WEBVTT

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We're seeing this Christ is our firm foundation

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Where We put our hope and our trust.

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Christ is my firm.

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Everything around Shake

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won.

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That's good news for somebody today. He won.

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I still, I

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He's never,

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come on.

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Let's say he won.

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He won. We say he won't.

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He won't,

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won't

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Fail.

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He Won't. He

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Won't.

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He won't.

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Come on. He won't. He won.

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Won't. Let's go. Let go. Christ,

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He won't

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In the good and in the bad.

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Jesus is faithful on the days

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that it seems like it's all coming down.

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Jesus is faithful.

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We can stand in peace and trial because of who Jesus is.

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Come on, we're gonna sing. Rain came and the wind blew.

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So I

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Won't.

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He won't.

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No, he won. Do you believe that today?

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Church, come on.

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Come On. We believe that He is

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Christ.

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What a beautiful, what a beautiful name.

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The name Christ.

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What a beautiful

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what a beautiful the

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What? A wonderful

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What? A wonderful

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Name is the name of Jesus

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Christ. What a wonderful

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Name is.

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What a wonderful

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The name Jesus.

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What a wonderful The name

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To you.

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Father death.

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Not hold

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to silence

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The,

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The glory for you.

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You Have no,

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You have no now

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Yours.

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Yours is the glory.

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Yours is the name.

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What a what A

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Christ.

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What a

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powerful

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Jesus.

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You have no

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Christ.

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What a

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Jesus a

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Jesus A

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Let's give Jesus some praise,

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some thankful for Jesus.

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Come on. So good. So good.

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It's because of Jesus that we can be a family

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that loves God, follows Jesus and shares hope.

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Whether you're in the room or if you're joining us online,

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it's a good day to be gathered together

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as the family of God.

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Let's turn around. Let's greet those around us.

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If you're online, hey,

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we don't want spectators, participators.

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We're in this thing together. It's good to see you.

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Welcome to Hope.

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Alright, hope Community Church. My name is Matt.

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I get to serve as a Quy campus pastor. Way out in 2 7 5 2 6.

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I gotta tell you something, uh,

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this young man over here, where'd he go?

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Jake, are you still in here?

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Uh, one of our cameramen, Jake serves on the volunteer team.

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Where'd this dude go? He's going to college.

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This is his last night serving here.

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And we are so excited

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and grateful for everything Jake has done.

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He's going to South Dakota to master metal

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and be an engineer.

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Super excited for Jake. Uh, that means two things.

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If you're new here, uh, Jake won't be here next week.

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We have a serving opportunity.

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If you wanna run a camera, we'd love

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to have you right up here.

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But we do want to connect with you.

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Uh, if you're new, or even if you've been coming for a while

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and you just haven't found your people yet, uh,

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we have people here that are ready to love you.

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As Rob said, we're a family who loves God, follows Jesus

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and shares hope so you can stop at next

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steps on your way out.

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Or if you're watching online, go to get hope.net/next.

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All right. Uh, Sunday night. Go ahead and have a seat.

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I should have said that already. Y'all are like,

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this dude just keeps talking.

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He's running outta breath. Uh, on Sunday night,

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our church had an annual vision night.

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And it's super special

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because all of our campuses come together right

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here at our Raleigh campus.

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Every community we represent is in this room as a,

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it feels like a family reunion.

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Uh, and Jason Gore, our lead pastor,

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shared some wins from the last year.

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What God is doing in baptisms,

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what God is doing in community,

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what God is doing in the life of our church.

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And he talked about some other things.

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We, and it was so unifying.

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We thought, Hey, let's share this with the whole church.

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So, sit back, we've got a little update from

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Lead Pastor Jason Gore.

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Thanks.

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Before we look to where God's calling us, I,

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I just want us to stop for a minute and,

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and celebrate some things that God's doing in,

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in our church, our Homework Club.

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Uh, we serve about 225 students this year across three

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different locations through the Garner Community Ministry.

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And I say, you know, garner Campus,

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but it's not just about

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where you gather together on the weekend.

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Um, because of our investment in that school, the school,

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for the first time ever, a Wake County School invited us

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into do our homework club on site.

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Um, the entire football team, they show Yeah.

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Uh, is showing up at this thing.

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Uh, the cumulative GPA on the Garner football team is like

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above a 3.0 for the first time, maybe in the history.

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Yeah. So that's a big deal.

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Uh, but while we, we celebrate academic wins, um,

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and, and support families in our community,

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the greatest celebration through

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that whole thing is a couple weeks ago, I had the privilege

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of baptizing a student who came to know Christ

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through the relationships

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that he had at the Homer Club, at our Garner campus.

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So, God's not just about changing

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grades, he's about changing lives.

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That's not gonna change. Uh, that's a big deal.

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Ship outreach. We're still invested in Ship Man.

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We, I think we contribute about $120,000 a year

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annually to their ministry.

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They've got Bread of Life, which feeds thousands

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and thousands and thousands of people throughout the year.

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They've got the shipyard. It's a, a weight room

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where kids from that community right

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behind South Saunders Street, come and work out.

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They get mentoring. Uh, they've got a ministry

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to rescue vulnerable women out

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of trafficking situations outta drug addiction situations.

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Provide them housing

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where they can help them get back up on their feet.

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And this is the one that we really need to celebrate.

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'cause at the end of the day, if you said, Hey,

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you can celebrate anything,

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like any one thing, what would you wanna see?

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And what's the thing? You'd be a little discouraged if you

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didn't see, um, baptisms.

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God is doing a work in our church right now

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that I cannot fully explain.

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I'm gonna try to, but this is

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how you know there's fruit this year so far,

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we've seen 194 men, women, and students.

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That's 55% over where we were this time last year.

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God is up to something. Here's our vision, alright?

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For our communities in all the world where we live, learn,

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work, play Judea, Samaria, the end of the earth

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for our communities and for all the world to know

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and experience the love of God

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and the life that Jesus came to make available.

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How do we do that? This is our mission.

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This is where you've heard the identity

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stuff start to come out.

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You know, over the last 12 months.

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We move towards this by living life as a family

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who loves God follows Jesus and shares hope.

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That's our mission. This is what we do.

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We make disciples of Jesus by teaching God's word

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and helping people align their lives

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and relationships to it.

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That moves us into our strategic plans of 2024, uh,

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or 20 25, 20 26.

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One, an intentional focus on teaching God's Word.

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Two, we're gonna continue

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to share hope collectively, locally and globally.

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That's not gonna go anywhere. Um, the third is, uh, we are,

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we are stepping into a, an,

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an intentional, I would just say this.

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What is it? Well, it's a, it is a discipleship pathway.

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We as a church need a clear transferable

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discipleship pathway for people

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to grow in the foundations of their faith.

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You're gonna see a much higher investment in our small

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groups, in our community groups here at Hope.

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The reality is though, um,

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why we should never stop celebrating what God's doing,

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being loving, uh, as a church means sometimes talking

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through some hard things as well.

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But I believe these challenges, if we face them together

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as a church family, they're gonna become opportunities

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for us to see God do even more.

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But I wanna be honest with you about 'em. Uh, two areas.

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One, attendance, attendance across all of our campuses.

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Um, it's down. So we had about 5,500 averaging across all

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of our campuses in 2024.

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This year we're averaging about 4,500.

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Now it's the summer months, right? It's down.

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People are on vacation. But

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that's a real thing to pay attention to.

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And secondly, it's finances.

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Um, our giving is down about 15% year over year.

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And so we came into 2025 thinking, Hey,

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let's just carry this $16 million budget

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over forecasted right now.

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Uh, they hurt me on this.

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It's not really 13, we're forecasting about 13.2. Okay?

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So it's a little bit more than that.

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But 13.2 to 13.4 being very clear.

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We actually do have a cash flow challenge

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right now in front of us.

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Um, I I, I'll say this, it's not,

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I would not correlate it to the drop in attendance.

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Uh, and here's why of 4,500, first of all is

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that's a large church.

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Um, uh, secondly, uh, when you talk about a couple

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of other churches that are about our,

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around our size in the area,

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and I'm not gonna name any names,

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but, uh, there is one church around this area that's, uh,

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they're about 2,500 on the weekend.

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Um, their, their contributions.

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We have close relationship with all the churches around,

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not all of them, but those

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that we kind of run in the circle with.

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Uh, their forecasted budget this year is about

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$11.5 million.

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Uh, they're a church of 2,500 gathering on the weekends.

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There's another church in the area, uh,

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that's probably just over double our size.

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I'm not even gonna tell you what their budget is.

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Um, but if you take either one of those churches

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and you do the math on, Hey,

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let's take their average week in attendance

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and then what their forecasting contributions are at a

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current level, and then you take that number

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and then apply it to 4,500,

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our budget at Hope would be about $20 million.

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Okay? And so what I would say is we,

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we're not outta line in the ministry

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that we're trying to do.

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Um, we have a, a challenge as it relates

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to the resources that we have available to us.

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Notice I didn't say that the money's not here.

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I mean, we're gonna see in a minute.

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God says, I, the silver is mine. The gold is mine.

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The cattle on a thousand hills. That's all mine.

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But right now, if something doesn't change,

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we're gonna have some very difficult decisions

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to make all the ministry that we just heard about.

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And we're gonna celebrate, and I'm not gonna harp on this

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too much longer, but we're gonna have to, we're gonna have

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to be strategic about areas of ministry

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and actually pull back and we look, we can do that.

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We can be strategic, but we have to be good stewards.

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So we're taking a three tiered approach, uh,

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as a strategic team.

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And we're saying tier one, here's what we do.

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Um, we curb ministry expense to the best of our ability.

283
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I'm gonna go and tell you we're doing that.

284
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And then we try to exit our administrative offices.

285
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We have some offices over off Pinedale, off Kerry Parkway

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that are essential services used to house.

287
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Now here's the truth.

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We've been trying to get out of that lease for a while.

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Um, we're actually already in the tier one right now.

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00:21:06.225 --> 00:21:09.245
That's tier one. Tier two is gonna force us

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to take a hard look at staffing costs relative to budget.

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Um, what does that mean?

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00:21:14.385 --> 00:21:17.245
Uh, point Blake, that means there will be some men

294
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and women who are currently on staff at Hope Community

295
00:21:20.885 --> 00:21:25.165
Church that would be exited from a paid position here.

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That's tier two. Um, tier three kind

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of bumps down into further change in staffing.

298
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And then we gotta have a conversation

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about campus consolidation.

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What does that mean? Uh,

301
00:21:34.585 --> 00:21:36.045
I'm not gonna go into any specifics.

302
00:21:36.045 --> 00:21:37.365
There's no, there's no

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00:21:37.685 --> 00:21:39.005
specific decision that's just been made.

304
00:21:39.195 --> 00:21:41.125
This is just, Hey, we're here together as a family.

305
00:21:41.185 --> 00:21:44.405
We gotta recognize if we've got empty seats at Raleigh

306
00:21:44.465 --> 00:21:46.525
or if we've got empty seats at Apex that we have

307
00:21:46.525 --> 00:21:47.525
to pay a lease on,

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00:21:48.745 --> 00:21:52.885
and then we're paying 160 to $170,000 to lease a school,

309
00:21:53.105 --> 00:21:55.245
man, that's some money that we could potentially save.

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00:21:55.505 --> 00:21:58.325
We do have to evaluate some things over the next six

311
00:21:58.325 --> 00:22:01.405
to eight weeks so that we can make some decisions

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00:22:01.405 --> 00:22:04.645
to get our, our budget in line as we head into 2026.

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It's incredibly important.

314
00:22:06.345 --> 00:22:07.805
So what's the call to action here?

315
00:22:08.165 --> 00:22:10.085
'cause we've got some challenges in front of us.

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One, I want you to pray, alright?

317
00:22:12.625 --> 00:22:14.525
And like what we saw in Haga, I want you, I want you

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00:22:14.525 --> 00:22:16.445
to ask God to, to rekindle our

319
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hearts, the hearts of our people.

320
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Rekindle your heart right towards

321
00:22:22.365 --> 00:22:23.605
what it is that God's calling you to.

322
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And I'm gonna ask you to set an alarm.

323
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Whatever time works in your schedule, I want you

324
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to set an alarm daily to stop

325
00:22:29.045 --> 00:22:31.285
and to pray for what it is that God is doing in your heart

326
00:22:31.425 --> 00:22:32.885
and in the life of Hope Community Church.

327
00:22:33.025 --> 00:22:35.845
Second, participate. I want you to take a next step.

328
00:22:36.145 --> 00:22:37.845
If you want to be a part of leading one

329
00:22:37.845 --> 00:22:39.485
of these community groups that you're ta

330
00:22:39.485 --> 00:22:40.605
that we're talking about right now,

331
00:22:40.865 --> 00:22:43.725
you can text the word lead, the 7 2 9 8 9,

332
00:22:43.945 --> 00:22:45.205
you'll get a link set to you

333
00:22:45.265 --> 00:22:47.805
and then we can talk about how to help you take next steps.

334
00:22:47.985 --> 00:22:52.085
And then lastly is provide, um, what do you mean by that?

335
00:22:52.325 --> 00:22:55.525
I mean, you know what? We've got some financial challenges.

336
00:22:55.885 --> 00:22:59.165
I mean, let's give sacrificially, I want you

337
00:22:59.165 --> 00:23:01.325
to provide financially to what it is that God's calling to.

338
00:23:01.465 --> 00:23:03.045
And I know you guys like, man, we're most

339
00:23:03.045 --> 00:23:04.285
of you're in here might already be

340
00:23:04.285 --> 00:23:05.525
giving, but I did some math.

341
00:23:05.905 --> 00:23:09.405
Um, we could bridge a gap of about a million dollars

342
00:23:09.945 --> 00:23:11.285
if 2000 families.

343
00:23:11.715 --> 00:23:14.765
Alright? So we said 4,500 people across all

344
00:23:14.765 --> 00:23:15.885
of our campuses on the weekend.

345
00:23:15.905 --> 00:23:17.405
You know, everybody doesn't come at one time.

346
00:23:17.425 --> 00:23:20.205
But if 2000 families said that,

347
00:23:20.705 --> 00:23:23.845
I'm gonna give an additional $500 above

348
00:23:23.845 --> 00:23:27.125
and beyond my current giving over the next five months.

349
00:23:27.265 --> 00:23:29.605
So that's a hundred dollars a month, alright?

350
00:23:30.415 --> 00:23:31.725
Above and beyond my current giving,

351
00:23:33.185 --> 00:23:35.165
we could bridge a million dollar gap.

352
00:23:36.105 --> 00:23:38.525
And so there's a reason why we set up recurring giving, man.

353
00:23:38.525 --> 00:23:41.085
They may just, it makes it easy to make sure

354
00:23:41.085 --> 00:23:42.725
that we're being disciplined in what it is

355
00:23:42.725 --> 00:23:44.005
that God has called us to do.

356
00:23:44.185 --> 00:23:45.885
Now here's the deal. I know some people hear that.

357
00:23:45.885 --> 00:23:47.925
They're like, there's no way I can give an additional

358
00:23:48.195 --> 00:23:49.885
$500 over the next five months.

359
00:23:49.885 --> 00:23:52.245
That's okay. But the Bible talks about the widows might,

360
00:23:52.245 --> 00:23:53.445
it talks about responding with

361
00:23:53.445 --> 00:23:54.645
what it is that God has busted with.

362
00:23:54.645 --> 00:23:56.165
There's also some of us in this room

363
00:23:56.165 --> 00:23:58.765
and in our church that could probably cover somebody else.

364
00:23:58.865 --> 00:24:02.445
We could give a thousand dollars, $2,000, $10,000

365
00:24:03.105 --> 00:24:05.125
and not even not even miss it.

366
00:24:06.905 --> 00:24:08.525
And so, if that's you, I just wanna encourage

367
00:24:08.525 --> 00:24:09.645
you go before God in your prayer.

368
00:24:09.705 --> 00:24:10.925
I'm praying that there would be somebody

369
00:24:10.925 --> 00:24:12.165
that can't even leave the parking lot.

370
00:24:12.325 --> 00:24:14.805
'cause the Holy Ghost is still just getting them.

371
00:24:15.195 --> 00:24:17.485
Just getting them. I can't go.

372
00:24:17.935 --> 00:24:21.165
Maybe the car won't start in Jesus name. That's fun.

373
00:24:21.865 --> 00:24:24.085
In Jesus name. I'm sorry if your car breaks down.

374
00:24:24.165 --> 00:24:26.125
I don't know. We got a couple of great mechanics here.

375
00:24:26.125 --> 00:24:28.685
They'd love to, to help you out. Derek Fox, where are you?

376
00:24:29.075 --> 00:24:32.605
Okay, here's what I wanna do. Isaiah 43, 18 and 19.

377
00:24:33.005 --> 00:24:34.045
Remember not the former things

378
00:24:34.105 --> 00:24:35.605
nor consider the things of old behold.

379
00:24:35.605 --> 00:24:38.205
I'm doing a new thing now at Springs fourth.

380
00:24:38.745 --> 00:24:41.645
Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness,

381
00:24:41.745 --> 00:24:44.245
in rivers and the desert, God is doing something new.

382
00:24:44.335 --> 00:24:46.845
We've seen 194 baptisms this year.

383
00:24:47.905 --> 00:24:50.365
You read scripture, God created

384
00:24:50.445 --> 00:24:51.525
a world, said it was very good.

385
00:24:51.665 --> 00:24:53.605
Man did about everything they could to mess it up.

386
00:24:53.625 --> 00:24:55.605
So God set Jesus on a mission.

387
00:24:55.945 --> 00:24:58.805
He made it way for things to be right between us.

388
00:24:58.885 --> 00:25:00.645
And God, God Jesus goes back to heaven.

389
00:25:00.945 --> 00:25:02.205
He sends down the Holy Spirit.

390
00:25:02.225 --> 00:25:03.445
The Holy Spirit's on a mission.

391
00:25:03.665 --> 00:25:05.005
The spirit comes inside of us

392
00:25:05.185 --> 00:25:07.685
and then sends us on mission to the world around us

393
00:25:07.685 --> 00:25:08.765
until Jesus comes back.

394
00:25:09.185 --> 00:25:10.925
We are not a church that's a country club.

395
00:25:10.925 --> 00:25:12.845
We're not a church that just comes and receives.

396
00:25:12.945 --> 00:25:15.525
We are a church that takes the gospel to our communities

397
00:25:15.525 --> 00:25:17.725
where we live, learn where it can play.

398
00:25:17.745 --> 00:25:18.925
Period. That's who we are.

399
00:25:32.905 --> 00:25:35.325
We pray because it matters.

400
00:25:35.345 --> 00:25:36.285
So church, what I want you to do right

401
00:25:36.285 --> 00:25:37.245
now is I want you to stand to your feet.

402
00:25:37.305 --> 00:25:40.445
If you're at home, I want you to stand at your feet.

403
00:25:40.465 --> 00:25:42.245
If you're driving, don't stand to your feet.

404
00:25:43.585 --> 00:25:45.725
But listen, we pray because it matters.

405
00:25:46.345 --> 00:25:47.765
God has brought us a long way.

406
00:25:47.825 --> 00:25:49.445
And every single day we're gonna depend on him

407
00:25:49.445 --> 00:25:51.685
to take us wherever he is that he wants us to go.

408
00:25:52.065 --> 00:25:54.165
The thing that we're gonna do is we're gonna do it together.

409
00:25:54.865 --> 00:25:57.765
So let's pray. Father God, we thank you

410
00:25:57.785 --> 00:25:59.165
for your mercy and your grace.

411
00:25:59.265 --> 00:26:01.085
And we know that you are a faithful

412
00:26:01.425 --> 00:26:05.485
and just God, that all of our church

413
00:26:05.825 --> 00:26:08.205
and all of our lives are in your hand.

414
00:26:08.865 --> 00:26:10.725
So we can mission ourselves into that.

415
00:26:10.945 --> 00:26:13.365
We believe you Father, we trust in you, father.

416
00:26:15.145 --> 00:26:17.245
And we pray against any attack of the enemy.

417
00:26:17.585 --> 00:26:21.245
We pray for a unified church under our king

418
00:26:21.245 --> 00:26:23.085
and Savior, Jesus and Jesus.

419
00:26:23.115 --> 00:26:25.325
Then we pray. Amen.

420
00:26:25.715 --> 00:26:27.445
Come on, let's worship one more song together.

421
00:26:49.705 --> 00:26:50.705
The

422
00:27:54.305 --> 00:27:54.595
Holy

423
00:28:07.395 --> 00:28:08.395
Redeem.

424
00:28:29.415 --> 00:28:30.735
Sing the song forever.

425
00:29:30.875 --> 00:29:31.495
The highest

426
00:29:42.895 --> 00:29:44.125
halls and

427
00:29:49.475 --> 00:29:54.245
name stands above, above our church.

428
00:29:54.245 --> 00:29:57.605
Come on. Is the

429
00:29:57.605 --> 00:30:01.005
highest, is the

430
00:30:53.845 --> 00:30:54.465
The king

431
00:31:15.715 --> 00:31:15.935
be

432
00:31:21.265 --> 00:31:22.265
Holy.

433
00:31:26.485 --> 00:31:27.875
Thank you Jesus. Yes.

434
00:31:31.845 --> 00:31:35.295
Holy forever. That is our King Jesus church.

435
00:31:35.395 --> 00:31:36.655
You may take a seat. See.

436
00:32:17.315 --> 00:32:21.935
Hey everybody. Glad to be with you all here.

437
00:32:22.755 --> 00:32:27.415
Um, for those of you who don't know, uh, my wife Morgan,

438
00:32:27.915 --> 00:32:29.855
uh, until a few months ago worked

439
00:32:29.915 --> 00:32:31.095
for the federal government.

440
00:32:31.915 --> 00:32:34.455
And, uh, if you've been watching the news,

441
00:32:34.455 --> 00:32:37.855
2025 has been a fun time to work for the federal government.

442
00:32:38.115 --> 00:32:40.365
Uh, if you've been keeping up with things earlier at the

443
00:32:40.365 --> 00:32:43.965
beginning of this year, uh, we had a, uh, new branch

444
00:32:44.225 --> 00:32:46.765
of the military or the military of the government, uh,

445
00:32:46.765 --> 00:32:48.765
that went into action called Doge.

446
00:32:48.765 --> 00:32:50.685
It stood for the Department of Government Efficiency.

447
00:32:50.985 --> 00:32:54.245
And ultimately what do's purpose was, was to say, Hey,

448
00:32:54.295 --> 00:32:57.005
let's try to cut down on some of the overspending

449
00:32:57.005 --> 00:32:58.965
that's happening throughout the government.

450
00:32:58.965 --> 00:33:01.645
And so my wife being a federal employee for a couple

451
00:33:01.645 --> 00:33:04.765
of weeks, for months, uh, her job was on the line.

452
00:33:05.345 --> 00:33:07.245
And one of the ways that they tried to figure out, Hey,

453
00:33:07.245 --> 00:33:08.365
who are we gonna keep around

454
00:33:08.785 --> 00:33:10.645
and who are we gonna get rid of, was

455
00:33:10.645 --> 00:33:12.525
by having every single federal employee.

456
00:33:12.555 --> 00:33:15.045
This is around 3 million people, uh,

457
00:33:15.195 --> 00:33:17.685
send in an email every Monday morning

458
00:33:17.755 --> 00:33:19.965
with the headline over the subject line,

459
00:33:20.355 --> 00:33:21.405
what did you do last week?

460
00:33:22.465 --> 00:33:25.165
And in this email, these federal employees had

461
00:33:25.165 --> 00:33:27.565
to give at minimum five bullet points

462
00:33:27.565 --> 00:33:28.605
of what they did last week.

463
00:33:28.625 --> 00:33:30.525
And the purpose of this was just prove

464
00:33:30.525 --> 00:33:31.725
that you're worth keeping around.

465
00:33:32.905 --> 00:33:36.445
And I wanna ask you, have you ever had this feeling

466
00:33:36.585 --> 00:33:37.805
or this sense that you had

467
00:33:37.805 --> 00:33:39.565
to prove your worth to somebody else?

468
00:33:40.675 --> 00:33:43.765
Have you ever had this feeling that you had to, uh, come up

469
00:33:43.765 --> 00:33:47.005
with a list of reasons why you were worth keeping around?

470
00:33:47.105 --> 00:33:50.725
Are there any remote workers anywhere here who, uh,

471
00:33:50.725 --> 00:33:52.325
maybe you're at home and you're working

472
00:33:52.345 --> 00:33:54.405
and you feel your eyelids getting a little bit heavy

473
00:33:54.665 --> 00:33:56.645
and so you think, well, lemme just go wiggle my mouse a

474
00:33:56.645 --> 00:33:59.445
little bit so that my team's icon shows green.

475
00:33:59.465 --> 00:34:01.365
And people think that like, God forbid I have

476
00:34:01.365 --> 00:34:03.365
to go use the bathroom or anything, I need people

477
00:34:03.365 --> 00:34:05.885
to know I'm a hard worker around the clock.

478
00:34:05.885 --> 00:34:07.765
There's way too many people smiling and laughing

479
00:34:07.765 --> 00:34:10.445
and nodding to know that that's a story, right?

480
00:34:10.505 --> 00:34:11.885
But why do we feel that way?

481
00:34:12.825 --> 00:34:15.365
We feel that way because, well, I have to justify

482
00:34:16.275 --> 00:34:18.565
earning a paycheck every two weeks, right?

483
00:34:18.665 --> 00:34:22.005
Let me ask you this. Do you ever feel like you have

484
00:34:22.005 --> 00:34:23.565
to justify yourself?

485
00:34:24.655 --> 00:34:27.285
Maybe it's not with work. Maybe, uh, some

486
00:34:27.285 --> 00:34:30.405
of you get creative like I do when it comes to money math.

487
00:34:31.225 --> 00:34:33.445
So, uh, every year, uh, I go down

488
00:34:33.445 --> 00:34:35.445
to a church conference down in Orlando.

489
00:34:35.865 --> 00:34:38.965
And you know what else is in Orlando Islands of Adventure.

490
00:34:39.115 --> 00:34:40.125
It's my favorite theme park.

491
00:34:40.245 --> 00:34:41.445
I love going to Islands of Adventure.

492
00:34:41.465 --> 00:34:44.445
And every single year I get my ticket to this conference.

493
00:34:44.625 --> 00:34:46.405
And my wife says, not this year,

494
00:34:47.345 --> 00:34:48.405
go for what you're going for.

495
00:34:49.145 --> 00:34:49.885
We don't need any

496
00:34:49.945 --> 00:34:51.605
extracurriculars or anything like that, right?

497
00:34:51.665 --> 00:34:53.325
But then this past year,

498
00:34:53.325 --> 00:34:54.645
something interesting started happening.

499
00:34:54.995 --> 00:34:57.405
Well, for one, I got my ticket to the conference for free.

500
00:34:59.585 --> 00:35:01.265
I decided to drive instead of flying.

501
00:35:01.465 --> 00:35:04.145
'cause honey, that saves money. We use

502
00:35:04.145 --> 00:35:05.265
points to book the hotel.

503
00:35:05.265 --> 00:35:07.345
And so, you know, with all this extra money I spent, well,

504
00:35:07.585 --> 00:35:10.745
I think, I think I've justified buying myself a ticket

505
00:35:10.765 --> 00:35:12.145
to islands of an adventure this year.

506
00:35:12.405 --> 00:35:14.865
Let me ask you one more time, do you ever try

507
00:35:15.085 --> 00:35:16.985
to justify your actions?

508
00:35:17.805 --> 00:35:20.225
Do you ever feel like, man, if I get the job,

509
00:35:20.585 --> 00:35:22.465
I can justify all of my student loan debt?

510
00:35:23.085 --> 00:35:26.065
Or if I get the grades, I can justify staying up

511
00:35:26.185 --> 00:35:27.265
late and studying all night.

512
00:35:27.285 --> 00:35:29.985
Or maybe if we try to think about the ways that we appear

513
00:35:29.985 --> 00:35:33.025
to other people, we say, well, if I accomplish X, y, Z

514
00:35:33.205 --> 00:35:35.905
by this imaginary finish line that I've created for myself,

515
00:35:35.905 --> 00:35:36.945
well then I can prove to

516
00:35:37.085 --> 00:35:38.285
other people that I'm not a failure.

517
00:35:39.225 --> 00:35:42.445
If I get married by this time, then, then I can try to prove

518
00:35:42.465 --> 00:35:44.125
to myself that I have my life together.

519
00:35:44.185 --> 00:35:47.725
If I get the house, I can justify skipping work to pick up a

520
00:35:47.725 --> 00:35:50.205
or skipping church to pick up a few extra hours at work.

521
00:35:50.425 --> 00:35:51.685
So then I set myself up

522
00:35:51.685 --> 00:35:53.045
somewhere better down the road, right?

523
00:35:53.105 --> 00:35:55.405
We try to justify ourselves.

524
00:35:55.465 --> 00:36:00.365
And in life it can feel so easy to pile up receipts,

525
00:36:00.625 --> 00:36:03.925
uh, to prove that we are somehow enough.

526
00:36:03.925 --> 00:36:04.925
Because on some level,

527
00:36:05.085 --> 00:36:06.645
I think it's a question that all of us ask.

528
00:36:07.705 --> 00:36:12.505
Am I enough? Am I good enough? Am I worthy enough?

529
00:36:12.605 --> 00:36:15.705
Can I produce enough? Can I fill in the blank enough?

530
00:36:17.005 --> 00:36:20.545
But if you're not careful, that mindset can easily creep

531
00:36:20.695 --> 00:36:22.145
into your faith as well.

532
00:36:22.305 --> 00:36:25.145
I mean, come on, God, if you, if you had the responsibility

533
00:36:25.165 --> 00:36:27.105
to send God once a week an email

534
00:36:27.105 --> 00:36:28.545
of the five things you did this week

535
00:36:29.045 --> 00:36:30.385
to grow in your relationship with him,

536
00:36:30.385 --> 00:36:31.825
that would honestly feel a little bit

537
00:36:31.825 --> 00:36:32.905
easy to some of us, right?

538
00:36:32.905 --> 00:36:34.945
We'd be like, okay, I went to church, I prayed,

539
00:36:35.105 --> 00:36:38.025
I read my Bible, I served and I give, I'm a good Christian.

540
00:36:38.025 --> 00:36:42.145
Gimme a gold star. But that is a mentality that

541
00:36:42.405 --> 00:36:44.425
so easily creeps in.

542
00:36:44.425 --> 00:36:46.945
Listen, as much as I want all of those things to be true

543
00:36:47.085 --> 00:36:48.465
for you, I want you to also know

544
00:36:48.465 --> 00:36:52.665
that they don't ascribe your worth or your value to God

545
00:36:52.845 --> 00:36:54.425
or to other people around you.

546
00:36:55.485 --> 00:36:59.465
In Matthew chapter seven, uh, Jesus talks about, uh, the day

547
00:36:59.465 --> 00:37:00.865
of judgment, when there'll be people

548
00:37:00.925 --> 00:37:01.945
who will come up to him.

549
00:37:01.965 --> 00:37:03.785
And basically what they'll say is, Hey, Lord,

550
00:37:03.895 --> 00:37:05.385
look at me and look at all of that.

551
00:37:05.385 --> 00:37:06.625
I've, all that I've accomplished.

552
00:37:07.215 --> 00:37:10.185
They'll say things like, Lord, I prophesied in your name.

553
00:37:10.505 --> 00:37:12.185
I cast it out demons in your name.

554
00:37:12.665 --> 00:37:14.345
I perform miracles in your name.

555
00:37:14.485 --> 00:37:16.625
And Jesus says that He will look at those people

556
00:37:16.645 --> 00:37:17.905
and say, depart from me.

557
00:37:18.405 --> 00:37:22.225
For I never knew you. It's a scary thought, isn't it?

558
00:37:23.035 --> 00:37:25.005
That you could do and do and do

559
00:37:25.105 --> 00:37:27.685
and accomplish whatever you want and,

560
00:37:27.685 --> 00:37:30.045
and do things even in the name of God.

561
00:37:30.145 --> 00:37:33.965
And somehow that will not be the thing that proves

562
00:37:33.995 --> 00:37:35.285
that you are enough.

563
00:37:36.785 --> 00:37:39.085
But here's the beauty of the gospel, the message

564
00:37:39.085 --> 00:37:40.805
of the gospel and the message of the crosses,

565
00:37:40.805 --> 00:37:42.845
that you are saved and made righteous

566
00:37:42.905 --> 00:37:44.285
by grace through faith.

567
00:37:44.475 --> 00:37:46.485
Each of us has sinned against God

568
00:37:46.645 --> 00:37:50.205
and our sin has built up a, a bill that none

569
00:37:50.205 --> 00:37:51.245
of us could afford to pay.

570
00:37:51.305 --> 00:37:54.645
And so what Jesus does is Jesus steps in our place.

571
00:37:54.825 --> 00:37:57.685
He, uh, uh, takes the penalty for our sin,

572
00:37:57.685 --> 00:38:00.805
places it upon himself, and the debt owed to God.

573
00:38:01.305 --> 00:38:05.445
Uh, uh, the debt that God, um, um, that we rightfully owe

574
00:38:05.445 --> 00:38:07.725
to him has been settled through Jesus.

575
00:38:07.825 --> 00:38:10.325
And now we have nothing to prove, nothing to earn.

576
00:38:10.385 --> 00:38:13.525
And we can stand before God not needing to be justified,

577
00:38:13.525 --> 00:38:16.925
because in Jesus we are justified before him.

578
00:38:16.925 --> 00:38:18.525
Colossians three, three teaches

579
00:38:18.525 --> 00:38:20.125
that we are hidden in Christ.

580
00:38:20.125 --> 00:38:22.965
What does that mean? It means that when God looks at us,

581
00:38:23.425 --> 00:38:25.685
he sees the righteousness of Jesus.

582
00:38:28.515 --> 00:38:30.495
But do you ever still feel like you're not enough?

583
00:38:31.485 --> 00:38:33.575
Like, man, the gospel's good and we can hoop and holler

584
00:38:33.595 --> 00:38:34.895
and get really excited about it.

585
00:38:35.020 --> 00:38:39.165
It, but the reality is we all still feel at times like

586
00:38:39.165 --> 00:38:40.245
we have something to prove.

587
00:38:40.345 --> 00:38:41.845
It happens to the best of us.

588
00:38:42.905 --> 00:38:46.165
It even happened to, uh, a man named Peter who was one

589
00:38:46.165 --> 00:38:47.805
of Jesus's first followers.

590
00:38:47.825 --> 00:38:49.525
And it led to a bit of drama

591
00:38:49.525 --> 00:38:51.405
that we're gonna read about here now.

592
00:38:51.425 --> 00:38:52.805
So if you have your Bibles, go ahead

593
00:38:52.805 --> 00:38:54.805
and turn over to Galatians chapter two.

594
00:38:55.265 --> 00:38:57.405
Um, if you're going digital, feel free to, uh,

595
00:38:57.405 --> 00:38:58.725
switch over to the NLT.

596
00:38:58.725 --> 00:39:00.885
That's the translation that we're gonna be looking at today.

597
00:39:01.385 --> 00:39:05.645
Um, but for now, let me set up what's going on here. Okay.

598
00:39:05.865 --> 00:39:08.765
Uh, the Apostle Paul, he's the author of the letter

599
00:39:08.825 --> 00:39:09.965
of Galatians.

600
00:39:09.965 --> 00:39:13.285
He's writing this to the people who live in Galatia.

601
00:39:13.285 --> 00:39:15.885
This is the same Paul who wrote the letter to Titus

602
00:39:15.885 --> 00:39:17.285
that we looked at over the summer, okay?

603
00:39:17.545 --> 00:39:19.765
And the reason why Paul is writing this letter is

604
00:39:19.765 --> 00:39:22.965
to refute the claim that Jesus requires anything

605
00:39:23.495 --> 00:39:26.565
other than faith to be justified before God.

606
00:39:27.265 --> 00:39:29.245
His goal in writing this letter is

607
00:39:29.245 --> 00:39:32.005
to combat this false teaching going around that says, Hey,

608
00:39:32.175 --> 00:39:35.575
faith in Jesus is good, but it's not enough.

609
00:39:37.345 --> 00:39:39.415
There were people who were saying that, listen, in order

610
00:39:39.475 --> 00:39:41.815
to really be saved, you have to follow Jesus.

611
00:39:42.115 --> 00:39:43.215
But you also have

612
00:39:43.215 --> 00:39:46.015
to follow the Jewish law laws about circumcision.

613
00:39:46.075 --> 00:39:50.095
In observing the Mosaic law, the false teaching

614
00:39:50.095 --> 00:39:52.695
that was being spread was this Jesus

615
00:39:53.845 --> 00:39:56.015
plus the law equals salvation.

616
00:39:58.075 --> 00:40:01.175
Now, it's easy for us to point a finger at the Galatians

617
00:40:01.795 --> 00:40:03.495
and say, man, how could they possibly think that?

618
00:40:03.495 --> 00:40:05.855
But really, how many of us think the same way?

619
00:40:06.925 --> 00:40:08.895
Like we'd never actually say it, right?

620
00:40:08.895 --> 00:40:12.055
But how many of us think, man, if I cry during worship

621
00:40:13.275 --> 00:40:15.695
and somebody else sees it, well then man,

622
00:40:15.695 --> 00:40:16.815
they're really gonna know that the

623
00:40:16.815 --> 00:40:18.095
spirit's working inside of my heart.

624
00:40:18.095 --> 00:40:19.295
You know, something's really happening.

625
00:40:19.295 --> 00:40:21.775
Then maybe you thought, man, listen, I've,

626
00:40:21.775 --> 00:40:23.495
I've been battling this addiction for years,

627
00:40:23.515 --> 00:40:26.455
and if I could just get over this, then God would love me.

628
00:40:26.455 --> 00:40:28.095
Then everything between me and God would be cool.

629
00:40:30.345 --> 00:40:32.735
Maybe if I just, if I have the right answers

630
00:40:32.875 --> 00:40:34.855
to everybody's theological questions,

631
00:40:34.855 --> 00:40:36.135
then somehow I can prove

632
00:40:36.135 --> 00:40:38.815
that I'm a next level Christian, right?

633
00:40:39.075 --> 00:40:40.135
We do this all the time.

634
00:40:40.715 --> 00:40:41.975
We may never say it out loud,

635
00:40:42.035 --> 00:40:44.895
but subtly we can end up doing exactly

636
00:40:44.975 --> 00:40:46.935
what the Galatians were tricked into believing.

637
00:40:48.045 --> 00:40:51.015
They were pushing a performance-based gospel that was rooted

638
00:40:51.075 --> 00:40:53.135
for them specifically in their ethnic

639
00:40:53.415 --> 00:40:54.775
identity and in rule keeping.

640
00:40:55.995 --> 00:40:59.135
So the great sin that we see in Galatia, it wasn't

641
00:40:59.135 --> 00:41:01.015
that people were rejecting Jesus,

642
00:41:02.275 --> 00:41:03.525
that would've been bad enough,

643
00:41:03.545 --> 00:41:05.525
but it wasn't that they were rejecting Jesus.

644
00:41:05.745 --> 00:41:07.885
The problem was they were adding to him.

645
00:41:09.325 --> 00:41:12.225
And Paul says, this is not just a slight misunderstanding,

646
00:41:12.855 --> 00:41:16.065
this is a total distortion of the gospel.

647
00:41:17.125 --> 00:41:19.785
And even Peter, the one who had once walked with Jesus,

648
00:41:19.785 --> 00:41:21.025
had fallen into this trap.

649
00:41:21.605 --> 00:41:24.025
And so that's gonna pick us up where we're reading today.

650
00:41:24.125 --> 00:41:25.665
Uh, Paul is writing to the Galatians

651
00:41:25.665 --> 00:41:28.465
and he's, he's, uh, referring to an interaction that he had

652
00:41:28.465 --> 00:41:30.105
with Peter sometime before this.

653
00:41:30.165 --> 00:41:32.225
And so if it feels like we're picking up kind

654
00:41:32.225 --> 00:41:33.725
of in the middle of the story, it's

655
00:41:33.725 --> 00:41:35.805
because Paul kind of picks up in the middle of the story,

656
00:41:35.805 --> 00:41:37.245
like he's talking to them about something

657
00:41:37.345 --> 00:41:38.765
and then he says, oh, well, let me just kind

658
00:41:38.765 --> 00:41:40.205
of tell you about this interaction that happened

659
00:41:40.205 --> 00:41:41.485
between me and Peter a while back.

660
00:41:41.505 --> 00:41:44.845
So starting in verse 11, it says, uh, Paul, Paul is saying,

661
00:41:44.845 --> 00:41:47.605
listen, when, when Peter came to Antioch, he said, I had

662
00:41:47.605 --> 00:41:51.365
to oppose him to his face for what he did was very wrong.

663
00:41:52.155 --> 00:41:55.525
When he first arrived, he ate with the gentile believers

664
00:41:55.525 --> 00:41:56.805
who were not circumcised.

665
00:41:56.865 --> 00:42:00.725
Now, to the people in Galatia, they would've heard this

666
00:42:00.745 --> 00:42:04.205
and would've said that Peter's, uh, atrocity his sin.

667
00:42:04.305 --> 00:42:06.805
The thing that Paul wants to call him out on is

668
00:42:06.805 --> 00:42:08.765
that he was eating with Gentiles

669
00:42:08.765 --> 00:42:12.085
because, uh, this was considered a spit in the face

670
00:42:12.505 --> 00:42:14.125
to Peter's Jewish heritage.

671
00:42:15.825 --> 00:42:17.405
For him to be able to sit down

672
00:42:17.465 --> 00:42:20.365
and eat with gentiles, this would've been a big no-no

673
00:42:20.365 --> 00:42:21.725
to their culture in the day.

674
00:42:21.745 --> 00:42:23.885
Now, here's the problem that Paul is about

675
00:42:23.885 --> 00:42:25.165
to address what he's about to call out.

676
00:42:25.385 --> 00:42:27.165
He said the problem wasn't

677
00:42:27.195 --> 00:42:30.525
that Peter was disrespecting his Jewish heritage.

678
00:42:31.115 --> 00:42:32.645
It's that Peter forgot that

679
00:42:32.645 --> 00:42:35.565
because of his faith in Jesus, he has a new heritage.

680
00:42:36.475 --> 00:42:40.285
He's a part of a new family with new rules and new standards

681
00:42:40.305 --> 00:42:41.965
and a new way to behave.

682
00:42:42.065 --> 00:42:45.005
And so, uh, imagine the scene, Peter's sitting down,

683
00:42:45.005 --> 00:42:46.765
he's eating with these gentiles who

684
00:42:47.505 --> 00:42:49.645
on paper he shouldn't be sitting down and eating with.

685
00:42:49.645 --> 00:42:51.325
So let's keep reading it says,

686
00:42:51.325 --> 00:42:54.845
but afterwards, when some friends of James came, so some

687
00:42:54.845 --> 00:42:58.125
of Peter's Jewish friends came around, says that he says

688
00:42:58.125 --> 00:42:59.885
that Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore.

689
00:43:00.625 --> 00:43:03.405
Why? Because he was afraid of criticism from these people

690
00:43:03.465 --> 00:43:06.285
who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.

691
00:43:06.905 --> 00:43:10.445
As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter's

692
00:43:10.445 --> 00:43:13.005
hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led

693
00:43:13.005 --> 00:43:14.245
astray by their hypocrisy.

694
00:43:14.515 --> 00:43:16.365
When I saw that they were not following the truth

695
00:43:16.365 --> 00:43:18.925
of the gospel message, I said to Peter, in front

696
00:43:18.925 --> 00:43:21.285
of all the others, since you a Jew

697
00:43:21.285 --> 00:43:23.565
by birth have discarded the Jewish laws

698
00:43:23.585 --> 00:43:26.445
and are living like a gentile, why are you now trying

699
00:43:26.445 --> 00:43:29.165
to make these gentiles follow Jewish traditions?

700
00:43:29.225 --> 00:43:31.085
So Peter's hanging out with gentiles,

701
00:43:31.475 --> 00:43:33.245
he's living out the gospel reality, right?

702
00:43:33.245 --> 00:43:34.685
Everything is going great for,

703
00:43:34.865 --> 00:43:36.645
for all the world to know type stuff.

704
00:43:36.645 --> 00:43:38.925
Just like Jason just talked about from our vision night.

705
00:43:38.925 --> 00:43:41.805
This is Peter is actively living into that.

706
00:43:41.865 --> 00:43:43.965
But then some Jewish people comes around,

707
00:43:44.225 --> 00:43:45.685
he starts acting differently.

708
00:43:46.025 --> 00:43:49.405
He shuns the Gentiles, he pretends like he doesn't know him.

709
00:43:49.505 --> 00:43:52.085
And thank God this is just a Peter problem.

710
00:43:54.095 --> 00:43:56.405
Thank God none of us act any differently

711
00:43:56.405 --> 00:43:58.605
around our Christian friends than we do from everybody else.

712
00:44:00.735 --> 00:44:04.205
Isn't it true that for so many of us, we just like Peter,

713
00:44:04.315 --> 00:44:06.485
tend to default to our fear

714
00:44:06.545 --> 00:44:08.885
of other people when we have an opportunity

715
00:44:09.025 --> 00:44:10.885
to live into the gospel reality

716
00:44:10.885 --> 00:44:12.525
that we all claim to believe.

717
00:44:13.825 --> 00:44:15.525
You see, we call that hypocrisy.

718
00:44:16.385 --> 00:44:17.565
But Paul saw

719
00:44:17.565 --> 00:44:20.405
that there was actually a deeper heart issue happening.

720
00:44:20.515 --> 00:44:23.405
Paul recognized that Peter's heart had a spot

721
00:44:23.405 --> 00:44:25.365
that hadn't been touched by the gospel yet.

722
00:44:26.345 --> 00:44:28.565
And that's the reason why he responded the way that he did.

723
00:44:28.565 --> 00:44:29.965
And I think this is one of the first lessons

724
00:44:29.965 --> 00:44:32.485
that we can note out of this passage, man.

725
00:44:32.515 --> 00:44:35.405
This is the reason why it's so important for us

726
00:44:35.405 --> 00:44:38.005
to have healthy Christ-centered friends around

727
00:44:38.065 --> 00:44:40.325
who don't mind calling you out when they see a part

728
00:44:40.325 --> 00:44:41.845
of your life that isn't aligned with the gospel.

729
00:44:43.575 --> 00:44:46.835
Man, Peter desperately needed someone like Paul.

730
00:44:46.915 --> 00:44:48.795
I mean, I know this is true of my own life,

731
00:44:48.795 --> 00:44:52.475
that when I'm not surrounded by godly healthy people

732
00:44:52.975 --> 00:44:54.835
to call out the sin in my life

733
00:44:54.835 --> 00:44:57.755
and to point out the areas where I'm not living like Jesus,

734
00:44:57.975 --> 00:44:59.355
man, if it weren't for those people,

735
00:44:59.595 --> 00:45:02.035
I would very easily revert back into my many

736
00:45:02.035 --> 00:45:03.675
of my old behaviors and own ways.

737
00:45:03.675 --> 00:45:05.475
And lemme tell you something else. They notice stuff.

738
00:45:05.515 --> 00:45:09.925
I don't, they call out things when I don't recognize it.

739
00:45:11.025 --> 00:45:13.805
See, for Peter, what he was doing was probably some sort

740
00:45:13.805 --> 00:45:17.445
of like defense mechanism, but to Paul, Paul saw it as sin.

741
00:45:18.215 --> 00:45:19.395
He said, listen, you think you're trying

742
00:45:19.395 --> 00:45:21.115
to protect yourself, really, you're hurting yourself.

743
00:45:21.135 --> 00:45:22.155
So let me step in here

744
00:45:22.255 --> 00:45:24.555
and I just want to ask you, do you have a Paul,

745
00:45:26.525 --> 00:45:30.185
do you have someone who is deeply concerned about your

746
00:45:30.185 --> 00:45:33.225
whole, your personal holiness to the point

747
00:45:33.695 --> 00:45:34.985
that they can call you out

748
00:45:34.985 --> 00:45:37.025
and approach you even when you don't approach them?

749
00:45:37.905 --> 00:45:39.665
I think sometimes we have people who are like, yeah,

750
00:45:39.705 --> 00:45:40.665
I think I could go to this person

751
00:45:40.685 --> 00:45:41.825
and tell 'em about when I'm struggling.

752
00:45:41.825 --> 00:45:44.065
But man, what if you had somebody who is like, Hey,

753
00:45:44.065 --> 00:45:46.225
listen, we're tight.

754
00:45:46.425 --> 00:45:47.665
I know it's an open door policy.

755
00:45:47.725 --> 00:45:48.905
At any point I can come to you

756
00:45:48.905 --> 00:45:50.545
and tell you if I see something that doesn't align

757
00:45:50.545 --> 00:45:51.705
with the Bible, listen, I,

758
00:45:51.865 --> 00:45:53.305
I hope you have someone like that.

759
00:45:54.305 --> 00:45:55.385
I hope you have a Paul.

760
00:45:56.205 --> 00:45:59.345
But how many of us also push our Pauls away?

761
00:46:00.965 --> 00:46:04.145
How many of us push our Pauls away for being too judgmental

762
00:46:05.135 --> 00:46:06.395
or for being holier than thou

763
00:46:06.395 --> 00:46:08.075
or man, they don't really know me.

764
00:46:08.825 --> 00:46:10.715
They can't really speak into my life like that.

765
00:46:10.715 --> 00:46:14.435
Listen, what Paul's doing here is totally biblical.

766
00:46:15.425 --> 00:46:17.355
Paul is publicly rebuking Peter

767
00:46:17.415 --> 00:46:19.155
for pulling away from the gentile believers.

768
00:46:19.415 --> 00:46:21.715
Not just because Paul was offended, he wasn't like,

769
00:46:21.755 --> 00:46:22.675
I don't like what you're doing, so

770
00:46:22.675 --> 00:46:23.555
I'm gonna say something about it.

771
00:46:23.555 --> 00:46:26.275
It's not that he was offended

772
00:46:26.275 --> 00:46:28.475
because he saw that his friend wasn't living

773
00:46:28.475 --> 00:46:29.515
like an image bearer.

774
00:46:30.815 --> 00:46:33.115
And he said, man, you were made for so much more than that.

775
00:46:33.615 --> 00:46:36.115
So let me gently and humbly restore.

776
00:46:36.115 --> 00:46:38.835
You see, Paul's goal wasn't just to correct behavior.

777
00:46:39.185 --> 00:46:42.075
He's saying, Peter, you're actions are actually out

778
00:46:42.075 --> 00:46:43.235
of step with the gospel.

779
00:46:45.225 --> 00:46:46.925
The issue that Paul is calling out is

780
00:46:46.925 --> 00:46:50.765
that Peter knew the gospel but defaulted to fear of others

781
00:46:51.145 --> 00:46:53.205
and their opinions and their traditions.

782
00:46:54.145 --> 00:46:55.565
But then Paul notices something else,

783
00:46:56.305 --> 00:46:59.365
and this is something he's definitely not going to let fly.

784
00:46:59.745 --> 00:47:02.125
Uh, the problem, one of the problems

785
00:47:02.125 --> 00:47:04.245
that Paul noticed about Peter is he says, Hey, listen,

786
00:47:05.035 --> 00:47:06.245
what you're doing is wrong.

787
00:47:07.065 --> 00:47:08.965
But Peter Barnabas

788
00:47:09.905 --> 00:47:11.405
and some of your friends, man,

789
00:47:11.405 --> 00:47:13.165
they're following your example too.

790
00:47:14.385 --> 00:47:17.325
And Paul is definitely not going to let that fly.

791
00:47:17.385 --> 00:47:20.965
He wasn't going to allow Peter to set a poor example of

792
00:47:20.965 --> 00:47:23.045
what it means to be a Christ follower.

793
00:47:23.045 --> 00:47:24.445
And I think again, this is something

794
00:47:24.445 --> 00:47:26.525
that we can draw out away from this text and,

795
00:47:26.525 --> 00:47:27.565
and apply to our lives

796
00:47:27.675 --> 00:47:29.980
because I think that one of the issues in our culture,

797
00:47:30.325 --> 00:47:32.805
specifically in like Western Christian culture is

798
00:47:32.805 --> 00:47:35.765
that we've created a Christian subculture that some

799
00:47:35.765 --> 00:47:37.805
of us assimilate to without even realizing

800
00:47:37.805 --> 00:47:40.685
that it's a church culture, but it's not the faith.

801
00:47:41.745 --> 00:47:42.965
So what I mean by that is, is

802
00:47:42.965 --> 00:47:44.645
that there are certain just Christian behaviors

803
00:47:44.645 --> 00:47:47.605
that we all do and that a good Christian should do, right?

804
00:47:47.835 --> 00:47:49.205
Like, oh, you watch the chosen

805
00:47:49.265 --> 00:47:51.325
and you listen to K love and you learn how to dance.

806
00:47:51.325 --> 00:47:54.525
The Forest Frank's new song like you must be a Christian.

807
00:47:55.345 --> 00:47:58.445
But nowhere are any of those things prescribed

808
00:47:58.445 --> 00:48:00.805
to us in scripture, but we just do it.

809
00:48:00.805 --> 00:48:02.045
Why? Because we see other people doing it.

810
00:48:03.485 --> 00:48:05.205
I wanna challenge you with this and,

811
00:48:05.205 --> 00:48:07.525
and hopefully this actually changes your perspective on

812
00:48:07.525 --> 00:48:10.365
what it means to live the life that Jesus came to offer.

813
00:48:11.705 --> 00:48:15.045
Did you know that nowhere in the Bible, not once

814
00:48:15.715 --> 00:48:17.205
does Jesus ever look at someone

815
00:48:17.265 --> 00:48:20.945
and say, you should be a Christian, not one time.

816
00:48:22.525 --> 00:48:25.275
You know what he says? He says, follow me.

817
00:48:27.485 --> 00:48:30.875
Why would he do that? Maybe it's

818
00:48:30.875 --> 00:48:32.875
because Jesus knows that if he were just

819
00:48:32.875 --> 00:48:33.995
to say be a Christian,

820
00:48:34.105 --> 00:48:35.755
then we would just look at other people

821
00:48:35.815 --> 00:48:37.115
and say, that's my example.

822
00:48:37.975 --> 00:48:39.835
But instead Jesus says, follow me

823
00:48:39.835 --> 00:48:43.115
because he is the only example any of us should ever follow.

824
00:48:43.655 --> 00:48:45.595
How dare we allow anyone else,

825
00:48:46.015 --> 00:48:49.395
any other fallen broken human being to be the barometer for

826
00:48:49.395 --> 00:48:51.835
what holiness is When we have direct access to view

827
00:48:52.095 --> 00:48:56.285
and follow Jesus himself, this is

828
00:48:56.285 --> 00:48:58.285
what Jesus invites us into.

829
00:48:58.285 --> 00:49:00.685
This is the life that he wants all of us to have.

830
00:49:00.785 --> 00:49:03.325
And the problem is, is that when we become more concerned

831
00:49:03.325 --> 00:49:05.845
with following the Christian down the street

832
00:49:05.945 --> 00:49:07.445
or the church down the street

833
00:49:07.585 --> 00:49:09.885
or any other person instead of Jesus,

834
00:49:10.025 --> 00:49:12.165
we end up playing this game of religious telephone

835
00:49:12.295 --> 00:49:14.925
where we just resemble American Christianity

836
00:49:15.145 --> 00:49:17.045
and we get so far away from the life

837
00:49:17.045 --> 00:49:18.285
that Jesus came to offer us.

838
00:49:19.505 --> 00:49:20.885
And that was never the goal.

839
00:49:21.945 --> 00:49:26.005
The goal was always to follow Jesus himself.

840
00:49:26.345 --> 00:49:28.685
Now, that's not to say anything about discipleship, right?

841
00:49:28.795 --> 00:49:31.685
Even Paul writes, man, follow me as I follow Christ.

842
00:49:31.945 --> 00:49:33.725
But if you're walking behind somebody

843
00:49:34.225 --> 00:49:35.645
and they're claiming to lead you the way

844
00:49:35.645 --> 00:49:37.805
that Jesus leads you, at some point you need to kind of look

845
00:49:37.805 --> 00:49:39.525
around and be like, Hey, who are you following?

846
00:49:40.825 --> 00:49:42.645
Let me make sure we're going the right way.

847
00:49:42.745 --> 00:49:43.965
Let me make sure that even the way

848
00:49:43.965 --> 00:49:45.125
that you're training me up

849
00:49:45.125 --> 00:49:48.005
and discipling me is accurate with the word of God.

850
00:49:49.155 --> 00:49:51.005
Because this is what Peter's starting to do.

851
00:49:51.635 --> 00:49:54.365
He's setting a bad example for other believers.

852
00:49:54.365 --> 00:49:57.605
And so Paul goes on to set the record straight and,

853
00:49:57.605 --> 00:49:59.765
and as we read this next part, here's what I want you to do.

854
00:49:59.765 --> 00:50:02.325
I just want you to, to kind of have your, your mind

855
00:50:02.505 --> 00:50:05.285
and your eyes attuned to see if you notice anything

856
00:50:05.805 --> 00:50:07.725
repetitive through this next chunk of scripture, okay?

857
00:50:07.725 --> 00:50:09.605
It's a little bit of a big chunk. And so I just want you

858
00:50:09.605 --> 00:50:11.325
to look out for, for key phrases.

859
00:50:11.715 --> 00:50:13.565
This is verses 15 through 18,

860
00:50:13.565 --> 00:50:16.965
still in Galatians chapter two, Paul writes to,

861
00:50:17.145 --> 00:50:19.125
to Peter, he says this to Peter.

862
00:50:19.145 --> 00:50:21.005
He says, you and I are Jews by birth,

863
00:50:21.425 --> 00:50:23.085
not thinners like the Gentiles.

864
00:50:23.085 --> 00:50:24.325
That's sarcasm, by the way.

865
00:50:25.905 --> 00:50:28.365
Yet we know that a person is made right with God

866
00:50:28.425 --> 00:50:30.965
by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.

867
00:50:31.705 --> 00:50:34.245
And we have believed in Christ Jesus so

868
00:50:34.245 --> 00:50:36.205
that we might be made right with God

869
00:50:36.205 --> 00:50:38.285
because of our faith in Christ, not

870
00:50:38.285 --> 00:50:39.565
because we have obeyed the law

871
00:50:40.025 --> 00:50:42.405
for no one will ever be made right with God

872
00:50:42.545 --> 00:50:43.645
by obeying the law.

873
00:50:44.385 --> 00:50:47.405
But suppose we seek to be made right with God

874
00:50:47.405 --> 00:50:50.245
through faith in Christ, and then we are found guilty

875
00:50:50.245 --> 00:50:51.565
because we have abandoned the law.

876
00:50:52.135 --> 00:50:54.925
Would that mean that Christ has led us into sin?

877
00:50:56.005 --> 00:50:57.645
Absolutely not. Rather,

878
00:50:58.045 --> 00:51:02.285
I am a sinner if I rebuilt the old system of law

879
00:51:02.285 --> 00:51:03.725
that I already tore down.

880
00:51:03.845 --> 00:51:06.965
I want to ask you, did you notice a key phrase that pops up

881
00:51:06.965 --> 00:51:08.405
through that over and over again?

882
00:51:08.405 --> 00:51:09.445
We'll go ahead and throw the full

883
00:51:09.515 --> 00:51:11.045
passage up on the screen here.

884
00:51:12.355 --> 00:51:13.845
Have you, do you notice anything

885
00:51:13.845 --> 00:51:16.645
that stands out in this big chunk?

886
00:51:17.635 --> 00:51:22.325
There's a phrase, it's four words made right with God.

887
00:51:22.615 --> 00:51:25.365
Let's just go ahead and highlight so we can see it.

888
00:51:25.365 --> 00:51:29.525
Four times Paul includes in this, in this passage.

889
00:51:30.115 --> 00:51:32.645
This is how you are made right with God.

890
00:51:32.745 --> 00:51:35.085
The the theological term for being made right

891
00:51:35.085 --> 00:51:37.165
with God is justification.

892
00:51:39.755 --> 00:51:44.215
Paul's deepest concern is he wants

893
00:51:44.215 --> 00:51:46.215
to make it clear, abundantly clear,

894
00:51:46.215 --> 00:51:47.415
because Peter seems

895
00:51:47.415 --> 00:51:49.175
to have gotten it mixed up somewhere along the way.

896
00:51:49.175 --> 00:51:52.015
He says, listen, Peter, the way you were made right

897
00:51:52.015 --> 00:51:55.415
with God, Galatians, the way y'all are made right

898
00:51:55.415 --> 00:51:57.775
with God hope community church, the way

899
00:51:57.775 --> 00:52:01.415
that you are made right with God, the way you are justified,

900
00:52:01.675 --> 00:52:04.895
the way you are proven to be enough is not by anything

901
00:52:04.895 --> 00:52:07.935
that you do or that you try to conjure up out of fear

902
00:52:08.155 --> 00:52:09.535
of acceptance from other people.

903
00:52:09.795 --> 00:52:13.295
The way that you are justified and made right with God is

904
00:52:13.295 --> 00:52:15.335
because of the gospel and what Jesus has done for you.

905
00:52:15.645 --> 00:52:19.285
Nothing else. This is Paul's main

906
00:52:19.285 --> 00:52:21.005
concern for all of us.

907
00:52:22.225 --> 00:52:24.845
He wants Peter to know Peter, there is nothing

908
00:52:25.035 --> 00:52:28.285
that you can do that will ever be enough to justify.

909
00:52:28.345 --> 00:52:29.925
The Old Testament talks about this as well.

910
00:52:30.145 --> 00:52:34.245
Isaiah 64, 6, the prophet Isaiah writes, we are all infected

911
00:52:34.545 --> 00:52:36.285
and impure with sin.

912
00:52:36.675 --> 00:52:39.685
When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing

913
00:52:39.905 --> 00:52:43.925
but filthy rags like autumn leaves.

914
00:52:44.025 --> 00:52:45.285
We wither and fall

915
00:52:45.465 --> 00:52:50.205
and our sins sweep us away like the wind dirty rags.

916
00:52:50.365 --> 00:52:52.205
I I don't wanna get too, too graphic here,

917
00:52:52.205 --> 00:52:54.765
but man, that's Paul is saying that everything that we do,

918
00:52:54.915 --> 00:52:55.965
it's, it's useless.

919
00:52:57.075 --> 00:52:59.365
That word that's actually used, I'm sorry, I said Paul,

920
00:52:59.385 --> 00:53:00.525
Isaiah, the word

921
00:53:00.525 --> 00:53:02.565
that's actually used in the Hebrew language,

922
00:53:03.155 --> 00:53:04.525
I'll let you use your imagination,

923
00:53:04.585 --> 00:53:08.045
but originally it referred to culturally, um,

924
00:53:09.475 --> 00:53:11.725
basically a cloth that a woman would use

925
00:53:11.745 --> 00:53:13.365
for personal hygiene once a month.

926
00:53:13.475 --> 00:53:15.565
I'll let you use your imagination there.

927
00:53:17.145 --> 00:53:20.085
That's what Isaiah is comparing your good works to.

928
00:53:20.745 --> 00:53:23.205
He says they're autumn leaves, they're dead.

929
00:53:23.275 --> 00:53:25.325
They're on the ground. Maybe you can can use 'em

930
00:53:25.325 --> 00:53:27.045
to start a fire, but that's about it.

931
00:53:27.165 --> 00:53:29.685
I want you to imagine that you're standing in court,

932
00:53:29.685 --> 00:53:31.005
you're on trial for a crime,

933
00:53:31.465 --> 00:53:32.725
and the judge is saying, Hey, listen,

934
00:53:32.785 --> 00:53:35.845
I'm gonna give you one more chance to prove to us

935
00:53:36.355 --> 00:53:38.205
that you're innocent and you stand up.

936
00:53:38.815 --> 00:53:39.965
Maybe you're still shackled

937
00:53:41.065 --> 00:53:43.445
and you say, your Honor, did you know

938
00:53:44.395 --> 00:53:46.645
that an octopus has three hearts

939
00:53:47.305 --> 00:53:49.325
and when it swims, two of 'em stop beating.

940
00:53:53.425 --> 00:53:55.255
Maybe you get some cheap amusement out of that.

941
00:53:55.255 --> 00:53:57.655
But guess what? It serves no purpose to your case.

942
00:53:58.165 --> 00:54:01.295
That has literally no weight, it has no bearing.

943
00:54:01.515 --> 00:54:04.575
If that feels completely outta place, completely irrelevant,

944
00:54:04.575 --> 00:54:05.615
completely useless.

945
00:54:05.935 --> 00:54:08.975
Isaiah's saying you and you're trying your absolute best.

946
00:54:09.395 --> 00:54:10.415
That's how good it is

947
00:54:10.415 --> 00:54:11.975
to contributing to your own righteousness.

948
00:54:12.595 --> 00:54:13.815
You might as well have thrown it out.

949
00:54:13.815 --> 00:54:15.775
You didn't, you didn't even have a case to try

950
00:54:15.775 --> 00:54:17.095
to raise up for yourself.

951
00:54:17.095 --> 00:54:20.535
And p and Paul looks at his own life as an example of this,

952
00:54:20.795 --> 00:54:22.895
in Philippians chapter three verses two

953
00:54:22.895 --> 00:54:24.575
through 11, Paul writes this.

954
00:54:24.835 --> 00:54:26.055
He says he's, he's talking

955
00:54:26.115 --> 00:54:28.815
and addressing the same issue that's facing the Galatians.

956
00:54:28.815 --> 00:54:31.375
These people who say you need Jesus plus something else

957
00:54:31.395 --> 00:54:32.575
in order to be made righteous.

958
00:54:33.005 --> 00:54:35.935
Paul is saying, uh, Philippians two, sorry,

959
00:54:35.935 --> 00:54:37.055
three verses two through 11.

960
00:54:37.195 --> 00:54:41.415
He says, watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil,

961
00:54:41.985 --> 00:54:43.055
those mutilators

962
00:54:43.115 --> 00:54:45.455
who say You must be circumcised to be saved.

963
00:54:46.155 --> 00:54:48.255
For we who worship by the spirit of God.

964
00:54:48.255 --> 00:54:50.295
Shout out to Rob Jones in the message last week.

965
00:54:50.875 --> 00:54:53.295
We who worship by the spirit of God are the ones

966
00:54:53.295 --> 00:54:54.615
who are truly circumcised.

967
00:54:54.675 --> 00:54:58.015
We rely on what Christ Jesus has done.

968
00:54:59.155 --> 00:55:02.535
We put no confidence in human effort,

969
00:55:03.405 --> 00:55:05.465
though I could have confident in my own

970
00:55:05.465 --> 00:55:06.825
effort if anyone could.

971
00:55:06.825 --> 00:55:11.105
This is Paul talking. He says, indeed, if anyone has a right

972
00:55:11.205 --> 00:55:13.825
or has reason for confidence in their own efforts,

973
00:55:14.155 --> 00:55:15.265
trust me, I have even more.

974
00:55:15.965 --> 00:55:17.505
And then look at what Paul does here.

975
00:55:18.005 --> 00:55:19.345
He starts running down his resume.

976
00:55:20.165 --> 00:55:22.345
He says, I was circumcised when I was eight days old.

977
00:55:23.245 --> 00:55:24.905
I'm a pure blooded citizen of Israel

978
00:55:24.905 --> 00:55:27.265
and a member of, uh, of the tribe of Benjamin.

979
00:55:27.945 --> 00:55:30.465
I was a real Hebrew if there ever was one. I'm a member.

980
00:55:30.785 --> 00:55:32.105
I was a member of the Pharisees

981
00:55:32.285 --> 00:55:34.785
who demand the strictest obedience to Jewish law.

982
00:55:35.105 --> 00:55:38.145
I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church.

983
00:55:38.285 --> 00:55:41.625
And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

984
00:55:42.205 --> 00:55:44.985
Hit sin. There's the five things I've done this week.

985
00:55:45.295 --> 00:55:47.305
Look at me, look at what I've accomplished.

986
00:55:47.415 --> 00:55:48.825
Look at how good I am.

987
00:55:49.365 --> 00:55:51.065
And this is what so many of us try to do.

988
00:55:51.525 --> 00:55:53.065
God, look at all I've done for you.

989
00:55:53.775 --> 00:55:55.345
Look at all the reasons why I'm worthy.

990
00:55:55.405 --> 00:55:57.745
But let's keep reading to see what happened,

991
00:55:57.895 --> 00:56:00.065
what shift took place in Paul's life.

992
00:56:00.125 --> 00:56:03.425
He says, listen, I once thought these things were valuable.

993
00:56:05.935 --> 00:56:07.115
Before we keep reading, I

994
00:56:07.115 --> 00:56:08.275
just want you to think about your life.

995
00:56:09.555 --> 00:56:10.905
Think about your accomplishments.

996
00:56:11.735 --> 00:56:12.925
Think about the things you've done.

997
00:56:14.895 --> 00:56:17.405
Think about that place where pride creeps in.

998
00:56:18.785 --> 00:56:20.295
Maybe, maybe it's not church related.

999
00:56:20.295 --> 00:56:22.095
Maybe it's something that you've done in the business world

1000
00:56:22.095 --> 00:56:23.690
or or something that you've done at school

1001
00:56:23.785 --> 00:56:25.925
or some way you've performed somehow

1002
00:56:26.035 --> 00:56:27.965
that you take genuine pride in

1003
00:56:27.965 --> 00:56:29.885
and say, man, I know I'm the best at that thing.

1004
00:56:33.955 --> 00:56:36.095
My prayer is that what happened in

1005
00:56:36.095 --> 00:56:37.215
Paul's heart would be true of us.

1006
00:56:37.215 --> 00:56:39.615
That at one time maybe you did think those things were

1007
00:56:39.895 --> 00:56:44.735
valuable, but now he says, I consider them worthless

1008
00:56:45.245 --> 00:56:47.535
because of what Christ has done.

1009
00:56:47.635 --> 00:56:51.895
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared

1010
00:56:52.085 --> 00:56:56.055
with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus.

1011
00:56:56.675 --> 00:57:00.415
My Lord, for his sake, I have discarded everything else.

1012
00:57:01.015 --> 00:57:02.975
Counting it all as garbage.

1013
00:57:03.275 --> 00:57:05.015
If you thought the Isaiah reference

1014
00:57:05.035 --> 00:57:07.015
and the history of that language was interesting,

1015
00:57:07.195 --> 00:57:08.255
you should go back and look at

1016
00:57:08.255 --> 00:57:10.095
what Paul meant when he wrote the word garbage.

1017
00:57:10.275 --> 00:57:12.655
If he were to repeat it on this stage, you say, get

1018
00:57:12.655 --> 00:57:14.855
that guy outta church because that is how uh,

1019
00:57:14.855 --> 00:57:17.215
worthless he thinks of his, his acts.

1020
00:57:18.695 --> 00:57:21.355
He says, garbage, why I get rid of all that stuff? Why?

1021
00:57:21.455 --> 00:57:24.715
So I can gain Christ and become one with him?

1022
00:57:24.945 --> 00:57:26.835
Paul is saying, listen, all of my accomplishments,

1023
00:57:26.835 --> 00:57:29.595
all the things I took pride in, they isn't,

1024
00:57:29.625 --> 00:57:33.315
they weren't actually a barrier to my unity with Jesus.

1025
00:57:34.335 --> 00:57:35.395
But he says, when I let go

1026
00:57:35.395 --> 00:57:36.635
of those things, now I can gain Christ.

1027
00:57:36.635 --> 00:57:37.795
So I can become one, one with him.

1028
00:57:38.035 --> 00:57:39.115
I no longer count my own

1029
00:57:39.435 --> 00:57:40.915
righteousness through obeying the law.

1030
00:57:41.015 --> 00:57:44.715
Rather I become righteous through faith in Christ

1031
00:57:45.695 --> 00:57:48.555
for God's way of making us right with himself.

1032
00:57:48.555 --> 00:57:51.195
There's that phrase again, depends on faith.

1033
00:57:52.255 --> 00:57:53.475
He says, I want to know Christ

1034
00:57:53.575 --> 00:57:55.435
and experience the mighty power

1035
00:57:55.435 --> 00:57:56.635
that raised him from the dead.

1036
00:57:56.635 --> 00:58:00.155
I want to suffer with him sharing in his death so

1037
00:58:00.155 --> 00:58:02.715
that one way or another I will experience the

1038
00:58:02.995 --> 00:58:04.035
resurrection from the dead.

1039
00:58:04.035 --> 00:58:05.835
Listen, Paul is confident.

1040
00:58:06.465 --> 00:58:09.635
He's confident enough to call all of his efforts garbage.

1041
00:58:09.815 --> 00:58:11.595
And I just want to ask you, are you,

1042
00:58:12.855 --> 00:58:15.625
because a lot of us find our confidence in

1043
00:58:15.625 --> 00:58:19.665
what we've accomplished, but Paul is so confident

1044
00:58:19.665 --> 00:58:21.065
and so spiritually mature

1045
00:58:21.575 --> 00:58:23.945
that he looks at the best things on his resume

1046
00:58:24.165 --> 00:58:25.625
and says, I don't need 'em.

1047
00:58:26.655 --> 00:58:28.665
It's just window dressing. It's, it's not important.

1048
00:58:30.245 --> 00:58:33.695
It's nothing because Jesus' way is so much better

1049
00:58:33.755 --> 00:58:36.895
and he knows he has nothing left to prove.

1050
00:58:37.045 --> 00:58:39.575
Paul knows you can argue Paul's accomplishments.

1051
00:58:39.875 --> 00:58:41.335
You can't argue with Jesus's.

1052
00:58:42.285 --> 00:58:43.545
You can look at what I've done

1053
00:58:43.845 --> 00:58:45.225
and you can tell me it's not enough.

1054
00:58:45.925 --> 00:58:47.625
But you can't look at what Jesus did on the cross

1055
00:58:47.625 --> 00:58:50.305
and say, that wasn't enough to make me right with God.

1056
00:58:52.345 --> 00:58:55.555
Back to Galatians, Paul says, when I tried

1057
00:58:55.775 --> 00:58:58.435
to keep the law, it condemned me.

1058
00:58:59.885 --> 00:59:01.015
Have you ever felt that way?

1059
00:59:02.165 --> 00:59:03.255
Have you ever felt like, man,

1060
00:59:03.275 --> 00:59:05.535
I'm every day I'm gonna wake up and I'm gonna read my Bible.

1061
00:59:05.535 --> 00:59:06.695
And then you sleep through that alarm

1062
00:59:06.695 --> 00:59:08.535
and you think, man, I'm a terrible person.

1063
00:59:09.825 --> 00:59:11.165
That's what Paul said. He said, listen,

1064
00:59:11.245 --> 00:59:13.005
I set other people, set these standards for me.

1065
00:59:13.045 --> 00:59:14.165
I set the standard for myself.

1066
00:59:14.305 --> 00:59:16.445
And when I didn't live up to that, it condemned me.

1067
00:59:16.445 --> 00:59:18.365
So guess what? That standard wasn't

1068
00:59:18.375 --> 00:59:19.685
God's will for me to begin with.

1069
00:59:21.195 --> 00:59:23.165
Instead, God's standard was,

1070
00:59:23.225 --> 00:59:24.805
Hey Paul, can you just be with me?

1071
00:59:25.885 --> 00:59:29.185
Can you just rest with me? So this is what, what Paul does.

1072
00:59:29.205 --> 00:59:31.025
He says that I died to the law.

1073
00:59:31.605 --> 00:59:33.985
He said the law was condemning me. So I died to it.

1074
00:59:35.505 --> 00:59:37.345
I stopped trying to meet all of its requirements so

1075
00:59:37.345 --> 00:59:39.105
that I might live for God.

1076
00:59:39.765 --> 00:59:41.785
My old self has been crucified with Christ.

1077
00:59:41.845 --> 00:59:45.145
It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

1078
00:59:45.165 --> 00:59:46.705
So in this earthly bo,

1079
00:59:46.765 --> 00:59:49.345
so I live in this earthly body by doing what?

1080
00:59:50.785 --> 00:59:54.455
Trusting, not working, not earning

1081
00:59:56.125 --> 00:59:58.545
by trusting in the son of God who loved me

1082
00:59:58.925 --> 01:00:00.025
and gave himself for me.

1083
01:00:00.225 --> 01:00:02.345
I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.

1084
01:00:02.345 --> 01:00:03.385
He talks about this in other parts.

1085
01:00:03.405 --> 01:00:05.785
Listen, I, I don't just say, oh God gave me grace

1086
01:00:05.845 --> 01:00:07.105
so I don't have to do anything.

1087
01:00:07.245 --> 01:00:09.545
I'm just gonna sleep all day and eat Doritos

1088
01:00:09.545 --> 01:00:10.585
and wait for Jesus to come back.

1089
01:00:10.585 --> 01:00:11.665
Like that's not what he's saying.

1090
01:00:12.495 --> 01:00:13.705
What he's saying is, is man,

1091
01:00:13.705 --> 01:00:16.185
because of this grace, well now the fruit is

1092
01:00:16.185 --> 01:00:17.265
gonna come out of my life.

1093
01:00:17.425 --> 01:00:19.665
He says, I don't treat that grace of God as meaningless

1094
01:00:20.165 --> 01:00:23.185
for if keeping the law can make us right with God.

1095
01:00:23.205 --> 01:00:25.305
Here's the, here's the main point

1096
01:00:25.305 --> 01:00:26.825
of everything we're talking about today.

1097
01:00:27.765 --> 01:00:30.825
If keeping the law could make us right with God,

1098
01:00:31.035 --> 01:00:33.185
there was no reason for Christ to die.

1099
01:00:34.945 --> 01:00:35.965
Listen to that again.

1100
01:00:37.435 --> 01:00:42.175
If your effort could be enough, then Jesus's effort wasn't.

1101
01:00:44.325 --> 01:00:46.305
And I pray that we would never be the type of people

1102
01:00:46.305 --> 01:00:49.305
who feel like we have to add to what Jesus did on the cross.

1103
01:00:49.465 --> 01:00:52.985
I think there are two shifts that are evident in Paul's life

1104
01:00:52.985 --> 01:00:54.065
that will transform ours

1105
01:00:54.065 --> 01:00:57.305
as well when we allow the Holy Spirit, uh, to help us

1106
01:00:57.325 --> 01:00:58.625
to make these shifts in our lives.

1107
01:00:58.645 --> 01:01:00.865
And the first one is this, it's an identity shift.

1108
01:01:02.145 --> 01:01:04.475
This whole series we've been talking about identity.

1109
01:01:04.495 --> 01:01:06.555
And I want you to recognize Paul is the type of man

1110
01:01:06.555 --> 01:01:09.075
who stopped identifying himself with his accomplishments

1111
01:01:09.215 --> 01:01:11.395
and instead identify himself as someone

1112
01:01:11.415 --> 01:01:12.795
who has been crucified with Christ.

1113
01:01:12.795 --> 01:01:15.715
And I just want to ask you, is that what God wants

1114
01:01:15.715 --> 01:01:16.795
to do in your life as well?

1115
01:01:18.165 --> 01:01:19.865
Do you find your identity in the

1116
01:01:19.865 --> 01:01:20.905
things you have accomplished?

1117
01:01:21.045 --> 01:01:23.985
Or do you find your identity in Christ?

1118
01:01:26.175 --> 01:01:28.385
Paul is beginning a life of looking in the mirror

1119
01:01:28.445 --> 01:01:30.905
and seeing himself as Jesus saw him.

1120
01:01:32.295 --> 01:01:33.915
But in order to do this, it says that he had

1121
01:01:33.915 --> 01:01:35.275
to die to the law first.

1122
01:01:35.295 --> 01:01:37.275
And I just wanna ask you, what do you need to die to?

1123
01:01:38.615 --> 01:01:40.305
What expectations from other people

1124
01:01:41.045 --> 01:01:43.905
or from yourself do you need to put to death?

1125
01:01:44.605 --> 01:01:47.065
So that can stop being your barometer for good enough?

1126
01:01:48.725 --> 01:01:53.575
The second shift that happens is that we have to recognize

1127
01:01:53.575 --> 01:01:57.135
that our salvation is not Jesus plus my effort.

1128
01:01:57.965 --> 01:02:00.335
It's Jesus instead of my effort.

1129
01:02:01.955 --> 01:02:05.175
In other words, if you need a simple way to put this, Jesus

1130
01:02:05.925 --> 01:02:08.055
plus nothing equals everything.

1131
01:02:09.385 --> 01:02:12.805
As long as I have him, I have everything that I need.

1132
01:02:12.985 --> 01:02:17.325
One more time. Galatians 2 21, I I, by the grace of God,

1133
01:02:17.405 --> 01:02:19.285
I hope this punches you in the chest.

1134
01:02:19.865 --> 01:02:22.885
If righteousness could be gained through the law,

1135
01:02:24.065 --> 01:02:25.765
Christ died for nothing

1136
01:02:28.435 --> 01:02:30.245
because my effort will never be enough.

1137
01:02:31.745 --> 01:02:33.165
Here's the, here's the bad news.

1138
01:02:33.385 --> 01:02:36.245
The bad news, you'll never be good enough.

1139
01:02:37.755 --> 01:02:40.135
The good news, you don't have to be.

1140
01:02:41.345 --> 01:02:43.765
And this is what makes the gospel different.

1141
01:02:43.935 --> 01:02:47.365
Every other arena of your life expects something of you,

1142
01:02:50.475 --> 01:02:52.975
expect something of you in order to declare your worth.

1143
01:02:52.975 --> 01:02:56.295
But guess what? Man? Jesus defined your worth at the cross.

1144
01:02:57.695 --> 01:02:59.555
He says, I love you so much. I'm gonna to die for you

1145
01:02:59.575 --> 01:03:01.475
and spill my blood for you.

1146
01:03:03.215 --> 01:03:07.785
That's how much he loves you. Jesus declares our worth.

1147
01:03:07.785 --> 01:03:10.505
When these shifts happen, that's when we realize

1148
01:03:10.505 --> 01:03:12.545
that we have nothing to prove to anyone.

1149
01:03:15.355 --> 01:03:16.495
So if you didn't have your quiet time

1150
01:03:16.495 --> 01:03:17.535
this morning, guess what?

1151
01:03:18.515 --> 01:03:19.655
God still delights in you.

1152
01:03:21.115 --> 01:03:22.615
If you blew it in a relationship,

1153
01:03:22.615 --> 01:03:23.615
maybe you made somebody

1154
01:03:23.615 --> 01:03:24.935
angry and you didn't mean to do that.

1155
01:03:24.955 --> 01:03:27.375
Hey, come back to Jesus. 'cause there's grace.

1156
01:03:27.795 --> 01:03:29.255
If you didn't get the job or the house

1157
01:03:29.275 --> 01:03:30.495
or the recognition, guess what?

1158
01:03:30.495 --> 01:03:32.335
Those things don't define you.

1159
01:03:32.335 --> 01:03:33.295
My wife said something when she

1160
01:03:33.295 --> 01:03:33.975
was pregnant with our daughter.

1161
01:03:33.975 --> 01:03:37.335
I'll, I'll close with this. She said,

1162
01:03:38.795 --> 01:03:41.405
when our kid gets here, she says,

1163
01:03:41.525 --> 01:03:43.725
I never wanna place an expectation on her

1164
01:03:44.035 --> 01:03:45.485
that God doesn't place on her.

1165
01:03:46.945 --> 01:03:48.565
And that was so profound to me.

1166
01:03:48.585 --> 01:03:51.125
And ever since I have been trying to live that way myself,

1167
01:03:51.185 --> 01:03:54.125
man, God, I don't wanna place any expectation on me

1168
01:03:54.125 --> 01:03:55.325
that you didn't put there.

1169
01:03:56.855 --> 01:03:58.635
And the gospel gives us the freedom to do that.

1170
01:03:58.635 --> 01:04:00.315
This is a quote from John Mark Comer in

1171
01:04:00.315 --> 01:04:01.395
his book called Live No Lies.

1172
01:04:02.055 --> 01:04:04.475
He says, the gospel gives us the freedom to fail

1173
01:04:04.905 --> 01:04:08.275
because we are loved no matter what happens,

1174
01:04:08.275 --> 01:04:09.675
whether we succeed or not,

1175
01:04:09.705 --> 01:04:12.075
whether the business venture works out

1176
01:04:12.135 --> 01:04:14.395
or not, whether we get into that school

1177
01:04:14.535 --> 01:04:17.515
or have to settle for second, Beth, whether she says yes

1178
01:04:17.535 --> 01:04:20.315
or he doesn't return your call, it doesn't matter.

1179
01:04:21.015 --> 01:04:23.795
Our self-worth doesn't come from any of that,

1180
01:04:24.085 --> 01:04:26.635
which means we are free to risk, to fail,

1181
01:04:27.015 --> 01:04:28.835
to get back up and to try again.

1182
01:04:29.305 --> 01:04:33.755
It's okay. And that is a beautiful reminder of the gospel.

1183
01:04:33.765 --> 01:04:37.395
Lemme pray for us. Father God, I just pray that all of us,

1184
01:04:38.985 --> 01:04:40.675
that you would just help us to get a glimpse

1185
01:04:41.895 --> 01:04:42.995
of how you see us.

1186
01:04:44.415 --> 01:04:47.035
God, my prayer is that you would just help us to, uh,

1187
01:04:47.425 --> 01:04:50.715
stop defining ourselves by all of these fake metrics

1188
01:04:51.025 --> 01:04:53.155
that other people have imposed on us.

1189
01:04:54.105 --> 01:04:56.915
Lord, there's stuff, there are people in this room

1190
01:04:57.015 --> 01:04:59.355
who have stuff that somebody told them when they were seven

1191
01:04:59.375 --> 01:05:00.595
or eight years old, that

1192
01:05:00.625 --> 01:05:03.115
that still deeply informs the way that they live their lives.

1193
01:05:03.215 --> 01:05:06.115
God, I pray that you would rip that stuff out from the root

1194
01:05:06.115 --> 01:05:08.355
and that you would replace it with the truth that said,

1195
01:05:08.355 --> 01:05:11.155
you are worth the, the blood of my son Jesus.

1196
01:05:12.055 --> 01:05:14.075
And God help us to find security in that.

1197
01:05:14.305 --> 01:05:16.595
Help us to find our identity in that We love you.

1198
01:05:16.775 --> 01:05:19.725
We ask all these things in your son's name, we pray, amen.

1199
01:05:26.795 --> 01:05:31.645
Amen and amen. Um, speaking of prayer, uh, across all

1200
01:05:31.645 --> 01:05:34.325
of our campuses on Sunday, August 24th,

1201
01:05:34.855 --> 01:05:38.125
every campus is gonna have a family prayer gathering.

1202
01:05:38.125 --> 01:05:39.605
And I encourage you to come to that.

1203
01:05:39.705 --> 01:05:41.645
Uh, we we're gonna pray with one another.

1204
01:05:41.645 --> 01:05:43.605
We're gonna pray for our communities, for our schools,

1205
01:05:43.745 --> 01:05:45.565
for our church where God is leading us.

1206
01:05:45.795 --> 01:05:48.485
Because here at hope, we pray because it matters.

1207
01:05:48.585 --> 01:05:51.885
And I have one more update for you. Uh, next Thursday.

1208
01:05:52.625 --> 01:05:55.325
Uh, this room is gonna be filled with people

1209
01:05:55.665 --> 01:05:57.045
who I'm from Texas Field.

1210
01:05:57.045 --> 01:05:58.205
That's how we say that in Texas.

1211
01:05:58.675 --> 01:06:00.325
It's gonna be full of people

1212
01:06:00.385 --> 01:06:02.365
who are worshiping, uh, king Jesus.

1213
01:06:02.905 --> 01:06:05.045
But they will be all from NC State.

1214
01:06:05.095 --> 01:06:06.925
We've invited cruise ministry here.

1215
01:06:06.925 --> 01:06:08.845
There's 800 students that'll be in this

1216
01:06:08.845 --> 01:06:09.885
room on Thursday night.

1217
01:06:09.885 --> 01:06:13.405
So we will not be having Thursday night service next week.

1218
01:06:13.695 --> 01:06:15.645
We've invited, we are leveraging the building

1219
01:06:15.645 --> 01:06:17.645
that God has blessed us with for ministry.

1220
01:06:17.785 --> 01:06:20.485
So I would encourage you, since we won't be here to pray

1221
01:06:20.585 --> 01:06:22.765
for those students, pray for college students, pray

1222
01:06:22.765 --> 01:06:23.845
for college and ministry.

1223
01:06:24.325 --> 01:06:26.525
'cause God is moving in this young generation,

1224
01:06:26.585 --> 01:06:27.805
and we need to be praying for those folks.

1225
01:06:27.985 --> 01:06:30.685
All right? We love you guys. We'll see you next week.