1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,920 You have your copy of God's Word going to make your way to the 2 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,880 book of second John. Second John. 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,080 We're going to finish what we started when we open the Bible 4 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:21,320 to 1st John. I've been walking our way 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,680 through this New Testament letter and I'm going to also 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,960 include Second and Third John over the next couple 3 weeks 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,800 before we move into the series preparing our hearts for 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,680 Christmas and the coming of Christ. 9 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:38,280 Second John is one of the shortest books in the New 10 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:39,640 Testament. If you blink, you'll miss it, 11 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,680 but hopefully you found First John enough by now. 12 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,600 The second. John is not a problem there. 13 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,640 Second John is being called first John in concise form. 14 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,000 And if you remember, we called first John the name of our 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 series, the vitals of our faith, because what John does in this 16 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,240 little New Testament letter is talk to us about the basics in 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,400 the bottom line. The essentials are the 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,480 foundational elements, these things that are vitals and vital 19 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,680 signs of our life in Christ that are vital for us to know. 20 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,200 And really we just put it in the question of how do you know 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,960 John's writing that we would these things and answering 22 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,000 questions like how do you know Christianity is true? 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,440 And how do you know that you're a true Christian? 24 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,240 And how do you know what's dangerous to you as a Christian? 25 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,000 And how do you know how to live in the last days? 26 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,280 And how do you know how to live ready for Jesus's return? 27 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,800 And how do you live towards one another? 28 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,200 And how do you know what teaching is true and how do you 29 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,320 know that Jesus is true? And on and on. 30 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,000 John answers these how do you know questions that are vitals, 31 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:46,320 vital essentials of our faith. But what if John, what if John 32 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,520 in a concise form of first, John called second, John could only 33 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,200 tell us three things, 3 essentials. 34 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,160 What would he say? What would he mention? 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,640 Well, I believe this is essentially the way you could 36 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,080 think about this New Testament letter. 37 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,800 If he's boiling down everything down to three things he would 38 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,280 say to you and to me, I think he includes them in this letter. 39 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,680 I'm going to give you all three over the course of the next few 40 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,120 weeks. Only one today, actually, and 41 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,240 then two next Sunday. But before I give you the first 42 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,600 one of the three, I want to give you a statement in your notes 43 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,040 that'll help you summarize all three in one statement. 44 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,160 It's simply this John wants you and me to hear and to know and 45 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,120 to do. According to this statement or 46 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:31,840 this truth out of second John, he wants you to walk and stay in 47 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,120 love and in truth he wants you as a Christian to walk. 48 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:41,360 That is to live and to stay. That's to remain in love and in 49 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,080 truth. Walk and stay in love and truth. 50 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,760 That's what we're going to learn from this little New Testament 51 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,080 letter. But the first thing that we're 52 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:54,360 going to hear out of that is this incredible this this call, 53 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,080 this command. It's clear that as we walk and 54 00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,720 stay in love in truth, what that should look like. 55 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,120 And I'm going to wait to read the text and then tell you what 56 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,440 that first one is in your notes that we'll unpack today. 57 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,800 Listen to the word of God. Here's what it says beginning in 58 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:13,960 verse one of second John the elder to the elect lady and her 59 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:21,360 children whom I love in truth. And not only I, but also all who 60 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,680 know the truth because of the truth that abides in US and will 61 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:32,160 be with us forever. Grace, mercy and peace will be 62 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,120 with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father, 63 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:41,600 Son in truth and love. Verse 4I rejoiced greatly to 64 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:47,600 find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we 65 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,960 were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady, 66 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,200 not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one 67 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,680 we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 68 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,600 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. 69 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,600 This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the 70 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,360 beginning, so that you should walk in it. 71 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:15,800 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not 72 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,200 confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. 73 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,880 Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist. 74 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,840 Watch yourselves so that you may not lose what we have worked 75 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:33,160 for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and 76 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,280 does not abide, that is, does not remain in the teachings of 77 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:41,040 Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching 78 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,080 has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does 79 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:49,520 not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or 80 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,280 give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in 81 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:56,360 his wicked works. Though I have much to write to 82 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,320 you, I would rather not use paper and ink. 83 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:03,400 Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that 84 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,880 our joy may be complete. The children of your elect 85 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,520 sister greet you. Everything that we just read can 86 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,960 be summarized in this truth that John wants us to walk and to 87 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:21,400 stay as Christians in love and in truth. 88 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,760 But before we jump into the meet of unpacking these three things 89 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,040 that are summarized in that one sentence that I just gave you, I 90 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,880 want to unpack some of these first verses out of first John. 91 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,200 This introductory stuff that he writes here. 92 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,320 First John calls himself the elder. 93 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,120 Now, in case you weren't with us through the series in first John 94 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,240 or still wondering about who John is. 95 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,800 This the author of this New Testament letter, first John, 96 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,960 Third John, the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of 97 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,160 John as well. John is one of Jesus's original 98 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,640 12 disciples called an apostle that Jesus called to follow him. 99 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,440 John was not a preacher, he wasn't a pastor, he wasn't a 100 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,360 prophet. He was a fisherman. 101 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,000 His brother was James. They were both the sons of 102 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,240 Zebedee and Jesus nicknamed him the Sons of Thunder Man. 103 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:07,440 Wouldn't you love to have that nickname? 104 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,680 No, I'd love to know their personalities. 105 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,720 Right, so John's an ordinary guy called to follow Jesus. 106 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:14,920 All right. And they do. 107 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,840 And Jesus pours his life into these men for three years before 108 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:24,160 his death, preparing them to take the good news of the gospel 109 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,080 of his salvation to the ends of the earth. 110 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,600 And Jesus walks through his crucifixion, his death, and his 111 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,320 resurrection and sends back to the Father, and then sends the 112 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,600 Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as he promised to do. 113 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,240 The apostles and the other believers are filled with the 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,360 Holy Spirit, and they're set on fire to go out and do what Jesus 115 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,720 has called them to do, to go and make disciples of all nations. 116 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,360 Every one of the disciples but John gives their lives. 117 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:55,240 For standing and for sharing Jesus Christ, they're martyred 118 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,080 for their faith. John is the only one that's not, 119 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,480 and he, for his faithfulness to Jesus, is eventually exiled to 120 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,120 the island of Patmos under the Emperor Dimitian. 121 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,520 After the emperor dies, John is released and brought back and 122 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:15,000 inhabited the area of Ephesus as an older man until he dies about 123 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,880 the year 100 AD, where he ministers among these churches 124 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,120 and writes these letters that we have in his final years. 125 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,600 The word elder is obviously appropriate because he is an 126 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,840 elderly man at this point, all right. 127 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,240 But also that title is appropriate because that word in 128 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,520 the Bible is. Used. 129 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,120 Synonymously with the word for pastor. 130 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,160 So you can use the word elder, you can use the word pastor, you 131 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,120 can use the word shepherd or overseer. 132 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,400 These words speak to that pastoral office in leadership in 133 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,120 a local church. And no doubt John had influence 134 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,760 not just perhaps in a singular local church there, but 135 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,960 obviously in multiple churches in that area as he toward his 136 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,720 life and final years into the believers there around the area 137 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,640 of Ephesus. So it'd be like saying Pastor 138 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,800 John to the elect lady and her children, which brings up next, 139 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,920 who are who is the elect lady and her children? 140 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,960 Well, there are some Bible scholars that believe that this 141 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,600 is an actual individual lady and her kids or her physical 142 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,240 offspring. I actually don't ascribe to that 143 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:22,480 viewpoint. I don't I think that can be 144 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,400 legitimate. I just don't think that's what's 145 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,520 going on here. I think rather that John is 146 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,280 using language metaphorically to speak to a local church, a bride 147 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,960 of Christ, a a local church there in Ephesus whom he loves 148 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,320 and her children. And he's often referred to 149 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,640 Christians as my little children. 150 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,320 In first John, the letter John is an elderly man. 151 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,440 He's invested in the next generation coming up and 152 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,320 referring to them as his children or those of his that 153 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,680 are disciples of his. So again, I could point out lots 154 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:54,200 of evidence for why I believe elect lady is a church. 155 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,480 I'll just give you a little bit. Number one, verse 5 says. 156 00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:00,360 John says, And now I ask you, dear lady, not as though I were 157 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,560 writing to you a new command, but when we've had from the 158 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:04,360 beginning that we love one another. 159 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:06,920 I think that just be slightly awkward if that's an actual 160 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,120 lady. Maybe that's just me. 161 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,200 I think he's talking to a church all right. 162 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,600 And furthermore, lady would be an appropriate title or word to 163 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,720 use because church in Greek, the word for assembly is feminine. 164 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,160 Thus lady could be a metaphorical way to refer to a 165 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:25,720 church. And again, the church is 166 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:30,640 referred to by John in earlier writings as the bride of Christ 167 00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:33,200 hints lady referring to the bride of Christ. 168 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,120 And then verse 13 says the children of your elect sister 169 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:38,840 greet. You know, unless John is passing 170 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,760 on family greetings, which I guess he obviously could do, I 171 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,520 think that's probably not the case. 172 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,680 And he's referring to another local church sending her 173 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:50,480 greetings from her church members to another church, just 174 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,120 like you have often in Paul's letters where one church or 175 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,880 other churches send greetings to this particular church. 176 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,040 So I think it's pretty obvious John is writing. 177 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,000 To a local. Church here, he says. 178 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:07,880 Here this word, the elect lady, and then in verse 13 and your 179 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:12,440 elect sister, what in the world does he mean by the word elect? 180 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:17,120 Elect is simply a biblical word that means chosen. 181 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,000 To be saved is to be chosen by God in Jesus Christ. 182 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,320 Jesus Christ is the elect. 1 The chosen one of God, the one and 183 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,240 only Savior of the world, and those that are in Christ by fate 184 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,960 have been chosen in Him. Let me give you another place in 185 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,560 Scripture. This is clear Ephesians 1, three 186 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:39,000 through 4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 187 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,680 who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in 188 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:47,480 heavenly places, even as He watched this chose us in Him 189 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,680 before the foundation of the world. 190 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:54,400 To be in Christ, to be saved is to be part of the elect, part of 191 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:58,160 those chosen Christ as the chosen 1 and we as those chosen 192 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,760 in Christ, those that have chosen to trust Jesus Christ as 193 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,280 Lord and as Savior. You say Kyle? 194 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,640 That can bring up a lot of other questions and conversations that 195 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,200 sure can. Let me just try to make it 196 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:09,480 simple for the time we have here. 197 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,360 God knew you would be saved before you knew you would be 198 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,880 saved. Let me tell you what my pastor 199 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:17,800 told me. He said call. 200 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,360 When you approach heaven from the outside, you can think of it 201 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,880 like this on the outside it'll say whosoever will may come and 202 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,240 you get in on the inside and you turn back and look at the same 203 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,360 sign and it's going to say chosen from the foundation of 204 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,360 the world. Now they say Kyle explain that. 205 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Well, I can't fully. They've tried for 2000 years and 206 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:37,720 we could argue about it, but we don't have to. 207 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:39,400 You don't have to e-mail me. You may stand on different 208 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,040 places on that. I'm just telling if you're in 209 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:42,240 Christ, you're part of the elect. 210 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,840 And if you hadn't trusted Christ, guess whosoever will may 211 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,160 trust him today if you'll believe on him for salvation. 212 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:54,160 And this is how John speaks. So here we have John next refer 213 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,880 in these next few verses here. He says, but all who know the 214 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,640 truth and listen, how many times he mentions the truth because of 215 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,880 the truth that abides in US and will be with us forever. 216 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,440 We get this idea pretty quick here that John's bringing up the 217 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,160 truth because truth is kind of an important thing. 218 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,000 Do you remember what even Pilate asked Jesus moments before Jesus 219 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,560 was crucified? The prefect, the Roman prefect, 220 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:16,040 looked at Jesus and asked a question. 221 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,960 You remember what he asked? What is truth? 222 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,280 I mean, that's the question people have been asking for a 223 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,520 long time. That's really the essence of the 224 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,760 question of life. Your answer to that question 225 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,360 will determine your life and eternity. 226 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,600 How you answer that question? What is truth? 227 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,720 It's too bad Pilate didn't hear Jesus say earlier in John 14, 228 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:42,400 six, I am the way and I am the and I am the life and no one 229 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,200 comes to the Father, Jesus says, except through me. 230 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,560 John also wrote in chapter 1 verse 17 in his Gospel for the 231 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:52,960 law that is the Old covenant. What was given through Moses, 232 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,360 Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 233 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,080 What does that mean? That means yes, the Old 234 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,280 Testament was true in every word, but the full manifestation 235 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,200 of truth through the person of Christ wasn't fully revealed and 236 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,400 manifested until the incarnation of Christ when He took on human 237 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,800 flesh and revealed the glory and grace of God to us for us to 238 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,800 behold face to face. John goes on to say in John 832, 239 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:19,000 You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. 240 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,440 What is truth? Truth is things as they really 241 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,440 are. Truth is reality as it really 242 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,240 is. Truth, you see, is not just a 243 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:35,160 principle or a precept, but truth is a person, the person 244 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,680 who spoke all of reality into existence and who upholds it 245 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:40,360 right now by the word of His power. 246 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,120 His name is Jesus. Truth is ultimately a person, 247 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,240 ladies and gentlemen, who is the way the truth? 248 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,680 And the life, John says, church, I love you in truth, meaning I 249 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:55,000 love you in Jesus. I love you and my love is rooted 250 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,800 for you in the revelation of God through his Son Jesus Christ. 251 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,880 Who's the truth. And the other churches love you 252 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,640 in Jesus, and it's in Jesus whom we are in now and whom we will 253 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,360 be with forever. What is truth? 254 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:12,600 Have you answered that question with the name of Jesus? 255 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,720 Finally, one more statement before the heart of the letter, 256 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:17,720 verse 3. Notice what He says. 257 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,040 Your grace, mercy, and peace will be with us. 258 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:27,680 What 3 greater things could one give then grace, mercy and 259 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,840 peace? If you're here this morning and 260 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,440 you're not a Christian or wondering really what is a 261 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,200 Christian or not sure you're a Christian, let me just talk to 262 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,080 you about three things that we as Christians have discovered. 263 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,000 And experience for ourselves through Jesus, these three 264 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,040 things, grace, mercy, and peace. What is grace? 265 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,160 Grace is God's unmerited favor toward you. 266 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,000 What does unmerited mean? It means unearned, undeserved. 267 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,800 You can't work for it. You can never be worthy of it. 268 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,880 The greatest acronym I've heard explaining it with the word 269 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:04,360 grace is God's riches at Christ expense. 270 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,160 It's all God's unmerited favor and goodness and blessings and 271 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,000 riches paid for by Christ that we could never earn or ever 272 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,720 deserve. That's what God's grace is. 273 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,040 It's everything God wants to give us as promised to his Son 274 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,360 that we will never be worthy of. That's what grace is. 275 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,280 And we've received grace through Jesus Christ who did for us on 276 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,480 the cross, paying for our sin, living a sinless life, defeating 277 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,240 death itself that we could never do ourselves. 278 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:30,560 And then we've not just experienced grace, we've 279 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,040 experienced mercy. You know what mercy is? 280 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:39,000 Mercy is really two way. It's God not giving you and me 281 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,200 what we deserve, and it's God giving us what we don't deserve. 282 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:45,920 Can I just be real honest with you this morning? 283 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,360 Can I put it in a way that I hope will make sense that is 284 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:50,880 unmistakable? You're ready. 285 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:59,880 Kyle Walker deserves hell. You can say Amen to that because 286 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:03,720 I hope you believe that Kyle Walker deserves hell. 287 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,400 I've sinned against a holy God. I've offended one who's never 288 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,720 ever sinned, who knows no sin and dwells in perfect 289 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,960 righteousness. I forever deserve for my 290 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,880 rebellion against Almighty God, to be eternally separated and 291 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,680 under the just judgment of the wrath of God forever. 292 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:27,480 That's what I deserve. But that's not what God has 293 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:35,120 given me because of his say with me mercy God has given me. 294 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,480 Withheld from me what I do deserve. 295 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,000 And God has given me what I do deserve, what I don't deserve 296 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:48,160 rather, which is forgiveness of sin and eternal life in His Son 297 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,680 Jesus Christ. Not because of anything I have 298 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,920 done, but because of what Jesus has done on my behalf. 299 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:59,720 Living a sinless life for me. Dying on the cross for my sin 300 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,680 and defeating the enemy of death by walking out of the grave 301 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,599 alive. And there came a time in my life 302 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,720 as a nine year old boy when I said, Jesus, will you be my Lord 303 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:09,440 and Savior and forgive me of my sin? 304 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:11,520 I can't save myself. Will you save me? 305 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:14,160 You pray from your heart of hearts and call and confess 306 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:18,040 Jesus this word and ask him for to do for you what you can't do 307 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:19,800 for yourself. And that's the moment you place 308 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,119 your faith in Jesus and are saved. 309 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,000 If you're not saved, you need to call on Jesus to save you today. 310 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,520 Grace, mercy and peace. Peace. 311 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:30,480 I'm not even to the real sermon yet. 312 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,000 This is all introductory. All right, Peace. 313 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,720 This is about to Peace is a right relationship with God. 314 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,920 Peace is a no one is born in a right relationship with God. 315 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,080 You don't inherit a right relationship with God from your 316 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,840 mother or your father. It's not going to be in their 317 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,160 will. They can't give it to you. 318 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:58,080 It's on you, by faith with Jesus or not, to decide if you want to 319 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,640 receive His grace and mercy and be brought into a right 320 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,720 relationship with Him. Where I've been cleansed by the 321 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,400 blood of Jesus. And though Kyle Walker deserves 322 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,240 hell, I know because of Jesus when I breathe my last breath, 323 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:13,600 I'm going to experience heaven forever, Grace, mercy and peace. 324 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,240 If you don't have those three, you need to call on the name of 325 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,720 Jesus. I pray that you have, and if you 326 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,680 have, John's going to talk to you as a Christian and he's 327 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,680 going to tell you to walk and stay in love and in truth. 328 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:28,360 All right? And there's going to be 3 things 329 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:29,400 they're going to come out of that. 330 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,080 And I'm just going to talk about the first one in verse 4 today. 331 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,080 And I'm going to give a little explanation. 332 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,280 And then the remainder of my sermon is not going to be 333 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,560 explanation of verse 4. It's going to be application of 334 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:40,520 verse 4. All right? 335 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,400 And I'm going to speed up because I've spent a lot of time 336 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,320 already. But verse 4 says this. 337 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,840 I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in the 338 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,120 truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 339 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,080 What is the first thing out of the three things? 340 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,960 John wants you to notice the vital of your faith here. 341 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,880 It is true faith. True faith walks in the truth. 342 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:04,280 True faith walks in the. Truth, John is saying to us all 343 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,840 right. Now, obviously John has heard 344 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,440 some news about this church, whether someone has come from 345 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,400 visiting or whether he sent someone to visit. 346 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,360 He's heard news. He's heard a report of this 347 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:16,240 church. And by the way, he's heard some 348 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:17,720 good news. Not all the news he's heard is 349 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,000 good. We're going to get to that later 350 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,560 on next Sunday. But John does what most of us do 351 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:25,760 by starting in his response, by responding to the good news that 352 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,480 he's heard. And some of the good news he's 353 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:31,080 heard is that some of these church members note, not all, 354 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:37,360 but some are what walking in the you say, Kyle, what is walking 355 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,320 in the truth? It's when, of course, that's 356 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,360 what God has commanded us to do. Those who claim to have believed 357 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,760 the truth, walking in the truth is when your faith is not just 358 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,400 talked, it is walked. When it's not just proclaimed or 359 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,920 claimed, it is demonstrated. When it's not just worded, but 360 00:19:53,920 --> 00:20:01,000 when it is actioned, when it is who you are in private or in 361 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,000 public truth. Faith walks in the truth, y'all. 362 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,640 This is what John spent an incredible amount of time in 363 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,440 First John trying to convince us of right. 364 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:11,880 Let me just give you a few reminders. 365 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,520 He says in First John 16, If we say we have fellowship with him 366 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,440 while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the 367 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,040 truth. He says in first John 2/3 368 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,240 through 6. And by this we know that we've 369 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,600 come to know him if we keep his commandments. 370 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,680 And whoever says I know him but doesn't keep his commandments as 371 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,080 a liar. And the truth is not in him, but 372 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,480 whoever keeps his word in him, truly the love of God is 373 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,560 perfected. And by this we know that we are 374 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,000 in him. Whoever says he abides in him 375 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,520 all to walk in the same way in which he walked. 376 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,400 True faith again, hear it clearly. 377 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,880 True faith, John says, walks in the truth. 378 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,400 Which begs the question then, how do we walk in the truth? 379 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,480 I as I was processing and praying about how God would have 380 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,880 me explain this, I felt like the Lord just burdened my heart to 381 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,040 share with us as a church, something I've already shared 382 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,880 with a lot of the men in our church. 383 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,280 Because you realize that we as men gather in the spring and 384 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,440 fall on Tuesday mornings at 6:00 AM, we typically call it Better 385 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,440 Man, where we dive into what being a biblical man is all 386 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,680 about. In 2026, we're changing things 387 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:26,120 up a little bit and not focusing on exclusively biblical man 388 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,200 content, but really content from the. 389 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,760 Scripture for what every Christian ought to embrace. 390 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:36,080 I got asked by a lady, hey, because I titled these 10 things 391 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,720 I'm about to share with you that we're going to cover one per 392 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,880 month for men at 6:00 AM once a month, the second Tuesday of 393 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:43,960 every month. Registration will go live about 394 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,200 the second week in December. Men, I want to invite you to 395 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,240 come. It's once a month, 6:00 AM, and 396 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,760 we're going to take each one of these 10 at a time. 397 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,960 I'm about to share these ten. I've shared them at the men's 398 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,320 breakfast. I'm going to give them to you. 399 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:55,520 Now. I had one lady say college, 400 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,920 they're going to be a top 10 for women like there is for men. 401 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,440 And I'm about to say yes because I'm giving it to all of us right 402 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:01,320 now. The process. 403 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,840 All right, and ladies, you may not be here Tuesday at 6:00 AM, 404 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,840 but we're going to post all the teaching videos from this time 405 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,400 with me and you can follow along if you'd like to actually be 406 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,280 challenged and encouraged to implement. 407 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,920 Walking the truth out in your life like I'm about to share you 408 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:20,480 can you can stay with us. These 10 things I'm about to 409 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:22,800 share with you are not how to get into heaven. 410 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,160 These 10s I'm 10 things I'm about to share with you are not 411 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,760 ways to make God love you more, OK? 412 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,920 These are 10 practical things directly from the Word of God 413 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:41,560 that God instructs us as believers as how we put what we 414 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,000 claim to believe into practice and how we grow in it. 415 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,720 OK, how we can grow spiritually, how we can put the truth into 416 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,040 action in our lives. I'm going to share them with you 417 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:54,120 men. Some of you have heard this 418 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,640 already, but I'm going to spend the rest of our time giving you 419 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,320 these practical things of how to walk in the truth like verse 4 420 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,840 says God has commanded us to do #1 is this. 421 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:08,360 Spend daily time in God's word. Preachers will say this to their 422 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:11,440 blue in the face, but the truth is the average Christian does 423 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,960 not spend daily time in the Word of God. 424 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:21,320 And yet this is your number one and my number one, number one, 425 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:27,040 number one spiritual need. God commands you to be in His 426 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,280 work. Second Timothy 316 says for all 427 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:34,160 scripture is breathed out by God, that's the word we get Thea 428 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,280 nustas. Literally the Greek word means 429 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,600 inspired, God breathed. Every word of that book has been 430 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,680 breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching. 431 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,120 For reproof for. Correction and training and 432 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:47,760 righteousness that who, the man of God, the woman of God, the 433 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,720 boy, the girl of God can be adequate and complete and 434 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,160 equipped for every good work. That is, everything God wants to 435 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,720 do in and through your life is going to come from you consuming 436 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,640 the Word of God, being guided by it and equipped by it and 437 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,800 strengthened by it and changed by it. 438 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,720 Romans 12/2 says do not be conformed to the pattern of this 439 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:11,520 world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 440 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:13,840 That is through the exposure to the truth of the Word of God, 441 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,960 that you may discern that which is the perfect will of God, that 442 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,560 which is perfect, good and acceptable. 443 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:20,960 You're not going to know the will of God. 444 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,120 You're not going to be able to do the will of God unless you 445 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:25,080 are in the Word of God. Mark it down. 446 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,680 It is your number one necessity. They've done study after study. 447 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:29,600 What's the number one thing for spiritual growth? 448 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:34,600 For spiritual maturity, it is Bible. 449 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:39,240 Engagement, it is Bible engagement, you engaging your 450 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,280 Bible on a daily basis. Let me just say a little 451 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,960 timeout. I'm about to roll through these 452 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:46,560 10 things. Some I'm going to spend time on, 453 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,640 some I'm not. OK, you're going to feel like 454 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,480 you're going to drink from a fire hydrant right here. 455 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,440 Here's what I want to tell you to do. 456 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,120 Some of you, because I don't have time to give you all the 457 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:56,880 practicals out of all these, and we're going to tune in once a 458 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,280 month. Men, ladies, you can follow 459 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,120 along in 2026. But if you on your connect card 460 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:04,480 when I write down how I can contact you and you write what 461 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,400 number it is, you might need practical help on #1 #2 #10 or 462 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,200 all 10, or I don't how many I will respond to you this week. 463 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,680 Or a pastor will with practical things that can help you with 464 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,400 ones you may struggle with or need answers that you have 465 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,600 questions. On all right, because I'm moving 466 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:21,960 quick. I want to say that, but let me 467 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:23,560 just try to make this point from God's word again. 468 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,720 Proverbs 3, five and six. Trust in the Lord with all your 469 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,000 heart. How are you going to trust in 470 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,920 the Lord with all your heart if you're not in His Word? 471 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:32,600 Lean not in your own understanding. 472 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,040 How are you going to not lean in your own understanding if you're 473 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,920 not daily in God's Word? Acknowledge Him in all your 474 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:38,920 ways. How are you going to acknowledge 475 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,080 God in all your ways if you're not daily in His Word? 476 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:43,680 And then He will make your path straight. 477 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:45,480 How's God going to make your path straight if you're not 478 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,360 daily in God's Word? This is your number #1 need. 479 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:53,000 If you're going to walk in the truth, you've got to daily get 480 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:58,720 in God's word #2 is this daily fellowship with God in prayer? 481 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:00,760 Daily fellowship with God in prayer? 482 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,440 Jesus says in Matthew 66. But when you pray, go into your 483 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,040 room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, 484 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,880 and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 485 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,520 Second only to getting into the Word of God. 486 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,280 Every Christian has to learn the habit of daily communing with 487 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,360 God in conversation that we call prayer. 488 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:27,040 Let me put it like this to you. What you are when you are alone 489 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:35,960 with God in prayer is alone. What you you are, who and what 490 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:40,760 you are, when you are alone with God in prayer is alone. 491 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,280 Who you are. Your Enneagram number is not who 492 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:50,040 you really are. Your disk profile is not who you 493 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:54,480 really are. Your DNA is not who you really 494 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:59,400 are. Your name, even your last name, 495 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,000 your family history, your job, your resume, that's not who you 496 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,680 you know who you really are, who you are when you are alone with 497 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:08,640 God. Because guess what? 498 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,960 You're going to stand before Him alone one day. 499 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:12,680 And that will. Who you are in that moment will 500 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,320 determine your eternal destiny. Who? 501 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:17,440 You are when you're alone with God. 502 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,560 Now, that's scary to some of you, perhaps because maybe you 503 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,680 don't spend any time alone with God and there's not much there, 504 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,240 and that's defining. But who you are when you are 505 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,880 alone with God is the epicenter of your life. 506 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:35,320 No one else defines you more than God does when you are alone 507 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,080 with him in prayer. Based on your time alone with 508 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,360 God right now in prayer, who are you? 509 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,600 Can I tell you a story that's inspired me? 510 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,560 I pray will inspire you. It's about General George 511 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:54,080 Washington. It was the year of 1777, which 512 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,000 is one of the coldest and harshest winters they had ever 513 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,040 experienced. These were the days of fighting 514 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:04,800 the British for freedom, Washington and his men. 515 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,600 Of about 11,000 in, the Continental Army had experienced 516 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:11,240 some defeats in Philadelphia, and as the winter set in, they 517 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,920 needed a place to camp. They chose a place 18 miles 518 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,840 northwest of Philadelphia called Valley Forge, and it was really 519 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:19,640 a horrendous winter and experience. 520 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:20,960 Some of the men were freezing to death. 521 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,800 They were I'll equipped. They didn't have enough clothes. 522 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,080 Some were walking barefooted and blood trails in the snow left 523 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,280 behind. General George Washington and 524 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:33,880 his men chose a farm close to Valley Forge owned by a Quaker 525 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:38,160 by the name of Isaac Potts. Where George and his cabinet 526 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,800 really are, leaders could headquarter and he was going to 527 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:42,800 stay there indoors. But he stayed with his men in 528 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,160 the out of doors until all their shelters were finally finished. 529 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,120 George was a man from a number of witnesses and reports. 530 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,200 It was a man of prayer and he providentially believed. 531 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,320 He believed that God was with his men providentially and was 532 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,160 with their cause. And George would often be seen 533 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,160 or or or experienced or witnessed, praying, going out 534 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,400 into the woods, closing the door and getting the closet, getting 535 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,320 in the closet to get alone with God. 536 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:14,040 To pray well, one of. Those days after they had chosen 537 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:19,080 Isaac Potts's farm. Isaac, being a Quaker, was 538 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:23,080 walking through the woods early one morning and he got to a 539 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,360 point where he heard a voice. Didn't know who it was, but he 540 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,960 got closer and closer, and soon he recognized the voice before 541 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:31,680 he saw the man. But then he saw the man. 542 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,440 It was General George Washington in the middle of the woods by 543 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:41,400 himself and in his own words. He was knelt on the cold ground 544 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,680 in prayer, and he said Washington was interceding for 545 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,080 his men and for his cause and for his beloved country. 546 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,920 Now, here's the kicker. Potts was a Quaker. 547 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,760 And was a pacifist, which means he did not believe it right to 548 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,720 take up arms in any situation. He actually held the belief that 549 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,200 a soldier could not also be a Christian. 550 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:06,080 So he didn't believe George was a Christian man. 551 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:08,960 He believed it incompatible to be a Christian and a soldier. 552 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,360 Therefore he says he was quite amazed at the scene before him. 553 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,800 He got up after watching and witnessing George pray on his 554 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,600 knees in his closet if you will. And he got up and went home and 555 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,000 he said to his wife Hannah or Hannah rather said to him, 556 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,560 Isaac, these seems agitated, what's the matter? 557 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:32,920 He said, Indeed, my dear, and if I appear agitated, tis no more 558 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,360 than what I am. I have seen this day what I 559 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,040 shall never forget. Till now I thought that a 560 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,360 Christian and a soldier were characters incompatible. 561 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,560 But if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken. 562 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,480 And still more shall I be disappointed if God does not 563 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,720 through him perform some great thing for this country. 564 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,280 And I want you to listen to what he says next. 565 00:30:54,280 --> 00:31:05,360 Hannah, I heard him pray, I heard him pray out in the woods 566 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,400 today, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer. 567 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,920 He will. Hannah, thee may rest assured He 568 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,800 will. If someone secretly heard you 569 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,120 pray, who would they determine you to be? 570 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:25,640 Because that's who. You are, that's who you are. 571 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,280 You've got to daily get in God's Word. 572 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:32,240 You got a daily get along with God. 573 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,320 That's who you are, that's who you are #3 daily pray with your 574 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,360 spouse. I'm not going to have time to 575 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:46,520 process with this one fully, but Lord knows the number one thing 576 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:53,120 every marriage needs is what? Come on now, prayer. 577 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,640 I had a guy in the first service that was single, says prayer, 578 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,800 and I'm not even married and I know it's prayer. 579 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,720 And let's be honest, most Christian couples don't do what 580 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,920 together on a daily basis. They don't pray. 581 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,320 You know why we as men don't pray in front of our spouses? 582 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:16,400 Because we're scared. We're too insecure to be heard 583 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:20,840 out loud and we don't even do the number one thing with our 584 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:26,040 spouse that's needed. They did a study and said that 585 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,840 if couples will receive premarital counseling, which by 586 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,280 the way, if you didn't receive premarital counseling, make it 587 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,280 up afterwards with some post marital counseling. 588 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:35,240 We'll connect you. All right, Like I'm being 589 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,320 serious. Marriages are struggling more 590 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:40,880 than most people realize, and most of them wait too late till 591 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,600 the bomb goes off and there's shrapnel everywhere and there's 592 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:46,400 no picking it up. Don't wait too late. 593 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,840 They did a study and said if they'll do premarital 594 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,480 counseling, if they're committed in their local church, and if 595 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,480 they will pray together daily. There's one in 39,000 chance of 596 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:04,600 divorce, one in 39,000. Pray with your spouse #4 is read 597 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:09,200 God's Word with your kids. Parents, listen to me. 598 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:14,120 The Bible commands you to teach your children the Bible. 599 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,520 Deuteronomy 6. You can read it for yourself. 600 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:20,560 God commands you. Did you know that God does not 601 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:22,560 command me to teach the Bible to your children? 602 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,600 It commands you. And if it's going to happen, 603 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,440 guess what's going to have to happen in your home? 604 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,880 It's going to have to be. Heard somebody's going to have 605 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,480 to read it and explain it. You don't have to know 606 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,120 everything about it or be to answer every question about it, 607 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:43,240 but God commands you to teach His word to your children, 608 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:50,840 grandparents, to your grandkids #5 be discipled by someone. 609 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,320 Most Christians have never had another Christian personally 610 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,120 invest in their spiritual growth. 611 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,960 We call that being disciple. Jesus chose 12. 612 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,120 Most Christians have never had somebody else to say, hey, I'd 613 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,640 like to invest in you spiritually. 614 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:08,239 Can I do that? Would you be willing to walk 615 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,159 with me? I'll train you, I'll teach you. 616 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:11,840 I'll tell you what I know. Most Christians have never 617 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,320 experienced that. My life changed when a 10th 618 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,120 grade guy didn't walk up to me and say, hey, I'm going to 619 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:18,600 disciple you. That probably would have scared 620 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:20,440 me. He just basically said, hey, I'm 621 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,360 going to be your friend. Welcome to the youth group. 622 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:27,360 You want to hang out and my life as even I had the foundation of 623 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,520 parents, but now I had a peer just a couple stages ahead of me 624 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,679 in high school. Live out for me what living like 625 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:36,199 a Christian should look like. In junior high and high school, 626 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,520 my life began to change as a disciple. 627 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,679 My age began to sharpen me. You say, well, Kyle, no one's 628 00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:43,560 ever asked me if they disciple me. 629 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,239 Listen, you may have to go ask somebody, say hey, don't scare 630 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,080 them too much. Just say, hey, can I take you to 631 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,800 lunch? I think you're a step ahead in 632 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,199 your Christian life. You're a phase ahead. 633 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,560 You're doing things I want to learn how to do. 634 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,320 Can I spend some time with you? Let someone pour into you? 635 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:03,200 You may have to ask them. Number six, share the gospel 636 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,920 with a lost person. God has called us to be his 637 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:09,040 ambassadors and to be his witnesses, and yet 95% of 638 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,920 Christians will never share the gospel with a lost person. 639 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:17,640 What are we doing? What are we doing right? 640 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,640 Hey, listen, if you'll start praying, God, just give me 641 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:26,680 somebody in my path that you're directing me to have a 642 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,200 conversation with. Just give me one person on my 643 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,600 heart that I can begin praying about and seeking an opportunity 644 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,120 to share the gospel. And God's going to give you 645 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,760 opportunity after opportunity, but share the gospel with a lost 646 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:43,160 person #7 disciple, someone. You can't read Matthew 2818 647 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,000 through 19 when Jesus says as you go. 648 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,360 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 649 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,240 in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them 650 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:53,160 to obey all that I've commanded you right? 651 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,560 This is the command we all have as Christians, which is to pour 652 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:00,200 into others to disciple them. Discipling someone else simply 653 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,840 means either introducing them to Jesus or helping them follow 654 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,760 Jesus more. Closely, it doesn't mean you 655 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,080 have everything figured out. It doesn't mean you're perfect. 656 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:10,600 It doesn't mean you have all the answers. 657 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,640 You can just say, hey, as I follow Jesus, you want to walk 658 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,280 this direction with me. I'm not perfect. 659 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,120 I'm going to make mistakes. But I want to encourage you, 660 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,560 disciple someone, ask God to show you who's in your path, 661 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:25,360 who's in your circle that you need to be investing in #8 this 662 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:29,160 one's a tough one. Tithe, Say Kyle, what is that? 663 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,680 Tithe is when you take 10% of what God's given you and you 664 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,040 give it back to Him. Now listen, I'm going to talk to 665 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:37,480 you about you say, Kyle, you're a pastor and you're talking 666 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:38,480 about money and I don't like that. 667 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,240 That's OK, I've got to talk to you about money. 668 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:46,120 So here's the deal. The Bible says where your money. 669 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,600 Is there? Your heart's going to be 670 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:51,160 awesome. So if you're not honoring God 671 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,280 with your money, this list really doesn't matter because 672 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,480 your heart's not in it. A tide. 673 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,720 By the way, I don't own this jacket. 674 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,360 I don't own these shoes. I don't own any sucks. 675 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,400 I can keep going, but I won't. I don't own this is all on loan, 676 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,280 every number in my bank account, every. 677 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:11,440 I don't even have my wallet on me. 678 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:15,400 But if I did all that's God's. Anything you have doesn't 679 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:16,880 actually belong to you. It belongs to God. 680 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,960 And what God does is he expects us to steward what he's given us 681 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,680 in a way that would honor him. And one of the primary 682 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,840 principles we see in Scripture of that, even before the law, I 683 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,680 hear this sometimes Christians argue with that was part of the 684 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,520 law, part of the Levitical code? No, it was pre law, this 685 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:35,960 principle of giving back a tent, a tithe to God to honor him and 686 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:38,360 entrusting to him what he's given to us. 687 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,320 You say, well, the New Testament Pastor Khan never says tithe. 688 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,800 No, it goes a lot deeper. You want me to give you a couple 689 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:44,840 examples? You may not. 690 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:49,440 The example Jesus gives to emulate. 691 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:51,480 Remember when all the rich people are walking into church 692 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,080 and throwing out of their surplus into the things in the 693 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,560 temple, and then a poor lady comes along and guess how much 694 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:03,280 she gives? 10% Which one does Jesus say 695 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:09,600 emulate The early church Acts 2. They're selling land and 696 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:11,800 possessions to meet physical needs in the body. 697 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:14,800 You think they were like, hey, let's just 10% of the land, 10% 698 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,480 of the possessions or do you think they were a lot more all 699 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:22,160 in is the Bible is the New Testament setting up tithing as 700 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:25,880 the floor or the ceiling? It's a starting point. 701 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,680 It's a principle throughout the Scripture that if we're going to 702 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,800 honor God with what we've got, the starting point is the tithe. 703 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:34,520 I've heard a pastor, we've got a number of pastors in our church, 704 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:35,840 retired pastors that have put it in. 705 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,960 One of us put it like this. They said you want 100% cursed 706 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:42,720 or 90% blessed. Charles Stanley would simply say 707 00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:46,360 you can't out give God, you'll never give to God in a way that 708 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:48,360 it doesn't return. Now listen, we've let the 709 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,960 health, wealth, prosperity gospel people rob us of some of 710 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:54,080 the language of speaking about the blessings of giving to God 711 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:55,240 and honoring Him with our wealth. 712 00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:58,400 I tithe before I was a pastor. I tithe as a pastor. 713 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:00,920 I'll tithe if there comes a day that I'm not a pastor. 714 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,240 I don't know who ties and I don't know who gives what. 715 00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:05,240 That's not my business. That's between you and God. 716 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:08,000 But I'm telling you, if you've not learned to honor God with 717 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:11,880 what He's entrusted, you are robbing yourself a blessings I 718 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,720 know God would pour out in your life if you simply chose to 719 00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:16,400 trust God with what He's trusted you with. 720 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:19,120 You got more questions about that? 721 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:26,040 I can talk to you about it #9 is do life with a small group of 722 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,000 Christians say call? What do you mean by that? 723 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:34,840 We. Have been duped by the lie as 724 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,000 21st century Americans that if we just show up in a public 725 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,880 worship service about once a week, we're going to be 726 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:44,400 spiritually healthy. By the way, the average 727 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:49,120 Christian only shows up 1.4 * a month across America. 728 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:53,240 The Bible paints a different picture. 729 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,840 It paints a picture of together, not just in a large group 730 00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:01,360 corporate assembly, but together doing life in close fellowship 731 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,200 in small groups and specifically in homes. 732 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,520 You say, Kyle, what's the starting point of getting in a 733 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,200 small group here? Adult Bible fellowship. 734 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,160 I call it Sunday School. Or you get into a small room on 735 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:16,480 our campus and get to know other people and they know you. 736 00:40:16,720 --> 00:40:18,720 Then we Start learning the Bible together and start praying 737 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:21,280 together, start fellowshipping together, start holding each 738 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:23,120 other accountable and caring for one another. 739 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,280 And that's the starting point. That's not the end point, but 740 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,240 that's a starting point, right? And yet this is we think that 741 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:32,240 showing up in the large group physically or nowadays even 742 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:36,440 remotely online is enough to keep us spiritually healthy. 743 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:41,440 And it's just not true #10 identify your spiritual gift and 744 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:45,720 serve. The Bible says that God has 745 00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:50,360 gifted every single Christian with an ability by the Holy 746 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,800 Spirit to serve. Serve through the body, to serve 747 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:55,480 outside the body, to serve in the body. 748 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,000 If you don't know what your spiritual gift is, you need, you 749 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,320 need to discern it. You need to you need to be led 750 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:05,160 to discover what that is. So how has God gifted me to 751 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:06,520 serve? If you're not serving, you need 752 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,240 to find a way to serve. The God has commanded us to 753 00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:10,320 serve. Christ set the example. 754 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,160 I didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give my life as 755 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,280 a ransom. Jesus says, listen, I could name 756 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,640 10 other things but I don't think there's a top 10 better 757 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,880 than this 10 to simply say y'all, who is it out there 758 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,360 that's a Christian that should not implement these things in 759 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,560 their life to walk in the truth? Who would that be? 760 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,760 These things come right out of the text of Scripture. 761 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:35,560 Men, we're going to dive into them, no holds barred. 762 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:36,840 We're not going to pull any punches. 763 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:38,320 One a month we're going to take these ladies. 764 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,000 We're going to post the videos online. 765 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:41,200 If your husband's a part of it, great. 766 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:43,280 If not, if you're single, you can follow along as we teach. 767 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:46,560 But I can tell you, I know from the Bible, these things are 768 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:50,920 things that we can implement and chase after the obedience that 769 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:53,440 God has called us to from the clear instruction. 770 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:54,720 This is not going to make God love you more. 771 00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:55,880 This is not how you get into heaven. 772 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:58,560 This is how you walk out and work out your salvation with 773 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:03,360 fear and trembling. John and praise team are about 774 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:04,840 to come. Let me talk to you for a second. 775 00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,160 Some of you in the room and you're not ready for the 10 776 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,480 because you need to start with the grace and mercy and peace 777 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,360 that Jesus and Jesus alone offers. 778 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,520 I'm going to stand right here during our time of response when 779 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,240 we stand and sing. And the point and the purpose is 780 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:22,720 if you don't know Jesus, you can step out from where you are. 781 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,120 You can come say, Pastor Kyle, I need the grace, the mercy and 782 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,360 the peace that Jesus offers. Would you come? 783 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:32,080 You might need to write on that Connect card. 784 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:34,960 I need help with #1 #10 #5 or all of them. 785 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,800 I'd be glad to respond to you. You might come and just say I 786 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,120 need to get on my knees or I need to come stand at this altar 787 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,000 and listen. I'm not living those things or 788 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:43,800 some of those things out, and I know which ones. 789 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,880 And I want to say yes to committing to those things or 790 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,600 these things in my life that I know I've been avoiding, I've 791 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,960 not been obeying. And it's time that I make a 792 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:55,160 commitment before God today that I need to implement and I need 793 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:56,960 to walk in the truth I claim to believe. 794 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,680 Maybe you want to use this altar as a response point today of 795 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,560 saying yes to the Lord. I'm going to pray and I'm going 796 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:08,480 to ask you to respond the way the Lord is leading you. 797 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:11,880 Heavenly Father God, I want to ask today that we'd say yes to 798 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:15,200 you, that these next moments will be filled with faith, 799 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:19,280 anointed by the Holy Spirit, unashamed in our stance and 800 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:23,280 response for the name and glory of Jesus in your truth and it 801 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:25,760 being lived out in our lives. I pray in Jesus name, Amen. 802 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,120 Would you stand with me? Let's sing, let's respond. 803 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:30,040 You come as God leads you this morning.