1
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000
It's a guitar chord.

2
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:12,000
I'm not sure I wish you would have said something over for my ears.

3
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,000
I don't know, I didn't think about it.

4
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,000
I hope you're okay.

5
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,000
I got mine too.

6
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,000
I got that.

7
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,000
I love it.

8
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,000
It's a little chord right here.

9
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,000
It's a little chord.

10
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:32,000
I can't get it until I felt it under my foot.

11
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,000
I love it because I do know better.

12
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,000
It sounds so good.

13
00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000
We stuff on chords a lot.

14
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000
Oh my God.

15
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000
These four girls are the best.

16
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,000
I hope you're gonna help.

17
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000
We're gonna fall over.

18
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,000
We can't yell at him.

19
00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,000
Alright, good morning.

20
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,000
Good morning.

21
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,000
Well, the music team's here.

22
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,000
Good morning.

23
00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000
Alright, the end of the delayed.

24
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000
We're gonna sing some music.

25
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,000
Praise the God.

26
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:27,000
Here we go.

27
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:35,000
Take me to space, your water.

28
00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:41,000
I'm not thinking of you so hard.

29
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,000
So remember to wake up.

30
00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,000
Remember your children.

31
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Remember your friends.

32
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You remember me.

33
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:15,000
You remember me too.

34
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:30,760
Okay, just stay right there where you are.

35
00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,000
It's going to be very quick, just real quick.

36
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,120
And one, there is a membership meeting scheduled after service today.

37
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:38,120
Not much on the agenda.

38
00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,000
Two old business points from last month that we need to address.

39
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,720
And we will do that. Also, I guess this starts DBS week.

40
00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,200
So later if the inspiration is all the time, so our normal time, we're going to have a

41
00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:51,200
little bit of DBS stuff.

42
00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,200
We kick off our first day.

43
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The kids are having their first lesson in Sunday school today.

44
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And it's an exciting time.

45
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,200
I'm super excited about this DBS.

46
00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,200
And as you can see, we've got color everywhere.

47
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,200
And it's a big, big, big time.

48
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,200
So let's pray together.

49
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:05,200
And then we're going to work.

50
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,200
Father in heaven, we thank you so much for this opportunity.

51
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,200
You've blessed us beyond measure.

52
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:17,200
You've created so much, sustained so much, been so real, been powerful to save souls.

53
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,200
That anyone who called on the name of Jesus will be saved.

54
00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:26,200
We know that it's a very sad thing that there are those who refuse, those who will not.

55
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,200
At the same time, Lord, we know that there are those who are teetering on the edge.

56
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We pray that you will move those who are teetering close to yourself and save their souls.

57
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,200
And pray that you will move those who are refusing to teetering on the edge.

58
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It will be a constant upward climb, Lord, as we come closer and closer to you.

59
00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,200
I know that it may not be all that long before Jesus comes.

60
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We want to be ready.

61
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:52,200
We want to be found with our labs burning brightly with our work in process or faithfully serving you.

62
00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,200
We pray for our needs.

63
00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:59,200
We have amongst our number of those who have been sick, those who have been hurting, those who are struggling.

64
00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,200
We pray for joy when facing trials and tribulations.

65
00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,200
Because we have a lot of trials and tribulations.

66
00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,200
It seems like we think the trials and tribulations are a lot more than they are.

67
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And they're gone.

68
00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:12,200
You just care of it.

69
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,200
And we forgot to have joy in the middle of it.

70
00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,200
Your work says to consider a pure joy when facing all man and child.

71
00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,200
I pray you'll be able to do that.

72
00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,200
I pray for those who are still working hard to prepare themselves for the vacation Bible schools.

73
00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,200
For the kids that are here, the kids that will tune in this later,

74
00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,200
and the kids that we will promote to, that we will call, that we will invite,

75
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:35,200
that we will transport, or pray that you will come out and number this week in the next four days

76
00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,200
to learn your word.

77
00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,200
And to know more about you and your amazing creation.

78
00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,200
I pray you'll be with us now.

79
00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,200
Help us look up our voices and stand strong for you.

80
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,200
We pray you can do this name.

81
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,200
Amen.

82
00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,200
Alright, so you can stand back up now.

83
00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,200
I warned you.

84
00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,200
Alright, so this song requires some participation.

85
00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,200
So all you gotta do is clap.

86
00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,200
You gotta keep your hands.

87
00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:19,200
We wanna sing, we wanna sing, we wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

88
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:28,200
We wanna sing, we wanna sing, we wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

89
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,200
We wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

90
00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,200
The better the Christ is proud of this land.

91
00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,200
Still, all in my scene, the truth and all,

92
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,200
means the way to heaven.

93
00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,200
We wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

94
00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,200
The better the Christ is proud of this land.

95
00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,200
Still, all in my scene, the truth and all,

96
00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,200
means the way to heaven.

97
00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:04,200
We wanna sing, we wanna sing, we wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

98
00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:13,200
We wanna sing, we wanna sing, we wanna sing Jesus lifted high.

99
00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:19,200
Christ alone, my hope is found.

100
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,200
He is the light, my strength, my soul.

101
00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:29,200
His cornerstone, His silent ground.

102
00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,200
For you the cross is crowned and torn.

103
00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,200
One heart of love will die, stop being.

104
00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:43,200
When things are still and shining see,

105
00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:48,200
my confidence, my all in all,

106
00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:54,200
here in the love of Christ, I'll sing.

107
00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,200
You seated at this time?

108
00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:06,200
Alright, children, here we go.

109
00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,200
We're gonna learn the theme song.

110
00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,200
Come on, to the front.

111
00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,200
I took out a whole row of chairs for you.

112
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:14,200
Let's go.

113
00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:15,200
Come on.

114
00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,200
You don't know it, that's fine.

115
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,200
The only people that actually know it are these three.

116
00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:20,200
I don't even know it.

117
00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:21,200
I don't even know it.

118
00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:22,200
I don't even know it.

119
00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:23,200
I don't know it.

120
00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:24,200
It's gonna be on the screen.

121
00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:25,200
Switch to the video.

122
00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:26,200
We're gonna try it.

123
00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,200
Okay, well, sorry.

124
00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,200
You're working hard for it, you got to switch to the YouTube video.

125
00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,200
YouTube, is that?

126
00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,200
It's queued up already.

127
00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,200
No, it's not.

128
00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,200
No, it's not.

129
00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:41,200
It's not.

130
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:42,200
It's not.

131
00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:43,200
What?

132
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:44,200
Oh, it's not.

133
00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,200
It's not.

134
00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:46,200
It's not.

135
00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:47,200
It's not.

136
00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:48,200
It's not.

137
00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:49,200
It's not.

138
00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:50,200
It's not.

139
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,200
It's not.

140
00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:52,200
It's not.

141
00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:53,200
It's not.

142
00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:54,200
It's not.

143
00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:55,200
It's not.

144
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:56,200
It's not.

145
00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,200
It's not.

146
00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:00,200
It's not.

147
00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:01,200
No.

148
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,200
But it's just my congresswoman.

149
00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,200
It's not really the only party.

150
00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,200
It's just a Windows app.

151
00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:09,200
It's legit.

152
00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:10,200
It's legit.

153
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:11,200
And thatㅇ

154
00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,200
s come Carter.

155
00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:23,700
Live reefa

156
00:09:23,100 --> 00:09:24,200
And that..

157
00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,200
Okay.

158
00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:24,200
live reefa

159
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:25,480
which kind of

160
00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:43,200
Let's get the juices flowing Imagination's going, there's so much in store

161
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:52,180
It's time to be creative Incredibly innovative, so much to make sure

162
00:09:52,180 --> 00:09:56,660
We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

163
00:09:56,660 --> 00:10:00,660
Good works which not from there to heaven's time, for us to do.

164
00:10:00,660 --> 00:10:04,660
We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

165
00:10:04,660 --> 00:10:08,660
Good works which not from there to heaven's time, for us to do.

166
00:10:08,660 --> 00:10:13,660
I had it done for us to do.

167
00:10:13,660 --> 00:10:23,660
Sparks to the earth, sparks to the earth, created in Christ Jesus.

168
00:10:23,660 --> 00:10:25,660
We got through it!

169
00:10:25,660 --> 00:10:27,660
Yes!

170
00:10:27,660 --> 00:10:29,660
We got that.

171
00:10:29,660 --> 00:10:31,660
I'm the first one on the playlist.

172
00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:33,660
I can't get that.

173
00:10:33,660 --> 00:10:35,660
You're the first one on the playlist.

174
00:10:35,660 --> 00:10:37,660
Sit down.

175
00:10:37,660 --> 00:10:39,660
Good morning!

176
00:10:39,660 --> 00:10:41,660
Good morning!

177
00:10:41,660 --> 00:10:45,660
The first question by the school will be visiting, as you might have guessed from the theme song,

178
00:10:45,660 --> 00:10:47,660
Sparks Studios.

179
00:10:47,660 --> 00:10:51,660
I'll be playing the part of Professor Sparks.

180
00:10:51,660 --> 00:10:55,660
This morning we're going to be talking about God's creation.

181
00:10:55,660 --> 00:10:57,660
God's amazing creation and there is much of it.

182
00:10:57,660 --> 00:10:59,660
Isn't there?

183
00:10:59,660 --> 00:11:04,660
Man, when I think about all the amazing things that God has created, big and small,

184
00:11:04,660 --> 00:11:07,660
and how He sustains them even to this day,

185
00:11:07,660 --> 00:11:11,660
my mind is boggling.

186
00:11:11,660 --> 00:11:13,660
I can't begin to battle.

187
00:11:13,660 --> 00:11:15,660
Well, maybe let's try this.

188
00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:17,660
Let's toss around some ideas.

189
00:11:17,660 --> 00:11:23,660
Get it? Toss around some ideas about God's creation.

190
00:11:23,660 --> 00:11:25,660
I want to let two people got my joke.

191
00:11:25,660 --> 00:11:27,660
Maybe you'll catch my science.

192
00:11:27,660 --> 00:11:29,660
But I'll do it.

193
00:11:29,660 --> 00:11:31,660
Here's what's going to happen.

194
00:11:31,660 --> 00:11:33,660
I'm going to throw the ball out there.

195
00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:35,660
Everybody's a kid for this experiment.

196
00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:37,660
I'm going to throw the ball out there.

197
00:11:37,660 --> 00:11:39,660
All you have to do is keep it going.

198
00:11:39,660 --> 00:11:41,660
When it comes to you, just concentrate on someone else.

199
00:11:41,660 --> 00:11:45,660
When I play the kazoo, you're going to catch the ball.

200
00:11:45,660 --> 00:11:48,660
Whoever is closest, catch it and just hold it for a second.

201
00:11:48,660 --> 00:11:50,660
I'll give the rep the game's luck.

202
00:11:50,660 --> 00:11:53,660
Are you ready? Here we go.

203
00:11:53,660 --> 00:11:55,660
Go! Keep it going.

204
00:11:55,660 --> 00:11:57,660
Keep it up.

205
00:11:57,660 --> 00:12:07,660
Oh my God.

206
00:12:07,660 --> 00:12:11,660
Oh my God, Joe!

207
00:12:11,660 --> 00:12:13,660
Okay, so look at your right hand.

208
00:12:13,660 --> 00:12:14,660
Hold the ball steady.

209
00:12:14,660 --> 00:12:17,660
Look at your right hand and the thumb of your right hand.

210
00:12:17,660 --> 00:12:19,660
What color is the touch?

211
00:12:19,660 --> 00:12:27,660
White. Tell us something white that God has made.

212
00:12:27,660 --> 00:12:29,660
Just pick one thing.

213
00:12:29,660 --> 00:12:33,660
First thing sometimes.

214
00:12:33,660 --> 00:12:35,660
Smell. Okay? Go again. Ready?

215
00:12:35,660 --> 00:12:37,660
Go! Go! Go!

216
00:12:37,660 --> 00:12:39,660
Here's the note.

217
00:12:39,660 --> 00:12:41,660
Go! Go!

218
00:12:41,660 --> 00:12:43,660
You know what to keep it.

219
00:12:43,660 --> 00:12:45,660
I'll never leave without it.

220
00:12:45,660 --> 00:12:51,660
Oh my God.

221
00:12:51,660 --> 00:12:55,660
Oh, yes!

222
00:12:55,660 --> 00:12:57,660
He hit it.

223
00:13:09,660 --> 00:13:11,660
Get it, he does.

224
00:13:11,660 --> 00:13:13,660
Okay, look at where your right thumb is.

225
00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:15,660
Blue.

226
00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:17,660
Tell us something blue that God has made.

227
00:13:17,660 --> 00:13:19,660
The sky.

228
00:13:19,660 --> 00:13:21,660
Here we go. One last time.

229
00:13:21,660 --> 00:13:23,660
Ready, go.

230
00:13:23,660 --> 00:13:25,660
Jump!

231
00:13:25,660 --> 00:13:27,660
Woo!

232
00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:29,660
Jump!

233
00:13:29,660 --> 00:13:31,660
Jump!

234
00:13:31,660 --> 00:13:33,660
Woo!

235
00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:35,660
Ready, me?

236
00:13:35,660 --> 00:13:37,660
This is what I'm trying to do.

237
00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:47,660
Here we go.

238
00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:49,660
Okay, check your right thumb.

239
00:13:49,660 --> 00:13:51,660
What color is that?

240
00:13:51,660 --> 00:13:53,660
Yellow.

241
00:13:53,660 --> 00:13:55,660
Tell us something yellow that God has made.

242
00:13:55,660 --> 00:13:57,660
A side.

243
00:13:57,660 --> 00:13:59,660
There you go. You can let Zoe hold that.

244
00:13:59,660 --> 00:14:01,660
You can hold that.

245
00:14:01,660 --> 00:14:03,660
Okay, that'll go great.

246
00:14:03,660 --> 00:14:07,660
God has made so many things big and small.

247
00:14:07,660 --> 00:14:12,660
In the Bible, a man called King David wrote many of the Psalms.

248
00:14:12,660 --> 00:14:18,660
And in the Psalms, David called the creations of God and the works of God.

249
00:14:18,660 --> 00:14:20,660
Okay, what about this now?

250
00:14:20,660 --> 00:14:21,660
Thank you.

251
00:14:21,660 --> 00:14:23,660
Countless.

252
00:14:23,660 --> 00:14:25,660
Countless means you can't count them.

253
00:14:25,660 --> 00:14:28,660
Like trying to count the stars. Anybody ever try to count the stars?

254
00:14:28,660 --> 00:14:30,660
Yeah.

255
00:14:30,660 --> 00:14:34,660
So many. Or the grains of sand on a beach.

256
00:14:34,660 --> 00:14:36,660
What's the need for that?

257
00:14:36,660 --> 00:14:39,660
Only are there so many grains of sand on the beach.

258
00:14:39,660 --> 00:14:41,660
But on top of that, they're so small.

259
00:14:41,660 --> 00:14:43,660
They'll slip right through your hands.

260
00:14:43,660 --> 00:14:48,660
Did you know that there are countless things that God has created that are so small,

261
00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:50,660
you can't even see them?

262
00:14:50,660 --> 00:14:53,660
Meaning there are so many of them that exist, you can't even see them,

263
00:14:53,660 --> 00:14:55,660
and you couldn't possibly count them.

264
00:14:55,660 --> 00:14:59,660
An example of that is here in my canoes.

265
00:14:59,660 --> 00:15:01,660
This is called a merlin tin.

266
00:15:01,660 --> 00:15:03,660
Ever heard of that word before?

267
00:15:03,660 --> 00:15:09,660
A merlin tin is a type of musical instrument that magnifies the sound of your humming, like this.

268
00:15:09,660 --> 00:15:13,660
It does it by a membrane that's inside there.

269
00:15:13,660 --> 00:15:15,660
I wish you could see inside there.

270
00:15:15,660 --> 00:15:18,660
I have an idea. I think I have something.

271
00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:21,660
Here is one. Right back here.

272
00:15:21,660 --> 00:15:25,660
This is a membrane, not unlike what's inside my kazoo.

273
00:15:25,660 --> 00:15:27,660
And watch this.

274
00:15:27,660 --> 00:15:32,660
Hoooooooo!

275
00:15:32,660 --> 00:15:34,660
So much louder!

276
00:15:34,660 --> 00:15:37,660
Hoooooooo!

277
00:15:37,660 --> 00:15:39,660
Jason, come on here and try this.

278
00:15:39,660 --> 00:15:41,660
Try this. That's cool, man.

279
00:15:41,660 --> 00:15:43,660
Try it first.

280
00:15:43,660 --> 00:15:46,660
Calm into it.

281
00:15:46,660 --> 00:15:47,660
Calm.

282
00:15:47,660 --> 00:15:54,660
Hoooooooo!

283
00:15:54,660 --> 00:15:55,500
Okay.

284
00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:56,340
That's probably so hard.

285
00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:57,660
I can hold that.

286
00:15:57,660 --> 00:15:58,500
Okay.

287
00:15:58,500 --> 00:15:59,340
Got it.

288
00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:03,060
Ehh!

289
00:16:03,060 --> 00:16:04,420
Where's better, we don't care so hard about it.

290
00:16:04,420 --> 00:16:06,060
Okay, I'll get it back, thank you.

291
00:16:06,060 --> 00:16:08,500
All right, so the difference between these membranes

292
00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:11,640
and the membrane indicator, so, is the size.

293
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,660
But they're not different in how they work.

294
00:16:14,660 --> 00:16:16,380
The way they work is they vibrate

295
00:16:16,380 --> 00:16:18,260
and they move the sound waves,

296
00:16:18,260 --> 00:16:20,300
again, something you can't see,

297
00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:22,540
from the membrane spread out and moves it

298
00:16:22,540 --> 00:16:24,420
through the air to my ear.

299
00:16:24,420 --> 00:16:26,500
This is an amazing creation that God has given us.

300
00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:28,660
There's not only that, but a lot of you can hear the music

301
00:16:28,660 --> 00:16:31,220
that you can call this music that I made,

302
00:16:31,220 --> 00:16:35,020
but on top of that, it allows you to hear me teaching

303
00:16:35,020 --> 00:16:38,540
about God and about a Merlin and about music, right?

304
00:16:38,540 --> 00:16:41,300
And so God gave us this gift of communication

305
00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:44,140
through sound waves so that we can relate to one another

306
00:16:44,140 --> 00:16:46,460
and even teach each other about God's word,

307
00:16:46,460 --> 00:16:48,580
about Him, about things that are going on in our lives,

308
00:16:48,580 --> 00:16:49,820
whatever it might be.

309
00:16:49,820 --> 00:16:53,620
Our amazing God, this week in Spark Studios,

310
00:16:53,620 --> 00:16:57,860
we will look at creation, design, and innovation.

311
00:16:57,860 --> 00:17:00,500
We're going to learn a lot about what God has done.

312
00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:03,580
So then, I'll catch you on the next wave,

313
00:17:03,580 --> 00:17:06,140
by the sweeping wave, or by the sound wave.

314
00:17:06,140 --> 00:17:06,980
All right.

315
00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:11,820
All right.

316
00:17:11,820 --> 00:17:14,420
Now we're gonna learn the day one song together.

317
00:17:14,420 --> 00:17:16,180
Come on, come on.

318
00:17:16,180 --> 00:17:17,180
Yeah, let's do it.

319
00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:18,020
Come here.

320
00:17:18,020 --> 00:17:18,860
Come here.

321
00:17:18,860 --> 00:17:20,700
Okay, yes.

322
00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:22,020
None of this one.

323
00:17:22,020 --> 00:17:24,980
You can apparently charlie by this one.

324
00:17:24,980 --> 00:17:26,460
Okay, let's go.

325
00:17:26,460 --> 00:17:27,260
Let's go.

326
00:17:27,260 --> 00:17:28,180
Come on.

327
00:17:28,180 --> 00:17:29,180
Let's go.

328
00:17:29,180 --> 00:17:30,180
All kids, you can go.

329
00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:31,620
We can do this here and you will.

330
00:17:31,620 --> 00:17:33,260
Kayla, let's go.

331
00:17:33,260 --> 00:17:34,140
Let's go.

332
00:17:34,140 --> 00:17:35,940
We were gonna do this.

333
00:17:35,940 --> 00:17:36,780
Let's go.

334
00:17:36,780 --> 00:17:38,100
Let's go.

335
00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:38,940
Let's go.

336
00:17:38,940 --> 00:17:40,860
Oh, he's a little girl.

337
00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:42,100
He's a little girl.

338
00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:43,820
He's a little girl.

339
00:17:43,820 --> 00:17:44,820
He's a little girl.

340
00:17:44,820 --> 00:17:47,100
He's a little girl.

341
00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:48,460
How come this high?

342
00:17:48,460 --> 00:17:51,220
You're a water storm.

343
00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:55,460
In wisdom you have made them all.

344
00:17:55,460 --> 00:17:59,220
The earth is full of your riches.

345
00:17:59,220 --> 00:18:02,220
How countless are your works.

346
00:18:02,220 --> 00:18:06,220
I got the great creator.

347
00:18:06,220 --> 00:18:10,220
How marvelous you are.

348
00:18:10,220 --> 00:18:14,220
I got the great creator.

349
00:18:14,220 --> 00:18:19,220
How marvelous you are.

350
00:18:19,220 --> 00:18:23,220
How marvelous you are.

351
00:18:23,220 --> 00:18:25,220
How marvelous you are.

352
00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:52,220
How marvelous you are.

353
00:18:52,220 --> 00:19:18,220
How marvelous you are.

354
00:19:18,220 --> 00:19:23,220
You lead our fellow.

355
00:19:23,220 --> 00:19:29,220
You're a handful my tomorrow.

356
00:19:29,220 --> 00:19:34,220
You're a great, great seed.

357
00:19:34,220 --> 00:19:39,220
You're a great happy family.

358
00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:44,220
You lead our fellow.

359
00:19:44,220 --> 00:19:49,220
You lead me on and on.

360
00:19:49,220 --> 00:19:52,220
You're a child under your voice.

361
00:19:52,220 --> 00:19:55,220
There's a flower in my eyes.

362
00:19:55,220 --> 00:19:57,220
There's no other way for me.

363
00:19:57,220 --> 00:20:00,220
I'm gonna see you.

364
00:20:00,220 --> 00:20:03,220
You're a great, great happy day.

365
00:20:03,220 --> 00:20:05,220
You're the one that's been all the way.

366
00:20:05,220 --> 00:20:07,220
Your love turns me away.

367
00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:11,220
That's just a little no.

368
00:20:11,220 --> 00:20:14,220
This is why I make my shape.

369
00:20:14,220 --> 00:20:17,220
You're a perfect family.

370
00:20:17,220 --> 00:20:20,220
You lead our fellow.

371
00:20:20,220 --> 00:20:22,220
You're a handful my tomorrow.

372
00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:24,220
You're a great, great seed.

373
00:20:24,220 --> 00:20:27,220
You're a great happy family.

374
00:20:27,220 --> 00:20:30,220
You lead our fellow.

375
00:20:30,220 --> 00:20:32,220
You're a child under your voice.

376
00:20:32,220 --> 00:20:35,220
There's no other way for me.

377
00:20:35,220 --> 00:20:37,220
You're more than I can see.

378
00:20:37,220 --> 00:20:40,220
You're a great happy family.

379
00:20:40,220 --> 00:20:45,220
You lead my friend.

380
00:20:45,220 --> 00:20:48,220
You're a great happy family.

381
00:20:48,220 --> 00:20:52,220
You lead me on and on.

382
00:20:52,220 --> 00:20:59,220
You're a great happy family.

383
00:20:59,220 --> 00:21:04,220
Are you ready or not ready to do anything?

384
00:21:04,220 --> 00:21:06,220
Are you ready or not ready?

385
00:21:06,220 --> 00:21:09,220
I'm gonna talk to my best friend.

386
00:21:09,220 --> 00:21:38,220
I keep fighting voices in my life, setting out nights in love.

387
00:21:38,220 --> 00:21:52,220
Every single light that tells me I will never measure crime.

388
00:21:52,220 --> 00:22:06,220
And I'm more than just a song of every height and every low.

389
00:22:06,220 --> 00:22:16,220
Bring one thing in this joy of because I need to know.

390
00:22:16,220 --> 00:22:39,220
Oh, you say I'm alone, but I can't feel pain. You say I'm strong, but nothing I need. You say I'm low, but nothing I'm sure.

391
00:22:39,220 --> 00:23:01,220
When I don't belong, I'll just say I know. And I'll believe, but you'll say I believe.

392
00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:11,220
You say that matters now, and tell me do you think I'll be fine?

393
00:23:11,220 --> 00:23:31,220
You say you'll be fine, but I'll believe.

394
00:23:31,220 --> 00:23:51,220
You say you'll be fine, but I'll believe.

395
00:23:51,220 --> 00:24:11,220
I am glad to be here. I will tell you that sometimes I don't know if I'm going to make it. I just have to trust the Lord and he brings me through.

396
00:24:11,220 --> 00:24:21,220
Jason, object lesson for you. If I had in my hand a pile of pennies and a pile of nickels all mixed together here.

397
00:24:21,220 --> 00:24:31,220
And I say I need two cups and I say I want you to sort them into the two cups. How would you sort them?

398
00:24:31,220 --> 00:24:42,220
What primary factor did you use then? You put the pennies in one cup and the nickels in the other. How would you sort them?

399
00:24:42,220 --> 00:24:49,220
I want you to know that that is a very intuitive answer.

400
00:24:49,220 --> 00:24:56,220
By the time we're done, you're going to see why. Can anybody think of how somebody else might sort pennies and nickels?

401
00:24:56,220 --> 00:25:02,220
Ron, value. Most people probably would just go, well this is worth a penny, this is worth a nickel.

402
00:25:02,220 --> 00:25:08,220
Which I want to submit to you is not all that intuitive. When you think about it, it's kind of what we do all day long.

403
00:25:08,220 --> 00:25:14,220
17 cents change. One dime, one nickel, two pennies. Or three nickels and two pennies. It's really the only way to make it.

404
00:25:14,220 --> 00:25:16,220
There's almost nothing else you can do.

405
00:25:16,220 --> 00:25:22,220
But the truth is some pennies are worth a lot more than the nickel.

406
00:25:22,220 --> 00:25:32,220
If you look in your pennies, for example, and you see a penny that looks like it's shiny and silver, that could be a steel wheat penny that was made a long, long time ago.

407
00:25:32,220 --> 00:25:36,220
And it could be worth as much as 20 bucks.

408
00:25:36,220 --> 00:25:40,220
You always think that steel pennies can go for like tens of thousands of dollars.

409
00:25:40,220 --> 00:25:45,220
Well, if they're in mint condition. But if you find it in your chain, you might find 20, 40 dollars in one penny.

410
00:25:45,220 --> 00:25:53,220
And as RJ pointed out, if they're in mint condition, they might go 10, 20 thousand dollars for one penny. So value is not exactly the same.

411
00:25:53,220 --> 00:26:00,220
Also, if you have a dollar and you worked hard for that dollar, you worked half an hour, slaving away, sweating, whatever.

412
00:26:00,220 --> 00:26:03,220
And you got that dollar and a half an hour.

413
00:26:03,220 --> 00:26:10,220
And then another time you got a $20 bill and you found it laying on the ground.

414
00:26:10,220 --> 00:26:17,220
As far as purchasing power goes, or the value marked on the bills, the $20 bill is worth a lot more than a dollar.

415
00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:19,220
You can buy a lot more, it's worth a lot more to it.

416
00:26:19,220 --> 00:26:27,220
But I can tell you having been a young man, having worked by very, I remember walking home from Kroger's in the grocery store behind my house where I started working.

417
00:26:27,220 --> 00:26:33,220
I was 16 years old, bringing my first paycheck home after working 40 hours, one week and about 20 the other.

418
00:26:33,220 --> 00:26:36,220
And the paycheck was about $150.

419
00:26:36,220 --> 00:26:43,220
So it's pretty far back, minimum wage was about $2.90, $1.82, something like that.

420
00:26:43,220 --> 00:26:49,220
And I had worked a full week, 40 hours, another full week, 20 hours, bring home like $150 paycheck.

421
00:26:49,220 --> 00:26:53,220
And I was on cloud nine, that was my $150 paycheck because I earned it.

422
00:26:53,220 --> 00:26:54,220
That meant a lot to me.

423
00:26:54,220 --> 00:26:59,220
In the past, I had had $150 at other times, even that I had saved up out of my allowance.

424
00:26:59,220 --> 00:27:03,220
I got $5 a week and at times I managed to save $150.

425
00:27:03,220 --> 00:27:09,220
And that too was worth a lot to me, but not as much as that $150 that I worked for.

426
00:27:09,220 --> 00:27:15,220
So how you got it marks the value of something when you're talking about money or time or anything.

427
00:27:15,220 --> 00:27:17,220
How you got it also marks the value.

428
00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:22,220
There's a story of a young lad who got off the school bus and was walking home to his house.

429
00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:28,220
And one of the kids in the neighborhood jokingly called over another kid as a teenager and this young boy was like in first grade.

430
00:27:28,220 --> 00:27:30,220
And he said, watch this, watch this.

431
00:27:30,220 --> 00:27:34,220
And he went up to him and he says, look, take the one that's worth for you.

432
00:27:34,220 --> 00:27:36,220
He showed him a diamond and a nickel.

433
00:27:36,220 --> 00:27:43,220
And the first grader looked at it and said, I'll take the bigger one, put the nickel and you walked on home.

434
00:27:43,220 --> 00:27:45,220
And you walk home to his friend and they didn't talk about everything.

435
00:27:45,220 --> 00:27:47,220
We took the nickel and went home.

436
00:27:47,220 --> 00:27:50,220
And the next day, the kid goes, grabs another kid and says, watch this, watch this, this is funny.

437
00:27:50,220 --> 00:27:52,220
He takes the one that's worth for him.

438
00:27:52,220 --> 00:27:55,220
He showed him the diamond and the nickel and the kid took the nickel and he walked home.

439
00:27:55,220 --> 00:27:59,220
And his friend started thinking, it's kind of goofy, you know, like that's, you're wrong.

440
00:27:59,220 --> 00:28:00,220
A diamond's worth more than a nickel.

441
00:28:00,220 --> 00:28:02,220
That's even what a teacher says in school.

442
00:28:02,220 --> 00:28:04,220
So he asked him, why do you take the nickel?

443
00:28:04,220 --> 00:28:06,220
He said, which one's worth more?

444
00:28:06,220 --> 00:28:07,220
A diamond or a nickel?

445
00:28:07,220 --> 00:28:08,220
I know you know a diamond's worth more.

446
00:28:08,220 --> 00:28:11,220
And the first grader said, yeah, well, here's the thing.

447
00:28:11,220 --> 00:28:18,220
As soon as I let them know I know a diamond's worth more, they won't play the game anymore.

448
00:28:18,220 --> 00:28:27,220
So he had gotten two nickels so far and there was the opportunity to get plenty more because he was acting as if he thought the nickel was worth more than the dime.

449
00:28:27,220 --> 00:28:30,220
It's about availability sometimes.

450
00:28:30,220 --> 00:28:37,220
Grab your Bibles, if you would, we're going to have a relatively short passage of Scripture today and it begins in Deuteronomy 23.

451
00:28:37,220 --> 00:28:38,220
Amen.

452
00:28:38,220 --> 00:28:39,220
This is God's word.

453
00:28:39,220 --> 00:28:40,220
We are 23.

454
00:28:40,220 --> 00:28:45,220
Oh, by today we will be fully 23 chapters through the book of Deuteronomy.

455
00:28:45,220 --> 00:28:56,220
And we have seen some amazing things that God was telling the Israelites as he was talking to them about how to be his people in the promised land after Moses was gone.

456
00:28:56,220 --> 00:29:01,220
We're beginning in chapter 23 verse 19.

457
00:29:01,220 --> 00:29:05,220
23 19.

458
00:29:05,220 --> 00:29:14,220
And this is what it says, you shall not charge interest to your countrymen, interest on money, food or anything that may be loaned at interest.

459
00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:16,220
So we know what interest is.

460
00:29:16,220 --> 00:29:21,220
Interest is you borrow 20 bucks from me, but I want to be paid back 20 bucks plus a little bit.

461
00:29:21,220 --> 00:29:31,220
If you go to the bank and you borrow money for buy your house, nowadays it's going to be back up around six, seven, eight, nine, 10% interest even in some cases.

462
00:29:31,220 --> 00:29:36,220
It depends on your credit rating, your income, how much the house is worth, all these kinds of things.

463
00:29:36,220 --> 00:29:41,220
But bottom line is for a while you could borrow money to buy a house down around 4%.

464
00:29:41,220 --> 00:29:44,220
So it's typically based off the prime interest rate.

465
00:29:44,220 --> 00:29:50,220
The government determines if the bank borrows money from the government how much that money is going to cost them when they pay it back.

466
00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:54,220
So if they borrow $100,000 from the government, government charges them 3%.

467
00:29:54,220 --> 00:30:00,220
So in order for them to make a profit, if they loan you $100,000, they have to loan it to you for more than 3%.

468
00:30:00,220 --> 00:30:01,220
That's interest.

469
00:30:01,220 --> 00:30:10,220
And God was now saying through Moses to the Israelites that when they were in the Promised Land, they would not be allowed to charge interest to a countryman.

470
00:30:10,220 --> 00:30:23,220
So another man who was entering into the Promised Land as an Israelite chosen by God, you could call that by God's grace, would not be allowed to charge interest on money or food or anything else that could be loaned at interest.

471
00:30:23,220 --> 00:30:38,220
Verse 20 says, you may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countryman you shall not charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.

472
00:30:38,220 --> 00:30:41,220
That's a little bit lengthy. Let's break it down for a second.

473
00:30:41,220 --> 00:30:45,220
We already heard in 19 they were not allowed to charge interest to their countryman.

474
00:30:45,220 --> 00:30:50,220
And now we hear that they are allowed to charge interest to a foreigner.

475
00:30:50,220 --> 00:30:58,220
So right away I'm going to say to you, if I'm an Israelite and I got some money and I got two guys who want to borrow from me and I want my money to make money for me,

476
00:30:58,220 --> 00:31:07,220
I'm going to be tempted, aren't I, to loan that money to a foreigner before I loan it to an Israelite because I can't charge interest to an Israelite, but I can charge interest to a foreigner.

477
00:31:07,220 --> 00:31:17,220
But you may remember, you may not, but you may remember back in Deuteronomy 15, what did Moses tell them about loaning to one another when they were in need?

478
00:31:17,220 --> 00:31:20,220
Does anybody remember?

479
00:31:20,220 --> 00:31:23,220
Simply, they must.

480
00:31:23,220 --> 00:31:24,220
It's required.

481
00:31:24,220 --> 00:31:36,220
If somebody is in need who is an Israelite in the Promised Land and they need money, medicine, food, whatever, and they come to you for a loan and you have it, if you can, you must.

482
00:31:36,220 --> 00:31:42,220
And now you must and you must not charge interest.

483
00:31:42,220 --> 00:31:49,220
Notice that there would be those who come into the land to do business, there would be those who visit, there would even be peoples amongst them who were mixed in.

484
00:31:49,220 --> 00:31:57,220
Those who are proselyted over Judaism become an honorary Israelite of a sort, whatever, would not be considered a foreigner.

485
00:31:57,220 --> 00:32:03,220
These are people with outside heritage that came into the land and they could be charged interest.

486
00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:21,220
Notice that not charging interest to your countrymen, but charging interest possibly to someone who was not your countrymen or a foreigner, these actions were undertaken so that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.

487
00:32:21,220 --> 00:32:33,220
So they had to distinguish between a foreigner and a countryman, not charging interest to their countrymen and if they chose to charge interest to the foreigner in order for God to be able to bless them.

488
00:32:33,220 --> 00:32:35,220
That's pretty significant.

489
00:32:35,220 --> 00:32:52,220
There were already a people of grace already being given a land with crops growing, that they didn't plant, with houses built, that they didn't build, etc., a people of grace given so much and now God's saying how you handle what I have been giving to you over these years and will be giving to you in the future years,

490
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:58,220
how you handle that determines whether or not I can bless you in the land in which I have given you to possess.

491
00:32:58,220 --> 00:33:07,220
You may be here today as a Christian and going, I know I'm saved. We'll talk about that a little bit later, but let's say you're here and you say, I know I'm saved and I know I'm serving the living God.

492
00:33:07,220 --> 00:33:17,220
According to this passage by extrapolating the simple truth, how you use that which God has now blessed you with will determine whether or not God can bless you more.

493
00:33:17,220 --> 00:33:29,220
Well, God bless you in the way that you go, in the way that you walk, in the way that you serve, in the way that you do, in the way that you spend, in the way that you save, in the way that you maintain.

494
00:33:29,220 --> 00:33:32,220
Well, God bless you in those things as you live inside the kingdom of God.

495
00:33:32,220 --> 00:33:39,220
Well, based on that, if you want God to be able to bless you, then there is a proper handling of that which God has already blessed you with.

496
00:33:39,220 --> 00:33:47,220
Verse 21, when you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it.

497
00:33:47,220 --> 00:33:52,220
Now, don't be too literal with pay there. It's not just I'm promising God I'll give 100 bucks, right?

498
00:33:52,220 --> 00:33:55,220
It's any vow or promise you make to the Lord your God.

499
00:33:55,220 --> 00:34:03,220
Notice that because the word vow here is used, it's not simply a private vow or a private promise to God, but also a public one.

500
00:34:03,220 --> 00:34:14,220
In fact, there would be many times, and you can read about some of them in the Bible where people would come together. We see this in our own fellowship, in our own worship, at the invitation time, where people will come forward.

501
00:34:14,220 --> 00:34:21,220
I'm repenting of this sin, and I am committing myself to walk forward in the strength of Christ to leave that behind.

502
00:34:21,220 --> 00:34:27,220
I'm not going to do that anymore. That is a vow to God, not salvation.

503
00:34:27,220 --> 00:34:36,220
When you beg God and say, God, I want you to be Lord of my life, I will follow you. That's not a vow to God. That's coming into relationship with God.

504
00:34:36,220 --> 00:34:43,220
Then once in a relationship with God, you're now a member of the people of God, same as they were, and you're required to keep your vows.

505
00:34:43,220 --> 00:34:49,220
You make promises or vows to God, say, I'm going to do something, you need to do it. No matter what it takes.

506
00:34:49,220 --> 00:34:56,220
Simply put, there would be times, public and private, in which an Israelite would be moved, and I submit to you.

507
00:34:56,220 --> 00:35:01,220
We can even see it in the Scripture, moved by the presence of God's Holy Spirit.

508
00:35:01,220 --> 00:35:06,220
In Judges 11, there's a man named Jeb the who comes home, and it says he was in the Holy Spirit.

509
00:35:06,220 --> 00:35:11,220
He was a judge, and he came home, and he said, whatever comes out of my house, I'll sacrifice it to God.

510
00:35:11,220 --> 00:35:18,220
He was expecting animals, money, whatever. The first thing that came out of his house was his daughter.

511
00:35:18,220 --> 00:35:23,220
You can imagine how the story goes. Ultimately, she did give her life.

512
00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:26,220
She was sacrificed because that was the promise that was made.

513
00:35:26,220 --> 00:35:37,220
I submit to you that Jeb the was moved, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, swayed to want to do more, be more, give more.

514
00:35:37,220 --> 00:35:41,220
Because God had already done amazing things in his life, and that happens to us.

515
00:35:41,220 --> 00:35:47,220
Yes, God, I owe you so much. I'll never be able to repay you. I want to give you Insert X.

516
00:35:47,220 --> 00:35:52,220
God, I owe you so much what you've done to me. I want to do for you Insert X.

517
00:35:52,220 --> 00:35:57,220
And we think, I want to do this. I want to give this. We are motivated to do so.

518
00:35:57,220 --> 00:36:04,220
When you do that, check your motivations and make sure that you're making a vow to God that is Godly.

519
00:36:04,220 --> 00:36:13,220
Because according to this verse, when you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sinning you.

520
00:36:13,220 --> 00:36:20,220
And it goes a little further and says, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you.

521
00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:23,220
So let's say, for example, you have a sinful thing that's going on in your life.

522
00:36:23,220 --> 00:36:26,220
I am vowing to God. I will never do that again.

523
00:36:26,220 --> 00:36:38,220
You have essentially added that yourself in your own mind, your own heart, and your relationship with God as a condition by which God will bless or not bless you.

524
00:36:38,220 --> 00:36:45,220
In the book of Romans, it says that the Gentiles have a standard of code that they submit themselves to, and then they break it.

525
00:36:45,220 --> 00:36:53,220
And because of that, they are lost. They are without excuse because they have known since the beginning, and then they make a code for themselves,

526
00:36:53,220 --> 00:36:58,220
and then they break the very same code that they make, even though they have no familiarity with the law.

527
00:36:58,220 --> 00:37:03,220
You can do the same thing. You can make rules for yourself.

528
00:37:03,220 --> 00:37:08,220
And then you can begin to say to yourself, I have broken my rules. I debate my own salvation.

529
00:37:08,220 --> 00:37:20,220
Am I even saved because of these rules that God, I believe that God revealed to me, and I submit to you that if you broke the rules that God revealed to you, you probably aren't saved.

530
00:37:20,220 --> 00:37:25,220
And no one was, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

531
00:37:25,220 --> 00:37:33,220
But then having come to Christ, don't add anything to salvation that God says you, that you're saying God says you have to do this in order to be saved,

532
00:37:33,220 --> 00:37:40,220
because that's the thing you can actually do. You can start to say to yourself, if I don't go to church, I can't be saved.

533
00:37:40,220 --> 00:37:44,220
If I don't read my Bible, I can't be saved. If I don't give, I can't be saved.

534
00:37:44,220 --> 00:37:53,220
In fact, and I'm not trying to be harsh or mean, and I'll probably get backlash on this comment, because as public as our podcast and Facebook stuff is, a lot of times this gets out.

535
00:37:53,220 --> 00:37:56,220
That is exactly what's going on in the Catholic Church.

536
00:37:56,220 --> 00:38:06,220
You may or may not know, but the sacraments of the Catholic Church are sacraments because they are the means by which, according to the Catholic Church, people receive the grace of God.

537
00:38:06,220 --> 00:38:15,220
So if you don't take what the Lord suffer, what they call communion, you don't get grace. Your sins are not forgiven by Jesus.

538
00:38:15,220 --> 00:38:28,220
If you don't confess to your priest, who then pronounce you forgiven and you do certain things, you don't get grace, confession, communion, marriage, confirmation, last rights.

539
00:38:28,220 --> 00:38:39,220
These are all sacraments by which the priest who is the only one who has an open channel to God, according to that, I'm just going to say it, false religion.

540
00:38:39,220 --> 00:38:45,220
Who's the only one who has that open channel to God, he can forgive your sins and by so doing, you receive the grace of Jesus.

541
00:38:45,220 --> 00:38:52,220
But you and I know what the word says. That's not right. There are no steps. You don't get saved because you got baptized.

542
00:38:52,220 --> 00:38:59,220
You don't get saved because you prayed a prayer. You get saved because you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ with the salvation that he provided.

543
00:38:59,220 --> 00:39:02,220
He is the way to the Father.

544
00:39:02,220 --> 00:39:08,220
So adding things as conditions to your salvation, be careful because you actually can do it.

545
00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:15,220
You can say, well, I will always attend confession until I die. God, I will be saved on the virtue of Jesus Christ as Lord.

546
00:39:15,220 --> 00:39:18,220
My priest is my priest and I will always attend confession.

547
00:39:18,220 --> 00:39:22,220
And then a year from then, 10 years from then, 15 years from then, you stop attending confession.

548
00:39:22,220 --> 00:39:26,220
But you made that a condition of your salvation. So this is my agreement with you, God.

549
00:39:26,220 --> 00:39:32,220
I will be saved if Jesus blood, paid for my sins. Oh, and also if I gave confession.

550
00:39:32,220 --> 00:39:41,220
Now I'm failing to give confession. So at the very least, you will begin to question whether or not you're saved, having added conditions to your own salvation.

551
00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:46,220
But worse than that, the word says God will require it of you.

552
00:39:46,220 --> 00:39:56,220
And so you will be found in sin, it says, if you do not. And if you would willfully sin after being saved, that's a contradiction.

553
00:39:56,220 --> 00:40:04,220
So what I'm saying to you is they were being warned, consider carefully vows and promises in private and in public that you make before God.

554
00:40:04,220 --> 00:40:11,220
You know, understand that people like to make public vows before God because frankly, you sway the audience.

555
00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:16,220
If you'd stand up and you'd say, I vow never to lie again in front of the church.

556
00:40:16,220 --> 00:40:21,220
God, I know, has given me the power and the authority over the evil spirit that leads me to lie in an eye vow.

557
00:40:21,220 --> 00:40:23,220
I will never lie again.

558
00:40:23,220 --> 00:40:26,220
You're spouse, your friends, people in the church, they're going to expect that of you.

559
00:40:26,220 --> 00:40:29,220
They may even hold you accountable to it.

560
00:40:29,220 --> 00:40:39,220
But those that don't really know you all that well, if they believe your confession, if they believe your vow, are going to say, OK, that's somebody I can trust.

561
00:40:39,220 --> 00:40:44,220
Politicians stand up in public and they vow for no new taxes.

562
00:40:44,220 --> 00:40:47,220
I will balance the budget.

563
00:40:47,220 --> 00:40:52,220
And somebody goes to the polls and votes for them because they believe the budget should be balanced.

564
00:40:52,220 --> 00:40:55,220
Because they believe there shouldn't be new taxes.

565
00:40:55,220 --> 00:40:57,220
I'm pro-abortion.

566
00:40:57,220 --> 00:40:59,220
I'm pro-life, right?

567
00:40:59,220 --> 00:41:03,220
I'm pro-life or I'm pro-choice.

568
00:41:03,220 --> 00:41:06,220
And people vote for them specifically because of that one big issue.

569
00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:11,220
And when you make a vow before God, public, people start thinking you come down on this side of the issue.

570
00:41:11,220 --> 00:41:21,220
Even if you know you have lied and they know you have lied before, they're going to say, well, at least he's somebody who recognizing lying is a problem and he's trying to cut it out.

571
00:41:21,220 --> 00:41:23,220
Everybody else I know doesn't even care about it.

572
00:41:23,220 --> 00:41:25,220
They just do whatever the heck they want.

573
00:41:25,220 --> 00:41:28,220
So I'm going to side with the person who made the vow rather than the person who didn't.

574
00:41:28,220 --> 00:41:38,220
God is saying be careful because if you make these worthless vows to either motivate people or even to feel better about yourself done in private, people do it a lot, right?

575
00:41:38,220 --> 00:41:41,220
If you make those, God will require them of you.

576
00:41:41,220 --> 00:41:45,220
And if you don't carry them out, God will see sin in you.

577
00:41:45,220 --> 00:41:47,220
That was verse 21.

578
00:41:47,220 --> 00:41:50,220
Verse 22 says, and we're almost done with the text.

579
00:41:50,220 --> 00:41:54,220
However, if you refrain from bowing, it would not be sin in you.

580
00:41:54,220 --> 00:42:01,220
In other words, you don't have to make God worthless promises or even valuable promises.

581
00:42:01,220 --> 00:42:03,220
You don't have to do that.

582
00:42:03,220 --> 00:42:05,220
It's not required.

583
00:42:05,220 --> 00:42:06,220
Why?

584
00:42:06,220 --> 00:42:07,220
Because he's God.

585
00:42:07,220 --> 00:42:12,220
And if he chooses you, he chooses you by his grace, not by virtue of your vow, your promise kept or unkept.

586
00:42:12,220 --> 00:42:22,220
23, you shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips just as you have voluntarily vowed.

587
00:42:22,220 --> 00:42:27,220
In other words, see, it was not required that you vow and they voluntarily bowing.

588
00:42:27,220 --> 00:42:30,220
Let's say that five times fast, voluntary, voluntarily, bowing.

589
00:42:30,220 --> 00:42:35,220
And because you voluntarily vowed, you must voluntarily do what you voluntarily vowed to do.

590
00:42:35,220 --> 00:42:40,220
God didn't require it of you, but he does now because you bowed it to the Lord, your God.

591
00:42:40,220 --> 00:42:49,220
What you have promised 24 says, when you enter your neighbor's vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied.

592
00:42:49,220 --> 00:42:52,220
But you shall not put any in your basket.

593
00:42:52,220 --> 00:43:02,220
One of my grandsons was over to my house recently and I was talking with him and he had touched something that belonged to one of my sons and he broke it.

594
00:43:02,220 --> 00:43:08,220
And I said, you need to learn not to touch things that don't belong to you.

595
00:43:08,220 --> 00:43:12,220
And he got a really sad face and his tears started to well.

596
00:43:12,220 --> 00:43:20,220
But Grandpa, I can't do that because if I never touched anything that belongs to me, there won't be anything I can touch.

597
00:43:20,220 --> 00:43:24,220
And I came out of that, I clawed him. I have to know there are things that belong to other people.

598
00:43:24,220 --> 00:43:29,220
I said, if you want to touch something that belongs to somebody else, just ask them first. It's no big deal.

599
00:43:29,220 --> 00:43:31,220
Shall we read the text again?

600
00:43:31,220 --> 00:43:33,220
Let's read the text again, shall we?

601
00:43:33,220 --> 00:43:39,220
When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied.

602
00:43:39,220 --> 00:43:45,220
Look at verse 25, when you enter your neighbor's standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand.

603
00:43:45,220 --> 00:43:49,220
Both of those verses say the exact opposite of what I said.

604
00:43:49,220 --> 00:43:52,220
I said, it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it.

605
00:43:52,220 --> 00:43:58,220
I'm standing before you today to tell you that in the kingdom of God, I was wrong.

606
00:43:58,220 --> 00:44:00,220
Is it okay?

607
00:44:00,220 --> 00:44:05,220
It's okay to be because you were probably wrong yesterday or the day before also.

608
00:44:05,220 --> 00:44:12,220
By the grace of God, I am saved, but when I taught my grandson, if it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it, as most people do,

609
00:44:12,220 --> 00:44:19,220
as most Christian people would do, as most godly people would do, if it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it.

610
00:44:19,220 --> 00:44:21,220
The Bible says otherwise.

611
00:44:21,220 --> 00:44:25,220
It says when you're walking in somebody else's vineyard, mind you, you're in the kingdom there in the kingdom.

612
00:44:25,220 --> 00:44:30,220
You're walking in their vineyard, you get a taste for grapes, just pick some of them, what the heck?

613
00:44:30,220 --> 00:44:37,220
You're walking in their grain field and the grain is ready for harvest, you can just pick some out, go like this in your hand and just eat it.

614
00:44:37,220 --> 00:44:39,220
It's fine.

615
00:44:39,220 --> 00:44:47,220
The don't touch what doesn't belong to you does not hold true in the kingdom of God.

616
00:44:47,220 --> 00:44:50,220
But both of those verses of course have a second part to them.

617
00:44:50,220 --> 00:44:56,220
It says when you enter your neighbor's vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied.

618
00:44:56,220 --> 00:45:01,220
You can eat all the grapes until your tummy is full or until you just don't have a taste for grapes anymore.

619
00:45:01,220 --> 00:45:06,220
But you shall not put any in your basket.

620
00:45:06,220 --> 00:45:11,220
So it doesn't change the ownership of the grapes.

621
00:45:11,220 --> 00:45:16,220
You can meet your need or your desire, but you can't transfer the ownership of the grapes.

622
00:45:16,220 --> 00:45:22,220
There's still that other person's grapes given to them by God, but they ought to realize they were given to them by God.

623
00:45:22,220 --> 00:45:24,220
So it's okay for you to take a few handfuls and eat them.

624
00:45:24,220 --> 00:45:27,220
Mind you, this is inside the kingdom.

625
00:45:27,220 --> 00:45:33,220
Second one said, when you enter your neighbor's standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand,

626
00:45:33,220 --> 00:45:37,220
but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor's standing grain.

627
00:45:37,220 --> 00:45:42,220
Get this, this isn't even limited to just taking and eating what you can eat right then.

628
00:45:42,220 --> 00:45:49,220
You can take it and you can even put it in a basket and carry it home, grind it up, and make bread out of it.

629
00:45:49,220 --> 00:45:53,220
Right, because grain is really that tasty to eat in the field.

630
00:45:53,220 --> 00:45:59,220
You can, it'll keep you from being hungry, but it's not horrible or disgusting, but you don't have much taste.

631
00:45:59,220 --> 00:46:07,220
But you can walk to the field, pick as much as you pick, by hand, put it in your basket, take it home, crush it,

632
00:46:07,220 --> 00:46:12,220
get rid of the bad parts, grind it down to flour, put a little yeast in there,

633
00:46:12,220 --> 00:46:20,220
a little leftover sourdough mix from the old bread that you made last week, bake up some bread, and eat that bad boy.

634
00:46:20,220 --> 00:46:27,220
Even though that was not your grain field, God does not say if it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it, not in the kingdom of God.

635
00:46:27,220 --> 00:46:33,220
What he says is, we're in the kingdom of God, where we all realize that everything we have came from God.

636
00:46:33,220 --> 00:46:39,220
And if it came from God, why do we behave as if it didn't come from God?

637
00:46:39,220 --> 00:46:43,220
Well, I'll tell you why, though that's not the sermon for today.

638
00:46:43,220 --> 00:46:48,220
It's because we are brainwashed Americans.

639
00:46:48,220 --> 00:46:51,220
We are brainwashed capitalists.

640
00:46:51,220 --> 00:46:57,220
We are brainwashed businessmen and workers.

641
00:46:57,220 --> 00:47:05,220
We've come to believe that if God gives it to us, it's ours to do with whatever we want.

642
00:47:05,220 --> 00:47:13,220
And if anyone should do anything else with it other than what we think should be done with it, they ought to go to jail, be whipped,

643
00:47:13,220 --> 00:47:17,220
or at the very least be raided, something.

644
00:47:17,220 --> 00:47:22,220
And that is not what God says.

645
00:47:22,220 --> 00:47:27,220
The three things in this passage of scripture that you have to know the difference three times.

646
00:47:27,220 --> 00:47:31,220
This text is telling us about three times in which you have to know the difference.

647
00:47:31,220 --> 00:47:34,220
The first time you have to know the difference between peoples.

648
00:47:34,220 --> 00:47:36,220
You have to know the difference between people.

649
00:47:36,220 --> 00:47:39,220
Now this is tough because it's almost impossible.

650
00:47:39,220 --> 00:47:46,220
And it is commanded that we should not judge whether a person is saved or not.

651
00:47:46,220 --> 00:47:56,220
Salvation is by a person's free response to the invitation of God for his sins to be covered by the grace paid for by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

652
00:47:56,220 --> 00:47:59,220
Yes, there are people who are willingly excluded.

653
00:47:59,220 --> 00:48:04,220
They will tell you flat out they are not a child of God.

654
00:48:04,220 --> 00:48:06,220
They are not a follower of God.

655
00:48:06,220 --> 00:48:07,220
They do not believe in Jesus.

656
00:48:07,220 --> 00:48:11,220
And if they do, you can take them at face value.

657
00:48:11,220 --> 00:48:16,220
Now the fact is, it might not even be true.

658
00:48:16,220 --> 00:48:18,220
How would that come about?

659
00:48:18,220 --> 00:48:20,220
Well just real quick, let's backtrack for a second.

660
00:48:20,220 --> 00:48:24,220
Let's assume the person got saved at 12.

661
00:48:24,220 --> 00:48:28,220
Somewhere along the lines they added conditions to their salvation.

662
00:48:28,220 --> 00:48:30,220
I'll be saved as long as I believe.

663
00:48:30,220 --> 00:48:33,220
I'll be saved as long as I do this or do that.

664
00:48:33,220 --> 00:48:36,220
I'll be saved as long as I respond to swear that way.

665
00:48:36,220 --> 00:48:40,220
Then they apply those conditions to their salvation and say,

666
00:48:40,220 --> 00:48:42,220
You know what, I'm not saved.

667
00:48:42,220 --> 00:48:46,220
I didn't do what I was supposed to do, so I'm not saved.

668
00:48:46,220 --> 00:48:49,220
And now they're telling you they're not saved.

669
00:48:49,220 --> 00:48:52,220
But by whose standards are they not saved?

670
00:48:52,220 --> 00:48:55,220
They're not saved by the standards that they set for themselves.

671
00:48:55,220 --> 00:48:57,220
By whose standards are we saved?

672
00:48:57,220 --> 00:48:59,220
By the standards that God set.

673
00:48:59,220 --> 00:49:03,220
That's why some folks will say once saved always saved.

674
00:49:03,220 --> 00:49:07,220
Because even if a person tells you that they're not saved, you can't really know that they're right.

675
00:49:07,220 --> 00:49:11,220
You do understand that there are people in this world, it's a very small percentage,

676
00:49:11,220 --> 00:49:17,220
one in a million maybe, who believe that they are Napoleon Bonaparte resurrected.

677
00:49:17,220 --> 00:49:22,220
Not just one person, dozens that believe that.

678
00:49:22,220 --> 00:49:26,220
There are people in this world that believe that they are John Lennon resurrected.

679
00:49:26,220 --> 00:49:30,220
But it doesn't make them Napoleon Bonaparte or John Lennon, either one,

680
00:49:30,220 --> 00:49:36,220
so they can just as rightly be wrong about whether they're saved or not.

681
00:49:36,220 --> 00:49:39,220
However, you got to work with what you got.

682
00:49:39,220 --> 00:49:43,220
So if they're willingly, openly saying they're not saved, that they're denying Christ,

683
00:49:43,220 --> 00:49:46,220
that's not a thing they should be willing to do if they are saved.

684
00:49:46,220 --> 00:49:48,220
And therefore, you can treat them as if they're unsaved.

685
00:49:48,220 --> 00:49:50,220
I submit to you better than that.

686
00:49:50,220 --> 00:49:52,220
Treat them as if they are a tax collector or a Gentile.

687
00:49:52,220 --> 00:49:56,220
Someone who just doesn't know.

688
00:49:56,220 --> 00:49:59,220
Know the difference between peoples.

689
00:49:59,220 --> 00:50:01,220
Well, it's tough for a Christian.

690
00:50:01,220 --> 00:50:05,220
Because if somebody comes and they profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,

691
00:50:05,220 --> 00:50:09,220
and say, I am a follower of Jesus, I believe Jesus lived, I believe he died,

692
00:50:09,220 --> 00:50:12,220
I believe he wrote again, I believe he paid for my sin,

693
00:50:12,220 --> 00:50:14,220
I believe he has the right to be in charge of my life.

694
00:50:14,220 --> 00:50:17,220
But then as you're walking that out with them, you find them doing all kinds of things

695
00:50:17,220 --> 00:50:21,220
that they should not be doing, it doesn't line up with what the Word says,

696
00:50:21,220 --> 00:50:24,220
it doesn't line up with what they say they believe about God.

697
00:50:24,220 --> 00:50:25,220
So you just dismiss them.

698
00:50:25,220 --> 00:50:27,220
Like, I'm just going to handle them.

699
00:50:27,220 --> 00:50:28,220
I'm going to handle them.

700
00:50:28,220 --> 00:50:29,220
That's just too much trouble.

701
00:50:29,220 --> 00:50:30,220
Right?

702
00:50:30,220 --> 00:50:31,220
Wrong.

703
00:50:31,220 --> 00:50:34,220
The Bible says, Jesus says, Matthew 18, you're going to tell them what's going on.

704
00:50:34,220 --> 00:50:36,220
You say, well, listen, I hear you saying you're a Christian,

705
00:50:36,220 --> 00:50:38,220
but I see you acting this way.

706
00:50:38,220 --> 00:50:40,220
And then they continue to do it anyway.

707
00:50:40,220 --> 00:50:41,220
Or maybe they repent.

708
00:50:41,220 --> 00:50:42,220
That would be even better.

709
00:50:42,220 --> 00:50:44,220
Wouldn't it turn back to God and do it God's way?

710
00:50:44,220 --> 00:50:46,220
Second step, you and one or two others.

711
00:50:46,220 --> 00:50:48,220
Third step, bring them in front of the church.

712
00:50:48,220 --> 00:50:52,220
If they're outside the church, not even in your church, you can't do anything about it.

713
00:50:52,220 --> 00:50:56,220
At which point in time, if you're dealing with somebody that's outside the church,

714
00:50:56,220 --> 00:50:58,220
you still can do step one.

715
00:50:58,220 --> 00:50:59,220
You can do step two.

716
00:50:59,220 --> 00:51:03,220
But you get the great blessing is you get to skip step three.

717
00:51:03,220 --> 00:51:05,220
Because they won't come in front of the church.

718
00:51:05,220 --> 00:51:09,220
We've had that a number of times in our fellowship in the years past where folks were living like that.

719
00:51:09,220 --> 00:51:12,220
And step one was conducted, step two was conducted.

720
00:51:12,220 --> 00:51:15,220
And so, okay, well, we need to go in front of the church and make sure that what you're doing,

721
00:51:15,220 --> 00:51:17,220
whether or not what you're doing is, I believe it's sin.

722
00:51:17,220 --> 00:51:18,220
You believe it's not.

723
00:51:18,220 --> 00:51:20,220
So we're going to go in front of the church and let them decide.

724
00:51:20,220 --> 00:51:24,220
And they said, no, I just resigned my church membership and I won't be back.

725
00:51:24,220 --> 00:51:26,220
Okay, so be it.

726
00:51:26,220 --> 00:51:27,220
Then it's decided, right?

727
00:51:27,220 --> 00:51:29,220
And we treat them like a tax collector or a Gentile.

728
00:51:29,220 --> 00:51:32,220
Not unloving, not unkind.

729
00:51:32,220 --> 00:51:35,220
But different from people inside the kingdom.

730
00:51:35,220 --> 00:51:40,220
The least of all then people inside the kingdom.

731
00:51:40,220 --> 00:51:47,220
Must know the difference between sustenance and profits between possession and ownership.

732
00:51:47,220 --> 00:51:52,220
You've probably heard the old adage possession is nine tenths of the law.

733
00:51:52,220 --> 00:51:56,220
When I was back at a wall bridge as an apartment complex maintenance man,

734
00:51:56,220 --> 00:51:59,220
we're going to be there about 25 hours a week.

735
00:51:59,220 --> 00:52:03,220
We would occasionally have the task of letting the police in.

736
00:52:03,220 --> 00:52:07,220
And if they came with a warrant or some kind of a notice from a judge,

737
00:52:07,220 --> 00:52:09,220
whatever you would have to do that.

738
00:52:09,220 --> 00:52:13,220
And one time I was working on the back of the property there and the police came

739
00:52:13,220 --> 00:52:17,220
and they had proper paperwork and it was a woman and she had been staying with this man.

740
00:52:17,220 --> 00:52:23,220
Well, he had charges against him now for domestic violence and she had filed a restraining order.

741
00:52:23,220 --> 00:52:26,220
So she was coming while he was at work.

742
00:52:26,220 --> 00:52:30,220
And she was coming to get all of her personal belongings that were left in her apartment.

743
00:52:30,220 --> 00:52:33,220
And she was being escorted by a sheriff to do so.

744
00:52:33,220 --> 00:52:36,220
And I said, well, I'll unlock the door because the paper says unlock the door.

745
00:52:36,220 --> 00:52:40,220
But beyond that, this is you. This is not me.

746
00:52:40,220 --> 00:52:44,220
I got nothing to do with this. It just says I got to unlock the door so she can get her belongings.

747
00:52:44,220 --> 00:52:46,220
So I did that, unlock the door.

748
00:52:46,220 --> 00:52:49,220
Now I come by about 15 minutes and she's hauling stuff out.

749
00:52:49,220 --> 00:52:52,220
She's hauling out her CDs, she's hauling out her clothes, hauling stuff out.

750
00:52:52,220 --> 00:52:57,220
And the sheriffs, there are two of them, the sheriff and deputy, I guess there's two deputies technically, right?

751
00:52:57,220 --> 00:53:00,220
Two deputies helping haul the stuff out.

752
00:53:00,220 --> 00:53:03,220
So some neighbor calls the guy at work.

753
00:53:03,220 --> 00:53:08,220
He gets off work early, he comes squealing up in the parking lot right next to the police car,

754
00:53:08,220 --> 00:53:14,220
skids up next to the police car, jumps out and he starts looking at all the stuff that she's taking.

755
00:53:14,220 --> 00:53:19,220
And he's telling the sheriffs, he says, no, that's mine. No, that's mine.

756
00:53:19,220 --> 00:53:22,220
She can't take that. That's mine. That wasn't hers.

757
00:53:22,220 --> 00:53:25,220
And the writ said she could take the things that belong to her.

758
00:53:25,220 --> 00:53:28,220
It's with the sheriff in the position. So you know what he said?

759
00:53:28,220 --> 00:53:34,220
He looked at her and he said, everything that you have that's in the car that you say is yours, you can take,

760
00:53:34,220 --> 00:53:38,220
whether it's his or yours, it doesn't matter because it's in your car now, you can take it.

761
00:53:38,220 --> 00:53:40,220
You said it was yours, it's been moved out of the apartment.

762
00:53:40,220 --> 00:53:46,220
But if you go in the apartment and there's something there and you say it's yours and he says it's his, you can't take it.

763
00:53:46,220 --> 00:53:50,220
That was his decision because it was in her car. It was hers.

764
00:53:50,220 --> 00:53:56,220
His apartment, it was his. It's crazy. This world that we live in.

765
00:53:56,220 --> 00:54:02,220
Somebody's got stolen goods on him and can't track the serial number or whatever with the police finding with it on him.

766
00:54:02,220 --> 00:54:07,220
If they've got it on him, it's probably theirs. They're going to assume it's theirs.

767
00:54:07,220 --> 00:54:12,220
The Bible handles it completely differently.

768
00:54:12,220 --> 00:54:16,220
It's almost irrelevant to whom it belongs.

769
00:54:16,220 --> 00:54:20,220
That's correct. It's almost irrelevant to whom it belongs.

770
00:54:20,220 --> 00:54:24,220
It says, know the difference between sustenance and profit.

771
00:54:24,220 --> 00:54:32,220
If a man walks through your grain fields and he plucks some grain, a basket full or whatever, a whole bunch full.

772
00:54:32,220 --> 00:54:36,220
He takes a whole bunch of it and he's going home to make bread and he's going to eat it.

773
00:54:36,220 --> 00:54:42,220
He is a family member of the kingdom of God. Fine.

774
00:54:42,220 --> 00:54:46,220
Fine. That's okay.

775
00:54:46,220 --> 00:54:53,220
You have a responsibility as a member of the kingdom of God to provide for your countrymen.

776
00:54:53,220 --> 00:54:56,220
He's not taking advantage of you.

777
00:54:56,220 --> 00:55:05,220
Now, if he goes and gets a sickle or he brings some extra workers, right, or any kind of a tour is clearly well prepared like he brings a few extra wheelbarrows.

778
00:55:05,220 --> 00:55:07,220
He takes a whole bunch.

779
00:55:07,220 --> 00:55:12,220
Now he's moved from the area of sustenance to the area of profits.

780
00:55:12,220 --> 00:55:16,220
Because clearly he's not getting it for himself now or for his family.

781
00:55:16,220 --> 00:55:19,220
He's getting it to sell or whatever.

782
00:55:19,220 --> 00:55:22,220
At the life station, we host a clothing pantry.

783
00:55:22,220 --> 00:55:27,220
We have a chief volunteer and she sorts all the clothes and hangs them up by gender and by size.

784
00:55:27,220 --> 00:55:29,220
And then she switches them out for seasons.

785
00:55:29,220 --> 00:55:33,220
So in the summer, the summer clothes as much as possible and the winter, their winter clothes as much as possible.

786
00:55:33,220 --> 00:55:36,220
And anybody is able to take pretty much anything that they want.

787
00:55:36,220 --> 00:55:40,220
But a few years back, we had a family that was coming through and they were pretty belligerent.

788
00:55:40,220 --> 00:55:44,220
They would cuss some people out as they were taking something that they wanted to take.

789
00:55:44,220 --> 00:55:49,220
They threatened violence against one of our workers when a worker told them that they couldn't take something, that kind of thing.

790
00:55:49,220 --> 00:55:50,220
Pretty belligerent.

791
00:55:50,220 --> 00:55:52,220
And we were on the verge of kicking them out.

792
00:55:52,220 --> 00:55:57,220
And then one of our workers drove by their house and found that they were having a yard sale.

793
00:55:57,220 --> 00:56:03,220
And in the yard sale was stuff they had just gotten from the clothing pantry earlier that day.

794
00:56:03,220 --> 00:56:05,220
At that point in time, there was no longer a question.

795
00:56:05,220 --> 00:56:07,220
They were immediately sanctioned for six months.

796
00:56:07,220 --> 00:56:11,220
They were not allowed to come because they were caught abusing the system.

797
00:56:11,220 --> 00:56:15,220
And anyone caught abusing the system should be cut off.

798
00:56:15,220 --> 00:56:21,220
So if someone is coming to you repeatedly for resources and they're using their resources, even if it's by a transference, right?

799
00:56:21,220 --> 00:56:23,220
Because you've got folks who've got stuff.

800
00:56:23,220 --> 00:56:26,220
This happens to me on occasion and I struggle with it and now I know how to handle it.

801
00:56:26,220 --> 00:56:27,220
I've got folks who've got stuff.

802
00:56:27,220 --> 00:56:33,220
They've got an 80 inch TV, got some toys, maybe some firearms in the house and a fancy car.

803
00:56:33,220 --> 00:56:38,220
And they're coming because they've got no food or they need help with Christmas with their kids, right?

804
00:56:38,220 --> 00:56:44,220
And then they get the help and they continue to spend the money that they get on the things that they want to have and do well.

805
00:56:44,220 --> 00:56:46,220
That's abusing the system.

806
00:56:46,220 --> 00:56:49,220
That's bringing a sickle to the grain, right?

807
00:56:49,220 --> 00:56:54,220
That's taking more in your basket than you can or putting any in your basket in the case of grapes.

808
00:56:54,220 --> 00:56:57,220
You're not allowed to put any in your basket, right?

809
00:56:57,220 --> 00:57:05,220
You can get only that what you need, but that what you need is essentially yours for the taking.

810
00:57:05,220 --> 00:57:17,220
As Christians, somehow, and I submit to you that it's in the wisdom of the Lord, we have to learn to discern the difference between sustenance and profit.

811
00:57:17,220 --> 00:57:23,220
If someone is profiting off of the generosity of another believer, then no more.

812
00:57:23,220 --> 00:57:32,220
But if they are surviving off of the profit or off of the sustenance of another believer, then that's perfectly acceptable.

813
00:57:32,220 --> 00:57:41,220
In the book of Isaiah in chapter one, beginning in verse 15, it says as follows,

814
00:57:41,220 --> 00:57:44,220
God's talking through Isaiah to the Israelites.

815
00:57:44,220 --> 00:57:49,220
He says, so when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you.

816
00:57:49,220 --> 00:57:54,220
Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.

817
00:57:54,220 --> 00:57:57,220
Your hands are covered with blood.

818
00:57:57,220 --> 00:58:04,220
16 says, wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, remove the evil of your deeds from my sight.

819
00:58:04,220 --> 00:58:06,220
Cease to do evil.

820
00:58:06,220 --> 00:58:08,220
Learn to do justice.

821
00:58:08,220 --> 00:58:09,220
Seek justice.

822
00:58:09,220 --> 00:58:11,220
Reprove the ruthless.

823
00:58:11,220 --> 00:58:13,220
Defend the orphan.

824
00:58:13,220 --> 00:58:14,220
Plead for the widow.

825
00:58:14,220 --> 00:58:24,220
In this passage of Scripture that we just read, the orphan, the widow, those in need, those hungry, right?

826
00:58:24,220 --> 00:58:28,220
These folks are in need.

827
00:58:28,220 --> 00:58:34,220
And if we have plenty, it is our responsibility to get them what they need.

828
00:58:34,220 --> 00:58:38,220
If it turns out that they are, as best we can understand, not a member of the kingdom of God,

829
00:58:38,220 --> 00:58:40,220
we don't have such a responsibility.

830
00:58:40,220 --> 00:58:43,220
Now we still take care of widows and orphans, we still provide for hunger, we still conquer hunger.

831
00:58:43,220 --> 00:58:48,220
And the reason the life station fights against hunger, for example, is not because we are trying to make everybody not hungry,

832
00:58:48,220 --> 00:58:51,220
but because hungry is an evil.

833
00:58:51,220 --> 00:58:53,220
Hunger is an evil.

834
00:58:53,220 --> 00:58:55,220
It is a doorway to much evil.

835
00:58:55,220 --> 00:58:58,220
People who are hungry do all kinds of desperate things.

836
00:58:58,220 --> 00:59:01,220
Like they go and take food that belongs to somebody else.

837
00:59:01,220 --> 00:59:04,220
Wait a minute.

838
00:59:04,220 --> 00:59:09,220
You can't go in a carryout and take what is called shoplifting.

839
00:59:09,220 --> 00:59:13,220
But that's what they'll do. They'll go steal whatever they need to not be hungry because they're desperate.

840
00:59:13,220 --> 00:59:15,220
Because it's a doorway to evil.

841
00:59:15,220 --> 00:59:19,220
And so we are conquering evil in the form of hunger and other things,

842
00:59:19,220 --> 00:59:24,220
not because we are serving those who are in the kingdom or treating any different those who are in or out of the kingdom,

843
00:59:24,220 --> 00:59:26,220
but anybody that's hungry should be fed.

844
00:59:26,220 --> 00:59:31,220
And if there's somebody that's inside the kingdom who needs something for their sustenance, you or I should provide it.

845
00:59:31,220 --> 00:59:33,220
That's justice.

846
00:59:33,220 --> 00:59:35,220
That's God's standard of justice.

847
00:59:35,220 --> 00:59:39,220
We've had people come in here and say, look, I can't pay my rent.

848
00:59:39,220 --> 00:59:41,220
And people will take up an offering.

849
00:59:41,220 --> 00:59:43,220
People will give to it whatever.

850
00:59:43,220 --> 00:59:45,220
We had a woman call and said, well, I can't buy medications.

851
00:59:45,220 --> 00:59:47,220
We'll put the word out.

852
00:59:47,220 --> 00:59:49,220
We had a woman call and said, I can't pay my electric bill.

853
00:59:49,220 --> 00:59:52,220
Now we don't have money or funds in the church budget to pay for that stuff,

854
00:59:52,220 --> 00:59:54,220
but we'll put the word out and people will give to it.

855
00:59:54,220 --> 00:59:58,220
I submit to you that 99% of the time in my experience,

856
00:59:58,220 --> 01:00:00,220
if this was a believer and you were aware,

857
01:00:00,220 --> 01:00:03,220
this is a professing Christian and they say, yes, I'm a Christian,

858
01:00:03,220 --> 01:00:07,220
and you can't see anything obvious in their lives that says that they are not a Christian.

859
01:00:07,220 --> 01:00:08,220
Be aware of that.

860
01:00:08,220 --> 01:00:09,220
I'm not talking about judging their salvation,

861
01:00:09,220 --> 01:00:12,220
but if you can see something in life that says they are not a Christian,

862
01:00:12,220 --> 01:00:14,220
then you should have already confronted them.

863
01:00:14,220 --> 01:00:17,220
You should have already talked to them and said this way that you're living.

864
01:00:17,220 --> 01:00:20,220
So you know somebody who professes to be a Christian but doesn't go to church.

865
01:00:20,220 --> 01:00:23,220
By now, you should have already talked to them,

866
01:00:23,220 --> 01:00:26,220
and then you and one or two others should have already talked to them.

867
01:00:26,220 --> 01:00:29,220
And then you say, okay, well, I'm going to treat you as a tax collector.

868
01:00:29,220 --> 01:00:31,220
You say you're a sinner.

869
01:00:31,220 --> 01:00:33,220
You say you're a sinner saved by grace.

870
01:00:33,220 --> 01:00:35,220
I say your actions don't line up with your words.

871
01:00:35,220 --> 01:00:38,220
So you come look into me for $100 to pay your electric bill.

872
01:00:38,220 --> 01:00:42,220
We've already had two conversations, me one on one with you, me and one other,

873
01:00:42,220 --> 01:00:43,220
or two others with you.

874
01:00:43,220 --> 01:00:44,220
We've already had a conversation.

875
01:00:44,220 --> 01:00:46,220
You come ask me for $100.

876
01:00:46,220 --> 01:00:49,220
I'm sorry, I can willingly say no.

877
01:00:49,220 --> 01:00:52,220
Because I've already explained to you that if you are a member of the kingdom of God,

878
01:00:52,220 --> 01:00:55,220
your sustenance is found in Christ.

879
01:00:55,220 --> 01:00:57,220
There was a study done in 2003.

880
01:00:57,220 --> 01:00:59,220
I read it last night and again this morning because I almost couldn't believe it.

881
01:00:59,220 --> 01:01:05,220
There was a study done in 2003 that followed 5,000 families,

882
01:01:05,220 --> 01:01:08,220
randomly selected in the United States of America families.

883
01:01:08,220 --> 01:01:11,220
4,900, like 95 or 4,900 something.

884
01:01:11,220 --> 01:01:13,220
It was almost 5,000 families.

885
01:01:13,220 --> 01:01:15,220
Followed them for 14 years.

886
01:01:15,220 --> 01:01:17,220
You know what it found?

887
01:01:17,220 --> 01:01:24,220
It found that regular church attendance and professing to be a Christian

888
01:01:24,220 --> 01:01:38,220
resulted in almost 90% of the cases of that family being having more established wealth.

889
01:01:38,220 --> 01:01:39,220
Now for those of you who are going like,

890
01:01:39,220 --> 01:01:41,220
I don't feel like I have enough money.

891
01:01:41,220 --> 01:01:43,220
What you understand maybe it's because you're not using your money

892
01:01:43,220 --> 01:01:46,220
the way God would intend to use your money.

893
01:01:46,220 --> 01:01:49,220
And I'm not saying if you start using your money the way God would intend to use your money,

894
01:01:49,220 --> 01:01:51,220
that God's going to suddenly give you money.

895
01:01:51,220 --> 01:01:52,220
That's not what I'm saying.

896
01:01:52,220 --> 01:01:55,220
What I'm saying is that through observation completely impartial

897
01:01:55,220 --> 01:01:57,220
conducted by a sociologist at a university,

898
01:01:57,220 --> 01:02:01,220
they just randomly took 5,000 families and almost 90% of the families

899
01:02:01,220 --> 01:02:04,220
that were actively participating in church every Sunday

900
01:02:04,220 --> 01:02:08,220
had more income and more wealth than those.

901
01:02:08,220 --> 01:02:11,220
And it goes a little further than that because it wasn't only Christians.

902
01:02:11,220 --> 01:02:13,220
They also said that of Jews.

903
01:02:13,220 --> 01:02:15,220
Hold on a second.

904
01:02:15,220 --> 01:02:19,220
Because actually what they found was that the Jewish people

905
01:02:19,220 --> 01:02:22,220
who were faithfully involved in their synagogue

906
01:02:22,220 --> 01:02:26,220
and behaving as a Jewish person in almost every case

907
01:02:26,220 --> 01:02:28,220
and all but like 5% of the cases,

908
01:02:28,220 --> 01:02:36,220
they were wealthier and more sustained than the Christian people.

909
01:02:36,220 --> 01:02:38,220
And everybody went, why?

910
01:02:38,220 --> 01:02:40,220
Well, I'll tell you why.

911
01:02:40,220 --> 01:02:44,220
Because a devout Jewish man would never turn away

912
01:02:44,220 --> 01:02:47,220
another Jewish man who is in need.

913
01:02:47,220 --> 01:02:52,220
But a Christian is in a tough spot already.

914
01:02:52,220 --> 01:02:55,220
We talked about it because you got to figure out who isn't, who isn't.

915
01:02:55,220 --> 01:02:58,220
And then we're like, well, they're outside my church,

916
01:02:58,220 --> 01:03:01,220
so they're living like a prostitute

917
01:03:01,220 --> 01:03:04,220
or they're wrapped up in drugs and violence all the time.

918
01:03:04,220 --> 01:03:07,220
But I can't do anything about that because they don't go to my church.

919
01:03:07,220 --> 01:03:08,220
That's not true.

920
01:03:08,220 --> 01:03:11,220
If they profess to be a Christian, you go to my set in the living room

921
01:03:11,220 --> 01:03:15,220
of a woman over on Mott Street, just off of Main Street over here.

922
01:03:15,220 --> 01:03:20,220
And there was a woman, she was like 58, 60, something like that years old.

923
01:03:20,220 --> 01:03:22,220
I talked with her, she was Hispanic.

924
01:03:22,220 --> 01:03:25,220
And I'm talking to her about, okay, you say you're a Christian.

925
01:03:25,220 --> 01:03:27,220
So you need to get your butt in church.

926
01:03:27,220 --> 01:03:28,220
You do the things you're supposed to do.

927
01:03:28,220 --> 01:03:30,220
You said you'd follow God, right?

928
01:03:30,220 --> 01:03:33,220
Yeah, following God, worshipping God, yes it is, publicly with the group.

929
01:03:33,220 --> 01:03:35,220
Yes it is, confessing in publicly, yes it is.

930
01:03:35,220 --> 01:03:37,220
She agreed with all those things and said, all right, and you need to get there.

931
01:03:37,220 --> 01:03:39,220
So, well, I just struggled because I got things on Sundays

932
01:03:39,220 --> 01:03:42,220
and it seemed like every Sunday I'm going to go and something crops up.

933
01:03:42,220 --> 01:03:45,220
So, I went to the church after having that conversation with her

934
01:03:45,220 --> 01:03:48,220
and she publicly repented to me and made a vow that she would be in church.

935
01:03:48,220 --> 01:03:49,220
She never did come.

936
01:03:49,220 --> 01:03:53,220
The amazing thing was while I was standing there, while I was witnessing

937
01:03:53,220 --> 01:03:55,220
and I was sitting there in her living room,

938
01:03:55,220 --> 01:03:59,220
her daughter who was 19 years old and pregnant by a guy that she was living with

939
01:03:59,220 --> 01:04:04,220
who neither one of them had a job and they were about to get evicted,

940
01:04:04,220 --> 01:04:06,220
her daughter was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

941
01:04:06,220 --> 01:04:10,220
She heard me share the gospel and preaching essentially to her mother.

942
01:04:10,220 --> 01:04:15,220
And she came out and just as her mother was saying about my daughter,

943
01:04:15,220 --> 01:04:19,220
she doesn't believe, blah, blah, blah, blah, she came out and she stopped her mother.

944
01:04:19,220 --> 01:04:23,220
She said, I heard what you said right there and I believe everything that you said.

945
01:04:23,220 --> 01:04:28,220
I need to just make sure I understood it and I'm ready to accept Jesus Christ right now.

946
01:04:28,220 --> 01:04:30,220
She prayed to accept Christ.

947
01:04:30,220 --> 01:04:33,220
Her mother broke down in tears, dropping tears in her lap.

948
01:04:33,220 --> 01:04:35,220
She prayed to accept Christ.

949
01:04:35,220 --> 01:04:39,220
But before I let her pray to accept Christ, I said, I want you to hear me say something right now.

950
01:04:39,220 --> 01:04:43,220
You've already confessed that you're living together with your boyfriend,

951
01:04:43,220 --> 01:04:45,220
that you're pregnant.

952
01:04:45,220 --> 01:04:48,220
She was obviously pregnant, like seven months pregnant.

953
01:04:48,220 --> 01:04:51,220
And I said, your boyfriend is going to want sex.

954
01:04:51,220 --> 01:04:54,220
Maybe you're going to want sex.

955
01:04:54,220 --> 01:04:57,220
You've clearly already been active sexually.

956
01:04:57,220 --> 01:04:59,220
It makes it harder to say no the next time.

957
01:04:59,220 --> 01:05:02,220
So if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,

958
01:05:02,220 --> 01:05:06,220
understand that Jesus is going to want to deal with that area of your life

959
01:05:06,220 --> 01:05:09,220
just the same as any other area.

960
01:05:09,220 --> 01:05:15,220
He's not going to want to say, yes, I'll be Lord of your life, but leave your love life alone.

961
01:05:15,220 --> 01:05:17,220
And she said, okay, I'm ready for that.

962
01:05:17,220 --> 01:05:20,220
Whatever he tells me to do, whatever, whatever, whatever.

963
01:05:20,220 --> 01:05:22,220
She counted the cost.

964
01:05:22,220 --> 01:05:26,220
I said, so right before she prayed, I said, I'm asking you, I'm telling you right now.

965
01:05:26,220 --> 01:05:30,220
If you go home and tell your boyfriend that you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,

966
01:05:30,220 --> 01:05:32,220
you intend to live for the Lord for the rest of your life,

967
01:05:32,220 --> 01:05:33,220
what do you think he's going to do?

968
01:05:33,220 --> 01:05:37,220
And she said, well, he may kick me out.

969
01:05:37,220 --> 01:05:39,220
I may have to come back and live here.

970
01:05:39,220 --> 01:05:40,220
I don't know what's going to happen.

971
01:05:40,220 --> 01:05:42,220
I said, are you ready for that?

972
01:05:42,220 --> 01:05:44,220
We're counting the cost.

973
01:05:44,220 --> 01:05:47,220
She said, yes, she prayed to accept after all of that after pushing.

974
01:05:47,220 --> 01:05:51,220
Listen, when you accept Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, it's your whole life.

975
01:05:51,220 --> 01:05:54,220
And anybody that's out there saying it's just a thing I believe.

976
01:05:54,220 --> 01:05:56,220
That's not Christianity.

977
01:05:56,220 --> 01:06:01,220
That's enlightenment theology where we can believe something but not act on it.

978
01:06:01,220 --> 01:06:06,220
Basically, if that's true, you're just believing a lie or you're lying to yourself that you believe it.

979
01:06:06,220 --> 01:06:08,220
One or the other.

980
01:06:08,220 --> 01:06:13,220
So we as Christians then need to begin to learn the difference between sustenance and profit.

981
01:06:13,220 --> 01:06:17,220
And anybody that says they're living for Jesus, but it's clearly living in sin,

982
01:06:17,220 --> 01:06:20,220
is only claiming Jesus for profit.

983
01:06:20,220 --> 01:06:24,220
Or maybe they're a follower of Jesus who's only claiming the way of the world for profit.

984
01:06:24,220 --> 01:06:26,220
But either way, they're in the same boat.

985
01:06:26,220 --> 01:06:29,220
They brought their sickle to the grain field.

986
01:06:29,220 --> 01:06:31,220
They brought their basket to the vineyard.

987
01:06:31,220 --> 01:06:35,220
At which point in time, God will deal with them and we don't have to.

988
01:06:35,220 --> 01:06:39,220
And if you do have to deal with them, you can charge them interest.

989
01:06:39,220 --> 01:06:42,220
My suggestion would be don't loan to them.

990
01:06:42,220 --> 01:06:44,220
Because you probably won't ever get it back.

991
01:06:44,220 --> 01:06:47,220
But if the Lord should so lead you to do, then do that.

992
01:06:47,220 --> 01:06:52,220
But if you're talking about a Christian man or woman, back to Deuteronomy 15,

993
01:06:52,220 --> 01:06:55,220
and they come to you and they need 20 bucks.

994
01:06:55,220 --> 01:06:58,220
You better be awful careful before you say no.

995
01:06:58,220 --> 01:07:02,220
You've been 100% sure that that's part of your sustenance,

996
01:07:02,220 --> 01:07:05,220
not part of your entertainment, your recreation,

997
01:07:05,220 --> 01:07:07,220
or you're getting ahead of your wealth or your retirement.

998
01:07:07,220 --> 01:07:10,220
Before you say no that you can't give it, you better be careful.

999
01:07:10,220 --> 01:07:14,220
Is it your sustenance or is it your profit?

1000
01:07:14,220 --> 01:07:18,220
If you're saying no to a believer that you can't meet their needs based on their profit,

1001
01:07:18,220 --> 01:07:20,220
God will require it of you.

1002
01:07:20,220 --> 01:07:22,220
In fact, it said that based on that standard,

1003
01:07:22,220 --> 01:07:28,220
God cannot bless you in the land that he's going to give you.

1004
01:07:28,220 --> 01:07:31,220
So the first one was we need to know the difference between peoples.

1005
01:07:31,220 --> 01:07:35,220
We need to understand the process by which we decide,

1006
01:07:35,220 --> 01:07:37,220
do we treat a person like they're saved?

1007
01:07:37,220 --> 01:07:39,220
That's upon their profession and fruit thereof.

1008
01:07:39,220 --> 01:07:41,220
Do we treat a person like they're lost?

1009
01:07:41,220 --> 01:07:43,220
And they need the gospel.

1010
01:07:43,220 --> 01:07:47,220
By the way, you'll never ever ever bless a person

1011
01:07:47,220 --> 01:07:49,220
by giving them all the money that they possibly need

1012
01:07:49,220 --> 01:07:54,220
to solve all their problems like you would getting them saved.

1013
01:07:54,220 --> 01:07:58,220
Because there's no dollar amount that can buy salvation.

1014
01:07:58,220 --> 01:08:00,220
So you could go liquidate every single thing you own,

1015
01:08:00,220 --> 01:08:01,220
take it to your neighbor and say,

1016
01:08:01,220 --> 01:08:02,220
I sold all I have in my house, my car,

1017
01:08:02,220 --> 01:08:04,220
I'm going to live like a pauper, a charity street mission,

1018
01:08:04,220 --> 01:08:05,220
you're going to start over.

1019
01:08:05,220 --> 01:08:09,220
Here it is, all of it equals X thousand dollars or whatever.

1020
01:08:09,220 --> 01:08:12,220
I'm giving you all of it, my retirement, I can't handle any of it,

1021
01:08:12,220 --> 01:08:15,220
I've been a poor steward, take it all and you give it all to them.

1022
01:08:15,220 --> 01:08:19,220
I will not bless them in the least compared to if you just tell about Jesus

1023
01:08:19,220 --> 01:08:24,220
and ask them to be saved and they say yes.

1024
01:08:24,220 --> 01:08:28,220
Then we must know the difference between sustenance and profit.

1025
01:08:28,220 --> 01:08:29,220
Is the thing for you?

1026
01:08:29,220 --> 01:08:34,220
Listen, anybody in here that's got a $200 a month cell phone bill,

1027
01:08:34,220 --> 01:08:40,220
doesn't have a right to say any no to anybody come seeking 10 bucks.

1028
01:08:40,220 --> 01:08:41,220
You don't like it?

1029
01:08:41,220 --> 01:08:42,220
I don't care.

1030
01:08:42,220 --> 01:08:43,220
I didn't like it.

1031
01:08:43,220 --> 01:08:46,220
I was chastised over telling my own grandson,

1032
01:08:46,220 --> 01:08:49,220
if it doesn't belong, you don't touch it and God chastised me.

1033
01:08:49,220 --> 01:08:50,220
You're not protected.

1034
01:08:50,220 --> 01:08:52,220
If you got a $200 cell phone bill,

1035
01:08:52,220 --> 01:08:57,220
you don't have a right to say no to somebody comes asking you for 10 bucks.

1036
01:08:57,220 --> 01:09:00,220
Unless you know that they are outside the kingdom of God,

1037
01:09:00,220 --> 01:09:03,220
in which case you do have a right to say no.

1038
01:09:03,220 --> 01:09:05,220
But if there's somebody in your church,

1039
01:09:05,220 --> 01:09:07,220
somebody serving the Lord and if they're in your church

1040
01:09:07,220 --> 01:09:09,220
and you're not correcting them and removing them,

1041
01:09:09,220 --> 01:09:14,220
then that's another problem altogether.

1042
01:09:14,220 --> 01:09:16,220
I submit this much to you.

1043
01:09:16,220 --> 01:09:19,220
If you are here today and you have not heard from me

1044
01:09:19,220 --> 01:09:22,220
that I think you're doing something that disqualifies you

1045
01:09:22,220 --> 01:09:25,220
as being a member of our church, a godly person in the kingdom of God,

1046
01:09:25,220 --> 01:09:28,220
and you come to me with a need,

1047
01:09:28,220 --> 01:09:30,220
and I'm extending my family,

1048
01:09:30,220 --> 01:09:33,220
my wife and I are going to bend over backwards to meet that need.

1049
01:09:33,220 --> 01:09:37,220
Because I stand corrected.

1050
01:09:37,220 --> 01:09:40,220
And we ought all to stand corrected.

1051
01:09:40,220 --> 01:09:44,220
Because we are too busy being blessed by the blessings of God

1052
01:09:44,220 --> 01:09:48,220
to sustain others that God wants to sustain.

1053
01:09:48,220 --> 01:09:50,220
The final thing you need to know the difference then

1054
01:09:50,220 --> 01:09:53,220
is between a vow and faithfulness.

1055
01:09:53,220 --> 01:09:56,220
You may be sitting here going today, you know what, he's right.

1056
01:09:56,220 --> 01:10:00,220
I feel in myself a need to take care of other believers.

1057
01:10:00,220 --> 01:10:03,220
I feel in myself a need to treat my brothers in Christ like brothers

1058
01:10:03,220 --> 01:10:05,220
and my sisters in Christ like sisters,

1059
01:10:05,220 --> 01:10:08,220
which we are called to.

1060
01:10:08,220 --> 01:10:11,220
I feel in myself a need to get out of my box,

1061
01:10:11,220 --> 01:10:14,220
stop hiding in my house, stop not answering the phone,

1062
01:10:14,220 --> 01:10:17,220
stop not calling, stop not giving, stop not serving,

1063
01:10:17,220 --> 01:10:20,220
stop not showing up to pay.

1064
01:10:20,220 --> 01:10:24,220
I feel in my need in myself a need to follow God like Jesus did

1065
01:10:24,220 --> 01:10:27,220
that we would have this mind in us which would increase Jesus

1066
01:10:27,220 --> 01:10:31,220
that he even submitted unto death on a cross.

1067
01:10:31,220 --> 01:10:33,220
I feel in myself to have a need like that.

1068
01:10:33,220 --> 01:10:36,220
And you could release that need.

1069
01:10:36,220 --> 01:10:39,220
You could feel better if you just make a promise today.

1070
01:10:39,220 --> 01:10:43,220
If you just promise to take seriously the needs of other believers.

1071
01:10:43,220 --> 01:10:47,220
If you just promise to take seriously the sustenance of other believers

1072
01:10:47,220 --> 01:10:49,220
over your own prophet.

1073
01:10:49,220 --> 01:10:53,220
If you just promise to stop thinking about this is mine

1074
01:10:53,220 --> 01:10:58,220
and this is his and this is hers and realize it all belongs to God.

1075
01:10:58,220 --> 01:11:02,220
Now before you make that vow,

1076
01:11:02,220 --> 01:11:07,220
before you try to add that on and make it a condition of your own salvation

1077
01:11:07,220 --> 01:11:10,220
or what it means to be a Christian,

1078
01:11:10,220 --> 01:11:14,220
consider what you're about to do.

1079
01:11:14,220 --> 01:11:19,220
Not only will you be putting yourself in a line

1080
01:11:19,220 --> 01:11:24,220
for a need that you yourself cannot pay,

1081
01:11:24,220 --> 01:11:28,220
you can't.

1082
01:11:28,220 --> 01:11:31,220
You're not going to be able to go around and provide out of your own finances

1083
01:11:31,220 --> 01:11:33,220
all the sustenance that is needed for every other believer

1084
01:11:33,220 --> 01:11:35,220
every time they need something.

1085
01:11:35,220 --> 01:11:37,220
It's not going to happen.

1086
01:11:37,220 --> 01:11:39,220
You're not going to be able to do it.

1087
01:11:39,220 --> 01:11:42,220
The only way that would be possible would be if God magnified, multiplied

1088
01:11:42,220 --> 01:11:45,220
your providence, what he provides for you

1089
01:11:45,220 --> 01:11:50,220
so many times that you have more than you ever expected to have.

1090
01:11:50,220 --> 01:11:52,220
Then maybe.

1091
01:11:52,220 --> 01:11:55,220
Because the more you give the people who are in need,

1092
01:11:55,220 --> 01:11:58,220
the more you're going to find people who are in need.

1093
01:11:58,220 --> 01:12:03,220
Before you make that vow, I want you to consider the cost.

1094
01:12:03,220 --> 01:12:07,220
Before you make that vow, consider the cost.

1095
01:12:07,220 --> 01:12:13,220
However, whether or not you make the vow is voluntary.

1096
01:12:13,220 --> 01:12:19,220
Whether or not you behave the way God has ordered you to behave,

1097
01:12:19,220 --> 01:12:22,220
that's not voluntary.

1098
01:12:22,220 --> 01:12:24,220
So you don't want to vow, don't vow.

1099
01:12:24,220 --> 01:12:26,220
You don't want to promise, don't promise.

1100
01:12:26,220 --> 01:12:28,220
Let's not be stupid about it.

1101
01:12:28,220 --> 01:12:30,220
If you don't think you're going to do it or you think you may do it some of the time,

1102
01:12:30,220 --> 01:12:33,220
don't make a vow because God will hold you to it.

1103
01:12:33,220 --> 01:12:38,220
On the other hand, if you want to be a faithful follower of the Lord,

1104
01:12:38,220 --> 01:12:42,220
then start caring about what's going on in the lives of other believers.

1105
01:12:42,220 --> 01:12:45,220
Start sustaining those who need sustenance.

1106
01:12:45,220 --> 01:12:49,220
Start caring so much about your prophet and sustain those who need sustained.

1107
01:12:49,220 --> 01:12:53,220
Through the prophet Amos, God spoke these words.

1108
01:12:53,220 --> 01:12:57,220
Amos 8 starts in 7 and then we're into the conclusion.

1109
01:12:57,220 --> 01:13:00,220
It says, The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob.

1110
01:13:00,220 --> 01:13:07,220
Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds.

1111
01:13:07,220 --> 01:13:11,220
Because of this will not the land quake and everyone who dwells in it mourn.

1112
01:13:11,220 --> 01:13:14,220
Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile and it will be tossed out.

1113
01:13:14,220 --> 01:13:16,220
And subside like the Nile of Egypt.

1114
01:13:16,220 --> 01:13:21,220
And it will come about in that day declares the Lord that I shall make the sun go down at noon.

1115
01:13:21,220 --> 01:13:24,220
And make the earth dark and broad daylight.

1116
01:13:24,220 --> 01:13:26,220
And God did that.

1117
01:13:26,220 --> 01:13:32,220
And he did that because there could be no Israelite found truly who was living the way he was supposed to.

1118
01:13:32,220 --> 01:13:38,220
I submit to you Jesus said similarly when I come again, will I find faithfulness on the earth?

1119
01:13:38,220 --> 01:13:43,220
Are you a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ or not?

1120
01:13:43,220 --> 01:13:48,220
That is determined by our confession and that is our conclusion today.

1121
01:13:48,220 --> 01:13:52,220
Know the difference between people who are and who are not.

1122
01:13:52,220 --> 01:13:55,220
Know the difference between sustenance and profit.

1123
01:13:55,220 --> 01:13:58,220
Know the difference between a vow and faithfulness.

1124
01:13:58,220 --> 01:14:03,220
I send you out like sheep amongst wolves.

1125
01:14:03,220 --> 01:14:08,220
You better be armored and ready to make the necessary decisions.

1126
01:14:08,220 --> 01:14:11,220
But all throughout the New Testament,

1127
01:14:11,220 --> 01:14:18,220
the confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord is the single standard by which a person gets saved.

1128
01:14:18,220 --> 01:14:19,220
Matthew 10 32.

1129
01:14:19,220 --> 01:14:23,220
If you don't confess me before man, I will not confess before my father.

1130
01:14:23,220 --> 01:14:24,220
Romans 10 9.

1131
01:14:24,220 --> 01:14:25,220
He who confesses me.

1132
01:14:25,220 --> 01:14:31,220
Philippians 2 11 confess first Timothy 3 16 and 6 12 confess Hebrews 4 14.

1133
01:14:31,220 --> 01:14:36,220
The good confession Hebrews 10 25 confess first John 2 23 1 John 4 15.

1134
01:14:36,220 --> 01:14:39,220
He who confesses abides in me and I abide in him.

1135
01:14:39,220 --> 01:14:44,220
And it was he who confesses me, meaning God confess him through Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.

1136
01:14:44,220 --> 01:14:47,220
You will abide in him and he will abide in you.

1137
01:14:47,220 --> 01:14:49,220
The confession is key.

1138
01:14:49,220 --> 01:14:51,220
So I'm submit to you today.

1139
01:14:51,220 --> 01:15:02,220
I need to know if you need me, not Pastor Dan, but Daniel Stevenson to help to sustain you in some way.

1140
01:15:02,220 --> 01:15:04,220
I need to know that.

1141
01:15:04,220 --> 01:15:09,220
But I also need to know whether you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1142
01:15:09,220 --> 01:15:16,220
So I know how far I need to go.

1143
01:15:16,220 --> 01:15:24,220
If Kishan is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and he has a need.

1144
01:15:24,220 --> 01:15:28,220
He's following Jesus and he has a need.

1145
01:15:28,220 --> 01:15:33,220
And anything that you have in your life, anything that you're buying.

1146
01:15:33,220 --> 01:15:37,220
Everything that's under your Christmas tree.

1147
01:15:37,220 --> 01:15:40,220
Any embellishments to your vehicle.

1148
01:15:40,220 --> 01:15:45,220
Any new vehicles to replace old vehicles.

1149
01:15:45,220 --> 01:15:52,220
That are still running because it does different sustenance and profit.

1150
01:15:52,220 --> 01:15:54,220
Your entertainment time.

1151
01:15:54,220 --> 01:15:57,220
Any movies that you've watched.

1152
01:15:57,220 --> 01:16:00,220
Any streaming that you've done.

1153
01:16:00,220 --> 01:16:02,220
All of it.

1154
01:16:02,220 --> 01:16:07,220
All of it is on the line to help that believer.

1155
01:16:07,220 --> 01:16:09,220
And we've got it all.

1156
01:16:09,220 --> 01:16:13,220
We went around the room and asked how much streaming or TV we've watched in the last week.

1157
01:16:13,220 --> 01:16:19,220
Just in this small group of people, we could add up a couple hundred hours.

1158
01:16:19,220 --> 01:16:24,220
What could we do in a couple hundred hours?

1159
01:16:24,220 --> 01:16:28,220
If we added up our cell phone bills.

1160
01:16:28,220 --> 01:16:33,220
Including our little streaming services or add-ons or whatever memberships you've got.

1161
01:16:33,220 --> 01:16:35,220
We added all that up.

1162
01:16:35,220 --> 01:16:38,220
We would come up in the thousands of dollars.

1163
01:16:38,220 --> 01:16:41,220
Probably a ten thousand dollar number.

1164
01:16:41,220 --> 01:16:44,220
Easily five thousand dollars.

1165
01:16:44,220 --> 01:16:48,220
What could we do with five or ten thousand dollars a month?

1166
01:16:48,220 --> 01:16:54,220
We could take one believer who's poor and barely has anything.

1167
01:16:54,220 --> 01:17:00,220
And take them richer than 95% of the people in the city of Toledo.

1168
01:17:00,220 --> 01:17:03,220
But we're busy.

1169
01:17:03,220 --> 01:17:04,220
Managing the blessings.

1170
01:17:04,220 --> 01:17:06,220
So busy managing the blessings of God.

1171
01:17:06,220 --> 01:17:10,220
That we forget that they were given to us to bless each other.

1172
01:17:10,220 --> 01:17:11,220
Now here's a funny thing.

1173
01:17:11,220 --> 01:17:12,220
I'm not preaching communism.

1174
01:17:12,220 --> 01:17:13,220
I'm not preaching socialism.

1175
01:17:13,220 --> 01:17:16,220
I'm not preaching everything belongs to everybody.

1176
01:17:16,220 --> 01:17:19,220
I'm preaching everything belongs to God.

1177
01:17:19,220 --> 01:17:21,220
So God did set parameters.

1178
01:17:21,220 --> 01:17:25,220
And the parameters are you need to know the difference between peoples.

1179
01:17:25,220 --> 01:17:27,220
Who are your people?

1180
01:17:27,220 --> 01:17:30,220
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ and other followers of Jesus Christ.

1181
01:17:30,220 --> 01:17:32,220
Those are your people.

1182
01:17:32,220 --> 01:17:35,220
You need to know the difference between sustenance and profit.

1183
01:17:35,220 --> 01:17:38,220
When are you taken care of?

1184
01:17:38,220 --> 01:17:40,220
And when are you exalted?

1185
01:17:40,220 --> 01:17:42,220
Lift it up.

1186
01:17:42,220 --> 01:17:46,220
Blessed beyond measure.

1187
01:17:46,220 --> 01:17:49,220
And when does somebody else need your sustenance?

1188
01:17:49,220 --> 01:17:53,220
Or when are they just trying to use you for profit?

1189
01:17:53,220 --> 01:17:57,220
You need to be able to sort that out.

1190
01:17:57,220 --> 01:18:01,220
Do you know the difference between a vow and faithfulness?

1191
01:18:01,220 --> 01:18:05,220
A vow is I say I'm going to do something and maybe I do it or maybe I don't.

1192
01:18:05,220 --> 01:18:10,220
And faithfulness is I do what the Lord would have me to do.

1193
01:18:10,220 --> 01:18:18,220
So if you're hungry, all the food in my refrigerator is available.

1194
01:18:18,220 --> 01:18:20,220
Can you say the same?

1195
01:18:20,220 --> 01:18:27,220
You look across the room and you barely know their name.

1196
01:18:27,220 --> 01:18:38,220
It's time we changed from American Christians to just Christians.

1197
01:18:38,220 --> 01:18:42,220
Caring more about others who are saved in the name of Jesus Christ.

1198
01:18:42,220 --> 01:18:44,220
And I get it.

1199
01:18:44,220 --> 01:18:48,220
We care about the loss. We have lost family members.

1200
01:18:48,220 --> 01:18:54,220
You have a friend or a brother or a sister or niece or nephew or a parent that doesn't know Jesus.

1201
01:18:54,220 --> 01:18:56,220
And they come calling.

1202
01:18:56,220 --> 01:19:00,220
This is why Jesus said I came to divide families.

1203
01:19:00,220 --> 01:19:05,220
Because we jump when a believer asks us to jump.

1204
01:19:05,220 --> 01:19:09,220
And if a believer asks us at the same time as a non-believer,

1205
01:19:09,220 --> 01:19:11,220
and we tell the non-believer, I'm sorry.

1206
01:19:11,220 --> 01:19:15,220
I have to be there for my brother or sister in Christ.

1207
01:19:15,220 --> 01:19:17,220
I'm not available to you right now.

1208
01:19:17,220 --> 01:19:23,220
We reschedule our lives, re-budget our budgets,

1209
01:19:23,220 --> 01:19:28,220
and live not just for ourselves, but for each other.

1210
01:19:28,220 --> 01:19:33,220
And when we do that, it will spiral up out of control,

1211
01:19:33,220 --> 01:19:38,220
but not out of our control, but not really out of control under God's control.

1212
01:19:38,220 --> 01:19:42,220
As He multiplies the fruit of your life, you give it out and you'll go,

1213
01:19:42,220 --> 01:19:47,220
oh, I gave, but now I gave so much that I have more than I started with.

1214
01:19:47,220 --> 01:19:51,220
When Sherry and I moved to Mason, Michigan, it was my final illustration.

1215
01:19:51,220 --> 01:19:53,220
There was a man there who owned a cabinet company.

1216
01:19:53,220 --> 01:19:55,220
I've heard this story in a variety of different ways, different places,

1217
01:19:55,220 --> 01:19:59,220
but this is an individual that lived in the town that we lived in.

1218
01:19:59,220 --> 01:20:01,220
The cabinet company started to do well,

1219
01:20:01,220 --> 01:20:07,220
and they were praying and thinking about how they would really commit their cabinet company to God.

1220
01:20:07,220 --> 01:20:10,220
And they were given in the community doing things like that,

1221
01:20:10,220 --> 01:20:13,220
and they were hiding at their local church and more.

1222
01:20:13,220 --> 01:20:16,220
One night, supposedly, this is how the story goes,

1223
01:20:16,220 --> 01:20:19,220
he was sitting in their kitchen, standing in their kitchen, whatever they were talking,

1224
01:20:19,220 --> 01:20:21,220
and he looked at his wife and he said,

1225
01:20:21,220 --> 01:20:28,220
what if we lived on the 10% and gave the 90%?

1226
01:20:28,220 --> 01:20:31,220
As I said, this story has played itself out.

1227
01:20:31,220 --> 01:20:34,220
There's a major department store, I think it was J.C. Penney, one of those.

1228
01:20:34,220 --> 01:20:37,220
So J.C. Penney told me, he said, yeah, where they did the same thing.

1229
01:20:37,220 --> 01:20:42,220
So what if we lived on the 10% and gave the 90%?

1230
01:20:42,220 --> 01:20:46,220
Well, that cabinet company for them and for the founders of J.C. Penney

1231
01:20:46,220 --> 01:20:51,220
and for others who decided to do so, it worked out real well.

1232
01:20:51,220 --> 01:20:56,220
It became a world over company.

1233
01:20:56,220 --> 01:21:03,220
J.C. Penney was in 50 states, or 40, 45 states.

1234
01:21:03,220 --> 01:21:06,220
That's, math doesn't make sense.

1235
01:21:06,220 --> 01:21:10,220
And by the way, that was the end of the study that I read in 2003.

1236
01:21:10,220 --> 01:21:12,220
You know what she said?

1237
01:21:12,220 --> 01:21:15,220
She said, people who go to church, that's commitment of time.

1238
01:21:15,220 --> 01:21:18,220
They give to the church, that's commitment of money.

1239
01:21:18,220 --> 01:21:23,220
And yet, they wind up with more wealth and money than the people that don't.

1240
01:21:23,220 --> 01:21:24,220
That doesn't make sense.

1241
01:21:24,220 --> 01:21:26,220
That's what she said, it does not make sense.

1242
01:21:26,220 --> 01:21:29,220
Even looking at it, examine the 100 other factors,

1243
01:21:29,220 --> 01:21:36,220
all the other factors, the one that stands out the most is participation in faith services.

1244
01:21:36,220 --> 01:21:39,220
It just doesn't make sense.

1245
01:21:39,220 --> 01:21:41,220
Except to God, it does make sense.

1246
01:21:41,220 --> 01:21:44,220
Because God can bless you in the land that he has given you,

1247
01:21:44,220 --> 01:21:47,220
if you will discern these three things.

1248
01:21:47,220 --> 01:21:51,220
Know the people, know the difference between a bio and faithfulness,

1249
01:21:51,220 --> 01:21:54,220
know the difference between something and a prophet.

1250
01:21:54,220 --> 01:22:00,220
And you can live for people and Jesus can live in you.

1251
01:22:00,220 --> 01:22:03,220
That's praise to you to come forward this time.

1252
01:22:03,220 --> 01:22:06,220
And video is in the final hymn, final song.

1253
01:22:06,220 --> 01:22:09,220
And as we do that, I'm asking you today to examine your life,

1254
01:22:09,220 --> 01:22:11,220
think about what God might be saying to you.

1255
01:22:11,220 --> 01:22:16,220
I understand that this came across with me for a lot of conviction.

1256
01:22:16,220 --> 01:22:17,220
It's really affected me.

1257
01:22:17,220 --> 01:22:21,220
And I already have, I'll be honest, I have trouble with money.

1258
01:22:21,220 --> 01:22:24,220
Not spending money, I have trouble spending money.

1259
01:22:24,220 --> 01:22:27,220
I can't, I don't want to let it go.

1260
01:22:27,220 --> 01:22:32,220
And this is telling me that that is just as much a problem as spending too much money.

1261
01:22:32,220 --> 01:22:35,220
We have to learn the difference between sustenance and prophet.

1262
01:22:35,220 --> 01:22:38,220
Learn the difference between one people and another.

1263
01:22:38,220 --> 01:22:41,220
Learn the difference between making a vow and being a faithful.

1264
01:22:41,220 --> 01:22:47,220
I'm asking you today to repent and turn to the Lord to make these things real and new.

1265
01:22:47,220 --> 01:22:52,220
And then you feel that it should make a vow, make one.

1266
01:22:52,220 --> 01:22:56,220
But be very careful, because whatever it is, it's got a little fire inside it.

1267
01:22:56,220 --> 01:22:58,220
Would you stand with me and sing this song?

1268
01:22:58,220 --> 01:23:01,220
And we'll let the Lord speak through our hearts.

1269
01:23:01,220 --> 01:23:07,220
OK.

1270
01:23:15,220 --> 01:23:16,420
Thank you for blessing me, my...

1271
01:23:16,420 --> 01:23:18,420
I know I wasn't.

1272
01:23:18,420 --> 01:23:20,420
You used the flowers.

1273
01:23:24,420 --> 01:23:28,420
Look so light and weary,

1274
01:23:28,420 --> 01:23:32,420
there's trouble.

1275
01:23:32,420 --> 01:23:36,420
No light in the darkness

1276
01:23:36,420 --> 01:23:40,420
you see.

1277
01:23:40,420 --> 01:23:44,420
There's light for a look

1278
01:23:44,420 --> 01:23:48,420
at the Savior,

1279
01:23:48,420 --> 01:23:52,420
a life more abundant

1280
01:23:52,420 --> 01:23:56,420
and free.

1281
01:23:56,420 --> 01:24:00,420
Turn your eyes

1282
01:24:00,420 --> 01:24:04,420
upon Jesus

1283
01:24:04,420 --> 01:24:12,420
look full in His wonderful face.

1284
01:24:12,420 --> 01:24:16,420
And the fings of earth

1285
01:24:16,420 --> 01:24:20,420
will grow strange,

1286
01:24:20,420 --> 01:24:24,420
in the light of His glory

1287
01:24:24,420 --> 01:24:34,420
and grace.