1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,360 Some say you're just a play, some say you're a cry, some say you are really brave, but I say you're a cry. 2 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:47,520 Some say you're just a play, some say you're a cry, some say you are just a man, but I say you're a god, you are my god. 3 00:00:47,520 --> 00:01:07,600 And I will shout your name till the end, and I will lift your name all the time, and no one will know you're brave, and you are my god, I will shout your name. 4 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:35,520 I know that you're just a play, you don't like what we do, and I know you're the only way, Jesus you are god, you are my god. 5 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:53,440 And I will shout your name till the end, and I will lift your name all the time, and no one will know you're brave, and you are my god, Jesus. 6 00:01:53,440 --> 00:02:08,240 And I will shout your name till the end, and I will lift your name all the time, and no one will know you're brave, and you are my god, Jesus. 7 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:31,040 And I live a life that shouts your name, and I live a life that shouts your name. 8 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:57,920 Jesus lives on the side of the hill, and he lives a life that shouts your name. 9 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:01,920 He's gonna start the slides a little bit, 10 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:05,920 But look, he's gonna shout it from high. 11 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:09,920 ... 12 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:13,920 ... 13 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,920 ... 14 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,920 Alright, alright. You know if I recovered from yesterday? 15 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:25,920 It was kinda like... 16 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:29,920 Meh. That's the thing, right? Well praise God, we get to be here to worship, 17 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,920 and learn. I'm a little excited. The worksheet is a little lighter 18 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:37,920 today than it normally is. 19 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,920 We'll do that shortly. The whacked out simple stuff. So tonight, 20 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,920 for whacked out simple stuff, we'll do something just a little bit different, a little bit simple, but a little bit easy. 21 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,920 And I'm gonna talk about tonight's service. It came up this week, 22 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,920 I was talking to somebody, and they said, well when I was growing up, we always had 23 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,920 a Wednesday 24 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,920 service. Why Wednesday or why Tuesday? Does anybody know why? 25 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,920 Because we're different. 26 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,920 A lot of people do Tuesday, that's true, right? 27 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,920 I mean a lot of people do Wednesday, actually, that's true. 28 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,920 Why would you do Wednesday? Middle of the week, right? 29 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:21,920 Okay, so you have Sunday, and then you get a couple days life, and it starts to get a hold of your mind, 30 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,920 things are going on, whatever, and then you have Wednesday, you go up to God, do Bible studies, 31 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,920 and then you go back Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and you're back on Sunday. So it breaks up 32 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,920 the week. And so whether it's Tuesday, 33 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,920 and that's only really Monday in between, and then we do it from Tuesday, 34 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,920 we've got from Tuesday to Sunday, that's kind of a long gap. 35 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,920 But there's nothing biblical about it. The truth is, how often 36 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,920 should you do your Bible? Every day. 37 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,920 That's an easy answer, right? So every day, and even when you're not reading it, 38 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,920 you should be living it, thinking about it, doing whatever it is 39 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,920 that you know to do from it, holding on to that which you've already attained, right? 40 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,920 And we do that by memorizing the Word and studying and all that kind of stuff. 41 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,920 How often should you be praying? 42 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,920 Lots, right? Second Corinthians 5 says, pray without ceasing, 43 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,920 and that's kind of hard to pray when you're sleeping, but you can go to 44 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,920 bed with a prayerful attitude, and wake up with a prayerful attitude, 45 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,920 and then kind of pray all day long. And actually you kind of can pray 46 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,920 all the time if you think about it. Like people, you're always having self-thoughts. You want doubt, 47 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,920 you want, oh I think I could do this, or I think I might do that, whatever. You're always having thoughts 48 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,920 running through your mind. You can train those thoughts to be aimed at or to 49 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,920 God, or asking God or talking to God, and just like that, suddenly, you're 50 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,920 praying all the time. How about giving in 51 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,920 service? How often should we be giving and serving? 52 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,920 A lot. A lot, okay, always. 53 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,920 You're going to say one of those two? Okay, yeah, so it's 54 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,920 a lot, right? Jesus said, the greatest amongst you shall be your servant. 55 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,920 So it's a great opportunity to serve when the body comes together. 56 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,920 There are people who will teach. There are people who work. People who prepare 57 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,920 desserts, like whatever, you know. People who pay to eat the lights on, 58 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,920 that's giving, right? That kind of thing. And so, we could get 59 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,920 together on Thursdays, although that would interfere with you, 60 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,920 on Friday, too. So we could do Tuesday and Thursday. We could do Tuesday 61 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,920 and Wednesday and Thursday, and if there ever was a time where we really needed to be 62 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,920 plugged into God for some reason, something amazing was happening in our country, or we were under a lot of persecution, 63 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,920 or there was a lot of trouble or difficulty, or that kind of thing, we might meet more often. 64 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,920 We've had a time where we had a service, had a break, and had another service. 65 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,920 So that could happen. You could come on a Sunday and we'd be like, hey, we're all getting together 66 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,920 again in another hour for more Bible, more Word, more God 67 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,920 working in us, right? So it's not just a matter of just 68 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:57,920 two days on Sunday. When we started this church, we said it was going to be an all 69 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,920 and every day, all week thing. And so I encourage you to go out and live with the Lord 70 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,920 all week long. So we do Tuesday nights, as Ardys said, because we're 71 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,920 a little bit different, okay? We could have done Wednesday, and sometime it might be 72 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,920 Wednesday, but it's been Tuesday for the last twenty years, 73 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,920 about fifteen years, so probably it's not going to change. 74 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,920 But it could. If you wanted to, it could. We decided as a church. And then why do we do it 75 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,920 the way we're doing it right now? Because we as a church decided to do it this way. 76 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,920 That's all. Not me. It's not one guy hiding in a corner 77 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,920 writing the checks, right? It's the church. We decided the church to do it 78 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,920 the way we're currently doing it. And so if we decide next month to do 79 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,920 Wednesday instead of Tuesday, as a church, then we switch into Wednesday. 80 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,920 Right? We make those decisions as a church. Alright, so let's pray together. 81 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,920 And then we'll do another song of worship, then release the kids, then a song, and then go to the next one. 82 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,920 Father in Heaven, I thank you for 83 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,920 this evening. But it's still Christmas to us. 84 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,920 Some of us are kind of shaking off 85 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,920 the sugar from yesterday, or retired, because we did a lot. We went around 86 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,920 to folks' houses, or we got together with our family, or we sat at home 87 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,920 with our 88 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,920 nuclear family, I guess you could say, or close family. 89 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,920 There was a lot of shopping in a lot of cases, and there was some crafting, 90 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,920 and there was just a lot going on. 91 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,920 But we want to be busy for you all the time. 92 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,920 We want to be focused on you all the time. 93 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,920 As we worship you now, even if it's only a couple songs. 94 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,920 It really isn't a real long time. I thank you for those who blocked out this time to be here 95 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,920 tonight to learn something more from you, and about you. And I ask you to work in 96 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,920 this place that you see fit. And I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 97 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,920 Thank you. 98 00:08:53,920 --> 00:09:03,920 Even though I'm all through the valley, got my shadow of you 99 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:09,920 Through perfect colors casting out the moon 100 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:15,920 Even when I'm hot in the middle of the storms of this night 101 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,920 Where the world turned back and I know you are here 102 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:25,920 I would fear no evil 103 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:31,920 For my God is with me 104 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:37,920 And if my God is with me 105 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,920 No blame shall I feel 106 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,920 No blame shall I pay 107 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:51,920 Oh no, never let go, through the coming through the storm 108 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:57,920 Oh no, never let go, never having every love 109 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:05,920 Oh no, never let go, Lord, you never let go of me 110 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:11,920 I can't believe it's night, that it's coming 111 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:19,920 Through the hot black holes, the glorious land beyond all the air 112 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:25,920 The air being run, through these struggles, but until that day comes 113 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:31,920 I'm meant to know you here on this earth 114 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:37,920 I would fear no evil 115 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:43,920 For my God is with me 116 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:49,920 And if my God is with me 117 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,920 No blame shall I pay 118 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,920 No blame shall I pay 119 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:03,920 Oh no, never let go, through the coming through the storm 120 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,920 Oh no, never let go, never having every love 121 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:15,920 Oh no, never let go, Lord, you never let go of me 122 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:21,920 I can't believe it's night, that it's coming 123 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:27,920 Through the hot black holes, the glorious land beyond all the air 124 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,920 The air being run, through these struggles, but until that day comes 125 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:39,920 Still I will praise you, still I will praise you 126 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,920 I can't believe it's night, that it's coming 127 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,920 Through the hot black holes, the glorious land beyond all the air 128 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,920 The air being run, through these struggles, but until that day comes 129 00:11:53,920 --> 00:12:01,920 Still I will praise you, still I will praise you 130 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:11,920 Oh no, never let go, through the coming through the storm 131 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:17,920 Oh no, never let go, never having every love 132 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:25,920 Oh no, never let go, Lord, you never let go of me 133 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:55,920 No blame for me, to be a sanctuary 134 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:03,920 Pure and holy, child and child 135 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:09,920 With thanks to me, I'll be however 136 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:17,920 A sanctuary for you 137 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:23,920 No blame for me, to be a sanctuary 138 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:31,920 Pure and holy, child and child 139 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:37,920 With thanks to me, I'll be however 140 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:43,920 A sanctuary for you 141 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:51,920 No blame for me, to be a sanctuary 142 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:57,920 Pure and holy, child and child 143 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:03,920 With thanks to me, I'll be however 144 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:11,920 A sanctuary for you 145 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:17,920 With thanks to me, I'll be however 146 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:37,920 A sanctuary for you 147 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,920 I'll just put the light in in advance, huh? 148 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,920 Thank you, thank you, thank you. 149 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:03,920 While those are being passed out, I want to share with you that on Sunday 150 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,920 I talked about how I personally had been under some 151 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,920 attacks and I had been struggling with 152 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:15,920 anger and how the one particular time 153 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,920 I had been struggling with anger, I had asked for God's joy 154 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,920 as we talked about in our Bible study, to devour, or in our Sunday service 155 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,920 to devour my anger and it worked. And then 156 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,920 so since then, I'd love to say to you everything's been great, but what 157 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,920 actually has happened is I have been under attack today 158 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,920 I broke a water pipe at my house 159 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,920 this morning, so I heard it sound like a gunshot and then water 160 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,920 was draining all over the floor in our laundry room and it rolls down into Ariana's 161 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,920 room and it broke at the bottom of our hot water tank, which meant there was no hot water in the 162 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,920 house and so I'm out there 163 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,920 struggling to try to get the water turned off and I did and then I had an hour and a half 164 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,920 two hours spent cleaning up all the water and then about an hour and a half trying to figure out how to fix 165 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,920 the pipe and then went to the store and bought the stuff and fixed the pipe only to find out 166 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,920 that the pipe had another leak in another spot and so then that was another hour 167 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,920 figuring that out and putting a different valve on so I could at least get some water operational 168 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,920 in the house and so yeah, that's what my day has been like today 169 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,920 but the good thing is I have not been angry 170 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,920 in the midst of all of that. Even when I was sitting down there 171 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,920 as the service began and I broke the little clip that holds my microphone 172 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,920 and I thought, things are just breaking like 173 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,920 crazy, but I didn't get mad, I just figured out some other way. So if this looks a little 174 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,920 goofy, I apologize, it's different the way I normally clip it because I broke the little clip 175 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,920 Okay, alright, so we are going to 176 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,920 talk about that today's lesson is bait or no bait and in case you're 177 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,920 not 100% familiar with fishing, this is kind of the way fishing works 178 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,920 I was going to have Larry do this but I didn't want to put him on the spot 179 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:03,920 This is a fishing reel that has a whole lot of dust on it because 180 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,920 it was in storage for a real long time because I haven't been fishing in a real long time but this here line 181 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,920 goes up through these little hoopy things and this is a 182 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,920 heavy duty fishing reel and this is a heavy duty line 183 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,920 and this will catch you a big old fish, in fact, in our waters 184 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,920 Larry will probably tell you, you might not catch all that many fish because this line is so thick they might see it 185 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,920 Yeah, good for bigger fish 186 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,920 So it goes up through these holes like this and then once 187 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,920 it gets through the holes over here it comes off and it goes to maybe a bobber 188 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,920 if you're going to use a bobber to kind of keep your hook at a certain level in the water 189 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,920 but then it goes to a hook, okay, you might have a sinker on the line too to keep the hook 190 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,920 stretched down low, that kind of thing, but the hook is what's 191 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,920 dangerous, the hook is what gets the fish 192 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,920 or so you would sink, okay 193 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,920 because if you just put a hook in the water 194 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:03,920 probably not going to catch all that much fish, right Larry? 195 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,920 There might be a few places, there might be a few places, if you put them where they're 196 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,920 spawning, like bluegill especially where they're spawning, you drop a hook 197 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,920 in there and they might jump right on it, that kind of thing because they just think it's a bug in the water or something 198 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,920 they're kind of dumb and whatever, yeah, something shiny 199 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,920 whatever, so the point is the bait can be key 200 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,920 to get the fish on the hook, but we're not talking about 201 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,920 hooking fish, we're talking about hooking people 202 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,920 and I wish it was in the context of the fishers of men 203 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,920 that we could talk about that, but actually that's a net, not hooks at all 204 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,920 we net people, we don't hook them, and so 205 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,920 we teach them and then they realize, hey I need to pay attention to this and they come to Christ 206 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,920 so, but really what we're talking about is hooks, the painful 207 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,920 kind of catching fish, so you have your 208 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:59,920 worksheet, you'll see it's a little simpler than normal, I took it a little light 209 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:03,920 today as far as the total number of blanks and things that we have 210 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,920 by the time we are done, you will be able to circle 211 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,920 either bait or no bait in the upper right hand corner, but in the left 212 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,920 upper left hand corner right there you have two blanks and the blanks go 213 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,920 missing directions, that's the words that go in the blanks, missing 214 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,920 directions, so the bottom line is, this is what we live in, right 215 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,920 we don't know everything we're supposed to do and we don't know exactly how we're 216 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,920 supposed to do it, so as a child you learn to wash yourself, dress 217 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,920 yourself, to feed yourself, to go to bed when you need to and so on, then as a teenager 218 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,920 you kind of rebel against a lot of those rules and you go, well do I really 219 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,920 have to go to bed by ten, maybe I can stay up to one and still get up for work on time 220 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,920 and you question all, and you figure out what's, and then it goes through a cycle 221 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,920 and later you figure out that most of those things that you were taught actually was right 222 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,920 after you make a lot of mistakes, I'm not judging teenagers, I was one, I'm talking about 223 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,920 my own personal experience, that's kind of how it goes, right, you question a lot of things, now 224 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:03,920 the sooner you adapt to what really needs to be done 225 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,920 right, the sooner you accept the right ways, the smoother 226 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,920 it goes, right, so there are people who go through high school and they do their homework, 227 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,920 they study, they listen, they take notes and whatever, and 228 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,920 usually they get good grades, but that's not a necessary 229 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,920 outcome, but what it is, it does flow pretty smoothly 230 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,920 it just kind of goes along, but if you don't know to do 231 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,920 those things, then you have a problem, so 232 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,920 we're dealing with missing directions, not knowing exactly what to do, some 233 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,920 years ago we got a Lego set, I think Alicia 234 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,920 was maybe a dozen years old or so, and we got a Lego set and 235 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,920 it was one of the first really big Lego sets that I had ever seen, it was probably about, I don't 236 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,920 know, maybe a thousand pieces or something, and all those little Legos 237 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:55,920 not the, you know, back when I was a kid, Legos were big, and then they made them 238 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,920 smaller and smaller and smaller, and you get little Legos, now some of those pieces are so tiny, you clip them on there, you're like 239 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:03,920 is it on there? Yeah, it's there, and you look at it from a distance and it makes a picture, but when you look at it 240 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,920 up close it just looks like nothing. This set 241 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,920 of a thousand Legos, we first thought, oh well, let's build something, so we built 242 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:15,920 something out of it, and then after that we put it away, and then we got it 243 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,920 back out, we're going to build something again, and the directions were missing, 244 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,920 and we looked and looked and could not find the directions, and they might have gotten through, it was a 245 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,920 Christmas present or a birthday present, whatever, they might have gotten thrown away with the wrapping paper, that kind of thing, 246 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,920 but the bottom line is, we could not build what we were trying to build. 247 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,920 If you've ever been there, you realize you can build a lot 248 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,920 of things out of Legos, but without directions, it's hard to build what, 249 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,920 these massive things that take like eight hundred or a thousand Legos and make it look 250 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,920 exactly like what they show you, right? Well life is kind of like that. 251 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,920 In the midst of that then, there are those who will say to you, 252 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,920 you can do it this way, here's the directions, here's what you want, 253 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,920 here's the results that you're looking for, okay? And let me say to you 254 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,920 that there are worldly benefits to betraying 255 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,920 Jesus, okay? To not doing it God's way, 256 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,920 to not doing what God has taught you to do, there are worldly benefits to that. 257 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,920 For example, if you go to work and you cut 258 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,920 corners, you don't do it quite right, so you don't do it as if you're doing it for God, 259 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:23,920 you do it cut corners, or maybe your boss tells you to cut corners and you do it, or you 260 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,920 steal a little money here or there, but never so much that you get caught, whatever, 261 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,920 there's profit in that, there's money to be made, there's money 262 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,920 in the bank, right? Now there's a lack of integrity, you're going to struggle 263 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,920 psychologically, you might have guilt issues, you're always looking to see somebody looking over your 264 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,920 shoulder, very suspicious, paranoid, whatever, there's a lot of 265 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,920 issues that can arise out of it, but in the meantime, there are benefits. 266 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,920 But woe to those who take those benefits, because what looks 267 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,920 good is more often than not bait. 268 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,920 God is not surprised when people betray Him, He knows all, 269 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,920 even that which we cannot know. So when you choose to do something 270 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,920 because it looks right, but you actually kind of know, oh, I think that's 271 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,920 right, right? God knows, is it right or not? 272 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,920 Why doesn't God just make it easy? Why don't you walk around 273 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,920 and hear somebody doing something and you think, I don't know, that might be a sin, and 274 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,920 like a sign pops up, or there's a glowing outline 275 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,920 that says, don't go here, right, dangerous, right? Or what 276 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,920 is that saying from that game from a long time ago, the cake is a lie, right? Don't do 277 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,920 that, it may look good, but it's not. Well, in some sense, it is 278 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,920 like that, God is very obvious, 279 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,920 but what God is really trying to teach us is 280 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,920 how to be, right? Anybody here ever dealt with 281 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,920 a young person or somebody who had a question and you told them what to do, and they 282 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,920 did it and it worked, and then later they had a similar 283 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,920 problem, and they came back and asked what to do 284 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:03,920 instead of just doing what you already told them to do, right? 285 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,920 Because you told them what to do, not how to be, 286 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,920 right? So, we have, Ariana has rules, 287 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,920 for example, she's nine, she has rules where she can have dessert once a day, but if she comes 288 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,920 in the middle of the day and she asks for something sweet, and we 289 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,920 say yes, then now in the middle 290 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,920 of the day every day, it's, hey, do you mind if I have this? Do you mind if I have that? Is it okay if I have 291 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,920 this? Even though she's supposed to have dessert after dinner, she'll ask for it, and that's where 292 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,920 she's at right now, because enough times we've said yes, especially in the Christmas 293 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,920 season, that she'll ask for something sweet pretty much every day, even though the rule is 294 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,920 after dinner, right? So, 295 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,920 what we're trying to do is teach people to be, and the 296 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,920 rule, only eat after dinner, doesn't actually accomplish that, does it? 297 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,920 If you only eat your dessert after dinner, that doesn't actually accomplish that, because what will you be 298 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,920 if you always only eat your dessert after dinner? You'll be a person who eats dessert after dinner 299 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:03,920 every day. Is that anything? 300 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,920 Is there any great value in that? I mean, it'll restrain you from overeating dessert, but 301 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,920 what if you eat a big dessert? What if you eat a whole chocolate cake, like ten pieces after dinner? 302 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,920 See? Now you've eaten way too much. You've eaten your entire calories 303 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,920 for the day. So, it doesn't solve the rules. Don't get it done. God is 304 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,920 not trying to teach us rules, okay? So, we're going to the fork here. 305 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:27,920 So, you follow the big fat arrow down, and you've got three possibilities. And I'm going to 306 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,920 start on the left, okay? And the first one is 307 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,920 that big word there is betrayers. 308 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,920 The big long line is betrayers. So, these are 309 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,920 betrayers of God, or betrayers of Christ. 310 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,920 Okay? And so, who is the most 311 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,920 famous betrayer of Christ? Alright? So, let's 312 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,920 look at the night that Judas betrayed Jesus, there was a dinner, 313 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,920 and you can find it in Matthew chapter 26. 314 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,920 Okay? And I'm going to read verse 20 to 25. 315 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,920 Now, when evening had come, he was 316 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,920 reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. And as they were eating, he said, 317 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,920 truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me. 318 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:19,920 And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to him, 319 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,920 surely not I, Lord. And he answered and said, he who dipped his hand 320 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,920 with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man is to 321 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,920 go just as it is written of him, but woe to 322 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:35,920 that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better, 323 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,920 it would have been good for that man if he had not been born. 324 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,920 And Judas, who was betraying him, he was in the act of doing it, Judas had already made 325 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,920 the arrangements, right? Who was betraying him, answered and said, 326 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,920 surely it is not I, Rabbi. And he said to him, 327 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:55,920 you have said it yourself. Notice that the 328 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,920 betrayers right here fit in. And that's your other 329 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:03,920 two little blanks. They fit in. They all do the same thing. 330 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,920 They all say, not I, Lord, right? So it's betrayers 331 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,920 fit in across that middle side of three blanks. Not I, Lord, right? 332 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,920 They all said, not I. Every one of them, even those who it wasn't them. 333 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,920 And Judas, who it was. And every one 334 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:23,920 of them showed that they were saddened, that he would even say that, that one of them was 335 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,920 going to betray him. They were like, oh man, that's terrible. You say that. How could it possibly 336 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,920 be that one of us twelve would betray you? That's terrible. And 337 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,920 even to the point of acting out the rituals of remembrance. They were at 338 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,920 his essentially last supper, right? And so 339 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,920 he was handing them the food, they were passing 340 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,920 it, they were talking, they were being polite. Everything was going on. The rituals of remembrance 341 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,920 were happening even for those who were betraying him, 342 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,920 and those who weren't. 343 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,920 And in Judas' case, even while in his heart, he had already 344 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:03,920 taken the bait. He was already hooked. He was already 345 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:07,920 going after it. The money had been offered, he made the agreement, all he had to do was betray 346 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,920 Jesus. And yet, he was saying, not I. And he was saying, 347 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:15,920 oh man, I'm sad that you would even think so. And he was taking part in the dinner 348 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,920 together, which by the way, that dinner was sort of representative of the 349 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,920 Lamb of God. It was representative of the one who would be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. 350 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,920 So the betrayers fit in. 351 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,920 So the problem with that is then, you have to ask yourself, could you be a betrayer? 352 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,920 So far we've filled in the blanks where it says, missing directions on the top left. 353 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,920 And then we've filled in, betrayers fit in. This is the 354 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,920 problem, betrayers fit in. So now we're going to follow the fat arrow 355 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,920 down so we're staying to the left. 356 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,920 And you see what looks basically like the front of a barn. 357 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,920 Now there are two stories in 358 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,920 the Bible about the wheat and the tares. And if you can summarize 359 00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:03,920 these stories for me, then we don't have to go there and read the text. So who wants to give it a shot? 360 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,920 Anybody want to give a shot at wheat and tares? 361 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,920 Okay, how about there's a farmer 362 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,920 and he has his servants go out and plant the field. He sends 363 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,920 his servants out to plant the seed. And then the crop comes up and what do they see? 364 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,920 This part, so this is the easy question. 365 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,920 Right, so there's weeds 366 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,920 and wheat, both. So he sees there's both. 367 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,920 And they say to him, 368 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,920 yeah, eventually what do we do? The first thing they say is, 369 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,920 did you buy bad seed? 370 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,920 Remember where we started this whole conversation? Missing directions. 371 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:51,920 So we're accusing God of not giving us enough information, which leads us 372 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,920 to taking the bait. So now here they go, oh, did you buy bad seed? 373 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,920 Because we planted it and the wheat came up, but a bunch of weeds came up too. 374 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:03,920 And then he says, no, the seed's fine. 375 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,920 And they say to him, somebody said, what do we do? 376 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,920 We go up and tear out all the weeds. We're sorry we planted it and 377 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,920 all these weeds came up, so we'll go tear out all the weeds. And the master 378 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,920 says what? Say it again. 379 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,920 Yeah, it was an enemy who sowed the weeds. And should they go tear all the 380 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,920 weeds up? Anybody? 381 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,920 Okay, he says, no, don't go tear all the weeds up. And then 382 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,920 it's because the roots of the weeds are intertwined with the 383 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,920 wheat. And if you tear up the weeds, you'll tear up the wheat. 384 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,920 That's what he said. He said, so don't do that. Don't go tear up the weeds, because if you do, you're going to mess up 385 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,920 the field. You're going to tear up the good stuff too. 386 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,920 So he says, then wait until the harvest is ready. 387 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,920 And then we'll harvest the weeds and we'll harvest 388 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,920 the wheat. And what are they going to do with the wheat when they harvest it? 389 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:03,920 The paper's a clue. 390 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,920 Eventually, yep, you're going to take it into the barn. 391 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,920 He says take it into the barn. And then he said, and what 392 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:15,920 are we going to do with the weeds? Also a clue on the paper. 393 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,920 Burn them. 394 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,920 Burn them. 395 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:27,920 Yeah. And so the other story is 396 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:31,920 very similar. Does anybody know it? 397 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,920 Okay. Bottom line is this. 398 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,920 God will sort when judgment comes. 399 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:43,920 If anybody wants to read those later, I can give you the references. 400 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:47,920 Okay. God will sort 401 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,920 when judgment comes. Do you have blanks for the references next to your barn? 402 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,920 I'm going to give you the references now then. That's good. Matthew 13, 403 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,920 24 to 30. 404 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:03,920 And Matthew 13, 36 to 43. 405 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,920 So 406 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,920 you notice that, by the way, that there are similarities between wheat and tares. 407 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,920 Have you ever heard that? If you look at a tare before wheat comes in, 408 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,920 before the wheat becomes fully harvestable, it looks a lot like a tare. 409 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,920 They look very similar. Okay. Then once the wheat grows, 410 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,920 you can walk up and take the wheat. You can actually take the scourmables like this with your hands 411 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,920 off the top of the wheat. You won't get much. But you can take it out and you can pop it right in your mouth 412 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,920 and eat it. But there's nothing on tares that you 413 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,920 do that with. It just drops wheat. It's weeds. 414 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,920 And they spread really, really fast. 415 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,920 So with people, have you noticed that 416 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,920 the Bible says, and it's true, that all humans have sin? 417 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,920 We're all alike. We all have sin. Even after getting 418 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,920 saved, usually you can see the sin in people's lives. So there's sin. 419 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:03,920 And then in the church, all people 420 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,920 profess to be in the kingdom. We all say, I'm part of the kingdom. 421 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,920 Right? And then 422 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,920 if you're a betrayer, 423 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,920 you're actually a tare, not wheat. 424 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,920 And then he says, in the end, I'm going to 425 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,920 harvest it all and I'm going to burn 426 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,920 the betrayers. I'm going to burn the tares. 427 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,920 And I'm going to let those who are not betrayers, 428 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,920 I'm going to bring them into the barn. That's what that's all about. 429 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,920 And then it's clear in the story that we summarize, 430 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:47,920 it's not our job to sort. So while this is 431 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,920 true, that bait is dangerous because there's a hook on the back 432 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:55,920 end of it, and it'll get you hooked. Right? Whose job is it 433 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,920 to see to it that you don't take the bait? Say it again. 434 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:03,920 It's God's job. And God has already provided you 435 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,920 with everything you need to make sure that happens, which means if you now do it, 436 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,920 you're culpable. Understand? So if 437 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,920 you know what to do, or if God would lead you to 438 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:19,920 do the right thing, either way, and you do the wrong thing, you're 439 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,920 culpable. You're a betrayer. You went after the bait. 440 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,920 Go back up to the fork there. And in 441 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,920 the box is the word bait. So the middle 442 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,920 prong of the arrows is the word bait. And notice that then there is an arrow 443 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,920 that goes down to Betrayers Fit In. 444 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,920 So if you started with Missing Directions, and either you went straight to 445 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,920 Betrayers Fit In, or if you go down and you go through bait to Betrayers Fit In, 446 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:51,920 either way, you could arrive in this room tonight, studying 447 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,920 this word tonight, talking about this thing tonight, and actually be 448 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:59,920 a betrayer. You could actually be somebody who has been 449 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,920 hooked by someone or something that you want 450 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:07,920 that basically 451 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,920 is deadly. It's ungodly. So you have to ask yourself, 452 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,920 are there things that I want more than following 453 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,920 God? Are there things that I want more than letting 454 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:23,920 God work through me? Because if there are, then you're in 455 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,920 danger because at some point in time, you'll be going after those 456 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,920 things while God is trying to do something else. 457 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,920 And heaven forbid that you arrive at the end of the road and you're going after 458 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,920 those things when Jesus says, come on, let's go. 459 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,920 Because you'll be hooked and you won't get to go. 460 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,920 Now you have a fishing pole in the middle there, and I 461 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,920 put some examples. I should probably just compare these and then I'll know where the blinds are. 462 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,920 There we go. I put some examples of things 463 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:59,920 that you could get hooked on and you'll notice that one of the little tags 464 00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,920 there is empty, and that's for you. 465 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,920 What is yours? You put in the box, 466 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,920 what's your potential temptation? 467 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,920 What could hook you? It's hooked into the 468 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:19,920 last word in. So it says, betrayers fit in and then there's a hook on the 469 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,920 end and there's a box and there's a line and you can put something in that box 470 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:27,920 that's your temptation. If I had 471 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,920 to do it today, I'll just tell you probably my temptation is anger or frustration. That's what it's 472 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,920 been recently. That's been my struggle. I get frustrated. I get angry when things 473 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:39,920 are not going right. What's yours? It can be 474 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,920 entertainment. It can be TV. I've got examples already in the box. 475 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:47,920 It could be the name of a person. You could be pursuing somebody 476 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:51,920 that's not Jesus. And you put something in there. 477 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,920 But notice from missing 478 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:59,920 directions there's a big fat arrow around to the right. We're making 479 00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:03,920 great progress. 480 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,920 Big fat arrow around to the right because the goal is for God 481 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,920 to teach us or show us or walk with us as we learn 482 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,920 what to be. Not what to do. 483 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:19,920 Your mom or your dad or your police officer or your teacher 484 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,920 they're going to teach you what to do. 485 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:27,920 The rules. The governors. They're going to teach you what to do. 486 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:31,920 Now in Ohio, you drive down the road, texting 487 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,920 on your cell phone, you can be pulled over by a police officer and given a ticket. Because in Ohio 488 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:39,920 it is not acceptable by law to do that. 489 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,920 Now you have to make a choice whether or not you're going to do that. 490 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,920 And if you do it and they pull you over you may get a ticket. And then you do 491 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,920 it again later. They pull you over and you may get another ticket. And ultimately you could get 492 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,920 pretty big debt and maybe lose your vehicle and bunch of points in your license. I don't even know what the 493 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:59,920 actual penalties of it are. But the bottom line is you can get all kinds of trouble. And you could 494 00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:03,920 have an actual accident. If you're texting while driving it does create 495 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,920 a distraction. But also man a cell phone can sure be a hook. 496 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,920 It's very tempting. A text comes in while you're driving to read it. 497 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,920 Or to respond real quick. So the bottom line is 498 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,920 there are a lot of people in place. 499 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,920 And I might be one of those. I try not to teach people what to do. I'm not 500 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,920 most of the time I'm not trying to teach. My family is different. 501 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,920 I'm required to teach my children and folks like that on a personal level. 502 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,920 But as a pastor I shouldn't be teaching you what to do. I should be teaching you what to be. 503 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:39,920 When I talk about giving and serving and I say you should give and serve. What I mean 504 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,920 is you should be a servant. The greatest of monks you shall be your servant. That's what God said. 505 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,920 Jesus said. And so the top blank 506 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:51,920 in the box then is B. B.E. I did capitals. 507 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,920 Because it's important. But you can do it however you want. The top blank is B. 508 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:59,920 So some examples of things that then God has given us to teach 509 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:03,920 us what to be are. We talked about this already. 510 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,920 I'm going to give them in the order that I would have listed them. But that's not in the order of importance 511 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,920 or anything. Prayer. So you're with God. 512 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:15,920 Talking to God. Listening to God. You should be praying. And it really ought to be pray 513 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,920 every time anything happens. It's the starting point 514 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,920 of every conversation. Every train of thought. Every research. 515 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,920 Everything you do. It ought to be prayer. We pray before we eat because we're grateful 516 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,920 for our food. But we don't pray before we talk to people because I guess we're not grateful for them. 517 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:35,920 Or whatever. No. Be grateful. And if you realize what God's doing, then pray 518 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:39,920 all the time. Every time it pops in your head. When I was doing the youth group 519 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,920 back at East Lido nearly over 20 years 520 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:47,920 ago. There was a guy in there who was struggling with anger 521 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:51,920 and frustration. And I learned about popcorn prayers. 522 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,920 If you know what a popcorn prayer is or not. But basically it's where you realize 523 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,920 all of a sudden that you have a problem and you jump right into prayer. Just like that. You say, OK God. 524 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:03,920 You turn away from whatever it is you're paying attention to right now. Whatever 525 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:07,920 your focus is. Whatever you're struggling with. And just start praying. You realize 526 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:11,920 I had to stop working on the pipe. There's no water on in my house right now. 527 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:15,920 We have no water. I had to stop working on the pipe to finish up my lesson. 528 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,920 Because that's important. So what's important 529 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:23,920 to you if you start getting frustrated, angry, struggling, trying to solve a 530 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:27,920 problem? Have you prayed? And I would suggest that you should 531 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:31,920 at least do it. And I would suggest that you should try to stay in a 532 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:35,920 state of prayer while you're dealing with whatever significant problem you are. Because that's how 533 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:39,920 God will teach you what it is you're supposed to be in that circumstance. 534 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,920 Because He's there. He is with you. Prayer. 535 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:47,920 And then the Bible. And I genericed this one. The Bible. 536 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:51,920 So reading, study, memorization, 537 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,920 meditation, application. It's all Bible intake and 538 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:59,920 usage. So you read the Bible. And the more you read it 539 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:03,920 or have it read to you if you're using the Bible app listening to it. Which is by the way is not as good as 540 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,920 reading it in your own eyes. But it's still good. It's better than not doing 541 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,920 it. But reading, study. It becomes study when you write something down. 542 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,920 You're doing study about scripture right now. So you're taking notes on a 543 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:19,920 worksheet. You don't always have a worksheet. You can make worksheets for yourself. You can outline things 544 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:23,920 for yourself. There was a lady who had a third grade education who 545 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:27,920 undertook to rewrite the whole Bible in her own handwriting. She didn't understand 546 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:31,920 what many of the words meant. And she just copied over the exact spelling. 547 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:35,920 And I think that's a noble pursuit. 548 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,920 I wouldn't quite call that study if you don't understand it. 549 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:43,920 But she was writing down the Word of God and getting it in her. 550 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,920 If you get the Word of God in you, it'll be available to you when you need it to 551 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:51,920 do whatever it is you're trying to do. Why? Because you'll be 552 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:55,920 being whatever it's teaching you to be. 553 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:59,920 And then when something happens, you'll know what to do. 554 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:03,920 Giving and service. Right? And I 555 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:07,920 lump those things together on the next line. Giving and service. 556 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,920 Giving is when you give something you have, money, whatever. 557 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,920 Whatever it might be. And you give it. And you give it with no strings attached. 558 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:19,920 It's not alone. Right? Or if it's alone, you say, if I don't 559 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:23,920 ever get it back, I'm not going to hold it against you. I would like to get it back. But if I can't, 560 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:27,920 I can't. Whatever. Here it is. Giving. We know what that is. 561 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:31,920 Service. Service is when you do something for somebody else. It may be they could 562 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:35,920 completely do it for themselves. In fact, that's the best time. When they could do it for 563 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:39,920 themselves and you do it for them instead of letting them do it for themselves. I got it. I got it. 564 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:43,920 No. I already took care of it. Service. Right? 565 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:47,920 And that is a tool where God is teaching you 566 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:51,920 how to be, who to be. We're going to be like Jesus. Jesus was a servant. 567 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,920 We're going to be like God. God is a servant. Right? 568 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:59,920 Work. Man was created to work. 569 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:03,920 And we are going to work. 570 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:07,920 Counting my lines real quick. 571 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:11,920 One, two, three. 572 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:15,920 Okay. Encouraging others. 573 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,920 Encouraging others. That was on the next line. 574 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:23,920 God is the extreme encourager. 575 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:27,920 He creates things in people's lives and they are always positive, always loving, always kind, 576 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,920 always gentle. Right? And when you're going the wrong way, He will as gently 577 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:35,920 as possible try to steer you back on course. But having failed to do that, 578 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,920 He will... If He has to. 579 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:43,920 God is good. Encourage others. 580 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:47,920 And then the last thing is 581 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:51,920 Christ 582 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:55,920 not me. And this is the hardest one of all. 583 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,920 The goal is for Jesus to live through you. It actually says 584 00:43:59,920 --> 00:44:03,920 in 2 Corinthians 5 that we now live for the one who died for us. 585 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,920 Right? He brought you back to life so that He can 586 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:11,920 live through you. And as you pursue to do that, 587 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:15,920 He will wait for it, not take the bait. 588 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:19,920 The last four blanks are don't take the bait. Don't take the bait. 589 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:23,920 I'm going to read one last reference to you. 590 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:27,920 Now your 591 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:31,920 list of be things may not be exactly the same as mine, 592 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,920 but they all have to be from God, if you will. 593 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:39,920 And as He is teaching you to be those things, then when the bait comes along 594 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:43,920 and looks good, you'll say, no thank you. You won't have time 595 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:47,920 to worry about 596 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:51,920 one of these other activities 597 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,920 interfering with what it is that God is trying to do, because you'll be busy doing 598 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,920 what it is that God is trying to do. Okay? And so it's 1 John 599 00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:03,920 2, 19-23. I already gave you the reference there. 600 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:07,920 1 John 2, 19-23. 601 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:11,920 And the blanks are don't take the bait. 602 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:15,920 Don't take the bait. 1 John 2, 19-23. 603 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:19,920 And it says, 604 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:23,920 They went out from us, but they were not really of us. 605 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:27,920 For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out 606 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:31,920 in order that it might be shown that they are not of us. 607 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:35,920 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 608 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:39,920 I have not written to you because you do not 609 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:43,920 know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie 610 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:47,920 is of the truth. Who is the liar? 611 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:51,920 But the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is the Antichrist, 612 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:55,920 the one who denies the Father and the Son. 613 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:59,920 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son 614 00:45:59,920 --> 00:46:03,920 has the Father also. Bottom line is, it starts at the top. 615 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,920 There are missing directions. I'm just going to be playing with you. God is not going to 616 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,920 tell you everything you need to do. It's not going to happen. If you came to Christ so that Jesus 617 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:15,920 could tell you every single thing you need to do, every moment of your day, you came for the wrong 618 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:19,920 reason. You're looking for a controller. You're looking for somebody to protect 619 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:23,920 you from any mistake. Somebody, whatever, it's not going to happen. He will walk 620 00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:27,920 with you. You ever take your kid to the store, or 621 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:31,920 a friend to the store, or whatever, and you've got to get something, and they're getting something, 622 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:35,920 and they're going to go one way, and you're going to go the other way, and they start to head off to the bread aisle 623 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:39,920 even though they said they were going for milk. You're like, hey, do you run up 624 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:43,920 to them real quick and grab their arm and say, that's the bread aisle. 625 00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:47,920 Go to the milk, and kind of grab by the waist and shove them toward the dairy 626 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,920 department. No. You say, didn't you say you were getting milk? 627 00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:55,920 Yeah, I said I was getting milk. Well, you're going toward the dairy aisle. 628 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:59,920 I mean, you're going toward the bread aisle, not the dairy aisle. Oh, yeah, that's right. 629 00:46:59,920 --> 00:47:03,920 You don't run over and grab them by the waist and shove them toward the dairy department. 630 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:07,920 That's crazy. That's not how we work. 631 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:11,920 If you're with somebody and you care about them, they start to go off course, 632 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:15,920 and they say, hey, wait a minute, don't go off course, and that's what God does for us. 633 00:47:15,920 --> 00:47:19,920 The Antichrist shows you what you want to see 634 00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:23,920 so that you'll go after it. It's bait, then 635 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:27,920 you're hooked. Now, you're a betrayer, not truly 636 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:31,920 with God, not becoming like God. You can still act like 637 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:35,920 the things you're supposed to be. You can still come to church. You can still read 638 00:47:35,920 --> 00:47:39,920 your Bible. You can still do things, but you're not 639 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:43,920 being anything but a betrayer. 640 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:47,920 So, it happens then, usually, 641 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:51,920 that the betrayers go out. That's what usually happens. 642 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:55,920 They make themselves known. They step out of their 643 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,920 house. They get mad because somebody said something they didn't like. 644 00:47:59,920 --> 00:48:03,920 Or they throw a fit because things didn't go the way they wanted. 645 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:07,920 Or it lasted too long, 646 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:11,920 or it was too loud, or the list just goes on and on, of all kinds 647 00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:15,920 of reasons why they have decided that this is not for them anymore. 648 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:19,920 The real reason is because they had already 649 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:23,920 become a betrayer. I'm not judging anybody's salvation. That's not my job. 650 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:27,920 But the real reason, according to scripture, is that that person had already decided 651 00:48:27,920 --> 00:48:31,920 that there was a way that they wanted to go. They had taken the bait. 652 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:35,920 They were already hooked. And now this is their opportunity 653 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:39,920 to stop their own hypocrisy. Stop 654 00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:43,920 pretending to be what they're not. And then 655 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:47,920 they go out. That's what John was talking about. They went out because they were 656 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:51,920 not really of us anyway. Now it's become obvious. And the 657 00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:55,920 anti-Christ is against what God says. So you've got people in the world 658 00:48:55,920 --> 00:48:59,920 for example right now, and I'm not trying to get political in any way shape or form, or whatever, 659 00:48:59,920 --> 00:49:03,920 says that the church should be open and affirming and support all lifestyles. 660 00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:07,920 And that we should be pro-abortion because it's women's rights. 661 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,920 And all kinds of things like that. And they'll tell you all kinds of things about why you should be a certain 662 00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:15,920 way. There's a lady who said 663 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:19,920 you can't be overweight and be a Christian. 664 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:23,920 You can't wear skirts and be a Christian. 665 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:27,920 All these things, this make it look a certain 666 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,920 way. And that person that's trying to make it look a certain 667 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:35,920 way probably isn't even a Christian themselves. 668 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:39,920 The standard is will you learn to be the kind of 669 00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,920 person that Jesus is making you to be? 670 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:47,920 The question is bait or no bait? And I told you up in the upper right hand 671 00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:51,920 corner, God does not bait. The word says God 672 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,920 does not tempt. God empowers us to pursue Him. 673 00:49:55,920 --> 00:49:59,920 He places in our hearts the desire to pursue Him. He gives us with 674 00:49:59,920 --> 00:50:03,920 enough information to pursue Him. Yes there are missing 675 00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:07,920 directions for the same reason that God allows the deceiver, the world, our flesh, to offer 676 00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:11,920 up the bait, free will. So that by the end all will 677 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,920 know the answer to the question, do you love Him? When you stand before Him 678 00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:19,920 and are required to bow on one knee, when you are 679 00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:23,920 required to bend your head, will you do so in anguish and frustration? 680 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,920 Or will you do so out of gratitude and love for Him? 681 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:31,920 Because all knees will bow and all tongues 682 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:35,920 confess. And will you bow your knee and confess Him 683 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:39,920 because you love Him? If you love Him, then you are filled by His 684 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:43,920 love and you do not need the bait. 685 00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:47,920 Hungry fish eventually bite. 686 00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:51,920 Every fisherman knows. 687 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:55,920 But the fish that are full, that have eaten well, 688 00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,920 they are not going to take the bait. So fill your life with the 689 00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:03,920 things of God and you won't have to worry about the bait. When people come 690 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:07,920 by and they say, well let's go do this. You can say, no, no, that's not what God 691 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:11,920 will want me to do. That's not the person. And it isn't even that. And I make 692 00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:15,920 that mistake a lot. We shouldn't say, that's not what God would want me to do. 693 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:19,920 We should say, that's not the kind of person God is making me into. 694 00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:23,920 I know who I am in Christ 695 00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:27,920 and I don't need whatever, drugs, sex, 696 00:51:27,920 --> 00:51:31,920 entertainment to be whole. I don't need praise. 697 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:35,920 I don't need any of that that the world is 698 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:39,920 offering me if I'll do what they want me to do. Because I'm okay 699 00:51:39,920 --> 00:51:43,920 in God. God's got me. I'm all full up. 700 00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:47,920 And in that sense you can say to the Antichrist, there's no 701 00:51:47,920 --> 00:52:11,920 room at the end.