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Well, it's the end of the year. 
You can go to Matthew 28. 

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We're going to talk about the 
Great Commission. 

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But before we do that, I just 
want to say this. 

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There's something unique that 
happens when people move 

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together before they feel ready.
We talked about this a little 

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bit over the last couple of 
weeks. 

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Things like becoming a parent, 
you never really feel ready. 

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Sometimes a new career or a new 
job, you don't really feel 

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ready. 
Sometimes just with marriage, 

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you don't really feel ready. 
But there's something special 

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about when you move together 
when you don't have a guarantee 

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of the outcome. 
Confidence normally comes after 

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a commitment, and if it comes 
before a commitment, that 

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normally means the confidence is
the base rather than the 

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commitment itself. 
Some of the most effective 

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moments of teamwork didn't begin
with something that was certain.

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But they have to have a shared 
mission. 

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And so, yes, we're going to talk
about the Great Commission 

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today. 
If you've gone to Matthew 28, 

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you probably know there's a good
shot of that. 

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But a good example of this kind 
of courage comes from a true 

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story behind a movie. 
And my daughter, who's 10, for 

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some reason has really grabbed a
hold of the 80s, and I'm loving 

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this. 
So we're watching 80s movies. 

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I've shown her some episodes of 
The Goldbergs, and she's been 

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listening to 80s music. 
And how many of y'all remember 

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this movie Cool Runnings? 
We'll see who really who really 

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remembers this. 
Some people say they can't 

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believe anybody. 
Jamaica's got a bobsled team. 

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There we go. 
So I watched this as a kid. 

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I had no idea that it was 
actually real, but it is based 

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on a real story that happened in
the 80s. 

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And Jamaica, I don't feel like I
should have to say this, but I 

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will, is an island nation with 
no winter sports traditions for 

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obvious reasons, and they 
decided to form its first ever 

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Olympic bobsled team. 
And you need to know that all 

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the people on this team, they 
were not lifelong athletes, 

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trained from childhood for the 
ice or anything. 

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They were sprinters and push 
athletes and they were men who 

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had never seen a bobsled track 
in person. 

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They did not grow up dreaming of
Olympic gold in the snow. 

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They barely knew how the sport 
worked. 

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In fact, international officials
laughed at them. 

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It was in the news. 
They thought it was ridiculous. 

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Other teams laughed at them 
because they thought it was 

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ridiculous. 
Other Jamaicans laughed at them 

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because they thought it was 
ridiculous. 

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They lacked experience. 
They lacked funding. 

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They lacked the tools and the 
facilities needed. 

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They lacked credibility. 
But they showed up anyway. 

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And So what made the story even 
better is they didn't all arrive

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at the same level of confidence.
Some of them were stubborn, and 

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maybe you can relate to that 
one. 

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You know, some of them were just
like, stubborn. 

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And they're like, oh, we're 
going to figure this out. 

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We're going to do it. 
And the other ones had to really

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be convinced and then 
reconvinced and reconvinced 

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along the way. 
But confidence grew the more 

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that they practiced and carried 
it together. 

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They didn't wait until they felt
like Olympians to act like a 

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team. 
They became A-Team because they 

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moved forward together. 
If you haven't seen it, you're 

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going to get some spoilers. 
But again, this happened in the 

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80s, and I think the movie came 
out in like, the early 90s. 

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It's not my fault, but you 
should watch it because it's 

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really great and my kids loved 
it. 

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The movie itself went on to 
inspire millions because of the 

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true story. 
In fact, it drew in the late 

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John Candy, who was a comedic 
genius. 

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He took on the role of the coach
because he connected so much 

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with the heart of the movie. 
He said this. 

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He said he was drawn to the 
courage of the story because he 

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saw in their journey something 
most people run from, which is 

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the willingness to step into 
something bigger than yourself 

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while still carrying doubt. 
What Jamaican would have thought

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that it was going to be a lock? 
That they were going to win gold

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at the Olympics? 
None of them. 

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That's the answer. 
In case you're curious, it 

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wasn't that every member felt 
like they were ready to win gold

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at the Winter Olympics. 
It was that they refused to let 

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their doubts or their 
uncertainty isolate them. 

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So they leaned into one another,
and they discovered that belief 

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is often borrowed from those 
around you until it becomes 

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internal and becomes your own. 
Sometimes you need to be around 

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somebody who really believes 
that something is going to work,

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because faith is contagious, and
so is courage. 

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When one person steps forward, 
it automatically gives 

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permission for other people to 
step forward to in some form. 

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We'll often have like at least 
once a year, kind of a, a 

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pastoral Q&A night here on a 
Wednesday night. 

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And when I was a youth pastor, 
we used to do that too. 

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I'm going to tell you what one 
thing that the teenagers and 

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adults had in common. 
When you say, OK, who has the 

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first question you hear? 
And then eventually there's one 

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person who goes, oh, I have one.
And then you end up having to 

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say, OK, we don't have time for 
any more questions at the end of

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the evening because it takes one
person to step out. 

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And this is for a couple 
reasons. 

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First of all, it instills 
courage. 

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Second of all, it also sometimes
gets the brain working, hearing 

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other people ask their 
questions, working in a couple 

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different ways. 
Maybe one of them is, oh, I'm 

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not the only one who thinks 
about things like this. 

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Oh, well, that thought made me 
think about something else. 

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This is why I'm looking forward 
to the Ministry Round Table next

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month, because sometimes people 
come in here just want to see 

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what's going to happen, have no 
ideas, and they leave with like 

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13 ideas because of everything 
that everybody else said and we 

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can grow it together. 
I want you to know that over 

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time, what started as hesitation
for the bobsled team became 

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conviction that they were going 
to do this. 

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And that's the same principle 
that Jesus leans into when He 

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gives us the Great Commission. 
He does not wait for everyone to

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feel confident. 
If he was waiting for that, we 

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still wouldn't have the Great 
Commission today. 

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But he does call people together
and send them together and shows

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how faith is truly contagious. 
So if you're in Matthew 28, go 

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and go towards the end of the 
chapter, verse 16. 

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Now you may know that he had 12 
disciples. 

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This is already post Judas. 
So he's he's not on the game 

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board anymore. 
All right. 

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But it says this in verse 16. 
Then the 11 disciples left for 

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Galilee, going to the mountain 
where Jesus had told them to go.

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When they saw him, they 
worshipped him, but some of them

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doubted. 
Jesus came and told his 

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disciples, I've been given all 
authority in heaven and on 

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earth. 
Therefore go and make disciples 

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of all the nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father 

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and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to 

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obey all the commands I have 
given you and be sure of this. 

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I'm with you always, even to the
end of the stage. 

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Good job pretending. 
All right, when we read about 

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this story, I think most of the 
time the way it gets expressed 

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is find your place in the Great 
Commission. 

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Move forward. 
It's for all of us. 

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That's one of the ways it always
inspires me. 

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But I want to look at a couple 
different things because until 

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this sermon, I've always looked 
at this moment as kind of being 

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a calm moment. 
I don't think it was a calm 

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moment any more than the night 
that Jesus was born was a silent

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night. 
But historically, this region 

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would have been anything but 
peaceful. 

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Think about it. 
This is not long after Jesus has

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been crucified. 
So Jerusalem and the surrounding

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region were tense and they were 
politically charged. 

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Can you imagine living in a 
culture like that? 

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Jesus has just been publicly 
executed by the government, and 

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his death wasn't quiet, it was 
humiliating and violent. 

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Crucifixions were designed to be
that way. 

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The same city that welcomed him 
earlier turned on him under 

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pressure, and so Roman soldiers 
still patrol the streets. 

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When you read Scripture, you 
understand that the empire at 

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that point is alert and 
suspicious, and there are rumors

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going around that Jesus didn't 
really raise himself from the 

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dead. 
But it's not just Rome. 

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The temple leaders are also 
divided. 

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Some of them feel relief that 
Jesus is gone because he was 

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making them uncomfortable with 
all these new thoughts and 

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ideas. 
To them, he was really pushing 

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them into some new direction 
that they were not comfortable 

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with. 
And it was sort of like, well, I

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wouldn't have asked for him to 
be whacked, but since he did get

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whacked, maybe it'll be more 
peaceful now. 

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This is how a lot of them felt, 
although I don't think the term 

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whacked was there. 
Others were unsettled by the 

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idea that the tomb was empty. 
Guards have been bribed to 

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spread alternative narratives. 
Synagogues were buzzing with 

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rumors and debates and all of 
this. 

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And it's into that environment 
that these 11 disciples are 

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sitting there. 
They've now walked with Jesus, 

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who's been resurrected, and 
they're still trying to process 

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everything that they lived 
through. 

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And you might say to yourself, 
well, if I'd seen Jesus 

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resurrected, if I'd seen him 
killed and then I saw him 

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finally resurrected, I wouldn't 
have any doubts. 

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Well, good for you. 
That's a lot of traumatic stuff 

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to go through for all 11 of 
them. 

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And so there they are, 
worshipping him in one hand and 

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doubting some things in the 
other. 

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Can you relate to that? 
I can relate to that. 

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It's OK if you can relate to 
that. 

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They watch their teacher die. 
They scattered in fear and they 

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hid themselves. 
They locked themselves in. 

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And then they encountered him 
alive again, and he's about to 

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leave. 
What is the future going to look

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like? 
And we can look at it now, 2000 

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years later, and say, well, 
Jesus said he had to go because 

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if he didn't, then the Holy 
Spirit wasn't going to come. 

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And the Holy Spirit's better 
than just walking with Jesus. 

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But you put yourself in the 
shoes of those 11, even the fact

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that they're 11 would have shook
them and been traumatic. 

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So Matthew tells us something 
that is really honest about this

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moment. 
It's one of the reasons I love 

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the Scripture, and I believe it.
He says that when they see 

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Jesus, they worship him and they
doubt him at the same time. 

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And that detail matters when you
start to feel doubt as a 

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believer. 
Has anybody here ever felt some 

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doubt as a believer and then 
felt like you were less of a 

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Christian? 
Can I just see a show of hands 

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for that one? 
Wow, we're, we're the least of 

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these, aren't we? 
So what does Jesus say about 

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doubting worshippers? 
I can tell you a few things He 

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doesn't say. 
He doesn't say come back when 

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you're more confident. 
I only hire the best of the 

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best. 
He doesn't say let's wait until 

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everybody's emotionally stable. 
Thank God for that. 

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He doesn't delay the the mission
until doubt disappears. 

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What he does do is take these 11
and gather them together and he 

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speaks purpose into them as a 
community. 

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Even the setting tells us 
something important, because 

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while Jerusalem is really 
dramatic and stressed, he 

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doesn't have this moment in the 
center of Jerusalem. 

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What he does is he takes them to
a mountain in Galilee. 

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Galilee is familiar ground for 
them because it's a place where 

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many of them first met Jesus. 
It's less political. 

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It's quieter. 
It's almost as if Jesus 

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intentionally sometimes pulls us
back to the place where Our 

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Calling began, just to launch us
into the future. 

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He reminds them of who they were
before he entered the picture 

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and before he gives them this 
new assignment, he reminds them 

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of who he is. 
He doesn't say, I'm sending you 

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there with all the authority you
can muster, with all the 

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confidence that you have. 
Peter, you're pretty decent with

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a sword. 
It'll be great. 

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He says, I've been given all 
authority and I'm sending you. 

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So it's built on the authority 
of Jesus. 

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It's not built on the authority 
or the capabilities of these 11.

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Once again, thank God. 
And He asks them to trust that 

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He is with them always, even to 
the end of the age. 

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I don't have to ask you to 
believe and trust that I'm 

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standing here right now. 
You know why? 

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It's not your question. 
You can see me, but would it not

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take a leap of faith if I said 
when you leave and you're 

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00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,760
driving down the highway, you 
won't see me, but I'm in your 

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00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,240
car? 
It'd also be a little creepy. 

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You'd have to have some real 
faith. 

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Jesus is saying that by this 
Holy Spirit coming eventually, 

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he's saying I'm going to be with
you. 

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This is our mission together. 
This is what he was telling them

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before he departed. 
And it's important that you 

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00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,560
realize that because when you 
think about the people that were

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00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:47,920
there, think about those 11 
disciples that are remaining. 

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00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,680
You had fishermen, former tax 
collectors, men who had argued 

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about status in front of each 
other. 

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You had men that had run away. 
Some of them were full of faith 

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00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,000
and some of them were still 
unsure and doubting all sorts of

247
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,400
different personalities and 
different giftings and different

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00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,480
levels of confidence. 
But Jesus commissioned all of 

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them together at one time. 
He didn't say these two are 

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00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,640
ready for for level A. 
These ones are at level B, and 

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00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,920
y'all are at level D. 
We'll get you caught up to speed

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very soon. 
This is something I think we 

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often miss when we read about 
the Great Commission. 

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00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,920
Yes, pastors want you to find 
your place in it. 

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00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,720
But additionally, I need you to 
know that this mission was never

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00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,680
meant to be carried alone. 
You do have to find where God 

257
00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:30,360
has called you to serve the 
Kingdom, but you're not going to

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00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,120
have to do it alone. 
This is because Jesus knew 

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00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,880
something that we often forget. 
Faith grows faster when it's in 

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00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,600
close proximity to faith. 
It is contagious. 

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00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,840
Watching obedience in other 
people sometimes awakens courage

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00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:46,880
in us to do something we 
couldn't have done at all. 

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00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,880
Some people have their gifts 
activated because they have laid

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00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,360
dormant until they watch 
somebody else put their gift 

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00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,920
into action and it stirred up 
something in them. 

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00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:57,680
And they said, I think I could 
do that too. 

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00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,280
Worship and doubt coexisted in 
that day, and worship and doubt 

268
00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,000
coexist today. 
Fear and faith overlap 

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00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,280
sometimes, don't they? 
But Jesus still entrusted them 

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00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,440
with their own assignments. 
And I really believe that Jesus 

271
00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,360
entrusts you with your 
assignment too. 

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00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,520
So the first thing you got to do
is step into the assignment. 

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00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,040
One of the greatest obstacles to
stepping into what God has 

274
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,480
assigned us is comparison. 
Now, it's not really a sermon on

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00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,720
comparison, but when we see a 
great anointing at work in 

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00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,520
someone else, it can be easy to 
assume that our contribution 

277
00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,560
won't measure up in the way that
theirs has. 

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00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,040
When we look at somebody like 
Moses, maybe we think, well, I 

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00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,480
can never lead like that. 
We look at someone who has a 

280
00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,720
strong gift or like really bold 
faith or a visible influence 

281
00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,800
over other people and we 
automatically disqualify 

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00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,960
ourselves before God ever does. 
But comparison as a way of 

283
00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,600
shrinking our obedience by 
magnifying somebody else's 

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00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,320
calling. 
I'm going to say that again. 

285
00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,200
Sometimes comparison will shrink
your obedience because you have 

286
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:01,880
magnified somebody else's 
calling. 

287
00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:09,720
Now in Joshua chapter 1, I had 
so many people speak this over 

288
00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,360
me when Pastor Tom retired, 
including Pastor Tom. 

289
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,560
Joshua. 
One is important because as you 

290
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,760
exit the book of Exodus, who has
died? 

291
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,000
Moses, yes, there are a lot of 
legal books that happen after 

292
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,440
that too, but really at the end 
of all of this stuff, Moses is 

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00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:27,840
no longer here. 
As a matter of fact, in the 

294
00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:32,200
first verse says the Lord's 
charged to Joshua. 

295
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,880
In verse 1, he says after the 
death of Moses, the Lord's 

296
00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,480
servant, the Lord spoke to 
Joshua, son of Nun. 

297
00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,720
That's NUN. 
Not like he didn't have parents.

298
00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,240
He was Moses assistant. 
And it said in verse 2, Moses, 

299
00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:49,160
my servant is dead. 
Therefore the time has come for 

300
00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,000
you to lead these people, the 
Israelites, across the Jordan 

301
00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,800
River into the land that I am 
giving them. 

302
00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,800
I promise you what I promised 
Moses. 

303
00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,080
Wherever you set foot, you will 
be on land I have given you, 

304
00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,200
from the the Negev Wilderness in
the South to the Lebanon 

305
00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:10,120
Mountains in the north, from the
Euphrates River in the east to 

306
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,560
the Mediterranean Sea in the 
West, including all the land of 

307
00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,200
the Hittites. 
No one will be able to stand 

308
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,680
against you as long as you live,
for I will be with you as I was 

309
00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,360
with Moses. 
I will not fail you or abandon 

310
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,080
you. 
When God calls you to something,

311
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,400
He is with you just as much as 
he was with somebody else when 

312
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:34,000
he called them to something. 
Verse 6 Guys, love this. 

313
00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,400
Be strong and courageous, for 
you are the one who will lead 

314
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,280
these people to possess all the 
land I swore to their ancestors 

315
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:45,120
I would give them. 
Be strong and very courageous. 

316
00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,320
Be careful to obey all the 
instructions Moses gave you. 

317
00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,720
Do not deviate from them, 
turning either to the right or 

318
00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,240
to the left. 
Then you'll be successful in 

319
00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,440
everything you do. 
Study this book of instruction 

320
00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,280
continually. 
Meditate on a day and night so 

321
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,600
that you will be sure to obey 
everything written in it. 

322
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,640
Only then will you prosper and 
succeed in all you do. 

323
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,920
This is my command. 
Ready to hear it again? 

324
00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,960
Be strong and courageous. 
Do not be afraid or discouraged,

325
00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,200
for the Lord your God is with 
you wherever you go. 

326
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,240
What I want you to notice in 
God's words to Joshua is what he

327
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,040
does not say. 
God never tells Joshua to 

328
00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,000
imitate Moses's personality or 
his leadership style or gift 

329
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,160
set. 
He never says try to be as bold 

330
00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,720
as Moses, which is good because 
when Moses was first called he 

331
00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,720
wasn't pretty bold. 
He never says live up to his 

332
00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,920
legacy. 
Instead, God speaks directly to 

333
00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,240
Joshua's assignment. 
He tells him where to go and 

334
00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:45,920
what to do and how to move 
forward. 

335
00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:48,640
There's no emphasis on 
comparison for him to be the 

336
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,240
next Moses, but he does say I'll
be with you like I was with 

337
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,240
Moses. 
The focus is on obedience. 

338
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,280
So Joshua's role is not to 
replicate somebody else's 

339
00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,600
anointing, but to step fully 
into his own. 

340
00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:05,080
And God centers Joshua's courage
not on his skill set, but in 

341
00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:09,360
God's very presence itself. 
Over and over again he says two 

342
00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,800
things repeatedly. 1 is to be 
strong and courageous, and the 

343
00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:17,160
other is I will be with you. 
That means the assignment is 

344
00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,960
big, but it's not carried alone.
So thankfully, Joshua is not 

345
00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,320
asked to rely on his charisma or
his strength or his resume or 

346
00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,240
experience. 
He's just asked to trust that 

347
00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:29,480
the same God that was faithful 
to Moses will be faithful to 

348
00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,640
him. 
The powers never been in the 

349
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,880
person. 
It's always been in the presence

350
00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,960
of God, but this is where a lot 
of us tend to hesitate because 

351
00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,240
we assume that obedience 
requires an extraordinary 

352
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,640
gifting. 
We believe the assignment is 

353
00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,760
only for those who feel 
confident, feel prepared. 

354
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,240
But if you wait until you feel 
ready, you never do it. 

355
00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,800
So just like we spoke about 
recently, courage in this moment

356
00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,680
is not the absence of fear. 
It's movement in the presence of

357
00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,280
fear. 
But knowing that God is faithful

358
00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,240
to what He promises and God 
doesn't minimize the challenge 

359
00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,040
ahead. 
Can you imagine how overwhelming

360
00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,960
that would feel everywhere you 
set your foot, it's going to be 

361
00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:06,480
yours. 
You're going to take that land, 

362
00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,040
that land, that land, that land.
And the Hittites, they're not 

363
00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:10,480
going to even going to have 
their land anymore. 

364
00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,240
And you're like, oh, I hope the 
Hittites aren't listening right 

365
00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,720
now. 
He tells them all of this. 

366
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:16,960
Now, could you imagine? 
You have to then turn around and

367
00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,040
go to your people and say, God 
has just said we're going to 

368
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:20,840
take all of these lands right 
here. 

369
00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:25,280
The reason that that is scary is
because what if even one of them

370
00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,280
fails? 
And for any leader, they think 

371
00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:31,680
in their head, well, when I tell
the people God's going to give 

372
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,000
us the land of the Hittites, and
then you go attack, let's let's 

373
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,600
say the Hittites, and you don't 
get it. 

374
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,840
What do people start thinking? 
Well, does Joshua really hear 

375
00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,160
from the Lord? 
It's hard. 

376
00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:49,160
So faithfulness always begins 
with what's already been given. 

377
00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,360
Now that being said, he's 
building on the shoulders of 

378
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:54,080
somebody who was already 
obedient to the Lord. 

379
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:59,520
Moses didn't have the law to 
guide him, but Moses gained the 

380
00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,600
law while he was leading God's 
people. 

381
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,600
So what does Joshua called to 
do? 

382
00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,520
To understand those that came 
before him, but to be his own 

383
00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,760
man with his own anointing and 
build on top of it. 

384
00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,400
He said stay connected to the 
law, build on this. 

385
00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,840
So he's not carrying it alone. 
He's able to actually carry out 

386
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,800
his anointing because Moses 
carried out his. 

387
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,240
When you fulfil your obedient 
call to the Lord, you actually 

388
00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:28,320
open the doorway for other 
people to fulfil their anointing

389
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,400
as well. 
It's powerful. 

390
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,960
And it's not just about us and 
our personal relationship with 

391
00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,080
Jesus. 
The same truth applies. 

392
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,440
We don't wait until our gift 
looks like someone else's. 

393
00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,400
We don't wait until our doubt 
disappears. 

394
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:41,080
We don't wait until confidence 
catches up. 

395
00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:43,160
We just step into what God has 
in front of us. 

396
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,760
Recently we had a membership 
class and next week we'll pray 

397
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,640
in the new members. 
It's our wonderful random 

398
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,920
Thursday class that we had that 
had so many people in it. 

399
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,880
But they got to hear a little 
bit of the church history. 

400
00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,960
I thought it'd be cool to share 
just a little bit of it here. 

401
00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,040
Show you how the God who never 
changes, changes everything that

402
00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,760
he touches. 
The best I understand is that 

403
00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,000
this church was birthed because 
there were about five families 

404
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,040
that had a greater revelation of
the Holy Spirit and of what God 

405
00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,840
was doing. 
And as they were embracing what 

406
00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,760
the Lord was leading them into, 
they were Miss Kay, you can 

407
00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,600
correct me if I get anything 
wrong. 

408
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,520
Disfellowshipped. 
It's a nice way of saying, why 

409
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,040
don't why don't you worship 
somewhere else? 

410
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:31,560
And they did, and they outgrew 
the house. 

411
00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,000
So they moved over into this 
Sears warehouse where your kids 

412
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,440
are being ministered to this 
morning. 

413
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,320
God bless the people that have 
worked to maintain that 

414
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,040
building. 
God bless Mr. Staborski, who's 

415
00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,040
probably added 36 layers of 
paint to every room in that 

416
00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:51,640
building throughout the years. 
And so in 1988, the pastor that 

417
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,880
mentored me and his wife, Pastor
Tom, Pastor Marsha, got here. 

418
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:57,480
Eventually, the name was changed
to Liberty Church. 

419
00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:01,600
I know that in 2002. 
I know that the sanctuary that 

420
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:02,840
we're sitting in today was 
built. 

421
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,160
I know I didn't come here until 
the end of 2004. 

422
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,440
I know that while I was 
attending here and I was going 

423
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,000
through some of the most 
traumatic moments of my life, I 

424
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,440
just wanted, like, I wanted 
somebody to tell me what to do 

425
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:15,720
and that everything was going to
be OK. 

426
00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:19,320
And after church on a Wednesday 
night, I was running sound as a 

427
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:20,600
volunteer. 
The sound board used to be 

428
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,320
upstairs and I ran downstairs 
and I ran up here to try to get 

429
00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,040
to Pastor Tom and I said, Pastor
Tom, I just have a minute of 

430
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:27,320
your time. 
And he just turned around and he

431
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:28,960
put his hand on my shoulder. 
He said you just need to find 

432
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,800
your niche in the Lord. 
That's really what you need. 

433
00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:37,080
And he turned around and he left
and I went, what does that mean?

434
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,120
He was right. 
He was right. 

435
00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:43,840
And I did have a follow up talk 
with him. 

436
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,400
He didn't just leave me hanging.
I had to find my niche. 

437
00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,840
I had to find who I was instead 
of seeing all these people 

438
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,080
thrive and grab a hold of 
something in the Holy Spirit 

439
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:57,920
that I wish that I understood. 
2010 I was hired. 2021 Pastor 

440
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,080
Tom retired, and now we're 
headed into the 5th year since 

441
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,880
he retired. 
And that's why the Ministry 

442
00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,120
Roundtable matters a lot. 
This church is always changing. 

443
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,720
The core of it is always Jesus, 
always worship, always the Holy 

444
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,560
Spirit. 
But it changes based on the 

445
00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,800
people that are here and what 
they're willing to accomplish 

446
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:17,920
and how often they're willing to
give God their yes. 

447
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:20,560
And everybody has different 
gifts and calls, right? 

448
00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,840
So it's always changing what we 
can do in any given season. 

449
00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:29,320
This church alone has gone 
through a lot of changes, but 

450
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,680
the core in the heart of it has 
always remained the Lord. 

451
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,880
Now, just think about the church
at large. 

452
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,600
The church at large has gone 
through a lot of changes, a lot 

453
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,480
of schisms, a lot of branching 
offs. 

454
00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,160
One of one of the ministry 
heroes that I grew up hearing 

455
00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,760
stories about was a man, some of
y'all will remember him named LA

456
00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:50,720
Joyner. 
It's one of my favorite stories.

457
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,600
He said one time he was 
preaching about all of the 

458
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,320
beautiful things that God did in
the 70s and the 80s as he was 

459
00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,960
coming up in ministry. 
And we'll talk about that time 

460
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,200
frame too, in just a moment. 
But he said when he got done 

461
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,520
preaching, people clapped. 
They loved hearing those 

462
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,000
stories. 
And as he walked off of the 

463
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,320
pulpit, he said that the Lord 
said, you like those stories, 

464
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,560
don't you? 
And he said, yeah, yeah, those 

465
00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,280
were good times. 
And the Lord said it's time to 

466
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:21,800
get some new stories. 
Oh, I think it's easy sometimes 

467
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,440
to assume we've served the Lord 
for X amount of time or in X 

468
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,960
amount of ways, and now there's 
nothing new to really be done. 

469
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,800
Now we kind of ride it out. 
There's no retirement in the 

470
00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,440
Kingdom of God. 
There is from maybe jobs or 

471
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,720
careers or certain functions or 
certain roles. 

472
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:41,840
But to serve the Lord is to draw
a breath for a believer, and so 

473
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:44,440
couldn't that apply to the 
church at large today? 

474
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,920
Jewish worshippers always 
remember the story of Exodus, 

475
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,320
Passover, amongst other stories 
that they share with regularity,

476
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,800
and they are beautiful stories. 
But doesn't God continue to 

477
00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,160
move? 
So we have to remember these 

478
00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:02,480
stories, but we also have to be 
anticipating the new ones. 

479
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,400
What is the next great move that
God is going to do? 

480
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,520
I don't want to miss it. 
I don't want to miss it because 

481
00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:12,320
I was so busy looking backward. 
This church, Liberty Church, it 

482
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,200
didn't begin with certainty. 
It didn't begin with resources 

483
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,680
that were neatly lined up or a 
five year master plan. 

484
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,320
It began with people stepping 
forward when they sensed that 

485
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,520
God was leading them. 
And those original families, 

486
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,520
they did scary things in the 
world, in the world's view, but 

487
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,360
they were obedient to God, and 
we all owe them a debt of 

488
00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:36,720
gratitude today. 
What it means is they did things

489
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:38,280
when the outcome wasn't 
guaranteed. 

490
00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:43,120
Somebody taught when they didn't
know who was going to show up on

491
00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,440
a Sunday. 
Somebody served before they knew

492
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,760
if it would last. 
Somebody gave before they knew 

493
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,560
it would all work out, and 
somebody stayed when it would be

494
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,400
easier to leave. 
That's how the Kingdom grows. 

495
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,000
Jesus always models this pattern
in his own ministry, too. 

496
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,960
So just so you don't think I'm 
taken out of context, when he 

497
00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:02,280
called his disciples, he didn't 
explain everything at first. 

498
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:03,880
He didn't outline the cost in 
detail. 

499
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,160
What does he normally say to 
them? 

500
00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:09,360
Follow me. 
Well, what's your 4 O 1K look 

501
00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:12,560
like? 
It looks like it's not been 

502
00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,800
invented yet, Peter, but I'll 
teach you how to fish for men. 

503
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,360
I don't know what that means, 
but that that sounds great. 

504
00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:21,760
Let's go. 
He just said follow me. 

505
00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,200
They didn't know where the road 
was going to lead them. 

506
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,080
He also didn't tell them you're 
only going to have me for three 

507
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,840
years, so jump on board now. 
It's a very limited window. 

508
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,840
He just said follow me. 
They didn't know how hard it 

509
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,400
would be. 
They didn't really understand 

510
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,000
exactly who it was they were 
following, but they knew enough.

511
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,600
They didn't need certainty. 
They needed trust. 

512
00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,040
And we started this year with 
trust issues. 

513
00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,280
Here we are ending it with trust
issues. 

514
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,360
Throughout Jesus's ministry, He 
continually invited people 

515
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:53,880
before they felt ready. 
Think about it. 

516
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,640
He told Peter to step out of the
boat while the storm was still 

517
00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,520
raging. 
He told a blind man to wash 

518
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,640
before his sight was restored. 
He sent the disciples out to 

519
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,560
minister before they were fully 
equipped. 

520
00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,720
He fed crowds with loaves and 
fish that clearly were not 

521
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,840
enough. 
And he asked people to sit down 

522
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,800
anyway. 
Again and again, the Kingdom 

523
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,720
advanced, not because people had
all the answers, but because 

524
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:18,360
they responded to Jesus and 
faith. 

525
00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:23,960
We are the same church guys. 
That's how we move forward too. 

526
00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,680
And so we build a Kingdom by 
saying yes before everything 

527
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,480
makes sense. 
By the way, I'm not asking you 

528
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,120
for a yes for liberty. 
I'm asking you for a yes for the

529
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:33,920
Lord. 
We serve before we feel 

530
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,440
confident. 
We give before we feel secure, 

531
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,200
and we step into leadership or 
other things before we feel 

532
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,360
qualified. 
God doesn't call the qualified. 

533
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:43,280
He qualifies the people that He 
calls. 

534
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,600
We invite other people before we
feel impressive. 

535
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,240
We have conversations with 
people about God before we feel 

536
00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,360
like we have all the answers. 
You'll never have. 

537
00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:54,560
All the answers. 
Start the discussion. 

538
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,640
We don't wait until doubt 
disappears. 

539
00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,160
We move with Jesus while doubt 
is still present because the 

540
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,640
obedience and the trust that we 
have for God shapes us. 

541
00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,760
This is also why baptism matters
a lot. 

542
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,880
In fact, the next slide, we've 
got AQR code. 

543
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,280
If you want to sign up for 
baptism on the 25th, it's right 

544
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:11,520
there. 
You can just scan it with your 

545
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:12,760
phone and it'll get you signed 
up. 

546
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,280
Baptism is not a declaration 
that you have everything figured

547
00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:17,800
out. 
I've searched and I've 

548
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,760
researched all of the religions 
and this means that I have come 

549
00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,480
to a final conclusion. 
No, it means I'm going to follow

550
00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,440
Jesus. 
I'm going to follow Jesus. 

551
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,600
I'm going to be obedient because
even Jesus was baptized and he 

552
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,680
said it fulfilled all 
righteousness. 

553
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:34,800
And so one time I was talking to
somebody who had not been 

554
00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:39,200
baptized, had been going to 
church for almost 30 years, and 

555
00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:40,520
he said, I just haven't felt 
ready yet. 

556
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,600
And I said, but you love God, 
right? 

557
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:44,440
He said, yeah. 
And I said, and you read the 

558
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,680
Scripture where Jesus said that 
you should get baptized, right? 

559
00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,640
And he goes, yeah, and I do plan
to. 

560
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,800
I said, you don't really have an
excuse that he said you should 

561
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:55,560
do it. 
And so for me, I trust him 

562
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,200
enough that, yeah, I get 
baptized. 

563
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,600
It's a public declaration that I
have no clue what I'm doing with

564
00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:05,240
my own life, but I'm serving 
somebody who does know what's to

565
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,240
come with my life. 
And by the way, it's not just a 

566
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:09,920
baptism service. 
It'll be a celebration. 

567
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,600
We always celebrate when people 
are baptized, so the question 

568
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,680
before us isn't whether we feel 
certain about the future, it's 

569
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,400
really whether we're willing to 
trust Jesus enough to take the 

570
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,280
next step together. 
Because the Kingdom of God has 

571
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,400
always been built by people that
move forward with him, not 

572
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,720
people who already have it all 
figured out. 

573
00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,400
And that's as a church, as 
families, as individuals. 

574
00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,640
This is how we will enter 2026 
with purpose. 

575
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:34,840
We have to remember what God has
done. 

576
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,760
We honour the ground that we 
stand on. 

577
00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:42,320
And then like Joshua, like the 
disciples and the generations of

578
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,640
faithful believers before us, we
step into the assignment that 

579
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,560
God has placed for us. 
So not only does he tell us to 

580
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,920
step into our assignment, but we
are never sent alone. 

581
00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,320
And I'm going to tell you this, 
serving God. 

582
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,600
And when I say ministry here, 
I'm not talking about working at

583
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:57,920
a church. 
I'm just saying ministry, when 

584
00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:01,800
you serve God will always lead 
you at some point into a lonely 

585
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,160
place. 
You will always end up finding 

586
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:06,320
yourself in a place where you 
feel a little misunderstood. 

587
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,560
Well, I know God has told me to 
do this, but the people around 

588
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:10,600
me don't really understand it. 
But I really feel like God has 

589
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,160
said this, God is a a big enough
God to correct you if you start 

590
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,720
to move in the wrong direction. 
So it's less about waiting until

591
00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,640
you know exactly what direction 
to go and more about right 

592
00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,520
walking into the direction that 
you feel like God is leading you

593
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:25,880
and then letting him gently 
curve you from the right or the 

594
00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,120
left. 
It's amazing when I go for a 

595
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:32,720
walk with my kids, how often my 
kids walk on the grass side, 

596
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:34,960
right? 
So I'm on, I'm on the inside so 

597
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,520
I can see things and I can shove
them violently into a ditch to 

598
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:38,840
save their life if I need to, 
right? 

599
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:45,760
Or just for fun. 
And and it's amazing how they 

600
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,240
know they're supposed to be on 
this side of me, but every so 

601
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,280
often they're just walking right
in front of me. 

602
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:57,800
And I just what I don't say is, 
Emma Lynn, you must be an idiot 

603
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,800
to be walking out to the side. 
I wouldn't do that, would I? 

604
00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:03,440
But so often we're like, God, I 
don't know where to walk. 

605
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:07,320
Just walk. 
Just walk and let him go. 

606
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,120
Hey, buddy over here. 
He'll do it. 

607
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,480
He wants you in the direction 
He's called you far more than 

608
00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,240
you want to be there. 
I promise you, when God gives 

609
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,400
Joshua a new assignment, it's 
not just the assignment he gets.

610
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,720
What he gives him alongside that
assignment is just as important.

611
00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,040
He was never meant to succeed 
Moses by himself. 

612
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:33,400
He had elders, he had priests, 
he had leaders over tribes. 

613
00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,960
He had people that would help 
carry the responsibility with 

614
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:37,280
Him. 
My presence was never meant to 

615
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,560
produce isolation. 
Well, God has promised that he'd

616
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,800
give me His presence, so I'll 
just sit alone with Him. 

617
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:44,640
Courage. 
Within Community is. 

618
00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,600
Hard but Joshua. 
Did have strong? 

619
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,080
Leadership. 
But the reason he had strong 

620
00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,800
leadership was because he had a 
shared leadership. 

621
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,360
God does not advance his Kingdom
through solitary heroes. 

622
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,040
Even the heroes of the Old 
Testament all had people that 

623
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,720
played a role in their lives. 
It always advances through 

624
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,560
faithful people moving together.
And that's not just the Old 

625
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:08,000
Testament we sat there in in the
first part of the sermon, but 

626
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:11,120
the same pattern actually 
becomes undeniable when you 

627
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:12,680
start to watch the ministry of 
Jesus. 

628
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:16,560
He kind of perfected it. 
Go to Mark chapter 6. 

629
00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:18,840
We'll be there in just a moment.
When Jesus begins to send his 

630
00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:20,920
disciples out, He does not send 
them individually. 

631
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:23,280
We do. 
This don't we? 

632
00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,680
We send. 
People out, ambassadors from the

633
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,520
country or something like that. 
We do send people individually 

634
00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:30,840
in Mark 6. 
It's one of the clearest 

635
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,680
examples that Jesus gathers the 
12 and he sends them out two by 

636
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:37,760
two. 
In fact, if you've ever been 

637
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,680
here, when? 
We do altar ministry or prayer 

638
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,840
at the end of a service. 
You don't even see them here one

639
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,440
at a time, do you? 
They're here 2 by two because we

640
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:50,920
minister together. 
Now He gives them his authority 

641
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,120
and a shared mission. 
And I want you to understand 

642
00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,360
that if Jesus wanted to, he 
could have sent them out alone. 

643
00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:58,800
He could have sent them with 
angels and ministering spirits. 

644
00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,120
He could have empowered them to 
carry it on their own. 

645
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,920
He could have emphasized their 
independence and their personal 

646
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:08,200
strengths and their individual 
gifts, but he. 

647
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,760
Intentionally paired them. 
Together listen to this in Mark 

648
00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,360
six first verse. 
Jesus left that part of the 

649
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,560
country and returned with his 
disciples to Nazareth, his 

650
00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:21,120
hometown. 
This will relate to some of you.

651
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,760
The next Sabbath he began 
teaching in the synagogue and 

652
00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:29,680
many who heard him were amazed. 
They asked where did he get all 

653
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,400
this wisdom and the power to 
perform such miracles. 

654
00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:33,840
Well, that sounds really good, 
right? 

655
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,920
That's just it's half the quote 
then they. 

656
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,240
Scoffed like he's just. 
A Carpenter, he's the son of 

657
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,000
Mary, the brother of James, 
Joseph, Judas and Simon and his 

658
00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:45,600
sisters live right here among 
us. 

659
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,520
It says they were deeply 
offended and refused to believe 

660
00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:52,680
in him. 
And then Jesus told them a 

661
00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,920
prophet is honored everywhere 
except in his own hometown and 

662
00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,440
among his relatives and his own 
family. 

663
00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,840
And because of their unbelief. 
He couldn't do any miracles 

664
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,200
among them, except to place his 
hands on a few sick people and 

665
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,639
heal them. 
And. 

666
00:34:09,639 --> 00:34:11,719
He was amazed at. 
Their own belief. 

667
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,080
It's such a crazy story to me 
because it starts with them 

668
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,639
being amazed at his teaching. 
Wow, God's really moving through

669
00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:17,360
you. 
But. 

670
00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:22,159
I watched you grow up. 
I remember who you were before 

671
00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:25,600
you were this Jesus so. 
There's no way God's. 

672
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,400
Moving through you now. 
Do you all understand how much I

673
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,600
love this church? 
I love watching people come to 

674
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,600
this church, often times not 
knowing what they're doing, not 

675
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,480
knowing what they believe, 
searching for God and then 

676
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,800
grabbing a hold of the call that
God has for them. 

677
00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,920
And then I love watching them 
share their story with people 

678
00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:44,520
and people go. 
I would have never thought that 

679
00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:45,880
you walked through that kind of 
valley. 

680
00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:50,920
Yeah, I know, but God I. 
Love seeing that it's the 

681
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,440
Kingdom. 
In action now listen to this 

682
00:34:53,679 --> 00:34:56,120
over familiarity will sometimes 
block you from seeing what God 

683
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,560
is doing but the but the very 
next verse it says then Jesus 

684
00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:03,320
went from village to village 
teaching the people and. 

685
00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,960
Then he called his 12 disciples.
Together and began sending them 

686
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,720
out two by two, giving them 
authority to cast out evil 

687
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:12,640
spirits. 
He told them to take. 

688
00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,040
Nothing for their journey except
a walking stick. 

689
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,440
No food, no traveller's bag, no 
money. 

690
00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:24,320
He allowed them to wear sandals,
but not to take a change of 

691
00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:30,480
clothes. 
Wherever you go, he said. 

692
00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,440
Stay in the same house until you
leave town, but if any place 

693
00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,400
refuses you to welcome you, or 
refuses to welcome you or listen

694
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:39,960
to you, shake its dust from your
feet as you leave to show that 

695
00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:41,480
you've abandoned those people to
your fate. 

696
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:44,960
So the disciples went out, 
telling everyone they met to 

697
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:46,600
repent of their sins and turn to
God. 

698
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,320
You can see both through the 
family filter, and you can also 

699
00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:53,560
see it through the filter of 
people who won't receive you. 

700
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,040
There is an exit point. 
Some of us feel trapped because 

701
00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,400
we are perpetually ministering 
to somebody that is not 

702
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,000
accepting it. 
And God has asked you to shake 

703
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,880
some dust off your sandal. 
Now be sure before you do this. 

704
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:08,240
But Jesus. 
Sends them into. 

705
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:11,800
Unfamiliar towns, he purposely 
sends them into places that they

706
00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,520
will face rejection and 
spiritual resistance. 

707
00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,200
And a lot of times we say, well,
God has called me to minister to

708
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,120
this person. 
You go over there and you say I 

709
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:20,480
need to tell you about the 
gospel. 

710
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,240
And they say, kick rocks. 
And you go, oh, thanks. 

711
00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:26,840
And you go, God, I thought I 
heard you. 

712
00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,880
Our assumption is that if God 
has called us to something, it 

713
00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,240
will work out the way that we 
feel it will work out. 

714
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,480
Jesus said if. 
They reject you. 

715
00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,440
You know what that means? 
Sometimes they'll reject you. 

716
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,680
Be obedient anyway. 
It's part of the call. 

717
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:46,920
Why did you send them out two by
two? 

718
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,000
When you get rejected, is it 
not? 

719
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,640
Easier to have somebody that you
can go to when things are hard. 

720
00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:56,560
When you're carrying a heavy 
burden, isn't it better to carry

721
00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,840
it together? 
Jesus knew that they were going 

722
00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:01,400
to need support. 
When their faith was stretched 

723
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:04,200
and being sent together was not 
just a strategy for efficiency. 

724
00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:06,880
And it wasn't the Billy Graham 
rule, because Billy Graham 

725
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:11,280
wasn't even invented yet. 
It was a safeguard for. 

726
00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:16,400
Faithfulness to the gospel. 
Luke reinforces this even more. 

727
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,840
I'm just going to read you one 
verse from Luke chapter 10 when 

728
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,120
Jesus expands the mission beyond
the 12. 

729
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,000
So he starts with sending the 12
out two by two. 

730
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,360
He doesn't change the method. 
Listen to this in verse one. 

731
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,800
It says the Lord chose 72 other 
disciples and sent them ahead in

732
00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,840
pairs. 
Where did he send them? 

733
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,480
To all the towns and places he 
planned to visit. 

734
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,400
Now this is important as we 
embrace our role in the Great 

735
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:46,080
Commission. 
Where did he send them? 

736
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,720
To all the places he planned to 
set foot himself. 

737
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,960
Now if Jesus. 
Were to come down and say. 

738
00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:57,400
I want you to go to, I don't 
know this address in Newport 

739
00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,880
because I'm going to go there 
next week, but I want you to go 

740
00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:02,920
and tell them about me. 
I would do it because it's 

741
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,400
Jesus, but I would have this 
thought of Jesus. 

742
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,560
I'm not going to be able to do a
better job than you will. 

743
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,400
If you're going to go there, 
they're going to get the 

744
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,760
experience from you yourself. 
They don't need me to go. 

745
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:22,000
We church are the forerunners, 
we are John the Baptist like we 

746
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:23,360
were talking about just a week 
ago. 

747
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,600
We are the heralds, we are the 
ones that are declaring prepare 

748
00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:29,520
the way for the Lord. 
We set the scene, we let them 

749
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,240
see the goodness of God in our 
lives. 

750
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,600
So when God himself shows up, 
they understand that there is a 

751
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,040
way. 
And all too often we don't do a 

752
00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:40,560
good job of being the forerunner
because we've already received 

753
00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,280
salvation and comfort and we 
know that our eternity is secure

754
00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:46,040
and it's safer to just sit in 
here. 

755
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:49,400
And sure, this carpet's a little
dated right now, but it's safe 

756
00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:52,920
in here. 
It's easy to be here when you're

757
00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:54,880
a Christian. 
It's harder to be talking about 

758
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,880
Jesus in the middle of target, 
but give it a shot. 

759
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,760
The other thing I want to say 
this is before I I move on to 

760
00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:06,840
the next Scripture is this Jesus
knew something that we often 

761
00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,560
forget. 
Isolation weakens your 

762
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:14,120
discernment. 
You may feel like to shut 

763
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:18,000
yourself away from community, 
that you'll get better 

764
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,640
discernment, and there's a lot 
of merit to going and being 

765
00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:25,440
alone to the Lord. 
But you do remember right that 

766
00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:27,240
in. 
The garden, Before there was any

767
00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:31,280
sin, God looked at Adam and said
it's not good for man to be 

768
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,800
alone after creating everything 
and saying well that's good and 

769
00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,760
that's good and that's good. 
Oh, the plants are good, the 

770
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:42,440
animals are good. 
It wasn't sinful. 

771
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:43,840
But it wasn't. 
Good. 

772
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:51,400
Isolation weakens discernment. 
Here's why isolation magnifies 

773
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,280
fear. 
Isolation distorts your calling.

774
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:57,040
How do you put? 
Your spiritual. 

775
00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,520
Gifts to work when you know that
every spiritual gift that you've

776
00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,640
been given is designed for 
someone else, but you're. 

777
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:08,320
Isolated SO. 
It reminds us that the mission 

778
00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:09,880
is bigger. 
Than our personalities and our 

779
00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,400
doubts and our strengths and 
yes, even our preferences. 

780
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,920
When Jesus sends people out in 
pairs, he's saying that the work

781
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:18,000
of the Kingdom is too important 
to do alone. 

782
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:23,280
And I'm a guy. 
So I understand this. 

783
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,120
I'd like to minimize steps. 
How many of us, when we get back

784
00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:28,200
from the grocery store, should 
take three trips? 

785
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,720
But we're like, I got it. 
And then we walk this way. 

786
00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,240
I do it all the time. 
I get up to the front door and 

787
00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:40,360
then I just kick the bottom of 
the front door. 

788
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,000
Look at how capable I am. 
Can somebody? 

789
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:49,800
Please open the door for me. 
Listen to me. 

790
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:52,480
If that's you. 
Spiritually, I want you to hear.

791
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:53,800
Something from the bottom of my 
heart. 

792
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,680
God loves you, but He's not. 
Impressed. 

793
00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:01,280
He is not impressed at how much 
you. 

794
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:02,960
Feel like you can take on your 
own. 

795
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:05,560
Not when he already sent his son
to take everything on his 

796
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,480
shoulders so that you wouldn't 
have to take any of it. 

797
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:12,080
So work together. 
This is normally used in 

798
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,480
weddings and it's a beautiful 
scripture to use in weddings, 

799
00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:16,280
but it wasn't designed to be a 
wedding verse. 

800
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,680
Ecclesiastes. 
Chapter 4. 

801
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:22,600
Verse 9 Two people are better 
off than one, for they can help 

802
00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:25,480
each other succeed. 
If one person fails, the other 

803
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:27,360
can reach out and help. 
But someone who falls alone is 

804
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,760
in real trouble, especially if 
they're carrying the groceries 

805
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:33,520
up the steps, right? 
Likewise 2 people lying. 

806
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,760
Close together can keep each 
other warm, but how can one be 

807
00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,520
warm alone? 
A person standing alone can be 

808
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,680
attacked and defeated, but two 
can stand. 

809
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,480
Back-to-back and. 
Conquer and three are even 

810
00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,200
better for a triple braided cord
is not easily broken. 

811
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,560
And in case you're curious and 
you've not been to a Christian 

812
00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:51,760
wedding, we normally mention 
that the third in in the 

813
00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:53,760
marriages is the Lord Jesus 
himself. 

814
00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,080
OK, because we do believe two 
people. 

815
00:41:56,160 --> 00:41:59,480
OK, It describes how one person 
can be attacked and defeated, 

816
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:01,760
but two can stand back-to-back 
and they can conquer because 

817
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:03,160
they're looking out for each 
other. 

818
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:07,240
This speaks both to protection 
for one another and progress. 

819
00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:09,840
You don't just stand there and 
when somebody attacks you, you 

820
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,040
stab them, but you stay 
back-to-back so you never get 

821
00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:14,600
hurt. 
It says you conquer together, 

822
00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:18,280
which means not only do you 
protect one another, but you 

823
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,280
advance the Kingdom, but you got
to be together for it. 

824
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,280
And This is why the church has 
always been essential to God's 

825
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,920
mission. 
I don't know about you, but as a

826
00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,520
pastor, I've often looked at 
people, including myself, and 

827
00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:33,120
thought, God, there has got to 
be a better way for you to push 

828
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,800
your Kingdom forward because I 
fail all the time. 

829
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:39,520
I am highly aware of all the 
places that I fall and when my 

830
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,400
motives are off and all of this.
There's got to be a better 

831
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:45,160
method than what you're doing 
with all of us broken people. 

832
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:50,120
And he says I like it. 
Keep going forward. 

833
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:51,800
But. 
God, I just screwed up. 

834
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:52,920
Yeah. 
Don't do that again. 

835
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,760
Keep walking, keep moving 
forward and do it together. 

836
00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:00,600
All right, I said we were going 
to talk about this. 

837
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,320
Has anybody heard about the 
Jesus movement of the 70s and 

838
00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:04,560
80s? 
They've made some movies about 

839
00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:05,640
it recently. 
Just show of hands. 

840
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,920
Anybody familiar with it? 
OK, It didn't begin in a church 

841
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,560
building. 
Now a lot of times this. 

842
00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:13,600
Is our key evangelistic? 
Method isn't it? 

843
00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:18,880
It took me 5 months but I prayed
for the courage and I said do 

844
00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,520
you want? 
To go to church one Sunday. 

845
00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:25,080
And then and then you run to the
pastor and you say, my friend 

846
00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:26,920
that I've been wanting to invite
for a long time is coming. 

847
00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:34,040
So make it real good. 
I was going to phone it in like 

848
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:35,960
last. 
Week, but all right, I'll make 

849
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,080
this one good. 
So it's a great start. 

850
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:40,520
Get them here, get them in 
community. 

851
00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:44,640
But what I am trying to tell you
is this, a lot of the best moves

852
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:46,640
of God don't start inside of a 
church building. 

853
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:48,880
This is a great place for His 
people to come together and get 

854
00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:51,920
united and equipped and armed 
for battle together. 

855
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:54,240
But a lot of the movements 
happen elsewhere. 

856
00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:56,680
Actually, some of you will love 
hearing this. 

857
00:43:56,680 --> 00:44:01,120
The Jesus movement primarily 
started on beaches, so some of 

858
00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:02,640
you are. 
Like I know my evangelism for 

859
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:06,520
next year. 
It also began in living rooms 

860
00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:09,320
and in broken communities, and 
there were young people who at 

861
00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:15,200
the time were known as hippies. 
They were searching for a lot of

862
00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:19,000
meaning. 
The 70s were really rough on 

863
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,880
this country from what I 
understand and. 

864
00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:27,400
The young people of this era 
didn't trust. 

865
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:28,920
Systems. 
What that meant was they didn't 

866
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:32,720
trust the government and they 
didn't trust organized religion.

867
00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:36,560
They had a lot of questions and 
they had a lot of doubts. 

868
00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:42,520
Some of them you ready for this?
Some of them were high when they

869
00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:49,160
first heard about Jesus. 
I'm not endorsing being high, 

870
00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,040
just in case anybody wants to 
take that out of context. 

871
00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:55,400
Their thing is this. 
They wanted. 

872
00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:59,000
To know truth. 
And they weren't cleaned up and 

873
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,520
polished and sparkling when they
pursued it. 

874
00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:04,840
A lot of them were coming out of
addictions or broken families or

875
00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:09,800
confusion, and God met them. 
One of the unexpected leaders 

876
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:12,160
during that time was a man by 
the name of Chuck Smith. 

877
00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,560
He was a traditional pastor. 
This is the movie that was done 

878
00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:18,280
recently, but he was a 
traditional pastor who felt 

879
00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,400
completely unprepared for what 
God was doing. 

880
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:22,320
He didn't understand the culture
of the youth. 

881
00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:29,840
Don't act like you do. 
He didn't like the music of the 

882
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:31,280
youth. 
You don't have to pretend like 

883
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:34,480
you do. 
He didn't dress like them, but 

884
00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:37,880
he did open the door for them 
and at his. 

885
00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:41,040
Church, Calvary. 
Chapel young believers came 

886
00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:44,040
exactly like they were. 
They did not have to meet a 

887
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,760
dress code to come to church. 
They did not have to have a 

888
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:49,200
waiting period to get it all 
together or anything like that. 

889
00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:51,880
People showed up worshipping and
doubting at the same time. 

890
00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:54,360
And to me, that sounds a whole 
lot like Matthew 28. 

891
00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:56,840
So here's what's important about
this. 

892
00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,280
The movement didn't grow because
anyone was confident and it 

893
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:05,240
didn't grow because people had a
great like church curriculum 

894
00:46:05,240 --> 00:46:08,360
plan. 
It just happened because people 

895
00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:10,960
were hungry. 
I've heard stories from people 

896
00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:13,360
that came up in this time frame 
where they said you could open a

897
00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:16,000
newspaper and there would be 
listings for Bible studies in 

898
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:19,200
the community. 
You understand how wild this is?

899
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:22,640
You would open a newspaper and 
say, oh, there's a Bible study 

900
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:24,480
happening at this private 
residence. 

901
00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:27,520
I guess I'll go there and share 
my life with these people. 

902
00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:31,680
That's how hungry they were. 
How many of y'all would never do

903
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:35,600
this? 
Some of you are like, oh, I'd 

904
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:37,800
give it a shot. 
My son wouldn't do it. 

905
00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:40,640
Actually, my son told my wife a 
couple weeks ago. 

906
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:45,240
He said, mommy, I'm never going 
to get married and and she said 

907
00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:46,640
why? 
And he said I just don't trust 

908
00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:48,320
dating apps. 
He's 8. 

909
00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,600
He's 8 years old. 
I'm like, good, good. 

910
00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:58,000
That's good, son, don't trust 
them. 

911
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:01,760
And he said, yeah, that's how 
you get kidnapped. 

912
00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:16,080
Which made a lot of sense. 
Later on when he said, hey when 

913
00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:17,680
you guys die, can I have your 
house? 

914
00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:28,080
He has a long term plan here. 
Look, I feel very confident he 

915
00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:30,000
will have a good life in the 
Lord whether he choose to get 

916
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:33,440
married or not, but I am glad 
he's not already thinking about 

917
00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:36,120
settling down right now. 
I'm I'm OK if we wait. 

918
00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:39,560
Listen, people were. 
So hungry, they were willing to.

919
00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:41,320
Go places they've never been 
before. 

920
00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:45,560
We're only hungry enough today. 
We're. 

921
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:47,040
Hungry enough? 
We're hungry enough. 

922
00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:50,520
To get to a church or to go to 
maybe a small group, but we're 

923
00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:53,160
not hungry enough to go and 
encounter God in places that are

924
00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,360
scary. 
That we don't have a a defined 

925
00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,640
outcome with no guarantee. 
And I say this as somebody whose

926
00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:01,440
life is dominated by things that
happen in a local church. 

927
00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,040
It's harder for me to find time 
to get out and go into other 

928
00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,480
places, but I'm so glad when I 
do it. 

929
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:08,760
Last year, to get to be a part 
of the jump start prison 

930
00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:12,520
ministry changed me to go and do
something I had never done 

931
00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:13,960
before. 
Once you commit to something, 

932
00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,000
you don't have to do it forever.
You might say, well, I would do 

933
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:18,760
it, but I'm a little scared. 
Do it scared. 

934
00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:24,000
Try something new I want you. 
To know that people who never 

935
00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:26,800
thought they had. 
A gift discovered their gift 

936
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,760
because they were standing next 
to people in the church that 

937
00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:30,240
already knew about spiritual 
gifts. 

938
00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:34,400
The Jesus movement was 
incredible and there was no 

939
00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:37,320
master plan. 
There was No 5 steps to being a 

940
00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:38,720
good Christian that they 
followed. 

941
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,280
A lot of church leaders around 
the time actually criticized it,

942
00:48:42,280 --> 00:48:44,520
and they criticized the churches
that would open the doors to the

943
00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:47,440
hippies they said it was too. 
Messy. 

944
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:50,080
Too emotional it. 
Was too unstructured and and 

945
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:51,560
God. 
We should have it structured for

946
00:48:51,560 --> 00:48:53,120
God because he likes things neat
and tidy. 

947
00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:54,640
It's like trying to prepare your
house. 

948
00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:57,720
Your house is never clean until 
somebody's coming over, right? 

949
00:48:57,720 --> 00:49:00,320
And then it's like, you'd better
go and scrub this living room. 

950
00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:03,320
Your kids are like, why Mom we. 
Never do it. 

951
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:06,280
That's what we feel like we need
to do. 

952
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,080
You want to get in God's 
presence, get cleaned up. 

953
00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:10,680
It's not scriptural, though. 
There's a problem with that. 

954
00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:15,360
I do want to ask this if you 
are. 

955
00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:17,640
Here today and you. 
Were influenced by the Jesus 

956
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:18,800
movement. 
Would you put your hand up for 

957
00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:22,160
just a moment and everybody else
look around because these people

958
00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:25,680
who were influenced by the Jesus
movement, they have stories. 

959
00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:27,920
Talk to them about it. 
OK? 

960
00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:29,760
Talk to them about those 
stories. 

961
00:49:30,440 --> 00:49:33,200
That movement is what reshaped 
modern worship. 

962
00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:36,880
Thank you. 
It reshaped how small groups. 

963
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:38,480
Happen. 
Evangelism. 

964
00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:42,120
It reshaped church culture, and 
it didn't happen because there 

965
00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:43,560
was one leader with all the 
answers. 

966
00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:45,880
It happened because people were 
ready to step into God's 

967
00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:51,000
assignment together. 
So as we talk about being. 

968
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,720
Sent together. 
This matters more right now than

969
00:49:53,720 --> 00:49:56,600
most of us realize, and this is 
really what I wanted to get to. 

970
00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:59,920
There is, believe it or not, a 
quiet shift that is happening in

971
00:49:59,920 --> 00:50:01,520
the generation that's coming up 
today. 

972
00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:04,640
I want you to know that we're 
going to miss it if we don't pay

973
00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:08,960
attention, but if we get this 
right, we can be a bridge to 

974
00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:12,200
connect the next generation with
the goodness of God that we've 

975
00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,920
lived in. 
I've got some studies to share 

976
00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:16,400
with you. 
Multiple studies are pointing in

977
00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,520
the same direction. 
The Barna group, a lot of people

978
00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:19,840
have heard of that. 
The Barna group released 

979
00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:22,760
research showing Gen. 
Z is less likely than previous 

980
00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:26,440
generations to abuse alcohol. 
They are less likely to use 

981
00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:28,680
drugs and more likely to 
describe themselves as 

982
00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:33,440
spiritually curious now. 
A lot of us, we hear things like

983
00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:35,000
that we're. 
Like spiritually curious. 

984
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,480
I'm Christian and I'm proud. 
I'm happy for you. 

985
00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:39,760
Go to somebody who's spiritually
curious. 

986
00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:44,480
Don't make them feel stupid for 
being spiritually curious and 

987
00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:46,000
help them as they. 
Find their way to the one true 

988
00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:47,600
God. 
He'll get found out. 

989
00:50:47,600 --> 00:50:52,840
He's the only one. 
They ask deeper questions than 

990
00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:55,040
we did growing. 
Up I don't know if you know this

991
00:50:55,040 --> 00:50:57,080
or not, but Gen. 
X was not known for asking 

992
00:50:57,080 --> 00:51:02,800
really deep spiritual questions.
This generation is less 

993
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:04,480
impressed by image and. 
Performance. 

994
00:51:04,760 --> 00:51:07,800
There is a massive decline in 
attendance in mega church 

995
00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:10,880
culture in America. 
They're not thrilled with it. 

996
00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:14,280
They want genuine relationships 
and they're trying to find out 

997
00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:16,920
how it happens. 
That's the Barner group. 

998
00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:20,560
The Pew Research Center also saw
this from a different angle. 

999
00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:23,520
While Gen. 
Z might be cautious about 

1000
00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:26,040
institutions and organized 
religion, they are highly 

1001
00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:30,440
inquisitive about what meaning 
of life is, what identity is, 

1002
00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:33,160
about justice and finding a 
place that they belong. 

1003
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:36,400
They're not rejecting faith 
because they're rebellious. 

1004
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:39,280
A lot of them are just hesitant 
because they want something that

1005
00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:41,120
can actually hold weight in the 
real world. 

1006
00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:44,000
And when they hear a message or 
they hear a church service and 

1007
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:47,080
it doesn't apply to the everyday
life that they're living, why do

1008
00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:50,440
I need to go there and hear it? 
And it's hard to come. 

1009
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:53,240
Up with a good answer for them. 
They want to know why to 

1010
00:51:53,240 --> 00:51:55,040
believe, and not just what to 
believe. 

1011
00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:59,240
Can you blame them? 
And here's what might surprise 

1012
00:51:59,240 --> 00:52:00,960
some of us. 
But it was also encouraging. 

1013
00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,040
Studies from the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention 

1014
00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:07,400
show that teen drug use and 
alcohol consumption are 

1015
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:11,200
significantly lower than they 
were in previous generations at 

1016
00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:13,200
the same age. 
That doesn't mean there aren't 

1017
00:52:13,200 --> 00:52:14,440
struggles. 
It doesn't mean there's not 

1018
00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:17,360
people that struggle with that. 
It means that the narrative that

1019
00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:23,040
everything's getting worse isn't
entirely true unless you watch 

1020
00:52:23,040 --> 00:52:27,440
the news in many. 
Ways I want you to hear me. 

1021
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:32,520
On this, this generation is more
open, more reflective, and more 

1022
00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,240
willing to ask spiritual 
questions than our generations 

1023
00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:37,840
were, and that should encourage 
us and. 

1024
00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:38,800
Not Intimidate. 
US. 

1025
00:52:39,680 --> 00:52:43,680
But this is the problem this 
generation as they come up, they

1026
00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:45,760
don't always show up the way 
that we would expect or want 

1027
00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:48,520
them to they don't talk the way 
that we talk. 

1028
00:52:49,480 --> 00:52:54,080
I had a a niece who received us 
a Skippity toilet toy at 

1029
00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:56,960
Christmas. 
I'm vaguely aware of the. 

1030
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:00,000
Reference I don't want. 
To understand it, I'll just be 

1031
00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:02,120
honest with you. 
But I want to understand my 

1032
00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:04,840
niece. 
They don't. 

1033
00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:06,640
Talk the way that we're used to.
They don't. 

1034
00:53:06,640 --> 00:53:08,560
Come with all the answers lined 
up neatly. 

1035
00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:11,760
Sometimes they worship. 
And doubt at the same. 

1036
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:13,240
Time. 
Is that OK? 

1037
00:53:14,720 --> 00:53:16,560
Sometimes they. 
Belong before they fully 

1038
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:19,480
believe. 
And if we're not careful, we 

1039
00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,560
will mistake the differences 
between us for disinterest on 

1040
00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:24,640
their part. 
They're not disinterested, 

1041
00:53:25,640 --> 00:53:28,520
they're just different. 
Jesus. 

1042
00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:31,720
Never made that mistake. 
This is where I want us to. 

1043
00:53:31,720 --> 00:53:33,040
All slow down and listen to the 
words. 

1044
00:53:33,040 --> 00:53:37,160
Of Jesus Matthew Chapter 9. 
This is well. 

1045
00:53:37,160 --> 00:53:38,520
Used especially when it comes 
to. 

1046
00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:45,080
Missionaries, Matthew 9, verse 
35, Jesus travelled through all 

1047
00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:47,160
the towns and villages of that 
area. 

1048
00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:50,600
He's teaching in the synagogues 
and announcing the good news 

1049
00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:52,800
about the Kingdom. 
And he healed every kind of 

1050
00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:55,840
disease and illness. 
And when he saw the crowds, he 

1051
00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:59,360
had compassion on them. 
There's that compassion because 

1052
00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:02,280
they were confused and helpless.
He looked at them and he didn't 

1053
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:05,280
say they don't care. 
This new generation, they don't 

1054
00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:07,080
understand. 
He just said they're confused. 

1055
00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:10,400
It says like. 
Sheep without a shepherd. 

1056
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:13,640
And so he said to. 
His disciples the harvest. 

1057
00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:18,440
Is great but the workers are 
few, so pray to the Lord. 

1058
00:54:18,440 --> 00:54:21,400
Who's in charge of the? 
Harvest ask him to send more 

1059
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:24,880
workers into his fields. 
This is where Jesus looks into 

1060
00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:25,800
the. 
Crowds and he sees their. 

1061
00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:29,680
Confusion and their hunger. 
And he sees that the harvest is 

1062
00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:31,640
plentiful but the workers are 
few. 

1063
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:34,840
Which is a shame, isn't it? 
The picture I got as I was 

1064
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:39,360
preparing for this was a huge 
field ready to be harvested, 

1065
00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:43,040
with a few people harvesting it 
and a lot of people standing in 

1066
00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:45,240
the middle of the field just 
eating. 

1067
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:49,920
But if we harvest it, we can 
then feed the. 

1068
00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:54,000
People who aren't in the field, 
the harvest is plentiful. 

1069
00:54:54,840 --> 00:54:57,240
He didn't say that the members 
of the Kingdom are few. 

1070
00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:01,560
He said the workers are few and 
we've all got something we got 

1071
00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:04,040
to do. 
This is. 

1072
00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:05,800
Why even though I know some 
people? 

1073
00:55:05,800 --> 00:55:07,480
Get sick of hearing unity 
messages? 

1074
00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:11,840
This is why it matters. 
The next generation is not a 

1075
00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:15,160
problem to be solved. 
They are a field to be loved. 

1076
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,680
And Jesus's solution has never 
changed. 

1077
00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:19,800
He doesn't send perfect people, 
He sends us. 

1078
00:55:21,920 --> 00:55:24,000
It's why the church can't 
retreat into comfort or. 

1079
00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:25,400
Nostalgia. 
We've got to get some new 

1080
00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:28,320
stories. 
This is why the Church. 

1081
00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,400
Has to move. 
Forward and I want you to know 

1082
00:55:30,400 --> 00:55:32,480
we are primed for it. 
The future of the church is 

1083
00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:35,480
growing. 
It's not shrinking if we're 

1084
00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:37,240
willing to move. 
Together and listen well and. 

1085
00:55:37,240 --> 00:55:40,000
Love the right way. 
I mean that invitation to the 

1086
00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,160
early disciples is the same way 
that we get an invitation today.

1087
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,000
One of the last things we have 
to settle in our hearts is this 

1088
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:47,200
truth. 
And I want you to know this 

1089
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:50,320
before we leave today. 
Obedience does not guarantee 

1090
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:53,280
that ending that you expect. 
I mentioned this earlier. 

1091
00:55:53,320 --> 00:55:54,800
I really want to drive this 
home. 

1092
00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:59,320
There's something in the story 
of Cool Runnings that was true 

1093
00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:01,360
to what happened when they were 
in the Olympics. 

1094
00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:03,960
And here is your final spoiler 
for the movie. 

1095
00:56:04,040 --> 00:56:06,960
But it's a big one, I would say,
if you don't want to hear it. 

1096
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:07,960
Plug your ears, but then you'll 
miss. 

1097
00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:09,320
Part of the sermon. 
So just listen. 

1098
00:56:10,800 --> 00:56:13,360
They don't win. 
They don't get any medals. 

1099
00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:14,640
They don't. 
Even place they don't get. 

1100
00:56:14,640 --> 00:56:17,080
A bronze, as a matter of fact. 
They crash. 

1101
00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:21,320
And when they crash and that 
bobsled. 

1102
00:56:21,320 --> 00:56:25,320
Tips over, they get out. 
Of the bobsled. 

1103
00:56:25,840 --> 00:56:29,840
And together, every member of 
that team picks up the sled and 

1104
00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:35,360
they walk across the finish line
dead last, but they finish 

1105
00:56:35,840 --> 00:56:38,960
together. 
Now, do you think it was the 

1106
00:56:38,960 --> 00:56:42,640
fact that they were Jamaicans 
doing bobsled that inspired the 

1107
00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:44,800
movie? 
Or do you think it was that 

1108
00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:47,920
inspirational act as they cross 
the finish line together that 

1109
00:56:47,920 --> 00:56:51,520
made somebody say that's got to 
be a movie it was finishing 

1110
00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:55,160
together and because. 
They finished together. 

1111
00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:58,640
The whole world took notice. 
I would venture to say that 

1112
00:56:58,640 --> 00:57:01,080
that's more valuable than a gold
medal ever really is. 

1113
00:57:02,680 --> 00:57:04,640
The Kingdom of God. 
Works like that a lot more than 

1114
00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:05,240
we. 
Realize. 

1115
00:57:05,720 --> 00:57:08,160
So I want to encourage you if 
you feel like what you're doing 

1116
00:57:08,160 --> 00:57:12,720
doesn't bear fruit. 
Only God can discern that When 

1117
00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:15,360
Jesus gave the Great Commission,
He never promised his followers 

1118
00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:16,880
how it would end for them 
personally. 

1119
00:57:17,600 --> 00:57:20,920
He promised his presence and his
authority and his purpose to 

1120
00:57:20,920 --> 00:57:23,160
them. 
History tells us that 10 of the 

1121
00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:25,680
12 disciples were eventually 
martyred. 

1122
00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:28,440
Obviously, Judas. 
We know his story. 

1123
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:32,440
John made it to the end 
according. 

1124
00:57:32,440 --> 00:57:34,720
To history and. 
Church legend. 

1125
00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:39,280
James was executed by a sword. 
Peter was crucified upside down.

1126
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:44,680
Andrew was bound to a cross. 
Thomas was killed by Spears. 

1127
00:57:45,360 --> 00:57:47,480
Matthew was killed while he was 
preaching. 

1128
00:57:48,720 --> 00:57:50,680
Bartholomew was. 
Flayed to death. 

1129
00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:54,400
Simon. 
Was sawed in two. 

1130
00:57:55,600 --> 00:58:00,080
Thaddeus was beaten to death and
Philip was prisoned, imprisoned 

1131
00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:03,960
and then executed. 
Now when you look at this team 

1132
00:58:03,960 --> 00:58:06,960
assembled by the Lord, Judas 
falls out. 

1133
00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:10,000
John makes it to the end, writes
the Book of Revelation. 

1134
00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:11,360
Although he's a little 
disfigured, right? 

1135
00:58:12,760 --> 00:58:14,320
And all of these guys get 
killed. 

1136
00:58:14,640 --> 00:58:17,840
It would be easy to look at this
and say that team failed. 

1137
00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:23,040
But did it we? 
Have the scriptures because they

1138
00:58:23,040 --> 00:58:25,680
were faithful to the end. 
We have the Gospel because they 

1139
00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:27,760
didn't abandoned their 
assignment when it became costly

1140
00:58:27,760 --> 00:58:30,640
or it became difficult. 
Whole regions of the Roman world

1141
00:58:30,640 --> 00:58:33,120
heard the name of Jesus because 
they were willing to walk into 

1142
00:58:33,120 --> 00:58:35,960
new territories. 
They refused to quit and they 

1143
00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:39,400
refused to redefine what success
looks like by comfort or by 

1144
00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:42,280
having a long ministry. 
The Kingdom didn't advance 

1145
00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:43,680
because everything went 
according to plan. 

1146
00:58:43,680 --> 00:58:45,680
It advanced because they 
listened to God and they did 

1147
00:58:45,680 --> 00:58:49,920
what he said. 
Now, most of us aren't going to 

1148
00:58:49,920 --> 00:58:53,280
be flayed to death. 
Most of us aren't going to find 

1149
00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:54,880
ourselves in a situation like 
that. 

1150
00:58:55,280 --> 00:58:58,000
But I do want you to know this. 
You don't get to choose how the 

1151
00:58:58,000 --> 00:59:01,240
assignment ends and you don't 
get to control the outcome. 

1152
00:59:01,640 --> 00:59:04,520
When God says, share my word 
with this person, you don't get 

1153
00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:07,680
to have a guarantee that that 
person will have everything go 

1154
00:59:07,680 --> 00:59:10,400
right for them. 
When God says take this step, 

1155
00:59:10,440 --> 00:59:13,040
you don't get a guarantee. 
When God says don't you dare 

1156
00:59:13,040 --> 00:59:15,720
take a step, you don't get to 
have a guarantee. 

1157
00:59:16,640 --> 00:59:17,920
You get to have obedience to 
them. 

1158
00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:21,400
We don't get to control the 
outcome. 

1159
00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:23,720
We don't always get the vision 
and the clarity that we would 

1160
00:59:23,720 --> 00:59:25,360
like, but I want you to know 
this. 

1161
00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:29,280
Don't assume that the purpose of
your assignment is based off of 

1162
00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:33,120
how it feels right now. 
I have three people that I put 

1163
00:59:33,120 --> 00:59:37,040
on a list that I was praying to 
know the Lord probably 21 years 

1164
00:59:37,040 --> 00:59:39,000
ago. 
Two of them do know the Lord 

1165
00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:41,600
now. 
It used to be that I felt like a

1166
00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:44,680
failure because of that one, but
I have done what I can for that 

1167
00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,800
one. 
And at some point the Lord said,

1168
00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:50,160
shake the dust off your feet. 
And you know what that did? 

1169
00:59:50,240 --> 00:59:52,400
It cleared up space for me to. 
Turn around and then minister to

1170
00:59:52,400 --> 00:59:54,080
other people who want to be 
ministered to. 

1171
00:59:54,560 --> 00:59:57,760
You have an assignment. 
We hear God and do. 

1172
00:59:57,760 --> 00:59:59,840
What he says, that's what my. 
Spiritual grandfather used to 

1173
00:59:59,840 --> 01:00:03,240
say Ken Sumrall, but if I could 
add something. 

1174
01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:06,240
To it I would. 
Say hear what God says, trust 

1175
01:00:06,240 --> 01:00:10,080
him, and then do what He. 
Says if you. 

1176
01:00:10,080 --> 01:00:12,480
Trust Him, you will do what He 
says. 

1177
01:00:12,760 --> 01:00:15,200
If you don't trust Him, you'll 
never do it. 

1178
01:00:16,160 --> 01:00:17,640
Which I'll stand up. 
We can end this morning with 

1179
01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:17,920
worship.