WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.480 Well, today we're going to talk about getting stoned. 2 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:07.040 Wow, it's probably not what you think. But I'm Jeff 3 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:22.760 and he's Chris, and we are the Daily Bible guys. Okay, Chris, Yep, 4 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.399 we're going to Today's a big challenge. 5 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.199 Yeah, it is a challenge. We're going to do two 6 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:29.359 truths and a lie. So you give me three statements 7 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:31.440 and I'll try to guess the truth. 8 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:31.760 Okay. 9 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.320 I'm going to give two truths and a lie. Okay, okay, 10 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:37.520 So and you're going to try to figure out which 11 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.159 one is the lie? Is that? 12 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:38.799 Yeah, that's correct. 13 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:41.759 Okay. Three statements, all right? Three things about me? Just 14 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:42.759 any random things? 15 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:47.320 Yes, Well, I've said I've had such an impressive life 16 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:50.039 it's going to be hard for you to figure out. 17 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.679 I was a valedictorian in my class. Okay, I climbed 18 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:56.119 the highest mountain in Texas. 19 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:56.719 Okay. 20 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:02.479 And I once hit for the cycle in baseball home run, triple, double, single, 21 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.320 and walk. 22 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:08.000 Okay, So two truths and a lie. Here's what I 23 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:10.840 think the lie is. I don't think you were valedictorian. 24 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:12.799 I was not the valedictorian. 25 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:16.920 I was homeschool right, right, So maybe I guess I was. 26 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:17.879 I had the best greade point. 27 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:21.480 Yeah that is impressive in baseball though, yea, yeah, yeah, yeah, 28 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:22.159 that's really good. 29 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:22.439 Yeah. 30 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:24.840 I was homeschool so I didn't have a valedictorian in 31 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:25.319 my class. 32 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.159 I didn't have a class. That was the problem. 33 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:30.280 All right, here's here's my two truths, and here's my 34 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.079 truths in a lie. I'm go, I'm gonna give you 35 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:33.719 two truths in a lie about my family. 36 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:34.719 Okay, Okay. 37 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:40.840 Number one, my brother Donnie wrecked and totaled twenty one 38 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:44.560 cars by the time he turned twenty one. Okay. The 39 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:49.200 second statement is this, I have a comic book that 40 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:53.159 my brother bought that I inherited that he didn't think 41 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:56.079 was worth anything, and it is now worth nine thousand dollars. 42 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.359 The third thing is is that my mother is only 43 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:03.359 four foot nine inches tall. 44 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:08.319 I don't think Donny wrecked twenty one cars by the 45 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:09.120 time he was twenty one. 46 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:09.800 He did. 47 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:12.120 He wrecked twenty one cars. 48 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:13.360 Twenty one cars. 49 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:15.199 How does he still have his driver's. 50 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:18.879 License because none of them were even insured and none 51 00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:19.800 of them were reported. 52 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:22.879 Oh no, and half of them he was drinking, are 53 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:23.479 you serious? 54 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:25.719 And he started and he started wrecking cars. When he 55 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:27.680 was like fifteen fourteen. 56 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:28.840 Donny quit wrecking cars, buddy. 57 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:31.639 Well he sort of wised up after that. 58 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:33.039 Yeah, I would think, yeah, and. 59 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.080 Then you have to realize too. He bought cars for 60 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:36.039 one hundred dollars. 61 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.479 Each back in the day. 62 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.400 So he would buy junk beaters, beaters, and then he 63 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.800 would he would fix them up and then you know, 64 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.360 either horse around. Most of it was horsing around, some 65 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:48.240 of us drinking, and he'd just smash him. And they 66 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:50.919 were such beaters anyway that he had them totald. 67 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:52.199 So what was the lie? 68 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:55.719 The lie was, I don't have a comic book worth 69 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:59.360 nine thousand dollars. So my highest comic book right now, 70 00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:02.000 because I did collect comic books by the way, from 71 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:05.680 like nineteen eighty nine to up until like two thousand 72 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:09.560 and six. So I think I have one worth three grand. 73 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:11.719 Wow, Oh I have several worth three grand. Where do 74 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:12.280 you keep those? 75 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:17.439 They're in my Oh I see, you want to steal them. No, 76 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.199 they're currently up in my son's bedroom. 77 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:20.719 Okay. 78 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.319 Yeah, So when you're going down the hall, do you 79 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:24.199 turn left or right? 80 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.639 You don't even know which ones? Yeah, fistful, Yeah, you'd 81 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:32.919 have to swar through like six boxes. 82 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:36.479 Yeah, that's right, we'll just sew six boxes. I'll bring 83 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:37.520 six guys. 84 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:42.680 That's funny. We'll sew through them later. Okay, So that's good. 85 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:43.520 That was a fun one. 86 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:44.120 Yeah, it was fun. 87 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:44.360 Yeah. 88 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:44.919 Yeah. Yeah. 89 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:48.479 So I gave it away that I wasn't a VALIDICT twentament. 90 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:49.800 Class because I knew you were homeschooled. 91 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:51.240 Oh okay, yeah, that was it. 92 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:56.560 Okay, So we are in Acts chapter six, yes, and 93 00:03:56.919 --> 00:03:59.159 we're going to be looking at again as we keep mentioning. 94 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:00.120 One of the themes is. 95 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.599 There's external pressures on the Christians, but there's a lot 96 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:06.159 of internal pressures on the Christians. And for many of us, 97 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:09.120 we cave under the external. We cave under the idea 98 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.080 that somebody's going to harass us or make fun of 99 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:13.560 us because we're Christians. But on the other side, a 100 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.199 lot of times we give up, we give up on 101 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:17.439 our church, we give up on other Christians because of 102 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:21.120 the stresses and struggles from inside of Christianity. And just understand, 103 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.000 both of those are tools of the devil, not one 104 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.319 or the other, both right, So anyways, here we go. 105 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:28.560 In Acts chapter six, verse one, it says, but as 106 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:33.560 the believers rapidly multiplied. There were rumblings of discontent. The 107 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.600 Greek speaking believers complained about the Hebrew speaking believers, saying 108 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.360 that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily 109 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:44.120 distribution of food. So the twelve called the meeting of 110 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.560 all the believers. They said, we apostles should spend our 111 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:49.399 time teaching the Word of God, not running a food program. 112 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:52.800 And so brothers, select seven men who are well respected 113 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:55.480 and are full of the spirit and wisdom. We will 114 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:58.759 give them this responsibility, and then we apostles can spend 115 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.839 our time in prayer and teaching the Word. Everyone liked 116 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.680 this idea, and they chose the following, a man named Stephen, 117 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.199 a man full of faith in the Holy Spirit, Philip 118 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:12.319 Procorus nicanor Timone Parmenus, and Nicholas of Antioch An earlier 119 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:16.879 convert to to the Jewish faith. These seven were presented 120 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.040 to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid 121 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:21.720 their hands on them. So God's message continued to spread, 122 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.360 and the number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem and 123 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.079 in many of the Jewish priests were converted too. Stephen, 124 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.959 a man full of God's grace, and power, performed amazing 125 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.879 miracles and signs among the people. But one day some 126 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:36.519 men from the Synagogue of freed Slaves, as it was called, 127 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:41.160 started the debate with him. They were Jews from Syreene, Alexandrias, Celicia, 128 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:43.920 and the province of Asia. None of them could stand 129 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:47.120 against the wisdom and the spirit which Stephen spoke. So 130 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:49.879 they persuaded men to lie about Stephen, saying we heard 131 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.160 him Blaspheme, Moses and even God. This roused the people, 132 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:55.720 the elders and the teachers of religious law, and so 133 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:58.079 they arrested Stephen and brought him before the High Council. 134 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:01.079 The lying witnesses said, this man is always speaking against 135 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.759 the Holy Temple and against the law of Moses. We've 136 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.199 heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy 137 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:08.920 the temple and change the customs and Moses handed down 138 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:11.920 to us. At this point, everyone in the High Council 139 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.879 stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as 140 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.680 an angel's. And then we can keep going on from there. 141 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:23.399 But eventually Stephen confronts the council. He preaches this whole 142 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:27.879 message where he unpacks all through the seventh chapter of 143 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:32.480 the Book of Acts, he unpacks all of the Jewish 144 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:35.959 belief system and points to Jesus. That's what he does. 145 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:38.600 And they just lose their minds and decide, you know what, 146 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:40.040 we're going to kill him, and that's what they do. 147 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:41.000 They stone him to death. 148 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:44.160 Yeah. So this is a great example where I think 149 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.360 this could be two podcasts instead of one. Sure, but 150 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:50.959 so can we camp on? Because I love Stephen. In fact, 151 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:52.879 I don't know if our listeners know this, but my 152 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:55.360 son is named Stephen because of this next story. 153 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:55.600 Wow. 154 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:00.399 So, but the first seven verses talks about them choosing 155 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.720 the deacons, right, so let's see how far we get 156 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.680 in this podcast talking about this. But but I want 157 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:08.800 to talk about that for a minute, because you know, 158 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:12.920 it's actually a pretty amazing thing what is modeled for 159 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.480 us here. First of all, it says the Greek speaking 160 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.639 believers were saying that they were discriminated against versus the 161 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.199 Jewish speaking believers or the Hebrew speaking believers. So we 162 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:25.600 already know that this is going to be a problem 163 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:28.639 all the way through, you know, the idea that, like, 164 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.439 you know, the Jewish people were God's chosen people. And 165 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:33.560 then all of a sudden Jesus comes and says, no, no, no, 166 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:37.439 Salvation is for everyone, and it's not limited to those 167 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.480 who are you know, the people of Israel might chosen people. 168 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:43.199 Jesus dies for everybody. And then, of course, in a 169 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:47.160 few chapters God sends the Apostle Paul, and the apostle 170 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:51.279 Paul's mission and Acts number nine he gets converted in 171 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.480 Actually his mission is to take the Gospel from one 172 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:59.560 group to the people who are non Jewish. So so anyway, 173 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.120 that is a whole deal altogether. Where you know, we're 174 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:07.079 church people. The ones that feel most entitled, you know, 175 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:10.199 feel like you know, church is primarily for them. You 176 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.040 could make it mean that, right. The people walk in 177 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:15.319 and they said, hey, you know, play the music of 178 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.519 my choice because I give ten percent of this place, 179 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:20.439 right and I've been there for twenty years. 180 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.240 This is what I want, It's what I like, it's 181 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:24.360 what my culture embraces. 182 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:25.920 Right right, right. And the worst, by the way, there's 183 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:29.079 always a healthy and unhealthy version of that. The unhealthy 184 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:31.600 version is, I'm going to make a very large financial 185 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.159 contribution to this church, and I want my name in 186 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:36.840 the side of the gymnasium that you build, which I 187 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:40.799 guess isn't the whole other topic al together. But here's 188 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:44.840 what's great is that the twelve called themselves. They called 189 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:47.360 a meeting of all the believers, and they said, our 190 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:52.240 gift is not food programs. Our gift is what God 191 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:54.639 has called us to do, which is studying and teaching 192 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.679 God's word. And so if we decided to do everything, 193 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:00.879 we wouldn't be a to do the one thing that 194 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.759 God's called us to do. And so think about the 195 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:06.799 implications of this. There's a reason why you don't go 196 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:11.320 to every single hospital visit. There's a reason why I 197 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:15.360 don't counsel every single person who says I have marriage problems. 198 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.399 And the main thing is is because the reason why 199 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.039 people like our church is because we're functioning in the 200 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:25.200 way that God has gifted us and called us to do. 201 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:28.919 And there's a reason why people say, hey, Chris, I 202 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:33.559 relate to you is because I've been allowed to do 203 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:36.320 the same thing here. So that's the reason why we 204 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:42.960 actually hire people and also trained volunteers to actually operate 205 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:45.559 in their gifts, which is why those people are gifted 206 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.279 in the pastoral You know, if they're a pastor, they 207 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:50.960 have the gift of counseling, the gift of care, right, 208 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.440 the gift of visiting people in the hospital. Right, that's 209 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:55.559 the same thing here. So all of that to say, 210 00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:00.399 here's a biblical model where the pastor isn't the go 211 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:03.440 to be all, do all. He isn't the guy who 212 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:07.080 does fifty things, who's at absolutely everything right he does 213 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.279 he you know, in this case, they're doing one or 214 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:12.000 two things. And that says what happens at the end 215 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.679 the gospel flourishes everyone. 216 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:18.159 Every single Christian is gifted in some way, Chris, sir, 217 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:20.720 And those gifts are not just for you, Yes. 218 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:22.840 Those gifts are for the other. 219 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:27.840 Christians, right, And you will never be growing up spiritually 220 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:31.440 like Jesus unless you use your gifts to serve the 221 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:34.440 rest of the people. So your gift is teaching. Your 222 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:39.519 gift is in that world, and so it would be 223 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:42.559 unreasonable to expect you to also have all the other gifts. 224 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.320 There's no Christian who has all the gifts, right, But 225 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:48.879 every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. That means 226 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:50.879 that there's no Christian who can do all the things 227 00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:54.000 that are necessary for the church. There's nobody that can 228 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:56.960 help build up everybody in the church. It's not possible. 229 00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:01.440 You cannot build everybody into spiritual maturity. There's no Christian 230 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.000 that can do that. But every Christian can help all 231 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.840 the other Christians grow up spiritually, and that's the goal. 232 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.919 So as the ministry began to expand, the weight of 233 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:15.519 the ministry became heavier, the needs of the people became 234 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.759 more and more unique and niche groups needed to be 235 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:20.759 served in a way that they could not do just 236 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.360 in a generic way. And so they decided, Okay, we're 237 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:26.639 going to reach out. We're going to find these seven servants. 238 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.279 And that the number seven is not the issue here, 239 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:32.840 it's just that's how many they decided they needed to 240 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:33.679 solve this problem. 241 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:34.039 Right. 242 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.240 But the word that references these guys, these are the 243 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:41.799 first deacons, it's diaconos, and diacanos just means servant, right, 244 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.399 That's what it means. 245 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:43.200 It means a servant. 246 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.799 And so you have the apostles saying, our job is 247 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:50.919 to pray and to preach and declare the gospel, but 248 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:54.720 we need somebody who can care for the needs. So 249 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.120 the accusation the Greeks accusing the Jews that hey, there's 250 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:02.120 this racial issue or there's some kind of discrimination going on. 251 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.559 That has always been an accusation that we tend to 252 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:07.440 think other people are getting treated better than us, or 253 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:09.919 that group is getting to be treated better than my group. 254 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:12.799 They don't even dive into that part of it. They're 255 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.200 not trying to figure out if it's true or not. 256 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:17.879 What they're deciding is there's a problem in the administration 257 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:22.840 and people are feeling struggled, feeling minimized, and we want 258 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:25.919 everybody to be treated well, and so all right, let's 259 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.240 guarantee that this doesn't happen. They're not putting anybody on trial. 260 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.279 They're not trying to figure out whose fault it is. 261 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.080 They're not trying to punish somebody. They're just saying, let's 262 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:36.799 solve the problem. Let's find some servants that everybody respects. 263 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:39.840 And you can read the names. Some of the names 264 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:46.799 are Hebrew type names, and most of the names are 265 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.320 not right. They're more as a matter of fact. You 266 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:52.960 get the one guy, nicholasa Antioch. He was an earlier 267 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:55.679 convert to the Jewish religion and then became a Christian 268 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.799 right when he found Jesus. And so these guys were 269 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:01.600 presented and it says that everyone liked the idea, and 270 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:04.159 they chose these guys, and so they step in and 271 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.679 they begin to serve, and it solves this issue, at 272 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:07.440 least for this time. 273 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:08.600 It solves the issue. 274 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.759 And so you may not have the gifts that Chris has, 275 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:17.000 but if you can serve, you can solve the problems 276 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:20.120 of the people around you. And that's you being like 277 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.120 Jesus in the church, using your gifts to serve others. 278 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:26.919 Yeah. So for me, there's sort of two big thoughts 279 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.519 in these seven verses that we could apply to today. Obviously, 280 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:33.639 there's you know things model for us specifically in that story, 281 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:37.200 but for today, I would say this, if you ever 282 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:39.960 have been a part of a church or go to 283 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:43.960 a church where where the pastor is expected to be 284 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:49.440 at everything and he's expected to do everything, there's the 285 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.679 biblical model right here that says that is not true. 286 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:55.120 He's not gifted, and so he's not gifted or she's 287 00:13:55.159 --> 00:13:58.679 not gifted. Whoever is in leadership at the time, with 288 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.679 all of these different things, you know, they're going to 289 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:04.679 function in their top few gifts and they need to 290 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:08.440 surround themselves with other people who are really good. And 291 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:11.519 so I'm reminded of the Book of Ephesians where it 292 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:17.840 says to some he gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, 293 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:21.519 and so you know, our gifts are slightly different, right, 294 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:26.279 So my top gifts are teaching, evangelism, apostle, those are 295 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:28.240 my top three, right, and your top. 296 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:32.960 Three are apostle, evangelism, and leadership or wisdom wisdom. 297 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:37.759 Yeah. Yeah, So it's like, if you think about that, 298 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.320 that's why we know pastors who are really good speakers, 299 00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:44.679 but they're terrible counselors, or maybe they're fantastic leaders, they're 300 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.480 just terrible speakers, right, Because that's the reason why one 301 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:48.960 person can. 302 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:49.399 Do it all. 303 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:52.840 That's the first thought. The second thought is this is 304 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:55.279 that that's why God created the church, and he gifted 305 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.480 each believer and we call it the priesthood of every believer. 306 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:03.159 So we are priests in that we are ministers and 307 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.679 that we are called to minister. And so that's why, 308 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:08.360 you know, over and over there's so many things in 309 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:12.120 the Bible and Corinthians and Enromans where it talks about 310 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:16.600 you know, there's one body of Christ. Everybody has a gift, 311 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:19.039 and you know, and just like the hand needs the 312 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:22.519 eye needs the foot on one human body. So every 313 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:25.519 role of every believer is important so that the body 314 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:29.440 of Christ may you know, fulfill all of its purposes, 315 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.039 and that the Word of Christ may go forward. 316 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:32.960 Yeah. 317 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:36.080 I had a time when, you know, I'm not very 318 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.840 good at at hospital. 319 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.240 Visits, for instance. 320 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:42.120 Yeah, uh, the word had gotten out when I was 321 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:45.639 a younger pastor. I literally was sitting next to somebody 322 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.039 who I think was looking for comfort and encouragement, and 323 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:51.720 I just thought, you know, dying is not the worst thing, 324 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:54.159 you know, going to heaven, Heaven. 325 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:57.600 Is pretty amazing. That's probably not that that wasn't what 326 00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:58.519 they were looking for to No. 327 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.399 So dude, when you got cancer, your reaction was like, 328 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:04.720 that's okay. 329 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.240 Yeah, it's all right, I'm good, Heaven's good, Heaven's good. 330 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:07.600 Yeah. 331 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:09.480 And I was like, you know what, there's not too 332 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:11.519 many people that have that initial reaction. 333 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.919 It turns out maybe I shouldn't have been the hospital 334 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:17.080 visitation guy right back then. So we had one of 335 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.480 our key leaders had a heart attack, was in the hospital, 336 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.200 and the hospital's on the way home from the office 337 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.360 to work, and I had just found out about it. Yeah, 338 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.679 So I just and he'd just gone into the hospital. 339 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.080 Somebody told me he just got a room, so I 340 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:31.279 just went in and went and visited him. And when 341 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.399 I walked in the hospital room, he looked like he 342 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.600 was going to be sick when he saw me. So 343 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:38.200 he was happy somebody's coming to visiting. And he saw 344 00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:40.159 me and WHI oh no, because he thought I was 345 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:43.240 coming and telling me dying. Oh no, that's the only 346 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:46.039 reason why Jeff would be here last rites. 347 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:48.440 That's so funny. 348 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:50.399 But what it happened was, I said, I just came 349 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:50.919 in to visit you. 350 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:51.799 Man, I didn't want you to be going. 351 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:54.440 He said, Dude, every person in my small group has 352 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:58.000 already been here, every person. None of them are paid. 353 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:00.080 They're all just Christians who love each other. Right, And 354 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.600 now came He said, Man, you didn't have to stop by. 355 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.119 My group loves me. They've been here, they prayed with me. 356 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:07.480 They've all just left. And he says, so thanks for 357 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:08.960 stopping by, But I thought you were coming to tell 358 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.079 me I'm dying, right, come to give you a guilt 359 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:13.079 class rights, And I just left going. 360 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:14.279 That's the church. 361 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:17.720 Yes, when there's no leader, there's no influencer, there's nobody, 362 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:22.200 not the top or the bottom, nobody expecting any one 363 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:25.160 person to do it all. But the people in his 364 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.920 group stepped up and said, it's our job to encourage 365 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:31.400 our brother because we love him, and that was fabulous. 366 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:34.880 That story reminds me of it's a pretty big challenge 367 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.480 for somebody who zips in and zips out and they 368 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.960 don't have any connection in the church. You may find 369 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:43.839 yourself when you are hurting and you're wishing that somebody 370 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:46.599 would come to your aid. You may think to yourself, man, 371 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:49.720 I wish I had connections of the church. So the 372 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:53.359 benefit isn't just knowing people's names and feeling more comfortable 373 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.039 when you attend a church. It's actually living life with 374 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:56.880 somebody who. 375 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:57.599 Knows your story. 376 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.559 Who can you know, be your brother or your sister, 377 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:04.680 or your friend or your assistant person whatever, somebody who 378 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:07.160 gives assistance. And that's the way it is. 379 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.079 So I was just a real temptation in our current 380 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:13.359 culture because of COVID and all the online streaming things. 381 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:15.519 More and more there's been some research has done on this. 382 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:17.640 I's read a report today about it that so many 383 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:21.200 Christians think I don't really need the gathering anymore. I'm fine. 384 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:23.240 I just watched Jeff and Chris online and I'm happy 385 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.240 get to hear the music and do a little bit 386 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.119 of worshiping. And I don't need the church. The church 387 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:31.599 needs you, right right, So the local gathering of people 388 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:34.119 need you, and there will be a day when you 389 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:34.599 need them. 390 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.119 Yes, yeah, you need the church way more than you 391 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:37.440 think you do. 392 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:38.279 Yes, that's right. 393 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:40.559 And by the way, I was at a restaurant just 394 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:42.160 two or three days ago. I think I told you 395 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.880 the story where I ran into two people who were 396 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:47.720 there who recognized me and said, hey, we know you, Chris. 397 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:50.880 And I said, oh, how long have you been coming 398 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:52.599 to my church? And they were with me at my 399 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:56.480 previous church, and they said, h over ten years. And 400 00:18:56.839 --> 00:19:00.119 yet they had just said, we've never had a personal conversation. Well, well, 401 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:02.559