1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:14,840 Let's dive in. Last week, Kevin, he absolutely 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,440 killed it. I killed it. 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,280 He killed it with the message on that he entitled Simple 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,400 Assurance and it was out of Hebrews chapter 10 and it was so 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,400 good. I wanted to recap it a little 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,960 bit. Basically the main point. 10 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,680 The reason being I'm going to build off of it a little bit in 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,600 unity with Kevin because providentially when Casey asked 12 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:39,800 me to speak weeks ago, the text that I wanted to speak on today, 13 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,680 third John chapter one has a lot of similar themes as Hebrews 14 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,640 chapter 10, what Kevin preached on with his simple assurance. 15 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,320 So with that said, coincidence to the Christian is really 16 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,760 Providence. We don't believe in coincidence, 17 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,000 we believe in Providence. I believe that God has something 18 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,000 amazing in store for Bridgetown for 2026 and that He wants His 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,240 people, that's you, on mission, living for something greater 20 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:12,080 than the here and now. Kevin last week talked about 21 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,000 Jesus being our assurance. You remember in Hebrews chapter 22 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,480 10, Jesus is portrayed by the author of Hebrews as our great 23 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,560 High Priest, that because He was righteous, because He was holy, 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,480 He intercedes for you and I. He goes into the holy place of 25 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,920 the temple between where only God and the High Priest can 26 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,240 interact. Jesus being our great High 27 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,720 Priest, has washed us clean by His blood, made us new and 28 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:42,960 opened the way to the Father. You and I now have access to God 29 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,160 as our Father. You can go to Him anytime in 30 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,680 prayer. You can go to Him anytime in 31 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,600 devotion and worship and reading the Word, and He will respond to 32 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,160 you because your great high priest interceded for you in the 33 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,800 past and continues to intercede for you today. 34 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,840 You have access to the Father. Kevin talked about Jesus being 35 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,360 your assurance for your life. He said this. 36 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,960 He said we approach ministry on the foundation of Christ alone 37 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,120 and I respond with a resounding Amen. 38 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,920 Absolutely Jesus is the starting point of your faith. 39 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:21,320 I echo Kevin and in unity I want to compliment what he showed 40 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,160 last week. So I entitled my message today, 41 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,360 simple obedience, simple obedience. 42 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,120 If last week was about simple assurance this week I want to 43 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,160 speak to you today on simple obedience. 44 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,240 Now my wife and I, we have three kids. 45 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,200 I know three kids under 4. So pray for us. 46 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,800 We decided to get them out of the way early. 47 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,960 But three kids, we're in a unique position because our two 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:52,120 oldest girls have birthdays in November and December. 49 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,840 That means the last four to five months were busy. 50 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,320 Super busy. I mean busy. 51 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,320 Fall, winter season, we have Halloween and harvest festivals, 52 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,000 then the November birthday party, then Thanksgiving a week 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,520 later, then the December birthday party, then Christmas, 54 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:11,640 then New Year's. It's a lot. 55 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:15,160 It's been a hustle the last four or five months for us. 56 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,520 So at these birthday parties, my wife, with her heart of 57 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,400 generosity, she invites like 40 people from our current church. 58 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,000 And me as the father, as the husband, the curmudgeon amigos. 59 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,360 Why I only attend parties. I don't host them. 60 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,360 Man, it's a lot of work. The curmudgeon amigos I 61 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,120 inevitably default to. Well, what are we going to feed 62 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,280 them? That's a lot. 63 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:43,640 That's 40 people. Are you kidding me? 64 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:49,200 How can 40 people love my kids? You know, inevitably I defaulted 65 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,240 to, well, let's just cater the food or worse. 66 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:53,800 Do we really need tables and chairs? 67 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,600 Do we need the streamers? Can people, you know, bring 68 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,680 their own blanket or something? That's where my mind inevitably 69 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,640 goes initially goes. But my wife, Pam, she has the 70 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,080 biggest heart of generosity. I'm talking like she's changed 71 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,160 me a lot. Her family gives each other 72 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,480 gifts and presents for Valentine's Day. 73 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,480 Like that was new to me. I entered into this family 74 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,760 that's just a generous, giving family. 75 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,920 So I found myself thinking after years with Pam, wait, why? 76 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,360 Why is that initially my first thought? 77 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,200 What's it going to cost me? Why do I have to initially 78 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:33,720 default to, well, where are we going to feed them? 79 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:34,760 I don't want to take care of them. 80 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,720 I thought, you know what, these people, they're coming to my 81 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,360 place to bless my kids because they love my kids. 82 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,480 My kids are a joy to me. And far be it from me that one 83 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,800 day they look back in these photos of their first and 3rd 84 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,120 birthday parties and say Dad can go all out for them. 85 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:57,440 All right, So what I did was I fired up the grill, fired up the 86 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:58,840 stove, and I slaved over the stove. 87 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:00,760 I'm talking like not just burgers and fries. 88 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,240 I did like two batches of chilaquiles, red and green. 89 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,720 I did like pasta bolognese and like pesto pasta. 90 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,440 I know I was impressed with myself. 91 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:19,200 Now I tell that story because in that moment, what motivated me 92 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,280 to put in the effort to cook for all of these people and to 93 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:28,600 sacrifice my time and my finances was love and gratitude. 94 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,160 Love and gratitude for these people, for all they've done for 95 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,160 my wife and I and our kids, and because they're just worth it. 96 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:41,640 Knowing how much these people love my kids and how good 97 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,680 they've been to us. I, I just realized, you know 98 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,040 what, these people are worth it. So let's get the tables, chairs 99 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,040 and streamers, you know, let let me cook a meal for them because 100 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,040 they're worth it. A question I have for you today, 101 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,320 Bridgetown is given what Kevin talked about last week about our 102 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,200 simple assurance being in Christ. 103 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,720 It's yours. This is your treasure. 104 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,000 How much is that simple assurance that you have a future 105 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,200 and a hope in Jesus worth to you? 106 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:17,440 How much is it worth to you? Does it compel you to sacrifice 107 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:22,680 for the sake of another? Does it move you to proclaim the 108 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:27,680 goodness of God in your life to other people, even people you've 109 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:32,240 never met? Kevin mentioned this last week 110 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,960 and it was it was killer. He said, unlike the thief on the 111 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,120 cross. Remember, he highlighted the 112 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,600 thief on the cross who at his dying breath recognizes Jesus as 113 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,800 the Christ. He says, Lord, Remember Me when 114 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,760 you come into your Kingdom and Jesus says today you will be 115 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,520 with me. That's all it takes, by the way, 116 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:53,200 to be one with God, to be reconciled with God is 117 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,120 acknowledging Jesus as the Christ. 118 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,760 Do you believe that this man, at his very last breath on his 119 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,440 deathbed on the cross, recognizes Jesus? 120 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,440 I believe you, and Jesus responds with your mind. 121 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:05,240 You're going to be with me forever. 122 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,320 Yet Kevin said. Unlike the thief on the cross, 123 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,160 you and I have time to make an impact. 124 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,200 You're still breathing. You're still here. 125 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,160 You think about it. If Jesus loves you so much, why 126 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:27,320 hasn't he taken you home yet? Because you still got a mission. 127 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,560 He's not done with you yet. There's people that need to hear 128 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,280 about His goodness through your life and through your testimony. 129 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,680 So my desire this morning is that we would cultivate A 130 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,440 grander vision for our life as believers. 131 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,840 That we wouldn't just settle for the comforts of America. 132 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,160 We wouldn't just settle for the comforts of a four O 1K in a 133 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,000 retirement account, but that we would be on mission. 134 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,200 Because your life is more than finances. 135 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,640 Your life is more than your nine to five job. 136 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:59,320 You're made for more. Maybe live on mission. 137 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,040 And that's what this text is about today, living on mission. 138 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,400 What does that look like? So the context of third John, 139 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,560 like I said, this is his third personal letter. 140 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,800 He's actually written 4 things in the five things rather in the 141 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,400 New Testament, right? The Gospel of John, these 3 142 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,240 letters and the Apocalypse, the Revelation, the Book of 143 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,720 Revelation, that's this same John the Apostle, he was one of 144 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,040 the 12. So he spent about 3 1/2 years 145 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,680 with Jesus. He was actually in the inner 146 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,200 circle. So we have 12 apostles that 147 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,200 Jesus calls with him, but he would take these three, Peter, 148 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,880 James and John, and mentor them, if you will, where he didn't 149 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,039 take the other nine. He was in the inner circle. 150 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,200 Now, the style of this letter, it's a very personal letter to a 151 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,760 believer named Gaius. This man, Gaius, he's the leader 152 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,560 at the Church of Ephesus and he's actually, John calls him my 153 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:56,360 son in the faith, my son in the face. 154 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,120 So he looks at Gaius. John does, He looks like Gaius 155 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,360 and he treats them like a son, probably because Gaius was 156 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,040 converted believe in the gospel of Jesus as John preached to 157 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,720 him. So this carries the same themes 158 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,120 as John's other writings. Since it's in the series of 159 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:19,720 writings by John, he's going to hit two big things, truth and 160 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,920 love. Truth and love. 161 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,960 This is the most personal and specific of John's writings to 162 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,960 Gaius and you get to kind of a in depth image of what it looks 163 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,280 like to live as a believer in the early church. 164 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,160 What does it mean to be on mission? 165 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,760 What does ministry look like for the Christian? 166 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,840 What should it look like? With that said, let's study it 167 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,760 verses one through 4 John. He calls himself the Elder, and 168 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,000 he says this the elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love. 169 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,600 In truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go 170 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,000 well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes 171 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:03,560 well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the 172 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:06,680 brothers came to me and testified to your truth, as 173 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:08,680 indeed you are walking in the truth. 174 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,440 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are 175 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,680 walking in the truth. We'll stop there for now. 176 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,560 Here, John rejoices over his son. 177 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:20,360 Guys, he's just gushing over him. 178 00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:23,200 He's so proud of him, like a proud dad to a son. 179 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,840 John had received report from local missionaries that reported 180 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,440 back to him that guys has been faithful to the truth. 181 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,240 This guy's a genuine believer. He still believes John despite 182 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,680 persecution, despite false teaching, despite the suffering 183 00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:40,320 that he's endured. He still believes. 184 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,800 He's still walking in the truth. Even amidst a culture where 185 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:49,400 false teachers AKA spiritual wolves lurk about praying on the 186 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,600 sheep of the church with deceptive teaching. 187 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,320 It doesn't shake Gaius. He still walks in the truth. 188 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,120 Now why is truth so important to John? 189 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,800 You're going to see it over and over and over again in John's 190 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,680 writings. In first and second John the 1st 191 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:10,960 2 letters, he actually says that truth and love are connected. 192 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,400 Truth and love are connected. He says they're tests to 193 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,600 discern, to discern true saving faith and what he means by that 194 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,640 is if you are truly a regenerate believer, if you claim Jesus as 195 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,840 the Christ, if he is your Lord and Savior, here's some 2 tests 196 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,760 for you to think about If you truly have been brought out of 197 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:34,880 darkness and to his Kingdom of light. 198 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:41,440 Do you love the truth? Do you remain in it despite 199 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,880 immense persecution? Because understand in the early 200 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,400 church they're still under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire 201 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:55,680 and they're fighting ex family members who are Jewish who want 202 00:11:55,680 --> 00:12:01,480 to worship God Yahweh in the old covenant, calling them the new. 203 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:06,560 These new believers, your heretic, these Jewish 204 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:10,080 Christians, these believers are facing immense persecution to go 205 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:15,400 back, to walk away from the truth so that they would live 206 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,040 more comfortable lives there. That's the first Test. 207 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,120 Do you adhere to the truth? The second test is do you love 208 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,360 the brothers? Do you love the brothers? 209 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,480 He says, how can somebody say that I am saved? 210 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,960 How can somebody say that I've experienced the grace of God if 211 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:32,680 I don't give the grace of God out to other people? 212 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,360 That's his test. So in first and second John, 213 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:40,680 truth and love are connected. Now what is the truth? 214 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,200 What, what exactly does the truth mean? 215 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,880 When we talk about what something means first, it's 216 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,080 actually helpful. Let's talk about what we don't 217 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,440 mean. OK, So before we get to what is 218 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,320 truth, what isn't truth according to John one first John 219 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,960 chapter 2 and 4, you can go do some homework and read it up. 220 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,880 John says what isn't the truth? What's the spirit of the 221 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:09,240 Antichrist and many antichrists like him, and it's just that 222 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,560 Antichrist. It's thoughts that are 223 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,160 Antichrist. It's denying facts and testimony 224 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,640 about Jesus of Nazareth specifically, two key things. 225 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,760 One, that he was physically embodied. 226 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,000 He was physically here. There was a teaching going 227 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,400 around from a sect called Gnosticism and what Gnosticism 228 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,800 believed was that the body is bad, the spiritual life is good, 229 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,800 and if God is all good that means he can't possibly put on a 230 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,040 body. So when G when you guys saw 231 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:45,160 Jesus, that really wasn't him physically, that was a spirit 232 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,640 being. And this was being peddled 233 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:53,040 throughout the church calling the into question the life, 234 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,840 death and resurrection of Jesus. The second thing that denies the 235 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:01,120 truth about Jesus of Nazareth was that he was the Christ, that 236 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,800 he was the Christ, that he is more than a prophet or a rabbi, 237 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,600 but he's actually the promised one of God, the one that 238 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,520 fulfills the Old covenant, Old Testament storyline. 239 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,040 There were people approaching believers in the church saying, 240 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,680 one, Jesus, he wasn't physically here, like who told you that? 241 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,080 And then two, he's not the Christ, He's not the 242 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,560 long-awaited one. Hey, I can give you some secret 243 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,040 wisdom you want. You want to listen to it. 244 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,920 That's kind of what John and Gaius were dealing with. 245 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,880 This is why he goes through painstaking detail. 246 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,960 He opens up the Gospel of John. Do you remember how the Gospel 247 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,520 of John opens up? In the beginning was the Word 248 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,120 and the Word was with God. The Word was God. 249 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:49,600 And then he goes on to say the Word became flesh and dwelt 250 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,560 among us. That's an argument against these 251 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,800 people first, John. He starts with that which we 252 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,240 have seen. That's what we that with, with 253 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,400 which we have heard, with which we have touched. 254 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,560 We were here with him. He's using physical language to 255 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,120 dispel rumors from these Gnosticists that Jesus didn't 256 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,320 come in the flesh. So what is adherence to the 257 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,840 truth? It's the reality about who Jesus 258 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:20,840 is and what he has accomplished, namely the gospel. 259 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,640 The gospel is the truth Jesus perfect life, his atoning death, 260 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:33,880 his victorious resurrection, his ascension and his soon return. 261 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,800 These are the truths about Jesus that John commands Gaius for 262 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,400 holding to now. The hope of every pastor, every 263 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:48,440 elder, everybody in leadership at your church, the hope of of 264 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:53,800 theirs is that you, the people, would abide in the truth and 265 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:58,680 remain faithful to Jesus. Casey, Pastor Casey loses sleep 266 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,680 at night over you. He bears with you. 267 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,200 He cries for you, and I've seen it. 268 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,280 Casey's a very emotional guy and that's something he should wear 269 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,560 with a badge of honor. He cares about you, and where 270 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,440 this care comes from is this hope. 271 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:20,120 He wants you to abide and walk in the truth, to remain faithful 272 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,360 to Jesus. Here's why, my friends. 273 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:29,880 One day your body will fail you and your mind's going to betray 274 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,640 you. It just happens. 275 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:40,360 Menopause, old age, midlife crisis, catastrophic injury, you 276 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:41,720 name it. One day you're not going to be 277 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,600 able to run like you used to. You're not going to be able to 278 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,160 jump over a Creek. Your body will fail you. 279 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:55,640 Some seasons even your heart will fail you, your heart will 280 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:57,960 be despondent and you won't feel anything at all. 281 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,080 So let me ask some of you this question. 282 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,000 How have you been feeling lately? 283 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:07,960 And if some of you are honest, you'd reply to me. 284 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:11,800 Well, not not very good, Chris. I don't feel very good. 285 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,440 Quite frankly. I'm not really feeling anything 286 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,319 at all in this moment and I'm just blah. 287 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:25,119 Just is what it is to you. I respond with exactly that's 288 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,720 just living life. The ebbs and flows of life, 289 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,040 seasons of feast and season of famine. 290 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:36,000 In those seasons of darkness, in those seasons of despot, 291 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,960 despondent heart, your body physically breaking, it is 292 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:44,080 essential that in these seasons you remember what you know to be 293 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,560 true about the truth of Jesus Christ and abide in it. 294 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,680 The time for doubting Jesus, well, I don't know if he's true 295 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,360 or not. That's not the time to doubt 296 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:59,400 when your heart is despondent. Figure those things out when 297 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,360 life's going well, so that when you enter in those seasons of 298 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:06,560 darkness, those valleys, you're ready because it will happen. 299 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,600 Abide in the truth for me. My personal mission statement 300 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,640 for you guys, I think for anybody in my ministry is get 301 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,080 them home. The tagline I have for everybody 302 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,760 I preachers teach is get them home. 303 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:30,000 And I, I, I pull that out of Peter, Peter's letters, he 304 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,920 actually describes the Christian experience living in this life 305 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,840 as exile. He says, live the remainder of 306 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:41,440 your time in exile worthy of the Lord because to Peter and the 307 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,080 New Testament authors, this isn't our home. 308 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:47,480 I'm not meant to be here, I meant to be with Him and the 309 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,320 Kingdom to come and my desire for you, my mission statement 310 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:55,920 for you is to get you home, that you would remain faithful until 311 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,680 your final breath and the Lord comes for you. 312 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,040 With that said, the nature of our Sunday gathering. 313 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,240 What is church all about on Sunday mornings? 314 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:07,400 Why are you here today? I hope it isn't that you're here 315 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,560 because you think you'll somehow merit God's favor. 316 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,400 That's not true. The nature of the Sunday 317 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,280 gathering is 3 things. Why we come together corporately 318 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,120 as a family of God on Sunday mornings as these three things. 319 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,680 To worship Christ together through music and singing. 320 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,720 As the center of our affections. We worship Him because of what 321 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,400 we've received from Him. Secondly, we remind each other 322 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:42,120 of the truth through preaching, teaching, and prayer. 323 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:48,400 For those of you who come in and say, oh, I've heard this before, 324 00:19:49,360 --> 00:19:50,840 you know, I used to be that person. 325 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,000 That's the curse of knowing a lot of theology. 326 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,000 You go into church and you become bitter because you're 327 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,120 like, this guy doesn't even know he's talking about, I've heard 328 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,760 this before all you're talking about brokenness. 329 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:09,760 Again, my friends, you'll be a lot happier. 330 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,240 You'll be a lot wiser. You'll receive a lot more. 331 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,560 If you remember that the church is not necessarily for learning 332 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,800 anything new, that does happen, but infrequently. 333 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,520 Church on Sunday morning is to be reminded of what you already 334 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,120 know to be true so that you cling to it. 335 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:31,000 Third thing that the church gathering on Sunday does, it 336 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,080 renews the soul. It renews your soul with hope 337 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,600 through the proclamation of the gospel. 338 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,280 You can equate the Sunday gathering to like a Formula One 339 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,440 pit stop for you race fans out there. 340 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:49,080 Any Red Bull fans out here? Oh, man, it's like the number 341 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:50,400 one sport in the world other than soccer. 342 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:55,720 Guys, come on, Formula One, in any race, there's a mandatory 343 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:59,200 pit stop. You get new tires, you clear the 344 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,800 visor on your race helmet and you refuel. 345 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,200 You get ready to go back onto the track. 346 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,600 That's what Sunday gathering is. We come together to worship, to 347 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,520 remind one another, and to be renewed by the things we know to 348 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,760 be true so that we go back into the world on mission. 349 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,960 That's what we do. It's church gathered on Sunday 350 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,320 versus church scattered throughout the week. 351 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,040 The church is still the church Monday through Saturday. 352 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:30,840 All right, moving on, Verse five, pick up with me verse 5 353 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,960 through 6. John goes on and he says, 354 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,520 beloved, it is a faithful thing you do on all your efforts for 355 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:42,080 these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your 356 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,320 love before the church. We'll stop there. 357 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,960 John commands Gaius for his love and hospitality, the love and 358 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,480 hospitality that he's shown to traveling missionaries. 359 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,520 These are the same people that brought Guy, that brought John 360 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,480 the report about Gaius. Though these people were 361 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:04,600 strangers to Gaius, he opened up his heart to them and hosted 362 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,120 them as his brothers. So much so that when the 363 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,280 missionaries reported back to their home church, they couldn't 364 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,240 help but boast about how Guy has supported them. 365 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,000 That's the Lord. Answer it. 366 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,600 We're talking about missions. If you're looking for a sign 367 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,880 today, that's it. Go. 368 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,320 What I want you to see here is that we talked about truth. 369 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:31,960 And remember, to John, truth and love are connected. 370 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,600 Gaius has shown this gushing, overwhelming love for these 371 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,640 strangers, these missionaries who have come out to preach the 372 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,720 Gospel. He's been loving to them. 373 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,760 Not only is he walking in the truth, but he demonstrates 374 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,040 hospitality. This love has changed. 375 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,480 This truth has changed him. What I want you to see is that 376 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,400 the truth about Jesus is transformational. 377 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,800 It's transformational. You cannot have a true 378 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,040 relationship with Jesus without being loving. 379 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,640 It's been said that the journey of Christianity is a matter of 380 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:11,160 inches from the mind to the heart, from the mind to the 381 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:13,560 heart, that we will be changed from the inside out. 382 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:17,240 Saving knowledge of the truth about Jesus, if it's true, 383 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,360 should result in a radical love for people around you. 384 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,840 Consider John the Apostle himself, this guy. 385 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,800 Remember Jesus and his buddies, the apostles? 386 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:32,200 They nicknamed him a son of Thunder, him and his twin 387 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,880 brother James. They're called the sons of 388 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,000 Thunder because they're brash, they're loud, they're 389 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,880 courageous. This is the same guy who in Luke 390 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:48,040 9, when he sees the crowds, the multitudes coming to Jesus to be 391 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:53,520 fed with bread, he tells Jesus, Lord, dude, it's been a long 392 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,920 day, send the people home so they can eat. 393 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,360 Jesus looks at him and says, hey, I'm not going to do that. 394 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:05,480 You feed them, you feed them. This is the same guy who on a 395 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:10,000 journey to Samaria with Jesus, he sees these people baptizing 396 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,840 in the name of Jesus, and he says, hey, they're not with us. 397 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,640 They can't do that. They can't baptize. 398 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,560 Lord, do you want me to tell him to stop it? 399 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:23,160 Jesus says John, leave him alone bro, he was not against us. 400 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:28,800 As for us, this is the same guy who on that way they get to the 401 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,280 village of Samaria and it says the village of Samaria doesn't 402 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,000 receive Jesus. They reject him. 403 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,880 John in his anger says, Lord say the word right now I'll call 404 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,280 down fire from heaven, Let me call down fire from heaven. 405 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,120 Let me destroy them, Jesus, says John. 406 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:49,200 Relax, buddy. This is the very same guy who 407 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,080 all of a sudden is calling Gaius, my beloved, my son in the 408 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,320 faith. It's a great thing you're doing 409 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,920 for these strangers and loving people. 410 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:02,080 How does he go from this brash son of Thunder to this big 411 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,400 softy? The modern day equivalent to 412 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:11,440 that a brother I love in the in the faith is is Rudy Rudy's a 413 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,200 big softy. The Lord has transformed his 414 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,000 heart. He's so good to you guys and and 415 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:18,920 if you're there, I love you, man. 416 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,920 The truth about Jesus, the gospel is transformational. 417 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:31,360 It should evoke love in US. And do you hear the tagline? 418 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:35,240 Does it sound familiar to you? It says it's a faithful thing 419 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,440 you do for these brothers, strangers as they are. 420 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:43,680 Does that sound familiar? That's the heart of Bridgetown. 421 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,400 That's the heart of Bridgetown. That's the tagline. 422 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:52,440 From strangers to family. From strangers to brothers. 423 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,440 From strangers to sisters. Question. 424 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,080 What changes the relationship dynamic. 425 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,760 Unity in the gospel. Unity in the gospel. 426 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,240 I don't know you. You don't know me. 427 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,080 If we were growing up together, we probably wouldn't be friends. 428 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:14,640 Why are we here today? Because what unites is our lives 429 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,960 have been changed by the gospel of Jesus and it should result in 430 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:24,120 love that comes out of us. That's like pitting a Bears fan 431 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:27,800 and a Green Bay Packer fan becoming best friends. 432 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,720 Brothers for you Green Bay pans, Green Bay fans, I'm sorry. 433 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:34,480 We'll pray for you after up here. 434 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,360 Unity in the gospel cultivates the family that belongs to one 435 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:46,280 another and loves immensely. Now, my friends, this world 436 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,800 outside those doors right now, they don't have that family. 437 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,440 They don't have that hope that you have, that unity that you 438 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,520 have. This world is bleak. 439 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,880 Our generation are. They're lonelier than ever. 440 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,960 If I see another Barnacle that says Gen. 441 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:10,920 Z, you know, is lonely, they're not doing. 442 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,080 You know, it's all over the place. 443 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:17,840 It seems month after month, people are on their phones. 444 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,960 Marriage rates are dropping. There's just a lack of love and 445 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,600 that lack of meaning outside these doors. 446 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,680 The world is bleak. My friends, non believers, watch 447 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:32,880 the way that the church loves one another. 448 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,440 They do and this is what Jesus says in John 13. 449 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,800 The world will know you're my disciples by the way you love 450 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,480 one. Another question for us is, are 451 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,880 we in unity for the truth? Are we in unity for the truth? 452 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,120 These non believers will also remember the way that the church 453 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:58,240 loves them. Does the love of God, the gift 454 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,040 of grace that you've received from him? 455 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:06,120 Does it motivate you for mission to go outside those doors today 456 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:08,920 and to carry this hope, this simple assurance that Kevin 457 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,240 talked about last week to people who need it? 458 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,560 Does it motivate you for that? A more urgent question for you, 459 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,880 Does the soon return of King Jesus, his second coming, give 460 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,920 you a sense of urgency to share the gospel? 461 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,840 Because this is part of that truth that we talked about 462 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,000 earlier that we must abide in the truths about Jesus. 463 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:35,920 A lot of the times, our gospel presentations, we leave this 464 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,000 part out. We forget he's coming again. 465 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:42,880 It's not that, oh, we're just going to wait till we die going 466 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,160 to be with him. No, He could come at any moment. 467 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,640 And this next time he comes, he's going to be a conquering 468 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,680 king. We don't want people in the 469 00:28:53,680 --> 00:29:00,680 world to face this without hope. Verse 6 will continue. 470 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,520 John says to Gaius, to these brothers, these strangers that 471 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,720 you've taken in, you've shown them love. 472 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,120 He says in verse 6, You will do well to send them on their 473 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:16,200 journey in a manner worthy of God, for they have gone out for 474 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:19,440 the sake of the name. Accepting nothing from the 475 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,360 Gentiles, John assures Gaius that his service to and 476 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,640 sacrifice for these brothers is never in vain. 477 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,080 Let me ask some of the church leadership here. 478 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,280 Does it feel like sometimes your efforts for these people are in 479 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:40,000 vain? Join the club, John says. 480 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,360 The guy is no, no, no. Your efforts are never in vain. 481 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,960 Guys is reminded of the mission at hand. 482 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,360 These missionaries have gone out for the sake of the name, for 483 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,240 the sake of the name. Now, for those of you who know 484 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,960 me, you know, I love to teach theology. 485 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,240 You know, I'm a pastor teacher at heart. 486 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,200 So here's your theology for today. 487 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,680 OK, I wanted to talk a brief aside on the name. 488 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,320 What does that mean? The name. 489 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,600 These people have gone out for the sake of the name or the name 490 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:12,680 of who? John. 491 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,120 Oh, the name. The name. 492 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:15,960 You get it. The name. 493 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:20,280 I want to walk you through the Old Testament Torah first, these 494 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:27,440 five books and show you how this name comes to be representative 495 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:31,880 of the very presence of God. OK, so starting in Genesis 496 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,080 chapter 4 and five, we're not going to read anything. 497 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:35,280 I'm going to mention them to you. 498 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:39,160 Go home and do your homework. Genesis chapter 4 and five, 499 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,720 humanity begins to call upon the name of the Lord. 500 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,720 You remember what happens? Adam and Eve sin. 501 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:49,200 They're exiled from the garden. Their sons foster that same sin. 502 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:54,800 Cain kills Abel, OK, God replaces Abel with another son. 503 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,920 His name is Seth. At the end of chapter 4, there's 504 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:02,200 this little tagline there. It says at that time people 505 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,440 began to call upon the name of the Lord. 506 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:06,840 They've been away from the garden now. 507 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,240 And in verse 26, at that time, people began to call upon the 508 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:14,400 name of the Lord. The sin, the curse of sin and 509 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,920 death has spread. And you see this simple refrain 510 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,560 over and over again in chapter 5. 511 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:24,840 And then they died, and then they died, and then they died. 512 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,480 Everybody makes a big deal in reading Genesis about all these 513 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,680 people live so, so long, like with those like 900 years old, 514 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:32,640 whatever. That's not the point of the 515 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,120 narrative. The point is every person ends 516 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,840 with the phrase and then they died and then they died. 517 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:47,440 You're going to die. Question that you felt in your 518 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,400 life that these people in Genesis chapter 4 are feeling. 519 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:55,640 God, do you see me? Do you see what's happening 520 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,760 here? Are you there because I'm alone? 521 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,520 I'm away from the garden. I need you. 522 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:05,360 Help me, please. That's what it means when there 523 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:07,120 it says they're calling upon the name of the Lord. 524 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,440 Somebody save me from this curse of death. 525 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,200 Fast forward to Exodus chapter 3. 526 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:19,200 God responds to humanity and reveals his name to the people 527 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,040 of God. You remember in the burning Bush 528 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,640 with Moses in the wilderness, Genesis, Exodus chapter 3, verse 529 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:31,760 14, God sees his family of Abraham, his people in darkness 530 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,440 of Egypt and in the burning Bush he meets Moses and he tells 531 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,120 Moses, Hey, go back to Egypt and free my people and then bring 532 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:39,720 him here to this land and they're going to worship me 533 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,040 here. Moses responds with I can't just 534 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:44,640 say that. Who do I say send me? 535 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:49,080 What's your name? And Exodus 314 God responds and 536 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:54,800 says I am who I am. And he said say this to the 537 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,640 people of Israel. The I am has sent you. 538 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,080 What is God's name? I am who I am. 539 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,440 It's a statement of self existence. 540 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,640 I'm the self existent God. Nobody created me. 541 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:11,600 Nobody will be after me. It is I He gives him the divine 542 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,760 name, the Tetragrammaton. For you Bible nerds out there, 543 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,160 YHWH. Now understand the Old 544 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,960 Testament. In the Old Script, the ancient 545 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,000 script of Hebrew, there was no consonants. 546 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:25,520 Oh, I'm sorry, there was no vowels. 547 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,440 There's only consonants. So that name that he reveals to 548 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,640 them is YHWH. There's no way to vocalize it. 549 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,480 It's just consonants. It's a statement of self 550 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,720 existence. The way we get the the the name 551 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:42,200 Yahweh, where we get that from is there's another word called 552 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,800 Adonai, which means Lord. All they did was in order to 553 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,960 show reverence, take the vowels from Adonai and put them in 554 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,160 between YHWH. That becomes Yahweh. 555 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,040 So there's some Bible trivia for you. 556 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,880 Another way that they talk about the the divine name, because it 557 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,840 was so revered, they didn't utter it. 558 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:03,960 Whenever they'd see in their ancient script, they wouldn't 559 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,360 say the name Yahweh. What they'd say is Hashem, 560 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:11,360 Hashem. And what that literally means is 561 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:16,199 the name, the name Hashem means the name. 562 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:24,600 So Hashem Adonai, the name, the Lord Hashem, the name Moses on 563 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:30,159 Mount Sinai in chapter 34 of Exodus says Yahweh, God, show me 564 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:33,280 your glory, show me your glory, show me what you're like. 565 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,159 And it says there in verse 30, in chapter 34, verse 5, the Lord 566 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:41,560 descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed 567 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,600 the name of the Lord. And here's what he says. 568 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,360 The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to 569 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,239 anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping 570 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,280 steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and 571 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:59,000 transgression and sin, but who by no means clear the guilty 572 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,920 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the 573 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,640 children's children to the third and 4th generation. 574 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,320 All Moses asked for was show me your glory. 575 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,400 The way the Lord responds is I'm going to show you my name and 576 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,920 what it's like. Here's who my character is you. 577 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,000 Fast forward to the Leviticus, the book of Leviticus. 578 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,960 This name calls out to the people of God from a tent to 579 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:24,040 draw near. This holy God who just revealed 580 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,440 his character on the top of Mount Sinai, has now set up camp 581 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,640 in the middle of these unholy people, and he beckons them. 582 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:38,200 Come, come to the tent. Leviticus is a whole book 583 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,240 devoted entirely to holiness laws. 584 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:44,480 Because what happens when a holy God shows up amongst an unholy 585 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,560 people to have a relationship with them? 586 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:54,000 It's dangerous. You die, you must be holy. 587 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,640 As he is holy, you must approach him on his terms. 588 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,240 So the high priest, like what Kevin talked about last week, 589 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:04,960 high priest would in the tensive meeting in the Tabernacle, he 590 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:09,040 would wear these specialized pieces of equipment that God 591 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:12,000 commanded to approach him with. He would wear a breastplate and 592 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,800 in the breastplate is stones representing all 12 tribes of 593 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,480 Israel. The high priest would literally 594 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:21,760 bear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, the people of God 595 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:25,400 before the Lord. On his head he would wear a 596 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:31,360 turban, and on that turban it would say holy to the Lord, holy 597 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,680 to the Lord. He would say to the high priest 598 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,480 when it says holy to the Lord, You belong to me, you're my 599 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:42,400 people. Numbers chapter 6. 600 00:36:42,720 --> 00:36:44,800 The name blesses the people of God. 601 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,560 You remember Aaron's blessing, Aaron says, or Moses says that 602 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:51,160 Aaron is supposed to say in chapter 6. 603 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:53,800 Verse 24, the Lord bless you and keep you. 604 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,640 The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. 605 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,520 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 606 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:04,640 Verse 27 is the kicker that we often overlook. 607 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:09,200 So shall they put my name on my people. 608 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,360 So when Moses is reciting this blessing, the Lord bless you and 609 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:14,640 keep you. The Lord be gracious to you, 610 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,280 lift up his countenance to you. What it's doing is placing the 611 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,320 name of God on his people so that they bear the name. 612 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,880 And finally, the last book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, 613 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,280 Deuteronomy chapter 12, God instructs Moses to tell these 614 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,520 people that the name is going to dwell among you in the land. 615 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,080 When you get into the land, when you've cleared out all your 616 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,000 enemies, there's no more fighting. 617 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:42,560 You're going to build a temple, You're going to build a place 618 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,560 where my people will journey to meet me, my presence. 619 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,360 And he says, but you shall seek the place that the Lord your God 620 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,960 will choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, to 621 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:57,200 put his name. Where am I going with this? 622 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,520 Well, here's the biblical sense of the name. 623 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:04,440 The name does three things. It identifies that God is unlike 624 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:08,080 any other God. It demonstrates his character 625 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,680 that he is holy, He's perfect in all his ways. 626 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:17,400 And then finally, his name demonstrates that he is present. 627 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,720 He is present wherever his name dwells. 628 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,480 In the same way he puts his name on his people. 629 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:29,240 He dwells with his people. God's name is given to his 630 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:32,160 people because wherever his name is, they're his presence is. 631 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:35,480 So we move forward to the New Testament, and here's the 632 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,440 payoff. This dude, Jesus of Nazareth, 633 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:43,200 comes and says some interesting things on purpose, poking the 634 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,640 eyes of the Pharisees and the scribes and the religious 635 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:48,720 leaders of the day. John chapter 1. 636 00:38:48,720 --> 00:38:50,280 He's baptized in the Jordan River. 637 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:53,640 There's a divine voice from heaven. 638 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:57,640 As the clouds open, the divine voice speaks and thunders and 639 00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:02,520 says, this is him. This is my son in whom I'm more 640 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:06,520 pleased. It identifies him as bearing the 641 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:12,000 name John chapter 14. Philip says, Lord, would you 642 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,640 show us the Father? Would you show us the Father? 643 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,120 Jesus responds. Philip, have you been with me 644 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,360 this whole this whole time, all this time you still don't get 645 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,960 it. He who has seen me has seen the 646 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,440 Father. Jesus revealed the holy 647 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:33,080 character of God, John chapter 2, standing in front of the 648 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,800 temple. He says, destroy this temple and 649 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:39,520 I will raise it up in three days. 650 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,360 Now, what is the temple? The place where the name of God 651 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,840 is, the place where his presence dwells. 652 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:48,800 And it says it clarifies that the temple he was talking about 653 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:50,760 was the temple of his body. Do you know what he's saying 654 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:52,880 there? Jesus becomes a place where the 655 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,040 presence of God dwells. It's in him. 656 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,440 And then finally, John, chapter 8, my favorite of all. 657 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:02,720 When the Pharisees say by whose authority do you do this? 658 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:04,880 Who is your father? Where do you come from? 659 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:12,800 He responds and says before Abraham was I am that divine 660 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:15,720 name Yahweh. They knew exactly what he was 661 00:40:15,720 --> 00:40:17,080 saying. This is why they picked up 662 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,560 stones to kill him. So if you ever hear it parodied 663 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,280 that Jesus never claimed to be God, he did on multiple 664 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:26,080 occasions. He flat out says it here that I 665 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,000 share the same name of God. I'm the I am. 666 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:34,320 The presence of God dwells fully in Jesus because he is one in 667 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:38,680 the same with the Father. He is God and the most marvelous 668 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:42,960 thing. John chapter 17, the night Jesus 669 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:46,240 is betrayed after the Last Supper, where do they go? 670 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:50,160 They go to the garden to pray. And in John 17 we see the true 671 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:54,000 Lord's Prayer, the true high priestly prayer, the very last 672 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,000 night of Jesus on this earth. Here's what he's doing. 673 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:59,760 John 17. Go read it when you get home. 674 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:06,560 Verse 6 We see Him praying to the Father in agony, great drops 675 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:08,920 of blood because of what He's about to endure on the cross. 676 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,480 And the very last thing He thinks about is You and I. 677 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:16,440 And here's what He says. Verse 6 I have manifested Your 678 00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:18,960 name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. 679 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:23,160 Yours they were. You gave them to me, and they've 680 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:27,120 kept Your word. Verse 11 I am no longer in the 681 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,520 world, in the world, but they are in the world, and I am 682 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:33,920 coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your 683 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:38,920 name, which you have given me, that they may be 1 even as we 684 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,120 are one. Verse 17 Sanctify them in your 685 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,200 truth. Your word is truth. 686 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:49,440 As You sent me into the world, so I send them into the world, 687 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:54,080 and for the sake and for their sake, I consecrate myself that 688 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:56,160 they may also be sanctified into the truth. 689 00:41:58,040 --> 00:41:59,800 What's the payoff? Where am I going with this? 690 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:04,200 In the garden? The very last thing Jesus does 691 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:06,960 before he dies is transfer the name to you. 692 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,680 The same name that he bared that revealed the Father. 693 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:14,040 His prayer to the Father is Father. 694 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,200 I've revealed and I've manifested their name to you. 695 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,880 Keep them in your name. I'm coming to you, but they're 696 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,680 staying here. You believers now bear his name. 697 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:29,240 You belong to God. You think back to Hebrews 10, 698 00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:30,640 what Kevin talked about last week, right? 699 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:34,280 The high priest entering with access to God the Father. 700 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:36,320 He's your high priest. Guess what? 701 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:39,200 Now that you belong to God, you've been commissioned as a 702 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:43,600 priesthood. The reason you have access to 703 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:46,400 God the Father is your now a priest that bears his name. 704 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:50,320 In the same way, in the book of Leviticus, the high priest would 705 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:53,480 bear holy to the Lord. You now bear the name. 706 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,440 You are the temple where his presence dwells. 707 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,200 And this temple, my friends, is mobile. 708 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:03,280 It's not just the Sunday gathering, it's everywhere. 709 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:06,920 You are the temple. What's the implication then? 710 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:13,600 How we live matters. How we live matters because we 711 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:18,480 uphold the reputation of His name by pursuing holiness. 712 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:25,040 I can't take another influencing Christian getting caught in 713 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:31,040 adultery or something. Oh, it's just it's a moral 714 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:35,560 failure. It should never be because his 715 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:38,640 name is upon his people and and put at stake. 716 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:43,080 We uphold the reputation of his name by the pursuing of holiness 717 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:46,560 as well. We expand the dominion of his 718 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:48,840 name through missions and evangelism. 719 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:54,520 Acts chapter 4 verse 12, Paul writes there is no other name 720 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:58,560 under heaven given among men by which you must be saved. 721 00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:01,200 There it is again, the name Paul's picking up on it too. 722 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,600 Jesus, the name of Jesus. He's the only one that can save 723 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:06,600 and you and I bear that name now. 724 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:10,040 So guess what that means every interaction you have with a non 725 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:13,320 believer outside these doors, at that moment, they're 726 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:17,920 encountering God through you. They're encountering God through 727 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,240 you. Are you angry at the world? 728 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:24,920 Are you frustrated with them because they're so dark? 729 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:27,680 I can't believe they're doing this. 730 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:33,920 The kids these days will never Why are we so appalled and 731 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:35,920 shocked when the world acts like the world? 732 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:39,480 You've been called out of the world so that you don't act like 733 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,200 that anymore, but you're you're commissioned back into the world 734 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:46,960 to show them the love of Christ that they would be brought out 735 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:55,720 of the world as well. Last, last part verse 8, John 736 00:44:55,800 --> 00:45:01,520 ends his direction to Gaius by saying, therefore, we ought to 737 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:06,040 support people like these that we may be fellow workers for the 738 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,280 truth, a fellow worker for the truth. 739 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:11,920 Bridgetown Church. Through our hospitality, 740 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:16,640 generosity and love for one another, we become united in the 741 00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:21,560 mission at hand. God invites each one of you into 742 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:25,440 partnership with Him. He wants you to respond to his 743 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:28,040 calling and bear the name where only you can bear it. 744 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:34,720 Here's what I mean by that. Pastor Casey, Rudy, Dave, they 745 00:45:34,720 --> 00:45:44,560 don't work where you work. Uncle Led, who is Antichrist. 746 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,000 They'll probably never get to talk to him, but you can 747 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,080 missions isn't just the job of the pastor in the leadership, 748 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,040 it's you. You are the temple, you're the 749 00:45:57,040 --> 00:46:00,800 body and this is the Great Commission these Jesus is 750 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:03,160 parting words before he is sentenced to heaven is the Great 751 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:07,760 Commission in chapter 28 of Matthew he says to them all 752 00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:10,280 authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 753 00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:14,680 Go there for and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 754 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:18,880 in the There it is again, the name of the Father, the Son, and 755 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:21,360 the Holy Spirit. I've given you the name. 756 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:22,960 You go baptize people in my name. 757 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:26,440 Now make them one, as you and I are one. 758 00:46:26,720 --> 00:46:29,680 We are to preach, teach, and baptize into the name of the 759 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,760 Triune God. Now listen how the Faith Life 760 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:37,680 Study Bible talks about the Great Commission. 761 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:40,320 It says this. It says many Christians embrace 762 00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,960 one particular Commission of Jesus without considering the 763 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:44,560 context of the original audience. 764 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:48,880 It's helpful to understand that the Great Commission in context 765 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:50,560 of which the Commission was given. 766 00:46:51,240 --> 00:46:54,120 Jesus is original. Heroes understood that in giving 767 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:58,280 the Great Commission, Jesus was making a paradigm shift in 768 00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:01,200 regards to missions. You see in the Old Testament 769 00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:04,800 depicts a clear God-given vision that the nations would come to 770 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:06,920 Jerusalem to worship with the one true God. 771 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:12,320 It was very centripetal from the edges, the nations to the 772 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:14,480 center, which is the temple in Jerusalem. 773 00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:20,520 Jesus is explaining now that his people need to go out and he 774 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:23,600 will go with him. Something shifted. 775 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:27,960 The mission is no longer centripetal but centrifugal. 776 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:31,960 So rather than bringing the nations to Jerusalem, the people 777 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:35,520 went out from Jerusalem. They went out from Jerusalem to 778 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:37,960 Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. 779 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:42,320 The Great Commission is the backbone of missions and 780 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:47,240 expresses God's express desire to be praised by everyone all 781 00:47:47,240 --> 00:47:50,040 over the world. But God still desires us to 782 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:56,520 reach our neighbor. John tells Gaius that when you 783 00:47:56,520 --> 00:48:00,440 support these missionaries, your partakers, your fellow workers 784 00:48:00,440 --> 00:48:02,920 in the mission at hand, you are fulfilling the Great Commission. 785 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:06,640 And I want to say in a side real quick about financial giving, 786 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:10,960 about tithing, financial giving support, that's what he's that's 787 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:13,320 what John's mentioning here. When you house these brothers, 788 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:16,600 when you provide hospitality, when you financially support 789 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:18,120 them, you are engaging in the mission. 790 00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:21,480 A little aside, because it's necessary on financial giving 791 00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:25,720 out of the gate. There is no New Testament 792 00:48:25,720 --> 00:48:28,200 mandate for giving a specific amount financially. 793 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,240 There just isn't. So if you ever hear any pastors 794 00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:34,560 say, oh, it's commander in the Bible to give, that's not. 795 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,320 This is an old covenant practice for the Israelites to support 796 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:41,160 the tribe of Levi because they don't get any land allotment. 797 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:44,840 They are mine. So the people would support 798 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,520 them. The other 11 tribes would 799 00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:51,400 provide their every need because the tribe of Levi, the tribe of 800 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:53,120 Levi was to take care of the temple. 801 00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:56,080 They don't get any land. No land means no sheep. 802 00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:58,840 No sheep means no farm. No farm means no income. 803 00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:03,720 They're the Bible nerds of the day, if you will, who dedicate 804 00:49:03,720 --> 00:49:05,840 their lives to seminary and preaching the gospel. 805 00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:10,200 So because of that, God says the other 11 tribes, you're going to 806 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,840 take a tie that 10% of your first fruits and you're going to 807 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:14,040 support the work of the ministry. 808 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:16,880 It's old covenant. There is no New Testament 809 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,520 mandate for giving a specific amount. 810 00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:24,280 There is, however, a mandate on evangelism and Commission and 811 00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,520 missions. There's a mandate on it. 812 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:31,200 Go therefore and make disciples. It's a command God has chosen to 813 00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:35,720 reach people through people. And the expectation is that 814 00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:40,200 Christians would have a heart of generosity because they've been 815 00:49:40,200 --> 00:49:43,520 given so much. And that includes your finances, 816 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:48,040 that includes your time, that includes all the resources that 817 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:51,080 God has given you. A heart of generosity where 818 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:56,560 grace fills you and flows out of you to other people. 2nd 819 00:49:56,560 --> 00:49:58,520 Corinthians 9, Chapter 7, Paul writes. 820 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:01,400 Each one must give as he's decided in his heart, not 821 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:06,360 reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 822 00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:10,440 When we give financially to faithful churches and 823 00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:14,040 missionaries, we enter into the work of the ministry and become 824 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,880 partners on the field, on the mission field, for the sake of 825 00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:20,040 the gospel. Where? 826 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:23,520 What's the end of the story? What's the point of today's 827 00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:24,920 sermon? Well, here it is. 828 00:50:25,080 --> 00:50:27,560 As I as I end here, I'll invite the worship team up. 829 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:32,640 Missions is the reason that the trust exists. 830 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:37,080 We're to preach the gospel, fulfilling the Great Commission. 831 00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:41,800 If there is a church not engaging in missions, at some 832 00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:45,160 level we should question if it's a church at all. 833 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:52,360 It's just a gathering of people. Missions is to be both global 834 00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:56,240 and local. Some of you are going to be 835 00:50:56,240 --> 00:51:00,680 called overseas to bear the name, but some of you are going 836 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:03,560 to be called across the street to bear the name. 837 00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:07,400 Yet all, without exception, are called. 838 00:51:08,320 --> 00:51:11,280 All of us are called to play a part in the Great Commission. 839 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:16,360 Last week we sent out Kaden. This week we sent out Lindsay. 840 00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:20,840 In both cases, we invited elders and leaders to come up to what 841 00:51:21,320 --> 00:51:25,080 lay hands on them. Sound an awful lot like putting 842 00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:29,800 the name on them, right? When you lay hands on somebody, 843 00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:31,840 when you're praying for somebody, you're telling them my 844 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:33,920 presence is going with you and I'm going to support you. 845 00:51:34,240 --> 00:51:37,160 I am on this mission with you. I am here for you. 846 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:41,440 That's exactly what the church is to do. 847 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:46,040 Theologian and reformed pastor John Piper, he puts it this way. 848 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:52,400 He UPS the bar and I love it. His famous phrase goes like 849 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:53,600 this. There are three types of 850 00:51:53,600 --> 00:52:01,160 Christians, those who are sent, those who are sending, and then 851 00:52:01,160 --> 00:52:07,560 those who are disobedient. It lays the gauntlet down. 852 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:12,440 When you became a believer, the name of God was placed upon you. 853 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:16,240 Jesus places his name on you and his expectation is that you 854 00:52:16,240 --> 00:52:22,520 would go, go represent my name. That doesn't mean you're going 855 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:25,120 to be called across the nation, across the globe. 856 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:27,920 Maybe you can support financially. 857 00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:31,480 Maybe you can support somebody with resources, food, clothing, 858 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:34,800 hospitality to open up your home to traveling missionaries like I 859 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:37,760 just did. You're called to play a part in 860 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:41,680 the mission at hand. You have a personal mission 861 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:48,280 field. Spouses, husband and wives 862 00:52:48,880 --> 00:52:51,480 remind each other of the gospel and prayer and reading. 863 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:55,400 Remain faithful and grow in love together. 864 00:52:56,360 --> 00:53:01,040 That's your mission to your spouse, parents. 865 00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:05,440 Your mission field is a little, but it's powerful. 866 00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:09,960 Live the gospel to your children and prepare to launch your 867 00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:12,160 little arrows into the world for the sake of the name. 868 00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:18,600 Stay at home, mom struggling mom struggling dad. 869 00:53:20,240 --> 00:53:22,400 I know a lot of people don't see what you're going through, but 870 00:53:22,400 --> 00:53:25,680 the Lord sees and your effort is never in vain. 871 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:31,120 You as a mom, when you pour into your children, preach the gospel 872 00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:34,080 of Jesus, live it out. You are engaging in missions 873 00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:37,120 because those kids may go farther than you ever will, and 874 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:42,840 that's the desire. Singles, you are free. 875 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:47,960 You're not tied down. Singles, you are free to travel, 876 00:53:48,200 --> 00:53:52,120 to take the gospel to multiple far off places, and to walk with 877 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:54,320 many different people through the trials of life. 878 00:53:56,000 --> 00:53:58,320 Understand what I'm trying to get you to see is a grander 879 00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:02,160 vision for your life, that your vocation is mission, your 880 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:06,920 marriage and parenting are missions, and yes, even your 881 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:09,560 suffering Church, your suffering is missions. 882 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:17,120 Nothing is ever wasted under God's sovereign hand. 2025 was 883 00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:20,440 hard for most of you. There's a lot of suffering going 884 00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:23,120 on. You lost people that were close 885 00:54:23,120 --> 00:54:25,800 to you, relationships broke. Your body broke. 886 00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:34,200 It was given to you for a reason so that you would cultivate a 887 00:54:34,200 --> 00:54:37,560 heart of love, lean on the truth and take it and bless somebody 888 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:39,560 else with it because you've been there before. 889 00:54:41,040 --> 00:54:43,840 You are God's chosen means of reclaiming the nation's from 890 00:54:43,840 --> 00:54:52,200 darkness, sin, and death for the Saints you believers in. 891 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:55,040 Here, I'll end with this. Some of you've been wrestling 892 00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:59,760 with this call to missions. Maybe you came in today like I 893 00:54:59,760 --> 00:55:02,120 just need a sign. God send me a sign. 894 00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:04,600 All this is it. This is your sign. 895 00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:07,200 Some of you've been wrestling with the call to missions. 896 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:11,320 Just respond. Just respond to the call and 897 00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:12,560 take a step and trust in the Lord. 898 00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:20,280 Your church here loves you, they're called to support you 899 00:55:20,360 --> 00:55:25,200 and they will faithfully do it. The Sunday gathering isn't about 900 00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:27,440 learning anything new, it's about commissioning each other 901 00:55:27,440 --> 00:55:29,520 back into the world to bear witness about the truth. 902 00:55:30,240 --> 00:55:36,200 You have a personal mission field for the non believer you 903 00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:38,800 who have yet to take the name of Jesus as yours. 904 00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:42,880 Some of you have been wrestling with God calling you to himself. 905 00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:47,080 You feel like you don't have a place to belong. 906 00:55:48,720 --> 00:55:50,800 You don't even know if any of this is true or not. 907 00:55:51,720 --> 00:55:55,400 But there's something tugging this morning. 908 00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:58,200 I want to bear a witness about his name, about the name 909 00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:05,960 revealed in Jesus. Jesus, he's God in the flesh. 910 00:56:07,640 --> 00:56:11,120 He comes down for two reasons only. 911 00:56:11,480 --> 00:56:17,240 John says in his letters to do away with sin and to destroy the 912 00:56:17,240 --> 00:56:20,000 works of the devil. Some of you are really 913 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:21,840 struggling with things in your life right now and you feel like 914 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:24,400 you're in darkness. Jesus has a light in that 915 00:56:24,400 --> 00:56:27,520 darkness. He lives the perfect life that 916 00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:31,800 you should have lived perfectly, and then He goes to the cross to 917 00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:33,880 die on your behalf because of your sin. 918 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:37,280 Every stupid thing you've done over and over and over again, 919 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:38,720 every. I'm not going to do it anymore, 920 00:56:38,720 --> 00:56:39,760 Lord. I'm not going to do it anymore. 921 00:56:39,760 --> 00:56:42,320 I can quit at any time. He takes that upon himself, a 922 00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:47,560 perfect sacrifice, and dies in your place, taking the curse of 923 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:51,600 death because you can't. Three days later he rises again 924 00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:56,400 from the dead in victory, saying sin paid for it. 925 00:56:56,400 --> 00:57:02,600 The curse of death is lifted. I'm alive forever more if you 926 00:57:02,600 --> 00:57:05,200 would believe in me. Take my name upon yourself and 927 00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:07,240 be transformed. I will be your God and you will 928 00:57:07,240 --> 00:57:09,440 be my people. I will give you the blocking and 929 00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:13,440 I will unite you with my family who have I've redeemed before. 930 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:17,400 This is the gospel of Jesus. Jesus, perfect life, 931 00:57:17,760 --> 00:57:21,800 substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, his 932 00:57:21,800 --> 00:57:24,720 ascension and his soon return. He's here and he loves you. 933 00:57:26,600 --> 00:57:29,200 We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us 934 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:31,360 in person every Sunday at 10:30 AM. 935 00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:33,760 For more information and updates, visit 936 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:36,400 wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll 937 00:57:36,400 --> 00:57:37,200 see you next week.