1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,040 Our teaching scripture this morning comes from John chapter 2 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:21,120 12 verses 20 to 26. The Scripture says Now among 3 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,200 those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks, 4 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,160 and they came to Philip who was from beside in Galilee, and said 5 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,479 to him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,480 And Philip went and told Andrew. And then Andrew and Philip went 7 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:41,240 and told Jesus, and Jesus answered them, The hour has come 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,280 for the Son of Man to be glorified. 9 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,520 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the 10 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,640 earth and dies, it remains just a single grain. 11 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,440 But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 12 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,960 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their 13 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,600 life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 14 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,720 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am there will my 15 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,040 servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father 16 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,760 will honor. This is the word of the Lord. 17 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,840 More than once I've done funerals and I've been listed 18 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,480 like in the. Obituary as Reverend. 19 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,920 Which is just hilarious to me because that's. 20 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:30,120 This is not. Really like, you know what we 21 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,240 do? We had a great. 22 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,520 Weekend of meetings with some of our leaders in this. 23 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,280 Church, we gathered. Our elders and our board and our 24 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,560 leadership team and our central. Community leaders. 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,760 Together for the weekend and. So for those who were with us. 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,120 Friday and Saturday. You are surely exhausted. 27 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,920 Of hearing from me. So apologies to to those of you 28 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,720 who have to. Endure that again. 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:03,200 But in the late 19th and early 20th century, America was 30 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,440 drinking itself. To pieces whiskey was cheaper 31 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,000 than. Milk and addiction consistently. 32 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,440 Hollowed out. Homes violence against women and 33 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,800 children was incredibly prevalent. 34 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,440 As a result of that. Situation many women were. 35 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,360 Left in poverty. Because their. 36 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,520 Husbands drank away every. Cent and by the late 1800s, 37 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,920 Americans were consuming, on average, around 7 gallons of. 38 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:36,600 Pure alcohol a year. Per person. 39 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:38,960 So just to put. That in perspective. 40 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,920 That is the. Equivalent of almost 12. 100 41 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:48,120 pints of five. Percent ABV beer per person per 42 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,400 year. That's how much, how much 43 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,600 alcohol Americans were drinking around the turn of the 20th 44 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,320 century. The American temperance movement 45 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,160 of that. Period rose up as. 46 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,480 Sort of a response. To that. 47 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,640 Widespread devastation and. At its best. 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,320 It came from. Place of deep. 49 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,440 Compassion especially. Among women whose families had 50 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,440 been scarred by that kind of widespread addiction, they. 51 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,080 Prayed and they. Organized and they. 52 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,960 Spoke with tremendous moral courage and their. 53 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,240 Their cry was. Authentic and the need was 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,560 profound, but something. Happened, as it often does when 55 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,520 people sort of organize. And take action. 56 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,600 Over time, something shifted, and so this movement hardened 57 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,360 into nothing more than a. Cultural Crusade. 58 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,480 And so. Groups like the Anti. 59 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,960 Saloon League, which was. Headquartered here in 60 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,000 Westerville, OH, fascinatingly enough. 61 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,640 The Westerville public. Library has a phenomenal sort 62 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:48,600 of. Trove of like. 63 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,280 Print materials from this period of time. 64 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,080 So I think I have one of the yeah, like this kind of stuff. 65 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,600 So if you. Ever want to see some of that? 66 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,280 Like Westerville was the heart of sort of. 67 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,600 Temperance propaganda around the turn of the century, which I 68 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:02,720 think is. Just fascinating. 69 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,360 And so salons in in Westerville. And Columbus were actually. 70 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,320 Dynamited and America. You know it was. 71 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,480 Sort of nearing the end of the prohibition area in the 30s. 72 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:15,800 And what? We saw was that. 73 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,839 The actual. Impact of the movement. 74 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:25,320 Was mixed at best, and so the. Problem wasn't that. 75 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,200 The the issue wasn't real, the issue was. 76 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,600 Real the problem. Was sort of zeal. 77 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,480 Coming out of people. Without. 78 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,720 Being in sort of an abiding, fully formed place. 79 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,920 For their social action. We're moving. 80 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,760 Through this short series. On the spiritual journey and 81 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,200 we're just looking at some of the main movements in a life. 82 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:48,440 With God. So like what? 83 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,720 What does a? Person's life kind of look. 84 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,000 Like as it unfolds, living a life toward God. 85 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,840 And trying to follow the way of. Jesus and so Jared. 86 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,240 Let us off. Kind of. 87 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,920 Framing up the series. We looked. 88 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:02,280 Two weeks ago at. What the human life? 89 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:04,160 Before. Christ might kind of. 90 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,360 Look like we we. Talked about Romans 7 and how 91 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:08,160 our. Will is. 92 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,520 Divided and we just. Find ourselves to sort of be 93 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,800 untrustworthy. Sources of of motivation. 94 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,720 Last week, Thomas taught. So well through acts. 18 and 19 95 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,080 and the Story of Apollo's and. Asking what it looks like to. 96 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,840 Begin getting your. Life together as you start to. 97 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,720 Live a life toward God to order your life. 98 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,160 Around the invitations of God in community. 99 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,960 With other. People and so today we're in the 100 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,840 3rd and final movement of. That series we're going to. 101 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:40,720 Talk about what does it mean to come to a place of giving your 102 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,720 life away? At the outset of this. 103 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,480 You know, we just kind of acknowledged like in A room. 104 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:49,720 Like this? This room is. 105 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,440 Full of people who some of us are. 106 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:52,760 Just in a place. Where? 107 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,440 We, we, we need something we're just experiencing like I need. 108 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,120 Other people. I need, you know, some 109 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:00,680 visibility in my life. Maybe I have. 110 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,120 Some messes to clean up whatever it might be and then. 111 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,120 Other people are sort of in a place where it's like. 112 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,800 I I think I have a. Lot to give away. 113 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,320 I think I'm actually here with with just a lot. 114 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,040 To give. And I would say most of. 115 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,840 Us probably find ourselves. Somewhere in between. 116 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,400 But the truth is that. This. 117 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,320 Temptation is alive today. To sort of move. 118 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,080 Toward action to move toward giving our. 119 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,760 Lives away. But not doing it from a. 120 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,240 Deeply rooted and fully. Formed place and. 121 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:37,360 It's it's always easier. To do than to become to become a 122 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,440 certain kind of person requires a certain amount of honesty. 123 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,880 With ourselves. Doing and sort of pushing out 124 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,240 into the world. It doesn't require much 125 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:47,200 introspection. It doesn't. 126 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,000 Require much. Wrestling with the hard. 127 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,080 Questions about our lives and grappling with the. 128 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,640 Reality of what is so for us. The questions that we have in 129 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,080 community, the questions that we have. 130 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,960 Before God, the. Questions that we have. 131 00:06:57,960 --> 00:06:59,360 About the story of the. Scriptures. 132 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:00,920 And how that would inform our lives. 133 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,160 And you know it's. Easy for us to say. 134 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,160 Sure. Read your Bible. 135 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,640 Say your prayers. But then get out there and do 136 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,840 the real. Work that's a popular. 137 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,920 Framing across the board in the church today you know whether. 138 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,000 It's in communities. That sort of heavily influence, 139 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,160 heavily emphasize. Evangelism and sharing your 140 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,240 faith. Or churches that put a. 141 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,920 High value on. Sort of social justice. 142 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,040 And action in the community, whatever it might be. 143 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,920 We can, sort of. Slip into this frame that says. 144 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,440 You know, prayer scripture. Community, those things are. 145 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,280 Good. But what really matters is. 146 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,840 What we're doing and. I hope that throughout. 147 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:45,600 This series and really throughout the next. 148 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,520 Year as we. Frame some of our teaching 149 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:49,160 around this. Idea of the spiritual journey 150 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:50,960 that we can. Kind of wrap our. 151 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,600 Arms around a a. Full picture of what it looks 152 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,360 like. To not just be deeply formed in 153 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,320 what God's doing in our individual. 154 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,320 Lives or in our life as a congregation, but to also. 155 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,800 Receive that work. In a way that. 156 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,640 Would just be like jet fuel for our. 157 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,040 Work in the community for our work as a neighborhood. 158 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:10,600 Church to. You know to to. 159 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:12,520 Seek out. Those who? 160 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,840 Who just need a real tangible presence of the. 161 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:20,040 Love of God. In their lives and so the. 162 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,360 Danger to leapfrog over. The inner. 163 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,160 Work and go straight into the. Outer work is real. 164 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:26,960 And when we. Carry our unhealed. 165 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:28,520 Wounds and our. Restless egos. 166 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,520 And our unresolved anger into. The work of justice. 167 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:36,200 We risk burning out. We risk turning brittle. 168 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,640 We even risk. Sort of. 169 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,240 Reproducing the same patterns of of domination that we're trying 170 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,520 to resist in the world the temperance movement was a 171 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,960 response to. A real problem that moved very 172 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,400 quickly toward action. And it was completely sort of 173 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,880 undermined by the under formation and and the lack of 174 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,840 understanding of the real condition of the human. 175 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,200 Soul and it. Failed to be informed. 176 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,080 By a posture of. Sustainability and growth and 177 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,320 patience that would see change. Worked out over the. 178 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:08,640 Long haul. That would be. 179 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,440 Sustainable and helpful. For people. 180 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,520 For for the rest of their lives. And so we all know how tempting 181 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:15,880 this is. Because action. 182 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,400 Looks. Like progress, it looks 183 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,440 productive. When we're doing things out in 184 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:24,920 the world that people can see and we're able to point to that 185 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:25,720 and see. Look at all. 186 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,720 The good work, that. We've done and it. 187 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,520 Is good work, but. Becoming and letting God. 188 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:33,240 Reshape. Us from the inside. 189 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,680 Out is harder. It's harder, but. 190 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,680 Last week, Thomas used the. Picture of the church as a 191 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:41,240 hearth. And so when we do that internal. 192 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,920 Work. We're able to let the fire. 193 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,920 Burn hot and that's something that can have real long lasting 194 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:48,680 sustainable impact out in the world. 195 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,640 Around us, as we. Carry the the generous love of 196 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,560 God. To the people in our. 197 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:55,160 Lives. We are able to. 198 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,200 See that? We can be sustained. 199 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,240 By a formational practice. Of knowing. 200 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,120 The presence of God. Day in and day out. 201 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,520 So if our lives never. Go through that deeper. 202 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,160 Surrender even our. Justice, even our activism. 203 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,040 Even our sharing our. Faith is really just. 204 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,200 Sort of a seed. That sits on top. 205 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,960 Of the soil it's. Full of potential, but it never 206 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,480 gets buried down deep into the environment that it needs. 207 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,520 To to sort of flourish. And that's where Jesus meets us 208 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,200 in John 12. So some. 209 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,240 Greeks approach. Philip And they say we want to 210 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,000 see Jesus, and this is no small thing. 211 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,200 So at this. Point in John's gospel, we're 212 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,840 starting to turn our attention to the cross. 213 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,840 We're moving toward the passion and so. 214 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,800 Up to this point. Jesus ministry has been almost 215 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,080 entirely within. Israel to the Jews. 216 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,240 And what we're seeing is. Is this steady trickle? 217 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:55,480 Of the nations coming to. Jesus just days before his 218 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,000 arrest. Representatives of the nations 219 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,720 are coming to him, that's what. This sort of symbolizes. 220 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,360 That's why it's important that these folks. 221 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,000 Were Greeks because we start to. See the messages of Jesus. 222 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,200 Pushing out the boundaries even as he. 223 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,040 Starts to head to the cross so we. 224 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,240 See this point where the world begins pressing in to see the 225 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,720 one that. Israel's scriptures promised. 226 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,480 It's this. Hinge in John's story up until 227 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:28,560 now, when questioned about this point that's coming, Jesus 228 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:32,920 consistently will say my hour has not yet come. 229 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,360 It's a common refrain in John's Gospel, but now when the. 230 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:41,480 World arrives before Jesus. We. 231 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,400 Hear the Hour has. Come for the Son of Man to be. 232 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,720 Glorified. For the first time in John's 233 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,760 Gospel and so. How will that glory be revealed? 234 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:56,240 We get a story about a seed. In in pure Jesus fashion because 235 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,600 when he's questioned about what the Kingdom of God. 236 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,240 Looks like that's what we get. We get stories about a lost. 237 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,240 Coin. We get stories about yeast. 238 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,720 Working its. Way through the dough we get 239 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,040 stories about. A parent, A child. 240 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:18,400 Returning to their parents love and so this is not a miracle. 241 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,400 To impress the Greeks. It's not a fiery sermon to. 242 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,800 Rally the crowds. Jesus points to his death in 243 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:30,520 this moment. This is how the nations will be 244 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,600 drawn in what's being demonstrated in. 245 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:33,560 This text. Is how God? 246 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:35,800 'S love will embrace. The whole world. 247 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:40,440 Through surrender, through sacrifice, like a seed being 248 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,200 buried in the ground. So that's the context for what's 249 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,200 happening here in. Israel's scriptures saying. 250 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,120 Of seeds and fruitfulness we see in the Psalms. 251 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:51,520 That. Those who sow in. 252 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,600 Tears shall reap with joy. The prophet Isaiah writes about 253 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:57,040 the. Suffering servant, who will be? 254 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:02,360 Buried, but fruitfulness comes in almost unimaginable 255 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,560 proportions. Due to this. 256 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:06,880 Suffering and. Sacrifice of the servant. 257 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,200 So Jesus is. Gathering that. 258 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:10,280 Whole. Story. 259 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,600 Into himself. In this moment, he's defining 260 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,720 glory. Not as power. 261 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,840 Or visibility. Or control but. 262 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,200 Surrender and so the. Glory of a seed buried. 263 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,600 Into the ground. Is where we start. 264 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,600 Thinking about. What it looks like to give our 265 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,760 lives away, Jesus says. Very truly, I tell. 266 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,760 You unless a. Grain of wheat falls into the 267 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,960 earth and dies. It remains just a single grain. 268 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,000 But if it dies. It bears. 269 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,880 Much fruit and so we know if you cling to a seed. 270 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:45,760 Or if. You eat it. 271 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:48,440 You. Might get something. 272 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,240 For today. For a moment, but it never 273 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,640 multiplies. And when the seed is surrendered 274 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:55,400 and it's. Buried. 275 00:13:55,400 --> 00:14:00,640 And it's lost from our sight. Like gardeners understand this. 276 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,360 That planting a seed is is like an act of faith. 277 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,280 Because you just sort. Of cover. 278 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,200 This thing up in the soil. And have trust that. 279 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,520 Somehow a little plant is going to eventually pop up. 280 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:18,520 What a tremendous miracle Jesus is saying that our lives. 281 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,600 Work like that. If we. 282 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,800 Cling to our lives. If we sort of. 283 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,200 Hold them out of. The. 284 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,800 Soil of formation. To we. 285 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,560 Cling to our comfort. We cling. 286 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,880 To our ego. We cling to some form of 287 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,320 recognition, or just sort of. Frantic. 288 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,680 Action out in the. World, our lives remain. 289 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,400 Small. Like what God is? 290 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,000 Doing in US and through US remains small. 291 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:49,960 If we. Cling to the. 292 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,800 Seed, or if we eat the seed and if we bury. 293 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,200 Them in the love. Of God if we bury our lives in 294 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,680 the love of God. Surrendered into the hands. 295 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,240 Of Jesus. What God will do? 296 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,040 In US becomes fruitful beyond what we could possibly imagine. 297 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,120 This is what? Ronald Ruehlhiser calls the. 298 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,280 Past passage into generative discipleship. 299 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,840 In his book. Sacred fire that we've. 300 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:17,560 Sort of taken some of this framework from. 301 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,680 In the. Early stages of our faith. 302 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,360 We are. We're we're. 303 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:22,760 Meeting. Jesus for the first. 304 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:24,360 Time we're getting our. Lives together. 305 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:26,800 We're learning to pray. We're learning to just make. 306 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,760 Basic choices about how how we would live. 307 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,440 Our lives and finding community but the mark. 308 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:38,720 Of maturity isn't fully. Exhausted by this? 309 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,200 Question Who am I becoming becoming as foundational to all 310 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,040 of this? But eventually we begin to ask 311 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,000 the question, for whom am I giving my? 312 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,800 Life away, Bob Dylan. Once gave. 313 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,640 Voice to this Great. Mystery in his song I dreamed I 314 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,440 saw Saint Augustine on the the the. 315 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:00,680 Sleepy. Great record. 316 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,320 John Wesley Harding So. If you're looking. 317 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,080 For a good Dylan record that maybe you haven't. 318 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,760 Spent much time with. It's it's, it's phenomenal. 319 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,240 It's one of my favorites. So he sings this song in in the 320 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,040 late. 60s where he sees. Himself sort of wrestling with. 321 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,560 Fame and disillusionment and the search for something deeper. 322 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,920 And in this dream that he sings about in the song I, I dreamed I 323 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:26,760 saw Saint Augustine, the Saint who spent years chasing ambition 324 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,800 and. Pleasure before discovering 325 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,000 that. His heart was restless. 326 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,400 Until it found rest in God. Appears to Dylan like. 327 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,920 Radiant and unsettling and. We we hear the. 328 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,200 Line with a blanket underneath his arm and a. 329 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,320 Coat of solid gold. Augustine sort of like. 330 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,400 Roams the earth calling. People to a radical. 331 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,360 Kind of devotion to something. Deeper than themselves. 332 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,360 His life. Fully turned toward God becomes 333 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,560 this kind of. Vision that draws. 334 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:00,960 Us in and is sort of unsettling to. 335 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,240 Us because a life. That is fully surrendered. 336 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,000 To the purposes of God exposes all the places where we are 337 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:08,920 still. Clinging. 338 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:11,640 I don't. Know if you experienced. 339 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:13,319 That a little bit. But when I hear stories. 340 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:15,520 Of tremendous faith. They're helpful and inspiring to 341 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,560 me, but at the same time. They sort of expose. 342 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:22,880 My own attachments. And so Dylan sings this song 343 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:23,599 that. Portrays this. 344 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,560 Haunting vision of of Augustine wandering. 345 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,880 The earth and calling. People to surrender and calling 346 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,600 people to humility. And the people in the song take 347 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,600 his life. And Dylan confesses in the song, 348 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,520 I was among the ones who put him out to death. 349 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:42,920 Isn't that often the case? The idea of. 350 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:44,920 Truly. Giving our. 351 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,840 Lives away, sort of. Unsettles us and makes us want 352 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,080 to just snuff out the thing that's making us feel the 353 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:58,520 discomfort. It confronts our comfort and it 354 00:17:58,520 --> 00:17:59,800 names. The places where we. 355 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,920 Cling to things instead of letting go. 356 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,000 And so I think that's what Jesus is pointing to here, that the 357 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,760 grain must die. There is no shortcut in 358 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,120 fruitfulness to putting the seed in the ground and covering it 359 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:15,600 up. In the dark. 360 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,720 The shift only happens through the surrender of the things. 361 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:24,560 That we hold the closest to us that God would have us give 362 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:25,320 over. To him. 363 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,720 And then Jesus continues to sharpen this image that he's 364 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,280 using and he says. Those who? 365 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,120 Love their life. Lose it. 366 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,400 And those who hate. Their life in this world will 367 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,640 keep it for eternal life. And I want to be clear, this is 368 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:48,320 not about despising life. It's not about it's it's, it's 369 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,760 not about some kind. Of like, you know? 370 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,360 Weird like, masochistic like. It's it's not that. 371 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,480 It's not that at all. It's about not clinging the 372 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:01,400 more. Tightly. 373 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,160 That we sort of. Treasure the. 374 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,680 Things that we think make up our lives, the more tightly we cling 375 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,600 to certain comforts, certain habits. 376 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,160 Or the more we resist. Asking hard questions about. 377 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:19,800 What's real for us? The more we protect ourselves 378 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:21,560 from painful. Truths. 379 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,200 The more quickly life slips through our fingers. 380 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,640 But when we release. Our lives into God's. 381 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,560 Hands when we sort of. Make ourselves vulnerable to the 382 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,720 presence of God. We make ourselves vulnerable. 383 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,560 To the body of Christ. And community. 384 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,960 What we discover is real life. Is in that place and so. 385 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,960 This is where we. Just need to be honest about our 386 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,080 cultural moment. We're surrounded by examples of 387 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,840 what happens when when zeal and pain and anger. 388 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,600 Go unhealed and unresolved. We are surrounded by a. 389 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:05,200 Moment by institutions that have no imagination for this kind of. 390 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:06,960 Deep work. Of having a life. 391 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,920 That's deeply rooted. In something and so when people. 392 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,840 Lash out. Because of unhealed passions. 393 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,040 The fruit. Of that is violence and 394 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,960 polarization and destruction, and so the headlines of the 395 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,080 last. Couple of weeks. 396 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:26,040 Have been heavy, multiple school shootings as kids return to 397 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,400 class and the assassination. Of Charlie Kirk, and I know 398 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,800 that. There are people who deeply 399 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:34,840 appreciated his work. And I know that. 400 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,400 Many people I know also thought much of what he did was in poor. 401 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,240 Taste. But whether it's children? 402 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:45,400 Losing their lives in the. Classroom or a public? 403 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,320 Figure. Cut down in violence in front 404 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:49,880 of. All of our eyes. 405 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,920 These tragedies reveal something deeper going on in US than 406 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,640 politics. They show us what? 407 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:04,520 Happens when zeal and pain and emptiness go unhealed and. 408 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,720 When people lash out. Without the. 409 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,960 Deeper work of surrender. The fruit is always destructive. 410 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,920 It's always destructive it. Doesn't matter the starting 411 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,320 place and so. Pastor, Really I. 412 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,280 Just want to name what I know many. 413 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,880 Are feeling for for. Those of us. 414 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,880 Who are shaken and disoriented by the kind of violence. 415 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,400 That we are just. Observing on a regular basis in 416 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,960 the world around us. You. 417 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:37,080 Are not alone in feeling the heaviness of that, and you're 418 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:41,600 welcome to bring the heaviness of that into into this space 419 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,960 into the. Spaces that we are, are. 420 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,920 Creating. And for those who. 421 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,080 Feel. More or less connected. 422 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:55,120 To particular names or events, I just want to challenge you to 423 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:55,920 not. Shrug. 424 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,920 Any of it. Off because there's a 425 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,680 temptation. To sort of silo ourselves. 426 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,520 Into into certain. Portions of. 427 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,880 The public discourse of. The the. 428 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,360 Consideration of what's going on in the world around us and. 429 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,680 I just hope that we can be a church. 430 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,960 Full of people. Who you know through the lens of 431 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,920 like the. Radically sacrificial life and. 432 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,920 Call of Jesus are able to look at all sorts of. 433 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,480 Brokenness in the world around us and name it for what it is 434 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,040 and not. Feel a temptation. 435 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:33,960 To sort of be magnetized toward one framing or another. 436 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,960 Of our public life does that. Sort of make sense? 437 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,880 It's a really different way. Of thinking than what's put on 438 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,200 display for us out in the world. And so I understand how how? 439 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,280 Challenging and how frustrating that might even sound. 440 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,720 But beneath all the slogans and. Tribal fights our culture. 441 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,600 Milieu is marked by a. Constant fire. 442 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,360 Of despondency. It's just this restless. 443 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:03,160 Emptiness that people are trying to fill with. 444 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,640 Outrage with ideological certainty. 445 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,360 Or with some kind of. Fiery rhetoric rhetoric. 446 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,560 And meanness that just shows up in the world. 447 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,120 In a. Way that is so. 448 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:18,880 Harsh and crass and all of these things. 449 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,000 Are sort of. Promising to give people life 450 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,640 and meaning as lonely people become. 451 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,640 More and more withdrawn. Into like their corners of how 452 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,960 they think. About the world every. 453 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,440 Camp offers its own version. Of. 454 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,160 Salvation, but the human soul is. 455 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:41,560 Never ever healed by. Hitching our wagon to 1 456 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,160 sociopolitical promise or another. 457 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,640 And so these things that we're seeing kind of unfold. 458 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,320 Around us are the ugliest manifestation of what? 459 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:54,200 Happens when the emptiness inside of us left unhealed 460 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,600 lashes. Out it's it's passion. 461 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:03,040 It's divorced from humility. It's energy with no. 462 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,800 Place to go, but. Destruction and. 463 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,920 So that's what we're. Talking about when we're talking 464 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,720 about the work of being deeply formed, of being buried in the. 465 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,840 Soil of the. Love of God is this idea that 466 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,880 how how these. Sort of Unhealed passions show 467 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:18,080 up in each. Of our lives. 468 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,440 Can be different depending on where we find ourselves in in 469 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,080 family or in the world or what. We think about politics, but at 470 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:25,440 the end. Of the. 471 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,000 Day it's the same energy, that kind of. 472 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,040 Animates all of it. Is this making sense? 473 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,040 OK. So that's why we're. 474 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,680 Talking about learning to. Give our lives away. 475 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,800 From the very center. Of the way that God is loving. 476 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,640 Us because if we're giving something into the world and 477 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,040 it's not coming from the white hot center of the. 478 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,800 Love of God that we're. Experiencing in our lives, we're 479 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:50,640 giving away something that nobody. 480 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,960 Needs or wants? Say that again if we. 481 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:01,600 If we, if we, if we are. If we are giving ourselves. 482 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:06,800 Away from anything other than the white hot center of the. 483 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,920 Love of God for us, we are. Giving something away that 484 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:18,040 nobody needs or wants. Jesus demonstrates a life that's 485 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,160 rooted. In the everlasting love. 486 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,920 Of God for us. It's it's given away. 487 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,320 Generously, it's a life. That's surrendered so that. 488 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,240 We could bear fruit. That lasts. 489 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,320 And so he concludes. This passage. 490 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,520 Saying whoever serves. Me must follow me, and where I 491 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:37,840 am there my servant. Will be also whoever. 492 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,520 Serves me the Father will honor and to serve. 493 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,400 Jesus is to follow. Him into surrender. 494 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,000 To be where he. Is. 495 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:54,480 And where is he? Always, always, always. 496 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,400 With the hurting. Always with the outsider. 497 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,720 Always on the path. Of costly. 498 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,200 Love one for another. Ronald Rehlheiser We call this 499 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,160 the the. Fire of maturity. 500 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:14,040 Not not flashy or frantic, but steady and hot and so. 501 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,560 It's a life. That's so deeply. 502 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:16,840 Rooted in God, that. It can be. 503 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:21,920 Poured out for others. Without being consumed, without 504 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:23,920 running out, without burning out. 505 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,360 There's a a great. Film French film of gods and men 506 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:29,280 about. These. 507 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,640 Trappist monks in Algeria. Kind of a modern. 508 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:36,000 Picture of this. This grain of wheat. 509 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,600 Life. And so it is in French. 510 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,360 So if you don't. Like, you know, reading. 511 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:43,720 Subtitles. Get over it because you should 512 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,560 watch this movie their. Daily rhythm was simple. 513 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,080 Prayer, tending the garden, caring for the sick. 514 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,240 You know this. Was like one of the only places 515 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:58,600 in this small town. Of, of of. 516 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:02,480 Almost exclusively Muslims. Where? 517 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,160 Medicine was coming in into this. 518 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:07,960 This place where they're. Living And so over time, these 519 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,880 monks just become woven into the. 520 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:11,720 Life of the village. That they're. 521 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,960 Living in and civil. War. 522 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,520 Erupts in Algeria, violence spread and extremist groups. 523 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,920 Begin targeting foreigners intentionally and the monks had 524 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:24,240 every opportunity to leave. They were encouraged. 525 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:25,760 To leave by their. Government, they were 526 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,360 encouraged. To leave by the church. 527 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,800 And some had opportunities to even. 528 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,000 Slip away quietly. But they continued. 529 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,520 To choose to stay. And what's important? 530 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,960 To see from their story. Is that their? 531 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,920 Decision was not sudden. Heroism it. 532 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,840 Wasn't a knee jerk reaction to what was taking place around 533 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,800 them. They didn't wake up one day and 534 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,760 decide to be martyrs. They had. 535 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:54,240 Already given their lives. Away years before this. 536 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,600 In prayer and in discernment and community. 537 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,600 And they had been buried like seeds in that village that they 538 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:05,760 were living in long before. Danger ever reached their door. 539 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,560 And so the. Film is. 540 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,360 Beautiful because you. See them wrestle through 541 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:11,240 discernment together. In real time about. 542 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:12,600 Do we stay? Do we go? 543 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,280 For what reason does God have us in this place and. 544 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:19,040 What we see is. That when this moment of testing 545 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:19,840 comes. They weren't. 546 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,520 Scrambling to decide. Who they were, they had already. 547 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,200 Been invited into this kind of. Life that's deeply. 548 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,120 Planted in the soil. Of the love of God. 549 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,480 But most of the time. Our costly availability does. 550 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,680 Not look that dramatic. And so I think it's important to 551 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,400 also center ourselves on examples that we can actually 552 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,000 hold onto it. Looks like a. 553 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:48,280 Parent choosing presence over ambition Your neighbor who? 554 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:53,600 Cares for their sick. Spouse day after day a friend 555 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,880 saying no to. Themselves so that. 556 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,120 They can say yes. To another. 557 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:00,600 These are hidden seeds and hidden. 558 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:02,520 Soil. That bear fruit over. 559 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,160 Time that. Lasts. 560 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,160 I think of one of my dearest friends who lost. 561 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:09,680 His mom this week to. Cancer. 562 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,040 She's only 60. 6 and her sickness. 563 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,320 Progressed really quickly. And what it's. 564 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,280 It's been tremendous to watch in friendship. 565 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,160 I've watched him step. Back from sort of the brink of a 566 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:25,040 really destructive season in his life and and regain his footing 567 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:26,760 and his faith in a. Beautiful way. 568 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:33,960 And then spend his final. Months with his mother. 569 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:38,480 In the most tender ways, sitting with her in the garden and 570 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,080 staying overnight to. Care for her. 571 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,720 And playing guitar. For her as her body failed. 572 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,480 And it cost him something. But because of the deep work 573 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:48,400 that he has. Allowed God to. 574 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,880 Do in him. Over the last few years of our 575 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,720 friendship. He was able to show up for her. 576 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,280 In love. And his presence became a 577 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:59,920 picture to me of. God's own love. 578 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,480 For us. And so if that's true in a 579 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,640 family, it's true in a church. This kind of costly. 580 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,800 Availability is not just an individual. 581 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:10,640 Call. It's the fire. 582 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:15,040 In the hearth of Central Vineyard Church last week, we 583 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,920 used that picture and I just. Think it's so helpful and this 584 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:19,840 week I want to say. That the fire that. 585 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,840 Burns in that. Hearth is costly availability. 586 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,760 One to another. Without that fire, the hearth 587 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,840 grows cold. And without it our. 588 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,920 Community. Becomes a place where. 589 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,640 There is little warmth or light or sustenance for others. 590 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,360 But if that fire burns hot, we have. 591 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,760 Something to give and so we need. 592 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:41,440 People who are. Willing to give? 593 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:45,760 Their lives away. In costly availability and so. 594 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,200 Here's just a little list. Of things that came to my mind 595 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,720 just off the top of my head. That like we're already. 596 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,160 Engaged in in some way. Because listen, we're talking 597 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:56,480 about. Community, we're talking about 598 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:58,920 formation, we're talking about doing the deep work, but. 599 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:00,920 We also have to keep in focus like. 600 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:02,120 We have. We have. 601 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,040 Some missional assignments from God and so this. 602 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:09,320 Work that we're doing is to even more faithfully. 603 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,680 Live into those assignments we need to engage. 604 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,640 The crisis. Of housing and homelessness in 605 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,720 Columbus to come alongside neighbors who are battling 606 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,600 addiction and cycles of brokenness to shelter and aid 607 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,440 the vulnerable, refugees, immigrants, those who are coming 608 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,680 to our city in deep need of welcome to take vision to. 609 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,720 Communities where the. Good news of Jesus needs to be 610 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,440 contextualized in a new way, even in our city, whether that's 611 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,200 through some kind of. Service or even through. 612 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:41,760 Planting churches. To to care. 613 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:44,320 For and support vulnerable women at. 614 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,720 At risk of exploitation like the. 615 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,720 Work of Sanctuary night to be near to kids who don't have the. 616 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,200 Support that they deserve through partnerships with. 617 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,120 Organizations like royal family. Kids. 618 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,640 To support and care and educate orphan kids. 619 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,040 In Cambodia through. The work that we are privileged 620 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:04,600 to do with Asia. 'S hope and and. 621 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,160 Ultimately as well to. Pray and to share. 622 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,320 Hope one with another. Here as a church. 623 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,200 To give in this. Context in our central 624 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,600 communities. Learning new modes of prayer 625 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:16,040 ministry. Learning to give. 626 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:18,040 Away what God is. Doing inside of us. 627 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,320 And address the very. Real. 628 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:22,560 Spiritual darkness that entwines. 629 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,440 Both our lives. And the systemic evils. 630 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,520 Of the world. Around us, that's what it means 631 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,880 for us to lean into. Costly availability as a church. 632 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:36,800 And so if that list. Sounded like a lot. 633 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,360 It was. Sort of meant to, because I'm 634 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,040 looking around and it's like there's not even that many 635 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:45,760 people in this room. But that's the work. 636 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,960 That's in front of us. And so for us. 637 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,760 To do that, like if if we were just to sort of lash out. 638 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,320 In zeal and inspiration, right now, we. 639 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:56,040 Wouldn't get very far and we'd get really. 640 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:00,840 Tired really fast. And so I'm going to invite the 641 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,400 worship team to come back up and just as we start to turn toward. 642 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,040 Prayer Ministry. I'm thinking about. 643 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,080 The way that. Some. 644 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,160 Of us in this. Room have become. 645 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,440 A little weary. Not because. 646 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,240 You've given too much, but maybe. 647 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,480 Because you've just. Overextended a little bit in the 648 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,240 wrong season? You've you've. 649 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,920 Tried to do the. Work, if we're honest, just 650 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,400 without first letting your life be buried deep in in the soil 651 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:32,560 of. The love of God. 652 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,600 And that's OK. I think God's making space. 653 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:38,960 For you to. Regain your footing. 654 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,720 There. Are some of us who feel like a 655 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,760 call? And a stirring toward whatever. 656 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,000 It is toward justice. Toward sharing your faith. 657 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,240 Toward giving yourself more. Fully to community. 658 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,240 And toward God's world. And you're excited, and you know 659 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:57,400 that you need deeper. Rooting I would invite. 660 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,760 You to come and receive prayer. And I know that there are some. 661 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:02,320 People in this room. Who have a lot. 662 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:03,960 Of great stuff. Going on in their. 663 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:05,840 Life and you are. Ready to? 664 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:08,120 Just surrender and recognize. That you. 665 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,440 Have a lot to. Give and the. 666 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,239 Invitation is to stop clinging. And let your life. 667 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,520 Fall into the soil. And be covered up. 668 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,280 And. Flourish so wherever you are. 669 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,960 That invitation is the same and Jared will have a couple of 670 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:25,360 things, but. Don't settle. 671 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,480 For something shallow. You know what? 672 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:30,120 We're what we're aiming at through this whole. 673 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:31,560 Series is to be able to. Just kind of. 674 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,040 Figure out like. OK, where am I on the map? 675 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:36,199 What might God be doing and how can I? 676 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,920 Just fully. Embrace that work so. 677 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:41,840 Come. Come and receive prayer. 678 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,239 Yeah, I just had a sense that there's some of you just like, 679 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,320 man, how do I get, how do I get the fire? 680 00:34:47,639 --> 00:34:49,760 Like how do I get the? Fire inside of me. 681 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,719 And I just have a sense that some of you want the fire for 682 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,239 your own life, for your own life with God. 683 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,160 And here's the thing, you cannot start the fire. 684 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,280 God has to do that for you. It's an act of God's grace and 685 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,520 gift. And some of that happens when we 686 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,240 pray for each other. And so I would love to pray for 687 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:09,840 you if you're just like I. Can I get a little fire? 688 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,440 Inside of me, I would love to pray for you and just see what 689 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:13,760 God would give to you this morning.