1 00:00:00,150 --> 00:00:03,570 This is a reading from 1 Peter 4:1–11. 2 00:00:13,980 --> 00:00:16,966 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh. 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,519 Arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. 4 00:00:19,519 --> 00:00:23,223 For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 5 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,077 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, 6 00:00:27,077 --> 00:00:30,180 no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. 7 00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:33,266 For the time that is passed suffices for doing what 8 00:00:33,266 --> 00:00:37,587 the Gentiles want to do living in sensuality, passions, 9 00:00:37,587 --> 00:00:41,641 drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 10 00:00:42,292 --> 00:00:45,562 With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them 11 00:00:45,562 --> 00:00:48,748 in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you, 12 00:00:49,382 --> 00:00:53,186 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living 13 00:00:53,186 --> 00:00:54,738 and the dead. 14 00:00:54,738 --> 00:00:58,408 For this is why the gospel was preached, even to those who are dead. 15 00:00:58,491 --> 00:01:01,678 That though judged in the flesh the way people are, 16 00:01:02,011 --> 00:01:05,148 they might live in the spirit the way God does. 17 00:01:05,932 --> 00:01:08,301 The end of all things is at hand. 18 00:01:08,301 --> 00:01:13,039 Therefore, be self-controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers. 19 00:01:13,523 --> 00:01:16,743 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly. 20 00:01:17,093 --> 00:01:20,096 Since love covers a multitude of sins. 21 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:23,183 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling, 22 00:01:23,750 --> 00:01:26,035 as each has received a gift. 23 00:01:26,035 --> 00:01:30,840 Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. 24 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,828 Whoever speaks as one who speaks, oracles of God. 25 00:01:35,361 --> 00:01:40,100 Whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, 26 00:01:40,700 --> 00:01:45,355 in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 27 00:01:45,872 --> 00:01:49,709 To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 28 00:01:49,943 --> 00:01:50,543 Amen. 29 00:01:54,147 --> 00:01:54,898 Well, good morning and 30 00:01:54,898 --> 00:01:57,767 welcome to the weekend gathering of Christ Community Chapel. 31 00:01:57,767 --> 00:02:00,086 My name is Zach. I'm one of the pastors here. 32 00:02:00,086 --> 00:02:03,723 So glad we get to be part of your weekend and I'm also glad 33 00:02:03,723 --> 00:02:06,659 you picked this weekend to come because we get 34 00:02:06,659 --> 00:02:09,963 I get to introduce an amazing guest speaker that we have here. 35 00:02:09,979 --> 00:02:13,082 You know, I was in an event, recently where they said 36 00:02:13,082 --> 00:02:16,069 the true mark of a Christian leader, a Kingdom leader 37 00:02:16,136 --> 00:02:21,241 is that their name is on nothing, but their fingerprints are on a lot of things. 38 00:02:21,241 --> 00:02:22,642 They're not after credit. 39 00:02:22,642 --> 00:02:23,993 They're after impact. 40 00:02:23,993 --> 00:02:27,864 And there is no one, I think, who typifies that comment more 41 00:02:27,897 --> 00:02:30,867 than our guest speaker, Larry Osborne. 42 00:02:30,867 --> 00:02:34,571 For decades, Larry led North Coast Church in Southern California, 43 00:02:34,571 --> 00:02:36,439 all of the most influential churches in America. 44 00:02:36,439 --> 00:02:40,376 There are a lot of things that you love about church small groups, 45 00:02:40,376 --> 00:02:44,964 video screens that were Larry's idea, where he took mainstream. 46 00:02:44,964 --> 00:02:49,702 He spends much of his time now investing in young pastors like me, developing us. 47 00:02:49,702 --> 00:02:52,856 In fact, it was a couple of years ago I hung out with Larry and came back 48 00:02:52,856 --> 00:02:56,342 and said to the team, we need to start a Thursday night service. 49 00:02:56,726 --> 00:03:00,897 And his influence is everywhere here, even here at Christ Community Chapel. 50 00:03:00,980 --> 00:03:02,899 And also what I love about Larry is he's 51 00:03:02,899 --> 00:03:06,302 been married to his wonderful wife, Nancy, for 48 years. 52 00:03:06,686 --> 00:03:08,271 They have three believing children, 53 00:03:08,271 --> 00:03:08,988 eight grandkids, 54 00:03:08,988 --> 00:03:11,090 all who live within about 15 minutes of them 55 00:03:11,090 --> 00:03:14,127 because they're the kind of people you want to be around. 56 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,980 It is a privilege that he is here. Would you join me in 57 00:03:16,980 --> 00:03:20,149 welcoming Larry Osborne to come give this weekend's message? 58 00:03:23,937 --> 00:03:26,573 And it 59 00:03:26,573 --> 00:03:30,593 has been a total blast to be here since, last Wednesday. 60 00:03:30,593 --> 00:03:34,530 I came in Wednesday because you can't get from San Diego here. 61 00:03:34,797 --> 00:03:37,433 On a Thursday and make sure you're ready to preach. 62 00:03:37,433 --> 00:03:40,520 But just meeting with your team, and, I am 63 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,140 I I've been excited knowing Zach for what God is doing. 64 00:03:44,157 --> 00:03:47,176 I got to meet Joe and spend some time with him to understand 65 00:03:47,176 --> 00:03:50,630 what God had done and has done and will continue to do. 66 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,750 And, you guys just got a great team and a great thing going. 67 00:03:53,750 --> 00:03:57,387 And, as someone who gets to see lots of churches all around the country, 68 00:03:57,687 --> 00:04:01,441 I hope you realize that sometime familiarity can breed a little sense. 69 00:04:01,891 --> 00:04:02,959 Hey, it's always this way. 70 00:04:02,959 --> 00:04:04,711 And and God's on the move. 71 00:04:04,711 --> 00:04:09,682 And, I hope you, embrace every moment of it, but today 72 00:04:09,933 --> 00:04:14,337 we're taking, continuing this series you've been doing in first Peter. And, 73 00:04:15,471 --> 00:04:17,807 you know, first Peter is basically a letter 74 00:04:17,807 --> 00:04:20,910 that was written, about how to follow 75 00:04:20,910 --> 00:04:23,896 Jesus when following Jesus is really hard. 76 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:27,467 One third of the verses, are on suffering, 77 00:04:27,467 --> 00:04:30,887 persecution or hardship tied to our walk with Jesus. 78 00:04:30,887 --> 00:04:33,890 36 out of 106 verses, 79 00:04:33,957 --> 00:04:37,560 in his letter and explains why it happens and then how 80 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,546 we're supposed to think about it and how we're supposed to respond. 81 00:04:40,730 --> 00:04:44,217 So today, out of the whole passage that was just read what I want to do is 82 00:04:44,217 --> 00:04:47,220 I want to step back and we're just going to look again 83 00:04:47,220 --> 00:04:51,591 at the first two verses and try to mind the depths of what they have to say. 84 00:04:51,591 --> 00:04:54,627 So we'll put them up on the screen, for just a second, 85 00:04:55,495 --> 00:04:58,498 since they're for Christ suffered in the flesh, 86 00:04:58,948 --> 00:05:02,101 he tells us to do two things, one on themselves 87 00:05:02,251 --> 00:05:06,506 with the same way of thinking as we suffer, the things we do. 88 00:05:06,539 --> 00:05:09,475 Hey, learn to think and respond like Jesus did. 89 00:05:09,475 --> 00:05:13,563 And the second is for this reason, for whoever suffered in 90 00:05:13,563 --> 00:05:14,931 the flesh has ceased from sin 91 00:05:15,932 --> 00:05:18,201 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, 92 00:05:18,201 --> 00:05:21,204 no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. 93 00:05:21,804 --> 00:05:24,691 Now I know we're in church, but let's be honest for a second. 94 00:05:24,691 --> 00:05:27,677 The second thing here, that is not the experience 95 00:05:27,677 --> 00:05:31,247 I know, personally or people I'm around like. 96 00:05:31,247 --> 00:05:33,266 Like what? It what it's gone. 97 00:05:33,266 --> 00:05:34,917 But, what do you mean? 98 00:05:34,917 --> 00:05:39,439 Whoever is suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin? 99 00:05:40,289 --> 00:05:42,542 Well, the problem is, when you read that, 100 00:05:42,542 --> 00:05:45,712 you'll kind of go, okay, but in your heart, you know it's not true. 101 00:05:45,928 --> 00:05:49,465 And the and the problem is that we miss understand 102 00:05:49,465 --> 00:05:52,468 what he's talking about when he's talking about suffering here. 103 00:05:52,518 --> 00:05:55,888 So I'm going to actually take the second thing, what I call the elephant 104 00:05:55,888 --> 00:05:57,623 in these verses in the room. 105 00:05:57,623 --> 00:06:01,344 And I want to talk about suffering and, well, how in the world does that 106 00:06:01,344 --> 00:06:04,530 bring breaks, since grip on our life. 107 00:06:04,530 --> 00:06:07,817 And then we'll circle back and say, this is how we're supposed to think 108 00:06:07,817 --> 00:06:11,871 and respond, but what we need to understand is simply this, 109 00:06:12,171 --> 00:06:16,075 that he's not talking about suffering in the way we normally think about it. 110 00:06:16,709 --> 00:06:20,930 He's not talking about the suffering that is a human experience ever since. 111 00:06:20,930 --> 00:06:22,882 Thank you, Adam and Eve. 112 00:06:22,882 --> 00:06:25,918 In this fallen world, we're all going to face death. 113 00:06:26,969 --> 00:06:27,437 Unless you 114 00:06:27,437 --> 00:06:30,890 die at a young age or through an accident, you're going to lose loved ones. 115 00:06:31,374 --> 00:06:32,575 You're going to be betrayed. 116 00:06:32,575 --> 00:06:34,160 You're going to be hurt. 117 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,080 You're going to have financial hardships that come upon you. 118 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,516 You're going to have medical things that, you know, like, where did this come? 119 00:06:40,533 --> 00:06:42,085 Oh, just a fallen world. 120 00:06:42,085 --> 00:06:44,871 Everything is broken. There are weeds in every garden. 121 00:06:44,871 --> 00:06:46,889 There is no job this perfect. 122 00:06:46,889 --> 00:06:49,792 It's like everything is broken. 123 00:06:49,792 --> 00:06:53,396 And so normally when we read about suffering, that's what we go to. 124 00:06:53,763 --> 00:06:57,266 Hey, I just lost my job, or I just got a diagnosis 125 00:06:57,266 --> 00:07:00,269 that, is not a good one from the doctor. 126 00:07:00,269 --> 00:07:01,070 And yes, 127 00:07:01,070 --> 00:07:04,707 the Lord shows up in that suffering, but that's not what he's talking about. 128 00:07:05,191 --> 00:07:07,577 He's talking about a special kind of suffering. 129 00:07:07,577 --> 00:07:11,214 The suffering that happens when you when, as a result of you 130 00:07:11,214 --> 00:07:16,135 and I following Jesus, when you have made the right decision, 131 00:07:16,135 --> 00:07:19,589 when you have done the right thing, but the wrong result shows up. 132 00:07:20,306 --> 00:07:21,991 And that's always a confusing time. 133 00:07:21,991 --> 00:07:23,342 Would you agree with me? 134 00:07:23,342 --> 00:07:25,528 And if you've any of you who've had the privilege of walking 135 00:07:25,528 --> 00:07:28,848 with Jesus a long time, I know a lot of you are new in your faith journey. 136 00:07:29,098 --> 00:07:32,068 But as you go through it, I'm going to tell you there going to be times 137 00:07:32,068 --> 00:07:33,803 where you do exactly what you know. 138 00:07:33,803 --> 00:07:36,806 Jesus wants you to do, what Scripture tells you to do, 139 00:07:36,839 --> 00:07:38,691 and you look up and we all have this tendency 140 00:07:38,691 --> 00:07:41,427 to think, well, everything ought to go great. I just obey the Lord. 141 00:07:42,929 --> 00:07:43,279 And yet 142 00:07:43,279 --> 00:07:46,282 the reality is often we do the right thing 143 00:07:46,282 --> 00:07:48,651 and the wrong results happen. 144 00:07:48,651 --> 00:07:54,257 So it is our fear of those wrong results that often causes us to go. 145 00:07:54,807 --> 00:07:57,593 I don't know, I'm not sure God's got this one right. 146 00:07:57,593 --> 00:08:02,215 It's a rule for everybody, but I'm not sure it fits my unique situation. 147 00:08:03,783 --> 00:08:05,935 I would step back and point this out. 148 00:08:05,935 --> 00:08:10,756 I think that when you and I, with our eyes wide open, choose to disobey God, 149 00:08:11,007 --> 00:08:11,657 do something. 150 00:08:11,657 --> 00:08:16,412 We know we shouldn't or not start something we know we should. 151 00:08:17,330 --> 00:08:19,315 The reason is fear. 152 00:08:19,315 --> 00:08:21,350 We're afraid of something. 153 00:08:21,350 --> 00:08:24,804 And so we think, in my case, this doesn't apply 154 00:08:25,321 --> 00:08:28,107 what we tend to be afraid of are two things. 155 00:08:28,107 --> 00:08:30,593 Number one, we have a fear of loss. 156 00:08:30,593 --> 00:08:32,795 And number two, we have a fear of missing out. 157 00:08:32,795 --> 00:08:35,581 Let me kind of flesh those out for just a moment. 158 00:08:35,581 --> 00:08:38,784 The fear of loss will be those situations where I look at it and I go, 159 00:08:38,818 --> 00:08:43,923 I know what the scriptures say here, but if I were to stop doing 160 00:08:43,923 --> 00:08:47,043 what he wants me to stop doing, I'm going to lose this relationship. 161 00:08:47,276 --> 00:08:49,462 I'm going to lose these relationships. 162 00:08:49,462 --> 00:08:52,465 You know, my, my, my work career will not quite 163 00:08:52,465 --> 00:08:55,468 be the same if I don't just go along with everybody. 164 00:08:55,585 --> 00:08:57,720 The little business that I own, 165 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,340 if I play by all the rules when nobody else is playing by the rules. 166 00:09:01,490 --> 00:09:01,908 Wait. 167 00:09:01,908 --> 00:09:04,794 If I tell the truth in this situation, I mean, I could go on and on. 168 00:09:04,794 --> 00:09:06,062 You see where I'm going? 169 00:09:06,062 --> 00:09:09,632 That there is this sense of like, Well, I know what I do, but, like, 170 00:09:09,632 --> 00:09:10,816 I'm afraid of what I lose. 171 00:09:11,934 --> 00:09:13,736 There's also this fear of. 172 00:09:13,736 --> 00:09:16,372 I'm afraid of what I'll miss out on, 173 00:09:16,372 --> 00:09:20,092 pleasure and advancement in life, just all kinds of things. 174 00:09:20,309 --> 00:09:22,578 That's actually, in the Garden of Eden. 175 00:09:22,578 --> 00:09:25,581 That's the the trick Satan used with Eve. 176 00:09:25,881 --> 00:09:28,884 He said, you've been told you can't eat any of these. 177 00:09:29,552 --> 00:09:32,538 You can eat everything but this tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 178 00:09:32,822 --> 00:09:34,740 And he said, let me tell you why. 179 00:09:34,740 --> 00:09:37,193 God knows that the moment you eat of this, 180 00:09:37,193 --> 00:09:40,196 you'll be like him, knowing good and evil. 181 00:09:40,379 --> 00:09:42,331 Well, the master liar. 182 00:09:42,331 --> 00:09:43,432 Half truth. 183 00:09:43,432 --> 00:09:46,218 Yeah, they know good and evil after they ate of it. 184 00:09:46,218 --> 00:09:48,921 But they would know good and evil by experience, 185 00:09:48,921 --> 00:09:51,924 not by knowledge of a concept. 186 00:09:53,009 --> 00:09:54,894 And it was a fear of missing out 187 00:09:54,894 --> 00:09:59,148 that caused Eve and then Adam to say, okay, let's go there. 188 00:09:59,699 --> 00:10:02,251 So whenever I fear I'm going to lose something, 189 00:10:02,251 --> 00:10:05,605 whenever I fear that, well, I won't experience something. 190 00:10:06,872 --> 00:10:07,857 I do what 191 00:10:07,857 --> 00:10:10,643 we do, what I like to call calling an audible. 192 00:10:10,643 --> 00:10:13,646 The Bible calls it sin, but it's football season. 193 00:10:13,796 --> 00:10:16,048 So let me talk about calling an audible. 194 00:10:16,048 --> 00:10:19,368 And those of you who hate football, toughen up. 195 00:10:19,368 --> 00:10:22,288 Too bad. Here we go. 196 00:10:22,288 --> 00:10:26,208 What happens is a quarterback gets a play sent in from the sideline, the coach 197 00:10:26,642 --> 00:10:30,262 and and the play says a running back is going to go right over here. 198 00:10:30,446 --> 00:10:32,064 And he gets under center. 199 00:10:32,064 --> 00:10:32,882 And he looks. 200 00:10:32,882 --> 00:10:35,785 And there's nine of the 11 defensive players over here. 201 00:10:35,785 --> 00:10:37,820 And only two of them over there. 202 00:10:37,820 --> 00:10:39,121 So what's the quarterback do. 203 00:10:39,121 --> 00:10:40,856 He does what's called an audible. 204 00:10:40,856 --> 00:10:44,660 He changes a play that was sent in from the sidelines. 205 00:10:45,261 --> 00:10:48,748 And he does a counter play where it looks for a moment like we're going here. 206 00:10:48,864 --> 00:10:52,435 And then the running back goes over there and touchdown. 207 00:10:53,336 --> 00:10:56,722 And then everybody praises the quarterback for his game awareness, 208 00:10:56,722 --> 00:11:01,377 for his ability to to see what's going on and to check off the play. 209 00:11:01,377 --> 00:11:04,380 The coach sent in and call a better play. 210 00:11:04,980 --> 00:11:07,950 Well that's great if you're a football quarterback. 211 00:11:07,950 --> 00:11:08,784 But guess what? 212 00:11:10,052 --> 00:11:11,337 Human coaches sent 213 00:11:11,337 --> 00:11:14,340 in the wrong play every now and then. 214 00:11:14,573 --> 00:11:16,892 But when God sends in the play, 215 00:11:16,892 --> 00:11:19,879 I would suggest it's not a very good idea to change it. 216 00:11:20,663 --> 00:11:22,048 Would you agree? 217 00:11:22,048 --> 00:11:25,167 And but what happens is I don't treat God as God. 218 00:11:25,167 --> 00:11:27,720 I treat him as my cosmic consultant. 219 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:28,888 And I go, well, good idea. 220 00:11:28,888 --> 00:11:33,392 Normally you got this one, but in this case, and I got all my reasons why 221 00:11:34,410 --> 00:11:37,413 we're going to call an audible. 222 00:11:37,430 --> 00:11:40,249 And when we call the audible, 223 00:11:40,249 --> 00:11:43,252 nothing works out because he knows what he's doing. 224 00:11:43,586 --> 00:11:47,957 Even if, by the way, play after play after play goes into the teeth of the defense 225 00:11:47,957 --> 00:11:52,228 and nothing happens, I guarantee that the human coach over there is going on. 226 00:11:52,228 --> 00:11:55,231 What do I do now? God, he's got a game plan. 227 00:11:55,381 --> 00:12:01,170 He knows exactly why he's setting the stage up over there now. 228 00:12:01,170 --> 00:12:02,371 That's why we sin. 229 00:12:02,371 --> 00:12:06,692 And but yet that verse says, if I will not call the audible, 230 00:12:06,692 --> 00:12:09,512 I run his play and his play doesn't work out. 231 00:12:10,646 --> 00:12:13,199 How does that help me cease from sin? 232 00:12:13,199 --> 00:12:16,135 How does that breaks his grip on my life? 233 00:12:16,135 --> 00:12:19,138 Well, here's why. 234 00:12:19,622 --> 00:12:22,441 Because the thing that I fear most 235 00:12:22,441 --> 00:12:26,512 when I do what God calls me to do, is never as bad as I thought it would be. 236 00:12:27,446 --> 00:12:32,118 And the thing that I missed out on is never as great as I thought it would be. 237 00:12:33,052 --> 00:12:36,055 But we don't know that till we experience it. 238 00:12:36,172 --> 00:12:38,057 I know some of you who have been through that, 239 00:12:38,057 --> 00:12:40,943 where you've gone through a deep, dark valley and you 240 00:12:40,943 --> 00:12:44,597 and if you had been told ahead of time you're going to go through this, you'd go, 241 00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:46,348 there is no way I can make it through that. 242 00:12:46,348 --> 00:12:47,900 That is absolutely impossible. 243 00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:51,654 And then you get on the other side of it and go, man, that was hard. 244 00:12:51,654 --> 00:12:53,639 But nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be. 245 00:12:53,639 --> 00:12:56,792 Some of you been there and missing out is the same thing. 246 00:12:56,792 --> 00:12:58,010 And here's why. 247 00:12:58,010 --> 00:13:01,580 Because in the Valley I'm afraid to go there. 248 00:13:01,580 --> 00:13:03,199 But I'm going to call your play. 249 00:13:03,199 --> 00:13:06,802 And sure enough, it doesn't work out as I'm in that valley. 250 00:13:06,802 --> 00:13:07,369 Guess what? 251 00:13:07,369 --> 00:13:10,289 God shows up with all the grace, strength and mercy I need. 252 00:13:11,724 --> 00:13:13,225 But here's the problem 253 00:13:13,225 --> 00:13:16,228 it's a just in time delivery system. 254 00:13:16,912 --> 00:13:18,414 I hate that 255 00:13:18,414 --> 00:13:21,317 if you're in a business world, you might know the name Deming. 256 00:13:21,317 --> 00:13:23,102 He's the guy who came up with it just in time. 257 00:13:23,102 --> 00:13:24,270 Delivery systems. 258 00:13:24,270 --> 00:13:26,872 And instead of building big warehouse houses and 259 00:13:26,872 --> 00:13:29,658 and having all kinds of inventory, cut the cost 260 00:13:29,658 --> 00:13:33,295 and have all the parts delivered just in time, put it together, 261 00:13:33,445 --> 00:13:36,499 save a lot of money, much more efficient and whatever. 262 00:13:36,632 --> 00:13:41,086 By the way, the American industry ignored it, Japanese industry bought into it. 263 00:13:41,086 --> 00:13:42,955 And now, of course, American has. 264 00:13:42,955 --> 00:13:43,823 But it's just in time. 265 00:13:43,823 --> 00:13:47,359 And I remember reading about that and thinking, oh, that's what God always does. 266 00:13:47,860 --> 00:13:50,479 If you go back to the Old Testament, there was a thing called manna 267 00:13:50,479 --> 00:13:54,900 that showed up every day, one day at a time, just one day supplies 268 00:13:54,900 --> 00:13:57,169 the children of Israel wandered through the wilderness. 269 00:13:58,187 --> 00:14:00,422 Well, here's my problem. 270 00:14:00,422 --> 00:14:03,409 When I'm about when I'm tempted to call the audible, 271 00:14:04,143 --> 00:14:07,880 I look at the valley and I go, I can't make it through. 272 00:14:08,430 --> 00:14:10,983 And guess what? I can't 273 00:14:10,983 --> 00:14:13,969 as I am today with what I have today, 274 00:14:14,687 --> 00:14:18,023 but I can when tomorrow on my doorstep shows up. 275 00:14:18,023 --> 00:14:19,825 Just what I need now. 276 00:14:19,825 --> 00:14:24,530 What I always wish, I wish my garage instead of being full of junk, 277 00:14:24,530 --> 00:14:27,533 was full of pallets of mercy, grace and spiritual strength. 278 00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:29,485 Wouldn't that be cool 279 00:14:29,485 --> 00:14:31,053 if I had pallets full of it? 280 00:14:31,053 --> 00:14:34,073 I look in there and whatever it is the enemy wants to put in front of me 281 00:14:34,073 --> 00:14:37,076 to lift us. I got I got all the supplies 282 00:14:37,076 --> 00:14:40,129 I need for this, but that's why it's called Faith. 283 00:14:40,796 --> 00:14:42,648 It comes one day at a time. 284 00:14:42,648 --> 00:14:46,201 Well, the flip side is when I do what God says to do 285 00:14:46,201 --> 00:14:50,389 and I miss out on something, I'm really not missing out on anything. 286 00:14:50,823 --> 00:14:53,943 And when I do the right thing over time, he gives me 287 00:14:53,943 --> 00:14:57,179 what actually satisfies, even though sometimes it's not what I want. 288 00:14:58,163 --> 00:15:00,266 Because one of the worst experiences in life 289 00:15:00,266 --> 00:15:03,469 is when I get everything I want, only to find out it's nothing I want. 290 00:15:04,503 --> 00:15:06,739 I call it destination sickness, 291 00:15:06,739 --> 00:15:10,342 and I can't tell you how many people I've known in life, both Jesus followers 292 00:15:10,342 --> 00:15:11,961 and non Jesus followers 293 00:15:11,961 --> 00:15:15,481 who have chased the path because this is where I'll find all I want. 294 00:15:15,781 --> 00:15:18,200 And then things they knew were not the right thing to do 295 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:19,251 to make sure they got it. 296 00:15:19,251 --> 00:15:21,503 They were afraid to lose out only to get there and go. 297 00:15:21,503 --> 00:15:23,756 Is this all there is 298 00:15:23,756 --> 00:15:26,275 to find out the greener grass was painted concrete? 299 00:15:26,275 --> 00:15:28,127 You ever had that happen to you? 300 00:15:28,127 --> 00:15:29,161 It's like, what's up? 301 00:15:29,161 --> 00:15:31,697 That brass ring was just a bubble. 302 00:15:31,697 --> 00:15:33,299 And so how sinless this is. 303 00:15:33,299 --> 00:15:36,769 Grip is very simple because after I've gone through that 304 00:15:36,769 --> 00:15:39,838 a few times, I realized, like, there's nothing to fear here. 305 00:15:40,856 --> 00:15:41,807 He's going to give me what I 306 00:15:41,807 --> 00:15:44,927 really need, which is far better sometimes than what I thought I would want. 307 00:15:45,210 --> 00:15:48,681 And that valley I have to go through is nowhere near as severe 308 00:15:48,681 --> 00:15:50,432 and as horrific as I thought. 309 00:15:50,432 --> 00:15:54,320 And every time I go through that, I get stronger and stronger and stronger 310 00:15:54,536 --> 00:15:58,407 because my fear gets less and less and less. 311 00:15:59,458 --> 00:16:01,043 That's what he's talking about. 312 00:16:01,043 --> 00:16:02,911 Well, how do we get there? 313 00:16:02,911 --> 00:16:06,148 Well, we think in respond like Jesus thought 314 00:16:06,148 --> 00:16:09,151 and responded in the face 315 00:16:09,468 --> 00:16:12,471 of suffering for doing the right thing. 316 00:16:12,805 --> 00:16:15,207 As I like to say, when you do the right thing 317 00:16:15,207 --> 00:16:20,029 and you get the wrong result, so let's pivot now and take the rest 318 00:16:20,029 --> 00:16:24,650 of our time and take a look at if we're going to think like Jesus thought. 319 00:16:26,719 --> 00:16:27,469 What? 320 00:16:27,469 --> 00:16:29,989 How do we think and what do we do now? 321 00:16:29,989 --> 00:16:34,293 By the way, a good starting point would be to take a look 322 00:16:34,293 --> 00:16:37,279 at what the Bible actually says. 323 00:16:37,279 --> 00:16:40,916 Let's see, first of all, here first Peter four one since therefore 324 00:16:40,916 --> 00:16:43,919 Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. 325 00:16:44,870 --> 00:16:47,873 The problem is, he doesn't tell us right now what that means, right? 326 00:16:48,357 --> 00:16:51,894 And if we're honest, we often have a Jesus and a Bible 327 00:16:51,894 --> 00:16:55,381 that's more a figment of our imagination than what actually says. 328 00:16:57,866 --> 00:17:00,803 Do any of you remember those little bracelets? 329 00:17:00,803 --> 00:17:03,422 Wwjd? Anybody here? Remember those? 330 00:17:03,422 --> 00:17:05,991 Okay, for those of you who do that, it represented 331 00:17:05,991 --> 00:17:08,994 what would Jesus do? 332 00:17:08,994 --> 00:17:11,163 And for a short period of time it was all the rage. 333 00:17:11,163 --> 00:17:14,933 The problem is, these bracelets were worn by a bunch of people 334 00:17:14,933 --> 00:17:16,952 who had no idea what Jesus actually did. 335 00:17:18,420 --> 00:17:20,005 They just had a Jesus of their own. 336 00:17:20,005 --> 00:17:21,607 Well, I think Jesus would do this. 337 00:17:21,607 --> 00:17:23,358 Of course he'd do what I would do. 338 00:17:23,358 --> 00:17:26,812 So we're going to now explore Scripture, and we're going to find some things 339 00:17:26,812 --> 00:17:30,833 for Peter and other passages that are a little surprising and others 340 00:17:30,833 --> 00:17:33,836 that absolutely confirm what you've always been told. 341 00:17:34,019 --> 00:17:36,422 So let's start with verse one 342 00:17:36,422 --> 00:17:38,090 suffering persecution. 343 00:17:38,090 --> 00:17:40,709 Number one, if we're going to think like Jesus, believe it or not, 344 00:17:40,709 --> 00:17:43,712 we're going to avoid it if possible, 345 00:17:43,979 --> 00:17:46,131 we can avoid it if possible. 346 00:17:46,131 --> 00:17:48,684 We are not called as Jesus followers 347 00:17:48,684 --> 00:17:51,687 to seek out hardship and persecution. 348 00:17:52,821 --> 00:17:55,040 We are called to accept 349 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:59,361 hardship and persecution and that's a massive difference. 350 00:18:00,112 --> 00:18:03,332 I remember one conference I was speaking at, and the dude 351 00:18:03,332 --> 00:18:07,519 who was speaking before me was talking about what it means to take up your cross, 352 00:18:08,187 --> 00:18:10,789 you know, and, and follow Jesus. 353 00:18:10,789 --> 00:18:13,892 And, he was talking about being a radical disciple, 354 00:18:13,892 --> 00:18:16,428 Navy Seal for Jesus, you know, all that kind of stuff. 355 00:18:16,428 --> 00:18:19,081 And and I'm Melissa and I go, dude, you are crazy. 356 00:18:20,149 --> 00:18:20,749 And his 357 00:18:20,749 --> 00:18:25,070 his, his major illustration was, if you're serious about following God, 358 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:29,124 you're going to take up your cross whenever you have in life a choice 359 00:18:29,124 --> 00:18:32,127 and one way is easy and one way is hard. 360 00:18:32,928 --> 00:18:35,030 You're going to take the hard way. 361 00:18:35,030 --> 00:18:37,983 And I remember thinking, I just want to get up in the next 362 00:18:37,983 --> 00:18:40,969 talk and say, this dude needs a counselor 363 00:18:41,753 --> 00:18:43,639 because he wasn't talking about discipleship. 364 00:18:43,639 --> 00:18:44,990 That guy was a masochist. 365 00:18:44,990 --> 00:18:49,261 Like, you're, you're crazy if you choose a hard road just hit you. 366 00:18:49,411 --> 00:18:50,779 There is no value in that. 367 00:18:50,779 --> 00:18:53,782 The value is in accepting what God puts, 368 00:18:54,683 --> 00:18:57,686 before us when we have the choice. 369 00:18:57,719 --> 00:19:00,722 You see, when the Bible says save your cross and bear it, 370 00:19:00,923 --> 00:19:02,641 he he's he's not talking about. 371 00:19:02,641 --> 00:19:04,977 I want to tell you, here's what the Christians life's going to be. 372 00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:08,280 Sign up for it. It's absolutely miserable. 373 00:19:09,331 --> 00:19:10,232 And so 374 00:19:10,232 --> 00:19:14,069 just every day that you're following Jesus is going to be a hard day tomorrow 375 00:19:14,069 --> 00:19:15,020 worse than today. 376 00:19:15,020 --> 00:19:18,023 And that means you really love Jesus and he loves you. 377 00:19:18,257 --> 00:19:22,794 No, Jesus was saying a cross was an implement of death. 378 00:19:23,395 --> 00:19:27,633 He says, if you're going to follow me, you need to be ready to go wherever I go 379 00:19:27,633 --> 00:19:31,937 and you need to be ready if called upon, even to die. 380 00:19:33,388 --> 00:19:34,740 We've got 12 apostles. 381 00:19:34,740 --> 00:19:37,743 Judas was kind of a loser, so we'll go with the 11 left. 382 00:19:40,279 --> 00:19:43,282 And ten out of those 11 died for their faith. 383 00:19:43,982 --> 00:19:45,951 One of them, he lived to a ripe old age. 384 00:19:45,951 --> 00:19:47,786 It's up to God, whatever he wants to do. 385 00:19:47,786 --> 00:19:49,705 He's not saying be miserable. 386 00:19:49,705 --> 00:19:53,809 He's saying be willing to go and do whatever it is I call you to do. 387 00:19:53,842 --> 00:19:55,527 You see that difference? 388 00:19:55,527 --> 00:19:57,379 It is. It is very massive. 389 00:19:58,463 --> 00:19:58,764 Here's 390 00:19:58,764 --> 00:20:01,767 what Jesus actually said about hard times. 391 00:20:01,884 --> 00:20:05,120 In Matthew chapter 1128 to 30, come to me, all who 392 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,490 labor and heavy laden, and I will give you what my church folks for me. 393 00:20:08,490 --> 00:20:08,991 So help me out. 394 00:20:08,991 --> 00:20:11,393 I will give you what rest. 395 00:20:11,393 --> 00:20:13,729 It's not like I'll show you how hard it can be. 396 00:20:13,729 --> 00:20:15,330 No, I'll give you rest. 397 00:20:15,330 --> 00:20:16,048 Take my yoke. 398 00:20:16,048 --> 00:20:17,149 My stern guide upon you. 399 00:20:17,149 --> 00:20:19,167 Learn from me I am gentle, lowly in heart. 400 00:20:19,167 --> 00:20:20,869 And you will find rest for your souls. 401 00:20:20,869 --> 00:20:23,872 Because my yoke is what is easy. 402 00:20:24,856 --> 00:20:26,041 And my burden is light. 403 00:20:26,041 --> 00:20:29,778 That's why you and I, when we walk through a valley, Jesus sent us in. 404 00:20:29,778 --> 00:20:32,331 We didn't send ourselves in that. 405 00:20:32,331 --> 00:20:33,799 You get to the other side, you go, wow, 406 00:20:33,799 --> 00:20:37,019 that wasn't as hard as I thought because his yoke makes it easier 407 00:20:37,803 --> 00:20:40,822 and his hand makes the burden lighter. 408 00:20:42,324 --> 00:20:43,075 You realize 409 00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:46,078 Jesus came to go to the cross right? 410 00:20:46,345 --> 00:20:49,348 That's why he came. 411 00:20:50,449 --> 00:20:53,452 But what did he do before he went to the cross? 412 00:20:54,052 --> 00:20:56,271 He went to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane, 413 00:20:56,271 --> 00:20:59,274 and he brought three of his closest guys with him. 414 00:20:59,358 --> 00:21:00,709 He said, pray for me. 415 00:21:00,709 --> 00:21:04,346 He went over here and he pled with the father that he wouldn't have to do that. 416 00:21:05,631 --> 00:21:07,833 And when the father said, no, you need to do it, 417 00:21:07,833 --> 00:21:09,501 he asked two more times. 418 00:21:09,501 --> 00:21:12,204 Sounds like a toddler. 419 00:21:12,204 --> 00:21:14,790 Like, are you kidding me? 420 00:21:14,790 --> 00:21:17,909 And then he said, okay, obedience is that path, 421 00:21:17,909 --> 00:21:19,494 but I don't want you to miss that. 422 00:21:19,494 --> 00:21:21,930 And by the way, maybe some of you have seen the pictures. 423 00:21:21,930 --> 00:21:24,116 You know, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 424 00:21:24,116 --> 00:21:25,701 You know, he's by this little rock. 425 00:21:25,701 --> 00:21:29,421 He's got his hair all nicely done in that little funky robe would wear. 426 00:21:29,788 --> 00:21:33,992 And then there's that little shiny light around him, I guess was always there. 427 00:21:34,226 --> 00:21:36,211 And he's like this prayed. 428 00:21:36,211 --> 00:21:38,280 That's not what the Bible says at all. 429 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,499 The Bible says he told his three to go there, 430 00:21:40,499 --> 00:21:44,403 and then it says, he went here and he fell on the ground, 431 00:21:44,653 --> 00:21:47,639 groveling in the ground with a horror of what was in front of him, 432 00:21:48,290 --> 00:21:49,825 saying, Lord, is it father? 433 00:21:49,825 --> 00:21:52,427 Is there any way to avoid this? 434 00:21:52,427 --> 00:21:56,665 He told his apostles, when you go town to town, stay where you wanted. 435 00:21:56,665 --> 00:21:59,668 But if they don't want anything, leave. 436 00:21:59,718 --> 00:22:02,237 He said, when they persecute, you, flee. 437 00:22:03,889 --> 00:22:06,024 Now I need to take 438 00:22:06,024 --> 00:22:09,027 a little sidebar here, because there is this problem. 439 00:22:09,177 --> 00:22:12,180 Sometimes the hardship and persecution and rejection 440 00:22:12,180 --> 00:22:16,318 we go through is not because we're being obedient to Jesus. 441 00:22:16,318 --> 00:22:19,187 It's because we're being a jerk for Jesus. 442 00:22:19,187 --> 00:22:21,289 It's self-inflicted. 443 00:22:21,289 --> 00:22:23,759 And I thought it'd be practical because we got this thing called 444 00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:28,397 the holidays coming up, where some of us get to be with the people we most love, 445 00:22:28,397 --> 00:22:31,967 and some of us are experiencing the two days, three days we mostly. 446 00:22:33,685 --> 00:22:35,337 And you know, 447 00:22:35,337 --> 00:22:39,257 you're getting this family gathering and they want nothing to do with Jesus. 448 00:22:39,257 --> 00:22:42,444 And all the things they're talking about are things like they're not very good, 449 00:22:43,161 --> 00:22:46,314 that many of us speak up in those things 450 00:22:46,314 --> 00:22:49,968 and get some rejection, some hardship, some suffering, whatever it would be. 451 00:22:50,252 --> 00:22:52,921 And we think we're suffering for Jesus, and we're suffering 452 00:22:52,921 --> 00:22:54,439 because we don't know how to keep our mouth shut. 453 00:22:56,691 --> 00:22:57,175 You are 454 00:22:57,175 --> 00:23:00,362 not a coward when you keep your mouth shut around. 455 00:23:00,362 --> 00:23:03,348 People who don't want to hear what you have to say. 456 00:23:03,415 --> 00:23:06,168 As a brand new Christian, I didn't understand this. 457 00:23:06,168 --> 00:23:09,421 I mean, you need Jesus eternal life, forgiveness. 458 00:23:10,138 --> 00:23:11,123 You need Jesus. 459 00:23:11,123 --> 00:23:12,357 There is no other way. 460 00:23:12,357 --> 00:23:14,543 So I want to tell everybody. 461 00:23:14,543 --> 00:23:18,146 And so if I sat next to you on an airplane, a bus, God knows what it is, 462 00:23:18,146 --> 00:23:20,215 I put a mirror in front of your face. It fogs a little. 463 00:23:20,215 --> 00:23:21,183 You're alive. Boom! 464 00:23:21,183 --> 00:23:24,169 I'm telling you the story. 465 00:23:24,603 --> 00:23:28,757 And the truth of the matter is, I actually some people pray to receive Jesus. 466 00:23:28,757 --> 00:23:32,160 Not really to receive Jesus, just for me to shut up and leave them alone. 467 00:23:32,844 --> 00:23:33,979 Right. 468 00:23:33,979 --> 00:23:37,349 But. But the thing was, I misunderstood 469 00:23:38,283 --> 00:23:41,987 the fact that what I'm called to do is to speak 470 00:23:43,105 --> 00:23:43,822 where people 471 00:23:43,822 --> 00:23:46,942 are interested and not to stand up everywhere 472 00:23:46,942 --> 00:23:50,328 and bring it and then say, oh, I'm being persecuted for Jesus. 473 00:23:51,029 --> 00:23:54,483 When he sent out his 12 apostles later on, 72 two 474 00:23:54,483 --> 00:23:58,703 by two is advance teams to go to towns he was going to around Galilee. 475 00:23:59,004 --> 00:24:00,839 He said, when you're welcome, you stay there. 476 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:03,959 But if they don't want to hear you stand on the corner 477 00:24:03,959 --> 00:24:08,013 anyway and keep preaching until they put you in jail. No, 478 00:24:09,448 --> 00:24:12,234 he said, women don't want to hear you shake the dust off your feet and go away. 479 00:24:12,234 --> 00:24:14,753 They want to hear you, 480 00:24:14,753 --> 00:24:17,739 but you. 481 00:24:17,823 --> 00:24:18,924 Timing matters. 482 00:24:18,924 --> 00:24:23,011 How many, how many of you would love a blessing if I were to give you a blessing? 483 00:24:23,011 --> 00:24:24,062 How many? You'd like that. 484 00:24:24,062 --> 00:24:26,214 Okay. The rest of you were asleep, right? Okay. 485 00:24:27,833 --> 00:24:28,049 Right. 486 00:24:28,049 --> 00:24:29,968 It's a good thing, 487 00:24:29,968 --> 00:24:32,971 but not if I give it to you at 3 a.m.. 488 00:24:33,238 --> 00:24:35,540 See, Proverbs says a blessing. 489 00:24:35,540 --> 00:24:38,960 Good thing too early in the morning will be taken as a curse. 490 00:24:40,912 --> 00:24:45,767 What we need to learn to do is to accept or when asked. 491 00:24:45,767 --> 00:24:48,236 I love how Peter puts it always be ready. 492 00:24:48,236 --> 00:24:51,273 Give an answer to everyone who asks you for the reason 493 00:24:52,824 --> 00:24:54,476 of the hope you have. 494 00:24:54,476 --> 00:24:58,413 I thought it was tell everybody a reason whether they wanted to hear or not. 495 00:24:58,947 --> 00:25:01,249 Tell everybody. Living a godless life. 496 00:25:01,249 --> 00:25:05,387 Here's five reasons why you're wrong, even though they have no interest in it 497 00:25:05,387 --> 00:25:05,820 at that point. 498 00:25:05,820 --> 00:25:08,807 Does this make sense? What I'm saying? 499 00:25:09,207 --> 00:25:10,458 And our job. 500 00:25:10,458 --> 00:25:14,579 Peter even says that you saw it earlier, live such good lives 501 00:25:14,579 --> 00:25:17,582 that they start wondering, why are you different? 502 00:25:17,582 --> 00:25:20,569 And then they ask, and then you speak into that situation 503 00:25:21,052 --> 00:25:23,421 when, if at all possible, avoid it. 504 00:25:25,290 --> 00:25:27,692 And like I said, you're not a coward. 505 00:25:27,692 --> 00:25:31,796 You're wise when you know when to speak and when not to speak. 506 00:25:32,297 --> 00:25:35,817 Now there's a second thing, though, which is accept it. 507 00:25:35,817 --> 00:25:38,820 If the only way to avoid it is disobedience, 508 00:25:39,287 --> 00:25:40,071 right? 509 00:25:40,071 --> 00:25:42,357 Jesus pleaded, pleaded, pleaded. 510 00:25:42,357 --> 00:25:43,191 And then it's like, nope. 511 00:25:43,191 --> 00:25:44,993 The thing I'm called to do is go to the cross. 512 00:25:44,993 --> 00:25:47,279 And he went to the cross 513 00:25:47,279 --> 00:25:49,080 and and there are situations 514 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,067 where the only way out of the loss, 515 00:25:52,367 --> 00:25:55,403 the only way out of the pain, is to do the wrong thing. 516 00:25:56,187 --> 00:25:58,757 And at that point I will embrace and I will accept 517 00:25:58,757 --> 00:26:01,760 whatever he brings out of my life. 518 00:26:01,876 --> 00:26:04,379 And guess what? 519 00:26:04,379 --> 00:26:08,900 In obedience, God always shows up with that just in time delivery system. 520 00:26:08,900 --> 00:26:10,352 Here's another passage speaks about it. 521 00:26:10,352 --> 00:26:13,555 First Corinthians chapter ten, verse 13. 522 00:26:14,990 --> 00:26:16,858 No temptation has overtaken you. 523 00:26:16,858 --> 00:26:19,227 That is not common to man, though sometimes when we think, come 524 00:26:19,227 --> 00:26:21,479 on, God, I'm the only one going through this. 525 00:26:21,479 --> 00:26:22,247 God is faithful. 526 00:26:22,247 --> 00:26:24,449 He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. 527 00:26:24,449 --> 00:26:28,053 Well, every now and then we go, come on, God, I don't think I can handle this. 528 00:26:28,370 --> 00:26:29,337 And here's what he says. 529 00:26:29,337 --> 00:26:32,724 But with the temptation, he'll also provide the way of escape. 530 00:26:33,258 --> 00:26:36,611 So you can endure it as a new Jesus follower 531 00:26:36,611 --> 00:26:40,615 reading that in the Bible, I wonder, well, where's what is the way of escape? 532 00:26:40,665 --> 00:26:42,917 I you ever done an escape room? 533 00:26:42,917 --> 00:26:44,936 I kind of thought, like maybe that's what it is. 534 00:26:44,936 --> 00:26:48,290 If I'm really smart, I can figure out know how to get out of this thing. 535 00:26:48,773 --> 00:26:51,176 But in reality, you know what the way of escape is? 536 00:26:51,176 --> 00:26:52,944 It's very simple. Obedience. 537 00:26:54,029 --> 00:26:54,479 No matter 538 00:26:54,479 --> 00:26:57,482 what the scoreboard says, no matter what's going on, 539 00:26:57,499 --> 00:27:01,736 you run his play and that is always the way out. 540 00:27:02,420 --> 00:27:04,823 And the way that we receive all 541 00:27:04,823 --> 00:27:07,826 that we need. 542 00:27:08,209 --> 00:27:11,212 Now, in the midst of that, there's a third thing I want to point out, 543 00:27:11,696 --> 00:27:15,183 and that is we never return evil for evil, 544 00:27:15,317 --> 00:27:18,320 no matter what. 545 00:27:18,987 --> 00:27:20,972 That's how Jesus did it. 546 00:27:20,972 --> 00:27:24,509 I want us to put up first Peter chapter two, verses 21 to 547 00:27:25,610 --> 00:27:27,712 23 for a second for 548 00:27:27,712 --> 00:27:31,349 this year has been called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example. 549 00:27:31,349 --> 00:27:34,369 So this verse says, see what he did and do it 550 00:27:35,370 --> 00:27:37,372 so that you might follow in his steps. 551 00:27:37,372 --> 00:27:39,107 Now remember, he committed no sin. 552 00:27:39,107 --> 00:27:42,377 Neither was deceit found in his mouth, perfect, sinless Son of God. 553 00:27:43,645 --> 00:27:44,479 And when he was 554 00:27:44,479 --> 00:27:47,482 reviled, he did not revile in return. 555 00:27:47,482 --> 00:27:50,485 When he suffered, he did not threaten, 556 00:27:50,552 --> 00:27:53,421 but he simply continued to entrust himself 557 00:27:53,421 --> 00:27:56,424 to God, who judges justly. 558 00:27:56,691 --> 00:27:58,593 If we're honest, 559 00:27:58,593 --> 00:28:01,346 everything in us 560 00:28:01,346 --> 00:28:03,531 wants to repay some measure of evil for evil. 561 00:28:03,531 --> 00:28:08,186 Is that is that okay to say right, whether it's road rage 562 00:28:08,186 --> 00:28:11,606 or a massive injustice, I don't want you to get away with it. 563 00:28:12,323 --> 00:28:15,326 So I need to figure out, like, how to do it. 564 00:28:16,044 --> 00:28:19,381 Road rage is such a funny, strange, weird thing to me. 565 00:28:20,281 --> 00:28:23,268 You almost kill me, 566 00:28:23,368 --> 00:28:25,704 so I decide I need to let you know. 567 00:28:25,704 --> 00:28:28,707 You almost killed me. I hung my horn. 568 00:28:28,790 --> 00:28:30,658 But in my flesh. 569 00:28:30,658 --> 00:28:33,661 I also want to teach you a lesson. 570 00:28:33,928 --> 00:28:38,516 So instead of honking my horn, what I really want to do is just lay on my. 571 00:28:38,516 --> 00:28:40,585 Horn. Right? 572 00:28:40,585 --> 00:28:41,252 And then I. 573 00:28:41,252 --> 00:28:45,540 It would be nice to tailgate you maybe roll down the window and 574 00:28:45,590 --> 00:28:46,858 will not wave at you. 575 00:28:50,095 --> 00:28:52,397 That's what I want to do right? 576 00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:57,001 Well, the problem is, whenever I return evil for evil, I think I may the score, 577 00:28:57,001 --> 00:29:01,406 but the person on the other side always does their math differently. 578 00:29:02,657 --> 00:29:04,526 Have you been there or noticed that? 579 00:29:04,526 --> 00:29:06,361 I think we're even now. 580 00:29:06,361 --> 00:29:09,481 You almost killed me and I let you know I wasn't happy about it. 581 00:29:11,249 --> 00:29:12,567 But what's he think? 582 00:29:12,567 --> 00:29:16,554 He thinks he's one behind, so he slows down to two miles an hour 583 00:29:17,989 --> 00:29:20,191 and the battle begins. 584 00:29:20,191 --> 00:29:22,076 Whenever you return 585 00:29:22,076 --> 00:29:27,449 evil for evil, what you end up doing is you've got a fire going on in the kitchen, 586 00:29:27,782 --> 00:29:31,052 and you've grabbed the hose and you put water on it. 587 00:29:31,052 --> 00:29:33,571 Only realize it's a grease fire. 588 00:29:33,571 --> 00:29:36,558 It always makes things worse. 589 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:41,329 And tied to that is his fourth principle, 590 00:29:41,329 --> 00:29:44,849 and is that we need to choose forgiveness over bitterness and revenge 591 00:29:46,284 --> 00:29:48,453 and circle, highlight and underline the word choose. 592 00:29:48,453 --> 00:29:49,771 It's a choice. 593 00:29:49,771 --> 00:29:52,757 How are we going to respond? 594 00:29:52,891 --> 00:29:53,725 I mean, let's be real. 595 00:29:53,725 --> 00:29:57,512 None of us will ever suffer injustice to the level our Lord Jesus did. 596 00:29:58,196 --> 00:30:00,782 We call it Good Friday because of what happened on Sunday? 597 00:30:00,782 --> 00:30:06,120 It was actually damnable Friday, the most evil in just wicked 598 00:30:06,538 --> 00:30:09,541 24 hours in human history. 599 00:30:10,975 --> 00:30:11,242 Yeah. 600 00:30:11,242 --> 00:30:14,245 What were his words, father? 601 00:30:14,245 --> 00:30:15,980 Forgive them. 602 00:30:15,980 --> 00:30:18,983 They know not what they do. 603 00:30:20,034 --> 00:30:23,071 Now, when I choose forgiveness, you need to understand. 604 00:30:23,071 --> 00:30:25,139 That doesn't mean I choose to forget. 605 00:30:25,139 --> 00:30:28,076 I choose to give you a knife so you can stab me in the back again. 606 00:30:28,076 --> 00:30:29,310 I choose to trust. 607 00:30:29,310 --> 00:30:32,030 You know. Forgiveness is given. Trust is earned. 608 00:30:32,030 --> 00:30:34,532 I don't even have to invite you over the Thanksgiving dinner. 609 00:30:34,532 --> 00:30:36,201 There's a lot of people I don't invite, 610 00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:38,152 but what I 611 00:30:38,152 --> 00:30:42,140 do need to do is quit looking for ways to let others know the evil 612 00:30:42,140 --> 00:30:45,827 you did to slander you, and worse, to let you live rent 613 00:30:45,827 --> 00:30:48,830 free in my brain. 614 00:30:48,897 --> 00:30:51,900 Have any of you ever let somebody live rent free in your brain? 615 00:30:52,650 --> 00:30:55,854 You know, the other thing we do is we have what I like to call brain debates. 616 00:30:55,854 --> 00:30:57,589 You ever have those? 617 00:30:57,589 --> 00:31:00,592 I have never lost a brain debate in my life. 618 00:31:01,409 --> 00:31:04,379 I just annihilate the person I'm. 619 00:31:04,379 --> 00:31:08,249 And the thing is, they're just going on with life, not even thinking about me. 620 00:31:08,249 --> 00:31:11,219 And I'm just consumed 621 00:31:11,219 --> 00:31:14,973 because I've chosen not to say, Lord, it's yours. 622 00:31:14,973 --> 00:31:16,708 By the way. Read the Psalms. 623 00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:19,043 You can actually say, Lord, I'm entrusting you with it. 624 00:31:19,043 --> 00:31:20,245 And by the way, sic them. 625 00:31:23,064 --> 00:31:24,048 Now he'll decide what he 626 00:31:24,048 --> 00:31:27,902 wants to do, and I need to remember he died for me while I was his enemy. 627 00:31:27,902 --> 00:31:31,406 So he my turn my enemy into my brother or sister. 628 00:31:32,757 --> 00:31:35,193 But but bottom line, it is a choice 629 00:31:35,193 --> 00:31:38,763 whether I'm going to let this thing go or not in a 630 00:31:39,931 --> 00:31:41,733 in a real, practical way. 631 00:31:41,733 --> 00:31:45,386 A mentor of mine taught me something just in the small grievances. 632 00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:48,539 It was this phrase he said, Larry, you need to learn to go towards 633 00:31:48,539 --> 00:31:50,658 your enemies. 634 00:31:50,658 --> 00:31:52,577 Well, what do you mean by that? 635 00:31:52,577 --> 00:31:55,613 So he said, when somebody has hurt you, has done you wrong. 636 00:31:55,613 --> 00:31:59,367 And your role as a pastor, they've not left the church, 637 00:31:59,367 --> 00:31:59,867 which is fine, 638 00:31:59,867 --> 00:32:04,322 but they've left it flaming everything along in today's stuff on social media. 639 00:32:04,322 --> 00:32:07,408 They're going all after it or whatever it would be, he says. 640 00:32:07,408 --> 00:32:10,378 When you see them in aisle seven, everything in you wants to go 641 00:32:10,378 --> 00:32:12,230 leave the store, go down aisle nine. 642 00:32:14,549 --> 00:32:15,533 Am I mentor taught me 643 00:32:15,533 --> 00:32:18,536 no, go down aisle seven. 644 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,723 I want to tell you that's a choice. 645 00:32:21,723 --> 00:32:23,908 There's nothing I want to do. 646 00:32:23,908 --> 00:32:24,742 But what I learned 647 00:32:24,742 --> 00:32:28,730 is every time I would go down aisle seven and I'd say, hey, how are you doing? 648 00:32:29,364 --> 00:32:32,033 How are the kids or the spouse or whatever it is? 649 00:32:32,033 --> 00:32:35,036 They flamed our church as they go to another church, ask, 650 00:32:35,219 --> 00:32:36,587 hey, how's it over there? 651 00:32:36,587 --> 00:32:41,693 It, you know, Christ, community chapel or, you know, wherever it would be. 652 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:43,494 I hear good things are going on. 653 00:32:43,494 --> 00:32:44,579 You know what would happen? 654 00:32:44,579 --> 00:32:46,731 It's like when you get an infection. 655 00:32:46,731 --> 00:32:49,801 It's like you pop it and all the pus in the poison comes out. 656 00:32:50,868 --> 00:32:54,138 It is one of the most freeing things in the world 657 00:32:54,138 --> 00:32:57,141 to go towards your enemy with grace and mercy, 658 00:32:57,325 --> 00:33:00,778 instead of the chains of holding on 659 00:33:00,778 --> 00:33:04,882 to praying debates, living rent free in my mind, bitterness. 660 00:33:05,933 --> 00:33:07,018 It's counterintuitive. 661 00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:10,488 I'm standing up there and I go, yeah, but that means they got away with it. 662 00:33:11,689 --> 00:33:13,758 And Lord goes, I know the play. 663 00:33:13,758 --> 00:33:15,360 I got the right play. 664 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,363 Do not worry. 665 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,800 And the last thing I leave you with is this we're going to be like Jesus. 666 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,787 We're going to keep our eye on the finish line. 667 00:33:26,721 --> 00:33:29,007 Because no pain, no gain isn't a cliche. 668 00:33:29,007 --> 00:33:32,010 It's discipleship. 669 00:33:32,777 --> 00:33:35,780 And I love Hebrews chapter 12, verse two, 670 00:33:36,597 --> 00:33:37,765 where it says he it. 671 00:33:37,765 --> 00:33:41,102 Jesus endured the cross for the joy 672 00:33:41,102 --> 00:33:44,088 set before him, despising the shame. 673 00:33:45,023 --> 00:33:48,693 And I want to tie this all together with those three words, endured the cross. 674 00:33:49,827 --> 00:33:51,112 That means he didn't like it. 675 00:33:51,112 --> 00:33:54,632 It's really okay to not like it, to just go. 676 00:33:54,649 --> 00:33:57,602 I don't know if I can make one more day as he keeps showing up his man 677 00:33:57,602 --> 00:33:59,570 his just in time delivery system. 678 00:33:59,570 --> 00:34:02,223 Why? For the joy set before him, 679 00:34:02,223 --> 00:34:04,859 he had his eye on the long term. 680 00:34:04,859 --> 00:34:08,479 But I love this all the while despising the shame. 681 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:10,531 I go, I can do 682 00:34:10,531 --> 00:34:14,402 that because I used to have the idea I'm supposed to be like, oh, fun! 683 00:34:14,402 --> 00:34:17,388 Suffering for Jesus. No. 684 00:34:18,322 --> 00:34:21,325 Call the play. 685 00:34:21,325 --> 00:34:23,361 Because you know the joy. 686 00:34:23,361 --> 00:34:26,147 Even if you despise the process. 687 00:34:26,147 --> 00:34:27,048 You know what faith is? 688 00:34:27,048 --> 00:34:30,051 Faith is trusting God enough to do what he says. 689 00:34:30,168 --> 00:34:33,805 And it's not the thing that causes every trial to go away. 690 00:34:33,805 --> 00:34:36,808 It's the thing that guides me through every trial. 691 00:34:39,143 --> 00:34:41,462 And that's what it means 692 00:34:41,462 --> 00:34:44,031 to think like Jesus. 693 00:34:44,031 --> 00:34:47,034 And when we do, awesome things happen. 694 00:34:47,268 --> 00:34:49,921 Father, would you take the things that we have looked at? 695 00:34:49,921 --> 00:34:54,442 And Lord, we don't want to hear them as if your scripture has binoculars, 696 00:34:54,442 --> 00:34:57,829 what we see in other people, but make it a mirror 697 00:34:58,763 --> 00:35:00,865 to help us realize 698 00:35:00,865 --> 00:35:05,403 what step of obedience is our next step to your glory and honor. 699 00:35:05,403 --> 00:35:07,138 In Jesus name, Amen.