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<v 8>Well hope community. It's so good to be with you today. My name is Rob,

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one of the pastors around here. If I don't know you, I'd love to meet you.

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We got Texas in the house tonight. Good to see you. Uh,

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we got to hear a great update from Pastor John Leaks at Agape Church in Haiti.

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But since even the recording of that,

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the reality of the situation in the nation of Haiti has actually gotten a lot

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worse. And the reality is, is like he said, we just see the church.

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We are a, a family.

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The big C church and hope is a family that loves God follows Jesus and

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shares hope. And here's the thing about family.

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Family doesn't quit on each other when things get hard.

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And there are a lot of ministries that are actually pulling resources out of the

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nation of Haiti 'cause they see it as a lost cause.

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But that's not what hope is doing. We are pressing in.

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We've actually pulled resources more together,

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financial resources together even this week to send to them so that they could

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have covering so that they could have resources and supplies to continue to meet

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those thousands of students and resource those teachers to love those students

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and share the hope that you and I have as a family in

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Christ. And if you've been a part of hope and you've been giving in any sort of

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financial way, this, when you hear us talk about giving,

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it's not about more fogs and more lights, it's about more hope.

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It's about sharing more hope, not just with the triangle but around the world.

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The impact the gospel can have. Because I don't know about your story,

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but I know mine, my life was forever changed because of the gospel.

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So you can see there's multiple ways for you to get involved.

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But the most important thing above it all, above the financial gift,

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it's the gift of prayer. So as a family, we're gonna take a moment today,

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even if you're online,

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we're gonna bow our heads and pray for our brothers and sisters in the nation of

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Haiti right now. Father God, you are the great provider.

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And Lord, we lift up our brothers and sisters at Agape Church.

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We lift up Pastor John Alis to you, Lord, you bless them.

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Would you give them a measure of wisdom to navigate these difficult times?

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But Lord, may they never forget the hope that they have in Christ,

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the hope that unites us all, all over the world as a family.

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God we pray that you would have your way and would you stand against the plan

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of the enemy so that all things would point to you and your glory forever and

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ever. Amen.

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<v 1>Amen.

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<v 9>Hope how we doing today? Okay,

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praise God. You know, I've had the privilege of spending time in Haiti,

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uh, on a number of vacations and I'm so thankful for the ministry that God has

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allowed us to partner with there in Haiti. Uh, really people just living out,

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uh, the hope that we see in Jesus Christ.

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And it's just very thankful for what God is doing in that ministry.

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And I'm thankful for our continued partnership has hoped community church with

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agape. Now for those of you who don't know me, my name is Dwayne Calvin.

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I'm one of the pastors here and it's my privilege to stand before you today. Uh,

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it's always an honor to spend time with you together in worship to our Lord and

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Savior Jesus Christ. And I'm excited to jump into this week. Uh,

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this has been a long time coming.

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We've been talking about this message for a long time. Uh,

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we are in week three of a series that we've been calling trust issues.

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And this week, uh, we are gonna continue this exploration, uh, in the series.

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And it is all about how we respond with first a trust in God when

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our trust is shaken, right?

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A trust in God and then allowing that trust in God to spill over into every

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other area where we need to find trust.

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So the whole series is about trusting God, but we're calling it trust issues.

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And the reason why it's 'cause all of us honestly have trust issues.

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What today we're gonna explore an area that each of every one of us has had some

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experience with. And if we're honest,

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we will probably say there's been some gaps in trust today we're gonna be

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exploring something that affects us all,

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is something that is probably at the height of our minds,

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especially at the stage we find ourselves in and the current culture today.

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And it'll probably be at the height of our minds for a few more months to come.

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And then it'll settle down a little bit and it'll come back up a little bit

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later in about two to four years.

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The question we're gonna be wrestling with today is this question,

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how do I trust God in the midst of our current political

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landscape? Lemme say it again.

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How do I trust God in the midst of our current political landscape? Now,

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even as I say that,

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I look around the room and there's a hundred different thoughts rolling through

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our congregation today. Some of you are people who are saying like, Dwayne,

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finally we're finally gonna talk about it. Great, I love it.

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This is exactly what I was hoping for today.

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And then there are some of you who are like, we gotta talk about that.

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Really, this is the place I come to get away from all of that.

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But now we're gonna talk about that. Yes, we're gonna talk about that.

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And then there are some of you who are here who invited a friend for the very

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first time. And if you're new to Hope, welcome. We're glad you're here.

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But you've been praying for that friend for months and months and months and

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they finally said yes. And you're like, this is the week.

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Like I see you already sliding down into your seat and,

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and I know what you're thinking too.

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You're thinking at least there's good food after this and there is,

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but we're gonna get into it.

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And can I just say I understand every one of those positions. I,

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I get that this can be a particularly volatile issue.

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That this can be something that can kind of cause challenges amongst families,

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amongst groups of people, amongst people working together,

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all kinds of situations. This can create a lot of turmoil.

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And there's a reason why we wanna work through this conversation.

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The first one I share with you is because this typically affects every single

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one of us.

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Every one of us lives in America or somewhere where there's a government.

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And this intersects with our daily lives. The second one,

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the second reason is that Christians are supposed to walk in grace and truth.

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We are supposed to talk about things that are true and we're supposed to do it

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with a spirit of grace.

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And we don't shy away from the hard issues when they arise,

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even when they intersect with difficult cultural conversations.

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Second, I'm sorry,

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third is because Christians are called to love our neighbors as we love

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ourselves, right? As we love each other.

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We're called to be out in our communities loving our neighbors with a love of

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Christ. And what intersects with this often is this idea of political influence.

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So there's a lot of reasons why we're sharing this bottom line.

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We need to talk about it.

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Can I just say that if the church doesn't talk about it,

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I'm not sure who else will.

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And so we need to discuss it and the political landscape can be confusing, uh,

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especially the one we live in in America. You know, when I was growing up,

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TV had a time when it grow, it went off like,

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like you would turn to the channel,

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they would sing the national anthem and it would go off.

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Like if you're not that age,

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like boy you missed it  because now it's on 24

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hours a day and you hear this message from everywhere. If you turn on CNN,

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you hear one message. If you turn on Fox News, you hear a different one.

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If you turn on M-S-N-B-C,

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you get some conglomerate of both of them that you're really not sure that

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either of 'em makes sense or that that one makes sense.

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And if you turn on your Instagram or your Facebook posts,

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those same messages are invading your lives.

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I got a phone call last week from a person I've never met before and did not

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give my number to tell me about how to vote. It's everywhere.

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You hear it on Bill, you hear it in commercials and on television.

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You see it on billboards. And here's the hard part

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and seems to weave its way into our family conversations.

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It seems to weave its way into our work conversations.

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And so we hear it even at times where we don't expect it.

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And I'll be honest with you, this is why some people just disengage.

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They just say, I don't want any of it.

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Like I don't wanna deal with any of it if it's gonna come at me that way.

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If it's gonna always be a thing that I have to deal with or I have to walk

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through and I, I just don't want any part of it. And truthfully,

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many of us have this posture that we take where we just disengage from it or we

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go so hard at it

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that it becomes our very existence.

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And what tends to permeate the conversations that happen as a result of watching

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and observing politics is that what comes to the top in our tone is

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our fears.

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We start talking through a lens of the fears.

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And the fears are varied and they're wide. Uh,

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it is fears like what is gonna happen next?

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What's this country gonna look like if this person wins or if this person wins.

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It's the fear of what if they win? What's the day gonna look like after, uh,

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on the next day? Like what is that gonna be like?

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It is the fear that something is gonna change and I have no control over that

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change if they or them win the election.

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It's the fear that I'm gonna lose something.

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I mean you can insert your something that you feel like you're gonna lose.

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'cause there's a ton of them. I'm gonna lose my options,

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I'm gonna lose my choices, I'm gonna lose my guns,

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I'm gonna lose my ability to control my own destiny.

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<v 10>That.

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<v 9>Fear comes out in almost every conversation.

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And these varied reactions highlight just how deeply politics can affect us

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and affect our sense of trust and security.

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This brings us to our central question again, that we're working from.

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How do we trust God in the midst of all of that,

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in the midst of the political landscape?

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<v 10>Well.

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<v 9>The good news that I wanna start with right up front is that the word of God can

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help us to walk through this. Uh,

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the word of God has answers on all of this stuff and what I'm not gonna do

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today, and you can kinda rest your shoulders just a little bit.

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What I'm not gonna do is stand up here and tell you who to vote for.

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I'm not gonna tell you which candidate I think is the best.

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If you'd like to talk about that, we can talk offline,

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but I'm not gonna do that before your day.

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I'm also not gonna tell you which political party is best because here's what I

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know,

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that every political party and every candidate has no sense of perfection in it.

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There is no perfect party.

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<v 10>And.

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<v 9>There is no perfect person.

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And so I'm not gonna spend time talking to you today about who's the more

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perfect person. We're gonna dive much deeper than that today.

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Today we're gonna take time to look at our.

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<v 10>Hearts.

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<v 9>To examine our own hearts before the Lord,

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hopefully to find a posture to be able to survive and thrive in the midst

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of the cultural landscape that we're facing.

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We're gonna talk about Christian character today and about no matter how,

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whether it's election season or not,

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how we as followers of Jesus Christ should exemplify God in our behavior.

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In our response,

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we're gonna talk about how we can live in a way that glorifies him.

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We're gonna navigate the complexities of our political environment by trusting

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in the character that Jesus Christ spills into our lives when we trust him and

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follow him.

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<v 10>First.

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<v 9>We're gonna look at ourselves. You know,

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it's often been said that the hardest look that you take is the look in the

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mirror. Today we're gonna look in the mirror

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And we're gonna be looking at that through the lens of a well-known passage of

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scripture and, and maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't.

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It's called the Sermon on the Mount.

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And so we'll be looking at Matthew's gospel today. So if you have your Bibles,

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I want you to go ahead and open up to Matthew chapter five and we're gonna start

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at verse one and we're gonna work our way through the text.

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So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and meet me there, Matthew chapter five,

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verse one.

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And let me just set the stage for you a little bit while you're turning there.

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Uh, first,

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this is known as one of the most famous speeches in history and it's given by

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Jesus. Jesus delivered this sermon,

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this message to the Sermon on the Mount about 2000 years ago plus and the

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implications of the words that he shared in that day,

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they still echo to us even today.

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Now we're not completely sure whether it was one sermon or a couple of

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conversations or a couple of sermons, right? We're not sure of that.

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It could be that Matthew collected all of these messages and put 'em together as

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one message. We're not really sure about that. But either way,

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the sermon contains some of the most rigorous ethical demands that the Bible has

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ever explained. That change had transformed the human heart.

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This passage cuts right to the heart of who Christians are supposed to be

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seeing is set with Jesus on top of a mount speaking to people.

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And in chapter five, verse one, here's what he says.

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So seeing the crowds he talking about Jesus went up on the mountaintop and when

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he sat down, his disciples came to him. And when they came to him in verse two,

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he,

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Jesus began to lay out a conversation and he starts it with this part known as

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the beatitudes.

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Now just a little bit about the beatitudes before we jump deep into those,

412
00:36:31.735 --> 00:36:32.965
these are teachings,

413
00:36:32.966 --> 00:36:36.405
they're like kind of a blueprint for how to live out Christian life,

414
00:36:36.505 --> 00:36:40.765
how we can maintain our trust in God and live and act righteously no matter what

415
00:36:40.766 --> 00:36:41.599
our circumstances.

416
00:36:41.775 --> 00:36:46.725
There are eight declarations spoken by Jesus himself at the beginning of

417
00:36:46.726 --> 00:36:51.165
the Sermon on the Mount and the beatitudes described a life of a Christ follower

418
00:36:52.305 --> 00:36:57.285
and not just the life but the rewards that come after following Jesus with our

419
00:36:57.286 --> 00:36:58.885
whole lives. Uh,

420
00:36:58.886 --> 00:37:02.765
they describe the heart of somebody who is living not as a kingdom of this

421
00:37:02.895 --> 00:37:06.045
earth, right, but as a kingdom, a part of the kingdom of heaven.

422
00:37:06.785 --> 00:37:10.685
The beatitudes provide a blueprint for the character of Christ followers.

423
00:37:11.585 --> 00:37:15.605
And by exploring the beatitudes they guide our actions.

424
00:37:17.344 --> 00:37:20.965
The words of Jesus helps us to move forward by faith

425
00:37:22.135 --> 00:37:23.995
people who live out of the beatitudes,

426
00:37:24.945 --> 00:37:28.355
they recognize that their place is first with God

427
00:37:29.985 --> 00:37:34.205
and that that relationship with God informs and instructs every other

428
00:37:34.206 --> 00:37:38.364
relationship. You know, there's a quote that I love about the beatitudes.

429
00:37:38.445 --> 00:37:38.806
It says this,

430
00:37:38.806 --> 00:37:43.565
that the beatitudes are not a spiritual to-do list to be attempted by

431
00:37:43.566 --> 00:37:45.245
eager rule keeping disciples.

432
00:37:45.585 --> 00:37:50.485
It is instead a spiritual done list of the qualities that God brings to bear and

433
00:37:50.486 --> 00:37:55.025
his people and those who follow Jesus. See,

434
00:37:55.026 --> 00:37:57.465
this is not something that we need to try to achieve every day.

435
00:37:58.785 --> 00:38:01.915
It's a way of living as a follower of Christ.

436
00:38:03.825 --> 00:38:06.265
In verse two, we get a front row seat to these beatitudes.

437
00:38:07.145 --> 00:38:08.185
This is what it says in verse two.

438
00:38:09.385 --> 00:38:13.985
It says He Jesus opened his mouth and he taught them the

439
00:38:14.185 --> 00:38:18.825
disciples saying Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom

440
00:38:19.085 --> 00:38:21.185
of heaven. Now, when he starts this message,

441
00:38:21.186 --> 00:38:24.864
he starts right outta the gate by saying, blessed, blessed, happy. Uh,

442
00:38:24.865 --> 00:38:28.145
blessed are the those people who would open who, I'm sorry,

443
00:38:28.146 --> 00:38:32.545
who blessed are those people who are poor in spirit. This is important note,

444
00:38:34.785 --> 00:38:39.364
it's important to note poor in spirit has nothing to do with our finances.

445
00:38:41.145 --> 00:38:43.675
When he says blessed are the people who are poor in spirit, he,

446
00:38:43.676 --> 00:38:45.395
he's not talking about our physical poverty.

447
00:38:45.785 --> 00:38:49.475
He's instead talking about our spiritual bankruptcy before God.

448
00:38:49.665 --> 00:38:51.755
It's a posture that we take when we come to God,

449
00:38:51.885 --> 00:38:56.635
where we come with hands open with nothing in them that would change our

450
00:38:56.745 --> 00:38:57.675
fate for eternity.

451
00:38:57.815 --> 00:39:01.675
We come to God like this with nothing in our hands that will save us knowing

452
00:39:01.864 --> 00:39:03.515
that instead we need a savior.

453
00:39:06.295 --> 00:39:08.835
That's the spiritual poverty posture.

454
00:39:11.815 --> 00:39:16.594
We recognize our spiritual poverty before the Lord in this real sense of saying,

455
00:39:17.614 --> 00:39:21.065
God, I ain't got nothing to bring. I got nothing.

456
00:39:22.605 --> 00:39:25.665
And that recognition of that posture, right, that saying,

457
00:39:25.745 --> 00:39:26.945
I got nothing to bring to the table.

458
00:39:26.946 --> 00:39:30.385
Everything that I get needs to come from you. I need you to fill my life.

459
00:39:30.505 --> 00:39:33.305
I need you to show me where to go. I need you to show me what to do.

460
00:39:33.685 --> 00:39:38.545
All of that kind of poverty spiritually leads to us having a dependence

461
00:39:38.605 --> 00:39:41.545
on God when he is saying

462
00:39:43.705 --> 00:39:45.725
he wants us to come with that kind of spiritual poverty,

463
00:39:47.195 --> 00:39:48.885
he's saying that I want you to depend on it.

464
00:39:49.325 --> 00:39:52.805
Every thing that you give as though it were coming from me,

465
00:39:55.025 --> 00:39:57.775
every behavior, every attitude,

466
00:39:58.665 --> 00:40:01.455
every moment in your life should be a dependence on the living God.

467
00:40:03.215 --> 00:40:07.614
The Christian life is dependent on God for everything and and spiritual poverty

468
00:40:07.615 --> 00:40:11.215
creates that kind of dependence on Jesus for every waking moment of our lives.

469
00:40:11.275 --> 00:40:13.094
So when it comes to the political landscape,

470
00:40:13.245 --> 00:40:17.535
what it prepares us for when we depend on God for everything is it prepares us

471
00:40:17.555 --> 00:40:21.614
for a life where we don't have to depend on our government for everything. Amen.

472
00:40:25.945 --> 00:40:26.246
You know,

473
00:40:26.246 --> 00:40:30.405
I got problems in my neighborhood sometimes and one of the problems is potholes.

474
00:40:30.805 --> 00:40:34.005
. There are some of 'em. I've waited for two years for them to fill

475
00:40:36.045 --> 00:40:40.305
and every time I look at the pothole I have to remind myself like I don't,

476
00:40:40.705 --> 00:40:43.065
I shouldn't be in this place where I depend on my government for everything.

477
00:40:45.605 --> 00:40:46.094
<v 10>Because.

478
00:40:46.094 --> 00:40:50.655
<v 9>They've proven they can't fix a Powell . You know,

479
00:40:50.656 --> 00:40:52.094
when it comes to things like this in life,

480
00:40:53.335 --> 00:40:57.855
I have to be reminded from time to time that my first dependence is on

481
00:40:58.145 --> 00:41:03.055
Jesus and I depend on him to fill me with his spirit and to help me to navigate

482
00:41:03.165 --> 00:41:07.094
difficult situations and difficult seasons like this political season,

483
00:41:07.695 --> 00:41:12.094
poor in sp in spirit, poor in spirit, but reliant completely on God

484
00:41:13.855 --> 00:41:16.905
and it stops us from running away

485
00:41:19.344 --> 00:41:21.305
and worshiping created things rather than the creator.

486
00:41:22.885 --> 00:41:24.215
It's a posture that we take

487
00:41:25.875 --> 00:41:29.415
and and what should be at the forefront of every Christian facing a political

488
00:41:29.416 --> 00:41:33.165
season like right now is dependence on God and not on man.

489
00:41:33.166 --> 00:41:34.125
And I think if we're honest,

490
00:41:34.126 --> 00:41:37.605
sometimes we depend on man way more than we depend on God.

491
00:41:40.355 --> 00:41:45.055
But this first beatitude reminds us that God is the person who we should trust

492
00:41:45.056 --> 00:41:49.065
first. He goes on in verse four,

493
00:41:50.305 --> 00:41:51.545
I talk a little bit about mourning

494
00:41:53.185 --> 00:41:56.745
says Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

495
00:41:56.746 --> 00:42:00.185
Blessed are those who mourn. For they have been, they shall be comforted.

496
00:42:00.325 --> 00:42:04.344
Now the term mourn is not something that we generally associate with mourning.

497
00:42:04.345 --> 00:42:07.025
What he's talking about here is a little different from our experience of

498
00:42:07.145 --> 00:42:07.345
mourning.

499
00:42:07.345 --> 00:42:11.545
Mostly our experience of mourning comes from a loss of a relationship or a loss

500
00:42:11.546 --> 00:42:14.065
of a loved one or maybe even a pet or something like that.

501
00:42:14.135 --> 00:42:17.385
What Jesus is talking about here is just a little bit different in the context

502
00:42:17.565 --> 00:42:19.145
of the content that he's talking about.

503
00:42:19.575 --> 00:42:22.945
He's talking about instead of mourning over something, an article,

504
00:42:23.344 --> 00:42:27.344
a created thing, what we're supposed to be mourning over is our sin.

505
00:42:30.205 --> 00:42:34.215
The sinful state that we found ourselves in when we found Jesus.

506
00:42:35.535 --> 00:42:38.594
You know, Romans tells us that everybody has sinned,

507
00:42:39.195 --> 00:42:42.275
that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and sin is a missing

508
00:42:42.335 --> 00:42:43.168
of the mark.

509
00:42:44.535 --> 00:42:48.835
And we should constantly remind ourselves that like we are sinners saved by

510
00:42:48.925 --> 00:42:49.758
God's grace.

511
00:42:50.075 --> 00:42:54.515
A recognition of our own sinfulness allows us to walk in grace when observing

512
00:42:54.516 --> 00:42:58.235
people who don't share our views and observing candidates that don't necessarily

513
00:42:58.635 --> 00:43:01.915
represent what we represent or parties or neighbors or whoever it is that we're

514
00:43:01.916 --> 00:43:02.385
talking to.

515
00:43:02.385 --> 00:43:06.875
When we walk in the mindset that I have sinned and God has given me grace,

516
00:43:07.135 --> 00:43:08.995
it changes how we approach the conversation.

517
00:43:13.555 --> 00:43:17.515
That grace that we experience as a result of God forgiving us

518
00:43:18.594 --> 00:43:21.455
and his blood covering the sin that we've experienced in our lives,

519
00:43:22.405 --> 00:43:25.655
that grace stops us from condemning people with other viewpoints,

520
00:43:28.155 --> 00:43:30.885
that grace points us back to Jesus at every single turn.

521
00:43:32.225 --> 00:43:36.645
You know it's easy to see others with grace when you realize that you yourself

522
00:43:37.625 --> 00:43:38.765
are a product of God's grace.

523
00:43:40.795 --> 00:43:45.605
It's a lens that we put on as followers of Christ that helps

524
00:43:45.625 --> 00:43:50.614
us to tone down the rhetoric and get about the business of loving and connecting

525
00:43:50.615 --> 00:43:52.975
with people. That's God's grace.

526
00:43:55.415 --> 00:44:00.135
Tia told you the beatitudes are power packed. They're an amazing,

527
00:44:00.565 --> 00:44:04.695
amazing, encouraging, uh, conversation that Jesus has with his disciples.

528
00:44:04.875 --> 00:44:06.895
And when he goes on to verse four, here's what he says.

529
00:44:07.315 --> 00:44:10.575
He says another thing about how we're supposed to posture ourselves before the

530
00:44:10.576 --> 00:44:11.975
Lord and before other people. He says,

531
00:44:11.976 --> 00:44:15.215
blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

532
00:44:15.675 --> 00:44:18.614
Now the Greek word that translates to meek is a word that means prayers called

533
00:44:18.935 --> 00:44:23.175
prayer. It means this, this mindfulness, this, this mildness,

534
00:44:23.205 --> 00:44:26.815
this gentle approach of spirit, this humility that we bring to the table.

535
00:44:26.875 --> 00:44:29.855
It means that we have strength that is under control.

536
00:44:32.705 --> 00:44:35.325
It is not weakness, it's meekness.

537
00:44:36.505 --> 00:44:38.205
It is like strength with a seatbelt on.

538
00:44:40.985 --> 00:44:44.025
It is strength that understands that the person that is all powerful is God,

539
00:44:44.125 --> 00:44:48.145
not us. When Jesus says that the meek shall inherit the earth,

540
00:44:48.146 --> 00:44:53.025
what he's saying is, is because meekness models humble Christianity,

541
00:44:53.245 --> 00:44:55.065
it models Jesus Christ. And as such,

542
00:44:55.155 --> 00:45:00.145
those who live a life of growing in meekness will be both blessed but

543
00:45:00.344 --> 00:45:02.265
will also get to be with Jesus when it's all over,

544
00:45:03.985 --> 00:45:06.565
Christ compels us to be meek.

545
00:45:09.415 --> 00:45:10.875
It lives out his faithfulness.

546
00:45:12.125 --> 00:45:17.094
When we approach situations with humility, You know verse six,

547
00:45:17.095 --> 00:45:21.655
it goes on to say blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

548
00:45:21.656 --> 00:45:25.895
for they shall be satisfied. You know, I love the definition of righteousness.

549
00:45:26.844 --> 00:45:31.094
Righteousness is the act of doing what is right.

550
00:45:32.695 --> 00:45:35.495
And Apostle Paul talks about this in his writing in Ephesians chapter five,

551
00:45:35.695 --> 00:45:37.815
verse eight, where where he says, for uh, all,

552
00:45:38.015 --> 00:45:41.215
all at one time you were in darkness. That's all of us who have followed Jesus.

553
00:45:41.275 --> 00:45:45.094
At one time we were in darkness, but now you are in light, in light of the Lord.

554
00:45:45.685 --> 00:45:47.094
Live his children for the light,

555
00:45:47.095 --> 00:45:51.575
for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness.

556
00:45:51.576 --> 00:45:55.935
There it is again and truth and find out what pleases the Lord.

557
00:45:58.065 --> 00:46:02.505
Find out what pleases God. Let's do that. Do the right thing.

558
00:46:04.285 --> 00:46:04.725
<v 10>Live.

559
00:46:04.725 --> 00:46:05.558
<v 9>Righteously.

560
00:46:06.485 --> 00:46:10.775
Find out what God's wants from you by reading his word and applying it to your

561
00:46:10.776 --> 00:46:13.495
life. It seems kind of simple to live that way, right?

562
00:46:14.835 --> 00:46:18.015
And I think it is until we get angry,

563
00:46:20.745 --> 00:46:24.775
until we get angry about another political party's viewpoints or or angry about

564
00:46:24.815 --> 00:46:26.215
a different candidate's speech,

565
00:46:27.145 --> 00:46:30.895
until we get angry about something that really doesn't have a whole lot of

566
00:46:31.295 --> 00:46:32.335
long-term kingdom impact

567
00:46:34.325 --> 00:46:36.415
that we feel goes against our political views.

568
00:46:37.755 --> 00:46:41.255
And that's usually troubled kind of coupled we get angry and then we start

569
00:46:41.325 --> 00:46:43.175
posting and sending things out.

570
00:46:43.176 --> 00:46:47.415
That's usually coupled with a tweet or a Facebook post or a good old fashioned

571
00:46:47.416 --> 00:46:49.255
yelling fit in the midst of a conversation.

572
00:46:52.155 --> 00:46:56.225
You see, it's easy, it's easy to try to do the right thing

573
00:46:57.835 --> 00:46:59.355
when nobody's challenging our viewpoints.

574
00:47:00.685 --> 00:47:05.364
But the real test of whether we want to be just right on whether we wanna be

575
00:47:05.365 --> 00:47:09.165
righteous comes in the midst of our conflicts.

576
00:47:11.135 --> 00:47:16.015
Quick inventory here. Have we been living righteously?

577
00:47:18.055 --> 00:47:18.935
Have we been living this way

578
00:47:20.715 --> 00:47:23.835
like in the midst of a political backdrop that's clearly confusing and

579
00:47:24.035 --> 00:47:27.915
challenging? Do we care more about being right?

580
00:47:29.045 --> 00:47:30.725
Do we care more about being righteous?

581
00:47:32.594 --> 00:47:35.355
Because can I just say like what I've seen on social media over the last couple

582
00:47:35.356 --> 00:47:37.195
years has blown me away?

583
00:47:38.645 --> 00:47:43.605
And what I've learned is that your posts paint a picture for you and your tweets

584
00:47:43.606 --> 00:47:45.165
tell the tale of what you actually believe.

585
00:47:48.035 --> 00:47:52.594
And if you haven't been living in a way that recognize God's character first.

586
00:47:54.715 --> 00:47:54.715
<v 10>And.

587
00:47:54.715 --> 00:47:59.114
<v 9>Who he would have us to be, this may be a great opportunity for his repentance.

588
00:48:00.445 --> 00:48:04.155
Maybe take inventory on what sins are secretly hiding behind the way we respond

589
00:48:04.255 --> 00:48:05.088
and act.

590
00:48:07.195 --> 00:48:11.435
Maybe we need to just go to the Lord more than we go to our posts.

591
00:48:13.605 --> 00:48:16.364
Verse seven, The Bible says,

592
00:48:16.365 --> 00:48:19.885
blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.

593
00:48:21.105 --> 00:48:25.245
You know the word mercy is a word that we kind of forget about in culture. Uh,

594
00:48:25.325 --> 00:48:27.645
a lot of our churches are named after the word mercy.

595
00:48:27.925 --> 00:48:30.005
We got like Mercy Hill and a bunch of churches like that.

596
00:48:30.105 --> 00:48:33.125
And when we go to a hospital, sometimes they're made mercy hospital.

597
00:48:33.225 --> 00:48:36.805
And so I think we forget about how powerful of a word the word mercy is.

598
00:48:36.905 --> 00:48:38.005
And so let me explain it.

599
00:48:38.655 --> 00:48:43.445
Mercy can be defined as compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone who

600
00:48:43.545 --> 00:48:46.485
is within your power to punish or harm.

601
00:48:46.965 --> 00:48:51.005
And instead of choosing to harm or hurt them, you choose mercy.

602
00:48:53.825 --> 00:48:55.155
It's relinquishing our power,

603
00:48:56.275 --> 00:48:59.355
relinquishing our power to harm and instead choosing love.

604
00:48:59.375 --> 00:49:04.085
And it's a powerful action when you see it happen. Mercy,

605
00:49:05.985 --> 00:49:09.765
can I just say like, in the polarized world that we live in today,

606
00:49:11.765 --> 00:49:15.625
we need a little more Jesus and a little more mercy.

607
00:49:18.105 --> 00:49:18.306
I mean,

608
00:49:18.306 --> 00:49:22.344
could you imagine the message it would send to the world around us if just

609
00:49:22.364 --> 00:49:27.225
people who followed Jesus decided to live out this idea of mercy?

610
00:49:29.445 --> 00:49:31.945
If we were to take serious our Christian witness

611
00:49:33.405 --> 00:49:37.265
And live a life that says like I was in position to harm you right now and I

612
00:49:37.385 --> 00:49:39.585
could hurt your feelings or hurt you or your character,

613
00:49:39.825 --> 00:49:42.705
I could assassinate your character with what I'm about to say.

614
00:49:42.925 --> 00:49:47.665
But instead what I'm gonna choose to do is I'm gonna show you mercy and love,

615
00:49:49.035 --> 00:49:50.175
the love of Jesus Christ

616
00:49:52.075 --> 00:49:55.235
and I'm gonna do my best to create an opportunity where we can work through our

617
00:49:55.236 --> 00:49:56.069
differences,

618
00:49:58.215 --> 00:50:00.255
the light of Jesus Christ shining into our relationship.

619
00:50:01.985 --> 00:50:05.835
Could you imagine what the world would look like? Uh, it's a game changer.

620
00:50:07.255 --> 00:50:11.475
It would change everything and it comes from the purest of heart,

621
00:50:11.915 --> 00:50:14.395
a heart that's been changed and transformed by Jesus Christ.

622
00:50:14.535 --> 00:50:16.715
And so we can live out mercy if we choose to,

623
00:50:19.135 --> 00:50:22.195
but oftentimes we don't. In verse eight,

624
00:50:22.196 --> 00:50:26.755
Jesus talks about the heart that we need to have in order to explain, live out,

625
00:50:27.075 --> 00:50:28.565
uh, be this kind of mercy for people.

626
00:50:29.125 --> 00:50:31.645
In verse eight it says that blessed are the pure in heart.

627
00:50:31.646 --> 00:50:36.565
We need to have pure hearts. He says, with they shall see God.

628
00:50:38.145 --> 00:50:38.365
Now,

629
00:50:38.365 --> 00:50:43.364
pure heart is a heart that leads to a clarity of relationship with God.

630
00:50:44.715 --> 00:50:49.445
It's a heart that examines ourselves and looks at our motives and seeks to

631
00:50:49.455 --> 00:50:51.285
align our motives with God's heart.

632
00:50:51.425 --> 00:50:53.805
And that's what makes it pure because he is pure.

633
00:50:53.945 --> 00:50:57.325
And when we kind of align our hearts to his, we have a pure heart.

634
00:50:57.335 --> 00:50:58.965
We're operating out of a pure heart.

635
00:51:02.715 --> 00:51:06.855
And it begs the question, are we operating outta a pure heart?

636
00:51:09.165 --> 00:51:13.545
Are we operating outta the things that God would have us to look at

637
00:51:14.665 --> 00:51:16.035
when it comes to how we vote,

638
00:51:17.105 --> 00:51:19.594
when it comes to how we align with decisions and with parties?

639
00:51:22.485 --> 00:51:27.045
The question would be how do I, how do I align myself with God?

640
00:51:29.325 --> 00:51:31.225
How do I make sure that my heart is pure.

641
00:51:32.235 --> 00:51:32.525
<v 10>With.

642
00:51:32.525 --> 00:51:35.805
<v 9>The way I approach not just this political season.

643
00:51:36.864 --> 00:51:37.085
<v 10>But.

644
00:51:37.085 --> 00:51:38.205
<v 9>Every aspect of my life?

645
00:51:39.645 --> 00:51:44.435
You see what God desires from most is a pure heart that's focused on his

646
00:51:44.436 --> 00:51:48.435
attentions above our own. And the question we often ask is,

647
00:51:48.455 --> 00:51:49.594
are my intentions pure?

648
00:51:49.775 --> 00:51:53.275
Are they rooted in Jesus or do I just want to get my way out of that,

649
00:51:53.614 --> 00:51:55.555
out of what I'm about to experience? Uh,

650
00:51:55.556 --> 00:51:58.515
we have to examine our hearts and make sure that they are pure before the Lord.

651
00:51:58.516 --> 00:52:03.035
If we are not, we are not going to be the people who God calls us to be.

652
00:52:05.165 --> 00:52:09.625
And the people he calls us to be is not people who stir up chaos all the time.

653
00:52:12.025 --> 00:52:14.705
We're called instead to be peacemakers.

654
00:52:16.295 --> 00:52:19.555
We bring the pure heart of Jesus with us when we go into situations.

655
00:52:20.135 --> 00:52:23.275
And that brings with this a heart of peace.

656
00:52:25.535 --> 00:52:27.875
You know, when you get to verse nine, Jesus just says,

657
00:52:27.876 --> 00:52:29.114
blessed of the peacemakers,

658
00:52:30.335 --> 00:52:35.165
for they shall be called sons of God. You know,

659
00:52:35.166 --> 00:52:36.445
as a pastor, uh,

660
00:52:36.525 --> 00:52:40.325
I get to be at all kinds of events and I'm so thankful to God that I get to be

661
00:52:40.326 --> 00:52:44.485
at the best times and the worst times of people's lives, right? And,

662
00:52:44.486 --> 00:52:46.445
and I tell people when they're getting married,

663
00:52:46.446 --> 00:52:50.765
they call me into their marriage or to be the pastor on scene and I tell 'em,

664
00:52:50.766 --> 00:52:53.525
Hey, one other thing that I do, right? And, and this is free,

665
00:52:53.526 --> 00:52:54.445
it's not a charge for this.

666
00:52:54.446 --> 00:52:58.085
Like one other thing that I do I want you to know is that I want you to sit me

667
00:52:58.086 --> 00:53:01.045
with the person who will cause the most ruckus at the wedding.

668
00:53:02.625 --> 00:53:04.445
Go ahead and put that person in your mind. You already knew,

669
00:53:04.446 --> 00:53:08.205
you know who you know who it is. Sit me with them and they go,

670
00:53:08.305 --> 00:53:12.245
why would you wanna sit with that person? And I say the same thing every time.

671
00:53:13.525 --> 00:53:15.565
Uh, it's because we are people who bring peace.

672
00:53:18.575 --> 00:53:21.135
I know that the spirit of God lives and moves in me.

673
00:53:21.375 --> 00:53:24.015
I know that I'm doing everything I can to follow his plan and his will.

674
00:53:24.114 --> 00:53:26.725
And that brings me to a state of peace more often than not.

675
00:53:26.785 --> 00:53:28.565
And it brings others to a state of peace.

676
00:53:28.625 --> 00:53:31.205
And so when I sit at a table with them, I'm like, you know what?

677
00:53:31.265 --> 00:53:32.885
It ain't gonna be no foolishness at this table.

678
00:53:35.775 --> 00:53:38.455
We're people who bring peace

679
00:53:41.195 --> 00:53:42.455
as followers of Jesus Christ.

680
00:53:42.456 --> 00:53:46.305
We walk into a situation and we think to ourselves, God,

681
00:53:46.325 --> 00:53:50.825
how can you use us to bring about your kingdom in this space?

682
00:53:52.655 --> 00:53:56.425
What can you do in our own hearts that would bring peace to the room that we're

683
00:53:56.426 --> 00:53:59.864
in for people who bring peace?

684
00:54:01.005 --> 00:54:05.265
And I know it's not popular to say that, but can I just say it's necessary?

685
00:54:06.335 --> 00:54:07.855
I know that the status quo is different,

686
00:54:08.635 --> 00:54:11.855
but what we're talking about is being a peacemaker and that brings joy to the

687
00:54:11.856 --> 00:54:14.975
Lord. And you may not win over everybody with that approach, right?

688
00:54:14.976 --> 00:54:17.855
Quite honestly, there are some people who don't want no parts of peace,

689
00:54:17.856 --> 00:54:22.435
they just wanna fight. And I understand that

690
00:54:24.535 --> 00:54:26.395
as a matter of fact, I've been that person before,

691
00:54:28.985 --> 00:54:32.805
caring more about being right than about being righteous.

692
00:54:34.185 --> 00:54:36.245
And when you enter into that kind of approach in your life,

693
00:54:37.105 --> 00:54:39.085
you can destroy a room pretty quickly.

694
00:54:42.185 --> 00:54:43.825
And I don't believe that that's what God would have for us.

695
00:54:46.175 --> 00:54:47.735
I think we are people who bring peace.

696
00:54:50.435 --> 00:54:55.065
He goes on to say that even if it's the peace,

697
00:54:55.425 --> 00:54:56.785
there'll be persecution. He says,

698
00:54:56.786 --> 00:55:00.145
blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake,

699
00:55:01.905 --> 00:55:04.505
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He goes on to say,

700
00:55:04.506 --> 00:55:09.385
blessed are you when others revile you and sate you and utter all kinds of evil

701
00:55:09.386 --> 00:55:13.905
against you falsely on my account. Remember, we're living for Jesus first.

702
00:55:15.265 --> 00:55:18.605
We are not people who live for a party first. We live for Jesus first.

703
00:55:18.864 --> 00:55:23.364
So more than I care about the donkey, more than I care about the elephant,

704
00:55:23.445 --> 00:55:28.245
I care about the lamb. Amen. And I'm living for him.

705
00:55:29.205 --> 00:55:29.586
He says,

706
00:55:29.586 --> 00:55:33.385
blessed are you when others revalue you and persecute you and utter all kinds of

707
00:55:33.386 --> 00:55:35.665
evil against you and falsely on my account.

708
00:55:36.185 --> 00:55:39.305
Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven.

709
00:55:40.815 --> 00:55:43.785
They persecuted the prophets who were before you.

710
00:55:45.285 --> 00:55:46.945
Why would you think they won't persecute you?

711
00:55:49.725 --> 00:55:52.864
You see what Jesus impacts in the beatitudes is a framework for Christian

712
00:55:52.865 --> 00:55:53.698
living.

713
00:55:55.995 --> 00:55:59.515
I just wanna kind of recap what he talks about in this. He,

714
00:55:59.516 --> 00:56:03.755
he says that we as followers of Christ need to understand that we are poor in

715
00:56:03.756 --> 00:56:05.435
spirit. And because we're poor in spirit,

716
00:56:05.455 --> 00:56:08.635
we need to be dependent on God and his will and his word.

717
00:56:09.015 --> 00:56:13.235
We are people who mourn our sin and we seek repentance and empathy for others.

718
00:56:13.614 --> 00:56:17.075
We are people who are meek, not mild and gentle,

719
00:56:17.295 --> 00:56:20.114
but humble in the way that we approach our situations,

720
00:56:20.515 --> 00:56:22.275
in how we approach our interactions with other people.

721
00:56:22.575 --> 00:56:26.565
We are a people who hunger and thirst for righteousness at the hands and the

722
00:56:26.566 --> 00:56:29.965
feet of Jesus. Not wanting to just be right, but wanting to be righteous.

723
00:56:29.985 --> 00:56:33.364
We are people who are merciful, who choose mercy over power.

724
00:56:33.855 --> 00:56:37.605
God's power gives us enough so we don't have to seek it from every situation and

725
00:56:37.606 --> 00:56:39.765
every moment. We are people who are pure and heart.

726
00:56:39.905 --> 00:56:44.165
And because our motives are pure, we walk in the sense of peace before the Lord

727
00:56:46.645 --> 00:56:50.545
and we pass that peace out by being peacemakers,

728
00:56:53.005 --> 00:56:54.105
by being peacemakers.

729
00:56:57.165 --> 00:57:00.505
And this beatitudes message, again,

730
00:57:00.665 --> 00:57:03.905
is a framework for how we live our lives.

731
00:57:05.715 --> 00:57:07.255
And I know what gets in the way of this.

732
00:57:08.005 --> 00:57:11.775
It's the same thing every time we start looking at

733
00:57:12.835 --> 00:57:16.015
our God through the lens of our politics.

734
00:57:18.075 --> 00:57:21.735
But what if instead we chose to view our Jesus first

735
00:57:22.875 --> 00:57:26.815
and through the lens of Jesus, we viewed our politics.

736
00:57:30.055 --> 00:57:32.505
What if we allowed God to shape our worldview

737
00:57:34.465 --> 00:57:39.385
and we allowed him to point us in the right direction when it comes to

738
00:57:39.386 --> 00:57:42.225
this political landscape? You know, here's what I know.

739
00:57:44.225 --> 00:57:45.585
I know that God has plans for us

740
00:57:47.405 --> 00:57:50.745
and I know that this is an issue that often derails those plans because we get

741
00:57:50.765 --> 00:57:55.585
bogged down in all of this stuff and it consumes our every waking moment. It

742
00:57:57.925 --> 00:58:02.785
we start thinking about just this country alone and forgetting that we are

743
00:58:02.786 --> 00:58:07.225
part of a much larger kingdom, the kingdom of God.

744
00:58:09.385 --> 00:58:11.665
You know, if you just go a couple of verses down in verse 13,

745
00:58:11.805 --> 00:58:16.345
you'll see why this is so important to God. In verse 13 of that same chapter,

746
00:58:16.346 --> 00:58:17.185
chapter five,

747
00:58:17.765 --> 00:58:22.585
he says that you talking about Christians are the salt of the earth,

748
00:58:24.345 --> 00:58:28.605
but if the salt loses its taste, how should the saltiness be restored?

749
00:58:29.235 --> 00:58:32.525
It's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under

750
00:58:32.526 --> 00:58:33.325
people's feet.

751
00:58:33.325 --> 00:58:36.925
It goes on to say that you talking about Christians are the light of the world.

752
00:58:39.045 --> 00:58:41.045
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden,

753
00:58:41.265 --> 00:58:44.485
nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,

754
00:58:44.705 --> 00:58:47.685
but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house in the same way.

755
00:58:47.686 --> 00:58:51.365
Here's what we're supposed to do in the midst of a crazy political backdrop.

756
00:58:51.465 --> 00:58:54.325
In the same way, let your light shine.

757
00:58:56.985 --> 00:59:01.305
Let it shine before others so that they might see your good works

758
00:59:02.605 --> 00:59:04.585
and give glory to our Father who's in heaven.

759
00:59:08.845 --> 00:59:11.585
You wanna know how to trust God in the midst of a crazy political environment.

760
00:59:14.145 --> 00:59:16.545
It's the same way we trust them in every other area of our lives.

761
00:59:19.185 --> 00:59:24.045
We allow Jesus to be at the forefront of our trust and we let

762
00:59:24.046 --> 00:59:28.565
that trust fall over every other relationship in our lives.

763
00:59:30.105 --> 00:59:34.645
You know, we're supposed to be the people who go into our neighborhoods and our

764
00:59:34.646 --> 00:59:35.685
communities and our homes

765
00:59:38.125 --> 00:59:43.125
sprinkle little bit of sight, salt and a little bit of light.

766
00:59:45.655 --> 00:59:48.615
And as we do that lives are changed.

767
00:59:51.765 --> 00:59:53.105
That's supposed to be our posture.

768
00:59:56.035 --> 00:59:57.195
And I know this is challenging stuff,

769
01:00:00.015 --> 01:00:04.305
and maybe you're here and you say like, I want to be that kind of person.

770
01:00:05.065 --> 01:00:06.585
It changes our community.

771
01:00:07.585 --> 01:00:11.785
I want to be the kind of person that can walk into a situation and bring peace.

772
01:00:12.865 --> 01:00:16.785
I want to be that kind of person, but I'm not sure how to do it. Well,

773
01:00:16.786 --> 01:00:18.305
can I just offer to you today

774
01:00:20.345 --> 01:00:23.785
that a trusted relationship with Jesus Christ of you putting your trust and your

775
01:00:23.786 --> 01:00:24.619
hope in him,

776
01:00:27.905 --> 01:00:29.345
it will do all those things and even more.

777
01:00:32.255 --> 01:00:35.235
If you wanna put your trust in Jesus today, at the end of our service time,

778
01:00:35.895 --> 01:00:38.355
we would love it if you would stop at our next steps area.

779
01:00:39.565 --> 01:00:42.275
There will be somebody there at each of our physical campuses.

780
01:00:42.276 --> 01:00:43.955
And if you're watching online at Gate Hope tv,

781
01:00:43.995 --> 01:00:48.475
there'll be somebody there to guide you through a conversation about what it

782
01:00:48.476 --> 01:00:50.635
looks like to follow Jesus.

783
01:00:52.755 --> 01:00:56.915
I wanna take a moment and pray for our nation and for every single person

784
01:00:57.955 --> 01:01:00.435
under the sound of my voice today, uh, let's pray together. Father God,

785
01:01:00.436 --> 01:01:03.755
thank you so much for this time together. Whew.

786
01:01:03.756 --> 01:01:05.195
Thank you for your grace and mercy.

787
01:01:07.795 --> 01:01:09.475
I pray that we be kind church Father God,

788
01:01:11.025 --> 01:01:14.475
that would lock in to trusting you First,

789
01:01:16.435 --> 01:01:20.035
I pray that you would empower us by your spirit to live out this hope that we

790
01:01:20.036 --> 01:01:23.235
see in the beatitudes the way that we're supposed to approach life.

791
01:01:24.955 --> 01:01:29.735
And I pray that we would be the change That makes change.

792
01:01:31.655 --> 01:01:35.055
That our change lives would change our communities,

793
01:01:36.005 --> 01:01:40.455
that our change lives would glorify you and how we approach each conversation.

794
01:01:42.845 --> 01:01:43.266
Father,

795
01:01:43.266 --> 01:01:48.115
help us to be salt and light and to give you glory

796
01:01:48.705 --> 01:01:52.515
with how we live. In Jesus name we pray.

797
01:01:53.545 --> 01:01:56.795
Amen. Well listen,