1 00:00:06,410 --> 00:00:08,920 Good morning. Morning. 2 00:00:08,930 --> 00:00:12,440 Hey, if I am a new face to you, welcome. 3 00:00:12,450 --> 00:00:15,360 My name is Grant, and I'm one of the pastors here at the church. 4 00:00:15,370 --> 00:00:21,680 If you are new today, today just might be the absolute best day 5 00:00:21,690 --> 00:00:27,760 to be new here at the church. And if you can, if you have the 6 00:00:27,770 --> 00:00:31,530 time, if you would like to, we would love to have lunch with 7 00:00:31,540 --> 00:00:33,700 you. And so it's already been 8 00:00:33,710 --> 00:00:36,020 announced. But let me just take a second to 9 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:39,850 say, hey, it would just be a delight and an honor to meet 10 00:00:39,860 --> 00:00:42,630 with you here in this youth room, which if you don't know, 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:43,590 that's great. Fine. 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,070 It's just the room at the back of the sanctuary here and we 13 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,110 would love to have have a meal with you, tell you a little bit 14 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,270 about us and hear a little bit about who you are. 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,730 So it's just a good opportunity to connect. 16 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:58,510 Now here's the thing. Some of you might be sitting 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,870 here and going well, how new do you have to be like? 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:08,280 This isn't my first Sunday and here's my here's here's what I 19 00:01:08,290 --> 00:01:13,370 came to. I I came here as pastor is 20 00:01:13,380 --> 00:01:17,940 September 1st, one year ago, so just over. 21 00:01:17,950 --> 00:01:23,180 It's been just over a year. So if you're newer than me, we'd 22 00:01:23,190 --> 00:01:27,270 love to have you. And even if not, listen, if we 23 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,740 gotta order pizza, great. But we just want this to feel 24 00:01:30,750 --> 00:01:33,140 like an open invitation. There's no check box, no 25 00:01:33,150 --> 00:01:35,870 security standing at the door, nobody going like, OK, yeah, 26 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,950 three weeks, three times here doesn't count. 27 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:41,400 OK, alright. So if you've shown up since I've 28 00:01:41,410 --> 00:01:44,390 been here, we would love to connect with you, tell you a 29 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,240 little bit about the church. And if you've got questions for 30 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:50,360 me and for some of the other pastors and staff, great. 31 00:01:51,030 --> 00:01:54,960 So that's it. We are working our way through 32 00:01:54,970 --> 00:02:02,170 the Gospel of Luke and we've come to a, a passage that in my 33 00:02:02,180 --> 00:02:07,550 mind really, I think is one of the reasons why I really enjoy 34 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,610 preaching like this. So we began in Luke 1 and we are 35 00:02:11,620 --> 00:02:13,780 reading every single verse through the entire book. 36 00:02:13,790 --> 00:02:17,530 This is Luke's biography of the life of Jesus. 37 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,550 And the reason, one of the reasons, one of many reasons why 38 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,410 I like doing a book like this from beginning to end is that it 39 00:02:26,420 --> 00:02:31,050 makes us read every single line, even the ones that make us 40 00:02:31,060 --> 00:02:34,890 uncomfortable, even the ones that we really would rather not 41 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:38,540 read, even the ones that we would personally tend to try to 42 00:02:38,550 --> 00:02:42,180 avoid. And this, I think the end of 43 00:02:42,190 --> 00:02:44,600 Luke Chapter 9 is one of those verses. 44 00:02:44,970 --> 00:02:48,500 There are lines that challenge us and that sound a little bit 45 00:02:48,510 --> 00:02:49,920 harsh. And you're like, Jesus, we're, 46 00:02:49,930 --> 00:02:52,480 you know, not quite sure what you're saying. 47 00:02:52,490 --> 00:02:57,240 And the challenge that it puts on my life, on our lives, you 48 00:02:57,250 --> 00:02:59,220 know, maybe that makes us a little bit uncomfortable. 49 00:02:59,230 --> 00:03:02,420 And so in my mind, this really is one of the best reasons I 50 00:03:02,430 --> 00:03:06,360 think to read through a book like this, because it does allow 51 00:03:06,370 --> 00:03:09,560 you, cause you even force you to confront some of these passages 52 00:03:09,570 --> 00:03:13,140 and some of these verses that can feel challenging. 53 00:03:13,190 --> 00:03:16,340 So that's just, you know, not much of but a little bit of a 54 00:03:16,350 --> 00:03:20,960 disclaimer as we begin this morning reading through Luke 9, 55 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,590 the last few verses in my Bible, this is called the cost of 56 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,750 following Jesus. It's versus 57 through the end 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,540 of that chapter. You can see kind of how far 58 00:03:31,550 --> 00:03:34,260 through the book of Luke or the Bible we are rather. 59 00:03:34,660 --> 00:03:38,460 But let me pray and then we're going to read this slowly and 60 00:03:38,470 --> 00:03:45,090 then work our way through. My coffee is hot. 61 00:03:45,150 --> 00:03:46,290 Sorry, that's what that was about. 62 00:03:47,980 --> 00:03:51,440 Let's pray, God, thanks for your love and thank you for your 63 00:03:51,450 --> 00:03:53,740 grace and thanks that you're with us. 64 00:03:54,380 --> 00:03:56,970 And thank you that you invite us into this slowed down way of 65 00:03:56,980 --> 00:03:59,150 being gay. We're grateful to gather and and 66 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,720 lift high the name of Jesus and sing praises about who you are. 67 00:04:04,650 --> 00:04:07,040 God, thanks for turning our hearts and our minds toward you. 68 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,580 And you got things that you meet each one of us like don't have 69 00:04:10,590 --> 00:04:13,730 to have been a a Christian or a churchgoer forever. 70 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,709 Yeah, you meet each one of us along the road and you challenge 71 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,910 us to take a next step. So God, whether that next step 72 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,090 is a first step, I would pray. Jesus, would you do it? 73 00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:30,580 Would you speak to us whether it's a new step or an old step? 74 00:04:30,850 --> 00:04:33,650 Yeah, whether it's something that we've been sensing you 75 00:04:33,660 --> 00:04:37,150 challenging us to do and to take and to move for a long time. 76 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,410 Would you, would you speak that word to us as well? 77 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,110 So as we read this, would we find ourselves in it? 78 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,570 But more than that guy, would we find you in it, and would you 79 00:04:45,580 --> 00:04:49,610 remind us of whose we are? In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 80 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,230 So today I'm reading from the ESV, which may be different than 81 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:59,210 your Bibles, and that's fine. I chose this, this version today 82 00:04:59,220 --> 00:05:02,860 for one word, literally one word in the entirety of what we're 83 00:05:02,870 --> 00:05:04,110 going to read. And I'll mention it when we get 84 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,610 there, but this is how it sounds. 85 00:05:06,700 --> 00:05:10,630 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I 86 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,690 will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes 87 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:18,040 have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man 88 00:05:18,050 --> 00:05:22,480 has nowhere to lay his head. To another he said, follow me, 89 00:05:22,710 --> 00:05:26,760 But he said, Lord, first let me go and bury my father. 90 00:05:27,070 --> 00:05:31,120 Jesus said to him, leave the dead to bury their own dead, but 91 00:05:31,130 --> 00:05:33,740 As for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God. 92 00:05:33,810 --> 00:05:37,820 Yet another said, I will follow you Lord, but let me first say 93 00:05:37,830 --> 00:05:42,440 farewell to those at my home. Jesus said to him, no one who 94 00:05:42,450 --> 00:05:46,860 puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the 95 00:05:46,870 --> 00:05:54,300 Kingdom of God. I heard in a sermon actually 96 00:05:54,310 --> 00:05:56,840 fairly recently, and I just listened, Disclaimer, like, yes, 97 00:05:56,850 --> 00:06:01,690 I also listened to sermons. I heard a pastor friend of mine 98 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:04,130 tell this story and it was a story that he had read in a 99 00:06:04,140 --> 00:06:05,790 book. And I'm pretty sure it's a 100 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,810 made-up story. But the story goes like this. 101 00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:10,390 There's a husband and wife on their wedding day who have 102 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,030 planned for this day for a long time. 103 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:18,330 And you can imagine how it's, you know, taking them the better 104 00:06:18,340 --> 00:06:21,390 part of a year to get ready and to prepare and to go and to buy 105 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,230 the suit that usually takes less time. 106 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,370 But to go and find, like, the perfect dress. 107 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:29,190 And the guest list has been written and made and they've 108 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,250 spent hours deciding who's gonna sit where at what table, because 109 00:06:33,260 --> 00:06:37,140 that's something you have to do. And they get to their wedding 110 00:06:37,150 --> 00:06:39,540 day and everything is going perfectly. 111 00:06:39,550 --> 00:06:42,020 The ceremony was just absolutely incredible. 112 00:06:42,030 --> 00:06:43,760 It was everything that they hoped for. 113 00:06:43,830 --> 00:06:47,330 And the guests, all of them, were now sitting around tables. 114 00:06:47,340 --> 00:06:52,820 Every single person was getting along like life was great. 115 00:06:54,220 --> 00:06:56,890 And the husband and wife, they're sitting at their table 116 00:06:56,900 --> 00:07:00,010 and they finally get a couple of minutes just to themselves to 117 00:07:00,020 --> 00:07:02,290 talk and to kind of take it all in. 118 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:05,770 What an amazing day. And in that moment, the husband 119 00:07:05,780 --> 00:07:10,650 leans over to his new bride and asks her this question. 120 00:07:10,660 --> 00:07:17,610 What is the least that I can do in order to still stay married 121 00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:23,510 to you? What's the least that I can do? 122 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:24,750 Now? Listen, like you don't have to 123 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,780 be married to know how that conversation goes from there. 124 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,520 Like I said, I'm fairly certain it's a made-up story, but that's 125 00:07:31,530 --> 00:07:36,200 beside the point. What is the least that I could 126 00:07:36,210 --> 00:07:43,020 do to still stay married to you? Like I hope and pray none of you 127 00:07:43,110 --> 00:07:47,970 wrestle out that question. In his book on discipleship, 128 00:07:47,980 --> 00:07:50,710 Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote this line and it's been haunting me 129 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:52,770 this week. He said it is becoming clear 130 00:07:52,780 --> 00:07:56,390 every day that the most urgent problem besetting our church is 131 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,940 this. How can we live the Christian 132 00:07:58,950 --> 00:08:03,020 life in the modern world? Now if you know anything about 133 00:08:03,030 --> 00:08:05,820 Bonhoeffer, he knew what it was like to live a Christian life in 134 00:08:05,830 --> 00:08:10,620 for him. What was Modern World and in his 135 00:08:10,630 --> 00:08:12,700 book called The Cost of Discipleship, where he wrestles 136 00:08:12,710 --> 00:08:15,700 out the cost that the discipleship has, that the 137 00:08:15,710 --> 00:08:20,740 gospel has, that grace carries with it the cost of Jesus's life 138 00:08:20,750 --> 00:08:22,620 and his death and his resurrection. 139 00:08:23,210 --> 00:08:26,080 If you know the story of Bonhoeffer's life, you may know 140 00:08:26,090 --> 00:08:29,250 that him for him, the cost was his own death. 141 00:08:30,190 --> 00:08:32,640 Proclaiming the gospel, being a Christian, having a Christian 142 00:08:32,650 --> 00:08:37,289 witness in the world led him toward his own death. 143 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:43,090 That question by Bonhoeffer was posed in that book in 1937. 144 00:08:44,020 --> 00:08:46,440 But I still think that it's one of the most important questions 145 00:08:46,450 --> 00:08:49,590 you can ask yourself as a follower of Jesus. 146 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,510 And it's one of the most important answers that you can 147 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,590 prayerfully come to as a follower of Jesus. 148 00:08:56,660 --> 00:08:59,040 And I think for us as a church, one of the most important 149 00:08:59,050 --> 00:09:03,480 questions that we can ask ourselves is how do we live the 150 00:09:03,490 --> 00:09:06,100 Christian life in the modern world? 151 00:09:06,110 --> 00:09:09,430 Because I think you can ask that question, or at least you can 152 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:11,930 chase down answers in two very different ways. 153 00:09:11,980 --> 00:09:15,410 And the one sounds a lot like that husband on his wedding day. 154 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,010 What do I need to do in order to still call myself a Christian in 155 00:09:20,020 --> 00:09:21,890 this modern world? In other words, what I mean is 156 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:26,250 this, What is the least I can do and still get away with calling 157 00:09:26,260 --> 00:09:29,750 myself a Christian? You can ask that form of the 158 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,390 question, what is the least I can do? 159 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:40,130 Or you can ask, how am I called to live my life out as a witness 160 00:09:40,140 --> 00:09:43,440 to the resurrection of Jesus, as an ambassador to the Kingdom of 161 00:09:43,450 --> 00:09:48,760 God every single day as I enter our modern world? 162 00:09:50,750 --> 00:09:55,360 Now, those are two very different questions, and I think 163 00:09:55,370 --> 00:09:57,680 they lead to two very different answers. 164 00:09:57,690 --> 00:10:01,320 But I have never more been convinced than I am today that 165 00:10:01,330 --> 00:10:06,240 we need fully formed followers of Jesus who are spiritually 166 00:10:06,250 --> 00:10:10,460 mature, who are emotionally mature, pursuing Jesus in 167 00:10:10,470 --> 00:10:17,080 relationship with others, living out their life on mission within 168 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:19,720 the growing Kingdom of God in our world. 169 00:10:20,990 --> 00:10:25,830 I'm convinced that what we need are people whose lives are 170 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:31,150 transformed by Jesus and who then carry that transformation 171 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,680 into our world. But in order to get to that 172 00:10:35,690 --> 00:10:37,960 place, I think each one of us needs to wrestle out that 173 00:10:37,970 --> 00:10:45,640 question, How do I live as a Christian in our modern world? 174 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,880 In his book called In the Name of Jesus, which is a great book, 175 00:10:52,730 --> 00:10:58,400 Henry Nowen offers this framework for Christian life and 176 00:10:58,410 --> 00:11:05,300 leadership for pastors. Yes, for sure, but he poses 3 177 00:11:05,310 --> 00:11:12,150 challenges to what it means or how you ought to be a pastor, 178 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,840 leader, Christian in the world. And then what he does is he 179 00:11:14,850 --> 00:11:20,060 poses 3 practices that kind of counter form or push against 180 00:11:20,450 --> 00:11:25,520 those three challenges. And So what I thought this week 181 00:11:25,530 --> 00:11:28,930 in preparation as I was wrestling out this passage is 182 00:11:28,940 --> 00:11:31,920 this might be the closest. Again, I say this a couple times 183 00:11:31,930 --> 00:11:34,060 a year. Closest thing to a three-point 184 00:11:34,070 --> 00:11:35,400 sermon you're going to get from me. 185 00:11:36,590 --> 00:11:41,460 What I want to do for us today is name three challenges that I 186 00:11:41,470 --> 00:11:46,600 think we face when we are confronted by living a Christian 187 00:11:46,610 --> 00:11:50,570 life in the modern world, when we are confronted by Jesus's 188 00:11:50,580 --> 00:11:54,470 call to follow me. And then what I want to do is 189 00:11:54,480 --> 00:12:00,870 suggest 3 practices that will push against those challenges 190 00:12:01,180 --> 00:12:05,930 and help, I hope, encourage all of us to live life out on 191 00:12:05,940 --> 00:12:11,220 mission in the world. So the first challenge, that's 192 00:12:11,230 --> 00:12:13,110 how we're going to go. Challenge Practice. 193 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:20,230 The first challenge is the challenge of comfort, and I 194 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,920 think these are three challenges that are posed by the text. 195 00:12:22,930 --> 00:12:26,600 These are three challenges that arise in Jesus teaching. 196 00:12:26,690 --> 00:12:32,250 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, Now 197 00:12:32,260 --> 00:12:36,110 this someone, this one word is the reason why I chose for us to 198 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,610 read from the SV today. Because your Bible might say a 199 00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:46,430 man, it might say someone, it might say a person said to him, 200 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,630 I will follow you wherever you go. 201 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,390 This is a bold declaration. Jesus, I will follow you 202 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,370 wherever you go. Someone comes to Jesus. 203 00:12:55,380 --> 00:13:00,280 As Jesus is going along the road, someone comes to him and 204 00:13:00,290 --> 00:13:01,820 that's someone. Listen, that's someone. 205 00:13:01,830 --> 00:13:04,860 Could be me, that someone could be you. 206 00:13:05,990 --> 00:13:09,260 Someone comes to him and says, Jesus, I will follow you 207 00:13:09,310 --> 00:13:15,350 wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, foxes 208 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:19,250 have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of 209 00:13:19,260 --> 00:13:26,850 Man has nowhere to lay his head. I think we you face the 210 00:13:26,860 --> 00:13:32,990 challenge of comfort and the modern version of this challenge 211 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:38,410 says, I'll follow you, Jesus, as long as I can still build all of 212 00:13:38,420 --> 00:13:43,010 my savings and hold on to them and do with them what I please. 213 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,350 As long as I can choose my own career path, As long as I can 214 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,910 enjoy the things that I've always enjoyed. 215 00:13:48,980 --> 00:13:51,930 As long as I can continue doing the things that make me 216 00:13:51,940 --> 00:13:54,410 comfortable. As long as I can still have the 217 00:13:54,420 --> 00:13:57,310 house and the cars and the life that I picture. 218 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:02,110 Jesus, I'll follow you as long as you give me all these other 219 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,770 things that I hope for and and long for and that I think are 220 00:14:05,780 --> 00:14:09,360 good in this life. Jesus, I'll, I'll follow you. 221 00:14:09,370 --> 00:14:15,420 Just don't challenge me or call me or ask me to step out of my 222 00:14:15,430 --> 00:14:19,260 own comfort zone. Don't make me give anything up. 223 00:14:20,780 --> 00:14:25,810 Please don't make me experience anything that I don't like. 224 00:14:27,330 --> 00:14:30,560 Toward the middle of this chapter, Chapter 9, we see Jesus 225 00:14:30,670 --> 00:14:36,020 set his face toward Jerusalem, turns his face, turns his body, 226 00:14:36,030 --> 00:14:38,840 turns his being toward Jerusalem and moves in that direction. 227 00:14:38,910 --> 00:14:43,600 And as he is going in that direction, as Jesus is moving 228 00:14:43,610 --> 00:14:48,320 toward Jerusalem, this someone comes to Jesus and declares 229 00:14:48,330 --> 00:14:52,280 Jesus, I'm gonna follow you wherever you're going. 230 00:14:52,610 --> 00:14:57,440 I'm not quite sure where it is, but I'm gonna attach my life to 231 00:14:57,450 --> 00:14:58,550 yours. They want in. 232 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,770 They, they say, listen, Jesus, say I'll, I'll follow you. 233 00:15:02,820 --> 00:15:05,130 It's this great affirmation of faith. 234 00:15:05,140 --> 00:15:08,870 I'll follow you wherever you go, wherever you're going. 235 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:10,850 I'm going to. I'm with you, Jesus. 236 00:15:10,860 --> 00:15:17,380 My life is connected to yours. But Jesus responds with caution. 237 00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:26,430 Jesus kind of puts the brakes on, Jesus cautions. 238 00:15:26,470 --> 00:15:29,490 He says, listen, foxes have holes and birds have there. 239 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:35,340 They've got nests, they've got homes, they have comforts, they 240 00:15:35,350 --> 00:15:38,230 have places where they will stay and and remain. 241 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,250 I have none of those things, he says. 242 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:46,540 The Son of Man does not move toward comfort. 243 00:15:47,190 --> 00:15:50,420 He says. I have nowhere to lay my head at 244 00:15:50,430 --> 00:15:52,260 this point. These would be disciples and, 245 00:15:52,270 --> 00:15:55,100 and even the disciple disciples, those who have been with Jesus 246 00:15:55,110 --> 00:15:57,970 for a long time, they don't know the fullness of where Jesus is 247 00:15:57,980 --> 00:16:00,290 going. They don't know all that is 248 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:03,610 going to happen in Jerusalem. They don't know what exactly is 249 00:16:03,620 --> 00:16:07,620 in store for Jesus or for them. All they know is that Jesus is 250 00:16:07,630 --> 00:16:11,460 going in a particular direction. He is moving and they must also 251 00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:16,140 follow, literally walk behind and go where he goes. 252 00:16:16,150 --> 00:16:18,760 If they want to learn from him, they must be with him. 253 00:16:18,770 --> 00:16:21,400 So they must move in that same direction. 254 00:16:21,410 --> 00:16:24,780 And Jesus cautions he says, listen, it is not a road that is 255 00:16:24,790 --> 00:16:29,180 comfortable. It is in fact quite 256 00:16:29,230 --> 00:16:33,170 uncomfortable. Now you don't need to put up 257 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:35,580 your hand, but who here likes a little bit of certainty in life? 258 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,090 Who likes having a plan? Like how many of you university 259 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:43,320 students like show up and you're like, hey, I'm not only do I 260 00:16:43,330 --> 00:16:46,510 have the next one, three or five years of my life planned out, 261 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,210 but like the five years after university. 262 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,570 The great thing of university is that within those one three or 263 00:16:52,580 --> 00:16:55,620 five years, all of your other plans get messed up. 264 00:16:58,210 --> 00:17:01,780 Like, listen, I'm not the first person to say that I like love a 265 00:17:01,790 --> 00:17:05,520 10 year plan or a 15 year plan or like everything like, but I 266 00:17:05,530 --> 00:17:09,329 like certainty. I like to know that whatever 267 00:17:09,339 --> 00:17:12,230 direction we're going, like there's an actual end. 268 00:17:12,619 --> 00:17:16,300 And please tell me what it is. Don't make it a surprise. 269 00:17:16,339 --> 00:17:18,390 I I want to know that when we get there, there's going to be a 270 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,470 warm bed and a hot meal and a shower. 271 00:17:21,420 --> 00:17:25,730 Like I like to know that where I'm headed is worth the pain 272 00:17:25,740 --> 00:17:27,609 that it is gonna take to get there. 273 00:17:27,980 --> 00:17:32,100 And Jesus doesn't offer any of that reassurance to this would 274 00:17:32,110 --> 00:17:36,090 be follower. In fact, he cautions everything 275 00:17:36,100 --> 00:17:42,480 toward the opposite. There is no place, nowhere that 276 00:17:42,490 --> 00:17:45,900 I will build to lay my head. We are going to move. 277 00:17:46,230 --> 00:17:48,100 We are going to continue to move. 278 00:17:48,250 --> 00:17:50,600 There's going to be change and there's going to be continued 279 00:17:50,610 --> 00:18:00,020 need for more change. Life on the road with Jesus is a 280 00:18:00,030 --> 00:18:06,580 life of movement and of change and of growth, growth. 281 00:18:06,590 --> 00:18:11,540 And it is uncomfortable. Jesus will always be moving 282 00:18:11,550 --> 00:18:18,190 toward Jerusalem. Jerusalem, where Jesus died and 283 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:24,090 was raised, and where when we go, as we go, as we arrive, we 284 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:29,210 behold our own salvation and the salvation of the entire world. 285 00:18:30,550 --> 00:18:34,820 And it is an uncomfortable journey because it is one that 286 00:18:34,910 --> 00:18:38,780 asks of you and even demands of you to let go. 287 00:18:38,990 --> 00:18:44,610 We're going to see that in a minute and turn and continually 288 00:18:44,620 --> 00:18:48,650 follow behind Jesus. But the uncomfort, the 289 00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:53,810 discomfort is all in the name of getting you to the foot of the 290 00:18:53,820 --> 00:18:59,700 cross. The great thing is that like 291 00:18:59,710 --> 00:19:03,520 along the way, and I love this, whenever I sit with someone 292 00:19:03,810 --> 00:19:08,740 toward the end of their life, like for so many people, this is 293 00:19:08,750 --> 00:19:13,560 what they speak to. Along the way, you will discover 294 00:19:13,570 --> 00:19:16,480 that Jesus is leading you to places that you'd really rather 295 00:19:16,490 --> 00:19:22,010 not go. Along the way, you are convicted 296 00:19:22,690 --> 00:19:27,620 and confronted with the worst parts of who you are, your own 297 00:19:27,630 --> 00:19:32,000 sin and your own brokenness. You're challenged to have honest 298 00:19:32,010 --> 00:19:35,020 and vulnerable conversations with those you've hurt and those 299 00:19:35,030 --> 00:19:39,500 who have hurt you along the way. You have to surrender and let go 300 00:19:39,510 --> 00:19:43,560 of the pieces of your life to Jesus, even the ones that you'd 301 00:19:43,570 --> 00:19:47,900 really rather not share with anyone. 302 00:19:50,830 --> 00:19:53,900 But along that way, you're also going to discover that you are 303 00:19:53,910 --> 00:19:58,710 freed from your past and that you can lay down guilt and 304 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,960 shame. And that you can pick up love 305 00:20:01,970 --> 00:20:05,550 and grace. You can receive and give 306 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,540 forgiveness. Along the way, you'll find that 307 00:20:08,550 --> 00:20:13,640 you are made into a new person, and along the way you're gonna 308 00:20:13,650 --> 00:20:21,050 begin to experience joy again, The life that is really life, 309 00:20:21,140 --> 00:20:25,630 the life that leads to life, to life to its fullest, fullest 310 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,130 measure. Life abundant is found on the 311 00:20:29,140 --> 00:20:35,940 road following Jesus, especially when the road is uncomfortable. 312 00:20:38,350 --> 00:20:40,900 And so when we come to a passage like this, we find ourselves 313 00:20:40,910 --> 00:20:42,540 again like sitting in this tension. 314 00:20:42,670 --> 00:20:45,870 The fullest measure of life is found on the road following 315 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,160 Jesus, and very often that road leads us to places that I don't 316 00:20:49,170 --> 00:20:54,550 want to go, to confront things we'd rather forget. 317 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,770 Because Jesus says, listen, I have come so that you may have 318 00:20:57,780 --> 00:21:00,810 life and have it to the full. But he also said, take up your 319 00:21:00,820 --> 00:21:05,020 cross and follow me. Jesus said, take my yoke upon 320 00:21:05,030 --> 00:21:07,680 you and learn from me, for I am gentle and I'm humble and heart, 321 00:21:07,690 --> 00:21:10,120 and you will find rest for your souls. 322 00:21:10,420 --> 00:21:11,920 That's what we read at the beginning of the service. 323 00:21:11,930 --> 00:21:15,360 Are you weary, broken, burned out? 324 00:21:15,370 --> 00:21:18,400 Our own religions just says come to me and you'll find rest for 325 00:21:18,410 --> 00:21:22,230 your souls. But he also says the Son of Man 326 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,990 has nowhere to lay his head. Are you ready and willing to 327 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,170 pick up discomfort to follow Jesus? 328 00:21:30,530 --> 00:21:33,680 So that's the challenge. One practice that I want to 329 00:21:33,690 --> 00:21:37,720 suggest for you to confront the challenge of comfort in your own 330 00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:40,960 life is the practice of generosity. 331 00:21:43,910 --> 00:21:46,680 Learn to live with a generous spirit. 332 00:21:47,130 --> 00:21:49,180 Learn to live with a generous spirit toward others. 333 00:21:49,190 --> 00:21:51,670 Learn to live with a generous spirit toward yourself. 334 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,650 Learn to give. Learn to forgive. 335 00:21:54,660 --> 00:21:57,980 Practice it over and over again. It's going to feel awkward at 336 00:21:57,990 --> 00:22:00,790 the beginning. You might even hate it along the 337 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,010 way. But at some point Jesus is going 338 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:10,310 to free you up to give, and then to give again, and to give more, 339 00:22:10,380 --> 00:22:17,220 and to lean in and to learn the rhythm and habit of open handed 340 00:22:17,470 --> 00:22:22,060 generosity. What is gonna push against my 341 00:22:22,070 --> 00:22:26,440 wanting to follow Jesus while still grasping at the things 342 00:22:26,450 --> 00:22:33,560 that make me comfortable in my life is learning to become more 343 00:22:33,570 --> 00:22:40,810 generous in giving away more and letting go of things like 344 00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:45,350 convenience and security and possession and lifestyle. 345 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,730 Learning to focus more on what I give than what I receive. 346 00:22:51,020 --> 00:22:53,830 And ultimately, I think at the end of the day, what generosity 347 00:22:53,840 --> 00:23:00,290 does is it causes us to realize and to embrace and to enjoy and 348 00:23:00,300 --> 00:23:02,870 to sit with the fact that the gospel was not, at the end of 349 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:10,240 the day, just for me. It's for you, and it's for your 350 00:23:10,250 --> 00:23:13,590 family and three friends and your coworkers and for your 351 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,630 neighbors, even the ones that you don't like and you don't get 352 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:21,220 along with, especially those. So practice generosity. 353 00:23:21,670 --> 00:23:23,950 The second challenge I think that we're confronted with in 354 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,490 this passage is the challenge of priority. 355 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:30,950 So to another he that's Jesus said again, follow me. 356 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:39,670 But he, the man, said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. 357 00:23:40,060 --> 00:23:42,890 And Jesus said to him, leave the dead to bury their own dead. 358 00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:50,490 But As for you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God, let me first 359 00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:53,700 bury my Father. Listen, I read this one and I 360 00:23:53,710 --> 00:23:57,500 go, Jesus, Are you sure about like this sounds harsh. 361 00:23:57,510 --> 00:24:00,720 Like I don't understand you sit in pastoral care class because 362 00:24:00,730 --> 00:24:04,480 it doesn't. This wasn't on the curriculum. 363 00:24:04,490 --> 00:24:09,260 Like this wasn't part of our reading and I wrestle it out. 364 00:24:09,570 --> 00:24:14,000 So what was it for a son to bury a father in Jesus Day was the 365 00:24:14,090 --> 00:24:17,280 absolute number one priority responsibility considered by 366 00:24:17,290 --> 00:24:20,780 Jews. One of the most holy and binding 367 00:24:20,790 --> 00:24:24,320 obligations that a son had to his father was to see that that 368 00:24:24,330 --> 00:24:27,440 man was buried when he died. And there were a number of 369 00:24:27,450 --> 00:24:29,860 different things that would happen again in Jesus Day. 370 00:24:30,130 --> 00:24:32,180 There were a couple of different burials. 371 00:24:32,190 --> 00:24:35,940 There was the initial burial at the time that the a person died, 372 00:24:35,990 --> 00:24:40,100 they were buried, they were put in a tomb like Jesus was after 373 00:24:40,110 --> 00:24:42,000 his death. And what would happen is the 374 00:24:42,010 --> 00:24:44,200 body would decay and that would be a year. 375 00:24:44,690 --> 00:24:47,670 First burial would be one year. And after that one year, they 376 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,290 would just be bones left and those bones would be taken out 377 00:24:50,300 --> 00:24:51,900 and they would be placed in a box. 378 00:24:52,190 --> 00:24:55,820 And then that box after one year would be buried permanently. 379 00:24:55,870 --> 00:24:59,160 So that was a second burial. And and so there's a couple 380 00:24:59,170 --> 00:25:00,940 different a couple different options here. 381 00:25:00,950 --> 00:25:05,810 This man comes to Jesus. Jesus says, Hey, follow me and 382 00:25:05,820 --> 00:25:10,010 he immediately responds, he says, Lord, first let me go. 383 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,110 Now it could be that the father has just died like this is 384 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:15,850 imminent, like immediate. This is in the midst of, you 385 00:25:15,860 --> 00:25:19,410 know, what's going on. It could be that he literally 386 00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:21,870 has to go and bury his father into that first tomb. 387 00:25:22,180 --> 00:25:24,490 A lot of people suggest that that's the least likely 388 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:26,980 scenario. It could be that his his 389 00:25:26,990 --> 00:25:31,300 father's already died and he's within that one year period of 390 00:25:31,310 --> 00:25:35,010 waiting where after which he will take all of the bones out 391 00:25:35,020 --> 00:25:38,180 and bury them permanently. Could be that he's asking Jesus 392 00:25:38,190 --> 00:25:41,820 for about a year up to a year. Or it could be that his father 393 00:25:41,830 --> 00:25:46,980 is not dead yet and he is just waiting as the Son is saying, 394 00:25:46,990 --> 00:25:51,330 hey, Jesus, this is my #1 priority in life. 395 00:25:51,990 --> 00:25:56,220 So you need you need to let me do this before I will follow 396 00:25:56,270 --> 00:25:58,130 you. And many people agree that 397 00:25:58,140 --> 00:26:01,580 that's, you know, potentially some of the most powerful 398 00:26:02,630 --> 00:26:04,520 argument for what's going on here. 399 00:26:04,530 --> 00:26:09,870 I think regardless of where that this man is, what he is saying 400 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:16,780 that Jesus is Jesus First, let me do this, what I would 401 00:26:16,790 --> 00:26:20,420 consider my number one priority in life. 402 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,010 First, allow me to go and bury my Father. 403 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,110 Let me wait until he dies. Let me bury him. 404 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:29,240 Let me wait the year. It it doesn't matter. 405 00:26:30,220 --> 00:26:34,010 And so Jesus's response seems harsh. 406 00:26:34,710 --> 00:26:36,940 Leave the dead to bury their own dead. 407 00:26:37,210 --> 00:26:42,030 But As for you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God, I don't 408 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:46,660 think that Jesus is like kicking this guy while he's down or you 409 00:26:46,670 --> 00:26:49,940 know, beating upon some guy for grieving the death of his of his 410 00:26:49,950 --> 00:26:52,640 father. I think at the end of the day, 411 00:26:52,650 --> 00:26:55,490 what Jesus is doing is challenging his priorities. 412 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,020 He's challenging this man's priorities, this man who wants 413 00:27:00,030 --> 00:27:04,740 to follow Jesus but is conflicted inwardly. 414 00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:09,640 He also wants to do this thing that is good. 415 00:27:10,070 --> 00:27:13,580 He he wants to bury his dad. And so this man is is conflicted 416 00:27:13,590 --> 00:27:19,420 internally and Jesus is simply asking him, what are you willing 417 00:27:19,470 --> 00:27:22,280 to give up in order to follow me? 418 00:27:23,410 --> 00:27:30,050 Are you willing to reprioritize your life if that's what I call 419 00:27:30,060 --> 00:27:35,890 you to in order to follow me? I think what Jesus is saying to 420 00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:37,690 this do is, hey, listen, like the train is leaving the 421 00:27:37,700 --> 00:27:43,300 station. I love for you to be on it, but 422 00:27:43,310 --> 00:27:47,980 this thing is moving whether you are on it or not. 423 00:27:48,930 --> 00:27:52,380 And so I think the challenge for us, the challenge of priority is 424 00:27:52,390 --> 00:27:56,180 to ask ourselves and to allow others to ask ourselves, ask of 425 00:27:56,190 --> 00:28:01,260 us, what do you prioritize in this life? 426 00:28:02,350 --> 00:28:03,960 What gets your time? What gets your attention? 427 00:28:03,970 --> 00:28:06,640 What gets your affection? What gets your best energy? 428 00:28:06,790 --> 00:28:11,080 What gets your most focus? What do you spend your greatest 429 00:28:11,090 --> 00:28:13,720 resources on? And I think you can pretty 430 00:28:13,730 --> 00:28:19,830 simply just begin by looking at how much time and how much money 431 00:28:21,230 --> 00:28:29,710 is dedicated to your priorities. What do you prioritize in this 432 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,760 life? One of the challenges in this 433 00:28:33,770 --> 00:28:43,270 passage is Jesus isn't asking this man to prioritize him over 434 00:28:43,490 --> 00:28:48,830 like the devil. Jesus is saying this actually 435 00:28:48,950 --> 00:28:55,970 reorganizes your best and good priorities in life. 436 00:28:57,250 --> 00:29:01,340 All of it submitted. And so I want to offer this 437 00:29:01,350 --> 00:29:04,140 practice, the practice of surrender. 438 00:29:05,830 --> 00:29:08,650 This is the practice that Jesus himself demonstrated in the 439 00:29:08,660 --> 00:29:12,700 garden when he prayed. God, not my will, but yours be 440 00:29:12,710 --> 00:29:16,250 done. It's found in the prayer that 441 00:29:16,260 --> 00:29:20,970 Jesus taught us to pray when he says pray like this, your 442 00:29:20,980 --> 00:29:27,060 Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is, as it is in 443 00:29:27,070 --> 00:29:29,240 heaven. And again, the challenge of that 444 00:29:29,250 --> 00:29:32,020 prayer isn't to pray it like generally like, yes, God, like 445 00:29:32,030 --> 00:29:33,960 your Kingdom come on earth out there. 446 00:29:34,030 --> 00:29:37,590 That's a good prayer, but that's a distant prayer. 447 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,090 It's not like your will be done out there. 448 00:29:40,100 --> 00:29:43,410 Look how bad everybody is. Look how against there. 449 00:29:43,420 --> 00:29:47,430 I'm sorry, always point over at you all and I'm just realizing 450 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:54,130 that now to pray your Kingdom come, your will be done out 451 00:29:54,140 --> 00:29:58,940 there doesn't affect me in here. What Jesus is saying is no, your 452 00:29:58,950 --> 00:30:02,920 will be done in my life, Your will over my will. 453 00:30:02,930 --> 00:30:07,310 That's the prayer. Your Kingdom come over all of 454 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,860 the little mini kingdoms that I'm trying to build over all of 455 00:30:09,870 --> 00:30:12,330 the things that I'm trying to prioritize and organize in my 456 00:30:12,340 --> 00:30:14,670 life. God, your Kingdom come. 457 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,030 Wipe out what needs to be wiped out. 458 00:30:17,100 --> 00:30:19,940 Push out what needs to be gone. None of it. 459 00:30:22,390 --> 00:30:24,620 That's what it looks like to surrender. 460 00:30:24,630 --> 00:30:28,880 CS Lewis wrote that the proper good of a creature is to 461 00:30:28,890 --> 00:30:34,040 surrender itself to its creator. When it does so, it is good and 462 00:30:34,050 --> 00:30:35,670 happy. And then he writes. 463 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:42,070 He says since I am I, I must make an act of self surrender 464 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:48,620 however small or however easy in living to God rather than 465 00:30:48,670 --> 00:30:51,830 myself. So here's the thing, like don't 466 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:53,800 get caught up in like, how do I surrender the whole thing? 467 00:30:54,970 --> 00:30:58,130 I'm going like this week. What's one thing that you can 468 00:30:58,140 --> 00:31:02,010 surrender on Monday? What's one thing you can 469 00:31:02,020 --> 00:31:06,700 surrender on Tuesday? How can you present your will to 470 00:31:06,710 --> 00:31:09,360 God on Wednesday and say change it? 471 00:31:11,140 --> 00:31:15,560 However that needs to happen again? 472 00:31:15,630 --> 00:31:19,100 I think the challenge of this second call isn't that Jesus is 473 00:31:19,110 --> 00:31:22,500 calling you to follow and priority prioritize Him over all 474 00:31:22,510 --> 00:31:26,560 of like evil and wickedness and ways of the world and sin and 475 00:31:26,570 --> 00:31:30,010 death. He is, but He actually 476 00:31:30,020 --> 00:31:33,390 challenges us to prioritize Him over even the best things in 477 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:38,760 life. And the irony is that the more 478 00:31:38,770 --> 00:31:43,230 relentlessly you pursue Jesus, the better you become in those 479 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:47,120 other areas of your life. And this isn't, don't get it 480 00:31:47,130 --> 00:31:48,980 mixed up. This isn't like if you follow 481 00:31:48,990 --> 00:31:52,100 Jesus, he's gonna make you rich. If you follow Jesus, he's gonna 482 00:31:52,110 --> 00:31:54,330 make you powerful. If you follow Jesus, you're 483 00:31:54,340 --> 00:31:56,720 gonna get your will, you know, arranged. 484 00:31:56,730 --> 00:31:58,630 And then it will come to fruition. 485 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:00,980 Don't mistake it for that. That's not what I'm saying. 486 00:32:02,790 --> 00:32:08,840 What I am saying is what I know to be true, and that is the more 487 00:32:08,850 --> 00:32:13,100 relentlessly I pursue Jesus, the better a husband I am to my 488 00:32:13,110 --> 00:32:18,570 wife, and the more faithful I am and surrendering my will and my 489 00:32:18,580 --> 00:32:22,630 want to Jesus, the better father I am to my three daughters. 490 00:32:22,700 --> 00:32:27,070 That's it. Those relationships are 491 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,780 healthier as you learn to surrender all of them to Jesus. 492 00:32:31,790 --> 00:32:36,480 So learn to surrender your will, your want, your desire, your 493 00:32:36,490 --> 00:32:44,340 Kingdom, your priorities to Jesus daily #2 #3 this is the 494 00:32:44,350 --> 00:32:53,520 challenge of history. So to 1/3 who says to Jesus, I 495 00:32:53,530 --> 00:33:01,280 will follow you Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at 496 00:33:01,290 --> 00:33:04,870 my home. Jesus said to him, No one who 497 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:09,780 puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the 498 00:33:09,790 --> 00:33:14,220 Kingdom of God. I know we probably have some 499 00:33:14,230 --> 00:33:17,100 farmers in here, right? We're Guelph. 500 00:33:17,170 --> 00:33:19,600 We probably got some students in agriculture in here. 501 00:33:19,970 --> 00:33:22,540 But let me let me do a little bit of translation for you. 502 00:33:25,010 --> 00:33:30,160 When I sit in my car and I'm driving along the highway and I 503 00:33:30,170 --> 00:33:33,650 got two hands on the steering wheel and my kids are chucking 504 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:37,120 stuff at the back of my head. One of them is hungry, one of 505 00:33:37,130 --> 00:33:40,820 them has to pee, and the other one is just, you know, being the 506 00:33:40,830 --> 00:33:44,890 other one. I love them all dearly, but when 507 00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:47,710 we're 203 hundred, 400 kilometres into a long road 508 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:53,480 trip, it does not matter how straight I have driven for the 509 00:33:53,490 --> 00:33:58,360 last 203 hundred, 400 kilometers, the moment I look 510 00:33:58,370 --> 00:34:04,810 back and try to attend to what's going on back here, what's gonna 511 00:34:04,820 --> 00:34:08,610 happen to my car? It's going in that direction 512 00:34:08,620 --> 00:34:11,199 too. Now listen, I maybe you have a 513 00:34:11,210 --> 00:34:14,600 fancier car than me and it does the self driving thing and you 514 00:34:14,610 --> 00:34:16,800 can let go of the steering wheel for a few seconds and turn 515 00:34:16,810 --> 00:34:19,480 around and do that. The point remains. 516 00:34:20,190 --> 00:34:23,280 What Jesus is saying is, hey, you're moving in a direction. 517 00:34:23,290 --> 00:34:26,239 We are moving in a specific direction, and that direction is 518 00:34:26,250 --> 00:34:28,460 toward Jerusalem. It is toward the cross, it is 519 00:34:28,469 --> 00:34:31,199 toward your salvation, it is toward the Kingdom. 520 00:34:31,270 --> 00:34:35,110 It is toward the Kingdom coming. And the more often you're doing 521 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:41,250 this, looking back behind at what has happened, the more off 522 00:34:41,260 --> 00:34:46,190 course you are going to drive, or in this case, plow till along 523 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:50,300 a field. It doesn't matter how straight 524 00:34:50,310 --> 00:34:55,600 you've gone, as soon as you go, you're going to move now. 525 00:34:56,420 --> 00:35:04,180 I don't know why we do this, but I know a few reasons why human 526 00:35:04,190 --> 00:35:09,860 beings really tend to look back and and I think the first reason 527 00:35:09,870 --> 00:35:11,860 is because we're enamored with the past. 528 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,570 Like we look back because maybe we think, hey, things were 529 00:35:16,580 --> 00:35:22,100 better back when I remember the good old days, right? 530 00:35:22,210 --> 00:35:27,770 We look back with fondness to remember it's not in and of 531 00:35:27,780 --> 00:35:30,900 itself a horrible thing. I think churches are great at 532 00:35:30,910 --> 00:35:32,940 doing this. We have a fascination with the 533 00:35:32,950 --> 00:35:33,700 past. Why? 534 00:35:33,770 --> 00:35:37,110 Because in part, we want to honor and be thankful for all of 535 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,520 the Saints who have gone before us on whose shoulders we stand. 536 00:35:40,630 --> 00:35:45,200 Like we KPC this church. 45 years of faithful followers of 537 00:35:45,210 --> 00:35:50,320 Jesus who have worked to build what we now get to enjoy and 538 00:35:50,330 --> 00:35:57,380 live into and steward. 45 years of prayer and studying scripture 539 00:35:57,390 --> 00:36:00,590 and worshipping Jesus and having a missional witness in our city. 540 00:36:01,580 --> 00:36:03,060 But here's the danger with looking back. 541 00:36:03,070 --> 00:36:09,610 We can worship the past and the path can become an idol, and we 542 00:36:09,620 --> 00:36:13,690 can spend our days longing for and waiting for something to 543 00:36:13,700 --> 00:36:19,860 come that's just never going to. And Jesus says, hey, life inside 544 00:36:19,870 --> 00:36:24,800 the Kingdom of God, you need to look toward where I am leading 545 00:36:24,810 --> 00:36:28,390 you, where Jesus is leading you. So I think we look back because 546 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,060 we're in America, the past. We also look back because of the 547 00:36:31,070 --> 00:36:33,760 hurts and the wounds that you may carry that we carry. 548 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,770 And so you look back and you focus on what has been. 549 00:36:37,780 --> 00:36:42,150 Not because you're fascinated and enamored and thankful for 550 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:47,710 it, but you look back and dwell and hold and carry forward the 551 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:53,350 ways in which you've been hurt and harmed, and maybe even the 552 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:57,010 ways in which you've harmed and hurt others. 553 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:03,170 And so those hurts, those wounds are so loud in the back of your 554 00:37:03,180 --> 00:37:08,990 head that you spend most of your time looking back and dwelling 555 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:16,010 on them. I think one of the greatest 556 00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:23,070 challenges of history, and the third one that I'll give is not 557 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:27,190 allowing Jesus to get ahold of every aspect of your life. 558 00:37:28,810 --> 00:37:34,820 So why do you look back? Because you get something out of 559 00:37:34,830 --> 00:37:36,470 it. There's a piece of your life 560 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:41,780 that you're still holding on to, be it positive or negative, be 561 00:37:41,790 --> 00:37:48,280 it resentment, be it something that you're just refused to 562 00:37:48,330 --> 00:37:53,550 allow under the control of God. And so maybe it sounds like 563 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:54,680 this. Jesus, I'll follow you, but let 564 00:37:54,690 --> 00:37:58,510 me keep this coping mechanism. Jesus, I'll follow you, but just 565 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:03,530 let me keep this little addiction like I'll follow you. 566 00:38:03,580 --> 00:38:05,750 I'm moving where you're moving, like we're going in this 567 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:08,250 direction. But just allow me this one 568 00:38:08,260 --> 00:38:11,350 indulgence over here. And I know it's not healthy and 569 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:14,510 I know it doesn't lead to life. And I know it's harming my 570 00:38:14,580 --> 00:38:16,710 relationship with you, and I know it's harming my 571 00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:19,370 relationship with others and I know it's harming my family. 572 00:38:19,380 --> 00:38:21,540 But like I enjoy it. It makes me feel good. 573 00:38:21,550 --> 00:38:25,250 So can I just keep this thing? I promise for all the other 574 00:38:25,260 --> 00:38:28,050 areas of life, we're going to go where you're you're going. 575 00:38:28,060 --> 00:38:36,450 Just let me first. Let me first do this. 576 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:42,090 Let me continue to listen. At the end of the day, I believe 577 00:38:42,100 --> 00:38:51,060 that you were designed to and that you want to respond to 578 00:38:51,070 --> 00:38:53,510 Jesus's call. Like the first disciples. 579 00:38:54,340 --> 00:38:58,130 Like the first disciples who got out of their boat and left a 580 00:38:58,140 --> 00:39:01,230 whole miraculous catch of fish and followed Jesus. 581 00:39:01,300 --> 00:39:04,150 Like other fishermen who hopped out of their boat and left their 582 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,970 dad behind and turned and followed Jesus. 583 00:39:07,220 --> 00:39:10,130 Not like these would be disciples. 584 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:14,450 I believe that you want to respond like Peter, who abandons 585 00:39:14,460 --> 00:39:18,070 his profession, and James and John, and like Matthew, who gets 586 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,990 up and leaves his entire career behind in order to follow Jesus. 587 00:39:23,450 --> 00:39:27,780 At the end of the day, I think that is something that you want 588 00:39:27,850 --> 00:39:32,990 to do and I want to do and we're created for. 589 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:35,830 We want to have the strength and the willpower to leave 590 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:37,330 everything behind and follow Jesus. 591 00:39:37,340 --> 00:39:39,510 But inwardly, so often we're in conflict. 592 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:43,040 We want to follow the way of Jesus, and we also want to 593 00:39:43,050 --> 00:39:47,900 follow our own way. This is Paul who writes Listen, 594 00:39:47,910 --> 00:39:51,130 I don't understand it. I do not do the good that I want 595 00:39:51,140 --> 00:39:54,340 to do, but the evil I do not wanna do. 596 00:39:54,350 --> 00:39:59,220 I keep doing it like I keep struggling with this thing and 597 00:39:59,230 --> 00:40:02,890 then he says now. If I do what I do not want, it's 598 00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:05,830 no longer I who do it, but it is sin that dwells inside of me. 599 00:40:08,610 --> 00:40:13,640 Each one of these would be disciples wants to follow Jesus, 600 00:40:14,700 --> 00:40:17,390 but they wanna do it with their own conditions attached. 601 00:40:18,850 --> 00:40:25,720 They wanna do it with their own sort of way of being, being 602 00:40:25,730 --> 00:40:31,870 incorporated into the way of Jesus when we have conditions 603 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:33,420 attached. When you have conditions 604 00:40:33,430 --> 00:40:36,350 attached to following Jesus, Jesus might be your friend when 605 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,230 you need him. He might be your comfort when 606 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:42,180 times are troubling. He might bring you peace when 607 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:48,300 storms rise and rage around you. But, Bonhoeffer writes, he will 608 00:40:48,310 --> 00:40:51,200 never be the Lord of your whole life. 609 00:40:52,630 --> 00:40:57,900 He may be your help in trouble, but he will never be Lord of 610 00:40:57,910 --> 00:41:03,980 your whole life until you unattach your conditions, until 611 00:41:03,990 --> 00:41:07,600 you release the thing that he's been calling you to release. 612 00:41:09,410 --> 00:41:12,360 And so for the challenge of history, I wanna pose this 613 00:41:12,370 --> 00:41:17,740 weirdly worded, awkward practice of curious obedience. 614 00:41:19,930 --> 00:41:25,470 I like curiosity. Curiosity is not cynicism. 615 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:27,720 It is not bitterness. It is not worried. 616 00:41:27,730 --> 00:41:29,110 It's not anxiety. It's not fear. 617 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,590 It's not what if it's not what might happen? 618 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:38,420 It's you had what might happen. I'm waiting to see what you'll 619 00:41:38,430 --> 00:41:41,920 do when, What would life look like if. 620 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:45,590 And I think one of the most powerful things you can do is 621 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:54,760 learn to ask God what He might do as He convicts you to let go 622 00:41:54,770 --> 00:41:58,730 of your your conditions if you surrender the part of your life 623 00:41:58,740 --> 00:42:03,620 that you've been holding back. And in this curiosity, in this 624 00:42:03,630 --> 00:42:09,300 wonder, in this waiting, what is one step of obedience that 625 00:42:09,310 --> 00:42:13,040 you're being invited to take? What one step are you being 626 00:42:13,050 --> 00:42:18,170 asked to make? What's the thing that's been 627 00:42:18,180 --> 00:42:19,890 weighing you down and holding you back? 628 00:42:20,770 --> 00:42:23,510 What's the thing that you're thinking of in this moment? 629 00:42:24,620 --> 00:42:27,330 Like, what are the beliefs that you cling to to tightly? 630 00:42:27,380 --> 00:42:30,390 What are the behaviors that you want to surrender to Jesus but 631 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,780 haven't? Jesus wants you to go with him 632 00:42:33,790 --> 00:42:39,070 to Jerusalem, where we will all behold our salvation and the 633 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:41,830 salvation of the world. But in order to get you there 634 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:46,140 freely and lightly, there are some things that you need to let 635 00:42:46,150 --> 00:42:48,510 you're going to have to let go of along the way. 636 00:42:50,100 --> 00:42:52,890 There are some things that you are going to need to surrender 637 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:58,860 as you go, and they're gonna look like sin and they're going 638 00:42:58,870 --> 00:43:01,170 to look like shame, and they're gonna look like resentment and 639 00:43:01,180 --> 00:43:03,880 bitterness and the things of your past and the priorities 640 00:43:03,890 --> 00:43:05,510 that are all mixed up and upside down. 641 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,600 And maybe even a greater challenge still are the good 642 00:43:08,610 --> 00:43:13,030 things in life that you know, still need to be surrendered to 643 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:17,750 the will of God. So for the challenge of comfort, 644 00:43:19,850 --> 00:43:25,800 generosity, for the challenge of priority, surrender, and for the 645 00:43:25,810 --> 00:43:31,080 challenge of history, curiosity and obedience, Let me pray. 646 00:43:33,430 --> 00:43:35,720 God, thank you for your love and for your grace. 647 00:43:36,150 --> 00:43:37,750 Thank you that. And at the end of the day, like 648 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,070 these are the words that you speak to us. 649 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:43,360 They're words. Come follow me, take my yoke 650 00:43:43,370 --> 00:43:47,540 upon you. Learn from me, I am gentle and 651 00:43:47,550 --> 00:43:49,820 humble and heart and you will find rest for your souls. 652 00:43:49,830 --> 00:43:53,790 God thanks that the gospel feels like that, thinks that your love 653 00:43:54,620 --> 00:44:00,360 does that in our lives. So, God, I would pray that you 654 00:44:00,370 --> 00:44:05,050 would challenge us and that you would encourage us to learn 655 00:44:05,060 --> 00:44:11,880 these practices of surrender, of generosity, of obedience, of 656 00:44:11,890 --> 00:44:16,210 curiosity, that, yeah, we'd respond to your love and your 657 00:44:16,220 --> 00:44:21,220 grace by letting go of these things that you long for us to 658 00:44:21,230 --> 00:44:25,060 let go of and thanks that as we do, there is hope and there is 659 00:44:25,070 --> 00:44:27,800 freedom and there is joy and there is life abundant on the 660 00:44:27,810 --> 00:44:29,660 other side. So, yeah, I would pray like for 661 00:44:29,670 --> 00:44:31,880 the person who's really wrestling saying like, I know 662 00:44:31,890 --> 00:44:33,370 I've got to let go of this thing. 663 00:44:33,710 --> 00:44:35,700 And I know that that's going to mean a hard, a hard 664 00:44:35,710 --> 00:44:38,240 conversation. And I know that's going to mean 665 00:44:38,250 --> 00:44:40,190 a difficult Rd. at first at I would pray. 666 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,840 Would you release them from fear and from anxiety and from worry? 667 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:48,920 And would you speak life into them God, for those of us who 668 00:44:48,930 --> 00:44:51,720 need to actually let go of and wrestle with like the depths of 669 00:44:51,730 --> 00:44:57,550 our own sin and the the power and wonder of your forgiveness 670 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:03,010 and what it means to embrace life for the first time inside 671 00:45:03,020 --> 00:45:05,360 of a a good and healthy and right and established 672 00:45:05,370 --> 00:45:06,890 relationship with you got our prey. 673 00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:13,040 Would you convict our hearts? Would you remind us that we need 674 00:45:13,050 --> 00:45:18,550 you, and would you give us a glimpse of the hope and the life 675 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:21,980 that there is on the other side of knowing you forgotten all 676 00:45:21,990 --> 00:45:23,530 these things? We pray the strongest name, the 677 00:45:23,540 --> 00:45:25,270 name of Jesus, Amen.