WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.220 My name is Greg Hampton. I am one of the pastors 00:00:02.220 --> 00:00:05.099 here at the house. If we have never met, I would 00:00:05.099 --> 00:00:07.400 love to meet you. I would love to grab a coffee 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:09.539 with you or some other beverage of your choice. 00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:13.339 And I would love to hear your story. I like to 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:15.800 talk about Jesus. I would love to hear how you 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:19.260 ended up here at the house, what your background 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:21.300 is, all that stuff. I would just love to get 00:00:21.300 --> 00:00:25.899 to know you. It was cool. Throughout my life 00:00:25.899 --> 00:00:28.519 as a pastor, a handful of times I've had, I remember 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:31.359 there was one time there was a young guy, maybe 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.039 like 24, and his dad started coming to the church. 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:38.100 His dad was probably, you know, late 50s. And 00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:41.299 I asked the dad, like, hey, do you want to go 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:43.439 out and get a coffee sometime? And then I saw 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:46.359 the son, and the son said, hey, my dad mentioned 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.000 that you wanted to get a coffee with him. And 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.880 he asked me, why? And he said, I just told him. 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:55.179 Probably because he wants to have coffee with 00:00:55.179 --> 00:00:59.780 you. I promise, I don't come to coffee and I 00:00:59.780 --> 00:01:02.979 don't meet people with an agenda. I really do 00:01:02.979 --> 00:01:05.280 just want to get to know you. So feel free to 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:06.760 put that on your connection card. I'd love to 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:10.319 meet you. Today we're starting a short series, 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.180 a three -week series called Follow Me. Because 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:19.280 that is what Jesus said. Jesus said, follow me. 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.969 So we're going to jump. Right in, if you want 00:01:21.969 --> 00:01:24.150 to grab your Bible, there's Bibles on the table, 00:01:24.250 --> 00:01:26.629 or you can download a Bible from any of the digital 00:01:26.629 --> 00:01:28.250 app stores. If you don't have a Bible of your 00:01:28.250 --> 00:01:30.450 own, grab one of the blue Bibles, either from 00:01:30.450 --> 00:01:34.230 the table or from the bookshelf in the lobby, 00:01:34.349 --> 00:01:36.530 and just take it home with you. It's free. So 00:01:36.530 --> 00:01:39.760 we're going to be in Matthew 4. The New Testament, 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:41.560 the Newer Testament, goes Matthew, Mark, Luke, 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:43.540 John, Acts. So it's right there at the beginning. 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:44.939 If you see any of that, you know you're in the 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:47.420 right neighborhood. And while we read the Scriptures 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:49.760 in the context of a sermon here at the house, 00:01:49.819 --> 00:01:52.340 we like to give it our full attention. You can 00:01:52.340 --> 00:01:54.200 do that any way that's most comfortable for you, 00:01:54.260 --> 00:01:56.480 but one of the ways we do that is to stand as 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:58.819 we are able. And if you'd like to stand with 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.200 me as you are able now, and I will read from 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.620 Matthew 4, and then I'm going to jump to chapter 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:09.479 9 as well. Matthew 4, starting in verse 18. As 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:11.819 Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:15.219 brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:18.379 his brother, casting a net into the sea, for 00:02:18.379 --> 00:02:21.939 they were fishers. And he said to them, Follow 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:25.020 me, and I will make you fishers of people. Immediately 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:29.639 they left their nets and followed him. As he 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:32.419 went from there, he saw two other brothers, James, 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.560 son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:38.599 boat with their father Zebedee. mending their 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.240 nets and he called them immediately they left 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:45.740 the boat in their father and followed him i'm 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:47.960 going to jump to chapter 9 okay chapter 9 verse 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:53.099 9 give me a second to turn there nine nines this 00:02:53.099 --> 00:02:56.199 as jesus was walking along he saw a man called 00:02:56.199 --> 00:02:58.939 matthew sitting at the tax collection station 00:02:58.939 --> 00:03:03.060 and he said to him follow me and he got up and 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:05.580 he followed him And as he sat at dinner in the 00:03:05.580 --> 00:03:08.900 house, many tax collectors and sinners came and 00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:11.639 were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. Let 00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:15.500 us pray. God of every tribe, every tongue, every 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:19.159 color, and every nation, we pray that you bless 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:22.699 us with ears to hear today, hearts to receive. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.199 We thank you for the scriptures that they have 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.280 persisted throughout the millennia. We still 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:32.199 have them to consider, to learn from, to be directed 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:34.500 by. And I pray that whatever you have for us 00:03:34.500 --> 00:03:37.080 to learn today, I pray that it would stick, that 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.740 it would become a part of the framework of our 00:03:39.740 --> 00:03:43.240 faith, that we would become more like your son, 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:51.919 Jesus. Amen? Amen. You can have a seat. All right, 00:03:51.939 --> 00:03:55.919 so have you ever felt like your work defined 00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:01.490 you? Did you ever feel like your work defined 00:04:01.490 --> 00:04:08.189 you? Has your work ever become your identity? 00:04:12.949 --> 00:04:19.250 I had this in my notes and I took it out. I have 00:04:19.250 --> 00:04:22.610 a career, a vocation, a job that comes with a 00:04:22.610 --> 00:04:25.829 title. And so when people don't know my name, 00:04:25.870 --> 00:04:29.620 what do they say? Hey, Pastor. Yeah, if you're 00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:32.220 a barista, people don't go, hey, barista, right? 00:04:33.939 --> 00:04:37.139 The thing that I get to do for a living, a lot 00:04:37.139 --> 00:04:38.720 of the people that do this for a living have 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.620 a really hard time not making this their identity, 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:49.680 not turning it into who they are. I think that 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:51.860 we do that for a lot of people. I think pastors 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:54.279 do that. I think that whatever it is that we 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:56.439 do for a living, I think a lot of us do that 00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:59.220 for whatever it is. that we do, we wrap so much 00:04:59.220 --> 00:05:03.339 of who someone is in what someone does. And I 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:06.139 think, I want to suggest that 2 ,000 years ago, 00:05:06.139 --> 00:05:10.819 it wasn't that different. These four fishermen, 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.980 they knew what it felt like to be defined by 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:17.639 what they did for a living. Just as much as we 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.740 feel like we might get defined by what we do 00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:24.759 for a living today. So to drop everything that 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:28.720 they were doing to follow Jesus, was no small 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:36.879 decision. It was an identity redefining decision. 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:41.860 Because they weren't leaving behind their livelihood 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:45.160 or a paycheck. They were walking away from the 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:48.600 thing that had defined them, how they were known. 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:53.889 James and John. They're described as the sons 00:05:53.889 --> 00:05:56.990 of Zebedee. So they're walking away from more 00:05:56.990 --> 00:06:00.709 than just an identity as a fisher. When they 00:06:00.709 --> 00:06:04.089 walk, they get invited by Jesus. They have to 00:06:04.089 --> 00:06:08.829 step over their father to go where they're going. 00:06:09.470 --> 00:06:11.769 They're leaving more than just the job. They're 00:06:11.769 --> 00:06:16.990 leaving family. These weren't small decisions. 00:06:17.189 --> 00:06:23.279 They were identity redefining. Now, I don't know 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:25.259 how many times that you have had to change careers. 00:06:25.939 --> 00:06:28.199 Sometimes we just change jobs. Sometimes we change 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:31.920 careers. Or how many times you've lost a job 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:33.639 and so suddenly you've had to consider like, 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.079 oh, what do I do now? Is this a time to change 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:39.980 vocations and careers? Or do I find something 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:42.139 that is exactly the same? But I've been there. 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.139 I've been in that situation where something fell 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:47.259 through and suddenly we're having to go, okay. 00:06:48.039 --> 00:06:50.259 What are we going to do? How do I even feel about 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:53.120 myself that this thing fell through and that 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.459 this thing isn't going to work out? I had to 00:06:56.459 --> 00:06:59.540 think about who I thought that I was or what 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:07.459 I was capable of doing. Back in 2004. For you 00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:11.899 kids, that was 21 years ago. That's a while. 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:18.050 I was the worship pastor at a church. in Moline 00:07:18.050 --> 00:07:20.389 but the grant that was funding the position that 00:07:20.389 --> 00:07:23.050 I had was running out and so they were essentially 00:07:23.050 --> 00:07:24.689 taught well we can probably keep you on but you'll 00:07:24.689 --> 00:07:26.709 essentially they were like here's three jobs 00:07:26.709 --> 00:07:29.129 that you can do so that we can justify keeping 00:07:29.129 --> 00:07:31.209 you on and then something else that I was doing 00:07:31.209 --> 00:07:34.360 was kind of being phased out and So Cindy and 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:35.879 I just kind of thought, well, maybe it's time 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:37.779 to move on. Maybe we're being called to something 00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:41.199 else. We happened to then meet another pastor 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:43.279 at the same time named Gene. He'd been hired 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.240 to relaunch a ministry at the church that Cindy 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.100 and I had met at, and a ministry that we had 00:07:49.100 --> 00:07:51.360 loved because we had been a part of it, and they 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.439 were going to start it back up again and turn 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:56.500 it into something else. And Gene wanted me to 00:07:56.500 --> 00:08:00.589 be the worship arts pastor. for this ministry, 00:08:00.689 --> 00:08:03.189 which is absurd because Jen was also involved. 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:06.149 So the idea that I was the worship arts pastor 00:08:06.149 --> 00:08:08.410 when Jen was involved was kind of laughable at 00:08:08.410 --> 00:08:12.509 this point. But he wanted me to have this role. 00:08:12.750 --> 00:08:19.189 But there was one catch. The pay was zero. So 00:08:19.189 --> 00:08:25.490 we did, any rational young couple does, we sold 00:08:25.490 --> 00:08:30.250 our house and we moved into his basement. And 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:32.450 the plan was that we would live with them in 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:36.309 their basement apartment until the church was 00:08:36.309 --> 00:08:39.549 able to turn this job into a paid position because 00:08:39.549 --> 00:08:42.590 that was the idea. It wasn't, oh, you'll just 00:08:42.590 --> 00:08:48.710 do this for free forever. That same year, we 00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:51.590 got pregnant with our first child. And Cindy 00:08:51.590 --> 00:08:53.129 can correct me if I'm wrong, but I honestly don't 00:08:53.129 --> 00:08:54.549 feel like when we first found out that we were 00:08:54.549 --> 00:08:57.389 really worried. I mean, it was like, oh. But 00:08:57.389 --> 00:08:59.730 we had this sense that this is going to work 00:08:59.730 --> 00:09:03.509 out. This is going to happen. We were walking 00:09:03.509 --> 00:09:07.450 in faith. In a lot of ways, faith defined who 00:09:07.450 --> 00:09:12.509 I thought I was. We really believed that this 00:09:12.509 --> 00:09:15.850 ministry was going to work out. And then it did 00:09:15.850 --> 00:09:19.590 not. The pastor that was above the pastor we 00:09:19.590 --> 00:09:22.610 worked for was like, well, I don't think we need 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:26.340 that. And essentially... I've said essentially 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:31.059 four times today. What turns out to be a future 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:35.980 hope turns into a present problem. My wife is 00:09:35.980 --> 00:09:38.960 pregnant. I have no income other than I was helping 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:41.019 lead worship at another church sometimes on Sunday 00:09:41.019 --> 00:09:48.659 mornings. I had to get a job. So the first job 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:50.299 that I could find, because that's the kind of 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:53.860 job you get when you have no job. Did you hear 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:58.149 me? Sometimes the job you get when you have no 00:09:58.149 --> 00:10:02.470 job is the first job. Sometimes I meet people 00:10:02.470 --> 00:10:03.629 that are like, well, I'm just waiting for the 00:10:03.629 --> 00:10:06.049 right thing. And bills are piling up. You know 00:10:06.049 --> 00:10:07.870 what makes you really appealing as someone that 00:10:07.870 --> 00:10:12.289 can get a job? Having a job. Because people go, 00:10:12.450 --> 00:10:14.590 oh, you're already hired somewhere? Oh, you're 00:10:14.590 --> 00:10:18.250 hireable? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'm on a little soapbox 00:10:18.250 --> 00:10:21.929 here. But the first job I could get. Okay, I 00:10:21.929 --> 00:10:24.450 told one person and my family can't say, but 00:10:24.450 --> 00:10:28.210 just guess. In generic terms, where was the first 00:10:28.210 --> 00:10:31.649 place I could get a job? Ready, set, go. Okay, 00:10:31.710 --> 00:10:35.009 did anybody say a factory? I didn't think so. 00:10:36.289 --> 00:10:40.669 I got a job at a factory. Now, to be clear, I 00:10:40.669 --> 00:10:42.990 was not hired at this factory because I was qualified 00:10:42.990 --> 00:10:45.450 or even because I was looking for a job in a 00:10:45.450 --> 00:10:47.730 factory. I got a job in a factory because someone 00:10:47.730 --> 00:10:51.080 knew I needed a job. And they had a friend of 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:54.179 a friend that was looking to start a new position 00:10:54.179 --> 00:11:00.000 at a factory that manufactured agricultural parts 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:03.759 for places like John Deere. And they needed someone 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.100 that would be the split shift shipping manager 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:12.259 from 11... to 7 or 11 to 7 30 every day to kind 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:14.120 of make sure there wasn't a lull there between 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:17.059 shifts and someone would be in charge of making 00:11:17.059 --> 00:11:19.220 sure that everywhere everything got where it 00:11:19.220 --> 00:11:23.340 was meant to go and so my first day at the factory 00:11:23.340 --> 00:11:25.860 if you're going to be a manager of something 00:11:25.860 --> 00:11:27.899 like that the first thing you have to do is learn 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:32.179 to do everything else right and so they put me 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:34.580 to work the first thing that i had to learn was 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:38.120 how to pack the shipments If I was going to be 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:40.019 the one in charge of telling people how to pack 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:44.419 this stuff, I had to know how to do it. So I'll 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:49.919 tell you how to do it. You make a box and then 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:53.159 you put some oil in it because these are heavy 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:57.919 metal machinery, machined parts that are going 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:00.960 inside of a combine somewhere. And you put down 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.620 the metal and you put down the part and then 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:06.399 you put metal and then paper and then oil. And 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:09.340 then the metal, and then oil, and then some paper, 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.480 and then some more oil, and then another piece 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:15.539 of metal, and oil. You would just fill up the 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:18.419 box with oil and metal is what you were doing. 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:20.960 And then when that box was filled with oil and 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:23.039 metal, you would then fill another box with oil 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:26.460 and metal, and another box with oil and metal. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.899 When I got home that night, there was oil everywhere. 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:34.519 Guys, I had steel -toed boots. Are you impressed? 00:12:35.389 --> 00:12:39.409 But I was covered, just covered, because my dad 00:12:39.409 --> 00:12:45.149 did this kind of work his entire life. I am your 00:12:45.149 --> 00:12:51.549 son, right? Because it just wasn't in me. And 00:12:51.549 --> 00:12:54.289 I had like six or seven cuts on my hands from 00:12:54.289 --> 00:12:57.289 all the parts. And again, Cindy can correct me 00:12:57.289 --> 00:12:59.850 if I'm wrong, but I feel like I made the argument, 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:03.330 and I used the justification, I'm a guitar player. 00:13:03.950 --> 00:13:06.889 I'm a worship leader. I can't do this. I'd start 00:13:06.889 --> 00:13:08.669 convincing myself I was going to get injured. 00:13:08.870 --> 00:13:12.110 I was going to hurt my hands. I would lose the 00:13:12.110 --> 00:13:16.309 vocational identity, the skill that I thought 00:13:16.309 --> 00:13:22.610 that I needed by working at this factory. And 00:13:22.610 --> 00:13:27.230 y 'all, that is the story of the time that I 00:13:27.230 --> 00:13:38.259 worked at a factory for one day. I'm not exaggerating. 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:43.399 I don't think I even went in to get the check 00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:45.919 for the one day. I think they mailed it to me. 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:51.120 To this day, when I meet people that work in 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.720 factories, people that work on lines, people 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:57.899 that work with their hands, I know how much respect 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:05.899 they deserve. Because I tried. And I failed. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:11.379 I automatically hold a positive view of someone 00:14:11.379 --> 00:14:15.120 that has that identity of what they are capable 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:17.980 of because for one day I tried to do what they 00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:21.299 did and what they do. And I didn't feel like 00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:28.200 I could do that long term. And I also think that 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:31.440 maybe I don't blame any factory member for looking 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.399 at me and thinking that I wouldn't last a week. 00:14:36.779 --> 00:14:40.799 Been times in my life where I actually felt small 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:44.440 next to people that I knew that worked in factories. 00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:49.299 Because of this experience, it changed how I 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:54.100 felt about myself. Now think about those four 00:14:54.100 --> 00:15:01.980 disciples. These fishers, often working through 00:15:01.980 --> 00:15:06.460 the night, dragging in nets. full of fish soaked 00:15:06.460 --> 00:15:10.120 in water, hands calloused, their bodies covered 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:15.299 in the odor of their work. They knew what it 00:15:15.299 --> 00:15:19.919 meant to work hard. I bet they could pick the 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:22.659 people out of the crowd that they thought could 00:15:22.659 --> 00:15:27.379 cut it. The people they thought, ah, I bet they 00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:33.990 could do it. That guy's got no chance. Jesus 00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:36.990 comes along, calls them out of that work into 00:15:36.990 --> 00:15:40.809 another work, and then the very next disciple 00:15:40.809 --> 00:15:45.309 that we are introduced to is a tax collector. 00:15:49.230 --> 00:15:52.490 Matthew was a man that did not work for a living. 00:15:54.250 --> 00:15:55.809 Culturally, that's what they would have said. 00:15:57.649 --> 00:16:02.379 He doesn't work for a living. Tax collectors 00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:05.899 were looked at as thieves and often as traitors. 00:16:06.899 --> 00:16:14.620 They were living on other people's money. People 00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:20.940 like fishermen that had worked hard for their 00:16:20.940 --> 00:16:25.919 wage. And then Matthew makes his living by taking 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:31.059 a percentage. And what's worth is that he was... 00:16:31.450 --> 00:16:35.070 collecting those taxes for a puppet king that 00:16:35.070 --> 00:16:42.250 had been put in place by the Roman Empire. It's 00:16:42.250 --> 00:16:44.889 not a stretch to say that there was a chasm between 00:16:44.889 --> 00:16:52.250 fishermen and tax collectors. They were on opposite 00:16:52.250 --> 00:17:00.610 ends of the spectrum. And I think that's why, 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.119 If you noticed, we started in chapter 4, and 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:07.240 then we meet Matthew in what chapter? 9, yeah. 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:13.700 I think the chasm between them is the reason 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:17.680 that Jesus teaches them all the stuff between 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:25.680 them meeting. What do I mean? In chapter 5, Jesus 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:30.160 teaches about anger and murder. He... He says, 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:32.720 even if you're just angry with your brother or 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:37.259 your sister, you're in danger of judgment. Even 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:40.440 if you think these things in your mind, you're 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:44.140 essentially committing murder against them. If 00:17:44.140 --> 00:17:49.279 you even just call someone raka or a fool, you 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.240 are in danger of judgment. How many times have 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:58.059 we called the IRS any number of words that can't 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:04.210 be mentioned from a place? Jesus says don't do 00:18:04.210 --> 00:18:08.390 that. And then Jesus says to turn the other cheek 00:18:08.390 --> 00:18:12.049 when you feel insulted or injured or put down 00:18:12.049 --> 00:18:16.630 upon by someone. Turn the other cheek. Don't 00:18:16.630 --> 00:18:22.089 repay evil for evil. If you are a Jew living 00:18:22.089 --> 00:18:24.250 in the first century, you know what is evil? 00:18:24.710 --> 00:18:30.349 The Roman Empire. You know what is evil by extension? 00:18:31.230 --> 00:18:37.190 One of your own brethren. Someone of your same 00:18:37.190 --> 00:18:40.750 personhood. Matthew, also a Jewish man, collecting 00:18:40.750 --> 00:18:44.589 money from your hard work to give it to Herod 00:18:44.589 --> 00:18:48.650 and the Roman Empire. He says, do not repay evil 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:54.789 for evil. Because Jesus then teaches them, you 00:18:54.789 --> 00:18:58.579 should love your enemies. Pray for those who 00:18:58.579 --> 00:19:05.440 persecute you. Do good to those that harm you. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:10.299 And in chapter 7, Jesus teaches them to be slow 00:19:10.299 --> 00:19:15.160 to judgment. He says, before you try and remove 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:20.759 that speck, that piece of dirt that you think 00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:24.099 is in their eye, why don't you try and get that 00:19:24.099 --> 00:19:28.750 2x6? That's blocking your view off of your face. 00:19:32.190 --> 00:19:37.509 And then he says, you should do unto others as 00:19:37.509 --> 00:19:42.150 you would have them do to you. You don't think 00:19:42.150 --> 00:19:45.150 that maybe, just maybe that Jesus taught all 00:19:45.150 --> 00:19:48.450 of this between calling four fishermen and one 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:52.089 tax collector so that they could overcome the 00:19:52.089 --> 00:19:56.319 opinions. The stereotypes and the prejudice that 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.960 they might have felt for each other when Jesus 00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:06.480 called Matthew. I don't think it's that much 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:12.339 of a stretch. I feel that he did because Jesus 00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:18.039 had always planned on calling dramatically different 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:25.680 disciples. Who do we think is so dramatically 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:30.779 different that we don't think they belong? Maybe 00:20:30.779 --> 00:20:33.680 we're in management and so we don't spend much 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:39.680 time with the people down on the line. Maybe 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:44.160 we have money and so we don't spend much time 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.839 with people that don't. Maybe we're a Democrat 00:20:46.839 --> 00:20:49.759 and we just don't believe that anyone that voted 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.319 for Donald J. Trump could possibly follow Jesus. 00:20:55.819 --> 00:21:00.380 We divide ourselves every possible way that we 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:05.000 can. And sadly, research shows that in the last 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:07.920 20 years, the percentage of people that believe 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.940 here in America that we are greatly divided, 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:18.740 that number has gotten worse by 15%. Listen, 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.400 I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't confront 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:24.390 issues. I'm not saying that we shouldn't. Use 00:21:24.390 --> 00:21:26.829 wisdom. I'm not even saying that we should ignore 00:21:26.829 --> 00:21:30.910 bad behavior. Of course, we shouldn't do those 00:21:30.910 --> 00:21:33.490 things. What I am saying is that when Jesus called 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:36.650 those fishermen, they ceased to be who people 00:21:36.650 --> 00:21:44.289 thought they were based on what they did. And 00:21:44.289 --> 00:21:47.589 they became something new because of who they 00:21:47.589 --> 00:21:52.450 followed. And when Jesus called the tax collector, 00:21:52.730 --> 00:21:57.009 he ceased to be all the ugly things that people 00:21:57.009 --> 00:22:07.789 thought of him. Because of who he followed. Jesus 00:22:07.789 --> 00:22:17.529 gives us a new identity. When we follow Jesus, 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:29.220 It is identity redefining. Jesus gives us a new 00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:34.079 way to identify, to look at ourselves and know 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:37.779 who we are. And he does it in a way that helps 00:22:37.779 --> 00:22:42.220 us to really believe that we all belong together. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:47.900 Fishers, tax collectors, Republicans and Democrats, 00:22:48.180 --> 00:22:52.230 gay, straight, black. Hispanic and Asian and 00:22:52.230 --> 00:22:56.349 white. We all belong together because in Christ, 00:22:56.470 --> 00:23:04.670 he gives us an identity that we share. Jesus 00:23:04.670 --> 00:23:08.089 is calling dramatically different disciples and 00:23:08.089 --> 00:23:10.369 he defines us as more than what we have done 00:23:10.369 --> 00:23:21.049 or what we do for a living. I think it's true. 00:23:21.490 --> 00:23:26.089 I'm not saying that it's not fair. I think we 00:23:26.089 --> 00:23:31.190 have to get better at admitting that we are afraid 00:23:31.190 --> 00:23:36.970 sometimes of who we might have to accept. We 00:23:36.970 --> 00:23:44.789 have to get better at admitting that sometimes 00:23:44.789 --> 00:23:47.430 we are afraid of who we might have to accept. 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:59.380 But if we follow Jesus, he will teach us how 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:23.200 in the space between. Amen? Let's pray. I want 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:26.819 you all just for a moment to let the Holy Spirit 00:24:26.819 --> 00:24:32.380 remind you of the moment that you felt the most 00:24:32.380 --> 00:24:40.960 brave in following Jesus. Just let the Holy Spirit 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:44.160 remind you right now of the moment you felt the 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:48.440 most brave where you stepped over your father 00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:54.329 to get to him. Where you left your nets behind. 00:24:55.390 --> 00:24:58.170 Where you left behind a lucrative job as a tax 00:24:58.170 --> 00:25:21.640 collector. And hear me say this. You are right 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:28.960 now that same person. And that bravery and the 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:30.779 way that you felt like God was finding you in 00:25:30.779 --> 00:25:37.839 that moment is still true of you right now. Jesus, 00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:42.000 help us to follow you boldly. It says that they 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.640 immediately followed you. I pray that today, 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:48.579 whatever it is that we feel you calling us to, 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:54.759 that we would... Follow you immediately. Even 00:25:54.759 --> 00:25:58.039 if it means that we leave behind some version 00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:03.460 of how we identify ourselves. Of how we define 00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:17.180 ourselves. Help me to be just a little bit more 00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:21.299 bold like I was. When I would sell a house and 00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:30.299 move into a basement. And help us remember that 00:26:30.299 --> 00:26:37.640 moment. And walk from there. We love you, God. 00:26:37.700 --> 00:26:40.660 We love you. Amen.