1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,300 It's you, man. It is good to be with each and 2 00:00:04,300 --> 00:00:07,200 every single one of your. I'm so thankful to be a part of 3 00:00:07,208 --> 00:00:09,600 a church, with some ridiculously awesome, people. 4 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:12,600 Just like, you, let's just get it out of the way. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,600 This is another one of them shirts. 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,100 Yeah. I know, I know. 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,200 I know. Okay. 8 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:24,000 Listen, I wanted to wear another button down, but my wife was 9 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,900 like, you need to let him know. You got polos to so, get ready. 10 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:30,200 Cuz for the next nine times, I'm preaching. 11 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,500 It's going to be something new and sexy just like this. 12 00:00:33,900 --> 00:00:36,600 Now, a couple other things we got to get out of the way. 13 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:42,600 I lied to you last week. I didn't mean to, it wasn't 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,400 intentional but it's the truth. I said, if you invite me over to 15 00:00:46,408 --> 00:00:49,000 your house and you want me to do a backflip in your backyard, I'd 16 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,700 come over and do it. And I'd show you how beautiful 17 00:00:50,700 --> 00:00:53,100 it was kid. You not after church, Someone 18 00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:55,500 invited me over to their house. They had a pool that a backyard 19 00:00:55,500 --> 00:01:01,400 with the diving board. And well this happened. 20 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:05,300 These are my Flamingo trunks. Because my wife didn't like the 21 00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:08,000 ones I had. So we went with flamingos. 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,000 This is me going. Okay, are we? 23 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,100 Sure, we're doing this on camera and okay. 24 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,700 Now that's not bad. But I said it was beautiful and 25 00:01:16,700 --> 00:01:18,800 I had my I would have my toes pointed. 26 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,500 So let's slow it down. And what you'll notice is God 27 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:25,700 did not give me the flexibility to do that and have my toes 28 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:27,300 pointed because they're not pointed at all. 29 00:01:27,700 --> 00:01:30,400 Now something really bad happened after this. 30 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:35,300 While we were there were at this backyard guys, you know, got a 31 00:01:35,308 --> 00:01:37,800 daughter and she's got a boyfriend and boyfriends there. 32 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:45,600 And he's young and hip and he's got his little Baywatch Shorty 33 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:51,300 Short swimmies on and he's got a dark tan from being out in the 34 00:01:51,300 --> 00:01:53,300 Summer sun and his body doesn't burn. 35 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:57,200 It just gets beautiful. And so he's bronze and chiseled 36 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,600 and looking fantastic. And obviously I was wearing a 37 00:01:59,607 --> 00:02:01,500 shirt because I didn't, you know, want to show off all my 38 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:03,700 Manford. Everybody in the place, 39 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:06,500 especially if you're going to show it to you guys, and he was 40 00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:08,300 doing all kinds of acrobatic things off. 41 00:02:08,500 --> 00:02:11,500 Bored. And my boys were watching. 42 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,800 And I didn't want them to think that he was cooler than me. 43 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,800 And so I decided to up my game and he was doing gainers. 44 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,300 Now, for those of you don't know how to do a Gainer, and I'm just 45 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:26,400 reciting this because I don't know how to do a Gainer. 46 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:30,400 It's you jump off the board for words and then you pull or form 47 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,100 the backflip. And I asked him how to get that 48 00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:36,800 done and we broke it down into steps and I began breaking it 49 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,200 down into steps. I want off the board. 50 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,200 So many times a day. I rub the skin off my left foot. 51 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:43,000 I'm sitting there eating like man. 52 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,200 I'm how did I burn the bottom of my foot? 53 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:46,500 Like this is really uncomfortable. 54 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:49,700 And I looked and there was just there was no skin and you don't 55 00:02:49,700 --> 00:02:52,900 want to do that. Anyhow, I thought I'd got to the 56 00:02:52,900 --> 00:02:54,800 point where I could, I had mastered the Gainer. 57 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,900 This is my final attempt at the Gainer. 58 00:02:56,900 --> 00:02:59,500 I want to show it to you, just to see how faithful our God is. 59 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:04,600 That's the look of, okay. I think we got this. 60 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:11,600 Don't care. My back still hurts the okay. 61 00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:13,900 God will not let me get prideful. 62 00:03:13,900 --> 00:03:17,000 He'll just keep beating me down because if I do landed a Gainer 63 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,400 that day out of been out of been unapproachable. 64 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,300 Okay, out of been on cloud nine, but being in the water and the 65 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:28,600 summer, it just brings back all kinds of memories and all kinds 66 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,700 of fun games used to play. How many of you grew up playing 67 00:03:30,700 --> 00:03:33,400 Marco Polo, still. Yeah, it's a safe game. 68 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,500 It's a great one. How many of you kind of went 69 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:38,400 through a WWE phase in the pool where you just pick your friends 70 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,200 up and choke slammed mm. A lot of you know, almost 71 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:42,800 drownings happen because of that. 72 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,000 How many dads out there? Your shoulders, have just 73 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,700 finally recovered from last summer being pool Dad, where it 74 00:03:50,700 --> 00:03:53,300 seems like as soon as you get in the water with your kids, they 75 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:56,400 cannot help but put every nail into your shoulders. 76 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,900 And then what they want you to do, no matter how big and heavy 77 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:03,400 they've gotten, they want you to keep keep throwing them because 78 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,000 in their mind, they remember being like the three-year-old 79 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,100 life vest version of themselves in the water. 80 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,200 And now, you know, they're drinking and smoking and still 81 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:17,200 want you to like throw them up. I can't do it. 82 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,399 I can't do it. And when I was growing up 83 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:23,900 though, the all-time favorite game for us was Sharks and 84 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:25,200 Minnows. I don't know if this is just a 85 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,900 me thing. How many of you guys played 86 00:04:26,900 --> 00:04:28,900 Sharks and Minnows? Okay, couple of you. 87 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:33,900 Okay. The rest of you Amish, All 88 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:35,500 right. Well, I'll explain it to you. 89 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:36,900 I don't know what it was called in your neck of the woods, but 90 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:41,200 you'd go to the community pool. You get go to the deep end and 91 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,500 on one side of the deep end. You just have one person who's 92 00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:45,700 going to be the shark and on everybody else on the other 93 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:47,800 side. They'd all be the minnows and 94 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,600 then they would say sharks in the water and then the shark 95 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,700 would basically swim across and you play tag, and the minnows 96 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:56,600 had to get from that side to the other side without getting 97 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,200 tagged. And you just do this back and 98 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,600 forth. Until once you tag, somebody 99 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,500 they became a shark and then they became Shark until you had 100 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:07,600 all sharks and just one minnow. And then the game started all 101 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,000 over again. And whoever won became the 102 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:10,900 shark. And there were a bunch of 103 00:05:10,907 --> 00:05:13,600 different people strategies when it came to Sharks. 104 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,700 And Minnows. There was the deep diver. 105 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,600 You jumped into water, went all the way to the bottom. 106 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,800 You like hugged your skin on the very bottom, you know, lost some 107 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,600 skin to the drain and came up the other side. 108 00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:28,400 Nobody ever tagged you. There were the people who were 109 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,700 like the last minute Dick Diver. They waited till the shark got 110 00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:33,600 almost to the edge of the pool and they do have over the the 111 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,400 top of them and swim to the other side. 112 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,700 There was the pretend like I'm not playing and cheap by going 113 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:43,400 into the shallow end, and then coming up on the other side and 114 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,300 be like, oh, I guess I am playing, you didn't get me and 115 00:05:46,300 --> 00:05:50,000 you know, who you are, you're running for office somewhere and 116 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,000 then And then I should stop. Okay. 117 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,300 I'm on fire and up. I don't think it's safe to come 118 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:04,400 to this church anymore and how there are a lot of moving parts 119 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,100 to the game. But do you know the very best 120 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:08,900 strategy to Win It? Sharks and Minnows is to get 121 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:13,400 everybody to go at the exact same time because in about 3, 122 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,600 seconds is all it takes for you to get from one side of the pool 123 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,500 to the other, the shark wasn't going to have the opportunity to 124 00:06:18,500 --> 00:06:20,500 get everybody. He might only be able to get one 125 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:23,200 person at a time. Time with all the splashing and 126 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,100 all the moving people. It just limits their ability to 127 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:28,900 actually attack. There's an African proverb that 128 00:06:28,900 --> 00:06:31,200 actually speaks to this. This one. 129 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,800 It says, cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won't 130 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,400 eat you. Today's message. 131 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,100 Is crossing crocodiles and I want to welcome all of you 132 00:06:43,100 --> 00:06:46,600 joining online inside at our various locations. 133 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,600 I want to do a special shout-out to those of you who are joining 134 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,100 us for the very first time every single week. 135 00:06:52,100 --> 00:06:54,500 People come to our church for the very first time, and they 136 00:06:54,500 --> 00:06:56,800 hear about Jesus, and they get an opportunity, a part of this 137 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,200 community. We want you to know. 138 00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:01,100 We're so excited, you're here. And we don't take the time that 139 00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:02,800 you're spending with us for granted. 140 00:07:02,900 --> 00:07:05,200 And our hope is that you will find what we found in. 141 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,600 Jesus Christ, which is an intimate personal relationship 142 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,300 and we are in a In series called chasing Shades. 143 00:07:11,300 --> 00:07:15,100 We previewed it on Easter weekend and we've been kind of 144 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:19,900 taken a look at who God is and how this life is supposed to 145 00:07:19,900 --> 00:07:23,300 look in light of who he is. Because a lot of people have a 146 00:07:23,308 --> 00:07:27,400 bad take on God or Jesus and on Easter weekend. 147 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,100 I walk you guys through this verse and I want to kind of 148 00:07:30,100 --> 00:07:32,000 remind you, for those of you who, you know, have fallen 149 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,500 asleep since then in John 10:10. This is what Jesus says the 150 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:39,100 thief. This is Satan comes only to 151 00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:42,200 steal. To steal and kill and destroy. 152 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:47,800 I, this is Jesus have come that they may have life and have it 153 00:07:48,100 --> 00:07:51,900 to the full. If what Jesus has to offer is 154 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:54,900 life to the full. If it is the best, like the most 155 00:07:54,900 --> 00:07:57,900 fulfilling life, the most meaningful life than whatever we 156 00:07:57,900 --> 00:08:03,000 are chasing, that is not him, is simply a shade. 157 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,000 As a church, we want you to experience all that. 158 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,200 Jesus has to offer. We want you to find all the 159 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,200 love, all the mercy, all the grace, all the Forgiveness, all 160 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,700 the meaning, all the purpose, all the significance that he has 161 00:08:17,700 --> 00:08:21,800 in store for you. However, you will never find it. 162 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:27,300 If you keep chasing Shades, you will only find it if you chase 163 00:08:27,700 --> 00:08:30,400 Jesus. And for this entire sermon 164 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,299 series, we've been looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes. 165 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,900 Which was written by King Solomon. 166 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:39,299 He was a real person. He was the king of Israel. 167 00:08:39,500 --> 00:08:44,200 He is as real as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and 168 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,800 outside of Jesus. He was the wisest person to ever 169 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,200 walk the earth and he is the richest person of all time, 170 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,200 which means he had all of the resources to explore and 171 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,200 understand all that. This life has to offer. 172 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:02,700 And in chapter 4, he turns his attention to community and the 173 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:05,300 enemies of it. And the blessings of it 174 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,600 Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verse 1, through 3. 175 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,000 Again. I looked and I saw all the 176 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,400 oppression that was taking place under the sun. 177 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,800 I saw the tears of the oppressed and they have no comforter power 178 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,200 was on the side of their oppressors and they have no 179 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,400 comforter. And I declared that the Dead who 180 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,700 had already died are happier than the living, who are still 181 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:33,700 alive. But better than both is the one 182 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:37,900 who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done 183 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:42,300 under the sun. He looks out and he sees all of 184 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:45,800 the oppression and adversity in the world and he's looking at 185 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,600 all the people who are suffering and he goes and on top of all of 186 00:09:49,608 --> 00:09:52,000 that. They're having to face the 187 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:57,400 struggles by themselves. They have no comforter. 188 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,100 They have no Advocate. There is evil in this world. 189 00:10:02,100 --> 00:10:05,900 It is either hitting you now or it is coming for you later. 190 00:10:05,900 --> 00:10:10,300 And when it happens, you better not find yourself alone. 191 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,300 He sees the pain and he owes it would be better off for me to be 192 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:18,000 dead than alive. So I don't have to see the 193 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,500 suffering anymore. And then in the midst of his 194 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:25,600 despair, he goes a step further. It would be better to be never 195 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,800 hard to have never been born. So that way you don't have to 196 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,000 see it and you have nothing to remember. 197 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,200 He wants to gouge out his eyes. He wants to purge his mind. 198 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,700 He is tired of seeing the suffering and he is tired of 199 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:43,900 seeing people suffering alone. He despairs by saying the dead 200 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:47,100 are better off, and then not born are better off than the 201 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:51,300 living. In the last two years or four if 202 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:53,100 you want take the last two weeks. 203 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,900 We get it. You cannot look anywhere without 204 00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:03,800 seeing pain or suffering. I feel sometimes like I can't 205 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:08,000 pick up the phone without hearing a heartbreaking tragic 206 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:13,200 story. But this world is broken because 207 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:17,800 sin entered the world. And that's what sin does. 208 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,600 It destroys, That's what Satan does. 209 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,900 He steals and he kills and he destroys. 210 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:30,300 It's a sin comes into the world and it starts to tear away, it 211 00:11:30,300 --> 00:11:35,000 robs and every single one of us. We've participated in it because 212 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:42,200 sin never gives you the price tag the flirtation, the flirting 213 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:47,400 in the office, that was free. The affair was dinner and drinks 214 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:53,300 at a Red Lobster and a hotel. But the divorce cost your wife a 215 00:11:53,308 --> 00:11:57,600 broken heart. It cost you half your net worth 216 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,700 it costs, your kids, having a father and a mother in the home. 217 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:04,200 And now they only see you every other weekend. 218 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,400 The flirting was free. But everything else cost you 219 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,800 more than you could ever imagine. 220 00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:15,100 And every single one of us have contributed in some way, shape, 221 00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:19,200 or form to the pain, and the suffering of this world. 222 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,100 And that is why we are so in love with Jesus because not only 223 00:12:24,100 --> 00:12:26,100 is he forgiveness, but he's given us the strength to 224 00:12:26,100 --> 00:12:29,100 forgive, not only has he loved us, but he has given us the 225 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:31,800 strength to love. Not only has he given us the 226 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,600 promise to one day. Make this world a better place 227 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,700 in light of the beauty of heaven, but he has given this. 228 00:12:38,100 --> 00:12:41,500 Stools to make this life here on Earth, look a little bit more 229 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:44,000 Heavenly, even though this world is dark. 230 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,300 He has given us a light to make this world a little more bright, 231 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,900 but one of the panes that Solomon is looking at. 232 00:12:50,900 --> 00:12:52,900 Is he sees the pain behind the pain? 233 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,100 It is the loneliness of those who are suffering because there 234 00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:00,800 is no one to comfort them. And I don't want any of you at 235 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,600 any of our locations are online or inside to play this down. 236 00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:10,100 You were not made to live life alone. 237 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:15,900 Furthermore, you are not meant to live this life with just God 238 00:13:15,900 --> 00:13:20,700 and Jesus, you were made for Community. 239 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:22,900 Want us to explore this. Thought. 240 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:29,000 You will never grow to your fullest potential in Jesus or 241 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,500 live the full life. That God desires for you outside 242 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,500 of community. You will never be all that. 243 00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:43,300 God are all that Jesus intended you to be outside of community 244 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,200 and you will never experience all the good things that God has 245 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,300 in store for you, outside of community. 246 00:13:50,900 --> 00:13:54,300 And so solemn and starts talking about the enemies of community. 247 00:13:54,700 --> 00:13:57,600 And the first one he brings up is in Ecclesiastes, 4, verse 4. 248 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,400 And I saw that all the toil and all the achievements spring from 249 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:08,700 one person's Envy of another. This too is meaningless a 250 00:14:08,700 --> 00:14:14,100 chasing after the wind one of the enemies to community is 251 00:14:14,100 --> 00:14:16,600 envy. You don't want to be in 252 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,100 relationship with them because you're so envious of all the 253 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:24,300 things that they have take the person that you're the most 254 00:14:24,300 --> 00:14:26,300 envious of. And I'm willing to wager that 255 00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:29,000 that relationship is under strain. 256 00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:34,300 You can't Rejoice for them when they have a success because 257 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:36,900 you're frustrated by how good they have it. 258 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,000 One of the signs of spiritual maturity is being able to 259 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,900 Rejoice with those who Rejoice. But oftentimes, you know, what 260 00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:47,100 we do, we get frustrated at those who are rejoicing, we 261 00:14:47,100 --> 00:14:49,700 can't let them celebrate their touchdown because we had a 262 00:14:49,700 --> 00:14:53,500 dropped ball in our life. You can't hang out with them 263 00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:56,500 because their marriage is great. In your marriage is struggling. 264 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,200 Know, it's hard for you to hang out with them because their kids 265 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,900 are doing great and When your kids are and it's hard to hang 266 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:04,800 out with them because they got a new car and your car is a hoop 267 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:06,600 to you. You're having a hard time being 268 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,400 in relationship with them because every time you interact 269 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,200 with them, you're just so envious of what they have and it 270 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:17,400 creates these barriers. It's for you. 271 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,500 It's maybe deeper than that. Maybe it's more personal than 272 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:27,400 that. You can't celebrate with your 273 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,300 friends who finally got the news that they're pregnant. 274 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,500 Because you're still wrestling with infertility. 275 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,900 And so you distance yourself even further. 276 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:42,400 Envy puts up a barrier between you and people but it also puts 277 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,100 up a barrier between you and God because you keep getting so mad 278 00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:50,000 at God for giving them things that he hasn't given you. 279 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:53,400 And you write yourself a permission slip to blame God. 280 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,800 Instead of going man. Are there things in my life 281 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,200 decisions that I could have made that could have made things turn 282 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,100 out a little bit different than you. 283 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:03,600 That's why in The Ten Commandments were told don't 284 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,700 envy don't covet because it is a community. 285 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:10,900 Killer, you can't enjoy hanging out with the friends. 286 00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:14,000 You are having your life because you have this fear of missing 287 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,400 out from the friends. You actually want to be a part 288 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:18,300 of in social media. Only amplifies. 289 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:21,500 This because you go home and your night wasn't as exciting as 290 00:16:21,700 --> 00:16:25,200 their night and your vacation wasn't as nice as their vacation 291 00:16:25,300 --> 00:16:30,000 must be nice. Well, if I had a and if I grew 292 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:35,400 up with and if my parents had a An Envy. 293 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:42,800 Puts up a wall. And the isolation leaves you 294 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,500 vulnerable. Two crocodiles. 295 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,800 And so when you have to cross the river, you're going to cross 296 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,100 the river. Alone. 297 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:57,600 And be makes you frustrated by people who haven't done anything 298 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,900 to you. It pushes people away from you 299 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:02,700 because they're tired of you being so bitter. 300 00:17:02,700 --> 00:17:04,500 At the way your life has turned out. 301 00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:10,000 It creates isolation, second. Enemy of community is 302 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:15,400 Ecclesiastes 45. Fools fold their hands and ruin 303 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,900 themselves. If the first one is MV, the 304 00:17:18,908 --> 00:17:22,900 second one is laziness a fool. Is someone who folds their hands 305 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:26,300 and doesn't do the work. These are lazy people. 306 00:17:26,300 --> 00:17:31,500 One of the community Killers is lazy people because if you don't 307 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:35,900 feel like it, you don't do it. If you don't want to do it. 308 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:40,200 It doesn't happen. You expect everything to come to 309 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,600 you, instead of you having to go for it. 310 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:49,200 You are an idol unto your self and you're making Self a God and 311 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:56,000 then you want the world and God to worship you and said of you 312 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:02,000 serving God and others. And laziness is the fast lane to 313 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,500 loneliness. If you don't want to serve, I'm 314 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,100 not serving today. You want to go to church today? 315 00:18:08,100 --> 00:18:10,700 I don't feel like it. You're going to go help out as 316 00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:13,300 we do this cool thing. No, I'm just not in the mood. 317 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,000 Hey, you gonna get up and go to work. 318 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,400 I come home and my back's been and you You just figure out 319 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,100 every way to get out of doing things that you don't want to 320 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:23,900 do. And then one day, you're going 321 00:18:23,900 --> 00:18:26,900 to wake up and nobody wants to worship you anymore. 322 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,100 And then you call yourself a victim and you start blaming 323 00:18:31,100 --> 00:18:34,900 everybody else. You got to be careful. 324 00:18:36,300 --> 00:18:38,700 One of these days you're going to want friends in your circle. 325 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,400 But you're not going to have spent any time doing things that 326 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,700 they want to do, only the things that you want to do. 327 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,700 You're not going to have worked hard to have a little bit of 328 00:18:47,708 --> 00:18:50,300 money to actually go and take some time off and hang out with 329 00:18:50,300 --> 00:18:52,700 your friends or go do something fun with your friends because 330 00:18:52,700 --> 00:18:55,100 you're lazy behind just stayed at home. 331 00:18:55,300 --> 00:18:57,700 And if you keep worshiping yourself pretty soon. 332 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:01,900 All you will have is Yo self. That's it. 333 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:10,200 Okay, devotional thought. Today, all of our locations. 334 00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:13,500 Give a gift to your future in-laws. 335 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,500 Make your kids. Do a job today. 336 00:19:17,700 --> 00:19:21,900 Don't raise lazy kids because they will marry somebody. 337 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,100 And then whoever they Mary is going to have to work two jobs, 338 00:19:25,100 --> 00:19:29,100 so they can game. Don't because if you're not 339 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:31,300 married, don't marry a lazy person. 340 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,600 Don't you will work yourself to the Bone and it will never be 341 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,600 enough, because they will always have and reason why they can't 342 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,100 go home. Make your kids, take out the 343 00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:44,600 trash, make him pull to weeds. Make, I don't know find 344 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:45,300 something. Obviously. 345 00:19:45,300 --> 00:19:47,200 I need to come up with some plans because I didn't have many 346 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,700 illustrations there. I feel sorry for my kids. 347 00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:51,600 They're in church. Just learning about Jesus and 348 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,000 have no clue who's coming home today. 349 00:19:54,300 --> 00:19:56,800 Okay. Just don't, don't race. 350 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,400 Do Raised lazy people, don't be lazy because it's a community 351 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,700 killer because nobody likes a lazy friend. 352 00:20:05,100 --> 00:20:07,200 And if you're like, man, I feel like I don't have any friends 353 00:20:07,300 --> 00:20:11,200 that might, you know, maybe you worship you. 354 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,700 Okay, next one. Ecclesiastes 4608 better one. 355 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:19,800 Handful with Tranquility then two handfuls with toil and 356 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:24,200 chasing after the wind again. I saw something meaningless 357 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,200 Under the Sun. There was a man all alone. 358 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,700 He had neither Sun nor brother. There was no end to his toil 359 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:32,100 yet. His eyes were not content with 360 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:35,800 his wealth. For whom am I toiling? 361 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,400 He asked. And why am I depriving myself of 362 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,000 enjoyment? This too is meaningless a 363 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,600 miserable business. This is the opposite of 364 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,100 laziness. This is greed. 365 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:51,200 This is the person who it is never ever enough. 366 00:20:51,900 --> 00:20:56,100 This is the person who is always sacrificing their relationships 367 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:01,000 for things and no matter how much they get. 368 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:05,800 It's never enough. You will have all the stuff in 369 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,300 the world, but you will have no one to share it with. 370 00:21:10,300 --> 00:21:13,500 You will choose work over your wife, over your kids, over your 371 00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:15,600 family. And when you die, you will die 372 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,700 earlier than expected. And you will die alone. 373 00:21:19,100 --> 00:21:23,100 The man in Solomon's story. He comes to the realization way 374 00:21:23,100 --> 00:21:25,000 too late. I've spent my whole life 375 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:29,900 accumulating, but accumulating for whom, We all know this. 376 00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:32,900 I'm not saying anything brand new but the people in your life 377 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:36,000 would rather have your presence. Then your resources. 378 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,500 I preached a version of this message to our Collective age 379 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:42,300 ministry here, at our 48th Street campus in the last couple 380 00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:43,500 of months. I can't remember exactly when 381 00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:45,100 it's been a bit of a blur. Now. 382 00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:47,700 I just ask this question in the room to these young kids broke 383 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:49,600 kids, you know, kids with student loan debt and all that 384 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,200 stuff. I said, which would you rather 385 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,000 have a thousand dollars or a week away with your 386 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 grandparents? What do you think they chose? 387 00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:58,900 I said 1,000 bucks or a long weekend with your parents. 388 00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:02,800 You know what they chose. Yeah, they chose the long 389 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,800 weekend. They would rather have you than 390 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,400 your stuff. We know this. 391 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:14,400 But we don't stop doing the behavior that's driving. 392 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:19,200 It stop making work and possession and excuses, envy and 393 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,400 laziness, and greed, create loneliness. 394 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,300 And one of these days you are going to have to cross a river. 395 00:22:25,900 --> 00:22:29,000 And if you are not in community, You're vulnerable. 396 00:22:29,700 --> 00:22:35,000 Satan comes to steal and kill and destroy and he he gets the 397 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,100 upper hand when it's just you. So you need community. 398 00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:42,100 So solemn and turns to the benefits of community. 399 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,900 The first one is synergy Ecclesiastes. 49 two are better 400 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:50,800 than one, because they have a good return for their labor. 401 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,000 We all know this to be true that you can get way more done. 402 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,500 When you have somebody helping you. 403 00:22:56,700 --> 00:22:58,900 Ladies. You can go home this weekend and 404 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:00,400 you can try and clean the whole house. 405 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,300 All by yourself. It'll take you all day. 406 00:23:02,300 --> 00:23:04,800 Your back will hurt and you'll your nails get cracked. 407 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,700 And you'll be super frustrated. If you were to take one hour and 408 00:23:07,700 --> 00:23:09,300 have everybody in the house. Help you out. 409 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:10,700 You'd actually get the whole thing done. 410 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:13,600 It would be like, 80% of the way you would do it if it was you 411 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:15,600 but you'd have a whole rest of the day to actually hang out 412 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,800 with your family and your friends and build a little bit 413 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,300 of community. You psychos. 414 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:23,600 It would help you out. If you were to go and paint your 415 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,600 house, this weekend. If you are you to get more done. 416 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,800 If you paint it by yourself, or if you have some people come 417 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:29,800 over to help you. The only time it seems like 418 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,300 people want to pay attention to community is when it's time for 419 00:23:32,300 --> 00:23:34,600 them to move and then all of a sudden everybody's their friend, 420 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,400 right? Like hey, man, you want to what 421 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,200 are you doing this weekend? Friend, buddy, bro, dude, if you 422 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:43,500 don't know my name, I'm not coming. 423 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:46,500 Okay. Yeah, how many of you you like 424 00:23:46,500 --> 00:23:49,100 always the phone call, when it comes to help somebody move 425 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:50,400 here. Like, I didn't even know we were 426 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,700 friends. That's why I don't drive a truck 427 00:23:52,700 --> 00:23:54,500 anymore. I want it off that list. 428 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,600 I was like I'm out. You carry, that dress of 429 00:23:56,608 --> 00:23:58,200 yourself. We've never hung up. 430 00:23:58,200 --> 00:23:59,800 I'm tired of moving you. Right? 431 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:01,600 What happens is as soon as he comes time to move. 432 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,600 You're like, I can't carry this dresser by myself. 433 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,600 I should have a friend and it's too late because you got to move 434 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,200 on Saturday, and I'm Busy, real, busy. 435 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,800 Busy sleeping. Okay, when, when when when you 436 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,100 are in community, you can get more done. 437 00:24:17,100 --> 00:24:20,200 And if we want to do the great things of God, it's not going to 438 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,400 be done by ourselves. It's going to be done in 439 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,300 community where we link arms, and we accomplished greater 440 00:24:25,300 --> 00:24:28,100 things on God's behalf. And if there's this thing 441 00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:30,400 inside, you, that wants to accomplish the great things that 442 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,600 God, you're going to have to do those great things in the 443 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,100 context of community Ecclesiastes. 410. 444 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:36,600 He says this, here's another benefit. 445 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:38,800 The next one is care. R. 446 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,800 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. 447 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:45,900 This is the mr. T, verse in the Bible, but pity 448 00:24:45,900 --> 00:24:49,000 the fool who falls and has no one to help them up. 449 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:55,000 When you are in community, you get better care, you are there 450 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:56,500 for them. And they are there for you. 451 00:24:56,500 --> 00:24:58,600 That's why you're not supposed to swim alone. 452 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:00,700 That's why you're not supposed to ride and ride mountain bikes 453 00:25:01,100 --> 00:25:02,800 on Trails alone. That's why you're not supposed 454 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:04,700 to ride horses alone. That's why you're not supposed 455 00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:08,100 to ride ATVs alone. Because if something bad 456 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:11,600 happens, you want to have somebody there to help you and 457 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,900 you can go further and you can do more daring things when you 458 00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:19,600 have somebody with you, but pity people. 459 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,700 Who tried to live life alone? We know that this world is a 460 00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:27,000 scary and dangerous place at times. 461 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:29,900 And there are people all around us, who are doing things may be 462 00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:32,200 well, intentioned. Good Godly things. 463 00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:37,800 But they're falling down. And there's nobody. 464 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,900 Nobody to pick them up, please ask his 411. 465 00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:47,300 Also, if to lie down together, they will keep warm. 466 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:54,000 But how can one keep warm alone? Just go home today. 467 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,400 Turn the AC down to 60 in about seven o'clock at night fellas. 468 00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:00,300 Just get that house. Real cold to like Isis hanging 469 00:26:00,300 --> 00:26:02,700 off the ceiling fans and be like, sweetie. 470 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:07,500 You're cold. You want to warm up? 471 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:11,400 It won't work. But you'll at least remember the 472 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:16,500 sermon. Okay, it won't you get Comfort. 473 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:20,200 Life is better and more comfortable in community, which 474 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,400 is better grieving alone or grieving with people around you 475 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:26,500 even when they don't say anything. 476 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:32,000 Which is better. Celebrating a success alone or 477 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,700 celebrating it in community, someone to share in your sorrow 478 00:26:36,900 --> 00:26:39,800 and minister to your heart, somebody that you can be 479 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,400 vulnerable about the highs and lows of your life and have them, 480 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:47,400 hold you up, and lift you up, and provide the comfort and the 481 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,000 care that you need. Because when the world gets 482 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:55,300 cold, there's someone to keep you warm Ecclesiastes 4:12, 483 00:26:56,900 --> 00:26:59,200 though. One may be Power to can defend 484 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,900 themselves. A cord of three strands is not 485 00:27:02,100 --> 00:27:05,700 quickly broken. The fourth benefit is strength, 486 00:27:06,900 --> 00:27:09,900 you get Synergy, you get comfort, you get care, and you 487 00:27:09,900 --> 00:27:14,400 get strength, think through the thing that you're struggling 488 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,200 with in your life and knowing that, you would have somebody 489 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,400 else in your community to advocate for you, to defend you, 490 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,800 to keep you safe, to pull you through. 491 00:27:24,900 --> 00:27:27,900 Every single one of us are going to need the strength that It 492 00:27:27,908 --> 00:27:31,400 comes from Community. When you are crossing the river 493 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,700 and the cracker crocodile bites, you have energy and Synergy to 494 00:27:35,700 --> 00:27:39,000 pull you through because people are locked arms inside of you. 495 00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:41,100 And then when they get to the other side, they kill the 496 00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:45,500 alligator or the crocodile on your behalf, you get strength 497 00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:48,000 from Community, but check this out. 498 00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:51,100 It is the area of your life where you are, not in community, 499 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:55,200 where you will be broken. The area of your life that you 500 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,900 section off from your community is where the crocodile will 501 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:02,900 strike. It is where Satan will lay. 502 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:07,000 His trap Community, is where you get strength and courage, and 503 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,800 all of us are going to have something happen to us. 504 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:14,000 And you are going to need people around you, to help you get 505 00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:17,700 through. We have an enemy who is trying 506 00:28:17,700 --> 00:28:20,500 to steal and kill and destroy us. 507 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:24,900 And when we don't get in community, We will be 508 00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:28,500 vulnerable. And it is not just going to 509 00:28:28,500 --> 00:28:30,800 impact you, it is going to impact the very people that are 510 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:35,300 depending on you. To be the husband, and father 511 00:28:35,300 --> 00:28:39,100 and uncle, brother, sister, boss, co-worker friend, neighbor 512 00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:42,200 that they need to point them to Jesus. 513 00:28:43,100 --> 00:28:46,500 And when you are not in community, You can't be what 514 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:48,700 they need. Want to Circle back to this? 515 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,400 You will never grow to your fullest potential in Jesus or 516 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,300 live the full life. That God desires for you outside 517 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,100 of community. It won't happen. 518 00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:05,400 Now. There's some of you right now 519 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,700 who are going man. This is great. 520 00:29:07,700 --> 00:29:11,600 And like Jesus is my community and I love him and some of you 521 00:29:11,608 --> 00:29:13,900 are going and you know, and I just need you to hear me say 522 00:29:13,900 --> 00:29:15,300 this. He's not enough. 523 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,100 Okay, I get it. Well, then I'll take his dad. 524 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,900 Okay. I also have God, I just need you 525 00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:25,200 to hear me say this. He's not enough. 526 00:29:26,700 --> 00:29:28,400 I know that because that's what God says. 527 00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:31,600 After he'd finished making all the animals. 528 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,000 He makes, man. So that means your dogs not 529 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,300 enough. Because after he made Adam, God 530 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:44,000 said it is not good for man to be. 531 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:49,600 What's the next word alone? If you think that just you and 532 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,600 God and Jesus is going to help you live the life that God 533 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,100 designed for you. I need you to know you were 534 00:29:55,100 --> 00:30:00,700 created for Community Godly authentic Community. 535 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:03,800 I'm I'm not just talking about people to help you change your 536 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,200 tire late at night or people to help you move your dresser down 537 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:08,900 the stairs. I'm talking about people that 538 00:30:08,900 --> 00:30:12,200 are in your life that speak into your life that holds you 539 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,100 accountable to things and behaviors that point out blind 540 00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:17,500 spots in your life and they come to you and they stab you in the 541 00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:19,600 front. He said, hey this behaviors. 542 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,800 I don't think it's good for you. And you want to get mad at them 543 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,300 and you go home and you tell your wife what they just told 544 00:30:25,300 --> 00:30:27,600 you and you're like, this guy's an idiot for even thinking that 545 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:29,500 she's like, actually, I think he's probably brilliant because 546 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:33,300 I've been trying to say that for years, then she calls up your 547 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:34,700 friends. Like hey, thanks for taking one 548 00:30:34,700 --> 00:30:37,700 for the team. You need people in your life, 549 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:40,000 because if you don't get that blind spot pointed out in your 550 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,600 life, you're going to keep running over people for your 551 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,400 entire life and it will make it even harder for you. 552 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:47,700 To be in community. You have to have people. 553 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,100 Around you good Godly influences that you can partner with to 554 00:30:51,100 --> 00:30:54,700 accomplish the things of God and protect you from the things of 555 00:30:54,700 --> 00:31:04,600 Satan. So if you are watching online, I 556 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,000 need you to. I need you to hear me. 557 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,500 We love you. We're big fans. 558 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,300 We spend a lot of money to Resource you and I get excited 559 00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:15,700 every single week when I get the report of how many of you guys 560 00:31:15,700 --> 00:31:18,500 are joining us online from all over the place and it makes my 561 00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:21,300 heart so incredibly happy. But I need you to know this 562 00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:25,700 watching us online is not enough. 563 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:30,200 It's not Community. You may not be able to get to 564 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,800 our services because you're sick or because you're traveling, and 565 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,200 I'm thankful for people who are able to leverage our online 566 00:31:36,700 --> 00:31:38,500 platform. In those moments, but if you're 567 00:31:38,500 --> 00:31:43,400 just choosing not to go to church because onlines easier. 568 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,300 I Need You to Know You're vulnerable. 569 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:49,900 And if you are a part of our church, but you don't live in an 570 00:31:49,900 --> 00:31:51,700 area where we have one of our locations. 571 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,900 I want you to reach out to us. You can email me and our team 572 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:59,300 will work hard to help you find a good Godly church that you can 573 00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:04,900 participate in and be in community because watching 574 00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:07,300 online is going to leave you vulnerable. 575 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,400 And I know that you're going man. 576 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:11,600 I'll find some other place to watch online. 577 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:14,000 And if they love you, they will tell you the exact same thing. 578 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:17,700 You need Community. If you are going to be all that, 579 00:32:17,700 --> 00:32:20,800 God desires for you to be and if you are going to experience 580 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,700 everything that God has in store for you. 581 00:32:23,100 --> 00:32:25,500 And I know there are some of you watching right now at all of our 582 00:32:25,500 --> 00:32:28,100 different locations. You like, who glad I came to 583 00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:31,700 church today. Okay, we'll remember, I love 584 00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:34,300 you. If you think that showing up 585 00:32:34,300 --> 00:32:37,900 after the first song of worship and leaving after communion, is 586 00:32:37,900 --> 00:32:40,400 you being a part of community, Satan's line to you. 587 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,800 There's a big difference between showing up for a building and 588 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,200 being part of the Brotherhood. There's a big difference from 589 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,100 being in the sanctuary to being a part of The Sisterhood. 590 00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:53,900 There is a big part between being in the facility and being 591 00:32:53,900 --> 00:32:57,800 a part of the family of God, where you participate in what 592 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,900 God is doing and you link arms with other people. 593 00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:04,500 And when you see them here, you do life outside of here with 594 00:33:04,500 --> 00:33:07,500 them and you serve alongside of them and you're in a life group 595 00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:11,200 with them or Addie group with them and you participate in God, 596 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:15,000 shaping you through that. Be so that you can be all that 597 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,400 he created you to be and experience all that he desires 598 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:23,900 for you to experience because you were made for Community. 599 00:33:23,900 --> 00:33:28,000 Because you can't be what God wants you to be by yourself. 600 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:32,200 This world needs a picture of Jesus and the picture of Jesus 601 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:36,300 is made up of the body of Christ, which is the members of 602 00:33:36,300 --> 00:33:39,900 the church, which means if you think that you can just do you 603 00:33:40,100 --> 00:33:43,000 on behalf of God to this watching world, what your You're 604 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,300 saying is that you think that you comprise all of the benefits 605 00:33:47,300 --> 00:33:52,300 of Christ in yourself that you are the physical manifestation 606 00:33:52,300 --> 00:33:55,200 of Jesus on this Earth by yourself. 607 00:33:55,200 --> 00:34:00,000 And that is blasphemy. It is only when you participate 608 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,800 in the body of Christ that we become the hands and feet of 609 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,300 Jesus. It doesn't need an imitation in 610 00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:11,400 you, it needs a representation of him through the body. 611 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:16,000 And every single one of us have to participate in that because 612 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,800 if you want to experience all that God has, you will 613 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,699 experience it in community because the body of Christ will 614 00:34:22,699 --> 00:34:26,600 minister to you. The different gifts will bless 615 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:28,699 you. But all the gifts that God has 616 00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:31,900 don't come from one person. They come from multiple people, 617 00:34:31,900 --> 00:34:34,699 it is. When you are in relationship, we 618 00:34:34,699 --> 00:34:38,699 cannot be what this world needs us to be in isolation, nor can 619 00:34:38,699 --> 00:34:41,199 we survive this world in isolation? 620 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:46,500 Every single one of you. Are going to have to cross a 621 00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:50,600 river. If you cross in the crowd. 622 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,100 The crocodile. Won't eat you. 623 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,199 We're moving to a time of decision. 624 00:35:02,900 --> 00:35:05,300 Some of you here for the first time you two loved it last week. 625 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:06,700 Okay. It was a fun one. 626 00:35:06,700 --> 00:35:08,700 We all had a good time. We went home a lot of high 627 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:09,900 fives. It was great. 628 00:35:10,100 --> 00:35:12,500 This one's a little bit tougher, but I'm coming to you strong 629 00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:18,900 because I care about you. And I should have said this when 630 00:35:18,900 --> 00:35:21,500 I was okay. I need you to know this about 631 00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:24,600 me. And you need to know this about 632 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,700 Jerry and anybody else who speaks on our stage. 633 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,000 When I talk about, you know, getting in community, when I 634 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,500 talk about, you know, don't just watch online. 635 00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:36,400 I'm not trying to pad numbers. I'm not trying to just have a 636 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:40,400 good weekend of attendance. When I say those things, I'm 637 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,000 saying those things for your good. 638 00:35:44,500 --> 00:35:46,900 I believe in the counsel of scripture. 639 00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:50,500 I believe in the authority of God's word and I believe that it 640 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:56,200 is good for you. And so I will proudly and boldly 641 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,500 Proclaim it and you can leave here today and be going man, you 642 00:35:59,500 --> 00:36:02,200 know who didn't give Clayton Wheaties this morning or you 643 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:06,000 know, who did I'm just telling you my heart was broken this 644 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,300 week as I wrote this message because I wrote this message 645 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:18,600 with names on My Mind. People, that were doing great 646 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,300 things for God, people that one point in time. 647 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:25,100 I couldn't fathom not being a part of the ministry that God 648 00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:28,400 was doing at this church. People, that blessed people and 649 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:32,000 minister to people, people who had talents that far surpassed 650 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,800 my own that I was envious of their ability to do great things 651 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,900 for God, and then they stepped out of community, and then they 652 00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:41,600 stepped out of Effectiveness. And then they stepped out of 653 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:46,000 faith. There's tombstones with this 654 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,000 sermon people who have become spiritually dead. 655 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:55,400 And I don't want that for you. I have never seen anybody grow 656 00:36:55,400 --> 00:37:01,300 in Christ and isolation. And so I'm coming to you saying, 657 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,100 Satan is trying to steal, he is trying to kill. 658 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,800 He is trying to destroy, and if you walk in isolation, you are 659 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:13,400 easy prey. But when you step into a body, 660 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:19,500 you have protection, you have counsel and you have wisdom. 661 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:21,500 Do you know that in all of scripture? 662 00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:23,700 Everything was written through the lens of community. 663 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:27,300 Do you know how you help out the poor when you're in community 664 00:37:27,300 --> 00:37:29,300 with the poor? So, you know exactly what they 665 00:37:29,300 --> 00:37:32,900 need and a need could never be unmet if you love somebody 666 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,800 because when you're in proximity with somebody who's down and out 667 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,500 you couldn't help but take what you have and help them get 668 00:37:38,500 --> 00:37:42,900 through the next lot in life. When you needed help on your 669 00:37:42,900 --> 00:37:45,800 house, or when you needed help going through a death when you 670 00:37:45,900 --> 00:37:47,600 needed help with some of the trials. 671 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:50,200 You had people around you that would never let you go. 672 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:55,700 The church was supposed to be the original safety net, because 673 00:37:55,700 --> 00:37:58,400 you're in community and you knew exactly what they needed and 674 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,900 exactly how you could help. But when we partition ourselves 675 00:38:01,900 --> 00:38:05,900 off and we put fences around our yards and we put barriers in our 676 00:38:05,900 --> 00:38:10,100 schedule to where all we do is show up and sing and listen. 677 00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:14,200 Satan convinces you that you're doing what God called you to do. 678 00:38:14,900 --> 00:38:17,300 And what's really happening is you're just in isolation. 679 00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:21,500 You just don't know it. So Hear Me? 680 00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:24,900 If you're here today, and you've never started an intimate 681 00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:28,200 personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you 682 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:30,000 to do so. Because not only, when you get 683 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:34,200 baptized our unit United with Christ, your United with his 684 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:39,400 church, a global band of brothers and sisters who are 685 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,200 there for you and will love you and protect you and care for 686 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:45,400 you. You could call me and any City 687 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,500 on planet Earth. And there is a pastor that would 688 00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:50,400 come and change your tire in the middle of the night. 689 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:52,500 You become a part of the family of God. 690 00:38:52,700 --> 00:38:55,700 The family of God that has done more good than any organization 691 00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:57,200 ever since the beginning of time. 692 00:38:57,300 --> 00:39:00,900 You become a part of something great and beautiful and 693 00:39:00,900 --> 00:39:04,200 magnificent. And it is waiting for you 694 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,600 because it is not complete until you're a part of it. 695 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:09,900 And if you're interested in starting that relationship with 696 00:39:09,900 --> 00:39:13,000 Jesus Christ, that's what this church is all about, and we 697 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,200 would love to root for you and celebrate with you today, as you 698 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:18,900 make that step and it just a few moments when everybody else 699 00:39:18,900 --> 00:39:21,300 around you, stay inside, love to encourage you to go over by the 700 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:24,100 baptistry, which is right over. There and talk to somebody about 701 00:39:24,100 --> 00:39:26,500 starting that relationship with Jesus to the rest of you in the 702 00:39:26,500 --> 00:39:28,600 room. The Christians. 703 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:31,300 Serious question. Are you in community? 704 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,900 Real Community? Adults a, your fantasy football 705 00:39:34,900 --> 00:39:35,800 leagues. Your community. 706 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,500 And don't say your Dart buddies are is your community and your 707 00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:40,900 golf pros. That's part of what you might do 708 00:39:40,900 --> 00:39:42,700 is community, but that is not your community. 709 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,200 If you're not in community, I want you to seriously think hard 710 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:47,800 about what do you need to do to get there as couples. 711 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:49,600 Do you need to carve out a night and say, you know what, it's 712 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:51,600 friend time. We need to have some people over 713 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,600 and invest in them. Spiritually and have them invest 714 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,300 in us. This matters. 715 00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:58,600 Some of you here. Might be going man, you know 716 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,100 who's going to give me all the friends that I want. 717 00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:04,800 Well, listen to Christian would be asking a different question. 718 00:40:04,900 --> 00:40:07,800 Who are the people that I can invest in instead of trying to 719 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,600 receive first give first? Who are the people that I can 720 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:12,600 make an investment in? Would you be willing to just 721 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:13,700 come up here? Get down on your knees and say 722 00:40:13,707 --> 00:40:16,600 God what this community needs to look like for me. 723 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,800 What changes do I need to make? Because my fear is if you don't 724 00:40:22,300 --> 00:40:25,300 or Hearts will become just a little bit more calloused and 725 00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:27,500 will become just a little bit more alone. 726 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,900 And when you have, when you have to cross the river. 727 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:34,300 Don't be surprised if you get bit. 728 00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:36,900 Would you stand with me? God? 729 00:40:36,900 --> 00:40:40,500 I'm I'm in love with this church. 730 00:40:42,900 --> 00:40:48,100 Deep down in my bones, all I love them and I cannot fathom 731 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:51,800 how much you love them. God, I pray that you wouldn't 732 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:56,500 abandon any part of this message that you would work with your 733 00:40:56,500 --> 00:40:59,800 spirit to solidify the things that need to be solidified in 734 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:04,100 every single heart. God, help every single person to 735 00:41:04,107 --> 00:41:07,800 make a decision. A decision that honors you that 736 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,700 glorifies you, and that draws them closer to you and the 737 00:41:10,700 --> 00:41:12,700 people around them, your name. I pray. 738 00:41:12,900 --> 00:41:13,400 Amen.