1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,720 Maybe some of you made some New Year's resolutions. 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,280 I am not going to give you the depressing statistics on how 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,760 often those fail. Here's what I will tell you. 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,800 If you set a New Year's resolution for something, let's 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,520 say you decided this is the year 2026, I'm going to get fit. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:21,240 Finally, the number one, the number one factor as to whether 7 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:24,000 or not that's going to happen is who you spend your time with. 8 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,480 So, so if you want to get healthier, if you'll go spend 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,720 time with people that value that, it's amazing how that 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,880 suddenly gets a little better. A good buddy of mine, Oscar, 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,120 called me up. He said, I'm ready. 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,760 I'm finally ready to get fit. And he's like, when do you work 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,000 out? I was like 4:30 in the morning 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,240 and he's like, I'm coming. I was like, we're going to find 15 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,000 out. And so, you know, we were two 16 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,240 days in, he's like, I can't walk. 17 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,520 I was like, yeah, that's part of it. 18 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,280 OK, So anyways, who you spend your time with matters. 19 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,560 And so here's what I want to tell you in the, in the context 20 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,760 of this, if if you've begun to look at kind of your life and 21 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,040 this year and what's going on, you're like, man, I really want 22 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,920 a heart more like Jesus or I really want to pursue Jesus a 23 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:05,920 little bit more. I really want to deepen my 24 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,000 faith. Here's what I'm going to tell 25 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,040 you. The number one factor to whether 26 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,800 or not that's going to go well in 2026 is who you spend your 27 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,520 time with. You want to pursue Christ a 28 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:21,400 little bit more, get in to group community relationship with 29 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,640 people who love Jesus and love you and you will be amazed at 30 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,680 how much faster you're going to paddle that boat. 31 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,280 So sign up for a group or sign up the fill out and I'm new here 32 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,080 card or fill out just about anything. 33 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,160 And when we call you to follow up, tell them, hey, here's what 34 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,880 I feel like I need. And we will start working with 35 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,560 you on what does it look like to find people to do this with you 36 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,680 and you won't need people. Now we're kicking off a four 37 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,440 week series starting today for the month of January Called sent 38 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,840 just called sent. And here's why Jesus plan to 39 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:00,360 reach the entire world with the news of the gospel was his 40 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,680 church. So so go ahead and look around 41 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,000 you look left, look right, go ahead. 42 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,280 If you're sitting next to your spouse, this is a good time to 43 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:08,600 go. You look good. 44 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,680 They like compliments men. If you're single, don't don't 45 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,600 say that just yet unless you know they're going to be OK with 46 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,000 it. So look around you. 47 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,840 Look at everybody sitting in the pews. 48 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:29,160 Y'all ain't Plan B. This is the plan. 49 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,080 You're not spectators or an audience. 50 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,520 You're the plan. Say me, this is this is God's 51 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:38,960 plan. If you're going like what a 52 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,760 plan? He didn't make a mistake. 53 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,840 You're not the junior varsity. He chose you before the 54 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:50,640 foundations of the earth according to the Bible. 55 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,920 You're the plan. I want you to, I want you to 56 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:56,880 hold on to that because we want to talk a lot about it over the 57 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,000 course of this month. You're the hope of the world, 58 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,160 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 59 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,000 Now, different generations have called this different things. 60 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,880 Some generations might call this missions or evangelism or 61 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,720 testimony, or we're just going to call it sent. 62 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,640 For the next 4 weeks, we're going to be talking about being 63 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:14,400 sent because if you're a Christian, then you have been 64 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,760 sent to spread the good news of Christ. 65 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,880 And so for this today, we're going to talk about how Jesus 66 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,760 did it. And then for the next two weeks, 67 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,640 next week and the week after, we're going to have guest 68 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,160 speakers come in here from other churches that are specifically 69 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,480 kind of an expert in specific fields, talk about what it looks 70 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,720 like to reach a lost and broken world. 71 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,760 And there's some really good, I mean, you're going to enjoy the 72 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,480 next two weeks. Week 4, this is super important. 73 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:49,160 Week 4, January 25th, what date? We are not going to meet here. 74 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:55,480 We're going to have one service at 10 AM in the parking lot of 75 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,880 the Junketeque outlet. You better write that down or it 76 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:02,600 could be really lonely over here. 77 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,560 We're breaking out the COVID tent. 78 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,800 Hopefully it doesn't come with a pandemic. 79 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,440 And we're going to meet in the parking lot and then we have all 80 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,680 kinds of stuff afterwards, different ministry 81 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,360 opportunities. You can sign up for them already 82 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,760 right now in the lobby, but we're going to do those on that 83 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,720 day. So I don't want you to show up 84 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,600 and be really lonely here. We're going to be over there at 85 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,240 10 AM, OK? January 25th, That's one more 86 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,760 time. So do you hear me? 87 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,320 OK, over the next 4 weeks, we, we want to teach the doctrine of 88 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,840 what it looks like to be sent and we want to really get into 89 00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:37,440 the mission. And then we're just going to 90 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,320 continue to give you unapologetically opportunities 91 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,720 to partner with local partners, outreach organizations with us. 92 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,440 We have a massive emphasis in 2026 on action. 93 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:54,920 We want to get you in the game. Listen, I want you in the game 94 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:58,280 and Bakersfield needs you in the game. 95 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,440 So we're going to start our series today, week one in 96 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,960 Matthew 9, verses 35 through 38. And if you if you don't get 97 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:11,000 anything else out of today, I need you to get this one idea 98 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,960 that's nestled in here. And it's this. 99 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,640 You're not special, you're sacred. 100 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,800 You're not special, you're sacred. 101 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,200 And I'm going to explain what that means. 102 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,800 So let's start in Matthew 9. We're at the very end of the 103 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,480 chapter. All throughout the chapter, 104 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,440 Jesus has been doing miraculous healing. 105 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,120 He has healed blind men. He's healed a lame man. 106 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,880 He's taken a little girl who died, raised her to life. 107 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,480 He went and found a tax collector, which is about the 108 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,720 most ostracized physician in the 1st century, and he invited that 109 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,560 person to be his disciple. And then he casts a demon out of 110 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:49,480 a man. It's been an interesting 111 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:50,960 chapter. And then we're going to pick it 112 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,840 up right here in verse 35. Read with me and Jesus went 113 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:58,800 throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their 114 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,840 synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and 115 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:06,640 healing every disease and every affliction. 116 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:14,320 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they 117 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:18,400 were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 118 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:25,200 Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but 119 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:31,680 the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the 120 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:37,000 Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 121 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,080 You see a phrase here in verse 35 says gospel of the Kingdom. 122 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,400 So gospel if you're new, you never, I don't really know 123 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:47,600 what's going on this Bible thing. 124 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,440 Gospel just means good news, just means good news. 125 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:52,360 It's the good news of the Kingdom. 126 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:54,640 So. So what is the good news that 127 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,280 he's sharing about this Kingdom? Well, here in the 1st century, 128 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:05,000 the Israelites, God's, God's people had waited for a coming 129 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,520 Messiah or savior. In fact, all of the Old 130 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,320 Testament of the Bible had been promising, prophesying that 131 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,160 someone was coming to save the people, the Savior, this 132 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,880 Messiah. And so natural question maybe if 133 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,080 you're hearing that you don't know much about the Christian 134 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:26,840 faith is save them from what? Well, there are a lot of 135 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,880 prophecies that were essentially promises from God. 136 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,640 We get the benefit now of looking back and understanding 137 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,960 that those prophecies were completed by Jesus. 138 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,760 And so when we read some of those, maybe they were a little 139 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,160 confusing at the time. They're a lot more clear now. 140 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,000 Let me read you one that probably at the time was very 141 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,200 confusing, but we understand it a lot better now. 142 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,200 This is Ezekiel 36, 25 through 27. 143 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,120 It says this the prophecy. I will sprinkle clean water on 144 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,640 you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses and from 145 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,440 all your idols. I will cleanse you, and I will 146 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,200 give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. 147 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,320 And I will remove your heart of stone from your flesh. 148 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,160 And I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit 149 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:17,000 within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to 150 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:21,320 obey my rules. Now at the time that was written 151 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:22,840 might have been pretty confusing. 152 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,000 Sounds like a surgery they didn't even have, right? 153 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,120 We can look at this now and know this is what Jesus was going to 154 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,120 do. Jesus came to save us from 155 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,120 ourselves. He came to save us from sin, 156 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:40,799 from spiritual death by placing His Holy Spirit inside of us. 157 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,680 But back in the 1st century, if I said why is the Messiah coming 158 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:49,360 to save you, the most common interpretation was that the 159 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:54,240 Messiah was coming to save us from the Romans, Roman 160 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,480 occupation. And so Jesus is in the 161 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:57,920 countryside. He's going from village to 162 00:08:57,920 --> 00:08:59,880 village and he's preaching good news. 163 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,640 The Kingdom has come and they're all going really where's where's 164 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:09,120 your army? If you're going to save us from 165 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,120 the Romans, you're going to need like I don't some soldiers, some 166 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,080 Chariots, maybe a couple Apache helicopters, right, like might 167 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:21,800 help. See, most people in that moment 168 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,840 missed Jesus because he wasn't offering the solution they had 169 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,040 imagined. They wanted people miss Jesus 170 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,600 because they they thought the gospel missed the point. 171 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,440 They thought, you know, Jesus is a great idea if he gives me what 172 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,240 I think I need. And in that moment it was 173 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,080 military strength. It was freedom from Rome. 174 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,800 And so they missed him or they rejected him outright. 175 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,440 You, it's easy to look back and be like, I don't know how you 176 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,560 could miss Jesus, but I do that. I've done that. 177 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,560 When I decide that what will really fix my life is more 178 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:59,840 money, then as long as Jesus gives me more money or a 179 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,400 promotion of some type than I'm totally down with Jesus. 180 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:08,560 Like Hallelujah, if that's what Jesus gives me. 181 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:12,960 And if not, well, I don't know if that's for me. 182 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:14,920 Like maybe maybe you've met someone like this. 183 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,960 Like, you know what we all want, What I would really like Jesus 184 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,560 to do is show up in my life and tell me that all of my choices 185 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:24,040 have been right. You know what I mean? 186 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,120 I you've been right. Everyone else is wrong. 187 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,280 I just need the Jesus that will show up and affirm my lifestyle 188 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,520 and my choices and my opinions, my political views, all of those 189 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:33,800 things. That would be wonderful. 190 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,040 Here's the problem with that. I mean, that would be a Jesus I 191 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,240 could really easily latch onto. The problem with that is he's 192 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:50,040 God and I'm not. So when the when the power of 193 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,640 the gospel of Christ pierces my heart that the first thing that 194 00:10:54,640 --> 00:11:01,200 happens is I begin to realize how wrong I've been and how much 195 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,480 I actually need a Savior. The gospel, the good news of 196 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,040 Christ, the very first thing it does when when we meet it is it 197 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,560 exposes. It exposes everything about our 198 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:17,880 heart and our need for a Savior. Look at verse 36. 199 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,680 It says when he this is Jesus. When he saw the crowds, he had 200 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:29,840 compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like 201 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,800 sheep without a shepherd. In the original text, those 202 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,120 words harassed and helpless that they were just rich with 203 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:42,000 meaning, weary, troubled, bewildered, despondent, 204 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,360 scattered, meant, prostate thrown on the ground. 205 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,360 What the the The writer here is trying to describe to you our 206 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:56,560 helplessness without God. Jesus looks at these crowds of 207 00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:59,360 people, most of whom listen to me, most of whom are going to 208 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,000 reject him. In fact, not that long from when 209 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,480 this is written, most of them, the majority is going to take 210 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:12,240 him to be crucified willingly. And yet he's going to look at 211 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,440 them and he's going to have compassion on their condition. 212 00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:20,760 What is that condition? He's not concerned about their 213 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,560 poverty. He's not considered concerned 214 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:29,480 about the Roman occupation. He's concerned about the state 215 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,000 of humanity apart from God, because it's helpless and 216 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:37,480 hopeless. This is the message of the 217 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,840 entire Bible. The whole Bible is that that no 218 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,920 amount of money, no amount of knowledge, no amount of power, 219 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,400 no amount of of science, no governmental systems can fix 220 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,240 what is wrong deep down inside of me. 221 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:01,920 When humanity rebelled in the very beginning of the Bible, we 222 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:06,680 now all have been born under this curse, separated from the 223 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:11,240 very God who created us for relationship with Him. 224 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,120 We were designed for relationship with the Creator 225 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:20,800 and separated under a curse, and there's no hope. 226 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,840 And the state of the lost, the state of those separated from 227 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,760 God, should drive us to compassion and urgency. 228 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,480 That's what it does here in Matthew 9. 229 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,400 Jesus sees that, and it drives him to compassion. 230 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:47,200 If the state of lost people drives Jesus to compassion, how 231 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,320 come so often it drives us to anger? 232 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,160 Have you been around American church for any period of time? 233 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:05,760 You know what I'm talking about. Well, why do we see American 234 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,480 Christians so angry at lost people so often? 235 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:15,480 Well, we read the gospel. We don't see Jesus screaming to 236 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,720 them about their politics or their poor choices or their bad 237 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:24,000 opinions or anything else. He was disturbed, certainly. 238 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,040 He was not silent. He was very vocal. 239 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,640 He's very motivated to address the problem, but it with 240 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,040 compassion, to show them that there was hope. 241 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,120 And listen, it is possible that we can be motivated by anger, 242 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,120 but but anger motivates us in a very distorted way. 243 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:51,720 You see, anger causes us to see lost people as a problem to fix. 244 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,440 Compassion sees people as image bearers to love so that Jesus 245 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:03,120 can fix them. Anger balls up its fist and 246 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:08,520 shouts at the lost. Compassion kneels to wash their 247 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:13,400 feet. That's what's supposed to be 248 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:18,280 happening to us as Christians. The the same gospel that exposes 249 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,880 our heart to show us that we're the problem in need of a Savior, 250 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,120 exchanges our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh so 251 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,640 that we can begin to feel real emotion for those who are still 252 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,720 lost. The gospel doesn't just expose 253 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:37,600 the gospel in flames. When I was lost with a heart of 254 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,240 stone, nothing could set me on fire. 255 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,080 Nothing moved me. I could walk past homeless 256 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,400 people all day long. I could scroll past the 257 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,640 statistics on orphans. I could ignore my Co workers or 258 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,360 my neighbors pain. Because stone doesn't burn, 259 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,800 stone doesn't feel, stone doesn't move. 260 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,040 But because God gave me a heart of flesh and eyes to see a 261 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:09,600 broken world, now he has set me on fire to reach others. 262 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:18,600 And he's done that for you too. To, to, to look at a lost world 263 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,440 and see it any differently is not to see it the way Jesus 264 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:26,600 does. The heart of flesh burns and a 265 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,040 heart on fire moves. And I, and I think that one of 266 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,640 our challenges as Christians is sometimes we feel the weight of 267 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:34,760 this or the urgency of this, maybe even the passion of this. 268 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,320 And, but we aren't really sure what to do with it. 269 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,280 And so I, I think there are times where churches motivation 270 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,400 does not actually come from biblical places. 271 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:51,520 Here's what I mean by that. We should be passionate, but we 272 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:55,400 must be compassionate. You hear me? 273 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,560 We should be passionate. It should, it should well up 274 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,320 inside of us, but not in an angry way, in a compassionate 275 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,640 way. So what does Jesus do with his 276 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,440 compassion? He feels this compassion. 277 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,480 What does he what does he do? Well, he does three things. 278 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,079 Look back at verse 35 says when Jesus went throughout all the 279 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:14,640 cities and villages teaching in their synagogues. 280 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:16,839 You can underline teaching proclaiming. 281 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:18,319 That's another word for preaching can underline 282 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:20,760 proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and healing. 283 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:22,960 There's the third verb, healing every disease and every 284 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,240 affliction. So he went just like your scent. 285 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:32,680 And he did three things, Teaching, preaching, healing. 286 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,440 So what does it mean to teach? Well, he engaged their minds. 287 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:42,360 Jesus is probably the best storyteller we have ever seen. 288 00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:47,840 There was a study I read recently, Jr. 289 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:52,440 Briggs counted that Jesus was asked over three. 290 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,000 No, Jesus himself asked over 300 questions. 291 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,040 He's just constantly meeting people and asking them questions 292 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,200 to get them to think. They've done neurological 293 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,720 studies that when you ask a question or answer a question, 294 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,840 your brain waves spike. You start to think about things. 295 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,040 It's the way to captivate people simply to ask questions. 296 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,960 Jesus was constantly asking people questions. 297 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,400 Over 300 questions. Jesus was asked over 180 298 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,680 questions in his short little mission on earth. 299 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,200 About three years, 180 questions. 300 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:29,640 He answered five of them directly. 5 You know what he did 301 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,720 the rest of the time? They asked him a question, He 302 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,920 asked them a question, they asked him a question, He told 303 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,440 them a story. Jesus was constantly engaging 304 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:40,680 people's minds to try to get them to see the truth of the 305 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,400 Gospel. He didn't want them to just 306 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,760 memorize something. So he's teaching. 307 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,880 He's also preaching. We see Jesus preaching. 308 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:54,000 What's the difference? Teaching a little bit more 309 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,280 informational tends to engage the mind. 310 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,320 Preaching is supposed to be transformational. 311 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,040 Teaching leads us to understanding. 312 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:01,600 Preaching leads us to commitment. 313 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,880 I teach to reach your brain. I preach to reach your heart. 314 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,920 And so Jesus did both. He preached the Sermon on the 315 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,800 Mount is phenomenal and he preached through stories all the 316 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:18,440 time. Jesus loved to preach through 317 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,440 stories. Think about how brilliant the 318 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,720 the the actual genius of the story of the Good Samaritan. 319 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,080 The Good Samaritan story came Why? 320 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,560 Because someone asked him a question and he didn't answer 321 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,160 it. He's like there was a man 322 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,000 walking down. He starts the story, but think 323 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,240 about his story. His story is to explain who is 324 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,960 your neighbor? But but who are The Who are the 325 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,400 failures in the story, the religious elite and who's the 326 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,560 hero of the story, the Samaritan outcast. 327 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,040 Jesus preached to reach their hearts. 328 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,120 So he taught the gospel, but he also preached the gospel. 329 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,800 And then he did a third thing. It says Jesus healed. 330 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,640 He's healing all throughout the chapter, all of Matthew 9, he's 331 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,240 healing. This is a radical message about 332 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,880 transformation and salvation in this gospel that he's preaching. 333 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:11,520 It's not just taught to the mind. 334 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,640 It's not just preach to the heart, it's displayed in power. 335 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,680 Listen, you might not like what a guy says, but he raises a 336 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,080 little girl from death to life and you're like, this guy's 337 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,800 serious. Even Jesus skeptics had to deal 338 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,520 with the fact that he's doing these supernatural miracles. 339 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,720 In fact, if you read Jesus life, they're people that don't like 340 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,880 Jesus, but he keeps doing these miracles and they have to try to 341 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:34,520 explain them away. They're like, maybe he has a 342 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:42,240 demon, he's moving with unavoidable powers. 343 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,120 It's impossible to ignore the power, the supernatural power of 344 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:46,680 Christ. Now maybe you're thinking, OK, 345 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:50,160 look, I, I can maybe see how I can teach the gospel. 346 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,280 Maybe, maybe I can figure out how to preach the gospel. 347 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,440 But how am I supposed to do miracles? 348 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,880 How am I supposed to do supernatural miracles? 349 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:01,320 So here's the thing you might be missing. 350 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:11,480 You are one. That Jesus took you from 351 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,560 spiritual death to spiritual life as a supernatural miracle. 352 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:21,280 The the the God took someone with a stone of heart, a heart 353 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,920 of stone who is dead spiritually and raised you to life, set a 354 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,640 slave free, a rebel that's been reconciled to God. 355 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,920 That's not self improvement, that's resurrection. 356 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,320 You didn't pull yourself up and do this to yourself. 357 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,520 God did that. So. 358 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,520 So now as a Christian who's been raised from spiritual death to 359 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,040 spiritual life, we can live for Christ in a way that is so 360 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,320 impossible, so radical, so counter cultural that our very 361 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:58,480 lives are miracles. Last December, so about 13 362 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,040 months ago, I was up here and we were talking and I said my wife 363 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:07,120 and I had been praying and and separately in prayer had reached 364 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:10,680 a conviction that we were supposed to be foster parents. 365 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:14,560 Do anyone here remember that? OK, so we're sitting up here and 366 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:15,800 it's kind of like live at the moment. 367 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:17,920 You know, I'm like, man, my wife and I have been praying here. 368 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,520 Here's that. So we start on this thing. 369 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,520 We sign up. By the way, it is not quick. 370 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:30,440 You deal with the government. So nine months of forms and 371 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,760 training and certifications and inspections and two new social 372 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,480 workers along the way. Apparently you can't keep them 373 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:37,680 more than three months. Maybe it's us. 374 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:44,480 Nine months of work. We finally get approved, no 375 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:49,000 phone calls. So finally, a couple months 376 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,680 after getting approved, we get a phone call, We pick up a foster 377 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,800 kid. We have them for two weeks and 378 00:22:53,800 --> 00:23:00,160 we have had no foster kids since it's been a year. 379 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,680 We spent most of that in trading and filling out forms and phone 380 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,320 calls and inspections to get two weeks of a foster. 381 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:18,480 As someone that really likes efficiency, this bothers me. 382 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:23,720 And I'm like, you know, you're talking to guy, You're like, 383 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,480 what are you going to do? What am I going to nine months 384 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,800 of work for? Two measly weeks of like, what 385 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:30,640 is that for? Like, what's God going to do 386 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,640 with two weeks? And then in the moment I'm like, 387 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:35,640 what did he do with two fishes and five loaves? 388 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:48,520 So our foster kid leaves and then he shows up the youth 389 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,840 group. That's cool. 390 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,240 And then his brothers show up in the kids ministry and his 391 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,160 grandparents show up, his mom shows up and we're just like 392 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:00,080 where all these people come from. 393 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,160 And then on December 14th, I got to baptize him. 394 00:24:11,530 --> 00:24:13,450 Y'all understand that's not supposed to be how that works, 395 00:24:13,450 --> 00:24:16,330 right? Because if that's the formula, 396 00:24:16,330 --> 00:24:18,570 all we got to do is sign up to Foster and everybody's getting 397 00:24:18,570 --> 00:24:22,680 saved. I wish you were that that, 398 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,840 Listen, if I were writing out this plan, OK, I'm just going to 399 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,520 do nine months of work and then we're going to have two weeks of 400 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:29,880 fostering. And then people are just going 401 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,120 to give their lives to Jesus. I'd be like, this is a stupid 402 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:37,400 plan. And if it were my plan, it would 403 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:42,600 be a stupid plan. The good news is it was not my 404 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:47,320 plan. It was a miracle because no one 405 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,280 writes a plan like that. It's a dumb plan. 406 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:54,680 God didn't ask me for a plan. He called me to obedience. 407 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,360 He said, Daniel, you have a spare room, you have a stable 408 00:24:58,360 --> 00:24:59,680 household. You give it to me and I'll use 409 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:07,120 it for my glory. So we teach and we preach, but 410 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,560 we also live radically, and God displays his power to a lost 411 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:17,000 world. And so to live radically means 412 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:20,280 we're going to be willing to serve a bunch of people who may 413 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,520 not even be grateful that we're helping them. 414 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,440 So we're going to need supernatural motivation. 415 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,760 We're going to need God to light us on fire. 416 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,960 Because I'll be honest, ministry is hard. 417 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,320 People are mean. They're going to hurt you. 418 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:39,000 Hurt people hurt people. So no amount of moralism, no 419 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,080 amount of religion is going to want motivate you to keep 420 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:49,480 pouring yourself out. God has to light you on fire. 421 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:56,560 I want God to light you on fire. And as he does, you're going to 422 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,640 realize that God is leading you into specific ways to reach 423 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,000 people. I can't even tell you all the 424 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,120 ways. I just know He's going to do it. 425 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:08,240 The beauty of that, you're going to get to discover how that 426 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:14,760 works. So I want you to take a moment. 427 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:15,960 I want you to just think like what? 428 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,600 What are the things that God has actually already started to call 429 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,800 me to do? But they seem inconvenient. 430 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,000 They seem like a bad plan. So I've been sweeping them under 431 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,360 the rug. I've been ignoring them. 432 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:27,680 I don't actually want to listen to the God because I have a lot 433 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,040 of rational reasons not to do it. 434 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,120 Because I got to be honest with you, I've got a lot of rational 435 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:32,680 reasons to not be a foster parent. 436 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:40,120 What's he telling you? What's he been working on that 437 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:45,480 you don't want to listen to? I'm not trying to guilt you. 438 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:51,320 I'm trying to invite you into an adventure of a lifetime because 439 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,480 God wants to use you. That's the good news. 440 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:56,640 But you have to move as He leads you. 441 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,800 So Jesus is teaching, Jesus is preaching, Jesus is healing. 442 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,880 I can't heal like Jesus could at will. 443 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,760 Most of us probably can't. But I can live supernatural, 444 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,640 radical life of obedience in such a way that seems 445 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,040 inexplicable to the outside world. 446 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,480 And I can expectantly wait for God to do glorious and 447 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,600 impossible things through it, and he will. 448 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:23,080 You see, I don't need to have the power to heal because I know 449 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:28,680 the Healer and he's invited us into his work. 450 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:32,040 Listen to me, church. Listen, if you will live like 451 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,720 this, the world will notice. They're going to see the 452 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,720 miracles. They're going to the fact that 453 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:42,000 you're saved is a miracle. The very testimony of our 454 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,040 salvation is a miracle. It is a supernatural act of God. 455 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,840 And so this has been happening. Jesus been going around the 456 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,080 countryside. He's been preaching, He's been 457 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,920 teaching, he's been healing. People are taking notice. 458 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,160 And then he turns to his disciples in verse 37. 459 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,280 He looks at him, He says this, He says this. 460 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:04,360 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 461 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,000 And there's there's two things that he's saying in that moment. 462 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,800 I want you to see both of them. Here's the first thing he's 463 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,800 saying. Most of the world is lost. 464 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:21,400 Y'all realize that, right? Yes, yes, most of the world is 465 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:23,880 you. You know most of Kern County is 466 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:32,400 lost, most of the city of Bakersfield is lost, most of 467 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,520 your neighbors are lost and most of your Co workers are lost. 468 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:37,920 If you work for the church, that's weird. 469 00:28:43,470 --> 00:28:48,230 You understand what I'm saying? When you leave these this 470 00:28:48,230 --> 00:28:51,510 campus, most of the people you're going to see and interact 471 00:28:51,510 --> 00:28:53,150 with in this world don't know Christ. 472 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:03,120 Jesus is going the the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers 473 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:05,200 are few. What does he mean by that? 474 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,640 Few of those saved will live like they're sent. 475 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,120 Few of those that know Christ will actually live like they're 476 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,600 on mission. Jesus isn't saying we need more 477 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,360 conversions in order to get more workers. 478 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:20,320 That's not at all what he's saying. 479 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,640 He's saying the workers are already here, they're just not 480 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:29,520 working at the harvest. They're saved, baptized, sitting 481 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:35,840 in churches around the country. That's the crisis. 482 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,200 We are far too comfortable. The harvest is rotting because 483 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:42,640 the laborers are sitting in the barn. 484 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:51,120 The good news is I see that changing all around this church. 485 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,360 I see that in you. I'm watching God move in you. 486 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,600 I'm seeing it happen. We have story after story after 487 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,880 story watching it happen. What do we do about that? 488 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:03,400 Verse 38 What do we do about that? 489 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:09,880 Therefore, so then pray earnestly to the Lord of the 490 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:14,880 harvest to underline that word. Those two words send out, send 491 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:19,240 out laborers into the harvest. Send out the actual original 492 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,320 language is more forceful than send out. 493 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:28,920 It means thrust forth, yes, we need to be sent out. 494 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:35,320 For some of us, this is how we get sent out, right? 495 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:41,840 Fighting every moment like I don't want to, blah, Francis 496 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,160 Schaefer, in one of his most famous sermons, said the the the 497 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,160 leadership, Christian leadership is like metal being extruded 498 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,320 into a form. Takes a great deal of pressure, 499 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,120 right, to push us into those moments because we fight it as 500 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,520 much as we can. I don't want to do it. 501 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,360 Can I tell you how much I did not want to be a foster parent? 502 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,600 Let me step back. Can I tell you how much I when I 503 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,440 was a kid, I said I want to be anything other than a pastor. 504 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:19,200 How's that working out? When I became a pastor I said 505 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:20,240 listen that's fine. What? 506 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,480 OK God? Fine, all right, as long as I 507 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:28,520 don't have to preach. I went from not wanting to be a 508 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,480 pastor to not wanting to preach, to not being able to shut up. 509 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:42,280 Y'all are laughing way too much of that joke sent forth 510 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:49,280 compelled. Every single Christian. 511 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:54,800 Say me is commissioned to go from disciple to disciple Maker. 512 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,560 That's what the gospel does. And the only prerequisite is 513 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,120 that you're saved. That's the power of the gospel. 514 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,640 That took fishermen and tax collectors and some ragtag group 515 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,360 of nobodies and turn them into apostles for Christ. 516 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:19,000 That's how someone like me hints up somewhere, like here, sent 517 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:26,720 forth. The gospel empowers. 518 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:27,800 It's what I'm trying to tell you. 519 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,520 It doesn't just expose, it doesn't just inflamed. 520 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:35,000 It empowers. When, when, when God saved you, 521 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,040 he put his Holy Spirit inside of you. 522 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,080 He commissioned you for the work of the harvest and equipped you 523 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,440 with spiritual gifts and everything that you would need. 524 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:43,840 And he wants. All He wants from you is a 525 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,680 humble heart and an obedient servant, and he provides the 526 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,920 rest. I don't know what God's about to 527 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,720 do in your life, but I know he's about to do something 528 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:59,320 miraculous. I see it all around this church. 529 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,320 I feel it in my bones like some of y'all feel the rain. 530 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,120 I'm like, oh, I can. I just, I see it bubbling up all 531 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:11,680 around this church. The gospel empowers. 532 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,880 Here's the thing, right? I'm not special. 533 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:21,080 I've just been set apart by God, just like you have. 534 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,240 You're not special. You're sacred. 535 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:31,160 You're sacred. We, we, we, we don't have some 536 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:33,240 sort of special ability that others don't have. 537 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,000 I can't heal at will. We're not smarter, we're not 538 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,080 more gifted, we're not more qualified, but we are sacred. 539 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,160 We've been set apart by God for his purposes. 540 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:45,720 The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in 541 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:49,440 you. You're not special, you're 542 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,040 sacred. You're not impressive, you're 543 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,120 empowered. You're not the hero, but you 544 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:57,920 know the hero, and he has invited you into his story. 545 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,040 So we serve and pray. That's what Jesus says. 546 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:05,920 We serve and pray. So today when we end this 547 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,199 service, man, we're going to pray over this whole church. 548 00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:10,840 We're going to pray to the Lord of the harvest that you would 549 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:12,880 begin to realize you've been sent out. 550 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:18,280 It was a beautiful quote in one of the commentaries I was 551 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,120 reading I wanted to share with you was talking about this idea 552 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,239 of being sent forth of being commissioned and says this we 553 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:28,040 find our motive or motive for going and doing this in the 554 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:34,679 heart of Christ and our strength to do it in the prayers of the 555 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:37,560 church. This is why we pray for you so 556 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,960 much. I want you to come on this ride 557 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,719 if you're if you're willing to run after the lost. 558 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,120 I want to explain a bunch of tools we're putting together to 559 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,600 just try to help ways to equip ways to offer you opportunities, 560 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:56,080 ways for for maybe you to take a little test step in different 561 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:57,520 directions and see where God's leading. 562 00:34:58,040 --> 00:34:59,400 Got a bunch of stuff this year for you. 563 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:04,680 So here's one of them we built. We built a ping pong ball wall. 564 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,760 And what we're going to do is every time you invite someone to 565 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:10,120 church, when you come in on Sunday, you're going to get one 566 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:11,720 of these little white ping pong balls and you're going to write 567 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:12,800 the name of the person you invited. 568 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:14,320 And you're just going to drop it in the top. 569 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:15,400 And we're going to fill this sucker up. 570 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,800 It's probably going to take like, I don't know, 1000 ping 571 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:18,800 pong balls. You'll have that done by 572 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:22,000 February, right? We'll build a bigger one. 573 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,800 And every time someone you invited comes, we're going to 574 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:31,800 let you put the name on a on an orange ball so you can just 575 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,880 watch the colors. And every time someone after a 576 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,320 service comes and it gives their life to Christ, we're going to 577 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:38,400 put their name on a on a pink ball. 578 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:40,960 We're going to put it in there. And every time someone moves 579 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,200 forward in obedience to believers baptism, we're going 580 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:44,480 to put their name on a like a green ball. 581 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:45,840 We're going to put it. And we're just going to watch 582 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:50,320 God do work all year. All right, check this out. 583 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,200 I'm going to show you how this is going to work. 584 00:35:52,720 --> 00:35:54,680 Get up here, guys. Right here, right here, right 585 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:56,440 here, front step. OK, here's what I want you to 586 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:57,240 do. I'll give them some ping pong 587 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,320 balls just so you know the holes right here. 588 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,640 Go ahead and Chuck them in. Come on. 589 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,880 OK, one tip, 1 tip. If you want to reach people for 590 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:22,160 Christ, you might have to get close. 591 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,040 Going to put it out there. The Instagram verse might not be 592 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,680 enough. You might have to get into their 593 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:33,040 life. So every time you invite 594 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:34,440 somebody, I want you to put your name on their ball. 595 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:37,720 Why don't you put them in here? Your neighbor. 596 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:40,840 I got to meet Richard's neighbor the other night at a house 597 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,280 warming party. I didn't realize it, but he was 598 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:47,800 married to a girl who's a twin sister of someone that I did 599 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,760 their wedding and they recognized me and they're like, 600 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,400 we know this guy from somewhere. I'm like, oh, that's the pastor. 601 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:54,320 And Richard's like, oh, that's an in. 602 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,000 Let's talk about church baby. Right? 603 00:36:58,080 --> 00:36:59,920 We're two down. We're almost there. 604 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:04,880 OK, so we're going to do this every Sunday. 605 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:05,960 It's going to be sitting down in the lobby. 606 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:07,280 She'll come in. I want you to think about this 607 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:10,320 every single week, man. Have I, have I invited someone 608 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:12,960 into my life, into into church, into house, and it's just a 609 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:14,920 conversation about the gospel. We're going to put the name in 610 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:15,760 there. We're going to keep doing it. 611 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,320 Secondly, you probably pass the tables on the way in here. 612 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,320 There's a bunch of things to sign up for, and I want you to 613 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:22,840 take part in them. I want you to consider them. 614 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:24,720 I want you to pray over them. There's all sorts of fun stuff 615 00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:28,280 that we're going to do all month long and be opportunities, so go 616 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,400 check out all those things. We also put it on a website. 617 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,640 On our website, if you go to resurrect dot church slash sent, 618 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,680 there's a bunch of links of all kinds of cool stuff that we're 619 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,120 doing. So we're all in one place. 620 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,000 We'll talk about ways to partner at Jado. 621 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:43,680 We're going to go over there later in the month. 622 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,240 There are two big events we're going to invite you to that I 623 00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:48,840 want you to go to. One of them is an evangelism 624 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,200 workshop. It's here in town, it's free. 625 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:53,480 It's in February, but I need you to sign up so I know how many 626 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,040 people I'm feeding. And the other one is at the very 627 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,960 end of April, beginning of May. It's in Sacramento. 628 00:37:57,960 --> 00:37:59,600 It's called the Thrive Conference. 629 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,400 Those two things. We sent a lot of people to 630 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:03,920 Thrive last year. We're going to blow those 631 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:08,080 numbers away this year. It's like it's like church camp 632 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,320 for adults. We're going to love it. 633 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:11,520 OK? I want you to go to those 634 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,160 things. The Bakersfield Angels and 635 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:14,760 Shelby and her team are going to be out there. 636 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,760 There are so many ways to start taking some steps to begin to 637 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,440 see where God's leading, and I want you to start moving towards 638 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,320 some of those things and investigating where God is at 639 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:31,040 work in your life. So let's start with this. 640 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:38,200 Every single day, pray. Pray to the Lord of the harvest. 641 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:41,000 Pray that God would would keep you sensitive to those 642 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,080 interactions as you're at the gas station, as you stop for a 643 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,640 minute at Starbucks to have a conversation with a barista, to 644 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,600 just have conversations with people about what God is doing. 645 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:57,520 Pray, pray daily. Serve somewhere. 646 00:38:57,520 --> 00:38:59,520 This month we're going to try to give you more and more 647 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,400 opportunities. I want you to serve somewhere, 648 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,280 try something out. There's going to be 649 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,920 opportunities everywhere. Come to these two upcoming 650 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:10,600 events that we've got planned in February and in May and start 651 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:13,640 inviting people to hear the good news. 652 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:17,680 It is my dream, it is my hope, it is my constant prayer that if 653 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,520 you call this church your home, you will be so compelled by the 654 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,800 Spirit of God that you cannot escape the work that He's doing 655 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,720 in your life. You'll be so empowered and 656 00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:29,920 amazed by the way God is changing you that you will link 657 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:32,400 arms with people in this church. And we are going to charge into 658 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:36,880 these neighborhoods to foster, to adopt, to feed, to serve, to 659 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:41,600 give, to teach, to preach, to invite, to testify to the 660 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:44,240 supernatural work that God is doing in each of us. 661 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:54,760 Maybe you joined us today. Maybe you're online and you, you 662 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:59,600 realize that that God has actually been calling you to him 663 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,800 for quite some time and you haven't been able to articulate 664 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,520 what that was. But you're you're beginning to 665 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:05,000 understand that God actually loves you. 666 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:09,600 And that voice you hear in the back of the head, it's not a 667 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:12,320 monologue, it's actually God calling you to salvation. 668 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,920 We've been talking a lot about this term called gospel. 669 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,720 If you, if you're not familiar with the gospel message of the 670 00:40:20,720 --> 00:40:24,280 Bible, then give me the last 30 seconds of your time here and 671 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:29,360 let me explain it to you. God created you for relationship 672 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:33,920 with him and every single one of us has rebelled and and broken 673 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:38,600 relationship, separated from God and we can't fix it. 674 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:43,800 So God sent his Son Jesus fully God, fully man, to live a 675 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,320 perfect life we could never live, to die a death that we 676 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:51,640 deserve to die and to rise from death to prove that he had 677 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:55,000 conquered sin and death. The Bible says that if you will 678 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:59,720 turn from your sin and trust Jesus, that God Forgives you 679 00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:05,240 completely, adopts you as his child, and gives you eternal 680 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:07,440 life. That's the gospel, that's the 681 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,760 good news. So if you would like to 682 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,200 surrender your life to God today, I want to give you that 683 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:14,600 opportunity. Will everyone please bow with me 684 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:16,560 for just a moment, close your eyes for just a second. 685 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:19,920 I just want you to concentrate on you yourself for just a 686 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,000 moment and block out all the distractions. 687 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,120 If you're willing to ask God for forgiveness and salvation with 688 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:28,400 every eye closed, with every head bowed, I just want you to 689 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,520 repeat this prayer after me, quietly, silently, however you'd 690 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:41,160 like to do it. Jesus, I know I'm lost and I 691 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:45,840 can't fix myself. I need you to save me. 692 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:54,200 So I put my trust in you and I surrender my whole life. 693 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:04,040 Be my Lord, please Jesus. That's the first time you've 694 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,800 ever said a prayer like that. Will you raise your hand for me 695 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:12,680 to see? Thank you, thank you. 696 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:17,320 You can put your hands down in Jesus name, Amen. 697 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,640 Real quick as we as we leave real quick if you just 698 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:25,520 surrendered your life to Christ for the very first time. 699 00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:34,680 Welcome to the family. Will you stand with us? 700 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,800 We're going to sing a song. Our per team's going to be up 701 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:38,720 here. We'd love to pray with you. 702 00:42:38,720 --> 00:42:42,440 If you gave your life to Christ moments ago for the first time. 703 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:44,600 There are tables in the back that say I raised my hand. 704 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:46,520 We'd love it if you'd find your way back there. 705 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,640 As we sing, tell someone about the decision you just made. 706 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:51,520 We would love to celebrate with you. 707 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,520 We have a gift for you. If you need perf for any reason, 708 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:56,480 our team is going to be up here. You move as the Lord leads you. 709 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:57,280 We love you, Church.