1 00:00:00,700 --> 00:00:04,000 We're continuing our series of sermons on the theme of, I'm a 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:09,600 church member what the Bible has to say about belonging to the 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,200 body of Christ. It's based on this little book, 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,400 I'm a church member by Tom rainy. 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,800 And the, the ideas, the thoughts, the themes that he 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,700 has. They are so solid and rooted in 7 00:00:20,700 --> 00:00:22,900 scripture. Joe, and I decided pastor Joe 8 00:00:22,900 --> 00:00:24,200 didn't. I decided we were going to do 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,900 this as a sermon series. And so we continue with this. 10 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:30,500 And so this morning's sermon number three, and the title is, 11 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:38,400 It's not about my desires are preferences, and I'm not a mind 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,500 reader and I don't know what people's hearts and minds are 13 00:00:40,508 --> 00:00:42,600 but few of you might just throw, okay, I might as well leave 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,300 because that's what I came for. I don't think so, but the fact 15 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:52,400 of the matter is, when people look for a church, they look for 16 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,500 very different things. There are people who come to a 17 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:57,700 church that's in there. Looking for a church to go skirt 18 00:00:57,700 --> 00:01:00,200 shopping. They look mainly, what's there 19 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,900 for my children? What does this church offer my 20 00:01:03,900 --> 00:01:06,500 children? That's the core driving Factor 21 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:09,600 when they look for a church for other people. 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,500 It's what's the music? Like that's the core. 23 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:14,100 Driving fact, I don't like the music where I came from and it 24 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:16,300 was not good music and it was poorly done. 25 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:19,100 I don't like I'm going to church where there's good music. 26 00:01:19,100 --> 00:01:23,100 Music is important to me. For some, have somebody else? 27 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:26,600 It's the preaching. I want a church that has good 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,100 preaching. I want to church that has this 29 00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:32,700 style of preaching, or that style of preaching, or maybe 30 00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:35,500 less preaching or for others yet. 31 00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:39,500 It's I want to feel at home. I just want a place where I feel 32 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:44,200 welcome people embrace me. Are these things wrong? 33 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,300 No, they're not, they're not bad. 34 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,500 In fact they're good things. Most most times. 35 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,300 But what are they driven by? That's the question. 36 00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:00,300 And then there are some people who've moved away from one 37 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:03,000 Community to another Community, maybe for work or whatever. 38 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:06,500 And they just look for a church. They want to call home. 39 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,100 That's it. And these things are not sin, 40 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:14,000 are not sin. They just are It's surface stuff 41 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,200 preference based, but there's other things that we need to 42 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,900 touch on as well. Core beliefs practices Doctrine 43 00:02:23,900 --> 00:02:27,600 and here, it gets more sensitive because it gets very deep and 44 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,900 heavy. It's weighty What does this 45 00:02:30,900 --> 00:02:34,800 church believed about God for instance or about heaven? 46 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,200 Hell, eternal life for some people. 47 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:44,100 These are very very big and they should be and get their slanted 48 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:47,100 or they're tilted, they're not even be said that whatever. 49 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,400 And then the discussion becomes, not so much preferences, but 50 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,200 what's true? And Truth should be a 51 00:02:54,208 --> 00:02:59,300 preference, right? And here, we've become so very 52 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:02,900 different. We all know and we all believe 53 00:03:02,900 --> 00:03:06,800 this that there are negotiables in church and non-negotiables 54 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:09,700 but we can't always decide on what's negotiable. 55 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:13,500 It's non-negotiable and we don't have time this morning to go 56 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:16,300 into detail list every single negotiable and every 57 00:03:16,300 --> 00:03:19,500 non-negotiable aspect of church. We just don't have the time but 58 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:22,800 here's a few non-negotiable beliefs or truths. 59 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:26,000 Jesus is the son of God. It's truth. 60 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:29,700 It's really Reality, not some good profit, not some good 61 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:31,500 preacher. Not some good man. 62 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,300 He's Jesus is the son of God. Another truth is he died for 63 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:37,900 Sinners. He physically gave his life for 64 00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:41,700 the sins of the world. He lay down his life for his 65 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:43,700 sheep. He says he rose from the dead, 66 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:46,100 is another one. He came out of the Tomb, he's 67 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:48,000 alive. He was seen by numerous people. 68 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:51,800 His ministry was attested to by many people tested to the 69 00:03:51,808 --> 00:03:56,500 resurrection. Another one is a bit more fluid. 70 00:03:56,500 --> 00:03:59,300 We would say it's not but people would, how do you interpret? 71 00:03:59,300 --> 00:04:01,700 This is supposed to love everybody. 72 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:07,300 Everybody everybody even my enemies, my enemies at no point. 73 00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:09,900 Ever is a Christian allowed to operate from the platform of 74 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:13,000 hatred. We as Believers say that and 75 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,899 another one is moral Integrity. All our actions should be done 76 00:04:16,899 --> 00:04:19,600 from a foundation of moral Integrity, first, honor, God and 77 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,600 serve Humanity. And God has moral standards, 78 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,300 right? And wrong that are not 79 00:04:24,300 --> 00:04:27,100 negotiable. Reality is not fluid and 80 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:28,900 changeable, according to a different, people would like it 81 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:32,500 to be. They're not multiple truths for 82 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:36,300 the same reality and this is especially true when it comes to 83 00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:39,300 how we live life and it gets controversial because we don't 84 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:43,900 agree. And then there are some very 85 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:47,100 simple basic things. Like, how many times a week, 86 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:48,500 should we meet? Is that negotiable or 87 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:51,100 non-negotiable? Doesn't matter. 88 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,100 I think it does but not the same for everybody. 89 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,600 Should we should meet more often than less often? 90 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,000 We should meet more than less. How often should we meet bouts? 91 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,800 Not prescribed what language should Church be hmm depending 92 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:08,300 where you go? What kind of song should we sing 93 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:11,900 upbeat Lively or kind of slow, and whatever? 94 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,300 How long should the sermons be 20 minutes? 95 00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:19,500 The shorter, the better. We can just go on and on about 96 00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:23,000 this. And our sermon this morning want 97 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,300 to look at a few points to bring perspective to what is important 98 00:05:26,300 --> 00:05:29,300 Point. Number one is this, our desires 99 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:36,800 and preferences must be servant. Based servant focused. the first 100 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,700 thing we must understand as members of the body of Christ 101 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:42,600 and more specifically members in a church where members for the 102 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:49,700 purpose of serving This is huge when it comes to church, no one 103 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:52,500 should have the mindset. I will join this place. 104 00:05:52,700 --> 00:05:55,200 I will join this group to see what they will do. 105 00:05:55,200 --> 00:06:00,400 For me, will read this passage later on, but Jesus says, he 106 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,700 came to serve not to be served. This is a truth. 107 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:10,800 Something we must understand and embrace and put into practice In 108 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,300 scripture, we find a lot of things that are solid truth and 109 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:17,000 we're told not to deviate repeatedly, especially in the 110 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,500 Old Testament. We find how God instructed the 111 00:06:19,508 --> 00:06:21,900 people of Israel to stay true to the teachings. 112 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:25,000 They had received and if they would deviate, they would suffer 113 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,400 consequences later on. In the New Testament, we find 114 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,800 numerous times. But to remember, to hold to the 115 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:33,500 teachings that we have been given and of course, not 116 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:37,200 everyone agrees on everything and it's not always clear black 117 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,500 and white. We know that but Nothing is 118 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:43,000 certain my preference cannot be me. 119 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:47,700 Your preference cannot be you see, it's amazing how people go 120 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:50,300 to church shopping, not with the idea. 121 00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:51,700 What can I bring? It's more. 122 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,000 What will they do for me? Maybe here I will find whatever 123 00:06:57,500 --> 00:07:00,100 and these things may not in and of themselves be wrong, but the 124 00:07:00,100 --> 00:07:06,400 motive out of which they come are self-focused, We should come 125 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,700 to church like Lord. What do you want me to bring? 126 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,400 What do you want me to offer? How do you want me to serve? 127 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:19,100 You see folks selfish mindsets never bring peace or joy? 128 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:21,600 You see some people go to church shopping like to go vehicle 129 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:27,400 shopping has to have a certain features and certain Accessories 130 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,400 and the vehicle shopping. Like I want a high-end luxury 131 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:35,500 vehicle for low base model price, Church shopping happens 132 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:38,600 that way too. Sometimes customer goes to 133 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,400 dealers lot and starts telling that it is a sales man. 134 00:07:43,300 --> 00:07:47,400 What he wants to buy how much the price should be and it 135 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,900 starts at an impossible place and eventually they negotiate 136 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:52,600 themselves to a what they can get along with what they. 137 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:55,500 Well, I'll throw this and I'll throw that and if you okay, with 138 00:07:55,500 --> 00:07:58,000 this up the price a bit, now we can have an agreement. 139 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,000 If that's how we do Church shopping, that's all backwards. 140 00:08:03,500 --> 00:08:06,400 When it comes to where we go to church, and how we go to church, 141 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,000 and why we go to church, and why we remember in the church, it 142 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,900 has to be servant focused time Ray Turner's book puts it this 143 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:14,800 way? He says, as a church member, my 144 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,700 motivation should not be to get my preferences to the top of the 145 00:08:18,700 --> 00:08:21,700 list. Yeah, the do what I say I'm 146 00:08:21,700 --> 00:08:25,600 supposed to be last, not first. I'm supposed to be a servant 147 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,900 instead of seeking to be served. When it comes to church, if 148 00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:34,600 we're Christians, we will not try to create a church or shop 149 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,700 for a church that will cater to us or I could take this to be 150 00:08:37,700 --> 00:08:44,000 conformed to my image. Want to customise design Taylor. 151 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,900 Make it just for me my preferences, we need to 152 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:50,700 seriously ask ourselves this question. 153 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:56,700 As individual members, what are our motivations? 154 00:08:57,100 --> 00:09:00,300 We must remind ourselves. We do not want to be selfish. 155 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,700 We do not want to be self, preference, driven people. 156 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:06,000 We want to be members, who look for ways to connect to serve and 157 00:09:06,008 --> 00:09:07,800 contribute. We want to be members looking to 158 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,500 where we can add and what was being offered and done in the 159 00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:12,300 church where we can grow be plugged in. 160 00:09:14,500 --> 00:09:16,100 Point. Number two, is our desires and 161 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:18,000 preferences. Must be truthful. 162 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,200 Focused. Paul wrote to a young, Pastor 163 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,300 named Timothy, some instructions, and how he was to 164 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:26,000 serve as a pastor of the Church of Ephesus. 165 00:09:26,500 --> 00:09:29,300 I was supposed to lead that church and toward the end of a 166 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:33,200 second letter to Timothy. Paul gets that letter gets quite 167 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:38,100 fiery or quite hot. Paul is reminding Timothy of the 168 00:09:38,100 --> 00:09:41,000 seriousness of scripture and how important it is to stay between 169 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:42,800 the lines. So it's because stay on track, 170 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:44,200 stay in stay focused on the right. 171 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,800 Destiny Tom Rainer and his book talks about a survey that was 172 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,800 done and he points out how in that survey that showed where 173 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,800 the real focus of many churches is the focus of many churches, 174 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,900 may be on a lot of things, but not on the mission of Jesus 175 00:09:55,900 --> 00:09:58,200 Christ. I'll read some of these, they're 176 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,300 not in your, in the paper. They hand out here, but I'll 177 00:10:00,300 --> 00:10:02,500 read some of these. He talks about worship Wars, 178 00:10:02,700 --> 00:10:04,800 fighting amongst themselves and are we should worship this very 179 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:06,000 know. We should worship that way. 180 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,100 And having just this constant meetings about stuff that have 181 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:13,200 no Eternal value at all, and then the focus on facilities and 182 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,700 how we how the facilities look sure, it's important. 183 00:10:15,700 --> 00:10:19,900 But is that main focus program driven church services at all 184 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:22,800 about events relationships, are that's another that side thing, 185 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,100 then the financial aspect of it all, where's the money go? 186 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:27,600 And where is it? Where is it being spent? 187 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,100 And how is it being being allocated? 188 00:10:30,100 --> 00:10:32,700 And so on, then it extreme demands for? 189 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,800 I need to be taken care of. I want my pastor to take care of 190 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,400 me. This entitlement Minds at all. 191 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:42,500 About my needs, my wants my desires and really very little 192 00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:45,500 next to no concern about spreading the gospel at all, and 193 00:10:45,500 --> 00:10:47,700 then there's anger and hostility, they don't do it my 194 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:49,800 way and they did it wrong. And I'm upset. 195 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,100 And I don't like it and just this, all this Evangelistic 196 00:10:53,100 --> 00:10:55,000 apathy doesn't don't really care. 197 00:10:55,700 --> 00:10:58,400 I know this sounds discouraging and I some of you may feel. 198 00:10:58,400 --> 00:10:59,600 It can just go to something else. 199 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,200 This is too bad and I'm not saying we're guilty of all of 200 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:06,300 it, but there's a real need to keep focused. 201 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,600 On what is Jesus want me to be as a follower of him? 202 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,300 What's he want me to do? Paul's teaching to Timothy in 203 00:11:13,300 --> 00:11:15,700 his letter, Paul reminds him, that he should stay with, what 204 00:11:15,700 --> 00:11:18,500 he learned. Not just that, the environment, 205 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:20,900 with who was in Timothy, had learned made a huge impact on 206 00:11:20,900 --> 00:11:24,200 him. And second Timothy chapter 3, 207 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,800 Paul warned Timothy of hard times, that would come in the 208 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,800 last days. Paul says, and people would not 209 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,100 care about anything except what they wanted. 210 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:36,200 Just what they wanted, people who do not care about truth. 211 00:11:37,700 --> 00:11:40,200 They would care about their desires and their preferences 212 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:44,500 that would rule, that would be the platform from which they 213 00:11:44,500 --> 00:11:48,500 would operate, No Matter What God Says, what God wants? 214 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:50,900 We will shape and form this to what we want. 215 00:11:50,900 --> 00:11:53,600 Let's begin reading, second Timothy chapter 3, verse 1. 216 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:59,500 He says understand this in the last days, there will come times 217 00:11:59,500 --> 00:12:02,900 of difficulty for people. Will be lovers of self. 218 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:07,300 Lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive disobedient. 219 00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:09,500 Leading to their parents ungrateful. 220 00:12:09,500 --> 00:12:12,800 Unholy verse 3, heartless and unappeasable. 221 00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:15,700 Let's stop for a second. You can never please these 222 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:17,900 people. It's always about the next 223 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:20,300 thing. It's always a moving target. 224 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,400 Continue reading slanderous without self-control brutal. 225 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,700 Not loving good treacherous. Reckless swollen with conceit 226 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:30,500 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having the 227 00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:35,200 appearance of godliness. But denying its power avoid such 228 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:40,100 people Paul says better to avoid such people and when they become 229 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:43,700 church members and sometimes they do it spells trouble. 230 00:12:44,900 --> 00:12:46,900 He does say they have an appearance of godliness but it's 231 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:50,700 not real continuing in verse 6. Paul writes for among them are 232 00:12:50,700 --> 00:12:54,300 those who creep into households and capture weak women burden 233 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:56,500 with sins and let us treat various passions. 234 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,700 Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the 235 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:01,500 truth. Let's stop there again, these 236 00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:04,500 have education letters behind their names but no knowledge of 237 00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:07,000 the truth. And this is not just women. 238 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:11,400 By the way, men do this, too. Continue verse 8. 239 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,800 Paul writes, just as Janice and jambres opposed Moses, Saudis 240 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,000 men also opposed the truth. Men corrupted in mind, and 241 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,500 disqualified regarding the faith, but they will not get 242 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:26,000 very far for their Folly will be playing to all as as was that of 243 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,400 these two men. Paul was describing here, a 244 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,600 religiosity driven self-focused self, preference driven group of 245 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:40,100 people always about them. Just look around at our culture. 246 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:46,200 Look at social media. All-time self-focus all-time 247 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,700 high. Just look how people behave in 248 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:51,000 all areas of life, even in church. 249 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,000 It's one thing to see selfishness in the world, it's a 250 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,900 whole another level to see in the church and people making 251 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:01,100 unreasonable demands on the church expecting. 252 00:14:01,100 --> 00:14:03,700 They can have the desires of selfishness and being God's 253 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,300 grace will buy them, save them. I'm on my way to heaven. 254 00:14:07,100 --> 00:14:11,000 That's false. And you know what's even worse? 255 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,400 Even worse than everything. I've said so far when pastors 256 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,900 and Doris and cater to it, that's worse. 257 00:14:17,300 --> 00:14:21,500 Our job as pastors is to comfort the broken heal the wounded, 258 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,800 preach Grace and kindness and love and Generals and the same 259 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,800 time call to repentance rebuke. The Aryan called to turn back 260 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:33,400 the wavered. For me, as a pastor person, I 261 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,600 find this alarming the number of Pastors in North America, who 262 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:40,300 can't change fast enough to keep up with the ever shifting values 263 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:43,200 of culture to accommodate and braise and validate and affirm, 264 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:46,500 every besotted sinful lifestyle, that's out there, and I don't 265 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:47,700 need to go into detail to explain. 266 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:50,600 This is a just come to our church. 267 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,400 We do things here to make you happy. 268 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,100 As long as it's legal. Look at verse 5 again, having 269 00:14:58,100 --> 00:15:03,900 the appearance of godliness but denying its power avoid such 270 00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:09,200 people Had a conversation with a pastor friend of mine years ago. 271 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,200 He said this, he said when the pastor builds his preaching and 272 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,400 teaching in the whims and preferences desires of Pleasure 273 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,500 Seekers, the church is headed for trouble. 274 00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:18,500 Our conversation. This was in essence, what he 275 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:22,200 said. Church members. 276 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,000 We need to be aware if you're a follower of Jesus need to be 277 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:29,100 aware the church exists to bring glory to God, by living out, the 278 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:31,600 Gospel of Jesus Christ in the community, in which it finds 279 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,600 itself. It's never about what can I get 280 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,600 out of it. Someone once said, what you get 281 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,800 them in with. You have to keep coming in, 282 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,600 increasing measure to keep them. That's so true. 283 00:15:45,900 --> 00:15:49,100 When self-pleasure self desires when they're the point of 284 00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,200 reference. It's a sure sign troubles not 285 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,200 far away. And in the end there's 286 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,300 self-driven people and in the end they leave anyway because 287 00:15:57,300 --> 00:15:59,300 you know what? Don't meet my needs. 288 00:15:59,300 --> 00:16:02,500 I'm gone. Empty and lonely. 289 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:05,900 Sure they need help but they're looking in the wrong way, you 290 00:16:05,900 --> 00:16:08,300 see? And this is why, and I can't say 291 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:12,200 this emphatically. If this is why Paul focused on 292 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,400 nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ, he writes about that. 293 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,200 And second First Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1 and on, 294 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:22,700 because if a person comes to these under the cross that 295 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:25,400 person's and then self and all its preferences and it's 296 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,000 Cravings has crucified and that person is a keeper. 297 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,100 But if person joins the church under the promises of the 298 00:16:35,100 --> 00:16:38,400 invitations of we're here to make you happy. 299 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:43,100 We're here to please you the old 1990s, Burger, King slogan, your 300 00:16:43,100 --> 00:16:46,500 way right away. If that's the aim, nothing good. 301 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:48,700 Can come of it. It's a moving goal post and it 302 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:53,800 never stops moving. again the self-focus in verse 5 having the 303 00:16:53,808 --> 00:16:57,200 appearance of godliness, but denying its power avoid such 304 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:02,600 people I confess I love looking at new cars. 305 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,500 What the next new thing is that some automaker is producing. 306 00:17:07,099 --> 00:17:10,400 I like to window shop online, then you have this button, you 307 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,700 go to build your own vehicle. I love building my own vehicle 308 00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:15,099 online. Amazing. 309 00:17:15,099 --> 00:17:17,500 What you can do, the features that are available. 310 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,400 I never go to the price or I'll never go further because I don't 311 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,200 want to pay anything so I just exit. 312 00:17:23,099 --> 00:17:26,000 But you know, that stuff does not work in God's Kingdom. 313 00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:30,000 We can go window-shopping and what's available. 314 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,200 Now what new tools of the made? What kind of fashion or clothing 315 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:34,900 is out there? It's not sent to look at that 316 00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:37,200 stuff in the sense like, oh, they're making this new Gadget 317 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,400 or this new device, this new car, this new truck, that's 318 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,200 fine. But Christianity is not like 319 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,000 that. It's not something that changes 320 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,100 all the time. It is something continually 321 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:51,700 constant, the message of the cross We live in a culture in 322 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:55,100 time where everything is changeable to be modified 323 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,200 teaching an honesty Integrity conditional on the situation at 324 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,600 hand. People tell lies as easily as 325 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,400 talking about the weather claiming. 326 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,100 They're still Christians, immoral lifestyle practice 327 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:10,400 anything. You name, / Christians, Changes 328 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:15,500 easy as a set of clothes. Selfish personal preference and 329 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:18,200 desires are not the point of reference from which Jesus runs 330 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,000 this church. Paul wrote to the Corinthians 331 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,300 that Jesus the head of his church. 332 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:26,700 The church is Jesus body. We're her to serve God by 333 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:29,900 shining as a light for his glory being assault in our community. 334 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,200 If we continue on and and second Timothy chapter 2 verse 10, Paul 335 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,000 points out to Timothy how heat Paul had lived his life and how 336 00:18:38,008 --> 00:18:41,300 he wants Timothy to follow him. Let's read second Timothy 337 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:44,800 chapter 3, verse 10, you huh? However, have followed my 338 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,600 teaching, he's talking to Timothy, my conduct, my aim, in 339 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,400 my, in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my 340 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,100 steadfastness, my persecutions. And sufferings that happened to 341 00:18:56,100 --> 00:18:58,900 me at Antioch at Iconium and at lystra what persecutions? 342 00:18:58,900 --> 00:19:03,000 I endured yet from them. All the Lord rescued me since 343 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,000 you Timothy, you know this, you followed me, you've been a 344 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:12,100 student and it had shape Timothy where was self preference and 345 00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:14,900 self desire. Even Factor in all of this. 346 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,400 One thing Timothy knew about watching. 347 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:23,100 Paul was, it's not about Paul and it's not about me, it's 348 00:19:23,100 --> 00:19:24,800 about God. It's about Jesus. 349 00:19:26,700 --> 00:19:29,200 Let's read this passage again, slowly. 350 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:36,400 My teaching my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, 351 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:41,200 my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings. 352 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:46,500 Paul endured so much for the sake of the Gospel. 353 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,100 Never ever one time, do we find Paul trying to wiggle his way 354 00:19:51,100 --> 00:19:52,800 around this? And although we'll just, we'll 355 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,800 just take a shortcut here or we'll just modify. 356 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,000 This will customize that? No. 357 00:19:58,100 --> 00:20:00,200 Being a church member is a servant matter. 358 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,200 It's a truth matter. Let's do this is Paul's 359 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:04,900 physical, time-bound Earth material. 360 00:20:04,900 --> 00:20:07,700 If he's only got one, he's giving it up for Christ. 361 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,000 Paul's Walk With Jesus had been difficult. 362 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,500 It had been challenging in real time. 363 00:20:15,500 --> 00:20:18,600 In real place with real people that he had not tried to modify 364 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,500 and customize to make it easy for himself. 365 00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:24,700 He endured so much. Notice verse 12 on to verse 12. 366 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:28,300 Paul writes, these words indeed. He says all who desire to live a 367 00:20:28,308 --> 00:20:36,000 Godly life in Christ, Jesus will be persecuted while evil people 368 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,200 and Impostors Will Go On from bad to worse deceiving and being 369 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,100 deceived. See this preference and selfish 370 00:20:42,100 --> 00:20:44,600 minded lifestyle there. He says in verse 14. 371 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,400 But as for you, continue in what you've learned in a firmly, 372 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,100 believed knowing from whom you learned it. 373 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,400 If you join God's team, don't expect an easy ride on cruise 374 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,100 control. Don't expect it. 375 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,300 Paul had given Timothy, a solid start under some very good 376 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:07,500 leadership. Things Timothy had learned from 377 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:10,100 Paul were things, Paul wanted Timothy now to continue in. 378 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,000 At this point. Some people might think well if 379 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,400 that's church membership, count me out, you may not be a member 380 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,300 here, but if you're believe you're the part of the body of 381 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:25,700 Christ and still applies to you, and you might feel well that's 382 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:28,700 just hardship and pain. You're partly correct for the 383 00:21:28,700 --> 00:21:32,500 flesh. It is not just God has times of 384 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:35,900 rest, and renewal and rejuvenation for his Saints. 385 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:38,300 And there's times when the persecution eases and there's 386 00:21:38,300 --> 00:21:39,900 times of rest and those kinds of things. 387 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:43,300 But yes, the flesh has to go to the cross. 388 00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:46,100 That means our desires, our preferences. 389 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:53,500 Go on it, too. The truth is, we will have peace 390 00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:55,500 in our hearts and souls and Minds. 391 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,100 If we follow Jesus, he says, in verse 14, let's look at that 392 00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:01,500 again. But as for you, continue in what 393 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:04,100 you've learned and firmly believe knowing who from whom 394 00:22:04,108 --> 00:22:06,700 you learned it, it's not. Hey Timothy. 395 00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:09,600 Hi, how would you like to lead? How would you like to serve what 396 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,200 can we do for you? What kind of strategy you want 397 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,000 to use? No, it's not like that at all. 398 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,100 It's like the instruction manual has been written. 399 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,300 The direction has been Yet, there's no negotiating on the 400 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:23,900 map. There's no negotiating. 401 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:28,700 The destiny and no negotiating, a message that's been fixed. 402 00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:34,100 Verse 15 and on Paul writes and how from childhood you Timothy 403 00:22:34,100 --> 00:22:37,700 have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able 404 00:22:37,700 --> 00:22:40,500 to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 405 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,700 All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, 406 00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:46,800 for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 407 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:49,800 That the man of God, may be complete equipped for every good 408 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,700 work. This kind of rules out every 409 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:57,100 selfish ambition doesn't it? The Bible warns us against those 410 00:22:57,100 --> 00:23:01,900 kinds of things, she scriptures, not a list of suggestions and 411 00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:07,100 preferences and desires which we can shape and form to our own 412 00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:12,000 craving, not some non-negotiable ideas that we can work around 413 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,200 and so on. This passage was for Timothy 414 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,800 reminder to stay on track, not to deviate from what he'd been 415 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:24,400 taught. Let me interject here. 416 00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:28,500 No, wherever do we find were to compromise on the truth. 417 00:23:28,500 --> 00:23:32,100 Never truth is not a preference. It's a reality. 418 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:35,400 We had to recognize to embrace and accept and live out. 419 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,700 We can adjust our lives to it but we can never customize it or 420 00:23:40,700 --> 00:23:43,100 tailor, make it to fit our desires and preferences. 421 00:23:43,500 --> 00:23:47,400 Truth cannot be changed to fit us, we can change to fit it. 422 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:53,000 And yet, when it comes to truth, this is exactly where our 423 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,200 culture has completely gone off the rails. 424 00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:57,900 I have my truth. You have your truth. 425 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:01,100 They have their truth. We have our truth. 426 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:05,000 And when that happens only a matter of time in the whole 427 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,300 thing falls apart and as I said before, is there ever a time of 428 00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:10,600 confusion? Well, that's now our culture's 429 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:16,000 become like a ship in the night adrift at Sea in the fog with no 430 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,700 GPS. No Compass, no sense of 431 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:22,300 direction. Just drifting along I don't have 432 00:24:22,300 --> 00:24:26,500 time to into it but honestly, our culture is literally lost 433 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:34,100 What I find interesting is in, even in Jesus day, how the 434 00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:37,500 people of this time, especially religious leaders, they messed 435 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:39,800 with him trying to get him to see, you know, what, how about 436 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:40,700 this? How about that? 437 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,700 At one point in time, the Pharisees came to Jesus and I 438 00:24:45,708 --> 00:24:47,200 won't read the scriptures. Takes too long. 439 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,000 Matthew 19, and they had their own cultural preferences, their 440 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,800 own cultural mechanisms, how they work with this and that, 441 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,900 and one was the issue of marriage and hey, hey, Rabbi is 442 00:24:56,900 --> 00:24:59,300 it is, it, is it okay? For a man to divorce his wife 443 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:03,100 for any never reason? It's Matthew, 19, Jesus, have 444 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:06,800 you not read? The one who created the made 445 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,600 them male and female. What did Jesus do? 446 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:12,800 He was God in human form, yet, he focused on scripture on the 447 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,500 written word. He was truthful focused, not 448 00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:17,400 culturally, Focus, not preference, Focus, not 449 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,500 desirable. Well depends what you desire. 450 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:23,400 Well then why did Moses and so on and on it goes but sadly they 451 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,800 had missed the mark and here's where it gets and it's I could 452 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,700 talk about whole slew of topics a whole slew of ideas. 453 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,400 And here's the problem us, Evangelical Pastors in many 454 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,800 cases, embrace it. Well, how do you feel about it? 455 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,200 What would you like? No, if scripture is not guiding 456 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:47,200 us than something shaky is. And this teaching, just we 457 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,700 talked about false teachers some time ago, the falls into that. 458 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,700 Again, let me just a personal preference and desire driven. 459 00:25:54,700 --> 00:25:58,100 Involvement is just a moving Target, never stops never ends. 460 00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:01,000 Always shifts to tell moves to destruction. 461 00:26:02,300 --> 00:26:05,100 So what is the way forward that leads to, right, living them? 462 00:26:06,100 --> 00:26:08,900 We must stand on the word of God and we must go to the Cross. 463 00:26:08,900 --> 00:26:11,500 We must surrender our life to Jesus. 464 00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:13,900 This includes our desires and our preferences. 465 00:26:15,500 --> 00:26:17,200 And before we look to the other while you should change, you 466 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:18,800 should change. Let's look at ourselves. 467 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,700 How selfish am I? How desired driven am I? 468 00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:26,100 And if you and I surrender to Jesus, if we get right with God 469 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:29,500 that will not make the culture go away, it'll still be there 470 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:31,400 but will put us into relationship with God and give 471 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,200 us Direction, destiny. It'll give us peace and 472 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,500 something solid to live by and will be a light in the dark and 473 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:42,800 faltering world. Last Sunday, I ask this 474 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,900 question, I'll ask it again. If everyone would do, is you do 475 00:26:45,900 --> 00:26:49,700 how would the church be? What kind of member am I are you 476 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,700 years ago? And I were new in pastoral 477 00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:56,400 Ministry and there was a couple that came to our church. 478 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,900 They had left a particular church and they could no longer 479 00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:01,500 attend for various reasons and it was maybe valid. 480 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:05,000 I didn't dig into it too deeply, but it was very confusing after 481 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,000 a little while. You see. 482 00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:09,600 They all of a sudden were starting to push us to become 483 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:11,900 what they had left because it was comfortable. 484 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:13,900 It was predictable. They were used to that but they 485 00:27:13,908 --> 00:27:16,300 don't like it the way it was done, but if you do that thing 486 00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:18,700 here in our church that would work, maybe let's let's change 487 00:27:18,700 --> 00:27:22,200 this to that so that we can have at least something that's we're 488 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,300 familiar with. We didn't do that and they moved 489 00:27:25,300 --> 00:27:27,800 on and went elsewhere and I don't know where they are today 490 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:32,100 or anything like that, but it was sad to see because Their 491 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:34,800 hearts and Minds were yes, we it doesn't work here, but maybe if 492 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,400 we go to a different church and change that church into this, 493 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,400 then maybe it'll work again. It was all about desire and 494 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:41,800 preference. It was not too much that was 495 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:46,200 evil as it was totally selfish. These desires that they had were 496 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:50,500 important to them. But they were culturally based 497 00:27:50,500 --> 00:27:54,900 and legalistically based and basically, hey, we come here and 498 00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:57,900 we want you to become what we were and are. 499 00:27:57,900 --> 00:28:00,700 And so on. I remember years ago as a public 500 00:28:00,700 --> 00:28:03,200 event, there was a speaker talking about how people move to 501 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,500 Canada their people immigrate to Canada from different countries. 502 00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:07,100 They want a better life than want freedom. 503 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:10,800 They want success what Canada offers is it but the strange 504 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,000 thing is then a lot of these immigrants that come here and 505 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,200 they want to change this into what they just left, which 506 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,100 wasn't working, but hopefully we can Implement that here. 507 00:28:17,100 --> 00:28:19,800 Hopefully work here is that Doesn't work. 508 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,200 You see the greater the self preference factor is the 509 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,600 greater. The self desire factor is the 510 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,800 harder it is for person to change at all. 511 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,900 In any meaningful way. This is true everywhere and 512 00:28:36,900 --> 00:28:39,900 especially in church membership in an art. 513 00:28:40,300 --> 00:28:43,700 And what's strange is our time attending church is considered a 514 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:45,600 right since. When is it a right? 515 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,300 And you have to make me happy and if you don't, you're not a 516 00:28:49,308 --> 00:28:53,600 good church, here's the truth. If my desires and my preference 517 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,400 are not based on the word of God service to Jesus Christ and if 518 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,200 they're my desires, my professor more important than getting 519 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,700 right with God than fellowshipping with Jesus 520 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:04,700 Christ. Then I need to repent. 521 00:29:08,900 --> 00:29:11,400 There's many stories as I said before and I won't have time to 522 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,000 go into them. But let me tell one story 523 00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:16,500 Genesis chapter 13 and 19 I have I won't read the scriptures. 524 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,500 The Bible tells how Abraham and lot live close together. 525 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:23,300 God richly bless these two men Abraham and nephew lot and 526 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:26,800 eventually get the herds got so big to have to separate each go 527 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,100 their own way because just there were two too many animals to 528 00:29:30,100 --> 00:29:32,600 feed in one. Local area, Abrams says about, 529 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,400 you choose where you want to go, and I'll go the other direction. 530 00:29:34,500 --> 00:29:37,700 Lock chose from self. The land near the city of Sodom 531 00:29:37,700 --> 00:29:41,400 and Gomorrah and the Bible says it was a beautiful place, Lush 532 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:47,400 grass green and city of Sodom Gomorrah have a very evil lot. 533 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:52,400 Followed his preferences lot, followed his desires, And in 534 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,900 math and Genesis 19 have the story, what happened? 535 00:29:54,900 --> 00:30:00,400 He lost everything his desires and preferences were his ruin. 536 00:30:01,900 --> 00:30:06,100 How many people do that today? And I could go expand. 537 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:10,100 And that is why we must be so careful when we become a member 538 00:30:10,100 --> 00:30:12,000 of the church. Why am I joining? 539 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:17,500 Why am I joining He's had a lot to say about people put 540 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:21,200 themselves first and others. Last The last point I want to 541 00:30:21,208 --> 00:30:23,400 make is our desire. And some preferences must be 542 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,600 self-denial focused. Am I a person who always has to 543 00:30:28,608 --> 00:30:31,400 have it about me my way or the highway? 544 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:35,500 It's my preference. It, I'm not comfort with that, 545 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:38,800 so I'm not going to do it. If it's biblically-based, we 546 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,500 must serve. Jesus disciples were plagued 547 00:30:42,500 --> 00:30:45,700 with selfish motives and then Route 9, verse 46 to 48. 548 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,300 This little passage here, there's an argument Rose among 549 00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:50,400 them as to, which of them was the greatest but Jesus knowing 550 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,800 the reasoning of their hearts took a child and put him beside 551 00:30:52,900 --> 00:30:56,200 by aside and said to them, whoever receives this child in 552 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,700 my name, receives me and whoever receives me receives him who 553 00:30:58,708 --> 00:31:03,900 sent me for, he who is least among you as the greatest Jesus. 554 00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:06,300 You want to know the definition of greatness forget about 555 00:31:06,300 --> 00:31:09,000 yourself, it doesn't mean that you think nothing of yourself. 556 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,300 It just means don't put yourself at the top and these disciples 557 00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:14,500 they were bickering amongst themselves. 558 00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:18,100 Who's the who's the top guy? There was Pride involved, they 559 00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:20,600 were human. We're human, they needed to 560 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,900 repent. Maybe we do too, but let's let 561 00:31:23,900 --> 00:31:27,400 this sink in in God's eyes. Who is the greatest person? 562 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:29,800 The greatest person is the one who at the end of the day. 563 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,600 It's forgotten about themselves and just just focus on serving 564 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,800 your fellow neighbor. Tom returned his book rights. 565 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,600 No quote this again. He says so if we approach church 566 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,600 membership from the perspective of entitlement, we have it 567 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:47,000 upside down. You always ask first, what you 568 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,900 doing, you what you can do for your church, then you would have 569 00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:52,300 discovered the joy of being last. 570 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,800 And if this is something that doesn't taste good, there's 571 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,100 something wrong with our taste buds. 572 00:32:03,300 --> 00:32:07,400 Jesus himself said, Mark 10:45 for even the son of man came not 573 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,800 to be served but to not to be served but to serve and give his 574 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,700 life as a ransom for many nobody ever served more than he did. 575 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,700 There were people early on in Jesus day on Earth are they? 576 00:32:19,700 --> 00:32:21,300 Oh here's the Messiah. He's gonna he's gonna he's gonna 577 00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:23,700 make the economy great. He's going to set the Romans 578 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:24,800 straight. He's going to kick them out of 579 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:26,400 our land. We're going to be the place we 580 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,700 were when King David was King and Israel. 581 00:32:28,700 --> 00:32:31,400 Maybe he's going to restore everything and they have this 582 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,600 idea and Jesus said, no, it's not what it's about. 583 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,000 They need more Enlightenment and the book of Acts chapter 2, we 584 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,200 find it, we won't go into that this morning. 585 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,200 And today, we know the Church of Jesus spread in so many 586 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:47,300 countries in the world and it's not stopping, and it may not 587 00:32:47,300 --> 00:32:50,700 look exactly the same, but there's one core Central truth. 588 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,100 Jesus is Lord. We are his servants. 589 00:32:53,100 --> 00:32:56,900 The gospel is spreading. So are you a member of the body 590 00:32:56,900 --> 00:32:59,100 of Christ? Are you a member of the church 591 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:01,400 locally? Are you a follower of Jesus? 592 00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:06,200 How well are you embracing it? How well are you serving? 593 00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:11,500 Let's ask ourselves. What kind of numbers are we? 594 00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:16,100 Are we sell focused, self desired driven, our Wee Ones who 595 00:33:16,100 --> 00:33:18,600 say, you know, your if this is glorifying to Jesus, I'm going 596 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,300 with it. If this is honoring God, I'm 597 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:21,600 with it. If this lifts up the name of 598 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,300 Christ, I'm with it. Oh no, I want it my way. 599 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,500 I feel better this way. May God help us. 600 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:32,300 To be members of his body, who in healthy ways, add to the 601 00:33:32,300 --> 00:33:35,800 value of the body and living lives of helping one, another 602 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:40,300 living and truth and Grace and denying ourselves for the sake 603 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,300 of others. Let's pray. 604 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,700 Lord, we know you're the Creator and sustainer of the universe. 605 00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:50,800 We are your creation created for Glory. 606 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,900 Help us Lord Jesus in our lives to reflect your glory. 607 00:33:54,900 --> 00:33:59,300 Back to you, help us to do it in a way that the models what you 608 00:33:59,300 --> 00:34:00,700 did. When you walk this Earth, help 609 00:34:00,700 --> 00:34:03,300 us to love one. Another truly, maybe be 610 00:34:03,300 --> 00:34:05,800 attentive and careful not to follow the world to trap us and 611 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:08,500 cause us to stumble. If there are people here, Lord, 612 00:34:08,500 --> 00:34:10,199 have not yet. Made that commitment. 613 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:12,199 Not just come to you and faith. We pray that they will 614 00:34:13,300 --> 00:34:15,600 experience this. Grace, they will sense you 615 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,100 drawing them and they will repent and they will return to 616 00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:20,900 you and experience New Life, Jesus name we pray. 617 00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:21,600 Amen.