1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:01,860 Well, good morning, Two Rivers. 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,639 Good morning. Oh, I love this time of 3 00:00:04,639 --> 00:00:06,399 year. The leaves are turning. Let me be 4 00:00:06,399 --> 00:00:08,179 one of the first to say happy Thanksgiving. 5 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,039 We're rolling into a holiday. It's a holiday 6 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:12,799 squeeze between two others, but this is a 7 00:00:12,799 --> 00:00:14,639 significant holiday, and I just wanna say to 8 00:00:14,639 --> 00:00:16,774 you, I'm incredibly thankful and grateful for every 9 00:00:16,774 --> 00:00:18,774 one of you. I was reminded this week 10 00:00:18,774 --> 00:00:20,614 from a a letter that Paul wrote to 11 00:00:20,614 --> 00:00:22,954 the followers in Thessalonica, and he said this, 12 00:00:23,095 --> 00:00:24,695 We ought always to give thanks to God 13 00:00:24,695 --> 00:00:26,714 for you, brothers and sisters, 14 00:00:27,199 --> 00:00:29,199 as is right because your faith is growing 15 00:00:29,199 --> 00:00:30,960 abundantly, and the love of every one of 16 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:32,020 you for one another 17 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:33,219 is increasing. 18 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,159 Man, that's that's our heart. I am so 19 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:36,659 incredibly, 20 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,719 grateful to be a part of Tu Rivers 21 00:00:38,719 --> 00:00:40,740 Church and the family that God's called together, 22 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,740 and grateful for every one of you, both 23 00:00:42,875 --> 00:00:44,475 all all here in live. Give it up 24 00:00:44,475 --> 00:00:45,134 for live. 25 00:00:46,714 --> 00:00:48,714 I know we we mentioned other venues. They 26 00:00:48,714 --> 00:00:50,975 applaud. We can applaud live down in Blend, 27 00:00:51,674 --> 00:00:52,574 down in Amped, 28 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:54,554 all the way down in Roane County and 29 00:00:54,554 --> 00:00:55,454 out in Bearden. 30 00:00:55,899 --> 00:00:58,380 A one church operating and functioning together. What 31 00:00:58,380 --> 00:00:59,740 a great opportunity it is for us to 32 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:00,960 be together this weekend. 33 00:01:01,340 --> 00:01:02,940 And, I add my welcome to what you've 34 00:01:02,940 --> 00:01:03,440 received. 35 00:01:03,899 --> 00:01:05,340 And, let me just tell you, I'm not 36 00:01:05,340 --> 00:01:06,859 a fix it kind of guy. I, 37 00:01:07,340 --> 00:01:09,659 I have, a lot of insecurity around making 38 00:01:09,659 --> 00:01:12,935 things better, fixing things, repairing things. And, a 39 00:01:12,935 --> 00:01:14,375 couple years ago, I got a new truck, 40 00:01:14,375 --> 00:01:15,814 and my brother called me and goes, what? 41 00:01:15,814 --> 00:01:16,875 You need a new tires? 42 00:01:17,494 --> 00:01:19,114 So you got a new truck. What? 43 00:01:19,974 --> 00:01:21,414 And this past week, I've had a pair 44 00:01:21,414 --> 00:01:22,854 of shoes I've loved for a while. They're 45 00:01:22,854 --> 00:01:24,375 probably seven or eight years old, and, 46 00:01:25,210 --> 00:01:27,049 they're they're starting to hurt because the soul's 47 00:01:27,049 --> 00:01:28,890 given out in them. You know? And a 48 00:01:28,890 --> 00:01:30,170 buddy of mine said, well, you should go 49 00:01:30,170 --> 00:01:33,210 to a a cobbler. I'm like, they exist? 50 00:01:33,210 --> 00:01:35,130 That's not just in Williamsburg or something like 51 00:01:35,210 --> 00:01:36,490 what do you mean a cobbler? He goes, 52 00:01:36,490 --> 00:01:38,724 there's people who actually restore shoes, and so 53 00:01:38,724 --> 00:01:40,484 I found myself down in Bearden off of 54 00:01:40,484 --> 00:01:42,885 Kingston Pike at a cobbler. There there's a 55 00:01:42,885 --> 00:01:44,805 cobbler. Who knew? I thought cobbler was like, 56 00:01:44,805 --> 00:01:46,965 you know, a dessert with maybe ice cream 57 00:01:46,965 --> 00:01:48,564 or or whatever, but I'm standing there and 58 00:01:48,564 --> 00:01:50,004 the guy said, man, I can give you 59 00:01:50,004 --> 00:01:50,825 a new sole. 60 00:01:52,989 --> 00:01:54,290 Some of you are going, finally, 61 00:01:55,069 --> 00:01:57,230 our prayers have been answered. The brother's getting 62 00:01:57,230 --> 00:01:58,130 a new soul. 63 00:01:58,510 --> 00:01:59,730 Actually, I'm getting two. 64 00:02:00,829 --> 00:02:02,750 And that's what that's what Jesus is getting 65 00:02:02,750 --> 00:02:03,730 after this weekend, 66 00:02:04,244 --> 00:02:07,204 about restoration, about going after those who are 67 00:02:07,204 --> 00:02:10,645 broken, those who have have have lost their 68 00:02:10,645 --> 00:02:13,364 way. Last week, we were in chapter 18 69 00:02:13,364 --> 00:02:15,205 of Matthew, and we're still in chapter 18 70 00:02:15,205 --> 00:02:16,689 of Matthew. So if you've got a a 71 00:02:16,689 --> 00:02:18,530 bible or smartphone, you can turn there. Or 72 00:02:18,530 --> 00:02:20,209 if you've got your handy dandy journal like 73 00:02:20,209 --> 00:02:22,150 I have, you can turn to your journal 74 00:02:22,289 --> 00:02:24,689 in Matthew chapter 18. And and last week, 75 00:02:24,689 --> 00:02:26,930 what we unpacked is Jesus said, hey. It's 76 00:02:26,930 --> 00:02:27,750 it's significant 77 00:02:28,050 --> 00:02:29,810 as a shepherd that we would leave the 78 00:02:29,810 --> 00:02:31,525 99 and go after the one. That That 79 00:02:31,525 --> 00:02:32,885 we would go after the lost. We would 80 00:02:32,885 --> 00:02:35,044 go after the one who's who strayed, who 81 00:02:35,044 --> 00:02:37,844 has walked away. That's significant. And as we 82 00:02:37,844 --> 00:02:40,325 look at real life with Jesus, his kingdom, 83 00:02:40,325 --> 00:02:41,305 and you and I, 84 00:02:41,685 --> 00:02:43,605 that's real life. It's it's going after the 85 00:02:43,605 --> 00:02:45,689 one. It's going after the one who's who's 86 00:02:45,770 --> 00:02:47,949 straight and has not has lost their way. 87 00:02:48,090 --> 00:02:50,169 And this week, what he does is actually 88 00:02:50,169 --> 00:02:52,810 gives us the practical application. This is what 89 00:02:52,810 --> 00:02:55,229 it looks like. And the theme that emerges 90 00:02:55,689 --> 00:02:57,310 throughout this text is this, 91 00:02:57,610 --> 00:02:59,689 real life with Jesus calls us to the 92 00:02:59,689 --> 00:03:02,344 hard work of active restoration in community. 93 00:03:02,884 --> 00:03:05,064 Real Life with Jesus calls you and I 94 00:03:05,284 --> 00:03:07,384 to the hard work of active restoration 95 00:03:08,084 --> 00:03:09,465 in the life of the community. 96 00:03:10,084 --> 00:03:13,044 Jesus continues on in in verse 15 of 97 00:03:13,044 --> 00:03:15,044 chapter 18. He says, if your brother sins 98 00:03:15,044 --> 00:03:17,480 against you, go and tell him his fault 99 00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:19,159 between you and him alone. 100 00:03:19,620 --> 00:03:21,460 And if he listens to you, you've gained 101 00:03:21,460 --> 00:03:22,199 your brother. 102 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:23,939 But if he if he does not listen 103 00:03:23,939 --> 00:03:25,540 to you, take one or two others along 104 00:03:25,540 --> 00:03:27,860 with you, that every charge may be established 105 00:03:27,860 --> 00:03:29,719 by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 106 00:03:30,074 --> 00:03:32,555 If he refuses to listen to them, then 107 00:03:32,555 --> 00:03:34,094 go ahead and tell it to the church. 108 00:03:35,435 --> 00:03:36,495 And if he refuses 109 00:03:37,114 --> 00:03:38,875 to listen even to the church, let him 110 00:03:38,875 --> 00:03:40,634 be to you as a gentile or a 111 00:03:40,634 --> 00:03:41,375 tax collector. 112 00:03:42,379 --> 00:03:43,979 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind 113 00:03:43,979 --> 00:03:45,580 on earth shall be bound in heaven, and 114 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:47,180 whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed 115 00:03:47,180 --> 00:03:49,099 in heaven. Again, I say to you, if 116 00:03:49,099 --> 00:03:51,340 two of you agree on earth about anything 117 00:03:51,340 --> 00:03:52,860 you ask, it'll be done for them by 118 00:03:52,860 --> 00:03:54,860 my father in heaven. For where two or 119 00:03:54,860 --> 00:03:57,194 three are gathered in my name, there I 120 00:03:57,194 --> 00:03:59,995 am among them. Jesus gives some real practical 121 00:03:59,995 --> 00:04:01,594 application, what it looks like to go after 122 00:04:01,594 --> 00:04:03,134 the one who's been lost astray. 123 00:04:03,914 --> 00:04:05,914 In verse 15 through 17, we see this, 124 00:04:05,914 --> 00:04:07,694 pursuing people with love and humility 125 00:04:07,995 --> 00:04:09,614 is the beginning of active restoration. 126 00:04:09,995 --> 00:04:12,960 Pursuing people with love and humility is the 127 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,319 beginning of what it looks like for us 128 00:04:14,319 --> 00:04:16,560 to be actively involved in the restoration of 129 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:17,379 someone else. 130 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,639 Going after the one who's strayed, who's lost 131 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:23,199 their way. Folks, that's what family does. If 132 00:04:23,199 --> 00:04:24,879 someone in your family went lost, wouldn't you 133 00:04:24,879 --> 00:04:26,705 go after that? When you go after them, 134 00:04:26,705 --> 00:04:28,625 you you do everything. You'd call search parties 135 00:04:28,625 --> 00:04:31,264 to go after them. That that's that's the 136 00:04:31,264 --> 00:04:32,165 message here. 137 00:04:32,705 --> 00:04:34,564 I was in Target a few weeks ago, 138 00:04:34,944 --> 00:04:37,185 and it's always interesting to eavesdrop on other 139 00:04:37,185 --> 00:04:39,360 people's life in conversations, and 140 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,599 this mom was there with two kids, and 141 00:04:41,599 --> 00:04:43,439 one had wandered away, and she laid into 142 00:04:43,439 --> 00:04:45,519 her her son saying, hey, where's where's your 143 00:04:45,519 --> 00:04:47,919 sister? You were supposed to watch her. Not 144 00:04:47,919 --> 00:04:49,839 the best parenting moment, because she was losing 145 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,839 it. And and a minute or two later, 146 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,574 the little girl was found. But but what 147 00:04:53,574 --> 00:04:55,175 I thought about that when I walked away 148 00:04:55,175 --> 00:04:57,175 was, that's what Jesus is saying in this 149 00:04:57,175 --> 00:04:57,675 text. 150 00:04:58,055 --> 00:04:59,574 We're we're supposed to watch out for one 151 00:04:59,574 --> 00:05:01,735 another. We're supposed to watch out for our 152 00:05:01,735 --> 00:05:03,735 little brother or sister, or even sometimes our 153 00:05:03,735 --> 00:05:06,055 older brother or sister. He's saying, and this 154 00:05:06,055 --> 00:05:08,110 is what it looks like. And he gives 155 00:05:08,110 --> 00:05:08,610 us 156 00:05:10,189 --> 00:05:12,189 a a a a passageway, a a stages 157 00:05:12,189 --> 00:05:13,470 actually, of what it looks like to go 158 00:05:13,470 --> 00:05:14,769 after someone who's been, 159 00:05:15,230 --> 00:05:17,170 walking away, who's going off the reservation. 160 00:05:18,029 --> 00:05:19,009 And at the 161 00:05:19,389 --> 00:05:21,149 the core of of all four of these 162 00:05:21,149 --> 00:05:23,329 stages he lays out for us and overall 163 00:05:23,685 --> 00:05:25,365 is the theme in the heart of, of 164 00:05:25,365 --> 00:05:27,285 God himself that we'd be restored, that we 165 00:05:27,285 --> 00:05:29,205 would restore other people to their relationship with 166 00:05:29,205 --> 00:05:30,985 Jesus and to the family. 167 00:05:31,365 --> 00:05:33,444 Restoration is at the heart of this. Jesus 168 00:05:33,444 --> 00:05:34,665 says in verse 15, 169 00:05:35,620 --> 00:05:37,220 If your brother sins against you, go and 170 00:05:37,220 --> 00:05:38,819 tell him his fault between you and him 171 00:05:38,819 --> 00:05:41,060 alone. And if he listens to you, you've 172 00:05:41,060 --> 00:05:43,459 gained your brother. The NIV says you've won 173 00:05:43,459 --> 00:05:44,199 him over. 174 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:46,259 If you go and deal with your brother 175 00:05:46,259 --> 00:05:48,039 who sinned, then you've won him over. 176 00:05:48,964 --> 00:05:50,884 And I love this. Go go first one 177 00:05:50,884 --> 00:05:52,185 on one and have a conversation. 178 00:05:52,644 --> 00:05:53,144 Don't 179 00:05:53,605 --> 00:05:54,884 gather support and garner, 180 00:05:55,764 --> 00:05:57,524 gossip around other people, and, hey. Did you 181 00:05:57,524 --> 00:05:58,805 hear what she did or what he's up 182 00:05:58,805 --> 00:06:00,884 to or whatever? And and and allow this 183 00:06:00,884 --> 00:06:02,485 to be something bigger than it needs to 184 00:06:02,485 --> 00:06:04,860 be in the community and and the places 185 00:06:04,860 --> 00:06:06,379 where we like to talk about other people. 186 00:06:06,379 --> 00:06:07,980 Don't don't do that. He says, go go 187 00:06:07,980 --> 00:06:09,120 deal with them privately. 188 00:06:09,899 --> 00:06:12,000 Before you talk to others, before you actually 189 00:06:12,620 --> 00:06:13,839 get get a momentum 190 00:06:14,699 --> 00:06:16,860 about agreement about what this person is doing, 191 00:06:16,860 --> 00:06:18,160 go go and have a conversation. 192 00:06:18,464 --> 00:06:20,485 Have it privately between you and them. 193 00:06:20,865 --> 00:06:22,004 Because this is loving. 194 00:06:22,785 --> 00:06:24,464 It's it's loving to go and and deal 195 00:06:24,464 --> 00:06:26,625 with someone privately. It gives them the opportunity 196 00:06:26,625 --> 00:06:27,285 to respond 197 00:06:28,064 --> 00:06:29,745 if if what you're saying is accurate and 198 00:06:29,745 --> 00:06:31,345 true. It gives them the opportunity to respond 199 00:06:31,345 --> 00:06:33,745 without the embarrassment and humiliation. It's hard enough 200 00:06:33,745 --> 00:06:36,439 to become confronted, and and yet if if 201 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:37,800 you gang up on a person, it feels 202 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,399 like it's almost impossible for the person to 203 00:06:39,399 --> 00:06:39,899 respond. 204 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:42,199 And I was thinking about this this past 205 00:06:42,199 --> 00:06:44,040 week, and isn't that what Jesus says in 206 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:45,720 my life and in your life? Doesn't he 207 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:46,860 go after us privately? 208 00:06:47,764 --> 00:06:49,524 For a while, he goes after us privately. 209 00:06:49,524 --> 00:06:52,165 Like, this past week, I I I'm confessing. 210 00:06:52,165 --> 00:06:53,764 I have an attitude about somebody right now, 211 00:06:53,764 --> 00:06:54,985 and I'm working through it. 212 00:06:55,285 --> 00:06:56,644 And I thought I was working through it, 213 00:06:56,644 --> 00:06:58,245 and I felt like Jesus came to me 214 00:06:58,245 --> 00:07:00,564 privately and said, you're not doing a good 215 00:07:00,564 --> 00:07:02,004 job with this. Is this really what where 216 00:07:02,004 --> 00:07:03,225 you wanna be in this? 217 00:07:04,050 --> 00:07:05,490 It wasn't like two or three people or 218 00:07:05,490 --> 00:07:07,250 a whole bunch bunch of people ganged up 219 00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:08,930 on me, but I feel like privately between 220 00:07:08,930 --> 00:07:11,730 Jesus and I, he's right. I I felt 221 00:07:11,730 --> 00:07:13,569 the sting of it, and I'm working at 222 00:07:13,569 --> 00:07:14,930 it, but it it's allowing me to make 223 00:07:14,930 --> 00:07:16,230 adjustments and turn 224 00:07:17,394 --> 00:07:19,714 and be in right relationship with him and 225 00:07:19,714 --> 00:07:22,055 with the person I'm having an attitude with. 226 00:07:22,995 --> 00:07:24,595 That that's what he's getting after here. He 227 00:07:24,595 --> 00:07:26,595 says, let let's do it private. Let's care 228 00:07:26,595 --> 00:07:27,415 for the person. 229 00:07:28,514 --> 00:07:30,399 That's what he does for us. Let's be 230 00:07:30,399 --> 00:07:33,040 imitators of Jesus. Let let's let's pursue other 231 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,639 people and the brokenness that's apparent in someone's 232 00:07:36,639 --> 00:07:37,459 life privately. 233 00:07:38,639 --> 00:07:40,819 And you think, well, okay. That's great advice. 234 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,279 Good principles from the Bible. Jesus is telling 235 00:07:43,279 --> 00:07:45,439 us how to actually restore relationships. And you 236 00:07:45,439 --> 00:07:45,975 think, well, 237 00:07:47,175 --> 00:07:49,574 if if the person responds, that's wonderful. If 238 00:07:49,574 --> 00:07:51,415 not, I don't think the the passage here 239 00:07:51,415 --> 00:07:53,115 says, well, you tried. 240 00:07:53,735 --> 00:07:55,495 You did all you knew to do. You 241 00:07:55,495 --> 00:07:57,735 you went after, and, hey, that's on them. 242 00:07:57,735 --> 00:07:59,574 No. Jesus actually gives us a few more 243 00:07:59,574 --> 00:08:00,795 stages and a few more 244 00:08:01,169 --> 00:08:02,769 ways in which he calls us to step 245 00:08:02,769 --> 00:08:03,269 in. 246 00:08:03,729 --> 00:08:05,410 If they've not heard and turned away from 247 00:08:05,410 --> 00:08:06,789 their sin, if they've not 248 00:08:07,089 --> 00:08:09,430 listened to you or or heard your concern, 249 00:08:10,370 --> 00:08:12,289 then he says, I want you to actually 250 00:08:12,289 --> 00:08:13,509 now move to 251 00:08:13,904 --> 00:08:15,585 a bigger part of the community. Move to 252 00:08:15,585 --> 00:08:17,024 two or three other people who actually know 253 00:08:17,024 --> 00:08:19,345 this person and love them also. Go go 254 00:08:19,345 --> 00:08:20,324 and have a conversation 255 00:08:20,785 --> 00:08:22,485 with other people with this person. 256 00:08:22,944 --> 00:08:24,785 And what Jesus is pulling from is the 257 00:08:24,785 --> 00:08:26,085 law. Back in Deuteronomy, 258 00:08:26,519 --> 00:08:28,680 it says a single witness shall not suffice 259 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,599 against a person for any crime, for or 260 00:08:30,599 --> 00:08:32,519 for any wrong in connection with any offense 261 00:08:32,519 --> 00:08:33,259 that he's committed. 262 00:08:33,959 --> 00:08:35,799 Only on the evidence of two witnesses or 263 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:38,039 of three witness witnesses shall a charge be 264 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:40,039 established. And Jesus is saying, no. I'm not 265 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:41,740 asking you to gang up on this person, 266 00:08:42,375 --> 00:08:44,215 but but this is protection for the person 267 00:08:44,215 --> 00:08:46,294 you're confronting. If this is that significant of 268 00:08:46,294 --> 00:08:48,455 an issue, it's not just your soapbox. Two 269 00:08:48,455 --> 00:08:50,215 or three others of you who actually agree 270 00:08:50,215 --> 00:08:52,215 and know this person as well are stepping 271 00:08:52,215 --> 00:08:54,215 into this relationship or stepping into the mess 272 00:08:54,215 --> 00:08:57,014 of this relationship. Why? So so this person 273 00:08:57,014 --> 00:08:59,389 could be brought back and restored into relationship 274 00:08:59,450 --> 00:09:01,529 with Christ. He says, go and have a 275 00:09:01,529 --> 00:09:02,029 conversation 276 00:09:02,889 --> 00:09:03,629 with others. 277 00:09:04,090 --> 00:09:05,309 Sit down with the person. 278 00:09:05,929 --> 00:09:07,370 Having two or three, it actually is a 279 00:09:07,370 --> 00:09:09,870 protector for them as well as for you. 280 00:09:10,394 --> 00:09:12,394 And if the intervention provides the way of 281 00:09:12,394 --> 00:09:15,215 return, then you've you've won your brother over. 282 00:09:15,754 --> 00:09:17,995 You you've you've won them back, back to 283 00:09:17,995 --> 00:09:20,955 relationship with Jesus and back to relationship in 284 00:09:20,955 --> 00:09:21,535 the family. 285 00:09:22,154 --> 00:09:23,835 And if not, he says, if he refuses 286 00:09:23,835 --> 00:09:25,600 to listen to them, tell it to the 287 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,860 church. Matthew 18 verse 17. 288 00:09:28,399 --> 00:09:30,480 Still and remaining at its co at its 289 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,259 core, and the goal here is restoration. 290 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:33,920 Not tell it to the church. Hey, go 291 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:34,820 tell on them. 292 00:09:35,279 --> 00:09:36,800 Like, it happens a lot of our families. 293 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,179 Hey. Look what they're doing. 294 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,754 Not not that. Go tell it to the 295 00:09:40,754 --> 00:09:42,434 church, tell it to other people so that 296 00:09:42,434 --> 00:09:44,914 there'd be accountability through relationship that wouldn't just 297 00:09:44,914 --> 00:09:46,835 be one or two people pursuing them, but 298 00:09:46,835 --> 00:09:48,754 now it's a greater sense of a family 299 00:09:48,754 --> 00:09:50,995 issue and a reality. Let the community know 300 00:09:50,995 --> 00:09:51,575 the issue. 301 00:09:52,190 --> 00:09:53,789 And we think about church. We we wanna 302 00:09:53,789 --> 00:09:56,829 put our understanding of church today, 2025, 303 00:09:56,829 --> 00:09:58,750 on the scripture here. The the church really 304 00:09:58,750 --> 00:10:01,309 wasn't fully established yet. Jesus is speaking about 305 00:10:01,309 --> 00:10:03,309 the church, and what he's referring to is 306 00:10:03,309 --> 00:10:03,970 the assembly. 307 00:10:04,509 --> 00:10:06,990 Those those people that are walking closely together 308 00:10:06,990 --> 00:10:07,730 in relationship, 309 00:10:08,165 --> 00:10:09,925 seeking to follow Jesus and follow heart after 310 00:10:09,925 --> 00:10:11,764 Jesus. They're meeting in synagogues and homes and 311 00:10:11,764 --> 00:10:13,205 all over the place. He says, go and 312 00:10:13,205 --> 00:10:15,304 tell it to this community, to this family, 313 00:10:15,445 --> 00:10:17,465 so the family and their webs of influence 314 00:10:17,605 --> 00:10:19,925 could also, alongside of you, step in and 315 00:10:19,925 --> 00:10:22,004 have input and impact in this person's life 316 00:10:22,004 --> 00:10:23,705 to call them back, to draw them home. 317 00:10:24,220 --> 00:10:26,299 Let the community know the issue. And if 318 00:10:26,299 --> 00:10:28,240 he refuses to listen to the family, 319 00:10:29,019 --> 00:10:31,100 he says treat him as a tax collector 320 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:33,340 or a gentile. Treat him as someone who 321 00:10:33,340 --> 00:10:36,000 who isn't living under and surrendered to the 322 00:10:36,299 --> 00:10:37,679 the values of Christ, 323 00:10:38,334 --> 00:10:39,475 the gospel itself. 324 00:10:40,014 --> 00:10:42,914 Treat them as as one who who's outside 325 00:10:42,975 --> 00:10:43,634 the faith. 326 00:10:44,254 --> 00:10:45,855 Treat them as if they don't know Jesus 327 00:10:45,855 --> 00:10:48,014 because that's what they're demonstrating. And it doesn't 328 00:10:48,014 --> 00:10:49,615 say, hey. Treat them like they don't know 329 00:10:49,615 --> 00:10:51,075 Jesus. It's us and them. 330 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,600 Because what's Jesus' thrust all throughout the the 331 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,100 scriptures of poke folks who don't know him? 332 00:10:58,319 --> 00:11:00,179 It it's not, hey. Write them off. 333 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,579 I'm done with you. Excommunication. 334 00:11:03,199 --> 00:11:05,279 No more to be said or done. But 335 00:11:05,279 --> 00:11:06,799 treat them like a person who doesn't know 336 00:11:06,799 --> 00:11:07,299 Christ. 337 00:11:08,134 --> 00:11:09,415 How do we pursue people who don't know 338 00:11:09,415 --> 00:11:11,654 Christ? They now become the mission field. Treat 339 00:11:11,654 --> 00:11:13,815 treat them as someone who who strayed so 340 00:11:13,815 --> 00:11:16,294 far. Now now you you you can't actually 341 00:11:16,294 --> 00:11:18,375 share the intimate realities of family life with 342 00:11:18,375 --> 00:11:20,455 them because they've stepped away and outside the 343 00:11:20,455 --> 00:11:22,554 family. Treat them like someone you're pursuing, 344 00:11:22,910 --> 00:11:24,029 That we'd be a people who would go 345 00:11:24,029 --> 00:11:26,509 after them. And folks, this is this is 346 00:11:26,509 --> 00:11:27,009 delicate, 347 00:11:27,629 --> 00:11:30,529 difficult, and crazy difficult and hard, isn't it, 348 00:11:30,910 --> 00:11:32,670 to actually pursue folks? I know I'm looking 349 00:11:32,670 --> 00:11:34,110 around the room here, and I can't see 350 00:11:34,110 --> 00:11:35,389 through the screen, but I imagine in the 351 00:11:35,389 --> 00:11:36,990 other rooms, they're gathered here today, plus at 352 00:11:36,990 --> 00:11:38,745 home. There are folks we're thinking about right 353 00:11:38,745 --> 00:11:41,144 now going, yeah. I don't know what that's 354 00:11:41,144 --> 00:11:42,845 supposed to look like right now. 355 00:11:43,785 --> 00:11:45,004 And we'll get to that. 356 00:11:45,384 --> 00:11:47,225 To step into the the mess of another 357 00:11:47,225 --> 00:11:48,125 person's life, 358 00:11:48,665 --> 00:11:49,884 man, this is wild. 359 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,600 It's a difficult place to be. To keep 360 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,759 them from tanking and destroying their world as 361 00:11:54,759 --> 00:11:55,259 personal 362 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,740 and as invasive as this is, 363 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,600 folks, hear this. These are Jesus's words, not 364 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,220 Mark's. This is loving. 365 00:12:02,855 --> 00:12:04,855 In fact, probably one of the most loving 366 00:12:04,855 --> 00:12:06,235 things you could do for a person. 367 00:12:07,654 --> 00:12:09,035 Says about God that 368 00:12:09,575 --> 00:12:11,675 the father disciplines the one he loves. 369 00:12:12,535 --> 00:12:15,575 Discipline isn't isn't, hey. You're wrong. You need 370 00:12:15,575 --> 00:12:16,394 to be punished. 371 00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:18,629 Discipline is, how how do I bring you 372 00:12:18,629 --> 00:12:20,710 back to a place of alignment? How do 373 00:12:20,710 --> 00:12:22,389 I how do I move you back? How 374 00:12:22,389 --> 00:12:24,230 do I encourage you back to a place 375 00:12:24,230 --> 00:12:25,929 where you're falling hard after Jesus? 376 00:12:27,110 --> 00:12:29,350 And as we talked about last week, at 377 00:12:29,350 --> 00:12:30,649 the core of this is humility. 378 00:12:31,115 --> 00:12:32,634 There's there's got to be a place in 379 00:12:32,634 --> 00:12:34,714 our life, my life, as we step into 380 00:12:34,714 --> 00:12:36,954 someone else's world and exist in someone who's 381 00:12:36,954 --> 00:12:39,434 who's straying, that that there's a reality that 382 00:12:39,434 --> 00:12:40,014 that that 383 00:12:42,475 --> 00:12:44,794 is that comes from our spirit, our our 384 00:12:44,794 --> 00:12:46,815 our core as we pursue people. 385 00:12:47,220 --> 00:12:49,240 Humility must be at the core of confrontation. 386 00:12:49,699 --> 00:12:51,059 And I believe when we when we get 387 00:12:51,059 --> 00:12:53,000 into these spaces, we've got a few choices. 388 00:12:53,059 --> 00:12:54,899 And here's the here's the choices I see 389 00:12:54,899 --> 00:12:57,139 us making all the time. Choice number one, 390 00:12:57,139 --> 00:12:59,804 when you find out someone's someone's walked away 391 00:12:59,804 --> 00:13:01,725 or straying or involved in some kind of 392 00:13:01,725 --> 00:13:03,085 a pattern in their life that you know 393 00:13:03,085 --> 00:13:05,004 is not moving them toward Christ, and you're 394 00:13:05,004 --> 00:13:07,165 in a relationship with them, choice number one 395 00:13:07,165 --> 00:13:07,825 is this, 396 00:13:08,445 --> 00:13:08,945 shame. 397 00:13:10,365 --> 00:13:10,865 Shame. 398 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,279 How dare you? How could you do this? 399 00:13:14,279 --> 00:13:15,980 What were you thinking? 400 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:18,120 So we step in and we wanna bring 401 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:19,799 shame. We want the person to feel guilt 402 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:22,620 like, Hey, you're not following Jesus. Here's why. 403 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:24,600 Here's the reasons why I see you not 404 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:25,580 following Christ. 405 00:13:25,924 --> 00:13:27,284 And some of us have been recipients of 406 00:13:27,284 --> 00:13:29,524 that. Amen? Let's raise hands. Anybody treats you 407 00:13:29,524 --> 00:13:32,024 that way? Oh, really? Four of us? 408 00:13:32,964 --> 00:13:34,084 I know some of you have been around 409 00:13:34,084 --> 00:13:35,625 church a little longer than that. 410 00:13:36,004 --> 00:13:38,964 The reality is is we're we're uncomfortable with 411 00:13:38,964 --> 00:13:39,704 other people's 412 00:13:40,409 --> 00:13:42,750 infractions. We're uncomfortable with other people's 413 00:13:43,610 --> 00:13:44,110 waywardness. 414 00:13:45,450 --> 00:13:47,370 And rather than go after the heart of 415 00:13:47,370 --> 00:13:48,589 the person, what oftentimes 416 00:13:49,129 --> 00:13:52,009 erupts in us, erupts in me, is something 417 00:13:52,009 --> 00:13:53,769 that makes me so uncomfortable makes me want 418 00:13:53,769 --> 00:13:55,129 to point it out in you because I'm 419 00:13:55,129 --> 00:13:55,629 uncomfortable. 420 00:13:55,985 --> 00:13:57,425 Do you see the lack of humility in 421 00:13:57,425 --> 00:13:59,745 that? It's not about the person who's straying, 422 00:13:59,745 --> 00:14:01,365 it's about me because I'm uncomfortable. 423 00:14:01,745 --> 00:14:03,904 So let let me actually speak guilt and 424 00:14:03,904 --> 00:14:05,925 shame into your world and into your life. 425 00:14:06,785 --> 00:14:08,725 And I know we've been recipients of it, 426 00:14:08,730 --> 00:14:09,709 and maybe inadvertently, 427 00:14:10,169 --> 00:14:10,669 cleverly, 428 00:14:11,049 --> 00:14:12,190 we've actually been 429 00:14:12,649 --> 00:14:14,889 the one who has actually laid it out 430 00:14:14,889 --> 00:14:15,949 before other people. 431 00:14:16,329 --> 00:14:18,169 Choice number one, I would I would argue 432 00:14:18,169 --> 00:14:18,909 not humility. 433 00:14:19,289 --> 00:14:20,110 Is there agreement? 434 00:14:20,649 --> 00:14:22,945 Not humility. Choice number two, which I think 435 00:14:22,945 --> 00:14:24,384 is a go to favorite of mine and 436 00:14:24,384 --> 00:14:24,884 ours, 437 00:14:25,585 --> 00:14:27,345 who am I to deal with anyone else's 438 00:14:27,345 --> 00:14:27,845 sin? 439 00:14:28,465 --> 00:14:28,965 Right? 440 00:14:29,665 --> 00:14:30,725 I got stuff. 441 00:14:31,184 --> 00:14:33,184 Anybody that gets close enough to me knows 442 00:14:33,184 --> 00:14:34,705 I got stuff going on in my life. 443 00:14:34,705 --> 00:14:35,205 I, 444 00:14:35,745 --> 00:14:36,644 who am I? 445 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,279 Who who am I to actually go after 446 00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:40,639 the, you know, the speck in your eye 447 00:14:40,639 --> 00:14:42,000 when I'm walking around with a plank coming 448 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:43,679 out of my own eye? Like, who what 449 00:14:43,679 --> 00:14:45,279 what what would give me the right to 450 00:14:45,279 --> 00:14:47,679 speak and step into anyone else's life? And 451 00:14:47,679 --> 00:14:50,500 and that sounds like humility at first blush. 452 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:52,100 Folks, it's not. 453 00:14:52,504 --> 00:14:54,745 That's still all about me. Who am I? 454 00:14:54,745 --> 00:14:57,004 You're asking a question about about you. 455 00:14:57,625 --> 00:14:59,225 What what about the question like, who are 456 00:14:59,225 --> 00:14:59,725 they? 457 00:15:00,745 --> 00:15:02,825 Where are they? I I don't think that 458 00:15:02,825 --> 00:15:04,264 we have to land at a place of 459 00:15:04,264 --> 00:15:06,504 perfection to ever step into anyone else's life 460 00:15:06,504 --> 00:15:08,340 because that would never happen. 461 00:15:08,879 --> 00:15:10,480 That doesn't happen in any of our worlds 462 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,320 in our lives, but in relationship, who am 463 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,240 I to step into someone else's life? I'm 464 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,080 the one God's placed me in a relationship 465 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:17,519 with, and I'm aware of what's going on 466 00:15:17,519 --> 00:15:19,120 in their life, maybe maybe in a way 467 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,120 no one else is even aware of. That's 468 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:21,940 who you are. 469 00:15:23,054 --> 00:15:24,595 But but not to do that, 470 00:15:25,534 --> 00:15:27,315 I don't think that's humility at all. 471 00:15:27,774 --> 00:15:29,875 So if we're taking a multiple choice test, 472 00:15:30,654 --> 00:15:33,294 choice one, not humility, choice two, not humility, 473 00:15:33,294 --> 00:15:35,134 I believe Jesus is pointing us to choice 474 00:15:35,134 --> 00:15:35,875 number three, 475 00:15:36,679 --> 00:15:39,159 honestly and courageously stepping into the mess in 476 00:15:39,159 --> 00:15:40,059 someone's life. 477 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:41,500 Honestly 478 00:15:42,519 --> 00:15:43,339 and courageously 479 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,039 stepping in the mess of someone else's life, 480 00:15:46,039 --> 00:15:48,120 all the while knowing I don't have my 481 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,575 act fully together either. And as I'm following 482 00:15:50,575 --> 00:15:52,174 Jesus, as I'm a struggler, as I'm a 483 00:15:52,174 --> 00:15:54,434 stumbler in this walk to follow Jesus, 484 00:15:55,134 --> 00:15:56,975 it doesn't take me out of the equation 485 00:15:56,975 --> 00:15:58,654 that there's something going on in your world, 486 00:15:58,654 --> 00:16:00,335 in your life that's damaging you. And I 487 00:16:00,335 --> 00:16:02,335 I see it imploding you, and it's not 488 00:16:02,335 --> 00:16:03,855 gonna lead in a place that you want 489 00:16:03,855 --> 00:16:04,595 it to be. 490 00:16:05,199 --> 00:16:06,720 God's called us to step into each other's 491 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,480 lives. This is real humility. This is what 492 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,159 it means to live the real life with 493 00:16:10,159 --> 00:16:12,399 Jesus, his kingdom in you. Not just all 494 00:16:12,399 --> 00:16:14,000 about what we receive, but but how we 495 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,000 live and function as a community, as a 496 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,639 family. Jesus, over and over in Matthew, refers 497 00:16:18,639 --> 00:16:20,559 to us as a family, how how we 498 00:16:20,559 --> 00:16:21,754 take care of the family. 499 00:16:22,295 --> 00:16:23,674 And just so we're clear, 500 00:16:23,975 --> 00:16:25,674 I want to be really clear about this. 501 00:16:25,815 --> 00:16:28,375 This is a great principle Jesus is calling 502 00:16:28,375 --> 00:16:30,535 us to. He's not saying, Hey, this is 503 00:16:30,535 --> 00:16:33,355 for you virtuous noble people, you super Christians 504 00:16:33,740 --> 00:16:35,360 who wanna go the extra mile. 505 00:16:35,899 --> 00:16:38,299 He's not saying that. What he's saying is 506 00:16:38,299 --> 00:16:40,799 this is our responsibility and our obligation 507 00:16:41,179 --> 00:16:43,259 to be in a family together. If my 508 00:16:43,259 --> 00:16:45,100 brother was wayward, I would get on a 509 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:47,579 plane, fly to his town and go after 510 00:16:47,579 --> 00:16:49,945 him. He's saying, you'd do that for a 511 00:16:49,945 --> 00:16:50,684 blood relative? 512 00:16:51,304 --> 00:16:53,865 Guess what? We're blood relatives. We're tied by 513 00:16:53,865 --> 00:16:54,845 the blood of Jesus. 514 00:16:56,345 --> 00:16:59,324 Go after. It's an obligation. It's a responsibility 515 00:16:59,784 --> 00:17:00,445 we have. 516 00:17:02,209 --> 00:17:04,789 And though that's true, and it is true, 517 00:17:05,410 --> 00:17:07,569 it doesn't erase the reality that it requires 518 00:17:07,569 --> 00:17:09,490 a total dependence upon the Holy Spirit to 519 00:17:09,490 --> 00:17:12,470 do this work. A total dependence. Active restoration 520 00:17:12,609 --> 00:17:14,549 is a supernatural work of the Spirit. 521 00:17:15,045 --> 00:17:17,205 Active restoration, for us to engage and step 522 00:17:17,205 --> 00:17:19,525 into that, is something way beyond what we 523 00:17:19,525 --> 00:17:21,765 what we think or feel or imagine. There's 524 00:17:21,765 --> 00:17:23,845 a supernatural reality that the spirit of God, 525 00:17:23,845 --> 00:17:25,125 only the spirit of God can do in 526 00:17:25,125 --> 00:17:26,244 and through us, and in the in and 527 00:17:26,244 --> 00:17:27,525 through the life of the person that we're 528 00:17:27,525 --> 00:17:28,025 pursuing. 529 00:17:28,930 --> 00:17:31,650 I I don't discipline anyone. I don't restore 530 00:17:31,650 --> 00:17:32,150 anyone, 531 00:17:33,170 --> 00:17:35,089 but God calls us to be instruments and 532 00:17:35,089 --> 00:17:36,529 tools in each other's lives that we would 533 00:17:36,529 --> 00:17:37,570 be a part of the work that he's 534 00:17:37,570 --> 00:17:38,710 up to in their life. 535 00:17:39,570 --> 00:17:41,170 And this is where that veil that we 536 00:17:41,170 --> 00:17:43,255 think exists between heaven and earth is just 537 00:17:43,255 --> 00:17:45,654 completely erased. When Jesus died, the veil was 538 00:17:45,654 --> 00:17:47,894 torn in two, and we refer to this 539 00:17:47,894 --> 00:17:49,115 all the time around here. 540 00:17:49,414 --> 00:17:51,654 Hey. Here's the gospel. The kingdom of heaven 541 00:17:51,654 --> 00:17:52,315 is here. 542 00:17:52,934 --> 00:17:55,595 There there's there's no distinction now 543 00:17:56,279 --> 00:17:59,259 significantly between us being citizens of the kingdom 544 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:01,640 here and for eternity. The kingdom of God 545 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:02,920 is here. The veil has been ripped in 546 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,160 two. It connects heaven and earth. And Jesus 547 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,000 says, truly, I say to you, whatever you 548 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,759 bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, 549 00:18:08,759 --> 00:18:10,359 and whatever you loose on earth shall be 550 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,194 loosed in heaven. And again I say to 551 00:18:12,194 --> 00:18:14,194 you, if two of you agree on earth 552 00:18:14,194 --> 00:18:16,674 about anything they ask, it will be done 553 00:18:16,674 --> 00:18:18,615 for them by my father in heaven. 554 00:18:19,315 --> 00:18:21,795 You see restoration is completely dependent upon the 555 00:18:21,795 --> 00:18:23,714 spirit of God. It's only God who's gonna 556 00:18:23,714 --> 00:18:25,529 move in the life of another person. It's 557 00:18:25,529 --> 00:18:27,369 only God who's going to allow what you're 558 00:18:27,369 --> 00:18:29,210 saying to them to ring true for them 559 00:18:29,210 --> 00:18:30,650 in their mind and their heart and and 560 00:18:30,650 --> 00:18:32,509 and them be able to turn and respond. 561 00:18:34,410 --> 00:18:36,650 Inherent in here, though the word prayer never 562 00:18:36,650 --> 00:18:38,990 emerges, it's clearly here in the text. 563 00:18:39,384 --> 00:18:41,144 He says wherever two or three of you 564 00:18:41,144 --> 00:18:42,664 agree on anything, not just you and I 565 00:18:42,664 --> 00:18:44,744 agree that this person's out of line, that 566 00:18:44,744 --> 00:18:46,984 you and I agree, that he agrees, that 567 00:18:46,984 --> 00:18:48,744 we're praying, that we're, we're dependent upon the 568 00:18:48,744 --> 00:18:50,505 Holy Spirit to know is this a, is 569 00:18:50,505 --> 00:18:52,184 this a reality? Is this something going on? 570 00:18:52,184 --> 00:18:53,704 Is this something you're calling us to step 571 00:18:53,704 --> 00:18:55,420 into? And he says, wherever two or three 572 00:18:55,420 --> 00:18:57,019 of you are gathered in my midst, where 573 00:18:57,100 --> 00:18:59,180 whatever you ask in my name, I'm gonna 574 00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:00,000 do for you. 575 00:19:01,820 --> 00:19:02,720 Over the years 576 00:19:03,580 --> 00:19:05,820 over the years, by virtue of the role 577 00:19:05,820 --> 00:19:07,740 that I've played in the church for a 578 00:19:07,740 --> 00:19:08,480 long time, 579 00:19:09,345 --> 00:19:11,424 I've had opportunity not just in church life, 580 00:19:11,424 --> 00:19:13,265 but in my family life and my friendships 581 00:19:13,265 --> 00:19:13,924 to actually 582 00:19:14,704 --> 00:19:16,484 step into someone's world and 583 00:19:17,184 --> 00:19:19,265 and be the person says, is is this 584 00:19:19,265 --> 00:19:20,944 what how you want to live? Is this 585 00:19:20,944 --> 00:19:22,565 really what God's called you to? 586 00:19:23,809 --> 00:19:25,670 And that's a scary place to be. 587 00:19:26,049 --> 00:19:27,109 I've lost sleep. 588 00:19:29,329 --> 00:19:31,329 I've chewed the inside of my mouth to 589 00:19:31,329 --> 00:19:31,829 bit 590 00:19:32,210 --> 00:19:33,109 in the anxiety 591 00:19:33,410 --> 00:19:34,929 of what it looks like to step into 592 00:19:34,929 --> 00:19:36,769 someone's life and to have not only the 593 00:19:36,769 --> 00:19:37,269 audacity, 594 00:19:38,325 --> 00:19:39,224 but the calling 595 00:19:39,924 --> 00:19:41,924 to step into the world that that someone's 596 00:19:41,924 --> 00:19:44,005 in and the chaos that they're in to 597 00:19:44,005 --> 00:19:46,164 point it out. And that's a delicate and 598 00:19:46,164 --> 00:19:46,664 scary 599 00:19:47,044 --> 00:19:48,664 and sacred place to be. 600 00:19:49,284 --> 00:19:51,444 And I've often wondered, how do I know? 601 00:19:51,444 --> 00:19:53,170 How do you know that that this is 602 00:19:53,170 --> 00:19:54,869 what God's called you to do? 603 00:19:55,490 --> 00:19:57,430 I don't think God's called us to be, 604 00:19:58,049 --> 00:19:59,750 the kind of believers, legalistic 605 00:20:00,289 --> 00:20:02,849 believers that walk around pointing out everybody's sin. 606 00:20:02,849 --> 00:20:04,690 But the people that we do life together, 607 00:20:04,690 --> 00:20:06,369 the people that we're in relationship, the people 608 00:20:06,369 --> 00:20:07,970 that we'd say are family or connected to 609 00:20:07,970 --> 00:20:10,474 us, or walking and following Jesus together, these 610 00:20:10,474 --> 00:20:12,335 are the people we've made a commitment to. 611 00:20:12,474 --> 00:20:13,914 How do I know I'm supposed to step 612 00:20:13,914 --> 00:20:14,875 in? How do I know I'm supposed to 613 00:20:14,875 --> 00:20:16,795 be the one? And I've created a litmus 614 00:20:16,795 --> 00:20:18,315 test. I can't give you chapter and verse 615 00:20:18,315 --> 00:20:21,214 for it. Probably could argue it's biblical. 616 00:20:22,619 --> 00:20:24,320 But I know this. As I've prayed 617 00:20:25,099 --> 00:20:26,480 multiple times, god, 618 00:20:26,779 --> 00:20:28,140 is this right? Is this what you want 619 00:20:28,140 --> 00:20:29,519 me to do? I know this. 620 00:20:30,140 --> 00:20:31,900 I know that if I don't do it, 621 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:32,880 I'm being disobedient 622 00:20:33,420 --> 00:20:34,859 is how I know I'm supposed to do 623 00:20:34,859 --> 00:20:35,359 it. 624 00:20:36,884 --> 00:20:39,125 It it feels like a holy entrapment because 625 00:20:39,125 --> 00:20:41,125 it's not something I wanna do, and yet 626 00:20:41,125 --> 00:20:42,805 I know if I don't do this, I'd 627 00:20:42,805 --> 00:20:44,965 be being disobedient to what I know God's 628 00:20:44,965 --> 00:20:46,105 called me to do. 629 00:20:46,565 --> 00:20:47,785 And prayer dependency 630 00:20:48,085 --> 00:20:50,589 is the undercurrent here. There's a dependency upon 631 00:20:50,589 --> 00:20:52,109 the spirit of God. He says where two 632 00:20:52,109 --> 00:20:53,630 or three of you agree on anything, that 633 00:20:53,630 --> 00:20:55,789 we would be, people who are are asking 634 00:20:55,789 --> 00:20:57,950 God for the direction. And I've heard this 635 00:20:57,950 --> 00:21:00,990 text quoted probably a thousand times, but never 636 00:21:00,990 --> 00:21:03,474 in the context that's implied here. I'm not 637 00:21:03,474 --> 00:21:05,794 saying those other other spaces aren't valid, but 638 00:21:05,794 --> 00:21:07,154 when he says where two or three of 639 00:21:07,154 --> 00:21:09,154 you agree on anything, he's not saying, hey, 640 00:21:09,154 --> 00:21:10,595 two or three of you can agree that 641 00:21:10,595 --> 00:21:12,115 you want something to happen. You can gang 642 00:21:12,115 --> 00:21:14,375 up on Jesus, rub the lamp, and Aladdin 643 00:21:14,434 --> 00:21:14,934 provides. 644 00:21:15,315 --> 00:21:16,559 I I don't think that's what he's saying 645 00:21:16,559 --> 00:21:18,240 here. He said, where two or three of 646 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,000 you agree that this is in accordance with 647 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,160 my will and what I want. And specifically, 648 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,319 what he's talking about here is is discipline, 649 00:21:24,319 --> 00:21:26,480 stepping into someone's life, stepping into the the 650 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,559 heart and and chaos of a person's life, 651 00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:30,375 the mess of a person's life and saying, 652 00:21:30,454 --> 00:21:32,214 God wants more for you than this. God 653 00:21:32,214 --> 00:21:34,555 wants better for you than this. 654 00:21:36,775 --> 00:21:37,755 And it's delicate. 655 00:21:38,694 --> 00:21:39,515 It's difficult, 656 00:21:40,134 --> 00:21:41,115 and it's painful. 657 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,799 There was a guy at my church years 658 00:21:47,799 --> 00:21:50,279 ago, not this church, another church in another 659 00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:52,359 state. And, his kids were in my youth 660 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,279 group, two boys were in my youth group. 661 00:21:54,279 --> 00:21:55,799 And I I hate this story because it's 662 00:21:55,799 --> 00:21:57,420 too familiar. It's familiar 663 00:21:57,799 --> 00:21:59,559 as as recently as the last few weeks 664 00:21:59,559 --> 00:22:00,940 of somebody that I know. 665 00:22:01,375 --> 00:22:03,375 He he stepped out on his wife, had 666 00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:05,694 an affair, decided that she was all that 667 00:22:05,694 --> 00:22:08,174 he was looking for, and divorced his wife, 668 00:22:08,174 --> 00:22:09,794 in essence, divorced his family, 669 00:22:10,174 --> 00:22:12,174 moved to a a different state, created a 670 00:22:12,174 --> 00:22:13,474 whole new life for this woman, 671 00:22:13,950 --> 00:22:15,390 who this guy, I thought, was a solid 672 00:22:15,390 --> 00:22:16,750 believer. Now it's okay all of a sudden 673 00:22:16,750 --> 00:22:18,269 to live with a woman he's not married 674 00:22:18,269 --> 00:22:19,009 to and 675 00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:22,029 all that goes with that and the confusion 676 00:22:22,029 --> 00:22:22,849 of all that. 677 00:22:24,509 --> 00:22:27,970 Stage one, stage two, stage three, stage four, 678 00:22:28,115 --> 00:22:30,295 all the people that are involved, the church, 679 00:22:30,835 --> 00:22:33,394 personal friends, one on one, two or three 680 00:22:33,394 --> 00:22:35,315 on one, I mean, the whole deal. And 681 00:22:35,315 --> 00:22:37,234 he he lived in the reality of the 682 00:22:37,234 --> 00:22:37,734 consequences 683 00:22:38,115 --> 00:22:39,015 of his decisions. 684 00:22:39,955 --> 00:22:40,455 And 685 00:22:41,140 --> 00:22:43,539 he was separated from the body of Christ. 686 00:22:43,539 --> 00:22:45,299 He he separated himself from the body of 687 00:22:45,299 --> 00:22:47,140 Christ, and he was living in the distance 688 00:22:47,140 --> 00:22:49,299 that that's created between people who once did 689 00:22:49,299 --> 00:22:51,140 life with him and were family. He no 690 00:22:51,140 --> 00:22:54,099 longer had that family relationship because something had 691 00:22:54,099 --> 00:22:55,400 changed. Something had broken, 692 00:22:55,804 --> 00:22:57,005 Not only with the people that were close 693 00:22:57,005 --> 00:22:58,144 to him, but with the church. 694 00:22:58,924 --> 00:23:01,005 And what I love about this story, unlike 695 00:23:01,005 --> 00:23:02,444 so many of the stories that you and 696 00:23:02,444 --> 00:23:03,884 I know, and some of you are dealing 697 00:23:03,884 --> 00:23:05,244 with some of these realities in your own 698 00:23:05,244 --> 00:23:07,904 world and life right now, Jeff returned home. 699 00:23:09,190 --> 00:23:10,170 It's a great 700 00:23:10,470 --> 00:23:12,630 end of a story. Jeff returned home. Jeff 701 00:23:12,630 --> 00:23:13,369 found forgiveness 702 00:23:14,549 --> 00:23:16,650 in the turmoil of his life. 703 00:23:17,269 --> 00:23:19,190 And the same forgiveness he found between he 704 00:23:19,190 --> 00:23:21,289 and Jesus, it took him years 705 00:23:21,590 --> 00:23:23,714 to step back into that space with his 706 00:23:23,714 --> 00:23:26,674 wife, with his now grown children, with their 707 00:23:26,674 --> 00:23:28,434 children, with with people in his world and 708 00:23:28,434 --> 00:23:30,515 life. He he he he got to experience 709 00:23:30,515 --> 00:23:32,835 and is experiencing what it looks like to 710 00:23:32,835 --> 00:23:34,994 come home, to be restored. And and if 711 00:23:34,994 --> 00:23:37,075 you believe that that's anything less than hard 712 00:23:37,075 --> 00:23:39,480 work, it it it makes a beautiful story. 713 00:23:39,539 --> 00:23:40,980 You know, we watch a lot of Hallmark 714 00:23:40,980 --> 00:23:42,339 stuff this time of year. I don't, but 715 00:23:42,339 --> 00:23:44,359 some of y'all do. It always ends happy. 716 00:23:44,500 --> 00:23:46,039 There's a happy ending to this. 717 00:23:46,660 --> 00:23:48,259 There is a happy ending, but the happy 718 00:23:48,259 --> 00:23:50,335 ending that this guy's living is day to 719 00:23:50,335 --> 00:23:52,974 day trust issues, day to day the tension 720 00:23:52,974 --> 00:23:54,755 and and the turmoil that happens 721 00:23:55,294 --> 00:23:58,014 in restoring relationships all throughout the church. And 722 00:23:58,014 --> 00:23:59,214 we'll talk a little bit more about what 723 00:23:59,214 --> 00:24:00,994 forgiveness looks like next weekend. 724 00:24:01,950 --> 00:24:04,349 But but but that's that's the place God's 725 00:24:04,349 --> 00:24:07,069 called us to. Jesus wraps up this discourse 726 00:24:07,069 --> 00:24:08,829 with one of his favorite reminders to his 727 00:24:08,829 --> 00:24:11,149 people. And I love this. It's it's what 728 00:24:11,149 --> 00:24:13,549 Christmas is all about. It's what's in this 729 00:24:13,549 --> 00:24:14,750 text. It's what you'll see at the end 730 00:24:14,750 --> 00:24:16,589 of Matthew 28 when he's leaving, and he 731 00:24:16,589 --> 00:24:17,765 says, hey. Hey. It's better that I go. 732 00:24:17,765 --> 00:24:18,804 I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to 733 00:24:18,804 --> 00:24:20,505 be with you. But but trust me, 734 00:24:21,605 --> 00:24:23,125 I'll be with you always, even to the 735 00:24:23,125 --> 00:24:23,944 end of the age. 736 00:24:24,644 --> 00:24:26,244 He says in verse 20, For where two 737 00:24:26,244 --> 00:24:28,325 or three are gathered in my name, there 738 00:24:28,325 --> 00:24:30,325 I am among him. There I am among 739 00:24:30,325 --> 00:24:31,944 them. I'm with you. 740 00:24:32,309 --> 00:24:34,490 God promises to be with us in this. 741 00:24:35,269 --> 00:24:37,029 Jesus is with us in the pursuit no 742 00:24:37,029 --> 00:24:37,929 matter the outcome. 743 00:24:38,389 --> 00:24:40,409 Hear that. Jesus is with you, 744 00:24:40,710 --> 00:24:42,089 with us in this pursuit 745 00:24:42,630 --> 00:24:44,309 to see to see the wayward come home 746 00:24:44,309 --> 00:24:46,069 no matter what the outcome, whether they do 747 00:24:46,069 --> 00:24:47,945 or they don't. And I think oftentimes we 748 00:24:47,945 --> 00:24:50,025 look at passages of scripture, and we want 749 00:24:50,025 --> 00:24:51,705 this to be like, if I do this, 750 00:24:51,705 --> 00:24:53,465 this, this, you gave me four stages. If 751 00:24:53,465 --> 00:24:55,965 I follow these four stages, it's gonna happen. 752 00:24:56,505 --> 00:24:57,644 Maybe, hopefully, 753 00:24:58,105 --> 00:24:59,945 Jesus will never force a person in a 754 00:24:59,945 --> 00:25:00,765 heart to return. 755 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,000 That's that's a violation of relationship. He wants 756 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,619 a person to turn and to change. 757 00:25:07,799 --> 00:25:09,259 And I walk through these 758 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,759 stages and chapters with people, and what breaks 759 00:25:12,759 --> 00:25:14,839 my heart oftentimes is we've gone at step 760 00:25:14,839 --> 00:25:16,700 one. Hey. Go one on one. Go privately. 761 00:25:16,759 --> 00:25:18,852 Go go a few on one. And what 762 00:25:18,852 --> 00:25:20,907 happens oftentimes in church life is that you 763 00:25:20,907 --> 00:25:22,961 get offended and you just walk out and 764 00:25:22,961 --> 00:25:25,016 go to another church. You take all the 765 00:25:25,016 --> 00:25:27,070 stuff you never dealt with here, onto your 766 00:25:27,070 --> 00:25:29,125 next church, because somebody has come here leaving 767 00:25:29,125 --> 00:25:31,179 somewhere else, and we've done all the reality 768 00:25:31,179 --> 00:25:33,149 of what you've taken from your last church 769 00:25:33,149 --> 00:25:34,130 and brought it here. 770 00:25:35,789 --> 00:25:36,990 I mean, in a in a sweet and 771 00:25:36,990 --> 00:25:39,490 kind way, this family's messed up. 772 00:25:39,950 --> 00:25:40,450 Yeah. 773 00:25:41,149 --> 00:25:43,069 And then and then the messed up, God's 774 00:25:43,069 --> 00:25:45,674 calling us to a a place of walking 775 00:25:45,674 --> 00:25:47,994 with him and walking together with him. And 776 00:25:47,994 --> 00:25:49,994 rather this than this being a formula for 777 00:25:49,994 --> 00:25:51,035 how to get it right and how to 778 00:25:51,035 --> 00:25:52,954 fix it, I think you'd be walking away 779 00:25:52,954 --> 00:25:55,434 from the text disappointed and mad because that's 780 00:25:55,434 --> 00:25:57,054 not what Jesus is getting at. 781 00:25:57,660 --> 00:25:59,500 Rather than a formula, Jesus gives us a 782 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:00,559 pattern that demonstrates 783 00:26:01,019 --> 00:26:03,039 our dependency and obedience to him. 784 00:26:03,500 --> 00:26:05,259 I'm dependent on him. I I can't make 785 00:26:05,259 --> 00:26:06,320 anyone come home. 786 00:26:06,859 --> 00:26:08,559 You can't make anyone come home 787 00:26:09,180 --> 00:26:10,960 as much as I know you want to. 788 00:26:11,085 --> 00:26:12,924 I know we're praying. I'm praying for people 789 00:26:12,924 --> 00:26:14,204 in my life. You're praying for people in 790 00:26:14,204 --> 00:26:15,024 your life, and 791 00:26:15,404 --> 00:26:17,404 and, boy, sometimes you wish you could. You 792 00:26:17,404 --> 00:26:18,944 wish god would just do it. 793 00:26:19,565 --> 00:26:21,484 He'll he'll chase him down, and he'll use 794 00:26:21,484 --> 00:26:23,404 you to do that, but he's not gonna 795 00:26:23,404 --> 00:26:25,085 force a heart to turn. That that's up 796 00:26:25,085 --> 00:26:27,059 to the person responding to him. 797 00:26:27,539 --> 00:26:29,299 And so it's the call in my life, 798 00:26:29,299 --> 00:26:30,500 the call in your life that we'd be 799 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:32,200 men and women who are obedient, 800 00:26:33,299 --> 00:26:35,299 obedient to follow in what he's called us 801 00:26:35,299 --> 00:26:35,880 to do. 802 00:26:36,180 --> 00:26:37,559 This is divine guidance, 803 00:26:37,940 --> 00:26:40,454 and and there's a lot of encouragement here 804 00:26:40,454 --> 00:26:42,295 for us who are called to actually step 805 00:26:42,295 --> 00:26:44,214 into the life of someone else. And and 806 00:26:44,214 --> 00:26:45,815 I know we've spent our whole time talking 807 00:26:45,815 --> 00:26:47,335 about one side of the coin. I want 808 00:26:47,335 --> 00:26:48,855 to end closing, talk about the other side 809 00:26:48,855 --> 00:26:51,015 of the coin. There's great principles here for 810 00:26:51,015 --> 00:26:52,694 us as we're called to actually step into 811 00:26:52,694 --> 00:26:55,109 the mess in someone's life. Great principles. He 812 00:26:55,109 --> 00:26:57,109 even gives us, hey, stage one, stage two, 813 00:26:57,109 --> 00:26:59,349 stage three, stage four. But but but to 814 00:26:59,349 --> 00:27:01,349 think it's all about what we're supposed to 815 00:27:01,349 --> 00:27:03,190 do in confronting would miss some of what 816 00:27:03,190 --> 00:27:04,570 I think is here in the text. 817 00:27:04,950 --> 00:27:07,029 He's calling us to step into people's lives 818 00:27:07,029 --> 00:27:09,744 with love and humility and utter dependency upon 819 00:27:09,744 --> 00:27:11,984 the spirit. And that being true, let's not 820 00:27:11,984 --> 00:27:12,484 miss 821 00:27:13,345 --> 00:27:15,585 how a person who receives this ought to 822 00:27:15,585 --> 00:27:16,404 receive this. 823 00:27:17,265 --> 00:27:18,944 Because a lot of us in this room, 824 00:27:18,944 --> 00:27:20,304 all of us in some way, shape, or 825 00:27:20,304 --> 00:27:22,865 form are people who probably need to receive 826 00:27:22,865 --> 00:27:23,365 this. 827 00:27:23,830 --> 00:27:25,750 When when he speaks about, hey, he leaves 828 00:27:25,750 --> 00:27:27,590 the 99 to go after the one, I 829 00:27:27,590 --> 00:27:29,269 think if we're not careful, here's what we 830 00:27:29,269 --> 00:27:30,170 think about that. 831 00:27:30,630 --> 00:27:31,830 Well, it must be one of those things 832 00:27:31,830 --> 00:27:33,910 that doesn't happen very often. You know, the 833 00:27:33,910 --> 00:27:36,150 flock's out there, there's 99, every once in 834 00:27:36,150 --> 00:27:38,009 a while someone goes astray. 835 00:27:38,464 --> 00:27:40,384 And so he leaves the 99 and, you 836 00:27:40,384 --> 00:27:41,845 know, he'll go after the one. 837 00:27:42,224 --> 00:27:44,384 I don't think that's the text. I think 838 00:27:44,384 --> 00:27:46,545 the text is the one matters so much 839 00:27:46,545 --> 00:27:48,565 to him that he'll go after the one. 840 00:27:49,265 --> 00:27:50,724 He'll go after the one. 841 00:27:51,259 --> 00:27:53,259 This isn't something that's that's random and doesn't 842 00:27:53,259 --> 00:27:55,340 happen often. This is the stuff that that 843 00:27:55,340 --> 00:27:55,920 that happens 844 00:27:56,460 --> 00:27:59,039 often in our life, my life, your life. 845 00:28:01,420 --> 00:28:03,180 He's given us some instruction on what it 846 00:28:03,180 --> 00:28:04,779 means to be a recipient of someone who's 847 00:28:04,779 --> 00:28:07,055 coming after you and saying, Hey, I want 848 00:28:07,055 --> 00:28:08,575 to sit down and have a conversation with 849 00:28:08,575 --> 00:28:10,575 you about your life. I don't know your 850 00:28:10,575 --> 00:28:12,494 story, but I know mine. I've walked with 851 00:28:12,494 --> 00:28:15,214 Jesus fifty five years, maybe even a year 852 00:28:15,214 --> 00:28:16,035 more than that. 853 00:28:16,414 --> 00:28:18,494 And I've never left my faith. I've never 854 00:28:18,494 --> 00:28:19,934 left the church, but I'd be a liar 855 00:28:19,934 --> 00:28:20,974 if I didn't tell you I left the 856 00:28:20,974 --> 00:28:21,474 reservation. 857 00:28:22,950 --> 00:28:24,009 I've left it. 858 00:28:25,190 --> 00:28:28,470 Sometimes will willfully and knowingly, and other times, 859 00:28:28,470 --> 00:28:30,150 it it took a brother or sister to 860 00:28:30,150 --> 00:28:31,750 sit me down and go, you left the 861 00:28:31,750 --> 00:28:32,250 reservation. 862 00:28:32,630 --> 00:28:33,769 What's going on? 863 00:28:35,075 --> 00:28:36,835 Couple weeks ago, I forgot which pastor it 864 00:28:36,835 --> 00:28:39,474 was, Tim, Dave, Dave, one of them. They 865 00:28:39,474 --> 00:28:40,835 said, hey, we should we should try to 866 00:28:40,835 --> 00:28:42,535 live lives that aren't easily offended. 867 00:28:43,075 --> 00:28:44,454 Well, that's great for them. 868 00:28:46,914 --> 00:28:47,974 I'm easily offended. 869 00:28:48,275 --> 00:28:49,849 I'm I'm even more easily offended when you 870 00:28:49,849 --> 00:28:51,210 come after me and point something out in 871 00:28:51,210 --> 00:28:52,509 my life that ain't right. 872 00:28:53,049 --> 00:28:55,230 In fact, when I'm offended, I get defensive, 873 00:28:56,009 --> 00:28:57,309 and that's how it rolls. 874 00:28:58,169 --> 00:28:58,970 I was in, 875 00:28:59,529 --> 00:29:00,669 I was in seminary 876 00:29:01,369 --> 00:29:02,190 years ago, 877 00:29:02,569 --> 00:29:03,069 and 878 00:29:03,934 --> 00:29:05,775 I'd I'd met a guy and we were 879 00:29:05,775 --> 00:29:08,994 meeting, for bible study on Wednesday nights and 880 00:29:09,134 --> 00:29:10,815 months and months ago into this. And he 881 00:29:10,815 --> 00:29:11,634 said to me 882 00:29:12,174 --> 00:29:13,535 one week, he said, man, I'd love to 883 00:29:13,535 --> 00:29:15,134 get dinner with you next week. And so 884 00:29:15,134 --> 00:29:16,815 at the time, my dinner of choice was 885 00:29:16,815 --> 00:29:18,750 a Big Mac and a chocolate shake because 886 00:29:18,750 --> 00:29:20,829 that's a good that's a good meal. So 887 00:29:20,829 --> 00:29:22,910 I remember meeting with him at McDonald's, and 888 00:29:22,910 --> 00:29:23,549 he said, 889 00:29:24,509 --> 00:29:25,710 but it's really good to be together with 890 00:29:25,710 --> 00:29:26,590 you. I said, well, thank you. It's good 891 00:29:26,590 --> 00:29:27,869 to be together with you. And he said, 892 00:29:28,029 --> 00:29:30,190 I I I have an observation about your 893 00:29:30,190 --> 00:29:31,710 your life, if if you don't mind. And 894 00:29:31,710 --> 00:29:32,529 I said, sure. 895 00:29:33,255 --> 00:29:34,855 And he said, You've done a really good 896 00:29:34,855 --> 00:29:36,955 job of integrating Jesus into your life. 897 00:29:37,894 --> 00:29:40,214 And I felt pretty swelled up. Like, Well, 898 00:29:40,214 --> 00:29:42,214 thank you. I'm glad you noticed that. I've 899 00:29:42,214 --> 00:29:44,134 worked really hard at that. And he said, 900 00:29:44,134 --> 00:29:45,515 No, I think that's your sin. 901 00:29:46,055 --> 00:29:46,634 What? I 902 00:29:47,059 --> 00:29:49,779 What? I didn't see that coming, put my 903 00:29:49,779 --> 00:29:51,220 shake down. What do you mean that's my 904 00:29:51,220 --> 00:29:52,500 sin? He goes, yeah, you've done a really 905 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:54,740 good job of integrating Jesus into your life, 906 00:29:54,740 --> 00:29:56,819 but but nothing's really changed. I've known you 907 00:29:56,819 --> 00:29:58,819 for a while. Your your language is still 908 00:29:58,819 --> 00:30:00,259 the same. I hear your heart and your 909 00:30:00,259 --> 00:30:01,619 motives that comes out every time you have 910 00:30:01,619 --> 00:30:02,200 a conversation. 911 00:30:02,714 --> 00:30:03,994 I know that you know that I know 912 00:30:03,994 --> 00:30:06,075 that there's behavior and activities that are going 913 00:30:06,075 --> 00:30:07,275 on in your life have nothing to do 914 00:30:07,275 --> 00:30:08,174 with following Jesus. 915 00:30:08,954 --> 00:30:10,335 Is that how you wanna live? 916 00:30:12,714 --> 00:30:14,315 Yeah. Thank you for the corridor. That was 917 00:30:14,315 --> 00:30:14,815 helpful. 918 00:30:16,075 --> 00:30:17,054 I felt it. 919 00:30:18,580 --> 00:30:19,940 I felt it in my gut and in 920 00:30:19,940 --> 00:30:21,559 my spirit. I I 921 00:30:21,940 --> 00:30:23,059 I felt the hair on the back of 922 00:30:23,059 --> 00:30:24,740 my neck go up. I I was as 923 00:30:24,740 --> 00:30:27,859 offended and defensive as I've ever been. And 924 00:30:27,859 --> 00:30:30,100 so rather than going, man, thanks for sharing 925 00:30:30,100 --> 00:30:30,920 that with me, 926 00:30:31,220 --> 00:30:32,600 I said, well, how so? 927 00:30:33,605 --> 00:30:35,224 And I know he didn't do this, 928 00:30:36,085 --> 00:30:37,605 but he opened up a piece of paper 929 00:30:37,605 --> 00:30:39,205 in my mind, and it rolled across the 930 00:30:39,205 --> 00:30:40,424 whole floor of the restaurant. 931 00:30:40,805 --> 00:30:42,404 And he started going through a list of 932 00:30:42,404 --> 00:30:44,805 stuff. It didn't happen that way. But in 933 00:30:44,805 --> 00:30:47,129 my mind, that's exactly what took place. He 934 00:30:47,129 --> 00:30:48,649 goes, man, I would love to to meet 935 00:30:48,649 --> 00:30:50,409 with you every week before bible before bible 936 00:30:50,409 --> 00:30:52,089 study. And you and I study the scriptures 937 00:30:52,089 --> 00:30:54,169 together. You and I pray together. Let let's 938 00:30:54,169 --> 00:30:56,329 let's walk. Let's talk about these things. Let's 939 00:30:56,329 --> 00:30:57,389 walk through these things. 940 00:30:59,634 --> 00:31:00,934 Pardon me if I get emotional. 941 00:31:02,674 --> 00:31:04,914 I know where I'd be today had Doug 942 00:31:04,914 --> 00:31:06,375 not stepped into my life. 943 00:31:08,835 --> 00:31:10,214 He changed the trajectory 944 00:31:10,515 --> 00:31:11,335 of my life. 945 00:31:11,690 --> 00:31:14,250 I know. This isn't hyperbole. I know where 946 00:31:14,250 --> 00:31:15,609 I would be today, and it wouldn't be 947 00:31:15,609 --> 00:31:16,109 here. 948 00:31:18,170 --> 00:31:20,089 That's real life with Jesus, the kingdom in 949 00:31:20,089 --> 00:31:20,589 you. 950 00:31:21,369 --> 00:31:23,929 That's the family we belong to. That's what 951 00:31:23,929 --> 00:31:26,029 God's called us to. You have the opportunity 952 00:31:26,250 --> 00:31:28,315 to step into someone's world and someone's life 953 00:31:28,454 --> 00:31:30,694 maybe no one else would ever do and 954 00:31:30,694 --> 00:31:33,035 change the trajectory of someone's walk with Jesus. 955 00:31:34,775 --> 00:31:36,315 This week as we move into 956 00:31:36,934 --> 00:31:38,875 a new week, moving toward a holiday, 957 00:31:39,919 --> 00:31:41,599 you'll move out of here. There's lots of 958 00:31:41,599 --> 00:31:43,279 things going on this weekend. But before you 959 00:31:43,279 --> 00:31:45,039 do, let let can I just ask you 960 00:31:45,039 --> 00:31:47,220 to bow your heads for twenty seconds? 961 00:31:47,599 --> 00:31:49,380 And let's ask Jesus this question. 962 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:53,940 God, who are you calling me to pursue? 963 00:31:55,384 --> 00:31:57,384 Even as I've heard your word today, there's 964 00:31:57,384 --> 00:31:58,764 people that come to mind. 965 00:31:59,384 --> 00:32:00,524 Do I have the relationship? 966 00:32:02,744 --> 00:32:04,904 Is it me that you want to use 967 00:32:04,904 --> 00:32:06,825 to step in? And I know my life's 968 00:32:06,825 --> 00:32:09,470 not perfect, but, man, I see them tanking. 969 00:32:09,769 --> 00:32:11,450 And to sit back and watch doesn't seem 970 00:32:11,450 --> 00:32:13,130 right. I don't know what to do. Show 971 00:32:13,130 --> 00:32:14,670 me what that's supposed to look like. 972 00:32:16,490 --> 00:32:18,330 God, would you right now bring if this 973 00:32:18,330 --> 00:32:19,869 is you speaking, would you bring 974 00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:21,390 someone to mind 975 00:32:21,690 --> 00:32:22,990 in each of our lives? 976 00:32:27,184 --> 00:32:27,845 You can 977 00:32:28,144 --> 00:32:29,045 raise your head 978 00:32:29,825 --> 00:32:31,924 and open your eyes this week. 979 00:32:32,464 --> 00:32:33,825 I don't know if you've ever done this 980 00:32:33,825 --> 00:32:34,325 before. 981 00:32:34,785 --> 00:32:36,625 We encourage you every week. You you know 982 00:32:36,625 --> 00:32:38,384 next steps. Here we go. Live it out. 983 00:32:38,384 --> 00:32:39,444 Yeah. Live it out. 984 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:41,640 How are you gonna know what's going on 985 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:42,919 in someone's life? How are you gonna know 986 00:32:42,919 --> 00:32:43,980 what's right between, 987 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:45,799 you and God, and you and the other 988 00:32:45,799 --> 00:32:46,919 person, if you're not in the word, if 989 00:32:46,919 --> 00:32:48,279 you're not praying? So would you live it 990 00:32:48,279 --> 00:32:49,880 out with us this week? We're gonna ask 991 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:51,980 these same questions as we step into that. 992 00:32:53,204 --> 00:32:54,964 That God would use us in a profound 993 00:32:54,964 --> 00:32:55,464 way, 994 00:32:56,164 --> 00:32:57,784 to be the hands and feet of Jesus, 995 00:32:58,085 --> 00:32:59,365 to be the family he's called us to 996 00:32:59,365 --> 00:33:00,744 be. I'm gonna end where I started. 997 00:33:01,204 --> 00:33:03,125 Paul says, we ought always to give thanks 998 00:33:03,125 --> 00:33:04,964 to God for you, brothers and sisters, as 999 00:33:04,964 --> 00:33:07,204 it is right, because your faith is growing 1000 00:33:07,204 --> 00:33:07,704 abundantly. 1001 00:33:08,220 --> 00:33:10,140 And the love of every one of you 1002 00:33:10,140 --> 00:33:11,759 for one another is increasing. 1003 00:33:12,380 --> 00:33:14,319 God, I thank you for Tuiverse Church. 1004 00:33:14,619 --> 00:33:15,900 I thank you for the men and women 1005 00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:17,339 in this venue and across all of our 1006 00:33:17,339 --> 00:33:19,759 campuses today who who love you. 1007 00:33:20,315 --> 00:33:22,075 And and I thank you for the reality 1008 00:33:22,075 --> 00:33:24,174 that that our faith is growing 1009 00:33:24,554 --> 00:33:25,615 day by day. 1010 00:33:25,914 --> 00:33:27,355 God, thank you for doing that. That's the 1011 00:33:27,355 --> 00:33:29,515 work of your spirit within us. With grateful 1012 00:33:29,515 --> 00:33:31,674 hearts, we say thank you. And thank you 1013 00:33:31,674 --> 00:33:33,755 that our love for one another is growing 1014 00:33:33,755 --> 00:33:34,494 in abundance. 1015 00:33:34,954 --> 00:33:36,690 God, would you move our our love for 1016 00:33:36,690 --> 00:33:37,669 one another beyond 1017 00:33:38,049 --> 00:33:39,109 ethereal feelings 1018 00:33:39,730 --> 00:33:42,289 to practical application as we seek to live 1019 00:33:42,289 --> 00:33:44,369 this life together? It's in the powerful name 1020 00:33:44,369 --> 00:33:45,589 of Jesus we pray. 1021 00:33:46,049 --> 00:33:46,549 Amen. 1022 00:33:48,101 --> 00:33:49,621 Isn't it great to be in the church? 1023 00:33:49,621 --> 00:33:50,901 Isn't it great to be in the family? 1024 00:33:50,901 --> 00:33:52,521 Isn't it great to be in worship today? 1025 00:33:54,181 --> 00:33:56,421 I heard you. Let's stand and worship Jesus 1026 00:33:56,421 --> 00:33:56,921 together.