WEBVTT

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Community.

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It's so good to be together.

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Wanna say a we've a song.

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There's a song.

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Elder Living Creatures,

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crowns Lamb.

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There is the worship rising

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to the King of

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Maje declaration.

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Right? Praise is

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Right.

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It The rocks cry out.

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In worship, we won't hold back

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Is right.

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The

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praise.

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Holy

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Spirit.

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Spirit. When you move my heart, when you fill the

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You, I you

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Spirit, when you,

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When you the you, I you

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we're

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the Spirit, the

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the spirit.

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The spirit

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up the on it.

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Come rest on us. Come rest on,

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up on on

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You.

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You here, you. I'm here.

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I know you Spirit,

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when you're,

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let's

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Make this prayer

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on us.

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You,

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You,

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holy

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Spirit,

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all

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Who You

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I

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Your Friend,

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Loved.

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So would you fall

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the church?

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Holy Spirit,

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rest on us.

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You Holy

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Spirit come.

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Hallelujah. The spirit of God is in this place,

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and we're gonna continue worshiping together.

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But before we do that, why don't you turn to two

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or three people, why don't you welcome them

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to Hope Community Church, those of you joining us online,

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why don't you throw a welcome down in the chat

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In Christ alone, my hope is found.

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He is my light, my strength, my soul.

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This cornerstone, this solid ground

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through the fierce

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and storm

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of peace.

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When fear, when shining

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my

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inglorious,

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fear, power, Christ

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Jesus commands my,

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You know, this is the first gathering

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that we have as a church.

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And every first gathering that we have,

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we get the opportunity to celebrate the opportunity

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to remember the sacrifice of Jesus.

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And as you came in, hopefully you got your communion.

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And if you didn't want you, go ahead

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and raise your hand so that one of our ushers can come

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and bring the elements to you.

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If you're joining us online,

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we'd love to invite you right now.

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Hey, run to your kitchen. Grab some bread, grab some juices

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so that we can partake together.

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The Bible says that on the night Jesus was betrayed,

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he gathered his 12 disciples

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and they had their final meal together

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called the Last Supper.

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And Jesus took bread and he took wine

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and he shared it with them.

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And when he took the bread,

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he raised it up and he broke it.

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And he said, this bread represents my body broken for you.

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And I,

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let's remember the body of Christ that was broken.

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Let's take a knee

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in the same manner.

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Jesus took the cup filled with wine.

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He said, this cup represents my blood of a new covenant.

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This represents the, the blood of Jesus that was spilled

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for you and for me.

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Jesus said, as often as you do this, remember me,

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let's take and drink.

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Jesus. We remember your sacrifice.

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We remember that our salvation

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came at an incredible cost.

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Heavenly Father, we are thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus.

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We are grateful to be able to remember all

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that you've done for us.

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Hallelujah.

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I find my strength. I find my hope.

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I find my help in Christ alone.

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When, when darkness falls,

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I find my peace in Christ alone.

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I find my strength.

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I find my

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I when

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In

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until he returns

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or calls me home here,

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the power of Christ.

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I'll stand here in the power of Christ.

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Let pray together. God, we, we thank you for this time.

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Thank you that we get the opportunity to stand

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in the power of Christ.

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We commit this time to you.

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We pray that you would speak to us by the power

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of your Spirit, are the power of your word.

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In Jesus name we pray. Amen and amen.

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Church, you may be seated.

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Well, what a, an incredible time of worship already.

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Sam Band. Thank you all so much for leading us, uh, just

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to respond to the goodness of our God, to

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who Jesus is, to what He's done for us.

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Uh, if we haven't met before, my name is Jason,

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uh, pastor here, help.

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So grateful to get some time with you.

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Uh, listen, one thing I we want to highlight this week

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is teacher appreciation week.

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And I'm telling you, if there is a job on the place, uh,

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on the face o of planet Earth, that doesn't get, uh,

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the the credit that it deserves, it's our teachers.

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And so, uh, we talk here at hope about being a family.

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The church is this. It's a family who loves God,

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follows Jesus and shares hope.

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And few people on this planet share hope, uh,

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with our young people, as our

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teachers do in our communities.

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And so we just wanna honor our, our teachers.

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I know we've got one who's sitting right over here.

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Can we just celebrate them for a moment?

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It takes so much to raise our young people.

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And so we are grateful.

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And if that's you, if you're a teacher

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that's in here in this room right now, if you're joining

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with us online, we would love for you

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to let us know who you are.

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All you gotta do is text, text the word Teach

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to 7 2 9 8 9, uh,

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and just let us know that you're out there.

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We'd love to come alongside of you, find out

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how we can support you, how we can pray for you.

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We wanna do everything that we can do as your church family

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to support the investment that you make in our community.

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Or in just a moment, you are gonna hear a message from our

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good brother, uh, pastor Aaron Nelson,

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and he's gonna be opening God's word.

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We're gonna be continuing in a series

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that we're in right now called The Way.

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But before we do that, we're gonna watch this story together

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and then give Aaron a big welcome.

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Afterwards.

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I have been a teacher for about 20 years.

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Currently I'm in Clayton at Riverwood Elementary School.

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I teach reading and social studies.

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A few years ago, my school started trying

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to look at our behavior data, how we can maybe fix some

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of the issues that we have.

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And so one of those things was recruiting strong role models

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from the local high school.

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At that time, I was not involved in the program,

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and so I approached my principal

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and asked if I could maybe lead it

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and give it more structure

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and kind of step in with a greater purpose.

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So with Rise, we're taking high school students from the

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local high school and they're coming

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to the elementary school during the school day

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and mentoring our elementary school students.

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The high schoolers are encouraged to sit down to get

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to know their student, to talk

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to them about the character trait of the month,

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and then just to spend time with them.

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Some of the students just need to get energy out

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and that's gonna help them to be more successful.

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They spend about 30 to 40 minutes together,

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and then the mentor returns them to class

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and says, I'll see you next week.

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Life changes happening in the high school students as well

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as elementary school students.

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And at the core of it, I think it's something that

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God has his hand upon and God's doing a great work.

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I would say if you're going through your daily life

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and you see a way that you can serve others, go for it.

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Talk to people about it. Let people know what you're doing.

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Invite people to come alongside of you and support you.

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You didn't see that by chance. God put that in your heart.

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And I say pursue it completely.

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I really like the Rise program

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because it gives students a chance to give someone to talk,

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to rely on, and they can tell me like, what's going on.

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And we can sit there and talk about it

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and kind of give them advice as to what's happening.

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I like the Rise mentorship

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because it gives you time away from stuff

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that you're wearing on and it sweats it out a little

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and go back to class like nothing ever happens.

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It's beneficial to me as well

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because it gives me something to better myself for

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and be better to be somebody else's mentor.

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And it allows me to pour myself into something positive

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and help somebody else.

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I love it because it helps me say stuff to my mentor.

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Like, I can't say to my teacher

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and I can express my feelings

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with stuff I don't feel comfortable

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expressing with other people.

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I think it's great because you can create a connection

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with a little kid.

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So I think we've come a lot like a long way. I do

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Coming here each week.

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It's very relaxing. It's fun.

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I just get to catch up with her

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and just talk about our week. What about you?

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I like when she comes

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because like I just get to talk about things

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that I don't like when I don't like talk

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to about, to other people.

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And I just like talking about things that nobody else knows.

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Well, hey, hope. Yeah. What's up man?

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So glad to be with y'all. Uh, here, man.

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Um, if you, uh,

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if we haven't had the chance to meet yet, my name is Aaron.

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I'm one of the Bible teachers around here, um, at Hope.

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And man, I'm super excited, uh, for today.

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Um, if you haven't been with us for the past little bit, uh,

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I just wanna kind of catch all of us up to speed,

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whether you've been around or maybe you just started

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coming around Easter Sunday.

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But for about the past month,

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we have all been on one collective journey together.

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Uh, about a month ago, we were in a series

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that's called The Way, and we were talking all about, uh,

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Jesus as he makes his way to the cross, uh, he is crucified.

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And then on Easter, obviously we all came together,

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we celebrated the resurrection together.

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And now we are simply asking the question, well, now

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what, what happens next?

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Uh, see, at the core of Christianity is the central claim.

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Everything that rises and falls, rises and falls on this.

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The truth that Jesus, uh, he walked out of the grave,

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he was resurrected.

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And so if Jesus actually walked out of the grave,

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if the tomb is actually empty now what,

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what are the implications that all

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of this has on our everyday life?

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So, um, really quick, if you are new,

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if you just started coming, like I said, maybe since Easter

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or, or more recently than that,

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uh, you're off the hook for this.

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But how many of you were around, uh,

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about three weeks ago when I taught the message

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on Jesus and Baras?

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How many of you were here for that? Okay, does anybody

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remember the verse that I challenged us

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to memorize three weeks ago?

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See that you didn't knew there'd be a pop quiz, right?

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Nobody, nobody. Okay, just double checking.

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Somebody at one of our other campuses is like jumping

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up and down saying, I know it.

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I got it. Probably like

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a high schooler or something like that.

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'cause they're really studious with stuff like that.

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But the passage

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that we discussed was second Corinthians five 17 through 21.

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Now I know at this moment everybody's staring at me saying,

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Aaron, you got it memorized, right?

285
00:28:15.945 --> 00:28:17.565
Uh, I'm almost there. I'm getting close.

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If you don't trust me, you could ask my wife.

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I talked to her on the car over here.

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She heard me go over it.

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But for the sake of, uh, all,

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all being on the same page here today,

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I'm just gonna go ahead and read this passage for you.

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Okay, second Corinthians five 17 through 21.

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It says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

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he is a new creation.

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The old has passed, behold the new has come.

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And all of this is from God who through Christ reconciled us

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to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

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that is Christ in Christ.

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God was reconciling the world to himself,

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not counting their trespasses against them

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and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

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Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,

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God making his appeal through us.

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We implore you on behalf of Christ,

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be reconciled to God for our sake.

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He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so

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that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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When I referenced that verse a couple of weeks ago,

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I talked about how I believe this might be one

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of the most concise

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and articulate presentations of the gospel,

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uh, in the New Testament.

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And I stand by that. But one of the things that I love

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so much about this passage is it tells us both what it is

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00:29:40.605 --> 00:29:43.845
that God has done for us, but it also commands us

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00:29:43.945 --> 00:29:46.685
and teaches us and reveals to us how we are

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to respond in light of what it is that God has done for us.

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Here's just a little, uh, note

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for you to put in your back pocket.

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Maybe if you're new to the Bible

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00:29:54.665 --> 00:29:56.525
or maybe you've been reading the Bible for a while

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and just never realize this.

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But very rarely, if ever,

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will the Bible give us a command without first telling us

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what God has done for us.

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And the reason why is

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because the Bible isn't, uh, deeply concerned

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with you just doing stuff because God said so.

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That is not the Bible's goal.

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Really what so many

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of the biblical authors are calling us into is a life

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of gratitude and a, a humble response to the goodness

333
00:30:23.865 --> 00:30:24.885
and the greatness of God.

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We're not just mustering up our strength and doing things

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because we're supposed to.

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We remember what God has done for us.

337
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We remember that the tomb is empty

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and there are implications for our life.

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And this passage starts off with one that is vital.

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When you put your faith in Jesus, you become a new creation.

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This doesn't mean that there are just some slight things

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that change about you.

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This doesn't mean, uh,

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00:30:51.165 --> 00:30:53.165
that now you just try things a little bit harder.

345
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You're actually a new being in the eyes of God.

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00:30:58.105 --> 00:31:01.205
Uh, in John chapter three, Jesus is having a conversation

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00:31:01.205 --> 00:31:02.285
with a religious leader.

348
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His name is Nicodemus.

349
00:31:04.065 --> 00:31:06.285
And in that conversation, this is the first time

350
00:31:06.285 --> 00:31:09.405
that Jesus uses the phrase, you must be born again.

351
00:31:10.305 --> 00:31:12.965
Now, maybe you've been around church for a while,

352
00:31:12.975 --> 00:31:14.885
maybe you've heard that phrase used before.

353
00:31:14.885 --> 00:31:16.925
But Nicodemus is hearing this for the very first time,

354
00:31:16.925 --> 00:31:18.485
and he goes, I'm sorry, I'm supposed to do what?

355
00:31:18.505 --> 00:31:21.845
Now, he hears this in very natural terms,

356
00:31:21.985 --> 00:31:25.325
and he actually goes as far as to ask Jesus the question,

357
00:31:25.505 --> 00:31:30.285
am I supposed to like go back into my mother's womb

358
00:31:30.285 --> 00:31:33.045
and let me just go ahead and alleviate all the tension right

359
00:31:33.045 --> 00:31:35.405
now, if that were the requirement to have a relationship

360
00:31:35.405 --> 00:31:37.405
with God, all of our buildings will be empty right now.

361
00:31:37.475 --> 00:31:39.685
Okay? Nobody is signing up for that.

362
00:31:40.025 --> 00:31:43.245
But what Jesus wants Nicodemus to know is it's not about

363
00:31:43.245 --> 00:31:45.645
what you do, it's not about the steps you take.

364
00:31:45.715 --> 00:31:47.405
It's actually putting your faith in

365
00:31:47.405 --> 00:31:48.885
what I am about to do for you.

366
00:31:49.475 --> 00:31:51.765
Nicodemus, when you put your faith

367
00:31:51.825 --> 00:31:55.005
and realize that I, uh, am dying on your behalf

368
00:31:55.065 --> 00:31:57.605
and I'm raised again in new life, man,

369
00:31:57.625 --> 00:32:00.125
you are invited into that process.

370
00:32:00.305 --> 00:32:02.005
And the phrase that Jesus chooses

371
00:32:02.005 --> 00:32:04.285
to use is you will be born again.

372
00:32:05.395 --> 00:32:08.125
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, we would go in

373
00:32:08.125 --> 00:32:09.885
and have all these multiple checkups, right?

374
00:32:09.905 --> 00:32:12.885
And what's the purpose of those checkups is to see

375
00:32:12.885 --> 00:32:14.485
how the developmental process is going.

376
00:32:15.025 --> 00:32:16.525
So we would go to the hospital

377
00:32:16.665 --> 00:32:18.685
and uh, we would talk to one of the midwives

378
00:32:18.685 --> 00:32:19.805
and they would check the heartbeat

379
00:32:19.805 --> 00:32:22.365
and make sure there's nothing irregular about the heartbeat

380
00:32:22.365 --> 00:32:23.805
that it's being formed properly.

381
00:32:23.805 --> 00:32:24.805
And they would check her brain

382
00:32:24.805 --> 00:32:27.525
and say, yeah, her brain is developing properly.

383
00:32:27.525 --> 00:32:29.165
They would check all the vital organs

384
00:32:29.165 --> 00:32:31.525
and say, yeah, these things are being built together

385
00:32:32.045 --> 00:32:33.685
properly inside of my wife's body.

386
00:32:34.165 --> 00:32:37.605
A miracle was happening. A person was being formed.

387
00:32:38.985 --> 00:32:41.725
And in the same way, what Jesus is telling Nicodemus is

388
00:32:41.725 --> 00:32:45.805
that when you put your faith in him on some spiritual level,

389
00:32:45.875 --> 00:32:47.205
that same thing happens to us.

390
00:32:48.185 --> 00:32:51.125
Our hearts are being renewed and transformed.

391
00:32:51.225 --> 00:32:53.045
Our mind is being reset.

392
00:32:53.105 --> 00:32:56.125
Uh, the very essence of who you are in relation

393
00:32:56.125 --> 00:32:58.205
to the cosmos is changing.

394
00:32:58.515 --> 00:33:01.005
Your natural tendencies are being transformed.

395
00:33:01.035 --> 00:33:02.245
Your proclivities

396
00:33:02.305 --> 00:33:04.565
and all the things, uh, uh, your desires,

397
00:33:04.565 --> 00:33:06.445
they're being rewired and reworked.

398
00:33:06.445 --> 00:33:10.125
There's a change, uh, of the central aim of your affections

399
00:33:10.125 --> 00:33:12.445
that's being redirected from yourself

400
00:33:12.705 --> 00:33:14.485
and towards God and others.

401
00:33:14.635 --> 00:33:16.325
Your sin is wiped away

402
00:33:16.345 --> 00:33:18.325
and those things no longer define you.

403
00:33:18.385 --> 00:33:20.605
The old self, the old version

404
00:33:20.625 --> 00:33:22.405
of you is not just hidden away.

405
00:33:23.505 --> 00:33:28.205
The old version of you is dead, buried in the grave,

406
00:33:29.105 --> 00:33:31.525
but just like Jesus walked out of the tomb,

407
00:33:31.525 --> 00:33:35.525
when the resurrected body, so we are raised to new life

408
00:33:35.785 --> 00:33:37.285
and we aren't just improved,

409
00:33:37.585 --> 00:33:39.445
we are remade and we are redefined.

410
00:33:41.075 --> 00:33:43.605
It's like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

411
00:33:43.605 --> 00:33:46.365
This is probably the best like earthly example I can

412
00:33:46.365 --> 00:33:47.405
think of, of this whole thing.

413
00:33:47.405 --> 00:33:49.765
Like a, a caterpillar doesn't just squeeze itself really

414
00:33:49.765 --> 00:33:50.845
hard until wings pop out.

415
00:33:52.685 --> 00:33:55.125
A caterpillar doesn't just think maybe if I just try really

416
00:33:55.125 --> 00:33:57.245
hard and focus really hard, then I'll be able to fly.

417
00:33:57.345 --> 00:33:59.205
No, what happens? Something has to happen.

418
00:33:59.225 --> 00:34:00.765
It has to disappear for a while,

419
00:34:00.985 --> 00:34:04.085
and it comes back not as an improved caterpillar,

420
00:34:04.785 --> 00:34:06.765
but as something new entirely.

421
00:34:08.565 --> 00:34:10.845
Becoming a child of God means everything about

422
00:34:10.905 --> 00:34:12.405
you is changing.

423
00:34:12.825 --> 00:34:17.125
And as a new creation, there comes a new mission in life,

424
00:34:18.095 --> 00:34:19.885
there comes a new purpose in life.

425
00:34:19.905 --> 00:34:22.285
And this is kind of our jumping off point for

426
00:34:22.285 --> 00:34:23.245
what we're gonna talk about in the rest

427
00:34:23.245 --> 00:34:24.085
of our time together.

428
00:34:24.685 --> 00:34:27.715
A new life being a new creation,

429
00:34:27.935 --> 00:34:30.435
it means a new mission as well.

430
00:34:31.735 --> 00:34:33.355
Listen, whenever you start something new,

431
00:34:33.375 --> 00:34:34.755
you expect some changes, right?

432
00:34:35.345 --> 00:34:37.475
Like when you move, you know, okay,

433
00:34:37.475 --> 00:34:39.635
this new apartment complex or this new city

434
00:34:39.735 --> 00:34:41.515
or the HOA that I'm moving into

435
00:34:41.665 --> 00:34:42.955
that it's gonna have some new rules.

436
00:34:42.955 --> 00:34:45.635
Some things are gonna have to change When you get a new car,

437
00:34:45.975 --> 00:34:47.235
you gotta get used to certain stuff.

438
00:34:47.535 --> 00:34:50.155
You gotta get, uh, used to how the AC works

439
00:34:50.215 --> 00:34:52.235
and uh, what's my new turn radius

440
00:34:52.235 --> 00:34:53.275
and all this sort of stuff, right?

441
00:34:53.275 --> 00:34:56.435
Well, in the same way, when we decide to follow Jesus,

442
00:34:56.955 --> 00:34:59.195
a new orientation must occur in our lives.

443
00:34:59.765 --> 00:35:01.875
There has to be a point where we say, Hey, listen,

444
00:35:02.335 --> 00:35:03.475
I'm under new management.

445
00:35:03.535 --> 00:35:04.755
What's going to be different now?

446
00:35:06.495 --> 00:35:09.955
And I think that unfortunately for so many of us, uh,

447
00:35:10.175 --> 00:35:13.395
the only thing that really changes in our lives when we put

448
00:35:13.395 --> 00:35:15.315
our faith in Jesus is our Sunday morning plans.

449
00:35:16.945 --> 00:35:18.545
I think sometimes we say yes to Jesus

450
00:35:18.605 --> 00:35:20.505
and we kind of go through the obvious stuff of like, okay,

451
00:35:20.505 --> 00:35:23.145
this means like now I'm supposed to join a small group

452
00:35:23.205 --> 00:35:24.705
or to start serving somewhere,

453
00:35:26.165 --> 00:35:27.865
but there's something that happens

454
00:35:28.685 --> 00:35:30.945
in our lives when we put our faith in Jesus.

455
00:35:31.085 --> 00:35:34.865
You see salvation, it's not just about an integration into

456
00:35:34.865 --> 00:35:36.105
some Sunday morning book club.

457
00:35:37.235 --> 00:35:40.205
It's about a reorientation of our lives,

458
00:35:40.605 --> 00:35:42.085
ambition and our value system.

459
00:35:43.345 --> 00:35:45.725
Uh, one Corinthians six, 19 through 20 puts it this way.

460
00:35:45.725 --> 00:35:46.925
It says, you are not your own

461
00:35:47.185 --> 00:35:48.485
for you were bought with a price.

462
00:35:48.545 --> 00:35:49.685
And that's what we've been talking about

463
00:35:49.685 --> 00:35:50.725
for the past month or so.

464
00:35:50.825 --> 00:35:52.085
We talk about Jesus every weekend,

465
00:35:52.085 --> 00:35:56.445
but we've really been focusing in on the cost of Jesus' life

466
00:35:56.705 --> 00:35:57.725
and what that means for us.

467
00:35:57.745 --> 00:35:58.765
You were bought with a price.

468
00:35:58.985 --> 00:36:03.245
So in response to that glorify God in your body.

469
00:36:04.665 --> 00:36:07.965
And how do we do that? It's by obedience.

470
00:36:09.365 --> 00:36:12.445
A life of following Jesus is defined by submission

471
00:36:12.445 --> 00:36:15.085
to the way and the will of God for our lives.

472
00:36:15.465 --> 00:36:20.445
So alongside your confession that Jesus is Lord,

473
00:36:20.915 --> 00:36:23.205
there's something in the way you view him that changes.

474
00:36:24.295 --> 00:36:26.165
Jesus doesn't just, uh, uh,

475
00:36:26.165 --> 00:36:28.445
he doesn't just remain in your life as some guy

476
00:36:28.465 --> 00:36:30.045
who lived 2000 years ago.

477
00:36:30.715 --> 00:36:35.685
Instead, to call Jesus Lord means there is a promotion in

478
00:36:35.715 --> 00:36:37.485
your mind of the role

479
00:36:37.545 --> 00:36:39.645
and responsibility that God has in your life.

480
00:36:40.585 --> 00:36:44.045
And so for God to be, for Jesus to be Lord of your life,

481
00:36:44.145 --> 00:36:46.605
it doesn't just mean, uh, a change in his title,

482
00:36:46.905 --> 00:36:48.485
but also a change in his function.

483
00:36:48.485 --> 00:36:51.485
It's believing that he is the master of your life

484
00:36:52.115 --> 00:36:53.805
because of the price that he paid.

485
00:36:53.825 --> 00:36:54.845
He is the ruler.

486
00:36:54.865 --> 00:36:57.925
He is the ultimate authority where we find ultimate truth.

487
00:36:58.035 --> 00:36:59.485
It's saying, Jesus take the wheel

488
00:36:59.505 --> 00:37:02.805
and actually meaning it like I'm gonna step back

489
00:37:03.145 --> 00:37:05.365
and I'm gonna let you decide where we go.

490
00:37:06.275 --> 00:37:09.845
It's appreciating what he's done and where he's leading us.

491
00:37:10.025 --> 00:37:12.045
And so what is it that our Lord asks us to do?

492
00:37:12.055 --> 00:37:16.205
We'll, simply put, he wants us to experience his love

493
00:37:16.865 --> 00:37:18.405
and tell other people about that love.

494
00:37:19.835 --> 00:37:21.575
That's what Jesus invites us into.

495
00:37:22.595 --> 00:37:24.775
And this twofold response, I I i love it

496
00:37:24.775 --> 00:37:26.135
because it's, it's, it, it kind

497
00:37:26.135 --> 00:37:28.975
of accomplishes multiple things that one time, one,

498
00:37:29.275 --> 00:37:30.975
it becomes what we want to do.

499
00:37:31.965 --> 00:37:33.135
Like when you get saved by Jesus,

500
00:37:33.135 --> 00:37:34.175
when he transforms your life

501
00:37:34.175 --> 00:37:35.455
and you realize this is the greatest thing

502
00:37:35.455 --> 00:37:37.975
that's ever happened to you, it becomes your, your pleasure.

503
00:37:38.555 --> 00:37:40.415
But it's also what we're commanded to do.

504
00:37:40.435 --> 00:37:43.095
So not only is it your pleasure, but it's also your purpose.

505
00:37:43.435 --> 00:37:45.095
And there's even a third little gift thrown in there.

506
00:37:45.095 --> 00:37:47.895
It becomes an act of obedience as we continue to do it.

507
00:37:48.635 --> 00:37:52.135
Uh, last week we celebrated, um, some baptisms.

508
00:37:52.135 --> 00:37:54.295
We had like over 50 baptisms, y'all across all

509
00:37:54.295 --> 00:37:55.935
of our campuses, which is just a beautiful thing.

510
00:37:56.115 --> 00:37:58.255
But there was a girl and 11, yeah, we can celebrate that.

511
00:37:58.315 --> 00:38:00.695
We should celebrate that. That's why we do this whole thing.

512
00:38:01.475 --> 00:38:02.655
We should celebrate life change.

513
00:38:03.795 --> 00:38:06.895
Uh, but there was a girl, um, who was uh,

514
00:38:06.895 --> 00:38:07.895
she was an 11th grade girl.

515
00:38:07.915 --> 00:38:10.495
Her name was Emma. She got baptized at the Apex campus

516
00:38:10.755 --> 00:38:13.415
and she said something so profound she got in the water.

517
00:38:13.755 --> 00:38:16.055
And we always ask people when they get baptized, Hey,

518
00:38:16.055 --> 00:38:17.295
do you know, do you wanna share anything?

519
00:38:17.295 --> 00:38:19.535
Do you wanna say something? And, uh, all due respect, Emma,

520
00:38:19.535 --> 00:38:21.015
if you're watching this, uh, she said, yes,

521
00:38:21.015 --> 00:38:22.935
but I'm not entirely sure she like planned

522
00:38:22.935 --> 00:38:25.135
what she was gonna say, but the joy

523
00:38:25.135 --> 00:38:27.095
of the Lord just came, came to the surface.

524
00:38:27.235 --> 00:38:29.135
And I remember out of everything that she said,

525
00:38:29.135 --> 00:38:31.175
there was one phrase that just stood out to me so much.

526
00:38:31.195 --> 00:38:33.495
She said, man, Jesus is the greatest thing

527
00:38:33.495 --> 00:38:34.535
that's ever happened to me.

528
00:38:34.595 --> 00:38:35.885
And I want this for everybody.

529
00:38:38.245 --> 00:38:42.275
Isn't that so simple, but so profound?

530
00:38:43.235 --> 00:38:45.745
Especially to hear a child say that like, man,

531
00:38:45.915 --> 00:38:47.665
Jesus has changed my life.

532
00:38:47.765 --> 00:38:50.665
And simply put, I want that for everybody.

533
00:38:50.765 --> 00:38:52.465
And that is the heart of the church

534
00:38:52.465 --> 00:38:54.425
that has progressed the gospel to the point

535
00:38:54.425 --> 00:38:56.545
that it has reached your ears and your heart.

536
00:38:56.545 --> 00:39:00.115
Today, there was an original group of disciples, followers

537
00:39:00.115 --> 00:39:02.795
of Jesus who saw Jesus die for them

538
00:39:03.095 --> 00:39:04.355
and then come out of the grave

539
00:39:04.355 --> 00:39:06.075
and say, man, what I've witnessed,

540
00:39:06.315 --> 00:39:08.155
I want everyone else to know this as well.

541
00:39:09.285 --> 00:39:11.235
We're talking about now what? Right?

542
00:39:11.345 --> 00:39:14.635
Well, what happened after Jesus came out of the grave.

543
00:39:14.655 --> 00:39:15.915
The good thing is we don't have to guess.

544
00:39:15.985 --> 00:39:19.515
Matthew chapter 28, verses 16 through 20, tell us exactly,

545
00:39:20.595 --> 00:39:21.755
starting in verse 16, it says,

546
00:39:21.755 --> 00:39:23.635
now the 11 disciples went to Galilee.

547
00:39:23.635 --> 00:39:25.155
And if you're like, wait a minute, weren't there 12?

548
00:39:25.385 --> 00:39:27.475
Yeah, Judas story wasn't all that great.

549
00:39:27.815 --> 00:39:31.035
Uh, but to the 11 disciples, they went to Galilee,

550
00:39:31.035 --> 00:39:33.315
to the mountain on which Jesus had directed them.

551
00:39:33.975 --> 00:39:37.235
And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted.

552
00:39:37.855 --> 00:39:41.315
And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven

553
00:39:41.815 --> 00:39:44.435
and on earth has been given to me.

554
00:39:45.615 --> 00:39:48.955
Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

555
00:39:49.065 --> 00:39:52.395
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son

556
00:39:52.735 --> 00:39:55.955
and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all

557
00:39:55.955 --> 00:39:57.035
that I have commanded you.

558
00:39:57.295 --> 00:40:00.715
And behold, I am with you to the end of the age.

559
00:40:00.715 --> 00:40:03.355
And I just want you to think about the people

560
00:40:03.415 --> 00:40:06.875
who were there in the crowd that day, this famous passage

561
00:40:07.015 --> 00:40:08.275
of scripture, this famous text

562
00:40:08.275 --> 00:40:09.795
that we know today is the great commission.

563
00:40:09.865 --> 00:40:11.195
They're standing in the crowd

564
00:40:11.375 --> 00:40:13.315
and they aren't just like hearing this.

565
00:40:13.505 --> 00:40:17.315
They're locking eyes with Jesus who a few days ago was dead.

566
00:40:19.375 --> 00:40:21.755
And he is saying, what I want you to do,

567
00:40:22.305 --> 00:40:24.715
what I'm charging you to do, what I'm commanding you to do

568
00:40:25.695 --> 00:40:27.555
is to go out and tell people about me.

569
00:40:28.975 --> 00:40:31.475
And so I wanna ask you if, if the Risen Messiah

570
00:40:32.295 --> 00:40:36.275
had made eye contact with you and said, I want you to go

571
00:40:36.275 --> 00:40:37.715
and tell people about me, would you do it?

572
00:40:40.195 --> 00:40:43.015
If Jesus who lived a perfect life that none

573
00:40:43.015 --> 00:40:47.095
of us could ever live, went to death, came out of the grave,

574
00:40:48.295 --> 00:40:49.395
called you by name

575
00:40:49.575 --> 00:40:52.075
and said, all I want you to do as an act

576
00:40:52.075 --> 00:40:54.715
of gratitude is tell other people about me, would you do it?

577
00:40:55.625 --> 00:40:57.635
Because the truth is he did.

578
00:40:58.815 --> 00:41:01.515
And just because we weren't standing physically in the crowd

579
00:41:01.515 --> 00:41:02.835
that day, and just

580
00:41:02.835 --> 00:41:04.955
because this statement is separated from us

581
00:41:04.975 --> 00:41:09.515
by some 2000 years, it doesn't take away the magnitude

582
00:41:09.575 --> 00:41:11.435
and the weight of what it is that Jesus

583
00:41:12.115 --> 00:41:13.555
commands all of us to do.

584
00:41:15.535 --> 00:41:18.545
This is the same thing that Paul is talking about in the

585
00:41:18.545 --> 00:41:19.545
passage we looked at earlier.

586
00:41:19.605 --> 00:41:21.025
If we focus in on verses 18

587
00:41:21.025 --> 00:41:25.865
and 19, this resurrection, this, this new life, the titles

588
00:41:25.865 --> 00:41:27.505
of new creation that we have all

589
00:41:27.505 --> 00:41:28.865
inherited, look at what he says.

590
00:41:28.865 --> 00:41:32.185
He says, all of this is from God who through Christ

591
00:41:32.855 --> 00:41:34.845
reconciled us to himself

592
00:41:35.145 --> 00:41:38.965
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

593
00:41:38.985 --> 00:41:40.725
If you have your Bible, if you have your physical Bible,

594
00:41:40.725 --> 00:41:42.765
or if you're using a smartphone or whatever that word,

595
00:41:42.945 --> 00:41:45.725
and I want you to highlight it, I want you to circle it,

596
00:41:47.425 --> 00:41:51.155
that is in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself,

597
00:41:51.535 --> 00:41:53.475
not counting their trespasses against them

598
00:41:54.455 --> 00:41:57.675
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

599
00:41:57.785 --> 00:42:00.275
That, and that's in there is so important

600
00:42:00.825 --> 00:42:02.915
because I think so many of us recognize

601
00:42:02.915 --> 00:42:05.155
that Christ reconciled us to himself.

602
00:42:05.375 --> 00:42:08.915
But along with doing that a package deal a two for one,

603
00:42:08.935 --> 00:42:10.395
you can't separate one from the other.

604
00:42:10.625 --> 00:42:14.115
What he does is he gives us the ministry of reconciliation,

605
00:42:14.115 --> 00:42:15.435
meaning he has ordained you

606
00:42:15.575 --> 00:42:18.675
and called you to start telling the world that you belong

607
00:42:18.675 --> 00:42:21.715
to him the way some other translations put.

608
00:42:21.715 --> 00:42:25.235
This says that we go out on God's behalf and yell and shout

609
00:42:25.235 --> 00:42:27.475
and display to the world, come back home.

610
00:42:29.305 --> 00:42:33.595
That is a responsibility that we receive alongside the grace

611
00:42:33.625 --> 00:42:34.955
that we receive from God.

612
00:42:35.065 --> 00:42:38.515
It's the reminder that we're not only saved from something,

613
00:42:39.255 --> 00:42:41.395
we are saved for something

614
00:42:43.575 --> 00:42:44.885
throughout this Easter season.

615
00:42:44.885 --> 00:42:46.325
We've been celebrating how

616
00:42:47.065 --> 00:42:49.445
Jesus' sacrifice makes us right with God.

617
00:42:49.505 --> 00:42:51.805
But the reminder that I think all of us need is that

618
00:42:51.805 --> 00:42:53.245
that's not just a you promise.

619
00:42:54.715 --> 00:42:56.005
It's for the entire world.

620
00:42:57.825 --> 00:43:01.005
And we, the ones who have experienced it, we are the ones

621
00:43:01.005 --> 00:43:02.885
who are given the responsibility of carrying

622
00:43:02.955 --> 00:43:05.365
that message out to the entire world.

623
00:43:06.825 --> 00:43:09.725
Uh, back in 2021, uh,

624
00:43:09.775 --> 00:43:12.125
Juneteenth was made a national holiday.

625
00:43:12.385 --> 00:43:13.405
It was a federal holiday.

626
00:43:14.105 --> 00:43:16.365
And uh, a lot of people think that Juneteenth,

627
00:43:16.505 --> 00:43:19.125
it represents the day that slavery ended in America.

628
00:43:19.225 --> 00:43:21.245
And that's like partially true, but not entirely.

629
00:43:21.245 --> 00:43:22.605
Kind of depends on your perspective of it.

630
00:43:23.345 --> 00:43:24.565
Uh, but the truth is, is

631
00:43:24.565 --> 00:43:28.165
that slavery from a legal standpoint had already been

632
00:43:28.165 --> 00:43:30.325
abolished two years prior

633
00:43:30.505 --> 00:43:32.765
to when the first Juneteenth was celebrated.

634
00:43:33.145 --> 00:43:34.965
On January 1st, 1863,

635
00:43:34.995 --> 00:43:37.845
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation

636
00:43:38.125 --> 00:43:40.605
claiming that all people were to be set free.

637
00:43:41.265 --> 00:43:43.325
But this was during the time of the Civil War

638
00:43:43.325 --> 00:43:44.845
and the rebel state said, Hey,

639
00:43:44.845 --> 00:43:46.085
you're not really our president,

640
00:43:46.085 --> 00:43:47.965
so we're gonna continue to do this.

641
00:43:47.985 --> 00:43:51.005
So those, uh, uh, the Civil War continues to go on.

642
00:43:51.025 --> 00:43:55.565
And it wasn't until, uh, April 9th, 1865,

643
00:43:56.025 --> 00:43:58.765
two years later that the Civil War finally ends.

644
00:43:58.765 --> 00:44:01.085
And you would think April 9th would be the day

645
00:44:01.085 --> 00:44:02.485
that all the slaves were set free.

646
00:44:02.545 --> 00:44:05.445
You would think that'd be, but it's not April 10th, right?

647
00:44:05.835 --> 00:44:08.245
It's Juneteenth. So what happened two months

648
00:44:08.295 --> 00:44:09.925
after the end of the Civil War?

649
00:44:10.955 --> 00:44:15.245
Well, in June 19th, 1865, general Gordon Granger, uh, one

650
00:44:15.245 --> 00:44:18.005
of the union soldiers, he arrived to Galveston, Texas,

651
00:44:18.625 --> 00:44:23.165
and he brought the word with him that the 250,000 men

652
00:44:23.165 --> 00:44:25.445
and women who were still enslaved in Texas, Hey,

653
00:44:25.635 --> 00:44:27.405
take the chains off, they're free.

654
00:44:29.405 --> 00:44:31.925
And I just wonder what those 250,000 men

655
00:44:31.925 --> 00:44:34.245
and women thought when he showed up with that news.

656
00:44:34.445 --> 00:44:36.165
'cause on one hand, I think there was a joy, right?

657
00:44:36.185 --> 00:44:37.885
Oh, thank God this is finally over.

658
00:44:38.065 --> 00:44:39.605
But I think there was also a dread

659
00:44:39.625 --> 00:44:41.045
of like, Hey, what took so long?

660
00:44:42.225 --> 00:44:44.285
We should have been free for the past two years.

661
00:44:45.655 --> 00:44:46.915
Why didn't anybody tell us sooner?

662
00:44:48.935 --> 00:44:52.555
But I'm willing to bet that those 250,000 men

663
00:44:52.555 --> 00:44:54.715
and women were grateful for General Granger.

664
00:44:56.155 --> 00:44:58.155
I think they were thankful that he took the two

665
00:44:58.335 --> 00:45:01.075
and a half month long journey to Galves

666
00:45:01.075 --> 00:45:02.995
and Texas to tell them, Hey, you're free,

667
00:45:03.225 --> 00:45:04.435
even though you don't know it yet.

668
00:45:05.815 --> 00:45:08.355
For him to be able to come and say your freedom has been one

669
00:45:08.355 --> 00:45:11.555
for you, even though it may not be actualized in your life

670
00:45:11.735 --> 00:45:14.235
yet, there's nothing holding you back.

671
00:45:15.935 --> 00:45:17.555
And what I admire about this man is

672
00:45:17.555 --> 00:45:19.075
that he could have enjoyed his freedom, right?

673
00:45:19.075 --> 00:45:21.875
Like he's a general in a war, he could have been like, man,

674
00:45:21.875 --> 00:45:24.075
the battle's over my part's done.

675
00:45:25.915 --> 00:45:26.995
I did what I was supposed to do.

676
00:45:27.015 --> 00:45:29.355
Hey, can somebody else go down to Texas and let them know?

677
00:45:29.455 --> 00:45:31.435
No. Okay, whatever. If they do, then great.

678
00:45:31.435 --> 00:45:33.715
If they don't, then. But no,

679
00:45:33.715 --> 00:45:35.435
he took it upon himself to go down.

680
00:45:35.615 --> 00:45:38.755
Why? Because he wanted to know that his fight wasn't in vain

681
00:45:39.975 --> 00:45:41.715
and he wanted to deliver to those men

682
00:45:41.715 --> 00:45:43.715
and women that were made in the image of God

683
00:45:43.715 --> 00:45:45.515
that you are free.

684
00:45:47.245 --> 00:45:50.105
But can you imagine if he would've sat on that news?

685
00:45:51.075 --> 00:45:53.465
Could you imagine how much longer these people would've

686
00:45:53.465 --> 00:45:56.225
lived enslaved, not free,

687
00:45:57.205 --> 00:45:58.825
had he not been the one to carry the message?

688
00:45:58.965 --> 00:46:01.345
And, and let's just take this to a spiritual place.

689
00:46:01.685 --> 00:46:05.025
How many people do we know that are enslaved

690
00:46:05.205 --> 00:46:06.385
and dead to their sin

691
00:46:07.205 --> 00:46:09.385
and they don't know that their freedom has already been won

692
00:46:09.385 --> 00:46:11.195
for them because nobody's told them.

693
00:46:13.475 --> 00:46:16.375
For us to be called ministers of reconciliation means

694
00:46:16.375 --> 00:46:18.495
that God has chosen us to tell people

695
00:46:18.495 --> 00:46:22.255
that their sins have been forgiven and so have ours.

696
00:46:23.275 --> 00:46:24.415
We use our freedom

697
00:46:24.515 --> 00:46:26.255
to let other people know that they are free.

698
00:46:27.555 --> 00:46:28.695
But reconciliation is,

699
00:46:28.765 --> 00:46:31.455
it's not just about their sins being forgiven,

700
00:46:31.485 --> 00:46:34.615
it's about letting them know, Hey, God himself fixed

701
00:46:34.645 --> 00:46:36.295
what you could never fix on your own.

702
00:46:36.955 --> 00:46:38.615
And that's really good news for us.

703
00:46:39.395 --> 00:46:41.735
But it's also really good news for your neighbors.

704
00:46:42.985 --> 00:46:44.195
They just may not know it yet.

705
00:46:46.615 --> 00:46:50.275
Uh, last week, um, I was in New Orleans visiting family

706
00:46:51.335 --> 00:46:53.035
and we're walking through the French Quarter.

707
00:46:53.095 --> 00:46:55.955
We just finished eating a fat meal. So we are moving slow.

708
00:46:56.295 --> 00:46:58.035
We are taking our time. We have four adults,

709
00:46:58.035 --> 00:46:59.795
three kids in a baby in a stroller.

710
00:46:59.795 --> 00:47:01.275
So like we are casually

711
00:47:01.275 --> 00:47:02.395
strolling through the French Quarter.

712
00:47:02.455 --> 00:47:04.715
And when we look down the sidewalk, we see, uh,

713
00:47:04.715 --> 00:47:07.195
there are these street preachers coming down towards us.

714
00:47:07.255 --> 00:47:09.915
And one of them is handing out these like Bible pamphlets.

715
00:47:09.915 --> 00:47:11.915
And the other one is carrying a sign that says something

716
00:47:11.915 --> 00:47:13.395
to the effect of, you're gonna burn in hell.

717
00:47:14.295 --> 00:47:17.635
Uh, so we're walking towards them and behind us.

718
00:47:17.775 --> 00:47:18.995
Now, mind you, we're strolling,

719
00:47:18.995 --> 00:47:21.875
but move it a little bit faster than us is another, uh,

720
00:47:21.955 --> 00:47:23.115
a a couple of women.

721
00:47:23.145 --> 00:47:24.515
It's a lesbian couple that's walking

722
00:47:24.585 --> 00:47:25.675
kind of right next to us.

723
00:47:26.335 --> 00:47:28.395
And so they're the, the street preachers are trying

724
00:47:28.395 --> 00:47:30.525
to pass out these, these bible tracks or whatever.

725
00:47:30.705 --> 00:47:33.005
And uh, one of them goes, oh, no, thank you.

726
00:47:33.005 --> 00:47:35.725
We don't want it. And that's when I just kind of,

727
00:47:35.725 --> 00:47:36.685
I don't remember what happened, but

728
00:47:36.685 --> 00:47:37.565
something else got my attention.

729
00:47:37.565 --> 00:47:39.765
Well, a little bit further down the road, my mom walked over

730
00:47:39.765 --> 00:47:40.925
to me, she's like, Hey, did you see that?

731
00:47:40.925 --> 00:47:43.165
And I was like, see what? And she says, uh, those women,

732
00:47:43.165 --> 00:47:44.445
they turned down the pamphlet.

733
00:47:44.545 --> 00:47:46.805
But then once they got a little bit further, one

734
00:47:46.805 --> 00:47:48.245
of them looked to the other and said,

735
00:47:48.245 --> 00:47:49.805
your Jesus doesn't love us anyway.

736
00:47:52.375 --> 00:47:54.235
And my mom said something, uh,

737
00:47:54.745 --> 00:47:58.035
that has been bugging me like a rock in my shoe ever since.

738
00:47:58.215 --> 00:47:59.715
She said, man, if only they knew.

739
00:48:01.895 --> 00:48:03.675
And the reason why this has been bugging me is

740
00:48:03.675 --> 00:48:07.125
because we knew we knew the truth.

741
00:48:08.345 --> 00:48:10.485
We knew that there were these two women walking down the

742
00:48:10.485 --> 00:48:12.805
street who believed the lie that they weren't loved by God.

743
00:48:12.865 --> 00:48:14.845
We knew the truth and we didn't say anything about it.

744
00:48:14.905 --> 00:48:16.285
Now, let's fast forward a little bit

745
00:48:16.425 --> 00:48:17.885
or rewind a little bit further back.

746
00:48:18.245 --> 00:48:20.365
A couple years ago, I think this is like 2021,

747
00:48:20.365 --> 00:48:21.925
if I remember correctly, uh, Morgan

748
00:48:21.925 --> 00:48:23.605
and I were in New Orleans again.

749
00:48:23.865 --> 00:48:26.005
And if you've ever been, there's that spot of the city

750
00:48:26.005 --> 00:48:27.805
where there's Jackson Square right in front of you.

751
00:48:27.805 --> 00:48:29.165
That's like the postcard that everybody gets.

752
00:48:29.305 --> 00:48:32.285
And then behind you is, um, uh, the Mississippi River.

753
00:48:32.905 --> 00:48:35.045
And so we're walking down on that little stripper road

754
00:48:35.385 --> 00:48:38.405
and we see there's a family, there's a mom, uh, and a dad.

755
00:48:38.405 --> 00:48:39.805
And the dad is pushing a stroller.

756
00:48:39.825 --> 00:48:42.525
Now they're clearly tourist because they're walking

757
00:48:42.625 --> 00:48:44.805
and kind of oohing and eyeing and looking at everything,

758
00:48:44.805 --> 00:48:46.045
and they don't realize they're about

759
00:48:46.045 --> 00:48:48.205
to walk over a streetcar, um, track.

760
00:48:48.865 --> 00:48:51.205
And so I see them from a distance and I go, Hey,

761
00:48:51.905 --> 00:48:54.005
and they still just ooh and eye not paying attention.

762
00:48:54.305 --> 00:48:58.525
Hey, hey, like, I'm trying to get their attention, right?

763
00:48:58.525 --> 00:48:59.885
They just woke up everybody I love,

764
00:49:00.065 --> 00:49:01.285
but I'm trying to get their attention.

765
00:49:01.505 --> 00:49:04.165
And I remember there was this sense of urgency

766
00:49:04.165 --> 00:49:06.205
that came up in me because I said, you're about to.

767
00:49:06.205 --> 00:49:08.405
And literally like I could see the streetcar coming.

768
00:49:09.055 --> 00:49:11.605
There was a sense of urgency that came up inside of me

769
00:49:11.605 --> 00:49:13.005
that said, these people are going

770
00:49:13.005 --> 00:49:14.805
to die if I don't say something.

771
00:49:16.945 --> 00:49:19.685
And I have been bugged all week thinking,

772
00:49:19.865 --> 00:49:22.605
why didn't I have the same sense of urgency

773
00:49:23.865 --> 00:49:26.605
for these two people who were enslaved

774
00:49:26.745 --> 00:49:28.085
and didn't believe the lie?

775
00:49:28.185 --> 00:49:30.645
Or who did believe the lie that Jesus didn't love them?

776
00:49:32.095 --> 00:49:34.635
Why is it that when someone's physical life is at stake,

777
00:49:34.635 --> 00:49:36.475
there's something naturally that rises up in me

778
00:49:36.475 --> 00:49:37.915
that says I need to get involved, but when someone's

779
00:49:37.955 --> 00:49:40.675
eternity is at stake, I, I come up

780
00:49:40.675 --> 00:49:42.315
with all these different reasons about why I shouldn't

781
00:49:44.975 --> 00:49:48.435
as ministers of reconciliation, we are the ones

782
00:49:48.435 --> 00:49:51.635
to let people who think God doesn't love me know.

783
00:49:51.815 --> 00:49:55.755
No, actually he signed a peace treaty in his son's

784
00:49:55.755 --> 00:49:56.915
blood to redeem you.

785
00:49:56.915 --> 00:49:57.955
That's how much he loves you.

786
00:50:00.175 --> 00:50:02.795
And this all reminds me of Romans chapter 10 verses 14

787
00:50:02.795 --> 00:50:05.315
through 15, where Paul writes, everyone

788
00:50:05.335 --> 00:50:07.635
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

789
00:50:07.815 --> 00:50:10.795
But how will they call on him if, uh,

790
00:50:10.815 --> 00:50:11.955
who they have not believed?

791
00:50:12.975 --> 00:50:14.595
And how are they to believe in him

792
00:50:14.655 --> 00:50:15.795
of whom they've never heard?

793
00:50:16.975 --> 00:50:19.795
And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

794
00:50:19.815 --> 00:50:21.035
And how are they to preach

795
00:50:21.375 --> 00:50:24.475
unless they are sent as it is written?

796
00:50:24.895 --> 00:50:26.795
How beautiful are the feet of those

797
00:50:26.945 --> 00:50:28.525
who preach the good news?

798
00:50:28.585 --> 00:50:30.045
And it's from that same place

799
00:50:30.475 --> 00:50:33.085
that Paul continues in second Corinthians five 20,

800
00:50:33.185 --> 00:50:34.365
our main texture today.

801
00:50:34.515 --> 00:50:37.245
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.

802
00:50:38.305 --> 00:50:40.445
God is making his appeal through us.

803
00:50:40.545 --> 00:50:42.925
We implore you on behalf of Christ

804
00:50:43.425 --> 00:50:45.605
to be reconciled to God.

805
00:50:46.905 --> 00:50:50.785
I love that title of ambassador. It holds a lot of weight.

806
00:50:52.285 --> 00:50:56.345
An ambassador is someone who represents the message mission

807
00:50:56.885 --> 00:51:00.385
in heart of their king in a place that's not their home.

808
00:51:01.845 --> 00:51:05.535
They are a representation of them in a foreign land.

809
00:51:05.535 --> 00:51:07.015
Lemme tell you what happens, um,

810
00:51:07.165 --> 00:51:09.695
when a king sends out an ambassador into

811
00:51:09.815 --> 00:51:10.855
a foreign place, right?

812
00:51:10.855 --> 00:51:12.735
Imagine you're the king of some nation

813
00:51:12.755 --> 00:51:14.255
and you send out an ambassador.

814
00:51:14.515 --> 00:51:15.975
Here's what that king will give them.

815
00:51:16.595 --> 00:51:19.935
He gives them a message, he gives them his authority,

816
00:51:21.065 --> 00:51:22.405
he gives them an assignment,

817
00:51:23.585 --> 00:51:27.805
and he sends them out trusting that they will be a, a,

818
00:51:27.925 --> 00:51:30.485
a healthy representation of who that king is.

819
00:51:32.525 --> 00:51:35.585
And Jesus has done all of this for us.

820
00:51:36.895 --> 00:51:38.585
He's given us the message of reconciliation.

821
00:51:38.605 --> 00:51:41.545
He has given us his authority saying, go out and do this.

822
00:51:41.845 --> 00:51:43.185
The truth of his word.

823
00:51:43.205 --> 00:51:44.785
He gives us an assignment, go

824
00:51:44.785 --> 00:51:46.105
and share this truth with other people.

825
00:51:46.405 --> 00:51:48.145
He sends us out trusting

826
00:51:48.255 --> 00:51:51.945
that we will be a faithful representation of, of who he is.

827
00:51:52.205 --> 00:51:54.025
But we're all broken.

828
00:51:55.485 --> 00:51:56.985
Now, I'm not gonna speak for everybody here,

829
00:51:57.005 --> 00:51:59.345
but I will speak for myself for just a moment.

830
00:51:59.845 --> 00:52:01.385
Uh, Aaron is dumb,

831
00:52:03.075 --> 00:52:05.815
and so he messes a lot of this up.

832
00:52:07.235 --> 00:52:10.215
My heart is so dark and so depraved,

833
00:52:10.475 --> 00:52:12.615
and I tend to get so apathetic

834
00:52:12.795 --> 00:52:15.095
and indifferent towards the mission of God

835
00:52:15.125 --> 00:52:17.455
that I end up messing up every single layer of this

836
00:52:20.295 --> 00:52:23.825
because I don't wanna offend other people or

837
00:52:23.825 --> 00:52:26.545
because I'm tempted to water it down in some way.

838
00:52:26.625 --> 00:52:31.415
I mess up the message because I get distracted or

839
00:52:31.415 --> 00:52:33.375
because I fear rejection

840
00:52:33.395 --> 00:52:35.575
and I often choose my own priorities.

841
00:52:36.095 --> 00:52:37.695
I forget about the assignment

842
00:52:39.165 --> 00:52:41.695
because I care so much about what other people think.

843
00:52:42.865 --> 00:52:44.145
I don't even think about the authority

844
00:52:44.145 --> 00:52:45.505
that God has given me.

845
00:52:46.635 --> 00:52:49.735
And because my heart is sinful, I am not always

846
00:52:50.455 --> 00:52:52.095
a faithful representation of my king.

847
00:52:53.495 --> 00:52:55.035
But let me also give you some encouragement.

848
00:52:56.055 --> 00:52:58.555
Uh, God knew I was stupid when he called me.

849
00:53:00.995 --> 00:53:02.775
And can we all just kind of get back on the same

850
00:53:03.165 --> 00:53:04.455
boat for just a second here?

851
00:53:04.475 --> 00:53:05.855
Can we all realize that none

852
00:53:05.855 --> 00:53:09.295
of us are enough on our own without Jesus?

853
00:53:10.195 --> 00:53:12.375
And so here's the beautiful thing about

854
00:53:12.405 --> 00:53:15.375
what sets Jesus apart from every other king.

855
00:53:16.385 --> 00:53:18.495
While a king gives you all of these things

856
00:53:18.595 --> 00:53:20.175
and says, go out and do it on your own.

857
00:53:21.585 --> 00:53:24.775
Jesus places his spirit inside of us

858
00:53:24.985 --> 00:53:26.245
and says, I'm gonna go with you.

859
00:53:28.205 --> 00:53:30.825
So you don't have to, uh, uh, carry all of the weight

860
00:53:30.845 --> 00:53:33.185
of accomplishing all these things under your own strength.

861
00:53:33.325 --> 00:53:35.145
No. Instead, you go out in the power

862
00:53:35.365 --> 00:53:38.185
of the Holy Spirit knowing that he's equipped you

863
00:53:38.605 --> 00:53:41.185
and he is the one who is using you as the tool

864
00:53:41.325 --> 00:53:45.625
to reach the lost after Jesus gives his disciples the great

865
00:53:45.625 --> 00:53:47.785
commission that, uh, command that we talked about earlier.

866
00:53:48.085 --> 00:53:49.985
Uh, he does something else that's really important.

867
00:53:50.055 --> 00:53:52.785
Acts chapter one, uh, verses three through eight.

868
00:53:52.785 --> 00:53:54.385
We're gonna kind of jump through here a little bit.

869
00:53:54.605 --> 00:53:57.465
Uh, he says this, it says that Jesus presented himself alive

870
00:53:57.525 --> 00:53:58.825
to the disciples, uh,

871
00:53:58.825 --> 00:54:01.305
after his suffering by many proofs appearing of them

872
00:54:01.305 --> 00:54:03.465
during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

873
00:54:03.465 --> 00:54:05.785
And while staying with them, he ordered from them,

874
00:54:06.045 --> 00:54:07.785
do not depart from Jerusalem,

875
00:54:08.005 --> 00:54:11.625
but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said,

876
00:54:11.685 --> 00:54:14.105
you heard from me, John baptized with water,

877
00:54:14.125 --> 00:54:16.225
but you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

878
00:54:16.285 --> 00:54:20.225
Not many days from now. Jump down to verse eight, it says,

879
00:54:20.225 --> 00:54:22.945
but you'll receive power when the Holy

880
00:54:22.945 --> 00:54:24.145
Spirit has come upon you.

881
00:54:24.565 --> 00:54:27.825
And you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea

882
00:54:27.825 --> 00:54:29.385
and Samaria until the ends of the earth.

883
00:54:29.385 --> 00:54:31.625
And I really think this is Jesus's way of saying, Hey,

884
00:54:31.625 --> 00:54:33.065
listen, I know you're really excited.

885
00:54:34.455 --> 00:54:36.705
Like after Jesus says this, the Book of Acts tells us

886
00:54:36.705 --> 00:54:38.425
that he ascended into the clouds

887
00:54:38.425 --> 00:54:39.705
and they're all just kind of looking up there.

888
00:54:39.705 --> 00:54:43.065
And I would imagine you're like, man, Brandon wasn't here.

889
00:54:43.145 --> 00:54:44.505
I gotta go tell Brandon about this.

890
00:54:44.505 --> 00:54:46.145
But it says, two angels stood before them

891
00:54:46.145 --> 00:54:47.425
and said, no, not yet.

892
00:54:48.765 --> 00:54:51.065
Go and wait. And

893
00:54:51.065 --> 00:54:54.345
so they make their room their way into this space called the

894
00:54:54.345 --> 00:54:56.705
Upper Room, and the Holy Spirit is poured

895
00:54:56.705 --> 00:54:57.785
out on them freely.

896
00:54:57.785 --> 00:55:01.905
This promise of God's spirit, his power, the same power

897
00:55:02.095 --> 00:55:05.265
that raised Jesus from the dead is now inside

898
00:55:05.265 --> 00:55:06.425
of these disciples.

899
00:55:06.425 --> 00:55:08.545
And it's from that place that Peter walks out

900
00:55:08.725 --> 00:55:10.625
and he preaches to a large group of people.

901
00:55:10.685 --> 00:55:13.145
And the Bible tells us that over 3000

902
00:55:13.245 --> 00:55:15.105
of them were saved that day.

903
00:55:16.045 --> 00:55:18.305
Now, don't get it twisted. This wasn't

904
00:55:18.465 --> 00:55:19.465
because Peter was awesome.

905
00:55:20.935 --> 00:55:23.345
This wasn't because Peter taught a fire message.

906
00:55:24.135 --> 00:55:26.785
It's not because Peter had every answer to every question,

907
00:55:26.805 --> 00:55:28.705
to every objection that these people would raise.

908
00:55:28.715 --> 00:55:30.065
Let's talk about all the reasons why this,

909
00:55:30.205 --> 00:55:31.385
why this shouldn't have worked.

910
00:55:31.385 --> 00:55:34.705
Okay? First of all, Peter, the one

911
00:55:34.705 --> 00:55:38.025
who just denied Jesus three times, like just a few days ago,

912
00:55:39.925 --> 00:55:42.505
the Jews that were in the audience that Peter was preaching

913
00:55:42.505 --> 00:55:44.305
to, like the Bible tells us they didn't even

914
00:55:44.305 --> 00:55:45.505
all speak the same language.

915
00:55:45.505 --> 00:55:47.745
So the Holy Spirit was, was transcribing

916
00:55:47.745 --> 00:55:49.545
and translating Peter's words so

917
00:55:49.545 --> 00:55:50.705
that they would understand it.

918
00:55:53.175 --> 00:55:56.715
The third thing, Peter only had the Holy Spirit

919
00:55:56.775 --> 00:56:00.995
for like maybe 10 minutes, brand new.

920
00:56:01.935 --> 00:56:03.715
And so let that be an encouragement to any of you

921
00:56:03.715 --> 00:56:05.355
who just recently put your faith in Jesus.

922
00:56:05.545 --> 00:56:09.435
Like you can go, you can be the ambassador

923
00:56:09.465 --> 00:56:10.715
that God calls you to be.

924
00:56:10.715 --> 00:56:12.275
This story, the reason why I love it

925
00:56:12.275 --> 00:56:15.475
so much is it is a reminder that God saves.

926
00:56:15.475 --> 00:56:18.615
And we don't, the Holy Spirit is the one

927
00:56:18.615 --> 00:56:19.895
that does the work of transformation.

928
00:56:20.275 --> 00:56:23.885
We don't. So while you feel all of the pressure on you

929
00:56:23.885 --> 00:56:25.845
to get it right, and I gotta have the answer

930
00:56:25.865 --> 00:56:29.445
to every question, to every objection, I really think

931
00:56:30.395 --> 00:56:32.165
that the Holy Spirit is just looking for men

932
00:56:32.165 --> 00:56:33.845
and women who will adopt the heart of Peter

933
00:56:33.845 --> 00:56:37.085
and say, Hey, listen, I'm just gonna say

934
00:56:37.195 --> 00:56:38.725
what happened and hope for the best.

935
00:56:39.265 --> 00:56:42.125
And trust that the Holy Spirit is going to do all

936
00:56:42.305 --> 00:56:44.405
of the heavy lifting in all of this.

937
00:56:45.115 --> 00:56:47.725
It's a reminder that we are not alone.

938
00:56:47.825 --> 00:56:50.485
The Holy Spirit goes with you wherever you go

939
00:56:54.195 --> 00:56:55.215
as we get ready to close.

940
00:56:55.475 --> 00:56:57.535
Um, one of the other reasons why I love

941
00:56:57.645 --> 00:57:01.575
that Paul uses the language of an ambassador, uh, is

942
00:57:01.575 --> 00:57:04.815
because an ambassador lives and works in an embassy.

943
00:57:05.595 --> 00:57:07.735
And if you're not familiar with how foreign embassies work,

944
00:57:07.735 --> 00:57:10.215
basically what happens is, let's say you go to Japan, right?

945
00:57:10.715 --> 00:57:14.825
You go around, there's Japanese flag sushi,

946
00:57:15.945 --> 00:57:17.065
everyone's speaking the local language.

947
00:57:17.085 --> 00:57:19.305
But then you walk into the embassy and something changes.

948
00:57:20.205 --> 00:57:21.625
You start seeing the American flag.

949
00:57:22.405 --> 00:57:26.385
People speak English, American law applies here.

950
00:57:27.045 --> 00:57:29.905
You're gonna see us government workers inside of that space.

951
00:57:30.325 --> 00:57:32.665
If there's war going on around the embassy,

952
00:57:32.665 --> 00:57:34.945
an American can go to the American Embassy

953
00:57:34.945 --> 00:57:36.225
as a place of safe harbor.

954
00:57:38.525 --> 00:57:41.745
And what I love about this is I actually think

955
00:57:41.745 --> 00:57:43.345
that's the way we're supposed to operate as well.

956
00:57:44.735 --> 00:57:47.505
Because as an ambassador, you are filled

957
00:57:47.535 --> 00:57:48.545
with the Holy Spirit.

958
00:57:48.645 --> 00:57:50.585
And because of that, everywhere

959
00:57:50.585 --> 00:57:53.385
that we go can be an embassy for the kingdom of heaven.

960
00:57:55.085 --> 00:57:58.125
So when people step into your house, guess what?

961
00:57:59.025 --> 00:58:00.445
You were on foreign sale soil,

962
00:58:00.625 --> 00:58:03.125
but now you, you're residing in the kingdom of heaven

963
00:58:03.715 --> 00:58:05.565
when someone grabs a seat in your office

964
00:58:05.565 --> 00:58:07.125
and says, Hey, can I just vent for a minute?

965
00:58:07.125 --> 00:58:08.285
Yeah, you came to the right place

966
00:58:08.715 --> 00:58:10.805
because I'm an ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven.

967
00:58:10.805 --> 00:58:12.605
When you meet someone in a coffee shop

968
00:58:12.605 --> 00:58:15.165
or when you sit next to someone on an airplane,

969
00:58:15.575 --> 00:58:18.165
those places become embassies for the Kingdom of heaven

970
00:58:18.165 --> 00:58:20.165
because you are an ambassador there.

971
00:58:21.025 --> 00:58:23.645
We can keep praying to say, God, go to this place, go to

972
00:58:23.645 --> 00:58:24.845
that place as you should do.

973
00:58:24.845 --> 00:58:28.005
But also remember, you are sent into those spaces

974
00:58:28.225 --> 00:58:30.445
and where you go, you bring the Holy Spirit with you

975
00:58:31.545 --> 00:58:34.245
in acts, they waited in a space for the Holy Spirit

976
00:58:34.265 --> 00:58:35.645
to fall down upon them.

977
00:58:35.865 --> 00:58:37.165
But now the Bible teaches us

978
00:58:37.165 --> 00:58:40.085
that when we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, uh,

979
00:58:40.355 --> 00:58:41.845
resides within us.

980
00:58:41.915 --> 00:58:44.125
That power resides within us,

981
00:58:45.025 --> 00:58:46.885
and we take him everywhere we go.

982
00:58:46.905 --> 00:58:48.245
So all of our insecurities, all

983
00:58:48.245 --> 00:58:49.365
of our fears about why we're not

984
00:58:49.365 --> 00:58:50.525
good enough, Hey, guess what?

985
00:58:50.525 --> 00:58:51.525
You're not good enough.

986
00:58:52.265 --> 00:58:54.885
You weren't, but now you're a new creation.

987
00:58:56.465 --> 00:58:58.965
And from that place, man, there, there's only two things

988
00:58:58.965 --> 00:59:00.125
that you need to, to share.

989
00:59:00.125 --> 00:59:02.725
Your faith, the Holy Spirit check,

990
00:59:03.905 --> 00:59:05.645
and the story of how Jesus changed your life,

991
00:59:06.415 --> 00:59:08.005
those are the only two things you need.

992
00:59:10.365 --> 00:59:13.025
So I wanna give you a, a practical handle on this.

993
00:59:14.695 --> 00:59:16.465
This is what I call the ready, aim,

994
00:59:16.615 --> 00:59:18.065
fire of sharing your faith.

995
00:59:19.445 --> 00:59:22.965
Number one, you gotta get ready, gotta prepare yourself.

996
00:59:25.025 --> 00:59:27.565
One Peter three 15 tells us how we should be prepared

997
00:59:27.565 --> 00:59:30.285
to give a reason for the hope that we have,

998
00:59:30.955 --> 00:59:32.965
meaning we should be well versed in scripture.

999
00:59:33.025 --> 00:59:34.805
But it doesn't, like, again, if you have your story of

1000
00:59:34.805 --> 00:59:36.805
how Jesus changed you, that's enough.

1001
00:59:38.465 --> 00:59:40.165
We should be ready to share our story

1002
00:59:40.225 --> 00:59:41.565
and to share the truth of scripture.

1003
00:59:41.585 --> 00:59:43.365
But if you're like, Hey, I just, I don't feel like I

1004
00:59:43.365 --> 00:59:44.405
don't know enough, guess what?

1005
00:59:44.535 --> 00:59:45.845
God's like infinite.

1006
00:59:45.865 --> 00:59:47.445
So you're never gonna know enough about him.

1007
00:59:48.655 --> 00:59:50.205
Let's just get started. One of the things

1008
00:59:50.205 --> 00:59:53.125
that I think gets passed by in that verse all the time is

1009
00:59:53.125 --> 00:59:54.525
how it starts off with Peter saying,

1010
00:59:55.005 --> 00:59:56.605
Revere Christ in your hearts

1011
00:59:57.465 --> 00:59:58.965
and to be ready to give a response.

1012
00:59:59.385 --> 01:00:01.405
And I really think the beauty of that is like, man,

1013
01:00:01.505 --> 01:00:03.645
so many us are worried about having the right response,

1014
01:00:03.645 --> 01:00:05.045
that we forget reveering Christ,

1015
01:00:06.025 --> 01:00:07.845
and that knowledge puffs us up.

1016
01:00:08.625 --> 01:00:10.725
So when we don't know something, we feel like we're useless.

1017
01:00:10.725 --> 01:00:13.245
But man, when you revere Christ, when you recognize

1018
01:00:13.245 --> 01:00:15.645
how good he is and that he's placed your, his spirit inside

1019
01:00:15.645 --> 01:00:17.565
of you, and you're like, man, I just love spending time

1020
01:00:17.565 --> 01:00:19.485
with Jesus, I think that's when you become like, Emma,

1021
01:00:19.675 --> 01:00:21.165
this is the best thing that's ever happened

1022
01:00:21.165 --> 01:00:22.245
to me, and I want it for everybody.

1023
01:00:24.035 --> 01:00:27.055
So we get ready. The second is aim.

1024
01:00:28.195 --> 01:00:30.015
And by that I just mean pray for opportunities.

1025
01:00:31.225 --> 01:00:33.935
Colossians four, two through six says that we are to pray

1026
01:00:34.085 --> 01:00:37.535
that the Lord will bring others, uh, along our path

1027
01:00:37.595 --> 01:00:39.895
who we are supposed to share the good news with.

1028
01:00:39.955 --> 01:00:42.855
And we are supposed to live in a constant awareness of those

1029
01:00:42.995 --> 01:00:45.415
who need to know that they're loved

1030
01:00:45.795 --> 01:00:47.255
and that there's a, that there's a freedom

1031
01:00:47.255 --> 01:00:48.295
available for them.

1032
01:00:48.875 --> 01:00:50.295
And I just wanna ask you, when was the last time

1033
01:00:50.295 --> 01:00:51.535
that you genuinely prayed

1034
01:00:51.835 --> 01:00:54.895
and say, God, I hope today you bring someone in my

1035
01:00:54.895 --> 01:00:56.015
path who I get to tell about you.

1036
01:00:57.515 --> 01:00:59.255
The Bible actually commands us to do that.

1037
01:00:59.255 --> 01:01:02.495
And then here's the fire, here's the scary part.

1038
01:01:04.365 --> 01:01:05.375
Rely on the Holy Spirit

1039
01:01:06.955 --> 01:01:09.095
and that act that seems scary to you,

1040
01:01:09.875 --> 01:01:11.015
you'll actually be emboldened

1041
01:01:11.015 --> 01:01:12.465
and realize, man, there's actually the, the,

1042
01:01:12.475 --> 01:01:16.335
the guy didn't give me a spirit of fear, but of power

1043
01:01:16.955 --> 01:01:18.895
and of love and a sound mind.

1044
01:01:18.955 --> 01:01:20.935
And if I take that into this conversation with this person

1045
01:01:20.935 --> 01:01:22.335
who desperately ease God, guess what?

1046
01:01:23.215 --> 01:01:25.695
I just, I trust that he is going to the work.

1047
01:01:27.505 --> 01:01:29.145
Ultimate truth and gospel transformation.

1048
01:01:29.145 --> 01:01:30.465
It comes from the Holy Spirit.

1049
01:01:30.565 --> 01:01:31.985
So lemme just remind you, church,

1050
01:01:31.985 --> 01:01:34.105
if you have the Holy Spirit, which you receive when you put

1051
01:01:34.105 --> 01:01:36.185
your faith in him, you have everything you need.

1052
01:01:37.115 --> 01:01:42.065
Let's pray together. Father man, thank you

1053
01:01:42.125 --> 01:01:43.345
for this message

1054
01:01:43.565 --> 01:01:46.505
and thank you for this mission, the message

1055
01:01:46.505 --> 01:01:49.945
of reconciliation that you are calling us back into a right

1056
01:01:50.485 --> 01:01:53.145
healed healthy in a whole relationship with you.

1057
01:01:53.725 --> 01:01:54.945
And God, thank you for the mission

1058
01:01:54.945 --> 01:01:56.185
that you don't just give us that

1059
01:01:56.185 --> 01:01:57.345
and say, Hey, that's really good for you,

1060
01:01:58.285 --> 01:02:00.265
but God, you actually, you, you invite us

1061
01:02:00.265 --> 01:02:02.305
to join Jesus on the rescue mission.

1062
01:02:02.525 --> 01:02:03.545
How crazy is that?

1063
01:02:04.935 --> 01:02:06.985
Lord, I pray that we recognize the, the weight

1064
01:02:06.985 --> 01:02:08.985
and the beauty and the power of that,

1065
01:02:09.245 --> 01:02:10.505
the magnificence of that.

1066
01:02:12.205 --> 01:02:14.145
And Lord, I pray that you would send us

1067
01:02:14.365 --> 01:02:16.825
out just 'cause you did.

1068
01:02:18.125 --> 01:02:21.565
You did in Matthew, you sent us out to be ministers

1069
01:02:21.565 --> 01:02:22.605
of reconciliation.

1070
01:02:22.825 --> 01:02:24.805
God, help us to take that role seriously

1071
01:02:24.985 --> 01:02:26.365
and help us all to rely

1072
01:02:26.365 --> 01:02:28.885
and depend on your spirit that much more so

1073
01:02:28.885 --> 01:02:30.805
that we can see our city and our nation

1074
01:02:30.825 --> 01:02:33.045
and our world changed and transformed for you.

1075
01:02:33.045 --> 01:02:36.805
Because the lost or learning man, I have been reconciled

1076
01:02:36.985 --> 01:02:39.605
to God by the work of Jesus Christ.

1077
01:02:41.015 --> 01:02:42.805
Thank you for letting us join you in that mission.

1078
01:02:43.995 --> 01:02:47.265
Holy Spirit empower us. We ask all these things.

1079
01:02:47.365 --> 01:02:49.305
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

1080
01:02:58.255 --> 01:03:01.705
What a great reminder, uh, of, of the hope that we have

1081
01:03:01.705 --> 01:03:03.225
and the hope that we're called to share,

1082
01:03:03.605 --> 01:03:04.865
uh, into the world around us.

1083
01:03:04.865 --> 01:03:07.505
And could you imagine if, if we as Hope Community Church

1084
01:03:07.525 --> 01:03:09.505
as a church family, uh, thousands

1085
01:03:09.505 --> 01:03:12.065
and thousands of us took seriously this call

1086
01:03:12.065 --> 01:03:14.945
to be ambassadors of this hope to the world around us?

1087
01:03:15.565 --> 01:03:17.905
Uh, clearly that is happening to some degree,

1088
01:03:17.905 --> 01:03:19.065
and I wanna celebrate this.

1089
01:03:19.365 --> 01:03:21.705
Uh, just last weekend, uh, we had,

1090
01:03:21.785 --> 01:03:25.345
I think the number was like 29 baptisms across all

1091
01:03:25.345 --> 01:03:28.145
of our campuses, which, which means this year across all

1092
01:03:28.145 --> 01:03:31.825
of our campuses alone, uh, we've got over 90 men and women

1093
01:03:31.845 --> 01:03:33.905
and students who have stepped into new

1094
01:03:33.905 --> 01:03:35.305
life and following Jesus.

1095
01:03:35.485 --> 01:03:36.745
Can we just celebrate that together?

1096
01:03:37.185 --> 01:03:41.985
I mean, May we never get

1097
01:03:42.035 --> 01:03:45.185
tired of celebrating, uh, men and women

1098
01:03:45.325 --> 01:03:48.105
and students stepping over into new life, uh,

1099
01:03:48.105 --> 01:03:51.785
following Jesus As you head outta here, uh, this evening,

1100
01:03:52.365 --> 01:03:55.065
uh, teachers don't forget, we've got a free gift for you.

1101
01:03:55.065 --> 01:03:57.185
And that's right. I'm looking over here at you, Mr. Sherwin.

1102
01:03:57.375 --> 01:03:59.945
Okay? We got something for you back here in the back.

1103
01:04:00.365 --> 01:04:02.505
And, uh, we would love for you again if you're online,

1104
01:04:02.525 --> 01:04:04.625
if you're a teacher here in this area, uh,

1105
01:04:04.625 --> 01:04:05.425
text the word Teach

1106
01:04:05.425 --> 01:04:07.585
7 2 9 8 9, we'd love to follow up with you.

1107
01:04:07.805 --> 01:04:10.105
And if you're looking to take your next step here at hope,

1108
01:04:10.185 --> 01:04:12.545
maybe it is baptism, maybe you're just trying to figure out

1109
01:04:12.545 --> 01:04:15.225
what it is, uh, you can head to our next steps area right

1110
01:04:15.225 --> 01:04:16.545
outside these auditorium doors,

1111
01:04:16.845 --> 01:04:18.785
and we would love to walk alongside of you.

1112
01:04:18.785 --> 01:04:20.745
We love you guys and we will see you next week.