1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,080 Good morning. It's good to see you all. 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:04,160 It's good to be here to worship with you. 3 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,960 Thank you for being here. Thank you for your commitment to 4 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:11,200 the Lord, for your commitment to seeking him this morning and in 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,400 our worship. And I pray that we can, we have 6 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,560 and we'll continue to do that together as we seek to 7 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:20,200 understand, to glorify, as we understand his greatness and his 8 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,920 plan and his wisdom. And this morning, I pray as we 9 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,960 study His word, we'll see just that and be able to magnify Him 10 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,400 even more. We're continuing to First Peter 11 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:34,200 chapter 2, and we started there. We left off there in first Peter 12 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,920 2 verses right around verse 10. And we're going to continue from 13 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,240 the end of verse 10 on through the end of the chapter in 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,080 chapter 2. So if you want to turn there, 15 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,000 we're going to be pretty much exclusively in First Peter 16 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,680 chapter 2. And I have given this the title 17 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,560 of the silent Praise of Honor and hopefully we'll see that 18 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,360 theme run throughout this study today. 19 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,120 So just a reminder, we are we're reading a letter that is written 20 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,440 to Christians who are being dispersed, who are being pushed 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:10,880 into the outer regions of a of a Roman Kingdom that was often 22 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,880 during this time persecuting them violently, aggressively. 23 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,680 And he writes to tell them in chapter 2, verse 9, where we 24 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:23,480 left off, he said, but you are a chosen generation, a royal 25 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,360 priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people. 26 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,280 He writes to a people who are in the middle of suffering to 27 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,120 remind them of what their true purpose and meaning and value is 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,840 in the midst of a country, in a place and time where they were 29 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,040 not valued, they were kicked to the curb and insignificant. 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,680 He says that they were His own special people, that they would 31 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,320 proclaim the praises of him who called them out of darkness into 32 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,240 His marvellous light. OK. 33 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,640 And everything he talks about is today is going to be kind of 34 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:58,080 pointing to that hopefully that we will buy the things we do, 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:03,480 proclaim praises to God. Now we all know that saying 36 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,800 praiseful things to God means nothing without your action. 37 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,320 It is emptiness. It is just words. 38 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,320 But when we embody the things that He's going to challenge us 39 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,200 in today, we have a chance to offer praise to God both from 40 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,640 our end through submission and also by other people hopefully 41 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:25,560 offering their praise to God when they see the good works to 42 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,240 glorify our Father in heaven. As another passage says, our 43 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:31,520 character has a chance to do that. 44 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,800 Verse 10, who once were not a people, but are now the people 45 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,480 of God who had not obtained mercy, but had now have obtained 46 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,640 mercy. Some of these people who he's 47 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,320 writing to used to be Gentiles. They weren't really part of the 48 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,120 Jewish nation, so some of them weren't even a real strong 49 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,600 nation. But even the Jews had been 50 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,880 disbanded. They had been destroyed, their 51 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,040 city, their holy city crushed, or maybe at that point it hadn't 52 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,480 been crushed yet. But the point is they were not a 53 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,160 unified nation until Christ came and made them a unified people 54 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,200 with mercy that they have obtained. 55 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,080 Verse 11, he says, beloved, I beg you as sojourners and 56 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,520 pilgrims abstain what from fleshly lusts with which war 57 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,160 against the soul. He's saying he begs them. 58 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,680 What that means is this is serious stuff. 59 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,720 And if we look at the things we're going to talk about today 60 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:30,200 or any other subject of Christian character and 61 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,880 attitude, and if we think it's benign, like the malignant sins 62 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,960 are, you know, cheating on your spouse or committing murder, 63 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,200 those are malignant sins. Those are bad, but these are 64 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:41,680 benign. These are just going to kind of, 65 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,160 you know, maybe give you a dull headache most of your life, but 66 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:45,760 never really cause any problems for you. 67 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:51,800 He says these war against your soul and we cannot let them 68 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,280 linger. We cannot allow these fleshly 69 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,440 lusts to linger. So what are what is he going to 70 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,960 have us do with it? Verse 12 having your conduct 71 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,080 honourable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you 72 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,040 as evil doers, they may by your good works which they observe 73 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,920 glorify God in the day of visitation. 74 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,240 So that's our goal, that we would have honourable conduct 75 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,160 and whether we want to admit it or anyone out there wants to 76 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,640 admit it or not, we all want to be honourable. 77 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:27,920 We all want someone to see us with honour and anyone who says 78 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,600 different just is looking for the honour. 79 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:35,080 In non traditional places, for example, if you are a gang 80 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,400 member, you want honour. Absolutely. 81 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,840 They want the honour of their fellow gang members. 82 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,280 They want the honour of people that they look up to and maybe 83 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:46,160 it's because of things they do that are hard. 84 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,360 They've lived a hard life and they've fought back and they've 85 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,520 wanted to those people that's honourable. 86 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,840 Everyone wants honour from somewhere. 87 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,760 It's just a matter of who we want the honour from and what we 88 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,200 use as a source for determining what will create honour in our 89 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,960 life. And our challenge is even when 90 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,120 we don't see how this is going to make me honourable, that we 91 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,160 surrender to God's will and God's plan for what will create 92 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,360 honour. Because there's times growing up 93 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,120 where I thought, man, that's, that's dumb. 94 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:22,080 People aren't going to like that. 95 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:23,160 They're not going to respect that. 96 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,320 They're going to think that that's this or that. 97 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,760 And nobody's going to, nobody's going to, right? 98 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,720 There's that, that demeaning mentality to what God has for us 99 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,200 to do. But real faith says, I will 100 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,760 follow God's plan to create honour and to create a 101 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:43,840 reputation that will be good for me, but ultimately bring glory 102 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:48,960 to God on the day that he visits US1 translation says, so may we 103 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,000 surrender to God, and here's where we left off. 104 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,440 Let's pick up in verse 13. He says, therefore, in order to 105 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,120 create this honour, in order to live in a way that the Gentiles 106 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,920 will see and will glorify God. Therefore submit yourselves to 107 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,960 every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king 108 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:14,000 as supreme or to the governors, as to those who are sent by him 109 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,880 for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of those who 110 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,680 do good. First of all, what in the world? 111 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,760 He's talking to people who are persecuted, likely by Nero. 112 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:31,360 You want us to submit to this vile, horrible person? 113 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,960 The command is the same no matter where we stand in the 114 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,480 world. The command is submission. 115 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:44,280 Did he say admire Nero? Did he say love and or did he 116 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:47,040 say appreciate everything he does? 117 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,800 No, he says submit yourselves to him. 118 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,440 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man. 119 00:06:54,840 --> 00:06:59,280 The NIV and other translations say in phrases like to every 120 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:02,880 human authority. So sometimes in my life I've 121 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:04,560 tried to think about, you know, how can I get around the 122 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,960 authority? Do I really have to obey this 123 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,080 person? Do I really have to surrender to 124 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,920 the authority of, you know, maybe, maybe, maybe a 125 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,200 representative government, maybe not the president. 126 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,240 You know, I'd, I'd submit to the president, but maybe not a 127 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:26,080 governor or maybe not a local council leader or maybe not a 128 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,640 police officer. Do I have to submit to everyone? 129 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,760 He says every ordinance of man, that is all human authority that 130 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:39,440 is put in place over us. That's hard to swallow because 131 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:40,960 you know what, there's laws we don't agree with. 132 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:47,000 There are people in authority who are not always the kindest, 133 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,120 to say the least. And you insert not always the 134 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,400 whatever. The people are not the focus of 135 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:57,920 our admiration here. The focus is how we respond to 136 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,760 the people who are putting authority over us. 137 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,480 And why is that important? Because he says it's for the 138 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,520 Lord's sake. In everything we do, we need to 139 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,520 step back and think about the fact that this is not about me. 140 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,520 This is not about who I am and making my voice known and making 141 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,640 me important up there. It's about the Lord's sake. 142 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,120 And if we can acknowledge that, it'll make the rest of this 143 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,840 process and our hearts submission go a lot smoother. 144 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,880 We will fight against the grain and we will kick against the 145 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,280 goats like Jesus said, until we get ourselves to realize this is 146 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:37,360 for His sake. God is saying what I'm about to 147 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,559 ask you is bigger than you, and I'm going to ask you to exist in 148 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,840 a relationship with authorities above you so that you can exist 149 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,320 in a relationship with me. That is the way it needs to be. 150 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,240 So he says do this for the Lord's sake. 151 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:54,880 But the command is to submit yourself. 152 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:01,040 There is a disposition of submission that I don't find 153 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,440 often places around me I don't know about you. 154 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,080 There is often a mentality that people are ready to buck against 155 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,720 whatever grain is put in place over them or they're surrounded 156 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:16,440 by, or is there authority structures and their attitude 157 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:18,440 and speech. And maybe this isn't me too. 158 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,360 I'm not saying I'm I'm innocent. And even their posture, their 159 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,080 attitude, it's not common to find people who are just 160 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,320 submissive. Submission is a softness of 161 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,600 spirit in which one clearly acknowledges that they are not 162 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,680 the ultimate authority. And you can see it on people's 163 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:41,280 faces when they run into something that is not what they 164 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,160 want to do. You can immediately see how it 165 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,080 changes their disposition. People will, and I sometimes 166 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,160 will submit to authority when I agree with it wholeheartedly. 167 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,200 But as soon as we run into something that's disagreeable to 168 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,760 us, what does that look like? Submission is a posture of the 169 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,120 heart. Worldly honour says I will 170 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,600 honour you or submit to you until I disagree with you. 171 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,760 I will honour maybe an authority until I feel frustrated by them 172 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,040 or until I don't think they deserve it anymore. 173 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,000 That is honour that will go about this far in our life 174 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,080 because really what I've understood and learning is the 175 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,360 older you get, you realize there's a lot of corruption out 176 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,720 there and many of the older people in the room. 177 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,080 I see your frustration sometimes and I understand your 178 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,920 frustrations because there is a lot of corruption. 179 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,720 There is a lot of evil and it runs through every area of 180 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,200 government. It runs through every area of 181 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,440 administration and companies. It runs through churches. 182 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,360 There are bad people everywhere and evil actions everywhere. 183 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:52,200 So when God commands us to honour people, as you get older, 184 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,240 I think it probably even becomes harder and harder because when 185 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,560 you're younger, you look up and you think, man, these people are 186 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:00,560 just taking care of things, they're doing good. 187 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,840 And you get there and you see sometimes the opposite. 188 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:11,600 That's worldly honour. And part of the reason that 189 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:14,720 exists is because there's often a disconnect between different 190 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,200 levels of any authority structure. 191 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:19,920 There's a disconnect in a company between people on the 192 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:21,360 bottom from the people at the top. 193 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,840 There's people in the middle from the upper management. 194 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,200 There's disconnects everywhere in companies and in government 195 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,080 where people think the the person above them doesn't 196 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:31,640 understand what I'm having to deal with. 197 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,440 They understand how hard it is to do this task the way they're 198 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,000 asking me to do it. And it's unreasonable for them 199 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,040 to ask this of me, whether it's a company or a government or 200 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,840 anything, or these people are up here saying they're all 201 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,680 frustrated and not willing to honour and surrender to my 202 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:49,400 leadership because they don't understand what they're asking 203 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,680 of me. Everybody is operating within 204 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:56,640 constraints, limitations, goals they have to meet and deadlines 205 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,320 they have to acquire. And people don't understand each 206 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,920 other because of that, because we're all in different 207 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,840 situations and we're all put with different tasks in front of 208 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,920 us. And so we should be prepared to 209 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,600 have disconnect with different levels of authority structure 210 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,760 when we're young, for example, you think a lot of the 211 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,640 authorities are just annoying. They make you do things they 212 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,520 tell you to to to do this or that. 213 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:30,680 And it's frustrating to you. But most of the people who grow 214 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:37,480 up past teenagehood end up realizing, because they become 215 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,360 the authority, they understand how important honour and 216 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,080 submission is. Everyone in this room who is 217 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,720 above that age, I could say probably has some level of that. 218 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:48,800 I think about some of the men in our audience who are 219 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,560 construction managers. Frank and Terry and Chris, Denny 220 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:55,920 and Carl have had some sort of management over a project. 221 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,560 They understand how you have to have things line up a certain 222 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:02,920 way or the job won't get done. Things will not get 223 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:04,680 accomplished. People will be frustrated and 224 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:06,200 angry. Even more so if there's not 225 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:11,320 submission in hierarchy. You look at Fernando has often 226 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,000 worked at a Body Shop and managed that. 227 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,200 Maria and her insurance agency. I know Laurel has has her own 228 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,320 business. Penny was over a management 229 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,880 position in her in her factory. So many people in in our 230 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,360 audience have experienced authority of one level or 231 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:28,840 another. And I can't go through and name 232 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,000 everybody, but parents have authority. 233 00:13:31,560 --> 00:13:34,360 And once you get to that point where you have some authority 234 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,080 over someone, you realize that's why it's necessary. 235 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,480 And it doesn't mean that there's not frustrations for the person 236 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:48,600 under the authority, but certain things have to go a certain way 237 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:52,960 or they won't get done and things will be even worse. 238 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,760 The systems we exist and need submission. 239 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,680 And even if you're not in a position of authority, you can 240 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,840 probably see how the people around you who reject it end up 241 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,800 just being frustrated and miserable and negative. 242 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:14,280 And nobody needs that. So instead of honouring until 243 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,120 you get frustrated, until somebody doesn't deserve it 244 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,480 anymore, a Christian's call to honour. 245 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,320 Remember this, he said earlier, when you fall into various 246 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,880 trials, A Christian and various trials maintains honour of 247 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,760 authorities, maintains goodness and maintains humility. 248 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,400 I don't think any of us would say that if I go through 249 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,120 something difficult, I have license to stop honouring, to 250 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,640 stop being good or to stop being humble. 251 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,080 And we have the difficult task of maintaining that. 252 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,120 So what is submission? So submission is at its 253 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:56,160 application is obedience. But if you just obey, you could 254 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,680 not be submissive but still obey. 255 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,240 It goes beyond that to acceptance of an authority that 256 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:08,920 is put over you. And it goes to an appreciation 257 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,520 on some level of their role, an appreciation of what their task 258 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,040 is and what maybe God has given them. 259 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,120 If it's government or what their role is ahead of us. 260 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,880 It can't be just obedience. Romans 13 says it this way. 261 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,360 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there 262 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,640 is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist 263 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,440 are appointed by God. So we're talking about 264 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,680 government here. Those come from God. 265 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,680 Therefore, whoever resists that authority resists the ordinance 266 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,360 of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on 267 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,120 themselves. God has had to put things into 268 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,840 order in our world to make things work, and they're often 269 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,360 not ideal. It was not ideal for God to give 270 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:59,120 them a king, but that's what he saw fit to put in order to make 271 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,160 things work in his current situation. 272 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,840 It was not ideal that Jesus would die for us, but God had to 273 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:10,040 put that into place to make things work for what we needed 274 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:15,040 to happen. And when God puts an ordinance 275 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:19,560 in place, far be it from us to reject it, that we would 276 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,040 surrender to it and be subject in our soul to the authority. 277 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,240 But it's a relief if you think about it. 278 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,520 The God is telling us you don't worry about the authorities. 279 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:34,200 You deal with what you can control. 280 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,880 You handle what you can. And I, the authority, will 281 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:42,840 handle the other authorities. I, the authority, will take care 282 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,480 of them. As Jude said, we read recently, 283 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,680 Michael did not. The Archangel did not bring a 284 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,520 reviling accusation against the devil. 285 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,680 That's not the peony's job, the peon's job. 286 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,520 That's not the peon's job. That is the responsibility of 287 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,560 the higher authorities to deal with higher authorities. 288 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,840 The sooner we start to see that we are nobodies, the better in 289 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,040 this world for our own disposition, for our own Peace 290 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,000 of Mind. So we will focus on what we can 291 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,240 control. Now here's some phrases I've 292 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,400 heard and let's evaluate and see if they add up to the attitude 293 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,560 that God wants us to have. Give me a fine. 294 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,560 Those laws are dumb. Nobody's telling me what to do. 295 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,680 Maybe I've said that at some point, but the point isn't 296 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,640 always what is that a sin? How about we ask this, What is 297 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,760 that going to convey? An attitude of submission? 298 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,400 Is that going to show to the people around me that I am a 299 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,160 subject of subject to the authorities around me, so that 300 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,440 when something else happens that I disagree with, they're not 301 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,360 going to say, well, he's just going to buck against that too? 302 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:53,280 Does this embody reverence and honour? 303 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:58,520 I have free speech in this country. 304 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:03,080 I can say whatever I want. He's going to say in a few 305 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:07,160 verses that we are to live as free, but not using liberty as a 306 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:14,320 cloak for vice or evil. We can't cover up evil just by 307 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,760 saying we're free, whether it's in religion or if it's in 308 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:22,920 government. Some might say I only obey God. 309 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:26,920 That is categorically impossible. 310 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:31,280 You cannot obey God without obeying your parents, without 311 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,880 being the government, without being the authorities that are 312 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,280 put in place. So that is impossible. 313 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:36,880 That's just an ignorant statement. 314 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,760 We've got a bunch of idiots running our country. 315 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,480 It doesn't matter if this is true or not. 316 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,000 Does this embody A submissive attitude to the people who are 317 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,480 put in place above us? An honouring attitude, because 318 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,720 if it, even if it's true, you saying that isn't going to help 319 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,160 change anything except for your character and your reputation. 320 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,200 You are now in danger of being an irreverent, prideful, 321 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:09,400 slanderous citizen. And is that what Christ wants 322 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:14,920 emitting from us is not about what they are, is about what we 323 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:19,760 are as Christians. Maybe instead of that last 324 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,960 thing, we could say I'm thankful I'm not in charge of this 325 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:24,480 country and that it's in God's hands. 326 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,400 I pray God will give them the wisdom for their challenges. 327 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,320 You know what this does? It shows wisdom because it 328 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,120 acknowledges people have stuff to deal with. 329 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,000 It's not simple. There are structures that exist 330 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,880 that not one person can over override. 331 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,400 There are systems that have to exist to deal with problems that 332 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,360 are bigger than one person's ability to fix it. 333 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,960 And having some understanding and not being childish 334 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,920 acknowledges that. Does this say that these people 335 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,520 are wonderful? Does it say that our government 336 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,360 is the most amazing people? That is, that ascribes undue 337 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:03,760 compliment to them? No, you don't have to say any of 338 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,240 these other things to say something good and to say 339 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,320 something worthwhile. Here's another negative 340 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,840 statement that can be made. There are so many people. 341 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:18,880 Or our company administration is corrupt scum. 342 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:21,480 I've heard that phrase in my job. 343 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,120 Our company administration is corrupt scum. 344 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:29,640 Now this might not be the same governing authorities put in 345 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,280 place by God, but it's an attitude with authority. 346 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,520 It is not always that simple. Maybe instead we could say there 347 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,960 are some difficult issues that need to be addressed in our 348 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,320 company and I hope I can contribute to their solution 349 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,520 soon. Maybe that's somebody who's 350 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,120 actually willing to do something about it. 351 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,520 But usually people don't, because usually what people say 352 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,480 is, you know, you can say that. You can say, man, so are you 353 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,240 going to, are you going to try to get your degree and, and 354 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,920 become an administrator and are you going to try to fix it? 355 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,040 No, no, I don't want that responsibility. 356 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,600 I, I don't have to deal with this, this and that. 357 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,520 OK. So so you acknowledge that there 358 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,480 are some things up there that you can't solve. 359 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,360 So maybe if you're the person who's not going to come take 360 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:21,880 over authority to fix things, maybe we could say something 361 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:23,920 like this. I have never managed this 362 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,840 business or this circumstance. I can't speak to the information 363 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,160 they're working with and the responsibilities they carry to 364 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:35,560 make that decision. That is wise to step back and 365 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,840 say I'm not in their shoes, I'm not working with what they know. 366 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:45,920 Maybe I can just back off. This shows grace and 367 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,120 understanding and wisdom. And isn't that what we want for 368 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,480 ourselves? Isn't that what we want from 369 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:57,000 God? So may we submit for the Lord's 370 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:01,640 sake, He says, whether to the king as supreme or to the 371 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,840 governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment 372 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,040 of evil doers and for the praise of those who do good. 373 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,080 Now, what's interesting is you might look at their situation 374 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,400 and say, wait, Nero probably never praised them for that. 375 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,520 So are we assuming that these people are going to get praise? 376 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,520 Here's the thing. I've realized that most people 377 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:29,000 don't hear the praise that is ringing around them because 378 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,760 maybe it's just staying in the heart of the person who sees it. 379 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,760 Or maybe they're sharing it with one another, but then never 380 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:39,200 comes back to the person they're actually praising or the person 381 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,040 they are thankful for their example or their attitude. 382 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,040 The praise of those who do good may never get back to them. 383 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:50,600 You ever thought about that? The good things you do may be 384 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,800 affecting people and causing people to honor what you've 385 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,600 done, even if they never tell you. 386 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:02,040 Or maybe they're praising God on your behalf because they seen 387 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,040 someone who's doing godly things and it's encouraging to them. 388 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,280 I've had brief encounters with people that have refreshed my 389 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,200 spirit who probably weren't even Christians. 390 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,440 I don't know. I had a brief encounter with 391 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,760 them, but they caused me to praise God and say God thank you 392 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,800 for showing me a good example that reminded me to get out of 393 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,800 this rut that I'm in and to have a good attitude to do good 394 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,560 things. And I praise God because of 395 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,720 those good examples. And it never went to their ear. 396 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:37,600 May we not underestimate the claim that government could even 397 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,320 see us that way, That a government could be aware of the 398 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,400 Christians that are in their jurisdiction or anyone who's 399 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,080 over authority that that would lead to praise. 400 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,600 So silent praise can be all without words. 401 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:56,520 It can be directed at God instead of us. 402 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:05,640 It can leave impressions that may never you may never know and 403 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,040 I know I have been able to praise God because of the 404 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,960 example of others. He goes on to say verse 15 for 405 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:17,240 this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to 406 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,720 silence the ignorance of foolish men. 407 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:26,240 If you want to respond to people, retorting does nothing. 408 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,080 Retorting does absolutely nothing. 409 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,120 The real way. If you want to stop somebody's 410 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:38,360 slander, this is just new good. And now we'll put to silence the 411 00:24:38,360 --> 00:24:44,720 ignorance of foolish men. There are many things that we 412 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,240 try to do as a church that we want to follow the doctrines of 413 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,320 God, absolutely. But the will of God goes beyond 414 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,200 these four walls where we try to follow the doctrines and the 415 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,360 commandments of worship and even character. 416 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,480 This is the will of God. That our character and our 417 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:10,760 actions and our goodness would be so evident that it would 418 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:16,880 silence any detractors. That is the will of God, That we 419 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,400 would carry these things into our various circumstances and 420 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,040 speak a louder message than anything they could say against 421 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,360 God or against us. Would the quality and 422 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:34,440 consistency of my character make any detractors look foolish now? 423 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,880 It's not a show, it's a silent reverence. 424 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:45,560 It is a silent honour to God and to other people, and their 425 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:53,440 silence acknowledges and maybe even praises the God that the 426 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,160 goodness embodies. That when we show goodness, 427 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,240 their silence may be the praise to God. 428 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,840 The first time they ever praise God. 429 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,800 And maybe when they're silenced, maybe then they'll stop and 430 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,280 consider so that when when He visits us on the day of 431 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,760 visitation, that He will be glorified by them. 432 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,720 Verse 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but 433 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,760 as bond, servants of God. There is that phrase again that 434 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,520 we would not use our freedoms and wield them, but that we 435 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:27,520 would still surrender with our freedoms. 436 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:34,600 He says honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor 437 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:36,760 the king. If you need like a a placard, if 438 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,560 you need a bumper sticker to take away from this lesson, just 439 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,760 put on your mirror that you will always remember. 440 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,720 Honor everyone. Now that's interesting because 441 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,240 we just started talking about submitting ourselves to the 442 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,160 government, but now he just made it even broader and now he said 443 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:59,800 to honour all people. That's quite the claim. 444 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,480 That's quite the ask. Honour's not exactly an easy 445 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,760 thing to identify and how to describe it. 446 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,320 I saw a video recently and this isn't the video clip, but this 447 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,640 is something very similar. I think it was in Japan where 448 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:19,920 this, this person stepped out to hold traffic for other people, 449 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,040 for the car who was trying to get out of the parking garage. 450 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:23,520 This person stepped out to hold traffic. 451 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,000 They let the car go and, you know, and they and they 452 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,120 acknowledge the person and they turned and they bowed to the 453 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:33,080 cars who so graciously. And the cars were not, you know, 454 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,440 slamming on their brakes and, like, trying to fly through the 455 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,480 cars just stopped. And that person turned and bowed 456 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,840 to the traffic and stepped aside. 457 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,440 And sometimes our culture is so irreverent and so lacking honor 458 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,720 that it's hard to understand. Like, what does it look like? 459 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,800 What is honor? How do I show honor? 460 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,760 And I'm not saying you go bow and on Hughes Lane over here, 461 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,200 you might get hit by a car. Don't do that. 462 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:01,080 But try to think about the the attitude behind someone who is 463 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:07,120 willing to, to show thankfulness and respect, regardless of who 464 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:11,320 they're giving it to. That was a, a powerful example 465 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,800 to me that that just stuck out in the culture that I, that I've 466 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,400 observed from different ones in the Japanese culture. 467 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,800 Sometimes we get so busy reacting to people that we don't 468 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,960 take time to consider how we are responsible for our actions. 469 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,960 Showing honour says a lot more about the giver than the 470 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:39,960 recipient. I have a neighbor who is one of 471 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:41,560 the kindest people I've ever met. 472 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,840 And since I moved into this new house, on the first day that we 473 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:52,520 moved in, he came and he showed kindness and respect and, and 474 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,520 love. And in a way that I've, I've 475 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,360 been, I've felt those things in many different places in life, 476 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:00,800 especially because I'm a part of the church. 477 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:06,120 But so many times, well, it's, it's special as part of the 478 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:07,240 church. I'll just put it that way. 479 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:09,200 You know, you come to expect that. 480 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,760 But it was shocking to me to see someone who had no reason to 481 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,680 treat me this kindly, to step out of their way and to show a 482 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:18,800 level of respect that I had not earned. 483 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:23,920 And it it shocked me and it was powerful to me. 484 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:28,240 And that example will stick with me because I didn't earn it. 485 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,920 I did nothing to deserve it. But he showed goodness to me. 486 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,120 He showed kindness. He assumed good things about me. 487 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,680 And I don't know how to quantify. 488 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,520 I don't know how to tell you what he said that did it. 489 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:48,240 It's a disposition, it's an attitude of honour before he 490 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:52,560 ever even knew me. So as we try to nail down 491 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:57,800 honour, we know how to honour people instinctively. 492 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,920 I will say, even when it's not easy to identify, we know how to 493 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,840 do it instinctively. But what we're doing is we're 494 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,400 treating someone as if they are worthy of good deeds and 495 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,080 goodwill and we're treating them with respect. 496 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:17,080 But it's not admiration because often times admiration is 497 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,840 sourced in you are either on my level or above my level. 498 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,320 So I admire you for that. And that's not what honour is. 499 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,920 That's not a godly honour because here is how. 500 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,120 Here is how I guess a common way of looking at the world is. 501 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:35,920 But we're told to not be common. We're told to be uncommon. 502 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,840 That's the synonym for holy. Unholy is common, Holy is 503 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,240 uncommon. We're told to be uncommon. 504 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,640 So what is a common way of treating people? 505 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:52,680 I would say there's about 20% of the people that often are around 506 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,320 us. Let me just give you a a sample. 507 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,360 Any Joe Schmo on the street commonly has disdain for about 508 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:03,520 20% of the people they run into. That could be social media, I 509 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:04,680 think. Man, these people are so dumb. 510 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,040 They're so, they're so stupid. People do all these dumb things. 511 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,040 I've got dumb people in front of me and on the road. 512 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:12,760 I've got dumb people managing me. 513 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,000 I've got dumb people underneath me. 514 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,760 People think that way a lot of times about There's disdain. 515 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,280 There's a negative feeling people have a lot of times for 516 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,160 about 20%, I might say, I don't know. 517 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,320 Then there's about 60% of people they might interact with that 518 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,560 they're pretty neutral about. They're just disinterested or 519 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,280 you mean nothing to me. I don't have a problem with you, 520 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:36,040 but you mean nothing to me. Then there's maybe about another 521 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:42,400 1920% of people that the common person is cordial with if you go 522 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,680 out that they're going to have a cordial relationship. 523 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:49,960 And then there's about 1% that the common person will show 524 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,960 honour toward. I think this is a snapshot of 525 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:58,040 the common attitude toward others and it's understandable 526 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,640 because it's all based on a system of what have you proven 527 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,920 to me. You have proven negative. 528 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,080 You're off, you're off my list. Get out of here. 529 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,680 You have proven nothing to me. You have proven small things. 530 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,840 You have proven. Maybe it's elders, maybe it's 531 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:18,080 parents, maybe it's mentors have proven that you deserve my 532 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,160 honour. But what did the verse say? 533 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:28,640 Honour all men. I meant to change that to 534 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,000 uncommon. This is supposed to be the holy 535 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,760 or uncommon way of thinking. This is what we are called to, 536 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:43,000 that we would honour all men. Does it say anything about them 537 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:51,540 deserving? If I live on this model, I will 538 00:32:51,540 --> 00:32:55,540 only give my best attitude to about 1% of the people I ever 539 00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:57,220 meet. You know why that's a tragedy? 540 00:32:57,300 --> 00:32:58,780 Because we're called to be a light. 541 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:01,720 And if I'm going to be a light in this world, it involves 542 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:04,960 giving my goodness and showing goodness to everyone around me. 543 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:06,680 Possible. And you know who did that? 544 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,120 Jesus. Jesus, while we were yet 545 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:14,720 sinners, died for the ungodly. Jesus extended an arm, as Isaiah 546 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:19,040 53 says, send his arm, his Son. God send his Son down the form 547 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:24,000 of Jesus, an arm to reach us when we were unworthy, when we 548 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,920 not only had not yet earned it, we had actually earned the 549 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,320 opposite. So if we want to carry this 550 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,640 mentality to the world, may we be ready for the what's coming 551 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,200 in return because Jesus treated us with honour. 552 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,480 So as I said, it's difficult to figure out like, how do you just 553 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:45,480 do it? Well, let's think about what 554 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,520 might impede honour, what might keep us from showing honour to 555 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:51,200 make sure that's out of there and so we could properly show 556 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,160 honour. First of all, showing honour is 557 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,760 lifting others up and it cannot be done when you are trying to 558 00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,120 lift yourself up at the same time. 559 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:05,120 John 3 verse 3, John the Baptist is, is seeking to elevate Jesus 560 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,400 and he says he must, he will, he must increase, I must decrease. 561 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:12,560 It has to happen. If I'm concerned about elevating 562 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,880 myself, it can't happen. What else? 563 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,480 Showing honour, it cannot be done if I lived through the lens 564 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,080 of broad negative generalities about people. 565 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:30,880 Showing honour cannot be done to all men if I live through the 566 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,800 lens of broad negative generalities of people. 567 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,159 I'm not saying there aren't a lot of negative people out there 568 00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:42,960 who deserve a reputation, but if I live looking at them that way, 569 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:48,159 that is my fault and it will not produce honour for my heart to 570 00:34:48,159 --> 00:34:51,040 show them. If I think everybody's a bunch 571 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,400 of idiots, nobody does quality work, nobody's honest, nobody 572 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,080 cares about I've said those phrases, have you? 573 00:34:57,720 --> 00:35:00,160 I can't show honour to people when I'm thinking that way. 574 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,320 Studies have shown that we will take one or two negative 575 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:09,200 experiences and apply them to everything in the future that is 576 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,320 scientifically proven. You will do that and I will do 577 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:12,640 that. We have to really work hard 578 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,760 against this. But remember as Frank taught us 579 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,080 recently, Jesus said every sin our lives have an opportunity of 580 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,080 choosing the choosing the Broadway or the narrow way, the, 581 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,120 the easy way to find the, the easy way or the hard way. 582 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:28,600 That's can be difficult. And so I believe in every 583 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:30,680 scenario there's an easy way and a hard way. 584 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,680 If you boil it down to piece by piece, there's a broad freeway 585 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:39,800 and then there's a path less travelled and so maybe the bit 586 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,800 the Broadway would be to live bitter, assuming the worst in 587 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,080 people and expecting them to fail you like the last time. 588 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,600 But the narrow way might be to gird up the loins of your mind. 589 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:56,360 As he told us last time, take control of your head and accept 590 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,720 your negative experiences and leave them behind and approach 591 00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:01,800 new people with a fresh start they deserve. 592 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:07,160 Well deserving is take it or leave it, approach new people 593 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:10,280 with a fresh start that you would hope to have, that I would 594 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,880 hope to have because First Corinthians tells us love 595 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:17,880 believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. 596 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:23,800 That's honour and finding fresh perspective. 597 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,600 How do you do that? Last time people really said 598 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:28,600 they like the situational example. 599 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:29,880 So I'm going to try to give you something. 600 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,040 I'm not the expert, I'm immature in many ways, and I have a lot 601 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:34,520 of room to grow, but maybe this will help you. 602 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:37,720 And I put even put it into ours. I went through the hard work of 603 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:39,600 putting it all into ours, so maybe that'll help us. 604 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:45,720 So maybe first we recognize when we are entering a place in our 605 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:47,720 mind that is not going to honour people. 606 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,760 OK, what might that look like? Maybe it's negativity, maybe 607 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,720 it's dread. Then maybe we have to go back 608 00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:56,400 and review. Why am I in this headspace? 609 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,440 Why am I about to treat this person poorly once I recognize 610 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:00,640 it? We got to review what's happened 611 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:04,600 in the past, and then we have to reframe and reshape how we're 612 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:07,640 going to see things. And then we can release the past 613 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,400 and refresh our perspective. OK, what the I'm going to give 614 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:13,680 you another silly example. I started trying to give you a 615 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:19,200 more like work situation that may be more specific, but we all 616 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,400 can relate to simple things like driving in the grocery store. 617 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,560 So I'm going to give you a store scenario. 618 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,600 I'm at the store and something like this actually happened. 619 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,800 I whispered under my breath. Nobody here is competent. 620 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,880 I think in my mind that our workforce is unproductive, 621 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:39,440 unskilled, and entitled. OK, so I've now recognized a 622 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,320 negative place in my mind. But why is that? 623 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:43,320 Why is that true? What? 624 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,600 Why? Why did I create that negative 625 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,240 thought pattern? Well, I haven't had a good 626 00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:51,080 experience here the last two times I was here. 627 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:54,480 Last time I asked someone for help or this time I asked 628 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,360 someone for help. I waited 45 minutes for help and 629 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,760 then the person came and didn't have an answer to my question. 630 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:02,400 Then they were very rude and left me with no new no good 631 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,360 solution. OK, so I'm I at least know why 632 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,200 I'm frustrated or about to be bitter toward them. 633 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:10,680 Maybe I can deal with that now that I know what's going on. 634 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:16,480 And this is where we reframe. And reframing can be macro, it 635 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:19,120 could be big picture, or maybe it can be like specific to this 636 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,280 situation. So let's say specific to this 637 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:26,320 situation, maybe that last person I talked to didn't have 638 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:30,400 good training. Maybe they've had customers yell 639 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,360 at them all day long and they're at the end of a long work day 640 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:36,280 and they're being yelled at for things they don't have the 641 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,680 knowledge or the authority to fix. 642 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,080 I'd probably be frustrated and I'll be very nice. 643 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,680 Maybe they want to move up to a better job and they're tired 644 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,880 being stuck in this job and they don't know how to move forward 645 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:49,840 in their life. They may be having a boss that 646 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,400 is frazzled and taking it out on them. 647 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,600 They may have things going on their personal life. 648 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,000 Maybe they had a family member that's sick. 649 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,360 Maybe they had a breakup. Maybe they weren't blessed with 650 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:00,480 good parents who raised them well. 651 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,520 Maybe they've mistreated them. Who knows what this person has 652 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:08,800 dealt with. I would have much rather make 653 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:13,800 this person's day better by showing them honor if they're 654 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,480 having a poor day, then to sit in selfish frustration and have 655 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:22,280 us both be upset. There's an example of reframing. 656 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,480 Or maybe the situation doesn't have an easy way to reframe 657 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,360 looking at that person. Maybe we got to go macro. 658 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:31,480 Maybe we got to go big picture. Maybe I could say I have all my 659 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:33,440 needs taken care of standing in the store right now. 660 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:37,320 I have food, clothing, shelter, and if I don't get what I'm 661 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,560 trying to buy today, I'm going to be just fine. 662 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:43,720 It's a non necessity item. My time is important, but Peace 663 00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:46,720 of Mind is more important than this little piece of time that I 664 00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:49,840 might have lost. I'm standing in a safe, air 665 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:52,640 conditioned store in the wealthiest country the world has 666 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,880 ever seen. I need to chill. 667 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,000 Sometimes reframing helps in the specific situation a person 668 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,080 we're dealing with. Sometimes we got to reframe from 669 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,400 a big picture. And maybe at that point we can 670 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,120 release and refresh. And a lot of time, often times 671 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:13,080 for me, this involves prayer that I would prayerfully 672 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,240 acknowledge that in this life, things aren't perfect. 673 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,440 And yeah, sometimes hard stuff happens. 674 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,560 I need to grow up sometimes. And it's time to not hold 675 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,520 bitterness in my heart, to ask God for a new heart, to see new 676 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:27,640 situations and new people with a positive mindset. 677 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,440 To see the workers as people and not tools who are doing their 678 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:33,960 best, learning on the job, figuring out things throughout 679 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,240 their day just like I do mine. And pray for the attitude to 680 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:41,200 honour these workers, whatever expertise or service they 681 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:46,640 provide. I've now had a chance to change 682 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:48,640 my mind. And if I approach a new 683 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:50,960 situation, I guarantee it will be better. 684 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:54,840 I might not be perfect, but it will sure be a lot better than 685 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:58,520 the way I walked into that scenario ready to dishonour 686 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:03,360 somebody who maybe needed to not have that dishonor. 687 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:11,040 He says, honour all people, love the brotherhood, fear God and 688 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,440 honour the King because where we're at the time, I'm just 689 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,720 going to leave it right there and we're going to move on to to 690 00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:20,920 our closing. He eventually gets to the point 691 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,160 of pointing this back to Jesus. And so I don't want to lose 692 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:28,040 that. And I'll I'll re establish this 693 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:29,640 flow of thought next time I continue. 694 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:34,280 It's hard to hard to stop in the middle of the writers flow 695 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,960 thought. He goes on to talk about 696 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,400 servants and how they're to be submissive and all these things 697 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:43,800 that we do. He's saying suffering for good 698 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,000 is what we were called to. That's the whole point of what 699 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,200 we're doing here. He says for this to this, you 700 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:53,680 were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an 701 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,560 example that you should follow in his steps. 702 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,840 So if you suffer, he's like, yeah, that's what you're here 703 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:00,680 for. Why are we surprised? 704 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,720 Don't be surprised. You could be suffering for no 705 00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:05,440 purpose. At least you're suffering with 706 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,120 purpose because we are connecting to Christ in his 707 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:12,480 sufferings. Jesus committed no sin, nor was 708 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:17,560 deceit found in his mouth. Who was reviled did not revile 709 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,560 in return. When He suffered, He did not 710 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:25,840 threaten, but committed himself to Him who judges righteously, 711 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:31,440 who Himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, 712 00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:34,280 having died to sins, might live for righteousness. 713 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:42,280 By whose stripes you are healed. So it all comes back to Jesus. 714 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:48,120 May we not be surprised when we are asked to suffer a little bit 715 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:51,280 and have a good attitude and to choose the narrow way, because 716 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,280 that is what Jesus did. And that's the whole point of 717 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,280 why we're here. If you haven't begun this walk, 718 00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:59,320 you can you've heard a piece of God's word this morning. 719 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:02,600 As we're told in Romans 10 verse 17, faith comes by hearing. 720 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:06,120 If we're going to develop a faith that will save us. 721 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:09,000 It starts with hearing the word of God. 722 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:11,840 It starts with and it continues with believing it. 723 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:13,640 I can't just read it. I can't just hear it. 724 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:17,240 I've got to be a believer and belief benefits self manifests 725 00:43:17,240 --> 00:43:19,000 itself in action with repentance. 726 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:23,200 That I would turn from my way to God's way that I would turn and 727 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:28,480 to follow him with every with every area of my life, including 728 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:29,680 the things we talked about today. 729 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:34,000 That I would identify not myself as the source of salvation, but 730 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,880 that I would identify that Jesus is the Savior of the world and 731 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,120 by him we have to be saved through him. 732 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:44,760 We know by no other name that we would confess Jesus as the 733 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:47,640 Savior of the world, the Son of God, and we will be baptized. 734 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,480 To begin that walk, to begin a fresh start and to know from 735 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:56,880 this day forward, I'm a member, I'm saved, and I'm a member of 736 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,120 the God's family. Mark 16, verse 16. 737 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:03,200 And then we live faithfully. That's what we're called to. 738 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,720 And to continue to repent and to continue to believe and to hear 739 00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:08,560 the Word. And this process continues. 740 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:13,400 But to begin this walk, you can follow these steps and you don't 741 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:15,360 have to be baptized again. If you've messed up, you don't 742 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,960 repeat that. We come and we pray for 743 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:19,640 forgiveness and sometimes we pray together. 744 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:21,520 So if you'd like to take care of either of those things this 745 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,760 morning, please come while we stand while we see.