WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.139 All right, so this morning, if I seem to be relying 00:00:05.139 --> 00:00:08.099 on my notes a little bit more than normal, it's 00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:10.460 because this all got rewritten yesterday and 00:00:10.460 --> 00:00:14.580 this morning, just because of what's happening 00:00:14.580 --> 00:00:18.170 in the world. If you've never joined us before, 00:00:18.329 --> 00:00:20.109 thank you so much for being here. I would actually 00:00:20.109 --> 00:00:22.489 love to meet you. Put your information on the 00:00:22.489 --> 00:00:24.469 connection card at the end. I'll make sure to 00:00:24.469 --> 00:00:26.289 connect with you. Again, my name is Greg Hampton. 00:00:26.589 --> 00:00:29.670 I'm one of the pastors here. Today we are starting 00:00:29.670 --> 00:00:33.490 a series called How To. And like I said, I did 00:00:33.490 --> 00:00:37.070 write a sermon for this. I promise. I did my 00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:42.350 job and I wrote a sermon. And then the world 00:00:42.350 --> 00:00:47.960 was just what the world was this week. So throughout 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:49.780 the course of the next five weeks, we are going 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:52.659 to do some pretty practical how -to. We're going 00:00:52.659 --> 00:00:54.539 to talk about how to pray, how to study the scriptures, 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:58.179 how to fellowship. Maybe the last one might be 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:02.500 how to serve. But this week, there was just too 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:05.400 much happening that it didn't feel right. Like, 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:06.939 I'm just going to go with this sermon that I 00:01:06.939 --> 00:01:15.909 got into the can by Wednesday afternoon. As of 00:01:15.909 --> 00:01:23.689 right now, by one report, 680 ,000 people have 00:01:23.689 --> 00:01:31.609 died in Gaza. 680 ,000. And the majority of those 00:01:31.609 --> 00:01:34.670 are believed to be children. Hundreds of thousands 00:01:34.670 --> 00:01:37.370 of people have died in what seems to be a completely 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:43.659 senseless war between Ukraine and Russia. In 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:47.599 2025, there have been nine school shootings in 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:52.859 America. There have been 309 mass shootings in 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:58.680 America. In June, two politicians in Minnesota 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:00.780 were killed in their homes. Another two were 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:05.780 injured in their homes. And this week, a political 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:10.360 commentator and activist was publicly assassinated 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:21.879 of people on a college campus. Jesus said in 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:26.460 John 16, Do you now believe the hour is coming? 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:28.800 Indeed, it has come when you will be scattered, 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:31.419 each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.840 Yet I am not alone because the Father is with 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:38.219 me. I have said this to you so that in me you 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:42.939 may have peace. In the world you face persecution 00:02:42.939 --> 00:02:46.599 and will have troubles, but take courage, for 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:51.039 I have overcome the world. There are moments 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:55.180 when it does not feel like Jesus has overcome 00:02:55.180 --> 00:03:01.500 the world. I said there are moments when it feels 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:13.740 like Jesus has not overcome the world. One thing 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:16.419 after another, as each thing happened this week, 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:21.520 my feelings told me that Jesus has not conquered 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:35.599 the world. Dr. King said, violence multiplies 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:39.080 violence, and toughness multiplies toughness 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:43.550 in a descending spiral of destruction. So when 00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:45.930 Jesus says, love your enemies, he is setting 00:03:45.930 --> 00:03:50.530 forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. 00:03:51.009 --> 00:03:54.389 Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern 00:03:54.389 --> 00:03:58.810 world that we must love our enemies or else? 00:03:59.949 --> 00:04:04.050 The chain reaction of evil, hate begetting hate, 00:04:04.210 --> 00:04:08.710 wars producing wars must be broken or we shall 00:04:08.710 --> 00:04:12.639 be plunged into the dark abyss. of annihilation. 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:21.839 We have to stop the chain action. We have to 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:27.220 stop the dominoes from falling one into the other. 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.980 And even when I don't feel like Jesus has overcome 00:04:30.980 --> 00:04:36.220 all of the darkness of the world, I do believe 00:04:36.220 --> 00:04:45.379 it. I may not feel it, but I believe it. The 00:04:45.379 --> 00:04:49.319 challenging part is to get that belief to overcome 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:57.180 my feelings. Instead of the other way around. 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:00.959 On Thursday, someone messaged me. They said that 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:04.839 they felt so angry. They are a person that has 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:11.180 been pushed to the margins. They are a person 00:05:11.180 --> 00:05:15.639 that is easy to cover with hateful words in the 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:20.420 name of religion. They walked away from church 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:24.379 many, many years ago, but they said they still 00:05:24.379 --> 00:05:28.720 believe in Jesus. They messaged me because they 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:30.779 felt that they had said some things the day before 00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:34.160 and that morning about what had happened in Utah 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:38.420 on Wednesday that didn't reflect what they thought 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:41.990 about Jesus. Because they were saying it out 00:05:41.990 --> 00:05:45.629 of all the anger that they felt. They asked me 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:48.970 what they should do with all the anger that they 00:05:48.970 --> 00:05:57.850 feel. Because the person that had died had said 00:05:57.850 --> 00:06:01.329 a lot of things that made it easy for a lot of 00:06:01.329 --> 00:06:08.160 people to mistreat them. But again, they said, 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:10.100 I know it's not what Jesus wants. I just don't 00:06:10.100 --> 00:06:18.319 know how to turn it off. I said, read the Sermon 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:23.839 on the Mount. I said, but don't just read it. 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:30.420 Let it read into you. Really hear Jesus saying 00:06:30.420 --> 00:06:32.379 it. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' words. 00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:37.279 Read them, and if you believe in Jesus, then 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:40.639 hear Jesus saying them to you. Let the Spirit 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:45.199 shape you as you listen to the words that you 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.220 are reading, as you listen to the words that 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:52.360 we believe that Jesus spoke. And then, as you 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:56.779 pray through the words of those scriptures multiple 00:06:56.779 --> 00:07:01.980 times, let the words of Jesus shape who you will 00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:08.910 be now. what you will say next. As I thought 00:07:08.910 --> 00:07:11.389 and I prayed on what we should do with our time, 00:07:11.509 --> 00:07:17.430 I came to the same conclusion. My sermon about 00:07:17.430 --> 00:07:20.970 what order the words belong, believe, and become 00:07:20.970 --> 00:07:24.410 should be was going to be a great sermon, I promise. 00:07:26.230 --> 00:07:29.230 But today, we need to do the same thing that 00:07:29.230 --> 00:07:32.649 I asked them to do. Because the next day I saw 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:36.990 on their Facebook page an apology saying that 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:39.529 they know that they need to learn how to love 00:07:39.529 --> 00:07:44.930 people that don't love them. And that was not 00:07:44.930 --> 00:07:49.209 me. That was the words of Jesus. We all need 00:07:49.209 --> 00:07:54.290 the words of Jesus. The world needs us to have 00:07:54.290 --> 00:07:57.750 the words of Jesus inside of us, guiding our 00:07:57.750 --> 00:08:02.759 feet and our hands and our mouths. So that the 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:06.360 way that we act does something to remove the 00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:09.959 domino from all of the things that are falling 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:19.279 one after another. We have to remove something 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:26.019 from the chain reaction, y 'all. And if we, if 00:08:26.019 --> 00:08:28.459 we will douse ourselves in the waters of our 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:33.440 baptism, we will not be ignited by the hatred 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:38.879 of the world. If we will let ourselves be covered 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:41.639 and identified by the blood of Jesus Christ, 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:48.440 then we will not be ignited by the fires of rage. 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.179 Because I believe that Jesus loves this world. 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:59.320 I believe that Jesus has taught us how to love 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:04.059 the world. And I hope that today that this will 00:09:04.059 --> 00:09:08.019 shape our hearts to break the cycle wherever 00:09:08.019 --> 00:09:13.179 each one of us is in that cycle. So what's going 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:15.919 to happen is I'm going to read the longest passage 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:17.980 of Scripture that's ever been read on a Sunday 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:21.960 morning at the house. It's chapters 5, 6, and 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:25.919 7. I was telling people earlier, there's a pastor, 00:09:26.259 --> 00:09:29.779 social activist, Christian activist. who co -founded 00:09:29.779 --> 00:09:31.440 something called the Red Letter Christians. And 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:34.820 back in 2006, he went to the Youth Specialties 00:09:34.820 --> 00:09:36.480 Conference, or whatever it was called back then. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.759 10 ,000 people that worked in youth ministry 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.139 in an arena. I happened to be there because I 00:09:42.139 --> 00:09:46.200 was living near Atlanta. And he came out, and 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:49.179 he'd been paid to come and bring some great message 00:09:49.179 --> 00:09:52.919 as one of the speakers of one of the main sessions. 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:59.029 And he came out. He opened his Bible. He read 00:09:59.029 --> 00:10:04.409 Matthew 5, 6, and 7. He closed his Bible, and 00:10:04.409 --> 00:10:09.690 he left the stage. And when people were angry 00:10:09.690 --> 00:10:12.950 with him that all he did was speak the words 00:10:12.950 --> 00:10:16.230 of Jesus, he said, there was nothing better that 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:20.450 I could have said to you. So I'm going to read, 00:10:20.669 --> 00:10:24.830 and then we're going to go back through it, and 00:10:24.830 --> 00:10:26.950 I'm going to pick out sections for us to pray 00:10:26.950 --> 00:10:29.740 about. I'm going to have a couple of the elders 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:32.139 around the building. And if at any point, as 00:10:32.139 --> 00:10:34.019 something that we're praying, if it feels difficult 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:37.080 for you, if it feels like something that you 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:40.259 don't know how to remove that part of you from 00:10:40.259 --> 00:10:43.779 the chain reaction, or if you know something 00:10:43.779 --> 00:10:45.639 that's happening that you need to pray about, 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:49.480 then come to one of those people and we will 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:51.779 pray. I will not ask you to stand because it 00:10:51.779 --> 00:11:01.769 will be very long. Father, may your... Spirit, 00:11:01.769 --> 00:11:05.470 bring to life the words of Jesus as though he 00:11:05.470 --> 00:11:10.690 were saying them to us now. When Jesus saw the 00:11:10.690 --> 00:11:15.009 crowds, he went up the mountain. And after he 00:11:15.009 --> 00:11:17.970 sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he 00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:20.629 began to speak and taught them, saying, Blessed 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:23.429 are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom 00:11:23.429 --> 00:11:26.230 of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they 00:11:26.230 --> 00:11:29.029 will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they 00:11:29.029 --> 00:11:31.809 will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who 00:11:31.809 --> 00:11:33.990 hunger and thirst for righteousness for they 00:11:33.990 --> 00:11:38.009 will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for 00:11:38.009 --> 00:11:41.970 they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure 00:11:41.970 --> 00:11:45.309 in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the 00:11:45.309 --> 00:11:47.309 peacemakers for they will be called children 00:11:47.309 --> 00:11:50.730 of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted 00:11:50.730 --> 00:11:53.509 for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom 00:11:53.509 --> 00:11:57.429 of heaven. Blessed are those Blessed are you 00:11:57.429 --> 00:12:00.409 when people revile you and persecute you and 00:12:00.409 --> 00:12:02.690 utter all kinds of evil against you falsely in 00:12:02.690 --> 00:12:05.429 my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward 00:12:05.429 --> 00:12:08.610 is great in heaven, for in the same way they 00:12:08.610 --> 00:12:11.429 persecuted the prophets who were before you. 00:12:13.009 --> 00:12:17.710 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:24.809 lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? 00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:28.019 It is no longer good for anything, but it is 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:30.179 thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the 00:12:30.179 --> 00:12:33.220 light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot 00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:37.460 be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it 00:12:37.460 --> 00:12:39.980 under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand. 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:45.700 And it gives light to all in the house. In the 00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:48.120 same way, let your light shine before others 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.039 so that they may see your good works and give 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:53.759 glory to your Father in heaven. Do not think 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:56.120 that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:59.620 I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For 00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:02.139 truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass 00:13:02.139 --> 00:13:04.799 away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:06.620 will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:09.059 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of 00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:11.299 these commandments and teaches others to do the 00:13:11.299 --> 00:13:13.240 same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:16.070 Whoever does them, and teaches them will be called 00:13:16.070 --> 00:13:18.970 great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, 00:13:18.970 --> 00:13:21.250 unless your righteousness exceeds that of the 00:13:21.250 --> 00:13:23.269 scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the 00:13:23.269 --> 00:13:26.049 kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was 00:13:26.049 --> 00:13:28.490 said to those of ancient times, you shall not 00:13:28.490 --> 00:13:31.029 murder, and whoever murders shall be liable to 00:13:31.029 --> 00:13:33.470 judgment. But I say to you that if you are angry 00:13:33.470 --> 00:13:36.830 with a brother or sister, you will be liable 00:13:36.830 --> 00:13:39.769 to judgment. And if you insult a brother or sister, 00:13:39.990 --> 00:13:42.309 you will be liable to the council. And if you 00:13:42.309 --> 00:13:45.360 say you fool, You will be liable to the hell 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:48.299 of fire. So when you are offering your gift at 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:50.240 the altar, if you remember that your brother 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:53.000 or sister has something against you, leave your 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.980 gift there before the altar and go. First be 00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:58.539 reconciled to your brother or sister and then 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:02.720 come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:04.679 with your accuser while you are on the way to 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.559 court with him. Or your accuser may hand you 00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:09.299 over to the judge and the judge to the guard 00:14:09.299 --> 00:14:11.620 and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:13.860 you, you will never get out. until you've paid 00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:17.500 that last penny. You've heard that it was said, 00:14:17.539 --> 00:14:20.179 you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you 00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:22.080 that everyone who looks at a woman with lust 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:24.519 has already committed adultery with her in his 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:27.840 heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.059 it out and throw it away. It is better for you 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:32.059 to lose one of your members than for your whole 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:33.879 body to be thrown into hell. And if your right 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:36.460 hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw 00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:39.169 it away. It is better for you to lose one of 00:14:39.169 --> 00:14:41.669 your members than for your whole body to go in 00:14:41.669 --> 00:14:44.070 hell. It was also said, whoever divorces his 00:14:44.070 --> 00:14:46.710 wife, let him give a certificate of divorce. 00:14:46.809 --> 00:14:48.769 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his 00:14:48.769 --> 00:14:51.210 wife, except on grounds of unchastity, causes 00:14:51.210 --> 00:14:53.870 her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a 00:14:53.870 --> 00:14:56.649 divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have 00:14:56.649 --> 00:14:58.950 heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 00:14:59.029 --> 00:15:01.309 you shall not swear falsely, but carry out the 00:15:01.309 --> 00:15:03.429 vows you have made to the Lord. But I say to 00:15:03.429 --> 00:15:06.629 you, do not swear at all, either by heaven or... 00:15:06.909 --> 00:15:09.210 for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, 00:15:09.210 --> 00:15:11.750 for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for 00:15:11.750 --> 00:15:14.929 it is the city of the great king. Do not swear 00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:17.409 by your head, for you cannot make one hair white 00:15:17.409 --> 00:15:22.690 or black. Let your word be yes, yes, or no, no. 00:15:23.289 --> 00:15:25.850 Anything more than this comes from the evil one. 00:15:26.730 --> 00:15:28.929 You've heard that it was said, an eye for an 00:15:28.929 --> 00:15:31.210 eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, 00:15:31.230 --> 00:15:34.000 do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.000 you in the right cheek, turn the other also. 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:38.220 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your 00:15:38.220 --> 00:15:40.919 coat, give your cloak as well. If anyone forces 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:42.919 you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:45.840 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:50.100 refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. You've 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:52.100 heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:55.179 and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your 00:15:55.179 --> 00:15:57.830 enemies. Pray for those who persecute you so 00:15:57.830 --> 00:16:00.029 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. 00:16:00.149 --> 00:16:02.789 For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on 00:16:02.789 --> 00:16:05.190 the good and sends rain on the righteous and 00:16:05.190 --> 00:16:07.590 on the unrighteous. For if you love those who 00:16:07.590 --> 00:16:10.169 love you, what reward do you have? Do not even 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:12.389 the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet 00:16:12.389 --> 00:16:15.169 only your brother and sister, what more are you 00:16:15.169 --> 00:16:18.710 doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do 00:16:18.710 --> 00:16:21.690 the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly 00:16:21.690 --> 00:16:25.320 Father is perfect. Beware of practicing your 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:28.259 piety before others in order to be seen by them. 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.279 For then you have no reward from your Father 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.879 in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:36.659 sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites 00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:38.879 do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.039 they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:44.259 they have received their reward. When you give 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:46.639 alms, do not let your left hand know what your 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:49.159 right hand is doing, so that your alms may be 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.419 done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret 00:16:51.419 --> 00:16:55.440 will reward you. And whenever you pray, do not 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.179 be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand 00:16:57.179 --> 00:16:58.840 and pray in the synagogues and at the street 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:01.179 corners so that they may be seen by others. Truly, 00:17:01.259 --> 00:17:02.679 I tell you, they have received their reward. 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:05.279 But whenever you pray, go into your room and 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:07.579 shut the door and pray to your Father who is 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:09.920 in the secret, and your Father who sees in secret 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.400 will reward you. When you are praying, do not 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.279 heap up. empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:18.579 they think that they will be heard because of 00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:20.920 their many words. Do not be like them, for your 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.700 Father knows what you need before you ask him. 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:28.720 Pray then this way. Our Father in heaven, hallowed 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:31.420 be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be 00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:34.700 done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:37.059 day our daily bread and forgive us our debts 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:39.960 as we also forgive our debtors. And do not bring 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:43.230 us to the time of trial, but rescue us. from 00:17:43.230 --> 00:17:46.170 the evil one. For if you forgive others their 00:17:46.170 --> 00:17:48.509 trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive 00:17:48.509 --> 00:17:50.549 you. But if you do not forgive others, neither 00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:53.549 will your Father forgive your trespasses. Whenever 00:17:53.549 --> 00:17:56.630 you fast, do not look dismal like the hypocrites, 00:17:56.730 --> 00:17:59.710 for they disfigure their faces so to show others 00:17:59.710 --> 00:18:01.809 that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they 00:18:01.809 --> 00:18:04.349 receive their reward. But when you fast, put 00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:07.730 oil on your head and wash your face so that your 00:18:07.730 --> 00:18:10.589 fasting may be seen not by others, but by your 00:18:10.589 --> 00:18:13.809 Father who sees in the secret. And your Father 00:18:13.809 --> 00:18:17.529 who sees in secret will reward you. Do not store 00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:20.250 up yourself treasures on earth. where moth and 00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:23.789 rust consume, and where thieves break in and 00:18:23.789 --> 00:18:25.849 steal. But store up for yourselves treasures 00:18:25.849 --> 00:18:29.390 in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, 00:18:29.490 --> 00:18:31.730 and where thieves do not break in and steal. 00:18:31.809 --> 00:18:34.470 For where your treasure is, there your heart 00:18:34.470 --> 00:18:38.289 will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:41.410 So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will 00:18:41.410 --> 00:18:43.829 be full of light. But if your eye is unhealthy, 00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:46.190 your whole body will be full of darkness. If 00:18:46.190 --> 00:18:49.210 then the light in you is darkness, how great 00:18:49.210 --> 00:18:52.950 is the darkness. For no one can serve two masters. 00:18:53.930 --> 00:18:56.769 For a slave will either hate the one and love 00:18:56.769 --> 00:18:58.930 the other or be devoted to the one and despise 00:18:58.930 --> 00:19:04.490 the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Therefore 00:19:04.490 --> 00:19:08.569 I tell you, do not worry about your life. What 00:19:08.569 --> 00:19:11.869 you will eat or what you will drink or about 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:15.730 your body, what you will wear. Is not life more 00:19:15.730 --> 00:19:19.769 than food and the body more than clothing? Look 00:19:19.769 --> 00:19:22.990 at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor 00:19:22.990 --> 00:19:25.710 reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly 00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:30.430 Father feeds them. Are you not of more value 00:19:30.430 --> 00:19:35.930 than they? Can any of you? By worrying, add a 00:19:35.930 --> 00:19:39.109 single hour to the span of your life. Then why 00:19:39.109 --> 00:19:41.009 do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies 00:19:41.009 --> 00:19:43.670 of the field, how they grow. They neither toil 00:19:43.670 --> 00:19:46.769 nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all 00:19:46.769 --> 00:19:48.950 of his glory was not clothed like one of these. 00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:52.430 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 00:19:52.609 --> 00:19:55.289 which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into 00:19:55.289 --> 00:19:59.150 the oven, will he not much more clothe you, you 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:02.599 of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:04.839 what will we eat or what will we drink or what 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.359 will we wear? For it is the Gentiles who strive 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.339 for all these things. And indeed, your heavenly 00:20:09.339 --> 00:20:11.880 Father knows that you need all these things. 00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:16.400 But strive first for the kingdom of God and for 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:19.519 his righteousness. All these things will be given 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:22.579 to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, 00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:27.099 for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's 00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:33.000 trouble is enough for today. Do not judge so 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:36.000 that you may not be judged. With the judgment 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.980 you make, you will be judged, and the measure 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:42.180 you give will be the measure you get. Why do 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:44.859 you see the speck in your brother's eye, but 00:20:44.859 --> 00:20:48.619 do not notice the log in your own eye? How can 00:20:48.619 --> 00:20:50.539 you say to your neighbor, let me take the speck 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:52.779 out of your eye while the log is in your own 00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:54.940 eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of 00:20:54.940 --> 00:20:58.269 your own eye. And then you will see clearly to 00:20:58.269 --> 00:21:01.470 take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. Do 00:21:01.470 --> 00:21:03.650 not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw 00:21:03.650 --> 00:21:06.349 your pearls before swine, or they will trample 00:21:06.349 --> 00:21:09.829 them underfoot and turn and maul you. Ask, and 00:21:09.829 --> 00:21:12.769 it will be given you. Search, and you will find. 00:21:12.990 --> 00:21:16.029 Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For 00:21:16.029 --> 00:21:18.869 everyone who asks receives, and everyone who 00:21:18.869 --> 00:21:21.569 searches finds. For everyone who knocks, the 00:21:21.569 --> 00:21:24.589 door will be opened. Is there anyone among you? 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:26.900 who if your child asks for bread will give a 00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:30.299 stone, or if the child asks for a snake will 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:33.960 give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:36.660 how to give good gifts to your children, how 00:21:36.660 --> 00:21:38.859 much more will your Father in heaven give good 00:21:38.859 --> 00:21:42.980 things to those who ask him? And everything do 00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:46.559 to others as you would have them do to you, for 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:51.940 this is the law and the prophets. Enter through 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:54.579 the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the 00:21:54.579 --> 00:21:56.720 road is easy that leads to destruction, and there 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:59.819 are many who take it. For the gate is narrow 00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:02.880 and the road is hard that leads to life, and 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.799 there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:09.920 who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:12.119 are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:15.460 fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:18.019 from thistles? In the same way, every good tree 00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:20.940 bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad 00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:24.019 fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:27.819 can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that 00:22:27.819 --> 00:22:29.920 does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:32.359 into the fire. Thus you will know them by their 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:35.509 fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, 00:22:35.609 --> 00:22:37.569 will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the 00:22:37.569 --> 00:22:39.809 one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 00:22:39.910 --> 00:22:42.309 On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, 00:22:42.470 --> 00:22:44.849 did we not prophesy in your name and cast out 00:22:44.849 --> 00:22:47.089 demons in your name and do many deeds of power 00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:49.369 in your name? Then I will declare to them, I 00:22:49.369 --> 00:22:52.109 never knew you. Go away from me, you evildoers. 00:22:53.529 --> 00:22:56.869 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and 00:22:56.869 --> 00:22:59.829 acts on them will be like a wise man who built 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:04.269 his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods 00:23:04.269 --> 00:23:07.450 came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:09.509 but it did not fall because it had been founded 00:23:09.509 --> 00:23:12.650 on rock. And everyone who hears these words of 00:23:12.650 --> 00:23:14.809 mine and does not act on them will be like a 00:23:14.809 --> 00:23:18.230 foolish man who built his house on sand. The 00:23:18.230 --> 00:23:21.769 rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:23.769 blew and beat against that house, and it fell, 00:23:23.950 --> 00:23:28.930 and great was the fall. Now when Jesus had finished 00:23:28.930 --> 00:23:31.809 saying these things, The crowds were astounded 00:23:31.809 --> 00:23:35.750 at his teaching, for he taught them as one having 00:23:35.750 --> 00:23:42.970 authority, not as one of the scribes. The first 00:23:42.970 --> 00:23:45.990 thing I want to pray about is all of the marginalized 00:23:45.990 --> 00:23:51.569 people that you know. You can interpret that 00:23:51.569 --> 00:23:57.730 how you want. When Jesus gives the Beatitudes, 00:23:57.829 --> 00:24:01.619 the blessed bees, He's praying for all of the 00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:03.220 ones that are marginalized, telling them how 00:24:03.220 --> 00:24:07.019 they will be blessed in all of the ways that 00:24:07.019 --> 00:24:11.500 the wealthy think that they can buy. So let us 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:16.740 spend a moment praying for that. If Marissa would 00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:18.740 come up over here, and if Eric would come up 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:20.420 over here, if anyone wants to pray about any 00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:23.000 of these things with an elder, they will be present. 00:24:32.910 --> 00:24:35.410 He says we need our saltiness, that we need our 00:24:35.410 --> 00:24:41.009 light. He's telling us not to be bland. He's 00:24:41.009 --> 00:24:46.490 telling us not to be dimly lit. Let us pray for 00:24:46.490 --> 00:24:55.049 our own courage. That we might shine in the way 00:24:55.049 --> 00:25:09.799 that Jesus calls us to. He tells us to be careful 00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:14.779 with how we use our anger. He says we can use 00:25:14.779 --> 00:25:17.019 our anger in a way that is the equivalent of 00:25:17.019 --> 00:25:22.000 having murdered someone. That how we think and 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.859 feel in our hearts about other people matters. 00:25:28.859 --> 00:25:33.299 Let's take a moment to confess and turn away 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:35.559 from the way we have held anger against others. 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:52.740 He gives one of the most difficult lessons, to 00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:55.200 not resist an evildoer, to let them take your 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.819 shirt, to go the extra mile, to let them slap 00:25:57.819 --> 00:26:02.140 you again, to love our enemies, to pray for those 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:06.380 that persecute us, because as the Proverbs had 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:12.099 said, he causes the sun to rise on both, the 00:26:12.099 --> 00:26:15.640 wealthy and the poor, the righteous and the unrighteous. 00:26:19.339 --> 00:26:22.220 Let's pray for the ways that we have fought when 00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:40.720 Jesus has asked us to let go. He tells us it 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:44.400 matters what's behind our eyes. That if there 00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:47.420 is not light in our eyes, that it affects our 00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:54.589 entire lives. He's telling us that it matters 00:26:54.589 --> 00:26:57.329 what we look at, what we fill ourselves with. 00:27:02.190 --> 00:27:06.430 Let's let God shape us now about how we're using 00:27:06.430 --> 00:27:12.509 our eyes and our time, what we ingest, and what 00:27:12.509 --> 00:27:30.619 comes out because of it. Jesus reminds us that 00:27:30.619 --> 00:27:32.960 with the measure that we judge, we will be judged. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.700 That we have keen vision to see the tiny speck 00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:44.539 of sand in someone else's eye when we're ignoring 00:27:44.539 --> 00:27:46.480 the two by four we're holding in front of our 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:53.339 face. Let's pray about the ways that we have 00:27:53.339 --> 00:27:55.259 found ourselves judging others while we have 00:27:55.259 --> 00:28:01.019 ignored. The sins of our own hearts and our own 00:28:01.019 --> 00:28:23.519 lives. He teaches us the golden rule. To do unto 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:33.250 others as you would have them do unto you. Let's 00:28:33.250 --> 00:28:35.309 just pray for a moment about how we have switched 00:28:35.309 --> 00:28:42.509 that. How, at times, we do to others as we feel 00:28:42.509 --> 00:28:47.329 they've done to us. Instead of offering the kindness 00:28:47.329 --> 00:28:50.569 that we hope that we would receive, or the love, 00:28:50.569 --> 00:28:56.369 or the gentleness, the forgiveness, the benefit 00:28:56.369 --> 00:29:05.309 of the doubt. Finally, he tells us to be doers 00:29:05.309 --> 00:29:09.289 of the word, not just hearers of what he has 00:29:09.289 --> 00:29:14.529 said, because it shapes and forms a house that 00:29:14.529 --> 00:29:24.509 is either built on sand or rock. The love of 00:29:24.509 --> 00:29:30.880 Jesus is immovable. It cannot be shaken. And 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:33.359 yet there is something about how we follow Jesus 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:37.500 that affects the foundation of the house of faith 00:29:37.500 --> 00:29:44.559 that we build. Spend a moment praying for a good 00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:50.720 foundation. If you feel you have built on sand 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:53.880 by ignoring the words of Jesus, then start over. 00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:08.740 Build on rock. Jesus, we thank you for your words. 00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:13.779 Pray that you would help us to remove ourselves 00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:18.380 from the chain reaction that leads from war to 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:21.099 war, from violence to violence, from hate to 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:25.920 hate. That you would fill our eyes with light, 00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:32.599 for you are the light of the world. Fill us with 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:35.960 your very presence. Help us to be doers of your 00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:40.849 word. not just hearers, so that this house might 00:30:40.849 --> 00:30:45.269 be built on rock as each of our individual houses 00:30:45.269 --> 00:30:49.150 of faith in each of our hearts is built on your 00:30:49.150 --> 00:30:54.529 word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.