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. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:45.780 --> 00:00:46.660 Good morning. 00:00:47.820 --> 00:00:49.580 Glad to have you guys with us. 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:51.840 If you've got your Bibles, open up to Philippians chapter 4. 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.040 While you turn there, I want to echo a couple of things that Pastor Dave said. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:01.280 First, for the baseball game, would love to have you guys join us that evening, 5 o'clock. 00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:04.040 I think 5.05 exactly is the first pitch. 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:08.340 We've got a whole section of seats reserved for us to be there for Willow Ridge Church. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.480 It would be a wonderful time for you to come out there. 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:15.420 Now, I know that it is really, really, really hot right now. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.200 And so when I was talking to the guy on the phone, getting our tickets lined up, he said, 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:20.200 I've got a question for you. 00:01:20.440 --> 00:01:25.240 Do you want really good seats that are close to the field, or do you want really good seats 00:01:25.240 --> 00:01:26.320 that are in the shade? 00:01:26.460 --> 00:01:29.200 And I said, we will take the shade, all right? 00:01:29.320 --> 00:01:34.200 So it still may be 105 degrees in the shade, but at least we're not in the dead sun. 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:38.580 And so I want to encourage you to be there with us that evening, and as we can be there together 00:01:38.580 --> 00:01:39.920 as a church family. 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:43.600 Also, in September, we're going to be doing something a little different. 00:01:44.300 --> 00:01:49.100 God just let on my heart during this season of life to kind of take something on and to 00:01:49.100 --> 00:01:49.640 do something. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:55.140 And so on Sunday nights, where we normally just go to our small groups for adults, I'm 00:01:55.140 --> 00:01:58.340 going to be teaching a class here at the church on Colossians. 00:01:58.340 --> 00:02:02.520 And so I would love for you, if that interests you or is something that you feel like God could 00:02:02.520 --> 00:02:06.520 use in your life right now to join us, it's going to be a little bit different, all right? 00:02:07.220 --> 00:02:10.460 If you've got a Sunday school background, it's not going to quite be Sunday school. 00:02:10.640 --> 00:02:14.060 If you've got a small group background, it's not going to quite be small group. 00:02:14.140 --> 00:02:18.200 We're going to work through every word, every verse in the book of Colossians. 00:02:18.380 --> 00:02:21.320 We're going to talk through it all together over 13 weeks. 00:02:21.540 --> 00:02:24.380 I will tell you this, heads up, there's going to be some homework, all right? 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:28.620 So you're going to go home and have some things to do during the week, and then come back, 00:02:28.660 --> 00:02:32.940 and we're going to work through that, talk through that, teach through that together, and in 00:02:32.940 --> 00:02:39.840 all honesty, excited how we can all learn from each other as we work through the book of Colossians. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.520 Well, it is good to be back. 00:02:42.660 --> 00:02:47.860 I wasn't able to be with you last Sunday as Aaron and I were up in Asheville preparing 00:02:47.860 --> 00:02:50.740 for all of our middle school and high school students to come up there. 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:54.720 I had a realization this weekend. 00:02:54.920 --> 00:02:57.220 I've been doing mission trips for a long time. 00:02:57.780 --> 00:03:03.100 In fact, it hit me this morning that a few years ago, I flew back from India, and in spite 00:03:03.100 --> 00:03:08.960 of all the jet lag that was there, I got up and I preached, I believe, the next day, and 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.140 have never been more exhausted after a mission trip than I am right now. 00:03:13.700 --> 00:03:15.720 Somebody asked me this morning, they're like, what's that due to it? 00:03:15.720 --> 00:03:16.240 Was the work? 00:03:16.380 --> 00:03:17.180 Was it hot? 00:03:17.480 --> 00:03:19.940 No, I was in the kitchen cooking with Aaron. 00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:21.800 It's what we do on this middle school trip. 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:26.540 The hottest it got with the heat index was 86 degrees, all right? 00:03:26.540 --> 00:03:32.880 So one afternoon, I took a nap on a rocking chair on a porch, like it was that good, right? 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:34.280 Here's the deal. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.340 I'm getting older and things are catching up with me, so I know what it's all about to 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:41.580 feel this fatigue this morning, but good to be here. 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:47.220 It is remarkable to think over the last several weeks, all that God has done and all that God 00:03:47.220 --> 00:03:48.280 had allowed us to do. 00:03:48.760 --> 00:03:52.840 You know, several weeks ago, our high schoolers were out in Utah working with the Stockmans 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:58.080 at Hope Valley Church, and working and partnering alongside them, and then for our middle schoolers 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:00.920 to be able to go to Black Mountain and work at Black Mountain Children's Home was just 00:04:00.920 --> 00:04:01.360 phenomenal. 00:04:01.880 --> 00:04:06.600 And as a senior pastor, you know, you typically don't get the opportunity to do some of these 00:04:06.600 --> 00:04:06.880 things. 00:04:06.940 --> 00:04:08.160 You typically go on mission trips. 00:04:08.200 --> 00:04:09.720 If you go on one, you go on one with adults. 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:14.060 But it's just, I was really fortunate, and we're really blessed that you allow us the 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:15.860 opportunity to go hang out with middle schoolers. 00:04:16.320 --> 00:04:18.200 We do something a little different here. 00:04:18.340 --> 00:04:22.180 If you don't have a middle schooler, you might not know this, but the rising sixth graders 00:04:22.180 --> 00:04:26.540 at most churches, they start the youth group in the fall, but we allow the rising sixth 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:30.780 graders to start a little bit earlier, and then we let them go on the middle school mission 00:04:30.780 --> 00:04:31.100 trip. 00:04:31.280 --> 00:04:36.580 And it's just a wonderful time to see them come out of their boxes and get to know and see 00:04:36.580 --> 00:04:37.480 all these kids interacting. 00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:38.780 But I got to tell you all, a conversation. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:43.880 So as we're watching these fifth graders just kind of bloom and blossom, one of them, and 00:04:43.880 --> 00:04:45.940 a lot of you know this kid, his name's Samuel Evans. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:46.620 I told this story. 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.040 I got this permission in the first service to share this. 00:04:49.060 --> 00:04:49.760 He said, absolutely. 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:54.640 So Samuel was there on the trip, and Samuel and I really connected, and we were talking. 00:04:55.020 --> 00:04:57.060 And Samuel is really in a Rubik's Cube. 00:04:57.200 --> 00:04:59.240 So go all the way back to the 70s, right? 00:04:59.280 --> 00:05:00.460 Y'all remember the Rubik's Cubes? 00:05:00.520 --> 00:05:01.640 Well, that's a thing again, right? 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:07.020 And so he has a bunch of different Rubik's Cubes, and one of the Rubik's Cubes he has only 00:05:07.020 --> 00:05:08.760 has four squares on each side. 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:12.960 And so he had that one up at the dining hall with him, and so I was kind of messing with 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:16.360 it and trying to figure it out, move it around, and I couldn't do it. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:17.380 I couldn't figure it out. 00:05:17.440 --> 00:05:20.100 I've never been able to figure out a Rubik's Cube in my life. 00:05:20.380 --> 00:05:21.540 And so I handed it to him. 00:05:21.620 --> 00:05:23.140 I said, Samuel, I can't figure this thing out. 00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:26.140 And within seconds, he's just sitting there doing this, and then boom, it's there. 00:05:26.640 --> 00:05:30.720 And I said, man, like, I need a Rubik's Cube that I can do that to. 00:05:30.960 --> 00:05:33.960 And he said, oh, there's a perfect Rubik's Cube for you. 00:05:34.540 --> 00:05:35.800 He said, I can make you one. 00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:38.940 And he told me the kind of Rubik's Cube that it is. 00:05:39.380 --> 00:05:41.140 And I said, well, Samuel, I can't do a Rubik's Cube. 00:05:41.380 --> 00:05:43.960 How do you know that I can do that Rubik's Cube? 00:05:44.020 --> 00:05:45.920 And he goes, oh, because it has all the same colors. 00:05:46.460 --> 00:05:49.000 Like, it's just one color on the whole thing. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:51.440 And I said, you can make that? 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:52.940 And he said, yeah. 00:05:53.060 --> 00:05:54.320 I said, I'll pay for it. 00:05:54.320 --> 00:05:57.000 So he's making me one, and I'm excited about it. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:05:58.360 He said he can make five more. 00:05:58.700 --> 00:06:00.740 And so if you want one of those as well, let me know. 00:06:00.780 --> 00:06:03.480 We'll put your order in, and Samuel can get that made for you. 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:06.040 But just a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful time. 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:06.760 So, all right. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:08.540 With that said, let's go ahead and jump in. 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:12.900 Philippians chapter 4, starting in verse 4. 00:06:13.740 --> 00:06:15.120 Paul writes, and he says, 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:17.840 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:06:18.760 --> 00:06:20.740 Again, I will say rejoice. 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:24.740 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:06:25.580 --> 00:06:26.900 The Lord is at hand. 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:38.200 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. 00:06:38.940 --> 00:06:48.020 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:06:48.760 --> 00:06:52.840 So, for the last several weeks, we've been doing our series on prayer. 00:06:53.120 --> 00:07:02.200 And I hope that you've been, for all of you that have registered and signed up, I hope you're committing and following through on maintaining that time and that hour. 00:07:02.380 --> 00:07:10.000 For those of you who didn't sign up, I hope during this, man, the Lord's pressing in on your heart, and you're growing as well in your prayer time. 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:12.680 I hope we're persevering and pushing through all that. 00:07:12.760 --> 00:07:18.860 I was talking to one of our adult leaders on the mission trip, and they had signed up for like a 3 a.m. time. 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:25.440 And he said to me the next morning, he said, whew, that was a really, really hard prayer time last night. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:26.660 And I said, what do you mean? 00:07:26.760 --> 00:07:29.280 Like, what was the Lord doing during that prayer time? 00:07:29.320 --> 00:07:30.900 He's like, no, no, no, no, not like that. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.460 I'm just so exhausted that I woke up, and it was like, pray for five minutes, snore for 10 minutes. 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:37.300 Pray for five minutes, snore for 10 minutes. 00:07:37.400 --> 00:07:39.040 I'm like, man, hey, the Lord knows your heart. 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:40.000 We're good to go on that, right? 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:42.620 But I hope you're pressing through for that. 00:07:43.100 --> 00:07:50.000 And what we're seeing is God wants to use prayer to grow us. 00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:53.560 God wants to use prayer to deepen us. 00:07:53.640 --> 00:07:59.300 That week one we talked about to be devoted to prayer, and it's this commitment that we have, 00:07:59.340 --> 00:08:04.160 and it's an endurance that we push through and that we press through, and then it builds us up, 00:08:04.260 --> 00:08:07.940 and it strengthens us, and that's the concept of being devoted. 00:08:07.940 --> 00:08:14.380 You get the imagery of an athlete pushing through some of the most difficult feats they have to do 00:08:14.380 --> 00:08:19.300 so that they can gain the prize, and we see this with prayer, being devoted and pressing through, 00:08:19.660 --> 00:08:21.940 dedicating, building in a discipline. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:25.740 But we've also talked about prayer without ceasing, and that's not that. 00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:30.520 That's not an hour, but it's moment-by-moment conversations that you can have with the Lord 00:08:30.520 --> 00:08:31.540 because he's always there. 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.740 He's always listening as we see God pressing through in that. 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:42.580 And what I want us to see and continue on, and this is largely what we're going to focus in on this message this morning, 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.680 is this, that prayer shows our dependency on God. 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:50.880 Prayer is a statement of a lot of the things that we're going to say, 00:08:51.140 --> 00:08:56.440 but one of the things that prayer will reveal is our dependency on the Lord. 00:08:56.560 --> 00:09:01.420 Now, when we think through that, one of the things I want to press our hearts toward 00:09:01.420 --> 00:09:08.460 because there's going to be a lot of action in this message this morning outside of the actions of prayer. 00:09:09.140 --> 00:09:15.560 And what I mean by that is when we deepen in, when prayer shows our dependency on the Lord, 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:21.400 there's going to be tangible fruit that you and I experience in our life because of this. 00:09:21.400 --> 00:09:29.900 And what I want us to see is that we're going to experience the life, the calling, the transformation God has for us 00:09:29.900 --> 00:09:35.620 the more that we depend and deepen our relationship with Him. 00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:40.640 The more we press into Him, the more we grow our roots down into Him, 00:09:40.800 --> 00:09:44.680 the more we're obedient to Him, the more that we trust Him, 00:09:44.680 --> 00:09:51.520 the more that we depend, God, the more that you and I get to experience the life that God has for us. 00:09:51.740 --> 00:09:52.600 Now, I want to be careful. 00:09:52.920 --> 00:09:57.980 That life that God has for us may not always be what we hope it to be. 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:04.640 God never promises His people that there won't be suffering or persecution or trials. 00:10:04.900 --> 00:10:06.460 He doesn't promise us that. 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:11.380 But what we can know is that we'll be fully found and fully centered in God's will 00:10:11.380 --> 00:10:17.560 the more we depend on Him and deepen our verse, our, I'm sorry, our life into Him. 00:10:17.660 --> 00:10:22.180 Now, Paul starts out with a verse that we read a couple weeks ago. 00:10:23.260 --> 00:10:25.640 Philippians 4, 4, rejoice in the Lord. 00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:28.180 Again, I will say rejoice. 00:10:28.400 --> 00:10:31.100 And so I want to give it just kind of a little bit of a recap, 00:10:31.660 --> 00:10:34.420 but it's because it's going to continue on what we're doing this morning. 00:10:35.060 --> 00:10:36.400 Paul says rejoice. 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:39.060 Again, I say rejoice. 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:40.060 So why the double? 00:10:40.760 --> 00:10:42.020 Why does Paul say it twice? 00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:48.460 Why doesn't Paul just say as he pens the letter, rejoice in the Lord? 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:52.960 Well, Paul does something in the language here that's important for us to know. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:54.740 And we talked about this. 00:10:55.260 --> 00:10:59.680 Paul says rejoice in the Lord sometimes, right? 00:10:59.780 --> 00:11:02.520 No, he says rejoice in the Lord always. 00:11:02.520 --> 00:11:07.560 And now, if he puts a, there's a semicolon right there that we see in our translation. 00:11:07.780 --> 00:11:09.240 Because there's a pause there. 00:11:09.880 --> 00:11:19.280 And what I want us to see is that in that moment, as Paul's writing that, he's anticipating where your mind went and where my mind goes when I read that. 00:11:19.900 --> 00:11:23.400 Rejoice in the Lord always, and then we give a rebuttal. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:24.880 But what about this? 00:11:25.460 --> 00:11:26.540 But what about this? 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:28.060 But what about this? 00:11:28.660 --> 00:11:36.060 And you and I can bring things in our life that are painful, that are hurting, that are bothersome as we struggle through that. 00:11:36.060 --> 00:11:45.080 And so, Paul, anticipating that that is going to be the reaction of the heart of man, says, I'm going to answer that question before you ask it. 00:11:45.540 --> 00:11:47.340 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:52.880 Again, I say rejoice in the anticipation of the question. 00:11:53.260 --> 00:11:55.180 But then he goes on, verse 5. 00:11:55.560 --> 00:11:58.600 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:11:58.720 --> 00:11:59.540 So, what does that mean? 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:04.800 Well, a translation that maybe helps us understand reasonableness is gentleness. 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:07.060 Don't be quick-tempered. 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:09.300 Don't be quick to accuse. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:11.240 Don't be quick to assume. 00:12:12.140 --> 00:12:13.380 Be gentle. 00:12:13.800 --> 00:12:15.020 Be reasonable. 00:12:15.540 --> 00:12:18.700 Let people know that this is who you are. 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:20.880 And I love this to who? 00:12:21.060 --> 00:12:21.840 Because let's be honest. 00:12:22.280 --> 00:12:25.860 There are some people in our life and in our world that's easy to be reasonable with. 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:27.600 And then there's others, right? 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:32.640 And so, as he goes through, he says, I want to clarify this. 00:12:33.380 --> 00:12:39.040 Always rejoice and be gentle, be reasonable to everyone. 00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:40.160 Everyone. 00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:42.380 Now, think about your life. 00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:44.440 Think about mine. 00:12:45.620 --> 00:12:48.280 Be reasonable to everyone. 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:51.160 Rejoice always. 00:12:52.680 --> 00:12:59.480 But yet, the conflict that surrounds us in our world seems like this is an impossible task. 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:04.880 The conflict that we live in, the conflict that we experience. 00:13:05.520 --> 00:13:09.580 And I don't know, I've been on this planet 42 years. 00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:11.360 Some of you have been here longer. 00:13:11.460 --> 00:13:12.900 Some of you have been here shorter. 00:13:13.020 --> 00:13:22.120 But I've never lived in a time where I felt like not only was there so much conflict, but that conflict was the expectation. 00:13:23.160 --> 00:13:24.920 That conflict is the norm. 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:28.560 That conflict is what we long for and that we desire. 00:13:28.880 --> 00:13:31.880 And we're just waiting for it to happen. 00:13:32.140 --> 00:13:35.800 And when it does, then that's when things are right. 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:38.520 But Paul says, no, no, no. 00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:39.820 Not for us. 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:42.420 Rejoice always. 00:13:43.180 --> 00:13:45.560 Be reasonable with everyone. 00:13:46.260 --> 00:13:48.300 And then he's going to hit us up with verse 6. 00:13:48.380 --> 00:13:50.400 And this one, I'll spend a little bit more time. 00:13:51.060 --> 00:14:08.100 It says, the Lord is at hand, verse 6, to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God. 00:14:09.140 --> 00:14:18.200 So, Paul says, in all the things that are going around, do not be anxious, do not worry about anything. 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:20.540 Now, he's given some strong words here. 00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:25.360 Paul's given us some absolutes in the command that he has. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.560 There's no wiggle room for the Christian. 00:14:29.660 --> 00:14:31.220 It's not rejoice sometimes. 00:14:31.400 --> 00:14:34.060 It's not be reasonable to people who's easy to. 00:14:34.060 --> 00:14:41.340 It's not don't worry about most things, but it's don't worry, don't be anxious about anything. 00:14:41.780 --> 00:14:45.000 Big things, little things, in between things. 00:14:45.520 --> 00:14:54.440 On all of the things that we respond to, Paul gives the command, do not worry about anything. 00:14:54.680 --> 00:14:54.880 All right? 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:04.200 Now, if you're a person in here or watching online that struggles with worry, I want to just be honest with you just for a second. 00:15:04.300 --> 00:15:04.600 All right? 00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:07.720 This is a whole lot of me looking in the mirror this morning. 00:15:09.020 --> 00:15:10.380 I'm not free from it. 00:15:11.280 --> 00:15:14.360 This isn't something that I'm like, man, I had done, perfected this. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.080 If you don't believe me, ask my wife, right? 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:18.780 I struggle with worry, too. 00:15:19.160 --> 00:15:19.780 I'm in this. 00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:21.760 But there's no wiggle room around it. 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:24.680 Do not be anxious about anything. 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:27.800 And so we have to dig in with this. 00:15:28.180 --> 00:15:29.100 Don't worry. 00:15:29.400 --> 00:15:30.440 Easier said than done. 00:15:31.640 --> 00:15:32.740 What do we do when we worry? 00:15:33.540 --> 00:15:39.400 I thought of three things, at least in my life, that I do when I worry, and all lead me back to where I begin. 00:15:39.520 --> 00:15:43.920 The first thing, I think, is as people that we do when we worry, we stress and we shut down, right? 00:15:44.920 --> 00:15:46.500 There's a dynamic. 00:15:46.640 --> 00:15:47.440 There's a situation. 00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:48.540 There's something that's going on. 00:15:48.780 --> 00:15:50.960 The stress begins to consume us. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:53.100 The stress begins to overwhelm us. 00:15:53.300 --> 00:15:55.180 And so we stress and we shut down. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:56.140 We isolate. 00:15:56.520 --> 00:15:57.620 We lock ourselves up. 00:15:57.820 --> 00:16:00.640 We get a big tub of cookies and cream, ice cream. 00:16:00.800 --> 00:16:04.780 We cut on Netflix, and we don't leave our bedroom for three weeks, right? 00:16:04.900 --> 00:16:05.860 Like, that's what we do. 00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:09.020 Been there, done that, got the belly to prove it, all right? 00:16:09.920 --> 00:16:10.440 That's what we do. 00:16:11.060 --> 00:16:14.060 Another thing that we do, we try to plan. 00:16:15.160 --> 00:16:16.900 I'm going to control this. 00:16:17.880 --> 00:16:19.720 I'm going to get a plan, and this is what I'm going to do. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:21.500 So we create spreadsheets. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:22.920 We create flow charts. 00:16:23.040 --> 00:16:26.860 We create action steps, and we sit down, and we say, this is consuming me. 00:16:27.020 --> 00:16:27.740 I'm worrying. 00:16:27.980 --> 00:16:29.260 This is what is going on. 00:16:29.420 --> 00:16:30.440 This is what is happening. 00:16:30.660 --> 00:16:34.580 And so I'm going to grab control of this, and I'm going to go forward. 00:16:35.740 --> 00:16:44.040 And so to the best of our earthly, limited, broken ability, we try to fix what we're incapable of fixing. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:46.600 Where does it bring us back to? 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:54.580 The last thing, and this is hard in the context in the community of church, but I think this is important. 00:16:56.020 --> 00:16:57.220 We reach out to others. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:59.240 We reach out to others. 00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:02.260 And I'm not saying that we shouldn't reach out to others. 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:07.980 We should reach out to others, but we shouldn't reach out to others in the absence of reaching out to the Lord. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:14.920 We reach out to others with their broken, limited perspectives as well. 00:17:16.320 --> 00:17:31.900 But Paul's saying, when you worry, and maybe even before you worry, there's built in a discipline and practice that's there, that can grow you and persevere you through this. 00:17:32.780 --> 00:17:33.740 So look back at the verse. 00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:49.540 But in everything, in everything, in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 00:17:50.580 --> 00:17:54.500 And so the answer to worry is prayer. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:56.680 So let's look at this for just a second. 00:17:58.180 --> 00:18:17.920 We should live our lives in the continual posture that we're building up the spiritual arthritis in our knees because we spend so much time down on them crying out before the Lord. 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:21.640 Paul doesn't say, Paul doesn't say, in some things. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:25.880 Paul says, but in everything. 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:30.460 Everything by prayer. 00:18:31.040 --> 00:18:33.380 In everything by prayer. 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:41.920 So I would argue with us that prayer is not only the position in the worry, but prayer is the position before the worry. 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:44.420 It's like trying to get healthy again. 00:18:45.780 --> 00:18:58.560 It's like when we let go and we allow our bodies through lack of diet, through lack of exercise, through lack of taking care of ourself, and then the doctor sits down with us and he says, this has gone too far. 00:18:58.800 --> 00:19:00.040 Now it's time to do something. 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:01.680 For most of us, it's too late. 00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:04.500 We're trying to play catch up in a game that we can't. 00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:09.200 And when we get like this within prayer, the world's falling down on us. 00:19:09.300 --> 00:19:11.780 We just want to come because the worry is building us up. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:14.040 And now is the time to cry out before the Lord. 00:19:14.040 --> 00:19:16.040 And God's understanding, but I've been here the whole time. 00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:21.180 And so why haven't we built it in to begin with? 00:19:22.180 --> 00:19:24.540 So when worry begins to build, yes, pray. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:32.680 But if we've lived our life in the devotion to prayer that we've been called to, to pray without ceasing like we've been commanded to, 00:19:32.820 --> 00:19:37.740 then we can position our life within this that when the dam is breaking and the water is coming, 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.300 we've already positioned ourselves in the confidence we need in the Lord. 00:19:42.560 --> 00:19:46.100 But then in verse 7, look at this, we get a promise. 00:19:47.360 --> 00:19:48.400 Verse 7, we get a promise. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:20:02.840 And the peace of God will surpass all understanding, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:11.400 And so what Paul says is that in this life, when this is who we are, when this is the dependence that we've had, 00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:22.000 always with everyone in everything, what the Lord promises and what the Lord gives is victory over worry. 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:27.840 Now that doesn't mean the situation goes away, always. 00:20:28.840 --> 00:20:32.320 It doesn't mean the struggle is gone, always. 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:40.640 But what it does mean is we can live in the fact that you and I, in Christ Jesus, are victorious. 00:20:41.060 --> 00:20:44.300 Not only in eternity, but right now. 00:20:44.760 --> 00:20:48.280 That we can live in the peace of God. 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:58.100 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will currently guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:20:59.220 --> 00:21:00.360 And this is what we do. 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:11.740 And so with everything, but in everything, back to verse 6, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:21:12.780 --> 00:21:17.600 And so a couple ways I think we need to be diving through that we need to be able to pray. 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:23.480 Number one, what Paul tells us here is that we need to declare our needs. 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:29.700 With supplication, let your requests be known to God in all of them. 00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:37.980 Could we just for a moment understand that God knows things about us that we don't even know? 00:21:39.360 --> 00:21:46.920 And so what we think, the position of our hearts, the position of the things that we need, that we can cry out to God. 00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:55.200 He says, but in everything, in everything, but not only in our needs, but in our thanksgiving. 00:21:56.120 --> 00:21:58.520 And that we search our hearts with this. 00:21:58.600 --> 00:22:07.160 One of the things that I've just noticed so much about myself, because almost in all of these prayer commands that Paul gives, brings back to thanksgiving. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:08.960 It brings back to thanksgiving. 00:22:09.360 --> 00:22:17.860 And what I've noticed in my life is that there are a lot of things that I lack thanksgiving. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:24.660 That I, in my busyness, no, let's take away the nice words. 00:22:25.820 --> 00:22:27.640 In my sin that I miss. 00:22:29.100 --> 00:22:32.180 And I'm not thankful to the Lord for all these times. 00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:35.880 It's easy for me to notice the big things. 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:37.780 It's easy for me to notice the moment. 00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:41.500 But we can stand here and we can look out and see that. 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:43.420 And God hit me with that this week. 00:22:43.800 --> 00:22:49.580 One of the nights we were having some small groups and I had the opportunity to sit in one of the small groups. 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:53.320 And one of the adult leaders was talking and he was sharing. 00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:54.720 And we were talking about the glory of God. 00:22:56.560 --> 00:22:59.980 It was a great conversation to watch middle school students have with adults. 00:23:00.080 --> 00:23:00.780 It was wonderful. 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:03.700 And this adult leader said this. 00:23:04.780 --> 00:23:13.220 He said, have you just ever taken a moment to notice the beauty of the sun and the flowers? 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:24.360 And it struck me, like, in the simplicity of that moment, to declare the thanksgiving for the Lord. 00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:27.860 So we're sitting here and you're like, man, Bo, and I've been this way, man. 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:30.060 An hour is a long time. 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:31.520 But is it? 00:23:32.800 --> 00:23:33.560 But is it? 00:23:34.320 --> 00:23:37.260 Of all of the things that we have to be thankful for? 00:23:37.780 --> 00:23:40.660 Of all of the things that we have, is it? 00:23:41.780 --> 00:23:43.400 But in everything, in all things. 00:23:44.060 --> 00:23:53.340 And that when this is the positioning of our heart, the promise that we have from Paul is that we gain the peace of God. 00:23:54.020 --> 00:23:58.820 That the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:05.120 That in this, we're given eternal peace with God, but in this moment. 00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:07.060 And this isn't an earthly peace. 00:24:07.320 --> 00:24:10.420 It's God's peace that he grants us. 00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:12.660 It's God's peace that he gives us. 00:24:12.660 --> 00:24:15.140 It's God's peace that we mature in. 00:24:15.360 --> 00:24:18.160 And it's God's peace that is different than the world's peace. 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:25.560 Because as the circumstances of the world are still there, we can rest in the peace of God. 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:27.140 You know, earlier we said rejoice. 00:24:27.320 --> 00:24:36.440 And what we talk about when we understand is rejoice is the reason why we can rejoice in all things is that our joy does not come from our circumstances. 00:24:36.600 --> 00:24:39.160 But our joy is found in God and God alone. 00:24:39.620 --> 00:24:44.660 And so when we understand that that's where our joy comes from, we understand that that's where our peace comes from as well. 00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:47.800 That we can still have conflict here. 00:24:48.600 --> 00:24:51.160 We can still live in chaos here. 00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:54.080 We can still live in strife here. 00:24:54.080 --> 00:25:01.520 But in that, for the man and woman of God deepening in Christ, what is found is the peace of God. 00:25:01.620 --> 00:25:05.000 Because my peace does not rest in any of you. 00:25:07.080 --> 00:25:10.520 My peace does not rest in anything outside of here. 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:14.760 My peace does not rest in what the CDC will or won't say this week. 00:25:16.060 --> 00:25:19.560 My peace does not rest in who did or who did not get elected. 00:25:20.840 --> 00:25:25.960 My peace does not rest in my wife and my kids and my circumstances. 00:25:26.620 --> 00:25:30.420 My peace is found in Christ and in Christ alone. 00:25:33.260 --> 00:25:35.200 And Jesus was pretty passionate about this too. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:40.180 In Matthew 6, I'm going to start reading to you, verse 25. 00:25:41.840 --> 00:25:42.540 Jesus says, 00:25:42.540 --> 00:25:48.040 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. 00:25:49.380 --> 00:25:53.440 What you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body. 00:25:53.860 --> 00:25:55.080 What you will put on. 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:58.940 Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 00:25:59.380 --> 00:26:00.980 Look at the birds of the air. 00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:04.940 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. 00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:07.540 And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:09.700 Now, I underline this in my Bible. 00:26:09.820 --> 00:26:11.460 I'd encourage you to do it as well. 00:26:11.740 --> 00:26:14.340 Are you not of more value than they? 00:26:15.840 --> 00:26:16.080 Right? 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:17.420 Can I tell you something I love? 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:18.940 I love birds. 00:26:20.080 --> 00:26:21.160 How many we got at our house? 00:26:21.780 --> 00:26:23.260 We got 10 birds. 00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:24.960 Picking up 12 more this week. 00:26:25.100 --> 00:26:25.580 Just, yep. 00:26:25.820 --> 00:26:26.560 Don't shake your head now. 00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:27.280 That's what I'm doing. 00:26:27.340 --> 00:26:27.960 I've been determined, right? 00:26:28.140 --> 00:26:29.000 We got chickens. 00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:31.200 I'm picking up quail this week. 00:26:31.460 --> 00:26:31.740 All right? 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:33.360 We got a bird that lives inside. 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:34.060 I love birds. 00:26:34.820 --> 00:26:35.260 Love them. 00:26:35.780 --> 00:26:39.020 Love to watch them interact and make noises and move around. 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:39.460 Love them. 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:39.480 Love them. 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:41.120 But here's what I know. 00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:43.940 Birds aren't made in the image and likeness of God. 00:26:45.540 --> 00:26:46.120 But we are. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:47.640 But we are. 00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:49.820 Are you not more of value than they? 00:26:50.320 --> 00:26:50.860 Verse 27. 00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:55.600 And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:57.780 And why are you anxious about clothing? 00:26:58.320 --> 00:27:00.740 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:02.520 They neither toil nor spin. 00:27:02.840 --> 00:27:07.300 Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 00:27:07.300 --> 00:27:14.140 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown 00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:18.420 in the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 00:27:18.540 --> 00:27:19.960 So here's what it's boiling down to. 00:27:20.120 --> 00:27:27.760 When we begin to worry, when we begin to live in anxiety, as someone been there, done that, 00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:31.440 our issue is our faith. 00:27:32.080 --> 00:27:36.840 Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what 00:27:36.840 --> 00:27:37.560 shall we wear? 00:27:37.780 --> 00:27:38.520 Verse 32. 00:27:38.820 --> 00:27:40.660 For the Gentiles seek after these things. 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:44.020 And your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:49.980 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 00:27:50.260 --> 00:27:54.860 Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:58.540 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 00:27:58.540 --> 00:28:03.680 That when you and I, when we live in worry, that when you and I, when we live in anxiety, 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:07.360 what Jesus is saying, we're doing what the Gentiles do. 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:09.600 We're doing what is opposite of God's people. 00:28:09.760 --> 00:28:12.240 We're doing what people do when they don't know him. 00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:15.760 And we're living in this. 00:28:17.100 --> 00:28:22.860 And so what Jesus calls us to, what Paul's pointing us to, is to live in peace. 00:28:23.620 --> 00:28:24.940 To live in peace. 00:28:25.560 --> 00:28:30.720 That we live in the posture from him to us, and not in this around us. 00:28:31.860 --> 00:28:33.280 We don't live in strife. 00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:35.380 We don't live in stress. 00:28:36.040 --> 00:28:37.460 We don't live in conflict. 00:28:38.340 --> 00:28:40.960 We live in peace when we trust God. 00:28:41.040 --> 00:28:42.080 That's why Paul writes in Romans, 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:52.360 Let me just kind of pause here on this verse for just a moment. 00:28:52.460 --> 00:28:53.860 I apologize that it's not on the screen. 00:28:57.620 --> 00:29:02.920 We oftentimes quote and say this verse with an expectation. 00:29:04.600 --> 00:29:06.960 And the expectation is this. 00:29:08.260 --> 00:29:14.140 We know that for those who love God, all things work together for the good. 00:29:14.340 --> 00:29:16.260 And I'm going to find out what that is. 00:29:17.780 --> 00:29:23.200 But in the context in which Paul writes this, is talking about the future glory. 00:29:24.220 --> 00:29:29.700 And so to trust God is not to say that we know that for those who love God, 00:29:29.780 --> 00:29:33.700 all things work together for the good, and I can believe this because you'll show me. 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:39.140 But the context of this verse says, I can believe this even if you don't show me. 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.620 Even if I never find out. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:46.860 Even if I never know what's going on in the good of my suffering, 00:29:47.020 --> 00:29:49.620 in the good of the chaos, in the good of all this, 00:29:49.820 --> 00:29:53.060 that I can still trust that all things work together for the good, 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:56.020 even if I'm never going to find out about it. 00:29:57.280 --> 00:30:05.640 And so we live in the reality that peace is for us, even in the midst of this. 00:30:06.780 --> 00:30:09.120 So how do we do this? 00:30:10.540 --> 00:30:14.680 How do you and I, in the midst of whatever is going on, 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:18.860 in the midst of our lives, of the chaos, 00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:24.480 begin to live in, strive for, cry out for, 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:28.020 depend on the peace that surpasses all understanding. 00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:33.160 I'm going to read one last passage in Psalm 37, 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:34.440 but I want us to see this. 00:30:35.760 --> 00:30:38.540 That peace is grown in depth of relationship. 00:30:40.540 --> 00:30:42.060 Psalm 37, verse 1. 00:30:43.060 --> 00:30:43.760 The psalmist writes, 00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:51.020 fret not for your, fret not yourself because of evildoers. 00:30:52.780 --> 00:30:53.480 Worry not. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:55.120 Don't be anxious. 00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:58.420 Don't be concerned because of evildoers. 00:30:59.480 --> 00:31:01.180 Do not be envious of wrongdoers. 00:31:02.300 --> 00:31:06.420 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:10.700 Trust in the Lord and do good. 00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:15.900 Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 00:31:17.320 --> 00:31:21.680 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:28.020 Commit your way to the Lord and trust in him and he will act. 00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:36.200 He will bring forth your righteousness as light and your justice as the noonday. 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:41.320 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:46.440 Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, 00:31:47.380 --> 00:31:50.760 over the man who carries out evil devices. 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:56.420 When I looked at this, this past week as we were up at Black Mountain, 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:00.380 had a table set up in the kitchen where Aaron and I would get work done 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:03.360 and I was working on my message and she was over there. 00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:06.800 I think you were making a dessert at that time for the kids for the night. 00:32:08.280 --> 00:32:10.600 And I'm reading through this and as the psalmist writes, 00:32:10.700 --> 00:32:15.460 I understand what he's talking about is in the depth of this relationship of verse 3, 00:32:15.620 --> 00:32:15.760 right? 00:32:15.820 --> 00:32:16.520 Trust in the Lord. 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:22.940 But as I started writing down some takeaways, some truths, some commands that we see of this, 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:29.400 I thought, you know, there's a lot that can be said about growing in this relationship with the Lord 00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:32.220 but also growing in this relationship with my spouse. 00:32:33.240 --> 00:32:39.440 But as the groom speaks of the bride and what the groom has called the bride to be, 00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:45.840 that when these happen in my life, the graciousness that God gives is when I see this in my life 00:32:45.840 --> 00:32:51.080 and I see the depth of relationship that Aaron and I can live in and experience in these things, 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:55.940 it points me even more to the depth of the relationship that I can have with the Lord. 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:59.960 And so one of the commands that the psalmist gives us in here, 00:33:00.040 --> 00:33:04.640 in this depth of relationship that we're to see where this comes from, 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:07.000 that is the first thing he says is trust. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:08.740 It's trust. 00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:13.220 Every relationship built in and rooted in trust. 00:33:14.620 --> 00:33:16.320 And so I thought about this with worry. 00:33:17.280 --> 00:33:19.280 Why do I worry? 00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:20.960 Because I don't trust. 00:33:22.120 --> 00:33:25.400 That I want to hold on and not release. 00:33:26.520 --> 00:33:29.740 That I want to do it my way and not trust that God knows better. 00:33:30.320 --> 00:33:32.540 That I'm right and he's wrong. 00:33:32.760 --> 00:33:37.140 Now while I would never say that, that that's what my posturing is, 00:33:37.260 --> 00:33:41.240 that's what my belief is, and it manifests itself in this way. 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:45.140 From the very first verse, fret not yourself because of evildoers, 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:47.140 not be envious of wrongdoers. 00:33:47.340 --> 00:33:51.980 Verse two, for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 00:33:52.380 --> 00:33:54.080 God's going to take care of it. 00:33:54.820 --> 00:33:55.520 Trust him. 00:33:56.800 --> 00:33:57.540 Trust him. 00:33:58.660 --> 00:34:02.320 They do this, trust in the Lord and do good. 00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:06.380 Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:07.520 Trust. 00:34:08.240 --> 00:34:13.800 The second thing, the second command, delight in. 00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:19.740 Verse four, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 00:34:19.740 --> 00:34:21.220 So what does that mean? 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:24.920 What does it look like to delight in something? 00:34:26.140 --> 00:34:30.360 So Aaron and I, we left on Saturday, a day before, so that we could go up. 00:34:30.540 --> 00:34:36.140 And it takes three trips to the grocery store to buy enough food for 42 people is what we found out, right? 00:34:36.240 --> 00:34:40.280 So we go up early so we can do shopping so that we can be ready for when the team comes down. 00:34:40.520 --> 00:34:44.220 And in that evening, we always go out to dinner at a local restaurant. 00:34:44.220 --> 00:34:47.140 So we found one and we went and sat outside for two and a half hours. 00:34:47.140 --> 00:34:48.400 And we just talked. 00:34:49.680 --> 00:34:50.640 We just talked. 00:34:51.620 --> 00:34:52.680 And sometimes we didn't talk. 00:34:53.600 --> 00:34:57.900 We just sat there and looked out at the mountains and were there. 00:34:58.940 --> 00:35:00.760 And if you're asking, you're like, well, Bo, what did y'all do? 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:03.360 We really didn't do anything. 00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:10.020 But we just delighted in being in the presence of one another. 00:35:11.140 --> 00:35:15.740 We delighted in the simplicity of the conversations we had. 00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:20.920 We delighted as we learn more and more about each other's hearts. 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:25.880 And that only happened as we were in together. 00:35:27.100 --> 00:35:35.900 And so delight in the Lord, can we pause and remove the busyness and just say in those moments, 00:35:36.020 --> 00:35:44.520 I'm just going to be with God and have thoughts of Him and strive to know Him more and to be there. 00:35:46.040 --> 00:35:49.940 Next, verse 5, commit your way to the Lord. 00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:52.720 Trust in Him and He will act. 00:35:53.580 --> 00:35:55.580 I want to look at commit in two different ways. 00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:59.860 The first way I want to look at commit is this. 00:36:00.780 --> 00:36:12.320 As the groom commits to the bride, we commit to the Lord and He commits to us. 00:36:13.180 --> 00:36:14.620 So there is no other. 00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:17.320 There is none that I search. 00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:19.140 There is none that I seek. 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:21.460 There is none that I long for. 00:36:21.560 --> 00:36:24.460 That if Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, 00:36:24.460 --> 00:36:27.160 then I stop trying to seek anything else that claims to be that. 00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:30.840 But not only am I committed to Him in that way, 00:36:30.900 --> 00:36:34.020 but I'm also committed to Him in actions. 00:36:34.840 --> 00:36:37.280 Commit your ways to the Lord. 00:36:38.040 --> 00:36:40.800 So it's no longer about my way of doing things. 00:36:41.540 --> 00:36:42.840 It's about His way. 00:36:43.640 --> 00:36:48.840 It's about being committed not to the suggestions that we find in this book, 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:51.920 but we're committed to the commands that He calls us to. 00:36:52.900 --> 00:36:54.100 And it's where we find ourselves. 00:36:55.400 --> 00:36:58.320 And then lastly, and I love this one. 00:36:59.580 --> 00:37:00.420 Wait for it. 00:37:01.420 --> 00:37:02.300 Wait for it. 00:37:03.460 --> 00:37:04.140 Verse 7, 00:37:04.200 --> 00:37:13.400 Well, if you're married, you spend time waiting, right? 00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:17.240 We wait for Him to wake up in the morning. 00:37:18.340 --> 00:37:20.580 You wait for each other to get ready to go. 00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:24.020 You wait for each other to come home from work. 00:37:24.900 --> 00:37:29.420 You'll wait for each other as one goes into a store and you walk around with them. 00:37:30.200 --> 00:37:32.400 You wait for them as they go to do their hobbies. 00:37:33.240 --> 00:37:34.180 And you wait for them. 00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:37.300 And in the waiting for them, 00:37:37.420 --> 00:37:41.800 what you're doing is you're anticipating when you get to see them, 00:37:41.860 --> 00:37:42.940 when they return. 00:37:43.120 --> 00:37:44.420 And in the building of that, 00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:47.680 there's a deepening in the relationship of the waiting 00:37:47.680 --> 00:37:51.040 and an anticipation that's there. 00:37:52.120 --> 00:37:53.580 And God says that in this, 00:37:53.700 --> 00:38:00.100 that we will wait patiently for Him and to be still. 00:38:02.340 --> 00:38:08.180 About six months before Aaron and I got married, 00:38:09.200 --> 00:38:11.180 I'd met Aaron's dad, not six months before, 00:38:11.180 --> 00:38:14.680 I met Aaron's dad early on when we started dating. 00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:17.400 And shortly after we started dating, 00:38:17.720 --> 00:38:20.220 Aaron's dad found out that he was going to be deployed. 00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:24.920 This was during the Iraq War in the early 2000s. 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:28.160 And so we didn't have a lot of time to get to know each other. 00:38:29.260 --> 00:38:31.240 But we were able to spend some time together. 00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:35.000 And then once he was deployed, Aaron and I got engaged. 00:38:35.180 --> 00:38:36.840 And then Aaron and I were going to wait 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:39.920 until he got home from his deployment to get married. 00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:42.020 Because my father-in-law, not only was he a military, 00:38:42.380 --> 00:38:43.500 but he was a pastor. 00:38:43.660 --> 00:38:46.220 Pretty kind of intimidating guy for me, right? 00:38:46.240 --> 00:38:47.640 I got to deal with military, 00:38:47.780 --> 00:38:50.040 but I also got to deal with pastor in this world. 00:38:50.140 --> 00:38:51.600 And so it's kind of difficult. 00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:55.560 And so trying to get to know him through a computer screen 00:38:55.560 --> 00:38:57.060 was even more difficult. 00:38:57.060 --> 00:38:59.160 But when I spent some time with Aaron, 00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:01.000 we didn't have Zoom back then. 00:39:01.060 --> 00:39:03.620 In fact, I don't even remember what the military had. 00:39:03.700 --> 00:39:06.140 But as he was deployed on most nights, 00:39:06.180 --> 00:39:07.420 he'd be able to get on his computer. 00:39:07.520 --> 00:39:11.620 And we would get on the computer there in Jackson, South Carolina. 00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:13.880 And we would have a conversation. 00:39:14.140 --> 00:39:15.940 And in that, while he was deployed, 00:39:16.040 --> 00:39:18.080 I had the opportunity to get to know him. 00:39:18.300 --> 00:39:19.740 Well, I'll never forget one night. 00:39:19.820 --> 00:39:22.780 I'd known earlier, a couple weeks before, 00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:24.460 this was about six months, I think, 00:39:24.520 --> 00:39:26.240 before we had gotten married, 00:39:26.680 --> 00:39:28.020 Aaron had gone out 00:39:28.020 --> 00:39:31.100 and she had gotten her bridal portraits taken. 00:39:32.700 --> 00:39:34.740 And she had sent her dad, 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:36.660 there's a lot of things that were different 00:39:36.660 --> 00:39:37.660 as he was being deployed. 00:39:38.380 --> 00:39:40.680 She had sent her dad a picture 00:39:40.680 --> 00:39:44.020 of her in her wedding gown 00:39:44.020 --> 00:39:51.380 so that he could see her. 00:39:54.800 --> 00:39:56.260 And he had printed it out 00:39:56.260 --> 00:39:59.680 and placed it on his wall behind his desk. 00:40:01.040 --> 00:40:01.960 Well, one night, 00:40:02.700 --> 00:40:05.040 we're on the computer 00:40:05.040 --> 00:40:06.820 and I'm talking with him. 00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:09.200 And Aaron's there 00:40:09.200 --> 00:40:10.220 and her mom's there. 00:40:12.240 --> 00:40:13.360 I don't know if you remember this, 00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:14.500 but Aaron goes, 00:40:14.580 --> 00:40:15.060 oh no, 00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:17.480 and like cuts off the computer screen 00:40:17.480 --> 00:40:19.820 and tells me to get out. 00:40:21.720 --> 00:40:22.700 What happened, right? 00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:24.140 What'd I do? 00:40:25.620 --> 00:40:26.400 And she said, 00:40:26.640 --> 00:40:28.100 did you see it? 00:40:29.680 --> 00:40:30.180 And I said, 00:40:30.220 --> 00:40:30.620 see what? 00:40:31.680 --> 00:40:32.840 And she looked at me 00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:33.920 in a look that I'd never seen before. 00:40:34.600 --> 00:40:34.780 She said, 00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:35.520 did you see it? 00:40:36.700 --> 00:40:36.920 I said, 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:38.700 I have no clue 00:40:38.700 --> 00:40:40.300 what you were talking about. 00:40:41.020 --> 00:40:41.380 She said, 00:40:41.420 --> 00:40:42.380 if you saw it, 00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:43.300 tell me, 00:40:43.500 --> 00:40:44.800 I need to know, 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:46.100 did you see it? 00:40:46.560 --> 00:40:47.140 And I said, 00:40:47.240 --> 00:40:48.720 I don't think so, 00:40:48.820 --> 00:40:49.860 but I don't know 00:40:49.860 --> 00:40:51.020 what we're talking about. 00:40:51.280 --> 00:40:52.280 Could you tell me 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:53.540 what I'm supposed to say 00:40:53.540 --> 00:40:54.620 if I saw or not? 00:40:56.080 --> 00:40:56.620 And she said, 00:40:56.660 --> 00:40:57.340 I took a picture, 00:40:57.800 --> 00:40:58.500 they took a picture 00:40:58.500 --> 00:40:59.340 of me in my wedding dress 00:40:59.340 --> 00:41:01.540 and I sent it to my dad 00:41:01.540 --> 00:41:03.640 and my dad 00:41:03.640 --> 00:41:04.940 printed it out 00:41:04.940 --> 00:41:05.720 and had it on the wall 00:41:05.720 --> 00:41:07.540 and it was hanging 00:41:07.540 --> 00:41:08.380 right behind him. 00:41:09.100 --> 00:41:09.880 Did you see it? 00:41:10.820 --> 00:41:11.380 And I said, 00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:11.580 no, 00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:12.020 Aaron, 00:41:12.020 --> 00:41:13.580 I didn't see it 00:41:13.580 --> 00:41:15.560 and I'll never forget her words. 00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:17.220 She said, 00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:17.440 good, 00:41:17.500 --> 00:41:18.320 because I want you to wait 00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:19.960 to see me. 00:41:23.540 --> 00:41:35.700 A few months later, 00:41:36.700 --> 00:41:37.400 her dad's back 00:41:37.400 --> 00:41:37.980 from deployment. 00:41:41.660 --> 00:41:42.560 We're getting married. 00:41:44.460 --> 00:41:45.520 Matlock Baptist Church, 00:41:45.640 --> 00:41:45.880 Jackson, 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:46.600 South Carolina. 00:41:47.920 --> 00:41:49.280 I'm back in a back room 00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:51.980 watching the U.S. Open, 00:41:53.200 --> 00:41:53.880 Phil Mickelson 00:41:53.880 --> 00:41:54.260 was winning 00:41:54.260 --> 00:41:58.180 and I get the knock. 00:41:59.100 --> 00:41:59.920 It's time. 00:42:03.540 --> 00:42:04.580 So I go out there, 00:42:05.960 --> 00:42:06.960 standing on that nice, 00:42:07.080 --> 00:42:08.460 bright blue carpet, 00:42:08.600 --> 00:42:08.860 you know, 00:42:09.760 --> 00:42:12.240 and the door opens. 00:42:18.740 --> 00:42:19.420 And everything 00:42:19.420 --> 00:42:20.240 that I'd waited for 00:42:20.240 --> 00:42:21.060 was standing right there. 00:42:25.700 --> 00:42:26.780 It's that time 00:42:26.780 --> 00:42:29.420 most beautiful picture 00:42:29.420 --> 00:42:29.980 I'd ever seen. 00:42:31.860 --> 00:42:32.920 It just gets better 00:42:32.920 --> 00:42:33.360 every day. 00:42:37.360 --> 00:42:38.800 And that's an earthly love. 00:42:41.720 --> 00:42:42.980 And God says, 00:42:43.460 --> 00:42:43.980 wait, 00:42:44.300 --> 00:42:46.180 wait for me. 00:42:47.680 --> 00:42:49.680 Because the groom 00:42:49.680 --> 00:42:51.460 is going to come 00:42:51.460 --> 00:42:53.540 and take his bride 00:42:53.540 --> 00:42:55.520 and wait 00:42:55.520 --> 00:42:56.920 and wait 00:42:56.920 --> 00:42:58.060 and wait 00:42:58.060 --> 00:42:59.940 and as beautiful 00:42:59.940 --> 00:43:02.180 as that day was, 00:43:03.580 --> 00:43:04.440 will pale 00:43:04.440 --> 00:43:06.420 in comparison 00:43:06.420 --> 00:43:08.300 to when Christ returns. 00:43:09.520 --> 00:43:10.820 And in that, 00:43:11.600 --> 00:43:12.580 in spite of what 00:43:12.580 --> 00:43:13.260 you're going through, 00:43:14.440 --> 00:43:15.340 in spite of what 00:43:15.340 --> 00:43:15.840 you're facing, 00:43:16.940 --> 00:43:18.040 in spite of what 00:43:18.040 --> 00:43:19.220 a doctor has said, 00:43:20.300 --> 00:43:21.320 in spite of a hurt 00:43:21.320 --> 00:43:22.520 that you've experienced, 00:43:23.240 --> 00:43:24.860 is why you and I 00:43:24.860 --> 00:43:25.960 can have peace 00:43:25.960 --> 00:43:27.380 that surpasses 00:43:27.380 --> 00:43:28.640 all understanding. 00:43:29.340 --> 00:43:30.740 Because you don't wait 00:43:30.740 --> 00:43:31.260 for someone 00:43:31.260 --> 00:43:32.480 that never returns. 00:43:33.480 --> 00:43:34.360 You'll wait 00:43:34.360 --> 00:43:34.880 for someone 00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:35.700 who comes back. 00:43:36.700 --> 00:43:37.260 Let's pray. 00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:48.820 Lord, I thank you so much 00:43:48.820 --> 00:43:56.160 for your love for us. 00:43:58.360 --> 00:43:59.680 Lord, I thank you 00:43:59.680 --> 00:44:02.300 that you know 00:44:02.300 --> 00:44:04.300 what our hearts 00:44:04.300 --> 00:44:05.360 are prone to do. 00:44:07.680 --> 00:44:08.880 Lord, how we can 00:44:08.880 --> 00:44:09.800 take our eyes 00:44:09.800 --> 00:44:10.300 off you 00:44:10.300 --> 00:44:11.080 and surround them 00:44:11.080 --> 00:44:12.420 in the circumstances 00:44:12.420 --> 00:44:13.140 of this world. 00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:16.320 Lord, I thank you 00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:17.220 that my joy 00:44:17.220 --> 00:44:20.220 and my peace 00:44:20.220 --> 00:44:22.980 are not dependent 00:44:22.980 --> 00:44:24.560 on anything. 00:44:26.060 --> 00:44:27.420 anything of this earth, 00:44:27.540 --> 00:44:28.660 anything of this world, 00:44:29.400 --> 00:44:30.560 but they are found 00:44:30.560 --> 00:44:31.220 in you 00:44:31.220 --> 00:44:32.680 and in you alone. 00:44:33.700 --> 00:44:34.640 And so in the midst 00:44:34.640 --> 00:44:35.880 of the struggle, 00:44:36.180 --> 00:44:37.100 I can rejoice. 00:44:37.880 --> 00:44:38.720 In the midst 00:44:38.720 --> 00:44:40.020 of the struggle, 00:44:40.460 --> 00:44:41.420 I can find peace. 00:44:41.980 --> 00:44:43.000 In the midst 00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:44.420 of the persecution, 00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:45.700 in the midst 00:44:45.700 --> 00:44:46.600 of the doubt, 00:44:46.780 --> 00:44:47.400 in the midst 00:44:47.400 --> 00:44:48.280 of the tears, 00:44:48.440 --> 00:44:49.000 in the midst 00:44:49.000 --> 00:44:50.140 of the concern, 00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:50.980 because Lord, 00:44:51.060 --> 00:44:51.600 you are there. 00:44:53.060 --> 00:44:58.660 and my joy 00:44:58.660 --> 00:44:59.320 is in you 00:44:59.320 --> 00:45:00.000 and my hope 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:00.660 is in you 00:45:00.660 --> 00:45:01.540 and my faith 00:45:01.540 --> 00:45:02.180 is in you 00:45:02.180 --> 00:45:03.020 and my peace 00:45:03.020 --> 00:45:03.640 is in you. 00:45:04.860 --> 00:45:05.860 It all comes 00:45:05.860 --> 00:45:06.300 from you 00:45:06.300 --> 00:45:09.040 and that you 00:45:09.040 --> 00:45:10.060 love us 00:45:10.060 --> 00:45:12.480 and you call 00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:12.920 us 00:45:12.920 --> 00:45:14.200 and you save 00:45:14.200 --> 00:45:14.820 us 00:45:14.820 --> 00:45:17.840 and it's all 00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:18.480 from you. 00:45:21.640 --> 00:45:22.380 And so Lord, 00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:25.980 in our faith 00:45:25.980 --> 00:45:27.940 where we're doubting, 00:45:28.080 --> 00:45:29.160 in our faith 00:45:29.160 --> 00:45:30.080 where we're struggling, 00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:30.400 Lord, 00:45:30.460 --> 00:45:31.040 may we be 00:45:31.040 --> 00:45:31.940 like the dad 00:45:31.940 --> 00:45:32.780 who cries out 00:45:32.780 --> 00:45:33.200 and says, 00:45:33.440 --> 00:45:34.220 I believe, 00:45:34.440 --> 00:45:35.480 help my unbelief. 00:45:37.540 --> 00:45:37.980 Lord, 00:45:38.020 --> 00:45:38.700 may we trust 00:45:38.700 --> 00:45:39.160 in you 00:45:39.160 --> 00:45:40.920 and not in 00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:41.460 ourselves 00:45:41.460 --> 00:45:42.300 and not in 00:45:42.300 --> 00:45:43.280 our circumstances 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:44.200 and not in 00:45:44.200 --> 00:45:44.580 others, 00:45:44.680 --> 00:45:45.160 but may our 00:45:45.160 --> 00:45:46.040 trust be found 00:45:46.040 --> 00:45:46.420 in you 00:45:46.420 --> 00:45:47.100 and you alone. 00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:48.460 Lord, 00:45:48.500 --> 00:45:49.240 may we delight 00:45:49.240 --> 00:45:49.800 ourselves 00:45:49.800 --> 00:45:50.440 in you, 00:45:51.380 --> 00:45:52.460 being with you, 00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:53.880 thinking about you, 00:45:54.180 --> 00:45:55.220 talking to you, 00:45:55.640 --> 00:45:56.640 listening to you, 00:45:56.940 --> 00:45:58.200 knowing about you. 00:45:58.440 --> 00:45:58.540 Lord, 00:45:58.580 --> 00:45:59.180 may we delight 00:45:59.180 --> 00:45:59.680 in you. 00:46:01.540 --> 00:46:01.860 Lord, 00:46:01.900 --> 00:46:02.640 may we commit 00:46:02.640 --> 00:46:03.840 ourselves to you, 00:46:04.840 --> 00:46:06.380 to your way, 00:46:06.500 --> 00:46:07.460 to your will, 00:46:07.880 --> 00:46:08.960 to your commands, 00:46:09.060 --> 00:46:09.920 to who you are. 00:46:09.920 --> 00:46:21.920 and Lord, 00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:22.400 in the midst 00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:23.000 of the struggle, 00:46:23.140 --> 00:46:23.600 could we just 00:46:23.600 --> 00:46:24.260 wait for you? 00:46:29.320 --> 00:46:30.040 In the midst 00:46:30.040 --> 00:46:30.580 of it all, 00:46:33.580 --> 00:46:35.240 to know that one day 00:46:35.240 --> 00:46:38.680 you will come. 00:46:40.500 --> 00:46:41.300 You will get 00:46:41.300 --> 00:46:41.840 your bride. 00:46:47.820 --> 00:46:48.520 Can we just 00:46:48.520 --> 00:46:49.020 wait for you? 00:47:00.700 --> 00:47:01.140 Jesus, 00:47:01.260 --> 00:47:02.100 thank you so much 00:47:02.100 --> 00:47:07.160 for saving 00:47:07.160 --> 00:47:07.760 lost, 00:47:09.240 --> 00:47:09.760 broken, 00:47:11.040 --> 00:47:11.980 sinners like me. 00:47:13.120 --> 00:47:13.820 Listen to you, 00:47:13.900 --> 00:47:14.360 let me pray. 00:47:15.120 --> 00:47:15.520 Stand. 00:47:28.520 --> 00:47:29.240 Thanks again 00:47:29.240 --> 00:47:29.760 for listening 00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:30.120 to the 00:47:30.120 --> 00:47:30.900 Willow Ridge Church 00:47:30.900 --> 00:47:31.680 weekly podcast. 00:47:32.320 --> 00:47:32.880 We hope that you 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:33.520 enjoyed listening 00:47:33.520 --> 00:47:34.500 to this week's message. 00:47:35.120 --> 00:47:35.520 If you'd like 00:47:35.520 --> 00:47:36.060 to learn more 00:47:36.060 --> 00:47:36.900 about who we are 00:47:36.900 --> 00:47:37.560 or explore 00:47:37.560 --> 00:47:38.540 additional resources, 00:47:39.120 --> 00:47:40.000 visit us online 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:43.560 at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:47:43.560 --> 00:47:44.780 or by searching 00:47:44.780 --> 00:47:45.780 for Willow Ridge Church 00:47:45.780 --> 00:47:46.420 on Facebook 00:47:46.420 --> 00:47:47.100 and Instagram. 00:47:56.520 --> 00:48:26.500 Thank you.