WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.700 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:49.980 If you got your Bibles with you, go and open them up to 1 Thessalonians 5. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:54.660 It's where we're going to be as we continue along in our series on prayer. 00:00:54.660 --> 00:00:56.760 So a quick little update with where we are. 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:00.500 Today wraps up week one of our actual prayer times at home. 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:06.120 I believe we ended up somewhere around 133 people signed up to be a part of this prayer 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:07.920 challenge and prayer journey with us. 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:09.600 And so we're excited about that. 00:01:09.660 --> 00:01:12.420 If you didn't sign up and want to continue to pray, too bad. 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:12.780 You can't. 00:01:12.820 --> 00:01:13.140 Just kidding. 00:01:13.220 --> 00:01:15.880 Like, we want you to pray with us as well as we go through this. 00:01:15.960 --> 00:01:20.480 And then for everybody, whether you've committed to a certain time or hour or not, we've got 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:24.280 these prayer guides that are going to be available, and they're on the table back there. 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:26.780 So as you leave, grab one of those. 00:01:26.940 --> 00:01:30.040 Well, here's how you've been praying and how you can continue to pray. 00:01:30.440 --> 00:01:35.280 Our Utah missions team of high schoolers and adults have made it back, and God did a wonderful 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:35.840 ministry. 00:01:36.160 --> 00:01:41.200 Been able to hear a little bit about the stories of what God has done out there in the Salt 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:41.980 Lake area. 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:44.240 And it's just been phenomenal to hear. 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:44.940 And can't wait. 00:01:45.020 --> 00:01:48.220 As they got back, I believe, somewhere around the 2 a.m. 00:01:48.220 --> 00:01:51.980 And so if you see some of them kind of walking around and staggering, we're just glad that 00:01:51.980 --> 00:01:53.660 they're here with us this morning. 00:01:53.980 --> 00:01:55.680 So here's how you can pray moving forward. 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:01.360 As you notice, we typically don't have cardboard cutouts of animals and things around the room 00:02:01.360 --> 00:02:03.280 or clouds hanging in the auditorium. 00:02:03.520 --> 00:02:06.360 And so you know when you see things like that, it is VBS week. 00:02:06.440 --> 00:02:08.900 And so VBS starts on Monday. 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:13.680 And Kareem and her team have done a wonderful job preparing us as we go into the wilderness 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:19.680 and as we go through and interact with Moses and hear all that God has done and God's faithfulness. 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:24.680 And so I want to encourage you to be praying for this week for the families and the kids 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:26.820 and the moms and the dads that are going to come through here. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:31.620 This year is, as you know, I think the phrase of this year could be, it's a little bit different 00:02:31.620 --> 00:02:32.700 than it's ever been before. 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:38.840 And that rings true for our VBS as we've got a large number of families who are not a 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:41.340 part of our church who are coming to our VBS. 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:45.600 And so we're excited to have them there as we're excited to have all of our families there 00:02:45.600 --> 00:02:48.920 as we welcome them and share the gospel with them. 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:53.780 And then last and definitely not least, we've got a team that is going to be leaving next Sunday 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:58.400 after church to go and to serve our middle, our middle schoolers should be going to serve 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.400 with adults at Black Mountain Children's Home. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.500 And so I just want to be able to share with you guys to be praying for all of us as we 00:03:04.500 --> 00:03:06.520 prepare to go on that trip as well. 00:03:06.760 --> 00:03:10.620 The reason why I'm sharing that this Sunday and not next Sunday is Aaron and I are going 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:15.280 on that trip as well, but we're going to leave Saturday so that we can prep and plan for the 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:16.100 team to be there. 00:03:16.220 --> 00:03:17.940 So be in prayer for that team. 00:03:18.020 --> 00:03:21.820 And then next Sunday, you guys are going to be absolutely blessed. 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:24.680 We've got John Jameson from the South Carolina Baptist Convention. 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:26.380 He heads up the serve team. 00:03:26.380 --> 00:03:31.420 And so John's job is coordinating churches to help them impact and serve in the communities 00:03:31.420 --> 00:03:32.280 that they are in. 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:36.580 And John's going to be with us and continuing on in our series in prayer. 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:40.900 And so I'm excited for what John is going to bring to our congregation as God lays that 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:42.440 word on his heart. 00:03:42.660 --> 00:03:46.000 So with all of that said, let's go ahead and jump in. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:48.660 We're going to read 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:50.740 Let's look at verses 14 through 18. 00:03:51.460 --> 00:03:52.580 Paul writes, and he says, 00:03:52.580 --> 00:04:02.700 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be 00:04:02.700 --> 00:04:03.940 patient with them all. 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:11.820 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and 00:04:11.820 --> 00:04:12.940 to everyone. 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:21.740 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the 00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:24.900 will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 00:04:25.440 --> 00:04:29.000 And so this is our second week, our second passage that we've looked at. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.600 We looked at Colossians 4 last week in the letter that Paul wrote, and we're going to look 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.200 at a different letter this morning as we talk about prayer. 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:42.260 So I have been working on and have kind of come up with a working, not definitely not all-encompassing, 00:04:42.340 --> 00:04:48.360 but a working definition of prayer that we're using to kind of guide us through this study 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:54.060 and through this series as we learn how we can grow more in our prayer lives individually, 00:04:54.060 --> 00:04:57.100 but also our prayer life corporately together as a church. 00:04:57.100 --> 00:05:02.780 And so here's kind of the working definition for this series is that prayer is the expression 00:05:02.780 --> 00:05:10.320 of our faith in God and our dependence on God through requests and declarations made to God. 00:05:10.780 --> 00:05:16.640 And so what we're seeing, what we're talking about is that faith is an expression of our faith in Christ. 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:21.700 If you and I claim faith in Christ, then prayer is a part of who we are. 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:22.960 That is a declaration. 00:05:22.960 --> 00:05:30.220 We can see our faith through that, but we also declare our dependence on God through prayer. 00:05:30.520 --> 00:05:36.720 So by me praying to God, it shows that in who I am and what I have surrendered to and what 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.940 I acknowledge is that I am fully and completely dependent on God. 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:46.420 That all things good that come through me are not of me, but they are of him. 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:53.200 That he is what sustains me and keeps me and holds me and empowers me and engrows me. 00:05:53.420 --> 00:05:56.320 And so all of that shows my dependence on God. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:01.320 And this happens as I communicate to him through two ways that we're really focusing on. 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:02.860 Number one, our requests. 00:06:02.960 --> 00:06:08.680 Like let's don't beat ourselves up that we request things to God, that we bring these before him. 00:06:08.760 --> 00:06:10.440 So we want someone to be healed. 00:06:10.580 --> 00:06:12.020 We bring it before God. 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:13.700 We want clarity in a situation. 00:06:13.900 --> 00:06:15.260 We bring it before God. 00:06:15.260 --> 00:06:16.860 We want health and relationships. 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:19.080 We bring these things before the Lord. 00:06:19.380 --> 00:06:26.340 We bring our request, but also that we bring our declarations before God of who he is. 00:06:26.340 --> 00:06:32.100 That in prayer we can declare his majesty, his goodness, and his glory. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:33.760 That we can proclaim who he is. 00:06:34.060 --> 00:06:41.300 God does not tire of hearing us talk about how much we love him and how great he is. 00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:45.100 In all of these things that we do, they are made to God. 00:06:45.200 --> 00:06:47.400 So we don't pray to people. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.620 We don't pray to saints. 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:53.440 We make our prayers known to God. 00:06:53.440 --> 00:06:58.660 Now, as we started walking through this series together, the Lord is just blessing us with 00:06:58.660 --> 00:07:03.160 wonderful conversations that so many of you and I are being able to have. 00:07:03.320 --> 00:07:07.980 And I wanted to kind of look at a conversation that I've had this past week with more than 00:07:07.980 --> 00:07:09.080 just a handful of people. 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:16.500 And it is this, that everyone pretty much in the world acknowledges that prayer is good. 00:07:17.320 --> 00:07:17.520 Right? 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:19.180 As Christians, we should and we do. 00:07:19.900 --> 00:07:20.720 Like, we acknowledge. 00:07:20.820 --> 00:07:25.080 Like, none of you sitting in here, when we make the statement that prayer is good, that 00:07:25.080 --> 00:07:28.300 prayer is a command, that we need to pray, none of you would say, nah, I don't think 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:28.560 so. 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:28.740 Right? 00:07:28.840 --> 00:07:32.940 All of us who were found in Christ, we all declare that and know that to be true. 00:07:32.940 --> 00:07:34.260 But I want to be honest with you. 00:07:34.440 --> 00:07:40.220 When the world begins to rub tension, even within lost people, lost people will be quick 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:44.900 to throw out the, hey, I'm not necessarily about this, but if you could, would you pray 00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:45.300 for me? 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:45.840 Right? 00:07:46.060 --> 00:07:51.860 Like, I've got so many people who were in my life from childhood and even recent relationships 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:55.440 who would not say that they're a follower of Christ, but know who I am. 00:07:55.540 --> 00:08:01.500 And when the world begins to throw the difficulties their way, it's, hey, Bo, I'm not necessarily 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:04.240 one to usually ask for this, but could you pray for me? 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.660 And I'm thinking, bro, I've already been, all right? 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:10.460 But absolutely, yes, we will continue to pray for you. 00:08:10.780 --> 00:08:16.600 So even the world would acknowledge, for the most part, that there's a benefit to prayer, 00:08:16.620 --> 00:08:19.520 no matter where they think that benefit comes from. 00:08:19.640 --> 00:08:24.260 But the struggle, and this is it, this is the conversation we're having, that I know that 00:08:24.260 --> 00:08:25.340 it's good for my life. 00:08:25.420 --> 00:08:30.140 I know that I should do it, I know the benefits that come from it, I know that God calls me 00:08:30.140 --> 00:08:33.460 to it, but I've never made it a deep priority in my life. 00:08:33.900 --> 00:08:38.660 Or it started off as a priority when I got saved, or when I was going through a tough time 00:08:38.660 --> 00:08:41.920 in my marriage, or I was going through this crisis, or I was going through this health 00:08:41.920 --> 00:08:42.280 battle. 00:08:42.540 --> 00:08:47.800 Then prayer became valuable and became important, but I've wandered away from it, and it's not 00:08:47.800 --> 00:08:50.200 a deep-rooted priority in my life now. 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:55.840 And so for me, I would compare it like this, is how I think a lot of us view prayer, is 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:58.540 the same way that I view eating healthy, all right? 00:08:59.140 --> 00:09:01.060 I know eating healthy is important. 00:09:01.800 --> 00:09:04.700 I know eating healthy is good for me. 00:09:05.160 --> 00:09:14.980 But when I'm traveling down 378, and there's that red light that's flashing of the hot, fresh, 00:09:15.400 --> 00:09:17.520 ready donuts, all right? 00:09:18.160 --> 00:09:22.080 I've been known to pick up a dozen and to get home with none of them. 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:24.240 I'm just saying, like, I'm capable of that. 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:30.320 And then the healthy beverage to wash them all down is the whole chocolate milk that I can 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:31.200 get to go with it, right? 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:33.560 I know that's bad. 00:09:33.760 --> 00:09:38.780 I know instead I need to swing through the whole foods and get some organic broccoli and 00:09:38.780 --> 00:09:40.820 kind of crunch on that on my way home. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.720 But Krispy Kreme is just a whole lot better, let's be honest, right? 00:09:44.020 --> 00:09:45.880 And that's the way that so many of us view prayer. 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:48.140 Like, we know what we should do. 00:09:48.520 --> 00:09:50.280 We know the benefit of it. 00:09:50.280 --> 00:09:53.200 We know the spiritual health that comes from that. 00:09:53.400 --> 00:09:56.500 But yet we choose other things. 00:09:56.880 --> 00:10:02.160 We choose other things that don't lead to that, that aren't going to impact eternity. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:04.220 And that's what we wander to. 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:06.460 And that's the conversation that we've been having. 00:10:06.580 --> 00:10:07.600 And maybe that's where you are. 00:10:07.680 --> 00:10:11.620 And if that's where you are, it's okay because we're glad that we're here together going through 00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:11.960 this. 00:10:12.460 --> 00:10:19.300 And this is what we are working toward is finding the opportunity for us to sit and to have 00:10:19.300 --> 00:10:25.080 a deep relationship with God that's going to come from our conversations with Him in prayer. 00:10:26.020 --> 00:10:31.280 So, kind of a recap of a point last week that spills over into this week is the question, 00:10:31.420 --> 00:10:36.380 well, should our prayer life, should it be one long sit-down prayer before the Lord, like 00:10:36.380 --> 00:10:40.220 honestly what we're doing now in this five weeks of prayer that we're doing together? 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:45.520 Or should my prayer be more marked by moments of brief conversations with Him? 00:10:45.780 --> 00:10:50.520 And so, last week we looked at what Paul says to devote yourself to prayer, which is to be 00:10:50.520 --> 00:10:53.640 devoted to this, to work into a strength, to build it forward. 00:10:53.780 --> 00:10:57.100 Jesus, when He looks at the disciples when they fell asleep in the garden, He says, what, 00:10:57.280 --> 00:10:59.600 you couldn't wait and pray for me one hour, right? 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:01.260 And so, that's what we're seeing. 00:11:01.380 --> 00:11:06.900 So, the answer is, should it be one long journey of a prayer together with us before the Lord? 00:11:06.900 --> 00:11:10.980 Or should it be these brief moments of what we just read with pray without ceasing? 00:11:11.140 --> 00:11:12.420 And the answer is yes. 00:11:12.940 --> 00:11:13.900 Yes, it should be both. 00:11:14.640 --> 00:11:20.120 And so, we should not be a person who says that this is what I do because this is what I feel that 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:24.360 I'm best at, but we should say this is what we've embodied and this is what we've embraced. 00:11:24.920 --> 00:11:27.740 And I read this from a pastor last week. 00:11:27.780 --> 00:11:28.820 I'm going to read it again this week. 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:32.580 I'm going to put it up on the screen that talks about this, of the difference between 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:36.720 praying without ceasing and being devoted in prayer and the two things that it works 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:37.000 toward. 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:38.500 And here's what this pastor said. 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:44.660 He said, continual fellowship with God will grow from praying without ceasing, but depth 00:11:44.660 --> 00:11:49.680 of intimacy will come from devotion and endurance of prayer over time. 00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:51.140 So, the answer is yes. 00:11:51.280 --> 00:11:55.540 And we know this because let's talk a little bit about relationships, right? 00:11:55.540 --> 00:12:02.000 So, my wife is really good at pointing out oftentimes the blind spots in our relationship 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.700 and in our marriage where we need to address and grow. 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:08.380 And so, one of the things that she'll say from time to time is, you know, we really haven't 00:12:08.380 --> 00:12:12.020 just sat down and engaged in deep, meaningful conversation with each other. 00:12:12.120 --> 00:12:14.280 So, let's block out everything else. 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:15.260 Let's go out to dinner. 00:12:15.380 --> 00:12:16.340 Let's go on a walk. 00:12:16.420 --> 00:12:17.800 Let's sit down on the couch. 00:12:17.800 --> 00:12:24.500 Let's remove the technology, turn off the TV, and just engage in a long, intimate conversation 00:12:24.500 --> 00:12:25.580 with each other. 00:12:25.800 --> 00:12:26.560 And so, that's what we do. 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:29.400 And so, we'll go for a walk out on the dam. 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:31.640 We'll go for a nice dinner. 00:12:31.880 --> 00:12:36.180 We'll get the kids to go spend the night at friends' houses or send them to the grandparents 00:12:36.180 --> 00:12:39.300 so that we can just sit there and have deep conversation. 00:12:39.560 --> 00:12:44.180 And it's remarkable in the 17 years that we've been married that every time that we have one 00:12:44.180 --> 00:12:48.020 of these conversations, we still find that we're finding out more and more about each 00:12:48.020 --> 00:12:52.400 other and growing in our intimacy with one another through these conversations. 00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:57.700 And that's what it looks like with God when we sit down, as I was able to do at four o'clock 00:12:57.700 --> 00:12:58.480 this morning, right? 00:12:58.700 --> 00:13:03.320 And press through in that conversation and to have that time together. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:10.040 But there's also this fellowship that we build, as she and I have different types of conversations 00:13:10.040 --> 00:13:10.480 together. 00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:14.200 So, one of the things that we also do, and I've shared this with you guys, we love to 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:17.060 garden, grow fruits and vegetables, and kind of work out in our yard. 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:23.740 Now, Aaron is really good at doing one aspect of the gardening, and I think I'm really good 00:13:23.740 --> 00:13:26.080 at doing another aspect of the gardening. 00:13:26.280 --> 00:13:29.140 And so, I think that I'm like the builder and the starter. 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.100 So, I'm the guy that builds the beds. 00:13:31.160 --> 00:13:32.420 I'm the guy that brings in the dirt. 00:13:32.420 --> 00:13:37.060 I'm the guy that churns stuff up and tills and plows and kind of does those things. 00:13:37.140 --> 00:13:39.740 Plows, that just sound way more cool than what I actually do. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:40.760 But you know what I mean, right? 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:42.560 And then, Aaron is more the finisher. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:46.880 She's the one that's going to go and get the crops and pull the weeds so that they can grow 00:13:46.880 --> 00:13:49.980 healthy and then go and freeze them and do all that kind of stuff. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.240 And so, we're out there doing separate things, but having conversations as we move forward in 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:55.440 the same direction. 00:13:55.560 --> 00:14:00.020 Now, we might not speak for a couple hours while we're out there, but we're in continual communication 00:14:00.020 --> 00:14:00.720 with one another. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.300 And that's what I would say prayer without ceasing looks like, is that's what it begins 00:14:04.300 --> 00:14:07.300 to take on and carry within the context of our relationship. 00:14:07.540 --> 00:14:13.460 We're out there doing what we do, but in that moment, we see a need to say something, to 00:14:13.460 --> 00:14:15.920 request something, or to declare something. 00:14:16.180 --> 00:14:17.100 And so, that's what we do. 00:14:17.140 --> 00:14:20.640 And that's what prayer without ceasing is going to look like, as we're going to talk about 00:14:20.640 --> 00:14:23.920 this in just a second with what Paul writes. 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:30.460 And so, when we look at this passage of Scripture, though, oftentimes, 1 Thessalonians 5, pray 00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:34.640 without ceasing is kind of drawn out of the context of which we find it. 00:14:35.280 --> 00:14:41.300 But Paul does not write pray without ceasing as a stick it against the wall command that does 00:14:41.300 --> 00:14:45.700 not have things before it or after it, that it's in the context of the letter that he writes 00:14:45.700 --> 00:14:46.880 to the church at Thessalonica. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.340 And so, what I want us to do is to look at that context as Paul writes to this church and 00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:56.540 understand how he gets to these three powerful words of pray without ceasing. 00:14:56.820 --> 00:15:00.100 And we'll see the journey of these commands that he calls on the church. 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:01.300 And so, let's look at this. 00:15:01.380 --> 00:15:05.540 The first one is going to be the burden of growth that Paul calls from the church. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:12.480 Verse 14, and we urge you, brothers, so he's communicating this to the church, not to the men, but to 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:12.880 the church. 00:15:13.220 --> 00:15:21.080 We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:21.660 them all. 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:29.680 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and 00:15:29.680 --> 00:15:30.560 to everyone. 00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:34.340 So, let's look at verse 15, and then we'll jump back to verse 14. 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:40.600 Paul says, here's the action on the outside of what we need to break within us in humanity. 00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:44.380 See that no one repays evil for evil. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:51.640 So, when those do evil for you, that's not permission to God to say, oh, watch what I can 00:15:51.640 --> 00:15:52.360 do now, right? 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:53.840 They open the door. 00:15:53.980 --> 00:15:55.540 They've got what's coming to them. 00:15:55.680 --> 00:15:57.040 It's time to pay them back. 00:15:57.260 --> 00:15:59.620 They've done this to me, so I can do this to them. 00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:04.080 Paul says, no, no, no, that's not what we're talking about, but what we're saying is, in 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:10.440 Christ, that we seek to do good to one another within the context of the church, but it doesn't 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:11.120 just stop there. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:17.820 And Paul says, and to everyone, so that this isn't just the behavior that we have of seeking 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:21.540 to do good for one another, but this is what we carry outside of the walls. 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:27.680 Now, we might hate applying this from ourselves to others, but we love it when others applied 00:16:27.680 --> 00:16:31.820 this to us, and we are so grateful that Jesus applied this to us. 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:36.280 All we did was evil to God, and God did good to us. 00:16:36.880 --> 00:16:37.380 That's it. 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:39.640 That's the hope that we have in the gospel. 00:16:40.160 --> 00:16:41.960 We did nothing good. 00:16:42.300 --> 00:16:46.400 We did everything evil, and God says, watch me do good for you. 00:16:47.020 --> 00:16:48.320 And that's the hope that we have. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:55.800 But then Paul, before in verse 14, he says, it's going to happen through a thing that we 00:16:55.800 --> 00:16:58.260 do together as we grow together. 00:16:58.260 --> 00:17:04.980 Now, as we go through this, what Paul has for us throughout scripture is we see that I'm 00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:06.660 called to invest in growth. 00:17:07.080 --> 00:17:08.540 That's why we gather together as a church. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:10.300 That's why we have things like CR. 00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:12.280 That's why we have our small groups. 00:17:12.520 --> 00:17:13.740 That's why we have student ministry. 00:17:14.040 --> 00:17:15.300 That's why we have kids ministry. 00:17:15.560 --> 00:17:16.580 That's why we have VBS. 00:17:16.780 --> 00:17:21.540 Not only to proclaim the gospel so that people come to faith in Christ, but that we grow in 00:17:21.540 --> 00:17:22.560 our relationship with him. 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:27.380 We've said this before, God loves you too much to save you and leave you where you are. 00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:32.040 That God wants to see you grow, so he gives us the Holy Spirit, but then he places a burden 00:17:32.040 --> 00:17:37.600 amongst all of us that we are to invest not only in our own growth individually, but we 00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:41.500 are also called to invest in the growth of others corporately. 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:46.620 Now, this creates a tension in us because we've not been fully set free from the practicality 00:17:46.620 --> 00:17:47.660 of our humanity. 00:17:47.860 --> 00:17:48.060 All right? 00:17:48.180 --> 00:17:49.920 Now, here's where the tensions come. 00:17:50.460 --> 00:17:55.580 Some of us are really good at being self-focused when it comes to sin, and here's what I mean 00:17:55.580 --> 00:17:55.920 by that. 00:17:56.020 --> 00:18:01.020 We're really good at seeing our own faults, our own shortcomings, our own sins. 00:18:01.180 --> 00:18:05.960 We're oftentimes the people who are very quick to openly express what we're going through 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:10.840 in small groups, in our areas of failure, and what we need to do better, and what we need 00:18:10.840 --> 00:18:11.700 to go forward in. 00:18:11.700 --> 00:18:17.920 But when we see that in others, and we see their propensity to also struggle with sin, 00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:22.080 we use things like, it's none of my business, I don't want to step in, I don't know them 00:18:22.080 --> 00:18:22.640 very well. 00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:26.340 But the truth is, what we see from Scripture is that's not what we're called to do at all. 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:29.800 We think that's being humble, but it's being sinful. 00:18:30.120 --> 00:18:31.200 It's being prideful. 00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:33.840 I can't, I can't, I can't, but God can. 00:18:34.540 --> 00:18:36.600 So that's the first tension that it gives. 00:18:36.600 --> 00:18:41.200 The other is this, and this is the ones that we probably like to pick on, but both of these 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.120 behaviors are wrong. 00:18:42.520 --> 00:18:45.860 There's another group of us that are really good at being other-focused. 00:18:46.260 --> 00:18:51.140 We're really good at seeing the sins in the lives of others, but we're not willing to look 00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:52.280 at our own sin. 00:18:52.800 --> 00:18:56.400 We're not willing to take a step back and to look into the mirror. 00:18:56.560 --> 00:19:00.720 And so I don't want to admit my faults and my failures, but I'm really good at pointing 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:02.080 out your faults and your failures. 00:19:02.280 --> 00:19:04.880 Now, both of these attitudes are wrong. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:09.480 And so Paul writes, this is what it looks like within the context of the body to not 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:12.020 only address your sin, but to address the others. 00:19:12.080 --> 00:19:15.480 And he gives us four commandments, four commandments in verse 14. 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:19.340 He says, the first one is this, admonish the idle. 00:19:20.060 --> 00:19:24.440 And what that means is those who are disorderly in their conduct in the church. 00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:30.240 It doesn't necessarily just mean those who are lazy, but those who are preventing the moving 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.620 forward of the church with the gospel. 00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:35.220 And they're actually holding the church back. 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:37.660 So laziness can be a part of that. 00:19:37.860 --> 00:19:38.920 But so can pride. 00:19:39.060 --> 00:19:39.900 So can arrogance. 00:19:40.300 --> 00:19:41.260 So can greed. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:42.420 So can lust. 00:19:42.540 --> 00:19:42.640 Right? 00:19:42.760 --> 00:19:46.060 Any sin that we struggle with, admonish the idle. 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:47.320 Work through this. 00:19:47.580 --> 00:19:49.940 Call this out so that we can move together. 00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:53.280 But then he also says, encourage the faint-hearted. 00:19:53.840 --> 00:19:59.680 And what that means is comfort those who are experiencing pain, suffering, loss. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:05.280 And a biblical definition of comfort is not that I just acknowledge that I'm sorry you're 00:20:05.280 --> 00:20:10.560 going through that, but that we hurt with those who hurt is what Paul tells us in Romans. 00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:12.620 So that I take on your burden. 00:20:12.780 --> 00:20:14.040 I take on your pain. 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:15.760 When you weep, I weep. 00:20:15.820 --> 00:20:17.560 When you rejoice, I rejoice. 00:20:17.820 --> 00:20:20.260 This is what this looks like to encourage the faint-hearted. 00:20:20.260 --> 00:20:23.680 You see the depth of a relationship that we're diving into more and more. 00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:26.220 And then the third thing he says, help the weak. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:27.440 Help the weak. 00:20:27.600 --> 00:20:27.740 All right. 00:20:27.760 --> 00:20:32.280 Here's what helping the weak looks like in the context of scripture and in sacrifice. 00:20:32.280 --> 00:20:39.240 It means that where you are weak, I can apply my strength so that you can grow from your weakness 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:40.040 into strength. 00:20:40.340 --> 00:20:44.580 If you've ever lifted weights and worked out, it's kind of the picture of someone who's 00:20:44.580 --> 00:20:47.860 spotting someone who's bench pressing a lot of weight. 00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:51.900 You know, they're laying down on the bench and they've got maybe more weight than they can 00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:52.260 handle. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.420 And they get it off of the bar and they bring it down to their chest. 00:20:55.560 --> 00:20:58.700 And they go to press up and they get about right here and they stop. 00:20:59.180 --> 00:21:02.900 And maybe the right arm goes a little bit farther, but the left is dragging back. 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:04.400 And next thing you know, they begin to collapse. 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:07.880 And the person who's the spotter reaches down. 00:21:08.020 --> 00:21:12.660 And while they push, they pull to remove the weight off of them. 00:21:12.660 --> 00:21:15.820 Now, they're still growing in their strength. 00:21:16.080 --> 00:21:16.260 Why? 00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:21.100 Because of your love and your care, you're exercising your strength to help them. 00:21:21.320 --> 00:21:25.460 And this is what it looks like when we, amongst one another, when we help the weak. 00:21:26.360 --> 00:21:31.200 That I'm willing to give of myself and of my strength so that you can grow. 00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:32.140 But here's the thing. 00:21:32.280 --> 00:21:35.800 I'm straining as well, so I'm growing in strength also. 00:21:36.040 --> 00:21:37.200 So we admonish the idle. 00:21:37.300 --> 00:21:38.440 We encourage the faint-hearted. 00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:39.760 We help the weak. 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:42.100 And you think all of those are tough. 00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:43.560 And I agree, they are tough. 00:21:43.820 --> 00:21:46.320 But here's what I think is the toughest of them all. 00:21:46.600 --> 00:21:47.460 He says, be patient. 00:21:48.340 --> 00:21:50.700 While you're going through all that, be patient. 00:21:51.580 --> 00:21:55.260 So you're the person that's there, I told you you couldn't lift that weight. 00:21:55.300 --> 00:21:57.380 I'm going to leave it there on you for just a little bit. 00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:58.020 No, no, no. 00:21:58.020 --> 00:21:59.080 Be patient. 00:22:00.260 --> 00:22:01.280 Encourage the faint-hearted. 00:22:02.040 --> 00:22:04.620 I knew your circumstances were going to lead you right to where you are. 00:22:04.620 --> 00:22:06.980 So I'm just going to leave you alone in that because that's what you deserve. 00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:08.160 Now, be patient. 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:09.440 Be patient. 00:22:09.800 --> 00:22:10.660 Admonish the idle. 00:22:11.120 --> 00:22:14.100 You do this over and over and over again. 00:22:14.300 --> 00:22:15.340 So I'm done with you. 00:22:15.620 --> 00:22:17.300 Paul says, be patient. 00:22:17.780 --> 00:22:19.520 Continually be patient. 00:22:19.780 --> 00:22:20.940 Here's what it means to be patient. 00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:26.140 Give them more time and more grace than they deserve because that's what God does with us. 00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:30.780 God has given you and I infinitely more time than we deserve. 00:22:31.520 --> 00:22:35.820 He's given us infinitely more grace than we deserve because we deserve none of it. 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:37.160 None of it. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:39.660 We deserve no grace. 00:22:40.020 --> 00:22:42.880 And God pours it out and pours it out and pours it out. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:48.980 And so when we understand who we are in Christ, we understand the patience that God has with us, 00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:50.960 then this is what we are to do. 00:22:51.120 --> 00:22:51.920 Now, here's what I know. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:54.880 The call of this burden is hard. 00:22:55.820 --> 00:22:58.100 Walking with one another this way isn't easy. 00:22:58.520 --> 00:22:59.340 It's messy. 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:00.680 It's tiresome. 00:23:00.860 --> 00:23:02.060 It's stressful. 00:23:03.280 --> 00:23:04.580 But it's what we're called to do. 00:23:05.800 --> 00:23:08.580 So then Paul follows with a command. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:15.180 And the difficulty of all of these things that are there to do, to admonish, to encourage, to help, to be patient, 00:23:15.180 --> 00:23:17.340 he follows that with a command to rejoice. 00:23:17.980 --> 00:23:18.640 To rejoice. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:19.720 Look at verse 16. 00:23:20.060 --> 00:23:21.880 Two very simple words. 00:23:22.280 --> 00:23:23.560 Rejoice always. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.300 Rejoice always. 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:28.700 And I love both of those words. 00:23:29.140 --> 00:23:32.760 But the second word is going to be the word that I really want us to think about. 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:35.140 Rejoice always. 00:23:36.260 --> 00:23:36.960 Well, what about this? 00:23:37.040 --> 00:23:37.820 Nope, always. 00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:39.440 But what about when this happens? 00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:40.360 Nope, always. 00:23:40.540 --> 00:23:42.120 But there's got to be a clause. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.440 There's got to be an exception. 00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:46.980 There's got to be a little sub-point in there. 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:51.320 There's got to be an amendment that in this moment I don't have to rejoice. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:54.860 No, rejoice always is what Scripture says. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:55.900 Because here's the thing. 00:23:56.540 --> 00:23:59.740 Rejoicing is not found in circumstances. 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:07.560 If my circumstances determine my joy, then my joy would be limited and could not be always. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.080 But Paul says very clearly, rejoice always. 00:24:12.320 --> 00:24:14.200 Now, we're going to go through some Scriptures. 00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:15.920 If you want to jot them down, don't turn there. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:16.840 They'll be on the screen. 00:24:17.040 --> 00:24:21.240 But this isn't an isolated incidence where this is mentioned in Scripture. 00:24:21.760 --> 00:24:25.660 Paul says it in 1 Thessalonians, but he also says it in Philippians 4. 00:24:25.860 --> 00:24:30.280 Paul says, Philippians 4, 4, rejoice in the Lord always, right? 00:24:30.360 --> 00:24:31.520 Again, always. 00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:33.860 And then he says, again, I will say rejoice. 00:24:34.560 --> 00:24:35.720 So he says it twice. 00:24:36.800 --> 00:24:37.840 Rejoice always. 00:24:38.360 --> 00:24:41.500 If you miss that, again, I say rejoice. 00:24:42.020 --> 00:24:47.340 So in both of these, as these churches face the difficulties before them of everyday life, 00:24:47.380 --> 00:24:50.600 of persecution, of all that they were facing, he says rejoice. 00:24:50.780 --> 00:24:51.960 Where did he get this from? 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.140 A guy named Jesus, all right? 00:24:53.140 --> 00:24:54.900 So Matthew 5, Sermon on the Mount. 00:24:55.340 --> 00:25:01.820 Jesus says, blessed, blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you 00:25:01.820 --> 00:25:05.960 and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 00:25:06.600 --> 00:25:08.580 He says that's how you're blessed. 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:15.240 Verse 12, rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, 00:25:15.620 --> 00:25:19.320 for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 00:25:19.320 --> 00:25:24.000 So Jesus says right here, how can you rejoice when others revile you? 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.740 How can you rejoice when others persecute you? 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:31.560 How can you rejoice when they utter all kinds of evil against you falsely? 00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:33.200 How can you rejoice? 00:25:33.360 --> 00:25:35.060 Because your reward's not here. 00:25:36.120 --> 00:25:37.240 It's not here. 00:25:37.340 --> 00:25:38.100 It's in heaven. 00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:40.040 This is temporary. 00:25:40.520 --> 00:25:41.680 That's permanent. 00:25:42.080 --> 00:25:44.620 This world takes things away in heaven. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:47.020 It's established and can't be removed. 00:25:48.020 --> 00:25:50.000 So Jesus says, rejoice. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.240 Rejoice because your reward is in heaven because this earth is temporary. 00:25:55.760 --> 00:25:57.820 And so you're like, all right, Bo, I'm tracking with you. 00:25:58.100 --> 00:25:59.640 Paul says this is what we need to do. 00:26:00.140 --> 00:26:01.940 Jesus says this is what we need to do. 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:03.360 Easier said than done, right? 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.320 Easier said than done. 00:26:04.360 --> 00:26:06.860 Let's look at Acts 5, verse 40. 00:26:08.260 --> 00:26:11.460 And when they had called the apostles, this is religious leaders, when they had called in 00:26:11.460 --> 00:26:17.240 the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:17.480 go. 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:21.880 So the apostles have been declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:26:22.320 --> 00:26:24.480 Thousands of people are getting saved. 00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:26.080 They don't like what's happening. 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:27.880 They bring them in there. 00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:33.940 They beat them and say, if you don't want this to happen again, then don't speak in the name 00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:34.440 of Jesus. 00:26:34.700 --> 00:26:36.020 We're going to let you go. 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:37.080 Verse 41. 00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:42.180 Then they left the presence of the council rejoicing. 00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:43.740 Rejoicing. 00:26:44.820 --> 00:26:46.600 Why were they rejoicing? 00:26:47.320 --> 00:26:51.820 That they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:53.040 In verse 42. 00:26:53.420 --> 00:26:59.000 And every day in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:01.920 that the Christ is Jesus. 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:09.680 And so here's everyday men called and saved by the same God who calls and saves us, filled 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:12.200 by the same Holy Spirit that fills us. 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:19.080 And they leave getting beaten and commanded not to do something and do it anyways and rejoice 00:27:19.080 --> 00:27:23.680 in the fact of their suffering because they knew it wasn't in the circumstances, but it 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:24.600 was found in the reward. 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:27.760 Paul later on in Acts 16. 00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:31.400 Acts 5, Paul hadn't been saved yet. 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:33.560 Acts 16, he's saved. 00:27:34.560 --> 00:27:39.680 It says this, having received this order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.740 feet in stocks. 00:27:41.100 --> 00:27:46.320 And about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying, singing hymns to God, and the prisoners weren't 00:27:46.320 --> 00:27:47.140 listening to them. 00:27:47.220 --> 00:27:48.140 So here's what's happened. 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:53.460 Paul and Silas have been out preaching and declaring Jesus Christ, and men and women are 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:54.420 getting saved. 00:27:54.700 --> 00:27:55.860 Lives are being transformed. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:57.800 Communities are being transformed. 00:27:58.320 --> 00:28:02.240 Light is shining in darkness like it never has in these areas before. 00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:06.680 And Paul and Silas were in prison for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:28:06.780 --> 00:28:10.480 Now, it's important what it says in verse 24 where they are. 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:13.200 He put them into the inner prison. 00:28:13.360 --> 00:28:14.400 Now, let's understand this. 00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:18.220 That does not mean the center room of the jail. 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:25.360 What the inner prison was, it was the center room in the prison in the basement. 00:28:26.320 --> 00:28:30.700 And they didn't have sewage systems like we have. 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:36.760 And what they used during this time was the wonderful thing created by the God that they 00:28:36.760 --> 00:28:39.620 would not associate themselves with, a thing called gravity. 00:28:40.580 --> 00:28:46.620 And as those who were in prison would relieve themselves, as they would use the bathroom, 00:28:46.620 --> 00:28:54.020 they would use the gravity so that all of the feces and all of the urine would work its 00:28:54.020 --> 00:28:57.080 way down to the inner prison. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:05.440 And so where we find Paul and Silas is both literally and figuratively standing in the waste 00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:06.780 and the mess of this world. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:12.260 And it says that they fastened their feet in stocks. 00:29:12.860 --> 00:29:18.360 Now, when we see stocks on TV and on movies, we get this picture of chains where people can 00:29:18.360 --> 00:29:22.240 move around or locked in place, but it's kind of aggravating with where they are. 00:29:22.300 --> 00:29:26.380 And that's not what stocks are and what they were used for in Rome. 00:29:26.540 --> 00:29:30.140 And in this time, what the Roman Empire would do, we said this a few weeks ago, they were 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:31.140 really good at killing people. 00:29:31.280 --> 00:29:32.720 They were really good at torturing people. 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:38.260 And so what they would do is they would contort the body through the stocks so that over time, 00:29:38.260 --> 00:29:44.980 your muscles would literally begin to break down so that your entire body for 24 hours 00:29:44.980 --> 00:29:48.240 was consistently locked into one big cramp. 00:29:48.320 --> 00:29:50.920 And I don't know, you imagine like three o'clock in the morning, right? 00:29:51.020 --> 00:29:54.120 And you've been out working in the yard and you didn't drink as much water as you needed 00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:54.340 to. 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:57.620 And all of a sudden you wake up and in that part of your leg, you got the cramp that's 00:29:57.620 --> 00:29:58.660 kind of working through that. 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:00.740 Imagine that's your whole body every day. 00:30:01.840 --> 00:30:02.800 And that's where they were. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:05.320 In feces and urine. 00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:12.100 In verse 25, about midnight, Paul and Silas experiencing all of that were praying and singing 00:30:12.100 --> 00:30:12.800 hymns to God. 00:30:13.520 --> 00:30:16.640 Now, I don't know about what your response would be to that situation, but that's what theirs 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:18.880 were, because they rejoice always. 00:30:19.840 --> 00:30:24.260 And the prisoners were listening to them and we would see where some would be saved. 00:30:25.580 --> 00:30:28.220 Second Corinthians 6, 10. 00:30:29.560 --> 00:30:34.240 A servant of God, sorrowful, yet is always rejoicing. 00:30:34.840 --> 00:30:41.140 Don't miss that the struggles of this world can fill our hearts with sorrow, right? 00:30:41.800 --> 00:30:44.320 But yet we can still rejoice in the midst of the sorrow. 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:50.700 Jesus wept when Lazarus died, but it didn't take away his joy. 00:30:51.820 --> 00:30:56.680 And so as we go through this life, you will face hurt, you will face pain, you will face 00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:58.540 suffering, you will face loss. 00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:01.460 Being a Christian doesn't remove these things from us. 00:31:01.460 --> 00:31:07.880 We are stuck in this world, in this time, but God says, even in the midst of those, rejoice 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:08.560 always. 00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:13.260 Because in Romans, I'm working the good for all of those who are found in me. 00:31:13.340 --> 00:31:17.960 And here's the craziness of that, of God's working the good in every situation, every 00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:18.860 pain, every suffering. 00:31:19.060 --> 00:31:22.420 But it doesn't necessarily guarantee that you're going to get to see what that good is 00:31:22.420 --> 00:31:23.020 in this life. 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:26.820 That God's working and God's working and God's working. 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:32.160 So the question for you, the question for me, the obvious question is, how do we do this? 00:31:33.020 --> 00:31:40.180 How do we hit this level of carrying on this burden of growth and growing in Christ and walking 00:31:40.180 --> 00:31:44.380 with others to rejoice always and persevere through that? 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:45.520 How do we do that? 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:52.280 And so verse 17 comes in, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:55.180 Pray without ceasing is what Paul writes. 00:31:56.340 --> 00:31:58.200 And so what does that look like? 00:31:59.020 --> 00:32:03.880 What does it look like when you and I enter into a commitment before the Lord that we're 00:32:03.880 --> 00:32:04.980 going to pray without ceasing? 00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:06.980 Where do we rest our heart? 00:32:07.080 --> 00:32:08.100 Where do we rest our words? 00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:09.120 Where do we rest our mind? 00:32:09.820 --> 00:32:12.040 What do we model for one another? 00:32:12.700 --> 00:32:13.440 What does this mean? 00:32:14.220 --> 00:32:15.880 I think pray without ceasing means three things. 00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:17.580 Number one, it means that we depend on God. 00:32:18.540 --> 00:32:21.020 We understand that it is not money. 00:32:21.180 --> 00:32:22.020 It is not power. 00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:22.940 It is not fame. 00:32:23.020 --> 00:32:24.000 It is not medicine. 00:32:24.320 --> 00:32:25.460 It is not politics. 00:32:25.720 --> 00:32:29.240 That he and he alone is our source of hope and of life. 00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:33.000 And it is in him and through him that you and I are sustained. 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:34.680 In everything. 00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:39.180 It is not the food that he gives us that sustains me, but he is my daily bread. 00:32:39.980 --> 00:32:44.020 It is not the circumstances of this life that sustains me, but it is him and him alone. 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:49.620 He and he alone are the source of my hope and my life and my joy. 00:32:50.040 --> 00:32:53.560 So in this, pray without ceasing is a posturing of dependence on God. 00:32:54.260 --> 00:32:58.560 The second thing that it means is pray repeatedly and pray often. 00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:02.840 Prayer without ceasing is not a constant recurring prayer that never ends. 00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:09.140 We are not monks walking around mumbling things under our breath, but instead, it is a conversation 00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:10.640 that can be picked up at any time. 00:33:11.840 --> 00:33:14.760 Prayer without ceasing is a conversation that can be picked up at any time. 00:33:14.860 --> 00:33:16.320 So I am walking into a meeting. 00:33:16.440 --> 00:33:17.680 I am walking into an appointment. 00:33:17.840 --> 00:33:19.280 I am doing something with my kids. 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:20.980 I am headed to a baseball game. 00:33:21.280 --> 00:33:23.180 And all of these, I am having a conversation with God. 00:33:23.280 --> 00:33:26.700 I am going to kind of take a pause in this and sit right here until we are here. 00:33:26.820 --> 00:33:28.800 And all of a sudden, I pick right back up where I was at before. 00:33:29.520 --> 00:33:33.880 It is the journey of the intimacy and the fellowship with a friend that we maybe haven't spoken 00:33:33.880 --> 00:33:39.460 to and we feel like what seems like forever, but then we bump into somewhere with them and 00:33:39.460 --> 00:33:41.340 the conversation picks right up where it was before. 00:33:41.600 --> 00:33:46.180 That we pray repeatedly and we pray often and we continue on with him. 00:33:46.500 --> 00:33:49.520 And then lastly, to pray without ceasing means that we never give up. 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:50.960 We never give up. 00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:56.380 Last week in Isaiah, what we read in Isaiah 64, got to get to the challenge, like wear me out. 00:33:56.820 --> 00:33:59.740 We never give up. 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:03.740 It's not ever a conversation that we press the end button on. 00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:07.900 It's a conversation that is continual and going on. 00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:12.760 I'm going to use what might seem to be a silly illustration, but I hope you would see in the 00:34:12.760 --> 00:34:17.240 silliness of it that we would never do this with others, but we do this with the Lord all the time. 00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:21.700 It would be like, let's say, husbands and wives, you're here today and you get in the car 00:34:21.700 --> 00:34:22.840 and you're headed home. 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:26.800 And that, let's say, the husband, because we like to pick on the husbands and not the wives, 00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:27.040 right? 00:34:27.200 --> 00:34:31.900 Let's say the husband looks at his wife and says, we're going to be home in 10 minutes. 00:34:33.740 --> 00:34:41.840 Say to me everything you want to for the next 10 minutes, because when we get home, it's 00:34:41.840 --> 00:34:42.260 no more. 00:34:43.100 --> 00:34:44.160 No more conversations. 00:34:45.040 --> 00:34:46.460 And go, right? 00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:50.100 Now, I would be willing to bet there's going to be a lot of conversation that happens in 00:34:50.100 --> 00:34:53.540 that next 10 minutes, but it's not going to end in that 10 minutes, right? 00:34:53.640 --> 00:34:57.800 It's going to continue on and continue on and continue on because that's how relationships 00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:58.320 are made. 00:34:59.160 --> 00:35:04.480 And if we claim to have a relationship with God of who he is and our response to him, then 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:08.020 we never give up on the conversation that we're having with him. 00:35:08.680 --> 00:35:13.840 And so nothing's too silly, nothing's too not important that he's there and wear him 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:14.000 out. 00:35:14.080 --> 00:35:14.800 Now, here's the question. 00:35:15.140 --> 00:35:16.440 This seems like a lot to do. 00:35:17.100 --> 00:35:22.360 To carry the burden, to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing. 00:35:23.080 --> 00:35:28.060 And what Paul does is his grace and his kindness is he tells us why this should be important 00:35:28.060 --> 00:35:34.560 for our life, why you and I should look toward this and desire this and want this for our life 00:35:34.560 --> 00:35:36.420 as he wraps up verse 18. 00:35:36.940 --> 00:35:43.280 And he says this, very simply, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 00:35:44.420 --> 00:35:45.480 This is God's will. 00:35:46.460 --> 00:35:50.920 The question that so many of us, God, I want to know your will in my life. 00:35:51.520 --> 00:35:53.920 God, I want to know what I need to do, who I need to be. 00:35:54.560 --> 00:35:57.460 God, I need to know where I need to go and what I need to be about. 00:35:58.180 --> 00:36:03.900 God, I've been following you for years and God, I just want to know your will, right? 00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:08.780 It's the question that is so often asked in churches and in Bible studies. 00:36:09.080 --> 00:36:11.900 God, give me your will for my life. 00:36:12.660 --> 00:36:15.340 Hey, 1 Thessalonians 5 gives it to us. 00:36:16.160 --> 00:36:21.500 1 Thessalonians, Paul opens this up and he says, as followers of Jesus, this is, 00:36:21.520 --> 00:36:23.900 God's will for your life. 00:36:24.180 --> 00:36:25.200 Stop searching. 00:36:25.600 --> 00:36:27.200 It's right here. 00:36:28.340 --> 00:36:37.080 As we invest, as we rejoice, and as we're in constant community with the Lord. 00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:45.500 And I would be willing to bet that in those meaningful decisions where we feel like we need God's guidance 00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:57.180 and depth of importance in those moments, that when these things ring true and that you and I truly are a group of people who are carrying on the burden of growth, 00:36:57.440 --> 00:37:02.800 that when you and I truly are the people who rejoice, not when the circumstances align with what we want, 00:37:02.940 --> 00:37:11.140 but we rejoice in all circumstances, but we rejoice in all circumstances and that you and I are a people who are in constant communication and connection with the Lord, 00:37:11.320 --> 00:37:16.140 I have a feeling that path that he set us on is a little bit more clear as we move forward. 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:18.340 Because that's how he loves us. 00:37:19.040 --> 00:37:20.560 And that's his patience for us. 00:37:21.860 --> 00:37:30.560 And so today, where you find yourself, I want you to know that there's a God who wants to be in continual communication with you. 00:37:31.040 --> 00:37:37.120 That there's a God who loves you and who seeks to sustain you and grow you. 00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:42.480 The question that we have is we know what we're supposed to do. 00:37:43.460 --> 00:37:46.080 We know the benefit of it. 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:48.880 But will we just walk out of here and do it? 00:37:49.700 --> 00:37:50.500 Would you pray with me? 00:37:55.060 --> 00:38:02.300 Lord, we thank you so much for who you are and your grace and your kindness for us. 00:38:04.040 --> 00:38:05.420 We thank you for your word. 00:38:06.820 --> 00:38:13.080 Lord, I thank you that my joy is not set in the things of this world, 00:38:13.940 --> 00:38:17.760 but my joy is found in you and you alone. 00:38:18.780 --> 00:38:21.840 That my joy is set and secured in eternity 00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:28.340 and not in the circumstances that will change, that will fade, and that will fail. 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:33.200 Lord, grow us as a church. 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:36.420 Give us a burden for one another. 00:38:37.200 --> 00:38:44.660 To lift up, to encourage, to admonish, to feel each other's pain, 00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:50.140 to build each other's weakness, and to be patient with one another. 00:38:51.820 --> 00:38:56.260 Lord, continually keep our minds set on the things that are above, not on the things of this earth. 00:38:57.140 --> 00:39:00.860 Remind us of the joy that we have in you and you alone. 00:39:02.860 --> 00:39:04.300 Lord, grow us in our prayer, 00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:07.660 both in our devotion. 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:17.720 Lord, give us those moments where we just need to get on our knees and sweat and cry out 00:39:17.720 --> 00:39:24.000 and struggle and struggle for the burdens that you've placed on our heart, 00:39:24.560 --> 00:39:27.440 for the declarations of your name, 00:39:27.980 --> 00:39:30.880 for the requests that consume us. 00:39:33.460 --> 00:39:35.120 Lord, also remind us 00:39:35.120 --> 00:39:39.540 that you hear our thoughts, 00:39:40.300 --> 00:39:43.140 that you know our hearts, 00:39:43.840 --> 00:39:49.040 and that, Lord, even if everyone in the world 00:39:49.040 --> 00:39:52.420 cried out to you at the same time, 00:39:52.940 --> 00:39:56.440 you would still individually hear our voice. 00:39:58.680 --> 00:40:00.640 Lord, remind us that you're never asleep. 00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:03.540 You're never on break. 00:40:05.560 --> 00:40:07.120 Lord, that you were always there. 00:40:09.560 --> 00:40:10.900 May we cry out to you. 00:40:13.160 --> 00:40:15.500 Lord, have us rest in the confidence of your will 00:40:15.500 --> 00:40:18.480 and what you have for us. 00:40:20.240 --> 00:40:21.580 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:40:22.260 --> 00:40:22.620 Amen. 00:40:24.940 --> 00:40:27.200 Just a moment, we're going to stand and we're going to respond. 00:40:28.460 --> 00:40:29.800 We're going to respond through song. 00:40:31.060 --> 00:40:33.400 The altar's open if you want to come down and pray. 00:40:35.540 --> 00:40:40.240 Maybe last week we got on our knees and prayed on our seats. 00:40:41.980 --> 00:40:44.920 Maybe that's what you feel like you need to do this morning. 00:40:46.780 --> 00:40:48.920 Maybe you need to grab your son or your daughter 00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:52.240 or your spouse, friend. 00:40:54.040 --> 00:40:56.580 Hold him by the hand and pray for him. 00:40:58.380 --> 00:41:00.900 Or maybe you just need to declare 00:41:00.900 --> 00:41:02.780 the majesty and the goodness of God. 00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:06.160 We just ask that you respond this morning, 00:41:06.560 --> 00:41:07.960 not how we want you to, 00:41:09.160 --> 00:41:11.160 but how the Spirit of God is leading you this morning 00:41:11.160 --> 00:41:12.480 to respond to Him. 00:41:13.220 --> 00:41:14.080 Let's stand as we worship. 00:41:18.920 --> 00:41:32.520 Thanks again for listening to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:41:33.180 --> 00:41:35.340 We hope that you enjoyed listening to this week's message. 00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:37.720 If you'd like to learn more about who we are 00:41:37.720 --> 00:41:39.360 or explore additional resources, 00:41:39.940 --> 00:41:44.380 visit us online at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:41:44.380 --> 00:41:46.620 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church 00:41:46.620 --> 00:41:47.980 on Facebook and Instagram.