1 00:00:02,900 --> 00:00:05,600 Man, it is good to be with each and every single. 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:07,200 One of you. I don't know where you're 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,400 joining from today, but I am excited to be with you. 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,500 There's a huge part of me that she's kind of excited that 5 00:00:12,500 --> 00:00:15,200 Easter's over and I'll tell you why. 6 00:00:16,300 --> 00:00:18,700 Leading up to Easter was a halt. I don't know what it's like in 7 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:22,700 your world, but we were plowing at the Hensel house. 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:29,900 I woke up on the Tuesday after the are the Tuesday before. 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,200 Easter. And I was locked up. 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,600 If you guys are here this past weekend and I was, you know, I'm 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,200 calling the doctor like, give me all the steroids. 12 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,600 You got my son cracked his leg. So he's going like he's going to 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,700 hospital getting in a boot on my son, my other son gets food 14 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:49,500 poisoning, so he's like in and out of bathrooms, my wife gets 15 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:52,500 sick, can't move. My dad has open heart surgery 16 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,000 like it's been a first of all. Well, that was very kind of you, 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,600 I appreciate that. It was fine. 18 00:00:57,900 --> 00:00:59,800 We're hensel's were prone to heart attacks. 19 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,900 Gotta watch the cheeseburgers which is why, you know me, I'll 20 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:04,099 eat Culver's when it's important. 21 00:01:04,099 --> 00:01:08,500 Okay? And you know, anyhow like it was 22 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:11,800 just there was just a lot. There were campuses multiple 23 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,300 campus pastors across our region were down for the count. 24 00:01:15,300 --> 00:01:17,300 We had worship pastors, who were sick? 25 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,800 There was just a lot of depending on where you are on 26 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:26,900 the spiritual Spectrum. Opposition felt like a taller 27 00:01:26,900 --> 00:01:31,600 Hill to climb and I'm just, I'm Come forward for an opportunity 28 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,900 to be together and hang out with you and not have bright yellow 29 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:35,800 lights. Searing. 30 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,500 My eyes and making me a colorblind and we have so much 31 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:42,900 to be thankful for and I just want to talk on the front end 32 00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:48,600 just with a couple groups of people to those of you who serve 33 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:52,600 and give at this church. I want to say just a special 34 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,700 thank you to you because this past weekend was an incredible 35 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:59,100 weekend of ministry and opportunity at our church and 36 00:01:59,100 --> 00:02:01,100 you We couldn't do it without you. 37 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,400 It's just not possible and we're so thankful we get an 38 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,100 opportunity to do it with you. We're celebrating the fact that 39 00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:13,400 between all of our different locations, we had over 10,000 40 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,600 people, physically, attend over, 4,000 people, watch online. 41 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:21,700 And that is a big deal. It's a really big deal. 42 00:02:22,700 --> 00:02:25,800 Because those people are your friends and your family members 43 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,100 and your neighbors, and some of you who aren't a part of our 44 00:02:28,108 --> 00:02:29,500 church. Be like, why are why is this 45 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:32,800 church excited about 10,000? I want you to hear that number. 46 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,100 So that way, you know, you're not weird and you're not alone 47 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,500 that there are a lot of people who are turning to God and 48 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:41,900 asking questions and trying to figure out their faith. 49 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,700 One of the things that Satan can do is he can try to isolate you 50 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:46,700 and think that you're like the only nut job. 51 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:49,200 And what I want you to realize is there's actually people all 52 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,300 across this region. Who are certain trying to seek 53 00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:53,700 out. Follow God and figure out what 54 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:57,200 that looks like in their life. We had 21 baptisms, some of them 55 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,800 were spontaneous, you just saw that baptism video while we were 56 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,400 singing and we, my goodness, we need to never take that for 57 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,000 granted that every single week we're seeing people's lives 58 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,800 changed, you know, you see it for six seconds, but you don't 59 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,500 know how many prayers were prayed. 60 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:21,400 How many conversations were had? How many tears were shed leading 61 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,000 into that six? S that you get to see. 62 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:27,200 I grew up in a church. Where if we saw that many 63 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,000 baptisms in a decade, we would have been feeling like we were 64 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,000 in Revival and I just don't ever want to be a church. 65 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,500 And you guys, you know, you're a part of this. 66 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:38,600 This isn't just me that ever takes moments like that for 67 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,400 granted. So that being said, there's 68 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,000 probably some of you who are you just came back. 69 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:48,400 You like you know what, I went to church on Easter that was fun 70 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,600 and you know what, I'll come back because I'm you know, I'm 71 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,000 bored this weekend and I want you to No, we're so glad that 72 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,400 you're here. And I want to let you know, we 73 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,700 have incredible Ministries at this church. 74 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,200 And one of the incredible ministers, we have is our kids 75 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,200 ministry, our 02:18 ministry, we call it this Jen. 76 00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:09,300 And if you want to encourage you to try and get connected to that 77 00:04:09,300 --> 00:04:12,200 Ministry, it's going to be really good for your child's 78 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,700 Spiritual Development. It's going to be really good for 79 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:18,600 you as you try to be a parent. While it may be fun at times to 80 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,399 have them in the auditorium hanging out with you. 81 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:22,300 The best place for them to learn about God. 82 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:25,300 God is not from Jerry. Or I from this stage, it's in an 83 00:04:25,300 --> 00:04:27,900 age appropriate environment where they get to see other 84 00:04:27,900 --> 00:04:29,700 people and make relationships and grow. 85 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,100 And sometimes kind of like today at the end of my message, I'm 86 00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:35,200 going to say things that you probably gonna have to answer 87 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,900 questions later and you probably don't want to have to do that 88 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,300 because I don't want to do it either, which is why my kids are 89 00:04:41,308 --> 00:04:43,400 back there. Okay, so pay attention that, 90 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,600 that's a great resource for you. For the next four weeks, we're 91 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,900 going to be in a sermon series called surrounded. 92 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,000 Surrounded. And we're going to look at the 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,300 four groups of people that surrounded Jesus during his 94 00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:56,700 Earthly Ministry. And we're going to take a look 95 00:04:56,700 --> 00:04:59,500 at the groups of people that he invested in and people that were 96 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:05,000 in close, proximity to him. Jesus was always surrounded. 97 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,400 He had to work really hard to get a loan. 98 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,700 How many of you feel like you have to work really hard to get 99 00:05:09,700 --> 00:05:13,200 a loan because no matter where you go, there's people the other 100 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:14,900 day. While I was on the toilet, 101 00:05:14,900 --> 00:05:20,600 everybody in my house came through and I'm like, There's 102 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,600 how many rooms in this house soon, as I sat down as like 103 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,400 everybody wanted to talk and I'm like, this is a sacred time 104 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:29,800 right now. This I'm prying. 105 00:05:29,900 --> 00:05:34,600 Okay, this is my prayer closet. This is my war room and 106 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,400 actually, it was a bit of a war room to be honest with you. 107 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,600 But, um, Got to be honest with you, you appreciate that about 108 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,700 me and you just need some time alone. 109 00:05:43,700 --> 00:05:46,700 Jesus had to actually fight to get some alone time because he 110 00:05:46,700 --> 00:05:49,200 was always surrounded. There were people who are 111 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,200 looking for Hope and they were people who are looking for 112 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:53,900 someone to lead them into the future. 113 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,400 There were some people that actually cared for Jesus and 114 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,100 there were others who wanted to silence him and destroy him, 115 00:05:59,900 --> 00:06:03,100 while people surrounded Jesus, for a variety of reasons, Jesus 116 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:06,000 allowed himself to be surrounded for two reasons. 117 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,700 He wanted to love them and he wanted to redeem them. 118 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:12,300 And what if you saw some of the inconveniences? 119 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:15,500 What if you saw some of the people that were sucking the 120 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:20,000 life out of you? As an opportunity to love an 121 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,500 opportunity to redeem. There are lots of people 122 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:28,500 surrounding you. There are people, you like, And 123 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:32,200 there are other people, right? My grandpa used to say, there's 124 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,500 three kinds of people in the world people, you care what they 125 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:37,700 think about you people. You don't care what they think 126 00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:41,900 about you and people you haven't met And there's probably you're 127 00:06:41,907 --> 00:06:44,100 going if I were to pick some people in my life, there's some 128 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:46,700 people I really care about. There's some people I don't care 129 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:49,900 about and then there's all the other people I haven't met and 130 00:06:49,900 --> 00:06:52,400 some people like, you think you're in one category, but 131 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,100 you're in the other category, how do you deal with that as a 132 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:57,400 Christian? How do you deal with some of the 133 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:58,600 people that you're surrounded by? 134 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:01,300 Well, how did Jesus deal with these situations? 135 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,000 Well, if you're wondering how do I live as a Christian, how do I 136 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,600 operate sir and and surrounded State? 137 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,600 The sermon series is for you and you might be new to this. 138 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Thing. And you might be wondering if 139 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,000 there's room for you next to Jesus. 140 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,800 I remember I having those feelings like you see the super 141 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,400 spiritual people you like AA makes total sense that they get 142 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,600 to be with Jesus. But I mean you know I'm a bit of 143 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,800 a mess like where do I fit in to the Jesus picture? 144 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,300 While back? I talked about a spiritual 145 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:33,900 Continuum from minus 5 to +5 at. What point did you think that 146 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,400 your, oh, it's okay for you to be by Jesus? 147 00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:41,100 Like I remember feeling, I had to be like a plus for before 148 00:07:41,100 --> 00:07:43,300 Jesus would be okay with me hanging out with him. 149 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,300 What if I told you that doesn't matter where you are on the 150 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,900 spiritual Spectrum, you can have access to Jesus. 151 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:55,200 What if the people that are around you? 152 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,700 It doesn't matter where they are on the spiritual spectrum, they 153 00:07:58,700 --> 00:08:03,600 could have access to you and you might, you know, you might be on 154 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,000 the plane. I have some crazy ideas and I 155 00:08:06,008 --> 00:08:08,400 have a crazy past. I just want you to know. 156 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,300 So did some of the people who surrounded Jesus and that didn't 157 00:08:12,300 --> 00:08:14,800 bug him. He let him in any way. 158 00:08:15,300 --> 00:08:17,600 So, before we jump in, I want to welcome those of you hear. 159 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,100 Those of you joining at all of our different locations, to 160 00:08:20,100 --> 00:08:22,800 those of your part of our online family are inside family worse. 161 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:25,200 Thankful that we get an opportunity to do ministry with 162 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,800 you, and I hope that this sermon series will be a blessing to 163 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,600 you. When I was in high school before 164 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,200 school during study hall, and during lunch, everything 165 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,500 happened in, for better, in the multi-purpose room, which is 166 00:08:39,508 --> 00:08:43,600 where we ate, and they had circular tables of eight chairs. 167 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,400 And so, every time you walked into this room, there were 168 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,400 tables, and there were certain people that were at certain 169 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,600 tables and I don't know what it was like in your world. 170 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,200 But like it are and what our high school there was like the 171 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,800 cool kids table and then there was the wish we were cool kid 172 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,100 table and like if a spot wasn't taking it to cool kid cable, 173 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:05,300 though. Wish they could be cool. 174 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:07,700 Kids would like try and sit in that chair for, you know, a day. 175 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,000 And then there was there was whatever sport was in season 176 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:14,400 table. So if it was football season, 177 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,300 all the football, people would hang out that kind of stuff. 178 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,600 Then there was the camo table. Is where the okay there just 179 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:28,000 was, it was just a couple tables of camo and then there was the 180 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,200 smart kid table. And then there was the I need to 181 00:09:31,208 --> 00:09:35,400 get my homework done fast table and sometimes the smartest of us 182 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:38,700 and I use to us. If you need to get your homework 183 00:09:38,700 --> 00:09:41,600 done fast table, you don't sit at the need to get your homework 184 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,000 done. Fast table, you sit at the smart 185 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,300 kid table, okay? And every time you went in, 186 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:51,000 depending on your status, or your situation, you would try to 187 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,400 get a seat at the appropriate table. 188 00:09:54,300 --> 00:09:56,800 And there were certain people that I always looked out for 189 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:01,500 when I walked into school, and there was one guy named Neil, he 190 00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:03,900 was super smart, and he was very accommodating. 191 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,000 And if I was behind on some homework, I could like, hey, how 192 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,100 did you solve this? Do you remember, did you get the 193 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:11,600 same answer? I got 716. 194 00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:14,500 He's like no Clayton. It's 212 like, oh yeah. 195 00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:20,000 Silly me carry the 2. I get it now. 196 00:10:20,300 --> 00:10:22,200 Okay, thank you. Sometimes you have to do it. 197 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:26,500 Okay, well I just I guess that was kind of how I worked and 198 00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:30,100 sometimes I would like connect people like oh man, you need 199 00:10:30,100 --> 00:10:31,500 help with this. Oh, you should talk to 200 00:10:31,500 --> 00:10:33,000 so-and-so. Like, that was just kind of how 201 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,800 God hardwired me. Well, I went to, I went from 202 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,100 high school. We're, we're, I had a pretty 203 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:44,900 decent group of friends. I went to Bible College and I 204 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:48,100 didn't know anybody. I haven't even been to the 205 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:50,400 school and I got dropped off in my parents dropped me off 206 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,700 without a vehicle. So it's like, I guess, I guess 207 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:57,700 here I am. and there were some people that should have a Bible 208 00:10:57,700 --> 00:11:01,500 College that had pedigree like they would walk into the class 209 00:11:01,500 --> 00:11:06,200 and the professor's would be like oh you must be so and so 210 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,400 son, your dad leads such a good church and like they knew 211 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,800 everybody I walked in and nobody nobody knew me. 212 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,200 And there were certain professors that were circling up 213 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,700 certain kids and in making a Strategic investment in them and 214 00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:26,600 I never got picked. In the back of my mind. 215 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,600 With the I told myself is the reason I didn't get picked is 216 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,700 all the professor's thought that I had already been picked and so 217 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:35,100 they didn't try to have the awkward conversation with me 218 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:38,200 when in reality, nobody went you. 219 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,300 So I was at Pizza Hut eaten with a group of guys and I would just 220 00:11:43,300 --> 00:11:46,000 started finding people and I'd take him out to lunch and by and 221 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,800 pizza and that I would take outside. 222 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,600 Ask a professor. I'd ask you a couple of college 223 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,100 guys that were older than me. Just take them out to lunch and 224 00:11:53,100 --> 00:11:57,200 talk to him. Will someone That me that I 225 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,000 could not create a fake Club at the school. 226 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,400 This is going to sound super dorky. 227 00:12:03,100 --> 00:12:08,100 I know this just track with me and because I was from Iowa and 228 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,700 I said oh yeah I could make a club called wannabes of Iowa. 229 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,600 Now who would want to be from Iowa if you're not from Iowa? 230 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:17,500 Well, I took that as a challenge. 231 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,500 And we held it at Pizza Hut and had the Punch Cards where if you 232 00:12:21,500 --> 00:12:23,300 ate five you got the sixth one free. 233 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,900 And so I started on Tuesdays after Chapel I would host a 234 00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:33,600 wannabes of Iowa and you would get inducted with five Iowa 235 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,300 power claps. I would introduce you and then 236 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:40,000 as part of you being inaugurated into the group, we pulled out a 237 00:12:40,008 --> 00:12:44,100 map of the state of Iowa and you had to pick your hometown and 238 00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:47,800 you had to sign it. Well, it got out of hand. 239 00:12:49,300 --> 00:12:52,000 And when I say got out of hand, here's what happened. 240 00:12:53,700 --> 00:12:55,300 They closed down. Pizza Hut. 241 00:12:55,300 --> 00:13:00,600 For me at lunch on Tuesdays, I met the regional manager because 242 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,100 I single-handedly changed their bottom line. 243 00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:08,900 The founder of the school, the Board of Trustees, the 244 00:13:08,900 --> 00:13:13,000 president, the dean of students, and every single Professor ended 245 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:18,800 up attending it was so big. That I had protesters at my 246 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:23,600 college who would pop their collars on Tuesday because that 247 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,600 was the day that I would take people to Pizza Hut because I'm 248 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,000 a polarizing figure. Now this was sink. 249 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,700 We raised money for the school, it got so far out of hand. 250 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:38,600 I one time put five thousand dollars worth of Pizza on my 251 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,600 Dad's credit card. I paid it all off but that's how 252 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,200 big this thing got just for perspective, okay? 253 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:48,500 And at the time I was making like two thousand dollars a 254 00:13:48,508 --> 00:13:53,000 year. Now, the whole the whole reason 255 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:58,400 I ended up doing this was because I wanted a college kids 256 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,900 to have an opportunity to be surrounded by a professor. 257 00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:04,700 If only for a meal to get an opportunity to learn from them 258 00:14:04,700 --> 00:14:08,600 and connect with them, Well, five years later Jerry and I are 259 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,700 Jerry not Jerry and I Jerry gets invited to go back to preach the 260 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:16,400 Bible College and he takes me with him and in the middle of 261 00:14:16,408 --> 00:14:19,000 his message he goes hey we'll have Clayton come up here and 262 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,500 talk for a second and I get up there and I make a wannabes of 263 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:28,700 Iowa joke at the college. And nobody gets it. 264 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,600 And I'm used to jokes, not falling flat and it was a good 265 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:37,300 joke and nobody. The biggest thing outside of 266 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:40,100 Jesus Christ that had happened at that school in the last 10 267 00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:44,900 years was one of these of Iowa. Like the only thing missing was 268 00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:47,700 a statue in my honor at the college. 269 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,800 That's not an understatement. I can't it's I can't even fathom 270 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:55,200 how dumb and crazy this thing was and nobody got it and the 271 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,300 reason nobody got it is because I left nobody behind. 272 00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:03,200 And all of the interactions and all of the Investments, I didn't 273 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,900 pass any of the principles of what that was to the next group 274 00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:10,900 of people to make sure there were connections when Jesus came 275 00:15:10,900 --> 00:15:15,500 to Earth, Not only was his primary goal was to bring 276 00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:17,600 Salvation. The healing of souls for every 277 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,400 single one of us, but a second thing was to make sure that that 278 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:25,000 message got out. And so he picked a group of 279 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:29,800 people to pass it on and you would be surprised at who, You 280 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,200 picked this one. It says, in Matthew chapter 10, 281 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,700 these are the names of The Twelve Apostles first Simon, who 282 00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:40,600 is called Peter and his brother, Andrew James, son of our Andrew 283 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,000 James, son of Zebedee. And his brother, John, Philip 284 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,400 and Bartholomew Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, 285 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,800 James, the son of alphaeus thaddaeus Simon the Zealot and 286 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,300 Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Like as soon as you're 287 00:15:52,300 --> 00:15:55,200 introduced to Judas there like this guy gets enough, right? 288 00:15:55,300 --> 00:15:57,900 They don't even wait there, like this guy, no good. 289 00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:00,800 Now, every time you You read the disciples there, mentioned, 290 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,800 three times in scripture, it's a bit of a different list, don't 291 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,900 let that confuse you because they were written to different 292 00:16:06,900 --> 00:16:09,900 audiences and by different authors, you know, how some of 293 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:12,200 you, you know, you don't want to do this because it will get 294 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,700 weird but you have a name but you go by something else whether 295 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:19,000 it's your nickname or you know, someone forwarding your name. 296 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:22,700 Like I don't ever go by Clay. If you call me clay I'm like 297 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:24,700 there are a lot of great churches in town like that's 298 00:16:24,700 --> 00:16:27,600 just you should pick one because you're going to love it there. 299 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,700 Like now there's other Lebanon. Clay. 300 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:32,500 Totally fine. I'm just a Clayton. 301 00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:34,200 My parents gave me seven letters in my name. 302 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:35,200 We're going to use all seven of them. 303 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,900 All right. And do you write have your own 304 00:16:37,900 --> 00:16:39,900 thing that's when you're reading through scriptures, don't go. 305 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:41,700 I don't understand why these things don't mix. 306 00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:43,200 Don't don't get tripped up by that. 307 00:16:43,300 --> 00:16:46,700 Now, here is what these here's what these names are. 308 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:49,200 And I want to walk you through some of these guys, and some of 309 00:16:49,208 --> 00:16:50,600 them, you know, some of them you don't. 310 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,400 So here's Simon who Jesus changed his name to Peter. 311 00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:57,600 Jesus gives out nicknames. You gotta like that about him. 312 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,500 He's kind of like that. He's got a cool uncle. 313 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,900 Her to him, right? He's like, oh, I'm gonna call 314 00:17:01,900 --> 00:17:04,700 you, I'm gonna call you Peter, he's the one who walked on 315 00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:07,200 water, he's one of the open his mouth before he knew what he 316 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,400 should have said. You guys all, you know, some of 317 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,099 you married that guy, right? Check this out. 318 00:17:12,099 --> 00:17:17,500 He's got a brother named Andrew. It was at Peter's 319 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:20,500 mother-in-law's house that the guys ripped open the roof and 320 00:17:20,500 --> 00:17:24,700 lowered the paralyzed, man on the map. that's kind of cool 321 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:26,700 because if you were ever going to do something to your 322 00:17:26,708 --> 00:17:30,500 mother-in-law, That's the thing you want to do, right? 323 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:32,800 Like maybe it's Jesus. You know what I mean? 324 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,500 So you can't get mad at me cuz it's him, but you're like, 325 00:17:36,500 --> 00:17:37,900 you're gonna want to fix that roof. 326 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:40,400 Okay. Now there's Andrew. 327 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:41,800 Here's the crazy thing about Andrew. 328 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,500 Jesus picks an inner three. He picks Peter James and John, 329 00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:50,600 he doesn't pick Andrew. But you know what's super cool 330 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,900 about Andrew? Everytime Andrews mentioned in 331 00:17:53,900 --> 00:17:56,100 scripture. He's doing one thing. 332 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:02,000 Bringing people to Jesus. How cool is Andrew. 333 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,300 Here's one of them, some some Greeks. 334 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:07,000 Come some. Gentiles to people who wouldn't 335 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,300 have been welcomed into the circle and they have questions 336 00:18:09,300 --> 00:18:11,400 about faith. They go to Philip. 337 00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:14,800 Philip doesn't feel comfortable talking to Jesus about it. 338 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:19,200 So Philip goes to Andrew, and Andrew takes the questions to 339 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,400 Jesus. You know, who else? 340 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:26,000 Andrew introduces, the Jesus Peter, you know, who else? 341 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:31,400 Philip introduces, the Jesus. A little boy, with Five Loaves. 342 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,700 To fish, man. If you wanted to be a church 343 00:18:35,700 --> 00:18:40,200 that like reached people, we've got to have some answers that 344 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,100 like they're just always bringing people to Jesus. 345 00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:46,200 You're like my favorite group of people in our church like every 346 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,000 time you show up, you're bringing a new friend. 347 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:51,000 Like that's just your heart, you can't go to the gas station, you 348 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,700 can't eat at a Mexican restaurant. 349 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:54,200 You can't get a pedicure without going. 350 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,400 Hey do you want to come and sit with me? 351 00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:58,700 And listen, our church at all of our locations, we've got to have 352 00:18:58,700 --> 00:19:00,600 some answers. Then you have James and John. 353 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,900 These are the sons of Zebedee. Jesus gives them a nickname. 354 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,800 He calls them, the sons of thunder which of all the 355 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,200 nicknames is Bad to the Bone, right? 356 00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:15,200 Like we are getting two week with our nicknames. 357 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:18,700 Yeah, this is Clayton. We called Thunder. 358 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:23,100 Come on man, we've been naming biceps, we should have been 359 00:19:23,100 --> 00:19:26,200 naming other people. These guys are prideful. 360 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:28,600 They're arrogant and they're hot headed. 361 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,500 These are the guys who who you would have maybe told your kids 362 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:40,000 to steer clear of And Jesus is like yeah, you can roll with me. 363 00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:44,900 Chances are these guys were his cousins which makes it even 364 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:47,000 cooler. Of course, he gave him his 365 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,600 nicknames because he's been playing kickball with them and 366 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,600 knows what it's like. When they get out the like, 367 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,300 thanks for getting a fight and she was like, you guys are 368 00:19:55,300 --> 00:19:58,400 pretty thunderous Sun, Sun, fun, to thunder. 369 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,400 Then you have Philip then you have Bartholomew, then you have 370 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,800 fattiest, you have Judas, Iscariot, which We already know 371 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,000 about him. He messes it up. 372 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:14,800 You got you got Thomas. Also known as didymus which 373 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,900 means he's nicknamed. The twin don't know if he has a 374 00:20:17,900 --> 00:20:21,800 twin brother or not, but the Bible tells us that's hey, he's 375 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,600 also known as didymus the twin, which is cool because you makes 376 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,700 you wonder this isn't super spiritual If he had a twin was 377 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:36,500 it, identical? and if they're identical, do you 378 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:40,000 ever wonder? It's like, Thomas and Timmy. 379 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,300 Switch spots with Jesus and they had gotten away with it, their 380 00:20:44,300 --> 00:20:48,300 whole life. And then Jesus walks in Timmy, 381 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:52,100 what are you doing here? I'm Thomas. 382 00:20:55,900 --> 00:20:57,600 I made you man. Quit doing that with me. 383 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,000 Get out. Okay, anyhow. 384 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:02,200 This is not spiritual will get to the spiritual stuff. 385 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:08,400 Here's here's Thomas. And he was famous for struggling 386 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,500 to believe after Jesus crucifixion. 387 00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:13,400 And I got, to be honest with you, I'm not one of those guys 388 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,000 who likes to call him doubting Thomas because that's a pile up. 389 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:22,400 That's a pile of poo. And I'll tell you, why do you 390 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,300 want to be nicknamed by your struggle? 391 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:30,300 Yeah, I didn't think so. I mean, I'm not saying it's bad 392 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:33,800 if we do, but I'm just saying this guy was a really good dude 393 00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:36,300 who did really good things and we just want to check out but 394 00:21:36,300 --> 00:21:39,000 check out what happens after John chapter John chapter 20 395 00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:41,300 now, Thomas also known as didymus. 396 00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:44,500 One of the twelve was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 397 00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:47,100 So pause. All the other guys got to see 398 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:51,000 that Jesus was alive. And so, they've been able to get 399 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,900 their heads around the fact that there's a resurrected Jesus, but 400 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:56,700 he wasn't there. Now, you tell me what you would 401 00:21:56,700 --> 00:22:01,200 do. if your wife came home and said, Remember the dog, that 402 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:07,200 died that we buried, put Six Feet Under I saw him running 403 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:13,500 around chasing the cat today. What I'm sweetheart. 404 00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:15,400 It was it must have looked like him. 405 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,500 No sweetheart. Our dog Fido was running around 406 00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:21,600 the neighborhood. Look. 407 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,000 He's upstairs. Do you hear him? 408 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:27,800 No, I know. You would have been looking at 409 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,300 your spouse going. You're crazy. 410 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,100 This is Thomas. He's going. 411 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,100 What do you mean? He's alive. 412 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,300 Because dead people don't come back from the dead. 413 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:40,000 This is him. This is a real deal. 414 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,400 The other disciples told him. We have seen the Lord. 415 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:48,400 But he said to them, unless I see the nail marks in his hands 416 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,000 and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand in 417 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:56,300 the side, I will not believe. That's reasonable. 418 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,700 A week later, his disciples were in the house again and Thomas 419 00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:03,300 was with them through though, the doors were locked. 420 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,600 This is what tells us about our heavenly bodies because our 421 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,900 resurrected bodies will be like Jesus is bodies to check out 422 00:23:08,900 --> 00:23:11,200 some cool stuff. We're going to get to do even 423 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,800 though the doors were locked Jesus came and stood among them 424 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,500 and said peace be with you. So he's walking through walls 425 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,200 just showing up which means we're gonna have some a lot of 426 00:23:21,208 --> 00:23:22,800 fun. When we get when we, when we get 427 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:28,200 a resurrected bodies, then he said to Thomas So he shows up 428 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,700 peace be with you. Thomas heard you had some 429 00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:35,600 questions? Can I see your finger? 430 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,400 Put your finger here. See my hands, reach out your 431 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,900 hand, and put it in my side, stop doubting and believe. 432 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:48,200 That's Thomas. He was a normal guy who wrestled 433 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,100 with faith trying to figure out what to make of this Jesus 434 00:23:52,100 --> 00:23:54,400 thing. And some of us we've all been in 435 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,600 that spot. Then here's to other people when 436 00:23:57,608 --> 00:24:00,700 you go back to this thing to the 12 disciples. 437 00:24:02,900 --> 00:24:06,600 There's two here. One is Simon the Zealot. 438 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,000 And the other one is where is he on here? 439 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:14,800 Matthew Simon the call him. Simon is Zealand for one reason 440 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,400 or the Zealot for one reason because he was a zealot. 441 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,600 He was a part of Jewish people who are frustrated at Roman 442 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:25,200 occupation, he wanted to overthrow the Roman government, 443 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,700 he wanted to push back against all the things that people what 444 00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:31,400 that his people were experiencing, he was a 445 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,100 rabble-rouser, he was the guy who was meeting late at night, 446 00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:37,300 trying to come up with plans on how to overthrow the government. 447 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:41,500 We know people like this This is him. 448 00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:47,500 And then you have Matthew also known as Levi, the tax 449 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:50,600 collector. Well, Matthew would have been 450 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:56,300 the sell out in the group. Matthew is the guy that when 451 00:24:56,300 --> 00:25:00,200 Rome came to town said, I'll collect taxes for Rome. 452 00:25:01,100 --> 00:25:03,500 And so he goes to all of his hometown friends and he is 453 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,700 taking money from them. And the way Matthew makes his 454 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:12,000 money, as he skims off the top, And he is the one who is 455 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,100 channeling the money to Rome. That is oppressing his friends. 456 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:22,300 So in Jesus's Circle, you have a guy who wants to overthrow Rome 457 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:31,800 and a guy who is funding it. What was that campfire like. if 458 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,900 you were to pull up into Jesus house and see the vehicles 459 00:25:34,900 --> 00:25:40,000 parked outside for his small group, you'd had bumper stickers 460 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,000 on both sides of the aisle. You two had beat up pickup 461 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,000 trucks and brand-new F350 su2 had rusted out minivans and 462 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:53,200 you'd had Jaguars. You two had not my president and 463 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,200 God bless America and whatever bumper sticker from whatever 464 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:01,000 crazy person you roll with. And somehow, check this out 465 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,100 there allowed to be surrounded by Jesus. 466 00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:08,600 At their present situation, wasn't a hindrance to Jesus 467 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:14,000 giving them access to him. And what happened over time is 468 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,800 these guys laid down their Earthly mission for a Heavenly 469 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,700 one. They lay down their Earthly 470 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:26,200 agenda for a Heavenly one. They did not get United because 471 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,600 they believe that they they agreed on the Earthly methods. 472 00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:34,100 It was when they realized that the thing that they wanted in 473 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:37,700 their heart could only be fulfilled in Heavenly ways. 474 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,400 And that group of people got United. 475 00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,100 And that's the group of people that Jesus wanted to leave 476 00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:46,900 everything with a divided group, who would have been frustrated 477 00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:49,200 with each other? Who would have hated each other? 478 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,700 And he goes, yeah, you're going to be my life group. 479 00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:58,600 Figure out how crazy that is. Think of the people you get 480 00:26:58,600 --> 00:26:59,800 frustrated. When you see their car in the 481 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,000 parking lot and juicing, like I think you and you should be in 482 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,300 my group. That Unity isn't us agreeing on 483 00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:09,400 everything here on Earth. It's actually agreeing that the 484 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,400 most important thing we could do, our Heavenly things. 485 00:27:12,700 --> 00:27:14,800 When we finally realize that we're not going to create the 486 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,400 kind of change. We want through marches and 487 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,100 movements through yard signs, and bumper stickers, through 488 00:27:19,100 --> 00:27:22,200 boycotts, and super Pacs, but it's only through the power of 489 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,100 the Holy Spirit and personal investment in spiritual growth 490 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:28,300 by leveraging, our hearts and spiritual ways. 491 00:27:28,300 --> 00:27:31,800 Jesus surrounded by himself with people who were searching and 492 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,700 people who are looking and people who are unsatisfied. 493 00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:38,000 And our church has to be a place for people who haven't got it, 494 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,600 all figured out yet. And if you're going, I don't 495 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,700 have my faith figured out yet. I want you to know what this 496 00:27:42,700 --> 00:27:47,300 church, you are in good company because the people that Jesus 497 00:27:47,300 --> 00:27:51,300 picked had huge struggles and massive failures, their 498 00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:54,100 spiritual, they would Peter. For example, we do something 499 00:27:54,100 --> 00:27:57,600 great for God and that he would just blow himself up and we've 500 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,900 seen that over and over again. James and John were prideful and 501 00:28:00,900 --> 00:28:02,900 hot-tempered. They got themselves into 502 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:05,000 situations where they were spiritually outmatched. 503 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,900 Spiritually confused, all the disciples spend a hard, a lot of 504 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:12,100 time trying to figure out how to understand Jesus message. 505 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,200 This was a constant challenge for Jesus. 506 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:15,900 In his people. He didn't pick the most 507 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:19,900 spiritual people or the most put together people to be around 508 00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:22,600 him. He picked normal people. 509 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,800 He picked us kind of people people with moments, of 510 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,000 Brilliance, and people who struggle with backsliding. 511 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,400 They were allowed in Jesus Circle. 512 00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:37,000 And so if your Real growth looks more like an EKG. 513 00:28:39,300 --> 00:28:43,700 This is a place for you. We have Grace for that because 514 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:47,200 she has Grace for us. One of the most encouraging 515 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,000 characteristics about the group of people that surrounded, Jesus 516 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,600 is that they had questions and doubts. 517 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,200 The church should be a place with people who are questioning 518 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,600 their faith and have doubts about their faith. 519 00:29:03,100 --> 00:29:07,000 Because Jesus had people close to him who struggled in really 520 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,200 big ways already read about Thomas right, here's the first 521 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,600 that doesn't get preached nearly enough when people struggle with 522 00:29:13,608 --> 00:29:15,900 doubts, look what it says in Matthew chapter 28. 523 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,900 For those of you are super spiritual, you know that this is 524 00:29:18,900 --> 00:29:22,900 the last chapter in Matthew at the very end of this, we go into 525 00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:25,400 Matthew 28:19-20, which is the Great Commission. 526 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,500 Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven on Earth has 527 00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:30,000 been given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all 528 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,800 Nations, baptizing them in the Father, the Son, the Holy 529 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,300 Spirit, and teaching them. To obey all the commands and 530 00:29:35,300 --> 00:29:37,000 surely I'll be with, you always to the very end of the HK. 531 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,500 That's and then the ends like the story of Jesus Through 532 00:29:40,500 --> 00:29:45,200 Matthews eyes ends. Check out the verses right 533 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:49,100 before that, then the, This is 40 days. 534 00:29:49,100 --> 00:29:52,700 After Jesus has been rolling around them with them in a 535 00:29:52,700 --> 00:29:57,500 resurrected State. This is why I have a problem 536 00:29:57,800 --> 00:29:59,700 with Thomas being doubting Thomas. 537 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:02,800 Because there were all there were 10, other fools, who were 538 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,600 struggling, then the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the 539 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:08,800 mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 540 00:30:09,300 --> 00:30:11,500 When they saw him, they worshiped him. 541 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:20,100 Can anybody else read that? But some doubted. 542 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,900 Doubt. Scripturally means standing in 543 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:27,000 two places, have you ever stood in two places? 544 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,300 Man, I love her but I can't stand her. 545 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:41,200 Okay, right? I love you, son. 546 00:30:42,500 --> 00:30:46,300 But you better get away from me. You ever stood in two places? 547 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,800 Man, I believe in Jesus but man it's hard to believe in Jesus. 548 00:30:53,500 --> 00:30:58,000 Whoever stood in two places. They worshiped him. 549 00:31:00,500 --> 00:31:02,200 I don't know what this is all about. 550 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:04,800 This still doesn't make sense to me. 551 00:31:05,900 --> 00:31:10,200 It's not just Thomas, there's a whole crew of people after 552 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,800 spending 40 days with the resurrected Jesus who still had 553 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,000 questions. And I want this to be a place 554 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,400 for people who have questions. So I want your help. 555 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,400 We've got a QR code, and I'm going to go through the super 556 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,800 fast, but if you don't do it now, make sure you do it before 557 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:30,300 you leave. But if you click on that QR 558 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:34,900 code, it's going to take you to a link tree and there's a spot 559 00:31:34,900 --> 00:31:37,500 on there that says Sermon survey. 560 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:39,300 Okay, here's how you can help me out. 561 00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:41,100 You're gonna want to do this. If you miss out you're going to 562 00:31:41,108 --> 00:31:42,400 hate Church forever. Ready? 563 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,300 Go to the next slide. I want you to not me know where 564 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:48,800 you have questions and I want to preach sermons that address 565 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,400 them. I want to help you with your 566 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,400 questions, I don't want us to run from them. 567 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,600 I want us to run into them, so you might be going on. 568 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,200 I want to know what heaven's like that's interesting to me 569 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,200 here. I want to know what God has a 570 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,800 plan for my life, where I want to know, how to share my faith 571 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,100 with my friends because they matter to me or I'm I'm dealing 572 00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:11,300 with difficult people or I want to have a better marriage 573 00:32:11,300 --> 00:32:14,100 because the one I got stinks, but I think I should, you know, 574 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:16,200 figure out how to fix it. Instead of leave it. 575 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:18,300 I want to figure out how to become a Godly leader. 576 00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:20,800 I want to lead, I want to expand on my Your ship skills. 577 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,400 I want to defend my faith. I want to understand how to 578 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,400 creation and evolution and can the Bible be trusted and can the 579 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:29,200 Bible and science be harmonized? Because my kids are getting 580 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,200 caught this but I feel like I have a faith. 581 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,300 How do I, how do I put these things together? 582 00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:35,800 Doesn't make sense to me then you could pick something else 583 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,200 you'd like. I want I want information on 584 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,200 Clayton's fashion. Like I want to hear how he gets 585 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,300 that fly. You can do you think you're 586 00:32:43,300 --> 00:32:44,900 going to go to the next one and you're going to go. 587 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,600 I want to figure out how to how do I overcome addiction with 588 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,700 God's help or how do I handle stressor? 589 00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:52,400 Sir, I want to talk about forgiveness because maybe you're 590 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,300 going. I've never forgiven others or 591 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,000 maybe you've never forgiven yourself. 592 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,500 I need help with that. This is on me. 593 00:32:59,500 --> 00:33:02,300 I don't understand like, if God's really healed me. 594 00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:05,600 Why do I still struggle with? You might be going, I want to 595 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,600 know how to like read my Bible because when I read it I get 596 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:12,200 confused or I want to know how to how to pray or I want to know 597 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:13,900 what it means to worship or faster. 598 00:33:14,300 --> 00:33:15,800 You want to get out of a spiritual, right? 599 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,200 Like you feel like you've just worn the same thing and you've 600 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,800 lost your first lover? You're going man, I need help 601 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,300 raising my kids in today's culture because it's a, it's 602 00:33:23,300 --> 00:33:25,300 getting bad out there, you could you click other? 603 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:27,600 You can be like, hey, I want to know, you know what? 604 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,700 Clayton thinks about CNN can go to the next one. 605 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:32,400 I'm interested in more of these topics. 606 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,100 How do I handle burnout or family or hope? 607 00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:38,600 Or how do I navigate my time or my Identity? 608 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,500 Or what does the Bible say about finances? 609 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:43,000 Because this God, have anything to speak into my financial 610 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,100 situation, talk to me about death and what happens talk to 611 00:33:46,100 --> 00:33:48,300 me about the Holy Spirit, go to the next one. 612 00:33:48,300 --> 00:33:50,300 I'm asking all of you to do it because it's going to Inform me 613 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:54,400 I want you to answer for sure. This one tell me where you're at 614 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,500 your spiritual journey. Man, I've been hanging out here, 615 00:33:57,500 --> 00:34:01,900 but I'm not following Jesus yet. I'm just here because you know, 616 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,500 I like to sing songs and, you know, this is the only place in 617 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:09,000 town with live music. I don't know, maybe I'm brand 618 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,800 new to my faith. You're going, I just got 619 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,000 baptized me and I just started coming, man. 620 00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:17,000 This is all brand new to me and you're way ahead of me, or you 621 00:34:17,007 --> 00:34:19,000 might be going clicking. I was asked, to be honest with 622 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,000 you. I was with Jesus. 623 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:21,699 Like, I've been falling in that long. 624 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,699 Like I was that Matthew 28 passage. 625 00:34:23,699 --> 00:34:26,600 I was there, like, I've been with him since before, there was 626 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:28,900 a Bible. Okay, fine, let me know that be 627 00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:32,000 cool for me. Now, here's the cool thing as a 628 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,300 church, we want to be a place where you can have questions 629 00:34:35,300 --> 00:34:38,000 about your faith and that doesn't push you away. 630 00:34:38,300 --> 00:34:41,400 You get brought in that when you're here at the Also, you can 631 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:43,900 have questions and we don't have to be afraid of them that they 632 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:45,900 can lead to our greatest discoveries. 633 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,300 The disciples had questions and doubts, but that didn't stop 634 00:34:49,300 --> 00:34:50,800 them from growing in their faith. 635 00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:53,800 These guys who struggled with their faith? 636 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:57,800 Ended up finishing strong with their faith. 637 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,500 These group of guys who are prone to fail and prone to make 638 00:35:01,500 --> 00:35:05,100 mistakes, they went on to do incredible things for the cause 639 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:08,300 of Christ, even though there was a period in their life, where 640 00:35:08,300 --> 00:35:11,400 they wrestled with questions and they had doubts. 641 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,000 Even though there was a period in their life, where they were 642 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,600 things, that they didn't understand, God went on to use 643 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:22,800 them in amazing ways, and I think the same can be true for 644 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,600 you. John one of the sons of thunder 645 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,700 went on to write the Book of John first John, second John 646 00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:34,200 third John, he went on to write Revelation everything you know 647 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,300 about heaven, came from a guy who used to be called the son of 648 00:35:37,300 --> 00:35:40,400 thunder. The prideful guy went from never 649 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:44,100 even mentioning his name, he just called himself the disciple 650 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:46,100 Jesus loved, which is kind of like a humble Flex. 651 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,200 Like it's a humble brag, but he doesn't list himself. 652 00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:51,500 He was the only one who died of old age. 653 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,400 He was exiled to the island of Patmos for spreading the faith. 654 00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:01,300 James, his brother was the first to die. 655 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,300 You can read about that one in Acts chapter 12. 656 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,800 Peter was killed by the emperor Nero in 64 ad. 657 00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:14,400 And he refused to be crucified the way Jesus was crucified. 658 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,100 So they crucified him upside down. 659 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,900 The guy who denied Jesus before his crucifixion. 660 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:22,700 Refuse to die. Like Jesus. 661 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:27,600 He didn't deserve the honor of dying right side up, Andrew. 662 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,200 His brother, the guy who all he ever did was bring people to 663 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,100 Jesus. He was crucified on an x-shaped 664 00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:35,500 cross which is how you get st. Andrew's cross. 665 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:43,200 Bartholomew, he was filleted his skin removed from his body and 666 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:47,200 then he was crucified Matthew, the tax collector was beheaded 667 00:36:47,300 --> 00:36:49,800 James, son of alphaeus, was beaten to death with a club. 668 00:36:49,900 --> 00:36:54,000 Thaddeus was crucified Simon, the Zealot was crucified and 669 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,200 Thomas the one that everybody wants to call doubting Thomas 670 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,300 died, at the tip of the spear all the way in India. 671 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:05,100 This is before Planes Trains and Automobiles. 672 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:10,600 This is a guy who hooked it from Jerusalem, all the way to India 673 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:16,100 to tell people about the guy who he put his hands in the holes of 674 00:37:16,100 --> 00:37:19,500 Jesus's hands. Every single one of them pushed 675 00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:23,300 past their doubts and they finished strong. 676 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:27,400 And their testimony is what gave birth to my testimony. 677 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:30,400 Because when I was trying to figure out the questions about 678 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:34,000 my faith, one of the pillars that God used to bring about 679 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,600 substantial change in my life was, I had to ask myself this 680 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,400 question. Why would a group of guys? 681 00:37:41,700 --> 00:37:48,100 Who were so close to Jesus? All died for the cause of 682 00:37:48,100 --> 00:37:51,100 Christ. There's no way that those guys 683 00:37:51,100 --> 00:37:54,000 would have died for a lie universally across the 684 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,100 landscape, every single one of them going. 685 00:37:56,100 --> 00:37:59,400 I'm not they died because they preach this gospel. 686 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,400 That Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living. 687 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:07,400 God that he died on the cross at the hands of Pontius. 688 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:12,500 Pilate was laid in a borrowed tomb and three days later. 689 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,700 Came back to life. They preach this gospel. 690 00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:24,100 He's alive and every one of them died for it with the exception 691 00:38:24,100 --> 00:38:28,800 of John, and that made me go if those guys believed it. 692 00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:33,700 I can too. and I'm hoping you guys will consider that as we 693 00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:41,800 move to this time a decision I went long. 694 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,000 So I got to be quick. Okay, sorry about that. 695 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,800 I want to talk to three groups of people real quick group. 696 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:50,200 Number one, you're struggling with your faith. 697 00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:52,500 You don't believe yet. You're still trying to figure it 698 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:56,200 out, you don't know, this sounds crazy, little whack doesn't make 699 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,000 sense of watch the Discovery Channel Clayton. 700 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:00,900 I don't get it. I've paid attention to Bill Nye, 701 00:39:00,900 --> 00:39:03,000 the Science Guy. I've been coming around for a 702 00:39:03,008 --> 00:39:05,100 really long time. Everybody else seems to feel 703 00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:07,300 something, but I don't, I don't feel anything. 704 00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:09,300 I only feel like this coffee is making me want to go the 705 00:39:09,300 --> 00:39:10,800 bathroom so soon as you stop talking. 706 00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:13,800 I'm going out that door. I get it. 707 00:39:14,300 --> 00:39:16,100 I get it. That might be where you're at. 708 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,600 I just want you to know. I'm cool with it. 709 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:22,800 Like, I don't want you thinking, you can't come because you don't 710 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,200 get it yet. No, no, this is except this is 711 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:26,900 where people. This is a great place for people 712 00:39:26,900 --> 00:39:29,500 who don't get it. You can belong to this church 713 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:33,300 before you believe you can be treated with dignity and respect 714 00:39:33,300 --> 00:39:37,300 and love and care and concern long before because that's how 715 00:39:37,300 --> 00:39:40,900 Jesus operated. Jesus loves people way before 716 00:39:40,900 --> 00:39:45,800 they believed in him. Like Jesus believed and loved 717 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:49,000 and people before he even came to them. 718 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,600 And if we're going to be a church that loves like Jesus, 719 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,400 that is the hands and feet of Jesus. 720 00:39:54,700 --> 00:39:58,000 That's how we got to be. So listen, you are totally 721 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,400 welcome here. Wherever you're at on the 722 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,500 spiritual Spectrum, this is the place for you. 723 00:40:04,900 --> 00:40:06,700 But if you're going, you know, what I've been coming here, long 724 00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:10,400 enough and I feel like God's asking me to do something. 725 00:40:11,500 --> 00:40:15,700 It's time for you to start. You might be going man. 726 00:40:15,700 --> 00:40:18,400 I've heard it for a long time. I've seen it for a long time. 727 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,500 I've watched other people experience it for a long time, 728 00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:23,900 but it's never been my time. Maybe you need to take a step 729 00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:26,400 and actually ask some of those questions because you've been 730 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,600 writing yourself excuses for a really long time. 731 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,500 Like, I would say yes to Jesus, but I just don't. 732 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,900 Well, what steps are you taking to solve the? 733 00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:38,000 Just don't Tom's was at least honest man. 734 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:39,400 I believe I got to touch some holes. 735 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,500 First like what's your thing? I got to meet with somebody 736 00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:45,300 because I got some questions that need answers. 737 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:47,500 Hear me. Can I do this in a loving way? 738 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:52,700 Ask the question. Like the questions not going 739 00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:54,400 away. Ask it. 740 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:56,400 What's the worst thing that can happen? 741 00:40:56,900 --> 00:40:59,200 Ask it talk to somebody. Who brought? 742 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:02,100 You talk to a pastor. Fill out a connection card. 743 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:06,200 Ask it. Because it's not doing you any 744 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:08,500 good to have the question in your head? 745 00:41:10,100 --> 00:41:12,900 Ask you and maybe that's what you want to do. 746 00:41:12,900 --> 00:41:15,600 Is you have questions about what it means to start a relationship 747 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:16,700 with Jesus in just a few moments. 748 00:41:16,700 --> 00:41:19,300 There's gonna be people over by the baptistry and they'd love to 749 00:41:19,300 --> 00:41:21,400 answer some of those questions or at least give you a place to 750 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,700 ask it. Third group of people in here. 751 00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:32,300 We got to finish strong. We got to finish strong. 752 00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:37,100 It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. 753 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:41,000 But you can't finish if you don't start. 754 00:41:42,900 --> 00:41:46,300 Some of you have been following Jesus for a really long time. 755 00:41:46,300 --> 00:41:49,200 I'm just going to say this gently like a big smile on my 756 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:54,600 face. Like, are you surrounding 757 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,700 yourself with the people that you should be surrounding 758 00:41:57,700 --> 00:42:00,200 yourself with the help them grow and their relationship with 759 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:04,600 Jesus? When they group of 12 are 760 00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:08,800 introduced, their introduced as disciples people who learned 761 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:12,000 from God? The Greek word there is matthäus 762 00:42:12,100 --> 00:42:15,400 if you have a someone named Matthew that word comes from the 763 00:42:15,408 --> 00:42:18,000 word disciple, to learn from Jesus. 764 00:42:18,900 --> 00:42:23,200 They are originally listed as disciples people, who sat under 765 00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:28,900 learned from instructed by Jesus, that's how they're 766 00:42:28,900 --> 00:42:32,400 introduced. But that's not how they're 767 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:35,000 introduced at the end of all of those books. 768 00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:37,900 Do you know how they're listed at the end of all those books of 769 00:42:37,900 --> 00:42:41,300 Bible scholars? Apostles. 770 00:42:42,500 --> 00:42:44,300 Do you know the word Apostles means? 771 00:42:46,500 --> 00:42:48,900 It doesn't mean old and gray with an attitude. 772 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,600 It doesn't mean rich and opinionated. 773 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:59,700 It doesn't mean ruggedly handsome with the beard. it 774 00:42:59,700 --> 00:43:02,400 doesn't mean, I'm just, I'm just saying it doesn't mean those 775 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:08,000 things, it means sent Commissioned. 776 00:43:09,700 --> 00:43:15,200 On a mission sent by God. They started off learning from 777 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:18,100 God and then they were sent by God. 778 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:21,200 And some of you have been disciples for too long and 779 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:25,300 haven't been Apostles long enough, And we should change 780 00:43:25,300 --> 00:43:29,500 that. We should go from learning from 781 00:43:29,700 --> 00:43:33,000 to being sent out to teach because you wouldn't have your 782 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:34,600 faith. If those dude had stayed 783 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:38,800 disciples, you have their faith because they chose to be 784 00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:43,200 Apostles, they chose to be sent. And if you haven't been sent, 785 00:43:43,300 --> 00:43:47,700 you haven't been close to Jesus, because Jesus is always sending. 786 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:53,400 All right, stand up. God, use this moment right here. 787 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,400 Please use this moment right here to bring about a change, 788 00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:01,100 not just in US individually. But in us, corporately God, do 789 00:44:01,100 --> 00:44:03,900 some deep work, some foundational work in US. 790 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,900 Create a shift in our mindset or in our in our walk with you 791 00:44:08,900 --> 00:44:11,700 break down some things that are holding us back repair. 792 00:44:11,700 --> 00:44:14,400 Some things that have been busted in the past that need to 793 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:16,800 be healed. But use this time, Lord to 794 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:21,200 reorient our church and our hearts more focused on you. 795 00:44:21,300 --> 00:44:23,000 Your name I pray. Amen.