WEBVTT 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:29.010 You're listening to GARDEN CHURCH Podcast. We're in a series called Church on Fire, a journey to the book of Acts. This is the story of ordinary people filled with the spirit carrying the presence of Jesus into every corner of the world. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive and in us today. Join us as we step into the call to be people set on fire for his mission. 00:00:30.690 --> 00:00:57.630 Amen. Well, it's great to be with all of you today. I really so Darren and I got hooked up through a mentor of ours out of London. And you know God really wants to put you with someone when he goes across the pond and we're I mean, we're practically neighbors being in Arizona and I I just I want you to know how much respect I have for you and the way that God is moving among you. That's not some spiel. 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:22.455 I really don't preach at other places. Haven't for the last six plus years because I just wanna know if I'm gonna go anywhere that the spirit of the Lord is wanting me to go and gonna be there when I get there. And I was actually here not to preach this weekend. One of our one of the men in our church in his early eighties who served as one of our elders for a number of years. His children are out here and he's moving out here. 00:01:22.455 --> 00:02:13.645 Moved out here two days ago and this is home for him again and we went to lunch and he said, Preston, I I'm very nervous about where I will attend church. What what should I do? And I started laughing and I said, Darren, listen, I have friends who pastor great churches from West Palm Beach to Huntington Beach and a lot of places in between and I am not exaggerating. There's not another church that I know of that one of my friends is being anointed to help be a part of than GARDEN and his first weekend was is this weekend. He was in the last service so if he ever pops over to this campus, hey if you see a man about my height, early eighties, sharply dressed, if he hugs you and he doesn't even know you just hug him back and say, I love you Cam. 00:02:13.645 --> 00:02:32.845 Will you just do that for me? Because the man's a legend. Okay? It's the only reason I was in town and when I told Darren I was like, I'm gonna come in, one of our executives and his family came in, my family's with me, we just wanted to make sure Cam just felt the love this weekend and Darren was like, well why don't you preach while you're here and I was like, okay great. What do you want me to teach you and he goes, Paul and Barnabas' fight. 00:02:32.845 --> 00:03:06.415 I said, okay. So if you got a bible, open up to Acts chapter 15. You already know you're there. Brian did a great job with the first 35 verses of Acts 15. I get to cover the last bit of this chapter and what we're gonna talk about today in part is relational conflict which for some of us is one of the most profane terms in our language. 00:03:07.615 --> 00:03:25.080 Conflict. Some of us hate it so much we run from it and end up doing life alone. Because I've found you can't be in a relationship without Conflict. Conflict. It's part of the deal. 00:03:25.985 --> 00:03:56.900 Let's read Acts chapter 15 starting in verse 36. Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we've preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing. Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. 00:03:57.755 --> 00:04:29.585 And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus but Paul chose Silas and departed being commended by the brethren to the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches. If I asked you, describe for me in one word the verses we just read together, what one word would you use? Okay. Many of you are saying conflict because that's how I started it. Surely that's the right answer. 00:04:30.785 --> 00:04:49.780 Schism? That yeah. That's that's what I've heard typically since I was a boy when this passage was taught is the word division. Right? In my own bible I use the New King James that this sub subheading is division between Paul and Barnabas, right? 00:04:50.580 --> 00:05:13.830 Division. But what you see before this separation between Paul and Barnabas, the way Luke describes them is they're like Twinkies who are inseparable. You can't pull them apart between chapters eleven and fourteen. You, they are on a holy hot streak and these two are just synonymously together. They are simpatico. 00:05:16.310 --> 00:06:08.480 Until they're not. One of the things you learn, and I've been walking with Jesus for thirty five years, is whenever two come together they can always come apart. But there's a godly way to do it, where God can respond to something that seems like division with a divine measure of multiplication And that's what we see in this text and beyond it. God can respond with multiplication when his enemy is doing everything he can to bring division. Now we're gonna break down this passage verse by verse. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:42.320 Alright? I don't I I haven't been doing a lot of expository the way I was trained. I grew up a good old charismatic assemblies of God kid and then when I went off to school, wanted to go to a Southern Baptist University where my theology was the minority and I've been topical for the last twenty six years and then Darren's like, want you to teach this text and I was like, this is gonna be so fun to go back to my old college days and now I think I wanna be a little more expository next year because it's been so much fun. Let's just break it down verse by verse. Verse 36, then after some days and I want you to listen to the way I emphasize this verse as I read it. 00:06:42.895 --> 00:07:11.220 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached. In the original language, this is first person plural. Where we have preached together. Let us go back together and see how everybody's doing. Do you notice something here? 00:07:11.895 --> 00:07:46.975 There is no I or me. There is just in this verse, us and we. This was how Luke describes them as he writes about them. They were together. I wonder if there's anybody in this room today who's been hurt by somebody and is in a season where they're choosing to go it alone because you've convinced yourself the hurt you experienced is not worth experiencing again. 00:07:47.455 --> 00:08:07.515 I remember when I was in high school, I thought I knew the girl I was gonna marry. I told the Lord, I am marrying this girl. To the younger folks among us can I just say never talk to the Lord that way? I said I am marrying this girl. I didn't ask I told the creator of the universe and what do you know? 00:08:07.595 --> 00:08:24.840 This girl didn't I go off to college, she was a year younger than me, I go off to college, I get a call one day from my cousin who's a year older, he went back to our high school and he goes, congratulations. I said, why are you congratulating me? He goes, your engagement. I said, bro, I'm not engaged. He said, I saw her yesterday at school. 00:08:25.320 --> 00:08:44.415 She was wearing an engagement ring. She didn't even break up with me. I thought we were still together. This is how troubled I am. My kids hear this story and they're like, how could you be that guy? 00:08:44.495 --> 00:09:08.545 I am that man children. In the words of Nathan, I am that man. And I remember saying to my mom and here's what I said to her a couple weeks later, I said I am never ever dating again. I've been married over twenty five years. Yeah. 00:09:09.665 --> 00:09:25.090 What was I really saying? Was I saying, I will never date again? That's what my mouth said but what was my heart saying? I don't ever wanna be hurt like that again. When we experience hurt, we tend to build walls around our heart. 00:09:26.210 --> 00:09:59.615 I think this is in part what Paul did. I'm gonna show it to you as we walk through this but when I when I was younger, this this this was me. I was the guy who thought the way you prove you're strong is you go it alone. Can I just tell you if I could grab the young me by the ears, I would yell in his face, the dumbest thing you can do is go it alone? When you read throughout scripture, for some strange reason, God loves pears and I'm not just talking about marriage. 00:09:59.615 --> 00:10:08.575 I'm really not even talking about marriage. I'm talking, how did Jesus send out? Two by two? Twos. Twos. 00:10:08.735 --> 00:10:50.870 And you wanna know why I think God prefers pairs, at least two? First reason is because one is easier to conquer. I'm gonna read it to you in Ecclesiastes four but the other reason is this and it might surprise you. I think one of the reasons God loves or prefers partnerships, ministerial partnerships is this, when you're alone you are more prone to get what you want, however you want, whenever you want, no matter what. But when you go together, you're reminded one of the goals of your life is not my will. 00:10:53.205 --> 00:11:12.500 This is what marriage is designed to teach you. Marriage is designed to teach you death. And if it doesn't work God will give you children. Am I wrong? No. 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:47.130 This is what he does and that's how dumb I am. We have three biological children then we adopted our fourth a couple years ago and now it looks like we might be adopting our fifth child because I think the Lord's looking at me going, you still have not learned this lesson yet. So can I just read the words of Ecclesiastes nine ten and twelve to anyone in this room who's been convinced by God's enemies that your path needs to be the path of aloneness? You need to do your thing, your calling alone. Can I just read these words? 00:11:48.090 --> 00:12:15.120 Ecclesiastes four nine and ten, two people are better off than one for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. Watch this, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Verse 12, a person standing alone can be attacked and defeated but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three or even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:37.540 Wherever there is more where there's more than one strand, we must fight to remain one cord. But when imperfect humans get involved, sometimes it just doesn't work out this way. That's what we see with Paul and Barnabas. They separate. Let's keep going. 00:12:37.540 --> 00:13:09.990 Verse 37. Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. Now an interesting thing you find here when you break down these words is you find a textual variant. If you don't know what a textual variant is, it's not an error in scripture. If you take two translations and I'm gonna take the ESV and the New King James and I'm gonna show you because they used slightly different manuscripts, they used two different words where we see this word determined and I just want to draw your attention to it. 00:13:09.990 --> 00:13:36.920 Okay? The ESV uses the Greek word bulomai, which means to desire or want strongly. But the New King James uses this word, bull you owe. Similar but not quite the same and it means to deliberate with oneself. So the ESV paints this picture where Barnabas just wanted something strongly, right? 00:13:36.920 --> 00:14:00.410 And and that's absolutely what happened. But the New King James, the word means the same thing and a little bit more and the New King James paints the picture that Barnabas was deliberating with himself. Have you ever just gone for a walk by yourself with yourself doing nothing but talking to yourself? You know, you kind of pace a little bit. The camera person's not happy with me right now. 00:14:00.410 --> 00:14:20.025 I I just see Barnabas kinda pacing a little bit in frustration and I just wonder if he wasn't talking like this. What is Paul thinking? I know how he feels about Job. I get it but this is what I did for him. Let's just rewind for a sec, you've already gone through this. 00:14:21.545 --> 00:14:50.895 After Paul's conversion, did everybody immediately believe it was legit? In fact, so many at the highest level of leadership in Jerusalem believed it wasn't legit, they were afraid he'd kill them. And what built the bridge? To where then the very next verse, I think it's Acts nine late late in the chapter, the very next verse it says, the apostles took Paul everywhere. Who built the bridge? 00:14:52.540 --> 00:15:08.755 Barnabas did. And I wonder if Barnabas' frustration, see some and this is absolutely true, full disclosure, John Mark and Barnabas were related. Okay? And some teach it as well, he was too loyal to his family. I actually don't think that was the problem. 00:15:09.235 --> 00:15:38.435 I really don't. Here's why. Because it's what Barnabas did with Paul earlier and I wonder if he just wasn't a little bit bothered that Paul wasn't going, oh, that's right. I needed someone to do this for me too, to fight for me, to stand with me. Barnabas is deliberating with himself because what he wanted was to give John Mark another chance. 00:15:41.075 --> 00:15:55.850 Keep going. Verse 38, but Paul insisted, I'm gonna draw your attention to two words. First, insisted. Insisted that they should not take with them, I love the way Luke describes it, the one who had departed from them. The nameless guy who departed from them. 00:15:56.010 --> 00:16:08.495 Not even gonna say his name. I did the verse before you know who I'm talking about. Departed is the other word. You know, the one who had not gone with them to do the work. This word insisted. 00:16:09.215 --> 00:16:44.205 Another textual variant. The ESV interestingly uses the exact same word I just read you in the last verse that Paul desired something strongly. So the picture painted here and it's accurate, Barnabas desired this strongly, Paul on the other side desired this strongly. The New King James though uses a different word, which means to think to be right. Have you ever been that guy or that girl? 00:16:45.325 --> 00:17:18.740 I remember one time I got into an argument with my dad about a movie and my dad goes, that is one of my favorite movies and Morgan Freeman was amazing in that movie. And I said, dad, that was Laurence Fishburne. No, it wasn't and this is before we could get on chat or ask Claude who was the lead character this morning. It was Morgan Freeman, I know that voice from anywhere. I I said, I will go to my grave with Laurence Fishburne tattooed on my chest. 00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:51.590 I'm telling you, it was Laurence. Have you ever been the person who dug their heels in convinced you were right only to find out you my friend are wronger than wrong. You know when I was young, I used to believe this lie from the enemy. Preston, you can't lead if you're ever wrong. How could people follow you if you're wrong? 00:17:52.710 --> 00:18:18.980 You can't take a wrong turn. People will get off your bus. I wish I had the wherewithal back then just to go, it's not my bus and I'm not driving. But I was young and dumb and I was like, well then I better pretend that I'm always right. My wife happens to be in the service and she's probably inside going, I have waited for him to teach this message. 00:18:24.420 --> 00:18:46.200 Have you ever ever any of the married people in the room been married to someone who was convinced they always had to be right? Can I just tell you? We got a hand. Can I tell you? It's impossible to be in a relationship. 00:18:46.200 --> 00:19:11.725 True, authentic, intimate fellowship with someone who always has to be right. I will tell you when I was young, the way I process was someone always has to be right and that means someone always has to be wrong. If someone always has to be right, I can never be wrong. That means I've got to be right all the time. It's kind of what we see a little bit here between Paul and Barnabas. 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:30.175 It's fascinating to me. The the Greek word for departed, a feast to me. There is no textual variation here, means to keep oneself at a distance. What's fascinating to me is Paul and Barnabas agreed about what John Mark did. He left. 00:19:31.455 --> 00:20:00.855 But where they disagreed was how they saw it. Can I just tell you, oftentimes the beginning of demonic division is turning your perspective into your very own idol? I'll tell you from experience. As a young man, when I learned somebody has to be right, that means somebody has to be wrong. It was like I made a vow. 00:20:01.415 --> 00:20:27.615 I will never be wrong. And it made me more wrong. No relationship, God ordained. Remember how how powerful a pair do you have to be when the Holy Spirit himself asks for you by name. You were just here a couple chapters ago. 00:20:28.335 --> 00:20:59.125 The Holy Spirit asked, set apart unto me Paul and Barnabas. One of my favorite moments in Acts. No relationship is worth abandoning if the reason you're leaving is you think you're right. This is one of my Achilles heels. I had and have many of them. 00:20:59.125 --> 00:21:48.995 This was one of them. I'll give you an example of one I still struggle with today. When I was younger, my dad was a worship pastor at some really great churches back in the day and one of the churches he was at was outside of Chicago, Illinois and do the math, go back long enough, I'm 48 years old, I grew up in a very cool window of time on the earth where the Chicago Bulls utterly destroyed their familiar foe, the Detroit Pistons as well as the New York Knicks and won six world championships in eight years without losing one. I as a young man began to believe something because here's how I saw things. The way I see it is the only way to see it. 00:21:48.995 --> 00:22:16.175 And so here's an example of one I still struggle with today. I did then, I still do now. As a boy watching this go down, here was the vow I made before God and man. The greatest basketball player who will ever live on this earth is named Michael Jeffrey Jordan and no one will ever top him. I still believe this to this day. 00:22:16.895 --> 00:22:40.770 Some LeBron lovers may be in the room. I get this argument from the younger generation all the time and here's what I'd say, how can you be the goat when you lose more world championships than you win? You know what something else I've learned as I've gotten older? Some people are just dumb. I'm kidding. 00:22:40.930 --> 00:22:52.525 I'm kidding. Darren Psyche's never coming back ever again. As I've gotten older you know what I've learned? There's beauty in diversity. Here's why, because our creator created us that way. 00:22:52.525 --> 00:23:22.525 I don't see it the same way you do, you don't see it the same way I do but the fact that we see it differently is not a reason to diverge. Now, I also acknowledge that there are seasons in life. Ecclesiastes helps us understand this. There are seasons and sometimes it's time. I don't know if it was that, if it was such a time for Paul and Barnabas like that, I don't know but I do know. 00:23:23.530 --> 00:23:57.990 They both dug their heels in and it led to going different ways. Verse 39, then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. This word for contention is the Greek word paroxysmos. Listen to this definition. A state of intense emotional turmoil especially expressed in words. 00:24:00.630 --> 00:24:25.380 Sound like anybody's house last night? Don't elbow and please don't put your hand up. This was a full on fight and I don't think it was a ten minute argument. I think they wrestled with themselves and with one another for a season of time before they departed. It's fascinating to me though and slightly ironic. 00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:37.165 Have you ever noticed God has possibly the best sense of humor of all time? Anybody ever experienced the supernatural sarcasm of the king of the universe? Yeah. Yeah. You read through the gospels, Jesus does it all the time. 00:24:37.165 --> 00:24:50.445 You remember when he's like, hey if you wanna run with me, you gotta eat my flesh and drink my blood and people start bouncing. Do you remember what he does? Can I just use my presence poor man's paraphrase? Jesus looks at the 12 and he goes, how about you cupcakes? You gonna go too? 00:24:53.380 --> 00:25:22.670 It's incredible. Like this this listen this is so ironic to me. Why do Paul and Barnabas depart from one another? Because of the the way they saw John Mark depart from them. Can you see a little bit of the work of the enemy trying to divide? 00:25:25.230 --> 00:26:13.865 I have a theory which I humbly submit to you today. I'm convinced that one of Satan's favorite weapons is division because one of Satan's biggest fears is multiplication. And so he's constantly trying to divide. Many people in this room today may be at a fork in the road relationally and I don't know if it's one of those moments where the season has just come to an end or if it's something God is using in your life to show you a side of you you haven't seen before. I will tell you from experience, I'm convinced that when God is involved, conflict can be providential. 00:26:16.330 --> 00:26:33.505 Let me say that again. Especially for those who hate conflict. You hate having to have courageous conversations and so you find a dignified way to run from them. It doesn't make you weak. Just means there's a little bit more to learn. 00:26:33.505 --> 00:26:57.150 I was there too. Relations, intimacy cannot happen without courageous conversations where we share the truth about ourselves and one another. Listen. Luke doesn't tell us who was right. I don't know about you but I wanna know who was right. 00:26:57.845 --> 00:27:12.370 Like I have this thing in me. Somebody has to be right and somebody has to be wrong. That's just the way it works. Can I just tell you what I've learned at 48 years old? That perspective is actually wrong. 00:27:14.690 --> 00:27:45.630 Luke doesn't tell us who was right. You know one of the things my messianic Jewish friends have taught me? Probably in the top three things, at the top of my list of things my messianic Jewish friends and rabbis have taught me, that two things which seem opposed to one another can actually be true at the same time. I think this is in part why Luke doesn't tell us who was right and who was wrong and we don't have time to do this. I think one of the biggest reasons why we think this way is because the flesh ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil first. 00:27:46.190 --> 00:28:10.110 And so one of the byproducts is we just naturally think someone is good and someone is bad. Someone is right and someone is wrong and Luke goes, I'm not telling you. Preston, this ain't some gossipy little juicy story. The spirit of God is trying to teach the children of God something. This is not about who's right. 00:28:10.750 --> 00:28:29.895 In part, it's about what's it worth to you? What's it worth to you? See, I I think part of what Paul did because Paul goes on in second Timothy four, he says everybody's left me. Send John Mark back to me. Like, want him. 00:28:29.895 --> 00:28:58.765 I need him in this work. I think one of the reasons why he departed is he was really hurt. He was offended and we don't have time to go there but I'll tell you, my flesh's one of my flesh's habits is this, it loves to hide my hurt behind biblical principles. Can we just be real? I gotta be really careful with this. 00:28:58.765 --> 00:29:22.715 I'm a guest of my friend. But some of you have come over from other churches and you're telling people it's because they're bad but before the king of the universe it's actually because the hurt in your heart is bad. It's worse than you think. Yes, they're different and and and they're not perfect. Neither am I, neither are you. 00:29:24.875 --> 00:29:55.905 Listen to me. What is it worth to you if you're the one that always has to be right? I am wrong more than I am right. I just told my my brother, I have two brothers, I just told him this last week, I said the older I get and the nearer God comes, the more I the more clear I get on two things. A, I am not him and b, I don't think I'm ever right. 00:30:00.790 --> 00:30:34.260 And if you don't understand b, c a. I'm not him. My my somebody has to be right, somebody has to be wrong brain though. I think of passages like first Kings three. Solomon, when I was 13, read through scripture for the first time cover to cover and when I got to Solomon, I saw he he could have asked God for anything and he asked for wisdom and understanding and then the sacrifices when one and I just I remember saying to the Lord at 13, I want to be just like Solomon. 00:30:36.580 --> 00:31:12.955 Can I say to the younger ones, read the rest of the story before you make such a request of God? God would you make me just like Solomon? He was probably chuckling going, read the rest of the story. Because once I saw the hundreds and hundreds of women and the way his heart was turned away from God because of his love for them and their love for their lowercase g foreign gods. When I was 13 I thought that was the right thing to say. 00:31:12.955 --> 00:31:32.670 When I read it I was like, wanna be just like Solomon. I was actually wrong. I was a little bit right. Lord give me wisdom and understanding for your people deserve it. But listen, there's a moment in first Kings three where two two mothers come before Solomon and they have one baby and they're both saying this is my baby. 00:31:33.790 --> 00:31:46.065 Remember what happens? Solomon says, somebody give me a sword. Chop the baby in half. And one of the women says, fine by me. I'll take half, she takes half. 00:31:46.305 --> 00:32:16.695 The other woman falls on her face and says, please give the child to her and Solomon goes, that's the mom. See, in our minds, we think that's how everything works. Somebody has to be right and somebody has to be wrong and Luke goes, that's not quite how it works. The less mature believer asked this question, who is right and who is wrong? The more mature believer says, what does God's word say is right and where might I be wrong? 00:32:18.135 --> 00:32:38.465 Let me tell you something I've learned the very excruciatingly hard way. How do you know if you're at a fork in the road and walking away is wrong? You might be wondering that. How do I know if the season's not up and I'm supposed to keep walking with them and they're supposed to keep how do I know I'm not wrong to diverge? Here's what I've learned. 00:32:38.465 --> 00:33:24.060 Usually, if you're mad, you're less right than you wanna be and if you're sad, you're less wrong than you wanna be. Let it let it just sit. If you can't control, I'm so fucking, you're probably less right than you wanna admit. And the more grieved you feel, the less wrong you probably are and that's when it's really hard because sticking together means being disobedient. Let's cover the last couple verses. 00:33:24.060 --> 00:34:31.015 And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus but Paul chose Silas and departed being committed by the brethren to the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches. This is where multiplication is preached. This is where this is the passage division is often preached but I would say this, bigger than the multiplication is the providence of conflict which I believe is even bigger than multiplication can be this, personal growth. I remember when I was going through a really difficult season of conflict with somebody and it lasted for several years and it was excruciating and I kept holding on wanting it to continue, we'll figure it out, we've won worse together and I remember one day being in my flesh in a staff meeting and I I thought I shrewdly veiled my one sentence. And when the staff meeting was over, before I could get my skinny little hiney into my six wheeled Ford f three fifty, I drive a dually down the streets of Scottsdale. 00:34:31.015 --> 00:35:16.680 I'm a Texas boy at heart. That city will not take my soul. I don't care how expensive diesel gets. But before I could even get in my truck, I felt the holy spirit say, what was that? One of my least favorite things to ever hear and I'll just describe it the way I feel it is when he comes close and it's like he puts his hand right here and goes, what was that? 00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:46.830 And in the moment, I felt like he just held the mirror of Jesus up in front of my face. And in that moment, I looked nothing like him because I did the very opposite thing of what he would have done. It started a journey for me because at times, would be about who's right and who's wrong. Older I get, I don't care who's right and who's wrong. I really don't. 00:35:47.470 --> 00:36:22.130 Conflict happens in relationship. What I really want to fight for is spirit of the living God, where am I wrong? Would you stand? And I wanna just put three questions on your radar to ponder this week. Using the three humans in this passage, here's the first question. 00:36:23.730 --> 00:36:46.500 Have you slammed the door of your heart to someone who left you? Paul ends up coming back around. This isn't isn't my first rodeo in a room this size. There's bound to be at least one whose heart is really hurt. I'm not talking about someone who abused you. 00:36:46.500 --> 00:37:02.735 Please, this is not that message. I'm talking about a friend who left you. Have you slammed the door in your heart to anyone who left you? If that's you, here's what I would say. Fight to keep the door open. 00:37:03.775 --> 00:37:41.390 For you do not know if one of God's biggest desires in this season of your life is to shove it in his enemy's face, that two who everyone said could never come back together one day don't just come together, they come back to fight together. If that's you, fight to keep the door of your heart open. Second question, is there anyone in your life you need to show gross grace to by extending a second chance? The first is like Paul de John Mark, I believe he was hurt and he came back around. But the second is what Barnabas did with John Mark. 00:37:41.950 --> 00:38:03.240 He extended grace. He gave a second chance. If there's someone in your life where you need to extend some grace, here's what I would say. Try extending grace the way Barnabas did with John Mark, which just so happens to be very similar to the way God does with you. Here's the third question. 00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:38.540 How do you speak of people who no longer walk with you? If we had another thirty five minutes, I would linger the entire half hour right here. How do you speak of people who no longer walk with you? Before I go, I want your heart to hear, dishonor is the language of division. Be aware of the person who dishonors the person they depart from. 00:38:40.940 --> 00:39:24.965 For if dishonor is in their mouth, destruction is surely in their heart. If you are presently dishonoring someone who used to run with you, can I just submit this to you? Fight to honor, even if it's just one sentence, any human who has ever even walked one single solitary step next to you. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes for a moment? And would you let the surgeon of heaven take out the knife of heaven? 00:39:25.605 --> 00:39:44.535 The word of God. The Holy Spirit is the surgeon of heaven, the word is the knife. Spirit of the living God, would you cut on our flesh right now in this moment? If there's hurt, pray you would heal it. If there's dishonor, I pray you would expose it. 00:39:46.135 --> 00:40:31.970 If there's a lack of extending grace, I pray you would highlight it by showing how much the father has extended to all of us. The spirit of God is moving among you and Jesus said, if you'll let me paraphrase it, this next lap, the region will know what God is doing among you by your unity and the way you prove it by loving one another even in conflict. Holy Spirit, would you move among us right now? Would you cut on our flesh? Would you heal hurting hearts? 00:40:35.090 --> 00:40:39.165 Would you make us more like Jesus? In Jesus' name.