1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Good to see you. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,000 It looks like you folks enjoy worship. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Is that acceptable? 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,000 You better believe it is. 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000 You better believe it is. 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,000 Have you ever met a self-appointed Holy Spirit? 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Does a self-appointed Holy Spirit know their self-appointed Holy Spirit? 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,000 No. 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Are they sincere? 10 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Yes. 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Can they be a little obnoxious? 12 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:41,000 You're not sure about that one, are you? 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000 In Revelation, Jesus says, Behold, I stand at the door, what? 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,000 A knock. 15 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,000 It does not say, Behold, I stand at the door with a bulldozer. 16 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:56,000 God is not a pushy God. 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:01,000 But you've got to go from Genesis to Revelation to figure that out a little bit. 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,000 Please, keep the Old Testament. 19 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,000 But Jesus said this, If you've seen me, what? 20 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 You've seen the Father. 21 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,000 So when I come across some of the things in the Old Testament, 22 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,000 the blood and guts of the Old Testament, 23 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,000 and it's almost like God gets blamed for some of these things, 24 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,000 in case you didn't know, you know that in the Jewish mindset, 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:27,000 God was the cause of everything. 26 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,000 That's why when we look at one little verse where it says, 27 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 remember Pharaoh, and it says several different things in Exodus. 28 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000 Here's what it says. 29 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000 Pharaoh hardened his heart. 30 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,000 Pharaoh's heart was hardened. 31 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,000 God hardened Pharaoh's heart. 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,000 And when I was going over that in the Sabbath school class in a church not too far from here, 33 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:54,000 the lady said, Pastor, I just believe what the Bible says. 34 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,000 I said, well, so do I. 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,000 But it just said three different things about how Pharaoh's heart was hardened. 36 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 What? 37 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:10,000 I said, when I come to some stumbling blocks in the good Old Testament, 38 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,000 I run to Jesus. 39 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Jesus said this, you know it all. 40 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,000 You know all very well. 41 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:21,000 If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. 42 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,000 I and the Father are one. 43 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,000 I don't need to pray to the Father. 44 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,000 He loves you himself. 45 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,000 I'm afraid when I grew up I didn't get that message. 46 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,000 By the way, I'm a third generation Adventist. 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,000 I grew up in Rebue in Harold Diapers. 48 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,000 My dad worked for the General Conference. 49 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,000 You know, I've been there. 50 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,000 I've been there. 51 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 And I learned at a very young age that you keep your eyes off of people. 52 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,000 The song does not go like this. 53 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,000 Turn your eyes upon each other. 54 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,000 Look full in your occasional good. 55 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Don't do that. 56 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,000 Keep your eyes on Jesus. 57 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,000 I was in seventh grade. 58 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 I was pumping Adventist gas behind the General Conference in Rebue in Harold. 59 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,000 It was 16 cents a gallon. 60 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,000 That's what he saw. 61 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Wow. 62 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000 And when the brethren came up, and then back in those days, 63 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,000 they actually had people that serviced your gas tank, right? 64 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,000 Well, that's what I was. 65 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,000 I was cleaning the hose in the gas tank and probably cleaning his windshield. 66 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000 I don't remember in seventh grade. 67 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,000 It's a long time ago. 68 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:26,000 And then you know how the gas used to burp a little bit and spill out on the finish of the car? 69 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,000 Anyone know what I'm talking about? 70 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 So I quickly took some paper towel. 71 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Bad decision. 72 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:38,000 And started wiping off the gas off his car. 73 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,000 He got out of his car. 74 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,000 What are you doing? 75 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,000 I said, well, the gas burped. 76 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,000 Well, you don't do that. 77 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,000 Sorry. 78 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Happy Thursday. 79 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,000 You know. 80 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,000 He drove away. 81 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:02,000 I got home to 2209 Lackawanna Street, Riggs Road right behind the George Worshton Cemetery in Adelphi, Maryland. 82 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,000 And I sat down at that round sofa. 83 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 You know what I'm talking about, the round sofa with the white hasseck in the middle? 84 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Picked up a little church paper called the Review. 85 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,000 You heard of Review and Herald? 86 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,000 I was leafing through it. 87 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 Saw a picture of this guy. 88 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Different expression on it, hey? 89 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:32,000 The title of his article was, How to Really Love Others. 90 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,000 I couldn't wait until my dad got home. 91 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,000 Dad, gas burp, huh, huh, love others, huh? 92 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,000 And here's what my dad said. 93 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 The same thing that your dad said to you probably a couple times. 94 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,000 He didn't call you LeClair. 95 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,000 That's why I go by Lich. 96 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,000 LeClair, LeClair. 97 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,000 Maybe one of his articles didn't get published. 98 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Maybe he had a teenage kid giving him a hard time. 99 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,000 Here comes the cliche. 100 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,000 You could finish it. 101 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,000 You always have to give people the benefit of the doubt. 102 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,000 Oh, dad. 103 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Always defending the brotherhood. 104 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Always defending the brotherhood. 105 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Turn in your Bibles, please, to Philippians. 106 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Who wrote Philippians? 107 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Paul. 108 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,000 When in doubt, guess Paul. 109 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,000 He wrote most of the New Testament. 110 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:28,000 In fact, if we were to give the gold medal, he would get it with, what is it, 13? 111 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Is that right, Cliff, 13? 112 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,000 It depends who counts Hebrews, whether Paul wrote it or not. 113 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,000 Some discussed that. 114 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,000 Who would get the silver? 115 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:44,000 John, because he wrote Big John, Three Little Johns, and Revelation. 116 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,000 And who would be tied for the bronze? 117 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Oh, I didn't count on the test of it. 118 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,000 Sorry. 119 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:57,000 John, I mean Peter, because he wrote 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Luke, 120 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,000 because he wrote Acts and Luke. 121 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Do you need to know that tribute to get to heaven? 122 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,000 No? Is it important to know where your Bible books are? 123 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,000 Yeah. Help us, Jesus. 124 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:13,000 I hang out at the academy now, and I do Bible studies with teenagers, the ones who want them. 125 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:18,000 They need to learn the books of, I don't tell them that. 126 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Philippians is the book, the main theme of the book is what, do you know? 127 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Joy, joy, not happiness. 128 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,000 There's a big difference. 129 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,000 I'll try not to take the whole service giving you definitions and another story. 130 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Again, I'm talking to teenagers now, forgive me, okay? 131 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 You're going to Disney World, you're happy. 132 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,000 The lines are long at Space Mountain, you're unhappy. 133 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,000 There's a cute girl looking at you guys, you're happy. 134 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,000 She's got a seven-foot boyfriend looking at you, you're unhappy. 135 00:06:53,000 --> 00:07:06,000 When they were lowering my mom into the grave, I was unhappy, but I still had joy. 136 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Because the world can't give you joy, and the world what? 137 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Can't take it away. 138 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,000 How do I know that's biblically correct? 139 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Because remember this verse, help me finish it. 140 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:25,000 Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. 141 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,000 What in the world does that mean? 142 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Did Jesus hum a song? 143 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,000 I'm happy today, go, go. 144 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,000 No, he was not happy. 145 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 In fact, he asked his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, 146 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:46,000 would you please come here and sit with me and pray? 147 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,000 He was in the city, he was prostrate on the ground. 148 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 It's not like that picture in your grandmother's living room, good grandmother, 149 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,000 but the picture is theologically incorrect. 150 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Remember Jesus with his hands like this at the rock, 151 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,000 with every hair in place and a little halo behind his head? 152 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,000 Nice picture, but theologically incorrect. 153 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,000 He was pressing down on the earth. 154 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:10,000 He was needing some hope and fellowship, and what were the three disciples doing? 155 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,000 Sleeping, I'm glad we're not like that, aren't you? 156 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:17,000 Oh, that's Jesus. 157 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Was Jesus upset with him? 158 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,000 No. 159 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 In my imagination, God did this up in heaven. 160 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:29,000 Angels, the disciples are flunking the course a little bit. 161 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:34,000 I need a volunteer, and all the angels, send me, send me. 162 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,000 God sent Gabriel. 163 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,000 No angel said, why does he always send Gabriel? 164 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,000 You know why? 165 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Because his jealousy had moved out of heaven. 166 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:55,000 Oh, by the way, another fellow I like who is no longer with us, his name was Dan Jackson. 167 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,000 He was the president of the North American Division. 168 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,000 You know why I like him so much? 169 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Because when he stood up to speak, I don't know if he did this every time, 170 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,000 but here's what he said. 171 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,000 Hi, my name is Dan Jackson. 172 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:16,000 I'm a broken man. 173 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:21,000 I'm so glad to hear a teacher say that, or a leader say that, 174 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,000 because so many of the times in my critical mind, 175 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,000 I say, well, I just got back from Australia, and I can't, 176 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,000 and in two days I'm going over, don't tell me your agenda, 177 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,000 don't tell me how important you are, 178 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:39,000 tell me that you're a sinner, a broken man. 179 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:43,000 So I usually use that line. 180 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,000 In fact, I'd rather go into even more detail for you, 181 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,000 because you don't know me that well. 182 00:09:48,000 --> 00:10:00,000 I'm proud, I'm jealous, I'm selfish, I'm easily hurt, but I cover it with humor, 183 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,000 but I love Jesus. 184 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:09,000 Whatever you do, don't look at any preacher. 185 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,000 There's none righteous one, no not one. 186 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Do you know there's actually people in the Seventh Day Adventist Church 187 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 who think they're better than other Christians? 188 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,000 Do you know there's actually people in this church, 189 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,000 not this church, because you're all perfect, 190 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:31,000 there are also people who think that the only people who kept the Sabbath 191 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:36,000 will go to heaven. 192 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Nowhere in the Bible does it say, 193 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,000 go you into all the world and judge the world. 194 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:43,000 It says, go you into all the world and love the world. 195 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Whenever I start talking and preaching, there's always someone at the back 196 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,000 who comes up to me and says, 197 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,000 Pastor, we've got to go deeper than the love of God. 198 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,000 And you forgot the three angels. 199 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Excuse me just a minute. 200 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:03,000 The first angel is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 201 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,000 What does that mean? 202 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Paul's going to tell us that. 203 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,000 I love Paul. 204 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,000 He's so articulate. 205 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,000 He's so honest. 206 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,000 At one point he can say, I'm chief of sinners. 207 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,000 Another place he says, follow my example. 208 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,000 Another place he says, can you identify with this? 209 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000 That which I want to do what? 210 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000 I don't do. 211 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,000 That which I don't do what? 212 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:25,000 I keep doing. 213 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000 And then he says this, church members, 214 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:34,000 who can deliver me from this body of death? 215 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:39,000 I love Paul because he's so real. 216 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 Another place he says this in Philippians, by the way, 217 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,000 if you don't know where to start and you're in a renewal spot 218 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:45,000 during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, 219 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,000 here's my prescription to you. 220 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:54,000 Take the book of Philippians and read it every day for 30 days. 221 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,000 When you come to something you don't understand, skip it. 222 00:11:58,000 --> 00:11:59,000 Is that biblical? 223 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Just skip it. 224 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,000 And then, nobody taught me this when I was growing up, 225 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,000 and then as you read, I'm going to show you how to do it right now, 226 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 as you read, pray read. 227 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,000 Pray to God about what you just read. 228 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 It'll revolutionize your Bible reading. 229 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 It'll revolutionize your prayer life. 230 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Yes, we should pray for each other. 231 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:21,000 That's called intercessory prayer. 232 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,000 Yes, by all means. 233 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,000 Be with, be with, be with, be with. 234 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,000 But after you get done with all that, 235 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:34,000 talk to God about what he just said to you. 236 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,000 Another place, we won't get to it today, 237 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,000 chapter 3 is the conclusion. 238 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:45,000 It's the key chapter of Philippians, and it says this, 239 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:51,000 I want to know Christ. 240 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,000 You know, there's actually people somewhere around the world in the Seventh-day Advent Church, 241 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,000 when if you talk about Jesus too much, they're a little suspect, 242 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,000 they wonder if you're really an Adventist. 243 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Absurd. 244 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Absurd. 245 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:11,000 But he says this, I want to know Christ, the power of resurrection, 246 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000 I'd like to skip the next part, but it's there, 247 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,000 and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering. 248 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,000 You've lost a loved one, you're sharing in his suffering. 249 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Somebody misjudges you, you're sharing in their suffering. 250 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,000 Someone argues with you, you're sharing their suffering. 251 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Someone's not treating you right on the interstate, get over it. 252 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,000 I'm talking to myself. 253 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Paul says in that verse, something ridiculous. 254 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 Forgetting what is behind, remember we said that? 255 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Forgetting what is behind, I press on toward what? 256 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,000 What is ahead? 257 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,000 I think Paul suffers from guilt. 258 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,000 Have you noticed that every time you start getting closer to Christ, 259 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,000 you're on a devotional role and you're going good, 260 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:02,000 the devil starts reminding you of your past? 261 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 When the devil does that, if Carmen were here, 262 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,000 he was a Christian singer years ago, he says, 263 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:13,000 when the devil reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future. 264 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,000 I think what Paul was saying is, don't focus on the stuff. 265 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,000 Because there are things I want to forget I can't forget. 266 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,000 There are things I forget I want to forget. 267 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,000 You know what I'm saying? 268 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:30,000 But Paul says, I think what he says is, don't focus on it. 269 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,000 And there are some Christians who don't like Paul. 270 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,000 They think he's too this and too that. 271 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,000 Well, he feeds my soul. 272 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,000 And Romans is good too. 273 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Most of his books he wrote where? 274 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:48,000 When he's in prison. 275 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,000 Have I given you enough time to find Philippians? 276 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Here we go. 277 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,000 Now let me find it. 278 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 Who wrote Ephesians? 279 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Who wrote Galatians? 280 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,000 Who wrote Corinthians? 281 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Paul, Paul, Paul, Paul. 282 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:13,000 You know how I remember those skinny four ones? 283 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Georgia Electric Power Company. 284 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000 Galatians defeated Philippians to Washington. 285 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Or, maybe you think it's sacrilegious, God eats popcorn. 286 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Galatians defeated. 287 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Philippians. 288 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:32,000 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ. 289 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,000 I've got a brilliant, all my grandchildren are brilliant, so are yours. 290 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000 One of the most brilliant of all. 291 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,000 He's sitting at the breakfast table with Shelly, my wife. 292 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000 She's five years old. 293 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:44,000 He says, Lovie? 294 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,000 That's what she called, Lovie. 295 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000 Does God want to control us? 296 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:55,000 And Shelly being the brilliant teacher she is, she said, what do you think? 297 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,000 He says, well, he's kind of the boss. 298 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,000 And she said, ah. 299 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:10,000 But in John 15, 15 he says, I no longer call you servants, I call you friends. 300 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:15,000 And then he said, touch the peanut butter, please. 301 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,000 I call you friends. 302 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,000 I'm afraid, again, I don't blame my parents. 303 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 I don't blame the preachers in my life. 304 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,000 I don't blame anybody. 305 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:32,000 I just had in my mind a picture that was incorrect. 306 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000 God the Father sits in the big chair. 307 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Right? 308 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:45,000 God the Son sits in the smaller chair. 309 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:50,000 The Holy Spirit sits in the folding chair. 310 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:55,000 I'm just telling you how my little mind worked, OK? 311 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,000 And that is incorrect. 312 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:11,000 In fact, as soon as God, and I'm not sure God, well, we could talk about this all day. 313 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:16,000 The three gods who are all equal and all one, and don't ask me to explain that. 314 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000 If anyone says they can, you listen politely, and then you say, wait till I get to heaven. 315 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,000 I had not seen or heard. 316 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,000 But don't let any preacher compare to you. 317 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000 They understand the Trinity. 318 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000 Or don't let some critical Adventist say, I don't believe in the Trinity. 319 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,000 God bless them. 320 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,000 Very clear that the Holy Spirit was a person. 321 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 You can't lie to a table. 322 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,000 Peter said you lied to the Holy Spirit. 323 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,000 That's another topic. 324 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,000 All three are equal. 325 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:43,000 All three love us. 326 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,000 They all three have pre, what's it called? 327 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,000 They know what's going to happen before it happens, foreknowledge. 328 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:54,000 They knew when they created Lucifer that he was going to mess up. 329 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Why didn't they just skip Lucifer? 330 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,000 Because God is love. 331 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:08,000 And at the risk of starting to stack religious, I believe when God, God, and God created the angels and created Lucifer, 332 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,000 they said to each other words of comfort, which was this. 333 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:20,000 Look, we know what's going to happen. 334 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,000 But it's only for a weekend. 335 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,000 Does anyone understand what I'm saying? 336 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,000 God has no beginning, no end. 337 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:36,000 In our little earth, we can argue about how old it is, but our little earth is so many years old. 338 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:41,000 But to God, it's just a weekend. 339 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,000 And dare I say, God can't help himself. 340 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,000 He's love. 341 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 He wanted to create, but he refused to do an assembly line creation. 342 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:54,000 He said, hey, let's make man in our image. 343 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,000 Wow. 344 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,000 Does that mean the other worlds that exist, and we believe there are other worlds? 345 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:05,000 Be careful how you share that because people might get confused. 346 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:12,000 But there was something about this little earthlings that was different. 347 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,000 Now we're going to fall in a trap that says that was better. 348 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,000 Stop it. 349 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,000 And God is love. 350 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,000 I mean, why didn't he not put, why didn't he forget putting the tree there? 351 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Because he wants them to choose him out of love. 352 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,000 Love. 353 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Not a Christian song, but it's very appropriate. 354 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,000 What the world needs now is love, sweet love. 355 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,000 Love is the only thing. 356 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,000 There's just too little love. 357 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,000 And you can't crank it up. 358 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,000 How do I know that? 359 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,000 I haven't gotten to Philippians. 360 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,000 I've got to tell you to go to Romans, don't go to it, because I'll tell you the verse. 361 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Romans 5, 5 should be right up there with John 3, 16. 362 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 Here's what Romans 5, 5 says. 363 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,000 God pours his love. 364 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,000 This is God's heart, see? 365 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:08,000 God pours his love from his heart to my heart, to your heart by the Holy Spirit. 366 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,000 What a verse. 367 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:17,000 Because we cannot crank love up, but God pours it to his Holy Spirit, to us. 368 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:26,000 The atheist who goes home and says to his wife, honey, I love you, is experiencing the love of God for his wife. 369 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,000 And I think I heard someone pray an opening prayer this morning, which I love. 370 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Because here's what I thought he said. 371 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,000 And be with all your people. 372 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Who does God love the most? 373 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Who does God love the most? 374 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000 Who does God love the most? 375 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:55,000 Oh, love that will not let me go. 376 00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:06,000 I used to think that the second coming, we'll get to Philippians, I used to think that the second coming, Jesus would be smiling. 377 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Who does he love? 378 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,000 Everyone. 379 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:14,000 The man who's able to curse in his name and flipping him off and calling for the rocks and mountains is breaking his heart. 380 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,000 Explain to me the emotion of God. 381 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,000 Oh, love that will not let us go. 382 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,000 So, Romans 5 says he pours in his love, but here's what I suggest to you folks. 383 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,000 You can discuss it later and tell someone else I'm wrong. 384 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,000 That's okay. 385 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,000 I won't argue with you. 386 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:39,000 I have sometimes and that's because I haven't had good devotion. 387 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000 He doesn't just pour in love. 388 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,000 He pours in joy. 389 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,000 Back on Philippians. 390 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,000 He pours in forgiveness. 391 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,000 He pours in grace. 392 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,000 He pours in the song that you played, calm assurance. 393 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000 He pours in forgiveness. 394 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,000 He pours in everything we need. 395 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:01,000 God provides. 396 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,000 Yeah, but God helps those who help themselves. 397 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,000 That's not in the Bible. 398 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000 That was Benjamin Franklin. 399 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000 Not in the Bible. 400 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,000 God helps those who help themselves. 401 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,000 God helps those who can't help themselves. 402 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,000 In other words, the goodness of God draws everyone. 403 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Everyone. 404 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:30,000 And by the way, America, God is not American. 405 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:39,000 That's as far as I'll go with that. 406 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,000 God is multi-national. 407 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:48,000 God is not pro-women and not pro-men and not, stop it. 408 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 It's all equal in level with the cross. 409 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,000 And dear old folks, don't think you've got a corner on Jesus. 410 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000 And don't you young people think you old folks are out of touch. 411 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,000 You make a pretty good blend here. 412 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,000 We need each other. 413 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,000 No word does it say go into all the world of the church and judge the world. 414 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,000 And judge the church. 415 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:15,000 Deliver us from being those Supreme Court justices. 416 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,000 You don't know what Christians are like, oh Lord, all you're preaching about is love. 417 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:23,000 Well, yeah, I probably will. 418 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,000 But when I say love, I mean Jesus. 419 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:30,000 And so back to the Trinity. 420 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:31,000 It wasn't the big chair. 421 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:35,000 They all three huddled together. 422 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,000 My simple mind. 423 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,000 And I don't know what they were called before creation, before the world. 424 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:50,000 But Jesus God, we gave him that name down here, said, look, he didn't say if something goes wrong. 425 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 When it goes wrong, I'll go down. 426 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,000 I'll do the Bethlehem thing. 427 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,000 And the others who say. 428 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000 And then and then you'll stay with me and you'll guide me. 429 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,000 But Jesus, when he came down, he didn't know as he was in a diaper. 430 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,000 Oh, I'm God. 431 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,000 He didn't know that. 432 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:11,000 He didn't know he grew in stature and wisdom in favor with the he didn't know. 433 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,000 That's why when he said, I don't know when I'm going to come again. 434 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:20,000 At that time, he didn't know. 435 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:26,000 And then in my simple mind, forgive me, Holy Spirit says, OK, when you come back up, 436 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:32,000 steps to Christ says, with your glorified resurrected body, I'll come down. 437 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Jesus did have that figured out because he said, it's best for you that I go. 438 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,000 Because when the spirit comes, he can be with you at Capernaum in Bethlehem in Jerusalem. 439 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,000 He can be with you everywhere. 440 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:42,000 I can't right now. 441 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,000 He knew exactly what he was talking about. 442 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,000 And then we don't want you to go. 443 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,000 Just listen. 444 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,000 I wonder why God gave us two ears, two eyes, two nostrils in one mouth. 445 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Just listen. 446 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:02,000 And so Jesus goes up, remember, goes up. 447 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,000 This is an axe. 448 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,000 And then who shows up? 449 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,000 Hey, you guys, why are you looking up there? 450 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000 Don't you know what comes up? 451 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,000 What goes up? 452 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,000 Just as he's going to go up, he's going to come back. 453 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:24,000 And then finally, you all like this term, those 11 losers actually did what Jesus said. 454 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,000 They went into the upper room, like you've done today. 455 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,000 They sang some songs. 456 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,000 They had some prayer. 457 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,000 Took up some offerings. 458 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:40,000 But they sat, sounds like Quakers, be still. 459 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:41,000 Good verse, isn't it? 460 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,000 Be still and know that I'm God. 461 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,000 What would be the opposite of that busy Adventist? 462 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Be busy and forget. 463 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,000 You don't have to be robbing banks. 464 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,000 Just be busy. 465 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,000 Shelley and I lived together for 49 years. 466 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Strong woman, spiritual giant. 467 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,000 When I'm in my office in the morning, she'll say, you're ready to have devotions now? 468 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Quite frankly, I'm not. 469 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000 But am I going to tell Shelley that? 470 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000 I mean, I'm busy fixing my paper clips. 471 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,000 She says, you don't want to have devotions now? 472 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,000 Okay. 473 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,000 I don't know what she thinks when I call her to it, but we take turns. 474 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,000 Oh, so you think you're saved by devotions, huh? 475 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:23,000 Let's go. 476 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:30,000 No, but breathing is important. 477 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Okay. 478 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:35,000 Now let's start before we finish. 479 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,000 Servants of Christ, but now we're also what? 480 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,000 We're friends of Christ. 481 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,000 Now we'll give the next verse. 482 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,000 To all God's holy people. 483 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:47,000 Anyone have a different word for that in your Bible? 484 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:48,000 Saints? 485 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,000 Oh dear. 486 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,000 Oh dear. 487 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:53,000 Holy people or saints? 488 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:57,000 Are you holy people and saints? 489 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:02,000 I'm going to get pregnant Paul out here. 490 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Paul's favorite expression is two words, in Christ. 491 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:13,000 He says that I think it's 159 times, somebody smart counted it. 492 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,000 And here's what in Christ means. 493 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,000 Watch my hand. 494 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:26,000 When I put my hand in my Bible, wherever the Bible goes, my hand goes, because the hand is in Bible. 495 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:33,000 To be in Christ means wherever you go, you're in a relationship with Him. 496 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:40,000 And if you're in a relationship with Him, you're covered by His robe of righteousness and He considers you saints. 497 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,000 What? 498 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,000 I miss it. 499 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,000 We're coming to the last thing. 500 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,000 We're four things. 501 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,000 We're servants. 502 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,000 We're friends. 503 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,000 We're saints. 504 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,000 But you're also saints. 505 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,000 You can't be a saint and a sinner at the time. 506 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,000 Oh really? 507 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,000 What did Moses do right before he died? 508 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,000 Messed up. 509 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Died and God took him to heaven. 510 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,000 Really took Satan off. 511 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,000 What did Peter do with Jesus in the courtyard? 512 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,000 Cussed his head off because he was a good fisherman cusser. 513 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:26,000 And then he went to Gethsemane, right where Jesus was, and the man was born again. 514 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,000 He was with Jesus for three years, but he finally got it. 515 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,000 That's why I call him losers. 516 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,000 No offense. 517 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,000 So are you and so am I. 518 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,000 But we're in Christ. 519 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:44,000 On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground or behavior is sinking sand. 520 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,000 So I ask teenagers, are you saints? 521 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,000 And you say, oh I'm not a saint. 522 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,000 I'm sorry, you're arguing with God. 523 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:57,000 Because God says, if you're in a relationship with me, you're a saint. 524 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000 Now don't go out of here and say, I'm a saint. 525 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Now you've got a problem with pride. 526 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,000 The song that he played was Calm Assurance. 527 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,000 Blessed assurance, Jesus might be mine. 528 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,000 Oh maybe what a possibility of glory divine. 529 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,000 Occasional submission, nothing's for sure. 530 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,000 Is that what it says? 531 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,000 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. 532 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 Oh what a foretaste. 533 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,000 You know what the word glory means? 534 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,000 Nine times out of ten it means his character. 535 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:40,000 Oh remember Jesus said in his prayer, Lord let your glory shine through me. 536 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:46,000 When you go about your Monday through Friday stuff, wherever you go, 537 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:53,000 you're either letting God's glory shine through you or something else is going on. 538 00:29:53,000 --> 00:30:01,000 But I'm preaching to the choir because you're here every Sabbath to worship God in spirit and in truth and enjoy it. 539 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,000 Enjoy it. 540 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:12,000 Okay quickly, for all God's holy people in Christ, Jesus at Philippi together with overseers and deacons, 541 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,000 here's Paul's favorite two words, verse two, grace and peace to you. 542 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,000 Remember what Romans 5 says? 543 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Where's the peace end? With Jesus in the vessel you still have smiling at the storm because he pours in the comfort. 544 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Verse three, I thank my God every time I remember you and all my prayers for all of you. 545 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,000 I always pray with joy. 546 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,000 A girl got in front of College of Yale University Church one day and here's how she started her prayer. 547 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,000 See how you greet this prayer. 548 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:48,000 Everyone was in church, she came up to the microphone and she said, good morning buddy. 549 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:53,000 I don't think she was invited back to have an opening prayer. 550 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Is God our buddy? 551 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,000 Yeah, but I'm not going to pray that way with you. 552 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,000 Neither am I going to go most mighty. 553 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:10,000 I'm going to pray Jesus. 554 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,000 Prayer is the opening part to God as a friend. 555 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,000 Great chapter in prayer in the steps of Christ. 556 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,000 Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 557 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 I thank my God every time I remember you and all my prayers for all of you. 558 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:22,000 I always pray with joy. 559 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:23,000 How do you pray with joy? 560 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,000 I think I heard some praying like that this morning. 561 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,000 I think I heard some joy. 562 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,000 Is it okay to snicker in a prayer? 563 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,000 I do sometimes. 564 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:39,000 You might not be comfortable with that so don't snicker. 565 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,000 The joy of the Lord is our strength. 566 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,000 Rejoice in it always. 567 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,000 He wrote these things when he was in a prison. 568 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,000 Dear Lord, there goes another roach, there goes another rat. 569 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,000 Rejoice in it Lord always. 570 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 But I don't feel like rejoicing. 571 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,000 Who cares how you feel? Rejoice. 572 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,000 That's what he says at this scene. 573 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,000 I'm coming to the first promise and we're going to stop. 574 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,000 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, verse 5, 575 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 because of your partnership in the gospel. 576 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Oh, we've got to do this. 577 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:13,000 If I ask most of you today what the gospel is, 9 out of 10 of you will say, 578 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:18,000 it's the good news, which is nice, but tells me nothing. 579 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,000 So now I'm going to educate you on what the gospel is. 580 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:24,000 Just take a second. 581 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,000 And I'm a little slow so it might take a second. 582 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:35,000 The birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, 583 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,000 the resurrection of Christ, and then we skip as admonitions to the second coming of Christ, 584 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,000 leaving out a small detail. 585 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,000 Now I've got to start over again. 586 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:49,000 The birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, 587 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000 the gift of the Holy Spirit of Christ. 588 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,000 That's where we are right now, Book of Acts. 589 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,000 That's where we are. 590 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:00,000 And I want to be Holy Spirit possessed. 591 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,000 There's nothing wrong with the word possessed. 592 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,000 It's who you're possessed by. 593 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:08,000 The person who is possessed of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, 594 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,000 will be loving, warm, not critical. 595 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:17,000 You know, I've actually heard churches argue about what color carpet they should put in the church, 596 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,000 and it becomes a battlefield. 597 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,000 I don't know about this church. 598 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:31,000 I'm just breathing. 599 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,000 One more time, repetition for effect. 600 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:39,000 The birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, 601 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:44,000 the gift of the Holy Spirit of Christ, the second coming, get us out of here, Christ. 602 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,000 That's the Gospel. 603 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,000 When I meet a Muslim guy, I don't go over the Gospel with him. 604 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000 The first thing I say is, tell me about your religion. 605 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:58,000 Before you preach anything, you better learn to listen. 606 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,000 The Gospel of listening. 607 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:06,000 People don't give a rip what you believe until they first realize you give a rip about them. 608 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,000 Life and...no, Christ...no. 609 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:15,000 The Minister of Healing says, Christ mingled with them as one who desired their good, 610 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,000 and when he won their confidence, what did he say? 611 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,000 Fuck me. 612 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 But I'm preaching the choir because this seems like a safe place. 613 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000 You seem very warm and friendly. I saw smiling. I saw laughter. 614 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,000 I think you're on to something here. 615 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Don't get up at me. I think you're on to something. 616 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000 I'm trying to finish. 617 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,000 Oh, the first promise. Here it comes. 618 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,000 In all my prayer, verse four, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel. 619 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:47,000 From the first day until now, being confident of this, here it comes. 620 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000 I call it the hee-hee-hee promise. 621 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,000 Put that in your Bible unless you don't write in your Bible. 622 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,000 Hee-hee-hee. Here it is. 623 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,000 He who began a good work in you, who is that? Christ. 624 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Will continue the work in you, who's that? Christ, Holy Spirit. 625 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,000 Until he comes to get you. Hee-hee-hee. 626 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,000 That's genuine joy. Not happiness, but joy. 627 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:13,000 Close with a story. 628 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,000 There's a book called Blue Light Jazz. 629 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,000 It has nothing to do with jazz, and nothing to do with the word blue. 630 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:27,000 But this guy goes to a Christian concert. 631 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,000 And the singer becomes a preacher. 632 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,000 Well, maybe the preacher shouldn't sing and the singer shouldn't preach. 633 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,000 But in this case, he told this story. 634 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,000 And it just blew my mind as I read this. 635 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,000 He said he had a buddy that was a Navy SEAL. 636 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,000 And there were some Americans who were held hostage in some place. 637 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,000 They did not go into detail. They were being held hostage. 638 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,000 And so they did what you've seen on TV when they're trying to plot something out. 639 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:55,000 They plot out the scene, what they're going to do, how they're going to do it, when they're going to do it. 640 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,000 And they got it all ready. 641 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,000 And they're an aircraft carrier. 642 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,000 And these Navy SEALs got on a helicopter. 643 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,000 And they went to the location where these hostages were. 644 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,000 And the helicopter landed perfectly. 645 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,000 They went into the place where the guys were. There they were. 646 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,000 They had the location all figured out. 647 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000 And the Navy SEALs, they got their helmets, they got their guns, they got their night goggles. 648 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,000 They got everything. 649 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,000 And they come rushing in. They see the Americans. 650 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,000 And they say, hey, we're Americans. We're here to help you. Come on. Let's go. 651 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,000 And they start going. 652 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,000 And that one of the hostages moves. 653 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,000 They're sitting on the floor. 654 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,000 Looking down at their squalor. 655 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,000 They're mentally drained. 656 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,000 They're tired. 657 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,000 They're worn out. 658 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:48,000 They're scared. 659 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:54,000 In all the planning, nobody thought of the fact that they might not want to go home. 660 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,000 But one Navy SEAL, probably God's impression. 661 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,000 Look what he did. 662 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:02,000 He took off his helmet. 663 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,000 Now catch the spiritual analogy, please. 664 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,000 He took off his helmet. 665 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,000 He laid down his gun. 666 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:15,000 Stoke off his night vision goggles. 667 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000 And then went over. 668 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:21,000 And took the posture of the hostages. 669 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:26,000 Sat down next to him so his elbow and shoulder was touching this one guy. 670 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:32,000 And he just sat straight ahead. 671 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:38,000 Then he looked over and said, we're here from America. 672 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:43,000 We're here to take you home. 673 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,000 Will you come with us? 674 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,000 And he turned back and just sat. 675 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,000 And this hostage then did this. 676 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,000 Catch the analogy. 677 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:56,000 He took his eyes off the stuff around him. 678 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:04,000 And he turned to the Navy SEAL and goes like this. Look. 679 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,000 And the first one got up. 680 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,000 And the second one got up. 681 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,000 And they followed him out to the helicopter, to the aircraft carrier. 682 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:23,000 And some of you are old enough to remember seeing a family sitting at the tarmac while their family comes down the steps. 683 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,000 You get what I'm saying? 684 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:30,000 Who's more excited about the second coming, us or Jesus? 685 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Who can bear the pain? 686 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,000 Jesus. 687 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,000 We can. 688 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:39,000 But in Jesus we can. 689 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:44,000 Whatever you do, keep coming here. 690 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,000 Keep doing what I've seen you do. 691 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:47,000 Pray. 692 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,000 Concern. 693 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Pass the mic. 694 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:51,000 Sing a song. 695 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:52,000 Give the kids something to do. 696 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:53,000 Excellent. 697 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,000 A+. 698 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,000 Keep doing it. 699 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000 Don't worship worship. 700 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,000 And don't think that you go on the right day and you're something better than someone else. 701 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,000 The cross is level. 702 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:33,000 Good to see you.