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What up, Crossing Family? 
It is so good to be with you. 

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To those of you joining here at 
our physical locations or all 

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across this region, I want to 
welcome you. 

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To those of you part of our 
inside family, we're so 

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incredibly thankful for you. 
And to those of you who are 

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watching online, we are so 
incredibly thankful for you as 

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well. 
Some of you you might not 

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realize this, but our largest 
location doesn't have a 

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location. 
It's the people who watch 

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online, and this past week a 
lady by the name of Julie 

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reached out and sent our team an
e-mail that reads. 

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A year and a half ago I got 
baptized and I'm presently sick 

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and I've decided to stop my 
chemo treatments and I have 

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moved into Hospice. 
I'm had to leave the crossing 

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and move up to Wisconsin so my 
daughter can take care of me. 

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I was listening to the sermon on
abortion, and I've had two Will 

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I still be able to get into 
heaven? 

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And what will heaven be like? 
I'm at peace with my decision, 

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but I'm scared. 
And so we've been trying to 

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reach you, call you, e-mail you 
back. 

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I haven't got anything. 
So if you're Julie and you're 

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watching online in Minnesota, I 
want you to know this one. 

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You're forgiven with the moment 
you decide to have an intimate, 

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personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. 

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Your sins were covered by the 
blood of Jesus Christ, and when 

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you stand in front of God in the
judgment, he will not see your 

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sin. 
He will see the blood of his 

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Son. 
Second thing, check your e-mail,

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because I sent you a sermon on 
heaven and heaven is going to be

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awesome. 
And for those of you who are 

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watching at all of our different
locations, I want you to know 

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every single week there are 
people sitting next to you 

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walking by you, whether you're a
staff member, a difference 

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maker, that there are people who
are going through incredibly 

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hard, painful seasons and as a 
church we want to minister 

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really, really well in those 
moments. 

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Today we are at the conclusion 
of a five week sermon series 

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called Truth and Tension, 
Balancing Faith and Love on Hot 

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Topic issues. 
And let me begin by saying I've 

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been so I've been so incredibly 
proud of you for how you've 

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handled yourself with class and 
compassion. 

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During this series. 
I called this sermon series 

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Truth and Tension, because 
that's really what we're doing. 

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We're navigating the truth of 
how God's word says we're 

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supposed to live and how we're 
supposed to love people in their

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particular situations. 
And some of you may not know my 

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story, but let me give you just 
a little bit of it. 

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I was 17. 
It was the Monday before the 

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election where our country was 
going to determine whether or 

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not George W Bush or the guy who
invented the Internet became 

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president. 
And I am one of those guys that 

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if I get spun up about 
something, I'm kind of hard to 

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slow down. 
I bet you guys can figure that 

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one out. 
And I decided, you know what? 

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Maybe what I should do is I 
should spend my Monday evening 

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going around and removing Al 
Gore signs out of people's 

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yards. 
And then the next day the people

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will walk out of their house and
they'll go, someone cared enough

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to take this Al Gore sign out of
my yard, I'll vote for George 

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Bush. 
Yeah, it's a brilliant political

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strategy. 
You guys like this guy's on to 

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something. 
And that's what I did. 

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The reason was because one 
candidate had a different view 

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on life in the womb than the 
other one. 

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And well, my my mom and dad had 
just recently had my youngest 

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sister Caitlin Grace and she was
14 weeks premature and they had 

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spent three months living 
basically in the University of 

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Iowa's ICU unit. 
While because this was the early

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90s trying to make sure that my 
14 week, you know, couple pound 

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sister made it. 
And they had just come back into

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our house and to call it a house
was generous and they had 1/4 of

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$1,000,000 in medical bills that
they were going to have to 

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navigate. 
And we were already poor, like 

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we were so poor we couldn't pay 
attention, right. 

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We were, just not for context. 
We lived in a veterinary clinic 

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and slept on the floor in 
sleeping bags. 

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I didn't have a bed that fit me 
until I got married and I didn't

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have a bed until I was in 7th 
grade. 

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So we just slept on the floor 
and my parents just brought home

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this cute gigantic medical bill 
and was in our home or our 

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floor, whatever we had. 
That's where we were. 

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And my dad's spiritual mentor 
called him and said there's a 

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young lady who is contemplating 
having an abortion, but if we 

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can find the child a great home,
she won't. 

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And so my parents broke with a 
kid that had just come back from

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ICU living in a three bedroom 
house or room next to on the vet

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clinic and sleeping on the 
floor, said yes. 

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And I kind of like my brother 
and I was going, man, I'm kind 

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of glad that I know him and I'm 
kind of glad that he got to 

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live. 
And I would like other babies to

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have a chance to live. 
And so I spent my Monday going 

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around picking up our gore signs
out of people's yards. 

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I had a driver. 
I mean, it was a system. 

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I would get out and I would walk
down the block and I would pick 

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up all of the yard signs and he 
would go around the block and 

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then he'd come back. 
We'd pop the trunk and I'd put 

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all the yard signs in the back 
of the Taurus, hop in the back, 

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and we'd drive off to another 
part of town. 

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We did this for a couple hours. 
It was pretty good at it. 

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Then a guy started chasing me, 
okay. 

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So, you know, this was high 
school Clayton. 

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You can imagine how good he 
looked. 

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And I just, I ran away from him 
and hopped in my car, took off. 

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Next thing we know, this guy's 
following us, Hawking his horn, 

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shining his deer light off the 
side of his truck. 

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I'm like, what kind of redneck 
is this? 

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So we made a turn and kind of 
went through the 9th green of 

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the Country Club and lost him. 
Or so we fought. 

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Next thing we know we're 
surrounded by cop cars, guns 

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pulled, and they had to get out 
of the car and sit down. 

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And I got to sit in the mud 
puddle and they asked us what we

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were doing. 
Turns out the guy who was 

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following us wasn't some country
redneck, he was a police 

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officer. 
So there was that. 

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They asked us what we did and we
told them they were a little 

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confused. 
I said pop the trunk and they 

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popped the trunk and the trunk 
of this Ford Taurus was 

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absolutely full of alcour yard 
signs. 

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Fun fact, every single one of 
those yard signs is more than a 

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misdemeanor. 
It's kind of a big deal. 

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And so I got arrested. 
And yeah, then my they call my 

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parents to have me come get me. 
And my parents were like old 

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school parents were like, you 
know, jail, teach you something.

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You know, obviously we haven't 
been able to turn you around. 

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They will, you know, and but 
they said, no, you actually have

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to pick him up. 
And that's right. 

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I became a political activist 
before I had ever even voted in 

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an election. 
And then I got called in to the 

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the guy who was in charge of 
dealing with my case and he 

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asked me why I did what I did. 
And I told him the story and he 

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said, well, actually I was 
supposed to be aborted too when 

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somebody adopted me. 
And so all the charges were 

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dropped. 
And so you can imagine me with 

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all of my right wing ideologies 
trying to figure out how to be a

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Christian around people who had 
completely different viewpoints,

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completely different stances, 
completely different 

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upbringings. 
I bet you can imagine some of 

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you are like, it's not so 
distant future that I could be 

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an awful lot to take in if I got
ramped about an opinion or a 

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subject matter. 
And then how that could affect 

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somebody who maybe operates over
here. 

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Some of you know my wife's story
and you're going, how did you 

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guys get married? 
Well, it's because you have to 

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navigate truth and tension. 
And here's what I've noticed. 

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Maybe you've noticed this too. 
The closer you are to the sin 

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and the person, the more you 
bend on the truth and the 

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further you are from the sin and
the person, the harder you hit 

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with the truth. 
Let me explain. 

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Your kid gets punched at school.
How do you handle it? 

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Right. 
It's easy. 

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Turn to the Bible. 
It tells you exactly what you to

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do. 
You call the school, call them a

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bunch of idiots. 
You address the teacher and tell

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her she needs to pay attention. 
And then you go and you beat 

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that kid's parents up right in 
front of the kid and you go. 

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I will bloody your dad every 
time. 

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We good. 
You learn. 

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Yep. 
And then you won't have that 

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problem again. 
It's fixed. 

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Solved, right? 
Because that kid is a bully and 

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needs to be addressed, and he 
obviously has bad parents, 

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right? 
You guys all know this, but what

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happens when your kid punches 
somebody at school? 

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Well, you know, you find out 
what that kid did to deserve 

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getting punched. 
Am I right That no matter what 

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happens, the assumption is your 
kid did nothing wrong and their 

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kid is trash? 
How many of you guys are on the 

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same boat with me? 
Okay the rest of your liars? 

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I'm glad you're here, because 
we're a church for losers. 

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But isn't that what happens? 
That because we're so close to 

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our kid, we always interpret the
situation as if our kid did what

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was right and holy and admirable
before the Lord? 

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But, like, you're like, hold on 
a second. 

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We know this kid, right? 
Like, we know that our kid beats

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up his brother like there's 
probably a chance he did hit 

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somebody and he probably didn't 
deserve it. 

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And that's actually what's 
happening in our world is people

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are seeing the exact same 
situation from 2 completely 

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different perspectives. 
That's the problem. 

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And so for the most part, we've 
reduced issues to talking 

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points. 
We've tried to scream louder and

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louder and have assumed that 
other people see the situation 

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the same way we see it. 
But the other side of these 

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biblical issues are people who 
just don't see things the same 

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way. 
For instance, we see a baby and 

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they see a clump of cells. 
That's why they say my body, my 

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choice. 
If what you see in the womb is a

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clump of cells and not a baby, 
it changes what you would be in 

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favor of and how you would 
behave. 

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They see it as part of their 
body. 

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That's why their mantra is my 
body, my choice. 

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To those putting forward an L GB
agenda, they cry out love is 

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love and you and I both know. 
But that statement is absurd. 

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You would never go. 
It's a cheeseburger. 

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Oh, a cheeseburger is a 
cheeseburger. 

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Tells you nothing about a 
cheeseburger. 

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You can't define the thing by 
defining it by the thing that 

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defines it. 
You have to have other things 

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context that brings to bear. 
For instance, they are 

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expressing that they want to be 
loved because they're obviously 

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boundaries and appropriate 
expressions for love. 

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Love cannot just be love. 
Hitting's not love. 

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Lying's not love. 
Cheating's not love. 

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What boundaries actually are 
supposed to exist? 

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What they're probably crying out
is not a definition of love, but

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crying out Will somebody love 
me? 

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The issue for Christians hear me
is not whether or not they 

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deserve love because they 
deserve to be loved. 

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Because they were created by 
God. 

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And for God, and God sent his 
Son to die on their behalf. 

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It's not a matter of whether or 
not they deserve love, but what 

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does that expression of love 
look like? 

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And when you try to figure out 
how you're going to express love

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in these sticky situations, 
there's tension. 

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Now, you guys know this. 
As Christians, we believe that 

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God's way is the best way and 
has authority over our lives. 

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But that's not necessarily true 
for other people. 

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I mean, here's the standard for 
Christians. 

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Let me walk you through it. 
First Corinthians chapter 6. 

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Christians flee from sexual 
immorality. 

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Any sexual activity that happens
outside of a husband and a wife 

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inside of a marriage, we're 
supposed to run from it. 

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All other sins a person commits 
are outside the body. 

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But whoever sends sexually since
against their own body. 

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Do you not know that your bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit? 

226
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,160
Who is in you, whom you've 
received from God? 

227
00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,800
He's talking to Christians that 
when you come into an intimate 

228
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,760
personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, you receive the gift of 

229
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:20,000
the Holy Spirit and he takes up 
residence in you. 

230
00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,680
You don't belong to you. 
Pay attention what it says. 

231
00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,920
You are not your own. 
It's not your body. 

232
00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,600
You don't get to do whatever you
want with your body. 

233
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,240
It's not yours. 
You don't get to have sex with 

234
00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:33,320
whoever you want to have sex 
with. 

235
00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:35,720
It's not your body. 
You are not your own. 

236
00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:42,510
You were bought at a price. 
Therefore, honor God with your 

237
00:13:42,510 --> 00:13:44,750
bodies. 
Someone recently said, for those

238
00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:47,990
of your church people, that if 
Jesus were here today, he would 

239
00:13:47,990 --> 00:13:51,590
not encounter a rich young ruler
who was unwilling to give up his

240
00:13:51,590 --> 00:13:55,390
wealth and follow Jesus. 
He would find nominal Christians

241
00:13:55,390 --> 00:13:58,350
who are unwilling to give up 
their sexual appetites to follow

242
00:13:58,350 --> 00:14:01,550
Jesus. 
That may be the area where 

243
00:14:01,550 --> 00:14:05,390
Christians shine the least is in
the area of our sexuality. 

244
00:14:06,790 --> 00:14:09,710
And when it comes to you and I 
trying to navigate this truth 

245
00:14:09,750 --> 00:14:15,510
and tension, well, there's this.
There's tension anytime you try 

246
00:14:15,510 --> 00:14:20,990
to love God and love people. 
Have you ever felt that, that 

247
00:14:20,990 --> 00:14:22,070
there's tension? 
We were going, well, I'm 

248
00:14:22,070 --> 00:14:25,150
supposed to love God and lift up
his commands and do what he 

249
00:14:25,150 --> 00:14:27,190
says. 
But then there's these people I 

250
00:14:27,190 --> 00:14:31,070
got to care about. 
Your your kid decides to live in

251
00:14:31,070 --> 00:14:35,350
or move in with his girlfriend. 
How do you love God and love 

252
00:14:35,350 --> 00:14:38,110
your kid? 
Your friend is cheating on their

253
00:14:38,110 --> 00:14:41,470
spouse. 
How do you love God and love 

254
00:14:41,470 --> 00:14:44,950
your friend, Your brother or 
sister's running from God? 

255
00:14:45,110 --> 00:14:47,910
How do you love God and love 
your brother or sister? 

256
00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:50,190
Your daughter is pregnant in 
high school. 

257
00:14:50,190 --> 00:14:54,430
How do you love God and love his
people? 

258
00:14:54,430 --> 00:14:59,350
And when it comes to navigating 
these sticky situations, I've 

259
00:14:59,350 --> 00:15:01,470
noticed something. 
Maybe you've noticed it too, 

260
00:15:02,030 --> 00:15:03,950
that sometimes Christians get it
wrong. 

261
00:15:04,430 --> 00:15:05,910
How many of you ever seen a 
Christian get it wrong? 

262
00:15:07,940 --> 00:15:11,140
Yeah, you guys, those are. 
I brought the person who screws 

263
00:15:11,140 --> 00:15:14,900
up the most with me. 
I got to right some of you. 

264
00:15:15,180 --> 00:15:17,340
Some of you, maybe. 
You're not a Christian and 

265
00:15:17,340 --> 00:15:19,260
you're kind of You've been 
watching Christians for a while.

266
00:15:19,260 --> 00:15:21,460
You're just here to, you know, 
write A blog. 

267
00:15:21,980 --> 00:15:23,820
You might be tempted to change 
it to this. 

268
00:15:24,020 --> 00:15:27,660
Most times Christians get it 
wrong, it might be right. 

269
00:15:28,780 --> 00:15:31,620
There's a story of a church not 
too far from here, but the 

270
00:15:31,620 --> 00:15:36,450
story's from a while back who 
decided not to throw a baby 

271
00:15:36,450 --> 00:15:40,130
shower for a girl in their youth
group who got pregnant while she

272
00:15:40,130 --> 00:15:43,450
was in high school. 
And I get it. 

273
00:15:45,490 --> 00:15:49,890
I mean, what gets celebrated 
gets repeated and you don't want

274
00:15:49,890 --> 00:15:54,050
a bunch of other high school 
girls seeing like man, all of 

275
00:15:54,050 --> 00:15:57,250
the attention and all of the 
excitement around this girl 

276
00:15:57,250 --> 00:16:01,090
who's obviously operated outside
of bounds and because they might

277
00:16:01,090 --> 00:16:04,860
be tempted to follow in her 
footsteps and we got to uphold a

278
00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:06,900
high biblical standard. 
I get it. 

279
00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:14,740
At the same time, the sin isn't 
that she's pregnant. 

280
00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:18,140
The sin is that she was having 
sex before she got married. 

281
00:16:21,100 --> 00:16:23,660
And actually, as a church, we're
really thankful that she decided

282
00:16:23,660 --> 00:16:27,340
not to have an abortion and keep
the all the sins secret, but she

283
00:16:27,340 --> 00:16:32,100
decided to choose life. 
And now you have a family who's 

284
00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:36,080
been surprised by a pregnancy, 
trying to figure out how to 

285
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,920
navigate the medical challenges,
the the financial challenges. 

286
00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,360
And if there's ever going to be 
a place that's going to come 

287
00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,680
around a young couple like that,
then help them get everything 

288
00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,960
they need in the room to 
properly take care of the child.

289
00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:50,720
Don't you think it should be the
church? 

290
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:57,720
And if you're like me, you look 
at both of them and you go, 

291
00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,590
there's tension because I can 
see validity and both 

292
00:17:02,590 --> 00:17:05,710
approaches. 
And so if you're kind of going, 

293
00:17:05,950 --> 00:17:08,869
I've been seeing the tension 
everywhere, and I think 

294
00:17:08,869 --> 00:17:12,150
sometimes I've gotten it wrong. 
Hopefully at this point in the 

295
00:17:12,150 --> 00:17:14,349
sermon series, you're asking the
same question that I'm asking, 

296
00:17:14,510 --> 00:17:18,190
which is this, How can I do it 
better? 

297
00:17:19,430 --> 00:17:23,030
How can we navigate the tension 
better? 

298
00:17:23,630 --> 00:17:28,910
Let me give you a couple tips. 
Tip #1 Sin is not the 

299
00:17:28,910 --> 00:17:35,230
centerpiece of their identity. 
Sin is not the centerpiece of 

300
00:17:35,230 --> 00:17:37,230
their identity. 
The centerpiece of their 

301
00:17:37,230 --> 00:17:40,350
identity is that they were made 
in the image of God, that he 

302
00:17:40,350 --> 00:17:43,390
made them on purpose for a 
purpose and sent his son on 

303
00:17:43,390 --> 00:17:46,430
purpose to die on the cross on 
their behalf to redeem their 

304
00:17:46,430 --> 00:17:48,510
sin. 
But their sin is not the 

305
00:17:48,510 --> 00:17:51,990
centerpiece of their identity. 
Some of you guys may have 

306
00:17:51,990 --> 00:17:55,230
noticed that I'm bigger than 
most people. 

307
00:17:55,830 --> 00:17:59,710
I I went to see a lady up in 
McComb and she said, boy, the 

308
00:17:59,710 --> 00:18:03,430
camera adds £50. 
I had no idea how many or £10. 

309
00:18:03,590 --> 00:18:05,950
I had no idea how many cameras 
they actually had on you. 

310
00:18:06,350 --> 00:18:10,710
OK, And and I I get that and I 
mean and she, she used to enjoy 

311
00:18:10,710 --> 00:18:14,790
coming to our church like I'm 
not the most in shape guy. 

312
00:18:14,790 --> 00:18:17,230
I mean I might have the most 
shapes of people at our church 

313
00:18:17,230 --> 00:18:18,310
but I'm not the most in shape 
guy. 

314
00:18:18,310 --> 00:18:20,350
I'm what I like to call Midwest 
skinny. 

315
00:18:20,590 --> 00:18:23,190
OK. 
If if I lived on the coast they 

316
00:18:23,190 --> 00:18:24,790
would be trying to sign me up 
for treatments. 

317
00:18:24,790 --> 00:18:28,510
They'd be like we got to get 
this guy you know help because 

318
00:18:28,510 --> 00:18:30,830
he's dying. 
But here in the Midwest, I'm. 

319
00:18:31,030 --> 00:18:33,870
I'm pretty good looking. 
I mean I'm looking around I'm 

320
00:18:33,870 --> 00:18:38,190
Midwest skinny like I'm you know
I'm like an Illinois Brad Pitt. 

321
00:18:38,310 --> 00:18:42,510
OK, because and you know you're 
Midwest skinny. 

322
00:18:42,510 --> 00:18:44,790
If you just buy a bigger shirt 
and people come up to you and 

323
00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:47,070
go, boy you're looking great. 
Like you didn't have to do 

324
00:18:47,070 --> 00:18:48,790
anything. 
You just like this is what a 5X 

325
00:18:48,790 --> 00:18:50,670
looks like on me. 
OK. 

326
00:18:51,030 --> 00:18:52,190
I'm joking. 
This is a six. 

327
00:18:52,350 --> 00:18:58,270
And if all you ever did was come
up and talk to me about, I can't

328
00:18:58,270 --> 00:19:00,870
believe you went to McDonald's 
again, is that really where 

329
00:19:00,870 --> 00:19:02,670
you've been? 
Do you think that's going to 

330
00:19:02,670 --> 00:19:05,070
turn me into going, I'm going to
eat more salads? 

331
00:19:06,190 --> 00:19:08,670
Like if all you ever do is talk 
to me about what I'm eating, I'm

332
00:19:08,670 --> 00:19:11,990
going to be like, I don't think 
we're going to be friends at 

333
00:19:11,990 --> 00:19:14,310
all. 
Ever lose my number. 

334
00:19:14,310 --> 00:19:17,510
I'm changing my number, right. 
If you drop off a salad, I'm 

335
00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:18,470
just going to give it to the 
cow. 

336
00:19:18,470 --> 00:19:22,950
I keep okay because I'm going to
eat him, all of him, right? 

337
00:19:23,470 --> 00:19:26,330
I just, you know, that's why you
give cows range dressing because

338
00:19:26,330 --> 00:19:31,490
boy, the flavor. 
Anyhow, that's my cow called 

339
00:19:31,490 --> 00:19:36,250
Hidden Valley. 
If you all you ever did was 

340
00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:41,930
focus on my weight, I wouldn't 
let you have any level of 

341
00:19:41,930 --> 00:19:44,970
authority in my life. 
And sometimes when it comes to 

342
00:19:44,970 --> 00:19:47,290
one person, sin. 
As Christians we can go, Oh my 

343
00:19:47,290 --> 00:19:51,090
goodness, there, it doesn't 
work. 

344
00:19:51,290 --> 00:19:54,750
The second thing I'll tell you 
sinlessness is not a 

345
00:19:54,750 --> 00:20:00,630
prerequisite for community. 
How many of you are friends with

346
00:20:00,630 --> 00:20:03,710
a person who's a Sinner? 
Yeah. 

347
00:20:03,870 --> 00:20:05,270
How many of you are married to a
Sinner? 

348
00:20:05,990 --> 00:20:08,310
All the wives raised their hand.
The husbands just sat on them. 

349
00:20:08,310 --> 00:20:10,990
Like, I'm not it's, it's still 
the weekend. 

350
00:20:11,110 --> 00:20:12,670
But you know, I haven't ruled 
anything out. 

351
00:20:13,390 --> 00:20:15,830
But the wife's like, yeah, he's 
Oh my goodness. 

352
00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:17,470
Yeah, I was praying about it 
this morning. 

353
00:20:18,270 --> 00:20:20,690
Okay. 
So here's what I'm saying. 

354
00:20:20,850 --> 00:20:23,610
You have figured out how to 
navigate being in relationship 

355
00:20:23,610 --> 00:20:28,410
with people who are sinners, and
Satan wants you to buy into the 

356
00:20:28,410 --> 00:20:31,970
script that when it comes to 
these issues, acceptance is 

357
00:20:31,970 --> 00:20:35,970
affirmation. 
And every single one of us have 

358
00:20:35,970 --> 00:20:39,170
become victims on this. 
Let me tell you what it looks 

359
00:20:39,170 --> 00:20:42,330
like from my perspective. 
When a guy who sleeps around at 

360
00:20:42,330 --> 00:20:46,250
a church and serves in a parking
lot ministry when people see 

361
00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:49,140
him, I don't get emails going. 
Hey, are you guys okay with a 

362
00:20:49,140 --> 00:20:52,620
guy who sleeps around? 
I don't get any of those emails.

363
00:20:53,740 --> 00:20:56,300
You don't send them. 
You're like, Oh yeah, obviously 

364
00:20:56,300 --> 00:20:57,820
the guy the church isn't a big 
fan of that. 

365
00:20:58,260 --> 00:21:00,580
When a guy comes to our church 
and doesn't pay child support, I

366
00:21:00,580 --> 00:21:02,220
don't get emails going. 
Hey, are you guys okay with 

367
00:21:02,220 --> 00:21:03,980
deadbeat dads? 
I don't. 

368
00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:09,500
I don't get those emails. 
However, if a person in the same

369
00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:11,580
sex relationship comes to our 
church, you know what e-mail I 

370
00:21:11,580 --> 00:21:13,300
get? 
So is your Church of farming. 

371
00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,280
What do you do? 
I guess this is probably as good

372
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,520
a time as any to address one of 
the most abused verses in 

373
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,960
scripture when it comes to 
navigating this kind of tension.

374
00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:26,560
Here's what it is Mark Chapter 
2. 

375
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,440
While Jesus was having dinner at
Levi's house, many tax 

376
00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,120
collectors and sinners were 
eating with him and his 

377
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:35,560
disciples, for there were many 
who followed him. 

378
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,400
When the teachers of law who 
were fair as he saw him eating 

379
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,280
with the sinners and tax 
collectors, they asked us 

380
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,170
disciples, why does he eat with 
tax collectors and sinners? 

381
00:21:46,210 --> 00:21:47,850
Now don't raise your hand if 
you're a tax collector. 

382
00:21:48,450 --> 00:21:49,690
We're super glad you guys are 
here. 

383
00:21:51,130 --> 00:21:53,530
How many of you guys have heard 
people talk about Jesus eating 

384
00:21:53,530 --> 00:21:55,610
with sinners? 
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. 

385
00:21:55,930 --> 00:21:57,210
Hear me? 
You're exactly right. 

386
00:21:58,250 --> 00:22:01,690
Jesus intentionally spent time 
with people who are outside of 

387
00:22:01,690 --> 00:22:05,650
God's will. 100% accurate. 
So hear me clearly. 

388
00:22:06,130 --> 00:22:09,210
Where would you rather have a 
person who is in an L GB 

389
00:22:09,210 --> 00:22:11,220
lifestyle? 
Where would you rather have 

390
00:22:11,220 --> 00:22:13,940
deadbeat dads, promiscuous 
women, liars, cheaters, and 

391
00:22:13,940 --> 00:22:16,460
people who have had or are 
contemplating abortion? 

392
00:22:16,660 --> 00:22:19,340
You know where I'd like them to 
hang out the church? 

393
00:22:19,980 --> 00:22:23,540
If I could pick a place for them
to be, I would pick here with us

394
00:22:23,780 --> 00:22:26,740
and all our various locations. 
Sinlessness is not a 

395
00:22:26,740 --> 00:22:30,700
prerequisite for community. 
If you see somebody at our 

396
00:22:30,700 --> 00:22:34,540
church or a member on our staff 
hanging out with, eating with, 

397
00:22:34,780 --> 00:22:37,740
interacting with somebody that 
you don't like or you don't 

398
00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:39,420
agree with, ask yourself this 
question. 

399
00:22:39,580 --> 00:22:41,260
Who would you rather them hang 
out with? 

400
00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:43,260
Who would you rather them be 
talking to? 

401
00:22:44,020 --> 00:22:49,940
However, hear me clearly. 
Jesus hung out with them but did

402
00:22:49,940 --> 00:22:54,180
not sin with them. 
He didn't help them sin. 

403
00:22:54,460 --> 00:22:58,740
He didn't condone their sin. 
He didn't enable their sin. 

404
00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:03,100
There are boundaries as 
Christians that we must adhere 

405
00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:05,680
to. 
Jesus ate with them, but he 

406
00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,480
didn't participate or approve of
their sin. 

407
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,920
Read the next verse mark chapter
2 for 17. 

408
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,800
On hearing this, Jesus said to 
them it is not the healthy who 

409
00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,800
need a doctor but the sick. 
I have not come to call the 

410
00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,840
righteous, but sinners. 
He's saying, yeah, I'm eating 

411
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,440
with sinners. 
They're sinners. 

412
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,440
What? 
You're doing's wrong. 

413
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,440
It needs to change. 
I'm here to bring about a 

414
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,840
transformation in their life. 
I came here to minister to 

415
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,960
sinners and bring about a 
righteous reign of God and 

416
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,400
salvation in their lives here. 
What is what this would look 

417
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,840
like for me? 
I cannot drive you to the strip 

418
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,880
club, so don't call me right. 
I can't. 

419
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,440
But I could drive you home. 
Like if you worked at a strip 

420
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:56,760
club. 
I can't take you to work. 

421
00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,080
I could bring you home. 
I guess I probably should have 

422
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:07,070
reworded that this illustration 
falls apart the next. 

423
00:24:07,510 --> 00:24:10,510
The next line is you can come to
my house, you can eat my food, 

424
00:24:10,750 --> 00:24:13,110
you can go golfing with me. 
You know, Clayton and his group 

425
00:24:13,110 --> 00:24:17,230
of stripper golfers, we've just,
God bless him, He eats with 

426
00:24:17,230 --> 00:24:18,790
sinners, doesn't he? 
You know. 

427
00:24:19,150 --> 00:24:22,030
All right, well, you get the 
idea. 

428
00:24:22,510 --> 00:24:24,990
I can drive you home from an 
abortion clinic. 

429
00:24:24,990 --> 00:24:29,470
I can't drive you 21. 
I can fight for homosexuals to 

430
00:24:29,470 --> 00:24:31,750
be able to visit their their 
partner in a hospital. 

431
00:24:32,070 --> 00:24:35,510
Because why does a marital 
status become a prerequisite for

432
00:24:35,510 --> 00:24:37,870
whether or not you can see 
somebody you love in the 

433
00:24:37,870 --> 00:24:41,310
hospital? 
But I can never fight for your 

434
00:24:41,310 --> 00:24:46,350
right to adopt or for your right
to get married if if my kids had

435
00:24:46,350 --> 00:24:49,750
a live in significant other. 
I can't pay for your hotel room 

436
00:24:49,750 --> 00:24:52,790
on vacation. 
I can pay for your flights, and 

437
00:24:52,790 --> 00:24:57,400
I can pay for all of your food. 
If you're going to get married 

438
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,960
and you're in an L GB lifestyle,
I can't attend your wedding, but

439
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,680
I can definitely help you 
decorate your house. 

440
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,040
I can help you fix your roof, 
and I can make sure that 

441
00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,240
Christmas is epic every single 
year. 

442
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,800
There are certain things as a 
Christian I can do and I can't 

443
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,080
do. 
I can love you and care for you,

444
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,840
but I cannot enable or 
participate in sin. 

445
00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:20,390
Hear me, Christians, you are 
bound by your relationship with 

446
00:25:20,510 --> 00:25:24,750
Jesus to both to show both love 
and compassion and give people 

447
00:25:24,750 --> 00:25:28,950
community and at the same time 
not participate or enable their 

448
00:25:28,950 --> 00:25:31,070
sin. 
You're allowed to have your 

449
00:25:31,070 --> 00:25:37,030
beliefs and your standards and 
your principles too, #3 

450
00:25:38,710 --> 00:25:42,750
sinlessness is not a 
prerequisite for kindness. 

451
00:25:44,150 --> 00:25:49,400
We can be strong, but we must be
kind sometimes. 

452
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,760
This is what I see happening in 
Christians and what I see 

453
00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:57,040
happening in me, that we decide 
that we'll be nice after they 

454
00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,680
repent. 
I just got to ask you, so is 

455
00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,880
that strategy working? 
I'll be nice to people once they

456
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,240
agree with me. 
Husbands. 

457
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,640
Does that ever worked? 
No. 

458
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:11,720
Couch is lumpy, isn't it? 
Right. 

459
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:14,520
Look at what How Jesus interacts
with us. 

460
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,940
Romans chapter 2. 
Or do you show contempt for the 

461
00:26:17,940 --> 00:26:21,620
riches of his kindness, 
forbearance, and patience, not 

462
00:26:21,620 --> 00:26:26,220
realizing that God's kindness is
intended to lead you to 

463
00:26:26,220 --> 00:26:29,740
repentance? 
Our kindness does not come after

464
00:26:29,740 --> 00:26:33,700
their agreement after their life
change, after their rejection of

465
00:26:33,700 --> 00:26:36,620
simple behavior. 
It precedes it. 

466
00:26:37,780 --> 00:26:40,260
That's how God moved in your 
life. 

467
00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:44,500
So instead of this, instead of 
deciding, hey, I'm going to be 

468
00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:47,610
nice to him after they repent, 
here's how God worked in your 

469
00:26:47,610 --> 00:26:49,810
life. 
God was kind to you first, and 

470
00:26:49,810 --> 00:26:54,850
it led to your repentance. 
Those of you trying to navigate 

471
00:26:54,850 --> 00:26:56,930
truth and tension, we may have 
got these flipped. 

472
00:26:57,490 --> 00:27:00,530
Maybe we need to start focusing 
on being kind and allowing our 

473
00:27:00,530 --> 00:27:03,050
kindness to lead them to 
repentance the same way God's 

474
00:27:03,050 --> 00:27:06,650
kindness led to our repentance. 
Some of you during the sermon 

475
00:27:06,650 --> 00:27:09,170
series, you've been tempted to 
think, because you've said some 

476
00:27:09,170 --> 00:27:11,810
things around me and I've been 
paying attention, that your best

477
00:27:11,810 --> 00:27:13,410
path forward is this. 
Well, I'm just not going to 

478
00:27:13,410 --> 00:27:15,670
bring that stuff up, you know? 
Whoo. 

479
00:27:15,670 --> 00:27:17,670
I'm so glad we did this series 
that made me realize that I'm 

480
00:27:17,670 --> 00:27:19,590
not having these conversations 
at all. 

481
00:27:19,990 --> 00:27:21,190
I just need you to hear me say 
this. 

482
00:27:22,670 --> 00:27:25,510
That's not loving and that's not
compassionate. 

483
00:27:27,310 --> 00:27:31,470
That's not living intention. 
That's abanding it altogether. 

484
00:27:32,310 --> 00:27:34,150
I've been bringing this first up
every time I talked first. 

485
00:27:34,150 --> 00:27:36,630
Peter, Chapter 3. 
But in your hearts, Revere 

486
00:27:36,630 --> 00:27:38,550
Christ as Lord. 
God's way is the best way. 

487
00:27:38,940 --> 00:27:41,460
Always be prepared to give an 
answer to everyone who asks you 

488
00:27:41,460 --> 00:27:43,700
to give the reason for the hope 
that you have. 

489
00:27:43,940 --> 00:27:45,780
You're going to have to share 
the gospel. 

490
00:27:46,180 --> 00:27:47,820
How else are people going to be 
saved? 

491
00:27:48,180 --> 00:27:50,180
You're going to have to take a 
stand on truth. 

492
00:27:51,700 --> 00:27:55,020
But do this with gentleness and 
respect. 

493
00:27:56,460 --> 00:27:58,780
And Jesus is our model in this 
area. 

494
00:27:59,100 --> 00:28:02,060
Look what it says about Jesus in
John chapter one, verse 14. 

495
00:28:03,380 --> 00:28:06,020
The Word became flesh and made 
his dwelling among us. 

496
00:28:06,020 --> 00:28:08,350
That's Jesus. 
We have seen his glory, The 

497
00:28:08,350 --> 00:28:11,390
glory of the one and only Son 
who came from the Father, full 

498
00:28:11,390 --> 00:28:15,510
of grace and truth. 
He's both. 

499
00:28:16,430 --> 00:28:19,670
Being one or the other is not 
worthy of the cross. 

500
00:28:19,670 --> 00:28:23,350
It's not worthy of Jesus. 
Christians should be known for 

501
00:28:23,350 --> 00:28:27,470
their truth and be known for the
grace and the ability to manage 

502
00:28:27,470 --> 00:28:30,190
both is a sign of spiritual 
maturity. 

503
00:28:30,710 --> 00:28:32,350
Look what it says in Ephesians 
chapter 4. 

504
00:28:32,830 --> 00:28:36,180
Then we will no longer be 
infants, tossed back and forth 

505
00:28:36,180 --> 00:28:39,260
by the waves and blown here and 
there by every wind of teaching 

506
00:28:39,260 --> 00:28:41,940
and by the cunning and 
craftiness of people in their 

507
00:28:41,940 --> 00:28:45,020
deceitful scheming. 
If you want to know what verse 

508
00:28:45,180 --> 00:28:48,460
our chunk of verses describe, 
our present cultural reality, 

509
00:28:48,860 --> 00:28:53,900
it's this, people being blown 
around by evil schemes. 

510
00:28:55,620 --> 00:28:56,780
But there's a mature way through
it. 

511
00:28:56,780 --> 00:29:02,240
Look what it says instead, 
speaking the truth in love, we 

512
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,800
will grow to become the, in 
every respect, the mature body 

513
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,880
of him who is the head that is 
Christ. 

514
00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,080
And right now you might be 
going, but Clayton, navigating 

515
00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,080
this tension is going to be hard
work. 

516
00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,720
Yeah, being a Christian is so 
tough you can't do it by 

517
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,600
yourself. 
That's why you need the presence

518
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,600
of the Holy Spirit in your life.
What a sinful world needs right 

519
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:30,170
now is a spirit filled, 
transformed life, city on a 

520
00:29:30,170 --> 00:29:33,570
hill, a lamp on a stand, curious
of the gospel message. 

521
00:29:33,570 --> 00:29:37,170
You are not ashamed of its power
or its truth. 

522
00:29:38,450 --> 00:29:40,570
It needs people full of the Holy
Spirit. 

523
00:29:40,690 --> 00:29:43,690
Glacial chapter 5 verse 22 says,
But the fruit of the Spirit is 

524
00:29:43,690 --> 00:29:46,930
love, joy, peace, patience or 
forbearance, kindness, goodness,

525
00:29:46,930 --> 00:29:49,610
faithfulness, gentleness and 
selfcontrol. 

526
00:29:49,850 --> 00:29:53,370
And against such things there is
no law. 

527
00:29:54,650 --> 00:29:58,590
A picture this with me. 
Imagine you are getting ready to

528
00:30:00,470 --> 00:30:03,710
watch a football game and you 
went to your local Hy vee and 

529
00:30:03,710 --> 00:30:07,470
got it's a long game so you got 
like three dozen of their M&M 

530
00:30:07,470 --> 00:30:11,270
cookies, right. 
And you set those things down on

531
00:30:11,270 --> 00:30:14,510
your night stand and but next to
you know where you where you're 

532
00:30:14,510 --> 00:30:20,270
going to pray and you, you got a
glass of milk and you filled it 

533
00:30:20,270 --> 00:30:23,070
up to the brim because you know 
that you're you got 36 cookies 

534
00:30:23,070 --> 00:30:25,780
to go through because you chose 
not to eat breakfast or lunch 

535
00:30:25,780 --> 00:30:29,180
that way you could have them and
you fill it to the brim. 

536
00:30:29,180 --> 00:30:33,740
And then as you're walking by 
your kid bumps you and it starts

537
00:30:33,740 --> 00:30:36,940
to spill, right? 
What gets all over your hands in

538
00:30:36,940 --> 00:30:38,820
the carpet? 
Everybody say the answer on 

539
00:30:38,820 --> 00:30:44,100
3123, why? 
Why does milk get everywhere? 

540
00:30:44,740 --> 00:30:46,620
Why not? 
Why not syrup? 

541
00:30:47,820 --> 00:30:52,420
Why not pop? 
Because milk is what was in 

542
00:30:52,420 --> 00:30:55,360
there. 
You want to know why Jack Wagon 

543
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,080
comes out of you when you get 
bumped in life. 

544
00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:58,920
It's because you're full of Jack
Wagon. 

545
00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:03,560
You know why mean comes out of 
you when you get bumped? 

546
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,360
Because you're mean. 
Here's what you can do when you 

547
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:13,560
get bumped in life, what comes 
out of you is what's in you. 

548
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,840
And so we need to be people who 
are constantly yielding the Holy

549
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:18,640
Spirit. 
So when you and I get bumped by 

550
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:24,170
culture, when you and I get 
bumped by sinners, Lovejoy, 

551
00:31:24,170 --> 00:31:26,370
peace, patience, kindness, 
goodness, faithfulness, 

552
00:31:26,370 --> 00:31:33,010
gentleness, and selfcontrol are 
what come out, let's keep going.

553
00:31:34,130 --> 00:31:36,850
Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with 

554
00:31:36,850 --> 00:31:39,850
its passions and desires. 
It's no longer I who live, but 

555
00:31:39,850 --> 00:31:42,250
he lives. 
Since we live by the Spirit, let

556
00:31:42,250 --> 00:31:45,770
us keep in step with the Spirit 
and let us not become conceited,

557
00:31:45,770 --> 00:31:47,930
provoking and envying each 
other. 

558
00:31:49,050 --> 00:31:52,300
And we can feel the tension here
between grace and truth and 

559
00:31:52,300 --> 00:31:55,220
truth and love. 
You and I, we can experience 

560
00:31:55,220 --> 00:31:58,780
frustration and anxiety, trying 
to figure out how to love God 

561
00:31:58,820 --> 00:32:02,580
and love people. 
The Bible says that this is the 

562
00:32:02,580 --> 00:32:03,980
way we're supposed to treat 
people. 

563
00:32:04,300 --> 00:32:06,740
This is how we're supposed to 
interact with them, and then 

564
00:32:06,740 --> 00:32:09,100
we're also going, But I'm also 
told them I'm supposed to love 

565
00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:12,060
people, and I'm supposed to love
people, and they're in this 

566
00:32:12,060 --> 00:32:15,780
sticky, sinful situation. 
And there is this constant, 

567
00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:19,180
awkward tension. 
I'm going to have Zach and Rick 

568
00:32:19,180 --> 00:32:22,690
come up here real quick. 
Okay, Give Zach and Rhett a 

569
00:32:22,690 --> 00:32:25,690
huge. 
Come over here, Zach. 

570
00:32:27,770 --> 00:32:28,730
All right. 
Thank you, Okay. 

571
00:32:28,730 --> 00:32:31,170
Now, here's the tough part. 
This is Rhett. 

572
00:32:31,170 --> 00:32:33,290
Some people confuse us, so I'm 
the one in the middle. 

573
00:32:33,610 --> 00:32:35,770
Like, people think we're twins. 
We both. 

574
00:32:36,170 --> 00:32:37,690
He works out for both of us, 
Okay. 

575
00:32:38,570 --> 00:32:42,050
So there's this awkward tension.
Some of you right now, you're 

576
00:32:42,050 --> 00:32:44,690
sitting at our church and you're
going, all right, here's what 

577
00:32:44,690 --> 00:32:46,250
I'm going to do. 
I'm just going to be the truth, 

578
00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:48,810
Christian, and I'm just not 
going to be the Grace guy. 

579
00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:51,060
But I just want you to know if 
you do that you're not 

580
00:32:51,060 --> 00:32:53,260
representing Christ well and 
you're weak and you're immature 

581
00:32:54,060 --> 00:32:55,020
and some of you are going to be 
on. 

582
00:32:55,060 --> 00:32:56,940
All right, fine. 
I'm going to be the Grace guy. 

583
00:32:57,220 --> 00:32:59,100
Just be fully Grace. 
Super graceful. 

584
00:32:59,460 --> 00:33:01,860
Just call me Grace. 
And I want you to know, and 

585
00:33:01,860 --> 00:33:03,260
you're going, I don't want to be
the truth person. 

586
00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:06,460
I want you to know that that is 
immature and it's weak and 

587
00:33:06,460 --> 00:33:08,580
you're not representing Christ. 
Well, let me show you what 

588
00:33:08,580 --> 00:33:11,020
happens when a church decides to
be one of these. 

589
00:33:11,140 --> 00:33:12,820
So, Zach, I'm going to have you 
hold the rubber band right here.

590
00:33:12,940 --> 00:33:13,500
Yeah. 
Perfect. 

591
00:33:13,660 --> 00:33:15,300
Rhet, I'm going to have you hold
that rubber band right there. 

592
00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:16,380
OK. 
Stand right here. 

593
00:33:16,380 --> 00:33:18,340
OK, So you might be going, you 
know what I. 

594
00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:20,100
What I'm going to do. 
This is going to be great. 

595
00:33:20,460 --> 00:33:23,540
I am just going to be all about 
the grace. 

596
00:33:23,900 --> 00:33:25,660
And I'm just going to that's 
what I'm going to. 

597
00:33:25,660 --> 00:33:27,100
That's what I'm going to do. 
I'm going to be all about the 

598
00:33:27,100 --> 00:33:27,980
grace. 
And you're like, man, I'm going 

599
00:33:27,980 --> 00:33:29,660
to keep. 
I'm going to be super full of 

600
00:33:29,660 --> 00:33:30,900
grace. 
And every time. 

601
00:33:30,900 --> 00:33:32,940
I'm just going to love people 
where they're at all the time. 

602
00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:34,420
And I'm never going to stand for
truth. 

603
00:33:34,660 --> 00:33:38,100
And then you just like, I'm just
going to let go of the truth. 

604
00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:40,500
So let go. 
Oh, and you know what? 

605
00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:41,740
That does. 
Yeah. 

606
00:33:41,740 --> 00:33:43,660
That's real, isn't it? 
That's real. 

607
00:33:44,060 --> 00:33:46,280
That hurts. 
That hurts. 

608
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:47,280
OK, keep. 
Hold on. 

609
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,600
Now you know what happens when 
you decide to let go. 

610
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,680
What decides what happens when 
you decide to let go of the 

611
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,520
truth? 
You get hurt and you hurt all 

612
00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:00,680
the people around you. 
Now let's just say for giggles, 

613
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:05,040
yeah, illustration purposes, 
that you decided you were going 

614
00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:09,920
to be just all about the truth. 
Like God's word is God's word. 

615
00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,520
And if he said it once, he does 
that's all he needs to say it. 

616
00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:14,560
And you're. 
And then you're decide. 

617
00:34:14,679 --> 00:34:17,719
Hold on a second. 
I want you to the anchor hopes. 

618
00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,159
OK And you might be gone. 
You know what I don't care about

619
00:34:21,159 --> 00:34:22,840
your feelings. 
These are Bible facts. 

620
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:27,520
I mean we are going to take a 
hard stance and you're like I'm 

621
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,159
just going to let go of the 
grace. 

622
00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:31,600
Let go. 
OK. 

623
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,400
You guys can have a seat. 
It'll heal. 

624
00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:35,000
OK. 
God bless you. 

625
00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:40,639
Some of you are going, man. 
I'm just. 

626
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,719
I'm just not going to be a 
person who is gracious. 

627
00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:46,800
I'm just going to be full of 
truth. 

628
00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:49,120
This is what is the that's what 
you are. 

629
00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,239
You're weak and useless. 
And some of you are going, man, 

630
00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:54,679
I'm just going to be full of 
grace and I'm just not really. 

631
00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:56,400
It's not my place. 
I'm not going to talk to people 

632
00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,520
about truth. 
It's weak and useless. 

633
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,640
And when you try to stand on one
for a long time and then you let

634
00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,120
go of 1 or the other, you hurt 
yourself and you hurt others. 

635
00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:06,760
Do you know where the power 
lies? 

636
00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,060
The power lies and the tension. 
And guess what? 

637
00:35:11,060 --> 00:35:13,780
You're already doing this. 
Let me prove it to you. 

638
00:35:14,260 --> 00:35:17,180
How many of you raise your hands
if you believe that Jesus was 

639
00:35:17,900 --> 00:35:22,300
fully God, How many of you 
believe that Jesus was fully 

640
00:35:22,300 --> 00:35:25,420
human? 
Yeah, that's called a Christian 

641
00:35:25,420 --> 00:35:27,140
belief. 
You know what? 

642
00:35:27,140 --> 00:35:30,060
There's tension in that one. 
How many of you believe the 

643
00:35:30,060 --> 00:35:35,140
Bible was written by God and he 
used humans to do it? 

644
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:42,240
How many of you think God's 
sovereign, He's in control? 

645
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:44,480
Super powerful. 
How many of you think we're 

646
00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,000
still held accountable for our 
decisions and we have human 

647
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:51,240
responsibility? 
We already live in the tension 

648
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:54,000
as Christians. 
It's baked into our belief 

649
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,200
system, and that's because 
there's power there. 

650
00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,320
How many of you at all of our 
different locations, you are a 

651
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,360
big fan of the cross? 
Like, Oh yeah, we should 

652
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,240
actually have some crosses 
around here, right? 

653
00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:07,200
Come here. 
Pay attention. 

654
00:36:08,100 --> 00:36:13,060
What does the cross scream? 
It screams that you're a Sinner,

655
00:36:14,620 --> 00:36:17,580
but there's a savior. 
What is the cross scream? 

656
00:36:18,140 --> 00:36:21,980
All the cross screams that 
you're ruined, but there's a 

657
00:36:21,980 --> 00:36:24,580
Redeemer. 
The cross screams you're a 

658
00:36:24,580 --> 00:36:29,380
murderer, but he's a Messiah. 
The cross screams that there's 

659
00:36:29,380 --> 00:36:32,800
this tension, that you've messed
it up, but he makes all things 

660
00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,160
new, that you deserve death, but
he offers eternal life. 

661
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,600
That you're a failure, but God's
not finished. 

662
00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:40,800
You're done in, but God's not 
done. 

663
00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:45,240
It is this very tension that 
makes Christians so powerful to 

664
00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:49,160
a watching world. 
Don't run from it, Embrace it. 

665
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:53,080
Because there's power in the 
cross and there's power in the 

666
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:54,720
tension. 
We're moving to a time of 

667
00:36:54,720 --> 00:37:00,740
decision. 
I've said this at the very 

668
00:37:00,740 --> 00:37:04,460
beginning of this series, I 
tipped my hand about how we were

669
00:37:04,460 --> 00:37:09,500
going to close it. 
We are trying to make this 

670
00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:16,900
church where you're at right now
a place that gives people time. 

671
00:37:18,420 --> 00:37:21,460
Let me not believe what we 
believe or behave the way we 

672
00:37:21,460 --> 00:37:24,500
want them to behave. 
But here at the Crossing, we 

673
00:37:24,500 --> 00:37:28,540
believe that there has to be a 
place that gives people time, 

674
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,360
that there has to be a place 
that gives people a place to 

675
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,240
take their biggest step of 
faith. 

676
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,640
And for some of you, their 
biggest step of faith is going 

677
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,520
to be completely different than 
yours, but just as big. 

678
00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:50,040
And we're going to be a church 
that's rooting for them every 

679
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:54,760
single time someone chooses to 
trust God in any area of their 

680
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:59,270
life, including their sexuality,
We're going to be a church that 

681
00:37:59,270 --> 00:38:02,350
tells people that their failure 
is not final. 

682
00:38:02,350 --> 00:38:05,310
And when God is in the picture, 
it's not over. 

683
00:38:06,070 --> 00:38:08,910
Which means that on a regular 
basis, we are going to proclaim 

684
00:38:08,910 --> 00:38:11,030
the truth that we failed and 
fallen short. 

685
00:38:11,230 --> 00:38:14,430
But we're also going to proclaim
that there is grace in the cross

686
00:38:14,590 --> 00:38:17,470
of Jesus Christ. 
We're going to be a church that 

687
00:38:17,470 --> 00:38:23,070
is a place for lost causes, for 
people that others have shunned 

688
00:38:24,030 --> 00:38:30,880
and shamed and given up on that 
There has to be a place that 

689
00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:34,040
still believes that Jesus 
changes people. 

690
00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:40,160
Not me, not Jerry, not you, but 
God. 

691
00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:46,700
Working through us brings about 
real life transformation, but 

692
00:38:46,700 --> 00:38:49,660
there has to be a place that's 
willing to serve those in need, 

693
00:38:49,900 --> 00:38:53,060
give people community that there
has to be a place that will 

694
00:38:53,060 --> 00:38:56,580
sacrifice on their behalf and is
willing to dig today so other 

695
00:38:56,580 --> 00:38:59,340
people can drink tomorrow. 
We're trying to make this place 

696
00:38:59,540 --> 00:39:06,220
that place, and it's going to 
take every single one of us to 

697
00:39:06,220 --> 00:39:10,580
do it. 
I'm asking you to be confusing 

698
00:39:11,980 --> 00:39:13,340
because that's what the cross 
is. 

699
00:39:15,940 --> 00:39:21,860
The cross is confusing. 
It says you're jacked up, but I 

700
00:39:21,860 --> 00:39:24,780
love you anyway. 
But it's Christians. 

701
00:39:24,780 --> 00:39:27,500
As we leave and go out into our 
families, we confuse them. 

702
00:39:27,780 --> 00:39:31,100
Boy, they take such an 
incredibly hard stand on truth 

703
00:39:31,340 --> 00:39:35,020
and they don't compromise. 
But boy, nobody loves the way 

704
00:39:35,020 --> 00:39:42,100
those Christians love. 
We need to confuse people by how

705
00:39:42,100 --> 00:39:46,060
we choose intentionally to live 
and the tension. 

706
00:39:48,180 --> 00:39:51,980
And if you're here today and you
want to be a part of that 

707
00:39:51,980 --> 00:39:55,060
movement, that mission, and 
you've never started an intimate

708
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:58,020
personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, the life that I'm 

709
00:39:58,020 --> 00:40:00,820
calling you to cannot be lived 
without the presence of the Holy

710
00:40:00,820 --> 00:40:03,020
Spirit. 
And you don't receive the Holy 

711
00:40:03,020 --> 00:40:05,780
Spirit until you've been 
obedient in the area of baptism 

712
00:40:06,460 --> 00:40:08,980
and when you are being baptized.
What you're saying is I want to 

713
00:40:08,980 --> 00:40:11,820
make Jesus Christ the Lord and 
Savior of my life. 

714
00:40:12,150 --> 00:40:15,750
Not just that He rescues me for 
my eternal destiny and my sin 

715
00:40:15,750 --> 00:40:19,110
and creates a place for me in 
heaven, but I'm making him the 

716
00:40:19,110 --> 00:40:23,110
Lord where I place Him and His 
Word in authority over my life. 

717
00:40:23,750 --> 00:40:25,670
I no longer live, but Christ 
lives in me. 

718
00:40:26,430 --> 00:40:28,110
And if you're here today and 
you're ready to make that 

719
00:40:28,110 --> 00:40:31,190
decision, let me tell you it is 
never too early to make the 

720
00:40:31,190 --> 00:40:34,610
decision to follow Jesus. 
And in just a few moments, while

721
00:40:34,610 --> 00:40:36,690
the people around you stand and 
sing and maybe some of them come

722
00:40:36,690 --> 00:40:39,170
up to the steps and pray, I'm 
going to encourage you to either

723
00:40:39,410 --> 00:40:41,570
take the person who brought you 
or you can walk by yourself 

724
00:40:41,570 --> 00:40:44,090
right over by the baptistry. 
And somebody on our team would 

725
00:40:44,090 --> 00:40:46,490
love a chance to talk with you 
about what God's doing in you. 

726
00:40:48,050 --> 00:40:50,810
To the rest of you, to those of 
you who call yourselves 

727
00:40:50,810 --> 00:40:55,530
Christians, it's going to take 
every single one of us to make 

728
00:40:55,530 --> 00:41:00,250
that place real, and you are 
going to need the Holy Spirit's 

729
00:41:00,250 --> 00:41:04,520
help to live in the tension. 
You're going to be tempted to go

730
00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:08,360
one way or the other, but with 
the Holy Spirit's help, we can 

731
00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,840
stand right where the tension is
the greatest and make the 

732
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:15,200
biggest impact. 
I'm going to ask you, if your 

733
00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,280
heart breaks to be that kind of 
church, to be that kind of Jesus

734
00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:20,080
follower. 
Would you spend some time on 

735
00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,160
any, whether it's up here or in 
your over where your seat is, 

736
00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,400
praying that God would use you, 
that his spirit would fill you 

737
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,680
up, and that you would listen to
the Spirit and do what he calls 

738
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:30,840
you to do? 
Would you stand with me, 

739
00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:37,520
Heavenly Father? 
I'm asking you to do something 

740
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:44,320
special in this church, God, 
that we would become confusing 

741
00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:49,520
to a watching world, that we 
wouldn't run to one side or the 

742
00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:51,440
other, but we would embrace the 
tension. 

743
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:57,240
God, that we would lead and love
and serve people that we don't 

744
00:41:57,240 --> 00:42:04,630
agree with, people that we don't
understand with the hope that 

745
00:42:04,630 --> 00:42:06,230
they'd find what we found in 
you. 

746
00:42:07,990 --> 00:42:09,990
Yeah, That you give us the 
courage and the strength to 

747
00:42:10,030 --> 00:42:19,310
articulate your life, giving 
gospel message, your truth, yo. 

748
00:42:20,030 --> 00:42:24,230
We want you to be proud when you
look down and see this place, by

749
00:42:24,230 --> 00:42:27,390
how we pursue you and trust you 
and worship you. 

750
00:42:28,550 --> 00:42:29,990
So God, give us the strength to 
do that. 

751
00:42:29,990 --> 00:42:31,720
Well, in your name I pray. 
Amen.