00:07:00,224 My friend's dad, he got a boat for us, so we went fishing. 166 00:07:00,464 --> 00:07:02,984 And I just remember, when I was working on this lesson, there was a few lessons that 167 00:07:02,984 --> 00:07:07,375 I remember learning about fishing that I think applies to our life in Christianity. 168 00:07:07,574 --> 00:07:10,914 I think the first one is, some people are really good at 169 00:07:10,914 --> 00:07:13,204 fishing, but anybody can do it. 170 00:07:13,214 --> 00:07:14,184 Now, what do I mean by that? 171 00:07:14,184 --> 00:07:14,324 I don't know. 172 00:07:14,744 --> 00:07:17,584 Some people are really good, like people, some people have the tackle, 173 00:07:17,584 --> 00:07:20,395 they have that, you know, shiny little bait they have that makes 174 00:07:20,395 --> 00:07:21,564 the fish go wild in the water. 175 00:07:21,564 --> 00:07:23,265 They know what bait to use and everything. 176 00:07:23,594 --> 00:07:24,895 And they can, they can catch it. 177 00:07:25,554 --> 00:07:28,525 But when you think about it, I'm like, anybody can do that, right? 178 00:07:29,015 --> 00:07:32,534 Anybody can throw a line in the water and wait for fish to, to 179 00:07:32,534 --> 00:07:33,844 bite on it and to reel them in. 180 00:07:34,484 --> 00:07:37,414 So when it comes to our walk in Christianity, I think about how there's 181 00:07:37,444 --> 00:07:41,234 people in this room who are, just have the gift of just sharing and evangelizing. 182 00:07:41,395 --> 00:07:42,224 And that's great. 183 00:07:42,604 --> 00:07:45,514 But then when I think about it also, I'm like Anybody can do that. 184 00:07:46,064 --> 00:07:48,754 Anybody can share about Jesus. 185 00:07:49,164 --> 00:07:52,754 You know, the second lesson reminded me of is that fishermen know their fish. 186 00:07:53,054 --> 00:07:53,933 Now, what do I mean by that? 187 00:07:53,933 --> 00:07:56,904 So, when I went on the boat, my friend's dad, he fished a lot. 188 00:07:56,914 --> 00:07:59,874 So, he knew exactly what fish to, we were going after. 189 00:07:59,874 --> 00:08:02,625 He knew how deep, uh, the fish were swimming in the water. 190 00:08:02,625 --> 00:08:04,704 He knew what type of bait they like, what type of, what time 191 00:08:04,704 --> 00:08:05,734 of day they would come out. 192 00:08:05,934 --> 00:08:07,085 So, he knew all of it. 193 00:08:07,954 --> 00:08:10,724 And I started to think that if we're going to reach people, church, if we're 194 00:08:10,724 --> 00:08:13,444 going to fish for people, we have to know the people we're reaching out to. 195 00:08:14,245 --> 00:08:16,015 We've got to know what they're going through. 196 00:08:16,015 --> 00:08:18,405 We have to be willing to get down on their level and see what they're 197 00:08:18,405 --> 00:08:21,745 going through and the mess they may be going through because we might help 198 00:08:21,745 --> 00:08:24,105 them see where God wants them to be. 199 00:08:24,705 --> 00:08:25,825 So we've got to know our fish. 200 00:08:25,845 --> 00:08:26,874 We've got to know our people. 201 00:08:27,605 --> 00:08:30,985 The other one thing I realized is fishing requires patience. 202 00:08:31,615 --> 00:08:34,924 Man, you can go eight hours, we were in the water for eight hours. 203 00:08:35,683 --> 00:08:37,073 We didn't catch a single thing. 204 00:08:37,784 --> 00:08:40,235 So I guess my friend's dad didn't really know the fish like he thought 205 00:08:40,235 --> 00:08:43,294 he did, but he was telling us what I was thinking about my man. 206 00:08:43,745 --> 00:08:45,405 You just gotta sit there and be patient. 207 00:08:46,285 --> 00:08:48,615 You're reminding me that many of you guys in this room has probably 208 00:08:48,615 --> 00:08:51,775 been sharing your faith with a loved one, with a child, with a co 209 00:08:51,775 --> 00:08:55,734 worker, a friend, and they probably haven't, you know, turned to God yet. 210 00:08:56,254 --> 00:08:59,595 I just want to encourage you guys all, just keep throwing that line out there. 211 00:08:59,924 --> 00:09:03,675 I know it can be hard to, or it can be easy to just give in and just be like, 212 00:09:03,675 --> 00:09:07,194 you know what, I don't care about it, I'm gonna move on, I didn't catch any fish 213 00:09:07,194 --> 00:09:09,385 today, I should just move on from fishing. 214 00:09:09,444 --> 00:09:11,704 But no, just keep throwing that line out there. 215 00:09:12,329 --> 00:09:15,409 Because keep sharing Jesus with them, because at the right time, they're gonna 216 00:09:15,420 --> 00:09:17,260 be hungry for what you have in Jesus. 217 00:09:18,329 --> 00:09:22,759 You are not called just to follow Jesus, you are called to fish as well. 218 00:09:23,490 --> 00:09:25,740 In that verse, it's full of promise and purpose. 219 00:09:26,270 --> 00:09:29,649 It's a promise because Jesus says, Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. 220 00:09:29,649 --> 00:09:32,980 But it's also speaking to our purpose on what you're called to be. 221 00:09:34,389 --> 00:09:38,430 That one verse in Matthew 4, 19 can be both descriptive and prescriptive. 222 00:09:39,089 --> 00:09:40,200 It describes. 223 00:09:41,025 --> 00:09:43,215 The life you do when you follow Jesus. 224 00:09:43,265 --> 00:09:46,095 It's saying that if you follow me, you're going to fish for people. 225 00:09:46,095 --> 00:09:48,685 And it's going to produce a spiritual life in you, and it's going to 226 00:09:48,934 --> 00:09:51,975 produce a spiritual life in that other person you're reaching out to. 227 00:09:52,974 --> 00:09:56,904 It's also prescriptive because it says what you should do as a follower of Jesus. 228 00:09:57,534 --> 00:10:00,515 So when we follow Christ, we pattern our life after Christ. 229 00:10:00,515 --> 00:10:03,645 Remember, He came from heaven to seek people. 230 00:10:04,215 --> 00:10:06,204 And as followers, we're called to do the same thing. 231 00:10:07,450 --> 00:10:10,450 And what his priority was, that's our priority as well. 232 00:10:10,690 --> 00:10:12,079 People are a priority. 233 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:14,160 I want to show you a picture. 234 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,490 Obviously, I said, this is how much fish we caught. 235 00:10:18,290 --> 00:10:19,599 You know, it was, it was brutal. 236 00:10:19,770 --> 00:10:20,710 Long eight hours. 237 00:10:21,599 --> 00:10:24,079 But, I know it's been two years, but it doesn't mean I haven't 238 00:10:24,079 --> 00:10:24,960 been talking to my friends. 239 00:10:24,969 --> 00:10:26,829 We've been like, hey, let's do this fishing trip again. 240 00:10:26,919 --> 00:10:28,179 We gotta catch that big one. 241 00:10:28,489 --> 00:10:29,879 Cause we just spent eight hours, man. 242 00:10:29,889 --> 00:10:31,724 We, we gotta do this again sometime. 243 00:10:31,724 --> 00:10:37,200 You know, in Romans 10, 13 through 14, it says, For everyone who 244 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,270 calls on the Lord, uh, calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 245 00:10:40,290 --> 00:10:43,260 How then can you call on the one they have not believed in? 246 00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:46,270 And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? 247 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,769 And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 248 00:10:51,169 --> 00:10:54,510 This is very humbling and sobering, just reading that. 249 00:10:54,740 --> 00:10:57,960 Because it's saying that someone has to go reach out to them. 250 00:10:58,580 --> 00:11:00,920 Someone has to go share the good news with them, right? 251 00:11:01,550 --> 00:11:02,330 And who, who's that? 252 00:11:02,350 --> 00:11:03,290 Who is that someone? 253 00:11:04,524 --> 00:11:07,585 You and me, to us, we have to share it. 254 00:11:08,065 --> 00:11:11,375 And I believe that most of us, deep down, we want to share church. 255 00:11:11,375 --> 00:11:12,165 I know we do. 256 00:11:12,675 --> 00:11:15,754 I know most of us are like, you know what, I want to go share about Jesus. 257 00:11:16,294 --> 00:11:19,904 Being honest here, there's opportunities that come in our lives, right? 258 00:11:19,904 --> 00:11:22,264 Where we're just like, hey, man, maybe we could share this person. 259 00:11:22,484 --> 00:11:24,835 But for whatever reason, we just pull back. 260 00:11:25,425 --> 00:11:26,254 We freeze. 261 00:11:26,345 --> 00:11:27,315 We retrieve. 262 00:11:28,095 --> 00:11:31,105 Like I mentioned, some of us in the church, we have this gift of evangelism. 263 00:11:31,105 --> 00:11:32,254 It's a spiritual gift. 264 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,450 But for the rest of us, it's something we have to work towards. 265 00:11:35,450 --> 00:11:37,750 It's something we struggle, we may have a fear in. 266 00:11:38,610 --> 00:11:41,059 And I was thinking about, you know, why do we do that? 267 00:11:41,620 --> 00:11:44,429 Why do we not send that great invitation? 268 00:11:45,060 --> 00:11:48,000 And when I think about it for us, I know for me, whenever there's something that 269 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,599 brings me joy or passion in life, I'm so quick to want to share it with someone. 270 00:11:52,230 --> 00:11:54,670 Like, for some reason, like, for me, I mean, campus knows, I love 271 00:11:54,670 --> 00:11:55,760 this restaurant called Chili's. 272 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,040 I'm like, man, Chili's is so good. 273 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,949 It's so, it's, it's so cheap, that three for me, that's a cool date spot. 274 00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:05,499 Or, I don't know if it's a cool date spot, but it's a cheap date spot. 275 00:12:05,509 --> 00:12:07,589 And I'm like, man, it's so good, I'll be telling people about it. 276 00:12:08,119 --> 00:12:09,180 Or maybe it's a movie. 277 00:12:09,180 --> 00:12:11,710 I'm like, wow, we just saw this movie, on Monday I saw this movie, 278 00:12:11,870 --> 00:12:15,520 uh, with, uh, Craig and Alan, and I was like, wow, this was okay, 279 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:16,640 but it was just cool being invited. 280 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:18,830 And we're like, wow, we get to justice to other people. 281 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:22,590 But why can't we do the same when it comes to Jesus? 282 00:12:23,100 --> 00:12:25,770 If Jesus brings us that joy and peace, why? 283 00:12:25,830 --> 00:12:27,630 Why don't we share about that? 284 00:12:27,660 --> 00:12:28,650 What stops us? 285 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,620 And when I think about it, there was two reasons that came to my head. 286 00:12:31,625 --> 00:12:35,310 The first one is, you know, we know how imperfect our own life is. 287 00:12:35,970 --> 00:12:39,120 You know, we think about all the mess ups we've had, and when it talks about 288 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,030 sharing our faith, we, we feel like we might have to have it all together. 289 00:12:42,990 --> 00:12:46,140 And, you know, to tell you the truth is you're not perfect. 290 00:12:46,590 --> 00:12:47,670 I'm not perfect. 291 00:12:48,180 --> 00:12:51,430 But you are God's perfect choice to speak to that person about faith. 292 00:12:52,260 --> 00:12:54,980 You are the one he places right there, right in front 293 00:12:54,980 --> 00:12:56,490 of their lives for a reason. 294 00:12:57,010 --> 00:12:58,829 Even with all the mistakes and failures. 295 00:12:59,819 --> 00:13:03,239 You know, for me, I always think about how, man, I can't really share 296 00:13:03,250 --> 00:13:06,940 with this person, like, I don't relate with them or anything at all, 297 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:08,300 or I'm going through this or that. 298 00:13:08,930 --> 00:13:10,379 You guys, can you guys relate to that? 299 00:13:10,410 --> 00:13:12,930 You guys feel like, I don't know if I can share with this person or not. 300 00:13:13,925 --> 00:13:17,215 But, have you guys ever thought that the very thing that you think 301 00:13:17,225 --> 00:13:20,275 that disqualifies you from sharing your faith is the very thing that 302 00:13:20,275 --> 00:13:23,015 qualifies you to speak to that person about what you're going through? 303 00:13:24,374 --> 00:13:27,615 You know, for me, just hearing Maureen share, I'm so grateful for her sharing, 304 00:13:27,945 --> 00:13:31,154 but in the back of my head I was like, oh my goodness, like, I can't relate 305 00:13:31,154 --> 00:13:34,765 to her story, like, how are people gonna see the power of God in me? 306 00:13:34,955 --> 00:13:37,325 You know, I just grew up in this church and I feel like I was, you 307 00:13:37,325 --> 00:13:38,835 know, well protected and everything. 308 00:13:39,615 --> 00:13:41,775 But when I think about it, when I think about the position Savannah 309 00:13:41,775 --> 00:13:44,480 and I are in and just being able to serve in the youth ministry. 310 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,040 We both grew up in the youth ministry. 311 00:13:46,430 --> 00:13:50,150 We're just like, well, like we have something, we have a story as well. 312 00:13:50,150 --> 00:13:53,689 We can relate to some of the kids here in this room, to some of the, the 313 00:13:53,689 --> 00:13:55,350 campus people grew up in this church. 314 00:13:55,350 --> 00:13:58,629 Like, wow, we have a story we can share, not saying we can relate 315 00:13:58,660 --> 00:14:01,790 or we can, uh, know exactly what's going on, but we can relate to them. 316 00:14:03,629 --> 00:14:04,269 That's the first thing. 317 00:14:04,269 --> 00:14:07,879 That's kind of one of the first hangups I see about why, why we don't invite. 318 00:14:07,909 --> 00:14:12,129 And the second one I think is we're afraid we do not have the answers. 319 00:14:12,754 --> 00:14:14,164 Have you guys seen that Connie Westman? 320 00:14:14,164 --> 00:14:15,844 We said you ain't got the answer sway. 321 00:14:16,124 --> 00:14:17,094 That's what I was thinking of. 322 00:14:17,104 --> 00:14:21,714 I was thinking about it What if I begin talking to them and they start 323 00:14:21,734 --> 00:14:24,264 asking these questions, you know, when I'm at Cal State Fullerton Something 324 00:14:24,414 --> 00:14:25,584 they'll ask some crazy questions. 325 00:14:25,594 --> 00:14:27,034 They'll be like what about evolution? 326 00:14:27,034 --> 00:14:27,854 What about creation? 327 00:14:27,854 --> 00:14:29,344 Why do bad things happen to good people? 328 00:14:29,364 --> 00:14:32,754 God is so loving And I get overbearing with it. 329 00:14:32,854 --> 00:14:35,414 But at the end of the day, I have to realize I can I can say 330 00:14:35,885 --> 00:14:36,814 I should point back to Jesus. 331 00:14:36,814 --> 00:14:38,004 I can't even say, I don't know. 332 00:14:38,584 --> 00:14:41,794 You know, I don't know about creation or evolution as I should be. 333 00:14:41,794 --> 00:14:44,344 I don't know why bad things happen to good people. 334 00:14:44,684 --> 00:14:46,514 But I knew, I do know about Jesus. 335 00:14:46,984 --> 00:14:50,675 I do know that Jesus was there for me in a point in my life where it was so dark, 336 00:14:50,684 --> 00:14:51,764 where I feel like there was no hope. 337 00:14:51,964 --> 00:14:54,204 Yet here I am today standing before you. 338 00:14:55,084 --> 00:14:56,925 Just point back to Jesus. 339 00:14:58,104 --> 00:15:00,834 You know, Jesus says, you will be my witness, right? 340 00:15:01,135 --> 00:15:02,174 He says, you will be my witness. 341 00:15:02,175 --> 00:15:03,484 He didn't say, you will be my attorney. 342 00:15:03,484 --> 00:15:06,604 He And by that meaning, you know, attorneys always have to 343 00:15:06,604 --> 00:15:09,624 defend, they always have to, to prove innocence or whatever. 344 00:15:09,624 --> 00:15:10,774 But Jesus doesn't call that. 345 00:15:11,234 --> 00:15:12,114 We don't have to prove anything. 346 00:15:12,114 --> 00:15:13,194 We are His witness. 347 00:15:13,294 --> 00:15:16,944 And what witnesses do, they share first hand testimony, their account. 348 00:15:17,714 --> 00:15:21,084 They can't say, your story is not true, because it's your story. 349 00:15:21,814 --> 00:15:25,064 You know, in 1 John chapter 5 verse 10, in the amplified version, it says, 350 00:15:25,224 --> 00:15:29,234 The one who believes in the Son of God, who adheres to, trusts in, and relies 351 00:15:29,284 --> 00:15:34,284 confidently on Him as Savior, has the testimony within himself, because he 352 00:15:34,284 --> 00:15:39,204 can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience. 353 00:15:40,584 --> 00:15:43,224 You have the testimony of God inside of you, church. 354 00:15:43,224 --> 00:15:44,234 Do you believe that? 355 00:15:44,724 --> 00:15:48,305 We need to keep sharing our story with people. 356 00:15:48,464 --> 00:15:50,095 Keep going back to Jesus. 357 00:15:50,095 --> 00:15:50,174 Jesus. 358 00:15:51,174 --> 00:15:54,524 Because there are people in your life that aren't in mine, and vice versa. 359 00:15:54,984 --> 00:15:58,344 There are people at your work, there are people at your schools, there's people 360 00:15:58,444 --> 00:16:02,444 in your neighborhoods, at your local Starbucks or coffee shop, who may never 361 00:16:02,444 --> 00:16:03,904 walk through the doors of our church. 362 00:16:04,814 --> 00:16:08,594 But they're walking through the doors of your everyday life, and every week, 363 00:16:08,654 --> 00:16:12,384 and your story can change their life, and could even change their perspective. 364 00:16:13,430 --> 00:16:18,105 You know, some of the final words Jesus were was sharing, uh, about 365 00:16:18,105 --> 00:16:21,075 inviting others is in Matthew, uh, 28. 366 00:16:21,075 --> 00:16:22,065 It's called the Great Commission. 367 00:16:22,065 --> 00:16:23,565 In verse, uh, 19 to 20. 368 00:16:23,565 --> 00:16:27,555 It says, the, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 369 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,335 in the name of the Father, son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to 370 00:16:31,335 --> 00:16:33,165 obey everything I have commanded you. 371 00:16:33,375 --> 00:16:38,264 And surely I'm with you always to the very end of the age now. 372 00:16:38,264 --> 00:16:39,704 This is the great commission. 373 00:16:40,159 --> 00:16:44,219 This wasn't just given to a few stragglers left around, this was given to the church. 374 00:16:44,659 --> 00:16:47,479 And if you're a part of the church, this is our commission. 375 00:16:47,479 --> 00:16:51,669 This is our co mission because we are co workers of Jesus. 376 00:16:51,899 --> 00:16:54,569 We're trying to help carry on what Jesus came to do. 377 00:16:54,949 --> 00:16:58,879 Helping people that are far from God be close and find God. 378 00:16:59,619 --> 00:17:03,689 And I love that as a follower of Christ, we are not called to follow alone. 379 00:17:04,608 --> 00:17:08,229 We read in the Bible that, uh, when we're part of, uh, of, uh, Christ, 380 00:17:08,249 --> 00:17:10,148 we're part of a family of Christ. 381 00:17:10,598 --> 00:17:13,449 So there's this family dynamic and caring for one another. 382 00:17:14,429 --> 00:17:16,919 But just as you're not called to follow Christ alone, you're also 383 00:17:16,919 --> 00:17:18,659 called not to fish alone either. 384 00:17:18,660 --> 00:17:20,959 You know, we're called to fish together. 385 00:17:21,459 --> 00:17:24,329 Called to encourage one another as we are fishing for people. 386 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,819 You know, the reason why I had such a good time on my fishing trip, even 387 00:17:26,819 --> 00:17:29,419 though I didn't catch any fish, is because of the people I was with. 388 00:17:29,829 --> 00:17:32,899 It's because the people, I, I, I grew up with them, you know. 389 00:17:32,929 --> 00:17:35,299 Yes, we didn't catch anything, but I know their life, they don't mind, I 390 00:17:35,299 --> 00:17:36,219 know their families, they don't mind. 391 00:17:36,269 --> 00:17:38,569 We know each other's struggles, we know each other's joy. 392 00:17:38,749 --> 00:17:42,039 We have this unity and family dynamic with each other. 393 00:17:42,109 --> 00:17:43,279 That's why it was so fun. 394 00:17:44,709 --> 00:17:48,389 And we want this place to be a place where you, we can have this close and 395 00:17:48,389 --> 00:17:52,039 family dynamic, where you can bring that somebody who has all these questions 396 00:17:52,049 --> 00:17:53,549 that you may not have the answers to. 397 00:17:54,629 --> 00:17:57,840 Even the disciples didn't have answers to all the questions. 398 00:17:58,020 --> 00:17:59,530 And I love it in John chapter 1. 399 00:17:59,530 --> 00:18:03,010 It says, Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one 400 00:18:03,010 --> 00:18:06,239 Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote. 401 00:18:06,530 --> 00:18:09,000 Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 402 00:18:09,369 --> 00:18:10,189 Nazareth? 403 00:18:10,499 --> 00:18:12,820 Can anything good come from there, Nathanael asked? 404 00:18:13,379 --> 00:18:14,830 Come and see, said Philip. 405 00:18:15,699 --> 00:18:16,770 And I love that response. 406 00:18:16,770 --> 00:18:20,370 You know, Philip didn't get into this debate with Nathanael, just about what 407 00:18:20,370 --> 00:18:22,129 the prophets were prophesying back then. 408 00:18:22,129 --> 00:18:25,804 I But Phillip said, I don't know, but come and see. 409 00:18:26,655 --> 00:18:29,975 And I believe that if we just get our friends and families, our neighbors, 410 00:18:30,375 --> 00:18:34,514 in the presence of Jesus, Jesus will change them just as, uh, Phillip 411 00:18:34,584 --> 00:18:36,105 knew it would happen to his friends. 412 00:18:36,604 --> 00:18:39,895 I want us to be like Phillip Church, uh, come and see people. 413 00:18:40,365 --> 00:18:43,745 I want us to be telling everybody like, Hey, you just come 414 00:18:43,745 --> 00:18:45,524 and see, come to our church. 415 00:18:45,764 --> 00:18:49,124 Hey, I, I may have been, you know, I just got baptized recently, but, you know, 416 00:18:49,124 --> 00:18:52,644 I don't really know much, but hey, just come, come and see, come and check it out. 417 00:18:53,374 --> 00:18:56,235 You know, I'm so proud of our, of our youth ministry, some of our teens, 418 00:18:56,235 --> 00:18:59,644 you know, we have great Friday events and everything, and that's great, but 419 00:19:00,064 --> 00:19:02,834 I know people, you know, some of our teens have been bringing out some of 420 00:19:02,834 --> 00:19:05,705 their friends so they get to know Jesus. 421 00:19:06,165 --> 00:19:08,754 They tell him, hey, just come and see. 422 00:19:09,870 --> 00:19:13,030 And when I think about it, the only reasons we all know about 423 00:19:13,030 --> 00:19:17,679 Jesus today is because someone in our life said, Hey, come and see. 424 00:19:18,989 --> 00:19:20,899 Somebody told you about Jesus. 425 00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:24,949 You know, I think about, you know, so many people on campus 426 00:19:24,949 --> 00:19:26,049 have been baptized recently. 427 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,090 So many people, you know, reach out and say, Hey, just come and see. 428 00:19:30,330 --> 00:19:32,480 You know, my good friend Aiden Miller, a few years ago, we 429 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:34,090 met him at Cal State Fullerton. 430 00:19:34,090 --> 00:19:36,830 Dallas just told him, Hey, come and see. 431 00:19:38,865 --> 00:19:42,774 When I think about it, you know, I wonder who is waiting on us, church. 432 00:19:42,774 --> 00:19:46,074 Who is waiting on us to send that invitation? 433 00:19:46,304 --> 00:19:50,175 Who is waiting on us to say, hey, just come and see. 434 00:19:51,205 --> 00:19:54,054 Jesus says, you will follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 435 00:19:55,145 --> 00:19:57,804 Now there's a lot of joy when it comes to catching a fish. 436 00:19:57,824 --> 00:19:58,985 I never caught a fish in my life. 437 00:19:59,405 --> 00:20:03,145 But when I see pictures of people catching fish, they're just holding like, 438 00:20:03,685 --> 00:20:05,324 yeah, like, you're all fired up, right? 439 00:20:05,385 --> 00:20:06,225 I caught a big one. 440 00:20:09,730 --> 00:20:11,610 Oh, please take me on a fishing trip, man. 441 00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:13,100 I want to catch a fish so bad. 442 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:15,810 Yes. 443 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:18,970 But I want you to know. 444 00:20:20,739 --> 00:20:21,119 Yes. 445 00:20:21,439 --> 00:20:25,770 I want you to know that there is this indescribable joy that comes when 446 00:20:25,770 --> 00:20:27,079 you know you have been used by God. 447 00:20:28,699 --> 00:20:32,019 When you've been used by God to help somebody go from darkness to light. 448 00:20:32,779 --> 00:20:35,120 It might have been a conversation you had with them. 449 00:20:35,430 --> 00:20:36,950 Maybe a simple invitation. 450 00:20:37,505 --> 00:20:40,725 Maybe a prayer that you prayed for them, but you were part of their 451 00:20:40,725 --> 00:20:44,265 faith journey, getting them from where they were to where they need to be. 452 00:20:45,255 --> 00:20:48,814 So I want to challenge us this week, church, I'm not saying to go on the 453 00:20:48,815 --> 00:20:52,455 street corner and just say, turn or burn, like that's not going to do anything. 454 00:20:53,420 --> 00:20:57,030 But I do have some action steps I think we, we can have as we 455 00:20:57,190 --> 00:21:02,880 work on inviting others in to our lives, in to the kingdom of God. 456 00:21:03,090 --> 00:21:03,920 Here are some action steps. 457 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,820 First one is pray that, for God to help see the people in our lives. 458 00:21:09,210 --> 00:21:12,850 That can be co workers, neighbor, family, friends, and help open 459 00:21:12,850 --> 00:21:14,260 our eyes to their need for you. 460 00:21:15,700 --> 00:21:19,210 And know that you placed me in their life, God, to, you know, to 461 00:21:19,220 --> 00:21:20,890 help, help them find you, Lord. 462 00:21:21,860 --> 00:21:22,640 And the next one. 463 00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:26,140 It's pray for the spirit of boldness over the church. 464 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,390 You know, it's one thing to recognize that, alright, there's certain people 465 00:21:29,390 --> 00:21:33,530 in our lives that, okay, yeah, I can, you know, they can use Jesus. 466 00:21:33,910 --> 00:21:36,260 But it's another to actually just do it. 467 00:21:36,780 --> 00:21:39,990 You know, it starts with a simple conversation. 468 00:21:40,470 --> 00:21:43,620 Maybe it's to that co worker that you know that may be a 469 00:21:43,620 --> 00:21:45,270 single mother or a single parent. 470 00:21:45,270 --> 00:21:47,800 You just say, hey, is there anything I can pray for you? 471 00:21:48,500 --> 00:21:50,610 Maybe it's, you know, I know it's finals week. 472 00:21:50,630 --> 00:21:53,960 Maybe going up to some of the people on campus, campus, just being like, hey, 473 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:55,270 is there anything you need prayer for? 474 00:21:56,370 --> 00:21:58,780 You know, at first they might look at you weird. 475 00:21:59,010 --> 00:22:00,410 They may say, uh, no. 476 00:22:00,810 --> 00:22:01,630 And that's okay. 477 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,570 But, they might go, you know what? 478 00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:05,570 There is something. 479 00:22:06,330 --> 00:22:09,920 And that one question can open a door that would change the rest of their life. 480 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:11,690 So let's be bold this week. 481 00:22:11,930 --> 00:22:13,170 Let's ask those questions. 482 00:22:13,170 --> 00:22:15,470 Let's reach out to some of the people in our lives. 483 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:18,090 And at this time, we're gonna take communion. 484 00:22:18,420 --> 00:22:20,850 And communion at this time is remember Jesus. 485 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:24,560 And Jesus, as I said earlier, was the great inviter. 486 00:22:25,650 --> 00:22:27,579 In Romans chapter 5, verses 8 through 10. 487 00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:30,260 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this. 488 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,150 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 489 00:22:33,300 --> 00:22:36,490 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be 490 00:22:36,490 --> 00:22:38,070 saved from God's wrath through him? 491 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,660 For, uh, for while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him. 492 00:22:42,660 --> 00:22:42,719 Amen. 493 00:22:42,980 --> 00:22:46,610 Through the death of his son, how much more have you been reconciled? 494 00:22:46,730 --> 00:22:49,140 Shall we be saved through his life? 495 00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:51,120 God's love is so great for us. 496 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:57,470 His, he sent his son Jesus, stepping out of the throne of heaven to help save us 497 00:22:57,940 --> 00:22:59,200 while we were in a state of sinfulness. 498 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:05,440 You know, this, this ultimate sacrifice on the cross just shows how Jesus 499 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:10,520 was the great inviter as he invited us to have a relationship with God. 500 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:11,630 So let's pray. 501 00:23:13,710 --> 00:23:16,800 Father, we just come to you in reverence, in reverence, Lord. 502 00:23:17,270 --> 00:23:21,200 We're so honored just to be called your sons and daughters. 503 00:23:21,490 --> 00:23:26,700 Thank you for just how you accept us for who you are, for who we are, God, 504 00:23:26,700 --> 00:23:31,260 and how you just call on us, God, just as ordinary people, God, to really 505 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:33,700 just carry out your mission, Father. 506 00:23:33,890 --> 00:23:37,720 God, I just pray, God, that we just remember that we were called 507 00:23:37,740 --> 00:23:40,380 to follow and we were called to fish, but we weren't called. 508 00:23:40,765 --> 00:23:42,205 For that soul of life, God. 509 00:23:42,435 --> 00:23:44,875 That we have you with us, and that we have our brothers and 510 00:23:44,875 --> 00:23:46,385 sisters here to surround us. 511 00:23:46,385 --> 00:23:49,605 To, to carry our burdens, to be there for one another, God. 512 00:23:49,645 --> 00:23:52,115 God, I just pray, you know, for our church, God. 513 00:23:52,115 --> 00:23:56,035 That, that we can invite other people just like how people 514 00:23:56,035 --> 00:23:58,705 invited us into your kingdom, God. 515 00:23:59,395 --> 00:24:01,275 God, I just pray as we take communion, God. 516 00:24:01,275 --> 00:24:04,265 As we take the, the bread that represents your body and the juice 517 00:24:04,265 --> 00:24:05,395 that represents your blood, God. 518 00:24:05,395 --> 00:24:09,865 Just help us remember, God, how you were the great inviter as you sacrificed. 519 00:24:10,265 --> 00:24:13,775 Your son, Jesus, on the cross so we can have a relationship with you, God. 520 00:24:14,605 --> 00:24:18,235 God, I pray that we continue to rely on you, God. 521 00:24:18,285 --> 00:24:20,155 That we continue to tend to our souls, God. 522 00:24:20,485 --> 00:24:21,245 We love you so much. 523 00:24:21,275 --> 00:24:22,475 In Jesus name, Amen.