1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,360 We're going to be in James again in chapter 1. 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,920 They're going to be back in starting in verse 19, but we're 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:14,080 going to, I'm going to read in Exodus starting in Exodus 17, 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,520 starting in verse 8. This is story of Joshua. 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,000 Well, this will make sense when we get towards the end of it, 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,360 but I just kind of wanted to give you guys, this is a 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,520 something to think about. The Amalekites came and fought 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,680 with Israel at Raphaem. So Moses said to Joshua, Choose 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,240 for us men and go out and fight the Amalekites. 10 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,920 Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with a staff of God 11 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,440 in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses told him 12 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,120 and fought with the Amalekites while Moses and Aaron and her 13 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,440 went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,120 hands, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hands, 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,680 Amalekites prevailed. But Moses hands grew weary, so 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,000 they took a stone and put it under his arm, and he sat on it, 17 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,000 while Aaron and her held up his hands, one-on-one side and the 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,920 other on the other. So his hands were steady until 19 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,080 the going down of the sun, and Joshua overwhelmed the 20 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:18,440 Amalekites and his people with the sword, or Amalek and his 21 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,200 people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, 22 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,160 write this in the memorial in a book and recite it in the ears 23 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,840 of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek 24 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,080 from under heaven. So Lord, I just lift up this 25 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,520 time. I lift up everybody here. 26 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,040 Lord, I just thank you that we live in a time and a place that 27 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,440 we get to come together, that we get to spend time in fellowship 28 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,040 with with your body and Lord that you would be here with us, 29 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,760 Lord, that you'd be speaking to us, that you would also be using 30 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,840 US in each other's lives. And I pray all this in Jesus 31 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,600 name, Amen. So we are going to be like I 32 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,840 said, we're going to be in in Joshua and today we're going to 33 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:06,840 be starting in verse 19. Sorry, what James did I say 34 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,840 James? Sorry James. 35 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:15,120 Yes, sorry, we're going to be in James chapter 1 starting in 36 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,120 verse 19. Know this my beloved brothers, 37 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,280 let every person be quick to hear and slow to speak, slow to 38 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,680 anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of 39 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,280 God. Therefore put away filthiness 40 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,480 and rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the 41 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,600 implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. 42 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,880 But be doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving 43 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,160 yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the 44 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,360 Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his 45 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,440 natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away, 46 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,880 and at once forgets what he was like. 47 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:55,520 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, 48 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,800 and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who 49 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,400 acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 50 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,240 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,320 but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 52 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,920 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father. 53 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:19,600 Is this to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions and 54 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,440 to keep oneself unstained from the world. 55 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,120 And we are not going to get anywhere near all of that. 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,480 But I wanted to read to the end of it because it's kind of good 57 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,320 to remember where we're at. So verse 19, know this, my 58 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,440 beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to 59 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:40,080 speak and slow to anger. Proverbs, Proverbs says when 60 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,360 words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever 61 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:51,640 restrains his lips is prudent. And that's think about when 62 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,040 you're, when you're busy and life's busy and you start 63 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,520 talking in groups, you can get yourself down a road you didn't 64 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,600 want to get just because you're, you're distracted by the amount 65 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,640 of words you're using. Arguments turn into that. 66 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:10,240 But to remember that our own words are not wisdom, right? 67 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:15,640 Jesus may give us words to speak and but we must never claim to 68 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:21,279 speak for him. Now there are times that Jesus 69 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:26,760 will give you words, but if you're going to say this, Jesus 70 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,720 told me this, you'd better be sure it came from him, right? 71 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,240 And the only way that's going to happen is first of all, that our 72 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:40,040 mouth is closed and our ears are open when we are when we are in 73 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,280 a conversation with somebody, Are we, are we listening? 74 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,840 There's some health self help book out there that says 75 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,720 listening. Hearing is like listening with 76 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,000 the back of your neck, which is just really listening, right? 77 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,480 Are you listening to hear them or are you listening to argue 78 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,760 with them? And when you want to respond to 79 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,520 somebody, the Allen Redpath, and I imagine he didn't come up with 80 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,360 it, but it's the first place I heard it. 81 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:14,880 He has an acronym called think, which is when you're going to 82 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,800 respond to somebody, think about it and and see if it's true, if 83 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,680 it's helpful, if it's inspiring. And the last two, is it 84 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,200 necessary? Do they need, do they need the 85 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,320 information or do they already know the information? 86 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,520 I and the last one is kind, but are you? 87 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,360 I'll use my oldest daughter and she, if she's listening, she'll 88 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,800 roll her eyes at me. There came a point in our 89 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,840 relationship when she was living at my house that she didn't get 90 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:49,720 my advice right. She could ask for it, but there 91 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,960 was nothing she was going to ask me that she didn't know the 92 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,240 answer to, right? She knew what her dad thought 93 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:57,440 there was there was there was no Gray. 94 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,520 I mean, I had she knew exactly when she was not doing what dad 95 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,200 wanted her to do. I didn't have to tell her that, 96 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:06,160 right? We would. 97 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,840 It was when she would come to me with a a question and I would 98 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:12,640 ask her, do you really want the answer? 99 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:19,120 No, you know, I mean, because she already knew the answer and 100 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:25,840 that was that there comes a point in a conversation that 101 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,160 they need to answer that question and and beating them 102 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:30,480 over the head isn't going to do that. 103 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:37,040 But listening And now that doesn't mean I'm not, I'm not as 104 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,880 we go through this. And that doesn't mean there 105 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,040 isn't times that we do need to speak up. 106 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,800 The, the times that I want to, as I'm kind of going to premise 107 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:53,800 my whole study in this thought process. 90% of the time we want 108 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,960 to respond because I don't like what you said and you're 109 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,880 offending me and I'm, I want to win this argument. 110 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,520 Now there are times that you need to stand up and speak up 111 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,040 for someone else. That's a different conversation, 112 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,400 right? That's if you're if you're 113 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,480 defending others, then then that's a conversation. 114 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,920 You may you, you need to have, you know you there's so it's 115 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,960 it's about why are you going to try and have that conversation? 116 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:31,000 But if we will, if we will always understand that I don't 117 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,120 have wisdom and Jesus does and he can tell me what to say and 118 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,920 when to say it. It keeps our quick responses to 119 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,800 a quiet whisper, right? It keeps me quiet when I 120 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:46,320 actually, you guys are are you don't get the responsibility 121 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,240 that I have up here, but you have that in your your families 122 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:53,120 and in your workplace. Guys, when when you come to me 123 00:07:53,160 --> 00:08:00,080 and if someone comes to me for counsel, I do not ever want to 124 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,120 give them what Nick thinks they should do. 125 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,680 I want to give them what Jesus says they should do right. 126 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,560 And that takes being in the word and sharing what it says, not 127 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,280 what Nick thinks. And when I get up here on Sunday 128 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:19,520 morning, I want to share with you what the Lord has shown me 129 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,240 to show you, right? Not what I not, not fancy words. 130 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:31,240 It's I, when I, when I reference verses, I, I don't reference 131 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,960 verses because hey, that fits that spot, right? 132 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,600 It's, it's their, their verses the Lord has given me. 133 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,600 But it's also that I have, I've read the passages that they're 134 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,320 in and they fit where they're, where I'm using them, if that 135 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,480 makes sense. So they're in context. 136 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,200 But I don't want to just, I don't want to be a great speaker 137 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,640 and, and say all the right things. 138 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,600 I that doesn't believe it or not, that doesn't change 139 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,920 people's lives. What changed people's lives is 140 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:02,800 Jesus and his word. And we're going to get into 141 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,280 that. But it's important for us to, to 142 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:11,320 restrain our words. Proverbs 1727 says whoever 143 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,080 restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool 144 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,040 spirit is a man of understanding. 145 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,160 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise. 146 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,080 When he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. 147 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:28,600 Abraham Lincoln, or yeah, it was either Abe Lincoln or Mark 148 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:29,320 Twain. I don't. 149 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,200 And where you look, they'll say who said it. 150 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,480 It's better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out 151 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:40,480 and remove all doubt, right? And and if you think about that, 152 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:46,680 there is so much truth in that. If we can remember that Jesus is 153 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:51,520 smarter than everyone, then that changes the way we go about 154 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,200 listening. We can have quietness in our 155 00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:00,400 appearance that will show light in our lives, right? 156 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,480 I don't have to get upset. I don't have to get I, I can be. 157 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,760 I can be angry and not sinning, right? 158 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:13,960 I can be upset that there are men swimming in girls events in 159 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,000 college. I could be upset not with the 160 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:23,120 guy. I mean, is he is he wrong and is 161 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,080 there but there's a what he's standing for, right? 162 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:31,240 I need to, I need to stand against that the, the guy needs 163 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:36,080 Jesus or in anyone, any situation of that nature. 164 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,840 But who I'm standing up for are the girls that have to compete 165 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,000 against it, right? And that's, that's wrong. 166 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,600 So I'm going to stand up against that men and men and men or 167 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,920 women in women's or men's bathrooms, depending is, is one 168 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,400 of those things that we stand up for, but we don't stand against 169 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,800 the person that's doing that. They're lost and dying. 170 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:02,240 We'll work on that. The, the, the anger that we're 171 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:08,520 going to show is at the, the, the wickedness that's in, in 172 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:09,920 that that's going to hurt people. 173 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,040 And so I never want to stand up here and I cause 'cause I was 174 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:17,440 going back through this and it sounds like I'm as we, as we 175 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:22,600 listen that we're also not that, Oh, he's, I'm, I'm telling you 176 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,240 to be docile. And that is not that is not The 177 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:31,480 thing is to be our our goal is to be useful. 178 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,640 And I will tell you, we'll get into it a little more, but I'll 179 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,240 tell you for a fact that Facebook is not where to be 180 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:47,040 useful, right? It's just not I I've years ago, 181 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,520 I had A at a lady that did 4H with us. 182 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:53,720 Sweet lady. She was a lesbian, lived at her, 183 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:00,200 lived with her, with her, with her partner and grew up Jewish. 184 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:07,040 She was entertaining to talk to, but we got to have 185 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,800 conversations. And in those conversations, she 186 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,560 100% knew that according to Jesus and according to the 187 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:18,520 Bible, she was in sin. And it was, she was, she was not 188 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,280 right with God. And it was a conversation. 189 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,760 And it didn't mean at any point that she didn't think that that 190 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,880 our family loved her as a as a human and wanted the best for 191 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:34,280 her, right, but knew that she was on the wrong side of God, 192 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,520 right? We had that conversation, but it 193 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,360 was a one-on-one conversation and it was serious. 194 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,040 And there were hard things said. If I'd had that same 195 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,440 conversation on Facebook, right? Can't be done. 196 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:56,360 And and so just that that's that the goal is for their heart. 197 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,480 Now, I'd love to say that that she gave her life to Jesus and 198 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:05,680 everything's wonderful that that's not the case, but it was 199 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:07,360 it. That's the heart we're supposed 200 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,680 to have is to go after that one, right? 201 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:16,080 And to have that conversation, not being angry with the lost 202 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,680 and still, still being able to listen to all they think about, 203 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:22,080 right. Because that conversation I had 204 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:27,080 with her was days longer for H. So there's lots of time. 205 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:28,800 I used to call it forced relaxation. 206 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,720 When you do, when you do rabbit arm stuff or or rabbit shows, 207 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,800 there's a there's a point where you're, you're, you're there 208 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,200 with your kids, but you're there for hours and hours. 209 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:43,040 So there was forced relaxation. So we got to have conversations 210 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:47,280 and I got to listen. I mean, from from her Jewish 211 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,240 beginning all the way through to how she got where she was. 212 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:51,760 And I got to listen to all of it. 213 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,920 And I didn't tell her she was wrong every time I turned 214 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,160 around. Now, there was lots of things 215 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,920 she said in that conversation that I didn't agree with, but I 216 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:06,120 didn't argue every point, right? I listened to her and I let her 217 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,480 her feel I mean it. And it wasn't that I was 218 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,960 listening to her so I could prove her wrong. 219 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,280 I was listening to her so I could get to know her and then 220 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:19,760 then I could share with her my life. 221 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:26,120 And, and and you won't hear lots of conversations about the time 222 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,400 Nick was sharing with the girl, But this was in a big public, 223 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,360 public place. So I I was, I was safe to have 224 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,280 that kind of lengthy conversation. 225 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:42,000 I'm pretty much a can ask Faye. I God put protections around me 226 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,640 for all of that that Faye and me have had before we got married, 227 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,520 we talked. How many times did we have 228 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,160 conversations? Two or three times. 229 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:54,320 I don't remember any of them. And that isn't because Faye is 230 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,000 any was any less wonderful then than she is now. 231 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,840 I just literally and and I love all the ladies here and don't 232 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,040 take this the wrong way. And it's a little different now 233 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,080 that I'm the the pastor, but it's a shield, right? 234 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:12,760 It's that I have been protected from that and it's great and I 235 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:15,800 love it because it would have been something as a non believer 236 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,000 that I struggled with talking because I always wanted to talk 237 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,920 to girls, right? That's the whole thing. 238 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,760 And so there, there's a protection there so you won't 239 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:28,200 hear a lot anyway, that was off topic, but it was that I, there 240 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,960 was a time where I got to just sit and listen to her give me 241 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,080 your whole story. And then she listened to my 242 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,400 story. And because of that, at no point 243 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,840 is she not. I mean, I'd love to like I said, 244 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,040 I'd love to say that in in the telling her my side of it that 245 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:48,200 she turned. She didn't turn, but she 246 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:53,960 understands that she's not good with the Lord and she may turn 247 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:58,080 one day right and she knows, she knows where she stands. 248 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,120 James goes on in verse 20 and says for the wrath of man does 249 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,280 not produce the righteousness of God. 250 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,320 And what does produce the righteousness of God and it's 251 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,880 only Jesus and his work on the cross and something that that 252 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,040 when we're having these conversations that we need to 253 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:26,080 remember 2nd Corinthians 521 says for for our sake, he made 254 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:32,040 him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the 255 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:37,360 righteousness of God. So my arguing will never draw 256 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,120 somebody to the Lord who draws them to the Lord The Lord does 257 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,240 and and who does that work in their life? 258 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:51,480 Who, who will change that heart? God can change them into the 259 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:58,000 righteousness of God. And we should always be when 260 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,760 we're in a conversation with, with the world, even with, even 261 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:06,760 with other believers, at any point in a conversation, we 262 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:12,760 should be asking the Lord to give me, give me his eyes to 263 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,720 give me his ears, to give me his heart to give me his mouth, 264 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,720 right? I want to, I want to hear what 265 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,200 he hears. I want to see what he sees. 266 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,560 I want to, I want to speak what he wants me to speak. 267 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,760 And I want to feel for these people the way he wants me to 268 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:30,160 feel. And guys, I'm not Jesus. 269 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,120 So I don't have his eyes. I don't know what he knows. 270 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,320 I don't have his heart. I don't feel what he feels. 271 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:43,120 I can't I, I don't I mean they and my kids will tell you that I 272 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:45,920 I've said for years, my empathy bone is broken. 273 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:52,640 I don't have one for years they used to say that I know I have 274 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,160 one feeling and I leave it under the bed. 275 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,920 All right, I stored under there. I let it out through the 276 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,520 divorce. It behaved badly. 277 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:05,360 I put it back underneath the bed and my my youngest daughter, 278 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:07,760 because she knows the story used to go in the bedroom and jump up 279 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:11,720 and down on the bed because she's going to hurt my feeling. 280 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:23,640 That's but when we engage with this world, we so in this room, 281 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:30,280 do you expect the world to act like us right. 282 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,960 And that that's really a lot of times where where our anger is 283 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:36,880 stirred up is they're not acting like us. 284 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:42,160 And first Peter 29. I'm in the King James just 285 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,240 because I like the way he says it says, but ye are a chosen 286 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:49,720 generation of royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people 287 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,800 that you should show forth the praises of him who has called 288 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,560 you out of darkness into marvelous light. 289 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,640 You're supposed to be weird. I mean, you don't get much 290 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,920 weirder than peculiar. Have you ever met somebody 291 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,240 that's peculiar? I mean, they're that's a weird 292 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:10,520 word, right? And, and what this made me think 293 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,800 of is so in Uganda, and I know you guys love Uganda, you get to 294 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,040 hear about it all the time. As an American in Uganda, it is 295 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:29,040 really easy to get distracted by how weird they are, right? 296 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:34,440 They they drive weird. They, they do buildings weird, 297 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:40,920 they farm weird and they tell time weird when I'm in their 298 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:42,640 country. Aren't they weird? 299 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,400 Or am I weird? Well, I'm weird because I'm in 300 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,640 their country. So that that when I say, when I 301 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:56,920 say service starts at 10:00, I think we start at 10:00 and 302 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:58,880 we're not actually going to start till 11:00. 303 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,520 And they all know that that I think we start at 10:00 makes me 304 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,840 weird. Now everybody goes, yeah, but 305 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,640 that's when we start. And that's an American, And we 306 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,840 keep time. In Uganda, up until 50 years 307 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,360 ago, they didn't have watches, so they told time by the Sun. 308 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:21,080 So we've had some form of actual minute to minute time keeping 309 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,960 for thousands of years in the West. 310 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,280 Uganda's had it for about 50 and we expect them to keep minute to 311 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,800 minute time. You can see how they would think 312 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,160 we were weird. The way they drive is weird. 313 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,640 But The thing is, is that I can get angry. 314 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,480 I can get angry with the way they do lines. 315 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,640 I mean, stand out. You can ask Faye standing in 316 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,440 line in Uganda if, if we need to go out that door right there, 317 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,720 the line is going to be a wall of people headed for that hole. 318 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,320 Not, not a line of people, head of the a wall of people. 319 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,400 And then you're going to get to the, the narrow spot and 320 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,120 everybody's going to try to get in it. 321 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,560 That's how they drive. That's how they they go through 322 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,160 lines. It's it's and you can get 323 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:12,640 frustrated or you can accept that you're in their country and 324 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:14,840 this is how you do lines in their country. 325 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:21,800 OK, so if we're in, if we're in the world and Jesus, Jesus 326 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:25,760 hasn't hasn't come back yet and and taken over. 327 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,480 So the world, we're supposed to be in it, but not of it. 328 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:35,280 So we should be weird, but we don't need to be angry with the 329 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:39,800 weird. We need to be praying for the 330 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,960 weird right our job and might like in Uganda, my job is to 331 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,800 simply reflect Christ into it, into the darkness of their world 332 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,840 and the darkness of their world is not that they don't keep time 333 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:52,960 and it's not that they don't drive right. 334 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:57,160 And it's not that they they they need to, they need to farm 335 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,320 differently. It's that they don't know Jesus 336 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,480 and as believers, that's what's wrong with the world. 337 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,240 I worked at Watts construction for years and when I my pastor 338 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,840 said something at one point that said people should be 339 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,920 embarrassed to sin around you because when you come in the 340 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:19,880 room and he, he had a lot more to it. 341 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,840 I, I just like locked on to OK, so I should make it. 342 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,160 I should make it hard for people to sit around me. 343 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,560 So in the next, So for the next couple of years, I made fun of 344 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,720 them when they cussed. I, I like go for cover when they 345 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,840 said GD said, do you really mean that? 346 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,160 Because there's lightning and Thunder, you know, and and so I 347 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,880 made it a hassle for them to cuss when they told bad jokes. 348 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,200 I made it AI made it a thing all the time, right? 349 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:52,600 So then in my presence, my crew was clean, right? 350 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,080 They didn't cuss around me. They didn't tell dirty jokes 351 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:00,640 around me. And one day after I was feeling 352 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,240 pretty proud of myself. Look at that. 353 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,400 The Lord said good job you cleaned up a bunch of men that 354 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:12,040 are all going to hell may not be our goal, right? 355 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,600 I don't want the world to make me comfortable. 356 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:24,760 I want the world to come to Jesus and should should someone 357 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,320 should the world be uncomfortable sitting around 358 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,360 you? Yes, but not because you you, 359 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,640 you actively went out and attempted things to do that, but 360 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,720 because of the light you bring into the room, because you are a 361 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:42,280 Christian and you have the the Lord living inside you. 21 362 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,920 though starts off and says therefore, and whenever we see a 363 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,760 therefore, we say what is it there for? 364 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,320 And it's back to verse 20. It says for the wrath of man 365 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,440 does not produce the righteousness of God. 366 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,000 Therefore lay aside all filthiness, overflow of 367 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,120 wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word 368 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:02,160 which is able to save your souls. 369 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,720 Meekness just is power under control. 370 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,080 It's not weakness. Picture. 371 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,440 I got lots of lots of pictures of meekness that run around my 372 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,880 head. You could go with how's this 373 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:24,120 worldly, worldly 1 the Clydesdale, the Clydesdales, the 374 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:28,000 Budweiser Clydesdales, right? These guys, these things are 375 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:34,400 powerful and scary powerful if you had one wildly tromping 376 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,280 around. But you hook them, you hook six 377 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,720 of them to a wagon and they can do some amazing things, but 378 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,520 they're not they're they're under control. 379 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,800 They're power under control. Do we now? 380 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,200 It says that we're supposed to. Sorry, I missed the line. 381 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:57,880 So and do we use God's wisdom with meekness? 382 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,600 Do we use the wisdom of his word with meekness? 383 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,880 And do we use it as it was designed to be used? 384 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:13,480 And that is to save those who hear it right, because received 385 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,840 with meekness the implanted word which is able to save souls. 386 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,680 So is that our goal? Hebrews 412 says. 387 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,840 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any 2 388 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,960 edged sword, piercing to the vision of soul and of spirit, of 389 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,080 joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and 390 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:37,600 intentions of the heart. So think of a sword being 391 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:42,320 recklessly swung about that is not under control. 392 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,680 And then and then think of a samurai using a sword that would 393 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,800 be under control. That would the samurai having 394 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,280 the sword. So having the sword and being 395 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,680 able to use it to, to split hairs, for instance, or, or 396 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:08,320 something amazing that they can do is using it with meekness, 397 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,480 right? So now think about using God's 398 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:15,440 word and, and now like I've talked about Facebook being on a 399 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,200 being in a Facebook battle and having zingers and 1 liners and 400 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,120 gotchas. And now think of Charlie Kirk or 401 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:26,000 Ray Comfort using the word, right? 402 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:29,080 Which one of those is useful? Which one of those is actually 403 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:30,920 using it the way it's supposed to be used? 404 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,400 And me and Matt were talking before service and we enjoy some 405 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,000 conversations. But when you're when you're 406 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,560 talking with people, right, are you looking for the one liner 407 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,120 that just shuts them up? Or are you looking for the 408 00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:51,480 conversation that will lead them to the Lord, right, not not 409 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,400 prove you're right. They're going to hell. 410 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:57,240 That doesn't right? You're already, you're already 411 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,520 you're already going to heaven. You're already saved. 412 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:06,760 So are you using his words to guide them or are you using them 413 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,960 to beat them with? And that's that's that meekness 414 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:15,000 of his word. And we need to remember how we 415 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,400 are built. The words that come out of us 416 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,200 matter. This is something that you can 417 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:28,040 get into. So I think it's there's some in 418 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:33,160 speaker think it's Tony Robbins, but that he'll go into muscle 419 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:34,840 memory. And did you know that that our 420 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:43,960 words that we use become habits? And Jesus, shockingly, Jesus 421 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,160 knew that they they proved it was science. 422 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,000 But Jesus was like, by the way, I already said that Matthew 1511 423 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,200 says it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, 424 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,960 but what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person. 425 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:03,400 And we need to think all the words come out of our mouth. 426 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:04,880 We need to know what we're saying. 427 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,200 That's I think everybody remembers Sticks and stones may 428 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,160 break my bones, but words will never hurt me. 429 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,560 Anybody ever said that as a kid or get got told to say that? 430 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,320 What do we know about that saying today? 431 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:21,480 It's probably wrong, right? It's completely wrong. 432 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:25,520 They those words not only hurt the person that you're saying 433 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,960 them to, but they hurt you because you said them. 434 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:33,760 Matthew 15, 18 to 19 says but what comes out of the mouth 435 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,960 proceeds from the heart and this defiles a person. 436 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,840 For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adultery, 437 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:47,960 sexual immorality, theft, false witness and slander and speaking 438 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:53,560 hateful things out loud, zingers and gotchas and one line 439 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:59,800 comebacks and pop offs. It's bad practice and, and the 440 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,000 the easiest way I can. Have you ever blown up at work 441 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:10,240 or at home and and like started yelling at somebody The next 442 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,520 time when that same event happened, was it easier or 443 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,240 harder to start yelling again? Right. 444 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:23,600 It's, it's a practice behavior When we allow, when we allow sin 445 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,840 to erupt out of us like that, it's easier the next time, 446 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,000 right? It becomes, it becomes habit. 447 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:39,600 And so how do we, how do we, how do we go through that? 448 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:45,680 Like I said, we are, we, we are quick to hear and slow to speak. 449 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:52,560 You know, there are times in my life that the best thing to be 450 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,480 said is nothing. And I'm a guy that can fill a 451 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:01,360 room with air, right? I can talk since I was since I 452 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:06,600 was little and God has shown me over the years, very often the 453 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:15,680 best thing to do is nothing to be quiet and and to be still. 454 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:23,680 And when we look at Colossians 3, he gets into this a little 455 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:25,560 bit. Paul gets into this on, on how 456 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,160 do we defeat that? How does how is that a thing? 457 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,000 And you'll find that like everything, it's the only way it 458 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:37,160 can be defeated is Jesus right? Colossians 3 starting in verse 459 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,640 8. But now you, you must put them 460 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,280 all away anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talking from 461 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,720 your mouth. Do not lie to one another, 462 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:51,560 seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and 463 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:56,040 have put on the new self with which is being renewed in 464 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,840 knowledge after the image of its creator. 465 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,160 So what is that old self, new self? 466 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,000 Galatians 220 I've been crucified with Christ is no 467 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,800 longer I who live with Christ who lives in me in this life. 468 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,440 I now live in the flesh. I live by faith. 469 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:18,200 That is a that that last bit is a statement that I will I will 470 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:22,520 talk under my breath in my head this life that I now live in the 471 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,080 flesh. I live by faith in the Son of 472 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,000 God who loved me and gave himself for me. 473 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:38,400 The only way that anything I ever teach you up here works is 474 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,880 by faith in the Son of God who loved you, loved you and gave 475 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:43,360 himself for you. That's it. 476 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,360 That is the there is this is not a self help game right? 477 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:51,200 We didn't, we didn't come up with the the new and, and I 478 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,000 because of work and just boredom in audiobooks. 479 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,840 I listen to a lot of self help stuff just because it's some of 480 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:02,280 them, some of them have it's kind of fun to see the when 481 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,160 you're when you're listening to them, it's fun to see or 482 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,680 basically they just take Christian ideology and and shift 483 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,320 it over to the self help book and they don't actually see it. 484 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,320 They think they've come up with something kind of like the that 485 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:24,480 it's but it's how do you the new self, the only new self is the 486 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:28,720 one in Christ there isn't you. If I walk away from Jesus today, 487 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,600 I am worse than the day I gave my life to the Lord, not better 488 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,080 outside of Christ or outside or before Christ. 489 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,520 We were no different than the world, right? 490 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,200 So when you look at the world and you're disgusted by it, no, 491 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,080 you are just exactly that evil outside of Christ. 492 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,960 And and when we when we recognize that, when we 493 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:59,640 recognize that that what happened when I gave my life to 494 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:03,680 Christ is he came in and he gave me life. 495 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:07,440 He woke up my spirit and he turned, he gave it life and now 496 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:10,120 I am in him. And with that, I see the 497 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:15,360 darkness of the world. What we find ourselves very 498 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,480 often is we look at the lost and dying and tell them to find 499 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,680 themselves and quit dying. And does that work? 500 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:31,200 I mean, think of being lost in the woods and you, you get on 501 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,440 the radio and you, you, you find somebody, you know, they, they 502 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,760 answer you. And their answer is, well, quit 503 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:42,680 being lost. That's not going to help, right? 504 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:45,600 Or you get a hold of them and you're, you're, you're, you're 505 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,320 in hypothermic state and you're, well, quit dying. 506 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:52,360 I mean, just stop stupid. Why were you in the woods? 507 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:55,120 How did you get lost? None of that would be helpful, 508 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:59,240 right? So that is why it's important 509 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:05,880 for us as believers to recognize what we're here for in in all 510 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:11,239 the conversations. Romans 12/16 to 21 and Romans 12 511 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,880 is if you guys don't. It's a great chapter where Paul 512 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:19,840 just sums what sums up what it is to be a Christian and but 513 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,679 starting in verse 16, it says live in harmony with one 514 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:25,199 another. Do not be haughty, but associate 515 00:34:25,199 --> 00:34:27,920 with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 516 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:34,120 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is 517 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:38,280 honorable in the sight of all, if possible, so far as it 518 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,840 depends on you, live peaceably with all. 519 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,080 Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave. 520 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:48,320 Leave it to the wrath of the God, for it is written, 521 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,040 vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. 522 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,280 To the contrary. If your enemy is hungry, feed 523 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,040 him. If he is thirsty, give him 524 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,400 something to drink, for by doing so you will keep burning coals 525 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:04,080 on his head. Do not overcome evil or be 526 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,080 overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 527 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:14,240 If if I have darkness and I add darkness, did I add anything 528 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:18,040 good in that? That's that you can't overcome 529 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:24,360 darkness with more darkness. Now, when it says if possible, 530 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:28,520 so far as it depends on you live peaceably with all men or with 531 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:35,760 all that is not saying to roll over and let everybody run over 532 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,920 us. That's saying you as a as a 533 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,480 person, you're to live peaceably with all people. 534 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:45,520 You're supposed to turn the other cheek. 535 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,400 But that doesn't mean like we'll we'll we'll be extreme. 536 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,360 That doesn't mean if a gunman walks in here and start shooting 537 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:57,680 that we aren't to shoot that guy because he is he is attacking 538 00:35:58,040 --> 00:35:59,880 people that aren't prepared right. 539 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:03,360 You're defending others and then that's that when it's not 540 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:07,520 possible is when you are you, you are to stand for other 541 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,160 people, right? Last week I picked on Bob about 542 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,640 if if there was a middle school bully up here picking on a 543 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,800 three-year old and Bob walked in, that'd be the end of the 544 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,760 picking, right? He'd take care of that. 545 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,720 And that's our job, right? Bob's job at that point is not 546 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:29,200 to be peaceable with all middle school bullies, to turn him over 547 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:34,360 his knee. And and that's our job, right? 548 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:36,480 We have to, if there's discernment there, there's that, 549 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,680 that continuous time in prayer of having that discernment. 550 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,520 There is time people need to be need to be taken to the tool 551 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:47,160 shed, but not to prove you right, not to make you feel 552 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,480 better, but because you're protecting others, those weaker 553 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:57,160 than you and being humble and remembering to remember you have 554 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:00,320 been saved. And I talked about that whether 555 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:03,600 you, you, we gave our lives to the Lord when we were 5 or 50. 556 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:06,520 We are the same, same Sinner, right? 557 00:37:11,990 --> 00:37:14,510 To be in Christ is to be in the light. 558 00:37:15,790 --> 00:37:21,910 His light, his world, his spirit is what saves us, right? 559 00:37:22,430 --> 00:37:26,190 Nothing, nothing I bring last week I said the only thing that 560 00:37:26,190 --> 00:37:30,680 I bring to salvation is the sin that required it, right? 561 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,560 I didn't show up with light and say, hey, let me add, you know 562 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,400 this room about the more believers we get in here, the 563 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:42,200 more light we have. No, because none of us have 564 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,000 light. We just reflect the light that's 565 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:48,640 given to us. And John 1 and I'm sure 566 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,200 everybody's heard this John 1 verses one through 5 says in the 567 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:55,320 beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 568 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,520 was God. He was in the beginning with 569 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,840 God. All things were made through Him 570 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:03,720 and without Him was nothing was not anything made that was made 571 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,000 in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 572 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,120 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has 573 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:15,040 not overcome it. And that that in Him was life, 574 00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:17,720 and the life was the light of men. 575 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:20,480 That's like and the sun was the light of the earth. 576 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,800 So the light of men is Jesus and what he does. 577 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:29,480 That's where we get our the reason that you can look at the 578 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:32,720 world and see that it's evil is because of the light that's in 579 00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:36,600 you. The light that's in me is is how 580 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:47,410 I can I can look and I can see. So we are in Christ and he saved 581 00:38:47,410 --> 00:38:50,370 us from death and blindness. We are in his light. 582 00:38:50,370 --> 00:39:00,320 Now the picture of that that I, I saw this years ago when I was 583 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:06,280 going through Exodus and looking at the looking at all the 584 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,680 plagues. So I'm going to read this, but I 585 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,040 want you guys to picture what this looks like. 586 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:18,240 Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand. 587 00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:22,800 Sorry. Exodus 10/21/20 2:23 Stretch out 588 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,960 your hand towards heaven, and there may be that there may be 589 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,200 darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. 590 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,680 So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and there was 591 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,760 pitched darkness in all the land of Egypt. 592 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,040 Three days. They did not see one another, 593 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:43,400 nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. 594 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:45,840 But the people of Israel had light where they lived. 595 00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:55,200 OK, so Israel lived in Goshen and Egypt was dark. 596 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:04,080 Now Goshen I can I can picture and it doesn't say it that way, 597 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:07,600 but I'm picturing there's light in Goshen, but that light that's 598 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:12,240 in Goshen, the Egyptians can see it, but they are not getting any 599 00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:16,160 light from it. If that makes they so they can 600 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:22,840 see there's this this force or something that's going on in the 601 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:27,800 IT Goshen. But I, I don't, I can't I, I 602 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,880 hold out, you know, there's a light over there and I hold up, 603 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:31,640 but I don't got any. I can't see anything. 604 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,200 It's not I, I don't understand it. 605 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:40,880 And what does I think in the King James it says the darkness 606 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:45,800 couldn't comprehend it in, in John, right. 607 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,880 It's they didn't understand the light. 608 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,240 Do you ever talk to anybody that doesn't understand the light? 609 00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:57,440 You know that that doesn't understand who Jesus is? 610 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:05,600 The darkness of this world blinds everybody that's not in 611 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,920 Christ, right? It is not a matter of having 612 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:11,400 right doctrine. And when I say that it doesn't 613 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,800 matter. I've got guys I work with that 614 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:20,920 are staunch Republicans. They are they are sinners and 615 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,600 going to hell. And we've had lots of 616 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:24,360 conversations. So I can say that up here, even 617 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:29,200 if they're listening, but they don't they they wouldn't tell 618 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:32,520 you they were a Christian. I mean, they meet, we may, we 619 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:39,360 may agree on on a platform, but that doesn't because I agree on 620 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:43,680 a platform does not mean that I'm a believer, right? 621 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:47,960 That doesn't get me in the door. What gets me in the door is what 622 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:52,920 he did on the cross period. That's something and that's 623 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:56,680 that's what we're leading people to always right is it's about 624 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,360 Jesus. He came to save us from our sin 625 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,800 period. His implanted word shines light 626 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,240 into our lives that only he can do. 627 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:17,760 He's he is what's required if if you believe in him, you will be 628 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,280 able to see in the dark. And if you can see in the dark, 629 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:29,040 you can save others, right? It's Jesus is who changes our 630 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,280 life, not my perfect debate skills. 631 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:38,480 You know when you look at a Ray Comfort or Charlie Kirk or a 632 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,440 dozen other ones, they would tell you the same thing. 633 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:48,200 How many a Ray comforter, Charlie Kirk pretty much win 634 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:53,600 every one of their debates because of the side they're on 635 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:57,760 and does everybody they debate instantly give their lives to 636 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:02,880 the Lord? My my pastor back home month ago 637 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,080 with Sharon. I don't remember what his I 638 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:10,440 think we were in an apologetics thing, but it was in his time of 639 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,800 being a pastor. It's been 30 years, 40 years, 640 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:19,880 and he said, I can count on one hand how many people then I 641 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,960 answered all of their questions and they gave their life to the 642 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:30,080 Lord right. And then and and he's he's lots 643 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:33,880 of people get saved in our church, but that are in an art 644 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,040 that that he's having that you know, you, you have problems of 645 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:38,840 coming to Jesus. And I'm going to answer those 646 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:42,280 questions and we get to the end of me answering all your 647 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:44,640 questions. And then I say, so you ready to 648 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:49,960 give your life to the Lord? Well, the only two that have are 649 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:54,560 and they're both ladies because ladies actually want they're 650 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,960 they're they're honest about their questions. 651 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,440 They're asking quite guys usually are trying to come up 652 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,960 with an argument. But ladies, when they get to 653 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,080 that point where they're asking the questions, very often they 654 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:08,200 have a softer heart and they they're really asking questions. 655 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:10,560 Guys are usually just coming up with ways they don't have to 656 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:14,840 listen. I was one of those guys for a 657 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:22,600 lot of years. But back to the Egypt thing. 658 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:28,000 Imagine an Israelite going over to an Egyptian and saying, would 659 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:33,160 you just see the light? They would never see the light. 660 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:39,280 Now, would you just believe in the God that made the light? 661 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:45,240 Because there's a whole, there's a whole set of of Egyptians in 662 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:47,640 the end that get to leave with the Israelites, the mixed 663 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:50,040 multitude. And that's because they believed 664 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:58,120 in the God they were serving. So that's the the belief in the 665 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:02,760 God. The belief in God is what saves 666 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,040 people, right? Matthew 21 says she will bring 667 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:11,960 forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save 668 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:20,080 his people from their sins. We are in the light because 669 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:26,560 Christ Jesus God with us has saved us into His light. 670 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:31,960 We see into the darkness because He is given our spirit life. 671 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:35,280 Now we are. We are to be light to the 672 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:39,880 darkness, not by telling the darkness it's dark, but by 673 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:42,320 sharing where the light comes from. 674 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:52,240 And that is why we are to be quick to hear, listen to them, 675 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:57,000 slow to speak, and slow to get angry with them. 676 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:04,680 Right. Because my anger 99.9% of the 677 00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:10,080 time comes from my selfish desire to be right, not from my 678 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,600 desire for them to see the righteousness of God. 679 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:16,920 Doesn't mean that, like I said, there are times to be angry. 680 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,560 But 99% of the time the reason I'm angry, the reason I get 681 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:24,360 welled up, is because they're winning the argument and I know 682 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:28,440 they're wrong and I want to prove them wrong. 683 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,400 We don't want to be that person. We want to let God do that work. 684 00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:37,000 So. So we put away all the 685 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,880 filthiness and rampant wickedness, which is our 686 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:45,440 selfishness and receive the word, the implanted word from 687 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:50,880 him and that is able to save souls. 688 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,120 And that's what we want to do, right? 689 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:58,000 That's my, my desire for, for everybody here that, that we, we 690 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:02,480 go out into our world and we are lights that are just reflecting 691 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:07,120 the sun and people come to us and come tell me about, tell me 692 00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:11,760 about this light that's in you and you can share with them, but 693 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:14,400 you got to be willing to listen. So Lord, I just, I lift up 694 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:18,200 everybody here and I lift up this time and thank you. 695 00:47:18,720 --> 00:47:23,160 Thank you for coming. Thank you for being, being our 696 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:25,840 light. Lord, thank you for filling us 697 00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:34,840 with your light. Thank you that we are able to 698 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:37,840 surrender to you and that we can trust that you have all the 699 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:43,760 answers and that you can speak through US that if we would just 700 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:49,000 surrender our our mouth to you our our lives to you completely. 701 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:51,520 And I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.