1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,440 Today we're going to be in James and the motives matter is my 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:10,560 corny title. We'll be in James 13 to the 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,880 sorry James three 13318. You mean there isn't a James 13? 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:24,160 Oh, I'll announce it next week. I had an announcement, but I'm 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,480 running out of time, so we'll, we'll talk about it next week. 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,760 And so James 13. So 2 places we're going to be 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:40,240 James three, Sorry. And we'll also be in Acts 16 if 8 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:41,640 you guys want to put your finger there. 9 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,560 So who is wise and understanding among you by his good conduct? 10 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,600 Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 11 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,120 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your 12 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,680 hearts, do not boast and be be false to the truth. 13 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,320 This is not the wisdom that comes from above, but it is 14 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,120 earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,240 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exists, there will be 16 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,760 disorder and every vile practice. 17 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,080 But the wisdom from above is first pure and peaceable, 18 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:22,040 gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:27,840 and sincere, and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace 20 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,720 by those who make peace. So Lord, I just lift up this 21 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,280 time. I lift up everybody here. 22 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,600 And Lord, that you just would be in our midst, that you'd be 23 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:43,280 speaking to our hearts, teaching us your word, guiding and 24 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,680 directing us that you'd be putting, putting people in our 25 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:51,040 paths throughout the, the weeks and especially this time of year 26 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,440 or that we could just pour into or that you would give us words 27 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,120 to speak. And I pray this in Jesus name, 28 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:02,640 Amen. So Friday I was here and doing 29 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,640 my study and got all done with the study. 30 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,520 And Faye was still finishing up some craft stuff around here and 31 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:16,120 getting kitchen stuff organized. So I was scrolling and I, I saw 32 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,480 sand points. They had their board or their 33 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:27,000 council meeting and it was on YouTube. 34 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,240 So I'm like, well, I'll just see what's going on in Sandpoint. 35 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:32,040 Some some fun things just because the one I happen to 36 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,440 watch, they're they're going to make this, they're going to take 37 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,800 down the metal over here and widen the sidewalk is their 38 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:41,120 their plan and put guardrail up and that's kind of fun. 39 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,760 But the the board meeting and then this was not my plan, but 40 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,840 you will find that it really attaches to this study was about 41 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,720 if you guys don't know, we had a individual enter the girls 42 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,920 locker room that was not a girl at the YMCA. 43 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:06,000 Now the YMCA was stuck in a spot that Sandpoint has passed a law 44 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,360 that or made an ordinance that they're supposed to allow that 45 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,200 and kind of put them in a in a bad spot. 46 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:22,200 So this meeting was about the and, and there was a bunch. 47 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,800 There was probably, I think there was 10 people talked and 48 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:30,280 10 of them talked and said that we need to change that law. 49 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,640 And one person stood up and was definitely on the other side and 50 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:39,840 had a prepared statement. This Wednesday, they're going to 51 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,840 meet again to decide if they're going to repeal the law and what 52 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:45,800 they're going to repeat. What they're going to say in the 53 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,960 law is they're just going to mirror whatever the state of 54 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,120 Idaho says. And the state of Idaho has no 55 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,560 standing on it right now. They may have a standing in the 56 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,080 future, but right now they don't have any. 57 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:01,240 So Sandpoint has went past what the state of Idaho has. 58 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,120 I'm not this is not a political thing. 59 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:10,840 This is a kind of a duh, right of that This is we protect, we 60 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,680 protect those weaker than us, right. 61 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,160 And girls locker room at a YMCA is a place we want to be known 62 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:19,920 to. We want that's a that should be 63 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,840 a safe place. So so my encouragement to all of 64 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,120 you, I won't be here because I'm in the tri-cities. 65 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:34,160 But they didn't have time to organize and so one showed up. 66 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,200 I believe they're going to have time to organize. 67 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:43,240 You have an elected, you have elected officials that are going 68 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:50,520 to do the right thing, not because it's right, but because 69 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,040 they think it's what keeps them elected. 70 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,680 All right. We don't, we don't unfortunately 71 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,120 live in a country anymore that is ran by people that have 72 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,520 standards. We have people that want to get 73 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,960 elected. So because of that, I encourage 74 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,720 you to go to the meeting and have something to say. 75 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,080 We did have two from here that actually stood up and had 76 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,840 something to say at the meeting. And that was cool, right to see. 77 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:18,600 I mean, I totally it was the kind it must. 78 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,120 It was kind of a God thing because I was just literally 79 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,080 scrolling. I had no idea the meeting went 80 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,280 on. I didn't know that any of our 81 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:28,120 people spoke and it was it was cool to see. 82 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:33,360 But I encourage you guys to go and protect, protect the youth 83 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,280 of the of town of the town, right? 84 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:43,440 Anyway, So but that will lead into this and it really matches 85 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,240 up and it doesn't match up because I made a study to go 86 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,400 with that. I saw that after I did this 87 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,360 study. So verse 13, who is wise and 88 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,280 understanding among you by his good contact. 89 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:58,440 Let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 90 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,440 So I like this because James kind of is setting everybody up, 91 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,160 right? He's he's doing this. 92 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,280 He expects everyone to raise their hand and says, well, I'm 93 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:11,320 wise and understanding and maybe even elbow the person next to 94 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:12,520 him ago. You need to listen up. 95 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:17,160 He's going to be talking here. But obviously it's a setup, 96 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,760 right? Being wise and understanding is 97 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:27,000 something that only comes if we really are like David, a man 98 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,400 after God's own heart, a woman after God's own heart. 99 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,760 And is that I want to do what he wants me to do. 100 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,640 I'm wise and understanding. Having knowledge and the ability 101 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:41,000 to see things clearly, make good judgments and tell tell right 102 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:46,000 from wrong, while also grasping the ideas from others and 103 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,200 applying them with fairness and humility. 104 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:55,040 And what that grasping ideas from others is, our goal is to 105 00:06:55,040 --> 00:07:00,920 reach the lost, not prove to the loss they're lost, right? 106 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,480 And and proving to the loss they're lost is pointless, 107 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,360 right? There is no now now sharing with 108 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,080 them in a way that they understand their need for a 109 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,880 savior is a different conversation, but making sure 110 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:22,040 that's our goal is that we are aimed at saving others. 111 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,960 So defining another term there is our conduct. 112 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:38,160 It it's how we behave, how we manage our, our emotions, how we 113 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:43,520 how we direct our actions and our behavior. 114 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,520 Like James talked about, if we could tame our if we can tame 115 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,680 our tongue, well, our tongue, our communication with the 116 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:55,680 world, right is is supposed to be in this in this meek way, 117 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,480 having meekness of wisdom that it talks about his works in the 118 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:06,440 meekness of wisdom, which is living humbly and gently with 119 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,360 patience and respect for God, making good choices through his 120 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,480 Spirit and showing true wisdom by loving others and reflecting 121 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,360 Christ in a day and our daily life. 122 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,880 So meekness of wisdom is not just words in action. 123 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:27,000 It is Paul and Silas and Thyatira are the best picture 124 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,400 that I found of what this looks like. 125 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:36,039 And and it's really one of those Paul Paul obviously being Paul 126 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,360 had had wisdom about him. But whenever you talk about what 127 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,400 does meek, what is meekness, you know, we one of those lines, 128 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,240 meek, meek and mild. And it makes it sound like 129 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,440 meekness is weakness. And I'm sure you've all heard, 130 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,320 you know, that that meek is power under control. 131 00:08:55,320 --> 00:09:01,920 But what does that look like? And when we go to Acts 16, this 132 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,960 story, it's it's a longer passage, but Acts 16 starting in 133 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,560 verse 16, going all the way to the end, it says, and we're and 134 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:15,520 this is Luke speaking and it says as we were going to the 135 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,440 place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of 136 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:25,480 deviation, divination and brought her owners much gain by 137 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,800 for fortune telling. She followed Paul and us crying 138 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,240 out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who 139 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,520 proclaimed to you the way of salvation. 140 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,280 And she kept doing. She kept doing for many days. 141 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,280 Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the 142 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,360 Spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out 143 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,400 of her. And it came out of her that 144 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,720 hour. But when her owner saw that 145 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:57,200 their hope for gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and 146 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,240 dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers 147 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:05,000 and Silas sorry. And when they had brought them 148 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,640 to the magistrates, they said, these men are Jews, and they 149 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,280 are, they are disturbing our city. 150 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:16,200 They advocate customs that are not lawful for our for us as 151 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:22,400 Romans to accept or to practice. The crowd joined in attacking 152 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,640 them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave 153 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:30,160 orders to beat them with rods. And when they had it inflicted 154 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,680 many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the 155 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:35,800 jailer to keep them safety safely. 156 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,320 Having received this order, he put them in the inner prison and 157 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,720 fastened their feet in stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas 158 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,800 with prayer, praying and singing hymns to God. 159 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,920 And the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was 160 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,920 a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were 161 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,920 shaken, and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's 162 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,720 bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw 163 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:06,240 that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about 164 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,440 to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 165 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:14,280 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, Do not harm yourself, for 166 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,040 we are all here. And the jailer called for lights 167 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,640 and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down at Paul 168 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:25,080 and Silas feet. When he brought them out, he 169 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,240 said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 170 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,480 And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be 171 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,960 saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the 172 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,200 Lord to him and to all who were in the house. 173 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,440 And he took them that same hour of night and washed their 174 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,960 wounds. And he and he was baptized at 175 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,880 once, he and all his family. Then he brought them into the 176 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,280 into his house and set food before them. 177 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:57,200 And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had 178 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,000 believed in God. But when it was day, the 179 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,360 magistrates sent the police saying, let them let those men 180 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,160 go. And the jail reported these 181 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:10,040 words to Paul, saying, the magistrates have sent to let you 182 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,680 go, therefore come out now and go in peace. 183 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:17,160 But Paul said to them, They have beaten us publicly uncondemned 184 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,840 men who are Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison. 185 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,760 And do they now throw us out secretly? 186 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,240 No, let them come themselves and take us out. 187 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,960 The police reported these words to the magistrate, and they were 188 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,960 afraid when they had heard that they were Roman citizens. 189 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,400 So they came and apologized to them, and they took them out and 190 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,600 asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison 191 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:49,640 and visited Lydia, and when they had seen the brothers, they they 192 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:58,160 encouraged them and departed. So that is a perfect picture of 193 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,720 meekness, right? So Paul starts off and he gets, 194 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,920 he gets annoyed and I it's always kind of funny. 195 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,840 So there's a, a girl following behind him telling him that, you 196 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,800 know, this is, this is the prophets of the most high God 197 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,280 and he's and there received salvation. 198 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,680 But you got to know that this had to be mocking, right? 199 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:20,440 This was, this was a spirit mocking them trying to demean 200 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,920 their ministry. And, and Paul just like one of 201 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:29,120 us, sooner or later he got annoyed with her and then he 202 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:33,120 casts out the demon. So Paul in in the first part of 203 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,960 the story casts out a demon and then the next part of the story, 204 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,520 he, he is beaten with rods by the magistrate. 205 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:49,720 So if this isn't this kind of meek wisdom, right, knowing when 206 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:56,080 to use Jesus's power. And so then as you go through 207 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,280 this story, you just get to see Paul over and over again showing 208 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,000 this meekness, right? He gets to prison and he, I 209 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,800 mean, they've been beaten. This was not like some friendly 210 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,560 beating, right? This was, they were stripped and 211 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:12,720 beaten and then they were taken to prison and put in stocks, 212 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,160 which is stocks as you know, their, their feet are clasped 213 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,720 together and they're, they're locked into place like you've 214 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:23,880 seen in medieval times, right? And they're singing to Jesus, 215 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,440 they're they're praising him. And why are they doing that? 216 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,440 Because, because they understand they're where God wants them to 217 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,520 be. And how do they know that? 218 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,800 You know, how do I know when I'm going through suffering that I'm 219 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:42,240 where I'm supposed to be? You, you and Jesus are having 220 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,680 conversations, right? You, you're at peace in where 221 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,120 you're at in the world. It's it's that story I was 222 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,480 telling you weeks back about being willing to fail for 223 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,680 Christ, right. My job is to do everything as 224 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,240 unto the Lord and not the men. And if I'm doing that, if I end 225 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:06,360 up in stocks, then I can praise him because I'm doing what I'm 226 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,160 supposed to be doing. There's, there's nothing that 227 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,520 says that doing what I'm supposed to be doing doesn't end 228 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:15,360 up in prison, doesn't end up, doesn't end up in, in, in 229 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,680 poverty. None of that is, is there. 230 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:19,880 What it means is I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. 231 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,320 The rest of it's God's problem. And that's really where Paul and 232 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:28,360 Silas are in this. And then the reason that the 233 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:33,320 that the guard is going to or the jailer is going to kill 234 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:40,640 himself is because losing a prisoner was reason enough to 235 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,320 have a jailer killed. You know, that's they were 236 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,520 supposed to keep the prisons that well. 237 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,280 So if they lost a prisoner, they could be killed for it. 238 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:54,920 Well, all the doors were open and none of the prisoners left. 239 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:02,040 And this showed a power that Paul had to the jailer, right? 240 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,920 That's, that's that moment, right? 241 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,880 Because he's, you got to figure that Paul and Silas were wrongly 242 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,120 accused and in prison. But I doubt everybody in the 243 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:14,240 prison were upright, nice people, right? 244 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,120 They, they didn't stay, they didn't stay in prison because 245 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,400 they, they wanted the jailer not to die, right? 246 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,120 They stayed in prison because Paul and Silas, there was 247 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:31,040 something about them right there was there was a restraining 248 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,840 force, whether that was God wouldn't let him leave or 249 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,240 because they had a respect and they saw what just happened. 250 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:43,440 But regardless it it made an impact on on the jailer. 251 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:48,760 So, so far with this, with this meekness of wisdom, Paul has 252 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:53,560 cast out a demon, been beaten, doors have fallen off their 253 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,960 hinges and all the doors have been opened. 254 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:03,360 And now the jailer in his entire family has been saved because 255 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:07,160 Paul and Silas were beaten quietly, because that wasn't 256 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:13,400 their time to stand up. And then when it was time, they 257 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,200 they tell him, right? But my favorite part of this 258 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:21,280 story of what that looks like is they let Paul allowed himself to 259 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:26,160 be beaten as a Jew and he was Jewish, but we all know that he 260 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:32,680 was also a Roman. And being a Roman, so being 261 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,040 anything else in the Roman Empire, your your rights were 262 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,000 limited. But if you were an actual Roman 263 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,360 citizen born into being a Roman citizen, you had rights like an 264 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:46,600 American has rights. And if if those rights were 265 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:51,880 violated, those that violated them would be in all kinds of 266 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:53,640 trouble. They could they could get the 267 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,920 same punishment. So when they beat Paul and 268 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:02,600 Silas, who are both Romans, without due process, the 269 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:04,560 magistrates put their neck on the line. 270 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:10,680 And this is when they, when they, when Paul says no, you, 271 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,120 you tell them, you tell them we're not going out secretly. 272 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,360 They put us away. After they beat 2 Roman 273 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,680 citizens, you tell them to come in and release this publicly. 274 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,480 Now the magistrates at this point had to be completely 275 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:30,280 panicked because if Paul wanted to, he could basically report 276 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:36,080 them and they're going to jail. And so they tell it, you know, 277 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:40,840 they come and they you know, you can picture the the group coming 278 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,400 with their hats in their hands, trying to get this guy to just 279 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:49,240 we're really sorry are bad. Can you just go though? 280 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,600 I will let you go and you can just go and, and pulses and 281 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,320 they, you know, they say and they took them out and asked 282 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,280 them to leave the city. They didn't tell him to leave 283 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,680 the city because they didn't have any, they didn't have any 284 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,240 ability now, right? Paul was the one in complete 285 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,920 control at this point. And what did he do with that 286 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,440 control? He he went and talked to Lydia, 287 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:17,360 which was the reason that he had ended up in Thyatira in the 1st 288 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:20,160 place. So now the magistrates know that 289 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:24,600 she's he's they're friends and he went and talked to the 290 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,640 brothers and so now they know that they're friends. 291 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:33,560 So Paul has in in essence said, so these are my friends and I'm 292 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,200 letting you off the hook. But if I would like to come back 293 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,320 at a later date and put you on the hook, I can. 294 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:44,840 So I'd leave my friends alone. That's this is that picture of 295 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:51,040 Paul showing the power of being submitted to what the Lord wants 296 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,120 to do in your life. It isn't it isn't that that 297 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:56,920 there wasn't. I mean, you know, we, we glance 298 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,520 over inflicted many blows upon them, right? 299 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,960 This was not a nice moment in their life. 300 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,160 You know, it's it's, you know, when we talk about Steven being 301 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,480 stoned, you know, that's that's not little rocks thrown at 302 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:11,240 somebody. That's big rocks thrown at 303 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,320 someone's head, right? This is it's it's not, it's in 304 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:17,720 words. It doesn't really describe how 305 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,360 bad this beating was. Being beaten with rods is not. 306 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,960 Something that I mean, this is broken ribs, broken arms, broken 307 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,120 bones, right? This is, this is broken things. 308 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,400 This is not, oh, they're a little bruised. 309 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,360 But Paul was submitted to what the Lord had for him. 310 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:44,880 And because of that, he affected this whole town and, and took 311 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,200 care of the other believers in that town even in his absence. 312 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,880 But what if we come at it from another direction, right? 313 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:59,400 If we if we don't do it that way, if we're not submitted to 314 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,320 Christ and and we don't allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, 315 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:08,120 then we have our motives are wrong, right, Because I'm out 316 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:10,440 for myself, I'm out for what I can do. 317 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:16,520 Verse 14 But if you have bitter jealousies, selfish ambitions in 318 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,240 your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 319 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,480 You know, when we look at others and want what they have and we 320 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:31,200 have ambitions to move upward outside of the will of God, just 321 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:32,640 like with David and his brothers. 322 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,120 Don't think for a moment that the Lord's fool, right? 323 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:38,520 When when Samuel saw David's older brother, he said, ah, the 324 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:40,600 Lord's and this must be the Lord's anointed. 325 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,160 And the Lord said, no, don't look at the outside. 326 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,920 I look at the inside, right? So it doesn't matter how good 327 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:54,560 someone looks on the outside, the Lord's seeing their inside, 328 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:00,400 right? And that's especially in this 329 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:05,560 time of mega churches that we have the ability to have that, 330 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:12,360 that, that there is the ability to have 5000 people in a room 331 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:16,280 and then 2000 people in in other rooms watching you on video. 332 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,000 And that that we are, we live in that time. 333 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:24,320 That doesn't by definition mean that that that isn't, isn't 334 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,800 biblical. But don't for a second think 335 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,000 that the guy standing up front because he's standing up front 336 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:37,000 is right with Jesus. He might be, but don't don't 337 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,200 ever just automatically right watch the man see what he's 338 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:47,840 doing with that right. If you look at a great picture 339 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,720 of what this bitter jealousy and selfish ambition looks like is 340 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,440 the story of Cain and Abel, which once again, I don't think 341 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,640 I'm bringing out any like new new things. 342 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:02,880 We've all heard the story Genesis 4 three through 8. 343 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:06,880 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering 344 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:11,520 of fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the first born 345 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,000 of the of his flock, and of their fat portions. 346 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,360 And the Lord regarded what Abel and his regarded for Abel and 347 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:22,400 his offering. But for Cain and his offering he 348 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,280 had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his 349 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,960 face fell. The Lord said to Cain, Why are 350 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,560 you angry, and why has your face fallen? 351 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,280 If you do well, will you not be accepted? 352 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,440 And if you do well, if you do not do well, sin is crouching at 353 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,320 the door. It's desire is contrary to you, 354 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,440 but you must rule over it. Cain spoke to Abel, his brother. 355 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,040 And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother 356 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:57,040 Abel and killed him. So Cain was jealous of Abel and 357 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,960 let it take root. And it became bitterness, right. 358 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,760 And the, the thing we want to watch out for, and this is when 359 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,480 I look at Cain, I think of so many people that say, I worship 360 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,600 the Lord the way I want to. And, and that's just that's Cain 361 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,600 was I worship the Lord the way I want to. 362 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,080 I bring him what I want to bring him. 363 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,040 And the Lord wasn't impressed, right. 364 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,680 And when you go, one of my favorite things about the book 365 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:27,240 of Exodus is Exodus is a, a community that we always think, 366 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,680 well, they were, they were Israelites and they knew stuff. 367 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,320 I didn't know anything, right? They didn't have anything 368 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:36,640 written down and 400 years they had been in Egypt. 369 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,640 How long has America been 300 years, 250 years. 370 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,400 Do we remember what happened at the do we do we we have we have 371 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,480 it all written down and are we anything like the country that 372 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,080 was formed? So now think of think of Israel 373 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:55,600 in Egypt for 400 years and how tweaked to their thoughts of 374 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,400 what God was like were. So then when Moses showed up 375 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:05,520 after the burning Bush and started laying out how the God 376 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,920 of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wanted to be worshipped. 377 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,840 This was not a debate, right? This was this is how to do it. 378 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:18,240 And when we look at Cain and Abel, that was basically there 379 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:23,480 were, there were things God, God had told Adam and and I'm not 380 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,000 not that we were Privy to those conversations, but there were 381 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,680 conversations that that Adam and Cain and Abel and God had had. 382 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:37,640 And in those conversations, there were sacrifices, and the 383 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:39,520 one Cain brought wasn't on the list. 384 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,240 But Cain wanted to do it his way. 385 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:44,600 Do we? Do we get that way? 386 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,640 Do we want to do it the way we want to do it? 387 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,480 And when we do that, it puts us on the wrong side. 388 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,240 Verse 15 says this is not wisdom that comes down from above, but 389 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,280 this is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 390 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,840 And Cain is a picture of earthly, unspiritual and demonic 391 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:10,280 stuff, right? And it it comes down to what 392 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:12,760 Jesus says in Matthew 12. If we're not for him, we're 393 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,640 against him. We're being led by evil. 394 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:20,320 If we're not being led by him, he at verse 30 in chapter 12 of 395 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:24,160 Matthew, he who is not with me is against me, and he who does 396 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,880 not gather with me scatters abroad. 397 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,360 That doesn't mean we are possessed by a demon. 398 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:33,840 Because if you were filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, you, you 399 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,520 can't be possessed by a demon, but you can be led by one, 400 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,880 right? We can be deceived and lied to. 401 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,880 We can be running the wrong way. You know, it's, it's always tell 402 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,480 people you're always think of it like this, like, did you ever 403 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,560 play play soccer and end up kicking in the wrong goal when 404 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,720 you're a kid because you're heading the wrong direction, 405 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:55,880 right? You think you're doing good, but 406 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,880 nobody's defending because you're you're going the wrong 407 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:04,360 direction. And and that is something when 408 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:09,520 we think that I have something to offer when, if at any point 409 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,160 in this story with Paul, if he thought he had the power to do 410 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,680 it, he'd have blown this whole thing. 411 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:23,480 But if you watch Paul, Peter, James, John anywhere, they're 412 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,200 they're they're talked about what they are are submitted to 413 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:33,080 the will of God in their life. David, what he was, was a man 414 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,200 after God's own heart, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, 415 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,360 which we've talked about. And in that moment, what he was, 416 00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:44,280 was a man that was trying to to ignore God, right? 417 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,760 It wasn't that he murdered somebody because David had 418 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,600 already murdered somebody. Wasn't that he had adultery and 419 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,600 David had many wives and concubines. 420 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,200 So it wasn't adultery. What was it about that? 421 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,280 It was the time that David, when I don't want to hear it, I want 422 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:02,160 to do it my way. And when we do that, we end up, 423 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:03,800 we end up kicking in the wrong goal. 424 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,880 We're going in the wrong direction because I am either 425 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:13,120 led by God or I am ignoring God. There is not a there is not a me 426 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:14,720 and God. It's that whole thing about 427 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,760 Jesus is my copilot that doesn't work right. 428 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,240 Jesus is driving the car and I'm in the trunk. 429 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:27,760 That is that, that is, that is the input I get because my input 430 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:32,440 is broken when I tell the Lord, well, this is how we should do 431 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,800 this. I don't, I don't have all the 432 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,440 facts. He does what I should be telling 433 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,800 the Lord every day is Lord, not my will, but your will be done. 434 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:47,040 And speak to me and tell me your will because I am a fallen, 435 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,880 fallen human full of sin. My heart is dreadfully wicked. 436 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,760 And if I'm listening to myself, I have all of these things 437 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,960 right. My, my wisdom is, is earthly. 438 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,440 My wisdom is unspiritual. My wisdom is demonic. 439 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:10,920 Because if I'm using my wisdom, then I'm not in his will. 440 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,360 Paul talks about these people to the Philippians. 441 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,360 And this is not the people we want to be right. 442 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:29,120 Chapter 3 verse 17 through 20 brothers join join in imitating 443 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,200 me and keeping your eyes on those who walk according to the 444 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,920 example you have in US and that's who we want to be. 445 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:40,760 But verse 18 for many of whom I have often told you and now tell 446 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:45,120 you, even with tears, walk as the enemy of the cross of 447 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,040 Christ. Their end is destruction, their 448 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,960 God is their belly, and their glory is their shame with 449 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,640 mindset on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven 450 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:03,240 and from it we await A Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, right? 451 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,400 Where's, where is our, where's our hope? 452 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,440 Where, where's our desire? Is it in? 453 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,280 Is it in Lord, I need to be comfortable on this earth? 454 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:16,440 Or is it Lord, I need to do what you want me to do? 455 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,640 And if that means I'm beaten with rods and I'm beaten with 456 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:23,240 rods, if that means that I'm released and people get saved, 457 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:30,680 then I'm released. Is it the thing it's facing? 458 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,000 The Giants says if we win, we praise him. 459 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,440 If we lose, we praise him, right? 460 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:43,000 And and that is our, when we set our focus on our needs and 461 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,280 desires, we will be unhappy. If you try to, me and Faye talk 462 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:51,400 about it in our in our marriage, in our life as a whole, 463 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:56,320 everything I have is in my hand, an open palm for the Lord to 464 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,120 have. If I was to try to close my hand 465 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,880 around it, I would lose it, right? 466 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,360 It is. It is on that my wife isn't 467 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:06,960 mine. My kids aren't mine, my house 468 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:08,320 isn't mine. This church isn't mine. 469 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:12,600 There's nothing that belongs to me outside of Christ. 470 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:17,360 And if I had any point try to make that belong to me, I will 471 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,160 fail. And I will fail because he isn't 472 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:25,320 willing to let me be selfish. He isn't as a believer. 473 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:26,960 It is something you signed up for. 474 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,440 You don't get to be selfish and let him and he isn't going to 475 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,720 stand for it. He will bring you to a point 476 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:42,840 where you have to make choices. Verse 16 says for where jealousy 477 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,920 and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder in every 478 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:51,960 vile thing. People of the flesh are carnal 479 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,200 Christians. And Paul talks about that in in 480 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:59,200 First Corinthians, which is probably the the picture of the 481 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:03,080 carnal church. As far as just people that are, 482 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:06,720 whenever anybody talks about the, you know, the early church 483 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,080 and they were the guys, the early church was not. 484 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,240 Yeah, the early church fits right in in America. 485 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:18,120 So 1st Corinthians 3, one through 3 says, but brothers, 486 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,360 but sorry, but I, brothers, could not address you as a 487 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:25,320 spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in 488 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,880 Christ. I have fed you with milk, not 489 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,240 solid food, for you were not ready for it. 490 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,960 And even now you are not ready for it, for you are still of the 491 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:38,280 flesh for a while. There are jealousies and strife 492 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:41,440 among you. Are you not of the flesh 493 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:46,200 behaving only in a human way? So whenever we decide that we 494 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:51,440 haven't figured out that I, I want what I want, we, we revert 495 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,600 back, right? I was me and me and Helen were 496 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:58,800 talking last week and just I, I made the comment that that Jesus 497 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,840 uses sinners because it's his only option, right? 498 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:10,240 That's and the thing with that is Jesus uses sinners and that's 499 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:16,920 his only option, but his option isn't to use you sinning, right? 500 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,520 He wants your heart. He wants you moving in his 501 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,800 direction. He wants you after his heart. 502 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,040 He wants you saying, Lord, what? What do you want from me? 503 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:34,840 And that, that that meekness that we get from that is that 504 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,000 power under control. He's not using. 505 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,560 I mean, I'm sure we've all heard the story using the Bible to 506 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,040 beat people over the head with it, right? 507 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:47,160 You know, the fire and Burnstone teaching that is not that is 508 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,560 that is misusing God's power, right? 509 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,400 I mean, like I've said in the past, the Bible has plenty of 510 00:33:55,400 --> 00:34:01,960 offensive things to say, but I'm not supposed to be offensive 511 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:06,400 just to be offensive. If it's if it's something that 512 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,320 is offensive to the culture and it says it, then I'm supposed to 513 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:14,360 share it, but I'm not supposed to come up with ways to win an 514 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:18,440 argument, right? I loved that board meeting I'm 515 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,199 talking about. It was so refreshing because 516 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:23,320 like I said, I had no idea any of our people were going to be 517 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:24,760 there. But even the ones that weren't 518 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:30,480 from from Bridges, everybody said it from the position of 519 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,080 they weren't offended. They weren't, they weren't angry 520 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,800 at the council. They were there to protect 521 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,280 children. That's why they were there was 522 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,719 that they wanted, they wanted the children. 523 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,040 They wanted that. And not even the children. 524 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,480 The children and the ladies in that room should expect a level 525 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,920 of safety. And they were there to say we 526 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:58,000 should, we should be a town that you can you can feel safe in. 527 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,680 And and that's standing up in right places, right? 528 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,320 Not from my rights, but I'm standing up for somebody else's 529 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:07,360 rights, right? And that is whenever we talk 530 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,400 about liberty, that's what we want to be talking about. 531 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,320 We want to be talking about we're here to stand up for those 532 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:15,880 that can't stand up for themselves. 533 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:22,720 And and that is what God does all through the all through 534 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:24,560 this. And that was the end with Paul 535 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,880 and him going to Lydia and him going to the other brothers in 536 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,680 the faith of using using that the that the magistrates are now 537 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,560 back on their heels and using that and Sam. 538 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,280 But now let let's be clear, I'm friends because you know, they 539 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:44,960 were it's a rumor town, right? They were already everybody knew 540 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,520 who Paul was at that point. So now they're watching him and 541 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,760 where he's going. Well, we can't mess with Lydia. 542 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,760 We can't mess with these guys because if we do, right? 543 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:00,360 So he used his influence to cover others, to take care of 544 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:12,120 others, and. Romans 12/16 really tells us the 545 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:17,680 opposite of being a carnal Christian. 12 Romans 12/16 546 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,040 through 18 Live in harmony with one another. 547 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,520 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 548 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:28,400 Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but 549 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,200 give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all. 550 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:36,080 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably 551 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,280 with all. And we will receive wisdom 552 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,400 because we will be able to understand it when we act like 553 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,880 that. Verse 17 of James it says, But 554 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:50,400 wisdom from above is pure and peaceable, gentle, open to 555 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:55,080 reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 556 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:06,400 It is ours to be that. But the only way any of that 557 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:11,040 happens is if I step out of the way and I say, Lord, whatever 558 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:16,680 you want to do with my life, I want that done right. 559 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,400 I, I don't, I don't need to look any particular way. 560 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:25,440 Lord, I need to let you do the work back in back in 561 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,320 Corinthians, Paul's talking to him and says yet among you the 562 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,840 mature, sorry, chapter 2, six and seven. 563 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:36,280 It says, yet among you the mature we do impart wisdom, 564 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:41,240 although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of 565 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:45,800 this age who are doomed to pass away, but we impart a secret and 566 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:50,800 hidden wisdom of God, which God, God decreed before the ages for 567 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:56,800 your glory. So God has ways of doing things 568 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:03,160 when you you you can pull little sections out of out of the story 569 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,080 with Paul and and go what was going on there? 570 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,480 But when you read the whole thing, you can go so Paul, so 571 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:13,920 Paul was just submitted to the Lord in his life all the way 572 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,600 through that story and and you got to know you remember Luke's 573 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,320 right, Luke is writing the story. 574 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:31,880 And so Luke an outside observer. I mean a meekness, Jesus in 575 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:36,000 meekness. OK, this is sometimes I get 576 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:40,440 emotional on this one because I can picture being so when Jesus 577 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,760 was about to be crucified and they put a hood over his head 578 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,120 and the Roman soldiers are pumping him and punching him in 579 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,200 the face and saying prophecy, who hit you? 580 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,640 Who else was in that room? I mean who? 581 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:55,920 Who do you imagine was in that room? 582 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,400 So Jesus was there. There were some Roman soldiers 583 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:08,760 there. And his angels were there. 584 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:13,240 Gabriel was in that room because I'm. 585 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:16,240 I'm putting him there because where would you be? 586 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:23,120 Michael was in that room. Picture their hands on their 587 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:26,120 swords. Or just say it. 588 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:28,720 Clear your throat. Do anything. 589 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:37,520 We can end this now. But they didn't because Jesus 590 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:46,040 didn't tell him to. That's that's our job as 591 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:51,560 believers to be that kind of close to God that we know what 592 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:56,400 he's saying in every room because we're in our word, We're 593 00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:00,080 praying, we're asking the Lord to give me your words for these 594 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:03,840 people, right? I mean that, that picture of 595 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:08,000 Jesus in that moment. And I mean, all he had to say is 596 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,680 I am and you aren't, you know, and that was the end of it. 597 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:19,400 And but he had a legion of angels, twelve of them that that 598 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,760 could have just wiped out, wiped out Jerusalem. 599 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:26,960 We're just done. So that's power, right? 600 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:33,480 But power and control. Jesus had power and Jesus, but 601 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:40,160 his angels had devotion to their God, even to the point of 602 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:44,320 allowing that. Do we have that? 603 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,160 Do we have that closeness with him that we know that we know 604 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:53,800 what he's telling us to do? Verse 18 A harvest of 605 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:59,160 righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace and we 606 00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:01,720 can only make the peace James is talking about. 607 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,200 It isn't about being soft and wimpy and and milk toast and 608 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,360 quiet. It's about speaking for the Lord 609 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:12,720 when the Lord wants spoken for, right? 610 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:18,720 It's it's Lord you need to tell me what to say and when to say 611 00:41:18,720 --> 00:41:21,440 it. My mouth is your mouth, my ears 612 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,120 are your ears, but that's that's a daily thing. 613 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:26,760 That ain't a Sunday morning thing. 614 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:31,920 That's a all day every day. That's a be in your word, be in 615 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:38,400 your word, be in prayer. Philippians 1/8 through 12/8. 616 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,400 Sorry, chapter one, eight through 11. 617 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:45,720 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with an 618 00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:49,880 affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your 619 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:53,880 love may abound more and more with the knowledge and all 620 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:57,520 discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent. 621 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,720 And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with 622 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:05,000 the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus to the glory 623 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,360 and praise of God. So see, that's Paul's prayer for 624 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:13,520 every church that he left, and that's our prayer for each 625 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:15,160 other. And that's my prayer for you. 626 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:17,440 That is, that is our desire, right? 627 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:22,000 Is that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. 25 years 628 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,640 ago, I gave my life to the Lord. It's pretty awesome. 629 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:30,440 And there is, there is nothing about my previous life that I 630 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:34,080 would, I would say, Lord, you know, I really love what I have 631 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:35,640 now, but can I have a little little of that? 632 00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:40,120 There's nothing. There's nothing I had before. 633 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:44,160 My friendships are better, my friendships are better. 634 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,440 My my sleep is better. My life is better. 635 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,680 And and it's not better because I took control. 636 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:55,360 It's better because I gave it to him. 637 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,440 And so we're going to do communion. 638 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:04,320 And if we're going through communion, I don't know 639 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:08,200 everybody here. If you want this, it is a really 640 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:14,480 simple conversation. Lord, I can't you need to thank 641 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:15,960 you for what you did on the cross. 642 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:20,280 Thank you that you were willing to take that for me. 643 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:25,680 If you're, if you're here today and and you're just Lord, I want 644 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:29,440 to do what you want me to do or spend this time, spend this time 645 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,680 and this song as we're, as we're passing out communion to just do 646 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:42,760 business with him and say, say, Lord, I want your wisdom. 647 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:48,200 I want you to take everything and you use it how you want to 648 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:51,880 use it. So if everybody if the I should 649 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,280 want to come up and we'll we'll pass it out and then we'll take 650 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:54,920 it together.