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 --> 00:00:12,960 Let's dive in. I want to ask you a question 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,400 today, and that is, Are you ready? 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:22,480 If there was ever a time that we should be ready as the Church of 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,560 Jesus Christ or a person who needs to come to Jesus Christ, 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,520 it is today. It is in this urgent moment, in 9 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:35,160 this time that I believe that as the church we should actually be 10 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,240 ready. Truth be told, Lisa and I have 11 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,520 entered into a very amazing season. 12 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,680 We have entered into children now being in our in their 20s 13 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,920 all the way down to a child who is still 10 years old. 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,040 And what I have found in the lessons that I'm learning as I'm 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,840 raising our children, as we are raising our children, is this. 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,800 It's a lesson that we've been posing, especially on the Lord's 17 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:11,240 Day on Sunday, and that is this, are you not just waking up, but 18 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,120 are you getting up? And this is a lesson and a 19 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:20,560 question that constantly pops up in our house on Sunday, and that 20 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:28,000 is, Are you ready? Are you ready? 21 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,040 I've been teaching my kids that they could be aware of their 22 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,320 alarm clock. They can have an attitude about 23 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:39,600 their alarm clock, but they better act on that alarm clock. 24 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,000 Nothing is worse than one of my sons telling me as he's been 25 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:50,000 laying in bed until the early afternoon that dad, I was 26 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,840 actually awake, I just didn't get up. 27 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,520 And I think that is sometimes how the church has functioned. 28 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,200 We are actually awakened with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but 29 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,600 we are not getting up for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 30 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,440 You see there, there is a radical difference that you can 31 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,640 know the time, you can have the time, but you don't utilize the 32 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:19,640 time that God has given to you. And I want you to really 33 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:23,800 consider this question, Are you ready? 34 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,040 Because on that day when you stand before the Lord, it is 35 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,200 appointed on demand to die once. And then after this comes the 36 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,680 judgement of God. Are you ready for that? 37 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,360 Are you ready to stand before a holy God that the Bible says is 38 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,800 a consuming fire? Are you ready? 39 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,600 Are you holding on to so much of this world that you will be 40 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,680 dragging behind you into glory a bunch of shadows of the past? 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,640 I want you to consider this question, if this was your last 42 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:57,360 day that you would breathe your last upon this planet and enter 43 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:03,120 into eternity, Are you ready? I believe the scripture sounds 44 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,720 the alarm for all of us If you're taking note that we'd be 45 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,080 people that are ready. The Bible says loud and clear in 46 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:15,800 Matthew 24 verse 44. Therefore you also Jesus said 47 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,560 must be ready. The apostle Paul wrote in first 48 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:25,560 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13, he said I want you to be 49 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,080 watchful. In first Peter chapter one verse 50 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:34,880 13, Peter writes these words, therefore preparing your minds 51 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,880 for action. Now notice what Paul said again 52 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:44,000 in Romans 13 verse 11. Besides, you know the time that 53 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:50,760 the hour has come for you to wake from sleep and it is today 54 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,320 that we read in our Bibles in Romans chapter 12, verse one. 55 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,160 Therefore Paul says, I beseech you. 56 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:04,400 Therefore, there there, there is within this moment an urgency 57 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:11,120 that we really live out what God has invested into us in our 58 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,760 salvation. Because I really believe that we 59 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:18,480 miss the meaningful moments when we open our eyes but we fail to 60 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,880 stand to our feet. I think in the church many times 61 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,280 we can find that in our lives that that we know that it's time 62 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:32,440 to wake up, but we choose to lay our head down rather than allow 63 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,320 our heart to be lifted up. I love what John Stott wrote in 64 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,680 his book. He said we must allow the word 65 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:45,000 of God to confront us, to disturb our security and to 66 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:50,040 undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of 67 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,920 thought and behavior. God is up to something. 68 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,760 And what God is up to is raising up dead people in the new life 69 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,600 to offer more dead people new life in Jesus Christ. 70 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,480 And I believe it's time as a church that we really not just 71 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,840 have repentance and revival, but we have what Jesus said is salt 72 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:15,360 and light, and that is the resistance for the glory of God. 73 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,480 The apostle Paul would say that God is up to something in Romans 74 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,720 chapter 12. And the question is not will God 75 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,520 use you? The real question is when will 76 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,160 God use you? And in that moment I want to be 77 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:31,240 ready. Why? 78 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,320 Because I'm not a monument for earth, I'm a movement for 79 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,600 heaven. And God has called me to this 80 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,440 place and he's equipped me for this place. 81 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:46,440 Because we're the people of God, saved by the power of God-given 82 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,280 the word of God, representing the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 83 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:56,480 Are you ready for what God has in your life? 84 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,800 You remember that old song that used to by Keith Green? 85 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,320 He used to sing the world as sleeping in the dark that the 86 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:08,000 church just can't fight because they're asleep in the light. 87 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,360 The question is not is God working today? 88 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,800 The question is, are you obeying God today? 89 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,640 You see as we come to Romans chapter 12, this is the apostle 90 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,280 Paul on mission. This is the apostle Paul 91 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:26,720 speaking to Christians. This is the Apostle Paul giving 92 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:33,840 to the church in Rome his and God's aim of glory for all of 93 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:36,360 their lives. The Apostle Paul was a 94 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,160 missionary. I wonder if you would consider 95 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,280 yourself a missionary or a mission field. 96 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,560 I wonder if you're actively changing the temperature in the 97 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,920 room or the room is changing the temperature of you. 98 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,840 I know there's potential in this room. 99 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,240 I know that we've come to a spot in our lives where God is 100 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,880 raising you up and He's giving you gifts and He's calling you 101 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:03,640 to use these for His glory. I remind you not of Paul's words 102 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:08,840 only, but my mom's words. She said I'm ready to go and I 103 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,880 want all of us without any regret to be people that would 104 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:18,560 be willing to say I am ready to go no matter what happens in my 105 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,000 life, no matter where I go, no matter what what I have to say, 106 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:28,440 I am ready for Jesus's return. You see in Romans chapter 12, it 107 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,760 is our alarm clock. It is Paul switching from from 108 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,120 the doctrine of what he has just went through in Romans chapter 1 109 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,520 all the way through Romans Chapter 11. 110 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:44,240 He states the 1st 4 words in the verse. 111 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,640 I beseech you therefore, therefore someone is once said 112 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,120 is one of the most beautiful words in all of scripture 113 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,760 because it connects your doctrine to your duty. 114 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,000 It connects your behavior to your belief. 115 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:06,040 It connects the creed to the conduct by which we should all 116 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,720 be living. Notice what Paul says He says, I 117 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,560 beseech you that this is this is meaning that this is an urgent 118 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,160 request. If you're taking note this, this 119 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:22,440 is a not just an urgent request. This is an anxious plea. 120 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,120 This is what 1 scholar said is the big bag. 121 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,960 If we put it in medical terms, this is code blue. 122 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:37,000 I'm calling you to act upon this because Paul says you have been 123 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,280 justified because you were once condemned and now you were 124 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,400 cleansed because you've been sanctified, because you have 125 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,160 experienced death from the first Adam and now you've experienced 126 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,880 life from the second Adam. Therefore now because you have 127 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,720 all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 128 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,600 We know that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God 129 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,000 is the eternal life in Christ Jesus. 130 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:08,080 Therefore now because God has demonstrated his love toward us 131 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,000 and while we were yet sinners. Therefore now because we've 132 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,240 realized that apart from Jesus. O wretched man that I am, who 133 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,800 can save me from this body of sin and death. 134 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,280 Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord. 135 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,760 Therefore now because in Romans chapter 8. 136 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:32,400 If God is for us, who can be against us Therefore, now 137 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,040 knowing that nothing can separate me from the love of 138 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,720 Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 12, I 139 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:45,720 beseech you, therefore this movement should move you. 140 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,920 This should be something that is Paul is saying that this is a 141 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,440 movement in your own heart first. 142 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,960 And I think the problem often times with myself is I want to 143 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,480 see people moved without me being moved first. 144 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,120 Paul says I'm beseeching you as the church in Rome. 145 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:10,360 I want you to understand that all of your condemnation, your 146 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,720 justification, your sanctification, your election, 147 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,200 your predestination means nothing without transformation 148 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,960 in your life. And thus Paul says, I beseech 149 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,960 you, this is teenager like, like like your parents telling you 150 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,960 for the last time, not just giving you your first name, but 151 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,200 your first, middle and last name, that that's the word 152 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,440 beseech. If I put it in those terms, that 153 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,360 this is the term for us to move in a direction. 154 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,000 And what is the direction that we are called to move in? 155 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,600 God has called us to be people who don't just wake up, but they 156 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,160 actually get up. Are you ready? 157 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,920 Are you ready? Are you ready to be sensitive to 158 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,560 the moving of the Holy Spirit at Stater Brothers? 159 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,360 Are you ready to pause long enough in the parking lot that 160 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,040 you're not frustrated at the person that took your parking 161 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,400 space, but maybe you go and see it as an opportunity to pray for 162 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,640 somebody? Do you walk into your job ready 163 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:21,280 with joy on Monday, and on Tuesday you walk into your house 164 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,280 not frustrated that things aren't in order or they don't 165 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:29,040 meet your expectation, but you're actually carrying the 166 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:33,120 fruit of the Holy Spirit of gentleness and peace and 167 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,760 long-suffering and kindness and goodness and gentleness and this 168 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:41,600 last one, self-control. Are you ready? 169 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:47,080 And Paul says we can be ready. Why? 170 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:49,120 Because we're going to be a people. 171 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:50,960 If you write this down, we're going to be a people who live 172 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,440 sacrificially. Do you know people? 173 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,000 We exist to reach people where they are and connect them to 174 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,440 everything that God has for their life in Christ Jesus. 175 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:00,840 Because we're a people who live sacrificially. 176 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,080 Do you know this, this, this statement? 177 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,640 We exist to reach people where they are and to connect them to 178 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,560 everything that God has for their life in Christ Jesus is 179 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:11,960 because we're going to be a people who live sacrificially. 180 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,200 Can I just say that again, do you know the statement we exist 181 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,560 to reach people where they are and connect them to everything 182 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:22,320 that God has for their life in Christ Jesus is because we're 183 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,840 going to be a people that live sacrificially. 184 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,040 Notice what Paul says. He says I beseech you. 185 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,680 Therefore, brethren, he's writing to the brethren or the 186 00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:34,280 sisters. What would I like to say is this 187 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:37,080 is that we are because we're born again into the family of 188 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,560 God. We're sibs from different cribs 189 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:42,840 who might be brothers from another mother. 190 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,600 But, but, but listen, we've been all washed in the blood of 191 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:48,160 Jesus. You like country and other 192 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,880 person likes rock, but we're brothers in Jesus Christ. 193 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,440 Some of you like hip hop, some of you like R&B, but we're 194 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,520 brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. 195 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,640 We all might have different views of different things, but 196 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,920 we're brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. 197 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,080 Oh, how the church needs to hear these words. 198 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,320 I beseech you therefore, brethren, because many times 199 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,720 we're looking at the problems of the world without fixing the 200 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,480 problems that are in our own church. 201 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:21,320 And so Paul addresses the church at large in Rome because the 202 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,880 church at large in Rome was able to make a large impact in Rome 203 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,760 if they were willing to allow the judgment of God to 1st fall 204 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,960 in the House of God. And so he says, I beseech you 205 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,960 therefore, brethren, notice this by the mercies of God, No notice 206 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:44,120 that term by the mercies of God point Paul's pointing them back 207 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,760 to the mercy of God because God is sovereign, because God is 208 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,480 saving, because God is cleansing, because of the grace 209 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:58,280 of God, you were saved by that grace. 210 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:02,880 And now because of that saving power of God, I, I live 211 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,920 sacrificially in my life towards Jesus. 212 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,240 We like to put it this way here, because Jesus gave it all. 213 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:15,160 I give him my all because Jesus gave it all. 214 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:19,400 I give him my all, he says because of the mercies of God. 215 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:26,320 Notice this you that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. 216 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:27,960 Now. Now, if you would just stop 217 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:34,200 there in your Bible now, now Paul proclaims that we present 218 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:38,800 your bodies as a living sacrifice, that that literally 219 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:44,760 means that I'm bringing myself to the altar now. 220 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:48,400 Now that the Christians in Rome would understand this language 221 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,720 because the Apostle Paul was bringing them back to the Old 222 00:14:52,760 --> 00:15:01,400 Testament priestly language of sacrifice, this would often 223 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,040 happen in the temple or the Tabernacle. 224 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,840 There were different offerings all throughout the Old 225 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:10,840 Testament. There there was the burnt 226 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:16,320 offering that this was a gift of atonement for sin or for prayer 227 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,920 or for praise. There was the grain offering 228 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:23,000 that's mentioned in the Bible of a voluntary devotion to God for 229 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,240 his goodness. There was also in the Old 230 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:30,440 Testament a peace offering. This was an offering of of of of 231 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,840 us. If we've we needed our atonement 232 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:37,280 from our sin, we would bring peace as a as a sacrifice to the 233 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,720 Lord. We bring an animal, There was 234 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,440 the fellowship, a purification offering for forgiveness of our 235 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,640 sins. There was the guilt offering, 236 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,320 and there was the trespass offering. 237 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:53,040 There's many offerings that are mentioned here in the scripture, 238 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,160 but the word present there. Notice he says that you present 239 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,840 your bodies. You're not just bringing a 240 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:07,160 sacrifice, you've actually become the sacrifice to the 241 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,640 Lord. Notice this. 242 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,520 Presenting your body means that God wants you. 243 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,880 He just doesn't want your offering. 244 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:24,560 You are actually the offering that God wants. 245 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,800 This is what God says. Put all of yourself, all of your 246 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,360 brokenness, all of your bruising, all of your battered 247 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,720 blessed save self, your mind, your eyes, your mouth, your 248 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:42,760 hands, your feet. Hold nothing back as you hold on 249 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:49,240 for the glory of God. Presenting my body as a living 250 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:55,600 sacrifice means that I am willing to bring everything that 251 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,920 I am desire will to be back to Jesus Christ. 252 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,160 Why? Because the altar is the new 253 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,720 address for the person who has become born again. 254 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:14,839 Do you see, unless I come to the altar of God, my life will not 255 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:20,480 be altered. Are you ready to give it all? 256 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,119 We just had some friends that were messaging us, or not us, 257 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,319 but other people letting them know that on their trip to 258 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,560 Africa, as they were crossing the lake from where they were 259 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:39,600 into the Congo, that their ship, their their boat sank 3 1/2 260 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:44,280 miles from shore. It took hours for them to be 261 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,960 rescued. Are you willing? 262 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:56,360 Are you willing to risk that? Are you willing to give up your 263 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:00,760 own safety and your security for the cause of the gospel? 264 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,440 Are you willing to come to a place wondering one day will I 265 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:18,120 die here and live there? Am I willing to leave the path 266 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:27,120 of ease and enter in sometimes to a path that I have to endure 267 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,320 and not give up for the glory of God? 268 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:34,800 Paul says. I want you to present your 269 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,680 bodies as a living sacrifice. Now an altar. 270 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,760 I think sometimes in my life I want the altar to be filled with 271 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,880 pillows. I want the altar to be filled 272 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,480 with some bubble wrap around it. I want it to be soft and not 273 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,720 cutting. I want it to look a certain way, 274 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:57,120 but altars are normally bloody and messy and sometimes serving 275 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:00,920 the Lord, it could get messy. But listen, that's where the 276 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:06,480 miracle actually begins. We are really not ready to live, 277 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,440 Ruth Graham said, until we're ready to die. 278 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,720 There are only three people in all of Scripture that were 279 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,360 called to be a living sacrifice. Isaac in the book of Genesis, 280 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:25,320 Jesus in the Gospel, and you in Romans chapter 12. 281 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:32,560 And as we live this out, I love what the missionary said from 282 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:37,480 the Free Burma Rangers. He was asked this question, why 283 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:43,000 does he do what he does to go into these dangerous areas and 284 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,120 rescue people? And this is what he said. 285 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,960 He said, because that is what love calls me to do. 286 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:55,400 He says, what has love called you to do with your time, your 287 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,320 money, your family and your life? 288 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:06,040 Living sacrificially means that I'm willing to give up so people 289 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,680 can really go on. So how do I really live 290 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:10,560 sacrificially? I want you to realize some 291 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,320 things from Romans chapter 12, and that is this. 292 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,480 Whatever's placed on the altar, God raises up. 293 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,000 Whatever is placed on the altar, God raises up because we believe 294 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,920 in a theology of resurrection. So after death there is 295 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:30,680 resurrection, but you cannot experience resurrection without 296 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,240 death. And I think some of us want 297 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,000 resurrection, but we don't want the death. 298 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:41,520 And this is something that only God can raise up in this time. 299 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,800 Notice that the man who is writing these words is the 300 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,760 apostle Paul. So not only am I raised up on 301 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,280 the altar, notice I'm not giving up at all. 302 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,480 The apostle Paul exemplified this throughout his life is that 303 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:59,120 he would not give up. And then lastly, Paul wasn't 304 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:02,160 letting up with the gospel. He wasn't going to be willing to 305 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,760 let up with the gospel. And that is me stopping in my 306 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,880 life. The the excuses of I couldn't, I 307 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,200 wouldn't, I shouldn't listen. I will if it's God's will. 308 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:16,800 Let let's just say that together. 309 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,000 I will if it's God's will. And I think sometimes there's 310 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,360 things we're praying about that scriptures already made clear 311 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,600 for you not to pray about, but for you to obey. 312 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:33,800 And this is an opportunity for us to go into people's lives and 313 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,960 come into their life and live as G Campbell Morgan said. 314 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:42,320 He said organized religion and Christianity that does not make 315 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,920 a disturbance is dead. How am I going to live this out? 316 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,800 That we exist to reach people where they are and connect them 317 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,640 to everything that God has for their life in Christ Jesus is 318 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,360 because we're going to be a people who live sacrificially. 319 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:58,760 Can I give you one more thing before we go? 320 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:02,520 And not only are we going to live sacrificially, but we're 321 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,640 going to do this. We're going to worship Jesus 322 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,320 passionately. We're going to worship Jesus 323 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,480 passionately. Notice the Bible says, I want 324 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,640 you to present your lives as a living sacrifice, holy and 325 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,200 acceptable to God. No, Notice this. 326 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,400 Your sacrifice is holy and acceptable to God, which is your 327 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,880 reasonable service. If you would just underline this 328 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:30,560 term reasonable service. It literally means your logical 329 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,200 worship. Your logical worship. 330 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:38,280 Now notice this. This again was temple language. 331 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:43,560 So the priestly service and the sanctuary work is the temple is 332 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:48,560 where the presence of God would reside in the Holy of Holies. 333 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:54,160 The living sacrifice always leads to us being living 334 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:59,440 worshippers, and being a living worshipper, I find myself 335 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,800 understanding that the God of Heaven through the Holy Spirit 336 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,160 lives within me. No longer does God reside in the 337 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,480 Tabernacle in the temple. I've actually become the 338 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:16,320 Tabernacle and the temple for the Holy Spirit now because of 339 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:23,440 that, I think in my life, because God resides in me, this 340 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,800 should get your blood Raisin, your hands lifting, your mouth 341 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:33,640 shouting, your feet stomping. I don't know what will move you 342 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:39,600 if this doesn't move you, that God lives in you through Jesus's 343 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,640 death and resurrection on the cross. 344 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,480 I don't know what could move you. 345 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,920 What else could can move you in the sanctuary to stepping out 346 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,200 into the city streets if it's not first an attitude and a 347 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,480 logic of worship. Worship is not just the song you 348 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,560 sing, it's going to be the life that you bring to the Lord. 349 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,360 And here's I've seen this. I've seen people get passionate 350 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:09,760 about a lot of things. Passion is a strong and barely 351 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,480 uncontrollable emotion. I've seen people get passionate 352 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,520 on the baseball diamond. I've seen people get passionate 353 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:20,000 on the gridiron. I've seen passion displayed in a 354 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,680 hockey rink. I've seen passion on a court, a 355 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,280 tennis court, a pickleball court. 356 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,640 I've seen passion in airports. I've seen passion at weddings. 357 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:34,040 I've seen people shout and clap and stomp and yell, scream, 358 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,840 record, faint, express, run, Sprint. 359 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:42,840 But when it comes to the one who holds the universe, who became a 360 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:48,680 man, who, although he is God, live the life that I should have 361 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:52,160 lived and died, the death that I was called to die and forgave my 362 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,880 sin, secured my eternity, I want to be quiet about that. 363 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:01,520 I'm told to be quiet about that. No, I'm not telling you to be 364 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,560 obnoxious. What I'm asking you to do is be 365 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,480 obedient. And I think that starts in our 366 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:14,200 lives by allowing things to be set in their proper place. 367 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:18,720 I remember the we lost one wedding ring that I gave my wife 368 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,320 at her job site at Fairview Ford in San Bernardino. 369 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:27,640 And her boss said, I'll buy you a new wedding ring for you and 370 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,680 Casey, don't worry about it. He gave us $3500. 371 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,680 I was like, let's buy a different ring and we'll keep 372 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:36,880 the rest of the money. I'm just kidding. 373 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,240 We bought the ring within a few days. 374 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:45,600 I'm looking at Lisa's ring, I said. 375 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:52,360 Your diamond is gone. It wasn't set properly in the 376 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:56,760 ring. And sure enough, we put our hand 377 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:01,520 down underneath the couch, and there was this small little 378 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:06,280 diamond, The most probably expensive part of the whole ring 379 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,800 wasn't securely set in its proper place. 380 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:17,320 And I think sometimes in our lives, Jesus is not set in his 381 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:24,360 proper place, the one who means the most to us, the one who now 382 00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:28,280 saved us. He's not set in his proper 383 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:33,160 place. You and I might have 80 years to 384 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:39,960 live, 80 years to live, and then we have the rest of eternity to 385 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:44,560 worship Jesus. If we were to look now at our 386 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:49,600 lives now that I'm 50 years old, we would all agree that we're 387 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,800 looking back and it has gone by like a blink of an eye. 388 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:01,200 Do you have any regrets over the last years of your life? 389 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:06,360 Not that you weren't born again, but you were born again and 390 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:11,280 you're wasting your life here. One thing matters, men and 391 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:16,720 women, and that is this is this is an opportunity for us to set 392 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:20,080 Jesus in his proper place. And that is first. 393 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,560 And that doesn't mean necessarily that you have to go 394 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,280 across the ocean right now to go share the gospel. 395 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:29,520 But can I challenge you to do something out in the the foyer 396 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,800 area of our building that we rent? 397 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,600 We have little carts and it says you are loved on them. 398 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,480 And what I want to challenge you to do this week is live it, live 399 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,200 this message out. And how you live this message 400 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,560 out is by doing this simple thing. 401 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:48,960 Buy someone a coffee, hand them this card and just tell them I 402 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,320 want you to know today that Jesus loves you. 403 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,440 Just start there. Just start there. 404 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,360 Like Casey, I don't know all the verses yet. 405 00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:59,200 You don't have to know all the verses. 406 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:02,040 I, I don't know the full gospel proclam. 407 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,040 We can work on that. That's OK. 408 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:09,000 Be obedient in the moment that God put you and set Jesus in His 409 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:13,360 proper place. John Piper writes that we are so 410 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:19,240 filled with the crumbs of this world that are falling off the 411 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:24,280 table that we're not ready for the eternal meal that Jesus has 412 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:31,240 to offer us. What God has for you is a life 413 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,800 that he's calling you not just to wake up, but to actually get 414 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,600 up and be the person that he's called you to be. 415 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,360 Why? Because we exist to reach people 416 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:48,160 where they're at and to connect them to everything that God has 417 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,360 for their life in Christ Jesus. Don't wait for this. 418 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,880 Don't, don't say this. It's the last thing I'll say to 419 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,920 you. Don't don't wait here and say I 420 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:03,080 need to they got to hear a message from Pastor Casey. 421 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,320 I just got, they got if you want to do that, that's totally fine. 422 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:09,840 But I want you to be the message. 423 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,280 And if you're going, I don't know what to share. 424 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,000 Let's talk about that. Let's connect, learn how to 425 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:21,760 connect people to everything that God has for their life in 426 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,680 Jesus Christ. And I believe that true mission 427 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,080 follows out of out of true worship. 428 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:30,600 It flows out of worship to the Lord. 429 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,440 I cannot live life on mission if I don't know and see the glory 430 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,480 of God. So this is what the Psalm said. 431 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,600 The Psalm says let the redeemed of the Lord say so. 432 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,840 All right, I'll try that again. The Bible says let the redeemed 433 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,760 of the Lord say so. All right, we'll, we'll just try 434 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,240 that one more time. This is a this is I know it's 435 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:03,120 the summer slumber. Let the redeemed of the Lord say 436 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:09,480 so. All right, what it's warming up 437 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,360 in here. It's like turning into like more 438 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:16,440 of like a golf clap. The Bible says let's redeem to 439 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:23,000 the Lord say soul. David said these words. 440 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:29,640 I will extol your holy name. Now, it's one thing that we 441 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:34,360 worship Jesus in here, but how about as we're in our elevator 442 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,800 going to our office, we're worshiping Jesus. 443 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,520 How about when we hop on the plane and we're we're heading 444 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,280 off to our new vacation destination that we're 445 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,000 worshiping Jesus? How about when we're in our 446 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,480 neighborhood and all our neighbors know us the best. 447 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,400 They hear the fights that are happening in our house. 448 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,080 They but we turn on the worship, we're worshiping Jesus. 449 00:30:54,080 --> 00:31:01,160 Well, what if, what if we allow this to be a place where we 450 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:05,360 learn how to passionately worship Jesus and that passion 451 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:11,320 overflows into our neighborhood. Something happens in our city 452 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:16,560 when the people of God worship God and go forth with the gospel 453 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,560 of God to preach the Son of God. Something happens. 454 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:22,000 And I just want to encourage you. 455 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,400 We're going to leave a few minutes for us to do that. 456 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:31,400 I ended early for a reason. And that is as if we set Jesus 457 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,280 in his proper place in our heart right now. 458 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:42,560 As if we give Jesus this, this first place, The place where I 459 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,160 know that you've been distracted by difficulties, the place where 460 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,840 the pain seems permanent, the place where it just seems like 461 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,400 proximity with people has diminished possibly in your 462 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,600 life. I'm going to give Jesus the 463 00:31:55,600 --> 00:32:00,800 proper first place and I'm going to lift my voice and sing to 464 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,080 him. Can we do that today? 465 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,120 We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us 466 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,320 in person every Sunday at 10:30 AM. 467 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:10,680 For more information and updates, visit 468 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,360 wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll 469 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:14,160 see you next week.